Daniel and Jessica Astin

Snow!!

2012-02-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

It has been a cold winter, but with very little snow in the valley. It was nearing the end of January and we hadn't had any decent snow storms. We finally had snow that stuck to the ground plus had the quantity to make a snowman! Jacob was thrilled. So was I, Dan was home and HE could go out in the cold and have a Father -son bonding experience. I bundled up the kids and sent them out with Daddy.

Yes, Jacob has pink gloves on. I realized I didn't have waterproof gloves in his size, so he got my gloves.

After building a great snowman they had a snowball fight. Which consisted of Dan throwing snowballs and me and Jake. Jake throwing them at Dan, and me throwing them at Jake. Derek kept running around the yard just enjoying the snow. All the snow melted the next day and we have yet to have snow again. Weird weather.

Dereks Birthday Party

2012-02-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Yes I realize Derek is only two, but everyone should have their birthday celebrated, even little ones. We invited the Grandparents and a few Aunts and Uncles. Jacob had fun helping me decorate for the party. He wanted the dinosaurs to be in a pattern, and refused deviating from it. Aunt Rachel Made the cake and cupcakes, they turned out great! After Dinner we opened presents. Since his birthday is right after Christmas, my wrapping skills have turned into complete laziness. As you can see I even resorted to throwing a sheet over one, refusing to wrap it at all. Jake even got a gift from the Glassford Grandparents! Oh Sweettart Hearts, how you play a part of my childhood!

Then it was time for cake! Derek even blew out his candles without help! That is right, Jake and my sisters didn't blow them out for Derek!

My kids are notorious for being clean eaters. They do not like getting messy, and when they do they need assistance right then to get it off. Most of the time this is a good thing. Birthday cake is meant to be eaten in a messy way when you are small, thus the removal of the shirt. He didn't like picking up the cupcake with his hands, afraid of the mess the icing was making. So Aunt Heather held up his plate so he could just eat it with his face.

We then gave the kids ice cream. They where excited because then they got the spoon!

We then had fun hanging out and enjoying a fun birthday game I like to call " The Dino Egg Hunt"! It is the exact same thing as an Easter egg hunt but with dinosaur eggs. The kids and Aunts also had fun playing games in the castle. Thanks to everyone who came, it was super fun.

Derek is 2

2012-01-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

My little baby is getting so big, he is now two years old! For his birthday we went to the aquarium. I know I was spoiled as a kid getting to go to Seaworld and the San Diego Zoo, but I think Utah's aquarium is pretty sad. The kids don't know what they are missing out on so they where super excited. Derek and Jacob have a true love for fish and the sea. Derek might not want to watch shows geared to kids his age, but I put on national geographic " coral reef" and he is hooked. I think Jacob's obsession for all ocean dwelling animals helps fuel Derek's fascination.

Derek was so excited to see the fish, but he was mesmerized by the stingrays. At first he wasn't too fond of the stingrays getting close. He would get nervous and even pretend cry if we tried to get him to touch them. Jacob on the other hand had a ball trying to pet them. I had to keep reminding him that only the stingrays are supposed to swim in this water, not Jacobs. One time the sting ray jumped right in front of Jacob. It startled him and made him jump back.

The newest addition to the little aquarium is penguins! They where fun to watch and where really active. Both kids wanted to be lifted up to see the penguins so Dan held them both up. I thought is was super cute. It was a fun family outing, It made me even more excited to take them to San Diego this summer.

Happy New Years!

2012-01-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

For the past two years we have had our family over for New Years Eve. It is so nice having it at our house. Most holidays are spent at my parent's which is fun, but we leave when the kids bed time gets close. We had tons of fun playing games. My favorites where Rachel vs Jake and Heather vs. Jim. Mostly because they where so entertaining. We had to bring in a kids play rug so the kids/adults knew when they got to close to the tv.

During the festivities Heather and my Mom ended up getting tiered and taking little naps. We also set up the castle. Jake saw just how crazy Aunt Heather and Aunt Rachel can get. They took turns being princesses and the evil witch that would try to storm the castle. After Derek went to bed things had to settle down a bit, so we played quiet games in the castle.

It was super fun, a great start to a new year.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

After we got the kids in their beds on Christmas Eve we set out to work getting ready for Christmas morning! Because Derek is a mischievous child we have had no presents under the tree until that night. So we brought down all the presents that where wrapped and hidden up in our room . We then watched 'The Christmas Story" while prepping the stockings and setting up the train table. Dan and I have the tradition of doing each others stockings. I set his up, cover it with a blanket and then he does the same. That way we are surprised Christmas morning too. I was so excited to see the kids and Dan's reaction to their presents.
I didn't get much sleep. We knew jacob was awake Christmas morning because we could hear him singing Rudolph in his bedroom. Santa was amazing and got him everything on his list. Derek was enthralled with the train and has treats. We then opened presents youngest to oldest. One by one. The way it should be, slow and thoughtful. I got Dan got a little blender for his protein ( yes it was returned) and a new leatherman. He got Madden and a Blue ray, but I don't think they really count because he knew about them. Dan got me a Blendtec Blender, flat griddle and other things. He got me a Blender! Not only did we both get each other blenders, but the one he got me was crazy amazing! His looked all sad and geld next to my awesome blendtec. It was a great Family Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-03T07:52:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve morning Dan got a text from UPS. He didn't have to go to work!!! It was truly a Christmas miracle. We had a fun day of relaxing, then went over to David and Gina's house for our traditional Christmas Eve festivities. They have this odd pool game that was a fun twist on the original.

Jacob loved watching the adults play, and after explaining that only adults can play because little boys could get hurt, he watched without trying to grab a ball. Dan beat Richie 2-1 and Richie beat my Mom 2-0.

Richie being the crazy uncle! I am so glad Jacob was feeling better. When we first got to David's house Jacob ate a reece's pieces. He went to Dan and told him he ate a bad M&M. After some benadryl and him holding a bowl while he sat on my lap for awhile he seemed just fine.

We then had our traditional Christmas talent Show. Jacob and I sang a song together. That is right people, I sang! David even said I sounded good. The only time he seemed tired and drugged was during our singing. I tried posting the video. You can see it on my facebook page. Jacob then joined in while Richie and Grandpa sang.

After David and Gina's kids did their talent it was Grandma's and Heather's turn. They cheated. They gave all of us a chime and expected us to provide the music. This was a very bad choice.

Not only did they not have a talent, but we then had to listen to our own horrible "chimed" rendition of classic Christmas songs. It was so bad that Heather couldn't mask her amusement of how crappy it was. The worst part was David . He always forgot which numbers was his. I am going to say the best was me. I got a chime number that wasn't even in the song, so I didn't even have to participate in the deafening craziness.

We then watched the church's nativity video. Jacob loves the story and was thoroughly enthralled. He had so many questions, "where is King Harrod?", "Why are they speaking so funny", " Joseph should build Mary a house if there is no room", " Why don't they have cars". I had to whisper the story and answer questions in his ear so he wasn't loud. Derek enjoyed it as well. They both fell asleep on the way home. It was a fun Christmas Eve.

Christmas Activities!

2011-12-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

Jacob was part of a Nativity Christmas Program. He got to be Joseph. I dressed him up a few days earlier and read him the story. He became a huge fan of Joseph, and to this day asks if he can be Joseph. We have had several playdates where they end up reenacting the nativity and making up plot lines for Joseph and Mary.

It was really fun. Thanks you Grandparents and Heather for coming.

Derek was a fill-in Shepard. He was so cute. Derek loves playing with little babies and shushing them. If I hold a baby he starts to freak out, so we still have room for improvement.

Gingerbread Houses!

Here we are actually putting are gingerbread houses together. It was super fun this year and I had a great team! Dan helped design and make the gingerbread and Karin was my decorating partner.

There was icing and candy everywhere! That is the way it is supposed to be!

Team Dad, Mom and Heather where right next to me. I was glad because they didn't bump the table much. Rachel and Jim where on the other table, but I don't have a picture of them, They needed a table all to themselves because they where making mini houses and had to be very precise.

It was a fun night. I love holiday traditions!

Gingerbread House Competition

2011-12-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

The Gingerbread House Competition has come to an end, and now we all has amazing candy houses decorating our kitchens! This year we had a number of rules. Only four consecutive hours to put house together, only edible materials, and much more. Thank you for abiding by these rules. Now to the voting. each TEAM gets two votes. You will need to comment on this blog post to cast your votes. Love you all and Merry Christmas!!
Team #1 - Richard, Lynne and Heather - Using homemade gingerbread and homemade candy! Look at those hand molded sugar animals!

Team # 2 - The Sink family - Using gingerbread and traditional use of red and green!

Team #3 - Rachel and Jim. They made a mini gingerbread village. Look at all those little roofs and little details!

Team #4 - Chad and Angie Blaser! They have the "alternative" house with graham cracker! Look at that height!

Team #5 - Corey! He made one all on his own, that is dedication!

Team #6 - Eli and Jamie. Master of edible materials! They even used broccoli :)

Team #7 - Dan, Jessica and Karin! Homemade gingerbread with homeade candy making Santa's Reindeer Barn.

Santa!

2011-12-11T17:26:00.001-08:00

Tis that time of year. We get to take the children to go ask Santa for a present. As if writing him several times for a specific toy was not enough, we get to go ask him in person. Jake was extremely confused at first. He asked questions like " He can't come down and play, he needs to make toys", " the reindeer need to practice Mom, so they can fly everywhere on Christmas", and " Santa can't come, he needs to eat the food so he can have a big belly". Frankly, if you do not understand Jacob's statements you had a sad childhood. Call me and I will recommend some Christmas movies.

After giving him many completely made-up explanations we where off to see Santa. Jacob was so excited. He knew just what he wanted, and even said thank you.

Now Derek on the other hand... Well, Derek is terrified of Santa! Dan wondered if making Derek sit on Santa's lap was torture. I told him it was tradition, and if I had to do it as a child so will he. It is like the circle of life.If I was forced to face my fear every year so shall he.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Christmas time!

2011-12-07T13:30:00.001-08:00

Christmas time is such a fun time of year, but sadly super busy for Dan. I have found the multitude of random activities going on to be a good distraction from Dan's absence. My friend Katrina was husband-less because of a Job as well. So we packed up the kids and headed to the "drive through light display" at Thanksgiving point. I remember as a kid driving through neighborhoods trying to find houses with a lot of lights. This is less gas and tons of twinkling lights. All fun, until we decided to go see the reindeer after. Why would that be bad? Well, if you dress your kids in their pajamas and planned to take Derek out of his carseat and straight to bed than this would have been not ideal. So Derek got to run around in hay, in December and in footsy pajamas.

We went back to Thanksgiving point this past monday for the Family Activity Night at the museum. Obviously Jacob requested the reindeer... so we stopped by again so he could talk to the reindeer. It was super cute. He asked" Hello, do you know Rudolph?", " its okay, you can fly back to the north pole now." Jacob makes me laugh, he truly thinks he can talk to the animals. Yes, Derek is trying to climb in with the reindeer.
They had a Santa letter station all set up and little crafts for the kids. Jacob wrote his letter to Santa . Okay I wrote what he wanted but he did sign his name. It is getting better, the letters are actually slightly recognizable. He asked for a train, shark, and whale shark. And thanks to Amazon he shall be getting all three. We then went to the mud area of the museum, where the kids spent an hour playing with mud and dinosaurs. Jacob decided he was going to be a purist and play with only green t-rex dinosaurs. Derek's mission was to destroy anything Mom created out of mud. That is right, I played with the mud too.
I had my niece over the other day, Jacob and her play so well together. Because it is Christmas and Jacob is putting on a little nativity scene for his preschool they obviously had to play Mary and Joseph.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T18:52:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was fun and different. I had to cook the turkey and had some of Dan's side of the Family over to celebrate the Thanksgiving feast.My whole family was down in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. Though I think I had to call my Mom and Aunts so many times about the huge turkey it was like I was there. The turkey turned out great, just an hour later than planned. Dan rated the meal a 9. Turns out I need to pay more attention when my Dad makes gravy. It was a good holiday. We also went over to Dan's Parent's house for the Astin Thanksgiving get together that week. It was fun having such a big gathering of people. All the kids running around reminded me of when I was little. All of the Glassford kids and Sinks running around driving the adults crazy. Biggest difference( besides people) .. no random bowl of olives and pickles on the table.

Here is Derek with his cousin Nathen.

UVU Basketball Party!

2011-11-22T12:27:00.001-08:00

We went to a "UVU meet the basketball teams" with Steve and Noreen. It was super fun. The kids got a basketball and UVU shirt. Jacob thought it was so cool that the team signed his ball. He keeps asking me to read the signatures... I come up with original names like Bob, Luke and Wakeem. I like the name Wakeem , if my kids could pull of that kind of name they would totally have it.

Jacob had fun doing all the activities and meeting the players. He discovered the sweet stickiness of cotton candy . Derek obviously didn't touch the cotton candy.

They had all the kids line up and hold their hand out. This way the could call out the basketball player's name, then run down the line giving everyone a high five. Super fun right? Oh yes, Jacob had a blast! Derek.... well ... that is another story.

Then the cheerleaders did a little show and the basketball players demonstrated their skill of shooting a basket in a non-stress situation. As you can see, Derek thought it was riveting.

Okay. Here is the thing, I have come the realization Derek has a fear of strangers. The crying and not wanting to be near the wolverine mascot, totally normal. But when the nice cheerleader wants to hold his hand and put a fake tattoo on his wrist he was more than willing. Seriously.... he is only 1. Liking the ladies isn't supposed to start till he is a lot older.

Grandpa Glassford

2011-11-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Grandpa with Jacob

This Fall has been a rough one to say the least. We have been licking our wounds and trying to wrap our minds around loosing our Grandma's when we got the news that my Grandpa passed away. It is hard to even bring up, and I don't like dwelling on this loss. For I feel like a rug has been pulled from underneath me. He was a great man and my families patriarch. Grandpa was truly a hero in my family and helped raise me and all my cousins. He was the ideal Grandpa. Always there when you needed him. He always told me that family was more important than all the gold in the world. He said that because he had us he was a rich man. I know he wanted to be with Grandma and he had a broken heart not to have his true love with him. But I will truly miss him. I will miss all my Grandparents. They are part of me, and hope that someday I can talk about it without crying. Until then, If you ask me about it just know you are just asking for tears. We love you Grandpa. We will miss you terribly.

Here is to the end of Fall!

2011-10-31T09:49:00.001-07:00

It is almost the wonderful and magical season of winter. But before we dive into Thanksgiving and onward to Christmas, let us look back at the past few weeks. I was totally planning on catching up with my posts and journal, but because of another family tragedy it was put on hold. Now here is another 'larger than it should be' post.

Jake's birthday, oh yes ... I am sure you thought that would be over. But I was not finished. Jake had a friend party! All of his neighborhood friends and cousins came. And because Jake has a current love for sea creatures it was an " oceans are awesome " theme. Jake actually blew out the candles twice. He blew them out before the song even started, and those candles where not the easiest to light. My Dad and Dan thought it was hilarious watching me light the candles. It was making me a bit frustrated. My opinion is that candles should be easy to light... unless they are trick candles. We then did our little crafts! The kids had fun making their masks, even Derek made one with the help of Grandma Astin. Thanks to my wonderful niece Taylor ( she came over to help assist me with the party games) everything went smoothly. After making the masks we did the activity that any self respecting ocean party would have... that is fishing for candy!!! Taylor hid behind the blanket. Dan and I took turns with Derek and helping the kids reel in their catch. It actually went extremely well. The kids had fun. But the fun didn't stop there! Oh yes, it was pinata time! Because nowhere in the area had a whale pinata we settled for a pirate ship. That thing was completely stuffed with non-peanut candy and little toys. First up was Jake, he had fun whacking at it, then all the other kids had a turn. after three rounds of them beating this pirate ship it became evident we needed a professional. That pirate ship was made to last!!!!

Because Dan was busy being the Dad and holding the pinata, it was up to Steve to do the honors. He had to hit it a handful of times and then it started to pour candy!!! Now as a cautious mother who did not want any of the kids hurt, I warned the children not to run after any of the candy. They where to stay on the sidewalk until I gave the signal it was safe. I forgot to tell Noreen this rule, and she almost got hit in the head. Tootsie rolls are tasty, but she almost gave me a heart attack going for it while Steve was swinging away.

After the candy started coming out, and the bat was no longer being swung, It was time for candy!!!

Thanks to everyone that came to his party, He had a blast. I had fun putting it together and am glad it went so well. Till next year... we will see what theme he comes up with then.

Now that we have covered Jacob's birthday. Lets discuss Fall. With fall comes the wonderful corn maze of The Vineyard. I have been going to this fall favorite for as long as I can remember. My parents and Heather came with us. Jacob and Derek had a blast!

All through the maze there where little Halloween things to look at. A favorite was the wood cut-out boards.

We where on the search for the tunnel of gourds but couldn't find it anywhere. I blame the fact that we where following the four year old and going in circles. So we decided to take a short cut.....

We crawled through the corn, yes I realize this breaks all the rules to corn mazes, but we where not going to be denied!!! We wanted to see the slightly deformed, unique gourds hanging all around a vine tunnel!!!

Look, we are still in the corn maze.

We had a ton of fun and will defiantly keep going every year. This is one of my favorite activities around Halloween.

We also had a Halloween themed dinner. Complete with eye ball manicotti, spooky tree bread sticks and intestine soup ( chili )

I think the favorite thing we had was the homemade rootbeer. The kids had a blast ( okay, everyone had fun with the ice) Dry ice is SO much fun!!! My kids have never experienced dry ice and the smoke it creates.

We also got the kids to sit on Grandpa's Giant Pumpkin!! then we tried to get a picture of me with the kids. This is the best one we got. Oh well, I tried.

Here is the Glassford cousins all done up in Halloween garb!

On Halloween we started trick or treating early be stopping by my parent's house, then we went to my Aunt Anne's house and hung out with my Auntie and Cousin Karin. I am always amazed at their front yard! We then headed over to my In-Laws house for some trunk-or-treating. That was super fun. Nothing like getting a bucket of candy on one street and before dark! After we got home I took Jake out for trick-or-treating in our neighborhood while Dan had candy duty. Jake loved it and had a blast running up to every door. The holidays are getting to be so much fun the older they get. Love it!!

I told you it was a long post!

The Start of the Birthday Celebrations!

2011-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Jacob's birthday week started off last Sunday. We went over to my parents house for Sunday dinner and a little birthday celebration for my four year old! As many people know Jake loves animals, his favorite being the whale-shark. Yes I get that it is weird. So Sunday morning I got up and made a simple sheet cake, hoping it would turn out decently. I love cooking, but my baking skills are still a bit iffy. Okay, so cakes and bread are my homemade-arch-nemesis, but I am trying. After cooking it, and it not sinking or burning I proudly show Jake. " Look, I made you a birthday cake, you are such a lucky boy! " What is his response you might ask. Was he wanting to eat it, excited about his birthday, wanting to help frost it. Oh no, that would be to simple for my life. He informed me he wanted a whale-shark cake. After taking a moment to comprehend his request I grabbed a knife and started to cut out a whale. Then Jake started to inform me exactly what the specifications of this whale-shark needed. He grabbed his book and said" Mom, the whale shark needs spots and stripes, a white belly, a blow whole and live in warm water." At this point I was determined to make this thing look half decent, My well-made 8x11 sheetcake must be a whale shark... then it will look like a whale-shark. I now know ( thanks to the advice after-the-fact from my husband) that I could have piped a whale-shark onto the top of the cake instead of carving it out. I blame lack of sleep on the fact I didn't think of that. I think it turned out decent, and frankly it doesn't matter what I thought, because Jacob was elated.
here is Jacob blowing the four candles out. He is getting so big!
While we where getting ready to open presents, Derek thought he was being clever and was about to open some of Jacob's presents. This is his " oh me" face. I love that he gets this cute innocent face whenever he gets caught doing something. It is either the innocent face or he takes off running. And he can run fast!!

Here is Jacob with his Aunt Heather. I am so lucky I have family living so close and my kids get to hang out with their aunts and uncles! It is also amazing how well Jake knows his aunts and uncles that live out of town, thank you internet!

Jacob opening his presents, nothing like a good book! It had some of my favorites when I was growing up . Now if only I could find the childrens book about the farmer with an over-sized beet....

Happy Birthday Jacob, We love you the whale-shark mostest!

Time for Halloween!

2011-10-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

We decided to get the season of Halloween kicked off early by going to the haunted dinosaur museum. Oh yes, tons of bones, small children running around, and people handing them wooden sticks while calling them "magic wands". See... terrifying! It was actually really fun, and besides the wooden wands it was a rather pleasant outing ( I was a mean Mom and took them away after awhile because I was afraid they would poke their eyes out). They had a face painting booth and Jake excitedly informed the master painter he wanted a Dragon. After he was finished, Jake informed the man that Dragons have wings and that he should redo it. I could see the offense the dude took from it and quickly explained to Jake that some dragons don't need wings to fly. They are so awesome and are the most powerful dragons with super incredible magic that allowed them to fly with no wings plus they can blow orange, yellow and purple fire! He seemed content with the explanation. Then it was Derek's turn. But he wanted nothing to do with it, so we decided to go into the sorcerers tower, we actually went in twice, Jake is a sucker for a good story.

That is right, and actual sorcerer has taken up shop in a dinosaur museum, and you have to go through a creepy tunnel to get to his "layer" . Here is Derek posing next to a spooky garbage bag wall covered in spider bags, nothing but terrifying!

Then we reached the sorcerer, who turned out to be rather nice. He showed us a few magic tricks and told some stories about nice but misunderstood witches and monsters. We then went to play in the museum.

We made our own Dinosaurs, We named Jake's the Dragonsoraus. and Derek's was whataisasourus. Jake came up with his own name, because he thought that dinosaurs and dragons lived together since they don't live here anymore ( I have decided to let him believe this and yes, I am a mom who encourages his belief in leprechauns, Easter bunnies and Santa) Jake made me name Derek's. My first name was Idontknow - asaurus, but Jake said that wasn't right. So my extremely imaginative mind came up with whataisasourus.

They had fun like always at the museum. Jake wanted to know the name of every dinosaur and Derek would just point and say "roarrr".

Derek being himself... just kidding ;)

Grandpa's Giant Pumpkins!

2011-10-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month since my last post, and we have done many fun family activities! Sorry about not posting anything and then the onslaught of posts that will happen this week.

My parents have been on the quest of a giant pumpkin for years. Every year they try different techniques and different seeds. This year my Dad, Grandpa, Brother Richie and Brother-in-law Jim all grew their own pumpkins. They joined the giant pumpkin organization in Utah and showed off this years labor of love at Thanksgiving Points Giant Pumpkin Extravaganza. Here is a Picture of Jake and Derek with my Dad's pumpkin, I am still amazed they got it out of their garden and to pumpkin gathering.

Grandpa would take Jake out to see the pumpkins every time we would go over to his house. Now besides the giant sunflowers, strawberries, grapes and lemon tree Jake has informed me we need to grow in our yard, Jake added a huge pumpkin JUST like Grandpa and his Uncles. They had fun looking at the huge pumpkins and hanging out with their Grandparents and Richie. Good luck to you guys next year, may they be even bigger!

UVU Family Party!

2011-09-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

We went to UVU this past Saturday for the Family Fun and Safety Fair. Grandpa and Grandma Astin had invited us to come eat green pancakes and see the fire trucks. Jake, who loves seeing fire trucks on the side of the road, was super excited. It is amazing at his age the proffesions they idolise. Fire Fighters, construction workers, policeman, farmer and train conductors are Jacob's top choices for when he gets older. His first used to be fisherman but after his first experience on a boat, he doen't seem to want to be a fisherman in the big ocean.

They did not disappoint on the fire trucks, there where over seven fire trucks! First things first though.... food! I was surprised that they where serving ice cream with the green pancakes, but it was super good... the kids thought it was awesome! If you notice, the binki is not in Derek's mouth! Yay! Okay, so he had to shovel the ice cream into his mouth, but the binki is clearly out of arms length. They had little stands with pamphlets and bowls of candy... but they also had a guy doing balloon animals and a stand doing face painting! Jake wanted to be a dragon. I think it turned out great, the only down side was that he had green eyebrows for three days. We then went over to all the fire trucks! They had the whole firefighter outfits they could try on. Jake thought they where so special, and loved getting to wear a real fire fighter hat. It was so much cooler then his Dollar Tree fire fighter hat I had gotten him.

Derek's favorite part of it was the shoes, I wasn't surprised. .

We had a ton of fun. Thank you for inviting us Noreen! Jake still talks about wanting to go back and play with the firetrucks!

Trafalga

2011-09-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Trafalga in Orem last weekend. I have a prejudice and think the Trafalga in Lehi is tons better, but we actually had fun. They have the 3D movie theater, which Jake liked. I chose the show that had a little boy and cat on it, figured it would be less intense. Oh how I was wrong. Turns out the child and feline made jetpacks and are completely indestructible. After flying/crashing through buildings, wood, metal grates, being eaten by a monster sewer rat, they finally make it to school. And what stops this indestructible kitten with a Jet pack.... a bus window. I don't get it.... It would have had to take a cement wall more than ten feet thick to stop that cat, if it was truly realistic. Needless to say Jake loved it.

They loved pretending to drive the cars while Dad played his game.They sure like driving, boys will be boys.

Here is Jake playing skee ball while Dan is playing basketball. Jake had a hard time getting the ball into play, but he sure had fun.

Yay for Summer and Brothers!

2011-09-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Why do I even bother buying toys, when all they want is a big cardboard box? This box lasted two days, and was a pure joy for the kids to play with. They pretended it was a barn for their toys, a house for them, a cave, and a Jake's special place. If anyone has any obnoxiously large boxes... let me know and I will come get them. I think I know what Jake is getting for his birthday ... does anyone know how to get my hands on a refrigerator box?

Tibble Fork Reservoir

We went up to Tibble with Dan's parents and Steve's family. Jake and Lily had great fun playing in the dirt and finding rocks. It reminded of me when we where small at Pine Valley and becoming so dirty we looked like little Indians running around in pink care bear shirts. Oh the memories.

Grandpa Astin brought his boat and took Dan and Jake out for a bit of fishing. Turns out Jake wasn't a huge fan of just sitting on a boat. I don't think it helped that they where using lures and Jake has yet to pick up on the concept of continual reeling and casting. With time small one... in time.

While Dan and Jake where out on the boat Derek and I put on some sandles and went to the shallow part of the lake and splashed around for a bit. This kid loves water, and it didn't matter if it was freezing. He just kept splashing and playing with his dinosaur. Every time he picked it up he would remove his binki, growl, replace binki, then plunge the toy into the water. It was cute, I just could do without the binki. I believe it is almost time to limit the binki to bed time.

Here is Jake with his favorite rock and in his cute little fishing/adventure vest. He wanted to dress like Dad. Why is it that almost every time I have him smile for a picture he gives me a weird smile, I don't get it. But looking back in pictures a few of my sibling did the same thing... that is right Angie you did some sweet cheezers.

Uintah Fishing

Dan went fishing up in the Unitah mountains with his Dad and Brother. What fun for the guys to take a Saturday and catch fish. But here is the thing, I had Dan take the camera and I got only 2 pictures. this one and a close up of a fish. I don't expect a fashion show of a picture of every fish they catch, but I expect a bit more. I don't think I am asking much. Lets try to double the effort next time guys... 4 pictures!

Because it is cute

Just thought this was a cute picture of Derek being a construction worker. After Jake ran around building and being a construction worker, Derek decided he wanted to be one as well. He wants to be like his brother so much!

What we did this week...

2011-08-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

As many know, this summer has been super hot! So we have had fun with our little sprinkler head. We had an impromptu water play time. I didn't even bother putting on swim trunks. Mostly because they had gotten themselves wet even before I turned it on and I was lazy.
I don't get the fun of getting so close to the sprinkler head. Jake seems to think that is the best part. They would take turns ( dog included) in getting super close, putting their hands/paws over the sprinkler head. It is as if they are proving their awesomeness. Look, I can stop the full force of water pressure with the palm of my hand! We also went to the Pig Party this week! Oh that is right, Lehi is awesome. We have parties that revolve around farm animals!
I have decided that I want a pet pig. I am willing to give up the hope to get a pet snake for a pig. When I told Dan he said we can't get a pig because it would beat up the dog. I think he might have a point. Kate isn't exactly a vicious beast!
They had lots of activities for the kids. One was " Eat Like a Pig" the idea is that you eat the whip cream trying to find the treat underneath. . . without using your hands. Fun idea unless you are Jake and don't want to get your face dirty. There where three other people doing it at the same time and they just went right in, determined to be the first one to eat the starburst. Jake had to lick the whip cream slowly, not to make a mess. I don't know why it made me so proud and sad at the same time.
Jake Decided he was Super Pig. This is him showing off his piggy muscles. I don't know why I find it so funny.
Derek loves the cows. He will sit and pet them and feed them. He wanted nothing to do with the pigs and he didn't want to pet the bunny. For some odd reason Derek feel more comfortable petting and playing with an animal that is overwhelmingly bigger than him. Besides, maybe he likes them because they taste pretty good!
Then we made piggy cookies. Nothing like a well balanced Lunch! Jake had fun making the cookie look like a pig, Derek didn't care... until they started to eat their cookies. Derek started to notice Jake's cookie was pink, and looked so much more tasty than his plain sugar cookie. After Derek tried to swipe Jake's cookie a couple of times I put a bit of icing on his cookie. What fun!

When I was little we had a small kids recipe book JUST FOR KIDS. I thought is was the coolest recipe book ever. It was almost like all the recipes had to be good, because of they where for kids and they where in fun animal shapes! The bread recipe was especially fascinating to me. Oh how I longed to make a bread bear or bread bunny. I decided that it would be fun to do with Jake. I let him measure everything out. He even helped me knead it, which mostly meant him punching the tar out of the poor bread dough. We then shaped it into an Alligator. We where having a day celebrating the letter "A" so it seemed fitting. Plus it seemed easier than making an Ant Eater. That was his first choice... thanks to Diego.He made the head, then rolled out the tail. Oh it started to take shape and I think we both started to have hope in our little project! I then gave him scissors to cut scales and teeth with.
We popped it in the oven and waited for the beeper.
When it came out I was so excited, I didn't think it looked half bad. Jake looked at it funny and said it didn't look like an alligator. I will admit I became a bit disheartened. He then says it looks like an Ankylosaurus. We then decided our oven was magic. It turned our dough alligator into a bread Ankylosaurus! He then proceeded to rip the tail off and started to eat. He had fun, and Ankylosaurus does start with the letter A.... just saying :)

Monday Madness!

2011-08-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

On Monday I had a brilliant idea, make a pirate treasure map with pictures for Jake to follow and find a little treasure. A small fun Monday activity. Dan ended up getting Monday off, and thought to elaborate the plan by taking the kids to Pirate Island ( a pirate themed arcade/kid play-place/ restaurant). Brilliant really, we where so proud of ourselves, being fun parents and all. We looked at the web-sight and even called to make sure they where open for lunch... we got a busy signal. Off we went, Jacob reading his precious map and telling us the next step. Treasure Island, was closed. To be exact it was shut by huge metal chains and locks. Now we had a little boy with a treasure map. It said to go to Pirate Island. We did. Then it said to eat pizza. So Dan and I decided to go on a wild goose chase around Utah county to fulfill the map's requests. We went to Jason's Deli, where we got Jake a small kids pizza. They also had Ice cream, which the kids loved. Dan was able to get his beloved pastrami, which made him super happy. We then went to a party store and bought Jake a pirate hat and being a sneaky Mom I bought a "pirate treasure" to hide at the undisclosed location for Jacob to find. The next thing the map said for us to do was go in the pirate ship ( originally located in Pirate Island) . The only one we where aware of is in the Trafalga in Lehi. Off we went... when we got to trafalga and Jake saw the pirate ship ride he was SO happy. Dan and Jacob went on the ride, Dan had the treasure in his pocket. After the fun ride of siting on a ship rocking back and forth ( how kids find that fun I have no idea), Jake found his treasure. With the help of Dan. He was so happy and excited about his adventure. Derek tolerated the experience, but was underwhelmed by the awesomeness of our quest. We went home, all a bit tired. Jake watched his pirate show, wearing his "Pirate Gabloom Treasure Necklace", and yes, that is the official name. Jacob will correct you if he hears you not call it by that name.

Later that Day we went to thanksgiving point. They where having their Monday night activity and it was about cowboys. So I loaded up the kids and went to the farm. I was unaware that because of the theme there would be more horses than normal. Oops, I forgot to take my allergy medicine. We jumped on an old horse and buggy ride, which the kids just loved... I endured. Then we got to make cowboy bandanas! This was was fun, and got the kids hands nice and colorful. Jake was so excited to wear his fish themed bandana. Derek wanted nothing to do with it once the colored markers where out of the equation. Jacob loved the cowboy shooting station. They had pop cans filled with little weights and high powered water guns. What more could a three year old boy ask for. He would shoot the targets down, I would then re-stack them while her refilled his water gun. Derek just like playing with the tub of water, I had to keep telling him to not jump in the water. The kids then took a turn riding the little ponies. This was Derek's first time. He had this stern face on the entire time, and would not let his hands off the saddle. I was worried he wasn't enjoying it, but when I tried to take him off he resisted. I think he was just concentrating, trying to be a big boy and ride the horse like Jacob. Jacob of coarse was on the biggest ponie, and was so proud of his bandana. He kept saying, " I am a cowboy Mom, look!" I am glad the kids had a fun day. I had fun too, but it is amazing how these two kids keep me busy!

Here fishy fishy fishy!

2011-08-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went fishing with my family at Payson Lakes. They all loaded up and went camping Friday night, our plan was to meet up with them Saturday morning. It turned out to be a good plan because Dan had to work late and it was SUPER cold during the night. I know this because my Mom and Heather where exhausted from the cold night. Anyone who has driven up the road to get to Payson Lakes knows it is a windy road. I am aware of this, but didn't think anything of it until the puking started. Right after we passed a pull-off area Derek decided to start throwing up all over the car. Lets just say this experience was scarring. By the time Dan and I had cleaned the mess up I had thrown up and Dan dry heaved a few times. We got to Payson lakes exhausted and nauseous.
Once we got there we got our poles in the water, and waited. That is right people, the best method to catching a fish at Payson Lakes is to bait dunk... just accept it.
By the time we had gotten to the lake many people had caught fish. Here is Rachel catching one of her little fishes.
Then it happened.. Jake started to catch fish. We didn't hook one and hand him the pole. That is what you do for babies. Jacob is a big boy, therefor he catches his own fish. He caught three fish, I couldn't have been more proud. Derek thought is was the coolest thing when Jacob was reeling in the fish. Here is one of the fishes...After a bit of coaxing from all of us (mostly Richie and Rachel) Jake not only was willing to touch his fish, but hold it!
We tried to get Derek to touch the fish, but he really wasn't having it. He poked it once, but mostly liked looking at the fish from a safe distance.
What Derek did like to do was take the lids off and on of the power bait. Poor glitter bottle got poured all over the ground before I realized what he was doing. Sorry about that Dad!
Jake was so funny. My Mom trying to give Jacob a chance to reel in another fish told him she had a bite and to come reel it in! He replied, " nope, I have my own fishing pole Grandma, I will catch my OWN fish".
I love fishing, but it makes it so much more fun when we go with family. Thanks to everyone that went up, it was fun.

Tank Wars!

2011-08-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

As per new tradition " Tank Wars!" we got together with the Brainards to have a bbq and play with fire! Once it got late enough we assembled the troupes! Top - Doug, Right - Katrina, Bottom- me, Left Dan. We all had a match, and at the count of three we lit our tanks! I totally won, with only minor damages. Dan Lost, as you can see his is still on fire.
I am going to take credit for burning Doug's tanks and some of Dan's. It was a ton of fun! If any of you have thoughts of doing this next year, get the tanks without wheels. If they are mobile they don't have as much fire power.

4th of July at Dan's Parents

2011-08-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

We went to Grandpa and Grandma Astin's house for badmitton, hot dogs and fire works! Jake has a lot of cousins to play with when we get together with Dan's side of the family. Here he is with cousin Brayden. They where watching their Dad's play badminton.
Before dinner Adam and Alex decided to take on Dan and Noreen. Alex and Adam thought it was going to be an easy win until they saw this sweet move from Noreen! With her speed and Dan's agility it was a tough game!
Here Jake is trying to roast a hot dog. The process of him cooking the hot dog wasn't going so well,. So I dusted the ash off and threw it in the grill until it was well cooked. He has issues eating a hot dog to begin with, let alone one that is cold in the middle.
Then there where marshmallows!
And then fireworks! It always amazes me how a few 'radiant flying phoenix' fireworks can Mesmerize kids. The names are pretty cool too.

Water fight!

2011-08-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my parents watched the kids for us so Dan and I could have a date. Little did I know the fun that they would be having at Grandma's. They had a full on water fight and the kids loved it. Derek loves the water and getting wet. He had tons of fun running around in the sprinkler and getting sprayed.
They where still in the " get everyone wet" mentality when we got back. Richie got Dan wet, Heather and Jake tried to get Dan wet. Dan won the fight against heather, then Richie came out with this super soaker gun and totally won.

My Birthday

2011-07-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

My birthday was last week, and in Glassford style it was celebrated with good food and great company. This birthday has been interesting to say the least. But despite all the stuff happening Dan and my wonderful parents gave me a great birthday. I was asked what I wanted for my birthday dinner and I said Dad's bbq chicken. So I got BBQ chicken and at least four different cuts of steak. No one can accuse my parents of not celebrating our births! Here is Dad out at the smoker while holding Derek. Little Derek is terrified of many people, but not Grandpa!
Here is what happens when I give Derek punch for dinner. Here I am getting prepped to blow out my candle while everyone sings to me. Richie and Dad pretended to blow out the candle right as I was about to blow. This made me laugh and I had to blow 5 times before the candle went out. Lame boys. Here is Jake and Great Grandma. I had planned on him simply having a small piece of cake. But the Grandma's had different plans. Grandma gave him a huge piece of cake and Great Grandma gave him several different ice-creams to try. Oh the sugar rush! Jake loves cake! he ate that entire piece.... yes he was wired.
Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate me and gave me birthday wishes! We had a lot of fun on my birthday which included badminton and a water fight, I will write about it soon.

Grandma

2011-07-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

My Grandma passed away today. Two weeks ago I lost my Grandma Hawkins, which was sudden but oddly peaceful. Grandma Hawkins was truly loved by her family but felt lonely and I believe is much happier where she is now than she was for the majority of the past few years. Grandma Glassford’s passing has been different. She leaves behind a grieving husband, whose pain is so palpable it causes me pain to hear him cry. She died today in the hospital surrounded by her family. She lost her fight with the massive stroke that happened this past Thursday. I know that she is with her parents, and is happy. Though I know where she is, that Heavenly Father has a plan, I feel cheated. No one should have to lose two beloved family members so close together, especially since both deaths where unexpected. She leaves behind a true legacy of love, devotion and faith. She was my second Mom, as was she to many. I was blessed to have her live with us while I was growing up, and because of that we formed a bond closer than a Grandma and Granddaughter. We were friends bonded by memories and love. Her service will be held on Friday, July 15th at the church at 1051 E. 200 S. in Lindon, beginning with the viewing starting 9:30 and the funeral at 11:00.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to hold her shoulder and talk to her as she was passing. I told her that I loved her, and promised that we would remember her and every thing she taught us. It was then that she flat lined. Grandma was free of her crippling stroke and with Jesus. I will keep my promise. I will make sure my kids never forget their beloved Grandma and her wonderful legacy, us.

In loving Memory

2011-07-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I got one of the most devastating phone calls I have ever received. My Grandma, who I dearly loved, passed away unexpectedly. I thought that she was invincible and never thought she was going to die. I realize how childish this sounds, but she was so full of life and love that I didn’t think death would ever happen to her. After I got the call, I could barely speak. Dan didn’t know what was going on at first. After the shock and immediate pain wore off, I realized that I was devastated at my own loss, and not Grandma’s. In that moment I was so thankful for the church. I didn’t even have a moment that I thought I wouldn’t see her again or that she isn’t happy. Grandma might have died earlier than any of us wanted, but her life was full. She had super highs and big lows, but she was always there for her family no matter what. For the funeral we had all of us Grandkids stand up and say one of our favorite memories, which was the part where I cried the most. There were two things that really stood out to me. One - Grandma made everyone of us feel special and loved; two – it was hard for each of us to narrow all of our wonderful memories down to simply one.

I realize I was blessed to have her live so close and to be such a big part of my life. When a few of my cousin’s and I where trying to figure out what memory we where going to pick, it dawned on me – we ( her family) where the center of her world.

Here are a few of our fond memories –

*Easter egg hunts of legendary portions

*4^th of July with glowing necklaces and her ornate and decorative shirts

*feeding the goldfish in her backyard ponds

* going to her house and getting a twizzler or dove chocolate from her hand towel drawer

*playing with all her old metal wind-up toys

*Having her tell the stories about the plate from Napoleon to her spoon collection

* true love of birds. She even had an egg warmer in case she found eggs that where orphaned.

*Christmas – oh Grandma and her Christmas. This should have its own list . The pj’s, the balloons stuffed with hand rolled dollar bills, helping hand string cranberries and popcorn for the trees. Her house would magically turn into her own version of a winter wonderland. Every Christmas we would look forward to her extravagantly wrapped and thoughtful gifts. She truly loved this holiday.

*Grandma teaching me how to play slots

*Using heirloom tea sets to have teatime

*Her teaching us how to press flowers and how to shape and dry them in salt.

*Her taking us for walks around the cabin; looking for anything of beauty, be it an animal, sunset, drift wood, or fossils.

*Being willing to drop whatever she was doing, walk over to my apartment and dispose of a spider.

*Holding my children and softly stroking their cheeks as they all asleep.

She was an amazing woman and I am honored to call her my Grandma. I will miss her and look forward to seeing her in the next life.

I love you Grandma.

Fun on the Farm

2011-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

The farm is one of the kids favorite places to go. I grab allergy medicine and the kids grab some fruit snacks....Jake's favorite animals to feed are the goats. Derek was even was willing to feed them. The minute the sheep and lamas would come over to get a snack Jake would move to another pen. Those lama's are feisty!Derek's favorite animal is the cow. I think it boils down to three reasons. 1 - they move slowly or not at all 2- they are big 3- he can say OOO which is his word for cow.
Jake loves riding on the horses.
It is the season for baby animals! They had quite a few babies and had people there helping us pet them and talking about the animals. Jake has learned that if you feed chickens from above, they don't peck your fingers. I asked him why he wanted to feed the chickens if he didn't want to have them get close or eat it from his hand. He said that all animals where hungry and that chickens need their space. Derek got grumpy while we where there. We even took a snack break. That didn't even help, he was determined to stay upset. But his grumpy face is so cute!

The rest of Ogden

2011-06-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the fun from the rest of our spring vacation to Ogden.The biggest reason we went to Ogden was the Dinosaur Museum. Jake and Derek had so much fun. Jake was quick to inform us that they where not real, but he seemed so fascinated by the large models of the dinosaurs. This is Jake's impersonation of a t-rex. Short little arms, two fingers, and don't forget the scrunched up grumpy face!It is almost like Jake is saying " Yea, I am touching a real dinosaur skull". He had a fun time at the museum.Derek was hilarious, He was fascinated by the sculptures. Even when Dan lifted him up, as if he was feeding him to this ferocious creature. It seemed as though he was content in simply getting a close look at his teeth.
It is a super scary creature, it looks so ferocious! grrrrr! :)

Random Steakhouse -
When my Sister-in-Law Julie found out we where going to Ogden she said we had to go to this steakhouse. She said Quin absolutely loves it and tries to come up with reasons to go to Ogden to eat there. What she didn't tell us is about the weird decor. Their where four fabulous bathtubs filled with PEZ candy dispensers and other little gadgets, stuffed and mounted game animals, creepy old manican people and mining tools. Oh yea, a man-made river with waterfall was in the middle . The sad/nice part was Jake was SO tired from the museum that he was completely asleep. Derek on the other hand was full of energy!

Ogden Train Museum -We also went to the train museum in Ogden. I think this was a highlight for Jake. He isn't a huge fan of Thomas the Train or Chuggington but boy does he like trains
He was determined to make this train move, it was super cute to watch him try, after he got tired of trying we went and played with the little trains.Jake had Dan hold him up all the way through the model train exhibit. He wanted the best view possible.

Jake really wanted to have a smashed penny with a train on it, so I said sure. The only catch was that he had to use his strength to squish it. One of the best parts of the museum.

2011-05-23T19:16:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't posted anything recently. The biggest reason I do a blog is for the family archive, I am in love with Blogs to books. It is a mix between Journal and a scrapbook, what isn't there to love. So the next few blog entrees are a couple weeks late.... sorry. We took a small family vacation to Ogden a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun during the days... the nights where a different story. Luckily Jake is a deep sleeper because Derek kept Dan and I awake both nights. We first went to the Hill Airforce museum. I think this was a mutual favorite among us. Not only are the airplanes cool, but there where fighter jets training right there! Jake could have watched them for hours. I was surprised how much Derek liked it and how the noise of them flying over us didn't startle him.
It was really hard to get a picture of the jets, you hear them after they are out of sight. Here is Dan and Jake looking at them in the distance. They are the little black spots.
Derek likes to push the stroller with Mommy, oh the joys of pushing a two kids stroller while the little ones run around. I am so glad that the binki's and sippy cups had a nice ride.
I don't know why they decided to park this airplane right over the side walk... but it was annoying.
We also went to the train/gun/car museum in downtown Ogden. Lets just say the train museum was way cooler than the others. They had a whole room full of old train stuff that they made "kid friendly". Jake was determined that this moves up and down...They even had some actual trains we could go look at outside. Jake loved how big they where, it still surprises me that he has no interest in Thomas the Train. They had a penny smashing machine that Jake was super excited about. He picked a nice picture of the train, then realized that this was a manual penny smasher. He had to work to get his penny! I think my favorite part of the whole museum was watching him crank the machine to get his "treasure". Here he is holding his treasure in front of a large train wheel... someday I will get him to look at the camera and smile at the same time.

Easter Sunday

2011-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Easter morning started out with our kids actually sleeping in a half hour longer than normal. You might think that is a small amount of time, but in our household that is a true Easter miracle. The night before I hid the Easter baskets ( per Glassford tradition) and made Jake go find them.I have a video of him searching for his basket, but I can't get it to load, lame. Here is Jake eating and admiring his chocolate bunnie at the same time. I don't know why it is so difficult to get a picture of him looking at the camera and smiling. Maybe it is an age thing. Since this was the first time I truly hid it from him, I made it easy and told him it was in the front room. Next time it won't be so easy! Here is Derek playing with his little wind up toy, just like Grandma H. would give us on Easter. He also hadn't finished his breakfast banana... so he would take a bite of banana then a bite of chocolate. Dan and I shared a basket, It was a great idea, because then I could eat some of the candy that could be considered 'his' and say that it is 'ours'. It was a great Easter morning, then I went to church and two teachers didn't show... and there was no subs available.... and the primary lady gave my entire lesson ( glove demo and all) in sharing time. So there was me with no lesson and twelve 7 yr olds ... it was interesting. It is completely normal to play telephone, red light - green light, and true or false for Sunday school..... right?

After nap time we went to my parents house for Easter dinner and Egg hunt. The food was tasty. but I think when I look back on this specific Easter I won;t remember the food, I will remember the awesome Easter egg hunt. When my Mom informed me that we where going to have a blindfolded Easter egg hunt. I thought she was crazy. Now I understand that she had a moment of genius! The kids got to run around as usual and pick up candy. The adults had a blindfold handicap.

Here is my Dad as he starts to hide the eggs. What was he thinking? We are going to be blindfolded and looking in the tree for these plastic eggs!We all ran to different parts of the yard except team HR and SJ ( you can figure out the abbreviations) Then they started to go for the same candy. Heather even leaves Richie in the dust to get to the candy first. Stephanie is also breaking the rules by dragging Justin along to beat Heather.
Then it happens.... Richie and Justin ( with blindfolds on) get into a wrestling match. Stephanie and Heather, having complete availability of their eyesight, decided to leave their partner and go after the laffy taffy for themselves. Which is why you then see Steph and Heather fighting. Dan was blindfolded, which I thought was lame because he was way to cautious and always thought that with one more move that he was going to fall into a rock garden or a tree, as if I would do such a thing. It isn't like I am Jim who lets Rachel get attacked by a tree and a metal table, or Heather who lets Richie get clocked by a brick wall. I should of worn the blindfold, I am much more trustworthy while blind... probably because I am already close to being without the gift of sight. Case in point , right after this picture Rachel was yelling because she hit her head... What is he having her get, I don't see any candy! Jake meanwhile was casually running around the yard picking up candy and eggs. Just to rub our faces is in he would state the item which he was placing into his basket.
"Chocolate, egg, I got a candy" . Then he would hum to himself... which was hilarious because along with his humming was the screaming coming from the adults who are fighting to get a reeses peanut butter cup. Derek also seemed to ignore the chaos of the adults in favor of walking around with his Great Aunt Kim and finding plastic eggs. But he was no fool. Richie said he wanted to simply hold Derek, but he knew he wanted his egg!Here is all of us afterward eating and examining our loot!
Jake opening Grandma's and Grandpa's gift. He loves sleeping with my baby blanket, now he has his own! Made out of the same material as mine, but stitched into the blanket was dinosaurs.

We then all settled down and had a relaxing Easter evening. Jake enjoyed wearing a dew rag and eating a sucker while grandpa read him his new book.
Derek loved playing with Stephanie's new puppy, I think he liked the puppy and Bow ( My parents Dog) more than the Easter egg hunt. Hope everyone had a great Easter! Sad half of our family was not feeling good and missed the Astin Easter egg hunt the week after. We are excited for this warmer weather and for all of us to be healthy!

Saturday before Easter!

2011-04-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Easter is a big event in the Astin household. My feeling is that it should be the second largest celebrated holiday besides Christmas. I know this feeling is not shared with all, as most of the time it comes in after to Thanksgiving. Easter was always such a big deal in my family. My parents had a unique and wonderful way of celebrating the holiday that I plan on doing with my children. We always talked about Christ and the resurrection, but it was more a celebration of all he did for us, a celebration of his life. We also viewed Easter as a time to celebrate life in general, the idea of spring with the plants growing and seeds germinating... it was probably because my Dad is a biology teacher... but that was always a big thing with Easter.

We went to the Thanksgiving Point Easter party. Their was a few sprinkles, but mostly it was just gloomy weather ( better than Mr. Weatherman predicted). Jake's favorite part was the blow-up slides. I lost count how many times that boy when on them. Dan took Derek on the taller slide, which I don't think Derek was too fond of. I went on the small slide with Jake, then he decided he had a good understanding of the slide he wanted to do it by himself, again and again.
The egg hunt was perfect for small children, and Jacob was the oldest in his group. I don't think it would be worth it for older kids, simply dumping a bunch of eggs on a big grass field, but it was perfect for the little ones. Here is Derek just chilling in the stroller eating a snack before the egg hunt started.
They had a few random wood cutouts for kids to stand next to for pictures, I only made Jake sit next to one. Yes it is a weird triangle shaped chicken, but hey, it is festive!
Later that night we went over to the Brainerds and colored Easter eggs. Jake had fun just plopping them in. He has yet to learn the truly amazing art of coloring eggs. I didn't mind this because I figured we would color eggs again on Sunday, so I joined in and simply plopped eggs in and out of the egg die. Okay yes, I did draw an Ankylosauraus on an egg, but that was at Jake's request.When we got home and put the kids to bed, Dan and I got the Easter baskets ready. Okay, it really was just me, but Dan had lots of fun getting Jake's Dino Robot working. We had to play with it to make sure it worked. Lets us say that our Dog is now mortified of this toy.

Grandparent's House!

2011-04-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

We went over to my parent's house today and had tons of fun. They are on spring break, making it the perfect time to play with the grandkids. Jake loves worms and transplanted them from one part of the garden to the next. Here is the kids playing with dirt. It was cute to watch Derek try to scoop up dirt and put it into his pot. We had to eventually take his shovel ( aka the red plastic spoon) because he started trying to eat the dirt.After getting dirt everywhere Grandma and Jake made a tower of rocks. It is so much fun living close to them, I think my kids would agree!
Here is Jacob standing next to Grandpa's giant beet. When I asked him if he is excited to eat Grandpa's giant beets he said," We can not eat these, they are only for Giants".

Sugar Eggs and Cookies!

2011-04-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

That's right people, it is the season for sugar eggs! I know some think that things like this are pointless and don't see the reasoning behind it. Those are the same people who I call 'scrooge' under my breath near Christmas time. I have always loved making a big deal out of holidays, and now that I have kids it makes it that much better.

I convinced my parents and siblings to join in on the fun. The day before we got together to decorate our little eggs, I decided to make them on my own. This wasn't a brilliant plan. I have never made them by myself and didn't have a "fail proof" recipe. It has been along time since I have been so overwhelmingly frustrated about making something in a LONG time. After trying three different recipes and making a huge mess, I finally found a good one . But by the time I did, I had already wasted a ton of time and sugar and decided to ditch making the bigger 12 inch by 8 inch egg and went with the smaller 6inch by 4 inch egg. This might not seem like a big deal, but all you have to do is ask my sister Rachel how much it effected her and her egg. Next year - we will have the big eggs.
We had jellybeans, chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies ( which I made - yea I am proud), sprinkles, and tons of other sugary treats to put on the eggs. Dan and Jim decided to support the cause by watching and not making. Dan helped Jake a little with his egg, but Heather made the amazing licorice bow. My mom got extremely creative and crumbled up oreo cookies for boulders... such a realistic outdoor scene. You can see how being married to my Dad for so long has made her naturally try to make thinks more realistic instead of cutsie. I think Heather's looks like a Willie Wonka type egg, the kind you just want to eat. Just covered with jellybeans and licorice goodness. And last but not least Richie...My dear brother decided to look at decorating this egg as a challenge of speed and originality. He finished in a third of the time I did, calling his egg a bunny duplex. Bunnies on top and inside. Dan thought his looked awesome, the only thing he would've wanted to add is a bunny graveyard. I don't really understand, but the more bunnies you put on the egg the more you get to eat ( am going to go with this reasoning sense it is less morbid)

And here is a picture of my egg, I think it is adorable. Thanks for everyone who made eggs with us this year.
I also decided to try to make Easter Linzer cookies. They where a lot of fun to make! Jake thought they where so cool because of the animals in the cookies.Sadly It is the end of pheasant season. Dan and his Dad went for the last time today. Here are some pictures from the past few times they have gone. Here is Dan and Kate. Kate has really turned into quite the hunting dog. She just keeps getting better and better every time they take her. Dan is really pleased with her progression. ( And takes all the credit for training her so well!)Here my Father-in-law is doing an impression of a bird dog! I mean really, who needs Kate when he can do that? Dan shot a bird and it went down on some netting, so he had to go in after it. The only way he could reach it was on all fours! Very impressive for a 64 year old.

2011-04-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

We made dirt cups this week for FHE. They are so much fun to make and seemed like a fun activity to do in the spring. Jacob was fascinated by the Oreo dirt... Tasty dirt..... it took a second for him to wrap his mind around it, but once he did he became a big fan of Mommy's activity.
Derek really wanted to join in on the fun, but I really didn't want to have him get covered in chocolate. He can be a super messy eater and I had already given him his bath. Jacob was kind enough to give him a worm. I saw Jake give Derek cookies and candy when he thought I wasn't looking.

When Derek wants something he starts out trying to be sweet and cute. All smiles and happy sounds....
But if he doesn't get what he wants with charm, he turns to crying and becoming upset. The reason for it this time is be cause he wanted the xbox controller from Dan. He loves just chilling on the couch pretending to play with Mom and Dad. The only problem is he has figured out when the controller isn't on and when their are no batteries. He has no interest in a controller that cannot mess up Mommy's lego game.

So far this month....

2011-03-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

We caught a Leprechaun! Jake made this wonderful trap for a the Leprechaun ( minus the candy... that was what the leprechaun left for him ) He decided to paint volcanoes on the trap to lure the unsuspecting green man. You can see the three erupting volcanoes on the box along with Jake's lake of red lava. We had to postpone St.Patricks Day by a few days because of sickness, but when the kiddos are so small they don't notice.

Derek and the Dew.....
Derek tried extremely hard to get a taste of some Diet Dew. He got a hold of an unopened can and tried to flip open the can. When that didn't work he just tried drinking it unopened. It reminded me of Jacob trying to drink the bottle of Dew
Oh how I long for days where Derek can do more running around outside!
There have been a few good outside weather days so far this year. One of the best days was on Sunday over at my parent's house. Derek had fun walking/stumbling around in the backyard. Jake loves being outside, especially when he gets to play with his Aunt Heather. Jake is always excited to hang out with all of the family, but Heather is always coming up with the best games and stories.

Here is Jacob showing off his muscles. The only way I can get him to eat his meat is to tell him it will make him big and strong. It works some of the time.
Father and Son. Super cute.
I love it when jacob tries to wink, it's as if it takes every muscle in his face to wink.

Fun times!

2011-03-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

Dan had last week off, it is so nice having him home. It was a bit of a break for me too. Dan helped out with the kids and even around the house! We went to the Discovery museum with the kids, which was super fun. Jacob had a blast, if it was closer and not so expensive we would go more often. Jacob's favorite part was the helicopter on the roof. He was playing in it for about half an hour. Derek was happy walking around and playing with all the little activities. As long as we where in eyesight he was content to play. Derek is walking more than crawling now! He still looks as if each step could make him fall, but he is getting there. He needs to figure out to bend his knees and not walk bow legged.
Jake is a huge fan of playing with water. In the tub, the mud/water area at the Dinosaur museum and now the water area at the discovery park. We had to physically pry him away from it to go home.

Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day! Mine was great, partially because I made it a full weekend holliday. On Saturday Dan went to the BYU basketball game, so Jacob and I dipped pretzels in chocolate. It was going to be a surprise for Daddy. Jacob was so proud of his valentine surprise. It took him a long time to find just the right hiding spot for the chocolate pretzels, somewhere daddy wouldn't find them and Derek couldn't reach. Then the minute Dan gets home Jacob starts yelling "happy valentines day!" and "surprise"! So dan got his valentines pretzels early.
Sunday was great because we went over to my parents house for Valentines. I brought my manicotti... which I think is crazy tasty... and they had other Italian type dishes. Jacob got to hand out his little valentines to his aunts and uncles and Grandpa & Grandma gave out their valentines day gift. Jacob and Derek got some great books. Jacob has been having me read them to him every few hours. That boy is a book-o-holic. I woke up Monday morning and I had flowers. Let me clarify - the perfect flowers! Not only where they Gerber Daisies ( my favorite) but it was an actual potted plant! Oh how my husband knows me!
Later that day Jacob and I decided to make Daddy brownies for Valentines day. Jacob had to wear my apron... and pretend to be me. He would twirl around in a circle and then say,"now I am Mommy, I can cook now". He helped and Derek tried to get in on the fun. He hates it when he isn't involved. I know that Valentines is full of commercialism; but I think anytime you can tell your significant other and your family that you love them... it is a pretty good holiday.

New Hair Cut

2011-02-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

It all started when I told Jacob to go get his sippy cup so I could give him a yogurt smoothie. He ran upstairs to grab it. Ten minutes later I decided to go get him; I figured he probably was reading some books in his bedroom. Nope, he had gone into my bedroom and found some scissors. He had taken it upon himself to give his hair a little trim. Now he is sporting a sweet opposite version of a mow-hawk.

It has been awhile...

2011-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Now that is the End of January, here are pictures from Christmas! This year was especially fun because of Jacob and his enthusiasm for all things holiday related. He definitely made me remember when I was little and how big of a deal Christmas is. Jacob had asked for a guitar, so Santa didn't disappoint. It is a beloved toy in our house and both the kids love playing with it. Derek didn't even care about his stocking, he just wanted to be Jakes shadow and have what he had.
He helped distribute all the toys, then the opening of gifts began. Jake was excited about all his gifts... except the clothing.
I love how enthralled Derek is in this picture. Jake loves being the older brother, he even let Derek play with his new toys ( eventually).
For the Hawkins Christmas get together we went out to eat. Like always Jake would try what ever food Santa/Grandpa gave him. It was funny to watch his reaction, because most things he wasn't too fond of. I even let him have a little soda. That is right people, I am a cool mom.
Derek was a true mess maker. This is a picture at the start of the meal. By the end; the table, his face, his shirt and the floor were covered in food. It was as if a mini version of the buffet blew up right in front of Derek. I felt bad and cleaned a lot of it up before the servers came to clean it. Oh the joys of exuberant babies!
Jake is getting so big, and I was proud of his willingness to try unfamiliar foods. It is a struggle to get him to eat sometimes. I have not gone as far as the gross scene in ' A Christmas Story' when Ralfie's brother Randy pretends to be a pig, but I have thought about letting him pretend to be an animal to get him to eat his food.

New Years Eve
We had a New Years Eve Party over at my house this year. It made it relaxed and fun for us. We where able to eat and play with the kids... and then put them to bed! It was a blast playing the Wii with my Family. I think my favorite was my Dad and Heather going at it playing table tennis. It was dangerous to sit in the family room when they where playing. People actually got hit.

Derek turned One!
My little baby is getting so big! We had a fun celebrating with him twice. The first time we had my side of the family over for cake and some games. Derek got some adorable gifts and was extremely hesitant about the cake, he kept poking it then wiping the frosting on his belly. My dad was in charge of pictures, and I haven't been over to their house to get a copy of them. But, here is a fun little video. ( He has some of them on his blog if you want to check it out )

We also had Dan's side of the family over this past Sunday for cake. Derek knew all about cake now and was willing to dive right in.
I think this is the second time he has had chocolate ( unless others have given it to him... Grandma and Dan come to mind)
He is a very good at sharing...
Jacob enjoyed eating a cupcake and loved the Popsicle that his uncle Steve brought.
Derek got tons of fun gifts. Thanks to everyone that came to celebrate our little Derek.

Fish and Reindeer, whats not to love!

2010-12-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

Free day at the Aquarium... actually not as busy as my worst scenario. I went 15 minutes before it opened and there where only a few people in line, by the time we left the line was through the parking lot wrapping all the way around and back. Yea, glad I went early. Jacob had a blast! He has always had a love for the creatures of the sea.I blame Nemo and Sword in the Stone. Derek thought the Jellyfish where simply mesmerizing, we where watching the jellyfish for almost twenty minutes before we moved on. I think we might have a fish tank in our future with these kids. Jacob would just sit and talk to the penguins, asking them to fly. The man that the aquarium thought he would educate my child on the flightless nature of penguins ( as if I haven't tried) this is how the conversation went. "Young man, did you know penguins are great swimmers but can't fly?", Jacob replied, " Yes they can, they just have to eat the magic food, just ask Santa." Jacob said it so matter-of-factly that the guy had no comeback.
We also went to Museum Mondays at the Dino museum. It was tons of fun like always. Jacob made these antlers... well he colored them then I cut them out. He loved them so much that he wore them till they broke. Yes, he was so distraught that I had to make another pair at home.
They also painted red noses on the kids, he was in reindeer heaven. He informed me he was Reindeer Jacob.
Then Mrs.Clause helped the kids make reindeer cookies! She was even nice enough to give Derek some of the pretzels to eat.
Jacob was very focused as he made his cookie, he was determined to make it perfect. He was so proud of it! After he finished Mrs.Clause said he could now eat it it, which he replied no. He wanted to take it home and put it next to his gingerbread house!
I am enjoying Christmas so much because of these two little boys! They make the season magical again ( yes that is sappy to say, but true) Hope you guys are having a great holiday!

Christmas!

2010-12-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

We put up our Christmas tree the weekend of Thanksgiving. I was determined that we get it up, because I knew that we wouldn't be able to do it as a family until Dec. 4th if we waited. Dan's work make the holidays a bit more stressful then preferred, but I am just glad I get him during the weekends. So despite the fact that we all had colds and I looked like Rudolph with my red nose, the tree went up! It looks like it is taking over our little couch. I love how full and tall it is, if only it came pre-lit. It took so long to put up the tree, thanks to our little helper Jake, that we decided to make the decorating our FHE activity for Monday. It was actually nice that way. Prolonging the tree festivities made it all a bit more relaxing. As per Astin tradition, we watched the "Garfield's Christmas Show" and had hot cocoa after the tree was up. Jacob had a field day hanging ornaments and candy canes on the tree. Dan had the wonderful task of getting the ornaments ready, while Jacob did the bottom half of the tree and I did the top. Derek, well Derek wasn't so much help. I actually put him to bed before we got most of the ornaments out, maybe he can help next year. As my family can attest, I am slightly OCD about the tree and ornaments, so the fact that I let Jake anywhere near it was a big step. I keep mulling over the idea of getting a little tree to stick on the table for next year and calling it " Jacob and Derek's Tree", where we can hang all of the adorable ( but clashing ) ornaments that the kids make. Here is Derek playing next to the tree, and yes I have to redecorate the tree ( the bottom part) at least once a day.My dear Mother-in-law invited us to a 'Breakfast with Santa' at UVU, Julie and kids where also able to go. It was lots of fun for the kids. They had little craft stations for the kids to make decorations, and little activities like ' put the nose on the reindeer' and 'ice fishing'. On a side note about the ice fishing... Jacob got a whistle. WHY would you ever give children whistles!
We also did are anual Gingerbread House Extravaganza over at my parents house, but I think that deserves its own blog entry, so that will be coming later.

This weekend we decided to give Santa another try, seeing that Derek freeked out when he saw him at UVU. Cabala's had Santa come, so we went. Here is Derek as we where walking around seeing the fish.....
And when he saw Santa
He was so sad! His face is all wrinkly and after this picture was taken it was all red! Jacob had a great time. Told Santa he wanted a guitar, dinosaurs, a pretend reindeer, and a dragon. This Christmas has been so fun with Jacob. He is old enough to really enjoy the season. He is super excited for Jesus' birthday and Santa to come to the house.

Some Cute Videos!

2010-12-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some videos from the past few months. The first has Derek doing his crab crawl... I think it is super cute... plus Derek trying to put his cloths on by himself while Jake takes his picture. That's right, nothing but fun times!

This next video has Jacob pretending to be Santa , who obviously has a pet reindeer. He has such a great imagination and keeps me on my toes all the time. Also, there is some video of Derek playing the Xylophone, he loves anything that makes music which is cute but can give me a headache.

Halloween! - Just a bit late.

2010-10-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Now that thanksgiving it over, I am posting about Halloween. This year was great because Jacob is old enough to get excited and enjoy holidays. We had pumpkin carving party with our friends the Brainerds. How could it not be fun... soup bowls and pumpkin carving. The funny thing is the kids and husbands didn't do any of the carving. Katrina and I gutted and carved the pumpkins. I wasn't prepared with candles, so we put in little flashlights to get the jack-o-lantern effect.
Once the pumpkins where cleaned and carved, Jacob the Elder and Jacob the Younger enjoyed carying them around.

Katrina and her daughter made tasty cup cakes. They went with the theme of the night. They where super tasty. Jacob only ate the frosting, someday that boy will discover that the cake is good also.

We also went to Thanksgiving Point's Halloween at the Museum. We went with the Julia and her two kids. her little girl Mia and Jacob are good friends, plus Julia and I got to hang out wich is always a plus.
They got to make a cute craft and get their face painted.

Our ward Halloween party was super fun. Sadly Dan was still working so I took the two kids. They had little games set up for the children. Derek was super good until Jacob got smarties at one of the activities, he then made it his goal in life to get one.
Because of the bad weather this Halloween, trick-or-treating was pretty quick. We went the same time as the Barnes family. It was super cute to watch Jacob and Mia take turns knocking on the doors! They decided that you didn't need to say "trick or treat" ; being there simply required them to give candy. Though they always said "thank you and goodbye!"

Scales and Tails!

2010-10-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

One of the fun activities we did for Jake's birthday was a night out on the town with Dan and I. Derek got to hang out with Grandma, Grandpa and Heather. We took him out to eat and then to a show by Scales and Tails. It is a traveling show based out of Salt Lake that does educational hands-on shows about reptiles. They where up in Utah County this week doing a show on pythons. Jacob loved it! He takes after me when it comes to his admiration for snakes. I couldn't get him to look at me long enough to get a good picture. He was too busy playing and petting the snakes. Dan even got into the spirit! When the instructor asked for some parent volunteers, Dan helped carry out a 16 foot python! Sadly I didn't get a picture of this monumental moment (bad angle) but that just means we will have to go again. Instead of trying to help hold up the snake, Jacob opted to just pet the snake.
They had many variates of pythons, from the standard looking Ball Pythons to the Blood Pythons. They also had a Reticulated Python, which was my favorite. Jacob loved holding the small Ball Pythons. It made me miss Squeezer, which made me think about Snakey and all our other snake pets! Even though he was one of the youngest ones there, he was so intrigued and just soaked up everything the snake tamer said. Two thumbs up for Scales and Tails! Thank you Mom and Dad for helping us with Derek so we could go do this with Jake!

The beginning of Fall and Jacob's Birthday Week

2010-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

I love fall! The weather is great, the seasonal food is tasty, and there is so much fun stuff to do around town! Because it is Jacob's birthday week we have had fun filled days, starting with this past Monday. We went to Wheeler Farms, which was all decked out in halloween festivities. Because it was a Monday morning and overcast, we where basically the only people there. Which was great! Jacob had fun feeding the geese while Derek slept. Jacob loves tractors and when he saw all the antique tractors, all he wanted to do is ride one. We told him they where old and that we should go find some other animals.
The ducks where fearless! We actually had to scare them away on several occasions. We didn't want them to scare Jacob by taking the food out of his hands.
They had a cute little hey maze. It was only four feet tall, great for kids annoying for parents.
I took Jacob to the Farm at Thanksgiving point also, where they had a craft activity for the kids. He loves painting and pumpkins, so he was a happy guy. Jacob loves animals, it is amazing that he doesn't get sick of looking at cows.

Derek on the move!

2010-09-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Derek is super cute! He look so sweet and smiley, I almost forget what he is now capable of.....

Derek is now mobile..... scratch that... he is a scooting, climbing, slobbering terror. I turn around for five minutes and he has made it up the stairs and into my bedroom. He wants to be like Jacob SO bad that he will do whatever he can to do what he does.The other day Jacob wanted some crackers, nothing out of the ordinary, He said he could get them ( Jacob is becoming Mr. Independent ). It only took me a minute of having a quiet household to realize something was up. I had crackers all over the floor. Derek was in the middle of the mess covered in crumbs and slobber, and like always he was smiling.
Here he is trying to play with Jake's car, the only problem is that when he tries to climb in, the car starts to roll away.... causing him distress.

Cabin Trip 2010

2010-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time coming, but here are the pictures from our wonderful trip to the cabin! We went up along with Heather and Jim. It was crazy fun and surprizingly relaxing. Jacob loved playing outside and being Heather's little shadow. Derek had mixed feelings about the whole thing, mostly because I didn't let him eat sticks and dirt.
Jacob and Derek are starting to become great friends, because of Derek's new found mobility, I have realized how much he loves being around Jake.
Heather was are fire builder, I think she built every fire we had up there. She is the master of the log cabin and the tepee style fires.

The food was amazingly tasty! I don't know why, but everything tastes better when you are camping. You will never have a better pancake than the ones at the cabin, and I have no idea why that is.
Jacob loved the blueberry pancakes, he even ate 1/2 a piece of bacon. I lied and told him it was a chip.
As you can see, Heather is thoroughly enjoying her bacon smoke facial!
We decided to go on a group walk to look for fossils. It was a lot of fun, we found a lot of trilobite fossils ( hope I remember my geology class lecture correctly ) . Jacob had fun looking for rocks and communicating with the cows.
We took a few four-wheeling rides. Jacob loved it! I don;t know how you could enjoy riding on a four wheeler when it is only going as fast as a turtle( because that is the speed I would go when he was on it with me) but he absolutely loved it.

Jacob loved just sitting on the broken four wheeler, pretending to drive, it was super cute to watch, and kept him away from the ongoing horseshoe tournament.
Here we are watching the thrilling game of horseshoes. as you can see we are all watching intensely! Derek spent most of his time in the backpack and in the cabin, oh I love the age of crawling. Thanks to our Grandpa who let us go up and enjoy the cabin!

Derek and Kate

2010-08-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Derek has been teething ( his third tooth) and sometimes nothing I do will make him happy. But I found a solution to his misery, he adores Kate! I will let Kate in, and just put Derek in the exo-saucer. He will sit there for over a half hour just squealing and watching Kate sit on her pillow. If Derek is not in the exo-saucer, he makes a b-line straight for Kate. As seen in these pictures. Kate is scared of Derek, I think she knows that any wrong move and Dan or I will let her have it. She just stays very still and moves extremely slowly ( to get away) when Derek starts getting close.

Marshmallows!

2010-08-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

My parents have the best fire pit ever! I took the kids over a bit ago and we roasted marshmallows.

Jacob loved eating the marshmallows!

Day at the farm

2010-07-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jacob loves animals! We go to the farm a lot, but last week we where able to go with my friend Jocelyn and her two kids. Mirra and Jake are the same age, it is so cute to see them interact. We got some corn to feed the animals , Jacob wasn't scared of the cow at all!

That is right, Jacob is riding a horse! He was so exited, and happy. He reminded me of my cousin Brandon, he would try so hard not to smile!

After riding the small horse we went over and looked at the large Clydesdale horse. Jacob kept saying that he wanted to ride the big daddy horse, I had to explain that kids can't rid the daddy Clydesdale. Now he thinks that Dan gets to ride the giant horse.

Summer Fun!

2010-07-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple crazy weeks filled with activities and family outings. Summer is so much fun! Dan got July 5th off from work, so we spent the morning hanging out at Thanksgiving Point. We went to the children's park and played in the water. Jacob had fun splashing in the water. He got a big kick out of the water that spurted out from the ground. Derek loves being outside, just like his big brother.

Happy Birthday Dinosaurs!
The museum was having a big birthday bash for the dinosaurs, they went all out with the decorations and activities.
All of the dinosaurs had party hats on, and there was a lot of fun little games and scavenger hunts for the kids ( and us) to do.
Jacob likes to touch all of the fun exhibits and learn about dinosaurs. We have yet to explain that they are all dead... I think that would break his heart.

Jacob loves the dinosaur dig area, I haven't let him play in the wet dirt area yet. It is nice to just let him sit and play in the dirt, I just wish they had comfy seats for the parents!

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-07-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

I am turning 25! I have been thinking about how I am getting old. Which is normally a bad and depressing thing, but I am happy. I have a caring and amazing husband and two adorable boys. I live in a beautiful house and am lucky to live close to family and friends. Which makes me a truly blessed old lady! So here is to me, one quarter of a century old. Thanks to everyone in my life who has helped me and made me who I am today!

Daddy

2010-06-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was a great Fathers Day. It was the first Fathers Day where I got help making breakfast. Jacob stirred the pancake mix and then helped eat them . I don't think he understood the idea behind Father's Day, he associated it with a birthday. I just wanted to wish a belated happy Fathers Day to my wonderful husband. You truly are an amazing Dad. Jacob and Derek are incredibly lucky to have such a caring and involved father. They light up when you are around, and it is because they know you love them. thank you for all you do for us!
To my Daddy - You truly are the best Dad I could have ever asked for. I feel blessed to be able to call you my Dad and my friend. Jacob and Derek are lucky to have a Grandpa that is so involved and willing to spend time with them. Jacob gets so excited when he finds out he gets to hang out with Grandpa! I feel truly blessed to live close enough that my children get to have such a great relationship with you.
To my Father-in-law - It is so nice being apart of your family. I knew I was marring a good guy when I saw how close he was with his Dad. You are such a great influence on our boys, Jacob loves it when you come over to watch sports with Dan. Jacob and Derek are lucky to have you as their Grandpa.

Sunday Fun!

2010-06-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

We went to my parents house Sunday afternoon for some family fun. Derek loves being held, and at my parents house he is held almost constantly. I can't blame people for wanting to hold my little chunk!
Badminton was played despite the inclement weather.
Dan and Rachel was the team that won! Richie and Jim played hard, here they are trying to hit the birdy, but sadly both of them missed.
Dan and Rachel had great team work and skills. It reminded me of Pine valley and the badmitten tournament we had up there, only not as much trash talk.
Jacob decided that he wanted to play and help Jim and Richie, but I think he hindered more than anything. Jacob then decided to run back and forth under the net, it just made the game more interesting. Maybe they should have played that if they hit Jacob, they got 2 points!
After the fun outside, we went inside and celebrated Jim and Rachel's anniversary with cupcakes! Heather and Jacob had fun playing with a blanket, it was super cute.
Because of the wet weather we are experiencing, we weren't able to take a picture of the two boys outside. So I am still stuck with pictures of my cute boys on our couch.

Yay for Summer!

2010-06-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

We are finally having some good weather! Jacob loves playing outside. We have been able to go to the park almost daily and color our cement pad with chalk . We also went to Thanksgiving Point's Farm; Jacob loves it there. He even got up the courage to ride the little horse! Now his favorite animal is the horse, followed closely by the elephant.
Derek is getting SO big! I think he is starting to teeth because he wants to chew on everything. When he doesn't have a toy to stick in his mouth, he chews on his fingers. Derek wears about 3 outfits a day because his cloths get soaked with slobber.
I decided to take some pictures of the boys together. Jacob just loves Derek and always wants to hold him. I have decided that Derek is never going to crawl, and it is because of Jake. Derek cries and Jake stops what he is doing, runs over to Derek and gives him a binky, a toy, and a hug.

I have realized that all my pictures of the two of them have been on my couches. My Dad is going to help remedy this problem this weekend by taking photos of them this Sunday. I am so excited! Maybe I can even convince Dan to take a few family shots!

2010-05-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Derek had his first experience with real food ( if you can call baby cereal real food). It went well.

Fun times in May!

2010-05-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

We went over to my parents house today. Jacob and Derek love going over there. Heather played with Jacob until my parents got home from work.... then Grandpa got Jacob. Jake loves reading animal books with him and looking through the biology books. After reading and singing about elephants, Jake and Grandpa went outside and found a snake to play with.
Jacob was so fascinated by the little snake! He loved holding it. My dad had to keep reminding him to be soft and not hold the snake too tightly.
Here is Great Grandma Glassford holding little Derek!

This week was the first time my grandparents got to see Derek.
Jacob loves playing with Heather, he regularly asks if she can come over to play. Here he is playing with the train at my parents house, super tender.

Derek getting passed around, he is such a cutie everyone wanted to give him a squeeze!
Kate met my sister-in-law's newest addition, Chloe!
Kate was very patient with Chloe, and let her play on her. They are going to be great doggy friends.

Here is Hailey and Derek! Two super cute babies!

Baby Animals at Thanksgiving Point

2010-04-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Dan and Jacob in the little pretend jail at Thanksgiving Point

We went to Thanksgiving point to see all of the Baby Animals. Jacob had fun, we even found a sheep named after him!
Jacob did really well holding on to Dan's hand and not running off. His favorite animal was the goats.
He was a bit nervous around the baby cow. I would point to the cow and say " it is a baby cow Jacob!" then he would reply " no baby cow ".

Jacob had his first ever ice cream sandwich! I was so proud at his wonderful sense of cleanliness! He didn't even get any icecream on his shirt; of coarse his face needed a bit of a cleaning.

Richie's Soccer Game

2010-04-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

We went to one of Richie's soccer games last week. The weather was amazingly warm and Jacob absolutely loved being outside. I sadly have no actual pictures of Richie playing soccer. He made the winning goal, and played amazingly well.
My dad got some good pictures of Richie playing, and will probably be putting them on his blog shortly. My Grandmother and Mother spent time cooing and holding Derek. He wasn't horribley fond of the bright sunlight. We tried keeping him in the shade or under an umbrella.
Jacob had fun blowing bubbles and being thrown around by Heather. Heather and her friend Rachel played "make a pile of pulled grass and then shove it down Heather's back" Jacob loved the game.
Heather with Derek.
After awhile Jacob and Heather calmed things down by listening to Heather's ipod. Jacob enjoys listening to Heather's ipod.
When we where young, my Dad wouldn't let me or any of his kids even think about climbing a tree. So when he hoisted Jacob up in the tree, I was shocked! Jacob loved being up in the tree, and would have stayed their all day if Grandpa would have let him.

Jacob also had a great amount of fun riding on Grandpa's shoulders.

2010-04-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Derek Brewster Astin
was blessed this past Sunday. Here is our little family, I feel so lucky to have a great husband and two sweet ( and active) children.

We are also lucky to live so close to both of our parents. Our kids have no idea how blessed they are to have their grandparents be such a big part of their life. It is good to know that My kids not only have Dan and I, but the army of family that we are surrounded by.

We had a lot of family come celebrate his birth with us. Our house was full during the brunch we hosted after our sacrament meeting. My mother helped serve all the food; everything was so tasty. Here is Richie and my dad chowing down on the food.
Grandma Hawkins was able to come, And of coarse Heather was there! Heather, who is one of Jacob's favorite people, was saddened by the fact that Jacob didn't want to sit next to her in the sacrament meeting. That's right... he wanted to sit next to me!My grandmother-in-law Donna brought a Romanian mix tape to the brunch, which she decided to blast while we where eating. Because of the sweet mix of calming nature sounds and seventies disco music... Dan and his brother Jimmy had no choice, they had to dance!
Here are the Andersons and the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Willis!
Here is Derek and me, I love his bright smile!
Here is Dan with his two sons!
This is Derek all decked out in his blessing suite. His Grandma Astin made this tux for him. We had to cancel the blessing two other times due to sickness, and every time she had to adjust it. Derek is a growing baby, I am just glad it fit him! He looked so dashing!

Easter Celebrations!

2010-04-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here is Dan and Jacob with their Chocolate bunnies . We had a small, slightly pathetic Easter egg hunt in our front room for Jacob. A few plastic eggs randomly placed on the carpet and couches, all could be seen in plain sight. There was a few inches of snow and I wasn't about to have him stomping around in snow looking for eggs.
Ready.. set.. go! Here is the start of the 2010 Glassford Family Easter Egg Hunt! Who is looking for the candy and eggs? Jacob. His only competition where adults... and Richie.
Easter was cold, there was even snow Easter morning. So most of the day, besided the egg hunt, we where inside hanging out. Derek had fun being held by grandma, along with his aunts and cousins.
Jacob loves playing with grandpa, here he is organizing his cars.
Grandma was holding Derek so I could eat.... it was such a luxury to be able to eat a full meal without holding Derek or having him cry.
After the Easter egg hunt Jacob showed everyone his collection of eggs. He took them all out of his basket and organized them by color.

We had the Astin Family Easter Egg Hunt this weekend. We had it at Rotary Park, one of my favorite parks. Because Jacob had no real competition at the Glassford Easter Egg Hunt, he did not expect the onslaught of cousins that where also going for the candy. He soon realized that he had to find the eggs and put them in his bag fast, or else.
Not only did Jacob have to quickly scavenge the park for eggs because of the multitude of children... he had to get the eggs before Grandpa did! After getting enough eggs, Jacob decided to help others find the eggs. He would pick up an egg, and go stick it in someone else's basket. Below is a picture of Dan and Jacob enjoying the loot.

2010-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

The last pheasant hunt of the season was bitter sweet for Dan. On one hand he wouldn't be able to go shoot pheasants until fall, but Kate did amazing! Between her great natural skills and Dan's training she is becoming a great bird dog. The owner of the hunting club even offered Kate a job as a bird dog. Here is Dan's dad with one of his pheasants. Here is Dan, Adam, Kate, and the pheasants they got.
While searching for pheasants Kate came across a mouse hole. She went to town digging trying to catch the rodent. She literally kept digging until half of her body was down in this hole. But, little did Kate know, the mouse had an escape route! We saw the mouse run out of a different hole on the other side of this little hill. I guess the mouse didn't want anything to do with Kate's massive jaws of death! Dan has heard from several different hunters that mice give off the same scent as a pheasant to a dog. Dan isn't sure whether or not that is true, but it would explain why she was so interested in this hole! It was pretty entertaining to watch.
We went over to the parents house two weeks ago and got Jacob's hair cut. What you can not see in this picture is my Dad distracting Jacob by jumping around the kitchen trying to avoid getting wet by Jacob squirting water on him.

Derek is growing up fast, now he smiles when he not only gassy, but when he is happy. He will even start laughing if you tickle him or play peek-a-boo.

2010-03-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy few months for us. We had a ton of stuff going on, a new baby, a wedding, sicknesses, and spring cleaning.

My Brother-in-law David got married to an amazing girl named Janna! We are so happy for them!
I don't have any good pictures of just the two of them... David's eyes where all half open, making him look drunk. They got married in the Manti Temple at 9am. We had to get up crazy early so Jacob got to sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma Glassford's House. We also had Heather tag along to help with Derek while we where in the sealing ceremony. I am so thankful she was able to help. This is Derek and his cousin Hailey at the wedding reception.

We sat next to Jim and Kayla at the reception, their little boy Jonah is so cute, he looks like a mini version of his dad with his mom's eyes.
Jacob got chicken nuggets, but all he wanted to eat was my salad.
Dan's sister Bonnie and family came out for David and Janna's wedding. While they where here we had a birthday party for their son Matt. It was fun to hang out with them since they live so far away. The birthday party was at a Pirate themed party place. It was like Chucky cheese but with boats and waiters with a lot of eyeliner.
Whack a mole... classic.
The modified sea worthy version of whack-a-mole. Jacob loved the racing game. We must of sat and let him play with the wheel for a half hour. Jacob eating the cupcake, actually just the frosting.
Heather has not only been a big help with babysitting, but become one of Jacob's favorite play buddies. He frequently asked to go to Grandpa's house to play with Heather.
About three weeks ago Jacob started to get sick, turns out it was RSV. Fever, runny nose, cough, two ear infections, and lack of sleep made him a crabby kid. Even though I did everything I could to keep the two children separate, and after using tons of hand sanitizer to the point of excess, Derek got sick. It was horrible, and I felt helpless since you really can't give any medicine to an infant. We had to take Derek to the hospital 2-3 times a day for a whole week plus have him on a nebulizer at home. he also had a fever and ear infections. I am so thankful to everyone that has helped us, it was a very stressful and tiring few weeks. Lets be honest, it has been a stressful and tiring year so far. I am currently demanding a break from drama and trials. Even though he has been sick, Derek still is in the 50 percentile in weight, he is just over 12 pounds. He is already growing out of his three month clothing. He is growing fast, and looking more like his dad and brother every day.

2010-02-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since my last post, and a lot has happened since then. Derek is a loving baby that always wants to be held; which made things hard the first two weeks while I was extremely sick with the spinal headache fiasco. That was a huge trial for Dan and I, thank you to everyone who helped us during that time. I am sorry if I have not thanked you personally, my memory of those two weeks following Derek's birth are fuzzy at best.
Jacob has been a big help (as much as a two year old could be) He loves his little brother and always try to share his toys with him. When Derek cries he tries to give him his binki and says, " its okay baby".
After my spinal blood block, I was able to enjoy and get to know our newest addition. I also had my family over a few Sundays ago for dinner and football. It was the first time my Dad and Richie had seen Derek; they had been sick when he was born. The Colts won that day, too bad they didn't go on to win the Superbowl. My only consolation is that the Vikings ( Bret Favre) did not even make it to the Superbowl.

I was pregnant at the same time as my sister-in-law Sherrie. She gave birth to Hailey 5 days before Derek came. It has been awesome having someone who is going through the whole new baby thing at the same time. We have had fun taking pictures of the two of them together.
This is Jacob playing with Kate in the kitchen.
Because it is so cold outside and with Derek I am unwilling to go anywhere , Jacob hasn't been able to run around and get out some of his energy. My solution... let him play with Kate. Our dog is great with him, she lets him chase, pet, and torment her without complaint. She is a great dog.
we have gone over to my parents house a few times so I can take a breather while Dan is at work. Jacob loves hanging out over there. Between playing with the Grandparents and hanging out with Heather and Richie, he just has a ball. That is just a bit of an update on our family. Hope everyone has a great Valentines Day this weekend!

Our new bundle of joy!

2010-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Derek Brewster Astin was born Saturday at 9:13. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce. I am extremely glad that we decided to go ahead with an inducement, because even in a controlled setting it was an extremely fast birth. I went from a 6 to a 10 in twelve minutes. I had to push through only 3 contractions and Derek was born. Dan was great, he held my hand and helped me with my breathing.
He was a bit blue, because he had his umbilical cord around his neck. Luckily it didn't cause him any stress because he just slid right out. Derek has dark hair and long fingers and toes. His feet are so big! They are as long as his cousin Jonah's feet... and he is over 6 months old!
Angie and Heather came to the hospital to chill and play games with us while we waited for the labor to start, They brought games and books.... didn't have tons of time to read or play. They got to see Derek and hold him.
Heather and Angie then took over babysitting duty at my parents house so my Mom could come see Derek. (My Dad has a bit of a cold, so he has been unable to see Derek yet) My sister Rachel also came down to see him. Dan's parents where able to come down to see Derek Saturday afternoon. Noreen forgot to check in and almost got taken down by a nurse ( Steve thought it was pretty funny). The same time Grandpa and Grandma Astin where there, Great Grandpa and Donna Nielson stopped by.
Jacob stayed with my parents for a couple of days while I was at the hospital. This was a true blessing, and I am very thankful they where there to help. My Mom brought Jacob yesterday to the hospital to see me and Derek, He was so busy worrying about not leaving my side he was indifferent to Baby Derek for most of the visit. He just wanted to sit next to me and eat my fig newtons.
Our little family!
Thanks to everyone who has helped us and prayed for Derek's safe arrival. We feel very blessed to have this adorable new addition to our family!

Christmas!

2009-12-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Even though it wasn't the most pleasant experience being 9 months pregnant during the most family party oriented holiday, and the time of the year where the most pictures are taken.... I have to say I can look back on this Christmas and smile.
It was are first Christmas in our new house and I loved watching Jacob opening his gifts under the tree. He is the most dainty gift opener, it takes him forever to open one gift.
We went over to the Glassfords for Christmas breakfast and to exchange gifts. My parents, like always, surprised us with a great gift... a huge barbecue. Now Dan has to learn how to use it.
Jacob ate bacon! that is right, he ate meat willingly! Jacob ( the child that will eat broccoli and lima beans over chicken nuggets ate bacon! )
This year I wanted to give my parents something that I know they would really love and that I don't think they would do themselfs. I turned their wonderful blog into a book. This was truly a labor of love, but I am so glad that I did it. I did tons of resurch concerning 'blog to book' websites and found nowhere I was satisfied with. So I decided to format and publish the book through a book publishing and printing company. It turned out great, and now my parents have a family journal/scrapbook.
This was at the Astin's Christmas Party, jacob had a lot of fun playing with his cousins!Here is the Family Christmas picture, It turned out good, especially considering my hugeness and Jacob freezing.
We also took family photos this weekend. I am hoping that the next one could be in the warm months and without me being pregnant. Angie and Chad better come down for a vacation TOGETHER in the summer months, none of these separate vacations. I want a family photo with that has flowers and grass in the background.
Jacob was a good trooper, he was cold which made it difficult to get him to smile.

Christmas Time

2009-12-17T20:47:00.001-08:00

It is the Christmas Season! Sadly because of a difficult pregnancy I have had to cut back on traditions and fun Christmas activities. Luckily I was able to take part in my family's traditional gingerbread house decorating competition ( even though some think that it was the gingerbread that put me on temporary bed rest, it was worth it) I love doing things with the family this time of year!
Daniel's Dad was Santa again this year, so I took Jacob over to their house to get a picture of Jacob with Santa. Lets just say he wasn't fond of the idea. He thought he was going to get to see and play with Grandpa, instead he found a guy in a red suit with an abnormally white beard, Santa. He stopped right in his tracks. It took a lot of coaxing to get him near Santa let alone on his lap. We couldn't get him to smile, but I still think the pictures are still cute.
Me and Jacob wearing festive hats, while Jacob holds on to his candy cane ( the bribe we gave him for sitting on Santa's Lap)

Dan's Vacation

2009-11-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

Dan was lucky enough to go on a cruise with his extended family last week. Sadly, because I am with child, I was unable to go. Poor Dan had to go to the western Caribbean without me. This is a picture of the formal night on the cruise ship with his siblings and significant others.
The first excursion the went to Progresso Mexico. They had to ride in a bus for 2 hours each way to see the Mayan ruins, in Chichen-itza, and only got to stay for about an hour. This is a Mayan pyramid, it was a tribute to the gods and had lots of snake carvings all over it. The Mayans worshiped snakes, Dan wouldn't have made a good Mayan. See the large snake heads! Since there time was limited they couldn't learn a lot about all of the Mayan structures, but this specific building was used for human sacrifices.
A lot of the buildings had carvings on the stonework. Here is a picture of what appears to be a guy in a head dress with elf shoes on. The ancient version of basketball. Throw the ball in this small little hole and win! Loose and you die. On their second excursion Dan went to Cozumel to snorkel and see fish, but I haven't gotten the pictures developed yet. They rented Jeeps and drove around the whole island; they toured an old lighthouse, chilled near the beach and saw crocodiles.

This is Daniel pointing to a large lizard sitting on a rock.
While driving around the island they found the Three Amigos Cantina, and couldn't help taking a picture. Dan had a great time, but I am glad to have him home and safe.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my parents always took me to the Vineyard Nursery to pick out a pumpkin. Because I loved going as a child, I have done the same thing with Jacob. This year my parents came with us. Even though I had to waddle through a corn maze and pumpkin patch, it was fun to watch Jacob play and enjoy the same things I did when I was his age.

This is a picture of my dad and Jacob in the corn maze.

This is Jacob running through the corn after leaving my Dad in the dust.

Jacob picked out his pumpkins and pulled them around in the red wagon. I am just glad he didn't want me to pull him around in the red wagon!