Happy Father's Day!

Dear Dad,
Happy Father's Day! You're the best dad a girl could ask for. And the best "Pop" a grandkid could ask for. Although I've graduated to adulthood, you continue to DO, DO, DO. "Dad, I don't like the mirrors in my dining room!" Mirrors down, wall patched, textured, primed and painted. "Dad, I can't find the bookshelves I want in Vegas, can you go to Target, see if they have 'em, buy 'em, and drive 'em to Vegas?" I have 7 matching bookshelves. "Dad, we're flying in around 11." Flight delayed, late, LATE, LATE. Dad's there to pick us up. "Dad, can you go check out a car I called on, buy it and I'll come pick it up this weekend?" Car purchased, washed and gassed. "Dad, I don't need this car anymore, but am having a hard time selling it...can you come drive it back to Utah and sell it for me?" Car transported and sold. "Dad, I gotta get all my stuff to Vegas, can you drive me there, in the world's biggest heap of a truck, drop me and the stuff off, then turn around and drive back?" Here, in Vegas with a truck load full of crap. My crap.

I know this is a super short list, but if I wrote everything you've done and continue to do for me, we'd both be here a while! You're the best example to me and have never let me down. We've had countless daddy/daughter dates, which I cherish. And lots of laughs. I'll never forget you taking me square dancing in the 3rd grade, or waking me up, so I could drive you to the airport so I could have your car the days you were out of town. Trips to Iceburg and shared Hostess cupcakes. Trips to Hires and more recently, In-N-Out. You're the most giving, selfless, generous man I know. I love you so much and I'm so thankful for you. Happy Father's Day!

Love,
Your Little Girl

Honk Chew

Need I say more?

Happy First Birthday!

Anthony turned one!!! I cannot believe a year has gone by. It's been such an awesome year. He started walking about 11 months, and hasn't looked back since! He threw him a little family shin-dig with cake and ice-cream. It was a lot of fun. He got lots of fun toys including a jungle-gym (as if our house wasn't cluttered enough...thanks Grandma and Grandpa!) that he loves! For his birthday party, my great friend (and Anthony's future mother-in-law) Megan made him this AWESOME banner, that I will change the number on and use for every-single birthday until he's 50. I love it! It's so cute and creative.

When it came time for cake, I stripped him down and let him at it. Except, he didn't really WANT at it. He looked at it like it was a foreign space invader that landed right there on his high-chair. What the heck, foreign space invader, what are you doing here?Perhaps, if I look away, it will beam back up to it's spaceship and GO AWAY!Nope. Darn, it's still there.Maybe if I just give it a little poke...pinch... Nope, nothing. Well, it's not THAT bad...No, wait. Maybe it is that bad. Get off my fingers.Perhaps, a second chance... It's ok, I'm gonna be ok, just lick it off my fingers and then maybe it'll go away.

***Mom chops a big piece out to show boy that little invaders aren't hiding in it...it's actually just cake.***

Sorry mom, didn't work... Please get me outta here. NOW.

Here is a picture of all of Anthony's grandparents, and his great-grandpa. What a lucky little man! Glad you all could make it!

"Well, I learned something this weekend..."

Tony says to me as we're leaving Disneyland with Anthony dead asleep in the stroller.

"Oh yeah, and what was that?"

"That one year old's don't care about baseball games or Disneyland."

"Hmmm. What else did you learn?"

"That my wife was right."

I just had to share that because it might be the only time in history my husband has or will admit this.

We planned a trip to Anaheim with Tara and her boyfriend Toshi for a little weekend get away. Tony was jonesing for a baseball game, and I will admit, I was excited to go too. The Angels were playing the Mariners, and Toshi, being from Seattle is a Mariners fan. Perfect. We drove down Friday afternoon, the last weekend of May and I will admit, I was petrified about spending 4 hours in the car with Anthony. I had Tony's mom try to have him nap early, so he'd sleep at least part of the way. He slept and slept and slept. Surely he's going to wake up soon, I kept thinking to myself. Nope. Slept the entire way. As we pulled off the freeway in Anaheim, he woke up and looked at me like it was the best nap he'd ever had. Ever. GREAT! Score. We went to Johnny Rockets for dinner, down at the Gardenwalk in Anaheim. Great little mall with restaurants. It's about time Anaheim built something like that! Then, off to downtown Disney. We love the little shops and live performers down there. We pulled up to where we usually park, and we were directed to another parking lot. The Disneyland Park parking lot, to be specific, top level, last parking spot on earth. It was SO far. I guess Disneyland is popular at the end of May (DUH.) We had a good time, albeit short. But, fun.

Saturday Morning, we got up, and headed to the beach. Got out of the car to find a place to eat breakfast and it was FREEZING and WINDY. Bleeech. Went to breakfast in Huntington, at IHOP. After it was a little warmer, still stinking windy. Again, bleeech. Got our gear and headed toward the water. We set up shop just down the way from Dwight's food rentals, and right next to the kite flyers. Did I mention I'm terrified of Kites? I know, it's crazy and irrational and there's nothing to warrant such fear, but I am afraid. Why, you ask? I have no explaination for it. I was never viciously attacked by a kite, nor was a kite mean to me when I was little. None. Anyway, I digress, back to the beach. I was so excited to see what Anthony would do with the sand and all that water! He wasn't freaked out by the sand, but he did pretty much stay on the safety of the blankets and towels. When we took him down to the water, he was all about jumping in! It wasn't as cold as I anticipated, but it wasn't the Caribbean. He kept pulling Tony closer to the water, and sat down in it a couple of times. It was so cute.

I felt it my motherly duty to explain how the tide works, and the lunar pull, and quantum physics. I think he got it.I feel also as though I should explain my turbin... cold wind = ear ache for me. Bathing suit cover solved the problems of the world.I love Love LOve LOVe LOVE when my little man feels like he needs a mom snuggle.

So, after the beach, we headed back to Anaheim to get ready for the baseball game. Once cleaned up and in our Angel's gear... we headed out. The first thing we saw once at Angels Stadium was the memorial set up in front for Nick Adenhart. Although I never saw him play and certainly didn't know him, it really did make me teary. What a great guy he was and I'm sure is sorely missed by all his family, friends and teammates.

I wasn't ever opposed to taking Anthony to the baseball game, but I knew he'd be more interested in climbing around the stadium than he was the actual game. We were sitting right by the stairs and all he wanted to do was climb up and down. I let him, once, then thought maybe he'd like to wander around the mezzanine. Nope, straight back to the stairs. So, I walked with him around the whole stadium and ended up in the gift shop. Where he proceded to re-arrange the entire place. And I let him. He was happy and occupied, so I did my best to clean up after him, but we did spend the majority of the game there. Happy as clams.

This was before the game started. Before the attention span was totally lost, and before he eventually passed out on my shoulder.

Tony felt bad that I didn't get to see any of the game, so at the top of the 9th, Angels up 3-O, he said, "let's go!" Anthony was already out cold on my shoulder, so we headed out. We reached the gates and the usher got a message on his radio that they tied up the game. As Tony, Tara and Toshi walked ahead of me, I stopped and ashed the usher, "seriously?" He said, "Yup." So I caught up to the crew and they all said to me "yeah, right. He just told you that because we were leaving early." "No, it really sounded like they did." I don't know why I was making a case for them. So Tony pulled his phone out, pulled up the scores, and who was right? ME. That's who. So, they turned around, and went to watch the rest of the inning. I found me a comfy chair in front of a TV by the concessions and waited. The game went into a 10th inning, and I told them to stay, I was comfy, baby was sleeping. But, here they came. We listened to the game on the way back to the hotel and they lost in the 10th. Why oh, why is it that a baseball game which is potentially boring (I've heard, I would NEVER say that about baseball...) gets all the action at the bitter end? I don't get it. Then, of course, on Sunday...the game we didn't go to, they won. Go figure.

Sunday morning, against my better judgement we headed over to Disneyland. I had said SEVERAL times up to this point that I would absoulely, positivly, under no circumstance take a one year old to Disneyland. I think it's ridiculous. They can't do anything, we can't do anything. Crowds, Strollers, Lines, Crazies... WHO would subject themselves to that? Who I ask. Well, aparently me. Tony has an old valet customer that works there and has gotten us into the park before fo' free, so we thought we'd go say hi to her. Regardless of getting in, Tony still wanted to go say hi. We found her and she did get us right in. What a sweetheart. I felt justified in giving in because we weren't spending our life savings on passes. First we saw Pluto, and stopped to say "HI!" He makes Scout look like a chihuahua. We went over to Dumbo and waited in line about 25 minutes. Not too bad. However, my precious baby didn't give two hoots about it. Tony and I were excited to see his reaction, but nada. The look on his face was as if to say " I do this everyday, what's the big deal with the big dumb flying elephant anyway?" Stinker. Well, it was actually my first time on Dumbo too, and darnit, I liked it.

Next, we took him over to Toon Town, and got him some lunch, then let him climb around there. That was fun, and he really did enjoy himself there. He loved playing this piano and was so cute not to get in the other kids' way.

He loved this Jack o'lantern. And then, when most kids were trying to get OUT of jail... he was begging to get in!He didn't seem too concerned to get out of the way of dumbell's flying out the window onto the pavement below.

So, after Toon Town, Tony & I got some lunch, then headed to Pirates of the Caribbean. The line wasn't too bad, and Anthony needed a little "freshening up" so the crew (Tony, Tara & Toshi) waited in line, and by the time I got back from freshening, they were almost to the front. Nice! So we hopped on. Anthony was sitting on my lap, in the front row of the boat. After the first drop, he turned around and climbed up me and clung to my neck like a little monkey. He put his head on my shoulder and his eyes kept looking back and forth. About half way through...OUT. Sound asleep. SOUND asleep. He was done. Tuckered out. We put him in the stroller and decided to leave while he was snoozing. A good time to hit the road, we decided.

As soon as we loaded him in the car, he woke up. For sure he'll doze back off and sleep all the way home. It's been a long day! Not so. Fifteen minutes on the road and he way getting cranky. I climbed into the back seat, pulled out the laptop, put Elmo on the DVD and held it for him. The. Entire. Way. Home. That was a long drive. And though it was not so comfortable, it was worth it. He was pretty content the whole way home. No complaints from me.

"Well, I learned something this weekend..."

Lesson learned. Babies don't care about Baseball games or Disneyland. And although we did both, and the baby didn't care, I'm so happy we did. I had so much fun and I'm so glad we just did it. We have great memories and pictures to show for it!

Favorite Quotes...

Pop (my dad) talking to Dominic (my 5 yr. old nephew):

P: How old is Everett now?
D: He's still zero.

Watching a PBS fundraiser with 50's music, my dad says about one of the singers:

"Hmm, she used to be young!"

My Co-Worker, Jana, shopping with her six-year-old daughter, Peyton, looking at a rack, next to a large group of African-American women:

P: Mom, do you like black people?
J: WHAT?!?! Of course I do.
P: I don't.
J: WHAT?!? Honey, that's not nice to say, they're just like us, everyone is the same.
P: Well, are they Christian?
J: ***Thinking to herself*** RUN.

For the record, Peyton has black friends, and a black teacher, who she loves. Where do they come up with these things?

My friend Tara , tucking in her then 6-year-old Victoria, wearing a regular nightgown, instead of her normal sweats & t-shirt:

V: What's that?
T: What's what?
V: What are you wearing?
T: A nightgown.
V: Why?
T: Why do you care?
V: Is daddy going to do sex to you tonight?
T: WHAT?!? Victoria, how do you know that word? You're too young to talk about things like that.
V: From the cartoon, with a mommy and daddy and talking dog. (Family guy)
T: Where did you see that?
V: Cartoon Network (apparently comes on late at night) Don't worry mommy, I'm not going to have sex until I'm 20.

I don't think Victoria has a television in her room any more. Again, where do they come up with these things?

My niece, Eliza, probably about 4 at the time, while taking a bath and totally out of the blue, talking to my sister, Angie:

E: I used to think the thing that hangs from boys' bums was just for decoration, now I know it's where they go pee from

My mom called and told me this one. I lost ALL ability to speak, because I was laughing so hard. I had tears pouring from my eyes, and it took at least 45 minutes for me to tell Tony, because everytime I tried, the uncontrollable laugh showed up.

I have more...oh do I have more. I plan on writing a book with these things, I just though this would give me a nice start.

Dear Anthony,

Dear Anthony,
Happy First Birthday! I know I'll forget so many things about your first year as time goes on, so I want to share with you my favorite things about you. This has been with out a doubt the best year of my life. From the second you came into my life, I knew that I would never be without you. You bring so much light into my world and I am so thankful for you and for your place in our family. I love your giggle. I love your perfect tiny spaced 4 teeth. I love the way you make a motor boat sound when you are playing by yourself. I love that you figure things out for yourself. You climb and open and close and pull out and put back and tap and shake and stack and knock over all that you get your perfect little fingers on. You never shy away from something new. You are not afraid of anything. You love to be with the people that love you. I love the way you rub your little eyes with the backs of your hands when you're tired and you snuggle up to me and put your head on my shoulder when you feel you need safety. I love your scarce super blonde hair, making you look like a baldy. I love when I smell your feet and tell you "peeewwwww, stinky" you laugh. Hard. I love that you love the water; baths, sprinklers, pools, the dog's water dish, anything...you love to splash. I love the way you eat, opening your mouth as wide as a crocodile. I love the way you pick up one little cheerio with your thumb and your forefinger and if you miss your mouth, you chase the cheerio up your arm until it lands in your mouth. I love your serious face, I love your silly face. I love watching your face the first time you try a new food. I love how delighted with yourself you are when you're walking around.

It wasn't for about another hour that you came into this world, one year ago. You cried before you were all the way out and the one thing I will always remember is the doctor saying "You can't cry, you're not even born yet." You were so alert, and wide awake. I spend those first 48 hours staring at you. I couldn't take my eyes off you. And here we are, an entire year later. You're walking, and jibby-jabbering and feeding yourself cheerio's. I have loved every single second of it. Every day gets better and better.

You are such a sweet spirit and I love you much. I love your daddy and the rest of our family (which may not be here yet). I know you are a child of God and He love you. He will always be with you and guide you. Listen to Him, follow Him and trust Him. I have so many things I want to teach you and so many things I want you to learn about on your own. I promise to try to look at every situation as a learning and teaching experience.

At one year old you love your daddy and mommy, your dog Scout, your Nana and Pop, Grandma and Grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, great-grandparants. You love to feed yourself, although you're rarely given the opportunity because you shove ALL your food into your mouth at the same time, and have choked a few times, which has given me a few gray hairs, and heart attacks. You love to clap, wave goodbye, dance, watch Sesame Street and tease your dog. You smile at me when you first wake up, which makes my heart melt. You laugh at yourself when you burp, sneeze, toot, cough. Which has proven, you're never too young to think bodily functions are funny. You love ice-cream. To the point of a small melt-down when it's all gone. You love to get into anything you're not supposed to. Cupboards, tight spots, electical cords, up on the coffee table, end table, etc. You love to be chased and laugh and wait for me to catch up to you, then run, then stop and wait for me, then laugh...

I love you so much and I look foward to all the "firsts" you will have in your life. I love watching you learn and grow. You're the perfect you.

I love you.

Love,
Mommy