Our Weekend

This weekend our little family had lots of fun together. On Friday Moss found out that he was going to be one guard short for the triathlon on Saturday. So me being the good wife that I am I, I volunteered. Good thing I have sat through about 30 CPR classes and 4 Lifeguard classes. I have a hard time being apart from Moss if you can't tell. Luckily my Mom agreed to watch Brenden so at 4:45 in the AM. Moss and I were headed out to Sand Hollow. I was very excited, this being my first one and all. Moss was not so much yet. All my family thinks that I am not a morning person, but actually now that I get to wake up next to my Mossy I am very happy in the mornings:) It went very well and it was a lot of fun. I am excited to help next year and maybe bring the Bud and just watch Daddy work.

Later after Nicole's shower and getting some much needed rest we swung by and got Derek and headed up to the cabin in Pine Valley for dinner and a movie and some good chats. Brenden and Derek spent some time on the swing and he had his first Cheeto. That was nice of Uncle Derek. Brenden just loves his Uncle Derek. And Derek seems to enjoy him too and always wants to play with him.
Moss was our chef for the evening and made us some very yummy hamburgers and some even yummier raspberry cobbler!Just us looking cute together:)Playing a little v-ball with Derek. Yeah we are going to do doubles in the Olympics...Later we went on a walk and on the way home we found this sweet creature.
We had no idea what it was. It freaked me out a little bit. Later I showed by mom a picture and she says it's a real tomato bug or something to that effect. We thought it was a cross between an ant and a termite and a crazy thing.

We then watched a movie on this sweet honey... haha I love old cabins:)Brenden just loves his bottle and blanket.

Finding things to fill our day.

While we were moving we figured out a great thing to keep Brenden happy. We have done it ever since. We set all his toys in front on him in a bin and tip it over and he just goes at it. It kept him busy for a how half hour once. It was so so nice!!!

Moss also found that Brenden loves Oreo sticks. He can give him a whole one and he can eat it without chocking or getting it all over him.

As always we have been enjoying our walks. When we are lucky Brenden will fall to sleep and look so dang cute!
Brenden also enjoys to wear his sun glasses. He loves to keep them on and just smiles the whole time. He doesn't even try to take them off. We are still trying to get him to crawl but he does not want to. He just whines when we put him on his belly. Oh well I guess we will just have to stroll him everywhere.

Please Vote

This guy here is Barton Brooks. He is someone that Moss grew up with. He has done some amazing things with his life inspite of some serious setbacks. He is currently in a competition to get money for his charity from the GQ magazine. Please click HERE and vote for him:) All you have to do is put in your e-mail address. If you have more than one you can vote more than once. Thank you!

Three words best describe Barton Brooks’ work and amazing story………Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

Barton’s remarkable story begins near the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, where a chance encounter with a half dozen orphaned kids opened a new chapter for many, many lives. Back home, finding no avenues for sending help, Barton took matters into his own hands and established a grass roots non profit volunteer organization, Global Colors. He funded it through the sale of his prized possession, a Shelby Cobra sports car that he and his brother built completely by hand. Within six months, he teamed with UCLA and returned to that jungle orphanage with school supplies, medicine, soccer balls, and tons of hope.

The resounding success of that personal gesture snowballed into the development of “Guerilla Aid” - a distinctive, self-starting style of individual volunteerism. Further recruitment, volunteer training, and other missions quickly followed. Barton carefully researches and designs each project to have the greatest impact for a community in need. His goal is simple, to establish grass roots, self-sustaining industries which empower the powerless, and create new opportunity for the poor. For example: he’s taken 100 cows to widows of the Maasai in Kenya; he purchased boats for Burmese refugees that provide vital supply lines for goods and medications; and he helped create vegetable gardens to feed AIDS patients at a hospital in Senegal– among many others. The moving stories of al his projects are detailed on www.globalcolors.org.

The vast impact of his work has not gone unnoticed. The United Nations invited Barton to attend a round table discussion with First Lady Laura Bush regarding the Burmese refugee crisis. He made such an impression that the First Lady contacted him to help plan her upcoming trip to Africa. In 2007, Barton greeted Mrs. Bush in Senegal at that same vegetable garden he helped create. The First Lady’s visit to that hospital helped to remove the stigma many Senegalese had towards those who are HIV positive.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck in March, while Barton was on a mission to improve life for 6,000 Batwa pygmies in Uganda. Three weeks into an ambitious poultry and garden project, a speeding truck broadsided Barton on his motorcycle. He was left for dead on the side of a dirt road, bleeding from multiple, life-threatening injuries: a fractured skull, a compound left femur fracture, a torn knee, and a broken arm and shoulder. Hours later, a good Samaritan loaded his body in his small car and drove two hours to a local clinic. Stabilized, he was transferred to a hospital in Kampala, and subsequently airlifted to the US. He continues to undergo numerous surgeries and painful rehabilitations.

Despite his horrendous accident, Barton’s commitment to those in need remains unwavering. While still convalescing, he is committed to returning to Uganda this fall on crutches, not only to finish the project with the Batwa, but also to figure out where to continue helping in 2010.

Hopefully, this award will help him to continue that work.

My awkward family photo...haha

Getting photo's together for Russell wedding movie has been pretty fun, especially when I came across this gem.We were just such a happy family at this time I can't hardly stand it... Apparently Timmy felt the need to wear his comforter around this day. Russell has his trade mark smile, which means a straight face. My mom looks like it's been a rough day trying to get this picture together. And well my Dad seems oblivious as normal. One good thing is I have cute hair and I look skinny. haha:)

Rodeo Time

It was Rodeo time again and as traditions goes all my family went on Thursday night. Except this time we got to bring along out little buddy. Even though he didn't really understand what was going on most the time he still enjoyed it. He sat nicely and starred at random things or was entertained by Bonnie. Our favorite part of the whole night was when they were trying to herd the sheep out of the arena and it wasn't going so smoothly. The sheep kept running away from them. The coolest part was when one of the sheep had had enough and was just going to jump over the people. That is when some dude tried to jump in front of him and they had a mid air collision with their heads. It was SO freaking funny! I would pay money to see that again.

Brenden and Moss just waiting for it to start.I don't know why but Brenden always looks very confused in pretty much every photo we take. He was just loving it I am sure. (On the other hand Brayd was not at this moment I guess.) Just watching the "freaking hoe down". Thats what Bonnie calls it.

Table for Sale:)

Moss and I decided it's time for a new table. This means that our old one has to go. It is a glass table that comes with 4 chairs that are metal and have a little bit of cherry wood on the back. We will let it go for $75. We bought it from Boulevard two years ago. I think it's a fair price. Here are some pictures of it. I always kept a table cloth on it so it has very little ware on the glass. Also we have probably eating on it... 10 times. haha We always had different tables at the other houses and we always eat at the bar. So here she is...

So So Sleepy...

I know it's been awhile. Not too much has gone on in our lives lately. Just got all moved in. Pretty much the day after we moved in the empty lot behind us started having construction. So every morning at about 6:30 we wake up to pounding and loud truck. Gosh this house is awesome! I will survive I guess.

Moss has started back to school and it is going pretty well. He really likes his classes and we finally see an end to his schooling. IF the college offers the classes it says it's going too. Yeah we will see if that happens. If so only one year left! YES!!! Moss is way excited too. Brenden is growing good. Still not crawling but can scoot on his bum really well and move about 5 feet in 30 minutes haha.

After learning to move Brenden has been pretty sleepy and done a lot of this. I think he is pretty dang cute. He is really starting to show his personality and we are LOVING it! He laughs at pretty much anything and loves to hang out with is daddy.

Bowling with the Visser Fam!

Last night Derek (our returned best friend) asked us if we wanted to go bowling. Moss and I then realized we had never gone together and neither had the bud. We were pretty excited about going. We headed over to Dixie bowl and had a sweet time. Mom and Dad Visser came along with Amanda and Travis. Moss was pretty good and got 2nd place with a score of 103. Here he is in action.

I however did not do so good and got last place with a score of 76 whoops. Therefore we won't show a picture of me bowling. I always tended to throw the ball down really hard, it was really embarrassing. So here is a picture of me and the bud just watching.

Derek's family was really nice and would hold him and keep him occupied. Derek and Brenden have become pretty good friends over this last couple of months. Derek has given him yet another nick-name, Beeger. Haha! Brenden just love his Uncle Derek. They even pull the same faces quite often too.
It was a lot of fun and Brenden seemed to enjoy playing with the bowling balls. I think he is pretty dang cute:) Maybe in a year he will be able to push one down the lane, we will see. For now he will just hit it.