The Crums

Grant

2012-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Dearest Grant,

I love you. I mean I love you A LOT.

You make me laugh EVERYDAY and you are willing to put up with my crazy.

And that's a whole lot of crazy to handle.

You are incredibly smart, spiritual, and kind.

You help me, encourage me, and support me.

And you give the best possible gifts.

(with the girl version arriving in less than two weeks.)

Thank you for loving me.

And taking me to the temple.

Thank you for being an amazing example to me.

And helping me to step out of my comfort zone.

Thank you for protecting me and helping to lighten my burdens.

You truly are my better half.

Your biggest fan,

Know what I love??

2012-02-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

Free Stuff. Especially free baby stuff....

This is free baby food, rice cereal, and formula. What a blessing. A friend of ours gets this delivery every two weeks at work and right now they don't have anyone who needs it and since we are having a baby soon (in two weeks) she offered to give them to us. We will take whatever we can get.

P.S. The Dr. thinks Dylan may have pneumonia. He is miserable. More to come on that later.

Lowe's

2012-02-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

We went to Lowe's tonight to look for my birthday present.... it's a good one. Well we saw this really cool shopping cart in the parking lot and asked Dylan if he wanted to ride in it. We saw a similar one at the grocery store and I tried to put Dylan in it and he SCREAMED bloody murder. Not tonight.

He drove ALL over the store. He was having such a good time. He buckled himself in and asked me to get in to. I had to explain that I'm WAY too big to get in the cart. Thankfully Grant pushed him most of time. I took a small turn, but every time we stopped to look at something this is what happened....

That is Dylan giving Grant the stink eye since I wanted him to stop for a minute so I could take a picture.

I love my boys. I am really ready to have another girl around here. 2 weeks and she will be here.

Quick Visalia Trip

2012-02-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

So Dylan and I drove to Visalia for a family emergency yesterday. Aside from family business that needed to be taken care of, Dylan and I had a great time. Some highlights from the trip include:

- Dylan screaming "Andma" and "Andma's House" the whole ride to Visalia. I love that speech therapy is going so well and that he is talking so much.

- Dylan wearing Uncle Hil's hat for most of the night. Dylan is a hip kid.

- Dylan also had a great appetite the whole time! He never eats anything in front of people, but when we went out to dinner last night Dylan ate a TON in front of my WHOLE family.

- Dylan LOVED playing with Uncle Hil and Aunt Tash. I was able to clean out my whole car without Dylan crying.

- And Dylan napped almost the whole ride home! This is a big deal, he never sleeps in the Tahoe.

Whenever I see him asleep in his big boy carseat I just want to pull over and cuddle him.

I definitely felt the tender mercies of the Lord this trip. I was a little concerned about making the drive so close to my due date with a 2 year old, but everything went better than expected. Things just fell into place during the trip and I am so grateful for that!

Date Night - February

2012-02-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

Grant and I have made a New Years Resolution to go on a date once a month this year. We were seriously slacking last year (and the year before that)...

In January we were going to go see a movie, but the movie had gone out of theaters the day before.. so we did a scavenger hunt at the bookstore (since it was late and nothing else was open).

In February we decided to have a really nice date night since the baby is coming soon... We splurged and went to a Sacramento Kings game. And we had some great seats and by that I mean REALLY REALLY great seats...

Like 3rd row good. It was an AWESOME experience. Grant and I also ordered a treat from the waiters that work down there. It was a lot of fun, but WAY TOO expensive to do it again. It was the perfect pre-baby date for us.

Just another picture from our date. Jimmer in his high waisted work out gear. Grant and I had a good chuckle about this.

Dylan stayed home with our niece Morgan who did an AMAZING job babysitting. Dylan was so distraught that he cried for 45 minutes or so, but she did great and when we got home they were playing together really well. Today he thought we were going to leave him in Nursery without one of us (something that NEVER happens) and right after we said "Amen" to the closing prayer in Sacrament Dylan CRIED for 30 minutes. And tonight we had our monthly Crum Family Dinner and as we pulled into Nathan and Callie's driveway Dylan started CRYING AGAIN. He becomes inconsolable. After he cried for a little while he forgot why he was so upset and had a BLAST with the cousins. Thank goodness.

Dylan's Car Organization

2012-02-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

Dylan really likes cars. I mean REALLY likes cars.... and trains and planes. We have storage in the playroom for all of those things, and we even have a train table. The cars tend to be the most portable so those are what Grant and I find all over the house. Dylan has a tendency to park them in between the banister posts of the staircase. It's his own personal parking garage. Well, we've had a change box (think little league games, garage sales, etc...) from Grant's childhood and Dylan has formed an attachment to it. Well last week he combined the two....

All of his little cars fit into the slots and the bigger Chevron cars go into a basket. Yay for a child who is clean and is organized. I love it. You can see the banister slots in this picture where he normally parks his car. Also the little wrench is the "key" to get into the box. It doesn't actually do anything, but he thinks it does.

I love this little face.

Our little helper

2012-01-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful that Dylan loves to help. Tonight we moved some furniture around and Grant had to drill a face plate onto the wall. Dylan went and got his drill and helped.

This makes my heart happy. Grant is so good about making sure Dylan feels like his help is important and I feel like Dylan's self worth is positively affected by that. We also made sure that Dylan wore "safety glasses" while he was drilling.

I freakin' love this kid.

Hospital

2012-01-30T23:55:00.000-08:00

So last Wednesday after New Beginnings I started feeling REALLY sick... I felt like I had a stomach bug AGAIN and so I went to bed. I was up on and off all night with all the good things that come with a stomach bug. So Grant stayed home and I tried to sleep it off. Downside of pregnancy... you can't take anything when you're sick. So about two in the afternoon I call my doctor's office and beg them to tell me what I can take to ease up the stomach discomfort, you know what they tell me? I had just earned a trip to the E.R. Awesome. So I ask Grant to take me to the Lodi hospital since that is where I will be delivering. I assumed that they would just hook me up to some fluids in the E.R. and then after about 4 hours they'd send me home. I was wrong. If you are over 20 weeks pregnant, you earn a free ride to the O.B. wing. So I didn't really have to wait in the E.R. at all, which was nice, and they already had a bed waiting for me and monitors ready to be hooked up. Grant took Dylan to Nathan and Callie's house (bless them!) and then came back in time to fill out all my paperwork. I just got to lay there and watch T.V. After about 40 minutes I told Grant to go get Dylan and take him home. There was nothing going on and I literally was just sitting there with an I.V. watching T.V.

You know you are dehydrated when they give you 2 liters of fluid and only 8 oz. comes out. After 7 hours they let me go home with an anti nausea prescription. It is AMAZING how much better fluid can make you! The next day I just took it easy and focused on rebuilding strength, but ever since then I have felt freakin' amazing! Unfortunately Grant caught the ugly stomach bug the next day. Thankfully, we are all healthy now.

The silver lining to all of this is that I would much rather have all 3 of us sick before baby Evelyn comes. If we had to deal with this week and a newborn (who could potentially get sick) we all would have been WAY MORE miserable. Not to mention I wouldn't be breastfeeding if I were that dehydrated. So I'm feeling pretty grateful that we got it all out of the way.

P.S. Dr. says baby is head down. I got to see her on an ultrasound last week and she is almost 6 pounds. I can't wait to meet her!

Dylan

2012-01-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Dylan and I are still sick. Last night Dylan and I were cuddling on the couch and he threw up all over me. I took him upstairs and we jumped in the shower and Grant cleaned up the mess while we were in the shower. (That's a real man! He even shampooed the sofa.) Then Grant and I laid Dylan down in our bed. I realize that we have a HUGE CAL KING, but one pregnant woman + one large pregnancy body pillow + one sick toddler who wants to lay across the bed + poor Grant = a super sleep deprived, uncomfortable night. For some reason Dylan ALWAYS kicks Grant when he sleeps with us (which is NEVER). So Grant and I stayed awake until Dylan was asleep and then my poor husband got demoted to the guest bed. Grant had to get up and drive to Santa Maria and back today and he really needed to sleep and Dylan needed some comforting. So my point to all this is that this morning, I'm EXHAUSTED! I know everyone else has to be too, but I'm the complainer of the family so I'll say it. So shortly after Dylan got up he told me "nap" and "bed" and I was so excited!! He was just playing me, he really wanted to go play with his trains in the playroom. So when we got dressed for the day, I let Dylan pick out his own outfit. This isn't that uncommon but usually I give him 2 or 3 things to choose from. Not today. I didn't have it in me to fight at all. So here is what he is wearing..... (don't judge me)...

P.S. I know my house is dirty.... just ignore it, I do. I'm going on day 5 of Dylan and I being sick and I don't have it in me to care that I need to clean.

Baby Evelyn

2012-01-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

So I am sick again. I had a stomach flu on Thursday and apparently since my immune system was weakened, the flu decided it would stop by for a visit on Saturday. Poor Dylan is sick too. We took him to urgent care last night and because they couldn't figure out what the problem was they treated him for Croup and Bronchitis. Talk about a bad week for the boy. He got a shot on his bum and a weeks worth of antibiotics. We also brought in the cold air humidifier. Because he is a winter baby our pediatrician in Fresno recommended it, it's a God send! Between the steroid shot, the humidifier, and cutting out dairy for a little while, Dylan is a completely different kid. Thank goodness. He was so sick yesterday! Because Dylan and I could still be contagious (who knows what we have) we did not go to church this morning. Grant (who is starting to feel sick) and I have been napping off and on. I hate being sick and not feeling productive so I decided that since sewing takes up ZERO effort and there are a few things I need to finish, I made burp cloths.

I actually finished 7, but they are the same fabrics. It took 20 minutes. How is that for efficient? I also made Grant hang the mobile I finished awhile ago. Pinterest has the best ideas. It's been sitting in Evelyn's crib and I was tired of looking at it, so he humored me and put it up. The nursery isn't even close to be finished, so I realize the room looks a little naked, but I still have 4 1/2 weeks to get it done.

Baby

2012-01-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that it's starting to look like a baby might be here soon. Finally. I seriously waited until I was 8 months pregnant to do ANYTHING. That is the problem with a scheduled C-Section, I KNOW when she will get here, so I haven't felt any type of rush. Once the nursery is finished I will post pictures of that, but for now I just have pictures of my baby stuff pulled in from the garage and cleaned.

She may not have a room to sleep in finished, but she does have a swing, a bouncer, and an infant car seat. Dylan never used the bouncer, it wasn't his thing.....

I pulled out a bunch of baby stuff to wash and get ready and Dylan found the infant pacifiers.... he didn't take one as an infant, now I have to hide them because he wants to chew on them. He will walk around for hours with a pacifier.... so random! I'm not starting that bad habit now.

P.S. 6 weeks until Baby Evelyn's arrival. I'm a little nervous about the C-section, and totally ready to have a cute, tiny baby!!

Pinterest & New Beginnings

2012-01-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

Today the YW's President and I made these candle holders for New Beginnings next week. I saw the idea on Pinterest and was going to use it with the Mia Maids for a mutual activity, but between New Beginnings and the February Road Show we didn't really have any class activities. And I'm on "maternity leave" in March so I really wanted to use this idea. We used a sponge type brush (which you shouldn't) but we both decided we loved the streaked look, it made it looks more bohemian.....

These are the drying centerpieces. As they dry they become more opaque. I loved the results so much I am going to do something around the house, I just haven't decided what yet. I will probably use a real paintbrush though to avoid the streaking.

Sick

2012-01-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

So Dylan is cutting his two year molars. I'm pretty sure they're the devil. He has been running a slight fever and has been really tired because I don't think he has been sleeping well. Today I woke up with the stomach flu and Grant (bless his heart) was able to come home and work here. Well Grant had to run a quick errand and Dylan was pretty distraught that dad was leaving, so he laid down and cried. I don't think Grant was gone 5 minutes when the crying stopped. I got up to investigate (I'm permanently on the sofa today) and he had passed out (not actually, he was sleeping like a rock!). I took a picture and he didn't wake up. I picked him up and his eyes fluttered to look at me and then right back to sleep. I'm feeling lots of gratitude towards Grant today. Being super pregnant and having a two year old is tiring most days, but add in illness and some new teeth and who knows what could happen.

Oakland

2012-01-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday Grant and I were able to attend the Oakland Temple. We haven't been there since we were married almost 4 years ago. (We live in the Sacramento Temple district.)

It was so special for us and we got to reflect a lot on our wedding and how special it was and how far we've come since then.

I am so grateful that I got to marry my best friend and that we are a FOREVER family. I am also super grateful that our little 3 person family will soon have a fourth person in it. Blessings come in so many different forms, and I'm really grateful for ours!!

Christmas at The Crums

2012-01-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

So our Christmas was spent in Visalia this year and I don't think Grant and I took any pictures. We did get some great video of Dylan playing ball with my brother, but it is too big of a file to upload. I did get a couple photos of our tree, but that's about it.

Grant and Dylan decorated the tree together this year and I just watched. I love my boys.

Dylan and I setting up the tree skirt. Dylan is a great helper.

The Christmas tree after it was all set up.

Dylan showing us all the ornaments on the tree while we were trying to set up a shot for our Christmas card.

We had a great month of December. We went carolling in Brookside on golf carts (I loved driving), we drove around town and looked at Christmas lights, Grant and I attended the adult session of Stake Conference without Dylan (kind of a big deal) to hear Elder Bednar speak (an EVEN BIGGER DEAL), we had a huge Crum Family Dinner and gift exchange, Dylan got a train table (that I tried to set up by myself and almost took an axe to in frustration), and celebrated Christmas in Visalia. For New Years Eve we took Dylan outside and let him play with poppers. It was too loud for him. So we came inside, put him to bed, and Grant and I watched a movie. It was great!

Some Dylan Pictures...

2012-01-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

His favorite toy in nursery.

Brushing his teeth. This was a big deal after he fell and busted his lip around his birthday and had to have a stitch. Teeth brushing became a miserable chore, we had to hold him in a head lock and pry his mouth open. This was the end of that stage.

Dylan was REALLY happy about his new big boy chair.

The rocket.... again.

On the way to the Lodi Christmas Parade.

Dylan riding the rocking horse.... in a diaper.... with a tool belt around his neck.

He's a stud.

Halloween and the Fish Hat

2012-01-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

So we created a photo booth (I use that term LOOSELY) for the Tri-Stake Youth Dance in October and one of the props the YW President picked up was a fish hat. Dylan was IN LOVE! He wore it everywhere.

He went as a garden gnome for Halloween, but he didn't want to wear the hat/beard combo it came with, he wanted to wear the fish hat. So I let him.

Nobody was quite sure what he was. Grandma Diane and I took him trick-or-treating in Brookside and only to a couple houses. At first the idea of trick-or-treating was a little overwhelming, by the 8th house, Dylan was TOTALLY into it. The idea that he could knock on someones door and they would give him candy totally blew his mind. He also signed Thank you to everyone who gave him candy. Gotta love manners!!

He wore the hat to the mall the following day. And anywhere else he could.

Naptime

2012-01-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

For awhile Dylan would nap in the most random spots....

First... that's not his room.

Second.... There is like 2 feet of space right there, that's it.

Third.... if he has his pillows and blanket, it doesn't matter.

This isn't the only random space either, for awhile he was sleeping behind his door so when we would go to wake him up after his nap, he would totally get creamed by the door. Grant and I learned to open the door VERY slowly until we wake him up enough to move out from behind the door.

He is so funny!!

Lawn Duty

2012-01-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

So last November Wyatt chewed through a plug on our lawn mower (It was my fault, Grant usually has the lawn mower blocked off, but I had used it last and didn't hide it from Wyatt. Lesson learned!) It took the John Deere place 3 weeks to replace. When the mower finally came home I was SO EXCITED to have it back I immediately mowed the lawn. Dylan has a plastic lawn mower that I bought at Tuesday Morning. Yay for $3 clearance items!!

Dylan is an amazing helper and really tries to contribute anywhere he can. I love it. He helps with laundry, he loves to dust, and he will pick just about anything up as long as we sing the "Clean up, Clean up" song from Nursery.

Spray Paint

2011-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

I love to spray paint (I wear a mask since I'm pregnant) but I recently bought some things that I loved the shape of, but the color was not right for my house....

This is pretty much the before and after.

Stand by for finished pictures.

Oh Pinterest.

2011-11-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been on Pinterest that long, but I'm pretty much in love. I decided to deep clean my laundry room (that's what this post is about, boring I know, but this is what my life is about.... No judging).

I saw a Pin for deep cleaning your washing machine, and mine DEFINITELY needed it. Let me prove it to you.....

Super gross right?! So just using white vinegar and hot water, a sponge, and a rinse cycle, my washing machine now looks like this....

Isn't it so pretty!! Woo Hoo. I have another problem with my laundry room.... I have cabinets that are like 9 feet tall and unless I want to keep a step ladder in my laundry room (which I don't have room for) I can't use my top shelves. I HATE WASTING SPACE!!

Why can't every house come with a "Best Use of Space Manual". All my top shelves are empty. Ridiculous. I am open to any and all suggestions! I don't know what I use not often enough that it could go up there. Heck I don't even know what to put in my laundry room.

Here is my laundry room mostly clean. The under the sink cabinet has sheets and rags and what not. The sheets are in the bags they came in, so if the sink leaks, nothing is lost. I will go back to the drawing board (Pinterest) and see what others deem appropriate for the laundry room.

Utah

2011-11-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

We went to Utah for a week this summer. We had a marvelous time with the family (as usual) and Amy and Brian took us to this super cool park a couple towns over. (This is the week when Dylan got to ride a tricycle for the first time.) I didn't get any pictures all week, but Grant took some at the park.

All the cousins. You can tell these kids are related.

Dylan and Grandpa. Yes, I am aware that my child has no shoes on. Mother of the year.

I just loved this picture. It has such a retro feel.

Dylan's Birthday

2011-11-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

The other day Grant and I were having a conversation and in order to back up what I was saying I checked my blog and the answer wasn't there. In 2009 I blogged everything!! In 2010, not so much. So prepare for an over blogging of everything! I didn't realize how many good memories I've missed by not documenting them. Bad News!

The beginning of October we went to Visalia to celebrate Dylan's birthday!! We decided on a VERY low key family outing. So Dylan and I went for the whole week to celebrate and then Grant joined us for the weekend.

During the week Dylan and I went to the pumpkin patch and spent lots of time with family. Dylan got birthday presents every night (which I'm sure he loved, and was totally unintentional). I didn't take very many pictures during the week, but here are some photos of the weekend party at the pumpkin patch. They had a TON going on. There was a tractor ride, a train ride, a petting zoo, and animal adoptions. They also have free sandboxes filled with kernels of corn. Dylan thought they were pretty neat, although I thought he wouldn't be into it at all.

Dylan is in the middle of a chicken phase. He "bach bach's" everywhere. (That is supposed to be a chicken noise.

More chickens.

He actually got to pet it once it was on the ground.

He did not want ANYTHING to do with the donkey at the time, but now all animals say "Hee-haw".

In the cornbox. They had lots of toys to play with in there and he found the boats.

With Auntie Tash on the tractor ride.

On the tractor ride. He got to see horses and corn, it was a pretty sweet ride.

Trying to get him to pose for pictures with Whitney.

Apparently almost all our photos look like this. She is trying to eat it and this is his photo face.

Happy Birthday little boy!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Hawai'i in Pictures

2011-09-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

The end of June, we went to Hawai'i with my mom. It was spectacular. Here are pictures from the trip.

Dylan was EXHAUSTED!

My mom lounging while Dylan slept. We were so GRATEFUL she was willing to babysit while we there. Grant and I got to go to the pool by ourselves, hang out in the ocean, see a movie, etc....

The view from the condo where we stayed. Thanks again to Norm and Diane for letting us use the condo!! The trip was lovely!

Dylan chasing the geckos on the patio. This was a great time for him!!

The Sub ride we all went on (except Dylan). We staggered rides and it was pretty awesome.

Spongebob on the wreckage. Apparently photos don't really turn out when your 100ft. under the water.

My mom. We dragged her to I'ao State Park and she smiled the whole time.

Me chasing bub. I am always amazed at the energy he has.

Do you ever see a picture of yourself and think " HOLY CRAP, I'M FAT!" That's this picture. Apparently the pills I have to take really do have weight gain as a side effect. Since I am off them for the next year or so, I will try to get my hustle on to lose all the weight I found last year.

My two favorite boys! EVER!

They were waving to me from under the coconut tree. I loved it.

A quick family portrait. I don't know why we look so bright, but I don't care. I like this picture.

My mom, bub, and I. Dylan really wanted to get down and chase the dog and the chickens near by.

Dylan made a friend at the Maui Airport. She had candy and I think he may have been using her.

Overall, we had a fantastic visit to Lahaina. Things we did I don't have pictures of.... dinner at Cheeseburgers in Paradise, walking down the streets of Lahaina and shopping, our snorkeling/beach trip, getting snow cones, the Maui Aquarium, Grant and my mom's golfing trip and our positive pregnancy test. (which I don't take pictures of, because I personally think it's gross. No offense, it's totally a personal choice, but you pee on it and I just can't get over that.)

Speech Therapy

2011-09-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

So Dylan has been going getting speech therapy for almost 5 months and I am SO IMPRESSED by the improvement he is making!!!

He can say a handful of words - Elmo (Mo-Mo), Banana (na-na), Oh MAN! (oh maaa), Mama, Dada, Bubba, No, Up (His first actual word)... and a few others. This is HUGE! At 19 months, he still hadn't said ANYTHING. He can sign - Thank you, please, yes, want, food, more, and FISH (his favorite!!) He can follow direction, mimic syllables, identify body parts and animals, etc.

We also had him tested for Autism, but the test says no. I am grateful that that will not be one of his challenges in life. I am not the most structured person and for autistic children, a schedule can really help decrease the outbursts (or so I read). Right now we have 6 hours of Speech therapy a month and I think that is sometimes difficult to work around even that small of a commitment, but we do okay. Dylan absolutely loves his teacher and therapist. Whenever they leave he follows them to their car and tries to get in, when I make him come back to the house, he cries.... LOUD.... and hard!!!

My old tactic was to let him play outside with the hose as distraction, but after today that is done.

Dylan's favorite summer activity.

2011-09-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Standing in the backyard with a hose. My child is a water child. He loves all things that have to do with water (except baths. He prefers showers. I prefer he take baths.)

Bub standing in the backyard spraying anything and everything. Including Wyatt, which is not Wyatt's favorite thing.

Dad giving Bub some spraying advice, or turning off the auto spray mechanism, which Dylan has figured out how to turn on. I realize this wastes a ton of water, but it also occupies my very particular toddler on a hot day. Don't judge.

Our happy boy who thinks this is the best thing ever!

Today I let Dylan spray the roses out front since I was getting ready to dead head them, and he sprayed the hose right up his nostril (I mean RIGHT up it!!!) The nozzle was partially up his nostril. He coughed and I put him on hose restrictions. For awhile anyway. I think he learned his own lesson, but holy cow!! That must have been painful!!

Dylan got a tricycle...

2011-09-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

So these next few blogs are going to be way out of order, but I don't care. They are how I found them on my computer. So over the summer, we went to Utah with all the Crum kids. While we were there Dylan found the Jackson's tricycle. He wanted to take it EVERYWHERE. So when we got home, we went and bought one. He won't ride it, but he will walk it anywhere he goes.

Dad trying to teach Dylan how to sit on the tricycle. This was pretty exciting.

Dylan got it down the hill (by walking) onto flat land and then Flinestone'd it across the sidewalk.

Dylan walking the bike back up the hill.

Changing his mind and trying to park it on the grass. That is it's designated parking spot.

Mother's Day

2011-07-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day we went to Grant's parents house for dinner and it was a beautiful day. The kids played outside and Grant captured some of the fun on camera.

I married the funniest man on the planet.

2011-06-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sometime Grant and I lay in bed and talk long after Dylan has gone to bed. I usually end up laughing so hard I cry. Not very many people get to see that side of Grant and I am so grateful that I do. He is sincerely one of the funniest people on the planet.

So since I'm starting an etsy shop, we were talking about onesie ideas and jokingly tossed around ideas. Today the jokes became actual onesies for Dylan.

If you know Grant you can see why this one is appreciated. This was a sample one.

Grant thought of this one. I laughed hard. I think I may have started the shedding of tears with this one.

This was all Grant. We cried. HARD. This struck us as so funny. We both don't know why, but Dylan is wearing it right now. (I'm sorry if the idea strikes anyone as offensive, it wasn't meant that way.)

True Story.

2011-05-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

So today I went to the Galt Flea Market with a couple ladies from church. Right when we get there I feel something on my forehead.... I tried to swat it, it's a BEE. ON MY FOREHEAD. I mushed it, not really on purpose I just kind of freaked... and GOT STUNG! Go figure. ON MY FOREHEAD. I've never been stung by a bee. So I start to freak out a little, I may or may not be a hypochondriac. Anyway, bee stings actually sting!! So I keep rubbing the site and the stinger comes out almost immediately! I stopped one of the guys that works the flea market (not a vendor, but is in charge of the grounds) and he suggested ice. So I put ice on it. I will put a picture up of it tomorrow, but truthfully I can't even see where I got stung! Yay for the guy who told me to put ice on it to keep the swelling down and double YAY for not being allergic to bee stings and dying at the flea market.

So I get home and I'm a little hesitant to take a nap (it's like 6 hours later) in case I die. I did take a nap and I'm still here so I'm pretty sure I'm not allergic, but I can get an idea and NOT let go.

Onto better news, Dylan got this at the flea market....

He puts his monkeys in there and pushes it around.

At the flea market I think he made it up and down three aisles before he finally decided he needed a break.... and food. Right now it's toy numero uno. He is pretty protective over it because he doesn't have to share, and he puts all his stuff in it and pushes it around. It hasn't made it up the stairs yet, but he may attempt it soon.

Crafts

2011-05-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

So I have been crafting like crazy. I am thinking about opening an Etsy shop and Grant and I have been talking about it A LOT. Right now I am building a stockpile so that if I get burned out I can step back and breathe. Did I mention that there are 6 pregnant ladies in my ward right now? I'm starting to think being pregnant may be contagious. Don't worry, I am washing my hands really well.

These are the things I've been making for Dylan. He rocks a bow tie or neck tie to church every Sunday. Although the neck tie wasn't really a hit. He can see it so he yanks it.

This is a pair of linen pants. I didn't put lining in them and he pretty much won't wear them. I put them on, he cries and takes them off. I didn't even bother putting elastic in the waistband since he wants nothing to do with them.

So I tried again with a nice lightweight seersucker. I lined them with Muslin also, they're pretty comfy and once I finish the hem and the elastic, we are good to go! Yay for a new pair of church pants!!!

I've also been crafting for one of my value projects for Personal Progress. Since I'm in YW's I can complete PP. So for a value project I painted these pieces....

... and I'm making a mobile. If I remember I will put up a picture of it once it's completed and up in his room. Is it weird that I'm just now finishing the nursery? I don't really think so either.

I've also been working on a little something for me....

This is the bottom of my new temple dress. I've wanted to make my own since I got married. Now I'm finally doing it. I need to finish the top and hem the bottom. I'm pretty excited.

Remember the 6 pregnant ladies? Well I don't have photos of the things I made for the first one, but here are the things I'm making/completed for Hannah. (She doesn't have Facebook or read my blog so it's a pretty safe bet she won't read this.)

A couple of appliqued onesies.

A sock monkey, some burp cloths, and a teething ring (which I did not make).

A photo of the temple. Hannah and her husband were sealed in December. Which was really exciting! I think she was baptised the December before but I'm not sure..... But she doesn't really have anything like this yet, and she has already seen this and approved it.

And last but not least, a blanket. That seems to be the trend. I make blankets. Maybe I should stockpile these. Not this blanket specifically... just blankets in general. If you want the pattern for this blanket... I got it here... http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/02/baby-life-quilt.html

Moda bake shop has some SUPER CUTE PATTERNS!!

Here is my crafting stockpile. Maybe I will organize it. Or maybe not. The leather bag is my new temple bag. I got it for $2.00 at the Salvation Army.I just need to clean it up with some leather cleaner.

My new toy. Oh I could sing. I'm pretty much in love. Now all I need is the guts to try it out. It's kind of overwhelming and the woman who sold it to me (in Joann's) gives 2 lessons free. I may wait to get a lesson before I start using it.

The house.

2011-05-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

Decorating is coming along. Honestly though, it's a lot of house, and I am CHEAP. Free is my favorite word. So here are some pictures of the house. I know it isn't quite finished but oh well.

Here is a section of our entryway. Did I mention it's quite long... and I found a rug today at the flea market, but $100 is quite expensive for a leopard print rug that Grant would burn once he got home.

I have no idea what I am supposed to put in this space, but since I have no intention of moving again in my life, I still have time to figure it out.

This trunk ( I may start a collection) was FREE!! It was a gift from my grandparents and it's amazing. It was my Grandpa's mothers and it is from the late 1800's and it was brought across the plains. Isn't it amazing. It really is in great condition and at the moment it's sitting by my stairs where I can admire it on a regular basis.

This is the living room. I'm pretty much done decorating in here. I promise my walls aren't yellow, it is just the lighting, and this picture isn't really interesting it's more so my mom/grandparents/aunts can see the front room of my house now that it is almost complete/complete.

Did I mention I love free stuff? So I've been wanting to take piano lessons and all I needed was a piano. Someone at Grant's work was giving this away! Grant swooped up on it and gave it to me for Mother's day! Isn't that amazing? Maybe not to you, but definitely to me! It needs a little bit of work, but for free, I'll take it!

I fell under a rock.

2011-05-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Maybe that is why I haven't been posting. Or it is because life here has been CRAZY busy and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. I'm going to do as many posts as I have time for tonight before Grant gets home from Atascadero. Here we go.

So.... a couple weeks ago, my friend Gina called me and asked Grant and I to come help her haul a bookcase home that she had purchased at an Estate Sale. So Grant and I go and I see this....

It's a hope chest. The woman who was selling it received it from her mother, who'd purchased it in the 1940's right after she'd gotten married. I fell in love. So this woman, who was clearing out her recently deceased mother's house, was selling everything and she didn't have anyone to help her. So Gina and I decided that we would help her because Gina was still shopping and the boys had taken the car to haul our loot home. Well, the sale was starting to wind down and she wanted EVERYTHING GONE and since Gina and I had stayed to help her clean up, she gave me this.... FOR FREE......

Kind of neat right.... well my dad's mom had one of these while I was young and I thought it was so rad. It just looks like a cabinet right?! But, it does this......

It works perfect. The speakers still work, I can use the radio, and it came with records. Did I mention it was free? and that I'm in love.

Sprinklers

2011-04-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

I've decided if I attempt to commit to blogging everyday, I will take a 2 month vacation from it. So skip that. No more daily doses of gratitude. I am just going back to the way I blogged before.
Last week the weather here was GLORIOUS. It was sunny, in the high 70's and slightly windy. Dylan's attitude was less than glorious. I was planting Impatiens and Dylan decided that it was a great time to play babyzilla and crunch my flowers, so in order to get his energy out I let him run through the sprinklers. I realize I am playing favorites here, but dang this kid is CUTE!!!

Sorry my child looks like skin and bone in the last picture. When you run that fast the wind pulls your skin back... like a dog with his head out the car window. Yep, Dylan runs that fast.

Daily Dose #'s 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

2011-02-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

Daily Dose #4. My mom came up for the weekend and hung out. She also helped me organize my kitchen, clean the wood in my house, played with my baby, and my puppy, went shopping with me, etc... I am incredibly GRATEFUL to have a mom that I get along with so well. She is amazing and incredibly supportive and we can totally agree to disagree. She is a SUPERSTAR!!

Daily Dose #5. I am so grateful for camera phones and video cameras. There are so many things we would forget about having a child this young if we didn't have some way to record it.

Daily Dose #6. Woot Woot for saving money. A friend of mine is getting married the weekend of March 5th and we were going to pay to stay in a hotel, but we have a family friend who offered to let my family stay at their house for the weekend! Yay for a free place to stay away from home!! I love it when things work out like that!

Daily Dose #7. I love having people over for dinner and we got a dining room table so now that is possible. (Pictures to come soon.. I'm still revamping that room.) I AM SO EXCITED. We have some friends coming over on Friday.

Daily Dose #8. Ikea. Did you know it has a restaurant?? And it's actually GOOD food. We took a little family outing. So great. Pictures to follow on this one too. I bought a duvet cover for our twin beds. And I bought Dylan a rug. Oh Ikea how I LOVE your prices... and how easy it is to put stuff together. EVEN I CAN DO IT!!!

Daily Dose #3

2011-02-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

My mom came into town for my birthday weekend and she hooked it up!! I pretty much got the best present ever.

Yeah toaster ovens are amazing. Tomorrow's daily dose may be a food item made in this little heaven send.

Daily Dose #2 (sorry it's late)

2011-02-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

So today (actually yesterday) I was grateful to my mother in law for taking me to get a MUCH NEEDED manicure and pedicure. I did not know I was in need, but after going... I see the error of my ways.

I'm pretty sure I'm converted to this. I am going back before my dear friends wedding. Yeah. I'm in love.

Daily Dose #1

2011-02-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

While we were in Tucson last week I bought a bike. Since Grant was driving home a Penske truck we had LOTS of room. So today I am super grateful for my new bike!! Dylan and I love riding. He talks to me the whole time. So while we ride, we sing and talk. It's a great workout and I definitely need the workout.

365 doses of gratitude....

2011-02-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

So some of my friends on facebook have been doing this fun thing where they post 365 things they love. I am going to do the same thing with things I am grateful for. Lately, I have had some difficulty finding things to be grateful for and I haven't been keeping up the blog. So starting tomorrow I am going to attempt to blog (for 1 whole year) things that I am grateful for. I really do have a lot to be grateful for. I just need to focus more on positives than negatives. So the journey starts tomorrow.......

I love Ross.

2011-02-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

(Grant isn't home to help me flip the picture, so please just tilt your head and when he gets home I will have him fix it.)

So Nina and I went to Deseret Book in Sacramento and I was on the hunt for a photo of the SLC Temple that I saw online and fell in love with. I saw just the photo for $14.95 or I could buy it framed for $150. OH HECK NO! I will buy my own stinkin' frame. So I went to Ross a week later.... and saw this frame...

$8.99....on clearance. It is missing the piece of glass but the picture is kind of glossy so it doesn't really need the glass.

BA-BAM!!

I love this. A LOT. Right now it is on the mantle in our living room until it finds a permanent home.

Valentine's Wreath.

2011-02-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

So here is the wreath I made for the front door for Valentines. I used pink and hot pink flowers. It was so easy and it's SO BRIGHT! You can see it from quite a ways away. I love it.

Northstar for Christmas

2011-02-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break, almost all of the Crum family went to a cabin in Lake Tahoe (we missed you Copes!!) So here are some random pictures of Dylan while we were there.

Getting ready to go in the snow for the first time ever!!

Out in the snow with mom's help. He wasn't really impressed.

Much better. Back inside the cabin. Just needs to get out of his snow clothes.

Now we're a happy camper. (Yeah, he's a King's Fan.)

Watching Dad and Uncle Nathan build a snow fort for all the Crum kids. Everyone was in the snow except for Dylan. He walked back and forth on the patio so he could watch the flying snowballs and the digging.

Dylan with his cousin Charlotte Jackson in Tahoe for Christmas.

A quick glimpse of Christmas at the Crum's

2010-12-19T22:06:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree with Dylan picking the ornaments off. He usually carries them around and then attempts to go put them back on the tree. He can't quit get them on and he ends up just setting them back somewhere in the tree.

A wreath I made/decorated. It is definitely missing a bow and my friend Gina will remedy that for me soon! This wreath and a strand of lights are all we have up for decorations. Stand by for photos of the houses in the neighborhood. Grant and I might be deemed Scrooges for not going big, like the rest of the neighborhood.

If anyone read my post last year, all I wanted for Christmas was a fireplace that worked!! And we got one!! So this is a picture of mantel with things I've collected for Christmas (but I forgot to take the tags off in my excitement to put them up... don't judge me.)

WOO-HOO, my working fireplace. All I have to do is flip a switch and it lights up. AMAZING. I don't have to worry about blowing my face off and I can use it on no burn days!! SO GREAT!

Here is his sad haircut. I buzzed it a little shorter than I meant to and I'm sad. He looks IDENTICAL to Grant now.

For Jessica.....

2010-11-30T00:36:00.000-08:00

Here are the photos of the house I said I would send you..... finally....

The front living room...

The empty dining room, soon it will house our Christmas tree.

The stairway.

Dylan's room. I still have to decorate.

The guest bathroom.

The first guest bedroom.

The second guest bedroom. We still need to paint the walls. I still need to finish decorating. We are getting blinds put in this week, which will be WONDERFUL. Once we finish getting furniture we will start decorating.

This is NOT Photoshopped!!!

2010-11-30T00:26:00.000-08:00

Grant was mopping the floors and saw this on the floor.....

Looks small right.... KEEP LOOKING

SERIOUSLY!!! This BEAST turned and looked at Grant as he took the picture. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE OF THESE SPIDERS WE'VE SEEN. Why are we paying the pest control people???

The other one was at least outside when we killed it. We knocked it down from a light fixture. This one was INSIDE.... in the freakin' PLAYROOM!! HOLY COW!!!! We are so calling the pest control people tomorrow.

Thanksgiving trip to Visalia

2010-11-30T00:17:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this face. I think my mom may have been trying to get the battery back. That's not happening.

This is the whole family. We showed up late, but it was really enjoyable.

He is getting SO BIG. I wish he would slow down a little.

The calm before the storm.....

He may be bipolar....... And he bites..... Look at those teeth....

Ward Halloween Party.

2010-10-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

Someone was not happy being in the house....

So we let him out front.....

And he made a MAD DASH for the street......

This was our final destination at the ward Halloween party. I wish I could say he behaved, but he was HOT in a felt costume and it was bedtime so we striped him to his diaper and gave him a bottle and we left as soon as we could. He was EXHAUSTED.

HEY MOM!! LOOK AT ME!!

2010-10-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

The after party.

2010-10-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

So Jenn and my mom came up for Dylan's birthday weekend and this is the day after the party. It was a diaper kind of day. I think these two make a very cute baby couple.

This isn't actually a wrestling photo. Dylan was trying to get up. And tried to rip her head off, we separated them after we laughed for 5 minutes. No babies were injured during the shooting of these photos.

Dylan was showing Whitney our puppy Wyatt.

Aunt Jenn is really captivating.

Whitney's modeling photo.

Dylan's Birthday Dinner

2010-10-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to blow out the candle. He wasn't really into everyone singing to him.

He was, however, into the food and creme puff for dessert.

The dinner crowd. You should see our dining room now. Completely empty. Maybe one day we will buy a table. Maybe.

I love this picture of my mom's face and Grant doing the dad thing and opening the presents. I love my family!!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!!!

2010-10-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

To my beautiful blue eyed boy. I am so grateful for your sweet spirit that blesses our home daily. I am grateful for your smiles and your tears, your laughs and occasionally your screams. I am grateful you communicate with me and I'm grateful for the love you show to both your dad and I. You are a little bit crazy but I never knew that I could love someone the way I love you. Your father and I will always be here to protect you, love you, and support you. I hope that you have your father's patience, my strong will, and both of our sense of humor....

Right now you are walking/running all over the place, and seldom wait for me to catch up. You are brave and ready to take on the world. You also throw tantrums. One day when I am old I will get you back, for now I just pick you up and snuggle you and all is right in your world. I am grateful that you are in our family for eternity.

I love you blue eyes.

Park Day

2010-10-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Dylan at the park. He had a GREAT TIME! Although he was a little confused about toys to play on. He followed the big boys and had a blast!

A's Game

2010-10-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

So... it's been awhile..... I am going to work on that. Having a toddler and settling into a new routine while your husband is out of town half the week really is overwhelming, and lots of things have taken a back seat. Here I go with updating the blog.l.. I have a LONG list of things to do.

So sometime awhile ago we went to an A's game. This may have been the end of September (that sounds right). This is Dylan playing at the game.

One the drive we saw a bum with a sign that said "Bet you can't hit me with a quarter". I laughed so hard. That is clever marketing. Grant and I didn't try, but the car behind us hit him while he was distracted. I am sad to report he wasn't there when we left, so we didn't get a picture.

It was a great day and we got to spend it with family. What more could you ask for? Well maybe that the A's win a couple games....

What's new with us.....

2010-09-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't had much time to blog lately here is what is new with us....

We officially live in Stockton. We just had the interior of the house painted and we have new carpet coming in two weeks. We are almost officially moved in and we love our house. We feel really blessed to have found such an AMAZING deal. I promise that as we make changes to the interior I will blog about them some so you can see parts of the inside of our house.

We also got a new puppy. Meet Wyatt. Wyatt is 11 weeks old and a lab/Australian Shepard. He is a ball of energy and he loves to nibble Dylan's ear.

If you are ever in Stockton feel free to come see our new house and our new puppy!!

Bath Time!!!

2010-07-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

He thinks he's a puppy. Grant and I feel bad for the Killer Whale bath toy he's annihilating with all 8 teeth.

Bath time is Dylan's favorite time of day.

Carpet Cleaned

2010-07-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

We should talk about how AMAZING Grant is. Last Saturday I REALLY wanted the carpets cleaned. Dylan's feet were turning black from crawling on the floor (it was DISGUSTING). So after asking Grant, he and I moved ALL the downstairs furniture outside so that we could clean. We both vacuumed and he went and picked up the cleaner. When he got back, we shut off the air and opened all the doors and windows (did I mention it was over 100 degrees outside??) and (bless his heart) Grant steam cleaned all the downstairs carpet. Amazing, right?!

The man in action.

The house looks and feels so much cleaner! I am grateful to have married a man who has such a fantastic work ethic and who is willing to help me around the house!!!

Dylan

2010-07-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

Dylan and I have been getting in a lot of walking (well, I have anyway, Dylan will be soon!) Dylan loves the umbrella stroller and swings his little feet the whole time. He also tries to climb into the stroller when it's parked in the house.

This is Dylan getting ready to go with me to get the mail.

This is where Dylan likes to walk around the house. He pulls EVERYTHING out of the pantry. Hence the reason it's a mess. Don't judge me.

It's a popsicle kind of summer... or at least it is at our house. We sit out back in the warm sunshine and eat popsicles. It's an amazing feeling and long after we move I will definitely remember it.

Someone taking advantage of having the carpets cleaned and the room completely empty.

Homemade in July....

2010-07-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

and this....

(It's baby food)

This month has really been about scratch cooking for me. I made bread, baby food, ice cream, and calzone. Or at least that is all I can remember as I write this. But I did receive this in the mail today, and I'm so excited I could scream. Tomorrow I'm going to the Farmer's Market and buying a TON of produce so I can start canning RIGHT AWAY!!

I am so excited. So I am sorry to anyone and everyone who gets tons of canned stuff from me. I'm a little over excited. Also tomorrow I am going to make homemade vanilla extract.

Swimming

2010-07-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

We took Dylan swimming at my mom's house for the 4th of July. I think it's pretty safe to say he had a great time. I think we swam for close to an hour and Dylan did really well, he even put his face under water a couple times. He is definitely a water baby.

Grandma helping him float while he dunks he head in the water. He LOVED it!!

This was his favorite place to to ride around with dad! He got to be in the water, but he loves to ride on people's shoulders.

Popsicles, bedhead, and percussion.

2010-07-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here!!

Jean Diapers

2010-07-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh how they make me laugh. I put poor Dylan in them just so I can giggle as he plays.

Disneyland (Just the extra photos)

2010-06-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks Jess for reminding me about these two photos.

Ahhh Splash Mountain. I love it!!! And this photo!!

This was at Bucca Di Beppo in Huntington, CA. They sell the pictures but they were SO expensive, so with my camera phone I took a picture of a picture.

Grant sometimes, UNINTENTIONALLY, puts his foot in his mouth. He is incredibly awkward (but I LOVE that about him). After looking at this picture he said... and I quote... "I almost didn't recognize you... you look hot." I, of course, gave him time to restate his thought, but we both were laughing so hard that he couldn't get out his next thought. Oh well, that's why I love him.

Family

2010-06-24T01:21:00.000-07:00

My aunts came into town for my brother's wedding. Here are some photos of that and the rehearsal dinner. (This is more for my grandparents and recordkeeping.)

Aunt Connie and Dylan.

Aunt Jo and Dylan.

My boy.

Dylan and Kalena's son Tyler.

Grandma and her boy.

The Groomsmen's table.

Part of the crowd.

Hilery and Trampas. This picture reminds me of my dad.

My two favorite men.

Aunt Tasha giving Dylan bunny ears.

Wedding

2010-06-24T01:05:00.000-07:00

June 12th my brother Hilery got married. Hil and Tasha have been together for 7 years, so this was A LONG TIME coming. Here are some pictures of the festivities. Grant videotaped the wedding and I was in the wedding so we didn't get to take pictures so I'm taking these off Tasha's facebook.

In no particular order....

The Groomsmen.

The Bridesmaids.

Mama and Hilery

Aaron and myself. I would like to point out that 30 minutes before this photo was taken, my hair was curled.

Hil and Tasha. She looked AMAZING!

Cutting the cake.

Pantry

2010-06-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Something I love about 8 month olds....

.... entertainment is cheap!

Disneyland

2010-06-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Grant, Dylan and I went to Disneyland last week with his family. It was great time, and I'm sad to say that we only took 1 picture the whole 3 days we were there. It was to document Dylan's first ride and if Aunt Jessica hadn't been there and offered to take it, we probably wouldn't have one at all.

We had a lot of fun. We were quite big group, so there were people to babysit so Grant and I could on rides. Dylan rode Pirates of the Carribbean and the Haunted Mansion. He also sat through A Bug's Life, and he didn't cry once. Grant sat with him so I could go on California Screamin' and all the girls rode Thunder Mountain Railroad together. I am most definitely a both hand's up kind of girl when it comes to rollercoasters. It had been a while since I'd been on one and Grant and I rode the Matterhorn together, because I had both hands up and stabilized myself with my knees I have bands of bruises right under my knee caps. Good times.

Dylan also got to swim in a real pool for the first time. We swam both nights back at the hotel after we left the park. He LOVED it. He babbled the whole time we were in the pool and when went into the hot tub after, for just a second, to heat up, he cuddled, then we would head back to our room for a bath. I think he had a good time, and he did great on the drive.

Visalia Trip

2010-06-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

Grant has to go to Stockton quite a bit for work. Sometimes I tag along, other times I go visit my mom in Visalia. I really don't like staying home alone. So Dylan and I made the trip to Visalia overnight while Dad went to work in Stockton. We had LOTS of fun.

We got to cruise around the backyard in the walker....

We got to visit with Aunt Tasha and Uncle Hilery.

We got to stop and smell the flowers.

And we got to GENTLY pet and very patient dog.

All in all, the trip was a success.

Memorial Day...

2010-06-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Was spent in Visalia with my family. We hung out with my mom and Jennifer came over and brought Whitney, who is sooo small. It makes me want another baby. Then I remember that I am finally starting to get solid hours of sleep and suddenly an infant doesn't seem so appealing. However, it is nice to hold an 10 lb. baby as opposed to a 20 lb. baby.

Dylan's favorite toys at Grandma's house. All 130 lbs. of them.

Cruising around in his walker. Another favorite toy. Grant and I wish we had hard floors so we could buy him one. He goes ALL OVER the house in this thing.

Mom stealing some cuddle time.

Grandma stealing some cuddle time while dad blows up his pool toy. We didn't get to use it, thanks to some crazy weather the pool never heated up enough to actually get in.

Playtime. Moe is really good with Dylan, he never snaps, or growls, or shows his teeth, he just lays there and lets Dylan grab his face. Although towards the end of the night, anytime Dylan came around, Moe went into hiding.

Gerber

2010-06-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

So I'm not usually for pimping out my kid... no offense if that's your thing... it's just most definitely not mine. However, a friend of mine sent me an invite for a Gerber contest and if you win, Gerber gets to use your baby's picture, and you get $25,000.00 for college for your baby. So I entered Dylan. (Is it wrong that I am not expecting to win, and still entered?) I think my child is obviously the cutest child and should therefore win, but it's how many people actually vote for your child, so you have to bug the snot out of everybody asking for them to vote for your child (which I WON'T.) As I write this I feel even more bad about it, I pimped out my child for free... I shouldn't have entered unless I expected to win, right?? Oh well, I am still going to post the picture I submitted. And please... no one call Toddlers & Tiara's on me. This is a one time thing. Promise!!

After church....

2010-06-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

...We like to lounge around. Dylan takes a quick nap and then decides it's play time. The Lodi Crums were kind enough to hand down some pretty cool toys and we've got them split between upstairs and downstairs. (I'm smart enough to not take toys up and down stairs while holding Dylan, anyone who knows me remembers when I fell down the stairs holding Dylan and FREAKED OUT!! Story of my life.)

So here is what downstairs playtime looks like....

Most families gather in the living room... Grant, Dylan, and I always end up in the dining room. Even when people come over, we usually sit at the dining table, rather than on the sofa. Dylan crawls through the dining room into the kitchen or laundry room.

I betrayed Paul Simon...

2010-06-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

I let Grant buy a Canon. We were in the market for a new camera. I was holding out for a Nikon, but instead went the way of the world and said okay to the Canon. I loved Norm's Nikon, but EVERYONE uses a Canon. It's late and we have to let the battery charge, but I did try a couple test shots on Dylan. He was supposed to be sleeping, but has decided that his bedtime is no longer 8:00. He prefers between 9:30 and 10:00. So here are the couple shots I could get of Dylan while he was playing in his crib

Dad is REALLY funny. For a long time only Grant could make Dylan laugh. When he was upset he would crawl to me and want to be held, but when it was play time, only Dad would do. Luckily, that phase is over and Grant and I can both make him laugh now.

I think we're going to have to buy a biting guard for his crib.

Twins

2010-05-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today when Dylan and I showed up for our playdate, I realized Mason's outfit looked familiar. I looked at my own child and realized he was wearing the EXACT same outfit. So for the 2 hours we were outside, Melody and I were constantly trying to figure out which kid was climbing on Alyssa's car seat, or trying to eat grass. They really were hard to tell apart. Don't believe me....

I told you so.

Here is the answer.

"LET THE WILD RUMPUS START".....

2010-05-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

And this is how I knew the rumpus was over. He wasn't crying. He just plopped down peacefully.

Since Dad had finals today and it rained so we couldn't go to our playdate, we decided to have a dress-up day. (This was supposed to be his Halloween costume, but there is NO WAY it will fit this year. So for the moment, we use it to play in. That way I'm getting good use out it!) So Dylan and I played Where The Wild Things Are for a little while until he pooped out. You can see the crown in a couple photos, but it doesn't fit his big head.

House Shopping in Stockton

2010-05-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

Here is an elevation of our potential house. Grant and I have been house shopping in Stockton and Lodi and ultimately we can get more square footage for our money in Stockton. We found a wonderful subdivision built by quality builders and they are really going above and beyond for us. We haven't started the financing process, hence the reason it's our potential home, not our soon to be home. We are looking to move in Decemeber and they would start building in July. We are pretty excited about this house. Wish us luck that the signing of papers goes well! The plus side to all this is the house is EXTREMELY EFFICIENT!! So hopefully our utility bills will stay low.

Here is a rough idea of our floor plan.

So since we are moving to Stockton, I will give a couple shout outs to my future home city.

*In 2009, Forbes reported Stockton as the 5th most dangerous city in the U.S.
*According to the San Joaquin Assitant D.A., Stockton has the 2nd highest violent crime rate in the state.
*In Feb. 2009, Forbes named Stockton "America's Most Miserable City" in the U.S.
* In Aug. 2007, Stockton led the nation in foreclosures.

So in better news... so more shout outs (being positive this time!) There are so many things I am looking forward to doing in Stockton, because the culture is DIVERSE!!

Yearly Festivals:

Reggae Festival On the Delta
Filipino Barrio Fiesta
Greek Festival
Lodi Grape Festival
Black Family Day
Jewish Food Festival
Diwali Celebration
Manteca Pumpkin Fair
Pioneer Farm Fest
Lodi Street Fair
Festival of Trees
Festival of Lights and Lighted Boat Parade

Everything in Stockton is pretty much on the water, which means.... it cools WAY down at night! No more waking up at 6am, only to have it still be 90 degrees outside.

Stockton is home to The Thunder (Hockey), The Ports (Single A Baseball), The Lightning (Arena Football), and The Cougars (Soccer).

Stockton is also home to the Micke Grove Zoo. Micke Grove houses LOTS OF MONKEYS, and if you know Grant at all, it becomes obvious that this is a big plus for us.

That is all I can think of at the moment. I am excited for all the fun stuff I will get to do, but I am a little scared about all the crime. We won't be moving until December, but we'll be spending a lot of the summer up there so Grant can work, and we'll probably be up there quite a bit during the fall, because we will be checking on the house as it's being built and Grant will need to work. (Don't mind that this blog entry is me rambling, it's late and I've haven't slept much lately. The next entry should be better.)

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

2010-05-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

I am extremely grateful for Grant and for the oppurtunity we've had to have a child. I feel so blessed to have Dylan's sweet (and sometimes stubborn) little spirit in our home. He brings us so much joy. We spent Mother's Day this year in Stockton with Grant's family and we had a great time. I didn't take any pictures of the group but I did get pictures of my favorite little boy.

I wonder who Dylan looks like? Did I mention I'm a sucker for blue eyes?

The after pool party.

2010-05-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

After the boys swam we let them play in the nursery. The boys didn't want to play together, they were done.

Dylan on one side of the nursery.

Mason on the opposite side of the nursery.

Shortly after this, both boys decided it was definately time for a nap!! Although because Dylan is cutting a couple teeth, naps WERE NOT happening at our house!! Thank goodness it will pass soon. Tomorrow we are off to Stockton to house hunt. Pictures may soon follow.... unless we don't find anything.... or we get mugged and our camera gets stolen.... it is Stockton after all.

First Pool Ever.

2010-05-06T00:51:00.000-07:00

Did I mention it's about 3 feet in diameter, inflatable, and I fill it with warm water from the kitchen sink. It's like an outdoor bath, but with swimming diapers on. Melody and I decided it was warm enough to finally have a swimming playdate and let me tell you. It went REALLY WELL!!

Both boys really enjoyed the bath toys.

Melody and I had no idea what a hot commodity the turtle toy is.

Dylan's newest talent.... sticking his tongue out at EVERYTHING.

Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's.

2010-05-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

So apparently Dylan really enjoys the high chair at Grandma and Grandpa Crums house. In his high chair at home he has to face forward because there isn't enough room to squirm around. The high chair in Stockton is a different story.

He thinks it so great to sit at the table because while I clean up the mess in the kitchen we can play Peek-A-Boo. A game that is slowly becoming a household favorite.

Dylan - 6 Months

2010-04-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

So during our last playdate with the Durans, Melody was kind enough to take some photos of Dylan. We loved them and felt like they needed to be shared! (Thanks Melody and Marcos.)

6 Month stats: Weight - 20lbs. 2 oz. - 90th Percentile

Height - 27.5 inches - 80th Percentile

Head Circumference - 18 inches - 90th Percentile

Dylan can crawl, however unsophisticated it is. The photo above of him standing was the first time I'd seen him pull himself up to a stand. He didn't last very long and it ended with a bonk on the head, but he pulled himself up.

Anniversary

2010-04-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ucella di faccia,

ti amo più dell'potrei mai possibilmente spiegare. Lo spostate. Siete il motivo che sorrido. Grazie per la vostra pazienza e la vostra capacità insegnarmi le cose che non ho conosciuto mai. Siete il miei cuore ed anima. Siete il mio uccello. Sono riconoscente che i nostri percorsi attraversati e che ci siamo sposati quando. Questi due anni scorsi sono stati lo più stupefacente della mia vita. Sarò sempre dal vostro lato. Nella buona e nella cattiva sorte, gioia e tristezza, salute e malattia. Siete il mio tutto. Non potrei immaginare la vita senza voi.

P.S. Verrete sempre prima di Hawes e di Brockman. Siete il mio uomo di numero uno.

Cuore ed anima,

HMC

(Side Note, I hope this translated right, otherwise, it is just going to be hilarious.)

What we've been up to...

2010-04-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here is what we've been up to lately, since I haven't posted since Rochelle got home.

We are missing our very dear friend and her lovely family. We didn't get to say bye to Jack, soooo BYE JACK!!! See you soon! (I'm coming to Alabama to visit very soon.)

We've been spending quite a bit of time out back. We bought a barbeque and we love it!! So on all the nice days, we go sit out back and make dinner and enjoy the weather. Before the heat kills us.

We took a trip to Hospital Rock with friends. We had a great picnic and just enjoyed being outdoors. We also ended up with a lot of fun outdoor photos that we can take with us when we move to Stockton. Anytime I get homesick I can just look at the photos.

We topped off our trip with a stop at Reimer's for some homemade ice cream. So good.

We are planning some fun trips coming up and hopefully I will be better about blogging those.

Rochelle.

2010-03-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know... my best friend came home from her mission last Thursday. I was so excited!!! Grant, Dylan and I met multiple people at the airport to wait for her to come home. It's so great to see her! (We missed you Michelle, I hope you're feeling better! And you got the shirts okay!!)

Mom's Birthday Dinner

2010-03-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

March 8 was my mom's birthday! So Grant, Dylan and I went to Visalia to have a big family style dinner! Grant made some amazing spaghetti with a pancetta sauce, Tasha and Hil brought a salad and garlic bread, and Jenn brought the cake. Kelly also came, and we don't have any pictures of the food or eating. We were busy. Dinner was delicious!

Dylan and I. I swear I wasn't being lazy. This is why I am not in the next cleaning up photo.

Everyone cleaning up. Gracie is helping. Clean up goes quick when you have 5 people doing it.

Thanks again Jenn for bringing the cake. After dinner we all retreated to the office so we could laugh at AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com and PeopleofWalmart.com. Seriously, so funny.

Happy Birthday Mom!! Thanks for being the best parent ever. Even when it wasn't always the easiest task and Hil and I gave you a run for your money. You were always in our corner even if you wanted to kill us later. Thank you for your UNCONDITIONAL love and support. Over the years you've been a sounding board and example. Thanks for teaching me to always stand up for myself. Thank you for encouraging my creativity and never forcing me to stay inside the lines. Thank you for giving me the confidence to do my own thing and embrace life and live it the way I want. You've been an amazing parent and you filled two roles better than anyone I know ever could.

LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Murder Mystery

2010-03-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

Chelsea, Heidi and I threw a Murder Mystery Party in March. It turned out that there were some amazing actors and everyone got into it and turned out so fun!! No one solved it though. Which I suppose is a good thing?!?

The total turnout. With the exception of Kay and Sarah. 21 people in all, not bad.

Matt with all the money he made. John ended the night with the most money, but Matt was a close second.

So funny. Can you tell they're related??

People looking over the evidence actually trying to solve it.

Thanks again everyone for coming and playing along. It turned out to be a really entertaining night!!

Four Things

2010-03-05T10:03:00.001-08:00

I am doing this because everyone is doing it, and if everyone jumped off the bridge.... I might follow.....

4 shows i like to watch:
1. My life as Liz.
2. White Collar
3. Barefoot Contessa
4. Everyday Italian

4 things i am passionate about:
1. Fairness
2. Animal Rights
3. Crafting
4. Family

4 words or phrases i say often:
1. Riiight?!
2. Me too!! (Heidi, you know what I'm talking about!)
3. Bad News.
4. Good call.

4 things i have learned from the past:
1. For all the bad in the world, there is a ton of good!
2. When you sincerely want something, you are your only roadblock.
3. Respect is earned. If you want respect, be respectful.
4. Life is short. Love it.

4 places i would love to go:
1. The Farmers Market at the Fulton Mall
2. Colombia, CA. (I want to pan for gold)
3. The Grand Canyon
4. Ireland

4 things i did yesterday:
1. Went to the Dentist
2. Visited with Grant's mom
3. Visited with my family
4. Drove.... a lot.

4 things i am looking forward to:
1. Rochelle coming home on Thursday!!!!
2. Running a half marathon with Heidi!!
3. Dylan crawling
4. Monday nights dinner in Visalia for my mom's birthday

4 things i love about winter
1. The rain
2. Holiday Season!
3. The smell of Christmas trees
4. Snow in the mountains, which equals water for farmers.

4 things on my wish list:
1. a jogging stroller
2. a serger
3. a bike
4. My very own Etsy Shop

Squash anyone??

2010-02-22T21:51:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to me...

2010-02-19T23:32:00.000-08:00

After an incredibly frustrating morning that started my birthday, my mom came up to visit me in Fresno and we spent the day together. We started by having lunch at Eddie's Bakery, it was SO good. A family friend owns it and while his restaurants in Visalia were really good, this place was AMAZING! Then we went to Home Goods and shopped for a little while. (Thanks again mom for coming. You're THE BEST!!! Love you!)

Grant couldn't spend the day with us because he had school from 9-5 and then an EQ meeting from 7:30-9 and by the time he came home I was tired and not really in the mood to celebrate.

The next day I had to take one of the women I VT to the doctor. While I was gone, Grant was very busy. He more than made up for not being there. This is what I came home to...

2 bouquets of Stargazer lilies... they're my favorite, 2 bouquets of tulips, some daffodils, and another bouquet of some beautiful purple flowers (I forget what they're called.). They were all over the house and my craft station. It was so sweet. I also got a couple presents also. Some new bakeware from the Giada line at Target. They're fantastic, they go from oven to table. My other gift was something I mentioned wanting awhile ago and Grant remembered all on his own.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it look like a mugshot for the perfume. I was very excited. All in all it was a good day and I'm grateful to everyone for their birthday wishes and love!!

Green Beans....

2010-02-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

Dylan started rice cereal two weeks ago and he hated it. Won't get anywhere near it. So I waited a week and introduced green beans and he LOVES them. Yesterday he ate the whole pack in one sitting. (That's pretty good for him).

Look at those beautiful blue eyes. The green beans on his chin really bring out the color.

Alyssa's Baby Shower

2010-02-14T15:55:00.001-08:00

So this weekend I threw my first ever baby shower.... I didn't take pictures during because her sister was kind enough to.

Becca and Heidi in my messy kitchen.... Thanks again Heidi for frosting cupcakes!!

My craft table disguised as a food table.

My first diaper cake...

All in all I think it was a success. I had a good time and am grateful to have Alyssa as a friend. She is a fantastic role model and will make a great mom. (Alyssa, move to Stockton...)

One of the reasons I love Sunday....

2010-02-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

Both of my boys get to take naps.....

Dylan - 4 Months

2010-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Dylan 4 Month Stats: Weight - 17lbs. 3oz. (90th Percentile)

Height - 25 inches (50th Percentile)

Head Circumference - 17 inches (75th Percentile)

This month Dylan loves - his Papasan chair (it's actually a dog bed that my mom bought him at Tuesday morning), his whale pillow, putting EVERYTHING in his mouth (usually his feet), being outside, being read to, the Elmo hand puppet, the ball rattle that Grant's mom bought him, sucking his bottom lip, talking, and watching Sesame St.

He received two shots at his 4 month check-up and one oral vaccine. He LOVED the oral vaccine. The shots in his legs... not so much. He screamed.

We've officially heard him laugh. He doesn't laugh much, usually he squeals in delight, but at the most outrageous moments, he lets out this low pitch chuckle, which is HILARIOUS!

His little bald spot is looking a little better and he can sit up while supporting himself with his arms. (Dr. Chang calls it the "Tripod Sit.") You can't put anything in front of him because he will grab it, which always makes putting him in my lap near the sewing machine interesting. It's also proving to make this entry difficult to type.

He can start solids near the 6 month mark and we're looking forward to it. If you eat in front of Dylan, he'll stare you down. Poor kid.

Dylan has also outgrown his swing. Once he goes in it, he arches his back and worms his way down so his lower body is almost hanging over the side. If it's rocking, he'll throw his weight around until the motor is confused and it stops rocking and then worms his way down. He's a sneaky baby.

We're supposed to be the adults?!

2010-01-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Grant and I bought ourselves a little something....

Grants toy.... It shoots green balls and they HURT. They almost sting depending on where you get hit.

My toy...

If you come over and our house is set up like a fort.. I'm apologizing now. I've wanted this shotgun for the longest time... It makes me giggle just thinking about it.

Don't say I never gave you anything...

2010-01-28T21:48:00.000-08:00

While Dylan was sitting in his Bumbo we heard some very unholy noises. I picked him up and this is what I found. (Sorry, it's gross, but oh well.)

Yes, I'm laughing. I'm also holding him by his feet. It was so wrong.

Zoo Trip

2010-01-28T21:41:00.001-08:00

Heidi and I took the kids to the Zoo on Wednesday morning and the place was empty but we had a pretty good time. I don't think I've ever been to the Zoo that early, but it was awesome!

Evelyn with the Flamingos.

Jaxon before he headbutted Heidi. That kid's HILARIOUS! Not because he headbutted Heidi....

Dylan and myself. He refused to be in the stroller and I gave up the fight.

Grant and I

2010-01-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

So today we were watching Sesame Street as a family and found this.... If anyone ever asks me to define my relationship with Grant all they need to do is watch this. Grant is Bert and I am Ernie. We both laughed until we cried. I will say, Grant does have a little more patience with me, then Bert has with Ernie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIldmjGQ-SI

FHE

2010-01-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

So two weeks ago Grant and I had a Root Beer tasting contest. We stole the idea from his sister Jessica and her husband Zane. We attempted too many types and it was DIFFICULT!

Grant went 0-7 and I was 1-6. For best taste, we both picked the store brand. It was very entertaining.

Dylan - 3 Months

2010-01-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Dylan at 3 months. 15lbs 7oz. 24.5 inches long.

Dylan doesn't respond to his name, but does respond to Bubba, which is what we all call him. We finally got pictures of him smiling....

He has a ridiculous bald spot. Everyone says it's normal, so I am going to say it's normal also.

He LOVES his whale pillow! Grant and I suspect that is where the bald spot came from.

He will put anything in his mouth, but is especially attracted to anything silver...

And he really digs Sesame Street.

The Poncho

2010-01-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

A friend of ours went to Ecuador to work in an orphanage and she brought back the most ADORABLE poncho for Dylan.

Thanks Kiley!! Unfortunately Dylan outgrew it pretty quickly. We've put it away so our future children will be able to wear it.

New Years Eve

2010-01-08T22:17:00.001-08:00

We spent New Years Eve in Lodi with all of Grant's siblings and parents. (Thanks Callie and Nathan for letting us stay!). It was a party non stop. We rang in the New Years playing Beatles rock band. The clocks were set 2 hours forward so the kids (13 kids total, including babies) could celebrate. Norm and Diane were unintentionally tricked into thinking they stayed till Midnight. Here are some photos of family playing The Beatles Rockband! These 4 photos are the only photos I got the whole time we were there.

Micke Grove Zoo.

2010-01-08T21:31:00.001-08:00

On the way to Lodi for a New Years celebration, we met up with Grant's sisters and their families to go to Micke Grove Zoo. Grant had warned me once we hit Stockton that this Zoo was "Ghetto". It only cost $2 to get in, and Grant and I love the Zoo. It actually turned out to not be ghetto. They don't really have any water animals, but they have more monkeys than you could ask for. (Grant's favorite exhibit at ANY zoo is the monkeys.)

This was our new friend. He really wanted to play with Louisa, our niece who is 3.

He would follow her along the wall of the cage. Her dad, on the other hand, the monkey wanted nothing to do with. Here is Jessica trying to get a reaction from the monkey using Louisa as bait.

Then using herself as bait.

Here are some more random photos from the Zoo.

Our niece Lydia with Dylan.