A Quick Getaway

What a lovely past couple of days we've had! Ben and I had a little getaway last night to The Boulders Resort and Spa in Carefree, AZ. Ben's parents took Emma overnight (woohoo!) and we kept Rebecca with us. She was a dream, though, and slept through most of it! We kept busy during our short stay. We arrived at about 4:00 yesterday and spent the late afternoon and evening relaxing in our wonderful room, reading, eating out at a great restaurant (The Spotted Donkey), swimming at the pool (which we had all to ourselves!), and watching the stars from our private porch. The views from our room were fantastic. The desert picture posted above was taken from the porch. So beautiful! This morning, we played some tennis, and then went swimming again. After that it was time to check out, pick up Emma, and head home. So, our retreat was short-lived, but absolutely wonderful!

Happy Kids

I've had a miserable cold the past few days. It's been frustrating to get back from a trip and be aching to get back to our everyday lives, but feel too gross to bother. Anyway, I am finally starting to feel better and am getting back on track. Since I've been under the weather, I don't really have much to write about. However, I do have some cute pictures of Becca and Emma. After Becca's bath yesterday, she was in such a giggly, smiley mood... so I took some pictures and a video of her being cute, while wrapped up in her towel. Also, I successfully got a clip in Emma's hair... it stayed in for a record 2 hours before she noticed it and yanked it out. What a goof! This girl has the craziest hair, but she refuses to wear any bows or anything to keep it out of her face. It is soooo frustrating! Anyway, I took a picture before she took it out... as proof that I succeeded for a short time, at least. Oh, and sorry that the video is so dark... it was in the morning before I had opened up the blinds.



Oh, and also... I've made an incredible discovery! Maybe some of you have already figured this out, but for those that have not I thought I'd let you know about the miraculous Google Reader. It is awesome! I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got a list of over 20 blogs that I like to check regularly... but it takes forever and usually most the blogs haven't been updated anyway. Well, with Google Reader you can compile your list of blogs in one place and it will let you know when one has been updated. And even better, I put a gadget for Google Reader on my homepage...so now, I don't have to go to each individual blog... they come to me instead! Marvelous!

Becca Smiles

So Becca started smiling a couple of weeks ago and this is my silly attempt at capturing some cute grins. It was a little tricky to get the camera to to take the picture at just the right moment, however, in the end, I think I got some amusing results. She sure is fun.

Rebecca Photos

I forgot to mention with all of the traveling going on that Becca's super cute pictures are up on Heather's photography site. Family and friends are welcome to order any prints they like! Cover your walls with cutie Rebecca! :)


What an adorable little baby bum!

Mexico!

We returned home from our Mexico trip early this afternoon. It was such an awesome vacation! We stayed in a super cute beach house which we rented with Ben's family. It had bedrooms and bathrooms for everybody... Emma and Adam even had their own bedrooms as well, so it was very spacious and comfortable! We enjoyed playing on the beach, going into town and shopping, eating out, playing games and doing puzzles, watching movies, and watching the stars on the roof! Now Ben will be starting back up with school tomorrow. He has two weeks of classes to prep him for rotations which begin at the beginning of July. His first rotation is in pediatrics with a doctor in Phoenix. We are both excited for him to start this next phase of medical school!



Oh, and I was just looking at Heather's blog. She posted some great, silly photos of our dinner out with our friends and all the kids before we took off to Rocky Point. Look here to see.

And another thing! While I was in Utah, Aaron and Sarah got me started playing Flash Flash Revolution. So, if you're looking to party at your computer into the wee hours of the morning, have a try!

Our little bundle of average....

So, I forgot to mention in the previous post that I took Becca to the doctor this morning for her well-baby visit. She had to get 4 shots! Ugh! I always seem to schedule these things before trips... I hope she'll be okay for the drive tomorrow. I remember taking Emma in to get shots the day before driving to Utah. But, she seemed to be content. Hopefully, Becca will be okay as well. I'll be sure to keep her medicated with plenty of Tylenol! Anyway, she was weighed and measured and here are her stats:
Weight: 9 lbs 4 oz
Height: 22 1/2 inches
Both are in the 50th percentile range.... So, she is just average in her weight and height, but much more than average in cuteness!

Summer fun!

Take the Quiz here!

Well, I'm home now... and obviously frittering my time away taking silly online quizzes. ;) I had a great time visiting my family this past week. It was a lot of fun and we were really busy. I already posted about the first half of the week, so I'll fill in the gaps with the last part of my visit. On Friday we had a potluck (but often called "lotpuck"... don't ask why... I really don't know) with Dad's work - Response Advertising. We met at a local park and ate lots of yummy food. Emma enjoyed the playground, finding sticks, and watching the river. The hit of the party was the yummy dutch oven sweet rolls cooked by the famous "Tooele John"... yes, he is from Tooele and he has some awesome dutch oven skills! ;)


Over the weekend, Aaron came home from Provo to visit. We kept busy swimming at the local pool, watching Emma play in the backyard, and making another trip to IKEA. It was a wonderful week! Emma particularly enjoyed spending time with her Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Aaron, and Aunt Sarah. She loves her family soooo much! She was asking me this morning where Aunt Sarah was... I think she has quite a fondness for her. How sweet. Now I'm procrastinating getting ready to leave on another trip! We're driving to Rocky Point tomorrow afternoon to relax and play on the beach! We'll be driving back on Sunday. So next week, I guess we'll be trying to get back to old routines. In the meantime, we're just enjoying our summer! :)

Aren't I the oldest sibling? How did I end up being the shortest?

Greetings from Utah!

I thought I'd start off this post with a super cute picture of Becca taking a bath in the sink. She's a doll! Anyway, I am currently in Sandy, Utah visiting my lovely family! My visit is half way over so I thought I would write about some of the things I've been up to so I don't feel inclined to write about everything when I get home. Emma, Becca, and I flew in on Monday morning. It was an adventure flying with two kids all by my lonesome! Luckily, Ben was able to take time away from his studies in order to drive me to the airport and help me get my luggage checked. We parted ways at the security check and Emma cried like crazy when she had to say good bye to daddy. It was sweet, really. Anyway, a nice airport information worker felt sorry for her and gave her a wing sticker which she insisted on wearing on her forehead. Everything else went very smoothly actually, except for when Emma had to walk through the metal detector. She was absolutely terrified! They wanted her to walk through separately from me and she was just scared to death. She screamed for mommy and made quite a sad little scene. But we survived and I remedied her sadness afterwards with some fruit snacks while watching the planes take off out the window. Emma and Becca were great on the plane. Becca slept in my arms the whole way and Emma sat nicely in her seat next me coloring and looking out the window. Towards the end of the flight, Emma was looking at the safety pamphlet and noticed the the picture of an airplane in the water (in the section talking about what to do in case the airplane crashed in the water... frightening!)... well, Emma got all nervous and said "Oh no! Airplane in the water!" and then just before landing, she could see the Salt Lake out the window and yelled to me "I don't want the airplane in the water!". It was hillarious really... the nice man sitting next to me was laughing. Thank goodness we didn't really land in the water! :/

So, on Tuesday was Sarah's high school graduation. Hooray for Sarah (aka: the infamous "Muffin")! She is now a proud graduate of Jordan High School, Home of the Beetdiggers! I, as well, am a proud alumni of this treasured school. This next year is the 100th anniversary for the school! Thankfully, they aren't in the same building they were 100 years ago... I would feel sad for the students, if that were the case. In fact, I was in the first graduating class to attend the newly built Jordan High for all three years. How interesting. ;) Anyway, Sarah looked lovely in her silver graduation gown! Yippee!!

Oh, and going back, on Monday evening we went to the new Draper IKEA and had dinner and shopped around. How exciting to have an IKEA in Utah now... my family is so thrilled! On Wednesday we spent some time in Provo making visits. First we went to Peter and Lacy's new apartment. It's so cute! They are doing a great job filling it up with super fun antique furniture... how very Dangerfield-like of them. he, he. After our visit with them, we met up with my super fun brother Aaron at Noodles for a late lunch. He recently started up as a newbee BYU student... how fun for him! I look forward to Friday when Aaron will be coming to stay for the weekend.

Today we spent the afternoon visiting my grandparents. We had pizza for lunch and were able to enjoy each others company and catch up on recent events. Emma especially loved all the birds in their backyard. They live in the avenues in Salt Lake and have a huge backyard just filled with animal life... they get amusing visits from deer, rabbits, fox, and even porcupines! Emma also noticed that grandpa had a red tool shed in the backyard. To her it looked like a small barn... so she said that there must be a cow in there. Well, my dad took her out to see the shed more closely and opened the door for her to show her that there wasn't a cow. Now, Emma keeps telling everyone that "the cow is gone!". She's turning into quite the source of entertainment lately with her funny comments!

So many Becca's....

Below I've posted a silly little compilation of Rebecca photos I took on a whim today. Be sure to read the title of each photo as they appear to make it a little more amusing. :)

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

A novel of a post

Well, the title of my last post will give you a hint as to why it has been so long since I've posted something new. In fact, I think this might be the longest hiatus I've ever taken from blogging... which isn't that bad really, since I've been blogging for over a year now and it's only really been 2 1/2 weeks since my last post. Anyway, it's been an adjustment, to say the least, trying to figure out my life now that I have 2 chil'ens. I feel like I have almost NO time to take a real break. I used to relax when Emma would be sleeping... well, now if Emma's sleeping, Becca is most likely awake. So, I'm always busy. But... I like it... overall. I prefer being busy... I'm happier if I'm busy... my worst days are usually lazy days. So, obviously a moment has come up in which I am able to blog... Emma is in bed... and Becca just went to sleep as well. It's a miracle!

So, I'll just write about the things that I have documented with my camera... since that will be the easiest way to record the random happenings of our lives in the past few weeks. In no particular order:

• We got a new couch! Woohoo! We've actually never bought a couch before. The two couches we've had over the years have been handed down to us from family. So, it was a little scary to be ready to shell out some actual money for a piece of furniture. In fact, those who know us well know that we have purchased very little of our furniture... most of it is either being borrowed from family, has been given to us by family, or if anything... we bought with very little money at a garage sale or antique store and then refinished to make a little more presentable. I'm proud to say we actually bought a real piece of furniture at a real furniture store and we LOVE it! We got a screaming deal... more than half off a lovely leather couch. Just what we were looking for!
  
  
• We had a LOST gathering with our friends, Craig and Aubree, last week. We watched the Season finale of Lost and were able to share in the ups and downs of what I thought was a very exciting, as well as surprising, episode. To authenticate the occasion a little, I made some Dharma Initiative labels for our soda... much like the ones found on the food and beverages on the island. ;)
  
  
• Over the Memorial Day weekend we enjoyed a visit from Ben's sister, Emily, and her super fun family. Emma loves playing with her older cousin, Adam! I tried out a new flag cake recipe, courtesy of Martha Stewart. If you click on the link, there is even a video from her show where she shows how to put it together... in case anyone is interested in making it for the Fourth or something. I've made a flag cake before, which you can see in this previous post. But I thought I'd be a little more ambitious and get fancier with this traditional cake. It even had all 13 stripes! It turned out yummy... however it was a huge sheet cake! Too much cake! But it looked cute! :)
  
  
• Emma's been enjoying going to the squirt park several times over the past couple of weeks. With the hot weather, it's been a fun activity. I took a rather lame video of her while playing. She never really gets in the water much, so there's not much to watch... but Grandma might enjoy it!

So, that's rounds out most of the random events that have taken place lately. It's fun to have summer officially beginning. It will be even nicer when Ben is completed with his Board exams... he is studying super hard right now... he'll be taking his tests on the 7th and the 12th of June. So soon! On the 13th we'll be going to Mexico and relaxing on the beach with Ben's family... how lovely. This coming week, me and the kids are leaving Ben to his books while we go to Utah and enjoy spending time with my wonderful family. I can't wait! My dad and brother and sister have yet to meet Rebecca, so it is a much anticipated visit.

... and just in case any of you are bored with your summer yet and need something to do, you may enjoy these little clips from "Ask a Ninja"... rather amusing videos Ben and I have enjoyed as of late.

Oh, and yes, I realize I'm been super lame about taking pictures of Rebecca... many of you are probably wondering what she looks like now. ;) In searching through my sad selection of photos, this is the only one I've taken recently... of her all burritoed up in her swing... sleeping. This is probably why I haven't taken any good pictures lately... she is always sleeping! I'll make that my goal this next week.. to take some pictures of Becca and post them on my blog. In the meantime, please forgive me.

Busy, busy, busy

I haven't blogged in ages! I apologize for my absence. I've been very exhausted and busy! It's been a little tricky adjusting my schedule and routines to accommodate two little ones. But, honestly, I'm learning to enjoy the challenge. It just means I need to be more efficient with my tasks and also much more flexible. Now that I'm nursing again I can't be too rigid with my routines, because I'm working around a newborn's unpredictable schedule! Goodness, Becca is so cute, but so much work. I really love her!

Anyway, I've been up to a slew of activites, which many have required getting Emma and Becca ready and out the door... plus the challenge of toting them both around once we're out. It's been a learning experience to say the least. :) So, to start... we went out with our friends on Cinco de Mayo to eat at the Mexican restaurant, Abuelo's. It was a busy night for eating out with the holiday and all, so we had quite a long wait before getting in to eat... however, it was good to get out and do something fun! This past week, there was a lot of things to do... On Tuesday morning I went to Heather's and she took some great pictures of Becca. I just got the cutest baby announcement printed and I'll be sending them out to family this week. What a cute little one I have! I love being a proud mother! :) Tuesday evening, we had a craft night at Taya's. I made a great Mother's Day present for my lovely mommy, with a lot of help from my talented friends! Thanks to them, my cute mom will have a nice homemade gift from me. he, he. On Wednesday, Trevi and Lauren had their 3rd birthday party. Such cute little girls! Emma loved swimming in the pool and eating lots of cake and ice cream. On Wednesday evening, I threw a baby shower for Melinda at our place. We had a great turnout! I was so happy!


On Thursday, my nice hubby and his and my parents all helped pay for me to get a massage! Woohoo! Ben says it was for my "after-having-a-baby" present. How nice. I went with Taya (which was so great!) to the Nordstrom Spa and I felt so pampered. It was especially fun to go with a friend.

Well, that wraps up most the goings on these past couple of weeks. It's been fun and busy... almost too busy. This week will be a little slower, which I'm glad for. I'm tired. ;)

Wedding Bells!

So, we've been really busy this weekend with Peter's wedding (Ben's younger brother). Peter and Lacy were married on Saturday, April 28th at the Mesa Temple. They are a very cute couple. We wonder what their children will look like with Peter being so tall and Lacy being on the shorter side. :) Anyway, it was a very full day... the ceremony was in the late morning, a luncheon at Tia Rosa's, and then pictures and reception in the evening. We got some family photos taken (professionally and then just with our camera). I have no idea when we will see the professional ones, but sadly the ones taken with our camera turned out really bad - grainy and blurry - but I'll post it below anyway. In fact, most of the pictures I took or had taken during the wedding day were really fuzzy and whatnot... it makes me think my camera may be on the fritz. We will see. I love my camera too much; I hope it's not dying on me. :/ Needless to say, I didn't get any great pictures of the happy couple. Goodness me!



Emma continues to be a very caring older sister. She always wants to be by the baby. In fact, last week, we were all eating dinner around the table with Rebecca in her little chair on the ground near us. Emma insisted on sitting on the floor to eat so she could sit next to Becca. It was really cute (but a little messy). Ben also got Emma a new bath towel from Costco. It was actually intended for the baby, but it was so big, that it is now Emma's towel. She calls it her ducky towel and it is her favorite! What a goof. ;)

Twins?

We have been really enjoying having a little baby around the house. Our cutie Rebecca is so fun, although she is rarely awake. I keep telling people that she is in a coma. However she did become quite alert for her first bath here at home. She really is such a cute little baby. I love her dearly and I am so happy that she is here with us. It's weird to think about how she could still be in my belly right now instead out in the world looking all cute. I'm so glad I got to have her a little early! So, now that we have a bity baby around the house, I thought I would look at some of Emma's pictures of when she was a newborn as well. I quickly discovered that my two little girls are practically twins, as can be seen in the pictures below. The top photo is of Becca, and the one below is of Emma at the same age. I found this to be quite interesting.

Our little Rebecca

Rebecca Marie Dangerfield arrived on Thursday, April 12th at 6:35 pm! We are so excited! She is perfect.
6 lbs 10 oz
19 inches

2 Days Left!

Baby update: So, I went to my LAST prenatal appointment! Woohoo! The doctor gave me the thumbs up for inducing the baby on Thursday... I'm pretty darn excited... but honestly, it hasn't really sunk in yet that I only have 2 days left with only an Emma. Our little 2 year old will soon be a BIG sister; it's hard to believe, but she's ready to have a sibling. I'm currently dilated to a 2! Last week I wasn't dilated at all, so that's a lot of progress for one week, I say! :) Good for me... or maybe I should say, Good for Rebecca. This will likely be the last post before the new arrival, but check back on Thursday and Friday for pictures of a cute baby girl. :)

After my doctor's appointment, Emma and I went to a playgroup activity at the Railroad park in Scottsdale. We had been there a while back with Ben's family... it's a great outing. They have a train and a carousel to ride and some great playgrounds, along with plenty of picnic tables for eating lunch. It was a pleasant morning, and the weather felt nice... not too hot and a little breezy. How lovely.

Easter times 3

Happy Easter! I hope you have all had a pleasant Easter weekend. Ours was really great. In the end, Emma ended up enjoying 3 Easter egg hunts. She's a real pro! On Saturday, we attended an Easter event hosted by Ben's school. Emma was in heaven... it took her a little while to get warmed up, but she soon realized that this activity incorporated a variety of Emma's favorite things. First of all, they had a bounce house - Emma LOVES jumping, so this was ideal for her. It took three tries getting in and out, but she finally learned to stop being scared and just enjoy it. In the end, we had a difficult time getting her out when it was time to go. What a silly. Emma and her friends (Addy, Logan (pronounced "Go-gee" by Emma), and Trevi.. to name a few) all collected a lot of candy and toys. There were a lot of kids out there collecting eggs, but Emma held up under the pressure and gathered a respectable number of goods. ;) At the event, Emma also decorated a cookie (with frosting, sprinkles, and a pile of jellybeans), won a raffle prize (a squirt gun and bubble maker), and saw the Easter bunny. She was too wary of "the Bunny" to get very close, but she admired from afar. Maybe next year.

Today was a great Easter Sunday. We attended Ezra's baby shower at Ryan and Taya's ward this morning. What a special event it was. It's so great to see our friends with their growing families... and baby blessings are so wonderful! Afterwards, we traveled to Gilbert to go to Ben's family's ward. Ben, Emily, and Adam were also there, so it was a nice gathering for the family. After church we spent a good portion of the afternoon cooking Easter dinner. It was really yummy: ham, scalloped potatoes, spinach salad, deviled eggs (also known as "egg desserts" in Ben's family), potato rolls, artichokes, and cherry turnovers for dessert. What a feast! Emma and Adam also gathered Easter goodies in the backyard, filling their baskets with a variety of yummy treats. Emma is just loving having so much candy around lately (and secretly, so is mommy!... I might be eating her candy when she is not looking... good thing she is still too small to notice... he, he).


Random: Click here to see a funny picture. It made me giggle for a while, but maybe I'm just weird. :)