Our Entertainer

This was Brennan on our Circle Island Tour before school started. All of the other students on our bus thought he was the coolest kid and wanted to take a million pic to send to their family. They said they were going to put the one of him in the hat in the school newspaper. He loved the attention and never let out a single cry, he just went to sleep because he was so tired. It's takes a lot of energy to be the star I guess!

Everyone at church loves the fact that he is in a tie already. Their favorite is the one I made for Easter that matches his dad and papa (Hawaiian print). He also loves to help the grounds grew at school with the quality of dirt they use!

We take Taylor lunch on the days he has class, but as you can see the hot concrete doesn't seem to stop him any. I try to keep him on the grass but he loves to chase the birds and follow all the girls out of class. He wants to see all of you so bad he put himself in a box (I was working out I promise I didn't put him there!), but discovered he needed the Large Flat Rate instead.

He likes the all tile floor (except when he falls or throws a fit) that we have in our house because he can go where ever he wants. He is getting so good he can turn and go back the other way. We are hoping this will encourage him to take steps on his own, but no luck yet. He explains it all to you at the end so make sure you have the sound on!

There haven't been too many hot hot days but this is one, as you can tell by where he ends up.

Long yet Short

It has been a long time since I have posted anything and now our life is running 3 hours behind! The time has finally arrived and Taylor is in school at BYU-Hawaii!!!! After many date switching for one reason or another we have been blessed to be able to move on to new adventures!!!!

Before school started on the 19th we had a few weeks free to enjoy ourselves in Arizona and a rental car in Hawaii.

The first slide show is Easter with my family in Flagstaff. We were able to leave my car with my sister which meant we drove from Seattle to Flagstaff!!!! (23 hours) Never having traveled with Brennan before we decided to leave when he went to bad for the night. It was wonderful until we hit Utah that morning and it began to snow. We spend some time with Taylor's cousin's family before making our way to our resting point, Mama Ririe's house (family friends from Flagstaff). Taylor slept as Brennan and I played and chatted. Meanwhile it had stopped snowing! After Taylor woke up we decided to leave before it got dark instead of waiting until Brennan's bedtime again. It all started great but as we got farther and farther down the road the thicker and thicker the snow. I began to notice that we could had no headlights and that is why it was so much easier to see when another car would approach. It came to the point that we were the only non SUV or Semi on the road. There was a sign that said 3 miles to Beaver and Taylor began to chant 3 miles, 3 miles, 3 miles, 2 1/2 miles . . . We tired all the hotels in the area and there was only smoking rooms available. Then we noticed in the gas station there was a Hotel check in, so we hurried over. There was one last room!!!!!! The worker told us that half of the rooms had never been occupied because it was so new, YEAH for us!!!!!!!! The next morning we continued on to Flag with clear skies and road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While there, we enjoyed meeting the other 2 cousins born last year (5 total), 2 eggs hunts, family dinner with everyone but Ann and Tyrell (miss you guys!!!!! come visit Hawaii!!!!), coupon shopping with Sara, FHE with Scott's family, Grandpa and Grandma Skinner's early 1st birthday present to Brennan, dinner and games with Brian's family, the Aquaplex, staying with Sara's family and Brad's bedroom!!!!!!!!!!

We then returned to Washington via air (no snow!!!), packed all our belongings in storage or suitcases and headed for Hawaii all within 4 days!

The second slide show is of Hawaii. We decided to rent a car for 6 days before school started so that we could go place we might not get to otherwise, with no car. The first day we had to upgrade to a bigger car to make sure we fit all of out stuff in it from the airport to our new place. We ended up getting a 2010 Chevy Tahoe with only 1400 miles on it!!! It was so nice we were tempted to keep it for the full time but decided it wasn't worth the extra money per day!!! We returned it for a Nissan Pathfinder. This took a good portion of the day because where we live is at least an hour to the airport (the only rental car place on the island) so we stopped by the Dole Plantation on our way there. We wanted to take the scenic route home so we drove along the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was beautiful which made it okay that there was traffic so we could enjoy longer! The next day we moved into our new place (the land lord got the days mixed up of when the other couple was moving out so she put us up in a vacation suite she has at her house for two days) walked around school and went to the beach. We were going to go to Pearl Harbor but while at school we found Taylor needed to get a few things done before school started so we stayed at school to get them done. In doing so we found out the do what they call a Circle Island Tour (Valley of the temples, Pali look out, Swap Meet and Aloha Stadium, Pearl Harbor, Walmart and Shaved Ice) for all new students for $10a person. Those were most of the places we wanted to go to went for much cheaper and with people that know history of the island to acquaint us better. Then on Sunday we were introduced to our new ward and began making friends!!!!! School started Monday and after class we took the car back which meant we had to ride the city bus back (a new experience for both of us). Lots of questions were asked and we made our way back, thanks to very friendly people we have run into everywhere!

Taylor has his work cut out for him this term but has a schedule he has stuck to for the first week! We celebrated this accomplishment with some Oreo's and he had a Dr. Pepper with dinner (I have been helping him to eat better and he did all week!!!). Brennan and I have been taking walks, watching softball games, going to the beach and trying to put our boxes of stuff away.

I am going to try to update more often so they aren't this painfully long! We have been extremely blessed in the last little bit and need to share!!!!!!!!!

Digital scrapbook customized with Smilebox

This free digital scrapbooking design customized with Smilebox

Saturday Outing!

Week after week we have wanted to go with some friends of ours on an adventure to Bainbridge Island (30 min ferry ride from Seattle), but either their girls were sick or the weather was not cooperative. FINALLY, it happened Saturday!!!!!! Taylor didn't have to work (his first day off since he got hired, we love those samples) and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather (in February) so off we went.

We were blessed for waiting because our friends had just purchased a van so we all could fit in one car so we didn't have to pay for two cars! Also, we found out our friend's family sill lives there so she knows the area (no need to look up things to do).

We had lunch on the ferry so when we got to land we could play!!! The park was our first stop! Brennan loves the swings and sad to report the swings had been taken out of this park so he settled for the slide and monkey bars (with Taylor's help of course). He was okay with out the swings because that meant he could try something new!
Then we walked down to the water to throw rocks and listen to the waves! Then it was back to the park to play tag.

Then it was off to look at all the fun little shops and grab a bit to eat. After looking for a bit, we found a place on the water, and man was it yummmmmmmy! Brennan loved the bread as well as dad's veggies and to top him off he had some clam chowder. Taylor tried the crab cakes and I ordered a salmon linguine!!!!

We finished off the trip with the ferry ride back to Seattle just as it started to sprinkle and got dark!

Hawaii here we come!!!!!

As most of you know, Taylor has decided to go to school full time and finish his bachelors degree. After weighing out the pros and cons, we decided it would be best for our little family if he attended BYU - Hawaii!!!!

We were going to go in January, but then in an interview he was asked to stay here (Washington) and work until June. Well, they didn't keep their end of the deal and let him go in January. So luckily they have a term that begins in April! That means we have 2 months to organize everything for school, housing, cars, ... but WE ARE GOING TO HAWAII!!!!!!! See you there!

The Essentials

The other night Taylor's sister went through the temple for the first time (she leaves on her mission in a month) so we had a friend watch Brennan for the evening. After playing at the park he had a good nap and then woke up to a wonderful dinner. In all the hustle to get him dropped off and to the temple on time his diaper bag got left (not to mention there were 3 other bags I was worrying about). It wasn't until we were getting him out of the car at our friends house did we notice the essentials were at home. We let them know what happened and they said they probably had a spare diaper around as well as some food he could eat. I tried to let it go so I could enjoy the session in the temple, and I did as long as I was in the temple. When we got to the car I called to let them know we were on out way, I asked how it went with out the diaper bag and this is what I got ...

"he has a pull up on". (a girlly one at that)

After we apologized several times, she said "I am crafty! No worries." Now the joke is, "Amy, do you have the orange bag?"

Another funny part was, when she reminded her girls that a baby was coming, they ran to their rooms and said "we have to clean". So Brennan is welcome anytime with our without his essentials!

WE ARE BLESSED WITH GOOD FRIENDS!!!!

8 months

WOW!!! Time goes by so fast and he grows even faster. He crawls all over the place and pulls himself up on everything. There have been a few times when he has let go and stood for several seconds before falling. Not to mention, his falling is becoming more graceful. His favorite things to play with are; cords, the big screen, or underneath the table (middle picture). We have experimented with several foods and there hasn't been anything he doesn't like. He just complains because I can't keep up with him (one spoon for him and one for me). He got the sign for "milk" down quick and lets us know when he is hungry by doing it! If only I can get him to pick up on the sign for "more" instead of yelling/grunting. The picture on the right and left are ones Taylor took and send me while I was tutoring. The two of them love to play and eat!

We love you Brennan!!!!

December and January

Anniversary

This was my surprise from the best husband ever!!!! He was proud of himself for the arrangement he put together. It was fire and ice roses with red Astoria!!! The guy behind him in line had a bouquet that was pre-made, until he saw the gorgeousness Taylor had created. He put his back and asked for the same arrangement Taylor had. Taylor, you are amazing in more ways than this, and that's why I love you more and more everyday!!!!! Happy Anniversary to the LOVE of my life!!!

If you can believe it Taylor and I have been married for 3 years now! For year 3, we thought IHOP would be a fun place to go because we didn't get the chance to eat breakfast together often (Taylor left for work around 6:15am). After that we roamed around a mall creating our wish list, as we so often do. We did get the chance to enjoy Snowflake Lane (toy solders playing their drums as snow falls, fake snow that is) just the two of us before taking Brennan. We also grabbed dessert before picking up the little man. Our friends that watched him told us we needed to stay out longer, so watch out next time :)

Christmas

Here are a few photos and videos from our festivities. If you click on a picture it should zoom in, otherwise some of them are extremely small. Sorry, we are trying to save every penny we can :) ENJOY!

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Birthday

I wanted to do something different for Taylor's birthday this year so after dinner with the family we headed to Seattle. I had plans, but they quickly got changed because we left later than i thought we would. It turned out that we just walked around down town Seattle. It was good to just be out and with the family. This was Brennan's first time there so he was entertaining to watch (his reaction to all the people and lights). We were the only ones with a baby, which felt weird, but that's what the down town life is like even at 7pm on a Wednesday. Happy Birthday!