Harvest Tradition

To celebrate the first week of fall Taber and I took the girls to our favorite Apple Orchard this weekend. Apple orchards are the highlight of our fall. The apple donuts, apple cider, fresh apples off the tree and all the fun farm activities make for a perfect family outing. It was also fun to see how different and yet how much the same things are from this year to last. The biggest difference is this little girl:


She's gone from being a squishy little baby to a full grown walking talking toddler. Last year she just sat in the the Snugli the whole time, this year she was fully engaged in all the apple activities. Here are some more fun little comparisons:

Taber and Teya in front of the corn maze. Biggest change for Teya, she's gone refusing to wear her hair down, to wanting her hair down every day so she can look like a princess. Taber's also changed a bit from this picture. Training for a marathon probably has something to do with it!

Me and Brinsie. Between this year and last I chopped off 12 inches off my hair, lost a few pounds, and can no longer carry the Brinster around in the snugli.

Teya and her pony lady friend. Not much has changed here. She loved the pony ride and the lady driving it just as much this year as last!

Here's a cute one comparing Teya last year to Brinley this year. I think they really look alike in these pictures.

The family on the tractor ride down to the orchards. Couldn't get either of the girls to smile for the camera but you get the idea. : ) Anyway, we had a great time, picked lots of apples, and took some fun pics to be able to compare to NEXT years harvest! Here are some of my favorites.

Girls in the fall leaves.

Teya and Daddy

Giggly girls (Brinley was laughing so hard that drool was coming out of her mouth) precious moments. ; )

Brinley was way into the apples. The whole time she kept saying. "Appoo, Appoo!" She almost ate a whole one all by herself.

Here's our loot. We went for the honeycrisp, so juicy and sweet!

And I leave you with Taber and our little monkey baby.
It will be fun to see what this munchkin is doing next year when the Harvest tradition continues!

Friday Foto: Who needs Super Nanny?

Behold the hypnotic and calming power of Baby Einstein.

Note: I didn't even set them up like that. Turned on the video, walked out of the room, came back and this is what I found. Entertains all ages!

It's that time again...

Fall is here and apple picking season is upon us! I got to take the girls to an apple farm last week for playgroup. Teya LOVES picking apples so much, I'm sure we'll be back several times before the season is over. When we got there we took the kids to get apple donuts and goodies first but she didn't even want any. All she wanted to do was get out in the orchards and start picking! It was seriously torture for her to wait. We didn't pick a lot since we'll probably get our big load when we go as a family. Still she got a nice bag load and we had some tasty honeycrisp apples to munch for a few days. Here are some pics from the day.

Teya and her playgroup buddies, Ladd and Clayton munching on their spoils.

Cute one of the girls. Teya is really into matching clothes lately. The last two times we've gone to the store she's begged me to buy matching outfits for her and Brinsie.

They had this slide on a haystack and Brinley just sat at the top and didn't move for a long time. I think she was either stuck, or just really enjoying the view!

Love how happy Teya looks in this one

Action jumping shot. Her favorite thing to do on the hay.

They had this really cute cow train but it wasn't running on the weekday. The kids still had a blast climbing around in it though.

Glad the kids had so much fun and grateful for all the farms around here that have given Teya a whole new appreciation and love for fruit!

Run Daddy Run!

There are a lot of things I love and admire about Taber but one thing that I've been especially impressed with is his tenacity. This guy does not give up. When things get hard, or don't work out, he simply keeps trying. Back in June we were supposed to run Grandma's Marathon together. Due to a serious knee injury he had to drop out. I think if that were me I would've thought, "well, I guess my body just wasn't made to run a marathon, my knees aren't strong enough, it just wasn't meant to be."

Not Taber though. He started working with a physical therapist to strengthen his knee. He did his exercises and stretches diligently every night. And then he went out and ran. Slowly but surely, starting with 2 mile runs and working up, he ran and ran. Now, 4 months later he is gearing up to run a full marathon in less than 3 weeks! He had a goal to run a marathon this year and despite some major bumps in the road, he's going to do it!

He's been doing long runs every Saturday since the Ragnar. Last Saturday he did an 18 miler and the girls and I were able to meet up with him around mile 10 and bike the last 8 miles with him. It was fun cheering him on and keeping him company on the trail. Teya even hopped out and ran with him for a bit. It's so great to see her getting excited about running. She saw some tennis shoes the other day and begged me to buy them so she could have "running shoes" like mom and dad. How could I resist?

Following Taber on the bike was a lot of fun and a I got a good work out pulling the girls up some of the hills. Teya and Brinley were great sports too and stayed in there without much complaint. I did have to bribe them a few times. If you look in the picture below, Brinley is holding a chocolate granola bar in her hands.

The next time I looked back to check on them she looked like this. : ) At least she was happy!


During the next 2 1/2 weeks Taber will be tapering down to get ready for his race. It's the Whistlestop Marathon in Ashland, WI and is supposed to be one of the most gorgeous fall marathon routes in the U.S. I'm so excited for him and wish I could be running it with him! One of these days we'll do one together, but for now we'll be cheering, "Run Daddy Run!"

Friday Foto: 2 1/2 years ago...

A lot can happen in just 2 and 1/2 years.

Things that have changed since this picture was taken:

1) Taber is no longer a grad student
2) We don't live in my sister's basement anymore (where this pic was taken)
3) My sister doesn't even own that house anymore
4) My handsome nephew Devin, who was a freshman at BYU at the time, is now a handsome return missionary.
5) Teya can talk, has longer hair, doesn't suck a binky, doesn't sleep in a crib, is potty trained, and is now a big sister!

Things that are the same:

1) Taber still wears that shirt
2) We still cheer for the cougars
3) Devin is still a stud
4) Teya still has that adorable smile
5) and she still LOVES wearing footie pajamas.

Wonder what the next 2 1/2 years will bring...

What else is there?

The other day I was watching The Swan Princess with Teya and a scene in the movie REALLY caught my attention and got me thinking. There's a prince see, and he is betrothed to this princess but he never gives her the time of day when she's younger and an "ugly duckling." Then she grows up and is gorgeous and as soon as he lays eyes on her he tells the king to arrange their marriage. Well the princess is a smart girl and she asks, "Why do you want to marry me?" And here's where it caught my attention. The prince answers, "Because, you're BEAUTIFUL!" And she says, "What else?" And the prince looks really confused and says, "What else is there?"

What else is there?! How am I going to raise my daughters in this world where Beauty is worshiped and people ask, what else is there? How can I teach them that their worth has nothing to do with the clothes that they wear, the shape of their bodies, the color of their eyes, the way they fix their hair. What else is there? There is sooo much more, but when everywhere they turn they are bombarded with false images of "perfection" how can I teach them to believe that beauty really DOES come from within? I know it has to start with me believing that MYSELF!


Brinley has the most endearing scrumptious little rolls of chub that start at her wrists and go all the way up her arms. (see above picture) I adore them and smile every time I see them. Yet at the same time I berate myself for my own little collection of rolls and speak of them with disdain every time I catch a glimpse in the mirror. Why do I do that? I would never pinch her rolls in disgust or think they kept her from being wonderful in any way. So why do I feel like they keep me from being wonderful? I'm pretty sure Heavenly Father looks at us the same way we look at our children, with adoring, loving, accepting eyes. He doesn't care if I have a flat stomach, or perfect hair or amazingly long eyelashes. He doesn't care if I'm wearing name brand clothes or if I shaved my legs today or not. He looks at my heart, is there beauty there? I hope so. Because I could spend all day, every waking hour, trying to perfect my outward appearance, but if I neglect developing inner virtues, no amount of exercise, dieting or makeup could really make me beautiful.

Right now I'm coming to grips with the fact that no matter how much I exercise, I will never wear the size I wore when I was 15 again, and that's okay. I'm not 15, I'm almost 29! I've had 2 babies, I am not a model and no one ever sees me in my underwear so why the heck do I think I need to have a model's body anyway?! How can I teach my daughters to love their bodies and to feel beautiful as they are? By loving my body and feeling beautiful as I am. When I was 21 I wrote a poem about this. I found this poem the other day and feel the urgency to love myself even more now that I have two daughters who are looking to my example. It's a little cheesy, and maybe even a bit silly, but it has some good reminders for me, so I'm putting it up here to help me remember to love myself, imperfections and all.

I'm learning to love the girl that I see
When I look in the mirror and know that it's me.
I'm learning to love my thick inner thighs
and the zits on my face that I try to disguise.
I'm learning to love all the hair on my toes
and the fact that 5'2" is as much as I'll grow.
I'm learning to love all the folds in my tummy
and the cellulite dimples that speckle my bummy
and the way my eyelashes are short thick and stubby
and the way that my smile makes my cheeks look real chubby.
I'm learning ot love the person I am
and I'm learning to love how I fit in God's plan.
I'm learning to love all my quirks and my "isms"
for learning is freedom from vanity's prison.
I choose to be free from the chains of deception
that bind me to falsified views of perfection.
I refuse to believe that my body is ugly
if I size 4 or 5 fits around me to snugly.
I'm learning that beauty is more than skin deep,
it's the sum of our souls, it's the values we keep.
It's the way we develop our talents and skills,
it's the way that we conquer adversities hills.
It's the way we treat others, and God up above,
it's the way that each day we are learning to love.

"What else is there?" I can think of a few things right now: There is kindness, gentleness, hard work, dependability, forgiveness, humility, generosity, graciousness, wisdom, warmth, caring, sacrifice, service, knowledge, faith and love. Those are the qualities of some of the most gorgeous and beautiful women I know. Those women might not ever make it on the cover of a fashion magazine, but they are stunningly beautiful. Next time I'm tempted to talk bad about my rolls or any other wonderful part of myself, I'll remember that : )

Friends in high places

Now I'm not one to do a lot of name dropping, (mainly because I don't know any famous people) but for the record, I just want everyone to know that I am friends with Angela Baldwin, Maria Tedjamulia, and Taylor West. Those names might not mean anything to you now but give them 10 years or so and I'm POSITIVE they will all be famous. : ) Maria and Angela are both amazing singers and Taylor is a renaissance man who is so good at so many things it's hard to keep up with him. Anyway, last Thursday Taylor, who is the Republican party co-chair for our senate district, invited Angela, Maria and I to sing the national anthem at the Maple Grove gubernatorial straw poll.

It was so much fun singing with such talented ladies, hobnobbing with some of the candidates for governor, and seeing Taylor in action as he emceed the whole event. (Not to mention having a place to wear my high heels to other than church! It's been awhile...) And as a bonus, I now feel more enlightened on the race for governor and enjoyed seeing a little bit of politics in action!

Maria, Angela and I just before we sang. They called us the Maple Grove Republic Women's trio. (Random side fact: Both girls were with us on the Ragnar trail! Angela ran in van 2 and Maria's husband ran as well.)

Hobnobbing with the candidates. I loved walking through there and having everyone reach out to me, shake my hand and butter me up. Sure they were probably just after my vote but still, it made me feel important. : )

Here is a little video that Angela's husband took of us singing. Enjoy!

Friday Foto: Alaska Grown

Taber got on a missing Alaska kick the other night so I thought I'd put up some good old AK pics. His parents don't live there anymore so we don't go back as much, but we did go 2 years ago when Teya was Brinley's age. Crazy thing about that first picture is you'd think it was taken in the middle of winter but that was actually taken in May!

Here's one more from that trip. I had to throw it in because Brinley is now rockin' the same sprout hair do that Teya did at her age!

09-09-09 Party

Happy 09-09-09 Everybody! When the numbers align that perfectly there's really only one thing you can do: Bake a cake!

It was Taber's idea actually. I guess way back on 08-08-88 He recalls baking a cake to celebrate the date. I guess if it made a big enough impression to last in his memories for over 20 years it was worth doing with our kids too. The girls and I had fun baking the cake, filling our tummies with frosting (and putting some on the cake too) making decorations and learning about the number 9. Teya has found learning numbers a little more challenging than letters, so this was a fun way to really make number 9 stick!

Brinley helped too, but this was the only picture I got of her, complete with marker and ketchup stains on her shirt from decorating and eating.

For the grand finale we sang "Happy 9 day to you" and we all helped blow out the candle.
It was a memorable ending to a memorable date.

(This post has been brought to you by the number 9.
And the letter C, for Cake! Yum....)

Happy Campers

This weekend our friends Maile and Dave organized a big labor day camp out. It was our first time camping with the girls and even though I was nervous about the kids being able to sleep, they both did awesome! I think all the great activities like s'more roasting, exploring in the woods, fireworks, and watching the campfire really wore them out. I thought we'd have to lay with them for awhile to get them to fall asleep but we put them down a little after 9 and Teya just hit the pillow and was out! Brinley required a little more coaxing, but after a couple lullabies and back rubbing she was gone too. With both girls out we headed back to the campfire for some good chatting and bonding time with the other adults.

Teya woke up once in the middle of the night because she had to go potty. It was pretty cold though and when she realized she'd have to get out of her sleeping bag and brave the outhouse she changed her mind and just held it till the morning! (bladder of steel!)

Anyway, It was a really fun time and great to know that our girls are champs when it comes to camping! Enjoy the pics!

Yummy S'mores!!

Chocolate S'more face

Some pics of the campfire crowd. I think there were around 13 families that came. It was a great group!

Teya exploring the "spooky woods"

Our cute little tent. It looks small but it actually fit all four of us really well!

I brought the girls in the tent to change them into their jammies and they got all crazy hyper in there!

Teya was pretty excited about the sparklers! Huge props to JP for bringing those, they were a big hit with the kids.

This is Brinley right before we put her to bed. She was SOOOO tired! (can you tell? : )

And here she is waking up in the morning with Daddy.

Can't get enough of her big fat cheesy smile! How can you not be happy waking up to that face?

And one more Brinley smile. (couldn't resist) This one is during breakfast with some granola remnants on her face. The epitome of a happy camper : )

Friday Foto (and video!)

Today's Friday Foto is from earlier this week when Teya had her very first visit to the Dentist. Doesn't she look so grown up in that chair? I can hardly stand it! She was so brave and did a great job.

Sadly she does have a cavity that we're going to have to get filled. I think it has to do with the fact that she hated brushing her teeth when she was little. We'd have to pin her down and she'd scream, kick, writhe and cry. It was so horrible that being a light weight 1st time mom I might've just skipped it a couple times. Luckily now she's a great brusher and the good news is she's taught Brinley to love brushing her teeth as well. So even though Brinley is pretty much guaranteed to need braces (the poor dear has her mother's crooked teeth) I don't think she'll have any cavities, at least not when she's three.

Here is a great video of the girls brushing their teeth together. Brinley spits and everything, all thanks to the good example of her big sissy. Gotta love the persuasive power of older siblings!

Kitchen Warriors

It may have taken us 3 1/2 hours, and I may never attempt such an ambitious recipe again, but Maria and I are claiming kitchen warrior status for the homemade lasagna we made for our men last night! Here is a link to the recipe http://mylasagnarecipe.com/ Let's just say it involved us cutting up fresh basil leaves, grating a pound a real mozzarella, and throwing in spices I've never cooked with, like fennel seed. Oh yeah, we are hard core!!! (all you REAL hard core chefs are like, "aw, cute, Becca thinks she can cook now... bless her heart") But seriously! We felt so accomplished! (Of course, I think it would've taken me 5 hours without Maria and I probably would've had a meltdown somewhere in the middle) Still, I'm patting myself on the back for trying something new. I'd also like to mention that we made homemade bread rolls, fresh green beans, and a strawberry poppyseed salad for extra credit. Our men were quite appropriately blown away, and I'm giving myself the weekend off cooking because I EARNED it! : )