Dogs are a Boy's Best Friend

Dogs are the best toy you could give your child. Gavin has so much fun playing with Rowdy and Rocco. He even has two favorite stuffed animals that he sleeps with every night that resemble our dogs. Gavin got his lion at the Santa Barbara zoo when he was one. One day after Rocco returned from the groomers with a lion cut we noticed that he looked a lot like Gavin's lion. Recently, Gavin's grandma & grandpa Allred got him this cute little puppy. It looks just like Rowdy, when he was a puppy, so Gavin appropriately named him "Puppy That Looks Like Rowdy" or "Rowdy Puppy" for short.

Scrumptious Snickerdoodles

I used to love making (and eating) Snickerdoodle cookies when I was a kid. I was craving some yesterday and remembered that I had a recipe from the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York City that I hadn't tried yet. I made them and they turned out delicious (better than I remembered); so good, in fact, that I wanted to share the recipe...

Snickerdoodles

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon, for sprinkling

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla, and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

The Art of Making Forts

Gavin has been obsessed with making forts out of couch pillows and blankets. Tony and I have gotten into the fort building as well, but I'm really getting tired of it. Little does Gavin know that I could build a mean fort in my day and I could create something really cool for him. However, I no longer want to encourage this activity. Here are a couple of his creations.

My Favorite Cleanser

One of my new favorite things is Philosophy's Purity Made Simple facial cleanser. I LOVE it! I think it's the perfect cleanser for all skin types. My skin is combination and I just love how soft and clean it makes my face feel (yet it doesn't dry me out at all). It's been on the "best of Sephora" list for a few years now and it has a user rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. I purchased mine from sephora.com (one of my all-time favorite websites), but I think you can purchase it at Nordstrom too. Just a side note... I heard that Sephora is opening a store at Trolley Square. Purity comes in 4 different sizes and it is $20 for 8 ounces (and worth every penny).

Halloween Night

For Halloween we went to my brother, Dave's, house so that Gavin could go trick or treating with his four adorable and scary vampire cousins. We had a great time. I was remembering how last year Gavin couldn't say trick or treat yet. He would say, "Boo, boo, beat". Well, this year he can say it perfectly and he also made sure to say thank you after receiving candy. He's so well mannered.

Pheasant Hunting

Last Wednesday Tony (& Rowdy) went pheasant hunting with a couple of buddies. It was a very successful day (as you can see from all of the dead birds so proudly displayed on the hood of that lovely Mercedes SUV). Tony shot 6 or more and brought them all home so we could eat them (& for the crew at the station too) . They were gorgeous, colorful birds and Gavin was very interested in them. Apparently, Rowdy had one of his best hunting trips ever. He's turned into quite the bird hunter. I really wish I could see him in action.

Halloween Party

Last Sunday Gavin and I went to a birthday/Halloween party for Bennett who was turning 3. I thought this was a cute picture. And, no, I didn't dress up. However, I did dress up for my kindergartners on Halloween for our class party. I was an angel. Isn't that fitting.

Babystyle Promotion

I just got this message and wanted to share it. I love Babystyle. I often buy Gavin cool tees, shoes, etc. from their website, when they are having a sale (which is almost all of the time). I purchased several clothing items from the store when I was preggers the last time and they were some of my favorite maternity items. Just enter the coupon code FAMILY20 during checkout. Act fast! We only have 4 days.

Looking Back

Look what I found... a photo from 2005 when I was preggers with Gavin. This photo was taken at my California baby shower when I was 7+ months pregnant. Get a load of the belly. This is what I have to look forward to in the next 5 months.

Our BIG News!

Our family of 3 is about to become 4. I am 10 weeks pregnant and due on May 17th (Gavin's birthday is May 16th). I went to my 1st doctor's appointment on Thursday and all looks well. My heart melted when I heard the heartbeat. So now we are ready to announce our exciting news. Shh... don't tell Gavin. He is adamant right now about NOT having a baby brother or sister. We hope to change that in the coming months. We figure we have time since I'm not showing yet.

Snowbird

Yesterday we went up to Snowbird (a local ski resort) to ride the tram and hike around. Riding the tram was an awesome experience. Gavin loved it and the views were amazing. However, when we got to the top of the mountain (elevation 11,000 ft.) there was quite a bit of snow and it was 40 degrees! Needless to say, we didn't hike around too much, but Gavin and Tony did have a snowball fight. We played around at the resort a bit and ate lunch at one of their restaurants and then returned home to the valley where the temperature was a warm 75 degrees.

Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

I was finally able to capture a photo of Gavin in his Halloween costume. We got it about a month ago and he has been wearing it and playing in it a lot, but hasn't posed for a picture until now. In case you weren't sure, he is Buzz Lightyear the space ranger from Disney's "Toy Story".

A Great Day for the Zoo!

I was so excited to have Thursday and Friday off of work (for UEA). We took advantage of having a couple of week days to do as we please and did several fun activities; one of which was going to the zoo. It was the perfect day for it ,weather wise, ... clear blue skies and 70 degrees. We joined our friends Tierney and her 2 children, Robbie and Berkley (pictured above) and Kim and her son, Jack (never caught a picture of Kim). I also didn't get any pictures of the animals, but that's OK because I think the kids had more fun playing together than looking at the animals anyway. I know I enjoyed chatting with Tierney and Kim the most:)

My New Do!

Every fall I seem to get the urge for a new hair style. This fall was no exception. My stylist cut off about 7 inches. If I had only been thinking ahead, I may have been able to donate my hair to Locks of Love. Anyhow, I'm kinda diggin' it. What do you think?

Halloween PJs

This pic is for you, Mom and Dad. Thanks for Gavin's new Halloween pjs. He loves that the ghosts glow in the dark. Stay tuned for a picture of Gavin's Buzz Lightyear costume...

Tony's Newfound Obsession

Tony has a new hobby. Ever since he invested in a good mountain bike this summer he's been biking a ton (in fact, he's on a ride right now). We're lucky to have so many great trails so close to our house. I hope to take up the sport in the near future. I got a new bike this summer too. I just need a little more motivation. This picture was taken on the Wasatch Crest Trail. I love the fall colors!

Giving Rowdy a Bath (& Gavin)

Here's what happened the other day when Tony and Gavin gave Rowdy a bath outside with the hose... Gavin got almost as wet as Rowdy.

Gavin & his Grandpa Don

Last weekend my parents came to visit. It was so nice to have them here. And it was fun to take them to dinner to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary!

Wicked is coming to SLC!

I just found out that the hugely successful Broadway musical, Wicked, is coming to Salt Lake City! I have heard sooo many great things about this show from people who have seen it in New York City or Los Angeles. I can get tickets through my school district BEFORE they become available to the general public. I would love to go! Would anyone like to join me?

Vegas, Baby!

Tony had an international firefighters convention in Las Vegas last week so I drove there to meet up with him while my parents watched Gavin. Ironically, my oldest and best friend from California, Cyndi, was going to be there with her husband and some friends during the same time. So we all met up and had a great time! Tony and I stayed at Caesar's Palace and, due to a mistake, they upgraded our room. It was nice (to say the least)! The top photo is of Cyndi and me at the pool at Caesars. On Thursday night Tony and I attended the IAFF banquet dinner and concert and then we met up with Cyndi at a dueling piano bar. I'm sorry to say that Tony did not win one of the two firefighter addition Harley Davidson motorcycles that were being raffled off. However, he did win $1000 with a straight flush while briefly playing video poker after breakfast Friday morning.

e.l.f.

My friend, Harmony, told me about this makeup company that has been bought out by Nordstrom and is trying to get rid of the makeup in their old packaging. I'm advertising this on my blog because everything on their website is dirt cheap. Most items are $1 (lipsticks, eye shadows, nail polish). Some things are $3 (body wash, lotion). I purchased some things and I'm pretty happy with them. The packaging in great (it reminds me of Sephora's name brand stuff). And the makeup is basically department store quality. But let's face it... you can't do better that a buck for makeup anywhere. And right now you can get $2 shipping (for orders over $25) by using this code during checkout: EGSHIPT. This offer expires on August 31st. Here's a link to their website http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

Pi Phi Reunion

This week two of my dear college friends happened to be in town at the same time (Harmony from Roatan & Cat from Hawaii). In fact, Harmony and her little family stayed with us for a few days (I loved having you here, Harm). So we had a barbecue at my place and invited a bunch of our sorority sisters (Pi Phis). It was wonderful to get so many of us together again.

Daddy's Little Helper

Tony has been mountain biking a lot this summer and he always washes his bike as soon as he returns from a big ride. Gavin LOVES helping his daddy wash his bike. Sometimes they even wash Gavin's tricycle. I just adore my boys.

My Little Artist

Lately Gavin has been really into coloring and painting. He is very meticulous about it and he's getting quite good at it. Here Gavin is displaying one of his dot art paintings (and of course, I make him wear a smock).

Camping & Rafting on the Snake River

Last week we went camping and rafting on the Snake River near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We went with 3 other firemen (that Tony works with at station 6) and their families. We had a great time. Gavin went rafting down the river twice and kept saying that he wanted to go on more "rabbits". I only wish I had more pictures. The 1st and last pics are obviously of Gavin. The middle picture is of Tony and some guys on his crew (Tony is the one in the white cap and black shorts).

Our Big So Cal Vacay!

This summer we decided we wanted mountain bikes. We also got a trailer for the little guy so he can ride along. We took our bikes with us on our California vacation and went for several rides along the beach in Ventura.

Disneyland & the Beach

During our week long stay in California we went to Disneyland and, of course, the beach. We had a great day at Disneyland. It was Gavin's first time and he was in awe.

Gavin's Big Boy Bed

A few weeks ago we switched Gavin from his crib into a "big boy bed". He was very excited! The picture on the bottom was taken this morning when I opened up his bedroom door at 9:00 a.m. surprised that he wasn't awake yet (I guess our camping trip really wore him out).

Bryce Canyon

We just returned from our first camping trip with our new pop-up trailer! We drove about 4 1/2 hours south to Bryce Canyon National Park. We spent 3 nights and 4 days there. We had a wonderful time. It was beautiful! The weather could not have been better (it was in the low 80s). Gavin had a great time and did not want to come home. Now we will take a one week breather before we embark on our big southern and central California trip.

Father's Day