It's a Wonderful Life

Happy Easter!

2011-04-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter!

Molly, Teresa, and Emily cooked up a first class dinner of Rack of Lamb, beet salad, horseradish mashed potatoes, cherry glaze, and homemade strawberry lemonade. It was very delicious!

The kids had fun with their cousins looking for eggs. They also got some new sunglasses and gum boots to wear in the rain and in the garden. Grammy and Grampy Canada gave them MegaMind and some pretty Easter dresses and toys. Brayden got a big truck to push around, and of course, there was lots (LOTS) of candy!!! Yum.

Spring Is Here!

2011-04-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Spring time is here already! With the temps already hitting 90 and even a couple of days in the 100's already, it seems like we almost skipped spring! So this is what the Chan Clan has been up to...

Rylan -

Has taken a new position at the hospital. He works a lot with cardiac patients and has seen some pretty amazing things. The learning curve for cardiology has been steep, but he has really enjoyed it so far. He works with a great crew of 5 mid-levels and for the most part, they get along great with the doctors. The only hard thing is switching from 12 hour days to 12 hour nights.

Rylan has also started P90X as the rest of the family has been getting into shape. I must tell you, that P90X is a BUTT KICKER of a workout. I don't know if I have ever been so sore in my life! The goal (as it is every year) is to get into shape and hopefully do another triathlon.

He has also gotten pretty involved with emergency preparedness. Recently got CERT - trained and certified, and has a TON of information on how to prepare your family in case of emergencies. This has helped him rest a little more peacefully at nighttime. He figures that with all of the calamities world-wide, it is only a matter of time before we have our own emergency here in the states.

Molly -

Molly is our inspiration. She wakes up regularly around 5-something in the morning - every morning, and goes running. She found a new running partner in the ward a few weeks ago and after not running for years...goes out and runs a brisk 4 miles. In a few short weeks, she is already running over 4-5 miles a day and just completed the Pat Tillman 4.2 mile run with Jessica. Her next running goal is a 10K, then half marathon!

In her spare time, she keeps pretty busy with the kids and tries to juggle 2 callings in church. She also planted the garden and helped pull a ton of weeks from the landscaping. Hopefully the garden will be more productive than it was during the winter!

Aubrey -

She is 5 now and in a great school! She is attending kindergarten and is already reading books and doing fractions in math! Seriously? Fractions in kindergarten??? She is pretty smart, considering she is one of the youngest in her class and got a late start with a transfer early in the school year. She tries really hard to be good, but sometimes has a hard time listening because she is being too social (she must get that from Molly)! Aubrey LOVES Disney princesses and right now, her favorite is "Blondie" (Rapunzel from Disney's Tangled). She loves to play with her little sister Addy and is a super big help with Brayden.

Addison -

Addy keeps us in stitches. She is SOOO funny. Her facial expressions are so enjoyable to watch and she has the cutest little "sing-songy voice." She's getting better at praying, but is still so active that she has a hard time staying still with her arms folded because there is just so much to see and do! Addy loves to play with anyone and is SUPER SOCIAL...definitely gets that from her Mom! She is a great eater and is super adventurous. Addy loves Kai-Lan and is pretty good at speaking in Chinese. She loves "Syi-gwa" (watermelon).

Brayden -

Brayden is a boy. ALL BOY!!! He gets into sooo much and is also a total Momma's boy, but he loves his Dad too - just not as much as him Mom! He is super adventurous and figures that anything his sisters can do - he can do to. He loves to run around and chase and be chased by his siblings. Brayden is constantly giggling and LOVES to dance. This kid can shake it!!! Anytime music comes on, his head will start bobbing and his little shoulders and butt will start shaking. It's really hilarious. He loves the outdoors and interestingly enough - he loves shoes. Any shoes. And they don't even have to match! Addy is his best buddy.

Thanks for checking in...

I'll try to download some pics and video later...

Show Low Winter Storm 2010

2011-01-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

Just after Christmas we decided to visit Grandma and Papa Great up in Show Low. We wanted to give the girls a chance to play in some snow. Little did we know that a 3 day trip would turn into 5. We watched over 16 inches of soft powdery snow fall in 24 hrs and temperatures plunge to -2 F. We got snowed in for two days and finally made it back to the valley after driving a turtle-like 30 mph on icy freeways while passing half a dozen overturned, crashed, or otherwise abandoned vehicles - victims of a massive winter storm.

We all had a wonderful time. The girls were bundled up and played in the snow for hours. Afterward, they enjoyed hot chocolate, Christmas goodies, and watching Scooby Doo. Rylan watched an "IRON CHEF" marathon on tv, and we all had fun hanging out with Grandma and Papa Great.

Brayden Walking

2010-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Brayden started taking his first steps a couple of weeks ago - but today was the first time that he actually walked around for a bit. We caught it on video. It was pretty fun to watch!

Then he really started to get the hang of it!

2010 A Picture Year in Review

2010-12-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010!

2010-12-25T21:45:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a year for the Chan Clan.

Brayden is now one year old. He is getting big and took his first steps about a week before his first birthday. We can't believe how fast he is growing! He is super chatty and is ALL BOY!

Addison is three and in pre-school. She LOVES pre-school and loves to learn. She is our little candy lover! Addy is now taking dance classes and loves it as well! Addy asked Santa for a purple lollipop and an orange popsicle for Christmas!

Aubrey is five and in kindergarten. She hates doing homework, but loves school otherwise. She is doing the Spalding curriculum and is already working on first and second grade material! (She is already doing fractions!!!). She loves to play princess and dress up. More than anything, all she wanted for Christmas was a "Blondie" doll (Rapunzel).

Molly keeps busy chasing the kids around and coming up with new designs for her vinyl business. She is really creative and is constantly getting comments on her fantastic designs. She is now in a couple of boutiques and hopes to expand her business in the coming year.

Rylan has been busy with work at Urgent Care. He is about to start a new position opening up a new unit in a local hospital, but the start date keeps getting pushed back. He's excited, but nervous about the change. He keeps busy in the meantime working on getting the family self-sufficient helping Molly with the wood working.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here are some pics of the kids over the past couple of months...

Breaking News!!! Chan Clan Update!!!

2010-01-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow! We haven't posted since October!?!?! Well, a LOT has happened...be prepared for a LONG post.

I'll try to get you all caught up on the happenings of the Chan Clan!

OCTOBER...

Of course, it was Halloween. We had fun. Almost everyone stayed around in the neighborhood this year so it was fun to see the neighbors and walk around. One stroll around the block and the kids were loaded up with plenty of candy!

Molly was almost 8 months pregnant at this time!

Aubrey with radishes from our square foot garden! Yummy!

Addy getting a good bite into a homemade caramel apple.

Aubrey eating her apple!

Speaking of apples - funniest thing...the girls have watched "Enchanted" about a million times. So now when they eat apples, they will fall on the ground and let the apple drop out of their hands and roll on the ground - like they have just been poisoned by the evil witch. Pretty funny. I must get that on video!

Dad and Addy enjoying a moment together after going out on Halloween.

The two pregnant sisters! I think Emily was due about 6 weeks before Molly.

Aubrey aka Tinkerbell

The whole gang of cousins at J's and Kristi's house.

Hmm...which pumpkin should we choose? The pickings were slim! :)

NOVEMBER...

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and got ready for Christmas - our favorite time of the year!

Molly displaying her goods at Kristi's backyard boutique.

The cute pregnant lady - just a few weeks away!

Aubrey and Addy waiting for yummy Thanksgiving Dinner!

Addy's favorite decoration was the colored balls. Most didn't make it much further up the tree.

Addy apparently felt like the tree looked better with multiple balls on the same branch. Some branches had about 5 balls all together!

DECEMBER...

We had a wonderful Ward party for Christmas. We each walked through different rooms where different families were celebrating Christmas. It was very moving and the Spirit was very present.

The kids got their annual photo done at Bass Pro Shop in Mesa. They had fun playing all of the toys available, sitting on ATVs and looking at the fish and the taxidermy.

Then, on December 15th, just after 1 am, Molly started to experience contractions. We were praying that the baby would come naturally as Molly wanted to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean), but the baby was late and we were doing EVERYTHING possible (except castor oil) to get the baby to come. Rylan found a website that recommended acupressure and GUARANTEED that the baby would come within 24-72 hrs. So we tried it and Molly was a trooper for putting up with the extremely sensitivity that developed from massaging the pressure points, but it worked!!!

Her contractions were starting to come on pretty heavy and she tried to "walk" through them. At about 3 am they were about 3 minutes apart. We decided to call Molly's dad to come over so we could drive up to the hospital. As soon as we got there, we were triaged and Molly was already at about a 5. We were moved to a room, where she was then a 7. She got an epidural and Dr. Layton broke her water, after which she quickly progressed to a 9-10 and we started pushing! Molly must be super sensitive to the epidural, because it made her totally numb and they hadn't even hooked it up yet! She pushed like a trooper and at 6:24 am, Brayden Rylan Chan was welcomed into the world! There was a slightly tense moment right at delivery as the cord was wrapped pretty tight around his neck and he wasn't breathing. The nurses said he was being a lazy breather as his heart was beating strong. After a few seconds (which seemed very long) he was crying and breathing normally. Phew. We were so happy. Both of us were crying. It was so quick and so wonderful, except that Molly got a spinal headache afterwards from the epidural. She has since been in therapy to correct a really messed up back! Mom, baby, Dad, and the girls are all doing wonderful!

Funny enough, earlier in the week, Molly had mentioned that most babies don't come on the weekend, but Tuesdays had a higher percentage of births. Ironically, that also happened to be the day of Brayden's birth AS WELL AS Rylan's organic chemistry final! He called his professor to let her know that we just had a baby. Rylan almost decided to take the final that day, but since he hadn't slept, he postponed it until the next day. Fortunately, he ended up with an "A" and a 4.0 GPA! Yeah! Next step...that *!(*$&@ MCAT. :)

Here are some pics of the newest addition to the Chan Clan!

Brayden was our Christmas present, but we still had a wonderful time. The girls were spoiled once again.

JANUARY 2010...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The baby and the girls are doing great! We had a real fun time out at San Tan Flats in Queen Creek. The kids were able to hang out by the fire and make smores. It was a super cool place to go and I hear they have live music on the weekends.

Brayden catching some zzz's at San Tan flats.

Addy being bashful with Grammy and Papa.

Aubrey shows off her rodeo form to the delight of cousin Louisa.

The girls had a blast with the recent winter storm. We got a lot of rain and the girls were able to play with their umbrellas outside in real weather! It got pretty windy, but unfortunately, the pictures don't really do it justice. We have some trees in the front yard that are leaning quite a bit.

Aubrey enjoyed being outside in her new jacket and gloves. She was busy throwing leaves in the air and watching the wind carry them away. Oh - the simple pleasures of childhood!

Our two adventurous girls brave the elements during Arizona's winter 2010 "storm."

The girls love to blow bubbles. Here they are on the back porch blowing away! Coco had a good time too chasing down all the bubbles!

Addy being a big sister!

Tonight we had family night and Smores were the dessert. The girls had a great time, of course, and loved roasting marshmallows.

ANGELIC OR DEMONIC???

2009-10-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Aubrey 15 months old...

I know I haven't posted in a while (Rylan has been picking up the slack). Plus, we hardly ever post earlier than 2 months apart. However, these needed to be posted by me, since I was the one who witnessed such DIFFERENT aspects of my beloved 4 year-old's PERSONALITY. Please refer to pictures and explanations.

Now, first you might be thinking...'oh, how cute! A sleeping girl in a baby bassinett, with her book about colors'. Let me tell you the rest of the story. Today she has been constantly whining, crying, and uncooperative. Now I get that she is 4, however when it was during nap time she found a sheet of paper that was sentimental to me. Not only was it sentimental, but it was all written in color marker. So, she finds this sentimental paper and then got a sippy cup and filled it with water. Then she poured water all over the paper so she could observe how pink, purple, and blue water would slide off. The colorful water ("magic water" in Aubrey's words) would then stain her clothes, my carpet, side table, and hands. Okay at this point in the day, I have had it! I sent her up to her room for the rest of naptime. While I am working in the office I hear THUMP, BUMP, THUMP! I am concerned that it will wake up Addy, but I don't interrupt because atleast it's in her room and what could she possibley be doing besides jumping off her bed. Well, I had decided that it was time to get her out of her room BUT I can't find her in her room. I look in my room, in my closet, in her closet...I can't find her ANYWHERE. Then I noticed that all of her books that were in her book case were on the floor AND that is when I see her asleep in the baby bassinett. So, I SMILE and grab the camera.
Now, I think she is cute! So who is this girl? Story #2, it is shorter!

It used to be that when I did laundry there were generally 2 piles of laundry. My whites and my colors. I have had more kids, more messes, and now more laundry. On this laundry day while I was folding the first 3 loads of laundry on the couch. My last load of towels were done and I hear the buzzer going off. Aubrey then goes to the laundry room, puts all of the clean, dry towels into the basket and carries it to me in the family room. Now, Aubrey is not a BIG girl and this was not a LITTLE load of laundry. I just thought it was so sweet and helpful. What a darling! She continued to hold that heavy laundry even though I had to run to the car and get the camera.

So, I ask you ANGELIC OR DEMONIC?

I guess that halloween outfit was soooo appropriate. 90% little angel.

Camping

2009-08-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

This was our first time camping with both girls. We went with Rhett and Emily and their family. We went to a place called Powell Springs up by Prescott. It was a lot of fun. The girls had a blast, but unfortunately, Aubrey picked up a fever the next day. We can't wait to go camping again.

What would camping be without Oreo's? There are better pictures, but probably too disgusting to put on this blog!

The irony with the picture is what is written on Addy's shirt.
Wow! Addy, your dad must be a looker! Dirt, juice, cookies, crumbs and all!

The kids hanging out in their camping chairs.

Addy helping place rocks around the fire ring.

Aubrey and Louisa sharing a moment together!

Cheese!

Good morning, girls!

The gang hanging out around the campfire.

Fold your arms, raise up young left arm, raise up your right arm! Tickle! Tickle! Tickle!

Chan Clan Reunion

2009-08-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

At the end of July/beginning of August we traveled up to Rylan's hometown for a little family reunion. We traveled by Allegiant air which flies out of Phx/Mesa Gateway. It was such a pleasant flight and experience getting right through check-in, security, and boarding. Our flight attendant was a "flight attendant Nazi." Addy was trying to pick up a grape that had fallen on the floor. Just as she was picking up the grape, the flight attendant announced (not so subtlely), "Babies on the floor are a definite no-no!" Now, let me preface this by saying that we were just boarding the plane, we were not moving, not in flight, and not even doing anything of significance. We attempted to explain, but it fell on deaf ears. So the flight attendant then procedes to announce to the ENTIRE cabin, "no kids on the floor - big no-no!!!" Are you freakin' kidding me??? So in case you are wondering what happened to the grapes that Addy picked up - well, they are now back on the ground firmly entrenched into the rug of the plane courtesy of my shoe. Have fun cleaning that up! Other than that, the flight was wonderful. We flew into Great Falls, MT and rented a car and drove up to Canada. It was a 2.5 hr car ride and we just had a great time traveling.

It was great to see the family again! The girls had a wonderful time with cousins and finally, FINALLY being able to play for extended periods of time outside! The temperature was a balmy 70-80 degrees. The kids had fun at a really fun park, went swimming, pretended to be Shamu with Uncle Byron, played at more parks, watched movies, played with cousins, jumped on the trampoline, and swung on the swings -- again, again, and again! The sun set after 9pm and the kids just had a blast playing with cousins. We had a fun time at the reunion that actually spread out over 3 days. It was actually an educational experience learning about my extended family and their histories.

One really interesting thing was the genealogy that my dad had been doing. He contacted someone who had an extensive line of genealogy. We found out that we are actually descendants of the eldest son of Chen Hui who is a descendant of Huang Di - or the Yellow Emperor. Huang Di is often credited with being the individual who instituted the first principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Martial arts!!! So Aubrey and Addy are literally Princesses!

We had a great time, but wish we could have stayed longer. Molly had a great time serving Chinese food at Heritage Days and it was fun tasting food from different cultures. I had African food and the girls had Chinese.

We barely made it back home. There was absolutely NO traffic on the freeway to the border, but once we got there - it was grid-lock! We were starting to get a bit nervous since we were not moving at all and we were still 2 hrs from the airport. Fortunately, it was divine Providence that two more lanes opened up and we got to the front of one of them. Molly prayed that we would make it on time without being pulled over and we flew down the freeway with as much care, but as fast as possible. We made it to the airport with about 10 minutes to spare and made it safely on to our flight. It was good to be heading home, but we sure had a great time.

Here are the cousins with Grammy and Grampy. It's hard getting everyone to cooperate at the same time as you can probably tell.

Addy spending some time with Uncle Mike.

This is actually one of the better pics we have with the kids actually being quite good all together.

Here's our little family!

The cousins with Great Grandma who is turning 90 next year!

Molly giving the thumbs up while serving at Heritage Days.

More cousins (not all) hanging out at Henderson Lake park.

Addy is sad, but still so cute.

Celebrating the birthdays again!

Addy trying to roast her marshmallow.

Addy enjoying her Smore.

Trying to get the best spot for roasting.

Addy playing in the grass.

July Birthdays

2009-08-30T16:30:00.001-07:00

OK -

I know it has been a VERY long time since we last updated our blog, so we'll start with July...

We had a busy summer with a couple of birthdays coming at the end of July with Rylan and Aubrey sharing the same lucky day! We had a family gathering with Rhett also sharing their birthday. Since we were leaving for Canada for a reunion, we also had a little party for Addy as well.

Grammy and Papa gather around Addy as she eats her cupcake.

Rylan and Rhett share a banana cream pie for their birthday.

Addy blows out candles on her birthday cupcakes.

Aubrey is super excited about her Tinkerbell birthday cake!

Molly made this wonderful Tinkerbell cake that also has ice cream in the middle. I think she did a wonderful job decorating it complete with Tinkerbell and friends.

These are the beautiful fairy cupcakes that Molly made as well.

Grammy and Papa share some one on one time with Addy and Landon.

The girls got dressed up in their Princess dresses and watched Beauty and the Beast and danced around. It was super cute.

AZ Tea Party

2009-05-03T10:31:00.001-07:00

Last month we participated in one of the Arizona Tea Parties. We thought it was a great way to exercise our rights in demonstrating for something for which we believe in. We were pleasantly surprised to see so many people out in support of this cause - including MANY young families in tow. I think in general, we are sort of apathetic, slow-to-react, and passive - and this ground-level movement is evidence that the enough is enough! As a family, we felt strongly enough that we needed to make our opinion heard and raise our voices and do something, rather than sit back and gripe and complain at the television.

Ironically, after the demonstration, we wrote out a couple of nice checks to the IRS for our 2008 taxes. How is that for serendipity?

A couple of days later, Molly was outside watching the girls play. Aubrey was simply walking around the yard saying, "NO MORE TAXES! NO MORE TAXES!" Can someone say young Republican in the making???

Some of my favorite posters from the Tea Party are seen below.

A large crowd gathers at Gilbert City Hall.

Walking up to join in the throng!

This one is my favorite.

My sentiments, exactly!

Even Justice, Aubrey, and Addie have enough of these taxes!!!

Canadian Visitors for Easter Holidays

2009-04-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

This past week we had a lot of family in town. John and Judy came down from Canada with Poi-Poi (Grandma). Uncle Vic and Aunt Viv Tang came down from Vancouver to visit as well. They were in town visiting with friends and stayed with all of us for a few days. It was a busy household, but everyone had a great time.

We also feasted like crazy!!! The first night of feasting included some Juk - Chinese porridge with some really tasty BBQ'd chicken breasts. Later in the week, John and Poi-poi cooked a gourmet-class 6-course Chinese meal (Dumplings, spareribs, sushi, chow mein, spiced-pepper salt squid, and the speciality ginger beef - which is now Molly's new favorite Chinese dish of all time!). There was so much food that we had leftovers for the next week. Teresa also had us all over for a gourmet Mexican meal that was just as equally tasty with some incredible dessert. Our last day was spent eating Dim Sum for lunch, followed by a Turkey - Asian style with sticky rice stuffing and a trip to watch the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple grounds.

Since we don't get a chance to see everyone up north very often, this was a nice break. Rylan took a few days off of work. The weather was nice, but a bit breezy. The Canadian crew had a great time up in the Grand Canyon, but somehow missed Frank Lloyd Wright's place up in Sedona. John was pretty bummed out about that. Well, gives them an excuse to come back and visit again.

Well, Rylan's car got dirty...again. Apparently Uncle Vic likes clean looking vehicles, so he took it upon himself to clean the Honda. Aubrey wanted to help. She has become quite the little copy-cat. Since Uncle "Wiffer" (Victor) took his shirt off, Aubrey had remove hers as well, so there was little nude dude Aubrey with her shirt off cleaning the car with bigger nude dude Uncle Wiffer. Thanks for the clean car, guys!

John's high school buddy - Dave Thompson came over for a visit and brought his Wii. "Wii" all had a blast. Never played it before, but had a great time. I can totally see how this game would become somewhat addictive. Here is Aunt Viv trying her best to out-swing her opponent in tennis.

It was also a great opportunity for the girls to spend some time with their Great-Grandmother (But But Ida) who is still sharp as a tack mentally and can still cruise the Grand Canyon in her walker. Hard to believe that she'll be 90 years old next year!

Jim came over to visit one morning and Great Grandma mentioned how her Dad had a 1920-something Ford back in the day and she had a picture of her as a child standing in the bed. We tried to re-enact the photo some 80 years later! She had a blast standing in the bed of the truck!

Aubrey "orange mouth" Chan. She got a kick out of eating oranges this way - thanks to her mom for showing her more silliness with food! :)

It was good to have the girls spend some more one on one time with Grammy and Grampy. Disneyland was kind of hectic and they were off their schedules. Here is Addy eating some oranges on Grammy's lap.

Addy also got some good snuggle time on Grampy.

Aubrey the Tinkerbell Fairy.
Grammy and Grampy took the girls to the "Princess Store" (Disney store) where Aubrey loves to try on wings and look in the mirror. Well, the Grandparents spoiled her and she got her birthday present 4 months early - complete with Tinkerbell outfit and wings! Here she is posing with Aunt Viv and Vic.

This Easter we had an early Easter egg hunt. The girls had fun finding eggs all over the house and then spent some time out in the sand box.

Aubrey gave a talk today in Primary. It was so sweet. She spoke on the Atonement and how the Easter eggs represented a new birth with Christ being resurrected from the tomb. She then said the 3rd Article of Faith from memory and closed by saying, "I love Jesus. He is my Savior. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Car washing and Ladybugs

2009-04-12T21:41:00.001-07:00

The recent dust storms took its toll on Rylan's car resulting in a pleasant afternoon of washing cars! Aubrey and Addison got in on the action. Hey! What better excuse than to get wet and soapy and enjoy the sunshine?

Aubrey has developed a new found love for animals. She loves to see birds in the backyard and frequently calls for them to come near so she can hold them. She loves butterflies and ladybugs. She is constantly trying to catch them. When this occurs with the latter, she usually ends up accidentally killing them (in this particular case, it was a sad case of a drowning) and then Aubrey is devasted.

She really does enjoy all sorts of animals. Recently a new gopher hole was discovered (which Rylan promptly took care of with special "gopher food") and Aubrey in her curiosity wondered aloud what a "booper" (aka gophers) was.

Aubrey: Daddy, what is a booper?
Rylan: A what?
Aubrey: A booper.
Rylan: A what?
Aubrey: You know. A booper. You put food in the hole for a booper.
Rylan: Oh! You mean a gopher!
Aubrey: Yeah! A booper.
Rylan: No. It's a GOPHER.
Aubrey: Gopher?
Rylan: Yes, Aubrey.
Aubrey: Oh...

It didn't take long for "boopers" to become her newest friends which she would then procede to invite anyone who came over "Do you want to see the booper holes!"

UFO's spotted in Gilbert!

2009-04-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a few years since the last noted siting of the "Phoenix Lights." However, last week strange objects were seen high up in the blue skies above Gilbert.

On-lookers gathered and watched in amazement...

Local kids tried their best to reel them in...

...but upon closer inspection, these were not actual UFOs at all - but simply Barbie flying high above the homes. With the winds turning up a notch or two - it was perfect weather for some good old kite flying.

This is why we live in AZ

2009-02-22T21:59:00.001-08:00

This winter has been pretty warm. We've been really enjoying some nice 70-80 degree weather! It has been so nice that we set up our tent outside in the back yard and let the girls have fun going in and out of it. Might as well enjoy the outdoors before it's too hot!!!

Coco loves to run around outside and play with the girls. One day we just set out a blanket on the grass and had a little picnic and layed around in the tent and on the grass.

Addy enjoying some fries and a Sonic drink with Mom.

It's days like this that remind us why we live here in AZ. It did get a little cool for a few days, but the temperature has been back up and now is comfortably in the 60-70 range! For those Canadian visitors to our site - you are welcome to come down and visit anytime!!!

A new addition to our family...

2009-02-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

The Chan Clan proudly announces a new addition to the family...

Coconut Chan

Coconut (Coco) is a Bichon Frise. He was 6 weeks old when we got him. The girls absolutely LOVE Coco. He's pretty cute, but is definitely a BOY. He has a lot of energy and is super friendly. Coco is pretty smart. He learned how to sit and dance on command and is working on lying down and rolling over. He loves doggy snacks and being chased. We are working on crate training him and he still has some accidents inside the house, but he's getting better.

Here is Coco after we brought him home.

Look what Coco dragged in! Coco loves Addy and loves to chase her and tug on her pant legs. We're working on the nipping and he's gotten quite a bit better. Addy and Aubrey tell him to sit and he listens pretty good.

Aubrey loves to be a little Mommy to Coco.

Here is Coco in one of his more mellow moments.

Welcome to the Chan Clan - Coco!!!

Can I have SMORE please?

2009-02-22T21:40:00.001-08:00

It was fun to bring out the SMORE maker and have the kids make SMOREs at home.

Justice and Aubrey roasting (actually torching) their marshmallows.

Aubrey: "Mom, my marshmallow's on fire!"

Molly: "Well, blow it out."

Aubrey: "Phfff...(nothing happens)."

Molly: "Blow harder."

Aubrey: "PHFFF...it's burned."

Rylan: "It's ok (makes the smore and gives to Aubrey)."

Aubrey: "Mmm...I love it!"

I love to see the Temple

2009-02-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

Molly is in the Primary Presidency in our ward. The primary theme this year is, "My Eternal Family." One of their activities to introduce the theme was to go to the Mesa Temple. 70 kids - yes SEVENTY - trekked up to the Temple and broke into groups to listen to the missionaries, see displays, watch movies, and tour the Temple grounds. They loved it! The Spirit was strong and the kids were great! For many - it was the first time that they have been to the Temple during the day and not just during the Christmas lights.

Here is one of the groups. What more needs to be said?

Bad hair day

2009-02-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever had a bad hair day???

This seems to be a constant issue for Addy...

...but we still think she's adorable.

Christmas 2008

2009-02-22T21:05:00.001-08:00

Christmas is our most favorite time of the year. This past Christmas and New Year have been so busy, that it's taken us 2 months to get back on here and update our blog!

Here we are spending the evening making a Gingerbread house. The girls loved nibbling on the candy and when it was time to eat the house - we invited the cousins over and it was gone in about 5 minutes!

This is the Chan Gingerbread house!

Aubrey helping put together our beautiful fake tree! Maybe one of these years we'll go back to getting a real one.

Christmas is our most favorite time of the year. The smells, the season, the memories, everything. Here is the tree all dressed with sparkling lights, and fun decorations. Christmas to us, really is the most wonderful time of the year.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...with all the decorations in place, the tree trimmed and the presents under the tree - we were ready for the big day!

Santa came to pay a little visit to our ward Christmas activity.

Aubrey tells Santa that she has been a very good girl!

It's the big day! Smiles abounded and everyone enjoyed their presents. It was hard to believe that in just a matter of hours, Christmas was already over. We really had a nice Christmas. It was our very first Christmas ever in our own home! Molly got it super decked out and it was fun to have so much space to put up Christmas decorations that we've collected over the years. As usual, the bottom quarter of the tree was bare because Addy kept playing with the ornaments and we had to keep moving them higher.

The girls loved Christmas. Aubrey and Addy got a fun kitchen set to play with that included a ton of play food and accessories. Of course, she got a chest full of princess clothes that she wears constantly. Molly got a body bugg, jewelery and more kitchen stuff. Rylan got a nice robe and a work bench for all his tools.

Yes, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. We love it and like Michael McLean said, "I cried the day that I take the tree down..." just kidding - we're not that sentimental, but still, we love Christmas and can't wait until next year!!!

Best Buddies

2008-12-12T10:58:00.001-08:00

Aubrey and Addy are best buddies.

They love to hug each other and give each other kisses.
Addy will call for Aubrey when she goes to bed and wave "night-night" to her.
She's pretty tough too - Aubrey loves to wrestle with her.

In the mornings, after breakfast, they just love to sit and watch Sesame Street and Curious George in their pajamas and blankets.

Cuddling up in their "gin-gins" (blankies).

Rylan just happened to snap this picture of Addy. It's not the best pic1ture, but I thought it was so funny and indicative of Addy's character! She is so funny!

Here they are again on the couch watching Tinkerbell.
When Addy smiles big, her nose scrunches up and it's so cute.

Mesmerized by movies.
It's either Mulan or Tinkerbell, or more recently, The Polar Express.

Aubrey and Addy holding hands on a walk in the park.

We tried to feed the ducks, but Addy ate the bread!

Here is their other buddy - cousin Justice. Justice loves to play with Aubrey and Addy.
Addy had just eaten some ice cream and is looking for more, while Justice poses and smiles.

Aubrey and Justice have so much fun together. They love to play in the mud, watch movies, eat snacks, play with blocks, and tell each other stories. Justice even taught Aubrey how to pee in the grass (thanks, Justice!) :)

It is so nice to have some many of her cousins near by. Not only is it nice to see them often, but they really all do have fun and get along fairly well with one another.

Aubrey's First haircut

2008-12-12T10:55:00.001-08:00

Aubrey was in desperate need for a haircut. Molly dug out the cutting shears and gave Aubrey her first haircut.

Actually, I think she did a great job!!!
Aubrey loved her new hair cut and she looks like such a cute little girl!

Temple Square Arizona Reunion

2008-12-12T10:50:00.001-08:00

Molly got a surprise phone call and found out that her Mission President and his wife were going to be in town and wanted to gather with some of their missionaries that lived here in AZ. It is always a pleasure to meet with mission companions and senior couples.

Here are the Senior couples and a few of the Sisters that served on Temple Square with President and Sister Crouch.

Molly and her long-lost companion Hannah. Thanks for showing up!!! It was so good to catch up with you!!!

Molly talking with President and Sister Crouch. Always a pleasure to catch up!

Since When Was Halloween After Thanksgiving!?!?!

2008-12-12T10:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, so Rylan totally messed up on organizing our blog chronologically. Actually, we're trying to get our blog a little more up to date. Molly has been swamped with vinyl orders, Rylan has been swamped with taking 8 credits for medical school pre-requisites, working full time and cutting Molly's wood products, and of course, the girls need some love and attention. Needless to say, the blog got behind.

So this is Halloween...

We had a pretty quiet night. We wanted to be in our neighborhood to be supportive, but everyone left. I think we had one kid come by...yes, that is correct...
ONE,
UNO,
1 KID.

It was still nice. Addy walked up and down the sidewalk all night and Aubrey was with her cousins and relatives at Andrea's family haunted house. She had a blast. Aubrey is still quite into Mulan and Tinkerbell. You might have thought that Mulan was a fairy.

Princess Aubrey aka "Princess Mulan"

"I'm Aubrey Chan...hai ya!!!"

This is Aubrey and Addy: "Mulan and best her friend - her horse!"

I think Addy was too hot in the horse costume, so it didn't stay on for very long.
Aubrey loved putting on the eye make up and wanted to dress up as Mulan for days afterwards.

"Mulan" and her "horse" at Grammy and Papa's house.

Molly's Craftiness

2008-12-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

Molly has become super crafty. After an entire year, we almost have our little home business paid off! Yeah!!! Here is a peek at some of her projects that she has been working on this season. They were a great success.

This board is a stocking board and has been quite popular. I guess there probably aren't a whole lot of mantles here in the desert. It was fun to do, but we were finding that there weren't enough spaces on our original boards for the entire family, so this is one of our bigger family boards.

Molly also came up with this great design for family pictures - they are a little different than your typical family picture frame.

This is Aubrey's Dream board. This was a lot of fun putting together and Aubrey loves it. There is some tin underneath so the flowers are actually magnets!

Here is another picture frame with customization text available.

This is a customized frame that Molly had designed - the cool thing is that we routed the back in a way that the frame can be turned 90 degrees and hung in any direction!

If anyone is interested in some of her products, customization, or in learning more about what Molly does and would like to see more of her projects, feel free to contact her at molly@signsbydesignllc.com
We hope to have our website up and running by the beginning of the year!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Here is Iron Chef Rylan making his famous Chinese "Fire bird" Turkey. It was super SUPER yummy!!! He also made some sticky rice stuffing that was SOOOO tasty - especially after being cooked with the Fire Bird. Everyone had an absolute feast at Molly's parent's place. I was so excited and didn't eat all day so I could enjoy the dinner, but was completely stuffed after one plate. The good thing is we had lots of left overs. We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Calling Buzz Lightyear!!!

2008-10-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

The funniest thing happened while we were at Disneyland. Naps were in short supply and the weather was quite warm. Aubrey would not drink any water and was getting quite dehydrated, not too mention being quite cranky from lack of sleep (she fell out of bed a couple of times in the hotel).

All of a sudden, Buzz Lightyear walks by! We get up suddenly and jump in line to talk to Buzz. Aubrey goes up to Buzz and shakes his hand. We get some fun pictures. Buzz gives the "thumbs up" sign and Aubrey tries to coordinate her little hands to do the same, but ends up giving the "number 1 sign" with both hands instead of the thumbs! Buzz looks down and changes his thumbs up to number 1's instead! She thanks Buzz, then runs off.

Molly then proceeds to tell Aubrey that, "Buzz Lightyear said to tell Aubrey to drink her water!" Aubrey starts to chug water...

Rylan gets back in line with Addison to meet Buzz as well. As Addy is greeting Buzz, Aubrey runs up with her water bottle saying, "Buzz! Buzz! I drink the water all gone!!!"

Priceless.

But it gets better...

Next day Aubrey is throwing a mild tantrum and won't get seated in her car seat. Molly proceeds to "call" Buzz Lightyear so he can speak with Aubrey. Rylan is a few cars away and answers his cell phone. This is a synopsis of the conversation:

Molly: "Buzz? Can you talk to Aubrey? She's being disobedient and not listening to her Mom and Dad and won't get in her car seat."

Rylan (aka Buzz): "Hello. Is this Aubrey - the little girl I met yesterday?"

Aubrey: "Hi Buzz."

Buzz: "Are you listening to your Mom and Dad?"

Aubrey: "No."

Buzz: "I would really be happy if you listened and obeyed your Mommy and Daddy. If not, my friend Woody and I will have to take you to infinity and beyond!"

Aubrey: "Oh."

Buzz: "Do you want to go to infinity and beyond?"

Aubrey: "Oh no, Buzz. I will listen and obey."

Buzz: "That would make me so happy."

Aubrey: "Okay. Bye Buzz."

Aubrey immediately jumps in her car seat and buckles up. She proceeds to tell Molly how Buzz Lightyear told her to listen and obey or she would be taken to "infineeyon" (infinity and beyond)! :) Molly and I had a hard time keeping a straight face.

It's been about 3 weeks since Disneyland and anytime Aubrey is disobeying or being sassy, we just have to pick up the phone and "talk" to Buzz Lightyear and Aubrey becomes a perfect Angel!!!

She won't listen to Mommy or Daddy, but Buzz can take her anytime to "infinity and beyond" so I guess that holds a lot more clout than simply going to timeout.

2008 Beijing Olympic Thoughts

2008-08-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today at Church, Bishop Becker reminded us to write down important moments in our lives that we will be able to share with our posterity in the future. Since we have kind of gotten away from writing in our journal, hopefully, keeping this blog will help in some way - at least we can share our feelings and thoughts with our friends.

I've really been looking forward to these Olympic games and can't believe that after so many years - that it's actually here. Growing up, my dream was to one day participate in the Olympics and I always thought Beijing would kind of be cool - a homecoming of sorts.

Watching the opening ceremonies and the incredible display of artistry and shear pageantry was truly impressive and awe-inspiring. I must admit that although 1) I'm Canadian 2) I have lived in the US for quite a few years, and 3) the closest I've gotten to China was serving a mission in Taiwan; I surely felt a sense of National pride - not Canadian, not American, but Chinese national pride. It is a feeling truly difficult to explain. This was the land of my ancestry and they were putting on a glorious show for the entire world to behold - and I felt proud to be associated with it - even if it was only by ancestry or heritage. I truly feel that Chinese descendants everywhere surely felt some of the same stirrings of pride in their Chinese heritage as I did.

I typically don't cheer for the Chinese, but this time I did. I'm also rooting hard for the Canadians and my friends who are on the US Olympic team. I also feel a certain sense of loss with American's with the loss of an Olympic parent (the individual who was killed was the father-in-law of Hugh McCutcheon - the current US men's volleyball head coach, and the assistant coach with BYU men's volleyball team while I was the student trainer with the team back in 1999). Some may call it loyalty. Maybe I'm just being a fan of sport. Regardless, these Olympics have already touched me and will hold a special memory and place in my heart.

Maybe in another sense, it's just another chance for my ancestors to call out to me reminding me that there is lots of work to be done for them - so many thousands and millions - even a billion - who lack the knowledge of God and his gospel. I do feel a kinship to the people of China - and to the country as a whole. Part of me longs to "return" to a land that I have never been. Like a Taiwanese Olympian said, going back to China and being "(received and welcomed there) was like coming home."

I hope you all enjoy the spectacle of the games and brush up on your Chinese because they will need all the missionaries they can get - there's a large field that will soon be ripe and needs harvesting...

My very late Tag challenge post

2008-08-10T20:49:00.001-07:00

Liz I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to respond to your tag challenge. I am a slacker what can I say! However, it was really fun just to stop and take pictures of the this day. So, here are my pics...

p.s. I have no idea why all my words are being underlined, it is very annoying so sorry!

This was so cute, because I had just grabbed the camera and Rylan walked in holding Addy. She had just woken up from her nap and I am so glad I got her sleepy face on camera. She is so stinkin' cute I can hardly stand it.

Here is Aubrey looking presentable. Usually she is running around in her underwear. She loves to finger paint or color in her princess coloring book.

Although, this just a picture of my kitchen sink. It will forever remind me of how Aubrey gets that little pink teapot and fills it up with water. So, she can have her tea parties. I think it's up there because I had confiscated it for a while, she spills water all over the house.

I wasn't sure if we were suppose to take a picture of the outside of the refrigerator or the inside. My outside is pretty boring, so here is a look at the inside.

Our laundry room...pretty boring! Although, can I just say that everything in that room we bought off of Craigslist. We love craigslist.

These are absolutely my favorite shoes. I hate my feet so I wouldn't model them, but they are so comfy. I have converted so many people to these flip flops because they mold to your feet. I LOVE THEM. If you want to know... so you too can have the best flip flops in the world they are Roxy flip flops.

Now, I was suppose to have taken a picture of my most favorite room in the house. And although I wouldn't say this is my most favorite room to hang out in. It's my most favorite decorated room in the house...because it's pretty much the only decorated room in the house so far. (o:

Here is a picture of my closet....not so exciting.

Well, that concludes my little tag challenge. Thanks again Liz for the tag challenge. I am now going to tag...Wingman, Emily, Bethany, and Coree. Just take pictures of your kids (no fixing them up), your kitchen sink, refrigerator, your laundry room, favorite shoes, favorite room, and your closet. No worries, just have fun.

Did someone say it's your BIRTHDAY?

2008-08-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a busy month with 3 birthday's in 11 days! Rylan and Aubrey had their birthday's on the 27th of July, while Addy followed shortly on the 8th of August. We sure had a fun time. Molly wanted to have a quaint family party for Aubrey and Addy on their respective birthdays and then an extended family party in between. I think next year, we'll just stick to one birthday party each - too stressful. :) However, Aubrey loved it - thinking that every day for the past week and a half was her birthday - again, and again, and again! She was so excited and the day after her birthday she was so sad that it was over. She asked, "can I have my birthday back?" It was so sweet. She sure had a great time swimming and opening presents and spending time with her cousins.

Addy's birthday came on 8-8-08 which is the luckiest Chinese number! It was also the night of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. Since we don't have TV, we went to Molly's parents for a Chinese dinner, Addy's birthday bash, and the opening ceremonies. Addy had a wonderful time eating her cake and opening presents - again. She's so sweet and cute, and it's so hard to believe that she's already been with our family for an entire year. We are so blessed to have such wonderful, sweet, girls.

Below are LOTS of pictures of the events of the past couple of weeks.

Addy loves watermelon. She obviously just can't get enough!

Here is Addy getting ready to blow out her first candle.

Addy was so funny when she got her birthday cake. The first thing she did was stick her mouth on the cake...and sucked on the icing...for 5 minutes. It was so funny, because she wasn't chewing and her face appeared to be "stuck" to the cake. If we pulled the cake away, she would scream. It was pretty funny.

Obviously, she enjoyed her cake!

After she got cleaned up she opened a couple of presents from Mom and Dad.

Cousins - Nate and Logan playing on the 3-lane waterslide at Aubrey's party.

Cousin Louisa and Aubrey sharing a sweet moment.

Daddy and Aubrey with their birthday cupcake!

Addy, Mom, and Aubrey opening birthday presents.

Addy with her "computer."

Princess Aubrey - the birthday girl!

Aubrey loves dresses - which she calls her "princesses." Her she is in her "princess."

Yes, Rylan is still just a big kid at heart! Here he is narrowly beating out nephew Logan in a race!

Cousins Ammon and Hannah enjoying their hot dogs and watermelon. (Notice Molly's vinyl birthday sign on the door!) Great job, Molly!

Keagan enjoying his food after a small break from the water activities.

The 4th of July in Show Low

2008-07-18T15:32:00.001-07:00

For the 4th of July, we went up to Show Low to spend some time with Grammy and Grampy Great. As you can see, the weather was beautiful! It rained super hard with gale wind gusts on the drive up. Molly was pretty white-knuckled! We made it safely, and it was quite a relief to get out of the HOT valley. The temperature up in Show Low was a very pleasant 80-85 degrees compared to 112 degrees in the valley.

We had a great time and the girls were absolutely wonderful. They sure had a wonderful time with their great grandparents. It was so nice to let them play outside on the porch and not worried about them being too hot. Addy and Aubrey sure took a liking to Grammy and Grampy Great. Addy loved to stand on the back porch and yell out to...well, we're not sure what she was yelling at, but she was sure chatty. It was quite amusing. Aubrey had a blast with her bubbles and rocks.

Aubrey sitting pretty with Grammy and Grampy Great

We were fortunate enough to sit by the Johnson's (Molly's friend's parents from high school). They provided the entertainment and commentary during the parade which was hilarious!!! Aubrey built a nice pile of candy and was probably more interested in her stash than the actual parade - until the princesses came by on their horses. She thought it was Cinderella!

Here is Aubrey with her bubbles that kept her occupied most of the weekend!

Addy even got into the candy - which kept her occupied for most of the parade!

The girls hanging out and swinging on the porch swing - having fun.

This is an "Aubrey sandwich." Mom on the bottom, Aubrey in the middle and topped of with Addy!

For some reason, the girls didn't make it up to the bathroom, so they ended up bathing in the kitchen sink.

Green firework.

Multiple fireworks.

The grand finale!

Grammy and Grampy Great have the best view of the fireworks at the high school right from their very own front porch. These pics are from a "fireworks" setting on our camera. Cool, huh? (Should have had a tripod).

Anyway, our trip was sure a lot of fun. It has been quite a while since we were last up there and it was just nice to get away from the valley for a while and visit with the grandparents. They were very accommodating and Grandma baked a great apple pie and Grandpa grilled up some yummy food!

Before we left, we went over to Gibbs house where Molly learned how to do some welding!!! Doesn't she look hot? I think a lot of guys dig a girl who can do home improvement stuff and get dirty like welding, gardening, laying sod, construction, weight lifting, but at the same time be a really cute girly girl. I hope I'm not being too sexist...love you Molly! :) It was sure a lot of fun, but I'm not sure we're ready to invest in ANOTHER hobby!

Addy wanna play with Aubrey???

2008-07-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Aubrey loves to play with her little sister, Addy. Sometimes she's a little rough. Sometimes she's really sweet. Sometimes she likes to share, and sometimes she doesn't. Molly got a couple of photos after Aubrey has "played" with her sister...

Somehow Aubrey got into the freezer and pulled out a can of frozen orange juice.
Well, when you taste something as sweet as concentrated orange juice, you just can't take "one" little taste, can you?

Mmmmm...good.

Aubrey has really taken to coloring. She really tries to stay in between the lines and has been doing really well. This particular day was more of an "abstract" art day experiment with a new medium called "baby sister!" Addy doesn't seem to mind very much. Maybe this is her "Braveheart" look? Thank goodness for non-toxic washable markers!!!

Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort

2008-06-19T21:42:00.001-07:00

This is the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort.
Surprisingly, it was only a 45 minute drive away. Rylan had booked the week off, but our travel plans fell through, so we decided to take a little family trip/business get-away to north Phoenix and enjoy one of the local resorts "Summer Splash Specials."

Our accommadations were a pleasant surprise. We got a great suite with a huge living room, 2 bathrooms and a separate master suite for a great deal, then we spent almost the entire time down at the Falls. As you can see from the pictures, we all had a wonderful time. It wasn't crowded at all and the ambiance was terrific! On the weekends, they have a "Dive in Movie" where you watch a movie down at the pool, music and dancing, and tons of family activities.

Since the weather has been averaging 110 F, we decided to spend most of our time down at poolside. Aubrey sure got brave! She saw the other kids there having so much fun that she just needed to learn to swim and jump like them. Here's mom throwing her up in the air - mom got a good workout as Aubrey wanted to jump over and over again!

OK - time for a little break. One of the perks for Summer Splash was a free Icee. Aubrey sure loved that as you can see from her pink teeth! Smile!

Here's dad trying to sneek in a drink, "pleeeease....nope. All gone..."

Aubrey got some water wings and this totally inspired her with some confidence in swimming. She wanted to swim all day - and even go into the deep end and jump off the steps!

Addison loved the water almost as much as Aubrey. Here she is hanging out with dad at the beach entry.

After working so hard during the week - dad sure was happy to spend some time with his "girls." He was so happy to see them splish and splash in the water. It was so fun to see them all laugh and giggle. (Notice more falls in the background).

When not swimming, Aubrey enjoyed sitting in the tube being spun in circles.

"Hang on mom, just gotta catch a few more rays..."

Aubrey catching some air and jumping in the water...again.

Mom and the girls just in front of one of the many falls.

Tapatio Cliffs and The Falls Water Park

Mom got some great hugs and just got a thrill out of playing with the girls in the water. She also got a little sunburned - despite putting on 50 SPF sunscreen!!!

Aubrey braving the water - without water wings - she learned how to put her face in the water and go underneath without breathing in water! (Phew...what a relief).

Addy just had a blast too. Here she is swinging around in the tube. She just giggled and made funny faces while splashing in the water.

If you're ever in town - we highly recommend going to Tapatio Cliffs. It was so much fun - there's a 150 foot waterslide, half a dozen pools, spas, huge water volleyball area, clubhouse, family fun center, restaurants, cantinas, and above all - really reasonable rates. We sure had a fun time and will be sure to make time more often to go on these little family outings. Life is too short and the kids grow too fast. Even though it was a short trip (almost 24 hrs) the time with family was wonderful and I'm sure we'll have some great memories! And really, isn't that what life is all about?

NEWS ALERT! 5 New postings below!

2008-05-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we last posted, so feel free to scroll down to view 5 new posts! Yes, that's right! 5 new posts!!! All in one day! (Phew...)

"Land (is) a man's very soul." (from Far and Away)

2008-05-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

It has now been 2 whole months since we've moved into our new home in Gilbert. This past weekend we decided to install our landscaping. We were originally going to do it ourselves, but after watching the landscape crew struggle with picks and even a jackhammer to loosen our soil, we were more than content to let them do the job. We kind of felt bad for taking away a lot of Aubrey's "play area" aka the mud pit, but in the best interest of the entire family, we thought that grass might be a cooler, cleaner (see "Mud Girl" post below), and more fun alternative - although that might be subject to Aubrey's definition of "fun."

Who knew that the ground would be so hard? This was farmland right? After Day 1 of heavy, intense manual labor (none performed by us), we were ready to lay in some irrigation pipes.

Rolando - the landscaper - asked, "Are you sure you want that much grass?" To which I replied, "It really wasn't my choice." Rolando stated, "That sure is a lot of grass." I answered, "I guess that gives me a good reason to go to Home Depot and get one of those big riding lawnmowers then!" I don't think Molly would agree - a regular lawnmower will work fine. Actually, I don't really mind because it provides a lot of room for the girls to play around in the back yard.

Day 2 and 3 - the curbing came in and just the outline of the curbing has really transformed our back yard. We situated the plants and trees where we thought we would want them. Notice the workers in the background? They are standing in what will soon be Molly's own garden!!! Mmmm - I can't wait to plant some watermelons and eat fruit and veggies from our own garden! We're both really impressed with how much trees add to the overall feel of the yard. We're so excited for them to grow. We've got a couple of orange trees that will hopefully bring fruit as soon as next summer! Once our ash tree grows more, we plan on putting a picnic table underneath.

We weren't too impressed with desert landscaping. We already live in the desert, so we don't want to be reminded of it on a daily basis. Molly designed the front yard landscaping and I think it looks great! Check out all the sod.

Here is Molly laying the first pieces of sod in the back yard. She was so excited about the grass that she wanted to help out. She even asked Rolando if he needed some help on the side to lay sod for other projects.

Aubrey didn't want to be left out either. She was more than happy to help Mom roll out the sod. She would grunt, "Oh, it's sooo heavy! It's too big! I need help!" Too cute. She sure does take after Mom. She was happy to be included in fixing up her back yard!

Ok, here is the finished product in the back yard! We couldn't believe the difference the grass made in the evening - it was definitely a couple of degrees cooler sitting on the back patio. Nothing like the fresh scent of new grass wafting through the house!

Molly decided that she didn't want larger shade trees in the courtyard and opted for the Oleanders. Good choice. It really makes the court yard "pop" a little more. We also planted a lot of Star of Jasmine plants and the front entry way just smells so sweet.

Here is a view of the house from across the street. I think it definitely has more curb appeal now! We can't wait until everything matures and grows. We really like our home now that it is just a little more complete.

Here is Grammy and Addy sitting on the back patio as the sod was being laid. We're excited for the grass to become a little more settled - then we plan on having a little camp out in our back yard!

Grammy's Surprise Party

2008-05-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

We had a surprise birthday party for Grammy yesterday. After the girls took her out to breakfast, the entire family gathered to surprise her for dinner and a swim party. Again, the water was a little chilly, but when you're all together as family it warms everyone up!

Pool Time!!!

2008-05-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

With the weather warming up - it was finally time to hit the pool and go for a splash! This is Addison's first time swimming. Can you tell she is SOOOO excited?!?! Come on Addy - show some enthusiasm!!! :)

Ok, so the water was a little chilly and the wind was a little blustery, but after a while, the water didn't feel too bad. Addy enjoyed just splashing away in the water.

Aubrey was content to just kick up here feet and splash in the water. She eventually got in too.

Mud Girl

2008-05-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Aubrey LOVES the mud. Give her a water hose and some dirt and she's good for hours! Here are some pics of her in her element - truly a nature a girl!

Empty Nesters

2008-05-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Our little Dove friends outside our bedroom window finally flew the coup! Mommy Bird hatched two little feathered friends that we named Aubrey and Addison. It was fun watching them grow so quickly and kind of sad to see them all leave.

Here is Mommy bird sitting on her two little ones.

"Aubrey" and "Addison" growing up!

Getting ready to take flight...the big leap of faith! It's a big world out there!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears - Oh My!!!

2008-04-11T22:10:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the Phoenix Zoo. We were all so excited to go! We went with our friends from Canada - Felix, Becky and Haylee Janse. It was so fun and we got some great pics. Enjoy the slide show...

Okay - I don't mean to be crude, BUT(T) I just had to take this picture of the Baboon! Go ahead and use whichever caption you feel is most appropriate. We welcome any of YOUR captions - please send us your PG-rated comments.

1. Preparation H, anyone???
2. You can kiss my big pink...
3. Wouldn't you like a seat like this for church when you are stuck on the cold metal seats in overflow?
4. Perfect candidate for the new BUNS OF STEEL.
5. The actual reason for these enlarged bare bottoms is that baboons sit a lot and cannot afford to lose circulation if they have to suddenly get up and move. The large cushioned backsides prevent numb legs. Who would have thought? I'm sure there is a great infomercial product in here somewhere... :)

Temple Square Mission Reunion

2008-04-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

For those who may not know I served a mission on Temple Square '02-'04 and I am sure every missionary may say this, 'it was the most wonderful mission in the world,' but my mission truly is the most amazing mission in the world.

Let me give you a few insights as to why I feel this way. First, we walked and taught in the shadows of a Temple, and a historic one at that, and all of Temple Square is dedicated ground (many people don't know this). Second, I served among the most amazing women WORLD-wide. The world was truly our mission. Over 40 different countries are represented on Temple Square. I cherish and love each one of those sisters, they are AMAZING!!! Third, we carried a heavy responsibility of being the first impression many would have about the church and we would have only moments to touch their soul, this was not easy but as we saw these miracles occur time after time. It was hard having such a special experience only to send them on their way and to never know what the outcome would be. Missionary work is a selfless work, but missionary work on Temple Square in this regard was even more selfless. Fourth, as my Mission President stated many times, "the Lord loves Temple Square," and He truly does.

Now, I won't recap all of my mission for you, even though I did read one of my mission journals lately. I actually wanted to share with you some glimpses of my last reunion. It was so incredible to meet up with past missionary buddies and still see such a strong light radiate from them. And to see my Mission President and his lovely wife and feel of their love and strength, oh it was so sweet...

Here is President and Sister Crouch!! I LOVE these people, they truly changed my life and I felt so honored to serve under such an incredible Mission President and his darling wife.

Here is a picture of a few of the sisters, our camera couldn't fit them all in. Check out the slide show for more pictures.

It was just so fun to see the sisters with their eternal companions or soon to be eternal companions, some even had their sweet babies with them. I couldn't get enough of being around the my fellow Temple Square sisters. President and Sister Crouch threw a wonderful reunion, there was a dinner buffet and short program. Sister Samaroo put together a slide show presentation of pictures sent in from sisters, and then I think it was President Larsen who put together a slide show of the senior couples who served. Then we, of course, stood and recited Doctrine and Covenants 4, The Standard of Truth, and My Missionary Commission. I couldn't believe that even though I have been home for 4 years that I could still remember them. I must admit I was a bit rusty on my Missionary Commission. The evening was just fabulous! I am going to put a slide show of the some of the pictures, I really wish I would have just walked around and took pictures of all of the tables, but of course I was busy chatting. :o) The evening was one that I will hold dear for a long time.

Time in Utah

2008-04-07T22:48:00.001-07:00

Before leaving for Utah, we found a little feathered friend had built its nest outside of our master bedroom window. It just sits serenely the entire day. Aubrey loves to watch the little birdie!

Aubrey and cousin Rhome skype their Canadian cousins (Emmy, Azia, Parker, and Cardiff). Skype is amazing. It's definitely something that our family will have to invest in. Not much talking actually happens - just looking and each other on the computer and making funny faces into the camera!

Grammy and Grampy were amazed at how "chunky" our little Addy has become. You can tell that they are proud Grandparents! Of course, Aubrey and Addy were happy, well, because Aubrey is a "Princess" and Addy is so cute - they were both absolutely spoiled!

Aubrey loves her cousins. Here she is hanging out with Rhome, who btw loves to wink. He's so cute! They seemed to have lots of fun together, but both were pretty possessive about their toys!

Grampy sure had fun playing with Addy. He seemed to have had the magic touch this weekend. Anytime that Addy cried or got fussy, she calmed right down as soon as Grampy held her. Since they don't get to see the kids that often, Mom and Dad had no problem having them hold the kids as much as they wanted!

Our trip to Utah was most enjoyable. We got to see Grammy and Grampy, as well as Aunt JJ and Uncle Mike and cousin Rhome. Jade is about to have another little cousin, so it was good to see her before life would become too hectic. Overall, our experience in flying with both youngsters was positive. We couldn't believe how friendly everyone was - from airport check-in, to security, to flight attendants. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Molly and I were a little worried about how the 2 younger ones would do. Aubrey got her own plane seat and was just purely excited to go on an airplane. "Airplane for me?!?!" was her favorite question. Overall, the girls did wonderfully. We've never walked right off a plane, had all of our baggage ready to be picked up immediately and had so little hassle going through the airport and security. We really couldn't have asked for a better flying experience. It's just too bad that our trip was so short.

FYI - if you have to rent a car - make sure that after they con you into getting an upgrade because it has more room - that the trunk is actually large enough to fit in everything! And do not - repeat - DO NOT get a Pontiac G6! They stink for luggage space, trunk room, and overall comfort. Automatic upgrades to SUVs or minivans are preferred.

I wish I had taken a picture of our "stack" as we pushed it through the airport. Just use your imagination...one double stroller, with two car seats stacked on top, followed by one suitcase, one carry-on, and a diaper bag underneath and a little girl in the front seat. I'm sure it was quite a sight! Fortunately, everyone was most patient and helpful and most importantly - understanding. It helps when the girls are so cute and can take most of the attention! :)

General Conference

2008-04-07T22:12:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I (Rylan) had the opportunity to attend General Conference Priesthood session with my Dad and brother-in-law Mike. It was a wonderful experience. The vastness of the Conference Center is almost overwhelming - and to see it completely filled with honorable holders of the Holy Priesthood is truly amazing when one considers the power in that room! The spirit was very strong. As soon as the First Presidency entered the auditorium, the restlessness and the busy voices hushed almost immediately. A reverent hush overcame the auditorium in a wave as everyone stood in reverence. You literally could hear a pin drop. This sight brought tears to my eyes. The respect shown to the newly sustained Prophet of God and his counselors was quite emotional. To think that we were going to hear President Monson's first address during this conference was a treat. To all who were present, I'm sure that his talk will be forever memorable - the laughs, the ear wiggles, the stories, and the emotional experiences of a dedicated missionary that brought grown men to tears. Each talk was wonderful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the choir, the music and the spirit of the entire meeting. It was truly a blessing to be present. Overall, I was impressed with the general feeling that the message was to be better. To be a better Priesthood holder, a better friend, a better son, a better husband - and that more was expected of us. I feel like we were asked to serve a little better and a little more.

Before the session began, I was also impressed with the emphasis that was placed on "being courteous to those outside who wish to disrupt the spirit of this conference." I was also impressed with the missionaries as they lined the walls of Temple Square to sing hymns as members went to and from the Conference Center. The spirit all around Temple Square was very present and almost "palpable." You could tell this was a special conference.

The first session of Conference was amazing. I can vaguely recall my first experience during a Solemn Assembly when Pres. Hinckley was sustained, and was on my mission when Pres. Hunter was sustained. Even watching on TV and standing up in the living room, the spirit was very strong and tears came easily as I sustained a new Prophet of the Lord. To me, Pres. Monson seemed almost overwhelmed (I can't think of a better way to explain it), but seemed to have literally been strengthened and rejuvenated as Conference weekend progressed.

When the spirit was as strong as it was this past weekend, one cannot help but know - really know - that it's all real. It's all true! This weekend, the spirit has time and again confirmed and reconfirmed to me that the Church is true. That we are indeed led by a living Prophet of God in Pres. Monson. To think that he is the 16th President of this dispensation is amazing - and especially considering how he has been groomed since being called as a Bishop at age 22 and Apostle at 36! Wow. I'm sure appreciative for times like this where I can soak up the spirit of Conference and have my testimony renewed in such a powerful way.

It was also quite a treat to go to Molly's Temple Square reunion. It was fun to watch her re-acquaint herself with old missionary buddies and companions. To see them recognize each other, but forget names, or to look at their name tags to remember first names or their new married names. I will let Molly write about her reunion experiences. Suffice it to say that Temple Square, (despite it's inherent "drama" of having so many sisters there) - and I don't mean that to be rude - and the Sisters and the senior missionary couples that serve there definitely carry a special spirit about them which was still very present and noticeable during the reunion.

Our New Home

2008-03-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

After months of delay and nervous anticipation - our home was finally finished and we closed on March 5th! We have been fortunate enough to have Amy help us order blinds and Emily help us order carpet. Jim helped tear out the old carpet and Adam helped install some of the blinds. It has been a lot of fun trying to get everything put into its place. Thanks to Taff, Mike, Tyson, and Debbie for helping out as well! Our backs are sore, but it sure is nice sleeping in our own bed again and not living out of suitcases. Here are some snapshots of the lot to the finished product...

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank everybody for the encouraging comments on my last post (My day from a very dark place). Just a quick update Aubrey has retired her mischievousness as of lately. In fact, she has been the little angel....go figure :o)

Here are the girls in their Easter dresses that I found the day before. I thought for sure that I would be out of luck shopping last minute, procrastination is a killer, however I felt so lucky these dresses were the last ones left and they happened to be in their sizes. SUCH LUCK!!!

Our Easter Day was lovely. I had a old mission companion over and she actually made us breakfast in the morning....it was very nice!!! Then we went to church and sacrament meeting was beautiful. The ward choir sang beautifully and the talks were well prepared. All of the meetings were wonderful. After church we came home and put the Aubrey and daddy down for a quick nap. Then we went of the grandparents house for Easter dinner. It was yummy!!! The kids concluded it with an Easter egg hunt which was kinda of funny because my 4 year old nephew went first with the little kids and cleaned it out before the big kids got a chance. :o) It was truly a beautiful day to think about the purpose of Easter and the blessings we enjoy because of our Savior. I hope you all had a wonderful day too.

My day from....a very dark place

2008-02-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

I hope I can make it through this blog entry, because the things I will reveal from my very frustrating day was just !@$%&@! AHHHHH! (BIG SIGH!!!)

Okay, so yesterday I had a day, yes a very rough day. Aubrey woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I came out to find her face in the cereal bowl Rylan gave her before he left to work. I clean her up, but she was just getting started.

After breakfast is over I put her in a bath, because usually they cheer her up and plus her hair was pretty gross from dried milk in her hair, remember the cereal earlier. Yeah! Well, then my sister Emily came over to drop off her kids for a while because she is moving. I have watched her two kids with my two kids before and it was actually pretty easy, well the stars were not aligned that day. So, while she is dropping them off Aubrey comes from around the corner with pink, peptobismol pink ink on her hands. I go around the corner, to discover that she found a pink ink pad and had decided to color on my moms walls with it. I quickly respond with super hero speed and force to pry off the ink from the wall. "Whew," I think to myself that was a close one. Well, it gets even better. Emily leaves and I decide it is lunch time. I feed the girls pears and chicken nuggets with a little pile of ketchup. I sit at the table with them until the babies both start fussing and need me to hold them. So, I leave my post to console the fussy babies. Meanwhile, I hear the girls giggling behind me, and I think, "oh how sweet." As I turned my head towards the giggling, my mom's white bichon frise dog (Yuki) comes walking around the couch with ketchup covering her back. KETCHUP AND WHITE FUR!!! YUCK!!! I quickly shew her outside before she shakes and sprays ketchup everywhere. Aubrey is put in time out.

I strongly believe that while she was in time out, she was conceiving another strike against me. Once she is out Aubrey plays quietly for a moment by Addy. However, she seizes another opportunity and begins pouring water all over Addy's head. Oh my goodness!!! I need help or therapy!

THAT IS IT!!! IT IS NAPTIME!!! I put the the older girls down, and then Addy down for a nap. Emily comes and takes the little guy with her to keep packing.

I have a few hours of no mishaps, it's a miracle!

Well, the girls wake up and I give them a snack and then send them outside to play. We have been having beautiful weather here in AZ. So, I leave the sliding glass door open, so they can come and go. I begin cooking dinner. As I come around the kitchen island I discover that Aubrey has been smuggling sand in a play-doh rolling pen and dumping it in in the middle of the kitchen floor just hidden from my view!

Now, at this point in the day, I begin to question, "who is this child and what has she done with my angelic little girl !?!?!" Well, I decided that I need to take a picture of her with all of her little accomplices.

The evening continued on with a struggle to get to bed because cousin Louisa was still over and Aubrey and her just have too much fun. So, there it is my day from a very dark place!!! (SIGH)

Just some random moments

2008-02-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

Daddy braided Aubrey's hair and I was so proud that I had to take a picture of it. What a STUD!

I need to have some fun with bath time too, instead of being just the life guard. My mom and I couldn't stop laughing, simply because they looked so funny.

Ahhhh...just a adorable pic of Addy if I may say so (:

Here is Aubrey posing in her Aunt Mimi's boots. She could hardly walk around the house. You should see the footage of it. Ummm.....we still need to figure out how to do that on our blog.

"Tag your it...." favorite childhood game

2008-02-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my lovely mish comp tagged me after I had just had a good ol' chat with her last Sunday and I am complying only because...she is one of a kind and I couldn't let the ol' gal down could I? So, I hope you don't mind learning a little bit more about yours truly.

8 Things I want to do before I die (in no particular order)
1. Raise happy, honest, faithful children.
2. Build my dream home and have a HUGE garden
3. Serve a mission with Rylan
4. Finish an Ironman, preferably the one in Hawaii
5. Backpack Europe
6. Acquire enough wealth to become a humanitarian philanthropist.
7. Finish my degree and possibly get a Masters
8. Live my life with no regrets

8 Things I am Passionate About.
1. Being a mom, I LOVE IT!!!
2. Making Rylan feel like he's the "luckiest" man in the world.
3. Gospel doctrine...I love learning and gaining insights
4. Emotional and physical well being.
5. My growing vinyl business
6. I LOVE PEOPLE!!! I LOVE MEETING NEW PEOPLE! I love striking up conversations with strangers in random places.
7. Learning about things that are deemed "old fashioned" I love to know things that the modern woman would hire somebody to do for them or have no clue about.
8. Taking time to enjoy the journey.

8 Common phrases (keep in mind I am surround by little ones all day)
1. Ahh....MAN! (some sort catastrophe just occurred)
2. UH...OHHH! (usually directed towards Aubrey)
3. What's wrong baby doll? (speaking to either Aubrey or Addy)
4. Aubrey what is that? (responding to her often asked question, "whats dat?")
5. Ya know?
6. BLAST!
7. Hey sweetie!
8.

can't think of any others....like I said earlier....

Recently read books.
1. I am a Mother
2. The Goose Girl
3. Harry Potter #7
4. Of Love and Logic
5. Girl of the Limberlost
6. 7. 8. Twilight Series

Characteristics of my friends...
They are HAPPY PEOPLE and are up for having FUN TIMES! I enjoy having good conversations, so they are usually pretty talkative and great listeners. Optimistic! You can always pick up where you left off with them, even if it was months ago from when you last heard from them. INSPIRATIONAL!!! I can honestly say that I always see great things in my friends that really inspire me. Honest and dependable.

8 of my album covers... (music I listen to when my kids are in bed or napping)
1. ANYTHING from the oldies goldies...I LOVE the 50's 60's music. (cleaning music)
2. Izzy
3. Siriusly Sinatra (best when I am cooking)
4. Sarah Brightman
5. Eva Cassidy
6. Enya (especially when it's raining)
7. Josh Groban
8. Andrea Bocelli

8 Random things about me
1. I love cooking new foods from ALL ethnic groups
2. I hate eating raw broccoli, YUCK! Other raw foods I'm good with, but broccoli...
3. Deep down I wish I was more creative!!!
4. My heart always aches when I hear of children hurting, I cry a lot...I can't watch the news anymore.
5. I think Steve Nash is one of the only decent sports icons left! GO SUNS!!! We joke about naming one of our kids after him...if our next is a girl "Nasha", what do you think? j/k
6. I want an even number of children, and '4' is our minimum.
7. I NEED to LIVE where there are GREEN TREES, GREEN GRASS, and CLEAN AIR!!! I want to live some where that has an 'small town' feel to it with a Target, Home Depot, JoANN or Michaels and cook specialty shop.
8. Being the CFO of the household, finances has become a 'secret' obsession of mine.

TAG YOU ARE IT... WINGMAN, LIZ (super duper blogger), and STEF (my ultimate trainer)

A Day in the Life of the Girls

2008-02-01T21:08:00.001-08:00

Aubrey at the park

Aubrey loves to go to the park. She rides her bike and then loves to go on the swing! She's quite the daredevil - "Look mom, no hands!!!"

Puddle Time

If there is water around - Aubrey will find it. Here she is trying to splash Mom and the camera. Everytime it rains, Aubrey gets so excited and wants to run and jump in puddles. She found this puddle in the back yard.

Play Time

Addison is beginning to turn over. She is getting better with tummy time too. She loves to explore and has become very tactile. If it feels neat in the hands, you can be sure that it's going into the mouth!

Dad's Little Helper

Yesterday, Dad was cutting and routing boards for Mom. Aubrey saw Dad wearing his particle mask and safety goggles. Being the "Daddy's girl" that she is - of course she wanted to help out! So she got her own glasses and face mask! What you can't see is her enormous smile under the mask and the giggling getting a kiss from Dad!

Candid Kidz

2008-01-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is Addy. She is our little "chunk of love." You can tell why...and yes, it's hard not to kiss on those cheeks all day long!

Addy has started to eat rice cereal. Somehow, Mom seems to keep it "neat" compared to Dad?!?! What's the deal? When Dad feeds her - the cereal ends up in her nose, hair, face, almost everywhere but the mouth. I think I have good technique - I mean, how hard can it be? I think it's a conspiracy between Addy and Mom. Molly says it's because Dad is distracted by the news on the TV. This may OR may not be true.

A while ago Aubrey was re-enacting "monkey's jumping on the bed" with her cousin Justice.

You know how it goes...
"One little monkey jumping on the bed."
"One fell off and bonked her head."
"Aunt Amy called the doctor (actually the PA - aka Dad)"
"Doctor (Dad) said, 'What the heck happened?!?!' " Who then proceeded to go into "medical mode" and perform a neuro exam and ended up sleeping in Aubrey's bed with her the entire night...not comfy.

Somehow, she ended up on the floor - head first! Here is a lovely picture of her goose egg. We wanted to put ice on it, but she would have none of that! So her Aunt Amy went to the store and picked up some ice cream sandwiches. Apparently, ice cream is easier to apply on the head and is more appealing than an ice pack. Aubrey preferred the ice cream in her mouth instead, as I don't recall it ever making it to her head...

Now, every time she falls or hits her head (fortunately, not that often) she runs to Mom or Dad and says, "Aubrey need ice on head!" I wonder if she's hoping for ice cream sandwiches again?

Aubrey and Addy both got sick this week. Actually - Molly was out too. So all 3 of my girls were sick. Aubrey has taken quite a dis-liking to taking medicine. If she sees it coming, she quickly covers her mouth and cries, "no medicine! No medicine!" Cute, but have you ever tried prying little fingers off to get the medicine down? Whew...what a work out! After screaming and flailing, the thing that worked the best was to ask her if she wanted to take the medicine herself. She did. Still didn't like it - but at least it got down! Simple enough, right?

Her cousins were over this weekend and they all got ice cream. Well, Aubrey still had a fever (remember she wouldn't take the medicine) but still wanted a treat - so Grammy gave her a popsicle - which took her 30 minutes to eat/slurp/drink/lick! I think most of it ended up somewhere besides her mouth! You just have to follow the drip line downward to the puddle on the seat and floor.

Thoughts from a Dad

2008-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

It is not too often that I get a chance to write on the blog...so here it is. Caution - long read ahead...

Who knew the joys and challenges that fatherhood would bring? Time goes so fast, and it's hard to make sure that we're not missing out on the little things that we so often take for granted.

I have loved every single minute of being a father and the joys and worries that come with that responsibility. Thankfully - at this point definitely more joys.

ADDISON - MY CHUNK OF LOVE

Addison has grown so much in the past couple of weeks. She is now 5 months old and still can't roll over - it's pretty tough getting those 4 leg rolls over at the same time! She is so cute and loves to smile and flirt. She loves her sister Aubrey who often calls her, "chunk of love" and "baby girl." Addison loves to grab for our food and drinks, and sometimes it seems she is so disappointed when we have to take it away - "Sorry Addy, you have to have you rice cereal instead." Yeah, I would be bummed out too...especially when everyone else gets to eat all the cool stuff! She is so cute when she wakes up from a nap in her crib. She always has a big grin and flails her arms and legs with excitement! I feel so bad putting a binky back in her mouth and then leaving her room. "Sorry, it's not time to wake up and play yet...maybe in a few more hours." (It's only 3:30 am!!!) Imagine Christmas morning in a few years...

AUBREY - DINOSAURS EAT TOES

Aubrey has been growing so much as well. I have been constantly amazed at how much and how fast Aubrey picks things up. She keeps us all in stitches with the things that she says and does on a daily basis. She has become quite inquisitive - always asking, "What happened???" or "What's that?" She's scared of dinosaurs (her cousin got a robotic dinosaur for Christmas and she is deathly afraid of it! Everyone else loves it because she'll finally hug you and won't let go!) Sad. Apparently, dinosaurs like to eat her toes - a lot. It's funny, because out of nowhere, she'll say, "OHHHH! Dinosaur! Dinosaur eat my toes!" For some odd reason - this means that to avoid getting her toes eaten, it means taking off her shoes and socks?!?!?

CHARLIE BIT ME

Aubrey is English. Well, at least she has an English accent now. Really. For those of you who haven't seen it - you need to check out YOUTUBE and search for "Charlie bit my finger." Hilarious. Well, I don't know when Aubrey saw it, but she'll walk around the house speaking in an English accent (really), "Ouch! Charlie bit me!" Then she'll stick her finger in her own mouth or in Addison's mouth and say the same thing. A picture is worth a thousand words. I'll work on a pic...

WHO'S ON YOUR NETWORK?

Her new thing is talking on phones. She loves to call her cousins and talks with ANYONE who calls. She'll pretend that anything flat and rectangular is a phone too. She'll pick it up, nod her head, say, "Hello? Hi! How are you? Uh-huh, oh yeah, ok, (giggle), yeah-yeah-yeah, ok, bye-bye." Cracks me up. On a more serious note, the other day, she asked Mom if she could call Daddy at work to talk to him. She had to leave a message...

Aubrey: "Hi Daddy!"
"Love you!"
"Call me!"
"See ya!"

It almost brought tears to my eyes! It was so sweet and sincere and child-like (imagine that - she's 2), but still, it was very sweet. Definitely made my day and made me smile!

Today we were watching the ending of Dante's Peak on TV - and in passing, one of the characters said, "Oh my..." and Aubrey, who was playing around, repeated it to our utter most surprise! To top that off - she said it a couple of times throughout the day, and she heard it ONCE!!! Needless to say, Molly and I have had to really be careful on what is being shown on the television. We've also had to do some DC (damage control) and try to reinforce Aubrey saying, "Oh my goodness!" instead.

Their minds are truly sponges and they pick up so much. Aubrey's now learned, "Just a minute..." and is really improving on communicating with us. We've really tried to reinforce signing or telling us what is wrong instead of grunting or whining. It's been tough, but it's also been quite rewarding. It's so much easier to help her out when she signs to us. I also think that it will help her become more polite and well behaved.

This experience has just shown me how great our responsibility is as parents to be vigilant in watching everything that we say and do, because even when we think they are not listening or watching - they may be because they are so perceptive. At church, they've asked us to pray more as families and read our scriptures because our children will see us and learn from our examples.

Our little ones are learning so much and it has been so fun to see them grow and develop. They are truly the greatest blessings in our lives. I feel that we, as parents, have also grown a lot in becoming consistent and learning how to adapt to each of their individual needs.

All in all - I love being a Dad. I love putting the girls to bed - kneeling with Aubrey in prayer, tucking her in, reading nighttime stories and singing songs, then getting hugs and kisses. It's so sweet. I love changing diapers - just kidding. No I don't. But I will - because it's part of the job description. But this I will tell you - it's much easier to change your own kid's poopie diapers rather than someone else's...

And that, *sigh* are just a few thoughts from a novice parent...

Show me the money!

2008-01-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a very short, but humorous conversation that Aubrey had tonight with Grammy Cundiff...

Setting: Aubrey's walking around the table huffin' and puffin', finally goes up to Grammy.

Grammy: What's wrong Aubrey?

Aubrey: I don't know where ma money is? (mom saves the day and gets her the cup with with coins in it, Aubrey begins counting her money)

Grammy: Wow, Aubrey can I have some money?

Aubrey: Nope, dis is not your money, dis is MY money.

Grammy: Ohh...

Aubrey: You are Happy...okay! (this isn't a question, it's a statement)

Hope this made you smile!

What a week!

2008-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't have pictures for this week, because my sister accidentally took our camera home with her and left her camera here. So, here is the latest from this past week.

Addy is getting over having croup and Aubrey got croup. I am exhausted...I sure love being a mommy...however this one part of the job description that lies at the bottom of the "favorite list." Rylan has been a super help at taking turns getting up with the girls. The first day of being sick is actually nice, because I get to hold Aubrey a lot. This is hard to do because she is so active that getting some snuggles out of her is quite the task. Aubrey and Addy both are on the mend, although Aubrey does seem a bit grumpy as of lately.

I hesitate sharing this next part, but it was so funny and random that I can't help it. This morning we were all snuggling in bed while Aubrey got up and went to open all the bedroom shades. While she was opening the shades she said...

"I pickin my nose, n' puttin on ma pants."

After recovering from the initial shock of what she said, we couldn't help but crack up. I promise this is not a reflection of anything we taught her, but the things they say and do, will just haunt them forever.

Well, that is about it for the time being. Hopefully, we can swap cameras soon and put up some more pics. In the meantime...have a great week!

Molly's newest Talent

2007-12-29T21:56:00.001-08:00

Molly started a new business dealing with Vinyl Lettering. It all started with Molly going to an Enrichment activity where they made quote boards. We thought, "hey, this looks simple enough. Let's try it out!" Well, we got a smokin' deal on a cutter and after getting the right programs and some vinyl products, we started cutting vinyl. We're both amazed at how easy it is and what a difference it makes for interior home decor. There was a sharp learning curve learning about the cutter, the software, and how to correlate everything, but Molly spent hours learning. She's quite a natural and really has developed a great sense of detail and and eye for color and design. Above is a picture of one of Molly's first big projects.

This is a board that she did with a neat "Wise men still seek Him," quote. Rylan enjoys going to the Home Depot to buy wood. Projects like these give him a good excuse or a rational reason to buy more tools! He cuts the wood, routes it and sands it down. Molly then paints, cuts, and applies the vinyl. Sometimes, it's quite a tedious process, but the finished product is definitely worth it. It's been a really enjoyable activity for our family. Stressful at times, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The Family Home Evening board and the wall quote were also done by Molly. Rylan helped route the wood pieces and put in the nails. Molly cut the vinyl and applied it to the pieces and added the ribbons. Quite a nice touch, I think. Her sister-in-law loved it!

Molly really enjoys talking to people about her projects and loves to get together with her friends to plan projects or ideas. These work great for kids rooms, home decor, and especially small gifts. We do sell them on the side - so if you're interested, please let Molly know!

A Year in Review

2007-12-29T21:01:00.001-08:00

What a year! 2007 was definitely an eventful year...

January - We found out that Aubrey was going to be a big sister to a new little girl.

February - Decided to build in Shamrock Estates in Gilbert - just a mere 2 miles from our previous home.

March - Life threw us some curveballs. We are blessed to have such a wonderful support system to lean on.

April - Still learning to hit those curveballs...

May - Went to Hawaii with the Martineau's, Teresa, and Amy. Had such a fun time. Aubrey is definitely a little "beach princess."

June - Decided not to move to Shamrock Estates, instead started to build house #2 in another community.

July - Leased our home out, and moved in with Molly's parents.

August - Addie (Addy - as Molly spells it) was born on the 8th.

September - Adjusting to having 2 kids. Aubrey loves her little sister.

October - Builders can't follow plot plan. House #2 built wrong. House #3 breaks ground (sigh...)

November - Christmas is coming way too soon! Started our own Vinyl lettering business that has just taken off! Molly has discovered a hidden talent.

December - Christmas went way too fast! We enjoyed every minute of it. It was so fun to watch the little ones discover the magic of Christmas. Actually - she was more interested in chocolate than opening presents (please view Christmas slideshow for visual effect).

All in all, we feel extremely blessed. We've experienced and learned a lot this year. We're excited for the new year and all the excitement, challenges, and new adventures that it may bring.

Happy New Year to you all. We hope you have a wonderful holiday and best wishes!

Baby pictures of Addison

2007-10-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Taffee Eager took some of these pics for us when Addison was a newborn.

She is soooo talented. We're trying to learn how to take pictures like she does. It really does require a good eye, plus, she is a natural talent.

This is a picture of Rylan and his 3rd love of his life - his 2nd baby girl - Addison.

Aubrey sure loves her sister. In fact, one time she kissed on her so much that she actually bit Addison on the head! Now that's love!

This is a picture of Rylan and Molly holding
Addison. She is almost sleeping through
the night. If we can only get both Aubrey and
Addison to sleep through the night on the
SAME night...then maybe we could get some sleep!
Molly is a real trooper! She wakes up all the time to feed or put the girls back down. She lets Rylan sleep in all the time, but Rylan really does try to

return the favor and help out as much as possible.

Fort Collins - future home of the Chan Clan?

2007-10-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from Fort Collins, CO. We loved it! What a beautiful city.

It's known for it's mild 4 seasons and as a superb city for raising families. We loved it so much that we were sad to leave. Old Town Fort Collins is what Disneyland's Mainstreet is designed after! It has so much character and there is green grass and trees everywhere!

The people were sooo friendly. The public parks are amazing and there is so much to do outside. Molly loved the amount of openess and space. We both loved the size of the lots - especially those that opened to open spaces and greenbelts. They have trails, miles of bike paths, many lakes, parks, and shopping. It had all the amenities of a big city, but with the small city feel. It only took us about 10 minutes to get across town - in rush hour!!! What a change.

Main street has lights decorating all of the trees. It's beautiful at night time. The restaurants seemed quite good - very casual. The shops were unique and definitely have a home-town feel. The weather was perfect mid-70s. The breezes were clear and dust-free. Fort Collins is a short drive from the rockies, 6 hours to SLC, and 12 hrs to Canada. We loved the weather! Even though it was cooler, it still felt quite warm because of the altitude. It even snowed the day we left after the entire day was about mid-70!

At this time - I think we're going to stay put in Arizona. Pay off as much as possible in student loans. Save as much as possible. Hopefully the vinyl business will take off as well and generate some extra income. The market in Colorado seems to be a little more stable than in Arizona, so we're sure we can probably find a great deal even in a couple of years.

Introducing our newest blessing

2007-10-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Here is our little Addison May Chan in her blessing dress. (Heather Monk masterfully made it) She was born August 8 at 9:15 pm, she weighed 7 lbs 11.5 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She is such a delight!!!! Aubrey just adores her and gives her lots of hugs and kisses, sometimes too many.

A Dinglehopper

2007-10-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

The pictures really do speak for themselves. Here is Aubrey enjoying a nutritious breakfast of pure sugar. Rylan caught this tasty scene on film. By the way, I think she has seen the Little Mermaid too many times.