Surprises, Travel, and Princesses

I think the month of October was full of fun and adventure for this little family of mine.  Let me tell you about it.

We start out the month splendidly with my birthday! I turned 28, and I was expecting the day to be pretty normal.  I hadn't heard any big plans for the day, so I figured it would be another work day with some extra phone calls from family and going out to eat for dinner since I didn't want to cook anything.  I got that but so much more, too! Brandon planned a small surprise party for me when I got home.  It was just a few close friends with their kids, and I loved it! Brandon knows me so well.  He mentioned that he thought about making a bigger thing but then realized it was for me.  I prefer small, intimate groups to the big and loud parties. We had yummy ice cream cake from Cold Stone then pizza (in that order) for lunch. Then after the party, a friend watched Kayla while Brandon and I went to the movies and saw How to Train Your Dragon 2.  It was a fun movie. Favorite character: Toothless! We had a bit of time so we quickly went shopping for maternity pants. It's true that's not a typical birthday present or anything that exciting, but I want to be comfortable for the next 6 months. That day turned out to be a really good day.  And I love Brandon all the more because he made it that way.

Then so soon after such a fantastic day, Brandon has to go and leave me for two weeks for a film shoot.  He was in New York for a week then went to Los Angeles for the second week. He sent me these from New York:

The view from his hotel room, NY

From a rooftop, NY

The Beach, LA

An LDS chapel, LA

He was there doing interviews for the Church.  I don't know how much I can say about it, but it seems really exciting for potential missionaries.  We were hoping he'd get the job to edit the piece, too, but unfortunately that didn't happen. But while he was there he made some good contacts and hopefully something really awesome will come from it.  This job was an answer to a prayer that I feel like I should explain.

Back at the beginning of the year, we were starting to think about adding a new member to the family.  The biggest concern we had at the time (and still kinda do) was how we were going to afford a new baby and how were we going to work out our jobs so that we could take care of our family. Currently, both of us are working part time (with no benefits) and we switch off watching Kayla.  Brandon gets her in the morning then after lunch, he heads into work. I feel like that arrangement wouldn't work and I should be at home full time with two kids.  The problem was that we weren't seeing any good job opportunities at the time for Brandon to work in film full time.  He still has Cinema Book Trailers, but it's an up and coming business and still working out all the kinks. So for now, that wouldn't work.  The LDS Motion Picture Studio wasn't looking very promising either.  Anyway, we just couldn't see a good way to bring another child to the world and support the family.  We've been trying to go to the temple monthly (should be more, but at least we're going) and those thoughts were on our mind a lot at the time. At one visit, we didn't have time for a full session, so we decided to do some Sealings (a special ordinance in the temple that links families together). I was so happy we went.  It was there that we both got the impression, very strongly, that it was time for another child.  After the initial feelings of joy and love for my family and from our Heavenly Father, my silly mind kicked in and I started freaking out again over the problems I've already stated.  But I knew it was the right thing to do.  And it was still on my mind the next time we went to the temple a couple weeks later. Then we both got the feeling that we needed to put our trust in the Lord.  Everything will work out.  If we stay obedient and do what He asked, everything will work itself out.  Not our favorite answer since we would have liked something more concrete, but it was very clear to both of us to move forward in faith. Needless to say, we were obedient, and here's a pic of me at 15 weeks to prove it:

And now, the blessings are starting to come in.  We believe Brandon being offered the job for NY and LA was one of those blessings.  Because of that trip, we've been able to put into savings the amount we need for the medical expenses next year.  And he's starting to get better rates at his work and more exciting jobs there, too.  Before, he was just doing what no one else wanted to do, a lot of grunt work. So I see the loving hand of the Lord in my life. And though I don't always remember that, it's still there.

For those two weeks, it was just me and Kayla at home.  By the end I was a little stir crazy, so I was super excited to hear that the aquarium in Draper had a free admission day. Perfect plan for us!

They had a lot of fun exhibits and Kayla loved seeing everything there. She called it the "fish zoo." They had a section from South America that was very warm and humid.  Kayla's favorite part from this exhibit was the rope bridge and the ducks, go figure. 

The aquarium had us exit through the gift shop and I felt that since we got in for free, I could splurge a bit and donate by buying their merchandise.  Something for each of us.  Kayla goes to bed every night with her sea horse.  She named it Sea Flower and absolutely loves it.  Best purchase ever! And it was hard to pass up that fluffy penguin pillow for Brandon (though Kayla thinks it's hers). Kayla helped me pick out the necklace. She thinks it's so cute and I think so, too!

Kayla loves Halloween.  Earlier in the month we got out the decorations, and I had to get some candy for Primary, so we've had candy in the house all month long.  She loved the spiders and the black cat decorations we have.  Every day she asked if it was Halloween Day yet. Finally it came! We went for a Cinderella-type theme.  Kayla was the princess (of course), I was the fairy godmother (best dress I could find at home with my tummy), and Brandon was Gus Gus.

Do you see the resemblance?

My dress is from my high school senior prom that my mother made for me in 2004. I was kind surprised it still fit me 10 years later! Yay for empire waist dresses to hide the prego belly!  Comparing pictures, I actually think it fits better now than it did back then.

Best pic I could find.  Not from prom, but it was my senior year.

October was really perfect, aside from the traveling husband.  The weather was perfect, my birthday was perfect, and though I think Kayla would have liked to go trick-or-treating some more, Halloween was great.  We even drove up to Idaho to see family, so that was perfect, too.  I just hope the rest of the year is just as perfect.

Family Togetherness

A lot has happened since the last post--no surprises there.  Lots of good and some sad. So I'll just jump right in.  

Though I was able to write something on Kayla's birthday, I didn't get a chance to talk about how we celebrated it and the events surrounding her awesome birthday.  My mom and Mike came into town that week to be with us and another grandson of theirs.  It was really fun having them here to celebrate with us.

So her BIG DAY came and we made sure to keep her super happy all day.  So she wore her favorite dress.

I had to add this one because I love her face in this pic!

And went to the park to play with her friends.We made these cakecicles and the kidos got to decorate and eat them.  Unfortunately I completely spaced the picture taking until after all the cake eating was done. Oh well. Just imagine lots of kids with chocolate on their faces and sprinkles everywhere.  It was awesome.

They all wanted to be on the swing so we engineered a 2 for 1 seat!

I love these girls! So sweet!

Grandpa Mike helping the girls out!

Then we got home, and Kayla opened her presents. She loved them all.  They were perfect for her! She's been having so much fun with all of them!

It's been a lot of fun having a 3-yr old.  She's talking more and better.  I'm pretty sure she understands everything I tell her, she just chooses not to listen.  That's the real joy of this age...She has the funnest laugh and does everything she can to get one out of us, too. She's a monster She's a princess.  It just depends on the day which she chooses to be. Regardless, I love all of her.

As part of her birthday present, we got Kayla a haircut.  She never likes it when I try to put up her hair.  And the few times she lets me, it's out within 5 minutes. So here's what it looks like now! I love it!

I think we've gone to the zoo more times this year than I have in my lifetime.  The great thing about kids this age is that they love doing the same things over and over again.  I've enjoyed it because every time we've gone, it's been with different people and we've seen different areas of the zoo at different times.  So it's like a different experience every time. It's been great!  But a few things stay the same. Like these:

The Giraffe Family Picture Place

The Splash Pad 

(Sorry for some there was no sound with this video)

And the Carousel 

It was a lot of fun spending this zoo trip with grandparents and other members of my family. I wouldn't be surprised if we found our way there again next year. 

Kayla can't have a successful birthday without the traditional HoBo birthday party for the "twins."  This year, we went for a Princess theme.  I think everyone enjoyed it.  There was lots of food, lots of balloons, and lots of family to talk and play with.

What was really special about this birthday was all the family that we had around us to celebrate.  This was my mom's first time in town during Kayla's birthday (huzzah for being retired), and that was a lot of fun.  We got to see all the Bobo's that are living in the Utah. That's always super fun, too.  Sometimes I miss our Bobo-Graham get togethers.  Growing up, I could always count on spending 4th of July and Thanksgiving with them. Good times. 

On a less happy note, one of the other occasions for family gatherings is for funerals. Brandon's Grandpa Talabock passed away in August.  I haven't been in the family long, but I know I'm going to miss him.  He was such a character.  Gruff on the outside, but a teddy bear on the inside.  He had a hard life, but I believe he found a lot of joy there, too.  Brandon and I were able to give him one of his first great-grandchildren, and I could tell how much he loved her.  I was looking at some baby blessing pictures of Kayla and found this:

The funeral service was very beautiful.  Brandon contributed by putting together a video and picture slideshow.  Everyone who watched it loved it.  Then we went to the Veteran's Memorial where his remains were buried.  They had an honor guard there who presented the flag and did taps.  I always tear up when the trumpet plays that tune.  They played it at my own grandfather's and father's funeral.  I think it will always touch my heart. In a few simple notes, it shows so much respect and honor for the soldiers who pass on from this life.

Though it wasn't for the best occasion, it was still really nice to see Brandon's parents while they were out here.  It was only for a weekend, but it's always good to see them.  Kayla loves and misses them a lot.  Both of her grandparents.  She talks about going to their house and talks to them on her phone. I'd love to put up a video, but Google just told me the file was too big.  I'll just have to send it to them personally. Needless to say, it's super cute.

The next fun thing that happened with our little family was the Salt Lake City ComicCon. Brandon was a panelist, so was able to get us all in for free. Best way to go, in my opinion. Brandon was there representing Cinema Book Trailers with this business partners and showed their newest book trailer, The Golden Cord.  I think it was well received.  

There was one section of ComicCon that was just for kids. I loved that. Kayla got to dress up and enjoy a nice tea party with Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother at one of the booths. 

Then she got to meet some of her favorite characters.  People here love to dress up, and I saw a lot of costumes that I recognized.  I don't know if that's a good thing or not...

And then Brandon found the perfect gift for Kayla there, too.  It's not just a Totoro.  It's a Totoro purse. Kayla loves stuffing things in it and carrying it around. 

Then next fun event that happened in September was our 7-year anniversary.  We've been working on redoing our bedroom (more news on that later) as our present to ourselves.  It's not done yet, but will be...soonish...I hope.  So I wasn't planning on doing anything else, but then Brandon goes and buys me a beautiful arrangement of flowers.  He got them at our friend's shop called Foxglove Flowers & Gifts down in Provo on Center Street.  They recently bought the business and are making it awesome.  Anyone who needs flowers should go down there.  They create awesome stuff like this:

Brandon told me that Kayla helped pick out the different flowers and then Courtney made it all work together.  She's got a gift. 

Then another amazing friend offered to take Kayla for a while so we can go out to dinner.  We went to Thai Drift in Orem and had massaman chicken in the first time in forever.  We used to go to this place called Thai Mango, but they moved to West Jordan and I was having massaman withdrawals.  We heard about this place and decided to check it out. Best idea ever.  

Close to our anniversary was the Logan Film Festival.  Brandon's film, Missed Connections, was playing there so we decided, as another gift to ourselves, to go for the weekend.  Kayla stayed at my sister's house (where she played until she dropped!) while we went up to Logan.  It was nice being there and was pretty relaxing.  We ate good food, slept in a nice hotel, and saw his film on the big screen again.  We also got rained on (a lot) and watched independent films.  It wasn't my favorite festival but I'll appreciate it for the excuse it gave us to get out of the house.  I also got to see the Logan Temple as I was driving around to find a church building so I could attend the Women's Broadcast.  That was an adventure.  I found one just in time and enjoyed the conference.  I think my favorite part was watching a group of young Korean girls all dressed in their traditional garb and singing "I Love to See the Temple." It was very beautiful and really touched my heart.

The biggest news that we've had for the last 12 weeks or so is that we are adding a new little Ho to our Ho family.  Coming to you sometime early April 2015:

The baby is between the two "x"s with a little halo on top

We are all very excited. Even Kayla. She's convinced that she's going to have a sister. At our first doctor's appointment she asked me if it was a boy or a girl and I told her that we don't know yet. She then said, "It's a girl. I know." Can't argue with that! But we'll really find out around Thanksgiving time if she's right or not. 

Kayla's been really good and understanding when I tell her when I'm feeling sick or tired. She's a real trooper. I think she'll be the best big sister this little baby could have. 

Happy Happy Birthday

Dear Kayla, 

Today is your birthday! I can't believe it's been 3 years that you have blessed our lives.  I still clearly remember the day you came into the world.  It was the last day of your Daddy's first feature film production.  I woke up knowing something wasn't right.  I ran into the bathroom and that's when my water broke.  A week early from your due date, and you were ready to come into the world, whether your Mommy was ready or not. Waking up Daddy and then scrambling to get everything together, we finally made it to the hospital.  Eight hours later you came into the world, as cute as can be.  They let me hold you before taking you into the nursery.  You opened your eyes and looked at me.  I still couldn't believe you were here, but my heart expanded, and you slipped in like you've always been there.  It took my breath away.

A mother's love for her child can't really be explained in words.  A lot of times, it's in the things we do and sacrifices we make for you.  But my heart is so full whenever I look at you, and the sacrifice is worth it.  I'm sorry if I make mistakes.  You're my first, so I'm still trying to figure out how to be a good mommy while you're learning everything about the world.

You've grown up so big and strong.  Ever fearless.  If you trip and fall, you get back up again and try until you've done it right.  My little monkey. You keep surprising me with all the new skills you've accomplished.  Sometimes I feel like you're growing up too fast for me.  But that's just the way things go.

I have so many hopes and dreams for you, but most of all, I hope that you are happy.  I hope we are teaching you everything you should and want to know.  I hope you are happy being with our family.  Everyone loves you so much.  I hope you are able to feel that love.  

I am thankful to our Heavenly Father, that He entrusted us with your special spirit.  Your endless energy, smiles, and giggles have blessed our home.  You are a constant joy in our lives. 

Happy Birthday, my sweet sweet Little Miss. Mommy loves you.

Fun in the Sun

Summer is in full swing and we are trying to make the most of it.  With an active 2-year old, I've found that I'm going out and doing things that I wouldn't normally.  But before I get into that, I want to put in an update of Brandon. He's in a partnership with a couple guys with a company called Cinema Book Trailers.  As the name suggests, they make book trailers that are so awesome that they look like legit movie trailers.  Yep, they're that good.  At least, that's what they're trying to do. They've done a few things so far, and hopefully they'll continue to pick up speed and projects. Recently, they finished production on a fantasy book called "The Golden Cord" by Paul Genesse. When it's done, I'll post a link to where you can find it.

Orem has a SummerFest and we went with some friends.  This ended up being a blast for Kayla even though we were only there for a couple hours. 

They had a lot of fun rides for the kiddos to ride on.  (Kayla's friend is actually laughing)

She loves the carousel!

You better watch out for these two drivers!

A couple weeks later Kayla and I went to the zoo (again!) with some friends and their kids.  It was so much fun! We went during the week and first thing in the morning.  I think that was the best thing to do because a lot of the animals were pretty active.  We had so much fun! But I'll let the pictures say it all. 

I was pretty proud of that  framing

Watching the ostriches in Hogle Zoo's new Safari exhibit  

Here's looking at you kid!

Kayla's favorite part of the whole zoo adventure

I was finally able to get the kiddos to smile at me all at the same time!

Just to prove I was there, too.

She loved it so much we had to go one last time before we left.

I'm grateful we went the the zoo when we did because the next morning, I sprained my ankle going down the stairs.  Nothing broken, but highly inconvenient.  Brandon and I were a pretty silly sight going into the doctor's office: me on crutches and Brandon in his boot. both left feet messed up.  I guess we have to do everything together, literally.  I'm grateful that Brandon was far enough in his healing process that he could take care of Kayla while I was out of commission. I'm doing a lot better now.  Hardly any pain. So now we can have more fun during the summer!

Along with all the fun adventures we're having around Utah, we also have an adventure in our back yard. Even though we weren't able to do as much as we wanted to due to injuries, we still got a really good yield in our garden. Here's what it looks like:

Strawberry Hill (Kayla won't stop eating them)

Left to Right: strawberry hill, lettuce, tomatoes (behind my bum sorry), onions,
carrots, peas, cucumbers, more peas, pumpkin patch

And now we're into July where there's nothing but sun, sun, sun.  We went to Colorado to spend 4th of July with Brandon's family.  We had so much fun!  Kayla got her Grandpa Time in and practically everything she asked for from Grandma.  I was too busy relaxing to do much picture taking, but here are some things we were able to get.

She loved Grandma's yoga mat and found a lot of interesting ways of playing with it.

She loves her grandma

She let Grandma do her hair!

I did get a video of Grandma and Kayla dancing together, but Grandma didn't know she was being filmed, so we'll just keep that to ourselves.  Needless to say it was extremely adorable and hilarious. Things you do for that face up there.

And then, as if our extended weekend couldn't get any better, we went to a community pool, and Kayla LOVED it.  It was a struggle to get her out when it was the adult-only time to swim.  All of us ended up getting out, too because if she saw one of us in, she was going in as well. I love that she loves the water so much.  My mom would tell stories of how I was a fish as a small girl. It's fun seeing little bits of my personality and preferences coming out in her. Mostly, I think she's more like Brandon. But we'll see how her own personality develops as she gets older.

If you notice in the video, she started going for the diving board.  She eyed it several times and once went over and stood in line to jump off it!  Luckily, Brandon got her away from there and safely jumping into Grandma's arms from the side of the pool.  I don't think she realized what really happened if she jumped off it (her head would go all the way under) and we know she doesn't like it.  Silly goose. Besides that, I'm super impressed by her swimming skills. Hopefully I can teach her all I know and she'll be a fantastic swimmer. 

So I think thus far our summer has stayed pretty busy. And I know we have more fun adventures coming our way!  I love my family so much!