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. 

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!

Blessings in Disguise

I have to admit that May this year has not been my favorite month.  It might actually be one of the worst months I've had, but I think as I reflect back on it, I'll find that a lot of good came out of this month, too.

Brandon ruptured his Achilles tendon in April.  There was a partial tear at the beginning of the month and just as we thought he was getting better, it finished tearing a few weeks later. So after a week of checking with doctors and verifying that yes his foot does not move and bend the way it should, we scheduled the surgery for May 2.  Most of the hassle was finding the right medical facility that accepted our insurance. I'm just grateful we got the insurance when we did so that we don't have to stress as much on the financial side of surgery.  Don't get me wrong, there's still stress in that area, it's just lessened some. :)

Surgery day came and I'd like to think I didn't look as freaked out and worried as I was. But I had something happy to look out at while I waited. I think it helped some. All hospitals should have happy flowers for friends and family of patients to look at.

This was Brandon's first major surgery.  The only other thing he's had even remotely like this was getting his wisdom teeth out.  He has a very strange reaction to the drugs they give people about to have surgery (he did this with the wisdom teeth too): he talked incessantly. Now I know that doesn't sound much different from how he is normally but believe me, there was a difference.  There's a filter in your brain between the things you're thinking and the things you say.  His filter was gone.  Afterward, he remembers thinking about a story but didn't realize he told the nurses the story while they were trying to get him ready.  I remember him trying to talk with the nurse and anesthesiologist  while they were giving him the nerve block in his leg.  It was pretty funny listening to him.  The nurses thought he was very entertaining.  His mom told me the story of when he got his wisdom teeth out, the same thing happened there, too.  The only problem is that it's kinda hard to talk (and you really shouldn't) after doing surgery IN YOUR MOUTH.  Did that stop him? Nope. Not one bit.  I think it's cute...and just a little silly. 

So the surgery went well and he came home drugged up and in a cast. We had some really great friends watching Kayla for us while we were at the hospital and they dropped her off when we were done.  She was really sweet with Brandon.  I think she understood that he had a hurt foot and was really tired. So she came up on bed with him and just sat there with him and played on her Kindle.

  
Sometimes Kayla really surprises me with her intuitiveness and empathetic nature.  This wasn't the first time she's done something like this.  I've noticed that when we're out, she likes to tell us the emotional state of all the kids (and sometimes adults) that she notices. I love that about her.

So Brandon had to be in the cast, using crutches to get around, but mostly keeping it elevated for 2 weeks.  He couldn't watch Kayla during this time since it was so hard for him to get around, so I had to find friends who could watch her.  And did my friends rally! I saw such an outpouring of love and generosity from them, I'm still feeling touched weeks later.

There were so many moments of service and love, I can't possibly go into detail of all of them, but I'll relate a couple experiences that really stood out to me. The first was the Sunday right after the surgery.  That night, our friend (who happens to be the Bishop in our Ward) came over to visit with us and see how everything went with the surgery.  Before he left, he asked if we would like to take the Sacrament, a very special ordinance we weren't able to get that day because we stayed home from church. I was truly touched; I hadn't expected that offer from him. We were at church the week before and took the Sacrament, so he didn't offer because we hadn't had it in a while. But it was something we missed and I'm grateful he took the time to give us that ordinance at home.  Sometimes we take advantage of the things we do every week or everyday.  Sometimes the repetition makes us lose sight of the significance or importance of the action.   I'm grateful to get a reminder now and again that the daily or weekly rituals are important and essential for my well-being. 

The other amazing thing that happened during this time was a service project at our house. Specifically, our back yard.  At the beginning of the year, we decided to put a garden in our backyard.  We made a list of things we wanted to plant and what we needed to get the soil ready.  In the spring, it was tilled and plans were made for where specific plants would grow best.  But after the injury we knew we'd have to cut back on those plans, but we still wanted a garden.  Everything was set up, we just needed to decide which plants to get.  We kept it simple.  We've got green peas, carrots, onions, and lettuce.  What really helped was a neighbor who doesn't have a yard wanted a garden so we're sharing our large space with him, too.  The amazing thing was that after the surgery, a bunch of our friends and neighbors came over and weeded our garden and the jungle that has become the back fence area.  They also created what Brandon has lovingly called "Strawberry Hill." It's pretty awesome.  One of our friends bought strawberries for us and planted them on our hill.  She also gave us starts for cucumbers and a pumpkin.  We have the best friends ever! It's so much easier to work outside when there are friends to help and other kids to play with your kid so you aren't constantly needing to watch them.  We had so much fun that night! And Brandon was there supervising everything. I know it made him so happy and grateful to everyone that took time out of their busy lives to come help us.

I found this video as I was trying to find a picture of the garden (couldn't find one so that'll be on another post).  Kayla loves her princess dress that Brandon's aunt gave her for Christmas.  At the time, it was too long for her to walk in.  So I decided to try it on her again to see how it fit.  As you can see, it fits and she's been calling herself a princess. I love it!

So those first two weeks were kind of stressful, and I'm very happy that they're over. But looking back, a lot of good things have happened during that time, too.  I'm glad I'm thinking back and writing this blog.  It helps me forget all the stressful things that happened and helps me remember the good things in life.

Things got a lot better at home once Brandon got his boot on.  He still has a hard time getting around but he doesn't have to go around on crutches anymore. It doesn't take him several trips just to get a plate of food and a drink. Yay!

And just because I can, I'm throwing in a video that I think is very pertinent to what I've been talking about in this post: the ability (or lack) of walking and getting around the house.  Kayla came up with this all on her own and the whole time she was doing this I imagined C.S.Lewis watching his kids play and maybe that's how he came up with some of his fantastical creatures.

This video also makes me realize how big my feet are...

Since we couldn't go up to Idaho to visit family, they decided to come down to visit us for Memorial weekend. We had a lot of fun together (per the norm) and we tried to cram as much fun in as we could in 3 days.  Saturday Lonnie and I got mani-pedies (a much needed relaxing activity) at a place really close to home for a reasonable price.  Always a nice discovery.  Though I don't think I'll ever get a manicure again unless it's for a very special event.  The paint started chipping within hours of getting it done.  At first I was upset with the nail place, but then I realized that it was going to happen regardless.  I have a very active kid.  I have a home that is in constant need of cleaning. I also have a family that needs feeding.  It's really impractical to go around NOT doing anything with your hands just because there's some paint on it.  The nice thing that came out of it was that Kayla saw my painted nails and wanted hers done, too.  She's such a girly girl and I love it! Now I need to go out and buy more nail polish...

  

In addition to the amazing paint job I did on Kayla's fingers, you can also see here the awesome goatee Brandon's been growing since he first got the injury in April. Very impressive, Brandon! I've also been surprised at how much it doesn't bother me.  I honestly thought it would, but once it got to the soft stage (after the prickly stage which was thankfully short), I haven't had much of a problem with it. Learning something new all the time.

Recently, Brandon has found a website about cooking and grilling that he has become fascinated with.  It goes into the detailed science of the particular thing the guy is cooking. Brandon's learned a lot of interesting things, and we've experimented on some of his findings. Like boiled eggs.  We now know exactly what to do if we want a hard boiled egg to come off the shell easy and without the giant hole at the base. We also know how to make steak pinwheels. A really yummy one with scallions, ginger, and teriyaki sauce. We tried it out for the first time during Memorial weekend, and I think it will become a new grilling favorite during the summer.

And there you have it! So yummy! That extra piece on the side wasn't big enough to roll up so they cooked it flat...and it wasn't as juicy and tender as the pinwheel...a very interesting discovery. 

As these two cuties are getting older, they're having more fun together.  It also requires a little less monitoring on the mommy's part each time they play together.  We don't have to worry as much about hair pulling and tackles.  They're having conversations with each other,  "cooking" together, and generally being the two most adorable playmates ever!

The most exciting part about Memorial weekend was Memorial Day.  We met up with Lonnie's sister and went to Hogle Zoo together. It was hot, and Brandon was having a harder time getting around (thank you Hogle Zoo for having so many places to sit down at almost every exhibit), but we sure had fun.  There were new things to see and Kayla wanted to see it all.

They had a new lion exhibit and I loved that they placed the observation glass in a place that all of us (including the lions) could be out of the sun.  She loved the elephants and the seals.  She had a lot of fun in the splash pad.  But I think her absolute favorite place was the carousel. 

We have friends that have a zoo pass and we've already scheduled a time to go back.  We can't wait.  We have lots of fun plans for this summer.  Hopefully Brandon will keep getting better so he can keep up with Kayla!

Reflecting back on this last month or so, I've seen the Divine Hand in my life blessing my family. I have seen Him work through others to bless my family. I am humbled when I accept help from others.  And I am humbled when I have to ask for help.  I hate doing it all the time, and this period has really taxed me in that area.  I hope I can someday repay the kindness that was shown to me and my family.  Lately I keep coming back to a scripture I read when I was pregnant with Kayla and was worried about how to be a good mother and raising this child that God has entrusted me with. It's in the Book of Mormon, Alma 34:3 

And as ye have desired of my beloved brother that he should make known unto you what ye should do, because of your afflictions; and he hath spoken somewhat unto you to prepare your minds; yea, and he hath exhorted you unto faith and to patience—

Faith and Patience. Those have been the two things I've felt like I really need to learn.  And just when I think I've got it figured out, something happens and I have to start again the learning process.  This has been really good for me. I know I've become a better person since that day 3 years ago.  I've come to put my trust in the Lord, and I know He will take care of me.  If I keep doing the things He would want me to do, everything I've been worrying about will work themselves out. It scares me, but I can have the faith that's needed to get through the trials in my life.  And I don't have to go through it alone. I have my amazing husband who is the best spouse anyone could ask for. I have my sweet little girl who is sometimes the cause of my trials but is such a blessing to me. I have close friends and family. I have seen and felt their love. And I have my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and my Father in Heaven. I have felt Their love. I am never alone, and that brings me the greatest joy. I am truly blessed.

December Celebrations and the New Year

I need to come to terms with the fact that my life will always be busy, and if I want to keep up this blog that I will have to take time out of the month and write.  Writing isn't that hard.  Remembering stories about my family really isn't that hard either. And I've always got photos or videos to share. So I just need to get my butt in gear. 

So here we go with the recap of the last couple months:

December was full of fun and holiday spirit. We weren't home for Christmas, so we didn't get a Christmas tree. But I have a small plastic one that we used to decorate with some of our ornaments.  I was really happy I did this because Kayla loved the tree and kept taking off and putting the ornaments back on.

I decided to make this year's ornaments. I wanted sea-themed ones, and I knew I wouldn't find any I liked at the store. So I found patterns and made one for each of us.

Kayla's

Mommy's

Daddy's

If you look back at our Halloween costumes, you'll understand why I chose a fish, jellyfish, and turtle for each of us. I thought they turned out really well!

We also stayed busy going to Christmas parties for work and our neighborhood.  Brandon and I were able to go on a DATE and see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. That was really fun. A week or so before we saw it, we watched some behind the scenes of creating the dwarves, highlighting their different personalities and trying to show that through their costuming and appearance.  It was really interesting and I paid a lot more attention to the different dwarves while watching the movie than I did in the first movie.  

We also had Clark and Lonnie come visit before Christmas.  Clark helped Brandon put together the play kitchen we got Kayla (because we weren't about to haul it to Colorado) while Lonnie and I went shopping for last minute gifts. And speaking of gifts, it was Clark's birthday while he was visiting, so I made him a little something.

I thought it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. :) Oh, and he liked it too.

The Sunday before Christmas we left for Colorado. It was one of the worst driving experiences of my life.  Luckily I wasn't driving or it would have been worse.  We got there safely, but I think I may have had a number of heart attacks along the way.  It snowed the whole time, some places worse than others, and after 9 hours of driving we made it to Brandon's parents' house.  Thinking back on it, I believe the worst part wasn't the snow that was so thick on the roads, we couldn't see the lines, but the crazy drivers around us.  We didn't have many, but those few were too many.  None knew how to drive safely and they gave me the most panic attacks.

Vacation in Colorado is always full of fun and, most importantly, relaxation.   Kayla had fun Christmas morning with her presents (thanks everyone!!!), but I think she had the most fun helping her Grandma pass out the presents to everyone.  I hope that sort of attitude stays with her as she grows. I think it will, and it's a joy to see how much she loves everyone without reservation. She also likes to wear out Brandon without reservation.  Here's proof:

and after that dancing session she wanted to do this until 

Brandon almost collapsed from exhaustion :

She also enjoyed dancing with her Grandpa, but I don't have a video of that to post up, unfortunately. She had so much energy that week, it took all 4 adults to keep her entertained. Now imagine that same energy and only 1, sometimes 2, adults keeping her entertained when we're home. No wonder we're so exhausted.  And as life goes, we had to leave Colorado (the drive was MUCH safer) and come back home to work and more work.

January
On New Year's Eve, we had some friends come over and play games while we ate yummy snack foods.  I'm thinking that will become tradition in our home.  That was lots of fun.

Near the end of January, Brandon filmed his teaser trailer he's doing for Brandon Sanderson's Alloy of Law.  This was a picture he sent me that night (and there's other pictures on Facebook):

Just looking at that picture gives me the tingles. So excited! So a lot of good things are happening in that area, and when we get something more definite, then I'll make a post.  

So overall, I'd say that 2014 is looking very promising. I think as long as we're going good things, good things will continue to come our way. One can hope anyway.