The Elephant and the Turkey!

Today we had another fun play group! It was a Thanksgiving theme (very fitting). We, the moms, all ate soup, breads, and salads and had a fabulous time! The host even provided a fun activity for the kids to do - make a turkey hat! Well, I definitely could not pass up this opportunity! I made a little hat for Reed and he loved it! He kept it on for over an hour! So, of course, I had to take some pictures of the cutest turkey ever! His feathers are kind of floppy, but it is just so cute!

Included in the pictures is one of when my brother, Michael, came into town (well, Maryland). We all went to dinner and it was great to see him! We wish we could see him more often :)

I am the cutest turkey ever!

Where is Reed hiding?

Out to dinner with Michael and my parents


Reed's favorite thing is his little toy elephant. Every time he sees it he giggles and crawls super fast to go and get it! He is filled with so much joy when he plays with his elephant. It also helps him when he is in new situations. Reed gets a little shell-shocked when he is in a new group of people and everything is really loud (hmmm....wonder where he gets that from?! :) ....Tyson). So, the other day, I got a video of him finding his elephant. It's a good one. There was a point when I thought Tyson was going to win over the elephant, but no such luck. Reed turns around and finds the elephant more appealing :) Sorry, Tys! Vance, watch this one a lot because cousin Reed is definitely going to bring his elephant at Christmas! You guys can play with it together! P.S. I don't know where he got his high scream from either. But, it shows his pure joy in his elephant!

Leaves and the Zoo are so much fun!

The other day, Reed and I were playing outside in the leaves and it was so much fun! It was a little funny because Reed liked playing sitting up, but DID NOT want to be on his back laying on the leaves. I guess they were too poky! Anyways, I got some great pictures of him. That same day, we got a package in the mail from Grandma Walker! We were expecting his ties (He is famous at church for being the baby with the cool ties), but not the other fun stuff! Reed got all sorts of snacks, some swim shorts, a beanie, gloves, and two ties (Autumn and Christmas themes). He also got a note from his cousin, Vance - who is missing Reed and wanting to play with him! How nice to know that you are missed :) So, thank you to all who contributed to the package! Reed thoroughly enjoys all of his stuff! We have not found a jacuzzi to sit in, but he has already used his beanie and gloves! Thanks Grandma!

Yesterday, a group of girls from my ward and I decided to go to the National Zoo. I have learned my lesson about going to the zoo: always go in the morning. It was so much more fun! All the animals were awake and playing. We even got to see the elephant take a bath and be weighed! The tiger was playing with the leaves, the lions were playing with the water, the hippos were swimming, and we even saw a demonstration about the seals (big, huge seals)! We even saw all types of bears awake! It was by far, the best zoo experience because the animals were awake! So, my lesson is learned and I will try to go to the zoo in the morning from now on!





I love my new ties!!! Thanks Grandma!

Oh, and these Gerber puffs taste so good (well, the can tastes good, so I am assuming what's inside tastes good, too!) :)

This is my favorite picture that I took. I just love those blue eyes! They are fierce :)

Ooooh - leaves!!!

I just saw something in the sky :)

How do I get this leaf off my ear?

Part of the McLean II play group! Yeah for moms!

Reed liked the animals, but wasn't too happy when I made him put on his gloves.


The seals were showing some of the skills they learned and how they had been trained to blow through cones and get ready for medical procedures!



The lions taking a break after playing in the water for a while.

This tiger is 14 years old and has had three litters! She looks amazing!

The elephant, post bath!

Army Crawl Video

Well, when I posted the first video, it wasn't working for me. So, here is the army crawl video again

Lincoln and the Army Crawl

Last week some friends from my old job in Provo came into town! They have a Floortime Conference in McLean, VA every year since this is where the therapy was created. We went to lunch and caught up on what was going on at the school! It was great! I miss those kids so much - they are truly amazing spirits. I am actually thinking of doing some home therapy with a few kids to try and keep up on my skills and do something that I love. Who knows! I still have to figure some things out.

On Friday night, Tyson and I decided that Reed needed to see the Lincoln Memorial (well, it was more for us because Reed slept the entire time we were there)! I am still amazed by the Lincoln every time I go there. While we were looking for an elevator to take the stroller up, we stumbled upon a little room that we did not know existed. It talked all about the history or building the memorial and even talked about how other countries honored President Lincoln by putting him on their currency! I thought that was really amazing. This man changed so much. I often wondered if he knew the magnitude of what he would accomplish. I bet it was just what he believed - but at the same time, I wonder if he knew what an effect this would have on the rest of U.S. history. We saw a bunch of photos of the Lincoln Memorial and all of the historical events that have taken place there. There were so many civil rights rallies there and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke there. It was seriously moving! Anyways, I loved it yet again! Another favorite part is the view of the Washington Memorial from the Lincoln. I just love how they put the reflecting pool there and when you take a picture, it almost looks like a huge spear-like thing. It was great!

Also, I have added a video or Reed doing the full-on army crawl! Enjoy it!




The view from the Lincoln Memorial!

Proof that Reed was there :)

More gorgeous fall leaves!

My CHA friends: Rebecca and Stephanie!


Reed doing his army crawl - just too funny!

I've decided....

I am sick and tired of being out of shape. I made the decision yesterday that I want to run in the DC half-marathon at the end of March. But, in order to do that, I need to qualify by running a 5k or 10k within a certain amount of time. I have decided to run a 5k on December 20th in DC. It cost a whole $6.33 to register online (including taxes)! So, if anyone wants to get in shape - feel free to sign up. I have been hiding behind the excuse that I just had a baby and am still nursing for too long. I wouldn't say that I am grossly overweight or anything....just not in the shape I used to be. So, I went running this morning and did some crunches! My goal is to run, at least for a little while, every day except Sundays. So, this is my call to fitness - anyone interested in running a half-marathon with me in March?! I would love a running buddy. 13.1 miles is a little daunting, but I know I can do it. Also, if anyone knows any good training websites that are free, let me know.

In other news, Reed is now doing the full army crawl (instead of one arm and one leg)...and is soooo much faster! I thought he was fast before, no way. So, he might actually crawl on hands and knees soon as well - who knows. When I get a video, I will post it!

Election Time, Fall Leaves, and More Videos

** Note: if you just want to see pictures of leaves and videos or Reed scroll to the end of the post until you see them - this first bit is just me trying to have a small political voice. But, you do not have to read it, if you are not interested.**

I always hesitate to bring up political issues on my blog because I have a few fears:
1. I will look completely stupid because I can't explain my point clearly
2. Previous friends will become my enemies
3. People who I don't even know will look at my blog and make ridiculous comments

But, I have decided to put that aside and make some comments on my voting experience and this electoral race.

The one thing that I was really pleased about was that so many more people went to vote this year! Voting is so important. It is the way that the people can get their voices heard. What makes me sad and upset is that so many uninformed voters went to vote. I know this happens every election - people jumping on the bandwagon of which candidate is cool - but I still get saddened by the lack of interest to really find out the issues and the candidates stances on the issues. Then there are those who did not vote and still complain about our country and all the bad things our government is doing. This is what urks me the most. I cannot stand people complaining and then doing nothing to exercise their right to vote! Come on, people - if you think it's so bad here, go live somewhere else! Having lived in two other countries for periods of time, it is much worse other places.

I must say that this year I did not particularly like either of the candidates. But, I did vote for one of them because I really did not like the other one. Frankly, I am a little scared with what has happened during this election. The President, House, and Senate all went to the liberal side of the pendulum. This makes me nervous because our country was set up to have checks and balances and I feel like those have gone out the window. I am just praying that not everything will pass. One of my big concerns is socialized health care. This is such a bad idea and I have seen its effects in other countries. Yes, maybe more people can get coverage, but, for lack of a better word, it is crap coverage. In the long run, it is just not the way to go. I believe that this government was set up, not to take care of everything, but to be in the background. I believe that The Founding Fathers set up this country so that we could take responsibility for ourselves, instead of always leaning on the government to pay for and provide for everything. I have learned in my life that when I work for something, I take care of it better and appreciate it more. When I am given something, I care less and am more likely to not treat it as important. This is what is already happening in this country and what will continue to happen! I guess I just really long to see Americans taking responsibility for their own actions. We cannot blame nearly everything on the government because most of the problems we face today are because of choices we, as a people, have made. Also, for any who know me, you know that I am against abortion except on occasions of rape, incest, and where the mother's life is in danger. I believe that life is sacred and begins at conception. I will never sway on this issue. One other concern is that of marriage. I believe that marriage between a man and a woman is how God designed things to be. I will never sway on that issue. That many want to change the definition of marriage and family in the name of tolerance is so devastating to me. I feel like God is being taken out of everything in the name of tolerance. What about being tolerant to me as a conservative and a strong believer in a Heavenly Father?! Those are just some of my issues.

I also think that we, as a society, have become too obsessed with the here and now and forget to look towards the future. We want money now, instead of saving for retirement. We want the new clothes, new cell phones, big houses, and nice cars now. So, we get into debt and have no money for the future. Then, we blame the government and expect them to get us out of debt. We cannot rely on the government to bail us out of our own mistakes, but I fear that is what the government will try and do.

I do believe in the voting system and will exercise my right to vote whenever I can. I guess I am just worried at what will happen. But, I will do my best to be informed and make the right choice for me and my family. I encourage you to do the same. This is real life, not just a video game or pretend play!



In lighter news, fall in Virginia is absolutely beautiful! I have pictures to show, but really the most beautiful trees are the ones on the freeway that I cannot take a picture of while driving. The yellows, red, and oranges just make me so happy! It's truly amazing to see trees of all different colors! Their beauty confirms to me again that there is a God.







As in all of my posts, I must include something about a Reed. I decided to add some videos. One is a demonstration of his army crawling abilities, though this video was taken almost a month ago, so Reed is must faster now! But, it is fun to look back and see. The next one is one examples of Reed pulling the books off the book shelf - one of his favorite pasttimes. The last video is Reed copying Tyson on Halloween. Enjoy!!! They always make me smile :)

Pumpkin Patch, Candy Corn Tie, and Halloween Parties

The month of October was quite a festive one for Reed and I (Tyson had some fun as well, but most of the stuff was done while he was at work.). I have joined my ward's play group (even though Reed is still a little young and not super interested in playing with the other kids for long periods of time) and we did some Halloween-centered activities that were pretty fun.

One of the big activities was going to a pumpkin patch in Germantown, MD! It was quite a drive from my house, but a lot of fun. Actually, when I got there, had gotten Reed all ready (changed his diaper, put him in his stroller) and was walking up to where I thought was the pumpkin patch, but apparently, I was mistaken. The lady told me that you had to drive up the hill and then there was another parking lot. (I couldn't figure out why she didn't tell me and the other 10 parents that did the same thing as me that before we had gotten our kids all ready). So, I got all the stuff and Reed back in the car and went up the hill to the right parking lot. Then, I got all ready again and was going to meet my friends by the tractor that takes us on a hay ride. Well, it just so happened that I arrived right behind 4 buses of school children! So, the play group was already in line and thus, I thought I was not going to be able to ride on the hay ride by myself (well, with a bunch of kindergarteners!), but it turns out another girl from the play group showed up when I did and we went together :) So, we stood in line for our turn on the hay and Reed experienced his first hay ride being pulled by a cool, green tractor. He was a little unimpressed, but loved the attention from all the kids! After the hay ride, we went and picked a pumpkin and Reed was very good at holding his little pumpkin. The whole time it was really windy, so he was not super excited about that, but loved the hay and the pumpkins! We rode back with all of our friends and then got 2 apples! Reed always loves apples and sucked the juice right out of mine! Lastly, we down some slides! This is another first for Reed. We got potato sacks and I sat down with Reed in my lap and we went down, down, down! After that we made the journey home because it was just too windy!

Our next big activity was the play group Halloween party! All the kids dressed up and everything! The lady who put it on had all these activities for the kids to do and even made a whole bunch of Halloween-inspired treats (bone breadsticks was my favorite). I made jack-o-lantern plates and hung them on my sliding glass door. Reed actually found two friends that are within a month of his age! It was amazing to see how they all are doing almost all the same things! Reed is the youngest by a couple weeks, but they just sat and chatted with each other while chewing on a bunch of toys. It was funny :) Then, we decided to take group pictures! I do have to say that Reed was the only baby (besides the ones in car seats) that stayed still and sitting up the whole time (that's my baby)!!! He was a bit confused with all the flashes going off, but he did so good.

The next evening ward Halloween party. Since Tyson does not really like to dress up, I did not really prepare a costume, but still wanted to dress up. I am still trying to convince him that we should dress up together. Who knows if it will ever happen. I love dressing up for Halloween, so maybe I can eventually convince him to dress up with me. It was actually a really busy day and I ended up making some train cakes for the cake walk. I also wanted to decorate them all cute and so that took place of me getting a real costume together. I ended up just putting on all black, crimping my hair a little, and putting lots of black eye liner on my eyes and lips. So, there ya go. The 5-minute costume. Reed was the pumpkin, of course :), and Tyson went in his work clothes. It was quite the event. When we showed up the cake walk was going on, there was a spook alley (young men put that one together), a fishing pond, food, and a fake fire in the middle of the room. We did a little costume parade and then the kids went trunk-or-treating. All-in-all a fun evening. Reed found one of his friends and played for a bit and then went back to chewing on cups. Oh, one funny thing was that Reed was on the gym floor and saw the black lines for the basketball court. Well, apparently he thought they were more than lines because he kept trying to pick them up! It was so cute :) He fell asleep on the way home and his hat fell perfectly in front of his face, so of course, we took a picture.

On actual Halloween day we had a few events as well. Our leasing office had a little party with pizza and cupcakes. So, we went and there was a pretty poor turn-out. It's interesting because right before the kids party there was a party for pets and owners, and there was a bigger turn-out for that party. It's interesting how some people have chosen to replace kids with pets. It just makes me wonder and get a little sad sometimes. But, anyways, the pizza was great and Reed loved the orange plates! Our neighbors (who happen to be in our ward as well) dressed their kids up as the 3 Little Pigs. The dad was the Big Bad Wolf and the mom was Little Red Riding Hood! It was so cute! One day.....maybe. Tyson actually got off work when normal people do that day and met us at the office. Then, we went to find a place to have a hamburger. Tyson's family has this tradition of always having a hamburger on Halloween. So, we had to keep it going :) I must say they were good, but not as good as homemade. Sadly, we only had two trick-or-treaters. It's hard being in an apartment complex because the kids don't know if you are going to have candy or what. But, ah well. Any body want any candy? I hate having it around me all day because I just end up eating it! So, our Halloween experiences were pretty fun this year. Next year we are actually going to take Reed trick-or-treating, since he will at least be able to eat it by then!

Just a side note. Grandma Walker sent Reed a candy corn tie (Tyson calls it his acorn tie - yeah, that's Tyson) and we have some pictures on here of him wearing it. He has worn it for four weeks in a row and still gets great comments about the tie! Thanks Grandma Walker! We love you!




The hay ride!

Reed's pumpkin

He loved it!
He stole my apple!
The tractor that pulled us on our hay ride
We went to a rec center party with some friends and found a photo op!

The candy corn tie!

We tried his hat on just to make sure it fit. He kinds looks like a French boy.

He did such a good job sitting the entire time!

Play group friends!


Finally, kids my age (well, the little girl is)!

My 5-minute costume with the cutest pumpkin ever

No words needed!

This cup is so good!

The parade -I loved the organic banana :)

Our leasing office Halloween party!

Our neighbors

When Reed fell asleep - this is just how his hat fell!


He loves pumpkins.

We tried to make the jack-o-lantern the same as Reed's costume - pretty good, I think :)

Awww - giving the pumpkin loves!

Halloween is the best!