Adventures in the City

I absolutely love San Francisco! We have done a lot of different things in the city, but this trip topped them all. After Emily and Allen's wedding I was able to stay with Mom and Dad and drive down to California for their adult Lyon's reunion. We were invited to also tag along on this fun adult reunion, along with Ryan and my cousin Jason who just got back from a mission to France. We stayed at the Wyndam Resort in the city that was right by Union Square. The resort was beautiful! We stayed in a two bedroom room that had a middle family room, dining area and then a kitchen. We got there on Thursday afternoon and hung out at the hotel till Sharon and Steve got there and had a wonderful BBQ ribs dinner that Grandpa and Margaret made. The next day we started the adventures!

These photos are of Mt. Shasta from the car as we drove down to California. Preston was actually really good in the car for the 14 hr drive. I was a little bit worried about what it would be like with him, but we put in the Wiggles DVD's and he was happy! Thank goodness for technology...haha.



China Town was where it all started for us. We walked several blocks from our hotel to the from gate and just browsed the streets checking out all the little shops. We stopped at the Fortune Cookie Factory. Now, when I was told we were going to the Fortune Cookie Factory I was surprised that I had never seen this place before, but when we got there I knew why. It was in a back alley and a very tiny building. Itwas one room where you walked in , watched a lday working on the machine, got a free sample, and then walked out. It was very intresesting for sure! China town always has such fun things to look at and play with and some great bargains too! There was so many colorful things for Preston to look at and fun statues to take pictures by.

After China Town we went to a French restaurant for lunch and then Ryan and I went home so that Preston could nap. While I stayed home the rest of the clan were able to go see Lands' End, which is the furthest jetty on the West Coast and a beautiful park with some fun things to see. Grandpa and Margaret came back early to pick up Tom, Cindy, and Jason and then we all met up to go to dinner later that night.

It was nice to be close  to where Neil works. He was able to meet up with us for dinner on Friday night. We went to a nice place near Union Square that was delicious! Then afterwards a few of us took the trolley from Union Square down to Ghiradelli Square for dessert! I love that place...the chocolate is amazing! I shared a brownie sundae with Ryan and it was delicious.  I don't think I have ever been on a trolley either, so that was fun. I was able to hang out on the side on the way back with Ryan. Neil was so nice and took Preston back to go to sleep for the night and let me go with the gang.

Saturday was a whole new day full of fun in the sun. Literally though, the sun was shining and it was so hot. A few of us got sun burned by the end of the day. We started off going to the Golden Gate Bridge. We stopped to take a few photos and then went over to the visitors center, which was recently updated. We walked over the bridge a little bit and then walked back. It sure was beautiful!

After the Bridge we went over to the Presidio and into the Walk Disney Family Museum. This museum was huge! It didn't look very big from the outside, but there was so much inside that I was amazed. It started with the Disney family history, which was very interesting...and we noticed that there was a family name in there. The next Sunday Neil figured out the family connection. Walt Disney's mother was Flora Call. If we got back 6 generations from Walt Disney and 8 generations from me our family lines meet up at Samuel Call who married Abigail Sprague. I was impressed the Neil figured it all out! How neat is that...we are related to Walt Disney. I think that means we should get discounted prices to the parks...haha. Anyways, the Disney museum was really cool. Mom and Grandpa stayed out with Preston while he napped a little and then played with him after he woke up.

After the Museum we were able to play on the grass for a while and eat lunch and just chill. Later that afternoon we went to Pier 39 and then on a Bay Cruise! I have never been on a bay cruise and it was really cool. We went out and around Alcatraz Island and then to the bridge and then back around. We were able to see a cool skyline of the city and even a Naval ship returning to dock. After we got back from the cruise we went to dinner on the Pier and ate some fresh fish! Tom and Ryan had the crab special and got all messy, while we ordered Preston a hot dog and then ended up eating my fish instead. He would rather have fish almost any day. He's such a funny kid.

After dinner we all headed back to the hotel and most people called it a night, however...we had to drive back to Fremont since we needed to teach our Sunday School class the next day. The rest of the family stayed up there through mid day on Sunday. It was fun to see more of the city and also spend time with family. We are really blessed to be able to be close with those we love and do fun things like this with them. Thanks so much Grandpa and Margaret for inviting us!

Meet the Joneses

Two weddings in one year was busy but so much fun! Emily and Allen were married on June 16th in the Seattle Temple. It was a great day and always amazing how the spirit just shines in the temple ceremony. It was fun watching Emily and Allen look at each other so lovingly and happy. We took their formal wedding photos on Thursday, which made Saturday so much more care free for the whole gang. Their ceremony was at 10:00 and then their reception was later that night at 6:30. The reception was at the church buildling which we decorated. It had a great garden feel with while lanterns hanging on the ceiling and plants around the gym. Instead of a traditional cake Emily and Allen had cake pops. I had never heard of this, but it was fun and they were certainly delicious. It has been fun to see family so much this year and watch them get married!

Sweet Treats

At our house food is something we love! We love our desserts, that's for sure! Even though we love sweet treats, we do usually eat really healthy. Preston can down melon like there is no tomorrow and loves smoked salmon. I don't bake nearly as much as I used to, but last week was long and hard and we seemed to be hit with one thing right after another and I thought that called for something yummy. So, I got on pinterest and searched through the recipes and found a website that adapted mixes into new desserts. I thought that sounded interesting and less time consuming, so I looked through them and tried one out.

I got the recipe here, and I made a few adjustments for mine.

Here is the recipe I made:

Birthday Cake Oreo Cookie-Stuffed Brownies topped with Marshmallows and Chocolate Bits

Makes 24 brownies

1 Box brownie mix

15-20 Double stuff Oreo's (I used the white and chocolate ones)

1/2 bag mini marshmallows

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or any mini chips

Preheat oven to spcified temperature on brownie box. Mix brownies according to the directions on the box. Spread half the brownie batter in prepared pan. Place Oreos on top of brownie batter (I did 3 across by 5 rows = 15 Oreos). Top with the remaining brownie batter and smooth it over the top, very slightly pushing the Oreos down with your spatula, very lightly. Be prepared to add marshmallows with only about 10 minutes left to bake and then chocolate chips with 4 minutes left.  Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until brownies are set, taking care not to overbake. (Insert a toothpick into the center of the pan, and avoid inserting it into an Oreo, to check for doneness. Toothpick may not come out entirely clean even when done because these are very fudgy brownies). Note the brownies may “puff up” quite dramatically in their final minutes of cooking and this is okay. 

Always On The Move

Preston has been walking for a few weeks now and it is getting harder and harder to keep up with him and all he is doing. When his birthday rolled around he was still just taking a few steps and mostly crawling. He would cruise around all the furniture, which he has been doing for a long long time. Then, right before we went home for Emily's wedding he started taking more and more steps. While we were there he really took off and decided that he wanted to use that as his main way to get around. Once we were finally home (June 23rd) he was walking all over the place. He has now gotten really good at walking over things and turning and doing all sorts of weird movements to get to what he wants at the time. It is fun to go to the park with him and let him just go on the grass. He didn't like it at first, but now he is getting used to it. He absolutely loves playing on daddy's scooter and on anything he can ride. He is such a happy and fun little kid!

Here are a few videos of his walking progression.

This first video was taken June 12th...so he was getting there. He was still struggling with getting stable. 

These were taking a few days ago. He doesn't crawl at all anymore and loves to walk by himself without anyone holding his hands. He seems to have a little independent personality.

Fort Baker

I have often blogged about our Thursday adventures with my Grandpa and Margaret. We have been to some fun places and always have such a fun time. This time we went to Fort Baker. This was a very interesting place. There are several areas around the bay that are fortified, or were fortified in case someone, during WWII were to attack this area. The Presidio is on the opposite side of the Golden Gate Bridge and is a much bigger former base. Fort Baker has now been remodeled and renovated into a resort. They also have a childrens exploration museum, along with a Coast Guard station. It is quite amazing to see the old buildings and picture what is was like before.

We actually started our little adventure on the other side, the Presidio, getting morning drinks at the Warming Hut. After that we drove across the bridge and down into Fort Baker. As we walked around the "self-guided tour" of Fort Baker we learned more about what each building was used for and who would've lived there. It sure is a beautiful place!

the Evergreen State

We have been so blessed to have had so many reasons to see family this year. We were able to see my Dad in February, then Preston and I were able to go later that month to help out, then Margaret and Dean came to visit us In March, we had Natalie and Ben's wedding in April, with Emily and Allen's Wedding in June. This last trip was just as fun as all the rest have been. It has been fun to see Preston learn and see everyone. One of Preston's favorite things on this trip was to go up the stairs, and even one tumble wouldn't stop him from constantly going up the stairs. 

Here are a few random shots I took:

Go Giants!

Every once in a while I get a phone call from Neil in the middle of the day telling me that we have tickets to a game that he won at work. We got tickets to the San Francisco Warrior games two times and then he called to tell me he got tickets to a Giants game for that night (May 30th, 2012). We hurried and got things together so that we could go. I love the Giants! We went to a Giants game on our honeymoon and had so much fun. I have gone to Giants games with my family as well. It was Preston's first time though. The same pitcher that pitched the game we went to on our honeymoon was pitching this game. Sadly, they lost, but it was fun to be there with all the excitement. 

In order to get there Preston and I met Neil up there by taking the BART. Neil was in the city for work, like he usually is, and we met him with some dinner in a backpack and Preston in the front carrier. I'm sure I looked a little bit crazy, but it seemed like the easiest way to travel with everything. 

I absolutely love being spontaneous, and this was definitely one of those times!

Happily Ever After

This should have been posted a long time ago, since she was married in April! However, as per my usual timeline...this is the scheduled time to blog about this beautiful event! We were able to fly in late Wednesday night and take bridal photos of Natalie before the wedding. Then, Saturday was the big day! We got all ready and everyone drove up to the temple. The ceremony was beautiful. It reminded me of how much I loved my wedding day. Sealing are so special and it is hard to describe exactly why other than the spirit is so strong in the temple and you can feel a little piece of eternity. Each sealing is different and has a special meaning to those getting married. I am so blessed to have been married to Neil in the temple and I love it there. After the temple ceremony we took pictures until we had to leave for the luncheon. We had a little rest during the luncheon and after. We then were able to go home and eat dinner before we went to the  Best Western where the reception was being held and helped Natalie get ready and do a few final touches at the reception hall. The reception was so fun! The music was great and the food was fabulous. Instead of traditional cake, Natalie and Ben decided on cupcakes, which were super cute! It was fun to be a part of this important event.Congratulations Natalie and Benjamin Wood!

Party Party Party!

It was fun to celebrate Preston's birthday for the first time. He had almost no clue what was going on. I kept singing "Happy Birthday" to him throughout the day and he would look at me like I was a little crazy, but smiled and started clapping. Mid-morning we skyped with my Mom and had her watch Preston open their gift to him. He opened a took bench and it was so fun to watch him play with it all day long. So, Thursday was fun, but the party started on Saturday when we had a few friends and family over to swim and then have dinner and cake. It was fun! Then, after we flew to Washington we had another party there for him. We had cake and opened presents. It was fun to keep celebrating his birthday!

Since he is 1 he now:

walks everywhere

loves to chat to himself and make all sorts of sounds

eats all real food except for nuts

loves eating fish and chocolate

enjoys swimming and playing outside

observes everyone and is certainly curious

Weight: 21 lbs 3 oz.

Height: 29.5 inches

Here are a few pictures of all the events!

 

 

 

Happy First Birthday!

It's true, this post is almost a month late, however...life has been super crazy lately. I have lots of things to blog about for sure! Those will be coming soon! Hopefully really soon!

On June 7th Preston turned 1! I can't believe how the time has really flown by. I was looking at a baby that a friend had last week. He is so small and I can just picture Preston being that small, with the chubby cheeks of course. I have absolutely loved watching him progress and learn. He is such a curious little man that loves to move everywhere and see everything. He has also become really photogenic. He loves to turn and smile. It makes me laugh so hard and I love it!

He now walks everywhere and eats real food. He loves the pool and has started to have his own little attitude. He doesn't like to be told where to go or sometimes what to do. I have found him to be a very determined little boy in certain circumstances. He sleeps amazingly well. He sleeps 12 hours a night and then still takes two naps a day. I love this little boy so much!

When we went to Washington for Emily's wedding I was able to go to my Aunt's Studio in Kent and take some pictures of Preston. We were able to get him dressed in several different outfits and shoot with her props. It was so fun! I hope to have my own studio someday!

Here are a few blog boards with the pictures:

 

For his first birthday we had a party with a few friends and went swimming. It was so fun...and I will have a whole blog post just about that with some good videos to come!

So, what do you think? Isn't he super cute? I have so much fun taking pictures of him. I think he will probably hit an age when he thinks it is the most annoying thing ever, but until then I am going to dress him up and click away!

A Thank You to Parents

This is Neil writing. Today, I heard a story at church and I felt that I should share with my friends and family.

An older man was talking with a young adult at church. As the conversation was coming to a close, the older man ask if there was anything the young adult wanted to talk about before the conversation ended. The young adult went quiet and began to tear up. In a sad and serious tone, he mustered, “My Dad never built me a tree house.” The older man was taken back, wondering if this was a joke of some sort. The young adult explained that when he was young, he asked his dad to build him a tree house. The dad said they could do it that weekend. On Saturday, the boy woke up early and excitedly ran to his dad’s room. This was going to be the day, but the dad said he had some things to do and wouldn’t be able to build the tree house until next week. When the next Saturday came around, the young boy heard the same story from his dad:  “We’ll do it next week”. Weeks turned into months, months turned into years, and the boy never got his tree house. Even as a young adult, he knew he missed out on doing something with his dad.

As I heard this story, I instantly thought, my dad built me a tree house. And that wasn’t all. He took me to work with him, taught me how to fish, took me to baseball games, he told me he was proud of me, and he even let me ride in the back if his truck to take our dog to get bred (that’s a funny story!). The most important part is that my dad showed me that I was important to him.

My mom is the same. She came to all my sports games and concerts. She was home when I came home from school. She helped me prepare for church meetings and do my school work. I owe much of the person I am today, because of what she has done for me in my life.

My wife feels the same about her parents. Amber worked so hard to make Preston’s first birthday special. I asked why she went through so much trouble to put on a birthday for Preston. She responded, “My parents always did this for me. They always made me feel special.” She tells me about how they would go on memorable family trips, and spend holidays together. They would encourage her to try new things and support her in the new activities. When Amber wanted to learn water polo, her dad took her to get a water polo ball and researched the rules to know all he could about what she was doing.

I have met so many parents just like this in my life. Parents that sacrifice and make their kids feel important. Many times, the sacrifices are not recognized, but they do make a difference. The world is a better place because of parents like mine and my wife’s. Thank you to all the parents that make their children feel important.

Going to Gualala

Every Memorial Day in our ward, most of the ward goes up to Gualala, Ca and spends the weekend and most of the week camping. We had other plans and couldn't take off work, so we just went for Friday night and spent Friday there, along with Saturday. It was a beautiful 3 hour drive with almost an hour of it driving up Highway 1 along the beautiful and winding coast. It was definitely a fun few days. We spent time with friends, lots of time at the river, got in the ice cold water, sat by the camp-fire, played games, and stayed up all night with Preston sleeping in my sleeping bag or crying all night long.

Luckily we were talked into going! We ate most of our meals with the Bodily group. The Bodily's were the family that started this camping tradition with the ward. I guess they have been going since they were little themselves. They had an amazing kitchen area set up with a fridge, sink, and toaster oven. It was amazing how they set everything up. Each camp-site had an electrical outlet for people to plug into. There were many families that had brought their campers and were doing it all in style. They also had an amazing middle park area where there were swings, slides, volleyball courts, horseshoe area, and ping pong tables. All the kids loved spending time there. Preston ate lots of dirt and liked touching everything that he could get his hands on. It was fun watching him discover everything in nature he possibly could. There were big redwood all around this area, which made it super beautiful! There was a little place where there was what they call Cathedral Redwood trees, where they were all in a circle together. It was a fun and beautiful weekend.

We were also able to go to the Williamson's on Monday for a BBQ! It was fun to get to spend some time with them this weekend as well. Camping makes it really feel like summer is here!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Taylor! We were all able to go celebrate Taylor's birthday recently. We had to celebrate the Sunday before since the Williamsons went to Hawaii the week after. It was a fun party with a big blow up bounce house that also had a slide connected to it. Most of the kids looked like they were going to fly off when they went down. Preston seemed to like it though. They also had the same face-painting balloon lady that was at Tehya's birthday party. The kids really seem to love her. After we ate lots of food and had fun in the sun we were able to rest a little inside and watch her open all her presents. She got some really fun toys and seemed like she had a great day!

When We First Met

The other day I was looking for my birth certificate and couldn't seem to find it. I tore the apartment totally apart looking for our important documents that I knew we needed to find in order to get California drivers licenses. In order to find these documents I went through every single box that we had with papers in it. In the process I was able to go through mission stuff, high school stuff, and random childhood keepsakes. I found my senior portfolio and a picture in it that Neil and I have been looking for...of our Daffodil experience, which was the first time we met. I left the portfolio out so that I could show Neil the picture. We laughed because we feel like we both look so funny. 

So, this was the first time I ever met Neil. He was my escort for the Daffodil Pageant at Rogers High School. The girls were voted on by the student body and then they do interviews and prepare a speech and share it in front of an audience. You have several different events or luncheons during this whole process and I was able to meet lots of new people. I had a great time and was able to meet Neil. 

Here's the picture:

Beautiful Heartbreak

I have never been one to be very personal on my blog and I don't tell many people what I struggle with or different things that are going on with my family that are struggles, but I felt differently after Relief Society yesterday.

I guess I should start with the blessings that I know I have received. Heavenly Father has given Neil and I so many tender mercies in our lives in so many different areas and in so many different ways. We have amazing family and friends that support us and help us. We now have little Preston who is a light in our lives, and most importantly we have the gospel. This has helped us through the thickest and hardest things we have gone through. I don't think that I have the hardest trials in my life and after I have gone through them I often look back and think that I have such an easy life, but when we are in the middle of our trials they aren't easy and we struggle. Struggling is okay though and helps us become more beautiful.

Recently I has another miscarriage. Neil and I felt like we were supposed to try to have another child and when I am told something I try to do what I can. We weren't too far along, only about 10 weeks, but it wasn't easy. Pregnancy has never been easy for me. I am terribly sick for a long time and it just takes a toll on our family and kind of throws our normal life out the window, but the end result is such a miracle. When I thought I miscarried I called and made an appointment with a doctor and we were able to go in and see what was going on. This wasn't my first, which made is easier to go through. This was my third and so Neil and I have gotten much better at understanding that there is a time to cry and then we turn even more to our Heavenly Father who helps us move on. Having Preston here to distract me and bring me back to normal life was very helpful and a beautiful reminder that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family. I am grateful for that and I know that Heavenly Father loves me and my family so much and wants us to be happy. I believe that the struggles we have gone through to have children have made us more understanding and hopefully more beautiful people.

A sister showed us this video yesterday in Relief Society and I wanted to share it with everyone I possibly could. It made me cry and I felt somewhat understood.

I haven't been the only one to struggle this year in my family. I have had lots of family members who have gone through so many health struggles that has been hard on us and made us grow closer to Heavenly Father. My brother Ryan was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. He has his whole colon removed and now has an ostomy bag. He was planning on going on a mission and had his papers in when all this happened so suddenly. He has spent way too much time this year and last year in the hospital and has become so much a better person for what he is going through. He is such an inspiration to me and so much of my family. While his trial seems to be the bigger one, others have struggled too and have helped me understand how I can be better everyday.

Happy Easter!

It was so fun to be at home on Easter! We were able to go to church with my family and then we went over to the Spencer house to visit for a while, then back to the Call house for dinner. Preston got a cute little Easter flip book that he seems to really love. He has been more and more into books lately, which is really fun. I like seeing him learning and wanting to read.

We were able to dye Easter eggs on Friday. Preston didn't know what to think at first, but then he was able to see what the color would do. He mostly wanted to eat the crayons and then the eggs after they were colored. He ended up dropping most of the eggs on the floor after they were colored.  Ryan was a good sport in helping Preston through it all.

Here are a few pictures of the Easter festivities:

Being home is always fun, but when we are at home during a holiday it is even more fun!

Silly Boy

Preston really loves playing and is very curious about everything. He wants to touch everything and usually put it in his mouth to see what it tastes like. He loves playing with his blocks and musical toys, but most of all...if Dad is home and willing to play the toy balls come out and a game of catch breaks out. It is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. I can't wait for Preston to be able to sing and learn the song "I Can't Wait till Daddy Comes Home".

Here are a couple of videos we took of Preston. In the first one we set up a bunch of towers out of blocks and then let him back into the room. He loves crawling over to them and tear them down.

This one is a little long, but I just kept filming. Neil and Preston are playing catch. Preston has been catching the ball for quite a while, but we can never seem to get it on video. When I get out the camera he seems to stop or not be interested anymore. When Neil started laughing about him catching the ball I ran over and grabbed my camera and then we got these two videos.

Our little boy is growing up so fast! 

10 months already!

Time really does fly by. I meant to take pictures of him at 9 months, but it seemed like the time just kept disappearing. We did have lots going on this month, but we did have our 9 month appointment with our new doctor who lives only a couple blocks from our house. Preston is definitely a healthy boy. At 9 months he was 20lbs 2 oz. and 28.5 inches long. I was surprised to hear that he is in the 50th percentile for weight. I always view him as a little chunker, but I am learning that he is really just a healthy baby boy that I can't seem to get enough of! We have been so blessed so have our little Preston here with us. He is so happy and curious.

Here are a few 10 month shots:

 He was crawling around so much at first, so we put him in a box. He thought that it was pretty funny. 

 He loves to clap his hands and smile. It is the cutest thing ever! 

 Books really are a fun prop, even for little kids!

 He isn't very gentle with those pages, but he is very curious...that's for sure.

 We had to take a few with the football. He loves playing with balls, just like his daddy.

 His little mouth is so cute!

And touchdown!!!

I am surprised Preston doesn't get annoyed when I take pictures of him. He seems like actually like it, which is nice for me, and fun of course!

Beautiful Bride

Natalie and Ben got married last Saturday and we are so happy to have him now a part of our big family! I was able to fly into Washington with Neil and Preston on Wednesday night. On Thursday Aunt Sue and I were able to take bridals of Natalie before Ben got there. It was mostly Sue since she has all the experience and I was able to learn and tag along. It was normal Washington weather, which means that it was raining and even started to hail when we were on our way to the spot.

Here are a few shots we took:

San Francisco

Going to San Francisco always seems to be fun, especially when we can take family with us! It was so fun having Margaret and Dean here last weekend. I told you in the last post a little bit about our day, starting with Pier 39. Here is the rest of the story. We walked all the way down and saw the seals. There were so many out! Sometime there aren't any there, so we were lucky. 

Here are the seals on the Pier. There were several of them that were fighting and fell into the water. It was pretty entertaining actually.

Here is our view of Alcatraz Island from the end of the Pier. 

We decided to take the Golden Gate Bridge over to Sausalito to check out what was going on over there. Here is the view of San Francisco from Sausalito. It was a very clear day, which was nice. 

Here is one of the cute restaurants on a pier in Sausalito. How cute is it?!

And here is a cute little section of different shops that we were able to enjoy. Sausalito is a cute little town that is fun for a day trip. 

They had this great huge fountain in a little park at the end of all the little cute shops near the beach. We all had to get a shot next to it, so here is Margaret and Dean! 

  And then Neil and I! The weather really was so beautiful!

After we were done shopping and enjoying all the cute small shops in Sausalito we headed back to the city for some Ghiradelli ice cream...and oh yes! It was delicious!

 After we all got ice cream we drove back home. Dean was able to stay and hang out in the city with some friends a little longer. I was glad that the weather was clear and that everything worked out so well. It is fun to live close to the city and visit.