Movin' out
Wednesday, March 07, 2012 - Posted by Sunny - 3 comments
With the advent of the minivan we knew that the 1997 Plymouth Neon that I've had for 13 years would need to find a new home.

As we took the keys off our keychains we both had a twinge of regret. It had been the BEST little car for us for all of those years. This was also the first car I ever bought with my own money. The first car that was ever in my name. The car that brought me across the country filled with my belongings.(in both the trunk and back seat)



It was the car Derek left flowers on while we were courting. The car I was driving in when I discovered that our country had been attacked by terrorists on September 11,2001.


The car I placed a flag sticker and "Captain America stars" on in a sign of solidarity and patriotism in the aftermath of those attacks.


The car that took me all over Utah county ( and that I filled up for $13) while I went on the scavenger hunt Derek planned for me the day he proposed. The car that continued to chug along for us after Derek's car decided to succumb to it's possession and go crazy. (That crazy car once literally locked Derek inside and wouldn't let him out until it stopped running) It had been with us for the entirety of our courtship and marriage.

Putting it outside on the street and watching it get covered in snow


Felt a lot like this.

( Do you see how the old lamp was red and the new lamp was white even!! Too much!!)

Sure it had it's quirks, it was in fact 15 years old. Like the radio volume control had a mind of it's own. You could turn it and turn it and it would decide when it would go up...or down depending on it's mood.


It's speedometer would also work or not work depending on it's mood. So the odometer was also off as it would not advance when the speedometer wasn't working. We figure that it probably had around 150,000 miles but we couldn't be completely sure. We'd decided that it wasn't worth it to charge up the air conditioning since the charge would only last a summer. Only one of the three keys we had would start the ignition. The others would lock the steering column and the key wouldn't come out. The funky crazy upholstery that was even funky crazy when I bought it.


It was even on the doors too.


But it looked like the sports car the insurance company claimed it was inside and out ( before the finish began peeling off )when you cleaned it up and it was stone cold reliable and cheap to fix if anything went wrong which was rare.



And it is a stick shift!! I love driving stick shifts. You felt like a race car driver when you drove one. Can you buy regular cars with a stick shift anymore?


When I sat in it for the last time to say goodbye...I literally started to cry. I blame pregnancy hormones. She's off on her own now. I hope she remembers who she is and what she stands for.




In case anyone notices a little more swagger in our family
Tuesday, March 06, 2012 - Posted by Sunny - 5 comments
This is why



Today we are the proud owners of a new ( to us ) Toyota Sienna. Otherwise known as the 'Swagger Wagon'


(For those of you who don't know.)

With baby boy #3 we knew that our tiny compact car was no longer going to fit all of us at the same time and figured it was time to take the plunge into a minivan.


Hyrum wanted the doors that open by themselves. That was his only requirement and when we went looking at cars that was the first thing he told any salesman. Then he was completely sold as soon as he saw that it had the doors and got inside. The whole time we test drove any car he just kept saying "I love this car! I think we should buy this car! Let's take this guy back and drive this car home! Let's buy this car! This car is sooo cool!" The whole way and with every car we drove. He was an easy sell. It wasn't long before Noah would join in with "I love it! I love it! Love car! Buy car!"


We were a little more discerning. I did have a hard fast requirement of a place to put my sunglasses because I always seem to break them. They always find a way under my feet in the car. We both of course wanted a good solid reliable car. And Derek wanted it to be white.


We are all extremely happy with the new car!


Although going from a compact car to a minivan was a bigger jump than I was prepared for.


I used to be able to slip inbetween the stairs and the old car to get to the freezer in the corner, even pregnant...that is no longer an option.


And slipping behind the car is a little harder too.


Less space between the cars as well. We used to have equal space from the middle. Not so much anymore.


I feel like I'm hauling out the bus when I drive it. But it is SOOOO nice to have the extra space. AND room to grow. ( eight seats to be exact ) It feels like such luxury. It has a back up camera, a place to hook up an ipod, six sets of six radio presets, it tells us what our current fuel economy is, what our average fuel economy is, how many approximate miles we have till empty, the temperature outside and we can sync up the phone to the car ( probably Derek's favorite feature).

It's a nicer car than we EVER thought we'd be able to get.


Well there hasn't been much snow outside this year
Saturday, March 03, 2012 - Posted by Sunny - 0 comments

So the boys decided to make some INDOORS.


One of Noah's birthday gifts came in a box full of packing peanuts. Not the new dissolveable and smooshable ones. The brittle "break into a thousand little statically charged pieces" ones. The boys started off climbing into the large box and had the time of their lives tossing them up in the air and onto the floor everywhere. We laughed with them and completely enjoyed watching them have so much fun. That's what you call newbie parents, right there.

(They were flapping the edges of the box to send packing peanuts flying all over the room)

Once they were out of the box, the boys continued to toss them around and run through them.


Then we attempted to clean them up. We shoveled up as many as we could in a dust pan and a sand shovel. We got most of the big pieces. I figured I could just vacuum the rest of them up. Easy, right? Well not so if you have a baggless vacuum because the pieces stick to the filter making suction disappear and when you go to empty the canister the little statically charged pieces find a new home all over you and the floor around the garbage can. So I spent the rest of the night on my hands and knees with tape and fingers picking up all the bigger of the little pieces.

That's not happening again. Glad we got some video of them having so much fun. So they can relive it by watching it.


Party Central
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - Posted by Sunny - 0 comments

This weekend was a party every day almost. It all started on Friday night with a wonderful baby shower for future baby boy Tangren thrown by wonderful cousins. They asked me a few months ago if they could throw me a shower but this being my third boy I thought it was unnecessary if not gratuitous. They persisted and it was such a fun night. I was nervous because Derek was going to be camping with 12 and 13 year old boys and wouldn't be around to entertain children. We had a bit more kid involvement than we would have had but they all had fun and so did we. It was just great to get together with all of my besties and enjoy a night. I don't do girls night out...ever, so it was fun.

We played a game where we drew babies on plates while they were on our heads and I chose the winner.


Then we played a game where we held pennies between our knees while we walked to cups in the kitchen to drop them in with balloons under our shirts.


Everyone was so generous.

I have the best friends!

The next day was Noah's 2nd birthday friend party. I had to make it up to him this year since we were so lame last year. But at the same time I wanted some ease so we limited the list ( not that he really has any other friends than these and they are really Hyrum's friends that like to play with him too) and tried to make it simple.

It was of course a 'Cars' party. I took Hyrum ( and Noah) to get the party decorations and party favors which was more than I bargained for because Hyrum is all about party planning and he wanted to get every last thing they had. Since it was at the dollar store there wasn't too much damage though.


We started off with a game where each person drew the best car they could on a brown paper bag and Noah chose which one he liked the best. Hyrum was not chosen...cue the tantrum. But really is it a party until someone throws a fit? Not in my house. :)


Then it was time for pizza and Kool aid through silly straws. Derek got home during that part. I sent him off to take a shower while we ate pizza. Then we played "Musical Pit stop" ( musical chairs) I prepped for another melt down when Hyrum was eliminated but it never came. Whew! Then they opened thier goody bags and played with their toys a bit.


Then started "Operation wear them all out" and we headed to "Jumping Jacks". Everywhere they went it was Tyler, Hyrum then Alan. Everywhere, and all of the time.


Noah and Derek were joined at the hip too.


I just ran around taking pictures and keeping track of where everyone was. I didn't think they wanted a 7 1/2 month pregnant woman jumping around. No one wants to see that.

They all ran and climbed and slid and jumped for nearly two hours. By the end they were feeling it a bit.


We went home to have cake and ice cream.


I loved the cake.

At one point in my life I had great intentions to make my children's cakes when it didn't happen with Hyrum's first birthday it derailed the rest of my ambition.


Then they just wanted to play for a bit then we opened gifts


and we were about to go out back to play red light green light when the boys' mom came. Noah instantly thought he was going to their house to play since we did that ONCE and now he thinks it happens every time. But she did end up taking all of the boys to the park to play for a bit longer. A great time was had by all.

(Sure sign of a good time! Falling asleep while eating cake)

Monday was Noah's actual birthday which he shared with the Presidents this year. We had thoughts of doing something as a family for Noah's birthday but thought his birthday fulfiled the event aspect of his birthday and decided to do something else momentous for his birthday... bust out the bunk beads.


We realized that we probably needed another mattress after we started getting everything ready and set off to find one.


After driving around for about a half an hour it seemed for a matress store that had gone out of business we remembered the mom and pop furniture store in town Vaud Hanks and Sons and went there. They were having a sale to boot and the boys and I headed home to get things ready while Derek loaded up the matress in our Plymouth Neon (yeah, that's how we roll) to bring it home. Well come to find out that we don't remember how we got Hyrum's mattress into that car when we got it a couple of years ago and he couldn't seem to get it into the car. Vaud Hanks, owner of the store, was out there and threw Derek the keys to his personal truck to get it home. Derek was shocked. Service like this is dying. We both agreed that we'd be willing to pay a little more at a place like this for the personal service we got.

Then all the boys started putting together the bunk beds. The little boys LOVED helping drill and work the allen wrench. They each got their turn.





Noah was dismayed that he couldn't be on the top bunk. But after letting him be up there for a little while with our constant supervision and letting him know in no uncertain terms that we only lay down up there the mystique was gone and he was content to be on his bunk. Especially when he opened his presents and got a "Cars' comforter.


After Skyping with grandparents and opening up more presents the boys had a tough time going to bed but they've quickly adjusted to their new beds and it's working well.

( First time in a forward sitting carseat )

Happy Birthday littler man! We just can't get enough of you!!