Orange County Great Park

After Bibian's shower last Saturday, we went to the Orange County Great Park. They were having another on of their fun free events.


Braden tried to make friends at the petting zoo but the goats weren't too interested. A goat in a petting zoo ate my Diet Coke can when I was a kid, so I'm always afraid that they are going to bite Braden's hand.

There were a few fun things to do, but we were feeling kind of disappointed because normally we have so much fun at these events.

But then we found the most awesome part of all. There were a bunch of Marines and we got to check out their weapons and vehicles.

Check out the size of this Howitzer!

Braden loved all of the levers on the gun. What can I say? He's a boy through and through.

It is astounding how heavy duty everything is. I know everything has to be built extremely tough, but it was still nuts to see and feel how heavy and sturdy everything is.

Braden did a good job pretending that he was driving. He L-O-V-E-S cars of all types.

It was crazy to see how big everything is in real life. It made me feel like a midget!

It was tons of fun, but that is the closest Braden will ever get to being a Marine. I love and appreciate everyone who is in the armed forces but I'm too much of a worry wart to let my own kid do it!

Bibian's Shower

Last weekend we attended a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Bibian. She's married to Matt's brother, A.J. It was a lovely shower; there was great food, games, and presents.



At long last, Bibian actually looks pregnant!


A.J. was supposed to go out with Matty and do manly things during the shower, but he stayed and videoed the shower.





Many women from church not only brought gifts, they also brought food. It was really thoughtful and the food was excellent.

My saintly Matty ended up babysitting the kids since he and A.J. didn't go out like they had planned. He taught them the finer points of exercising.

Like at Disneyland, Kai couldn't get enough of Braden. He loves his little cousin.

Braden successfully mooched off of Aunt Natalie for quite a while. Braden will do anything for fresh fruit.

The boys had a great time running around the house and wreaking havoc. After the shower Matt said, "I'm so glad we don't have twins, I don't know how people do it."

Bibian received so many awesome gifts! She now has nearly everything she'll need for her baby boy. She got tons of cute baby clothes and gift cards as well as a thermometer, blankets, socks, diapers, toiletries, 3 diaper bags (she'll use them all eventually), toys, etc. The family she nannied for before she got married already gave her a car seat, a crib, and other important baby items.

The games were a lot of fun, too. Natalie and I were in charge of games and the matching game was a huge hit!

We had a nice time at the shower and wish A.J., Bibian, and little George the best!

Matt's Birthday

Matt's birthday was really fun this year. Matt had a night shift the night before his birthday so after he got home in the wee hours of the morning and slept for a few hours we went to Disneyland and California Adventure. The lines for rides were surprisingly short (Disneyland has been so dead as compared to any other summer I have been there) and we were able to go on lots of rides and see a couple shows like "It's Tough to be a Bug" (which you really should see if you haven't) and "Playhouse Disney" (Braden can't sing any of the songs but Matt and I know ALL the lyrics).
Matt was so happy to be celebrating his birthday at Disneyland.

It was so fun to spend a full day together as a family.

While in line for Toy Story Mania, Matt went for the arachnid look.

Braden thought his daddy was being a goober.

After a full day at Disneyland we met my parents at Red Robin in Foothill Ranch for Matt's birthday dinner. Not only did he get a free burger, he got a free birthday dessert. It was pretty awesome.

We went home and Matt opened his presents. He got an Angels t-shirt, movie making software for our computer, a book, and a dash mount for his GPS.

After presents we had delicious Costco hockey cake. When I picked up Matt's birthday cake, the guy at the register at Costco thought the cake was for Braden. I told him it was my husband's birthday cake. "Your husband wanted the hockey cake?" "Yes." He thought about this for a moment and then said, "That's even MORE awesome!" It made me laugh. What's wrong with a 27 year old man wanting a hockey cake?

It was a really great day.

Disneyland with Natalie and Kai Part I

We had the pleasure of going to Disneyland not once but twice with our sister-in-law Natalie and her son, Kai. Natalie is Matt's brother, Peter's, wife and she and Kai were in town from Tokyo. The first time we went to Disneyland with them was the Tuesday before Matt's birthday. Matt had any early work day so he was able to join us. We had a great time and Natalie's family was gracious enough to allow us to tag along with them.


Braden and Kai have always seemed like best buds and this day was no exception. Kai immediately started giving Braden hugs and kisses as soon as he saw him. It was so adorable and Braden could handle it for the most part until it got overbearing and he would push Kai away, which didn't deter Kai at all.




We were able to hit up a ton of rides! Braden was his normal, rambunctious self but Kai looked pretty serious most of the time. He couldn't figure out where on earth we had taken him.

Braden was way into pretending to drive a car in front of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I'm convinced this baby has gasoline running in his veins.

Braden was in such good spirits and thought the Matt was being hysterical!

The boys had fun on the teacups but the crazy spinning started to worry Kai. Braden is used to Matt pushing the limits but it was a whole new experience for Kai.

Kai just could not contain his love for Braden. He is the sweetest little guy. Come this fall he is going to make a great big brother!

Fourth of July

Independence Day is becoming one of my favorite holidays. I love the barbecues, fireworks, and fun activities but most of all I love the patriotism. I love my country. I am so proud of our history and still find myself fascinated by it even though I have studied it for most of my life. Our country is great. I listen to the news and sometimes get really depressed about the things I hear, but when it really comes down to it I am so proud of what we stand for and I am so proud of what our forefathers fought for. Don't ever let anybody make you feel ashamed or embarrassed for being American. This is a remarkable country that stands as an ensign to people all over the world. We are so blessed to live here. Never forget it. Tony Blair (the British Prime Minister) stated:

First, we should remain the closest ally of the US, and as allies influence them to continue broadening their agenda. We are the ally of the US not because they are powerful, but because we share their values. I am not surprised by anti-Americanism; but it is a foolish indulgence. For all their faults and all nations have them, the US are a force for good; they have liberal and democratic traditions of which any nation can be proud. I sometimes think it is a good rule of thumb to ask of a country: are people trying to get into it or out of it? It's not a bad guide to what sort of country it is.




We had a fantastic fourth of July this year. In the morning we went to the church where there were activities and tons of yummy food (albeit odd food to have at 9am, i.e. nachos, brownies, snow cones, cotton candy, cookies, etc.).

Braden went into a bounce house for the first time.
He tried it alone but didn't last long before he sat down because he was weirded out about not having control over his balance.



Matt came in and joined him, but Braden still didn't last very long. Maybe next year.

We ate way too much junk food and visited with people in the ward. It was tons of fun.

In the afternoon we went to a barbecue that our friends, Chad and Rachel Trotter, were hosting. There was great food and great company. David and Allyson Didlake were there, too, with their two cutie pies. All of the kids had a fun time playing together and especially loved swimming in the pool.

In the evening we did our traditional Independence Day walk from our house down to Mission Viejo Lake where there are always lots of fun things to see and do on the fourth of July. Olympiad is shut down from Marguerite Parkway to Melinda Road and there are tons of booths, shopping, food, games, and music. We never buy anything but we always have fun checking everything out and listening to whatever band/choir/orchestra is performing.

Braden was totally enthralled by the music and I was so happy to hear all of our traditional patriotic songs. Thank goodness some people still think we can sing about God and our country without worry about if it might offend someone.

After we finished up on Olympiad, we walked up Melinda a tiny bit and sat at our favorite spot to watch fireworks.

The fireworks were even better this year than they were last year. A guy sitting on a blanket behind us kept saying "these fireworks are EPIC!" It made me laugh, but he was right. Braden loved the fireworks this year (last year he lasted about 30 seconds before he started crying) and kept saying, "Ooo!"

It was an awesome day, and all the more meaningful because we had just gotten back from our trip to Washington, D.C.

God bless America!

Disneyland with Sarah and Lucy

Braden and I went to Disneyland and California Adventure with Sarah and Lucy Sherman the week after we came back from Washington, D.C. Thankfully things were A LOT less crowded than the last time we had attempted to go together! The kids had a great time and Lucy was such a hamburger! She was adorable.

Lucy was so excited to be on King Triton's Carousel!

Braden enjoyed it, as well, but wasn't quite as enthusiastic. :)

The kids were so well behaved and Sarah was brave to try the rides I suggested. She totally kicked butt on Toy Story Mania and put my scores the first few times I played to shame.

The kiddos had fun on Mickey's Fun Wheel, too, and Lucy continued to ham it up!

We had a wonderful time!

Washington, D.C. and Virginia

In mid June, Matt was flown out to Virginia for two weeks for a business trip. Braden and I flew out after Matt had been there for a week and spent the last week there together. We had the time of our lives. It had been years and years since Matt and I had been in that area (14 years for me) and Braden, obviously, had never been. We didn't have much time since Matt had to work long hours during the week. We managed to do everything on Saturday, Sunday, Monday night (for Bull Run), and on Wednesday Braden and I drove two hours south to Monticello. We did nearly everything in D.C. that we wanted to but we still have plenty more we can do in Virginia at a later time.

Believe it or not, I only posted a very small number of our photos. We saw and did so many things.


On Saturday we started out by going to the U.S. Capitol. We got poured on all morning long! It was a crazy storm but was much nicer than the heat and humidity that we experienced later that day. Gotta love summers on the east coast.

We did a tour inside of the Capitol which was really awesome. It was so beautiful inside! We started out in the rotunda which is under the dome of the building. The ceiling was gorgeous and there were tons of huge famous paintings and sculptures.

There was so much fascinating history to the building. It was a great experience.

Next we went to the Library of Congress.

Not only was is beautiful on the outside; it was stunning on the inside. There were many mosaics and beautiful frescoes paying homage to famous writers since the beginning of time and what each part of the world contributed to science, literature, religion, etc.

We saw the research area which requires special permission to access. Thousands of the books here belonged to Thomas Jefferson himself. There is literature on literally every subject imaginable; I could get lost in there for weeks going through the books they have.

Next we ran up to the Supreme Court building and took a picture in the pouring rain.

We walked from the back to the front of the White House and saw a huge protest for Iran and its most recent election.

We stopped by Ford's Theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth and across the street was the house where Lincoln died.

We passed by the Internal Revenue Service Building and shed a few tears . . .

We went to the National Museum of American History where we saw tons of amazing artifacts from our history. My favorite was seeing the actual Star Spangled Banner that Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem about. It was GIGANTIC! I had always envisioned it as a typical sized flag but it was something like 30 by 40 feet and almost completely intact. It was phenomenal!

While we were there we also saw C-3PO.

The white-only counter where four black college students sat and ordered food during the civil rights movement.

The desk that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on (you could even see his ink stains on it).

And outside the museum is a fountain you can wade in. Across the street is the EPA building.

We hit up the Natural History Museum to check out the Hope Diamond which is the largest blue diamond in the world. It is over 47 carats! It is said to carry a deadly curse. Muahaha!!!!

By this point in the day, Braden had had too much excitement.

We finished up the day at the National Archives where we saw some of the most important documents relating to our country's history. First we saw the Magna Carta which was so awesome! It's in such great shape especially considering that it is from the 1200s.

We saw the document giving women the right to vote.

The Bill of Rights

The Constitution of the United States of America

and The Declaration of Independence.

By the late afternoon, it was a gorgeous day to be in Washington, D.C.

On Sunday we drove to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home.

Braden loved running around the grounds.

The property was so beautiful and the view of the Potomac was out of this world. If I had gazillions of dollars, I'd buy a vacation home there.

The inside of the home was amazing and mostly contained furniture and art that had been there when Washington was alive. The grounds were quite extensive.

We saw George Washington and Martha Washington's tomb where they were interred years after death. The original family tomb was old and so Washington wanted the newer structure built. They were relocated to the newer location upon its completion.

The one on the left is Martha Washington and the one on the right is George Washington. The dark metal square on the wall is the covering for where more than 20 other relatives are buried. The scripture on the wall above the dark square is John 11:25-26:

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

We saw where the slaves worked and even saw one of George Washington's inventions, the round barn, which you can see in the distance in the picture below. The round barn allowed for more efficient separation of grains.

There is a slave cabin on the property and it was sad to see what tight quarters families lived in.

Mount Vernon is heavily wooded and we enjoyed hiking through all of the trees. It was so gorgeous.

Next, we drove to Arlington National Cemetary. It is so beautiful and peaceful there but most of all it's very humbling. So many people have given their lives for our freedom; this is a blessed nation.

Arlington is on a hill above Washington and the views of the city are stunning. In the picture below, you can see the Lincoln Memorial on the left, the Washington Monument in the center, and the Capitol building on the right.

We visited the Tomb on the Unknown Soldier and watched the changing of the guard.

We saw the graves of JFK and Jackie O. and above the hill from their graves is Robert E. Lee's house.

After Arlingotn we walked over to the memorial for the Marine Corps.

It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite sculptures.

The view of Washington from the Marine Corps Memorial was amazing.

We went to a few more Smithsonian museums

and then walked along the National Mall. We saw the Washington Monument.

Then we went to the Vietnam War Memorial. There are sooo many names; it takes your breath away.

We visited our buddy, Abe, at his place.

We walked over to the Korean War Memorial which is very near and dear to my heart because my dad served in the Korean War.

We saw the Jefferson Memorial and then called it a day.

On Monday after Matt got off of work we drove to the battlefield of the Battle of Bull Run/Manassas. It was so awesome! The battlefield and treeline is basically the same as it was during the Civil War.

It was astonishing to me that soldiers were forced to use the fences as their sole protection from gun and cannon fire.

In the picture below, on the right in the distance you can see the farmhouse that was standing during the battle. Bullets and shrapnel flew through the house and killed a woman who lived there.

There is a Confederate grave on the battlefield. The man buried here was the man who inadvertantly gave Thomas J. Jackson the nickname Stonewall Jackson while fighting during this battle.

On Wednesday, Braden and I rented a car and drove two hours south to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.

The house and the grounds are beautiful, of course. The inside of the house is amazing (unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures of the interior) and so I decided that we are going to buy property in Mount Vernon and build a house just like Monticello on it. It should only take several million dollars. :)

I think Braden's favorite part was roaming around after having been stuck in the car for two hours.

There are elevated walkways coming off of both sides of the house which were Thomas Jefferson's idea so that he could conceal the smoke house, storage, kitchen, etc. below ground so that they would not ruin the view.

Once you walked down the hill, you could see where the kitchen and everything were.

There is even a tunnel under the house where there was a toilet, where alcohol was brewed and stored, and where they had an ice house which could keep ice from winter through mid summer!

They grew many of their own vegetables on the plantation and the garden and the views from the garden are spectacular.

From the brick structure you had a view of the gorgeous landscape below.

As we were leaving, we stopped by Jefferson's grave. He wrote specifically what he wanted on his marker and gave strict instructions that he didn't want anything else added to it. Among many of his great accomplishments that he did not want on his marker, he did not want "President of the United States." He died fifty years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was presented, on July 4, 1826, as did John Adams.

Needless to say, it was a fantastic trip. We made tons of great memories!