Dobson Family Memories

Ginger Bread Builders

2009-12-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

I am so glad that we have Jeff and Tara's family! We all enjoy spending time together, and have started so many fun family traditions. This year we spent the afternoon making gingerbread houses. This was something that Brady and Harmoni really enjoyed. I think Izzy liked eating the frosting more than actually decorating the house! What made the afternoon even more special was having Granny Kit over as well. I hope that these are the kinds of things we will continue to do for years to come!

The Advent Calendar

2009-12-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

You can spend $50 on a toy that Brady may only play with once...You can spend $1.00 on something that he will love!!! That was the case with this advent calendar from "Jakey". He took it very seriously and wanted to open a door first thing each morning. One night at about 3:00 am he wandered into our room (half asleep) holding the advent calendar in his hands. He wanted to know if it was morning time yet so he could open up another day! I loved doing this, because it was a good way for him to get an idea how long it would take for Christmas to get here. Four year olds don't always understand the concept of hours, day, weeks, and months, but they definitely understand eating chocolate each day! As more doors opened, his excitement grew because he realized how close we were getting to the big day!

Trick or Treat

2009-12-27T20:44:00.001-08:00

So here's another tradition in the making! For the last two years we have gotten all of the kids together for a little harvest/halloween party. This year was especially fun because of all of the activities that Amber planned. Brady and I are so lucky to have Amber, Isaac, Anna, Tara, Harmoni, and Izzy in our lives. It is nice that we can all come together as a group and do things. It's a great way to teach all of the kids how to socialize and have fun.

The first project was to decorate sugar cookies with orange frosting, sprinkles, and gummy eyeballs! Tara brough goodie bags fill with skeletons, eyeballs, and all sorts of gross things!

The highlight of the evening had to be bobbing for apples out in the garage. None of the kids had done this before and I don't think they realized how hard it would be. They tried and tried, but none of them were able to grab one. They didn't care, they were having a blast trying. Finally Isaac got one (sort of)! He snuck his hands in when he thought we weren't looking! The giggles and laughter were contagious!

Next we went in for another crazy game. They had to try and eat a doughnut hanging from a string without using their hands. We have a little romance budding among the kids as you can see in the picture below. Isaac and Harmoni!!!! It was such a fun night and I can't wait til next year!

I can't believe he's already four!

2009-12-27T20:10:00.001-08:00

Brady never ceases to make me smile! His fourth birthday was no exception. A few months before his birthday, we started to talk about what type of party he would like to have. He quite matter-of-factly told me that he wanted to have a snake party! What was I supposed to do with that? One, I hate snakes and two, what do you do for a snake party? A few of my friends, knowing my dislike of snakes, suggested hiring someone to bring a real snake to the party. I don't think so!! My dad even called one night to find out how I would feel about him getting Brady a real snake for a gift! I really don't think so!!!!! Needless to say, we found a way to pull of a snake-themed party with no real reptiles present!

We had inflatable snakes and a snake cake. Above is Harmoni and me sporting our snake tattoos!

No kids birthday is quite complete without a bounce house. This is the second year in a row that we've rented one and they all love it! We have been lucky enough to have wonderful weather for all but one of Brady's birthdays!

I am very curious (and afraid) to see what kind of party my crazy little kid wants next year...

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-12-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

One of the many things I enjoy about being a parent is establishing family traditions. Every October Brady and I go with Harmoni and Tara on a hayride to pick pumpkins. Two years ago we found a really great place to do this called "Linder Farms". At the farm you do everything from picking your own pumpkin to playing in bounce houses! This past year was especially fun because Nate, Jeff and Izzy came too!

When the kids got on this ride the all burst into the biggest smiles imaginable. It was like they were in heaven! I have never seen the three of them this happy at the exact same time!

At the pumpkin patch they have warm, homemade doughnuts! You can see Brady literally shoveling them in! Another highlight is the cow train. Uncle Jeff was a good sport and went on it with the kids.

There is also a petting zoo. They had a little pygmy goat roaming around for the kids to pet. Once we finished looking at the animals it was time to find the perfect pumpkin! Nate helped Brady navigate through all of the bumps and stickers!

Brady with his two sweet cousins-Harmoni & Izzy

Our two families: Tara, Harmoni, Jeff, Izzy, Katie, Brady, & Nate

We all had a great time (even the dads)!

Preschool already?????

2009-10-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Brady is growing up so quickly. The time since he was born has gone by so fast, yet it is hard for me to even remember what our life was like before God gave him to us. This fall he has started going to preschool twice a week at Cloverdale Christian. His teacher's name is "Miss Cindy" and he really loves going. He loves it so much that he sometimes won't believe us when we tell him it is not a school day. Below are a few of the pictures of his first day!

DMB at the Gorge

2009-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend Nate and I went on an adventure! We drove to the Gorge in Washington to see Dave Matthew's Band play. We were lucky enough to take this trip with two of our favorite people-Nate's brother Jeff and his wife Tara.

When you go to a concert at the Gorge you either have to camp out or drive home the same night. There are no hotels close by. We chose to camp out...As you can see by the cloudy sky we are in for it!

No sooner had we set up our tents than it started to rain. By the time we got down to the amphi-theater it was pretty much pouring. We weren't exactly prepared for this, no rain coats or umbrellas. After all, we were in the middle of the desert! At one point Jeff and Tara were wearing garbage bags they got from some people several rows over. When Dave came out on stage in his garbage bag poncho, he said "that's the thing about the desert, it's a dry heat!".

The concert was amazing and under any other circumstances I probably would have had the time of my life, but I have to admit I was TOTALLY miserable. I was wet, then very cold. I think Nate thought I was being a big wimp, but I could not get warm. I don't think I got warm until the next day on the van ride home with the heater blowing on me full blast. I would love to go back again next year, but I think I will be better prepared.

The Camp Site

2009-10-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's a long car ride!

Papa Richard & his boys

Ritter loving on Lou Lou and Ritter eyeing Brady's cookie!

Playing in the creek

Last summer my dad and I took Brady on his first camping trip. My Uncle Gary and his girlfriend Debbie were working as camp hosts at some really great camp grounds between Crouch and Silver Creek Plunge. We had so much fun! We played in the creek, went for rides around camp on Debbies Gator, and drove up to Silver Creek to swim in the pool. As soon as we came back home, Brady began asking when we could go back to the "Camp Site"! We did make it back up this summer. This time we just went up for the day and were able to bring Grandma Lou Lou, Carebear, Baby Ritter, and Cheri with us.

Papa Richard's a Racecar Driver!

2009-09-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

For the past five or six years my dad has been racing. He has made friends with a gentleman named Dick Sola who owns a full service Chevron station over on State Street in Boise. Dick asked my dad to be a part of his racing team and they spend time each summer racing in both Twin Falls and at the Meridan Speedway. Brady has definitely adopted his Papa's love of cars. This year I decided Brady was old enough to go and watch the races. He absolutely loves it! He is so proud of his papa! He sits in the stands and cheers and yells "go racers! go papa richard! go dick!". The other part he loves about going to the race track is eating licorice rope. We brought our friend Tess along and they had a licorice rope eating contest!

YeeeHaw!!!!

2009-09-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

I hadn't been to a rodeo in many, many years. To be honest, rodeo's aren't really my thing. Brady on the other hand loves anything to do with bulls, bucking broncos and cowboys. Because of this, I thought we needed to return to my home town for the Caldwell Night Rodeo! We were lucky enough to get our good friends Isaac and Amber to come along with us. The boys put on their jeans and cowboy boots and were ready to go. Much as I had expected, Brady loved it! After watching for a while, Amber took the boys down for a bathroom break. I was surprised to see them sauntering back up the bleachers in matching cowboy hats!! She had bought one for each of them. They were so cute!

willa nafer's and somersault's!

2009-08-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Some days are just plain fun! With Brady there is rarely a dull moment, and today was no exception...
He is a very picky eater and I am always worried about him not getting the nutrients he needs. He would like to live on chicken nuggets and pizza. I find it interesting that he'll eat spaghetti-o's and peanut butter and jelly when he spends the day with his Aunt Tara, but refuses when he's at home. I think he's playing me!! Anyways, I've decided to put my foot down. Today he had to eat a pb&j for lunch. He couldn't have his "coffee" and binky for his nap unless he ate half of it. You would have thought I was torturing him, but he eventually ate it. For dinner he ate a quesadilla and actually liked it! So I am feeling victorious and I think he is too. Who knows what we'll try tomorrow...
Another exciting thing about today was that he did his first somersault!

Then to top it all off, he ended the day by making me smile. He asked to have a snack before bed. He wanted some Willa Nafer's...

Carnival & Market

2009-08-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Brady never ceases to make me laugh! He is quite creative and has recently introduced me to his two new imaginary friends "Carnival & Market". What is so funny about this is not the fact that he has imaginary friends, it's that he has chosen to name them Carnival & Market. Why not Fred or Bob? He likes to pretend he is talking to them on the phone. According to him they all like to go mountain biking and play tennis together...On the car ride home today I asked him how they got the names Carnival & Market. He told me he just asked them and that's what they said their names were!!!

Good Old Blue Dog

2009-05-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog about Brady's "Blue Dog". With the abuse he puts this thing through it may fall apart and I want to make sure it is included in the memoirs of Brady's childhood! He has been attached to Blue Dog since he as about nine months old. Wherever Brady is, Blue Dog is sure to not be far away. When he is tired Brady likes to take Blue Dog's ears (which are very soft!) and rub them on his nose.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-18T12:44:00.001-07:00

I know it may sound cliche, but being a mom is the best and hardest job in the whole world. It is something I am very devoted to doing to the best of my abilities. I can't say I'm devoted to doing it "right" because I am pretty certain that there is no perfect way to be a parent. The last three years of my life have been so rewarding and full of joy. It is so fun to watch Brady learn and grow.

This Mother's Day I had some of the "mom's" in my life come over for breakfast. It was particularly fun because this was my sister's first Mother's Day. She brought Ritter, my new nephew. Brady and Ritter are well loved little boys. They got to spend time with their Grandma Cathy and Great Grandma's Lou Lou and Sheila.

A Sweet and Delicious Gesture

2009-05-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

A few months back we celebrated my mom's birthday. This particular birthday was made special by the cake that my step-dad, Tracy, made for her. When he and I were planning the details I offered to bring something for dessert. He said he had it covered, that he was going to make a cake...I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at first. When I arrived at my mom's house on the day of her party, I learned that my skepticism was completely unwarranted!

The cake was awesome and it was fun to see him doing something so sweet for my mom! Way to go Tracy!!

Cozy Coupe Car Wash

2009-04-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

For Brady's second birthday we bought him a Cozy Coupe fire truck. He has gotten a lot of good use out of it. So many of his toys get pushed aside, but this one has definitely been a favorite. We had our first really warm weather of the year on Saturday, so Brady decided it was time to clean up his firetruck!

How much is the doggy in the window?

2009-03-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Brady is fortunate enough to get to spend time each week with each of his grandmas. I often take for granted how much he learns from them. Every once in a while he surprises me by saying or singing things that I haven't taught him. Kit is always teaching him songs. Once while grocery shopping I said "Brady we need some sugar, sugar!" He responded by singing "Oh honey, honey!"

The other day while dressed up as a fireman with no pants, he started to sing "How much is that doggie in the window?". I asked him where he learned that and he said "Granny taught me that."!

That's how God made it...

2009-03-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Brady has proven to be a very curious little boy. There are lots of why's? how's? what's? asked on a daily basis. Every once in a while we find a question that doesn't have a simple answer. Here's an example- "Why are some cows black and others brown?" When that happens, Brady's explanation is "that's just how God made them!".

Ritter Klein

2009-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to announce the arrival of my nephew Ritter. He was born on January 22nd, 2009. It brings back so many memories of when Brady was born. I have not found any other experience that can quite compare to having a child. The love, the emotions, and yes even the stress! I am confident that my sister will be a great mother! We are so excited for this new addition to our family!

Swing around the rosy...

2009-01-26T17:07:00.001-08:00

Brady has recently learned how to do "Ring around the Rosy" but here is his rendition...

"Swing around the rosy. Pumpkin full of posey. Ashes, ashes. We all fall down!"

Brady the Photographer!

2009-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

Brady's foot!

Brady's Mickey Mouse Plate

Brady's toast!

Daddy!

Just the other night while eating dinner, Brady asked me if he could take some pictures with my camera. Here's how they turned out!!

Why is he not happy?

2009-01-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

I decided when I began this whole process that my main purpose would be to record "Bradyisms"! He loves to have Nate and I read to him. He doesn't simply just sit back and listen. He asks questions about every part of the story! His most famous question is "Why is he not happy?" Any time a character has anything but a smile on his face he asks that question. The second most asked question is "Is he mean?''. His favorite book at the moment is a collection of Disney stories. We are reading about Cruella DeVill, Captain Hook, Shere Kahn, and all of the other classic villains so I guess it makes sense as to why he asks those sort of things! I am just glad to have a child who already seems to enjoy reading and learning as much as Nate and I do!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

2008-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about going to Nate's parents cabin for Christmas was all of the snow. It snowed over a foot just in the two days that we were there. We would go out to play, go in to warm up, go out to play...Santa brought Brady a new sled and his favorite thing to do with it was to walk down the road and collect big chunks of snow! We brought Cooper to the cabin as well and I think that he loved the snow even more than Brady!

A cozy Christmas!

2008-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

Nate and I decided to do something unusual this year for Christmas. Instead of moving at a dead run to get to all of our destinations, we headed up to McCall to spend Christmas just the three of us. I wasn't sure how well I would like this arrangement, being that I am pretty used to the chaotic holiday scene, but we had a lot of fun! As the snow came down, we made a fire and snuggled in for Christmas Eve. We watched Rudolph and Polar Express. Brady danced around like a maniac to the song "Hot Chocolate" from Polar Express!

Brady opening his traditonal Christmas jammies!

His first glimpse of the tree surrounded by presents!

Our "mini" tree!

Brady and mommy wrestling in our new jammies!

Happy Birthday Nate!

2008-12-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

We recently celebrated Nate's 30th birthday. I find it hard to believe that time has gone by this quickly. We aren't kids anymore!! Not that there is anything wrong with thirty or any age for that matter...We just have to officially admit that we are grown ups. Nate is not one to want a big celebration, but he did have a few small requests. We invited his brothers Jake and Jeff out for dinner and bowling. Nate had a really great time. There aren't many people Nate would rather spend time with than his brothers. The next day on his actual birthday Brady and I baked him brownies. He also requested a meal that is not one of my favorites, but being that it was his special day, I gave in and made "weiner wraps"!!!!

"Wooly Mannoths"

2008-12-20T15:11:00.000-08:00

When Brady and I went out to play in the snow last week I showed him how to make snow angels. He decided that instead of snow angels, he was going to make "Wooly Mannoths" (Brady's way of pronouncing Mammoth)! He and Nate just recently watched the movie "Ice Age", so he has taken an interest in "Wooly Mannoths"...This kid is funny!!

Let it snow!

2008-12-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

Petting the REAL reindeer!!

Brady talking with Santa!

Brady and Mommy all bundled up!

Brady with Grandma Cathy and Pa

We had so much fun! Brady and I along with Gramdma Cathy, Pa Tracy, and Great Grandma Sheila went to the Botanical Garden for the Winter Garden-A-Glow. It was the first time I had gone, and we had a great time! Brady was able to sit on Santa's lap for the first time. He also got to see and pet a real reindeer!

Big Boy Bed

2008-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Brady has always loved his crib. Because of that, Nate and I were in no hurry to get him a regular bed. When he turned three we decided that it was time to make the switch. We prepared ourselves for a rough transition and we were pleasantly surprised. Brady LOVES his new big boy bed (as you can see in the pictures)! I can't believe how fast time flies...

Pumpkin Patch Trip 2008

2008-12-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

All of the kids enjoying their halloween suckers!

Brady having the time of his life on the tractor ride!

Izzy & me crashing at the bottom of the slide

Brady in the bouncy house

This fall we were able to load all of the kids up and go out to the "Linder Farms" pumpkin patch. Tara and I have started a tradition of taking Brady and Harmoni to a pumpkin patch each year, but we had never been to "Linder Farms". The best part about this year is that we were able to bring Izzy. Brady's good buddies Isaac & Anna also got to go along with us. They did it all! They went through a maze made out of bales of hay slid down the bouncy slide, rode behind a tractor, ate homemade donughts, and last but not least got to pick their own pumpkins! I think Brady had a lot of fun! It is so important to create traditions like this. I hope that someday we can look back and remember how much fun we had on this chilly fall day!

"Endergy"

2008-11-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

We recently switched Brady from a crib to his "big boy" bed. Ever since we did that, he has been sleeping in until about 8:30. This morning I was still in bed when he wandered into our room. He crawled in and we snuggled for a little bit. The moments before falling asleep or when he has just woken up are the best ones for getting him to chat. He likes to talk about anything and everything. We talk about daddy, his friends, Cooper and Maggie, or whatever happens to be on his mind. Today we talked about how much he likes to sleep in his new bed and how comfy it is. He said that sleeping in his new bed gives him "endergy". He said that eating gives him "endergy" too...

Halloween Party

2008-11-02T15:30:00.001-08:00

Izzy eating dinner before all of fun began

The cupcake Isaac made to take home to Mike

Harmoni with her butterfly cheek courtesy of Amber!

Isaac after a blue raspberry tootsie pop!

Brady enjoying his candy and punch at the same time!

Happy Halloween! A few days before it was time to head out trick-or-treating we had a little party at our house. Brady and I had some of our favorite people (Tara, Jeff, Harmoni, Izzy, Amber and Isaac) come over to help us decorate cupcakes and eat lots of candy. The cupcakes turned out great, but the highlight of the evening was the dance party in the middle of my living room. I turned on some fast, upbeat kids music and they all went crazy! I was especially impressed with Isaacs crazy break-dancing abilities!

Family Time

2008-11-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

Daddy & Brady Jumping off the tree stump!

Cooper is literally smiling!

Brady studying the old tree stumps

Nate and I recently took a week of vacation. We headed up to the mountains for a little bit of family time. It is so easy to get caught up in our busy schedules, that I often forget how much we all really enjoy being together! While up in McCall we decided to go do a little exploring. We took Brady and Cooper to "Little Payette" lake. Brady was in awe of all the dirt, mud, and gnarly tree stumps. Cooper was just happy to be in the outdoors. After that, we went a little farther up towards Yellow Pine and found a creek. Cooper jumped right in for a swim and Brady spent nearly an hour just tossing rocks into the water. I love, love, love my family!

Brady & Isaac's Zoo Adventure!

2008-10-13T21:30:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back, I took Brady and Isaac on a trip to Zoo Boise. They had opened up their new "African Safari" exhibit and I thought they would love seeing the lions and the giraffes. That was great, but there were two other things that really made it an adventure for the boys. First of all, they got to ride the Merry-Go-Round which they both loved. Secondly, they got to witness the Snow Leopard getting a little feisty! When we went up to look at her, one of the zookeepers was there talking to another family. She said that with the weather getting cooler, the Snow Leopard was feeling hyper. The boys didn't quite know what to think. When they got close to the glass, she would hiss and show off her huge canines! After a little while, they realized that she was not going to hurt them, so they became totally entertained. Brady is still talking about it!

Brady and the Texas Longhorn

2008-10-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

For a while now he has been interested in animals. Every week or so we make a trip to Target so that he can get a new animal figurine to add to his collection. His most favorite animal is his "Texas Longhorn". I don't know why, but he loves it! He remembers seeing them when he went to the fair this summer. We have looked them up on the internet. I guess the funniest thing about it is just hearing his little three year old voice say "Texas Longhorn"!