Independence Day -- by Nikki

For those people that know me, you know how much I love the 4th of July Holiday and how proud I am to be an American. I grew up in an area where people are proud of who they are and the country we live in. Where I come from, people fly flags and more importantly stand up and put their hand on their heart and say the Pledge of Allegiance. We honor veterans and say our prayers every day to thank the God above for those men and women who gave their lives in the name of Freedom and those that continue to fight each and every day for the freedom we enjoy. Next to my Dad, Mom, Husband and Family, George Washington is and forever will be my Hero. And on a daily basis, I question why the people running our country today cannot be more like our Founding Fathers of yesteryear. (Yes I am making a broad assumption . .I know there are good men/women in politics . .but they are few).

So yes, this past week, my Son and I dawned our Red, White, & Blue. And as long as I can dress him, it will be this way. I am not meaning to start a political debate. It honestly makes my heart ache to see the next generation and the flippancy and disrespect they have for this great Nation of ours. Again a sweeping generalization . . .but . .draw your own conclusions.

Yes I get teary eyed when I sing the Star Spangled Banner, yes I get choked up hearing the stories of war and of veterans, yes I will teach my Son the great meaning behind the US Flag, yes I will teach him about the character of our founding fathers and those great men that had a vision far beyond themselves, And yes, regardless of the day or Holiday we are celebrating, I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. -- George Washington

FOUR MONTH PHOTOS

ALOHA, Hawaiian for: Affection, Love, & Peace!

This past week we had the opportunity to go the Big Island, Hawaii, with my family. My parents always do an incredible job of planning our family vacations. They always make sure everyone feels involved and loved. We all had a great time and the next one cannot come soon enough.

Hunter was an amazing Baby the entire vacation. He slept on all of the plane rides, which was a huge relief to Brendan and me. When we got on the plane everyone around us looked nervous, but by the end of the 6 hour flight, we kept getting comments on what great parents we are, but really it is because we have such a great kid!!

We had a blast our week in Hawaii. We spent time on the beach, at the pool, hiking, going to the Volcano, etc. The most fun though was just being around the family and watching all the grand kids have such a great time together.

Hunter loved the pool and the sand at the beach:

(Thanks to Nalani for the awesome swim toy!!)

On one of the last days, Brendan and my brother-in-law, Denver, went snorkeling out to Captain Cook's Monument. Kasey and I took the kids to a nearby Beach. The place they went snorkeling to is known for seeing spinner dolphins. Well Brendan and Denver didn't see any dolphins, however, Kasey and I and the kids did!! They were right in the bay where we were at. Also, a local gentlemen was fishing and caught this fish . .which weighed a lot more than Hunter:

Favorite pictures of the trip!!

1. My beach bum baby!!!

2. My Happy Baby:

Also, this vacation was extremely special because we welcomed the newest member of the Hunter Family: Layla Ashton. She is Morgan and Stephanie's daughter. By the end of the first day, it felt like she had always been apart of the family and no one knew any different. Which is just how it should be!!! (Layla is on the left, with her cousin Anja on the right!)

DADDY DAY CARE

It is a well known fact around our house that Dad is good at making Hunter laugh, and Mom is good at soothing him when he cries. How good is Dad at soothing an upset Hunter? He’s not.

Immediately after Nikki leaves for a party last Saturday, Hunter begins screaming. I start with the burping, move to the cradling, attempt the Mylicon drops, try the singing, the swinging and the bouncing till my arms goes numb – nothing works. Until, I try the dryer. As seen in the photo, I build a make-shift bed out of old towels, start it up and viola! The kid is sound asleep. I then spend the next hour sitting on the laundry room counter, making sure he doesn’t fall off.

Can you say, “Father of the Year?”

SIDE NOTE: If it were up to Nikki, we would have replaced our ghetto fabulous washer & dryer two years ago. I, however, think we need to drive them into the ground.

3 YEARS

Happy anniversary, sweetie. Here’s to many years to come with our little guy.

PICTURE PERFECT: 2

Again, I present a few of my favorite things in picture form.

BUMPY NERDS:
It’s no secret I’m a fan of weird candy, but not since since my discovery of Trolli Dinosaur Eggs has a sugary confection gotten me so excited. Too bad the Draper Harmons ran out of Bumpy Nerds last week. I learned this unfortunate fact during a midnight candy run.


FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS:
I have to give credit to my brothers for this one. They swore by this odd comedy. It took about two episodes for me to get into it, but I’m now hooked. I can’t get enough of Murray their band manager, too funny. I don’t encourage you to watch it unless you appreciate dry humor. In fact, much of the general populous could watch an entire episode and think, “huh”? Again, if you laugh at “According to Jim” or “Reba”, this show is not for you.

PRINCESS CRUISE 2005:
One of the smartest decisions I ever made was to go on a cruise with an extended group of Nikki’s friends. Not only was it a blast, but it was the turning point in our relationship. (What could she do? She was trapped on a boat with me for seven days). Even smarter was my suggestion that we become exclusive a week before we set sail. I’ve never been much of a player, but I’ve got to admit, that was smooth.

ESTE:
I was just there today for lunch, tastiest pizza in Utah. Runners up include Big Apple and N.Y.P.D.

22 COTTONWOOD DRIVE:
This one is for my siblings. I took this photo last December as I pulled up to my parent's Sunriver vacation home on a quiet Sunday night. Twenty plus years of memories came flooding back: sledding on the golf course, fake candy stores, bike rides, puzzles and river rafting water fights. Childhood was great, wasn’t it?

CAPTAIN ADORABLE:
Sorry Batman, I have a new favorite superhero. Man, I love this kid. Light of my life…

THE MASTER TUB:
While it’s technically located in Nikki’s bathroom, the master tub and I have a date at least twice a week. I’ve always enjoyed a good bath, but never has the tub been so spacious and the water so jetted. Bubble bath and candles are still never involved.

BOYS WEEKEND/MARIO KART TOURNAMENT:
Last year’s Boys Weekend included the BYU vs. UCLA game in Provo and some Mario Kart at our old West Jordan house. The camera work is lacking, but the photo is priceless. The shadowy figures from left to right include Jason Boyer, Kevin Burke, Chris Burke and Bret Ahlstrom. You may notice the ragtag furnishings and wall projector. Our couches and televisions had already been moved to our new place, so I had to scrounge up any furniture I could find. We all slept on the floor. I like to think of it as indoor camping.

1979:
I don’t recall ever being homeless, but this photo suggests otherwise. Now, if I could only find my old Puerto Rico T-shirt.

TICKET TO RIDE:
The best board game on the planet! Much like Catan, it’s easy to learn, but difficult to master. I am proud to say that, at one point, I ranked 3rd among more than 13,000 Xbox gamers on the Ticket to Ride leaderboard. My skills are matched only by my brother Chris and his wife Katie.

RIRIE’S NEXT TOP MODEL:
Nikki will kill me for posting this, but I just couldn’t resist. This is one of several modeling photos of our 12-year-old Nikki. What a fox! Let’s be honest, my 14-year-old self wouldn’t have stood a chance.

HUNTER PHOTOS

Friends and family have asked to see new photos of our little Hunter. Here are a few: