Happy Halloween

This was our first Halloween in many many years with snow on the ground. Luckily Bryton chose to be Maleficent this year. I was very surprised to find that they only Maleficent costumes were sexy spin-offs for adults. So I set off online to look for separate pieces. A couple of days later a dress, cape, staff, and horns were found and ordered.
I was so happy with how it turned out!
The trunk-or-treat was a lot of fun and everyone was so impressed.
Trick-or-treating was a bit awkward. easily 80% of all the houses didn't even answer their doors, and we only went to the houses with porch lights on! Of all the houses that did answer, 90% had no idea who she was supposed to be, and on top of that, when she told them they had no idea who Maleficent was. Dumb....
Gavin, for his first Halloween, was a white tiger.....or zebra.
Depends on who you ask.
His Uncle Bryce gave the costume to him at the baby shower.
All in all this Halloween was great.

Baby Gavin pics

Gavin Eric Frisby

On September 2nd 2009, I went into the Women's clinic for a follow-up ultrasound. Everything looked great, he was getting a bit bigger, no contractions....just peachy.
about 12 hours later at 1:20am I wake up to what I thought was an excruciatingly full bladder. Well after a quick trip to the lady's room I realize that all that pressure didn't go away....and there was a reason for it. No sooner had I crawled back into bed did I feel the first of many contractions.
I looked at the clock and 7 minutes later, another one, then 6 minutes later...and so on. I thought, well I will wait 6 more minutes, and if I have another one I will wake up Jason. Two minutes later I woke him up and gave him the best news in the world that you can get at 2am.....we have to go to the hospital.
So since I was waiting until the weekend to get a hospital bag ready I went to the closet and picked out a few essentials, but in lots of pain and really tired I think all I managed to grab were some socks and my toothbrush.
Jason woke up Bryton and packed her a pillow and a blanket and we headed to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
Now at 34 weeks I knew (from experience) that my Doctors were not going to let this baby come with out a fight so, dialated at a two, I recieved two shots of tributaline (spelled wrong I'm sure) and when I kept progressing they decided that the baby had won the fight and admitted me at 4 am.
From 4am to about 9am we just sat there and waited. Bryton's blanket getting no use from her. she didn't go back to sleep until about 7. I received the blessing of an epidural (nice) and got the news that the doc would be in a noon. K, so we waited some more. at 1230, After waiting a bit longer than anticipated I sent Jason and Bryton to get some lunch at the cafeteria....2 minutes later the doc walks in and I measured at a 9. Jason gets back in a jiffy. they pop my water and within 15 minutes (3 minutes of pushing) our little Gavin was born at 1246pm on September 3rd 2009 Weighing in at 4lbs 8oz.

All in all with him being 6 weeks early, he was fairly healthy. He was on oxygen for the most part of the first day, and then his O2 levels were normal so that was great.
the worst part of it all was that his little tummy couldn't digest quickly enough to sustain his body. So the poor little guy got an IV in his head, and a feeding tube down his nose, and those where the norm for the better part of a week.
With the help of his wonderful nurse, we got to see the IV go and try bottle feeding. He did great, and 8 days after he was born we got to take him home.
He is doing fabulously. Still not eating a ton but he is gaining some weight, and sleeping like a champ.

I want to thank My husband for being there for me and for taking care of me as an invalid. My parents for visiting and taking care of the house and Bryton while we spent the days with Gavin. Gavin's Nurse Peggy, best nurse ever. She really helped us through all the pricks and pokes Gavin had to get and had the biggest heart ever.

We are very happy to have this little man in our lives and I hope you all get to meet him soon.

Bryton the Gymnist

Gymnastics!!!

Bryton recently started a gymnastics class for 3-5 yr olds. and for once she is the tallest! and the oldest I think.
Well the first thing I must say is how great the price was. I remember going to gymnastics and it was like 40 bucks a month for once-a-week classes...ouch!
Bryton goes twice a week and its about 35 dollars a month.
So after we enrolled her we drove over to our friendly neighborhood Walmart, (which by the way must be the only Walmart in history that allows ALL of their employees to park in the front!) and we picked out a leotard and leggins. Big selection here....black or pink....so we went with a slimming black leotard and sparkly pink leggins.....classic.
It wasn't until later that I discovered her gymnastics center sells leotards there, really cute ones. I asked when I registered her, where I could buy one and they said Walmart. So that's what we have for now.
Ok so the brochure stated that it had a viewing window since parents weren't allowed in the room itself to make more use of the space.......right, well this window is about 5 inches wide by 24 inches tall. and has wires going all through it.
I definitely was not happy about that, me and a handful of moms were crowded around the little door window with our camera phones trying to see what our little girls were doing.
Other than the window thing, everything was great!
I was really impressed by how much they learned on their first day, such as pulling themselves up onto the bar, touching their toes onto the bar and balancing on the beam!
and best of all Bryton loved it and had so much fun...which is what really matters right?

Kindergarten!!!

Today I walked Bryton to her first day of Kindergarten.
Last year she did attend a full day preschool at the local elementary, so I think she was very excited to "go back to school".
We live only 10 minutes away (by walking) from Cole Elementary, and it was really nice to spend the morning with her and talk about whatever popped into her head on the way to school.
Last night we were able to meet her teacher, Mrs. Berg.
She seems very sweet and nice and bubbly (everything a Kindergarten teacher should be)
Bryton and I walked into her classroom this morning and she immediately found her coat and backpack hanger. We unpacked all of her school gear and put it in the class bins then we found her seat.
Her teacher had given each child a small canister of playdough and Bryton set to work right away.
I felt horrible when I realized all the other parents had remembered to bring their cameras and were clicking away at their shutter buttons. And then I remembered that my phone was a camera. So I took a few pics to capture the moment.

Can you tell she is just distraught at the thought of being at school?

And one last look before I walk home...

Finally

Wow!!! It has really been a long long time since I have written anything on my blog!
I also haven't taken any pictures is a while, so I will have to add those in later.
first off we finally made it home to Utah and spent 3 weeks there with family. It was really great to see all my sisters and one of my brothers, and all of my nieces and nephews. and after keeping it secret for almost 5 months we got to tell our families that we are going to have another baby! and just recently found out that we will be having a little boy!!!
I went to Lagoon for the first time in almost 5 years, I had Watermelon for the first time in 3 years! (it was soooo good!) It was just so nice to see everyone that I have missed for so long, and to walk into a Wal*Mart and bask in its hugeness.
We then headed to Wyoming. after nearly 24 hours of flights and airports a few weeks prior the 7 hour drive was nothing, actually enjoyable. We spent a couple weeks in TLF while we looked for houses. We found a nice home and managed to move in before we closed.
Soon after that we adopted a little puppy. He is half Lab and half Pitt mix. and we named him Hurley.
Things are going really well. and now we are just waiting for all of stuff to get here.

Bryton's Easter Photos

Having a white bunny rabbit has it's advantages you know. A gal from the Branch, who does photography, asked to borrow Yuki-San to take Easter pictures of her daughter and offered free pictures of Bryton too. So at the park across the street we took Yuki and Bryton (all dolled up in her Easter dress) and got some sweet pictures taken. Enjoy!

Whale Watching pics-Finally!

WHALE WATCHING!!!

Last weekend Bryton, Jason, and I went on a whale watching tour.
The boat was nicer than I had expected. There was a spacious indoor area, a wide bow and a very big top deck area to watch the whales from.
We spent our time on the top. I was very surprised to see whales nearly right off. Although none of them jumped with their heads out we did see their backs, their blow holes spraying out water and their big back fins! It was really cool! I don't mean to brag but Jason and I were definitely the ones to see the whales first 7 out of 10 times (because we're awesome).
It was an awesome experience and we all really enjoyed it!
3 days later we got a call from a different tour group saying we had won whale watching tickets! So instead of going two weeks in a row we just gave them to friends of ours.
Then the tour got canceled due to inclement weather, and those friends would not be on the island for the reschedule date. So, we asked another family, then another, then another! For one reason or another we could not find anyone to take these free tickets. So I sent out a mass email to my branch (ward) and finally found a family to take them.
Although the weather was worse than when they canceled before, the tour was still on and they had a great time! I am so glad!

Sayonara Okinawa

Ja matta Okinawa

Our time on Okinawa has just about come to an end.
Although we don't yet know as of now where we will go, we will be leaving in about 3 months!
I have missed my family and friends so so so much since we've been so far away. I have missed a niece and a nephew being born. I have missed my sisters wedding. And I have missed two funerals. And in March I will miss my little sister going into the MTC, and if I don't see her when she departs to Cambodia, it will have been almost 5 years before I see her again!
However, I have love love loved being here. I learned Japanese in high school and so coming here was a dream come true. I love the sights and the people here are so kind. Okinawa has a slow paced way of life and it's almost calming. I love the beach, to swim or just lay out on the sand. I get a kick out of American Village that sells anything from used leather jackets to American license plates, and the gift shops that for some reason always sell Spam.
And although my time away from my family is over due, there are many things that I will miss in Oki.
I will miss Chula-u's free foot bath (Ashiyu) with its natural hot spring water. I will miss all the neat attractions here like the castle ruins, Ocean Expo, Butterfly Park, and the crazy crazy parks with nets ropes and rings that are ridicuously dangerous for children to play on. (but fun)
I will miss driving around the shoreline and taking in the beauty of Okinawa's sapphire ocean.
What I think I will miss the most is probably all the wonderfuly delicious SUSHI!!!!!!!
I don't know how I am ever going to eat sushi in the States after enjoying the most fresh and delectable fish and Japanese dishes here.
So in the next three months I am going to see everything again, and eat so much sushi it will come out of my nose!
I don't want to leave here with any regrets......

BRYTON

Bryton Lee Frisby

December 19, 2003.
5am ish
I wake up Jason after counting contractions for an hour.
"Jason, we need to go to the hospital."
"....Are you serious?"
I laugh, "yes, let's go"
I then wake up my mother and wish her a happy anniversary, and tell her that we will be going to the hospital.
At about 6am I get all signed in and in my hospital bed.
Doctor's and nurses come in and out and family arrives.
at about 1130 I get my epidural (which for me was the worst part) and with Jason holding my hand and my mom my side at 12:00 noon I began to push and 18 minutes later (12:18) Bryton Lee Frisby was born. 17 inches long and 5lbs 2oz.
I remember Jason running back and forth saying,"She's got hair"......."She's got dimples!"
I think we were all a bit worried that she wouldn't be a healthy baby since she tried coming 3 weeks earlier and I was shot up with all sorts of steroids and other things to help her develop, and then with me only gaining 9 pounds and her still coming 4 weeks early. But she was perfect. Although Jason and I were surprised at how large her hands and feet were. We received several pairs of infant booties at my baby shower-none of which fit her unusually large baby feet.

I am so happy that I have this beautiful gem in my life!
She is the greatest joy! Her laugh is extremely contagious, and she has the wit and sarcasm that keeps me rolling on the floor.
I can't imagine a life with out her. She is five now....FIVE YEARS OLD!!!!
The things that she does astound me, things I didn't learn to do until I was much older that she is.
I am very proud of her. I am proud of what she has done and been doing, and how she has made me the mother I am today.
Happy birthday Bryton


AND....
Bryton has been just shy of NUTS when it comes to Indiana Jones. She has had a huge interest/crush since she first saw the commercials for the new I.J. movie. So, we totally decked out the park across the street with spider webs, home made vines, giant ant hills, a huge excavation site (big pile of sand with treasures in side). Also we made a great big dark tunnel using black tarps and the bridge area of the playground and a golden treasure chest.
So after all the kids recieved their Indiana Jones hats (folded, taped and painted newpapaer) they headed over to the "Excavation Site" where I had made Treasure Rocks (dried coffee grounds, flour, sand, and salt. I put a "treasure" in each rock then baked them) which the kids could break open and find their treasure!
After everyone had a chance to find treausres we started our obstcle course adventure!
First the kids had to swing over the Snake Pit, and then hop on the letters of Bryton's name to the Balancing Beam. From there they had to climb and maneuver through vines and not fall into the Ant Hills, Climb up the stairs to the tunnel that had glow sticks for everyone. When they got to the top they had to dip their cup into the treasure chest, slide down the slide and pour their treasures into the pinata. Then when the pinata was full we broke it open and all the kids filled up their Treasure Bags.
Bryton got so many great gifts from her friends and she had a wonderful party. I hope she will remember it always.