10 Months

10 Months down and still growing well and fast. Orson is such a happy boy. He likes being in his walker, he tries a new solid food every three days and loves to eat! He says mom, dada, nana (which I think means food), and he's said Hi once when he was flirting with a girl in the mall. He opens all cupboard doors he can get to. He's about 18 lbs and filling out great! Look at my cute boy :)

Rags to Riches

Through all our hard work we have a (somewhat) working house. In the next couple months I'll be posting before and after pictures. Here is the kitchen and dining room.



Before

After


Before

After

Oh, to be 24

Dan is an amazing husband! His birthday was completely butchered this year even through all the effort. I was really sick, Orson was really sick, my sister's car wouldn't start so her and my brother couldn't come to do a murder mystery. He had a really good dinner thanks to Melinda. By far the worst birthday I've ever done for him and I felt super bad. But he seemed to do tons for my birthday. It was a special day and I'm grateful that he put in so much effort.

For breakfast we went to IHOP and there was a guy doing balloon animals and everything else. He made Orson a t-rex and Dan had him make me a birthday balloon.


After breakfast we went to Hammond's candies again to go through the tour with Dan's family. Then we went shopping and found the most amazing store! It's called Charming Charlie. I got 3 necklaces for $15 and I could have spent forever in there. They have jewelry, shoes, purses, hats... etc. Neat store!

Dan also got me my favorite birthday cake! Dairy Queen ice cream cake, yum yum!



Dan and I ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory for my birthday dinner while Orson stayed with Grandma Bridenstine and it was the first time I had eaten there. My brother Jeran recommended it and he said to request sitting in the boxcar. So Dan pulled some strings and we ate in the boxcar :) It is really good food and good prices!
Dan asked the waiter if they did anything embarrassing for birthdays and there was a lady there doing balloons as well. (are we seeing a pattern?) She made me a birthday hat and said that I didn't get to pick what it looked like... so here it is :) I kept smacking Dan with the horn in front.

It was a good birthday and I'm now 24 and loving life!

Bloxham Through and Through

My side of the family has some VERY heavy sleepers. We think my youngest brother, Haelyn, has a little bit of narcolepsy because he can fall asleep anywhere in any position. I think my little boy... though a Bridenstine is a Bloxham through and through.

Valentine's Day

This year's Valentine's Day was probably one of the best I've had. As a family, we toured a candy factory, went and played/walked around the mall and had a fondue night. It was a great day to spend real quality time with my little family. It was relaxing and fun and wasn't a fortune.

Hammond's Candy Factory has a free tour. We watched them make a couple different flavors of candy cane swirls. It was the first time Dan and I had toured a factory.
Here is a guy starting to make the candy cane.

Putting the pieces together...

Look at that big slab of candy! It weighs up to 60 pounds!

Then they put it on a conveyer belt thingy and roll it and cut it out to the right size.

Orson missed the whole tour because he was sleeping. Oh well, he'll appreciate it more when he's older anyway.

Chocolate Bunnies for Easter

They do Art Candy at Hammond's that go with the season. This is a four-leaf clover for St. Patty's Day. I thought it was awesome.

Orson woke up just in time for the free "oops" candy at the end of the tour. :)

We love lollipops. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. (no joke!)



At the Flat Irons Mall, they have a dino land for kids. Orson had a blast crawling around everywhere! I keep taking him back because it gets all his wiggles out.




Everyone has fun on Fondue Night!

Orson is eating a banana in his teething pouch and is happy to be apart of the fun!

9 Months

I can't believe this time flew so fast. Orson is already 9 months and he's growing into such an intelligent and happy little boy. He eats lots of things now and he has 2 teeth! He pulls himself up to stand and says mom and dada and ladl-ladl which I haven't figured out what that means yet. He likes playing peek-a-boo and turning the page on his books. He LOVES music! He wasn't very photogenic when we took these but they turned out okay.

Crawling up the stairs at Grandma Bridenstines


walking with new pushing toy of Grandmas