Horger Family

Legos!!

2010-07-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

John's mom recently had a birthday and chose to celebrate with a trip to Lego Land! How awesome is that. It's amazing what you can build with legos. Lego Land is great for toddlers and younger children. Ashlynn was tall enough for most the rides and she loved them. We were lucky enough to go on a slower day and most lines were about 5 minutes long. I thought it was pretty clever that while the parents waited in line, the children could be sectioned off and keep busy playing with legos until it was there turn.

There was a lot to do and Ashlynn was crazy about everything. She did lots of rides, water play, went on a boat, played with the legos, and her favorite was probably the play area with slides and climbing and little houses, but who can tell with a two year old.

The lego representations of major U.S. cities was really amazing

Pops and Grandma

Braydon met a girl and made eyes the entire boat ride

Ashlynn is a major train enthusiast, must have learned it from her Pops

(he has a giant room of trains)

ROAR!

Wild Thing

2010-07-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Wild thing, badumba , you make my heart sing . . . Ashlynn, although to you she may appear sweet and calm, has recently come upon a wild streak, so we decided to spend the day at the perfect place we knew she would fit right in: The Wild Animal Park. I was in middle school the last time I visited The Wild Animal Park so it seemed as new of an experience for me as the rest of the family. It is a beautiful facility; very well landscaped. Ashlynn really enjoyed the water play areas to cool down in and had a fun time running wildly after some ducks.

Ashlynn is really smart at identifying animals and their sounds-you may have noticed her growling above. We spent a good part of the day looking at animals and some of the amazing views. Ashlynn and Braydon both liked watching the gorillas walking around with leaves on their backs.

Ashlynn HATES to sit still; I believe her to be incapable, so the Park was a great release for her to run around and retire her seemingly endless amount of energy. We hope to visit again soon.

Splish splash

2010-07-14T14:21:00.001-07:00

Ashlynn recently completed her fist swim class this spring at the YMCA. Last year she was fearless when it came to water, run right in to the ocean, so I was expecting no less this summer. I guess now that she's two she is more aware of her surroundings and the threats they can pose. So day one she was really clingy, but after assuring her I would not let her drown, she relaxed and became a very good student.

The class size was great, only six children and their parent, and the instructor was really enthusiastic and child friendly. Ashlynn really liked him and she learned a lot: kicking, arms, and blowing bubbles, and just to be more comfortable with the water again. My goal is to have her swimming solo by next summer.

Our little graduate

Chunkers

2010-03-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

That's what I call Braydon. I love that chunky little guy. Ashlynn refers to him as Baydon, unkers, or eww. . .translation . . .Braydon, chunkers, eww. The eww started with John being disgusted with Braydons habit of spitting up, which has gotten better, but has now become one of Ashlynn's three names for her brother. The spit up's now occur significantly less often and so it is with the name, because I'm sure you all were interested.

Braydon can now roll over, a lot. He enjos sucking on his fingers and big toe, grabbing his feet, his exersaucer, baths, talking and squeeling with anyone or no one, and is just very laid back and happy.

Ashlynn's all time favorite show is the Backyardigans, and as it turns out Braydon really enjoys the show as well. They like to sit on the couch in the morning and watch the show together. Ashlynn is really into Braydon now and tries to play with him; especially during tummy time. She is a great big sister.

Recently we went up to the Laguna Mountains to show Ashlynn the snow for the first time. She loves it. Eating it and sliding down the hill on our boogy board were her favorite and she asks about the snow a lot. We didn't have the proper snow clothes but we made do with plenty of layers and some rain boots.

Ashlynn and Braydon are COMPLETE opposites and I love them both dearly, as does their Dada. Ashlynn loves to have tickling wars and be chased around the house and has her activities she does with only Dada. She is crazy about books and her flash cards. It will be exciting to see how things evolve as we all grow.

We are a Happy Family

2010-03-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

Although our family portraits form last year are beautiful, we decided it was time for an update, recognize Braydon as part of the family. I have a wonderful friend, Shillawna, who is very talented with a camera. (http://www.shillawnaruffnerphotography.com/) We asked for an on location shoot at Seaport Village and she was happy and willing. I'm really grateful to have such an amazing friend and I am really delighted with the images she was able to capture. It was really windy but Ashlynn and Braydon both did a really great job of staying in a good mood. So lets get on with the results.

These are just a couple I like:

Ashlynn turns two

2010-01-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

Ashlynn had her second birthday on January 14th. We celebrated with a big party that weekend and invited all of her friends, a lot including parents, so it was nice that John's parents live close by with a great backyard. There was a jumper, food, cupcakes, pinata, and the big hit was the giant room full of trains that John helped his dad build when he was younger. Don, John's dad conducted the trains and even wore the proper hat. The party turned out great and Ashlynn got a bunch of wonderful gifts.

What a blessing

2010-01-19T12:39:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, January 3rd, Braydon received his baby blessing. John's parents and brother, as well as my parents, Grandpa, and brother were all able to come and show their support for the special event. John, my Dad, and my Grandpa were all able to participate in the blessing, and John did a wonderful job. I am very proud of him and Braydon and I am grateful for my family and my church family. I was very pleased when John blessed Braydon to be close to his family and to develop a good relationship with his sister. I also liked that he blessed him to share his talents with others.

I of course took a bunch of pictures and I was also able to get one with the four generations, from Great-Grandpa to Grandson.

Presents

2010-01-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

For Christmas eve my parents and younger, but much bigger, brother (6 foot 7) came over and we exchanged presents. Ashlynn got a cool table to color at and hang her art, a giant coloring pad, and some washable markers. She loves to color in the book, especially with mama and dada. Braydon got the outfit he will receive his baby blessing in.

Christmas morning was great. Ashlynn loved opening her stocking to find a bunch of candy and she was too excited to open her presents. She would grab one from under the tree, bring it to dada and have him start to unwrap it and she would finish. I think she liked unwrapping more than what was under the paper. She did very well and didn't open any presents unless we told her it was okay. We got her a bunch of little things and one big thing: a doll furniture set including a stroller, crib, high chair, and car seat. She loves them. Braydon got some burp clothes.

That evening we spent with John's parents and brother. Ashlynn got a bright new tricycle, and a Winnie the pooh watch. Braydon got a Winnie the pooh swing. My favorite part was spoiling Ashlynn and seeing how happy she was. It was a great Christmas.

Just chillin

Crazy Sunday

2010-01-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Sunday before Christmas we had quite a day with Ashlynn. After arriving late to church, we had to deal with her misbehaving during sacrament, nothing new, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the day. As soon as sacrament ended I mentioned to Ashlynn that it was time to go to class. I turned to get Braydon and the diaper bag and when I turned back it appeared Ashlynn had taken off. We went to nursery to see if she made it on her own but there was no sign of her. I took off one way and John the other and searched the building for her. About ten minutes in, someone found her in the bishops office and brought her to a friend. If we had to loose her somewhere, I'm glad it was at church.

Just as church was ending John heard Ashlynn screaming in the hall and saw that she had a GIANT goose-egg on her forehead, just at the hair line. She didn't cry long and it was nothing a few pieces of chocolate couldn't solve. It appears she tripped and fell, hitting her head on the door frame. Totally an Ashlynn move.

This was taken a few hours later, it was much worse at the time

Arriving home for lunch, we noticed that Ashlynn found coloring on paper during the primary rather dull and decided to spice up her shoes with a few colors, good thing they're washable crayons.

One might think that that would be enough for one day, but no. We have been running our fireplace for the last few weeks and taught Ashlynn that it was hot and not to touch the glass. She never did until that night. She didn't really cry but kept saying ow ow and flapping her hand. We gave her a bowl of cold water to rest it in . Poor kid; it would feel better and she would get up to play and then it would start to burn again. She used to bowl of water just over an hour. Her three fingers turned pink but did not blister. I don't think she'll make that mistake again.

Big Sister

2009-12-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

Ashlynn adjusted to Braydon better than I could have hoped for. Every morning when she wakes up and after nap she asks "ah baby" (ah=where). It's so sweet. She loves to look at him, give him kisses, and cover him with blankets. As intrigued as she is by him she is not very interested in holding him which is great for me, I don't worry about her trying to pick him up when I'm not looking. She hasn't shown any jealousy towards me or john when we hold the baby but gets really upset at Grandma. She has tried to "share" her toys with him and knocked him in the head once or twice but that's been about it.

It's amazing she actually smiled for the camera

Being a goofy girl

Braydon is so laid back and relaxed that he hardly cries and if he does Ashlynn is quick to yell "baby cry" and run over to him and try to shove his pacifier in his mouth. It's wonderful having Braydon in our lives, he is such a blessing, (especially because he lets me get plenty of sleep) he is a great baby and Ashlynn is a good big sister.

Tis the Seaon

2009-12-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

The year John and I got married we had an amazing Christmas. Since then we haven't really done much to celebrate the holiday, but now that Ashlynn's old enough to get excited, we decided to go all out. We got our Christmas tree a few days after Thanksgiving at the local Pinery and let Ashlynn help choose it. We didn't get home until about 7pm but John really wanted to put it up that night, as well as decorate it and the inside of the house. It surprised me at how long it takes to hang lights, ornaments and to wrap garland around the staircase but our efforts are enjoyed now daily. We even put a running train under the tree. Ashlynn calls it a choo choo and she and the cat just sit and watch it go round and round.

Two days later we hit the outside decorations, and again it is shocking how long it takes to hang lights. I think we spent a good three hours decorating outside. Our labors are rewarded and Ashlynn really seems to like it, and to pull ornaments off the tree. Next year John says he's going to the next level (the second story;D)

All we need now is some presents under the tree.

Braydon Michael Horger

2009-11-18T13:19:00.001-08:00

Braydon Michael Horger

November 8, 2009
8 lbs. 1 ounce
21 1/2 inches

Quick Trip

2009-10-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

John and I are excited about having a baby soon but we also wanted to get out of town and do something with Ashlynn before his arrival. This led to two of our weekends in September to turn into mini vacations. We first visited Yosemite National Park. I had never been there and it was beautiful. Ashlynn is big on the outdoors so she loved it too and didn't hesitate to run into the FREEZING cold river water. I think that was her favorite part and she had fun collecting rocks and throwing them in the water. Our other weekend was spent in Sedona, Arizona. We drove along the scenic highway and pulled over at a few different spots, again letting Ashlynn play in the FREEZING cold river water. Colder than Yosemite. She loved it though, again throwing rocks and collecting sticks and just enjoying the outdoors. Best of all was that she was an Angel for most of the long hours spent in the car and slept well away from home. Of course we took a thousand photos so here are some of my favorites:

Yosemite

Her shorts drying after sitting in the water

Sedona

Pretending to play the flute

She gave the little girl a hug and a kiss

Playing with dada's hat

Watermelon

2009-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thought I would upload a few pics of Ashlynn and our neighbor Joshua eating watermelon. They are just too cute not to share.

Juice everywhere. Yummy!

Sea Life Aquarium

2009-09-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

An employee of John's was kind enough to give him two free tickets to the Sea Life Aquarium at Lego land. We were able to go on Monday and spend some time there. It was great. Ashlynn loved it and it's totally themed around kids.

The first room we went to had a bridge over a giant aquarium and a slide coming out of a tree. Ashlynn must have gone down it ten times or so. It was probably her favorite room.

Getting ready for the slide.

There were a lot of other fun things like Lego's to play with, tide pools, and glass bubbles to climb in to see the fish better. (Ashlynn wouldn't do that part)

It's a great family place and the adults can enjoy it too. I do have to say, on the down side, that I don't think I would pay full price and parking to go see it, it's not worth that much in my opinion. I have two coupons that say $5 admission for up to two people. Perfect for a family of four if any ones interested. That being said, we all had a great time and got to have fun at one of the many attractions San Diego has to offer. Maybe next year we'll try Lego land :D

It's about time

2009-08-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't reported on anything for some time now. I blame this on our computer. It SUCKS! Good news- my mom gave us her old laptop which is working beautifully and now I'm left with no excuses to keep you all updated. The latest going ons in our life:

Ashlynn fell out of her little chair and hit her forehead on the metal framing of the sliding door. Poor girl was bleeding a lot and we had to take her to the hospital. Luckily it was such a nice straight gash they were able to glue the skin together. Seriously, like super glue. It's been 11 days now and the glue fell off leaving a purple scar about an inch long. I think she's battling it out with my friend shillawna's daughter for most doctor visits in two years. I think they still have us beat.

Ashlynn discovered her shadow the other evening and watched me do silly things with our shadows for 10 minutes before I got bored and now she likes to point at her shadow whenever she notices it. It's cute.

It's really incredible how quickly toddlers pick up vocabulary. She surprises me with a new word everyday. Other than that our lives have been fairly routine. I'll do better to keep updated.

A word from ashlynn:
ghggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghddgkkhssddgghhggdsdgghhbbh

The sun, the pool, and the BBQ

2009-07-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

We have really tried to embrace summer this year by going to the beach and sitting around outside by the BBQ. For the Fourth of July we had some friends over to eat and play with Ashlynn in her kiddie pool. We also bought the ultimate beach ball sprinkler which was a hit. We decided not to participate in fireworks this year but we had just as much fun hanging out at home. Ashlynn LOVES to play with the neighbor's boy Joshua. I got a cute video of them in the pool still in their clothes.

They didn't want to wait for their swim suits.

John, Ashlynn, and I all like meat so the BBQ is great for us. Ashlynn even shared some of her food with daddy (Shocking because she's a food hoard)

When it got really hot Ashlynn and Joshua ate Otter Pops. It was his first time and any pieces he dropped Ashlynn took and ate.

They're so cute

John invited a friend from work and her two daughters whom Ashlynn had a lot of fun with.

Everybody ate a lot. Ashlynn's favorite was the chips and the blueberries (which come out the same color they go in). John and his friends had fun playing with the Frisbee and tossing a ball around and it turned out to be a really nice day.

On a happy note

2009-06-25T14:16:00.001-07:00

It was my Birthday on the tenth of this month so I decided to use some of my Birthday money to go to the fair with my family. I love the fair and we've been lucky to be able to go the last three years. It's also a good excuse to pig out. This all happened before the hospital stay. First we went to the stalls where they hold a lot of the farm animals. Ashlynn loved the cows and she got to pet them. She really enjoyed seeing all of the animals.

Next we went over to the kiddie area and Ashlynn didn't reach many of the height requirements but there were a handful of rides she could do. We went on Winkie the Whale and one that looked like hot air balloons, but Ashlynn's by far most favorite ride was the Carousal. We went on it three times, and one of the three times was on the huge one in the big kid area. She loved it and shook her head no when it was time to get off. (She's been doing that a lot lately :) )

We took a look at most of the vendors, didn't buy anything, and we of course ate a ton of food. Cotton candy, shaved ice, funnel cake, those Australian potato things, and Ashlynn's favorite, a GIANT hot dog.

Irony

2009-06-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn's friend Anslie was recently hospitalized at Rady Children's Hospital and Ashlynn and I were able to visit her while she was there. What is so ironic about this is that only a few weeks later Ashlynn was admitted to the same hospital.

I first noticed what looked like a quarter sized red, raised, firm bump on Ashlynn's butt on a Tuesday and took her to the pediatricians office where we were prescribed antibiotics. Two days later Ashlynn would rather crawl than walk because it was too painful. I took her back in on Thursday and it had grown from a quarter to flattened tennis ball size.

We were admitted latter that day to Children's Hospital because they believed that since it continued to get worse with the antibiotics Ashlynn must have MRSA (a resistant strain or Staph) They put her on stronger IV antibiotics to "ripen" the sore to make it softer so they could drain it.
They had to put a booty on it because she kept chewing on the tubing

It took until Saturday for the sore to "ripen" and they took her to the operating room. They had to give her general anesthesia which knocked her out in seconds. It was sad to watch. We couldn't be there for the procedure but it only took 35 minutes till we could see her. This was the worse part of the entire stay because when she woke up she went crazy. Nothing I've ever seen. Crying, screaming, flailing her arms and legs, wanting to be held but wiggling to get down at the same time. It was horrifying and went on for an hour. She finally passed out and woke a few hours later totally fine.

While we were at the hospital Ashlynn was put on isolation, she was not permitted to leave the room and anyone who came in put on gloves and a gown, this was to prevent it from spreading to other patients. It was hard to keep her entertained in the little room and she often watched people go by out the window of her door.

Ashlynn is home now and feeling much better. We still have to care for her sore and keep her on antibiotics so it doesn't reestablish. Because Ashlynn has eczema and can easily get breaks in her skin she is more prone to getting infections like these and others more often.

Bath Time

2009-06-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have had the opportunity to go swimming with Ashlynn you know how excited and happy she gets in the water. The same goes for bathtime. She would stay in for over an hour if I were to let her. Here is a clip depicting her excitement.

Still not enough hair fo a clippie

I am no longer allowed to go swimming the rest of my pregnancy (or take a bath) so my mother in-law got a great inflatable pool for Ashlynn that sits on our porch. It has been to cold the past few days to use it but she is really excited to just splash her hands in it until it warms up. I can't wait to get some cute pictures of her in it. So anyone who wants a playdate in our pool come on over.

Ha-py

2009-05-26T07:37:00.001-07:00

When Ashlynn gets tired she either becomes grumpy and wants to be held or she acts like someone gave her a "happy pill." Saturday night was a great example of baby gone happy. She was rolling around on the floor, jumping on pillows, climbing into our laps, and laughing and smiling and kept saying one of the few words she knows, Ha-py. Ha-py, Ha-py, Ha-py, all night. It was great entertainment for the evening. It's great to see her like this because she can be so serious sometimes.

These are a few photos from the pirate ship park that I thought were really cute. Daddy takes her there nearly every week while I'm at school but this time I got to tag along.

She can rock it back and forth by herself now. Yay!

She is much more interested in observing everyone else before joining in.

Saturday

2009-05-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a crazy day for Ashlynn and myself. It was hot out so the neighbor's boy, Joshua, and Ashlynn played with bubbles and chalk for a while. Later we went for lunch at the Otay Ranch Mall and let the kids explore. Ashlynn ended up in a diaper playing in the fountains of water in the food court. She had a great time, Joshua wasn't too into it.

We ended the day with Ashlynn's friends birthday party. Braxton turned one, Yay! The food was great and the kids all seemed to have a good time. I would say that everyone, especially Braxton enjoyed their slice of cake:)

He's soo cute

Seaport Village

2009-03-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

We have made it a habit as a family to visit Seaport Village at least once a month. It is a great family environment and we can all have fun. It was especially fun this last time we went because Ashlynn can walk and lead the way. We also brought with us her musical shopping cart and everyone would smile and say how cute.

During the weekends there are usually street performers and bands playing. We went and watched the Tinku band play authentic South American music and they had a bucket out full of instruments for the children to play. Ashlynn loved that. She played with the other little kids and smiled a lot.

I would have to say that the stand out of the day was taking Ashlynn on her first Carousel ride. She LOVED it. It was a great evening and we chowed down on her favorite meal, pizza!

Road Trip

2009-03-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday night about 10:00 and I just got home from school to find John still awake waiting for me. He asks that while he's working the next day if I can pack some clothes for a weekend trip he had planned. (I love when he does these kind of things) After a while of not letting me in on the destination, he finally gave in and told me that we would be going to Vegas and all arrangements have been made. I have only ever been to Vegas once and it was for about 2 hours so I was really excited to go as a family. Now travelling with a 13 month old is hard enough already but add to that taking a way her pacifier, lets just say it was a long....er drive.

Other than that Ashlynn was truly well behaved and had a wonderful time; we all did. We walked up and down the strip, twice. A lot of walking. We stayed in an older hotel, the Riviera, but it was basically just a bed, we were always out. My favorite part was just how fun the atmosphere was and the different themes of the hotels and just being there as a family. Another favorite was going out to a show. Cirque Du Soleil LOVE. The entire show is played to songs recorded by the Beetles. John and I both really enjoyed it. Although we don't drink or gamble, there was plenty do do to make Vegas a great trip.

Daddy's Princess

Our happy girl

Riding a motorcycle in the arcade

Overlooking the strip