Sledding pictures postponed

In the last post I stated that more sledding photos would be added soon, well it's not looking like that is going to happen. I tried to load them several times immediately after adding the video, and blogger kept disconecting. I finally ran out of time/patience, and it will be about a week before I will be able to post them. Sorry.
Jamie, Brayden and I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas. We look forward to a new year filled with many more blogger.com posts!

Sledding Video

Brayden has really enjoyed sledding the last couple of days. We'll post more pictures later.

Ginger Bread House

Costco puts out these cool ginger bread kits that has everything in one little bundle. We all had a lot of fun putting it together. Brayden "helped" but was more interested in eating the candy. He didn't sleep too well that night!







He just realized that it we were using candy to decorate the ginger bread house.




The finished product.

First Snow of the Year

It snowed a couple of weeks ago, and Brayden has been real interested in the snow this year. If we let him, he'd probably turn into a snowman! He likes getting all dressed up in his snow clothes, except for the gloves. We have resorted to taping them to his coat so he keeps them on. We tried building a snowman, but the snow was not very conducive to snowmen, but we had fun anyway.

Christmas Tree

With the new house we finally have room for a real Christmas Tree this year. It has been a challenge keeping Brayden from playing with the ornaments, but over the last couple of weeks the Christmas Tree has become his new favorite hiding spot. He likes to lay under the tree and kick up at the ornaments.

New York Vacation

So we really had a blast in New York! The Broadway strike ended the first night we were there!!! (I had been praying it would end in time for me to catch a few shows!) We ended up seeing 3 shows together: The Grinch, Wicked, and Drowsy Chaperon. Wicked was definitely our favorite and that's good because it was the only show we paid full price to see! We loved the Grinch but we really didn't like Drowsy Chaperon. Many people we know have loved it but maybe it was just an off night. (Bob Saget is in it, you know, Danny Tanner from Full House!)

Here's a little more about what we did....(sorry but if I don't write it down here, I might forget...this is my pseudo journal!)

Thursday: Saw the Manhattan Temple. Went up to the "Top of the Rock" (Observation Deck on the top of Rockefeller Center) and saw the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and Ice Skating Rink. Shopping in Times Square and then over to 5th Avenue to pay homage to the Apple store. We also found Crate and Barrel there and saw some of the store windows decorated for the holidays. We ran back to Broadway and did the lottery for Wicked tickets. We ended up winning ONE front row seat when we needed TWO but ended up buying them on the street. Ate dinner in the Hell's Kitchen area with Phil, Neil (coworkers of Brian's), and Jamie (Another coworker's wife...he hadn't flown in yet) at some Indian food place. Then went and saw Wicked! AMAZING! (Took the Subway all day.)

Friday: Brian starts working so I head out with Jamie. (Crazy thing...her maiden name is the same as mine!!) We go to the Statue of Liberty (it was her first time in NYC and she hadn't seen it before), do a little shopping at Century 21, and head back and buy tickets for Drowsy Chaperon. Brian and I meet up with Aaron Allen for dinner at Carnegie Deli and then back to the hotel to meet Eric and Jamie. Off to Drowsy Chaperon....we were all disappointed. (Took the Subway all day.)

Saturday: Jamie and I go a late start but head down to Herald Square to shop at Macy's. (8 floors and a basement...crazy fun!) Then continue shopping at H&M (my favorite) before heading back to the hotel to meet Brian and Eric for lunch. Then we headed down to Canal Street and I'm successful in finally finding a RED purse that I LOVE! Of course we find other things too! Then we head back to the hotel to meet up with the guys and go together with all the people Brian works with and their spouses/girlfriends to dinner.

Sunday: SNOWING! Jamie and I head over (via taxi) to 5th avenue and go to FAO Schwarz. Brian got his laptop power cord stolen so I have to go into the Apple store and buy a new one! We walk back (like 23 degrees!) to our hotel and then shop on our way down to see the matinée of Mary Poppins. (I haven't seen the movie lately, but it was pretty different. Really good though!) We had a private box to ourselves! We get a taxi back to the hotel and we hurry and pack up! Brian and I, along with 3 of his coworkers, take a limo to the airport. Our plane is delayed 2 hours! I forgot that I couldn't carry a snowglobe onto the plane so we end up going through security twice! His coworker gives up his first class seat so I can sit with Brian in first class! We finally get home at 1:30 am!

New York Vacation: Statue of Liberty

The same day we went to Central Park, we headed down (via the NYC subway) to see the Statue of Liberty after a little shopping on Canal Street and in Chinatown and then had an AMAZING lunch in Little Italy. (Brian goes to the same little restaurant down there every time he's in New York! I finally got to experience it and have to agree...the Best Fettuccine Alfredo ever!) It was Brian's first time seeing the Statue of Liberty so it was a lot of fun...even if you can't go up into it anymore! (You can but it's a limited number of people per day and it's only up to the top of the pedestal she stands on.)



This proves Brian has been there...he doesn't like taking as many pictures as I like, but I got a few out of him!
The sun was so bright!
I can't decide which of these last three pictures I like the best!


We ended our first day there by having lunch in Times Square and then seeing How The Grinch Stole Christmas on Broadway! (We got half price tickets and ended up having 5th row seats!) It was REALLY fun and we want to take Brayden to see it someday soon! (If money was no object, we thought it would be a fun holiday tradition to do every year!)

New York Vacation: Central Park

Here's a few pictures we took in Central Park. We went there the morning of our first full day there. We were glad we did since Wednesday was the best weather of our entire trip! We were blown away by how we could have just spent hours there! It's such a peaceful place in such a huge, bustling city! And we loved the fall colors...they must have just hung on long enough for us!

This is Bow Bridge....it was really pretty.

Everyone in awhile you saw buildings like this and it reminded you that you really were in a New York and not wondering around in the mountains somewhere.
Here's Brian and I on Bow Bridge...my favorite spot of Central Park.
This is the view from Belvedere Castle. I wish I grew up playing baseball in such a scenic spot!

Like many places in New York....we both referenced movies that we had seen that were filmed in these places. For Central Park, Brian couldn't stop thinking of the movie Elf and when Santa lands in Central Park. For me, I couldn't stop thinking of the movie Muppets Take Manhattan and when Miss Piggy gets her purse stolen, she chases the thief down on roller skates, and the carriage ride that her and Kermit the Frog take. Funny memories!

Bruce and Beth's Wedding

Bruce and Beth got married on Novemeber 17th! It was a really fun day! We enjoyed seeing family and visiting with friends! Here's just a few of the thousands of pictures taken that day!
While we were in the Temple, Brayden had a little run in with the cement border around the fountain. He was fine and we managed to keep the bandaid on him until pictures!
Here they come!
You gotta laugh at seeing so many people snapping your picture!
The Petersen Family.

Brayden loved Beth's flowers and kept trying to blow them out as if they were candles!
Yeah, we managed to keep a tie on him but this was the best he would be for pictures! It was a long day!
He really enjoyed playing with Shane at the reception though!
Here's our little family with the new couple!
We decorated their car...they honeymooned in Las Vegas.

Brayden waving goodbye to Bruce and Beth! Their week long honeymoon was one of the longest weeks of our lives! We're used to talking to them almost daily so it was hard not to call! And all we heard from Brayden all week was, "Bruce, Jesus, Bruce." (We told him Bruce got married in the Temple and he says Jesus for Temple. From this experience he will answer "Yes" if we ask him if he's going to get married in the Temple. Guess it's never too early to learn by other's examples! Thanks guys!)

Catching Up: Halloween Pictures

These are way past due! We had a great Halloween and Brayden just LOVED trick or treating! He was running up and down the driveways with the biggest grin on his face! We stopped at Great Grandma and Grandpa Petersen's in Orem to visit and let Brayden trick or treat at their house. (Brayden was the only trick or treater they had gotten the year before!) Shane joined us for dinner and trick or treating and then left when we headed to my parents house to visit and have Grandma and Uncle Logan take Brayden to some more houses in their neighborhood! His little pumpkin bucket was full after such a fun night! One of the other reasons for going over to my parents house was to see my Grandparents. Brayden's Great Grandma and Grandpa Leavitt were in town still and he loved showing off his lion costume! Although at this point in the night (having gone all day with only a 30 minute nap) he had just about had it! It was a fun Halloween with Brayden starting to understand what it's all about.
We went to Grandma Leavitt's ward Halloween carnival the week before to see how Brayden would like trick or treating.
He was worried Uncle Logan was going to take his candy!
He was very possesive about his candy! It's amazing he let Great Grandma hold his bucket!
He's off to the next house!
Brayden and Daddy
Brayden would sit on Torey's lap if he could eat one of his lollipops too!
Getting ready to Trick or Treat to Great Grandma & Grandpa Petersen.
Out on the hunt for candy!
Brayden and our pumpkins....he kept wanting to blow the candles out!