The Grater Family Blog

December Video Follow up

2011-12-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

We forgot to add some videos to the update. Here's a couple to delight our friends and relatives.

Family Fun in December

2011-12-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

December has been a fun and busy month. Marie and Joe and baby Max came in town for the holidays....5 whole weeks in Utah!!! Marie came in a week early with Max to make my Grandma Maxine's funeral. They stayed with us until Joe arrived and it was so fun! You just don't get to spend from morning til night with a new mom and baby, so it was a special experience for us to share so much time with them and be part of their routine. Max is amazing and we love him so much. They are still in town and we've spent a lot of time together with my family. It just feels right to have Joe, Marie and Max around! :) Sam learned a lot from Max while they stayed at our house. Max is much more vocal and active and Sam really stepped it up a notch in those departments once Max showed him the ropes.

Simon's back went out again :( he has to be confined for 8 weeks, which he hates, but he is already doing a lot better. What a fighter!!! We love you Simon!

Sam is growing like a weed and such a mellow, happy, smiley baby. He is holding his head up now. A few weeks ago Stu did a raspberry on his belly and it opened the laughter and smile gates. Ever since then he has been smiling like crazy. His whole life, all he knew was concern......until now!!!! :) And he LOVES his Daddy!! He breaks into the biggest grin whenever Stu talks to him. Maybe because Stu showed him how to laugh :)

Burke is repeating everything we say. Guess I can't be a swear bear anymore. wink-wink ;) He is the best big brother ever and loves to play with motorcycles, balls and ride his new bike. We think he is the cutest little guy ever!

We raked up 70 bags of leaves this year. yep, you read that right...70!!!

Sam being adorable.

We had a triple date at our house with Abe and Vanessa, Joe and Marie, and Stu and I. Of course all the kids were there too. We watched Louie C.K.'s new comedy stand up.... awesome!

Baby Max. The most adorable thing ever!

Sam smiling again. His jowls continue to grow on a daily basis.

Mom and Burke chillin' on the couch.

Dad and the boys playing around. I am pretty sure Sam sees something that no one else can see. Check out the look on his face. :)

Christmas Eve dinner at my Mom's house.

The whole family was there!

Christmas morning. My favorite decorations on the tree this year are the hand prints of Burke and Sam's hands. So cute!

Christmas morning.

Dad and Burke putting Burke's new pedal-less bike together. Burke was in awe of the whole process and we can't get him off of it.

I took about 10 pictures of the boys on the couch and this was the best of the bunch. Burke wouldn't stop making funny faces and sliding down the couch. :)

Sir Burkeshire on his new bike!

Hello world, here I come!!

The first time meeting Max!

Sam helping Mom trim the tree.

Burke helping Mom trim the tree.

October Adventures

2011-11-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

October was a wonderful month. Sam is now 8 weeks old and sleeping through the night, yep, 7 hr stretches for a week now!!! Hats off to the BabyWise sleep training method we used with both Burke and little Sam, it worked wonders for both boys. I feel like a new woman with more sleep and life seems to be getting into a better rhythm all the time with the kids. I was holding Sam the other night just staring at his beautiful, chubby face and body, wondering how I got so lucky to have 2 healthy, happy, handsome boys and the best husband in the world. He seemed to read my mind and smiled back at me.... then pooped the mother of all loads in his diaper. I couldn't help but chuckle. :) Burke is repeating everything we say and is so fun to play and hang out with. A few days ago, he and I were out in the front yard enjoying one of the last days of fall this year. I took a break from raking the leaves and watched him as he ran up and down the sidewalk. He likes to run as fast as he can for about 20 ft. then stop and turn around and wait for you to say 'more' then he runs as fast as he can the other way. He'll repeat this about 10 times. It is hilarious! I wanted to get the video camera to record how adorable it was, but I knew he'd just follow me inside so I drank in the moment and tried to burn it in my memory. Having kids is the funnest and most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. Especially with Stu as a partner. :) Enjoy these pics. We love and miss you all!

p.s. woke up to 3 inches of snow this morning. Winter is here. :(

Happy Fall Time, Burke LOVES pumpkins!! Or as he says "pumins"

Sam couldn't miss out on the fun. :)

Burke and I finger painted. He decided to do 2 paintings and also paint his body, oh and of course taste it too!

Happy Halloween!! Stu and I were X-ray techs and Sam and Burke were our little skeletons.

I took the boys to Ruthie's house a few days ago to take some pictures. We got a few winners. :)

I don't know if you can see the blue on Burke's lips or not. We were bribing him with M&M's to get him to lay down with his brother. :)

Life is fun

2011-10-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Life with 2 kids is a lot of fun and easier than I thought it would be. Sure it's busy and freaking exhausting and tries your patience to new degrees, but Stu and I have both expressed that our level of joy has increased a lot. And we were pretty darn joyful before kids. :) Burke is the best big brother ever and so far really only wants to kiss Sam and point out his 'toes' and 'nose' and 'eye'. I think he is just too young to know that he was the only fiddle before Sam arrived, so maybe it will work out pretty good that we had the kids so close together. Things seem easier with Sam than with Burke. I think because we aren't so freaked out about every little sound or rash or surprise that comes along with a baby like we were with the first one. Thanks Sir Burke for breaking us in as parents! Sam is almost 5 weeks old already. He is a really mellow baby overall. He's sleeping 2 1/2 to 3 hours at a time at nights, and that's getting longer all the time. Stu is good about giving me breaks on the weekends and I try to let him get the majority of the sleep during the week. I've had a few breakdowns, but after a good cry in Stu's arms I have been able to pull it back together and keep going. So far, so good. I'd recommend 2 kids to anyone. :) With that said, Stu and I would like to plan an overnight getaway in March to celebrate our 5 year anniversary, since we were both too sleep deprived to celebrate it in September, and yes for the sweet taste of waking up on our own, taking a nap WHEN WE WANT, and being kid free for a day....any volunteers to come and watch the boys? :)

Stu's parents came in town for 9 days to visit and it was absolutely wonderful! They are the best guests ever. Seeing Guy and Sue with the boys was so fun. We love you both and it was sad to see you leave. Burke woke up the morning after they left and went to the window saying 'grandma....grandpa'. He misses you guys too.

Enjoy the photos of our latest adventures and give yourself a big hug from the Graters!

Don't bother me, I'm playing.

Samuel chillin' at the table with the fam.

Burke could read until the cows come home. And his latest love is the stuffed pig that's in his arms. He sleeps, eats and plays with it all day long. He calls it 'Piiii'. He can't say a G sound yet so he drags out the 'i' sound instead. It is so stinking adorable. :)

Burke in his castle out in the backyard. Of course with his blue ball. The blue ball comes in a close second to his stuffed pig.

Big yawn from Sam. Its exhausting watching my big brother Burke play all day.

Feed me, I'm starving!

Sam has so many cute expressions.

Chillin' in mom's lap.

This is to prove that Simon still exists. He hardly gets any attention at the moment, but he's still a handsome, great dog and we love him all the same. Good boy Simon! The vet says that he's 5 lbs overweight! So he's on a diet right now. 1/2 lb a week is the goal and so far he's doing great. He hates it of course and is bewildered every time we eat and don't give him scraps, but in the end I think he, and his bad back, will thank us.

Dad and Burke on the Honda70.

Sam is chunkin' up big time! We don't go in to have him weighed again until Nov, but its obvious that he's growing like a weed.

What an angel face!

Visiting with the grandparents, riding dad's motorcycle. Life doesn't get much better than this. :)

Sue, Guy, Stu, Burke and Simon. It's good to have the gang back together again. :)

Vroom-vroom. That is what Burke says non stop, literally, every time he sees or rides on a motorcycle.

Spending time with the folks.

Grandpa and Sam. Two peas in a pod.

Burke up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Sue and Guy at Brighton.

Me, Sam, Sue, Guy and Burke.

Burke wasn't too happy about getting a family photo.

Our little vagabond. We weren't expecting it to be so cold up the canyon so we didn't bring coats. All we could find was an extra shirt I had brought along so we put it on Burke. He managed to get his arm out, just before he set off into the woods. :)

Mom and Sam.

Picnic in Sugarhouse Park with the Landies. It was so fun hanging out with everyone. From left to right, Burke, me, Sue, Guy, Ruthie and little Dylan in front.

Don and baby Cali. Cali is 11 months and started walking just a few days after this picture was taken!

Burke and Mom eating yummy food.

Jake and Burke.

Grandpa and Burke at Gardner Village checking out the sights during the witch festival.

Dad and Burke saying goodnight and goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma.

This is the night before Guy and Sue left. Goodbye Gma and Gpa, we love and miss you!

Not the greatest picture of Sam, but I had to document the enormity of his cheeks!

While Sam slept this afternoon, Stu went on a walk with Burke, then we switched and I went on a walk with Burke too while Stu watched Sam. It was such a beautiful night and the perfect temp for a sunset walk. Not too many days left like this one before the winter comes. We thought we'd snap a pic before the sun set.

That's it. Until next time. :)

Burke Says Gargle

2011-09-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Funny little clip of Burke trying to say gargle.

Latest pictures of the boys

2011-09-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

This post is way over due. :) Here are the most recent pictures of our fam. Enjoy!

Meeting Grandma Madelyn and Grandpa Al.

1 day old.

The brothers meet for the first time. Burke is VERY interested in Sam's hands and feet!

First family photo.

Sam just waking up from a nap at home.

Brothers!

Sam's first bath.

A pretty good shot of Sam's wavy hair.

Burke's first bubble bath! Loved it!!!!

We put this baby bouncer out for Sam and the next thing I found was Simon in it! This is where Simon lays every single day now. :) Pretty funny!

Sam in Burke's bed. Not sure if he loves or is terrified of Mr. Lion.

Adorable, huge, curious, wonderful, fun Burke

Presenting Samuel Guy Grater

2011-09-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ready to pop!

Proud parents just before Sam is born.
Even more proud minutes later.

Uncle Abe & Aunt Vanessa.

Trying to make the same faces.
Awww so beautiful!

Baby Shower

2011-09-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you Ruthie and Don Landies for putting on a shower for Rachel and Sam. And thank you everyone who came.

Playing Around

2011-09-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Fam. I'm just updating the blog to catch up on a few photos before I post our latest addition to the family.

Messing around at Wheeler Farm

Burke loves to wear his daddy's gloves.

park, reading and such

2011-08-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Stu is always the one taking pictures so he's not in any of these. Especially since we got a new camera! :) Here's a few pics of what we've been up to.

We are on the count down now....only 2 weeks and 4 days left until Samuel arrives!!! Can't wait to meet you little buddy.

Picture of the belly. I'm 34 weeks here.

Close up of the infamous Belly.

Burke's latest favorite thing is to read on the new rocker/recliner chair we put in his room. By himself by the way. Stu and I try to sit with him and read and he sternly says 'No' and pushes us off the chair. He will seriously sit there and read for 10 minutes!

This is his new smile. He'll smile like this whenever you say 'show me your teeth' or 'cheese' or 'smile big'. It is seriously contagious.

Close up of the Big Grin. :)

We got this cool wood whale and hung it in the boys' room. It goes good with the map and nautical theme in there.

Oh Simon! We love you. :)

Stu practicing close ups with the new camera.

I'm so happy to be a mother of 3! 2 boys and a wiener dog. :)

We have 2 quail that live in the bushes by our garage. They just had 11 babies and they waddle around our yard all the time now. They are only about 2 inches big!

Eating breakfast out on the veranda and loving life!

A shot of our backyard oasis. All the plants have really grown up.

A day at the park. Burke's goofy little grin says it all.

Ooooohhh a puddle.......

I definitely better splash in it!

Burke's first time going down the slide....by...him...self!

Almost there....

I did it!! I am the man!!!

One last shot of the best smile in all the land. We love you Burkey Bear!

tunes, shoes, parties 'n bellies

2011-08-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Check out what we've been up to lately.....

stu and burke love listening to tunes with the headphones together. a few of burke's favorites are ray charles and bob dylan. pretty good taste for a little guy!!

I love the look on Burkie's face here.

Don't bother me I'm listening to music right now. :)

Burke has a long way to go to fill Dad's shoes.

Don and Ruthie rented out a bounce house for Jake's 5 year old party. Burke was his typical self and sat on the side lines with a balloon and assessed everything for a while before he approached kids and bounced on the rides. He's so adorable that way. :)

This is him walking the perimeter just before he gave the ok and decided to play with other kids.

Bouncing with Dad.

Burke is having so much fun at the party!

An official shot of the belly. I am 32 weeks here.

Reading Burke a story from his favorite book.

Burke reading Mom a story from his favorite book. Check this out Mom...

Burke is obsessed with shoes, especially Dad's shoes. :) He is always putting them on and trying to walk around, or insisting that Stu put them on. He even puts them on the right feet most of the time. :)

Today, Burke is pretty sick. He's had a fever since yesterday morning and has a runny nose and a cough. He and I are having fun (as much as possible anyway) keeping liquids down, eating what we can and watching cartoons while he recovers. He is rarely sick and NEVER sits still long enough to watch cartoons so I am actually really enjoying the snuggle time with him. Hope he gets better soon though! :( We love you Burkey Bear.

First Buzz Cut!

2011-07-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Burke got his first buzz cut yesterday!! It was sad to see his long locks go away, but he's been sweating so bad and keeps pulling at his hair and has had a little heat rash on the back of his neck for a few days because its been so hot here. We LOVE his long hair so we are growing it out again for sure, but in the meantime he looks adorable and we can tell he is more comfortable.

Getting prepped for the hair cut.

My oh my what a handsome guy!!!

Dad buzzing Burke's hair. Prince B isn't too happy about the vibrations on his head. He calmed down after a few minutes though.

Wow! what a difference!

Is that really Burke???? What a cutie!!

This is the pile of hair Stu swept up afterward!! We ended up cutting about 6 inches off! No kidding.

Burke lovin' his new style. So much cooler in the sun.

Sitting in the big boy chair.

Dinner belly.

Hulk.

Verifying the structural integrity of the chair...

Yep passes inspection Mom.

Sorry about the sideways video, just get a good neck stretch while you watch it. :). This is Burke's latest trick.....

June and July

2011-07-10T15:22:00.001-07:00

It seems that Burke has grown from a baby into a toddler in just a few short months. He has started to talk and has an impressive 10-15 word vocabulary! He mimics a lot of what he sees us do now and learns something new every day it seems. Our little munchkin keeps getting funner and funner to be around. He and I have been going to the pool at a local rec center a few times a week and its been so fun to see Burke get more familiar with the water and other kids. Exciting news... I scheduled the c-section for little Samuel! The big day is September 6th!!! :) We are so excited to meet him and kiss his little face. I've been feeling really good this pregnancy and it has flown by so fast. I can't believe I'm already 29 weeks! Only 8 weeks and 2 days until munchkin #2 is here. Simon is feeling much better these days. After he hurt his back last year, its taken a long while for him to get the pep back in his step, but he seems to be doing great!! We had Stu's Mom in town with us from San Diego for a month. She just left on Thursday and we miss her already. Faye, it was so fun having you here with us. Burke loves his Grandma Faye!!! We all do. :) Enjoy these pictures of our adventures over the past few months. We love you all!

Stu got a new swing for Burke and of course Burke LOVES it. Almost every day he points outside at it and wants me to push him in it.

Burke swinging with Mom.

Burke has been attempting to walk across this uneven path for weeks. And up until now has always taken a tumble before the end. Can he do it this time? ......

Yeah!!!! he made it! :)

Playing outside while Stu gets the trailer ready for our camping trip in Lava Hot Springs.

Of course, Burke had to help Dad out. I'll take everything out of this cupboard and put it on the floor Dad. Let me know what else I can do after that.

Camping up at Lava, Burke just out of the bath.

Camping fun with my family. Me, Mom, and Burke.

Vanessa and Abe.

Simon laying on baby Sam in my belly.

Chatting around the camp fire. What a great time! Madelyn, Abe, Vanessa, Al, Stu and Burke.

On the way home from camping we pulled over in Tremonton and had lunch at a park.

Enjoying the shade in the park.

Simon looks pissed off, but really he's eye-balling a big piece of smoked salmon in hopes that we will share. Of course we did! :)

Burke playing in the tree with Dad.

I took Sir Burkeshire to Wheeler Farm and he was astonished the entire time. He loved pointing at the animals and shouting 'Hanaaaaaah'. It was really cute.

Stu drove over to meet us for a few minutes cause the farm is so close to his work. Burke loved seeing the animals with his Dad.

Strolling around the farm.

Burke lovin' the farm.

Burke and a goat.

Burke's graduated from a highchair to a booster seat!! This is his first meal in his big boy seat and he really liked it. What a big guy you are Burke!

Grandma Faye and Burke were fast friends within an hour or two. Faye was so sweet with him and he would give her big hugs and kisses throughout the day whenever she would ask him "Can Grandma have some love?"

Burke in his big boy Adirondack chair. It took him a while to learn how to sit down in it. He kept slowly putting his butt towards it and missing it and sitting on the deck, but after a few tries he got it down and will seriously lay all the way back with his arms on the arm rests and just chill there for a short while. It is so cute to see him do big boy things cause he's such a little dude still. :)

We went to Hogle Zoo a few weeks ago. For me it was horrible seeing the terrible living conditions of all the animals, but Burke dug seeing all the animals.

Kristina and Griffin at the zoo.

Ruthie, Cali, Dylan and Jake at the zoo.

Burke and I riding the train at the zoo.

We tried to get the kids to all line up in front of the Hogle Zoo sign, but the second we'd set them all down they would scatter. Oh well. :)

Hey, if I hold him...he can't run away! :)

This is Father's Day. Burke woke up so incredibly tired and when Stu put him down he walked over to our window and looked outside for a minute or two, then he just laid down and fell deep asleep. It was amazing. We had to take a picture. He slept here for about an hour!

We went to the Utah Arts Festival while Grandma Faye was in town. This is Burke chewing on all the toys in the toddler zone.

Figuring out how all the blocks clip together.

What a doll!

Me, Grandma Faye and Burke at the Arts Festival. Burke is done and just about to have a melt down.

We went on a hike in the hills up above Red Butte Gardens. This is me cheezin' it up!

Burke having a fit cause he wants a grape, Stu and Faye.

There we go...I have a grape...all is good!

Faye, Burke and me on the hiking trail.

I love this picture of Faye. So cute!

We went to Wheeler Farm again while Grandma Faye was here. Burke wasn't interested in the turkeys. He wanted to walk Simon instead.

Wow...cows! Burke kept saying 'mooooo, mooooo'.

Are you seeing what I'm seeing Mom? There are real live cows right behind me!

Grandma and Burkey at Wheeler Farm.

Ok, so we won our law suit with the mattress company and were awarded their top of the line mattress of our choice instead of just replacing our piece of crap mattress. This freaking mattress retails for $5200!!! And that's not including the box spring. It is made of cashmere and has actual jewels on the sides. We didn't know that mattresses like this existed. We feel like the richy riches and have a huge smile on our face whenever we lay down. We can hardly wait to go to bed. We have been suffering on our old broken mattress for over a year and what a difference the new one has made. We've had it for about 2 weeks and already our bodies feel better.

My friend Kristy had a new baby a few days ago and me and some of fam went to see her in the hospital. She is doing great and her baby girl is so beautiful!! Me, Trenqulle, Calvin, Kristy, baby Janise, Mom, Laurie.

We went to a concert for the 4th of July up at the Canyons Ski Resort. Everyone had to ride a Cabriolet ski lift to get to the venue. Faye was a good sport and came along. She was SO afraid of heights, but managed a semi-smile for the picture.

Stu and Burke dancing at the concert.

Enjoying the festivities.

Burke and Cali (Ruthie and Donnie's youngest kid) playing around at the concert.

Grandma playing with the babies at the concert.

I love you Faye!

Fireworks at the Landies house on the 4th of July.

Me, Burke, Carol (Ruthie's Mom), Cali, Faye and Jon Niedfeldt in the background, enjoying the firework show that Don and Stu put on for us.

Grandma playing bubbles with Burke. Faye left the next day. We love and miss you so much!

Stu surprised me this past weekend and booked a room up at Lava Hot Springs, ID for my friend Shannon and I. We lounged by the 85 degree hot pool for hours, catching up, laughing and reading. I love you Stu. Thank you so much for doing that for me. I am in such 'Mom' mode lately and wouldn't have planned something like this in a million years. It was so relaxing and just what I needed.

April and May

2011-05-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of fun the last few weeks. So much has happened....My sister, Marie, came in town...twice! We spruced up the yard. Burke got his first hammer and motorcycle! We've had plenty of rain, snow and sunshine. We've hung out with family and friends. And Burke started walking! Here are a few pictures of our adventures......

Grandma Sue and Grandpa Guy got Burke a gift card for Christmas and we used it to buy his first hammer. Of course, he loves it! And can't wait to destroy things with it. :)

Check out this hole in the floor mom and dad. I want to learn how to make one of those with my new hammer. :)

Maybe I'll just push hard on it instead.

We had a surprise snow storm in late April. We woke up to almost 8 inches on the ground! Burke loved looking out the window at the winter wonderland.

Here's a view of our back patio.

Burke at the Salt Lake City Marathon. Stu had some friends who were running it this year so we went to cheer them on.

Eating at a cafe afterward.

Marie's sister-in-law got married and the newly weds flew Marie and Joe in for the weekend to attend their wedding party. Marie stopped by my Mom's for an hour to say hi, then she was off. It was a short visit, but so fun to have our pregger bellies so close to each other. :)

I made the invitations for Marie's baby shower. I made the envelopes out of pages from the Martha Stewart Living magazines I had around. I thought they turned out so cute I had to take a picture. :)

Stu bought Burke his very own motorcycle! This is Burke's first ride on it and he was literally gut laughing the whole time out of sheer joy.

I didn't get to see Joe, but Marie gave me this picture of them in Florida so I had to post it and tell Joe how much we love him and miss him. We'll have to all go back to FL together someday. The beaches look amazing!

Burke and Stu on Mother's Day over at Grandma Madelyn's house.

Happy Mother's Day! From left to right: Vanessa, Abe, me, Alec, Burke, Calvin, Mom, Al, Stu, Simon, Marie and Dallin.

Burke's morning smile. He had so much fun with Aunt Marie when she came in town last week. We miss you already Marie!

Burke and Aunt Marie.

Uncle Dallin and Burke.

Uncle Alec playing airplane with Sir Burkeshire.

I have this audience almost every time I eat over at my Mom's house.

Bath time!

Marie, my cousin Arryn and me at Marie's baby shower. Marie, you look more beautiful than ever!

My Mom, Marie and I at Marie's baby shower. Look how cute our pregger bellies look. :)

This picture doesn't really do the 100+ tulips justice that I planted last fall. Most of them had faded by the time I thought to take a picture. Oops. :)

Walking together. One of Burke's favorite things to do.

We took a long walk while Marie was in town and Burke fell asleep like this.

My herb garden this year. Basil, rosemary, and peppermint.

New lawn furniture! Oh yeah baby!

Stu got me an entire truck load of nutrimulch which I dumped on all the flower beds this year. It looks amazing and I think everything will really respond well to it. I planted tomatoes and peppers in all the pots this year. It will be fun to harvest some homegrown goodness!

I used all the left over bricks from our new mailbox to border the flower bed out back. That coupled with the new mulch and our lawn furniture makes the back yard hard to stay out of. Come on over and have a BBQ with us!

New dirt/mulch on the front beds.

More shots of the gardens.

So pretty! The moss in between the rocks is going crazy this year!

This is how a 5 1/2 month pregnant lady feels physically after a 6 hour day of gardening.

This is how a 5 1/2 month pregnant lady feels in her heart after a 6 hour day of gardening.

Stu woke Burke this morning and brought him in bed with us. He was still tired and so were we so we all went back to sleep for a bit. I woke up and saw this scene and had to take a picture. My oh my what a handsome little guy Burke is, not to mention his handsome daddy! :) I love you both!

Burke pushing the stroller on a walk.

New stuff, family and food

2011-03-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

I know its been too long since I've blogged. Life is so busy, but I finally had to make myself sit down and just do it.

Every day seems to bring something new. Spring is upon us and Burke is talking and playing the piano now. No, not really, but he is doing tons of new stuff and seems to get bigger right before our eyes. I swear Stu and I have said a thousand times how fun it is to be with Burke. His sweet and funny disposition is contagious and he makes our lives that much better.

10 new things Burke is doing:
1. throwing laundry, alright, pretty much everything, every day, over the baby gate and down the stairs. He gets a kick out of it and I can't help but laugh.

2. standing on his own all the time and taking 1-2-even 3 steps at a time!! He is taking his sweet time on walking, but that doesn't stop him from getting into everything!! "Burke The Destroyer" is what we call him. :)

3. dropped his 2nd nap of the day and only takes 1 now. It is however consistently 2 to 2 1/2 hours so I get plenty done while he's snoozing. Good boy!

4. still eating as much as a silver-back gorilla. The amount of food this kid consumes is mind boggling. He's not a chubby baby though so we wonder where he's putting it all. What is he, growing or something?! :)

5. loves to go outside every day and jingle the wind chimes. He can't get enough of it. His chubby face lights up and his big teethy grin comes out every time he hears the sound of them. It is so cute!

6. we built our first fort today in the living room and Burke loved it! I tied a few sheets to the back of the couch and a chair I had brought down from the kitchen. He brought all of his toys 1 by 1 into the fort and showed me all of them, with a cheesy grin on his face the whole time. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world because I get to play with him all day. Yes, its freaking exhausting! But SO MUCH FUN!

7. tormenting Simon on a daily basis now. Poor Simon sees him coming and either runs between my feet or under the bed. Pretty much anywhere that's out of Burke's reach. Burke loves to pull on his ears and tail and squeeze his snout. Simon just sits there and takes it like a good boy. Of course! :) The only time he gets annoyed with Burke is when he messes with him when he's eating. I fear this will be going on for a few years more. I tell Simon that he's just a crazy baby and to not pay him any attention.

8. welcoming Dad home from work every day. Every day when Stu pulls in the driveway from work I say 'Daddy's home, Daddy's home!' and Burke will drop whatever he's doing and crawl at the speed of light to the top of the stairs and stand there by the gate reaching for the door until Stu walks in. He LOVES his daddy so much and its cute seeing them together.

9. climbing the stairs. He's been doing this for a few months now, but since I haven't blogged for that amount of time, I'll put it as a 'new' thing he's doing. :) He books up and down the stairs, both sets of them. I recently turned our basement family room/junk room into a play room and he loves to climb down the stairs every day and lay on the rug and play with his toys.

10. babbling more words. Well kind of, when he talks it actually sounds like fluent Chinese, but he's pronouncing things more and you can tell he's understanding what we say now.

Life is good, exhausting and tons of fun and Stu and I have never been so in love! I've been cooking a lot of new things lately. Sonya gave me a subscription to the Cooking Light magazine and it has a plethora of delicious, nutritious meals to choose from. Thanks Sonya! It turned me onto goat cheese and I can't get enough of it. Walmart has it the cheapest by far in case you get a hankerin'. It adds such a rich flavor to pretty much any dish; salad, meats, newspaper, pretty much anything. ;)

We are getting a new sliding glass door in the living room today!!! I can hardly wait to say goodbye to the drafty piece of $#!& that we have in there now. Pardon my French. :)

Alright, I've gone on long enough. Check out the new pictures below. Love you all!

February - March Pictures

2011-03-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

OK, with Stu's help I finally got the pictures off the camera. There are a lot so enjoy! :)

Burke being cute with Dad.

Burke and his new high-top sneakers in the kitchen.

The first walk around the block of the season. This was in late February and it warmed up to the 50's so we went on a quick walk around the block. Burke LOVES being outside.

Our newly remodeled guest bedroom. For those of you who remember the Noah's Ark wallpaper, you might have a greater appreciation for this. Good work Stu, it is beautiful!!!

This is a picture of what the room used to look like.

Happy Birthday Burke. This picture was taken on the morning of his bday, at the same time he was born - 8:41am.

Burke's 1 year party spread. The cupcakes say HAPPY BIRTHDAY BURKE!

Opening presents at his party. Not quite sure what to do with all of them. :)

Singing happy birthday and eating cake. Burke didn't care for cake like we thought he would. That's ok, he was cute anyway. We love you Burke!

Friends and family at the party.

Don, Jake, Burke and Dylan at his party.

Tessa, Mellissa, Beck and Chris at the party.

Chillin' with Uncle Calvin at Grandma Madelyn and Grandpa Al's after the party. Burke is pooped from all the fun, you can tell cause he never sits still like this. :)

Just some random adorable picture I got of Burke in the bathroom. I love it when he smiles big like this cause his whole face lights up and his chubby cheeks and teethy grin come out. :)

I love my toys, especially my pink and green balls!! Yeah!!

Fun at the beach in San Diego. Do you like the sand castle we built? Not to toot our own horns, but it's pretty good huh? (Just kidding, we didn't really build it)

Uncle Paul, Auntie Sonya, Burke and Stu at Torey Pines Beach.

Burke looks like the Godfather in this picture...."Kiss The Binky". He loves his Auntie Sonya and Uncle Paul!!

Fun at the beach. I look like a friggin' idiot, but Stu and Sir Burkeshire look really cute.

The Boy King is resting.

It's always fun to reunite with Stu's amazing family. Uncle Larry, Faye, Guy, Sue, Paul, Sonya, me and Stu.

Having fun at the Super Bowl party at Sonya and Paul's.

Two hotties at the party.

The Grater Clan. GPa, Dad and Burke.

One of the guests at the party did a cool fire dancing show after the game. Very cool!

Saying goodbye to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Guy. We love you!!

Sonya, Mrs. Crazy Hair and Burke having fun on the pier at Mission Beach.

Burke enjoying the ride.

Burke and his wonderful Auntie Sonya.

Just waking up. Enjoying the morning sunshine.

In the car on the way to the airport. We love you Sonya, Paul, Faye, Guy, Sue and Larry and we miss you!!

I had to show you the 2 pits in our bed. We bought a Simmons Beauty Rest right before Burke was born and it caved in like this after only 9 months. The holes are 11 1/2 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches deep. Simmons won't honor our 10-year warranty so I wanted to be sure and tell everyone how crappy they are. We will never buy a Simmons mattress again!! We stuff the holes with towels and tshirts in order to sleep at night.

"Come on Simon, if we can just get all these clothes out of this drawer then we can move onto the next thing to destroy."

One of Burke's favorite places to play is the pantry. I caught him digging in the dog food though, so I had to fasten the bag.

Burke chillin' on Dad's lap listening to music on the lap top.

Burke already likes to do what his Dad is doing. Stu was putting away the dishes so of course Burke had to help.

I put the dirty laundry at the top of the stairs one day and left to get something before I took it downstairs. When I came around the corner, this is what I found Burke doing. He loves throwing it over the gate and down the stairs.

Busted!

My two favorite guys singing me happy birthday.

Stu got 6 different kinds of yummy cupcakes for my birthday this year. Delish!!

Happy Birthday to me!!! We just chilled at home this year in celebration of me turning 36. It was the best!!

This is the newly converted playroom/man cave where Stu lifts weights. Simon enjoys relaxing on the lambskin rug, even though he has his own bed in the room.

A view of the other side of the room. Burke used to be terrified of the Winnie the Pooh doll because it talks when you push his belly. But he's past that now and he loves to pull Pooh down on the rug and jump on him. :)

Burke having fun on our deck. You can't see it but there are some wind chimes hanging there and he loves to climb over and jingle them.

This is him reaching for the chimes which are right next to the camera. I love his fat face in this picture.

This pic is blurry, but I love what a little dude he is. Grandpa and Grandma Grater, this flannel is what we used your Christmas gift to buy. He looks like a lumber jack in it. Too cute!

Stu also got me these beautiful flowers for my birthday. You spoil me Stu! I love you so much!!

Having fun with Uncle Alec!

Burke's first hair cut. He wanted to grab the camera and I wouldn't let him so he is being a grumpalumpagus.

There we go...that's better. :)

Burke likes putting on my cowboy hat. He looks like Lloyd (Jim Carey) on the show Dumb and Dumber when he's wearing that over-sized cowboy hat. It makes me laugh every time I see it.

We built our first fort the other day in the living room. Here it is in all its glory. Don't miss Simon standing guard outside the entrance. :)

Burke. Loves. Forts.

Simon had to see what all the fuss was about and decided to hang out in the fort too. :)

We got a new sliding glass door last week!! This is a shot of the guys installing it. It is SO beautiful and makes a big difference to the whole room. Stu installed a new dog door in the wall too. It's not shown in this picture but it looks amazing. Simon is finally getting used to it.

It was 70 degrees last Friday so we went with the Landies to feed the ducks at Sugar House Park. I tried and tried to get Burke to look at the camera, but he was too enthralled by the ducks and geese to look away.

We headed over to the playground afterward. Dylan, Burke, Cali and Jake.

Some of Burke's first steps caught on film!!

All is well.....whew!

2011-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

I recently changed pediatricians for Burke because I just had this feeling that his old ped wasn't giving him the care that he needed...well, good thing I did because within 5 freaking minutes, she found that we needed to clip that skin under his tongue cause it was too short and would likely cause him problems with speech and dental issues in the future, and also that he has a mild cleft pallet! WTF! We made an appointment the next day with an ENT (ear nose throat) doctor who clipped his tongue with ease and evaluated his pallet and told us that it is of no concern. The bone is fully formed, but the muscles at the very back are slightly spread, but covered with a strong membrane. It was such a relief to hear that it is no big deal! He did say that Burke will have a higher chance of having a baby with a cleft pallet though, but now a days they can completely fix that with some minor scarring. Anyway, it is nice to have it all dealt with so quickly. (It's crazy that they didn't catch all of this up at the hospital when he was born!! - oh well.) He bled a lot when he got his tongue clipped and of course cried really bad, but within 2 minutes the bleeding stopped and within 20 minutes he was giggling again. He is already sticking his tongue out and clicking it, which he's never done before. He doesn't seem to be in pain at all and is eating and playing as usual. Whew!

We love you Burke! Together, we will get through anything. :)

Family Pictures

2011-01-15T11:13:00.001-08:00

We got family photos taken yesterday. Burke is so stinking cute and of course had a pleasant attitude the entire time. :) Way to go little guy! Here are a few of the best shots we got.

Goodbye Marie and Joe

2011-01-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful visit we had with Marie and Joe!!!! I seriously feel so lucky to have such an amazing sister and brother-in-law! Marie is beautiful and funny and the best friend ever. Joe is one bad mamma jamma, he is hilarious and he's doing an awesome job in Dental school and working working butt off. We are all so proud of you. The only thing that would have made the visit better is if it were longer. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!! Here is a brief recap of their visit...

Nice glasses Joe. A little small though, don't you think??

What a cute couple!

Merry Christmas from the Graters.

Joe and Dallin playing FIFA at my Mom's house on the XBOX.

Calvin and Santa Baby.

I love this picture of me and my sister. Marie you are so pretty!

Santa and Grandma Madelyn having fun together. :)

Hangin' with the guys...Calvin, Joe, Dallin and Stu.

Mom and Al = True Love Always!!

Abe, Mom, Vanessa and me having fun hanging at my Mom's house during the holidays.

Marie and I went on a long walk with Simon. He gets tuckered out when we go for too long so I brought the stroller for him to ride in. We left Burke at home sleeping with Stu and you should have seen the looks we got when folks realized we had a dog bundled up snuggly in a baby stroller. It was pretty funny.

Marie and I getting home from our walk.

Saying goodbye to Joe and Marie at the airport. We love you and will miss you!!!

Burke playing in the kitchen.

New Years Eve

2011-01-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

For New Year's Eve this year, we got pictures with my immediate family. We haven't done that for 21 years!! Everyone was there but Dax. Here are a few of the best ones.

Burke and Dad just before the photo session. Yeah family picture time!!!

All the guys! back row: Alec, Abe, Joe and Calvin. front row: Dallin, Stu, Burke and Al.

All the gals. back row: Marie and Vanessa. front row: me and Madelyn.

All the siblings with Momma.

All the siblings except Dax.

What an angel!

The whole gang.

Grandma and Grandpa with Burke.

Another shot of the whole gang. That's a good lookin' bunch!!

Happy New Year! We'll have to make this a tradition. Well at least let's not wait another 21 years. :)

Oh and by the way, Stu and I ALMOST made it to midnight this year. 11:40 is close enough, right? :)

Burke's first Christmas

2011-01-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

Burke's first Christmas was fun! It was doubly special because Joe and Marie were here with us to celebrate!

Here comes Santa Claus.

Marie and Joe gave him a soccer and a football and he went nuts over them. He held onto them like this all day...literally. It was really cute.

Our first Christmas as a family. Yep, Burke still has his balls, don't worry. (There's something about how that sounds that just isn't right. :) )

Stu, me, Simon, Burke, Marie and Joe. Merry Christmas one and all!

Even Simon got a bone under the tree. Life is good. :)

Darress, Bobbie and their girls gave Burke this super cool hoodie which he looks adorable in. And Don and Ruthie and their kids gave him the stackable rings on the table. He loves taking them off and throwing them around the room and laughs when we put them back together, then he does it all over again.

In the car, headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas dinner. Still got my Santa Claus outfit and of course my super cool hoodie and soccer ball.

What a spread Christmas dinner was! Calvin did such a nice job decorating the table!

Merry Christmas one and all!!

Christmas Eve fun!

2010-12-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

Rachel's family came over to our house for Christmas Eve dinner. Stu made an amazing prime rib and everyone brought yummy sides, wine and goodies. It was a feast! And it was so much fun hanging out with everyone.

Let's get this party started right....Dad and Burke sporting the Christmas Sweater!!

Joe, Marie and Calvin.

Alec and Burke. This is how Burke waves hello and goodbye.

Mom and Al.

Burke loves listening to Uncle Dallin play the guitar.

Burke opens his first Christmas present ever! A book from Vanessa...Lullaby Moon. Thanks Vanessa! Burke loves books. And he had a lot of fun ripping the paper to open it.

Alec, Vanessa, Abe, Madelyn, Al and Stu.

Marie and Joe having fun at the party. It sure is wonderful having you guys in town!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Remodeling and visiting Santa

2010-12-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

Stu and I decided to remodel the guest bedroom downstairs to get ready for my sister and brother-in-law to come and visit. First step, get everything out and move it into the family room. It's amazing how much stuff can fit into one tiny bedroom!

With a little sadness, we bid farewell to the Noah's Ark (on acid) wallpaper. We've enjoyed sleeping with your blue hair Noah, but it's good to see you go.

The new window looks great!

What were the previous owners thinking?? Crayon yellow walls with bright red trim!

Stu patching holes and getting ready to paint.

One last picture in front of the infamous wallpaper before Dad covers it up.

Stu had the entire room taped and plastic wrapped off. It looked like a murder scene so Stu posed to fit the scene.

Visiting Santa Clause for the first time... overall, a big success!

We met up with Don and Ruthie and their kids at Trolley Square Mall in SLC to visit Santa.

Burke didn't cry at all when he sat on Santa's lap. He even got a candy cane afterward.

We had a good time. Burke was happy as a clam with his candy cane.

Pop-pop gets a ski day

2010-12-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

Driving up to Snowbird ski resort, pretty foggy.

Beautiful powder on the way up the first lift.

Sometimes it was hard to see.

Other times it was majestic!

There were minimal tracks in a couple feet of fresh powder. We had 70+ inches in 3 days!

Another pretty view, expand that photo. This is Mineral Basin.

The resort side.

What a great day. Nice to have my leg back. :)

Burke at work and play

2010-12-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Burke brushing his teeth. Alright, he's just chewing on the tooth brush, but he doesn't mind at all when mom brushes his teeth. :)

Burke has a little girl friend, her name is Janessa.

Dad & Burke on Stu's 40th bday, watching the Charger game together.

Burke's friend Conrad from across the street.

Our big eater.

Dalin plays guitar for Burke. He loves the guitar so Mom & Dad are begining to learn.

Christmas tree with custom made ornaments from Aunt Sonya.

Burke loves helping Mom do the laundry.

Bath time is probably Burke's favorite time. He has a lot of fun toys but he likes his cup the best because he can pour water on himself.

Coveralls!

Mom reads to Burke almost every day and he LOVES it.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

2010-11-28T12:11:00.001-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! This year I am thankful for family. For my handsome, wonderful husband. Stu takes such good care of Burke and I, he is my best friend and we have so much fun together. He makes me laugh all the time and both Burke and I light up when he is around. And...he is cancer free! I am thankful for my healthy, happy, beautiful son. Burke is the best and I love being with him. I am thankful for my parents, in-laws and siblings. Thanks for all of your love and support. I love that you are all a part of my life.

Happy Thanksgiving from Burke! He's all dressed up and ready to go to Grandma Madelyn and Grandpa Al's for turkey dinner.

We trimmed the tree as a family the day after Thanksgiving. So far, Burke hasn't really paid the lights any attention, but I'm sure once he does we won't be able to keep him away. Oh and check out those upper teeth!! 3 with a 4th on the way! That will make 6 total!

So cute.

It snowed again today, so Burke went outside to help Dad shovel.

What a grin our little man has! Burke loves the snow.

More pics in front of the tree.

Burke and Simon. Simon just got a bath and Burke has his Christmas sweater on.

Falltime Fun

2010-11-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

The snow is on its way, so we did the final yard cleanup for the season.

Of course, after Burke played with his toys. :)

Our pear tree and lipstick bushes are the last things to get color every fall. Almost all the other leaves have fallen in the yard, but these are still brilliant.

Before...

After!

All done and ready for the snow!

Burke LOVED the leaves and playing outside. Simon of course kept giving him his ball, with high hopes that he would throw it.

Yeah for leaves!

Burke playing in the leaves.

To top off a wonderful day, the sunset was breathtaking.

About 5 of our neighbors were outside staring up at the sky too. It was amazing!

THE NEXT MORNING....

We got the yard work done just in time! The next morning we woke up to about 8 inches of snow!!! So beautiful.

This picture shows our new kitchen window. We love it. It not only looks good, but it makes a huge difference on the heat and noise.

Burke is standing!

2010-11-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

I was doing dishes the other day while Burke played on the floor. I looked down and this is what I saw....

Yep....he had pulled himself to a standing position!! I couldn't believe it! What a big boy!

Ya Mom, I do this all the time...this is just the first time you've seen it. ;)

I'm kind of a big deal!

Mom is so proud of Burke standing up all by himself!

I think this rear view of Burke standing is so adorable! He looks like a little dude.

The coffee table is the perfect height for him to pull himself up and perch there for a long time. We're going to have to baby proof the house, quick!

Mom's little man.

Burke playing around with his toys.

Update and Stuff

2010-11-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

It's been an eventful couple of weeks. Here are a few pictures of our adventures.

Burke Loves Laughing With His Mom

Story time. Burke LOVES to read books and we try to do it every day. It really is one of my favorite things to do with him. We both end up laughing every time we read together.

Alright Dad, now you put your feet up on your cheeks like me.

Eating in a highchair for the first time at Grandma Madelyn and Grandpa Al's house.

This is Burke's first time drinking out of a bottle. He did pretty good even though he mostly bit at it. :) It's amazing what you can teach a baby with a little sweet apple juice.

I made a fresh pear pie....with pears from our very own tree! It was surprising delicious. And super easy. I would recommend making one for sure. Get the recipe.

Is this the most adorable face you've ever seen, or what?

Simon doing what he does best. Being cute and sleeping on a soft, kingly velvety pillow.

Burke playing in the living room with toys, one of his favorite spots.

Helping Mom with laundry.

Burke has been fascinated with my hat lately and wants to wear it all the time. It will fit him in about 16 years. :)

Yep, that's what I wanted Mom...your hat.

Well.....I'd like the camera too. The hat and the camera. :)

Happy Veteran's Day. Burke looks like a big boy in this picture. He is so long.

He is the son of a son of a sailor after all.

A bird got in our house today. It spent most of its time perched on our curtain rod like this. I avoided it until Stu got home from work and together we got it to fly out.

Yep, another adorable hat photo.

Stu recovering from his surgery.

Most of my family came over to have dinner together after Stu's surgery. It was so fun hanging out with everyone. Uncle Alec and Burke are so cute together.

Burke insisted on wearing Uncle Dallin's hat....of course. :)

Burke seeing Stu off for his surgery. Good luck Dad.

Stu got the results from his doctor today..a clean bill of health! What a relief! He's a cancer survivor!!! We've got a long road ahead of us yet and it's so good to know that Stu is healthy. I love you baby and am SO HAPPY that you are ok.

Out for a walk

2010-11-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

We went for a walk yesterday and Burke looked so dapper in his P-coat that we had to take some pictures of him.

What a cute little dude. AND...you can see his 2 teeth!!!

OMG can you stand how stinking cute he is!?

Read to go!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

Burke was a lion for Halloween this year and what a cute chubby lion he was! We went trick or treating to a few of our neighbor's houses and he had a fun time.

Roar!!!! (Actually...we just took his candy bar away and he wasn't happy about it.)

Our cute little lion.

Family Pictures

2010-10-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

We, correction...I, planned to take family pictures up Big Cottonwood Canyon in the fall colors - with much protesting from my sweet husband. I made Stu wear a sweater, yep, that's right a sweater! He hated it, but we got a few laughs out of it. For example, it was very very hot and we pulled over and got out of the car and Stu went out looking for a good place to take the pictures and a crowd of teenagers were just coming back to their car after a hike wearing shorts and tank tops, and sweating like pigs, and there stood Stu, dressed up in his sweater on the hottest day of the year. He said they looked at him like he was 'creepy sweater guy'. We both laughed pretty hard. :) Thanks Baby for doing this for me, you looked very handsome in your sweater!!

Burke had a disaster in his diaper and we were out of baby wipes so we had to make a quick pit stop, and of course play airplane, before we went up to the canyon.

Wow, check out how good that SWEATER looks! :)

Fall colors up at Brighton Resort

Me, Burke, Stu and....THE SWEATER!

I love this picture of Stu and Burke.

Burke is 9 Months Old Today!!!

2010-10-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is a big milestone. Burke is now turning the corner of being out of the womb longer than he was in. Way to go big guy! He is SO much fun to be with and watching him grow and learn is amazing!

Cute Video of Burke and Stu

2010-10-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Anniversary to us!

2010-09-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Stu and I have been together for 4 LONG years! ;) But seriously, it's been the best years of our lives and even after all this time, we're still madly in love with each other. Stu is the best husband, father, partner, dog owner, worker, fixer-upper, and friend in the world! It's as simple as that. He is the man of my dreams and I am happy every day that we found each other. We are perfect for each other and LOVE being married. This anniversary was extra sweet because we have Burke too. Happy Anniversary Baby....I love you!

Happy Birthday Calvin!

2010-09-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my brother Calvin!!! Calvin is such a hard worker, I've thought that for years. I remember thinking how cool it was that he was so responsible in his last job (I can't remember the name of the company) he would get up at like 5 in the morning and work all day...for years, or however long it was that he worked there. And now I watch how hard he works at Santek. I respect his work ethics. I think he is so handsome and one of the funniest, coolest guys I know. He is so good at the guitar and such a good uncle to Burke. I love watching them together. Plus I love the name Calvin. You are the best Cal and I am so glad that you are my brother. I love talking to you and spending time with you. Happy 26th bro!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my Dad! He would have been 60 this year. I think about him often and miss him so much. A few of my favorite memories of him are 1) many years ago when I was going through some stupid boyfriend drama and had just been dumped, I remember calling my Dad every night for like 2 weeks and I would cry and cry and just talk about things and he was such a good listener. I loved having my Dad's voice and advice to comfort me. And 2) how he LOVED his cup-o-joe in the mornings. Or should I say cup-o-cream with a splash of coffee. :) I love you Dad and miss you all the time. I tell Burke about you often so he'll know about his Grandpa Clay.

Vacation 2010

2010-09-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

We had an eventful September! We were fortunate to enjoy 3 whole weeks as a family on vacation on the Oregon Coast. It was an epic journey for all of us. We learned a lot about traveling with a baby and grew closer as a family. The whole trip was different than we expected, but so wonderful! We had the best time ever. It was especially nice for Stu and Burke to spend so much time together. I get to be with Burke every day, so it was a treat for them to be together like that. Burke fell madly in love with his Dad! I mean he loved him before, but you should see him now whenever Stu walks in the room. He lights up like the sky on the 4th of July and starts to laugh and squeal and smile so big. Burke calls Stu 'Nan' and me 'mama' or sometimes 'nana'. Seeing them together was one of my favorite things of the trip.

A few things we learned about traveling with a baby:
1. start the day early if you are traveling a long distance that day.
2. bring ear plugs.
3. hug and kiss your significant other a lot, or Mr. and Mrs. Grumpy will be your new names. :)
4. enjoy every minute because it flies by.
5. don't expect to get any sleep or alone time. This was a big one for me. :)
6. pick one destination instead of a lot of little stops.

Enjoy all these photos. BTW, there are a few pictures in here from the week before we left on vacation.

Burke in his sneakers. Or 'sneaks' as I like to call them.

First morning of vacation! Where am I?

Dad and Burke dressed up in 50's wear for our neighbor's Sock Hop themed bday party for their 1 year old.

The whole family in 1950's get-ups.

Me and my boys! :D

Burke having fun in his kiddie pool out in the back yard.

Burke LOVES the water!

We harvested 151 peaches in 1 day!! And there are about 50 more still ripening on the tree. Wow!!

We saw this street sign in beautiful Winnemucca, NV.

Burke gets a bath for the first time in the camp trailer. He loved it and it was so great to have a place to bath him while we were on the road!

Burke and Simon snoozing in the van together.

Our camp spot in Nice, CA. It wasn't very nice. :)

Standing next to Clear Lake in Nice, CA on the way to the coast.

Cool bridge in Oregon.

Burke playing in the trailer with his Nerd Hat. It's too small for him, so we call it his Nerd Hat. He is loving camping and seeing all the new places.

First time Burke sees the ocean!!! We are in the Redwoods National Park near Klamath, CA.

Dad and Burke enjoying the ocean. Two sea dogs.

Mom and Burke.

This flower garden at the Klamath River RV Park was unbelievable! This was by far the most beautiful RV park we've ever stayed at. Right on the river with the Redwoods behind you. So beautiful!

We took a walk along the Klamath River the night we got here and it started to rain. Dad and Burke are still having a blasty blast! Burke pretty much had this face the entire trip (well almost). He was such a good little camper!

The rain and fog rolling in over the Klamath River.

Simon is trying to get Burke to play ball with him. He doesn't get the concept to throw it yet, instead he tries to put it in his mouth. In time Simon, in time. :)

This was the view from our trailer of the Klamath River.

Another angle. It was seriously so beautiful! Burke took his morning nap while Stu and I sat on our lawn chair, read our books and sipped our coffee. It's good to be on vacation baby!

Oh and of course, Simon was bundled up at our feet, enjoying the view too. :)

On our way to check out the 'Big Tree' Redwood.

Stu and Burke in front of the Big Tree. Being in the Redwood Forest always is a humbling experience for us. It is an amazing feeling standing next to something so big.

The middle of this tree was all black and hollowed out from a previous fire. And the tree is still thriving!

This is an accidental photo taken on our walk down Cal Barrel Road in the Redwoods, but it turned out pretty cool.

On Cal Barrel Road. Dogs can't be on the trails in the National Park, but since it was a 'road', the ranger said we could take Simon there.

Burke fell asleep in the stroller on our walk.

I love this photo of Stu and I.

Our camp spot on the Klamath River in CA. We stayed here for 2 days and explored the redwoods.

The fam at Klamath River.

From the Redwoods, we went to Brookings, OR, on Guy and Sue's lot. What a view they have!! Burke LOVES seeing his Grandpa and Grandma!!

Grandpa Guy and the little guy.

Stu feeding Burke his afternoon porridge.

These 2 were connected at the hip. Burke really enjoyed playing around with Grandpa and Grandma.

We went on a walk on a country road near the lot, and Burke kept looking up at Stu and Old Granddad like this from his stroller.

Done with our walk and headed back to the lot.

We went to a Brew and Arts Festival in Gold Beach, OR. This is Burke and Old Granddad standing next to a 1939 car. A '39, next to a '39.

The Boy King in his Pharaoh sized bed. Guy was joking that it is bigger than a king sized bed, it is a pharaoh sized bed for Burke. :)

Dad, Burke and Old Granddad next to the ocean in Brookings, OR.

Kissing at the beach in Brookings, OR.

Posing for a picture along the coast line in Brookings, OR.

We drove down to the harbor every night in Brookings to watch the sun set. Burke and I are enjoying one of those awesome OR sunsets.

I thought this picture of the dew on Stu's axe at Guy and Sue's lot turned out pretty cool.

This is taken from the top of their property.

Simon snuggled up in Burke's bed. He pretty much claimed Burke's bed as ''his bed most of the time.

Saying goodbye to Grandma Sue and Old Granddad as they make their way home. It was wonderful spending time with you guys! We love you so much.

Burke being cute in the trailer.

We stopped at Bandon, OR to have lunch. We walked along their boardwalk and had some delicious fish and chips. This is Burke enjoying the walk.

More pictures in Bandon, OR.

This was one of our favorite spots on the coast this year....Sunset Bay State Park. We took about 15 of these pictures in order to get this good of a pose. Most of them Burke was looking at Stu or Simon was aiming his bum right at the camera. Our camp spot was in front of us and the ocean was behind us. So beautiful!!

Sunset Bay.

Some babe we saw on Sunset Bay. Oh wait, that's me...... This is awkward. :)

Me and Sir Burkeshire at Sunset Bay.

Our camp spot at Sunset Bay State Park.

Sunset Bay State Park, OR.

Some jellyfish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR. This was a fun pit stop. Burke enjoyed it almost as much as we did.

Huge Japanese spider crab.

Mom and Burke checking out the puffins.

One of Simon's distant cousins showing off. Yes, Simon and the seals are related.

Wow Mom! Check out all those fish!

Burke and Dad in the SHARK TANK!! AHHHHHH!

No Way! A Bat Ray!

Next stop....Cape Lookout State Park. Where it rained so bad that all the tent campers left in the night.

Funnin' around at Cape Lookout.

We had fun at the beach.

What a cute picture!

Could he be any cuter? Burke loved chillin' in the back pack perch and watching the ocean.

Yep, I guess he can be cuter!

One of the many beautiful pullouts right along the road.

Simon playing ball on the beach at Fort Stevens State Park.

We went on a long walk on the beach and checked out the remains of the ship wreck of the Peter Iradale. Burke fell asleep in Stu's arms on the way back to the car.

A close up of the sleeping angel.

Cool view of where the Columbia River meets the Ocean.

We came into Astoria, OR and had an amazing dinner at the Baked Alaskan restaurant. It was out on pylons over the Columbia River. Burke was such a champ and behaved so good during dinner.....of course.

Outside the Baked Alaska.

Our camp spot at Fort Stevens State Park. Say goodbye to the coast, we're headed home.

We saw a lot of logging on our trip and it was sad to see all those trees being cut down. We actually saw them clear cutting a huge section of the mountain at the Cape Lookout State Park. This is a picture of a massive logging company along the Columbia. :(

Beautiful bridge over the Columbia connecting Oregon and Washington.

We pulled over at a nice state park in Washington to have lunch.

We camped at Ainsworth State Park just a few miles from Multnomah Falls in OR. This is Burke in front of the falls.

Me and Burke in front of Multnomah Falls.

The whole fam in front of Multhomah Falls.

We ate at the Multnomah Falls lodge restaurant. Burke was, of course, the best! This is him at the table.

Burke playing around in the trailer.

Our camp spot at Ainsworth State Park, OR.

We left Ainsworth State Park very early (7:30am - thanks to Burke waking us up at 5:30!!). So we got to watch the sun rise on the mountains along the Columbia. Thanks Burke! :)

We arrived at Farewell Bend State Park, OR. Right on the border of OR and ID. It was right along the Snake River and it was so super sweet.

Our last destination was at Lake Walcott State Park in ID, near Rupert. We camped right along Lake Walcott and it was so beautiful. This is Stu and Burke having fun watching the sun set.

I can't believe we did it! What an epic journey!

Burke Eating the first time

2010-09-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all, Here's a couple of videos we've neglected to post. Burke's first veggie.

Mr. Two Teeth

2010-08-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Burke was freaking out at my Mom's house on Friday night, nothing would calm him down and we couldn't figure out why, then on Saturday morning we noticed that he broke his first 2 teeth!!! They are the bottom center teeth and oh my goodness he looks cute with them. We call him Mr. Two Teeth now.

First time eating veggies!!!

2010-08-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hip hip hooray!!! Burke is eating veggies. We started with sweet potatoes and he LOVES them. He is eating rice cereal 3 times a day and veggies 1 time a day. What a big, happy, healthy, beautiful, wonderful boy!!!

2 parties in 1 day!

2010-08-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

PARTY #1, JAKE'S SNAKE PARTY.... A guy came out from a local reptile store and had brought snakes and lizards and other creepy crawly things for the kids to look at. The kids loved it and even the adults got involved.

All the kids getting ready for the show to start. Burke is saying hello to Dylan.

Dad and Burke, anxious for the show to start.

The grand finale was a 10 foot, 100 lb python!!!! It took all the kids and 2 adults to hold him. It was sssssssscary!!!

Jake, the birthday boy, all rapped up in 4 different snakes at one time!!! He wasn't scared at all, but I would have been freaking out!

A family photo with the python.

The snake slithered up one pant leg of Stu's and came out the other leg!!

The Landie's getting a photo shoot with the snake.

Mel, holding one of the smaller ones. Yikes!!

From left to right: Cameron, Stu, Burke, Don

Ahhhhh, what a cute picture of Jon and Mel.

PARTY #2, CECILIA'S PARTY...After Jake's party, we went home and took a power nap, then jumped in the car and drove up to Bountiful for a friend's daughter's 2nd bday party. It was a full day, but we had a blast at both events and Burke did very well.

Dad and Burke.

Burke rockin' his Led Zepplin t-shirt. He was the coolest kid at the party. ;)

After Lunch Photo Shoot

2010-08-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Burke was laughing so hard and looking so cute today during lunch, so Stu took him into our bedroom and snapped these pics.

Pool Day for Jake's Bday

2010-08-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Burke and I spent the day at the pool with Ruthie, Jake and Dylan on Jake's actual birthday, his party isn't until next Saturday, but we had a fun day relaxing in the sun.

From left to right; Dylan, Burke and Jake. I think this picture of the little guys is so cute!

Burke LOVES being at the pool and playing in the sun. What a cutie pie!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIMON!

2010-08-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Simon Carter Beauford Gaylord Grater is 8 today. We love you so much Simon. You are the best dog in the world. Simon is fun to be around and play with. He is very spoiled, or at least that's what Stu tells me. :) He has a few great tricks...he can stand up on his butt for a long time, he gets up early every morning and puts eye liner on to look his best, he will patiently wait up to 30 minutes for you to throw the ball, he will stay and come when you call him (sometimes) and he is the most adorable dog in the whole world. I remember seeing him be born and it was love at first sight. Simon, we love you! Happy Birthday!

How Simon got his name...It started out as Simon with Carter Beauford (Drummer for the Dave Mathews Band), then we married and Stu adopted him, then we found out he was gay...So that's how it all adds up. :)

Exciting and Cute Things

2010-07-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

Some exciting things have happened since our last update......

Dad feeding Burke rice cereal!!! He had it for the first time when we went camping in Bryce with Gma and Gpa Grater a few weeks ago, but he wasn't too crazy about it. So we took a break for a few weeks and tried again...now he LOVES it and eats it twice a day. Soon, we'll be introducing vegetables.

Uncle Alec and his favorite nephew.

We got a sweet used back pack to carry Burkey around in. Only $30. Sweet! And Burke loves it, of course.

We went to a free concert up at the Canyons Resort in Park City last weekend with our neighbors Chris and Tessa and baby Beck Linford, and Stu's friend from work, Rob and his wife Beth and daughter Lauren. A New Orleans jazz band. I think this picture is so cool of the Linfords. They are great and it's been fun getting to know them better.

Little Beck and Burke sitting together. Beck is 6 months older than Burke and they are the same size!! Better lay off the rice cereal Burke! Rob is in the background.

Just heading home from the concert. Burke is sleeping like a rock.

Lauren and I. Lauren is so cute and polite.

Mom reading National Geographic to Burke in bed. He loves the pictures and hearing the cool stories.

Jenn Niedfeldt got married on Saturday to Andrew Waterhouse. The wedding activities were wonderful and it was a lovely day. This is Joe and Darci Sloat and Burke and I at the ceremony, which was held at the Storm Mountain Amphitheater up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was such a lovely venue and the ceremony was so touching. Burke looks hot! We ended up taking his pants off so he was just sporting the onesy to cool off.

The ceremony.

Rick, Eric and Mary. Rick and Mary are Mel's siblings. Eric is Rick's son.

What a cute family. :)

Mary was so good with Burke. He was fussing during the lunch after the ceremony so she took him in her lap and tickled his face and he calmed right down.

Val and Tamie and their daughter Madison. We sat next to them at the reception and had a lot of fun goofing off. Stu has known them for years.

Stu chillin' at the reception. What a hottie!

Me and Burke at the reception.

Look who's sitting up all by himself!!!

I'm glad we finally captured him in the sitting position on film. He is loving the independence.

Tonight's beautiful sunset!

Life with 2 babies

2010-07-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

No, we are NOT pregnant again. I just consider Simon our baby too. :) Yesterday, while Stu recovered on the couch from a horrible 2-day flu, I went on a walk with Simon and Burke. (I had the flu too, I just got better 1 day sooner - yuk!!) Our dog-son only made it about 1/2 way around the neighborhood, so I plopped him in the under carriage of the stroller. One of our neighbors stopped to tell me how cute he looked, and that I better get my 'two babies' home. :) Simon fits perfectly under there and seemed to enjoy it .... I'll have to remember that next time I go to the park.

Grater Gardens in Summer Bloom

2010-07-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Being home with Burke has given me more time this year to spend in the yard. We had such a mild and long spring that everything grew extra big before it bloomed. I carry Burke around in a little pouch out in front of me and narrate as I garden every day. "Mom is watering the plants, plants need water to grow." "Mom is dead heading the garlic chives." "Those purple flowers are lavender, and those pink flowers are echinacea." "Mom is getting rid of the spider webs, we don't like spiders. Well, you can like spiders if you want to, but Mom doesn't like them at all." That sort of thing. :) He seems to be fascinated by everything and has started to grab the hose or pruner handles to help me out. I was even washing my hands today at the sink and he reached his little chubby hands out and stuck them under the water. It was the cutest thing ever! Enjoy these pictures of our beautiful garden this year.

This is the view from our kitchen window. I love the pot with all the decorative grass in it. Sonya helped me pick those out. Rosemary, thyme and basil in the small pots.

Impatiens.

The back deck is such a relaxing place to come and sit in the shade.

View from upper deck to lower one.

Close up of decorative grass pot. My favorite one this year.

Mr. Gnome is taking a break from working hard and resting in the shade.

Front garden next to our front door. Someday I'll really spruce this up. I think it has too much green and not enough color during the summer months. It helps when the pink zinnias and purple russian sage finally bloom in late summer, but that won't happen for a few more weeks.

I put this path in a few weeks ago. It goes from our driveway into the front lawn. We were always walking there so Stu suggested putting a path. When the green moss fills in over the next few years it look even better.

Purple gazing ball amidst the lavender.

Simon waiting patiently for me to throw the ball. He is feeling MUCH better by the way. Almost back to his normal athletic self. Thank goodness!!!

I love this view of the front yard. I planted 3 white daisy bushes in the fall just to the left of the arch (that Stu and I got married under) and they are about 3 feet tall and so beautiful!

Last year I dug out a bunch of grass on this side of the driveway with plans to have another sun flower garden, but didn't do anything else to it because I was all preggo and too hot to work outside. This spring I finally finished it and everything is starting to bloom. It is so pretty and one of my favorite spots in the yard now.

The garden by the new mailbox sure turned out pretty this year. I love lavender. It's pretty to look at in a garden and so nice to use for a flower arrangement inside cause it smells so good.

Close up of the white daisies.

Pink echinacea. I transplanted 2 of these flowers from another place in our yard 3 years ago and they keep spreading and spreading. I'm ok with that cause I think they are SO beautiful. :)

And a quick thank you to my wonderful, handsome husband...Stu, you are the best! Thank you for providing for our family and making it possible for me to stay home and take care of our little munchkin and make our home beautiful. I love you!

July 2010

2010-07-17T17:25:00.001-07:00

Stu and Uncle Calvin being dorks at the pool. Calvin put on my Mom's outfit. :)

Ahhh, the infamous Johnny Jump Up.

Burke at the pool.

Dad trying to making the same face as Burke.

Everyone sucking their lower lip like Burke. :)

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa Grater

2010-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

We went camping last weekend with Guy, Sue and Snoopy at Red Canyon campground, just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park for 5 days. We had so much fun! Burke LOVED meeting his Grandma and Grandpa Grater. He ate solid foods (rice cereal) for the first time while we were camping and Grandpa and Grandma gave him his first 2 spoonfuls. He didn't really like the taste initially, but seemed to like it more towards the end of the bowl. The weather was perfect the whole time; it was in the 80's during the days and thunder/rain stormed every day for about 15 minutes to cool things off and freshen things up. It was beautiful.

Guy and Sue, we love you and had a wonderful time hanging out with you, as always. :) We miss you already.

Burke meets his Grandpa Guy 'Old Granddad' for the first time.

A 3 generation photo. How cute!

Burke meets his Grandma Sue for the first time! He loves his Grandma Sue!

We recently purchased a Johnny Jump Up swing for Burke ($8 off of ksl.com yippee!) and he loves it! Stu set it up in the campground and he spent some time here every day.

Burke loving his Johnny Jump Up.

Spending time with the grandparents and Snoopy in the trailer. Burke was mesmerized by Snoopy.

How cute is this picture? Old Granddad and his Grandson. BFF's.

Just starting on a hike in Bryce.

Family photo in Bryce.

What a view! This was from the trail at Bryce.

Champions! We made it to the end of the trail and are just about to start back up.

Stu and Guy standing in front of the mountain that they DID NOT tackle. :) They attempted and made it a long way. Way to go guys!

Grandpa and his little man. Guy had Burke laughing pretty hard here, it was so cute!

Grandpa and Burke can't get enough of each other. I think they kind of look a like. Two handsome guys.

Saying goodbye. :(

Burke is cheering because he's so happy to be a Grater! :)

One last picture before we all hit the road.

Burke is tuckered out from a long weekend of camping and hiking and playing with Grandma and Grandpa. He fell asleep like this about 30 seconds after we put him in his car seat. What a good boy!