Meet "Made in China"

After years of carefully monitoring Alyssa to keep her unattached to items such as binkies, blankies, and babies (I am TERRIBLE at keeping track of things, and quite often lose important items!)  To ward off any potential melt-downs, we carefully switched out everything... often!

At the age of four, I thought we were out of the woods on the whole attachment issue, then along came "Made in China".  Yes, that is her name, and quite frankly, it has provided hours of entertainment for many of us.   We bought the doll on Clearance at Walmart.  I had been dragging Alyssa on a day of errands... we had spent hours going from store to store picking stuff up, and she had been so very well behaved!  To reward the behavior, I bought her the baby!

Beanie Babies have a name and birth-date on their tags, and Alyssa was familiar with this type of branding.  Wanting to make sure her baby had her proper name, she asked her Grandpa (Kevin), apparently no one else was around, to read the name on the tag so she could officially name her baby.  Being the comedian he is, he read "Made in China" and, not understanding the phrase, Alyssa named her baby!

Days later while cleaning her room, she asked me to hand her "Made in China".  I was completely baffled and had her repeat herself.  When she told me the story, I laughed so hard I cried.  This has been the result many times as people have discovered Alyssa's doll!

Very rarely do we go anywhere without her.  She sleeps with her every night and the one time she left her at the Disney store in Provo, we made a special trip down to pick her up again!  Despite my every effort, Alyssa is attached!  But who can blame her?  Made in China has kind of wiggled her way into all of our hearts!

Love,
Taryn

Utah Gymnastics

Would you like a night of entertainment?  Would you like a family outing that is both very cheap, and very fun!  Would you like a chance to see athleticism in all its glory?

Spend a night with the University of Utah's Red Rocks!

For four years, our family has had Season Tickets to Utah Gymnastics where we have enjoyed years of entertainment and fun.  For the first time this year, Alyssa and I attended EVERY home meet (the joys of not coaching high school cheerleading!)  We cheered them on to four home victories and last night's very sad loss to Nebraska.  The team this year is, quite simply, amazing!

The memories we make and the moments we share at these gymnastic meets are some of my very favorite... here is the list of our "must-do's"...

• Food
• Swoop's Roller-coaster
• Cotton Candy (and now sometimes Skittles!)
• Red Rock Posters
• Dancing to YMCA

We are so very lucky to have one of the top gymnastic teams in the nation, right here in Salt Lake City.  The season is over, and we already can't wait for next year!

Love,

Taryn

Our OTHER Daughter!

Over the past six months, our family has been blessed with another member!  Kelsey Braithwaite, who I coached for years and years has been spending a lot of time with our family!

It all started when Kelsey's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer halfway through August 2011, about an hour after diagnosis, she was taken by ambulance to the University of Utah hospital for a brain aneurysm. It was a very stressful time for their family, and during the week Kristy spent in the hospital, Kelsey came and stayed with us... thus started her integration!

She has recently started training and coaching at the gym for me.  She has surprised me by her patience (she is practically an only child and has very little practice in patience!)  It has been so fun to have her at the gym and to watch her learn and grow while coaching!

I am so grateful we have had the opportunity to welcome her to our family!  She often comes to the house, as well as comes along on some of our family activities!  I love that Alyssa has her to look up to and I am grateful for the example she is to me!  It has become difficult to imagine our family without her!

The things we love most...
1.  She laughs at Shane's jokes (which he greatly appreciates!)
2.  She will join in a tea party!
3.  She doesn't mind a little "dress-up"!
4.  She babysat for Shane and I while we went to a movie. (What?  A date... alone!  Unheard of!)
5.  She makes me laugh (even if it is watching a video of her major biff at the gym!)
6.  Most importantly... she puts up with my dad!  Which we all know can be a challenge!

Love,
Taryn