Coburn Kids

Catch up time: We had a baby!

2011-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

So I'm sure it goes unsaid, but when you have a baby, a lot of things get forgotten and left behind. This blog has definitely fallen victim to this. Sorry all for the serious lack of info and pictures of Zachary Scott Coburn.

Thank you Uncle Tyler for capturing these perfect moments.

Zachary was born on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at Grossmont Hospital. He was 7 lbs. 2 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. His big brother and sister adore him. We are excited to have him join our family.

The Little Red Hen

2011-06-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Chris went to Bryson's preschool today for story time. He told a special version of The Little Red Hen for the kids.

Biking Down Highway 52

2011-03-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

The big happening here in East County is the opening of the last section of the 52 highway. It is something that has been rumored since Chris and I were kids and it is finally finished. It's funny that something that probably seems so meaningless to the rest of the world, was such an excitement for the 20,000 people that showed up throughout the morning to walk/jog/run/bike on the highway. As for our family, we had been planning on attending the festivities for months. We got bikes, child bike seats and helmets all for the event. Of course we have been using them for other occasions too, but this was definitely our motivation. We had a blast riding down the center of the highway. It was definitely an day we will never forget- The Day We Played on the Highway.

Birthdays to Celebrate!

2011-03-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Chris and Camryn recently celebrated their birthdays. Chris is now the BIG 30 and Cami has officially entered the terrible 2s. We had a lot of fun with family and friends these past few weeks.

Since we were still a little caked-out from the wedding, Chris opted for a non-traditional, yet equally delicious dessert for his birthday. Everyone got to make there own banana splits and I don't think anyone missed the cake.

Chris got some fun gifts including a huge jar of jelly bellies which we all have been enjoying tremendously.

And now for Cami's turn.

We did find some energy and motivation to make her a cake. Cami is very into fairies and putting on wings and a tutu during dress up play. For her birthday her nursery teacher gave her wings and a fairy wand. You should have seen that girl "flying" through the hallways after church.

Cami also got some fun gifts, lots of cute clothes from both grandmas and her Aunt Barbara and Uncle Tyler. We also pooled some of our funds together and got her a little kitchen from Target. She loves it and it was definitely a hit with all her friends.

She even had a visit from a friendly neighbor wanting pie.

Happy Birthday Chris and Camryn. We love you!

Snow in SD!

2011-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

It snowed as close as Alpine in San Diego this last weekend, so we took a Sunday drive and had a fun time playing the cold wet stuff. It was the first time the kids had seen real snow that didn't come from a snow machine. They were loving it.

Bryson and Cami throwing snowballs at their daddy. They also had a lot of fun with their Aunt Sara and Uncle Justin.

A what now?

2010-09-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

So, I was moving boxes down to the garage today preparing for our little move when I came across this guy, just having himself a meal by the mailboxes. Never seen anything like this here before.

Yeah, that's a big lizard he's chowing down on. I ran back home, frantically told Bryson and Angele that I needed the camera because there was a big snake outside and ran back out again. He was still there, contemplating his next move. They came out to have a look and ran to get more people to show. I got up close to take a few more pictures and spooked him. He lifted his whole upper portion of his body and backed into the bushes like a dolphin at Sea World, still holding on to that lizard. Here's a close up:

Cousins

2010-07-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Bryson's cousins, Kaitlyn and Kali are visiting for a few weeks. Last night we had a sleepover at our house. The kids had a lot of fun playing dress-up, watching "Annie," eating popcorn, jumping on the air mattress, sword fighting and just laughing. There was a lot of laughing. And a little whining. But that was mostly Bryson. Thanks for letting them come down, Erik and Angela! We love to see our little Alaskans.

Happy 4th!!

2010-07-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's been a while. No apologies. I just wanted to share some pictures of our wonderfully busy and relaxing day yesterday. Living near home on the 4th of July means a block party at my (Chris's) parents' house. It was a great day. The weather was nice and warm, but never hot enough to turn on the misters my dad set up around the awning. It was a fun day for everyone, especially the kids.

The street is blocked off so the kids can ride in the street, which Bryson loved...

We ate some hot dogs (some of us just the buns)...

Made some cupcakes...

Ate the cupcakes...

Went swimming...

And had a great time with friends and family...

It was a great day.

Happy 1st Birthday Camryn!

2010-03-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we just celebrated Camryn's 1st birthday! It doesn't exactly feel like yesterday that she was born, but it doesn't feel like it's been a whole year either. We had a lot of fun with family at Chris's parents' house. Everyone wore their pajamas and we ate breakfast for dinner. I don't think that Camryn really knew what was going on, but she was very much enjoying not being told "no." We finished the night off with marble swirl and strawberry cupcakes. We all thought that Cami would really dive into her cupcake cake, but she just wanted to pick off all the sprinkles one by one. My little miss.

Bryson and Owen's Day of Play

2010-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun yesterday. Our nephew Owen came over and hung out with us. We went to Shadow Hills park. After only a few minutes of playing, Bryson and Owen had all of the kids pretending that the jungle gym was a pirate ship. I loved seeing them have so much fun together. After coming home, I put a movie on so that they could calm down a little. Less than 20 minutes into the movie, both boys were konked out on the couch. We ended our day with a sleepover and woke up to pancakes. I loved every minute! I think the boys had a good time too.

Another Christmas Has Come and Gone

2009-12-27T01:08:00.000-08:00

We had another great Christmas with our family and friends. It was very fun watching 2 kids wake up to Christmas morning. Bryson was so excited to see presents under the tree. I think he was a little worried that there might not be any due to his struggle the weeks before with the whole naughty and nice issue. 3 is a hard age. He's definately testing his limits and mommy's nerves. Camryn decided to sleep in, but loved playing with Bryson and her toys once she joined us. I don't have pictures yet of the rest of the day, but we also had a great time sharing the day with my family and Chris's family. We are truly blessed to be living here near both of our families.

We also had a wonderful Christmas Eve. We went to the Slade's home and ate foil dinners. (The Slade's are my brother-in-law's family.) We had a lot of fun, a few laughs and ended with a little arm wresting. I was able to beat my mom and sister but lost horribly to Richard Slade (Anthony's older brother). To be fair, I was tired from the other matches. My mom and sister actually made me fight for the win. I guess I need to do a few more push-ups and demand a rematch. We ended the night with our traditional evening with my grandparents at their church's Christmas Eve service.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-16T23:00:00.000-08:00

So, this is probably the closest thing we are going to get to a Christmas card this year. Merry Christmas everyone! (Make sure to click on the link for a Christmas surprise!)

Love, The Coburn Family

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/Iyd8QktgKyuZOu1h?cmpid=ey_fb_self

Beginnings of a Testimony

2009-12-07T00:37:00.000-08:00

Bryson absolutely loves Nursery. It probably has something to do with his teachers also being his grandparents. Who else gets to call their teachers Grandpa and Grandma. I am so grateful to them for helping him learn to love the gospel. I am continually impressed with the concepts and scripture stories that he is already familiar with by the time we teach them. Today after church, Bryson and I started talking about testimonies and how a testimony is something that you have faith or know is true. The conversation went something like this:

Angele: "Bryson, do you have a testimony?"

Bryson: "Yeah, I do."
A: "What do you have a testimony about? What do you know is true?"
B: "I know that Jesus loves me. I know that Jesus is proud of me." (I'm pretty impressed right now)
A: "Yeah? What else?"
B:" I know that Santa will come and our tree is pretty..."

He then proceeds to list random things that he sees around the room. How quickly 3-year-olds get distracted. Oh well, he started off good! Thanks again Grandpa Brother Ball and Grandma Sister Ball.

Yes, another cake

2009-11-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

It seems the only thing we want to show you are cakes. Ah well, this was the latest, and our first to get paid for. We only made about $10 over the cost, but it is our first. It's a baby shower cake. The bottom tier is chocolate with chocolate mint whipped ganache, and the top is chocolate with chocolate raspberry whipped ganache. This is also our first foray into fondant. We didn't cover either tier with the stuff because we didn't want to compromise the flavor, but I don't think the looks were compromised either. Yes, the booties on the top are edible.

Second Star to the Right...

2009-10-27T09:31:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun at a few pre-Halloween parties. As you can see, we went with a Peter pan theme. We won prizes at both costume contests. I think it was Captain Hook that was the clencher. But Peter and Tink were dang cute as well, if I do say so myself. Thank you to the Bostonia Ward and Ricky and Troy Hartpence for throwing great parties!

Bryson's Dino-mite Birthday Party!

2009-09-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

The Dinosaur Cake

I have to say that most of the pictures are of me decorating, but Chris did all the baking. Two 10in. rounds, one 12in. round, one 8 in. round and one mountain! He also made all the icing from scratch! Chris makes it taste good and I make it look good so that people will want to eat it. We make a great team!

The Volcano Cake

(Yes, Bryson had 2 cakes for his party. I couldn't decide which one, so we made both! The smoke from dry ice was an awesome touch. The kids loved it!)

My Cup Overfloweth

2009-09-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

As the minutes go by and this day comes to an end, my heart is heavy with conflicting emotions.

First, I reflect on this day three years ago. I remember driving through a mountain to get to the hospital, waiting hours for a room, desparately wanting my mother to arrive from the airport, pain like I never could have been prepared for, the oh so precious relief of an epidural and tiny thumping noises from a heart monitor. I remember feeling very excited and terrified at the same time. I knew that Heavenly Father was entrusting one of his choice spirits to our care, a choice spirit who found much enjoyment in kicking his mother's ribs. As I held Bryson's little body close to mine, traced his face with my finger, and stroked his head, I knew that my Heavenly Father loved me very much.

Bryson, you have brought me such joy in these last three years. I love the sound of your giggles and laughter. I love hearing your beautiful voice. I love when we whisper I Love You's to each other. I love seeing you light up as your imagination transforms you into your favorite superhero, animal or object. I love your mature sensitivity towards others and their feelings. I look forward to every day of being your mother. I love you.

~~~~

Today, I also reflect on the memories I have of a dear friend, Amanda Gunter. I recently received the news that she, along with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, was involved in a fatal car crash. Amanda was thrown from the vehicle and suffered injuries that took her life and the life of their unborn child (5 months along). Levin, Amanda's husband, had to be cut from the car and was in critical condition until just recently. Their daughter, Ansley, miraculously came away with little more than a scratch on her head.

I am still digesting this terrible reality, but feel that sharing this will help me as I sort through these emotions. I was priviledged to meet Amanda at BYU Hawaii. She and Levin were newlyweds, very social and outgoing. We attended the same ward at church and lived in the same building on campus. I never remember seeing Amanda in a bad mood and as I read through others' tributes to her, I truly believe that she had a smile on her face even in her sleep. She was genuine, happy, caring, talented, devoted, loving and charitable. I ache to think that her daughter will only remember her goodness through the words written and spoken of her.

My heart goes out to her dear husband and both of their families. Life has stopped for them and I pray that they will feel the love, support and prayers on their behalf. Amanda, as you watch us from above, know that you touched the lives of many people and I am confident that you are finding out right now how proud and pleased our Heavenly Father is with the things you accomplished during your time on earth. We love you.

July in a Nutshell

2009-08-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Our cake is beautiful, but I think 2 months is long enough. Time for an update!

Here is a quick overview of the month of July in the Coburn family.

Beach

Family Home Evening at La Jolla Shores

Potty Training

(Well, kind of... He had 2 good days and then anounced to me that he wasn't going to wear "big boy pant" anymore, "just diapers." At least he doesn't yell at us anymore when we ask him if he wants to go on the toilet.)

Beach

Wiggles Concert

Beach

Justin Home from Mission

Beach

So you can see where we spend most of our time in the summer. It started out with just Stan and Debbie (Chris's parents). Now, after 3 or 4 years I think, it is practically a ward activity. We love it. Thank you Stan and Debbie for starting such a wonderful tradition.

Wedding cake UPDATE

2009-06-16T21:00:00.001-07:00

Don't have time to say much about it right now, but here it is, along with some making of pictures.

*UPDATE* Okay, now that I have some time I'll clarify. It was a three-tier cake (12", 10", 8"). Each tier had three layers of butter cake with raspberry preserves and lemon curd. The frosting was a Swiss meringue buttercream with a hint of lemon. Angele did all of the assembling and the decorating (and didn't it turn out amazing?). I did all the baking and made the frosting and fillings. So you can't really see what I did from the pictures, you had to taste it. We always say that I make things taste great and Angele makes them look great so people will want to taste them.

Insta-garden...just add water

2009-06-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Forget hard work, forget labor, forget Miracle-gro! We've got a real miracle right here. Introducing, for a limited time, the Insta-garden. Here's how it works:

Just build your box following the handy instructions, then add our special, proprietary blend of radioactive - but harmless - soil. Even a child can do it.

Okay, so maybe a little adult supervision is necessary...

Next, add water and before you know it, in the time it would take a 2-year-old to take a nap, you've got a fully-grown garden:

Act now, this amazing product won't be available forever (Stan and Debbie only have a few more potted plants to give away, if any at all)!

'Cause I said I would UPDATE

2009-06-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

I told Brianna I would post this so here I am. Olivia used to sleep just like this (and she still does, I've been told). Last month I caught Camryn doing it. She hasn't done it since, but I thought it was funny. I couldn't find a picture of Olivia doing it or I would have put it next to this one.

*UPDATE* - Brianna sent me a picture of Olivia.

My girls

2009-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

These are my girls. I love 'em! They have the best smiles. I love that Camryn is smiling now. It's a whole lot easier to forgive her for the endless screaming when she smiles and looks excited to see me. Though I have to admit, I'm ready for her to grow already. I told Angele that our next kid is going to come out a potty-trained toddler. She told me that if that's the case, then I can go ahead and have the baby myself. Oh well.

sigh

2009-06-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

So this is pretty much how we feel right now after all of last week's craziness and making our first wedding cake. We'll post pictures of the cake as soon as we get them.

Flying high

2009-06-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

So last Tuesday (June 2) I got a chance to fly in a WWII plane as a sort of promotion for the Wings Over Gillespie Air Show. They wanted me to write about my experience in the paper so people would come to the show. They let Bryson and Angele see me off and even let Bryson sit in the cockpit before take off. My pilot, Jack "Ripper" Draper, even did some aerobatics for me. You can read my column on the experience below the photos.

In April I mentioned growing up in a house fairly close to Gillespie Field. Through the years living there, I would often go outside and watch for planes flying overhead. Of a particular fascination were the World War II planes. I loved the exhilaration I felt when the fighters buzzed over, or when the ominous bombers seemed to loom over the neighborhood.

This week, as if in answer to years of boyhood dreaming, I had the unique opportunity to fly in one of these planes.

The plane, a SNJ-5, belongs to Air Group One, the San Diego Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, a non-profit group dedicated to maintaining and showing World War II planes. They offer rides out of Gillespie Field year-round by appointment, but the opportunity will be readily available at this weekend’s air show. The cost is $295, which, considering maintenance, fuel and the experience itself, isn’t too steep.

I talked to my pilot, Col. Jack Draper, whose call sign is “Ripper,” ahead of time and he let me know of the possibility of trying out a few aerobatic maneuvers, if I was up to it and the weather was right. The boy in me lit up. It was a few hours later that the adult in me tapped that boy on the shoulder and discussed the very real probability of throwing up. I didn’t eat anything the morning of my flight.

I arrived at Gillespie and met Jack. He told me that the plane was used as the final step in training fighter pilots before getting the real thing. It essentially has two cockpits, one in back of the other, for training purposes. I got situated in the back.

Sitting in the cockpit, I was struck by how something so complex could look so simple. It was all metal bars and levers.

I was strapped in to a parachute, then the harness for the seat itself and was shown where the “sick sacks” were. Before we took to the air I checked and double-checked. I took one out to see how fast I could get to it.

Flying in one of these planes is quite an experience. You feel the rumble of the engine and you smell the fuel. It’s almost as if the plane’s vibrations send you drifting back in time. You can almost physically feel what a pilot flying in World War II felt. The emotions, I’m sure, are much different.

As we flew out to an unpopulated area Jack asked if I was up for a loop. Trying desperately to hide any doubts in my voice I said, “S-s-sure!”

We dove down, pulled back up and around we went. The pressure was incredible. As we finished the maneuver I reached for the “sick sack,” but it was unnecessary. Surprisingly, I was fine. So, Jack took me on a simulated bombing run, followed by a corkscrew. The whole experience was utterly amazing and a testament not only to the brave people who fought in these planes, but also to the engineers and builders. I now have even more respect for them than before.

For your own taste of history, head to the air show. A ride in the SNJ would be the perfect Father’s Day gift. I know I’m going to be saving my money for another flight next year.

A Day with Daddy

2009-05-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Chris, Stan and Bryson went to Gillespie Field today to see some vintage airplanes they had on display. Chris just found out that he will be riding in a WWII fighter plane in a few weeks for "journalistic purposes." It really is to promote the Wings Over Gillespie happening on June 6th and 7th, but it has always been a dream of his, so he's pretty excited.

Which is the real Camryn?

2009-05-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Bryson has a baby doll that we bought him when I first became pregnant. He calls it his "little sister." We laugh because he will leave it all around the house and when people come in they do a double take when they see a baby, face down on the stairs, feet hanging over the edge. Camryn is now big enough that the doll and her can share clothes.

Baking Bonanza!

2009-04-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

So, my (Chris) latest baking craze is bread. Bread is so easy to make with our Kitchenaid and I've been experimenting with it. First I made basic white bread loaves, then a cinnamon raisin bread/honey wheat batch. I really wanted to try something different so I made soft pretzels using a recipe from Alton Brown.

First, you make the dough and let it rise, then you separate the dough, roll it out like a snake and shape them. After that you put each one in boiling water with baking soda for 30 seconds. An egg wash and kosher salt (or cinnamon and sugar) finish it off before they go in the oven. As you can see, they turned out beautifully and tasted delicious dipped in cheese. Mmmmm ... I love that I can make pretzels. My churros a few months ago turned out awesome too. I'm ready to start my own circus. Time to train the kids.

Those left behind

2009-04-04T09:56:00.001-07:00

We try to make the best out of drifting out of the limelight of Angele's heart. I started the "Used To Be Cutest Club" when Bryson was born and made myself the president. Bryson just joined up and was granted the title of vice president and "Official Tantrum Thrower." This picture is of us pretending to be happy. We're pretty good at it. Most of the time. *sniff*

We've been slacking

2009-04-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we're a bit behind, but here are some more pictures of the girlie and one of that boy who is still hanging around.

We're home

2009-03-08T19:37:00.001-07:00

As promised, more pictures of the little one.

Camryn is here!

2009-03-06T18:36:00.001-08:00

Camryn Diane Coburn was born this morning a little before 7 a.m. It was a fast delivery and everyone is doing great. She was 7 lbs. 2 oz, 19 inches long. More pics later, I have to get back to the hospital.

"I da superhero!"

2009-02-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

We're behind and have a lot to post, but I had to get this up. So, after seeing what Owen was up to on the Massey's blog, we decided it was time to get Bryson some underwear too. We didn't let him choose though. There wasn't much of a selection, so we went with the 7-pack of Pixar-themed underthings. We came home and he wanted to take The Incredibles for a test run. This immediately resulted in jumping off his little couch and posing. Then he wet himself. His pee ran though and landed directly in his shoe. It's a start.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

Bryson went to a Valentine's Day Party the other day. 2 is such a fun age. It seems like Bryson just gets more excited about life with each holiday.

Bryson and his good friend Coen shared a special sugar filled moment together. I know they're thinking, "I can't believe our moms are letting us just lick the frosting off the top! Oh well, take advantage of the moment."

"Hi train, wait a second..."

2008-12-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Stan got a neat toy this year, a remote controlled train that rides in a circle around the Christmas tree. As Grandpa and Bryson were playing with the train, Grandpa said, "Hi train, wait a second, Bye train. Wait a second, Hi train." Bryson thought this was so funny, he repeated it over and over for a good part of the night.

Coming down from the Christmas High

2008-12-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

As you can see, Christmas really wipes us out. Both Chris's and my family live very close. I'm talking blocks away from each other. Christmas for us is planned out with schedules and lists to make sure both families get their share of the wonderfulness that is us. For example, our day went something like this.

6:45am- Wake up, get video camera ready, wake Bryson up, open presents, get ready to go to Grandma Debbie's.

8:30am- Go to Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Stan's house. Open presents and eat a warm-up breakfast (actual breakfast will follow, however, I am pregnant and could not wait until 9:00 to put something in my stomach). Consolidate presents and put them in an empty corner for pick-up later.

10:00am- Pick up Sister Snow (an elderly friend from our church), go to Grandma Pauline and Grandpa Steve's house. Help finish actual breakfast, eat breakfast and proceed to open more presents. By this time, Bryson has got the present thing down.

1:30pm- Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins come over to my parents'. We proceed to, guess what, open presents and eat some more.

5:00pm- Go to Chris's Aunt and Uncle's house. We hadn't even set our stuff down, when we were pummeled with presents. There wasn't any time to find a seat, so Bryson opened his gifts on the kitchen floor, which was actually helpful because it meant we had direct access to more food.

We were so worn out by the end of the night. We back tracked to all the houses we had visited that day, picking up the gifts we had left behind earlier and saying our final exhausted thank yous and Merry Christmases. Now, don't get me wrong, we are very blessed to live so close to so many of our family members. We wouldn't have it any other way and pray that we can afford to live in San Diego forever. I'm just saying that that was our Christmas day- exhausting, draining and absolutely wonderful!

Sea World at Christmas

2008-12-06T15:04:00.001-08:00

We like Sea World. They always have fun stuff going on at Christmas. We went to a special preview night for season pass holders last night. We got great seats for the Shamu Christmas show. Here's a few photos.

November wrap up

2008-12-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

So a few things happened the last week of November. First, Jessica's homecoming.

Jessica came home from her mission to New York the day before Thanksgiving. We were so happy to see her. This is us outside the stake center after she gave her talk.

For Thanksgiving we went up to Whittier. The two hour drive up turned into four hours and at a rest stop Angele accidently put a bee in her mouth while she was eating an orange. It stung her on the inside of the cheek and she had to suck out the stinger. Sorry, but it's too wierd not to tell. Anyway, she was in pain, but when we finally got there we had a good time. Bryson really liked playing with Scrabble the dog. Real sweet dog.

The next photo is of Bryson and one of his first violin lessons. Steve brought home a 1/8th size violin and taught Bryson how to hold it. He catches on quick.

Premature Christmas Fun

2008-11-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

A little less than a week before Thanksgiving and the Santee Trolley Center decided it was the perfect time to have a Holiday Lighting Celebration. I needed to take pictures for the paper so we all decided to go.

Angele and Bryson got some sweet Christmas tatoos.

Bryson was happy because he got to eat candy AND cookies. He got to decorate the one he's chomping on.

We waited in a really long line to ride a horse-drawn carriage through the parking lot. They were running two, one with two long benches and a fancy smaller one for just a few people with cushioned seats. We were lucky and got to ride the fancy one. Bryson didn't like waiting in line, but he had lots of fun on the ride.

2008-11-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

I don't think that we've made an official announcement on our blog that we are pregnant! Angele is about 20 weeks along now and last week we found out that we are having a GIRL! Cameryn Diane Coburn is due to join our family around March 16th. She is already very active and quite feisty. We are very excited for our new addition.

SD City Beat Fiction 101 Contest

2008-10-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to boast that Chris just won THIRD place in the San Diego City Beat Fiction 101 Contest! This is his first time entering the 101 word contest. He submitted three pieces and was truly hoping just to get published in the magazine. We're all hoping this gives him the confidence and motivation he needs to start writing his book.

Here is the link to read his entry. http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/2008_fiction_101_contest/7415/

We love October!

2008-10-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've been a little worried about how Bryson would do when Halloween came around. At 2 years old, almost everything can seem big and scary. Our saving grace has been Bryson's overwhelming love for anything pirates. Chris and I have taught him some cool pirate phrases and he and his friend Drew play pirates non-stop at Grandma Pauline's house. Now, when he sees something that we think will scare him (i.e. skeletons, ghosts, anything with blood and creepy things) he says, "Ooooo, Pirate Stuff!"

Here are some pictures that we have taken in October. The family picture was taken at Oma's Pumkin Patch in Lakeside. And here is a sneek peek at our Halloween costumes. I will have to post Chris's costume later as he did not pose for Stan at our church's Halloween carnival.

Bryson Sings!

2008-09-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the new musical, Bryson Sings!

Okay, so not really, but he had fun recording a few songs.

Here's "C is for Cookie"

"Elmo's Song"

"Little Red Caboose"

Pictures to come later.

Where's the Gun Show?

2008-07-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Our family is a huge fan of The Office. When Justin was home, he taught Bryson how to do the Gun Show. Justin would say, "Where's the gun show?" and Bryson would immediately put both hands behind his head to show off his muscles. Well, since Justin left on a mission for our church, Bryson has missed him very much. With the mere mention of his name, Bryson's "muscles" are out. It's has even progressed to happening when he sees someone that remotely looks like Justin. We love that he still remembers and thinks of his Uncle Justin. So when you see him next, just ask him, "Where's the Gun Show?"

4th of July!!!

2008-07-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July and this year seemed to top them all. Everything went so smoothly and the day was really fun. We started it off at our church's annual pancake breakfast. The sun was scorching, but the food was deeeelicious! Then it was off to Chris's parents for their annual block party. Bryson loved waving the flags. He's very patriotic, you know.

The day was nice and warm, so Bryson helped Grandma fill the pool.

So of course, we could all stay cool.

The Galls had a big jumpy thingy in front of their house. Bryson finally got a turn when all the bigger kids found something different to do.

Their was a lot of good food.

And Grandma Debbie brought out her special bubble wands. The whole family loved them, but Bryson especially loved making "big bubbles."

Sorry we don't have pictures of the fireworks. Bryson has loved them up until this year. He went back and forth from being completely scared to completely in awe. He would cry and say, "Big Boom, Inside!" And then say, "Oooo, nice!" It was actually pretty funny. Chris kept moving back until they we in another parking lot. We hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Oooo, So Handsome!

2008-07-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Bryson got a big boy haircut. This isn't his first, but it is the most drastic of them all. It also has played with his mind. With a big boy haircut, he has gained a big boy attitude. Terrible twos are coming a little early in our family. Bryson's vocabulary has exploded since his haircut. He mimics every word he hears and is putting three and four words together.

Con"grad"ulations Mom!!!

2008-06-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Angele's mom, Pauline, just graduated with her associate's degree in Early Childhood Development from Grossmont College. She has worked really hard and deserves much recognition. She has already got a job offer as a teacher's aid for the 3 and 4-year-old class with the preschool where she did her student teaching. We are very proud of her! CONGRATULATIONS MOM!!!

We Have Our Own Place!!!

2008-06-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

I (Angele) recently started managing Orchard Villa Townhomes. Substitute teaching has been really fun and I have learned a lot from all the teachers that I worked with; however, because of the unsteadiness in income and for the chance to finally get our own place, we decided to take this opportunity. We love it! I have actually been able to use a lot of the skills I learned as a teacher while managing: helping people get along, kindly telling tenants to do or not to do things, keeping things picked up and clean, patiently listening to complaints and exuses, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Some days are really hectic, but I'm getting the hang of it. The best part is that I can stay at home with Bryson! It is fun to be able to do things with him in the morning. The hard part is trying to get things done in the afternoon when he decides not to take a good nap. All in all, I think this is going to work out.

Oh, What the Heck. Take the Box!

2008-06-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

So our friends and family are getting really frustrated with us because we don't post very often. For this reason, I am learning to do this. Maybe I'll be able to put a few things on while I'm suppose to be working.

If you were wondering what Bryson's favorite thing to do is, it is eating. The first thing he asks for when he wakes up is food. Then immediately after he has eaten breakfast, he wants a snack to eat while he watches Word World ("Wo Wo") and Super Why ("Why Why"). He decided to stop waiting for Mom and Dad (and Grandma Pauline) to get him snacks and did it himself. Fortunately in our new apartment the snacks are not so accessible.

Jumper

2008-04-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we made this set up for Bryson. He must have jumped for 20 minutes straight.

Huge Bomber

2008-04-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is actually from a few months ago, but I'm finally getting around to posting it. This thing was flying over the neighborhood all weekend. It was pretty cool to see it almost crashing into trees and powerlines. Did I say cool? I meant cool and scary.

Mac and Cheese

2008-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

These are some old pictures just to prove that, yes, we do let Bryson get dirty from time to time.

Wild Animal Park

2008-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

So today we went to the Wild Animal Park and had an absolute blast. Everything seemed to work in our favor.

First we went to the petting zoo. They have deer, antelope and gazelles. The smaller gazelles ignored Bryson because he didn't have food so he walked right up to the biggest deer in the place and literally said, "Hi!" Then a nice woman let Bryson have some of her deer food and it ate right out of Bryson's hand. It wasn't crowded with kids and all the animals were really nice so our timing was perfect.

Next we walked down to the new Lion Camp exhibit, which lets you get pretty close to the lions via tall glass panels. They have 7 cubs with their mothers. The cubs were playing around and jumping on each other. We were laughing and having a great time. One of the mothers looked at us from a distance and slowly walked up to the glass panel we were at. The glass goes from the floor to the top of the structure and looks almost like an open door, with glass where the whole should be. She came right up to the glass and looked us over, just to make sure we knew who was in charge. Bryson was a little freaked out at first, but then he calmed down and the lion went back to play with her cubs. Couldn't have timed that better. This is a shot of two cubs chillin' on top of a car in their area.

Next we walked along the trail that overlooks the open plains. The giraffes were on the other side of the park so we took a few pictures with this fake one.

But then some keepers came out and hoisted some food on wooded poles and the giraffes came from everywhere to right in front of us. Perfect timing once again.

We saw lots more, including a mother and baby elephant, lots of birds and gorillas. It was lots of fun and Bryson fell asleep on our way out. Perfect timing.

Lake Murray

2008-03-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

Angele and I decided we want to exercise a bit more so we committed to at least walking around Lake Murray every Saturday. The round trip is 10K so it should do us some good.

You can't walk around the whole lake because of a water treatment plant so you have to walk up to gate, turn around and walk back. On the gate is a sign that says your lap doesn't count unless you touch the sign. Bryson and Angele touched it. I forgot. Guess that means I was never there.

After touching the sign we let Bryson stretch his legs and feed the ducks.

On the way back we found a stick and let Bryson hold it. After carrying it like a scepter, he discovered the wonder of dragging it as we walked.

Eventually he got tired of the stroller and got out and walked with us. He did great. We all walked, ran and jumped for quite some time.

When he slowed down we put him back in the stoller and he very quickly fell asleep and slept for the rest of the walk. It was a good day.

Workin' for a living

2008-02-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

After months and months of searching and disappointment, Chris finally got a job. He is the Editor of the East County Californian, a small, weekly community newspaper covering a few of the local cities in San Diego County. This is a blessing far above what we have been hoping for and will help not only our present situation, but also will greatly increase our chances of success in the future. Wow! Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Sock Hoppin'

2008-02-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

Bryson in his slick leather jacket

What he really thinks about the jacket

Crushing the competition with our incredible moves

Our Fabulous Prize: a necklace. No candy, no trophy, no flowers, nothin'.

But we all had a good time.

Swing Dance Champs

2008-02-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so believe it or not, Angele and I won a swing dance competition. It just goes to show that at a ward level, no talent is required, just spinning and flailing about. We were some of the only people to come to the ward Sock Hop dressed up, so that probably helped. Here's the video of our winning dance during the final round. Keep in mind that they didn't tell us there was going to be a final round so we kind of gave it our all during the first round. We were pretty tired.

Among the Leaves

2008-01-11T15:46:00.000-08:00

And now the first part of our new regular series

"If Bryson Was There."

Presenting...us

2008-01-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pictures to get things started. Enjoy.

Bryson Karaoke

2008-01-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

Coburn Kids

Catch up time: We had a baby!

The Little Red Hen

Biking Down Highway 52

Birthdays to Celebrate!

Snow in SD!

A what now?

Cousins

Happy 4th!!

Happy 1st Birthday Camryn!

Bryson and Owen's Day of Play

Another Christmas Has Come and Gone

Merry Christmas!

Beginnings of a Testimony

Yes, another cake

Second Star to the Right...

Bryson's Dino-mite Birthday Party!

My Cup Overfloweth

July in a Nutshell

Wedding cake *UPDATE*

Insta-garden...just add water

'Cause I said I would *UPDATE*

My girls

*sigh*

Flying high

A Day with Daddy

Which is the real Camryn?

Baking Bonanza!

Those left behind

We've been slacking

We're home

Camryn is here!

"I da superhero!"

Happy Valentine's Day

"Hi train, wait a second..."

Coming down from the Christmas High

Sea World at Christmas

November wrap up

Premature Christmas Fun

SD City Beat Fiction 101 Contest

We love October!

Bryson Sings!

Where's the Gun Show?

4th of July!!!

Oooo, So Handsome!

Con"grad"ulations Mom!!!

We Have Our Own Place!!!

Oh, What the Heck. Take the Box!

Jumper

Huge Bomber

Mac and Cheese

Wild Animal Park

Lake Murray

Workin' for a living

Sock Hoppin'

Swing Dance Champs

Among the Leaves

Presenting...us

Bryson Karaoke

Wedding cake UPDATE

'Cause I said I would UPDATE

sigh