Caden turns 2!!

Our little man is growing up! It's hard to believe Caden is officially 2 years old! We'll probably say that every year from here on out, but time sure does fly. We are so grateful to have been blessed with such a curious, fun, and lively little boy. It's fascinating to watch his little mind work as he explores the world around him. It amazes us how his vocabulary has developed in such a short period of time. Our favorite phrases are: "I yike this song", "Go hockey game", "I wuv mommy", and "fight daddy." HIS favorite phrases are: "No, I do it" and "I don't WANT to."
Caden's birthday party was a blast and he enjoyed spending time with his family. We were especially happy to have Papa and Jean make the trek from Tucson. Here is Caden helping Daddy mow the lawn in preparation for the big celebration.

Caden checks out his birthday cake!
Lovin all these presents!

Caden tries on his new baseball helmet!

Thanks for the squirt guns, Aunt Stacia!

Thank you to all our family and friends who came to share in Caden's special day! We love you Caden!

Halloween Happiness

Caden and Dallin received a Halloween package today from Grandma and Grandpa in New York. Caden was so exicted, he could hardly wait to dig right in!

He was especially exicted about the Halloween flashlight that plays spooky sounds. He is always trying to steal Daddy's flashlight, so it was a perfect gift!


He also got some sweet new coloring books! Caden is just starting to enjoy sitting down using his very own crayons. They're the "twisty" kind of course, because he tries to eat them. He's already put them to good use!


A final Halloween surprise was a book with Elmo playing basketball. Caden loves basketball! You can see his delight as he realizes the book is all HIS! He is mouthing the word "hoop" to those that are wondering...



Dallin loved the special gifts as well, but took a particular liking to the Halloween candy bag. A sweet tooth like his mommy! He enjoyed a good game of peek-a-boo with it!
Finally, I told Caden to give Grandma and Grandpa his best "thank you" pose. When he matter of factly told me "no", I bribed him with an icee. This is what I got...

THANKS FOR THE GREAT PRESENTS GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!

Dallin at 4 months

Our little guy is 4 months old today! He is very close to rolling over and has started eating "solids." With a little oatmeal in his nighttime bottle, he usually sleeps until 5:30 or 6 am. I REALLY like that part of him growing up! He is still handsome, happy, and plump! He weighs in at 16 lbs even and is 25 inches long. He is really starting to notice his big brother, who can always seem to get a smile out of him! A few of Dallin's favorite things are: looking outside, getting tickled, pulling Mommy's hair, watching Caden, talking, bath time, being a "big boy" with Daddy, eating, and being naked! We love our little Dallin!

Pumpkin Carve-Off 2008

We hosted the 4th Annual Ramirez Pumpkin Carve-off at our house this weekend. The rules were simple- Bring your own pumpkin and Bring it on! We enjoyed a frightfully delicious feast and the company of one another!
Jaden, Chandra, Ashley, Caden, Justin, Jaela, Amara, and Buckabizzle
Jalen, Tata, Marissa, Nana, Leara, Stacia, Jaren, Lauren, and Jennell
Aunt Ashley helping Caden dig in!
Megan, Kristen, and Mason
Check out some of the creative carvings!
Laurie's Cat and Justin's Witch
Caden's Goblin (so appropriate...!)
Marissa, Lauren, and Kristen's
Dallin's Happy Face and Chandra's Spider web
David's Witch
Caden blowing out all the candles!
We only had one small mishap, when Justin's brother, David, cut right through his finger!


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

The Great Pumpkin

We took the boys to a pumpkin patch this morning to pick out some perfectly round pumpkins. Caden was more interested in the tractors, quads, and abundance of rocks to throw that he didn't pay much attention to anything else. He did try to eat a random gourd. Dallin slept the whole time. But Justin and I had fun! I just love the "fall" colors!

Caden delights over the gourd.

Caden samples the gourd.

Too much excitement for Dallin!

Daddy and Caden

Mommy and Dallin

Man's Best Friend...

Most people cringe when they ask what kind of dog we have and the response is, "A pit bull." Trust me, it wasn't a decision we came to easily. I remember when Justin approached me 2 years ago and suggested we get a dog. I was thinking a cute little frilly dog, or maybe even a family golden retriever or labrador. He had a different idea. I said "No" right off the bat and there was zero room for discussion. I was 3 months pregnant and imagining a rabid dog snapping at my firstborn. Then Justin started watching The Dog Whisperer and reading books about how to train family dogs. I came to realize that if you invest the time to raise a disciplined, obedient dog, any dog can be a family dog. I reluctantly agreed to give it a try. We brought "Blaze" home and immediately fell in love. He was such a cute puppy!

Justin did all the things that "Cesar" suggested and has really raised an obedient, well-behaved dog. I give him all the credit. He gets along great with kids and Caden just adores him. I love to watch the two of them just roll around together. I'm not so excited when Blaze kisses Caden IN the mouth, but what can you do? I've actually heard a dog's mouth has less bacteria than a human's. Is this possible? I've seen the dog eat his own you know what in the backyard. Hmmm. Anyways, here are some fun pictures of Caden and Blaze having some best friend fun.

This one is from a while ago, but it's so cute. Waiting for Daddy to get home..




If you look closely, you can see the dog actually has its toungue in its nose. Wild.

For the Love of Shoes...

You might think Caden has inherited his love of shoes from his Mommy. While I do love a new pair of shoes like the rest of us, it's the Daddy in this family that owns the most shoes. Sneakers, dress shoes, flip flops.. you name it. The closet has been taken over with Justin's shoes. They have even spilled over into plastic storage bins in the garage.
Genetically, our children cannot escape shoe love. Caden loves to put on my work shoes after I've slipped them off to relax on the couch. We've gotten some good laughs as he's learned to master walking in heels. He enjoys wearing his "church shoes" any day but Sunday. He also gets a kick out of Daddy's running shoes. This morning I went into his bedroom to check on him, and I found him asleep with one random shoe on. They are actually shoes for next summer that he must have dug out of the back of his closet and snuck in bed with him the night before! Here are some pictures of Caden showing a little shoe love...

Check me out!

Ready for work!

Dreaming of a sea of shoes... (ignore the random "teeth marks" on the crib. i don't understand it, either)

Daddy's sneakers.. those are some big shoes to fill!

How do I look in these!?