Month: December 2007

Tucker

Happy Gabirstock!

Guess who is 5?
Today is our Tucker James Birthday.
I just wanted to express my gratitude for our Father in Heaven for the blessing of having Tucker in our lives for these 5 magnificent years.
I can’t believe how fast time goes once you have children. It truthfully just seems like yesterday that our sweet boy was born.

Here are some of the reasons we love our Tucker Bean so much:
Cause he can be very silly and very serious.
He has such intense emotions.
He takes such good care of his little brother.
He thinks things through so deeply, until he fully understands it.
He currently wants to grow up and work in a Robot Factory, so he can watch the Robots being made by other Robots.
He has a super smile
He always likes to be where the action is.
He loves to create things.

We love you Tucker James!

Uncategorized

Ice skating… Olympics here we come?

Post author By Emily
Post date December 31, 2007

My Mom’s Cousin, Patty, works for a Rec Center, so for her Christmas Party, she invited friends and relatives to a skating party. She had rented a skating rink for an hour, and since I didn’t anticipate my children enjoying skating too much, we showed up a few minutes late.
My Mom and Dad met us there, after we got our skates on, I took Tucker out, just me and him. And my mom took out Tru–Toph was parking the car, and I guess dad isn’t a big iceskater 🙂
Patty saw us trying to balance the children and promptly brought us over a couple stacks of 5 gallon buckets, that were just the right height for our boys. I didn’t know what she was doing, but then I quickly learned.
The kids could lean against the buckets, and propel themselves.
This is the best thing I have ever seen! Our boys had so much fun! They skated independently, occasionally I had to put them back on their buckets, but mostly they just chased each other, and believe it or not, Truman was faster than Tucker.
When the time was up, they both started to cry, because they wanted to keep going.

Here is some video Toph got of the boys, it was near the end of the skating session, they both fell off their buckets, but you can kind of see why they had so much fun:
iceskating.mov
We’ll definetly be going ice skating again!

Church Talk

Today, I spoke in Church. It was the first time since we have been married that I have spoken in church without my spouse. As I sat on the stand with the wonderful ladies who I serve with, I felt an amazing power of sisterhood. But then I looked at my family. I felt an even more powerful sense of love. I am grateful for a husband and boys who love me and support me so unconditionally. I would not be the woman I am today without them.

Emily Life Tucker

The beginnings of a perfect party.

Post author By Emily
Post date December 31, 2007

Tucker has decided on a theme for his birthday party, and of course, it revolves around the passion of his life. ROBOTS.
We spent sometime this week, getting a few of the minor party planning details done, including the Pinata and the Invitations. Let me tell you, if I had know what I was getting myself into, I might have thought twice about it.It was something that I wanted to record, so I can remember my little boy, a sweet memory of his patience and determination.
We had fun making the invites,

Tucker helped me make the words look like Robots, I think they turned out pretty cute. He has a good eye, and we had a good time photoshopping together.
The first dilemma came when we began our search for a Robot Pinata. Not the perfect Robot Pinata. Just A robot pinata. In the back of my mind, I knew we could make one, but if you have ever made a Pinata, (especially in the winter months) you will know why I was anxious to find one. It can be a huge Mess.
I called 10 stores, they all said No, they didn’t have one.
With no success there, we then began our search, driving from store to store to see if we could find a pinata that looked similar to a robot, similar enough so that we could “Tweak” its appearance.
After 6 stores, we came across this at the Mexican Market:

The only similarity (in my mind) that makes it look in any way robotic, is the color, a gold metallic wrapping paper on the outside, but Tucker really liked it. I was just happy the Pinata hunt was done.
Of course, Tucker does want to take off the Sponge Bob Plate and put on a Robot Sticker, and he is thrilled about it!
Right now, it is hanging in our office, which everytime I enter, get scared because I am not used to having such a large object in our home.
And when I say large, I mean HUGE, it is seriously, as big as Tucker–the kids are going to have a hard time NOT hitting it, because it is so gigantic 🙂
But the bigger the Pinata, the more candy right? The kids aren’t going to be complaining!

Emily Life Topher

Manger

Post author By Emily
Post date December 31, 2007

One of our traditions that we do at Christmas time, is prepare a baby manger for Jesus.
Every time a good deed is done, by yourself, or you notice someone else doing something nice, you get to put a piece of straw in the manger, to make it nice and soft. Our goal as a family is to fill it completely, helping us keep a Christ Centered Holiday.
This tradition began as a child for me, and I mentioned it to Christopher a few years ago, and he surprised me one Christmas Morning 4 years ago with a beautiful manager that he built.
As I was taking down the Christmas decorations, Truman found the manger, from my childhood, and put it next to the manager Christopher built.
As I have need for only one manger, I thought I better take a picture with the 2 of them together, before I pass off one to my Brother, so I can remember the Manger that started the tradition, and the manger that will continue the tradition.
(As you can see, there is quite a size difference, Toph made the big one, I guess he just wanted to make sure I was extra good during the hoilday season.)

Emily Life Topher Truman Tucker

Vacation!

Post author By Emily
Post date December 31, 2007

It doesn’t matter that I am not in school any longer, and that Toph has returned to work, forever in my mind, the time between Christmas and New Years, will always be celebrated in our home as vacation, holiday fun time.
I have NOT caught up on Laundry, I have NOT gotten my children back on their normal nap/sleep schedule, I have NOT made our beds everyday, I have NOT prepared and eaten’ nutritious meals, I have NOT sorted out toys, “recycling” the old ones to find room for the new ones, I have NOT kept up with the housework or the BLOG, and lastly I have NOT felt a bit bad about it!
But let me tell you, I HAVE played toys, built robots, made blankets, played card games, read childrens’ books, napped and slept in, gone to the children’s museum, eaten’ chocolate until I should look brown, partied, baked treats with the boys, played Planet Heroes, read a novel, and enjoyed myself immensely.
This is the part of the Holidays I truly do love!
Here are a few pictures from our “Holiday”….
The Robot Museum with Grams and Gramps:

Tru and the bots:

Playing on the computers:

The Robot Ride, (notice the matching goofy shirts from Gramps, they HAD to wear!):

This time they had out Robots for the Kids to play with, Tucker enjoyed these:

Lounging Tucker:

Grocery Store:

Funny Gramps:

Plinko with the Balls:

Water table with grams and gramps:

Cooking:

Playing Cards (picture taken by Tru):

The robot blanket we sewed:

The Rock Tumbler that Toph and the boys set up:

(by the way, if you husband ever tries to convince you that setting up a rock tumbler inside of your house, is a GOOD idea, don’t be fooled. It sounds like a vacuums is running ALL THE TIME! And you can’t stop it until the cycle is done. Definetly a BAD idea.. Just FYI)

Emily Life Topher Truman Tucker

Christmas Day…

Post author By Emily
Post date December 31, 2007

Christmas Day was spent with My side of the family, the Hunsakers and The Greenes. I love living close enough to see our loved ones around the Holidays. It just makes everything better to share it with the ones whom you love.
(for some reason our Red Eye Fixer isn’t working…. sorry for the red eyes!)
We had Brunch, Christmas Story and a gift exchange with the Hunsaker Side at the Condo:
Grandma:

Grandpa:

The Group:

Opening the present from the Great Hunsakers:

Me and Tru:

Tucker and Cooper (the Greene’s Puppy):

Tru and the Great Hunsakers:

Then back to Grams and Gramps house for the rest of the festivities:
Since I missed Christmas Eve with the My Dad’s side of the family, and I didn’t get to see my Cousin Heather who is in Town from CA, she came over to visit on Christmas Day with my Aunt Sue. I am so glad they came over, it is so much fun to see them!

Exchanging of the gifts:
Grams:

Gramps:

Tucker:

The boys got aprons, but they didn’t want to put them on, so Toph and I wore them:

Tru with his new puzzle book:

Crockpot Kiss:

The Grandparents:

Tru and Ace:

Heather and I:

Afterwords, Tuck adn Tru got a little guitar hero in:

What a fun day!

Emily Life Topher Truman Tucker

Christmas Morning

Post author By Emily
Post date December 30, 2007

Tucker woke us up on Christmas Morning, he came upstairs, and climbed in bed with us, when he came upstairs, he was fully dressed, and at first, he just sat there, cuddling in bed with us.
Then he began to chat, he said: “Mom, Dad, I don’t think Santa Came. There are no presents under the tree”
It is then that we realized, he had gone to the upstairs tree, instead of the downstairs tree, where Santa had left the presents…
When we explained this to him, he was out of bed, and racing down the stairs.
We woke up Truman, telling him it was Christmas Morning, to which he replied, “Did the Reindeers come?”

The boys had a great time unwrapping their presents, and emptying their stockings, sometimes Santa can grant wishes.
Truman asked for Lightening Mcqueen and Candy:

Tucker asked for A Machine (Rocktumbler) and a Robot:

What fun to see the magic on Christmas Morning:

The boys saying Merry Christmas!:

One of the reasons I love Christmas day so much, is because it marks the anniversary of the official day Christopher proposed to me on the Old Riverdale Bridge. lt will forever be a special day because of that, regardless of all of the other fun and magic and sacredness that occur on this day.Oh how our family has changed and grown immensely over the past few years, Christmas Morning is so much funner when there are children to enjoy and share it with…

Emily Life Topher Truman Tucker

Christmas Eve

Post author By Emily
Post date December 30, 2007

This year our Christmas Eve was spent with the Phillips Fam. Tucker was so excited to make the craft together, here is the gingerbread foam house they put together:

Cat and Tuck:

Grandpa and Tuck:

The opening of The Christmas Outfits (the only reason gettting clothes can be exciting, is that they are the first present opened on Christmas Eve!):
Getting ready to open ’em:

Tru:

Tucker:

Doesn’t he look nice?

Toph:

The adults doing the kids crafts, with the Hot Glue Gun:

Picture infront of the Tree.
Doesn’t JoAnna look like she’d make a better wife than I do?

Doing the 12 days of Christmas Dance:
Tucker following Grandma:

Exchanging Gifts:
Madalyn:

Tru unwrapping:

Truman with his new puzzle:

Looking over those awesome Robot Parts:

Tucker got a box of Robot Parts, that he has created a robot with every day since:

After Tucker got his Robot Parts, he took it over to show grandpa, here he is with Crazy Robot Eyes:

Dallin:

The Grandparents:

Toph:

Thank you Hugs:

Patrick, a new shadowbox with his Gold Medals:

Video Chatting with the Michigan Phillips:

After the presents, just hanging out, Owen and Tru:

Again, after the presents, just hanging out in the doll house, I guess 🙂

Emily Life Topher Truman Tucker

The Singing House

Post author By Emily
Post date December 23, 2007

Tucker and Truman came up for the perfect name (the singing house) for this:

Music Box Dancer – Holdman Christmas Display 2007 from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Carol of the Bells – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Amazing Grace Techno – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Miracle from 34th Street – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

For those of you who haven’t heard, of this singing house, Tuck and Tru LOVE it here. A house with lights timed to music. Awesome. And lucky for us it is located in our very own PG.

We visited it frequently last year, and this year we have only made it there 2 or 3 times so far. (but now that we found this site, the boys will be watching it frequently I am sure!)

This year this family won the KFC National Contest, and plus it is a great way to connect with the boys!