2 Posts for the Price of 1!

I know...I haven't made a blog for a long time. Well, it was because we all had what I like to call the "Linger Longer" cold. It is a cold that likes to linger in your household for more than a week and tortures you by letting only one family member get it at a time, so it seems to take over your house! Yikes! Don't look too close at some of the images of Tori especially...you may see her leaky faucet! Not only did she get a cold, she is also getting her canines...twice the snot!
Anyway, since I wrote last, we got a new toy... A MINI VAN! We found a great deal for a van and couldn't pass it up. It was a mess trying to have all of us in my tiny Corolla. So Jason now gets to drive my car and we traded in his car for the van. Sorry no pictures this time, but I promise one soon. We also did our taxes and we are getting a hefty return. YIPEEE! Almost 3 times what we were expecting. Most of it is going into savings and I think that we might get me an elliptical machine (I have wanted a good one since we were married). Well, for the rest of the update, follow along with the pictures!

I introduced Tori to painting about a week ago. She still wasn't sick, but Brooke and I had it bad and I could tell Tori was getting cabin fever! So I taught her how to paint and she LOVED it! Here she is painting some of her masterpieces!

She had a ton of fun and there was paint everywhere, but that is the beauty of washable paint! Please note that she had to eat it too (thank goodness it is non toxic too!).




These are her masterpieces. We sent them to all of her Grandparents and her Auntie Lora and Marie...They would have gotten them earlier, but the postman sent them back saying that they needed more postage! Bah!

Here is a cute picture of Brooke. She likes to stand up now with support on our laps and has figured out how to turn over when she is supposed to be having tummy time! It is way fun to make her giggle, and I can't wait until she does it more often. She babbles a ton and that is super cute!
Happy Valentines Day!, although we celebrated on the 13th. Well, we had to giggle at our luck on our Valentine's Day Celebration. We wanted to eat out, but all of us were varying degrees of sick and we had to go grocery shopping! We just got home from making a Costco and Walmart run (we hadn't been to the store for like 3 weeks!) and when we got home with our delicious meal, it turns out they got the order wrong. So while Jason is unpacking the whole van with melting ice-cream and thawing chicken, I am changing Brooke who is screaming because she is starving and has had a HUGE blowout. Tori is so tired (because now she is sick and has teeth pain from those pointy canines) and hungry. Jason and I just had to laugh (otherwise there would have been tears) and say "Happy Valentine's Day sweetie!". Well, we eventually got everything in order and had our meal. Mmmm...Wingers! (and because they got our order wrong, we got a $10 gift certificate!)

On Valentine's Day I gave up my guard and let Tori play with the post and pans.

Daddy joined in (he is in a suit because he had a Priesthood Meeting to attend). I have the cutest video of the fun, but I am not good at putting video on my blog so you don't get to experience the noise. Tori thought that it was so much fun! She danced (as seen in this picture)

and pounded her heart out!

She loved playing with Daddy!

SURPRISE! Grandma and Grandpa Dinger came for a short visit this weekend. Gwen wanted to see the girlies before her knee surgery (the second one!) and they spoiled us rotten. Friday night they took us out to Macaroni Grill (which Tori loved because she got to draw on the tablecloth) and Tillamook ice cream! Saturday we went to Borders and Tori got a new set of Elmo books. they took us to Taco Time for lunch. I don't think we will be going there for a while...afterwards Jason and I both felt like grease pits! Maybe if we ordered of the more healthy looking part of the menu, but who is going to pass up Crisp Burritos?! Seriously.

If you look close you can see that Tori is sucking on a Crusto (her lunch consisted of fried tater tots, ranch, hot sauce and Crustos). :) We had so much fun, to bad they couldn't stay longer. We miss them!
Saturday night we had a fun ward activity. There was an ice cream social and family dance. Tori was so fun dancing around. She really knows how to shake her groove thing! It was adorable! We walked like we were Egyptians, danced like chickens, stayed a couple verses at the YMCA, hokie pokied...man it was a good dance and boy was she excited for ice cream. Yummy! Well, that about wraps up 2 weeks for the Dinger clan!

DunnDinger Extravaganza

We had a fabulous week! The Dunns and Auntie Marie came into town on Wednesday. We always have so much fun! Of course we filled the time with eating scrumptious food, playing games and the Wii, along with just hanging out! We even went on a walk with Tori and she explored the playground at the local elementary school. It was like pulling teeth to get her back in the stroller! Jason and Adam taught Marie how to play the Wii while Tori watched. It was so funny to see Tori with her own remote and think that she is playing! I will journal the rest of our week with the pictures! Enjoy! Oh, and the best news...Brooke just started to giggle yesterday although she is not feeling the best (she has had a cold for about a week) she still has a good attitude!

The cutest picture of Tori to date from Auntie Marie's camera!

A new passion: COLORING! Auntie Marie brought her coloring pages and Tori can even say color!

Check out the cute hairbows that Tiffany brought Tori! So adorable. There are better shots than this, but I love her expression! I cannot wait to make some!

Tori loves to feed herself now. The first picture is of her eating every morsel of her applesauce. And as Tiffy learned...Tori will steal your food!

Tori has a special love for "Anam" (that is what she calls Adam). She seriously wanted to be at his side the whole time he was here. They played Wii together, read together and colored together! When they left she looked for him and will continue to until she finds him again in our house! Anam is definitely Tori's first crush!

Tori playing with daddy and Brooke with Daddy

Adam and Tiffany with little Brooke

Playing with Auntie Marie. She can now say "A-E" (Auntie), "GaMa" (grandma) and "GaPa" or "UmPa" for Grandpa!


Tori loves to cook with me and took up the offer to make scrambled eggs with Auntie!

Through the looking glasses!

Oh no!

Although Jason and I hate ketchup, Tori can eat it plain! Note that that is not edible...it is the little paper cup that held the ketchup that is in her mouth!

Ahhh...saying goodbye to the Dunns. The only thing that lessens the sting is a visit to Fudruckers. Please note that Tori is mimicking what a hippo does. Ha ha!

Brooke just started to play with toys (that is if Tori doesn't steal them from her!!) and this is one of her favorites: the fish.

Ahhh...you can't even tell she is sick!

Sick Brookie snuggling with Jason who is also sick!

Sunday night Marie and I made Mexican food! Eat your hearts out! Mmmm..the Hernandez Enchiladas are to die for!

Of course Aunties have to spoil...I think it is their job! Auntie Marie bought Tori (and Brooke in the future) this amazing new toy.


THANKS FOR VISITING MARIE! We had so much fun!

Auntie Lora & Uncle Jake Visit

Lora and Jake visited this last week. It was so awesome. We missed them so much and it was so good to have some fun with them. We missed Oscar and Livy, but it was great to play with them and not have to worry about too many munchkins. They got here in the early afternoon, so we just hung out until Jason got home.
Thursday night we went to a Basque restaurant that was amazing! It is called Epi's. It is a little pricey (for our meager budget...but not at all too expensive for the amazingness), but it was out of this world good. From the delicious bread, to the creamy shrimp soup and the satiny croquetas....it was definitely the best restaurant for Spanish/Basque food I have had. The service was amazing to. The hostess was the owner (I believe) and she was so kind. I think everyone in our party had a back rub from her! Although we wanted to try some of their delicious desserts we had to decline because Tori was so done with sitting (we were there for 2 hours)! So we went through the TCBY drive through instead.
That night the games began. Lora and Jake introduced to extreme board games back in the day they were living in Chicago with Catan so of course we filled our time with playing games. Jake gave Jason a game called Race for the Galaxy for Christmas like 2 or 3 years ago and we have never had the stamina to learn it. Jake was determined this time to learn it and then teach it to us. Lora and I were too tired to play Thursday night so the boys learned together and the boys finally learned the rules.
Jason got to stay home on Friday and play with us! It was awesome. Of course the boys had to Wii it up in the morning. Tori was thoroughly entertained. She loves to watch people play Wii Sports Resort (especially the Frisbee dogs and 100 pin bowling). She claps really hard for those little dogs catching the Frisbee and if they jump catch...her excitement escalates!

Here the boys are demonstrating their Wii skills. Although paired skating is not an official Wii Sports Resort game, they had to try it out.

Here they are in the action!

Tori is shown here in amazement watching them play the Wii.

Lora and I got ready in the morning to take the kids to the mall. This is a semi-decent picture of us, but of course Lora looks cuter. I am just too lazy to put on makeup!

Ok...taking pictures with the kids was hilarious. Brooke of course doesn't really smile on cue and Tori didn't want to sit in one place, so here are a few of the takes. This is the cutest one that we got with Lora and Brooke. Lora of course looks amazing and at least Brook isn't crying!

This picture sums it up. Lora is squeezing Tori so that she won't move, Brooke is on the verge of crying and well, Lora is showing the strain it takes to keep 2 kids in a picture! So funny!

Lora took a million pictures of Brooke. i think she was trying to capture a smile.

Lora got a good one of me! Amazing!

Ok...so Cami scared Lora and Jake (she is quite the evil cat!) and Lora called her Lucifer. Poor Cami is so beautiful she is good at making people think she is nice, but she isn't.
Well, after we all got ready Lora and I went to the mall with the munchkins and walked around. I love going shopping with my sister and I wish that she was here so that we could entertain each other while are husbands slave away at work for us. But alas it is not so. Lora bought an amazing purse and of course she had to spoil Tori and bought her some toys at the Disney Store. Tori now is the proud owner of Minnie and Mickey, and a plastic Pooh Bear.
We decided to ditch the mall and go for a quick lunch at McDonald's (which of course Tori loved!) so that we could make sure the munchkins got their naps. The boys went out to Flatbread Community Oven which by the way is DOC certified (meaning that it has authentic Italian style pizza) and Jake declared it as the best pizza that he has had outside of Italy! Needless to say we went there again on Saturday before we dropped them off at the airport. I think Lora agrees with the fact that it is very delicious! I am excited that Jake likes 2 restraunts in Meridian; I think that he'll want to come back!
Friday night we stayed in and played Stone Age lovingly nicknamed as the "Whoopie Hut" game because one of the things you can do on a turn is to make more hunters (if you know what I mean).
Saturday we just chilled in the morning and like I said visited Flatbread Pizza. I was sad to see them go, but I am excited because in approximately 58 days they will be back again, but with the kids!!!! The countdown begins!! I am so glad you guys came! I really missed you and I can't wait to see you again!

Ahhh...here are some tender pictures of Uncle Jake and Brooke. Tori was a little scared of Uncle Jake, but she sure performed her heart out to keep them entertained. Her favorite was singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider for them.


Oh oh! Here she is sucking on her thumb. She almost has it down pat, but still doesn't have enough control over her hand and arm motion.

Here is a big smile!

Her cute outfit on Sunday. A picture with flash...so she is totally washed out, but look how blue her eyes are!

Tori bug in her new dress that Lora brought from CA. I love hand me downs!

And Brooke in her Valentine's Day outfit. Check out the built in shoes...

and the "Be Mine" butt!