Our Little Family

First Week of School!

2011-10-21T10:20:00.001-07:00

We made the decision to homeschool awhile ago, but I never really thought about when we would officially start. I figured he would be in public school when he turned 5, so we would start sometime around then. I had decided that after he turned 4 we would probably start that year in August when the regular school year began for everyone else here. We have already worked on letters, numbers, colors, etc just for fun, but nothing intense or structured. I started looking into homeschool curriculums and felt completely overwhelmed with all the choices. I have many friends who homeschool their kids and they have different curriculums they use, but I didn't want to pick something just because someone else was using it. I wanted to get something that would match my teaching style, keep my son engaged, and cover the state standards for what a child should know in each grade of school. A tall order for someone who has zero experience with homeschool curriculum. As an elementary teacher for 5 years before staying home with my kids I'm familiar with curriculum choices, but still felt in over my head without having been to a curriculum fair where I could get my hands on materials. As I was considering all these things a good friend of mine, who also homeschools, offered me a couple of different kindergarten curriculums. This happened just as I had started my research, and was one of the ones I had been looking into. I happily (and gratefully) accepted it! I needed to order the student materials, but had the teacher guide and entire curriculum plan for a year. I still wasn't going to start it right away, but as I looked through it I thought...my son can do this. So, we began our journey into homeschool this week. And he LOVED it. We are taking it slow. If he doesn't feel like doing it one day, then we won't do it that day. Like I said he wouldn't even be starting kindergarten in pubilc school until he was almost 5 1/2 (2 years from now) because of where his birthday falls, so we don't need to be in a hurry. But I have a feeling we won't be taking many days off. He loves to learn, and hasn't complained once about anything we've done. He even gave me a huge hug when I told him he was going to start school and said, "Thank you mom! Thank you for doing school with me!" I know it's only been a week, and we just in the introduction stages but I'm having a great time too. It's nice to have a routine during the day, and get back to teaching. I guess I really have missed it since I've been home. Here are a few pictures of how we spent our week.

Getting ready to start our day of learning!

Here we played a game where I showed him capital and lower case letters. If he knew it, he got to keep the card. If he didn't, I got to keep it. That's his pile and my pile. Oh, you only see one pile there? That's because I didn't get any.

Each day we focused on a number that corresponded with a day in the creation story. For example on the 3rd day God made the trees and plants. After he learned about the number he would look for it in the grocery store ads and circle that day's number.

He wanted to cut out all of his numbers by himself. He does pretty well. Still needs a little help on some of the more detailed cutting, but overall not bad!

As part of the letter recognition the curriculum includes this ABC chart. I would tell him a letter and he would cover it with his coin. It's nice to start school out with activities he can be successful doing. He liked this game, especially when we found the first letters of the names of all his friends.

This is a game we played on the last day of school this week. He would pick a card out with a number on it. Then count out that many cheerios. He did great!

Goofy kid!

He counted all the numbers we learned this week. (We doubled up on numbers a couple days. He wanted to keep going, so we did!)

And for those of you wondering what baby brother has been doing while we're in school. Today I put him in his crib with some books and toys. When we went in to check on him this is what we found. Long week of school for all of us! :)

I'm so thankful I have this opportunity to stay home with my kids and teach them as well. I know it won't always be easy, but I look forward to watching my children learn and grow. I'm already so proud of both my boys. We'll all have lots to learn as we go; from choosing the right curriculum, to sticking with it and not giving up! But I know with God's help we can figure it all out!

Giveaway!

2011-09-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

For all my MANY (hahahahaha) followers in the Phoenix area Our Jacobsen Family is offering a free manicure and pedicure for 2. Check it out and enter...I just did. But don't enter too many times because I wouldn't mind winning this :)

Grandad's Hat

2011-08-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Handsome little man sporting Grandad's cowboy hat, and let's not forget the Spider Man pj's! In the weeks following the passing of my father in law we've been slowly collecting some of his things. He wasn't a man of many worldly possessions, but everything he had carries with it fond memories for my husband. He has a story for each item and has spent time sharing them with our sons as each new item was brought into our house. Some brought laughter. Some brought tears. But all brought joy in their own way, helping us remember time spent with Grandad. Even though my boys did not have much time with him, they will be blessed to hear his stories from their daddy. When we finally get Grandad's "things" sorted out we will have some of them to later remember him. And the stories will continue to be shared. The legacy will go on not because of a cowboy hat, but because of the memory of him wearing it. I am proud of the man my husband is, and the father he is to our sons. His example is one I would gladly, and gratefully, have my children follow. And I know I owe that in part to the example his father set for him through his successes and his mistakes. So today I remember time spent, and enjoy looking at this picture of the next generation as it shares a memory, and creates a new one to add to our family heritage.

Swimming!

2011-07-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

We've been swimming a lot this summer and the boys have loved it. I would've put some of these pictures up sooner, but I didn't download the pictures right away and then I lost my camera for awhile, but thankfully it has been found. Thanks to my oldest son who found it between the front seat and the door of our car. I thought I had looked there, but apparently not well enough. Here are a few pictures from earlier this summer. I didn't take any during VCS when all the kids were swimming because why would I remember to do that? Anyway here are just a few of my boys and a couple of their cousins.

The sweet goggles on my neice!

My little guy got cold pretty quickly. He'd warmed up enough after getting out of the pool to lose the blue lips, but his teeth were still chattering when this picture was taken.

My newest nephew's first time in the pool. It made him very tired, and he was soon asleep in his mom's arms. It amazes me he can fall asleep like that in the pool, especially with all those kids out there!

As soon as he threw the first kid the line began to form. He tossed those kids pretty high a few times and they had a blast. Hard to get the action shots, but this one definitely shows how much fun this was!

Getting ready for take off!

He got some definite height in that one, and pretty impressive distance. Almost a perfect 10!

Jumping in the pool to daddy. My little boy is growing up so fast. He started swimming lessons this year, and is doing so well. He can swim quite a good distance, but now we just have to get him to remember to come up for air!

The slide is always a favorite!

My three favorite boys ever, and all so handsome!

Thankfully I was the one weilding the camera so there are no photos of my in a swimsuit! Works out nicely for all of us that way :) Glad we still have some more hot days of summer left to spend in the pool, and thankful for family and friends with pools close by! I don't have to worry about my kids getting into one in our yard, or keep it clean. Pretty much a win win situation!

2011-04-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

(Note: I redid this FIVE times and it still has the pictures and words all lined up weird, and refuses to put a space in between my paragraphs at the beginning. I have no idea why, but obviously it isn't going to work correctly so I give up. It also doesn't show two of the pictures I uploaded. Don't know where those disappeared to in cyberspace but they're gone. Maybe this is blogging karma coming to punish me for ignoring it for too long!) I have been seriously slacking in my blogging lately. You know it's bad when your last post was four months ago! Joining facebook has sometimes made my blogging seem redundant. But I definitely miss being able to tell the whole story and not be bound by maximum character number restraints. Fitting everything I want to say inside that tiny box can sometimes be a challenge for someone like me. We'll just call me someone with a love of words. That sounds much nicer than some of the other descriptors for a person who enjoys talking. I'm sure my husband sometimes wishes he could honestly tell me "you say it best when you say nothing at all". Really though, I'm not giving him the credit he deserves. He's very good at letting me gab away and then responding with more than just a nod or a single word. I'm blessed with a husband who actually enjoys talking with his wife. But I digress, this isn't supposed to be about what a great husband I have. Even though it's true! A few weeks ago I was able to take the boys to the Luke Days airshow. It was my first time there and I'm so glad we went. Unfortunately dad didn't get to come with us because he had to work. But we got to take our best bud Shell, and met up with Uncle Gary, Aunt Sissy, and the cousins while we were there. It was a long day and all of the kids, except the oldest, ended up in tears at least once but we still had a good time. And even took some naps in spite of all the noise. I of course in my hurry to leave left my camera on the kitchen counter, but luckily Shell saved the day and got some cute pictures of the kids since I was ill prepared. We started out here in a very long line waiting to get through security into the base. Not only did that take forever, but I forgot I had a tiny kids backpack in the bottom of the stroller from church and since the rule is NO backpacks they threw it in the trash at the entrance. I was a little annoyed by that, but guess not much I could do about it. Although dad later said I should've called him and one of his buddies would've come and taken it for me to give him later. Easton was a little stressed they threw his bag away, but he didn't freak out which was good. They also tried to throw away all my food for the baby, including the plastic containers it was stored in (that was a little much I thought) because no outside food or drink. But their online rules specifically said you could bring in food for infants. I had to put my foot down on that one and they finally let me keep it. Then later we saw people who had packed sandwiches and brought them in. Guess we picked the wrong entrance line!

When we FINALLY made it inside we found our friends and set up chairs where we would watch the show. This is a helicopter that did some amazing tricks. He's even upside down here. Which was pretty cool considering how much power it takes to turn back around compared to an airplane.

Trying to keep Asher's ears covered was pretty much futile. He didn't care for the earmuffs, or the earplugs we tried later. He had his tongue out in almost every picture. (He got a new tooth the next day so he was constantly moving his tongue and lips over the spot where it was about to come through.) Still cute even with the long tongue action. All the kids had these earplugs at first, but Easton couldn't keep them in his ears so we eventually swapped them for the earmuff style which he thought were pretty sweet. They were obviously pretty effective since he napped in that chair during some of the loudest parts of the show. I love the skinned knees. He was bouncing around all over the place that day and kept falling on the asphalt, and went home with skinned knees and hands as souvenirs. The boys got antsy during the show so Shell and I took them to see the airplanes. They LOVED being able to touch them and even go inside some. Here we are waiting in line to see an F-16. The line only had about 5 people ahead of us when we got in it, but it took almost an hour to see the cockpit. The pilot literally talked to each person for 15-20 minutes each. It was awful, but the boys were set on seeing the inside of that plane so we had to find ways to entertain ourselves in line. This is us jumping and spinning in circles. It entertained us and the others in line with us :) After jumping got tiring (for me!) the boys got their turn with the camera. They got several interesting shots, including these of each other. (In the background of this one you can see the very wordy pilot) And I'll end with another of the cool stunts they did for us at the show. This was awesome, one plane flying upside down over the other in perfect formation the entire time. Definitely a good day!

SNOW!

2010-12-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Since there had been a fairly decent snowfall up north this week we decided to take the boys up on Christmas Eve. The day was overcast and a little windy which made for some chilly temperatures, but it was a great way to star off the holiday and give our little guy his first look at the snow. Easton recently watched a movie where the made a snowman and ever since he's been wanting to go to the snow and make one. He says we needed to have a hat, a scarf, and buttons so the snowman won't be cold (also from the movie). So first thing we did was build a snowman complete with buttons. No scarf and though, sorry Mr. Snowman hopefully you aren't too cold out there without them! Here are a few of the pictures we took while we were out.

The snowman begins to take shape!

No snowman is complete without a little facial hair.

Meet Nebuchadnezzar, the snowman (which incidently is the name of our next child according to big brother).

Mom and Asher didn't get to help much, but had fun posing with Easton and Daddy's creation. Well, at least I did. The baby was pretty much exhausted at this point and not long after we had to head back to the car to warm up a little before braving the elements again.

A goodbye kiss!

My big boy all bundled up and ready to play!

We decided Asher looked like the Michelin tire man. He couldn't really put his arms down with all those layers, but soooooo cute!

A few more family pictures!

A long day of playing and driving, but one of many great memories we've enjoyed together as a family. Can't wait till next year when the littlest one can help build the snowman too!

December Fun!

2010-12-19T20:47:00.001-08:00

December is a long month, and it's not even over yet! But here's just a look at some of the fun things we've been doing so far. This doesn't even come close to including everything we've been up to. But with fun like this you can see why I can't seem to blog more than once a month. I really need to be better about it though because I miss it, and love seeing everyone else's!

We deocorated our tree at the beginning of the month. As soon as we opened the box of decorations Easton says "Mom I really like Christmas!"

He put about 3 ornaments on, all in the same area. Then he decided it was just more fun to unwrap them all and hand them to me to put on. That works!

Asher was very fascinated with the lights. He really wanted to eat them. He was completely covered in drool in just about every picture. Most of them didn't even turn out of him because the seat he's in bounces. So he was in action 90% of the time.

Just look at those lashes! :)

Unloading the box was the best part!

Then the fun part became wrapping himself up in the ribbon.

Asher just chillin!

My handsome boys!

Next stop in our December of fun was the ice skating rink! Easton went skating for the first time when we took the young people's group earlier this month. As our official mascott he tags along most of the time.

He loved it and had a great time. By the end he had gotten some pretty good balance, but kept a good hold on daddy.

Here he is with dad and Uncle Nathan. So adorable!!

Finally our last stop in December fun was the Christmas light display at the Mormon temple. Beautiful lights, a short outdoor concert, and of course some invites to future church services. I didn't get talked to by anyone, but a few from our group did. The opening prayer to begin the concert included thanksgiving for the chance to live eternally with our families. Other than that it could've been said by any number of people I know. Even though I don't agree with their church I have to give them credit for coming up with a great community outreach and not being afraid to witness.

Didn't get a lot of pictures here (for which you're probably thankful!) It was very crowded and stopping for even a few seconds for pictures blocked narrow sidewalks. Or got you separated from your group pretty quickly. But here are a few of them.

Really cool camel light display.

A small view of the garden.

My cuties! Easton had been in the stroller for about a minute at this point and already wanted OUT! He had to endure it at least till we got out of the parking lot and had somewhat of an idea where we were going.

This was Asher's favorite spot of the night!

It's been a busy busy month and Christmas is still a week away. We've got things to do every night until then, but it's a wonderful time of year to spend with friends and family. I'm incredibly thankful for each one. I am SO blessed!

The Periscope

2010-11-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

This is a project we did awhile ago and am just now getting around to posting pictures. Grandad gave us a leftover kit from one of the kid's workshops they do. So we got to break out the tools and transform our kitchen into a workshop and make our very own periscope!

First things first, read the directions...some people may skip that but this mom needs them!

Next make sure you have all your materials.

Yes, I let a 2 year old use a hammer by himself :)

Getting the nails put in correctly. There were guide holes so he could do this step on his own.

More hammering!

Checking out how everything works.

Now time to add some personal touches.

This project was great because it involved glue, nails, hammers and markers. Who wouldn't have fun with a supply list like that??

Sooo Tired

2010-10-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

So I recently joined "The 30 Day Shred" bandwagon. And no I am NOT going to post before and after pictures of my body. For one, the before is way way way too scary. Two, the after may not be all that impressive and then it wouldn't do any favors to the marketing of this DVD. And I could go on with the many reasons I do not want to do that, but those are probably sufficient. Although I have found several people who have bravely shown pictures of themselves along the 30 day journey. I was pretty impressed with some of them, which is why I decided to give it a try. So this morning I finished day 10. I've done it everyday except for Sunday. I'm giving myself that day off. Everyone needs a day of rest right?

Well, anyway there are 3 levels to this thing and I've only ever attempted level 1 so far. Tomorrow I brave level 2. I decided I would try and do each level for 10 days, but I'm not sure if that's going to work for me or not. Level 1 alone has been a good workout for me. It's doable, but I'm definitely tired when I'm done. It's only a 20 minute workout they say, but if you go from the warm up all the way through the cool down it's more like 26 minutes (but who's counting right???) So far I have yet to see any amazing body transformations, but I will say I think my rear is jiggling a little less than it was when I first started :) Ah, small victories!!

I've been wanting to start working out again for awhile now. I know I need to take better care of myself and set a better example that way for my kids. I don't want them to have the mom who doesn't want to go outside with them or do any kind of physical activity at all. I'll have to leave the actual sports up to daddy, he's the athlete in the family. I'm completely inept at things that require hand eye coordination. But I can kick a soccer ball around in the backyard or play tag. But if I continue on the sedentary path I've settled into lately I won't even be able to do that. So, 30 Day Shred I'm counting on you to motivate me to keep it up by transforming my body...ok ok I will settle for just improving it!

My Baby is Growing Up!

2010-09-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

It seems like only just a few days ago this was my little boy.

Then before I know it, this is the face I see looking back at me. How did that happen so fast?!

Now that our new nephew has arrived I see just how big my baby is getting. He's still just a little guy, but seems huge next to his latest cousin. It doesn't seem like that much time could've gone by since he was born, but it obviously has. Even though he's had his fussy moments he's starting to get such a great personality. He laughs out loud now, and it's so fun to make him giggle.

Looking forward to what the future holds for this boy as he grows. He's growing so fast with his big brother leading the way! When they're both walking something tells me this mom will need eyes in the back of her head and lightning quick speed to keep up with those two.

Green Eggs and Ham

2010-07-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Easton has been bugging me for awhile to make him green eggs and ham. Whenever I ask him what he wants for breakfast or lunch he says "Ummm green eggs and ham." So this morning when he asked for it I decided why not? So here is his breakfast of green eggs and ham. Except it's actually green eggs and turkey since we don't have any ham, but close enough!

The green plate and green eggs looks even grosser, but he thought it was really cool.

Tastes pretty good!

And another big bite!

This kid is already quite the Dr. Seuss fan. His favorites are Green Eggs an Ham and Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You? He loves to say "Boom boom boom Mr. Brown is a wonder. Boom boom boom Mr. Brown makes thunder." Wonder if we can figure out how to make thunder for breakfast?

Words of Wisdom Dinner

2010-07-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had an awesome young peoples activity, our first Words of Wisdom dinner. We invited some of the members of our local to share a meal and some of their advice with our youth group and it was awesome. I don't know what everyone else got out of it, but I loved it. It gave some of our youngest and some of our most seasoned a chance to visit and share their life experiences with each other.

We talked about the future of our local and our church, good decisions we've made, and shared some mistakes and how they might be avoided. We discussed things that have shaped our lives, and ways we've grown spiritually. Tonight made me appreciate even more the wealth of knowledge we have available to us and how blessed we are to be part of this amazing group of people from the youngest to the oldest.

Some of the words of wisdom I heard shared tonight:

Allow God to direct your life. He may have something in store you never considered, but is best for you.

Look for ways to be of service. Make yourself available for work that needs to be done. Starting in small ways can prepare you for greater responsibilities in the future.

Choose you friends wisely they greatly influence who you are.

Think globally, how do the choices we make as a church and as individuals affect the spreading of the gospel. Focus outside of yourself. Realize the impact your actions have on others they can be much more far reaching than you think.

A successful life requires hard work.

Don't allow entertainment to be your number one focus. Distractions come in many forms that take our hearts away from the things that matter most.

I hope some of these are words of wisdom you can use as well. This will definitely be a dinner we do again!

It's been awhile...

2010-06-28T21:59:00.001-07:00

It's been almost a month since I've updated my blog. As you can imagine it's been a little more difficult to find time for this since the baby was born. I can't believe he's a month old already and growing like crazy. At his two week appointment he was 90th percentile for weight and 95th for height. Not that anyone is surprised by that if you've seen his older brother. At 3 weeks old he had already gained 2 pounds, grown 2 1/2 inches, and moved up a diaper size. I don't know his exact height or weight right now, but I know the outfit he wore a week ago was tight when I put it on him for church Sunday. He's starting to fill out and look like a chubby baby now. He's still got that newborn look to him, but it's fading fast. I love the cuddly phase of newborn, but I really do like it more when they get a couple months older and start interacting and getting their personality. Right now his personality is angry...he's pretty fussy in the eveings but we're trying some new things hoping it helps. We aren't sure exactly what's causing this fussiness, but hoping it passes soon. His big brother was never like this so it's a new experience for us. Tonight though he hasn't shed a tear and it's 10pm, well past the time when he normally would've started his crying hour(s). But he's wide awake so I am too, but that's ok. I will take awake and content over awake and screaming any day.

We are starting to settle into a regular routine again which is nice. It's good to feel like a normal house again. As much as I liked taking a break from housework, I didn't really like the results it left. It's crazy how quickly your house can turn into a disaster zone. I had forgotten how much space all the stuff for a baby takes up. As they grow you start to rid yourself of some of the extra things that take up space: bassinets, bouncy seats, swings, boppy pillows, etc... With all of that the house pretty much looks cluttered all the time, especially considering the size of our house. Those extra things fill up what little space we have pretty quickly. That's ok though they are well worth the space they take. The bouncy seat and swing are definite life savers!

In other good news number one son is now potty trained. He's in underwear all the time, except for at night, no more pullups to buy yay! He's had a couple of accidents since his little bro was born, but he hadn't had any at all for a long time before that. He's also now telling us when he has to go which is what I was waiting for!! I still remind him throughout the day because they get distracted playing, but he's doing so great. He told me the other day I don't go poo poo or potty in my pants mommy, that's yucky. His big motivator has been that he can't go camping or hunting with daddy until he only goes potty in the toilet all the time and not in his pants. He can't wait to go do all those fun things with daddy.

Wow when I go so long in between posts I get pretty wordy! I guess I should update more often so it's in a little more reader friendly length :)

Latest Addition

2010-05-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

This last week has brought many new changes into our lives and we thank God for each and every one of them. The day began like any other, and ended with us holding a new little life in our arms. As I sit here writing this I am overcome with the realization of the many blessings God has seen fit to bestow upon me. I do not deserve them, but am so grateful for each and every one of them. They began long ago with God guiding and directing me throughout my life and finally leading me to a wonderful husband. Who is now a wonderful father to two incredible sons. The amazing part is I know God isn't finished with this life he's given me yet and I look forward with anticipation to what he has still has in store.

I thought I would share the story of our newest little one's birth. (Apologizing in advance this may be long...) I had an uneventful pregnancy except for of course the morning sickness part. But even that could have been much worse. Every check up and ultrasound showed no signs of any problems with me or the baby. As the end drew near I became more and more excited to see his little face. The only drawback to my deliveries is I'm one of those lucky women who has a type of strep that doesn't make me sick, and can't be passed on to anyone else...except during delivery. As a result of this I have to have antibiotics the day the baby is born at least 4 hours prior to delivery. Because of this I was very nervous I wouldn't know when to go to the hospital on my own to get there in time for the antibiotics prior to delivery. I had been praying about it a lot and tried to give it up to God that I would know when to go, or that I would know I should schedule to be induced.

In the last few days of my pregnancy I was making more and more progress towards delivery, and at my last appointment my doctor was really surprised I hadn't gone into labor yet. So we scheduled me to be induced 2 days later to be sure I could get the antibiotics in, but even then the doctor said he would probably see me before that. Well, needless to say that didn't happen. So I went in for the scheduled appointment at the hospital. I had been there only a short time and had gotten all hooked up to the monitors when suddenly my room was filled with the doctor and several nurses. They were all talking to each other and looking at the printouts of my contractions and the baby's heart rate etc and looking concerned. Next thing I know they're starting me on oxygen, IV fluids, and drawing blood from the other arm, all while telling me everything is fine. They were just a "little concerned" about the baby. I was already having regular contractions (which I didn't even know), and every time I did the baby's heart rate would drop. They said if this continued it meant he would not tolerate the stronger contractions of a regular delivery and I would have to have an emergency c-section. This was of course not news I wanted to hear, and immediately started to pray. Within a few minutes the heart beat had stabilized and everything was looking good again. Except now my blood pressure was up...you think?? :)

After that I had to lay on my side through the remainder of the time. Couldn't sit up on my back or walk around. They didn't want to have added stress on me or the baby. After all that things calmed down and they were just waiting for the 4 hours to pass after antibiotics to break my water. They did that and contractions started to progress, but not enough that much was happening so I told them it was ok to start the pitocin to induce the labor. About an hour into that the contractions were really picking up, coming fast and hard. With my first I was induced too, but it didn't get that strong as fast. I was thinking I probably had another couple hours to go since before I was on the pitocin awhile before he was born, and I wasn't going to be able to handle these contractions for much longer. I told the nurse I needed to go to the bathroom and as I was walking back to the bed I told them I needed something for the pain because it was getting to be too much. She said she needed to check to see how far along I was, but then sure they would get me something for the pain. She checked me and said "We have baby" which meant no time for pain medication. And also explained the reason it had suddenly become so difficult...he was ready to be born. They called the doctor, but baby and mom were not interested in waiting for that. Within a few minutes baby was born without the help of my doctor, but with a wonderful nurse. My doctor showed up about 10 min later. Well with the doctors help or not the latest addition to our family is now here and doing great!! We couldn't be any happier.

My two boys!

Our growing family!

Mother's Day

2010-05-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

I've been reading some Mother's Day inspired blogs and so I thought I'd follow along and share one too. One of the greatest blessings I've been given in my life is my mom... Mom, you have dealt with me patiently through the good and bad moments of my childhood and teenage years. You have been willing to listen when I just needed to talk, as well as give sound advice when the time was right. You have lived your life as an example of a Godly woman who puts her trust in the Lord in every circumstance. Your patience and loving attitude are things I'm still aspiring to find in myself one day. I know our ultimate example of how to live is in Christ, but your footsteps are also some I hope to follow in as well. As a mother myself now I appreciate the sacrifices you made for us over the years even more. You have always put others first, and shown that selfless charity that we are commanded to have. Thank you for all you have done to help me discover God's plans for my life, and to learn to follow Him.

Taking a Break

2010-04-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Since last night I was so sore and tired after what really didn't seem like all that much work, I told myself I would take a few breaks in between today. Instead of standing on my feet for such long periods at a time like yesterday. I don't really have anything to do with my break time so I'm sitting on the couch right now with my feet up playing on the computer. My wonderful husband has an extra day off today so he is entertaining our son while I get things done. Or in this case, get nothing done :)

Hoping after today we will be ready for the baby to show up at any time. We just need to get out the basinet and the small carseat. Other than that I think we are set. The crib still needs to be put together, but that's on the agenda for today (maybe). Even if that doesnt' get done it would be ok since we aren't going to use it right away anyway. Giving son number one a little time to adjust before the baby invades his room too. I have no feelings at all that I'm going to have this baby early or anything. I just want to be ready so I don't have to worry about it later when my stomach is even bigger! I want this little guy to wait a few more weeks, but not too many. I really don't want to go into June still pregnant. It's getting hot enough as it is. But even more than that I want the baby to show up when his daddy is home. He has a short weekend trip planned (that I told him to take) only 2 weeks before the baby is due. I'm not terribly nervous about that, but hoping the timing is ok. It's not as if you can really plan on when a baby will show up. I wasn't early before so hopefully I won't be now. Baby can come before or after but there is a 3 day window he needs to avoid!

Well, looks like I've taken a pretty good break. Time to get back to work. For a little while at least. Then it's back to my perch on the couch. My ankles do not need to get as huge as they were yesterday ever again :)

I'm sure this is normal...right?

2010-04-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

To all my friends who have more than one child, or anyone who has multiple grandchildren, neices/nephews, or just likes a lot of kids I have a question....

Before the second, third, fourth etc. kid came into your life did you ever wonder how will it ever be the same for them as it was for the first? In case that doesn't make sense, (which I'm pretty sure it doesn't) let me explain. For the last two years it has just been Easton and I. Dad is there too, but you know what I mean. Easton has my undivided attention right now. He's the only one I read to, the only one I rock to sleep, the only one I...you get the idea. He gets so much one on one just mom time. Now that baby number two is getting closer to his arrival I think about how all of that will change. Don't get me wrong this baby is very much wanted and already loved, but I just wonder what it will be like. The second one will never know what it was like to have mom and dad all to themselves. They will never get my undivided attention in the same way baby number one did. And number one son will never get my undivided attention again in the way he's used to. I know Easton will adjust, and number two will never know any different. Yet I still find myself wondering what it will be like. Part of me is a little sad for both boys because their experiences will be so different, although they're so young they won't remember life without each other anyway. The other part of me knows that there are also some serious perks to having a sibling around. Someone to help clean up the toys, someone to pass the blame on when you get in trouble, someone to teach new things to, someone to learn from, a friend, a confidant...

I guess it's because it's the unknown for me that I find myself wondering lately what it will be like. Wondering what changes having two at two very differet stages in life will bring to our house. I know it isn't something I can really prepare for, and don't need to. It's just something I've found myself thinking about lately. Like I said, I'm sure this is normal...right?

Little Robin Hood

2010-03-25T21:46:00.001-07:00

Easton got a new bow and arrow set for his birthday this year and as you can see he doesn't like it at all...Yeah right. He only wants to use it during every waking moment. Unfortunately for him mom isn't really an archery expert so he has to wait until dad is home to practice his skills. That's ok with dad though, since he likes this new bow as much as his son does. These two are pretty cute out in the back yard with their bows and arrows. My Robin Hood, and his mini Robin hood in the making.

I know I don't know much about this sport, but I was pretty impressed with how well he handled the bow for a little guy. The bow has a 10lb draw and he's able to do it like it's nothing. I'm pretty sure he's stronger than I am already :)

He still needs a little help from dad to keep the arrow in place, but other than that he's on his own with this thing. Must be in the genes, like father like son.

Now if he would just look at the target when he's shooting he'd be on his way to the olympics in no time!

He was getting a lot of encouragement from mom and dad while practicing, and it must've rubbed off on him. After most of his shots he would say something like "Good shot Easton." or "Look at that, good job!" He's certainly not lacking for positive reinforcement.

And if you didn't get enough with pictures alone, I have video too! This is just a short one. He did the best stuff earlier on, but this is still pretty cute of him shooting his arrows. My little man, growing up so fast!

Random acts of cuteness...(stole that line from my sister in law)

2010-02-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I'm reading to Easton and he decides he wants me to hold him with his head on my shoulder. This is his favorite way to be held when he gets tired, but it is not so easy to do with my ever growing middle. So I held him for awhile then told him I couldn't do it for very long because it hurt my stomach. I told him it hurts because my belly is getting bigger and bigger. So he crawls off my lap, pats his stomach and says "Mama Eastons belly hurts, it's bigger. Baby's comin soon." I was laughing so hard...that kid is too funny.

My Son

2010-02-02T12:32:00.001-08:00

My son is getting to be so funny now that he's almost two. I understand why parents of toddlers are never bored. They come up with the craziest things to say and do. Just this morning when daddy was leaving for work he told him "Bye bye daddy!" Dad asked him "Where am I going?" Instead of saying work like he usually does, he said "Daddy's going crazy!" and then laughed and laughed at himself. I laughed at that one too, he's right you know :)

I just put him down for a nap and as I was rocking him before I laid him down I was thinking about how much fun he is and how much I love this time I have with him at this age. He's growing up so fast. It amazes me how much kids learn in such a short peroid of time. He went from being completely dependent on mom and dad to sleeping in his own room, feeding himself, walking, talking, helping to dress himself, making jokes, making friends, singing songs, learning the alphabet, counting to ten, and so many other things all in under 2 years. I see him growing and maturing each day. Although I don't want him to grow up too fast I'm so excited about the things I see him doing. I feel so blessed every day even when he tries my patience. God gave me an amazing gift when He brought this little boy into our lives. I only hope that I'm able to be the mom he needs me to be because he deserves the best.

ABC Song

2010-01-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Easton got this set of magnets for Christmas. I'm sure you've all seen the ones where you put letter in and it says its name and the sounds it makes. It also sings the ABC Song. As annoying as this thing can sometimes be it really has helped Easton learn a lot. He's recognizing many of the letters now and can say the sounds they make. This is a video that I'm a little behind in posting since it's from Christmas day. This is Easton after he opened the gift.

A Big Brother

2010-01-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Just found out today that Easton is going to have a little brother. Ultrasound looks good and everything seems to be fine with the baby, an answer to prayers. We are really excited and I'm glad that Easton will have someone close to his age to be friends with as they grow up. I've been thinking about all the things he can teach his little brother. I'm hoping he will teach his brother to:

sing and play the piano (it's hilarioius to watch Easton sing with his keyboard he gets very into it)

say I love you mama/dada

"run faster" (that's his latest thing to do, he starts running and then says run faster run faster!)

play blocks

"help you mama" (he always wants to help with everything and if he can pass that on to little bro I would love it)

go to church (easton loves going to church, even if during the services sometimes you can't tell)

and many more...

Even though I know there are other not so great things he will teach his brother to drive his parents crazy, I think Easton will be a great big brother. This little one will be lucky to have him in his life. God has blessed our family so much and I can't wait to meet its newest member. Although now I am VERY outnumbered.

Christmas Day (ish)

2009-12-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

All I can say is Easton got really spoiled this Christmas. It started a few days early when he received this present from Grandpa Andy. The thing that is really cool about this workbench is it has been through their two sons, and several of the other church boys. Each time getting a little more added to it, and now it has made it's way down to Easton. I LOVE this gift and he does too. He has played with it everyday since he got it. This doesn't even show the whole array of tools that came with the bench.

Ready to go to work!

After that Christmas continued on the 25th and Grandma and Grandpa's house. Where the family opened more gifts.

This pile of wrapping and gifts doesn't even put a dent in what was there for the grandkids that morning. They are very lucky indeeed.

Then after a morning at the grandparents house we went back home and opened our gifts. We got up too late to do it before we went to grandma's, which was totally worth it!

Here he is with his new sleeping bag and blanket from Grandad. He thought they were very cool.

Daddy and his boy their 2nd Christmas together.

Had to have one with mommy too even though I'm still in my sweats and haven't gotten ready for the day yet.

THEN we went to dinner with the in laws (well my in laws) it was quite a busy day.

Easton and his best bud Erik sharing a roll.

Here the boys are again hiding in the curtains. This was their favorite game till the curtain rod started to fall and they had to stop. (Don't worry we fixed it!)

Here the kids are listening to the Christmas story about the birth of Jesus.

Then what a shock....MORE presents. Seriously we could've given him nothing from mom and dad and he still would've had way more than he needed. He definitely got more from everyone else than he did from us anyway.

This one is just too funny not to post. Logan after he "smelled" his uncle's pie.

We had a great Christmas this year and as always I am reminded of how truly blessed my family and I are. I could've done without even one gift and still had more than most people do don't have enough room under their tree for all the presents. I have an amazing husband, a wonderful son, and a family (on both sides) that can't be beat. The greatest gift of all of course is the reason we celebrate this season in the first place...Jesus. I am overwhelmed when I think of the greatness of that sacrifice for us. We have all been given more than we could ever deserve, but is His pleasure to give, if we would just accept the gift.

Chrismastime!

2009-12-02T12:21:00.001-08:00

We decorated our Christmas tree last night, much to daddy's dismay. He loves the fact that Jesus was born, but Christmas isn't his favorite holiday. He would be perfectly happy to not have a tree, do presents, or any of that. But because he loves me he puts up with Christmas music, ornaments, and presents under the tree. He even helped us decorate. He put on one ornament, and only because Easton said "Dada, help?" Not even he could resist that. Sadly I forgot to get out the camera until he had already fulfilled his decorating obligations so there is no proof of his involvement, but he was there behind the camera for the rest of these.

Taking the ornaments out of the box was more fun than putting them on the tree.

We made quite the mess before everything was all said and done.

He put this one up all by himself.

By the time we got close to putting up the star decorating had lost some of it's appeal. He was starting to get a little tired of ornaments and having his picture taken.

I didn't get a picture of it, but when we first plugged in the tree Easton went right over and started trying to blow out all the lights. The holidays have been so much more fun this year now that he's getting big enough to be excited and help out. Next, cookies!

Smells...

2009-11-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

There are lots of fun things about being pregnant: seeing an ultrasound, hearing that crazy fast heartbeat, feeling the baby kick, having your hair and nails grow super fast, etc. One thing that is not so fun about pregnancy is this crazy increased sense of smell. I don't know how you normally smell sensitive people handle it on a daily basis I feel for you. Luckily I'm not one that's terribly bothered by smells, except when I'm pregnant.

So far I've had to buy new deodorant, body wash, face soap, lotion, and shampoo because everything I had I can't stand now. Too sweet, or too strong, or too gross. I had to go with all the sensitive skin unscented stuff so now taking a shower doesn't make me want to gag.

It's amazing what smells I notice now more than ever. Dirty diapers are a whole new experience, public restrooms, and driving by fast food restaurants can be killer. I also really notice people's breath, and you don't have to be that close to me. (Don't worry anyone who has been talking to me recently...I haven't noticed it in my friends) Cashiers and bank tellers, Walmart greeters...It's not fun to go shopping right after someone's lunch break :) There is no way I could go to the dentist right now and have someone that close to my face unless I could be certain they had eaten an entire package of breath mints before they came near.

Although it may seem like it, this isn't a complaining post. I actually find it more funny than anything. I was just thinking about it today when I took a shower and looked around at all my new products. I'm the one of the cheapest people you'll ever meet, but it was worth it to buy temporary replacements to give my poor little nose a break!

Wow it's been forever since I've posted!

2009-11-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been on here in such a long time, but today I was thinking about some things that just made me happy to be a mom. I'm glad I'm a mom everyday, but some days this kid of mine is just too cute and he makes me laugh even more. How can I not love it when...

He stops in the middle of playing runs over and says "Mama, hug. Kisses!" He gives me a big hug and kiss and then goes back to playing.

He is a little gassy and says, "PU mama, stinky" and then laughs and laughs. (Who taught him to think that was funny?? One guess!)

He really wants something (animal crackers, juice, etc) and he comes over says, "Mama, animal cackah, please" accompanied by raised eyebrow and cheesy grin.

I start to take out the trash and he drops what he's doing runs over and says "Help!" and grabs the recycle trash can to carry it outside.

At night when we put him to bed he says his prayers and we sing songs. Then when its time to lay down he whispers "Night night, love you." (It's the whipsering part that's so stinkin cute!)

I just love this kid of mine! I can't wait to see what kind of personality the next one will have. Hopefully a lot of it just like Easton. Never a dull moment when he's around and I love it!

Miracles of Modern Medicine...and of God!

2009-10-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm home thinking how very thankful I am for medication. (Just a warning this is going to be long so hopefully you can bear with me!) But let me back track. I need to begin by saying how very thankful I am for my concerned friends and family who remind me of what I should already know, but often don't. I spent last week being miserable, as you saw from my last post. I had been terribly sick and kept nothing, not even water down for about 4 days. I figured it was just part of the pregnancy curse and wasn't going to worry about it too much. Just whine and complain and wait for it to pass. Well, last Sunday at church several of my concerned friends told me I NEEDED to call my doctor. This wasn't normal and getting dehydrated would only cause unneccesary problems. I was also asked if I had been administered to. I hadn't, I was thinking getting administered to because you've got morning sickness is like getting administered to so labor won't hurt. It's part of the process and you just have to deal with it right?

Well, Monday came and went and I didn't call my doctor. I had an appointment on Wednesday anyway and thought I should just wait. That day I got phone calls and text messages from concerned friends making sure I had called the doctor. I sheepishly told them I hadn't, and knew they were still worried. So after promises to call the next day I went to bed sick again. The next morning I almost didn't call, but remembered my promise and decided I had better do it. So I did, and they called in an anti nausea prescription for me. The next day I went to my appointment and was told by my doctor I had waited much too long to do something about this. It was not healthy for me or the baby I'm supposed to be taking care of. Well, after a few days of being on the medication I haven't been sick once! My stomach still feels upset, but the pain level and nausea have decreased significantly. This is definitely bearable. Just goes to show I should've listened to my friends earlier and taken care of this. Would've saved myself a lot of grief.

Well, I listened to one piece of advice and called the doctor and got on medication, but I still hadn't listened to the second to be administered to. The first few days on the meds seemed amazing. I could eat crackers and sip broth and it stayed down. This seemed like a miracle in itself, but I really shouldn't spend the next few weeks or months living on broth and a few crackers. The medicine helped, but I still couldn't really eat. Wednesday night at church we were going through prayer requests before the season of prayer and I knew I needed to ask for administration. I was administered to that night and now I am able to eat small amounts of regular food without getting sick. I know the continued improvement is due to that administration.

I know God has blessed me tremendously already. He has blessed me by giving me people in my life who are concerned for me and who give excellent advice. He has blessed me with a doctor who is caring and knowledgable. He has blessed me with the child I'm lucky enough to be carrying. He has been with me and I know he will continue to be. After my last post I knew I couldn't leave it at that. I had to share God's blessings to me throughout this pregnancy so far.

Whining and Complaining

2009-10-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

No cute pictures of Easton today. Today I'm taking a moment to complain about Eve. She messed up and part of her punishment was travail in childbirth. Did that really have to extend to the rest of us?? So many think this just means labor. Honestly labor really wasn't all that bad, and that is without an epideral. It's the prelabor part I'm whining about today. This morning I woke up feeling especially sick and I've been moping about it since I got out of bed. I know I was sick when I was pregnant the first time, but the puking didn't start till almost the 8th week. I was less than 6 weeks when it began with this one, and it has been going full force ever since. The last few days I have thrown up everything that has gone into my mouth within minutes of eating or drinking it. I'm very tired of looking into my toilet bowl. And I'm very tired of feeling sick to my stomach all day every day. I hate to be "that" preganant lady. You know the one...the one who looks completely miserable all the time, the one who moans and groans with every movement, the one who will talk your ear off about every little ache and pain, the one who got the pregnancy waddle the day they took the home pregnancy test...that one! I don't want to be her, but today I see "that" lady's face in my mirror (gasp!!) Where did she come from? Why am I being sucked into that temptation to complain? Well, to all my friends out there who will be spending the next few months around me I promise I will try my hardest not to continue being THAT preganant lady. But today, just for a moment I am her. I am whining and complaining and wishing I was one of those lucky women who never felt the pain of morning sickness. But now I say good-bye to the grouch and hello to the one who knows that no matter what the end result is completely worth it. I can't look at my son who is already here and think anything else!

Putting Away the Dishes

2009-09-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've learned that it's just easier to let Easton help most of the time when I'm doing housework etc. He throws away garbage, sweeps the floor, picks up toys, carries laundry to the bedrooms, and helps unload the dishwasher. As you can see he's quite skilled at putting silverware away. Hey I'm impressed at least it all ends up in the drawer :) He thinks it's great fun to carry spoons to the drawer and hand me plastic plates and cups. I have to be quick and take out breakable stuff and then close the door before he can grab something. It's so cute though. He will pick up a cup, hand it to me and say, "thank you". He repeats this process with each thing he gives me. It actually has made putting dishes away a lot easier, and I don't have to wait until he's napping which is great. Of course I do have to go back and rearrange the silverware when he's done, but that's ok. He's getting to be such a big boy. I can't believe how much he has grown up!

2009-09-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Ok Alesha here it goes....minus the posting the award part and all that. By the way if I hyphenate a word does that count :)

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2.Your hair? clean
3. Your mother? awesome
4. Your father? great
5. Your favorite food? ice cream
6. Your dream last night? Easton
7. Your favorite drink? coffee
8. Your dream/goal? eternity
9. What room are you in? computer
10. Your hobby? none
11. Your fear? potty-training
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Phoenix
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren't? thin
15. Muffins? sometimes
16. Wish list item? paint
17. Where did you grow up? Arizona
18. Last thing you did? read
19. What are you wearing? capris
20. Your TV? silent
21. Your pets? crazy
22. Friends? amazing
23. Your life? WONDERFUL
24. Your mood? happy
25. Missing someone? husband
26. Vehicle? mediocre
27. Something you're not wearing? lipstick
28. Your favorite store? Target
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? unsure
32. Your best friend? best
33. One place that I go to over and over? bathroom
34. One person who emails me regularly? cceg
35. Favorite place to eat? gelato

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T12:22:00.001-07:00

Give Me Jesus

2009-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

To anyone who saw my FB today this is more of the same so sorry for the repeat, but I'm not restricted by a maximum number of characters on here. Since I tend to be wordy that can get in the way somemtimes :)

I was listening to the song "Give Me Jesus" by Fernando Ortega this morning and it touched me more than it ever has before. Hearing, "You can have all this world, but give me Jesus", made me think about how that really is enough. Trials, friends, family, money, status, and possessions all come and go but Jesus never leaves. He is the one who makes it possible for us to have so much more than even the best of this world can ever offer. For me that is unimaginable, but I have hope in it. So today I am so thankful for the greatest gift God has ever given me, his son. I only wish everyone knew the gift was theirs as well if they choose to accept it and endure to the end.

Give Me Jesus (Fernando Ortega, album Home)

In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

My First Fort

2009-09-09T12:18:00.001-07:00

We built Easton his first fort out of couch cushions the other day. He had been pulling them off onto the floor so dad decided we might as well make a fort. If they're going to be on the floor anyway they can at least be doing someting useful :)

We put him in the super cool fort with a book, but as you can see he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it.

Grabbing the pillows was much more fun than just sitting there looking at books.

Grabbed one too many and now it's starting to tumble.

He's under there somewhere!!

Finally, digging his way out! Although he doesn't appreciate the coolness of the couch fort just yet he did have a lot of fun destroying it. Shouldn't have been a bit surprised since destruction is his specialty. Gotta love him though and I do!!

Playing in the Fountains

2009-08-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Brooke and Easton running around. I could never get a picture of them facing me! My camera has an obnoxioius delay between pictures so it's just enough time for the kids to run.

Easton and Erik wait for the water to come back and get Logan.

I love this one. The water is right in his face. I'm pretty sure he loved it too!

The only picture I got of anyone even sort of looking at me. But it's a cute one. He LOVES the water.

This was so much fun. I took Easton once by himself, but it's way better when you have a friend, or two, or three! Can't wait to do it again. I know Alesha got much better pictures than I did so I'm looking forward to seeing those too!

What was I thinking?

2009-08-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

So, I let Easton eat a yogurt by himself today while I put some groceries away. As you can see he's not quite ready for that yet.

Things started off messy.

Then got worse when he ditched the spoon and decided fingers were the way to go.

Don't want to leave a drop behind!

Finally the yogurt cup had disappeared and all that was left was a sticky spoon and tray, and an entire body (literally) covered in peach yogurt. At least I thought to take his shirt off first. I should've taken the shorts too!

I Can't Complain

2009-08-12T11:44:00.001-07:00

As I struggled today to shove one more thing into an already full to capacity closet today I found myself frustrated by our lack of space in this house. Closets maxed out, kitchen cupboards overflowing and drawers filled with junk that has nowhere else to go...you get the idea. Anyway as I thought about how much I wished we had more space, an extra bedroom, another closet, I began to think there are actually some positive aspects to a smaller home. Cleaning takes much less time and effort, and as one who is still trying to perfect her role as stay at home mom that is a definite plus! Less space means lower utility bills, not as much to cool as a bigger house. Smaller home equals smaller mortgage, which is a huge blessing. When the size of your yard far exceeds the size of your home you have lots of space to play. Room enough to put golf balls, practice archery, and run around in several sets of sprinklers. There is also room for a pretty sweet vegetable garden. There is also enough room for two adults, one toddler, two dogs, and a houseguest, with no one running into each other and no line for the bathroom. So although I began my morning murmuring I have since changed my tune. God has given me and my family everything we could ever need, and much much more! I can't (and shouldn't) complain about anything in my life. As the song we sang at our Thanksgiving program said, "I am blessed beyone all measure".

We're home...Finally!

2009-08-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

We have been travelling so much this summer that it feels like we've been living out of a suitcase for a month now. But we are home and staying home for awhile. Well, at least until September when we go up to the Ranch for scripture camp. That isn't the same though. It doesn't require going to an airport, long flights, or staying in someone else's house. I love being able to visit with friends I don't normally get to see, but there is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed.

Well, I'm sure this comes as a shock to no one, but I left my camera at home. I downloaded all my old pictures onto the computer to be sure to have plenty of room for new ones on the trip, and then proceeded to leave the camera sitting on the desk for the ten days we were gone. I was so mad at myself, but oh well. Jane Ann and Aimee got some very cute pictures of Easton while we were there...maybe one day I will get to see them :) Especially the ones of him and Olivia. They were SO adorable.

Easton did really well, but sometimes the church services got kind of long for him so he entertained himself by flirting with all the nearby girls. Smiling and waving, batting those long eyelashes. He really impressed them one afternoon when he was standing up facing the pew behind us. He was just getting going with waving and smiling at his admirers when decided he needed to pass gas (or whatever phrase you prefer to describe it)...and it was long and LOUD! Then he shouts out "Poo poos!!!" It was so funny! And of course slightly embarrassing. I had to really control myself to not laugh out loud.

Well, this would be better with pictures, but since I'm a loser who never takes any you will have to use your imagination. Imagine how cute Olivia is. How funny Easton and Dylan were chasing each other around. How much fun he had playing at the Missouri grammy's house. As any good teacher knows being able to picture what you're reading in your mind is an important part of comprehension. So really I'm just helping you improve your literacy skills.

It's good to be home!

My Little Dancer

2009-07-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Easton gettin down in Brandon and Tara's living room. I'm sure they were quite happy to see us go home so they could get back to a little peace and quiet. He LOVED this drum and was banging on it every chance he got. It was excellent entertainment for the little guy, and daddy too as you can see.

NY Reunion

2009-07-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting our friends and family in upstate NY this past weekend. Although it took us three planes and ALL day to get there and back, it was worth it to have the chance to see everyone and attend the reunion. Even though it was small, only about 30 people, the services and sermons were great. I'm so glad we were able to go.

This is the plane that took us to and from Massena and Albany. It only holds ten people total, including the pilot so as you can imagine it was tiny! The flight takes about an hour, and it super loud because of the propellers, but it was awesome!

Just another closeup view of the ramp leading inside the plane.

I didn't have my camera out on the way there when the weather was perfect. The views that day were amazing! It was cloudy on the way back so the pictures aren't as clear, but this is just some of what we could see from our aerial view. There is water everywhere you look in this part of the country, but I couldn't get any good pictures of all the rivers there. But you can see how green everything is. I really don't think they have ever seen the color brown unless they dig under ground, or look at a tree trunk. Not like home at all, but I still love it here anyway.

Anyone who knows this guy understands how perfect this toy was for him. He loved playing this piano at Eli and Gretchen's house. He would sit and play something, then stop and clap for himself and look around to make sure everyone else was too. The cutest was when he would sing and play. He wouldn't do it for the video camera though, too bad.

Our first day there we went out on the boat. Easton didn't care for the life jacket too much, but he had a great time.

We all enjoyed being out on the water. Luckily we got some time in that day because the rest of the weekend was rainy and a little cold for boating. Although Aadam, Chase, Mya, Rhoades, Brandon, Bill, and Louie went out in the cold later on. They were going on the speedboat and being pulled around on the tube behind it. A little too fast to take the little guy out. So we visited with the ladies on the shore instead. Easton tried to drive the motorhome and destroy everything. Luckily the owners are grandparents and they didn't mind :)

Easton, Louie, and Chase swinging.

Checking out the fish. Thanks for holding on so tight Chase! This was pretty much his favorite thing to do while we were there.

Now it's Rhoades' turn to hold him. Anyone else willing??

These are what kept his attention for so long. Eli and Gretchen's backyard was a never ending source of adventure for Easton. He even got to feed the fish. So cool!

These are just a few of the pictures, a video of the boys playing the drums and a sweet headdress are coming soon

Future Food Network Hosts??

2009-07-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

I've been hanging out with my boys this week and it's been so much fun! These two are quite a pair and have definitely entertained me (and each other). Today was raspberry banana bread day. Yes I am crazy for geting two toddlers to help me bake. But really they didn't make too much of a mess. They were pretty good helpers and had a great time in the kitchen.

We stared out by mashing up the bananas. They each took turns squishing them up while saying "squish squish squish" as they smashed.

Next we added the water.

Then the oil...and yes I actually did let them pour it and neither of them spilled.

Then we added the flour mixture and the boys stirred that in for me as well. This was the messiest step of our baking adventure. They would look at the spoons and shake them around. Getting some on the floor, and on the dogs, but none on their shirts!

Finally we poured the batter into the pans and got it ready to go in the oven. There would be a picture of the little chefs with the finished product, but one of them got sleepy and had to take a nap before it was done. Cooking can really wear you out!

Video Test Drive

2009-06-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

So my AWESOME and generous sister in law gave us a brand new mini video camera today. Not only does it take video, but it also does still shots as well. How cool is that?? We go to Logan's birthday party and we're the ones taking home presents. Luckily he got some too so he didn't seem to mind :) Well, of course I had to try it out. This video isn't the best, but hopefully my technique will get better with practice.

As you can see these two make quite a pair. I'm so glad they're so close in age and will be able to grow up together. They're going to be interesting as they get older. I can only imagine the trouble they will get themselves into as they grow. Just tonight they got into the dog's water and drenched themselves and the floor with it, dug a hole in the backyard, soaked each other with a hose, chased each other through the grass, and finished it off by covering themselves in mud from a puddle they created. All in all it was a busy night for these boys. I can't wait to see what they'll do next. (And hopefully I will have my camera ready!)

Wish it was Monday...never thought I'd say that!

2009-06-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

When I was working I always felt that by midafternoon Sunday became poisoned by the thought of having to go back to work on Monday. I liked my job (most of the time), but I never felt like my weekend was long enough. Anyway, that is not true for this weekend. If it didn't mean missing Logan's birthday party tomorrow and seeing everyone at church Sunday (I need my socializing!) then I would wish for Monday right now. You're probably wondering why in the world would anyone care so much about a Monday? It is the first day of VCS which isn't as exciting to me as the kids since I'm not teaching, and my baby is too young to to. I do get to spend the morning with my adorable nephew though and I'm looking forward to that. But the real reason for my anticipation is, I am FINALLY getting my hair cut which I am so excited about. I need a change (I will post before and after pictures...which will only be interesting to me, but that's ok). Then after that Aadam and I get to go out to dinner minus the kiddo. We haven't been out by ourselves since February! That is way too long. An added bonus is we even have a gift certificate to the restaurant which means dinner won't even cost us anything. I may even stop to look for a new outfit on my way home from the salon. I haven't done that in a long time either. I really need to get out more when this is all I have to write about :)

So worth it!

2009-06-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

This morning it took me over 30 minutes to fold and put away six towels. Actually it was folding towels, several games of "Where's Easton?", reading four books (How can I say no when he crawls up on my lap, book in hand, saying "more"?), lots of kisses (he's in affectionate mood lately and I love it!), getting a drink, fixing a snack, and finally putting the towels in the closet. I don't care if folding six towels takes me all day. When I look at this face it is SO worth it!

The Hat

2009-06-13T21:40:00.001-07:00

This hat is his new obsession. He wants to wear it, or play with it all the time. Taking it on and off mom and dad's heads is fun too. As you can see from the outfits, not that you're inpsecting them, these were taken on three different days. Each time the hat was just as exciting as the day before. The hat is quite versatile. Not only can it be worn for looks, but also for playing with the dog, or even eating. No wonder it's daddy's favorite too!

2009-06-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

My kid is so goofy. I'm laughing at something he does most of the day. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to go with my story because it was so cute, but it wasn't really something you could capture anyway. A video would really be the only way to share this. As I'm typing it out here I'm realizing this probably won't be funny to anyone but me, but as you can see that isn't stopping me. Someone should be around to monitor my blogging to save others from reading boring things, but I have no censor so anyone reading this get's all the stories, funny or boring.

So getting on with it, last night I was at the store and Easton was home playing with daddy. When I got home they were playing on the couch and Aadam says "I think mommy's hungry give her some of daddy's foot." Easton hops off the couch and goes over to Aadam's foot pretends to grab some and brings it to me. Then he went back and grabbed some more and acted like he was eating it, accompanied by his ever present food slurping sound. It was so funny. Aadam said Easton just started pretending to eat it while I was gone and then started sharing it with him. The funniest part was he would laugh and laugh and look so proud of himself for doing it and so excited to see us pretending to eat it too. Such a nut!

I love this picture!

2009-05-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

I love this picture! I just got it on a CD of some older pictures from my mother in law. There are newborn baby pictures as well as some when I was VERY pregnant. Even though I'm quite large they are fun to look at and remember. This picture I think was taken when my little guy was about 2 months old. I knew the twins were small when they were born so early, but you forget as they grow. This picture of the boys born just 2 weeks apart shows it. Check out those heads together! I really love this picture because I always wanted my children to grow up with a big group of kids their age at church like I did. Looks like there is a good chance of that...these are just the ones who had babies under a year old at the time. We are so blessed!(Now all of them have had their first birthday and two are getting close to their second! Time is racing by!)

Our trip to Washington

2009-05-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting time to post about our trip to the Washington retreat. We got very little sleep while we were there so I've been super lazy since we got home. We flew into Portland and then took the two hour drive into Washington. The drive is gorgeous all along the Columbia River. We stopped on the way at Multnomah Falls, which is still in Oregon. It was really pretty, but none of the pictures I took really turned out. To get the pictures I had to look directly into the sun and so I couldn't tell what I was getting. Turns out it wasn't much!

The retreat was held in the mountains of Washington, just outside a little town called Goldendale. For anyone who has been to the Ranch you would think you were there. The only difference is red dirt instead of black. Easton loved it there!! He is such an outdoor kid. He coulnd't get enough of running around out there. Of course he refused to keep a hat on so his little bald head was out in the sun all day, but he was covered in sunscreen much to his dismay. He made a new friend there. The little boy in the cart is just a few months older than he is and they loved being pulled by anyone who would do it. The man pulling them in the picture is in his late 70's! He also really loved the toy car, only he couldn't figure out how to make it go forward. His only direction was reverse. When he got tired of that he would get out and push it. And as you can see, much like the ranch, dirt must be covering your face at all times!

I didn't get any pictures of Toppenish when we went down to visit here. Most of them live on large farms. It is pretty in it's own way because of the huge expanse of fields and crops. Lots of green. There were even herds of buffalo. But it wouldn't be a true country experience if you didn't participate in at least one activity that could be the next episode of Dirty Jobs (actually I'm pretty sure it's already been done). Several of the city folks put on the long gloves and braved sticking their arm inside a cow to feel how large the baby she was carrying was getting. Too bad for me Easton needed a nap at that particular time and somebody had to stay at the house while he slept. As the mom I figured I should be the one to stay with him. Just broke my heart not to get covered in cow poop and other various bovine bodily fluids. I like animals, but I don't live on a farm for a reason :)

Our trip home was kind of rough. The drive back to Portland took an extra hour because we went into Toppenish. Sadly our boy had enough of the car ride about 20 minutes into it and cried pretty much the entire time. He had his eyes closed and blanket by his side, but he wouldn't give up and go to sleep. Then on the flight home we got stuck in bad weather and they wouldn't let us land. Circled for about 45 min or so and then had to land in a nearby city. Wait out the storm, and then fly back. We got in about 3 hours later than we were supposed to. Thankfully the little guy slept the entire time!!

We had a great trip and it was really nice to put faces to names we had heard for so long. Everyone there was so hospitable and you would've thought they had known you forever instead of just a few days. I really enjoyed my time there and look forward to seeing them all again.

Watering Grass With Grandpa

2009-05-12T16:04:00.001-07:00

Today we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa while Grandpa was watering the grass. Of course that meant he had to have some help.

Spraying the water is SO cool! Especially when you get soaked in the process.

Some of the water got on the porch too. Almost as fun to play with as the hose.

And if you get thirsty? No problem drinks are provided!

My baby is all boy! He loves to get dirty, and isn't a bit upset when he's covered in mud, sand, grass, or anything else he's managed to get all over himself. These pictures just continue to show that he will put ANYTHING in his mouth. I probably should've stopped him from drinking hose water off the ground, but it was soooo funny that we had to get some pictures instead. We all were laughing and he was pretty proud of himself for not only getting messy but entertaining the crowd as usual.

How nice...

2009-05-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

So I was given an award by Rob at Peanut Butter and Smelly's Dad which was very nice. This is the 2nd time I've been given one of these by someone, and rudely the first time I didn't blog about it. I'm always surprised by the fact that other people actually look at this at all since like I've said before I'm a blogging nerd. In fact I don't even know how to post the picture of the award to show what it is...yes I am that lame and that technologically illiterate. I'm seriously in the wrong generation when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'm lucky I can even get on here at all :) Anyway, I wanted to acknowledge this time and do it right away since I actually have a few minutes while my son is napping. But my computer ADD is kicking in which means I've been staring at this screen for way too long so it's time to move on to something exciting like...laundry!

GPS Giveaway

2009-05-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hurry this ends on Sunday. Mommas Review is giving away a MotoNAV TN20 GPS. Check it out!

Fun with spaghetti!

2009-05-07T11:26:00.001-07:00

The learning to feed ourself saga continues. The best part of him eating this was how hilarious he thought he was. I was laughing so hard and every time I did he would laugh and make a goofy face. Once again, makes me wish I had a video camera because the sound effects were the best part. He likes to add those to his meal times and they are usually quite entertaining. Needless to say he went straight into the bathtub after this. Mommy lesson learned though from that. I just put him in and didn't even take time to clean off the chunks. I figured why bother fighting with that when he's completely filthy anyway. Well, as you can imagine there were small bits of noodles and sauce floating around in the water. As if that isn't gross enough all by itself it gets worse when he sees the little disgusting floaties and starts eating them! I definitely learned my lesson though and will remove such things in the future before putting him in the tub. My stomach can't handle a scene like that again...yuck!

I was inpsired...

2009-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

My soon to be graduated friend Kim (woo hoo!!!) put an AWESOME wedding picture on her blog. It made me want to look at more, and since I only have pictures of my own wedding around the house they will have to do. Every time I see them though I remember that day and how happy I was, and still am. I also can't help but notice that the guy next to me is pretty darn cute!! I'm a lucky girl. Not just because he looks good in a tux, but because he's perfect for me in every way.

Some New Words

2009-04-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

My sister in law told me about a t-shirt once that said "I'm not a performing monkey". My son needs this. He is one of those kids who does something really cute at home, and then when you try and show off his cool skill to your friends he just stares at them and smiles. He does that at home most of the time too. If it isn't his idea then forget it! Today for instance he was eating some potatoes for lunch and I was, as usual, trying to get him to say the name of what he was eating. He sat there shoving pieces into his mouth and laughing at me saying "po-ta-tooooo" over and over again. Then he smiles and says "ta-to". I of course start clapping and saying yay yay! So he laughs and says "ta-to" again. Later on when dad gets home from work I say "Tell daddy the new word you said today. Say potato." He looks at me, looks at dad, and says "plllllll" (not quite sure how you spell stick your tongue out and start spitting but that's probably close enough). Which translates to "I'm not a performing monkey." The kid is too stinkin cute... even if he won't show off when I want him to. (By the way this picture has absolutely nothing to do with the post, I just thought it was cute!)

Baking at Grandma's House

2009-04-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

Watching his cousin stir the butter. You should've seen them trying to put the butter in the bowl. Didn't have camera ready for that one unfortunately.

Now it's his turn to stir.

Still stirring...as you can see he roams a bit during this process. Grandma is so patient she just followed him around with the bowl and spoon.

Measuring spoons are also fun. In the other hand he has a broom. One of his favorite toys at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Looking forward to the day when he actually makes something cleaner with it :)

It's getting so warm the kids can't play outside for too long so Grandma is coming up with things for them to do inside on the days she has to babysit. She called us to come over and make alphabet cookies with the cousins today. Can't just make regualr cookies, gotta get some learning in there too! She should've been a teacher. Must be where I got it from.

Using a Plate

2009-04-18T22:07:00.001-07:00

So we're trying to get him used to eating his food on a plate. First things first. Dump all food onto tray.

Second look proud of accomplishment.

Next begin licking plate so as not to miss any small specks that may remain.

Finally, what the plate is really good for!

Someday he may learn to be civilized. Otherwise he's going to have a hard time getting past the first date stage with any girl in the future. He may be a good looking guy, but a little embarassing to be seen with at a restaurant. Maybe he would do better starting out just going for coffee. No, he throws his cup when he's done with it so that won't work either. Mom will have her hands full teaching him some manners. On second thought...I don't want my baby dating anyway so go ahead and dump that plate!

GPS Giveaway

2009-04-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Eighty MPH Mom is giving away a Magellan RoadMate which I would love to have! We borrowed Aunt Jenn's gps navigator for the yp ski trip and it was awesome. So much better than trying to read a map, or using the less than perfect mapquest directions. Be sure to check out this sweet giveaway!

2009-04-15T10:36:00.001-07:00

Growing Up!

2009-04-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here he is at 3 days old. Seems like only a days ago that he was born.

Now here he is a few days after his first birthday. Such a big boy now!

Well, I was hoping to have a video to go along with this, but seeing as I don't have a video camera it makes it kind of difficult. I can take short video on my digital camera though so I should probably do that sometime. Anyway, my little boy doesn't seem so little now that he's officially walking. Took him a long 2 months from the time he took his first steps to get there. I was beginning to wonder if he had become such a speed crawler that he wasn't ever going to want to walk since it was a slower form of transportation for him. Of course he did though and he's so cute toddling around the house. Hasn't quite worked his way into running yet, but he sure is trying. He's all about the speed. Hopefully that won't continue when he gets his driver's license! Which I don't even want to think about by the way. Time will pass by soon enough, and I'm going to enjoy every minute with him that I can!

Wrestling

2009-03-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Going for the eyes...ouch!

Scissor lock!

Just looking through some of my pictures and trying to organize them, when I stumbled across these from back in November at reunion. The two bald babies are practicing for the WWF!

I love this idea!

2009-03-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

Ok so I've never blogged about something I wanted to win before, but I think this would be SOOO cool. Since I was working and nauseated during most of my first pregnancy I didn't excercise as much as I wanted to or should have. But with number 2...whenever that is, (no ladies this is not an announcement!!) I would like to do better. This Sane Fitness Preggers Box would be a good start, and a great motivator. Check it out at Val's Views or at the Sane Fit website!

Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium

2009-03-25T11:59:00.001-07:00

Sharks are cool!

Look at all the brightly colored fish!

Checking out the stingrays, which never made it into the picture.

Great Grandpa and Brooke are looking too.

The cousins are watching the water ride go through the aquarium.
Waving at the people was pretty fun!

Everyone watching the penguins swim around. The kids loved this exhibit.

It's taken me awhile to get these pictures up since we went to the zoo a few weeks ago when Great Grandma and Great Grandpa were in town from California. It was a lot of fun to see hang out with the fam and see all the cool animals. And for not having naps all day the kids did awesome. Our little guy was sleeping by the time we left the parking lot on the way home. Overall I would reccomend going to the new aquarium, but it's a little pricey. Make sure you have a coupon!!

I can feed myself...uh sort of!

2009-03-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

Mom finally got brave enough to let me eat my cereal all by myself!

I actually got most of it in my mouth using the spoon.

But being the type who prefers the path of least resistance (Why put out more effort than is absolutely necessary?), I decided to ditch the spoon...

and go for the tried and true method. Who says oatmeal isn't finger food??

2009-03-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

Ok so I've been tagged by my lovely sister in law Alesha at The Jacobsen Family and since she said I was awesome how could I not play along? The only catch is I only know 5 people in the blogging world, and 2 have already been tagged. So...I can only pass this on to 3 others. Sorry I'm a blogging nerd! :)

So here are the rules:
Link to the person who tagged you
Post these rules in your blog
Write 5 random things about yourself
Tag 5 random people and link to them in the bottom of your post
Let each person know they've been tagged

Ok so here it goes.

1. Before I left my job as a teacher to stay home with my son I was kind of nervous because as long as I was able to I have been working. Since age 15 when I started working Saturdays as a hostess at a restaurant I have NEVER not had a job. Thats a lot of years of working. I was always super busy with being a full time student and full time employee. Usually both at the same time. I had no idea what it would be like to not go to work. I was so excited to stay home with my baby after he was born, but I worried I wouldn't feel like I was accomplishing much. Well, I have had those days where I felt like I was really unproductive and nothing I did amounted to much. Doing laundry doesn't quite compare with teaching a class full of students and seeing them finally get it. BUT that being said, I wouldn't trade being at home for anything! I am so thankful that God has put us in a financial situation where I am able to do this. Everyday I thank God for the life he has given me. I am blessed beyond all measure!

2. I am a terrible photographer. Now I don't mean I cut people's heads off or stick my finger in front of the lens. I just take pictures of ridiculous things. For example a few years ago I went to upstate NY for the first time to visit some friends. We went to many beautiful places while I was there, but did I take pictures of any of that? No. The photos of my trip included the hallway in the airport I walked down about 30 times during my 6 hour plane delay! The lady in the food court who charged me for a large drink but only gave me a medium. The shop in the airport that charged $20 for disposable cameras, when the one two doors down only charged $10. You get the idea.

3. My husband and I have this weird obsession with hair. Not our own, but on other people. I think we must have a 6th sense about finding amazing mullets and other interesting hairstyles wherever we go because we ALWAYS see them. We will wisper take a look at 9 o'clock and we instantly know to check out the sweet hairdo in that direction. I know some people may think this is mean, but seriously it's not mockery. It's appreciation. Without those of willing to sport those amazing locks my shopping trips would be so boring!

4. I'm pretty sure that I have thrown up in all of the major shopping centers, gas stations, and restaurants in my area. I had crazy morning, afternoon, and evening sickness when I was pregnant. This isn't to complain about that because really it wasn't that bad. I just got used to eating and then getting sick and moving on with my day. As a result of this I feel I'm an expert on bathroom cleanliness for these places. Now just about every restaurant was good, but when it comes to stores and gas stations thats a different story. The best bathrooms by far were at Quik Trip (way to go QT!), and bottoming the list were always the ones at Walmart. Despite often being closed for cleaning I never noticed them looking very clean.

5. My favorite food is ice cream. Everyone always tells me this isn't a food, but it I beg to differ. I would eat it every day. Actually multiple times a day. Which is why I don't keep it in the house!

So to attempt to continue the game here I'm tagging my lonely 3...

Kim, who is on her way to becoming a fabulous teacher, at One Hundred Years
Jenn, my money saving mentor, at Chronicles of a Couponer
Melanie, the craft queen, at Ramblings of a Wannabe Writer

Playing with the Hose!

2009-03-19T10:36:00.001-07:00

He was helping daddy in the yard and discovered the hose! It was so hilarious. These are the days when I really wish I had a video camera. The best was when he was trying to drink from it. Too cute!

1st Birthday!

2009-03-16T14:07:00.001-07:00

My first attempt at making a "cute" cake. I don't love it, but it turned out better than I was expecting. It's times like this I wish I were a little more artistic. Maybe I'll be an expert by my next child's first birthday :)

He seemed to like it though. This isn't even the messiest picture. He was sooooo cute chowing down on his piece of cake!

His party was on Grammy's birthday so we had to celebrate hers too! Chocolate cake of course!

Opening presents..the police car in the back is a toy box made by Grammy. Pretty sweet!

Prayer Request

2009-02-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

We were asked to set today aside for fasting and prayer. I didn't hear them mention anything specific we should be remembering this time so I've got some thoughts of my own today. One thing that has really been on my mind lately are all of my single friends. Having been single longer than some I can say that living on your own is not miserable, and you can be content with any stage of life. You have many freedoms that change once you get married, and especially once you start having kids. But...I do know there are times of loneliness that are difficult. It also becomes harder and harder as more of your friends get married and lives become different. Several of the single people I've been thinking about have made marriage a matter of prayer for years and I know God has a plan for each of them. Whether that includes marriage or not doesn't really matter. What matters is that they discover that plan. The desire of my heart of course is they would each find someone to share their lives with. That they would have the happiness I have found by marrying the right person. I know God's timing is not always ours. It wasn't for me, but it was perfect even though I couldn't always see it. Although there are many needs, and this is not the only thing I am praying for today, I would ask if you think about it to remember this too. I'm sure anyone who would be reading this knows the people I'm thinking of today, and I ask that you would mention them in your prayers too. (Although you don't have to let them know I'm blogging about it...wink wink!)

Happy Anniversary

2009-02-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our anniversary! :) We didn't get to go out because it was Wednesday so there was church, but being the cheesy girl I am I did manage to sneak "anniversary" food into our dinner at home. In case you can't tell from the picture, those are heart shaped pizzas. Come on you know you want to say it...awww!!! Even though it was a work day. And a church day. And we didn't get to spend that much time together. I couldn't let the day pass without celebrating one of the best things that has ever happened in my life, marrying my best friend. The added bonus was Easton was exhausted when we got home so he went to bed right away, before dinner was even ready. So we got to spend some time alone anyway. We also had a pretty tasty lemon cheesecake for dessert. It was my first time using this recipe so I was a little nervous, but it was bueno!

Later on we watched our wedding video. Which is terrible by the way, but it was fun to remember that day anyway. It was only three years ago, but everyone has changed so much. Our little neice and nephew were sooo tiny and adorable!! It was also very entertaining to watch the comments people made to us at the end. It made me so grateful for all the people who are such an important part of our lives. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for, supported, and loved us, before and after that day three years ago!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T12:04:00.001-08:00

We didn't go out this year, but check out this sweet dinner we had at home. Surf and turf without even leaving the house. That husband of mine is a grill master. The steaks and lobsert tails were amazing!! What you don't see to the right is the high chair, yes our Valentines Day was spent family style. That's ok though, he went to bed pretty early. He was WORN OUT. We had spent the day at a first birthday party for the son of a coworker. It was fun, but that little guy didn't get a nap at all until he feel asleep on the way home. Then he woke up way too soon after we got there. Needless to say he was grumpy. So our background music while we ate was him babbling mama mama mama mama, dada dada dada dada....intermixed with crying and throwing his dinner and cup on the floor. He was pretty good for the first half of the meal but he wanted to be done before we were. So we put him to bed and had dessert without him :) It was still a really nice meal and I guarantee we ate better than most of the people who ate their dinner at a restuarant that night.

On another V-Day note...I don't care too much about getting gifts etc for this particular holiday. February is jam packed for us already with a birthday on the 13th , Valentine's Day the 14th, and our anniversary on the 18th. Anyway I never know what to do about Valentines Day. I always get a card and a little something (like make him a cheesecake or something), but I know he doesn't care about the holiday much. I've gotten flowers from him before and last year I got a really nice card and some chocolate truffles, just simple stuff. So this year I got him a card and some camoflage chocolates (which I have eaten more of than he has!). Anyway I was expecting something along the same lines or just a card or something for our anniversary. But he got me one of those Pajama Grams this year. It was so sweet. I loved it, but then felt bad about giving him candy that only I am eating. He really is a pretty thoughtful guy and I'm lucky to have him, even if i didn't get pajamas!

Christmas Tree Burning

2009-02-07T21:45:00.001-08:00

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-02-06T13:05:00.001-08:00

There are some things that can't wait to be done until the the little guy is taking a nap: going to the bathroom, washing your hands after changing diapers, putting away groceries...to name a few. Today we went grocery shopping which means we had food to put away. (There are some really good deals and Fry's and Sprouts this week by the way!) Of course whenever the refrigerator is open it's like Disneyland has just appeared and is waiting to be explored. But like every 10 month old his attention span is only so long and eventually needs to find other things to do while mom finishes putting things away. Soon he's found a ball he's chasing around and I'm busy trying to make some room in the freezer. I don't know how long I was focused on that task, but I'm guessing no more than about 45 seconds. In that time the ball has lost it's appeal and he's onto bigger and better things.

The trash can!! What the picture doesn't show are the used tea bags that he's sitting on and had apparently been shaking so the little ground up tea leaves were all over the floor and all over him. Man that kid moves fast! Needless to say I'll be mopping the floor...again as soon as I'm finished here. It's a good thing he's cute! :)

The Frog Blanket

2009-02-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

This blanket was made by "sister Kim", a friend from way back. It's so cute it deserves better pictures, but getting a 10 month old to pose is pretty much impossible. Hopefully these show a little of how adorable the blanket is (and the baby too of course!)

Cinderalla Style

2009-01-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I needed to mop my floor. Saturday my mop fell apart so we went and bought a new top for it. I didn't do anything with my floor Sunday, and anyone who has been to my house knows that even if I did mop, within minutes my dogs have made it look as if I haven't cleaned in weeks. It's a very obnoxious cycle, but that's a different story. Anyway...since I hadn't done anything Sunday the floor was in desperate need of cleaning. Monday morning while the kiddo was napping I went to put the new mop head on and realized that it's the wrong one, it won't fit. Grrr!!! A sound very similar to that escaped my lips as I tried in vain to force the mop parts together. I looked at the mop, looked at my floor, and thought this will have to wait I guess. But then I thought of the poor baby sleeping so soundly who would soon be awake and wanting to crawl all over said floor (which had muddy doggie footprints all over it!), and I thought I can't let him down on this messs. He will be filthy in minutes, and I'm sure find something the dogs dragged in to put in his mouth. So I decided that for my son, I would clean the floor another way. So as I went across the floor on my hands and knees scrubbing away, I couldn't help but have the words "Cinderelly, Cinderelly all day long it's Cinderelly..." going through my head in the little mouse voice.

Our First Anniversary

2009-01-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

February is nearing which means our anniversary is coming up. I don't have a lot of pictures of just the two of us, but I do have this one that was taken of us in San Diego. We never really went anywhere for our honeymoon and so for our first anniversary we took a weekend trip to California. The new title picture is of us at the Chart House restaurant. The consierge (I had never used a consierge before, but I see now why people do!) at our hotel recommended it and got us a voucher for free appetizers. I'm all about free things so that was great. Then not only did she get us free food, but made us a reservation that included an amazing table next to the huge picture windows with a perfect view of the ocean...complete with a vase of red flowers. Our menus were even personalized with our names and the date, we were eating there on our actual anniversary so that was pretty cool. The only sad part about that is I forgot to take one of the menus with us when we left. Oh well, I probably would've misplaced it somewhere in my house anyway :) It seems the time has just flown by since then. We're almost to our 3rd anniversary and will soon be celebrating our son's first birthday. So much to be thankful for!

Tag!

2009-01-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

So I was "tagged" by Holly and told to open the 5th picture folder and choose the 5th picture. Turns out it is one of Alexis, which is ironic since it's her mom that tagged me :) Becky had taken a picture of my baby that I really wanted so she let me download the memory card from her camera. Of course there were about a million pics of Jeremiah and Alexis on there and they all ended up in this folder that I had completely forgotten even existed! Kinda funny to be reminded it was there and look at how much those two have changed since then.

Some new pictures!

2009-01-09T12:09:00.001-08:00

First Christmas

2009-01-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

checking out the loot!

Daddy and ALL the kids

Opening the first present!

These are just a few pictures from our Chrismas celebratioin at home. We later went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for more presents. Then to yet another family get together where he got even MORE presents. Seriously, we could've given him nothing and he would still have had so much from everyone else. Of course having a teacher for a mom means you get educational presents. We didn't buy him any toys. He only got books, flash cards, and a counting CD from mom and dad. He wasn't lacking at all in the toy deparment though when the day was done for all of you who were feeling sorry for him :)

He seemed to enjoy his first Christmas, but I think he was overwhelmed after about the first two gifts. I'm pretty sure he was confused because normally we tell him not to tear paper, and then suddenly we wanted him to rip up lots of it. He didn't play with many of the toys, but he did try and eat several of the books. And banging on the boxes was pretty fun too. As I watched him I was once again reminded of what a blessing he has been to our lives. Even though he hasn't even been around for a year, I can't imagine life without that adorable little guy.

This was one of the best Christmases I've ever had. Not because of the gifts, but because of joy I felt spending time with family and friends. As well as remembering the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Saviour, and his sacrifice for us. We could never ask for, or receive, anything more than that.

The Dance

2008-12-22T16:03:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Picture

2008-12-17T21:10:00.001-08:00

It's impossible to get a 9 month old to look at the camera and smile. This is the best we could get! Still a cute little picture though. I need to get some pictures of him in front of our tree. This one is grandma and grandpa's. Of course ours is surrounded by baby gates to keep out the baby, and the puppy (she can't be trusted these days!!) so it's not quite as pretty. I suppose I could move them out of the way for just a few pictures :)

2008-12-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is the best for babies who are just starting to eat real food. Mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and turkey...all perfect for little boys who love to eat, but only have 4 teeth! He was very excited to have all this food at his fingertips. Of course daddy lent a helping hand to make him look even messier! He didn't get that pea on his forehead all by himself. As I look at my son I am truly thankful for all the blessings God has seen fit to give me. I have an amazing husband that I love, and who loves me and our little boy more than I could've ever hoped for. A son who is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. As well as friends and family who are too numerous to name. I am amazed when I stop to think about it, just how wonderful my life really is. God has been SO good to me and my prayer is that I can do enough for him to be even slightly worthy of all I've been given.

2008-11-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

I am the worst first time mom ever when it comes to taking pictures of my son. Lucky for me my dad ALWAYS has his camera ready. Unlike me who forgets to bring it, lets the battery die and can't remember to buy a new one, and basically is ill prepared to document her son's first year of life. But with a dad like mine I will never run short on pictures of my boy, thankfully! The good thing is this isn't his first grandchild so any more kids I have in the future have a pretty good chance of being photographed too. That way none of them will ever be left with the "skinny" photo album thanks to grandpa. The slideshow shows just a few of the pictures he took the last time we stopped by for a visit. I love the one where he's holding the basketball and looking up in the air with a big smile on his face.

At Grandma and Grandpa's House

2008-11-17T21:05:00.001-08:00

2008-11-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

The kid moves too fast! This is his second favorite destination in the house. The first is of course the dog's water, but luckily mom and dad are faster than him, for now, and we can intervene before he even gets wet. (Much to his dismay of course!) Now to work on stopping him from getting into them at all. He's pretty independent already...this may take awhile.

2008-11-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Here it goes! I'm very new to this whole blogging thing and I've probably spent close to an hour just doing this much. How sad is that? Just thought I'd start by putting some pictures up of our little guy in the tub. He LOVES taking a bath and would sit and splash in there all day if the water didn't get cold. How can you not love that face??

Well, we will see how much time I can waste in a day playing around on here...

Taking A Bath

2008-11-04T20:42:00.001-08:00