The Holmes Family!

Look at what the New Year brought!

2012-01-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

On January 2, at 1:20 am, our little Preston came into the world! He was 7 lbs, 2 oz, and 20 inches long...my smallest baby by over a pound! Now, he's a little more than a week old and we are just enjoying having him in our family!

With PJ and I right after he was born!

With his Grandma and his brothers! Jack and Ethan couldn't come to the hospital because it's RSV season, and my parents were watching them for us, so Tuesday was the first time they met Preston!

My parents with their newest grandson!

Preston is lucky to have 2 great big brothers who love him very much!

One and a half days old!

Our summer!

2011-09-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am once again playing catch up! The first of my friends have turned 30 and last week we went to dinner to celebrate

Ethan started school again! It is his second year at the Apple Tree Schoolhouse! Here he is on the first day with his awesome Iron Man backpack!

Jack wanted a back pack too, so he used Ethan's lunch box.

The end of summer BBQ at Breck and Preston's house!

Ethan's 4 1/2 pictures. He looks so old.

Jack age 2! He is so cute!

Jack's 2nd Birthday Party!

Over the 4th of July, we went to Hawaii!

Our awesome sand castle!

The boys in their awesome Hawaiian outfits!

What we've been up to...

2011-06-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

Ethan played soccer for Farmington City and loved it! He already loves to run and kick balls around, so he took to this very well! He's going to be our soccer star!

Along with Sarah, Aiden, and Noah, we took a trip to Moab to hike to the Delicate Arch and Arches National Park. The hike is about three miles long and Ethan did the whole thing and loved it! Looks like I will need to schedule a few more hikes for us to do this summer!

PJ's sister, Sara, got married in the Bahamas! Although we were not lucky enough to go there for the ceremony, we did get to go to her reception in Idaho! She looked beautiful and we had so much fun seeing the family!

Of course, we had to take a trip to the zoo! The boys really loved the giraffes the best, but they also liked the elephants, monkey, and the pretend dinosaurs (especially the one that spit out water).

Here's a family picture from Easter brunch at Oakridge! Normally at least one of us is covered in food, so I wanted to show an updated picture where we were all dressed nice, and, at least for this particular moment, still clean!

Our exciting news that was worth blogging for!

2011-06-03T09:53:00.001-07:00

I have become horrible at blogging, and I really have no good excuses, so I won't even try. However, I felt that our exciting news warranted me taking a second to blog. We are pregnant with our third child! This baby is due on January 8th of next year and we could not be more excited! Here is the first image of our little one from my doctor's appointment. We're about half way to finding out if it's a boy or a girl and I am really cool with whatever! We're just so happy that we get to have our family grow a little more!

Catching up!

2011-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I have posted, so I thought I'd put a few pictures up from the holidays! These are my boys all bundled up ready to go look at the Christmas lights at Temple Square!

Our family in front of the Temple!

Kevin and Michelle!

My parents, Ian, and Ethan at the annual Oakridge Christmas party!

With my cousin Lara, she lives in California, so it's always fun when I get a chance to see her!

All four boys matched, but this was the best picture we could get of them together, mostly due to Jack's unwillingness to stay still!

Seeing Santa for the first time this holiday season!

PJ's family came down from Idaho to visit!

Christmas Eve at my parents! This was the second for Jack, and third for Ethan visit from Santa (Ethan's school had Santa come)!

Collin was excited about Santa too!

The boys opening presents on Christmas morning! Jack slept through half of it, but had fun once he finally woke up!

For New Years Eve we went up to Park City with some of PJ's friends! We had a blast and are looking forward to a great 2011!

Taking some toys to donate to Primary Children's Hospital to donate! I know Ethan looks grumpy about it, but he was just mad about getting his picture taken. He was actually very excited and has already made a new pile of toys to take up there. Hopefully, these boys have at least gotten an understanding of the joy of giving and service during the Christmas season, in spite of how spoiled they got on Christmas morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season as well!

Halloween!!!!!!

2010-11-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ethan and Jack carving pumpkins!

Jack really wanted to help!

The finished product!

Ethan was very proud of his pumpkin!

Baby Noah with his pumpkin!

Aiden, Ethan, and Jack as Harry Potter, Yoshi, and Mario!

Our family were all characters from Super Mario brothers.

Getting ready to go trick-or-treating!

Mario riding Yoshi!

Baby Noah as a shark.

More proof that my parents and grandma are awesome!

2010-11-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

ay
My Grandma and mom and dad were Utah State's Alumni of the Year for 2010! Two weeks ago we spent the weekend up in Logan celebrating them during USU's Homecoming! We went up Friday night to a dinner at Hamiltons (a fancy restaurant up in Logan). Then we all stayed at the University Inn, so that we could get to a breakfast honoring the award recipients early the next morning! Then buses took my parents and us down to the parade, so that we could watch them in the Homecoming parade!

This is us waiting along the parade route!

Ethan and Aiden got lots of candy during the parade!

My parents and grandma in the parade!

After the parade, we had the game! It was very rainy, but it was okay because we got to be up in a suite! My parents went out on the field during half time and it was fun to cheer for them down on the field! USU lost big time, which was kind of sad, but it was still a fun weekend and we are still Aggies through and through!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma Anderson!

2010-10-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last night, October 18th was my Grandma Anderson's 80th birthday! My mom and dad threw her a surprise birthday party at their house! It was really fun and I think my grandma enjoyed herself! She is such an awesome lady! She is selfless, kind, fun, and so full of energy and life! We are so grateful to have her in our lives!

With Jake and Joel!

With Sarah, Noah, Gary, and Aiden!

With my mom and dad!

With Collin!

Grandma's cake, she got to be the queen for the day!

Grandma with her kids: Steve, Peggy, and my dad!

With her kids and their spouses! Happy Birthday Grandma! Here's to many more!

The Pumpkin Patch 2010!

2010-10-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to Black Forest Farms to ride a tractor and pick out a pumpkin!

Ethan and Annie on the tractor ride! He was very very excited about it and kept on saying. "Mommy this is a great idea!"

Jack slept through a lot of it. He woke up on the ride back from the pumpkin patch and wasn't quite sure where he was.

Annie with her pumpkin!

Ethan picked out two big pumpkins for our front porch! Here he is with the first one. He liked it cause it was both orange or green.

Ethan's 1st Day of School!

2010-10-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ethan had his first day of school at the Apple School Treehouse the Tuesday after Labor Day! Here he is with his cool new backpack!

Here he is at his school! He loved his teacher Miss Allie!

Summer 2010 Rocked!

2010-09-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

With Memorial Day over, I finally am beginning to accept that summer really is ending. I love the summer, so I am a little sad (though I love the fall too, so I'm looking forward to that). We had an amazing summer though, so here are, in no particular order, a few of the activities our family was lucky enough to be involved in this summer!

We made our annual trip up to my grandparent's cabin in Wyoming, where we had a great time riding the gator and four wheelers!

We made multiple trips to the park! Both boys love slides and swinging! With school out, we got to bring along a lot of friends on park trips and one time they even buried Ethan in the sand (much to his delight)

Though it was very hot, we had a wonderful trip to the zoo at the beginning of August! Ethan's best friend Miles came too, along with his older sister Emma! We had such a great day, which capped off a whole week of doing animal themed activities (we also went and fed bread to the ducks at the park and walked the Lagoon trail, which has camels, buffalo, elk, and other various animals along the way)!

We have a membership to the Treehouse Museum, so we made a few trips. Here is Ethan and his friend Cole kicking down all of the giant chess pieces. Jack had a great time watching!

Thanks to Jeff Fox, a neighbor and the Chief Fireman in West Valley, we were able to go to the firehouse and play around on the firetruck! They even turned the hose on, so all of the kids could run around and play! Ethan got to climb on the truck and learn what all of the buttons did!

What summer is complete without swimming? Jack is our little water baby, and loved whenever we got the pool out! We would often have friends over to play around and the kiddie pool was the perfect way to keep the boys cool while playing outside!

Lastly, Ethan took swim lessons twice this summer. The first time he went he hated it and cried, but by the second day he loved it! He learned to blow bubbles, put his head under water, kick, and float on his back!

This was, of course, not everything we did this summer. PJ and I were both busy with Youth Conference, Girls Camp and High Adventure. We also were able to go see Lion King and Jack Johnson (both the week of my birthday). Ethan and Jack got to participate in a little neighborhood camp thing, where they had science, art, cooking, reading, swimming, park, and animal themed weeks! Hooray for summer 2010!

Family Pictures!

2010-08-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Audrey for taking these wonderful family pictures of us! Here is a sampling of a few of my favorites! I'm trying to decide which ones to blow up and frame, so I would definitely appreciate any feedback!

The Boys:

I just think this one is so sweet, and shows how Jack feels about his big brother!

Ethan:

Jack:
We had a ton of him, but it would take too long to upload them all to this post, so here are a few I liked

Jackie boys 1st Birthday!!!

2010-08-06T07:46:00.001-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun, and that has certainly been true for this past year with Jack! I can't believe my baby boy is already 1! He has been such a joy in our home; almost always smiling and happy! He already walks like a champ and climbs all over everything! He is busy busy, and it is really fun to watch his own personality come out more and more each day!

Opening presents on his birthday at home! Jack had fun ripping the paper off and was given a lot of help from his big brother!

Jack's Birthday Party!

We had Jack's party at my parents, since it's much bigger and nicer than ours! Here is Jack opening some presents!

Jack truly was a "gift" to us (cheesy, I know)!

Hitting the pinata!

Ethan having a go!

Jack's very own birthday cake!

Jack had a great time playing in his cake, but absolutely no interest in eating it. When we put a little in his mouth he got mad at us. He opted to eat a slice of tomato instead (I'm not joking, he saw some on the counter, and reached for it, so we gave it to him and he ate it all)! He is such a goof ball, but hopefully this was a sign that he will be a healthy kid and not want treats too much! We love our little man and are so glad he had a great first birthday! Thanks to all who helped to make it special for him in some way!

Happy Birthday USA!

2010-08-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's, playing a bean bag toss, having a BBQ, a treasure hunt, and watching fireworks!

Ethan and Aiden wearing their matching outfits!

Jack and Noah in their matching outfits!

Ethan finding his clues in the treasure hunt!

Ethan helped Jack find his clue!

Jack opening his treasure at the end of the hunt!

10 Year Reunion!

2010-07-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

The same weekend Noah was born we had my 10 year reunion! I can't believe ten years have passed since I graduated, and I am so grateful to still have my same amazing friends from Davis! Since Niki was in town for the reunion, we girls decided to get together with our kids the night before the official reunion and go to Cherry Hill! Here is Breck, me, Niki, and Julie!

The girls playing in the lazy river with their kids!

This was also Ethan's first time back to Cherry Hill since his accident last August. He was very brave and I think he had a great time (he just didn't want to go into the pirate ship, which is where his accident occurred, but neither did I, so it worked well)!

Jack's first time at Cherry Hill! He didn't stay long, but got to splash a bit in Pirates Cove.

THE REUNION:

Sitting together with our friends during dinner! We had so much fun sharing old stories from the "Glory Days" of Davis High!

Paul Timothy entertaining everyone!

Our group of friends ten years later (with a few people missing)

Breck, Lindsey, me, and Niki

Baby Noah has arrived!

2010-07-01T08:35:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, June 25th, 2010, my sister Sarah gave birth to a beautiful little boy names Noah Michael Hess! He weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long! Sarah has always wanted two little boys and it was not an easy road for her to get here, so we are so excited about his healthy arrival! He really is a handsome little guy!

Ethan and I holding Noah!

Jack was really upset when I was holding Noah. I guess that means he's not ready for a little sibling yet! Look how huge he looks next to Noah!

The proud daddy!

I also thought I'd use this post to update a bit on my cousin's baby. First of all, thank you to any and all of you who prayed for little Penn! Our family has definitely felt a lot of love and support! He has had a lot of ups and down, but is currently doing relatively well at Primary Children's Hospital. He had to have a few surgeries, and there is still a chance hr may have some permanent disabilities, but he is now breathing on his own and putting on weight! Thanks again to all who have shown support!

Where have we been?

2010-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted, so this is where we've been...

Camping with daddy! Ethan's first time and he loved it!

Going to the zoo!

Jack loved riding the carousel and the train!

All the big boys went to baseball games in California! Ethan had fun going to games, swimming with Jake, and was just super excited that he was big enough to go this year!

Playing at the Treehouse Museum!

The boys, my mom, and I took a trip to Texas right before Mother's Day! We swam, went to the park, and had a fun time with Grandma!

So that is where we've been! I hope everyone's spring was as nice as ours!

Please pray for baby Penn!

2010-04-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll just lay it out there. I have been incredibly blessed to give birth to two healthy, full term baby boys, and I think, when this is your only experience, you take for granted how fortunate you are. My cousin Kortney, was not as lucky. She and her husband were expecting their first boy this August, but unfortunately, for reasons unknown, Kortney went into labor on Tuesday night. Doctors were unable to stop her labor, and at only 25 weeks along in the pregnancy, baby Penn was born. He weighed a little over a pound and had be life-flighted to Mckay Dee (he was born in Brigham City). Yesterday, it was discovered he had a massive brain hemorrhage, and could likely have brain damage. My heart has been just breaking for Kortney and her family. I keep wishing I could do something, because this feels like such a helpless situation. So I am putting this out there as something I can do and asking everyone to please pray for Penn and his family! I know any prayers, good thoughts or feelings can make the world of difference!

Easter Weekend!

2010-04-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend 2010 started with us coloring Easter Eggs at Sarah and Gary's house! Ethan had a great time!

Ethan and Aiden getting ready to dye eggs!

Ethan holding up the red egg cause it was his favorite!

Jack was a little too small to color eggs, but had fun hanging out!

Ethan working really hard on his eggs!

EASTER MORNING!
Today we woke up and looked through our Easter baskets while watching Conference!

EASTER BRUNCH AT OAKRIDGE COUNTRY CLUB!

Me and the boys all wearing yellow for Easter!

Ian, Ethan, and Grandma

Aiden was really excited because he lost his first tooth that morning!

Collin!!!!

Meeting the Oakridge Easter Bunny!

THE EASTER EGG HUNT!

Collin looking for treats!

Aiden climbing into some bushes to get an egg!

Uncle Jake helped Ethan fill up his basket!

Ethan was so excited to fund candy!

Jack wearing his Easter bib and making a funny face! He is so cute!

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter as well! We love you all!

Please help! Vote for Jack!

2010-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

I know I'm his mom, but I think Jack is beautiful, so I entered this contest and if you could please go vote for him, I would be very grateful! If you want to go the extra mile, you can vote once a day! Just go to this URL! Thanks to all who vote!

http://modelsearch.parenting.com/contests/showentry/195676

Happy Birthday Ethan!

2010-02-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

Thursday, the 25th of February, my little man turned three years old! I am amazed with how fast time goes by! It seems like he was just born and now he is a little person, who has a little brother! He is so much fun and we love him more every day! Wednesday night, we had a little family party for him! Thanks to everyone for coming over to celebrate!

Ethan opening presents! He really likes the cards that play music! Also, funny story, when PJ's parents gave him his present, he opened the card first. They had written a little message into the card, and Ethan wanted to read it by himself (he is learning letters now, but is a ways off form reading). We let him and he said the card said, "It's my birthday so now I don't have to be sad anymore!" It was totally random and funny! One thing I love about Ethan at this age is all of the funny things he says!

With his Lightning McQueen and Mater cake!

Blowing out the candles!

Of course, I made Ethan and Jack match!

On his birthday, Ethan woke up to find a few presents to open from PJ, Jack and me! Today we went out to lunch with my mom and then to the Three Little Monkeys, where Ethan got to play and pick out two toys (one from us and one from his grandma)!

Jack was rolling all over the place! He is so close to crawling right now, but he usually just scoots backwards!

This is the cake I made for Ethan's Birthday! He insisted that we put McQueen and Mater on this one too!

Ethan with his cake!

Blowing out candles! Throughout the night, friends and family came by to wish Ethan a Happy Birthday and help us eat cake! I think it made Ethan feel really special and I am so grateful to everyone who helped make this day wonderful for him! We love our little guy and are excited for many more birthdays with him (I just hope they don't come too quickly)!

Jack's 1st Haircut!

2010-02-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Since the moment Jack was born, he has had a head full of wild, long, thick hair! I personally loved it, but PJ has been pushing me to cut it for months. We had a deal that I would cut it sometime before Ethan's 3rd before, which just happens to be next Thursday...so yesterday I took him to the Brass Comb for his first haircut! Here is the before picture!

And the after! He was really good the whole time of course. And while this was a little bittersweet for me, I do think he looks really handsome with his new look!

Jack at 6th Months!

2010-02-01T12:44:00.001-08:00

My beautiful little baby boy is now 6 months old! He is such a fun, happy, sweet baby and we have enjoyed every second with him! He is getting big so fast (literally, he is now 19 lbs)! He now sits up. rolls all over the place, waves, claps, babbles, and does a lot of smiling and laughing! He adores his older brother and just laughs and is excited whenever Ethan is around! Jack really is an amazing little guy and we love him so much! Happy 6 month Birthday Jack!

Disneyland 2010!!!

2010-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

Ethan's 3rd Birthday is not until Feb. 25th, but we celebrated a little early this year by taking him to Disneyland! We left on Sunday and arrived home Friday, and had one of the funnest weeks ever! Ethan loved all of it, Jack was amazing and just happy throughout the week, and us grown ups even had a lot of fun! Here we are meeting Ethan's favorite characters Mater and Lightening McQueen! Get ready for a whole lot of pictures from the happiest place on earth!

Jack was a little too small to go on Dumbo, but that doesn't mean he had to just sit idly by without experiencing a Dumbo for himself!

Ethan and Grandma riding Dumbo, thanks to my mom for coming along to help with the boys!

Riding the Storybook ride!

Jack just being incredibly cute!

Brothers in their matching outfits their mom makes them wear :)

Jack wearing his 1st pair of Mickey Ears!

Riding the Little Mermaid carousel!

At the Rain Forest Cafe...Jack was all tired out from a fun day at California Adventures!

Ethan and his mommy!

They sang Happy Birthday to him at dinner that night!

MEETING CHARACTERS!

Ethan was a little shy with Jessie, but warmed up to characters after that (at least the ones that wear masks, he was still really shy when he met Snow White)

Just sitting around with Mr. Incredible!

Jack liked him too!

Mickey!!!

Goofy!!!

Donald, who Ethan calls McDonald!!!

THE PIXAR PARADE!!!

Ethan loved the Pixar parade! He pretty much has only ever watched pixar movies, so he really loves these characters. He was truly star struck by Buzz and Woody! He waved and yelled to the characters as they passed and was more excited than I've ever seen him before!

Playing around on the "O" that's part of California!

My friend Niki lives in California, and another friend Britney just happened to also be at Disneyland with her son! We were lucky enough to get together for dinner on Wednesday night!

Ethan loved playing with Niki's cute boys, Brock and Daxton! Here they all are with their cool balloon helmets, belts, and swords!

Ethan getting ready to go on Toy Story Mania! This was one of this favorite rides (along with the Buzz Lightyear one, after we went on that he would tell everyone that he helped Buzz shoot Zurg)!

Meeting Woody!

ETHAN'S BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH MICKEY AND MINNIE MOUSE!!!

Decorating birthday cakes! Ethan would take little sample of the frosting as he decorated!

Ethan's finished cake, it was a true masterpiece!

Mickey and Minnie came to his party!

Our tongues turned blue from the frosting!

We saw Goofy at Toon Town!

Hanging out on the trolley!

ETHAN'S SPECIAL ENCOUNTER WITH MINNIE!!!

A friend of ours plays Minnie Mouse, so we and saw her Thursday night. She took Ethan on a special walk, away fro the other children! He got VIP treatment, and Minnie even told him she loved him. Ethan had been telling us all week about how the characters don't talk, they just wave, but after this he immediately told me, "Mommy, Minnie talked to me!" I said, "Really, what did she say?" And he replied, "She said she love me!" It was so cute and he has totally been in love with Minnie since!

Eating dinner with Pluto at Goofy's Kitchen!

Ethan got to meet Chip, Dale, Goofy, and Snow White!

We had such a fun week! There is no greater joy than seeing your child excited and truly happy about something! Taking our kids to Disneyland reminded both PJ and me of the magic we felt there when we were kids! Thanks to everyone who helped make this trip possible, especially PJ's grandparents, and my mom! We already really miss Disneyland, but have a lot of memories to look back on!

Friend Christmas Part 2009!!!

2009-12-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

For the first time in years all six of us best friends were together for our annual Christmas party! Julie was nice enough to host it at her house and she even made us dinner! It was so much fun moving around the Caribbean, it was lucky that we found a day everyone could make it! We exchanged presents, talked, semi-watched Clueless, and ate lots of good food! I wish that nights like these could happen more often! We started doing this party 13 years ago, when we were sophomores! I am so glad that all these years later I am blessed to still have these amazing women in my life! I have the best friends ever!

Me and Breck with our babies!

Bonnie and Tif

Bonnie and Jack in matching outfits!

Julie and Link!

All the girls who have babies too new to be left at home!

Niki, Tif, and Bonnie!

THE GIFT EXCHANGE!!!

Tif had Julie!

Julie had Niki!

Niki had me!

I had Tif!

Breck and Bonnie had each other!

Merry Christmas girls, I hope we have many more years like this one!

Jack's 1st Christmas, and Ethan's 1st one in which he realizes what's going on!

2009-12-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Santa stopped by to visit and give us our Christmas pjs!

Aiden and Santa!

Collin was pretty excited to see Santa!

Ethan was a little shyer this time and wouldn't sit on Santa's lap.

Grandma Anderson and Santa!

Jack on his first Christmas eve!

Ethan playing with toys at Grandmas. He was so excited for Christmas this year!

Raddy in his reindeer antlers and his new Christmas Snuggie (that's right, they make them for dogs)!

Christmas morning; Ethan on his new big boy bike!

Looking at all of his new toys! He and Jack must have been really good this year because Santa sure did spoil them!

Jack in his new entertainment center/bouncer! He loved it and probably would have stayed in it all day if he could have!

At Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's. I had the flu yesterday and so my family was nice enough to let us hang out there all day. They helped the boys have a fun Christmas, which I am so grateful for! Thanks to PJ and my family for taking over while I was sick in bed. I spent most of the day lying on the floor, watching my boys play and have fun, so at least I got to witness them having a good Christmas!

Jack sitting up like a big boy! He was so cute and happy all day!

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! As you can see, we sure did! We are so blessed to have our boys and each other, and wonderful families and friends! We are grateful for this time of year, when we can remember our Savior! Yesterday I asked Ethan who's birthday is was and he replied, "Jesus." Then I asked him where Jesus was, and he said, "he's at the Temple." I thought this was pretty amazing because we've never told him that (actually we told Ethan Jesus was in Heaven in the sky, so he thought he was on the moon). I am so happy that he is beginning to understand the true meaning of Christmas underneath all the excitement and toys!

Christmas time is Here!

2009-12-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

It's our favorite time of year! We have a goal to go and do at least one Christmas themed thing every weekend! We went to the Festival of Trees on the 5th, the lights at Temple Square last Saturday, and Oakridge's Christmas Party yesterday! We have also been trying to make sure we do festive things throughout the week, just at home! Here is Ethan proudly standing in front of our Christmas tree!

Jack being so cute and happy at Oakridge's Christmas party!

Aiden and Ethan in their matching sweaters!

Our family with Santa! Ethan told him he want Hungry Hungry Hippos and Cars for Christmas!

At Temple Square! Ethan loved all the lights, especially the red ones! Whenever we saw them he would say, "Look, red lights for me!"

The boys looked so cute all cuddled up!

Ethan and his daddy decorating a ginger bread house!

Ethan was so proud of his house!

Yesterday, Ethan just couldn't resist it any longer and had to start eating his house, though I think he was a little bit disappointed with how it tasted!

Aloha!!!

2009-11-28T20:17:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we went Kauai, Hawaii for a week with my family! It was such a fun, relaxing week hanging out on the beach, going on a helicopter ride, and going to a luau! Kauai is a beautiful, remote island and we had so much fun! It was hard coming home this morning and I think after you see the pictures you'll know why!

My dad arranged a helicopter tour of the island on our first day there! It was amazing, and Ethan especially thought it was so cool!

My family at dinner at a local restaurant!

My mom and dad!

PJ and Jack!

Jack wearing his lei!

In his Thanksgiving pajamas!

Our family at the luau!

My boys with their uncle Jacabo!

Ethan swimming in the pool!

Feeding bread to the chickens at our hotel. Everyday we would walk out onto our deck and see chickens, roosters, cats and a swan wandering around our hotel!

Ethan loved the beach! We spent a lot of time out playing in the waves and building sand castles!

Taking pictures of our family together around the hotel!

We found this amazing lighthouse on the north part of the island!

This was looking over a beautiful valley containing poi fields that we drove through! This island was incredibly beautiful. We spent a few hours on Friday just driving around and stopping and all of these amazing places! I'm so grateful to my parents for taking us here! We loved spending time with family in such an amazing place! It was a huge reminder of all that we have to be thankful for!

Jack's Blessing!!!

2009-11-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

Jack in his Blessing outfit!

With me. I promise he was happy the rest of the time. He was only upset in this pictures because he was hungry, but as soon as he was fed he was back to being my happy little guy!

Just a cute picture of Jack! He looked so handsome in his blessing outfit!

Well, it took us a few months but we finally got around to blessing Jack! He was blessed on Nov. 1 at our church house in Fruit Heights. The blessing was very nice, PJ did an amazing job! He is such a great daddy to these boys and I am truly grateful to have a husband worthy to hold the Priesthood! We had a lot of family come to it, which was so appreciated. PJ's grandparents traveled up from St. George to make it, which was so awesome of them to do! Unfortunately, due to a bout of swine flu, some of my family couldn't make it, but we appreciate the thoughts and well wishes they sent us! It was nice to have the blessing at the church, Ethan's was done at my parents house because of extenuating circumstances (it was also very nice, don't get me wrong), but it was nice to do something different! Jack was so good during the blessing! He didn't cry at all, even though he was awake and I'm sure he was wondering what was going on!
After the meeting we had a small luncheon at my parents house. It was nice to just have family and friends around celebrating our little Jack! Thanks to my parents for allowing us to invade their house. Also Sarah and my mom helped with the food, which was greatly appreciated! It was such a nice day, and we loved hanging out with family and friends! Jack is a very special boy! He is so happy and has been such a blessing to our family. I truly feel so fortunate that I get to be his mommy and watch him grow! Thanks to everyone who came and/or gave their support!

More Halloween Fun!!!

2009-11-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

At the pumpkin patch! Ethan picked out a huge pumpkin for us!

With my boys!

At the Ward Halloween party! We were the Incredibles and PJ was a great sport for agreeing to wear this outfit!

A man in our ward has a kangaroo! He brought it to the party and Ethan and Aiden got to pet it. This picture isn't great, but at least we have it to show Ethan when he is older. It was pretty cool!

Our family as the Incredibles! PJ was in charge of this party and I think it was a success! We had fun decorating cookies, playing with bean bags, hanging out with our neighbors and watching an awesome magic show (the same guy who owns the kangaroo is a professional magician and does some pretty amazing tricks)!

On Halloween night! I wanted to get a picture of my boys together!

Jack wearing his Halloween pj's! He looks so happy here, which is pretty indicative of his personality in general!

Halloween 2009!

2009-11-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

Ethan carving pumpkins at Sarah and Gary's house! He did so good and was not shy about getting pumpkin goop on his hands!

Our pumpkin, it looked better in the dark!

Ethan as Dash Incredible and Aiden as Optimus Prime. Sarah and I took them trick-or-treating around the neighborhood and to the grandparents and great-grandmas! They got a ton of candy!

Jack as a tootsie roll, he looked so handsome for his first Halloween! He didn't love the costume, but as always he was good natured about it!

Breck's Baby Shower!!!

2009-10-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Breck, Britney, and Lola

Becca and Breck, they look like they could be sisters!

Val, Tif, and Tawny decorating onsies for Breck's baby!

Breck and me with baby Jack!

Most of the girls at the shower (Paigely and Erica were taking the pictures, and Val had already left)

My friend Breck is having her first little baby this November, so Paigely Heath and I decided to throw her a baby shower! We having been planning it for a couple of months and yesterday was finally the big event! Breck doesn't know whether or not she's having a boy or girl, something that I think is pretty unique and cool and something I could never do! We tried to plan colors around how her nursery is decorated, in lime green, brown, white, and blue. Paigely found some really cute bread bowls that look like pumpkins, so we each made some soup! A lot of people came and it was really fun to see everyone and catch up! Also, Breck looks adorable pregnant! She still looks skinny except she has a cute belly! Everyone got her such cute stuff, she is obviously very loved! Breck has always been a great friend and I hope she had fun. She is going to be such a cute mom!

My Boys!

2009-10-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few pictures of my little guys! Jack is growing so big, literally, he is about 14 lbs and 24 inches! He is smiling now! It's so cute to see his happy little personality coming out! Ethan is just as cute and funny as ever! He talks a lot now and he is hilarious! He will go look at jack and say, "Hi, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie!" Last week, I was making dinner, baby Jack was lying on the floor and Ethan was sitting next to him. After a second I heard Ethan say, "Jack, don't ever ever ever do that or you'll have to go to time out." When I asked Ethan about it he said Jack had hit him! I tried to explain that Jack was just wiggling and doesn't understand, but I'm not sure Ethan understood! It was pretty funny to see Ethan try to teach Jack a lesson, though I hope, for jack's sake, we don't have another person trying to parent in the house!

Congratulations PJ!

2009-09-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

PJ doesn't let me take pictures of him very easily, so I had to sneak this one, but here is our official pilot!!!

This is a picture from PJ's school's website, that shows the kind of plane PJ has been flying since February!!!

A few weeks ago, PJ took and passed his flight test that qualifies him to have a private pilot's license!!! This means if anyone wants to take a flight somewhere, PJ can take you! He has now moved on to his instrument training, so that he can fly in clouds and storms, then to his commercial, and finishing with his flight instructor! We are all very proud of him and think it is really cool that he can fly planes! Ethan, who has a true obsession with airplanes and waves at every single one that flies by, is especially excited! PJ is a great husband and daddy and we love him and are so proud of him!

Update on Ethan's boo boo!

2009-09-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Ethan's lip still looks like it was hurt, but looks so much better than it did two weeks ago!

Getting thrown around by PJ! Obviously he feels much better!

Baby Jack just out of the tub!

Our bright eyed boy!

I just wanted to post a few pictures to show that Ethan has almost made a full recovery from his tragic day at Cherry Hill! Of course, it will be quite awhile before that tooth grows back in, but it could be worse. We took him to the doctor on Friday, and he said his lip is healing beautifully and we should not be able to even tell it happened in a couple of months! Ethan has become very proud of his boo boo and will show it to anyone who asks! Also, I thought I'd post a few more pictures of Jack because he is getting bigger and looking cuter everyday! He's still just an amazing baby!

Our first trip to the ER

2009-08-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ethan at the hospital, he's actually laughing in these pictures because Uncle Jake was tickling him!

Last Friday I was planning on writing a little post about how Jack was a month old. The time has flown by, and I have loved having him here and wanted to celebrate that! Firstly though, I had planned a little trip to Cherry Hill with Ethan, so we could have some mommy and son time. While we were there a series of unfortunate events occurred that derailed the whole day, the whole week actually, and gave me one of the worst days of my life (and what I'm sure has been the wort day of Ethan's).
We dropped Jack off at my mom's and headed over to Cherry Hill for a day of swimming and snow cones. The trip started out great! We played in Pirate's Cove, shared a tube on the lazy river (something we have not been able to do before on account of my giant pregnant belly and something Ethan thought was extremely fun), and were starting to wind down and get ready for the snow cone Ethan had been coveting all day. As we were walking back up to our stuff to leave, Ethan wanted to go into the pirate ship for a minute, so we did. We've played in there plenty of times and the treasure chest is one of Ethan's favorite things. We went in and sat on a bench while we patiently waited for some other kids to move away from the said chest. When they had Ethan climbed down and happily said, "Mommy, you want to look at treasure?" I remember this moment very vividly because as he stepped towards the chest he slipped on the wet floor and landed face first into the corner of the chest. Well, as you can see from the pictures, it was quite a hard fall. I scooped him into my arms immediately and left the boat, as blood gushed from his mouth. The next few minutes were a blur, but I know I called PJ hysterical and told him to get Jack because I had to take Ethan to the hospital. I somehow ended up in the break room, with multiple bags of ice that Ethan would not allow us to put on his mouth, and EMT workers some other parent who had witnessed the accident had called for me. I held Ethan in my arms as they cleaned and examined his wound, both of us sobbing uncontrollably all the while. Many sympathetic mothers who had followed me in there (0ne who even carried all of my stuff in there for me) consoled me with phrases like, "it's not as bad as it looks,", and "he's lucky, it could have been worse." The EMT's confirmed this by saying he would need stitched, but he was okay. We also discovered, while in that room, that one of his teeth was missing. Cherry Hill workers went back to the pirate ship to scour the room for his tooth, but did not find anything.
The EMT's said they would not need to take him to the hospital in the ambulance, and we could drive him there ourselves, but also said that I, in no uncertain terms, was absolutely not to drive him because I was in a state of shock myself.
Meanwhile, PJ has rushed to my parents to get Jack, and is pretty stressed out by the lack of information my hysterical phone call gave him. I called him back and had an EMT talk to him. He calmly came and picked me up. My brother Jake followed, so that he could give me a ride home at any time if I needed to go feed Jack. We ended up at North Davis hospital. ON the way there Ethan acted completely happy. PJ took a picture of him and he smiled and said "cheese!" He also waved at Jake and me and we passed him in Jake's truck, and he said hi to buses when he saw them. Seeing him so relaxed helped eased my concerns a lot.
The hospital visit was awful, but unfortunately necessary. Ethan was such a good boy and was totally happy and content while we were waiting for the facial reconstruction surgeon. The visit was made a lot easier thanks to his Uncle Jake who played games with him and kept his mind off the pain. The worst part was when they put his IV in. They had like five people holding him down, and they couldn't get it in. They poked each arm a few times and were digging around in it with a needle. Ethan cried and screamed, I bawled, and it took everything PJ had not to chew out the nurse. After a minute, they restrained him with bedsheets and stuck it in his foot. They drugged him up and once he was sedated things went pretty smoothly! The doctor sewed up his lip and discovered that his missing tooth had actually been pushed all the way up back into his gum! They took the tooth out and we were free to take him home.
So after an awful day, we finally got our two boys home, Ethan all stitched up and missing his front tooth. My mom said Jack was amazing, even though her went like six and a half hours without eating! He barely even cried and I'm pretty sure we had some help from above in keeping him so happy. I was so proud of both my boys, especially with how brave Ethan was through the whole ordeal! It was a rough day, and I have been assured that with two boys, it won't be my last ER visit, but I'm hoping there is at least a big break before we have to do anything similar to this again! I am very grateful for all the help we had that day, and for those who have visited Ethan or called. I'm also grateful beyond measure that it wasn't something more serious and that my little man will be just fine in the long run!

Do they look like brothers?

2009-08-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Ethan when he was a few weeks old!

This is Jack at a few weeks!

I think Jack looks exactly like Ethan did when he was tiny except for all of the dark hair that Jack has! I don't think I'm just seeing things, right? Ethan has grown into an extremely cute kid, so I'm thinking Jack will continue to be adorable as he gets bigger as well!

More pictures of Jack!

2009-07-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Our sweet boy!

At his "Birth" Day party last Thursday!

Taking his first bath!

His cute little smile!

PJ taking a nap with his little guys!

I just thought I'd put up a few more pictures of Jack, now that he's a week old!

Baby Jack is Here!

2009-07-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

My family visiting!
PJ's family visiting!
The first time I held Jack!
Our cute family!
Right after he was born!

For those of you who don't already know, baby Jack arrived this past Tuesday at 2:27 pm!!! He weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz (the exact same weight that Ethan was when he born), and 21 inches. I went to my doctors appointment Tuesday morning and she told me I was almost dilated to a 6, so she sent me to the hospital. I had had a few minor contractions, but nothing major. I got checked in at 11, then she broke my water at 11:30, and he came at 2:30, so it all went really fast! He is such a cute baby and so far Ethan loves him (in fact, we're more worried about him loving him too much and never leaving the poor guy alone). We came home this morning, and our just enjoying a relaxing day as a family! I just thought I'd get on and post a few pictures! Thanks to everyone who came to visit and/or offered us congratulations!

July so far!

2009-07-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

At the zoo!

The treasure hunt!
Playing with sparklers!
Watching fireworks!

It's hard to believe that July is almost half way over! Two weeks from today I will be induced (if Jack hasn't come sooner), so in the mean time I have been trying to fill our days with lots of fun activities for Ethan! Most of them involve water, since it has been incredibly hot here (at least it feels that way to me). We have been to Cherry Hill at least once a week, as well as the pool at Oakridge. My parents got Ethan as awesome blow up pool for his birthday, so we set that up and Aiden pulled out his slip and slide for a neighborhood water day! We also went to the zoo, the Three Little Monkeys, the Treehouse Museum, and we took Ethan to see Ice Age 3 on Saturday (it's not very good, if you were wondering). For the fourth of July we played at my parents. There was, of course a bbq, and my parents set up their fire pit, so we could roast marshmallows and make smores. My mom also got some new toys to keep at their house, like a rocket launcher that blows bubbles. And because she loves any excuse to spoil her grandchildren, she set up a treasure hunt for them to do that day. At the end there was toys for Aiden, Ethan, Collin, and Ian, and some candy! They are lucky kids! We watched fire works that night from my parents front porch (you can see Oakridge Country Club's really well from there) and then lit off our own! Ethan loved the fireworks and it still talking about them!

Last Tuesday, my doctor informed me that I should be prepared to go into labor at any time, so we are now just taking everything one day at a time. My mom and brother are out of town until Thursday, so my mom has informed me that I can't have Jack until then. I am doing my best not to, but what can you do? My dad is going out of town next week and so he doesn't want to have him then, but I keep telling them that they should quit planning trips when I'm nine months pregnant! Anyways, I know it's going to get crazy busy once Jack comes (though I promise to post a few pictures of him), so I thought I'd catch up on this blog while I still have a second to breath!

Less than a month to go!!!

2009-06-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

At my last doctors appointment, she informed me that she would be inducing me on July 27th if Jack has not come any earlier! This is very exciting news and I am so ready to meet the newest member of my family (not really though, as I'm still trying to get all of his stuff together and organized, but I will for sure be by the 27th)! Yesterday Sarah and my mom threw my an amazing baby shower and I got so much cute new stuff for Jack! It was very nice of them and I really appreciate everyone who came! I know people are busy, so it was really nice of them to take the time to come! I have already been given so much support for Ethan, and I know Jack will also be so loved! It makes me even more excited to bring him into the world, knowing he will have such great examples and a support system around him! We are a very lucky family! I will post a picture of me with my giant belly soon, but I wanted to post this so because I'm so excited that I'm in my last month!

7 Month Vacation!

2009-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

I know it sounds like I went on a seven month long vacation based on the title of this blog, but really we went on a little family vacation now that I am seven months pregnant! We figured we wouldn't have much time to go on a vacation this summer with Jack's imminent arrival, so we decided to head up to my grandma's cabin in Wyoming for a week! It is such an amazing place and so relaxing! There are four-wheelers and things like that to ride. Of course I couldn't ride them, but Ethan had a blast going out with his daddy and the other boys. It rained a little bit there, and was a little chilly, but mostly it was really nice to escape the heat and be outside! Everyone in my family except my dad, Sarah, Gary, and Aiden went, and PJ's friend Zach came up too! It was so fun just hanging out! It's hard to explain the cabin to someone who's never been there, but it is one of my favorite places in the world and I think anyone who has ever been there feels the same way!
We came home Friday in time to go see Joel McHale at A-brave-anal Hall! He was hilarious and my crush on him has only grown! Yesterday we were blessed to be able to go and watch as Kevin and Michelle Lacy got sealed in the temple! It is always so wonderful to be in the temple, but it was even better watching our friends get sealed to each other for eternity! They are such great people, and we felt honored to be invited to be a part of such a special day for them! Tomorrow it's back to normal life again, which means PJ will be at school and work this week, boo! But I so appreciate the nice break this past week was, now I am one week closer to having this baby, and being at the cabin made the week go by so much faster! Thanks to my awesome grandma for letting us go, and to my family and Zach for coming with!

2009-05-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random pictures of Ethan playing around at the Treehouse Museum in Ogden and with our cat Gob! Ethan loves animals of all kinds and luckily our cat Gob (pronounced Jobe) is really mellow and really likes kids. He lets Ethan pet him and hold him, he's actually more like a little dog! It's nice because Ethan gets really excited about it and will bring his toys out to share with Gob! Also, since I am done with school, I've had more time to take Ethan out to do some fun things! We've been to the park, the museum, walked down to the Three Little Monkeys, and we're headed up to Park City later today! Two weeks ago Ethan came to a doctors appointment with me and he was so good (though he does get a little nervous that they're going to hurt his momma) that we went to the treehouse museum right afterward as a reward! Normally the museum is kind of crowded, but on this day there was pretty much no one else there! It was so fun because Ethan just got to run aorund and play with everything without having to wait ten minutes for a turn. He always wants to ride on the big firetruck, but it's always so popular that it's usually covered with bigger kids. This day he got to play for a long time and her really enjoyed it! With the arrival of this next boy, it's so important to me to let Ethan know he is still so important to us, so days like this, where we get to have lots of one-on-one time are so important to me! I'm grateful I get to have this time to play with Ethan and prepare him for his little brother over the next couple of months (though I am starting to get incredibly uncomfortable, so I will be happy when this pregnancy is over!

Graduation 2009!!!

2009-05-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after a long two years of studying and writing what felt like a million papers, I officially graduated with a Masters of Science in American Studies! I wasn't even sure I was going to walk for graduation, but my dad wanted me to, so I did, and I am really glad I chose to! My family, PJ's parents and sister (and her boyfriend), and Zach Bosch all came and watched, which was very nice of all of them! It was nice to have a little cheering section for me when I walked up to be hooded and receive my diploma! When I first arrived at the field house to get in line with the other graduates, I saw Dr. Jeannie Thomas, who headed my thesis chair, and she walked up and gave me a hug and said congratulations! She has helped me so much throughout my graduate career and she is my hero, so it was cool to have her congratulate me! They had all the graduates walk through campus down to the Spectrum, which was kind of cool, but I wore the wrong shoes for it (I had a big old blister on my foot after it was finished). As we walked into the spectrum, all the teachers there with PHDs stood on either side of the hall and clapped for us; it was pretty cool, they really went out of there way to make sure it felt like a big day for us! The ceremony was long, and I was pretty sure I was going to pass out because my pregnancy and sitting so close to everybody was making me so hot, but it was fine. I got to sit by some friends of mine from grad school, so it made the less interesting parts of the ceremony go by quickly! After the ceremony, I went and posed for pictures with my family. Ethan ran and gave me the biggest hug, and kept on saying, "Good job Momma!" He was pretty excited about my hat, and wanted to wear it for a bit! My family took me out to eat at Maddox to celebrate, which was very kind of them! I really appreciated everyone who has supported me throughout everything, and to my family especially for driving all the way up to Logan to watch me graduate! It was a long, but fun day, and I cannot really believe that I now have a Masters Degree. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me, so that I could get this done!

2009-04-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Easter 2009!

2009-04-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

This year was Ethan's third Easter and it was the first one I think he really enjoyed (or at least he got into)! On Saturday our neighborhood had an Easter egg hunt, and though Ethan was really grumpy when it started, he warmed right up to finding eggs and running round! That night we colored Easter eggs with Aiden, and Ethan loved that! We cracked a few eggs and Ethan knocked over one cup of dye, but he had a great time, and overall I think it could have gone much worse! Sunday morning we woke up to see what the Easter bunny had brought Ethan! He was very excited about his basket of stuff and we let him take a few of his things to church with us (like crayons and a couple of eggs). After church we ate brunch at Oakridge, where than got to meet the Easter bunny! Like with Santa, he was a little nervous at first, but warmed up to her after she gave him some candy. It's not very hard to win Ethan over! Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's house for another Easter egg hunt My mom always goes all out for this, and Ethan got very soiled with candy and toys! While we were out looking for stuff, Aiden said, "This day just keeps getting better and better!" It was pretty funny! After the hunt, Ethan played with his new toys, we took a nap, ate food, and finally went home. Ethan keeps saying "more Easter," so though I don't think he understands at all what Easter really is about (he will say "Thank you Jesus" when we talk about it, but I know he doesn't know what he's thanking him for, maybe he thinks Jesus gave him all of the candy?), it was fun to watch him enjoy the day so much! I hope everyone had as wonderful an Easter as we did!

My Thesis Defense!

2009-04-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile since I wrote a post and a few important things have happened in the meantime. First off, last Friday, I presented a miniature version of my thesis at the "Art of Gender in Everyday Life Conference" at Idaho State University. Since the conference was just in Pocatello, I drove up and back the same day I presented. This meant that I didn't get to go to as many panels as I would have liked, but it also saved us money on a hotel and I only had to find someone to watch Ethan for part of the day on Friday until PJ got home from work. The conference went well, the woman who planned the whole thing invited me back to next years, so I'm taking that as a good sign! The most important thing was that it got me prepared to defend my thesis the following Monday. I had turned in my final draft of my thesis to my committee two weeks earlier, as per the rules, and was just waiting to defend. It was driving me crazy and I was really freaking myself out over it. I had totally convinced myself that I would get to my defense and they would just tell me my paper was awful and I hadn't passed my defense. The Saturday and SUnday beforehand was General Conference, which was great, because listening to the prophet and apostles talk was very calming to me. It also helped put things into perspective that even if I didn't pass, things would still be okay. I was greatful for that to help me cope. Monday morning, I was still pretty nervous as I drove up to Logan, but I was also resigned to the fact that whatever was supposed to happen would. As it turns out, all my worrying was for nothing! My defense went amazing! When it started, my committe asked me to leave the room while they discussed my thesis (this is customary, but still really awful). Once they called me back in though, they just said they all loved my paper so I could relax and they just wanted to talk about how I came to write it. Once they said that, it was easy to sit and discuss everything! For those of you who don't know, I did my thesis on Disney Princesses and gender constructions. I owe a ton to Raschell Smith Peschke and Lara Steed Barenze because they both have worked as princesses for Disney and they let me interview them! My whole commitee loves the interviews and told me how unique they made my paper! It was something that was so kind of them to do and they for sure didn't have to, so I am eternally greatful to them! After my defense was over, I had to fill out a ton of paper work, but I don't really care because I was just so happy I passed! My dad was up at USU for Entreprenuer Week (he organized it and so came to oversee it), and he waited out on the QUAD for me to finish my defense, so he could see how I did! Having my dad there, acting all proud of me, was just the icing on the cake! It was so nice to have his support! Though I did work hard for this master's degree, there is no way I could have done it without help and support from my family! So thanks to everyone who has been there and helped me, and even just said an encouraging word to me about it! You are all awesome!

The Zoo!!!

2009-03-17T21:54:00.001-07:00

Ethan really wanted to go to the zoo for his birthday, but it was still pretty cold and he was a little sick, so we didn't go then. To make up for it we went yesterday! The weather was really nice, and it was really great to spend a whole day outside! We took Sarah and Aiden with us, and had so much fun! We rode the train, the carousel, and saw a lot of animals! Ethan loved the elephants and giraffes and told his daddy about both when we got home! Today he has been saying "more zoo," so we'll have to take him s few more times as it warms up! The boys each got to pick a treat when we left and they both picked cotton candy, though Ethan wanted nothing to do with it once he opened it and felt it. I think it weirded him out a bit. All in all, it really was a great day and we were all really worn out by the time we left!

It's a...

2009-03-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

It's a boy! Today we went to the doctor and found out that we're having a boy! I am very excited for Ethan to have a little brother to run around with! Also, the doctor said he looks very healthy and that everything is forming and growing like it should! So we are very excited to have a healthy little boy join our family in July! Ethan came to the ultrasound with us and he didn't like it too much. He immediately recognized that we were at a doctors office and I think he thought he was going to get a shot. Then when he saw they were doing stuff to me, he got stressed out because I think he thought they were going to hurt me. Still, we are trying to keep him as involved as possible, so that maybe he can gain some kind of understanding over what's going to happen. I also am posting a picture of me twenty weeks pregnant! This means that I am half way there!

Happiness Tag!

2009-03-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

My friend Carrie did this and I thought that it was always good to think of things that make me happy, so I'm doing it! You're supposed to write out six thing that make you happy, and I tag everyone who reads this!

1. Ethan, everything about him makes me happy. He is so loving to me and he always wants me around. I also just love watching him play. It's a feeling I can't even explain, but just watching him drive cars around, build a tower with blocks, or look through a book brings me more happiness then I could ever describe. It is just pure joy and something I'm sure every parent out there can relate to!
2. Talking to PJ. He is so funny and easy going that he can very easily put me in a good mood. Even though it makes me exhausted the following day, I love when PJ and I stay up late to talk. He understands me and knows me like no other person, it makes talking to him so easy! I know he's personable with everyone, because people like him right away, but I love that I get to have so much alone time with him, just hanging out and doing nothing
3. Harry Potter! I know it's so dorky, but I can read those books over and over and never be bored. I love them so much I wish I was a witch and could go to Hogwarts! The movies are fine, but the books are the best books ever! I am an avid reader and have had to read a lot of books for my bachelors and masters, and while there are many great ones, none bring me the same pleasure that Harry Potter does (especially the fourth book)! It's the best escapism there is!
4. Music, at least the right kind of music! I don't think there is anything that can affect my mood like music can. I love the way songs can trigger old memories and feelings, and the way they can add new meaning to situations. I am constantly amazed that there are people out there talented enough to write music, play instruments, etc. It is a talent I wish I had (I can play the piano, but not well). The Beatles always stand out as my favorite, but there are so many amazing songs out there! I just don't really like songs where people are screaming or Katy Perry!
5. Holidays! Though Christmas is my favorite, I love all holidays! I love decorating my house to fit whatever holiday is approaching. I get really into all holidays because I think it makes life more fun! I always send out Valentines, make green food for St. Patrick Day, have a BBQ on the 4th, carve pumpkins for Halloween (and dress up of course), etc. I hate it when people act too cool to get into holidays and I never will! I also love it even more now that I am a mom and can make them fun and special for Ethan!
6. Working out! I am an exercise freak, as anyone who knows me can verify! I work out at least an hour a day, six days a week, no exceptions! It makes me feel like I've accomplished something, and like my body is strong! Even on days when I'm not feeling very motivated, I always feel so good after I've finished! I worked out on my wedding day, through my whole honeymoon, up until the day I went into labor with Ethan, and I started up again (though very mildly) two weeks after he was born. I only take Sundays off because it's the Sabbath, but I still sometimes like to go on walks if the weathers nice!

Ethan's 2nd Birthday!

2009-02-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, but my baby boy turned 2 on Wednesday the 25th! He has become such a fun little person, who talks an plays games! I am amazed with how smart he is and how much he understands! He has this incredible memory, like I bought a Lightening McQueen figure to go on his cake like a month ago, and when I bought it I told him it was going to to go on his birthday cake, and when we were on our way to pick up his cake he said, "cake, Lightening McQueen?" That just blows my mind! It was nice weather on his birthday, so we went and played outside. I was going to take him o the zoo, but he's had a bit of a cold, and I didn't want to keep him outside for too long, so we'll go when he gets better! We also went to lunch with his Grandma Margie, Aunt Sarah, and Aiden! Then we went to this great toy store called the Three Little Monkeys. They leave a lot of their toys ou, so kids can try them out before parents buy them. Ethan and Aiden played for a long time with all of the cool toys and Ethan got to pick one out! He picked this rocket launcher, that has a pump that you jump on to make the rocket shoot up. Every time he shot the rocket up and it would hit the ceiling he would say, "did you see that?!" After the toy store we went home and decorated (Ethan was, of course very excited about the balloons), and PJ got Ethan in the tub, which is Ethan's new favorite thing! We went and picked up his cake, and the ice cream, and PJ picked up pizza, o that we would be ready for his party! A lot of family and friends came and Ethan, of course, loved all of the attention he was given! He really is a people person, and likes to show off a bit when there's a crowd watching him! We ate pizza, with salad, and fruit (thanks to my awesome mom who brought the salads), and then watched Ethan open his mountain of presents! He was so cute about it, he didn't want any help, and if he thought I was going to he would tell me no. Then we had cake and ice cream, and Ethan loved when everybody sang to him! He blew out his candle all by himself, and was so excited when everybody cheered! He ate a little cake and ice cream, but maily wanted to play with hi new toys and his friend Justin who was there! So he spent most of the night running around, chasing balloons with him! After people left, he would bring me his toys and say "Open it?" so that he could get them out of the package! We let him open a few that night, but he was pretty worn out from the long day, so he went to bed pretty quick! I was so happy to see my little guy have a fun time, I think that's all you can ask for as a parent! I really appreciate everyone who was able to come and make it special for him! He's obviously a very loved kid! We have enjoyed every second with him, and I am so excited to continue to watch him grow over this next year!

Valentine's Day and Aiden's Birthday!

2009-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

My nephew Aiden's birthday is February 15th, which was a Sunday, and since he decided he wanted to go bowling for his birthday party, Sarah decided to have it on Saturday, which just happened to be Valentine's Day! PJ had already taken me to get massages last Thursday to celebrate, so we were cool spending the day with Aiden. After all, Valentine's Day is about spending time with people that you love and we love Aiden very much! We went bowling at Davis Lanes and all the kids had a great time! Aiden was really into it, and would run up to his lane, stop completely, and then throw the ball! Ethan also had a good time. He would kick, push, and throw the ball down, which would then travel at about half a mile per hour and eventually make it down. He called the pins "buttons" and would get so excited when they fell down! We ate pizza and had cake and ice cream, while Aiden opened presents! It seemed like he had a great time, which is what's most important! I just can't believe he's six already! That night I made dinner, with chocolate cake for dessert (PJ's favorite), and we watched Ghost Town, which was a pretty cute show. Ethan had already sent out all of his Valentines (and had a fun time decorating me and himself with stickers in the process), so we just gave him a little gift and he got to have some cake! Valentine's Day has always been a holiday I like because I think it's always nice to have a little reminder to show people that you love them! I definitely love my husband, son, family, and friends, and this new little baby that's growing bigger everyday! I am fortunate to have so much love in my life!

Ethan's New Big Boy Bed!

2009-02-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

In about three weeks, my sweet little baby boy will be turning two! I can't believe how fast he is growing up, it seems like he was just barely a tiny little baby. Anyways, for his birthday and also because we're going to be needing his crib for the new baby soon, we got him a new big boy bed! We wanted to make it kind of fun for him, so (and I have to give my parents complete credit here because they found the bed) we got him a Lightning McQueen bed! For those of you who don't know, Ethan is obsessed with Cars and loves anything that has to do with it! We took him to the store to see the bed and he was so excited that we knew we had to get it! PJ put it together for him, while Ethan would hand him tools, and also pretend to put it together as well. Ethan would say, "Daddy fix bed, Lightning McQueen!" and then "I help fix!" He was so proud of himself for helping, it was so cute! Once we got the bed all set up, PJ went and bought him Cars sheets, and comforter. Ethan was so excited about them, that when we put them in the washing machine to be cleaned, he sat next to it and cried. It was so sad, but also kind of funny! He has loved sleeping in his new big boy bed, and tells everyone about it! I'm so glad that he thinks his new bed is so fun!

Exciting News!!!

2009-01-29T10:47:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I know most people know this already now (especially since I inadvertently mentioned it in my last post), but I wanted to make an official post announcing our upcoming new baby! Yes I am now three months pregnant, so our baby will be due at the end of July! We are very excited about this new baby and our growing family! We don't yet know if it will be a boy or a girl, but we will be happy with either; we just want it to be healthy! We both really wanted Ethan to have a sibling close to his age, and we feel that this is a good time! We have tried to explain it to him, but he just laughs and says "Baby in Mommy's belly!" Maybe as I start to show more, he'll become more interested. We have known for a little while, but I wanted to make sure we went to the doctor and saw the heart beat before we made a big announcement. So here are a few pictures of our little baby! They're not great, but you can see that it's starting to get arms and legs (and we saw it has a very strong heart beat)!

2009-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

A week into our cruise we went to Costa Rica, and unfortunately, I forgot my camera. We spent the day there feeding spider monkeys bananas, shopping, driving around, and going on a zip line (actually, I was unable to go on the zip line because I am pregnant, but everybody else did, and they had a good time). PJ's grandparents took Ethan on a boat ride through the jungle, where he got to see alligators, birds, monkeys, and other various animals! The next day we went to Nicaragua! We were thinking that maybe we wouldn't get off the boat this day, until we pulled up to this beautiful beach! There were these incredible mansions up on the mountainside, and this amazing beach! So we got off for a few hours and just hung out on the beach, and walked around the local town (PJ felt a little uneasy in the town). I was so glas that we decided to get off that day, because it is probably the only chance I'll ever have to go to Nicaragua! That night was New Years Eve! We celebrated on the boat by having a formal dinner! It was kind of fun to get all dressed up! The boat shot off fireworks at midnight, and we rang in the New Year somewhere between Nicaragua and Guatemala. The next day we stopped in Guatemala and we shopped at the local market. PJ loved it because he got to do a lot of bartering. It was pretty fun and we got a lot of cool stuff! The people there were so nice and friendly that it made it one of our favorite stops! We had another day at sea and arrived in Acupocco on Saturday the 3rd of January! We were sad to leave the boat (especially Ethan, who kept on saying "more boat"), but ready to go home. Our flight from Acupocco was delayed, the airport was way overcrowded, and we missed our connecting flight in Atlanta. The airline also lost all of our checked luggage, and we had to spend the night in the airport. It was not our favorite flying experience, but Ethan was amazing through it, and we finally landed in Utah at 9 am Sunday morning. All of luggage got returned to us eventually, so it all worked out! This cruise was so much fun and it was so great to spend time with PJ's family, who we do not get to see as often as we would like! Ethan loved it, and I am excited to tell him about his first time leaving the country!

The Panama Canal!

2009-01-14T08:42:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the 28th of December our cruise ship went through the Panama Canal! PJ's grandpa really wanted to make this cruise educational, so that's why he picked the Panama Canal one. It akes about eights hours to go through the canal, but it is actually pretty amazing! There are locks on each side and it takes about 45 min. to go through a lock (I think you go through about six all together). When you enter the canal, the locks close around the boat, creating like a giant swimming pool, and then they fill up with water, raising the boat like fifty feet. Then one side of the lock opens and you go onto another. The middle of the canal is just like a huge river, and you get to float along looking at all of the jungle life in Panama! At the end, you go through more locks, except the water is released from it, and the boat sinks back down to sea level. We spent the day out in the sun, watching the locks and the Panama scenery from a sun deck. That night our boat arrived in Panama, and we were able to go there for a bit. We drove to the Temple, which was, of course, beautiful. Then we drove around Panama City, which is huge, and has some parts which were terrifying! There was poverty there like I have never seen in my life, and our cabdriver said that some of the worst crime happened there. Also, somthing interesting, when our cab driver picked us up a police officer took account of how many passengers he had. Later when we wanted to split up (we were with PJ's family), he had to find a police officer who could record that four of us were going in a different taxi. Otherwise, I guess he could have been arrested for not returning all of his passengers safely. It was amazing the amount of protection we had as Americans. Police officers would always stay near us, watching out for us. PJ, Ethan, Maddi, and myself went and ate dinner on the street in Panama City before getting back on the boat. It was a quick visit, but very interesting! And it was the first time that Ethan went into a different country, so we can always remember that!

Panama Canal Cruise: Jamaica

2009-01-10T14:36:00.001-08:00

From Dec. 23 until Jan. 4th we, along with PJ's family, went on a cruise through the Panama Canal! The whole thing was so much fun, and since we were gone for so long, I have a lot to catch up. I am going to write this trip in a few installments, because I just don't have time to sit and write all about it at once. We got on the boat in Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 24th. Christmas was a day at sea, which meant a lot of time sitting by the pool. We also took Ethan to see Santa, and do various Christmas activities, and that night we had a formal dinner, where everyone dressed up. Sea days were fun and relaxing, but my favorite days were port days! Our first stop was my favorite port, and that was Jamaica! We went there on the 26th, and though we only had like eight hours there, we did a lot. We had heard Jamaica was not the safest place, and PJ's grandma was staying on the boat, so she graciously watched Ethan for us. We went with PJ's aunt, uncle, and cousins to Dolphin Cove first, where we actually got to swim with dolphins! It was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had! Our dolphins name was Skye, and we got to pet him, and he pulled us through the water. We wished that we could have spent more time there, but it was still pretty amazing! After that, we headed to Dunn Falls! There we actually hiked up the water fall! It was so much fun! There would be little pools that we could wade in, and then we would continue up the rapids. it was suprisingly not slippery, and it was so cool to hike up an actual waterfall. Unfortunately, we had to put all of our stuff that we didn't want to get wet in a locker before we hiked, so I couldn't take any pictures of that. It was still an amazing day! Jamaica is a place we would definitely like to go back to (people trying to sell PJ pot aside)!

Christmas in Utah!

2009-01-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of posts to catch up on, so I thought I'd start with these pictures taken Dec. 21, when we celebrated Christmas in Utah. As you may know, we went on a cruise through the Panama Canal over Christmas and New Years, so we decided to give each other our presents early, and have Santa visit Ethan early! It was really fun because Ethan was actually really excited about it! After church, PJ took Ethan to change his clothes, while I set up all of his presents and filled his stocking. When he came out he kept on saying "oooooooh, oooooh" at all of the presents. Then, once he had opened them from their wrapping, he would turn to one of us and say "open it" because he wanted to get each toy out right away! After presents we had brunch together and hung out. We got Ethan a new power wheels, so we took him out to ride it and show the neighbors! That night, we went to my parents for dinner, where we exchanged presents with them. Jake got us a ton of cool cooking things, including a restaraunt stylr deep fryer! My parents also got us a bunch of DVDs and cooking thins, and money to take on the cruise! Ethan, of course, got a billion more toys, and we have no idea where we're going to out them! Before we flew out to Florida on Tuesday, we also got the chance to go to dinner at my grandma's house! That is a tradition, and because of circumstances not relating to PJand me, she had her dinner on the 23rd instead of the 25th! It was great for us because we got to do one more trational thing before we left. And, of course, we took time to remember what Christmas was all about, by reading the scriptures, and talking about goals we have that will help us to live more like Jesus did. We are a truly blessed family, and we're grateful for the holiday season!

Friend ChristmasParty!

2008-12-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

For the past eleven years my high school friends have gotten together to celebrate Christmas! This year we went out to dinner at Corbins and then went to Britney's house to eat cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory (which cost $91)! Like it always is when we get together, it was such a fun night! We caught up and told old stories from high school! We were missing Niki because she stays at her house in California since it's too hard to transport three kids and presents to Utah. We wished she was there, but hopefully we will get to see her again soon! This night was also significant because Bonnie and Adam are moving to Florida in a week, so it was the last time I'll get to see her for a while. They will be there for a year, and with school and lack of money, I don't know if I'll get a chance to go visit her (though she says they're planning on visiting Utah. I will miss her so much! I hate having my friends live far away, but it will be so great for her and Adam! We had a fun night talking, eating, and opening presents, and I really love my friends so much! I'm so thankful to have them in my life, they are the best friends I could ask for!

Oakridge Christmas Party!

2008-12-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday was the annual Christmas party at Oakridge Country Club! My family has gone every year since I can remember, and it is something I always look forward to! We eat great food and my grandma always buys the younger kids a Christmas book and toy and the older ones cologne and perfume. She is such a generous woman, who just wants to be with her family and we all love her very much! Santa was there, so we took Ethan and Aiden to see him (and as you can see, Collin wanted to come along as well). A week before we had taken Ethan to see Santa at the mall and he had been terrified, but he liked the Oakridge Santa. He sat with him, and told him thank you when he got candy from him. Ever since when we say anything about Santa to him he says "ho ho ho, Santa candy." So he at least seems to understand that Santa gives him candy! Next Tuesday night, we're headed off for a ten day cruise with PJ's family, so I was especially glad to be able to spend a day doing holiday things with my family. Though I am very excited for the cruise, I am also a little sad to be gone over Christmas, so I have to make sure to do lots of fun, traditional things with Ethan and PJ before we go!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

Right now I am taking a break from making rolls for today's Thanksgiving dinner and I wanted to write and just say how Thankful I am for everything in my life! With the stress of school and life in general I sometimes don't appreciate everything the way I should. There are some days when I feel completely overwhelmed with homework, but then I think how lucky I am to have an opportunity to further my education, where so many people in the world don't. And I have a wonderfully supportive family that does their best to support me through it! I am so thankful for the people I have in my life! I have the best family and friends in the world! If there is something I need there are always people there to help me! They are also great examples to me of kindness, charity, unselfishness, and just friendship in generally. I learn so much from my friends and family and I don't know where I'd be without them! Going slong with that, I am especially grateful for my little family! I love everything about both PJ and Ethan, and I love so much that I get to be in their lives! I'm so grateful for a kind, generous, supportive, righteous, fun husband, who takes care of me! And I don't think words could express how I feel about my little Ethan! He has been the joy of my life! If I'm ever sad, he hugs me and says "love you." He is just the funniest, sweetest, brightest kid I could ever imagine! On top of all of this, I'm blessed to be a member of the one true church, that allows me to live forever with my family! I'm so grateful for the guidance of President Monson and other leaders, for temples, and for repentance! Whenever I have followed the spirit, I have never felt lost or unsure, and it's a wonderful comfort to know it is always there if I need it! I could keep going listing all of my many blessings (my house, our car, and other worldy things), but I will end here! Thank you to everybody who has been a friend to me and my family! I'm lucky to have all of you in my life!

PJ's 25th Birthday!!!!

2008-11-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

My PJ finally turned 25 last Saturday! It's a big birthday and I wanted to do something special for it, so I planned a surprise trip to Park City, with a surprise party! It took a ton of planning to get everything figured out, so PJ wouldn't find out. Luckily, I had a lot of help from my sister and his friends. Friday night, we went and saw the new James Bond. PJ really wanted to see that, snd knew about that part. What he didn't know was that we were going up to Park City together right after the movie, and we were leaving Ethan with my parents for the night (for anyone who really knows me, you know how hard that was for me, I've neer spent a night away from him before)! PJ was shocked because he did not think I'd ever leave him! On the way up though, we hit a little snag, actually it was a coyote! We were driving in the canyon, on the lane right next to the median, and a coyote jumped over the median and pretty much right into our car! Luckily we were safe. The coyote died, and we called the cops to come record the damage on our car for our insurance (it ended up being around $2,000)!
After that adventure, we finally got up to Park City and I did okay with Ethan not being there. My mom saud he asked, "Moomy back?" and when she said I was coming back, he was fine sleeping there. I felt much better knowing he handled it so well! The next day we hung out until Sarahm Gary, and Aiden brought Ethan up. Then we all went to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays! Whike we were there, PJ friends came to the condo and help set up everything for the party I had hidden in the guest room! We came back and everyone suprised PJ! It was fun, and I know PJ was not expecting it! Joel brought up Rock Band and Scene It, so we spent a lot of the night playing those. It was really fun and I was so grateful to everyone for driving up there, helping set things up, and bringing stuff of their own!
We left Park City the next day in time to drive to PJ's other birthday party that was thrown by my parents (though he knew about that one), so PJ got to have a birthday weekend extravaganza! It really was a fun weekend for me as well, but I'm also glad it's over so I don't have to plan it anymore! PJ is a great husband and dad, who is incredibly unselfish, and makes life more fun, so I'm glad he had a nice birthday! We love him very much and feel very lucky that he is in our lives!

How We Met Tag!

2008-11-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

Just like my cousin Lara, I think these thing are really fun! So I hope whoever reads this will do one of their own!

1. Where did you meet? We met up in Logan, at my sorority house. PJ had a billiards class with some of my sorority sisters, and they brought him over! He figured that in a house with 24 girls, he had good odds (and I guess he was right)! His car was parked in the drive way, so I couldn't pull in, and I made him move his car, and then park mine for me! I also remember that it was Big/Little night, so I was dressed in a fairy costume!

2. What was the first thought that came to your head when you met? I don't remember honestly! I thought he was cute, and he was fun to hang out with that night, but beyond that I didn't think much.

3. Do you remember what he/she was wearing? Well, we have a picture of it, so I know he was wearing a red polo shirt with yellow stripes. I have no idea if I would know that if we didn't have it documented.

4. Where was the first time you kissed this person? Right outside the Alpha Chi Omega house, after our first date. It was just a peck, because PJ was nervous to kiss me at all. He didn't want to go too fast and make me think he just wanted action! So sweet!

5. Where did you go on your first date? We went to Ruby Tuesdays and then to his apartment to watch Romeo and Juliet. It wasn't too exciting, because we left late, and I don't eat after 8 pm, so I just hung out at dinner. What made it awesome was how easily we got along! I felt so comfortable with PJ right from the start, like I could tell him anything!

6. When were you officially a couple? I'm not really sure. We always say December of 2003, cause that's when we started dating and we were pretty much together from that point, but I know when I went to BYU Hawaii we left it open. I went on a couple dates there, before I realized that I had no interest in anyone but him! I know he didn't date anybody else at all after we started to, so December is probably pretty accurate.

7. How did he/she ask you out? He asked me out three times and I couldn't go, so right before the end of the semester I called him up and said we should hang out. He planned the date, but I called, so I guess we just kind of asked each other out!

8. Has this person ever proposed to you? Yes he did, and it was amazing! The night before he had arranged for my friend Adrian to take me to dinner, so he could go ask my dad for permission! I had no idea that he had done that, so I was totally not expecting anything! We went on a drive up in this rich neighborhood in Logan. After a minute, PJ pulled over at this grassy area, with a bench, that looked out over the valley, with a perfect view of the temple. We sat on the bench for a little bit, and then I started to get cold (it was April, but still cold in Logan). He went to his truck to get a blanket for me, and while he was there he turned on our song. He brought back flowers with the blanket. Then he asked me to dance and we did for a second. When I was still shivering, he wrapped me in the blanket, and set me down on the bench. He then got on his knee and asked me to marry him. It was so sweet! It was the perfect way, and I will remember it for the rest of my life!

9. Do you and this person have kids together? Yes!!! We have a beautiful little boy together named Ethan! Ethan is the cutest, smartest, funnest kid I could have hoped for and I love him more than I could ever describe!

10. Have you ever broken the law with this person? No, except maybe speeding. Though we did hit a coyote this weekend, but it was an accident.

11. When was the first time you realized you liked this person? I knew I liked him the first night I met him, he was very easy to get along with. I worried that after denying him three dates, he might have built me up in his head and we wouldn't mesh well. But I guess I can go back to that first date, where we were like instant best friends! It wasn't long after that that I knew I loved him (though I don't think I could pinpoint the exact second).

12. Do you get along with his family? Yes I do! His siblings are much younger than us, which is kind of fun! I get to feel like a big sister! We live an hour and a half away from them, so we don't get to see them that much, but they are great people who have totally welcomed me into the family from the start!

13. Do you trust this person? I completely trust PJ, I would not have married him if I didn't!

14. Do you see him/her as your partner in your future? Sure do, that's why we got married in the temple! We couldn't imagine a future without each other!

15. What is the best thing he/she gave you? Well, he gave me himself, and a child so I would say that's two pretty amazing things! He also gives me support and his belief in me allows me to try things I never would without him. If I had never met PJ, I know I would not be working on a masters degree right now! As far as physical things,I really love both my engagement and my wedding rings, my elliptical, a flight in a small airplane, and tickets to things like Joel McHale and Jack Johnson! PJ's very good at giving presents that get us out doing things, and I love that!

16. What is one thing he/she does that gets on your nerves? When PJ's looking for an item of clothing, he will pull everything out of his drawers or laundry basket, and forgets to put them back (though he is working on it and getting better). That drives me crazy!

17. Where do you see each other fifteen years from now? Who knows! We don't have a fifteen year plan. As long as we're together as a family, we'll go where life takes us!

18. What causes the most arguments? Usually mis-communications. I say something, and PJ thinks I mean something else or vice-versa. It's weird how boys and girls communicate in completely different ways! Sometimes I just want to vent to him, and then he wants to fix it, and that frustrates me because I'm not asking him to fix it for me, and it goes from there. Stupid things, I know.

19. How long have you been together? Almost five years, and married for four!

20. Are you married? Sure are, December 16, 2004!

I tag...everyone who reads this!

Rocking Out!

2008-11-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a few pictures of all the boys playing rock band at my parents house! Jake and Joel love the game and were playing it, when Aiden and Ethan saw and didn't want to be left out of the fun! So Aiden sang, while Ethan played guitar! Of course, their instruments were not plugged in, but they didn't know and were having a great time! It was so cute watching how much fun Ethan was having! After he got bored, Aiden wanted a turn at the guitar, so they switched! I had to run upstairs to get my camera, but I'm so glad I did because I love these pictures!

Halloween 2008!

2008-11-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ethan's second Halloween was so much fun! He was actually old enough to understand it a little bit, at least that he gets candy which was enough for him! Thursday night we carved pumpkins with Sarah, Gary, and Aiden. Aiden, who doesn't like to get his hands dirty, had a hard time taking out all the pumpkin seeds and goo from his pumpkin. In fact, it made him throw up when he tried. Besides that minor set back, it was really fun! Ethan didn't mind getting his hands all goopy, so he just kept on reaching into the pumpkin with his little spoon and pulling out one seed at a time! Last night we did a Halloween dinner with Sarah, Gary, adn Aiden and then Sarah and I took the boys trick our treating on our street. After that we split up because Aiden wanted to do more trick or treating and Ethan was done. We did go visit my parents and grandma though, where he was showered with attention and candy! Ethan was a great sport about wearing his costume, he even wore his hat this time! I think he really had fun, I even got him to say trick or treat, though he wouldn't say it at most houses (though he always said thank you when he got candy)! It makes me excited for all of the holidays, and getting to watch him enjoy them more and more as he grows up!

More Halloween Pictures!

2008-10-26T12:25:00.001-07:00

Breck and Preston's Halloween Party 2008!

2008-10-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last night was Breck and Preston's annual Halloween Party! Breack always goes all out for her party, so it was a lot of fun! PJ, Ethan, and I dressed as Barney, Betty, and Bam Bam Rubble from the Flinstones! Ethan had a hat that went with his costume, but didn't want to wear it, so we took a few pictures of him in it before we left home. At least we got some, right? We had a neighborhood Halloween party last night as well, so we went to that first and then to Breck and Preston's. Unfortunately, our arriving late meant that we missed Tiffany and Casey, which is too bead cause I would have loved to see them and I hear their costumes were great! Breck and Preston dressed as a butterfly and butterfly catcher, Paul Timothy dressed as Preston on his first day of kindergarten (he even had a picture of Preston in the same outfit pinned to his costume), Smitty and Ashley were Robin Hood and Maid Marion, Britney and her kids were Princess Leia, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda, Ryan and Paigely were Ryan Harding and Breck and Preston's dog Soda (Paigely was wearing one of Soda's shirts, she is the only grown person I know who is small enough to fit into a dog's shirt), and Bobby, Erica, and Brody were a biker, a witch, and a ninja respectively! We hung out, made navajo tacos and donuts, Paul played the guitar, some people carved pumpkins, and there was even a pinata! I always love when my friends get together! We always have a fun time and last night was no exception!

Boulder, Colorado!

2008-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

This last Wednesday PJ, Ethan, and I went to Boulder Colorado for a few days! I was presenting a paper at the Western Literature Association's annual conference, and they came along to support me! We left really early Wednesday morning, and arrived at around 4:00. Since Ethan is not a fan of long car rides, we decided to drive my parents motorhome out there to see if that helped. He loved it! Even after we had driven in it for seven hours on Wednesday he still said "car house" all day Thursday and yesterday! I had to go to a lecture that night, but we had dinner and checked in to th hotel first. Thursday, I spent the morning at panals, but then we did some touristy things tht afternoon! Boulder is an amazing city, kind of a mix between Logan and Park City! It is a total college town! We went down to this outdoor mall on Pearl Street, and it was so much fun! It had amazing little shops, great bookstores, toy stores, and a kitchen supply store that had such cute stuff! If we had more money, we would have done some serious shopping! There was also a store called Lush there, which is one of my favorite places ever! They don't have any in Utah, but we always order stuff from them online. It sells all thesew organic soaps, that smell amazing, and make your skin and hair so soft. They have a line of men's products that PJ loves as well! In the middle of the walkway at the mall there were areas of rocks for kids to climb on, and of course our little monkey Ethan thought that was pretty great! Scattered throughout the stores were these beautiful historical buildings, and even a museum! We could have spent all night there if it hadn't started to rain! I had another lecture to go to that night, but I was grateful I got to spend some time exploring Boulder! Yesterday I went to the Graduate Student Luncheon, before I had to present me own paper. I was so nervous for the whole morning beforehand. I said a little prayer before I left, and it worked cause I was able to overcome my nerves and present! I felt like it went well, though I was more happy to be finished than anything! I wached an old teacher present a paper, and then we headed back home. We arrived back here at around 2:oo am. Luckily, PJ is a great husband and drove most of the way, while Ethan and I slept in the back. It was a really great few days, and PJ and I both agree that if we could both very happily live in Boulder one day if life happened to take us that direction! It was also a great opportunity for me to present, and to network with other professionals in my field! I was able to meet many well respected writers such as Patricia Limerick, William Kittridge, and Mary Clearman Blew! They may not be well known to popular culture, but I have read and studied a lot of their individual works respectively, and I was really excited to be able to meet them and here them present on their new writings! And next year Cormac MaCarthy is going (he wrote No Country For Old Men and The Road), so maybe I'll get to meet him!

Bonnie and Adam's Wedding!

2008-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

This last Friday, Bonnie Bailey and Adam Wood finally got married! It was the tenth anniversary of their first kiss, so this wedding is a long time coming! They had a BBQ on Thursday night for family and friends at Adam's parents house. It was really fun, we had good food, Joe did a fire show, Paul Timothy played the guitar, someone read a poem about Bonnie and Adam, and we got to hear speeches from them and their parents. It was fun seeing everyone from high school, in fact the whole wedding was like one big Davis High reunion! We went to the temple on Friday to watch them get sealed to each other, which was an amazing experience! No one ever thought that day would come, and seeing how happy they both were during the sealing was so great! After we did the temple pictures, PJ and I went out to lunch with Niki McDowell and Paul Timothy. It was really great, because I never get to see Niki, and she was only here for a couple of days, so I was so happy to get to hang out with her all day! Her daughter McKynlee is beautiful, just like her mom! The reception that night was really fun! They had cold stone creamery cater it, which was pretty cool! Jared Shaw, Charlie Hammond, Bryce Stevenson, and Landon Potter presided over a small little, very informal ceremony where they exchanged their vows! There was more music, and a lot of catching up with people! My parents brought Ethan by, which was great of them because I missed him all day (though he slept through most of the reception)! We had a little Farmington Junior High reunion, and took a picture of our group of friends from back then together (the only person who was missing was Julie)! It really was such a fun wedding, and I am so happy for Bonnie and Adam! They are so cute together and we all have been waiting for them to tie the not! It's great to see that they both got to a point where they were ready to do so! I know they'll be very happy together!

The Zoo!

2008-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Last Monday my mom, Sarah, Aiden, Ethan, and I all went to Hogle Zoo for the day! We already went once this summer, on the Mommy and me day, but this time the carousel was finished and it was a lot less crowded. The boys had a lot of fun seeing all the different animals! Ethan is a big fan of animals, so he thought it was pretty great. He especially liked the leopard because it came right up to the glass and was like a foot away from him. He also really liked the bears and was upset when we moved on to other animals. Of course the favorite was the carousel! We rode it twice and both boys wanted to keep on going! I was nervous Ethan wouldn't like it, but he just laughed through it and waved at his aunt Sarah whenever we pased her! We ran into Britney Redd with her kids, mom, and sister-in-law there, so that was fun! The little boys got matching shirts from their grandma (who also paid for them to go to the zoo and bought them treats throughout)! They were both so exhausted when we left that they fell asleep on the drive home. It was such a fun day for everyone! I love seeing how curious Ethan is about everything and watching him discover new things. Aiden was excited about having Ethan there and wanted to make sure he saw everything too! He's such a good cousin! It's so fun having them live next door, so we can have the boys play together all the time!

Bonnie's Bachelorette Party!!!

2008-09-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Breck, Bonnie, Britney, and I went to Park City for a girls weekend before Bonnie gets married! We were planning on going to Vegas for the weekend, but unfortunately Bonnie's grandpa passed away and his funeral was that Saturday. So we through together the Park City trip really fast, but we still had a great time! We went to the Flying Sumo on Main Street for dinner. It was the first time I'de ever tried sushi and though I was nervous, I actually liked it! Nothing like your friends to get you to try new things! We stayed at the restaurant talking until after it had closed. Britney had Lola with her, and I picked Ethan up after dinner, so no clubbing for us. Instead, we went to The Lodges at Deer Valley, where my very generous grandma had got a place for us to stay that night! The place was amazing, it had three bathrooms, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room! We stayed up late talking, as Bonnie gave us the whole history of her and Adam's relationship! The next morning we went to brunch at a restaurant on Main Street. They had these amazing white chocolate, macadamia nut cookies, so Bonnie and Britney took a bunch and his them in their purse! After breakfast we headed home, but it was such a fun night with the girls! It's been so great because we have had a chance to hang out a lot more lately! I only wish Niki was around, so she could come too! We all really miss her and are so excited for her to come out for the wedding! Then the group will feel complete, just like the old days! It's amazing that after eight years, marraiges, kids, a divorce, moving away, etc we're still there for each other! I have awesome friends!

2008-08-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Cabin!

2008-08-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

After two and a half years we finally made it back up to my grandparents cabin in Etna Wyoming (right outside of Star Valley)! Sarah and Gary planned out this trip months ago, and we're so glad they did! Most of my family went up on Friday the fifteenth, but we couldn't because we had a wedding on the sixteenth and Jack Johnson tickets on the eighteenth. So Monday, after the concert (which was so amazing, by the way) we headed up. We arrived at about 5:00 am on Tuesday morning. It was a long night, but Ethan slept through most of the drive, which is what we were hoping for (he hates being in the car for very long). We could only stay for a couple of days, but it was so fun! We did the usual four wheeling, and Ethan loved riding on them! We also did a bonfire and Joe Bailey juggled fire for us! Ethan also loved riding the big wheels on the deck. There were five of them and a miniture car, and he would just go back and forth between them all! Seeing how much fun he had made the drive totally worth it! We also had fun watching the Olympics, especially the fast walk racing, which was hilarious! We had to leave Thursday for another wedding, but we were happy that we got to go at all! We hope to get up there again soon!

Ethan and Justin!

2008-07-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Friday, Ethan and I went over to Matt and Nicole's to have a playdate with Justin! Ethan and Justin are only a little over a month apart in age, so it's fun for them to play together! Justin is my cousin Matt's son, and Nicole is his wife (though we were sorority sisters and friends also, so it was really great when they got married and she became a member of the family). Justin was asleep when we got there, but Nicole got some toys out for Ethan. Though Ethan is always pretty shy with people at first, he warmed up to Nicole pretty quickly! When Justin woke up, he just wanted his mom for awhile, but soon he started playing on the floor with Ethan. The best was when they were both running around Justin's room, throwing a football, and climbing on his bed together! Then Ethan found this little Spiderman ride-along toy of Justins and hopped on. After a minute, Justin decided to join him, and climbed on the back! It was pretty funny! It was really great because the boys had fun, and Nicole and I got to catch up a little bit! Hopefully we'll find some time to do it again soon (though next time we can use my house, since the boys made a mess of theirs)!

2008-07-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, we had a BBQ at Millcreek Jr. High with my high school friends to celebrate the 24th! Ryan and Paigely Heath organized it. They bought a ton of hamburgers and hot dogs and even brought their grill over! Bobby and Erica McGuire brought their son Brody, who is only a couple of weeks younger than Ethan! Preston brought some fireworks and had fun setting them off! Everyone played games and had fun! Ethan found a baseball bat and carried it around for awhile! Paul took Ethan around to see some dogs that other people at the park had. We really appreciated how great everyone was with him! PJ and I had a lot of fun! It's nice that after all of these years we still keep in touch with my high school friends!

Collin the Hulk!

2008-07-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

I just had to post these pictures of Collin dressed as the incredible Hulk! He picked out the gloves and mask (complete with sound effects) at the store and put them on as soon as he got home! Though Ethan was a little freaked out about it, the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed Collin wandering around the house, hitting the gloves together so they would make sounds! He took off the mask to show Ethan that it was him, and so Ethan would not get scared! Collin is such a great younger brother! He is always so happy and willing to do whatever to make others happy as well! We really love him a lot, and are grateful for the way he always brightens our day! It is impossible to be in a bad mood around him!

Friendship Tag!

2008-07-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Although, I think it should be called memory tag. Anyway, this could be fun, so here's the deal:

1. Add a comment of a memory you have of the two of us together. It doesn't matter if you know me very well or just a little, it can be anything. It can be a recent memory or from way back. Once you leave a comment I will assume you are playing too.

2. Add these instructions to your own post and wait for the memories to start rolling in.

2008-07-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

I didn't add any tub pictures to my last post, so here are a few more pictures from this weekend!

4th of July in Texas

2008-07-07T21:09:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we were fortunate enough to get to spend the 4th at Sarah and Gary's! Everyone except Jake went and it was a lot of fun to just play around as a family! Ethan loved copying Aiden and playing Wii with Gary and his Dad! Thursday we went swimming, and Ethan was very brave at the pool. In fact, he was fearless! He kept trying to walk off the edge, right into the water, It makes me a little nervous for our cruise in December, we may have to buy him a leash! We spent the 4th shopping and having a BBQ at Sarah and Gary's. We could see fireworks from their house, so we watched a little (Ethan thought they were cool for a minute, then lost interest). Ethan and Aiden had dance parties together, and got in the tub! Aiden liked taking pictures with my camera, and so we got a lot of random pictures (some of Ethan's forehead and Aiden's closet, but also a few funny ones of people being goofy too)! We got back today, and though it's nice to be home, the weekend went by too fast! We had a lot of fun and are so glad we got to hang out as a family for at least a few days!

2008-06-27T07:50:00.001-07:00

Ethan loves being outside, infact the kid would never come inside if we didn't make him! He got a really cool sand and water table from my parents for his birthday, and he loves to play in it, but he always gets soaked! So a couple of days ago, I decided to get in our swimsuits and have fun just playing in the water outside! I made sure the table was full, but we also put water on his slide, so that he could get all wet when he went down it! I should him how to use the sprayer on the hose (which I may really regret later) and he had fun spraying things (me included)! It has been getting so hot here that it was really fun to be outside and not be dying of heat! And Ethan is such a fun kid, he loves to be busy and explore new things, that he had a great time! We, of course, had to stop playing and watch every plane that flew overhead, Ethan has a new fascination with airplanes! He also loves to push around his stroller, so I had to put a picture of that in!
The other good news is that Ethan is really starting to talk now! Before he would say ball, woof, and he would say mom and dad, but not to us. Now he says mom when he wants me (or dad when he wants PJ), he also says, baby, binky, please, Raddy (that's my parent's dog's name), kitty, yes, wee, and he still is signing a bit! We, of course, feel that he is a genius!

Ethan and Aiden and Father's Day!

2008-06-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

I just had to put this picture in of Ethan and Aiden liking batter off of the mixers! Sarah, Gary and Aiden came to visit for a week (unfortunately, I was in class for most of it). They are moving back to Utah and were looking at houses! The next picture is Ethan and his daddy riding a four wheeler. Ethan loves four wheelers and whenever we go over to my parents he wants to ride. He will even press the accelarator himself! Lastly, we have Father's Day! Ethan gave his daddy a book and matching shirts and I gave him the The Lord of the Rings extended version. We went to church, and then to my parents for a barbeque. It was a fun day! That night, I had to go up to Logan for my last workshop, so we couldn't Father's Day was cut a little short (I actually made a turkey dinner for PJ the night before to make up for it). It was a nice, relaxing day and I PJ, my dad, Tom, and Linden know how much we love and appreciate all that they do for us!

Collin's Graduation!

2008-06-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

My little brother Collin graduated from Viewmont High School a couple of weeks ago! I can't believe he's old enough to be graduating! He's actually nineteen now and way taller than me! It seemed like he would always be a little boy, it's crazy that he's already so old! Time goes by too fast! He was cute at his graduation, though I don't think he really had any idea what was going on! My parents had him put on his cap and gown at their house for pictures beforehand and Collin apparently thought that was it and was kind of upset that he had to do more! He loved the watch he got from Grandma Anderson and kept on saying "Wow, cool" about it! His graduation was at 7:30 at night, so we went to dinner the next night at Lonestar to celebrate. I don't think Collin understood that the dinner had anything to do with graduation, but he seemed to have fun anyways! For anyone who has met Collin, you know how awesome he is, so it was fun to have an event where we could celebrate his achievements (he graduated with high honors, and my parents have had numerous colleges sending letters and even calling to try to recruit him to come)!

Lee and Samantha's Wedding!

2008-06-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, one of PJ's best friends, Lee Olsen, got married. Lee and Samantha got married in the Salt Lake Temple and had a dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. They didn't do a reception because Lee wanted to keep the wedding on the smaller side. Sam looked beautiful and they both seemed really happy! PJ was the best man and had to give a toast at the dinner. Though he was really nervous, he did an excellent job (and looked very handsome in his tux)! It was fun for Ethan because he had my mom, PJ's parents, and PJ's friends to lavish attention on him! It was nice for PJ and I to go to the temple and have a nice dinner, while others played with Ethan! We're very happy for Lee and Sam and excited to have a couple to hang out with (they're going to live in Bountiful)!

Dinner with the Girls!

2008-05-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

A week ago , we went to dinner with my best friends from high school. Niki was in town for her sister's wedding and it's always great when she comes because we rarely make an effort to get together otherwise. We went out to this restaurant called Brookside in Sugarhouse. We drove down with Bonnie and Adam, which was a lot of fun! Bonnie had just gotten her ring that day, and it was really beautiful! I'm really excited that they're finally getting married, it's been a long time coming! Niki is looking so cute now that she is nearing the end of her third pregnancy! I'm really hoping we get a chance to go out and see her and the new baby this year! What was really fun is how well everyone gets along. All of our husbands, or fiances can hang out together and have a good time! I miss my girls are I truly love any time we can get together!

2008-05-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am once again playing catch up on my blog. This picture is from May 10th, which was mommy and me day at Hogle Zoo. Sarah and Aiden were in town, so we took the boys. The zoo was really crowdwd, but luckily that didn't matter too much. Aiden got his face painted like a tiger and would then prowl around and growl like one. Ethan loved the animals, especially the giraffes. When we got close to there cage, Ethan pointed and said "Wow!" After the fun filled day at the zoo, we went to my parents house to celebrate Collin's 19th birthday! He is graduating from Viwmont High School this week, which blows my mind! I can't believe how fast time flies!

Baby Zoolander!

2008-04-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Ethan making his surprised face, we call it his magnum! He's our little Zoolanders! Today I turned in my final paper for Spring semester, so I'm officially done! Of course, I start back up again on May 12th, but at least I get a small break! Now I can finally spend more time with my Ethan and PT! Ethan has started nodding his head yes whenever he's asked a question. It doesn't really matter what you ask, he's such an agreeable child! Last week we celebrated Joel's 30th birthday, with a surprise party! Ethan had fun chasing balloons around (they're still his favorite thing ever), and playing with Andy! He's getting to the stage where he's starting to realize that other kids are fun to play with. We also went to Justin Steed's first birthday party and Ethan loved it! There were so many kids that he could play with and they had a huge back yard. When we took him inside, he kept on trying to sneak back out! He is definitely an outdoor boy, and is as happy as can be as long as we're outside. The only thing he loves more that being outside is vacuum cleaners and brooms. He will stand outside of the closet and cry until we get the vacuum out! Hopefully this love for cleaning supplied will last as he gets older!

2008-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write quick, because it's been a bit since I've posted. Things are still going great with us! PJ's doing well at his job, I'm finishing up my second semester of grad school, and Ethan is as cute as ever! He's so smart and we're constantly amazed at how much he can do! When that kid wants something, he figures out a way to get it (like father, like son). He loves people, and never hesitates to show off riding his four wheeler or giving high fives when people are around! His first word is 'Wow" and he'll say it whenever he sees something he thinks is cool (like balloons). Overall, he is just the sweetest, smartest, funnest kid ever. He gives kisses when asked (or when he wants something), and is just so sweet to his mommy! We hope everyone is doing well. Sorry our life is not more exciting, but we're happy!

Pictures from Easter!

2008-03-25T10:24:00.001-07:00

Easter 2008!

2008-03-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter this year! We woke up early, before church, to give Ethan his Easter basket. I guess the Easter Bunny knew how much Ethan loves balloons, because there was one tied to his basket! He sat up in bed, and pointed at the balloon! He also got a little golf club set that he immediately wanted to open. He just likes to drag the golf clubs around with him wherever he goes! After church, we went to brunch at Oakridge Country Club with the family. Ethan met the Easter bunny there, and he was interested in her, though a little nervous. After that, we had an Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's. Ethan wasn't too interested in finding toys and eggs, but he loved being outside! He found a plastic bat, and just dragged it around behind him. After our busy day, we went home and just rested as a family! It was a nice day together and we of course made sure to think about the great blessing of the resurrection in our lives! We love our family and friends so much, we are eternally grateful for the opportunity we have to live with them forever!
Our other big news is that we bought a new car yesterday! We loved the Audi, but we it was an expensive car to maintain. We now have an Acura TSX. It's silver with black interior, and we think it will be perfect and practical for our life right now! Ethan had a great time helping his daddy shop for it. He would run around the dealership showrooms pointing at all of the cars! He was so well behaved, and everywhere we go, people just fall in love with him! Now, I have to get my stuff together for class. Tuesdays are always kind of hard because I have to leave Ethan, but I only have about a month left in this semester and then it's summer break (though I will be doing a few workshops then too)!

Our Little Scare

2008-03-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

This last few weeks has been a little bit crazy; we spent some time taking care of Collin and Ian while my parents went to Disneyland, and I've been swamped with school work. But there was one thing in particular that made these few weeks stressful. When I took Ethan in for his one year check up, the doctor felt like he should have an EKG. He has a slight murmur and Collin has heart problems, so they wanted to make sure his murmur was nothing more serious. We got the EKG done that day and the next day the doctor called with the results. She told me that the EKG was showing that Ethan's heart was larger on the left side and that we should meet with specialists at Primary Children's as soon as possible. Naturally, I was really upset when I got off the phone. I didn't know what to do, so I just started to cry. Ethan just snuggled into me, and giggled whenever I'd sob (it sounded like hiccups), because he thought I was playing. When PJ got home from work, we discussed it and decided not to worry too much about it until we met with the Primary Children's doctors and learned what this all meant.
On March 12th we went in to Primary Children's. Ethan was so good that day and all the doctors and nurses said that he was the best baby ever because he was so well behaved. He would just smile at them and he only cried when they were doing his chest X-ray and we had to leave the room. PJ had given him a blessing that morning, and we felt pretty calm going throughout the day. The doctor came into to talk to us after some tests and said that he felt the original EKG was wrong, and Ethan's heart was okay! He said EKG's are not the most reliable, and with the chest X-ray, it looked like he was a healthy boy! He still has a murmur that we'll have to watch, but the doctor thinks it's benign! With this wonderful news, we left the hospital feeling relieved and excited! Our little Ethan has become the joy of our lives and it's such a great thing to know that he will not be limited in the things he wants to do because of his heart!

Ethan's 1st Birthday!

2008-02-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, on Monday February 25th, was my little Ethan's first birthday! I cannot believe he's already a year old! This past week I have been very nostalgic thinking about a year ago, when I first held him in my arms. He was so tiny and helpless, it's hard to believe he's the same little boy who's running everywhere and trying to get into everything! We had a party for him on Saturday, and a lot of family and friends came. It meant a lot to both PJ and I that so many people were there to celebrate with us! Sarah, Gary and Aiden came up from Texas, and PJ's family drove down from Logan. We ordered pizza, watched Ethan open presents, and ate cake! The funnest part was watching Ethan eat his cake. I don't think he knew what to do when I wasn't stopping him from making a mess. He went really slowly at first, just putting his hand in the frosting, but when everybody cheered, he started to get into it! He, of course, was spoiled beyond belief! I'm still trying to figure out a place for all of his stuff! I'm not complaining though, I won't have to buy another thing for him until Christmas!
On Monday, his actual birthday, PJ had to work, but I was lucky enough to get to spend the day with him! I got all of my homework done early, so I wouldn't have to think about it, and we played a lot! We decorated the house, which Ethan loves. He will point to the balloons and say "Wow!" We also got him another cake, and my family came over that night to eat dinner, cake, and watch Ethan open a few more presents. It was a nice, relaxing day! Now, I'm back to real life and trying to squeeze in time for everything, but it's okay. I've still got wonderful people who help me everyday, and the best little family I could ask for!

Valentines Day and Aiden's Birthday

2008-02-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

We spent the night of Valentine's Day flying on a plane to Texas, so PJ and I celebrated a little early. PJ surprised me by taking me to a comedy club where Joel McHale, the host of The Soup and one of my favorite comedians, was performing! We got to meet him afterwards! It was very fun. and a very nice surprise!
Ethan loved being in Texas because his cool older cousin Aiden was there! Ethan spent most of his time following Aiden around and playing with his toys. Aiden was very good about sharing with him, and they seemed to have a lot of fun together! We, of course, were down there to celebrate Aiden's 5th Birthday with him! We went to Cheesecake Factory on Friday night to celebrate and Chuck e Cheese's on Saturday! Everyone had fun, especially PJ at Chuch e Cheese, where he won over a thousand tickets playing games! He used his tickets to let Aiden pick out a prize. The trip was over too fast, but we're excited for this coming weekend when it will be our Ethan's turn to have a birthday! I can'r believe my baby is almost one, but it's been so fun watching him grow!

Pictures

2008-02-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Ethan on Christmas!

Our Family at Universal Studios

Ethan walking around at Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's!

Ethan is almost 1 and walking!

2008-02-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

I have been awful at keeping up to date with this blog, but after looking through Niki's, I am inspired to write more! Over the last months Ethan has crawled, then walked, and is now trying to climb everything! We went to Texas two more times (and we're going this Thursday), and to Disney World for Thanksgiving! Disney World was so fun because we got to spend a lot of time with family, but it was also a little overwhelming for Ethan. His first Christmas was so wonderful! It's amazing how much more fun Christmas becomes when you have a child to share it with. He loved opening presents (though he didn't really care about the actual presents themselves). Everyone would cheer for him and he would look up with a huge smile on his face! Two weeks from today my little monkey will turn one, and it's making me feel very nostalgic over the past year and my pregnancy before that. He is growing into such a fun, expressive little boy! he is very busy and loves to play "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and "If you're Happy and You Know It!" He loves animals, especially our kitties, and spends a lot of time chasing them around the house! He also loves being outside, so I'm excited that we're headed into Spring, so maybe we can go out more (for those of you who don't live in Utah, it has snowed almost nonstop since Christmas)!
Besides that I have been busy with school. I started my masters degree in September and am now in my second semester at Utah State! I love school, and I am so glad that I made the decision to go back, though I fear I underestimated how hard it would be to do school and be a new mother. Luckily, I receive a lot of help and support from family, so I have been able to make it work! PJ started a new job installing Digis internet! It's actually been a job he has wanted forever, but they weren't hiring. The job has been great because he gets paid well, for not a lot of hours! Our little family is doing great, and just enjoying this time in our life! We're excited to go to Texas this weekend for Aiden's birthday! I will try to be better with my posting, but be patient with me!

Back from Texas

2007-06-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

So our week in Dallas is already finished. It's amazing to me how fast something goes by when you've been looking forward to it. Ethan was incredible on the plane, he either slept, ate, or was just happy. I don't know if Heavenly Father gave him to me as my son because I couldn't handle a harder baby, but I'm grateful. We stayed at Sarah and Gary's house, which is incredibly nice. We spent the week hanging out, shopping, watching movies, and just being together as a family. It's so rare that we get to do that now, that it was just really nice. Aiden was excited to help out with Ethan, and was incredibly cute with him. We took Ethan swimming for the first time on Thursday, and though he was a little apprehensive, I think he enjoyed it. Posted is a picture of Ethan and Aiden in their matching swimsuits. We came home Friday, and now we're having Collin stay with us for a couple of days. Ian's having surgery and my parents will be at the hospital with him for the most part. So Dallas was a nice getaway for everyone before poor little Ian has to have yet another surgery.

2007-05-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll hurry and give a little update in my life. PJ and I are very happy adjusting to life as parents. We have a great little home, that's perfect for our family. PJ was selling cars, but the time commitment verses the pay was not really great, so he is now being a house doctor to my parents. He's trying to find a new job that will allow him more time with us and to go to school. Speaking of school, I will be heading to Grad. school this Fall! I'm very excited and nervous. I'm still deciding which school I want to go to, but I will most likely go to USU because of their excellent American Studies/Folklore program. This Sunday we're headed to Texas for a week to visit Sarah, Gary, Aiden, and Jake! It should be pretty fun, but I'm nervous to take Ethan on an airplane. I hope he does well, and doesn't scream the whole time. Either way, we should have lots of pictures to share when we get back! I'm going to the gym now, I'll post again soon! Love Always, Kate :)