Familia Adventures

They grow up so fast...

2012-01-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

Playing Angry Birds

"I'm reading about basketball!"

Fun Times

2012-01-07T14:17:00.003-07:00

Best Preschool Buds!

Mrs. Claus at the Ogden Lights

Cheesing it up at his Preschool Christmas Program

He was in heaven on stage!

Future Picassos? (Sorry for the lack of clothing, but I didn't want paint on their clothes!) :)

First we had 10 mins of Yoga...

Then we had 20 mins of wrestling while listening

To the 'Nacho Libre' soundtrack!

Anna was in her Cinderella dress and her cape! :)

One day this will all be but a memory...so we better enjoy these years while they last!

Confessions of a Tired Momma

2011-12-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about some of the things I want to do better this next coming year...And one of the main things that I keep running into is that some of these things that I want to do better, I'm not doing now because 1. I'm not making it a priority, and 2. Because I'm exhausted!

So I want to write just a little reminder to myself, of the things I want to do better, and work (starting now!) to accomplish them!

1. I would like to plan my days better, with enough rigidity that I can be able to know what I need to do that day, but also with enough flexibility that if one or both of my kids are especially needy that day, I can change my schedule, and be ok.

2. Setting a timer when I'm online! That way I can stick to the time I have decided to spend online, and then be able to be more productive....Some days (especially when I'm researching something, or trying to find a good deal on something...I spend WAY too much time online). I'm also guilty of staying up in bed way past my bedtime because I'm on pinterest or some other wasteful site :( Hence why I'm super tired the next day and can't accomplish as much as I would like to! Don't get me wrong, I love pinterest, I've gotten a lot of good ideas from there, I just need to be careful that I'm not spending all of my free time on there.

3. One of the greatest gifts we can give our family is the gift of our time, and when you have young kids, your dates w/ your hubby can become a thing of the past! We have tried as much as we could this year to go on as many dates as possible...But we could have done better...So, for Christmas, one of my gifts to my hubby was 12 pre-planned date coupons! That way we'll at least go on a date a month. I'm looking forward to it! We just went on a date a couple of days ago, and after a hard day with the kids, it was so wonderful to just spend time with my husband, and not have to worry about anything! He was even a proper date and got my door and everything! What a lucky girl I am! Really! I'm grateful for the husband I have, he's the best! ...I found the idea for the 12 dates coupons here if you're interested...I love that blog!

I also printed 'dates with mom' and 'dates with dad' coupons for each of the kids. Every other month they get to go on a 'one on one' date with either of us...and I put them in envelopes, so each month they can open their date surprise, and look forward to it. For Janurary, Anna and I will make a craft together, and Jacob and Randy will watch a movie together! I love to spend one on one time with my kids, I think it helps them feel more loved and appreciated. I'm not very imaginative...so I got the idea for the kids' coupons here.

4. And of course, what would a new year be withouth me having some kind of fitness goal! I was thinking the other day, that if I could, I would love to go back in time, and have a serious conversation with my 19-25 year old self...Looking back at some of my pictures, and seeing my size 3-4 self, and realizing how much I didn't like my body then...I just want to say 'Snap out of it...You look great!' Will I ever be that fit again? Maybe...but I'm not going to hold my breath, nor am I going to have issues with my body anymore, I need to just believe my husband when he gives me a compliment...
So since dieting is not a friend of mine, I have to either sacrifice sleep time (mornings), or family time (nights) to get in longer workouts...or do my best to exercise during the day, and be happy with it...I choose the latter!

I was 24 here...married for almost a year!

(Photo Credit- Joel)

5. During one of my lessons at church ( I used to teach 10 yr olds), I told them, that this coming year I want to learn how to swim! I wish you could have seen their faces!! They were like 'You don't know how to swim???" It was as if I had said "I want to learn how to breathe this year!" LOL I really do want to learn how to swim though...not only for personal reasons, but I take the kids to the pool all summer long...and if something were to go wrong, and I don't know how to swim...it wouldn't be pretty. Remember that incident in Island Park Joel? :) Let's just say we went 'swimming' with Randy and his friend Joel, and when I told Randy I couldn't swim...he didn't really think I meant I REALLY didn't know how to swim...so I panicked and almost drowned Randy who was trying to help me! :( I've heard you can take adult swimming lessons...I need to look into that.

Before I end this post, I wanted to write down a couple of the cute things Anna is saying these days...I don't remember exactly what word it was that Jacob would throw into his sentences, when he didn't know what to say...but Anna's is 'Every day' It's pretty funny actually!
Also, the first time I taught her the word 'hiccup' was because Jacob had the hiccups...so since Jacob had the 'he-ccups' when she has the hiccups, she calls them 'me-cups' !

I have other goals I'm working on as well, but I won't make this post any longer...

Good luck with all of your New Year goals, and may we all have a blessed 2012!

It's almost Christmas!

2011-12-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

It's almost Christmas Time...and I haven't updated our blog in months...So get ready for picture overload and a super long post!

We have had a good year. I'm grateful for our little family. I know we'll probably never travel as much as we did this year...(it'll only get more expensive, and the kids will be in school)...So I'm grateful we were able to get away as much as we did! I'm grateful for a husband who works so hard for us, and then still makes time to play with the kids, and help me around the house when he gets home from work. Our sleeping routine is such a breeze now (I wondered when we would ever get to this point) The kids brush their teeth, we get them in their pj's, then we all read the scriptures and say a prayer; Randy takes Anna and reads and finishes putting her to bed, and I take Jacob, we read and sing a song and he's done for the night! It's during these times at the end of the day, that they say the cutest things! Jacob prays for everyone, it depends on the day, but it's so cute to hear his heart-felt prayers. Anna has been praying for her 'mocos' to go away! hahaha We're all getting over colds...but they're hanging on! I have kept a list of things the kids mispronounce or things they say that are cute/funny...and I'm so glad I have! The latest one for Anna is 'Monkey Cheese' (Mac n' cheese), and Jacob's latest is 'Awesomest Prime' (Optimus Prime).

As the Christmas Season approaches, Our goal is to continue to teach our children about the true meaning of Christmas, and the joy you get when you serve and help others...It's been fun to see the excitement and the twinkle in their eyes that they have for Christmas.

These days Anna loves to hang around the house in either her Cinderella, or Snow White dress. She will only respond to 'Princess' on some days, and corrects me when I call her anything else! She loves to dress up! She has become a little chatter box! I worried a little when she was almost two, and she didn't speak as many words as I thought she should (Randy didn't worry)...and now, I wonder if there will ever be a day when she's able to be quiet for more than 2.1 seconds! She's also continuing to be fearless! And has figured out how to give a certain 'look' and use a specific tone of voice to get what she wants from Dad, her uncles, and Bapa (Grandpa Kevin). She is so sweet and such a mellow girl, we always joke that if all our kids were as mellow as her, we'd have 5 more! (hahaha, Imagine me w/ 7 kids! hahahahaha) I love her so much!

Jacob is a busy, busy, busy little guy. Everyday he wants to learn, explore, play, sing and dance, and do it over again! He loves sports, and as it gets colder and colder out there, he keeps wanting to play baseball indoors more! (I'm grateful for wii sports!) He started preschool in September, and has made new friends whom he loves (most days), he loves his teacher as well, especially because he sees her at church on Sundays too! He cuddles with me every morning when he wakes up, I love starting my day like that! He is so curious, talkative, and eager to learn...He likes to dress up in his Batman or Buzz costumes, and fights off any dragons that might try to hurt the Queen (me) or the Princess (Anna)...I love him so much!

Now on to pictures etc...
In March we had the opportunity to go to Calgary. I wanted to go because it would be the last time Anna would be able to fly for free. I went with both kids for two weeks! I was able to celebrate my birthday while in Calgary, and that was nice! In the end, I think 2 weeks were too long to be away from Randy... BUT We had a fun time, and the kids did surprisingly well on the flights (eventhough neither slept!).

In April we celebrated Easter, and had a wonderful time at Randy's Aunt's house... All of my pics from Easter are on my ipod...

Then came the Summer and we celebrated Anna's 2nd birthday in May, and Jacob's 4th Birthday in June. I can't believe how much my children have grown! They are such a joy (most days). :)

We went on a family fishing trip in July...I caught my first fish all by myself!

We also went to my sister's wedding at the Cardston Temple. We were only able to stay for the Temple wedding, but that's the most important part!

In August we were able to go to Island Park, and stay at Aunt Kay's cabin for a few nights. We loved it there! It made us want to save our money so we can someday have a little cabin of our own!

We went Camping for the first time as a family too...The kids did so well! We are going to make it an annual tradition!

September came and we went to San Diego! What a fun family vacation! We had been planning it all year! The kids loved Sea World so much, we ended up going twice...We had so much fun together...despite the fact that the night we got there, there was a power outage...so we didn't have power until about 3 in the morning the following day! We went to Old San Diego to the only place with a grill for some tacos! They were the best tacos we've ever had! We were hungry :)
We hit up the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Kingdom, a day at the Beach, and even went and took some pictures at the San Diego Temple...a week flew by quick!

In October we went to Moab for 3 days. It was a quick trip, but it was nice to get away and go to Arches National Park! We hiked to delicate Arch, and the kids did so well! It was 2 miles to the Arch, and 2 miles back to our car. It was mostly uphill, and super windy and cold...but the kids were so good!

For Halloween, the kids were lucky enough to celebrate it 3 times! We went to the NICU reunion, it was awesome as always....the kids got treats, had some lunch, even made a craft with their picture! We went to our ward Halloween Party as well, and we had a little Halloween Party/Get-together at one of my sister in law's. Too much fun!

Last but not least...November...Randy and Jon (his bro) had the opportunity to go to Boston to watch a Patriots game! It's one of those things they'll never forget...and may not do for a long time! I have to admit I'm not a big football fan, and it was super cold while they were there...so it was ok for Randy and Jon to go, and not me! :) I do like Brady ;)

I think that makes up for the lack of posts for the year...Sorry for the long post!

We are looking forward to Christmas! The kids are, and have been super excited about it (We all are). We decorated the house together a few weeks ago (the kids and I)...and when Randy came home, Jacob couldn't wait to show him all that we had decorated! Randy put up the lights outside, and we all put up, and decorated the tree together.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Everyone!

What really matters...

2011-05-06T11:26:00.008-06:00

My husband got an email from his mission president (mine too for half of my mission) the other day which, has consequently led us to examine our lives closer, and reminded us how fragile life really is.

In the email, our mission President expressed how he and his wife had learned that one of the sisters who served during his time as President, had passed away unexpectedly. Sadly, I didn't serve with her, but I had heard of her, because I served in two of the same areas as her. My husband however, served during some of the same time as her, and had talked to, and been acquainted with her. From reading her obituary here we learned there was a family blog where we could leave condolences. If you are interested in reading her husband's account of what happened, you can go here. I hope it's OK for me to post the blog address, since it was published in various newspapers along with the obituary... The first time I read the blog, was after we got done eating dinner, and the kids were still hanging around the table finishing up. I had to stop reading because I started crying uncontrollably, and J started to get a little concerned...

This family's experience has really touched my heart, and my heart aches for the husband, and children. I wanted to share their experience, in the hope that it will touch your life for the better as well. I have a new desire to be better, in all aspects...a better mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend etc. I could not imagine the pain this family is in, and has gone through, and words cannot express the sorrow I feel for their loss. I do know, that there is a Heavenly Father, and he has a plan for each of us. I am strengthened by the husband's attitude and faith. I am also strengthened in the knowledge that death is not the end, and our families will be together forever.

For the last couple of days, I have found myself holding my children and husband a little closer and a little longer, as well as being more and more patient, and not letting little things (such as J asking 100 questions a minute while I'm trying to eat) get to me. In the end, what really matters, is not how clean/organized our house is (I get stressed out about this, because of our 2 young children), or how nice our cars are etc, etc...It's the interactions we had with our families, and the love and service we shared with those around us, that truly matter after all is said and done.

Randy and I went to the viewing yesterday, and could hardly keep ourselves from breaking down and crying every few minutes. We waited in line for about 2+ hours! There were so many people there. The outpouring of love was evident everywhere we looked. Randy has a special connection to this sister, because she was in the mission field, when the whole mission fasted for his mom. We wish we could have done more, or said more, to bring comfort to the family...but like I said, there are no adequate words to express the sorrow we feel for their loss. I have hope that her family will be watched over, and I know Heavenly Father is aware of their situation, and will bless them.

Lastly, I just want to express my love and gratefulness for my own husband, and children. They are my light, my life, my source of strength, and I couldn't have asked for anything better! I feel lucky too, that Randy, being the great husband, friend, and father that he is, chose me, to be his eternal companion. I often feel inadequate as a mother, but to my children, I'm the best, and their everything! I love them dearly. I'm eternally grateful for them, and hope I can some day have the same God-like attributes, that this special sister has.

"Now, brethren and sisters, let us return to our homes with resolution in our hearts to do a little better than we have done in the past. We can all be a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful of one another." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Then and Now...

2011-02-24T15:14:00.001-07:00

Hi!

I haven't made time to blog for a while, but I wanted to do a little "Then and Now" post of my kids...
I love them so much, and I can't believe how fast they're growing!

We are all well, and looking forward to the Spring and then Summer :)

'Then' pictures were taken right after their 1 week appointment.

Jacob: 1 Week old!

Anna: 1 Week old!

Jacob: 3 and a half, and Anna: 1 and a half

Our Christmas card...

2010-11-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's not too early to start making & sharing our Christmas card...Hope you enjoy!

Colorful Frames Christmas

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

...such is life...

2010-08-18T13:10:00.009-06:00

Anna's 15th month appt went well today...her stats are 75% for head circ, 45% for weight, and 75% for height. She hasn't been nursing for a week and she's been doing great! I wish my body would get the hint and stop producing milk though! (tmi? Sorry!)

Jacob was crying in his room last night after I put him down...when I went in to see what was wrong he asked me to give him a hug, and told me he missed daddy :( It totally made me cry, because I miss him too. We haven't seen much of him for a week :( He went camping w/ the young men last week and came back saturday. Then sunday morning he left to California for work. He's going to be back tonight though...so we're all pretty excited about that! He's going to be in Salt Lake all day tomorrow for work, so we won't see him much, but we're blessed he has a job...so I'm not complaining!

I took the kids to the pool on monday evening, and as we were playing in the pool I see Jacob staring at the female life guard, and hear him quoting the Sandlot "...close to me, oily, smiling, close to me, oily, smiling..." What a funny kid! I love him! Sometimes he'll wake up and the first thing he says is "The great Bambino!" He loves the Sandlot, I just wish we had it edited...some of the words on there totally inapropriate :( I haven't let him watch it lately b/c he picked up one of the words and he keeps saying it and laughing, eventhough he knows he shouldn't...he's been sent to the corner a few times for that.

He's been accident free for 4 days today! :) Potty training has been easier than I had imagined...because it has been 8 days since I started, and 4 of those days he's been accident free! :) He's such a big boy now, he's so proud he goes in the 'big potty' now! Anna is such a sweetie too, she's been teething and being weaned off at the same time! She does so well! She got two shots today too and she's doing great! I had to buy her new earrings and the ones I got her, irritated her ears! :( ...so she's been dealing with that as well. But she's amazing, you would never know it! I love to cuddle with her, she doesn't like it as much anymore, but I want to enjoy it while it lasts!

Well, I better go get her, she just woke up from her nap. I love it when they wake up happy from their naps.

Kevin (Father in law) is coming over later while they take a nap...I may go get my nails done...still deciding if I should or not...

Before I forget...

2010-08-11T21:13:00.002-06:00

I wanted to write a couple of things down before I forget....

Today was the first day I didn't nurse Anna at all...It's probably harder on me than on her...I just hope she sleeps through the night...we shall see.
Also, as of this past sunday she has been taking about a dozen steps at a time...she still prefers to scoot and one-leg crawl sometimes...but she's gaining more and more confidence every day with her walking. She also goes up and down the stairs quite fast!

When I was putting Jacob down for the night I asked him if he wanted to pray...fully expecting him to say no, I was a little surprised when he said he would. He said one of the sweetest prayers...
He prayed so he wouldn't be scared of the wind and the rain outside (he wakes up crying b/c of this sometimes). He also prayed that he wouldn't be scared of the cars outside, or the trucks, or the jeeps, or the sounds outside. He prayed for Anna so she could play with him and be happy. He said:
'please bless Bapa and Jon so they can be safe...(a little pause) for me" :)
He prayed for his dad and mom, and he prayed so he could be happy. He prayed so he could play baseball, and hockey...in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. What a big boy he's turning out to be! I'm so proud of him and Anna :)
Today's day 3 of his potty training too, he started off awesome...today was a little rough b/c he just didn't have the motivation to go potty every hour like we have been the last couple of days. He would say he didn't need to go, refuse to go, then have a pee (and once a poop) accident :( He fully peed downstairs once too :( It's been a little discouraging, but tonight Randy had a brilliant idea (as always). He suggested I give him a treat after he went, so he could be more motivated...and of course it worked! He is still sleeping in pullups, so once I run out of those I'll be losing sleep I guess. He's also still in his crib so I've been pretty spoiled as far as them sleeping through the night.
We'll see how tomorrow goes...
Randy goes camping w/ the young men tomorrow and comes back on saturday...we sure are going to miss him!
I better go get my P90X on or I'll be too tired to exercise! (I know I should probably be exercising in the morning...but nights just work out better for me, I'm just NOT a morning person)...
Good night!

Remember...

2010-06-25T16:26:00.009-06:00

Jacob turned 3 yesterday and I can hardly believe it! He will always be my baby boy though :)
I wanted to write down some cute things he does so I don't forget:

*At night, when he's in his room and not quite ready to go to sleep, he sings at the top of his lungs! Last night it was "Happy Birthday Jacob..."

*He has endless imagination! I love it!

*He is VERY active, he loves sports, especially baseball and lately soccer.

*He likes to 'read' me books before he goes to sleep sometimes...I'm amazed at how much he absorbs...some books he can 'read' word per word!

*He loves music, especially Vertical Horizon right now...he has a few songs on repeat on his i-pod (It's actually Randy's but Jacob uses it more).

*He says "pot" at the end of sentences where he doesn't know the word eg. "That's a nice... pot"

*Sometimes when he has done something he shouldn't have he'll say "It's ok mom"....eg. "It's ok mom, it's only water!"

*He has really been trying to be nice to his sister lately, he calls her baby by the way. If anybody asks him what her name is he says "It's baby Anna!"

*If we're out and about and Anna starts to cry he tries to calm her down by saying "It's ok, I'm right here see?"

*He wants to be Randy! Everything Randy does he wants to do.

*He's a little parrot! He talks non-stop, and even when he doesn't know the words we're saying, he'll repeat it and ask what it means. He likes to join into adult conversations too...he doesn't want to be left out.

*He colors w/ both hands, eats with his right, and hits the baseball left handed...I'm still not sure if he's really ambidextrous or left handed.

*Just when I think I'm going crazy he'll come up to me ask me "Mom, what's wrong?"

*He's very loving and he loves to cuddle with me :)

*He is very soft hearted, and will get emotional when watching certain movies (eg. "Meet the
Robinsons" when the baby is left crying in front of the door)

*He loves to learn! Anything from new words to how to use things, he never stops learning!

*He refuses to read 'princess books' (He saw a couple of those in his room one night and said "those are for baby Anna) Maybe b/c of the princess party we had for her?

*He will randomly say "Mom/or Dad I love you!" and give us a big hug...sometimes he'll say "I love you guys"

*He also randomly says "I'm so proud of you!" and "good job! you did it!"

*If you ever watch YoGabbaGabba then you know about the 'cool tricks' Out of the blue, Jacob will say "Hi my name is Jacob, and my cool trick is..." It changes all the time.

*He loves this show and he quotes their songs.... ♪ "Keep trying, keep trying, don't give up, never give up..."♪

This list is getting long, it's mostly for me to remember though. I love my little Jacob, and I'm so grateful to be his mommy :) He's definitely a defiant toddler sometimes, but he's learning and growing, and we couldn't be prouder of him :)

We took both kids to see Toy Story 3 on Wed, as part of Jacob's birthday celebration. They loved it! It was both their first time at the movies, and we were glad they were happily entertained for 2 hours! We also took them swimming earlier in the day, and they had fun.

A tiny step in the right direction?!

2010-06-14T13:46:00.009-06:00

When we got home from our trip to Canada, I had a plan. By the end of June I was going to have Jacob potty-trained, and Anna weaned off! It sucks when reality kicks you in the butt! Especially my butt because it's so BIG! LOL

The day after we got home, I was putting Anna down for her nap, and came out to find Jacob in the bathroom washing his hands! I opened the door (he had closed it), and asked what he was doing. He told me he was washing his hands because he went potty in the little potty! He was using it as a stool, and was standing there, without a diaper! I thought I was seeing things! He was telling the truth though, he had gone #1, then closed the little potty and used it as a stool to wash his hands, with soap even!
Ever since then, I have been trying to get him to go again...and he hasn't been motivated at all :(
Today however, out of the blue he told me he wanted to go to the big potty like dad! So we went, and he stood there, and we waited, and waited, and waited, and nothing. :( I praised him for trying and told him to tell me when he had to go again so we could go to the big potty. We've been reading the book "Zacks Potty" (which I got at Deseret Book for $1), and I think it is slowly helping J realize he can do it too!
So today was a tiny step in the right direction...we'll see how things go the rest of the month. I see all these kids J's age that are already trained and it makes me feel like I'm not doing my job as a mom sometimes. But then I remember..."he'll go when he's ready!"

Little Anna is now officially 13 months old. I really thought she was ready to stop nursing right before we left on our trip, because she was eating more food, and nursing less. We (Randy and I) decided it would be in everyone's best interest if I nursed her on our trip. I'm glad I did! She was so out of her comfort zone, it really helped to soother her. I'm a great believer in letting your kids tell you when they're ready to stop nursing. I consider it a blessing, and recognize that not everyone is able to nurse as long as I do, and not everyone is able to/ or may not want to nurse their children. That being said, I am surprised by the number of people who are shocked that I'm "still nursing" Every child is different, and just as Jacob will go when he's ready, Anna will stop nursing when she's ready. :)
Yesterday was a crazy busy day so I ended up nursing Anna for her lunch instead of her regular 'food lunch' , so today she's been wanting to nurse more. I know I'm going to miss it when I'm no longer nursing, so I'm trying to stay positive about it, and not rush her, if she's not ready. We shall see where we are with this at the end of the month.

On another note, I have a lot of friends and family who are super talented, and super creative...hopefully some of that will rub off on me.
Sometimes I feel like I'm years behind everyone! :(
I wish I had taken the time to learn when I was younger, so I could be a great cook, baker, know how to sew, decorate etc...
It's hard to find the time to learn those things on my own now...but I want to. I don't want my kids and or kids' friends to be like: Jacob/Anna- "Mom made cookies!" Their friends- "Let's go to so and so's house instead!" LOL I'm still trying to find the perfect recipe for home-made choc chip cookies...wish me luck!

At the end of the day, it's all about my children, and us parents being happy...but wouldn't it be nice if I made the best cookies!? :)

Catching up...

2010-06-03T17:08:00.005-06:00

It has been close to a month since my last post!

We got back from Canada on May 28th, we went up there for 9 days for one of my sisters' wedding. I loved all the attention the kids got! They were showered with hugs and kisses (and gifts) all day every day we were there! My immediate family were the only ones who had met our children, actually one of my brothers and one of my sisters hadn't met Anna yet (Missions). I loved seeing everyone again, it had been 3 years since I had been up there.
My sister's wedding was wonderful, it's always so nice to see a couple so in love! I love weddings!

I have to admit it got a little chaotic at times (because I was in the wedding party)...I realized how easy we have it here with a temple just minutes away. We drove 3 hours to Cardston the night before and stayed in a hotel that night. The next day we went to the ceremony at the temple, took pictures, had a mini picnic w/ the kids (lunch), then drove back another 3 hours to Calgary. We put Anna down for a nap for less than an hour, then off we went to the reception. She had a rough day! Both our kids are super scheduled, they have a time they wake up, eat, sleep, etc, etc...it's perfect for every day living...not so good for travelling : (
They both slept through the night all the nights we were there though, so I can't complain, they were just super unhappy at the end of the day (aka when our friends and family had us over or took us out to dinner). Most of what everyone saw was two unhappy little kids, but I promise they're not usually like that! They had their moments too where they were perfectly happy...it's just hard being a 1 and 2 year old and being in a new and unfamiliar environment. What did we learn? Our children are amazing! They really tried their very best to adapt and to be somewhat happy. It gave me hope for when they're older too...
I have posted pics of our trip on facebook...it's so much easier to post videos and pics on there...

I'm not gonna lie...it was hard to say good bye! I miss my familia already! :(

The day we got home, the kids took almost a 3 hour nap, then went to bed for the night around 8 and slept until 9:30 and 10 the next morning! They were TIRED!

I have to mention that they were both teething during our trip too...which doesn't make it any easier on them...why must teething take forever? I wish all their teeth would come in at once, then they would be miserable for a few days but it would be over with...wishful thinking right?

After the wedding we got to go sight-seeing a little bit and we got together with some friends and family. My sisters and mom took the kids for one afternoon and we got to go on a date! It was so weird at first...we didn't know wether to take a nap or go out! We ended up going shopping, and it was so fun just the two of us!

We have been home for almost a week now and both kids seem to be back to their old happy selves :) We went out to dinner and movie last night to celebrate Randy's birthday. I asked Randy if he felt so free because we have gone on two dates in less than a week...and he said "no, because after this date, we get to go home!" LOL He's such a great helper. I would go crazy without him! I love my children, but once in a while, it's nice when it's just us two. :)

Happy Birthday Mijo! I hope you know how much you are loved, and how blessed we are to have you in our lives...

-At the Calgary Tower-

A Cinderella Story...

2010-05-11T12:19:00.004-06:00

We celebrated Anna's birthday on saturday, she turned 1! I can't believe how fast my litle baby is growing! I feel like time is just going so fast, and yet I'm happy she has been learning all kinds of new things and keeps developing and learning every day.

I decided soon after she was born that for her first birhtday we would have a princess party. You see, she is the only girl in the Taylor Tots, so I wanted her to be able to look back at the pictures from her party and see what a true princess she is. I couldn't ask for a better baby! She is such a joy!

It has been a bitter-sweet weekend for me b/c I feel like I want her to stay this age forever, but at the same time I know she will continue to grow and develop, and I'm excited for her future. I tell her we're going to be best friends! She already loves her little purse, and watches 'project runway' with me, so her and I will get along just fine!

I'm really grateful for our dear friends and family who joined us on this special day. Thank you all for your constant love and support.

I love being a mom to my wonderful children. I say to Randy often how I didn't realize how selfish I was living my life until I had kids! They have taught me so many things, and I feel like I'm continuing to become a better person, partly because of my experiences as a mother. I am truly blessed to have happy, healthy children who adore me! I think when they become teenagers and don't want to hang out with me anymore I will be sad :( But until then, I will enjoy every minute of it!

I love my children and husband more than life itself, and I will do my best to make sure they know that every day.

I wish I had been able to get Anna to smile...there was so much going on that she didn't want to stop and smile for one second! Oh well, maybe next year!

My friend Sherry made Anna her Cinderella dress, I love it! She even made her a chocker and head band...Anna was not a fan of the chocker, every time I tried to put it on her she would cry...so sadly she didn't wear it. :(

I'm bringing Spring back!

2010-04-30T11:56:00.004-06:00

Forget about bringing Sexy back...I'm bringing Spring back! (If only through my blog...)

The way the weather has been the last couple of days, has given us a lot more time indoors...and what better thing to do than get caught up on my blog!? (I guess there are more productive things I could be doing)...
But since Anna's napping, and Jacob is happily playing w/ his toys and watching curious George...why not post some pics!?
For family home evening this past monday, we decided it was the perfect Spring weather, to get some ice cream, and fly a kite! We went to the MTC Learning Park in Ogden. It was a nice day, it just wasn't as windy as we thought it was to fly a kite.
Jacob was so cute! He kept bringing me 'flowers' (aka weeds)! He had so much fun that by the time we got home he was ready for bed! He didn't even talk in his room before falling asleep like he usually does...Here are some pics of our little outing :)

These were my 'flowers' :)

This is how we knew it was time to go home...

(He was frustrated with his kite here)

New Baby

2010-04-13T10:07:00.001-06:00

Hahahaha! I bet you thought I was announcing I was preggers again! My new baby is actually a new blog! I decided to dedicate this blog for Family Adventures (as the title suggests)...and all my fitness/deal findings will now be posted on my new blog!
Come check it out! It's called Healthy, Provident Life...I like it!
Hope to see your comments on there!
I'll be posting some family pics on this one soon...

Pampers diaper deal...

2010-03-29T12:24:00.002-06:00

Here's a great deal on Pampers diapers and wipes. The best part is, you don't need to leave your house to do it!

Here's what you do step by step:

■Register with Diapers.com for a new account. Note: this offer is good for new accounts only.

■Add the following items to your cart:

■Pampers Cruisers Dry Max Diapers- Economy Plus Pack, $42.99

■Pampers Sensitive Thick Wipes Tub, $3.99

■Pampers Sensitive Wipes Tub, $3.49

■Use the promo code DPRDSCT at checkout to receive $10 off your order and FREE shipping over $49.

■Your out of pocket costs will be $40.49.

■Print and submit this mail-in rebate and submit within four weeks to receive $14.97 back. I submitted this and got the $14.97 back!

■Print and submit for the $100 P&G Coupon Booklet for spending $50 on P&G products (before coupons).

After you receive your MIR, you’ll have paid just $25.52 for an extra large case of diapers, 2 tubs of wipes, and qualify for the $100 in P&G coupons!

You can use one manufaturer coupon per item. You need to send your packing slip from your order, along with any coupons to get credited. (if you want to use man coupons you need to submit them first to diapers.com and then once they show up on your account you can use them to place your order) I didn't send any in, b/c even w/out man coupons it's still a great deal for these diapers!

* Make this deal better by shopping through Ebates (1% cashback and a $5 bonus when you sign up!)

I did the math, and for a size 3 box (160 diapers) you'll be paying about 0.11 cents per diaper! That's better than buying them at Costco! (The lowest we've paid is about 0.16 cents per diaper at Costco)
Hope this helps someone out there! I had posted this on facebook too, but I thought I'd post it here as well.

Lime Ricki

2010-03-24T17:50:00.000-06:00

If you're a fan of modest swim wear, you may want to check out Lime Ricki. They have a giveaway right now on their blog...so I thought I'd post it in case anybody I know is interested in entering...I hope I win! But if I don't, I hope someone I know wins! :) Yay! Summer's just around the corner :) Go here to enter the giveaway.

Patience...

2010-03-13T09:16:00.006-07:00

I was reading an article not long ago titled "10 Things Women Do That Drive Guys Crazy" (as in 'annoying')and I was shocked at how many of those things I do! It was kind of fun to read the article, but I was also reminded of how patient Randy is to put up with almost all those 10 things (and then some) that I do!
The funniest for me is the 'disorganized dishwasher' I didn't know there was a 'certain way' to organize your dish washer (until I married Randy that is)...and now that I know...it makes sense and I can fit more dishes in there! who knew!?
Thanks mijo, for being so patient!

What's the best way to load a dishwasher? click here for a useful article!

Victoria's Secret

2010-03-12T13:57:00.001-07:00

Victoria's Secret has free shipping today with all their online orders(NO minimum purchase) with code SHIPFREE. Plus, with every online order you'll get a VS gift card worth at least $10(could be more). They have a lot of things clearanced for under $10. You can also go through Ebates and make 2% on your online purchase! Happy Shopping!

Once upon a time...

2010-03-06T16:47:00.003-07:00

There were 3 little Taylor Tots, and they were the cutest little babies...

But they grow so fast...And this is them now...Still the cutest, just not babies anymore.

Sorry Michelle,this was the only pic the boys stayed semi-still for!

Bad breath?

2010-02-20T12:52:00.002-07:00

Nala must have been worried about having bad breath this morning. I was gone w/ the kids for about 30 minutes...only to find this nice surprise in the front room when I got back:

She ate almost 2 full packs of gum, a couple of oreos, and whatever cereal was left in the cereal box. I thought I closed the pantry before I left...but I guess I should have checked again.

I don't know about you, but chewing just one piece of the 'Big Red' gum is enough for me...and she ATE the whole package (aluminum wrappers and all)...

I've given her some hydrogen peroxide (the vet told us to give her a 1/2 tsp so she'll throw it all up). She's outside right now and doesn't want to come in...
Let's just hope she has a good rest of the day and an even better night!
Gotta love our Nala!

My own...

2010-02-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hurray! I got a personal trainer (read previous post...) I didn't win it though...Randy got it for me! I'm planning on giving it a try tonight and starting either the 6 day or 30 day challenge (depending on which is more flexible)...I'll be sure to blog about my experience. I'm so excited to start working out again...last week was a rough one...wish me luck!

Personal Trainer

2010-02-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

I wish I could afford a 'real' personal trainer! It would give me all the motivation I need to keep working out and to eat healthy every day...so I thought I'd give this giveaway a shot...they're giving away an EA Sports Active Personal Trainer! I want to win one!!

Go here to enter the giveaway

p.s. tired of my giveaways? I figure it doesn't hurt to enter, and someday I may actually win something!

Week 5

2010-02-02T14:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Groundhog Day! I guess he saw his shadow...so we still have another 6 weeks left of winter...just when I thought spring was around the corner! Oh well, the last few days have been nice, other than the 'inversion' The air is so dirty right now, I feel bad for people w/ asthma.

This week has been a great week! I lost 3.5 lbs! I didn't do anything special, just stuck to my regular work out and tried not to snack after dinner (most nights) :)
This week I'm doing ok so far, I only managed to squeeze in 30 mins of exercise yesterday instead of my usual hour. With the super bowl coming up this weekend I hope everyone stays on track...I plan to at least have a platter of raw veggies around so I don't over indulge on wings or cheetos!

It's a new month which means I can start over and recommit to accomplishing my goals...I started slacking on my 'organizing' goals, so I gotta make up for that, but I was able to fit (more like squeeze) into my pre-pregnancy jeans the other day and that just made my day! I have been in an awkward 'in between' stage since I had Anna...Too small to fit into my maternity clothes, yet too big to fit into my regular clothes...Isn't it funny how such a little thing can have such a big impact? I still have a way to go, but it's these little victories that will help me to progress. I have decided that although exercising is not my favorite thing in the world right now...eventually I will like it, and by then I will have seen benefits from it...so I'm sticking with it!

On another note, Valentine's day is just around the corner! I remember the days I used to look forward to a trip to Victoria's Secret...not so much lately! I'm working on it though, so maybe in two weeks I'll change my mind :) Sorry I may have shared too much just now....
I'm sure I'm not the only woman out there with this issue. Sometimes it's just hard to look in the mirror after having kids (especially when you had the amazing body that I did! hahahaha I hope you don't think I'm being serious here)...but then I remember how beautiful, healthy, and blessed my children are...and suddenly a few stretch marks here and there don't seem so horrible! I would do it over again in a heart beat for my children. Plus, it helps that I have such a supportive and loving husband...who still finds me attractive. Sometimes I just need to not doubt that, and be grateful I've been blessed with children.

It IS important to make time for ourselves, and to have some 'me' time. I don't think it's selfish, because as the main caregiver, if we're not feeling good, we can't take care of our families. So a trip to the salon or spa once in a while is almost a requirement to staying sane! Even just little things help...have you ever had a nice bath and then done your nails or something, and you almost feel like a new person!? I have! I always say a little nail polish on your toe nails goes a long way! Speaking of, I need a pedicure asap :)
Randy always makes it a point to buy me things that make me feel 'pretty' ( sounds kinda pathetic, but sometimes I need 'stuff') such as my favorite (though expensive) perfume J'adore, and my favorite (though over priced) brand of make up Lancóme. How many of your husbands know the exact shade of foundation/powder you wear? Randy does! Because he buys it for me all the time! Thanks mijo!

The moral of the story is, take care of yourself so you can then take care of others....everyone's happier that way.

Have a fun week and though I ramble a lot, I will be blogging again soon! (Lucky you)

4 week status...

2010-01-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

I lost 2 pounds! yay! That brings my total to 4 pounds lost in 4 weeks! 1 pound/ week is exactly what I need to be doing :)

This past week I exercised more than the previous one. I also started a food diary...which lasted about 3 days! :( Since I'm nursing it just wasn't accurate for me. I tried to make it on 1224 calories/day a couple of those 3 days...and by the third day I felt like I had been fasting for a week! So maybe I need to call my doctor and see how many calories he suggests for a nursing mother. I read somewhere (maybe fitness magazine?) that it should be more like 1900 calories/day. That sounds better!

Good luck in your efforts to lose weight and we'll see how I do this week!

Solution? Maybe

2010-01-23T11:16:00.002-07:00

Everytime we go out to eat with our two wonderful kids(not being sarcastic, they really are wonderful) I am reminded why we hardly ever do! Little Princess Anna does ok as long as she's entertained. I guess Jacob is the same way, except what works one day to entertain him, may bore him to death the next!
So I found this giveaway for a 'designer diner' this is how they describe it "This handy little mat does double duty with a wipe-clean placemat on one side and a reusable chalk mat on the other. The Designer Diner also includes a 12 piece box of (non-toxic) chalk hidden in a coordinating pouch that easily detaches. And mamas, don't worry about it taking up your whole diaper bag. Simply roll the Designer Diner up and tie the matching ribbon to secure."
I entered the giveaway and I'm excited to see if I win! If I don't win...I may just have to buy one...

You can go here to enter the giveaway!

3rd Week...

2010-01-19T13:30:00.004-07:00

This week was one of those weeks that I'd rather not re-live again :) Only because I only exercised once this week! :( I had two sick kids, a sick husband, and now a sick me...so that's my excuse! Really though, it's been rough w/ the kids having a cold, I was just so tired at the end of the day for exercise, and forget about waking up early for it. I was up multiple times during the night and the only time the kids have both slept in past 8 am and I have felt well rested was the last couple of days!
So enough complaining right?
I'm not going to let a rough week ruin my ultimate goal (lose 20 pounds by the end of May)...So last night after everyone was asleep, I stayed up and exercised w/ the help of our Wii fit! I ran about 8.5 miles! YAY! It felt good to sweat after not exercising for 5 days! So I didn't loose any weight this week, but I didn't gain any either...so this week I just gotta concentrate on exercising more regularly. Does anybody else have a hard time spelling exercise? I spell check it EVERY time! You'd think I would know how to spell it by now.

On another note, I said my next post would be about my cute kids w/ pictures included so here I go.
Anna is now a crawling little princess! She wants to put everything in her mouth, and has started standing in her crib and pack n' play! My little baby is not so little anymore, and that makes me kinda sad. I take twice as long putting her down to sleep lately because I just love how soft, warm and cuddly she is! She's sure a mama's girl! Poor Randy tries to help with her and as long as she doesn't see me she's fine (most of the time), but as soon as she sees me, she wants me to hold her. How can you resist a little princess like this?

Our little Jacob is such a bright little guy. He learns so many words and things every day, he amazes me. Yesterday I had the hardest time getting him to let me bathe him...so Randy got home from work and tried and tried to convince him to go upstairs and take a bath. Finally Randy convinced him by promising bubbles in the tub! Jacob got a 'blueberry' scented bubble bath bottle in his stocking for Christmas, and we still hadn't used it. So Randy bathed him, and Jacob was just so agreeable and happy, I just couldn't believe it! He had been throwing fits everytime I even mentioned the word 'bath'...
Sometimes Randy's got the magic touch with the kids!

Here's Jacob at Autie Kay's house on Christmas Eve

He loves wearing his BYU hat!

Here he is at the Temple Square Lights...exploring!

I was happy Randy was able to bathe Jacob, because it gave me time to catch up on my reading! I don't have time to read books, I actually rarely have the time to read 'an article', so it was nice to just relax for a few minutes and read "Elle magazine" of all the magazines I have! LOL I have so many magazines, I fill up our 'recycle' bin every other week! I had free subscriptions to a whole bunch of magazines this year, everything from 'Parents' to 'Martha Stewart Living' to 'Shape' Most of the subscriptions have expired, but it was fun to have all those mags to read...not that I read them all, I have to admit, most times they just took up space in my kitchen. Anyways, where is this going? Oh yeah, I got them all from my favorite blog http://www.hip2save.com/ I just love it!

These past couple of weeks I have been slowly 'dejunking' my house, and it shows! I don't get so overwhelmed now, and I'm not constantly stressing about things I need to do around the house. It has been nice for everyone! So I've had success becoming 'somewhat' organized, and I'll continue working at it, as well as working on my weight loss.

Have a happy week and I'll keep updating my progress!

According to my scale...

2010-01-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

I have lost 2 pounds! YAY! I know this is not a big deal because our bodies naturally fluctuate a couple of pounds up or down every day due to various reasons...BUT at least I'm not gaining right?
This week I need to make more of an effort to exercise daily and REALLY cut down on my evening snacking...
I have been eating better though, and last week I exercised more than I have exercised in months! So here's to better weeks ahead!

I was inspired today by one of my neighbors who goes to the gym at 5:30am every morning! I love sleep it's true, but I love being fit and in shape even more!

What are some ways to eat 'healthier' snacks and not reach for the chips and salsa every chance I get?? I still have plenty of candy and treats left over from Christmas...so other than throw them out or feed them to Jacob and Randy exclusively...I guess moderation is KEY.
I'm learning as I go, so sorry if my posts are redundant and boring.

May we all accomplish our goals this year! Now off to visit teach...

I promise my next post will be of our cute kids w/ pictures included :)

A New Year...a new me??

2010-01-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Happy 2010! I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

This year I have a lot of personal goals I need to work to achieve...one of my main 'non-spiritual' goals, apart from finally becoming an organized person, is to loose at least 20 pounds before may! Why May? My sister's getting married! I gotta rock the red bridesmaid's dress! hahaha Seriously though, I haven't lost ANY weight since my initial loss when I went in for my 6 week post-partum check. This time around it has taken me A LOT longer to loose the baby weight...and I'm going to be 30 in March...so I'm only going down hill from there (metabolism slowing down etc)!
So by my birthday, which is March 20th, I hope to be close to my weight loss goal.
How do I intend to do this? I wish there was an easy way, which would also be a healthy way for me to loose the weight...but I'm sticking to the good ol' eating healthy, and exercise routine. I talked to my Doctor, and since I'm nursing, I can't exactly be on a low calory diet...and I need to be careful about the exercise I do, or it can all lead to a decrease in milk production.

We have Wii fit plus and I exercised every night for about 2 weeks...and then the holidays came around! I have a pantry full of treats and candy (thanks to a great sale at Randy's work!)...so I put them in the pantry... now at least they're out of sight, and not on the counter tops...
I hadn't ever been a 'sweets' kind of person, but ever since I was pregnant with Anna I discovered that chocolate and sweets are almost a necessity!! Good for my taste buds...bad for my thighs!

So the point of this blog is for someone, anyone who reads this...to hold me accountable!

My sister in law is training to run in the Ogden Marathon this summer...and I'm considering the option...I have never been in a marathon, but looking at all the people that run in marathons...I want to have their stamina and their bodies!

My biggest obstacle is making time to exercise...because that means I would have to do it before the kids wake up in the morning ( I love sleep too much), or after they go to bed (They are both asleep by around 9:30pm). I can't really exercise while they're awake...I have tried and it just doesn't work with a 2 and a half year old and almost 8 month old! I guess I could be exercising right now too instead of blogging :)

So wish me luck! I want to be able to look back at my pictures when I was 30 and say "Wow! I looked better than when I was 20!"

Any tips for me?

p.s. I have decided to start recording 'The biggest Loser' for some inspiration! :)

Jacob at lunch

2009-12-28T14:56:00.002-07:00

It takes years for me to upload pictures and videos onto here...so if you want to check out my latest video of Jacob you can check it out over here...gotta love our little Jacob!

It's about time!

2009-12-12T12:43:00.002-07:00

It has been a while since I last updated our blog...here are some of the highlights:

*Since the last post, Anna had her 6 month Doctor's appointment, and was at 75th percentile for weight, and 95th percentile for height! She is developing and growing right on target! She is such a sweet and content little girl. She loves to smile and chew on anything and everything. She has started 'scooting' and is getting ready to crawl :) Her favorite people right now are her Mom, Jacob and her Dad. She is sleeping about 11-13 hours a night and takes a couple of 2 hour naps during the day. I put her down at about 7pm for the night, and that's a wonderful time for a baby to go to bed if you ask me! She is now 7 months and I just can't believe how fast the time has gone by!

*Jacob continues to grow, learn, make us laugh and amaze us! He says the funniest things! The other night as I was putting him to bed he said to me "mom, I want fifty dollars...I have a coupon!" hahahaha he's been hanging around me too much! He is such a little helper, especially when Anna starts to fuss. He makes Anna laugh and gives her any toy within his reach to make her happy. He's the best big brother!
He enjoys electronics and anything to do with the computer or buttons. His favorite song on the 'hi-pod' right now is 'Jingle Bells' He also loves tools, and prefers his dad's 'real' tools as opposed to his 'toy' tools. He's always trying to clean, or fix something.
He also loves anything to do with Lightning McQueen or Mater or Cars! He watches that movie in the car and never seems to tire of it!
He's more and more independent lately, and it's a bittersweet experience for me as a mom. He still sleeps in his crib (I will let him be in there as long as he doesn't jump out) and takes a daily 2 hour nap, and sleeps about 11-12 hours at night. :)
We still haven't started the potty training process...but I have a feeling he'll be ready soon. He has asked to go potty...but will just stand there not knowing what to do...so I'm sure I'll blog about it at a later time.

* One of my sisters (the one right after me) got engaged in October! We're so excited and happy for her, and are planning a trip up to Canada in May for her wedding. It will only be the second wedding in our family...and I have been married for over 6 years...so it's been a while since we've had a wedding.

* We had a fun Halloween. Jacob was a little pirate and Anna was a ghost. We only went trick-or-treating to Randy's family's homes but we sure got a lot of candy! We barely finished it actually! It was a fun night, and we can't wait till next year when Anna will be a little older. :)

* In October, we also found out that my sister in law is having a boy! This will be boy #5 in the 'Taylor Tots' and Anna will have to wait for another girl cousin to come later....right guys? We are excited to see this little one, she's due in March.

* My two brothers returned home from their missions the first week of November, and are happily adjusting to life in the 'real' world. We haven't had a chance to see them yet...but we'll see them next year at my sister's wedding!

* We had Thanksgiving dinner w/ Randy's family and it was wonderful! I am truly blessed to have such great people in my life.

* 3 out of the 4 of us got sick just before and just after Thanksgiving. We are all doing better now, but it was a rough few days. Thankfully, Randy didn't get it as bad, so he could continue to go to work and continue to fulfill his calling.

* Last week we went to Salt Lake to be a part of the youngest Taylor Tot's blessing. He's as cute as can be! We were so happy to be able to be a part of it all.

* Next week we'll be attending the "Winegar Family Christmas Party" It is something we look forward to all year. We love to see all the family, and to see how much our kids are growing!

I'm sure I have forgotten a lot of details and events since the last post...so if I remember anything else I will post it. :)

**Pictures to come soon**

I hope to keep our blog more updated from now on.

Anna's pic...

2009-10-10T10:49:00.002-06:00

Check out Anna's pics on my facebook page! I love how they turned out :)
Randy was finally able to download them without the computer crashing...yay! :)

Little Anna...

2009-09-30T18:23:00.003-06:00

We went in to get some pictures taken of Anna by Lindsay Jane Photography and they turned out fabulous! I wasn't sure how well little Anna was going to do because she had a rough morning that day...but she did great! She was all smiles and was trying to eat her dress half the time! Here are just 3 of my favorites...I will post more later. Thanks Lindsay!

Anna- 4 months old

2009-09-10T11:08:00.001-06:00

We took Anna to her 4 month appointment yesterday and here are her stats:

Weight- 14.65 lbs - 80%

Height- 25 3/4 Inches - 97%

Head Circumference- 41 1/2 cm- 70%

She's a healthy, growing, beautiful baby!

She got some shots and her ears pierced at her appointment yesterday too. She cried like I had never seen her cry before :( After all was said and done I'm not sure I would do the ear piercing thing over again. It was as bad as when Jacob got his circ! Poor Anna had a rough night last night, but not nearly as bad as I had anticipated :)

Happy baby before her shots and ear piercing..

Asleep baby after crying so much :(

Smart Merchandising!

2009-09-03T14:59:00.000-06:00

Next time you're at target and you're buying bubble bath (like we were) look around at how the whole aisle is merchandised...

The other night we went to Target to buy some bubble bath and diaper cream...since I had a few coupons, I thought we'd head over there and save some money on stuff we needed. After looking for a few minutes I got everything I needed and as I was getting ready to leave...I see Jacob down the aisle playing w/ a 'lightning McQueen' Car! He's been watching 'the movie cars' in the car lately...so he instantly recognized it. The car was actually filled w/ bubble bath...and Jacob did NOT want to let go of it. Randy pointed out that it was right at eye level for him to see! And upon further inspection, all the fun expensive bubble bath was eye level to him...and all the cheaper, boring stuff was eye level to me! So we ended up spending the money we would have saved! But in the end, it made Jacob so happy...it was so worth it! :)

Say Cheeese!

2009-08-27T14:19:00.007-06:00

I learned the hard way, that you definitely shouldn't let your 2 year old run around 'taking pictures' with your digital camera...
About 2 weeks ago I was sitting at the computer typing away, and was holding Anna...Jacob was playing but got tired soon after. To keep him entertained for a few minutes, I thought it would be harmless to let him take pictures of his sister...
Somehow he dropped the camera while the lens was out, and when I picked it up it wouldn't go back in...and it was ruined!
I felt bad for letting him play with it, and as much as I was sad that we no longer had a camera, it wasn't his fault.
Randy tried to fix it, and had no luck.
After almost 2 weeks of being 'camera-less' I have to say I don't know how I survived without it! When you have young children, they're always doing funny, or cute things...so I have been looking forward to a new camera. Randy did the research (as always :)) And we decided to go w/ another Sony camera. Partly because we have the battery and charger which will still work with this camera. He bought it from Amazon, and so far so good. We just got it yesterday, it's a Sony cyber-shot. Our previous digital camera was a 7.2 megapixel camera, and this one is a 12.1. This camera has so many cool features, I love it! I'm still learning to use some of the features, since we just got it yesterday...but I am very impressed with the whole package. It's very user-friendly, and it looks sleek and nice.

I thought I'd post some of the pics Jacob took before the other camera died...and a couple of pics I took yesterday while out for a walk w/ Jacob and Anna, with the new camera :)

6 years and counting...

2009-08-15T13:35:00.007-06:00

I'm sure 6 years ago yesterday, when people went to our wedding...some people may have wondered how we would ever last. We are so different, and from such different backgrounds. Yet here we are 6 years later, with two beautiful children, and more in love than when we first started out.
I don't have much time for blogging lately, but I wanted to blog about how wonderful Randy is, and what a perfect husband he has been these last 6 years. I always knew he would make a great dad, what I didn't know is how much he was going to love being a dad and playing, taking care of, and teaching our children. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I couldn't ask for a better husband! Not only is he a devoted and loving dad, he is a helpful, contributing, and loving husband. At the end of his work day, when he gets home and is totally exhausted, he is never too tired to take care of the kids, mow the lawn, do dishes, clean up after dinner, play with the kids, and put Jacob to bed. He really works hard, both at his job, and here at home. I want to express my gratitude for who he is. He makes my life better everyday. He's funny, and smart, and not to mention the sexiest man alive! (I'll be in trouble for saying that...), it's true though, what fun would it be if I wasn't married to my best friend, and the sexiest guy I know?
Thank you mijo, thank you for 6 wonderful years. I love you so much!

On another note, we went to Tepanyaki for our anniversary dinner. It was so delish, I ate so much! We had a great time. The best part is, we actually went without the children! Yay for some alone time! Thanks Aunt Kay and Uncle Ron, they took such good care of Anna and Jacob. :)

2009-08-09T18:50:00.002-06:00

We have had a busy few weeks. My youngest sister was here with us for almost 2 weeks and my parents and other sister were here last weekend for Anna's blessing. The week before Anna's blessing, we attended Randy's grandmother's funeral. We will miss her so much! She was always so sweet.

My favorite part about my sister being here was the fact that Jacob could get to know her, and have someone (other than us) to play with. Here's my favorite video of Jacob playing with his 'auntie P' He's still askin for her, which is kinda sad :( But he sure had fun with her!

aww kids...

2009-07-17T13:25:00.004-06:00

After rejecting about 10 songs...he wanted to dance to this one!

Anna was having some words with the little cow...

Is Old Navy cursed?

2009-07-10T07:31:00.006-06:00

I'm not superstitious at all, but we all remember the experience I had at Old Navy a couple of weeks ago in the parking lot, right?...

Well, yesterday I went with the kids again because the last time I was there they gave me a $20 coupon off my next purchase and it expired yesterday. I bought a couple of shirts and paid only the taxes so I was pretty happy! I called Randy (this time I took the cell), and told him we were on our way home. I actually left a message because Randy was home vacuuming and cleaning the carpets so he didn't hear the phone ring. As I was driving home I heard a loud weird noise from the side of the car, but since nothing else sounded or felt weird I kept driving. Soon after, someone driving pretty close to me pointed to my rear driver side tire so I pulled over. It turns out I had a flat!
I'm not very good at 'feeling' when I have a flat tire, so I hope I hadn't been driving on it for ever. Last time I had a flat was about 4 years ago when one of my friends let me use her car and I was on my way to pick her up for work! Same deal, I didn't hear or feel anything weird. So what did I do? I called Randy!

I'm sorry but even though I 'say' I would know how to change a tire, I'm still a little intimidated by it, and have never actually done it all by myself. So I figured, if he was home, he could come 'help' me out! Like I mentioned though, he was busy cleaning the house so he didn't hear the phone ring again...so I called our neighbors who live a couple of houses down(I'll have to write about them in a later post), and they were able to come to the house and let him know I needed him to call me. It's a good thing I took the cell phone! Otherwise I may have had to change a tire for the first time in my life! As Randy was changing the tire, some elders rode by on their bikes and asked if they could help...I thought that was nice!

I was remembering that on my mission I had a flat tire twice, the first time I was in Deming, New Mexico and we pulled over to a grocery store parking lot. I had sister Dickson as my companion, and she's such a go-getter that she didn't even hesitate to start to change the tire! She really hadn't gotten far when a guy came by and offered to help, I think he turned out to be an off duty cop! So I got a break there.

The second time was when I was in San Elisario, Texas. My companion was sister Burke and we were all dressed up for church one morning and as we got to our car, we realized we had a flat. The elders only lived about a 20 minute drive from us, so we called them, and they changed it for us thankfully...so yet again, I didn't 'have' to change a tire. I have always told Randy that I would just start and someone would inevitably stop because it's a girl changing a tire right? I'm so prissy when it comes to car stuff...and maybe when it comes to everything? For any of the ladies who read this blog...would you have changed the tire or would you have called your husband or significant other? If Dickson reads this I know the answer! She even has twins and a toddler now too!
So one of these days I should really change a tire 'for fun' so I can at least be more prepared....or else I might just have to call my sweet husband again ;)

Big Baby...

2009-07-09T10:38:00.005-06:00

Anna had her 2 month appointment yesterday, and here are her stats:

Height- 24 inches- >97%
Weight- 12.05 lbs- 95%
Head Circ-39.5 cm- 75%

So the Doctor said she's "a big baby all around" :)
Anna also got a few immunizations and last night was a rough one for her. Hopefully today will be better.
Here are some pics of her, before and after she got her shots

Before...

After...

Scary...

2009-06-27T18:30:00.004-06:00

Today was a day I will always remember...

I went shopping to Old Navy for their sweet $5 deals...and as I was loading Anna and Jacob into the car to go home, I thought it would be a good idea to start the car because it was so hot out. I had the air going in the car but not the air conditioning. The doors automatically locked when I turned on the car and I thought for a second that I should unlock them...and I should have!

Because I had all the doors open I didn't think anything of it, until somehow I managed to close all the doors and lock my children in a hot car while it was running!!! I was panicking because I don't have a cell phone and I didn't want to run all the way to the store to call someone. I had planned to call Randy because he's usually the calm one under stress. I didn't have much time to think because the temperature in the car was already super hot. I thought maybe I should just break a window, but then I saw a couple across the way getting into their truck. I ran and amidst tears managed to ask if they had a cell phone I could use. I explained to them what happened and they said they would call the police because they would be there in no time to help me out. So the kind lady (I forgot her name) called the police, and a few long minutes later we saw the fire department coming down the road. We flagged them to where we were and they said they just 'happened' to be driving down the road. By now it had been close to 10 minutes for the kids, and they were both doing so well. Anna wasn't crying, but she was awake and moving around, and Jacob just kept smiling at me when I would look into the car. I have to say I have never felt more helpless and guilty! I can't believe I locked them in there!!

Anyway, a couple of minutes later we saw the police officer coming down the road and he had some tools to open the car. I guess he had two sets because one of the fire fighters was on one door and he was on another trying to open the car. For those intense minutes, I prayed harder than I have prayed in a long time. And of course, my prayers were answered when the police officer got the door open!

We even had a 'random' pedestrian drive by and stop and get out of his car and offer to help the officer to get the door open.
I am so so grateful for the kindness and help all those people were to me today. When we got the kids out, Jacob had sweat running down his face but was otherwise ok. We gave him water and took them both out of the car. They checked Anna's pulse because she's so young...and everything was ok.

What an experience... I have heard of mothers who have done that with catastrophic results, and I thought I would never be one of those moms who locked their kids in the car. I'm so thankful everything turned out ok and that I was able to be helped by so many people.

Note to self: keep an extra set of keys in my purse.

2009-06-26T22:36:00.006-06:00

Jacob turned 2 on the 24th! We had Jon and Kevin over for some cake and ice cream...
We are so grateful for them and their thoughtfulness and love...Jacob loves them! And so do we.
We are also grateful for Jacob and his endless energy! He is such a loving and kind little boy. Our lives have been blessed so much because of Jacob.
We love you so much Jacob, you are a wonderful big brother and a fun-loving little guy.
Te queremos mucho mi amorcito! (Hopefully one day he understands that)

1-10

2009-06-23T14:52:00.003-06:00

Jacob has been counting to 10 for a while now but we hadn't gotten it on tape...sorry about the bright video! He sounds so cute when he says 'seden' :)

Where's Waldo?

2009-06-18T11:28:00.003-06:00

I had my citizenship ceremony yesterday and it was wonderful! Can you find me in this picture? I can't!

I was surprised at how emotional the ceremony was, it was amazing to see over 150 people from about 44 countries come together to become citizens of the greatest country on earth! It was so interesting to hear the different stories of what it meant for people to become a citizen. Some of my favorite ones- There was a guy from Mexico who said he had been living here for 20 years and he came here when he was adopted by an american family. He is now a Scientist and hopes to be a mentor and help kids, just like he was helped!
Another guy from Africa (who was 6'7) said that from the day he came here, he woke up the next morning grateful that he didn't have to worry about his safety or wonder about his future, because he was in America!

Becoming a US citizen for me is such a blessing. Who would have thought a little Salvadorean girl would end up here! If I can find pictures of where I grew up I'll post them, but it's like night and day! Plus I feel there are so many opportunities not only to progress personally, but to help others. I love the values on which this country was founded. I'm grateful to those whose lives where lost so we could have all these freedoms. Like the judge said yesterday "Freedom, is not Free"
I just want to say there's nowhere else I'd rather be, and nowhere else I'd rather raise our children!

I had such a great day yesterday. Randy's aunt took care of the kids while we went, and it was such a blessing because there's no way Jacob would have made it through the 3 hours!
After we picked up Anna and Jacob, we came home and my father in law came over for a bit. Then Randy made us an 'American' dinner. It consisted of steak, mushrooms, corn, root beer floats and crenshaw melons! It was so delicious! Thanks mijo!

So now I have a certificate that states I'm a naturalized citizen, and soon we'll be applying for our passports...here we are at the end of the ceremony with my certificate.

Jacob and Anna

2009-06-13T12:17:00.004-06:00

Can you believe Anna is 5 weeks old already? We hung out outside yesterday while Randy mowed the lawn and here are some pics of our children...

June 17th...

2009-05-27T14:57:00.003-06:00

Yay! I finally got a letter in the mail from US Citizenship and Immigration...I go in for my citizenship ceremony on June 17th in Salt Lake!
It has taken us almost 6 years for this day to arrive so I couldn't be happier! Now our next step after that is for all of us to get passports so we can travel...

Did I mention I love America? I really do!

2 weeks...

2009-05-21T16:32:00.004-06:00

We took Anna to her 2 week appt today (although she's not officially 2 weeks until 1:23 am tomorrow morning) and here are her stats:

Height- 21.75inches (she was 20.5 inches at birth)
Weight- 8lbs 2oz (she was 7.7 at birth and 7.5 last week)
Head circ- 35.5cm

She is growing well and slowly adjusting to life outside the womb. Jacob has become very loving towards her and will run to wherever she is when she cries. Randy and I are still zombies because of our lack of sleep, but we wouldn't trade it for anything!
My mom has been down here with us this week and will be here next week too. It's been fun seeing Jacob get to know his grandma Rojas, and it's been nice being able to take naps during the day while she watches the baby and Jacob naps.

Hanging out with Great Grandma Winegar on saturday

Hanging out with Grandma Rojas today after her doctor's appointment

more pictures...

2009-05-14T13:55:00.005-06:00

meeting his sister...

He wanted to sit up on the bed with me :)

awww...

The Wait is Over.....

2009-05-08T03:27:00.004-06:00

This is going to be short and sweet (It's too early in the morning for fancy writing:) - Baby Anna was born this morning at 1:23am! She weighs in at 7lbs 7oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. Our day started pretty early on Thursday morning and ended really early Friday morning. She is beautiful like her mom and both baby and mom are happy and healthy. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Here are a few pictures.

Super Quick Update...

2009-05-06T19:32:00.004-06:00

We had our Doctor's appt today and I am now dilated to a 4! The Doctor wants to see me again on monday instead of wednesday to check on my swelling (aka monster foot and swollen hands now) He said there's a 70% chance I'll have the baby before monday...but then again, last week he said there was a 50% chance I would have her before today. So I guess we wait...wish me luck! :)

It's not every day...

2009-05-02T14:26:00.004-06:00

...you get a round of applause when you clean! I was remembering how cute Jacob was the other day and thought I'd share the story...

We were both in the kitchen on thursday morning. He was playing with his toys and I was loading the dishwasher. I dropped one of the plates and it broke as it hit the ground...Jacob came running in and said "uh-oh what you do?" So as I was cleaning up I was all stressed trying to make sure he wasn't getting near any of the little broken pieces. I don't know if I had a scared or stressed look on my face or what...but he came up to me, gave me a hug and said "oh...Momma..." I thought that was so sweet of him. Then when I was all done cleaning he clapped and said "yay!"

He totally just made my day!
I'm so lucky to have him, and to be able to be a stay at home mom so I can have little cute moments like that with him.

Quick Update...

2009-04-29T20:40:00.002-06:00

We had our appointment today and here are the news:

I'm dilated to almost a 3 now, and have made my appt to be seen in a week. My Doctor said there's a 50% chance I'll have her before my next appointment b/c I'm 50% effaced! That's good news! We'll hopefully be able to update the blog if anything happens between now and next wednesday. We're so excited to see little Anna!

Baby clothes?

2009-04-25T14:29:00.002-06:00

Check out this link for great deals on The Children's Place clothing!

Baby Update...

2009-04-24T09:38:00.004-06:00

I have roughly 3 more weeks...yay!
We had a Doctor's appointment yesterday and for those of you who want to know, I am dilated to a 2...which really doesn't mean much. BUT I have an appointment again next week on wed and we'll see if I have progressed.
I thought I was going to be lucky this time around and not get all swollen...but this past weekend my feet started to swell up :( It's mostly my right foot, and it looks like a monster foot! I'm grateful I won't be swollen for as long as I was last time though. :) So I'm going to be drinking more water, and limited amounts of salt for me!

Jacob and I had a nice talk this morning while eating breakfast about little baby Anna...he's in for a big surprise I think!

We'll try to keep our blog updated so we can share our big day with all of you.

Thank you for all your support and help. :)

Fun at the park

2009-04-20T09:54:00.007-06:00

Last monday for family home evening we decided to take advantage of the nice weather by going to the park. Jacob loved it so much he didn't want to come home! He just wanted to be walking around on his own exploring...he learned a new word too...'bug'

Here are somepictures...

Pointing to a 'bug'

He discovered if he hit this barrel with his shovel it made a funny sound

Walking toward an abandoned ball he spotted

I love the scenery here

Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T12:18:00.004-06:00

We had an Easter egg-decorating party! Not really, but after my doctor's appointment on Tuesday, Jon was able to stay (after tending Jacob) and decorate some eggs with us.
It was Jacob's first time decorating eggs, and believe it or not, it was my first time too!
We had fun, and Jacob was able to learn a new word... "eggs"

Here are some pictures...

-My favorite was 'Jon's egg'-

-It had a labelled butt!-

-This was another one of Jon's...and Jacob broke it!-

What will she look like?

2009-04-10T10:22:00.003-06:00

Here's an idea of what our little Princesa will look like...according to makemebabies.com! hahahahahahaha

I hope they're wrong! :)

Food Show Fun

2009-04-06T14:12:00.008-06:00

Last week we got to go to another food show with Randy. It was pretty fun, especially now that Jacob is older and can understand more of what's going on. My favorite, and Jacob's favorite was the dancing Santa Claus. He was a little hesitant at first but later he didn't want us to go! He was having fun dancing infront of Santa and the people around us. Here are some pics and video.

Looking at Santa... Taking a break...

Always check your child's homework!

2009-04-03T13:41:00.005-06:00

Look at the picture and then read below....

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Mommy works at Home Depot. She was selling a shovel!

What did you think? hahaha
I have to admit I stole this image from someone else's blog. I thought it was hilarious!

Funny kid!

2009-03-26T13:41:00.004-06:00

I love this song!
I'm not sure how I feel about Jacob learning it, but it's still funny :) He was in a dancing mood all day that day. I guess it could be that he had eaten a handful of m&m's!

Gracias

2009-03-24T22:03:00.012-06:00

It's past 10 pm and I was ready to go to sleep at least 3 hours ago! Why am I awake instead? Because I have heartburn! Nice!
Anyway, since I'm awake I thought I'd write a few of my thoughts today.

I am grateful for: (not in any specific order)

- Being a year older, because I hope to get better each year!
- Having such a thoughtful, helpful, hard-working, patient and loving husband.
- Having such a playful, loving, and sweet little boy.
- My Family- What would I do without my family? (immediate and extended)
- My sister in law Elisabeth and her family...you know why! You guys are so awesome!
- Surprises- I had a weekend full of them! :)
- Being a mom- It's the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most rewarding.
- Being pregnant- Yes, I know I complained about heartburn etc...but I still am grateful to be expecting...it is such an amazing experience, and a great blessing.
- Being able to be a stay at home mom- I love it!

- Serving a mission- It's incredible how much I learned and how much my mission shaped who I am today.
- Having sister Georgeanne Phillips as one of my companions in the mission- I served with her for over 6 months...and when you're out 18 months...that's a big part of your mission! I actually had a dream about her last night and that's why I thought about her today. I feel privileged to have been able to serve with her, and learn from her. She had to leave the mission field early because they found cancer...and a few months later she passed away. She is still an inspiration to me.

- Speaking another language (I just really hope I can teach it to my children...)
- The priesthood in my life (Just today Randy gave Jacob a blessing because he's sick (again)...I just feel so blessed that he is worthy to do that, and it fills me with such peace that things will be OK)
- Randy's sense of humor! My life would be so boring without it :)
- Spending time with Randy- He's the best!
- Modern medicine- How did people make it back in the day??
- Spring- I love the 'awakening' of all the trees and flowers.
- Nala- I really need to show my love and appreciation for her, she's such a lovable little dog!
...and the list goes on...

-Our sweet boy-

-This picture was taken on saturday- 32 weeks pregnant!

Little Nala

Jacob's stinky feet!

2009-03-16T13:24:00.003-06:00

Huggies

2009-03-10T15:31:00.006-06:00

*UPDATE*
We were able to get the Huggies deal at the Roy Walgreen's! So we paid $5.87 (w/ tax) for 3 packages of Huggies and a cold and flu medicine. Actual retail price? $42!
We thought last week we had a good deal when we bought the Suave shampoo and conditioner for $0.23 each...this week we were able to get all these Garnier fructis products for free! How? They were on sale for $2.99 and had a store coupon for $2 off, plus we had $1 off manufacturer's coupons!

There's a deal going on right now at Walgreen's and I hope I can get in on it!
Jumbo packs of Huggies are on sale for $10/pack. If you go to www.coupons.com and/or www.redplum.com you can print coupons for $5 off/pack. When you buy $25 worth of diapers (aka 3 packs) you get $10 in register rewards...which means next time you go into Walgreen's you can use it to get $10 anything you buy! So, if you use 3-$5 coupons for your diapers, plus the $10 in RR...you'd pay $5 for 3 packs of Huggies diapers! Huggies are my personal favorite, although I do use other brands if the price and quality are right.
There are also $3 off coupons you can print off those websites for future purchases.

My local Walgreens ran out of Huggies on sunday morning! :(
I called the Roy, Clinton, and South Ogden Walgreens and they're out as well! What's up with that by the way??

So I guess it depends on where you live, and whether or not your local Walgreen's still has some Huggies left...so good luck, and happy shopping!

Fun Shopping Trip

2009-03-05T09:44:00.003-07:00

Retail Price- $58.61
Actual cost (after coupons,gift cards and rebates)- $2.88

Before my mission I was hooked on salon-brand shampoo and conditioners. Soon after I got into the mission field I learned I couldn't afford to buy the salon brand anymore. So I started using Suave! And honestly I can't tell the difference! The best part is the price. Right now at your local Associated Food Store (Lee's, Macey's, Dan's etc) they have the Suave shampoos and conditioners on sale for $0.77 per bottle and in sunday's paper there was a coupon for $1.50 off when you buy 3...so with tax, we paid $0.22 per bottle!!

Another thing I had never noticed before is that when you go to the drug stores, you can find 'try me free' stickers on shampoos and conditioners...they have a rebate form and you get your money back 100%, plus you get their product for free! I found 3 yesterday, one at Walgreens and two at Rite Aid.

The rest of the things we got are on their monthly rebate programs (Walgreens and Rite Aid), and we used coupons, a gift card we had from a prescription transfer, and we'll get all our money back once we submit our rebates!
I was so excited about our shopping trip, I just had to share! :)

Baby girl

2009-02-26T10:16:00.007-07:00

We had our Doctor's appointment yesterday and were able to get a 3-D ultrasound. Last time we were there the Doctor tried to get one...but the baby just kept putting her hands in front of her face...This time around she was turned towards me...so we still weren't able to get a full face shot...but we got some profile pictures. I think this poor little girl is going to have my nose! Hopefully it's more of a mix like with Jacob...I guess we'll see.

I have to mention I'm so thankful Randy has come to ALL my appointments with me, both with Jacob and with this pregnancy. I think sometimes I just get anxious and worried,that something will go wrong, and he always cracks a joke or says something to help me feel more relaxed. I'm also grateful for Jon and Kevin, who have helped us by watching Jacob while we go to our appointments. The last couple of times we have even managed to sneak in some date nights after our appointment. :)

We are super excited to meet our little girl, and eventhough I'm 28 weeks I feel like it's forever away. We are going to the Doctor's every 2 weeks now, so I guess we're getting closer, and so far everything is good with both the baby and me. I told Jon yesterday that sometimes I wonder how I will ever get any bigger...but I will! Yay! :)

-Baby Anna Lissette-

Is it your birthday?

2009-02-20T17:46:00.001-07:00

I came across this blog post about all the free stuff available out there especially for kid's birthdays...

Click Here for the link.

I don't know about you, but I love free stuff! :)

Happy Valentine's day!

2009-02-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a great day today!
Even though I think Valentine's day is way over-rated and just an excuse for all of us to spend our money...I have always enjoyed being spoiled! So I can't complain :)

I love you mijo

-Randy had these shipped straight from Maui!- I'm impressed...Thanks mijo!

I love this country!

2009-02-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

I passed my citizenship test/interview!! It was actually A LOT easier than I had prepared myself for. I was only asked 7 questions and they were fairly easy...except I got one wrong :( I won't tell you what it is, because I knew the right answer right after I said it!
The only thing they need from me now is proof that I have been married, and living with Randy for the last 3 years. They already have some copies of bills etc that we had previously submitted, but they don't have anything for the last 3 years. I guess the fact that I'm pregnant wasn't proof enough? :)
So as soon as they get those papers from me they'll send me a letter telling me when the next ceremony is, and I will officially become a US citizen! I think I even get a certificate that day.
I really do love this country, I tell Randy often that I feel so blessed and lucky to be living here.

Before I forget

2009-02-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write down a few of the cute things Jacob has been doing lately somewhere I could easily look back on. What I really need is a journal, and to write in it...but that's another story.

Here are some of my favorite cute things Jacob has been doing lately:
(Not in any particular order)

-When he sees me in the morning or he's upstairs and I come upstairs he always gives me a big smile and says "hi momma!" - I love it!

-He randomly hugs me througout the day and makes an "ahhh" noise while he hugs me :)

-He sings (in his own little way) along to the song I sing to him before he goes to sleep (Primary song).

-He loves his 'woof, woof' blanket, he sleeps with it every night; he hugs it too :)

-He says "Thank You" a lot (again, in his own little way, it's more like "ank-yoo")

-He's very friendly, he says "hi" or "hello" to everyone and anyone we run into.

-He loves nursery! This is a huge blessing, because before nursery he would get bored after 2 minutes of being in class :) So we would roam the halls on a regular basis.

-Whenever I give him a 'treat' or something he really likes, he always says "ank-yoo momma!" It's so super cute, I need to get it on video.

-If I ask him if he wants to 'kiss the baby' he always says "yeah" and kisses my belly and gives my belly a big hug along with his 'ahhh' noise.

-He absolutely LOVES Elmo, anything from his slippers to his books or bib, he can't get enough of him!

-He loves to 'read'! He just really loves it when we read to him or when he flips through his books and asks us "what's that?" for any little thing in the book.

-He understands 2 words in Spanish..."mocos" and "Agua" - He actually said "Agua" today, but I could have heard him wrong. Random words I know, but it's a start right?

-We play the 'Jacob 8-ball game' with him...it's pretty much Randy asking him random, off the wall questions and seeing if Jacob says 'yeah' or 'no,no,no'...it's hilarious!

-Whenever he can't find a toy or he misplaces something, he will ask "where is it?"

-He sings along to the 'Backyardigans' full voiced, and tries to copy their dance moves.

-He recently started calling Nala "Nala" instead of "nana" :) He sounds so cute!

-He folds his arms as soon as we are at the table...but he won't close his eyes when we pray!

-If he wants us to get him down from his high chair he says "down, down"

-He counts to three...but starts at two every time!

-He had something dirty on his hand once and I said "ewwww!" So now when he gets his hands dirty, instead of cleanding them...he just says "ewww!" and wants me to clean him up!

-He knows who 'pooh' is, we were at the store the other day and he pointed at one and said 'pooh?' :)

Those are all the ones I can think of right now...If I think of more I will add them later :)

-Here he is at Great-Grandpa Taylor's Birthday party...they had a nice selection of books at the club house...those who went know what I mean!

Like Daddy, Like son

2009-01-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fun times at the Taylor home.... Randy had been teaching Jacob to play football earlier...and then they took a break for a little dancing! Never mind the song...

Nala...

2009-01-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

We found out last week (after an ultrasound) that our little dog Nala has 3 big bladder stones! Poor little dog. She went in for surgery this morning and we are hoping everything goes well. She has had a couple of infections this month and that's why we decided to do an ultrasound. We're glad we did so she can start feeling better. She was our first baby and it was sad to see her in pain, but we are hoping everything will go well in the operation. She's going to have a rough week because she'll be recovering...but hopefully a week from today she'll finally be back to her old, happy self!
I never had a dog growing up so I didn't understand why people 'loved' dogs, or why they let them sleep with them, I thought there was something so dirty about that. But now that we have had Nala for over 4 years...I can honestly say I love her like my own child! She's so innocent, and she has brought us such comfort and happiness. I was in tears last night because first of all, I had been all emotional all day, but also, I was scared that something may go wrong during the surgery and we may not see her again... :( But the lady at the vet was very comforting and she said dogs usually do well after that surgery. We'll find out later today how she did, and she should be back home this afternoon.

****Update*****
We went to pick up Nala and she did really well in the operation! We're going to have to keep an eye on her for the next 7-10 days so she can heal properly, but she should be feeling better pretty soon. She's sleeping right now because she's on pain meds, and the challenge tomorrow is to try to keep her from running around or playing with the ball.
I'm so grateful everything turned out alright. :) I love our little Nala.

(Here she is being a 'traviesa')

How well would you do?

2009-01-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Good news! I will no longer be just a 'Legal Resident' of the United States! I go in for my citizenship interview next month (feb 10th)! During the interview I will be asked questions about US history and government structure, I will also be evaluated on my ability to speak, read, write and understand English. Simple enough right? I'll have to blog about how I do... In the mean time, I have been given a book so I can study and be prepared for the test. So I thought it would be fun if the people who read this blog took a 'practice' self test on line and then left a comment to see how you did. I haven't taken one yet, I really do need to study...so wish me luck, and if you have any tips for me, I'll take them! And good luck with your practice test!

Click here to take the test

New moves

2009-01-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

As I was cooking dinner last night I put on some music...and Jacob showed me some new dance moves! He even brought his favorite blanket to the kitchen and at one point was dancing and holding it. He kept turning his back on me so I had to chase him around, but it was fun!
He would get upset when the song ended and I tried to play a different one...so I ended up playing that same song about 5 or 6 times before I found another song he liked to dance to!

What a man, What a man....What a mighty good man!

2009-01-05T09:43:00.001-07:00

First of all, let me just start by saying Randy's going to LOVE this post! (sense the sarcasm?) The title of the post itself is part of a song by Salt n' Pepa!

There are 3 things that prompted me to write this today:
Number 1- My love for this wonderful husband of mine! He really is unbelievable!
Number 2- I read an article the other day in Parent's magazine written by a single mom. In the article she pretty much tells us lucky mothers who have a husband, to stop whining and complaining about the things our husbands aren't doing or are doing but not up to our standards! She lists a few things and why we should be grateful for our husbands and what they do!
Number 3- When the alarm went off at 6 am this morning, the last thing I wanted to do was get up...and since Jacob was asleep...I really didn't have to get up! Randy on the other hand HAD to get up to go to work, and after our morning prayer, he told me (not in so many words) how he didn't sleep because someone kept taking the sheets from him and moving around so much that the bed was bouncing, and he was awaken like that more than 3 times! I felt so bad for him! I'm only 21 weeks pregnant and already I'm so uncomfortable! I kept tossing and turning all night and couldn't get comfortable!

Warning: this post may be cheesy and long, so if you're not in the mood to read a long, cheesy post...you may want to stop reading now! Also, I really like to use exclamation points when I write...so please forgive me.

Regardless of what Randy may think about the song lyrics of the post title...I really DO have a mighty good man! And I consider myself lucky! I often forget how lucky I am, until I am reminded by such things as an article in a magazine, or events like this morning.
Honestly, I have NEVER mowed the lawn in the 5+ years of our marriage! I guess I'm not necessarily proud of that (one of my sisters in law mowed her lawn as a surprise to her husband, as if that wasn't awesome enough...she was like 7 months pregnant!) the point is that when it comes to changing light bulbs, changing furnace filters, mowing the lawn etc, Randy does it all! Not to mention keeping up with the cars (oil changes, tire rotations, filters, even car washes).

I told someone not long ago that Randy's the CFO of our house! And I love it! He's so good with money, and I'm learning to be more like that. It's because of him that our only debt is our house! And some people may go as far as saying he's cheap, but I live here, and if he was cheap we wouldn't have all the nice things we have. He's very smart with money, he's the type that will research a product and what different stores are charging before he'll just go out and buy it. If you need a good deal on something...he'll do the research, and if a good deal is out there, he'll find it! Why pay more if you can get a good deal on it?? It makes me feel safe to know our finances will always be in check with him around!

Apart from all the work he does around the house, Randy is a wonderful dad! Right now Jacob is 'going through a phase' as I would like to think...he just can't get enough of his dad! The minute Randy comes home from work, Jacob is dancing around all happy saying "da-da? da-da?" And from then until he's in his crib asleep...he follows Randy around everywhere! It's gotten to the point where Jacob cries if Randy is out of his sight! I must say it's a good break for me, but at the same time, it makes me feel like I'm forgotten the minute Randy comes into the picture! I love that Randy has been so involved in being a dad from day 1. He was the first one to change Jacob's diaper, and he continues to do so, yes, even the 'not so pleasant' ones! He is currently Jacob's barber and groomer (aka he cuts Jacobs hair and trims his nails regularly), as well as Jacob's primary source of laughs! Sometimes I make Jacob laugh, and I love it, but not like Randy does!
That's another one of Randy's great qualities, he can make people laugh! I'm not sure if it's in the Taylor genes or what, but he is one funny guy! And not only that, he has a good sense of humor and can laugh as well.
One of the best qualities he has, in my opinion, is his attention to detail. I tell him I could never hide anything from him even if I tried! He seriously notices EVERYTHING! If I happen to mention something I really like or would like, he will surprise me with it later on and sometimes I will have even forgotten I mentioned it to him! He is extremely thoughtful, to the point where he stresses himself out analyzing something he wrote or said.
He has the most beautiful heart! I'm writing this part in tears (boy those pregnancy hormones!) and that's because he is so full of love for everyone! Even people who take advantage of him on purpose! (I don't know how he does it?)

He makes it a goal to visit his mom's grave regularly, he never forgets.

He is so loving and caring with us and with his family, people who truly know him, know this about him. He's sensitive to people's feelings and needs.
One last thing, maybe two...Randy is so organized! If it was up to me we'd forget our own child! (ok, maybe not that bad, but still) I go through phases in my life where I'm really organized(as organized as I can be), and then it just seems like too much work and I start slacking off...and next thing I know I have a hard time remembering where I put a receipt or as in many cases, I have thrown it away!

Just the other day I was telling Randy that he makes it a point to be knowledgeable in various subjects and day to day things, that it works against him sometimes. I was like, you make people(including me) want to say..."Why should I think or try to figure this out? I'll just ask Randy! He will know!" hahaha that's also called being lazy people!

I could really go on and on about Randy, but I will end this post by saying THANK YOU! Thank you for all that you are, and all that you do for us and our little family. We love you so much, you're the best!

Ogden's Christmas Village

2008-12-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last night as part of our family home evening we went to see the Christmas Village in downtown Ogden. It was the perfect night to go because the weather wasn't so cold, and Jacob was in a good mood. He just kept saying "wow" to all the lights and had fun in the stroller. We thought he may want to get out and walk around instead of just sitting in there, but I think he was pretty comfortable. Here are a few pictures of our little trip.

-Jacob's first happy meal (chicken nuggets and apple juice)-Before going to see the Village...

-"WOW!"-

-I think his friend melted...-

-Historic 25th st-

Super Boy!

2008-12-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

We got Jacob a pair of superman pj's and it comes with a removable cape...I just had to get a couple of pictures the first time he wore it! The video shows how hyper he gets just before bedtime...The music started skipping and he didn't seem to like that...Here he is before going to bed the other night:

-Nala just had to sniff him as I took the picture!-

-Trying to plug in the humidifier (Scary)-

Christmas Highlights

2008-12-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! The best part is that we were surrounded by family. On Christmas eve we went over to Aunt Kay's and had a great time. Jacob danced in front of everyone while Randy's cousin Todd sang and played "Christmas Feeling" on his guitar! Jacob just loves to dance, and if people are watching him, he puts on a show! It was a special night and we all made it home safely.

Mark, Elisabeth and Slade stayed over night and it was fun having them here. It was about 3 hours past Jacob's bedtime by the time we got home Christmas eve....and he was out of control hyper and full of smiles and laughs! He finally fell asleep and slept until 9 on Christmas morning. We had the rest of the Taylors join us for our Christmas breakfast, and then we hung out and opened presents. The 3 Taylor tots were super cute and played well together. We finished off our day by going to the cemetery to visit Grandma Taylor, and then had dinner with Jon and Kevin. Our drive home from Kevin's was really scary because it was snowing and the wind was blowing really hard. The roads were really bad, so we had to be exra careful. We made it home in a little over an hour (it usually takes us about 30 mins), and thankfully we made it home safe and sound.

We hope everyone had a great Christmas as well, and we wish you a happy 2009!

-Christmas Eve-

-Christmas day-

-Our car, after driving home from Kevin's-

-Jacob's new favorite-

Yay!

2008-12-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Some of you already know our good news...but some of you just found out today that we're expecting our second baby. We had an ultrasound yesterday and found out WE'RE HAVING A GIRL! It's so exciting, and almost unbelievable, because Randy's family is full of boys. We are so grateful and look forward to meeting our little girl. I think Jacob is going to be such a good big brother! He has been so loving lately, he even feeds(tries to feed) some of his stuffed animals.
We could not be happier with our news!

Christmas Lights

2008-12-11T09:42:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night (according to the news) was the coldest night of the season...so far! So of course we went out and looked at the lights at temple square :)

We didn't get very many pictures, but we did get a couple of the Taylor Tots all bundled up! It was a fun night, and it was good to get together with Randy's brothers and their families. Our favorite was the nativity presentation, it re-emphasized what Christmas is all about...The celebration of Christ's birth.

Sherbet Blossom...

2008-12-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Check this website out for great give aways!

"Christmas Feeling"

2008-11-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

I think Jacob likes this song as much as we do! :)

(Song: "Christmas Feeling" by Anonymous)

p.s. He's eating a chocolate chip cookie at the same time...

Some of my favorite...

2008-11-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Preview...

2008-11-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

We got some family pictures done and we are excited about how they turned out! Jacob did so well during the shoot...partly because we were outside, and he loves to play in the outdoors!
Our photographer was Julee, who works for Lindsay Jane Photography. She did such a good job!
The pictures were taken at Snow Basin in this little secluded spot, we even hiked to get to it! It was so fun!
Here are just a few of the pictures...we're currently waiting for a cd to come in the mail...maybe we'll post more pictures later. Thanks Lindsay and Todd!

...I just want to be like da-da...

2008-11-08T14:25:00.001-07:00

Those are Randy's slippers he's wearing :)

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-01T10:06:00.001-06:00

We took Jacob trick-or-treating to our family's homes last night and it was so fun! He had taken an early nap so he had been awake since 1pm but he did pretty well considering he was sleep deprived!

Our first stop was Grandma and Grandpa Winegar's...oh they are so cute! Grandpa had made a sign and had left a bowl of candy outside for the trick-or-treaters to take. He also had some rocking music playing out there! Why the question mark though...hmm...

Jacob had so much fun exploring around their house. He even found a couple of books to read and he kept bringing them to Randy so he could read them to him. Grandpa sang a couple of songs to Jacob too and it was so sweet!

Our second stop was at Uncle Tom's. Jacob was being a little shy but he got comfortable and started talking to the horses he could see out their window! Cousins Ashlee, Wade and Jen got there a few minutes later with their cute kids. My favorite was Dax who was dressed up as a lion! He looked so cute! We had to get a picture of our little bee and their little lion! It was fun to see them an hang out for a bit...

Next we headed over to Aunt Kay's. Jacob absolutely loved Anne their dog! He kept petting her and following her around, he even attempted to put a ball in her mouth...it was a scary moment because she's such a big dog, but she's so gentle! Hopefully one day Nala can learn to be like that. It was fun to see Aunt Kay, she's so sweet. :)

Our last stop was at Grandpa Kevin's. We thought since it had been about an hour and a half past Jacob's bed time that he would be the crankiest...but he was so happy! As soon as he saw uncle Jon he was all smiles! We had a hard time getting him to smile in any of the previous pictures, but I guess Jon has the magic Uncle touch because Jacob was full of smiles! It was good to see Kevin since he came over on wednesday and we totally forgot to tell him we weren't going to be home! He waited for us for about a half hour and then left us a note...we felt so bad! But Jacob got to hang out with his Grandpa Kevin for a bit and it was fun.

Hermana Rojas is at the MTC!

2008-10-22T21:07:00.000-06:00

We took my sister Ingrid to the MTC today and she was ready to be an official sister missionary! I love her so much! She's so sweet and funny I'm really going to miss her! I was such a baby at the MTC she did better than I did!

We got there right at 1pm and she had to fill out some paper work and have her 'language' test before we could go into orientation...so we didn't have much time for pictures...the pictures we did take were hurried...sorry! I'm also posting some pictures of her and Jacob last night before he went to sleep...he's playing with the ball Tia Lilian sent him! THANK YOU SO MUCH! He loves it, and the plane too! Jacob didn't have a good day today so he doesn't look very happy in the pictures...the whole drive to the MTC he was cranky and Ingrid was sitting in the back with him trying to entertain him :( I felt bad for her, but she did so well!

We will miss her so much, but she's going to be an amazing missionary! By now she's almost done with her first day at the MTC, I think the last class ends at 9:30pm, she had a long day and must be exhausted!

Don't forget you can send her a letter every day before 11am and she'll get it the same day at www.dearelder.com MAKE SURE YOU WRITE! It's like Christmas every time you get a letter! AND Her birthday is November 12, so make sure you send her something before then because her estimated departure day is November 11! After she leaves it'll take months to get something to her in Argentina!
If you're reading this and would like her address info, please send me an email I'll gladly give you her info. :)

About the pictures: Sorry...If I don't have my eyes closed in some of the pictures, I'm talking or something! And the light hit one of Ingrid's eyes at a weird angle so a couple of pictures turned out not so good...again sorry! We were in such a hurry because we were late for orientation!

NICU Reunion

2008-10-18T19:44:00.000-06:00

Every year Ogden Regional has a NICU 'Halloween' reunion for all their 'graduates'... Last year we went and Jacob was only 4 months old...he was very sleepy at the time, so he didn't have too much fun. This year was different though. We went today and since costumes are encouraged, we took our little busy bee with us. He had so much fun! I think the more kids there are around him, the more fun he has. He is a very social boy so he had no trouble walking up to perfect strangers, and saying 'eh-llo' Which is how he says 'hello'. It was neat to see some of his nurses again and for them to see how much he has grown in a year. Those nurses are truly gifted. I think it takes a special person to become a nurse, and all the nurses Jacob had were just so in- tune with the babies, it was incredible! One of the nurses was talking to Randy and as she was talking to him she started talking to Jacob, and he thought she was the funniest person ever!

They had all sorts of games and treats for the kids at this reunion, and I'm sure Jacob will have even more fun as he gets older. One of Jacob's favorite food is chicken nuggetts, and they had them there for the kids! He devoured them in no time! There were some activities for the parents to do as well, we could get Jacob's picture taken and then make our own halloween picture frame, which we did. Every year they have you bring pictures of your little one so you can make a scrapbook page, and they have a scrapbook from every year they've held the reunion. It's incredible to flip through those pages and see how some babies born at only 2 pounds can grow and develop to be perfectly healthy! Wow! Modern medicine and modern technology is amazing! I'm grateful to live here and have access to all of that.
We were grateful to have the opportunity to go and remember how far Jacob has come, how blessed we are to have him, and how much we look forward to more NICU reunions!

Here's our busy bee before we left

Chillin' with dad

He found another little bee friend

Walking around...checking things out

One of the nurses gave him a balloon and he just loved it!

Foot work...

2008-10-14T12:22:00.000-06:00

For the last couple of days, Jacob has been practicing some fancy foot work to add to his regular 'hip-shaking' dance moves! And although I wish I could take credit for this...he is doing it all himself!
If you're not a 'Celia Cruz' fan, you may want to turn down the volume on your speakers...Enjoy!

Hats...

2008-10-11T18:07:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure about other kids Jacob's age...but he will NOT let us put a hat on him at all! No matter what we have tried he has always managed to take off the hat in a matter of seconds!

So today he was playing in his room...the usual, playing with the stereo and random toys...so while he was busy playing with all the buttons on the stereo I decided to put a hat on him...it actually is too small for him, but it's so cute and he never wore it because he doesn't like hats. To my surprise he left the hat on! For at least 15 minutes! Until I put another hat on him, or a 'beanie' or 'toque' (canadian) I'm not sure I spelled either of those 2 words right so forgive me. The toque/beanie is hideous...but I thought I'd try and see if he would leave it on... Anyway, he left that one on as well and then the 3rd and 4th hat I tried were rejected...(was I bored today or what?) So, although this might seem very unimportant to the majority of you...to me this was HUGE this means we can actually keep his little head warm this winter when we're out! And it couldn't have happened at a better time...because it snowed in Eden today! That means it won't be long before it snows here too.

I must say I'm getting excited about Christmas...it's almost 2 months away! Yay! Once upon a time I used to be a Grinch, but like I said to my brother in law the other day...I think I was just focusing on the wrong things! So bring on the winter! We're ready!

Jacob...

2008-09-29T13:39:00.000-06:00

Last wednesday Jacob got his 4th, yes, his 4th haircut! The first time Randy cut his hair he was less than 6 months old I believe...and he did so well! The second and third time, Jacob didn't like it at all. But this time, he did wonderful! We brought the stereo into the kitchen, sat him in his little chair, gave him a cookie, and hoped for the best! Our little bundle of joy loves music, so he started dancing right away as soon as he heard the radio. I told Randy to pretend to cut his own hair and then to pretend to cut mine so Jacob could see it wasn't so scary. I think what made him think it was scary was the loud sound of the clippers....we need new ones! So the hair cutting session turned out to be a success! And I must say Randy did a great job!

Here are some before and after pictures...

Before...

And After...

The next day I decided to take some more pictures when Jacob was walking around the house. He looks so much like Randy when he was a little boy!
I don't think I had taken a picture of Jacob playing with the stereo in his room before...it's one of his favorite things to do! He has figured out how to play the cd and how to turn the volume up and down and how to skip a song. He usually dances to whatever music comes on and when he happens to turn the volume way up...he will usually run (aka walk really fast) to me so I can hurry and turn it down! It's so fun to watch him because he even gets on the floor so everything is eye level to him. Oh what a fun little man we have!

In the video Jacob actually started playing the cd just as I was starting to video tape him...and then you can see him dancing to that primary song! There's a mobile noise going on in the background too...sorry.

In his own words...

2008-09-20T09:30:00.000-06:00

Jacob has developed his own baby language! It's hilarious because he will just sit there and talk to us or other people and carry on a conversation in his own little language! Yesterday at breakfast he was talking away and singing...and of course when I got the camera out he stopped. So this is not nearly as funny as it is usually...but I hope you still enjoy it!

Car troubles...

2008-09-11T13:22:00.000-06:00

About a month ago I was at a store shopping, when all of a sudden I hear my name over the intercom..."this can't be good!" I thought to myself...I was told somebody had hit my car in the parking lot and they were waiting for me so we could exchange information. I hurried outside with Jacob on my arm and met a nice older man. He said he was sorry and he wanted to take care of it but didn't want to involve any insurance companies or anything else...hmmm...I agreed and asked him to give me his name, address and phone number so I could get an estimate and then call him. He refused to give me his phone number. He said he was going through some personal stuff and that he would rather not give me his phone number. I told him I needed it because we needed to get a hold of him when we got the estimate etc...to make a long story short, he continued to act 'shady' and ended up not giving me much information other than his address and his name. I hadn't called the police at this point...and after talking to one of the managers at the store I decided I better call the police. Both the manager and the police officer kept saying to me "You just can't go by what people tell you these days..." I wanted to believe that he was going to pay for the damage on the car...but he just acted so suspicious that I had no choice but to involve the police. I filed a report and the officer said they would charge him with a hit and run due to the lack of information he left me with. They also looked him up and found out he had a criminal record! But the good news is that the car he was driving was registered to the person he said he was, and they had the same address he gave me on file.
The next step was for us to go to an auto shop and get an estimate...we actually went to one he suggested which was by his house, and luckily there was another, more professional shop across the street which also guaranteed their work. We got the estimates, and found out it was more than $1,000 in damage, so we went to his house to drop them off...there was nobody home but he had told me he would be out all day...so we wrote our phone number and headed home. We were not expecting to get a call from him and we were afraid we might have to take him to court.

A couple of years ago we had 4 car accidents in one year...none of which were our fault. One of those people didn't have insurance so we had to take her to court. We got the money for the car, but to this day Randy has ringing in his ear which started right after that accident...and there's nothing we can do about it! I don't think it's fair for people to drive without insurance, I know some people may not have a way to get insurance, but first of all, it's the law, and I think in the end, if they get into an accident they end up making it worse for themselves.

Anyway, a few hours after we got home that day, we got a call from this man, and he said he had the money, that he would pay us cash, and if we wanted to go to his house to get it, he could see us in an hour!! This was shocking to us! I think we really misjudged him, we thought he would evade us! But he kept his word, and he paid us in full and with cash! I guess the police hadn't gotten a hold of him yet to tell him about the hit and run, so I felt bad and called the officer. I told her he kept his word and there would be no need to charge him with a hit and run. So I guess he proved us wrong. It's nice to see that there are still people who keep their word. People who do what they say they will do! I am very grateful for that!

We hadn't had time to take my car to the shop until this week...I have been carless since tuesday! But the good news is, it should be ready tomorrow! I'll have to post some 'after' pictures...I'm so excited to see my little car again :)

Fun Times...

2008-08-29T10:46:00.000-06:00

There are a few things I would like to blog about but I don't have the time right now...so I'll just blog about a couple of them...

We finally harvested our corn! Yay! Who knew gardening could be so rewarding? We have a fridge full of corn right now and have been eating corn almost every day for the last week...which is not a bad thing, we love it! Even Jacob loves it! I am also running out of things to do with zucchini so if anyone who reads this would like to contribute with a recipe, I will surely try it! Let's see...so far we have sauteed it, grilled it, stuffed it, made zucchini muffins, a casserole, and ate it raw with ranch dressing...I think Randy is getting sick of it! I really like it though...but right now I have 3 sitting in my fridge with no immediate plans...my mom suggested using them instead of pasta in lasagna...hmmm I think I might give that a try. We also have about 9 cantaloupe which will all be ready about the same time...I guess our neighbors will be getting some! I don't bring them zucchini because almost everyone on our street is growing it too!
We have been going out to pick raspberries almost every day, they are endless...And oh so yummy! Jacob and I eat them like candy every day...did I mention gardening is so rewarding? Here are a few of the pictures...

On another note, we went to a merchandise show on Wednesday as part of Randy's job. It was fun, and definitely a break from the norm. They even gave us vouchers for lunch at the Mayan Adventure! It had been a while since we had been there. Last time we were there you had to order your food, almost cafeteria style and then they brought it out to you. It was better this time around, the show was different too. It still had the divers but they were all dressed in Mayan costumes. I told Randy I should have gotten special treatment because my ancestors are Mayan! hahaha They really are though :)
Jacob really enjoyed it too. At first he wasn't sure about it because it's a little dark in there...but as you will see in the video...he was even dancing to the music while the show was going on. He loved watching it, he was so into it, it was so funny!
After lunch we went back to the Expo center for about an hour, Jacob got a football, and Randy and I played a couple of Carnival games and won a couple of prizes...nothing big, but it was still fun!

Uinta Mountains Trip

2008-08-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

We celebrated our 5th anniversary last week on the 14th! Can you believe it? Time has gone by so fast I can't even believe it's been 5 years!
We decided to head to the mountains for some cooler weather...and we loved every minute of it!
It's always nice to get away even if it is only for a few days...

On the first day we got there we went on a little walk around the cabin we stayed at. Our cabin was the second from the left in the picture below. It was so beautiful! The trees, the smell of pine trees, the breeze...just perfect! The best part is that Jacob totally loved it too...he loved being outside and being able to explore, and play with rocks, insects etc...It was really fun. At the end of the day, his favorite thing is his bath...and he loved the jacuzzi tub! It was much more fun than the tub at home I guess!

On the second day we went to Mirror Lake, walked around the lake and took some pictures. We also went to Kamas so Randy could get his fishing license, and went sight-seeing. On our way back to the cabin, Jacob was asleep and all of a sudden a deer jumped right in front of our little Honda Civic! I of course I freaked out, and Randy had to slam on the breaks...good thing we have good breaks...otherwise I might not be telling this story right now! (Jacob woke up from his nap too...) Randy encounters deer almost on a daily basis on his way to work, up North Ogden pass...so he is used to looking for them on the side of the road. We were actually driving home from his work one night (when we used to clean floors there), and we saw a moose on the side of the road...in the darkness...just watching us...it was kinda scary! Anyway, on to our trip story...

We got home that second evening and since Jacob goes to sleep around 7 pm we stayed in the cabin the rest of the night. Which was fine, because we just put him in the other room, and he slept surprisingly well! There was a swing in front of the Cabin overlooking the little lake so we went out there late at night and had some oreos and milk under the stars! It doesn't sound like much fun, but it was!

The next day we went and hiked to Fehr Lake and Randy fished...while he patiently fished (I didn't realize how much patience it takes to fish), Jacob and I got to explore and play in the great outdoors! It was really fun to watch him discover new things...once again he loved to try to eat the rocks! I'm not sure why he does that...I'm pretty sure he's not hungry...oh well, I guess he's a boy right? He tried to eat a few ants too! I need to get used to all the insects that will become his best friends in a little while!
Our time at Fehr Lake was so nice because first of all Randy was the only one fishing...and after a while, we were the only ones there! He didn't catch any fish, but that's the risk you take when you go fishing...you don't always catch anything...so it was still fun, and we enjoyed our time there.

On our last day there we went early to the fish pond near our cabin and fed the fish. We bought some fish food on the first day we were there and had forgotten to go feed the fish. I think we had more fun than Jacob. He couldn't really see the fish, so he didn't really understand what we were doing. He did throw some food into the pond and that was fun for him!

I just want to say how blessed I feel to have married Randy and to have Jacob in our lives now. I love them so much and couldn't imagine my life without them. I am the luckiest girl!

Happy Birthday Carlos!

2008-08-21T11:54:00.000-06:00

My little brother Carlos turns 20 today! Wow I feel old...
He is currently serving in the Monterrey, Mexico mission and has been out since November of last year. He is definitely one of the funniest people I know! And I'm not just saying that because he's my brother...he'll make you laugh! He can do some hilarious impressions of people!
Growing up he was very introverted and shy...but you would never know it now...
I miss both my brothers so much, but I know they are doing what they need to be doing at this time of their lives.
So I hope Carlos, aka Elder Rojas has a wonderful day today...Te quiero mucho hermanito! Que las pases super Chido! ;)

Just before going into the MTC, we took my brothers to lunch at the cracker barrel. Left to right: Alex(serving in Guadalajara, Mexico), Jacob, and Carlos.

8/17/08

2008-08-18T10:29:00.000-06:00

The video is bright...sorry...but I hope you get the picture!

First time at the Lake...

2008-08-07T13:25:00.000-06:00

We decided to add a little adventure to our lives last week...so we went to Pineview! Our friends who own a boat invited us to go...It was really fun and Jacob loved (most of) it! The only thing he didn't like was the life jacket...so we didn't get in the boat. He had fun playing in the sand for the first time, and throwing rocks into the water...
Randy was able to water ski...he didn't take the camera, but he said it was fun :)
Jacob's favorite thing to do? Try to eat the rocks! I had to be super careful because he's quick!
We had a nice time, it was a new experience for both Jacob and me! I can't believe I had never been there...I loved it too!
Enjoy the pictures!

**By the way, the picture above was taken at our friend's daughter's birthday party on saturday...and Jacob really didn't drink ANY coke!** :)

On our way there (He left his hat on for about 5 minutes)

With 'da-da'

Trying to eat a rock...

Hangin' with me...

Not so happy after I took a rock away from him...look at his mouth full of sand!

Taking a break in the shade

Our view

Playing with Austin

Playing on the boat with 'da-da'

The Life jacket incident...

Our crew

Chillin' in the shade...

He discovered he loved throwing rocks into the water...that was fun!

Question...

2008-07-29T11:04:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to ask this question for a while now...how do you guys make it with your child(ren) through 3 hours of church each Sunday???
We have such a hard time with Jacob...I bring treats (different kinds because he gets bored if I just bring the same kind), I bring toys (books, water bottles, etc), I bring water, and since our church starts at 1pm we make sure he has just woken up from a nap when we take him...which means he won't be tired. I try to feed him food and nurse him right before or as close to right before we leave...and yet we struggle! I often wondered how my own mother did it with 6 kids! When we first moved to Canada my youngest sister was only 8 months and I was only 11 years old...so scatter 4 other children in between us and you have our family back then! I actually asked that very question to my mom yesterday and she said she thinks children nowadays need more entertainment...she said she didn't take treats, or toys or anything to church with her when we were growing up! What? I guess I really was an angel child! lol She said my youngest sister Priscila would just be content to be looking around at people and she didn't have a problem with her through the 3 hour block.
Another issue we have is that Jacob will not sleep unless he's in his own crib, he won't even sleep on our bed or anything...so some Sundays he's tired (because he took an early nap or something) but he refuses to sleep. He's 13 months so it's another 5 months before he goes into nursery... right? So I'm curious as to how everyone else makes it through church on Sundays...
Please leave your feedback...It will be interesting to see the different things that work for other people.
I know all kids are different and what works for you might not work for me...but I'm willing to give anything a try at this point! Jacob's main problem is that he gets bored. Whatever books, toys, treats I bring only keep him occupied for so long...and unless he's in primary watching all the other kids run around and sing etc...anything else is boring for him...( I discovered this when I helped Randy with his class for 3 sundays in a row not very long ago)
I walk him up and down the halls, I take him to the mother's lounge to feed him sometimes, I have even taken him outside for a walk around the church...He is usually a happy child, as long as he's not bored...if he's bored, tired, or hungry it's another story!
So don't be afraid to leave me a comment, I will love to hear what works and what hasn't worked for you!
Thanks!