Josh, Nichole, Lleyton, and Rhyder

Our busiest month- July:)

2011-11-12T21:14:00.001-08:00

Indepence Day!

On the 4th of July we got up as always and went to the Freedom Parade down in Provo. It was great! Normally we save the seats and this year we didn't have to. Our seats were a lot better and our kids loved it!! They are at the perfect age for parades. They get so excited and have a blast. It is always fun seeing extended family as well. My second cousins are always there and it's always fun to see everybody's ever extending families.

After the parade we came home, and Josh took the kids on the scooter one last time. We sold it which made Lleyton sad. We knew he would be starting pre-school soon and would need the room. Plus Josh didn't drive it all that much. How happy do they look:)

We also did fireworks that night. This year was great since they made the big fireworks that go off in the sky legal. We had a firework show from every angle plus ours. It was awesome. It started to sprinkle to. But I love the rain and it wasn't enough to be annoying. Here are the boys and my Dad with the fireworks. Last year Lleyton was so afraid of them. This year they were both really into it.

Getting ready for the show.

Our Anniversary-

July 7, 2006

Our Anniversary was amazing this year!! My hubby really, really, surprised me.

I knew he had school the night of our anniversary and I was really bummed. Josh has had perfect attendance which is really important to him, so I was sure he wouldn't miss. I had asked him if he would think about it though. Pretty much on all of our anniversaries I have been pregnant or had a baby to hurry home too. We have never really gone all out. We go to dinner and then come home. I was sure we weren't doing anything. I got home fro work and Josh left to school. His mom was there because it was a Thursday and she usually comes and plays with the kids on Thursdays. Nothing out of the ordinary. A little bit after he left I had a customer with issues. I was on my phone with our engineer when I heard the door bell ring. Josh's Mom has a bad hip so I didn't want to make her go down and open it. I went down the stairs while still on the phone thinking it would be a salesman and I could just tell him it's not a good time, or someone passing out a flyer I could just take. As I went down the stairs I see Josh on one knee with Roses and a paper. I was on the phone so I couldn't just stand there and take in the moment. I tried to wrap it up and say I would call him back. Kind of ruined the moment:) Josh gave me the flowers and read me a poem. I give him such a hard time, when we were engaged he was so romantic and thoughtful. The second we got married I swear he lost all emotion and romance. This was a huge deal I haven't seen him be mushy since we were engaged. Usually if he gets me flowers he doesn't even feel out the card. Haha. I was shocked to say the least. He was all dressed up and so sweet. He gave me the flowers and then told me to hurry because we needed to leave.

As soon as we got in the car I was still getting business calls. I finally asked my engineer who is a good friend if he could handle the situation because it was my anniversary. He said yes and told me to turn my phone off. (That is really hard for me to do). We drove up to Salt Lake and had dinner at The Roof. Josh called ahead of time and reserved us a table right in front of the temple. I wish we had our camera (we did take one with Josh's phone) it was beautiful. There were more flowers on our table. He went all out. The food was amazing!! I did not expect it to be so good. To say the least it was wonderful and a huge surprise. As soon as we got to the car I turned on my phone, there was a message that said- everything is fine, if you are looking at this you have failed, you were not supposed to look at your phone! I started laughing. Josh just shook his head at me.

Sooo thankful for my husband. We have hit 5 years, wahoo! We love each other tremendously, our biggest challenge is that we are alike. Both driven, stubborn, and definitely Type A personalities. It's taught us both to give in and compromise. Josh is the most loyal person I know. He is the most hard working person I know. He is, I dare say, the most selfless person I know. He is very funny and sarcastic. It took me a bit to tell when he was teasing. I grew up in a house with no sarcasm. Anywho, I am a lucky girl and glad I married such a great guy.

Above are my flowers and poem.

July 12th is Josh's b-day. This year was his 30th and sadly this year he had school. We'll have to go all out next year. We did dinner but nothing too crazy. Here is the sign that the boys had fun making for him.

Rhyder's Birthday was July 31st but I'm going to do a separate post for his and Lleyton's b-days. One crazy expensive month I tell ya:)

Father's Day 2011

2011-11-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Good laws, everytime I post I tell myself I am going to do better to keep up. Sadly it is months later and I have not done so. This is my sorry attempt to catch up. Since I don't scrap book I figure one day I can put this in a book to document their lives:) Josh however laughs at that and says, just be sure not to give it to them as a gift:) Thanks honey, I'll keep that in mind.

We'll Start with June and I will do separate posts for each. It is to hard to keep things in order doing it in one post. The pics get all mixed up.

June-

Of course in June was Father's Day. Josh is such an amazing Dad. If he wasn't so amazing with the kids I would never have agreed to go back to work. I feel at ease knowing he is at home with them. He is a kid at heart and they have so much fun. I knew he was good with kids, but really he takes it to a whole nother level. My kids adore him. Whenever I say I love you to Lleyton he says, I love you Mom and Dad too. He can never leave out his Dad. Pretty much everything he wants Josh to do. He wants Josh to brush his teeth, his hair, buckle him. Pretty much anything he needs/wants help with he wants Josh to do. He is definitely a Daddy's boy.

We went over to my parents for Father's Day as well. We all know my Dad hates pink and will never wear it. We decided as a joke to get him a pink columbia shirt, that was not his real gift. When we gave it to him he totally acted like he liked it, so much so that I wondered. However I could not keep a straight face. I asked if I could get a picture of him and the kids for Father's Day so we have it documented. All the while trying not to laugh I was sure he knew it was a joke. After I took the picture I got out his real gift. Then he admitted he doesn't like pink but knew Columbia is an expensive brand. I was totally surprised he couldn't tell it was a joke.

Here he is with Lleyton and Rhyder in his favorite shirt:)

So folks that's June in a nutshell. Or at least the highlights I can remember.

Best Fitness Tool Ever ...

2011-06-12T00:27:00.001-07:00

I just discovered my new favorite fitness tool. I am trying to lose weight and this website is amazing and free!! It is www.myfitnesspal.com

Love it! You can put in any food and it will tell you the calories and the nutritional facts. It tracks your weight loss and tells you what you need to do to meet your fitness goals. It allows you to track what you're eating and will project your weight loss if you continue to eat how you're eating. There is so many things you can do from this web site. I was absolutely amazed that is free.

We're back ...

2011-06-10T16:24:00.001-07:00

Talk about a long hiatus. Life at our house is craziness these days. Sooo a quick update. We closed Little Cheeks. I was working remotely from Little Cheeks. This was a good set-up knowing it would take a little while to build a customer base. Unfortunately the person I was working for faced big Health issues and had to stop working. Therefore I had to stop working as well.

This was truly a blessing in disguise. I was offered a promotion within the same company but it required me to be in the office. We wanted to keep the store open but it would've been impossible. Josh watches the kids during the day, so there was no way he could do the store and them at the same time.

I looovvee my new job. It is really intense at times, but I feel so grateful to be in a position that allows me to provide for our family while Josh goes to school.

Josh is continuing going to school. He is working on his bachelors in Nursing and getting some other certifications along the way. He will be certified as a Radiology Tech, Phlebotomist, EKG tech, and some others by March. He will also receive one of his degrees. From there we still have a ways to go. He would like to go on after he gets his RN to be a nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, or Pediatrician. So we have a way to go. We'll see what happens once he has his RN.

Currently it has been a nice set-up. I work 8-5, he watches the kids, I come home, he goes to school from 6-9, and then studies until 4 am. It is quite the crazy schedule. Thank goodness are kids aren't in school yet and can sleep in.

The kids are doing great! Oh my goodness I cannot get enough of them. Lleyton is adorable. If I ask him for a kiss he kisses my hand. He loves playing school and riding on his four wheeler. He always says the cutest sweetest things. He is obsessed with the Wii and the Toy Story game we got him. He is really good at it too. When he asks me for help, I can't do anything, he is much better than I am.

Rhyder is a crazy little boy. Always jumping, attacking, throwing, biting. He loves to snuggle and is not a good sleeper. He has the cutest little voice and is saying lots of words. His favorites are, pease (Please), Dant tu (Thank You), welcome, yay yen (Lleyton), babas (we need to get rid of that thing), stinky, gross. He keeps us on our toes, and is also the reason for locks on the outside of every door in our house. Currently he is coloring all over my mirror and his shirt. It's a white board marker, so, oh well.

Here's a bit of what we've been up to:

Josh and his Mom took the boys to Thomas, they loved it.

Bustin' a move. He sure didn't get that from me:)

Lleyton started hanging from this ladder, so of course Rhyder had to try ...

He is a little monkey:)

Feeding the ducks. I guess Rhyder started chasing one of the geese that was trying to attack him. I don't think that Goose was prepared for Rhyder. It ran pretty quick once it saw Rhyder come right back at it:) That boy has no fear.

Lleyton has been going to the Home Depot once or twice a month. They have activities for kids for free. They get cute little aprons and get to build things. His Grandma Becky takes him and he has a lot of fun. Lleyton has always been extremely smart. He can count to 20, knows his abc's (most the time), and has not been to preschool yet. He is left handed and still builds, and color's well. He is also picking up golf. Josh and Lleyton go all the time to the driving range.

EASTER!!

My mom did a really cute egg hunt, and they got to turn the eggs in for prizes they loved it. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Sunday Easter outfits:)

What the Easter bunny left, the Easter bunny must have known they needed spring clothes;)

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter, sorry for the long drawn out post. Hopefully I can keep more on top of it. I hate the fact that the kids grow so fast and I feel I can't keep up! At least if I record it I can always look back.

Wrap of 2010 ...

2011-01-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

This year my sister Jess and her family came up from Arizona. It was my Mom's 50th Birthday this year so they came up for that and Christmas. Happy 50th mama! Here is Lleyton and his cousin Codan, aren't they adorable. Lleyton loves his cousins! We are so glad they were able to come up, we had so much fun. This was our bowling venture, we were glad they switched the time so Josh could go to. This was Lleyton's first time bowling.

Jadyn and Lleyton.

Josh bowled with Rhyder every single time and Rhyder loved every second. Josh's arm however not so much ...
Rhyder at my parents wanting to get in on the action of ginger bread house building.

Lleyton and Josh's ginger bread house.

Brody and Lleyton the snitch.

Annual Christmas Eve pic at my parents house. What the heck is up with my bangs??

The gang at my parent's Christmas Eve party. My parent's have the biggest sectional I've ever seen in my life. I think in this pic there is 12 people sitting on it. Good times with the Martinelli's and family:)

Christmas Eve Jammies. I was so excited when I found these. Lleyton is OBSESSED with superman and he always calls Rhyder Batman so it was perfect. He loved it. My only problem now is getting him out of the Superman pj's. He always begs to wear them when we run errands. Sadly sometimes i let him if we're just running to the grocery store or what not.

Christmas Morning. Sooo fun when you have kids.

Did I mention my kids hate clothes?

Lleyton and Rhyder both got four wheelers but Rhyder hasn't quite figured out how to keep the button down. He stops, goes, stops, goes. In the end it was easier to put him on the back of Lleyton's and he still had a blast.

A random one of my cutie!

New Years! Hope your a good one 2011.

Josh's Mom has a tradition of doing Chinese on New Year's we went down and had the yummiest chinese. I have been craving it ever since. It was fun listening to his Grandma give us her life story while the kids stole food off her plate haha. She's partly blind she can only see straight ahead so Rhyder took advantage by throwing shoes at her and stealing food off her plate. She never saw it coming. It was pretty funny, she was a good sport about it.

My greatest joy in life is being a Mom to these two boys. Oh how I love them.

My superman.

Tight Wad Utah Giveaway ... see family post below this one

2010-12-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

K so, I thought I'd mention that we are doing a giveaway on Tight Wad Utah. This obviously is for Little Cheeks, you can get the Diaper Bag or a $40 Gift Certificate to our Boutique Little Cheeks. If you want to enter go to www.tightwadinutah.com the details will be there! The last day is tomorrow to enter. If you miss this one we will be doing a giveaway in January with Wabisabimama.com.

Also, if you haven't been able to get your family pics done, I have minimal sessions left. A session is $100 and you get all the images. See my photography blog www.choleyphotography.blogspot.com

Hopefully, I can start shutting up about the business stuff on my family blog. I'm finding that a lot of people aren't aware of any of this stuff we have going on so I thought I'd share. In the future if you don't want to miss out on deals follow us on facebook and our store blog www.littlecheeksboutique.blogspot.com

Thanks everybody, have a Happy Holiday!

I love the Holidays:)

2010-12-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

K so this is a bit late but oh well:) This was rainy Halloween. It was an interesting night. My Dad ended up in the Hospital with Kidney stones and Josh's Mom was recovering from surgery for a hernia. We went to Josh's Mom's Trunk or Treat and called it a night. Our wards Trunk or Treat was inside but I didn't realize it was soo early.

Thanksgiving time! We decorated the tree I think a day after, sorry these are out of order.

Playing the Wii with Grandma Becky while we waited for the Turkey to finish cooking. We do Thanksgiving Dinner at our house with Josh's side, and lunch with my side.

The cute little turkey's Josh's Mom made. Love these! Used to make them in school for Thanksgiving parties, brought back all sorts of memories ... aw childhood, I miss it.

At my grandparents house. Our annual Thanksgiving pic.

Don't know if you can see this but Josh and Lleyton colored this great Thanksgiving picture. Lleyton was quite proud:)

Christmas Time! Rhyder and Santa. Isn't this picture priceless, I love it.

Lleyton and Santa! He was soooo excited. He kept saying "mom I'm so excited" even after. It was really cute. He kept asking all sorts of questions about the North Pole and Santa. Can't wait for Christmas this year!

Pirates, ice, gum, jeeps, and sleep:)

2010-11-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

This is what I need to do, sleep. Oh sweet sleep, I am at least glad someone is getting some sleep around here. It has been quite crazy, fun, scary, and stressful. Oh but oh how we enjoy the ride called life. Here are some updates, I cannot find our old crappy camera so I haven't posted Halloween pics ... soon though hopefully.

Soooo, here is our jeep that we love. We however are going to sell it. We don't really need two cars right now and it will help with the funding of our new business venture, the boutique:) With that being said, if you no anyone who wants a commander, we've got one. We are asking 17,900, which is 1,000 under what Kelley Blue Book says we should ask. It is an 08' and only has 28,000 miles. We seriously love it and will be sad to see it go.

So we went to Disney on ice and the kids loved it! My parents were going to take us to dinner for helping them move, instead we decided to take the money and spend it on Disney on ice. So thanks! Lleyton's eyes seriously lit up like it was Christmas morning, he loved it!! Rhyder was so cute too, he was clapping and singing along. So funny.

Right before the show started.

Here is Lleyton's bald spot. He got it from this ...

Gum stuck in his hair:) So, after we cut it out I found out from Josh's Mom that you can use peanut butter to get gum out of hair. Oh well, hair grows and at least he's not a girl.

My little pirate! So this will have to suffice until I find my camera. Josh's mom went to Walmart after Halloween and spent like 6.00 for 5 different costumes! So smart, the kids totally love to play dress up and we'll be ready for Halloween next year!

Also, I've been updating the Little Cheeks Blog so check it out www.littlecheeksboutique.blogspot.com, we will be having a Black Friday sale next week Fri 12 am to 2 am, so you can still get to the lines in time for the 3 am sales. We will have Baby Leg warmers for $4.00, which normally retail for $12.00, and our Kufi Hats and Binkies will all be under $5.00. Mostly everything will be on sale Friday at 12 am continuing into the next day. However the Door Busters I mentioned will only be that price from 12 am to 2 am. You can see other updates on our Facebook page:)

Blog updates!

2010-11-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Lleyton is obsessed with Toy Story so I made him some Buzz wings out of card board we had laying around. He thought that was pretty cool:)

Lleyton before we cut his hair.

I just updated Little Cheeks blog, so go check out some of the things we have at www.littlecheeksboutique.blogspot.com

Please come. We have some great deals and grand opening pricing will be changing soon. If you come next week you can still get the great deals.

Here are some cute pics of the boys as of late:)

Family pics and Boutique update!

2010-10-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

These are our family pics for 2010. Thanks for coming along Brooke to snap the fam ones for us. I love my boys:)

Also, I now have my facebook page up for Little Cheeks so PLEASE join:) The blog is now up also, littlecheeksboutique.blogspot.com.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me. It has meant a lot to me. It is a scary and exciting time. There obviously no way I will succeed without support.

I especially need to thank my husband. Josh has been my rock. He has spent countless hours painting, putting together furniture, and helping me in so many ways. He recently quit his job, and there is no way I could make this happen without him. It has been a dream of mine to own my own business. Early on as a Mom with two boys I began to find so many cute things for girls but not boys. I decided then that I wanted to open a store for girls and BOYS. Another important thing was to make it in a reasonable price range. There is no way I could do any of this without my hubby. Thanks babe for giving me the chance to make a dream come true! I love you.

Annoucing Little Cheeks Boutique!

2010-10-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

I am opening a Children's Boutique on Main Street in PG. We are going to have tons of cute clothes and accessories for girls AND BOYS:) If you support me and put this advertisement on your page, I will give you 25% off any item! Tell your blogging friends. Anyone and everyone who puts this on their blog please leave a comment with your blog address and name. If your not comfortable with that you can send me an email with the info @ choleyphotography@ymail.com. Come in opening week to receive your discount. I will keep a list. Thanks!!! Oh also, watch for your Savvy Shoppers guide in the mail. You can use the coupons in our ad also:)

Crazy August!

2010-08-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

This month has been soooo crazy and it's only half over. Josh started school on August 2nd working towards becoming a Nurse Anesthetist. He and I are both still working at Veracity, for him full time, and me part time. If that's not enough I am trying to build up my photography business, which has been a big priority. Amongst all of that we have had Birthdays ... Ry's was on July 31st, and both Lleyton and my Dad's birthday is on August 10th.

Below are pics of events in our Month, they are backwards.

Lleyton's 1st Fish!
Lleyton went on a fishing trip with Josh and his Mom this past weekend. His Mom got Lleyton a fishing pole for his B-day and was excited to take him out.

I was up with Ry all night so I didn't go, but I think that was probably for the best since he is so squirmy and teething and I am not a patient person.

The first thing Lleyton said when he was given worms to put on his hook was, "look Grandma they like me, they're hugging my finger" Kind of funny. I was pretty surprised (and happy) the worms and fish didn't scare him since he seems to be scared of everything lately.

Don't you love the hat and sunglasses:) Poor kid got his Mom's skin.

His first fish! I believe it was a rainbow trout??

Lleyton and Rhyder's Birthday Party Aug 7th

I decided to throw a double party for my little Monkey's since their Birthday's are so close. We did that and then went to Pirate Island on each of their actual B-days.

I did a Toy Story theme, and went Crazy with ebay! I got a cool Buzz Cake Pan and made Lleyton his own cake and a big Cup Cake Pan for Rhyder's cake ... which by the way did not work out so well. Josh and I were up the night before until like 3 am trying to get the cake's to fall out of there pans nicely. It took quite a few tries and Rhyder's still didn't look to good.

Like I said these are backwards.

Rhyder at the end of the night playing with his walker. By the way he took his first few steps the day before. He is getting pretty good, but doesn't walk all the time yet.

The slide from my parents.

Rhyder loves to climb on it and everything else:)

Here is Rhyder blowing out his cupcake. Pretty funny ... everybody thought I potentially tried to decorate it like a house. Haha. Really it's called I was sweating like crazy from piping the buzz cake and everyone was minutes from arriving, still no decorations, so this is the creation from what can be thrown together in two minutes:) Sorry, Ry next time I will prepare better.

Oh he also tried to put out the candle with his fingers instead of blowing. So I had to blow it out fast. I should have remembered from Lleyton's Birthday since he tried to do the same thing.

Lleyton and his requested Buzz Cake. This was the second time blowing out the candles. He blew them out the second Josh lit them so we made him do it again.

The Birthday Loot! Thanks everybody for coming. It meant a lot to us and the boys.

The pinata. I ordered this off of Ebay too. Not the cheapest thing but I couldn't find a Toy Story Pinata anywhere. The kids had fun and that's what matters right:)

My Mom and tired Ry ry watching the Pinata fun. Next year I can guarantee Rhyder will be the craziest of anyone. He is a violent little boy, don't let looks fool you.

Oh man this pic cracks me up, if you look close you'll notice they're holding hands.

A quick snapshot of the party before the festivities.

Lleyton's Buzz Cake. This thing took fffooorrrreeeevvvveeerrrrr. Don't look too close I missed some spots. Not too bad though. This cost me 13.00 dollars to make and a custom one would've started at 100.00. If anyone wants to make a Toy Story Cake I have the pan and directions.

All and all it was pretty dang fun. Josh cooked ribs, potatoes, and a bunch of sides for everyone which also gave us leftovers ... in fact we still have leftovers:)

Kool Aid: The Devils drink

Alright, so I'm not a huge fan of Kool Aid because it has tons of sugar! A new reason I don't like Kool Aid, it stains and is not fun to clean up. So why do I have it? Gotta keep the hubby happy. Such a kid, I know.

This is what happens when a 3 yr old, 1 yr old, and 3 packets of Kool Aid collide:)

I thought it was safe on the counter but leave it my three year old to get a stool and open it all in a matter of 2 minutes. I was on a business call when my 1 yr old crawled in with a great new doo. My carpet and bath tub now hold the evidence.

Do not call child services on me. This is all Kool Aid, not blood ;)

Holy storms!!

Oh my heavens the skies opened this month. We had some great big thunderstorms and some big power outages. Yay! Lleyton thought it was pretty cool because I told him the clouds were fighting and making noise, and the flashes were just people taking pictures. Lleyton loved sitting out on our deck watching them. Rhyder however would freak out! Full on start shaking and crying. Sooo we stayed inside. The power outages just scared him more. Thank goodness for laptops and cell phones. Lleyton watched Phineas and Ferb on Josh's cell and Rhyder calmed down with the light from my lap top.

Pirate Island

Here are a few pics from Pirate Island. We went on each of their birthdays but I only took pics when we went on Rhyder's b-day. Lleyton is obsessed! This pic is Lleyton and Rhyder riding the roller coaster ride. You sit in a chair and watch a screen that shows you riding it. Lleyton freaked out started crying and we had to take him off. Rhyder was fine:)

My Pretty Flowers

These are my pretty flowers from my hubby. Have you ever since such a beautiful color? Thanks babe. I love it when you surprise me.

So that is our month thus far. There is still so much to happen, my sis is coming up, Seven Peaks, more parties, my parents are moving, soooo crazy I can't believe it. Stay tuned for more. Oh and spread the word I am taking free pictures until September 15th! Check out my link on the side:)

Three is a very big number ...

2010-08-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

Oh my Lleyton! You are three today, August 10th (Same day as your Papa). The time has flown by, I wish it would stop. You are such a good big brother and helper. You are so sweet and cute and know how to use it to your advantage. These are some of the reasons we love you ....
If you get caught doing something you immediately smile and without me asking "what are you doing?" you immediately yell out "nothing!"
Without prompting you say "love you forever". You started doing this on your own and I don't know where you heard it:)
You refuse to be called Lleyton and angrily tell me "No Mom, I'm Superman". The only way I can get you to listen or obey is to call you Superman. You remind me of the innocence of a child. You get upset you can't fly, and use your imagination to pretend Mommy's bed is a car and you are driving me and Rhyder somewhere.
You are a great cook, and will use anything even Daddy's tools.
You love to surprise people by collecting your toys and wrapping them in something. You come up and tell us to close our eyes and yell "surprise!". As we open them we are yet to find one of your treasures.
Everyday is somebody's birthday and when Daddy comes home you often yell "Happy Birthday" and give him a hug. It is also your birthday when you want something, as you have found that around birthday time you get your way.
You are most of them time very truthful whether it is admitting you hit your brother, or not understanding something.
You love to give kisses and often grab the face of the lucky person only to lay a wet smooch on them.
You watch out for your brother and most of the time are very kind.
You are sensitive to other people's feelings. From a young age I discovered if you thought I was sad you would do whatever I wanted. This often cracked me up when pretending to be sad to get a hug:)
You are such a great kid and Mommy and Daddy love you to death. We are so glad you are three and can't wait to celebrate many years to come. Love you buddy~ Mommy, Daddy, and Rhyder.

New Photography blog!

2010-08-09T00:43:00.000-07:00

I am starting my own photography business. I am still working on building up my site ... so for friends and family I am offering free pictures. Check out my blog, www.choleyphotography.blogspot.com

If you want free pics let me know soon!

My Baby is 1!

2010-07-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Rhyder Coleman Enoch- aka, Ry ry, Ry Ry Monster, Flash, Ry Ry Coleman, Rhder, bubbys, bubba, budha, buddy, Rhyder.

On July 31st of last year this little cutie was born. From the second we brought him home I knew he would be a little character. He has been full of personality, animation, and noises from the day he was born.

Rhyder is a big boy, he was 9 lbs when he was born and hasn't stopped growing since. He loves to eat anything and everything. He uses his size to his advantage especially when it comes to holding his own against Lleyton. Whenever I try to take a picture he is usually grabbing, swatting, or pulling someone. He always grunts and makes tons of little boy noises. He has the best smile and laughs a lot.

Ry ry is also a Mommy's boy and loves to give hugs and cuddle. I love it! He has been slow when it comes to teething and sleeping through the night. He is always jabbering and climbs on everything! I can always expect that if I hear him whining or crying it is because he has climbed his way into a mess. He is either about to fall or is stuck.

Oh and did I mention he never holds still, he is such a squirm:)

We love our Ry! He holds his own and adds so much laughter and fun. Happy Birthday Ry Ry!

July Holiday fun

2010-07-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

July 3rd we went to see the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point which we had never done before. I thought the set-up was great and we'll probably go again next year. Lleyton was so excited when they first started and then quickly got scared. He gets scared extremely easy. I thought we would have to leave because Ry was cold and Lleyton was scared. I was able to stand with Ry and watch them while Josh made funny noises to distract Lleyton from getting scared of the fireworks:)

The actual Fourth of July was on Sunday so we BBQ'd at our house. Josh's bro Sam and his girlfriend Tanya were up from AZ. My sis and Josh's Mom came also.

Rhyder is always picking on somebody ... usually Lleyton. It looks like Grandma Becky was his victim.

Sam and Lleyton.

Our firework show. Oh man, I kept telling Josh that Lleyton got scared watching them last yr but he didn't remember. He decided we'd do them anyway. As you will notice Tanya and Sam are setting them off clear across the street because ...

Lleyton screamed his head off until we went across the street. Slowly Josh eased his way closer and at the end he was okay.

The Freedom Parade in Provo. We decided this year we'd come a little early and find a spot. Last year we saved spots all day and lost our spot to a lady in a tent when it rained. Needless to say we weren't going to stress this year. This year we ended up in the shade in a great spot. I sure wish I was in the shade last year when I was a 9 month pregnant whale. Good times, good times.

Lleyton was not thrilled about me taking a pic. He is not a morning person ... reminds me of someone I know.

Just hangin out.

Playing in there car. It is so cute to see them drive around together.

This was the 24th of July. We went to Spanish Fork for their Parade and Carnival. Lleyton liked the parade but was such a sissy when it came to the rides. This day confirmed our suspicions that he is not yet ready for Disneyland.

Lleyton was too afraid to go on the carousel, Rhyder on the other hand loved it. I don't know what I did to Lleyton as a baby but for some reason everything terrifies him.

All and all we had fun this month. It was crazy, there was the 4th, our anniversary, Josh's b-day, Josh's Mom's b-day, my sis Jess' b-day, and the 24th. I'll have to catch up on the rest later:)

Hope everyone had fun!

Long overdue- The latest

2010-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

The kids have grown so much since my last post. They are into everything and giving me a run for my money. I wouldn't have it any other way even though my husband might be shocked to hear me say that:)

Lleyton colors on everything. In one week he colored on this race track, his car, my new side tables, the table. Finally, I got smart and locked them up.

In January our heater went out, and our water heater broke at the same time. I bundled up the kids and they still had rosesy noses. Luckily my Dad's cousin owns Jasper Plumbing. They were awesome! They came out right away and fixed it and even managed to help with the water heater. Thank heavens, it was 50 degrees inside my house. My poor babies.

I love this pic. This was the same day the heater went out. It cracks me up, Lleyton loves to hold Rhyder but it looks so funny because Ry is about as big as him.

This is Josh's Mom. I have decided to keep working since they let me work from home. Josh's Mom was and is awesome when I have to go in the office. It makes me feel better knowing that my kid's are happy when I do have to go in, which is only like once a week now. Thanks Becky!

EASTER!
I swore I wasn't going to go overboard on Easter, but each yr I struggle. I just loved these little chairs for three bucks! The boys have loved them!

Lleyton next to his loot from the Easter bunny.

This is Josh with the boys. He won't smile in pictures because he has Bel's Palsy. He's had it since March. We were pretty surprised because my brother-in-law has it too. It is extremely rare but effects the muscles in half your face. Josh has an eye disease and has to wear special contacts that pop out easy. Because of the Bels Palsy he can't blink so he has only been able to wear one of them. He had to sleep with his eye taped shut and relearn how to eat. He's been going to the chiropractor and that has helped a bit.

My boys in their Easter outfits.

Lleyton is such a good brother. For the most part they have a lot of fun together. They already are beginning sibling rivalry and little boy behavior. I am so not used to the roughness that boys play with. I grew up with four sisters so the hitting and wrestling is new to me. I've learned for the most part boys will be boys and I can't constantly do time-outs if there picking on each other.

Annual Easter Breakfast at my G-ma and G-pa Jasper's.

Since I started working we bought Lleyton a Nintendo Wii. I love it! He is really into golf right now and likes to play golf and Mario Kart. I wish we hadn't waited so long, we all have a blast.

My Ry Ry with his sunglasses. Love it!

Lleyton has been a big boy bed since I believe November. Hopefully we can move Rhyder into the same room with him soon.

I just rearranged and transitioned it from Lleyton's nursery into a room they can share.

Quality time with the kiddos! Josh is such a great Dad he's great about spending time with the boys. This pic was taken when we took Lleyton to the park to hit golf balls.

Lleyton golfing.

Lleyton is Superman! Do not call him Lleyton because he will tell you, "No! I superman!" He runs all around the house in his superman stance and even has his own superman cape. He is so funny these days. He constantly says things to crack us up. He is extremely honest and never lies even when I ask him "Did you hit your brother?" it's always a "yep!"

Potty training. A work in progress for both of us. If you have any tips feel free to share. One I have, don't put the waterproof diapers in the dryer:) Yea, we'll say this was an accident ;) I don't know how it snuck in.

My gothic child. This my friends, was done with permanent marker. Gotta love him.

"Boys only!"

Just one of Lleyton's latest and greatest. The other day I explained to him that were Bird's eggs in the tree. I don't know how it translated in his little mind but this is what I found after putting Ry down for a nap. Lleyton had gotten in the fridge and tried to bury the eggs in the tree Josh had Just bought. I knew something was bound to happen, (trees, dirt, little boys, and carpet don't mix), but thought it would be Rhyder eating the dirt, which also happened. In his venture to bury the eggs he managed to dump the dirt on the carpet and break the yolks in the pot with the dirt and on the carpet. Yay! I was shocked to see how much I had to dig to get them all out.

The crime scene.

The eggs. There were three more that had broken. These escaped unscathed.

Bath time with the bugaboos.

Oh yes, I caved in and we got Lleyton a kitten. So cute right? Yea until the kitty started peeing on my bed. Josh's Mom got a kitten too and said she would take in ours. I feel bad for Lleyton but they kept getting scratched by the kitten. It was a deal breaker when she wouldn't use the litter box all the time like most cats do. The good part is Lleyton can still visit "Yellow" or "Lolo". For now she is on a vacation with her sis and doing well.

These two crack me up. Monkey see, monkey do.

My newly redecorated room. I was sick of our "dormroom" but we want to wait to get a new bedroom set until we move. Who knows when that will be so this will do until then. I love it! We put my office in the alcove in our room also. I can now hide from my children when I need to work.

Wheeler Farm! My sister came up so we took the kids to Wheeler Farm in Murray. It is free and a lot of fun. They have tons of animals and it is beautiful. I recommend it.

Me and my boys.

Lleyton and his little cousin Codan.

Lleyton and his cousin Karlee. He loves her! She always watched out for him and if was falling behind she would offer to hold his hand. I think he's developing a crush.

I took this pic of the grandkids for my Dad's Fathers Day Present. My sister Jessica's kids, Karlee, Brody, Jayden, Codan, and My kids.

Pic of Lleyton also taken at Wheeler Farm.

Rhyder is now 21 lbs at 10 months, Lleyton only weighs 6 lbs more. He's my tank. Lleyton and I call him Ry Ry monster. It totally fits him. He attacks everything!

Best buddies!

Well, hopefully this helps everyone catch up a little. That is if anyone still peeks after my 5 month hiatus:)

2009 rewind, a little late posting you could say.

2010-02-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have been so awful at updating my blog. So here it is extremely late ...

I recently started working full time again temporarily until April. I have been blessed to be able to work from home and only have to go into the office two hours a day. Thanks to our families for all the help. My mom helped the first week and since then Josh's Mom has come everyday for the past month! My kids have adjusted pretty well and it is so nice to know they will be happy when I'm gone. It's pretty much two hours of play time with Grandma :) It has been pretty difficult to fit everything in with this transition, part of why I am so late updating.

Here are my two sweet boys. Oh my goodness I cannot even express how blessed I feel to be there Mom. They are constantly making me laugh and smile. For example as I am posting right now Lleyton keeps throwing a ball at my head and saying sorry. For some reason he thinks it's okay to do these types of things to people as long as you say sorry. It's hard to get mad when your laughing. Rhyder is so noisy. He is constantly babbling and he and Lleyton get in yelling wars. They absolutely adore each other and rarely is Lleyton mean to Rhyder. Rhyder is so chubby and snuggly, he is a tank, currently the kid wears 12 months at the smallest and easily wears 18 month clothes. He comes up to Lleyton's shoulder when Lleyton is standing, he is a big boy. Rhyder has his first two teeth on the bottom. This has been a challenge he bit me so hard while nursing I started bleeding everywhere. You would've thought I would stop nursing but I can't get him to take formula. I could go on and on about these two sweet funny kids but I will have to do individual posts another day.

Here they are, so stinkin cute.

Here is our annual Thanksgiving pic. This year we stayed at home. Going down to Arizona seemed so daunting with a baby who nurses constantly. I usually get masstitis when I travel because I get engorged. Fun stuff. We decided to avoid it and made tons of good food and had Josh's Mom over. Thanks to my sister Jess who invited us down to Arizona with the rest of the fam. She is always opening her house to everyone. She is so much better at these kinds of things than I am. We will have to come down soon.

Here are my two boys again. You would think Rhyder would look much smaller next to Lleyton considering they are two years apart.

Rhyder- I can't get enough of him or his cheeks. It is so hard for me not to cave into him. You would think the second child would be less spoiled but he's not.

Lleyton loves to pretend he is flying. He runs across the house yelling, "look at me Mom I'm flying. "

So this is Lleyton's christmas shirt that says Naughty is the new Nice. He had another shirt that said, Dear Santa, is it too late to be good. When he was wearing his Dear Santa shirt I walked in and he had colored all over his arms. I was so bummed I didn't get a picture. Leave it to kids huh.

Christmas Eve pic at my G-ma and G-pa Jasper's house. Rhyder's shirt says, Mommy's cute cookie.

Another pic w/ my parents.

Christmas Eve in their P.J.s before Santa came.

Christmas morning. Lleyton in his car. I was scared Santa was going to wake the kid up with all his banging, but he didn't.

Christmas Tree in the morning. Before all the chaos.

Ry, ry Christmas morning.

Playing with Grandma Becky amongst all the toys.

I love this picture. This totally has Rhyder written all over it. He is like this most the time. Just goofy and happy. He has been such a fun baby.

My sis Jess and her family came up this Holiday. We were able to do a lot of fun stuff in the snow. We went to my sis Brooke's house with a big group also. She and her husband live up in Woodland Hills , so we sledded and did four-wheelers there. In this pic we were at my parents house where my Dad took everyone around on the four-wheeler. This is one of the times when your happy the roads are covered in snow.

As you can tell Lleyton was not happy in this pic, but oh well. Here is Josh and his brother Sam. Everyone thinks they look so much a like. I don't see it, you can maybe tell they're brothers. Sam was able to come up and spend time with us during the Holidays also. He is so great with the kids.

So I am still way behind posting but that brings us to New Years Eve. I forgot my camera that night darnet. We went to dinner with my whole family and went and played a dancing game on x-box after. That was entertaining I'll tell you that. I must say our kids probably have no hope to be dancers. Hopefully we have all boys :)

Family Picture Time

2009-11-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

So we just took our family pics. Lleyton did really well, which was nice, you never know how a two year old is going to act. The family pics though ... I think I should've waited to lose more weight. Oh well.

October Memories!

2009-11-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

Josh and I love taking late night walks. It gives a chance to talk and if the kids are tired enough they fall asleep. It makes me melt when I look at my kids, especially when they are asleep. There is something about a sleeping child that is so precious and innocent.

Like I said above so precious!

This shows Lleyton's little personality to a tee. He is always turning on the charm and being a goof. I just love him!

So I know the pic above is blurry, but I can't stand how cute it is. Josh and Lleyton have such an amazing relationship, they adore each other and I hope they're always really close.

Typical two year old moment. Lleyton decided to dump all of his toys out and dump all of his animal crackers in.

Josh had to go out of town again this month and Lleyton struggles when he does. I tried keeping his mind off of it but its a little difficult with a newborn so I let him take all of his sticker stuff and put it on my face while I nursed the baby. Yea I know I look like a moron, but look how happy it made the kid :)

Talk about regression. Sometimes Lleyton likes to get out his old binkies and pretend he's a baby.

I adore this baby. He is always so happy and cuddly. He babbles all the time and loves it when people talk to him.

Nicknames for Rhyder: Our little bulldog, Turtle, Tank, Budha, Ry, Ry ry, buddy, chunky monkey, and Josh sometimes calls him an oompa loompa, which I HATE, they are freaky and my son is way too cute to be called that. Look at those cheeks they are so yummy!

Lleyton with his pumpkin we let him color on.

Rhyder's pumpkin, not that he has any idea look at his face.

Cruel and unusual punishment. Lleyton wanted to put these on, and I wouldn't let him take them off until I got a pic cause he looked so funny. Dude if he had a helmet it would've been so much better.

Lleyton loves getting in my closet and putting on my shoes. He doesn't always get the right matches though. They are so big on him, it looks like he has skis on.

Rhyder and I at the Trunk or Treat on the 30th.

Josh and Lleyton at the Trunk or Treat. Lleyton did really well. It was so fun and cute.

Ry that night after. He was so cute I had to take one more picture.

Lleyton on the way to Josh's Mom's Trunk or Treat. Josh called him our Cheeto Tiger because of the sunglasses.

Grandma Becky and Lleyton!

Our little family!

I love this picture of Rhyder. Becky was talking to him. He totally lights up when people talk to him.

Nana and Papa are holding Lleyton and Ry.
After the Trunk or Treat we went over to my parents for Chili and Scones and more Trunk or Treating. It was so funny when Josh and I were out with him going to houses. One of the houses had these things that popped out on there porch and it totally scared Lleyton. When the lady answered the door he was crying and she felt so bad. She opened the lid to try and show them they weren't real. When he told him to say thank you, he said thank you through heaves of sobs it was so funny and sad at the same time. Good times though! Thanks to everyone making it such a fun Halloween.

My boys goofing off

2009-10-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

What the!? Is what I say to the picture above. I was switching out Lleyton and Ry's clothes to their fall/winter stuff and Lleyton found this in one of the boxes. My sister gave me a few girl things in case I ever have a girl. Lleyton absolutely had to put it on. He was acting so goofy so I decided to take a pic. When I told him to say cheese for some reason he decided he would lift his shirt too. What a funny kid.
Lleyton found a marker can you tell?
He kept saying "pretty"! Thank goodness for washable markers and that it was in a place concealable instead of his face :)

How can you not love that face. As long as he has his chapstick he's usually pretty happy.

Yes those are potty training underwear on his head. I decided he might be ready for potty training but I'm not quite yet. I don't want him to regress and honestly I don't have the time with a newborn who wants to eat constantly. He likes to play with all the stuff though.

He is always putting on any sunglasses he can find even if he has to hold them on his face.

This little guy is the happiest, sweetest, chubby baby. He is only two months but looks and is quite a bit bigger. He brings so much happiness. I just love him.

This is Lleyton at Pirate Island. Pretty cool place I thought. I like it a lot better than chuck e cheese.

Lleyton and I, again at Pirate Island.

This is what I found when I came to get Lleyton after nap. He had knocked his lamp over somehow and broken it and thrown all of his bedding out and was trying to escape. I am scared to switch him to a big boy bed.

Man, I love it when they fall asleep on your chest.

This is pretty funny below of Josh and Lleyton, at least the beginning. Don't mind the crazy camera girl.

Ry's Blessing and random stuff

2009-09-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here is my little chubby munchkin on his blessing day. His hobbies are eating, eating, pooping, and sleeping. But mostly eating he is already 15 lbs! He likes to keep me up at night but makes up for it with cute smiles and of course those kissable chubby cheeks :)

Notice something in common- Rhyder and I are both quite the chunky monkeys. These last 30 lbs don't look like they are going anywhere too fast. This was also Rhyder's blessing day. I think the picture just about says it all. Thank you for everyone who came and squeezed into our house last minute! It meant a lot to us.

Josh and Lleyton at the Aquarium in Sandy. We went on Labor day, it was pretty crowded and Lleyton was in a mood I tell ya. Pretty cool ... probably just the wrong day. I had to sneak pics.

Lleyton petting the sting ray can you see it?

Bath time with budha, and skinny. Rhyder was not so sure about the water.

Remember when you used to make pilgrim hats in school?? What a funny boy.

My little guy. I feel so blessed to have my two kiddos. I think there is even more love and happiness since this sweet boy came in our lives. It is a challenge but so fun. everyday is something funny and new honestly. Today I found dirt in Lleyton's beach buckets. I couldn't figure out where it kept coming from everytime I rinsed them more would appear. He decided the aloe plant would be great fun to collect dirt from. I tell you there is never a dull moment with a two year old and newborn.

So much has happened ...

2009-09-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Josh and Lleyton at the parade on the 4th.
Josh could not believe I was taking a picture of Lleyton on the potty. On the other hand Lleyton didn't seem to mind.

Lleyton strangely loves to get his hair cut. If he's being naughty it can be used as a bribe.
Cousin time! I wish I had gotten more pics of them together. This is Jadyn, Codan, and Lleyton in the tub. They were having so much fun until my sis Jess got the camera out. For some reason Lleyton would get extremely mad when we'd try to take pictures.

Trying to spend some quality time with the Lleyton before the baby came at Thanksgiving Point's petting zoo.

Lleyton with the Zebra at the Bean Museum in Provo. We went with Jess, Anna, my Mom, and the kiddos.

Daddy, Lleyton, and Rhyder at the hospital.

So sweet.

A proud big brother.
Lleyton cannot wait to share a room with Rhyder. He always wants us to put him in the crib with him.

Can't he stay little forever? So sad, they grow up too fast.

My sweet funny boy is two! I cannot believe it, it seems like yesterday I was just bringing him home. He is such a good brother and son. He is always making us laugh. He is so smart and is constantly surprising us. We are so proud and honored to have him in our home.

Opening some of his presents. His favorite is the bike he got. I need to get a picture of him on it. Everytime we go to get in the car he runs and trys to get on his bike.

My little Rhyder before he went completely bald. He has lost most of his hair and is seriously bald.

My funny boy. Don't you love the bandaid and glasses. He had a mesquito he couldn't stop itching so he wanted me to put a band-aid on it.

My little cuties!

So outnumbered

I have been horrible at keeping up on my blog. I'm going to blame it on the fact we have had a lot going on.
For those of you who don't know, Josh no longer works for The Sports Authority. This was unexpected but we are happy it happened anyway. In June he quit working there and this August he started working as a sales rep for Veracity Communications. We are really excited about this change and so far we think it has been a good one.
July was very busy, July 4th was a fun Holiday we went to the parade and then to a bbq later with my family and then did pizza and fireworks with Josh's Mom that night. July 7th was our anniversary, July 12th was Josh's birthday, July 18th my sister Jess and her family came to visit (This was also her Birthday and Josh's Mom's Birthday), July 31st our little Rhyder arrived, August 7th was my little sister Brooke's wedding, and finally August 10th was Lleyton's Birthday and my Dad's Birthday.
Most of these days were very important all because Josh came into my life. Words can't describe how the one decision I made to marry him has made me so happy. He is such a great Father and husband. It is so true when they say that 90% of your happiness or misery in life will be based on the person you marry. In our situation he has made my life so full of joy I am happy to say.
It would be hard to go into detail and describe all of the events above but here are some pictures and commentation to help.
I am going to try much harder to document all of the important events and everyday funny moments and what not.

Rhyder Coleman Enoch

2009-08-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Rhyder Coleman Enoch Born: 7/31/09 at 5:57 pm 8 lbs, 15 oz 20 inches long

This is Lleyton's photo when he was born, people think they look alike but do they?Lleyton is such a good big brother!
Me and my sweet boy just moments after he was born.

First family pic!
We are so excited! He is the sweetest thing, and I already love him like crazy! It's so worth it.

It's been a loonnngg time!

2009-06-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well I thought it was about time I posted. It has been pretty crazy lately and I've been pretty crazy tired. Here is a little run down of about the past two months. I cut and colored my hair in May. It's about the only thing I can change about my body right now.

Here is a pic of my ever expanding belly. I think this was at about 30 weeks, can you believe how big, it is even bigger now that I am about 33 weeks.

Ha, this is a funny story. I kept asking Josh if I could cut Lleyton's hair because it was getting all ratty in the back and he kept telling me no. Finally one night I decided it would never happen if I didn't just cut it while he was gone and couldn't stop me. So spur of the moment I took the clippers and cut his hair. You seriously can't tell much of a difference because I was just trimming the extra ratty hair in the back. Anyway he came home and found out and thought it looked good but was really sad he missed it. I felt really bad but hey it's his own fault for not letting me cut it while he was around, right? Maybe not but it makes me feel better.

Fun with Daddy while Mommy was at work. Oh boy! I got a phone call from Josh one night while I was doing some filing for my Dad. The report I got was that Lleyton had colored all over our deck with crayon while Josh was grilling on the barbeque, then after Josh had just given Lleyton a bath and was getting his PJ's he came back to find this ... Lleyton had grabbed my bare minerals eye liner, which is a powder, unscrewed the lid and made a lovely mess all over himself the tile floor and the carpet! Needless to say they were both upset. Lleyton was upset because Josh wouldn't let him leave the bathroom until he cleaned it up and gave him another bath. Josh was not happy because in one night our deck and carpet were stained and 20 dollars worth of eyeliner gone. I thought it was pretty funny but Josh didn't quite see the humor. Boys will be boys. I don't think I will buy anything really nice until our boys are grown.

Here are the stylings of my little Lleyton. I was putting the babys newborn clothes away so they'd be ready to go. Lleyton decided to make an outfit in the process. He kept whining for me to put things on him and some of them didn't necessarily fit. After I put the clothes away I needed to go to the store he refused to take them off. Since it wasn't hurting anyone else I decided it was a battle I would let him win. We got some interesting smiles, laughs, and comments. He quite liked the attention and seemed pretty proud when someone would compliment his outfit.

Here is another day where Lleyton found some of my fuzzy pink socks and wouldn't stop whining until I put them on. He really loves these socks, I'm thinking I need to buy them in blue though.

Here is our little guy after a night of playing tennis with his Dad. He looked so cute dressed like his daddy. He already has his own little Diego tennis racket.

I love this pic. Josh bought him little sunglasses and he wears them everywhere. He is so funny. He sure is growing fast. We are also now potty training. I was not planning on potty training yet because I didn't think he was ready. He doesn't talk all that well so I didn't think he'd be able to tell me when he needed to go. I was wrong the other night I put him in the shower and he peed. I told him we don't pee in the shower we pee in the potty. I said if you need to potty come tell mommy and I will put you on the big potty. Later that night he came running in my room yelling Potty! I put him on the potty and he went #2! The process has begun and he is doing pretty well but it is very wearing on a pregnant lady. Hopefully it won't be too long until he is completely trained. It would be really nice to have one baby in diapers and save a lot of money too.

A lot has happened this month and I can't remember the half of it. Hopefully I will be better at posting so I don't forget.

Lleyton post surgery

2009-04-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

Some people have asked me how Lleyton is doing now that it has been a while since the surgery. Well, right now I am blogging and he has been sleeping 3 hours straight. He would've never done that before. He sleeps a lot better now and eats a lot better now. It was so hard to get him to eat or sleep through the night before. I would have to say it's been worth it. It was hard to tell until recently because right after he recovered from surgery he grabbed my hair straightener and got pussy blisters all over both of his hands, and his last 4 teeth were cutting through. Now that that's all over with he is much happier and so am I. He has been so fun and cute and we can't get enough of him. Hopefully he won't have to deal with so much pain and crap moving forward. Here are some pics of how well he is eating lately :)

The Zoo!

2009-04-25T14:28:00.001-07:00

So Josh had the day off and we decided to make a day of it. We went to the Zoo and his store up in Bountiful since I have never been there even though he moved up over a year ago. We went to the zoo first and I was a little worried because Lleyton was very tired and cranky as you can tell ...
Once inside though he immediately got excited. He was pointing and trying to say all the animal names. You could not even tell minutes earlier he had been tired and cranky. I love this pic, Lleyton is all cute and smiley and Josh looks like I just told him my water broke or something.
The only pic of me all day and for good reason. I look chubby! Sad part is I thought I was looking pretty good until I saw myself on camera and all the anorexic pregnant girls walking around the Zoo. I wish I was one of those girls who only got a little tummy and didn't gain anywhere else but unfortunately I'm not and there is nothing I can do about.

Here is Lleyton in the reptile room. It was so cute he kept trying to say turtle but couldn't quite. He is pointing at the Tortoises aka turtles.Here they are. They were huge. The picture makes them look tiny.
Can you see it ...
Josh called me over and told me to look up, right above my head was some type of monkey chillin' I can't believe he spotted it. Here they are pointing to it.
The tiger. We were so excited because Lleyton always roars everytime you see a Tiger, Lion, or Bear. Wasn't really the best crowd pleaser though. Plus they didn't even have a Lion that or it was hiding.
Lleyton with the giraffe's it's crazy how big they are. I felt bad taking this pic, I thought I turned my flash off but I guess not. They have a big sign that says no flashes.

I thought it was pretty fun. Before we went in Josh asked how big it was, and I said, "I don't know big, but I don't know what to compare it to." Well Josh is used to the Zoo in D.C. so I wasn't the best person to ask. It was perfect for a pregnant girl. We were able to see all the animals in just under two hours. Josh was impressed because I kept up and didn't whine until the end right before lunch. Once I was done I was done. I kept telling him to keep going, I was afraid if I sat down I wouldn't get up. He couldn't quite understand why it made me so I tired. I told him it was because I was carrying around 20 extra lbs. He replied "well I've been carrying Lleyton the last 15 minutes and I'm not tired". Men, I only wish they knew what it was like being pregnant.

After that we hit lunch and went to Josh's store. It was interesting seeing all the people he's been talking about for a year now. I pictured them differently in my head then they really were. It was good to see where he works. He complains about how small it is but it really wasn't that bad until you saw there freight room. Poor guy. It's so tiny they have hardly any room to put freight. Hopefully we can move that way soon. If you know anybody who wants to rent will give them a good deal :)

Easter weekend

2009-04-14T21:22:00.001-07:00

Dying Eggs at my parents house.
He was so cute

He really liked dying them with Grandpa. He would go "OOoohhh" when we'd drop them in the dye.My Easter Flowers from my sweet hubby. They smell awesome and we haven't killed them. wahoo!
Lleyton's Easter goods before he got to them. We got him a Diego raquet so he can go play tennis with Josh. He always carries Josh's racquets around the house. Instead of going crazy with candy I got him play dough, bubbles, and other stuff. I went a little overboard. I was just going to get him one toy and then Josh came home with stuff too. Oh well I'll have to start worrying when he gets old enough to remember how much he got the year before.
His snake from the easter egg hunt.
Lleyton had an easter egg hunt and did really well when it came to finding them. I bought plastic eggs filled with stretchy lizards, snakes, and frogs. He still liked them and we didn't have a candy overload.
playing with legos with Daddy
Annual Easter Pic. At my parents house for dinner and egg bashing. Don't we look skinny ... Not!
After dinner we went to Josh's Mom's house for dessert. Too bad we didn't get a pic with her. This is Josh with his Grandpa. What a funny old man.

For all of those who feel so inclined here is the video of Lleyton going to see his Easter basket. I know some of the grandparents are too far away and don't get to see him so this is the best we could do.

Lleyton's surgery

2009-03-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

What an experience. Josh and I weren't sure if we were going to go through with Lleyton's surgery he had shown improvement so we didn't want put him through it or us or our wallets if we didn't have too. We took Lleyton in the day before and after hearing our options and the Doctor's "opinion" we decided we would go through with it. As of today I am still not sure it was the right choice give me a month.

The night before I spoke with the nurse from the surgical center to find out the details of when he needed to be there and the proper pre-op instructions. While I was talking to her she would stop and have to ask another nurse the answer to my questions. Sadly I was told Lleyton could have clear liquids from 4 o'clock on but that milk and oj and the other liquids had to stop by then. Sadly the truth was he couldn't have anything after 4 am.

The morning of his surgery Lleyton woke up early like at 5:30 so I gave him maybe one oz of apple juice. When arrived for surgery they saw his bottle and asked if he had had any. I was like "yes they told me he could have clear liquids". At that moment I was informed he couldn't have anything after 4 am and that they would mostly likely have to cancel the surgery. That should have been my sign right? She left and came back and told us they were able to switch some things and that if we were willing to wait a few hours they could fit him in.

We decided we would wait. This was frustrating. They put us in a tiny room about the size of my closet at home with a movie and some toys. Lleyton was so tired and hungry and so was I. We had brought some food thinking he would be right into surgery and that we could eat, but because of the change in events this would not be the case. Being pregnant I really should have eaten anyway but couldn't find it in me to leave my little boy or eat in front of him in his sad little state.

After hours of waiting the nurse finally came and told us to change him into his little gown and that they would be out to get us in about ten minutes. An hour later no one had said anything so I went up to the nurse and asked what was going on. By this point Lleyton and I were both beyond done. That point had passed about an hour and half before. She came back and said it was going to be twenty more minutes. I went in the little room to try to calm down my emotions at this point were whacky being pregnant, tired, and hungry. I was so upset with the service and how things had played out. Finally the anestesiologist came to talk to me. I wasn't saying much because I was afraid I would start crying. I think this made him think I was incoherent or dumb because he spoke to me like I was two.

Minutes later the nurse came to take Lleyton she took one look at me and knew something was wrong. She put her hand on my knee to assure me everything was going to be fine. I burst into tears and couldn't even talk. I felt so dumb. Josh told her a quick run down of what the nurse had told me and what our situation had been. She was irrate that we had been given the wrong information and on top of that had had to wait so long. She asked the other nurse to find out who we had spoken to, the other nurse copped back with attitude "maybe they just misunderstood". Josh was ticked. I was upset but this sweet nurse did make me feel better. She said just the right things and took action when noone else had cared. She got Lleyton a warm blanket and took him away he was upset but I'm glad she was the one to take him and not someone else.

We went in the waiting room and only waited seriously 20 mins or less before they came to tell us we could come back. I could not believe we had waited 5 hours for a twenty min surgery. When we went back Lleyton was still on the stretcher in recovery and was not coming out of the anestesia well. I have never heard or seen him like that before. He sounded so angry and out of control. He was like a blind animal trying to get away from his abusers. Josh hurried and took him in his arms. Lleyton was out of control. Josh is a pretty big guy but Lleyton was flopping and kicking to escape. He wouldn't open his eyes, he had a bloody nose, a little blood in his mouth, and he had tubes and IV's bandaged to him. Probably not the best state for his pregnant Mom to see him in. After a few minutes it was obvious we weren't going to be able to control him so for his own safety they sedated him. He woke up an hour later much better. We gave him some juice, meds, and a bit of yogurt. We really wanted to leave but they wanted us to wait for the Doctor whose surgery after Lleyton had gone over again by about an hour. He finally came to tell us in about 60 seconds what we already knew. His adnoids were very large and they removed them successfully. Kind of annoying, I really wish they could've just called us or something. All I cared is that he was alive and doing better.

We took him home and for the past week and a half it has been rough. Antibiotics three times a day and pain meds about every four hours. He's been waking up moaning about every hour at night. I think there has been once that he has slept in his bed the whole night. His breath is atrocious and he's not his normal self yet. I was told his recovery would be a piece of cake and that he wouldn't be in a lot of pain. I now ask myself compared to what, tonsils? Most people say having your tonsils taking out is worse than child birth. Anyways his breathing is okay but not great about the same as before, at first I thought maybe it was the swelling, but shouldn't the swelling be gone by now. Josh hasn't been around much too help because he has a corporate visit coming up and has been getting up at three in the morning to head to work. Needless to say we are all pretty tired. I really, really, hope that we didn't do this to end up with not great results. It wasn't worth torturing Lleyton or the money if he isn't going to get much better than this. Man it's hard to know what decisions to make in life especially when they involve children. I really just wanted this to improve Lleyton's quality of life hopefully it will.

Thank you to everyone for your phone calls, meals, and support. I am sorry if you called and I didn't call back. It meant a lot that so many people remembered and actually did call. So thank you to everyone it makes it easier knowing people care.

We've got news

2009-03-19T19:05:00.001-07:00

We are having a boy. I guess my intuition was wrong. I was sure we were having a girl. Funny enough though, once he started the ultrasound before telling us I knew I was wrong and that it was a boy. So it looks like we are going to name the baby Rhyder or Casen.

Also for those of you who don't know already. Lleyton will be having surgery next week on the 24th. I guess when he got RSV his adnoids became enlarged and never went back to normal. The swelling was pretty severe and made him unable to breathe through his nose so they are going to remove them. Hopefully all goes well. If for some reason the swelling goes down before than obviously we will cancel the surgery. It has been almost three months so who knows. Poor little guy.

I am wondering which name people like better so if you have an opinion leave it in the comments.

Catchin up!

2009-02-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

So lately I have been horrible about blogging but hopefully I will start doing better. I hate having to do a run down because I haven't been doing it regularly.

Time is flying by so fast Lleyton does so many cute things and I'm not very good at documenting it. The one that makes me laugh the most is when he doesn't want to hear something he covers his ears. A few months ago I was vacuuming and he did it then. Now he has found multiple purposes for it. The other night Josh and I were putting him to bed and decided to do a singing duet, apparently we didn't sound so good. He covered his ears and started laughing at us. He is now saying lots of words mostly that start with the letter 'b' and 'p'. His first word was mama and now he doesn't know how to say it anymore. Josh loves having him say dada to make me jealous. If I tell him to give the baby kisses on my tummy he pulls up my shirt and blows on it to make fart noises instead and then laughs. He is an extremely good helper and likes to clean things. He is still isn't eating very well though and still can't breathe through his nose and I am sick of giving him antibiotics that aren't working ... any advice.

Valentines Day was great. Josh and Lleyton went to the store in the morning to grab some things for a special breakfast. Josh and Lleyton cooked while I slept in. Once it was ready I came out to a lovely breakfast, french toast with cream filling, bacon, and eggs, and don't forget the Hot coco. There were also lovely flowers on the table. After breakfast we built forts with Lleyton which he thoroughly enjoyed jumping on, then we played outside. Later my Mom was nice and came to watch Lleyton while Josh and I went to eat at Iggy's and get massages it was an awesome day. Thanks to my husband for an awesome stress free day. Thanks to my Mom for watching Lleyton and to my Dad for the massage hook up it was heaven.

My flowers from my hubby, there were roses in there also but they were diseased or something and died like two days after it was weird. Josh was mad.

Baby update. I am now past the severely sick stage but I am still exhausted and Lleyton isn't sleeping well since he can't breathe other than that the pregnancy is not nearly as bad as it was. We should be finding out if it is a boy or a girl soon and I am hoping for a boy being that this baby and Lleyton will be exactly two years apart therefore all the clothes and stuff I have already will be the perfect size and what not. I don't really care all that much as long as it's healthy. Here is a pic of my tummy. I swear if I eat or drink anything I all the sudden get huge.

This is me at 16 weeks. I swear I shouldn't have this big of a tummy.

Better late than never: Christmas 2008

2009-02-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

These are completely out of order sorry. First pic is at my parents house Christmas morning. These are in order last to first.

Mommy and Lleyton in his tent of plastic balls

Our great big mess after opening presents

Our fake tree, sorry Josh

Lleyton right when he woke up

This year was a lot of fun. Lleyton could basically open his own presents, if mommy would be more patient. He also got really excited that was the best part. Kids make Christmas so much more fun.

We're alive ... barely

2009-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

Oh boy this has been quite the month. Right after Christmas my sister Jess came up with her kiddoes, her kid's had been fighting a bug but I did not want to miss out on seeing her. Lleyton had been sick right before Christmas so I think he had been well for about a week. Anyway around this time and even still I have been fighting the woes of pregnancy, exhaustion, migraines, sensitivity to smells, and 24/7 nauseousness and feeling like crap.
Before she came up I had barely been leaving my house and taking care of myself and Lleyton. If I thought that was bad I was wrong. I guess the bug her kid's had was RSV. Lleyton held out for the first few days but by the time they left he had gotten really bad. Josh has not been home too much during the Holidays and at the beginning of the new year he had an audit, so the 60 plus hour weeks continued.
I have found that I can push myself farther than I thought. Lleyton got so sick he was having problems breathing and couldn't sleep. When the poor little guy was awake his eyes would roll back in his head and he would sleep for thirty seconds and then wake up crying because he couldn't breathe. Josh came home and we took him to the Doctor and found out it was RSV we got an emergency prescription for a deep suction at the hospital in case his breathing became too labored. I also found out that the ear infection he has had since Thanksgiving had not gone away. It was really bad. The Doctor prescribed a third prescription for his ear and told us the RSV usually runs it's course in 14 days, we were seven days in.
Well here we are 21 days in and although he's not nearly sick as he was he is still congested and breathes out of his mouth and still coughs every so often. I took him to the Chiropractor to see if that would help but I don't know if it helped too much.
My poor husband has about had it with his whiney wife and messy house. It is quite difficult when you are sick and your child is sick . Hopefully this pregnancy will get better since my first trimester is almost over ... and hopefully Lleyton will be able to breathe again. The poor little guy.
Thank you to my Mom who has brought me meals and helped me straighten my house once a week. You have no idea how much that helps.
I am really sad I haven't been able to post all the happy stuff like Christmas. The camera is in Lleyton's room and he is asleep so hopefully soon I will post the Christmas stuff and other fun things like his first steps.
Sorry for the super long post about our sickness woes. Just wanted all to know who have wondered, yes we are alive. I know we haven't made it to church in quite sometime but trust me count your blessings that we haven't. This has not been fun.

The newest additions to the fam

2008-12-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Okay so not the best pic, but oh well. This is my new 2008 Commander Jeep my hubby bought me. We sold Josh's truck and had one car for quite a while because I didn't really see the need for another. We live within walking distance of everything I need and I need all the exercise I can get. Lleyton got and ear infection and bloody mouth while Josh was at work and thankfully I had my sis' car but it got me thinking we should probably get one for emergencies. This thing doesn't get the best gas mileage but I don't drive that much and Josh wanted to make sure I had four wheel drive. I guess it's a must when you have a past of sliding into parked cars.

This is Raina. She is about fourteen years old and our new pet. She is very talkative and I am still getting used to her / him. Josh has had Raina since he was like thirteen they named her "Raina" which means queen in spanish and then found out it was a boy much later. Everyone is in the habit of calling her a girl even though it is a boy. Josh's Mom moved back East for a while so we took in the bird and Josh's cat which we now cannot find. Sad story.

This is our new TV which has the power button on top. We should have bought a flat screen in the first place but I am a tight wad so we didn't.

Last but not least ....
We are expecting baby #2! Therefore the bad mornings, tore up house, etc. I am not too far along only about 7 or 8 weeks. The baby should be born at the beginning of August and hopefully comes before Lleyton's birthday on the 10th. I do not want them to have the same birthday. I wasn't going to post anything but am looking for a new Doctor. I wasn't to impressed with my old Doctor being that he nonchalantly took a non important phone call with his wife right in the middle of me pushing. He's moving his practice anyway so that aided my decision is switching. Anyways our insurance is at Timpanogos Hospital so if you have had a good experience with any Doctors who deliver there please leave me a comment.

The best of the past couple weeks ... oh boy!

2008-12-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been quite eventful. First Lleyton managed to break the TV we bought just over a year ago by turning it on and off about fifty times at once. Unfortunately the button is on the front so there isn't much we could do. You're probably thinking just have it repaired, the problem is the button is on the front which means he will bust it again. Trust me :)

This is my son's lovely art work he made with permanent marker on our floors. Can I just say, thank goodness for majic eraser.

Have any of you had a morning like this? We'll just say i felt about as good as I looked ... not so good. Also this is coming down once I find my mind, because I've obviously lost it. And you think you've had a bad hair day, I don't think so!

Also, in the past couple of weeks Lleyton learned to blow kisses. He says Mama and Dada and he now wakes up at 5:30 am. Yay for Mommy ... not. Oh well comes with the territory and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Tagged by the sis ;)

2008-11-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

8 shows I enjoy watching:

1. Of course Jon and Kate plus 8
2. House
3. The Hills (I know it's pathetic)
4. NCIS
5. So you think you can dance (when it's on)
6. Little people Big World
7. Color Splash on HGTV
8. House Hunters

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. This really good chinese place in Spanish Fork, I think it's called the Wok? Right by Maceys
2. Bajio - or Red Robin, I don't know if either of them count.
3. The Outback (It's not what you think. I love the kids Kookabura chicken fingers meal).
4. Red Lobster
5. Olive Garden
6. Mi Ranchito
7. The Pizza Factory
8. Brick Oven

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. Took care of a sick baby
2. Talked to Josh into coming home early so I could run errands
3. Made Dinner
4. Went and developed our family pictures at Kenny's (they are the best)
5. Went to Target to get my sister and her family their gift for Christmas
6. Went to Walmart bought a Turkey and some other essentials
7. Came home gave Lleyton his medicine and laid with my boys til' he was finally out. (He had a fever of 103, poor guy)
8. Talked Josh into turning the lights out early, it was 12 am, he still wasn't tired

8 Things I am looking forward to

1. Josh to be done with school
2. Josh to have a job with a normal schedule
3. Lleyton feeling better
4. Christmas!
5. My sister and her crew coming up from Arizona
6. Josh to come home from work
7. Expanding our family
8. Having a clean house

8 Things I love about fall:

1. The smell
2. A warm fire
3. The pretty leaves
4. Fresh Goodies
5. Warm clothes
6. The smell of the heater when it first kicks on
7. Cuddling before bed
8. The spirit of Giving and being thankful

8 Things on my wish list:

1. A nice camera
2. Another baby
3. I want Lleyton to feel better
4. Our house to sale
5. Build or buy our dream home
6. My family to be happy and healthy always (i know it's not realistic, but that's why this is a wish list).
7. To lose weight and be tiny again
8. Josh and I to build a company together and run it

8 people I tag:

Whoever sees this and wants to do it!

PART TWO ... there are quite a few :)

2008-11-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised we got as many photos as we did. Lleyton was NOT cooperating he screamed basically the whole time ... hence all the pictures of me. We had one hour and I wasn't going to waste it. We were also up until 2 in the morning the night before. I had accidentally dyed Josh's hair block after being given the wrong color. He didn't get home from work until late and it took 3 hours for the color to bleach to a splotchy orange, I couldn't wait any longer it being so late, so I redyed it and it thankfully turned out okay. THANKS FOR COMING WITH US BROOKE!

Part 1

2008-11-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

I'm having issues uploading pictures to blogger. For the time being this is what I could upload. Brace yourselves there are plenty here and more to come.

Family Pics

2008-11-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Our family pics are finally finished. I will be getting the CD tomorrow and posting some pics but if you can't wait until then check out the pics at www.adigitaldarkroom.blogspot.com Alaina Despain was our photographer and she did an amazing job! If you still need family pics her pricing and talent is great. She charges 75$ for a family of three or less, or, 150 for a family bigger than that. She also gives you the copyright and 20-40 of the best images on a CD. She is seriously the best deal and soooo talented. If you need pics she may have few shoots left. Go to her website and check her out. I don't even know her that well but was so impressed with her work that I am recommending her to any and everyone I can. Thanks Alaina!

How lucky am I ...

2008-11-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to the best husband in the world ... or at least I think so. I often gripe or nag about a whole bunch of crap that doesn't even matter. When it really comes down to it I've got it so good. So baby this is for you. Thanks for ...
1. Making me breakfast in bed every morning your home. Not just any breakfast it's always something hot.
2. Thanks for getting up with Lleyton the mornings your home even if your tired so I can sleep in.
3. Thanks for starting Lleyton's bath for me without even being asked.
4. Thanks for helping me clean without being asked.
5. Thanks for holding me close when I get scared at night.
6. Thanks for hugging and comforting me when you know I'm worried or frustrated.
7. Thanks for never being critical of me or anything about me. It's nice to know that when your pregnant and 60 lbs heavier your husband will assure you, "you aren't fat just pregnant".
8. Thanks for never being angry or frustrated when I spend money on myself or the house, especially when I get frustrated with you for buying a Dew or something I don't think you need.
9. Thanks for always putting Lleyton and I first. You are such a wonderful Dad and Husband. It melts my heart when you rearrange or let others no that you won't be doing certain things so you can spend more time with us.
10. Thank you for being mine! I am so lucky and I need to realize how lucky I really am everyday.

The Fix

2008-11-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

I'm a little washed out from the flash but other than that I am please with the results.

This is the back, just for Jess. :) My husband and child don't really seem to care for the back too much. I'm just glad it's not yellow! I don't know what I was thinking trying to go from dark brown to blonde that fast. I think I'll stick to brown in the future I don't know if I can pull off blonde as well.

It's yellow!

2008-11-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

I know Halloween was last week. This is for real, my real hair! Today I went to get my hair done because were getting family pics Saturday. I asked Josh last night if I should go light on top or if I should just add darker highlights, he said "I don't know, I don't care". Husbands for future reference sometimes it is GOOD to have an opinion.
This morning I went and got my hair done and decided I wanted to go blonde which I have done before but never at a beauty college. I've been trying to save some dough and have been going to the beauty college and in the past it has been fine until today ...
I came home upset and the first thing Josh said was "It's Yellow!" I wanted to cry. The girl who did it could tell I wasn't happy and said make sure you come back so we can fix it if you don't like it. The instructor had lost her marbles though and tried to assure me "oh my gosh it is so cute". She is crazy I look like I am on crack, that or I look like I belong in a comic strip. Needless to say I am getting it fixed first thing tomorrow. I had to hurry home so Josh could go to work and maybe I wanted to teach him a lesson on having an opinion. Anyways I hope you all get a good laugh. :)

Halloween pic overload

2008-10-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

BEFORE AFTER- explanation. Lleyton hated his costume. I put him in it two minutes before Josh got home and this is what I found when I went back to get him. He had zipped himself out of his costume and it was laying on the bed.On our way to the "Trunk or Treat"

Lleyton was in such a good mood ... NOT.

Josh and Lleyton at the trunk or treat. We didn't trick or treat because we felt weird since our child isn't even old enough to ask for the candy, plus you know he won't be the one eating it, and heaven knows I don't need it. It was fun walking around and seeing the costumes and decorated trunks.

Wow, we finally got a smile.

That was our night. Short and simple. Lleyton was cranky and Josh and I both had killer headaches. Oh the memories. :) Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Mommy's little helper

2008-10-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here is my angel boy. He loves to help me with the dishes. Once I have it opened he hands me everything that is on the bottom. He then pushes the bottom in climbs on top of the dishwasher and pulls the top out as far as he can. He hands me the dishes until we've emptied the dishwasher. I do have to have quick hands. He throws them on the ground if I don't take them ... but hey at least he's doing his part right. :)

Banana boy and pumpkins

2008-10-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

Lleyton and his little pumpkin. He was so happy, he carried it everywhere.

Lleyton shoved a whole half a banana in his mouth before pumpkin carving.Lleyton with the "BIG" pumpkin.Our cute finished pumpkins! Josh did the little one and I did the big one. The big one is a bit goofy. I was a little bit worried it wasn't going to look too good but I think they turned out okay.

Fun at the farm at Thanksgiving Point

2008-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is the first pic of our outting. If you look close you can see Lleyton's mouth wide open in awe of the sheep. He and I were both feeling under the weather but Josh had work off and we don't see him much so we decided to spend it doing something fun ... sick or not.

It doesn't look like they were too afraid of each other does it.
This is Lleyton riding the horse. I stood in line while Josh walked around with Lleyton. It took a while until it was finally our turn but worth it. Lleyton loved it! Josh said it was hard to keep him on there because he kept trying to bounce up and down on the horse.

This is the only pic of me and Lleyton and that's okay, because were both looking like the sicklings we were.It was a lot of fun. We were going to go to Cornbelly's but most of the fun things there Lleyton wouldn't have been able to do. We figured this was more suiting and cheaper. I totally recommend it.

Kids do the darndest things

2008-10-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

All boy

2008-10-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Lleyton always gets mistaken for being a little girl which Josh doesn't like so much. I took these pictures though and especially in the one where he is smiling big he just looks so sweet and pretty. I must say I would rather him look like a pretty girl baby than an ugly baby.

Looks can be deceiving ... because he is all boy. He is always grunting when he plays with his toys and making noises of animals when we read. He is into everything, and I tell you he is all boy!

So many blessings

2008-10-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been thinking about how blessed I truly am. I have taken so much for granted. I have such a loving husband who works his tail off so I can stay home and raise Lleyton. He is such a great father and takes great care of both of us. He never complains and helps me so much with Lleyton even after a long hard day. I am so grateful we have been blessed in these trying times with health and the means to sustain our family. I so often take for granted the health and love I have been given. I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of right and wrong and the gospel in my life. I am so grateful for the great influences and examples I have been surrounded by. I have been given so much and truly am indebted to the Lord. I think we all forget sometimes how blessed we truly are. Hopefully we can all remember the blessings which we have been given and seek to see the blessings we receive everyday.

New Hair and Decorating

2008-10-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

My new hair. I love it, it is so easy to do! Our Master bedroom. Still working on decorating our room ... one day.

Our living room / family room.
Our little Lleyton boy's bedroom
Second pic of his room

Our guest bathroom.

Our Kitchen
Last pic of our living room / family room

I love my man!

2008-09-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

So lately it's been quite the task keeping my house clean. Josh and Lleyton are both destroyers who make messes but never clean up. Seriously. The clothes come off, I pick them up. Toys, blankets, remotes, and things you don't want to know about ... I clean up. Today I was trying to catch Lleyton after bathtime as he scrambled on our bed. I knew it was a matter of time before he would pee on it, I needed to get that diaper on fast. I did not make it. He peed a massive amount in the middle of our bed. This is the second time I have washed the sheets this week and it's Tuesday. Don't get me wrong I usually wash the sheets at least once a week, according to Josh I have a sheet fetish. They must be clean and all corners must be secured. This drives Josh crazy, well, it drives me crazy when I do three batches of laundry a day for two people and a baby! You know what else drives me crazy, when they are clean and your sweaty husband comes and lays on them. He claims he is not dirty but the look and smell of him tells me otherwise (I do love you hubby). Anyways, my daily routine consists of sweeping the floor several times, and mopping up it least three times a day (at least where Lleyton ate). Josh's mom asked me the other night how I keep my floors so clean, well I have to clean them everyday so they better be clean. I also clean the kitchen several times, and the other rooms of my house (babies track toys everywhere). Vaccumming, I wish I did more. If I could I would vaccuum everyday, life often doesn't allow this. Anyway getting to the point after my long shpeel. After cleaning up the pee mess I looked at the rest of my house and felt defeated. Rooms I had just cleaned were dirty and it seemed to never end. Josh looked at me and laughed, I looked back and said "it never ends". Lately, I have been dropping hints because I have felt under appreciated, like, "so how is dinner" the reply, "it's good". I also make Josh's lunches, "So was your lunch okay?" or "Where are your containers I asked for two weeks ago, the last ones about made me pass out?" Sometimes he will keep his food containers in the car for weeks and when I finally find them I almost consider throwing them away with the thought that nothing can clean them of the mold or smell. Sometimes these daily battles get to me when I've made dinner, fed the baby, and cleaned the house, without feeding myself or getting myself ready for the day. It usually doesn't bother me, but ... sometimes when I haven't heard the word thank you in a really long time, I wonder if it's appreciated. I often wonder also if I overdo it, but I think I have a scewed view because I live with a man who doesn't clean our childs tray after he eats but piles food on the same tray the next meal, yuck! I do love him so much, but sometimes I wonder where men get there thinking or don't get there thinking. But oh how he surprises me! Today I was at home when I see that I missed a call. I called him back right away because he never calls me unless there is an issue. I called and he asked to call me back, so I said okay. Finally, he called and said, 'I just wanted let you know how much I appreciate all that you do. The cooking and cleaning and everything. I love you'. Wow, he never ceases to amaze me. So ladies, if you sometimes feel the same way there is hope. That man of yours who loves you and would do anything for you, is probably tired just like you. It will come though and when it does it means so much more, or at least it did to me. I love you babe, and I will clean up after you and Lleyton everday. It's so worth it.

Blackmail ...

2008-09-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Lleyton loves to take baths and I think I know why ...
Ope I got something-
Yep I found it
Wahoo it's still there!

Note to son:

Lleyton I promise it will still be there, even after bathtime. You do realize you have other toys in the tub right?

What a funny kid. I think all boys are this way. I had to get a few pics though for future embarassment reasons.

My handsome boy... yep no longer a baby

2008-09-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

So I was going to go outside and take pics of Lleyton today but it was extremely windy. I tried and all he did was look at the leaves blowing around. He kept pointing at everything the wind was blowing. Oh well I attempted to take some inside but the lighting is not great. Oh well he is still really cute!

He loved watching the leaves blow around, therefore he did not want to look at the camera.
I don't know if I'm bias because he is my child, but i think he is one of the cutest babies ever.:)

He loves looking out the window. I am constantly afraid he is going to fall because he climbs on top of the window seal.

Mascara is not a brush

2008-09-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

So i had to use the restroom and usually Lleyton follows me. I feel like our bathroom is pretty baby proof. Anything he pulls out he can't hurt and I just throw it back in. I never keep makeup in the drawers or so I thought .... A few days a go I couldn't find my mascara, I gave up and bought some new kind. Well, Lleyton found it for me. While I was in our separate WC Lleyton found it it somewhere. I guess he thought it was a brush though, therefore the black marks all over his head. I was also disgusted to see that he had eaten whatever was left on the wand. I hope he is building great immunity with all the crap he gets into. :) Poor little guy, he was not happy when I took it away.

Oh my Lleyton!

2008-09-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Lleyton is such a stinker, but so much fun. He is finally not sick or being weaned. Now that we are past that stage we are in terrible two's stage early. Seriously though, he throws tantrums and wants to do everything himself. When he eats both he and Mommy have a spoon to both feed him. By the time he actually is two he will be a pro. He also loves tools and things that goes bang. He bites, hits, and scratches.
Today I was trying to fold and put laundry away so I had piles on the floor. Lleyton came to destroy so I put my foot down on top so he bit my toes. Lletyon loves to dance to anything with a good beat. He is also our little houdini who can get out of anything. I can buckle him in and somehow he manages to get out. He has learned where mommy's nose is. If you ask "where's Lleyton's nose" he will point to mine. He has also discovered the birthmark on his tummy. I swear he is going to have a complex. Josh always asks him "whats on your tummy?" He looks down and tries to wipe it off. He loves to give kisses and hugs to us but gets upset if Josh and I hug each other. I guess all affection is only supposed to be towards him or else he feels left out. Oh well, we sure love our little man. I thought my dish detergent was safe in the plastic, I was wrong. It turns out my son thoroughly enjoys the taste of soap. I found several half eaten. When my house is quiet it is never a good thing unless he is asleep.
A very messy boy. He usually isn't very messy. The madder he gets the messier. Can you tell how happy he is by his face.

He loves to point and he especially loves the camera. Most of his communication is done by pointing and grunts. He doesn't want to talk, probably because he gets his way without saying anything.

How cute is he. He pulled off the lid and kept trying to get inside.
Like father, like son. Everyone always thinks Josh is a stoner because of his eyes. This picture gives me cause for concern.
Lleyton found the toilet paper, as I'm sure every child does. Toilets and other dirty things are so much fun! I think children are much like dogs at this age. They get into the toilets. They hang on your legs. They beg. They chew on everything. They eat whatever is on the floor. They perk up at every sound. They pee and poop on everything ... which reminds me Lleyton pooped in the tub two nights in a row ... now that's a fun one, let me tell ya.

Hopefully just a phase

2008-08-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Lleyton and I on a night where he was calm and sweet. Look at those cute little chubber cheeks. Too bad those are starting to go away...

I love being a mom don't get me wrong but lately it has been more than a struggle. As noted earlier in previous posts, I am trying to wean Lleyton. It is not going to well to say the least. It has been over a week and he still cries constantly and is moody. I didn't realize what a full time job it is to keep the little man fed. Every meal I try several different things because he is very picky and you can't tell a one year old not to spit out his food or throw it at his mom or on the floor. These are daily occurances in our household. You would think I never clean my house because it looks like a war zone once he's past through.
Anyways today has been a rough one. He doesn't know how to put himself to sleep and he won't let me bounce or rock him to sleep. I've tried just letting him squirm until he's exhausted but that can go on until one in the morning. He is extremely stubborn. He loves to throw things, bite, and scream. He is the master of tantrums. He is really cute though so you can't get mad at him (and the more upset you become the funnier he thinks it is). For example today he came in the bathroom while I was feeling up the tub and decided anything that was in site should be thrown in the tub. That included his new Sunday shoes. He also loves to hide things lately in my shirt. He also loves to turn the lights on, yes only on, he does not know how to turn them off. He gets angry until you turn them off and then he giggles in delight as he turns them on. Needless to say this can get old quite quickly. Today after turning the fan and lights on about ten times I decided that was good enough, Lleyton did not think so. Lleyton held onto the doorway with his little fingers hanging on for dear life. Obviously I was holding him because he can't reach the lights, this is another fun thing he is going through, he constantly wants to be held. I'm trying to be patient assuming these tantrums and clinginess are related to him not being able to nurse and also teething. I am not sure just how much longer my patience is going to last.
Tonight after much screaming I tried to feed Lleyton some dinner he spit out pretty much all of his food. Then I am not sure if a piece of food got stuck in his throat or if he is sick but he coughed and then eventually threw up all over himself, me, and the floor. Also it is quite difficult to clean up throw up when you are all alone and your child is very sad and does not want to be set down. After this episode I put Lleyton in the tub and discovered my child is half snake. Lleyton lately makes this sssss ssss sound over and over again while he plays and bathes. He is quite the character.
Mostly all of the screaming, crying, food throwing, and clinginess just makes me feel bad. That is the hardest part of this all I really love that little boy and I just want him to be happy. I wish I could teach him to sleep and eat but sometimes you just half to wait for them to figure it out. I know he would be so much happier if he could just figure out those two things. Hopefully this is just a phase and he will catch on soon. I love that sweet boy and when he cries and throws tantrums I feel like a bad mom. I feel like I am doing something wrong that is making him act this way or could he really just be that stubborn? If it is the latter I am sure in for it.

Finally ...

2008-08-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Lately there have been a few finallys lately. Josh finally let me cut his hair. Lleyton is finally not sick anymore. Lleyton finally made a mess eating spaghetti, (everyone wanted him to when we were in Virginia but he wouldn't). Josh and are finally going to get in shape! We took our fatty before pics today which I will not be displaying ... we were fatter than we thought. Here are some pics of our finallys!
He really doesn't like to be dirty. Can you believe he didn't even get it in his hair.
I accidentally left the wipes out. He now knows how to open them as I found out.
Doesn't my hubby look so freaking hot with his hair cut short like this. I like his hair like this so much better. Compare for yourself by looking at pics from past posts.

Thanks Mama

2008-08-21T21:35:00.001-07:00

This week has been a hard week. I am blogging a lot tonight mostly to vent. A lot of personal issues have been coming up and I am being challenged to just "Let things go" which if you know me that is not my style. Lleyton has been really sick and on top of that he is being weaned and is teething. Josh is also really sick ... usually he can't sit still and he has not moved from the bed or couch all day. Even after surgery or Mono you can't keep him down, needless to say he can't help much. I have also been suffering from Mastitis an infection you can get when breastfeeding and when you quit breastfeeding. Anyways I had this wonderfully painful infection on both sides. I've hardly had any sleep and am starting to feel sick myself. Anyways the other morning I called my Mom after being up with Lleyton since 4 in the morning to talk. i mentioned I was awful and she skipped going to education week that morning to come help me. For those of you who know my mama she loves education week and looks forward to it every year. She came to my rescue my house was tore to pieces and I didn't know if I could handle Lleyton too much longer. She helped clean up my house and played with Lleyton. It helped me tremendously she will never know .... ssoooo thanks mom.

Vaccinations ... yes or no?

2008-08-21T21:17:00.001-07:00

So this is kind of a touchy subject with a lot of people. When Lleyton was born in the hospital they told me he had to have his Hep B shot. I realized later after talking to my sister and some other people that you still have the choice. If you choose not to you can sign an exempt form for your child. I was kind of upset because I did not see the reason for making him have the shot as a newborn. The only way you can get Hep B is by doing drugs, having sex, etc. Basically you can catch it the same way you can catch aids. Anyways Josh and I have had quite a few talks about whether or not to immunize Lleyton. He is more Pro and I am more anti. I told him I wanted to do some more research before deciding. Of course when discussing it with my Pediatrician he gave me all the pro info on vaccines, I wanted hard evidence and his information did not provide that. I decided to try a different pediatrician when Lleyton got sick and they wouldn't accept him as a patient because he was not immunized. I had a hard time with that. I totally believe in choice and having the right to choose what goes into your body and that of your little ones. So right now I am trying to find a "Green Pediatrician". I was watching the 'View' the other morning and they were talking about vaccines and the lady they had on the show was supporting a different more natural approach. A lot of what I have been hearing lately hasn't supported vaccinating. I was on the internet tonight trying to find a "Green Ped" for Lleyton and ran into this article. I think everyone should read it. It shows cold hard facts. I feel like Drs don't show any research in support or against it, they just say your child needs to have this so they don't get this . I want actual facts. Anyways I found this website and thought maybe some of the other mothers out there I having the same thoughts and questions as I. I found this article to be enlightening. They're always both sides to the story ... http://www.lightparty.com/Health/HealingRegeneration/html/VaccinationIsNO
TImmunizati.html

The king of messes

2008-08-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

I am weaning Lleyton so he has been extremely grouchy. Like if I am not holding him he is throwing a tantrum. The only thing that seems to keep him happy is destroying my house. I am so tired of the whining and crying that I finally gave up today. Below are the results. I'm sure we all have days like this.

Virginia Trip

2008-08-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

We've been in Virginia for the last week or so to see Josh's family. It was good to see everyone. We were also able to celebrate Lleyton's birthday while we were out there. We will hopefully have a second party with the rest of the fam in Utah. I am really sad because my camera battery died and I forgot my memory card so I was not able to take very many pictures. Unfortunately our visit to Aunt Harriet and Uncle Larry's was after our battery died. I am really sad, we had a blast at your home. Your family is so welcoming and warm. We will have to spend more time with you guys next time we come out. We were also able to visit Josh's friend Cody and his girlfriend 'Put'. Josh spent a lot of time with him while on the tennis team at SU. Lleyton loved Cody, I didn't think anyone was a bigger kid at heart than Josh but Cody proved me wrong. Thank you to Josh's Dad and wife Joanie for letting us crash at your place while we were out there. We enjoyed Joanie's good cooking it inspired me to cook when I got home actually.

Here are some photos from our trip ... there are quite a few so I hope you like pictures. Maybe it is a good thing my battery died ... well maybe not.

Below is a picture of Josh and Lleyton after church just before his B-day party. Josh's family had blown up a whole bunch of balloons he loved them. Can't you tell by the expression on his face ... ha ha. But I promise he really did like them.
The birthday pinata. You pull the strings and the candy falls out of the butt.
Moments before my camera died. I will be posting more once Joanie sends them to me. Lleyton was really funny, instead of blowing out the candle he tried to put it out with his fingers. Josh had to hurry and blow it out. It was a close call.
The yummy birthday cake. This is partially where I gained the five pounds on the trip. This was also the first time Lleyton had cake and everyone was hoping he would make a mess, but he doesn't like to be dirty. Hhhmmm I wonder where he gets that from.
Mommy and Lleyton at Josh's grandparents house on the swing.
Josh's grandma Maggie, Lleyton and Josh. Quite the crew aye.
Maggie, Josh, and Lleyton on the front porch. They have this really cool old plantation home that is hundreds of years old. I should've gotten a better picture. They have a long driveway lined with trees that leads up to the house it is really pretty. In the basement there is a cellar and a huge rock that they had to build the home on because back then they didn't have the equipment to remove it back in the day. It is huge!
Josh, Lleyton, and Grandpa Coleman. Grandpa recently suffered a severe stroke. So he is in a rehabilitation resthome recovering. It was funny to see him with Lleyton, he would bark at Lleyton and sing him songs. He also proved to be a character. He would spank the nurses on the rear, (which is very not like him) and he even lifted a cheek in therapy and farted on his therapists. This is only funny because if you had known him before his strokes this is something he would've never done. He was a very polite man.
Josh and Grandpa fighting each other. Notice Maggie trying to make him stop. Lol. She is the one person I've met who is bossier and more worried about things than I am. She is so sweet and funny.
Overall the trip was a lot of fun. Lleyton was pretty good on the airplanes. On the way back we had a 2 hour delay which wasn't fun, especially since I am weaning Lleyton and needed to pump. We are now home and I am weaning him which has been a challenge. I've had masstitis on both sides. I had it in Virginia and was able to get rid of it. But the fun has begun all over again at home. Yay, not really. Lleyton is not happy about the change and has not been going to sleep well or staying asleep well even if I feed him really well before bed. If you have any suggestions let me know. Anyways, that was a little off track of the subject. We had a lot of fun and we were so happy to introduce our little Lleyton to Josh's side for the first time.

Crazy, busy life

2008-07-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while because it has been so crazy, I guess I will start with the most recent events and work my way back. Last week Josh received a promotion at work. I am so proud of him and his hard work, way to go babe! He is the Store Manager of his own store up in Bountiful. There are good and bad things that go with this, the commute isn't so great and we see him less, but the money is nice. We are trying to sell our home to try to move closer , we don't know if we want to buy or not because most likely he will be moved back down to Provo when they open the new East bay Store ... so we will see what happens. The market is the worst to try to sell right now.

The same week he was promoted we had our anniversary , July 7th and Josh's B-day July 12th, so that was crazy also. For our anniversary we went out to dinner and had my parents come over to watch him. It was only the second time ever that we have left him so I was a little concerned about how he would do, but he did great yay! We had a nice evening and it was really nice to get out by ourselves. It's crazy that we've been married two years and have a kid. Strange. I would not trade it for the world though. Then for Josh's Birthday on the 12th we took it easy. Josh got a massage and we went out to eat and went to a movie late at night, Hancock. From what I saw it seemed pretty good but we took Lleyton and he didn't fall asleep until halfway through. It's so weird that Josh is 27! I thought he was 26. The age difference between us didn't phase me at all when we first got married, but the older he gets the more I realize the gap. Anyways I think he had a pretty good Birthday I tried to be a good wife and not nag or be bossy. One thing , I'm sure drives all husbands crazy. Anyways Happy Birthday baby we love you!

A few days before was the 4th of July. Josh had to work in the morning but Lleyton and I went to the parade and he loved it! He waved at everyone and clapped and had lots of fun. Thank you to my cousin Trevor for the ear plugs that really helped. At lunchtime Josh joined us for a BBQ at my parents house. To end the night we planned on doing fireworks but they scared Lleyton and he was tired after a long day so we put him to bed and at some good old fashioned american pie, mmmm.Me, Lleyton and Josh the night of the 4th. Outside before Lleyton got scared.
Lleyton and Josh, they are so goofy. Look at Lleyton's cute little wave.

Right before the 4th we had the opportunity to visit my sister Jessica and her husband Danny and their kiddies. It was also nice to be able to see Sam Josh's brother thanks for the ice cream! Also, Thanks Mom and Dad for flying us out.
Jessica's little baby boy Codan was going to blessed and we are so glad we were able to be there. We had lots of fun swimming at Janny and Trey's and visiting with the family. Thank you for opening your home to us. It was so fun to see everyone! Josh left two days before me and sadly the night he left Lleyton got sick and didn't recover the rest of the trip. He wouldn't eat and for a minute we were afraid we were going to have to take him to the hospital. So I flew home with a sick baby who cried all the way home. Poor little guy. To make matters worse we had to go through like an hour of security because I lost my driver's license. Upon arriving home Lleyton pulled down the alarm clock and caught the corner of his eye, as you can see in the picture below. Anyways that is about the run down with what has been going on with us.
Lleyton and Josh at Janny and Trey's in the pool in AZ.
Josh's 2nd time flying on the way back. I can't believe I got a pic before he started crying. Thankfully the lady next to me was so helpful. What a sweetheart she was.
Lleyton's boo boo from the alarm clock.
Lleyton and Mommy on the 4th at the parade he wouldn't look at the cam he was to into the parade.
Look at that sweet little face. He was so content watching on my Dad's lap.
Sitting in the closet on top of the clothes.
Going through the sprinklers with mommy in AZ.

Lleyton, Jayden , and Karlee. They were so cute always playing with him. Jayden loves babies!The boys! Lleyton and my sister's little boy Codan. They had matching outfits so Nana had to get a pic with them. How cute!

Mommy, Lleyton and Daddy at the pool. Looks like I need to hit the gym. Lleyton loved swimming!

Daddy's little buddy

2008-06-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so lately Lleyton has become a major Daddy's boy. He screams and cries whenever Josh leaves even if he's just getting something out of the closet. It is sometimes nice but other times it is frustrating. I feel bad for him because daddy can't always hold him. I'm so glad that he has such a great Dad who loves him so much. Josh and Lleyton bring so much joy to my life and I never imagined we would have such a cute little family. Josh is so great with Lleyton so much so that Dad is all Lleyton wants. The only thing Lleyton uses me for of late is for eating, and displaying his musical talents on my tummy by blowing and making farting noises on it or slapping it to make music. Speaking of music Josh discovered that Lleyton loves DMX's lose my mind song. We don't ever play rap for Lleyton but the other night Josh was out with him shopping and he was being fussy so Josh turned on the song. Lleyton immediately started laughing and flailing his little hands in excitement. Josh later returned that night to tell me but I didn't believe him. So anyways we were out the other night and he started getting fussy so Josh turned it on and sure enough we got the same response ... what a funny little guy.
Here is Lleyton in his orioles baseball cap to bad you can't tell. He only likes to wear it backwards if it's on forwards he pulls it off. This is the only baseball cap "he is aloud to wear" according to Josh.
Aren't the two of them so cute! You wouldn't guess that the sweet little man has made both of us bleed by biting us with his two new little chompers.

Young Love

2008-05-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Per request I have posted below some of our wedding pics. It is amazing how far we have come and how blessed we have been from the result of our marriage. We now have our sweet baby boy who lights up our lives. It is amazing what love can do ... may we all love a little more and hate a little less. I found in my life that love is much more productive than anger. I love you Josh and Lleyton. Yes, Josh I know I am cheesy.

Sorry there are quite a few.

Josh and I right after being sealed in the temple.
Our first kiss in public as husband and wife.
pic in the archways of the temple
Standing outside of the temple.
On the temple grounds

This is one of the display tables at our reception
Cutting the cake
See how nice I am
See how mean he is ... it really didn't occur to me that he would do that ... well until he did

Pics at our reception
In front of the fountains at the reception

Our sign in book

The center pieces. Josh was the one who designed what the centerpieces would look like.

Lleyton's version of the crawl

2008-05-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Everybody has asked us if we have any pictures of Lleyton crawling around and we do ... but it really just looks like he is laying on his tummy. I took this quick clip with my camera so everyone can see. Sorry the quality isn't fantabulous, but you get an idea of how he gets around.

Second Try

2008-05-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well here are the photos from our second try. Lleyton does not like taking pictures under any circumstances I found out. Thanks again Josh, Brooke, and poor little Lleyton for letting me drag you around. I don't know that these ones are much better but we tried.

Family Reshoot

2008-05-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

If you can't find a picture that you love in the ones I posted. I will be posting more next week. I wasn't thrilled with the family ones so I talked Josh into letting me take more Fri or Sat. What a good man I have, he is the best. So if you would like to have more options than you can wait until next week or just let us know now, whatever you would like.

Family Pics 5/5/08 Lleyton 9 mo

2008-05-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

I can't decide between this one above and the similar one at the very bottom ...

Mother's Day is coming up and we know our sweet mama's are overdue for some nice pics. We took these today. Thanks Josh and Brooke for putting up with me. Everyone else take a look and please let me know which ones you like the most ... and who knows you may get the one you like ... maybe. :)

aaawww ... sweet sleep

2008-05-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Lleyton had recently been getting up about 6 times a night to eat. He was only eating because he had been sleeping with Josh and I and he knew if he cried I would feed him. (in my defense feeding him knocks him out in just under 60 seconds). Well needless to say none of us were sleeping. Josh and Lleyton might do okay with not a lot of sleep ... but me on the other hand ... I'm not so sure. I put Lleyton in his crib and after about two nights he began sleeping from about 10 pm to 6:30 am. Swweet right? Yea, it will be in about two weeks. My sleeping habits are so messed up that I am averaging about 4 hours a night. Hopefully I don't mess up this sweet deal by letting Lleyton nap with me during the day (I've had some major headaches from lack of sleep and cave in during naptime). So anyways he has been doing pretty well. He woke up once the other night but I think it's because he is teething. He now has two teeth that are showing on the bottom. He knows how to use them too, except most of the time it's not for eating. THE BOY CAN BITE! Hopefully he will continue to sleep.

Finally New Pics of Lleyton!

2008-04-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

I temporarily have my camera fixed, so enjoy these pics while I can still take pictures. (Our camera sucks the juice out of the battery I guess, so we need a new one) it won't be long until this battery has been sucked dry.
Our little Lleyton is growing up way too fast. He is soo funny and little and our little ball of boy joy. His latest antics include scrunching up his face and panting through his nose, clicking his tongue, and he gets around like crazy (the army crawl). He enjoys pulling hair and thinks it's absolutely hilarious when he TOOTS. He also flexes and and growls when he does his muscle man pose. Also, as Becky found out the other day he loves to give open mouth kisses ... she thought he was trying to eat her face but that's just what he does when mommy asks for a kiss. Sadly I am probably the only one who accepts the slobbery sweet gesture.

April 22, 2008

2008-04-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had my sister tiff and her husband Micah and my cousin jen and her fiance Paul over for Sunday dinner. I am always looking for something quick, easy, and yummy to make. I ended up serving a changed up version of my aunt amy's bbq chicken salad. It received rave reviews so I included the recipe below (scroll to bottom). Anytime I find something quick and yummy to make I'm going to post it. If you're anything like me your life is crazy and it is hard to find things that the hubby and kids enjoy that you can manage to make before they start snacking. If you find any recipes that you love too, i would love to hear about them.

Josh's Surgery

2008-04-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Josh had surgery last week on his ankle. He had actually injured his ankle almost two years ago playing church ball (not smart when you are playing college tennis). He ended up injuring it quite badly. After dealing with the pain for quite a while he finally decided he was fed up with it after a recent snowboarding excursion.
They ended up taking a ligament out and tightening the others along with a few other medical things that went right over my head (ask Josh he loves talking medical lingo). He still went to school the next day but did not return to work until about a week later due to doctors orders. Boy is he glad to be back at work ... I'm glad too. That boy hated being stuck home and is way too independent to actually enjoy having someone wait on him.
Lleyton was a little concerned when first seeing Josh in recovery and couldn't quite figure out why he was hobbling around on crutches when we got home. He still doesn't like to sleep much during the night and might be struggling even more because he is teething. Josh every now and then will get up with him, but hasn't really been able to because he is still in a hard cast. Oh well the cute little man is worth it.