2009

We spent our first hours of 2009 in Washington, we actually flew in and were driving to Jone's parents at midnight. It was while we were there that we found out that we were pregnant. A week after we left Pip gave birth to her first boy Tpants, we just missed it. As the year progressed we were blessed to live by family, here and in California. I have had the opportunity to serve in Young womens, and get to know some wonderful ladies. Jones and I spent less time apart than most years but still spent a month or two living apart, making us realize again how important our time together as a family is. In the last few months we have been blessed with a daughter, a job, stability, and time together. In our entire marriage I have never felt as blessed as I have these last few months.

When I was 14 I used to wonder where I would be in 2010. I had no idea I would be the mother of two beautiful children, and have a husband who loves and supports me in everything I do. This year has been a great one, but this decade has been one that will define me for the rest of my life. When we moved to Moreno valley in 2000 I made friendships that guided me through teen years, and was blessed to grow up with people who had strong moral values, and the courage to stand and live by the things they believed. I have strengthed my relationship with my Savior, and through his Atonement I have been made whole, many times. I went from being a curious 12 year old girl who held grudges and let her emotions control her, to being a 22 yr old woman who understands a little better who she is, can be guided by emotion but is no longer controlled by them, can forgive others as I have been forgiven.

I don't know where I will be in 2020 but I hope that I can say that I have grown as an individual, and that I have loved and served my family with all my heart.

Happy New Year

It's potty time

I have been putting it off and putting it off, but now it is time. C is almost 3 so potty training is about to become a more serious thing in our home. We even got him cute little underwear and a potty chart. So far it is going ok, when he goes pee he very abruptly goes "Oh!" and then runs to tell me, so hopefully he will start to get it. PLEASE.

Kids room

For the month of January I am tackling Ctober's room, It's my birthday present to myself and C. His room has always stumped me in the past, mostly because I couldn't figure out how design around bright colored toys and weird but need kid furniture. However I have finally figured out what I am going to do so before and after pics will be here shortly!

Christmas Eve was wonderful, dinner was great, we have full success! My kids cooperated really well and let me dress them up and take pics. I am so exhausted though from a long weekend. I forget how exhausting it is to be a mother of a young baby. I keep thinkinh 'I'm not pregnant anymore so why am I so tired?' Time for some much needed down time.

Christmas eve

" It's Christmas time again you know, it hit me just an hour ago, it aint about the misletoe, lets keep that in mind. It's about the star that led the way, the baby child born that day, it's because of him that we all say, It's Christmas time."

Let the cooking and singing begin!

I'm so Excited and I just can't hide it..

Now the trick is to make it through today, and then tommorow the festivities begin.

Silver and Gold

This year for Christmas I am in love with the combination of gold and silver decorations. It just looks so soft and warm, romantic and festive. I am going to be really sad when I am forced to take down our Christmas decorations. Our house is going to look so empty.

Just last night I got a package from my mom, it had home made train cookies in it which C-bug loved, and a bunch of other goodies in it. Between that and It's a Wonderful Life it is finally feeling a lot like Christmas.

Retro

So for the last four years Jones and I have been watching TV on our little 15" monitor, but no more. We are now the proud owners of a 24" flat screen and we are loving it. However I don't love all the exposed wires and mess that is going on behind the TV. My dream is that we will mount it on the wall, hide the wires and hang a decorative retro frame around the tv that gives it a little more personality. Ofcourse I haven't actually been able to find such a frame so it is possible we may have to make one. Another project to put on our list for 2010.

Some of her first smiles

CReme Brule

Last night the whole clan got together and went to eat at a French bistro. It was delicious and afterwards we went to the Zoo and looked at Christmas lights. It was a great way to begin a festive week.

Back in Buisness

For too long now, I haven't been able to blog on a regular basis, but now that we have internet again I can start doing it more often. It has been a crazy December. The first 2 weeks went by so fast, and I was very on top of my Christmas shopping and decorating. This week however has been slow and painful and the realization that I wouldn't be surrounded by my loud and spiritual family this year really started to sink in. Christmas is such a tradition filled time for me and it is really hard for it to feel like Christmas to me without those traditions. Somehow I need to figure out how to create those feelings in my home, on my own. With Christmas next week I am determined to get my spirit on, and quick.

Christmas time is here

I love this time of year. Jones and I have a tradition that started our first Christmas together. We got home the day after christmas from a month long traveling extravaganza, we had absolutely no money, no car and it was freezing, but we wanted to celebrate Christmas together, so we each set out, Me with the $3 we had in the bank and Jones with the $3 of change we had and shopped around downtown Salt lake for gifts for each other. Lucky for Jones, (or maybe luckier for me) there was an Anthropologie nearby, and he bought me a glass drawer knob on clearance. It was beautiful and unique, and perfect. Every year since, whether we have $3 or more, he gets me a little something from Anthropologie, and this year it was the pine cone ornament pictured above. I love my husband, and I love Christmas.

Anniversary

This past weekend Jones and I celebrated our 4 yr. wedding anniversary. It was Fabulous! We took the train down to Portland and spent 3 days in hotel exploring the city. We saw the So You Think You Can Dance tour, and ate out at little bakeries. Sweet sweet bliss.

To be continued interrupted by babies...

Feeling a little blue

I am feeling a little bit suffocated by my life right now. In serious need of some uplifting, and not wanting to depend on others to be able to go out and get away for awhile. I feel like everyday is one step forward two steps back, or more accurately like I can't get a deep enough breath before plunging in again.

One month and Counting

Our little family. So far so good.... :)

Line upon Line

C bug likes to line his toys up. I am always stumbling across rows of cars and toys.

It made me think about the way Heavenly Father is always one step ahead of us, laying down the path, teaching us and guiding us.

Anthropologie

This week has been a very fun one. I was throne a suprise baby shower, it was awesome. Pipsta Hilbillary and Mama Rhonda literally showered me with gifts, and among the gifts was a gift card at Anthropologie! Jones and I couldn't wait to go so yesterday we packed the kids up and went up to seattle to spend and spend :) I came home with lots of goodies.

Our internet is no longer available so my blogs are suffering, I just wanted to say that I am still loving having two kids. My sweet October is getting bigger everyday and more and more alert. The fall season is finally kicking in and I am loving it. My fear and desperation for winter clothes is squashed by my excitement for the holidays.

Bath Time

Yay!

1:37 AM

I wonder how many middle of the night blogs I will end up doing now that my being awake in the middle of the night is a common occurance. Tober is actually a really great sleeper, but now and then I still get the opportunity of staying awake with her for an hour or two. Tommorow it will have been 2 weeks since she joined our family and it was at 2 weeks that I hit my first wall with C bug. So far I seem to be doing better this time around. I have most definately gotten more sleep. However, I am starting to get sick and it feels like my jenga tower is starting to wobble. I just don't want it to come crashing down. Yawn. I am really tired.

A day to remember, Taking a stand.

"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we f...ight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you *stand, Men of the West!"

Aragorn, Return of the King

Our new place

So 2 days after giving birth we moved in to our new place, and I am just loving it. It is so nice to be at your own home with a new baby. I can't help myself even in my tired state I still want to decorate and make it feel like home. It pleaseth me much.

I can't wait til pay day so that I can buy flowers and maybe a few pillows, a few little things like that make a house feel more like home.

A couple of weeks ago I painted some pictures for my sister-in-laws baby room and as a thank you she bought me this fabulous 24 x 48in canvas. It has been hanging up above our fireplace all week and I have been trying to imagine what on earth to do with it. Etsy has been a good source of inspiration but not good enough. Finally the thought occurred to me to check out Anthropolgie, and honestly I don't know why it took me so long. Instantly I found multiple things I was dying to have and a fantastic rug that will now be mimicked and painted onto our canvas. Thank you Anthropolgie.

I can't wait to get started and see how it turns out.

My October Experience

I woke up sunday morning, with contractions. (When didn't I wake up with contractions in the last 3 weeks) After some debate we decided to go into the hospital. I couldn't help but feel discouraged since this would be my 3rd time to the hospital and the thought of being sent home again made my heart sink. I was so exhausted by it all.
When my midwife told me she wanted me to stay and that she was going to break my water I was so relieved and suddenly very aware of the fact that I was about to be in hard core labor. Game on.
They broke my water at 2:30 and at 4:30 after lots of sweat and a few forced involuntary grunts of pain, October joined our world, as beautiful and wonderful as can be.

We then recieved some visitors and C got to come meet his sister. He suprised me by how calm he was and by how much he already seems to love her.

Everything was perfect. Jones started work the next day and the day after that we moved into our new place. It has now been a week and other than being a little tired :) I feel great. I love my family.

Life is good.

Getting better all the time

I am not going to lie, the first year of C bugs life was difficult and very different than I had expected. He was tense in everything he did. Driving, eating, you name it, he hated it. The next year was much better and he loosened up around me, but having Jones gone for army training kept him adjusting to new places and people. This year however has been amazing. His smiles have become so genuine and much more frequent. He loves us and shows us that he loves us. He sits on the couch snuggled up next to us and hugs us when he hasn't seen us for a while. He tells us all kinds of stuff about his day and his toys. He is so happy and full of personality. I just love it. Of course he has his moments of independence and difficulty but I am really liking where we are at right now, and can't wait to see what else he reveals to us in the years to come.

Orange Toe nails

So I had a bit of preterm labor on monday and I am on bed rest now with medication to keep the contractions down. I am currently almost 36 weeks along and making it to atleast 37 weeks would be preferrable. I was worried about October but Heavenly Father has put me at ease and I am actually getting excited to see her. Fortunately I am really prepared for her to come and don't have a lot of last minute things to do. I even painted my toe nails, and got my hair cut, and took last trimester pictures so that I would have something to remember these last few days. It has been a crazy 9 months but we are all so happy to welcome you Toby. I can't wait to see you face to face. Your father and I love you so much already. I am so grateful the four of us have each other.

Little girls and free couches

We just made a huge move to Washington from California and we only took with us what we could fit in a mini van. After three years of difficult finincial times and finally having furniture it was a little difficult to say goodbye to it all. Only a week after getting here and one day of garage sales we are now the proud owners of a dining table, 4 chairs, a rocking chair, 4 dressers, 2 side tables/ottomans and a leather couch. All of this for under 80 bucks. The couch was an especially awesome nab because it was free and a group of girls all under 10 helped me load it by themselves into the mini van. It had some broken beams but nothing Jones couldn't fix. I found out it was an Ikea couch and so I went online to see what it would have cost us brand new. The answer was $679!

Overall I feel we have been looked out for and incredibly blessed.

La Push its 'La Push'

Nana and Bopa

Bopa in the surf

Jones and bug

For some crazy reason I decided to go camping while 6 1/2 months pregnant. It was quite the adventure. Painful but fun.

Lead Kindly Light

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me.

"Lead kindly light"

hymn

Circus

C and I just got back from the circus. We were fortunate enough to be able to go for free with the laurels. It was really fun and I was surprised by how much C seemed to enjoy it. Actually I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I wish Jones could have been there though. He is spending the next 2 weeks with the National guard, and we miss him. C is going through daddy withdrawels and has been a bit of a handful for me. It was really nice to get out and see a show.

Etsy

After I got back from Washington I showed my sister some hair clips I had made for October, and she thought they were really good so I should try and sell them at Etsy.com. I quickly fell in love with Etsy and artists like flapperdoodle, and now have a few items of my own for sell there.

I don't have a lot of confidence in my own work so it is nice to have my sister's support on this.

I only have about 6 items listed but I have 15 made and hope to crank out some more.

If anything it gives me something to do while I wait out these next two months of summer.

Art by Carlos Castillo

My parents taught me from a very young age to love my country. I grew up with a knowledge that this was a Land promised to us by our Heavenly Father and a place where we could freely learn of his gospel. I am so thankkful for those who gave their lives to the founding of America. Now, more than ever I feel the need to keep a prayer in my heart for my country and those we have entrusted her future. I want my children to still consider it a place where they feel free and safe, from physical and spiritual dangers. I want them to know that I am proud to be an American, and to be able to be proud of this too.