Jesse, Mindy, Lincoln, & Parker

Driving His Cars

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

(Dec. 6th, 2011)

You thought this post was going to be about Lincoln, right?
If you know Lincoln at all, you would definitely be thinking that.

Parker at 9 months, driving his cars (okay, they are Lincoln's cars) across the book.

He even makes sounds... "brooooommmmm..."

Playing by the fireplace.

I guess Parker is going to like cars just like his brother. That is... if Lincoln will ever learn to share them! (These pictures were during Lincoln's nap... and Lincoln will reluctantly share if I make him.)

Aquarium

2012-01-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

In Las Vegas, at Caesar's Palace, there is a lot of shopping, but when you bring two children, you better find some entertainment! We stopped at the statues that come to life and do a little show, but Lincoln said, "Scared. Go bye bye, Mom." So just around the corner (across from Express & Cheesecake Factory) is this wall aquarium. Lincoln was fascinated, but disappointed he couldn't find a shark. He started calling some random fish a shark. When he saw the sting rays, he was pretty excited and didn't care about finding any more sharks.

Parker is always posing for me. What a cutie. He liked the fish tank, too.

A long day of shopping (maybe 2 hours) and they were done.

This boy loves sharks. When we draw with sidewalk chalk, first Lincoln wants me to draw a pink shark, then a blue shark, then a purple shark, etc... I had to look up a cartoon picture of a shark so they actually looked like shark and not fish. In fact, there is a picture of a shark on our driveway right now!

Happy Birthday

2012-01-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

As we were driving in the car, I told Jesse I needed to document my 27th birthday.

So here you go. This is how I looked at exactly 27 years of age.

Happy Birthday, Jesse (tomorrow)!!

Vegas

2012-01-02T10:23:00.001-07:00

So back in August, I made a goal to lose my "baby weight" (about 15 pounds). I'll spare you the details... but as of November I met my goal! My "prize" was getting new clothes on a shopping trip to Vegas. Lindsay & Cody came, and Leah lives there. Losing weight is not fun, but is very rewarding.

Here we are enjoying dinner at Johnny Rockets.

Me, Leah, Cody, Lindsay

Thanks to all of you who supported me through those (LONG) few months! I couldn't have done it without you (especially you, Lindsay!!). :)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

2011-12-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

I have a pretty good idea that I will not be getting to posting on my blog until the new year (who knows.. I may) so I thought I'd wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

We had my entire family over for Thanksgiving (not all at once) and it was wonderful seeing everyone.

We also went to Tuacahn's Live Nativity with Rachel & Darrin, which has sort of become a family tradition for us.

Sitting with Santa (Tuacahn)

That Sunday, we went to Jesse's parents' ward and saw all 4 new grandsons that were born in the last few months. Two (Isaac & Ezra) were blessed that day.

2011 brought 5 new grandsons for Mimi & Papa

(left to right; oldest to youngest)

Parker (Feb); Isaac (Oct); Crew (Oct); Ezra (Nov); Jet (Nov)

I had my 27th birthday in December. We went to dinner & a movie, which was nice.

We also got family pictures. They turned out nice.

Nothing else... So I will try to post pictures of Thanksgiving later. They are all on my camera still. (The pictures from this post were all emailed to me. Thanks!)

So Merry Christmas, everyone! Travel safely and have some hot cocoa! We love you! And if you haven't received a Christmas card from us soon, email me and tell me your address (if you want one).

Halloween Party

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the Halloween Party. We had a giant bounce house rented, pinata, costumes, homemade root beer, potluck food, spooky decorations.. it actually turned out really well. Almost everyone we invited showed up! I didn't get many pictures, but here are the ones we got.

Jesse & I as Mr & Mrs Potato Head

Thanks for the pictures, Parker! (Audrey's brother)

This sums up how Lincoln was the whole night.

A little too crazy, not happy, not too sad, just right in the middle.

Evie is the ladybug.

Visit to Upstate New York

2011-11-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

(LONG post..)

I got to go visit friends in New York (Rochester area) last week, which was a much needed vacation! A little break from the kids helped me appreciate them more, enjoy them more, and relax. I wasn't worried about them at all since Jesse's mom watched them during the day and nights (Jesse helped out before and after work) - I was more worried Parker would be ultra-needy and drive Mimi & Papa crazy! I am VERY grateful for their help! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Thank you Jesse for letting me go!

Emily and I decided we would surprise-visit our friend, Susan, who lives in New York. We worked it out with her hubby, Andrew, so she knew to expect someone (she thought it was his old mission companion & family). The 3 of us have been friends since way back in elementary school! She was definitely surprised and we had a wonderful time. Thank you for setting up the surprise, Andrew, and thank you both for being wonderful hosts!
We got there in the evening, so the next day we did a little sight-seeing. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a lot of history near Rochester (mostly Palmyra) so it was fun to get to see some of the sites. First, we visited the Hill Cumorah.

Christus in the Hill Cumorah Monument visitor's center

(one of the only ones without stars/planets as the background - instead it is the Sacred Grove)

We climbed the Hill right at sunset

It's a lot bigger hill than I had imagined!

Poor Emily... carrying a 2-month old (cute little Jackson!).

Susan with her 2-year-old, Grayer

(whenever I missed my boys, Grayer would give me a hug - thanks bud!)

Here's one of me... can't figure out how to make it turn the right way, sorry.

At the top by the monument. Lots of ladybugs up there...

The Palmyra Temple was really close so we stopped for a few pictures.

What a beautiful time to visit New York!

I miss all the fall colors living in St. George... not many trees in the desert, you know.

The next day, we drove a little ways to see Niagara Falls. It was FREEZing there so we didn't stay long. Oh ya.. since we were so close to Canada, and I had my passport... I ditched the other 2 at a gas station so I could run across the border and snag myself some ketchup chips (potato chips with a ketchup flavor - they may sound weird, but they are GOOD), Caramilk (like Caramello... only better and not as messy), Crispy Crunch (similar to a Butterfinger), burnt almond bar (dark chocolate bar with broken almonds - simple but delicious if you like dark), and gummy peaches. Most Canadians think their candy is superior, and I disagree (example - their "version" of M&M's.. gross). These are some of the exceptions.

We only viewed the falls from the American side.

American Falls

Horseshoe Falls and view of Canada

That night, we took Susan, Andrew, & Grayer to the Cheesecake Factory in Rochester.

YUM.

Friday, we visited Joseph Smith's home and the Sacred Grove. This place was so peaceful, I loved it.

Where Joseph Smith lived when he was 14 years old. (Original foundation, but the building is a replica of what homes looked like then.)

Upstairs where Joseph Smith probably slept and where the Angel Moroni visited him during the night.

Left: Sacred Grove

Middle (white building): Visitor's Center

Right (brown building): same home as above

View of the Palmyra Temple from the Sacred Grove. This is the only temple with clear windows, so you are able to look out of the Temple into the Sacred Grove.

View is from the Sacred Grove looking out toward Joseph Smith's 2nd home.

You can kind of see it through the trees (middle-right).

In the Sacred Grove. Seriously SO peaceful.

In high school (9th-12th grades), we sang as a trio. We had one of the Sister Missionaries record us singing in the Sacred Grove. (Keep in mind we didn't practice much..)

"The Olive Tree"

I had SUCH a good time, girls! We will definitely have to keep this a tradition. Where to next...? How about some place warmer... :)

Trick - or - Treat

2011-11-11T13:19:00.001-07:00

After 6-7 houses.. Lincoln was done. Can you tell?

Setting up for the Halloween Party

2011-11-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

Audrey and I decided to throw a Halloween Party for the ladies that come to play group every week. We also invited family and a few others... Here are a few pictures from the set up.

Parker (turtle without his hood on) & Mimi

Lola - garden gnome (bounce house in the background)

Lincoln - gnome

Jesse as Mr. Potato Head (can you guess what I was?)

As soon as I get pictures from the actual party I will post more!

Carving Pumpkins

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

We had a little pumpkin carving party at our house last Thursday. We had pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to go along with it. I have always liked to carve pumpkins. I'm still convincing Jesse it is a good idea. :) Lincoln was interested for a little bit, but he kept picking up the knives/carving tools to help... which I thought was a bad idea. So... he and the other kids decided to empty all the drawers in his room instead. In a few years, maybe, right?

Nate, Lola, Audrey, Cody, Lincoln, Jesse, & Jon

Parker, Jon & Eli in the back

Jen (Jon & Eli on the left)

Eli

Haunted House, Elmo, Ghoul flying in the sky, Spider

Lincoln with the "pun-kins"

These are the 2 Jesse & I did (when I say both of us, I mean Jesse helped a little bit)

Conference Music

2011-10-31T08:01:00.002-06:00

(October 1, 2011)

Lincoln loves church. He especially likes the music. Even more, he likes playing cars in nursery. So, during Sacrament Meeting, Lincoln usually blurts out "Cars!" or "Go nursery!" Jesse or I usually say, "After the speakers, then the music, then the prayer." Then Lincoln blurts out "MUSIC!" since he wants the meeting to end. He usually repeats it a few times..

While watching General Conference, Lincoln starts paying attention when the choir sings. He's very interested in the conductor waving his baton. He got a butter knife and started waving it around. It was pretty cute, so I took a picture and then got him something else to wave around.

Play Colors

2011-10-30T08:01:00.000-06:00

(September 22, 2011)

Once Lincoln was better at not wondering into the street, we started going outside to "play colors" - or draw with sidewalk chalk. He insists on me drawing a shark, a baby shark, a big shark, a blue shark, a pink shark, a purple shark... you get the picture. We are 1/2 through our 2nd box of 20.

Lincoln & Parker

Smilin' Parker Man

He likes to raise up both arms when he's happy

Lincoln & Parker

Parker likes to crawl/scoot over as fast as possible to try to get the chalk.. to put in his mouth! He sure acts like he is posing when I take his picture most of the time.

It's hard to get a picture of Lincoln without him talking... this one is close!

Parker [Scooting and] Sitting Up

2011-10-28T08:01:00.000-06:00

(Pictures from September 6, 2011)

Parker started scooting around about 5 to 5 1/2 months old, and then began sitting up right around 6 months. He's definitely different than Lincoln was!! He recently (in the last couple weeks or so - at 7 months) began true crawling, but he's been mobile for a loooong time now. Lincoln didn't crawl till he was more than 10 months! He has 2 teeth (since about 5 1/2 months).

Cheesy smile

Cute little Parker

He loves the fridge (when it's open), the pantry, the baby gate (which prevents the kids from coming in our bathroom), banging toys, making noise with anything, rattles, the curtains and windows by the balcony, putting random little things in his mouth (fuzz, rocks, leaves, paper - things I didn't have to worry about with Lincoln), peek-a-boo, and BEING HELD. The last on the list is most important to him. In fact, he's complaining right now (wimpering/buzzing lips/whining) since I'm not holding him right this second. It has progressed to crying now. SO.... better leave it at that!

Playing at the Park with Dad

2011-10-26T08:01:00.003-06:00

(September 8, 2011)

Parker LOVES the swing. I guess he spent the first 2 months of his life there (since he wouldn't sleep anywhere else).

Dad pushing a little too hard... (Lincoln's face is pretty funny..)

"Cheese!"

Here you can see Parker enjoying the swing, and Lincoln showing off.

Bathtime with the Cousins

2011-10-25T08:01:00.003-06:00

(August 29, 2011)

Lincoln
Amelia & Flora May

Lincoln loves to dump out anything and everything... so bathtime is usually shortened since a lot of water ends up on the floor...

Garden Helper

2011-10-24T08:01:00.000-06:00

(August 6, 2011)

Lincoln wanted to help Ashley in her garden a couple months ago. He helped her pick the grape tomatoes. He picked some green, some red, and was upset when it was time to go home!

Pick 'em..

..and put 'em in the bowl

Eye Color

2011-10-22T08:01:00.000-06:00

(August 3, 2011)

I learned in 10th grade biology that if both parents have blue eyes, the children will also have blue eyes. I have light bluish-green eyes, and Jesse has light greenish-blue. So I thought all of our kids would have some hue close to blue or green.

They both have dark eyes.

Parker - dark blue

Lincoln - brown

I'm pretty sure blue + green doesn't = brown... but maybe they were simplifying genes in 10th grade biology...

Critters

2011-10-20T08:01:00.000-06:00

(August 2, 2011)

So... living in a new place means new animals in and around the house. I'm (sort of) used to the cockroaches (still HATE them, though), crickets, and a few spiders. Also, big toads and praying mantises (did you know they fly?) in the back yard.

The other day there was a small LIZARD in the house. Lizard?!? Is there some giant crack letting this animal in or did it sneak in while the door was open?

Lincoln's first "pet"

One early morning before a bike ride, I got my bike clothes on and my socks on and went into the garage to unhitch the bike trailer. As I was walking toward my bike I noticed a slight "crunch" and didn't put all my weight down on my foot. I thought it was a goldfish cracker or something, but when I looked to see what I stepped on.. it was a scorpion! WHAT? I was only wearing a sock! I started panicking and ran back inside and woke Jesse up. "How do I know if I've been stung by a scorpion?!"... to which he replied... "It would hurt really bad." So, I wasn't stung but it sure scared me! I also called pest control later in the day. At least it was only in the garage...

Playin' at the Park

2011-10-18T08:01:00.000-06:00

(July 6, 2011)

Even when it's stinkin' hot outside in July, we still manage to get out and go to the park. It may be like 8 or 9 in the morning, but that's better than staying in all day.

I took Flora May along with me this time when I went to the park (Lola was napping).

Lincoln, Parker, & Flora May all in swings

(July 8, 2011)

Have I mentioned how NICE it is to have a park within walking distance?? It is pretty awesome. There is usually water all over the sidewalks, so I have Lincoln wear his flip-flops or other shoes I don't care about getting wet.

Flora May diggin' in the dirt & Lincoln splashing in the water

Splashing in a bigger puddle

4th of July

2011-10-17T08:01:00.002-06:00

(July 4, 2011)

We went to see Tuacahn's "Little Mermaid" with McKay & his date. It was a good show and we had a good time (and break from the kids). They did a special firework show at the end (since it's an outdoor amphitheater) and that was a treat. Earlier in the day, we went swimming.

Lincoln with Jesse

Lincoln has his 2 boats

Random Cute Pictures

2011-10-16T08:01:00.000-06:00

(June 23, 2011)
Parker playin'

(July 1, 2011)
Lincoln with his arm around Parker
- Brothers -

Visit to Idaho

2011-10-14T08:01:00.000-06:00

(August 19, 2011)

Since we hadn't been to Idaho for a really long time, we decided to make a quick trip there in August. We went to the splash pad (in Rexburg... where they have summer for 2 months of the year...), Tautphaus Park Funland, shooting (Jesse & Tom), and visiting with family. It was fun and SUCH a nice break from the heat here in St. George!

Jesse and Lincoln at the splash pad

Angela, Rose, Parker, Logan, & Rachel

Jesse & Lincoln

Matthew, Hailey, & Hannah

Lincoln & Matthew

Lincoln (who was pretty nervous) on the carousel

Grandpa with Parker

I forgot my camera to Funland, but we had Jesse's phone. So the pictures are just so-so...

The train ride
Lincoln in back, Hannah, Hailey, Matthew in front

They also rode the airplanes, the carousel, and the ferris wheel. Lincoln had a pretty good time. Thanks, Mom, for watching Rose & Parker!

Boats

2011-10-13T20:02:00.004-06:00

(June 14, 2011)

Paddle boards, actually. You are supposed to stand on them surf-style and paddle. It's actually pretty fun (and a good workout!). Mimi & Papa got a couple and we've gone out a couple times. When Lincoln comes, we sit down. He's pretty nervous the whole time. He calls them "boats."

Mimi & Lincoln

Ivins Reservoir (very small lake close to where Mimi & Papa live)

Lincoln turns 2!

2011-09-29T17:42:00.003-06:00

(July 15, 2011)

Back in July, our little Lincoln turned the terrible 2! We had family and friends over for cupcakes and swimming (including a kiddie pool & slip-n-slide) in the backyard. Lincoln loved it, because of the following: unlimited cupcakes (with car-shaped gummies on top), lots of little kids, and playing in the water.

Here he is listening to the birthday song.
(That's his cousin, Lola, behind him, and me holding the cupcake.)

One of the multiple car gummies that he ate.

Other than Lincoln, Lola (9 months) liked the pool the most!

Lindsay with Ella & Evie, Audrey with Flora, and Amelia

Ashley, Kurt, (Peggy & Charlie in back), Matt, & Jesse

Jesse, (Eli in back), Jen, & Grace

Grace

Cody

Mimi helping Lincoln with his new bike!
(it's gonna be awhile before he learns to pedal and not expect to be pushed around...)

I'm glad so many of you came! It was a good turnout and Lincoln had a blast!

Hogle Zoo, the Hotel, & Logan's Blessing

2011-09-20T22:59:00.004-06:00

(June 18-19, 2011)

This is when we went to Provo/Salt Lake to visit Rachel & Darrin for their new baby Logan's blessing. We went to Hogle Zoo Saturday morning...

Lincoln with the elephants

Looking at the "ay-fant"

Lincoln with Mama & the giraffes

Jesse, Rachel, & the 3 kids

Parker & passed out Lincoln

In the hotel... (not a very good night sleep with Parker in my bed...)

Everyone came for the blessing (Jeff & Jackie left early, so they aren't in the pictures)

The new proud parents

All 10 grandkids (Jackie was pregnant then, but has since had her baby)

We had a great time and it was good seeing everyone! Congrats, Rachel & Darrin!

Lines of Cars & Smiling Parker

2011-09-20T22:45:00.003-06:00

(June 2, 2011)

Lincoln loves cars. I'm afraid to show him the movie "Cars" because of this. It would turn into a 10-year-long obsession. Maybe longer.

He likes to drive one around and park it.
Drive the next one around and park it RIGHT next to the first.
And so on.

Here's Parker... at a little over 3 months old. Happy guy.

Totally different look than his brother. But just as much of a cutie.

Strange Sleeping Quarters

2011-09-20T22:40:00.003-06:00

(June 1st, 2011)

Don't you love pictures of kids sleeping? Especially when they fall asleep in totally random places...like in the middle of the living room while playing cars under the couch.

Memorial Day Campout Day 3

2011-09-11T21:41:00.006-06:00

(May 29, 2011)

Day 3: Lincoln was a lucky one - I had him sleep in the trailer with Mimi & Papa the 2nd night. More hikes, deciding after a night of {more} cold (and a forecast for SNOW that night!) and no Jesse* to pack up and come home. Good plan. Obviously I had a TON of help both setting up and packing up - thank you, everyone!!

Also - THANK YOU Becca for organizing the campout. Thank you to those who helped me with the children, ESPECIALLY Mimi & Papa. I probably would have come home much sooner without your help.

I think maybe next time I will make sure Jesse is coming BEFORE I leave.

*Jesse had a terrible week at work (really, really, REALLY busy...) and to make a long story short... decided not to come. He would have come if I asked him to, but I knew how his week went so I understood and didn't want to top it off with a weekend of camping - something Jesse less than likes.

Belle (Lincoln's cousin) & Lincoln became pretty good buddies, always following each other around.

This day was pretty cold - but Lincoln refused to wear the mittens I got for him. So... his hands were always bright red.

Oaks, Jude, and a friend playing fight club or something...

Boston & Berlyn
Meal time

Becca

Cohen & Carly

Cody holding Ella (who was freeeeezing AND sick)
Matt holding Kash

Berlyn with her carved knife

Boston & Steele

Ellie, Claire, & Olivia hanging out in the trailer

Elyza

Papa & Mimi

Kurt & Ashley

Dryden, Natalie & Jimmy

A couple attempts at a picture with Lincoln...

Natalie, Sarah, & Matt

Dallin & his wife (sorry, I can't remember your name...)

Memorial Day Weekend Campout - Day 1 & 2

2011-09-11T20:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay, OKAY I know. It's been awhile. Blogger was giving me a hard time when I tried uploading pictures to this post back in June or July... and every time I thought of updating I dreaded figuring it out. It seems like Blogger must have fixed a glitch in the meantime... so I had no excuse, really. Here it is after Labor Day and I'm posting about Memorial Day... whooooops.

********************************************

(May 27th-29th, 2011)

Day 1 involved arriving to Barker Reservoir, setting up our tent, eating a little dinner, and going to sleep. Not too exciting. (Unless you count exciting as doing all the above without your husband and 2 kids under 2...)

Day 2: Ring toss, horseshoes, hikes, yummy food, getting dirty, going to see the reservoir, carving knives/swords, sitting by the fire, waiting for Jesse to show up..., waiting for Jesse to leave St. George.........., calling and calmly talking to Jesse (who was still in St. George)...

Lincoln watching the ring toss.
Jesse's cousin Nicolas & Juliette's husband (sorry, forgot your name..)

Cody, McKay, & Lincoln - more ring toss

Kurt prepping for the horseshoes

Matt with Ella & Kash

Lincoln loved the campout. Lots of room to play, plus unlimited fruit snacks.

McKay & Cody

Jana & Simone

Matt carving a sword. Ella & Kash

Jude & Dryden

Looking for fish in the reservoir

Barker Reservoir (upper or lower... can't remember. The smaller one.)

Taking a hike.

The aforementioned 10-man tent.
Room for: a cot (Jesse), 2 sleeping mats (Parker & Mindy), Port-a-crib (Lincoln), indoor-safe propane heater (necessary out in that cold.. especially with babies!), and luggage (obviously we were not cramped).

Loving the outdoors.

Papa's truck with an RV for Mimi
(a condition for Mimi to come??)

Papa, Mimi, Natalie, Ellie, Berlyn
Discussing the big move to China.

Loving the freedom to just RUN.

Jude, Lincoln, Ellie
Hitting the big sticks with little sticks. I mean swords.

A Discovery

2011-07-14T21:28:00.003-06:00

So... I know I haven't updated in a while. Sorry about that.

Thought you might think this was funny. I did.

I showed Jesse the following picture
and said, "Jesse, look at this new animal they just found!"

Jesse: It's a dragon. It's not real.
Me: No, it's real. It's a new animal!
Jesse: (Speaking in a very serious tone) No it's not. If someone discovered an animal that looked like a dragon, I would already know about it. (Implying he would know waaaay before me.)

Seriously. My husband likes fantasy books/novels/movies/etc.

THAT much.

Parker loves his blanket, too!

2011-06-20T08:01:00.002-06:00

(May 26th, 2011)

Parker likes his fuzzy blanket just like Lincoln likes his fuzzy blanket. Now he will grab his fuzzy blanket and bring it to his face to help him fall asleep.

Sharing Toys

2011-06-16T08:01:00.001-06:00

(May 24, 2011)

Sometimes Lincoln is such a good big brother.

For example - he shares his toys.

Lincoln with "A"* & "B"**

* "A" is what Lincoln calls his stuffed elephant. He's beginning to call it "A-phant".
** "B" is what Lincoln calls his blanket.

These are Lincoln's 2 favorite things in the world. He brings them everywhere (but I try really hard to keep them at HOME. I still have to wash them both about once per week or every other week. That's when we bring A to the washing machine to take a bath! :)

MBA-er

2011-06-14T08:01:00.004-06:00

(May 14th, 2011)

My friend from Idaho, Emily, & her family came to visit about a month ago. Christian just graduated from BYU with his MBA - congrats!!! They've since moved to Colorado so we will see them even less frequently. You guys are still welcome here anytime!

We went to dinner and a movie (Thor - pretty good!) - which we haven't done for probably close to a year...! Wow it sure is nice to get a break from the babies!

They went golfing so we watched Carly for a morning.
We went swimming.
(see the garden? it's more than double the size now!)

Lincoln hated it.

Carly loves babies so I let her hold Parker.
He almost looks bigger than you, Carly!!!

Sporting the Plaid

2011-06-13T08:01:00.000-06:00

When do you think we will look back at pictures of us wearing plaid shorts and say, "What were we thinking??"

ps.. Kinda funny.. love his "lounge" pose.

pps.. All this picture needs is a little sister tucked in Lincoln's right side. :)

ppps.. Is that weird I'm already thinking of baby #3?

Stuck in the Swing

2011-06-11T08:01:00.000-06:00

Lincoln's cousin, Flora May, is a climber. Lincoln is not.

Chores

2011-06-09T15:32:00.002-06:00

Lincoln is starting to help me with the cleaning around the house.

He throws his own diapers away (but refuses to touch Parker's - "Ew.. yucky dia-pah")
Picks up his own toys
Cleans up the spilled Cheerios (ok... so he eats them... same result)
He LOVES, loves, LOOOOVES helping me vacuum (more like he loves an excuse to run around and scream)
He helps me weed the garden (well... I guess he just picks the leaves off the tomato plants until I notice and threaten to spray him in the face with the hose... haha... am I mean? Jesse thinks so.)
And he's still learning this one:

Lincoln, Mommy needs the kitchen swept, not the outside balcony.

Parker's feeling left out of this post.

Lincoln's Words

2011-06-01T16:41:00.004-06:00

Lincoln has developed quite the vocabulary! Here are some of his words:

"Ung-gunk's" ...... Lincoln's
"Kuck" ...... Truck
"Tee" ...... Tree
"Teet" ...... Treat
"Die-pah" or sometimes "die-PER" ...... Diaper
"Uh oh, ing-gun" ...... Uh-oh, Lincoln
"Ay-pimm" ...... Airplane
"Bog-idge" ...... Garbage
"Ferris" ...... Horse (that one is a stretch, Lincoln...)
"Tow" ("ow" said like ou in "ouch") ...... cow
"Ay-oo" ...... I love you.
"Pace" ...... Prayers
"Back-in" ...... Vacuum
"Coh's" ...... Clothes
"Pup" ...... Sippy cup
"Baw-oh" ...... Bottle (finally off them, but he continues to ask for them when thirsty, tired or sad)
"Sa-mench" or just "mench" ...... Sandwich
"Dow-nairs" ...... Downstairs (where his toys and the tv are)
"Paw-ee" ...... Potty
"Buhd" ...... Bird
"Da-N" ("da" said like dad, "N" said like "the letter n sounds like 'N' ") ...... That one

The better-pronounced words:
Nigh-Night
All gone
All done
Milk
Juice
Go bye-bye
Outside
Poop
Train & choo-choo
Blue

He's also beginning to string words together, like "Big Lincoln's truck." Pretty fun! And nice that he can communicate better!

More Downtown Splash Pad

2011-06-01T16:11:00.002-06:00

(4-29-2011)

Lincoln with his cousin, Flora May. I think they like climbing on the rocks more than actual splashing. Maybe after it (finally) gets hot they will enjoy the water more.

Being careful...

When they're high up on a rock, they get down and crawl.

And here's a little video of them climbing on the rock

(that's Parker hiccuping in the background)

CURRENT Photos!

2011-05-25T14:44:00.002-06:00

These pictures are from TODAY!

Ha.

And you thought I'd never catch up.

Well, I haven't. I thought I'd show you my boys anyway. :) The pictures really are from today, though. (I'm not that far behind anymore. I have a bunch of pictures on my camera from the last 3 weeks or so... almost. caught. up.)

We went shopping to Costco (and bought a 10-man tent... have you seen that giant thing hanging from the ceiling..??? Hopefully it makes our camping trip this weekend 3 & 1/3rd times more comfortable than our 3-man tent was... is that how it works...? The bigger, the better, right?). I was doing some pricing for our meal Saturday, and to make it easier, I just took pictures of the prices. That way I could do it at home where I wouldn't have 2 babies driving me nuts.. (they are both napping now... ahhh...). Lincoln kept wanting to see the pictures I was taking. That explains the 3rd photo. :)

Parker sleepin'

Lincoln chewin'

Lincoln complainin'

(Does that last picture of Lincoln remind you of me? For some reason that face of Lincoln's reminds me more of myself than any other picture I've seen of him.)

Catching Parker's Early Smiles

2011-05-24T23:53:00.003-06:00

Here are a couple attempts to get Parker's first few smiles when he was 3 weeks old.

(3-15-2011)

(3-16-2011)

Garden

2011-05-24T23:30:00.002-06:00

(3-31-2011)

Here is a before shot of my square foot garden:

4' X 8' raised garden bed

New to Square Foot Gardening? It is a method of gardening that is supposed to minimize your effort and maximize your produce in minimal space. Instead of rows (great for mass-production & commercialization) you use a 4' X 4' garden system: 1 square foot per type of plant. For example: tomato plants should be planted 12 inches apart, so in the center of 1 square foot, you have 1 tomato plant. Beets should be planted 4 inches apart, so a 3X3 arrangement of 9 beet plants in 1 square foot.

Interested?

More info HERE.
Amazon sells the book All New Square Foot Gardening HERE.

Also love the book Carrots Love Tomatoes book about companion planting.
(More info on companion planting HERE.)
(Amazon sells the book HERE.)

And since I'm telling you all my gardening secrets (Ha.), I'm also trying out The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control sold HERE on Amazon.

Buddies

2011-05-24T23:27:00.003-06:00

The next few posts will be pictures taken from my cell phone.

(3-4-2011)

Flora May & Lincoln

Smiles from Parker!

2011-05-24T22:39:00.002-06:00

(4-28-2011)

Here is Parker a little more than 2 months old. He had been smiling for more than a month, so it was about time I got it on camera. He is pretty easy to get smiling - he's a cutie!!

Parker's 2 month stats:
12 lbs, 2.5 oz
24 inches (that's debatable... the same girl at his 2-week check measured him shorter than his birth length... so probably more like 24.5 inches)

Don't you love the double chin?

What you lookin' at?

Every time I get him laughing (a few giggles at a time, anyway), he gets the hiccups, guaranteed. Why is that?

New Bike Trailer!

2011-05-24T22:24:00.002-06:00

(4-25-2011)

My parents gave us a bike trailer they weren't using much, that they inherited from someone who wasn't using it much. (This one HERE and HERE.) It was pretty old, and there were a few things I really didn't like (i.e. type of attachment to the bike, the cover, missing pieces to convert to a jogging stroller). Now that the weather is nicer, and we have TWO kids, I thought it was a good time to invest in a new one.

I LOVE it!

In jogging stroller mode:

They have them at Costco right now if you are interested!

The old way of attaching the trailer to the bike was via clamps to the bike frame near the rear axle. The new way is a coupler that actually fits right onto the axle. It feels a lot safer and is a lot easier to get on/off the bike.

Laguna Beach

2011-05-24T22:16:00.003-06:00

(4-20-2011)

A few times a year Jesse seems to visit Los Angeles for work. I've been with him a few times, now, and this time I joined him there after he was done with his work. My brother & his family live in L.A., so I thought we could visit them (but they were in San Diego for spring break), and also just get away. We hadn't been anywhere further than a 100 miles since I was 5-6 months pregnant. So it was a nice change. Lincoln stayed with Mimi, where he had a blast!

Me, Jesse, & Parker (2 months old)

(sorry about not getting your face in that picture, Parker...)

Jesse & Parker

Parker Rolled Over!

2011-05-09T18:05:00.002-06:00

(4-7-11)

Parker - 6 weeks old

Okay.. so he was propped up on a pillow and it was more of an accident...

Downtown Splash Pad

2011-05-09T17:04:00.004-06:00

(4-11-11)

Since Idaho (where I'm from.. so hello to you Idaho readers!) doesn't have them, I feel the need to explain what a splash pad is. Basically, it's an area (usually by/in a park) that has water pouring, sprinkling, squirting, and/or running (i.e. like a small stream) over a non-slip area... with a drain to re-cycle the water. It's perfect for a warm climate like Saint George, when the pools are over-crowded and you have children of multiple ages. I'm not sure how many there are here... but quite a few.

This was the first time of the year Lincoln went to the splash pad. It was pretty late in the day, so it was kind of getting cold. It's pretty nice having a kid that doesn't mind the cold.

This splash pad has little waterfalls.
Lincoln & Jesse

He was so busy... no time for pictures..

A close up

Splashing with his feet

In her pajamas... Flora thought it was too cold.

She sure enjoyed watching Lincoln, though!

And here's a short little clip of it.

Rachel's Baby Shower

2011-05-09T13:28:00.004-06:00

(4-8-11 to 4-10-11)

My sister, Rachel, had a baby shower back in April. Parker was just 6 weeks old, and so it was just us two that made the trip to Provo. It was nice to be with family. I miss living so far away from my sisters. We had a fun time.

Here's Rachel opening a gift, & Angela on the right

Rachel opening another gift, Angela & 2-week-old Rose

All of us but my mom.
Rachel, Angela with Rose & Parker, & me

Parker asleep in the car seat with a little smile. :)

The babies with their binkies.

Rose on the left, Parker on the right.

Rose was so tiny!!

Angela with Rose & Parker

And since we were in Provo...
I really wanted to go to Zupa's...
& so did Angela...
so we went!

Thanks for the fun time! (Thanks for the pictures, Rachel & Angela!... I need to be better at using my camera when I'm with you guys.)

So, how's Jesse these days?

2011-05-04T23:06:00.005-06:00

(4-8-2011)

You always talk about your kids. What about your husband?

He's good.

Working hard.
Making TCN work better every day.
(And by every day, I mean every day.)
Check out TCN's new website. Looks awesome. You're awesome Jesse.
(Even though you are playing your Warcraft games right this very minute and it's 11:16pm. You're still awesome. Don't think that means I approve. Those silly games. And by silly I mean "I'm rolling my eyes at you," silly.)

"Does it matter that I weigh 32lbs, Mom?"

2011-05-04T23:03:00.002-06:00

(4-7-2011)

"If you're going to do that, yes, dear."

Being One with the Babies

2011-05-04T22:58:00.003-06:00

(4-5-2011)

Lincoln loves to get down on their level. The babies level, that is. And play with those toys. Show 'em how it's done.

Oh, yeah.

Parker enjoys watching Lincoln move around. So playtime is fun for everyone.

Hugs & Bumbo

2011-05-04T22:34:00.004-06:00

(3-25-2011)

You know how moms get busy. They clean up breakfast. They get ready. They read blogs. They take naps. Haha.. you know what I mean. Well, one of those busy times I hear nothing. Nothing means trouble. Lincoln is getting into something. In this case, Lincoln was giving Parker his first hug... while laying right on top of him. But Parker didn't seem to care. It was so nice when Lincoln started liking his brother. He tolerated him after the first couple weeks. But another couple weeks and he started giving him hugs. (Another 2 weeks after that he finally agreed to hold him for all of 5 seconds. Another month after that... and he would hold him long enough for a good picture!)

The said hug.

Lincoln was pretty proud that he made Mommy so happy. :)

(4-5-2011)

More hugs! About at this time, I would bring Parker to Lincoln's door in the mornings. I would knock, and then open the door with Parker "standing" there ready to greet his brother. Lincoln loves this! I LOVE that he loves it!! Lincoln knows I like when he gives Parker hugs, too. Here I think I bribed him (with 2 Reese's Pieces) to hug Parker. Lincoln loves his treats (he calls them "teet" or "teets".. haha..).

Nice. Daddy must have helped you out of bed, changed your diaper, and didn't bother to put your pants back on.

He looks like he's studying something over there...
I love how young you can put babies in a Bumbo! (Thanks, Audrey - I love it!)

Loves his sippy. I usually bring one everywhere.

This is how Lincoln gives hugs.
He puts his head on your chest.
No arms.

Parker's Bottle

2011-05-04T21:55:00.002-06:00

(3-9-2011)

When Lincoln saw this bottle, at first he wanted it for himself (he LOVES bottles...still). But after he saw me feeding it to Parker, he wanted to help. He wanted to "share the love" of the bottle. :)

Lincoln Diving

2011-05-04T21:52:00.001-06:00

(2-5-2011)

Lincoln kept doing this over and over and over and over a few months ago. It was pretty funny. He loved making me laugh. Love this.

Parker - 1 Month Old

2011-05-04T21:29:00.002-06:00

(3-23-2011)

Here are some pictures of Parker at 1 month old.

Always looking so serious.

Furrowed eyebrows and everything.

"Not sure about this, Mom..."

And since all the pictures of Parker so far have been either quietly awake or sleeping peacefully, this one can show you his other side.

Lincoln Sharing His Sippy

2011-05-04T21:18:00.002-06:00

(3-9-2011)

(Parker is 2 weeks in these pictures.)

Here Lincoln is being a good big brother. How sweet. :)

However... Parker is not interested.

Lincoln & Parker

2011-05-04T18:14:00.003-06:00

(3-8-2011)

Lincoln had a pretty hard time adapting to life no longer as an only child. He was literally mad at me for about 2 weeks. My mom came for my first week home from the hospital and he was so mean to her. It broke my heart. After almost a full 2 weeks, Lincoln warmed up to Parker (and me) and started playing with/by him. Another week and he was giving Parker hugs. Now I understand when parents say it's music to their ears when their kids are playing nice and making each other laugh. I can't wait for the latter.

I sure love you two!!

Parker at 13 days old

Welcome, Baby Rose & Baby Logan!!

2011-05-04T17:50:00.004-06:00

My sisters, Angela and Rachel, have both had their babies. Angela in March (22nd) and Rachel just yesterday (May 3). Jackie isn't due till July... and then all of my siblings and I will have had a baby from Feb-July of this year. Crazy! Is there something in the water???

Baby Rose (Angela's)

Angela was SUPER brave and had Rose at home with a midwife. Good thing her babies are usually small. Isn't she adorable??!! (Caralee Case Photography in Idaho Falls, Idaho)

Baby Logan (Rachel's)

Rachel wasn't due until June 8th, so more than a month early. They are still in the hospital working on getting him home. They are all healthy and doing well. Your family is in our prayers, Rachel!

In the Swing of Things

2011-05-04T17:46:00.002-06:00

(3-1-2011)

Test driving the new swing.

And here Parker is... at 6 days old.

A Whole New Swing

2011-05-04T17:26:00.003-06:00

(1-28-2011)

Well, almost. Just a new cover, really. I was inspired by Ashley at Make It and Love It recovering a kid's saucer chair and also a baby car seat. I need a LOT more practice for my projects to turn out as well as hers. But I was surprised that I like it enough to use it. That's better than hating it... and then selling it for $1 at a garage sale or just tossing it in the garbage...

This is where Parker sleeps at night.

And now usually only wakes up once... so much better!!

8 Months

2011-05-04T17:15:00.004-06:00

(1-26-2011)

(compare with my 6 & 7 month pictures)

Here I am at 8 months pregnant (with Parker):

Quick Trip to Vegas

2011-05-04T17:00:00.000-06:00

(1-22-2011)

We went with Nathan & Audrey and Ashley & Kurt & Amelia to Las Vegas for a little shopping and dinner. We went to Fashion Show Mall and I saw the actual fashion show for the first time. And did I mention we took Lincoln? Yes, we should have gotten a babysitter. Mental note for next time...

Here are Jesse & Lincoln watching the fashion show.

Lincoln & Amelia

2011-05-04T16:51:00.003-06:00

(1-21-2011)

Before I had Parker, Ashley would have me babysit once in awhile. Lincoln loved the company.

Here he is trying to play with her.

He loves the babies. It makes him want to be one, I think.

Lincoln in Daddy's Shoes

2011-05-02T17:06:00.002-06:00

Yes, it has been forever (thanks, Ang). So here's something from back in January.

1/17/11

Lincoln loves shoes. Don't most kids? Why is that? Why are they fascinated with their own feet? Toes and belly buttons. They love 'em.

I love when he then tries to walk around with our shoes on. He's had my flip-flops on before and walked across the room... that was pretty funny.

Here's Lincoln trying on Daddy's shoe.

And as you can see... later that day...

Mmmm... Delicious...

2011-03-24T21:55:00.003-06:00

I like to look at recipes online, and then I bookmark them, and think, "That recipe looks delicious! I will make it next week." But then I almost never do.

I have to say that my favorite foods include acidic fruits: tomatoes, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. I came across this recipe (from Joy the Baker) called Grapefruit Honey Yogurt Scones (found HERE), and I didn't stop thinking about them until I made them {tonight!}. They turned out amaaaaazing! I thought it was a little weird to put grapefruit in something baked... but I decided to make them anyway. And I'm glad I did. DE-licious.

And I love her pictures. She really knows how to photograph her recipes.

Photograph by Joy the Baker

Grapefruit, Honey, and Yogurt Scones

Makes: 6 scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1 Ruby Red grapefruit, zested and segmented

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (Don't have it/too expensive? Make your own from plain yogurt!)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Zest the grapefruit and combined zest and granulated sugar on a clean cutting board. Rub together the zest and sugar with the back of a spoon or a plastic bench knife. The sugar will be tinted a pale orange color and smell of grapefruit. Measure 2 tablespoons of the grapefruit sugar and whisk into the dry ingredients. Save the remaining grapefruit sugar for topping the scones just before baking.

Segment the grapefruit next. Slice off the bottom and top of the grapefruit, exposing the wheel of grapefruit flesh inside. Use a sharp knife to cut away the peel and pith of the grapefruit, exposing the pink grapefruit flesh. Slice in between the white skin segments to the center of the fruit, at a slight angel, circling the grapefruit. Little grapefruit segments should fall from the fruit as you slice. Set segments aside.

Dice cold butter into small chunks and add to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, and working quickly, break the butter down into the flour mixture until butter chunks are the size of oat flakes or small peas. The butter and flour combined will resemble coarse meal. Add the honey, plain yogurt and grapefruit segments. Toss together with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened by the yogurt and honey.

Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into an 8 inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Use a knife or a bench scraper to cut the dough into six scone triangles. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with milk or buttermilk, and sprinkle generously with grapefruit sugar.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown on top and firm but soft in the center. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with butter and jam. These scones are best served the day they’re made.

Newborn Photo Session

2011-03-20T19:42:00.004-06:00

I have been terrible at taking pictures of Parker... I need to be better. I've taken a few movies that I will try to get on here soon.. As for now here are Parker's newborn pictures (7 days old) taken by Tiffany Jane Photography. She did a great job!

Welcome, Baby Parker!!

2011-02-28T12:03:00.004-07:00

Parker Stone arrived healthy and strong to us last Wednesday. I went into the hospital Wednesday afternoon around 12:30 dilated to almost 7cm. I was determined to try this birth without an epidural. About 3 1/2 hours later, I was fully dilated and ready to push. After 5-6 contractions of pushing, the doctor tried to turn the baby's head (ya... OUCH!). At that point I became hysterical and demanded medication... so 4-5 more contractions later I got a spinal (immediate relief) with an epidural (delayed relief).

6 1/2 hours later... pushing on and off...

The baby was showing signs of distress while I was pushing (he was fine when I wasn't), and I was starting to get a fever. Both bad signs... The doctor said the baby kept turning his head the wrong way, plus my pelvis was a little oval-shaped (vs. round). The baby seemed too big to come through! So... at 10:20pm it was decided to do a cesarean section to make sure the baby came out safely. An hour later, Parker was born and started crying - a healthy baby boy!!

I guess in our house there's no such thing as a normal birth. Something always happens, but thankfully we have been blessed with 2 healthy boys. I feel extremely lucky to have them both in my life!

February 23, 2011

11:22 pm
8 lbs, 2 oz
21 1/4 in long

More Cousin Time

2011-02-07T08:01:00.001-07:00

Lincoln & Flora May... Best Friends. :)

(January 17th, 2011)

Enjoying Ring Pops while watching us play XBox Kinect

(January 25th, 2011)

Swinging at the park

And a movie of them swinging at the park (thanks, Ash!).

Costco Shopping Trip

2011-02-06T08:01:00.002-07:00

(January 7th, 2011)

The poor little guy couldn't wait another minute...

He was doing this the whole time (6-7 minutes) I was in the check-out line... and a LOT of people were laughing, including me!

Pretty darn cute, Lincoln.

Snow!

2011-02-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

(January 3, 2011)

Early January it snowed and maybe a couple inches stuck to the ground. I woke Lincoln up, threw a coat, sweats, and shoes on him, and rushed him outside. That will probably be the last time he sees snow in a looooong time... especially in St. George!

He didn't want to leave the porch. I think it was a combination of him being half-awake, the bright whiteness, foreign looking white stuff on the ground... so I started making balls (which he usually loves) and tossing them up to him. Then I tried to get one of the snowballs to hit him (gently, of course) which is when Ashley & Kurt drove up. They thought it was pretty funny.

I eventually forced him off the porch, and tried to get him to play in the snow and help me make a snowman. He just kept tripping and crying and wanting to be held. Little baby...

Lincoln with my snowman (that melted FAST)

Lovin' the Stroller & Bike Trailer

2011-02-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

(December 29th, 2010)

Lincoln LOVES LOVES LOVES to go on rides in his stroller and the bike trailer. If I need something from the garage, he insists on going with me, just because it may mean he gets to go on a ride. One day, after being in the garage for less than a minute, this is what I found:

He can get in all by himself. He even tries to buckle himself in. Pretty funny. And cute.

Ever heard of Groupon?

2011-02-03T14:38:00.011-07:00

They have a sweet** deal going on... and it ends in 4 days. (Monday night, Feb. 7th)

Buy a $20 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble for $10.

Yes, $10!!! As long as you use it (in store OR online) before April 11th it will still be worth $20, and on 4/11 it will only be worth $10. (Limit 1 per person.. bummer.)

**Maybe I think it's such a great deal because Jesse & I love to buy books, especially children's books since Lincoln LOVES to read so much!

If you want in on the deal, go HERE: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu6863931

and look on the far right for the Barnes & Noble deal ($10 for $20 Worth of Toys and Games, Books and More at Barnes & Noble)

-------------------------------
UPDATE: They have fixed their login issues... so now you can log in without problems.
-------------------------------

I've gotten a few things from Groupon.. a 16X20 canvas print, a Winder Farms gift certificate, and now this Barnes & Noble gift card. I have been very happy with my purchases.

If you have never heard of Groupon before (or know how it works), here's a little explanation. You buy the coupon for a good deal. They email you a confirmation and charge your card IF enough people decide to buy the coupon. Once the coupon is available (usually the next day or two, this case maybe four), you visit the link that gives you instructions on how to use it. It is pretty straightforward.

FOR EXAMPLE:

These are my instructions on the canvas print, without the ID#.

______________________________________________
Your Groupon ID# is *******-**-*.

1. From 1/29 - 5/30, visit www.canvasondemand.com/groupon,
select the 16" by 20" Thick (1.5") option and enter your Groupon #
at checkout.

2. Enjoy!
______________________________________________

Any questions? Email me or leave a comment. I'd be happy to help you!

Christmas!

2011-02-03T08:01:00.001-07:00

(December 25th, 2010)

It's pretty fun having a little kid to share Christmas with. The only big surprise is how LONG he slept in until!! Jesse and I both slept in past 8am, took our time getting ready, only to still wait for Lincoln to wake up! We ended up waking him up at 9:15am or so... since we were having breakfast over at Kurt & Ashley's.

Jesse helping Lincoln figure out how to tear open that paper

Playing with a couple of new cars

We also went to the family Christmas party earlier that week and Lincoln got to see Santa (I don't have the picture yet... I'm not sure who has it..).

And here's a video of Lincoln on Christmas morning (kinda long... 3 min)

The balloons are a tradition from Jesse's family... they mean that Santa has arrived! It's a pretty fun tradition (and kind of difficult to make happen when you are pregnant and blowing up balloons is extra hard!) and they stay around for a long time. Lincoln really enjoyed them! :)

Flooding in St. George

2011-02-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

(December 21, 2010)

Back in 2005, St. George was on the news for their "100-year flood"...where houses were literally falling off the banks and floating down the river. This river is usually a little CREEK! Well, it happened again this past December. A lot of bridges were ripped up, but thankfully no houses this time (I think...).

Just down the street from Jesse's office

Lincoln enjoying the car ride as we drove around looking at the raging river.

You can see a few more pictures of the flooding HERE. (I only had my camera phone, so the pictures I took were pretty disappointing.)

Lincoln at the Park

2011-01-31T20:30:00.002-07:00

(December 15th, 2010)

There are so many nice days in December in St. George, that I had to take Lincoln to the park as often as it was warm enough.

Here he is at the top of the slide

...and wandering off...

Busy, busy, busy!

Lincoln LOVES the outdoors. He is generally very happy if we go outside, even if it is just out in the front yard or to get the mail.

6 & 7 Months

2011-01-21T08:01:00.001-07:00

(November 26th & December 26th, 2010)

Pregnancy #2

Pregnancy #1

I am OBVIOUSLY bigger this time around. A lot less swelling, sure, but my belly is getting big!

If this pregnancy was the same as with Lincoln, baby #2 would be here tonight at 7pm! (I would have been in the hospital for a couple days already.) My doctor says "You are at a high risk to go into labor early, only because you have before." So... my guess was sometime at the end of this month, but I'll be happy if baby stays put at least a couple more weeks!

Cutting Down the Christmas Tree

2011-01-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

(November 27, 2010)

Just like our first Christmas together, Jesse & I cut down a tree (pinion) for our Christmas Tree this year. Kurt & Ashley invited us to go along with them. Thanks, guys. :)

Kurt figuring out the best side of the tree to cut from

Jesse's cheesy smile after cutting down our tree

Ashley next to their tree

Kurt sawing the tree

Kurt & Ashley had their little girl on November 2nd - Amelia Marie. Such a beautiful girl!!

Here is Amelia helping out...

Jesse, Lincoln, & me..
You can see how much Lincoln helped out, too.

After all the decorations were put on (thank you, Mimi!!)
over the course of a few weeks... here was the outcome:

(This was taken the day after Christmas)

After the tree had been up for a few days, one morning we awoke to a "crash!" Me: "Was that the Christmas Tree??" Of course it happened on a really busy morning.. but thank goodness it happened while Lincoln was not around!!! The tree must have settled into the stand and gradually lost balance. There were pine needles, sap, and sticks (of course, right?) and spilled water... Jesse was not happy with the tree. He told me that when we were done with the tree, he was going to throw it off the balcony.

And what do you know... he kept his word.

Turkey Day!

2011-01-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

(November 25th, 2010)

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for all their help in the kitchen. Although I had a schedule to help keep me on track... I would never have been able to do it all without you!!

After the food was ready, we did toasts with Martinelli's and said what we were thankful for. I feel like this past year, Jesse & I have been so incredibly blessed that I couldn't help but choke up during mine. There's Jesse & Lincoln, the new baby coming, the new home, Jesse's job, family, FAMILY!!!, friends, the restored gospel, our Savior, Jesus Christ, pregnant sisters, safe travel, and SO many more things that I am thankful for.

Terrel about to carve the turkey

Jesse with his "masterpiece" - a "Good Eats Roast Turkey"

The kid's table (clockwise starting with Lincoln in back)
Lincoln, Matthew, Hailey, Jackson, Lily, & Hannah

The parents (Craig & Mary, Terrel & Janet) & Jesse

Jesse, Craig, Mary, Terrel, & Patience (in the back)

Darrin & Rachel

Adam, Sabrina, Jack, & McKay
(BTW... you are all so photogenic...!)

Angela & Tom

Adam, Tom, Darrin, Rachel, Patience, & Tom

The company was excellent, and... the food was delicious! I'm glad I saved the recipes.

Pie-Making

2011-01-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

(November 24th, 2010)

My sisters (Angela & Rachel), cousin (Patience), mom, & I made the pies for Thanksgiving. All of them turned out pretty well! There was pumpkin, pecan, blackberry, peach, and chocolate mousse.

Here's everyone after-the-fact (except Rachel...)
Me, Mom, Angela, & Patience

A couple weeks before... the ladies in my ward did an activity involving making your pie crusts ahead of time and freezing the dough. That was sure nice!!! If you want the recipe, let me know! (It makes 20 pie crusts, and they last for at least 6 months. I halved it and have a couple left in the freezer still.)

Hosting Thanksgiving

2011-01-16T08:01:00.001-07:00

(November 19th, 2010)

I invited my parents, cousin, and brother and sisters to come celebrate Thanksgiving here in St. George this year. I was a little nervous to travel at all because of the pregnancy (and how early Lincoln had come...). So I knew that I wouldn't be traveling over any of the holidays... and all but my brother came! That was a wonderful surprise! Since we have a lot of room in our new home we could even have everyone stay at our house comfortably (hopefully it was, anyway...). We also invited Jesse's parents & a couple brothers to join us.

Hosting Thanksgiving... first time... with a 16-month-old... 6 months pregnant... new house... was I crazy?? Well... before the big day I was thinking "YES!!" But seeing how well it turned out, I'm really glad we did it.

So how did I not get totally stressed out? Thank you, Martha Stewart and Alton Brown (and of course Jesse and everyone that helped out)! I made a schedule of what needed to be made, and when, and it worked! (If you click the link, you can see what my schedule sort of looked like.) And since Martha suggested deciding upon a centerpiece 1 week before... I actually made one. Ambitious? Yep.

Gabe & Anna

2011-01-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

(November 17th, 2010)

Congratulations, Gabe & Anna! It was a beautiful wedding and you two look great together!

Flora's Birthday Party

2011-01-11T20:56:00.002-07:00

(November 4th, 2010)

Lincoln's cousin turned one last November, and she got a little scooter from Mimi & Papa. Of course Lincoln wanted to ride it.

So... here's Papa pushing them both!

Pushing the buttons that make lots of noise

Trick-or-Treat!

2010-10-31T18:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween!!!

We took Lincoln to a few houses to go trick-or-treating. His favorite was when the people would let him choose the candy himself. That's when he wanted to keep getting more and more and more... and they usually let him. :) He was not really into putting the candy in the bucket, though. He wanted to hold the candy and run off to play with the other kids he saw. Next year he should understand a little better... right?

His first house: Nathan & Audrey's

Cousin Charlie as a lamb - so adorable!!

Mimi with Flora May as a Garden Gnome

The only thing he wanted to do... get that candy out of the bucket!

Finally got a decent picture of the costume...
Grandma Noma's house

Flora & Lincoln enjoying their Tootsie Pops

I would like to take credit for making the costume... but I bought it. I thought it was one of the strangest costumes I had seen and it turned out really cute.

Halloween Costume

2010-10-30T08:01:00.003-06:00

Friday morning we went to the TCN Halloween Breakfast... I thought more kids would be there in their costumes, but basically it was Lincoln, Flora, and Lola. It was fun and the pumpkin pancakes were delicious!

I wasn't sure if Lincoln would tolerate the hat (with attached beard) much longer than the car ride... so I got a picture on the way there.

Flora & Lincoln
Both are Gnomes

It was hard to get a good picture of them... so here's what I got:

We'll see how Trick-or-Treating goes tonight... if the weather cooperates for us. We may just go to the homes in our culdesac... I guess it depends on how Lincoln does!

Baby Lola

2010-10-28T13:43:00.003-06:00

Nathan & Audrey had their 2nd little girl on October 1st. Her name is Lola. I was pretty surprised to see how gentle Lincoln has been with her. I even got a couple precious shots...

He is looking so much older now!

This one is blurry and you can't really see Lola, but I love Lincoln's face.
He's going to be an amazing big brother!

Daddy Teaching Me How to Play Games on His Phone

2010-10-28T13:39:00.001-06:00

The title of the post says it all.

Bike Rides with the Babies

2010-10-11T21:39:00.003-06:00

The past couple weeks I've taken Lincoln & Flora on a couple bike rides. The first... it rained the entire time. I didn't know it but my phone was sitting in a puddle of water at the bottom of the bike trailer the whole time. So it was broken. (The trailer has a plastic rain cover for the kiddos.)

The second ride (today) it was in the 60's and perfect weather for a bike ride. They even took turns napping it was so pleasant.

I should have taken the screen off before I took the picture...
Lincoln and sleeping Flora

The Piano with Cousins

2010-09-30T08:01:00.000-06:00

We went over to Nate & Audrey's for Cohen's birthday and since Jesse's uncle, Hunter, was in town. We heard the piano in the other room, and this is what we came into the room to see:

Lincoln, Flora May, & Charlie

If one of them thinks it's a good idea, ALL of them think it's a good idea!

Walking!

2010-09-28T08:01:00.001-06:00

Lincoln took his first few steps at 14 months. Here he is a week or so later. He still has his arms up to balance and still falls over quite a bit, but he seems to walk at least half the time now. It sure makes him seem older!

Stink Bug Crawl

2010-09-26T08:01:00.001-06:00

Lincoln likes to teach his cousin, Flora, everything! How to crawl, what to say (she now says "What's that?"), etc. Here's a few shots of them crawling on hands and feet (vs. hands and knees). You can call it the bear crawl, or the stink bug crawl, or whatever, but it's pretty funny to watch them chase each other around like that! And they can get around pretty fast, too.

Cousin Time (or copy time?)

2010-09-24T22:58:00.002-06:00

Lincoln spends a lot of time together with his cousin, Flora May. They both get really excited when they see each other (even if it's only been a couple hours!). Once, before we left to go to Audrey's, I asked Lincoln, "Do you want to go see Flora?" He quickly started looking everywhere on the floor to find her! They know each other's names, even! Pretty funny! I guess that explains why Lincoln keeps teaching her new things!

Out on Audrey's deck

I went to take a picture, and my camera delays a little bit
and this is the picture it caught!
Priceless!
(He even teaches her what to put in her mouth...
We need to work on that good example thing!)

They are always watching each other. It's pretty cute!

And either they are both teething...
or they are already copying each other???
(I did not pose them this way...
those of you with 1-year old's know that is impossible anyway.)

They really like doing everything together... even to bug the adult who is watching them!

They sure are cute together. And it's actually easier to watch both of them instead of one... Hopefully they continue to get along for a long time!

Lincoln's First Words

2010-09-24T14:30:00.003-06:00

No, not "Mama" or "Dada"...

Lincoln decided he had other things to say.
(You may want to make sure the volume is turned up - it is kinda quiet.)

Canned Food & Bathtime

2010-09-24T11:28:00.004-06:00

(Back in August...8/25)

Lincoln got to my groceries before I could put them away one day... just some canned fruits and veggies. He was having such a good time pushing, rolling, throwing them around I let him keep himself entertained for 2+ hours!

Such a cute smile!

And of course, crawling with them in his hands...

When Lincoln is actually enjoying his bath (he hates them lately...) he figures out how to get me to join in the wetness by splashing me over the side. That means bathtime is over.

Catching him by surprise!

Lovin' the water!

And we're having a...

2010-09-20T11:21:00.003-06:00

BOY!

Just like most of you, I thought it was a girl, too.
But Lincoln is going to have a little brother!

Some of you may wonder, am I disappointed? A little at first, yes. But honestly, I am thrilled I was able to get pregnant again. I am happy he is healthy and growing as expected.

At this point, I have accepted I will always be in a house full of boys. Which I am more than okay with. :)

Now Lincoln will have a little buddy to play with (and have contests with!).

Kind of interesting... Out of all our nieces and nephews, this will be the first consecutive boy/boy in one family.

Now all we need is a name...

Haircut: Before, After... and 2nd After

2010-09-17T08:01:00.001-06:00

So I gave Lincoln his first haircut. It took me 45 minutes! I kept thinking I was going to cut myself, since I was using scissors. Basically I had to trap Lincoln between my knees, keep putting Sweetheart candies in his mouth, and cut as fast as I could!

Here he is before:

After:

After a couple weeks, all my chopping STILL showed... I thought it would have blended a little better with a few weeks growth... so Kurt buzzed his head for me. Thanks Kurt! It is much more even now. :)

Playing on the back patio

I need to get some clippers! That way next time it will look much better!

Lincoln's 1st Birthday!

2010-09-15T10:57:00.000-06:00

A couple months late, I know... But Lincoln turned ONE on July 15th! It's weird to think my baby is already a year old... At his doctor appointment he weighed 24 lbs 9 oz (85%), and was 31 inches tall (75%). He has definitely caught up! We went to Mimi & Papa's to have cupcakes to celebrate. I'm not sure Lincoln loved all the attention, but he sure loves his new toys! Thank you everyone for coming!

The favorite toy of the day:
Irina & Florin gave Lincoln an airplane!

Opening presents...

Lincoln was more interested in Claire's kitty.

Eating birthday cake!

Reading Books

2010-09-13T08:01:00.000-06:00

Lincoln loves books. In fact, he loves them so much that he reads them out loud to himself. I've tried to get it on camera, but after I get 1-2 pictures he is distracted and wants to investigate the camera.

As he reads out loud, he even turns the pages.

Half the time he has the book upside-down...

At the Park

2010-09-11T08:01:00.000-06:00

Jesse plays Frisbee once a week at the park. Since Lincoln loves to be outside, we join him on the sidelines. His favorite "toys" include dirt, sticks, and rocks. So he is an all-around BOY.

He's getting braver all the time now.
See how far away from me he is?

Here he is in the dirt.

And here he is getting his hands nice and dirty.

Florin & Irina's Wedding

2010-09-09T08:01:00.000-06:00

On June 12th, Florin and Irina got married! They are from Romania and Jesse works with Florin. Irina looked so beautiful! They looked happy together! I hope they have a long, happy marriage. I'm so glad we could be there to celebrate with them! Congratulations!

Here are Lincoln & Charlie... they were both under Mimi's bed at one point...

They were married in Terrel & Janet's home.
It was very beautiful!

Lincoln likes Crab

2010-09-07T09:39:00.002-06:00

Lincoln is like his mom. He likes crab from Red Lobster. Here he is gnawing on a claw. I can't wait to go back soon, Audrey!