Easton - 2 Months

Look who is 2 months old!!

At 2 months, Easton:

*Is the giant baby!!  He weighed in at 13 pounds, 7 ounces at his 2 month check up.
*Is still a super chill baby for the most part.  He does have his moments, but for the most part, he's the easiest baby ever!

*has eyes that are turning bluer and bluer every day.  This one's going to take after his daddy!
*discovered the wonder of the ceiling fan.  He loves to watch it go around and around!
*has started cooing.  He still mostly grunts, but has some adorable coos now!

*has started grabbing things better - mostly my hair!  He loves to grab on and not let go!  He also loves to grab onto my hands and arms and clothes.
*has really started smiling.  (Although I couldn't get him to smile for any of these pictures!)  And unlike Abbi, he usually starts hamming it up once he hears the clicking of the camera.
*really loves his daddy.  Whenever he can hear or see daddy, he starts to smile.

*loves to stand up.  He's got great leg strength and loves to be held on the ground with him standing.
*Is an excellent sleeper.  He's going about 5 to 6 hours at night now!
*must have pretty vivid dreams, because he often laughs and cries while he is sleeping.

I sure do love this little guy!  I can't imagine my life without him!

Book #26 - From a Distance

From a Distance
Tamera Alexander

Blurb: What happens when the realization of a dream isn't what you imagined... and the secret you've spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare?

Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life. Daniel Ranslett is a man shackled by his Confederate past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could reveal secrets from his past he would prefer remain buried.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met from a distance. (From Goodreads)

Opening Sentence: " Elizabeth Garrett Westbrook stepped closer to the cliff’s ede, not the least intimidated by the chasm’s vast plunge."

Length: Medium - 352 pages

Notes:  I really like historical fiction.  I think that's how this book made it to my list in the first place.  It's also classified as a romance, but not that kind of romance.  :)  It is a "Christian" romance, which basically meant it was really clean.  And there was some religious content in it, but nothing too cheesy.  I honestly didn't know if I would really like this book, but it was good.  Not so good that I want to immediately run out and read all the books in the series, but I may read them one by one, down the road.  The main character is a photographer, so that aspect - of how difficult photography was back in the 1800s - was also really fascinating to me.

Random quote: "At thirty-two, she still wasn't the woman she wanted to be, which was partially why she'd traveled nineteen hundred miles west to Timber Ridge, Colorado. To leave behind a life she'd settled for, in exchange for the pursuit of a dream, for however long she had left."

Recommend: yes

Have you read this book? Share your feelings!

Motherhood

I was sitting here, the evening of Mother's Day, thinking about how this day didn't go quite as I had planned.  I'll admit that it wasn't the best Mother's Day.  I was feeling a bit sorry for myself, and then my children's faces popped into my head.  I realized how lucky I am to have them in my life.  Each of them so different, and so special.  And I couldn't help but think about just how blessed I am.

For Abbi - for her smile that seems to go on for days.  I love how she loves life.  How she is such a free spirit.  How she believes that by saying "I'm Sorry" all of the problems and hurt go away.  I love that she still loves to cuddle after nap time and when she gets tired.  I love her laugh and her love for her family.  I love that every single day, she asks to go to nana and gump gump's house, or to one of her cousin's houses, or to grandma and grandpa's house.  I hope she always keeps that love of family with her.  I love that she is the smartest little 2 year old that I know.  I love that she dances in circles and sings songs at the top of her lungs.  I love that she can't go to bed at night without a kiss from both her mommy and her daddy.

For Easton - I know he's only been with us for 2 short months so far, but there is already so much to love.  I love that he is such an even tempered baby.  I love that he smiles so big for his daddy and his sister.  I love that he sleeps so well and that he's always so happy to just chill out in his bouncy chair.  I love the cuddle time we get together.  I love the way he looks up at me when he is eating - I can already see the love in his eyes.  I love wondering what kind of boy he's going to be, what kind of man he is going to be.

As I was thinking about these 2 angels in my life, I couldn't help but realize that it's not about the day - it's about how blessed we are.  I remember back in my early 20s, how I just wanted to be a mom.  It's the only thing I've ever felt like I was called to do in this life.  It's definitely the hardest job that I have ever had, and sometimes I wonder how I'm going to raise these children to be what I want them to be - what their Heavenly Father wants them to be.  But I know I have a lot of love to give, and the love that they have given me is more than I could ever ask for.  And that makes this a perfect Mother's Day!

Tulip Festival 2011

(Warning - photo overload on this post!!)

It was time again for the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival!!  It was kind of funny, because Josh and I were talking about how we didn't go to the Tulip Festival this year, then a couple of hours later, I got a text from Tami saying they were going and wondering if we wanted to meet up!

So Abbi, Easton and I headed up to meet up with Tami and Janell.  Traffic was really bad, and Janell was delayed, so Abbi, Easton and I had some time to hang out and run in the grass and take some pictures before we met up with the girls and their kiddos.

Abbi had to sport her cool sunglasses, and Easton just slept away!

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart,...for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and enliven the soul."  D&C 59: 18-19

The perfect words!!

I love watching these 3 boys together - they are the best of friends!!

It's a good thing that Abbi is good for hanging with the boys - especially since she doesn't have any girl cousins her age!!

And thank goodness for Tami - saving the day with a bag full of fruit snacks!!

Yes, Easton slept through almost the whole thing.  At the end, he did wake up hungry and was not happy.  I had a screaming baby the entire way to the car - poor guy.

Tami to the rescue again - saving the kids from the heat with Creamies.

I think that Abbi was completely exhausted at the end of the day. When we got home, she grabbed her blanket and went and laid down in the backyard with it. What a goof!! But what a beautiful and fun-filled day!!

Spring 2011 - Part I

I love Springtime - even if Spring in Utah is short lived. I found this checklist online, and thought it would be fun to see how many of these Spring-things I could capture with my camera. It's nice to take the time every once in awhile to slow down and look around you! So - here's part 1!

#31 - seedlings poking out of the soil

#30 - close up of Easter decor

#10 - new life

#24 - a patch of dandilions

#1 - a tree in bloom

Fashionista

I just had to post this because it cracked me up. I was in feeding Easton, and Abbi wanted to go outside and play in the backyard, but she was still in her pajamas. Josh said he would get her dressed so she could go out. She walked out wearing this outfit, which made me laugh to start off with, but then she wanted to wear her snow boots. I let her - she was just playing in the backyard, after all. I just had to laugh - although who knows? Maybe this is a totally fashionable outfit these days!

Easton's Blessing

What a blessing this little guy is!!  We blessed him at church today.  Josh did such a great job.  And I'm so grateful that there was a girl in the congregation that wrote down his blessing for us.  I never even thought of doing that - although I don't know how good I would have been at it since I always get so caught up in the emotion of it!!

After church, we all headed over to our house for some lunch.  I'm so grateful for my family and that they were able to be there with us!  We were hoping for nice weather so we could eat outside, and while it was a little nicer than it had been the previous days, it was still a little cold and windy, so most everyone ended up back inside!

I'm so sad that I got so caught up in everything that I never even took pictures of Easton in his blessing outfit.  All we have are these family pictures - but I love the family pictures, too!  I have to admit that it's sometimes hard to get pictures of Easton when I want them because he sleeps so much! :).

The food was delicious, and the company was wonderful!  I was sad when everyone left to go home.  I love spending time with my family!

I told Janell that I was going to put this picture on my blog - so I had to do it!! I love ya Janell!