Our Story:

2011-06-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

NEW BLOG!!!

I needed to change up the blog so I can be more motivated to write. We will be closing this one soon, if I am invited to your private blog, I am going to send you my new blog email. Thanks everyone for being a part of "our story", but to read up on us now, you will have to read "from the brick barn".

www.fromthebrickbarn.blogspot.com

Family Heritage...and more!

2011-05-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

(This is me in the dress in 1984)

This is the dress, the dress that has been in our family for 10 generations and is 126 years old. I thought my Grandmother Sharon made it, but found out it's true history after making that mistake on my blog. My grandmother added new lace to the bottom of the dress and the slip due to the fact that the old lace was falling apart. The slip as you can see from the picture, has a family tree stitched in of the generations who have worn it.

You can see my little family's branches right here it this picture with little miss Adelle's name added not to long ago. Now some of you maybe wondering, do the boys wear the dress too? Originally yes, but that wasn't uncommon. As it has become different in society today, my Grandmother Sharon has made a little boys tuxedo that the little boys wear, but their names are added too, because they would have worn it if it wasn't so weird to see a boy in a dress.

Well, this last week was blessing week for our family. We were so lucky to have two blessings back to back so my parents could be at both! Jen and Covey's little miss Ella was first. She was blessed on Sunday, May 22. She was so beautiful in the dress, and Covey did a wonderful job at being so calm with his very first baby blessing. We were so glad to be there.

(baby ella)

We were lucky enough to get permission from our bishop to do Adelle's blessing on a Tuesday. Randy and Sue were in Cuba with the Young Ambassadors. They got off the plane and drove to our house for the blessing. It was perfect timing! Unfortunately none of our brothers or brothers in law could make it so it was a very small circle and group. I would have LOVED to have Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins there, but it seems the church is encouraging smaller groups for these ordinances so we went with immediate family only. (In case some of you are wondering how you missed it--we missed you!)

(Those in the blessing left to right: Bishop Babcock, Grandpa Bradshaw, Daddy, and Pa Pa Boothe)

(Some of Addie's Priesthood Heritage)

I feel so blessed to have a family here on earth and to have such rich traditions surrounding it. It's wonderful to have things, like a dress, to remind us that we are all part of a heritage here on earth. I am grateful to have such a wonderful heritage on both sides of my family, and both sides of Ross's family. Thinking on this turned my mind towards people I know who might feel they are in a different boat. Whether we are in the middle of rerooting our heritage, or building upon a firm heritage, it doesn't matter. What truly matters is the fact that we are all part of a divine heritage that has been, and will be for all eternity. That is the family heritage that I am truly grateful to be a part of, and to be adding to with these little ones.

Here is the AND MORE...

First I have to write this funny story:

We have been trying to teach Ethan how to ask for things with words instead of wine for them. For example "Mommy, can I have some crackers?" or "Mommy, can I have a drink?"

This was his latest:

Ethan: "Mommy,"

Me: "Yes?"

Ethan: "Can I have Christmas?"

Me: "You can! In December..."

Kids say the darnedest things.

We took Ethan on an adventure today. We were going to bring Addie with us, but she has an ear infection so she went to hang out with Nana and Papa. Ethan was so excited to take an adventure with Mommy and Daddy, but even more excited when he saw where we were going...

We went to the Heber Valley's Day out with Thomas. I had called and they said they had a lot of open spots for the 1:30 train, but when we got there they were sold out until 3:45. Ethan was already in the middle of nap time, so we decided to just take some pictures and pick out a prize from the gift shop, and actually, I think it was the better way to go. He LOVED it!

(I could not get him to look away from the train! This was his best picture looking at the camera)

(Sir Topham Hat was there too)

(This is why we did not wait until 3:45!)

(Blowing his Thomas Train Whistle)

(cool wooden train cars at the station)

We got a flat tire on the way home so when we stopped to change it we had a little fun in the parking lot.

(Pointing out a bird he wanted to see)

( Daddy takes him to see the bird)

(Bird flies away, let's wrestle)

(So fun with Daddy)

(Time for a nap)

Weeks Fly When We Are Having FUN!!!

2011-05-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in the last couple of weeks, that I can't believe we are already to the middle of May. On May 7th we did the Susan G. Comen Race for the Cure. We do it to celebrate Ross's Mother, Sue, and her survival of cancer, and to remember Ross's Grandmother, Elaine, who lost her battle to cancer. This is truly becoming one of my favorite traditions of the year.

( The whole gang. Team Care2cure.)

(Signs that Ross's Aunt Lecia made.)

(We passed this on the walk and I loved it.)

(Ross's cousin Landon)

(Diane and Janalee)

(Sharing surviving stories with strangers, although when you have been through the same thing, somehow you are not strangers. This women had it at 18, 25, and 48 years old.)

(Mark and Erin)

(Walking with Nanna)

(Look how many people!)

(Love that Ethan Boy, even with a finger in the nose. Yes we are to that age.)

(Our cousin's little boy Nash, such a stud)

(Javi, who ran it twice-once for Sue and once for his mom, and Mark)

(Riding on Daddy's Shoulders) (We Love Aunt Annie)

(Adelle: Pretty in Pink)

(We are so proud of our survivor!)

That next week I flew to Arizona so my family down there could meet Addie. It was super fun, and I have to admit it was very nice to escape the cold for a few days. We did, however, miss our Daddy .

(Addie sees Grandma again)

(Addie's coos- aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ooooooooooooooooo)

(Addie meets Grandpa-it was love at first sight)

(Addie meets Grandma and Grandpa Bradshaw)

(Addie meets Grandmother Sharon)

(We had to go swimming. Ethan LOVES the pool)

(Addie in her swim suit)

(Loves the water)

(Ethan LOVES the trampoline)

(Shea)

While we were there, I got to go and see Brik and Ashley, who are on their way to move to Hawaii. They stopped in Arizona for awhile because they just had their new baby girl Emery. She is so precious, and looks so much like her daddy. I just couldn't believe the luck that we got to cross paths, because it is going to be a while before I will be able to see them. They are such great friends and we love them so much.

(The girls loungin around)

(The boys hard at play)

(Look at that smile on Trey)

(Baby Emery)

I also happened to be there for Baylie's dance recital and couldn't help but do a little photo shoot of her in her costume.

My cousin Kirsten and her husband Sam had their baby right before I came down so I did a photo shoot of her kids, and my other cousin Eric and his wife Des and their kids. It was super fun, and SOOOO great to see their families. I also got to see my aunt Donna and Uncle Lauren. They live in Florida so I rarely see them. Anyway, here are some pics.

Kirsten and Sam's Kids

(Kaden)

Eric and Desiree's kids

Baby Laney! So cute!

(The blessing dress my Grandmother Sharon made that all of our family wears) (Liam)

(Kale)

(Has those brothers wrapped around her finger)

(Best Buddies)

(Grandma and Grandpa Fields and their grandkids)

We left back to Utah on my Dad's Birthday. He is such an amazing Father, Grandfather, and Man. I am super lucky to have him in my life. I love you Dad.

The Meeting of the Two Cousins in Rompers

2011-04-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yes Jen and her new baby Eloise Ruth Morris came for a little visit. It was super fun to see them and see that sweet baby. Adelle looks like an amazon baby next to her, but I am sure baby Ella will fill out in the next several weeks. We HAD to take pictures of the two of them in their rompers. Enjoy!

Easter Pictures 2011

2011-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

(I know this looks like a lot, but their baskets were really small around!)

(These outfits are from Nana and Papa Boothe)

(These outfits are from Grandma and Grandpa Bradshaw)

(The yellow romper is from Aunt Rachel, more pictures to come)

Forgive that this post is all pictures, but I wanted to get them up so that the grandparents could see the cute outfits they had bought for the kids. Thanks, we love you! We had a wonderful Easter morning and the Ethan LOVED doing the egg hunt. Happy Easter!

Let's Go Fly a Kite!!!

2011-04-12T22:41:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more fun than flying a kite? Last Saturday we went out side and flew a kite. The weather was GORGEOUS and it was so fun to watch Ethan wonder at the magic of seeing something fly through the air. He enjoyed it so much, especially when the thing flying happens to be Lightening McQueen.

Adelle had her first outing outside too. I have been too nervous to take her outside because it has been so cold. But, since the weather was so nice, I finally took her out. She LOVED it. It was so amazing to watch her feel the wind on her face for the first time. She had the most peaceful look on her face, and I had to wonder what she was thinking. I know, that in some ways, she is closer to heaven than I am, since her separation from there was not that long ago. It seems, that somehow, she understands more about the wind than I do. How I wish she could tell me all she knows right now, because I know that when she finally can tell me things, that gap between heaven and earth will have widened, and she won't remember what she knew about the wind. Someday, someday we will know all the mysterious of The Great Creator.

I love spending time with this little family of mine.

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

2011-04-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned that Ethan's favorite song is "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". My favorite thing is that he calls it "It's the Most..." and that he will sing it at the top of his lungs in the stores. Check out this video.

(Keep in mind that it is not even close to his loudest!)

Anyway, I have been thinking about my life and where I am, and I would have to say that it is the most wonderful time, and here is a list of why.

1. I have an amazing husband who I love, who loves me and who loves our children.

2. I have a 2 year old buddy that can stretch me to my thinest, and yet fill me to my fullest all in the same day. The other day when I was frustrated something wasn't going how I planned, he looked at me and said, "Mommy, You're my best friend." My heart never felt fuller. Here is one thing we are doing, however, that is stretching me to my thinest! :)

Actually, he is a great sport about it, it's just cleaning up the accidents that test my patience.

That's right it's potty training time! I can't believe we are here already.

3. I have the sweetest little girl who can melt away any sorrow. The sad thing is that she is growing so fast.

(She is not sure she likes how many pictures mommy takes, but she grows into it.)

(Yes that is slobber on those chubby cheeks)

4. I can honestly say, that because of the things listed above, I finally know what my place in this world in. Is it crazy that it is much smaller, and yet much grander, than I expected. Smaller because very few, in the whole of the human race, will ever know that I was here. But grand because raising these children is the most important thing I could do, and the most molding, life-altering thing I will ever do. I can say that coming to this truth has made me the happiest I have ever been. So thank you Ethan for reminding me that it truly is "The Most Wonderful Time", the most wonderful time of my life.

Latest shoot

2011-03-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

To view more click here.

2 years and 2 weeks and counting

2011-02-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

I finally had the time to do a 2 year old photo shoot of my Ethan boy. With the bed rest, I could not take photos, but we are now back in full swing. Here are some things about Ethan at 2 years old:

1. Ethan loves Thomas the train, and any train for that matter.

He will spend hours playing with his toy trains.
2. Ethan loves Basketball, and wants to shoot baskets with Daddy all day long.
3. His favorite color is green. His favorite foods are pizza and chicken and rice. His favorite drink is chocolate milk. He LOVES fruit! In fact, he would pick fruit over any dessert.
4. Ethan's favorite song is It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. He asks to listen to it every time we get into the car. He doesn't quite understand why we shouldn't be able to listen to Christmas music whenever. I love that about him.
5. He loves to run and jump especially on Aunt Rachel's Trampoline.

Addie is doing well too. She turns 2 weeks old this week and she is such a pretty thing.

She was finally able to take a real bath this week and she LOVED it.

After the bath Daddy did her hair...Yikes! Mommy will have to keep tabs on the hair thing. ;)

Here is Addie's 2 week photo shoot:

Ethan and Addie together are the greatest things in the world. Ethan is such a big help with her. He will go and get me diapers when I need one and he tries to comfort her when she is crying. He always tells me how cute she is, and LOVES to give her kisses. I am amazed at how much I love these two kids!

P.S.

Is anyone else ready for spring?!

Adelle Sue Boothe

2011-02-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

She is here!!!! Adelle was born Wednesday February 16, 2011 at Utah Valley Hospital at 7:48 PM. She weighed 6 LBS 14 OZ, and was 19 inches long. We named her Adelle Sue, but Ross has already affectionatley started to call her Addie Sue. We LOVE the name Adelle and went with Sue as a tribute to both of the Grandma's in her life. (Ross's mom's name is Susan but many call her Sue, and my mother's middle name is Sue).

She is just beautiful and so sweet. We LOVE her little high pitched squeal, and can't wait to continue learning more and more about her. She has obviously been anxious to get here because my mom came into town with Ethan on Tuesday night, and Wednesday was officially the day I was allowed off of bed rest, and she came that very day.

I woke up Wednesday morning at 5 AM very sick to my stomach, and started throwing up. I had a doctors appointment already scheduled for 4:20 PM that day, so I called to see if they could bump me any earlier. They said the only other time they could see me was 11:30 AM, so I switched my appointment. The rest of that morning I began to have contractions, like I have been having for months now, except they were finally starting to feel more regular and way more intense. I also began having back labor contractions. Some of you might have experienced back labor, but with Ethan I never did so this was a new, and not so pleasant experience for me. I began to have that feeling in my gut, the one that is telling you that today IS the day. Just to be sure though, I lectured Ross and my mother the whole way to the doctor that we needed to have positive thinking without ANY doubtful thoughts. In fact, I think I told them that if either one of them were doubting that today was the day, they needed to get out of the car and walk because we needed to have positive thinking!

When we got to the doctor, it was very quick. He checked my cervix, which was dialated to a four, and said go ahead and head down to the hospital, and he would follow us over and break my water and we could get going! We were ecstatic, and just when we thought wow that was easy, Dr. Holmes came back and said he just rechecked my chart, and I tested positive on the strep test. I thought, ok now what? He explained that we had to go down to the hospital and get started on an antibiotic. We had to have two doses, but the doses had to finish four hours apart. Then, he said, he would come down and break the water.

Since I could keep nothing down that morning because of nausea, I asked if we could stop and grab a quick 7 layer burrito at Taco Bell before I went down to push my guts out. Funny enough, although I could only eat like 3/4 of it, that burrito was pretty tasty. I was glad I had thought of it too, because it was a LONG day. We got to the hospital right around noon, and they immediately started the antibiotic. We were lucky enough to get Ross's good family friend Emily Vest Covey as our nurse when we arrived. She is an EXCELLENT nurse, and it was fun to talk and take my mind of everything going on. Lying there waiting for the IV to drain felt so long, and I finally decided to go ahead and get my epidermal. I figured since I was just laying there, why not. Looking back, I probably wished I would have waited because I wasn't in that much pain yet, and once I got it, there really wasn't much I could do but lay there.

I got my epidural, and was sitting there talking to Ross and Emily, when I had the strangest ringing come into my left ear, and then my right. I yelled to Ross and was telling him I couldn't hear. (It was weird, I could hear, but it felt like I couldn't). Then all of the sudden, I felt like I was drifting out of my body, out of the room. I kept going and going, but still stayed. It was like I could drift for eternity and still stay in the room. I could hear Emily and Ross talking and telling me that my blood pressure was dropping. Emily put an oxygen mask on me, and Ross kept telling me that I was ok. The anesthesiologist came in and put some saline through my IV with medicine to get my blood pressure back up. It worked fast, and after that I was totally fine. I asked the anesthesiologist why that could have happened and one of the things he said was dehydration, and immediately I knew that HAD to be it because of how sick I was that morning. I couldn't keep hardly anything down, even liquid so it wouldn't be surprising if I was dehydrated that afternoon.

Everything went smoothly after that. It was amazing to me though how much more present I felt with this second delivery. I could FEEL so much more and was invested in ways I couldn't have been with the first because it was my first. I don't remember feeling ANY contractions with Ethan, and the pushing being so painful, but with Adelle, I was TOTALLY feeling contractions and pushing was such a relief! All I know is if that was contractions with an epidural, I never want to know what they are like without. For those of you that can, YOU GO!!!

Adelle came out in THREE contractions. It was amazing! Not that it wasn't hard, because it was, but compared to the 2 hours of pushing with Ethan, I was amazed. She was beautiful right from the get go! No conehead, or any signs of anything.

Anyway, we love her and are so excited for her to be here. Ethan LOVES her. He loves to give her kisses, and tickle her. He does very good at taking care of her. We are also so grateful to all our friends and family who have been helping us through this crazy time. We could not have done it without you!

(Addie's coming home outfit)

Birthdays vs Birth days

2011-02-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Well, January has been an interesting month, and February is following in the exact same fashion. Let's begin with the Birthdays!!!

Ethan has turned 2! I have totally underestimated how hard 2 is. I thought it was because they got into everything, but the real challenge is them trying to figure out what they can and can't do. I feel like most of our days are spent in time out, and me telling him to knock it off. He really is a good boy, but it is hard. We did have a blast for his birthday. Ethan loves Thomas the train, so we threw a Thomas Birthday for him and family. Sarah and Hudson were in town and we got to do some fun activities together. We went down to South Town Mall and rode the Merry Go Round and the Train around the mall. They had so much fun.

That night the rest of the family, that was in town, came over for the party. Jen and Covey were still in town too, so they came by as well. I always feel so lucky when my family is here because we are all over the place right now. Of course all the Boothe's were there, we feel blessed to have some family close by all the time. The party was a big hit, and Ethan LOVED all the Thomas Decorations.

That next week my mom and Rachel came up to visit. Ethan and Landon are so funny, and always get themselves into big pickles. One morning we walked into my bed room to this:

Yes. They had got into the Bath tub with their clothes on, and were soaked. They also threw water all over the place!!! They are crazy.

Now for part 2: Birth Days

Well, I have been put on bed rest for this baby due to a leak in my water and contractions. It has been crazy. We have been down to the hospital twice now thinking, "This is it, we are going to have this baby." Luckily it has not happened because I don't even reach 36 weeks until Wednesday. Rachel was good enough and free enough to come down and help me, and now Ethan is going down to visit Grandma and cousins for a week, and then my mom will come up with him and be here when I have this baby. I can't wait for all of these Birth Days to turn into her one Birthday.

On the First days of Christmas...

2010-12-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!! Of course I think most people do, but that is half the fun, knowing that there are so many of us out there loving the same time of year.

Ethan has been super fun this year at Christmas! He is LOVING everything about it, and I can hardly wait until Christmas morning. We got to see Santa at our ward Christmas party...

This was last year....

Needless to say, I think we are making improvement. :)

Well, I took on an extra job to earn money for a new camera and computer and finally earned the money. I am LOVING the new camera. I got a Canon 5d Mark ii, and the image quality difference has been incredible. I have already put it to use for my photography, and here are some photos taken with the camera...

Bradshaw Family Photos...

(Photo taken by Sarah Bledsoe Edited by Me)

(Photo taken by Sarah Bledsoe edited by me)

Boothe Family Photos...

(Photo taken by Megan Heaps Edited by me)

(Photos taken by Megan Heaps Edited by me)

(Photo taken by Megan Heaps Edited by Me)

(Photo taken by Megan Heaps edited by me)

(Annalece and Javi wanted the trendy look HA HA)

Rick's Family Photos...

Ross's Cousin's Bridals...

Besides that, life is moving along good. The baby is about 11 weeks away and we are super excited. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and we will blog all about Santa visiting the Boothe house after the 25th.

2010-11-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

A Spooktacular Halloween

We had the best Halloween this year, and these pictures ought to let you know why:

That's right we went to California and hung out at Disneyland. It was a blast! We LOVED seeing Ethan experience it all for the first time. It's amazing how much more magical the magic kingdom is when it's through your own kids.

Ethan had a hard time knowing what to do with the characters at first. He loved giving them high fives, but after that he was ready to go. He loved the rides like Nemo, the teapcups, Dumbo, Peter Pan, and Pirates of the Carribean. (Although we did have to convince him that the pirates were not scary, but silly. And now he walks around all day talking about the silly pirates.)

By the next day, Ethan had totally fallen in love with the place and the characters without any reservations. His absolute FAVORITE though was Winnie the Pooh. I think we did that ride at least five times.

Luckily, we were able to hang out with some family and friends while we were there too. Our good friends the Nielsens came and played at the park one day and we had a blast! Trey is the sweetest little guy, so even tempered. It was fun to see the two boys together. We went over to their place our last day there, and made carmel apples and had lunch, it was so fun. For dinner that night, we got to go down and visit our cousins Brian and Tiffany. It was so great to see them, and we loved being able to catch up and see their place. It was fun to see Ethan with Skylar and new baby Cohan. We love our family and friends in California!

We did do some trick or treating there at Disneyland because we had passes to the Mickey's Halloween Party. It was fun to see Ethan saying "trick or treat". We got good candy and saw some AMAZING fireworks. And to top it off, He got to be another favorite character for Halloween.

We love the fall, and love Halloween. We can't wait until next year when we can have two little ones to dress up and take trick or treating.

Happy Haunting Everyone!

Baby to boy...

2010-10-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

It's official! Ethan has turned into a toddler. I am sure many of you are thinking, "duh!", but for me I was hanging on to that baby as long as possible. So what was it, the fact he is about to go into 2T clothes? Nope, today I went to get him ready for church and felt something inside his little pocket, I reached in to find a rock. He had stuck a rock in his pocket. I don't know why, but I just thought, "WOW he is a little boy!" Congratulations my boy on this milestone! (or should I say pebble stone)

PS We found out we are having a girl! Can't wait to meet her.

HOLY SICK!!!!

2010-09-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

So FIRST AND FORMOST....

I am pregnant with number 2. Yes, I know such a blessing. We are due March 9, and Super excited. We find out what we are having in October. I have been super sick. I have pretty much been down and out for like three months or so. Luckily, my sister Rachel has been staying with me, and has been such a HUGE help. She has been cooking, cleaning, helping me with Ethan, and has even taken me to the ER once too. ( Sometimes when I am throwing up like crazy my body doesn't hang onto liquids at all, so I start to blackout. At that point they make you go to the ER to get an IV and make sure the baby is hydrated enough.) I have high hopes however that I am going to see an end to these sick days because I did with Ethan. HERE'S hoping!

On the brighter side...

1. Ethan turned 18 months!!! (of course that was in July, but I was too sick to write about it) He is super smart. He loves to say his abc's, he counts to twenty, knows colors, shapes, and animals. Some of you might be thinking wow Michelle must be working with him 24 hours a day, but really it's all him. He loves to learn, and can remember things he hears once. We just love him!

2. My Brother-in-Law, Mark, got married on August 7th. We love his new wife Erin. She is awesome, and they are super happy together.

3. My Sister-in-Law, Annalece, is getting married in October. We are super exicted for her and Javier. (or Hottie as Ethan calls him). They are awesome togther, and it will be so fun to be apart of their wedding. Engagement photos are soon to come!

4. I have had so many photo shoots that I have not posted because of how I have been feeling but to check them out go to http://www.breadandbutterphotos.blogspot.com/

5. My little sister just opened an etsy shop rescuing vintage items that she finds, and it is AWESOME! check it out. http://www.orangetwine.etsy.com

More to come! Love to all.

News, News and More News

2010-06-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Soooo much to say, so first thing's first. The reason I haven't been posting on my blog lately, is that my sister Sarah and I finally launched our photography company! This project has taken up most of my time, but we are finally launched! I feel like I can finally get things back in order. Here is a link to the site, and a picture from one of my most recent shoots.

www.breadandbutterphotos.blogspot.com

This was a little while ago, but I am still going to post about it anyway because it is one my favorite things about Utah. Ross and I went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point with his family this year. It was so beautiful, and judging by his picture, Ethan had a great time.

We already did our vacation this summer because Ross's work schedule is going to get a little crazy from here on out. We went down to Arizona, played with cousins, practiced swimming, and visited great grandparents. Ethan had to get used to the water, so we struggled a bit. It's interesting to me how cautious he can be, and how uncautious with other things. To his defense, I think the water was still cold for him, because he has hardly ANY baby fat. Anyway, I am sure by the end of the summer we will get better at it.

Ethan on the left and Hudson on the right.

Then we went to our family cabin. I LOVE it up there- the moutains, the camp fires, the games-I love it all! Ethan had so much fun playing in the dirt, and running up and down the wood pile with Lando. I have to say though, that the dirtiest kid actually goes to Baylie. That little girl who LOVES princesses, dressup, and dance has a tough side. It is quite visible when she plays in the dirt!

Thats it for now, but more to come SOON!

Easter and the Cutting of the Pacifer (LITERALLY)

2010-04-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ethan LOVED Easter! The basket, the egg hunt, the candy- I don't think there was one thing he didn't love. The easter bunny was good to him. He got bubbles, and side walk chalk, and plenty of Reese's eggs! The egg hunt was super cute, it was a barnyard egg hunt.

His little Easter outfit was AWESOME! He looked like such a stud.

It was such a precious experience to get to teach him about the real meaning of Easter. Ethan knows how to say "Jesus", so it was neat to hold up pictures and hear him say it. He also can say "temple" and will point to pictures of them while saying it. I am so grateful for the chance to teach him. He is amazing!

We cut the pacifier, literally, I snipped the end of one of his pacifiers and he hasn't used one since, even if the end isn't split. I was super suprised at how smooth that transition went. He is also FINALLY starting to understand the word NO. I think that is one of the hardest periods is getting them to understand that word, and that you are serious about it. He stills tries to tests his boundaries, but for the most part I am glad that he understands the word. Ethan is a joy! He loves to run around the couch in circles, and play outside. He knows that when mommy is working on numbers, he knows that "ten" comes after nine, and he can't wait to say it. WE LOVE OUR BOY!

2010-02-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

My life lately...

Two weekends ago the BYU Young Ambassadors had there 40th Anniversary reunion. It was so fun to see old friends, and to take time to honor Ross's dad Randy. He has been with the group for over 30 years now! In fact Ross wrote a song that we got to sing to him at the end of the showcase it was really neat. Randy is a wonderful person, who does wonderful things! Congratulations on your success we love you!

During the reunion, Ethan finally got to meet Trey! Trey is my very good friend Ashley's baby! We also got to meet Mack, high school friend and neighbor DJ and college friend Libby's baby. I think it is awesome those two got married because I knew them both seperately before they met. SMALL WORLD! Look at these cute guys...

After that fun-filled weekend, we took a week trip to Arizona! It was SOOOO fun, and the weather was beautiful. In fact, I took Ethan to play outside, and turned around to find him standing at the door looking at me like, "What are we doing out here?" Poor guy didn't know how to play outside because we have been stuck in the snow. It didn't take him long though to figure it out. My sister Sarah came down there too with Hudson, so all the cousins were together it was fun. We were just missing Uncle Trever, Aunt Jen, and Uncle Covey.

I went to Miss Baylie's dance class and got some shots...

Ethan saw both sets of Great Grandparents while we were down there. Of course we missed Grandfather Sharon, but I am sure He was near by. It was wonderful. I love you guys!

We went to lunch with our good friends while we were there and Ethan finally met Houston. They are literally only days apart, so it was fun to see them interact. Houston is such a stud!

All in all it was a wonderful trip! I LOVE AZ, I LOVE FAMILY, OH AND I LOVE ETHAN!

Forgot Something...

2010-01-22T09:33:00.001-08:00

Forgot to say that I am SUPER proud of Ross and my dad for building this tire swing on Ethan's birthday. It turned out awesome and I can't wait for the spring when we can go out and use it more.

Now My dad climbed up the tree and we all got in a debate... Help us out is it:

1. Shinning up a tree?

2. Shimming up a tree?

ATTENTION LADIES

2010-01-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

There is a NEW blog for those that feel lonely sometimes. (in reality don't we all feel that way sometimes)

Anyway, please check it out and tell me what you think.

www.ladypassages.blogspot.com

You can hit my button over on the side here, and grab one of your own from the site.

Thanks!

Christmas, 1st Birthday, and the Red JELLO SCARE

2010-01-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

Wow December was so wonderful! Ethan brought so much magic back to Christmas for us. First of all there was this...

Ethan took his first steps!! He then decided that he was through with crawling and he now walks all over the place. He is working on standing up without having to scoot on his knees over to something, and he really wants to run.

Ethan met Santa and this was his response....

He did NOT like Santa. You know a big guy in a beard, and a bright red suit just might take some getting used too. We will try again next year Santa.

Despite their rough start, Santa was still good to Ethan

Ethan was not into the presents at all, not even the paper or the boxes. He did like the toys when we got to them , but the whole unwrapping thing did not interest him at all.

My family came up from AZ for Christmas and it was so fun having everybody here. We went sledding at the point of the mountain and it was super fun.

Sarah and Trevor

Gavin Jay

Baylie Boo

Dad on the mini Luge- vote was not the best in case you were thinking about it.

Rachel+Alan sledding= this...

It was super fun! I only got to go down once because of my ankle, but next year I will be going down a lot more.

I took Sarah's Family pics while they were down and here are some...

Sarah took some pictures of her AMAZING product with my cam. Seriously check out her stuff! Just click on her button over on the side and be amazed!

So Ethan turned one years old on January 3rd. I can't even believe it. We had an awesome Birthday party with both sides of our family we felt super lucky to have everyone there.

Ethan had the best Pistachio Birthday cake! Seriously it was amazing if anyone wants the recipe let me know. However, he did not like the feeling of the cool whip frosting on his hands so sadly he did not dive into his cake. Next year we will try no frosting!

Well the red jello scare has no pictures, but when you hear the story you will be grateful. We went to the ER last week with Ethan. He had had diarrhea for four days and the doc said to put him on a softer diet. Well I open a diaper and it looked like he had gone a whole diaper of blood. I was in a panic and called the doc and the lady on the phone told me to take him into the er. I got there and they immediately took him back and the nurse opened the diaper I had brought and asked me what he had been eating. I told her nothing really he has just had juice, pedialite, jello.... She then asked me what color the jello was. Right as she asked the question it dawned on me that he has had RED JELLO! I felt like such a loser first time mom. It was awesome. Anyway, I just love my little guy to pieces and would do anything for him- ANYTHING!!!

November= OFF to a good start!!!

2009-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Well November is already shaping out to be spectacular!!! FIRST and THE MOST AWESOME news is that Jen and Covey got married on the 7th! It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful wedding. Jen looked gorgeous (as if that could possibly be a surprise) and all my family was here! (Well immediate family and some extended, we missed everyone that couldn't make it!)

Anyway here are some high lights!

Jen and Covey had their reception at this awesome place in Memorial Park. We got more pictures there in the park.

Congratulations Jen and Covey we love you guys so much!!

My little sister Sarah has started to make these gorgeous vintage flower headbands and she made some for the wedding. Check her blog out to order one! www.bonnyposyheadbands.blogspot.com

Since everyone was in town Sarah and Trevor blessed Hudson that Sunday up in Kaysville.

He looked SOOOOO cute in the blessing outfit my Grandmother made.

Also Rachel asked me to take family pictures of her family while they were here. I won't post them until she gets a chance to see them, but here is a sneak peek! (she has seen this one!)

What else? Well for those of you that have known me in Arizona will remember that one year I was on crutches 14 times for my ankle. I am finally getting ankle surgery on Thursday!! It has gotten so bad that it rolls out once every week or so! I am so excited to get it taken care of. With Ethan this year and my gallbladder surgery we can finally afford to do it.

Last but not least,

Ethan is 10 months old!! I have no idea where the time went but I am loving every minute of it!

LOVE YOU BUDDY!

Good October Times!!!

2009-11-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

Wow so much to say and see for this AMAZING month. First of all, Ethan got his FIRST haircut. I know it seems that 9 months is a little late but his hair grew very slow. Anyway, if any of you know my active little boy, you will know that this was not an easy task. Needless to say you can see the chunks of hair gone on the sides. All and all though I think it went pretty well for our first time! Good job son!

On my favorite things about fall list, I listed Gardner village!!! I LOVE that place; at Halloween they deck everything out in pumpkins and they have witches everywhere. It's awesome!! Here are some photos from our annual trip:

We have had some of the most AMAZING misty mornings. One morning Ross was wanting me to go out and take some pics so here they are!!!

We got a new gold out door rug for our deck and the best part is that it was free! HA HA

Some friends of ours had their first baby and they asked me to do a shoot and these were some of my favorites:

Ross's cousin Colton just left on his mission to Sydney Australia. We are so proud of him and will miss him a lot. Go get em Colt!

Our Little Goalie GAVIN!!

Gavin played soccer and we got to go to a game when we were down there for Jen's endowments. It was fun to watch him. He is great!

I made these witch broom cookies for my activity day girls and I thought they turned out pretty fun!

And now the moment we all have been waiting for:

HALLOWEEN!!

It was so fun this year to have Halloween and Ethan. However, poor guy was sick so we didn't dare take him to the trunk or treat with the ward because he was contagious so we got him dressed took pictures and he did his trick or treating at our own house. It was so funny to watch him look in the bag so confused that he got stuff in there. It is so amazing how everything is made brand new again as you watch your child experience things for the first time.

I REALLY LIKE THIS PIC!

And now just for fun one more of Ethan's many hats to celebrate the good times of October:

See you in November!

FALL

2009-10-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year!!!

Things I love about OCTOBER:

1. General Conference

2. The leaves changing and the rich vibrant colors

3. Pumpkin Chocolate chip cookies

4. Pumpkin Pie

5. Pumpkin Cheesecake

6. Did I mention Pumpkin?

7. Halloween

8. The Crisp autumn air

9. Pot Pies (family tradition)

10. The witches at Gardner Village

Ross and I went up Spanish Fork Canyon so I could take some pictures of the leaves:

Adventures, Adventures!!!!

2009-10-01T14:43:00.001-07:00

Life is full of adventures, Ethan has been crawling now for a while. He is into everything and bangs into everything too. It's funny, he is a dare devil yet also a little fraidy cat too. He will dunk his head under the water in the tub, but get to a step, get his hands up and scream because he feels like he is stuck. Wow how we love this little man. He wants to be a big boy so bad. We went the park and all he wanted to do was watch the kids play. He would scream at them to try and get their attention and he wanted me to help him stand the whole time so he could be a big boy. He tried to climb up the stairs to the deck a couple of weeks ago, he fell and got a fat lip. Poor guy. He was still pretty happy though.

I love going in to wake him up because this is how we usually find him.

He LOVES to stand. He also loves to talk. He says MA MA, Deddy(which is daddy), PA PA, and KINKY ( Which is Stinky, Don't worry we wouldn't teach him that)!!!

Some of you know I just finished this show called the Taffetas. I was asked a while ago to come back and do an alumni show. It was so fun, but hard because Ross was gone for two and a half weeks during the rehearsal process luckily we had so much help from Randy and Sue. Ross got home on opening night and surprised me with this beautiful bouquet. He assured me it wasn't just for the show but for being a single mom for the last two weeks. He is such a sweet guy, I love him very much. It is so GOOD to have him home!!!

I also had a little accident during the run of the show. Before a performance one night I tripped and fell onto a light and got this beauty. 25 stitches!!!! My life long dreams of becoming a leg model are no longer coming true!!! (oh well I guess that went out the window with child birth! HA HA) I really just didn't want my sister-in-law Annie to feel she had to be the only one with knee scars in the fam!!! It looks worse than it was in this pic because I got hives from the sterry strips they used. Anyway, I got the stitches out and it is healing up perfectly.

Trevor and Sarah had their baby Hudson Jay. He is a cutie and we can't wait to see him in person next month!!! He looks so much like Trev, but I can see some of Sarah in him too.

I took Jen and Covey's engagement photo and here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

So I have found a new favorite thing about living in colder climate now that I have a little boy:

HATS!!!

Who says you can't accessorize boys? I know it's not ribbons and bows, but I still think beanies and hats on this baby boy are the cutest!!! Stay tuned for Ethan's many hats this winter!!!!