Life as a Redhead

Time Flies

2012-01-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

We have lived up here for a year now. Crazy!

Here is what I love about our new place...

People are SO nice. People are "wavers" up here. I didn't quite know what to do for the first few weeks. People at the grocery store are so nice too. Sometimes people smile at me and I wonder if I'm supposed to recognize who they are. NO! They are just being nice. Never have I lived in a place this friendly.

No smog or inversion. I can't even believe I lived down there. Ew.

Quiet and relaxing.

They have some sort of accent up here. There are a lot of "we was-ers" here. We'll call that charming.

It's just so darned beautiful.

We love our house and neighbors.

People have all sorts of animals around here. Sheep, cows, horses, chicken, etc.

I have access to the outlet mall at a moments notice.

There are definitely things that we miss from our old place. Like our cute little house, the super close proximity of fabulous grandparents, and everything within a 10 minute drive.

It's been an adjustment but I think I like it here...

Here are some of my pictures on iPhoto from 12 months ago.

Never mind that this deer's carcase was in the lot next to ours a few days later...

Sad.

18 Months Older and Wiser TOO!

2012-01-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

We are officially 18 months old. Let's be honest here, Will has been HORRIBLE this past week. I haven't had the desire to highlight all of his best moments until today because I wasn't sure if there were any. HA! I really kind of hate when blogs just post about those shiny, beautiful moments. This past week has been filled with many, many middle of the night awakenings, never ending whining, and endless orneriness (on his part, and ours). We blame it on the new K9 tooth sprouting on his right side but who knows...

Let's get into those shiny, beautiful moments now.

Will loves to get up against the wall and say go, go, go, and then run as fast as he can to the other side of the room. Over and over and over again!

Will is growing out quite the shaggy do. When he wakes up in the morning or from a nap it is SCAR-Y.

He says so many things now it's pretty fun. I'll say "A is for" and he'll say "Apple." B is for Ball, C is for cat, D is for Duck, N is for No, and when I say "M is for" He'll say "Ah Ah Ah" like a monkey would say. He says a few others too.

He knows the colors blue and red. When he's into performing.

He loves to use his spoon and eat peas "by himself."

He is obsessed with his Thomas the Train set.

Enjoys himself some Caillou.

One of his new favorite books is Huggle Buggle Bear.

Is loving all of his new Christmas presents. I have to bust them out one at a time.

Does not want to sit in the cart at the store anymore. BAH!!!

He has quite the loud scream when we stop him from doing anything he wants to do. It's piercing, actually.

I don't know how many dozens of kids we'll have now because of him but he we love him grumpy and all!

This is what he did when I told him to say cheese. AH!

Eric's Big Day

2011-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

I know many of you wonder what it's like to be married to Eric (probably not, but just go along with me).

Here are 30 interesting facts for his 30th birthday!!

1. Eric's deodorant flavor is "swagger"

2. He brushes his teeth in the shower sometimes

3. He enjoys sandwiches for breakfast

4. We both fight over the nice blankets in bed

5. He could eat pizza for every meal, every day

6. He loves fantasy football

7. He has a goal to go to a college bowl game every year (He has been to 2 in a row now)

8. Loves the Steelers

9. He's a multiple geography bee winner

10. He's a friend you'd be lucky to have

11. He has approximately 1 BILLION t-shirts

12. He's a fun dad (a lot more fun than "the mom")

13. He wants a dog and I say no

14. He's not a big fan of fruits and vegetables

15. He wants a fire pit in our backyard

16. Loves carrot cake

17. Eats raspberry filled donuts when he goes fishing (and loves to fish)

18. He always wears church socks, a t-shirt, and basketball shorts after church on Sunday

19. Loves BBQ

20. Loves his two Redheads...at least one of them

21. Wears scandalous Halloween costumes

22. Enjoys gardening

23. Threw snowballs at Derrek the paperboy as a kid

24. Wants a truck

25. Has a "World's Greatest Dad" shirt

26. Enjoys hiking and the outdoors

27. Loves fishing...even if I'm better at it than he is (jokes)

28. Loves to throw parties

29. Favorites places to eat---Joe Morleys, Downtown Phillies, Astro Burger, and that's all I can think of right now.

30. Enjoys boating, especially in Seattle and with the Quincys

There you have it, 30 facts for Eric's 30th birthday!
That was exciting, huh?

Love him to pieces!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T06:08:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year. Will is in the phase where he likes what's inside of the gift but does not care to open it. I thought he might have more fun with that aspect. Good thing I wrapped up all of his presents...so...I could just turn around and unwrap them for him.

We got to spend time with my grandma on Christmas Eve. She's pretty funny. She loves Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (must be in the genes). I made some peanut butter cookies with the Reeses in them. I pretty sure she liked them.

Christmas morning we let Will open one of his trucks and then we headed off to church. We finished opening after we came home. He got all of the things his heart desired, times 10 (or so it seemed). He got trucks, cars, a wagon, blocks, a little tricycle, Thomas the Trains/track, books, etc. I think his new best friends are Thomas and his friends. They do get into fights though. He'll get frustrated if the track comes apart or the trains come unhooked. He gets mad and messes up the track and will even throw pieces. So...I have to watch it. Those wood train tracks are hard! If you see me with bruises it will probably be from Thomas and his friends.

I got Eric tickets to Jim Gaffigan and he got us bikes, which should be fun.

Look at this trouble maker. You have to take the wrapper off first silly!

Don't you just love Christmas morning bedhead?

We are beyond blessed. I have been so grateful for this Christmas season. It's been different from Christmas in the past but things change and we just focus on all the wonderful things.
We really missed those that weren't with us this year.

A Velvety Day

2011-12-21T12:13:00.000-08:00

Sister Michelle was on dog sitting duty a few weeks ago. Will LOVES dogs, cats, and the neighbors chickens (essentially all animals). We, of course, had to pay Ms. Velvet a visit. It was pretty hilarious seeing Michelle in charge of a dog. We did not grow up with any pets other than a few lame goldfish (don't tell them I called them lame). We got to walk Velvet, feed Velvet, and pet Velvet. Velvet didn't seem to really love or hate us, which I felt was a good thing. Will has a few cat enemies already. I even thought of a few nicknames for Velvet (we're that close). They include crushed Velvet and even Velveeta. We had a grand time. Hopefully we'll see Velvet again soon!

Christmas Happenings

2011-12-18T19:17:00.001-08:00

We have been busy this holiday season wrapping, cookie baking, tree decorating (and un-decorating), caroling (not by choice), gingerbread house making, and shopping.

(Last few pictures stolen from Heidi's blog. I only took one sad looking picture)

Eric attended the Spud Bowl (without his wife from Idaho). Rude. It sadly ended in a loss for Utah State. Probably because I wasn't there.
At least they got a picture with a potato.

Photos for Christmas cards were attempted. Someone did NOT want to cooperate!

It has already been a fun holiday season. I'm all done with my shopping and wrapping so now we can just enjoy the week before Christmas.

On a funny side note, whenever Eric pulls into the garage Will will stop what he is doing and run to the door. I'll open the door and he'll crawl down the stairs and then Eric will let him play in the front seat of the car. That is his ULTIMATE favorite thing right now. He gets so mad when we take him out. Funny.

17 Months

2011-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Here we go...

Likes

Trains, especially Thomas
Playing in the car (parked)
His grandparents, of course
Saying the words apple and hat and thousand other words (Not to brag or anything)
Eating yogurt
Trucks, cars, vans, motorcycles, or any motorized vehicle
To blow on things (anything) and said "hot."
His Daddy
Going through tunnels (aka legs)
His thumb
Nevada
His dog blanket
Pointing out his body parts
"Visiting" nursery
Animals
Reading
The toy section at the store
Slides
Our little Webster friends...and the big ones too.
Playing peekaboo behind the couch
Playing outside
Saying no, no, no when he knows he's doing something wrong
Playing in the bathtub, preferably with no water
Putting our shoes on
Waving
Naps, oh wait, that's on my "likes" list

Dislikes

Too long of car rides
People that get all up in his grill
Eric's co-worker that growl and making silly noises at him
Getting his diaper changed
Being brought inside
Getting clothes put on. Anything that prevents him from doing what he wants to do
Lions

I'm happy that the likes list is longer than the dislikes list. Sometimes it seems that it's just the opposite.

Norris' 17 month "at home weigh in"

25 lbs.

(Sounds like he's on The Biggest Loser)

We love our Norris-A-Saurus!

Glutenfest, I mean Gluttonfest

2011-12-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

This year the 9th annual Gluttonfest was held at our house. Of course it was the ultimate Gluttonous affair. There was bacon wrapped bread sticks, super sweet sweet potatoes, Paula Dean macaroni and cheese, smoked turkey, sausage stuffing, and the list goes on, and on, and on.

The Commemerative Cake

Who gave these two a camera?

The cute babies!

The Spread

The Group

The Degraaffs

It was Jon's 30th birthday and his request was a turkey leg with a candle on top. There you go! There is no better way to spend a birthday.

The after party. Wild.

There is nothing like sharing in some weight gain with friends!

A Very Jackson Hole Anniversary

2011-11-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

We went to Jackson Hole this past weekend to celebrate our anniversary (which is today). We left Will with the grandparents and we were off! It was kind of a snowy drive but once it cleared up it was BEAUTIFUL. We enjoyed some Bubba's Bbq, soaking in the hot tub, DQ blizzards, and just relaxing.

Look how good we are at talking self portraits. Eric hates doing this.

It's crazy that we've been married for six years. Eric already has to tuck me in early for bed...how early will he be tucking me in in 40 years??? Oh boy.

I also got these super cute flowers yesterday for the occasion.

Love him!

My Favorite Things

2011-11-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

No, I don't think I'm Oprah, but I do have a few favorite things lately and I thought I just might share.

The Sneaky Chef

Up All Night

Pinterest, of course

Michelle's cute new store

Zumba is so fun. Gives me an excuse to have a dance party at the gym!

Catwalk Dry Shampoo for those bad hair days...

Jillian Michaels DVDs
Yes, she's kind of annoying but helpful

I guess you could say that I'm grateful for these things.
I'm more grateful for my great husband, my redheaded troublemaker, my home, our families, the gospel, and MUCH MUCH MORE!!

I am blessed with more than I deserve.

We are having Thanksgiving at our house this year. Super exciting!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night!!

Books, Books, & More Books

2011-11-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Will and I'm addicted to books

This child loves books. He'll bring me book, after book, after book. He will climb up on my lap and let me read him tons of books. He especially enjoys truck/tractor books. He will grab a book and if he knows he doesn't like it he'll just chuck it to the side. I have to go to the library every week so I don't get sick of them. We read about a semi truck driver named Tyler at least 30 times last week. By the end of the week I wanted to set fire to Tyler and his semi truck!!
Okay, it wasn't that bad.

Halloween and Much, Much, More

2011-11-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

We dressed up as the Village People for Halloween. Hot, I know. Will, Eric, Boy, Sarah, and I dressed up for Summer's annual Halloween bash. I personally don't have our group picture, but I'm working on it. Will, was the Indian Chief because he had the six pack for it. He LOVED keeping his "headress" on. Okay, he didn't. Don't worry, we kept him warm and only let him be topless indoors. The party was great other than the fact that Will was deathly afraid of Beaker (Summer). Otherwise, we had a great time.

On a more boring note, we've been planting trees at our house. I'm paranoid that they aren't going to make it through the sad, cold winter here. I'm mostly afraid for this more expensive spruce tree. Not so much for the $30 Home Depot trees. Pray that Spooky the Spruce makes it...

Will, myself, and the Websters went to the Dairy Keen the other day. It is horrible to have to control this kid. He's so wiggly. Thank goodness Ms. Annie loves Will and Will loves Annie. She was great entertainment. Here are some cute pictures of them. So funny!

On Saturday we went up north to visit the Eyres and see their adorable new house. Oh boy, did we have fun? Yes. They are super close to Smith and Edwards so we had to stop by. Can you believe that both Eric and I have never been there? Weird, huh? It was awesome and everyone should have S & E on their bucket lists. We went to eat and Will even got to play with Mya the dog. He was in heaven!

(And no, we did not eat at Iggy's)

That Was One CRAZY Nap

2011-10-20T10:23:00.001-07:00

I got this head of hair out of his crib yesterday. Whoa!
That must have been one SERIOUS nap.

We Love To...

2011-10-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Play outside

Jump on the trampoline

Swing

Pose for pumpkin pictures

Dress in daddy's post church apparel

Wear sunglasses

Dress the same as grandpa, not even planned (unlike the daddy dress alike).

Eat oranges

Watch videos with uncle Ryan

Who's A Godma? I'M A GODMA!!

2011-10-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a godma!! What, do you ask, is a godma? It was a term coined by Ms. Rachel herself. The following is actually my own personal meaning. Every godma is different. :)

Godma--A person who is obsessed with a child. A person that loved them before they even knew them. A person that waited for their arrival for many months. A person that buys things for them because they want the child to like them more than their parents. A person that finds them bragging about a child that is not even their own. A person that hogs cuddling time and simply does not care. That is what a godma is.

Why have I not posted pictures sooner? Well, I don't freaken know!! We got to meet this little guy this past weekend. Mr. Collin is adorable and it turns out I'm in love. Don't we all look so cute together?

Of course we pile all the kids onto Jake. Will LOVED him...and his sunglasses.

Yes, my child has his 4th of July shirt on and yes, I had just woken up for the day in my photo with Collin.

Our friends really have the most adorable kids!

Why Not?

2011-09-23T09:58:00.001-07:00

Last night Eric was mowing the lawn. Will, of course, wanted to go outside and play too. We walked around the house, picked flowers (which I desperately tried to put a stop to), and checked out all of the interesting cars that went by. Will kept trying to turn on the hose so Eric had a bright idea for us to water a few of our new trees. I was a little leery but I thought he would enjoy it. Right when I turned on that hose and saw him going for the water I realized, water and dirt made MUD! I ran to the back of the house to turn the hose off. When I got back, Will had sat right down in the mud and dug right in. First, I was mad and annoyed. I was mostly annoyed that Eric had such a dumb idea. Now I had to hose this child off. Well, I got over my annoyance and called Eric over to look at his muddy Norris. It was pretty funny and he was having a ball. We let him play for a minutes and then Eric really did hose him off. I can only imagine what the neighbors thought of us hosing off our nearly naked child in our front yard.

If they bring it up, I'll just bring up the fact that their boys were throwing rocks into the road the other day. HA! :)

Take that!

Whistle While You Work

2011-09-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

If you think that a 14 month old is too young for work, you're sorely mistaken. We put Will to work bright and early in the morning. He starts off his morning by mopping the floor. He then moves onto the laundry. Once he's finished with that, he cleans out the pantry and washes the windows. He then finishes off his chores for the day by rearranging the furniture.

If only those naps didn't get in the way...

By mopping the floor I really mean grabbing the mop when I leave it for two minutes. By helping with the laundry, I really mean taking out all of the clothes in the basket and pushing it around the house. By rearranging furniture I actually mean just that. He'll push the dining chairs and high chair all around the kitchen. Cleaning out the pantry is really unloading everything off the shelves and washing the windows is really leaving cute baby prints on them...

I hope he's not expecting some sort an allowance.

New Favorite Book

2011-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

We accidentally stole this book from Grandma Virtue's house. I believe it was intended for Christmas. Ooops. It's a good thing we did steal it, because this child loves it. New favorite book! He points out the little blue truck and everything. This kids loves books. I love that he will go over to our book stack and will just open the books and flip through them. So funny. He also will sit on my lap and read quite a few books before he's onto his next adventure.
Our little bookworm baby!

When I was trying to take his picture with his book all he wanted was the remote. We're a little contradictory around here.

Norris Update

2011-09-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Will has been going crazy lately. I thought I was in trouble when he started rolling over, then I thought I was in trouble when he started crawling, and so on. Well, we have really been getting wild around here. This last week he's been climbing up on the couch and loves to stand up and run across it. He used to get into things, but now he's smart enough to do some serious damage!

He is starting to say a lot more words. He'll say hat, bubbles, yeah, and others. He claps and waves. He really is getting funnier by the day.

We were out working in the yard the other day and the chickens from next door came by and Will loved them. Of course, he had to chase them down. I was not sure if the chickens like it or hated it. I guess they were just playing a little game of chicken. They wanted to see who would get closer to the other without chickening out.

He is starting to hate being put into his car seat. He does not like to be restricted and always was to be traveling around.

Will loves to hang out with Eric. They play steamroller and go outside. Will loves when Eric sneaks up on him. He'll jump because he is startled and then he'll laugh and laugh. They are a funny combo.

We went to Summer and Jake's reception last night and he sat and watched their slideshow for like 10 minutes and then clapped at the end. Funny!

He is totally into trucks. He'll drive them all around the house and put funny things in the dump trucks. I guess we need to learn the word truck next.

Funny boy!

Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii!!

2011-08-29T15:42:00.001-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Hawaii?? Well, I do. It might be obvious that I love Hawaii given the fact that we've been there three times now. I really would be fine with Hawaii being the only destination for my vacations for the rest of my life.

We left the redheaded Norris in the very capable and over-caring hands of the grandparents. I'm pretty certain he was in heaven. Vacation for us, vacation for him.

The reason for our trip was to attend the wedding of our dearest Summer and her man Jake. Let me just ask, why did I not get married in Hawaii? Dumb. It was absolutely beautiful. It was so nice and laid back. I don't think they could have gotten one bad picture. Not only a beautiful place but a beautiful couple. Loved it!

We were able to fit in a few other activities other than the wedding. Mostly we relaxed and played....oh, and ate.

We started off the trip with our rental car selection. Eric requested a Crown Victoria online. What? Weird. Well, once we got there Eric was quick friends with the worker at the rental place and we ended up with the "Sebring of 2011" which is what Eric liked to call it. Most people just call it a Jeep Wrangler. It was pretty awesome to ride in. I then accidentally directed us to the air force base. Where, in order to turn around Eric had to present his I.D (now they have him on file). Oops.

We found our way to the beach, of course, where we enjoyed lots of boogie boarding and sand in our ears, swimming suits, and every place imaginable. It was nice and warm, but not too warm. Perfect.

We had a pool day with Derrek. The three of us went on the slide at the resort. The girl supervising the slide got a kick out of Derrek and Eric going on the slide over and over again. I even heard a little boy in the pool say "look at those big guys going on the slide". It was pretty funny.

We tried and re-tried all the local food joints around on the north shore. We tried the Hukilau cafe in 50 First Days, Ted's Bakery, Dole ice cream, a very tasty smoothie/ice cream shop, and a plethora of shaved ice places. I wish I loved shaved ice more. I was so close to ordering the Hukilau Special. Who doesn't want a WHOLE CAN of Vienna Sausages???

It was such a fun vacation and we got to share it with the crazy, yet fun, Degraaff family. Hilarious!

I'm already ready for my next trip!!

Lagoon Day

2011-08-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

We decided to go ahead and go to Lagoon with the Vawdreys, against my better judgment. Solely, for the fact that I was certain Will would only last a few moments. Well, when I think that Will is going to be bad, he is usually perfect. That is exactly what he was on our Lagoon trip. He walked around, rode rides, strolled everywhere, and seemed to have a grand time. He rode the train and the carousel (MANY times). We were so glad we went. It seemed like everyone had a great time. It was so fun to watch all of the cousins going on the different rides. I was so surprised how good the little girls did on those big kid rides. I'm certain they were less scared than I. A special thanks to the Vawdreys for such a fun day.

Demolition Derby, Baby!

2011-08-17T12:15:00.001-07:00

We attended the Heber demolition derby a few weeks back. Our plan was to have someone watch Will, but that didn't work out. In true Will fashion he got upset after about 20 minutes and I was stuck walking him around the grounds. It would not have been so bad had I not done a lot of upper body weights earlier in the day. It also would not have been so bad had I realized I was hanging out near the chain smoking women's work release program (don't worry we didn't hang around very long). After my arms were giving way and my second hand smoke limit was reached I decided to head home. The car was, of course, parked a mile away.
Sad.
At least everyone else had a good time watching the wreckage and the mayheim!

Way to take one for the team Laura,

or so I kept telling myself.

12 Months Old Pictures and Stats

2011-08-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

I have a few more of Will's pictures from our photo shoot a few months ago. He's pretty good at flashing a cheesy smile. I don't know where he got the open mouth smile, but it's pretty hilarious. He sure is a happy guy...for the most part.

I forgot to put on here his 12 month stats. I mostly do this for my so called "journaling".

Weight- 22.2 lbs. 41%
Height- 29.9 Inch 55%
Head- 18.9 in 89%

Charleston "Chew" Run

2011-08-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

New Heber friend Candace and I did the Charleston Chew Fun Run (It really wasn't called that, but for some reason I thought it fit) a few weeks back. It was her first race and she did spectacular! Best new friend EVER!

Baby's First Haircut

2011-08-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Kimmy was in town so we decided to do a little shearing of the redheaded baby. No worries, we didn't take too much off. Grandmother Virtue would NOT allow that. We tried to bribe him with treats but he was not a huge fan of the hair cutting process. I don't know if it was the zebra print cape, the spray bottle, or the fact that we were trimming away his lovely locks. We survived nonetheless.

This is the face he made every time Kimmy used the spray bottle.
Love it.

Will's charming "after" shot

Each Life That Touches Ours For Good

2011-08-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

When I did my marathon a couple of months ago I learned a few things. It seems odd to think that I had divine intervention with something so trivial, but I felt it there. I don't really think that I realized how many rolling hills were in the course. My head was not really prepared for them. We mostly went downhill on our long runs with a few hills here and there. These were all throughout the course. It seemed like once I got over one hill there was another up ahead. What I kept remembering was that once I got to the top of a hill I got to come down. Whenever I was thinking about things getting hard I thought about how my sister was doing the same thing with me. There were all sorts of people spread about the course and they all seemed to be telling me the same thing, "you've got this". I did have it. I knew they were there to remind me I did. I also kept thinking about my family at the end of the race. I would see Eric, Will, my parents, and brother. They would be expecting me.

The more I've thought about this experience, the more I realize how close this experience mirrors life. We face ups and downs. We have our family and friends as help and support. We have people whispering in our ears that "we've got this". We'll see our family at the end if we do everything expected of us.

This past week my grandfather McNeel passed away. In the back of my head I had this experience in my head. He was at the finish. He was meeting his family at the end. We were all there to see him to the finish and he had family meeting him after the finish. I keep thinking about what my dad said at the funeral. He said that everyone gathers at the birth of a new baby and we also gather at the death of a loved one. How beautiful.

I am so grateful for my family, for my knowledge of life after death, and for the wonderful grandparents I have been blessed with. I have learned so much from his life. He got an education, he served his country, worked hard for his family, and taught us to work and play hard.

He has always had a very special place in my heart, and will continue to have that special place. I hope that I can follow his wonderful example of a strength and greatness.

My favorites

How much my husband loved him.

How he always had candy and gum.

How he loved to read.

How he gave me grasshoppers instead of candy one day. I squeezed and killed them.

Him and his squirrels.

How he used to say adios.

His sweater with the hole in the armpit.

His moccasins.

His hugs.

Sitting by him in church and how he'd walk past us to get to his spot and would jokingly sit on our laps.

How hard he worked.

His hats he wore on top of his head.

The way he loved and held Will.

His frozen Hostess pies.

The one legged crow.

His garden and how we once put pumpkin seeds in when he wasn't looking. It was the biggest pumpkin EVER and he did not even know we had planted it. How is that possible?

The way he loved his country.

His boots.

Ah, I will miss him. 90 years still did not seem long enough.

No worries, we have more.

A Very Ryan & Michelle Wedding

2011-07-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we attending Ryan and Michelle's wedding. It was a lovely affair and we are so happy for the two of them. We had a great time catching up with the regulars. Last wedding I attending was with Derrek, (Boy and Sarah's) since Eric was working. This wedding I walked in with Boy. Eric insisted I should have my picture taken with all of my potential suitors. HA! I guess I should keep my options open if Eric divorces me.

I like how the picture of my favorite suitor of all was out of focus. Come on Laura!

I, of course, did not get a picture of the bride and groom. I just got foolish pictures!! I had to pull a picture from my photo archive. She did look very beautiful and had the cutest dress.

Oh, and we also got to hang out with this cute pair. This little one is just PERFECT!

Best of all, Derrek got a parting gift. LUCKY!

Congratulations to Ryan and Michelle. Ryan made a fabulous choice!
Oh, and so did Michelle...

1st Birthday

2011-07-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

What do you do for your 1st birthday?

You eat the couch

You play with the remote

You eat a tasty lunch

You play outside and watch Daddy prepare the pig roasting pit

You open some presents

And play with your new toys

But for the day AFTER your birthday you...

Have a pig roast!!!

and invite 50 of your closest friends

THAT is how you celebrate a 1st birthday!
Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed Summer the pig.
Will was so happy to celebrate with all of you.

1 Year Old

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has flown. This time last year I was having contractions, getting an epidural, and getting this baby out. My life has changed entirely from this time last year. I went from working all day long to staying home all day. We were living in Riverton and now we aren't. I showered in peace, now I don't. We were a family of two instead of three. It has been such an adjustment. I know that there are a lot of mothers that just seamlessly flow into being a mother. I don't think that I was one of those mothers. Needless to say I would not have had it any other way. We've learned and grown. We've (me) increased our patience (Eric already had patience). We've gotten a glimpse of what our parents have sacrificed for us. I can't tell you how blessed we are to have this crazy little guy in our family. Though he may try my patience sometimes, I love him beyond anything I could ever imagine.

Happy Birthday Will!

12 Month Stats:

-We are taking steps people!

-Loves playing with his new dump truck Grandma and Grandpa Virtue gave him for his birthday.

-Last night Eric would say to hand something to Mama and he'd hand it to me and then I would tell him to give it to daddy and he'd give it to Eric. Pretty cute.

-Loves to swing. Especially at Grandma and Grandpa Vawdrey's house.

-We're working on the sippy cup. He will drink out of it but not much. He likes to drink water out of a cup. He's usually drenched from it, but likes it nonetheless.

-Babbles and jabbers like a crazy man. Michelle calls him the squawker.

-Loves watching the landscaping and machines outside.

-Does not like to nap when there is a lot going on. He just wants to be a part of the action.

-Goes up and down the stairs as fast as the wind.

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July weekend was filled with fun times. We first headed down to the Riverton Chuck Wagon breakfast, which is now a tradition. After we were done with the mediocre food we went ahead and had lunch at Pat's BBQ with some of our favorite people. It was VERY tasty and we were very FULL!

Afterward, we returned to Riverton for some family fun and Al's band's rockin' concert. I was very impressed. If only the baby was good. Eric and I each got to listen to about half of it. I'm glad we were able to go. I've never known anyone that was in a band before...other than the marching band (Veronica, Michelle, and Kimberly). HA!

We headed up to Idaho directly after the concert. We like to go to Idaho at night so the baby sleeps. He can only stay happy for so long in the car. We had a fabulous time in Idaho. We had another BBQ, did some party planning, and some doughnut eating. Michelle took family pictures, which I guilt Eric into. Pictures with a baby is A LOT of work. I can't believe that we got any good pictures, but we did. We celebrated Mayor Mike's birthday (which is really today). We got him some new pool towels, some dots, and a swing for him and Will.

We had fun with Great Grandma and Grandpa Mcneel. I'm pretty certain that Grandma Joan is obsessed with this child. She loves his red hair and I mean LOVES! She talked about him and his red hair the entire time we were with her. She is such a fun grandma and great grandma. We are lucky that Will has been able to meet his great grandparents!

The pictures are from my phone so they aren't my best. Sorry, if you were expecting my normal "professional" photography skills. HA!

My View While I Do Dishes

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

Makes it a little less painful

Tag, You're IT!

2011-06-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Will LOVES tags. He finds them everywhere. For instance, he finds the tags on the camping chairs, Eric's slippers (very small tags), the bath mat, and on any and every blanket. Once he spots a tag he'll automatically stick his thumb in his mouth. He could sniff out a tag from MILES away.
Very interesting...

Another thing, a lot of people ask me where he gets his red hair. I don't really know how to respond. Sometimes I just tell them that his grandpa has red hair instead of telling them...me? HELLO???

I am BEYOND Backed Up...Not Literally, Of Course

2011-06-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

What have we been doing?

Well, let me tell you...

We got a pet Llama named Dolly (Thank you Hardmans, I think?)

Home Depot Trips...which I LOVE.

An old lady birthday

Which included an iphone, a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie (Not my idea), time with the fam, and other great things.

Hanging at the park with these crazy (yet fun) people.

Planning a trip here...

Watching this transform into hopefully something good.

Most importantly we celebrated Father's Day.

Couldn't help but post the hot pictures of Eric in his scrub-fit.

Wow, that is quite the fabulous list and summer has only just begun.

Loving it.

P.S. It's this wonderful mother's birthday today.

Happy Birthday!!

I Love My Ducks!

2011-06-13T09:43:00.001-07:00

We went to see the ducks this last week at the park. It was an awesome day. I even had Will wear his "I Love My Ducks" t-shirt that he got from Kenley a couple of months ago. I wanted the ducks to know that we loved them and that there was no need to attack my cute little baby. Well...

It worked.

Maybe the ducks should have worn a t-shirt that said "I love my Will".
Look at this attack face!

11 Months

2011-06-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

We're almost to the year mark, which is insane!

Someone stop this train.

-Will is starting to get into EVERYTHING. He gets into the cupboards, turns on the t.v., turns on the faucet in the bath tub, and unloads all of the dvds from the t.v. stand. It's getting crazy around here!

-Still loves to go for walks and rides (if they aren't too long).

-Enjoys feeding himself bananas, peas, hot wings, and other various finger foods (okay, I'm joking about the hot wings).

-LOVES when his Daddy comes home (I didn't think I was that bad).

-Is very intrigued by ceiling fans.

-Will beg for food even if he doesn't want any of it.

-He has 4 top teeth and two bottom teeth.

-Hates to get dressed, have his face cleaned, and especially hates shoes.

-Likes to go up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down the stairs.

-Loves yogurt.

-We busted out our Little People farm the other day. He did NOT like the animal noises that the toy made.

-My phone no longer works because of the Will monster.

LOVE THIS KID!
(even if he can be a serious pain sometimes)

These are the majority of the shots that I got. :)

Fun, fun EVERYWHERE!

2011-06-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

We are already having an awesome summer. So much better than this time last summer...when I looked like this. Ugh, how am I ever going to talk myself into that again?

We went up American Fork canyon with some of Eric's family early in the afternoon on Friday. We had a grand time just hanging in the raft, cooking hot dogs over a fire, and having some awesome smores. It was a perfect day with fun people! Will loves to hang out with his cousins and especially Grandma Vawdrey.

We also had a few special visitors come and stay with us this weekend. Will got in some forced walking, squeezed cheeks, and even some bath time with Rachel. He loved every minute of it!

Will's attire is another post entirely!

I love summer and I'm so happy that the weather is nice enough to actually CALL it summer. Hooray!!

What We've Been Up To

2011-06-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

We had an enjoyable time in Blackfoot for the Memorial Day Weekend. We went swimming, attended the Memorial Day service, ate delicious waffles, checked out the flooding (the flooding was not very enjoyable), and hung out with Teddy Ruxbin.

(They seem to have the same color fur)

We also went to Bridal Veil Falls yesterday and strolled Will around the trail there. We cruised around Sundance a little bit too. I had never been up there and it was so beautiful. We love having Eric home for a few days!

On another note, Will is starting some serious terrorizing. He's climbing the stairs, eating the crib, and getting into lots of interesting things. There are fun times ahead!

(Did this all by himself)

I love me a bowlful of crib!

Baby Thighs

2011-05-26T14:13:00.001-07:00

Can't beat a nice pair of baby thighs!

It's done.

2011-05-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

I survived.

Michelle and I headed up to Ogden on Friday night. We picked up our bibs (which was annoying), ate pasta, and got our gear together. I left my water bottles to my water belt at home (which was also annoying). We went to bed early and had little luck sleeping with the room being 1 BILLION degrees. We got up at 4:00, got ready, and headed out for the bus. I of course sat in front of a guy that talked about how he does 100 milers and that this was just a training race for him. HA! We read trashy magazines until they had us line up. Michelle likes to bring trashy magazines for important days in my life like marathons and the birth of my child.

I had not been nervous a whole lot until we started running and I had a minor freak out and realized this was really happening. I like to stay in denial until the last minute. We started running and I was feeling pretty stiff but slowly I felt better.

I was thinking that it was going to be a LOT colder and cloudier than it was. I planned on wearing my long sleeved shirt. I had sunscreen on my face but not on my arms or neck (stupid, I know). It started to get pretty warm so I decided to take my long sleeved shirt off. Then I thought of my fair self and freaked out that I was going to get fried. I asked some volunteers at the water table if they had sunscreen and a guy said that he had some in his car. I waited and he came back and said that he actually didn't. I took off. Another guy ran after me and he had some in his hand. I took it and started spraying it but I couldn't get my back. He took care of it and sprayed me down. Then I gave him my number...jokes.

I felt pretty good during the whole thing. The last couple of miles are what I hated. I think that is always the worst part of the long runs. They always seem so long. I got to the finish area and saw Eric and Will, my parents, and Ryan. It was so good to see them!! It felt so good to be done.

I could not have done it without Mickey and Tasha. They kept me training and got me to do my long runs on Saturday, which I dreaded. I know that I talked them into this but they helped me through it.

I have been super sore the past couple of days but it has slowly gotten better. People ask if I'd do it again. I'm not totally against doing another one but I have other things that I want to do. I'd be fine not doing another.

Here is the list of the random spots I got sunburned...

1. The back of my ankles.

2. My right arm minus where my watch and my ipod armband was.

3. My chest

4. Random lines on my shoulders.

Yes, I look like a freak.

The Final Countdown (Music Excerpt Here)

2011-05-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

"You’ve done hard things in the past and this is nothing you can’t handle. We do hard things because we like to prove to ourselves that we can do hard things."

Michelle has sent me marathon tips everyday for this last week before our marathon. She sent an email today with an excerpt from an email she received from the marathon master J.L. That is where I got the above quote. I realized that is why I'm doing this. It's been a hard year. A year full of change and challenges. I know that a lot of people go through A LOT of hard things, things so much harder than myself. This marathon training has helped prove to myself that I've still got what it takes. I know that I can do this hard thing and I'm certain it won't be the last.

May the marathon gods smile upon me!

You've Been Outfoxed

2011-05-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this out of the corner of my eye the other day and rushed for the camera. That danged fox took off with one of the neighbor's chickens. I tried to chase him down so I could eat the chicken but he was too fast. I know, you're disappointed. Get off my case, I'm an endurance runner not sprinter!

10 Months

2011-05-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

This boy gets crazier and busier every month, I swear. Will is officially 10 months. Time really does fly.

Here's our monthly update.

-Will went through a biting stage this month. I'm afraid that he struck Grandpa Virtue, Grandma Vawdrey, Eric, and myself (multiple times). Let me know if I left anyone out.

-He's got two more teeth on the top and two more coming. Teething-fest 2011-Woo hoo!

-Will has started to feed himself quite well, though he makes a serious mess when doing so.

-He crawls perfectly, stands against the couch for long periods of time, and can stand on his own for a very short time.

-Pulls himself up on anything or anyone.

-He loves to squawk and scream like a schoolgirl...a very loud schoolgirl.

-The other day he played with a bottle of spray butter like it was the best toy in the world.

-Loves to be around other little kids, especially his cousins.

-Likes to take his pants off and knock over the stalker camera in the crib.

I don't know why I love this picture so much, but I do.

A Prickly Poll

2011-05-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

I shave my legs about 6 times a week (sometimes more). Sometime I even shave my legs twice a day. I realize this is not the norm and I haven't always been this way. I am not the best wife in too many ways, so I pride myself in the fact that I have a great leg shaving record.

The other day Eric was commenting that I had prickly legs. It may have been one of my days off in addition to some goosebumps. I told him that he was a lucky guy to have a girl that shaved her legs so much and that he should be grateful for my desire for smooth legs.

How often do you shave? I can then prove my point!
Tell on your wife, if you must.

Easter Festivities

2011-04-25T11:52:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our Easter festivities yesterday. I stole most of them from Heidi. We did some Easter egg hunting, some grass sitting (which we DID NOT care for), some swinging, and some bunny visiting. I'd say that makes for a pretty good Easter!

Maybe not...

2011-04-21T08:59:00.001-07:00

Can a woolly winter hat double as a helmet? I'm considering having the baby just wear it all day, everyday, to prevent bumps on the head. We've had a few in the past few weeks. He's really starting to crawl and stand all over the place now. We might run into a snag once summer comes...

Yes, he's holding a bingo stamper and yes, I realize your judging my parenting.

Input Please!

2011-04-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, we just bought a house with an acre of property. Yes, I know we don't have horses. Yes, I know we are not farmers. Yes, I know it will be more trouble than it's worth. I just wanted to hear any ideas or advice for this springtime feat. Please comment and tell me what you love about your yard, what you hate about your yard, or what you dream for your future yard.

Please comment, pronto!

9 Months

2011-04-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Will monster turned 9 months Friday. What a journey we've been on so far!! What have I learned from being a parent so far? Patience isn't always a virtue. How was I born into a family with such a last name?

-Will loves a good mango/pear concoction.

-Loves to be outside. The stupid snow keeps us locked up.

-He's a serious crawler now...seriously.

-Eric was saying "scat" to a cat in our backyard so the baby would see it and resulted in some serious giggles. Grandpa Vawdrey took full advantage and spent the entire Sunday afternoon playing kitty, kitty, kitty, SCAT!

-It takes practically an hour (slight exaggeration) to change his diaper. He wiggles, rolls, and reaches. He's a slippery little fish!

-A couple of nights ago I decided to just keep him in his shirt he wore that day and then change his bottoms for pajamas (I'm an impressive mom, I know). He ended up with his "Freddy Krueger" top (As Eric calls it) and I put on some non matching striped bottoms. We're calling him stripes now.

-Still sleeping like a champ, like always. 8:30 to about 7:00.

-He's making all sorts of funny sounds.

-Did I mention, he doesn't do well at church?

-Still has just the two teeth.

-His 9 month appointment was a few weeks ago. He weighed in at 20.5 lbs and 27.56 inches long. His head percentile is dropping in the ranks at 87%. Still impressive.

-Has dove (literally) for pizza, old fashioned donuts at the store, and cookies.

Utterly Ridiculous

2011-04-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

When it comes to entertaining the baby I'm ridiculous. Especially if I'm alone. I would sing (even though I'm not a singer) and dance all day if I could. Sometimes we have dance parties where we sing Kelly Clarkson and other miscellaneous artists. I'll hand over the microphone to the baby and he'll bring it home. As an adult you don't really get too many chances to be ridiculous and silly (unless you drink alcohol). What is it about a child that brings out the child in you? This baby loves my antics and I love him!

My Life Would Suck Without You
-K.C.

Amazon and Marathon Update

2011-03-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm officially obsessed with Amazon. I now subscribe to a variety of items that are automatically shipped to me every month, or every couple of months. I have diapers, detergent, toilet paper, and more shipped to me. I don't have to pay shipping and they arrive in a day or two of when I place the order. ALSO, I get a discount for subscribing to these items. It's especially handy now that I live in this beautiful valley where there is no Target or Walmart (coming soon). Cool, huh? You should try it.

On an entirely different note, the marathon training is chugging along. We do 18 miles this weekend. Is that even humanly possible? I'll let you know (because I'm the ultimate human example). No one told me what this feat would entail! That I would deal with stomach issues, gels, water, sick of running-ness, gatorade, wind, water belts, pre-long run anxiety, new shoes, iPod staleness, and MUCH MUCH MORE!! The upside is that I have sister Mickey by my side. Only less than two months to go.

Thank goodness!!!

I'll stop complaining now because it's my own fault.

P.S. Remember when Eric did a half marathon? HA! He must have really loved me back then.

New iPod?

2011-03-28T13:55:00.001-07:00

Can someone take my iPod and refill it with all new amazing running songs? I am SO sick of my iPod I could throw it across the room. Maybe I could trade with someone that has the same music taste as I do. I should create some type of iPod exchange program.
I wish I was still in college and had access to a boatload of music.
Sigh.
Sniffle.

Why?

2011-03-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Why aren't all pants like this?

Lucky babies.

It's Swimming Time

2011-03-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Will went to the swimming pool for the first time on Saturday with Grandpa Virtue (since grandpa is known for his mad swimming skills and only wanted to learn from the best). We went to a fun little pool in Kamas. At first, he wasn't too sure about it. I think we got into the thick of things too quickly and it kind of scared him. Too many strange people and things. I was afraid we'd only get to stay for a few minutes. We decided to get out for a minute and regroup. We went back into a more quiet area and then he did GREAT. We had grandma and Ryan there cheering us on, taking pictures, and holding on to all of our stuff. He kicked and splashed and had a grand time! We might have to return again soon.

Will in chicken mode

Warming up

Enjoying life

The post swim nap

Finding new ways to be a lazy parent...

2011-03-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

Why didn't anyone tell me about this?

Love it!

8 Months

2011-03-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, I'm sure most of you don't really care about these details or milestones but I find it easy to post it on here, so here we go----

-Will has turned in the wiggliest baby in town. I think I might get him a sash to wear.

-He has thinned out a little bit. I was looking at pictures from a few months ago and he looked like a serious CHUNKY MONKEY.

-He is like a dog with strangers. He wants to look, smell, and chew on you before you can be his friend. Don't surprise him or come up to him too quick because he'll do a lip quiver and start bawling.

-He is 90% crawling. He has started, but is not efficient at it yet. I'm scared for the day.

-He likes bananas and beans (yuck). He really doesn't hate any food, he just eats some less happily.

-I'll put the phone up to his ear and have my family talk to him. He loves it and will get a huge smile on his face.

-He's starting to terrorize the crib.

-He had his first sickness this month. The upside of his cold was that it made him nap like a champ!

This kid is such a boy. He's crazy, funny, and BUSY. I can't imagine when he starts walking.
HEAVEN HELP ME!

We love this boy.

Remember Him?

2011-02-25T14:44:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know you remember him. I had been complaining my entire adult life about how I never got a Teddy Ruxpin as a child. A few years ago all of my dreams came true. My dad went searching on Ebay to find me one and ended up purchasing three. Yes, he bought three! He busted out three of those damn bears for my birthday. It was quite hilarious. Those bears ended up in the upstairs closet at my parent's house. Obviously, I did not really want a Teddy Ruxpin that much. We visited last weekend and I found those bears and I started planting them where my dad would find them and then...we had a photo shoot.

I omitted Michelle and Mother's pictures because I think they might kill me for posting them on here. I'm not scared of Ryan, Dad, or the baby, but maybe I should be.

No death threats, please.

My favorite part is the Will has his arm around Teddy. Like they are BFF's.

Photo Shoot---OW OW!

2011-02-23T08:43:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago our friends Nate, Brynn, and Lucas came and visited. We had a grand time at the train restaurant, looking at the ice castles, and playing in very LARGE boxes. Brynn took a few pictures of Will while she was here. They turned out so cute, even though he was far too curious to do much smiling. Hopefully they can come back soon!!

And the most charming of them all!

We Need some Warm Weather PRONTO!

2011-02-13T14:35:00.001-08:00

This is what Eric and I do on Sunday afternoons, dress the baby up in his swimming suit.

7 Months Old

2011-02-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

Will is already 7 months old!! I really hate it when people get all mushy about how their baby is growing up blah, blah, blah. Mostly, I hate it because it depresses me. So stop doing it! I just like to live in the present and enjoy him as he is and take it all in. Here are his 7 month facts---

-I saw his first tooth poke through yesterday. Eric and I have thought that he has been getting teeth for months, now it's actually true.

-Will can be the most smiley, happy baby and he can also be the loudest and most ornery baby (especially at church and Super Bowl parties).

-He loves eating cereal and now is eating a plethora of other things. He eats peas, applesauce, avocado, prunes, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

-He's getting closer to crawling. He will lift his butt up in the air and army crawl. Trouble is brewing!

-He's making sounds that sound very much like DaDa. Very shady.

-He loves to jump on the bed (with the assistance of Eric or I).

-Loves watching ABC songs and phonics songs on YouTube.

-He smiles practically every time I take his picture (unless Brynn is taking them and then it's far too interesting to smile).

-Loves the remote, cell phones, paper, and cords.

-He's leery of new people. If you have a bunch of hair for him to eat then he's your best friend.

I haven't taken any glamour shots yet but this picture sums him up perfectly!

Get Your Sunglasses On

2011-02-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Can these ridiculously bright shoes make me run 26 miles? I sure as hell hope so!

That's what the people at the running store told me they would do.

OKAY, maybe that's not quite what they told me but that's what I imagined they said.

We Watched Aunt Mickey Today on T.V.

2011-02-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Booyah!!

2011-01-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

We're in the 97% for head size. Eat that small headed babies!!!

Anything but...

2011-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Will likes anything that is NOT a toy. Possibly things like craisin bags or dvd cases. I bet if we let him, he would eat an entire roll of wrapping paper. Maybe we should put him on that strange addiction show.

Crazy BABY!

Off to Maddox We Go!

2011-01-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

We went to the beloved land of Maddox a few weekends ago. It was a pleasure rubbing elbows with the bison and the elderly. We also enjoyed the company of friends and Maddox rolls. I'm afraid I could have possibly done without the friends...mostly because they were eating rolls that I could have eaten.

If you ever go to Maddox with Rob, don't let him tell you that well water is not that special. It is VERY special and VERY tasty. It is only second to the rolls.

My First New Friend

2011-01-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

Yep, he's in front of our porch. Why buy a fake one when you can have a real deer lawn ornament?

Mountain Fashion

2011-01-19T06:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I saw an older gentlemen in the parking lot of the grocery store wearing a sweater with a bear knitted into the back of it. I'm trying to get a feel for the fashion up here so I can fit in with the locals. My mom better get her knitting needles warmed up for a new bear sweater for Laura.

Another interesting bit of information is that we found an episode of I'm Pregnant and...a hoarder. Now that's great t.v.

We're in Train Country!

2011-01-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

We officially moved to train country. It's beautiful. It is SO quiet here I don't know what to do with myself. Maybe I'm just used to a thousand cars driving by my house everyday. I feel like I'm on vacation up here.

We moved everything in on Saturday. I was reminded how much I hate moving. You have to clean when you move out of a house and you have to clean to move into a house. I also realized how much STUFF we have. I can't imagine how much stuff a big family would have. I'm not buying anything for the next 20 years! We are grateful for everyone that helped us out.

We're excited for this new adventure and hopefully everyone will come visit because we LOVE visitors. Unless you're some creepy person that stalks my blog...you are not welcome.

First Christmas

2011-01-12T07:52:00.001-08:00

I know I'm really off on my postings. Here are a few photos from Christmas. It was really fun spending time in Idaho for Christmas. There is something great about being in the same place you grew up for Christmas. The baby had a grand time with all of the presents and attention. He came out like a bandit!

The only problem with the baby getting so many presents is that we had to open all of them!

Eric even tried stealing some of the baby's presents. Bad Dad!

The grandmas had the same idea for baby. Now he has a Little People Noah's Ark and Little People Farmyard. Great grandmas think alike!

The Pantry Challenge

2011-01-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

Ugh. I hate the Pantry Challenge. Trying to eat everything in the refrigerator and cupboards without going grocery shopping is so depressing. I realize I'm doing this so that I won't have to move it, but still. I had a peanut butter and honey sandwich for dinner. We have jerky, crackers, granola bars, cereal, a block of cheese, lots of condiments, and other random items. The upside is that we're probably saving money. If anyone wants to come over and have some jerky and applesauce...you're more than welcome. I think we even have some birthday candles we could light for you.

6 Months

2011-01-08T17:26:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was asking sister Mickey if people knew that their kids weren't cute. What if I had some sort mother blindness? What if I think that my kid is cute and he's not? I finally came to the conclusion that he is, in fact, a super cute 6 month old. Here's proof----

He's turned into a full fledged thumb sucker just in the past couple of weeks

Loves 10 Little Monkeys

He would roll across the street if we left the door open

No teeth yet

Loves his rice cereal. He even dives for it sometimes and I get worried for my life.

Loves to pull my hair

Cutest giggle

He is sleeping from 8:30 to 6:30

Loves Teddy Bear Picnic on YouTube (Creepy Version)

His hair is finally growing back

If you hand him anything it goes straight to his mouth

I often see mothers with babies that I think are Will's age and come to find out they are usually six months older than him. He's a sturdy sucker!

He's following in dear uncle Chuck's footsteps. He's got one mean roundhouse kick!

Mission Accomplish

2011-01-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

Baby gym defeated----Check

Stupid Crafts

2010-12-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Now I remember why I hate crafts. I do crafts maybe three times a year. Each time I do them I remember why I don't do them. First, I have to find the idea. Next, I have to go out and buy all of the stuff. Then I realize I don't have some of the stuff and I have to go buy more, and finally I do the damn craft and it looks like crap.

Now all I have is a mess.

Michelle, get up here and finish these stupid pin wheels!

5 Months Old Today!

2010-12-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

He rolls around like crazy. I'll turn around for a second and he'll be across the room.

He went to the doctor a few weeks ago and he was 17.3lbs. He was 76% for height and weight. He was 95% for head size (shocker). So he's healthy as a horse and is smart as one too.

He still LOVES to be sung to. He would listen to my sorry singing for hours.

He started eating rice cereal a few days ago and loves it.

He gets kind of weird with a lot of people.

He has the cutest giggle this side of the Mississippi.

He likes to play with his feet and pull off his socks.

He's been waking up extra early lately (like 4:45), which sucks.

He still loves his bath.

He sometimes does a very LARGE open mouth smile. It's huge.

He likes himself a dance party.

We love our little Norris to pieces!!

Googly Eyes

2010-12-04T05:57:00.000-08:00

I thought this was pretty fun. Uh...for the baby, of course.

So much Food so Little Time

2010-12-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

It's been an eventful past few weeks. We had our annual Gluttonfest party, an Idaho visit, Thanksgiving, and a wedding. WOW! A lot of fun times.

Gluttonfest was a great success, as always. The baby was distracting me from all of the good food though. I guess that was for the best. I made rolls, ate some DELICIOUS peanut butter pie, and also enjoyed some pre-Thanksgiving turkey. Derrek really knows how to throw a gluttonous feast!!

We had to make Meg feel better so we all showed off our Gluttonous bellies.

We also went to Idaho. We got to stay a few extra days because of the crazy snow storm (which was a real storm in Idaho). We loved to see some of our favorite people!

Next, we had real Thanksgiving dinner at Heidi and Al's house. We had a good time and really good food.

The last of our events included Boy and Sarah's wedding. It was SO good. Eric couldn't go because we got stuck in Idaho so he had to switch work days. I had to go with my alternate escort Derrek. We took the pace car and got to the wedding in 3 minutes flat. She looked BEAUTIFUL and we really had a good time other than my slip on the ice in front of the Bombay House.

I might be just down to sweatpants by the end of the year with all of this eating.

We are so grateful for such fun family and friends. I really can't get enough of them. We hope they know how much we LOVE THEM!

A Fun Game

2010-12-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun game that the baby and I like to play----

Baby rolls over on his stomach.

Baby then gets mad that he's on his stomach.

Mother wonders why he rolls over on his stomach if he hates it so much.

Mother rolls him back.

Repeat game over and over and over again!

If you in the Market

2010-11-19T07:19:00.001-08:00

If you are in the market for some super cute headbands or earrings search no more! Super cute sister has opened an Etsy shop and you'd better check it out HERE.

Happy Anniversary

2010-11-18T00:25:00.000-08:00

To the Best Husband in the World!!

Not every husband will act out childbirth with you.

5 years

Now that's a lot of years!

Too Many Toys? NEVER!

2010-11-17T14:26:00.001-08:00

My Infamous Tid Bits

2010-11-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

1. I've decided I should NOT wear a skirt to church that is at all on the shorter side (around the knee area). I need to start wearing prairie skirts down to my ankles so I don't flash anyone while I'm dealing with the baby.

2. I don't deal with change very well. Shocker, I know.

3. Sixteen and Pregnant is SO predictable. The couple gets pregnant. Boyfriend sucks. They have baby. Boyfriend sucks even more. The End.

4. I thought I had problems paying attention in church before the baby. Now I have a REAL problem.

5. There are A LOT of people in the drive through at McDonald's in the morning.

6. Would you believe this sign is in the window of some of our friends?

7. The Laura pig had more piglets. Hoorah! Rob thinks that the Laura pig and the Laura human have the same feelings, sicknesses, and moods. Intriguing.

8. Love Casper Babypants. Thanks, Miss Rachel.

9. There was an accident and now I'm signed up for a marathon.

10. We are eating at Rodizio on Friday and having a gluttonous Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. That's pretty disgusting.

Spinach, Spinach, and MORE Spinach

2010-11-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

Eric bought the biggest bag of spinach I've ever seen at Costco the other day. I bet you all are wondering why Eric bought spinach and not his regular GINORMOUS can of Que Bueno cheese (Okay, he really only bought that once and I think he got sick from it so he did not buy it again). I really don't know why. Maybe it was just a healthy impulse buy. I'm not sure.

Well, the next step is to figure out how we are going to eat it all. It's quite the challenge to think of how to integrate spinach into every meal. Last night I had a spinach salad, this morning I put it in an omelet, and I'm thinking of putting it on a pizza tonight. I'm going to look like Popeye in NO time. Let me know if you have some spinach idea. If I have a greenish hue the next time you see me you'll know why.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

2010-11-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

We went to Seattle this past weekend and we had a grand time. Okay, we had a grand time once we got there. It was the first time flying with the baby and let's be honest, I almost threw up from anxiety.

Once we got there I got to do some shopping with Rachel. We went to the Lululemon which is the best store EVER and I got this fabulous jacket.

The boys had a little fun too. On Sunday they went to the Seahawks game. They said it wasn't the best game but they had a lot of fun. Here's Eric in his ridiculous jersey he got on ebay.

Rachel and I also took Norris to a fun little shopping village where Norris got to ride on the cutest little train. I don't know who had more fun Rachel or Norris.

While we were there our dear friend Norris rolled over and he also turned 4 months old. He decided to roll over when we were all there just chatting. He'd been close for weeks and decided to show off for his Godmother Rachel. It was great that we all got to see it!

We had such a fun time and hopefully we'll be able to go again soon. We love those Hoermans!

Halloween Chuck Norris Style

2010-11-01T13:48:00.001-07:00

Norris, our little Walker Texas Ranger

A Case of the Giggles

2010-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

I never watch videos on people's blogs. I REALLY don't if it's a video of their kids. Don't feel obligated, because I wouldn't----

Also, don't judge my ridiculous mothering or my toenails.

Let's Just Say There Were a lot of Outtakes

2010-10-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

We love you a WHOLE BUNCH!!

Put it in the Oven for Baby and ME!

2010-10-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

The baby and I made caramel brownies yesterday. Will loved to watch me in the kitchen. We even posed with the spatula. Aren't we a charming couple?

Here's Will ready to eat the brownies but alas, the damn pediatrician won't let us feed him brownies. He's such a party killer.

TA DA!! The finished product.

I think we did a beautiful job. The teenagers at mutual seemed to enjoy them.

That's how we win friends, with baked goods.

A Night on the Town

2010-10-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

We left the baby the other night and went out to dinner and it was LOVELY. When Eric works multiple days in a row for 13 hours I start getting nutty and my eye starts twitching (not really) and I need to get OUT!! Nick and Suzanne were nice enough to take Will for the night. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our Snickers cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. YUM!

*Side note: I think the baby is starting to suck his thumb. Should I stop him?

I went to the gym...

2010-10-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I had the rest of the Golden Graham cereal and I should have known there would be trouble. I went to the gym and got back to this note...

Did I Mention We're Going to Seattle in...

2010-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

28 Days! Oh the memories.

But this time we're bringing this with us...

SCARY!

Laura & Will's Lullaby Playlist

2010-10-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

1. Give Said the Little Stream

2. Poker Face

3. 10 Little Monkeys

4. The Wise Man and the Foolish Man

5. The Piano Man (Ode to Veronica)

6. Little Bunny Fufu

7. The Muffin Man (Had to look up those lyrics---Who lives in Drury Lane)

8. ABC Song

9. I've Got Friends in Low Places (Another Ode to Veronica)

10. Popcorn Popping

11. An Assortment from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Ode to Aubri)

Will really seems to like singing even if the singer sucks...like me. Poor kid. It's funny how fast you run out of songs to sing. Maybe you guys should give me some new ideas.

If you would like a recording of my songs please send a check or money order.

Here's a cute pictures that Heidi took a while back and I found it the other day while I was looking through pictures and I thought I'd share.

Weekend Fun

2010-09-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend. Friday Eric had the day off so we decided to head up to the Uintas for a fishing adventure. We left the baby with his parents and bolted before they changed their minds. We went with Nate, Brynn, Lucas, and Mya. It was an awesome day, perfect actually. I hadn't been fishing or hiking for a while. We even got some hilarious parenting tips from Nate and Brynn.

My nice catch. I ended up catching 4 fish which was awesome. We ate them on Sunday and they were so very tasty!

Mya swimming in the EXTREMELY cold water

Lucas being forced to touch the fish!

Later that night we partied it up with Tyler for his birthday dinner. The baby wasn't having one of his better days. The baby was actually downright grumpy and things were taking longer than suspected so we were all on a very slippery slope. I've decided that a baby can really be a party killer sometimes. In addition to the baby being grumpy Eric fed me a allergy pill and said that it wouldn't make me sleepy. LIAR! I suspiciously became very tired shortly thereafter. It was fun to see everybody though and we are glad to participate in the birthday festivities.

My cute pregnant Julie and Birthday boy Tyler

Tyler & Eric

Creepy shot of Laura Nate and Brynn

A Car Follow up Story

2010-09-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

A few days after I had the tire issue I had another problem. I went to the gym and when I came out to start the car, it wouldn't. Again, I called Eric. I informed him that he was going to want to kill me. He packed up the baby and came to my aide AGAIN. He tried to jump the car and that didn't work. GRRRR! I took the baby back home and he went off to get a new battery and thank goodness that worked. I am a lucky girl to have such a nice husband to love me enough to help me out TWICE. If it happens a third time he might want a divorce.

We TRIED to Go Boating

2010-09-21T07:53:00.001-07:00

Eric had to work on Saturday but the Quincy's invited us to go boating. I finally decided that I could go without Eric and maybe have an enjoyable day out. Boy, was I wrong. We headed out at about 10:00 and I decided that I would just follow them down. As I was driving I decided to call Michelle and tell her when I would be down to visit her afterward. As I was on the phone I heard a weird noise. I thought maybe is was something from the construction going on. I finally decided to pull over since the weird sound wasn't going away. I got out of the car and saw that my tire looked like this (Yes, I took a picture). I decided to call Eric. He wasn't very far away so he came and rescued me. It took him a while to get there but he came and changed it and took this car back to work.

The moral of the story is that I should not try to have fun. It's just not a good idea.

I'm just happy that the baby looked like this the entire time. I think that he knew I'd snap if he were bawling.

What really matters is that he looked good in his boating outfit, right?

I'm a Model, you know what I mean

2010-09-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Will got some new gear that he wanted to model.

First, we have his new hat he obviously LOVES.

Next, his Air Jordans from our fabulous friends Jake and Rachel.

Lastly, his Spew shirt from Derrek and Cheryl.

How old does a baby have to be to enter those beauty pageants? We're going to have to invest in some clip on teeth. Not sure what we're going to clip them on to...

A Few Things

2010-09-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

I think I'm having post baby hair loss. Eric is going to have to do some serious drain cleaning.

I enjoy getting the mail now.

I feel like maybe I should make Dr. appointments just to be weighed in. It kept me on task.

I'm obsessed (like REALLY obsessed) with drinking milk right now. Weird.

The baby pooped on me while I was visiting teaching. That teaches me to go visiting teaching.

Bought a few HILARIOUS onsies for the baby off of Etsy. You better invite us to hang out so you can see them.

I miss Casanova from Project Runway. I do not like Ivy. She's a psycho.

Teaching bootcamp again. Feels good.

What do we think?

2010-09-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Michelle is starting to rub off on me

Love it!

2010-09-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

My new favorite show on television is Pawn Stars on the History channel. You just might enjoy it too!

2 Months Old

2010-09-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Our little Norris is growing up! He's already 2 months old. I think I love him more all the time. He has been sleeping through the night and has been doing so for a couple of weeks. We usually put him to bed at about 9:30 and he gets up 7:00. It's awesome.

We went to the doctor today and he got measured and weighed. We tried to feed him as much as we could before the big weigh in. Just kidding...okay, maybe not. He weighed in at a whopping 12lbs. 7oz. and was 23.5 inches tall. This puts him in the 64 percentile for both. He also had his shots, which he was pretty good for. He even got a hot pink band aid.

Eric and the nurse were both wearing Utah gear. I think I overheard him asking her out after I left the room. I personally think they would make a very charming couple.

A Trip to Blackfoot

2010-09-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

We went to Blackfoot, America for Labor day and it turned out to be a weekend of excitement.

First there was this awesome Camel/Bike contraption that I totally want for Christmas.

Then we saw an AWESOME replica of the pool.

Will had his first fair parade experience and his first trackfit from grandma.

Laura and Mike did a 5K.

Ryan, Eric, Mike, and I went golfing and Mike made this amazing shot so very close to the hole.

We had such a good time and it was nice to have so many people to help watch the baby. I think six is an okay amount of people to watch the baby but seven people would have been better (especially if that seventh person was Kimmy).

A Trip to Jim's---The Saga

2010-09-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

Okay, so a few years ago we went to Jim's Restaurant. I must confess I didn't really love it. They have spaghetti as a choice for a side dish with your meal. What I'm saying here is you could get a ginormous breakfast with a side of spaghetti. Weird. We always joked about Jim's after that visit.

Fast forward to 2010.

About six months ago I saw a sign down the street near some new construction stating that a Jim's Restaurant was coming soon. I excitedly informed Eric, who already had known about it for weeks, of course.

So...

We waited and waited for it to open. Eric really wanted to go there for his graduation dinner but sadly, it wasn't open yet. There were rumors that it would open for Memorial day, but it didn't. FINALLY, this past week it opened and OF COURSE we had to go for the grand opening. So ridiculous! It was as I remembered, but in a brand new building. I had the french toast and Eric had the biscuits and gravy. Norris got to only smell and enjoy. It was definitely a day to remember.

They did have something great going for them, they gave Sarah refills on her whipped cream. Now that's service!

Happy Baby

2010-09-03T13:02:00.001-07:00

I don't know what has gotten into this baby, but I like it!