the Latest...

Here's what Tave has been up to. He started this last week.

He gets so proud of himself and loves that he can reach things now. Weston is such a good big bro, and helps him out all the time. I just know these two are going to cause a lot of mischief together!

My boys

I don't know why, but I LOVE this picture.
My boys are playing together so much more often and they truly get the biggest kick out of each other.
I love seeing them interact and I just know it's going to keep getting better and better.
I have the best job in the world.

Quilt Along!!

I am doing a Quilt-Along and it is so much fun!!

Dana, of Old Red Barn Co, is hosting a 6 week quilt along. Each week she gives full instructions and then we have a week to get it done.

Here's how it works:

Week 1: Gathering of supplies.
Week 2: Cutting the fabric.
Week 3: Sewing the blocks and trimming them to size.
Week 4: Assembly of quilt top.
Week 5: Quilting the top, batting and backing.
Week 6: Binding.

So easy and managable.
For a first-time quilter like myself, that is a necessity.
So, if you're interested you still have time to catch up!

Here's how I'm doing:

Rotary cutter/matt: check

Extra rotary blade: check

Non-slip ruler: check

Iron: check

Quilting pins: check

Thread: check

Fabric: check check:

I am so in love with this fabric. The top one, especially, is my all-time fav!!! I have a few more to get from this line. But I am ready!!

I have about a million other fabrics I am dying to use, however, so I am sure this will not be my one and only quilt... my mom will be so proud. :)

(She is an very talented and avid quilter...so I am finally following in her footsteps, YAY!)

Camping!

We went camping with Shar, Trav, & a few of their friends. It was a belated Happy Birthday to Trav trip!!
We had a blast and can't wait to go again!!

Some of my favorite parts of the trip:
Campfire + smores + laughter and fun = perfection
Rock-climbing. I went high enough for me and that was just right. (I cut my booty off in the pic to spare your sight...lol)
Watching my hubby and all the guys practically race up the rock. Especially the part about watching my hubby. He was my favorite.
Visiting with my sister. It seems we never have time to just sit and chat without little people wanting our attention. This was that time and it was great.
The birds chirping in the morning was quite loud. and a little annoying. But also so cool.
The gorgeous views and being surrounded by nature. Absolutely amazing.
Quality time with Jeff.

Thanks for inviting us, Shar & Trav!! We loved it!

Tave- 12 Months Old & a Party!

Tave is 12 months old!

Stats: 16 lbs 29 inches

Tave's Nicknames:

Tavers, Tavester, Tave-man

He had a really busy, crazy, fun 12th month.
Here are some of the highlights:

• He is crawling like CRAZY!!! He loves to move and rarely stops. He just goes goes goes!! (hence, the reason he lost weight)
• He loves toys that make music and noise.
• He definitely knows what he wants now and lets you know if he doesn't have it. ;)
• He's still a picky picky eater...but is slowly expanding his tastes.
• Still eats Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast every morning. He won't have it any other way!!
• He loves to hum and sing and most times I am singing he will join in. It is SO sweet!!
• He loves the music time 'hello' song and will pat his legs and clap along
• He says hello (ewwo), hi, mamama, dadada and signs 'all done'
• He waves bye-bye
• He loves playing with Kapria & Weston...but he gets really mad now if they take his toys!!
• Weston can still get him laughing harder than anyone else
• He loves to be thrown in the lovesak by Jeff...any rough-housing with Daddy is the best!!
• He is very interested in babies and other kids and loves to touch faces.
• We figured out he loves to close doors. Well..he just loves to close anything really.
• He is a happy, busy boy who loves to snuggle and be held.

Some exciting activities from Tave's 12th month:

• Road trip to AZ to see Uncle Shawn & Aunt Abby get married! He got REALLY sick the entire trip. So considering that and the over 24 hours worth of driving...he did pretty well!
• Got to hang out with Grandma Kare & Grandpa Dan, always a treat!
• Grandma & Grandpa D came to visit - so much fun!!
• Celebrating Uncle James' Graduation & Saying Goodbye to JA&A.
• A trip to the animal farm at Thanksgiving Point and his very first pony ride (not a fan!)
• Uncle Jonathan stayed with us for a week..both boys had tons of fun with him here!
• Uncle Mckeon's awesome visit
• A trip to the Zoo

It was definitely an eventful month for our little Tave!!

Here is Tave's Birthday Celebration:

We had a fun party at the park with friends and family.

Cupcakes, opening gifts, bubbles, feeding the ducks, and playing on the playground.

Just perfect!

Thanks to all our friends and family who celebrated with us! We loved having you there!!

Happy Happy Birthday Tave!

My baby is ONE.
I just can't get over it. This year has absolutely flown by.
Tave is such a light in our lives and brings so much joy to our family.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!


We had a relaxing and fun day. West and I started the day off right for the Tave-man by singing to him..he didn't quite know what to think. Then we had a fun playdate with Jocelyn. The boys love when kiddos come over to play.
West loved telling Tave Happy Birthday over and over and then he would sing it to him. SO cute.
During naptime Tave wanted to hang out with me instead of sleep. So I gave him a haircut. New year, new do. It works. ;)
When Jeff got home we wanted to do something special so we picked up pizza (Tave's favorite meal) and headed to the park. The boys loved the park and being there with Daddy made it even more special.

We picked up a couple Cupcake Chic cupcakes (to die for) and then headed home to sing again and have Tave blow out his candles. West was an awesome big bro and 'helped' a little.
Tave was NOT into the cupcake. He wanted NOTHING to do with it until Weston put some on his finger and put it in Tave's mouth. It's amazing the influence of a sibling even at this age. After that little lick, Tave was in love. (darn, I was hoping to eat it all by myself. hehe)

It was the perfect day to celebrate our sweet little man.

Dear Tave,
We love you.
You have been with us for an entire year now, and what a year it has been! We have watched you learn and grow in so many amazing ways. You were sent to our family for a reason and each day has been a blessing with you in our lives. You and Weston love each other so much and constantly show Daddy and I how to be better parents and people. We love you and are so glad Heavenly Father sent you to our family. You make our family better just by being in it!
You have made this year our best yet.
We are so excited for all the years ahead.

Happy Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mom, Dad, & West

**Highlights/Growth/Development from Tave's 12th month coming soon!!

Mckenon's visit

We had such a great week with my brother. The kiddos LOVED him and would fight over his lap. So funny. He is a great brother and a fabulous uncle. We had such an awesome visit!!

Here's our trip to the ZOO:

It was the perfect weather and the perfect day.

We wish Jeff & Trav could have come with us!!

We love you, bud. Thanks for spending time with us!

Check these out!!

I have some seriously talented friends.

Desi, of the Twirling Dandelion makes these absolutely adorable skirts and shirts. You will LOVE them.

Allison of Cut.Sew.Repeat makes well, just a TON of stuff I love. I have my eye on the reversible boys cape. SO fun.



Check out these ladies. You won't be disappointed.

Day 5 & Goodbyes

Ava's Blessing


This sweet little girl was blessed.
Baby blessings are so special - a wonderful celebration of new life.
Precious words and blessings passed on from one Father through another.

We love you, Ava. And can't wait to see you learn, grow, and become!
You have incredible parents to help you along the way.


This was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend full of family.
It was a great way to say goodbye to James, Amy, & Ava who have since moved on to Texas.
We love you guys and are counting down the days...

Day 3 & 4

The reason for the trip:

James' Graduation!!

I love graduations... so many hours, days, weeks, and months dedicated to learning and growth.
So many emotions fill those years: frustrations, joys, tears, laughter and hard work...
it's worth every minute.
What an amazing and incredible accomplishment.

Congratulations James & Amy
We love and miss you!

Day 4 was also filled with good food, quality family time, and a fun graduation celebration!

What a perfect weekend!

Day 2 Cont'd.

Happy EARLY Birthday Tave!

We celebrated a bit early since Jeff's parents were in town.
It was so fun to have them here!!

This is Tave's first time trying a cupcake.
It was pretty funny:

What is a birthday without presents??
We had to wrap up a couple of things for Tave to play with and of course West was great at helping him unwrap.
Grandma & Grandpa D and James & Amy got him this awesome awesome truck to ride and walk with. It was definitely a hit and is still played with every day! Thank you thank you, we LOVE it!

Now we're looking forward to the 'real' deal!

Happy Birthday baby boy!

Day 2

Thanksgiving Point!

We love visiting the farm animals.

Feeding them is always so much fun:

Favorite shots from the day:

Riding the ponies:

Dad D. loves to take pictures. He is fabulous and we can't wait to see what he captured each day. Here are his awesome animal shots:

I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing my kids so excited over small things: animals, flowers, playing, running, chasing..etc.

Thanks, family, for a wonderful day!

Mom & Dad's Trip - Day 1

Jeff's parents came out for James' graduation. We were lucky enough to have them stay at our house!! We had so much fun in the few short days they were here.

We played outside with Grandma
Met James, Amy, Ava, & Jonathan up at BYU and got a Jamba. (yummm)
Went for a walk while Dad took Graduation pics of J, A, & A
Had fun, fun, fun!

Happy Mother's Day Nicole!

Happy Mother’s Day! Here are just a few reasons why you are such a great mother:
Make – Mothers make. One of the things I love about you is that you make things so well. Every day you make smiles, laughs, food (personal favorite) stories, games, songs…overall, you make our home what it is. Thank you for being so wonderful.
Oops & ouch – As you have noticed, our kids (myself included) have a lot of oops’s and ouch’s. You are always the first to clean a mess, wipe a tear, kiss an owie, or give a hug.
Time – You may ask, “What’s that?” Our children would answer it is what you give them every day. Your selflessness with your time is what blesses their lives more than anything else. Thank you.
Happy – You are happy to be a mother…you enjoy the role of mother! Our kids will always want to come back to a mother that is happy like you.
Effort – Even when you have given your all, and have nothing left to give, you find a way to put a little more effort into making someone’s day. Thank you for making my day time and time again.
Ready – Ready for more kids? Jk. I hope you are ready to take a break! Enjoy this day that is dedicated to you. Happy Mother’s Day.

I love you,
Jeff

Happy Mother's Day!

To the most important women in our lives:

our Mothers

Thank you.
For your examples. Your love. Your selfless giving.
For being the most amazing mothers and now the very best grandmas to our boys.
We love you.
For all this and more.

Happy Happy Mother's Day!