Our Fantasticly Wonderful SO CALIFORNIA trip!!!

We are back!!! We had an amazing and way too short trip to CA to visit my family. It was the perfect time to leave since Utah is the land of perpetual winter at the moment and CA blessed us with some beautiful sunny days!!! We had so much fun and are so grateful to everyone who made our trip so awesome!!! Here are some of the many many highlights:


Airplane ride: Jetblue is awesome. Straight flight there+ own t.v. + great snacks= one happy momma. Weston did great (most of the time) here is proof:

He was so excited to get off the plane and just ran and ran and ran around the airport. My mom was so great to follow him around and they had a blast playing catch while I waited for the luggage. Oh..I already miss my mom after looking at this picture!!!

Why I love CA:

Do you notice ANY snow??? NO, it was sunny, beautiful and we were able to go on walks in the jogger again. (my bladder won't let me jog!) I just loved this pic of cute little West exploring the Marler's house!

Oceanside Beach: I LOVE the beach. I love love love love love it!!! Weston and I flew to CA on Tues. night and then Jeff met us there Thurs. night. We went to the beach on Fri and it was very chilly and windy, but SO worth the trip. You can't go to CA and not go to the beach. It's a rule. My rule. and I. DO. NOT. break. it!

LOVE the palms, don't you?!

This is one of my favorite pics of the guys: Weston, Jeff, my Dad, Mckenon Too cute!

Seagulls...the only thing I thought of was: "Mine, mine, mine, mine" What movie is that from?! :)

We couldn't let the seagulls sit for too long! Weston laughed so hard at this!

Contemplating life. Beautiful.

Dad, Mom, & Mckenon. It was SO windy, but so great to be there.

Isn't this just so cool?! We had fun. :)

We walked down the pier (above) and had dinner at Rubies Diner. It was great food (thanks mom and dad) and Weston ate more than he has EVER eaten at a restaurant. He also got the biggest kick out of Mckenon. They had such a blast together! (below)

Bates Nut Farm: We took Weston to Bate's on Sat. morning. It's a small place in Valley Center and the best part is that it's free! We got to feed sheep, ducks, geese, ostrich, & goats. The geese were SO loud...they scared West but it was a fun little trip.

Such a cute little baby goat! He licked my fingers! So cute. Weston was still a little scared!

Driving with Grandpa is always a favorite!

We drove down to the ranch (for those of you who don't know, the ranch was burned pretty much completely in the fires in Oct. you can look at my October posts to read more about what happened with my family)
It was amazing to me to see nature's ability to heal itself. It was already so green and while it was definitely NOT what it was before, it truly was beautiful to see.

Wicked the Musical!!!! It's true...Jeff and I were FINALLY able to see Wicked performed in LA!! I fell in love with this musical about 2 1/2 years ago and have since had many friends and family members see it. We were planning to see it the summer of June 2006, but Weston was born, and well...that was a little more important! So now it was our turn!! My parents were awesome and watched Weston for us for the night. We drove a stressful few hours to LA (for those of you going there.. traffic is CRAZY and give yourself at least 2 hours more than you think you'll need!) but it was SO worth it. I can't even say enough how amazing and fantastic it was. It definitely exceeded my already VERY high expectations. Sigh. I LOVED IT!!! Thanks babe, for the early b-day present!

Visiting Friends and Family: We were able to see a lot of family and friends while we were in CA. It was great to catch up with everyone. My aunt Michelle and her adorable twin boys came to see us with my grandma Bea. (those pics are on my moms camera) and then we visited my good friend, Alli and her cute kiddos. (below) Thanks everyone for making our trip so memorable.



Wild Animal Park: My mom and I took Weston to the Wild Animal Park. It was so fun to see him recognize the animals. It was especially fun since he can make animal noises now!! Here they are watching the gorillas. :)

We took Weston to the Petting Kraal at the park. He was a little timid at first, but that didn't last long. The deer (are they deer?) were so sweet and friendly. He loved it!

His favorite part of the entire park was: the hot air balloon. Surprise! He watched it every time it went up and down!

What a great trip to the Wild Animal Park!

Just Hanging Out:
Some of the best moments were just hanging out with the family. Weston loved playing with Mckenon. And he loved his guitar!


He thought my dad's whiskers were so funny. Any time my dad gave him kisses, he just cracked up. It was so fun to watch! (I didn't mean to make these so small...oops!)

Me & Mckenon just chillin. I love this kid. He is so fun and does so well at everything he tries. We miss you Mckenon!

Visiting Grandpa at work: Our last day in CA we visited my dad's job site (he's building a fire station) and went out to lunch. It was a fun afternoon, and as you can tell, VERY sunny! I love the look on West's face in this pic:

Here are my mom and dad with Weston. We had such a fun trip! We love you both so much and miss you tons! Thank you for everything you do for us and for such an awesome visit! And thanks to the Marlers for letting us stay for so long! We loved getting to see you too!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Jeff's Birthday Fun!

Jeff's Birthday turned out to be a great success! We had so much fun the day of and then celebrated with family the day after. Here are some of the highlights:

My fantastic guys. I love this pic.

Weston and I started out the day by making a birthday sign for Jeff while he slept in. It was so fun to actually have a little helper this year! He loved coloring with markers...especially since we don't use them very often. :) The sign was our best yet!

I made homemade cinnamon rolls for Jeff (he helped when he woke up) and they were FaNtaStiC!!!! If anyone wants the recipe let me know. They were so delicious and turned out great...especially since it was my first time making them! They took a little more time than we thought, but were OH sO Worth IT!!!!


The rest of his birthday we hung out with West and had fun. Then Al & Greg watched him while we went out to eat and to see August Rush. (Great great movie, highly recommend it!)
Shar & Trav picked up Weston from Al & Greg's after that so that I could surprise Jeff with a night to ourselves! It was so good to sleep in! Thanks everyone for helping make Jeff's birthday so wonderful! We had a blast.

The next day we celebrated his birthday with family. Since he's not a huge cake fan, we had Banana Splits! MMMMM....delish. Here is Jeff blowing out the candles on his ice cream!

Another great year under his belt! Here's who partied with us:

James & Amy

Jonathan & Elizabeth

Kapria (she's representing Shar & Trav too since I didn't get a photo!!! bummer) But isn't she a doll??!!!

Our cute little West found a perfect seat...like always. He's ready for bed in this pic and just had to chat on the phone really quick. haha

Thanks everyone for making his day so great! We love you all!!

President Hinckley: Beloved leader, example & friend to all

I love President Hinckley. I already miss him more than I thought I would. As the prophet that I have known since youth, he has had an amazing impact on my life. His example is one that will last throughout my entire life. His unfailing optimism and love for ALL is something I hope to emmulate now and always. Thank you President Hinckley for changing my life and everyone's who was within the sound of your voice. Because of his example I have grown closer to my Savior. His testimony and witness helped to strengthen mine in times of trial. I am so grateful to have had such a leader and mentor.

Here is one of my favorite quotes by President Hinckley:

“Stand a little taller and work a little harder and value a little greater the marvelous blessing which you have as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That membership will bring with it a strong and moving testimony of the divinity of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“You and I are sons and daughters of God, with something of divinity within us. Let us stand tall, my brothers and sisters. Let us live the gospel. Let us be busy in the Church. Let us learn of its doctrine. Let us feed upon its teachings. Let us grow in faith and faithfulness before the world” (meeting, Cairns, Australia, 26 Jan. 2000).

I happened upon this quote by President Hinckley today and it brought tears to my eyes. Tears of joy for where he is and who he is with. He will be missed, but oh, what a reception he received on the other side!

“I know as surely as anything in this world that someday I shall die as to the life of this world. But I have an absolute certainty in my heart that I shall go on living and doing good and having the association of my beloved companion and my children” (meeting, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 31 July 1999).

Happy Happy 26th Birthday Jeff!!!

Jeff has had an incredible 26th year and we feel so lucky to have been with him for it! He is such an amazing father and husband. I love learning new things about him every day and finding more reasons why I love him. For those of you who care to take a walk down our memory lane...here is Jeff's past year and 26 (of the many many many) reasons why I love him so much:

1. Okay, really, what's not to love here? :) by the way...the golf ball on the tee is very hard to get there (in the pic!)
2. He loves people and has such a kind heart
3. He is always smiling
4. As soon as he walks in the door he finds a way to put a smile on MY face
5. He loves sports. Watching, playing, anything. Sports.

6. He is an incredible husband who treats me like a queen
7. He mops the floor, does the dishes and takes out the trash...to name a few!
8. He HELPS me do my job better
9. He is extremely supportive of me and the things I love to do
10. He cares about what I think and wants to know my opinion

11. He loves his job and tries so hard to do it well. (He was hired this year to work full-time for CES)
12. He works so hard for our family and takes his role as provider and priesthood holder in our home very seriously
13. He is an amazing example to Weston
14. He respects his parents
15. He loves to bounce ideas off of me...which I love because it makes me feel valued!

16. He loves to have fun
17. He doesn't mind getting his 'feet wet' in the process!
18. He plays with our little boy and is building a wonderful relationship with him

19. He is doing everything he can to ensure our family's success!
20. He trusts the Lord and places Him first in his life
21. He helps make me a better person
22. He is understanding, caring, and kind

23. He is the best dad. It is so fun to watch him play with Weston
24. He gives me breaks when he gets home (even after his long, busy, crazy days)
25. He loves our family
26. He wanted to marry me and reminds me every day that he loves his choice! I am so excited to have many many many more birthdays to celebrate with you Babe!!! I love you!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

I love my niece!

Kapria

Isn't she a doll? I am lucky enough to get to watch her on Fridays. It is great for Weston to get used to having a little one around and good practice for me to have two around! She is so much fun and so adorable. Just this morning Weston has already smothered her with kisses, danced around the room for her, tried to get her to dance (that didn't work!), emptied the contents of her diaper bag and brought itall to where she was sitting on the couch, offered her every bite of food he was munching on, made her smile, and bounced her on his tummy. They both thought that was pretty funny! So Shar, here is your cutie this morning if you're looking! Love ya.

My pregnancy: 24 weeks

For those of you who are interested, here are the 'stats' of my pregnancy thus far:
(and I will NOT include my weight except to say that luckily I am doing better at this point than I was with Weston, yay for me!)

• I have had only 2 weeks of sickness and otherwise felt fabulous. (aside from the fact that weight gain is inevitable...that is NOT a fab feeling!) The fact that I have not been sick might make some of you wish me ill, but I will be honest, I DO feel very blessed and I paid a LOT of dues with Weston's pregnancy. :)
• I am able to work out still, something that I am trying VERY hard to keep up so that I will look better come summer
• This little kiddo loves kicking and is moving around like CrAzY already.
  
• I recently started having back pain at night. What?! isn't that supposed to come around week 30ish...I wish!
• I have been able to eat pretty much whatever I want until recently. Bagels with cream cheese not only smell disgusting, but they absolutely taste horrid. How sad since I usually love them, but again, this will help with my work out goal.
  
• I followed the example of my sister-in-law, and cut way back on sugar. I will be honest, I DO have more energy and it feels good to stick to a goal. (we have sugar on Sat. only and limit it to one dessert...we've done pretty good!)
• I probably am a little moody, Jeff is the most patient, kind and loving husband. I am SO lucky. Weston has recently started giving lots of hugs, maybe he knows I need it. :) What great guys I have to take care of me!!!!!!
  
• Baby healthy, things look good overall
  
• This baby boy is still nameless and I am absolutely obsessed with trying to find a name. Jeff says we still have time, but I just want to have the options limited to 3-5 here pretty soon. So: SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!!!!

• 

My Boys!!

Hurray for Holidays!!!

We have had a pretty crazy few weeks. Jeff has been madly studying for the GRE and he finally took it on Sat. We are SO proud of him and how awesome he did. He works so hard for our family and does a fantastic job! Now we just have to turn in a bunch of Grad school applications. (haha, JUST)
We missed him a lot during his work/study days and are ExTreMeLy excited to have him back! Weston really missed his daddy and being able to play with him. Monday was a great way to celebrate Jeff being done with his test and we definitely relaxed!!!

I love having Jeff home in the mornings when that can happen (like a holiday!) Weston is such a morning kid and he is SO awake and ready to run, jump, play, and raise a ruckus ! Jeff did just that with him and it was really fun to watch:

Jeff built West a really awesome fort in his bedroom. He loved it!

Horse rides! Weston perfected the climb up and dismount! He's ready for the real thing. Haha

West thought it was so funny to give Jeff a ride...what a strong kiddo we have! :)

Call me lame, whatever, I love getting them similar clothes. In this case, West's sweater is slightly lighter than Jeff's. I love it and I love seeing my guys have so much fun together. Here they are relaxing while they watch "Finding Nemo" Weston's latest fav. show. (he only lasts through about 15 minutes at a time!) but he loves that he can say and sign fish. We think it's pretty cute too!!!
I am so lucky to have these two amazing guys in my life. Seeing them together makes me SO excited for our next little one to get here and join in the fun!!

Such a big boy!!!

Our little guy is growing up!!

Weston is growing so fast. It seems like every single day he is learning about 10 new fun, hilarious, and crazy things to make us laugh. He is talking more, singing, and signing new words every day. He understands so much and follows directions (when he wants to of course, but the point is that he understands! ) and loves to help with anything and everything. We love being parents and as our second little guy gets closer to be being born, we are just more and more thrilled that we're going to have 2 rough and tumble boys to play with. Lucky us!!!!

What a handsome boy!

Our stuntman
Weston's latest trick is to flip over the front of his cool new push n go seat (thanks again Katie!) He does it over and over and thinks he is so cool! We think so too. :)

Quite a landing!

My eliptical machine has become his jungle gym...I find him hanging, sitting, climbing and crawling all over it. Hey, whatever gets your heartrate up...haha

Another new trick: untying his laces. As soon as his shoes go on, he's busy untying them. And he can get out double knots!!!

Success!

What a helper!

Weston has discovered the joys of vacuuming. Seeing him have this much fun cleaning the house made the chores a lot easier to do! We had a blast and he now LOVES to help with this job whenever there are crumbs on the floor. (which is daily, well..pretty much hourly!) He was NOT very thrilled to put the vacuum away...as evidenced below! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Amy!!!

How could I not list all things I LoVe about Amy after the many fabulous lists she's done for us all?!! We love you and hope you're birthday is as fantastic as you deserve!!!

Here's to turning 22:

1. You are not afraid to be silly!
2. You are an incredible sister in law
3. A wonderful listener
4. You married into the best family ever!
5. You could spend as much time in a bookstore as I can...and still want to stay longer!
6. You have fabulous taste in music...I love your playlists.
7. You are so good at everything you try..and are very humble about it. (that last bit's important!)
8. You live your life with passion and try to make every moment count.

9. You are an incredible aunt. This picture says it all. You love the boys and they love you!
10. You are quiet, at first, but have so many fun things to say that it's worth the wait!
11. You care SO much about your family
12. You set goals and stick to them, what a great example!
13. You are a beautiful writer
14. You love to cook and prepare the most amazing meals
15. You are willing to make desserts even when you aren't eating sugar!
16. You don't like change, but are willing to try new things anyways.

17. You have GrEaT taste in books and love to read. :)
18. Your love of learning...it's contagious
19. That you are taking Ballet because you have always dreamed of being a ballerina. I can completely picture you as one! The shoe fits!
20. You love traveling as much as I do and someday we'll get go somewhere great together!!!
21. You smile all the time!

22. You fill all your 'roles' to perfection and do it with CLASS!

We are SO glad you are in our family and couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law. Your 22nd year is going to be the best and we are so glad we get to be here with you for it!
Thanks for EvErYthInG!!!

Happy Birthday Amy!

The scratch....

Let him fall or catch him? What would YOU do???

Well...Sat. morning we started out great. Making the bed together is always a fun family activity because we taught Weston how to throw pillows at dad. It's so much fun and we always laugh a ton.
Except this time Weston started falling off the bed. Mom jumps to the rescue and !VOILA! he is saved from hitting the floor very hard. (Our bed is pretty high) Oh wait, except he now has a huge long scratch down the center of his forehead OUCH! Jeff says at least I saved him the pain of hitting the floor...but I think that pain would be gone by now and instead he has a humongous scratch down the center of his face that everyone happens to stare at. Sigh. What do you do? He did start crying immediately (who wouldn't, scratches hurt, darn it!) but as soon as we took him into the bathroom to clean it up he saw himself in the mirror and started laughing. I am SO lucky I have a kiddo with a sense of humor. Hopefully if it scars he will still be laughing!

Here is the proof that he smiled that day!

(and his old carseat is his new favorite chair. He LOVES it and wants to sit in it as soon as he gets up. Go figure! Gotta Love kids!)

It looks worse in real life, trust me. I think I cried longer than he did!
ps my fingernails are now cut VERY short!!!! (and they weren't that long to begin with!)