Birthday Bash!!!

My 28th Birthday was a success! For those of you who know me well...you know that birthdays are a pretty big deal. After all- it is the only day out of the entire year that is yours. It's your day to have fun, celebrate, do things you enjoy, and be treated special!!! Not only do I love my day, but I love celebrating other people's days too! (so if you feel like your birthday isn't quite exciting enough, call me and I will make it extra special!!!)

My parents were always amazing with birthdays: the day was YOURS and it was the day when you were treated so SPECIAL. We didn't have to clean, help with dishes, or do anything un-fun! We got our own special birthday cereal, we got to pick what we did that day, and then we had our favorite meal for dinner. Party-ing was always a must and my mom did the most fabulous birthday cakes and desserts. I think because Shar and I always shared a birthday, they tried extra hard to make sure it was a special day for both of us. (I want to make sure that my kids love and remember their birthdays as a special, special day as well!! )
Which is why it means so much when people make that extra effort to say Happy Birthday and do something special for me on my (and Shar's) day!
Thanks to everyone who made it great. I loved all of the phone calls, emails, blog comments, and a BIG HUGE thank you to our babysitters. They were already watching Kapria, but took on Weston as well so that we could have a fun evening together. (And they were even willing to take Tave, too, but we didn't want them to hate us...haha)

I was most definitely spoiled... we went to Wicked back in February for my birthday, and then Jeff gave me that most awesome of days to READ a few weeks ago. Which were fabulous, wonderful presents.
Jeff really wanted to make sure the actual day was a great one since my gifts were given quite awhile ago. He was a little worried we weren't going to get to go out, but he (and Al & Greg) pulled through in the end!!! The day was perfect!!
Here's the play-by-play of my special day:

I woke up to a fun birthday sign and my very favorite birthday cereal. Sadly, Jeff had to work. But he did sing to me before he left!

I went on a jog with my boys, because I am starting this year out right!

Then, in true birthday fashion, I ate whatever I wanted the rest of the day. HA! My sweet little boys were just dying to take me to Wendy's for my birthday. (hey, they are on a budget, here, what with no jobs of their own!) We had tons of fun together!!!

Please note Weston's sweet sticker (tatoo). He LOVES it. Thanks Al & Greg!

I love my boys. What fun kiddos to spend my day with!


Shar, Trav, Jeff & I went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner.
I am in LOVE. I had never been before and it was delish.
LOVE the bbq chicken salad. Mouth watering.
And these sundaes were free!! wahoo! I love birthdays!

Then we were off to rock out at Shar & Trav's house. We love Rock Band!!

Tave thought we were all just a little bit strange! But he was just perfect anyways!
(on a side note, he can now grab his binky, how cute is that?!)

Shar & Trav.
Thanks, guys, for the fabulous night! We had so much fun and can't wait to get our groove on again. :P

All in all, a wonderful birthday.

ps. a little bird told me that some sort of email was sent out...hmmm... wonder WHO could have sent that?! I have my suspions...
Thanks for all the birthday wishes. They made my day!

Happy 28th Birthday, Nicole!

We weren't sure when/if Wicked would come to Salt Lake, so when we were in San Diego we saw it!!!
We went for Nicole's birthday (back in February) so here are the fun pictures to remind us of the fabulous, wonderful day!

28 Things I love about Nicole

1. No matter what my day has been like, I always look forward to coming home and being with her because she can always make me smile.
2. She is selfless as a Mother.
3. Great sense of humor…can always make me laugh!
4. Fun to exercise with (we like to go jogging together).
5. She loves looking for ways to serve others.
6. EXCELLENT cook…mmmmm…I am enjoying some of her banana bread as I write this…
7. Helps me see the positive side of things.
8. Encourages me to do my best in all my responsibilities.
9. She makes things that important to me important to her as well.
10. BEAUTIFUL smile!
11. She does an amazing job keeping the house clean despite the three mess makers she lives with.
12. Always willing to help me with work or school, wherever possible.
13. She will pull for whatever sports team I like, which of course, are all of the best teams – BYU, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Longhorns, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, etc. This has been especially important for maintaining the peace in our home!
14. GORGEOUS eyes!
15. If any of you have heard you sing, you would agree her voice is beautiful! Our kids are lucky because they get to hear her sing all day!
16. Weston and Tave LOVE her and prefer her attention over mine any day!
17. She is great at staying up late watching movies in the Love Sac with me.
18. If I ever want a bowl of ice cream, she will gladly enjoy a bowl with me.
19. She is always sensitive to the needs of family and friends.
20. She encourages me as a father to lead-out in family home evening, scripture study, family prayer, etc.
21. She inspires me to be kinder and more forgiving.
22. She always makes me feel better about myself, even when I don’t deserve it.
23. She remembers the importance of the little things in showing people you care about them…things I would never think of as a “guy.”
24. If I ever think I might want to shed a tear or two in a movie, I know it is ok because she will have already gone through an entire box of kleen-x!
25. She has great taste in guys à ME!
26. She loves to travel.
27. She beats me at whatever game we play, but she always lets me win at Yahtzee!
28. Last, and best of all, even though she is getting OLD, she still looks young and beautiful!

Happy Birthday Nicole! I love you and I love being married to you!

Love,

Jeff

Happy Birthday Shar!!!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAR!!!

Last year for her (our) birthday I shed a little light on the 'twin' phenomenon.
The twin phenomenon being: what it is like to be a twin and the perks (& non-perks) that come with it. (I don't know how to link to it...so it's under August 2007 if you care to read it)
This year, I want to shed some light on the 'friend' phenomenon.
Let me explain:

Shar is my sister. She had no choice in the matter. Neither of us did, or at least, that we can remember! But being a friend, well, we ALL have a choice in that!

I am so grateful to have a sister who makes the effort to be my friend. Here are a few of the things that make her such a fabulous friend:

• She listens. Any time. Any where. She cares to hear what I have to say and lets me talk to my heart's content.
• On the other side of that: she offers fantastic advice. And it is usually SO great because she can be objective. A very wonderful quality in a friend.
• Me and my family are important to her: she loves to play with the boys and is so great with them!!
• She shows me, by her actions, how much she cares.
• She takes time out of her busy busy schedule to do things with me & my kids. For any of who know what the Five Languages of Love are - quality time is DEFINITELY one of mine! And for any of you who know Shar, you know how much this means!!!
• She makes me laugh. Whether it is silly faces, funny stories, or just plain hilarious antics, she is great. I always leave her presence with a smile on my face!
• She has the ability to 'hear me out' and then tell me to 'knock it off' if I need to get over things. Wow. Seriously needed every so often!
• She inspires me with her writing and encourages me to write my own stories.
• When she finds a great sale- she calls me right away.
• We share the same crazy, fun obsessions over books, cute clothes, jewelry, and Twilight!
  
• She calls at random times just to say hi and let me know she's thinking about me.
• She initiates getting together!!!
• We can still have sleep overs where we laugh, cry, and have a blast together!
• She understands the things I don't say...
• She makes sure that every bit of our time spent *living by each other* is filled with the best memories to make up for those times when we won't.
  
• She always has my best interest at heart!
• She knows me and still loves me.

I think the best part about our 'friendship' is that we both care and we both show each other we care. For me, that is what it's all about!

I love you, Shar! Happy Birthday!
Here's to many more birthdays~ how lucky we are to share them!

I have noticed: since Shar & I live so close to each other and see one another often, pictures of us together have become non-existent. Why take pictures together when we have such cute kiddos, right?! And those photo-op moments just don't seem that important because, well, we'll see each other next week. I am regretting that attitude. I want a picture with my sister. So. That is on order for today. I will post it when I get it.

Tave - 3 months old!

Tave's Announcement:

I know I'm a little late in getting this out, but wasn't it worth the wait?! I just LOVE this picture of him!
My friend, Stephanie, did a fabulous job on the announcement. She makes custom announcements and cards that are very affordable and so fun! Check out her cute stuff: Something Simple. I know there are TONS of you who are expecting....

Tave- 3 months old
August 14, 2008

Tave is getting to be so much fun!!! He is the sweetest little baby and we LOVE having him in our family. Weston is still as cute as ever with him and constantly gives him hugs and kisses. We are loving having 2 cute kiddos!

Here are a few of the things that Tave has done this month:

• He discovered his HANDS!!! And, boy, does he LOVE them. He is constantly moving them, batting at things, grabbing things, and sucking on them. Aren't hands just SO useful?!

• We found out that he LOVES sucking on blankets. In particular, these little, thin, cotton ones that my friend Jen gave me with Weston. (Thanks a bunch Jen!) He gets his fist on one of these babies and it all goes straight to his mouth. What a cutie!!

• Tave LOVES bathtime. He started kicking a TON recently. He also loves relaxing in the warm water
  
• He really likes the lotion massage he gets after bathtime.

• He loves to sit up and watch everything that's going on around him. He is such a good helper in the kitchen while I'm cooking!

• We discovered that he has the most ticklish little feet and chubby thighs. I LOVE seeing him smile and do his little squirm when we tickle him...and he LOVES it!

• He got his first haircut this month. This is the before picture.

And here is the after:

This just makes him look so grown up! (well...for a 3 month old!)

• He is such a smiley, happy little guy!
• He LOVES being held and snuggled.
• He babbles & talks to us all the time! It is so fun to hear what he has to 'say'
• He goes to bed GREAT: right around 9pm and sleeps until 7ish.
• We're still working on getting a good nap schedule going, but as of now he takes about 4 or so naps that range from about 30 minutes - 2 hours each.

These 3 months have been wonderful because of this little cutie! We love you TAVE!

Just because it's funny...

Does it really need a caption?! :P
I love this kid.

County Fair

We went to the fair with Shar & Trav on Sat. It was an okay fair, not too exciting. EXCEPT for the fact that Weston & Kapria LOOOOVED the animals. That always makes a place worth the time!
And, of course, Weston's first fair ride was priceless. He had a blast and waved to us every time he circled around. Travis chatted it up with the ride operator and as a result I am SURE Weston got about 3x's as long of a ride as he would have. (Well..the fact that he was the only kiddo on it probably helped too!)
Thanks for coming with us, Shar & Trav, we had a blast!

This first video I made a mistake and thought I was taking a picture of Tave...but I was video taping. THEN, I accidentally put it on the blog when I thought I was putting on the Weston's ride. SOOOO...it's here to stay, all 2 seconds of it. Enjoy Tave. :)

Ouch!!!!!

Weston loves bugs. He picks them up all the time. I mean, what's not to love: they're cute and cuddly and adorable- right?! RIIIIIIGHT.

I have warned him not to pick up some bugs... well all bugs really, but especially bees and wasps. You're getting where I'm going with this, right....

He let out this heart-wrenching cry when it happened.
Crying, then a soft wimper, "Ouch. Mommy, ouch."
Here's where I spot the dozen or so wasps hanging out by the bench.
Mommy: "Weston did you pick up a bee?" (coincidentally he calls all bugs, bee...)
Weston: "Shesh" (this means yes)
Mommy: "Oh! Bees hurt, we don't pick up bees."
Weston: "hurt. Owww." (and thinking to himself: NOW you tell me)
After we washed it he wouldn't let anyone touch it.
And this morning: good as new.

Overall, he was a very tough kid.
I was so impressed.
Way to go Weston!

I had no idea what to do with a toddler wasp sting. I immediately googled it and found some good info here. Hopefully no one else will ever need it!

Our latest adventures!

VIDEOS: for those of you wondering where they are: they are below this post. So scroll down and you will find one of each of the boys. Enjoy!

I can't believe August is already half over. Where did the time go???! I honestly thought life would slow down in the summer...HA. I learned my lesson! It has been so much fun, though and we really are having such a blast! Here are some of the fun things we've been up to since I last posted:

Hiking!
We went on a hike with Jeff's co-workers and their families. He teaches with 2 other men and they are so wonderful! We loved getting to know their families and having such a fun time together. Both families have 5 children and it was just SO much fun to see how they interact, how they look alike/different, and to be with kids who talked with me. I have so much to look forward to in the coming years with my kiddos! (I am definitely cherishing these early years, though, so don't worry-- I am LOVING every step of the way!) This hike was beautiful and just right for our little family! Thank you Mike & Chris!!

This is how we hiked up...I don't know what we'll do when the kids outnumber us...I guess by then Weston will HAVE to walk. :) He LOVED being on Dad's back and didn't want to get out!

The whole crew, minus Natalie, who took the picture. Thanks Natalie!

I absolutely LOVE this picture. LOVE it!

Tave was asleep by the time we reached the waterfall...sweet boy, he was perfect the entire time!

Sleepover!!!

Kapria and Shar spent the night last Friday since Trav was on a campout with the young men. Jeff was busy busy busy with his school work, so it was just us and the kiddos. It was so much fun to have them over and we had a pretty hilarious bathtime with Kapria and Weston. We got a funny video, but at the very end Weston decided to stand up, thus making the video X-rated for the internet! Sorry. :)

After we FINALLY got the kiddos to bed (they were very thrilled to be together and couldn't get to sleep on time) we had a fun girls night of movies and talking. I was reminded, again, of how much I love my sister. I am so lucky to have her in my life and to live close by her. It would have been even more perfect if Chels was there!

Here are some bathtime shots:

Swimming with Evie!!!

Weston adores Evie. I think he seriously has a crush. He talks about her ALL the time and asks if we're going to see her on a daily basis. I wish we lived a little bit closer! We have so much fun when we get to hang out with Evie & Al. Thanks for having us over to swim!!!

Pool time. Love it!


In Evie's swim floaties. He couldn't quite decide if he liked them or not.

Sun bathing beauties. Too funny.

Brothers

Weston LOVES to sit with Tave when he is on the playmat. And this is the funny look we get when we ask him to say cheese:

This adorable outfit is from Katie, Nate, & the boys. Thanks!!!! We LOVE It. He will wear this to church every Sunday until it's too small. I just love it!

Bed!

That's right, Weston is in a bed. Kind of. We had this in his room when Annie & Family was here. Joshua was supposed to sleep in it..but things didn't work out that way. SO, Weston decided he would. All. On. His. Own. And that was that. He would end up playing more than normal and wake up scared some nights, but overall he did great. We had to move it back into the office when Shar spent the night and so he's been back in his crib. Which isn't a bad thing-- he sleeps better and longer in his crib. So I'm okay holding off on the bed, unless, of course, he climbs out again.

Ostler Family Visit!

We had so much fun with Annie, the Joshes, & Aloria. Sweet little Aloria is just a doll (6 weeks younger than Tave) and it was so fun to see the older boys play together. They had a hard time sharing (most 2 year olds do!) but overall did great. It was tons of fun to see Annie again and we felt so lucky that they stayed with us! We had a blast hanging out with all of our college friends at the little reunion/celebration. Thanks Annie & Josh for a great weekend!

I don't have many pics from the weekend. You can check out more cute pictures of the boys on Annie's blog here. And reunion pics on Shar's blog here. Have fun!

Isn't she SO precious!

The boys really liked the stairs, it was pretty cute to see them playing on them.
And, yes, they really did get in some brawls- as evidenced in the picture to the right. We, of course, broke them up quickly, but it was pretty funny to watch. They can both hold their own really well!







Daddy time!
So someone gave me this sling thinking I was having a girl. Oh well...it's still cute and I'll be able to pass it on to someone who really has a girl, or save it for when I do. We tried it out. Tave didn't like when he was being put inside but then he was all cozy and fell asleep. Too cute. He has since boycotted the sling, but it was cute while it lasted! I love that Jeff always loves to 'wear' the kids, whether it's in a sling, a backpack, or the baby bjorn. I have such a good husband!

Thanks for taking a peek at our lives! We love you all!

Upcoming posts:

• Tave: 3 months old
• Tave's announcement (I know I'm a little late, but we had a CRAZY busy summer!)
• And maybe I'll sneek a few more videos in very soon!

Tave's latest trick

Tave has discovered that he can make things move. It is so cute to see him learning! I can't believe how big he is getting SO fast!! I LOVE having a little one around again. He is just so much fun.

So, this is for the grandparents and for all those far away who don't get to see him be little for very long!

(pardon my lame I-have-a-cold/babytalk voice. And I'm still learning this video thing, so it might not be the best...)

Somersaults

My first ever video, it worked! YAY!!!
Disclaimer: my voice sounds horrid because I had a REALLY bad cold when I took this video!

So Weston has discovered somersaults. I didn't teach him, Jeff didn't teach him... where did he learn? We have no idea, but he LOVES to do this ALL the time now and will break into somersaulting fun at the most random of moments. Love this kiddo!

We've been Tent-ed

The Tent: a poem

It came on his second birthday:
The tent.
From grandparents who thought-
Fun tent!
It sat in the closet for months
Poor tent.
Until his mom remembered,
'Ahh, tent!
He'd love a new summer toy.'
Go tent!
He stared at the jumble of pieces:
What- tent?
And watched as dad put it together-
Big tent.
Jumping and running ensued
Great tent.
Then hiding and seeking refuge
Safe tent.
One minute sitting and reading contently
Calm tent.
Then jumping and clapping and dancing
Loud tent.
New adventures to discover
Brave tent.
Always laughter and giggles and smiles
My tent.

Thanks for the tent, mom & dad! He LOVES it!!! We play in it every day!

And here is Tave, keeping an eye on the tent madness!

Pronouncing Tave

Many people who have never heard us SAY Tave's name aren't quite sure if they're getting it right. So...here you go:

Say the name Dave, then replace the 'D' with a 'T'. TAVE. There you go. Perfect!
Hope you all like it as much as we do!

And here is a picture of our cute little guy just because, well, he's SO cute:

When he doesn't quite know what to think of something, this is the look we get! Or if he gets startled or scared. What a cute face!

Gimme the rock, man!
OR
Knuckles.
Whichever you prefer.

Breaking Dawn

Got it, Read it, LOVED it!!!!


Got it: 12:15 a.m. August 2nd*. Yes, we went to the release party!
Read it: In aprox. 12.5 hours**
Loved it: I won't give anything away, but it was VERY interesting. She added some cool twists...there were a few things I was dissapointed in...but OVERALL it got 9 out of 10 stars from me. Awesome. Great end to a FABULOUS saga! I am always so sad when a well-loved book comes to an end. Goodbye to those wonderful characters who jumped off the page and into my life. I will miss them!

*My cute friend, Heidi was 10th, yes you read right 10th, in line to get her book. SOOOOO, she was awesome, awesome, awesome and bought mine and Shar's for us too! THANK YOU Heidi!!!
(We were # 893 & 894 in line....so she saved us LOTS of waiting time!!!!)



** Okay, here is the entire reason WHY I was able to read it in 12.5 hours:


My sweet, sweet husband took BOTH our kiddos most of the day so I could read!
Here is a letter he gave me AFTER he had already spent about 3-4 hours with Weston (and Tave off & on...I still had to nurse and be a mom sometimes!)

Happy early Birthday!

• You are hereby banned from this home from the hours of 3 pm to 7 pm, Saturday August 02, 2008
• You are to take nothing with you other than Breaking Dawn, the picnic basket, and a blanket
• You are not allowed to look in the basket until you have arrived at your location
• You may choose any park that will provide the desired atmosphere for romantic, vampire reading...
• You may decide to have dinner delivered or to eat when you get home
• If you have an additional questions, you may ask the head-over-heels in love with you man who gave you this envelope.

I love you,
Jeff

Wonderful, fantastic, awesome, perfect early Birthday present! Thank you, Babe!!! It was so fun and so relaxing to have a day to myself!!! (and the picnic basket was full of all my favorite treats!) Am I spoiled, or what?!
I did get some late night reading in too! I am obsessed, what can I say!

3 Whole Years- YAY for us!

Happy Anniversary!
July 23, 2005 ~ San Diego Temple:

La Jolla Cove, San Diego:

Our Reception:

These past 3 years have been Amazing!!! I am so lucky to be married to the most patient, kind, and caring man. He treats me so much better than I often deserve. He helps me to want to become the best version of myself but loves me just the way I am. He also happens to be my best friend. I love that each year has just gotten better and better. We have loved deeper, laughed harder, and become stronger together. It has been such an incredible three years. We are learning together what it takes to make it through this life and have fun and lots and lots of happiness along the way.
We have had so many fun and exciting times during these 3 short years together. Here's a look at our highlights:

• Honeymoon Cruise ~ July 2005
• Trip to CA & Texas ~ December 2005
• Nicole Graduated~ April 2006
• Weston was born~ June 2006
• Lots of fun, crazy times in between with lots of family!!!
• Christmas with Abreu's in UT ~ December 2006
• Jeff Graduated ~ April 2007
• California Trip ~ June 2007
• Texas Trip ~ July 2007
• More, fun fun times with family
• Overnight trip for anniversary in Midvale, UT ~ July & October 2007
• Christmas in Texas ~ December 2007
• Wicked & California trip ~ February 2008
• Bought our first home- March 2008
  
• Lots of family here ~ April 2008
• Tave is born ~ May 2008
• Tons of family, reunions, & LOTS of fun times ~ May-July 2008

We are here!!!
What an incredibly fun & busy busy three years. Here's to MANY more like this!

And here are some of my favorite memories:

• Reading Harry Potter & the Twilight Saga together in the Lovesack
• Midnight ice cream
• Introducing you to Wicked, having you love it, and caring enough to take me to see it!
  
• Rotating who gets to sleep in in the morning
• Having our boys. You are an amazing Dad. Thank you
• Going on jogs together
• Our cruise
  
• Laughing over nothing
• And everything else in between!
  

I love being married to you!!!
I love you Babe. Thanks for everything.
Happy Anniversary