Wilcox Family

2011-11-23T17:24:00.001-07:00

picture overload

2011-02-24T17:49:00.004-07:00

You have been beggin' and here they are. A whole load of pics in no particular order. Some old-ish, some new. Hope you enjoy as much as I do. I sure am blessed with beautiful, lively, fun, happy children.

How could you not want to squeeze these chubs?

Not always sure what to do with this one...

Grandma Sandy came for a few days. We loved having her. We celebrated Andrews B-day early. (this was the first of three different celebrations. is that so wrong? more pics to come of Andrew's birthday.) As you can see Grant is pictured with Andrew's new bike. Andrew is still a little timid. When the snow goes away I will get a pic with Andrew on his bike.

Right before Grandma left.

I think this picture is a perfect image of how the grandparents miss their grandkids when they are so far.

Finger paints were a perfect distraction to Grandma leaving.

Our first Thumb sucker.

Andrew didn't need a binkey or his thumb. Grant used a binky until right before Alexis came. Luckily it was an easy transition for him. Hopefully, since we can't hide, cut, or throw away the thumb, we won't have a problem with this later down the road. I think it's the cutest thing or maybe I'd worry about it.

Valentines Day. Jake knows how to make a wife feel loved. (Sigh)

The boys found a wrestling mat.

In one of those "oh crap, it's too quiet" moments, I ran to find Andrew just being his little creative self.

Blessing Day - Dec.26

2011-01-21T17:48:00.007-07:00

We blessed Alexis in our old home ward while we were in Pocatello. This way at least some of our family could be there with us. She was so beautiful and the blessing was too.

Mom made the dress! It was perfect in every way.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-21T17:47:00.014-07:00

We were so lucky to go to Pocatello for Christmas this year and spend some time with some of our family. Christmas just wouldn't be the same without the people we love around us and one week is just not enough time in my mind, but that's life. I am grateful we had that time at all.

Because our flight took us to Salt Lake, we were able to spend a few hours at Grandma Linberry's house with Aunts, Uncles, and cousins before our drive to Pocatello.

4 generations

Christmas Morning

My boys love their guns... I wonder who they take after.

Look how excited Alexis was for Christmas.

What a great babysitter!

They kids were so excited to have time with their grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins.

The Schley cousins

The Terry cousins

We blessed our Lexi-pie

and celebrated Valery's birthday.

Birthday Boy... Dec 17

2011-01-21T17:18:00.006-07:00

Can't believe our little G-man is 2 YEARS OLD! His curious, smart, happy, loving, funny, playful, energetic ways just make all of us love him more and more everyday!! What a blessing it is to have him in our family!

We love you Grant!
He couldn't wait to blow out the candle. In fact he blew it out three times before we had the chance to sing happy birthday and take a picture.

Finally he waited long enough...

....to have Andrew jump in and do it for him.

Couldn't shovel it in fast enough!

who doesn't love opening presents?

My back yard... the ramblings thereof

2011-01-17T23:11:00.001-07:00

Kinda like livin' on a farm... or at a zoo... or in the wild... take your pick.

While my family was last here we had an interesting experience. I was shaking the rug out in the side yard when what appeared before mine eyes, but a large cow moose. I had to blink a few times and stare for a while before I believed it. It startled me somewhat, I didn’t know how to react. I called my dad and my brother out. I didn’t have words. I just told them ‘come fast, there is something out here!’ They of course were really excited seeing it. I had tied Naci up at a tree right before the moose showed up. Naci spotted the moose and - trying to protect us, I think - ran after the moose, barking. Mrs. Moose didn’t like it so much and charged Naci until she couldn’t back up anymore and choked on her collar. I was getting my camera when I heard her yelp. I thought the moose hurt her, luckily that was not the case. The moose then proceeded to our Apple trees right on the other side of our driveway in front of the house. She hung out there, eating Apples for hours. Jake got home to see it there, parked at the end of the driveway and walked slowly to the house. The moose just minded her own apple eating business. She didn’t seem concerned about us, the humans, at all. She was our pet moose for a couple of days until, somehow, Jared scared it away on the way home from his morning run. She took off running never to return. Though we don't miss having a moose around, it was pretty cool, and scary, having one in our front yard for so long. This would never happen inside city limits.

We have more animals (and insects) around here than I care to talk about, mice; frogs; rabbits; racoons; birds of many assortments; coyotes; deer; obviously the occational moose. It's what we get for living in the country. Here are a few pics of some we are fond of...

This owl hangs out in our trees. Here it's watching the late summer sunset with me.

This county fair runaway came from Jake's friends.... SOMEONE found it in his yard a week after the fair was over and decided it would be a great idea for it to live in the country and a great gift for our boys. It's the thought that counts, right? Despite our disapproval, the bunny was left in our yard. We worried the poor little thing would get devoured by either the coyotes or the owl. Jake let it live in the garage for a while until he couldn't keep up with feeding it and opened the garage door a little for it to roam and eat the grass. Jake would see it run from the field back to it's hideout in the garage when he would come home from school. We never picked a name for it because we didn't know if it was male or female, so we just called it bunny. Good thing we didn't get too attatched because it can now be found grazing with the other wild rabbits who live under the barn. It fits in quite well. Hopefully it is surviving the winter cold and staying clear of the predators.

We are glad Naci is still around and alive. A couple of weeks ago we thought we lost her. She has the horrible habbit- as many country dogs do - of chasing cars, trucks, & tractors down the street. Unfortunately that is what kills many country dogs. I had let her out of her dog room to go potty one snowy day and forgot about her while I tended the kids. Jake later noticed she wasn't around and went out looking for her like he has done before. Usually she'll come running to the truck if shes too far from the house or she'll just come home on her own. This time she didn't. The Snow Plow had come by a little while after I let her out, so we assumed that she got plowwed into the snow, burried alive, and we wouldn't find her until spring. We were pretty upset all day and night. Our neighbor called Jake in the morning saying there was a dog that was chasing the snow plow and stopped at their house. They didn't know whos dog it was so they chained her up and took her to the animal shelter in the morning. We didn't have to pay the shelter because we picked her up before they had time to shelter her. PHEW! Lucky we still have our Naci!

Soy pobre

2010-12-03T23:54:00.007-07:00

I was thinking I would not do christmas cards this year because we are as poor as any law student comes. However, a friend of mine posted this SHUTTERFLY promotion on her blog and facebook and I decided I would give it a try. You should check it out too. Click here to find out how you can get 50 free holliday cards. There's tons of designs to choose from. I am having a hard time deciding which one I will pick because they are all so cute. Since we haven't been able to take family pictures -for the lack of moolah- I don't have a whole family shot, so I'll have to pick one with multiple pictures. The offer ends Dec. 10 so hurry fast! All you have to do is mention Shutterfly on your blog, then you are set to go. I have a hard time every year deciding what to get people for christmas, granted it's easier with a little $$$. However, if you are looking for christmas gift giving ideas, there are many other cool items on this site. I personally like the calendars or the photo books. They are very affordable and Grandparents love them!!

Trick or Treat?

2010-11-17T21:18:00.003-07:00

It was a cruel trick of nature to be sick on the day of the wards trunk or treat this year. SO, I broke all of my rules and took the kids out when we were all feeling better, on halloween... Sunday. I couldn't go without trick or treating when Andrew had been anticipating months in advance. And Grandma Terry made him the cutest monkey costume. (Sadly I told her the wrong size to make so it was a bit small, but it worked. You can see the velcro under his chin in the pictures. It obviously wasn't too tight but he complained anyway. We let him have his way so he could enjoy trick or treating. It looked much better when it was closed all the way. Eh, what can ya do?)

It was a treat to see all my kiddos, as cute as can be, in their costumes. Too bad I didn't get to show them off at the trunk or treat dinner party. Oh well, wasn't sure I wanted to bring Alexis out anyway. We only went to seven houses. The boys seemed satisfied with that and we didn't want them to have too much candy anyway. It worked out pretty well considering.

Andrew loved 'carving' the jack o lantern. He didn't really carve anything or even scoop very many pumpkin guts out, Grandma Sandy did.

His favorite part was seeing it after the candle was lit inside of it. He insisted on eating by pumpkin light for every meal. It was fun until it got moldy and we finally had to throw it away.

How lucky we are....

2010-11-17T17:30:00.009-07:00

We are so so blessed to have such wonderful family! Jake's mom, my mom & dad, and Jared were able to come help us out the first two weeks of Alexis' life. We just loved having them here. The boys had someone to give them attention at all times while I figured out the newborn schedule all over again. They had fun!! I always look forward to having family with us and it ALWAYS goes by WAY too fast. Thanks for making it up here! We love you all so much and miss you while we are so far away. Can't wait for Christmas time!

Grandma Sandy and Alexis

I guess it will be a while before we get a good picture with the boys. Andrew can't stop moving and making faces. I guess Grant has a good excuse in this pic, he threw up a couple hours later.

Out of the ten or so pics we took with Uncle 'Jar-lid' this was the best one of the boys. Unfortunately 'Jar-lid' is a kid himself and made faces in all of the pictures too. Sorry Jared, it's what you get for being such a goof!

3Generation pic

Grandma and Grandpa Terry -Amazed the boys sat still for this one.

While Grandma Sandy was here Andrew got the 24 hour tummy bug... Then Grant, but he had it 48 hours... I got sick the day Sandy went home... Sandy after she got home and Jake soon after me. We were lucky to have Sandy there to help with the sick boys (sorry that you got it, though, Sandy). Luckily we didn't pass it to my fam!

Big Brothers

2010-11-17T16:50:00.004-07:00

Andrew and Grant have both been super big brothers. They want to love and hold baby Alexis when ever they see her. They give kisses and hugs frequently and try to play with her. Alexis is one lucky little sis!

Aside from Alexis, though, Grant and Andrew both have turned into two year olds. They play off of eachother. Andrew likes to see if he can get Grant to do naughty things, then if Grant does it, Andrew follows suit. What am I to do with two wild boys? I sure do love them, but any tips or advice on matters of discipline would be good for me... feel free to share.

Another Blue Eyed Beauty

2010-10-31T18:19:00.015-06:00

She's here! Alexis Michelle was born October 22 2010 1:26pm 7lbs 5oz 20 1/2 in.

Right before I was induced.

Little sweetheart decided she didn't want to come on her own. Hopefully that is a sign of being a very content baby -so far she has been- and not a stubborn one. ;) Jake took me to the hospital Friday morning 7am to be induced. (Thank you so so so much, Tanya, for taking our boys all day and then some!!!! That was a big stress off my shoulders while all the Grandmas are so far away.) As soon as I got settled in the labor and delivery room Jake left for school. Dr. Ting gave me my first and only dose of cytotec at 8am. After laying in bed, watching TV, and being monitered for over an hour, they let me get up and walk around to get the contractions going. Bonnie came to visit me, knowing Jake wouldn't be there. She thought I might need some company. It was unexpected and very thoughtful of her. She helped the time fly by. (Our Genesee friends take GREAT care of us! :)) Jake came for his lunch break and left before Dr. Ting could make it back to give me my second dose. Turned out I was all ready to have the baby and he broke my water. I knew it would be a short time before she came, so I had to call Jake to tell him he couldn't make it to his last class of the day. By the time Jake got back I was having really painful contractions. He noticed I didn't have any drugs in my IV. I just assumed that because the nurses at Portenuef Medical Center hooked me up with pain releif the moment I started feeling uncomfortable pain that I was already getting medicine through my IV. I told the nurse I needed nubain, but she told me the anesthesiologist would be there in twenty minutes and claimed that it wouldn't be good for the baby at that point. (I don't know what the heck she was talking about... I had nubain with both Grant and Andrew and nothing was wrong with them! I wish I wasn't such a pushover all the time. I should have insisted because it is my right!!) Anywho, when it was time for me to push, sure enough, the EPIDURAL specialist had not arrived and I was left to my own devices. This is something I swore over and over again that I would not do and ended up being a VERY painful thing - just as I expected - something I never want to experience again. Honestly, I never knew I could scream like that. However, GRATEFULLY, I survived AND it was quick!!! An hour after Dr. Ting broke my water, our precious darling was here. I will say, recovery was easier without the drowsy after effect of the epidural.

Her face was very bruised and vessels in her eyes broke because of the fast delivery.

Daddy and Alexis

Dr. Ting and Alexis

Out of the two boys we think she looks more like Andrew, though her face is rounder and lips are smaller. She has more hair than both of the boys had as newborns.

Alexis is a very good baby. She cries quietly and very rarely, only when she is hungry or cold. She typically only wakes me up once in the middle of the night to eat, then goes right back to sleep. I am so grateful for this. With three YOUNG kids and Jake in law school, I am blessed to have a newborn I can handle. :)

Side note: Thank you Laura for watching my boys for my last several checkups before Alexis came. I don't know what I would have done without you!

Baby Shower

2010-10-09T20:22:00.004-06:00

I know, I know... it's not my first child, why did I get a baby shower? Well, it is my first girl after all... AND seriously we are just well taken care of here. Tania and Natalie insisted on throwing the shower. It turned out great. Fun people, fun games, wonderful gifts, yummy desserts, and AWESOME people... did I mention AMAZING people! Thank you Tania again! Thank you everyone. Seriously, we recieved adorable clothes and important baby items that we didn't have. They are all needed and appreciated! Thank you, thank you!

'bout time for an update....

2010-08-16T17:59:00.000-06:00

Okay... so maybe it's been a while. I'll try to include some events that have happened from after christmas up to now without blabbering on and on and on. You may have to scroll down a bit to catch it all. We have slower internet than we had before, so it takes FOREVER - literally - to download pictures. Sadly, I won't be posting as many as I want to.

February 4th was our 4th Anniversary. Due to the fact of celebrating with a cruise in Sept. '09 we decided not to do anything fancy... however Jake surprised me with THIS...

two days later, after I thought we had decided against having one until we lived in the country. Actually, I assumed we would never have one at all - anyone who knows Jake can understand that. We named her Naci, which happens to be the name of Jake's cousin. That sounds horrible doesn't it? Actually it has nothing to do with the person, although Jake LOVES her. We had a hard time coming up with a name, but when Jake mentioned NACI we both thought it was perfect. Don't worry, he asked permission first. Surprisingly, Jake likes our pooch quite a bit... most of the time, when she isn't digging or chewing. Andrew adores her. He loves to play with her. Grant seems indifferent right now. He likes her at a distance - she is just too big for him. I have found that it's hard for me to enjoy a dog like I did when I was younger, now that I have kids and other adult responsibilities of my own. However, I still love her and find that she fits our family well.

Andrew...

2010-08-16T17:58:00.000-06:00

Andrew's third birthday was Feb. 22nd. We had a little party for him with a few of our family members. We had a strep throat scare so we didn't invite many people. It didn't turn out the way I wanted. I was feeling sick all day and didn't get everything done that I wanted to. I managed to forget the balloons AND slaughter my first decorative cake. I made a train and though it didn't work out... ANDREW LOVED IT. :) He didn't want anyone else to eat it. He didn't want to eat it either but he sure loved picking the candy off. He enjoyed all his gifts, as did Grant, and it was fun to have family with us.

Andrew grows up more everyday. He keeps us laughing and on our toes. He loves insects, toy guns, books, playing at the park, digging in the dirt, dogs, laughing, being independent, singing primary songs, running around without his clothing, imitating dogs & spiders & Grant.

THREE... Oh my!!

2010-08-16T17:57:00.000-06:00

To our SURPRISE we discovered the reason why I was feeling sick on Andrews birthday is because I am pregnant with our third child. Jake was super excited and I... well, mostly I felt nervous but in a very happy way. I definitly didn't look forward to the months of nausea and vomiting especially with two boys that keep me running at all times. That part is over, however. I am now into my third trimester and I'm feeling very good about having another little one.... AND OUR FIRST GIRL!!!!

Pink and purple, dresses and bows are definitely on my mind. Do you remember these??? I can finally use them...

Here is her bedroom... still hunting for a cheep dresser, but it's super cute in the mean time.

Here I am 31 weeks... I can't believe only 9 to go ~WOW!

Law School...

2010-08-16T17:56:00.001-06:00

Soon after we found out we have a baby on the way, Jake recieved his acceptance for law school. While I should have been overwhelmed with excitement for him, fear at the thought of being a somewhat single mother of three young children while Jake goes to school struck me. I still have moments of engulfing fear at the thought, but I just have to believe that we can make it through. It's been done before, we can do it. I am so proud of Jake for all that he has done and all that I know he can accomplish. Although I know there will be plenty of hard days without Jake around, I am glad we have this opportunitee and I look forward to the adventure.

Jake started school today and I already miss him like crazy!! It will definitly be different without him at home so much. He is going to ROCK IT!

New Adventure...

2010-08-16T17:55:00.000-06:00

Part of our preparation for law school involves moving 10 hours from our Pocatello families and friends and 10 EXTRA hours from our St George family... We are now residing in the nice little town of Genesee population 900 and some odd - 20 minutes south of Moscow. We live in a cute little yellow house on an acre of land surrounded by farming fields and beautiful sunrise/sunset scenery. We arrived here the weekend of July 4th - our celebration of our AMAZING country's independance was spent unpacking, and so, quite small this year. We appreciate all of the help our families gave us in process of the big move - babysitting, packing, cleaning, driving, unpacking... etc... Thank you a million times over. It would have been impossible without you. We are REALLY enjoying our new place and the new SPACE in and outside of the house. The boys have more room to run around and play, as does Naci. We have had no problems with her running away. Even when we leave all day long she sticks around. It's quite wonderful. If anyone feels like making the trip, we would love to have visitors. Welcome all who want to see the beauty Northern Idaho has to offer.

Here are some pics of the rooms in the house minus Jake's office.

Grant...

2010-08-16T17:54:00.000-06:00

Grant is getting bigger and smarter and more fun for us to have around. Andrew enjoys him most of the time too. They play well together. One of my favorite sounds is the two of them laughing together. His favorite things are cars, bubbles, toy guns, eating, smiling, hugging, kissing, cuddling, music, dancing, singing, and screaming. We aren't really fans of that last one - this boy has accoustics like you wouldn't believe, he came that way. Here are some pictures of our little G-man...

Since we moved, Grant has been upgraded to a big boy bed. We tried to get Andrew to sleep in the BIG big boy bed but he was determined to keep HIS bed. That's okay, can't say I blame him. So, Grant gets to sleep in the big one and he does wonderfully!!

Newest family pictures...

2010-01-05T13:35:00.010-07:00

Here's our family pics from November, some of my faves anyway. - taken professionally by Jake's sister, Brittany Schley....

Prayer, Singing and Reading

2009-12-31T17:04:00.004-07:00

Andrew is getting to be SUCH a BIG boy! December 27th, he said his first PRAYER! All this time praying with him and asking him to say it, him saying no time and time again and running around like a crazy maniac while either Jake or I pray out loud... has finally paid off. Jake started saying the prayer Sunday night Andrew shouts out 'I want to say it by myself!' All this time not even wanting to copy what we say then he so perfectly speaks....
'Dear Heavenly Father,
Thankful for this day
Thankful for church
Thankful for Grandma
Thankful for Grandpa
Thankful for Mom
Thankful for Dad
Thankful for Grant
Bless us to be happy and safe
In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.'

Without ANY help! Can I ask for anything more? That was a tender moment and I can not express how happy I was. Now he does it frequently and loves it! :)

He has also suddenly taken an interest in singing. Seems like I have tried to have him sing songs with me over and over, but no such luck. He just wasn't into it until 'Santa Clause is Coming to Town' came around. Now he knows jingle bells, twinkle twinkle little star, and a few other classical songs he likes to sing 'la la la' to. A song from the movie 'UP' is his favorite. He always asks me to sing it and he sings and dances along. I love it.

(Music at the bottom needs to be paused.)

We bought the 'Your Baby Can Read' program quite a while ago. He wasn't ever too into the dvds. A few months ago I started working with him and the word cards and pictures and he is really getting into it. Now he will sit and watch the dvds for a little bit whenever I'm showing them to Grant. He knows at least 20 words now and is still picking them up so quickly. I know if I keep it up he will keep going and be AMAZING. He is amazing! We sure love him!

'Merry Christmas ya old building and loan'

2009-12-31T08:47:00.015-07:00

I love Christmas time! This year was no exception. Although, I am making it a goal of mine to get cards sent and Christmas shopping out of the way by the end of November from now on. That way December will be slightly more easy going, less stressful, and our family will be able to focus more on the true meaning of the season. I love that there is a whole month - or two - depending on who you are, dedicated to the celebration of our Saviors birth. (For me, Christmas begins as soon as Halloween is over.) Now that I'm all 'grown up' the excitement of Christmas is still there, but has changed quite a bit. Every year I feel increasingly appreciative of all that I have because of our Brother, Jesus Christ. With each additional family member, new friends, new trials & experiences, and also the trials & experiences shared with me by family and friends that have touched me in some way, there are more reasons to rejoice in His life. He is truly the center of everything.

In addition to my newer grown up excitments of the Christmas season, I still enjoy the Christmas trees, lights, decorations, music, and the anticipation of santa clause - especially now, with my almost three year old. It was so fun for Andrew this year. He got into decorating the tree with me. He really had fun putting the red bulbs wherever he wanted - mostly in the same spot, although after he found my candy canes, he delighted in just watching me place ornaments while he devoured his popcorn and candycane. I decided maybe it would be a better idea to leave the candy off the tree this year, knowing it would be an unneccesary struggle waiting to happen several times a day.

One of his favorite things to do all month long was take a ride and look at all the Christmas lights. He never failed to yell out in excitment about every single house with lights on it. Our ward had santa come to our Christmas party this year. Andrew was happy about it, but I think he was more excited about the fact that he asked Santa for a candy cane and got just that.
I wish these jammies fit Grant all year round. He looks so adorable in them.

Christmas morning was a blast. The kiddos loved unrapping the presents from Santa, but mostly it was Andrew unwraping everyone elses presents and his own. Grant just enjoyed playing with the new unwraped toys. P.S. It is very disappointing that I don't have stockings for anyone yet, although we still had stocking stuffers for the kids. I want cute, inexpensive -not cheep- stockings, each with the individuals name on it, but I also want to be able to get matching stockings for future children. Anyone have any good ideas? Should I just make them myself? Enough jibber jabber.... here are some Christmas day photos....

Christmas morning aftermath.

We did it!!!!

2009-12-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

I have finally jumped on the running bandwagon. For some reason almost every single member of my family is into running - long distance running. Jared just started up this year, too. Eric doesn't run but he bikes all over the place just for fun. Crazy family! I had to give in to loose my post baby bump. It went away so easily after Andrew, but it just wasn't the same this time. I had to work for it. I have to say, it was REALLY HARD! Thank goodness Alisa was here in town to push me. She's a great coach! Many other people helped too, by example. I know so many people who have trained for and run 1/2 and full marathons this year. I was amazed at all of them and thought it was surely IMPOSSIBLE for me! I was wrong. I had so much fun. My sisters were there to do it with me. They are both faster than me of course, so they left me in the dust. :) I am so glad that Angela was there! We ran it together. We kept the same pace, so it was fun to have someone to talk to the WHOLE way! That was a blessing for me because I have never run more than five miles by myself - I was getting really nervous that I might not finish without someone to push me.

Me and my sistas before the run!!!Angela and I right before the race.The first mile...Somewhere in the middle.... (thumbs up, I'm still feelin' it!)

Mom and Dad were there to cheer us on and take pictures. It was nice to have a cheering commitee! Dad took several pictures, but for some reason I made the same DORKY pose in every one, so I will spare you.

The rush of adrenaline at the end was AMAZING!! I loved it! I will definitly be doing this again...... several times! Who knows, maybe I'll push for the whole marathon one of these years! AWESOME!!

swimming...

2009-12-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few pics from back in November. We went swimming at a hotel for Gracie's 5th birthday. The kids of course had a lot of fun. Andrew, however, is petrified of having his head anywhere near the water (makes for interesting bath time - trying to wash his hair and face is quite a pain). Daddy tried to teach him how to float on his back and he had a tantrum everytime. He wanted to stay in the hot tub most of the time beacause there was a bench he could wade around on while the water only came to his chest. Grant was a different story. He loved swimming with dad. He looks a little tired and waterlogged in his pics but he was happy to be in the water. Fun times!

This is my favorite!

Grant - 1 year...

2009-12-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday GRANT!!

2009-12-21T17:02:00.011-07:00

December 17th was Grant's first birthday. We had a little party for him. Grandma & Grandpa Terry, Grandma Sandy, Jared, Eric & Tania, and Alisa came. We were slightly worried about having Strep throat so some of the cousins and aunts & uncles couldn't make it so as not to risk passing it on. :(

Grant didn't know what to think about the candle and all of us singing happy birthday to him, but it sure didn't stop him from devouring his cupcake with delight. He even tried to eat the cupcake paper and clearly he was satisfied when he finished his birthday treat.

He wasn't too into ripping the paper so Andrew got impatient and helped him. Nice big brother.

Grant is just a little too short for this toy, but he loves it anyway. And anything that Grant loves, Andrew has to love it too... naturally.

All in all it was a fun day. I can't believe my baby is growing so FAST! He's a good boy and we love having him in our family! (Even Andrew likes him on occation! :))

Halloween 2009....

2009-11-01T13:58:00.008-07:00

These pictures are in no particular order. I just wanted to post halloween pictures before the year is over. Sad, I know, it's Christmas in a few days and I'm just getting around to this? We went trunk or treating with the Highland 5th ward. Andrew had the best time ever. He was sure to say trick or treat AND thank you at every stop... GOOD BOY! He had a great time visiting all of the Grandmas houses on Halloween and also a few other houses with cousin Gracie - how he loves her. I thought Halloween might be his new favorite holliday, but he gets just as excited about the christmas lights and Santa Clause. :) I love how extatic he gets when we pass a house with Christmas lights on. It just never gets old.

The boys with Aunt Tania. Is it horrible that I put Grant in Andrews first halloween costume? He will probably wear all of Andrews costumes until he actually cares to do his own thing. So next year he'll be a doggie, and the year after a dinosour... it's wonderful that they fit in the same clothes around the same season. :)

Trick o' Treating with Gracie.

Halloween jammies.

Corn maze with daddy.

So much...

2009-10-26T17:30:00.005-06:00

There is so much I have missed over the summer up until now - practically winter. I have been very lazy in my blogging. Considering it is my only form of journal keeping, I should be ashamed of myself -and I am! I am surprised that moments such as Grant Crawling, or going on a cruise didn't excite me enough to post at all. So now, I will try to catch everyone up on our goings on. I'm pulling an Angela Miles and posting 10 at a time... I'm always amazed, by the way, that you can do that every time. Where do you find the time and how do you take all those pictures? :) These are not in any particular order.

HERE WE GO!!!... and more to come.

Togetherness...

2009-10-26T17:29:00.001-06:00

First bath together. I love my beautiful blue eyed boys!!

Playin' outside...

2009-10-26T17:28:00.001-06:00

As much as I tried to get Andrew to play on the bike we got him for Christmas last year, he was just content to ride the one without pedals. He is an inch or so too short for the pedals anyhow. Maybe next year. :)

Andrews new found favorite thing this summer was bugs. He loves to crunch them with his fingers and try to pick them up. He killed a few spiders for me that way. EEEKK!! This got him in trouble a little earlier today. There was a hornet in his bedroom that no one knew about, hiding behind his curtains. When in time out, he found it. The hornet got the best of his finger. Poor Andrew. :(

I got some good use out of my double stroller, walking and jogging. It's a great get away for me and the kids.

We had a lot of fun playing at the park. That is definitly the place to go with the kids in the summer. FREE FUN! And they love it! Andrew begged to go to the park almost every day! I am sad that these days are coming to an end with the cold weather. We will have this to look forward to after the snow melts next year, that's for sure!

Gone fishin'...

2009-10-26T17:27:00.001-06:00

Andrew had so much fun going fishing with Jake several times this summer! I enjoyed it too, because it gave me a brake from my busy 2 year old. Having just one baby on my hands is a nice change, occationally. I love Andrew/Daddy bonding times. Andrew loves doing anything his dad does. I went once to take pictures and ended up being the only one who caught a fish that time... A sicko CARP! Yuck! It was fun anyhow! :)

My two handsome John Deere boys! Don't mind the dirt on Andrews face - he sure loves getting dirty!

Happy Birthday!

2009-10-26T17:26:00.001-06:00

This is from clear back in June. SO OLD....We still love you Daddy!
These are my three favorite boys in the world!

Happy 4th of JULY?

2009-10-26T17:25:00.001-06:00

We started our celebration at Great Grandpa/Grandma Terry's. We were going to have a cook out in the back yard until the rain came. IT POURED! and resulted in a beautiful double rainbow, but you can't see the double very well in my picture. We had to eat inside, but there was good food and good company... made for a great time!
The rain simmered down just in time for fireworks. We watched them at Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Leonards. Excellent view and not too loud. Andrew really enjoyed the fireworks this year. I think this is my new favorite holiday. I love watching Andrew's excitement about the big and small, loud, colorful fireworks.

Kinda silly :)

2009-10-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

Since we got married, Jake refused to use any other bowl for his cereal - which by the way is practically the only thing he eats. A while ago, Jakes precious bowl cracked. At first I laughed to see him act SSOOOO silly - almost depressed about loosing it. I thought for sure I saw a tear in his eye when he mentioned it. However, after I heard him tell of the memories he shared with this said bowl, I almost cried myself. So we set out on a hunt for a new bowl similar to this one, and found NOTHING!! He has had to settle with some of my tupperware bowls as they are the closest resembling bowls to his favorite from almost childhood.

Cruise!!

2009-10-26T17:23:00.003-06:00

Jake and I had the opportunity to go on a CRUISE this year. I never thought that would be a possibility, but we jumped at the chance and I'm glad we did it! We counted it as our honeymoon part two/early anniversary celebration! Although wonderful in every way, we felt we could have used a longer honeymoon... 5 days wasn't nearly enough time (including about 14 hours of driving). For me it was a much needed, far over due break from the stresses of mommyhood - don't get me wrong, I love my little dears. We definitly enjoyed ourselves and would do it again if the chance came our way and the circumstances were favorable, although probably not any time soon.
We stayed with Grandma Lineberry Saturday October 5th. It was nice to visit with her for a little while. Then we flew from SLC to San Diego Sunday Morning. Grant Hulse picked us up from the airport. Our first stop was the San Diego Temple. I wish we had the time to do an endowment session there. I have always wanted to but have never had the chance. This is where Jake had his endowments taken out - I did baptisms for the dead at the same time. We love this Temple.

We enjoyed spending time with the Hulses and are so grateful for them letting us stay there! We had a great time with you guys!

This picture was taken right before Grant left on his bussiness trip and right after the rest of us got out of bed... NICE! We look a little sleepy.

Jody showed us around old town San Diego right before we had to board the ship Monday afternoon. Good times!! San Diego is a nice place.

One of the best parts of the cruise had to have been Catalina Island. It was beautiful! Of course, pictures never do scenery justice... especially with my camera and photography skills. :)

This is the view from the ship.

From the ship to Catalina Island.

Right before we went snorkling - AWESOME! Too bad I didn't have an underwater camera... I LOVED IT! I had never been before so it was super fun for me. I want to go at least once a year. Jake had been before -in Cancun- so he had seen better. (Some day, if I'm lucky and if we're ever rich ;), he'll take me there to snorkle.)

Getting ready for formal dinner night... When do I ever have time to do my hair like this?! NEVER!! Even though my hair always goes flat 5 seconds later, this was a real treat for me. It's nice to feel pretty sometimes. Jake also liked it - it's nice to feel like someone else thinks you're pretty, too.

Our friends who talked us into going, Todd & April Itami, and Kendall & Deanna Johnson

I took a few pictures of the appetizers. The presentation was very pretty, but the portion sizes always made me laugh. The first one for example: One strawberry, one blackberry, one slice of honeydew melon, a few miniature ball sized cantelope pieces, and a couple drizzles of mango sauce. HA! When I ordered a side of fruit, I guess I expected a cup or bowl of fruit. It doesn't really matter, because you can eat any time, any amount you want while on the cruise, so it's not like I was starving.

I loved that I didn't have to cook or clean anything... A DREAM COME TRUE. Everytime we left the room we came back to either a bed made or covers turned down and a towel creature. Constant maid service. We had the option to have our food brought to us, although we didn't ever choose that route - it's nice we had the choice.

Surprisingly, Encinada, Mexico was the least favorite part of the cruise. I was so excited to go there. Everyone vacations to Mexico, so... of course it would be amazing right? I should have known. Neither one of us had heard of Encinada before, and now that I have, I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone... my oppinion, though. We had to take a bus to where we got a taxi. We gave the guy $4 for the two of us thinking he would give us change back if that was too much - we didn't know how much bus fair was. Turns out, it was only $1 per person. The guy just took it and sent us on our way. I know that isn't much but really bothered me. THEN we catch a van taxi, the guy tells us he'll give us a great deal, $5 to the blow hole $5 back PER PERSON. There were six of us... so I'm pretty sure that was a great deal for them! There was a long ally way of shops on the way to the blowhole. They were annoying to me... everyone just trying to get the highest amount of money for anything. It seemed dishonest to me, so I didn't end up buying any sovineers. I especially wanted at least a little toy for Andrew... the guy told us a little drum set was $5, we decided we wanted to keep looking and didn't want to buy anything until the way back. As we walked away, he told us we could have it for $3. On the way back we went to get it and the guy said we could have it for $15 and that was the lowest he would go. So we didn't give him anything. I don't know why it bugged me so much... I know that is the way those shops go... that's the way it was in China too. All the shops had basically the same items. Nothing too exciting, so I came away slightly disapointed. Oh well. There were several pharmacies with the shops, selling all kinds of drugs... they would always try to lure us in with the viagra... 'we have viagra, maybe for later eh? Just in case' WHAT THE HECK? So funny!

On the way to the blowhole.

The blowhole was pretty, but not worth the $24 bucks we paid to get there! :) We would have been happy to just stay on the ship!

With the Johnsons.

Last dinner.

Saying goodbye.

All in all, we had a GREAT time! We went to shows, tried to go dancing several times, but the music was always lame! I was so close to getting Jake to karaoke with me.... SO CLOSE. Our favorite was the hypnotist show - HILARIOUS!! We ate alot, especially the chocolate icecream. We both tried sushi. Jake loved it and I detested it, not because it taste bad but the thought makes me want to vomit! We layed out in the sun and just RELAXED as much as we could! Great fun! We would definately go again - despite the fact that I was sea sick for a whole week after we got off the ship - somewhere different, though. I heard Cabo San Lucas is an amazing cruise trip. Maybe in 20 years. :) It was so nice for us to get away from the kids for a while and have some time to ourselves, but we missed them too much by the end of the trip. It was great to get back to them. They didn't seem to miss us very much. It seems, they had too much fun playing with grandparents and cousins. Andrew cried when we got home, beging to go back to Grandmas. Thank you Grandma Sandy & Grandpa Leonard, and Aunt Brittany for watching them while we were gone.

LAGOON!!!

2009-10-26T17:22:00.001-06:00

We sure had fun this year. Last time we went, Andrew wasn't quite sure what to think of the rides. This time, Gracie took good care of her cousin and made sure Andrew had a blast! Good times!

Jake and I had just gone on a SOAKING ride, so excuse my appearance, please.

My three favorites!!

Andrew generally looked confused while the ride was going, but he would run off laughing! :) We will definitly be doing this again!

Nasty!!

2009-10-26T17:21:00.001-06:00

(I appologize in advance for this picture of my gross white legs!) The kids and I have gone boating with Leonard and Sandy several times this summer. We had a lot of fun, but unfortunately I did not always have my camera with me. The only picture I got out of these excursions was this...I haven't ever done any water sports, other than ski tubing. I was daring enough to try the air chair. I did okay, although I didn't try that many times, but I got out of the water for a few seconds a couple of times. The first time I tried, my seat belt wasn't fixed right, so I came completly out of the chair and hit my leg on the way. It hurt pretty bad but I kept at it. Anywho, long story short, my leg was massivly bruised! This picture was taken a week or so later. There was a lot of swelling and pain involved. I couldn't run for a while afterward. To this day, my leg still looks a little green/blue/purple and there is a visible divot in my calf that may be permanent. Hopefully that will go away with time, but I don't believe muscle rebuilds itself after the damage is done. It's not too bad, though. I would try the air chair again for sure!! :)

My Messy Munchkins

2009-08-26T10:08:00.012-06:00

The fun has just begun with this little one! :)

Here are just a few examples of Andrews silly messy ways...

Peanut Butter is a real treat to him and he can get it out all by himself.

He found the Cinnamon&Sugar daddy left on the countertop... yum.
This one wasn't really that messy. Andrew unscrewed a brand new bottle of baby wash and dumped it ALL in the tub. He likes his bath bubbly and evidently I didn't put enough in for him to enjoy it.
As soon as I've cleaned one mess up, it seems Andrew has already made one or two other messes to be cleaned up. It's worse now that he has learned to open doors and cupboards and can climb up almost anywhere. He loves to pull dishes, blankets, and books off the shelves. He pulls all of his toys out of the closet and scatters them everywhere. Meal times are the most fun... he doesn't seem to care about his personal hygiene so much. When he is done eating there is food all over his face, body and the table & floor. Do 2 yr olds really have to be so messy? Not to mention all the messes that potty training entails!!! Sometimes I get real tired of cleaning up after everybody. Is this just a phase or will this be my life until my children are grown and gone? I would love some advice from all you mothers who have learned some good ways to teach your children to clean up after themselves... or keep from getting dirty :) and making messes in the first place. Is that at all possible?
Our little ones are so fun and give us too much joy even through all their craziness!

First...

2009-07-03T21:13:00.005-06:00

Grant's first tooth broke through today!!! My little guy is growing up so fast. I just can't believe how the time is flying and it's showing. It's kind of funny, his bottom right front tooth has been showing for a long time, I thought for sure that would be his first. His bottom left front just decided to pop in. He is rolling all over the place. He pulls his knees underneath himself, then lunges forward... not quite crawling yet, but seems to be very close. He is full of smiles. He has a scream that can break glass, but thank goodness it's easy to keep him happy. :) We love our little 'Gant'. We have so much fun with him.

Long AND Boring...but good for me. :)

2009-06-30T23:28:00.006-06:00

I thought it only right to get in at least one post this month. Sadly it's nothing too exciting becuase it is very last minute and I'm too lazy to download any pictures.
Last Thursday, I had the opportunitee - thanks to my old mission companion, Natalie Jones - to have the LASIK procedure done. Natalie works for Standard Optical in Holladay (SLC) UT. They were having a two day friends and family discount of slightly more than 50% off. Two eyes for less than the price of one. GREAT! I jumped at the chance. I have always dreamed of doing this, but thought I would have to wait forever. So, thank you Natalie for letting me in on this terrific deal. The doctors and assistants were wonderful. The procedure itself went so much smoother than I had imagined (maybe thanks to the little valium pill they gave me prior to) and only took about 10 minutes. The worst part was having my eyelids pried open (yep, that was pretty painful) and my eyeballs suctioned so they would stay in place (they were numb, however, so it was just more uncomfortable than anything else). I heard a few snaps crackles and pops, smelled burning flesh - sorry for the gorry details - and I was good to go. My eyes were blurry right after but improved immensely over just 5 hours. The first day they felt grainy and uncomfortable. After my first nights rest they just felt like a bad day of contact wearing. Now they just feel dry. I have antibiotic and steroid drops to put in 4 times a day for 7 days and moisturing drops for comfort whenever I need. The more I use those now, the less I'll have to use later - so the dr. told me. Hopefully I won't have a dry eye issue for the rest of my life. When I went to my day after checkup, I tested at 20/20 with both eyes open and the Dr. told me I would continue to improve over the next week. It's so strange to be able to see and not have to worry about glasses or contacts. I love it, and I definately recommend it for those of you thinking about doing it.
Sorry to those of you who have been begging for updated pictures of the kiddos. I'll try to be better and get on that right away.

A new empolyer...

2009-05-18T14:11:00.004-06:00

So, as I said long ago, and as most of you probably already know... Jake is now under new management. He is his own boss now! Mwaha ha ha ha! :) He sells bullets online to those who like to reload their own. No powder, no casings, just the tips. His website is http://www.rmrbullets.com if you are interested in seeing a little of what he does(AND if you are into buying bullets yourself or if you know anyone who is, pass it along. :)).
I am truly amazed at how good he is at what he does. Not that I should be - he is, after all, incredibly awesome at everything he pursues. I am just so impressed at how well he handles this private business of his, considering he has never done anything like it before. He has done stucco for himself before, but this just seems so much more involved. He has excellent customer service skills. He is great at researching everything about the supplies he sells, so he is more than qualified to sell them. If his customers have any questions, he has a satisfying answer everytime. His customers have sent excellent feedback. Everyone states they recieve their purchases faster than from any other company. Several people have told him that they would rather buy their bullets from him than the well known company they were purchasing from before. He works very hard and is GREAT at it!
He got his buddy, Todd, in on it, too. Todd builds websites so he is the reason there is a website at all and why it looks SO good. He also helps alot with the financial aspect of the business. He assists in packaging the bullets which helps Jake quite a bit. Jake would have me help with that part, but I have our kids to look after. Thanks to Leonard, they have a place to keep their bullets and package them so they are not all over my living room. YEA!! Thank you Todd and Leonard!
This is an all around good thing for us. He works in the mornings now, so we get to have him with us at night. SO GOOD FOR FAMILY LIFE. Granted, he still has to answer emails, texts, phone calls, and research prices and other info in the evenings. It is very worth it to us. Jake loves doing it because it is one of his passions. The hours are not as long and we love having daddy at home.
We will see how it goes this year. If it doesn't work out for some reason, law school here we come. It is going wonderfully for now.

No accidents - Day 1

2009-05-15T22:42:00.003-06:00

Andrew was SO good today! He did not have any accidents in his pants or elsewhere, for that matter. He woke up from his nap without a drop in his diaper - I hope that's a good sign. I even took him to Grandmas house with underwear on and he made it there and back without any problems. I love it! I hope this is the beggining of a great potty trained life for our little man! GO ANDREW!!

Call me freakishly WEIRD...

2009-05-13T17:10:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I was thinking how good I have it. I love my precious boys so much. I was thinking how great it would be if I only had boys... at least, that is what I was thinking yesterday BEFORE I went to Tania's ward enrichment night with my mom and Tania. The original plan was to eat dinner then make cute cards (thank you, congrats, get better, welcome baby, etc.). Then I saw it. One of the tables was set up for making those cute little baby girl head bands I am seeing everywhere that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!! They are so adorable.... I could not help myself. I bought one of each color and had the hardest time picking out the flowers to go with them because there were so many cute options. I ended up taking the card project home with me because I spent so much time putting head bands together. What is WRONG with me?? I don't have any girls and who knows if or when I will have any. I was out of control! I guess I do want girls after all. Aren't they just too precious! I can't wait to have one of my girls wear one. :) I can switch the flowers to a differnt color band if I want. Andrew was very curious as I was admiring them...
I showed him what they were for. I told him they were for little girls, but he was sad when I took it away from him. Jake didn't like that I even tried it on him. So funny! I tried it on Grant too but it looked too girly... I couldn't take a picture.

Family Pictures!!

2009-05-11T14:37:00.003-06:00

Here they are...
Our scanner isn't the highest quality so they aren't so great, but it's better than nothing. Our family pic and the one of just Jake and me are actually in color, but all the dark color bled together so I made them black and white. Next time we'll go with a photographer who will let us have a cd or negatives!

Before April is over...

2009-04-27T11:22:00.005-06:00

I had better post our Easter happenings before the month is through.
Easter just keeps getting better and better for me. It's a good time for me to reflect upon all our Savior has done for me... When I say me, I mean us - all of us. I had the chance to go to our Stake Easter program, A Walk With Christ, April 11th. My sister in law, Tania is in the same stake as I am, so we went together. We started at the scene of the birth of Christ which is always a touching thing for me to think about, especially now that I am a mother myself. I couldn't imagine such lowly circumstances while bringing such a precious miracle into the world. All that aside though, what a happy time! We continued on from room to room... Jesus teaching as a child, different miracles he performed, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Judgment, the Crucifiction, the Resurrection, the Reflections of Christ DVD -which I love. It was beautiful and very touching. At times it felt real. The people wore clothes that made them look like they were from Jesus' time. Some of them had their parts memorized and spoke like they really had been face to face with Jesus - as a friend or enemy. The last room was about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon - restoring the Gospel of Christ to the Earth again. I am grateful for this time of year to REALLY think about what our Savior, Jesus Christ did for me. Now, that I have children it means so much more, because I love them so much. I know that Jesus lived and died for them too, and suffered so much so that we could become like Heavenly Father and live with him and eachother forever. It means so much to me. It's indescribably wonderful!

Easter: part 2

2009-04-27T11:18:00.011-06:00

Our Easter festivities lasted about a week, I think. I don't think Andrew really cared, though - he's only two, after all. It was fun for him. Saturday he dyed eggs with Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Leonard and had a luncheon at Great Grandma and Grandpa Terry's. Sunday we had Easter baskets then went to the park with Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Leonard after church to eat and have an egg hunt with all the cousins. Due to Andrews nap we missed the hunt but he was lucky enough to get the last egg. :) A few days later he dyed eggs and had an egg hunt with Grandma Jean. The day after that we dyed eggs at home and had our own little egg hunt. Andrew just loved it all and is still begging to color eggs all the time.

Andrew got an Aqua Doodle and a Book of Mormon picture book along with all his candy.
Grant got a rattle... he loves it.

Coloring eggs was a hit! Luckily we only managed to spill once and stain just our fingers. Easy clean up.

Grant just sat in his bouncer and squealed and talked the whole time. Good boy.

Andrew had a blast finding the eggs he colored, candy eggs, and eggs with rubber bugs in them. Bugs are his new favorite thing. Grant tried to hide from the bright sunshine behind my shoulder all the while.

Overdue post part one: GRANT'S BLESSING DAY!!

2009-03-31T17:51:00.007-06:00

Grant was Blessed February 1st, my moms birthday! Happy Birthday mom! It was a really good day. It was wonderful to see everyone who came. We had dinner at Sandy's house after. Thank you everyone who helped! Grant of course was a little cutie. Sandy and Brittany took pictures afterward. Unfortunately Andrew was bouncing off the walls and Grant was fussing because they were both really tired when we took the pictures, so it was kind of hard to get them together. They are both so cute anyway...

Overdue post part two: ANDREWS 2nd BIRTHDAY!!

2009-03-31T15:15:00.009-06:00

Andrew turned TWO February 22nd. I have waited way too long, but I just wanted to post about it anyway because it is such a big mark. I can't believe how big he is getting and how much he learns everyday. He is getting more and more independent and wants to do every little thing by himself. He is so fun to have. We love him so much and I think he loves us too, especially DADDY!! He has such a fun little personality, I don't know what we would do without him. Here are a few pictures of his birthday... and birthday month... BIG BOY! There are quite a few and they aren't really in order. I must have forgot to bring a camera to Sandys house for the birthday party there. That was fun too!
Being the horribly forgetful person I am, I went out to get presents but forgot cake and candles. We used whatever my mom had.

St. George and Sickness...

2009-03-31T13:21:00.005-06:00

The last few weeks have been kind of crazy. We went to St. George last minute for Jakes bullet business -which I have not yet explained about.... another post... another time. Anywho... we had a blast while we were down there. It is nice to see our long lost relatives every now and again when we can. They are alot of fun. Andrew completely enjoyed seeing Grandpa Chris and Grandma Wendy and playing with cousins. We loved seeing all of the Wilcox's there with the acception of Dacia and Matt -maybe next time. We also got to stop by Grandma and Grandpa Summers a couple of times while we were there. On the way down we stayed at Grandma Lineberry's house in Salt Lake. That was the first time she got to see Grant. Wish we could have stayed longer. I'm so glad we got to show the kids off a little bit though. We all enjoyed seeing everyone and hope we can come down more frequently, (even though a long trip like that is tough with a baby that hates his car seat!) now that Jake has this business thing going for him. We love you all!

Here are some pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Summers. Of course Andrew had his hand in his mouth in every picture. :) I don't know why we didn't get anymore pictures of the kids with anyone else. I'm horrible at taking pictures. I'll do better next trip!

Jakes cousin Stacy and her family stayed at the Summers house the night before we visited for the last time. We missed them, but we picked up a little something they left behind. THE FLU! Bleh! When we got home we heard Grandma and Grandpa both got it. I felt bad for them, but I didn't really think anything else of it until Andrew threw up in his cereal bowl the next morning. It was the first time he has REALLY thrown up, I felt so bad for him. I wasn't very good at running to the toilet with him when he would scream out in pain. My initial reaction would be to hold him. Yeah, I got puked on a few too many times. I felt so bad for him, but THAT was more disgusting than anything. It's hard to comfort a child when the initial reaction is to vomit yourself. Anyway, I ended up having it a the next day. It lasted about three days for both of us. I am so glad morning sickness doesn't feel like that or I probably would NEVER want to be pregnant. It was awful! We are over it now, thank goodness.

25 Random Things...

2009-03-05T22:26:00.010-07:00

I am finally giving in to these facebook tags and thought I would post on blogger too. I'm not going to tag anyone but if you would like to do it too, feel free. I'm sure I would love to know 25 random things about you too. WARNING: I may have made it a bit long.

1. Unlike most women I talk to, I do not like movies such as Emma, Pride and Predjudice, and Sense and Sensibililty. I guess they aren't that bad, but they are so long and dull. To enjoy them I have to watch them by myself after the kids are asleep, and usually by then I am so tired I can't stick with it anyway. I can't understand what the actors say because of their dialect, so there is no way to understand with kids around or a husband that complains about how horribly boring the movie is and continues to beg to watch something different.
2. I served a mission in San Antonio Texas. That's right Y'all!
3. I used to hate ice cream with a passion until I went to Texas. I absolutely love Blue Bell ice cream. I was hooked the first time I tried it, and when I came home just regular old ice cream had to suffice. I wish I still hated it - could do without those calories.
4. I met my hubby, Jake, in Jr high. I dated his best friend in high school for quite a while. He moved away and I hung out with Jake almost daily while he was away until they both went on missions. I wrote both of them, served a mission myself, came home and realized Jake was the perfect match for me! I love him more and more everyday!! Lucky me!!
5. I have TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder! I think it runs in my family because both of my sisters have it. I have it worse than both of them, however. My jaw pops and even gets stuck sometimes - for hours at a time a couple of times. That hurts pretty bad. To get it fixed will cost me an arm and a leg & a ton of time. I can't have braces until it gets fixed. :(
6. My mother always says she loved having babies. My sisters and I used to always make fun of her. Now I can't laugh at her when she says that because I think the exact same thing. It doesn't take long to forget the pain of having a baby. Precious little babies! I would love it if I could have as many as my mom did.
7. I talk in my sleep. Jake says its mostly just mumbling. I remember my friends telling me stories of what I said in my sleep at sleep overs. I would make actions too. Once I said 'carebares to the rescue' and put my hand in the air like superman. One of my friends told me the morning after she slept at my house, that I sat up straight like I was scared. She asked me what was wrong and I turned and grabbed her by the neck, let go, and went back to sleep. She said it took her a long time to fall asleep after that. She just lived around the corner but was too scared to go home by herself. Andrew must take after me. Just the other night, Jake and I went into his room while he was asleep and he said 'candy' out loud. He was out like a light.
8. I am a little bit obsesive compulsive when it comes to colors. I always have to put them in rainbow order. (markers, crayons, hanging my clothes.) Weird, I know.
9. The first time Jake and I danced was at a stake dance when we were 14 yrs old. We danced to the titanic song by Celine Dion. I considered that 'our song' for the longest time. Kind of funny because I hate that song now. :)
10. I lived in China for 3 months teaching with the International Language Program from Provo. It was supposed to be for four months, but we were there when SARS broke out so we were sent home early. :(
11. I hate contention. I try to avoid it as much as possible.
12. I used to hate being bare foot! I would always wear shoes. It even bugged me to just wear socks or flip flops. I have changed my ways though. Bare feet rock!
13. I have never been pulled over while driving.... knock on wood.
14. I hate needles. I usually pass out or come close when I have my blood drawn, no matter how hard I try not to think about it. Once I was supposed to have a urinalisis and my blood tested in order to go to China. I had never done a urinalisis before so I drank TONS of water unsure if I would be able to go. We did the procedures in the wrong order. I passed out while they were drawing my blood. They walked me over to a bed. When I came to, I asked if I still needed to do the urinalisis. They told me they didn't think I could. Then I realized my pants were wet. EEEEK! They sent a cup home with me and also walked me out the back with one of their sheets to avoid embarrasment! Right when I got home, I had to run for the bathroom. I drank alot of water that day. Probably not a very good story to share with everyone, but looking back on it now, I find it quite amusing! :)
15. Some of my favorite nicknames people have called me are Krissytina - my neice, Gracie started that one and everyone on Jakes side calls me that now, I love it!,
Sam & Goog - I'm not sure how those started but my brothers used to call me those when I was a little girl. Good memories., Special K - Hazen Pett, quite creative I think., Tink - that's what my dad called me when I lived with my parents. :), Kay May- that's what Jake calls me. :)
16. I was made fun of for having buck teeth when I was in elementary school. I never did, but my front teeth do look larger than the rest of my teeth and it was a lot worse before my baby teeth fell out. I think braces would help that a little. Too bad I can't get them yet.
17. I love my in-laws!
18. I, like many people I know, am addicted to facebook, email, and blogging. Everytime I see the computer I have to check for new posts.
19. I am a very quiet person. I always feel awkward with other people because I am always worried about not talking enough.
20. I love boys, namely JAKE, ANDREW, & GRANT!!
21. I can eat alot of milk chocolate. Jake bought me a box of 36 Hersheys Milk Chocolate Bars -my favorite- for Christmas. I shared some of them, but for the most part I ate them all in about 2.5 weeks. Not really something I am proud of. That's why I have to stay away from the candy isle when I go shopping.
22. I am going to take some photography classes some day! I want to learn to take awesome pictures like the pros. Just hope I am creative enough to do it! It would be great to take good pictures of my beautiful children!
23. I didn't like school when I was going. Now, I wish I would have tried harder while I was there. I miss it sometimes.
24. I am a crybaby when it comes to spiritual and family things.
25. I absolutely HATE grocery shopping, but love any other kind of shopping.

Mothers

2009-02-15T22:30:00.002-07:00

This was on Tania's blog and I like it. Thought I would share. I watched it at a perfect time for me, just when I needed to hear it. Thanks for sharing Tania.

(Might need to pause my music before you play it though.)

Lovin' our Grant...

2009-02-11T18:46:00.007-07:00

Alisa has been begging me to post pictures of Grant everyday. Sadly, I haven't been so great at taking pictures lately, but here's a taste of what I have. (I still don't have blessing day pictures because I forgot my camera. I will have to get pictures from Britt and Sandy. They took some pretty good ones. I'll post those soon.)

Here he is at about two weeks. It's sad how fast they grow out of the newborn stage.

We've all decided that Grant looks alot like his mommy but has the hairline of his daddy. I truly thought looking like me would be a bad thing, but there is just no denying how adorable this little guy is. (Many people have mistaken him for a baby girl, however. LOL!) It's amazing to me how two very different looking children can look so similar and both be so beautiful. I love that Andrew looks like his dad and Grant looks like his mom yet anyone can tell they are brothers just looking at them.

Little smile.

Kiss from big brother.

I can't believe how fast this baby is chunking up. I swear he doubles in fat rolls everyday. He is now over 12 lbs. He's almost doubled his birth weight and he is only 5 days shy of 2 months. WOW!

This is what Grant looks like after Andrew gets ahold of him. :)

Little trouble maker...

2009-02-11T16:16:00.009-07:00

Thought I would let you see what Andrew has been up to lately...

Climbing and Jumping all over the table and couches - usually just wearing his new big boy undies or nothing at all. (He is happiest when he is naked!)

Watching his new favorite movie (WALL.E) and being silly.

He loves little brother, but sometimes doesn't know how to show it. He kisses and hugs him frequently -usually too hard- and makes little Grant cry. Sometimes he will follow his kiss or hug with a slap on the head, just to show how big his love is.

He is learning how to undress himself! (big boy)

Cuddling. He loves his daddy like nobody's business!

I posted this picture because he looks like such a BIG BOY! I am just amazed at how fast he is growing up!!

Family pics...

2009-02-11T15:47:00.005-07:00

This is a little past due. I said I would post some of our family pics from before Grant was born so here ya go...

There were so many good ones I couldn't decide which ones to post. If you want to see more click the link for more pictures on the right side of this blog page.

REALLY LATE NOTICE...

2009-01-28T20:30:00.003-07:00

I'm not sure what I was thinking posting this so late!!! I WASN'T THINKING!! Grant is being blessed this Sunday, February 1st, at 11:00am. Anyone who can come is welcome to. Our church address is 954 E. Walnut St. the red brick building on the corner of Jefferson Ave. and Walnut St. I am so sorry I didn't invite sooner. Anyway, you are welcome to come, but don't feel obligated. However if you are coming let me know so we can have enough food for those of you who want to attend the luncheon afterward. I apologize again for the late notice!!!

Need some advice....

2009-01-28T12:56:00.003-07:00

YEA!! Andrew did it again! Last night he peed in his potty after a whole day of me trying to get him to go! - and another accident on the wood floor(easy to clean at least.) I was so excited. I would love to hear some advice from anyone who wants to give it. How did you potty train your kiddo?

Maybe just a fluke... I hope not!!

2009-01-26T15:55:00.004-07:00

Saturday was a very exciting day!! I walked into the bathroom in the morning to put my makeup on and Andrew followed, as usual. He was playing with his little boy potty I bought him a couple of weeks ago and said 'poop mama, diaper off', which he has done before. I thought it was normal, and continued my business. I took his diaper off and he sat on the potty for a while. Suddenly he hopped off the toilet and said 'pee mama'. To my surprise he really had peed! I was so excited! We gave him some candy and praised him for the rest of the afternoon. We took the boys to see Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Leonard that night while Jake and I went out. Grandma put him on her toilet and he did it again. Grandma thought since he went potty she would let him run around without his diaper off, which he LOVES. However, he had an accident on the tile. At least it was on the tile. Saturday night Grant slept seven hours strait! WOW! He is just one month old! I hope he keeps it up! SATURDAY WAS A GOOD DAY!!
Sunday I would ask Andrew if he needed to go potty every hour or so. He didn't ever seem too interested. I let him run around with his diaper off... that seemed to help our friend's little boy potty train, so I thought I would try it. He had an accident on the carpet!!! EEEK!! He had another accident today, this time on Grant's play mat - I really think it was intentional ;) - at least I can wash that!! But I really think all of this just might pay off. I walked in the bathroom again to put my makeup on today and Andrew was already sitting on the toilet. I think I scared him. He stood up really fast and started to run from the bathroom and a little brown suprise fell from his bum! I am quite delighted that he seems to be doing so well!! Wouldn't it just be heavenly if we didn't have to buy or change diapers for Andrew much longer?!! I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I'll definitly continue to work with him at it!

Our new arrival!!

2008-12-27T22:50:00.004-07:00

Sorry I have taken so long to update! I'm sure all you mothers of two or more understand. Feel free to just skim through if you get bored...Little Ross 'Grant' joined our family at exactly 8:37 am Dec 17th! He weighed 6lbs 11ozs and was 19 1/2 inches long. The induction went pretty well, I would say. I had three doses of Cytotec and that did the trick. They didn't have to give any Pitocin, which I was happy about. I called the hospital at 5:30 pm and the nurses said they had room for me and told me to come in as soon as I could. Sandy took Andrew for the night, and I headed straight to the hospital where, of course, Jake was working. We ate dinner together then headed to my room. Dr. Burton was guessing it would only take one dose of cytotec and that we would be done by 2:00 am - considering the way things went with Andrew. However my body was a bit more stubborn than expected. After the first dose -at 7:30 pm, I walked around as much as I could when the nurse told me I could. I could feel frequent but light contractions after an hour or so. After the second dose, they became slightly more painful and frequent but still not strong enough. I knew it would go pretty quick after the third and final dose. The nurse didn't keep me drugged up very well so it got REALLY painful for me! I just tried to sleep through it, which didn't work. Dr. Burton came to my room at about 7:30 am. He broke my water and the contractions got alot worse. I had to wait for the anesthesiologist to drive to the hospital from home. Maybe it didn't take that long but it felt like forever!!! By the time he got there I was dilated to a 9 so instead of an epidural, he did an intrathecal - immediate relief that only lasts 1 1/2 - 2 hours. That worked perfectly because 3 pushes and not even 10 minutes later, Grant was here!!! AWESOME!! We are very happy to have him here. Even Andrew likes him sometimes. He likes to give hugs and kisses and asks to 'hold baby Gant' frequently. It's a different story, however, when I am feeding Grant and cannot give much attention to Andrew. He throws tantrums and either hits Grant or does something else he knows mommy doesn't want him to do. I don't know what I should do about it. At least I know it is just a phase! Or hopefully it is.

It has been a very tiring week. Grant has been very good though -he just likes to sleep most of the time! I have to wake him up to feed him, so I only get up twice a night with him. Not too bad. Jake has been so sick this week -PERFECT TIMING- so I don't get a whole lot of help. He has tried, occationally he'll help me with cleaning the house and changing Andrew's diapers, but most of the time he just feels like crap and has to relax. Andrew isn't feeling the best either so he wakes up in the middle of the night, too. It's a good thing I am recovering well, or I would be dying! OH WELL! Both my mom and Jake's mom have been so kind to take Andrew every now and then for a sleep over. He has had fun doing that and it has definitly helped me out!! Thank you Grandmas!!

Sorry for giving so much information. I hope I didn't bore anybody. Enjoy these pictures...

Pregoness

2008-12-15T16:02:00.006-07:00

Here are a few maternity pics for you! We had Brittany take them on Saturday when it was FREEZING, SNOWY, & WINDY outside -probably not the best day to pick, so we decided not to take very many. I am being induced tomorrow and I didn't want to wait any longer in case I went into labor before then. The ones we did take though turned out GREAT! Thanks Britt! She also took our family pics last Wednesday, so I will be posting some of those soon.

OH YEAH, and I got a hair cut.... here is what I looked like before it got chopped...

Congratulations Eric & Tania!!!

2008-12-04T23:41:00.005-07:00

On Novemeber 22 my brother Eric got hitched!! Yea!! We are all very excited to have Tania in our family! They were married in the Bountiful Temple -where Jake and I were married- so it was neat to go back there after so long. The wedding and reception were beautiful. Here are a few pictures of the happy couple....

Growing up too fast!

2008-12-04T22:15:00.007-07:00

Andrew is officially a little boy! Last month we put his bed together and he has been sleeping in it ever since. He hasn't fallen off yet, and I don't think he ever will - hopefully! The first few nights were a little tough. He would wake up confused and get out of bed crying. I would come and lay with him for a few minutes until he fell back asleep. He sleeps all the way through the night again now and it's WONDERFUL! He seems to really like his new bed. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!! Along with Andrews new bed, we painted the walls yellow and Grandma Sandy made curtains to match Andrews bed and Grants crib. It looks SO good, and of course if you could see it in person it would look even better! I absolutely love it! I think I can have my baby now. The only down side to the new setup is that the bedroom is TINY and we had to sqeeze everything together. It barely fits. If any of the furniture were any wider, we would have to move. Andrew has discovered that he can climb across the dresser when he doesn't want to take a nap and play in the crib. Kind of funny, but I'm nervous for when we put Grant in the crib. Hopefully he survives with Andrew as his older brother.

How much is that doggy in the window?

2008-11-03T16:43:00.013-07:00

Andrew was my cute little puppy dog for halloween! He looked so adorable and everybody agreed with me! Some may have mistaken him for a bunny or a cow at times, but I think I did a pretty good job sewing his costume considering it was my first sewing project since who knows when. My mom helped me out alot. She let me use her machine since I don't have one... AND she basically told me everything to do. There is no way I would have known how to do it without her. Too bad none of the pictures show his cute little tail.
Andrew had a fun time on Halloween. He did a good job keeping his costume on even though he protested at first. I thought he would rip the hood off for sure. He had fun visiting grandparents and Daddy at work. We didn't do much trick or treating because we went to the 5th ward trunk o' treat activity tuesday night. We got plenty of candy. Andrew wouldn't eat anything BUT candy for about 3 days straight. His favorite sentences for a while were 'candy please' 'candy now' and 'candy yum'. (He is JUST like his daddy!) I finally got fed up with it and hid it all Halloween night after he went to bed. When he would ask for candy after that, I told him it was all gone. OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND. Thank goodness! What a fun day Halloween is! I'm sure it will be even more fun next year when Andrew has a better idea of how trick or treating works. Maybe I will attempt to make halloween costumes again for my two boys. It was kind of fun.

4

2008-10-31T15:33:00.002-06:00

Thanks for tagging me Dacia(forever ago). I also mixed it with another tag. I know it's not the most exciting post after waiting so long to update my blog, but I thought I would do something quick before October was over. Also, I won't be able to post any halloween pictures until tonight because Jake has my camera at work with him. Sorry.

4 places I go over and over.-
My moms house, Jake's moms house, Church, The Grocery Store

4 places I like to eat.-
Wingers, Pizza Hut, Subway, Anywhere with HOME cooking

4 places I would like to be right now.-
In bed asleep, On the couch napping, In a hammock somewhere lounging, On any perfectly warm beach relaxing. I must be tired.

4 t.v. shows I watch.-
Medium, Reba, King of Queens, Office

4 movies I have watched more than once. -
Count of Monte Cristo, Fugitive, Cars,...Lately, I've been watching Surfs Up, Anastasia, & Shark Tale over and over again because they are movies Andrew likes to watch. What a silly question, there are over a ton of movies I like and have seen more than once.

4 Books I've enjoyed.-
Believing Christ, Following Christ, Count of Monte Cristo, From Mobster to Mormon (I think that's what it's called) Or i guess I could just be like everyone else and say the Twilight series! :)

I really admire avid readers. I must admit I am horrible at it. It isn't very often I finish a book once I start it -not because I don't like it, but because I'm kinda slow at it and it's too time consuming sometimes. It is my goal to better myself in this area. You are amazing Dacia. Maybe I should stop watching so many movies and spend that time reading, eh?

4 random things I love about my husband. -
His smile!!!, his smart brain, his way with people, his ability to do EVERYTHING well!! Can I really only list four things?

4 jobs I've had. -
Davids phone center, Convergys, Mrs Powells, Farm Bureau

4 places I have been.-
California, Texas, China, Canada

4 of my favorite foods.-
Chicken Enchiladas (my moms recipe), Chicken Fettuchini Alfredo w/ broccoli and tomatoes, Funeral Potatoes, Cattleman's steak (grilled by Jake)

4 places I would like to visit. -
Europe, South America, Hawaii, Eastern US.... I know that is pretty vague but there are a ton of places I would like to visit!

4 things I look forward to in this coming year. -
Andrew having a little brother to love- hopefully, finding out if Jake will work for the FBI or go to law school, watching my kids grow and learn new things, getting to spend as much time with family as we possibly can before we move somewhere, probably far away :(.

4 people who will respond. (I am tagging you)- Sara Marshall, Erin Smith, Tania Jabonero, Lisa Thomas - if anyone else wants to, feel free.

BABY BUMP~For Alisa!! and anyone else who cares...

2008-09-16T22:07:00.007-06:00

Here are some prego pics for you! They were all taken in September so you can't really see much of a difference between the pictures. However, I'm pretty sure I wasn't this big last time you saw me! Hope you enjoy... come home soon... we miss you!
I'm feeling really well these days... over my morning sickness stage. I can feel Grant moving around alot. He seems alot more active than Andrew was, as far as I can remember - I could be wrong. I can also see him move around if I watch my belly. Just today I could feel whatever appendage he was moving around, a knee or a foot - who knows. It's really fun though! I love my little Grant already!

Mommy survey...

2008-08-18T22:41:00.010-06:00

ALL THE PROUD MOMMYS: Fill this out!
-Age of baby/babies? 18 months and one due December 24th
-Names? Jacob Andrew and Ross Grant
-Birthdays? Feburary 22 2007
-Time of birth? 10:20 am
-How long did labor last? Starting from when I got to the hospital... aprox. 7 hours
-How long did you push? aprox. 1 hour
-How much did your baby weigh? 7 lbs. 7 oz.
-Any hair? yes, enough to be so so cute!
-Who does your baby look Like? Definitly Jake
-Be honest...how much weight did you gain? 25 lbs
-Was baby early or late? 2 days early, hopefully this time I will be as lucky - don't want to be in the hospital Christmas day if you know what I mean.
-How many baby showers did you have? 2 showers, 1 for family, 1 for friends
-Did you breastfeed? Yes, one year
-Who keeps your baby(ies) the most? Me mostly, occationally we let the grandmas sit for a bit.
-When do you wanna have another? Dec 20th would be fine
-How did you know it was time to go the hospital? I couldn't sleep because I couldn't stop moving my legs and if I walked around I had to lean against the wall every couple minutes. That wasn't normal, I knew it was time to go.
-Anyone spend the night with you first night home? My mom was so kind and stayed a few days after Andrew was born. She slept in the living room with him and held him when he cried, she only woke me up when it was time to nurse him. SO NICE!
-Did you cry the first time you held your baby? No, I think I was crying a little from the pain, but when the doctor put him on my stomach all I could do was smile. I was so excited and happy to see him.
- Who cut the cord? Jake
-Where was the baby born? Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello ID
-Did you record the labor? No way! There were a few pictures taken, but none that invaded my privacy. I think people who record the whole process are CRAZY. (Not to offend anyone.)

ROSS GRANT

JACOB ANDREW

JACOB ANDREW

Mommy done good...

2008-08-14T12:38:00.002-06:00

I finally got brave enough to cut Andrew's hair on my own. I bought some hair clippers, then took Andrew to my mom's for support. Jared started me off and showed me it wasn't so hard to do with clippers. I was pretty excited about the results. He looks dang cute with his new cut! Here are some before and after pictures....

BABY...

LITTLE BOY...

Oh wow! I have a cute boy!

Also, I finally bought a new camera, same make and model as my last one just updated and better quality. Therefore, I have put up about five new posts, mostly pictures. I have had to catch up. Hope you enjoy!!

Dutch Oven and DIRT!

2008-08-14T12:37:00.000-06:00

We went with Grandma and Grandpa Terry to Justice Park for Dutch oven dinner! Mmmm it was good. But Andrew enjoyed the dirt the most - he likes to dump it all over himself then rub it all over his face and hair. What fun! Thanks for a good time Grandma and Grandpa!

Bear Lake Trip

2008-08-14T12:36:00.000-06:00

Early July was our big trip to Bear Lake with Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Leonard. We had a great time! Andrew loves the beach. He enjoyed riding around on the boat with mom while everyone else did water sports. Being pregnant, I couldn't do much, but I got brave and went tubing. Great fun!! Daddy did what he does best... Wakeboarding. Most of our time however, was spent on the beach. Andrew loved every second of it. He had his own little pool to play in, and he LOVED digging in the sand. It was an excelent weekend!

New Camera... Time for pictures...

2008-08-14T12:35:00.000-06:00

An old one, but so flippin' cute I couldn't resist posting it.

Another old one.

Andrew loves talking to Daddy on the phone.

He's adorable even when his feelings have been hurt.

2008-08-14T12:34:00.004-06:00

Andrew visiting Great Grandma Lineberry.

Andrew looking SO cool!!

Andrew's new SISTER or BROTHER...

2008-08-07T21:00:00.008-06:00

We found out what are next little person is two days ago. I was so excited because the Ultra Sound with Andrew went so well. We went to the same place but had a different technicion. We don't think she really knew what she was doing. The pictures weren't as clear and last time they gave us a cd with pictures and a bunch of 4 second clips of Andrew jumping around. I asked the tech this time if we were going to get video of him. She said 'we don't do that here'. So all we are left with is a cd of somewhat unclear pictures of our little person! All that aside, though, we were very excited to finally know what we are having. The poll ended at 70% girl (14 votes) and 30% boy (6 votes). It pretty much stayed 70%/30% the whole time. I think I biased the survey by saying I really felt like it was going to be a girl in my last post. Sorry to have decieved you, but Jake is right again. It's a BOY!! (Tee he he he he... I tricked you with the pink, didn't I?) I'm so excited. I have been wanting a boy because I think it would be fun for Andrew to have a little brother to pick on and play with-or vice versa. Also it is nice to have some clothes, toys, blankets etc. already for him. Of course we will get some new ones, but there will be plenty for him. Yea!! I love boys!! I am really out numbered now, but I love it!

His face structure looks different than Andrew's did in his ultrasound so we think, maybe, he will look more like me than Andrew does (hopefully not too much like me-for his sake). I guess we'll have to wait and find out.

Boring Life Updates

2008-07-14T22:53:00.005-06:00

I figured since I don't have a way to post new pictures, I would just let you all know what's going on with us. If you are interested, read on. If not, just stop right here...
I think my pregnancy is going quite well. Aside from the sick feelings and my tired body, I feel quite grand. My baby belly is starting to stick out, but I still just feel fat because I haven't felt any baby movements for sure, yet. I am getting more and more excited to find out if we are having a girl or a boy. We wil find out August 5th. I am quite certain I am carrying a little sister for Andrew, but I guess I could be wrong. I was last time. This time, though, it is more of a feeling, whereas last time it was more of just what I thought I wanted. Either way, I am SO SO HAPPY! I will post a poll just to see what you think.
Andrew is getting to be so fun. He is growing up so fast and seems to be loving life, most of the time. He seems to be getting into more trouble as the days go on. Lately some of his favorite mischevious things to do are: Tackle anyone who is laying down, which includes little kids his size and sometimes smaller, but mostly mommy and daddy.; playing in the toilet when he finds an opportunity. YUCK!; and doing things that mommy says no to, just to test me. He seems to be getting smarter and smarter everyday. His vocabulary is pretty impressive, I think, for his age. He loves daddy-his favorite person in the world, grandparents, books, making animal noises, playing outside, dirt and mud - anything that will make him dirty, water (baths, sprinklers, swimpools, random water puddles, and... sadly enough, toilet water), balloons, and his stuffed rattle doggie that he has to sleep with every night and nap time.
Jake is just working hard. Still a security gaurd at the hospital, but trying to work his way up and out. He applied for the FBI. We went to Salt Lake last week so he could take a test. We recieved a letter in the mail today saying he passed. So, now it's onto more interviews and tests. Next step is the Language examination. This could be a very long process. If that doesn't work out, he'll be taking the LSAT this September to get ready for Law School. We'll keep you updated.

Been too long!

2008-07-14T22:00:00.002-06:00

I've had some complaints that I don't post often enough. Prior to this week my excuse has been my lack of motivation. As of Last Thursday I haven't had a camera or any way to upload new pictures onto my computer. Evidently, Andrew thought it would be a good idea to break my precious camera. I should, however, give credit where credit is due. All day long before that happened, I kept thinking to myself, "I really should put my camera in it's case or put it up on a shelf". I must have been too lazy - what a surprise. While I was in the bathroom cleaning up one of Andrews messes, he grabbed the camera out of the diaper bag -which was in his reach because I left it there- and smashed it on the floor until it busted. Sadly, I don't know how soon I will be buying a new camera. Sorry Shelley, you will just have to look at Jakes graduation pictures a little bit longer.

CONGRATS GRAD!!!

2008-05-30T23:12:00.002-06:00

Jake graduated with a bachelors degree in politcal science on May 10th. I am so proud of him! He has worked very hard for it and deserves a break. I have such an incredible husband! He works so hard for his family and for that I am grateful! He is a good daddy, hubby, and provider. We love him so much!!! Way to go Jakey!

This post is far over due! I didn't post this until now because I got lazy -that being the main issue- and I kept forgeting to get pictures from Sandy. My camera didn't take very good pictures.

There's 23 of me

2008-05-12T12:30:00.008-06:00

There are 98,817 people in the U.S. with the first name Kristina.
Statistically the 530th most popular first name.
There are 250,847 people in the U.S. with the first name Jacob.
Statistically the 259th most popular first name.
There are 819,432 people in the U.S. with the first name Andrew.
Statistically the 54th most popular first name.
There are 69,932 people in the U.S. with the last name Wilcox.
Statistically the 490th most popular last name.
There are 188 people in the U.S. named Andrew Wilcox.
There are 58 people in the U.S. named Jacob Wilcox.
There are 23 people in the U.S. named Kristina Wilcox.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
23
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Pregnancy moment?

2008-05-06T21:37:00.008-06:00

Is it too soon for me to be losing my mind to pregnancy? Today, I put some soup in a pan and left it to boil over a little bit. I ran to it in time to save it. As if once wasn't enough, though, I left some milk boiling on the oven while I was looking for my floss. I didn't get to it until the smoke alarm went off. I'm still working on getting the burned spot off the top of the oven, and my house smells like a smoker lives here! I have had all my windows open all day, but it hasn't seemed to help. I still haven't found my floss. Let's hope it was just one of those days.

Another 'bun in the oven'! :)

2008-05-04T21:28:00.006-06:00

Jake and I are happy to say we are expecting our second little angel! We are VERY excited. I am not that far along - maybe 5-6 weeks. I was going to keep the news to ourselves for a little longer, but Jake just can't keep a secret, so I might as well just let everyone else know. (We told our families already.) Andrew and the next little one will be about 22 months apart, which I think will be perfect! (fingers crossed) Now, Andrew will have a little playmate. Hopefully he will love a little sibling and not bully him/her or have jealousy fits. ;) I am looking forward to a new challenge, however I'm sure I have no idea what I'm in for yet. My due date will be somewhere around December 28. I'm really hoping it won't be too close to Christmas. I am so happy. I'll take a healthy girl or boy, I don't care which.
My pregnacy seems to be a normal one. I am constantly so tired. It doesn't help that I don't sleep through any night. Right now I'm trying to get as many naps as I can. I know there will be no time for that in about 8 months. I am extremely starving all the time. If anyone has any good, healthy meal ideas or recipies for any time of the day, please pass them along. So far I'm not always too hot, except while I'm sleeping at night.... I'm starting to hate blankets. I feel like I will show much sooner than I did with Andrew. I have heard that is normal for your second pregnancy. Someone at church today told me they thought I looked pregnant - I'm hoping it's my glow and not my belly. ;)

Our little guy WALKING!

2008-05-01T13:11:00.003-06:00

Here it is, the long awaited video of the little pro-walker!

Andrew's first haircut!... AND MORE

2008-04-28T15:25:00.010-06:00

Andrew's precious locks of platinum blond were trimmed and clipped on April 14th (THANKS ANGELA!) contrary to what daddy wanted. I just got a little tired of the uneven hairline on the back of his head and the hair hanging over his ears. Andrew was unsure about what was going on at first, but once the clippers started going he started to smile, wiggle, and giggle a little. I guess it tickled his head. He was happy the whole way through, which was great considering it was after his bedtime and he was very tired. I was a little sad after the hair started coming off.... his little baby-do would be gone forever. Although it was a little shorter than I imagined, it turned out great. At least I thought so, and all the grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles. Daddy was a bit upset - to say the least. He talks to me now, though, and still loves Andrew!!

April 14th was quite an eventful day. Right before I took Andrew to get his hair cut, he started walking at my moms house. My mom, Jared, Alisa, Eric, and I were all cheering him on pretty loudly. He liked the attention, so he kept walking back and forth from one person to the next. He started out walking about 4 feet-ish.... now he just walks whenever he feels like it. He takes a small fall every now and again, but he is getting pretty confident and his balance improves everyday!!!!!!! He is learning how to stand up in the middle of the floor when he doesn't have anything to hold on to. I will post a video of him walking soon. He is also really good at going down the stairs by himself now, so we don't have to worry about him falling down the stairs when no one is watching at grandmas house. Hopefully it won't happen anyway! (knock on wood) We are so proud of him! He is growing up so fast!

another tag.... gee wiz

2008-03-26T21:24:00.016-06:00

ABC TAG
A-Attached or single: attached
B-Best friend: Jake
C-Cake or pie: pie (most kinds) unless it's CHEESE cake, in which case, I say both

D-Day of choice: Saturday, or any day Jake doesn't have work or school.
E-Essential Item: phone
F-Favorite color: depends on the day or my mood
G-Gummy bears or worms: worms
H-Hometown: Pocatello
I- Indulgences: hershey's milk chocolate for sure! (Wish this were me!!)

J-January or July: July
K-Kids: One
L-Life is incomplete without my: family
M-Marriage date: February 4, 2006
N-Number of siblings: 2 sisters and 3 brothers
O-Oranges or apples: both:)
P-Phobias or fears: Spiders, Needles, and the all the ugly insects

Q-Quotes: "No one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all." Jeffrey R. Holland
R-Reason to smile: Watching Andrew do most anything, Having time to spend with Jake
S-Season:Fall and Spring

T-Tag six: Tania, Dacia, Sheila, Erin, Brittany, Lisa - but I'm not stoppin' anyone who wants to do it.
U-Unknown fact about me: I want to go back to school, whoda thought?
V-Vegetarian or meat eater: meat eater
W-Worst habit: Procrastinating
X-X-ray or ultrasound: ultrasound
Y-Your favorite food: Chicken Fettuchini Alfredo w/ mushrooms and broccoli! YUM!
Z-Zippers or Zebras: Huh?

Husband Tag....

2008-03-12T15:34:00.021-06:00

I got this from two different people, so I just mixed the questions...

What is your husbands name? JACOB CHRIS WILCOX
How long have you been together? MARRIED FOR TWO YEARS
How long did you date? 3 MONTHS TOTAL, 2 WEEKS BEFORE HE PROPOSED.... but we were best friends for ten years before that!
How old is he? 25
Who eats more? PROBABLY ME :)
Who said I love you first? DEFINITELY JAKE!!
Who is smarter? JAKE, FOR SURE!
Who is taller? JAKE
Who can sing better? ME. -sorry love.
Who does the housework? MOSTLY ME, BUT JAKE HELPS EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE WHEN I GET TOO LAZY. -which is more than I would like to admit.
Who sleeps on the right? JAKE
Who pays the bills? ME
Who cooks dinner? BOTH OF US
Who mows the lawn? JAKE
Who drives when you are together? JAKE -he hates it when anyone else is driving with him in the car.
Who is more stubborn? JAKE
Who kissed who first? I THINK IT WAS A MUTUAL KISS, AND A GOOD ONE TOO!
Who asked out who first? WELL, WE HUNG OUT ALL THE TIME, BUT JAKE WANTED TO GO OUT FIRST.
Who proposed? JAKE
Who has more friends? UMMM, WHO KNOWS... HE'S MORE OUTGOING, BUT I THINK I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MORE OF MY FRIENDS.
Who is more sensitive? ME
Who has more siblings? ME, unless you count Jake's step and half siblings, so I guess Jake is the winner!
Who wears the pants? WE BOTH WEAR PANTS, WHAT A SILLY QUESTION! ;)

... Now, I tag Jill, Erin, Amy, Sheila, Annette, Brit, Kristen, Shelley, Lisa, Stephanie, Melinda, and whoever else wants to tell about your hubby.

Who do you think Andrew looks more like?

2008-03-11T23:35:00.003-06:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Genealogy search - Family history

So, I've seen this look alike meter on several of my friends blogs and I wanted to try it out. Either this thing is a joke, or I used the wrong pictures. I tried 4 or 5 different pictures of each of us, and with most of them it said that Andrew looks more like me.... HA! That's funny, because we all know that Andrew is practically identical to Jake when he was a kid! I don't see me in him at all. I used to think he had my eyes, but as he gets bigger he looks more and more like Jake in every way. It made me feel good,though, 'cause Andrew's the cutest kid ever!!! Well, I think so anyway! I finally found some pictures that worked, at least they are closer to the truth.

Our Happy Family

2008-03-05T23:04:00.004-07:00

We just got new family pictures taken, thanks to Sandy. She is always wanting updated pictures of her grandkids, and it's also just a good time for us to take pictures of our whole family. (Please excuse my poor scanning skills, and the lack of motivation to rescan the crooked ones.)

My Little Cutie

2008-03-05T22:59:00.002-07:00

Cousins

2008-03-05T22:54:00.002-07:00

Out of the many pictures taken with Gracie and Andrew together, this was the only one with both of them smiling and in a good position. For some reason, Gracie just detests being too close to Andrew for too long. Throughout all the pictures with them together, Gracie would just get farther and farther away - as far as she could get sitting in the chair - with smaller and smaller smiles. We tried sitting Andrew by the chair on the other side, but he would try crawling away, so that didn't work. We thought it would be a good idea to put Andrew in Gracie's lap. Well, it would have been so cute, had Gracie not put her hands to her face and burst into tears. As amusing as it was, we all felt bad for her and didn't make her take anymore pictures. She had some way cute pictures by herself, but I didn't have any to scan.

Spider Man!!

2008-02-28T16:37:00.002-07:00

Andrew looks like such a little boy in his birthday pj's. (sniffle) My little baby's growin' up and looking more and more like Jake everyday.
He loves his doggie! It's his favorite thing in the world. He likes to sleep with it, drag it around, hug it, shake it (it has a rattle inside), and BITE it. That's his way of showing love - I would know, because he likes to bite me and daddy. When I ask him where his doggie is, he knows exactly where it is and crawls to get it. Or if I'm holding him, he points at it and says 'da' or 'gi'. What a smart boy.

ONE YEAR? Already??

2008-02-27T23:31:00.003-07:00

Wow! Time has really gone by fast! I can't believe Andrew is already one year. I swear, we just brought a little tiny baby boy home from the hospital the other day. At the same time, though, I can't really remember or imagine life before he joined our little family. He has brought so much joy to our lives.

We had fun celebrating his birthday three times. On his birthday (Feb 22), Daddy had to work all day and night long, so mommy and mommys friend Angela had a little party for him. We had lunch at Angela's house! Andrew had a good time with baby Spencer(6 months). Actually, he just had fun grabbing at him, crawling on him, and playing with his toys. After lunch we had a cake for him. Since it was his first birthday cake. We were just going to let him dig into the whole thing, but decided we didn't want to clean up the aftermath - turned out being pretty messy anyway. Also, everyone else wanted to have some. At first he just picked daintily at the corners... but, once he discovered the frosting, he started ripping chunks out, at first just to eat, but soon found it was more fun to fling it around. Good boy!

Saturday, Grandma Sandy had a birthday party for Grandpa Leonard (Feb 23), Aunt Tara(Feb 26), and Andrew combined. All the family went to Pizza Hut, then to Grandma and Grandpa Jensens for yummy chocolate cake and ice cream. So much fun! Andrew loved it!

Sunday, it was Grandma and Grandpa Terry's turn. We had a yummy dinner, then once again chocolate cake and ice cream! - Can't have enough chocolate, right? Well, maybe Andrew can. He broke out in a rash that night. I'm not positive it's the chocolate - we're sure hoping it's not! Andrew got many fun presents! He loved them all! Thank you everybody for a good birthday weekend!

2008-02-27T23:28:00.002-07:00

Getting big AND into trouble

2008-02-19T22:04:00.013-07:00

Andrew is getting big so fast! He wants to get into everything he can reach, and he can reach things you wouldn't think possible. He is climbing stairs now and whatever else he can pull himself up onto. Whenever we do the dishes, he is right there to help. However, at this point he usually just gets in the way. It's so much fun to watch him learn to do new things. What a wonderful child!

Done with the Cold!

2008-02-12T23:09:00.003-07:00

I am so done with having a cold... done with Andrew having a cold and watching him be so miserable.... done with not wanting to go outside because I hate the cold temperatures, snow, and icy roads. Jake keeps telling me he wants to move to St. George - I keep saying heck no, because it's way too hot. Right now I'm thinking it sounds like a great idea. (Ask me in a couple months when it warms up a bit, then I'll change my mind again.)

The Goods

2008-02-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Andrew just showing off his good looks, smiles, teeth, and BIG BLUE EYES!!

The Best Two Years

2008-02-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Happy anniversary to us on FEB 4th!! Jake and I have been married now for two years, and it's been WONDERFUL! We have had a lot of fun times and it seems we love each other more and more everyday! Lately, Jake has been very busy working, studying, and attending school. It was very nice to get a break on Monday. Grandmas Jean and Sandy helped with little Andrew. Jake took the day off of work, so we got some time to ourselves. It's been a LONG time since that's happened. It was very nice to have some time to spend together! Now it's back to work and school, but it was good while it lasted. I love my hubby SO MUCH! I'm glad I get him for eternity!

My Little Water Boy!

2008-01-24T15:59:00.001-07:00

Andrew went swimming last week for the first time since he was a couple months old. Despite what the picture shows, he loved it! The water was a bit too cold, but he enjoyed kicking his feet, splashing with his arms, and watching cousin Gracie play in the water with Grandma Sandy. By the time we got out, his lips, hands, and feet were all purple. Poor boy! Hopefully next time we go, it will be in St. George when it's nice and warm.

First Crawl

2007-12-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Daddy was able to catch Andrew in the act! YEA!!!!!! Andrew is finally crawling! Of course, I've got mixed feelings about it.... but most of all, I'm just EXCITED!!!!! My little baby is growing up so fast! Now I just need to get my house childproofed. I'm so proud of my boy!

Teeth!!

2007-12-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

Check out these pearly whites! Two teeth on bottom! Two coming in on top! I can almost chew my food instead of gumming everything to death. I've even made mommy wonder if she should quit breastfeeding altogether. Even daddy knows the pain these razor sharp tools can inflict... just ask his nose... THEY LOVE ME ANYWAY!

Andrew's New Found Friend

2007-12-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Andrew has taken a liking to playing with his reflextion. He is learning how to clap his hands and wave when he can see himself. This boy is so much fun! We love him!

Just Jibber Jabbering

2007-11-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite video of Andrew. He's got alot to talk about!

It's also easy to see that he loves his daddy!

Full Of Smiles

2007-11-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Mommy loves her happy boy!!

Bath Time

2007-11-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Andrew really enjoys bath time!! What baby doesn't? It's so fun to splash. He loves his rubber duckies too!

Happy Halloween

2007-11-20T15:21:00.001-07:00

Maybe Andrew is a little too young to be eating candy... but that's not a good reason why we couldn't go trunk'r'treating this year. Andrew had a blast!! He got SO excited about all the little kids running around and he looked so cute in his chicken outfit... I had to show him off!