Livin' the Dream

Little Moments

2011-07-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

I just have to write a few things before I forget them.

Lately the flies and the mosquitos have been outrageous this summer! A few seconds with the door open and you have let droves of bugs into the house! Ugh! As a result I have had Isaac come stand by the door and once I open it we make a mad dash into the house "so that we don't let the flies and the mosquitos in!" A couple of days ago Josh was urging Isaac to come inside quickly. Isaac got a smug little grin on his face, started walking very slowly,turning his head side to side, and in a slow neener-neener-neener voice said, "I'm letting mosquitos in. I'm letting mosquitos in."

I don't think I have painted my toenails once since Isaac was born, but about a week ago I just really needed a break and decided to go and get a pedicure. I did a bright pinky-purple nail polish just to remind myself that I am a woman! When I came home I was doing something and Isaac was walking by me looking at the ground. When he came to my feet, he looked up at me with pure shock on his face and cried out, "Mom, your toes is pink!" He was worried and thought I needed a band-aid!

Josh and Isaac were playing together with blocks that have letters on them. Josh arranged a few and said, "Isaac, this says 'Josh'." Isaac then arranged about 12 letters, pointed to them and said, "Daddy, this says 'Isaac Wobert PanCott!'"

Josh had been working a lot doing some big tax returns and as a result hadn't been home much for awhile. Isaac had been missing his dad quite a bit. One night I told him that, "Daddy is on his way home!" Isaac started laughing really hard. He said, "That makes me happy." Then he reached up and started rubbing his eye. He said, "I scratch my eye, there is some water in it." Aw...his first experience crying because he was so happy!

I feel bad that there are just so many stories about Isaac and so little about Luke. But anyways, Luke is on the verge of crawling but not quite there yet. He rocks on all fours and scoots around and rolls to things he wants to get to. He has the BEST sense of humor and his personality is as rolly polly as he is.

Luke will also let you know when he is REALLY mad about something. For instance, like when Isaac takes toys away from him or teases him with somethings he wants.(Does it start this young really??) When he is upset he does an earthshattering scream that can actually be quite startling. I made one humorous discovery about him today. Luke really likes dancing to music. I guess I always knew this, I just wasn't aware of how much. Today we turned on the "Mickey Mouse Club March" on our piano. We do this occasionally and dance to it. Today he really wanted to keep dancing. Every time the song would end Luke would let out his shockingly loud scream/cry. There were REAL tears. Wow. This would continue until we turned the music back on and then he would immediately revert back to giggling and laughing again. Oh, and he had just woken up from a long nap so being tired wasn't why he was giggling and laughing and then crying. I am very interested to see what this kid is like as he grows up. Or should I be nervous! ;-)

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles!

2011-05-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Isaac is weened from his binky! With almost NO effort on my part! Can this be? Almost a week ago now, I spent the day trying to find his binky. He fell asleep for his nap and I continued to look so that if he woke up I could give it to him. Couldn't find it. That night he went to bed without it. Didn't even ask for it. Has only asked for it two times in the last week. Each time I told him I couldn't find it and gave him applejuice instead. This really is a miracle. I truthfully didn't know how I was going to ween him. He loved his binky. I tried several times and gave up and then just decided to stop worrying about it because his speech was ok, his teeth were ok and all other things that can be a problem seemed alright. But this is much better! Isaac basically weened himself. A small miracle for which I am VERY grateful!

Another wonder that I have recently gotten to experience is Luke learning to sit up all on his own. Such a pleasure to watch my babies learn new things. He is so happy when he is sitting up that it makes me think that babies learn a certain amount of self confidence even from these seemingly small things.

The last miracle is that my downstairs is actually clean! Hip Hip Horray! I can bask in the cleanliness of it for a few hours until it becomes a disaster once again! Here is a small poem that gives me some comfort in this regard:
Excuse This House:
Some homes try to hide the fact that children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it openly, the signs are everywhere!
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the door.
I should apologize, I guess, for toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children and we played and laughed and read;
And if the doorbell doesn't shine, their eyes will shine instead.
For when at times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a homemaker-but first I'll be a mother.
-http://www.xmission.com

I Wanna Be Happy!

2011-05-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple cute stories about Isaac this week.

The other day I was changing Luke's diaper and he had just done a "good poop." Good color, good consistency and a good amount! He hadn't had that for a little while and so while I was changing him I was saying things like, "Oh Luke, your poop is looking SO good. That makes mommy so happy!" Isaac also was excited that Lukes poop was making me so happy. Later on, after that diaper change was long forgotten I was changing Isaac's poopy diaper. I was almost done and was just putting on the new diaper when Isaac looked up at me and said, "My poop make you happy, too?" I immediately began congratulating him for a diaper well filled as well! So cute!

The other day Isaac fell off of the couch and bonked his head. It had hurt him pretty good and he was crying really hard about it. Through his binky he kept saying something that sounded like, "awabeeuppee," over and over again. I finally pulled out his binky and asked him to say it for me again. He cried, "I wanna be happy!" I really love this kid!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I would just post a few pictures and some stories for Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day Grandma's! I hope you enjoy this!

Stories first:

Awhile ago we taught Isaac the First Article of Faith which he memorized. Each time he would say it we would cheer and tell him that he did a really good job. After awhile I guess we weren't reacting well enough to his reciting because Josh had him say it to my Grandma. He began, "We believe in God the Eternal Father, (then he got a sheepish little smile and said) and in Isaac!" We all laughed so hard! We tried and tried to get him to say it the correct way again but I am not sure we will ever hear it the right way again! He even said it to our pediatrician with his little change. Isaac will do ANYTHING to get people to laugh. And he is pretty good at it.

Isaac is a very obedient little boy. The other day he started to throw a tantrum because I told him not to do something he wanted to do. Out of frustration I said, "Isaac, please don't cry right now!" He looked at me trying now to control his crying and with a quivering lip said, "Please cry, Mom?" So obedient that he even asks me if he can cry!

When we were at my brother's wedding reception a week ago we looked over and Isaac had all of the kids at the wedding sitting in a little group in front of him. Isaac was performing lots of silly tricks to get them to laugh. It was working! They were laughing hysterically! This went on for about 15 minutes. We caught some of it on film...I will have to see if I can get Josh to download it sometime.

Luke is getting so big! No really. He is 6 months and somewhere in the 20-23 lb range. I will let you know for sure in a few days when he gets his wellness checkup. Someone in the ward commented to me that he and another very big little baby boy we live by, are going to be the "linebackers of the ward." I am feeling very ready for this kid to be able to crawl!

My favorite part of the day with Luke is early in the morning when I am first waking up. I usually sleep with him and wake up with him in the crook of my arm squirmming around letting me know it is time to get up. Most mornings when I open my eyes and look down at him, he looks up at me with and enormous grin! I wouldn't trade that moment everyday for anything!

Happy Mother's Day Mom and Trudy! To two amazing mother's who have affected my life enourmously. Thankyou! I love you!

For my brother's wedding we got the boys and Josh matching ties. They all wore them again for me for mother's day!

I like to call this picture "Luke Suave!"

Tough Guy Isaac!

Luke and his Great Grandpa Bushnell!

Josh caught Luke's adorable smile! His whole body wiggles when he does this smile

When Luke is sad in the car Isaac holds his hand to help him be happy.

Josh caught a very proud Isaac stacking candles. I don't know why but this picture of Isaac by the waterfall really reminds me of Josh.

Luke and Grandpa Whiting. My dad has a way with babies!

This is funny to know. Almost everytime we take a picture of Luke his eyes get REALLY wide. I guess the flash startles him so it has been really difficult most of his life to get pictures of him where he is making a normal face...they are pretty funny though!

In this picture Isaac was really yawning and it just so happened to look like Luke was yawning, too. So funny!

A Cry For Sanity...

2011-02-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been talking with someone and when you are walking away you look down and see a massive booger clinging to your shirt? And it takes every ounce of self-control you have to not run back to the person to say, "It's not mine! I have kids!" Here's another question. Have you ever lost it? I mean really lost it? And no matter how hard you search through that big pile of dirty laundry or underneath all of those soiled diapers you just can't seem to find it? Well, yesterday was my day to REALLY lose it. It was a VERY bad day. The kind where everyone has been screaming for so long that it is not possible to think anymore. All rationalization is gone. At this point a loud noise came out of my mouth. I named it, "the Cry of Insanity." I am a little embarrassed to admit it. But, hey, Luke and Isaac both stopped their own screaming simultaniously. Isaac just looked at me like I was crazy. Okay, I have just one more question. Has your husband ever brought home a thirty foot parachute that he bought on Ebay? A picture says a thousand words, and I think this one says it all. My only consolation is that there are 38 neices and nephews on Josh's side of the family that might be able to get some use out of it.

Here are a few cute little stories about Isaac:

Isaac was really sad about something. I said, "Hey Isaac, can I see a smile on your face?" He replied, "No Mom, it's sad."

Isaac, Luke, and I had gone for a walk and Isaac lost his binky while we were out. We went back out and searched long and hard for it and were finally home again sitting in our family room. Isaac asked me again for his binky. I told him it was lost and that we couldn't find it. He sat there thinking hard for a second and then said, "chupete?"(Probably spelled totally wrong, sorry.) That is the spanish word for binky that Josh and I use for code when we don't want Isaac to know we are talking about his binky.

I need to put some better pics up but these are just the ones Josh had on his phone that were more easily accessible than the ones on my camera. I am pathetic, I know! Sorry!

Oh Man!

2011-02-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

I feel bad, here is one more blog without pictures but I had to tell this story before I forget it.

I walked into the hallway after changing Luke's diaper. Isaac was kicking one of his books all around. I said to him, "Isaac if you keep kicking your book around you might ruin it. Are you sure you want to keep kicking it?" Isaac gave me a suspicious little look, took his foot and gave the book one last hard kick down the stairs. He looked at me and in the most fake(but hillarious) voice said, "Ooops." The he put his hand on his forhead and said, "Oh, Man!" That kid kills me. I seriously don't know what to do with him!

So, Luke is a 100%, through and through, a bona fide mama's boy. He won't go to anyone, not even Josh! Josh and I laugh because Josh will be holding him and he will cry and the second he hands Luke to me, Luke does a calming down whimper and then stops crying. I guess it is a blessing and a curse. I have the gratification of knowing he always wants me yet I never get a break. Sure love that boy!

Handprints on the Storm Door

2011-02-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

I just had a little thought I would like to share. I was talking to a woman today who has several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She just loves babies and wanted to hold Luke and play with Isaac. She told me how when her children were little she always liked to have everything be perfectly clean and neat. She had a storm door that the children would put their hands on to look out and she would always be wiping away handprints. As she was playing with Isaac she said, "Oh, I would give anything to have little handprints on my storm door again." Time with our children goes by too fast. Sometimes I find myself putting off playing with my kids or spending time with them to "wipe the handprints off of the storm door." I hope I can overlook the things that don't matter so that I have more time for the things that do.

Don't worry Grandma's I will put pictures up of Isaac and Luke on my next blog post!

2011-01-31T13:18:00.000-08:00

Isaac is napping, Luke is napping, and I am not tired...so I realize I have some TIME! Another realization I am having is that I am terrible at getting the pictures from the camera downloaded to the computer and I feel like I can't do a blog unless I put pictures up. I know it will make my blog more boring with occasional writings without pictures, but hopefully the content will at least appease the grandparents. Although, I know all that they really want to see are pictures of the babies and so maybe this will just be my journal.

A couple of months ago I started a new tactic with Isaac. You see, just like most moms I am sure, I will occasionally ask Isaac to do something and he is not willing to do it, ie., get dressed, get a diaper change, put toys away, etc. So, I decided that when I asked him to do something, if he didn't want to do it I would just wait until he asked ME for something (which is inevitable). Once he asked me for something I would remind him of what I had asked him to do and told him I would get him what he wanted once he did what I asked. This worked very well for awhile. But this kid is smart! One day he needed a diaper change. I asked him to come over and let me change his diaper. He gave me the most smug little look and said "Fruit snack? Diaper change." In other words, if he let me change his diaper he needed some fruit snacks in return. I laughed out loud! I need a new way to outsmart him!

Isaac says some words so funny. Particularly when he puts an "s" before and "m" or an "n." As in: snack, smell, snow, etc. Rather than saying the "s" sound, he puffs air through is nose...so "snack" becomes "(puff)nack." And "smell" becomes "(puff)mell." It makes me laugh every time. I think I will be sad when he learns to say those words right.

Isaac got really sick about a month ago. We were giving him antibiotics and tylenol. He was laying sick on the couch and Josh brought over his next doses. Isaac rolled over closed his eyes and said "I tired, sleeping, nanite."

Luke has some fun news, too! At his two month appt. he was a couple oz. shy of being a whopping fifteen pounds! People see how big he is and I often get asked, "He must be sleeping well since he is so big, right?" All I say is that "In order to get this big you have to be eating a lot! Even through the night."

Luke, being the big boy that he is, is also very strong. He rolled over several times right when he turned two months...but he has decided that is not something he really wants to do since. Oh well, Isaac didn't like rolling over either and he has turned out fine.

As for me, I think I am finally getting the hang of having two children. I am able to get both of them down for bed by myself, give them baths without help, and I have even gotten my grocery shopping done with two children in tow!(Although, there was an old man who stared at me for a good thirty seconds like I was crazy. I did have groceries piled all round Luke in his carseat and Isaac in the child seat on the front of the cart, but I didn't think I looked that wierd. I thought he could have made his shock a little bit less obvious!) It has taken almost three months, but at last I am starting to feel more in control of my life again! Yay!

Baby Luke Photo Shoot

2010-12-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures taken of our sweet baby Luke. Our blog URL "joshmaryisaac" will need to change. :-) We are trying to think of something now.

Even though this photo shoot was for Luke, big brother Isaac was more than willing to show little Luke how to pose.

Baby Luke

2010-11-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

Alright everyone...sorry it has taken me so long to put up some pictures of Luke. I am one that it takes me awhile to back into the swing of things. And unfortunately blogging isn't one of the things I have ever really been "in the swing of things" with! But here is my beautiful new precious little baby!

Luke came into the world rather quickly to say the least. I started going into labor somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning on November 9. My only real clue was that the contractions were consistant. I had been having more sporatic ones for a couple weeks before that. I new Josh had a meeting at work at 11:00 that he was presenting at and I was worried about reaching him then so I called him and told him that "it might be a false alarm, but I think I'm in labor...if I call you at all during your meeting, it is an emergency and I need you to come home NOW." At 10:55 I hurried and called Josh and told him that he just needed to come home this was the real deal. Josh got home and I was having some pretty serious contractions. Isaac was down for a nap so we just waited around to let him sleep (not the wisest when you are about to have a baby!) Once he woke up we fed him and got him ready to go to the babysitters. By this point I was VERY ready to go to the hospital. Once we were almost to the hospital we were still a little bit afraid that they might turn us away so Josh and I were debating on whether or not we should go to his parents and do a little bit more of my labor somewhere other than the hospital.
At the last minute I said that I really just wanted to be checked. (Good call) When we got there they checked me and I was at a 6! Hurray! They weren't going to send me away and I could get an epidural! My next two contractions were the hardest I have ever felt. (I had been doing hypnobirthing so I could get through most of my labor, but these were pretty bad) I shot off the bed(about the most miserable place to have a contraction!) And was down on all fours when the nurse came in. She told me later that at that moment she new I was complete. She checked me again and I was at a 9 1/2. She yelled to the other nurses that they needed to get me a doctor, any doctor, immediately! She looked at me and said "we're canceling the epidural, you're having a baby." Fear. Moments later the doctor was there and I was pushing out Luke. Somewhere around 6 pushes later Luke had arrived! From the time we got to the hospital to the time Luke arrived was 30 minutes. A little bit too close for comfort. My beautiful baby Luke was 7lbs 15oz and 20.5 inches long. Leave it to a baby to make you fall in love again!

Because he was born so fast his face was really bruised and purple when he was born. You can kind of tell in this picture.

My three handsome boys! I am SO blessed! Isaac has been such a good big brother/senior helper. I have been so pleased watching him with Luke. I don't think Isaac could love him more.

Isaac loves feats(sp?) of strength...jumping off couches, running "fasth", showing off muscles, etc.

And just for kicks, this is Isaacs first picture he has ever taken on his own. Josh was trying to move into view and this is what we ended up with. I can't help myself every time I look at it. It is really quite artistic if you ask me. ;-)

Isaac Photo Shoot

2010-11-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hey All! We got a haircut and some photos of Isaac before this new baby arrives! This photo shoot was so much fun! We pretty much let him do what he wanted. I did bring ALL of his halloween candy to try and bribe him into posing, though! He didn't do to bad. He managed to hold still for a couple of shots. Nicole, our photographer suggested he read a book for a couple of shots and I think those were the most still he stayed! =-)

Josh and I were talking about how he totally looks like Josh when he smiles! Kind of the Richard Gere eyes. Strange how they can be totally my eyes when he isn't smiling and totally Josh's when he is! I sure love this little guy! Hope you enjoy the pics! Thanks for the sweater Mom and Dad! He looks so cute in it! And thank you so much Nicole for doing the photo shoot with Isaac and being SO patient with him! These turned out great!

Happy Birthday: LOVE

2010-09-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

Well, I think it is about time that I had a new post and what a better day to do it that on Josh's birthday! Happy Birthday, Josh. This is a going to be a very small and insufficient tribute to you, but I hope you know how much I love you!

These are some things that probably everyone already knows about Josh that make him wonderful, but I am going to write them anyway:

1-Josh wakes up singing a song every morning....Literally. They are usually made up by him and make me laugh histerically! Oh, and they are usually accompanied by a dance.

2- Josh always has a beat going whether it is with his pen, his head, his leg, his hands, his spoon, fork, etc. Like father like son. I am glad that is an attribute Isaac picked up from you!

3- Josh is absolutely not afraid to be himself around ANYONE. I think it makes everyone comfortable to be themselves around him, too.

4- Josh lOves to make people laugh...and the more shocking the better!

5- I really don't think Josh has a temper. Really. In our whole marriage the most angry he has ever gotten at me was, "Ya, I'm a little bugged." I think he is the most patient person I have EVER met. I have alot to learn.

6- Josh is an extraordinary dad. He wishes he spent more time down on the floor, but I can say from watching that there isn't much more time he could spend on the floor with Isaac. I think he would have to aVoid using the bathroom and eating.

7- Josh is incredibly in tuned to the spirit and the needs of those around him. Many times I have seen him helping someone that no one else noticed needed help.

8- Josh is the perfect husband. I often wonder why I got so lucky to have him choose me. If I knew then what I know now, not going on a mission would have been the EASIEST decision of my lifE.

I love you, Josh!

Happy Birthday!

All The News!

2010-06-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

So...a lot has happened since my last blog post. Ugh. I guess that is what happens when you never post! Sorry!
I guess I will just run through a list of the new things that have happened in our life!

1- I am pregnant! Yay! Baby number 2 is on its way!!

2- We got a new piano and we love it! It is a digital piano and Josh is in heaven because he can record different parts of a song...making it possible for him to create a symphony in our home. Our home suddenly became much more musical!

3- We cut a hole under our stairs in the closet giving us a lot more stotrage space! Yay for some more sanity! Baby room closets are cleaned out!

4- We painted one room in our living room green. I love it. And we put up curtains.

5- Josh got in a car accident. He is totally fine! Thankfully. However, the metro is totaled.

6- We bought Isaac a sandbox, a slide, and a pool for the backyard. Can I just say that my child is ALL boy. He loves playing in the sandbox and eating the dirt. His mouth is the first place the dirt goes. Yuck! Last night he came up with a new way to go down his slide: face first with not so much as a hand to protect his face. He would face plant into the grass, laugh hysterically, and then run up the slide to do it all over again. This lasted about 15 minutes! I am not sure what I am in for as the mother of this child, but I am a little worried. I think he has some serious tackle football in his future! :-)

Isaac is now 16 months old and hilarious! He is constantly trying to make me laugh. He makes crazy faces with wierd noises that I think he must have gotten from Josh. ;-) My favorite word that he says currently is "Datoo"="Thank you." It is always said with a smile and it melts my heart.

Isaac at the Dinosaur Museum. It has a huge sandbox. Isaac is in sand heaven and couldn't be happier!

Magic!

2010-02-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

One night awhile ago, I was giving Isaac a bath. I picked up a little cup, filled it up, and pored the water onto him. Isaac tried to wrap his little fingers around that water stream and hold onto it. He didn't lose interest in doing this for many more baths. His interest intrigued me. Having a child has brought so much magic into living. Things I forgot to care about a long time ago have suddenly become new and wonderful. Even miraculous. The first day it snowed. Sitting on cool green grass. Swinging in a swing. The blue sky with a puffy white cloud. Halloween. Christmas. Music. Laughter. Things that seemed routine suddenly have a new sparkle. There is a song that I heard when I was young that seems to fit this thought perfectly A few of the words are: "There's a difference between a child and a grownup. We see the world through different eyes. A child sees all the magic and wonder and beauty. If only we could realize and see the world through different eyes." I am grateful for children, especially for my little Isaac.

Can you believe it?

2010-01-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? I almost have a one year old child! It is boggling my mind! Not only that but he is walking, too! Isaac's first step was on December 20, 2009 (This is for my personal records, thankyou) He has been full on walking for about 2 weeks and all of the learning and getting confident happened in between, of course. This last year has been the most remarkable of my life. I gave birth to, and have kept alive, one very wonderful little human being. He makes me laugh daily.

Isaac is incredibly good at flirting and making every lady around him smile. I overheard my sister-in-law saying that "flirting isn't taught, it is just known and Isaac knows how to flirt!" Isaac has a very mellow and easy-going disposition. Most of the time he is very pleasant to be around.

He is good at giving what we like to call a "tight sqeeze." It is what it sounds like. He wraps his little arms around our necks and squeeze's tight. Today at the store he made me a little bit upset because he wasnt' staying with me, (He is very adiment about walking on his own) and in seeing this he quickly gave me a "tight squeeze" to remedy me. How could I be upset after that?

Isaac has finally had two little bottom teeth come in, and with that some long nights and crying! Poor guy. There has been lots of baby motrin, cuddling, and watching "Little People" to help calm those aching gums. Below are some pictures of him in his little chair he got for Christmas watching his movie. Hope you enjoy....and sorry that I haven't posted in SO long.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-10-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for September 30, 1981 because it is the day that the best man I know came into the world! Woohoo! Happy Birthday, Josh! Josh was also born on his mom's birthday. So for his birthday Josh wanted to go see a BYU football game and to take his mom to it...so the saturday before Josh's birthday, we got tickets and all met up at the Lavell Edwards stadium. It was a blast! However, having a baby at a football game makes watching it a whole new experience! We dropped his pacifier down in between the railings of the stadium and went on a hunt down the many levels to try and find it! Nap time was also a new experience at a game because everytime the crowd errupted, Isaac's whole body would startle awake! Not quite what we expected when we imagined taking our first son to his first BYU football game, but still a lot of fun!

We actually had Isaac in a really cute BYU onesie before we left for the game, but right on cue Isaac had a major fecal explosion all over it!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Since the game was before Josh's birthday I still wanted to come up with something to make his actual birthday special. As soon as Josh left for work on the 30th, Isaac and I put our kitchen into motion! I flew trying to make treats and get myself ready and Isaac ready to make it up to Salt Lake by lunch time. We came up and surprised Josh and kidnapped him for lunch. I think Josh had a lot of fun showing off Isaac to his office.

We love you, Josh!(Isaac is doing a half grin!)

Happy Birthday, Dad! (Please tell me that when you look at this face you can't help but smile,too!)

And one more very cute picture of Isaac for good measure!

I Hope You Dance!

2009-09-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you remember me telling you that in July Isaac and I went to one of my best friend's wedding and that I had forgotten my camera. Well, her photographer took a couple of Isaac. One with me and one with Kelly(the bride) during the dancing. I think dancing with her child is a dream most mothers have. At least I know that it has been one of mine. I don't really remember any of the songs we danced to, but I have realized that a lot of the love songs they play at weddings that are sung between lovers can be sung between a mother and her baby, too. One of my favorites to sing to Isaac is the one with the phrase, "And I hope you don't mind and I hope you don't mind if I write down in words, how wonderful life is now you're in the world." And oh how wonderful my life is now that Isaac is in the world. This is one of those perfect moments with Isaac that I am grateful that I have a picture to remember it by.

Like I said in one of my previous posts, the bride and the groom danced for money. The guests could pay to dance with either of them. I paid and handed Isaac to Kelly. This is the picture that was taken during that dance! What a handsome little stud! He's sure got a way with the ladies!

My Water Boy!

2009-08-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Josh always tells me that there are dirt boys, fire boys, and water boys. Isaac is definately a water boy! I took Isaac swimming for the first time today! The Shum's invited us to go to a little community pool which was perfect for Isaac's first experience. We were the only ones in the pool. I forgot my camera so Kaulana took a picture on his phone for us. Isaac absolutely loved the pool. He squealed in delight over and over again. He was just crazy about all of that water! The Shum's have a little son named Paxton that Isaac was having fun playing with. They wrestled over a diaper for a little bit and pulled eachothers hair. Just the sort of thing that baby boys do, I guess. It was funny anyway.The only sad part of the day was that Josh couldn't be with us. Kaulana emailed the picture to Josh right after he took it(thanks to modern technology) and when Josh got it he had some mixed emotions...it made him feel like crying, but he thought it was so cute he couldn't help but laugh. He told his co-workers that "I missed my son's first time swimming...my job satisfaction has just gone down."

We're Back!

2009-08-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I blogged. To update you, Isaac and I both got pretty sick in the middle of July. I was up for four nights in a row, one of them I was throwing up! The next week Isaac and I went to Rexburg and stayed with my parents for a week. Heaven. One of my best friends, Kelly McCready, got married while we were up there...so I got to go to that. It was a big highlight. My friend and her husband had a dance for money where guests could pay to dance with either of them. I paid and handed Isaac to Kelly. I forgot my camera otherwise I would have pictures of that. You might be asking yourself where Josh has been all of this time. The answer:working the fall tax busy season. We have basically been in survival mode. We have seen him a little bit here and there, but for the most part it has been pretty much just Isaac and me. The good news, though, is that busy season is almost over! Hip Hip Hurray! I will have a husband again!(Actually, he has been really helpful...that night I was throwing up, he was holding back my hair so that it wouldn't fall into the cascade of pepperoni's, sausage, and stomach bile. And he drove us up to Rexburg and picked us up a week later! I love you, Josh!)

Here is my sweet little toad. Josh calls him "the toad" all of the time and I have picked up on it and now lovingly refer to him as "toad" or "toady."

The 4th

2009-07-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

tThe Fourth of July weekend was great! My family came down from Idaho to spend it with us. Any time my mom comes down I try to get a date with Josh out of the visit. I barely am able to pump any extra milk than Isaac eats, so I pumped milk every night for a week and put it in the freezer just so that Josh and I could go out. Mom and Dad willingly took Isaac for the evening. Josh and I went and saw "Singing in the Rain." It was an absolutely phenomenal production done by the Hale Center Theater in Orem. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it!

The next day was the fourth. Josh's family tradition is to get everyone together for a big bbq. The kids put on a little production for us(this was of their own choosing...they memomrized their parts and everything on their own!) Have any of you seen the little animated cartoon right before "The Incredibles?" They did that little Jackelope seen for us. It was SO cute! Afterwords everyone heads over by the Stadium of fire. There is a big road there that they block off and the kids play in the road while the adults just sit and chat. I love going every year. And then of course there are the fire works. My favorite part is the finale. There are so many fireworks going off that you can feel them in your chest. Combine that with a beautiful sleeping baby and a handsome husband and you have "the stuff that movies are made of!" And yes, Isaac slept through the whole thing. I couldn't believe it! I guess I have a more of a deep sleeper than I thought I did.

Here is Isaac with my parents. Isaac is their first grandbaby. They are very doting grandparents! =0)

We put Isaac into the pool. He wasn't sure what he thought of it. This was the happiest picture we were able to take! But even when he is sad he still looks SO cute!

My sister-in-law, Katherine, got all of the new babies together on a blanket and climbed up in a tree to take birds-eye-view pictures of them! It was SO cute. These four were all born within 2 months of eachother! Can you find Isaac? ;-)

Katherine you're amazing!(Notice me off to the right pigging out as I watch the others block the shade with a blanket...oh and Ashton got really tall for being only one!)

My Dad, brother, and Josh built shelves in our garage over the weekend! Hurray for shelves in the garage! "Happy thought indeed!"(Name that movie!)

Visiting Grandpa and Granny Glo

2009-07-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we went down and visited St. George. That is where I grew up. My parents moved away, but my grandparents still live there. We went and spent a couple of days with them and then on Saturday we went to my high school reunion. The reunion was fun, but the highlight was definately seeing my grandparents with Isaac. My grandpa just adores babies, especially ones that are his own flesh and blood. My grandpa was orphaned as a little boy and everyone told him that he couldn't expect to be anything. He served in WWII and almost died on several occasions. His life could have been something of a tragedy if he had let it, but my grandpa had some good examples in his life and he wanted to aspire to something more. When he got home from the war he met a beautiful and virtuous woman named Mary(that's where I get my name.) They had seven children, three of which passed away not long after they were born. My grandma also passed away when she was fifty years old. My grandpa is something of a hero to me. He has been through more than I can comprehend and has born it all with a smile. If you know my grandpa he is always telling jokes and making stories sound even bigger and better than they really are! Often he pretends like he is being serious, but you can always catch a twinkle in his eye. He remarried a wonderful lady who we call "Granny Glo." Together they have 8 surviving children, 27 grandchildren, and 20+ great grand children! My grandpa's life is nothing short of a miracle! I love you grandpa!

Granny Glo and Isaac

Grandpa wanted to give Isaac a ride on his Jazzy. Grandpa and Isaac enjoyed it a lot!

Isaac just loved grandpa. He smiled at him constantly and wouldn't stop touching his face.

Isaac and Grandpa chillin' in Grandpa's rocking chair.

Oh, and here is another one I can chalk up for embarassing moments: I have always thought I have things pretty under control. That was until I had a baby. We went to church with my grandparents and I was in the mothers lounge nursing and changing diaper and trying to use the bathroom. I came out of the bathroom and who knows how long I was standing there or how many people saw me, but anyways, a lady came up to me and said, "your skirt is tucked up into your garments." Yes, my whole rearend had been exposed to the world. Yay for being a mom!

Hair, hair, and more hair!

2009-07-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

I am sure that you are all very sick of hearing about Isaac's hair, but this is the last one I promise! You may have noticed that in some of the most recent pictures I have put up, Isaac's hair is a little bit shorter...yeah well, we cut it! I actually did cry a little bit. Pathetic, I know. Here is Isaac's hair cut from beginning to end:a before, during, and after picture.

Here is the before picture. When my mom saw this picture she asked me if we had already cut half of Isaac's hair in it. The answer: no. His hair was just extra crazy that day...perhaps that is how it was every day and I just didn't realize it.

Isaac looks like he is excited to have his hair cut, too.
Actually, I am not sure what this face means...

Right is a picture of me cutting the first locks.
It was a momentous, but very sad occasion. I almost couldn't bring myself to doing it. Isaac is doing a good job of looking sad about it, too.

Left is the "during" picture that I promised. Isaac was really interested in the feeling of the electric shaver. Look how long the peices of hair are on the counter!...Yes, we did this on the kitchen counter. I learned my lesson. I still get a hair here and a hair there when I wipe down the counter!

Here is the "after" picture. I thought the haircut turned out pretty good. Isaac looks very handsome and much more like a missionary. It was quite the fun little family adventure! It has been about a month now since we did this and Isaac is looking a little shaggy again. I guess he will have had two haircuts by the time he is five months old!

Computer Anyone?

2009-06-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

How many of you out there have had to search for your computer/video camera/wallet/checkbook/etc....on a daily basis? Let me explain why I have to. I usually keep my home pretty organized. I usually know where most of the items are, but often these specific items in my home go missing and I often spend 10-20 minutes everyday looking for them. Frustrating? Humorous? I like to think that all of us have a little bit of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for one thing or another. This happens to be Josh's. 9 times out of 10, as soon as we find the missing item I hear Josh exclaim, "Oh yeah... that's where I hid the... (fill in the blank)" sometimes this is followed by him rapping, "OCD...Yeah you know me..." Josh likes to hide our expensive electronic items in different places around the house so they won't get stolen if someone breaks in. More often than not I find myself laughing as I look for these items. It's one of the quirks about our marriage that I kind of like. I mean how many people can honestly say that they look for their computer everyday. It's like searching for the buried treasure...it makes it all the more worthwhile once you find it!

Isaac's 1st Parade & Fireworks!

2009-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

One week ago we went to the Orem Summer Fest. They have a big parade and then a couple of hours later they do fireworks. The nice thing about the parade this year was there were clouds overhead blocking the sun. Normally it is scorching while we watch the floats go by. The clouds were a bad thing, also. They brought rain pouring down on us! It was actually a blast. We got Isaac all covered up and warm and then we walked to my brother- in-laws house for some hot cocoa and apple-cider...all this in June! Can you believe it? We were all soaked and wet haired by the time we got there. After the rain died down they shot off the fireworks. We put Isaac in the car and went to find a parking spot. We got really close and pulled Isaac out. He was fascinated, as I am sure most babies are, by the fireworks. We plugged his ears so the loud "booms" would be somewhat stifled out...I am not sure how good of a job we did though. It was such a fun family evening. While we were watching the fireworks together, Josh made the comment, "This is the stuff movies are made out of." What a great moment.

Isaac was so tired while we were watching the parade. He fell asleep half way through it. There were two girls standing above me screaming at every float! I wanted to look up and say, "Hey, I've got a sleeping baby here," but then I realized that I was at a parade. =0) So I got up and moved. Hehe

..."and the rain came tumbling down."

Isaac's first kiss...besides me. This is my cute little niece. She just loves Isaac! Both of our hair is wet and curly from the walk home!

Watching the fireworks...the stuff movies are made of!

Family Pics

2009-06-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

These are the family pics you have all been waiting for! The girl that took these is Katie Torriente. She took Isaac's 5 day old pics also and I just love her stuff. If you want to see more of her stuff you can go to her blog: katietorriente.blogspot.com
Thanks Katie!

These are just a few of my favorites...

My cousin did one like this with his family and I really wanted to get one of our own...I know strange that it's feet, but I thought it was so cute!

Forever Family

2009-06-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

There has been an empty picture frame hanging in my family room for over five months now. I hung it in anticipation of a future family picture, not realizing that it would be hanging there empty for almost half of a year! Well, last week we finally went and got families pictures taken. It ended up being so much fun. The photographer had a little dog that Isaac kept staring at the whole time...we will have to see if there are any pictures of him actually looking at the camera!

After posing for our family pictures we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple openhouse. It was such a neat experience having my little family in the temple even though it hasn't been dedicated yet. Isaac was so peaceful the whole time. In one part they invite everyone to sit down in the temple while they talk about sealing families together. When they finished speaking, Isaac let out a little happy sound. Before we left the sealing room, we held up Isaac and looked at our family in the mirrors on opposite walls. People call them them the mirrors of eternity because the reflection seems to go on forever. Josh and I have seen our reflection in these mirrors many times, but we had to laugh when we saw an infinite amount of carseats!

When we got home we did a few of our own little family pictures to put up on the blog.

The Expression Says It All!

2009-06-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Alright...I just had to do this. I have been itching to do it pretty much ever since Isaac was born!

My baby Einstein! Love the expression!

Isaac's New Do

2009-05-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

As you know, Isaac has this totally crazy hair. Every bit of it sticks up in the back. It is one enourmous calic. We love it! One day I decided to do it up. It turned out pretty cute, but I have to say he still mostly sports the crazy hair because I like it just a little bit more. But here are picks of his handsome new do. Man I love this kid!

Here's the front...

The side...

And the back!

How You Know You Are on Vacation With a Baby: Our Experience

2009-05-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

We just took our very first vacation with our sweet baby Isaac. We went to the Oregon Coast: a hidden paradise and a favorite of Josh's family. My brother-in-law made the comment that "it's a place where it doesn't seem like very many people have discovered it yet." I have to agree. I felt I could walk down miles of beach with no one around or have my own private cove. It was really fantastic, but with that said we did bring Isaac. And vacationing with a baby is really a different story. I thought I would write down a few of the funny experiences we had while traveling with Isaac.

#1-Prior to going on this trip we were trying to decide between flying and driving. Not only is driving cheaper, but everyone assured us that Isaac was young enough that he would sleep for most of the journey...after 14 hours of trying to entertain with "woowoowoowoo"sounds, contorting our faces into any shape we could think of, shaking any or all objects(ramen noodle bags, sun flower seeds, chip bags, toys, etc.) in front of his face, and stopping every two hours to play and nurse...we were beginning to think flying might have been the better option. It ended up being a fun adventure, though and I might even do it all over again just for the laughs we had.
This picture is my favorite: Isaac loved stopping and looking out the car window. Don't you just love that face! I can't get enough of it!

#2 Isaac did finally manage to fall asleep for awhile at which point I began navigating us through Portland, Oregon while Josh was driving. Josh's phone has a GPS system which we were following. After taking several different exits toward Salem, Tiggard, and Beaverton;coming into town and driving in circles through one way streets;we were stopped at a stop sign and Josh asked me for the next direction. The GPS only said: "Beaverton, OR." We had put the end point as Beaverton so rather than going through we had driven straight into town adding about another hour to our already very long drive! Back on the freeway we went. Oh, and did I metion that this was all during rush hour traffic? I guess you had to be there on that one.

#3 By the time we were about half an hour from the coast Isaac woke up screaming for some food. I fed him, but then immediately jumped out of the car to use the bathroom. I couldn't hold it any longer. We weren't at a rest stop, just in a little secluded area so I just had to go and find a place in the trees. However, I wasn't sure of what wild life there was so I decided to just go right behind the car. Midstream I realized I was crouched down right behind the exhaust and was breathing that in so I tried to waddle away, but in doing so I managed to pee all over myself.(I know, gross) I came back into the car and began changing Isaac's diaper who was aimed right at me and peed all down my front. For two days I had managed to keep myself clean from all bodily fluids and in the last half hour became covered in it!

#4 One morning we were headed south to check out Cape Perpetua and some light houses. I was making some peanut butter and honey sandwiches for us(try keeping yourself clean doing that while driving) and upon finishing I looked into Isaac's carseat. For a second I wondered if I had spilled peanut butter all over him, but then my wisdom got the better of me and I realized what all of that orangish/brown stuff really was all over him. Isaac was sitting in a puddle of pooh. We pulled over into a pasture to clean up where we were being swarmed by bees and Isaac was wearing a bright and colorful shirt. Ugh.

Josh is cleaning up Isaac after the major pooping in the carseat. I am in the back cleaning the carseat! What a mess!

#5 Wednesday morning it was drizzling rain outside. We decided to head up North towards Ecola State Park and Oswald West. We drove into the state park and thought we would just take a little walk around. When we got there it was no longer just drizzling it was pouring/dumping rain. Why we didn't just begin heading home I will never know, but I guess we thought we could still manage to have a nice stroll in the rain. We bundled up Isaac, got on our coats, pulled out the umbrella and began to head out. A soon as we were out of the car the umbrella went inside out. Isaac began screaming. What baby likes being cold and wet? You would think at that point that we would have gotten back into the car...but no. We trudged on. About 20 feet later we realized how stupid we were being and went back. We are still amazed we made it 20 feet!

#6 The last day we were there we decided to go to Oswald West and Ecola State Park again because we didn't get to do it before with the rain. Now to get to Oswald West there is a little mile hike down to the beach. We didn't realize that part of it was fairly rocky and difficult to get through. It wouldn't have been so bad, but we had brought with us a baby bjorn, a carseat, and a stroller in an attempt to get Isaac down comfortably. I ended up carrying Isaac in the bjorn while Josh hoisted the carseat and stroller over the rocks, logs, and muddy turain! I wish I had a picture of this but I don't. It was hilarious to watch!

This is on one of our walks down a beach that no one else was on! My two handsome boys!(Notice in any picture where Isaac is in the bjorn he is sucking on the front of it: classic Isaac!)

This was on the drive home. We had gotten out of the car to watch Multnomah falls. I think Isaac was getting pretty fed up with being in a carseat.

Watching Multnomah falls.

Our hike down to Oswald West! It was really gorgeous despite lugging so much with us. The beach there was spectacular!

And there he is sucking on the front...

This was at Ecola State Park. It was really incredible! We had a little family picnic right at this spot! Can the view get any better?

And there is Isaac sucking on the front of the bjorn yet again!

My sweet little family.(Oh and check out Isaac sucking on the front of the bjorn =0)

This is one of the light houses...actually the tallest one on the Oregon coast! My legs were burning after that long flight of stairs!

What a handsome guy!

We found this sign on the way to Oregon and had to get a shot by it!

Excuse me?

2009-05-08T10:05:00.001-07:00

One thing that having a blog has made me do, is notice things about life that I could write on here. Yesterday I was standing on one side of a wide path talking to a friend. A little girl in a flowery little dress walked up to me and said, "Excuse me,"...she said this several times before I noticed (my bad)...Anyways, I finally looked down at this little girl wondering what she wanted. I assumed that she had something to say, but instead she said, "excuse me," again. Finally I realized what she wanted...so with half of the path unobstructed I moved over so that she could walk on the part that I was currently standing on. This caught me as ironic...so here I am writing about it. Isn't it true to life, though? We feel entitled to things, whether or not they should be ours. It seems that this is what we as parents are trying to teach our children: that they are not entitled to everything they want whenever they want it. And then even if we spend all of our time trying to teach them that, there is still a feeling of entitlement even into adulthood. I think my mom did a pretty good job of teaching me this principle and here I am as a 23 year old adult still feeling entitled to things. I feel entitled to a break at the end of the day when Josh gets home from a 12 hour grueling work day! Or how about this, I feel entitled to a "thank you for dinner," when all I did was slap two weiners into a premade bun? In the mornings I am the one that deserves more sleep, because I was the one up nursing all night...when in fact Josh stays awake to keep me company, changes the diapers, and even goes and gets me a drink most nights. A little girl wanting to walk on the part of the path I am standing on is beginning to seem less ironic now. I just want to say thank you to my sweet husband Josh for taking the baby so that I can relax a little, for making it sound like even my hot dogs are the essence of fine dining, and for letting me be the one who gets the extra hour of sleep in the morning. More simply said, "Thank you, Josh for being the one to move so that I can walk straight on the path."

Funny side note: When I walked into Isaac's room last night, I was met by a high-pitched note... sung by Josh this time!(Read previous blog) We are well on our way to having an unspoiled child who never expects anything from us!

Here is me feeling entitled to something: a break...some sympathy? Who took this picture anyway?

Isaac Sleeps in the Bathroom Now?!?!

2009-05-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I only feel like I can write on here if we have done something interesting recently. But I figured that isn't true...why not write about what I do with Isaac on a daily basis? Why not tell where you can find me at any given moment? The anwer to that is upstairs, in the corner of Isaac's nursery rocking him in our big oversized rocking chair. While doing this I am singing a high-pitched note as loudly as I can, (yes one single note that sounds similar to screaming but isn't) trying to soothe my baby. I know, it's wierd that that is what soothes him to sleep...even wierder is that I discovered it. In an attempt to be less disturbing to my neighbor's I am trying something new suggested by one of my friends. She told me I need to put him in a pitch black room so he won't be distracted by the light. The only room that this happens to be in my house is the bathroom...either that or the closet and shutting my baby up in the closet just doesn't sound as good for some reason. This is only temporary until I go by some black-out blinds for his bedroom, but in the meantime I spend my days working on getting my child to take a half-decent nap in his pitch black chamber.

Here are my two sweet boys. By the look on his face I am not sure that Isaac is liking this.

Here is the large, oversized rocking chair in his bedroom. Doesn't he look tiny in it?

And here is Isaac sleeping. One very exhausted little baby.

The Tulip Festival

2009-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

This last week Isaac and I went to the tulip festival four times! It was so much fun! One of the times I got my sister-in-laws and their kids together to go. The kids had a blast rolling down the hills and playing on the grass. It made me excited to think about when Isaac will be doing all of that, too. Later on that day I took Josh back to it so that he could see how spectacular it was. There was so much color. It really was incredible...a sort of romantic paradise. We saw dance groups there for prom, and lots of couples on dates. It was raining so Thanksgiving Point handed out lots of huge umbrella's for everyone to use. And then to top it off there was a huge waterfall in the middle of it all. It really was so picturesque.

This is my neice and I standing next to the bagpipers. They were just walking around playing their bagpipes to give the gardens an Irish/Scottish ambiance.

These are some of my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law taking pictures of the kids rolling down the hill.

Isaac woke up to nurse while we were walking around so I kept him out of his stroller and took a few pictures with him!

These were my favorite Tulips in the garden.

Isaac looking out from his carseat! He is just SO cute!

Now I just wish I could go to Holland and see the beautiful Tulip fields there!

Isaac's Blessing

2009-05-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

Isaac's blessing was a lot of fun, but also very hectic as well! We decided to combine with Josh's brother who also had a baby two weeks to-the-day after Isaac was born. With three families combining together and one of them being Josh's family we had well over 70 people there. I guess that in the church hand book it says to bring your baby before a body of the church to be blessed and Josh's brother Johnny pointed out that this was a body of the church! I prayed and prayed that Isaac would not cry through his blessing...and on cue, right at the end of the blessing Isaac began to cry. Josh and his brother Danny joked that it was due to the high velocity bouncing arms of the 13 men surrounding the circle. I had to take Isaac out for his cousin's blessing...not just out in the hall, but OUTSIDE where his crying wouldn't disturb the reverence. That kid has got a good said of lungs. Like mother, like son as the saying goes I suppose.

All in all the blessing was an incredible experience. Josh and I have blessed our first baby... Definately a milestone on our path to raising up a righteous family. My grandma came down for the occasion and we were able to get a four generation with her, my dad, Isaac, and myself. Isaac is the first great grand baby on my dad's side and that was a neat experience to watch my grandma holding him.

Here is Josh, his dad, and Isaac in a three generation picture.

Here is the four genereation picture. I got one of these with my dad, my grandma, and my great grandma when I was a baby, so I really wanted to get this one to match it.

And this one was just for kicks. I don't know if you have noticed in the pictures yet, but Isaac came out bald on the top with tons of hair around the sides. Everyone calls him the "little highcouncil man." We decided to get a picture of him with Henry B. Eyring who shares a similar hairstyle.

Our little guy

2009-04-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Isaac was born on February 10, 2009 at 3:33 am
He was 7lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches long.
Not only that but he came out with big hands and big feet and a cute little mongolian spot right on his bum! Most everyone that has seen him thinks he looks a lot like me and not much like Josh. The second he was born Josh and I came to the same conclusion. I told Josh that I pretty much could have made this baby on my own! Actually his facial expressions are a lot like Josh's and as he grows, Josh is starting to show up a little bit here and a little bit there. He's just been a lot of fun...amidst the crying and pooping and tooting and sleeping and eating. The other day Josh's dad was holding him and he started pooping and tooting a lot. His dad said, "You have to use your talents. You can't do math and you can't read, but you're really good at pooping!" When Isaac was inside of me he would suck on his wrist a lot. When he came out he had a huge blister on his wrist. The nurse said, "I have heard of that before but I have never seen it!" To this day he still sucks on his wrists all the time. Sometimes when I am trying to nurse him he will get frustrated and give up trying to go for the milk and will suck on his wrist instead.

One story - Two Versions - Three people.

2009-04-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Both Josh and I wanted to create a blog to share with our friends and family. In an attempt to catch everyone up, we decided to have an FHE activity where both of us share our version of the last 2 years in our first blog post.

Josh's version: She said yes! Its been great! Time flies. Isaac is getting so big.

Mary's version: In February 2007 I met Josh for the first time. My mom was visiting and we were just taking a walk outside the apartment complex. I saw Josh heading into his apartment and yelled “Hey, are you new in the ward?” That is the phrase that started this whole thing up I guess. Almost three months later and only having gone one three TOTAL dates; I was left thinking that there was no chance of a relationship with this guy. I decided to do what I had been planning on doing for over a year. I put in my mission papers and got called first to the Utah Provo South mission. I announced this to my relief society for the “good news minute.” A few weeks later the church decided to change my call to the Rochester, New York Church Historical Sites mission…which I also announced in relief society for the “good news minute.” A month later I announced yet another mission call to my relief society sisters: The Multiply and Replenish the Earth Utah, Provo mission. After months of “hanging out,” and a few weeks of what Josh calls “power dating,” we had a temple date set for August 18, 2007.

A year and a half later, our sweet baby Isaac joined the family and has been a tremendous amount of fun for the both of us. I've included pictures below from Isaac's photo shoot when he was 5 days old.

Well, that is our story in a nut shell. Rather than spend months catching up on the past, I plan on simply being consistent from this post forward.

Mary.