Colin, Mandy, and Eliza

2012-01-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

My baby is going to be 2 years old next week! I can't believe it! She is still so little but it seems like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. I found this little poem somewhere in cyberland and thought it was so cute. It made me think about those first few months when all I did was hold my sweet, little girl. Now, I am lucky if she snuggles more than 2 minutes.

Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

6-word-memoir

2012-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

How would you describe your life in 6 words? For one of my classes we had to submit a 6-word-memoir for our introductions. This was really fun to try and describe myself in 6 words. Motherhood. Family. School. Hard-work. Sleep? Never.

What I finally came up with was something I heard on ksl Studio 5 one morning "there is magic in the mundane". That sums up my life. Most daily tasks are mundane - changing diapers, cleaning up messes, chores, exercise, grocery shopping, speckled with magical moments - like a toddler waking you up in the morning saying "mommy ere r ewe?", bear hugs, figuring out that she can take all off her clothes of and run naked through the house yelling "i naked!", or figuring out how to reach the candy dish and stuffing as much candy in her mouth as possible before mommy finds out.

sugar cookies

2012-01-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

Some of my fondest memories growing-up were baking and decorating sugar cookies with my mom. She had an entire drawer in the kitchen devoted to cookie cutters so we could make cookies in any shape we imagined. My dream job would be a professional sugar cookie decorator! But it is way more fun to bake, decorate and eat sugar cookies with my sweet little baker!

we love to bake

2012-01-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

We love to bake and I have the best little helper, she loves to help me pour all the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Eliza loves to taste everything that goes into the bowl, especially the sugar and butter!

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

It was neat to have Christmas on a Sunday. Colin and I were able to participate in our ward's Christmas program as narrators, which was a neat experience. After church we had a nice Christmas day and invited both of our families over for Christmas brunch. We had a lovely spread of homemade cinnamon rolls with maple frosting, bacon, fruit, egg casserole and lots of sweets! I took a lot of pictures on my mom's camera but not so many on mine.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

This year we stopped by the Hogle Zoo Lights to visit Santa and his reindeer before having Christmas dinner at Grandpa & Grandma Thomas' house. Eliza loved the zoo lights and especially loved watching the real monkey's playing. She loved sitting on Santa's lap and could not stop talking about it. Aunt Kacy joined us for zoo lights too! The other highlight were the carolers who sang Eliza her favorite Christmas carol "fa la la la la la la la".

Let it snow!

2012-01-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

daddy's ties

2012-01-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

2012!

2012-01-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

I am so behind on blogging and have too many cute pictures of our growing, adorable Eliza that I will post! 2011 was a great year and as we enjoyed good health, especially Colin has done so well, Eliza turned 1, we have crossed-off several of our home improvement desires, I started graduate school and live to tell. Life has been full and happy and we are so grateful for such a productive and healthy year.

This year Eliza will turn 2, Colin and I will celebrate our 6 year wedding anniversary, we hope to go on a vacation this summer to somewhere warm and beachy (our top choice is New England somewhere so we can eat lots of fresh lobster, but we are thinking of going to San Diego to play on the beach and take Eliza to the zoo), I will be half-way done with graduate school (at the end of the year) and we hope to get pregnant this year with baby #2 and #3 (hoping for twins!).

I have lots of goals this year, I LOVE GOALS! I love being productive and although it drives Colin crazy sometimes (we get one thing done and I am on to the next) he is my biggest supporter! Among my many goals; saving money, being resourceful and using what I have more, finish up some more home projects, read the Book of Mormon by June, lose weight (the story of my life), perfect the sugar cookie and the chocolate chip cookie (and this is why I can't lose weight), make a photo recipe book, spend time with my family and enjoy each stage of Eliza's life (which I do!), get pregnant, learn as much as I can in school and enjoy the process and be grateful for the opportunity to be a student and my BIGGEST and MOST IMPORTANT personal goal is to learn the art of being content.

My biggest challenge is that I like to always feel like I am progressing and being productive. This is not a bad thing however it would be wise for me to slow down sometimes and just enjoy! JUST ENJOY! My dad is building a house in "the country" and Eliza, Jonas and I went with my dad to visit the construction. It looks beautiful and sits on 5 acres of beautiful county land. Eliza and Jonas were loving the freedom of running around, looking at the horses and the rocks and the stream. As the sun was shining its warmth on us and my daughter was happily running around with the dog I had this moment of pure CONTENTMENT, time stood still. Nothing else mattered but the fact that this moment was perfection and bliss, I was so happy. I realized I need to have more of these moments in 2012, and create a life of happiness, freedom, exploration and learning for my family. I don't want to be so busy that I don't have time to let my child enjoy running down the country road with the dog just enjoying her ability to run and explore! Her happiness fills me with happiness.

I look forward to this new year as I strive to learn how to be CONTENT and JUST ENJOY all that God has given me because I truly am so blessed to have Colin & Eliza and such a large and loving extended family.

Just thought you might like to know

2011-12-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

I just discovered these Life of Jesus Christ Bible videos today. I like them because I am such a visual learner and I look forward to more of them. Anyway just thought you might like to know.

Lil' Witch

2011-11-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

This was Eliza's 2nd Halloween. It was so fun to take her trick-or-treating and she caught on quick. She was more interested in socializing with other kids than actually getting candy. She was a lil' witch and her grandma loving sewed her an adorable witch costume. We had Eliza's grandma's (Joey & Beth), great grandma Knecht, grandpa Atkin, Kacy and Spencer over for a little Halloween festivities. We ate dinner, went trick-or-treating and decorated sugar cookies. I actually love Halloween even though it is such a strange concept. I am all about having a good excuse to get together and celebrate!

2011-10-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

Last night Eliza woke up crying and saying "mama, mama" (music to my ears). I grabbed her and put her in bed with us. Normally in the past if I try to have her sleep with us she decides it is play time. But last night she fell right asleep in between us. Needless to say it was not a good night sleep, Eliza is quite the wiggle worm. Colin and I were laughing about how she took over the bed. But as miserable as that sleep was I loved it! I just love that little girl, I sure love her dad and am so grateful for those two. And then I saw this quote and it made me cry because I do not want these precious moments to ever end, I know they will one day but for right now I am just enjoying the lack of sleep, the messy house, the crazy but wonderful life of being a mother to an almost 2 year old, may it not pass too quickly.

"For just a few years in a whole lifetime, there is that brief window to tenderly raise and enjoy the individuals who will be the most important to us throughout eternity. If we wish away the moments, they will be gone. The things we have wanted to leave, the mess, the noise, the obligations will be gone, but so will the children! This is true of every moment of life. If we do not see its joys, if we do not make the most of it, it will pass - and so will its opportunities."

what we've been up to

2011-10-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

loving chocolate pudding

climbing on the dog "Dunno" (that is how Eliza says Jonas, she loves him, the feeling is not mutual)

climbing on dad

visiting the animals at the fair

wearing pig-tails

trying on shoes

2011-09-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

These pictures crack me up. First she wants to climb in, then she wants out. Before I took her out I had to snap a few pictures of her in the baby doll cradle. I love how she has 2 babies in her arms. The next second she is giving me a very hesitant smile. She LOVES her baby dolls and loves pretending to feed them.

expectations

2011-09-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Almost through week 2 of school and I am hanging on for dear life. The teachers were not shy about piling the workload on, high! Someone asked me the question how do you do it all? raise a toddler? work part-time night shifts with little and sometimes no sleep before and after these shifts? and now, do full load doctoral courses? The answer is simple, I don't, do it all that is.

If you came to my house you would see that my lawn needs mowing, my weeds need pulling, my dog needs walking, my house needs some deep (and who are we kidding, basic) cleaning, especially my bathrooms. I have a baby blanket to sew for my little one and a 2nd year of life photo book to make. I have weight to lose from having a baby 1 1/2 years ago, muscles to tone and a husband and baby I need to get fat. I have a refrigerator that needs cleaning, blinds that need dusting. Should I go on? It seems as if everyone has expectations for me to give the very best me I can give, which frankly right now is asking a little too much. Don't you hate it when people say "give your best and your best is good enough"? That is frustrating because sometimes I just don't want to give my best, not even close, sometimes I just want to watch t.v., eat lots of cookies and bribe my child to snuggle in bed with me in the mornings with Sesame Street and a "bah-bah" because I am too tired to get out of bed. On the days I am not required to be somewhere (work, school, church) I will stay in my pajamas all day just because they are comfortable, oh and I especially love not having to put on a bra. I do get Eliza dressed though only because her clothes are cute and I love seeing her get my money's worth out of them. I go over my budget almost every month, I eat too many calories in a day most days and I usually sit on pinterest or blogs much longer than I should (of course not now that I have started school, wink, wink). I never put the lid on the toothpaste properly which results in gobbs of toothpaste all over our bathroom counter. 7 out of 10 times I forget to floss. I use way too much toilet paper (according to Colin). I have half a dozen unfinished home reno projects to finish. Most of the time the clothes get folded and then sit out on the living room table until they are all worn and the cycle repeats over and over. But, if guests come over I clean like a mad woman just so I can pretend for a brief moment that I always live so neat and tidy.

But, inspite of all my flaws, there is one thing I am good at and that is being Eliza's mom. Being her mom is the one thing that fills me with the most joy and brings out all of my best qualities. She thinks I am pretty just the way I am. She gives me lots of kisses and hugs. She thinks I am smart and funny and laughs at all of my silly faces and voices and jokes. She makes me think that out of all the balls I am juggling, I am doing at least one thing right and best! I realized that she has no expectations on me to have a clean house, be skinny, or cutely dressed. She doesn't need me to have a perfectly manicured and decorated house, or homemade dresses and blankets etc. She gets plenty of "I love you's", cuddles, hugs, kisses, books read to her, games played with her, walks, songs sung to her, meals prepared for her and every ounce of energy and love that I and her dad can give to her to make sure her needs are meet and beyond. She thinks that what I do everyday is good enough and I know that because she is thriving, growing, developing, learning, laughing and full of life, joy and happiness.

So I can't do it all but yet somehow the things that matter most get done and the rest just is what it is I suppose. So if you are ever in Heber, you are welcome to visit and bring a broom with you, will ya? Actually nevermind the broom, just bring some cookies!

teeth

2011-08-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Life is rough right now for our little Eliza. She has had 5 teeth (3 tops and 2 bottom) for a long time now. Suddenly all of her teeth have been coming in within the last week. Literally a new tooth is cutting through the gums every night. We have 5 new teeth since last week. I have had to get up with her through the night and rock her when she wakes up crying, poor little thing. Of course I have given her medicine so that has helped. But she is a little star and still such a sweetie, giggly and happy baby.
A few weeks ago I went to check on her before Colin and I went to sleep and all I saw were 2 little feet. I had to snap some pictures, just to cute to resist!

2011-08-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is winding down and I am glad because I love fall and can't wait for it to come. But we have been enjoying the final days of summer eating cherries and corn-on-the cobb, bbqing, playing in the water, going to the park and getting frozen yogurt. Here is Eliza enjoying some cherries, with her favorite hat.

Here we go...

2011-08-23T03:12:00.000-07:00

As if raising a baby, working part-time nights as a nurse and trying to keep up with life (taking care of my household, my hubby, myself) is not enough I thought it would be fun to go back to school! Why not? This is my 1st week back at school and to be honest I am so excited! It is a huge milestone for me, one I never thought I'd be doing . I am going back to get my doctorate in nursing. I will be a midwife (the real kind, the kind that doesn't do homebirths and is actually allowed to work in a hospital) and a women's health nurse practitioner. Everything has fallen into place and I am grateful to have this opportunity and to have such a supportive husband. He has always wanted me to do this even when I was unsure, so its awesome. For the record though, after this I am done with school, for reals!

Summer Part V: Heber City Carnival

2011-08-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

We wanted to check out the Heber city Carnival this year. We managed to spend almost 3 hours there even though it was a tiny carnival. There weren't a lot of people there which was nice. Eliza loved riding the carousel, she did it twice. We took her on the ferris wheel too. I realized how much I dislike heights. We got some food. It was such a great way to spend the afternoon with Colin & Eliza.

Summer Part IV: Popsicles

2011-08-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

We pretty much eat a popsicle every day. We usually eat one after lunch and hang out in the backyard with Jonas. It is always so messy but I guess that is the fun of summer!

Summer Part III: Yellowstone

2011-08-07T23:51:00.000-07:00

Mid-July we spent a week with Colin's family at a cabin outside of Yellowstone. I love seeing animals so the highlight for me was driving through Yellowstone National Park and seeing elk, deer, and big bison. We saw Old Faithful and the gysers which were really beautiful. We went on some nature walks and visited the headwaters of some big rivers, that was neat. Eliza loved swinging on the swing and picking and smelling the wild flowers. Colin & I even got adventurous and went on a raft down the river.

Summer Part II: 4th of July

2011-08-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

We woke up early on the 4th and went to the Midway Pancake Breakfast. We ran into Colin's aunt & uncle from CA (didn't even know they were in town, funny uh?). I think that is the only festive thing we did. At night our neighbors did fireworks on the street so we watched that for a while.

Summer Part I: Making Cookies

2011-08-07T23:29:00.001-07:00

We've had a pretty low-key summer. Eliza is getting more fun by the second and we are just enjoying our little family! She loves helping mom make cookies and especially licking the spoon!

She's home!

2011-07-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

After 32 + hours of traveling stand-by, Kacy is finally home, safe and sound! She is 21 years old and a very smart and capable girl but I was still so worried for her traveling alone, from Paris flying stand-by when she had never done stand-by before. Last night she got stuck in Boston and we couldn't find her a hotel anywhere so she had to hunker down in the airport terminal with no cell phone, no wi-fi and a little bit of money. We lost contact with her for almost 12 hours and had know idea where she was, what she was doing, if she was okay until we saw she got on her 1st connecting flight this morning (via Colin's access to Delta information through his dad). She was "off-the-gird" all night and it scared me.

I have yet to talk to her about the details of last night but I know my mom, dad and I were all praying so much that she was kept safe and protected from harm. When we breifly spoke right after she arrived she said that "angels protected her last night". And all I could think was that she was right because here family was praying so hard for her to be safe. I am grateful for pray and know that our prayers were answered last night.

Yeah for spending the next month with Kacy! I have missed her sOOOOO much!

5 years

2011-06-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday we celebrated our 5 year anniversary. We stayed the night at a bed and breakfast in Logan, UT. We ate lots, browsed some antiques stores and candy shops, drove around the town, sat in front of the Logan temple and talked while enjoying the view, watched a movie in our room while laying in bed eating popcorn, went canoeing and just enjoyed being alone with each other. It was wonderful. The last 5 years we have had some amazing times and we have grown so much as a couple and individuals.

There is a song by Miranda Lambert called "The House that Built Me". It is about a girl going back to the house she grew up in and asking the new owmers if she can take a look inside. There is one verse that says "nail by nail and board by board, daddy brought life to mama's dreams". I love that song and it summarizes my husband. He has brought life to all of my dreams from helping me through school, to doing all my little projects in the house and most importantly giving me our family. I love Colin, he is so supportive, attentive and kind. He is truly my best friend and companion.

I can't resist...

2011-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

...a baby face covered in spaghetti sauce, it is the cutest!

This girl loves spaghetti and she actually likes the peas too.

i love this little girl!

2011-06-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

my favorite! love the sunglasses around the neck and sporting the 1 shoe on 1 shoe off "look"

just hanging out in the upside-down car seat

it's fun to get in and out of

just chillin' drinking her "ba-ba"

"moo"

2011-06-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Eliza and I went to the new dairy farm in Midway to visit the cows and buy some cheese. We sampled cheese and ice cream, visited with the cows bought some squeky cheese. It was a cute place and the cheese was pretty good. She loves to say "moo" now after visiting with the cows. There were a lot of other cows in the pasture I just didn't get any pictures of them.

These pictures are from later in that same day. She loves this purple hat my mom bought her for easter. She will just find it and wear it for hours. She is adorable!

" now after our visit with the cows.

Super Dad

2011-06-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was doing yard work in the backyard and thought Colin was inside watching Eliza until I heard the lawn mower going in the front yard. Just Colin mowing the lawn with the baby. Aren't they cute?

playroom inspiration

2011-05-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am so into design blogs lately. There are so many creative people out there, it amazes me. I am not super creative myself, but I am good at copying. We have a big room in our basement that I want to turn into a playroom one day.

I already have a sink and cabinets in the space but I would love to paint them gray and add a farmhouse sink with butcher block countertops. It would be a great place to clean paint brushes, wash little hands, and organize my crafts. I love the open shelving and the beadboard wall behind it.

Right now the floors are a stained concrete so I would like to put down some plywood and paint it in a large diagnoal checker block pattern. Probably gray and white or blue-gray and white.

In one corner I want a big, comfy love seat to read stories to our little ones and to snuggle up and read my books. I would get a tufted ottoman too.

I would put some of these cute pictures on the wall from the store Animal Cracker on etsy.

Love this table and chairs from Pottery Barn Kids. Especially the chairs with the woven seat and the bright colors.

I would love to paint a mural on one wall. Love this idea from Pottery Barn Kids.

And of course I would love to add a little kitchen. I love the one from Pottery Barn Kids but it is way too expensive. Maybe I can find it on ksl classifieds eventually. But I LOVE the DIY blue kitchen. So adorable.

Pretty cute, huh? One day I guess, I still have time until Eliza is old enough to appreciate it and hopefully by the time I get around to this project we'll have lots more little Thomas' to play in it too.

Eliza's 1 year photos

2011-05-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

We got Eliza's 1 year photos done when she was 14 mths and I am just now getting around to posting them (she is almost 16 mths). They turned out so cute! We just adore our little girl. Being a mother is the best gift and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

these days

2011-05-23T03:26:00.000-07:00

As usual, time flies. What have we been up to these days?

Putting on shoes first thing in the morning. Eliza loves putting on her shoes. On this particular day she wanted to put on her shoes before we even ate breakfast and way before we got dressed for the day.

Sitting in the cupboards, eating pretzels with one sock on.

Discovering olives and the joy of sticking them on little fingers.

Sharing

Putting treasures in the blender for mommy to find when she needs to make a smoothie. In this instance; pretzels, crackers and mom's herbal eye cover ( I wondered where that went, should have known to check the blender)

Playing in the yard. Loving spring!

Visiting San Francisco. Colin had a work conference so Eliza and I joined him. We ate some claim chowder at Boudins and saw the sea lions at Pier 39.

Visiting our friends in San Francisco. We spent all day Friday with Emily & cute Preston. Eliza & Preston were so cute together. We caught them holding hands and playing footsy while Em & I shopped. It was so fun to see Emily! I wish we lived closer so we could hang out more often. We took the babies to the Palace of Fine Arts where we feed the ducks and then played at the Exploritorium. Later we went to downtown SF and shopped at H & M. So fun! I miss them already!

Eliza goes to Paris!

2011-03-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last week Eliza was kind enough to bring Colin and I with her to visit her auntie in Paris. My sister has been living in Paris as a live-in nanny for a very adorable French family for the last 6 months. I have always wanted to go to Paris but never had a good enough reason until now. Paris is a BEAUTIFUL city. I love the architecture of all the buildings, everything was green and in bloom, there were so many parks and adorable cafes and bakeries everywhere. We also were lucky enough to have the most perfect the weather the whole week. The only negative thing I can say is I hate that everyone smokes (disgusting) and hated the public transportation. But otherwise I love Paris, especially in the spring. I am not a city girl but if I were to live in a city it would be Paris for sure!

Day 1 - got to Paris and slept the rest of the day

Day 2 - got to our villa in the french countryside of Paris, slept

Day 3 - walked through Paris; Jewish district and other parts, not quite sure what else, Eliza had some amazing gelatto and her 1st carousel ride which she loved and was waving to everyone the whole time, bought lots of food from the bakeries and ate it at the Tuileree

Day 4 - Effiel tower and Sienne riverboat tour

Day 5 - rested at the hotel, swam, played, slept

Day 6 - open air market, Chaps Elysse, Lauderee, Arc de Triumph

Day 7 - open market where we ate the best moraccan food, the Sac de Cur where we met John Kerry of all people, walked the cobblestones streets of Montmarte and got fresh crepes from the street cafe, the Lourve

Day 8 - rested at the hotel, feed the ducks, played in the park and gardens, took a walk in the village

Day 9 - flew ALL day, so happy to be home

We had a FABULOUS time and were so happy for the chance to go. I hope to go back one day but next vacation will be on a beach somewhere were we can actually relax! haha

1 year old

2011-03-07T13:49:00.001-08:00

Our little Eliza-bear turned 1 year old last month. Birthdays have never had more meaning to me than hers because we were truly celebrating her life and the sweet, beautiful person that she is. I can't believe 1 year ago I gave birth to her. We had a fun family/friends birthday party on her actual birthday. I worked hard on her little party but every minute of it was so fun and worth it to me because it was my way of showing that I celebrate her and am so grateful for her life.
We had our family over for dinner and then had our friends and neighbors stop in for dessert, milk and cookies. Eliza had so much fun playing with the other little kids, she is quite social. She is not shy to give out hugs and will poke and step all over anyone too. We made her, her very own mini 3-tiered pinkALICIOUS cake and she loved it, especially the frosting. I thought she would devour the cake but instead she was so dainty and took her time eating a little bit at time.

>

The day before her 1st birthday she actually walked, like 5 or 6 steps at a time. That was exciting for us. It was only a matter of time after that she began to walk everywhere. No more crab crawl, she wants to walk and sometime even run everywhere. It is so cute. She is such a petite little thing that it seems so weird to see her walking but she loves it and is really good at getting around.

We took her swimming for the first time, in the middle of the winter, to an indoor pool in Kamas, UT. She loved being in the water with her daddy and cousins.

She is very helpful around the house and we have needed to quickly install locks on all of the cupboard doors.

this is my favorite outfit, her little kitty hat and pink fleece vest with her silver ballet flats, SO CUTE!

dad's hat, mom's pearls and blush brush

Love him!

2011-02-15T03:40:00.000-08:00

I told Colin, in all seriousness, not to get anything for me on Vday. Sometimes I feel festive, other times not so much. This year, not so much, because I had to go to work and we inherited 5 more kids for the next 10 days so we were pretty booked with no time to celebrate alone. We'll around 9pm I am called to the front desk in my unit and Colin's twin was delivering some flowers Colin bought me, 2 gorgeous black/purple lilies! Now I feel like a jerk because I didn't do anything for him but he is the sweetest!

11 months

2011-02-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

1 year ago tomorrow I gave birth to our perfect, sweet, adorable baby girl! I can't believe how fast the year has gone. I can't count how many hours of sleep I (and Colin) have lost, how many diapers we've changed, clothes we've washed but every moment has been so fun. Parenthood is the greatest joy and such a blessing. I love being a mom!

I thought I would get her 11 month up before I get too far behind. At 11 months Eliza now has her 2 bottom teeth that show every time she smiles, so cute! She is standing on her own and taking 1 or 2 steps before she gets back down on her bottom to scoot where she wants to go. She is in to EVERYTHING, the dog food being her favorite. She loves to eat and wants to eat whatever we are having. She rarely lets us feed her with a spoon anymore because she prefers to do it herself. She loves Kix's and choc. goldfish (she doesn't get to eat those very often though but always manages to find them in the pantry) She loves the dog and follows him around, pulls his ears and hair and hugs him like he is a teddy bear. She loves to read, talk and sing. She loves music and always starts baby dancing when she hears some. She sleeps 12 hours at night and 3-4 hours during the day, must admit this is my favorite milestone! Even though she sleeps a lot, her waking hours are go, go, go! She is a busy almost 1 year old. She loves her blankie and baby doll that her Grandma Thomas got her. She learned how to turn on and off the light switch. She points at everything and says "dat, dat". She wants to know what everything is. She makes funny noises with her tongue, which is so cute. She loves splashing in the bath. I get a half-dozen people stopping to talk to her every time we are at the grocery store "oh, she is so cute". She is going through a wanting mommy phase, which I LOVE! And for the first time she was bashful when one of the nurses at the hospital was talking to her while Colin held her. She kept burrowing her head into Colin's chest, it was precious. So tomorrow she'll be 1 and I just wish I could slow down time a little so my baby won't grow too fast. But it is fun to see her grow and learn.

Eliza's 1st Christmas

2011-01-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Eliza's 1st Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve Colin & I took Eliza to the Hogle Zoo Lights to see Santa and his reindeer. The lights were great and we want to go back next year when Eliza will appreciate the lights more. After the zoo lights we spent Christmas Eve at Colin's parent's house with his family. We had dinner, made gingerbread houses, sang songs, opened some presents and read the Christmas story by the fire.
1st Santa picture (not the most authentic Santa I've ever seen, oh well, there is always next year)
She didn't cry but she was really curious who this person was
mommy and Eliza by Santa's reindeer
the whole family by Santa's reindeer

grandpa & grandma Thomas

Eliza's 1st Christmas
On Christmas morning (beautiful snow, ice on the trees and windows and fog) Colin's family - mom, dad, brothers and great grandpa Bill and great grandma Eunice, my mom & Sal and enjoyed Christmas at our house. I woke up really early to make homemade cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, waffles and lots of fresh fruit. We had a feast and opened presents. Santa brought Eliza her 1st purse, kitchen and baby doll stroller. I think she loved the boxes they came in more than the presents themselves. She got lots of loot from everyone else. Colin's parents gave us a blu-ray dvd player which is great! We have already watched several movies using it and it is a huge step-up from our very old dvd player. My dad got us season tickets to the Hale Theater in Orem which we love! We love going to their shows and are never disappointed. This is great because it is a guarantee 6 date nights a year. We can't wait. Our best gift though is our adorable Eliza, we are so glad she is in our family! She brings joy to everyone.
I love this picture of our whole family on Christmas morning even though it is blurry. Colin and I had color coordinated pj's!

cute outfit grandma Thomas got her

We hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T04:58:00.000-08:00

I had big plans this year to do cute family Christmas cards, make fabulous treats for all of the neighbors, take Eliza to all the fun Christmas festivities that Utah offers. But as it turns out I have not had time to do everything I hoped I would be able to do. So family & friends & neighbors sorry there are no cards in the mail or treats on the door from the Thomas' this year. But we love you and our grateful for you.

The primary song, "I feel my Savior's love, in all the world around me", sums up the way I feel about this Christmas season (sans my earlier bahumbug post). I have been so blessed to have an amazing, loving husband. We were given the greatest gift this year, our beautiful and true miracle baby girl. This year we are so grateful for the gift of parenthood. Christ lives and through His sacrifice, the ultimate gift, we CAN be with our families forever. Having a child has made His sacrifice more important and more meaningful to me because I want to be with Colin and Eliza forever. I am so grateful for this Christmas season and for the Savior's love that I feel in abundance in my life. Merry Christmas.

Just stay little!

2010-12-24T03:44:00.000-08:00

9 month- Eliza had her 1st Thanksgiving. We went to her great grandma's "Happy Grandma" (Colin's mom's mom) house in SLC. Eliza got to play with some 2nd cousins, John & Cina's kids and visit with her 2 grandma's, Grandma Thomas and Grandma Ribiero as well as aunts and uncles. Her grandpa Thomas was in India doing humanitarian work so we missed him. She loved the yams, mashed potatoes and gravy and dad's annual multi-layered rainbow jello. Mom even gave her a taste of some whipped cream which she loved too.

Eliza's 1st Thanksgiving (yes that is a feather in her headband, she was a little indian)

Eliza with her 2 grandma's and mommy

kisses from grandma

Eliza with her great grandpa Knecht (Colin's mom's dad)

Eliza with mom & dad, grandma Thomas and great grandma Knecht

just doing some reading

just hanging out

10 months - Eliza got her 1st ear infection. We tried to see if it would clear up on it's on but after a few days seemed to be getting worse so we filled our antibiotic prescription and within 24 hours she was feeling a lot better. Thank goodness for antibiotics. It was a hard 2 weeks while we were figuring that all out but our sweet Eliza stayed happy and giggly through it all. I will have people ask me, "is she always that happy?" and the answer is yes. She was blessed with a happy disposition She loves to smile, laugh (when she is in the right mood you can do anything like make a funny sound or look at her with a funny and she thinks it is hilarious), sing and talk. She waves at everyone especially when we are grocery shopping and she is in the cart. She gives waves and smiles to everyone and it takes me twice as long to get my shopping done because people want to stop and talk to her. I love it though. At 10 months Eliza will have her 1st Christmas. We are so excited.

helping mom and dad trim the Christmas treejust standing

The months have all blurred into one. The time goes too fast. Eliza is very energetic and loves to explore. She is content crawling around, pulling herself up to a standing position anywhere she can and exploring all the items in a room. She loves her toys but loves mom and dad's cell phones and car keys more. She has AMAZING fine motor skills and can pick up the tiniest crumbs with her index finger and thumb , she has been doing this for a while now. She LOVES bananas and doesn't want me to spoon fed her anymore, she wants to do that herself. She weaned herself at 10 months and it was a sad thing for me. I LOVED nursing! As I am writing this I am realizing my daughter is kind of an independent girl. She loves to socialize, snuggle, give hugs and kisses, loves being rocked and sung to, LOVES books and being read to, she loves patty cake and is a pro. peek-a-boo player. It is so cute because all you have to say is "where is eliza?" and she throws her hands over her eyes with a huge smile and starts to play peek-a-boo. She does not crawl on her hands and knees but rather does a crab crawl, which is adorable. She is fast too. She knows right where the dog food is and loves to sneak off to his bowls and splash in his water bowl and eat his dog food. She is good at pulling herself to a standing position and has very strong legs. She is petite so it is weird to me to see this tiny baby standing up. The past week she has started to stand without any support. She walks with help from mom and dad but still prefers crawling. She loves music and wiggles her feet and shakes her head to the beat. We adore her. She is our sweet, happy, curious baby and has made our hearts a million times bigger. I don't even want to think about the fact that her 1st birthday is right around the corner. Just stay little my beautiful baby girl, just stay little!

cuteness!

her feet are dangling off the high chair, she is way too

Bahumbug

2010-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

So I really need to post Eliza's 9 and 10 month updates with pictures and I will do that very soon because I have a ton of cute pictures of her on my camera just waiting to be uploaded to my computer.

Can I just say...bahumbug. In large families it seems an impossible task to try to coordinate activites, Christmas dinner being the objective of this post. "I'm not coming if so and so is there", "oh, they are coming, then we can't come" etc. Is it so hard to sit down for 2 hours on Christmas eve with your whole family to share a meal and attempt to enjoy each other's company? Well yes, in my family it is. So I am frustrated because what I pictured for Christmas eve is not really turning out. Why even bother?

But, then I remembered that even though someone is always mad at someone, someone usually gets hurt feelings, sometimes even someone cries, we are family and we should make an effort to get along and to put aside our differences. After all we played barbies and GI-joes when we were little. We wasted a whole summer once beating all the levels on Super Mario. We spent hours making forts and playing games with each other. We watched movies together, made treats together, and danced to Footloose and Girls Just Want to Have Fun music. We made plays for our parents. We attempted to make an ice skating rink in our backyard (in CA, didn't work very well). We had fun, at least that is how I remember it. So even though we are all grown-up and some people just can't get it together I still think it is important to try. So that is why I bother because I love my family. And even though it may not turn out how I thought (usually never does) it WILL turn out and it will be nice, fun and memorable, I am sure of it!

This cute girl is in Paris for Christmas, my darling sister who I miss. The only thing we fight about is...nothing actually. Love her.

I wish...

2010-12-10T02:53:00.000-08:00

...I had someone to come clean my house 1 day a week, for free of course

...someone would walk my dog everyday, bath him every 2x/weeks and comb his hair weekly

...do my grocery shopping and put everything away for me

...cook a healthy meal every night of the week and leave my kitchen sparkling clean

...spend 2 hours a day at the gym for me

...cover my night shifts every week for me but give me the pay check

so I could play peek-a-boo, cuddle and squeeze, sing to, read to and giggle with my sweet Eliza all day and lounge around with Colin all night. Maybe I could read, sew, practice the piano. Um...sounds like I need a clone of myself for Christmas. I would make the clone do all the work and I would get to just enjoy my beautiful baby and handsome hubby nonstop!

LOVE THEM!

3-in-1 Blog

2010-11-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Our little bumble bee - Eliza's 1st Halloween, Happy Halloween!

Our little pumpkin - Eliza at 9 months, Happy Fall!

Our little white kitchen - it is FINALLY done. Beware if you want to re-paint your kitchen cabinets, it is time consuming and tedious but oh so worth it. We washed, sanded, primed, sanded, painted x2 -x3 coats! Then we added oil-rubbed bronze knobs and pulls that I love and we got at good ole' Tarjee for super cheap and I added a ticking stripe curtain to the window over the sink. For a whole new look on a budget we did it for less than $100. We still have big plans for the kitchen but phase one is now complete. Next we want to add new countertops, tile backsplash and beadboard and a new kitchen table, rug and light fixtures. Time and money is the determining factor here so for now I'll just say our kitchen is a work in progress. FYI, I am going for a coastal, cottage, countryish, frenchish, simple, clean, neutral and rustic look, this may take some time to achieve, haha!

Just in case you need a reminder of what it looked like before, here are some pictures of the old kitchen.

8 months and graduation

2010-11-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

October flew by. Eliza is 9 months tomorrow so her 8 month update is in order. This month Eliza has said dada, da (dog), learned to pull herself up to a standing position, is really good at army crawling everywhere, enjoys pulling all the books off of the bookshelf in her room, was a bumble bee for halloween, laughs so much, sings when mommy sings to her, loves to read books, loves to talk, has had a cold, loves to explore everything, follows the dog around the house so she can pull his hair (he is not a fan, so he always trys to avoid her), trys to pick up random crumbs on the floor to try to eat them, loves drinking water out of mom's cup. She is still so happy, loves to giggle. I try to use a really calm approach with her and not get frustrated or worked up about things because I believe being calm helps positively influences her development and helps her to be happy (more on my parent philosophy later, haha). Anyway the other day Eliza would not take her nap despite all mine and Colin's efforts and she really needed a nap because she had been awake all day. We were busy getting everything ready for Colin's graduween party so it was a little stressful at our house. Finally I walked into to Eliza's room and with a more stern tone then I usually use I said "Eliza Kate, you need to take your nap" and she started laughing. It made me laugh. She thinks everything is funny and laugh worthy and I am so glad she is such a happy girl! We just adore her!

This month Colin finished his master's degree in health administration! I am so proud of him! So I threw him graduween party the day before halloween. It was so fun. We served soup, salad, breadsticks and loads of sweet treats. We had family and friends over and it was so nice. Colin is AMAZING! I am so grateful to him for working so hard to take care of our little family and for setting high goals for himself and persevering through to reach them. He really is an wonderful guy and such a good husband and such a loving, kind and fun daddy. I am a lucky girl to have Colin and Eliza in my life, they are my world.
(Sadly I forgot to take pictures of our party, except for this cute sign I made)

Also our cabinets are finally done so I will post pictures very soon.

7 months

2010-09-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Eliza is 8 months in a few days so I thought I'd better do her 7 month post. Time is slipping away so quickly. It felt like yesterday I was still pregnant with her. This month she has learned to clap, say mama, army crawl, sit-up really well in the grocery cart, loves her johnny jump-up, eats solids really well and finally has enough hair that I can put little clips in it! She had her first little cold at the beginning of the month which really got her off her sleep schedule (not to mention her parent's sleep schedule as well). Now we are all getting more sleep. She is becoming more vocal about which toys she wants, what books she wants to read and if she wants to be held or put down. She loves sticking her tongue out and making lots of noises. She is so happy and fun. We love her!

Here is a sneak peek at my kitchen project that is almost done!

Staycation

2010-09-16T16:18:00.003-07:00

Colin and I both took the last week of August off of work to have some family time. It was so nice to be together. We ate out almost everyday. We slept in. We lounged and did lots of fun things to cross off on my summer list.

We took Eliza to the zoo.

We went on a walk in Provo canyon to see Bridal Veil Falls.

We went to the Park City farmer's market. (no pictures)

We went to Swiss Days in Midway, UT.

Laslty we spent Labor Day starting the mini remodel of my kitchen. Phase one; paint cabinets and add knobs and pulls.

Take a look at my old kitchen. Goodbye to the oak!

s

2010-09-16T16:18:00.001-07:00

August Highlights

2010-08-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

Eliza is 6 months old. She can make lots of new sounds, sit-up on her own, eat pureed foods; squash, bananas, apples, prunes, carrots and oatmeal (will not eat green beans) and is still nursing. She finally has enough hair that I can put clips in it! She loves being read and sung to, bathtime, jogs with mom and Jonas, swinging on the porch swing in the backyard with mom or dad, playing with her toys, putting everything into her mouth and jumping in her jonny jump-up. She has figured out that she can wiggle herself out of her bumbo and bouncer. She weighs 13 lbs and is 24 inches long, 5th percentile for weight and 30th percentile for height. She is petite but healthy. Our favorite is that she wakes up smiling, happy and talking to herself until we come get her. She loves to smile and is such a HAPPY girl. We are loving life and so glad she is in our family!

My mom spent 2 weeks visiting from N. Dakota. We did lots of fun things; shopped, got pedicures, ate, sewed, visited family. As always it was nice to have my mom visit because she helped me clean, cook, and watch Eliza so I could get some naps in. Also Colin and I went on our first date since Eliza was born and it was great. One night we went to a movie and the other we went to SLC to see The Lion King with Colin's family, which was FANTASTIC!

Kacy came home from India. She brought back the cutest outfit and stuffed animal for Eliza. I loved seeing all of her pictures and hearing her stories. Wow, what a neat experience she had. 2 days ago she left for Paris to be an au pair for 9 months. So excited for her. Carpe diem!

Eliza, PJ and Noey with Auntie Kac

My awesome sister

2010-08-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

My sister Kacy has been in India for 7ish weeks now. She raised money to serve at a childrens school in a leprosy colony, giving up her summer to serve others. I am so proud of her. Her experiences are amazing! She is learning and growing so much. Check out her blog, The Real India.

5 months

2010-07-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

Eliza will be 6 months next week! We can't believe it, she is growing so fast. She is cute as ever and learning new things everyday. Her favorite thing to do these days besides chewing, reaching, grabbing anything she can find is to roll all around the floor. Last night I put her on the floor and a few moments later she was almost half-way across the room. She has got the rolling-over thing down and is loving her new found freedom. She also looks for toys when they drop on the floor or if I move them, its cute! She loves our dog and will laugh at him and pull on his ears. He is a good boy and thinks she is fun too. We also started her on rice cereal. She liked it for a few days but now she refuses it. This past week we have introduced squash and carrots. She is sort of liking the carrots but didn't want anything to do with the squash. Here are some pictures of what Eliza has been up to this month.

smiling for the camera

helping mom with laundry

playing cornhole with dad on father's day

hanging out with dad on father's day

getting ready to try some rice cereal

not sure what to think of the cereal but will eat the spoon

trying out new sleeping positions

visiting dad in the hospital

shopping at Target

being cute

enjoying the summer weather

eating carrots

playing hide-and-seek

It's the little things...

2010-07-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

When Colin came home on Thursday from being in the hospital for 2 weeks, he noticed that our indoor plants looked a little droopy and dry and asked me if I had watered them while he was away. I didn't of course and said I didn't know they needed water. He said "how do you think they are staying alive?'. I thought they only needed to be watered once every couple of months. Little did I know he did this chore every week. I think the plants are glad he is home. If he had been gone any longer I don't think we would not have any plants left.

Also I was nursing Eliza one day and a huge fly was buzzing around the house. Anytime there is a fly I call Colin to come catch it. He loves this duty which is fine by me. Do you think I bothered to catch it? No, I just lived with it until Colin got home.

The moral of these stories are that I didn't realize how the little things can mean so much. I love my watering, fly-catching husband and am glad he is home.

2010-07-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

We survived another 2 week hospitalization. Colin is feeling much better. In the past he has only had to go into the hospital once a year. But for the past 9 months he has gone in for 2 weeks every 3 months. Once right before I had Eliza, once when she was 6 weeks old and just recently when she was 5 months old. We had a lot of help from family, neighbors and friends on the nights I had to work. That was super hard for me to let other people take care of my baby but I am grateful so many were willing to help and appreciate it. It almost ripped my heart right out though so I hope I don't have to do it again for a while. Next time Colin has a flare-up we are thinking about doing home IV therapy so that Eliza won't have to be shuffled around and can just stay home with her dad like normal on the nights I work. But we'll see what happens, we're just hoping he stays free of flare-ups for a while now. He is 2 classes away from his masters so a lot of his stress will be lifted when that's done in early October. Hopefully his life can get less stressful and he can take more time to take care of himself. We love Colin. He amazes me constantly at his strength and patience through the struggles and inconveniences that come with having a chronic illness. He inspires and teaches me. He is a wonderful husband and an amazing father to our baby girl.

I love you, Mandy

2010-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

The last time that Mandy posted was a couple weeks ago. She had a nice visit to the Heber City Farmers Market with Eliza. I was out of commission because I have been run down the last month or so, so anything extra after 10 hours of work and driving isn't easy....because I have been pretty ill, I ended up coming into the hospital for another 2 week admit. While I sit around in the hospital missing my girls, I feel blessed to have the sweetest little girl the world. Her eyes light up my day and her smile is infectious to all...both characteristics she inherited from her mother. I also have been blessed to have the most fabulous wife around. Mandy doesn't have an easy gig being my wife, especially when I have to be admitted to the hospital. She has to worry about me and the care I am getting, make sure that Jonas is okay, take care of the house, and see to Eliza's need. All of this is in addition to working 30 hours a week, night shifts. She couldn't do it with out the support of family and great friends, so thank you. I couldn't do it all without her.
I love her so much. She is a great strength through it all and always finds a way to make it work and be okay with it, as difficult as it may be.
Mandy, thanks for holding us all together, taking care of all of us. You are the best wife and a wonderful mother. I love you.

5 months old

2010-07-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Heber 's Farmer's Market

2010-07-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its already July. Utah had such weird (rainy & overcast) weather in June so it didn't start feeling like summer until recently. We're not getting my summer outing list done as quickly as I was hoping. I'll just have to try to cram things in over the next few weeks.

*Disclaimer - this is not a picture for the farmers market we went to, just thought it was pretty, I'd love to go to a farmer's market that looked like this

Eliza and I went on mommy-daughter date yesterday afternoon to the Heber City farmers market. Check that off the list! I was hesitant to go without Colin but he wasn't feeling well so I thought I'd let him nap in a quiet house while we ventured out for a little bit. It was so fun. I strapped baby girl into the bjorn, put a little sun hat on her, had a few dollars in my pocket and we strolled past the vendors. There were 4 or 5 bow booths so Eliza got a few more bows. We stopped to smell handmade soaps and sample fresh produce; cherries & sweet peas, then bought some of our samplings plus basil, yum! We were stopped every few seconds by people adoring Eliza and talking to her and she was not shy about giving out smiles and laughs. Last stop, kettle corn. In my opinion its not a trip to the farmer's market without kettle corn.

On my list for next week is the Park City farmer's market and Mona, UT for the Lavender festival.

Sunday Reflections

2010-06-27T11:32:00.001-07:00

While Eliza dozed off in my arms last night I was reflecting on my love for her and how I am so grateful Heavenly Father gave her to us. I am so grateful to have the chance to be her mother. I love wearing throw-up, spit-up on my clothes, I love changing those diapers, wiping away tears, suctioning out the boggery nose, washing poopey clothes, feeling her sweat collect as she lays in my arms on the warm summer days. Better yet I love the smiles, the squeals, the laughs, the times she wants to cuddle, the times she just stares at me while I sing to her, watching her reach her milestones. I love it all!

This quote sums up the way I feel about mommyhood perfectly. I will add that I want to arrive to heaven with spit-up and sticky finger prints from little hands on my shirt (as well as everything Sister Hinckley said) so the Lord knows I have raised the child He blessed me with with love and in happiness. So He knows I have played with her, feed her, taught her, nurtured her, loved her. I may arrive there tired too so hopefully there is a nice huge fluffy bed waiting for me! JK

“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.” Marjorie Peay Hinckley

4 years

2010-06-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

Colin & I celebrated our 4 year anniversary on Thursday. Most years I try to plan something amazing and memorable but this year I didn't plan anything and it still ended up being amazing and memorable. We flew by the seat of our pants and our anniversary turned out so wonderful (sans crazy people trying to feed my baby ice cream and others offering to hold her so I can eat my meal). Colin got off work early & we headed to Park City to stroll Main Street & pick a nice place to eat.

Dessert before dinner. We stumbled upon Sugar Buzz, a very upscale Park City swank candy boutique. It was very cute and only $3.00 for 1/4 lb. of candy, you read that right. So we tried a few small items and got out of there only spending $7, which for Colin in a candy shop is pretty amazing.

Then we went to Cafe Tregio for dinner. Yum! Great food and the ambiance was so nice - quiet, shaded patio, beautiful trees, overlooking the activities of Main St. Perfect for people watching. Worth every penny (and a pretty penny it was, but when in PC do as the PCers do, right?) Yes we brought Eliza & it was wonderful. She just hung out, played with her toys contentedly while Colin & I talked.

Colin even brought me a bouquet of gorgeous lilies, roses and other pretty flowers. Amazingly enough I wasn't even expecting flowers so it was such a pleasant surprise.

I am so glad I married Colin! He is an amazing, loving, person who supports me 100% in everything. He listens to me, lets me cry my eyes out, lets me be somewhat insane, loves our baby and puts us first always!

Sorry we didn't have our camera.

4 months

2010-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Eliza had her 4 month check-up yesterday. She is 11 lbs 4.6 oz (5th % for weight) & 24 1/2 in long (75th% for height). She is a little string bean even though she looks chunky to me. The doctor said its time to start rice-cereal just to see if that helps her gain a little more weight. She was so cute when the doctor was examining her. She was all smiles and when she checked for a clicking in her hip Eliza was laughing hysterically and the doctor just melted at how cute she was being. She got her first round of immunizations and was a champ. The fussiness didn't hit until later in the afternoon and she just had a several hour meltdown. Thankfully she slept 10 hours last night and woke up a happy girl, although she still is a bit more fussy today than normal. But she is allowed to be since she got blindsided by 2 shots in the thigh yesterday, poor girl.

At 4 months Eliza is better and more consistent at rolling over, LOVES her feet and always wants to suck and chew on her toes, is reaching for things, loves touching mommy & daddy's face, likes looking in the mirror, doesn't want her pacifier very much, laughs more & more, enjoys storytime because she can touch the pages now, plays with her ears while nursing, and is still all smiles. She really is a happy girl.

summer outing list

2010-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Our summer theme this year (not that we've ever had one before) is exploring our own backyard. There are so many fun things to do in Utah and I've never done a lot of them. So I have compiled a list of places I want to go on the Saturdays I don't work.
1. Cascade Springs
2. Timpanogas Cave
3. Lavender Festival in Mona, UT & lunch at the Red Barn *I've heard they have really good lavender ice cream
4. Thanksgiving Point
5. Hogle Zoo
6. ride the Heber Valley Railroad train through Provo canyon
7. explore some of the parks in Provo Canyon; Canon View, Vivian, Upper Falls
8. Deer Valley Music Festival
9. farmers market in Heber & Park City
10. Wasatch County Fair
11. visit California - see Em & her baby, visit Colin's grandma, go to Napa & San Fran
12. Swiss Days in Midway

To start off the summer we spent Memorial Day in Oak City, UT for a family reunion on my dad's side. Eliza got to spend her morning at a cemetery where she heard her first gun shot (as I was clamouring to cover her ears) when the Veteran's did their special ceremony. She got to spend time at the park with mommy, aunt Kacy, cousin Noey, daddy & Jonas. The rest of the time she visited with some of her grandpa Atkin's cousins. When we got home Taylor, Reagan & Colton came to visit. He is 7 weeks old & Eliza is 4 1/2 months old, they look almost the same size.

Last Saturday we visited Cascade Springs (cross that off the list). Google maps took us the longest possible way to get there & Colin had to deal with a cranky wife who just worked a night shift and got a short nap before we headed to the springs. A tip for anyone who lives in Heber who wants to visit Cascade Springs - go through Midway, it takes 20-30 minutes compared to the 90 minutes it took us going through Provo Canyon. It is a cool place. The waters are shallow and clear so you can see all the trout swimming around, there are little waterfalls and a nice walking trail weaving around the springs. It was beautiful & serene, worth the long drive. It's a good, fun, FREE family activity.

things I'm liking for baby

2010-06-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know how this compares to other similar products besides the stuff we use at the hospital but this is a great product. If Eliza even looks slighlty red I use this and by the next diaper change the redness is gone. Its amazing. I love their lavender soap & lotion for babies too.Eliza has found her feet & plays with them all the time. I put these rattle slippers on & it entertains her for a long time. She loves these.

This is my FAVORITE book to read to Eliza! It is so sweet (okay I tear up whenever I read it to her).

What are some things you mamas like?

Bonjour!

2010-05-27T16:03:00.001-07:00

Since Kacy announced it already, I get to talk about it now! Kacy, the little adventuress she is, took a job in Paris, France as an au pair for 9 months starting in September. I am SO excited for her because she will love and grow from the experience. I am SO excited for me because Mr Thomas, baby & I are going to go visit her! We haven't bought plan tickets or anything yet but planning is in process and we want to go next March or April so its a while off still (need time to save you know?). I've wanted to go to Paris almost my whole 20's (while I've been in my 20's) but it just seemed like a dream because we had no real reason to go. Now we have a reason, visit Kacy. Plus we'll have a free place to stay because she has an entire suite to herself! Anyway, thats that for now.

2010-05-26T11:08:00.001-07:00

2010-05-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here is another blog site I stumbled across the other day full of great DIY home projects, Starter Home to Dream Home. I like her kitchen redo too.

I like this blog too, Thrifty Decor Chick. I want to redo my staircase like hers.

i want this kitchen

2010-05-24T09:37:00.001-07:00

I stumbled upon this great site the other day, Censational Girl. I love her taste. I am always trying to find my decorating style so my house remains a bit drab. I love french, farmhouse, a little country, a little traditional & a smidge glam. I am NOT into modern/contemporary (eew, no offense to those who do, for ex. my hubby who is so sweet and lets me just do my thing with the house, which isn't much).

Eliza's room is my favorite room in the house, sums up my style but it's still in the accessorizing phase. I am into neutrals and soft colors more than bolds and that is why I love her website. There are a lot of little gems here and great DIY ideas for your home. I love that garden window, NEED ONE (maybe after my sister & I get onto Amazing Race & win, haha)!

nicknames

2010-05-22T02:49:00.001-07:00

Eliza-bear, E-bear, E
This is her VERY ADORABLE bear outfit, fitting for her nicknames. Not to sound cheesy but her smile just lights up my life! Its infectious!

2010-05-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that daddy took when left to his own devices (I was sleeping). Colin picked out her outfit for the day and even attempted to put a matching red bow in her hair but it wouldn't stay. He is such a cute daddy and ADORES his baby. I would like to know what his thought process was here. Unsteady basket on table with a baby who can't sit up yet. Lol!

Ouch!

2010-05-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

As I was holding Eliza in my lap at the computer desk her little bobble head bobbled its way against the desk. Bump! Ouch! Silence for a moment as she realized that she just hit her head and that it really hurt and then the flood works! And I am not talking about just Eliza, mommy cried too. Seeing her get an ouchy and be in pain hurt me too. And as I cried while comforting my crying baby I realized in that moment that I have become a mother.

While comforting my baby I flashed forward to all the times in her life that she is going to be in pain. Learning how to crawl and bumping her head many times, learning how to walk and falling, someone teasing her at school, being left out, not getting the part in the school play, getting sick and the list will continue. My heart hurt thinking about my baby ever having to feel pain. Can't I just protect her from all the pain in the world? Of course I can't (well I couldn't even if I wanted to) because if I did she would not be able to grow into the person she is meant to become and she won't find her inner strength. But I will always cry with her, hold her tight and tell her that I love her and its all going to be okay because it will. And I know that it will all be okay because the Savior lives and loves us. He has felt all of our pain for us so that we can be okay, so that we can have happiness. As a mother my understanding of the atonement has just increased today.

3 months old

2010-05-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

This mama is way behind on blogging. With a baby it seems that she is learning something new and changing everyday. She is almost 16 weeks! We can't believe it. At her 10 week dr visit she weighed 9lbs 13 oz and was 23 inches long, long and lean (like her daddy)! At 3 months she has began holding a rattle, sleeping 8-11 hours at night, laughing out loud (its the cutest squeal you've ever heard), and rolling over from tummy to back just on her right side (does that mean she will be right-handed?). She wakes up happy and cooing, rarely cries except for the regular baby stuff (burp, tummy ache, hungry or tired) and is about 95% smiles! She has started to notice the dog more, wiggles like crazy and laughs when mommy walks by her if she is in the bumbo or bouncer, loves to sit in her bumbo and is using those neck muscles a lot. Its so funny because I will have had her in the bumbo for a while so I put her in the bouncer to give her neck muscles a break but she wont relax. She'll try to sit up in the bouncer, its so funny! She is still wearing most of her newborn clothes. She loves when daddy comes home from work, is beginning to tolerate story time, hates tummy time. She sleeps and eats like a champ. She loves to cuddle and puts up with the multiple wardrobe changes everyday b/c of spit-up, barf, or poopey. The other great news is that her hips are healed which means no more brace! We are so happy that this is behind us. She is such a calm, happy little girl. We just can't get enough of this sweetheart! Life with Eliza is so much fun!

In April we also celebrated Colin's birthday. The day before his birthday we went out to dinner with his family at Red Robin's. On his birthday I made him biscuits and gravy for dinner (per Colin's request) and pavlova for dessert (I'd never had it before but Colin loves it, its actually really good). Later that night I had to work so Colin hung out with Eliza and his twin brother watching the Jazz game and eating nachos. That Sunday we had another birthday dinner at my dad's with the Atkin family. I made another pavlova per Colin's request.

she looks so much like Colin in this picture

2010-05-11T09:18:00.001-07:00

Oh steam mop, where have you been all my life? Love this!
PS Colin got me this for Mother's Day. You know you are getting old when a mop for a present is so exciting!

Eliza's blessing: Part II

2010-04-18T00:24:00.000-07:00

Grandma Thomas made Eliza's blessing dress. She worked so hard on it and it is perfection. It will be a legacy Eliza can pass on. I had to take some pictures so all could see how beautiful it is! My baby is adorable!

Eliza's blessing: Part I

2010-04-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 11th, Eliza was blessed in church by her daddy. Colin's wonderful parents and brother spent their Saturday at our house helping us get everything in order for the brunch for family after the blessing. They were truley amazing to help us and we couldn't have gotten everything done in-time without their help, especially since it was my 1st night back to work.
We had so many of our family attend church for the blessing, it was so wonderful to have their support. Colin gave a beautiful blessing! After church we had a great brunch at our house. Eliza's Grandma Thomas made her the MOST stunning blessing dress. It was amazing!

great-grandpa Bill

great-grandma HG
grandma Thomas
grandpa Atkin & auntie Kac
grandpa & grandma Thomasauntie Kac
sleepy baby
mommy loves her baby

2010-04-12T16:01:00.001-07:00

2 months old - she loves to smile, she really is a happy girl (unless she is hungry or tired and then she gets cranky like her mama does when she is hungry or tired)

Eliza's 1st Easter - We stayed home (mom & dad in jammies, at least we got Eliza dressed). We watched conference, made a great breakfast in the morning and a nice dinner later in the evening. The easter bunny visited Eliza on "Easter basket day", a tradition the Thomas family has.

1st Easter Basket Day- The easter bunny brought Eliza her 1st easter basket with a soft doll in it.

Other pictures I love. Her face is so cute in these pictures!

1

Happiness is...

2010-04-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

*cradling my sweet baby in my arms
*wiping little tears off of my baby's chubby, adorable cheeks
*looking around my house and seeing the swing, the bouncer, the boppy, the stroller, the car seat, Eliza's purple bow on the kitchen table, the burp rag on the floor
*being in jammies
*the smell of oat bran muffins cooking in the oven
*cuddling with my hubby after our little girl goes to sleep

This is a snapshot of my evening, I'm loving it!

March in review

2010-04-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

*Colin SHAVED! After a 1 1/2 year, can you believe it? He is so handsome, I forgot what he looked like without a beard.

Before
After

*Colin had to go to the hospital for 15 days. :( This was a trial for us especially with a new baby. We visited him about every other day so as to not throw Eliza's schedule and routine too out of whack. That was a lonely 2 weeks for Colin & I but he is home now, healthy and strong.

*Eliza began wearing a pavlik harness to treat her hip dysplasia at 3 weeks old. She has tolerated it just fine. After wearing it for 4 weeks we went to the dr for an ultrasound and our prayers were heard because her right hip was completely healed and her left hip was almost healed, which meant no surgery and cast for our baby. Just a few more weeks of the harness and she won't need to wear it anymore or worry about having hip problems when she is older.

*Our baby girl has begun smiling more and more, loves patty-cake and being sung to, has begun cooing (its so sweet), doesn't really like tummy-time but holds her head up a lot when being held, has gotten breastfeeding down from 30 - 40 minutes to 20 minutes, has begun sleeping 6 - 7 hours through the night (yeah for us), loves walks in the stroller, falls right asleep in car rides, tolerates mommy playing dress-up and putting bows and clips in her hair (what little of it she has) and biggest and cutest accomplishment of all - FOUND HER THUMB! I walked into her nursery to check on her and there she was sucking her thumb! I thought she was too little for that but I guess not. Its so cute!

*Colin & I are loving parenthood and we are getting settled into our new life style a little bit more everyday. Eliza is such a happy girl and brings so much love and joy to our home.

daddy's version of a...

2010-03-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

diaper change

1 month old

2010-03-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

2010-02-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

3 weeks in and motherhood has not been easy but I have learned that Old Navy socks are the best! They are the only socks that stay on Eliza's feet. (and she is a wiggler)

1sts

2010-02-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

1st Valentine's day - Feb. 14th, all dressed up and nowhere to go, but she sure looked cute

1st walk-Feb. 16th
This morning the Heber Valley was covered with thick fog but by the time Eliza and I got home from her 2 weeks dr.'s visit and a few errands the fog was gone, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. I decided we all could use some fresh air and so we ventured out on Eliza's first walk. She was bundled good, it was so cute I had to take pictures. Jonas was happy to get out of the house too. Can't wait for the snow to melt and spring to be officially here!

Dear Colin,

2010-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Watching you become a father has made me fall in love with you even more than I even knew I could. You are such a good daddy already and Eliza loves you so much! Watching you change her diapers, get her dressed, swaddle her, cuddle, kiss and dance with her fills me with so much love and happiness.

Thank you for being at all my prenatal doctor appts, supporting me through the whole pregnancy, taking such good care of me at the hospital and at home, organizing all of the birth certificate, social security and insurance stuff, making the peditrician appts, handling all the bili light stuff, calling redbox for me to make sure the movie I turned in went through, paying all the bills, maintaing the cars, taking the recycling to the recycling center, the list goes on! You are the best husband and now father!
Love, Mandy

Eliza

2010-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Eliza Kate Thomas
February 2, 2010 at 3:30pm
7 lbs. 4.6 oz
20 inches long

We have been home from the hospital almost 48 hours. It is a whirlwind but the most beautiful experience. Being a parent has felt so natural for both of us and it is so amazing. Colin is the most wonderful daddy and couldn't be more in love with his daughter. He is so sweet with her and she loves to stare at him when he talks to her. He always tells her how perfect and beautiful she is - it melts my heart.

Eliza is a great eater and we are so happy that my milk is finally in. Breastfeeding is an adjustment but is such a special time for us and I think she is so cute when she is rooting around, she is my little, adorable leech! She did develop jaundice and is our "yellow baby". But her bili level is going down and we have had her on a bili blanket since the day she got home from the hospital which has helped. Now that my milk is in she can start getting food through her system and begin getting rid of the excess bili through her poop. We did have to supplement her feedings a little bit yesterday just to get things moving through her system but I would breastfeed for 30 mins still then give her some bottle. It did help get things get going and the doctor said that her bili was good enough today that we don't need to supplement anymore especially since my milk is in. We go back to the doctor on Monday morning for another check so hopefully she can keep eating and pooping! Colin and I are thrilled when she poops - awe we'll change our minds in a few months I am sure, haha! She loves to be cuddled and I can't get enough of kissing her adorable cheeks! She is a very alert baby and has had some beginnings of smiles! She even has been lifting her head up and around so she has some good, strong neck muscles.

We have had lots of visitors in the hospital and at home and it has been fun. My mom has been here which has been really nice because she has been taking care of all the meals, cleaning, helping with Eliza and helping Colin and I get our rest. I am feeling better from the delivery but still quite sore and slow. I am also exhausted but I have good support in my hubby and mom as I am on the mend.

I will post more of the labor and birth story soon. Also, more pictures coming soon! Thanks for all of your love and well wishes!

some hospital pictures

Our Newest Addition

2010-02-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

I know that Mandy will be posting some more details later on, but I wanted to get some pics on here for all of you who still read this and that we haven't been able to personally call and share the news.

Elizabeth Clara Thomas.

I saw daddy...

2010-01-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

KISSING SANTA CLAUS!

Christmas 2009 has come and gone so quickly. We had a nice Christmas besides the fact that I had to work on Christmas eve night so I was exhausted for Christmas day festivities.

The week before Christmas we spent in St. George with the Thomas family. We went and saw the Forgotten Carols, did a session in the St. George temple, ate a lot, spent a day sight-seeing/shopping in Las Vegas then ate at Cheesecake Factory for Beth's birthday, I watched Colin and his brothers play the Wii and watch a lot of football, played some Rummikub with Beth and Brian, slept in, went to see Invictus, ate at Coldstone and finished Christmas shopping. I really wanted to dip into the heated pool but was pretty sure my swimsuit wouldn't fit and didn't want to torment anyone with the sight of a pregnant women not fully dressed. So I was content with sitting out but Colin and his brothers dipped into the hot tube a few times. We had a great time and I was especially glad that Colin got to spend some quality time with his family before the baby comes.

We got home from St. George on Christmas eve day just enough time to pick-up Jonas from my dad's (who was kind enough to watch him while we were gone), head home, squeeze in a little nap before my 12-hour night shift. I went to work and Colin went with his family to John and Cina's (Colin's uncle & aunt) house for Christmas eve dinner. The next morning I met Colin at my dad's for Christmas brunch and presents. I was able to get 2 1/2 hours of sleep before the festivities began (not enough). We had waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage etc. Then opened presents. My mom & Sal were there too. After all the commotion was over I needed to go back to sleep because I was supposed to work Christmas day night shift as well but before my nap I got called-off! What a Christmas miracle! I didn't have to work that shift but it still counted towards next year so a double bonus. I didn't have to go in this year but it counts that I worked it so that next year I don't have to go in Christmas eve day/night or Christmas day/night! I get to spend all Christmas at home next year with our daughter! So happy.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Baby Shower

2009-12-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Since Colin spent Thanksgiving and the first 1 1/2 weeks of Dec. in the hospital I have had little time to update the blog. He was home from the hospital for 1 week and then we came down to St. George for a family vacation with the Thomas's before Christmas. I can't believe how fast this month has flown by and that Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Before we know it our baby girl will be here and our lives will be forever changed and we couldn't be more excited!

While Colin was in the hospital my sweet sister and friends, Tari & Mindy gave me a great baby shower on Sat. Dec 5th. There was a wonderful spread of food and a hot chocolate bar which was perfect for the wintry day. Mindy made the decorations which were so cute! My mom drove all the way down from N. Dakota to be there which was really nice of her. There was a great turn-out and it was so fun to celebrate the soon-to-be arrival of our little girl with all of our family and friends.

just some thoughts

2009-11-30T02:54:00.000-08:00

Just some thoughts while I try to stay awake for the last 3 hours of my night shift (yes I am 31 1/2 weeks pregnant and still working some night shifts, its just mean!)

*Colin is in the hospital, I miss him even though I see him everyday, I want him home, I want to snuggle in the love sac and watch tv together and fall asleep with him next to me again

*most wives don't have to even think about what sending their husband to the hospital every 9 -12 months for 2 weeks a pop is like, for them I am glad because its not fun

*the whole hospital thing is our families norm, isn't that crazy, just our norm

*my life is a balancing act with Colin in the hospital and I am doing a pretty good job holding it all together - taking care of Colin's needs, the dog's needs, the house's needs and of course my 31 week pregnant self and our baby girl's needs (like getting rest, eating nutritiously etc), meanwhile still have to work (boo)

*I am proud of myself for sleeping alone in my house, I used to sleep at my family's house while he was in the hospital because I was too scared to sleep in a house alone, it does help to have a dog though, gives me peace of mind

*my family is the most important thing in the world to me, all though its small, its my whole world

*I can be strong right now, but will need a breakdown and cry moment at some point, always need at least one while Colin is in the hospital and I think it makes me stronger to cry it out, a good cry does wonders for the soul, Colin is used to this by now, not phased

*crying is good - I don't understand people who try not to cry as if crying makes them weaker, NO NO NO crying makes you stronger because you're able to release, deal with it and move on

*our hearts are so amazing, they can grow so much and fit all the love and compassion in them you can fill. I love my husband more each day and am so grateful for the amazing person he is, I love our daughter already with all that I am, I love our dog ( i am serious, I feel like he is my child)

*so glad for a sister who came to Heber to hang out with me and go and watch New Moon with me and sleepover - love her!

*can't wait to have my bladder back to myself, no offense baby girl but it will be nice not to get woken in up in the night at least once just to go to the bathroom, can't remember what it was like to sleep through the night without needing to wake up to go to the bathroom

I think thats all for now, better get back to work...

Rexburg Trip

2009-11-12T15:07:00.001-08:00

As many of you know my best friend Tari & I went to Ricks College/BYU-Id. The first year we were there it was still Ricks and the second year we were there it was BYU-I. We started college in 2000 (wow almost 10 years ago)! We had a blast and made a lot of awesome memories there that we still talk about to this day.
Now my little sister Kacy is thinking about going there in the fall. We thought it would be fun to take Kacy up there for a tour and reminisce on old times. So Kacy, Mindy, Tari & I went on a little road trip.
We left SLC on Friday, spent the night in Idaho Falls, toured Rexburg on Saturday morning (which didn't take long) and came home later that day. It was really fun! It brought back a lot of memories. My 2 years at Ricks was truly where I found myself. I discovered a love for learning and education, I grew in the gospel and going there helped lead me to serve a mission. I am so glad I went there and can't believe I am soooo old!

It's a...

2009-09-14T06:33:00.001-07:00

Mike & Tracy's wedding

2009-09-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

On Aug 29th, 2009 my brother Mike got married to the beautiful Tracy Robinson. We are so excited to have Tracy in our family, she is a sweetheart. The wedding was great. It was really fun to see aunts, uncles, cousins and hang out with the family.

Mike & Tracy during the ceremony
Tracy & her dad, love the hat!
Kacy & I with the handsome grromChris, my dad & Kacymy mom, Kacy & Noey (she was the cutest flower girl)
Noey & I
Chris, Lissy & Noey (Nick is MIA)
we thought Nick looked like the joker after drinking red punch
Kacy & I with our Aunt Jo Jo (one of my dad's sisters)
Will, Kacy & Noey
Love this one of Kacy & Colin

*these are some pictures I stole from Kacy's facebook, I don't have one of Jon on there but he looked very handsome in his tux like all my brothers

California

2009-08-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

]

Last week Colin and I went to the bay area to celebrate his grandma's 80th birthday. It was great to also visit where I grew up and eat at some of my favorite spots. We left a few days early before the festivities began so we could spend some time in Alamo/Danville and make a day trip to San Fran.

Tuesday - drove ALL day, too much sitting
Wednesday - tour of all the homes I grew up in, my church, my high school, ate lunch at the Basil Leaf Cafe in downtown Danville, window shopped at Broadway Plaza, got some frozen yogurt from Yogurt Park
Thursday - took BART into the city, went to CA Academy of Science in Golden Gate park for the morning and ate lunch there, the aquarium was amazing, my favorite were the glow in the dark fish, took cable car to Ghiradelli Square at a sundae then walked along Fisherman's wharf and got clam chowder in a bread bowl, we had a fun time, a lot of walking but worth it
Friday - hang out w/ Colin's immediate and extended family, took Colin the Brass Bear for lunch (yummmm), went to A's game in Oakland, the A's lost but it was fun to eat nachos and do the wave
Saturday - did a session in the Oakland temple with Colin's grandma, aunts/uncles, cousins, parents, went to Fenton's in Berkley for lunch (I got a black and tan Em), napped at the hotel, took family pictures, ate dinner, had movie night & birthday cake at grandma's where we watched films from when grandma was a little girl, that was neat
Sunday - drove all day, picked up Jonas from my dad's

We had a great time. Thanks to Beth & Bri for watching Jonas for 2 days and 1 night as well as to my dad. I need to say how awesome my dad was to watch Jonas for 4 days. My dad stayed with him at our house so Jonas could be in his usual environment which was really nice. We are so appreciative for our parents.

our 3rd anniversary

2009-06-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Colin & I celebrated our 3 year anniversary this weekend. I took Colin to the Zermatt Resort in Midway Saturday night. We forgot our camera at home so no pictures sadly. We brought games, swam, had a picnic dinner on the grass while watching Sound of Music which was really fun. On Sunday morning we slept in, took our sweet time getting ready and went to their Sunday brunch which left us both never wanting to look at food again because we ate so much. It was a great brunch, well worth it at least once.

I love my husband and am so grateful for him. He works so hard, perseveres through so much, is kind, compassionate, fun and perfect for me! I look forward to the adventures the next year brings, especially as we become parents.

2009-06-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

What's round, sparkly, sliver, priceless, lost then found? My wedding ring. We are not supposed to wear our wedding rings to work so usually I just leave it at home. But the other night I forgot to do that and so when I got to work I placed them in my scrub pocket along with my car keys. I kept thinking I should get a safety pin and put my rings on it but never did.

As I left work I took my car keys out of my pocket while walking down the stairwell of the hospital to my car. My diamond ring came out with the car keys and fell on the stairs, I didn't notice. Infact I was 10 mintues from home (I live 45 minutes away and just got off a night shift) when I realized I only had my wedding band not the diamond. I turned around and speed back to the hospital so I could search for it. Meanwhile my gas tank was empty and I was so lucky my car didn't run out of gas on me. Praying like crazy I searched everywhere for my wedding ring 3, 4 and 5 times. Everyone on my unit was helping me search as well.

When it didn't show up I got a hold of Colin and started bawling " I am so sorry, I lost my wedding ring". He was really sweet about it. Colin had the foresight 3 years ago to get my ring insured but even though I could get another diamond it wasn't MY wedding ring, the wedding ring he gave me when he proposed and the one gave me the day we were sealed in the temple. It wasn't the same ring he paid for and picked out himself before he proposed. The ring I have been wearing these 3 years.

So as I was just getting in my car to head home my work called and said they think they found it. I ran up and sure enough there was my ring! A respiratory therapists saw it on the stairwell and brought it to my unit! I went and thanked her, would have given her a huge hug but since she was a stranger and all... I was so grateful for her honesty! Also so grateful for an answered prayer. My ring is back where it belongs, on my finger never to be thrown in my pocket again.

2009-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, I went downstairs to this adorable moment. I have never seen Jonas be so cuddly before. They were both in a deep sleep. Jonas was snooring and didn't even wake up while I was taking pictures.

Happy Birthday Colin!

2009-04-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today is Colin's 26th. In the tradition of last year I thought it would be fun to do 26 things you may or may not know about Colin (including reasons I love him)

1. favorite food: still cereal!
2. type of cereal: Quaker Oat Squares, Life (cinnamon), Basic Four
3. favorite show: Deadliest Catch, Tuesday nights at 10 pm and even though we have DVR he still wants to stay up late and watch it the night that it is on even at the expense of being tired the next day at work
4. other favorite shows: The Unit, The Mentalist
5. will watch American Idol with me
6. loves Jonas (our dog), is more of a sucker then me, lets him sleep at his side of the bed on the floor
7. dream vacation: Forgi Island, off the coast of Ireland (he has never been there but wants to really bad)
8. hobbies: has recently taken indoor rock climbing
9. just got a new job as the manager of UCRM (yes the same clinic we are going to for IVF), will be a little awkward for him at first, what a good guy
10. since being on all of these hormones I am a little more needy and he has been so sweet about it
11. wants an ATV, boat, motorcycle and a gun (none of which are going to happen any time soon)
12. loves tools!!!!!
13. is quite the handyman, since moving into our new home he can fix just about anything, its great!
14. is still happiest when his head, neck, back or arms are being tickled
15. our song: James Taylor "Up on the Roof" as of James Taylor concert in August 2008
16. has been growing his beard since August, longest record yet since being married
17. likes to talk in a Russian accent
18. calls me Monkey
19. saves every dime
20. plans ahead
21. follows through
22. not a procrastinator
23. is in school for his masters in Health Administration while working full-time and starting his new job in 1 week while going through all the IVF stuff( he will get his biopsy next week then have to start his new job a few days later, poor guy), he is AMAZING!
24. never yells or criticizes me, always kind, meek and loving
25. loves his twin brother, they text millions of times per day and work together (not for much longer though :( )
26. last but not least, Colin is the best husband I could have ever asked for, my biggest support, strength and happiness

Happy Birthday! This a.m. I took him for a rifle shooting lesson where we learned how to shoot clay pigeons. It was fun. Tonight we are off to SLC to go out to dinner with his family and see Wicked!!!! Can't wait! Pictures to follow soon.

sleepover at the vet

2009-04-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Jonas is 41/2 months old. He is going in for his neutering in the am and has to sleep overnight at the vet tonight. I am pretty sad about it. He is getting huge. Now he knows how to shake and lay down. He is such a cute, smart doggy.

In other news; we started our IVF cycle. To read about it go to our IVF blog.

Colin is home!

2009-04-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Colin came home yesterday from a 2 week stay at the hospital. It was stressful for all of us and we are just glad to be through it, with Colin feeling and breathing better! He was having some headaches while there and his dr. thought he should get a CT scan of his airway to see if there was any blockages, like a nasal polyp of something. The results came back showing nothing but Colin decided to capitalize on this CT scan as a prank for April fools day.
So on Wed (April 1st) Colin called me and told me that Dr. Liou was really worried about the CT scan. When I got to the hospital later the nurse walked in with a note and said to Colin "the dr was just wondering which day would be better for you to have the surgery". I was like what surgery and was really concerned. The nurse left the room and Colin (he really should rethink his career and go in to acting) started freaking out because he didn't want to go for surgery etc. Well I was really stressed out myself and wasn't sure if I could deal with surgery. I started thinking how I need to get work off, what I was going to do with the dog etc. Then moments later while heading to my night shift, the nurses all told me "April Fools"! I was confused but then realized there was no surgery! Thank goodness! Colin got me good this year, infact its his best ever prank on me! Having the nurses involved was very convincing! Now I just need ideas for next year to get him back!
Thank you to everyone for your support, prayers, visits, Tari and Mind for playing Bonanza with us and for everyone who took care of Jonas these past 2 weeks (Beth/Brian, Spencer, Kacy, Melissa, my dad). Next time Colin goes in we might have a little one and we'll need even more help! Thanks again!
PS check out our IVF blog for our latest good news!

Its been a long week+

2009-03-24T21:45:00.001-07:00

So it has been a long week and then some. It started off Monday when I was screening for a new CF medicine. It was the second time that I failed the screening. The screening requires my lung function to be above 75% and I was in the low to mid 60's. Plus generally feeling tired meant it was time to come into the hospital for a clean out. In preparation to come in we had a bit to do around the house and Mandy had to work Wednesday night shift. The picture below is of Jonas and I trying to get comfortable late in the night....

...as you can kind of see Jonas is comfortable but I can't sleep....it's hard to sleep without Mandy around.

...Speaking of Mandy not being around this is a pic of my 4th night in the hospital, and of course I am not getting much sleep. I have to fingers up to signify that it is 2 AM and I am still awake.

But Mandy is the real trooper. She not only had to work the night shift Wednesday, but she only got 2 hours of sleep on Thursday before I had to wake her to come to the hospital to be admitted. Then she had to travel back and forth to Heber, work a 12 hr shift on Sat, see me for a few minutes, go back to Heber, sleep a little that night, clean the whole house, pick up the dog's mess in the yard, bake a cake for birthday dinner at her Dad's for Sunday night. Then work 12 days on Monday and Tuesday, all while juggling getting sitters for Jonas (Thanks KC, Lissy, FSIL, Mom, Dad and Spencer). It's always hardest on her when I'm in here, she's the one that holds everything together and I couldn't do it without her. I love you so much Mandy, thanks for being so supportive and strong every day.

hula-hoop trick

2009-03-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

We've been teaching Jonas how to jump through a hula-hoop. He caught on pretty quickly, its so cute!

a day in the life of Jonas

2009-02-26T13:59:00.001-08:00

sleep
stretch
ask to go potty
eat
play fetch
eat favorite toy "purple monster"
attack lion
help with chores
look cute

sleep some more

my beautiful valentine's day flowers

2009-02-26T13:56:00.000-08:00