Annie, Berkeley, Asa

Random Stuff

2011-12-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

Mr. Awesome

2011-12-31T08:45:00.001-08:00

Holy cow, Asa makes me laugh. He has really taken to dancing lately and he goes all out! Here is a little video I took of him dancing in the car yesterday.

Asa and the Hairbow

2011-12-22T11:25:00.001-08:00

One Sunday morning before church, Asa was running around with one of Hazel's bows on his head. We were about to leave for church so Berkeley took the bow off without Asa's permission. Asa was not happy. After a mild freak-out, we gave the bow back to him. The following sequence of pictures tell the story perfectly.

Quick Catch-Up...In NO Logical Order.

2011-12-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

We spent the 4th of July in Idaho with Berkeley's Aunt, Uncle and Cousins. It was a blast! We went boating, relaxed in the hot tub, and enjoyed nature at the cabin in Island Park. This trip was a dream come true for Asa. He got to ride 4 wheelers and tractors and ride-on lawn mowers the entire time. He lucked out and was given this power wheels tractor. Thanks again Curtis and Becca! He spent the majority of the warm weather days on this baby!

We went to Rowley Farms with my family just before Halloween and enjoyed some fun times there! Asa loved the hayride and playing with his cousins. Hazel chilled out in the pack!

Asa is still a snuggle bug and I take every chance I get to cuddle him.

Hazel is so much fun these days! She is super happy most of the time. She is tons of fun to play with. She is laughing quite a bit and smiles most of the time. She is such a joy.

Asa has all but given up on naps. Naps usually only happen if he settles himself down enough to accidentally fall asleep on his own!
Asa has a fantastic time in Nursery and it sure is nice to have him want to be there and stay there!

Berkeley won a $50.00 gift card to the Cheesecake Factory for winning his company Halloween costume contest. Yep, he's the one that's half naked. I told him that his abs won the gift card.

Asa was supposed to be Frankenstein for Halloween, but he hated wearing his costume. About two minutes before going Trick Or Treating, he decided he wanted to be a farmer, so we threw on a plaid shirt and overalls. He decided the bright yellow fedora hat was the final touch, so he wore that too! He also drove his little Power Wheels tractor to Trick or Treat all over the neighborhood. Hazel was just about the cutest little ladybug ever, and she slept soundly in her carseat through the whole Trick Or Treating experience.
During the summer, we ate A LOT of popsicles. This was Asa's favorite treat for a period of about 5 months straight. He's now moved on to Skittles and M&M's.
We took A LOT of walks/bike rides this Spring, Summer and Fall. Seriously, 3 or more per day. It's a wonder I'm not back to my pre-baby weight!

Well, there is a lot more where that came from and just skims the surface of what we've been up to this past year. I hear my sweet little Hazel babbling in bed so I'm going to go play with her!

Totally Random.

2011-11-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, I don't blog anymore which is sad. Yesterday I was reading through my blog from the beginning and I realized that I used to be funny and kind of cool. I think I'm still funny and kind of cool, but I don't have the time or energy to blog like it. I think I am going to take on the 4 post per week challenge, so maybe it will encourage me to think outside the box!
For today, here's an update on what's going on in the Ward household. I am home with the kids full time which is a blessing, though sometimes I feel somewhat overwhelmed, especially when they are both sick for two months straight. This is our current situation...colds, ear infections, colds... 'Tis the season!
In other news, remember how I started a work out blog forever ago with the hope of completing P90X again? Yeah, that was an epic fail. BUT...I am proud to say that I have found a committed work out buddy (THANKS LISA DROLLINGER!)and we have begun doing the Insanity program. We are only one week in, but it's awesome. Super high energy, super high caloric burn, no equipment needed, only 35 minutes per day (that's the real kicker!). We are working out at 6:30 AM Mon-Fri and Saturdays (not at 6:30!).It's amazing how much better I feel when I am consistently exercising.
You might be surprised to learn that I have taken to cooking/baking lately. I have been somewhat adventurous in planning meals and have been trying lots of new things. Recently I made my first from scratch "pumpkin" pie, though I used butternut squash, and I even made the crust. It was pretty much delicious. I have made lots of different types of freezer jam, including plum, peach and apricot. Also, for the last month, I have been making all our bread without a bread machine or mixer... yes, I have been using the good old fashioned kneading method! I have found this new cooking hobby to be somewhat relaxing and therapeutic.
Berkeley is doing well. He is about to have a major change in his routine! He is quitting his job in January and going back to school full time!! Whoa! That will be a whole new life for us. The military will pay his tuition and give us a little extra for housing. We will also use pell grants, tax return, and Berkeley's bonus to get us through hopefully a few work-free semesters. He is planning on majoring in secondary education and would like to teach English Literature. I think he would make a fantastic teacher. I am really excited for this new adventure and for Berkeley to be able to dive into school without any other obligations. There is a chance Berkeley might be deployed for a few months to Africa. It is not certain yet, but definitely a possibility. A few months is better than a 7 month deployment for sure! We will keep everyone posted on that situation.
Our kids are good, minus the sickness! Asa is hilarious! His favorite thing to do is play cars. If I had a nickel for every time he says, "Do you want to play cars?", I would be super rich. I know it is time to give potty training a try, but I am so not wanting to tackle that challenge yet!! Berkeley is anxious to get it done, but I think I will wait a couple more months.
Hazel is a sweet, beautiful little girl. She is rolling all over the place and she sits up on her own now. We have just begun giving her solids a couple times a day and it is going well so far. She is a smiley girl, but the only time she laughs is when Asa does something she thinks is funny. She is a hard nut to crack when it comes to laughter! She and Asa already have a sweet, special relationship. They just love eachother so much.
Otherwise, life is good. Time is just flying by and we are trying to keep up! Here are some random pictures for your viewing pleasure.

She's Laughing!!

2011-09-07T16:01:00.001-07:00

My little Hazel Jane laughed for the very first time yesterday (9-6-2011) evening! That sound is like music to my ears. It was sad because she did it just after Berkeley had left for work, but I managed to catch the last minute or so on video. The video I took doesn't at all compare to how hard she was laughing in the beginning, but at least I managed to capture some of it! Oh, and you might laugh too when you hear how totally ridiculous I sound...

The Magic Cry Stopper

2011-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Kids!

2011-08-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hazel is 3 months old and sweeter than ever! She is smiling much more these days and has quickly learned she would much rather be held than put down. Even so, she is such a calm, relaxed little girl. She sleeps like a champ only waking up to eat once at night. She can roll over from her tummy to her back when she chooses to!

Asa is two and a half and he is total mess! We call him Jeckyll and Hyde boy because his moods change in a split second! Regardless of the terrible two's, he is still totally adorable, hilarious and we love him like crazy. Last Sunday was not a good church day for us as this boy was being a stinker! Here is a little video of him recapping our church experience that day.

We LOVE This Little Angel!

2011-07-15T07:28:00.001-07:00

I took Hazel in for her 2 month check-up a couple days ago and she is happy and healthy. She weighed in at 9 lbs 10 oz (25%) and is just over 22 in long (45%). She is becoming more animated everyday and is filled with smiles for us. She is beginning to "talk" and her little arms and legs go crazy with excitement when anyone talks to her. We sure love our little Hazel.

Hold Me Accountable!

2011-07-06T19:32:00.001-07:00

I am putting myself through hell for the next 3 months and I am doing it purposefully. If you want to see what I'm talking about and follow along while I challenge myself, then check out my new blog. All the support and encouragement I can get will be greatly appreciated. Creating the new blog for everyone to see is my way of holding myself accountable for reaching my goal. Click the following link.

Check it out!

Rather Than Cry, Take a Picture.

2011-06-13T18:24:00.003-07:00

I was making salmon and roasted veggies for dinner tonight and while the oven was heating up, I kept smelling something funny. It progressively got worse and finally I noticed thick white steam pouring out through the oven vent. I opened the oven door and discovered this:

A few nights ago, we had pizza for dinner. I guess Asa decided his pizza was not quite cooked well enough because he put his slice of pizza, which was nicely situated on a green plastic plate, into the cold oven and closed the door. Yeah, that oven had to be turned on at some point...
I think it's safe to say that Asa's pizza is now cooked well enough. What a mess!

Sweet Hazel Jane!

2011-06-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love this little girl of mine! What a sweet baby she is. In our short five weeks together, here's what I've learned about our little lady:
Hazel loves baths. She would lounge out in her tub all day if I let her. Her favorite way to be held is out in front facing me. It's quite exhausting, but she is so happy and content when held that way. Hazel must be swaddled in order to sleep for longer than 10 minute increments and if allowed, she would sleep perfectly on daddy's chest or in his arms all night long. She is a super grunter. Ever since day one, Hazel has always made her presence known via grunting. She grunts all the time, especially at night when she seems to be sleeping. This explains why her super light sleeper mom is often on the couch while dad sleeps through all the noise! Hazel would starve if I wasn't constantly forcing her awake to continue eating. It's like nursing is an instant sleep trigger for her, so she gets her toes tickled, chin wiggled and blankets removed in efforts to keep her awake for half an hour while nursing. She has so many facial expressions already and I can't wait to see her littler personality emerge.
I took this little video yesterday and it turned out to be a funny one. Asa and Hazel keep me laughing all day (most times from joy and sometimes from being on the brink of insanity), but I don't dare leave those two alone in a room together and you'll see why at the end of this video.

Tiny.

2011-06-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Seeing a new baby in the carseat always puts their little bitty size into perspective!

Little Girl 2 Week Stats and Big Boy Bike!

2011-05-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hazel had her two week appointment last week. It is hard for me to believe two weeks (now three!) have already gone by. Time goes so fast especially with two kids to keep me busy! Hazel is healthy and doing great. She now weighs 6 lbs 11 oz (birthweight 6 lbs 6 oz), supposedly she shrunk because she was measured at 19.5 in long (20 in at the hospital), and her head is 12.5 in around. She is practically the exact same size as Asa was at his two weeks visit. We like to be consistent and I like 'em on the small side! She is darling and we are so lucky to have her in our family. This video is when Hazel was just a couple days old. She had an irritated, goopy eye so that's why one eye looks puffy. Still totally adorable though.

Having Hazel here makes Asa seem so much more grown up to me! My little toddler is so smart and independent. Asa picked up riding a bike so fast! His favorite thing to do at Wal-Mart was try out the bikes, so a couple weeks ago we got him one of his very own. He is very possessive over his bike and loves it so much.

I Love Berkeley. Yup.

2011-05-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Berkeley and I just celebrated our 6 year anniversary! Time sure goes fast when you're married to someone as caring, helpful and fun as Berkeley is. I was looking through videos and found this little gem. We did Wii Just Dance for family night back in December and it was tons of fun. I love that Berkeley enjoys being silly with me. Happy 6 Years and here's to many more!

Uncle "Gugwas" and Uncle "Kire"

2011-05-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

We are renting Berkeley's paren't house right now and we are so lucky to share the house with Berkeley's brothers, Karl and Douglas. To say Asa loves them would be an understatement. He LOVES them! They are so good to play with him and give him lots of attention and love. Karl and Doug don't just play with Asa in passing, they really invest time (like an hour at a time or more) to really play with him. It has been so nice having them around, especially with the new baby here. I can't give him the amount of time and attention he is used to anymore, so having two awesome uncles to spend time with has been great. Yes, Doug might be trying to indoctrinate my child with some Aggie pride, but that's okay!

Thanks Karl and Douglas for being such great uncles! Asa loves you both!

The "Boob Pump"

2011-05-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

For Asa, one good thing did come from getting a new baby in the house. The "boob pump" is Asa's latest fascination. He loves that little machine and makes sure to tell me when I need to use it. "Mommy, you need your boob pump now." Well, last night I was just finishing nursing Hazel when I hear Berkeley say, "Annie, you need to come see this! Bring the camera." I came out to the living room to find this:

If only he could help me in this department! Life would be so much easier!

Welcome Hazel Jane!

2011-05-16T13:18:00.001-07:00

We are so happy to have our sweet little girl here with us and I am so happy to be able to move and breathe properly again! Our delivery story is pretty basic as it was super quick and easy. When I was due to have Asa, I got really sick the last week. I felt like I had the flu. Finally I went in to get checked out and found out that I had super high blood pressure which they assumed was preclampsia. I had to have magnesium pumped into me to prevent seizures during delivery and it was pretty awful stuff. Anyway... the night of May 6th, I had a bad migraine all night that Tylenol wouldn't touch. The next day the migraine lingered around, though not as bad. As the day wore on, I started feeling flu-like and my heart would race off and on. I recognized the symptoms as being the same type of symptoms I had with Asa. I decided that I would just go right in rather than wait 4 days like I did the last time around. On May 7th, we checked in around 4:15 pm. The nurse monitored the baby and took my blood pressure. It actually had spiked, but it was not in the danger zone like it was last time. The nurse called my doctor and asked what he wanted to do. He had her do an exam and turns turned out I was already dilated to a 4+. They decided to keep me there and induce which I was totally fine with! They put me on a super low dose of pitocin and the contractions started right away, were close together, and were not very painful at all. Since I was already dilated, I got the epidural pretty much right away and it was fantastic. This epidural was so much better this time. I could move my legs with no trouble and I could still feel all the pressure and all the tightening from the contractions. I felt like I had total control and it was great. My doctor broke my water at 5:20, waited for me to finish dilating, and after 3 sets of pushes, she was here at 7:49 pm. SO EASY and such a pleasant experience. I was able to get up and walk about 45 minutes after she was born. When they first held Hazel up for me to look at her, I instantly teared up and I'm pretty sure Berkeley did too. She was totally healthy and scored 8-9 on her APGAR test. She never even had to leave our room. My first reaction when I saw her was, "She doesn't look much like Asa!" I just thought she would come out looking just like Asa but the female version. She does have my eyes, but they aren't nearly as drastic as Asa's eyes are. I think she looks much more like Berkeley's family. I think she is beautiful and I am so in love with her. She is a wonderful addition to our family. Asa is very sweet with her although he has been pretty grumpy with Berkeley and me. Everything is temper tantrum worthy but Berkeley and I are just doing our best to be understanding and patient as he makes this big adjustment. As far as Hazel goes, she is such a sweet little baby. I may be speaking too soon, but she very rarely cries and when she is awake, she is very alert and just looks around. When I talk to her, she goes totally still and just stares at me with the sweetest little expression. She is a great nurser and nights have not been too bad. I'm tired, but not exhausted. I am just so glad to not be a first time mom this time! It feels good to know what I'm doing (for the most part) and not be so neurotic about everything. I am much more relaxed and simply enjoying life right now. All is well and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful little spirits entrusted to me. I also feel extremely blessed to have Berkeley as my husband. He is such an involved father and helps me so much with the kids and with the cleaning and with the cooking...etc...etc... What a great man! I love my little family so very much.

No Baby Yet...

2011-05-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

Today I am 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant! My due date is Friday. I went to the doctor this morning and she told me that I am still dilated to a 2 (as I have been for the past 4 weeks!!), but I am now 90-95% effaced and the baby's head is low and engaged. She assured me that I am labor ready and it could happen at any moment. She offered to strip my membranes, but my doctor is out of town for two more days, so I decided to just wait it out. If I haven't gone into labor on my own by Monday, then my doctor will strip my membranes and hopefully this little girl will arrive by Tuesday. I am so excited to meet her, but I am pretty nervous about going into labor and having to make the trip (short 12 minute trip) to the hospital. I was induced last time, so I don't really know what to expect. As long as this little one gets here happy and healthy, then I will be happy. Oh, you should go to the left side of our blog and vote on a name. We are still a little up in the air over it (although we think we know which one we'll choose). Vote anyway and let us know your opinion!

Nope, I Didn't Fail or Drop Out!

2011-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I can finally say that I am a college graduate! In other words, I'M DONE! I graduated from Weber State University on April 22 with a Bachelors of Science from the College of Education. I am now certified to teach elementary grades 1-6. I never could have done it without the help and support from Berkeley, my mom and Berk's mom. They hours they spent taking care of Asa while I went to class, student taught and did homework are inumerable! If they were getting paid for it, they might have collected a good little nest egg! For now, I don't plan on working for a while. I just want to be home with my kids and be a mom without always having to divide my time with schoolwork. I still wake up thinking, "What do I need to get done for school today?" The answer is NOTHING!

Just Some Thoughts...

2011-04-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

You might make fun of my confession that I have watched the show "One Tree Hill" since the very first episode and now I think it's season 8. That means I have been watching since high school. It's a pretty cheesy show a lot of the time, but a devoted fan can't just quit watching. (Unless the show is LOST and that one I didn't mind phasing out...) Anyway, one thing I love about the show is that it always has great quotes from significant people or authors. Well, on the latest episode, one of the characters was having a baby. The quote I heard is this...

"Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of us."
-Rabindranath Tagore

Maybe it's because I am due to have a baby at any time, but this quote instantly made me choke up. I wrote it down right away and pondered over it for quite some time. (Asa is asleep which makes pondering possible on occasion.) It is such a short, simple quote, but I can't think of any other phrase which has made me feel so hopeful and loved by God. I sat thinking about my short experience with motherhood so far and I admit that it has been the hardest, yet most joyful experience of my entire life. When I think of Asa growing older, I want to cry because I know how much I will miss his sweet little voice and broken speech and funny phrases and toddler antics. I know that joy will come with every phase of his life but I realized that I don't cherish every moment like I should. Now, with a sweet little girl coming into our family soon, I feel overwhelmed with the love that God has for me. The trust he must instill in us to bring forth his children and nurture them in the midst of this harsh world is unfathomable. It makes me realize that having children really is proof that God truly believes in us and our capabilities to care for his most precious spirits. I bet if he could keep them safely tucked away with him then he would, but he knows that we need to be provided with the opportunity to know Him through the innocence, love and joy that comes with every child of God. I am so grateful for the chance my Father in Heaven is giving me to experience this new role as a mother. My heart feels as though it might burst when I think of soon having two sweet spirits as my children. There is no love comparable except for the love that our Father in Heaven has for each of us.

A Real Quick "What's up?"

2011-03-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I don't blog anymore. Not by choice. I have been too insanely busy to do anything other than shower, student teach, do homework, and spend very little precious time with Asa and Berkeley. Here's what's up:

3 more days of student teaching! "Hallelujah!!" does not appropriately convey my excitement about this matter. 7 weeks in the 3rd grade and 7 weeks in the 5th grade has shown me that TEACHING IS HARD is no matter what age the kids are. I might hit the next person who says anything about teachers being overpaid.

3 weeks until graduation! I am so glad I can almost finally say "I did it!" and "I'm DONE."

5 weeks until this baby girl graces us with her presence. I am feeling large and very uncomfortable (thought still sleeping like a brick, thank goodness) with lots of lower back pain. Oh, and that annoying ever-present exhaustion has once again set in. I am very excited to meet our daughter and get to know her, although I am nervous about transitioning to two kids.

Berkeley has won Asa's little heart over since he has been playing a lot of Mr. Mom the last three months. When Berkeley is around, I tend to be chopped liver, but that's okay. I love how close those two are. I'm sure once I am able to be around again, I will be promoted from the chopped liver status once more.

Asa is happy and healthy. He is like Jekyll and Hyde boy right now with his temperament. I guess it must be the age, but one minute he is as happy as ever and the next minute he is throwing himself to the floor in a major temper tantrum. His favorite word right now is "MYSELF!" He wants to do everything on his own and gets so mad when we try to help him. He loves Diego, Cars (the tractor tipping scene),and Bob the Builder. He loves the books Peter Pan and Mickey Mouse. He talks extremely well and I love being able to communicate with him. His favorite toys right now are his little tricycle and a spring horse that my mom has at her house.

Those are the major happenings in life right now. I will post more once I have more than 5 minutes of breathing time.

Imagination

2010-12-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

I remember seeing a sign in the pediatrician's office about milestones babies reach and at what age they happen. I saw that "imaginative play" was listed between the ages of 18 months to 2 years. At the time I thought that was crazy because babies that age were too young to understand how to use their imagination. I was so wrong! Asa pretends all the time now. He turns his food into airplanes, he shares with his stuffed puppy, the list goes on and on. I managed to capture a couple of pictures of Asa in the tub the other morning while he was doing some of his "imaginative play". Here he is with his little people man and a squirty tub toy bird. He set them up to face eachother and pretended they were talking, playing, jumping, etc!

It was so cute to watch and I am amazed at how fast he is growing up.

Fitting for the Season.

2010-12-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most, if not all of you, have heard this story about the painting of Christ which was salvaged from the remains of the Provo Tabernacle. The loss of the historic Provo Tabernacle was such a sad thing. It was a place built and dedicated for the purpose of worshiping Christ. I went to many meetings in that building and sang in choirs there too and I always loved the feeling that historic building held. This article tells the story perfectly:

http://www.heraldextra.com/tabernacle/article_db328b06-0b0f-11e0-a131-001cc4c03286.html

At this time of year, it is always nice to hear stories like this one that make us think about the reality of Christ, his purpose, his mission and his love for us.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Asa-Isms.

2010-11-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

This age is awesome! Asa keeps me laughing all day long. he is really starting to talk up a storm now and there are so many things he's said that I have been meaning to write down. My favorite phrase right now is "big meow". Big Meow is what he calls the King Fu Panda movie. The kid is totally obsessed with this show and Big Meow is the name he came up with because of Tai Lung (the bad tiger). We watch "Big Meow" twice a day if not more.
Asa has learned what the word watch means. He is constantly telling us to WATCH before he does something. Usually it precedes a bout of jumping up and down or holding up his body with his arms between the couch and the footrest.
Anytime Asa sees a toilet, whether it's ours, his, one of TV or one at the store, he will say quite loudly "I poo-poo". He has used his own little potty a few times and definitely knows what toilets are for.
Asa's favorite foods are chicken nuggets, blueberries, macaroni and cheese, waffles. He calls chicken nuggets "bawk-bawk", blueberries are "bee-bees" and macaroni and cheese is "moni cheese". Waffles are "faffles".
He has become very physically able. He runs everywhere, sits and jumps on everything, climbs on anything he can. He has also become a big fan of drawing, playing with play dough, painting (when I'm brave) and building with blocks.
Asa knows and loves the song "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and thanks to that song, spiders are now called simply "bitsy". He sees a bug that even looks like a spider and he runs around screaming "bitsy" until someone comes to see it and/or dispose of it.
Asa now understands that when Berkeley or I say "no" to him, he is being reprimanded. Now when one of us says no, he will get this really sad face and say "daddy, no, no" or "mommy, no, no". We then have to say "yes, we said no but we still love you."
Asa now sings. He sings random mumbles all the time, but now he actually sings a real song! He sings "la la la Elmo's world la la la elmo's world" all the time. Yup, he loves his Elmo's World DVD. He loves Sesame Street too. He watches old clips on youtube where the sesame street puppets talk to the little boy, John-John. He walks around talking about "john-john" all day.
Here is a little video of Asa showing off some of his Asa-isms. I pretty much think he is the sweetest little guy in the world, but I'm biased...very.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T14:47:00.001-08:00

As always, Thanksgiving was tons of fun. It was super nice this year because we had our Thanksgiving dinner at the church, so there was tons of room to run around and the kids could go crazy. We pulled out toys from the nursery, set up a paint station to decorate Christmas ornaments, had a projector screen with couches for movies and the wii set up too. Dinner was great and spending time with family was even better. Here's a look at our Thanksgiving through a ton of pictures!

First Snow!

2010-11-25T06:49:00.000-08:00

Asa has been an "outside boy" his whole life! Seriously, we don't go 30 minutes inside before he is begging to go back outside. We spent most of every summer day outside. Needless to say, this transition to winter has been rough. Berkeley and I decided it would be a very good idea (for our sanity and Asa's) to invest in some good snow clothes for the little man. We had our first snowfall and Asa absolutely loved being able to go tromp around in it. We even played at the park. The only problem is that snow clothes take forever to put on, especially when your child is completely impatient and would out into the freezing cold naked if I let him. Oh well, it's worth it if I'm able to let the caged animal out from time to time.

Today We Found Out...

2010-11-22T17:35:00.000-08:00

We are THRILLED!

He Learned How to do Push-Ups From Me.

2010-11-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here's the proof.

Another First!

2010-11-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

Yep, he was taking a bath and started climbing out. When I asked why he was getting out, he told me he told me he needed to poop. He sat on his little potty and did his business. We haven't been potty training him, but we ask him every so often if he wants to pee in his potty and he does sometimes, but this was the first time he initiated it. Hmmm...maybe potty training will come sooner than I thought.

FREE!

2010-11-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

I don't think there is a word that makes me feel as happy inside as the word "free". Especially when the items you get for free are awesome. Well, we went by Berkeley's parent's house the other day and noticed that the neighbor had this Little Tikes castle just sitting on the curb by his garbage cans. We went over and checked it out. It was in perfect condition! We couldn't believe he was just going to throw it away, so we went and knocked on his door. Sure enough, he was just throwing it out and said we could have it if wanted it. Um, YES! That thing is like a 2 year old's dream come true! We were taking the castle apart when that same neighbor came over and said, "So, do you want a truck?" He went to his garage and rolls out this PowerWheels electric truck! Those things are like $200! Heck yes we want the truck! Thank goodness Berkeley and I happened to stop by his parent's house that day (and before the garbage man came) because we got two hot ticket kid's items for FREE. Yep, I love that word.

"Mow-Mow!"

2010-11-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Asa is totally obsessed with lawn mowers. He's been obsessed with them for a very long time now. If I had a nickel for every time we said "mow-mow" in a day, I might be rich. I keep waiting for this lawn mower phase to pass, but so far there is no end in sight for his total love of grass cutting machines. My mom bought this little bubble blower lawn mower for him at the beginning of the summer and it has been the best investment ever made. He would just push that mower around our yard all day if I let him. Asa also loves to watch videos on YouTube of people mowing the lawn. We can hardly get the computer out without him mauling us and demanding we find videos of "mow-mows". It is like Christmas when Berkeley mows the lawn. We get discounted rent for doing lawn work, and the lawn here is enormous! Mowing this lawn takes quite a bit of time, but Asa will mow with his little mower right along side Berkeley without a break until the job is done. I took some videos and pictures of the boys in action today.

Welcome Home Elder Ward!!

2010-11-03T15:25:00.001-07:00

Berkeley's brother Douglas got home from his mission last week! We are all so excited to have him back. He served in the Albuquerque, New Mexico mission and did a wonderful job teaching the gospel to the people there. Here are some pictures from the welcome home party at the airport.

If I Had Time...

2010-11-02T11:05:00.001-07:00

I am always in a battle with time. I am the mother of a super active 20 month old, wife to an awesome husband who I want to spend all my extra time with, and full time student preparing to student teach in January, oh, and I'm pregnant. I'm busy! Sometimes, like today, I sit and make lists of things I want to do when I finally have expendable time. For example, I really enjoy cooking but I usually just make the same 7 recipes because they are fast and I have them memorized. Someday, when I have time, I want to flip to a random page in my cookbook, go buy all the ingredients and make something new! Here's one I want to try...

If you have more time than I do and want to try this recipe, go here...
http://recipesbyme4you.blogspot.com/2009/02/gourmet-recipes-chicken-stew-with.html

Another thing I want to do is learn how to play some sort of instrument. My secret confession is that I want to learn to play the Ukulele so I can sing and play songs by Ingrid Michaelson and Jack Johnson all day long.

I want to write children's books. I have lots of ideas, who knows how good they are, but given time, I want to sit down and create storyboards for my ideas. Form those ideas into text, find an illustrator and get published! Dreaming big? Maybe, but maybe not.

Someday time and I will get along, but for now I am just trying to enjoy the "stuff" I currently have loaded on my plate. Thank goodness I have Berkeley and Asa to keep me happy and sane.

Oh, take a second and vote on what you think the gender of our baby is. We find out in less than three weeks!

I Need to Get My STUFF Done!

2010-10-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

He might as well be drawing ME in this clip...

Seriously, it has been one of those weeks that I have had tons of "stuff" to do.Did I do it? NO! I procrastinated and spent my time doing who knows what, nothing productive...and then today I lived a day from Hell as I scrambled to get a week's worth of school crap done in 3 hours. I know I did a shoddy job and I've been so grumpy the rest of the day. I think I've learned my lesson. Maybe. Maybe I'll learn it tomorrow?

They Should Hire Me.

2010-10-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

The sizing department for Halloween costumes needs to be taught the actual sizes of kids. Last year, we bought Asa a teddy bear Halloween costume. Last Halloween Asa was 8 months old. We bought him a 0-6 month costume and it totally swallowed him whole. I had to fold and safety pin the legs so he could even crawl ad roll the sleeves. He still looked adorable...

Well, this year I have been trying to decide what kind of costume to get him and what size, I pulled out that teddy bear costume and tried it on him. IT FIT! The sleeves were a little short, but every where else the costume fit him perfectly. My son is almost 20 months old and if I wanted him to, he could be a teddy bear again for Halloween in a 0-6 month costume! What's up with that? Here is a picture of his recent fitting...

Yep, still as cute as ever.
Although we could re-use this costume, we aren't going to. I found one that I love and I can't wait to put him in it and take pictures. I'll post them when I get then. Here's hoping the costume fits.

Two?! Here's Hoping We Can Handle It.

2010-09-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

We are very excited to announce the upcoming arrival of Ward baby # 2 due May 7th. The picture of Asa in the T-shirt was how we told Berkeley, but he didn't get it. Weird, I didn't think anything could be more obvious, but for some reason he thought about the book 1984 and not about the big news the T-shirt was trying to announce. Lame. After a minute or two of looking at his confused face, I ended up just saying, "um, we're pregnant." Now I just have to be patient for 8 weeks until I find out the gender!

Camping from Hell

2010-09-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

Berkeley and I only got to go camping twice this summer. Normally, I really love camping. I always have, but some things have changed. To start, I was always just a passenger along for the trip, so I only had to worry about my own stuff. Now that I have acquired the title MOM and WIFE, I have also acquired the responsibility of packing everything! Who knew camping required so much crap!? Food, bedding, tents, cooking and eating equipment, Asa's necessities (which aren't few), etc... It's like it takes a whole day to prepare for one night out of camping. I coped with the packing both times and managed to retain my excitement for the trip until... TRIP 1: got to the campsite, set up tent and unloaded stuff from car only to find that we had forgotten our sleeping pads and pillows. I don't sleep great ON the freaking pad, so a night on the freezing ground with nothing but my sleeping bad and a bunch of clothes under me was sheer awfulness. Asa woke up unwilling to be calmed and we ended up spending half of the night in the car. Asa and Berkeley crashed out, as Asa had a carseat and Berkeley can sleep anywhere. Not me. I was awake and totally ticked off all night. That takes us to camping trip #2. This time it was our ward's campout and the letter they sent home with us said that we would be in cabins with bunks and reminded us to bring bedding. We packed up Asa's pack-n-play, sleeping bags, pillow and a couple extra blankets. I was more than willing and even excited to go camping knowing that we would be on beds with mattresses. The drive to Heber Valley was gorgeous and we were all in good spirits. We pulled up to our cabins, unloaded our stuff, opened the door to the cabins to find the promised bunks but WITH NO MATTRESSES AT ALL! Nothing but slabs of wood! I immediately wanted to cry. We brought no sleeping pads again and the drive there was like an hour and 15 minutes. Berkeley assured me that we should be better than last time because we were in a warm cabin and we had brought extra blankets for padding under our sleeping bags and we had pillows. My entire prayer before going to bed was that I would able to sleep decently and not be a total grouch. I guess it's true that the Lord doesn't answer some of the trivial prayers because the night was a holy terror! We were in one of those group cabins so lots of families were in this one big room with us. We took Asa on a drive and he fell asleep and transferred to his pack-n-play great and then we got in bed. Needless to say, I slept horribly after the first 5 minutes on. Asa woke up freaking out at around 1:45 and would not be consoled. Worried about waking or keeping everyone else up, we again made our way to the car. After driving for a bit and parking and trying to sleep for another 40 minutes, we finally decided to go home. We packed all our crap back in the car and made the drive home at 2:45 in the morning. We didn't get home until close to 4, but my own bed has never felt better in my whole life. We all crashed out and didn't wake up until Asa did at 8:30. Needless to say, I have NO desire to go camping again anytime soon.

Great News!

2010-08-28T11:33:00.001-07:00

The Lord really has a way of making us trust in his timing. I have been so frustrated with school over the past year. Transferring to Weber meant going from 2 semesters left to 4 semesters left simply because I had to do filler classes that Weber required. Well, I only have two classes left in the program before student teaching but they were offered at the exact same time on the same days. LAME! This meant that I would have to take ONE class this semester, ONE class next semester, wait the summer, and then student teach in the fall. I prayed that I would have patience and that things would work out the way they should. I have been in school one week already, but on Friday I got an e-mail from the teacher I am supposed to have for my class next semester. She told me she had a couple students dropped and that the morning session was open for me if I wanted to add her class. I can't tell you how excited I was to get her e-mail. Now I can complete my classes this semester, student teach next semester and graduate in May!! It is hard to believe that in 9 months I will be done with school...unless I do the master's program, but right now I am not even thinking about that!

Document!

2010-08-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Words Asa can now say, or some what say...

-momma/mommy
-dadda/daddy
-truck
-lawnmower (mow-mow)
-grandpa (pa-pa)
-grandma (ma-maw)
-bike
-scooter
-swimming (ING!)
-Karl (kar-kar)
-David (day-day)
-belly button (bee-bee)
-bug
-pee pee
-poo poo
-outside
-Jesus (he-suh)
-cookie
-binky (me-me)
-bottle (bah-ble)
-maunya

I'm sure I have forgotten some and he is beginning to mimick quite a few more words. It is so fun to hear his little voice and know he is learning to talk. He is still signing and knows many words by their signs. It is interesting to see him link words and signs together. For example, the other day, Berkeley and Asa saw a bike outside of the store. Asa touched it and realized that the sun had made it very hot. The entire ride home, Asa would say bike followed by the sign for hot. What a smart little guy we have.

The Boy Loves His Daddy...Especially Since His Daddy is Clark Kent.

2010-08-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Asa is a daddy's boy! There is no denying the fact that Berkeley is the favored parent when we are both together. I am more than okay with that and I love to see the two of them together.

Sometimes Asa will find Berkeley's clothes, say "Dadda" over and over again and insist on wearing them around his neck. Once he has decided he needs to wear Berkeley's clothes, he refuses to give them up. Here he is eating lunch with Berkeley's shirt wrapped around his neck.

The last few days, Berkeley has become obsessed with the old Superman TV show. He has been watching episode after episode on Netflix. My little brother gave him a pair of glasses that look like Clark Kent's. I am not kidding when I say that he wears those glasses every time he watches Superman now. In fact, he is watching it right now and wearing the glasses. Sometimes I think I has two sons. Here are some pictures of my "two little boys" watching Superman.

Still Alive!

2010-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

We are still here. I have just been burned out on blogging lately. I have decided to keep an actual journal again (you know, the kind where you have to use a pen and paper), so that is where I have been writing lately. It's nice. I have missed private journal writing. I thought I would get on here and write a quick update for the few of you who read this blog. We are doing well. I have been very much enjoying my two weeks of summer and I'm happy to report I got all A's during the summer semester of school. Now I only have two classes and student teaching left before I graduate. Hallelujah! Now that Berkeley has finished all of his military training, he will joining the ranks of college students everywhere this fall. He will be going to UVU full time and working part time. It will be great because the military will pay for his school and pay us extra per month which is what will make him able to only work part time but still make the same income per month. He is looking into teaching as well, but has not decided what area he wants to major in. He still has a couple semesters before he needs to apply, so hopefully by then he will feel good with one choice. Aside from school, we are just enjoying life and taking care of Asa. He is now 18 months and doing well. He is beginning to say quite a few words. His favorite words right now are scooter and bike. We have been having a really difficult time with his sleep schedule lately. All of a sudden, he totally freaks out when it is bed time so we've had to take him on drives to get him to sleep, and then he wakes up crying a couple times each night. We are hoping it is just a growth spurt or teething that has made things so rough lately. Other wise, he is a happy, healthy, funny boy who we love very much! Overall, we are doing fine and enjoying summer.

Playdates, Ball Pit and Cracking Up!

2010-07-22T20:33:00.001-07:00

Asa is now 17 months old and has so much personality and SO much energy! I sure love him and I sure love bedtime too!
He has had so much fun the last week playing with cousins. Summer came over to play and then Cade came over the next day and spent the night with us. It was so much fun! He also loves to play in his crib and his favorite thing is to throw his stuffed animals at me.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

We've been having an awesome summer so far. Asa is a total outdoors man just like his dad. I love the outdoors too, so we are in good shape this summer. On Saturday, we went to Big Cottonwood Canyon to do some rock climbing, but it was totally packed, so we decided to do a hike instead. Berkeley's brother Cameron, his wife Jackie, and their kids came with us and we all hiked to Donut Falls. It was gorgeous, the perfect temperature, and a leisurely hike (which I always enjoy more than the rigorous ones). It was so leisurely that Asa was able to get out of his pack and walk (or meander) quite a bit of it with us. He had a great time! On the way back, we stopped in a little grove of trees and ate snacks, took pictures and made friends with a little squirrel who was more than willing to let us share our food with him. The minute Asa sat in car seat after the hike, he was out like a light and slept for 3 hours! Here are a couple videos and some pictures:

Asa has learned to do a lot of animal noises, but his favorite one is the sound of a dinosaur. It is practically the only one I can get him to do on camera for me. Here is a little video of Asa growling like a dinosaur. The face he makes along with the sound is classic.

We bought Asa a potty chair yesterday. We are in no way trying to potty train him right now, but the potty chairs were half price and we thought it might be good for him to see it, get familiar with it, and hear us talk about it over the next year. SO far this is what he does with his new potty:

Last, Asa and I did a photo shoot a couple nights ago. Here are the results:

Mission Call!!

2010-06-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

My little brother, David, got his mission call on Wednesday! Everyone gathered at my parents house to hear the big news of where he will be serving.

Here is a video of some of the friends and family that came to support David. Many more came after I took this video. Thanks everyone for being there and showing how much you care!

Everyone made a guess about where David would go. We all wrote our guess on a slip of paper and read them right before he opened his call. Here are just a few of the guesses.

FINALLY! The opening....

Congrats David! I love you so much! I really, really, really hate to think about missing you for two years, but I am so happy and excited for you! You will make a fantastic missionary. You are the best brother a girl could ask for. Go get 'em!

I Love This Guy!

2010-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

15 months, growing fast, cuter than ever!

Makes Me Smile!

2010-06-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I have seen the last few days that have made me smile!

1. OLD man at the gym on the treadmill next to me. He had his headphones hooked up to the TV and was TOTALLY absorbed into a re-run episode of "Saved By the Bell". There were a few times that he would laugh out loud and when I would glance over, the laughing always occurred during scenes with Screech!

2. Berkeley. Everything Berkeley does makes me smile, but I couldn't help but laugh when I walked into the living room and found Berkeley sitting on Asa's little spiderman couch with Asa. Each of them had an X-Box controller and Berkeley was apparently teaching Asa how to play video games. I took a picture..

3. One of my professors has some serious Weber State University pride because every Monday he comes to school looking exactly like Barney the Dinosaur. She wears purple crocs over purple socks, purple slicky pants, a purple turtle neck and a purple zip up vest. To top it off, she usually uses a purple dry erase marker during her lecture!

4. Asa has said his first word (besides mamma and dada) and that word is BUBBLE. I love it! He won't say it out loud. He whispers it over and over when he brings me his bubble wand to blow bubbles for him. He continues to whisper it as he runs back and forth popping the bubbles. SO cute!

Welcome Home!

2010-05-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

Berkeley did great at tech school. It was a really hard time, but he made it and graduated with high honors! He flew home from Lackland Air Force Base on Wednesday the 26th and it has been so awesome having him back! When he got in the car at the airport, Asa had an expression of stone. It was a look like "I know who you are, but what are you doing HERE?" He kept that expressionless face the entire way home while not taking his eyes off of Berkeley. Finally, towards the end of our drive, Berkeley got him smiling and eventually laughing. Once home, Asa was his normal, noisy, happy self and was more than happy to be playing with daddy. We are a happy little family again and so happy to be returning to normal life. I tend to take normal life for granted, so these times apart have been real eye openers for me. I am going to be more careful about being happy with our day to day routine and not taking Berkeley for granted. He does so much for Asa and I and we love him!

5 Years!

2010-05-21T12:09:00.001-07:00

Today is Berkeley and my anniversary! 5 years ago today we tied the knot in the Salt Lake City Temple and vowed commitment to each other for time and all eternity. I'll never forget that first year (and neither will Berkeley) when our marriage was rocky, to say the least, and there were times that we thought we would never make it out. How happy I am that we fought through that hard time because now I couldn't be a happier wife and I'm pretty sure I keep Berkeley a happy husband...most days :) . I can't help brooding a little bit over the fact that Berkeley has had to miss our last two anniversaries due to Air Force training, but I know how much he would love to be here. Plus, he gets home in 5 days and that's not too late to celebrate, right?! Thanks everyone for all your love and support over the years.

I Love This!

2010-05-19T16:58:00.001-07:00

We should all take a lesson from this little girl! If only all of us would look in the mirror each morning and tell ourselves how great life is and how we "can do anything good". Watch and enjoy!

Flashback....

2010-05-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

I was scrolling through old Facebook pictures and I came across this little gem...

Can you guess who I am? I didn't think so. This was me trying to be Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls. My friend Lexi and I decided we wanted to make a music video and we wanted to impersonate the Spice Girls. Lexi has a knack for doing very believable impersonations. I, on the other hand, just stay myself... but in a costume. Lexi was using this perfect British accent while my attempt sounded like a hillbilly with a speech impediment. Even though moments like these can come back to seriously haunt you, I can't help thinking back to that day and laughing at the hilarity of it all. We had so much fun and it's times like those that are not easily forgotten. Oh, and just so you all know, I WILL NEVER POST OUR SPICE GIRLS MUSIC VIDEO...got that Lexi? Never post it!

Some Cute Videos

2010-05-09T20:08:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when I put in KUNG FU PANDA.

When Lexi came to visit, we took the boys to the Children's Museum.

Asa is getting smarter every day. He is signing quite a bit and is starting to learn animal sounds and body parts. Also, he kept wanting more of this popsicle but I don't think he really even liked it that much.

The Home Buying Bug

2010-05-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gotten bit by the home buying bug? I have. 3 or 4 times a year since I got married. I open up KSL home listings and browse "just for fun" and then I can't stop! I instantly start rationalizing ways that "we can afford that"...if we never buy groceries or never have any emergency...etc. Then, I find myself wanting to do walk-thru's "just for fun". Then I take serious looks at our budget to find out what, in fact, we could afford, and then I look at listings some more. It is crazy how much I want to be done with renting and have our own place. I know now is not a logical time to invest and that if we "just wait another year or two" than we can get a place we "really like" rather than settle for a place that we "like enough". Finally, after about 2 weeks of living through the delirium of the house hunting bug, I am able to close the computer and put it back out of my mind. I let it go and finally feel content with where we are. After all, I really should love only paying $625/month for rent rather than a mortgage, right?! Currently I am fighting the house buying bug and trying to get back to my "content with where I am" state of mind. Why is it so hard to just be happy with each phase of life? I know we'll get a house soon enough with all the stresses that accompany it, but for now I just need to close the computer.

Tech School...I'm So Over You.

2010-04-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am ready to have my best friend back home. One thing about these times apart is that I now know the saying, "distance makes the heart grow fonder" is so true. It's not that I wasn't already completely fond of him, but this time apart just makes me appreciate him so much more. I realize that all the little things matter so much! We are in the final stretch. Only about 3 1/2 weeks left and he can come home. I love Skype. Thank goodness for technology. Being able to see Berkeley and talk to him has been so nice. I took a few snapshots while chatting the last few times and thought I would share them. He is just so cute. I love this guy.

For the Best Husband in the World On His Birthday!

2010-04-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Berkeley, you are 30 and teenagers everywhere think you are OLD. It's a good thing I'm not a teenager! I love you so much. You are the best husband a girl could ever ask for, not to mention you are HOT HOT HOT! I love everything about you. I wish we could spend your birthday together, but since we can't, I thought I would give you your birthday surprise via the blog. When you get home the weather will be nice and warm and summer will be upon us! There is one thing that I hate about the summer and that is cooking INDOORS. I decided for your birthday present, you can do a lot of cooking OUTDOORS on this...

Yes, this is your new grill! I can't wait to have you grill up some burgers, hot dogs, and fish on this sweet little number. In order to grill all those delicious foods, you'll need some tools, so I got you these...

Once the cooking and eating is all said and done, your new grill will need to be properly stored so I made sure to add this to your gift list...

Happy Birthday! I hope you love the gifts and look forward to using them when you get home. You make me so very happy. You are a wonderful husband a great dad! We can't wait to get you back home with us. We love you. Have a great 30th birthday sweetie.

For Berkeley

2010-04-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

Crap.

2010-04-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find it insanely difficult to ask for help? What is that all about?! Today has been a day from hell and as I type I'm listening to Asa scream it out in his crib all the while feeling sick with cramps and wanting nothing more than to just disappear to somewhere dark and quiet where no one even knows I exist. Privacy. I have forgotten the meaning of that word. I always have little eyes watching no matter what I am doing...using the bathroom...showering...it doesn't matter what. No amount of love can change the fact that being a mom is hard and sometimes really sucky work. I feel like I can complain double time considering I have been a single parent for 5 months out of the last year with one left to go. Right now I'm mad at Utah too. What the heck is up with this weather?! Now that my child has explored the great outdoors, keeping him inside is like trying to cage a wild animal. It has been rainy the last two days and we are both sick of each other. I am sick of his constant fussing and I'm sure he is sick of me for many reasons. Back to my asking for help bit...I have been this way my whole life. Independent and totally unwilling to ask anyone for help. It's like if I ask for help, I am confessing that I can't handle my own responsibilities. I also worry myself sick about burdening others. My mom is always babysitting everyone's kids (granted they are her grandchildren) but she needs her own life too. My mother in law is always willing, but she keeps herself busy with work so I hate to add to her schedule. Everyone else is just a plain out "no way". These are the types of thoughts that always come into my head when I am about to break and call someone for relief. Stupid huh?! All I can think about is that I have five weeks until we've made it through this ridiculous military training...and when I say ridiculous, I mean it. Berkeley would agree. Parenting is meant to be a two person job and I'm pretty sure spouses are supposed to be together. Here's hoping I will be able to survive a deployment if it happens. Blah.

Peek-A-Boo!

2010-04-14T19:05:00.001-07:00

DESTRUCTOR!

2010-04-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

I'm sure every mother has the routine of taking care of their kids all day, cleaning until bedtime and then starting over. Well, my routine is no different but holy cow! It is amazing what a one year old can do to a perfectly clean home over the course of one day.

This last video I just think is cute. We bought Asa his own little couch. Can you tell he loves it?

Bonney Lake, WA

2010-04-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Over spring break, I had the opportunity to go to Washington and visit my best friend Lexi, her husband Jeff, and their son Parker. It was a perfect mini vacation for me and a great distraction from school, Berkeley being gone, and the monotony of life. Lexi and Jeff, you have no idea how grateful I am to you guys for having me out to visit. Asa and Parker had a great time playing together (or around eachother). I finally got the pictures and videos uploaded so enjoy!

This one is just funny. Maybe I forgot to make his morning bottle alcohol free this time.

Here is a flashback section of the post:
This first video was taken back in May of last year, so Asa was about 3 months and Parker was almost 6 months.

This video was taken during my visit last month. Asa is 12 months and Parker is 15 months. My favorite part is Lexi trying to keep Parker there with her foot.

Last but not least...Lexi, Please don't kill me! Oh, and if you don't kill me, then don't hate me. I couldn't resist!

A Great Trip!

2010-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend visiting Berkeley in San Antonio, TX. It was so nice to be with him even for just a couple days. Asa had no problem ignoring me to spend all his time with his daddy, and I was just fine with that! We had a lot of fun going swimming and hanging out at our hotel. We went downtown and walked along the Riverwalk which was gorgeous and really unique. We also spent half a day at the San Antonio River where they have camping sites and open areas to play or bbq along the river. The wildflowers were gorgeous. We took a nice walk one morning in a neighborhood by our hotel. I swear everyone has 2-3 dogs in Texas (and bullhorns on their lawn), so Asa loved seeing all the dogs in the yards as we walked. The trip was so much fun. Now, we only have 7 more weeks until Berkeley gets to come home to us! Here are a few pics and videos from our visit.

Easter is Around the Corner!

2010-03-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

My body is beginning to see the results of my Cadburry Mini Egg consumption so I know that Easter is close at hand!

Time to Document.

2010-03-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is a post all about Asa and what he has been learning and doing, so feel free to skip it as it is mainly for my own journaling purposes. Wow, right now is a HARD and FUN time with Asa. He is an energizer battery and he is EVERYWHERE! He has mastered walking and is moving on to running. Often his little feet get ahead of him and he always has bruises on his forehead from taking tumbles. He is a happy baby, but he doesn't stay content with one thing for very long at all. This tends to make very long tiring days for me as I try to keep him entertained. He "talks" all the time, but only has a few real words which are mama, dada, and hello...kind of. He has started doing some signs which is really cool. He signs "eat, more, drink, all done" and he I am trying to teach him a few more. He waves hello and goodbye. He loves to knock on doors. He will go into a room and close the door. Then he will knock and expect me to open the door and say hello...then we repeat the process. He also likes to play peek-a-boo. Since Berkeley has been gone, Asa has played peek-a-boo with him over the webcam a few times. That has been really cute to see him interact with Berkeley in that way since he is gone to tech school. Since Berkeley has been gone, Asa has learned that the phone and the computer mean that we talk to daddy, so anytime he sees either one, he instantly starts saying "dada". He loves bubbles and he will bring me the bubble bottle and blow air through his lips. He is really good at blowing and he blows on ALL his food even if it is already cold. He has a great arm and throws really well. He loves to play with balls. When he is in the bath tub, he loves to lay on his tummy with his head propped up on his arms. He is a great dancer. Even in the car, when music is turned on, he will start bobbing his head up and down. Last week, he started growling. That is hilarious because his whole body gets involved when he decides to growl. He has become obsessed with shoes. He brings me my shoes all the time and he will sit on the floor and try to put his own shoes on. At the same time, he has learned that putting on shoes means that we are going outside so he throws a fit if the door isn't immediately opened after his shoes are on. That's another thing...he has mastered the art of the temper tantrum and it DRIVES ME CRAZY! If something is not just how he wants it then he lets the whole world know about it. I sure love him and I am realizing that being a mom doesn't get easier, but the work just changes. I know it is all worth it.

Get Your FERG On!

2010-03-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

I used to be fun. I used to let loose no matter the embarrassment. This post is proof. I hope my awesome friends Lexi, Annalee and Natalie will forgive me for posting this amazing video we made together. We were roomies at Raintree in Provo and then all went off and got married but still had some groove left in us to put this little gem together. We made this about 3 years ago before any of us were moms...except Natalie had Olivia in the oven! Enjoy! Oh, and don't make too much fun of us.

Good Friends, Good Fun, and Green!

2010-03-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have been in Washington since Saturday visiting my best friend (and old roomate) Lexi and her husband Jeff (who happens to be Berkeley's cousin). It's been awesome. I love Bonney Lake, WA. Everything is so green and there are so many trees. Lexi and Jeff have a lake practically in their backyard that is attached to the cutest little park. The flight here was fantastic. I timed it to be during Asa's usual naptime and sure enough, he fell asleep during take-off and woke up about 5 minutes before landing. It has been great to have adult interaction all day and for Asa to have a playmate. He is so much happier when there are other people around to entertain him. So far, we have just chilled out at Lexi's house, eaten easter candy, gone to the park, gone swimming at this really cool kid's pool, and today Jeff is going to watch the boys while Lexi and I go stuff our faces at the Olive Garden and do a little shopping. What more could I ask for? I will have pictures and more to past later when I get a chance. I fly home tomorrow night and I sure wish I wasn't, but spring break is coming to a close and school awaits me.

Jumbled...Just Like My Brain.

2010-03-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am tired. Really tired, but I am staying awake waiting for Berkeley to call so we can talk a little bit before bed. Tonight blogging is just a result of trying to stay awake, so forgive the randomness. First of all, I have a love for Easter. The reason is simple and is pictured below...

As of 5 minutes ago, I finished off the last 4 eggs left in my bag of delicious morsels known as Cadbury Mini Eggs. I love you Cadbury, whoever you are.

I have terrible eyesight. Without my contacts or glasses, I am a nearly blind lady with moderate astigmatism. I wear contacts throughout the day, but if I don't take them out and use glasses by about 6:30 then I get a bad headache. Well, Asa loves my glasses. As a result, despite my efforts of dissuasion, my glasses have taken a beating from my son. They finally broke. Does that stop me from wearing them? NO! Absolutely not. I even went to the store a couple times looking like this...

Did I get funny looks and even laughed at by a certain jewelry counter attendant. Of course I did, but it's the price you pay for no headaches. Actually the price you pay is around 360 bucks! That how much the new pair of glasses currently being ordered cost me. Thanks Asa.

So Berkeley is gone to tech school. It sucks. Yep. Since he has been gone, Asa has had two double ear infections in the last 3 weeks. He is currently battling the second one right now and we just started antibiotics yesterday. Can't a little boy catch a break? And his mom too?! He has been very irritable and can't leave his ears alone. I hate it when he is sick and it seems like he is ALWAYS sick! Spring...where the crap are you?! I am sick of cold/flu/ear infection season already!! Anyway, even with the double ear infection, I have still been able to catch some cute stuff on camera. My favorite thing about the pictures is the view of his cute little pearly whites. Baby teeth are among the cutest things ever. At least I think so. Feel free to disagree. Or don't. Whatever.

Since Asa just had his first birthday, I thought it would be fun to reminisce a little and show you this video. He was only 5 days old here. I am tired tonight, but no where near as tired as I was when I took this video. Thank goodness for that.

Alright, have you had enough of my jumbled brain for one blog post? Well, if so then you are in luck because I am done for now.

Tired but Surviving.

2010-03-03T08:30:00.001-08:00

Hello. My name is Annie and I am a sleep-a-holic. Berkeley has been gone for two and a half weeks now with only 13 weeks to go. Blah. I went into this separation with the idea that it would be totally awful because it was totally awful the last time. Though it does suck, it is no where near as hard as it was the last time around for 4 main reasons...

1. my baby no longer cries ALL DAY.

2. my baby sleeps through the night.

3. I get a break from my baby every day thanks to school and a wonderful mom and mom-in-law.

4. SKYPE with webcam.

I really am a sleep-a-holic though. I seriously have no idea how single parents do it! Taking care of a toddler all day is the most tiring schedule I've ever had and that includes working two jobs while doing full-time school. Aside from being tired a lot and missing Berkeley like crazy, I am coping fairly well. My new ward is great and today, while playing outside with Asa, I visited with some neighbors who have young kids. It was good to get to know them. Hopefully now that we are settled into a more permanent ward, we will be able establish some friendships. I love our apartment and having our own space. I am so excited for Berkeley to get back and enjoy it with me. He was only here with me a week before leaving, so that will be nice. Plus, it will be nice to be able to watch moments like these...

Happy 1st Birthday Asa!

2010-02-24T14:59:00.001-08:00

I love you little Asa! You have blessed my life in so many ways. Happy Birthday!

Just Some Videos!

2010-02-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

Asa is learning so fast! Here are some of his latest adventures in learning...

On the 12th of February, my brother-in-law Chris got married! We are so happy to have Dani in our family. She is a great girl and tons of fun to have around! Congrats you two!

So Far Behind!

2010-02-17T06:13:00.001-08:00

I have a lot to post but life has been crazy busy the last two weeks. Berkeley is now at Tech School in Texas. He left Monday, so the week before we were scrambling to get stuff done and now I am just busy with school and Asa. I will do my best to catch up though. Oh, my baby just woke up.
Signing off!

Cousins!

2010-02-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, we celebrated my nephew, Bryson's first birthday. It is always so fun to get our three little boys together since they are so close in age and all boys! Cade was born in December, Bryson in January and Asa in February. Here are some pictures of the cousins with their moms and dads.

In the first picture: Cade is on the left with my brother-in-law Matt, Asa in the middle with Berkeley, Bryson on the right with my brother Scott.

Left is me and Asa, my sister Kim and Cade, my sister-in-law Jen and Bryson.

It's really easy to tell which baby belongs to what parent, isn't it?

Our Own Place...and Two Weeks Together...

2010-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we get to move into our own apartment again. We have been living with family for nearly a year, and while I am very grateful, I am also very anxious to settle into our own space for a while. I am also anxious to settle into a ward for a longer period of time. I am not anxious for Berkeley to leave for tech school in two weeks. Three months apart will not be fun, but I am going to do all I can to make the best of it. I am so glad that I have school to focus on this time around and that Asa is a much happier baby. If you are ever in Bountiful, please call me and come visit!!

Compliment or Burn? You Tell Me.

2010-01-24T13:01:00.001-08:00

While on my way to school last week, I called Berkeley to day hello. This is a bit of the conversation that followed:

Annie: "I keep driving the wrong way. I just can't think straight right now."

Berk: "Well, at least you're a beautiful retard."

Hmmm...I said thank you because in my mind I heard the word beautiful, but in response to my thanks, Berkeley laughed out loud, so I think his emphasis was on the retard part.

Oh well.

11 Months, Walking, and InstaCare.

2010-01-20T18:59:00.001-08:00

Asa is 11 months old today. This week has been a crazy one mixed with good and bad. First the good: Asa took his first steps on Sunday (Jan. 17)! Of course they were very wobbly and ended in a pretty good face-plant, but that's a start! Since then, he has taken a couple steps a few times a day. Mostly he does it when he doesn't realize he's let go of something. He can stand pretty well on his own for a while but prefers not to, so this walking business might take a while. It is just crazy to think that our little guy will be walking soon. He also has learned how to blow on his food whether it is hot or not. It is really cute to see his little lips form a circle an blow air. He also loves to throw is body around. He will just put his hand in the air and free fall towards anything he wants. He is such a funny boy. Now for the bad. A few days ago, Asa came down with a really bad cold pretty much overnight. He was coughing constantly and his nose was a fountain. Well, on Monday night, he started wheezing and working pretty hard to breathe. I freaked. I saw my little asthmatic brother turn blue a couple times, so I don't take breathing issues lightly. We took Asa into Instacare (which I would never choose to do, but it was Martic Luther King Day so the pediatric office was closed) and they took his vitals. His oxygen levels were just over 60%, which isn't considered an emergency yet, but still low. He received a breathing treatment and his wheezing cleared up after that. They don't diagnose asthma in a baby this young, so the doctor just attributed it to his bad cold. They gave us an Albuterol breathing machine to have at home if we ever needed it again. Since Monday, Asa has had no real breathing trouble, so I am really hoping it was just a bad night. I still am really glad to have that machine on hand if we ever come across this problem again. I think everyone should have one!

FIXED!

2010-01-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

We fixed the problem with comments on Berkeley's blog so now you can comment to your heart's desire! Please do!

www.berkinabus.blogspot.com

"Oh"

2010-01-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

Asa has started making this hilarious face lately. I think it was an accident at first, but we laughed so hand and mimicked him so often that now he does it pretty much on cue. We call it his "OH" face. Enjoy!

Spread the Word!!

2010-01-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

Berkeley has started his own personal blog!! As you all know, Berkeley is leaving for Air Force Technical School next month. He wants to keep family and friends in the loop about what is going on with him while he is away. He also wants to keep a journal of sorts for himself. He has set some personal goals that he would like to achieve during tech school, so the blog will keep track of his progress with those as well. Of course, he will continue to use his blog when he gets back too so he can use it during normal life as well as during future deployments. I think it's a great idea! Please show him your support by reading and commenting often. He would absolutely love it! Now...here is the web address:

www.berkinabus.blogspot.com

Yes, it does say "berk in a bus" but actually the title of his blog is "Berk in ABU's" which is his military clothing. We thought it was catchy! PLEASE READ!

Here's the News

2010-01-15T06:40:00.001-08:00

Berkeley got his orders from the Guard and he is scheduled to fly to Texas for tech school on February 15th. He will be there going to school for Security Forces training which is basically Military Police. He gets home May 26th. 3 months and 1 week which will feel like eternity, but we will make it! We are both actually pretty anxious for him to go so that we can get this segment of time apart over with. It will be much better than basic training because we will be able to talk every day with Skype and use webcams to see each other. It will be so nice for him to actually see Asa via webcam while he is away.

In other news, we rented an apartment!! We found a place in Bountiful that we both really like. The complex is in a cul-de-sac within a family neighborhood and just behind an elementary school so it feels really safe and secluded. We will move in around the 1st of February. Berkeley will be able to help get us settled and then he will be off. Tons of people are asking me how I feel about living in an apartment alone for so long with just Asa. I really feel great about it. I will only be 5 minutes from both of our families so if ever I need help, then it's just a call or a short drive to get it. Plus, it will be wonderful to have our own space again filled with our own things. Our families have been so wonderful and generous to let us stay with them over the past year and we will always be grateful to them for their help.

Asa will be 11 months old on the 20th and I am just amazed at all the things he has learned and how much he has grown. He is so much fun now. I really never thought I would enjoy being a mother this much...especially during those first 6 months. He makes me laugh all day and I just love his big personality. He has the most adorable smile in the world and when we get him laughing it is the best!

All in all, life is good for us right now. We are happy and excited to be moving on with life in a few ways. I am back in school, we have our own place again, and Berk will soon be done with training. We hope you guys are doing well!

Play and Playdate!

2010-01-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Asa and I went to Spanish Fork to visit my good friends Brooke and Holley and their little boys. We had a good time chatting and it was fun to watch our kids play together. Thanks for the fun time you guys!

This first picture is just to show you how small Asa is. He is a week older than Brooks who is standing beside him. Granted, Brooks is a hulk but Asa is still pretty small.

It was amazing that we were able to get the 3 of them to sit still on the couch long enough for us to get this picture. I'm glad we did because it is so cute. From left to right is Aiden (Brook's baby), Asa, Brooks (Holley's baby).

These days Asa just loves to crawl everywhere and play with everything!! He also has a new love for walking behind a push toy hippo. He is getting so big and learning so fast.

School!

2010-01-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

I have started school again. I almost dropped the semester three times before my first day. I was very apprehensive about going back for a few reasons. Berkeley leaves for tech school next month and will be gone for the rest of the semester, single parenting is exhausting, finding time to do homework without a ten month old needing me every two minutes, and having someone else babysit for me every day were just some of my worries. Well, I stayed enrolled and I am SO HAPPY that I did. My mom and mother-in-law have been so sweet to take turns tending Asa throughout the week and I am at ease because I trust them the most with my baby. It has been wonderful to feel like I have something more to focus on and that I am once again progressing, learning, and achieving. I am so close to having my degree and I am so glad to be back at work on it. It is also FANTASTIC to have a couple hours a day to myself. I commute to Weber which is about a 25 min drive each way so it's great just hooking up my I-Pod and singing music at the top of my lungs. I think being in school will make Berkeley's time away go much faster. The last time he was gone I had nothing to focus on but my extremely fussy baby and the fact that he was gone. This time Asa will be a thousand times easier to manage on my own and having school will force me to get out and think about other things. My classes are really interesting so far and I love that I have homework again...weird...but I really missed feeling like I was learning. I no longer feel the need to take daily trips to Wal-Mart just to get out of the house. School is great. What am I going to do when I graduate? Maybe enroll in some of those adult learning courses? Wow, that might make me feel like an oldie.

Noel, Noel, Noel

2010-01-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

It is always sad when Christmas is over. I love this time of year. November and December are always the most wonderful months of the year. I just love the spirit of the season and I love being able to spend so much time with our families. This Christmas was no exception. It was wonderful and having Asa made it that much more joyful. I am so grateful for my Savior who was born to this Earth with the mission of living a perfect life and saving mankind. I wish I were better at keeping Him as my focus throughout the entire year. Hopefully this year I will be. Here are some pictures from our Holiday festivities.

"Sex Sells"

2009-12-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have heard that phrase so many times, but sometimes I think it is crazy WHAT sex sells these days. Just take a look at this commercial.

A salad?! Really?!

Oh, and here's another for you.

Tennis shoes. Awesome.

I shouldn't have even put these videos on my blog for fear of promoting this type of advertising further. I get mad when I see all these sleazy commercials on TV. I really would prefer my husband and son (or anyone for that matter) not have to see porn (no matter how "soft") every time they turn on the TV. More and more I can see the beauty of not having cable. Why not just have Netflix and watch only what you want with no nasty commercial interruptions. I think we will go that way.

Weekend Getaway

2009-12-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

The National Guard does a marriage seminar weekend for military and their spouses. Berkeley and I signed up for it and we are so glad that we did! They put us in a suite at the Little America Hotel in SLC for two nights, fed us breakfast and lunch both days, and we got to attend a marriage course all for FREE! Don't you think that the enjoyment level is much higher when you know that the event is at no expense to your bank account?! Well, our suite was on the 14th floor...next door to room 1408...creepy, but it was an amazing room with a great view. The food was awesome and the seminar was really worth while. We got to spend our evenings swimming/hot tubbing/watching movies ("Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" was one of them and it was great), and sleeping without interruption from our baby. We got to sleep in! That was absolute heaven! Since we did not have to pay for anything else, we did order room service dinner one night and it was delicious. I got a platter with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, a roll, and cranberry sauce. Berkeley got a cheeseburger a fries...gourmet style! Delicious. Here is the best part about the whole weekend: We were waiting for an elevator when out of the corner of my eye, I see a really tall, broad man in a suit walking towards the same elevator we were at. It didn't take long to realize it was President Monson!! He was there with another gentleman in a suit (I'm assuming a member of the 70). We shook their hands and introduced ourselves and President Monson made jokes about the elevator being "broken" because it was taking so long. It was really an awesome experience to meet the prophet of God in such an intimate setting. It really was a wonderful getaway for the two of us. We owe our parents big time for babysitting Asa while we had our fun. We really appreciated it. I meant to take a ton of pictures, but I only got so far as to get some pictures of our great room.

Like Father, Like Son??

2009-12-18T14:23:00.001-08:00

From the minute Asa was born, we have heard nothing but how much he looks like me. " Oh, he looks JUST like his mom!" or "Berkeley, are you sure he's yours?" and on and on and on. Well, Berkeley's mom managed to find a few baby pictures of Berkeley for me. Take a look and see what you think? All me or can you spot some Berkeley in our little guy too?

Either way, they are both super cute!

What Can I Say? I Really Love Him!

2009-12-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

Is a Nice Smile Too Much to Ask For??

2009-12-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Then again, is a tan too much to ask for? Hello pasty whiteness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

As always, Thanksgiving was great with lots of family, food, and fun. I am happy to have this time of year to focus on being grateful for the blessings in my life.

I am Thankful.

2009-11-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

Taylor Swift is Awesome.

2009-11-22T10:07:00.001-08:00

9 Month Stats

2009-11-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

Asa went to his 9 month well baby visit yesterday. He weighs 17 lbs 2 oz (5th percentile) and he is 26 inches long (10th percentile). He has a big noggin to hold his huge brain. His head circumference is 44.6 cm (25th-50th percentile). He is healthy and doing well. The entire time the doctor was with us, Asa was making super loud noises so the doctor kept having to talk louder and louder. The minute he left, Asa became a mute. Funny how that works out. We sure love him. Oh ans this morning we walked into his bedroom to find him standing up in his crib. That was the first time he has done that. He is also cutting his 2nd tooth and I will be so happy to be done with teething for a little while. It has been hard on Asa (and his mom). He is full fledged crawling all over the place and putting everything in his mouth. Time to start vacuuming once a day. He babbles like crazy and has this funny fake laugh that he does all the time. He is learning to wave bye-bye and hello and he drums his own lips while blowing air to make funny sounds. I will have to catch that on video sometime. He has become super interested in all food. Anytime we are eating, he will do whatever he can to get some into his own mouth. Thanksgiving should be a riot! He is a handful but so worth the work.

Family Pictures

2009-11-20T09:33:00.001-08:00

In The Spirit of Thanksgiving

2009-11-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

Video Overload!

2009-11-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

This is my little brother David and his friend Beth. They wrote this song together and performed it for a choir project. I thought it turned out to be a really good song.

My son has learned to crawl! He still does some army crawling and rolling, but he has figured out the alternating left/right motion and gets anywhere he wants now.

Asa got his first haircut yesterday. He no longer looks like a balding old man because his hair is all the same length now. Ignore my comments. It was a slightly emotional event for me!

This last video is just a cute one of Berkeley and Asa playing together.

What Would You Be?

2009-11-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

Reincarnation: the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.

This post was inspired by two things.

First, I watched a show on the History channel about the idea of reincarnation. Interesting.

Second, I listened to report on bears given by my niece.

I think if I were to be reincarnated, I would choose to come back as a bear. Yep, a bear, and here are the reasons why.

When you’re a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you’re supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too.

When you’re a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you’re sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.

If you’re mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If you’re a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yeah, I think I will be a bear. What would you be?

A Tooth!

2009-11-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! Asa has been trying to cut his two lower teeth for weeks and one cut through on Tuesday November 10th. (You don't care about the date, but I do!) He still has the second one just below the surface so we might have a bit more irritable teething time ahead of us, but that's okay! I will try to snag a picture of the tooth, but it is tricky as he does not like anyone touching his mouth right now. In other news, our little family has been sick, sick, sick!! I have had what I thought was a crappy cold/cough for a month now. I went back to the doctor, got some chest x-rays and found out I have bronchitis. It could last another couple weeks and I have to use an inhaler 4 times a day. Berkeley came down with a stomach bug a couple days ago and hugged the porcelain for a night...poor guy. It took a couple days but he is almost all better now. Yesterday, Asa ran a fever from the time he woke up until bed and through a good part of the night. He also has had a cold/cough, so his pediatrician prescribed him Tamiflu. We gave it to him last night and this morning. He seems to be doing much better this morning with no fever so far. Hopefully all of us are coming out of the woods as far as sickness goes. Better now than during the Holidays, I guess.

I Sure Love Those Kids!

2009-11-09T13:30:00.001-08:00

Last week I went to Spanish Fork for some of the day. Asa and I went to visit my sister Karen, the triplets and her new baby Owen. Aspen, Connor, and Brooke love little Asa and he loves them back. I caught these couple pictures and love them. I think kids are the best to watch play and interact with eachother. You can just see their imaginations at work due to the unplanned costuming. They are great kids.

Also, when I was in Spanish Fork, I went and had a playdate with my friends Brooke and Holley and their cute boys. It was a lot of fun. I only managed to get a couple pictures taken this time. Asa got warm so off came his shirt!

Once Again, There is Nothing Better Than Food.

2009-11-09T08:10:00.001-08:00

Veggie Puffs make Asa delirious with joy. He just lets them hang out in his mouth forever before deciding to chew and swallow. He agrees that food ought to be savored.

There is Nothing Better Than Food!

2009-11-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Halloween!

2009-11-03T07:36:00.001-08:00

Ema, Lorelei, Coleman as a cat, dog, and frog.

My little brother David as a nerd.

Cade and Asa as a tiger and bear.

My sister Kim, her husband Matt, and their little boy Cade as a bear, lion and tiger.

Berkeley as a "super attractive" woman. (with a guitar case coming out of his bum...)

My nephew Bryson as a skunk.

I thought I would give David's nerd glasses a try.

How's Your Day Going?

2009-10-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Did you have trouble getting out of bed?

Do you have a stiff neck?

Did you wash your hair and couldn't do anything with it?

Does your new diet not seem to be working out?

Did you pull a muscle while exercising?

Did the hat you bought look better on you at the store?

Did you get caught in the rain?

Did the food you had for lunch not agree with you?

If any of these things have happened to you today, then I hope your day gets better! If not, then just remember IT IS FRIDAY! And it is HALLOWEEN WEEKEND!