I'm in LOVE

My sis in law, Angela decided that for Christmas they were going to pay for a photo family session. Picture taking is challenging with the little ones but I think we got some real gems. Thanks for the Christmas present Angela and Treavor! Oh and a big shout out to the photog, Heather Bliss. I love that girl. Angela is lucky to have her as a sister:)

 Sometimes we're a little on the crazy side...only sometimes. 

^ And this my friends is my favorite. It is being printed and hung in our room pronto...

(my second favorite^^) 

This little man has been letting his big personality show much more lately. It's so fun to capture his silly antics on a big camera!

Temple Lights and Trains

I'd like to say that I'm on top of things. I'm not. So when Zach and I were on our awesome anniversary getaway we decided to check the Disney store for the last gift we needed to get for Canyon. They had it but we didn't want to have to lug it around for the rest of the night so we decided to buy it later at the Disney store closer to home.

Fast forward a few days, they didn't have it. I called the one in Salt Lake and they were all sold out too. Darn. Then we decided on a different gift and the only store that had one in stock was in Salt Lake. Phew.

We headed up to the "big city" as Canyon would have put it. City Creek Center was packed but oh so beautiful. I'm excited to say we decided to make a night of the trip. After picking up the mystery Christmas gift (which I was able to keep miraculously hidden from C all night long despite it's large girth) we had a little dinner in the food court and walked to Temple Square. Canyon LOVED all the lights but the funny thing is he loved the water features even more. Guess the little man might follow in his daddy's footsteps and design water parks.

(poor quality but look at his face! I love it!!)

While we were walking around Canyon spotted the TRAX trains. If you know my son you know he has a slight obsession with that form of transportation. We were walking back to our car and we had to cross in a crosswalk that led us right over the tracks. C was up on Zach's shoulders and sweetly said, "Dad, Can we please please please ride the train? Please please please?" Now how do you say no to such a sweet request. We bought two tickets (My school ID get's me on free) and rode the train for a while. That little boy was in heaven. I don't know if I'll ever see him happier than he was during that train ride.

(the only reason he's not smiling like a crazy man right here is because he's not thrilled that I want him to look at the camera when all he really wants to do is look out the window as the train flies by all the cars and buildings:)

I love date night with my boys. Let's just see how Christmas morning goes:) I think it'll be a Christmas to remember.

Blog? What's that??

I totally feel like I've neglected my blog. Between the end of the semester, holidays, job shifting and a broken (or dead) camera, blogging has been nicely placed on the bottom of my to do list.

Since I've finished off school I guess I'll try to update cyber space on our happenings.

Other than a really fun November (including a Thanksgiving trip to Sin City) and the best 4 year anniversary a girl could ask for (I know you are so shocked we've made it 4 years but what can I say, I married a stud:), things have been a little mellow at our house. I've been slowly making the transition to stay-at-home mommy-hood and LOVE it. My last day at work will most likely be Wednesday of next week and I'll officially be home. To help with the lost income, I have started watching two sweet kiddos. Canyon thinks this is the BEST arrangement ever, friends to play with every single day. This morning the first words out of his mouth were "Are my friends here yet?" He was a little disappointed that they weren't due to arrive for another thirty minutes but was happy to get the toys ready for them.

Christmas time has been utterly marvelous this year. C finally understands what's going on and is always singing Christmas carols, talking about Santa and Baby Jesus, and asking when he can open the gifts under the tree.

We've gotten better at FaceTiming my family often and I keep screen shooting some serious gems. Canyon is so lucky to have such fun grandparents. In case you didn't see them when I posted them on Instagram and Facebook  I'll include them. Maybe to make my mom that much more furious at me or maybe so you can see how much we wish we were near them all the time, you can decide:)

I love both of those faces oh so much, don't you? And doesn't that mother of mine look fantastic? I wouldn't guess she's a grandma if I wasn't the mother of her grandson.

We love you all and hope you are enjoying your holidays. I think I shall post more often, just to give you some light reading of course.

Everyone is so Thankful

All the thankful posts on Facebook got me thinking. I really wanted to bring it up to Canyon but just didn't know how. While Canyon and I were walking to a play date and we were talking about how awesome Halloween was. I excitedly told him that the next awesome holiday was Thanksgiving. I asked him what he was thankful for and you know what my handsome little man said?

Jesus. He told me he was thankful for Jesus.

I guess we might be doing something right.

I.love.my.superhero:)

Spooky Ooky Halloween

This 'holiday' is quickly moving it's way up on my list. This year Canyon wanted to be a pirate. He loved being all dressed up and topped it off with a good ol' "ARGGGGHHH" whenever asked. 

 He even let Zach draw a eyeliner beard on him. 

 Canyon is nearing impossible to take pictures of. He refuses to smile and look at the camera at the same time. We caught a couple of good ones but he was way too interested in the excitement around him. I guess that's holidays for ya:)

This year was the first year we decided to go trick or treating. Daddy stayed home to pass out candy and Canyon and I took a journey around the neighborhood.  

After the first house. He loved it. I told him about the lights on the houses and if they were on we could go knock, if not we'd skip that house. The rest of the night he was counting all the lights he could see on down the street. He was so excited that people had the lights on! 

My pirate and all his loot. Apparently a few of the houses we hit weren't getting a lot of kids so they gave us extras....I don't know how excited I am about getting rid of all the candy though. I'll admit, I'm the crazy mom who made him pick three candies and put the rest away, I couldn't have him up all night with a stomach ache:)

Can't wait till next year!

Differences

Everybody's different.

Isn't that what they teach you in grade school?

I know my mom drilled it into me when I would constantly compare myself to other girls as a teenager.

I think we forget this constantly. I know I catch myself doing it often. I think we jump to conclusions and judge based on how WE were raised or how WE see the world. We forget that other people see things different. Because their perspective is not our own they are going to express their love differently, clean their house differently and over all just be different.

What is wrong with being different? NOTHING, but for some odd reason we judge. By judging we make something wrong with being different. I'm pretty sure I could learn a lesson or two from every single person I meet, but the only way is by withholding judgement and opening myself up to learn.

I meet new people every.single.day. I think I'm finally grasping this concept more and more and I can't express how much easier it is to love everyone I meet. I don't always understand the way people do things and why but it's fascinating all the same.

I know this is random and out of the blue. Honestly, it's not as random as you may think but the back story is not something I want to share on the blog. I just hope and pray that people around me realize that I have my own perspective too. I may not know that the way I handle things could be offensive or wrong in someone else's eyes because that's how I was raised. Really I just want to remember to not sweat the little things. To love no matter what and to always give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to little offenses.

I love my family. I might not be the best at remembering birthday's (although I really do try). I can be forgetful as all get out. I put way too much on my plate and sometimes that means something important to my family gets pushed to the back burner. But even through all my flaws and faults, I love my family and my friends. I'm grateful for the ones that can see something good underneath all those faults and I apologize to the ones who only see those imperfections.

I congratulate those of you faithful readers who made it to the end of this long and somewhat boring post. I really just need to let the cyber world know my feelings. Being different and imperfect is part of being human, and the imperfections are what teach us to be better and stronger.

I know, blah blah blah. I'll stop now. Thanks for listening to my heartfelt post about humanity. I love that I can post things like this here in hopes to better myself and get feedback from my friends and family.



love,

Pumpkin Patch

We finally checked off two of the items on our fall bucket list! My class was canceled Monday night so we decided to hit the local 'pick your own pumpkin' patch. Not only did they have a large pumpkin patch but they had a free hay ride, corn box, hay maze and petting zoo. We picked pumpkins first. Canyon was very picky on which pumpkin he wanted. Not only was he picky but he changed his mind frequently. It was so fun to watch him pick one. 

We ended up with two big pumpkins and two little ones. I was surprised how cheap they were. I thought for sure we'd have to pay for the "experience" of picking your own pumpkin but alas we walked away only $9 poorer. 

Canyon has not stopped talking about the hay ride. It was just a little short one but he loved looking at the animals and watching the tractor that pulled the trailer. 

This fall has been so much fun. Canyon and I just can't wait to gut these 'kins and give them some good ol' smirks. We'll definitely go back to the Harward farms patch again before the end of the season, for the hay ride of course:)

A wedding and some mud

Fall break was a fun one this year. Zach and I took off Thursday to St. George for my cousin Danica's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was such a blast. They are definitely a great match!

Saturday morning, a bunch of the girls ran the Dixie Mud Run. It was so much fun!

These were our "mud faces". Some got a lot muddier than others:)

Here is the whole crew at the finish line. Props to my grandma for doing it with us!

There was this nasty little lake at the farm. After the race we all decided to jump in to clean off. I think I stunk more after jumping in the lake than I did before. I hope I don't catch anything:)

Road trips with my man are always a blast. I know he doesn't love driving long distances but at least he has my silly conversation to keep him entertained, oh and Mumford and Sons:)

Update

So I know the blog has been a little droll lately. I'm sorry. Things are busy and, to be honest, not all that exciting for all ya'll. I'm loving our sweet simple life but nothing monumental has happened just yet.

I did want to update in relation to my last post about a running routine.

I have this really really awesome husband who has been helping me stay motivated. We've started this journey together and he has been the best running buddy, ever! (sorry mom)

Last night we ran 4.25 miles in less than 35 minutes. I know it's not impressive but it felt great. I've been able to run consistently and at least 4 times a week. This girl is becoming a routine runner!

Thanks for the support. I know this is all so silly but I'm very excited to be moving in a self improvement direction. There are such good things to come.

I hope all is well. October is the best month. No not my birthday month but it's just gorgeous. I can't help but be so grateful for my life every October. Weird, I know. And to leave you with a laugh (and a little truth)....

Running Routine

I don't think I even knew this about myself until recently but the fact is, I hate routines. Zach pointed it out the other day and it's true. I cannot stick to a routine if my life depended on it.

Well, there is one routine that I'd like to stick to, really I need to. Exercise. So Zach challenged me to start running 4 times a week (at least) along with other plyometric exercises. We both know that I feel better when I exercise but I get so busy and workin out is the first thing that goes. Well today is day 2 of the routine. I'm happy to say I think I can keep this up. I totally need your support. I'm only really writing about it to keep me in check.

Thanks to everyone who helps me get into my routines:)

Prayers

Is there anything better than listening to a child offer a prayer in full? Canyon just started showing interest in saying the prayer before bedtime and I melt every single time. Most nights he keeps his eyes on me but last night he had them squeezed shut and his arms folded tight. It's amazing how strong the spirit is when little voices call on it. 

I love being his mom:)

Am I there yet?

That's the question everyone has been asking. Everyone I know is graduated/graduating and here is Bailee, putzin around trying to find the perfect degree.

I'm almost there.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm taking 18 credit hours this semester and hopefully 21 next semester so I can wear that cap and gown in April. Yes I'll have spent way more time in college than I should have and yes I'll have a 3 year old cheering me on but I wouldn't change it. I've learned so much about myself over the last 5 years. I've made lasting friendships and have the best little family. I might not be a nurse when I graduate but I'll be advocating for the underprivileged so it won't be that much of a stretch. I'm happy with the direction I'm going and I'm so ready for April.

The blog has been a little scant, thanks to all the credit hours. This summer I had my first 4.0 semester with 19 credit hours. It.felt.good. I'm at it again this semester. Hello graduation, I can't wait to get to know you.

Thanks for all the love and support. We are almost there.

Why are things cuter when they are tiny??

I'm going to come out and say it....I'm baby hungry. It's no surprise seeing as my 'baby' is quite the little man now. Mix my baby hunger and my need to craft and you get.....

BABY SHOES!

I know the chances of my having a girl are 50/50 but I've always wanted to try my hand at making some cute little shoes for one:) If my next is a boy I can always gift these to a deserving mother.

They aren't perfect but cute nonetheless. I'm making another pair tonight using all I learned the first time. I think they need a matching dress too...

Peach Trees

We have quite a bit of space in our backyard and decided a long time ago we wanted to plant some fruit trees near the fence. We have both felt the pull to be a little more self sustainable with the garden and the fruit trees just added to the idea.

Zach found a great deal on fruit trees at Vineyard Garden Center in Orem that we just could'nt pass up. We've definitely fallen in love with this nursery. Everyone was so eager to help us as we embark on a new growing journey and they tried hard to make sure we had what we needed to succeed.

Canyon loved the animals. They had a lazy kitten, guinea pigs and a bunny just a hoppin around. Canyon especially loved the "piggies". On our way out he told them to 'come on home' with him.

I wish I would've gotten a picture of the ride home. Have you ever seen someone fit 3 five foot trees into a civic? We did. I still vote we get an SUV but I think Zach is enjoying testing the carrying capacity of our little cars (I think a post on the crazy things we've hauled in/on our civic is in order).

Digging the holes was the worst most rewarding part. By rewarding I mean we got a lot out of it including sore muscles, blisters and lots and lots of sweat. Meanwhile Canyon played in the kiddie pool. That was rewarding as well, he gleaned two bee stings by the end of the day:(

Canyon was pretty cuddly after the stings so he sat with me while Zach finished planting the trees.

Can you guess what he's saying? Yup...'CHEEESE!"

Another 'cheese' smile.

Canyon and I decided to name the trees. We thought they looked like the tree version of the chipmunks so here they are; Alvin, Theodore and Simon. Three new members of our family. 

A little vacation time

Going full time in school during the summer doesn't really lend one to much vacation time. We decided after finals we'd take a drive down and spend some time with my family in Flagstaff. Zach hasn't really ever been to Flag in the summer and I really wanted him to see how truly amazing the place is. We loaded down our little civic with bikes and all and headed down late Thursday night. 

Friday morning Grandma and Grandpa Clement came down to see their great grandbaby:) The boys took the boys to Peter Piper while Mom, Grandma and I went to Little Thai Kitchen (an absolute favorite of mine). It was Grandma's first time and she liked it! YES! We decided a day with Grandma wouldn't be complete without a trip digging through the racks at Ross. It's amazing how much better Ross is outside of Utah:) We found some pretty great things and really just enjoyed the time together. 

My cousin Brody came with the Gilbert clan and had fun with the B girl and C. 

 I think we ate more frozen lemonade popsicles that weekend than an army of kids could've. 

We hit the Flagstaff Urban trail system almost every night. The kiddos partied in the bike trailer while gramps sweated up the hills:)

 Yeah, we're rule breakers, what can we say?

We rode to the airport. They were getting this little guy ready for flight and Canyon was SO mad that we could go over and get on. He threw quite the two year old fit:)

The Sunset in Flagstaff had me trying to convince Zach to move, no such luck.

We played quite a bit of Settlers. We're a little too competitive for our own good, or at least I am.

 Canyon loved Bethanie's balance bike. We could hardly get him off it.

Just before we headed back home the kiddos hopped back on the bikes. It's always hard to leave. We have such a good time and enjoy their company so much we wish they were so much closer.

Canyon refused to say goodbye. I'm pretty sure he thought that if he didn't say goodbye we wouldn't leave. He asked for grandpa all the way home and still brings him up everyday. 

I love road trips with my boys. Canyon was quite the angel there and back and I enjoyed the long conversations with Zach. If only gas wasn't so pricey:)

Thanks to mi familia for being so hospitable and letting us crash with them. Someday it'll happen more often:)

Husbands

I sure love mine, but sometimes he just cracks me up. Like the maxi I bought last week. When I showed it to him he asked if I wanted to look like a senorita:)

I whipped up this pillow yesterday to add to my couch makeover. Zach walked in last night and asked why we had a burlap sack on our front couch. Apparently you aren't supposed to decorate with burlap...It's ok, that's news to me too:)

What strange comments have the men in your life made on your efforts for fashion? I feel like Z is always commenting on things I think are helping me be more stylish...and they are usually not the kind of comments I'm looking for...