picturas de iFono

i'm thankful for FAMILY!
part of them came in town last night and it's so fun to be squished in our little home.
i'm thankful they all did the big walmart shopping trip right now so i could blog!

a. we finally we to this local burger place called honest abes
oober hipster but even MORE sober delicious!
b. we loved out burgers.
i got the headless horseman (the sauce was a combo of pumpkin, cream cheese, and cinnamon, it was like a DESSERT burger!) and casey got the classic which was amazing.
we've decided every time we go there we'll always get the classic and try 1 new one, always splitting both with each other for flavor.
maxson made a mess, but it's cool
c. leaves!
d. this child loves to have the tooth bruch in his mouth (let's be honest, he loves everything in his mouth) but if we're brushing our teeth he insists on finding one of his tooth brushes to put in his mouth as well. this picture makes my heart sing

a. baby friends! there were lots of babies in our ward born in 2012, this is only a few! we love our friends!
b. shoulder riding it
c. i was visiting teaching with a friend and our boys just stared at the fish tank for like 10 min. the older 2 year old kept pointing stuff out to maxson, adorable.
d. fire in the sky

a. just the beginning of play time.
i HIGHLY recommend rotating toys friends, maxson is so much more interested in his toys now
b. getting excited for the holiday season!
c. gearing up for the cold outside
d. stud

a. getting a last swing in with neighbors on an unusually warm november day
b. casey came to help with scouts again teaching basketball 1) i love that man 2) he had me laughing the whole time 3) the scouts like him WAY more than me
c. why are these store bought sugar cookies so good? i love them dearly
d. trapped himself in the corner


if i don't get around to blogging again today, HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!

ps- HA! story of my life!

an anniversary

we had the most wonderful anniversary this year. the first 3 years we celebrated our anniversary were fun but let's be honest, it wasn't that much different than the other 364 days of the year. it was just us and it was always just us. but for the last almost year, we've spent a lot of our time and energy helping a certain little boy grow and survive. so this  year it was a day to really really  focus on US. OUR marriage. OUR love. OUR attention on one another. not that the other 3 anniversaries haven't been special but we are in a different league of anniversary's now, i love it so very much.

like all our other years we continually talked to each other during the day of "what were we doing 4 years ago at this exact time." i love doing that. while another single girl friend of ours from dental school watched maxson, we sneaked away to HuHut grill, one of those Mongolian places that cooks the asian food in front of you. we had the sweetest time together asking one another to list the most BLANK in the last 4 years. best road trip, scariest road trip, best activity, best food, biggest regret, and best decision. it was so good to just sit alone with one another, laughing at past experiences and focusing on each other.



we raced home to our sweet little maxson (because an hour away from him was quite enough;) we put him to bed, i baked some cookies to share at the baby shower i then went to for just a little bit. i left the shower early to race to the theater with my sweet husband to watch the new hunger games movie, catching fire! there's something so endearing about holding hands, running through the snow, racing into the theaters together. we were surrounded by college students (very likely single and a little drunk) on all sides, we made up silly stories about the groups and giggled to each other so glad we were married. we held hands and cuddled (as much as you can cuddle in those ver separated movie chairs) riveted by the movie at every point. suddenly it was 12:15 am and our movie was over! we loved it. go see it!!!



we came outside to another more snow dusting the cars and sidewalks (i'm making this sound all peachy perfect, romantic and wonderful but it was FREEZING outside and i was hating nebraska humid winters, that cold just BITES you!). but the night was fantastic. we were reminded how lucky we are to be married to our best friend.

happy 4 years to us, so glad we have an eternity more together!

cheerio love

have i mentioned how obsessed with cheerios maxson is?

he loves cheerios.

loves loves loves loves them.

there's cheerios all over our ground 60% of the time.
there like little cheerio mines.
you try watching where your stepping but sometimes you just miss and you cringe when you feel that cheerio break beneath your foot.

if i do clean them all up, maxson will undoubtedly find one forgotten somewhere and when in the middle of playing, he'll stop abruptly to pick it up and eat it.

i once walked into a room where 2 women were watching about 8 little kids 8-11 months in age while the moms were at their own meeting, and maxson was just in the corner by himself with scattered cheerios all around him eating and happy as can be.

it made me laugh.
totally my son.

within the last month he happily shares food (especially cheerios) with us when asked to and it's heart melting.
he gets real happy once the cheerio has finally been dropped in your mouth (because he has to put all his fingers in your mouth in order to drop it).
i just love it.

i love how in the top left picture maxson's tongue is out while he's feeding me.

speaking of feeding,
maxson has clearly caught on to what prayers are in the past few weeks.
we pray before all his meals and bedtime, he doesn't quite fold his arms by himself yet, but we'll fold his arms for him and he'll keep them there long enough the smallest 2 sentence prayer.
his new thing is squeezing his eyes shut and bowing his head when we start praying and after 2 seconds releasing his hands in the gesture we do after prayers to show him we're done praying (just holding hands outward, palms up, we only do this for maxson).
he then looks at us with an expression of "i said the prayer was over, why isn't it over? why are you still doing the prayer?"

issspriddycuute.

11.21

happy four years to us.

marriage sure does grow sweeter with time.

my favorite quote:
"Cherish your spouse as the greatest possession of your life and treat him or her accordingly. Make it your constant goal to add to the happiness and comfort of your companion. Never permit yourself to let down in your affection, or your respect, or your faith in one another. Be excellent in every way.
Gordon B Hinckley, "The Quest for Excellence," Sept 1999 Ensign

i love it so much it hangs right above our toilet paper roll ;)



ps- i updated the links on my favorite feeding products post if they weren't working for you

squirrels and pumpkins

hey mom, remember when you said you think the gajillions of squirrels all over are yard are cute?

this is 1 big reason to show you how cute they are not.

this is was out turkey/thanksgiving pumpkin

confound it squirrels!

everyone in our neighborhood doesn't put their pumpkins out on their porch until halloween night or else they get devoured.
last year my thanksgiving pumpkin was protected all november long somehow.
they must have been full from halloween.
this year at exactly 2 weeks after halloween night they began devouring mine. less than a week after they dug the first hole, the whole front side was gone, the back pumpkin has a huge hole, and they are finally in the trash (thanks missionaries for throwing them away for us:)

my favorite child eating/feeding products

i talked about my favorite baby baby products back here.

now i want to share my favorite eating/feeding products with ya!

these bibs

they're a nice sturdy but flexible plastic that you can easily wash under the faucet after each feeding.

it has that pocket to catch all the food that misses the mouth opening.

they're a great length and width (at least for my babe)

i'm sure they'll last for all my kids too.

1 problem: spaghetti sauce kinda stains them. it doesn't bother me. it fades after so many washes

this high chair

for some reason i thought having a high chair that swiveled would be awesome.

ha, it is kinda fun.

necessary? no of course not.

i really wanted a "space saver" chair and it has worked out great for us.

if i could have gotten this ikea one back with me i may have done it.

it has a really sleek design, really light weight, collapses nicely, and doesn't have crevices and stuff

but i would have bought this one too. simple cheap, easy.

these snack cups

everyone has them, they're great.

maxson proudly carries his cheerios around in it.

although he's not perfect at not making a complete mess with it, it gives him power and responsibility over what he's eating which i love.

these reusable pouches 

i love the concept of those squeezie pouches from the store.

but at $1+ each, i just can't/don't want to afford that.

we reuse these pouches all the time.

i buy the big jar/tubs of applesauce and yogurt to fill them up which is way less expensive.

also when i make myself smoothies, i put it in here to feed him with.

we're always taking these things on the go so there's little to no mess.

they're brilliant.

easy to clean.

hold a lot.

and i had 1 of the top ziplocs break on me so the company set me a whole new pack!

this is the cost effective way to go.

this mealtime stacking pillar

we also take these with us whenever we're out and about.

they too are brilliantly convenient

this sippy cup

there are tons of great sippy cups out there.

i just happened to buy this one.

it doesn't leak even when it's laying over.

max likes it so i like it.

but soon i'll be buying this water bottle for him so it can hold a little more and he can use it for years to come

these ikea cups, plates, and bowls.

easy, cheap, cute, microwavable, great design.

(they're cheaper if bought directly at ikea, i didn't buy the utensils, and i also have 2 sets of all the plates, bowls, cups so i'll have 12 matching ones for multiple kids etc)

and we just bought these forks

baby spoons are so cheap and easy to find.

forks, not so much.

why is this?

i decided to get metal forks instead of plastic ones so they "stab" more easily and last longer.

we shall see

so mommas, what other super awesome mealtime accessories do you love that i've overlooked?

while in utah

the weekend i was in utah happened to coincide with casey's mom and sister's half marathon race!

i got to be there at the end to cheer them on and it was so fun to celebrate in their accomplishment.

i kept thinking about the half marathon we ran all throughout it.

and although i said i didn't really want to run one again, after seeing all the fun costumes for the halloween half marathon, it sure would be fun to be all dressed up with others around you in their funny costumes!
getting to see my MIL, SIL, and cousin was just pure awesomeness.

maxson LOVES dogs, have i ever mentioned that?ever since he was like 6 months he freaks out in happiness when seeing them. it's adorable.

so when we went to my brother's house and got to LIVE with their indoor labrador for a week he was in h.e.a.v.e.n.

such a good dog, she rarely ran/walked away from the kids, and just sat there as he tugged, pulled, pat harshly, and love on that dog.

ALSO this is the post i wrote the sunday i was there and took 3 children to church by myself:

this weekend i became the pseudo-mother of 3.

abby (almost 4)

britton (18 months)

maxson (11 months)

and holy cow!

it is tiring!!!!!

to all my friends with children close in age, hats off to you!

the weekend actually went great. britton and maxson entertained each other for the most part. and i decided to not try too hard on meals and just give them what they wanted food wise instead of intorucing them to new things so we had a lot of mac-n-cheese, pb&j's, grapes, apples, gogurts, gogurts, and more gogurts. maxson became super attached and whiney though while i've been watching my niece and nephew. i'm guessing it's either because he doesn't appreciate my lack of complete attention on him or he's teething or if he's just done with all this traveling. nonetheless, my back hurts from holding that boy so much. funny things i noticed a) maxson does not want to go down stairs or off things, he will stay at the top of the stairs yelling until i go up and help him come down, ha. some day he'll learn. so his not wanting to go down the stairs provided a natural baby gate for me/him while he was in the upstairs completely child-proof and fun toy infested area. b) if all 3 children were upstairs alone, they could play happily without whining for a long time, if i was in sight, they would each take turns whining at me for various actions of others, too funny. 

hardest part: CHURCH. HOLY COW, ha! on a scale of 1-10 stress level, i was at a 30. my toys, food, and other distractions did not suffice them during all of sacrament meeting. one was singing "i'm a child of god" loudly during half the meeting, one let out exclamations of frustration if food didn't get to his mouth fast enough, and another voiced his opinion with small shrieks every once and a while.  i definitely questioned my sanity of wanting to have more than 1 child it was so fun! so me, alone, 3 rambunctious chillins, surrounded by lots of people. ooooy. we survived though. church was where we were supposed to be during those 3 hours and i'm glad we conquered!

11 months old

my practically 1 year old 11 month child.

i wrote this post on the first buthaven't gotten around to putting this pictures with it!
so here it is, 2 weeks past :)

WALKING

he definitely prefers walking to crawling.

he's so big!

but it's just as i imagined, he walks around the corner with a toy (or kitchen object) in his hand looking for me in excitement. cutest boy ever.

comprehending SOOO much!

claps, high fives, and gives kisses all the time when asked to

signs "all done" after meals.
plays peek a boo and loves to stack blocks.

when told to "go find mommy/daddy" he goes to the other room we're in.

knows when he's doing something he's not supposed to.

there's a cabinet i accidentally leave unlocked sometimes and at some point he'll find that it's open and once he hears me coming towards him he'll hurriedly stick his hands in the cabinet waving them frantically hoping to find something that falls out, hilarious.

definitely has some opinions these days.

if he's trying to get away from me like in church or people's houses and i stop him to redirect him,

he lets out a large yell in retaliation.

totally has fake laughs, fake frowns and fake cries.

that too is hilariously adorable.

i just love that child.

his smile is infectious.

have i mentioned he doesn't mind strangers at all.
not one bit.
he'll go into a new person's arms at the drop of a hat,
i love it.

his sweetness oozes.

his giggle empowers my adult funniness.

i just love him to pieces!!!!!!

.

this is a very important subject to me.

if you have just 2 minutes will you please sign this petition to the obama administration.

it will "require porn to be an "Opt In" feature with internet service providers rather than a standard feature.

pornography is an addictive demoralizing habit that hurts families.

help families protect their children in making this an "opt-in" service instead of standard.

the petition is easy to sign. it takes 1 minute to create an account, all they want it your name and zip code.

and please pass this on to friends and family.

thank you!

this is legit

you guys.

every once and awhile i've linked to videos of the smiley project.

it's a husband wife duo doing the fifty classic climbs in north america aka 50 really hard/crazy rock climbing routes

it's pretty dang cool.

their new video is my favorite so far.

you have to watch it!

you can see more of their videos and info here

ps- totally got to talk to them last month at my cousin's wedding which was really fun.
i'd be lying if i said i wasn't just a tad giddy when getting to talk to them about it all.

i should have gotten a picture with them but didn't...
blast my cowardness!


ANDDDD

if you're in the utah valley area, there's a way cool class being offered!
they call it a flower party.
you go, they provide all the materials to show you how to make a fancy floral piece.
this month is a gorgeous winter wreath.
this wreath is just perfect!
check it out friends.

waking up is hard

sometimes i'm jealous maxson gets to take 2 naps a day.

but on the other hand, sometimes i feel even groggier and more tired when i wake up from naps.

although maxson's body needs nap, he sure doesn't like waking up from them.

i can count on one hand how many times that boys has woken up happy.

i caught this little series after a late day nap he took.

i think casey actually woke up him up from this nap because it was going so long into the evening.

i love his look of confusion.

the way he buries your head into your shoulder when trying to wake up.

the yawn.
the eye rub.

the smile when he sees me.

just watching his little mind wake up, try to take around his surroundings, and remember everything he's learned.

i love that little boy SOOOO much!

ps- casey your smiley-double chin makes my heart smile too ;)

picturas de iFono

and here's the iPhone update!

1. waiting at my cousin's wedding with this little study
2. standing in the back with this baby during the whole ceremony
3. cousin bonding
4. this picture didn't load and i'm too lazy to fix it

1. found this sweet mechanism at the airport. BRILLIANT
2. watching the airplanes
3. flying over the grand canyon
4. these 2 cousins played constantly

1. few things make you feel younger when you drive your dad's car to the grocery store at night with nothing but your phone, keys, and their credit card.
2. maxson's new friends raja
3. cheerios all over the church floor
4. learning young

1. had a little hair date with my SIL whitney. (she's awesome my arizona friends! call her! all of our family who gets our hair done by her constantly get compliments on our hair)
2. we took a mid hair coloring break to have lunch with our niece at her school (my hair is not at the final stage in this picture).
3. met up with my bff, amy, love that girl!
4. fhe with my brother's family

1. the half marathon finish area, beautiful or what?
2. wonderful grammy cutler finished!
3. britton conked out after the half marathon excursion
4. maxson fell asleep real quick at home (that skin is definitely my arm)

1. abby made us dinner at the park with her grass clippings
2. trucking 3 kids to the park with the dog
3. leaf playing
4. leaf piling

1. messiest, funniest eater
2. went on an awful waffle date with my niece abby, man have they done GREAT with that new place!
3. crepe with nutella and banana
4. maxson terrorizing callie the dog

1. drove up to salt lake to get together with my cousin kammy!
2. post baby
3. 3 kids ready for church 15 minutes before go time!
4. university parkway

1. more slide time
2. also met up with 3 of my aspen grove friends, 2 of whom have babies too!
3. the dog was always parked right under maxson during meal times. ALWAYS. i never had to clean food off the floor while i was there, so great.
4. pre-santa

1. made banana bread with this munchkin. he kept pointing and saying "uh oh, lu lu!"
2. caught the peak of this funny moment on video, no child was hurt ;)
3. met up with a nebraska bff, jocelyn, who transplanted to utah!
4. my attempt at pumpkin bread bowls this year for halloween

small surprises

i love finding unexpected things all around the house to remind me what a joy motherhood is.

examples:

opening the bottom drawer in the kitchen to find a hot wheels car mixed in with the tupperware.

stepping on a squeaky bath toy in the shower left over from his bath.

unexpectedly kicking a toy underneath all my sheets once i slip into bed.

finding small toys mixed in with the groceries when they sit on the kitchen floor too long.

coming into the kitchen to find all the lower cabinets and drawers emptied of their belongings.

finding a trail of cheerios anywhere in the house.

there are countless other moments that belong in this category and i know i will only gather more through all my years of little children.

just like i don't mind putting away my husband's scriptures everyday he leaves them out after breakfast because that means he is reading his scriptures,

i don't mind picking up after this cute little munchkin all day everyday long, because that means i have a happy, healthy, curious, learning child in my home.

more on halloween

i couldn't resist sharing some of my friend's costumes.

they were so cute this year!

i will shamelessly post another picture of our dental family.
we had lots of fun this year in our costumes.
casey stood by the the trunk of our friend's car where we combined forces in candy and sad to all the kids walking by "do you have any teeth for me!?"
he was very proud of his costume.
people kept saying they couldn't believe i could get casey to wear this and i kept thinking "uh, you don't know my husband, he loves this stuff!"
casey borrowed his costume from a girl in his dental class, i taped paper teeth onto his "wand"
i sewed pillow cases in the shape of teeth and stuffed them with pillow stuffing, and put my graduation cap to good use.

the (mini) dentist and halloween leaves
i bought a scrub shirt, minimized the whole thing to fit maxson and sewed a tooth onto the pocket

2 bees, a bee keeper, a bear, and a sunflower.
adorable!

doc mcstuffin family
caesar and a witch

pumpkin seeds, 2 pumpkins, and a farmer
pocahontus, john smith, meeko the raccoon

a pilot in his airplane, a flight attendant, and a landing traffic controller.
grandma holding a baby with lord voldermort beside her

unlike last year, there were lots of families and parents who dressed up, not just the kids, which made it so much more fun.
it was a little dreary and cold out but still fun to see everyone dressed up and happy!

ps- a note on halloween. i love halloween, i really do, it's another fun reason to do fun things. what i don't like: kids who trick or treat not in costumes. i SERIOUSLY do not want to give them candy!!!! is that just me?

a fall day in a nebraska town

i was pleasantly suprised that nebraska welcomed me back with red, yellow, and orange leaves! i was afraid that while i was gone nebraska would pass by fall in a heartbeat and little maxson and myself would miss all the fun. alas, not so. yesterday was a beautiful temperature and we found multiple lawns covered in leaf piles to jump into. and even though maxson just wanted put the leaves in his mouth, i think he enjoyed the crunch of the leaves quite much.

HAPPY FALL!

and happy 11 months to maxson today!

ps- and happy birthday brooke! ;)