Anthon, Ashleigh, Roman, & Sterling Perkins

Sterling's on the move!!

2012-01-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

This is when he is not really motivated...

This is when he is REALLY motivated...

It's so cute to watch him scoot around :)

8 Month Mark

2012-01-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

The 6th was a milestone day for Sterling, as well. He turned 8 months! It's crazy how fast he is growing up! Sterling is such a darling little boy- so easy going & sweet to have around! He's so content all the time, it's so easy to take care of him! He still has no interest in crawling (which I'm totally ok with ;)... stay stationary as long as you'd like to!), but he loves to pull himself up & stand. He's even taken a few steps along our ottoman. He's still pretty small- can wear most 6 month clothes still- but he eats really well. He's started to become picky about his food, & he only wants to eat what we're eating.

Since the weather has been SO perfect, we've been going to the park quite a bit. As you can see from the 1st picture, he really loves to swing! I thought this picture of him on the sea horse was too cute- very GQ, wouldn't you say? ;)

This was the night we were decorating Roman's room for his birthday. We turned around & this little stink was spying on us! This was the1st time we saw him pull himself up& stand in bed.

Sterling's little personality is hilarious! He is so lovable, but at the same time looks at people like he's so judgemental... how is that possible?! He laughs a lot & it's the best when he starts to laugh because one of us is laughing, especially Roman. They get in these laughing fits where they just egg each other on! I love the noises he makes too! He's started doing this popping with his mouth & he gets this super proud look on his face whenever he does it. He seems wiser than his ripe old age of 8 months, too. That sounds retarded, but I'm being totally sincere. I've know from the day he was born that there was something extra special about him, & he just seems like he has a very mature spirit. I love this little man more than I can express & am so thankful I get to learn from him :)

3 years went by in the blink of an eye!!

2012-01-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Roman turned 3 years old on the 6th, & we spent the entire day celebrating him! The night before his birthday, Anthon & I decorated his room while he was sleeping so that when he woke up, he'd know it was a special day.

It worked... He loved the decorations & they helped him understand that it was his birthday.

We had his party that afternoon at the park & the weather was a perfect 72º!! We kept the party pretty simple... Let the kids play, decorated trucker party hats, hit a piñata, ate cake, & opened presents. It was perfect- He had a blast playing with his cousins & friends!

Roman wanted a Monster Truck birthday party, so I did my best to make him a monster truck cake. He was satisfied with my efforts, so I guess that's all that matters :)

The Piñata was a huge hit!! It was pretty darn hard to crack open, but the kids had a lot of fun beating it!

Here's everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to him

After the party was over, we went out to dinner at Amazing Jake's- just the 4 of us. It was a blast playing all the games & riding all the rides together! Some of Roman's favorite things were:

Basket ball with Daddy

The spider squishing game. He's totally Anthon's boy!!

Anthon was excited to play laser tag with him, even though the pack was as big as he was!

Riding on the Go Carts

The roller coaster. This was hilarious! I thought he was going to be scared, but he was giggling & squealing the entire ride!

There are so many things that we love about our Roman Boy!! He's darling, sweet, willing to help us with anything, forgiving, kind, patient, full of life, imaginative, mischievous & funny! The other night, I jokingly called him a little monster & he responded back to me, "No Mom! I not a monster, I a boy! I a boy, Mommy."

Somethings I want to remember about him right now are: he's starting to dress himself & is very opinionated about what he wears. He LOVES monster trucks... plays with them all day! He's sensitive & gets his feelings hurt easily. At the same time, he has my temper :( & can rage at the drop of a hat. He loves Sterling- still will kiss & hug on him all the time & gets SO excited when he wakes up in the morning/ from a nap (I've caught him in the crib snuggling/ chatting with the baby on several occasions). Would be totally content as a couch potato if we'd allow him to be one! He's a social butterfly- always wants to go to the store/work/school with us.

I'm eternally thankful for this little man- he made me a mother. He makes my days brighter & teaches me the true love of Christ on a daily basis! Happy birthday, Romey!! We love you more than you can comprehend or words can express!!

~A New Year~

2012-01-02T22:12:00.004-07:00

I can't believe 2011 is already over! I guess it's true, time goes faster the older you get! I must be getting really old cause that year FLEW by! 2011 wasn't filled with any major events, but a TON of little heart warming, testimony building, relationship strengthening moments. Ok wait, there was one MAJOR event... the birth of our sweet Sterling- which I do consider a miracle! The whole experience of the pregnancy & his birth strengthened our family- From thinking he wouldn't live for the first several months, to the relief in finding out he was ok, to his amazing arrival united Anthon & I in a way that I didn't know was possible... & it made us appreciate our children SOOOO much more (& our merciful Heavenly Father)!! I know that the birth of a new baby changes every family, but the addition of Sterling completely changed our family dynamic, absolutely for the better! Every time I look at him I realize there is something extra special about that little boy, and he was given as an extra special gift to our family. Basically, the one major event made us notice/appreciate all the other little things that happened throughout the year a lot more, and shifted our priorities a great deal. Some of the more significant "little things" that stand out when I think back over 2011 are Anthon getting his insulin pump, Roman getting potty trained, & our family trip to Mexico- all of which were such wonderful blessings for our family! I'd like to keep our focus on the same priorities throughout 2012! They are simple: Family, salvation, & education... who can ask for anything more??

To ring in the new year, we had my brother Peter & his wife Kelly over to play games & hang out- it was a simple evening at home, but that's about all we require these days, & it was a BLAST! Then today, we all took our kids on a picnic, then went for a hike, and then got foot massages (the last 2 were in hopes of inducing Kelly's labor ;)... she's due in 2 weeks & is sufficiently miserable)!

Here is everyone feeding the ducks at the park after our picnic

Here we are on the trail. Hiking has kind of become a New Year family tradition for us & we really enjoy doing it!
PS- Roman spilled water all over himself... that's why he's shirtless, not because we're totally white trash ;)

Even though I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a challenging year- with school (if last semester was any indication of how school will be this year, it's going to be extremely challenging!), transitioning from working to both of us being full time students, mandatory changes in insurance coverage that now offer high deductibles and less coverage (thanks Chase), Sterling's hypospadius correction surgery (under the new insurance plan, mind you), & all the other normal bumps on the road of life- I know it will be extremely rewarding!! We're committed/ united to the Lord & each other, so...

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

-Romans 8:31

May each of your 2012's be just as promising!

The most wonderful time of the year!!

2011-12-28T01:04:00.005-07:00

We spent Christmas in Show Low with Anthon's family & even though it was a fast trip, we still had a lot of fun! It always seems like we never have enough time to spend with the family up there, but it's still nice to spend some time with them!

I had to work Christmas eve ( I know, LAME right?!?), but thankfully Anthon & I are a great team & were super organized so that we could leave town the minute I was off the clock!! We got to Show Low in time for dinner & all the Christmas eve traditions.

Here we all are in our jamies, ready for bed

Our kids were ROTTEN that night! Roman would not stay asleep for anything & ended up waking Sterling up. Finally, around 1AM I got them both to sleep & they stayed asleep... til 4AM. Roman got up to pee & for some reason stripped completely naked, then came into our room & turned on the lights. That woke Sterling up & he was bright eyed & bushy tailed, ready to play until about 5:30AM. I could have beat them both!!! Everyone had planned to get up at 6:30AM to open presents & do breakfast before Mom & Dad had to leave for Cibecu, but thankfully they woke us up last & we got to sleep in til 7AM.

Even though the night before Christmas was awful, Christmas morning was wonderful! It was so fun watching the boys get excited about their gifts!

Sterling loves his squishy book!

& Roman finally got his bike!

We got this beauty on Craigslist for $20... it has a little wear on it, but Roman doesn't care

He was SO excited, & he just LOVES it!

Church didn't start til 1PM, so it was nice to take it slow & enjoy the morning together. Anthon's niece, Lilly, spoke in church so it was fun to get to listen to her talk & hear the pretty music. I continued the tradition this year & got all the boys matching ties... I LOVE them in their Sunday best!!

Please ignore Sterling's shoes... I forgot his dress shoes :(, but was still very thankful I had a pair of BLACK shoes for him to wear with his suit!

Monday was a fun day!! It was also, our last day there. But before we left, we played in the snow!! Roman had been asking to go play in the snow for weeks, so he was STOKED to finally get to do it!

Nothing makes me fall in love with Anthon more than seeing him play with our sons!

Sterling was SO happy the entire time we were out in the snow, too. Made it so fun!

There wasn't a lot of fresh snow, or very deep snow, so Anthon drove us around on the 4 wheeler & made a trail that we could pull the kids on.

Sterling LOVED sledding!!

JK! He was only on the sled for a photo op... please don't call CPS on me ;) Don't you love howfat his face looks in this picture?!?! I do :)

Roman, on the other hand, did get pulled on the sled... lets just say, he most certainly didn't love it, but he tolerated it long enough to satisfy his parents- such a good sport!

Even though the trip was too short (as they always seem to be), it was SO wonderful!! I don't know if it's because we're fresh out of finals & an insane semester, but the time we spent together & with our boys was so precious! And the fact that the focal point of the entire weekend was on our Savior, & the blessings we receive because of His birth, just made it all the more sweet! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!!

ahhh, I can breathe again

2011-12-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

The weight & stress from my hellacious 8 week classes is over, & it feels so nice to relax & breathe again! Of course,, the week of finals had to be especially stressful, so Sterling had the stomach flu for 3 days (& I mean bad!! The poor baby could not keep anything down!) and as soon as he stopped throwing up, Roman started. Roman had it for only 2 days, and then the day he stopped throwing up, Anthon started. You add that all up & that's an entire week of vomiting at the Perkins house... Remember what my desk looked like??? You ain't seen nothin'!! Yeah, my house was completely thrashed & reeked of vomit. Thankfully, somehow the house got cleaned, & I was able to pass my classes- I got an A in Pathophysiology & received a total miracle in math!! I had spent less than an adequate amount of time learning the material that would be covered on the final, and an even less amount of time studying said material, because I was so concerned about my patho class, and had children constantly throwing up on me. So when I took my practice final to see how I would fair on the real deal, I scored a 56% the first time & a 58% the 2nd. I was heart broken, SO angry with myself, & just knew I was going to fail- wasting the 8 weeks of complete hell!! Thankfully, Anthon is the man that he is! He wrapped me in his enormous arms for a much needed bear hug & then suggested we pray before I left to take the actual final. I must say, I felt completely unworthy to ask the Lord for help remembering the things I hadn't spent enough time to learn on my own, but Anthon said a pleading a prayer on my behalf anyway, & sent me on my way to take the final. I stopped crying in enough time to have only slightly red eyes when I got to the testing center, & felt complete peace the entire time I tested. You can imagine my gratitude after submitting the final, to see that I scored a 77% and got an overall B in the class!! God does hear our prayers... and is merciful!!
So, that was my Friday. Saturday, I worked and then after, we had every Christmas party in the world to attend! I was gone from the house from 8AM til about 10:30PM, & was completely exhausted. Sunday, blessed Sunday, we went to church, came home, & rested!! It was SOOO nice to simply relax & enjoy my family... I swear, it felt like I hadn't held/ really interacted with Sterling for weeks :(. I'm so glad life is getting back to "normal" now!
Last night, after our full day of rest, we decided to go see the temple lights. Anthon's brother, sister, & brother-in-law met us there and even though it had been a rainy, drizzly day, it was a pleasant evening.

Roman had a blast running around outside & looking at all the lights

I simply enjoyed snuggling with my baby.. he's super sweet & makes a great little heater :)

Something else I failed to mention, Saturday marked 10 years that Anthon & I have been together! I'm so grateful for our relationship! I'm pretty sure I'm the only girl on the planet who is willing to put up with him, & he's the only guy on the planet able to put up with me. I love him so much that the word "love" itself just doesn't seem to describe how I feel adequately. All I know is that with him, the easy parts of life are made funner, the hard parts in life are made easier, and the joyous parts of life are sweeter! Not many people can say the best decision they ever made was made in high school, but I can... it was Him!

PS- If you wanna read the story that started our romance, click HERE :)

November Nothings

2011-11-29T01:04:00.001-07:00

As you can see from our header, we did do something this month... we got family pictures! A lady in our ward took them for us & did an amazing job!! It's a miracle she got any of Roman because he was WILD, but some how she managed! I LOVED the location- it's a historical building in down town Mesa & it was better than I could have dreamed! I really love how they turned out! Here's just a few:

Is it just me, or does he look really grown up??

No matter how old he gets, he'll still be my little boy!

Can't get enough of that smile!

Handsome boys!

Besides that, we haven't had anything exciting going on. But I figured I'd go ahead & post about the "nothings" of November (my blog is pretty much my journal now, & I hate to leave gaps in time just because we haven't done anything special. Every day life with our family is special, right?!?). Anthon & I do school & go to work. That's it. You're caught up on us. Onto the cute ones, Roman & Sterling!

Sterling is growing up too fast!! He's learned how to hold his own bottle, which is nice if he's hungry when I'm in the middle of something, but I still LOVE snuggling with him while he nurses! It's so great- I may breast feed this kid til he's 5, just sayin'.

See anything new on this little man?? He got his 1st tooth!!

I honestly don't think he could be any more adorable- inside & out!! He is SUCH a gift!

Even when he does this...

This has been happening a lot lately...

so he's been getting a lot of baths

All clean!

I love his little nakey bum!!

Pardon my lack of makeup & overall exhausted appearance, but I ADORE this boy!

Roman is so SWEET! Granted, he has his terrible (rotten, awful, hideous) 2 moments, but inside he really is a kind, sweet, loving boy! I've really been enjoying my time with him! He's been playing outside a lot since we got rid of the dog, & LOVES it!

Baseball is a must for this kid... & he's pretty good at throwing/hitting a ball, if I do say so, myself!

Rocks. The boy is obsessed with rocks.

He'll line them up, thrown them, take them with him where ever he goes, & stash them away in safe places...

Like here, in my bed. Along with his quarters & skull whistle.

We just started bathing the boys together & they both seem to really enjoy it... well, most of the time.

Awesome picture, right?

He did say sorry to Sterling once he realized he didn't like having water spit in his face.

He really does love his little brother!

So fresh & so clean- Ready for bed. Bed time is awesome for so many reasons- Our life right now is insane- like barely keeping our heads above water, insane. I love having a few minutes every night, where our family can gather together to pray (& thank the Lord that we survived another day!)! Then, I get to lay with my boys & sing to them while Roman plays with my hair & Sterling nurses, until they both fall asleep. I usually get a much needed cat nap too!! Ahh, bed time is awesome!

Ok, this may have been the longest post in my history of blogging, but then again, it did cover almost an entire month. Anyway, thanks for catching up with us! 2 & 1/2 more weeks of school, then hopefully life will be back to normal... & so will my posts.

Kelly's Baby Shower

2011-11-29T00:27:00.001-07:00

We threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law Kelly at the beginning of this month & it was a BLAST to prepare & attend! I was in charge of the decorations & wanted to do something that would be easy & cheap, but would still look good- so I decided to make pom-poms. As I was heading up to the register at Hobby Lobby with all the tissue paper for said pom-poms, I saw the silver garland & knew it was destined to be included. The tissue paper had such a soft texture & the pearls of the garland were an awesome contrast! I LOVE how everything came together!

The entry way: Both sides were lined like this

The "head" of the entry way

Kitchen: may have been my favorite area!

The yummy spread: tri-tip, potato casserole, home made rolls, broccoli salad, & fresh fruit with dip!

The cupcakes: Our dear friend Kim made them & they tasted just as good as they look

Aren't they beautiful?!?

Front of the diaper cake

Back of the diaper cake

Kelly got a lot of SUPER cute gifts!!

I made her the car seat cover in this picture... I'm SO glad she liked it :)!! We love you, Kelly!! & we can't wait to meet little miss Olivia Paige!

5x7 Folded Card

2011-11-26T11:59:00.001-07:00

Delicate Merry Wishes Christmas Card

Create unique Christmas cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love Shutterfly! They have the best cards & they're always sending me awesome discounts & coupon codes, so I get their darling products for next to nothing! Why, just for sharing our Christmas card on our blog, they're giving me another $10 off! So, go check 'em out... you won't regret it ;)

6 months

2011-11-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying every second I have with this boy! He is SO incredibly sweet, patient, & cute!! I love his face- I know he's not chubby at all, but I love his plump cheeks- we call him "Fat-fatty" all the time because of them :). I guess I should write about some of his milestones, huh??
At his Dr. appointment today he was 27in. tall and weighed 15lbs. He's on the same growth curve for height, but dropped a little in weight (I don't understand how that can happen! The kid eats like there's no tomorrow). Speaking of food, he loves rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and ANY kind of fruit. So far he doesn't like peas or corn, but we're working on it. His 1st tooth broke through this weekend & he's trying his hardest to scoot around on the floor. He started saying "Mama", but only says it when he's whining or sad- it's still pretty cute to hear him say it, though! He loves to hear his daddy sing- seriously, the kids face lights up & he can't stop smiling when Anthon sings to him. It's adorable to watch!
I seriously can't believe Sterling is half a year old already! He wasn't an infant for long was he?? & I'm betting his baby phase will go by just as quickly... he'll be a toddler before I know it! SO sad :(. I was thinking the other day about eternal families & how lucky I am to know that I will have mine forever. I love knowing that my children will always be mine! But then, I realized that my boys are going to be adults in the eternities, and it made me SO thankful for the chance I have to know them as children- the sweet, Innocent, adorable little boys that they are! That realization makes me want to cherish every little milestone, even more! This time with them is so precious, and I'm so thankful I have it to spend it with them!

More hair cuts

2011-11-04T12:41:00.001-07:00

After Being successful with my first hair cut ever (on Sterling), I decided to try a more difficult subject... a toddler- Roman specifically! It took me longer than Sterling's did, but I guess that's to be expected; Roman has a bigger head & more hair. He was very patient with me, though & did a great job of sitting still. So, what 'cha think??

I think he looks super handsome (but I may be slightly biased)!!

I know it may seem silly, but being able to cut my boys' hair makes me feel very accomplished, independent, & happy. I'm so thankful for this new "life skill" I've been taught!

Watch out, Anthon... you're next ;)!

Pre-Halloween weekend... picture overload!!

2011-10-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

Friday:

Our ward had a Halloween party Friday night, so we all got dressed up & enjoyed the nice weather, yummy food, & good company! Roman wanted to dress up as Woody this year, so we decided to go with a Toy Story theme.

Naturally, Sterling had to be Woody's counterpart!

He LOVES the costumes- which makes it all the more fun!

Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head

I'm sad I didn't get a good picture of the 2 of us together, but I'll try again tomorrow! This costume is probably the hottest, most ridiculous, & unflattering costume I could have chosen for myself, but I love a good theme... & it was a hit, none-the-less!

I look really tired, don't I?
If you don't know why I'm so tired, you obviously didn't read my last post.

Anthon looked great in his costume... Hot, even!
Am I sick or what?!

Saturday:

I finished all my assignments Saturday afternoon once I got off work (& got A's on both my quizzes, I thank you!) so we decided to use a Groupon I bought for DeWitt Stables. It was SO much fun!! The weather was perfect, we went in the evening so most of the people were leaving, & they had so many fun things! They had a bouncy house, barrel train rides, petting zoo, hay maze, hay rides to the pumpkin patch, tons of little kid games, photo ops, & Roman's favorite, by far... pony rides!

& this is what pure joy looks like! This was his 1st time on a horse & I'm so glad Anthon captured it!!

He loved every minute of it!

His little guide was so sweet & let Roman use his hat for a "Wee-Haw!"

The sunset was so pretty! ...even though Anthon's got the creeper vibe going on in this picture

The petting zoo was another big hit! They had all kinds of farm animals: rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, a puppy, goats, sheep, & a pig.

Roman loved this chicken! Probably because it was the only one he could pick up & hols on his own :)

Here we are on the hay ride to the pumpkin patch

I LOVE how this picture turned out! The scarecrow, Roman's face with his pumpkin, Sterling's expression, the dust in the air... it's all great!!

After the stables, we hit up Bahama Bucks- another 1st for Roman. It was a success, as well!

Sunday:

It was a regular Sunday: church, naps, lots of family time, & a nice dinner... but with the 1st week of my new INSANE schedule down, I'm finding a new, greater appreciation for our sabbath- a day of rest! We had our Relief Society Extravaganza (use to be super Saturday) last weekend, & a lady taught a class on cutting boys hair... I LOVED it and was anxious to put my new skills to use! What cha think??

Not that big of a difference, but it still makes him look older to me!
I love me a freshly, clean cut little boy!

I must have been in a fall colored kind of mood today cause we all ended up wearing some form of brown/orange

& this was the cherry on top of my fantastic weekend... watching my darling boys play with their adorable daddy!

my life for the next 8 weeks...

2011-10-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

MCC is offering a concurrent enrollment (with ASU) nursing program starting next fall and in order to apply I needed 2 more classes that ASU requires. If I do the concurrent enrollment program, I can earn my bachelors degree instead of just an associates that I'd get from just doing MCC's nursing program. So, I'm taking 2 regular courses-Pathophysiology & college algebra- & cramming them into 8 weeks in order to reach the application deadline. It's day 4 of my 8 weeks & I feel exactly how my desk looks...

I'm at this desk ALL THE TIME! It's the 1st place I go when I wake up- I eat here, feed Sterling here, usually fall asleep here, & everything in between!

Overwhelmed & disorganized only begin to describe how I'm feeling! If you think my desk is bad, you should see the rest of my house! It's driving me CRAZY, but I barely have the time to keep up with my courses much less pick up after my messy boys.

Speaking of which, I was worried if I'd be able to get anything done being at home with Roman & Sterling, but thankfully keeping them entertained has been the least of my worries! Sterling makes a great study buddy & is content as long as he's hanging out near me.

His cuddles help keep me sane!

Roman loves that I'm not hovering over him all the time & has found some wonderfully fun things to do while I'm distracted with school.

That's waterproof mascera, ladies & gentlemen!

December 17th is the end date for both my classes, so that will be the mark I'm focused on for the next 8 weeks! I know it will be worth it in the end, but I just hope I can see the mark through the disaster that is my life right now & focus on it!

Sunday Best

2011-10-16T23:03:00.003-07:00

I love dressing my boys normally, but there's something about getting them dressed on Sunday that I especially enjoy! Maybe it's the crisp clean shirts, the ties (the only accessory I can use!), or just the fancier style, but I love them in their church clothes!

"CHEESE!!"

Isn't he handsome?!

Gotta show off my cute new dress too ;)

What a little stud, huh?!

PS- Remember THIS post about Roman's song? Well, I still sing it to Roman & wanted a song I could personalize for Sterling. I sang the "Mother Dear" song with Sterling's name once, but Roman looked at me like I was betraying him, so I decided I should find Sterling his own song! It just so happened that one of my favorite baby songs, "Baby Mine" by Allison Krouse (or the old school version on Dumbo) fits perfectly! Anytime I sing it to him & the lyrics are suppose to say "Baby mine" I replace it with "Sterling boy" (which is a nickname we call him a lot). Anyway, maybe I'm weird but I like having special lullaby's for my boys!

Staycation- a lot of pictures from doing a lot of nothing

2011-10-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

I had a week off from work & it was lovely! No, we didn't do anything really fun or exciting, but it was nice to spend some much needed time at home! I did take quite a few pictures (which was a goal of mine... I noticed I'd been slacking a lot lately, especially taking pictures of Sterling- the kid's growing up too fast!), so here are some of the pictures I took from me Staycation:

Chapter 1- At home

where we spent most of my week off

I did a LOT of cleaning, & this was taken on the day I was washing all the bedding so please ignore the bare mattress (we're really not that white trash), but I LOVE when they nap together!

Roman is obsessed with cars, so we spent a lot of time playing with them... he was particularly proud of this line up he did!

Sterling started sitting up on his own, & I was glad I had my photo taking resolution fresh in my mind so that I'd be sure to document it!

These 2 were playing so cute together that I wanted to get a picture of them together, but this is what I got...

Roman smiling, Sterling looking away.

Then Sterling smiling and Roman looking away.

And finally, both of them looking at me like I'm retarded. Gotta love it!
PS- I love that they look like brother's in this picture!

This is what my kitchen looks like most nights while I'm making dinner- Roman "helping" (but really just making a mess) and Sterling chewing on every cooking utensil in my jar.

But I wouldn't change any of it! I love when they hang out with me while I cook!

& who cares if I have to wash every spoon, EVERY night?! He's having a good time :)

Chapter 2- Outside

The one fun thing we did do was go to the zoo. Anthon only had a couple jobs since it was a down day, so he got to come too- YAY!

This was our first time seeing the orangutan exhibit, and it was a big hit, UNTIL....

Lovely, right?! & there wasn't a tight seal on the glass, so it started to run out on our side of the glass. Needless to say, we didn't hang out there much longer. Nasty primate!

This was the week before the lovely, cool weather hit, so it was pretty toasty! It was still fun to be outside together though... & we did hit up the splash pad, too.

I LOVE this picture!! Such handsome boys!

PS- One other thing I did while on vacation was find a new home for our dog, Gunner. Anthon was kinda sad about it, but honestly we never played with the poor thing & Roman has literally been crying to go outside & play (but he couldn't with that GIANT dog back there). So, it's better for everyone! Gunner's with someone that has the time to play with him and Roman is able to go outside & play (which he has, for several hours, every morning)!

Chapter 3- Things of the Spirit

This week off of work really came about because I had 2 important events on consecutive Saturday's. Since I was taking 2 Saturday's off in a row, and I had a week of remaining vacation & no where else to put it, I just squished it between the 2 Saturday's.

The Saturday starting off my vacation was my brother Peter & his wife Kelly's sealing.

It was beautiful & I'm so happy for them! They are 2 of my favorite people & I love them both dearly!

The Saturday ending my vacation was General Conference. This was the first year in a long time that I was able to watch all the sessions. I usually work on Saturday's & miss the morning and part of the afternoon session because of that. Last April I decided I wasn't going to miss any of the sessions any more, & I'm so glad I didn't!

Roman did really well with all 4 sessions... & the little printable coloring books helped a lot

LOVE this picture, too!! Such sweet guys!

I'm so thankful for a living prophet & the chance we had to listen to him & his apostles!

& that's the end of my "Staycation"... I can't wait til my next one!

Growin' like a weed

2011-09-22T09:28:00.002-07:00

This little man is 4 months old already & is getting bigger every day. We pushed his well check up back because he was so sick, so once he was feeling better we went in... and then he got sick again! K, I'm just being dramatic. He had a fever for a few days again, but it was because of the immunizations. Still, Sterling+ fever= no fun or sleep. He was healthy otherwise- growing as he should. He weighed 14.5 lbs & was 26 in tall. They haven't been giving me percentages for his size (like ever), they just show me his growth curve. I kinda like it that way- comparing him to himself & what's normal for him rather than comparing him to the masses (which, it seems like everyone I talk to's kid is in the 90th something percentile, so you'd think by now the 90th percentile would become the norm, or 50th. I don't know, just a thought). Anyway, he's healthy & growing at a consistent rate. He's becoming more & more playful everyday & I love it! Granted, he still looks at me like I'm the biggest idiot sometimes, but I really enjoy all of his expressions. He's started rolling a lot. I don't see him do it very often, but I know he does! for example, when I run in the mornings I lay him on his little play mat, on his back with his head on the North side. When I turn around to get off the treadmill, he's on his belly facing south. Here's a video when I actually witnessed it ... Please ignore my creeper voice :)

I am SO thankful for this little boy!! He has the sweetest presence about him & such a mature spirit- I think he came to teach me thing or two while I try to raise him ;).

I have to add a little shout out to Mr. Roman. He FINALLLY got a hair cut!! There's nothing I love more than a clean cut little boy... even if he's making this face while I'm trying to capture how cute he looks with short hair! Roman has been pretty bipolar lately, but I hear that's kinda common in 2 year olds. One minute he'll be super sweet, obedient, & helpful the next minute he's a maniac, tearing the house apart. However, I'm going to focus on the 1st minute :). He frequently will come up to me, wrap his arms around my neck, give me a big, wet kiss on my cheek & say, "Mmmm! I wuv you, Mommy!" It seriously makes my day when he does it... and makes me forget any awful things he did minutes before :)

Annual Labor Day Camping Trip

2011-09-07T00:16:00.001-07:00

Can I just start out by saying how impressed I am with Blogger's enhancements?!?! It's SO easy to upload/ edit pictures now... Hallelujah!

Anyway, onto our trip! We headed up to the mountains late Friday night & then headed up to the campsite (where all of Anthon's family was) Saturday morning. I think it's pretty common knowledge that I despise camping, but I honestly was trying to have a positive attitude this trip for Anthon's sake. He does things with me all the time that I'm sure he hates, so why shouldn't I do the same?

Well, the camping started out lovely... the weather was perfect, the mountain was beautiful, there were plenty of toys to keep the boys happy, & visiting with family is always fun for me!

Honestly, my favorite thing about camping is the clothes... retarded, right?!?! You're suppose to wear whatever clothes- ones that can get destroyed. But I think it's so fun to get to dress the boys up in warm hats & hoodies... there's not much need for that here in Mesa.

Here we are all snuggled up by the fire... Day 1 was lovely!

Day 2, on the other hand, was a little bit of a nightmare! There were bees everywhere... I mean swarming us constantly! Roman got stung on his nose (like up by his eye) :( & I was terrified that Sterling was going to get stung! Thankfully, he didn't! He did, however, get sick :( & was a fussy mess the entire day! If you know Sterling, you know he's a super chill baby that hardly ever makes a peep... the kid was crying, fussing, moaning all day long, so we knew something was up! We ended up leaving that night to head back home & I took him to the Dr. today. It turns out that the poor kid has a viral infection & has had a fever of like 102º... not fun! Today has probably been the TOUGHEST day of my "motherhood career"- Sterling being so sick & crying almost non-stop, then Roman burning his hand on my flat iron right before Sterling's appointment, then crying because his hand hurts the entire time we're at the Dr.'s office (talk about the eyes of judgement being on us non-stop while we were there!), then Sterling having to be catheterized to make sure he didn't have a bladder infection/ UTI because of his hypospadias- resulting in more discomfort & screaming, & the list goes on and on... on top of me being TOTALLY sleep deprived (I'll be honest, I've had several crying melt downs today)!! Yeah, like I said, it's been a T.O.U.G.H day.

Anyway, back to our trip... The 2nd day wasn't completely miserable, we went on a ride in the Articat as a family to the tree Anthon carved our initials in way back in high school, and we added Sterling to it :)

Here we are waiting for Anthon to carve Sterling's name... He is SO white! Doesn't he look like a little corpse when he sleeps?!? So sweet & creepy at the same time!

Here's me & my Roman boy... Gosh I love this rotten, beautiful kid!

& here's the finished product! This was my favorite part of the trip... Just the few minutes we spent together, taking pictures & doing this little tradition we've started!

Before we came back home, we stopped at Anthon's parents house to steel some fresh veggies from their garden.I'm SO sad I didn't get pictures of it, but Roman had a BLAST! He loved searching for the red tomatoes & pulling them off the vine, catching lady bugs, & finding big zucchini's to pick! We'll have to do it again the next time we're up there, & NOT forget my camera!

So in a nut shell, the trip would have been perfect minus the bees & sick baby, but there's always next year to have that perfect camping trip :)

PS- I didn't take a whole lot of pictures this trip, but if you want to see all of them you can check out the album on Facebook by clicking HERE

Nothing's new... but here's a lot of pictures

2011-08-28T17:00:00.006-07:00

Like the title says, nothing is really new, but I thought I'd share some pictures of what "nothing new" looks like

Mr. Sterling has been growing like a weed! He really likes to sit up now, but can't do it unassisted, so he has a couple of chairs to choose from: The bouncy seat (which you can see from above, is pretty mesmerizing) or the Bumpo (which you can see below, he feels pretty spiffy sitting in).

He's been laughing up a storm too. Clapping his hands together & tickleing the little chub under his chin bring about the most chuckles :)
Onto this boy, Mr. Roman. He is becoming a terror. I guess it's to be expected- he is 2 & 1/2... and a boy. None-the-less, we do have a tender moment or two with him between the insane stunts he pulls almost constanly!
Like I've said before I'm sure, the bath is my favorite place to photograph him. He's stationary, clean, and there isn't a whole lot to distract him. I love his smile! Reminds me of how sweet he use to be, and gives me hope that he will be that sweet again :) BTW, anyone know how long the "terrible" ages last??He looks like he's on a mission in this picture & I love it! Of course, right after I snappd it, he pointed the squirt gun at me & shot my camera right in the lens. Awesome.

Onto Anthon! Poor man has been working out in this horrific heat all summer & has survived, so give him huge props for that! I honestly don't know how he does it... I barely survive walking to my car when it's 115º+! The only really new thing is he started school this week, but before we kissed him goodbye for the next 6 months, we went to the Aquarium together & had a blast!

Here they are in a couple tank bubbles... so fun to see the fish from an internal persective :)

As for me, nothing's new. Surprise. Work isn't completely horrible, Anthon's doing everything he can to better out lives & still loves me :), Sterling is as sweet as they come, & at the end of the day that's full of tantrums, drawing all over the house (& everything in it), climbing up & falling off of things, and all the other craziness that Roman does I'm still eternally thankful I get to be him mommy... So life is good.This was the view from our kitchen window the other night... I thought I'd share it
2 Nephi 31:20
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men..."

My cup runneth over

2011-08-08T10:40:00.007-07:00

Yesterday was SUCH a great day! Talk about getting a glimpse into eternity... I was so happy all day & so thankful for my family! Anthon gave Sterling the sweetest blessing at church- I honestly don't think there is anything more special than watching/ listening to a father bless his new baby! I'm SO incredibly thankful for Anthon and both our sons! I'm even more thankful for the Plan on Happiness that makes it possible for us to be together forever! We had a lot of friends and family come out to support us yesterday (sorry, I didn't take hardly any pictures), but thank you all who came! It was so fun to see/ visit with you & feel of your love.

K seriously, I can hardly stand how cute this kid is! He wore the same suit as Roman did for his blessing, & it's a good thing he was a month older than Roman was when we blessed him, otherwise the suit would've drowned him!Here's our best attempt at a family picture. Roman was really tired & cranky after church, so he was not cooperative, but Peter managed to snap one of him smiling :)
Sterling's Grandma Perkins, Great Grandma Longhurst, & Daddy. 4 Generations. These kinds of pictures are so neat to me cause my kids will be lucky if they get to have a picture with me & one of my parents!

Sterling is so serious for the majority of the time, but the sweetness just radiates off of him! He definitely brought a very special spirit with him into our home & I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to be his mother!

We were pretty tuckered out by the end of the afternoon. I love that Anthon took this. I don't get very many kandid shots of me with my kids, so when someone gets one I usually really like it!

Sterling's Blessing

2011-07-28T23:42:00.007-07:00

We'll be blessing Sterling this fast Sunday, Aug. 7th at 9:00AM at our new ward building. The address is 10036 E. Brown Rd. Mesa 85207(North East corner of Brown & Crismon). I'm teaching that Sunday, so we'll have a luncheon after church is over at 12:30pm- Gotta gimme a couple minutes to get the food organized ;)- at our home: 632 N. 99th St. Mesa, AZ 85207 . Feel free to join us... just leave me a comment here (or under the "event" page on Facebook) saying how many people you're bringing so I know how much food to prepare.

Last trip of the summer...

2011-07-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

We spent the last 5 days in Rocky Point. It was heaven! We did nothing. Absolutely nothing but spend time together on the beach... like I said before, heaven!

Now it's time to get back to reality. Which means back to work for me & back to school for Anthon... (sigh) Goodbye ocean- and freedom- till next year!

PS- blogger was being lame (as usual ) when I tried to upload pictures, so if you wanna see all the photos from our trip check out my album on Facebook by clicking HERE

10 Weeks & other fun things

2011-07-14T09:59:00.010-07:00

Sterling will be 10 weeks tomorrow & is just as sweet as ever! We took him for his 2 month check up this past week and his Dr. said he's growing beautifully. He weighed 11.8 lbs & was 23.5 in. long which put his in the 50% for weight & 75% for height. He got the 2 month round of immunizations & was NOT a happy camper. I don't remember Roman having as had of a time with shots,but Sterling was grouchy for almost 3 days after the shots. He had a fever for 2 days and just cried all the time...the kid never cries normally, so I know he was feeling miserable! <--- I took this picture that afternoon & his expression resembles pretty much how his personality was :) Poor baby!I was worried for a minute that he'd never trust us again & he'd have a permanent scowl! But thankfully, he's acting like he feels better now & i actually smiling again! This picture is a more accurate representation of what is personality is normally like ... So sweet!! I love him!

Other fun things we've been up to.... Roman did swimming lessons for a few weeks & LOVED it! I've tried teaching him before & it goes great until I want him to do something he doesn't want to do & then we just hit a wall, so having someone else work with him on those things were very beneficial!Swimming always tuckers him out, & naps are fun for mom :)We went up to Show Low the past 2 weekends & while we were up there I set up the camera with the auto timer & snapped a family picture... turned out pretty cute, no??

Last, but not least, we finally found a car!! It's a 2005 Toyota Sienna... Yes, I'm totally rocking the minivan. Honestly though, I really like it!It's so convenient & has any feature I could ask for, plus more! I'm SO glad that the car shopping phase is over- it really was exhausting/ frustrating/ annoying - & we're in something that will function for our family!

Happenings this week

2011-06-24T07:17:00.010-07:00

We'll start out with Father's Day... it was a nice, relaxing day. I made Anthon his favorite breakfast & got all the boys matching ties, as usual. We had a super chill day, with just us & that was really nice. I wanted to go to the cemetery to visit my dad's grave, but by the time we got around to getting up & going it was too late. That's ok though, I still thought about my dad- I don't need to be at his grave to do that :)Onto Mr. Sterling... I took him in for his 1 month check up (even though he's 7 weeks) & he's fit as a fiddle! He's finally starting to get some meat on his bones- he weighed 10lbs 3oz & was 22.5in long. Dr. says he's in the 90th percentile for height & 75th for weight- which is crazy to me cause he still seems so small! His little personality is starting to really shine- he still seems very sceptical about this whole mortality business, & I don't blame him :)
He started smiling & that has been SO fun to see a "lighter" side of him! He's usually so serious... I am seeing more & more resemblances between him & Roman- they're both miniature Anthons!In other exciting news- I started potty training Roman this week. The first couple of days were pretty frustrating, but by Wednesday he was going to the bathroom in the toilet by himself & hadn't had any accidents! Thankfully, the accidents he has had, haven't been too horrible!Hopefully, he'll keep progressing...I got this little chart at the dollar store & he LOVES it! He gets so excited to put stickers on it for each accomplishment he makes- I guess it's fun for him to chart his progress :). We've been telling him for a while that if he learns to use the potty we'd buy him a bicycle (which he has been desperate for since his 2nd birthday), so once he fills up his chart with stickers his daddy will take him to the store to pick out his very own bicycle (hopefully, by then he'll be fully trained)! I love watching Roman go through this stage in his life- he's so sweet & fun and I love watching his self confidence grow!!
These last 2 pictures were taken last night in the tub... my favorite location to shoot him :). These pictures sum up all my favorite features of his- I love that he has my dad's eyes, his little ears like his daddy's, the single freckle on his nose, his luscious lips, & his darling, little, gappy teeth... Man I LOVE this kid Last but not least, we sold me car. My lovely, stylish, comfortable, totally awesome Acadia- it's gone. Seriously though, I'm ok with it :) We got such a good deal when we bought it that we were able to sell it for practically the same price we paid for it 3 years ago. So, now we'll use the "equity" we made & try to find something else that will work for our family that we won't have a payment on- it probably won't be as lovely or stylish (we're leaning more towards a mini van of some sort), but it will be functional & more importantly, it won't have a payment attached to it! With Anthon's school load getting heavier he'll be cutting back on his hours at work & I'm hopefully starting the nursing program in January, so I won't be working at all- it'll be nice not to have the added stress of car payments when our budget decreases! So wish me luck on my hunt for a "new" car!

One of the busiest weeks of the year

2011-06-17T09:24:00.006-07:00

This week of June is always busy & a lot of fun... Why? Because we get to celebrate Anthon's birthday, our wedding anniversary, & Father's Day all within one week!

Anthon's birthday was Tues, the 14th. He & Roman came back from Rocky Point that afternoon & so we had my family (since Anthon's family were all still in Mexico) over for pizza, cake, & ice cream
The party was a lot of fun! Roman's been getting into Spiderman lately, so here my brother Peter is helping him be Spiderman by walking on the ceiling :) Another exciting thing we got to do this week was take little Sterling to a urologist. He was born with a condition called hypospadias- basically his little urethra formed in the wrong spot. He has a pretty mild case of it, so he can pee fine and everything now but potty training will be a challenge if it doesn't get fixed. 1 in 300 baby boys are born with some form of the condition, so it's fairly common, surprisingly. We just have to wait for him to get a little bigger before they can do the surgery (they'll do it somewhere around 6 months to a year). It was nice to meet/ talk with the Dr. who will do the surgery- I'm confident he'll take good care of our baby.
BTW, I think Target diapers are the cutest!

Yesterday, we went to the Sea Life Aquarium at Arizona Mills Mall. My sister Gwen, brother Peter, & their kids all met us there & we all had a really good time!

They have all kinds of animals & really cool exhibits! They have touch tanks with star fish, hermit crabs, & other nice animals you can "pet". Then they have tanks with the big, really cool animals.

These crabs were probably my favorite- so gross, but really cool!

Here you can see how big they are in comparison... Like as big as Roman's head! Can you imagine running into one of those in the ocean?! SICK!

A lot of the tanks had these fun interactive window/ bubble things you could go into & it was like you were inside the tank with the fish... very cool for the kids!

Today is mine & Anthon's 6th wedding anniversary!! Where has the time gone??

To celebrate, we're gonna go out to dinner- maybe a movie or some shopping too. I don't know, we haven't planned it all out yet, but I'm just excitd to leave the kids at home & go out on a date with him!! Being married has been the most challenging, rewarding, exciting, frustrating, wonderful decision for me! Anthon is the best partner/ friend I could ask for... actually, he's better than anything I could've asked for! I'm so grateful for the opportunity we had to be seald- Being married 60 years wouldn't be enough for me!!!

Memorial Day...

2011-05-31T22:29:00.008-07:00

We decided Saturday evening to head to Show Low for the long weekend, & I'm so glad we did! It was SO nice to be home & out of the heat! Anthon's dad is the branch president of the Cibecue Branch (a little reservation town) & one of the members out there made him the little bed/carrier Sterling's in, so he wanted to get a picture.Monday, Memorial Day, we went to Anthon's great grandparents cabin and family cemetery to plant flowers & have a picnic.
the weather was PERFECT! 70º & no wind!
Roman loved helping his daddy & Grandpa plant the flowers

And playing baseball with his cousins & Uncle Jason!
Sterling enjoyed soaking up some sun

Anthon bought a new toy Saturday before we came up- it's a remote control helicopter.
He spent most of the trip playing with it...
I still love him though :)

Another week's gone by...

2011-05-27T16:17:00.019-07:00

Roman's been having some fun this week... playing with cousins, going to the park, and constantly getting into things he shouldn't in his bathroom! Yep, a whole roll of dental floss, tangled around his little hand. Oh, I love this boy, but this little stint (and unrolling a whole roll of toilet paper into the toilet then flushing it) earned him a child lock on his bathroom door nob!
Sterling is starting to look more like Roman to me :)

I decided to bust out the camera today & try to take some fun pictures of him... Here are a few: He weighed 8lbs 8oz this week
I Love this little hat! I thought this shot showed his actual size pretty well... Kinda fun to "add" him to our family wall of pictures, in a way!

What we've been up to these past 2 weeks...

2011-05-20T09:34:00.006-07:00

A whole lotta nothin' but enjoying this little man!

Sterling is such a chill, easy going baby. He hardly makes a peep, much less cries, and is just as content as can be. He does look like he's concerned about something a lot of the time, so maybe he's just trying to take it all in.
We have gone on a lot of walks to a playground that's close by. Poor Roman & I are getting sick of being home 24/7, so walks are a nice way to avoid catching cabin fever!

Sleep... a lot! Nap time is oh so glorious! Not only is it my one & only break for the day, but it's the perfect time to capture these candid, heart warming, moments!

Baths- Oh I love the smell of a new baby! Sterling's hair gets greasy very fast, so I look forward to bath days when we get to give him a good scrubbin' and then spend the rest of the day cuddling & sniffing his freshly cleaned head of hair!

That pretty much sums up our activities for the past 2 weeks at our house... & probably many more weeks to come. Just living the day-to-day life, and enjoying watching these two boys grow!

Sterling Anthon Perkins

2011-05-13T16:20:00.001-07:00

Our baby is a week old today, so I figured it's about time I posted about his birth. This delivery was SO much easier on me than Roman's was! With the exception on one MISERABLE hour (after they broke my water, before I got the epidural) labor was a cinch. I was induced Thursday, May 5th, @ 10pm and Sterling was born just a short time later- May 6, 2011 @ 1:33pmHe's itty-bitty (compared to what Roman was at birth)! He weighed 7lbs 3oz & was 21 inches long. He's a super chill baby & just darling!

Here we all are meeting each other for the first time... I was a little worried about how Roman would respond to him, but it's all been positive! When Roman 1st came into my hospital room & I showed him Sterling, his face literally LIT UP and he exclaimed, "It's my baby!"
We're not sure who Sterling resembles yet- some people say he looks just like Anthon, some say they can see Roman in him, and some say he just looks like a little old man... maybe we should've named him Benjamin Button :)
One thing's for sure, he got my family's cursed finger toes! Look at the length of those babies! He did have to spend one day in the ICU under the bili lights because he was jaundiced, but that was ok. Remember, we thought he had Trisomy 18 for the first few months I was pregnant & thought he wasn't going to live, so we're thankful any little hiccup he has to go through in this life & that we get to have him as our son!!

2011-05-13T15:54:00.005-07:00

Just a heads up: Most of the captions below have nothing to do with the pictures :) The pictures are from our last day at the hospital/ 1st day home.

We got to come home the afternoon of Mother's Day, May 8th, which was really special! I'm not gonna lie, life with two kids is harder than I thought it would be, but thankfully we're all adjusting to the changes & enjoying the time together.

This little man had his days & nights mixed up for the first few nights we were home, but we've nipped that in the bud & aren't so sleep deprived now.

I was a weepy mess for the first few days we were home, too. The smallest thing would open the water works and they just wouldn't shut! I don't know how husbands deal with their emotional, postpartum wives... it's so pathetic and ridiculous sometimes, but I'm thankful Anthon's understanding of my irrational emotions!

Seeing our 2 boys interact together is probably the greatest joy I've felt in my life, thus far. Roman is always asking to hold Sterling and loves to help me bathe him, change his diaper, or anything I'm doing with the baby. It's really nice that he likes to help me, and helps put my conscience at ease because he's included in almost all of the things we do for the new baby.

I took some pictures to use for Sterling's birth announcements yesterday; here's one that didn't make the final cut, but that I still love, so I figured I share it on here... enjoy :)

The end is in sight!

2011-04-28T10:24:00.011-07:00

This picture pretty much sums up how I'm feeling these days... Tired, swollen, & just plain OVER pregnancy! Ever since last weekend, my poor feet & legs have been like elephant feet everyday... SO swollen! I didn't have hardly any swelling with Roman, & I didn't realize just how miserable this common "side effect" of pregnancy can be!
The good news is there's light at the end of the tunnel! I saw my Dr. today & I'm 70% effaced & dilated to 2cm... that's exciting,but not as exciting as my scheduled induction!! I'm going in next Thursday at 10pm to be induced, so hopefully our little man will grace us with his presence sometime on Friday, May 6th! Ah, only 7 more days- I can hardly wait! I can't wait for this bump to be GONE (well, smaller at least... I'm not delusional enough to think that the pudge will EVER go away)!
Just for kicks & giggles... here's what I looked like 7 days before I had Roman... YIKES!

My Boys

2011-04-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

I realized my blog as been pretty selfish lately- mostly about me & the pregnancy, so I wanted to do a post about the 2 main men in my life (before I add the 3rd in a couple weeks and the blog is totally all about him again). Anthon: He is super busy these days!! Work gets increasingly busier as the weather gets warmer, but he enjoys his job so it's a good thing. I don't know how he works outside in the heat, but I'm thankful for how hard he works to support our family- he provides like 98% of our income... the only thing I work for is insurance, since my take-home is practically nothing after taxes, insurance, & retirement are taken out! Anthon did get an insulin pump on April 8th- WOOHOO!! It's been wonderful, but a definite adjustment for him at the same time. He says it makes him really "feel like a diabetic" since it's attached to him 24/7, whereas before he'd just take his shot & then once that was over he was just like everyone else. His nurse (who's really great, by the way!) has had to change his dosages several times to try & get his sugars where they need to be. For the first day or 2, he was running low and then after they adjusted his dosages he was running high, but he seems to be more stable now and he's getting more & more comfortable with it as time moves on. This semester i drawing to a close & I think he's looking forward to the little break that he'll have from school before his summer class start. He's been working really hard this semester & I know his fall classes are going to be really time consuming too, so hopefully the one math he takes this summer won't be too stressful for him. I seriously can't imagine my life without Anthon...It would literally be HORRIBLE! He helps me so much!

Roman: Oh how I love this kid! He has been so fun to be around lately! His new thing to do is bring us something that he likes (like a toy or book or snack) & as he hands it to us he sings, "Apy birday, to you!" He has been extra independent lately too- he likes to push his bench from the dining room table everywhere in the kitchen & use it to climb up to any cupboard he thinks he needs to get into. Thankfully, he likes to clean up his messes, too :) & sings the song from nursery "Cean up, cean up, erybody share." Of course, some of the things he does are far from cute- like when he put a Capri Sun in the microwave & turned it on till it was sparking everywhere! Or when he got a hold of my mascara and painted his toe nails and my bathroom floor with it! Thankfully nothing has been permanently damaged... yet. He LOVES basketball (or "shoot it" as he calls it) and baseball (or "I hit it") right now... wrestling is not at the top of the priority list for him, much to Anthon's dismay, but he does oblige his dad in a take down or two. The phrases we hear him saying most often are, "What you doing?", "Where it go?!", "Oh, no! What append?!?", "Wuv you! See you later.", & "I want ki ceam cone." (ice cream cone). He can count to 10 now and likes to count his toys or food. We took him to see a movie in theater for the first time last night- We saw "Rio" and he really enjoyed it. He's also excited for the baby... well, I'm not sure how much he comprehends about a baby coming to live with us, but he likes to touch, see, & kiss my belly. I took him to my 37 week check up & my Dr. was so GREAT with him! She pulled up a chair next to the table for him to stand on and let him help her measure my belly and she let him use the Doppler to hear the heart beat (squeeze the goo out, hold the little microphone, move it around, everything). It was really fun for him to be included!! I'm excited to see him in his new role as a brother!

Well, I think that about catches you up to speed with these 2... they're darling, I love them, and I'm so thankful that they are mine!

I've always hated the waiting game...

2011-04-14T13:29:00.003-07:00

I have 4 weeks left in this pregnancy, and the "waiting game" for this little boy to arrive has officially begun. I saw my Dr. this morning & she said that everything is looking good... I gained 5lbs in the last 2 weeks (HOLY CRAP!!) so that puts me @ 20lbs total. Ick. I'm over being pregnant & all that it entails. I got heartburn for the first time last week & have had it pretty much every night since then- I could've gone my whole life without experiencing heartburn & been ok with it! The good news is that my Dr. said if I make it 3 more weeks without having him she would induce me if I wanted her to. I was induced with Roman, so I know how truly horrible inductions can be, but I'm due the week of Anthon's finals & can only imagine how horrible it would be if I was ready to deliver at the same time he needed to be at school for a final! So, I'm thinking I'll take her up on her offer & shorten my sentence one week, if nature doesn't take its course before then.

Little of This & A Little of That.... or a lot

2011-04-02T18:50:00.023-07:00

So, I know I posted back at the beginning of the year about us redecorating our living room, but I never posted pictures, so I figured I'd do that now...

This is our old entertainment center. We just busted out the middle section that was a TV cabinet to accommodate Anthon's TV, added the 2 shelves at the top, and painted it brown (it use to be black)

The magnet board on the left was my inspiration for the colors of the room. I liked the brown, but wanted just one of the accent colors- since our kitchen is mostly green & I'm not wild about orange, we went with the turquoise. All of the turquoise decorations were things we already had (like the LOVE sign, picture frames, & toy buckets) we just painted them. Same here... just painted the wall decor we already had. I found the throw pillows at Goodwill for $2.50 each & they match perfectly! The mirror by the door use to be red & black, & was probably the biggest pain in the butt to give a "face lift" to, but I'm happy with how it turned out. This is "my little area". I wanted a rocker recliner to nurse the baby in (since I hated the glider rocking chair I had for Roman) & found this beauty on Craigslist for $50. Then I decided I wanted a little table that I could store nursing things in & this table came with some bedroom furniture we bought off of my friend. Since there was only one of them I opted to use it for my "nursing table". I was really nervous once I saw it completely turquoise- like I was with everything else I painted!! Bold makes me nervous... I'm more subtle :)- but once I got in inside & saw it among everything else I was pleased with the outcome. So, that's our living room now. It's been the easiest, cheapest room re-do I've ever done & that makes Anthon happy, so I guess it's safe to say we're both happy with the new look :)

Onto me & the growing gut! I'm 34 weeks now & feel like I'm as big as I was full term with Roman. I haven't gained more weight with this pregnancy than I did with Roman- in fact I'm at about the same (I've gained 15 lbs with this baby & with Roman, I had gained 16lbs when I was 33 weeks), but I started off this pregnancy bigger so I'm sure that's why I'm feeling like such a beast! I did discover my 1st stretch mark on my belly about 2 weeks ago... that was pleasant. But seriously, why should I care?! It's part of the process, I'm never going to have a bikini body again, & even if I ever do it's not like I'm gonna prance around in a skimpy bathing suit in front of my kids... I'm trying to think of it as Heavenly Father's way of reminding me of how blessed I was to become pregnant, and ensuring that I stay modest :). I went to the Dr. this morning & it's funny how this pregnancy is so similar to Roman's... The baby is measuring ahead still, but now my uterus is measuring a week behind. They said if I'm measuring smaller at my next appointment they'd do an ultrasound to check the fluid levels (which is exactly what they did with Roman). I feel a lot more impatient with this pregnancy though... it feels like my last 6 weeks will never be over!

8 Weeks to go

2011-03-18T15:37:00.018-07:00

It's official... I'm a tank. I've gained 8 more lbs over the past 5 weeks (14 lbs. total) and I must say my cheeks are filling out quite nicely. It's not even hot yet (for AZ standards), but I feel like I'm going to suffocate from the heat on a daily basis. I think it's safe to say I've hit a wall in this pregnancy & I'm ready for it to be over! Thankfully, nature knows best & I get to have 8 more weeks of peaceful, mostly uninterrupted sleep. Even though I spent the 1st half of this post complaining, this pregnancy hasn't really been that bad.

I took this week off of work & it's been really nice to play & get some projects done. I took Roman swimming one day- He LOVED it & it felt SO good to be in the water! I want to try & take him 3-4 times a week until I have the baby, just to get him more acclimated to the water & to temporarily take some "weight off" of me! We, also, rearranged Roman's room to accommodate the baby- stuff like set up the crib, repainted the dresser/ changing table, and just organized in general. I'm happy with the way it's all turned out & am almost done with my "to do" list of things to prepare for this kids grand arrival. I'm still liking the name Sterling, but I'm pretty sure Anthon's not going to consent to any name until we meet this little guy... I bet he'd consent to Tarzie in a heart beat, but I never will ;).
Welp, that's pretty much it... I'm SICK of being hot, fat, & tired but I'm only going to get hotter, fatter, & more tired before it gets better & I'm OK with that- It's all part of the price we pay to be mommy's :)

This picture's to remind me of the "good times"... Roman driving his truck on my tummy :)

The Big 2-7.

2011-03-13T14:05:00.004-07:00

I turned 27 years old today, & I must say it was a very fun weekend! For starters, I only worked Monday thru Thursday this past week & then started vacation! Friday I went to the zoo with my sister-in-law Kelly, my niece Alishia, and their kids. It was HOT but the kids all had a good time together. Then Saturday, Anthon had the day off too & we spent the majority of the day cleaning our house (I know, doesn't sound very fun, but our house needed it & it was SOO nice to have his help since my energy level is dropping by the second these days)!! Saturday night, Anthon surprised me with a date night to Benihana for dinner & then shopping for some new clothes. Here we are at dinner:

Today was a pretty chill day; just church, meetings, nice nap... the usual. But Anthon surprised me again- He made delicious baked zitti for dinner & had invited our family & friends over to celebrate! It was a full house, but I had so much fun visiting with everyone! Thank you to all who could come & for making my birthday special!! I'd like to especially thank Anthon, though! We've been together for so long & yet he never ceases to surprise me & show how special I am to him! I love you, Bunny! Thanks for being so wonderful & making my birthday weekend so great!!!

Newborn contest

2011-03-07T10:18:00.003-07:00

I enetered this picture into a contest that's being put on by Diana Carver Photography on Facebook- The prize is a newborn photo shoot (I'm wanting her to take pictures at the delivery- you can check out her album of a delivery she shot... it's awesome)! So, I NEED your help to win!! Here's what you have to do:
1-Go to Diana Carver Photography on Facebook
2- You have to "Like" her page in order to vote, so LIKE it
3- Go to her album March 6, 2011
4- Scroll through the 10 pictures til you see mine (it's like #8)
5- "Like" it to submit your vote
6- Share it on Facebook with all your friends...Voting ends Friday night at midnight, so spread the word & cast your vote... I REALLLY wanna win :D
PS- if we're not friends on Facebook, add me a_shleigh17@yahoo.com!

A Day at the Zoo

2011-03-01T00:42:00.003-07:00

Anthon & I both had the day off & since the weather was perfect we decided to take Roman to the zoo. He hasn't been since he was just about a year old & since he's old enough now to know what the different animals are & recognize them, he really LOVED it! The kid ran everywhere & was amazed to see all the animals in person! Some of his favorite things were:

The elephants... he talked about elephants the whole way there & once he saw them he was so excited! By far the best!

The farm equipment & petting zoo

Monkey Village

Riding the "fish" on the carousel

Chasing the ducks

(and any other small animal wandering around, trying to mind its own business!)

Of course, all the running wasn't without incident...
He skinned his knees up pretty good & was sooo sad... but Daddy made it all better :) I love this picture!
We had such a fun day together! The best part is that Anthon bought us a membership so we can go as much as we want for the next year for free! So, if anyone wants to tag along with me sometime just let me know (I get one guest adult with my pass & kids 2 and under are free)!

Shout-Out to Anthon

2011-02-14T23:46:00.008-07:00

See that guy right there?? The one enjoying a special Valentine's Dinner made just for him?? Well, I've been feeling especially proud of this guy lately, so I decided to dedicate an entire post to him! Why am I so proud? Let me tell you some of the reasons:
1- He's conquering his school & work- both FULL time- like a champion! He works all day, goes to school all night, & is still the fun loving, light hearted, playful man I've always known! He's not just handling all the extra stress well, he's excelling- he got straight A's last semester & is on the same track this semester & he's one of the best employees at work (he wins every competition they have)... I guess OCD does come in handy sometimes ;)! But seriously, to me, that's a really big accomplishment !
2- He had his quarterly diabetes check up today & his A1C (a test that shows what his average blood sugar levels are over an extended time period) was the lowest it's been since he was diagnosed- it was 7.3, the lowest it's been in 14 YEARS (it's usually been around a 9 or 10)!!! & his endocrinologist is now trying to get him approved for an insulin pump... if all goes well, he could be shot FREE in the next week or 2!!! This is a MAJOR step for him, & I'm SO proud!!
3- He remembers what's most important in life and prioritizes accordingly. He's busier than he's ever been in all the years we've been together (with work, school, church callings, helping coach wrestling, and taking the time to take care of himself) yet I don't really feel like Roman & I are deprived of quality time with him. He always takes time to play with Roman, to help me around the house, to show up at Dr. appointments for me & Roman, or just to do little things like hug us & tell us he loves us. I don't know how he balances everything so perfectly, but I'm grateful he does!
Anthon, I love you!! Congrats on all you're accomplishing, babe!

3rd Trimester Check Up

2011-02-11T21:58:00.006-07:00

I had my 3rd trimester checkup today... even though "technically" I won't be in my 3rd trimester for another week. I gained another pound this past month, and my belly is definitely bigger than last month! Oh well, I can find comfort in knowing I'm only going to get bigger over the next 3 months! Anyway, things are pretty much the same as they were at the last checkup with our little guy... he's still measuring over a week ahead. They guessed from the ultrasound today that he weighed 3 lbs (which is what babies usually weigh around 29 or 30 weeks). But everything else looked perfect :). When I had my 3rd trimester ultrasound with Roman, his head was down so far that we couldn't even get a glimpse of his face, so it was a real treat to be able to peak at our babies features!! Here's his darling profile:

Then came the 3D pictures... SO FUN!

It looks like he has full, big lips like Roman... Yay!

& I thought he had Anthon's nose when I saw it in the ultrasound, but when the Dr. was going over the ultrasound with us she said, "Oh, how cute! He has your nose, Mommy." So, we're looking forward to seeing who's nose he actually has once he's here :)

It was SO fun to get to see him! I feel him all day long, but SEEING him made me re-realize "Oh yeah, there IS a baby growing in there!" So, the home stretch begins (or it will in a week)! This pregnancy seems to be going a lot faster for me than with Roman... I should probably thank Roman for that cause I'm pretty sure he's the reason I've felt so busy & that's what's made the time fly :).

¡¡ Monster Jam !!

2011-01-30T12:31:00.005-07:00

Anthon took Roman to Monster Jam (a monster truck show) last night
I guess it gets pretty loud, but Roman loves trucks, and to see them in real life was really fun for him!

They had a good time watching all the trucks do thier tricks, and spending some quality "guy time" together.

I, on the other hand, was thankful I wasn't invited to go (monster trucks aren't really my cup of tea), and had a fun night out with niece, Alishia!

Today, however, I'm thankful for a day that we get to spend ALL together! Sunday's really are our only day of uninterrupted family time, where we can just enjoy each other and remember how blessed we are to have one another.

It's a little early to be nesting...

2011-01-26T01:15:00.003-07:00

Maybe it was just because I haven't done anything crafty in a while, but I got the urge to sew tonight (yeah, like around 11:30pm- WAY past my bedtime). So, I dug through all my scraps & random junk to try & figure out something to make. This is what I came up with...

K, I'm not sure about these... they're kinda pathetic & cheesy owls. Are they too gay for a boy to wear?? Should I just donate them & not even bother trying to dress my baby in them?? Be honest, I promise you won't hurt my feelings if you think they're gay too :)

Anyway, then I made this...
and this I like!! I made it to match the car seat cover for the new baby (if you don't know what that looks like click here). So, I guess it's safe to say my sewing craving has subsided & maybe I'll go to sleep now. Till next time :)

6 Month Mark

2011-01-21T16:57:00.009-07:00

Well, I have to say this past month has gone by pretty fast. & other than one miserable night (thanks to good 'ole braxton hicks & an over stretched ligament) I've been feeling pretty good. This is what I'm looking like these days- insert slightly depressed sigh here. My stats at my Dr. appointment for this month were: 5lbs gained (for the entire pregnancy, not for just the 1 month) and measuring 1 week bigger than I should... not anything new; I measured big with Roman for most of my pregnancy and let's be honest, these boys come from large stock so it's not a total shocker if they measure bigger.
In other, but still baby related, news we can't agree on a name. He likes Seth (which is the name of a guy I work with & let's just say I can't do it!) and Tarzie- his self-proclaimed high school nickname (I WON'T do it!). I like Anthon or Sterling, but he's not sold on either. Any suggestions would be helpful... or persuasion techniques to get Anthon to agree to one of my names ;).

1st Armbar

2011-01-17T09:04:00.003-07:00

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of it Anthon was so proud!

It's good to be 2!!

2011-01-06T02:27:00.001-07:00

2 years ago today, we welcomed this darling little boy into our family & have enjoyed every second with him since! It amazes me, how in 2 short years he can go from this tiny little cuddle bug into the crazy, sweet, funny, independent little man he is today! Roman is such a pleasure to have around (most of the time)! He really tries to be obedient and polite (he says "please, thank you, you're welcome, & sorry" without being prompted to... most of the time) and when he does something naughty it's not hard to redirect his behavior.

His favorite things right now are Cars (the movie and just toy cars & trucks), Toy Story, tools, baseball, and wrestling with his daddy (Anthon's taught him the single leg take down already, & it's so fun to watch him do it)! I took some pictures of him yesterday with some of his favorite things... this was one of my favorites!

We had Roman's party on Saturday, the 1st, because Anthon & I both have to work all day today and we had family in town that weekend. We just met at the park by our house, had lunch, and let the kids play. It was FREEZING cold but still fun!

He was SO excited about his cupcakes this year
But soon got over them once he started opening his gifts!
He got a lot of nice, fun toys!! Thank you to all of you who braved the cold & spoiled him :)
Roman, Thanks for keeping our family fun, for loving us unconditionally, and for being YOU!! We love you SO very much and are so thankful the Lord blessed us with you!

Life's Little Lessons

2011-01-04T10:15:00.003-07:00

I heard Roman "playing" the piano weirder than usual this morning, so I came out of my room to check on him & found this... Scared the crap out of me, but before I snatched him off I decided I should document it so I can use it as proof when I try to get him to realize how mischievous he was as a little boy.

Then, as I'm starting to explain to him why "we don't climb on Mommy's piano", this happens....

& I didn't need to explain any further.

Life's little lessons aren't always as fun as this one :)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-01-02T15:39:00.004-07:00

I realized today that I'd never posted about our Christmas, so I figured I'd go ahead & play a little catch up...

We spent Christmas with my family this year & it was really nice! We slept at my mom's house Christmas eve and most the the day Christmas. We always do the traditional Christmas jammies on Christmas eve, so here we are:
I found a STEAL of a deal on a big screen TV for Anthon this year and was amazed that he didn't find out about it/ figure it out before Christmas! I love when surprises turn out! I wrapped the remote by itself & had the TV hidden in my mom's room. He didn't quite understand what the remote meant when he opened it. He told me after that he thought I'd gotten us cable or satellite.

His initial reaction once he saw it... "HOLY....!"

Needless to say, he was surprised & likes it :)

My brother Peter drew my name this year... I LOVE him! This card made me laugh SO hard! Fat, Loser, Fag, Dork, and several other derogatory terms are all pet names my brother & I use for each other, so even though the card may seem really mean, it's not!
Here are all the little cousins together Christmas afternoon (minus Lincoln who was asleep).L-R: Avery, Sydney, Ellie, Drew, & Roman. Even though they don't look very thrilled it this shot, they all love each other! It's so cute to watch them all play!
My handsome guys in their Christmas ties the following Sunday. I love dressing them up & I love that they let me... without any complaining!
I got the flu Christmas night, and was useless for the next 2 days. I came down with the bug not even 24 hours before this was taken, so judge sparingly :) Other than that, our Christmas was wonderful! Anthon & I had the whole next week off work, so we got to redo our living room (with his new TV & my new couch, some changes had to be made). It was GREAT to be together that whole time and de-junk/ beautify our house! Life's pretty much back to normal now, but it was wonderful to spend time with our family & each other!

A Little Random Update...

2010-12-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd do a little post about the other things that have been going on besides the pregnancy & baby. This month has been SUPER busy, but a lot of fun! I love this time of year when our magnet board is filled with greetings from our friends & family- Just thought I'd through this picture in :)

In addition to me working DOUBLE the hours I normally do,we also had both our family Christmas parties last weekend, and both were a lot of fun! But I'm a dork & didn't take one picture at Anthon's family party (& probably the only reason I got this shot at my family party was my sister kept on me about bringing all my camera stuff to get it)!

Mind you, this isn't even half of my siblings & their families... there's a LOT more that we missed!

The thing I'm probably most excited about (& the most recent) is, through some wheeling & dealing- my specialty you know ;), we were able to score a new couch with ZERO $$ out of pocket! We even had $50 from our profit left over that hopefully I can buy some fabric to make curtains with :)!

Anyway, my brother, Peter, came over the other night to help Anthon put the couch together & here are the kids having a hay day in one of the boxes. My sister-in-law & I were seriously tempted to return the toys we'd bought the kids for Christmas and just wrap up these enormous boxes... they seriously loved them!

& here's the finished project... aw I love it! Anthon says it's my Christmas present & that's fine by me :). Now if he'll only let us sit on it... he's so OCD about new things getting dirty or ruined that he almost doesn't want to use them. Haha, love him!

Ok, that's it. Like I said, little random update. We're heading over to my mom's tonight to have a slumber party & celebrate/ reflect on the birth of our Savior. Hope all of you have a beautiful Christmas!!

Half way!

2010-12-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm half way done with this pregnancy! Other than feeling like a TANK, I'm good- have plenty of energy and haven't been sick at all. It hasn't all been smooth sailing though... we had a worrisome last month or 2 because, at my 1st trimester screen, they told us the baby might have Trisomy 18 (a fatal birth defect). I had a level 2 ultrasound today to make sure he was ok... well he looked beautiful! All his organs/parts looked the way they should and he's growing perfectly (actually he measured 20weeks 4days today & I'm 19weeks 6 days- almost a week ahead). The only abnormality was 2 little spots of calcified muscle on his heart- like grains of sand in the muscle. The condition (which has a really long, technical name that I don't want to type) can be a sign of Trisomy 18 or Trisomy 13, but my Dr. said if he had either syndrome they would have found other abnormalities. It doesn't effect the development or function of his heart and there are lots of babies born with the condition that are completely healthy. They did another blood draw just to be safe, but we feel very peaceful about the whole situation- and SOO thankful!! Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and love... we've felt so blessed! Anyway, here are some pictures we got of him today :)

I LOVE his little legs & butt!

We got to see a little bit of his face :)

LOVE these boys!!

2010-12-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

We went to Show Low this year to spend Thanksgiving with Anthon's family & woke up to THIS:

Snow!
Roman had a blast playing in it & helping Uncle Jason get wood for the fire!

We tried to take family pictures, too.

I'm not a professional by any means, but what we got will work for our Christmas cards.

& I took some of everyone else too.

Shauna & Garet

Aren't they cute?!

Shannon's kids: Landen,

Sydney,

& Josiah
(Shannon, I'm still working on editing your family shots-sorry!)

The whole family!

It was SO nice to spend time with everyone & enjoy the cold for a change!

Too Girly??

2010-11-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

So, a lady was giving this car seat cover away for free on Craig's List, & it just happened to be a cover that would fit my car seat... & I LOVE zebra print! So, I picked it up!

Plus, This is the cover I was planning on using for the new baby, so I was excited that they would match (not that that's important, but it's fun)
Sooo... too girly for 2 boys??
I hope not, because I pretty much love them!

A Day at the Park!

2010-11-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Always teasing...

2010-11-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

If you know Anthon, you know he's a tease...

& if you know Roman, you know he's a sweet heart!

To answer some of your questions...

2010-11-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

We started trying for baby #2 last November, I started going to a new fertility specialist in February, and we had some "trial & error" for about 6 months. Then, he prescribed me Clomid, and bam! First cycle, I was pregnant! We found out on September 1st, but decided to wait til the 2nd trimester to share the news because my progesterone levels were low, & you know... it's what we do. My due date is May 12.

I had an ultrasound last week & the tech said she could give me her best guess as to the gender since the baby has a gender "prominence" at this stage (Girl prominence points down, boy prominence points up). Her best guess was... BOY! We'll double check when I go back in for my 18 week ultrasound, but for now we're planning on adding another mini-Anthon to our brood!

In case you can't tell what's what in the 1st ultrasound picture, I labeled this one for you :)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

2010-10-30T15:01:00.001-07:00

Diabetes Walk 2010

2010-10-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

The whole gang:

L-R: Dad Perkins, Mom Perkins, Christian, Michele, Taylor, Dave, Mom Gills, Anthon, Me, & Roman

This years walk was fun, HOT but fun! At least we wore shorts & t-shirts this year (unlike last years jeans & sweaters)!!! We had a smaller group but enjoyed the time together. Thank you to all that has helped us in anyway to raise money for this or supporting Anthon! We'll see you again next year :)!

Ward Halloween Party

2010-10-26T20:45:00.001-07:00

We had our ward Halloween Party tonight & we had a lot of fun!!

Love Halloween!!

Had to Share...

2010-10-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

We had an experience tonight I thought I'd share... Anthon takes 2 Different kinds of insulin: Humalog (at every meal) & Lantus (morning & night). He came home from scouts and realized his Lantus bottle was missing- which happened to be his very last bottle that he had just opened a few days ago. He normally keeps it way up high where Roman can't reach it, & I don't mess with his stuff, so he was FREAKING OUT trying to find what he'd done with it after he had taken his morning shot. After frantically searching for it, we determined that there was no way we were gonna find it without help, so we said a little family prayer asking Heavenly Father to help us find this tiny bottle that is so vital for Anthon. A few minutes later I was getting organized for all the things I have to do tomorrow & Anthon was sanding wood for me outside, when the thought came to my mind, "I wonder if he could've thrown it away", but being the retard I am, I took one look at our completely full trash bag and decided not to search thru it. Hours later, we're in our G's ready for bed, Anthon has taken all the trash out to the dumpster (since the garbage man comes bright & early tomorrow morning), & we still haven't found the insulin that Anthon needs to take before going to bed. He finally says to me "Will you come outside with me to look through the trash? I can't stop thinking that maybe I threw it away.". We go outside, pull the bag out of the dumpster, cut it down one side, pick up the 1st thing that's not completely disgusting, & guess what falls to the ground??? THE LANTUS!!!

Moral of the Story, Heavenly Father is real, he loves us, he hears our prayers, and he answers them!

A Few Favorites

2010-10-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Roman is 20 months & his little personality is just flourishing!! He's talking a ton lately and is such a funny, loving little guy! I just wanted to document a few of his favorite things...

This picture has 2 of his favorite things:

1) the lawn mower push tow...which is ironic because the closest thing we have to grass is asphalt! He just likes to push it I guess :)

2) the unsightly frog rain boots! As soon as he wakes up, they're on his feet & he doesn't want to wear any other shoes (unless I'm mean & hide them)

The Dr. Seuss dolls they sell at Kohl's... the kid is OBSESSED! Carries around the 3 that he has everywhere, all the time. His favorite is the one with the wild hot pink hair... go figure :) I'm kind of happy about this though cause he'll play with her hair while he's falling asleep instead of mine!

There are a few other "must haves" for Mr. Roman (juice, any type of dog, and his pillow),but these are his top 3. I LOVE this crazy little man!

Crafts for a Cure

2010-10-12T00:09:00.001-07:00

We're having a craft sale to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation this Friday, Oct. 15th, at our house (632 N. 99th St. Mesa, AZ 85207), from 10AM til whenever people stop coming. If you can't make it this week, we'll be doing another one next Friday at my cousins house (Higley & Queen Creek)... more details to come on that one. Here's just a few pictures of the things we'll be selling:

Magnet boards (in all sizes & colors/seasons/holidays)

Seasonal decorative plates

"A fallen leaf is nothing more than a summer's wave goodbye"

Holiday Blocks

Headbands/ Hair accessories

You can see more variations of each item by clicking HERE. Some of the other things that we have to sell that I haven't taken pictures of are Vinyl tiles, magnet boards, Hooter Hiders (AKA nursing covers), all kinds of hair clips, baby head bands/ bows, TONS of flowers you can customize yourself (hair clips, headbands, baby accessories, etc.), and much more! So please, come out & support this great cause while picking up something cute for yourself!

October 30, 2010- Join us!

2010-09-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

Is taking place at Tempe Town Lake on October 30, 2010. Our family will be raising money for & walking in this wonderful event! If you're interested in joining our team & walking wth us, or would just like to donate, please visit my page at

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87823791
This disease & the fight to find a cure is very personal for us! Anthon suffers from it every day, and we'd love all the help & support we can get for him!

Labor Day Campout

2010-09-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Every Labor Day weekend, Anthon's family goes camping up at Green's Peak. The weather this year was PERFECT (it normally rains a lot, but it didn't at all). Roman really enjoyed being outside all day, every day & I enjoyed watching him play! Here's some pictures of our trip:

View from our campsite
Poor Roman got his 1st bee sting :(

Daddy & Roman Just me

Beautiful, dirty boy!

Anthon added Roman's name to our tree

Sherry's new baby, Ezra

SO excited to drive the Artic Cat!

Daddy makes me a little nervous...

Day 3 of no showers... judge sparingly :)

Long weekend in Rocky Point

2010-09-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

We had a BLAST in Rocky Point! We were there from Saturday til today & loved every second of it! I was afraid it was going to be unbearably hot & humid, but the weather & water were both perfect! We spent most of our time on the beach & I'm happy to report that we didn't get sun burned (probably the 1st time in my life I haven't)!!!

We normally eat at the Light House, but for whatever reason they were closed on the night we were going out to dinner, so we went to the restaurant next door. It was good, but the view was amazing & that was the best!
My brother, Peter, his fiance, Kelly & her 2 girls, Ellie & Avery came along with my cousins Dave & Michele & their 2 boys, Taylor & Christian. Here's Roman, Avery, & Christian. The little cousins all had SO much fun together!

I have a ton more pictures, but like always, Blogger photo loader is being stupid so this is all I can post on here :(.

18 month post... a month & a 1/2 late :)

2010-08-19T00:08:00.001-07:00

Roman had his 18 month check up last week (when he was 19 months old- thanks to my crazy work schedule). The check up went really well- he measured 75% for height, 50% for weight, & 95% for head circumference- so he's staying on the same growth curve he's been on.

Roman has been a lot of fun lately (VERY busy & mischievous at times, but still fun)! He jabbers non-stop & is really good at communicating with us! He'll retrieve items for us (like, if we ask him to go get a diaper & the wipes, or to bring me his shoes) and he's a big clean up helper when he chooses to be :). He says a ton of words, but the ones we hear most often are "More", "Please", "Let's go", "Thank you", "Juice", "Hello", & "NO (followed by mom or dad)!"- my pesonal favorite :). He loves CapriSun & Otter Pops, playing in dirt, brushing his teeth, cars or any kind of push toy, & the "Friend's" theme song. He does not like sitting in his car seat, having his diaper changed, or the baby gate that prevents him from wandering the house at night.

When we first moved him to a twin bed, he did wonderful, but then we went on some trips & screwed it all up!! When we got home from our trips, he kept getting out of his bed, wandering around the house, & eventually ending up in our bed! So, we started putting up this gate to keep him in his room at night- this is what we woke up to the first few mornings! He does a LOT better now, but still isn't a fan of us leaving his room after we have fmily prayer, but we're working on it :).

Despite that, Roman is our greatest joy! He makes us laugh with his cleverness and melts our hearts with his sincere sweetness!

Pioneer Day

2010-07-28T10:13:00.001-07:00

Our ward had our Pioneer Day celebration last night & it was a lot of fun. I spent the morning sewing us all costumes- Anthon was in the play & HAD to dress up, Roman is just plain fun to dress up, & I didn't want to the the odd man out :)

Anthon played Captain Smith, who was a total jerk to Mary Fielding Smith while trying to cross the plains. He did great playing mean & arrogant :)! (PS- I realized once his pants were done that they looked a little more like creepy pirate than pioneer, but it was the only fabric I had & he still wore them!)

Mine & Roman's costumes. My dress was made out of like upholstery material, so it was incredibly HOT. I guess I just got a little taste of the misery that was being a pioneer... SOOO grateful I wasn't born back then (I totally would've been one that got buried a long the trail)!

Random Roman

2010-07-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

I was looking through pictures on my computer & ran accross some of Roman that I like, but never posted.

This one was taken last month in Las Vegas at the Coca Cola store.
Sweet, messy boy!

Little Stink!

He really likes climbing into things & laying down lately.

Lol- this one was taken today... doesn't he look so pathetic & sad, but cute at the same time?? I love it!

A Few Firsts

2010-07-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

1st fat lip

He tried making out with a pool deck... well not really. He was playing on the pool deck, some how fell, & landed on his upper lip. I wasn't there when it happened, but Anthon said it bled pretty bad, & Roman cried a lot, but it doesn't seem to bother him now (it just looks awful)!
1st day of Nursery at church...YAY!!!

They said he did really good in nursery today. He ran right in & started playing & could of cared less when I left. THANK HEAVEN he's finally 18 months! I think Anthon & I are more excited about nursery than Roman :)

The rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air...

2010-07-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

We got to escape the heat this year for the 4th of July & went home for the weekend. We watched the fireworks in Heber & I had WAY too much fun playing with the setting on my camera to get shots of the show!

Peter, Kelly, & Taylor
I was pretty grouchy (for multiple reasons) the night of the 4th celebrations- ask my family... I was a beast! But I did have a fun time despite my hissy fit- thanks guys for putting up with me :)

Michele & her cute boys, Taylor & Christian.

Roman biffed it right before I snapped this shot- that's why Anthon looks the way he does :)

More fireworks

My family had to go home Sunday morning, so we got to spend the rest of our time there with Anthons family- which was great! Feels like we never get to spend much time with them so we really enjoy it when we get to (especially in Show Low with the beautiful weather there)! All in all, it was great weekend.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

We did the same thing for Father's Day this year as we did last year...

Woke Anthon up to give him his card & gifts
He got a couple movies & matching ties for him & Roman

Gave lots of hugs & kisses!

Then breakfast in bed...even though I butchered the hash browns, his favorite :(

Next, we went to the cemetery to visit my dad's grave

& of course church (don't they look awesome?!). We had my mom, brother, his fiance, & her 2 little girls over for dinner- which is always a good time! I'm so grateful for the father's in my life- My dad, Gerald, & especially Anthon! They really are special, wonderful men & I'm glad I have a day set aside to celebrate them!

The Keg

2010-06-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

We broke tradition & went to The Keg for our anniversary dinner (we've always gone to Ruth's Chris)... We won't be doing that again :). The food was good (besides the Au jus, I was terribly disappointed with that!) but not nearly as good as what we're use to for our anniversary meal! At least we didn't break the tradition of getting créme brulée for dessert- Amazing stuff, I tell ya! But despite the disappointment of dinner, we had a lovely date together!

5 years... How is that possible??

2010-06-17T00:35:00.000-07:00

Time has FLOWN by! Sometimes Anthon & I will look at each other & say things like, "How is it that we're married & have a kid?? We JUST started dating in high school!" Well "just" is 9 years ago... CRAZY right?? As hard as it is to believe that we're as old as we are, I'm very happy with our life- sure, things aren't perfect: we're not doing jobs we love, we have tons of goals that still seem so far out of reach, & there are plenty of disappointments to go around. BUT the important thing is that we're perfectly happy with our imperfect life! There's no one else in the world I'd rather go through life with (Anthon's the best partner/ support system I could ask for)! Thanks for all your hard work, Bunny, & the unconditional love you show to me on a daily basis! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

GUESS WHAT?!?

2010-06-17T00:22:00.001-07:00

Peter & Kelly are getting married!!

Aren't they adorable together?!?! I couldn't be more thrilled for them... Congratulations!

One Year Older & Wiser Too...

2010-06-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, to YOU!!

We celebrated Anthon's birthday Saturday night at Amazing Jake's
Ellie blew out one of his candles-it was hilarious!

All the cousins together By far, my favorite shot of the evening... Kissing cousins!

"Please, can I have some?"

Conductors, Brian & Ruston

Us in the train cars.

Cousins in the caboose!

Daddy's took their older kids on the coaster:

Lily & Brian

Dave & Taylor

Peter & Ellie

While the mommy's watched with the younger ones

Tea cups!!

Peter & Mom racing

Christian & Taylor

Yikes!

Thank you all who came & celebrated with us- it was a BLAST!!

Ashleigh's Random thoughts & Self discoveries

2010-06-04T23:06:00.001-07:00

1- I'm a wuss. I watched "A Walk to Remember" tonight for the 1st time probably since high school. I lost count of the number of times I started to cry. Yeah, I'm a wuss.

2- I'm a clothes/shoes-aholic. Seriously. I counted the shirts hanging in my closet... 135 (& that's JUST t-shirts! Not including undershirts, sweaters, 3/4 sleeves, or cardigans) & anyone who's entered my house has seen my vast assortment of shoes. I am a true, thru & thru, bargain shopper (Saver's & Ebay are my happy place & I RARELY pay full price for anything at "regular" stores), & I'm what you might call a pack rat (I hang onto things because "You never know when I'll need it to complete an outfit" or "I'll fit into it again one day"). Despite those fun little facts, I've had somewhat of a self discovery & decided that I'm going to stop being excessive. I'm not going to buy any clothing for at least 6 months, because I obviously have WAY more than I need... the fact that I'm not working at Down East anymore will help with my goal :)- someone should come raid my closet & help me part with more than 1/2 of the crap in there!

3- Speaking of clothes, I HATE Chase uniforms... They're not flattering on anyone, way over priced, & are poorly made! At least I didn't have to buy any this time around! Oh, & I hate black work pants... I'm too short for them.

4- I'm not patient... this I've known for a long time. I really want to focus on trying to become more patient (with the people I love & the events in my life). I'm afraid to pray for help because I know I'll be given more situations to test the little bit of patience I have, & that intimidates me.
5- I like milk now. Weird right?? My whole life it's made me sick, but not anymore.

6- I don't know how to count & I don't know how old my baby is. This whole week I've been celebrating the fact that Roman will be 18 months on Sunday & will be able to go to nursery. WRONG! He'll be 17 months on Sunday... I'm retarded! Do you think they'd take him a month early?? I mean, he's ready (he screams, throws tantrums, hits, bites, the works)!

7- I'm not a very god house wife. I mean, I'm more productive when I have a deadline. For example, when I wasn't working & my house needed to be cleaned I always used the excuse "I can get to it later" & before I knew it, the day was over & the house was still a mess. I wasted a lot of time, I'll be honest. Now that I'm working again, I know I need to be finished with all my chores by 1:30pm so I can shower & be on time to work (because I hate showering & then have to do more cleaning). So far, it's worked... I feel much more productive!

8- I need to stop drinking soda again. Dr. Pepper is my favorite & pretty much the only one I drink. I stopped when I was pregnant with Roman so I know it's possible. I'll commit to it right now... no time like the present, huh??

9- What should I do for Anthon's birthday??? He made my birthday SO special & I really want to return the favor!! He's such an amazing, well rounded, honest person- he deserves an awesome fiesta! Any brilliant ideas?? Oh, & by the way, it's in like 10 days...

10- I'm a major procrastinator...

Santo Tomás, Mexico

2010-06-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Day down in Mexico... it was PERFECT! The weather wasn't as hot as it usually is when we go in June, but the water was still warm (like bath water, people)! I only uploaded a few pictures on here because the loader is being super slow (& gay!), so you'll have to check out my facebook page to see the other 60+ pictures from our trip! If we're not friends yet on Facebook, shame on you! J/k, just add me (a_shleigh17@yahoo.com). Here's just a few things we did on our trip:

Stopped in Rocky Point for lunch at the Light House
Caught crabs
Played... A LOT!

Swam & Snuggled!

I wish I could post more pictures cause we got some really awesome pictures (of sea life & the rest of the family that went), but I guess I'll just have to be happy with these few favorites.

PS- today was my 1st day back at Chase... I'm happy (that's a big deal... & a total blessing in my eyes) :)

Our baby is growing up

2010-05-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

Meet Lincoln

2010-05-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is my sister, Gwen's, new baby boy. He was born May 3 & weighed 8lbs 2 oz. He was in the NICU for 10 days & they just brought him home on Thursday- I've been snapping pictures of him ever since! He's such a chill, beautiful little guy!
Gwen says he looks like a vampire in this one, but I still like it :)

Peace, we're out!

2010-05-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Roman & I are heading to Texas in the morning (to help Gwen with the arrival of her 3rd baby- poor thing is already 2 days overdue!) & won't be back for a little over 2 weeks. It's Roman's first time flying, so wish us luck - especially me since I'll be trying to handle him on my own... I'm a little nervous. Any-who, I figured I'd just do a quick update to say bon-voyage, & don't expect to hear from me for a few weeks :). I'll leave you with a recent favorite craft of mine... got a plain T-shirt that you wanna spruce up?? Just make some yoyo's outta your favorite fabric/ ribbon & wah-la! (I used felt that has sticky on one side so that I can take them off the shirt to wash it or whenever I'm in the mood to wear a plain T-shirt). Not the invention of the wheel, I know, but I was pretty excited with how it turned out :D

BON VOYAGE!

TRAUMA...

2010-04-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Roman's had like 3 or 4 hair cuts in his short little life, I've just never taken pictures of them. He's done GREAT for all his hair cuts- sat still, no tears, or anything! So, I decided I would take pictures of his hair cut today. Here's the before shot of his grown out mane:

It started out fine

Then he got a little nervous...
Then the tears came... man the kid screamed!
Then, I discovered a solution to the screaming

Alas, I didn't get an "after" shot because he was too upset still (probably had a LOT to do with the fact that he hadn't had a nap), but at least he survived the hair cut :D. Thanks Shauna for putting up with our dramatic little man!

1 year, 3 months, & 8 days old

2010-04-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Our Roman Boy is 15 months old... my oh my, where does the time go? His check up & shots went well- still in the 50% for weight, 75% for height, & his head is now in the "big bean" category (she didn't give us a %). He's at that phase where he really wants to be independent & tell you exactly what he wants, but can't yet, so when we don't understand what he's trying to say/do, he gets frustrated. It's hard when your sweet- do nothing wrong, love you no matter what- baby turns into a toddler (that word encompasses everything I previously described, no?). But we still wouldn't trade him for anything (even the newborn version of him)... he's just to great the way he is- such a sweet, funny, sassy, cuddly little guy.

Proof of his sass

He hasn't been loving bath time as much, so we have to try to entertain while he's in the tub.

What a mini-Anthon, huh?

Proof that he can still be sweet :)

& (as always) he LOVES his daddy! The kid will take Anthon over me any day of the week & twice on the weekend (who can blame him, right? His daddy's pretty awesome)

He jabbers almost constantly but doesn't say anything we can really understand yet- besides the usual, "Dad", "Mom", & "bye, bye". Once in a while, we'll catch a "thanks","duck", "chicken", "ball", "dog", "baby" "amen", "milk", "ear" or "nose" (he's learning the parts if his face - his nose & ears are by far his favorites). Despite the typical toddler meltdowns every now & then, Roman is a delight and we're loving watching him grow up.

Celebrating 70 Years

2010-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

I threw a surprise birthday party for my mother on April 10th... It was SO fun & she was REALLY surprised! Thank you all SO much who helped me in any way to pull this off- it wouldn'thave been a success without you! This post is pretty late & I haven't had time to edit all the pictures, but I'm going to post them anyway cause I know people want to see them.

Before Mom Arrived

"Grand Entrance"

We had everyone clap instead of screaming... very appropriate, I thought.

(I'm so sad these turned out blurry, but whatever. You get the idea... she was surprised!)

Greeting her friends/family. See the guy on the far right w/ the cell phone? That's my older brother Jeff- he lives in Utah. Mom didn't know he (or my sister Andrea) were coming down.

After seeing Jeff

Some of the Party Goers

The "Roast"

Mom's sister Clara & brother Tom both talked about memories growing up with Mom. Then Peter, Andrea, Jeff, & I all shared some memories of Mom.

Time to Sing Happy birthday

It was SUCH a fun night! I have a lot more pictures that I didn't post, but I'm sure you'll see them all one day :D

Ok,this video CRACKED ME UP!! Ladies, see if you can relate...

2010-04-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T02:15:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was really nice- listening to conference, reflecting on the Savior, & spending the entire day with family... I loved it! For starters, my brother Tony & his family got stuck at Sky Harbor airport on their way to Hawaii (sucks for them, but great for us!). We got to go see them between sessions- they live in Utah & we don't get to see them nearly as often as we'd like, so this was a real treat!

We don't really celebrate the commercial side of Easter, but we did do a little egg hunt for Roman... it was SO cute to watch! I'm not sure who had more fun- him searching for the eggs, or us watching him... either way,it was a good time!Here he is with his eggs

After listening to all the talks on protecting the family & teaching your children the things the Lord wants us to, I realized all over again that family is SO important! It seems like in today's world it's becoming harder & harder to stay close to our families but I'm making the decision today to try & not let anything distance us between the greatest blessings in this life-
Family.

Ashleigh Update...

2010-04-05T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hi... remember me? I'm Ashleigh & I write this blog. I figured it's been a while since I shared what I'm up to, so this post is dedicated solely to me. See that picture? It was taken at our stake preparedness fair last weekend. I'm the 2nd counselor in Relief Society & that means I was responsible for our ward's display/booth... Sound like a sinch? It wasn't at all, but it was a fun experience (& a success, if I may say so myself)! So that's what took up a lot of my time last month. That & I got a rejection letter from the Northland Pioneer College department of Nursing- I didn't get in :(. At first I felt like, "How big of a looser am I?? I got rejected from NPC!" but now I feel more like, "It's not part of the plan for us to go to school up there right now & the Lord knows best.", so I'm just trying to figure out what to do with myself now. That's my problem, I'm a planner (I guess I just don't like feeling stagnant- I always want to be working toward something, progressing you know?). I had our life all planned out for the next 3 years & knew exactly how things were going to play out. Well that one little rejection letter screwed it all up... I'm working on a new plan now but have NO idea where it's going.
I've been taking a PhotoShop class online for the past few weeks & that's been fun. I wanted to learn how to edit the pictures I take with my new camera so it works out really well. I'll be honest, I took like 5 zits & freckles off of my face in that picture... I guess that means I'm learning something, huh? (Now, if only I can learn how to take off my double chin :D)!
A friend in my ward manages the Down East Basics store & asked if I could come in & help her a few hours a week so I've been doing that- it's fun! They have cute clothes & it gets me away from the boys for a little bit so I can get in some girl time :). I'm debating about going back to Chase... (sniff, sniff, tear)... I wasn't really happy working there, but the medical insurance was GREAT & we could use it!
Which brings me to my next update- I'm officially baby hungry. I'm usually pretty private about the "trying" phase, but since people keep asking I'm just going to put it out there. My baby maker doesn't work that great (I have PCOS- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome- you can google it), & it took us like a year & 1/2 to get pregnant with Roman so I'm preparing for another long road ahead of us (it's already been 6 months... & nothing). I'm more sensitive about it this time around for some reason, so I figured it might be easier if people know what's going on then maybe I won't have to deal with so many of the obnoxious questions. Don't take that like you can't ask me about our situation... I just don't want the "So you're not pregnant YET?" type of questions.
Anyway, that's pretty much all that's going on in my world... with the exception of a huge surprise party I've been planning for my mom's 70th birthday (it's this Saturday & it's ok that I'm writing about it because she never reads my blog). Also, I'm looking forward to flying to Lubbock, TX to be with my sister Gwen when she has her 3rd baby next month!! & that's my life in a nut shell- Trying to juggle family, church, hobbies, maybe work and my future while at the same time, trying to learn how to rely more on the Lord (& His time) in almost EVERY one of those areas. Thanks for catching up with me :D Peace out!

Have you seen it?

2010-03-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant: Jesus The Christ.... It tells of Jesus's birth, ministry, death, & resurrection in a wonderful theatrical performance. It's FREE to anyone who would like to come & is on the front lawn of the Mesa Temple grounds (525 East Main St.). It starts @ 8pm & is about an hour long. The performances are in Spanish this weekend, but March 30-April 3 all performances will be in English. Bring your family & come enjoy this great production!

Some cast members walk around before & after the performance so you can see/ talk to them & take pictures if you want.

We thought it'd be cool to get a picture of Roman with a Roman soldier... He didn't.

You can go into the Visitor's Center & see the Christus statue and a lot of other really beautiful things! They have short videos you can watch & this year they set up a room with cool backdrops where you can go in & have a professional picture taken with some of the cast.
So go down & check it out! The grounds are beautiful & it's a wonderful message!

Temple grounds= BEAUTIFUL

2010-03-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

While we were waiting fo rthe pageant to start, we walked around the temple grounds to let Roman burn off some energy & took some fun pictures. It's not hard to capture some of the beauty when you're there.

Recent FÜN

2010-03-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

SWIMMING

While my sister & her family were here we took advantage of the warm weather (& our cousins pool) and went swimming a couple times. Good times are always had in the water!

checking out the pool- "I think I remember this...."

Gwen & her darling kids

ROCK BAND
This was just a fun night after having Mom & Peter over for dinner, so I took a couple pictures

Learning to play from the best!

Giving Daddy a hand with the mic

Taking over lead vocals- Anthon was really excited about this apparently :)

Too much fun, what's that mean?

2010-03-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

It means taking 200+ pictures in 2 days! I love my camera!! Here are some of my favorites:

Learning to run

watching him fall (Anthon took this one)

Playing Grandma's piano

Sydney hides when it gets too noisey :)

Which one's your favorite?

AWESOME boutique house party!!

2010-03-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

The boutique Contagious is letting me host a party at my home with all their merchandise!! They have ADORABLE jeans, tops, bags, jewelry, & more- all under $50!! Check out contagiousclothing.blogspot.com for some samples of what they sell... plus they'll have BRAND new inventory at my party!! The details are:
When: Fri. March 19th, 6pm-8pm (come, shop, & go as you please)
Where: 632 N. 99th St., Mesa 85207
There's NO pressure to buy/sign up for anything, just come by & shop for some super cute new clothes!! Feel free to bring any friends that want to shop too:D

Be there or be SQÜARE!

"SURPRISE!"

2010-03-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 26th birthday. My family REALLY pulled it off this year & threw me an AWESOME surprise party!! I, honestly, had ZERO clue what was going on... We were in Show Low for Shauna's wedding & drove down yesterday afternoon. Once we got home, I rushed into the house (thinking I only had 15 minutes to get ready for our dinner reservation) & was greated by a screaming mob of 23+ of my favorite people!! Oh, & an added bonus, my sister that's living in TX, Gwen, & her family were in the crowd (HOW did they keep that secret from me???). The women in my family came over, cleaned my house (Sorry again Michele, but THANK YOU!), decorated, made the best tasting burrito's, & totally pulled off the FUNNEST party- I was completely surprised & felt SO special! So, how could an already awesome party get any better?? By me opeing up my very own, shiney & new, Canon Rebel xSi digital camera (with all the accessories & 2 extra lenses)!! I almost peed my pants & did cry a little! After I opened it, I couldn't put it down- I LOVE THIS CAMERA!!Here are some snap shots I took of some of the craziness known as my party:I really had the BEST birthday ever- so many surprises & people I love! My mother told me earlier in the day to look for a present from my Heavenly Father- my family is it! Thank you all for making me feel so important & special! I love you all VERY much!!

Random Snapshots that I Love

2010-03-05T09:55:00.001-07:00

I love watching him explore his world...
& I love watching him sleep!
I love his grin,
His full lips, & big blue eyes!!
I just love HIM!

PS- And, I'd LOVE a new camera that could actually take GOOD pictures... sorry they're so pixilated- if that's a word :)

White Trash picture of the week

2010-03-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

After I was finished getting ready this morning, I came into the kitchen to find this...You may be asking yourself, "But where did he get an already open, 1/2 empty can of cherry pie filling?" Where else, but the disturbed garbage can you see in the background... gross! I have no idea where or how he got the spoon... (& don't you just love the snot nose... adds to the white trashiness). I clean the little stinker up & not even 5 minutes later, I hear him making this mess... ahhh, you gotta love little boys!
PS- Is it totally wrong that instead of cleaning him & the mess up immediately upon discovering it, I search the house for my camera so I can capture his mischievousness??

I miss you

2010-02-26T01:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Rus,

It's been 5 years... I miss you. I miss your smile. I miss listening to you playing your guitar & singing. I miss your Ozzy impersonations. I miss calling you "Brian" just to get a rise out of you. I miss your laugh! I wish I could've gone to one of your shows. I wish Roman knew you. I wish you were still here. I wish I could hug you right now... but I can't. I know I'll be able to some day, though :) I miss you & I love you!

Love,

Little Sis

The Sewing Bug Bit Me

2010-02-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today sewing... & I LOVED it! I started by making some onesie's for my sister's baby boy who's due at the end of April- well, not MAKING onesies, but making them cuter (I'm not gonna post pictures of them cause I want them to be a surprise... she knows I made them, but not what they look like). Then, I decided to try & make some girl clothes 'cause let's be honest, girls are more fun to dress than boys (to me at least) :). Here are some of my favorites:

I didn't have enough fabric to make pants to match this one, but I LOVE these colors!

What do ya think?? They're not perfect (far from it, I'm sure) but I'm happy with them... especially since I had NO patterns to go off of, just my imagination & creative juices :)

PS- I've had that doll since I was probably 8 years old- loved her then & love her now! She's "newborn sized" so she comes in handy for my baby crafts. I hot glue all the headbands I make on her head- That's why they're all on the right side, to cover the "burn" marks :)