Our week at the beach

We left for Mexico with Anthon's Family on Saturday, June 16th and were able to stay an entire week. Anthon's parents have a condo in a small, farming village right on the beach called Santo Tomas (which is about an hour south east of Rocky Point). They & one of Anthon's siblings & his family stay at the condo while the rest of us stay in a beach house in the same subdivision. It's so secluded that it's like we have the entire beach/ ocean to ourselves, with the exception of local fishermen from time to time. The trip was a blast!! Most of Saturday was spent traveling, shopping at the market, and getting settled into the house, so I don't have any photo's, but here's a break down of what we did the rest of the trip:

Day 1- Sunday, 17th

Since it was Sunday we didn't play in the ocean or ride any of the toys, but we did spend the day outside enjoying the beach & each other:

Roman & his cousin, Hinkley. They LOVED playing together the entire trip!

  It was Father's Day, also, so we made dinner for the guys & tried to make their day special!

I'm bummed this is the only shot I got of Anthon & the boys on actual Father's Day, but I guess it will have to do.

Day 2- Monday

We spent our 2nd day on the beach- starting first thing in the morning as soon as we woke up!

I love taking the boys out as soon as they wake up while the tide is out!! The sand feels so good and you find a lot of cool shells & things!

 The rest of the afternoon we just played- made sand castles, swam, buried each other in the sand, flew a kite, you name it! Oh, & Anthon sunburned himself pretty good too!

Roman on his very own jet ski...
He never floated on it, though. It was a little too unstable :)

This boy LOVED the sand!!

 Day 3- Tuesday

Instead of walking out to the water to sea shell hunt 1st thing in the morning, we decided to take a ride a few miles down the beach to an area that was more rocky when the tide was out to see what we could find. We had a BLAST together & saw a lot of crabs, fish, sand dollars, and different shells.

Here are the boys with some of our favorite finds

Then we spent the rest of the day playing on the beach in front of the house.

 Roman learned to drive a quad by himself today. Not by any encouragement on our part, I might add. The boy just hopped on one, started it, and took off. There was no turning back- he is in LOVE with them now!

That evening was the 1st time they brought the jet ski out. Jason & Anthon pulled the kids around on a tube while the rest of us enjoyed watching the kids hang on for dear life! 

Here's Sterling just chillin in his own giant tube...
The house on the far right (kinda off by itself) is where we stayed

I really wish the boys were looking, but you can't win 'em all I guess ;)

Day 4- Wednesday
We had our first scare of the trip this day.
Remember how I mentioned above that Roman learned to drive a quad on his own? Well, I woke up in the morning & noticed that our bedroom door was open & Roman wasn't in his bed. He wasn't ANYWHERE in the house! So I looked down at the beach- no Roman. I looked up where all the toys were parked- no Roman. At this point I am BEYOND freaking out, so I go back, wake Anthon up, & we set out to find out lost boy (Mind you, we are LITERALLY in the middle of no-where Mexico!!). We headed back up to where the quads were parked and here comes Roman toddling up the road toward us- In his PJ's, no shoes. Apparently, he got up & decided he wanted to go for a ride. So he started the quad, drove about 1/4- 1/2 mile up the road until he got stuck in a sand bank, & ran the quad out of gas trying to get unstuck. Yeah, SOOO scary! There are some many things- bad, horrible, never see your child again things- that could have happened!! Needless to say, we had a very serious chat & he was grounded from quads for the rest of the day.
So, he had to find other things to occupy his time...

I don't know how he does it, but Roman can catch anything!

We played on the beach that afternoon & then played volleyball that evening on the beach- Oh, it was a blast! The weather was perfect, the sand was perfect, and we had plenty of people to make up teams & talk some decent trash- SO MUCH FUN!!

That night, after the kids went to sleep, we stayed up & played games with Anthon's siblings & their spouses. It was HILARIOUS! I hadn't laughed that hard in a LOOONG time!

Day 5- Thursday

Which brings me to the 2nd scare of the trip.

They took the jet ski out that morning and the water got really rough, really fast when the tide started coming in. See how big the wave is behind me & the boys in the picture up above? Like as tall as Roman. Well, When they were trying to load the jet ski onto the trailer, the waves were bigger, and the guys were just getting man-handled by them- the water kept taking the jet ski where they didn't want it to go & jack knifing the trailer. As I'm watching the guys struggle I see this big wave throw the jet ski into Anthon- hitting him in like his hip/ thigh area. He fell down & I could tell he was having a hard time standing back up, while the waves were still crashing down on him. The next wave that hit him, I see is head hit the trailer hard & bounce off of it, so I hurry & run down to him. He wasn't conscience & every time a wave came in (which was almost constant) his head would be under water. Sherry's husband, McKay, & I were trying to pull him up onto shore, but he's so freaking heavy, he wouldn't budge! Thankfully, we he fell he landed on the trailer, so they were able to drive the articat & tow him out on the jet ski trailer. We got him on the shore & he was still unconscious, but was breathing (it had probably been only a minute or 2, but it seemed like a lot longer!). I remember in that moment, starting to really panic thinking, "what if something is seriously wrong?! We're in the middle of NO-WHERE & in Mexico!" The men hurried & gave him a Priesthood blessing, & as soon as they started blessing him, peace came over me & I knew everything was going to be OK. He woke up shortly after they finished the prayer & I asked him if he could move his toes (some of the guys thought he had hurt his back) & he could. It took him a minute to get up, and he was pretty sore for the rest of the trip, but he wasn't seriously injured- no concussion, broken bones, not even bruising!

The Lord was REALLY watching over us that day & I'm SO thankful that we can pray to Him & ask for His help anytime!

Anthon relaxed and we all stayed inside taking care of him for the rest of the day, but that evening we took a ride down to the beach & watched the sun set.

That light above Anthon's head was the moon- it was such a pretty night!

 Day 6- Friday

Our last full day was spent, where else?? At the beach! We rode toys, played in the water, & enjoyed the sand, sun, & all the family!

Roman flying solo- with Dad & Mom's permission ;)

Sterling was so funny! He just laid back & looked so chill while Anthon drove him around!

The boys are too small to ride this toy, but they thought they were still pretty cool sitting on it!

 Day 7- Saturday

We packed & loaded pretty much everything Friday night, so Saturday morning we just ate breakfast & headed to the market. We shopped for a little while, got some Thrifty ice cream, and then headed back across the border. You'd think that after a full week I'd be ready to come home, but I kinda wasn't! It was SO nice to have all that uninterrupted time with family in such a nice place! I can't wait until we can go back!!

There are a TON more pictures from our trip, so if you want to check them out in my Facebook album click HERE

Celebrations!!

3 fun days to celebrate all in one week... It's a crazy week every year, but so much fun!!

1) Father's Day

We celebrated it a week early because we will be in Mexico on the Sunday Father's Day really falls on, and I figured instead of dragging their ties with us to Mexico (it's what I give him every year), he could open them a week early.

ahh, cutest boys I've ever laid my eyes on!
Roman & Sterling truely idolize their Daddy & I don't think there is anything more heart warming than watching my husband cultivate his relationships with our sons!

2) June 14th- Anthon's 28th Birthday!

Anthon had to work on his birthday in the morning (BOOO!) so the boys & I decorated the house. Then once he got off, I had to go to work (BOOOO! again) & he took the boys to Bass Pro Shop for a few hours, just to get out of the house & check out some manly things. 

I love how much they love each other!

 Once I got off work, I rushed around picking up dinner & Anthon's ice cream cake (which Cold Stone screwed up on- they made the right cake, just the wrong size. They ended up giving me another small cake for free so we'd have enough for everyone at the party, but it took FOREVER!). I got home like 15 minutes before people started showing up. We had some friends & family over and it was a LOT of fun!

Anthon blowing out his candles and Sterling stealing a taste

 3) Our Anniversary

Early Friday morning we took Sterling in to have his tear duct surgically opened. It was a quick, easy procedure and didn't seem to bother him at all. I'm SO thankful it wasn't complicated & that it's taken care of!

Us in the recovery room right after he came out of the anesthesia

The rest of the day was spent running around like chickens with our heads cut off- shopping, trying to get organizing, cleaning, & packing for our week long trip to Mexico. But that night Anthon & I went out to celebrate our 7th Wedding Anniversary (it's really on the 17th-same day as Father's Day this year- but again, we'll be in Mexico for it). He took me to to dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The food there is AMAZING!! If we were rich, I would eat there every night. Seriously.

Every. Single. Night!

Me & my love waiting for our mouth watering food!
I love this man SO much!

Even the tomatoes & Ranch tastes better there!

Best food I've ever eaten- have I said that before?!
 Fillet, asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes, & mashed sweet potatoes encrusted with pecans

Anthon wrote me a little love note with the confetti they decorated our table with :)

The waiter got a little confused towards the end about what event we were celebrating, but whatever- dessert was free, haha!
& see the Creme Brulee?!? BEST STUFF ON EARTH!

 I had so much fun on our date- all we did was talk & reminisce over our life together. I think I say this every year, but I'm so happy with our life! Even though we haven't accomplished a lot of our goals and there are tons of things we still need to improve on, I'm completely content because I'm with HIM! Anthon is everything to me, and everything wonderful that I have comes from him :)

Memorial Weekend

Anthon & his brother's played in a softball tournament in Show Low over Memorial weekend. It was SO nice to get out of the heat, but the first two days were WINDY & cold!! We were good sports about it though & still watched the games. These were the only shots I got of the games before my camera died-

Nice view, 'eh?!

Besides watching the softball games, we got to do a lot of other fun things like:

Help Grandpa plant his garden



Play with Cousins

& go for rides on Grandma & Grandpa's toys.

It was a really fun trip & I'm SO looking forward to spending more time on the mountain this summer after I leave my job!!

It's the simple things in life that make me the happiest

Sunday evening we decided to get out of our house for a little bit... so we went to the park, fed the ducks, & enjoyed the beauty of some of God's creations. There were so many things I appreciated while we were there- the variations of birds/animals, the beauty of the setting sun, the joy I felt watching our children- their innocence & desire to learn, & the companionship of Anthon.

The boys had a lot of fun feeding the ducks while Anthon &  I had a lot of fun watching them

He makes me so happy! Everything wonderful about my life involves him!

  Here's a little thought that I really liked from Elder James E. Faust that we learned in our Marriage & Family class at church:

"One of the less obvious but more significant reasons for divorce is the lack of a constant enrichment in marriage, … an absence of that something extra which makes it precious, special, and wonderful, when it is also drudgery, difficult, and dull. In the enriching of marriage the big things are the little things. It is a constant appreciation for each other and a thoughtful demonstration of gratitude. It is the encouraging and the helping of each other to grow.

Marriage is a joint quest for the good, the beautiful, and the divine”

Click HERE to read the rest of the lesson

I never realized how important the little things were until I heard that quote, or noticed how often I was on the recieving end of them. Anthon is always trying to do "something extra" to encourage me or let me know he loves/appreciates me. Whether it be the little love not left in an unexpected place, the shoulder/ neck massage given without being asked, the text message that just says "I thinking of you & I love you", the extra effort made to ensure we have family prayers morning & night, or just reaching over to hold my hand when we're driving somewhere. I KNOW how lucky I am to be his partner!! I love that we truly have a partnership, too! We work together on everything- work, cleaning our house, cooking meals, the kids, homework, church callings-I love that I can ask for his help with ANYTHING & know that he'll be there for me!

To me, our dull, every-day, messy, hectic life is my fairytale happy ending (but the best part is, I know there really is no end to our fairytale)!

Mother's Day

Today was awesome! I spent the day realizing all the blessings I have in my life that can be related to this day- My own dear mother who has been such an inspiration, example, & friend to me. Her life exemplifies charity, faith, & the pure love of Christ- anyone could learn these virtues just by observing her in her everyday life, but I had the pleasure of being TAUGHT by this amazing woman. My sweet mother-in-law who has always accepted, loved, & supported me in spite of my many flaws. Who raised a son in such an amazing way that he was able to become the confident, humble, honest, loyal, hardworking, forgiving, trustworthy man that I was lucky enough to marry. Anthon is the love of my life, literally my better half, & the most wonderful thing in my life! I love that I am the mother of HIS children! My sons... oh, my darling little boys! They are amazing, funny, smart, loving, forgiving, obedient, kind, cheerful, adorable, and helpful... sometimes I wonder how I got to be so lucky. Motherhood is the most rewarding, joyous, stressful, frustrating role I've ever had, but I feel overwhelmingly grateful for the chance I have to learn from these little boys & watch them grow. I am SO thankful to be a mother, & to have the examples of our two wonderful mothers to look toward as I try to teach these precious sons of God.   All I know is... I AM such a lucky girl!!

12 month stats

Sterling had his 12 month check up this morning. Here are his stats:

Weight: 18.7lbs- 5th percentile

Height 29.5in- 50th percentile

Head 27in- 25th percentile

I specifically asked her where he ranked percentile wise, so I would know (cause they usually don't give them to me & just compare him to his past weights, heights, ect.). People always ask me if he's big/small for his age, & I never really know what to tell them, other than he seems small to me, what he was when he was born, & that he has been on the same curve ever since. Roman was always big for his age & I enjoyed having a chart-toping boy, but I kinda like that Sterling a little guy... keeps me feeling like he's my baby for a little bit longer!! But the boy is SKINNNNNY! I need to start cooking some high calorie, kid friendly meals for him... anyone have any good recipes?!?!

Other than being super lean, he's a healthy, happy, smart little guy!  He can say "Momma", "Dadda", "No. no", "Baba", "Hi", "Bye, bye", "Was that?", "Ball", & "Car" He still only has 4 teeth- 2 on top, 2 on bottom. He's not walking independently yet, but loves to cruise around the furniture or with his walker. He's taken a few steps on his own, but as soon as he realizes he's flying solo, he'll slowly sit down & start crawling at lightening speed. His favorites right now are: *Food- strawberry's, oranges & apples especially,but really will eat anything I put in front of him! *Toys- balls & cars... he loves to play catch & makes the cutest "vroom" sound while driving his cars around on the floor! *People- Anthon & Roman! He LOVES his daddy & brother, and I love watching them all play together. He's gotten really good at giving kisses to anybody though :) *Water- whether it's bathing in it, swimming, or drinking it, the kid loves water! *Music- He loves to dance & is pretty good at moving to the beat! Some of the things he could live without are: getting dressed, having his nose wiped, getting strapped into his car seat, having his diaper changed, being snuggled by his mommy when he wants to play- pretty much all the same things he's hated for most of his life!

Look Whoo Turned 1!

A year ago today this tiny, sweet, adorable miracle joined our family. That was the fastest year of my life!! Sterling's life is seriously a blur- I remember his birth like it was yesterday, but everything else has flown by! Still, I have relished every second with this little angle- he is a literal gift from our Heavenly Father & has brought the sweetest spirit, so much joy, and a lot of fun into our home!! I can't believe he's a year old!!!

We celebrated this milestone with a fun party yesterday! Here are some pictures of the festivities:

I dedicated our kitchen magnet board to pictures of Sterling
Aren't his plates the cutest?!?

The spread...

It was Cinco de Mayo, so of course I made Mexican food...
that &Cafe Rio  sweet pork is the easiest/ cheapest thing to make for large groups... & I LOVE it!

The cake

Don't you love his candle?!?

He wastes no time! Started digging into the cake while we were still singing to him!

He IS a fan!

 

Opening all his fun presents!
Thanks everyone- he was spoiled rotten & got some really awesome gifts!!

 Ah, what more can I say?! We LOOOOVE this boy! He makes us all so happy-he is so sweet, funny, patient, CUTE, & simply the best! I've spent a lot of time the last couple weeks scrapbooking the last year (my entire pregnancy til today) and it was so fun to look back & see how he's grown, and remember all the fun times we've had with him. I'm eternally indebted to the Lord for the chance He's given me to have Sterling in my life! I have learned more about patience, forgiveness, charity, the pure love of Christ, gratitude, and so much more in the last year- & I know it has everything to do with this little boy. I'm so lucky to get to be his mommy!! Happy birthday, Sterling Boy!
** If you want to see more pictures of all the fun, you can check out my album on Facebook by clicking HERE

MayDay!!

Roman's been quite the mischevious little boy this week...

& it's only Tuesday.

Sunday morning I found this lovely mess after I got out of the shower.

I made him vacuum it all up, but he thought that was GREAT... not a very good punishment I guess, but I didn't want to clean that up!!

 Then, yesterday morning SOMEHOW he got a hold of a pair of scissors, climbed into Sterling's crib, & butchered his hair.

 Sterling was born with a full head of hair & has never been bald, so it was kind of a disappointment for me, to say the least, to have to shave his head! Right before his birthday, too!

 But, my friend made a comment that totally put things into perspective for me...

"Don't let it stress you too much... messes clean up and hair grows back."

Seriously, it could've been much worse!! He could've cut him, or really hurt him! He's not a girl, & it's normal for boys to have buzzed hair in the summer, so I'm not going to stress over it anymore!

As crazy as he is at 3 years old, I know this phase will go by so fast and then I'll be missing the impulsive, curious, hilarious, insane things he did & said! So, I'm trying to take it all in with that perspective, not get too worked up over these kinds of things, & teach myself to only shower/use the bathroom when he's asleep!!