Our Little Family

we ski.

2012-01-27T14:53:00.004-07:00

we are loving the slopes this year.

bowen is doing so good.

here's some pics from our last family ski day.

...can't wait to get back up there!

something strange.

2012-01-27T08:34:00.002-07:00

something strange happens when i paint my toenails.

i have the same greasy, slick-to-my-head hair i've had for a few days now,

i have yet to put on make-up this week

(i will tonight though....date night!)

and i can't remember the last time i wore something other than pajamas.

(oh wait, yes i do...last weekend i went swimming and i'm pretty sure i wore a swimsuit!)

and yet,

when i glance at my fabulously painted, bright red toenails....

i feel like a woman!

{say that shania twain style}

i studied too long and too hard for simple answers.

2012-01-12T10:29:00.002-07:00

bowen: i think there are ants in my ears.

me: no, there are no ants in your ears....who told you that?

bowen: no one.

me: well, i promise there are no ants.

bowen: then what's in our ears?

me: well there are a lot of things. first there is the auditory canal, which leads to the eardrum and three tiny bones, malleus, incus, and stapes. these tiny bones lead to an opening called the oval window....then you get to the cochlea, which will eventually lead to your brain, telling you what you heard.

bowen: nope, pretty sure it's just Ants!

via the phone.

2012-01-07T19:18:00.003-07:00

if you make it to the end of this post and you think to yourself,

"wow, that was way too many photos."

you're probably right.

i did get a little carried away.

truth is, i was in-love with my new christmas gift during our lil' family vaca and just couldn't stop taking fun photos!

so, sorry if you're bored.

we went to yuma and san diego after Christmas this year.

visited family.

went to the Zoo,

and Sea World,

ate like royalty.

{excuse me for a moment while i reminisce about the food!.....oh yeahhh!}

soaked in the sun.

gazed at the sail boats in the bay.

played super-heros in the hotel.

swam like little fishies.

and just RElaxed!

the trip was perfect.

just what we always need during these long winter months.

{this is little e. taking a nap, pretty much how he enjoyed all the flights. he was golden!}

cartoons with cousins.

the babies.

{ain't nothin' like a beverage and some super hero action for the ride home.}

can't wait to go again!

2012-01-05T19:39:00.001-07:00

emmett,

you are changing so fast. everyday you seem to figure out something new. you are so smart, and beautiful. i honestly can't get enough of you! you were thrilled with the magic of your first Christmas. it was so fun to watch it all through your eyes. Santa brought you a walker and you LOVE it. every day, you zoom around the kitchen like a nascar racer. you love laughing, smiling, and of course eating!! can't believe you're seven months old! love you so much.

love mom.

being festive.

2011-12-27T17:09:00.003-07:00

{christmas eve tra-dish}

{twas the night before Christmas...}

{bo. just being super stocked about his new toothpaste.}

{little e. slobbering on all the oranges. he took that duty upon himself.}

{just a happy "matchy" family.}

{stud.}

{and that's about the time the camera died.}

hope you had a fabulous holiday!

see you in 2012.

six months.

2011-12-01T17:10:00.002-07:00

emmett,

six months went by way too fast. and yet, we can barely remember life without you. you have starting laughing. really laughing. and it brightens up our whole house. you continue to be sweet and peaceful even through ear infections, shots, or an unpleasant tummy. man, we love you. you're sitting up like a champ now, and have decided you like that better than tummy time. you love eating and will try anything! even peas, something your brother didn't like at all. it's so fun having the holidays with you...can't wait to see you light up with a pile of christmas wrapping paper...i just know you are going to love that!

happy six months,

love, mom.

thankful.

2011-11-28T08:30:00.001-07:00

we had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

hope you did too.

what happens in vegas...

2011-11-21T11:31:00.004-07:00

goes on the blog!

here's how it went down,

we jumped on a plane.

emmett's first to be exact.

he received a "first flight" certificate,

an overhead announcement and a round of applause...it was pretty special!

we checked into our hotel only to find out james had been chosen as

"GUEST of the DAY!"

which meant a bag of goodies and a room upgrade!

then...

we did some necessary chocolate shopping.

ran into james' hollywood crush, Halle Berry.

yep, i'm the "cool" wife that look a picture of the two love birds!

we tried fitting into the cool city life...

(we still kinda stick out don't we!?)

enjoyed some classic sight-seeing.

and dined at some of our favorites...

of course that also included

P.F. Changs

Cheesecake Factory

and

Panera

all in all, it was a VERY successful trip.

and we were all thrilled to see bowen when we got home!

to honor...

2011-11-12T16:10:00.003-07:00

my man.

Happy Birthday to my Best Friend!

looking good...even with some handlebars.

love him.

K, let's compare.

2011-11-02T14:17:00.003-06:00

bowen 7 months.

Emmett 5 mo.

Bowen 6 mo.

Emmett 5 mo.

halloween.

2011-11-01T09:39:00.004-06:00

bowen wanted to be a cowboy this year.

so we all went to the trunk or treat as hicks.

...with a pet chicken!

we kept it going for the trick-or-treating downtown.

and the school party.

but on halloween night, we were all a little sick of it already.

so we threw open the halloween box, and re-evaluated.

bowen picked pirate.

emmett opted for the evil one.

with a simon cowell wig.

we thought it was a little strange,

but it was a "pick your own" night...

so we couldn't disagree with him.

i opted for an orange-haired tigger.

and james, well he was just plain ol' scary.

Happy Halloween!

two.six.

2011-11-01T09:15:00.004-06:00

i had my birthday this week.

i love birthdays.

the older i get, the younger i feel!

(i wonder how long that will last?)

bowen on the other hand, can't believe i'm two.six!

"that's so old mom!"

this year we spent the day in the mountains.

i can't really remember a birthday when the weather was this beautiful!

so i had no choice but to soak it up.

it was perfect!

Happy Harvest

2011-10-16T13:55:00.005-06:00

i love this time of year. there's just something in the air that makes me want to smile...constantly! we took the boys to a nearby pumpkin patch to get in the festive spirit of the holiday's. bowen loved exploring {and occasionally smashing} the pumpkins. after gathering some apples form the orchard for some homemade apple crisp, we headed to a Halloweenie Roast. the decorations were so fun. of course, my boys {james, included} loved the transformers! i was more into the spook alley.

Happy Harvest!

*photos taken in Paradise, Utah

Emmett eats.

2011-10-12T13:34:00.005-06:00

we have officially started the rice cereal.

bowen was ecstatic to learn the his baby brother was advancing to meals that now include a spoon. which means, he does most the feedings.

emmett's not a big fan of the whole idea.

it's been a full week now, and still we manage to get more coming out, then ever went in.

baby steps...

but after breakfast, when all the belly's are full, we get the sweetest smiles.

and that makes it all worth it!

new beginnings.

2011-10-11T14:35:00.003-06:00

I am excited to let you know about a unique opportunity that i have recently begun. I have become a Shelf Reliance Consultant! This opportunity will allow me to help people worldwide become self reliant, financially independent, and better prepared for the future!

You can expect great things by participating in one of my Shelf Reliance Parties.

*Education. learn valuable tips and information

on how to build, manage, and cook with food storage.

*Great tasting food. watch a cooking demo and taste

samples of delicious food storage recipes that are easy to make!

*Free and half off products. Earn free and

half off items every time you host a party!

*Business opportunity. Learn about the exciting

benefits of becoming a Shelf Reliance Consultant.

*Pricing. Receive exclusive pricing and product variety

available only to home party customers.

*Fun. enjoy a fun-filled atmosphere with family and friends.

To kick start this new adventure I'm doing a contest!

you will be entered to win a FREE can of THRIVE food!!

here's what you have to do...

1. link to my new blog and read "my story".

2. be a follower on the blog by clicking "join this site." on the right side.

3. encourage your friends to join the site, and leave a comment showing me where you did this. (Facebook, twitter, blogger etc.)

The contest will end October 30!

(my birthday!!)

I will announce the winner on the THRIVE blog!

2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months....

2011-10-03T17:18:00.003-06:00

james and i love going to his mother's house in the fall. the leaves are gorgeous in midway!

and they certainly didn't disappoint this year.

(i just didn't take any pictures)

but this trip was especially special.

all the little babies were getting together for the first time!

all three of james' sisters had babies this summer. savanna came first, 2 days later came little emily, 2 weeks later emmett arrived, and 2 months after that william was born! so fun!!

emily, emmett, william, and savanna

(dressed in their hawaiian attire, thanks to emily, our little hawaiian babe.)

babies were everywhere!

Grandma Pratt was in heaven!

all the mommies with their babies.

(mary and savanna, holly and emily, me and emmett, amy and william)

Birds and Bees

2011-09-22T09:01:00.000-06:00

last night i was going through my emails while james was giving the boys their bath when i heard the birds and bees talk start up.....

bo: "how did you and mommy make emmett?"

i won't get into the details.....(since we all know how it happens.)

let's just say, dad gave a VERY truthful, scientific response.

bowen had zero follow-up questions.

i don't think he'll be bringing that up again any time soon! :)

parenting responsibility #892; the birds and the bees.......check!

the Golden One!

2011-09-20T08:43:00.002-06:00

it's true.

bowen had his golden birthday this year.

he turned 4 on the 4th!

so we celebrated four him.

his birthday wish list was only a mile long by the time the day actually came. and quite frankly there were some things i just couldn't make happen.

{like a spiderman/batman/superman movie in the theatre}

so we improvised.

we threw him a "Super Bowen" party.

the big day just happen to be during a family reunion.

i didn't even make his birthday dinner.

{grandma did}

most the activities that happen to fall on his birthday were planned by others.

but who cares...cause he Loved it all!

and he was pretty certain it all happened four him.

{shhhhhh.}

we kicked it off with a {super} scavenger hunt for the birthday presents.

then we headed out for a {super} fun ride on the water!

and had all our {super} friends with us.

bowen went golfing with all the dads. we was a {super} good driver!

we all feasted on {super} good Super Bo cake!

we took a {super} hike to Bloomington Lake

where daddy jumped from a {super} big tree.

and in the end we were {super} tired.

{wow, i kinda out did those "supers" didn't I?

just trying to make it seem like i had a theme the whole time! :)}

and now he is Four!

little e.

2011-09-13T10:07:00.000-06:00

me and little e when big bo goes to school.

bliss.

back to school.

2011-09-08T09:57:00.000-06:00

bo was so excited for school this year.

as was i.

it sort of creeped up on us.

but we managed to make it to the first day.

and we even had time for a quick picture by the front door.

a miracle really, since i remembered the night before that school was starting.

{and since bowen decided that he would like to sleep in for the first time in months.}

this year will be so fun.

instead of dropping him off and rushing to school, myself.

i get to spend one-on-one time with the little guy.

an all-around good thing!

i just hope bo will still want to play "school" with me when he gets home.

cause i loved it during the summer!

blessed.

2011-09-05T21:00:00.000-06:00

we blessed emmett on sunday, august 28.

it was such a beautiful day!

we had so many friends and family there that made it extra special.

{sharing the day with grandma and grandpa's homecoming was also really neat!}

and for those of you who were concerned....emmett did fit in his outfit.

it was definitely snug, no doubt about that.

but it fit!

{for an hour at least.}

...and maybe the "pants" were more like shorts.

...and the collar had to be unbuttoned in the back so as to not choke the little man.

but, he looked mighty cute for his big day!

the blessing was perfect.

just perfect.

and i only cried a little.

{an improvement for my emotional self}

but what can i say,

we are loving life with these two boys.

we just feel down-right blessed.

the Lake

2011-08-30T09:01:00.001-06:00

we took a little trip to the lake with some of our good friends.

weird how the lake never gets old!

{baby emmett}

{hot mommas}

{lucy}

{who says you need gas to have fun?}

{james and "tug boat" pulling us in}

{abby and lucy}

{my man}

{bo}

{sleepy mason}

{just diggin'}

{miss jaylee}

{the whole gang: abby, chet, lucy, reese, mason, jaylee, lacey, bowen, marci, james and emmett}

3 months

2011-08-28T08:37:00.000-06:00

emmett,

we took you to the lake this weekend. you absolutely loved it! it was your first time boating and you had zero complaints. you were even fine with dad letting you kick your legs in that cold lake water. i was in heaven cuddling with you on the beach. daddy and i have decided that you were sent here as our little peacemaker, and we're all quite thrilled with that.

we love you. happy 3 months!

love,

mom

me and my little man

2011-08-20T10:28:00.000-06:00

nothing like photobooth to kill some time!

they're back!

2011-08-10T11:59:00.004-06:00

(the grandkids broke them in very quick!!)

curve balls.

2011-08-01T15:54:00.000-06:00

life happened to throw us another curve ball.

as if building a new home,

renovating the home we're in,

packing up for the move,

welcoming our parents home,

and enjoying our new {bigger} family wasn't enough.

i had surgery friday.

i prayed the recovery would be quick.

like...really quick.

doc said two weeks.

but i allotted two days.

that would mean i should feel 100%......today.

it was nothing too serious.

i had some complications due to delivery.

what could have been really scary....turned out not so bad.

thanks to a great doctor who followed her instincts.

i'm just grateful for my little bundle of smiles that makes it all worth it!

(that would be emmett in case you're confused.)

(and i'm also grateful he was willing to take bottles during the whole ordeal. doesn't he look like such a champ holding his first bottle?)

in all seriousness,

i have THE best baby!

{hopefully there are no more hospital stays in my future,

that cup a pudding they bring is kinda getting old.}

2011-07-13T05:09:00.000-06:00

i LOVE my mornings!

it ain't summer...

2011-07-12T16:00:00.003-06:00

till you're camping in the backyard!

{technically, these are the only ones that did the actual camping,

but i had a s'more so that counts, right?}

all smiles

2011-07-12T15:59:00.002-06:00

i finally caught a grin on camera.

2011-07-05T11:21:00.005-06:00

we had so much fun celebrating America this week.

good friends...

good fireworks....

good naps...

good sunshine...

good R&R....

good games...

good food...

good parade...

why can't the 4th of july come twice a year??

one month.

2011-07-01T14:07:00.003-06:00

{a little late. but worth the wait}

it's hard to believe that a month has already flown by since emmett r. joined our little family. and at the same time, hard to imagine life was ever happening without him. he has wiggled his way into our lives perfectly. he's the best little baby.

at one month:

we started baby wise right away and he is loving his little schedule. i feed him at 10:30pm and he's asleep by 11pm. he wakes up once between 4-5 and then goes right back to sleep. not too bad.

he spits up quite a bit

poops even more.

loves to nurse and has been a pro since day one.

his eyes are turning more and more blue everyday.

he’s not much for swaddling.

but loves his little giraffe blanket and binkie.

loves to nuzzle in my neck for a nap.

sweats like crazy in the carseat.

likes the bouncy chair and the swing.

loves big brother. the sound of bo's voice can instantly calm him down.

nicknames so far: E, emmers, m&m, chubbs, tiny, mr. grunts, bubba, buddy and slim. Not sure which one will stick.

cheeks.

2011-06-28T19:53:00.001-06:00

i think he gets these beauties from me.

Daddy Day.

2011-06-22T17:17:00.004-06:00

james spent the week here so we had to delay the father's day celebration.

but boy did we celebrate the second he walked in the door.

bowen had all sorts of plans.

he made him about 20 cards.

one massive poster.

(with his mother's help)

a batch of brownies.

(that we later found out were fat free...oops! that's what happen's when you try and shop with two kids i guess. YUCK!)

a handfull of painted wooden toys.

a pile of balloons.

and last but certainly not least,

a perfect rendition of "Happy Birthday to You!"

{fathers day, birthday...same thing, right?}

we certainly love our dad around here. man did we miss him. who knew he did so much? i consider myself pretty dang lucky to have married such a catch! he is a great dad, and wonderful example to me and the boys. though, we missed him terribly while he was gone..bowen told me one night:

"mom, i'm so glad dad went to camp to cheer those kids up!"

and i am too!

there's something so sexy about a man doing charity work!!

we love you dad.

leavin' on a jet plane

2011-06-21T12:31:00.003-06:00

bo: what should we do today mom?

me: what do you want to do bo?

bo: wanna know what i was thinking?

me: ya.

bo: i never been to ghana before. i think i will go today. all. by. myself!

me: oh really? are you sure you don't want me to go with you?

bo: i can do it mom. i will just put treats and toys and candy in my backpack and go to the airplane place and get on a airplane. and you don't have to worry mom, cause gramma and papa will take care of me!

{we went to the park instead.}

dear emmett,

2011-06-18T11:30:00.000-06:00

emmett,

i think this has been the best three weeks ever.

you are such a wonderful baby.

thanks for that!

i love that you let me know you need me by a small whimper...crying's just not your style.

i love that you don't mind when your big brother puts toys in your face or sings to you at the top of his lungs, even when you're sleeping.

i love that you smile after you sneeze because of the tickle in your nose.

i love that you get the hiccups at the same time of day you used to get them in the womb, it reminds me of the magical feelings of pregnancy.

i love that you don't mind if it takes us all day to finally get ready. you seem content in your pajamas...just like me!

i love holding you while we nap. (dad thinks i'm spoiling you but i can't help it)

i love your chubby checks, all your dark hair, your sweet little lips, your deep set eyes, perfect little ears, and your wrinkly feet and hands.

i love you with all my heart.

{photos by nicole . emmett was five days old}

feed, wake, sleep...repeat!

2011-06-15T07:17:00.000-06:00

bowen meets baby

2011-06-01T12:27:00.006-06:00

bowen loves having a baby brother! he came to the hospital with dad several times to shower him with kisses. and now that we're home it hasn't stopped. he's only added a protective 'big brother' attitude to the mix.

{first time at the hospital}

{james took bowen to the store to pick out a "big brother" present! he picked lightening mcqueen! and wanted to come right back to the hospital to show his baby brother}

{i think they bonded over that car!}

bowen has been an excellent helper from the very beginning. he loves when it's diaper changing time and he's ready with all the supplies in a little basket that he carries from room to room for me. his first time helping he even held up one of the legs.

{he was so excited to bring him home from the hospital. i think we had him strapped in the carseat an hour early cause bowen couldn't handle the anticipation.}

{and once we were home, all he wanted to do was snuggle with him}

we took our first little outing and bowen offered to share his stroller. isn't that sweet?! little does he know, his stroller is now his two working legs! but we let him ride this time. since our outing was a walk around the driveway!

every night bowen wants us to bring emmett to his room so they can snuggle. he tries to pretend he is sleeping so that we'll let emmett sleep in his bed with him. (no worries...his acting skills haven't convinced us yet.)

i am absolutely LOVING life with two boys!

Emmett's Story

2011-05-29T06:31:00.011-06:00

i had a doctor's appointment on thursday, the appointment the doc had predicted i wouldn't be attending. and yet, i was there. my progress had been small from the week before...not much had changed. i was still at a 3, he was still positioned low (which i could of told you) and still only 80% effaced. all my walking, yard-working, and shopping had done nothing to take the process further. i was definitely uncomfortable but am a strong believer that the babies come when they are ready, so a scheduled induction seemed unnecessary to me. instead, my doctor offered to strip my membranes. it sounded much to painful so i decided against it. she assured me that i could come the following day if i changed my mind.

that night was long and painful. my nerve pain was back in my legs (something that i thought had left the week prior) and contractions were getting more intense, yet still nowhere near what they needed to be. i tried desperately to keep them coming. after some vigorous house hunting, i told james to let me walk home. i felt like labor was just around the corner the whole way home but the second i walked in the door, got a drink, and sat down....they disappeared and only pain (from lack of exercising) existed. so it was no wonder that james talked me into getting my membranes stripped the next day. (doesn't that just sound painful?)

friday morning i made the call to the doctor and she said i could come in the afternoon. i decided to help the process along. i cleaned the house (crazy-like...) and took bowen for a 2 mile stroll (yep, felt that one after.) and made it to my appointment at 2:30. i'll just leave that explanation to: ouch! i could barely drive home the contractions were so strong, but i didn't want them to leave so bowen and i took another long walk together. when we got home i decided to hurry and get all the plants in the flower bed, just in case it would be a week or so before i could do it. however, looking at the flower bed afterwards gave james and i a pretty good laugh and we decided i shouldn't try to make things look pretty whilst in pain! :) after dinner, we all took a walk to maverick for a red box, and a slushy. pretty sure i crashed the second we walked in the door from exhaustion. (little did i know, a slushy would be my last treat to emmett....not the best final treat.)

by 1am i was woken up by the real deal. i timed them for about thirty minutes to find that they were 6 minutes apart. then i realized, i still had dirt in my hair from when james accidentally threw the remains of his shovel on my head whilst doing yard work (that was actually really funny...you should have seen it) i also remembered that i had yet to pack a hospital bag (i know, for someone who was trying to keep the contractions going the day before i certainly wasn't prepared) so i decided it would be best to get out of bed and start getting things ready. the bath only made the contractions more frequent so i was down to three minutes. every three minutes i would try to accomplish as much as possible. and by 3:00am james and i were in the car on the quiet roads of cache valley. i got the much needed epidural by 6 and called my mommy! we laughed together, cried together, and just lived in the moment. (despite the circumstances of the moment.) at 8am the nurse checked me again, and only said, "OH, it's time to have a baby!" while flipping on all the lights. that's when james perked up from his slumber on the oh-so-comfy sofa, "did i just hear, 'time to have a baby?' " the doctor showed up at 8:20am, we waited for the next contraction and with one push, Emmett Ray Pratt was here at 8:24am. 7lbs, 4oz, 20.5inches and breathtaking.

it was only fitting that the first to meet him was Grandma and Grandpa Saunders, who happened to try skyping when he was only 20 minutes old. we all shared tears together in such a special and emotional moment. (Emmett's middle name is after grandpa!)

The days anticipating Emmett's arrival were exhausted with stress. Between renovating one house, shopping for another, applying to grad school (just james) and missing my mom, i kept thinking a night stay at the hospital was just not going to fit in the schedule. little did i know that it was that first night alone with my new baby that would bring me all the peace i needed. those quiet moments in the dark with only the squirming sounds of a newborn laying on my chest was my piece of heaven.

"bowen meets baby" coming soon....

hello sunshine,

2011-05-26T09:28:00.000-06:00

man, are we excited to see you!

gettin' ready...

2011-05-20T13:49:00.004-06:00

i decided to make the little guy some blankets of his very own!

i did a couple oversized receiving blankets.

i had this really fun idea to crochet around the edges.

then i got realistic and just called it done!

{i might regret the white, but it just looks so soft for a spring babe!}

this one is a lot smaller for stroller and car seat rides.

it's got a little African flare in honor of his grandpa and grandma!

{sadly, the quilt i am working on is now in a flood zone.

i'm just hoping that i'll be able to salvage enough of it to finish....someday.}

and you're never ready for a new baby without a fresh pedi!

we're all set...

{you guys were right...there is plenty of fun stuff to fill my time without school.

i may just be loving it a little too much!}

SUPER-BO

2011-05-20T13:32:00.002-06:00

bowen made some super hero glasses at school recently. he wears them everyday, all day now. and we are required to refer to him as Super-Bowen!

super-bowen is a pretty neat kid. he cleans at warp speed. always says please and thank-you, and never throws tantrums.

(when the glasses come off things are a bit different!)

the other day while driving home this was our conversation:

me: "hey if you'll clean you room when we get home you can watch a cartoon today!"

bo: "mom, i don't need cartoons. cartoons are for little kids and i'm a super-bowen!"

{and yes, he was sporting the glasses while in town!}

i have no problem playing pretend when so much gets done around the house.

i'm loving super-bo!

**we were trying to do a super-hero pose, but it kinda came out like a cheerleader! oops. i need to brush up on my superhero moves.

my mom

2011-05-09T20:45:00.004-06:00

it's no surprise to anyone that reads this blog that my mom is my best friend. that i love her so much and know that i am in fact the luckiest girl on the earth to have the best mother there is! but instead of getting mushy.....

one day i came home from school to find my mom sweeping the kitchen floor. she must not have heard me sneak in the door with her blaring music and i just stood in awe as she sang her little heart out....

''I was gonna clean my room until I got high

I was gonna get up and find the broom but then I got high

my room is still messed up and I know why (why man?) yea hey,

- cause I got high, cause i got high, cause i got high."

It's hard to recall if that was the exact moment i decided my mom was awesome, or if i already knew it. it wasn't until i started singing with her that she noticed i was in the room! she claims that she was unaware of the lyrics but just caught up in the rhythm of the song...oh mom!

it has been only one of the many times my mom has had me laughing uncontrollably. i can't help but look forward to many more laughs to come! love you mom.

Grad-u-nated!

2011-05-09T19:48:00.005-06:00

james and i graduated on Saturday. I got a BS in Health, James a BA in Social Sciences. We were pretty stoked...but both want Master's Degrees. go figure.

(it was a long day for these little ones but they still yelled for the graduates!)

bowen has been my little supporter without even knowing it. I started school when he was 6 months old. crazy to think it's all he's ever known.

james and i were so grateful for our family that wanted to celebrate with us! they drove all the way up just for our big day! we love them so much...thanks guys. we had an awesome celebratory dinner with them afterwards at james and i's favorite restaurant, Elements. oh, it was divine! (and mom and dad were there in spirit. it's safe to say that they were our biggest fans through all these hard years, even from Ghana...thanks mom and dad, we love you!)

bowen and i are so proud of james. he has worked so hard in school, all the while working a full time job. go daddy! so fun to see you chasing your dreams.

(and this is our family photo that bowen was embarrassed to be a part of....i wonder why??)

bowen said it best when the long day was over.

"good job grad-u-nating mom and dad!"

isn't he so sweet?

2011-05-03T13:59:00.003-06:00

dear baby boy,

i can't wait to meet you.

sometimes i just sit on the couch and watch you dance in my belly.

it's my favorite thing to do.

i'm anxious to see your little fingers as they wrap themselves around mine. or kiss the top of your head as you rest your little body on my chest and sleep.

i spend hours wondering what you will look like. will you have lots of hair, or be bald like your brother was? it's hard to imagine you not looking like your brother, but i'm sure you'll have features that are all your own.

today i laid out all your little clothes and hung them neatly in your closet. hopefully your ok with stripes, cause i realized you'll be sporting them quite often. i still have a few projects to finish before you arrive.

but if you decide to come early, i'm ok with that too!

i already love you beyond words.

see you soon...

love,

mom

feeling a bit strange.

2011-05-01T20:35:00.003-06:00

tonight was just like any other night. i gave bowen a bath, read him a couple books (skipping a few pages here and there to keep it under an hour), tucked him in, and kissed him good night. as i closed the door and we relayed our i-love-you-more sequence i found myself thinking of tomorrow. and that's when it hit me. wierd that it wasn't until now. but i suddenly realized that tomorrow will be unlike any day i've had in the last three years. you see, i am done with school. no more stress of due dates lingering over my head while i find myself doing other things. no more papers to write in the wee hours of the mornings so as not to be interrupted by my sweet little boy. no more studying (more like cramming) for long-winded exams. i'm done.

to some this may come as a huge accomplishment. to me, i've yet to see it that way. in fact, i'm not quite sure how i see it. i always thought i would get my degree. always knew it was a dream. but sometimes i wonder if i was enjoying the process more than anticipating the outcome. sure there were times when i would complain. get frustrated. even want to quit. but there were more times when i was grateful for having somewhere to go. other adults to interact with daily. and more than anything...learning new things that hadn't occupied my mind before.

so i sit and wonder. what will tomorrow bring? sure there are things to do; laundry, housework, making baby blankets, getting piles ready for the D.I., taking bowen to the park like i have promised would happen once mommy was done with school. there are many things to do. and yet, i feel somewhat lost. what will all this be like without the constant worry of homework in the back of my mind. will i miss it? perhaps.

so here is to a new chapter in my life. the chapter after "bachelor's degree" and the one before, "master's degree". how long will this chapter be? what will i accomplish? where will it take me? i feel as though the structure, that i so lovingly created for myself, is dissapating. i will now be left with 24 hours of do-whatever-i-want-whenever-i-want-everyday time. and i can't say that this is a definite positive. what if i suddenly feel it unnecessary to shower, get dressed, or even brush my hair? what if i use the time to watch pointless tv and waste my evenings? what if the lack of that nagging feeling of homework, causes me to stop learning? then what?

tomorrow i'll do my to-do list. hopefully it will take a long time. heck, i think i'll even add "clean toilets" to the list. perhaps i'll go for a walk (if the weather permits, of course) it's been a long time since i've had the energy or time for exercise. and maybe i'll make dinner so bowen can stop saying, "mom, why you keep bringing this home?" referring to our frequencing of Coasta Vida as of late. and maybe, just maybe, all you wonderful stay-at-home moms will offer loads of advice on how to occupy the whole day (better yet, the week).

today.

2011-04-30T19:41:00.001-06:00

bo and i had a rough night. we didn't pull into the garage till close to 11pm after a fun filled birthday party in salt lake. i spent half the night awake with pregnancy pain and bowen spent the next half coughing, crying, fevering and needing some love {which i was happy to offer.} so needless to say, morning came quick at our house and the two of us spent it laying on my bed watching movies.

soon enough, i felt rested, and bowen was well drugged and begging to play. of course the problem with a sick toddler is that they over-exert themselves the second they feel a little better so i wanted to take it slow. luckily we agreed on painting.....

and while we painted we chatted. he told me all about his birthday. something we now talk about on a regular basis. i'm sure attending other parties lately could be the culprit, but whatever it is, bowen has been planning his big day for some time now. and every time a new activity is added to the agenda. so far this is the plan:

"we can go swimming with havyn, krew, grandma and papa.

i will wear my spiderman goggles so i can swim like a fish.

then we will go to spiderman/batman in the theatre as a family.

with popcorn.

and i will play soccer with all my friends.

and i will win!

cause i'm a good kicker, huh?!

and we can go to a roller-coaster so we can all say "weeeeeeeeeeeee"

we will eat cake AND cupcakes

and i think i will get a new shirt."

let's just hope that the list doesn't get longer since we still have four months to go. i'm a little worried how we'll squeeze this all into one day. but i just don't have the heart to tell him.

the rest of the day was laundry, dishes, and cleaning all intertwined with lots of hugs and kisses.

bliss.

this house

2011-04-29T15:09:00.001-06:00

living in my childhood house brings back a lot of memories for me.

like "swimming" in the tub.

so fun that bo loves it too.

glad he doesn't wear the swim cap like i did. wasn't a good look.

Easter Best

2011-04-24T15:55:00.003-06:00

We had a fun and relaxing Easter Weekend this year.

we kicked it off with some classic egg dying on friday night. bowen did an excellent job getting all our eggs done! i seem to forget there are only three of us when it comes to this kind of stuff. but he happily did all 20!

on Saturday we had a perfect family day in Salt Lake. By late afternoon we drove to Lehi for the Pratt Family Easter Party!

bowen loved the easter egg hunt, but since his smart mom forgot an easter basket, he was gathering them up in a grocery bag.....classic!

We woke up on sunday to see that the Easter bunny had paid us all a little visit. Bowen's favorite was his new shades!

The weather couldn't have been more perfect for Easter Sunday.

The best part of the whole weekend was at the dinner table. i know i mentioned it was a relaxing weekend, but during all that relaxing i had failed to teach bowen what Easter was really all about. (or so i thought) While i was cooking up an Easter Feast i mentioned to james that we probably ought to tell bowen about Jesus being Resurrected. James agreed, but we both got busy and never took the time to sit him down for the lesson. When we sat down to eat the feast bowen wanted to say the prayer.

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day,

Thank you for Easter,

Thank you for Jesus Christ and the tomb,

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

It was short, sweet, and perfect. and let james and i know that whether we sit him down to teach him the lessons of the gospel of just talk about it in his presence, he's taking in more than we know. I guess we'll continue our gospel discussions with bowen in the room.

rainy days and mondays....

2011-04-18T16:40:00.006-06:00

we usually get a pretty good flood season at our house, and this year did not disappoint. bowen and i had a good time playing in all the water. (of course i failed to get pictures of that part.)

a KSL5 helicopter hovered over our backyard for a while snapping shots of our flood. i was terrified it would interrupt a much needed nap time, but i did snap a picture for history's sake!

i do love a good spring rain!

I don't know much

2011-04-12T20:38:00.003-06:00

But i do know this...

*life is just better when your best friend is 3 miles away instead of 741 miles.

*you can never have too many naps.

*trials get harder before getting better. (and it's right when you feel you can't handle anymore that it has to get a little harder....just hang on.)

*a large coke {with the good ice} can heal a headache in minutes.

*music is a key ingredient for a good day.

*hosting a house-load of family is pure bliss. {if you like your family of course}

*your happier when you make your spouse happier. (i'm just lucky that my hubby is generally happy all the time. i know...he's perfect!)

*real friends are a lot better than facebook friends. just sayin'.

*life isn't fair. (and this just flat out sucks. for me. for you. for everyone. just sucks.)

*a good pedi is such a rejuvenating event.

*knowing your kid had a bad day at school is so much worse then your own bad day at school.

*i have better parents than i deserve.

(yes, my son is the one dressed like a fairy. now would be an excellent time to explain why....but honestly, that's one thing i don't know!)

made it to 30 weeks/big boy bowen

2011-03-23T18:24:00.011-06:00

i can't believe i'm down to the last ten weeks. it's gone by so much faster than my first pregnancy. i guess that's to be expected. however, i never did reach that "Aww, i feel so good now" moment. you know, the one that's suppose to pop up in the second trimester. i still have nausea, heartburn, back pain, and brackston-hicks. not fun, and yet still so exciting! i'm anxious for that sweet baby smell right out of the bath, for the coos in the early morning hours, for the late night snuggles before he's tucked into bed and all the other joys new little babies bring!

{30 or so weeks. bowen is getting pretty good at the picture takin' wouldn't you say? he turned the camera upright all by himself so that he could get my head this time....smarty pants!}

{me and my beautiful sister-in-laws. we are all two weeks apart. and yes, despite the fact that i am the largest...i'm due last!}

bowen is getting seriously funny. ok, maybe it's just me. but i love it. i've had so many of those proud mommy moments lately! his drawing and coloring seemed to improve overnight. not only is he able to draw and scribble some letters, but he MUST do it all the time. i now have a whole counter dedicated to his drawings (not to mention whats already on the fridge...something i thought i would never succumb to) that i "can not throw away!"; bowen's orders! nor would i want to. i just have no clue what to do with all the masterpieces.

i love our moments in the car driving to and from preschool. he tells me all sorts of stories. some i remember, some i don't (dang pregnancy brain). today he said, "mom, why you name me bowen when i was in your tummy?" i never expected he would want an explanation for his name. especially at three? and quite frankly, i don't have one. i was drugged and tired and james did the naming. i woke up, thought it was cute and signed the paper. that's about it. {and the fact that every name i came up with james quickly thought of a way the kid could be made fun of didn't help} so i said a simple, "because we knew that you were our little bowen!" his response was just as simple: "i don't like it!" darn. it wouldn't be the first time we've made parental mistakes, and it certainly wont be the last..but really, you don't even like your name? so i offered him to choose a new one. i bet you can all guess exactly what it was......"Poopy-ka!" is that really that much better?

he seems so grown up lately. and people keep saying that when the baby comes he'll seem even bigger. can that be possible? i sigh every time he shows me that he can reach from one end of the tub to the other because "he's got huge legs now!" i smile when he tells me his friends still hit, "but it's okay...they're still to little to know how to play". i mean really, he was the hitter only a few months ago (it seems). and i love whenever he starts telling me all the things he's going to teach his baby brother; "to wrestle, to color, to run, to ride bikes, to play trains, to eat..." and the list goes on.

{st. patty's day with his daddy!}

to be honest, i always thought i would have lots of daughters. perhaps since i never had a sister. but i am so excited to have boys! even when bowen brought me a bug that he had slugged with his hockey stick today. i LOVE it!

Introducing.....

2011-03-14T13:09:00.004-06:00

Poopy-ka!

(the following post may contain inappropriate language, like poop. stop now if you're easily offended.)

Poopy-ka has been a part of our family for some time now. at least 6 months, if not longer. however, james and i have spent most of that time trying to figure out who he was. we had hints every now and then.....

he is waved goodbye to every time poop is flushed down the toilet.

he lives in the mountains.

he likes to play cars.

he decides what bowen should wear.

he's the punch line to every joke.

and all grose food tastes like him.

james was convinced we were talking about bowen's actual bowel movements, but me, i was certain the boy had an imaginary friend. either way, there was still so much to know about our new family friend "poopy-ka".

today, bowen gave us some more insight. we now know what he looks like. a huge stride.

(drawing number 1)

(drawing number 2)

now i think i know, perhaps he's just a creature that is always pooping!

ski bums

2011-03-13T17:53:00.002-06:00

we took some time out of our spring break for skiing. for me, it was just a beautiful day in the lodge with a good book and some treats! (mmmm....treats!) but for the boys, it was a beautiful day on the slopes. i can't wait to be up there next year. (i'm not so sure being pregnant through winter is a good thing...but that's a whole other post)

i snapped a few shots in the beginning while the boys were getting ready to go. then i got cozy on the couch with my good book ('the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society') and forgot all about pictures. oops! but since grandma wants to see....here are the few that i took!

the sunrise at the cabin. awesome!

i could not get this kid to look at the camera for the life of me.

on their way to the lift for the first run of the day. it only took a minute for bowen to remember he can't go limp in the legs!

gracie (our friends little girl), james and bowen.

after a few hours, bowen came in to play with his friend kaden while dad finished the day on his snowboard.

it was a fun couple of days in bear lake. and you gotta love little beaver!

2011-03-05T13:29:00.003-07:00

"look mom, i draw a picture of your big body were the baby lives!"

-bowen

tuesdays...not a fan.

2011-03-01T20:50:00.003-07:00

i don't know why i don't like tuesdays but they just seem to drag. i get to see james on saturday evenings and all day on sundays, so it's like being on a high {a natural high...not the drug type!} when monday comes i'm just telling myself, "i can do this, i can get through this week." and by tuesday i've lost all motivation and optimism. blah blah blah.

here's to hoping that james' 16 hour days don't last forever. and that tuesdays get a little brighter when the snow melts away.

but i can't complain too much, cause although i'm husbandless during the week....i do get to spend time with this little gem.

yep, i'm one lucky girl!

lesson learned.

2011-02-19T12:42:00.006-07:00

{i show you this picture for mere "before" reference. just a fun day on the snow slide!}

now, here's the story.

the day started quite well {all things considered} i've been pretty darn sick lately and today was the first time i awoke without a migraine! a good sign. it wasn't long before the phone rang and i knew in that instant who it was. {i always do!} my mom. yipee! i love me a good phone call from africa!

as hard as we try, my mother and i can never keep our conversations under an hour. we're working on keeping them under two. just for the sake of a good challenge.

so i settled bowen on my bed for a fun morning of cartoons. {i thought.} and i found a comfortable spot in the living room to sit on the sofa and talk. the girl kind. without any interruptions.

soon after (okay maybe it was an hour later...time flies when i'm talking with mom) bowen came into the living room.

his sweet little hands were full of what looked liked his beautiful locks of hair. but no, it couldn't be. he didn't look any different. then he said it, "i cut my hair mom!" so i started the examination. sure enough. there was a spot in the back that was bald. my first reaction was simple, 'it can be saved.' then i started putting my fingers through it and more and more locks fell to the floor. 'oh no'. i thought you only had to worry about these things with daughters. like when i played 'beauty parlor' with my friend erin and her and i cut each others hair right off. my mom still doesn't let me live that story down. (so sorry mom)

but not my boy! boy's don't cut hair.

after ending my conversation with my mom. i immediately thought of my most trusted hair dresser. surly she could salvage the hair. there had to be a way to blend the bald with the shag. there just had to be. well, apparently she doesn't work on saturdays. she's that good. so i thought of my second most trusted hair dresser and called her right away. surely she too had the skills to keep my baby looking fab.

but again, not in on saturdays.

in hind sight, i should have sat back and thought this through. today is saturday. we have no fancy plans. tomorrow we could play the "sunday sickness card" {cause i really am sick, and keeping bowen home with me would only be a partial lie} monday is presidents day, bowen has no preschool and i have no school either. it would be a perfect day to contact the best hairdressers around and save the hair.

but no, my panic had taken over and i felt it necessary to fix as soon as possible. my third idea, was to pick one of the nicer salons, the ones that charge the most. they're certain to have the most experience, knowledge, expertise....whatever you want to call it. and this is what i did. the fact that they could see him in one hour, made me a little nervous. i mean, the good ones are busy, right? but then i figured they're probably being nice and squeezing him in while someone gets their highlights dried. so i agreed to the appointment.

upon walking in, i had that feeling. the one where you see the person without a client and think to yourself....please of please don't let it be her. {call me judgmental, call me rude....i don't care...i was worried} sure enough, she greeted us with a smile and before i knew it my little man was hoisted up in her chair. now don't get me wrong, she was cute. in a fourteen-year old kinda way. her lack of confidence just radiated from her petit little physic. that's where the worry came from. i was grateful that i had a picture with me and a good way of explaining what i wanted her to do.

before i could even blink, she had taken a massive amount off the sides. NOOOO! by now my heart was racing and i was trying my hardest to convince myself that hair grows and that this was all going to be okay. little boys look darling with short hair all the time, and it would just take me a while to get used to it. then i remembered that i've been trying to grow my own hair out for.ev.er. and if bowen takes after me at all, we may be looking at the military thing for a while. because, quite frankly the military was were it was headed. and then of course there is the fact that his head is a little misshapen. he's got a really weird calic and an even weirder bump. we're better off covering those flaws up! i tried to relax, take deep breaths, smile and even say things like...."looks good" so that she would rap it up and send me on my way.

THEN.

a lady came back to ask her if she would be willing to do a highlight later on. i instantly saw the worry in this little girls face. but very sheepishly, she said yes. and that's when the hairdresser in the next booth said, "oh yeah! are you excited for your first color?" i wanted to stop her right there. even though only one side was done. i wanted to run out and wait till monday for someone who knew a little about hair and could help me. but i was too far into it now. isn't highlights and boy cuts kinda the basics of hair? maybe the fact that she looked 14 was because she was 14. and maybe, like i did with erin 20 years ago, she was just playing 'beauty parlor.'

the rest of the cut was somewhat of a blur. all i know is my little boy now looks different. not like a cute little man-differnt (he was already a little man), not all grown up and adorable-different (cause he was already grown up and adorable). just different.

when we got home i told bowen we needed a picture of his new hair cut. i grabbed the camera and actually told him, "ok, now frown." because a frown is how i felt inside. and if it would have been a picture of me, it would have been a frown. but bowen couldn't stop smiling!! in fact, he turned into a little model, striking poses left and right.

i'll admit. it was pretty cute. and i smiled.

{you can still see his obvious cut marks. tear.}

i haven't frowned in front of him. or cried. or even sighed at his new sight. maybe cause i'm in a state of shock from the morning's events. maybe because i know there is nothing i can do, and chalking this one up as just one crazy day with a three year old, is the best way to deal. cause lets be real...there are worse things.

like last week when he spilled grape juice on my beautiful white bed. or when he colored all over the final draft of my 10 page paper on monday. or when he splashed out a flood in the bathroom. i didn't frown then either. perhaps i'm learning that life is too short. and my little darling three-year old is just trying to learn his world. and i'm okay with all this. he can continue to explore his surrounding and get a little mischievous now and then. messes can be cleaned.

the lesson i did learn is quite simple:

i'm sticking with my hair dresser...even if i have to wait weeks.

2011-02-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

apparently the 'cool' kids are the ones being thrown in lockers now days. things sure have changed since i was a kid.

yesterday.

2011-02-14T09:33:00.003-07:00

i had a perfect day with all my valentines. couldn't have asked for anything better!

life with a little man.

2011-02-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

the dinner:

leftover Park City Stew

the conversation:

"i don't like dinner mom."

{no surprise to me...he never does.}

"oh wait. i do, i do! i had this last night and i loved it. i ate it and ate it until it was all gone and daddy said i did so good he gave me ice cream"

{wait, what did he just say...he ate something? and liked it?}

me: "oh, that sounds so fun. i'm glad you like this dinner!"

"yeah, but i don't want to do it again, mom. that would just be silly."

{a pause while i giggled.}

"hey, i have an idea...when you finish you're bowl, i'll give you mine and then you can make me a quesadilla with lots of cheese!...isn't that a great idea?!! it's like trading."

i succumbed to his plea of course. he seemed to have worked so hard for a manipulative case and the fact that he said he would even eat anything was blowing me away. it was at least a whole wheat tortilla, right?

gotta love our little dinners {i mean battles} together!

sure enough there was evidence of a well eaten meal the night before. perhaps i'm just a push over when it comes to meal time. i'm gonna have to ask dad for his tricks.

oh, and if your wondering...yep, he ate the whole quesadilla in under an hour! hip hip hooray!!

all about baby

2011-02-01T19:10:00.002-07:00

bowen's new job is taking all preggo pics. so believe me when i say this one was the best. i may not have a face but the angle of a pregnant belly from three foot off the ground is not a pretty sight. i was quite proud of this one. it's even straight!

the baby is growing so fast and we are getting so excited!

{we had to wait for the shock to absorb}

this pregnancy has been night and day different than bowen's

i have a new sympathy for those with morning sickness.

i guess i never really knew what it would feel like to have the flu for 77 days in a row.

no breaks.

but then day 78 came and that was good!

i've also had some bad bouts of heartburn.

no fun.

i guess i can honestly say i didn't really know what heartburn was

{and i thought it didn't show up in pregnancy till the end}

but it came.

and i learned pretty quick.

today it was the cause of another puke.

mostly it just makes me uncomfortable.

but i hear it means the baby will have lots of hair.

that would be fun!

cravings are random.

it started with a strong desire for bacon and orange juice.

i had to eat it everyday.

even if it was going to end up in the toilet.

today i like salt.

right out of the shaker!

mmmmm.

pregnancy brain has kicked in pretty good too.

which is hard since i am trying to get a college education at the moment.

yesterday i put the {empty} container of peanut butter in the fridge.

weird.

then i wrote out a check and put two different amounts on it.

the lady at the bank just stared at it for a while.

embarrassing.

when bowen was cooking i could and would sleep all day.

5pm was my bedtime.

this has been a completely different experience.

instead, i can't fall asleep.

even after cookies and milk. {i tried}

so i fall asleep near 2am and bowen wakes me up around 7am.

Yeah!

i feel like i have a sign on my butt that says "drop pounds here"

i don't really do anything about it.

should be fun, come summer.

bowen is really taking a liking to the whole idea.

{on a good day}

he likes to tell me i'm squishy.

or bouncy.

or gushy.

and use my lady lumps as trampolines.

cause hey, they look like that's what they're for, right?

he still wants to name the baby 'Jesus'.

we thought that would wear off once christmas was over.

nope.

baby is pretty wiggly. which i LOVE.

there is nothing like the feeling of a wiggly babe.

and i guess i had forgotten in the last three years.

it's fun to get to feel that again.

bowen and i were cuddling on the couch when he looked up and said,

"mom, is that my brother kicking me?"

i didn't realize he could feel it too.

it was so sweet.

he quickly moved to the side and said,

"i better not squish him"

he'll be a great big brother.

someone has already asked "when is that baby due?"

{hate that question when it's in reference to your size}

but it's not till may or june.

i'm just measuring big.

{apparently}

everything is ready.

you know, so i can concentrate on school.

unfortunately, the concentrating part isn't happening.

i just look at his little blankie's and onsies and get too excited to study.

who needs A's anyways??

so there you have it. everything there is to know about me and baby.

it's kinda fun, huh?

Ramblings of a pregnant, mormon, undergrad...

2011-01-21T09:19:00.002-07:00

second week of school : COMPLETE!

i thought this was interesting. at least it gave james and i a good laugh. mostly cause they nailed it.

i thought this was funnier. james missed it, he was off studying by this point. (yep, i said funnier.)

i think global warming is a good idea. of course only if california doesn't sink. i like that state!

i would like to officially apologize to anyone and everyone that i told about my pregnancy with bowen. you know, like when i said "pregnancy is a breeze". i take it back. i take it all back.

oh and i like these drapes.

a much needed nap

2011-01-11T16:48:00.003-07:00

i picked bowen up at school today. when he wasn't in his usual spot in the reading circle i was a little surprised. then the teachers directed me to a small cubby in the coat room.

there laid my little angel. perhaps i'm not the only one having a hard time adjusting to the new school schedule. if you can fall asleep amongst toys, friends, treats, and fun then you're pretty tired.

keeping me in check...

2011-01-10T15:44:00.003-07:00

bowen is a pretty smart kid. (if i do say so myself!) he knows that everybody needs a mommy or daddy to check up on them and keep them in line. he has also claimed this role for me. he let's me know when my behavior merits a 'time out' and when i should clean the house or make some food. but today was just so cute when i picked him up from his first day at a new school.

"mom, you have been a good girl today! you gave me a treat after my new school!! when you get little like me, and sleep good, i think santa will bring you a present!"

Momma Bear.

2011-01-07T17:09:00.004-07:00

i really should have been a bear.

i am excellent at hibernating.

in fact,

i enjoy it.

i can come up with a million and one reasons to stay inside,

in my pajamas,

all

day

long.

today i was a little worried that my hibernation would have to end.

the fact that i haven't been grocery shopping in almost three weeks is starting to show.

But...

it did cause me to organize the food storage,

to which i found an ample supply of food for the week.

but today i was getting a little tired of washing the dishes by hand.

we've been out of dish soap for a while.

and

just finished our last paper products.

but when i went in the laundry room to get a new roll of paper towels out of the cupboard.

there she was.

a fresh,

lemon scented,

full box

of dish detergent.

yipee!

no grocery store for me!

now i just have to convince james to use powdered milk on his cereal.

(i mean really, we only have a couple more months of this bitter cold....he can do it! right?)

Could it be??

2011-01-02T12:21:00.004-07:00

Today was bowen's first day of Primary. he's now a little sunbeam! it was a little strange seeing him sitting on the front row in primary. i'm so glad we all get to be in primary together this year. it makes for some good laughs and some melted hearts for james and i. he only ran back to me once with lips puckered and said he needed a big hug and kiss. i secretly hope that he needs those for years to come!

i think it's gonna be a good year folks!

Christmas

2010-12-27T10:11:00.002-07:00

we had a very successful christmas this year. the food was divine, the family was so fun, and the gifts were just icing on the cake!

we may have been the only folks that were dreaming of a brown, dry christmas. but hey, bo had to test his new ride for a couple hours and the weather couldn't have been more perfect!

Merry Christmas!

magic.

2010-12-24T08:26:00.004-07:00

when i was growing up christmas was magical. my mom and dad were sure to make every one just as memorable as the last. we read Luke 2, we decorated cookies, had a candle light dinner, everything that made the holiday special. but there was one tradition i would argue, although i'm sure my brothers would agree, was the best. every december 23, rain or shine, we got a knock at the door. and we would all rush to answer it while mom and dad watched on. we all knew who it was at the door, but the magic was still there. Santa himself. he came every year to make sure we were still being good, that we were helping our mother, that our wish list's that we had sent were still on. i always knew it was the real Santa. not the silly ones in the mall. this Santa knew my name. he knew my family. he even knew what i had asked for.

last night there was a knock at the door. we could hear the bells. perhaps it was him. bowen answered it.

when i heard bowen gasp, i knew it must be Santa! the second he walked in the door, bo eagerly hugged him.

Santa made sure that our stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

then he and bowen visited for a while. bowen reminded him what he wanted, and asked if he would visit his grandma and papa in Ghana. Santa knew all about them, and said, he was on his way there! Santa asked if bowen's room was clean, if he had been helping his mom, and of course, if he would make him some yummy round sugar cookies. bowen then had several questions about how he gets on the roof, how he comes down the chimney, how the reindeer fly. Santa told him what he could and said the rest is just magic!

Santa let bo dig in his big bag for a treat and ring his magic christmas bells.

It was perfect. magical.

bo had a hard time concentrating while we read books before bed. he had a dozen more questions which we tried our best to answer. but what do we know, we've never seen santa at work either?

it's just magic!

in love.

2010-12-20T09:13:00.006-07:00

i have been falling in love with online shopping lately. if you know me well you know that winter and i don't get along, so any excuse for me to stay inside is a good one! thus the reason that most of my holiday shopping has been done in the comfort of my living room with the glow of the fireplace and a tall mug of hot cocoa! now all i have to do is get brave enough to brace the cold and make it to the post office to pick it all up.

(i'm still thinking i'll just talk james into that one!)

today i bought this....

isn't it so sweet?

then i had to throw in one of these....

cause every baby needs a woobie!

wanna know why??

cause we're having another

baby boy!

poor little bunny...

2010-12-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

this is our house lately. literally. bowen and i had a nasty cold but it wasn't until dad caught the 'man cold' that we realized how serious a cold can be. bowen and i have been saying "poor little bunny" all day! (along with making soup and letting him have control of the remote.)

seems to be working.

one more.

2010-11-29T08:55:00.002-07:00

nobody said you can't celebrate thanksgiving twice. and i'll be honest, thursday just didn't feel like thanksgiving.

so we did it again, this time homemade!

yum!

and i learned a few things:

there is a very serious reason why this is a family holiday ...because doing it alone is too much work!

james is really good at mashing potatoes.

pull-a-part rolls take a long time.

sometimes the self popper in the turkey doesn't work.

eliminating the fine china saves time on dishes. (and nobody cares what they eat on.)

i'm the only one who likes real cranberry sauce.

and

a 22lb turkey is A LOT of food!

Grateful.

2010-11-26T15:18:00.005-07:00

i'm grateful for plan b's when family can't get together for thanksgiving.

i'm grateful that theaters are open on thanksgiving to give us something to do

...and that some include arcade rooms for even more entertainment!

i'm grateful for fine dining resturants that offer yummy thanksgiving dinners.

(not nearly as yummy as my mom's but yummy nonetheless.)

i'm grateful bowen is happy with a burger and fries...

as long as he still gets pie!

i'm grateful for fun shopping and beautiful mountain views.

i'm grateful i always get to sleep in on friday mornings!

Tis the Season

2010-11-22T08:35:00.002-07:00

{...to dress like an indian}

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

may the turkey be moist,

the family be fun,

the pie be divine,

and most of all...

may the shopping be a success!

family fun

2010-11-01T10:39:00.004-06:00

there isn't really anything that i like more than being with my family. so when my brothers stopped by for a spooky halloween dinner i was so excited!

after dishing up dinner i spent most the night like this....

(i love being an aunt!)

the kids spent the night in heaven too! bringing out ALL the toys, having races, and laughing. bowen loves having his cousins over. he waited on the porch for them for an hour yelling their names.

and since bowen idolizes havyn, he'll do anything for her. even dress up like the princess so she can be the "fairy" princess.

krew was a little reluctant at first, but decided it was actually kinda fun to be a princess!

bowen gave one little hello to jett,

and even let him borrow his favorite toy!

i needed this family night so bad. can't wait for the next one!

A Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T10:22:00.005-06:00

bowen and i got our costumes on....

went to the trunk or treat....

dressed up again for the downtown trick or treating....

(but gave up as soon as he got the whistle. explaining to me that he had plenty of candy!)

took off for the carnival since it was raining....

and ended our day eating candy.

Halloween was a success!

in honor of halloween

2010-10-28T15:47:00.004-06:00

bo and i went to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago to get our family festive for the holiday's.

as soon as we pulled up bowen informed me, "you will go pick whatever pumpkins you like mom and i will play at the playground!" and that was precisely what happened. i guess since he had already been there on a school field trip he had no interest in looking at more pumpkins.

however, when it came to carving the pumpkin, he was all over it! he only got frustrated when dad tried to help. but given a three year old free range with a knife is just not gonna happen!

he ended up having to strip down since pumpkin juices where getting all over him. (and bowen still hates being messy!)

he was so proud of his little jack-o-latern! he sit next to it on the porch for the week that followed. he had to eat every meal next to his "punkin"!

(once it rotted, he didn't want anything to do with a "black punkin".)

can't wait for trick-or-treating!

Fall

2010-10-22T11:05:00.004-06:00

we took a short trip to the cabin over fall break.

{look how beautiful the trees are mom and dad. it was gorgeous!}

after some much needed yard work and a big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup we took bowen on a four wheel ride! he loved it! when we got to the top he said, "is this the top of the world?" sure is, buddy!

{yes, i am in my jammies! don't judge.}

bo quickly got busy moving rocks. this kid is ALWAYS "working"!

we had to stop him a couple times from running down the mountain.

we watched the sun go down, it was so beautiful!

the ride back was a little chilly though. brrrr!

hopefully we can squeeze in a few more trips up there before any snow comes.

(sorry, for saying the "s" word)

boys will be boys

2010-10-10T08:47:00.004-06:00

when i go to work, dad gets put in charge. sometimes i wonder what they do, sometimes i'm not sure i want to know.

this week when i came home i asked bowen what they did. his response scared me a little.

"we shoot guns mom!"

i have to love that bowen always has so much fun when it's just the boys!

coats are forgotten, pj's become thermals, and activities become watching daddy and his friends do their activities

but...

bowen loves every single second of it!

welcome

2010-10-05T08:10:00.003-06:00

Jett Damon Saunders

10-01-10

9lbs 4oz 21 inches

we fell in love pretty darn quick!

sunday stroll + camera + cool truck = family pictures 2010

2010-09-26T19:56:00.006-06:00

we only had to cross one "no trespassing for any reason" sign!

fun and free family pics this year! they may not be professional, but we love em...cause bowen is just the cutest thing we've ever seen. (perhaps we're slightly bias)

breath in. breath out.

2010-09-19T15:18:00.002-06:00

a couple weeks ago i was taking a long drive down a dirt road with my mom. the scene around us was breathtaking. one that i can't fully describe. i could see beautiful green trees going on as far as the eye could see until it met the perfect blue sky in the distance. i was in awe.

my mind was taking it all in and yet dreaming of something else. i said to my mom, "oh, i want to go to ireland so bad. i bet it's this green there too." my mom's reply was simple and wise. "marci, don't waste your time in Africa dreaming of somewhere else."

i have been reminded of that counsel everyday since. i am finally in my last year of school. finally. it has taken me so long because of various things and necessary breaks. and i'm finally there. i can almost taste it. my dream of finishing school is really going to come true. but for some reason i can't enjoy it.

i love fall. it's always been my favorite season, but this year i'm just super anxious for spring to arrive. next year just sounds so much funner than a long winter in utah.

i am loving living in my parents house. who wouldn't love this awesome kitchen and all this wonderful space. however, i'm anxious to have my own place again and go crazy with decorating!

so every time i start to get anxious for the future, i have to tell myself. "marci, just enjoy Africa!" and i snap back into reality. works like a charm.

thank heaven for wise mothers! {love you mom!}

2010-09-14T13:29:00.001-06:00

gotta love a good ice cream cone every once in a while!

ending out the summer....

2010-09-13T14:18:00.004-06:00

bowen had a great time at his birthday party with some of his little friends. i really didn't want to do a party this year. that weekend was just crazy and we had a lot going on. luckily, bowen did all the planning on this one. he wanted a party at the park with pizza and cupcakes. perfect! it was pretty casual and stress free. just how we like it. after the party the neighborhood was having a "movie on the lawn" night so we went to that party too! of course bowen thought it was just another birthday party to celebrate him being 3. we let him believe it!

we've gone to bear lake a lot. usually just for a couple hours to mow the lawn and get things ready for fall. and then we rush home for homework, or work, or class. (we live such an exciting life!) but this time we stopped for a hike at limber pines, one of our favorite trails. bowen had so much fun finding logs to walk on and looking for squirrels and chipmunks!

did this really happen?

2010-09-06T19:27:00.000-06:00

yep! bowen started preschool. and he LOVES it!

every morning he asks, "mom, can i go to school today?"

and when the answer is no,

he responds, "AH MAN!"

i have to be honest, i dropped him off on the first day and he was so excited.

there were no tears or lengthy goodbyes for me.

but while i was driving to my own school

(which by the way isn't nearly as fun as bowen's)

i was the one with a couple tears.

i know every parent goes through it....

but really,

is my baby this big??

the night before...

2010-09-03T17:32:00.000-06:00

i don't know what's more scary.....

the night before he was born.

{not only do i look terrified in this picture. i also look like i had to pee. and in hinds sight, i most likely did!}

or the night before he turns three...

can you say.."hidden agenda!"