Our Family

Ruby Dooby Do!

2012-01-29T20:28:00.000-08:00

We all sing "Ruby Dooby Do" whenever we see Ruby. She inspires music in all of us:)

She'll be 7 months in a few days, so some updates are due. She is the best baby ever. Not much fussing, no teeth to bite me with, no illnesses, she still doesn't roll over on a regular basis (although she can)(see, she's so good to me), and she smiles at the drop of a hat. Gabriel and Claire love to make her laugh. They're so sweet with her.

She's already doing nails with big sister and mommy. This is Claire showing (or not showing) me her freshly painted nails. We had girl night while daddy took Gabriel to the Pinewood Derby.

Gabriel teasing and loving her.

Claire trying to get her to smile.

And she will eat your hair for breakfast.

Trip to Grandma's

2011-11-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

We were lucky and got to go to Idaho to see Grandma before we moved. This, of course, means a trip to the GC to visit my wonderful grandparents. I love that they still want to hold the babies. They have a lot of grandkids and great-grandkids, yet each new baby is still a novelty to them. Every mommy likes that.

Ruby and my Grandpa Curtis

Ruby and Grandma Shirley

My grandma was very concerned about how I went about taking 3 kids on this little road trip. I told her that I pulled over into a church parking lot to feed the baby and let the kids run around and she nearly had a heart attack. She said she wouldn't go anywhere for anything. I guess I needed to see my mom pretty badly.

Grandma Peggy was so much fun to visit. She took us swimming and to the petting zoo. Just a few great days with Grandma. No Grandpa this time. He was off being a boy scout that week.

Claire has been introduced to underwear. One pair is never enough. It's all or nothing.

2011-10-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hanging around the house in August. Gabriel loves to hold Ruby. He'll often tell me what she needs to calm down, as in "she needs her binky", or "you need to feed her". It's very sweet. He's been a good little helper, especially in the car when she's crying. Maybe it's because they're twinners born 3 1/2 years apart. They have a special bond.

Really? Here again?

Claire is excellent at finding hidden accessories, such as socks and hats and jewelry. And she can't pass any of them without putting them on. She wore socks all summer. It drove me crazy. I thought it would be nice to not have little socks all over the house and to sort through the laundry for a few months, but no.

My sister and her family came to town this summer, too. If only Jennie and Melissa's families could be here at the same time. Jennie and Melissa happen to be the best story tellers. I can not stop laughing when I'm around them.

Jennie, Nicole, and me

Aunt Jennie with Ruby

I love that Jennie's boys are all looking at the camera. It gives me hope that one day I will be able to have a picture of my children all looking at the camera.

Graduation: August 11, 2011

2011-10-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

This year I finally complete my long journey with BYU.

I started school here in 2007 while pregnant with Gabriel. We didn't know it at the time, but found out that the school offered insurance to students with great maternity benefits. So we signed up. Little did we know that this long, drawn out process would pay for all 3 of our babies. Thank you, BYU.

I say long and drawn out because I started here with my associates degree already completed. I took a class here, skipped a semester there, and now I get to just be a mommy again.

This last semester and summer were by far the hardest and most rewarding few months of my life. Pregnant with Ruby and going to school full time with 2 other kids at home. I could not have done this without David's sister, Jessica. She gave up a lot to come live with us in Utah to take care of the kids while I finished school. I made all A's and B's because of her helping. I think one of those grades was only awarded because I never missed a class and my wonderful teacher took pity on the poor pregnant girl with perfect attendance in the 7 am class.

Technically I have 3 more classes to complete, but I am doing them online in the Fall and they let me walk early because I would not live in Utah in April. So, as my sister Nicole loves to say "A cap and gown does not a graduate make", it's a great motivation and step to a huge reality for me.

Two weeks after my last final exam in the summer, I gave birth to little Ruby.

Thanks to Rob and Claire for coming to support me. I love this picture because none of us are looking at the same camera, not even Ian.

My parents drove down from Idaho and got there just in time to hear my name being read as I walked across stage. So glad they made it!

Here's my hero, David, who supported me all the way and made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to do this.

29 years old and 3 kids, finally finishing school. It's a great feeling!

Swimming Lessons August 2011

2011-10-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Gabriel took swimming lessons this year. It was hilarious to watch because he was the youngest kid in the class, yet he was the only one who would talk to his teachers. While the other kids would cry as they were standing on the diving board (DON'T MAKE ME JUMP!!), Gabriel just said "Hey, I need help!"

And as kids cried going down the slide, Gabriel told them several times that he was going to just go slow. He inched his way down the slide,

and placed himself in the water. I was very proud of him for never holding his nose and always putting his head in the water when the teacher told him to.

Happy Swimming!

Duck Pond!

2011-10-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Oh, what do you do in the summer time after you've made 100 different train track patterns?

And when Tia Jessica is nappin' with baby Ruby?

You go feed the ducks! We have a duck pond near our house where we like to bring our outdated bread and have a good time.

Gabriel was brave and let the duck eat out of his hand. He was very nervous about being so close to the ducks, but it's all good at arms length.

The wheels in her head are turning. "Should I eat this pizza, or feed it to the ducks?"

2 seconds after this photo was taken, the whole piece of pizza was in the pond. And the ducks did not eat it.

2011-10-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

My sister Nicole and her husband recently adopted adorable twin boys. One week after Ruby was born they were sealed to their little boys in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. It was the greatest. There is nothing better than sealings in the temple, so I'm so grateful to Brian and Nicole for letting us be a part of this experience. It's such a great reminder of the blessings Heavenly Father has given us and always makes me more grateful for my eternal family.

And bonus! Melissa and Jeff were in town and got to come. That made for half of the Lee kids all together with spouses, which is always great.

Melissa took some sweet pictures of my little jewel. I stayed up late making that dress for her and it was so small that it wouldn't close in the back. This means that Claire's baby Ruby (yes, she named her baby doll Ruby) has a new dress.

After the sealing we had a picnic, which is where my parents got to meet their 25th grandchild. This is Ruby with her grandma and grandpa.

The twins were blessed in sacrament meeting the next day, which is always so special, too.

This is picture has all the kids that missed out the day before.

Thank you to whoever took this picture. While I don't love that my son is trying to beat up Miles, I still think it's hilarious. Note to everyone: Gabriel does not like to be touched.

Bringing the Baby Home

2011-10-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Ruby was appropriately given a red bow after her first bath.

Baby feet are my favorite!

Claire and Gabriel being introduced to their new sister.

We brought Ruby home on the 4th of July. She was a fun holiday treat.

Those looks of mischief scared me a little, but they've both been really good with the baby. The only problem s that they like to touch her eyes. What is it about the eyes?

Ruby Marie Martinez

2011-10-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little Ruby Marie was born on July 1, 2011.

When I found out I was pregnant with Ruby, I was reading an old Ensign with an article by David B. Haight. I recalled him talking about his 'Sweet Ruby' (his wife) and immediately that was my baby girl's name. I knew she was a girl and that her name was Ruby. She certainly came into our family at a non ideal time, but we are so grateful to have her. It has not been any harder now than it would have been in 2 years.

Ruby is also named after my mother's mother, Carol Marie.

Ruby's birth was not very eventful because we had a scheduled c-section. She was born at 8:25am, weighed 7lbs. 13 oz. She was my biggest baby yet.

I like the ability to schedule and plan for the birth of my children, but the biggest drawback to this plan is that I don't get to hold my babies until many hours after they're born. I was shown the baby while laying on the operating table, right before she was whisked away to the care of others. My surgery continued for another hour, it seemed, and when it was done, I was so worn out that I could barely hold her, and I definitely couldn't feed her. David was the one to hold her and welcome her to the family.

I took many books to the hospital, like it was my spa vacation or something. It's sad when 4 days in the hospital is what I consider my vacation. I finished the book I had already been reading and slept every other moment. It was nice to be fed meals I didn't make or have to clean up, though.

There was another Ruby in the hospital nursery with our Ruby. Not so original after all, eh?

Provo Temple

2011-10-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

Living in the Provo area for a time has given me a newfound love of the Provo Temple. This is what it looks like in June. We pulled into the parking lot one day and I was overcome with the beauty of the grounds, being full with a billion pink roses. It was so magnificent, especially with the majestic mountains in the background.

With such beautiful grounds, I thought it would be a great place to take some pictures of my kids. I was wrong. Noon is a bad time to take pictures outside and my kids can't hold still and smile for 2 seconds. But they did take the time to smell the roses.

Should I have told them that those aren't soft fluffy balls, and that they have thorns? I suppose.

Claire's Abuelita Isabel sent her this dress for her birthday. She put it on and I told her she looked like a princess. She twirled around and marveled at her beauty, spinning in circles and declaring herself a pretty princess.

Maybe I can catch them on a better day.

Happy Birthday, Claire!

2011-07-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Claire's birthday was uneventful, as she doesn't care about, or even know what a birthday is yet. She did get a Cinderella doll, which loves to be naked all the time, apparently. I should have known that would happen after seeing the shelves full of naked barbies at the Good Will.

Claire is a very bossy, yet very sweet girl. She sings so sweetly, songs like 'I am a Child of God', 'I Love to See the Temple', and 'ABCD'. She likes to brush hair and paint nails. She is definitely a girly-girl. Yet when playing with friends, she always takes on the role of the monster who chases everyone. She takes this role seriously and growls like a grizzly bear while chasing them.

She did not like the fire on her cake. David had to blow it out for her. Maybe next year she will get her birthday wish.

2011-07-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Our house has lately been dedicated to the easing of back pain. Apparently there are many contraptions for this, and one of them is an inversion table. David hangs up side down every day, and Gabriel thinks he's participating in the fun by doing it alongside his daddy.

2011-07-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

A sweet quiet moment with Grandpa.

Not Swimming

2011-07-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

What's more fun than swimming in the summer? Nothing. Unfortunately, our family has been at a slight disadvantage this year; me being 9 months pregnant and David having the back that he has. So I thought I would do the next best thing and go to the splash pad.

Not a winner. Gabriel is not a fan of cold water splashing on him. And now every time we drive by it, he tells me that he doesn't want to go there because it is too messy.

Claire is a little more brave, but in her excitement, she fell and scraped her knee. And that's where our day of fun ended.

See? It's just too messy.

Bridgie and the Animals!

2011-07-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

We picked up Bridget and went to Thanksgiving Point to see the animals, which was the highlight of Gabriel's life. Afterwards, he kept saying that he wanted to see Bridgie and the Elmos. It took about a day for me to figure out what he was talking about. The Animals. Duh, Mom.

We stopped for ice cream after the elmos.

Gabriel was actually terrified to ride the horse, but because Bridget did it, I think he became brave and dared to try.

While they were walking in circles, he said "I can do this!". He was so proud of himself.

This is my favorite.

Memorial Day

2011-07-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day brought Kunze's, Lee's and a cookout! Every day that Bridgie comes over is the best day ever for my kids. Claire wakes up asking for her.

The trampoline is the bestest! And Uncle Brian was the best for letting Claire get a turn in.

Sweet baby Ian with Nicole

My favorite picture of Gabriel

Emil was very fascinated with David's beard. He just needed a touch.

Jessica with Collin

Me and Ian

Mother's Day

2011-07-05T21:37:00.001-07:00

All I wanted for Mother's Day was a family picture where my children all look at the camera and still have their hair combed.

A picture where no one gives me 'tude.

And where no one plays in the water fountain like they're going swimming.

This is one of my new favorite pictures. While being very compliant, you can tell they both hate being here and doing this. Plus the sun was in a difficult spot for people to smile in.

So this is the best we could do. Claire is the boss of the family and clearly not happy.

So from now on, if I want a decent picture, I'll have to pay someone to photoshop everyone looking at the camera and smiling.

May, 2011

2011-07-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

The trampoline is the best thing we've ever owned.

And these are the cutest things I've ever made.

Spring Time!

2011-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

Finally it is warm enough to play outside. Spring takes too long to get here.

David actually grabbed the camera for these shots. They're so cute I couldn't resist putting lots up.

Clearly, she is bossing Daddy around.

She plays dead well, like a dog.

Gabriel's getting a really good swing. He's a real boy now.

Reach for the sky!

I'm sure she's bossing him around in this picture, too. She calls him Dabble, and that word begins most of her sentences.

Easter

2011-06-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was us scrambling to get kids and selves ready for 9:00 am church, giving them all the candy from their baskets during sacrament meeting, Claire putting stickers all over her face (that's what she does with stickers), and stripping them of their Easter clothes before lunch so they wouldn't get them dirty.

This was the best we could do.

Abuelitos sent them Easter packages with these bike riding bunnies in them. Hours of entertainment. It was the best.

Tulip Time!

2011-06-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

They extended the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point because it is NOT Spring yet. We went at the end of April and still had to wear our coats. It's been a long winter.

We were glad when the sun came out and it warmed up a little.

Tia Jessica got to come with us. She's been a great help the past few months!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-06-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

We were able to have an Easter egg hunt with their cousin Bridget. Grandma and Grandpa came down from Idaho to make all their Easter dreams come true. My dad skillfully hid the eggs in the back yard (in plain sight) and the 3 of them had so much fun finding them. I'm sure it was a nice difference from the church Easter egg hunt, which involved the trampling of little children and it was over in 60 seconds.

Oh! The anticipation!

I'm sure it was nice for Gabriel to be able to see an egg and say "Hey, I found one!" and to have Bridgie be willing to say "That's great!", instead of snatch it from him. These hunts should never have more than 5 kids.

Attempting to line the kids up at the fence.

My mom and dad eating our Easter feast.

A Train! A Train!

2011-06-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Gabriel got a huge table with a million train track pieces to put on it for Christmas. Of course the tracks never stay on the table because there isn't enough room to make a different design every day. So the entry way is their permanent home and he puts them into a new shape every day. He eats, sleeps, and breaths Thomas. He sleeps with Thomas and wakes up asking for Thomas.

Because of this train obsession, we decided to take him on a little trip to Heber, UT to eat at the Dairy Keen, Home of the Train. (You thought he was going to get to ride the Heber Creeper, didn't you?) All dreams came true as he was able to watch the train circle the restaurant while he ate his burger.

There was a park across the street that we were able to go play at for a while.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2011-06-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

March 22, 2011

David had some eager helpers blowing out candles.

March Madness

2011-06-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

This year with all the Jimmer craze, BYU basketball games were a little hard to get into. So I didn't bother. But I heard the women's team was doing well and thought I would take my little boy out to the Marriot center to experience a BYU basketball game. We left very close to the time it was supposed to begin and I thought that we'd at least get a decent parking spot.

Little did I know that women's basketball is not a spectator sport.
We definitely got a parking spot. And we had our pick of seating, as well.
There was enough space for a boy to explore and not be confined to his seat or required to watch a game with no adrenaline. My favorite part was that they dragged the band and the cheerleaders out to the games. Why? For no one to hear and see except the players and the coaches? It seemed a little ridiculous to me.

We left early because it was boring and it was bed time. But first we had to stop at the Creamery on 9th to get ice cream. That's a game tradition, right?

February 6, 2011

2011-06-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

The day after the funeral of our Grandpa Lloyd Furniss, all the girls were able to have dinner with our parents before they left town. Girl time is fun, see. Mom and Dad brought more photo albums of Grandpa's for us to go through and take what we wanted. Lots of laughing and lots of crying (baby twins do that). My sisters and I don't get to see each other very often, and every time I saw one that I hadn't seen for a long time, it was like looking in the mirror or seeing a clone of myself walking toward me. I know we don't all look exactly alike, but kind of we do, (at least when you're in the same room with us).

Back row: Claire, Kenzie, Jen

Front row: Allyn, Melissa, Katy, Nicole

February 5, 2011

2011-06-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

My sweet grandpa Lloyd Smith Furniss died on January 29, 2011. He was born on January 24, 1918. 93 years old and hilarious to the end.

I was able to spend a few weeks with my parents in Idaho in December. Grandpa was in a rest home in town, so I got to visit him quite a bit during his last days. My favorite line from those visits is when I asked him what he had discussed with his doctor lately, and, clearly misunderstanding me, he said "I would tell him to take his pills and go to hell." I think he had had enough with all the pills.

This is the last picture and day I got to spend with him. Christmas 2010 at my parents house. This is my dad, my Grandpa Curtis, and my Grandpa Furniss, sharing Christmas dinner with us. (Side note: Grandpa Curtis is wearing a Snoopy shirt to please my children. I've never seen him wear a t-shirt. So sweet.)

Lloyd Furniss as a young man in art school. So handsome! He left quite a legacy of pictures for his family, being a photographer. All the grandkids were able to go through the old photo books and find buried treasures from our past. He did such a good job of documenting our childhoods.
I'm regretful that I didn't write more about him when his death actually happened. I was so busy with life that I didn't feel like I had a moment to reflect on this great man and his presence in my life. I love that he loved to learn and was always reading books. His National Geographic collection was quite vast. I also loved looking at pictures of he and my Grandma Carol traveling the world once they were empty nesters. He always spoke so highly of her and said that they had 50 years of wedded bliss. Now, knowing that life happens, I'm sure that not every moment of it was bliss. But the fact that he remembered only the good parts is awesome to me.

I wish the occasion for my siblings being all together was more happy, but we made it happy because we were together and we were able to remember Grandpa together and say good-bye.

We're all here except Aaron.

Kenzie, Katy, Nicole, Allyn, Melissa, Jen, & Rob

The funeral itself was beautiful. All who spoke shared wonderful memories, over which we laughed and cried. The music was beautiful and the whole spirit of it was sweet.

I had never been to a military funeral before. Grandpa served in WWII and could speak to us in Mores code. It was very reverencing and beautiful to have the flag over the coffin and the trumpet playing.

My David with Claire and Gabriel

David, Spencer, Garret, Noah, and Rob were the pal bearers.

My parents and Uncle Steve

Me and my sister Melissa

All the grandkids who cold make it to the service.

January 5, 2011

2011-06-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today we sent Tio Tony off to the MTC in Provo, UT. We're so proud and excited for him to be serving in the Idaho Boise Mission.

David, Tony, and Gabriel

January 1st, 2011

2011-06-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the new year with Tio Tony coming to visit us before going into the MTC in Provo. The kids loved having another wrestling partner. Tony teaching Claire how to play dominos.

We figured out the fire place without burning down the house and enjoyed a lovely evening by the fire. It didn't last until midnight, though. We're too old and tired for fun.

Your Mom Goes To College

2011-06-25T13:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, their mom goes to college. And has been going to college for the past 6 months full time and neglecting much of her normal duties. So, I've been a bad daughter, sister, mother, wife, and friend in the hopes of accomplishing what seems to be the impossible: Graduating.
But the end is in sight and I have a little break now to update my family's doings. The last 6 months will come up all at once and will probably only be for my family's benefit in the long run when it's published.

2011-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

So much personality in such a little frame can be dangerously unbalanced.

As you can see, we still haven't unpacked everything. It's probably something that will never happen now.

2011-03-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

This picture reminds me of my sister Katy writing her name on the car window with a sucker, then denying she did it. "Who traced their hand on the floor?!?!" And if you asked Claire this question, she would answer you "I don't know" with her hands raised in the air.

My sister Nicole coined one of Claire's looks the best. When trying to discipline her once, Claire looked at her as if to say "I will kill you if you get in my way". I've seen that look so many times from this bossy baby.

Won't You Be My Valentine?

2011-02-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

There's no wrong way to eat your Valentine cookies.

Gabriel's been spending a lot of time on the stairs lately. It's where treats are the most enjoyable, I suppose.

Christmas!

2010-12-27T13:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas is finally here. Or over. We've had a great time with Grandpa and Grandpa Lee (as Gabriel says). My mom has been so sweet finding things for the kids to do. She made cookies so they could decorate them. They loved it and licked off all the delicious icing. Claire was very studious in her efforts and can now handle a butter knife quite well. Christmas Eve we sent them to bed in their new Christmas jammies. Claire finally gets girl pajamas. She's been wearing boy pajamas since birth because she has an older brother. Sorry, Chica.
My sister Nicole made this gorgeous quilt for my parents. It is so beautiful, this picture does it no justice. I figured this was the only way her siblings were going to see her masterpiece.
Now for the cream. Gabriel opened several toys and was very cute about them. But when he opened his Thomas the Tank Engine underpants, the kimchi hit the roof. He was beyond excited and started naming them one by one. And here I was almost feeling guilty for giving him underwear for Christmas. Claire must have felt from him how special they were, and knowing she didn't get any, began to grab at them to claim them for her own. When Gabriel wouldn't share, she threw the fit of the century.
It lasted forever. Seriously? I wish I could explain to her that it's just underpants and it's not that cool. This is the face of a little girl who did not get panties for Christmas.
She did, however, get her first baby doll with many accessories. David was trying to put the stroller together and used a butter knife as his tool. So she started using her butter knife skills to help him.
My mom made me blueberry pie just because I said I needed it. That's real love. It will be hard to leave Grandma's house. We will go home and starve because I don't feel like cooking.

Christmas Choir Concert

2010-12-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

After much effort (and most of it pointless) we got in to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert on Friday night. And, of course, it was the most amazing event I've ever been to.

We tried to get tickets through the internet but we were denied. So we took a chance at just going down there to stand in the stand-by line. I got there by 4:30 in the afternoon and was not the first person in line. I waited for 2 hours while my bones froze in my body, then realized I forgot my glasses! So I ran to the car to get them, and while I was gone David called and said that the people in front of him were handed extra tickets and the people behind him were handed extra tickets. If I hadn't been in public I would have laid down and screamed. So I ran back and David told me to scope things out and try to get some extra tickets. Somehow I got one ticket, so my gracious husband was going to just meet me after the show. After I fought off the crowd and made it into the Conference Center, David called to tell me that someone had given him 2 tickets! So he fought the crowd and made it into the Conference center where we were able to find 2 seats together and enjoy the show together.
It was so worth it! I love my Choir and Orchestra! Then little David Archuleta got on stage and started singing like an angel. The whole thing was breathtaking. I can certainly do without the dancers, but everything else about this production is amazing. And looking around at all the people made me feel like I was in something from another world. It just doesn't seem possible that that many people can be in one room. The Choir sounded like the heavenly hosts of angels and their guest was well chosen. I am definitely a fan now.

Best night ever!!!

October 2010

2010-11-07T16:57:00.001-08:00

October began with a trip to Gardner Village where all our Halloween dreams came true. So many witches to behold, so many boutiques to see, so many pumpkins looking so cute! Gabriel is obsessed with horses. This was the best moment of his life, riding the horse.
This was taken before the horse, hence the unhappy children.
Making Halloween cookies. No results available for view.

Claire's learning how it's done.
Grandma Isabel came to visit us. Grandma Lee came, too, but we didn't get any pictures of that. Claire put stickers all over her face while Grandma carved the pumpkin.
Gabriel was Sheriff Woody for Halloween. This is him with his preschool teacher.

This little booger wouldn't let me get more than 1 foot away from her without throwing a fit. Oh! the shame! My friend taught me how to make a tutu and she looked so cute in it! Gabriel got the gist of trick-or-treating as all the kids came to our door to get their free candy.
He eventually ran to open the door and hand out candy. He was also willing to put on his coat to go outside in the freezing cold to get some candy, too. We went to about 5 houses with Grandma Isabel before he said that he was cold and wanted to go home. And after every piece of candy was put in his bucket, he said "I need help", as in help opening his candy.

2010-09-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

My baby girl plays with cars and reads about them, too. Maybe I should get her a more girly book. I love this picture:)And this one. I hope I never forget how unbelievably adorable my kids are when dressed up. I used to laugh at moms who would take a picture of their baby girls in every cute dress. Now I know it's irresistible. She's definitely the cutest baby in the world.
And this boy is my daily comic relief. Especially since we bought the movie 'Singing in the Rain'. He watches the dance scenes and dances along with Gene Kelly. My dream come true. He asks to watch Moses Supposes 100 times a day and says "Yes, yes, yes. No, no, no" quite often.

Claire's New Shoes

2010-09-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

I am the mom who doesn't put shoes on her babies. It's one less thing, right? So Claire is 14 months old and has never worn shoes. My friend gave her some shoes last week, and the girly in her has been able to shine.
If she sees me putting shoes on Gabriel, she starts looking for her shoes and saying "shoes". It's so cute, it's killing me! And when she has them on, she holds up her feet in the air and is so happy.
On another note of business, I am the new Cubscout Webelos leader in the community and I love it! The boys are so sweet and so full of energy. I can smell them a mile away, but so far we're getting along great. Gabriel LOVES them! He does everything they do and they are very kind to him. This past week they had to do a quarter mile run and record the time. Gabriel ran right after them, trying to keep up unsuccessfully. My baby ran the whole quarter mile without stopping (just thinking about it makes me teary eyed), and being the last one to finish, the boys at the finish line cheered him on. It was so sweet.

2010-08-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

She'll be playing for Grandpa soon enough.

2010-07-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

We recently went to Jackson Hole, WY, Star Valley, and the Teton National Park. We've managed to go for the past 3 years, and it never gets old. I think it's the most beautiful place in the world. We started our hike like this.
And it ended up like this.

It was July 10th and we're wearing heavy sweatshirts. Luckily the rain cleared eventually and we were able to chase some chipmunks in that park for a good hour.
You kids running away?

Unfortunately I chose to torture my family and drive the long way home. We went through northeast Idaho and stopped to say hi to my parents. It was the most beautiful drive ever, but oh, so long! No more road trips for a while for us.

4t of July

2010-07-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

My son came home from church with this. Yeah, his nursery teacher rocks. She's a grandma.
If you were with me on the 3rd of July, you would have been able to enjoy these. They were so good! And so pretty. We got together with friends to feast and celebrate the birth of our nation. I love the 4th of July and being reminded that I live in the greatest country in the world. Despite what is going on politically in our nation, it's still better than anywhere else. I traveled to Ecuador for a few months many years ago, and I remember getting off the plane, knowing I was back in this blessed land and crying tears of gratitude for being able to live here. My younger brother is on a mission right now in Peru and his letters always remind me to be grateful for that blessing, because it's easy to forget sometimes.

My baby crawls and is loving it! She loves being able to go and do and get and taste so many new things. She thinks she's going to go down this step in the picture. Not there yet, my dear.
Anyone see the resemblance? Also, she's only eating the dip. She may look like daddy, but she's definitely mine.

Happy Birthday, Claire!

2010-06-22T13:10:00.001-07:00

Today is my baby girl's birthday. Just thinking about it makes me teary eyed. How did this happen? It seems like yesterday I was up all night in anticipation of a scheduled delivery the next morning. We pulled into the hospital parking lot and I burst into tears and didn't stop until she was out of me and I was asleep. The things we go through to bring these precious babies into the world, eh? It's so worth it. She makes me so happy with her sweet smile and her love for me. She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen and we're so glad she's in our family.

On a side note, Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet died while I was in the hospital recovering. Oh, the things I'll remember about those few days.

This is our second attempt at letting her eat cake. She really didn't take to it, thank goodness. Maybe it was the bib that was throwing off her groove.
We had some neighborhood kids over for cupcakes this morning. Gabriel led them to the strawberry patch, which kept them occupied for a long time. They all came back with dirt and strawberries all over their faces. I love our neighbors.
We had a June birthday party a few days ago with my family because there are 5 people with birthdays in June. My sister Nicole made the most amazing cake for the event and Claire wouldn't touch it, which meant I had to eat hers and mine.

Bridget, Baby Claire, Grandpa Bob, and Claire about to be sung to:) I love the look on Bridget's face and that baby Claire is so focused on the balloon.
Me and the birthday girl, who has finally decided to crawl. She's the best baby ever because I could put her down anywhere and she'd stay there for a whole year.

Vacation

2010-06-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

I managed to put these pictures in order of last to first. So I will begin the story backwards.

We got home from NC early this week and had a wonderful time with family and friends.

We ended with a little day trip to Wilmington, where it happened to be Downtown Dog Days. There were a million doggies all over town (on leashes) and I'm pretty sure Claire said "dog". Gabriel loved it! The weather was ideal, so it was a lovely outing.
This is David's family as we were leaving the beach. We had an awesome time together playing games and eating fresh crab legs (the best ever!) and strawberry pie. We also had an American Idol party as we watched the season finale.
Claire learned that she loves to touch sand, but it doesn't taste very good.
We watched the moon rise over the ocean for a few nights while making smores on the grill. It was so beautiful!
Gabriel loved the ocean!!! He owned that beach, running all over the shore all week. He's running from the water with Grandma, which he did many, many times.

Me and my baby girl.

We went back to town from the beach to see David's brother, Tony, graduate from high school. The ceremony was awesome! He went to a small school with a principal who knew everyone's name. There was so much heart and soul put into the ceremony. As the students exited the ceremony, the principal shouted each of their names and told them that she loved them as they stood up and walked by. It was tear jerking. We're so proud of you, Tony!

As we were walking on the pier at the beach, we watched a man catch a shark, gut it, and cut it up into steaks. My mother-in-law asked him if we could buy some from him since we'd never tasted shark and he just gave her a huge bag full of shark meat. He told her how to fry it up and we went home and ate shark. It was delicious.

Claire was hilariously nasty when ice cream wasn't in her mouth. She knows the good stuff:)

While in Raleigh, I was able to get together with my best good friends from high school days. I don't think we've all been in the same room together since my wedding day. It was so good to be reminded that we're still friends.

Gabriel, Catherine, Asher, Holly, Kimmy, Ava, me & Claire

First we stayed at my sister's house, where I shamefully didn't get any pictures of their sweet dog. Virgil is the best. Gabriel and Claire loved him and my nieces were hilarious telling me all about their new dog. Gabriel had the best time playing with his cousins; he missed them when we left because he only had adults to play with again.
Gabriel and Anya picking strawberries for our delicious strawberry ice cream! Thanks for having us, Katy!

2010-05-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

I'd just rather read about other people's adventures than brag about my own. There's my excuse. Happiness is at the beach with these guys.

Spring Time!

2010-04-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

There are few things I love more than Spring time. It's such a renewal for my spirit; a rebirth of the world around me and my yard comes to life. I have a magic yard. We moved into our house late in the summer of 2008, not knowing that tulips and all sorts of beautiful flowers would grow here every year. The trees in the back yard are bright pink right now and I'm in heaven. There are few things Gabriel loves more than bubbles. He and Bridget never got tired of this.
Best Day Ever!!!

Claire's always stuffing her face.
David and Gabriel planting our peach tree in the back yard. Gabriel's so useful.

This is one of the few things I love more than Spring.

2010-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our family. His name is Bish (short for Bishop). Grandma Isabel came to visit us and we got a new fish. Gabriel can't say his f's very well.

He's been very entertained and fascinated with Bish. He loves animals, and luckily our neighbors have cats so we won't have to get one. Grandma was a great sport. She rolled cars down our driveway with Gabriel and he even convinced her to go down the slide with him at the playground.

The weather was momentarily nice enough for us to walk to the park (our favorite place in the world).

Yesterday was our neighborhood Easter egg hunt. The children lined up across the street of the house where the eggs were hidden and an adult counted to 3. On 3, the kids squealed with delight as the stampeded across the street (in a cul de sac) to get their precious candy. Gabriel has a following of little girls in the neighborhood and sweet Tiffany took him by the hand to ensure he didn't get trampled on. Happy Easter!

2010-03-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

I don't blog often because it takes me FOREVER now with 2 little ones trying to type over what I type.

We've had the most glorious weather this past week. We've been doing yard work and walking to the park and loving life outside again. Yesterday we walked to the park in the morning in hoodies and were hot when the sun wasn't covered by the clouds. I had Claire in the stroller and would have to hold Gabriel once in a while when he didn't feel like walking anymore. So it looked a little awkward sometimes. On my way home from this walk, a woman pulled up to me in her car and asked if I could use a double stroller. Ya think? She said that she had one that she didn't use anymore and that I could have it. And when she dropped it by my house, she acted like I was doing her the biggest service and thanked me profusely for taking off her hands. Are you kidding me? I never get free stuff! Best day of my life.

As I was making the kids lunch on that same beautiful day, I watched the sky turn gray, as though the dementors were coming and then it started raining and then snowing. There was a blizzard going on by 2:00 and this morning we woke up to 10 inches of snow.

My sweet neighbors came over to shovel my walk way so Gabriel and I went out to help and throw snow balls at their dog. Poor Sydney, but I've never seen my son laugh so hard. I love being outside! It's hard with a baby and a 2 year-old with no snow clothes. So we have stayed inside much of this winter. Doing puzzles. Going potty. Learning to talk.
And just hanging out:)

Knuckles!

2010-02-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

Claire has a wonderful abundance of hair. But she has 3 swirls on the back of her head, so it is CRAZY hair. I seriously gel it when she gets out of the tub so she doesn't look like Alfalfa. This is the back of her head while playing with her cousin Miles.

Gabriel ran up to Claire this morning and tried to give her knuckles. It made me laugh so hard.He's been so sweet to her lately. He loves to run into her room in the morning and say hi to her. And he always gives her a morning hug. He's been calling all babies Claire.

Best Day Ever

2010-02-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

My Mom recently had a big birthday and all my siblings flew in to town to be with her. It was a great day. Mostly only family reads this blog, so I won't bore you with what you already know. I loved you all being here and am already super excited about the next time we will be together, which probably won't be until Aaron comes home. We're so glad cousins Henry and Miles could come and play with Claire. They were very fascinated with her hair. Couldn't keep their hands off of it.

All my gorgeous sisters. So glad you all could make it!

6 Months

2010-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

I skipped the 6 month update because they weren't ready yet. Here's my little princess at 6 months.

January 22, 2010

2010-01-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

Today my baby girl turned 7 months old. Why is the best year of your life the shortest? My baby is getting old fast. But she still doesn't roll over, which gives me bragging rights, I think. I can leave her anywhere still and she's there 2 seconds later. Also, she's gorgeous; so I guess I get double bragging rights. Today is also my birthday. My sweet husband brought this adorable cake home and we ate it while playing scrabble while the kids were asleep. We're so wild.

This was the best we could do.

And I haven't posted anything lately because we hibernate in the winter time. Gabriel discovered a Cars puzzle and he does it 5 times a day. I'm very impressed because it's a bigger person's puzzle. Hopefully he's a genius. But he wets his pants 5 times a day, too. So....

Anyway, Gabriel does puzzles and Claire plays in her bouncy thing while I play the piano. It's what we do now and it's so sweet. Actually it's the best. You can't tell, but Gabriel is saying "cheese" in this picture.

I'm A Super Model

2010-01-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm just a model. For something nobody will ever see and I still don't know what they're going to do with them.

The photographer who did our family picture said he needed a young housewifey type to come do a photo shoot with the kids sabotaging my attempt at cleaning. He gets suckers like me to work for him for free and sells the pictures to companies who need such pictures. I'm not too sure on the details. I didn't care; he said I might like some of the ones of my kids and I could have them for free.
Sometimes companies want pictures of women victoriously grocery shopping.
This would be the "Yay! We did it!" scene walking out of the grocery store.
Anyway, if you ever see any pictures like these out in public, let me know.

2009-12-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

Potty Training: Day 1

Potty training has commenced. So far it has not been the worste day of my life, as I thought it would be. I was tempted to quit after 3 accidents that Gabriel didn't care about, but after a few more he reacted better and actually got some in the potty!

We got through 13 of our 14 pairs of underwear by 1:00 p.m.. And now he's asleep with underwear on, giving me a moment to wash all the underwear and psychologically prepare for the afternoon. The best part is that he was carrying around a New Moon chocolate candy all morning, begging me to open it. David filled my stocking with them as a joke because I go crazy whenever I see them at the store (I think it's lame: Never make candy out of Twilight characters). I was so proud when he got it in the potty that he got to open his Bella Chocolate. Just 2.5 more days of this! (After that I'm willing to leave the house with him.)

December Favorites

2009-12-28T21:26:00.000-08:00

December Highlights

Sabotaging Grandma's ornament making. eating the delicious ornaments,
watching my dad sing at the Messiah in Pocatello,
making popcorn treats for neighbors with Gabriel,

my mantle,

opening presents Christmas morning,

and watching Claire eat the packaging.

2009-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Baby's 5 Months Old!

My mom has requested monthy documentation of Claire, like my sister Jen does of her baby.
So here she is, all the way from Cedar Hills! Miss Claire loves to lay on the floor and listen to me play the piano. It's quite sweet. She also loves to just lay on the floor and grab her socks, pull them off and stuff them in her mouth. She could probably do that all day. She also loves taking baths with Gabriel. I put the bumbo in the tub (bad mommy?).

We've started eating grown up food this month, too. Most of it stays in her mouth, which is more than I can say of Gabriel's first eating habits. She likes to feed herself. I have to pry the spoon from her hands most of the time.

Her laugh melts my heart and makes me laugh and smile. She's the sweetest baby and she loves her mommy. That's the best part. When I found out she was a girl, I was disappointed because after Gabriel I thought boys are the best.

But now I want the rest girls. Am I allowed to pray for girls? I think I'll try and see what happens.

2009-11-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was so wonderful! Super low key and happy. We were able to meet my parents in Ogden at my mom's brother's house. My children behaved, the food was fabulous and we just had a great time visiting. After dinner my aunt and cousin taught us how to make real fudge (not fake fudge) and somehow it all came home with me. Sorry, Mom. I'm afraid I will stick to my plan of bread for neighbor gifts this year, despite my new "ability" to make fudge. Mostly for 2 reasons: 1. I will ruin a lot of expensive ingredients, and 2. I will eat it all if it is successful.
This day also got me thinking about past Thanksgiving highlights, and since they've all been great and normal, somehow this one stuck out to me.
Yes, we're at North's Chuck Wagon in Pocatello, ID. I'm holding back tears in this picture. I was at BYU-Idaho that semester and so home sick. My sweet Aunt invited me to spend the holiday with her family and I was so excited until she told me that we might just go to North's. Oh! the horror! It actually ended up being a great day because we all went back to my cousin's house and played games for hours and never had to do the dishes. I have pictures of me at Grandma Shirley's earlier that day playing Rook with my grandparents with the egg timer set for 60 minutes on the table. The good old days.

Thanksgiving night this year was my favorite. My family in the state all went to their in-law's for dinner and then met at my house for pie in the evening. We gathered around my table for tea and pie and really just enjoyed each others' company. It was so peaceful and fabulous. Thanks for coming, kids.

Friday night my little family went to see the lights on Temple Square. There were so many people there, but it was so fun. It's not something that I've done since we've lived here. Last year we went to a Christmas concert there, but in order to fight the crowd, I had to move fast and didn't really get to see the beauty around me.

I love Temple Square! Especially when we get a killer parking spot.

2009-11-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

I love this girl

2009-11-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

Octoberfest!
Family fun at the Scarecrow Festival in Lehi.
Mostly we just watched Gabriel line up balls and bean bags that were meant for the childrens' games, (he has to line things up; he can't help it!).

Me and my sweet thumb sucker.

She does the best things with her eyebrows.
Gabriel's birthday we just had a little playgroup at the house and told them to wear costumes (so they could wear them more than once, I guess). I made this pinata out of paper mache in an effort to be cheap. It was supposed to be a jack-o-lantern, but looked like an alien. It looked hilariously awful, actually. And yesterday I saw cute pinatas at the grocery store for $6. WHATEVER!

I guess Gabriel had some attachment to the ugly thing because it hurt his feelings when all his friends hit it with a stick and punched it with their fists.

Happy Birthday, Gabriel!

Halloween Day

I made Claire a candy corn costume from the pattern in my brain while she was asleep. It turned out a little too small and I had to cut it off of her. Don't ask how I got it on. She looked fantastic though!

Our friends came over for the evening's events. This is Tyler and Gabriel trick-or-treating. Of course Gabriel walked right in the doors of the houses to pick his candy. This is him walking out of the house.

I love Halloween with little kids. I'm determined to make some wicked awesome costumes for next year, which I will start in July. I always start 2 days before. Also, I'm going to be a master pinata maker some day. It's going to be my thing. So for my kids' 10th birthdays, they will have awesome pinatas, because it will take me that long to make a good one.

2009-10-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Rainy Days and Mondays

The kids are both full of boogers and it's raining, which means no play dates, no outings to the park, and no fun.
Except when there's a pumkin on the porch to carve!

The specimen

Claire could not endure to the end without falling asleep. And Gabriel made me do the whole thing by myself while he watched. He wouldn't touch the yucky insides, but his reaction to pulling it out was cute.

2009-09-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

I think this is their first good picture together. I love these guys!

2009-09-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'm on a tight schedule these days, and blogging is not in it. Here's a ten peso version of what we've been up to.
My sweet little boy likes to help me make the bed, but he "helps" me by standing behind the pillows and not moving... no matter what. He gets the saddest look on his face when I move a pillow from his domain. And he stays behind the pillows until long after I've left the room because he won't let me get him out. We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho for the first time. Claire did great. She's my prize baby for sure.

Can I have your watch when you are dead, Grandpa?

Claire meets he great grandma Shirley.

Chillin' with Grandpa Bob

Gabriel trying to sabotage Uncle Aaron's attempt to finish a book.

I love Grandpa's pens (and I'm not making fun of him).

We had a great time with Grandparents. Thanks for letting us come!

Disneyland!

2009-08-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening we realized that we had a slow week ahead, which could easily be turned in to a vacation. So we planned a short trip to Disneyland! It took us all day to get there and another whole day to get back, but it was so much fun and so worth it.
We drove south until Gabriel could no longer stand it and stopped in a ghost town along I-15. The barn says "Rodeo Office", in case you can't tell. But Gabriel loved playing on this rickety slide and eating our little picnic lunch. It was so much better than stopping at a restaurant.

Next we stopped in Las Vegas to get out and stretch. David insisted we see the Belagio when they do the water show because it is spectacular. Indeed it was. The boy loved all the running, once again.

And what could be more fun for the boy than to see characters from all his favorite movies in real life? NOTHING! The squeel of delight he made when he saw Lightning McQueen was priceless.

Around 2:30 we noticed a lot of crying going on around us, including our own son. Apparently this is the Witching Hour at Disneyland, when it is supposed to be nap time, but we're here having fun, you know. I walked by these princesses all tuckered out and couldn't stop laughing. I loved all the little princesses walking around. They were in heaven.

The line for Dumbo was painful for all, but Gabriel loved it.

Best day of my life! It took us another whole day to drive home, but we had a great time talking and reading my dad's autobiography to keep us awake. It was a great little vacation.

2009-08-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

David's family came to see us and we headed to Star Valley, Wyoming for a little outdoors time.

The men went white water rafting down the Snake River.

Grandma Isabel and I took a few nature walks with the kids.

The whole family went hiking in the Grand Teton National Park around Jenny Lake. It was so beautiful and so much fun.

That Sunday, David blessed Claire. We were so happy and grateful to have David's dad and mine there, along with my brothers.

Me and my pretty daughter. It's fun to have a daughter, I've decided. I've already dragged her to the fabric store and we watched Felicity together. I like having someone to do girl things with.

Pioneer Day

2009-07-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Pioneer Day!

We celebrated our Pioneer Day by going to This Is The Place park at 4:50. They close at 5:00. We got to take a little train ride and walk around a bit. Luckily for us and the kids, that was enough pioneering for us.

2009-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Claire's first photo shoot with Tiffany Montgomery.

June 28, 2009

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

We started the day off with a little squirmy haircut. Gabriel can't resist things that spin.

Thanks to all who came and for not making me leave my house! And thanks to my mom and David for doing everything. It was an awesome day.

We're Home, We're Safe, We're Alive

2009-06-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

We finally brought our baby girl home on Friday. I was spoiled in the hospital for 4 whole days and kicked out the 5th morning. Seriously, all the sudden I had a mean nurse and was no longer catered to 24/7.
We had a scheduled C-section for Monday morning, and the moment we pulled into the parking lot I burst into tears and didn't stop until about 2 hours later, after she was out. I have an intense hatred of needles/blood/hospital procedures and I didn't sleep at all the night before, all factors leading to an out of control anxiety attack. The nurses hated me and everyone wished I was knocked out, including me. I would have run out the door at some point, but this wasn't a "now or never" ordeal; it was a "now or later" one. I chose the now. Everything went well with the surgery and my beautiful baby girl was born at 8: 13 a.m.. My recovery went really well, until about the second day when I just couldn't get rid of an awful headache. Turns out it was due to a hole being punctured in my spine from the spinal block, releasing spinal fluid to my brain. Apparently there's a less than 1% chance of such a thing happening when they do the spinal block, so, lucky me. I had the option of dealing with this massive headache for 2 weeks or having a spinal patch done, which is basically a disgusting epidural. At first I chose to deal with it, then I got depressed thinking of having to go home to my boys and be on my back for 2 weeks, so we muscled through it and all is well now.

I came home to a sparkling clean house and gorgeous girly flowers from my sweet husband. It's been a good week. Gabriel obviously loves his little sister (you like that face?). We took them to the park today and he kept kicking her while they were in their car seats. And he's getting some teeth in, so he's been a little unpleasant, but surely things will improve and they'll be BFF before we know it.

I'm lovin' some bows! I can't wait for her skinny little legs to fit into the tights!

We have 2 kids. I can't believe it!

Claire Antonia Martinez, June 22, 2009. 7lbs 3oz

2009-06-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

My Lofty Goals

2009-06-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

When I finished school in April, I was so excited to have 2 whole months to get ready for this baby. As one would guess, I spent more time cleaning my house and taking naps than doing things like cleaning out the basement, cleaning out the garage, making a blessing dress.

But this week I knew I would have to make the dress because I would most definitely not be making it after the baby was born. So I stayed up past midnight most of this past week, but I finished it! I'm so proud. Not only because I haven't sewn in a millenium, but because I didn't even have to take out any seams and redo them.

We're ready for the baby now! I like this whole scheduling thing. My house is clean, there are meals ready, amazing and generous neighbors taking Gabriel on different days. I can deal with this.

We'll see you tomorrow, little lady:)

Memorial Day

2009-05-28T20:13:00.001-07:00

Our Memorial weekend started out with sweet Aunt Nicole taking some family pictures of us by our irises (are you all done hearing about my flowers yet?) I just wanted to show off this sweet display of affection that my little boy constantly gives me.

Then I received these for no reason from my handsome husband. Don't be jealous. And then the Steed's came to see us for the weekend. We had such a great time with them. David and Dillon got some war/guy time with paintballing (David has some incredible war wounds), and Crystal and I got a girls night. We would have stayed out later if both of us weren't pregnant and exhausted after 2 hours. It was super fun though. I had to show this picture because I love Warner's face so much. This will be the last picture of me and the beautiful reflection of my love's affection. No, I'm not due tomorrow; little Gabriella won't be here until June 28th, and not one day later.

2009-05-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

What could go better with my irises than... a pretty little girl singing in them

I love my iris wall.

Day Out With Thomas

2009-05-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today my friend Crystal and I took our kids to see Thomas in Heber City. As we loaded onto the train, there was no sign of Thomas and the kids all said "This doesn't look like Thomas", so we told them we were riding on Annie or Clarabell. The train went really slow and the scenery wasn't much more than fields and some houses, so the excitement was somewhat low. Try getting a good picture of these 3. The Island of Sodor was not as fascinating as it claimed it would be, either. There was no sign of Sir Topam Hat, but they had ponies, so it made up for it. Gabriel didn't scream when I told him to touch the ponies, unlike some other very scared children.

It was fun to go to Heber. I wouldn't recommend this event to anyone, though.

My Loser Iris Party

2009-05-17T22:00:00.001-07:00

I have a wall of iris's that I was sure would be in bloom by now, but we were only graced with the presence of this one. I will wow you all with a picture of how awesome it will be next week.

The cookout was killer though.

St. George

2009-05-14T14:02:00.001-07:00

We went to St. George last weekend to see Brian Regan (the comedian) perform. Luckily we know some poor suckers down there who were willing to watch the boy while we went on our date. We decided to make a weekend of it and stay 2 nights. It was a wonderful trip full of pool fun and relaxing. Brian was funny, but his opening act was more funny, which was too bad because usually Brian is hilarious, which is why we wanted to go. I can't believe how hot St. George is! It was the first weekend in May and it was bliss, but hot. And for some reason we only go when I'm pregnant. Luckily with this pregnancy I am able to see things through the rose colored glasses, instead of the black ones I had with Gabriel. Perhaps this child just loves me more and is not trying to kill me. We'll have to see how the delivery goes to determine just how much she loves me.

Our camera pooped out right before we left, but here are some pics from David's phone of us just hanging out. Isn't my baby boy beautiful? I love that kid. I'm so glad he came with us.

My Pretty Little Garden

2009-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

David built me a garden a few weeks ago. It was such a labor of love. 2 trips to Home Depot, a nice neighbor who had big ideas, but all the tools to accomplish them, so we did them, and a beautiful box when it was over:) This monkey helped throw rocks down the window wells. I've been looking at it for a few weeks now, wanting to plant things in it, but I'll wait a little longer. We've been occupied with pulling weeds and making the grass green in the mean time. I'm so excited to plant tomatoes! I'm determined not to kill this garden.

Messin' Around

2009-04-18T08:37:00.001-07:00

It's all fun and games until someone gets hit (mommy). He loves posing for the camera; it makes me laugh so much.

Baby Girl

2009-04-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

We have a name for our baby girl, but it's not sitting well with me today. I don't want to not know her name when she gets here, so I'm open to suggestions. Ok, I'm asking for suggestions. And if you suggest your own name, please give justification for the honor of my child being named after you. We like family names and we don't like stupid names (like Electra or Storm). That should help, right?

Suggesters will be rewarded.

April Fool's Day!

2009-04-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Some April Fool's Day scams are funny, but waking up to a blizzard on April 1st is NOT FUNNY! It's so beautiful, though, it's hard to hate sometimes. Also, it tastes delicious!

Luckily several hours later I could see the grass in my back yard again. I'll take this over mud season any day. My iris wall is trying so hard to grow. I hope they don't freeze.

The Rejects

2009-03-31T12:30:00.001-07:00

I suppose I could say they help me study. But they also help me blog surf. I don't eat the blue ones because they turn your mouth blue. They're probably the ones that help me clean my toilets.

My Beautiful Boy

2009-03-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is about the first time I've looked at my son and thought he looks like my husband. He's so handsome I can't stand it!

Oh well, we tried.

2009-03-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is us at the park after walking out of the Draper Temple open house. I don't know why I didn't think it would go like this, but it did. We got there and had to park at a church not within walking distance from the temple. They made us sit in the gym for 30 minutes to wait to be seated for the movie, then be put on a bus to walk through the temple. We made it through the 30 minute gym-sit. Well, sort of. We still chased him the whole time. Finally I gave up and we went to the park instead. Hopefully we'll get to go again before it's dedicated. The outside was pretty:)

What I found in the Pantry

2009-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Another day of exploration. I've also found him sitting in the drawer under the oven. I can't wait for the day I find him on the kitchen table.

Keep An Eye On Your Shoes!

2009-02-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

My son has a shoe thing. If he sees shoes, he has to either throw them down the stairs, or he lines them up on the floor, or on the table.... or he tries to hide them. We find shoes in the funniest places, such as the bathroom sink, cupboards, window sills and such.

Then today I found him quietly taking potatoes from a bag and putting them in the garbage can, as though it was his chore for the day. He's very focused when he's busy; I love it!

Ode to Chef's Table

2009-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

David took me to Chef's Table for my birthday, a long anticipated experience for me. I hadn't been there since I was huge pregnant with Gabriel, and women know that you just can't enjoy food the way it was meant to be enjoyed when you're huge pregnant. It was a sad day. But my birthday Chef's Table experience was divine, and for that reason I pay tribute to my friends at this fine eating establishment.

When we got there, a nice woman opened the door for us. We told her we had a reservation and she led us to a beautiful table in a corner with stain glass windows on both sides and a dozen red roses waiting for the birthday girl. She put the napkin on my lap and let the other 2 waiters take over. The lighting wasn't so dim that I couldn't see my food, but it was romantic. There was a piano playing and the whole scene was beautiful and peaceful. I seriously wanted to cry because it was so beautiful. The food was divine and came in very extended intervals, allowing us to enjoy and savor every bite. Such food and service is worth EVERY PENNY!!! I love you, Chef's Table. And I love you, David, for taking me there. Happy Birthday to me:)

Looks like a Girl!

2009-01-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

We had an ultrasound the other day to determine my due date. The picture wasn't too clear but they say it looks like a girl. I'm only 16 weeks along (due June 28th), so we'll have another ultrasound later before we paint the world pink at our house. I was a little shaken at first, because I was sure it was a boy, but we're extremely excited for our little girl. I don't have a scanner, so you can't see the picture of her waving at us yet. Maybe later.

What Baby?

2009-01-07T14:02:00.001-08:00

I know I said I would take more pictures, but I hate me in pictures by myself, especially fat pregnant girl pictures. I would draw a picture for you if I could. This picture would be of me in super baggy pants from Ecuador (they got the 'comfortable pants' part right), a shirt that is too small, and my belly hanging out at the bottom. This is my daily getup. Also, I would be downing a bowl of Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries cereal. When you don't know what to eat, they are perfect for the time it takes you to figure it out.
So now I'm battling the house cleaning vs. sit on my bottom and watch Mary Poppins while my son is asleep. I know what I should do, but I'm just so tired. I will probably have to play "The Final Countdown" from Europe to get me dancing around and cleaning up dinner from last night.
Any other motivators would be welcome suggestions. And maybe if you come to my house I will clean.

We're very excited for our next little addition. Gabriel needs a side-kick. I go crazy whenever I see little newborn babies. I love them so much! I can't wait to hold mine. And my wedding ring still fits, which by close to this time in my last pregnancy, it didn't. So far, this child is my favorite.

New Year

2009-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

My poor sweet baby is sick. It's so pathetic! He has these constant little tears that just never go away and a nasty runny nose. Maybe it was all the excitement with the cousins being here for the holidays. Someone asked me what my new year's resolution was and I had forgotten it. But I remember now that it is to take more pictures and write more on my blog. I just don't have the patience to sit here and write in detail about what's going on or what has happened. So hopefully I can give you more details into my exciting life:)
I stopped a Schwan's man in my neighborhood and told him to go to my house and was quite disappointed in the selection. It all seemed to be tv dinners and such (at 3x's the price). I just had these memories of our Schwan's man in Cary coming in and rearranging our freezer so we could buy more and fit it in and the food being good. It doesn't even look good in the magazine thing.
Also, it's snowing! Yay! I love the snow we've had lately. It's so beauitful, and it covers the pumpkins on the deck.

Gabriel Lou Who

2009-01-01T21:17:00.001-08:00

We decided to spend Christmas at our home with just our little family. It was such a relaxing and wonderful day. We were waking Gabriel up at 7:30 because David and I were so excited for Christmas. We didn't wrap Mater, just put a bow on him. So the Mater car was the first thing Gabriel saw by the tree and we couldn't get him to open any other presents. It was so much fun to see how exciting Christmas was for Gabriel. I hope in years to come, he will be the one waking us up.

He managed to get 2 legs into 1 leg slot. So now he's Gabriel Lou Who.

Caribbean Cruise

2008-12-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm finally writing about the cruise we went on at the beginning of December. The thing is that our internet only works in the basement, which is unfinished and very cold, so I hate coming down here.
We went on a 5 day cruise, leaving from Tampa, stopping in Key West and Cozumel Mexico.
It was like being in a very big moving hotel for 5 days. The boat was so big, and the people who work on the boat really live on it for about 6-8 months of the year. I'm not going to go into too much detail because I am cold. The food was good and it was fun to sit at a 'fancy' restaurant every night. Very classy service.

Us with a group of friends after snorkeling off the shore of Cozumel. The water was so beautiful! And the bottom of the water was lined with white sand, so you could see straight to the bottom even when you weren't in the water.

Our stop in Key West in front of our ship. We were about to jump onto another boat to go parasailing. The weather was so nice! But I'd hate to be there in the summer.

David and I about to be pushed off the boat for parasailing. It was so much fun. And very peaceful way up high.

I highly recommend going on a free cruise to all people. I'll watch your kids.

Choir Concert

2008-12-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

I talked David in to going to Salt Lake and waiting in the standby line for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert (which gets sold out in a day). I thought he knew what this meant, but until last night, he did not. It meant getting there at 5:30 and waiting in the cold and in the confrence center in a line for 2 hours to find out if we could get in, and too bad if we don't. When we got to Salt Lake, he said "We're doing what?!". For weeks now, I've been telling him how wonderful he is to do this with me because I knew he would hate it.

Anyway, we parked, ran 3 blocks and crossed the street 3 times to get to where we were supposed to be, were handed our "tickets" (number 221 and 222) and prepared to wait. Then this sweet older woman came up to us and said "We don't need these tickets. Do you want them?" I screamed and jumped up and down and hugged her like and idiot, but I really wanted to see this concert. So we walked past the line of 220 standbyers, not looking them in the eye, of course, and took our awesome seats.

The concert was amazing!!!!!!! I can't say too many times how much I love the Choir. I started crying from the moment music started, and lots more throughout the whole thing. But the best part was when Richard Elliott started snapping and playing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" with his feet on the organ, and then rockin' out with his fingers. It was a self-arranged version of the song and it was like nothing I've ever seen. He's my new hero. Way to go, Elliott.

The other best part was the HallelujahChorus, which of course was spectacular beyond words, but at the very last note, they showed Mack Wilburg on the big screen, and the look on his face I cannot describe. It put a sense of reverence and awe in my soul, and I thought of how amazing it must be to be directing the Choir and Orchestra in that song. A flood of tears followed. There were just too many best parts.

Also, Edward Herrman was the guest, and I just realized that he was on Overboard. I can't believe I never knew that. He was so great. Brian Stokes was awesome. The whole thing was so full of beauty and talent. It was the best concert I've ever been to.

1st Hair Cut

2008-11-21T09:35:00.001-08:00

Today I decided Gabriel's hair was really stupid and that there was something I could do about it. I took him to Capelli's hair school (yes, I was willing to pay someone $5 to do it right) and we got a hair cut! This picture is adorable, but I can't figure out how to crop it. So click on it and zoom in, because his face is so cute.

Goodbye stupid mowhawk! Goodbye weird hairs over my ears! I won't miss you.

I promised him a donut for being a good boy, but he fell asleep on the car ride home and I couldn't resist. Bad mommy. He didn't need a donut anyway.

Anyone for Pie?

2008-11-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

Ever since seeing Waitress with my friend Keri Russell, I've craved pies and wanted to make pies, too. So while David is gone I try to experiment with recipes so he doesn't have to eat gross food. I think this test run was successful. Oh man! It was good:) Thanks to my mom for teaching me to make pie crust! Gabriel and I about to share a piece of delicious pie.

Has Anyone Here Had a Birthday?

2008-10-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

My sweet little angel turns 1 today! I can't believe it's been a whole year, and yet I can't remember life without him. It's definitely been a great year. Gabriel was cute straight out of the womb. He was in no hurry to get here, though; 12 hours on pitocin and he still wouldn't come out.

4 months old and has the smile of a movie star charmer.

I hope some day he'll forgive me for putting tights on him, but c'mon! Have you ever seen a cuter Mickey Mouse?

Enough cake to last another whole year. We had a fun little birthday party for him on Saturday. Thanks for coming, little cousins. We loved your costumes!

Survivor Kaua'i

2008-10-27T07:59:00.001-07:00

We stayed overnight in LA on our way to Hawaii so we could go to the temple. With this temple being so far away from where we live, it's kind of like our special castle far away from the world.

The Island of Kaua'i

We started out Monday morning by going for a hike along the Na'Pali coast, which is unaccessible by road because it's just straight cliffs. So we hiked on this cliff with the view of the ocean the whole time. At one point, David looked into the water and saw a dead body. It was very creepy. We watched the coast guard try to get him out for about an hour. While we were there, 3 tourists drowned, which freaked me out just a little bit! We were with 2 other friends on this hike and we all decided to hike inland to see some waterfalls. For that portion of the hike you have to walk across the river about 4 times, which is no biggie when it's not raining. But that day it was raining. On our way to the waterfalls the rivers were not hard to cross, but by the time we turned around, the rivers were so high and powerful that we couldn't cross and I really thought we were going to spend the night in the rain forest, which would have been a real drag. Fortunately, about an hour after sitting and watching the crazy river, 8 more people came to where we were and we formed a human chain and then men got everyone across. They were heros:) The hike back took forever because of the rivers and we all had to stick together to get across the rivers. But when we had crossed all the rivers, the 4 of us booked it because we only had about an hour of day light and we had a 2 hour hike ahead of us. We hiked the last hour in the dark, and I thought we were going to die. Luckily no one fell off the cliff that night and we were able to sleep in our beds.

Gorgeous waterfall along our hike.

David and I at the Lu'ao. I wish that lai could last forever because it was so beautiful!

David in his Super Suit (scuba gear). I chickened out and made him go solo.

Us overlooking the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

The shorter cliffs of the Na'Pali coast. We went on a boat ride along this side of the island and went snorkeling. I was hanging on for dear life while I wasn't barfing over the edge of the boat.

We came home to this monkey who seemed to not care that we ever left. My mom did a great job taking care of him.

5 Years Ago

2008-10-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

5 years ago David and I were married in the Los Angeles temple. It seems like a lifetime ago, or that we've already been married for eternity. It's been a fun journey so far. I still remember the first time I ever saw him. It was in Quito, Ecuador at a church that we went to to watch General Confrence. The girls from my OSSO group and the missionaries were all in the room with English confrence. Elder Martinez was sitting directly in front of me on a soft chair, and he turned around to ask me if anyone in my group had back problems, because they could have his chair if they did. From then on he was My Boyfriend Elder Martinez. Thinking I would never see him again, you can imagine my surprise when he ran up to me at a single adult dance in Raleigh and said "YOU! I know you!" Four months later we were married. I'm sorry to those of you we scared with our haste, but we've seen the guidance of the Lord so much in our lives and are so grateful to be together.
So happy anniversary to us! We're off to LA again to remember where it all began, then to Hawaii!!!!
Happy Birthday, Allyn:)

I don't know why this picture won't take up the whole square.

10 Months Old

2008-09-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Few mothers have the bragging rights that I do :)

DELICIOUS!

2008-09-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

This picture cracks me up every time I look at it. I gave him a little cup with a little bit of my chocolate shake. Next thing I know, he has thrown the cup on the ground and is breathing like he just ran a mile, smacking his lips. I couldn't stop laughing for a long time.

Oh, What do you do in the summer time?

2008-09-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ridin' the saddle at the cute ice cream parlor in Wake Forest.

With that face, you'd think Grandma was taking him to Chucky Cheese!

We ended the summer with another trip to NC, but this time it was just me and Gabriel. He made best friends on the airplane, and luckily he passed out before me. Everyone was very nice and helpful.

I don't think I'm ready for Fall yet. It's one step closer to another winter, and one step closer to my baby being 1 year old. Somebody stop the clock! He's walking with me holding only one hand and I have to hold back tears nearly every time.

Deer Valley Music Festival

2008-08-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend David and I drove up to Park City to hear the Utah Symphony play with the Mormon Tablernacle Choir. I didn't realize until after I bought the tickets that it was in Park City. If I had known, I don't think we would have tried such an adventure. I'm so glad I didn't know though. It was the best date night ever (minus the quick stop at McDonald's). The drive alone was spectacular. Every time we drive outside of the valley areas we are just amazed at how beautiful Utah is. Not that where we live isn't gorgeous, but the rest of it is, too (except parts along the way to St. George).

So, stupid me, all I pictured was chillin' on a blanket with my sweetheart listening to amazing music in the perfect Utah summer evening. Well, turns out that it's way cooler at night up at the ski resorts of Park City. In fact, I wish I had brought a ski parka. Luckily we brought a big blanket and there was an army jacket in David's trunk. I could have used some socks that night.

The music was spectacular! I can't say in words the feelings the Choir brings to me. They sang a series of folk music from around the world, and after intermission they sang religious songs. Some men in kilts brought out the bagpipes and they sang/played Amazing Grace. I don't think I've ever heard it performed that way and it was amazing. The cymbols crashed at the end, the crowd broke out in applause and we broke out in tears. And they finished with the Star Spangled Banner, which you can't listen to without bawling when they perform it.

We drove home through Heber Valley and Provo Canyon, where the full moon highlighted the skyline of the mountains. It was breathtaking. I like living here:)

A Visit to Daddy!

2008-08-06T11:09:00.001-07:00

I had a doctor appointment today, so I dropped Gabriel off at David's office for some super fun daddy time. When I picked him up, he was surrounded by a group of women who all knew best how to make him happy (he needs a drink!, he needs a toy!, he needs a treat!). He seemed fine to me. He and David had a great time together, as you can see.