Project of the Month

Lately I've really been thinking I need an awesome piece of art in my dinning room/kitchen.  Then I remembered "hey, I went to BYU and was in the art program for two years.  I could paint something"! So I did. Sadly this is the first piece of any type of art of I've done since I left BYU, but better late than never.

All I did was make a pallet type thing from a bundle of stakes I bought at Home Depot, cut the tops off and stapled together with the nail gun.  After a light sanding, I started painting what I sketched in my sketch book et voila! My master piece. I also roughed it up a little bit and stained the edges to make it look aged and worn.  I still have to sign it and hang it up, but I'm super pleased with my work.  I love it! 

Camping at Red Rock Canyon

We had a little adventure this President's Day weekend.  Yesterday we packed up and left for the LA Temple in Santa Monica .  Gavin and I took turns doing initiatories while the other played outside on the lawn with Grant. 

Soon after we drove to Red Rock Canyon, a state park and campsite about 25 minutes outside of Ridgecrest. It is a really neat area. There's all these really cool rock formations and caves where bats live.  We made a fire and roasted s'mores and the stars were absolutely beautiful.  We slept in the Kia and had it not been for Grant waking up every few hours, it would have been a pretty comfortable night.

In the morning we opened the back and watched the sunrise and then ate our oatmeal and cleaned up.  We did a little exploring and walking around and then drove back home this morning. 

It was a first for me to camp in the desert and not have to worry about bears dragging me out of my tent and eating me alive, which just happens to be one of my top fears. It was also our very first family camping trip together since Grant was born. It was nice to get away for a night and just have time for us.

Lovers Day 2012

Valentines Day gets better and better every year.  I say this as I eat chocolate I got in a big, red heart-shaped box from my secret valentine.  I guess it's because, brace yourself for some cheese, we fall more in love with each other everyday. Dang these chocolates are good.

Valentines day was always special for me growing up.  My mom made it a point to show how much she loved her girls on this day.  When we were little she would pack little love notes with stickers in our lunch boxes. As we got older, there was always a fancy dinner waiting for us when we got home from school that we ate on her pretty white china.  There was always a cute little something on our plates before we ate, like socks with hearts on them and chap-sticks.

Well this year was pretty special as well.  I woke up to French toast, cut into hearts, a big box of chocolates and some lovely yellow tulips.  Throughout the day, I did a series of door bell ditching at Gavin's office door, which included a new shirt, doughnut holes, an office chair and a balloon with some army men and a message.  Gavin also surprised me with another gift.  He picked out a necklace in the shape of a heart with a little diamond in it.  I love it! He is so sweet to me; I'm kind of spoiled.

We got a babysitter for Grant and then we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Miso, for some sushi.  I made a chocolate flour-less cake for dessert, as if we needed more chocolate.  I made Gavin take the leftovers to work this morning, I don't trust myself...
That about sums up Lovers Day this year.  Oh and I have the best husband in the world and I'm so glad he's my Valentine for life.  Forever actually.

Grant- 6 months

Grant is six months and four days old today. I have one word.  Wow.

Grant has really made a lot of progress over the past month.  Here's a few things we've learned about Grant this month:

He really loves music.  In the car he'll sing along to himself in the back seat.  He also loves to sit on his dad's lap at the piano and bang on the keys.  Sometimes he even sings in his sleep.

He is now sleeping through the night! Hallelujah, praise the Lord!  I have been praying and dreaming about this for a long time and it has finally happened!  Bed is usually around 8, 8:30-ish and he sleeps until about 5:30 to feed and then falls back asleep, sometimes in bed with me on days Gavin plays morning ball.

Grant can roll over on purpose now! In December he did it twice, but it was only because of the weight of his head. 

He is really grabby and grabs anything within his reach and tries to grab anything not in his reach, usually the bottle of syrup or ranch dressing at the dinner table.  He can grab his bottle and stick it in his mouth, but still can't figure out he has to tip it back to get anything out of it.  He can also stick his binky back in his mouth after he has pulled it out. Yay!
He can sit up all by himself.  Look ma, no hands!

Grant loves to laugh, especially when Gavin tickles him with his beard.  It's so funny! I love it.  He's a pretty happy boy, but when he's upset, watch out, or at least grab some ear plugs. 

Grant continues to love being outside.  He loves to go on walks in his stroller and look around.  The other day  we just sat on a blanket in the front yard and played together with Max. 

Grant loves Max.  He laughs and laughs as Max tries to lick him to death. 

Grant is awesome. We love him. 

Blessed

Time really does FLY when it comes to having a baby.  I cannot believe that Grant is six months old tomorrow and that in another six months he will be ONE whole year. Where does the time go? Oh, I know...changing diapers, pumping boob juice, washing poopie blown out little clothes, making baby food, picking up toys, sterilizing binkies, giving baths, making dinner, cleaning floors, etc, etc, the list goes on and on and on.
 It can be hard and overwhelming at times, but it is so worth every bit of it.  I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I have been so blessed with so many blessings and sweet things in my life.  I don't know why I have been so blessed but I do know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants me to be happy and I know that He is the source of all the good things in my life. I must be doing something right. Either that or Gavin is (which he is) and I'm just mooching on his blessings.

I am thankful.

Tip for a Happy Life: Shop in the Morning

I prefer to do my grocery shopping in the morning.  I get up around 7:30, feed Grant some blueberries, get dressed, get in the car, get out of the car to grab my forgotten grocery list, get back in the car and we're at Stater Brothers a little after 8:00.  I strap Grant to my front, snugly wrapped in a Moby Wrap with his cute little face sticking out the top and his bright blue eyes shining as he looks around the parking lot in the morning sun. I lock the car, grab my purse and it begins. 

Old people are everywhere.  Cute old ladies with scarves wrapped around their heads to keep their hair from flying in the wind.  Little old men driving their boats from the 50's, politely smiling and waving to me and little Grant. There's the grandpa in the grandpa sweater who pulls out a cart, winks at me with twinkling eyes and gives it to me while saying " he's a cute one".  There's the little widows who come up and ask all about Grant, how old he is, when he was born etc, and then tell me all about their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  "Keep him warm and enjoy him while you can" they say.  

And then of course there's the old couples. Some hold hands with each carrying a basket. Some the husband pushes the cart while the wife holds the list and grabs things from the shelves.  Some the wives drop the husbands off in a certain isle, usually by the meat counter, where at least 2 or 3 other old men are and they all talk and laugh about what old men talk and laugh about while their wives shop. 

I feel like a rock star when I go to the grocery store in the morning.   I get so much attention.  I'm pretty sure I'm like the only young mother in Ridgecrest at Stater Brothers on Wednesday mornings so all the old people talk to me and goo and gah over Grant.  I know it's because I have a cute little blue-eyed boy strapped to me and he's the real rock star but I love it all the same. 

I love old people. I love how much they value values like common courtesy and manners and respect.  They love their families.  They love their spouses, whether they have already passed or whether they are right there with them pushing the grocery cart.  

When Gavin and I are old and wrinkly and shopping for prune juice and denture cream at the local grocery store, we are going to goo and gah at the little baby strapped to his mother's chest and tell her all about our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  

Oh and we are going to eat at Denny's.