Cade Originals

February/March 2009

• When Beckam wakes up Cade darts to his room, clears his throat and says, "gooooooood morning sunshine" over and over, clears his throat says "gooooood morning sunshine" over and over and repeats the process until I pick up Becks and walk out of the room.

• I asked Cade what he wanted to do this morning. He looked at me and without even a second of thought he says, "I want to play with Beckam, mom." He melts my heart.

• Cade was running up and down a steep driveway. When he would go down he would put out his arms and say, "ahhh, it is pulling me down!"

• When he was finished eating breakfast Cade stood up on his chair and flexed his muscles to which I replied, "wow, those are pretty strong muscles!" He then says, "I am not pretty strong, I AM strong! And healthy too!"

• Cade was looking for money under all of the cushions the other day. I told him to get a baggie and he could go through the junk drawer to see what he could find. He found a handful of change, shoved it in the bag, victoriously held the bag in the air and shouts, "Let's go to ChuckE Cheese!"

• He loves Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon. All the original characters are in the show but he calls them Konobie Dobie (Obi-Wan Kenobie) and Annin-Cannon (Anakin)

• We were driving home from the park and Cade thought we were racing the cars behind us. He peeks at the cars following us and says to me, "Mom, you are a genius! You are going fast!"

• We were reading books in my bed and Cade had snuggled under the covers. I soon hear him say, "Mom, I just smelled my bums breath and it is really stinky!"

• Beckam was babbling and saying, "Da Da Da" over and over. Cade quickly says with excitement, "mom, he can talk Spanish!"

• He came to my Young Womens class room on Sunday after church and the treat basket was still out on the floor. He was slowly walking circles around it and then taps me on the leg and motions for me to bend down. He then whispers in my ear, "are you thinking what I am thinking?" I ask him what he is thinking and he says, "those treats, I want to eat um!"

Beckam: Month 9

-You weigh 21.6 pounds
-28.5 inches long
-You love to eat the bottom of everything (bottles, sippys, cups, containers) you will always tip them over and chew on the bottom.
-You usually wake up around 8:30am and if a certain brother wakes you up early you are really good about going back to sleep.
-You are always ready for a nap at 11:00am and usually again around 3:30pm.
-You love to bang your foot up and down on your car seat.
-You want to see everything but are still good about wanting to cuddle.
-You will always laugh at Cade.
-You have 6 teeth.
- You have had a hard time with allergy symptoms (runny nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes and ears, sneezing)
-You are super ticklish and will always laugh when we squish your thighs.
-You are not afraid of people and will cuddle with anyone who is willing.
-You sing a tired song.
-You wear 12-18 month clothes.
-You like to sleep on your back with your head kinked back and to the side. It always looks so uncomfortable but we always find you in that position.
-You are happy for most of the time.
-If it is close to nap time and we are not close to your bed you will usually just lay your head down and go to sleep.
-You always try to get Cades shoes and eat them.
- You have absolutely no interest in crawling.
-You usually go to bed for the night at about 6:30pm
-Your favorite snack is goldfish and you always want a taste of whatever you see someone eating.
-You love to blow bubbles and usually practice when mom is feeding you.
-Your favorite word is "Da"
-You love to eat.
-You have the most kissable, pouty lips ever!
We love you our little Beckam and are so thankful to have you in our family!

Dearest Tooth Fairy,

When you come to visit our house, in a few years, for this little guy.... I would appreciate it if you did something extra special with his teeth. He has worked really hard and been rather miserable trying to get them to come in. Thanks a bunch!

Sincerely,
His mommy

I Keep Going Back...

...but my trips gets shorter and shorter!

I had the awesome opportunity to fly to Utah for a whopping 19 hours yesterday.

I hung out with this girl and had an amazing time. She is an incredible photographer in Utah who let me pick her brain until mine felt like it was going to burst.

We had a fantastic time and I learned a ton and I also got to work with these cuties. We were good friends with the Nelsons when they lived in Vegas and so I had to track her down to snap some pictures of her kiddos while I was in Utah.

It was a total whirlwind but so worth it. My brain is bursting with information that hopefully I can translate into some fun pictures!

Thanks Jess I had a fantastic time! And thanks to Megan and your cute kiddos for making the drive down to the city and dealing with the "craziness" of picture day! And also a big thanks to my sweet grandma and cousin Olivia, you were great Liv!

Who Needs Leprechauns...

When you have a 3-year-old with Green rain boots?



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

What do We do on the Weekends?

We wrestle....

And sometimes Beckam wins and Cade looses...

And other times...

Cade wins and Beckam looses...

But most of the time I ignore the rolling, throwing, slimeing, and brawling and just pretend I am playing tea party with her!

What Good are Shirts...

If they aren't holding a sword.

This picture is basically my life in a nutshell. All pretend. All fun. All ninjas and animals. You name it, we have pretended it today. Oh to have the imagination of a 3-year-old.

26 Things I Learned in my 25th Year of Life

I have spent a great deal of time today thinking about what this last year held for me. New callings, different experiences, a bigger family, lessons learned, lessons missed, hospital visits, knowledge shared, knowledge gained. So many unique experiences, some of them I saw coming and others I did not. None the less, I have become who I am because of these and many other lessons and experiences I have had along the way.

1. Laundry and dishes multiply by a crazy amount the more people you add to your family, no matter how small they are.
2. Pay several months in advance for preschool.
3. You don't need a trainer to work out but it makes it more fun to have one around. As soon as you stop with the trainer, the gym gets really boring.
4. Searching the scriptures daily can really change your attitude.
5. Once you have something about your child figured out they throw you another curve ball just to confuse you and keep you on your toes.
6. Owning a house is really not all it is cracked up to be.
7. The best part about having 2 kids is watching them learn how to really love each other.
8. "Spray and Wash" is an essential item in every mothers laundry room.
9. Buying clothes in off seasons is much cheaper and a lot more fun to pull them out of the "stash" when they are needed.
10. Nothing can compensate for hard work and saving money.
11. The things that are actually in our control are really the only things that matter. (spiritual, service, attitude, faith, hard work, etc.)
12. Little boys always stink... no matter how little or big they are.
13. When you find a pair of jeans that fit right and you love, buy 2 of them, it will save you money and headache in the long run.
14. Don't ever risk more than you can afford to lose.
15. The Lord always has a plan to teach us exactly what we need to learn. Whether we think we need to learn it or not.
16. Teaching sunbeams is physically exhausting but one of the most rewarding callings.
17. Texting is so convenient.
18. I love serving in the Young Women, it is definitely my favorite calling.
19. Tivo is the only way to watch TV.
20. The only time I make it into a picture is when Cade is taking them (picture above) or I am pregnant.
21. A little bit of alone time every day can go a long way.
22. As soon as I try to do things on my own, without going to my Father in Heaven for guidance, I fail.
23. Money might make life easier but it doesn't make it happier.
24. I want to be a photographer so much. I keep toying with the idea of starting my own business. The biggest thing standing in my way.... myself.
25. No matter how much you brush and floss, if you don't go to the dentist for 5 years you are bound to have some problems.
26. The more gratitude I allow to fill my heart the brighter and more fulfilling my days are.

My list could continue and become more specific with every person, relationship, experience, trial, happiness, and insight I have experienced this past year. However, it the best way to accurately portray this year is with 2 words, "thank you."
Thank you to my Heavenly Father for his patience and trust in me.
Thank you to my sweet husband for opening up a whole new world to me and allowing me to experience it but also making it possible for me to be myself.
Thank you to my boys for molding me and stretching me in ways I never knew possible.
Thank you to my family and friends for your continued support, prayers, examples, laughs, and insights.

Here is to the last 26 years and looking forward to many more... Cheers!