Cleaver Little Boy!

On Sunday we were on our way home from Jareds brothers house. We had to leave before the cookies were baked and so Melissa sent us home with some cookie dough to cook at our house. Cade wanted to hold it and I told him that he could if he kept the bag closed. He promised and quickly stopped talking about the dough. Half way home I looked at Jared and said, "Is he eating that cookie dough?" Jared looked into the back seat and assured me that the bag was still closed. We continued talking and I again said, "I swear he is eating something," but was once again assured that the bag was still securely closed. Once we pulled into our house Jared hopped out of the car to get Cade and immediately burst into laughter. "Cleaver," I heard him say, "cleaver!" I peeked in to see that Cade had poked a hole in the middle of the bag and snitched some dough out. I have to hand it to him. He knew he wasn't supposed to open to bag so he found an alternative that followed what I told him to do and also satisfied what he wanted to do.

This past weekend we were back out at the baseball diamond for some good old fashion fun. Chandler, my nephew, has started up baseball again and we had so much fun. The kids love running around in the open air and playing with each other. They climbed trees, rode scooters, hit baseballs and just laughed together. It was so much fun to watch them fully enjoy one another. We are still working on the "sharing" concept with Cade. Does that ever really happen? Do they ever learn to willingly share, even when it is not their own toy!
I must say that my little niece Amelia stole the show though. Her little pigtails and peaty coat made me secretly wish that there was a little girl on her way to our home. It is such a joy to have so many fun cousins around for Cade to play with!

The Lord Works In Mysterious Ways!

I decided that in effort to save a little money after the holidays and make our family time more meaningful that we would start our weekly, "Friday night pizza night." So instead of going to a restaurant and ordering food for Cade that he usually doesn't eat and also fighting with him to stay sitting we just ordered pizza, his favorite, and played games as a family. It was a little difficult to find a game that a 2-year-old can not only comprehend but that the mom and dad like playing too. However, my mom had a stroke of genius and suggested the Hungry Hungry Hippo game when I was talking to her a few days back. Cade loved it and so did we. It brought out a little competition between Jared and Cade and it was hilarious! Cade has talked about his hippo game all weekend and cant wait to pull it out again on friday!

Cade finally got to wear his Christmas suit. He was sick the sunday before Christmas and we were gone the sunday following so I was so excited to deck him out. I didn't get a great picture because it was FREEZING and windy before we went to church and lets face it, they never look as cute coming home as they do when you leave to church. So here is a quick shot of his "missionary suit" as he calls it. He likes to stand up in sacrament, wave, and say "Hi missionaries!!" as soon as he spots them. It is really cute and endearing unless it is after the meeting has started.

I am here to testify that the Lord works in mysterious ways. Last Sunday before church I had made a new commitment to myself that I was going to be more involved and get to know the sisters better. I was so excited and pumped for the new year of sunday school and Relief society lessons and couldnt wait to teach from the Joseph Smith manuel. I couldn't believe that Cade looked so big in nursery now that the older and VERY rambunctious kids had moved onto primary. All I had heard was horror stories about these little ones so I was glad to see them move on. I was on cloud 9 walking out of church...that was until a member of the bishopric chased me down and said that he needed to talk to me. I honestly just wanted to run to my car and pretend that I never heard him. We walked back into the building and whole time my stomach was in knots! As we sat down the dreaded words came out of his mouth... "we would like to extend to you a new calling..." I had to do everything in my power to not cry, I LOVE my calling and did not want to leave Relief Society! He then went on to tell me that they wanted me to teach the Sunbeams...the new little ones...the ones I was glad to see leave nursery....they were now MINE! Did they not understand that I have a toddler at home that I am with ALL day EVERY day and 2 hours on sunday was the only time I didnt have to take care of a little one? I accepeted but left the building bawling. The whole way home cade kept asking, "what is wrong mom...?" It was really sweet but still didn't stop the tears.
After A LOT of soul searching and prayer I came to understand that this is what I need, this is what the Lord needs, and this is what these little sunbeams need. As the week went on I continued to prepare my lesson, gather toys and crayons and my nerves continued to get more frazzled. For some reason I can get up in a room filled with sisters and teach with no problem but the idea of 6 3-year-olds scared me to death. However, I must say that sunday was a success. I LOVED it! The kids were so good and so much fun. I loved listening to them, playing with them, attempting to teach them but mostly loving them. As soon as I entered that primary room I was consumed with so much love for these little sunbeams and all of a sudden the wiggling, the moving chairs, the standing up and sitting down became endearing not frustrating. It is amazing how the Lord works and that He knows exactly what we need and when we need it...even if it takes a while for us to come around!

Here is the latest tummy watch. It is really for my mom and grandma. I have had several requests from those far away for an update. So you can see... 15 weeks and already poking out. You gotta love it! Cade also always loved to get in on the action!

Magical...

The time has come to sit down and relive our trip to Disney. We had such a fun time going to "Mickeys house" as Cade called it. It was just so magical. Disneyland is always fun and magic filled however I must say that there is nothing like it during Christmas time. We had somewhat of a difficult time starting out with delayed flights and a little airport confusion but once we pulled up to the hotel all the stress and confusion was replaced with childhood excitement, mostly from me!

Cade was great on the airplane and slept most of the way. He was so excited to go on a "Giant airplane!" and would point out all of them that he saw.

Our first destination once we reached the park was Mickeys house. Cade has been so into mickey and friends lately that I was so excited to introduce them. We waited for the guest of honor for about an hour which in reality was very very quick considering the shortest line I saw for "Small World" was 3 hours. The park was magical but VERY busy. Cade loved to see Mickey, despite how he looks in the picture, and only referred to him as Mick for the rest of the trip. Side note: I am only posting this picture because it was a highlight or it would be filed away under "chubby prego pictures NEVER to be seen."

Within about 10 minutes of being in the park Cade found the only spot in the whole park I did not want him...in the water. It was a very cold day but he didn't seem to mind and was not only trying to drink it but run through and jump over it too.

We had to stop for a treat of their famous rice crispy treats that are loved by my mom and grandma. They are huge and I think that Cade and I polished almost all of it by ourselves, hence the chubby cheeks I suppose. It was yummy but I must admit that my mom makes them better than the mouse.

Cade insisted on driving all of the cars though out the park. He loved them and spent hours saying, "beep, beep, excuse me!" Although he is wearing the same sweatshirt they are different days. I didn't come as prepared as I should have been for the cold and we all spent the whole trip in the same sweatshirts and hoodies.

We went on Buzz Lightyear ride originally thinking that Cade would love shooting the guns. He talked about shooting the gun for the whole hour we were in line but once we entered the ride Jared and I took over the shooting and Cade hid in Jareds chest only to leave the ride and ask to do it again.

On Sunday we were able to drive to the San Diego temple and spend some time on the grounds. It was so beautiful and fun that their nativity was still up. Cade loved to look at the baby Jesus and says, "oh, he's Cute!!"

When we had to leave Cade was so sad and kept saying, "Bye angel Moroni, Byyyyyeeeee."

We stopped at a little sea food place on Newport Beach called the Crab Shack. It was so yummy and I am not one for sea food but we all loved the grub! We were also able to spend a little time on the beach. Cade chased the birds and Jared and I just sat back and smiled at his pure innocence. It was one of those moments that you sit back, look at your life, and say "I am completely content and fulfilled with my life."

We also met the bubble man on the beach. He was making huge bubbles and letting Cade chase them down and pop them. It was such a joy and I don't know who had more fun with the bubbles, Cade or Jared.

My camera died on our last morning in Disney so I did not get many pictures. I think that the highlight of our last day was that Cade got to meet Lightening Mcqueen and Mater. He was so excited and was totally in heaven.

We had such a wonderful time and feel so blessed to have had this amazing opportunity. The grounds were decorated, the castle was covered in snow and the music was filled with the Christmas spirit. The firework show was AMAZING! I am usually not one to love fireworks but it was honestly touching, I had tears! It talks about the Christmas spirit and then has snow at the end. So there I was, tears running down my cheeks, standing in the Disneyland snow, and completely filled with the magic of Disney and the spirit of Christmas, it was wonderful. So the only way I know how to describe our trip is Magical... It was magical to share something I love with my little one. It was magical for my marriage and relationship with Jared. It was magical in the way that I felt like a little girl again. It was magical that we could just completely and purely enjoy one another and find fulfillment in our journey. It was just magical! Thanks again Jason and Melissa, this was more than we ever knew we needed!

Boogie Down

Sorry it is sideways, I couldn't figure out how to turn it but I thought you might like a little look into the workings of our 2-year-old! He is just too silly....

Holiday Happenings

I am so sorry about the long hiatus! Life has been crazily busy and I have also been without my camera for a while. However, things are starting to slow down (a little) and getting back to normal.

We had the pleasure of having my little sister, Alli, and her husband Makay come and stay with us for a few days. They are going to school at BYU-Idaho and had a few days off and we were lucky enough to snag them. We had so much fun having them here and I had a blast reminiscing with Alli about our childhood. Cade was completely smitten by Makay and wanted to do everything Makay did and be everywhere Makay was.

Cade liked to play hide and seek with Alli and Makay and for some reason thought that a tree would supply an ample hiding place. It was too funny. We also got to hear the babys heart beat while they were here, which was so exciting. It was nice to know that the expanding belly really is alive and kicking.

Christmas was an exciting event in our house. Jared was on call so we stayed in Las Vegas and decided to stay in our own home and have our own little Christmas (we usually stay at his brothers house and have Christmas morning with their family). I was so excited for Cade to have his first Christmas that he kinda got the idea. I was so tired from all of the preparations but I could not sleep on Christmas eve. I was wide awake and so ready for the celebrations to begin. Once 4:30am rolled around Jared, whom I kept awake with my excitement, and I decided to pop in a movie and kill some time. Once the movie was over at about 6:30 I couldn't wait to roll into bed but as soon as my head hit the pillow I heard the door of our little munchkin jiggle and he was ready to party. We tried to convince him that it was still sleep time but he would have nothing to do with it, so the festivities began.

He humored me for a few pictures before we went into the family room to open presents, notice the sleep in his eyes! He was so much fun to watch open his presents. He has so much emotion and after every present he would say "thank you Santa!" at the top of his lungs and then get wrapped up in the gift until I convinced him to open another one. Towards the end I ended up opening his presents for him and drawing his attention to the new toy.

One of his first favorites were his new legos because it came with a "lego guy." For some reason he thought it was cool.

Jared was in charge of the video and I was covering the camera. We were both busy! During the Christmas season all Cade could talk about was Santa bringing him a scooter. I was so excited for him to see the scooter I could hardly stand it! So, "was it a hit," you ask? Ummmm, kinda. The real hit of this Christmas.... the 99 cent flashlight....figures. He is still trying to figure out the scooter. He hasn't quite grasped the idea of turning. He just picks it up and turns it to where he wants, it is rather comical.

Jared got me some Mary Kay products and some fun money. I got him some BYU stuff and ended up caving and getting him a PS3, something he as talked about for as long as I can remember. I was totally stoked to give him the system but caught the reaction on the video but have no pictures. Needless to say, he was VERY excited! My dream came true when we went to Jason and Melissas to check out everyones gifts and I had my Christmas wish fulfilled. I have wanted to take Cade to Disneyland for a long time, especially during Christmas time. We were planning on doing it but end up having other things come up and so decided not to. Well, they were all bouncing off the walls to give us our gift and so I was excited to see what was in the box and to my TOTAL surprise there was a trip to DISNEYLAND inside! I am so so so excited and cannot wait to board the airplane tomorrow. Cade has been talking about seeing "mick mouse and goopy" (goofy) all week long.

Cade was also way too spoiled and was so blessed with so many fun gifts from so many people! Thank you everyone!

He also got his Lion towel that he loves. He thought that he was so cool this morning wearing it and roaring like a lion. I was laughing and laughing, this kid keeps me in stitches. So, now that I have finally gotten back to blogging I am going to be leaving again but will be back soon with lots of pictures and lots of stories from Mickey. We love you all and thank you so much for all your love and generosity! Happy New Year to all...we love you!

What Sounds Good Baby?

My poor, sweet, Jared was sent on his first crazy pregnancy fiasco last night. We had been planning on going out with some friends so I didn't have any dinner planned but things didn't work out. So we decided to get some errands done and before I knew it it was 6:30 and Cade was in the back of the car saying, "Mom, I am huuuuuuungry!!" So we made a quick stop at McDonald's to satisfy him so we could finish what we were doing. Well, eventually we both realized that we too were hungry and the typical question, "so, what sounds good?" was asked. Well, unlike the past few months, I actually had an idea of what I wanted... Meat! I wanted a steak or a pork chop with some mashed potatoes. It just sounded so good but so out of character for me. All Jared could do was look at me and laugh... "who are you and what did you do with my wife?" he asked.
Well, Cade had reached his limit and bed was calling his name so I headed in to put him to bed and Jared headed out to satisfy my tummy. An hour, 5 restaurants, and a sleeping baby later Jared got home with a smile and a "I got what you wanted, babe!" He pulled out a juicy pork chop with mashed potatoes and a green salad, my hero!

I asked if he had told every person he asked about a pork chop why he was on the hunt. He said that he had only told the guy at the last place he went to which the man replied, "oh man, I have 3 kids and I know EXACTLY what you are going through!" I laughed and laughed and felt a little embarrassed at what my poor hubby had to just endure for his crazy wife. After dinner was devoured he pulled out a chocolate dessert with a big smile on his face. I asked if he had seen a picture of the dessert of if he just read it on the menu. He said that he just asked the guy if they had anything chocolate. The guy said they only had one thing to which Jared replied, "I'll take it." They guy asked if he wanted to know what it was and Jared said, "nope, it is chocolate, it will do, I will take it." Haha, the guy laughed and again said, "Man, I know EXACTLY what you are going through!" Oh... the things that we all do for pregnancy! Thanks sweetheart! You are the best!

10 Weeks and Counting

Wow, it has been quite a while since I have actually sat down and taken the time to type about my life. We have been busy but still no pictures to share because my camera is still in the shop...dang! Today officially marks 10 weeks of pregnancy and I have to say that I have been very very blessed. I have felt well, had enough energy, and have dodged most of the 1st trimester aliments, that was until yesterday when everything came crashing down. I think that it all just caught up with me and all I could get done was shower and caulking Cades new dart gun (from grandma and grandpa) over and over and over and over and over.... Needless to say it was a rather unproductive day but hopefully it was just a fluke because I seem to be feeling on the up and up today.
We had the opportunity of having my mom come and spend a few days with us this week and had so much fun! It is always so nice to have her around and now the house feels a little too quite since she left. We had a great time shopping, eating lots of junk, going to the park for hours on end, and talking even more. We went to the new H&M store that just opened here and stocked up Cades winter wardrobe and I also found him his Christmas suit, I will have to post pictures when I get my camera back.
Now for the details that some have asked for....
1. Yes, I was waiting to share the prego info because some of our family didn't know until Thanksgiving and I didn't want the info to leak out to them before we told them.
2. I am due July 3, 2008
3. Cade does know that I have a baby in my tummy but doesn't really get it. When we ask him what we are having he usually says "an ister!" (sister)
4. I have felt fine but I cannot cannot cannot watch food commercials or the food network (such a shame) or it just makes me sick! Ugh!
5. I am already starting to get a tummy! Way too early! I was bound and determined that I would be able to hold off as long as I did with cade (about 4 months) but no such luck this little one just wants to pop out and be noticed.
6. We are so excited to have another baby in our home again.