Cory, Taylor, & Holdyn Monty

Christmas with a 2 Year Old!

2010-02-18T10:00:00.011-07:00

This is what Christmas Morning with a 2 year old looks like...

But let's back up to all of the fun things leading up to the best morning of the year! First there were the lights at Thanksgiving Point an feeding Santa's reindeer...

Then there was TONS of wrapping to do...

Then there were 50 gazillion Santa visits...

Holdyn LOVED Santa this year. Could not get enough of him!

Next came the Christmas Eve jammies...

On our way home on Christmas Eve, we stopped in a neighborhood right next to my grandparent's house. The entire circle had darling lights up... a train, snowflakes, ornaments, etc. Holdyn and I stopped there many times on our way home last December. It was such a fun little thing that Holdyn still talks about. He can't wait for next Christmas :)It was finally time for Santa to come. And he did!!!

Holdyn got his very own train table...

Cory got his very own TV...

(Look at his face!)

And I got the absolute best present ever...

We finished up the day with Holdyn helping Santa with his job. Everyone sat on his lap and told them what they wanted. Then Holdyn/Santa would give them a doll! It doesn't matter what they asked for, this Santa was only giving out dolls! He cracks us up pretty much every second :)

Here are all the extras :)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Christmas definitely keeps getting better and better. Holdyn makes it so much more magical for Cory and I. Thank you for that, Little Pea Pod :) Not only are you teaching your folks some great life lessons, you're making it so much fun!
We hope you all had a fantastic Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T09:00:00.003-07:00

It's finally here!!!

Merry Christmas!!
I am so grateful for everything in my life. I really couldn't ask for more! Of course there will always be wants and desires, but really... I am very lucky to be where I am and have what/who I have in my life. I hope I put that out there enough, because I really do love my life :)

I hope everyone has a magical, safe, and beautiful Christmas!!

P.S. Holdyn's favorite Christmas movie this year is The Grinch. His very favorite part (and the part I make him constantly repeat) is when Cindy Lou Who asks the Grinch, "Why are you taking my Christmas tree? Why?"

It really might be the cutest thing Holdyn has ever done :) Thank you Fate... for giving me the most fun little boy that makes Christmas as magical as it should be!

Sneak Peak

2009-12-15T16:16:00.003-07:00

Just a little sneak peak of what's to come in 10 days!!!!

I can't stinking wait!

Happy Everything!

2009-12-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas! Happy decorating and doing all of the fun things that come along with the holidays! And Happy New Year!

Whew! We've been busy and it's only getting better! I cannot express the magic and fun we experience with Holdyn during the holidays. This was one of the things I was not prepared for when I had Holdyn. Every year, I get more and more emotional this time of year. It is just more fun than I can handle! I am so grateful for the overwhelming emotions I feel for my family during the holidays. It reminds me of all that I have and how lucky I am.

Thanksgiving was so great :) We started at the Montys'...

Holdyn and Ryn pretty much keep each other occupied which is very nice for the moms! They love playing together...

The kids had their own darling table complete with Pilgrim hats, turkey finger puppets, and olives for their fingers...

Then we headed to my mom's and Holdyn got to play with 2 of his very favorite people...

We had a great day :) Thank you to our parents for all of the hard work that goes into Thanksgiving dinner.

Cory usually makes me wait until the end of Thanksgiving weekend to get a tree, but now that Holdyn and I can gang up on him together, we convinced him that we should get one the day after Thanksgiving! Holdyn was on a tree hunt...

We quickly found the perfect tree and hurried home so Daddy and
Holdyn could put the lights on...

Next, it was Mom and Holdyn's turn to decorate...

Holdyn loved pulling out all of the decorations and ornaments. He found lots of Christmas stories in the Christmas box...

And made a train of ornaments...

We have a tradition that every year we get at least 1 new ornament. Typically we get the ornament on whatever vacation we go on that year. Here's one of our new ornaments...

(Playa Del Carmen)

And here's Buddy's ornament...

But this is my favorite of the year!

I want to go back to Disneyland right now!
The final product!

(Seriously, doesn't this face just bring you back to how magical Christmas was when you were a kid?!)

So much more fun to come! Enjoy the holidays... they always fly by :)

Daddy's Shadow

2009-11-19T18:00:00.001-07:00

I really want to record this time in your life, Holdy... This time of you being Daddy's shadow! (I am desperately hoping you will get done with this phase soon so you can be my little man again ;)

You and Dad are never far from each other. You like to help him cook, fix the motorcycles, go to the snowboard shop, go on motorcycle rides, work on the park, or just sit with him! You love when Daddy has "sleep-overs" on your floor in your room. Just the other night, Mommy was really sick so you and Daddy had a "sleep-over/pizza party" in the basement by the fire so I could have plenty of quiet time upstairs. You are very lucky to have such a great Dad and he loves you soooo much! But I think it's time for you to be Mommy's shadow now :)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Thanks husband :) For making mommy life a little easier on me!

Halloween

2009-11-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Holdyn was so fun this Halloween! He loved helping me put up decorations and talked about them all of the time. He would be so happy when we came home and all of the Halloween decorations were on. He seemed to like them, but all of a sudden, we're having "Scary Monster in my room at night" problems. That took a couple of weeks to go away! Cory told Holdyn they were just shadows he was seeing and taught Holdyn how to do shadow-puppets. That was all it took! Now he tells me that sometimes the Cookie Monster is with him at night, but that's okay... he's a "fun monster!"

Holdyn fell in love with Buzz while we were in Disneyland. He would carry his Buzz doll and gun around with him everywhere. It was darling :) He kept telling me he wanted to be a pumpkin, no a monster, no a bison! Then his aunt Amber gave us Jordan's old Buzz costume and Holdyn fell even more in love :) So, guess what Holdyn was for Halloween?

Apparently the Buzz spirit really infected him because a few days before Halloween, he jumped off of his changing table. He bit into his bottom lip and rammed his top teeth into his gums. It was pretty brutal looking, but he acted as good as new the next morning! His Dad, on the other hand, may never recover from that injury. Poor daddy :( Anyway, this is why his face is swollen in all of the Halloween pictures. So swollen, that he had a pig nose for 3 days because his upper lip was so swollen. I promise we don't beat our kid ;) Poor little muffin...

We started our Halloween off with the Monty Pumpkin Carve. Lane makes yummy chili and breadsticks, and the kids carve/paint pumpkins and they get an award in a special category. Holdyn had so much fun :) Than on Halloween, we trick-or-treated at the grandparents' houses. We did a lot of trick-or-treating in my grandma's neighborhood with Maddy and Jordan. Thanks Maddy for being Holdyn's trick-or-treat buddy!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Cory's 9,131 Day

2009-11-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

October 23rd, 2009 my hubby turned 25! Damn he's old :)

We had a couple family bday parties for him the week before his birthday, but on the actual day, we were so excited to celebrate with him! Right after work, we rushed home so we could help Daddy open presents!! He got lots of clothes, a new razor, and some money to buy new running shoes...

And Holdyn painted him a monster truck "money bank" for all of Daddy's spare "moneys" he leaves laying around the house ;)

After all the presents were opened, Holdyn went to Grandma's to have a campfire and a sleepover :) Because mommy and daddy were ready to party! Desi's bday was the weekend before so we decided to have a joint party at our house. We had so much fun!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband who makes me laugh right when I need it.

Happy Birthday to the best daddy Holdyn could ever ask for!
We love you!

Disneyland

2009-11-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

Oh Disneyland! I miss you!

We went to CA for a week at the end of September and we had so much fun! It was "HalloweenTime" at Disneyland and I am so glad were able to go during this fun time! I will try my hardest to not post every picture we took :)

Holdyn loved the plane ride. As we were taking off, he was giggling and telling us his tummy felt funny.

It was hilarious :) Having him makes every tiny thing so much more fun. He got a little restless by the end of the flight and started telling all sorts of stories...

His poor little ears started to hurt when we were landing, but he did such a great job!

Day #1 at Disneyland
We got Holdyn some pumpkin ears and off we went!

The lines were perfect and we never waited longer than 15 minutes. Holdyn's favorite rides the first day were Pooh, Small World, Teacups, but he could not get enough of BUZZ!!!

Holdyn even got to ride the Matterhorn!

We met Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Jazmin, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger.

The fireworks at the end of the day were absolutely amazing! I have never seen a better fireworks show. Most of the Disney Villains were included in the show and it was spectacular! Holdyn slept through the firework show the last night we were there and he still talks about missing it! It was that good :)

It was such a great day!

This was how Holdyn travelled the majority of the time :) Bre was such a good auntie! If he wasn't on Bre's back, he was in the stroller with Gracey. They had more fun in that stroller than on some of the rides!

I am so grateful for how well Holdyn napped in his stroller. This was one of the things I was dreading the most. As long as he had is bink and his Elmo blankie, he was golden. Most days I had to wake him up or he would have slept for hours and hours! He is a good little boy :)

Day #2 at Disneyland
Some of Holdyn's favorite rides were Nemo, Peter Pan, and he loved Toon Town!

We got to see Mickey again!

My favorite part of the day is when Holdyn danced in the parade. I mean, come on; look at his face! Damn, he's cute...

Day #3 at California Adventure & Disneyland

CA Adventure was decorated sooo cute! We rode Monsters Inc., and visited Bug's Land where we rode lots of rides and played in the fountains...

Holdyn's favorite ride in CA adventure was definitely the carousel.

Cory and I both loved Soarin' over California! It was probably our favorite ride. I also reaffirmed that the Tower of Terror is my least favorite ride and I don't know why I torture myself by going on it.

This boy certainly loves his daddy :)

I love Cory's face on this one! He was about to shoot 180 feet in the air in 4 seconds!

We were able to get through CA Adventure and get back to Disneyland in time to ride more rides including the carousel and Dumbo!

And get a picture in front of Snow White's Castle!

Day #4 in Palm Desert
We left Disneyland late Friday night and drove to my grandparent's place in Palm Desert. Holdyn found some dirt to dig in...
And eat!
We swam and rested and ate!
We had such a nice visit... Thanks Gma and Gpa!

Day #5 at Seaworld
...We saw 2 Shamu shows...

Rode Sesame Street rides

Met Elmo and Zoe...
2 Handsome boys on the rope course

We had a delicious lunch with Shamu and it was so neat! We were 6 feet away from the whales as they jumped and played with the trainers.

I finally had to wake Holdyn up so he wouldn't miss the whole thing!
Do you see that water behind me? Yeah, the whales would come right up and we were that close! It was so amazing!
"Where are you Shamu?""There you are!"

We fed seals
Saw penguins
And touched sting rays

We also touched starfish, saw a 4D Sesame Street show, bounced, and saw every kind of fish you can imagine!

Day #6 in San Diego
On our last day in CA, we were able to sleep in a little, have a quiet breakfast, and go swimming! Then we had a nap and went to the beach!
We love the beach :)
Holdyn was chasing waves and then they would chase him back!
This one knocked him over :)

Holdyn made a "Mud Monster"

After the beach, we got cleaned up and headed to the airport :( Holdyn was so tired by the end of the trip, he kept asking me to "hold me." But we were landing and I couldn't get him out of his seat. So he asked me to "half hold me." So he fell asleep with his face in my hand :)

We had such a great time. I really have never been more sad to come home! Holdyn made that trip so much fun and every single day, it was so exciting to see how magical everything was in Holdyn's eyes. He loved spending time with his aunties Grace and Bre. Thankfully we had 2 sets of grandparents with us so Cory and I got to ride the big rides together and act like little kids again :) It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back!
Thank you mom and dad for such a great vacation!

BreAnnie

2009-09-25T18:50:00.002-06:00

My cute sister now has a blog :) How can she be that old? I remember when she was born... I remember sleeping on the ground by her crib because I loved her so much and wanted to be close to her all of the time. She would peek out of her crib in the morning and smile at me. I still remember how nice it was to wake up to her cuteness! Now she's old and beautiful! She really is the prettiest 7th grader I've ever seen. She adores Holdyn and I'm always surprised that an almost 13 year old would want to play with a 2 year old... but she loves it! And he loves her... especially when he's on her lap playing computer games. She is always giving me hugs and really is the sweetest girl I know. I've never heard her talk back and I really think the naughtiest thing she does is torture her little sister now and then ;) Thanks for being such a great sister Bre. I know 7th grade is tough, but soon you'll be right into the swing of things. I love you BreAnnie!!

Quarter Century

2009-09-15T18:00:00.001-06:00

I had a fabulous Birthday week! It all started with a triple birthday party for Maddy, Grandma, and myself in my Grandma's gorgeous backyard. I always get to celebrate with these 2 ladies because our birthdays are all in the first week of September! It was a fun night under the stars :)

On Saturday, my mom and Bre braved a trip to Park City with Holdyn and I. We discovered that although Holdyn is pretty darn cute, he's not quite ready for a girl's shopping day! We had lunch on Main Street and shopped at the outlets. Holdyn was pissed at any of the stores that didn't have TVs. All stores with TVs were okay in his book :) We ended the day by driving up to The Cabin and visiting with my grandparents. I can't wait for the cabin remodel to be done!

Sunday (my actual birthday) was a float day, as always! I woke up to lots of presents on my bed. Holdyn helped me open some cute running shoes (not for running, more for walking!), and an Old Navy gift card so I can buy my annual velour sweat suits :) He also helped me open my favorite presents... a darling charm bracelet with some special engravings and 2 MJ tribute books. Yes, my husband did really well this year!

Then we had a nice relaxing float and a yummy BBQ at the bottom. Cory surprised me with his yummy strawberry shortcake. It was a perfect way to spend the day :) We ended it by jumping, flipping, and splashing in my mom's pool!

We had one last birthday celebration with the Montys at La Fron... one of my favorites! HUGE thank you to all of my family and friends for a fan-freaking-tastic 25th birthday! I love you all!

Thank you to my little man for always picking the best cards for your mama and for helping Daddy with my presents. And the biggest thank you goes to my sweet hubby for taking care of everything for the river, every last one of my presents (including the best candy in the whole world), and for making every last detail of my day special. I love you and appreciate all the little surprises and sweet little thoughts!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hello... Meet my 4 Year Old!

2009-09-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

It all started a few weeks ago when Holdyn found Daddy's buzzers, plugged them in, and shaved a chunk of his hair off right in the middle of the top of his head! All in a matter of 120 seconds! Luckily, we could part his hair to cover his buzzed spot. But ever since then, he's been BEGGING us to buzz his hair "like Daddy and Carter!" He tells everyone about how he "plugged" in the buzzers himself, then "buzzed" his hair. He shows everyone exactly how he did it!
I finally gave in.
This is my 2 year old...

And now meet my 4 year old!

I swear it makes him look like he's no longer a toddler! Oh well, it will grow back. But along with the haircut came a very cute and obedient little boy... maybe he's rewarding me for letting him get his "buzz."

Always, Sometimes, Never...

2009-09-01T18:00:00.001-06:00

I Always. . .

* Make sure to show Holdyn just how much I love him. Daily, hourly, minutely…I am always kissing him and telling him I love him. I don’t ever want to take him being my son for granted.

* Put on deodorant multiple times a day. It’s not that I stink… it’s just that I can’t stand the feeling of naked arm pits☻

* Am worrying about something. My car made a funny sound, this mole looks weird, is Holdyn doing something dangerous right now, what if there’s an earthquake while I’m at work at can’t get home. It makes me crazy!

* Get butterflies when I am about to see Cory. Even if we’re fighting, I still get anxious to see him. I may not want to talk to him, but I like to know we’re within close proximity to each other☻

* Wear my seat belt. It saves lives people!

I Sometimes. . .
* Tickle Cory to sleep while I watch TV at night. I don’t love to tickle him any other time, but for some reason, I don’t mind so much when we’re cuddled up on the couch.
* Wish we could move to Lake Powell and work there for a summer ☻
* Worry too much about what people think about me. Even though I know I’m a good person and try my best, there are certain people who have consistently tried to make me feel otherwise no matter how hard I try to be nice. I have a hard time accepting that some people are selfish and just need the drama in their lives. It’s been a hard lesson to learn.
* Desperately want another baby. And then I realize that it’s the good parts I want, not the hard parts! I have to constantly remind myself that we are making the right decision… getting out of debt, getting a new house, and spending quality time with Holdyn… before we decide to bring in another family member. I know I’m not personally ready for another baby, but newborns always give that sunshiney feeling that’s so hard to resist!
* Wish my aunt, mom, and grandma lived with me ☻ Okay… not WITH me, but in some sort of extension off of my house! I love spending time with them ☻

I Never. . .
* Go to bed until I can barely keep my eyes open. I hate sitting in bed, waiting for sleep to come. I watch TV or read until sleep takes me away.

* Cook. I hope to one day learn, but I honestly can’t picture it!

* Go to the bathroom without the water on. I’d prefer that the fan be on and the noise of a giant construction site, but running water will do if it must!

* Go more than one day without rocking Holdyn to sleep. It is my favorite time of the day and no matter what kind of day it’s been, that half hour of him in my arms rises above all of the other moments.

* Sweep things under the rug. You will always know how I feel about a situation or you! I like to get things resolved and express how I feel so I can get it out of my brain. That’s how I roll ☻

I Believe. . .
* I will have a fairy tale life. Not the happily ever after kind, I’m not that naive, but I know I will look back at the end and feel so lucky to have had great love, great kids, and in general… a fairy tale life!
* Being a mother is what I am on this Earth to do. I’m kind of a lazy person ☻ But being a mother is the one thing I put my all into. I will never slack in this department!
* This too shall pass. Every good, bad, scary, heartwarming moment will pass. Take advantage of every moment and etch it in your mind. This is how you learn lessons.
* That love is all you need. I have doubted this before, but I know that if you love each other (spouses, family, friends), things will always be okay. If you have love, nothing can bring you down.
* Santa Clause does exist!

I tag whoever wants to do this!

Summer Delight

2009-08-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

It has been such a great summer so far! I'm pretty sure Holdyn is in heaven this summer!!

Skateboarding...

Swinging...

Digging...

Mowing... He pretends to edge the lawn "Like Daddy and Uncle Carter!"...

Riding the mountain board...

And Kiting with the big boys!

He plays with his cousins 2 days during the week, one of those days he's at Amber's house running around with Jordan and his friends when he's not playing Petshops with Maddy. He gets Daddy to himself 2 days during the week and his grandma all to himself on Fridays. Saturdays are Mommy/Holdyn day. We swim, nap, clean, color, watch Barney, and play play play! He is one loved little boy!

We have been loving Grandma's pool this year! Holdyn is a swimming maniac and can't go more than a couple days without swimming. He jumps off the diving board now too!

We had a little visitor swim with us for a few hours one day...

We've had lots of friends come play at the pool with us. Mostly this cute pair...

Grace and Holdyn swim swim swim and I get to catch some rays while holding sweet little Brody. It's just about perfect :)

We went to the Draper Days Parade for the first time this year and it was so fun! I think this might be a new tradition because Holdyn had a blast asking for candy...

We've floated the Provo every Sunday for the last month and it really is such a great time! I've finally figured the river out for the most part so I'm not terrified anymore :) Thanks to my mom & dad for taking Holdyn on Sundays so Cory and I can play!

I am so grateful that my mom thoroughly enjoys having Holdyn and he can't get enough of her; plus, he gets to play with his aunties who love having him just as much as his grammy :)

Holdyn has been "camping" with Grandma and Grandpa and his aunties! He thinks he can do anything Grace can do...

We did it!

He thinks camping is the funnest thing ever!

Until he has to leave :(

Holdyn has been to some friends' birthday parties and he absolutely LOVES being around other kids!

We had his friends Carrera and JayLynn and their parents over for a little firework party and Holdyn thought fireworks were even better when he could "talk" about them with his friends :) He is going to have so much fun in preschool next year... ahhh!
I can't even think about him going to school :(

Speaking of fireworks, our schedules finally cleared up by the 24th and we were able to go see fireworks somewhere besides our front lawn. We sat on the grass at Sandy Amphitheater and watched the fireworks across the valley. Then it was time for the big show at Rio Tinto stadium! It was so nice to have plenty of space for Holdyn to run around and we were able to get right home after the fireworks. I love that our anniversary is right around firework time...
it's so romantic!

Last weekend we had a Glitter Toes party! Jamie is now doing glitter toes and while she made all of our toes pretty, I got to take care of sweet little Brody...

Holdyn was very interested in what we were all doing to our toes. He loved helping his Aunt Jamie :) Don't tell Dad!

So if you want toes as cute as mine...Email Jamie at jamers316@hotmail.com and she will make your toes cuter than you've ever seen them!

It's been a delightful summer!

Family Pics :)

2009-07-30T13:00:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun getting our family pictures done! We went to Wheeler Farm and Holdyn was off and running from the minute he got out of the car. We got to have a family outing and get family pictures done all in one shot :) Holdyn loved chasing the birds, playing in the water, and petting the goats, and watching the roosters fight! He couldn't have been more thrilled to be at the park running around and getting his picture taken. He's a natural in front of the camera :)

We love how the pictures turned out... Thanks Julie!

Elmo Extravaganza!!!

2009-07-20T12:00:00.001-06:00

=
One Happy 2 Year Old!!

Holdyn's 2nd birthday party was so much fun! It was nice to be able to sit back and relax. His 1st bday party was a little chaotic and I realized pretty quickly that the most important thing is that Holdyn has fun and that we have our loved ones and friends around to celebrate our little man! So many people came to party with us and it made us realize how many people love Holdyn! So many of our friends have fallen in love with Holdyn and it's pretty hilarious to watch a bunch of tattooed, beer drinking guys show up to a 2 year old birthday party :) Thank you to all of you who partied with us! We appreciate our friends and family taking the time to help us celebrate this little boy who is our entire world! We love you!!

Holdyn loved his bouncy house and we went to the park early just so he would have time to bounce all by himself :) Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Sahleen!

Thank you to Grandma Monty for supplying all of the Elmo decorations! We were able to make it so fun for Holdyn and he loved every last detail!

Holdyn wasn't very interested in opening presents. He wanted to bounce, swing, slide, and run around! So I'm sorry to those of you whose present was not opened at the park. We eventually got them all opened by 10:00 Sunday night! Thanks everyone!

Holdyn wasn't very interested in eating cake either! He had a few bites and then he was "All done!" Thanks Grandma Banks for the cutest Elmo cake ever!

Bubbles are Holdyn's favorite thing. He cannot get enough! He got an Elmo Bubble Blower from Grandma and Grandpa Monty and he carries that thing EVERYWHERE!

On Sunday, Holdyn's actual birthday, we woke up bright and early and went off to the zoo! Grandma and Grandpa Banks came, as well as Maddy, Jordan, Grace, BreAnne, Grandma Sahleen, and Bryce and his 2 daughters.

It was so much fun to have a group of kids for Holdyn to run around with. He's usually just stuck with boring mom and dad :) Holdyn loved the animals, but I think his favorite part was the carousel...

Penguin dance!

After a LONG nap, we headed to Chili's with Grace and BreAnne to have a special birthday dinner...

Holdyn was such a good boy considering his late nights and busy days. He is my angel and I couldn't ask for a better little boy! Happy Birthday 2 year old!!

24 Months (i.e. I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD!)

2009-07-01T10:00:00.003-06:00

6/28/2007...

Holdyn -

I have had such mixed emotions about you turning 2. On one hand, I am so excited to see you grow and learn new things. You are soooo smart and it's such a thrill everytime you learn something new. Sometimes I can't believe you are as smart as you are. Some of the things that come out of your mouth stop me in my tracks! But then there's that part of me that misses you being so tiny and cuddley. You've always been an easy baby, so I can't say that it's harder now, but it was definately easier to cuddle you! Now you tell me "No, no, nooo!" when I try to love you when you don't want to be loved! I guess I can't complain... you are constantly giving me kisses and hugs. But I'm sure it will never be enough for your mama :) You are turning into a little boy and you only have a few baby features left. Everyday you act older and older, more independant, and so much smarter! You love to be outside and it makes me wonder if you have some sort of special connection to nature. You have always loved being outside, even from the beginning. If you were fussy, all we had to do was walk outside and you would immediately stop crying. So we try to be outside as much as possible :) You love to hang out with daddy and his friends. Just this last week I came home to you and Uncle Carter and one of daddy's friends, all with your shirts off hanging out in the backyard. It was so funny so see you standing there acting like one of the big boys! Here are some of the things you are doing now:

You LOVE Littlest Pet Shops. You play with Grace and Madison's Pet Shops anytime you can and you get so excited about it!

Everytime we drive past Grandma Sahleen's house, you say "I wanna go to Gammas!!" It is so funny to me that you know where she lives. You're only 2!

You ask to see the goats by Grandma Sahleen's house everytime we pass them. If they are not outside, you tell me they are "na-night!"

We are working on your ABCs and you can get to H with no problem. Then you mumble your way to the end throwing in the correct letters here and there!

You know all the words to Amazing Grace, Twinkle Twinkle, The Peacock "Cock Cock" Song, and Rock A Bye Baby.

You still let me cuddle you while we read stories and sing before bed. After stories, I tell you to turn off the lamp and you tell me, "I will kiss you!!!" And then you kiss me a million times! Then I rock you and kiss you and lova you right before you go down for bed. It's my favorite time of the day :)

You love doing Itsy Bitsy spider.

Everynight before bed, you climb under your crib and get all your binkys you dropped the night before. Then you put them in a box and we rock with them. It's too funny!

You and daddy have invented a million different kinds of hugs but you give Monster and Dolphin hugs the most.

I guess I say "Oh my gosh" a lot because anytime I say "Oh my..." you finish my sentence by saying "Goshhhh!"

You are the best remedy for a bad day, a sick day, or an ornery mood. I love your personality. You are by far one of the coolest people I know. You are always cool and calm, no matter where you are. I love everything about you. There is still not one thing I would change about you. I love you little 2 year old.

MJ

2009-06-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

Those of you who know me well had to know this was coming :) I pretty much ADORED Michael Jackson. It was a dream of mine to see him in concert one day. I really thought I would get to have that experience. But now, I will just have to reminisce about all of my MJ memories…

The first time I watched Thriller was in my Great Grandma's living room and I had nightmares about it!
When I was 8ish, I would turn up the Dangerous CD in the basement and dance & sing my heart out. I have such fond memories of the goose bumps and emotions I would get listening to him, even at a very young age.
I thought “Liberian Girl” was “Librarian Girl” for so long! This may explain why I loved to read so much :)
I remember LOVING the Black and White video. I watched it again this weekend and was laughing at the special effects. Remember when the morphing faces at the end was like, the coolest thing anyone had ever seen?! We’ve come a long way :)
"Speechless" brings me to tears every time I hear it. It reminds me of my 2 boys :)
Anytime anyone even mentions meeting Michael Jackson or going to his concert, I lose all sense of control! I turn into a 13 year old girl and flip my lid. I have no control over it and I'm sure it annoys Cory to no end. MJ is my Jonas Brother... times a trillion!

It is definitely a weird feeling to be this sad about someone I have never even met. I grew up with Michael Jackson. I danced, sang, cried, and laughed with him. He inspired me, entertained me, and gives me goose bumps every time I hear one of his songs. There has never been a time in my life that there wasn't a Michael Jackson. And now there is. It makes me so sad that I'll never get to hear a new song sung by him or run out to buy his new CD. It's a part of my life that is gone forever. Alright... now it's time to get a grip! I'm off to blast MJ songs and dance around the house with my little boy so he will know who the true King of Pop is :)

Daddy's Day!

2009-06-23T18:00:00.007-06:00

I LOVE DADDY!!

Dear Daddy,

Thank you for being such an amazing dad. Here are all the things I love about you...

I love flying the kite with you.
I love to take showers with you.

I love you for always being around.

I love that you play with me constantly

I love giving you Monster & Dolphin hugs.

I love when you throw me into the Love Sac.

I love going off the jumps and ramps with you.

I love playing with our mini skateboards and ramps.
I love that you don't baby me and you make me tough.

I love tickling, chasing, jumping, yelling and wrestling with you.
I love that you get me french fries when mommy won't let me have them.

I love that I get to have 2 whole days of just daddy and me time every week.

I love you for teaching me to mow the lawn, water the lawn, skateboard, & many more things.

I love that you take me to do fun things like go to the river, see the goats, & go to the pet store.

I love doing all of the things we do together that mommy doesn't know about :)

I Love You,

-Your Little Buddy

Dear Husband,

Thank you for being the best dad I know. Thank you for helping me so much with Holdyn. I cannot say it enough. You are always willing to do your part and take care of him just as much as I do. I am so proud of you and love telling people all about what an amazing father you are. I know Holdyn is safe and well cared for when he is with you and that is worth more than words can explain. I don't worry when Holdyn is with you because I know you are taking great care of him and keeping him very entertained. I love watching you play with him and how much joy he brings you. I can see how much you love him every time you two are around each other. I love watching the joy you bring Holdyn as well. He ADORES you. On top of all of that, I come home to a clean house all of the time. You really are Super Dad! I love you so so so so so much :)

Friends

2009-06-18T17:00:00.004-06:00

I have had the same basic group of best friends for 8 years. Other friends have left my life and others have come into my life, but these 4 girls have always been there. We sometimes go awhile without speaking to each other because life gets busy and distracting. But as soon as we're in the same room with each other, it's like we're right back in high school. I love these girls. I have been lucky enough this past month to see them more than usual and I can tell a difference in how I feel after I've been with them. Spending time with them is good for my soul.

Jamie is the friend I can talk to about anything and everything. She's the only one who is a mommy so far. She just had baby Brody and I am more than thrilled for her. It is an indescribable feeling to see someone you love go through this amazing experience for the first time. Desi is the friend who gives me the very best advice. She makes me feel so much better about things. When I am down on myself, she knows exactly what to say to make me realize I'm a pretty strong woman. She completely cares about the advice she's giving me, she's not just saying words so hurry the conversation. She can somehow help me look at things in a way I've never seen them. I always walk away from our conversations with a sense of clarity.

Nessa is the friend I can relate to domestically! Although she is not married nor does she have kids, she is like me in the sense that marriage and children are the most important things in life. So we relate really well to each other. Plus, she wants to be a sex therapist so you can imagine the fun conversations we have!
And last but not least, Kristen... who can make sitting in my basement fun by having the idea to decorate our wine glasses! She always thinks of fun things to do and seriously makes me feel like a kid again. She is so adventurous, always travelling to different countries and doing fun things. And she's a flight attendant so I get to hear funny flying stories. I get such a kick out of her stories :) She's met Prince Charles and many other celebrities, rode camels, ate dinner 160 feet in the air in Dubai, travelled to too many countries to list, but is still that down to earth girl from high school. I got to spend all weekend with her and although I didn't feel great, she made it so fun :)

One of my favorite things about these girls is how great they are with Holdyn. They love him so much. He calls Jamie "Aunt Jamie," and talks about her baby all of the time. He is so excited to meet Brody! Some of these friends can't wait to have babies and some of them don't want babies at all, but they are all so good with Holdyn and love to play with him. They don't mind hanging out with me and my loud kid!

I love how different all my friends are. Although we all have similar things that tie us together, we are all EXTREMELY different. They each bring something unique into my life. It takes effort to remain friends for this long and I appreciate every one of my friends for taking that time. You are all so important to me and I can't wait to be 80 and laying by the pool with my portal friends raft racing :)

So Far This Summer...

2009-06-10T17:00:00.002-06:00

This is the Summer fun we've had so far :)

Our summer really began Memorial Day Weekend. We pretty much swam the whole weekend. It was very relaxing and Holdyn loved it! It didn't take Holdyn long to love to swim again :) He was jumping off the side and jumping off the diving board! I think we wore him out pretty good because he got his very first beating (butt swat) on Memorial Day. Don't worry... he absolutely deserved it! We had so much fun swimming with our favorite pregnant gals over the weekend. Jamie and Nicole were both weeks away from giving birth and they are both way more darling than I am in a swimsuit! Holdyn loves talking about the babies in his aunts' bellies and talks about all the things he's going to teach "Aunt Jamie's baby!"

I can't wait for those boys to be best friends :)

We've been super busy these past couple months getting our yard done and playing outside every second Holdyn is awake! These are my first flower beds that have actually lasted longer than a couple weeks! I have really enjoyed them and appreciate all the hard work Cory and Carter spent on them.

Grandpa got tired of hearing me call on every KSL ad out there for a little play gym for our monkey. So he gave us some money to buy this...

Holdyn LOVES it! Thanks Grandpa :)

We've also been playing in Holdyn's frog pool...

Daddy even filled it up with warm water and added bubbles so he could take a bath in it!

I love this picture of him with his gardening glove (Thanks Aunt Amber!) and his shovel!

One quick funny story because I never want to forget it... Holdyn loves the Peacocks in Aunt Amber's backyard. He calls them "Cock Cocks!" The other day, Amber asked him what his favorite bird was, thinking he was going to say cock cocks. Well, he pointed to his arm and said "Daddy's birds!" Daddy had just gotten 3 Tody birds tattooed on his arm and this response did not make Aunt Anti-Tattoo very happy! But I laughed super hard. He is for sure his dad's son!

I threw a baby shower for Jamie at the end of May and it was so fun! I love seeing all the cute baby gifts. Jamie looks so darling (you can tell I'm pretty tired!) Baby Brody will be here any day now!!

Holdyn did something the other day that made me cry and laugh all at the same time. Carter and Cory were wrestling around with me and Holdyn lost his mind on them! He ran right up to Carter and kept wailing on him until he left me alone! It was the sweetest thing to have my little boy immediately rescue me without any thought in his mind that he could get hurt in all of the ruckus. He is a daddy's boy for the most part, but I know that he loves his Mama and would do anything to protect me :) Having a little boy has been so special to me. I know I will always have him to watch over me.

Daddy got a new toy so Holdyn has been going to the park to watch daddy play! He loves being able to run around and play with the big boys. It's so funny to watch these kites fly those boys!

One of my favorite summer nights so far was when we had a picnic at the park and watched daddy fly the kite. I got to sit on my butt while Holdyn munched on his corn on the cob, played baseball, and ran up and down all the hills...

Uncle Carter brought him some bug juice, which he LOVES!
But not as much as he loves his uncle!

He is a cute little monster :)

We went to last week and Holdyn LOVED it! He ran around to every exhibit at least 10 times. He was a little scared of the Jelly Fish, but he loved looking at all the fishies. He wouldn't touch the sting rays or the star fish. He kept telling me, "Look Mama! Ewww, sick!" He needs a little friend though. He kept running up to all of the little kids and following them around. Poor kid needs some playmates! Of course we didn't get any pictures because Holdyn broke my damn camera right before we got to The Aquarium. Oh the joys of having a little boy!

We can't wait for all of the Summer fun to come!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-13T17:00:00.000-06:00

First, I want to say

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
to all of you mamas out there! I think it is so important to pay tribute to the women who gave us life. Who have made huge sacrifices (physically, mentally, financially) to raise a child who poops, pees, and pukes on them. Who yells, slams doors, throws fits, and yells "I hate you!" But still, all of the mamas keep doing that they do because one hug and kiss from that child erases all of the bodily fluids and naughtiness ;) I love all of my moms! I sort of have 3. I grew up very close with my mom, my aunt, and my grandma. So I call them my 3 moms! I am still very close with all of them and appreciate all of the advice and laughs I get from them. Thank you ladies!!

To my mom... Thank you for your sacrifices and your unconditional love. Thank you for your humor and for being such a great grandma to Holdyn. From the moment Holdyn was born, my mom was at my house every single day. It was such huge support to know she was right around the corner every time I needed her. Even now, if she doesn't see Holdyn for a few days, guess who shows up at my front door! She loves seeing him and can't get enough of him. Thanks Mom! We love you so much!

I had an absolutely perfect Mother's Day!! Holdyn seemed to know it was a special day because he was extra lovey :)

When I woke up, Holdyn ran in with roses in hand and could not have been more excited to give them to me :) It was so cute! Then, he ran in with a huge picture frame filled with pictures that I'd never seen before...Cory and Holdyn had gone to the Lake Cory runs to and had our friend Darin take tons of pictures of my boys playing! It was the perfect gift! I also got some "moneys" to buy some new clothes! Then we went to Cory's grandma's house and all the guys made the girls the yummiest breakfast! The kids all played in the yet-to-be-filled swimming pool. They had so much fun! Holdyn loves playing with any kids he sees.

Then we went home and we all took a long nap :) We had to rest up because when we woke up, we were off to a delicious crab dinner at my grandma's house! It was soooo yummy! Then we played baseball, which Holdyn loves.

(I love Holdyn's face in this picture!)

I also got 2 flats of flowers and gardening tools from my 3 moms so I was able to start my garden last night!! It's so pretty! Thanks Carter and Cory for pretty much doing it!
Thank you everyone for a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

Play-Doh and Pop Rocks

2009-05-12T17:00:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, Holdyn had his first experience with Play-Doh. He thought it was "ssssick."

He doesn't really like anything messy. If he gets anything on his hands while he's eating,

he immediately asks for a "nackin." But he has no problem getting covered in mud and dirt outside, go figure! Holdyn completed his rite of passage and took a bite of the Play-Doh.

He of course hated it, but then took another bite! Silly Boy!

After the Play-Doh (which didn't last very long), Holdyn found some Pop Rocks and asked to try them. It was hilarious!!

One Year Ago...

2009-05-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

We were in DISNEYLAND!!!

And guess what?! We're going back in OCTOBER!! We are so excited that Daddy gets to come this year! We will also be going here...

And here!
And Holdyn is going to love going here in SeaWorld...And he's going to freak when we ride this!
Last year was soooo fun!! We got to go with this cute bunch...

(This is definately my favorite pic of Amber!)

Holdyn was only 9 months old but he was able to ride a ton of rides! He was such a good boy.

Amber invited me a week before we left and if anyone knows me, you know that I like to plan, plan, plan! I was a little scared taking him without Cory, but he did amazing. His mom on the other hand, not so great. I forgot to bring a blanket or even a warm coat for him so he used the airport blanket the entire trip and Jordan's sweater!

What kind of mother forgets a blanket for her baby?! I was a little bit worn out (as you can see from the pics) and looked a little bit like a mad woman! But I had so much fun and we are so grateful to the Banks family for taking us on such a fun trip!

One of the funnest things was when cousin Jordan got picked to train as a Jedi and fight Darth Vader! Jordan loves Star Wars and speaks Star Wars fluently. I was holding back tears the entire time because can you even imagine how magical that was for him?!! He beat Darth Vader!!!

Thanks Amber (and Tyler!) for a magical vacation!

2 Years Ago....

2009-05-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Wanna know what I was doing 2 years ago today?!!! I was opening TONS of presents from my very generous family for someone we now call

our little buddy!

It was a good day. I have such great family and friends :)

Easter!

2009-05-04T17:00:00.000-06:00

This Easter was probably my favorite Easter ever... Holdyn was a blast, for the most part! We started the festivities by dying Easter eggs. It was a little stressful.

Boys and dye are not my favorite combo!

Aunt Kirby and Uncle Carter helped Holdyn with his very first egg dying!

Easter morning came and Holdyn found almost every single egg. Including the hard ones the Easter Bunny didn't think he would find!

Holdyn's favorite present was his mini skateboard and ramp.
Holdyn had his first Reeses Peanut Butter Egg and his face says it all.
"How dare you deprive me of this for almost 2 whole years!"

The bunny brought me the cutest gnomes I have ever seen! And a few of my favorite candies.

Holdyn was lucky enough to get to do 3 egg hunts! He had so much fun at all the grandparents' houses! Thank you Grandmas and Grandpas!

The Easter Bunny even showed up to the Monty house! Holdyn got to watch him hide Easter treats. Holdyn was so excited to see the Easter Bunny! He let out the biggest gasp and yelled at the top of his lungs! It was priceless :)

Holdyn does NOT like silly string in his face!

But he does love to dig with his new shovel...
...and walk on Grandma and Grandpa Monty's wall... ... and do somersaults with Grace!
How cute is this boy?!

At the end of the day, we were full of sugar and out of energy :)

It was a perfect day! Thank you family!!!

One Year Ago...

2009-04-22T10:00:00.000-06:00

We were going to swim lessons...

As sad as it was to watch, we were so relieved that Holdyn learned how to flip himself over while in the water. It provided such a sense of relief as most of the grandparents have pools or ponds that are quite tempting to little boys! Daddy was able to make it to almost every one of the lessons as were grandmas, grandpas, and aunts!

Wishing Everyone...

2009-04-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, Okay...

2009-04-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

I always post goofy pics of Cory (see previous post) so I thought I'd post some pics of him I YLOVEY! He's a handsome fellow...

(This is on our wedding day, when he was watching me walk down the aisle... this one might be my favorite Y)

I am laughing so hard right now...

2009-04-03T11:56:00.000-06:00

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Happy 21 Month Birthday!!

2009-03-28T19:00:00.000-06:00

My sweet little boy is 21 months today! The time has flown by and it is 100% true that it goes by in the blink of an eye. I love watching you grow, but it is somewhat painful to watch you grow out of your need for your mommy and into your independence. All I want to do is kiss and cuddle you and you used to be just fine with that. But now you're wanting lovas a lot less and jumps and skateboarding and bats and balls much more!

Here are some of the funny things you are saying now...

"Zoup" - soup
"Shbob" - Spongebob

"ShunShine" - sunshine
"Opesh" - oops
"Makes" - makeup
"Shone" - phone

"Ompes" - open

"Kirbo" - Kirby

"Guysh" - guys
"Mawlay" - Marley (and every other cat you see)
"Cooks" - cookies

You are completely and absolutely obsessed with your dad. He gets to spend all day with you on Tuesdays and Thursdays and you cannot get enough of him. Everything he does is super cool and you are his little shadow.

Daddy loves every second of it and you two are constantly jumping, flipping, running, and tickling.

You and Mommy's special time is when I do my makeup. You sit on my lap and help me with my brushes and my lotions. And when you get bored with all of that "makes," you have your own little corner filled with books and toys right next to my get ready spot. I love those little moments with you :)

You and Daddy have been riding the backyard park on your 4-wheeler for the past week and as soon as I get home from work, you tell me about all the "jumps!" and "ramps!" you went into the "sky!" off of. All I hear is jumps, ramps, and sky... and I'm not going to lie, I'm a little scared!

You make some seriously funny faces. Most of which remind me of your father...

When we rock before bed, after all of the stories are read... I ask you what song you want to sing. It's always "ShunShine!" So we sing "You are my sunshine" a few times, then all the rest of your favorite songs... I Love You, Rock A Bye Baby, and the Elmo Song. And you sing "Tinkle, Tinkle" like a rock star :)

You like to help Mommy use magic and turn red lights into green lights. We count 1... 2... 3... and the light magically turns green. You love this game and every time we stop at a red light, you're in the back pointing to the light saying, "1... 2... GO!!"

On your days at home with Daddy, you LOVE to help him clean.

Here you are cleaning under the table...

And here you are helping Daddy clean out the freezer...

You help grandma unload the dishwasher and you help Mommy do laundry.

Your wife is going to LOVE this :)

You love love love your skateboard Jaxson gave to you! You do "tricks" on it every chance you get and you ask Daddy and all of his friends to tricks on it so you can watch in amazement...

(Yes, I am aware of what your hair looks like in the picture above and I apologize. Grandma cut it the next day. I have no idea what to do with your raga-muffin hair)

Pretty much the one and only thing you like to do with mom is dance. You point to the stereo in the living room and tell me it's time to dance. And we do!

Anytime we get you naked, you ask for a bath. Your history with baths has always been a love/hate relationship. Right now you're in the love part because your pants come off and it's "Bath? Bath? BATH!!"

You're still sleeping like the perfect little angel you are! These last few weeks, we've been able to keep you up until 8 without any major meltdowns, but usually you're in bed and asleep by 7:30. Then you wake up around 8:30 and play in your bed until we come get you... which is sometimes as late as 10:30 AM! You are so good at keeping yourself entertained and I usually have to force you to get out of your crib in the mornings. You're the same way with your naps... you sleep a couple hours but would play for another hour after you've woken up.

This makes for great naps for Mommy!

Now I know that every mother raves about all the good things their perfect little angels do, but I'm going to switch it up.`Here are some of the naughty things you do that make mommy yell to daddy,

"Mommy needs a break!!"

We DREAD taking you to restaurants at night. You're a perfect angel for lunch or breakfast but you will not sit in your high chair at dinnertime. I know it's because you're tired so you don't get in trouble for it. It's our fault for taking you out at your bed time. But I can't wait until we can take you in public past 5PM!

You have a little bit of an anger issue... No idea where that came from. You HAVE to hit something when you're mad and about 50% of the time it's your mom. The other 50%, the couch or the wall gets the beating.

When it's time to leave, or put on your hat, or your coat, or your socks... you run away from us. You think it's a game and I blame that on Grandma B.!

On the rare occasion you have to go to time out, we put you against the wall and make you touch your noes and your toes to the wall. When mama tells you "Noes and Toes," you know exactly what to do and you are damn cute doing it! You smash your face against the wall and then look up at me with a huge grin on your face. I'm pretty sure this is also a game to you.

You like to open my wallet and get all of the coupons, cards, and money out to spread across the world. This usually only happens when we're shopping and you like to hand these things from my wallet to whomever is passing by. I wonder how many people have ended up with a buy on get one free Subway coupon.

You are a very good boy for the most part. You listen so well and you rarely get hurt because even though you're a wild maniac... you are strangely cautious. You've never been one for climbing or putting things in your mouth. The only thing you like to wrap around your neck are diapers... (clean ones!) It only took 1 time of being shocked by Aunt Jamie's broken electrical outlet and we haven't had a whole lot of trouble with outlets anymore! You are just an all around easy little boy. You are perfect. I love you my little squeeze.

There is nothing about you that I wish was different.

Well... maybe that you wanted to cuddle me more :)

No Matter What You Are Doing...

2009-03-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

Whether it's taking your first bath at Great Grandma's house...

(2 months old)

Or cuddling with your aunt Gracie...

(2.5 months old)

Or rocking the coolest hat ever...

(7 months old)

Or getting your foot stuck in Great Grandma's magazine rack...

(10 days before your 1st birthday)

Whether you're hanging with one of your best buds...

(13 months old)

Or cuddlebuggin' your Mama...

(14 months old)

Or on a winter adventure...

(18 months old)

Whether you're making cookies on a cold, stormy Saturday...

(19 months old)

Or helping Daddy bowl on Facebook...

(20 months)

Or getting crazy with Mommy's lipstick...

(21 months old)

Or playing Wii boxing...

You are the cutest little beast on the planet, no matter what!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2009-03-17T11:09:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

(Last Year)

Favorite Things

2009-02-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know at least 9 people having babies this year. 9!!! It's going to be a fun year!!

I have a list of things Holdyn and I loved and I will be passing these things on to my close friends as gifts to welcome their new little ones.

Here are some of our favorite things...

Holdyn has been falling asleep to this since the first night he was home. He loves it still and it is the last thing he sees every night before he sleeps. It's travelled to many places, including Grandma's house and Lake Powell...

Original Desitin is the best diaper rash cure hands down. But as you mamas know, the original stuff is sticky, stinky, and really hard to wash off. So... instead of smelling like diaper cream for the last 2 years, I've been applying Desitin to Holdyn's little bum with a spatula! And although everyone laughs at me, I will always do this because I refuse to smell like ass cream!!

Holdyn loves these because he can sip his "zoup!"

And, of course, his Ducky bathtub...

But the thing I loved the most was this book...

I am not big on reading parenting books because I really feel like every child is different and you could read a million different methods and not have one of them work for your baby. But this book was my savior! It helped us get Holdyn in his own bed after 9 months of bliss... I mean sleeping with us :) It also helped Holdyn take 2 2-hour naps a day and helped us realize that Holdyn's bed time is 7:30! I couldn't ask for a better sleeper and I totally credit this book!!

Happy Valentines Day!!

2009-02-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy and Romantic Valentines Day!

Last year Holdyn made his family members brownies for Valentines and got his first tast of chocolate!Every single holiday has a whole new meaning now that we have this little man. He makes them all so much more fun! But the person that makes Valentines the most fun is my sweet husband. He has been especially sweet the last few months and I love him to pieces! He has been cleaning the house, taking care of Holdyn so I can sleep in on the weekends, and I even came home yesterday and the whole fridge had been scrubbed clean! We have had 9 Valentines Days together so here are nine things Cory does that make me want to spend even more Valentines days with him!

He runs baths for me anytime I'm stressed or sick

Every single morning he says, "Be careful not to slip!" as we walk to the car

He makes the yummiest chicken burritos and he actually likes making them for us

He doesn't care what I look like... Thick or thin, makeup or none... he sees me the same no matter how I look

He makes me feel like the sexiest woman on earth

When it snows, he always cleans off my car and shovels me a path to it.

He just knows to help with Holdyn. I don't have to ask him and he's happy to do it. It's a 50/50 split at our house!

He is man enough to make hard decisions when it comes down to it.

And my favorite thing he does... gets me this yummy treat anytime I want one...

I love you so much! Thank you for loving me :)

"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle."

Partido en México

2009-02-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Mexico was a freaking BLAST!!

We ate a lot, relaxed a lot, and drank A TON!! The drinks were super yummy and being tipsy the entire time is the only way to travel when leaving your baby at home! It was a constant party. I'll let the pictures do the talking! Here are some of my favorites...

The resort was absolutely gorgeous!!

And I had the best massage ever right next to the ocean...

Mexico Pics!!

2009-02-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

1 Year Ago...

2009-02-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

1 Year Ago today...

One of Mama's favorite outfits...

Holdyn's favorite teething toy, Gigi the giraffe

Holdyn was 7 months old and it was by far, one of my favorite stages! He would stay were I put him for the most part and laugh at anything and everything. He was so perfect and beautiful :)

Bittersweet

2009-01-28T21:58:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here thinking about how great it is to have pretty much everything ready for our trip to Mexico. In 1 week we will be on the beach, hopefully a little inebriated. But my chest is tight and my stomach hurts a little. 2 years ago, these feelings would have been caused by excitement and eagerness. But now that I have my sweet little boy, my chest is tight from withholding a tiny bit of tears imagining how much I'm going to miss that charming smile of his. And my stomach hurts for fear of anything happening while we're away. It's true that life is never the same after having a child. But it's not the big things, like being more tired or having less time to yourself, that surprise me. It's times like these where I truly think twice about if I should just stay here and let Cory have a fun Mexican getaway! Of course, I would never really be that crazy! But just the thought crossing through my mind reminds me of just how much I would sacrifice for that little boy. Every single day I fall in love with him more and more. Even though this potty training thing is KILLING me (I have zero patience for it, and fully expect him to be potty trained when we get back from our trip because I cannot handle it!). I would take Holdyn peeing all over me over any day I ever had before he was in my life. So Holdyn... Mama loves you. I promise to be extra safe and buy you something awesome. I know you're not going to even miss us, what with having Grandmas and Aunts smothering you every second we're gone. But we will MISS you. I already miss you and you're asleep in the the next room. I love you buddy :)

1 year ago today...

2009-01-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

It's time for another "1 year ago today..."!! I love doing these because I wasn't blogging a year ago so it gives me a chance to document my memories from way back then :)

So... 1 year ago today we were celebrating my brother's birthday. We went bowling and got some dang cute pics. It was a lot of fun and Holdyn was, of course, an angel! Just a little side note... I've come to realize after looking at these pictures, that Holdyn could very well be related to a bowling ball of some sort. Look at the similarities...

Playing his favorite game of "Tick, Tock" with Aunt Amber...

The Compound

2009-01-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it all really happened. The compound was finished and we have tons of snowboardy things in our backyard for boys to get hurt on. Here are some pics from before it snowed of Holdyn and Cory having a freaking blast!

And here's my noise with dirt on it!

These might be my favorite videos of all time! You can't tell because the videos are so small, but Holdyn has the biggest grin on his face, even while receiving whip-lash!

When it snowed, Cory decided to sit Holdyn on his snowboard and send him down the ramp. This is what happens when Mom is sick and stuck inside watching the boys play.

So far, we have made it through the winter without any serious injuries.

We've had fun having our "rail jams" and midnight BBQs. I like watching the boys from my nice warm kitchen :) And it keeps Cory pretty happy!

Holdyn's Faces

2009-01-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look at Holdyn and see him make the exact faces his dad makes! These pics are from my mom's camera from babysitting a couple weeks ago and all of these faces were made within a 10 minute time period!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-01-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!! (A little late, I know!) We had an amazing Christmas and hope you all did as well. This year was especially fun for us because Holdyn was soaking up every ounce of Christmas! December was filled with gasps and oohs and aahs from Holdyn. Anytime we drove anywhere, Holdyn would point out the lights on every single house and gasp so dramatically, we're lucky he never had anything in his mouth or he would have for sure choked! It all started with getting out Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving...

Holdyn helped carry around the lights for Dad until he was ready for them.

Then he "helped" dad wrap the tree...

Holdyn had so much fun decorating the Christmas tree and has been extremely good about not touching the tree this whole month.

We left his decorations exactly as he put them, hence the sideways ornaments...

Here are my 2 very favorite ornaments...

And here is the finished product...

This season has been so much more magical with Holdyn around. Last year I was pretty emotional during Christmas but I chalked it up to having a 6 month old. Well having an 18 month old isn't any better! As we were helping Santa set up Holdyn's toys, I couldn't stop telling Cory how much fun I was having! It is indescribable how much excitement a parent feels thinking about their child on Christmas morning. I expect that it will only be getting better in the coming years :)

Every year on Christmas Eve, we make the trek out to Alpine to see Cory's dad's family. Holdyn had so much fun playing with all of his cousins! Then we went to my grandma's to open our traditional Christmas Eve Jammies! Holdyn enjoyed opening everyone else's presents just as much as he enjoyed opening his...

I woke up bright and early Christmas morning and waited to hear my alarm clock (my sweet boy singing.) Within 3 minutes of Holdyn waking up, he was toddling down the hall to see what "Ho Ho Ho" brought! He sat down and started playing with his toys immediately. Cool, calm, collected, and super happy!!

It was low key and so much fun. I cherished those couple of hours at home because I knew frenzy was about to begin as we made the grandparent rounds. Holdyn on the other hand, couldn't wait to get out the door to see what else he was getting!!

Our family was very generous. Not only did we lose control on Holdyn's Christmas, but his grandparents went crazy too! He got a motorized motorcycle...a Power Wheels four wheeler, the cutest Elmo Live I have ever seen, and much much more! He is in heaven going from toy to toy to toy! Cory and I got some great stuff too! A new camera, a GPS, and a trip to Mexico to name a few!! I got Cory a new watch, some shirts, a razor and snowboard boots he's been wanting for awhile!!

Cory did really well this year, as always! He gave me a bunch of books I've been wanting to read, a darling Willow Tree figurine to add to my collection, new car mats, a magazine subscription, cute Roxy shoes, and a Forever 21 gift card to buy some cute Mexico clothes! Here was the after math of Christmas morning...

And for my favorite picture from Christmas '08...

Notice the tag still on Cory's pants, even after I brought it to his attention!

And Holdyn's face is priceless as he's looking around to see if anyone can see that he's touching his Daddy's new tool box even though he's not supposed to be! It was a nice little surprise to find this picture on the camera :)

It was a great day and we had tons of fun. Thank you everyone for your generosity, we love you very much! I'm feeling the "Christmas is over" blues :( But I am thrilled to say Peace Out to 2008 and ring in 2009, our best year yet! We have some serious goals to accomplish this year and I'm anxiously excited! Come on 2009, we're ready for you!!

One year ago today...

2009-01-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Holdyn had his first

celery stick :)

These are some of my favorite pics ever of him!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-03T00:16:00.001-07:00

Happy 2009!!!

Holdyn - I love you and had a blast playing with you this year :) You are an angel. You are my sunshine and I have loved watching you grow from this

to this...

Cory - I love you. Thanks for growing with me this last year. We learned some great lessons and for the most part, stuck right be each other's sides through it. 2009 will be even better, and we'll stick by each other's side even more. I'm so proud of your for sticking to your running. You look amazing :) You have been a wonderful daddy this year. All Holdyn ever wants is his Dada. Thank you for all of the meals you feed him, baths you give him, mornings you let me sleep in, hours you play with him. I know you're the dad and "it's your job," but there are lots of dads out there who don't do as much as you do and I hope you know he and I both appreciate it. I still get butterflies when I'm with you. Date nights get me just as excited now as they did 9 years ago. Your arms are the only thing that can make everything go away. And I love you even when you make this face...

2009 Resolution

2009-01-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have never really made New Year's Resolutions before, but because of this last year... it feels like an important thing for me to do. Mostly because this last year has been rough. Cory, Holdyn and I had to face some tough stuff in 2008. For the most part, we persevered through and it made us stronger. I am a big believer in Karma, but I think this last year karma got lost! I think if we know better and do better, our lives are better. The key part of that is DO BETTER. I know many people, including myself, who know better, but don't always do better. I don't want to group myself in with those people anymore. I want to rise above, and I don't mean be superior, I want to genuinely do better so I can feel better. I think that's the first step to bringing better Karma into our lives. I want to live each day knowing I felt and acted the best I could, because if you are the best mom, wife, employee, loved one, and friend you can be... you really KNOW you've done the best you can. I have a hard time having a pity party for myself and the shitty things that have happened this year. It's not that I think we deserved them, but I think I let a lot of negativity in when I should have let it pass me right by. I have never in my life had so much conflict as I've had this year and I can't believe I've let it get to me. So... I have 1 major resolution for 2009... LET IT GO. Let the negativity float on past me. I will not let the things other people do affect me. I won't go home and stew about something that hurts my heart because I have no control over it. I will figure out a healthy way to process it and get it out of my brain. If I can just do that in 2009, I will be happy. But, there are some other goals I would like to get accomplished. BUY A NEW HOUSE or be ready by the end of the year to buy a new house. I am so not looking forward to this. We need a new house because we are on a busy road and only have one spare bedroom upstairs. We would like to have a new addition in the next year or so and Holdyn is not nearly old enough to move into one of the basement rooms. So as much as I do not want to go through the stressful process of purchasing a new home, moving, etc... It needs to be done and I'd like to get it out of the way. PAY OFF DEBTS - We have been working on this since June of this year and have done a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. We could easily pay off most of our debt by the end of 2009, but wouldn't it be fantastic if we could pay off all of it!! It would be difficult, but a goal I will strive for.

I need to write these things down so that next December I can read this and pat myself on the back and make some new, hopefully not so life changing, resolutions and feel good about 2009. I'm excited to begin this year. I have a great feeling about where we'll be by the end of 2009 :) Here we go...

Handsome Boy

2008-12-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Holdyn's hair is a curly, crazy mess. And although it's darling...

Sometimes it turns into a mixed up version of an afro so we had to do something about it. We took him to Cookie Cutters last night and it was so stinking funny!

Holdyn did really well, other than being totally annoyed that this strange lady was touching his head. But as long as we kept him distracted, he did great!

He looks so much older now! But even more handsome than before :)

After his haircut, he got to play on the slide and I have never seen him more excited! He was giggling and shaking, he was having so much fun :)

47,433,600 seconds old

2008-12-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

To my Buddy,
Right now, 9:12 PM, you are 1 and 1/2 years old. I cannot believe how old you look and act. To think... 1 year ago, you couldn't crawl or tell me no! You are as close to perfect as you can get. You are gorgeous, smart, quiet, fun, calm, goofy, lovey, smiley, and so many other things. I am seriously contemplating having another baby because you are so perfect and life is so easy with you. There is no way I could be blessed with 2 perfect babies, right?

****Things I love about you****

You sing all the time. You sing "I love you!" and everyone around you melts

You don't pee on me when your diaper is off. I really appreciate that Holdy :)

You don't fight me when I need to give you medicine, which has been a lot this month!

I love watching you watch people and soak it all in.

I love when you sit on Bre's lap while she plays Sims.

You listen so well. Most of the time you will do exactly what I tell you.

You go to bed at 7:30 and will play in your bed until I get up to get you.

I love to cuddlebug you.

I love how you sing "Rocka, Rocka" as I rock you to sleep at night (which I will do until you are 30 if you will let me!)

I love how you rarely cry when you fall down.

You still have that quiet laugh when you're tired and I bite your hands or tickle your face with my hair. I love that laugh.

I love that you don't cry when I drop you off at any of the Grandmas' houses.

You're a people person and don't get too clingy when there are people around. You smile at anyone and everyone.

I love that you let me brush your teeth.

I love when you try to make a bunny nose, but all you do is squint your eyes.

You hug kids you don't even know at the Dr office. Which is probably why we all got the flu this month.

I love when you sit on my lap and do your make up with me while I get ready.

I love walking into your room in the morning and you are always reading a book.

I love reading you books at night before bed. We've read 2 Shel Silverstein poem books and you like them just as much as the books with pictures.

You understand everything I say.

I love when I ask you for a bite and you let me bite you.

I love kissing the bridge of your nose.

I love kissing the spot between your ear lobe and your cheek.

I love kissing you period.

I love laying in bed with you and laughing while we tickle each other.

I love when you say No in that matter of fact, sing-song way.

I love that when we take you to Rock Creek Pizza, your so content. But any other restaurant, you want to run all over the place.

I love your crazy, curly hair.

I love when you sing, "Ho Ho Ho, who wouldn't go!"

I love watching you and Daddy play.

I love you.

****Things you are saying right now****

Uggs = Eggs

Ho Ho Ho = Santa

Broked = anything you can't do must be broked

Stuck

Don't Go Daddy! anytime your Daddy leaves the room

Elmo

Milk

Num Num

I love you

Lights

Mama

Dad

Ama = Grandma

Grandpa

All done

Rocka Rocka

Park

Ramp

Vroom!

Bonk or Donk (Every time you fall down)

Nana = Banana

Woof Woof

Duck

Quack

Fishhhhh

Bye

Make Up

Boots

Bath

Ouside

Bink

Book

Hot

Ouch

Cool

I love you, I love you, I love you. You have no idea. Everything in the world can be wrong but I know that as long I have you, I'm okay. I want you to stop growing but can't wait to see what you do tomorrow. It's heart wrenching to think you will be grown up and not want me one day, but every mother lives through it so I'm sure I'll survive. You make me laugh daily and I am constantly smiling when I'm around you. I love you, I love you, I love you.

We got crazy in the North Pole!

2008-12-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Parties!

2008-12-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun filled and very busy December! We have already been to three Christmas parties and have 2 more on Christmas Eve! We've seen Santa twice already! The first time, Holdyn wasn't quite sure what to think...

But he slowly warmed up to Santa...

We always go to Gardner Village for Guy's work party, but Guy is never there... Weird :)

The party is always REALLY early in the morning (9) so Cory and I seriously struggle when it comes to pictures that early. This was the best we could do!

Then we had the Sahleen Christmas party. There are tons of kidlets for Holdyn to play with. And the most adorable Santa and Mrs. Clause come visit every year. It is darling and Holdyn loved helping Mrs. Clause pass out Candy Canes.
Santa made sure everyone sat on his lap before he left, yay for the adults! Cory even got a turn. I wonder if he will get what he asked for...?I think he will be pleasantly surprised. I am just as excited to give Cory his presents as I am to give Holdyn his this year. I must say, I did a fine job in the present department this year and am not even thinking about my presents :) I just can't wait to see my boys faces!!

Sweetest Boy

2008-12-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I might have the sweetest little boy in the world. We've had a rough month. Holdyn had to go to Primary Children's hospital to have a staph infection opened up and cleaned. It was awful and watching your child scream in pain, even while being sedated, tops my list of most awful things I've ever been through. But my sweet boy smiled at the nurses and doctors as soon as they stopped touching him. He gave them the sweetest smiles he has. That may have had something to do with him being loopy from the sedation, but nonetheless, he smiled at these mean people :) And they patched him up and we're finishing antibiotics now. We're praying he will not get another infection and that we'll never have to do that again. As soon as we were done with all of that, he got the flu! He has had the flu for the last week and excluding a few minor whines, he has been so stinking sweet. Laying with his mom (but mostly his dad) while watching Handy Manny and Sesame Street. Smiling and being happy every chance he gets. And even when he tells me "No," it's in the sweetest little voice and I can't get enough of it. I'll ask him if he wants a drink ten times just to hear him tell me no in that sweet song way he does it. I love it and I don't want to forget it, hence this post :) One thing I'm thankful for out of the craziness of the last few weeks is that we got it out of the way for Christmas! I think this week will be the best one yet! I can't wait for Christmas!! And I can't wait to see this gorgeous little face when I wake up to the beginning of our best week yet...

Scentsy

2008-12-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, after setting up for our boutique (come see us!) I came home to find this...

Apparently my Grandma thought I needed a pick-me-up. Isn't is darling!! I love my grandma :) Not only does she take care of the most important thing in my life, this cuteness...

she also bakes the best cupcakes ever! Everything she makes is the best thing ever. She would do anything for us. She is the sweetest person I know. I hope one day we will be able to express our gratitude for her. She's the best Grandma/Nanny Holdyn could ever have. They're always doing something fun together. I'm pretty sure he likes her more than he likes me :)

We love you Grandma!

By the way, my Grandma sells Scentsy candles and accessories so if If anyone would like to buy any Scentsy products or book a party, I have your girl!

Janis Banks

209-7014

Janie.b1@comcast.net

Or you can contact me and I can get your order into her.

Check out Scentsy products at

http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNjZW50c3kuY29tL0phbmlz

The Spotted Zebra Boutique

2008-12-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Please come visit us!!!

My aunt Amber and I started a vinyl business and this is our first Boutique! We are very excited! Check out our website!
This is going to be a huge event and there will many vendors offering a great variety of products, perfect for Christmas! We would love to see you all there!! Thank you for the support!

Apple Delight

2008-12-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

=
Apple Delight!

I now realize I need an apple corer as youare bound to slice your finger open cutting up 10 apples. But it was worth it... YUMMY :)

It's official.... I'm a 10 year old girl!!

2008-11-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Because I'm in love with this...

Oh yeah, there is this too...

Seriously, how cool are these guys...

And the very best scene in the movie...

Never, ever did I think I would go to a 12 AM showing of any movie. But, it was worth it. Damn, Damn, Damn. If only Vampires really did exist. I know, I'm a 10 year old girl. But I don't even care!!!

Halloween

2008-11-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween was quite the extravaganza this year! First, we had Sophia's birthday party that was also a costume party. So we got to help celebrate her 1st year and had so much fun!

The next night, we had the Monty pumpkin carve. We found out we have a little pumpkin on the way...

We're so excited and can't wait to meet the newest Monty :) Congrats Cam, Nicole, and Ryn!! Holdyn always has a blast playing all of the kids :) My favorite part was when Grandpa took the kids out to the "pumpkin" patch and told them all to pick a pumpkin. Holdyn found his :)

Daddy carved Holdyn's pumpkin and it was so cute! It had ears and was the best one there, I thought! If I remember right, Holdyn won in the best Ears category! We got lots of fun stuff from Grandma and had so much fun. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!

Then came Halloween night!! The weather was very nice and it only sprinkled on us a little bit.

First we stopped and Grandma and Grandpa Monty's house. They looked so cute as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe :) Holdyn wouldn't stop taking candy out of their candy bowl so we had to take it away from him! Next, we went to Tyson and Jamie's house to trick or treat. Then we went to Aunt Amber's house and she had something special for Holdyn. She had snakes and bugs for him! Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Banks' house and Grandma was dressed up like a scary witch! She also had special things for him. A book and a rice crispy treat the size of Holdyn!!

Then we went to Baylee's house to say Hi . Then, in a timeframe of 3 minutes, this happened...

The next night, Grandma and Grandpa Sahleen had a party so Holdyn got dressed up again! Holdyn had a blast playing with his aunts and cousins. He loves Grandma's Halloween decorations and loves the floating head the best! He isn't scared at all :)

Thanks everyone for making it such a fun Halloween!!

As a side note... I found some pictures on my Grandma's camera of Halloween last year. Holdyn was watching his aunts and cousins decorate pumpkins. He was so tiny :)

Silver Baron Lodge

2008-11-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cory and I stayed at the Silver Baron Lodge in Park City Friday night and it was so beautiful!! I want everyone I know to go! They have a special until the first week of December that you can get a 1 bedroom suite for $129! This hotel room was so amazing... 2 bathrooms, a full size kitchen, a living room with a gorgeous fireplace, and the very best part... a hot tub on our private deck :)Cory called me Friday morning and suggested we go somewhere for the night for fun. It was very sweet of him and I decided we had reason to. Cory started his new job last week and I recieved a promotion! We are so excited for these new changes in our life and it was nice to be able to celebrate. We had such a great time and it really is those spontaneous things that keep life exciting :) So seriously, if you can make it happen in the next few weeks, go stay there! Picture it... sitting in a toasty hot tub in the snow covered mountains! So romantic!! Thanks Babe for such a fun night, I love you!

Boondocks!

2008-11-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Best day of Holdyn's life!

My Mom

2008-11-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to write down my memories of my mom this last year for a long time. My mom and I have always had a great relationship. But over the last year, I feel like it has gotten even closer. My mom was 17 when she gave birth to me. She left an unhealthy relationship to raise me the best way she knew how. She worked full time and got a college degree. All of that was enough for me to respect and look up to her for the rest of my life. But then I had Holdyn. It had been a long few days for Cory and I, so a few hours after Holdyn was born, Cory went home to get some sleep. My mom stayed with me and I am forever thankful. We had so much fun staring at that baby! He lifted his head up and looked at us and we were so thrilled!!The next fews weeks were very hard for me. Holdyn wasn't nursing well, he was crying a lot, and although Cory handled things brilliantly, I needed my mom. Luckily she lives 6 minutes away so I could call her anytime and she would be at my house. I called her in the middle of the night, morning and afternoon. She was at my house everyday. And just her presence made me feel so much better. She helped me through the nursing trouble and I am so thankful because I adored nursing Holdyn. It was such a special thing for him and I to share. I don't think I would have persevered through without my mom. And there is no one else on this planet who adores Holdyn more than she does! She loves everything about him. She talks about him more than I do! She thinks he's so smart, beautiful, well behaved, sweet, the list goes on and on! I love to hear what she loves about my little boy. It means so much to hear her say she thinks I'm a good mom. She misses Holdyn if she hasn't seen him for more than a day. She LOVES taking him overnight on the weekends, and so do Cory and I! We are never worried about him when he's there. They will have such a special bond for life. And hopefully she'll take him when the terrible teenage years hit! ! Thanks for everything mom. I know I don't say it enough. Holdyn and I are so lucky you are the role model I have. I love you!!!

Cory's Birthday

2008-11-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I've posted, life's been busy :) But don't worry, I have PLENTY to write about...

Cory turned 24 on October 23rd!! We had both of our families over to our house to celebrate the night before. Cory got some great stuff, thanks everyone! Most of the presents were Bob Marley themed, that's his thing lately.

On his actual birthday, my mom took Holdyn so we could go to dinner at our favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse. It was sooo yummy! Kirb and Trav came too and we made Cory saddle up!! It was a nice, relaxing dinner and I was so happy to get to celebrate that day with him. e that day with him. This year has had many twists and turns with family, jobs, and of course, our little one year old! But Cory has been so amazing. He has been such a strong man through all of it. I feel like this year has provided the most growth for him, as well as myself. It's true what they say about having a baby, you truly do change for the better :) And no one is a better example of that than Cory. I feel blessed to have celebrated 9 birthdays with him. I feel blessed to have met him at such a young age. I am thankful everyday that I was able to grow up with this amazing person. Cory makes me laugh on a daily basis and I so appreciate that because I tend to get a little uptight and scheduled. Cory is a great balance to my craziness! He brings me so much joy. I get butterflies 99% of the time I am with him, thinking about him, or about to see him. He can still make me melt just by putting his arms around me. I so love and adore him. I can't wait to celebrate the rest of his birthdays with him!

More Lake Powell

2008-10-13T11:52:00.000-06:00

I wanted to list some things about Lake Powell that I know I will forget, probably within the next week :) I had such a blast on this vacation and I want to record all of the things that made this trip so much fun!

-Packing the car was quite the experience. We literally could not fit another pillow into our car. It was packed to the ceiling. And half of it was Holdyn's stuff :) Kirby had her legs up to her chest the entire 4.5 hour drive! We woke Holdyn up at 2 AM and hoped he would go immediately back to sleep. Oh no... He stayed awake for half of the drive and tried to steal Kirby's pillow. And stabbed her with his sword. Poor Kirby :)

-I LOVED taking "baths" with Kirby! We would go down the slide, lather up, and then go down the slide a few more times. But shaving while shivering is dangerous. The razor burn was a killer!

-We played poker with my drunk Grandpa. Matches were a nickle, Seashells were a quarter. Cory shared his Jager with Harry and things ensued. Things I will not put on my family blog, but I for sure won't forget!!

-Cory and I took turns each morning getting up with Holdyn, as we do at home. Cory was very good about getting Holdyn off the boat and on the beach so it was pretty quiet on his mornings. But I was too tired at 8 AM to chase Holdyn around the beach. So we sat on the back of the boat and read books and watched Jon and Grandpa fish. Holdyn held the net for them, just in case :)

- We loved having Kirby there :) She was so much fun and a huge help with Holdyn. Thanks for coming Kirb!!

-Holdyn had 2 baths while we were in Powell. I remember my first bath in Powell. I was crying and didn't want to get in the water. Well, I got thrown into the water! I remember coming up for air and coughing and spitting and crying! And although Cory wanted to do that, I won that battle and Holdyn was gently lowered into the water and was lovingly rinsed off!!

- We were able to take the little fishing boat out a couple nights after Holdyn went to bed and we had some serious laughs out on that boat! Especially when Kirby caught one of those car size Ca Fish, but before we could get him in the boat, he took her line. And she didn't realize it until after she had been reeling for 5 minutes! Cory got to pretend like he was the crocodile hunter too. Could have been the highlight of his vacation!

-My mom and I beat Harry and Cory at Horse Shoes. Cory will never get over that :)

-Grace could not stand that we let Holdyn run around the beach naked. She was thoroughly disgusted, as you can see by her face below!

-I remember going out on my parent's boat and I loved sitting on the back bench and looking at the wake, the huge cliffs, and all of the other boats. So I thought Holdyn would love riding in the boat as well. I was wrong. Holdyn wanted to run around the boat, while we were moving. So it wasn't fun for mom until Holdyn got a little bit tired and laid on my lap. Then I LOVED it :) Cory loved it too...

-Holdyn and Daddy jumped off the houseboat together. Mom had a little bit of a heart attack.

- One night at dinner Holdyn was getting a little ornery. And he started throwing food at Kirby! Well Kirby wasn't having any of that crap. So she threw quesadilla right back at him! It stuck to his forehead and he wasn't quite sure what had hit him! We were cracking up!

- I grabbed some glow sticks at the last minute and forgot about them until the last night. Holdyn and Grace loved them :) Holdyn had sword fights with Dad and Grandma used her evil bubbles to try and get Holdyn and Grace. Thankfully they had their magic glow sticks to ward off her evil. It was very cute!

-Holdyn stayed awake the ENTIRE way home. Yep.

Lake Powell

2008-10-10T16:52:00.001-06:00

Well we're back and it's cold and we're sad! Lake Powell was a blast! The weather was perfect, the monster was very well behaved, and we had a much needed break. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful Lake Powell is. It took my breath away every single day I was there. I truly love being there and was so happy to have been able to take Holdyn there to share in all of the fun! We had lots of adventures... Holdyn hated the water to start with, but started getting used to it by the end of the trip. Cory and I got on the tube with him and he cried the entire time. But he loved it the second time :) He loved playing on the beach with his aunt Grace. They made mud balls and castles galore! We had so much fun with Kirby there. She was a huge help and kept everyone laughing. But I think the person who loved her most... Harry! Oh Harry! The water slide kept us plenty busy while Holdyn slept (which was quite a bit, thank heavens!) We fished a lot and caught tons of fish :) Sleeping under the stars was one of my very favorite things. The sky is completely different when you're there without the city lights. It's absolutely incredible! I will post more fun stories when I have more time, but I wanted to get some pics up. And for some reason I can't post slide shows in my posts so see below!

Lake Powell Pictures

2008-10-10T16:49:00.001-06:00

More Lake Powell Pictures!

2008-10-10T16:47:00.001-06:00

Monty Family Photos

2008-10-10T16:25:00.001-06:00

Family Pictures

2008-09-24T13:45:00.001-06:00

Kami at Salted Paper Photography took our family pics last year and they turned out so amazing that I decided I wanted her to do our photos again this year! We got them back last night and they are so beautiful. She definately has a gift and I will start saving again so I can get pictures done again next year!

Monty Compound

2008-09-19T11:29:00.000-06:00

Alright people, are you ready for this? My husband is building a snowboard park in our back yard. This is the beginning stage of the drop in. I haven't personally measured it, but from my observations, it's 12-15 feet tall. There will be stairs up the back (by the tree) and there will be 2 drop ins coming off.

Here is what it looks like now, the 1st ramp is ready to be sheeted...

Here is the drop in and the rail these crazy boys will be

jumping onto after boarding down the ramp...

And the view from the top...

I'm sure that those of you who know Cory aren't all that surprised by this. But I've been a little bit surprised at people's reactions. They can't believe I am allowing this to happen in our back yard. I look at it like this... We will never be in a home that we will be able to do this at again. Cory was gone 2 nights a week last Winter boarding, so this will keep him at home a little bit more. And Cory is so excited about it and I really love to see how happy it makes him. Plus I have a constant parade of cute boys in my house, sometimes they even have their shirts off. Everyday when I get off work I walk to the back yard to hear all about the progress made, shaking my head in confusion. I really don't understand how boys can get so excited about this. But as far as I'm concerned, I'll let Cory play because it makes him happy. And Holdyn is going to have so much fun sledding down those ramps!

Another Crazy Weekend!

2008-09-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

We had another busy weekend! We're trying to cram as much in as we can before the end of the nice weather. We had a blast all weekend, I love spending time with my boys! First Holdyn went to the fair with his Grandma and his aunts. He was a very good boy even after missing a nap and staying up way past his bedtime. He was a little weirded out by the animals...

Umm...

What is that?!?

On Saturday morning we went to see the FMX competition at the Dew Tour. It was a lot of fun, but despite Cory's hopes and dreams, I am pretty sure I'll never be able to watch my son do that kind of stuff so high in the air. This was Holdyn's face the entire time...

I'm a little bit scared of the trouble these two are going to get in...

After leaving the FMX competition, Cory and I decided to be extremely brave and take Holdyn to his cousin's birthday party with only a 30 minute nap in the car!

He was a very good boy and loved playing with Ben's toys. Happy Birthday Ben! We took Holdyn home and he slept from 5:30 to 8:30 the next morning!!

Sunday we went to the zoo and it was so much fun watching Holdyn (and Cory) ooh and ahh at all of the animals. Cory and I haven't been to the zoo for at least 5 years and it really is much nicer than I remembered. Holdyn loved everything about it. And much to my disgust, put his mouth on anything he possibly could. Thank god the animals were not in his reach. I expect a runny nose and coughing to begin any minute. Funny, sick little boy!

Holdyn again went to bed at 5:30 and slept until 8:30 the next morning. Such a good little boy! On a side note, I am proud to say that we walked out of the zoo without buying one thing. It was difficult, but I managed to make up for it by spending $24 on books from Costco last night. :)

The big 2 - 4!

2008-09-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

Well, I've entered into my mid-twenties! I turned 24 last Saturday and it was a jam-packed weekend. Friday night we went to the Monty's to have a birthday Fiesta. I appreciate Guy and Lane so much that they take the time and energy to do this for me. And thank you Nicole for that delicious cake! I got to see my sugar sweet Ryn which always makes me happy...

Then Saturday morning, my mom, Amber, Maddy, Grace and BreAnne all got a pedicure. It was very relaxing. I can't remember the last time I had a pedicure. The highlight of that morning was when my mother told the Vietnamese people that "All of us white people look the same." My mother :) After the pedicure, my mom and my sister invited me to breakfast. When I got home, Kirby was there guarding the backyard and telling me "You stay where you are Taylor!" So I was extra curious. But then I was able to look outside and I saw my awesome husband standing next to a brand new picnic table with balloons, flowers, and my favorite candy covering the table. It was the perfect birthday present. Thanks babe! I decided I would like to go to Italian Village with my family, nice and early as we would never ever want to overlap into Holdyn's 7:30 bedtime, trust me! It was delicious, as usual! My grandma not only made a beautiful, delicious cake, she framed the first picture Holdyn ever colored and that was one of my favorite presents. It was a fun night, thanks family!

After dinner, we pawned Holdyn off on my mom so we could go home and party with all of our friends. It was so fun and I appreciate all of the family and friends who were able to make it! Love you all!

Sunday morning, we woke up 4 hours after going to bed and floated the river. Even Jamie made it, and she was super hung over. What a trooper! It was a little bit chilly, but very fun! I think it was the last river trip of 2008 :( And then to top it all off, Cory, Holdyn, and I drove up to Silver Lake to have family pictures done. I am very excited to see what Kami comes up with. She is extremely talented! All in all, it was a busy, fun-filled weekend! Thank you to everyone who made it wonderful!

My Husband

2008-09-09T16:44:00.000-06:00

I just need to write about how much I love and appreciate my husband. He has been such an amazing support this last little while. I am pretty sure I would be a total and complete mess right now if it weren't for his support and love lately. I have noticed him gradually handling things better and better this last year, but this last trial has put me in complete awe of him. He is doing what he needs to do as a husband and daddy without any complaints. I am so proud of him for handling things at wonderfully as he is, when all I want to do is kick and scream on the floor and then punch people. But not Cory. Cory has been way more grown up than I could have ever thought. I love that he is doing what's right for our family, regardless of how painful it might be. Cory, you are a wonderful husband and I am lucky to have you. You have absolutely been my saving grace these last few days and please know that I will always appreciate you for that. I love you more than anything.

Last Bottle :(

2008-09-05T12:07:00.000-06:00

Well, we did it. We gave Holdyn his last bottle. I have been dreading this from the day he was born because I knew that was the last thing that would really give me mommy/Holdyn cuddle time. Now all he wants to do is "Bonk!" or smack me! We made a plan that when Holdyn turned 1 on June 28th, we would take away his morning bottle. Then on July 28th, we took away his afternoon bottle. Then came the dreaded August 28th. He had his very last na-night bottle. Holdyn couldn't have cared less, but mommy was a mess.

This last year has flown by, and although I love who he is turning into, I really miss my little cuddly newborn.

Obsession

2008-08-29T15:19:00.000-06:00

Holdyn has a new obsession... Grandpa's Jag....

And for my favorite picture ever...

My Favorite Things

2008-08-21T14:56:00.001-06:00

Holdyn has been having a rough week. He hasn't been sleeping well and so I knew something was up. He started to get sniffely and ornery yesterday and by the afternoon, his nose had serious tissue burn! Yesterday happened to also be Guy's birthday. (Happy Birthday Grandpa!) So we went to dinner with the Monty's. Not only was Holdyn sick, it was also past his bedtime so he was extra ornery. He didn't want to sit in his chair and he was throwing things at Aunt Nicole and Cousin Ryn. I bet they were thrilled they got stuck next to the demon baby! Anyway, I decided this would be one of the nights that I get my dinner to go and I chase the baby while everyone eats. I was strangely okay with that (and everyone who knows me knows that it IS strange because I very rarely pass up eating!) and actually excited to play with my little boy and see his excitment while discovering this new environment. It was extra crazy, exhausting, and a lot of fun.

Today, a friend told me about a blog written by a women who lost her 14 month old baby girl in an accidental drowning this past June. She writes very beautifully and honestly. She has made me even more grateful that we have a healthy, happy 14 month old. And I am so appreciative fo every moment I get with Holdyn, even crazy nights like last night. This is her website http://adailyscoop.blogspot.com/. This website will make you cry, but hopefully it will also make you appreciate your loved ones more. In one of her posts, she asks her readers to take a minute and write down the little things your child does and your favorite things they do. Here are my favorite things about Holdyn:

His absolutely perfect face

His smile lights up his face and mine

His tired laugh

How he swings a bat

His dimples

How much having him has made me appreciate quality time with Cory

He says, "Kaboom!"

He puts his head against mine (very softly) and says, "Bonk!"

His grin and delight when he sees me or Cory in the morning

How he dances by shifting his weight back and forth on his legs

When I rock him before bed and he curls up as close as he can get to me and closes his eyes

When he reads to me while I change his diaper

His mischevious look when he looks at me after he touches something he knows he's not supposed to

Looking in the back seat and seeing his hands wave around to the music

The smile on his face when his dad pushes him around in his car

When he blows on his food

His smile when he swings

How much he LOVES to be outside

That he goes to bed at 7:30!

That he smiles at every stranger that looks at him. He has made so many people smile just by smiling at them

How having him made my relationship with my mom even better

How he watches his aunts in wonder as they play

How when I ask him for a bite, he puts his cheek next to my mouth so I can bite it

How cautious he is

How easily he laughs

When he "bonks" himself in the head with his bats

How perfectly straight he can throw a ball

How he makes every single day exciting and how much more fun holidays are with him

His kisses

I love you Holdyn. You have changed me forever and I am so thankful for everything you have taught me... Patience, Love, Self Control, Fun, and so much more.

d'Vinyl!!!!

2008-08-15T18:00:00.000-06:00

Hi All!

Amber and I have started a vinyl lettering company! Please check out our website (d-Vinyl.blogspot.com) and let us know if there is anything we can create for you! We would appreciate any feed back or ideas you have! Thanks for your support!!

One Year Ago....

2008-08-15T12:37:00.000-06:00

One of the great things about the fact that I took a million pictures a day for the first 6 months of Holdyn's life is that I can look back and see exactly what he was doing one year ago from any given day. On August 15th 2007, one year ago today, I was on my 3rd day back to work after having a 6 week maternity leave. The maternity leave started off rough, but by the end, I was devastated that I had to go back to work. I felt (and still feel!) that my job should be raising my little boy, not having a nanny take care of him all day. But since we are not at that point financially, we are so so so blessed to have my grandma take care of Holdyn every day. I get to see him all day long most days and I am appreciative to have a better situation than most. We definitely would have had to wait a lot longer for Holdyn if it were not for her. Grandma - We love you so much and we appreciate all the help you give us. Holdyn adores you!

So here we are 1 year ago...

(This was my very favorite outfit of his)

Provo River

2008-08-11T13:51:00.001-06:00

We have been floating the Provo River the last couple weekends and we have been having a blast! Poor Kirby flipped twice yesterday, so she may never come again! But besides the minor bruises and scrapes, everyone has a great time. 20 of us went up yesterday and floated the river for a couple hours. My awesome husband got up bright and early to insure that we had tons of shish kabobs ready to BBQ after our float. So we cranked up Jack Johnson, drank some beer, and had some yummy food. It was almost perfect (It can't be totally perfect without Holdyn of course!) Jamie and Nicole - You guys better be there next weekend! I highly recommend doing this before it gets too cold. But it's probably a little too rough for kids. It doesn't look like the river is flowing very fast until you're being clothes lined by a tree!

Holdyn's Love Affair with the Camera

2008-08-08T09:50:00.000-06:00

This morning when my grandma picked up Holdyn and I, (Cory's car is torn apart due to a noisy something or other, so he gets to take my car to work and I get to fend for myself) Holdyn did not want to get buckled into his car seat. He wanted to sit on Grandma's lap and drive. So, of course, he turns into a shrieking Velociraptor and throws a fit...

But the second I got my camera out...

He loves the camera and always has. If you bring out a camera, he'll start smiling! Funny, weird little boy!

3fers

2008-08-05T15:56:00.000-06:00

3 Joys:
1) Holdyn is the #1 Joy!
2) Cory. I still get butterflies when I am on my way home from work, knowing I get to see him soon. I get butterflies everyday over him and I feel so lucky that after 9 years, I still get to feel that!
3) TV. After I put Holdyn to bed, I love curling up on the couch and getting lost in one of my shows!
3 fears:
1) Losing someone I love
2) Not being here to see Holdyn grow up
3) Holdyn hurting in any way!
3 obsessions:
1) Biting Holdyn. I ask him for a bite and he puts his cheek next to my mouth so I can bite him. I love it!
2) Pizza Benders and Salad from Italian Village. Ask my husband... I ask to go there every occasion I can! Anniversary, birthday, Christmas!
3) TV. I have to watch at least one show a night to get my brain relaxed!
3 surprising facts:
1) We don't have internet. I have it at work and that's all I need.
2) My house is messy. But only because I would rather play with Holdyn than clean!
3) I so want to go back to school and can't wait to get started again when we can afford it. It's not that I like school, but I really know I need to get my degree so that I can do something that I love to do, part time and when Holdyn starts school of course!

I am tagging Nicole, Sara, Kirby, Jessie!!