Enjoying my family and the Zoo : )

While we were in NY we mostly just enjoyed spending time together as a family. When we get together there's usually lots of laughing and not a whole lot of sleep. We have to make the most of the limited time we have together. Max didn't do super well. He just do super well with a lot of change (ie. 3 hour time difference, a house he doesn't know and A LOT of noise and faces he doesn't know) so he was pretty fussy the whole time. He also was teething a not feeling real well while we were there. It would be so nice if we saw each other so often that Max actually knew them, but that's not likely. Sad. Anyway, here are some pictures of our time together in NY.

Sad boy.

JaJa trying to cheer him up

Max and my cousin Jake... ha ha

my sister-in-law, Stef and my brother Nate

Max and Auntie Stefanie

Me and Dirky : )

Me and Stef and Kalin being a creeper in the back. ha ha

my nephew, Dean, and my brother, Scott

Me and my cousin Jake

Kalin and Stef

Max and his uncle Drew.

Max was pretty intrigued by the animals...I didn't get many pictures of them though.

trying to touch the fishes

he was happier on daddy's shoulders than anywhere else.

ha ha ha apparently the men wanted recognition for this beautiful garden. ha ha

Max had found a fun new activity

Yum! ha ha

Kalin with her kids, Dean and Addie, and our cousin Jared

Us with my little brother, Nathan

Max crashed in my cousin Tyler's arms. Very sweet.

Twins!

Best cousins!

who doesn't love cheerios?

Besides Kalin, I haven't seen them since May and am not even sure when I'll see them next. : ( I miss my family all the time and ALWAYS wish they could somehow be closer.

Dirk and Stef's Sealing -May 6th 2010

So I'm WAY behind on updating my blog... what's new? I was doing okay for a little while. I've been meaning to do it but then I get so overwhelmed by how behind I am that I don't want to start...and then I become even more behind. ANYWAY... Here's what you've missed. Back in May my twin brother, Dirk, got sealed in the Palmyra temple to his beautiful wife, Stefanie. It was sooo wonderful to be able to go and be a part of their special day and be together in the temple as a family. It made it even more special for Stefanie because they were sealed on her birthday. : ) Here are some

of the very few pictures I got on my camera.

The rest of these pictures were taken by their friend David Richer-Brule who's a professional photographer and did a FABULOUS job. These are just a FEW of my favorites. : )

Right outside of the temple. I really love my nephew, Dean, in this picture. ha ha We all blew bubbles as they came out...and apparently wanted them right on Dirk's backside. : )

All of our side of the family that was there.

This is a typical picture for me and Dirk to take together. It's the "look off" and it's a classic.

Same thing at my wedding. : )Think we'll ever grow out of it? Probably not...

Isn't she beautiful?

I love how soft the colors are in this one.

This is in front of the Joseph Smith Log Home.

This is the first of at least 4 posts...possibly more. So check back for the next one! : )

Happy Birthday Maxwell

June 9, 2010




My sweet baby boy,


Happy Birthday, Maxwell. Today is your first birthday. This past year has been such a beautiful gift. I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have been chosen to be your mother. I can remember the months when I was pregnant with you and how I couldn’t wait to see what you would look like and what kind of personality you’d have. I couldn’t wait to finally meet you and hold you in my arms. I remember the first time I held you after you were born; it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. You were this most perfect precious little boy and you were mine. That whole first night, I barely slept because I was constantly touching your chest to make sure you were breathing. I think all first time moms are that way a bit. My life changed completely that day. Suddenly my priorities changed and I had this great need to be so much better, for you. Max, I want you to know that I love you so very much. You can’t quite understand this love until you have a child of your own and even then, I think a mother’s love is different. Every night I pray that I will give you all that you need and that I’ll be able to teach you what is right and what is true. I have this great desire to protect you. I never want you to hurt or be sad. I want you to know that I always have your best interest in mind. I will always want what is best for you and that may mean that you won’t always get your way and sometimes you won’t understand. I just hope that you’ll know of my love and know that I’d never do anything to take away true happiness from you. What I want most right now though, is for time to stand still, or at the very least, slow down. It’s gone by too fast and although I love every single stage that you’ve been through and I do look forward to you continuing to grow and learn and develop, I’m not looking forward to the time where you won’t need me to rock you to sleep. I’m not looking forward to the time when you won’t want me to cuddle you and kiss you when you’re sad or hurt. Selfishly, I want you to always need me. It’s funny how that works because I know that for you to grow and really experience this life, you have to be independent of me and make your own choices and I want that… but it will be sad when you don’t need me quite so much anymore. I want to tell you about some of the things that I’ve loved this past year with you. I’ve loved singing to you every night; it’s probably my favorite time of the day. You lie in my arms and look so peaceful and sweet. Sometimes you’ll be fast asleep and I’ll just continue rocking you for a while just because I love holding you in my arms and looking at your perfect little face. I love how much you laugh and smile. You are a very happy baby. I love watching you crawl. You have a very funny crawl. I love your hair. You have a beautiful thick head of hair that, I’m sure, many baby girls would love to have. You are a curious little guy and love to touch everything and you also love to put everything in your mouth. You’re very good at playing by yourself and you have become a pro at climbing up and down the stairs. You are a good eater and will eat most things that we try to feed you. You love ice cream and anything sugary, really, and you climb all over us to get it if we have it. You don’t really whine very much anymore, you mostly grunt if you’re displeased with something and it’s quite funny. You love crawling outside and try to escape out the front door every time it’s open. You get so excited when your dad walks through the door and if he doesn’t come right over and pick you up immediately, you grunt with displeasure. You’re happiest when you’re with both me and your dad. I love to watch you and your dad together. You are the two people I love most and it’s so great to see you love each other so well. You give kisses a lot and I love that. You love to wrestle, especially first thing in the morning when you’re in bed with me. I love when you give me hugs and wrap your arms around my neck and put your head in close. I could probably go on and on with all the things that I love about you, but that may take forever. I now want to share with you things that are so important for you to know. I want you to know that a year and a day ago, you were with your Heavenly Father. He loves you very much and He wants you to return to Him. He wants me and daddy to return to Him too. It’s a beautiful plan that He's created for us so that we can. Heavenly Father sent His son Jesus Christ to this earth to atone for us and set a perfect example for us s that we could have a way back to Him. He put temples on the earth so that men and women could make covenants there that would bind us together forever, as long as we choose the right. Your daddy and I were sealed in the temple which means, you’re ours forever and ever. It’s so important that you always do your best to make good choices so that we can be together as a family forever. When you’re eight years old you will be baptized. When you’re twelve, you will receive the priesthood. When you’re 19, you will hopefully make the choice to serve a faithful mission. And one day you will have the blessing of being married in the temple. I look forward to all of these wonderful experiences that you will have in this life. As your mother, I pray that you’ll want those experiences, but you’ll have to choose them for yourself. I promise that those things will put you on the path that will lead to the greatest amount of happiness. Maxwell, I love you. You bring so much joy and love into our home and family. You have such a sweet disposition and are a good natured baby. I hope those traits stay with you as you grow into a boy and then into a man. Happy Birthday Max.


I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.


All my love, Momma

Matt and his boy

June 9th, 2009

The first picture taken of our new little family.

This is from today. I made brownies and put a candle in it and we sang happy birthday to him and then let him go crazy. He LOVED the brownie and made quite a mess. He'll have his own real cake on Saturday at his birthday party.

my mom and sister, Kalin, sent packages that got here today, so as soon as Matt got home from work, we let Max open his presents. He loved them! Books and toys! Thank you Ga Ga and Auntie Kalin!

This is from a few Sundays ago. I bought these pants and suspenders in NY the last time we were there. He looks like such a little man. I love it!