And Then There Were Three

We began our marriage with just the two of us. We were ecstatic to begin our new lives together. We made it through one semester and soon we were expecting company. The day arrived and two became three. With this third person came added responsibility. It also meant the end of spontaneity, as we knew it. No more "alone" time and we said good-bye to sleeping in forever.

This was only the beginning of a beautiful saga.

Soon we came to anticipate the precious girl waking us up with her glorious scratching (with accompanying cooing), even if it was at 4 in the morning. We also looked forward to a new kind of spontaneity; one that included a very well packed diaper bag. Even the "alone" time we thought gone became an even better "together" time.

Then school began.

All of the extra time we didn't even realize we had was sucked into the vacuum known as class and homework. We began to feel awful because our little girl was not enjoying the needed tummy time on a regular basis, or her one-on-one mommy and daddy time. She was carted around to strange places every couple of hours and becoming quite cranky because of missed nap times and off-scheduled bed time.

And yet she and we have begun to fall into a synchronized dance.

We have snatched little minutes here and there to spend playing and talking with Emily. We have given her tummy time in the center of the No Shhh zone of the library (while providing much entertainment to the baby starved singles and newlyweds). And, she has become quite adept at falling asleep while we stroll to our next class or some other errand on-campus. One other added bonus is her ability to nurse within my time restraints in bathroom stalls.

To end this tale of woe and joy, I direct my thanks to God. He knows everything about our lives. If we address him on a regular basis and do our part of the covenant, He will bless us in ways that we don't even realize until we think back on our trials. He will guide us with little nudges in directions that are needed. For example, I felt terribly anxious about the section I was taking for a class. I had the option of two days, and I thought that Wednesday was the best day for our little one (as she would be joining me) and me. It wasn't until I recognized the symptoms of my anxiety that I decided that maybe Wednesday was not the right day.
Since that change, I have felt very peaceful.

Despite how difficult this semester looks at the beginning, it will always, somehow, work out in the end. The Girl will have her good days and her bad days during our class time together, and I will have my good days and my bad days. It is the joy in life to continue learning and growing from all the experiences that we are blessed with.

Even though our lives were completely altered when Emily joined us, I cannot look back and regret one minute. She has blessed our marriage in numerous ways. She has definitely decreased my selfishness in many areas (although I still have much to delete).

And so our saga continues. What began as two has now become three. I could not ask for anything more.

Ode to Family

With 9 Aunts and Uncles from my side, and only one current grandchild (numba 2 is on the way- he and his mother are in our prayers), our Emily is definitely spoiled whenever we stay in Idaho. Both the old and the young wanted to have plenty of "niece time" but, due to the crowd, had to settle with spending time with Emily while she was with everyone else. I and my other photographers were able to capture some sweet moments between she and her aunts and uncles.

Kaden loved to sit with whoever was holding Emily and help in entertaining her.


He wasn't too impressed with her attempts to eat his face ("ewww, tell her not to do that. Does she not know that is gross?!").


Since my brothers, father, and husband are all huge fans of football, some bowl game was on almost every day we stayed there. I, therefore, got some good reading in. This picture is courtesy of Abby. Great job for an 8-year old huh?!


The Queen was definitely the life of the party. In fact, wherever she was the party was sure to follow.



We can't forget the omnipresent video games. Even Emily was captivated.

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For the finish, one of my favorite moments was the arm wrestling and wrestling between my brothers,father, husband, and the family friend. These were taken in succession. Enjoy.






I almost forgot. Papa M loved holding the little one, she clearly enjoyed this as well.




Love to the Munsons.

Thank You, April, for Everything

We have a dear family friend who has been struggling with some health issues for awhile. These issues reached a high point the past couple of months. I have laughed, cried, and been completely inspired as I have heard the stories she, and others, share about her experiences. In fact, tears still come to my eyes when I think about what a lovely person she is with her complete devotion to her husband, her daughters, the gospel, and service.


To April:


Thank you for being a light in my life when I am at my low points. I absolutely love you and your family. You are wholly beautiful because of your talent in pointing out the good in everyone you meet. Thank you for showing me what it means to be a mom.






If you would like to meet this special lady, just click here.

Let The Games Begin

So, Ben and I decided that we did not like our diet. We needed to cut out the junk. We have started a new page that includes whole wheat noodles, brown rice, and no sugar. This does not mean no dessert, just a different kind of dessert: fruit. What is in our shopping cart at Wal-Mart (forgive us, we are college students with a baby)?

-Sugar-free yogurt
-Pero
-Milk
-Cottage Cheese
-Crackers
-Frozen Berries
-And many many other things. I was just trying to achieve the Pavlovian effect.

Plus, I took a page from a dear family friend (thanks Kris!) and bought some nice yellow gloves. This allows me to clean my dishes at a scathing temperature without burning myself (plus it keeps my hands clean for when the Girl needs me), thus allowing for sanitation (note: we have no dishwasher).



I can't forget that we added a work out schedule to our uncluttered lives (hah!) so that our bodies and minds remain in excellent condition. We work out our bodies by attending the gym and our minds by studying our scriptures and praying together regularly. This also helps us keep tabs on each other's sanity.

In other news, my father started a sport's blog (in a fashion) and you can read his spicy post here.  Emily really enjoyed her aunts and uncles over Christmas.

Ashley and Emily

Sully (Uncle Austin's friend) and Emily

Emily's beautiful feet

Emily and Aaron

Aunt Abby's baptism

Ben at Abby's baptism

Emily and Aunt Katelynn

For the finale, Emily is enjoying a little nap bouncing on my knee.



It would seem with all the Child Development courses I have taken that I would be able to figure out how to get this girl to take naps and have a pretty regular sleeping schedule. Alas, I have no idea. If you have any, you are welcome to pass along the tips.

Now, for the real reason of this post: the pictures say it all.

These are Special Times

I am on vacation. Vacation = no homework, housework, or blogging. Until I realize that extended family would appreciate little updates here and there. So, I decided some photos were needed. I will abstain from the commentary because there are just too many pictures. However, I will bunch them into categories.
First, the big day: Christmas. We loved spending time with my family, and the Queen loved the bright lights, the kid's movements, and everything else. Notice how she enjoys grabbing things, it has been so fun to watch her develop.





One of my personal favorite traditions is dancing with my younger siblings. We put on the beats and start shaking our hips. The Queen really enjoyed watching the kids dance around.






The Queen is a favorite among EVERYBODY. She doesn't lack entertainment (and neither do they).









For our Christmas present, my parents gave us a date. We always weigh the pros and cons of bringing our girl with us but in the end, we have more fun when she is with us. So, we had a family date to eat and watch a movie. The movie was awesome (hint, click here) and the food was decent. The best part was having a wonderful time with our baby.



We love spending time with family and have enjoyed hanging out with all my siblings. They are incredible and definitely make the holiday. We are so close to the new year and have so many things to be grateful for. The best thing? All of you. Happy Holidays!