Fortunes and Flubs

5 months

2012-02-05T20:53:00.001-08:00

Dear Mr. Ezra...
The time sure has flown and more you grow the harder I fall for you. Here are some of my favorites about you:
You are soooo easy to get to smile
Super easygoing
Your are tough! When the boys are rough you don't make a fuss!
So chubby, it's adorable
How you like to suck your fingers
Your beautiful blue eyes
Watching you splash in the bath
Your laugh...usually when playing peek-a-b00
Your big fat smile after you wake up
How you like to go to sleep on your own

I love that I get to see your personality continue to emerge. You are the perfect addition to our family and just what I need. My deepest affection,
Mommy

Announcing Ezra

2011-11-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

EZRA JENS RUST
September 5, 2011
10:36 p.m.
8 lb. 5 oz. 21 1/4 inches

Photography

2011-03-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

So....I'm not sure why it has been so hard for me to keep up with this blogging thing. Probably because so much has happened and I would like to include everything that I didn't blog about, like our Disney trip, the holidays, our upcoming baby and I just don't know where to start. I guess for now I will just tell myself that I missed my chance and so I need to just move forward with the present. And so I will start with that. Here's to me I guess, and my latest!

I am currently taking my second photography course at Pikes Peak Community College and I'm finally learning the stuff I wanted to learn in my present course! So here are some of my favorite pictures and I hope you like them!

New Years Resolution

2011-01-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

HELLO BLOG!!!

I just finished making a book on blurb of our family trip to Disney World and I cannot wait to get it! This made me realize that I haven't even posted about our trip, Isaac's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. In fact, I didn't even make any new years resolutions....uh, WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING???!!! This needs to remedied immediately and so I propose my new years resolution: to make at least posts a month on my blog (one for each family member) so that when I publish my blog in a book I have a family journal of what went on in our sometimes crazy sometimes mundane lives. My family is EVERYTHING to me and I am realizing how quickly my babies are growing and I simply MUST preserve memories of these times that are fleeting. I mean, Ashton has all ready learned to right his name, spell all his family members names and read simple words. Isaac is potty trained and using the cutest sentences and expressions and because I didn't record them immediately, the memories will fade exponentially over time. SAD.

Also, I did get a flip camera for Christmas which I LOVE because it's sooooo much easier for me to upload to the computer. So even though videos won't be in my preserved blog books, they can be available for anyone (especially my kids) to see. So here's to January, the month of goals, resolutions, and faith in ourselves.

Ashton's First Pick up-line

2011-01-15T07:23:00.001-08:00

I was shopping at Gymboree yesterday and the store has a little section for kids with a couple of chairs and a TV. Ashton sat down and seconds later a girl sat next to him. This is what overheard.

Ashton: Elephants have trunks you know.

Girl: I know. I'm six. How old are you?

Ashton: I'm three.

I'm not sure what I thought was funnier. Earlier that morning I played a teletubby video in my room (Isaac picked it out at the library) so I could get ready. A few minutes into I asked the kids what they thought. Isaac was GLUED and laughing. I didn't need an answer from him. Ashton on the other hand looked at me and said, "I think this is SCARY!!!".

Stress

2010-10-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

I don't know why but I have been stressed out ever since our amazing trip to Disney World. I just feel like since we moved I haven't been on top of things the way I usually am. There is so much I want to do, so many projects I want to finish and books I want to read. I would love to finally get settled into the house (still no pictures up and still some organizing to do). I'm not caught up in my photography class and would love to just sit down and read many unfinished chapters. Not to mention getting pics out to those who have suckered me into taking their pictures. I'm starting a military wives support group and am hosting a dinner at the house next week to kick it off. Stress. Not to mention that Issac is two TODAY (which will get it's own more positive post). I have the party to plan and costumes for Halloween to finish. Young Women in Excellence is less than a week away and I am NOT ready for that either. I'm trying to get the budget all caught up after four months of neglect (our fabulous YNAB program is on the desktop which was in storage for months). Ugh! I just feel like I could drown in all this stuff. I think what I'm most sad about is that I don't do my daily projects with the kids....It's moments like these when I consider how crazy I am for wanting another baby. I can just feel relief all bolstered up and ready to flood in when Tyler finishes his very last week of training TOMORROW. Something about him reigns in my anxiety and fills me with such a positive perspective. And insanely enough I feel slightly better after unloading my brain on this post!

Here's the skinny

2010-10-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

We moved into our new home four weeks ago! We LOVE it! It is beautiful and just the right size for us. The owners took great care of the house and especially the lawn, plus we have lots of beautiful parks close to us! I have been busy in Young Womens and am also enjoying a photography class at the community college. I have lots of pics I'd like to post but we'll have to do on another day. Ashton started preschool with an exchange group with members of our church, and Isaac is talking more and more everyday. Tyler got home yesterday after almost 11 straight weeks of out of state training and as for the rest of us, our three days of puke fest are over and we are off to Disney World this afternoon for an amazing week of fun and best of all, being together as a family!!!!

JDRF

2010-09-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of years my brothers and their band Studio 7 has played at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation walk-a-thon fundraiser. They are getting really good and played for several hours. What's crazy is that two of the band members have junenile diabetes, the second one being diagnosed after they first played for JDRF. Anyways, there was a lot of activites, the walk itself, good music and a yummy lunch. It made for a really fun morning. Plus I got to try out my camera skills. I am currently taking a photography class so almost all the pictures I took were a result of my handiwork. So if some of pictures are out of focus or overexposed that's why...I hate to admit it but I lose A TON of pictures to overexposure :(!

The Balloon Classic

2010-09-12T21:24:00.001-07:00

Colorado Springs holds an annual Hot Air Balloon Classic over Labor Day Weekend. I loved going as a kid and now that we are here I just HAD to wake my boys up for a special surprise.

Ashton LOVED running to the inflating balloons for a photo shoot. He did it again and again!

Unfortunately it was dangerously windy so the balloons didn't take off but we still had fun and we have been lucky enough to spy a few hot-air balloons since floating new my parents home since!

The Spinning Chair

2010-09-12T20:55:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the boys put on their uncles sweet shades and took turns spinning eachother in my parents study on the computer chair. After several minutes they both climbed on and asked me to spin them...I was a little leery because they had both finished a huge dinner but I thought to myself "kids handle spinning way better than adults do" it was very logical to me! So I spun and spun and they chanted "faster, faster!!!"

Can you see his brother in the reflection of his glasses?
He's THRILLED!!!!

Another several minutes passed and then I was kicked by a spinning leg. I fell over and pretended to be hurt so I could sucker them in for a few hugs and kisses. My plan worked. They scurried off the chair, ran over and jumped on top of me. Isaac came in for the first kiss and as I puckered up I saw his lips seperate and his mouth got wider and wider. It was seriously in slow motion. I began to yell "NO!!!!!" My mouth opened at just the WRONG moment! Vomit came pouring in. I sat up quickly but it kept coming, EVERYWHERE. My hair, down my shirt, on my skirt on the floor...I ran him to bathroom whith Ashton close on our heels. Isaac is almost through when Ashton says "awwwww! There's puke EVERYWHERE!!!" and then he starts hurling....EEEEWWWWW!

Note to parent: Never indulge your kid in a "spinning chair". It's not worth it!

Lazy me....

2010-09-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

No posts for me for months now! I guess I have just been down right lazy since we moved from Texas. So for those of you who don't know Tyler finished up his intern year in general surgery the beginning of July and recieved our next assignment as Flight Surgery at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs. So while we are not thrilled at being forced to delay residency we are grateful to be in Colorado Springs with TONS of family :).

Unfortunately we recieved orders so late that the AF was overbooked to move us until the end of July which didn't work for us since we had my brother's wedding to attend mid July. This meant an unepected DITY move (do it yourself). We made arrangments through ABF where we loaded a trailer and they drive it out for you. Would have been perfect if they hadn't given us a broken ramp which ended up crushing Tyler's hand...(torn flesh, broken bones, severed nerves...wonderful!). In any case we had lots of friends and family come to our rescue and left two days after the accident...right on schedule! I have been staying at my in-laws and my parent's house over the last few months for a few reasons. #1- Tyler was sent back to Texas that very same month for a 2 month training and #2 The cute house that we chose to rent wasn't going to be available until Sept. 20. I am very excited to have my family back (for a little while) and hopefully will be able to establish some normal routines again and stop being so LAZY. So rather than try to post what all we have been up to over the last couple of months I will do a couple of entries that will definitely be out of choronological order...

Toddler Talk

2010-07-02T09:21:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning we asked Ashton what he wanted to do that day. He said with a sad face "We can't go to Sea World because we don't have passes....(happily) but we can go to SAM'S!!!!". I didn't know the two were comparable!

Good Bye Wilford Hall!!!

2010-06-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today is Tyler's last day as a surgery intern! Hooray!!!!! I am so proud of all your hard work this last year and insanely happy that we will have tons more of you this next year!

Expiration Date June 30

2010-06-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we bought our family zoo pass to the San Antonio Zoo. My how the time has flown! So we had to get one last outing to the zoo in before our move to Colorado next week. I brought our camera but not the not the good one...I figured some pictures are better than no pictures!

Afterwards I was interviewed by the news station about my opinion on the San Antonio Zoo and Sea Worlds cleanliness since they passed the Health Departments inspection with flying colors...."I'm happy!?" what were they expecting me to say? I didn't say much since it's kind of a skewed question and also because I didn't want to miss the train that Ashton had been dying to ride one last time. Too cute!!!

Toy Story 3

2010-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Tyler came home early a day last week and so we decided to take the kids to see Toy Story 3. It was a first real experience at the theater with the kids and Ashton was sooooo excited. In fact he was so into the movie that he didn't want any of the snack I had brought or the popcorn that Tyler bought! Isaac on the other hand was in heaven with all the food!

We had such a good time and the movie was soooo good that I believe that we will be going back soon!

Operation Swimming: Resumed

2010-06-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

After Ashton's surgery, he was unable to go swimming until all his 87 stitches disolved from his delicate scalp. (Sunscreen before then was obviously a NO and you don't want to soak a healing incision especially since we want a better looking scar this time around). This was a four week time frame and for those of you who don't know, the kid LOVES water...In fact when swimming outdoors is unavailable to us in the winter we do often do multiple baths a day.

Monday was the four week mark for us and we celebrated by going to the San Antonio Zoo. While it's not my favorite zoo ever (St. Louis Zoo, why are you soooo amazing???) it does have a fun man-made beach area for kids to play in the sand and cool off. And what can I say, the kids had a blast!!! Hooray for Ashton! The celebration continued when Ashton's friend Kate invited us to a pool party on Tuesday. We took a breather from swimming on Wednesday but Thursday we set up our own kiddy pool out back and then again Friday we were back at the pool with our friends Natalie and her kids Luke and Sammy. FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

News

2010-06-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got our long awaited orders. I'm not even sure if I have written about this but once again Tyler didn't match for residency. This time around (and I think he is sticking to it) he applied for Radiology but in the Air Force it is extremely competitive. And unfortunately what makes you competitive is how much time you have in the Air Force, not how qualified you are....So when you don't match into a residency you are place into Flight Surgery, also called Flight Medicine. This is simply being a Family Physician to Air Force pilots and their families. So that is what we are doing, and now for the where....Colorado Springs! Because we got orders so late we were unable to get the Air Force to move us in time for us to be in Colorado for my brother's wedding July 15th....The wedding isn't really in Colorado either, it's in California, Tyler and I are just flying there from Colorado while his parents watch the kids....In any case we are REALLY excited to just get there. We have both our parents, lots of siblings, cousins, nephews and a niece, etc....And we are ready to spend some time doing some REAL camping!!!

empathy

2010-06-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

We had to go to the Doctor's office yesterday morning. Nothing big, just to get some paper work signed for Ashton. Without it we cannot get orders and well, most of you know that we are moving in a month so to not even have orders yet is ridiculous. But that is another story for another day.

After a very speedy visit I decided to head over to the immunizations clinic to get Isaac caught up on his 18 month shots. Ashton was NOT happy. He HATES POKES. I reassured him that HE was not going to get ANY pokes. It was Isaac's turn today. Well, the memories of getting stuck were all to fresh in his mind and as I held Isaac down for his shots Ashton started pleading to the nurse "Don't poke my brother, not my brother!!!" The shots were delivered anyways and that's when the screams and tears let loose on both parties. One because he felt the pain and the other because he remembered the pain and did not want his brother to have to endure it. The love was SOOOO real that I had to fight the tears myself. I love you boys!!!

Surgery

2010-06-01T19:27:00.001-07:00

Ashton had his long awaited scar revision and cranioplasty last week. The surgery was originally scheduled to be a tissue expander placement (which would allow the skin to stretch over the course of 3 weeks by fluid injections into the expander). We opted to do this surgery because as you can see by the picture below taken just a few days before the surgery, he had a big fat scar on his head that we wanted to get revised. The stretching of the skin would allow the surgeons to revise that scar during a cranioplasty (fixing the skull in this case with metal rods and plastic to fill large holes in Ashton's skull that were a result of his craniectomy when he was just a day old.)
With Tyler on nights, I went to the surgery alone with Ashton. Almost an hour into the procedure the surgeon came out...My heart DROPPED! She reassured me immediately that nothing was wrong, that on the contrary, after shaving Ashton's head and manipulating the skin with her partners it was decided that they could forgo the tissue expander. There was enough skin to do the revision and they wanted consent to proceed with the cranioplasty. I was NOT ready for that! I was prepared for a simple surgery. I was prepared to have Ashton back in my arms in an hour and back at home the following day. I was not prepared for a MAJOR surgery! Especially when the recovery time IN the hospital was 4-5 days if all went well with Tyler working nights. What about Isaac? Well, in all reality how could I deny Ashton this option? One less surgery? No needed fluid injections (That were described to me by the surgeon as feeling like braces being tightened every other day!) The whole lead up to the surgery was awful!!! He hated even taking his shirt off (new Toy Story Birthday shirt). Thankfully they didn't start an IV until after he was under. He's a hard stick. No kidding after surgery he had at least 6 missed IV sights :( Well, my anxiety was calmed after I cried for at least 30 minutes. I called my mom and OF COURSE she dropped everything on her schedule for the week and found a flight to San Antonio that night. The surgery lasted almost 4 hours and then I was able to hold my little boy and be reassured that everything went really well. Dr. Mancuso was wonderful too. She gave me the biggest hug after the surgery and talked about how well it went.

Ashton slept for almost an entire day. When he did wake up it was for short periods of time and he was SOOOO lovey! It was great! And miraculously he NEVER once complained of pain, even to this day that his head hurts. Here he is in the PICU the morning after the surgery. He doesn't even look very swollen!!!

Later that evening we transferred to the floor. This meant that he could see his brother again! He was so happy to see mom, dad, Isaac and Nana. Can you believe how happy he looks?

Ashton LOVED the activities there were in the hospital. We were across from the largest playroom in the hospital. He felt so good that we were there morning, afternoon, and night. We even played BINGO and won a prize. He felt sooo good that he didn't even want to stay in his room for a movie. Below is the morning we were discharged. They took the bandage off and he looked GOOD!!!

Seriously this kid looks GOOD bald! What a cutie!

Check out the scar...So small and close to the head!!! I am soooo excited for him~

The beloved NANA!!! Mom, thank you so much for dropping everything. It feels so good to know that my wonderful friend and mother will do anything for me whenever I need it! My kids were in such good hands and my house looked wonderful after you left!!! I hope that I will be the kind of mother you are to me.

See how happy they are!!!

So here we are 8 days out and things are looking good. The wound overall looks great, Ashton is extremely cautious with his head, although he still has had mishaps bonking his head on the car, wall, brother's head, etc. But we are optimistic that this it. And so is he. In fact when I mentioned to Ashton that he needed to rest after the surgery to help his head get better he mater-of-fact-ly stated, "but mom, I'm fine, member Dad gave me a blessing!!!" We are more than ready to finish this chapter and move onto the normalcy of childhood for this little guy. I LOVE YOU ASHTON!!! You are one brave, strong, faithful boy.

Happy Three!!!

2010-05-20T20:45:00.001-07:00

Ashton turned 3 today! My little baby has grown so much!!! So much that he cannot be called a baby, although he will always be my baby, my first baby! So here is the birthday boy on his special day...He started the day with a present from papa and Nana Rust.

Then his present from Mom and Dad. He quite liked his Big Wheel. It took him a while to get the hang of it but he sure enjoys it. The only problem, like all our toys, is that there is only one.

Here is little Izey after finishing his turn on Ashton's bike.

Then we had a little birthday party with his friends Alijah, Kate and Kimberli. He was pretty sad that his friend Eli couldn't make it. But the kids loves a party and he sure had fun. He just gets soooo excited when his friends arrive and that excitement remains the entire time: games, pinata, cake and presents. He LOVES every minute of it. (I have to confess that he had two parties this year, one in Colorado with family...don't have any pictures of that one yet and then in San Antonio). So here are some pictures of his special day...

The Pinata!!! Boy do kids ever LOVE pinatas!!!

LOVE IT!!!!

18 month stud

2010-05-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Isaac Isaac Isaac. Or shall I say Izey Bizey..How is it that you are 18 months old all ready? I simply must take some time and write all about you, the things you say, the things you love and of course the the things you do...Here's to you baby!

Your vocabulary is beginning to sky rocket. You've discovered that you can talk in phrases to more fully communicate and it's often more effective. This morning you handed Dad some candy and said "open please". "What's that" "uh oh" "NO, you!" and the simple words like "mom" "dad", "bubow" (bubble), dog, "ba" (bath), "ju" (juice), "HOT", "milk", "cheese", "don't", "eyes", "air" (hair), "atuh" (ashton), papa, andoo (andrew). You are even getting good at single the alphabet, well, tune mostly, with Ashton and I. And while still sign a few words like more, all done, and your own special "I want to eat that NOW" which is done by gaping your mouth open as wide as wide can be and then just stare at the what it is you so badly want. ADORABLE!!! You understand more than I thought possible for a 18 month old. You're good at following directions like, put the toys in the box, put your plate in the sink, give this xyz to Ashton who is in the other room, etc. You just know what is going on!

As far as your loves go I would say that you are a very passionate person. Your number one love other than your family is your little monkey "Boo". He is your side kick. You've taken to him just like your brother, but unlike your brother you love all stuffed animals. You LOVE trucks and cars and making crashing sounds. You love balls, you love bubbles, you love dancing. You love junk food particularly chocolate, pudding, candy, cake, and pancakes. You LOVE raspberries, blueberries, granola bars, carrots and broccoli. You love trains, running, hitting (playfull of course), trees, ballons, water, and killing ants, panting, and well, doing whatever Ashton is doing. You have learned so much about life just by doing what he does!

I love the way you sqeeze your eyes shut when you say cheese. I love the way you love to eat, no matter how messy you are! I love the way you hold up your shirt over your belly. I love how ticklish you are and your great big chuckle. I love the way you love animals. I love the way you love your brother! I love the goofy things you do to make us laugh. I love how you wrap your arms so tight around my neck and hold me for long periods of time. I love how you love read books after you wake up. I love the way you sing along to songs. I love being your mom and knowing you love me too!

Letting Go

2010-05-14T13:07:00.001-07:00

With Ashton's first surgery coming up at the end of the month, I worried about what to do with little Isaac while I am with Ashton at the hospital. My mom with be here in June for the big surgery, so no worries there. What's difficult about it is Tyler is on nights. This means the inability to take a "day" off other than what is on the schedule...It really became difficult when the intern who covers for him on his off days would be on vacation the week of the surgery...ughhh..So Tyler tried to work it out with a few of the other iterns to get cebvbb rtain nights off and it was near IMPOSSIBLE!!!! We felt extremely frustrated when even the resident in charge of the schedule was not accomodating to our needs. It truth I wanted to make those hurt they way that I felt hurt. I wanted to write a letter to the wife of the intern who so heartlessly refused to switch Tyler his nights off simply because he did not want to hold an extra pager the next day. In that letter I wanted to say something like, " I hope that your child never has a critical surgery because it is terrifying and if one day they do I hope that your husband is able to work out his schedule with his co-workers so that he is able to be off for that surgery". Terrible, I know. I had no charity, only pain. It was eating at me, I was hurting myself. Then I decided enough was enough. I could let the actions of others influence me for good or for evil and I was choosing the later. So I decided to let go. I decided to pray for that family, that their family needs would be meant and that I could love them and serve them. It worked, it was hard at first but when I committed it was incredibly easy and I could feel my self-inflicted wound heal. All I can say is I am grateful for the gospel, grateful for what I have learned, grateful for my faith in Jesus Christ and for the power of the atonement. Grateful that I have won this little spat within myself!

Upcoming Surgery

2010-04-06T20:19:00.001-07:00

Almost two years ago Ashton had his last of four surgeries. For most of you who don't know Ashton had a massive brain bleed when he was born. He underwent immediate life-saving surgery for which we are so grateful. To make a complete recovery from this surgery means that his skull needs to be patched up. He had two cranioplasties in the year following that initial surgery, neither of them took, so he still has a gaping whole in his skull.So, for the last two years we have had very little to worry about with Ashton...But know that it is confirmed that the last cranioplasty using bone morphogenic protein II didn't take and know that he is getting older and crazy rambunctious as expected for an almost three year old (getting his head stuck in his bed slats, falling down the stairs, flipping over in a runaway stroller in the seaworld parking lot, smacking his head a wooden chest), it's time to take action and make sure no future accidents cause permanent damage. He is scheduled to have surgery on May 24 (tissue expansion we opted to do for a scar revision) and cranioplasty on June 16 (this time with titanium rods and methylmethacrylate). Of course I am nervous and anxious, but I am trusting in God. I love the power of prayer, the sweet assurance of the Holy Spirit, for my knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and of course for priesthood blessings. We can do this!!!

Oh the wisdom...

2010-04-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ashton often likes to help out around the house...Doing dishes, cooking, throwing trash away, etc. Well, the other day he was helping out in the kitchen and Tyler and I were caught up with cooking. I knew Ashton was messing around with the microwave but he never turned it on, I just heard a lot of beeping. When I went to melt some butter a little later, this is what I found.
Here's a closer look!!!!

This microwave is almost ten years old. So glad that they thought of this protective measure!

The Mustache Man

2010-04-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know where this crazy idea came from, but Tyler came home from work earlier this month and declared he was growing a mustache...because everyone at work was growing a March mustache...don't know why. He told his co-workers that he couldn't, his facial hair is so patchy...I'm not sure what all was said, but he decided he had to prove to him that he couldn't. So here it is, the picture was taken on March 31st, one full month of mustache madness, not even trimmed once. Rest assured, this will be the first and last mustache he ever grows. Here's to you Babe, I love you!!!!

UP Party

2010-03-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today we had Ashton's long awaited UP party. We've been planning it ever since Bakerella posted these UP cupcakes and I knew what we needed to do...We had some friends over, each kid painted little bird houses and then played while they dried. We lunch, hotdogs were served for the kiddos, Russell's meal in the movie...I was happy they all liked them, I was worried because kids are so fickle. Anyways, the moms had a more suitable lunch, thanks Manda for sharing your delicious spinach pasta salad and her infamous no-knead bread. The kids watched UP while the moms ate and when the kids got to rambunctious we ate the sprinkled covered treats. Before the party ended the kids tied balloons to their birdhouses to take home. It went as well as could be expected with a bunch of two and three year olds. In any case, I love you Ashton!!!

Circulon

2010-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

When Tyler and I first were married we registered for the least expensive set of pots and pans, knowing that they would do the trick and that they would be replaced soon anyways. It's been almost five years and while they have not only held up but are still functioning we are moving on...and moving up! We ordered our circulon 10 piece set off of amazon at a steal of a price and they are worth every penny! It is The Only Dishwasher Safe, Hard-Anodized Nonstick Cookware (oven safe too). Ooooooh, they cook so evenly, so perfectly, I am in love!

Cake Pops

2010-02-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

So my kids are a little bit picky...Well, at least Ashton was when he was one. Normal for most, right? Well, I've dug myself into a very deep hole that will only get deeper in time. It started with a cookie monster sandwich. No big deal, little outline using a gel writer on his sandwich. We progressed to Elmo pancakes (quite an art) monkey cupcakes, and continued with new pictures on sandwiches using edible ink pens...Then of course I had to try my hand at all of bakerellas goodies and amongst them where elmo and cookie monster cake pops. So here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. I wish I would have taken pictures of the good ones, each time I make them I haven't taken out the camera fast enough and of course they want the best ones first!

RO-DE-O

2010-02-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

Ashton has been pretty jealous of the daddy and mommy dates lately, so after our date last weekend we promised that we would take him on a family date. Yesterday here in San Antonio was free grounds admission for military at the Rodeo and Tyler had the night off so we went and met up with some friends! It was perfect! It was overcast and chilly so there were not tons of people there. We were only there for a few hours (Tyler sleeps during the day plus we went before dinner), but we had fun with the few hours we had. There were a bunch of the big inflatables which Ashton LOVES (jumping is his passion). He went out of his comfort zone and stood in line for the Nemo inflatable and played all by himself (well, without mom, dad, or Kate). I was so proud of him!!!

They had a huge carousel which the kids were head over heels for. It was indescribable joy for me too to feel Isaac's little tummy roar in laughter while riding his moving horse. Poor Isaac was sooooooo jealous from then on out as he was too little for the many rides Ashton enjoyed later with Kate...Overall, great time!!! (I would have taken more pictures but my battery died!)

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

Ashton and I made some awesome robot valentines to take to a Nursing Home with the young women in our ward...He had a blast delivering them but I knew I needed to make some for my boys when I saw the look of desperation on Isaac's face and we passed them to all the males in the home...except for him and his bro. We also made these "monster mailboxes" (both ideas from the Family Fun Magazine). This will definitely be a tradition. Ashton loves making crafts and had a great time making the eyes and gluing on the parts and I thought they were ADORABLE and a perfect place to stuff their valentines cards, candies, and presents...So will be doing this EVERY YEAR. Here are the kids discovering their loot. The Loot

And I couldn't resist the chance to stuff my boys with heart shaped pancakes. The only thing missing was my incredible husband... We did however have a romantic date the night before...

And we have to include the boys with the Valentine stuffed animals that they received in the mail along with many other goodies from Papa and Nana Rust! Thanks, the boys LOVE them!

Pay it Forward

2010-02-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

So....this is at least a year overdue. I signed up on sister's blog many moons ago to "pay it forward". It was kind of a thing last year and I got involved, received my gift and then dropped my end of the bargain, until now. So this is how it works:

Leave a comment for me on this post and I will create a delightful gift, made and designed especially for you within the next three months. I know, three months sounds like a long time to wait, but I promise it it will be worth it, and I'll hint that it might possibly involve my sewing machine (I just bought a book of patterns by Amy Butler!!!!!)...Here is the catch, upon receiving your gift, you in turn have to "pay it forward" in any fashion you choose. So let the fun begin!!!

And just for fun, this is what my sister created for me!!!! I little saying that I am quite fond of as noted in THIS post...

Bitter Sweet

2010-02-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

I just found out that my Grandfather, Grandpa Black passed away this morning. It is a bitter sweet moment. Bitter because he was and will always be my Grandpa and I haven't seen or talked to him in years. Bitter because my Dad has to deal with losing both his parents in the same year. Bitter because he was a good Grandpa and always had fun with us when we were young. Sweet because he has suffered from Alzheimer's for many many years and now has his memory to companion him once again, Sweet because he is reunited with all his loved ones who passed on before him, Sweet because he can now enjoy the journey through the next phase of life. Sweet because I am confident that there is a Plan of Salvation created by a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves us and is awaiting our progression so that we might return to Him and especially sweet because I know that I will see him with my own eyes in the flesh again.
I love you Grandpa!!!

First Step!!!

2010-01-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Today Ashton and I witnessed a beautiful moment in the life of Isaac. My boys are very much boys and while we were building up our stacking blocks to knock down over and over again Isaac got very excited. He was very eager to help stack up the blocks for the quick thrill of blocks scattering threw the air. He would stand all by himself (this is only the 3rd time he's done it) to stack the blocks and on one occasion he took his FIRST STEP toward the recently built tower to knock them down! He was so controlled and so happy!

We also enjoyed some fabulous mint brownies...I almost think that boys enjoyed them more than I!!!

Getting Set Apart

2009-12-31T19:58:00.006-08:00

So I finally got set apart for my scary but exciting church calling. I don't know that I have really felt nervous to be the Young Women President (I am positive that being the 2nd counselor for a few months helped me get over the nerves of working with the YW) but I have felt inadequate and overwhelmed and challenged soooooo it was absolutely wonderful to get set apart by our bishop. I love that God trusts worthy men with his power to bless the lives of his children, and specifically to bless my life. With that setting apart comes the assurance that God is not only on my side but that He is going to strengthen me and guide me (so long as I continue to do my part) so that I might be the instrument in His hands that is needed at this time. I love serving in the church. I love that I have an opportunity to grow and learn from my leaders and my God as well as from the beautiful and unique girls that I have. I hope that the girls enjoy having me as much as I am enjoying them!

On the Eigth day of Christmas

2009-12-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

On the Eighth day of Christams

we're nearly out of rhyme
So we sang 8 Christmas carols
To enhance our Christmas time

On the Seventh day of Christmas

2009-12-20T19:50:00.001-08:00

On the Seventh Day of Christmas
yummy treats in bags with bows
for friends to be delivered
7 dozen chocolate covered Oreos

(Thanks for the labels Brooke!)

On the Sixth day of Chirstmas

2009-12-19T11:24:00.001-08:00

It's the Sixth day of Chirstmas
six secret acts of service
for family, friends and strangers
to keep the Christmas spirit with us.

Christmas pic

2009-12-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I really wanted to get family pictures done for Christmas cards but it just didn't happen. So when Tyler woke up for the day (he is working nights)we headed over to the nearby park and had a friend snap a few pics and with some crazy kids and a setting sun, this is as good as it gets!

I have to add a few pictures of the boys on the bridge, the boys absolutely love collecting rocks to throw into the lake from the bridge. They can't get enough of it and it is adorable. Sometimes we bring bread to throw in for the ducks and the boys quickly adopt the policy "one for me, one for the ducks". I love my boys!!!

On the Fifth day of Christmas

2009-12-18T19:13:00.001-08:00

The Fifth day of Christmas
Is a different kind of sort
We'll read Christmas stories
While sitting in a fort

On the Fourth day of Christmas

2009-12-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

On the Fourth day of Christmas
we simply could not forget
to exchange our '09 ornaments
with those that we love best.

To: Isaac From: Mom and Dad

To: Holly From: Tyler

To: Ashton From: Mom and Dad

To: Tyler From: Holly

On the Third day of Christmas

2009-12-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

On the Third day of Christmas

we've often heard it said
it's quite some fun to decorate
a house of gingerbread

On the Second day of Christmas

2009-12-16T19:28:00.001-08:00

On the Second day of Christmas
2 sets of monkey jammies
for little boys who like to play
with their Daddy and their Mommy

On the first day of Christmas

2009-12-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

On the First day of Christmas
we thought it would be groovy
to plop down on our comfy couch
and watch a Christmas movie

12 days of Christmas

2009-12-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

So this is the first time Tyler and I aren't going "home" for Christmas and are celebrating together with our boys. I LOVE traditions and so have been trying to come up with our own and so we start with the 12 days of Christmas. This year is just with our family, although I have one to do for friends that I had planned to do this year but didn't because we were to start the day Ashton became terribly ill with RSV and pneumonia and was hospitalized for 3 days...So although we missed a few days I insist it still be done so here I will post Day 1 and Day 2, tomorrow Day 3 and Day 4. Then we will be caught up and will hopefully be able to stay on schedule! (FYI: Ashton is doing fantastic, he is doing well enough to be home and as the fatigue wears off he is reverting back to his old energetic adorable self! We LOVE you Ashton and you too Isaac, it was hard to be away from you for so long!!!)

Catch up

2009-12-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

So I hate getting to this point...A month has passed without a blog entry which means that I am letting darling moments slip into memories soon to be forgotten (how I hate that! Why can't I retain the thoughts, feelings and adorable sights that I experience). We were driving home from a baby shower today and Ashton wanted me to hold his hand, so of course I did....nevermind that it isn't safe to steer and change gears with the same hand. He didn't want to let go and it was wonderful. Small, warm, smooth...I love when my children are affectionate with me, when they smile at me with their eyes twinkling...I know my children love me and I know that they know I love them. My family is my greatest treasure, they are what I live for...and because I absolutely love my time with them I am going to play the catch up game...

xtreme sports

2009-11-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

Any 12 month old kids who don't mind a little rug burn for a killer ride, contact Isaac.

Stats

2009-11-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

Isaac had his one year appointment yesterday...Surprisingly his weight has dropped! Here they are:

Height: 19 1/2 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 19 lb 6 oz (8th percentile dropped from 60th)
Head Circumfrance: don't remember but it was huge

We have to have a follow up in month for the whole weight thing. Funny cuz you look at him and he looks like a chunk!

Morning of mourning

2009-10-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

So yesterday morning as we were getting ready to go downstairs for some breakfast Ashton stopped at the top step and asked, "Is my daddy working?" to which I replied, "yup, Daddy's working". A slow frown creeped over his face and he and in a sad almost panicky way said "my daddy's at work?"...and then he lost it. Aboslutely lost it. Huge alligator tears poured down his face and he sobbed for a good five minutes. It was so sad! But at the same time it made me kinda happy to see how much he LOVES his Daddy!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!

2009-10-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe it...My sweet Isaac is one today! I feel so in love with him that I feel sad to see him grow up! I'm sure many of you can relate. Why can't they stay little forever. The sweet soft skin, the beautiful innocent eyes, the sheer joy of him nuzzling into my neck.

I really wanted it to be a NON-STRESS day so we just hung out and did all the things that he LOVES to do. Bath time, truck time, wrestle time. I stole him and Ashton away for a story/singing time at the pumpkin patch. He loved the songs and then romped around in the hay climbing on pumpkins. I think one of his highlights was riding on the hay horse and playing in the oversized box. ADORABLE!

After a surprisingly long nap it was time for presents. Daddy had made it home early from work and he was absolutely perfect. He opened presents, acted excited and played with the toys. We then ate his FAVORITE meal. We call it Larry Bean Soup (diced tomatoes, kidney beans, taco seasoning-Thanks Crockett's!). Last but not least, BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!! He reaction was perfect again.

(more pics and possibly video to come soon)
We love you Isaac! Happy Birthday Baby!

Flubs...

2009-10-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

It seems as though we have exited "fortunate-ville" and have had my fair share of flubs for a while. So lots of the kid flubs are cute but when they are on a more adult level...argggg. For example, I had scheduled Isaac's 1 year pictures at Picture People. While on the phone scheduling the appointment their rep kept saying the 30th instead of the 23rd but when I would clarify she would say "sorry, i meant the 23rd". So this morning we went out and bought the perfect cupcake for him to chow for some pics. We were running a few minutes late but that's not unusual. I was a little annoyed when Isaac rubbed his arm across the car tainting his perfectly delightful new shirt while waiting for me to pull Ashton from the car. I brushed it off and when we made it to the store only to hear that we were in the system for the 30th, well, I was down-right bothered. They said we could wait and get squeezed in as a walk-in. We walked to the food court....a rather long walk for Ashton who was limping because his shoes are apparently too small, grabbed a quick bite were we discovered the beautiful cupcake had been smashed. When we returned to the store we were informed we could be worked in at 3:45....We had arrived for an 11:45 appointment. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. We left and headed off to Home Depot. Tyler wanted a printer that he found on slickdeals that would be free after mail-in-rebate. He found the LAST one left in town and we were on our way to make it ours. He had put it on hold the night before and I called before leaving to make sure that it was still there...it would be a 30 minute drive. It was. I hauled a ginormous printer with me, occupying the entirety of the front seat, to return...Tyler had bought the wrong one so I was returning this one for the correct one. Well, after managing to get us into the store with merchandise in hand I was regretabley informed that the paper I had brought with me was a rebate form, not a receipt. Okay, whatever, I'd return it later, now on to the printer. What? The printer? "Well, some guy named Jason was just in here and bought it... I didn't tell them my name when I called earlier so they didn't know who was coming in at 2pm to pick it...Never mind that it was on hold for a TYLER RUST! ARGGGGGG!!!! The customer service person was so incredibly rude and I had had enough of the bad luck that I was in tears walking back to my car. A weeks worth of bad luck all in one day.

What happens when mom is on the phone for 5 minutes

2009-10-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

I called my father to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and after Ashton sang a sweet birthday tune he ran off in excitement. I had just changed Isaac's diaper before dialing my Dad's number and obviously left the baby powder in baby's arm reach. It didn't take long for the boys to discover the magic of baby powder. Needless to say I didn't get to talk to my Dad long but I did snap a few pics before I ended the blissful chaos.

In any rate, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You are the best of the best.

A day in the life of Isaac

2009-10-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

So Isaac is just about the cutest thing ever. He is quick too. Here are some adorable pictures of the things that he does while I cook some eggs, look up an address, or empty the dishwasher.

So these last pictures may be a little disturbing to some, but in all honesty, most infants are enamored with toilet paper and there is a reason for the toilet seat lock invention...I guess it's time to pull ours back out. It was pretty stinking cute. He would carefully tear pieces of toilet paper and drop them into the toilet...at least the toilet had been cleaned that day AND nobody had forgotten to flush!

Firestation Fun

2009-10-08T12:29:00.001-07:00

Because Ashton, Isaac and I know the firemen in the area (for more info see this post) I volunteered to host playgroup this week and scheduled a time with our firefighting friends to bring the kids to the fire station. The kids loved the huge red truck and tour of the station. They were even given their own fireman sticker badges. The best part was when the firemen turned on the flashing lights on the truck. As we were leaving the alarm sounded and we watched the big red truck speed away. We then came back to our house and made these cute fireman hats.

The fireman in the middle is one who helped with Ashton over the summer. The firemen over there call him the locksmith boy:)

Sporting his shiny sticker badge

New Moves

2009-10-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

My baby Isaac is approaching his first birthday. I have to say he has been such an easy-going baby! So happy, laughy, and content. He has not been very motivated to stand, walk, or even cruise...crazy how different he and Ashton are. But regardless they love each other dearly. I absolutely LOVE to see the excitement on their little faces when they reunite after naps. Anyways, as of today, Isaac can officially pull himself up. He was standing in his crib after each nap and then I saw the move in action as we were playing this afternoon. He was having fun pushing buttons on the phone so I moved up onto the coffee table. His eyes were fixed on the phone as he grabbed onto the top of the table. He had to adjust his chubby feet twice before he was in a position to pull up, but he did it!!! We were so excited together....seeing your kids learn and grow...ah, what a good day!

apples and virtue

2009-09-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

As part of my responsibilities in Young Womens I have the opportunity to teach lessons every other Sunday. This last Sunday was mine to teach and the topic was, "Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly" (from D&C 121:45). The lesson was basically a talk that Elder Packard gave back in the day and included an experience he had in which he had to help with the irrigation of his family's orchard. He was just a young boy and was having a difficult time because the irrigation channels had filled with weeds and the water was flooding in all directions. He tried building the banks up but then a wise friend helped most efficiently by removing the weeds. We likened the weeds to our thoughts and so I saw the perfect opportunity to make Bakerella's apple cake pops as part of the hand out. Because this is turning into a hobby of mine I thought I'd post a pic of the handouts...

Zoo pics

2009-09-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't posted anything since my birthday over 2 weeks ago...I'm not sure why, partly it's because I feel like not much has really happened, we are caught in the monotony of our routine and partly because I've been pretty busy. I got a new calling at church. I LOVE the way the church functions (getting an assignment to serve...can you believe how organized, efficient and functional the church is with NO PAID CLERGY!!! I mean common, there sure is a lot of dedication and love going on here!). Anyways, I am serving as the second counselor in the Young Women's Organization. It is a big change because the last ward we were in for 4 years didn't have any young women, but regardless, it is totally awesome. The young women here are amazing!!! So I've been busy teaching lessons, going to meetings and attending mutual, it's great!

And then this last weekend, on Tyler's weekend off we were asked to speak in church. We had great topics (daily scripture study and garnish thy thoughts with virture). So even though that occupied a lot of our weekend we managed to escape for a date. Here in San Antoni there are Alamo Drafthouse Theatres. It is FANTASTIC. The theatres have replaced every other row of seats for a long table so you can actually have a dinner at the movies! The wait staff was great and so was the food. Super FUN!!!

So, now that I actually sit down and think about it I guess a few things have happened. First and most importantly Tyler applied for Radiology residency. Things could work out to where this intern year in general surgery would count and then we would only have 4 more years.!!! We'll see. It was an extremely difficult decision. We were torn trying to decide between Surgery, the specialty that Tyler LOVES, he would be awesome at it, but it would require a lot more training (especially because he would want to specialize further) and a lot more time away from the family after residency, and Radiology. Radiology isn't something that Tyler is passionate about, but something that would okay and allow for a great family life after residency and he could specialize further and still get to do some OR procedures. We fasted, we prayed, we studied, we went to the temple and WE COULD NOT get a strong answer...It was frustrating. We even deliberated picking a specialty from a hat and calling it good. I felt especially hurt that we coudn't get a definitive answer as to what would be BEST for our family because they are quite different family life styles. We had a time limit so we picked Radiology for the family life and I struggled to find comfort in why we were left to decide for ourselves. I talked to Tyler and our parents and I couldn't find comfort in the way things went down. And then I talked to sweet Amanda her in San Antonio and she said something to me that just made sense. Obviously God let's us choose for ourselves often but WHY wouldn't it matter in this case. This was A HUGE decision for us!!! She said that God often only gives strong answers when the outcome effects our eternal salvation or would put us in harms way...So while we would have radically different family lives depending on Tyler's specialty we are left to decide for ourselves because either way our eternal salvation wouldn't depend on it...I know that God loves us and ultimately His plan is to get us back to Him and if anything, I'm glad to know that we are track.

Other events: Isaac started crawling! Super cute, he's quite mobile now and I think I need to upload a video soon. Ashton rode his first rollercoaster at Sea World...and had his first fire ant bite (so sad!)

Anyways, last week here was pretty glum...It rained almost everyday which really cramps our style because we go out a lot!! The sun broke free on Sunday and we have been go go go ever since! (We may have to chill out tomorrow though because we are pooped!) We made it out to zoo yesterday with some friends and while I didn't bring my camera yesterday, I realized that I didn't post the zoo pic from my birthday so here they are....

BE CAREFUL!!!

2009-08-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ashton and I have a habit of drinking a caprisun on the porch while Isaac takes his first nap. Yesterday while we were out enjoying our juice Ashton got up from his chair and walked down to the sidewalk. He kept waking in direction of all the cars driving on the main road just 2 houses down. He informed me "gonna see cars" and kept going. I got up and started after him which only made his little feet move faster. He reached the main road before I caught up to him and I yelled, "ASHTON, BE CAREFUL!!!" At that point I was right behind him, he turned, looked up at me and stated "I'm being careful, I'm JUST WALKING!"....

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

2009-08-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

So, I pretty much LOVE birthdays. Tyler knows this and is always a little nervous because he thinks he isn't going to make me feel special when my Birthday comes around. This year Tyler has to work (from 5am to 6:30 pm) so when I got up this morning I had a special surprise. This is what I found when my kiddos got up.

Adorable huh!!! I am so lucky to have a great husband and wonderful kids!!! The rest of the day went great as well. I have more to post but I'll add to this tomorrow!

Friends

2009-08-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

While in Colorado I got to catch up with a lot of old friends. This is a high school/college friend Bekah and my kiddos. I haven't seen her in a few years. I also ran into my all time best friend Shea randomly at Wal-mart the night before she was leaving for South America! And to top it off it was my high schools 10 year high school reunion. The timing was coincidence and I hadn't even planned on attending any of the events but Gabe asked me if I wanted to go to the picnic at Fox Run. The kids had all just gone down for naps and so we hopped in the car and saw a bunch of old friends. I was surprised at how many names came back to me almost instantly. It was pretty funny, there was still someone who thought that Gabe and me were together...Fun having a sibling of the opposite sex in the same grade with you! All in all it was good time catching up...good memories, good friends.

Wakeboarding in Pueblo

2009-08-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting things I was looking forward to for our Colorado trip was #1 seeing Andrew after 2 years (of course) and #2 wake boarding. So here are lots of pics of the fam doing what I love most!Here's my pops! Isn't he fit! He's so great to drive us and pull us most of the day, only getting a short run in himself. Thanks Dad!
Little bro Joe. He's a stud!

Big bro Gabe...
Little bro Zig...He's so fun to watch!
I love the water distortion in this photo!
A glimpse of what the reservoir looks like. It's really pretty!
A jump almost landed
Moi
Here's my little man Ash driving the boat, what a cutie!
The most beautiful little girl ever!

Kiddie rid with Ashton, he was having a great time, but like his cousin Ben whom didn't get photoed, ended like this....

Overall a BLAST!!! I hope one day we're all rich so we can spend weeks on the lake together!

Temple Trip

2009-08-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the family was able to go to the Denver Temple to do baptisms and sealings. What a wonderful experience!!! Andrew just got home from serving a mission in Puerto Rico and it has been years since all the family has been together. It was especially meaningful to go to the temple with all the family (with the exception of Michael) and be reminded of the eternal family bond that we have, thanks to our loving Saviour. It was also the first time that I have been there since Tyler and I were married there four years ago and again, I am so blessed to have such an incredible husband and friend to be mine for the eternities (along with our own two beautiful boys). I am SOOOO grateful for temples and for the opportunity that we have to receive perspective, guidance and strength from our Father in Heaven. I savored every minute of it.
Here is a picture of the group (with the exception of my in-laws-who were also with us and taking this picture~thanks!)
My fun-loving father-in-law, feeling good.
Andrew, me and Joey, or, Los solteros (the singles). Well, I'm not but without Tyler physically there, I got thrown into this group.
Gotta love brothers! (Can you believe that I'm fake strangling a just turned 13 year old? I mean look at my heals and he's still got height on me!)
My beautiful parents. Couldn't have dreamed of better!
Big bro Gabe and wife Becca
Little Sis Kirsten and her hubbie Ryan (oh, and little Keith expected to make his earthly appearance next week!)

9 months

2009-08-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is 9 months old!!! He had his well baby check up yesterday and here are his stats

Weight: 21 lb 2 oz (60th percentile)
Height: 29 3/4 inches (65th percentile)

So here is what my little Isaac is doing now...Rolls, sits, spins, loves to grab his little feet, loves to stick out his tongue, blow raspberries, he's not crawling but is able to scoot backwards while he is on his tummy. He still doesn't have any teeth so his smile is just as sweet as can be. He absolutely loves his older brother, is ticklish on his thighs and tummy, loves bubbles and is starting to self feed table foods. He also really loves his daddy and has a special smile that only Dad gets. Overall he is EXTREMELY happy. I am so happy to have him with us and can't wait to continue to see his personality unfold. He is my little angel and I adore him!!!

I love....

2009-07-30T08:08:00.001-07:00

Scenario: Tyler, Holly and Ashton sitting at the table while Ashton was enjoying some Doritos. Tyler turned and asked him if he loves chips, he took a big bite and said, "I LOVE my family!!!, I love MY family!!!". We both got a little teary-eyed at that!

Choices

2009-07-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

I have been really emphasizing to Ashton that he always has a choice. He can choose to take a toy away from Isaac and get time-out, or he can choose not to and keep playing. He can choose to color or read books. He can choose to be mad or happy. He can choose to wear his shoes outside or not (he always chooses to wear them because we have mostly pokey hurty weeds in our yard), he can choose to obey and get the corresponding consequence or he can disobey and get the corresponding consequence. You get the idea.

This weekend I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Tyler worked 90+ hours last week and he is my best friend, I LOVE BEING AROUND HIM and I MISSED HIM!!! (In fact, when I asked Ashton Friday night what he wanted to do on Saturday he said "I wanna see Daddy!!!". "Me too!" I said... Plus it gets a little tiring doing ALL the stuff for the kids and the house etc. I was grumpy and gloomy. Monday morning I was telling Ashton of his choices as he was getting frusterated while we were playing and then I realized, I have a choice too. I can choose to be bummed, irritable, impatient etc. during these residency years, OR I can choose to enjoy what I've got. I made my choice and it's been a good week. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for helping me realize this and also for giving me agency to choose. The journey is what we make it!!!

IT'S DONE!!!

2009-07-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

So Ashton is officially potty trained. I can't believe what a champ he's been. I know that we were really lucky and he was sure ready. The best part is that he still rewards himself by getting a sticker to add to his chart, so he really is doing all the work. What a cutie! We're proud of you Ashton!

Oops, I did it again!!!

2009-07-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that for the second week in a row, I have been locked out from Ashton. Okay, this time it wasn't his fault, but this was MORE scary. I decided to embark on our first outing to Sea World without Tyler. When we arrived I grabbed my keys and pushed the "trunk" button and then "unlock" button on the key fab...I had a feeling they could get locked in and I did NOT want that to happen. I tossed my keys in the diaper bag sitting on the passenger seat and shut my door, pulled the stroller from the trunk and shut it. When I was ready to throw the kids in I was stunned by the car door that refused to open. Could I really have pressed the wrong button? "OH NO!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!" Immediate tears came and I found myself staring in panic at the keys inside the car....the VERY HOT car...A sweet man with his wife and 3 kids heard me and ran over to help me. He told me not to cry, that it would scare the kids. He called papalock, a service that unlocks car doors for free when kids are locked inside. His wife ran to get Sea Worlds security. We then were left to wait while once again trying to coach Ashton in unlocking his car door. Isaac had sweat beading on his nose and forehead. He started to cry. I felt AWFUL! Soon security arrived and jimmied the door open. I hugged my kids and wanted to go home and never leave the house with them again. But, we didn't. How could I not let them enjoy an afternoon in a nice cool splash park after being trapped in a hot car?! Asides from that scary incident, we had a blast, and now the kids are tucked in the beds enjoying a nice long nap....

Beach Pics

2009-07-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

So this is a month late but the pictures are so cute that I had to include them anyways. The beach with the kids was so fun! Ashton, the crazy man, would lie and wait for the waves to crash into him. Isaac loved the sand and Gabe and his fam built a sandcastle. Once the tide engulfed it Ashton climbed into the big hole Gabe had dug and was buried. He surprisingly liked it!

Milestones....

2009-07-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

So we "upgraded" our internet which resulted in having no internet for 11 days! Miserable, I know. Anyways, we've got it back and no I'm trying to piece my life back together (okay, so maybe that's extreme). So this is what we have been up to the last few weeks.

First, and most important, Tyler started residency! He has to report to the base in military dress, and I'll admit, he looks HOT but even HOTTER in his long white doctors coat. He has been incredibly busy working in Neurosurgery and we are missing him a lot. While Tyler was working a 30 hour shift this weekend (which turned into 33 straight hours of trauma after trauma) Ashton started yelling, "I want my DADDY!" it was pretty cute. This brings me to our next big event.

Monday we had a little friend Ashton's age over. It was hot, of course, so we went outside to fill up the inflatable pool and while Ashton, Kate, Isaac and I were waiting for the pool to fill Ashton ran back inside and closed the door. I went to go inside a few minutes later to grab suits and Ashton and the door was locked. Ashton had locked it when he went in so I tried to coach him in unlocking the door. He tried and tried and we were getting hotter and hotter. I started to check the windows, pulling off a screen near the couch and proceeded to guide Ashton to unlatching the window lock...still no luck. I began to panic. Isaac was bright red (he had sunscreen on, he just gets REALLY red when he gets hot). I tried to kick in the door. I kicked and kicked, I even threw myself into the door...no luck (little Kate tried to help too, mimicking my actions from talking to Ashton to kicking the door, and when she would get bored of that she was off splashing in the pool, not a worry in the world, I wish I could have mimicked that!). I decided I need help and ran the 2 kids next door to the sweet neighbors. They watched the kids and let me use their phone to call the fire department. Within minutes the firemen were here repeating all the steps I had just done only with better luck. With the same instructions that I had given Ashton, one fireman asked Ashton to unlock the door and one his third try, It was done!!! I swooped him up in my arms, hysterical and grateful. And with all the chaos, Ashton was fine, toys were EVERYWHERE, and with an hour and half in a house all to himself, why not?

Moving on, Ashton is potty training!!! And the way it happened was SOOOOOOO unlike me. Ashton didn't want to wear his diaper...he fought it for an hour or so and so I thought, what the heck, let's potty train! So he's been at it for 4 days now and OF COURSE Day 1 I wanted to quite. 3 Accidents in the morning UGHHHH. I called my sis, got a great tip and we were off. He's only had one accident a day since. and the best part is, we still go out. The store, the park, the zoo, wherever. I just take the small potty we bought at IKEA which fits in the basket of the stroller and he's got his familiar place to go on the go! My only tip for all those considering potty training soon is that when you are at home, no clothes from the waist down is the way to go. Then move to underwear...pull ups are a NO (unless used for sleeping), I mean come on, they feel just like diapers. Anyways, I am SOOOO proud of him, he is my little angel, he's brilliant, sweet and funnier than heck.

And lastly, my little Isaac. Asides from being the happiest cutest little thing EVER he finally is moving!!! Yesterday he started scooting backwards!!! He's only done it twice but it's exciting...He also loves pinwheels, trucks, making elephant sounds, and banging toys together. He's still to heavy support his own weight on his legs but he's practicing. Seriously, SO CUTE!!!

I wanted to add pics with this post, maybe tomorrow....

San Antonio Days

2009-06-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

So we love San Antonio (although I can't say I LOVE the heat, I mean 115 degrees, it's a little restricting on our love to go out and play) and I think I've got a handful of pictures that need posting. This first one is my favorite and is of Ashton shortly after we returned from Mexico. He sure misses the pool!

Since we have taken to Sea World's water park. My boys are so brave! Ashton loves the wave pool. He sits in the most shallow end and waits for the waves to come and sweep him over. And when he's had enough of that its off to standing waist high trying to stay upright as the waves come in on him. He's a blast. even Isaac loves the water. His favorite is to be doused with water as we walk under water falls. Wish I had pics but those water places make me nervous with the camera.

Here's some from the San Antonio Zoo

And here are a few from yesterday morning. I was playing with Isaac on the floor and then caught Ashton checking out the back of a cereal box. I asked him what he was reading and he said, "Mama, I can't read it!"

My day of rest

2009-06-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today went something like this: getting jabbed in the nose by Isaac's piercing fingers causing my nose to BLEED, Ashton finding a pen and using it on paper and everything else (my couch, the wall, my bed sheets), a dropped and shattered plate at lunch, board games found and scattered across the living room floor, a water bottle emptied carefully all over the floor and console table (followed by a sweet little boy eager to show off his handy work) a dropped and cracked tupperware at dinner, and overdone cookies. All in all, a typical day...

Sanity, please!!!

2009-06-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

While we were in Mexico, my kids slept like a dream. Long naps, solid night sleep and we were all sleeping in the same room. Well, since we have been back my kids have refused their afternoon naps. And they are CLEARLY exhausted. The crankiness, the eye rubbing and yawning. Since they share a room, when one cries, the other does and they just work eachother up. After an hour or so of screaming Tyler orI cave and we get them up. We even tried moving Isaac into the playroom but to no avail. For the third day running Isaac cried for 30 solid minutes as I was prepping Ashton for his nap. I new where this was headed so instead we packed up and headed to Sea World. We had a BLAST!!! We finally say Believe and sat in the splash zone. I'm gald we didn't have the camera with us because we were in Shamu's direct line of fire. We were soaked over and over and Isaac didn't cry out in complaint until the fourth soaking. It was great though. I wish I could have captured Ashton's face of awe and excitement as he watched the killer whales jump out of the water and do their great tricks. We then did some kids rides and also checked out this bouncy room with soft, huge blocks that we could throw at eachother and trip, jump over and bounce on.

Despite the fun we had the kids were overtired when we got home and the recurring question is, how do I get them to take their naps. Sea World, no matter how fun it is, cannot be the substitute.

Puerto Vallarta

2009-06-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

So my side of the family frequents Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta every few years. Tyler and I were unable to attend last time because Ashton was just a few days old...We made plans for this last trip early last September. We were unsure of Tyler's schedule since he would be starting as a resident but we set the date and sure enough that week was Tyler's first week of orientation at Lackland Air Force base as a general surgery intern. Needless to say he missed the trip, but I managed to sneak away with the boys. I don't know why I always steal away on trips without Tyler, and this time flying internationally with the boys by myself, but I have to admit I'm getting quite good at it. We meet up with my parents, Michael and Joey, and my brother Gabe and his wife Becca and kids Ashlee and Ben. We spent every morning and evening in a pool of some sort with the kids. During most naps Michael and Joey stayed in with the kids so we could go and enjoy beach volleyball and spa treatmenets. We won the two beach volleyball tournaments (my family loves to play and we're pretty good) winning free drinks. Becca won a spa treatment in a raffle our first night there and I won one a few nights later. I had to dance in front of the club members with Becca (we were the last two left) and then when the music stopped we had to hug the MC who conveniently ran and hid while our backs were turned. It was fun and the spa treatment was fabulous~!

We also took the kids to see the tigers and parrots at the zoo in the resort, went an a bike tour, ate delicious tacos al pastor at a taco stand in town, played on the beach, attempted to fly kites and more. We had a great time and while it was wonderful and my parents were extremely helpful, I don't want to go back without Tyler... Enjoy the pictures...It was beautiful!!!

I am so tire but still have some more cute pics at the beach to post...so check back!!!

What happened to Bo?

2009-06-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

The backyard of our house had a huge hole in the fence. This wouldn't be a problem but our neighbors have three barking dogs. Well, Ashton loved to go outside see the dogs and talk to them. He would get so excited and he took to the brown dog who is much tamer and more friendly than the others. Ashton liked the dog so much that he shared his fondest possession, Bo. Tyler was with him outside and I could here what was happening, so I quickly grabbed Ashton and headed out the door to the neighbors to retrieve Bo. The missionary in me came out and we knocked and knocked on the door until the neighbors came. Well, Bo was returned but he wasn't with us much longer.

Just look at the sweet innocent face.

Sea World

2009-06-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

So of course being that we live just a few miles from Sea World, we HAD to get season passes. We've been a few times and Ashton seems to have fallen in love with the Dolphins....maybe I had some influence there. It feels incredible to get close enough to pet them and drop fish into their mouths. Ashton absolutely HATES feeding the giraffes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, and while he wouldn't feed the dolphins himself, he did want to be close. So we've seen the dolphins a few times, the aquarium, the penguins (however, the penguin exhibit at the St. Louis Zoo is about a hundred times better than the one at Sea World), the alligators, and the kiddie splash park. We are still waiting to get to some of the shows. Maybe tomorrow....

The things kids say...

2009-06-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago Tyler went around the house and changed out light bulbs to the fluorescent ones. He snuk into Ashton's room and was met with "Hey, I'm sleepin' in here!". Then, last night as we sat down to read scriptures with Ashton he was holding The Incredibles DVD guide insert. He had been asking us the names of the characters etc. and when I pulled out his scriptures and told him it was time to read them, he told me, "No mom, read Incredibles scriptures."

We made it!!!

2009-06-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have no pictures, which is probably a good thing, because our place is just shy of chaos, but we made it. We are here in our house in San Antonio, we have our stuff, we have great neighbors, we have a yard, and we have eachother. I have so many emotions right now...I sure miss St. Louis and my friends there...but for now it's back to the unpacking. I'll keep you all updated soon!

Viewer Discretion is Advised...

2009-05-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Remember how I ran that half marathon last month. Well, today we were at the park and I kept thinking there was a rock or a twig in my shoe. I was wearing my crocs and they have little holes in them that sometimes allow this to happen. Well, I checked twice and nothing. So after we got home I was sure there was something there. I took off my shoe for the third time and this is what I noticed....GROSS!!! I had injured that toenail earlier in my training because apparently Nike Shox are not the running shoe the claim to be, they are more for looks. Of course I got new shoes, but the damage was all ready done.

Graduation

2009-05-18T20:13:00.001-07:00

We are finally done with Medical School!!! Looking back I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. I am so proud of Tyler and his achievements, especially for his dedication in attaining his lifelong dream to become a Doctor. Congratulations Tyler! The boys and I are so lucky to have a brilliant, loving father. He sure made the family a priority and spent a lot of time at home giving us quality time. I don't know how you managed Ty, but I am glad you did!

Tyler's parents came out for graduation, we appreciate your support!

Here is our clan. As boring as graduations can be, I was so excited for Tyler. We were especially moved when all the graduating students and Doctors in the audience stood and recited the Hippocratic Oath. What a noble, selfless job! Again, Congratulations Tyler, WE LOVE YOU!!!

What a trip

2009-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

So while our kids were basking in the love of their grandparents, we enjoyed a week long trip in Texas...Sure we were under a little stress with a time crunch to find a rental house that suited us...but we had 7 whole days to enjoy eachother's company. We did however shatter our previous statements of "why did we ever argue before we had kids?". Anyways, we had a great time. We put in two rental applications, being turned down from our first, and await the outcome of second application that won't come until Tuesday.

Something I did appreciate during this process is the power of prayer. After our first application was declined and given to another suitor we prayed about our second choice before submitting the application. It was a large and fairly new 4 bedroom house and even had a large game room where Ashton could play. Our prayer was answered and the answer was NO. I didn't understand why...we really liked the home, what was it that made it ill-fit for our family? We will never know because we didn't put in our application. Instead we called our next 2 top choices only to find that they were no longer available. Our trip to Corpus had come to an abrupt end and we set off back to San Antonio to secure a home while we still had time. And now we are left to wait... But back to our trip, here are a few of our highlights:

*sleeping in every morning...in fact, today we slept in until 11:00!
*The riverwalk in San Antonio. We were there for hours! We took a bardge tour, ate dinner on the river, walked and enjoyed the beautiful foilage and fountains, and even spent a few hours in the mall on the river. It was beautiful and we ate and shopped in peace!
*The carnival in Corpus. It was a traveling one, like the one we used to go to in high school. It was pricey but I think the $18 ferris wheel ride was worth it. We were about to drop another $20 on an extreme "power" ride that swung high in the air but as we reached the front of the line, Tyler was told he was too tall for the ride!
*Delecious Thai food. The native Thai owners and chef fell in love with Tyler when they discovered he and lived in Thailand and could speak, read and write the language. We were there for hours and they did not want us to leave. It was cute!
*We ate a Golden Wok in San Antonio. As soon as we sat down I asked Tyler what Moogoo gaipan was and the waiter magically appeared and spouted off as quick as could be, the ingredients to the dish. He turned around and went to attend another table when Tyler and I decided what we would order. His incredible gift of hearing kicked in and he immediately was back in front of us writing down what we had intended to order. We were in amazement as he walked away and within 30 seconds was back with our soup. It was so memorable he got a 50% tip!
*Movies, Dave and Busters, swimming, museums, dining, and more! What a great time!
*Test driving vans...sounds dorky but we've been wanting to and it was fun!
*Hearing Ashton say "Te amo mommy!" over the phone
*Lastly, realizing how much we love and can't live without our kids. We are so in love with our kids that we were constantly buying little souveniers for them, talking about the cute things they do, and being extremely anxious to come back and see them.

Happy Anniversary!!!

2009-04-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

This year our anniversary lined up perfectly with our house hunting trip in San Antonio. We decided it would be easier to go without the kids so we after spending a few days with them in Colorado with our parents, we entrusted our beautiful children with their grandparents...and so our adventure started. The first days of a trip involved viewing many properties and trying to find the perfect one for our family....Then yesterday we made our way to Corpus Christi were we started our anniversary getaway.

April 29th, four years ago today, Tyler and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Denver Temple. Four years have slipped away and are now just memories, fond memories...I love Tyler so much, he is my best friend and I tell him so almost everyday. I love that I never feel embarrased about anything. I can say what I think, act as I do, ask obvious questions and he loves me for who I am. I love that he thinks I am funny and I love that he makes me laugh. I love the perspective that he gives and I especially love how interacts with and fathers our children. He is amazing and I am lucky and blessed to have him! and just like we used to always say when we first married "being married rocks!".

We spent a wonderful day together. We got to wake up and with no rush to get up and moving spent the morning lounging around. When we finally got up and going we hit the road to see what Corpus Christi had in store for us...From the interstate we saw the USS Lexington Air Craft Carrier...."what's an air craft carrier"?(see what I mean...Tyler never makes me feel dumb!) So upon discovering that it was one of those big boats that planes can take off from and land on, we decided to check it out. The thing was massive and had some crazy history. I took lots of pics and we had a lot of fun exploring the many floors of the ship. When we were done with our tour we were starving and headed for some Mexican food in honor of our honeymoon spot. We found La Iguana Mexican restaurant and officially found the WORST mexican food in all the United States. It was so bad that it was comical and we left half our food untouched and went for Wendy's frosty's to "make right" our dinner. We finished the evening with a trip to the theatre...We saw State of Play and really liked it! It's been so fun to go where we want when we want. We love you kids, but we sure are loving all our one-on-one time with eachother!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Confession...

2009-04-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my job!!! I could not have been given a better position....I could never have imagined it could be so good, I love being a MOM. I love when my little Isaac coos when I talk to him and the way he laughs when I play with him. I love holding him and stroking his sweet head as he eats. I love watching him learn and become more aware of his surroundings. I love seeing the love in his eyes when he looks at his brother. Can it get any better? Amazingly it can...I love hearing Ashton's sweet 22 month old voice look at me and say "i wuv you mommy". I love when he smiles at me and laughs at my silly jokes. I love that he loves to play with me and read books with me, imitate me and goof off and dance with me. I love how he asks me for hugs and kisses. I love how excited he gets for family night, prayers, cookies, and going bye-bye. I love to hear him call me from his crib at 6:30 a.m. saying "mommy, WAKE UP!!!". My kids are so fun, so smart, so loving. I am SOOO lucky to be a mom, to be THEIR mom! Life is good...

Stoic

2009-04-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Remember how our sweet kids got sick during our Chicago trip three weeks ago? Well, we've had a rough patch trying to overcome our colds...In fact I finally went in to the Dr. when mine turned into a sinus infection. And with all my griping and complaining of not feeling well I seemed to have overlooked my sweet Isaac's own infection. Let me tell you, I am not to blame here. Isaac is the sweetest, happiest, most patient little baby of all time...there was not much to notice. Last night as he was eating he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and he looked sad, like something was wrong. I wasn't sure what to make of it until today. As he rested his little head on my arm to feed he cried out in agony...I just thought he was hungry. When he was done, I playfully kissed his ears and again he cried out in pain. After consoling him I touched his ear again to confirm my suspicion and sure enough, another episode of painful tears. I had Tyler pull out his otoscope and sure enough he had an ear infection that had progressed so much that eardrum perforated to release the pressure from the infection. I immediately took him to the doctor and got a scrip for antibiotics (even though he's almost recovered all on his own).

What a strong little man. A painful ear infection and not even a whimper of fussiness until now. I am so grateful for his happy disposition. Just know Isaac, I will be there for you no matter how stoic you are!!!

Potty Training

2009-04-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ashton has always been very aware of the world around him. As he has become more talkative and independent I thought it would be a good idea to get him his own potty. So off to Target we went and he picked the one he liked best. I didn't take it out of the box until after he was asleep. The following morning as Tyler and I were cleaning up after breakfast Ashton was standing over his potty in the living room saying "that reeks" as he slammed down the potty lid. It's not the first time he's used the phrase in bathroom context (I wonder where he gets that from?) so we lifted the potty lid and sure enough he had delivered it's first package, all on his own!!! We congratulated him and then he sat down to pee pee and did so a few times. And just to show that it's not a fluke he has used the potty 5 times since all on his own. He doesn't always want to use it but he is definitely showing that he is ready. Even though I bought the potty, this all feels so unexpected and I feel so unprepared.

As I was reading some potty training material I realized that we are only here for 2 weeks before our 10 day trip to Colorado where he will be staying with Papa and Nana for a week without us and then we will only be in St. Louis for another 2 weeks before we move to San Antonio. So....I need some advice from all you experienced moms. Do we attempt to potty train with all the disruptions in schedule over the next month or do we wait until we are settled in Texas. Please, advice is welcomed!!!

Horray for Sun

2009-04-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

After many days of clouds, cold and rain the sun decided to come out today! As soon as the boys were up, fed and dressed we headed out to one of our favorite places, the zoo. Of all the animals there, here are the pics of my favorites...

5 Months and growing strong

2009-04-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Isaac is 5 months old all ready! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Well, here is a pic of the little guy and here are some reasons why I love him so much:

He plays with my hair while he eats...something Ashton used to do.

His patience. He rarely cries, even if he is hungry or poopy.

His love for Ashton. You can tell he loves his brother and thinks anything he says or does is worth laughing about.

He's a pro sitter, which I suppose makes up for his ceased rolling. He loves to sit and be involved with whatever it is that we are doing.

He's great at having alone time. He can entertain himself with toys but his favorite are his hands...In fact, after what I thought was too long of a nap, Tyler went to check on him and found him lying in bed entranced by his extended fingers.

He's always good for a smile. He loves people and is sure to let you know he's into you with a gorgeous grin!

He's a great napper (which offsets his poor sleeping at night)

He loves playing pat-a-cake and al-pompito

He can put up with this!!!!

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon

2009-04-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 months I have been training for a half marathon with 6 friends. We had a training schedule, a blog to chart progress etc. and overall some great company.

Today, we ran it!!! I'll admit, it was lots harder than I thought it would be, but I did meet my personal goal to run it in under 9 min/miles (I was at 8:59 min/miles) and I PR'd! My time was 1:57:37.

Thanks Mindy for pushing me!

Here's our troop: me, Mindy, Amy, Emily, Angela, Chelsey

and of course, the pyramid!!! We missed you Chantal!!!

and we can't forget the support team!

Because the race was in Springfield IL we all drove up the day before. When we arrived Friday Tyler and I took the kids to experience the Abe Lincoln Museum...and WOW!!! It was beautiful! The exhibits were very aesthetic and the message was powerful. I loved getting to read about our great President, his failures, successes, trials, and triumphs. My favorite exhibit took us through the events of his presidency. The little tour was so vivid it almost felt as though you were there, in the heat of the civil war. By the end I was in tears... Our country suffered so many casualties in the fight to end slavery and even claimed Lincoln's life...but the fight was not in vain. Slaves were emancipated! I am grateful to live in this present, a time when our country treats all mankind as equals...sure life and government isn't perfect but have moved forward. I feel like a better person having learned more about President Lincoln and the great man he was.

I've got some cute pictures of the kids at Mrs. Lincoln's attic so check back!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

2009-04-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Tyler turned 28 today!!! And it wasn't the typical way to spend a birthday. We were in Springfield IL for my half marathon in which Tyler spent the morning watching the kids and cheering me on!

This is him with Isaac, post-race, waiting for me to recover. SOOOO HANDSOME!!!! I have to admit it wasn't much of a birthday...it was preceded with yet another sleepless night in a hotel with our 2 light sleeper kids (after Ashton hurled all over his bed and floor). Then he hauled the two boys around town walking miles to get to different locations of the course to cheer me on (with a flat tire on our new BOB stroller). Then we drove home to St. Louis, had a "nap", dinner, and then it was off to Priesthood meeting for General Conference. What a day! He handled it all with a smile and good attitude and that is just one of the things that I love about him. I'm so lucky to have a patient, loving, supportive husband. I sure hope he knows how much I love and appreciate him!

2009-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Our Passport photo shoot

2009-04-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO

2009-03-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

So as part of your last exams in medical school, the students are required to pay a grand to take a clinical skills test in some far away location. Tyler's test was scheduled yesterday in Chicago so we decided to pack up the family and go out a few days early for a fun weekend trip....Let me give you a glimpse of what our weekend was like.

1. The night before our drive out, we pop a tire...(at least we hadn't hit the road yet!)
2. Tyler realizes that his test is scheduled monday from 3-11pm and not in the morning as anticipated. Ashton is scheduled to have a CT scan in St. Louis Tuesday morning at 10am. I decide to still go with the kids and somehow make it work.
3. We get off late, of course, which makes us have to stop twice for food, gas, and to feed Isaac. The drive takes 6 hours instead of 4. Once we hit downtown the GPS told us that we were 7 minutes from our destination for 28 minutes. The kids were screaming and I needed to use a bathroom. BAD COMBINATION!
4. We realize that our hotel in downtown Chicago charges $44 a night for parking. Tyler drops the kids and I off and drives the car to the airport and takes the subway back downtown. This is such a hassle that he is gone for 2 hours (without his coat in the Chicago cold).
5. Sunday morning...the breakfast at the Embassy Suites was fantastic. We eat and head out for the Shedd Aquarium. Ashton is excited to see the whales and penguins. Holly is excited for the dolphins, her favorite! Upon arrival signs indicate that whales, dolphins, and penguins are off exhibit for exhibit reconstruction. Ashton is tired and grumpy almost the entire time we are there. We did see some cool exhibits and lots of fish, sharks, and turtles...Ashton associated a lot of fish with his favorite flick, Finding Nemo.

6. Sunday afternoon, spent playing in the hotel pool. Ashton has a great time. Poor Isaac hasn't cracked a smile once the whole day and it is apparent that he is getting sick. Runny nose. Cough. Poor eating. Lots of sleeping (that part was convenient for us).
7. We go out for some Chicago style pizza at Giardano's. It is FANTASTIC!!! Hooray for good pizza.
8. Monday morning we pack up to change hotels. We had pricelined and only expected to stay 2 nights but the test time necessitated that we stay a third. We are downtown. The car is at the midway airport. Our new hotel and test location is near the O'hare airport.
9. Ashton nukes the peanut butter for a whole minute and a half while we are packing. Luckily Tyler noticed when he did. The microwave is just his height and has a turn dial. It was set to run the full 10 minutes.
10. We spend 3 hours on subway, shuttles and cars trying to make it to our new destination. We make it, and so do the kids...without naps.
11. Ashton dumps all the cooler water onto the hotel floor and is sooo happy with his new found form of entertainment. He is splashing and throwing his back in laughter and delight.
I become upset...water where it shouldn't be....AGAIN.
Ashton gets time out in the hotel closet and loves it...I decide not to be mad. He loves water...
12. Tyler gets an iron stain on his white coat before leaving for his test.
13. Isaac and I chase Ashton around the hotel. We are having a ball. Ashton discovers toy cars in the gift shop and begins to play. Isaac begins to fuss and I turn my back. I hear a big cracking sound, and then another. I turn back around and see Ashton taking a mini-bat to the cars...
14. Tyler gets done with his test an hour early and brings back McDonalds icecream. We enjoy some time together while the kids sleep.
15. 5:30am we begin the trek back to St. Louis and straight to Cardinal Glennon. Ashton was NPO after 8:00am. Didn't mind too much and did awesome for his test. No sedation and a stuffed animal for doing great. We're home by noon...
16. Everyone naps.

Ashy talk

2009-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

Ashton has become quite the talker...Sometimes he is voicing his actual thoughts and other times he is just repeating what we say. He says "I don't like it" when he wants to stop or change activities and "I like it" when things are going right. He tucks in his stuffed animals in his crib and says "night night boys!", recently he has started saying "love you" and "thank you". He can even count to 5. But nothing tops what he said tonight. I was getting Ash ready for bed and as I was changing his diaper he tooted. Well, with that came a smile and then he stated "that reeks!". Does it get any better than that?

Tic Tac Nose

2009-02-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning Ashton and I were coming home from a very successful swim class. This is the second one he has taken at the YMCA and he is amazing! He loves to throw toys in the water and swim to them, butterfly style. He has no problem jumping into the pool and after becoming completely submerged in the water after going down the slide into the water he came up all grins. Well, on the drive home I thought he did so well that he deserved a treat. Unfortunately all I had were orange flavored Tic Tacs. I gave him one and he ate it and asked for another one. I handed it over and about 30 seconds later he started whining and saying "nose". When I looked back at him I saw an orange stream of goo coming out of his nose. He was getting scared and started shoving his finger up his nose in an attempt to remove the lodged tic tac only to push it farther in. Half a mile later we were home, I explained to Tyler the situation, he held down the screaming Ashton and after four attempts I successfully removed the tic tac with Isaac's nose sucker. Needless to say, lesson learned.

He rolls!!!

2009-02-25T12:06:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning I had Isaac on his play mat and I REALLY REALLY wanted him to roll over. I've been working with him by shaking different toys he likes above his head while he is on his tummy. He does well tracking the toy but then yesterday he kept moving to get into a better viewing position and after nearly rolling over three times, he turned onto his back the 4th try! HOORAY!!! Ashton and I were clapping and cheering him on and he looked so happy! What a feat! Then today I put him on his belly again and this time with little provocation he rolled over 3 times! What a stud! Tyler still hasn't seen it so I need to get in camera for some sweet proof. Way to go Isaac!

Playgroup

2009-02-09T14:50:00.001-08:00

One thing our church has are a lot of activity groups for the women. I like to attend Recipe group, Quilt group (which is currently taking a break) and Playgroup. Today we made it over to Watson Park after our original destination was closed. I was worried because we didn't have jackets and it was windy, but I'm glad we went! The kids got to run around, go down slides, swing, etc. Luckily I had my camera and got some great pics of the cute little ones! Click on the collage for a close up!

The giggles

2009-02-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

So today we finally caught on video what I should have caught a month ago. Ashton has a special talent of making Isaac laugh. There is no rhyme or reason to it really, but it's cuter than heck! Today in particular it was Ashton jumping on the bed that let the laugh loose. I love my boys!

What happened to Bo?

2009-01-22T12:54:00.001-08:00

So Ashton has been talking A LOT lately. He knows at leat 150 words and uses them! And now he has gone from using words to making sentances...Some include "Nice Shot!" (while playing basketball), "bonk baby's head", and my favorite, "What happened to Bo?" (refering to his must have monkey). He now is substituting Bo for other people like papa, nana, baby, etc. Isn't he too young for this???

Isaac Two months old

2009-01-01T13:31:00.002-08:00

I can't believe that Isaac is all ready 2 months old. He has become so alert and happy. He smiles all the time and LOVES to be talked to. He has become especially fond of Papa Rust and can't resist talking, cooing, and laughing when Papa holds and talks to him. This are a few of my favorite pictures of Isaac. I especially love the Eskimo looking one.

This is Isaac playing with his new Christmas toy. There is a star that lights up and plays music when the bars are bumped and Isaac gets so excited when he is on his mat that he laughs and kicks so the star is continuously flashing and playing music. Ashton likes the mat and his brother too!
So although Isaac is small and doesn't do a lot, I love him to death. There is something about the way that he looks at me, with his tender eyes and beaming smile, and I know that he knows me and loves me. I love it, I love him, and I love being his mother. I feel truly blessed that he is mine and I'm enjoying the time I have with him.

Ash splash in bath bath

2008-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

One of Ashton's favorite things is water...he loves to pour water from cup to cup, splash in puddles, swim, bathe, if there is water he wants to be actively engaged in it. So here he is in his element!

Match Day

2008-12-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

So for the past few weeks Tyler has gone out interviewing at different hospitals for residencies. He received the Health Professions Scholarship for the Air Force which means that the AF paid Tyler's way through medical school and included a living allowance and in return Tyler will work for the Air Force as an MD when he is through with his training for 4 years. Because of this agreement Tyler would have to apply for residency through the military which he did and ranked a deferred civilian residency as his number one choice (this is why he had set up and started interviewing for residencies at various programs. Tyler had done REALLY well on his Step 1 USMLE (United States Medical Licensure Exam?) and thought he would get his number one choice being a deferred residency rather than a military residency. So when Military Match day came we were shocked to find out that he hadn't gotten his number one choice, canceling all remaining cilivilian interviews and match, and that our little family would be packing up and moving to San Antonio Texas for him to begin his intern year in General Surgery. To be honest it was a HUGE blow. He had become so excited at the many great residency programs he had interviewed at. It took several weeks to adjust to the idea of a military residency. It was really hard for me to see Tyler's disappointment and feelings of failure. It was hard to see the good in this. But finally the disappointment is gone and we are very excited for what life will bring to us in San Antonio. It helps to remember that God is at the reigns. He knows what is best for our family and for a reason unkown to us, San Antonio is where we need to be. It helps to also remember that we LOVE San Antonio. We were there a few years ago for one of Tyler's Air Force trainings and while we were there we visited that awesome Zoo, the River Walk, and Sea World. Plus there is a temple there and it's only an hour and a half away from Gabe and his family! So we are now excited and looking forward to our adventure. After all, the experience is what you make it!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Christmas in Colorado with the Rust family. We actually got to celebrate it twice because most of Tyler's brothers weren't able to make it on Christmas day....The original plan was to postpone Christmas a few days, but then we got to excited and decided to celebrate twice.
On Christmas Eve Tyler played some Christmas carols on the piano while the family sang. That is one of my most favorite traditions! We then let Ashton and Isaac put on the their Christmas jammies and Ash got to open one present. He was so excited and couldn't stop screaming ELMO!!!

The following morning we ate Christmas rolls and opened more gifts. Ashton loved his piano! He gets into it and will jump up and down on the seat while he plays the keys and jams to the music. It is great!