Eli meets a train

The railroad lies in our backyard, and a couple of times each day a train goes by.  I thought I would take Eli outside to get up close and personal, because little boys love trains, right?  Well, as you can see I was wrong... very wrong.  I haven't seen him more terrified.  He screamed louder than I've ever heard him scream and he cried.  I felt horrible.  Poor lil' guy.  Kimi came out to capture a cute father/son moment, but got this instead.



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From us to You!

Already?!

I can hardly believe Eli is 6 MONTHS OLD! My goodness, time has been flying! Some things about him:

-He's HUGE! We have his appointment this next week, so stats will be posted later. Last month we told our babysitter that he was 5 months, she flipped, becuase she thought that he was 8 or 9 months!(She doesn't speak English, and we don't speak Spanish... so we only talk about the basics things: how many dirty diapers, how long he slept, how much he drank, etc.)

-He has a long torso and short legs like his mama. He's wearing 9 mo. onsies, and 3-6 mo. pants. We got him a new toy last week, hoping that he'd love it as much as his cousin love his walker, but Eli's feet don't even TOUCH THE GROUND! haha

-He's SO smiley!

-He's so helpful. Somehow he knows when I need him to be content(homework needs to be done, dinner needs to be made, sanity needs to be kept intact, etc.). Here he is helping me bake cookies:

-He just cut his first tooth!

-He's starting to scoot. In random, unintentional directions.

-He is so easily entertained! He loves when we read books to him, tell him stories, or do anything completely ridiculous. 

He just started eating rice cereal this week. Here's how it went:

(His eyes are bloodshot from his bath. He constantly splashes water into them!)

First Taste...

Sat on his lips for .1876 seconds...

Then he wiped it off with his bib...

No thanks!

Thankfully, he's gotten better. I am absolutely smitten by my Eli! Happy 6 Months baby boy!

Thought I'd share...

...because I cannot simply keep this to myself. I think it's safe to say that this man, and this man only, has revolutionized the world of dance/choreography. It's obvious that he takes every move seriously, from the butterfly(towards the end, so make sure you watch the whole thing), freestyle, jazz hands, to my personal favorite the crank. SO without further ado I present Double Dream Hands.

Have a good weekend!

I hope this video made your day, because I know it made mine. :)

Life is Good, OH so good.

This semester has been our busiest yet. I'm going to school and doing an afterschool practicum, and Craig is going to school and working. I feel like we NEVER get to spend time with each other, but strangely, I wouldn't change it. Obviously I would rather be able to stay home knowing that Craig has a stable job, but I know what we're doing right now is right. And the time that we get together is so limited, and has made me realize how lucky I am to have Craig...and my Eli.

I remember when I was pregnant, I often found myself saying, "I could care less what this baby looks like as long as he's happy. Even ugly babies are cute when they're happy."

 Did I get what I prayed for?...

I got MORE... happy and cute!

RELAY...

FOR LIFE!

The kick off for the Relay for Life event in Rexburg is Next Thursday. It just so happens that one year ago in February, my dad, was diagnosed with Stage Four colon cancer. He was told that the chances of him living more than a year were very slim. Really "next to zero" slim.

This year I have a lot to be grateful for. My dad, after lots of hospital visits, 11 rounds of chemo, two major surgeries, horrible migraines, and lots of faith, prayers and family fasts, is back at work with clean scans. We are, as my mom says, "cautiously optimistic."

To show my gratitude and raise awareness, I want to put together a team for my dad! The Relay for Life kick-off event is Thrusday, Feb. 3, 2011 at the new Marriot Hotel in Rexburg at 7:00. There will be a few speakers, entertainment, a service project and registration.

Here's to STANDING UP TO CANCER! (if a baby can do it, so can we!)

For more information about this event, check out this blog.

Anybody who has a dvd they are willing to donate, or childrens toys, I'll be more than happy to take them off your hands.

What a year!

Before I get all mushy and reflective, here are pictures of our cute ELi at FOUR, yes, FOUR months!

 My cute husband wrapped my present, like so. :))

Today is my birthday, so I thought it woud be appropriate to look back on this past year. :) 2010 has been a year to remember! There are so many things that have made my 21st year memorable. Overall, this past year has been one filled with lots of tears, sleepless nightslaughs, memories, love, family, blessings, prayers, friends, and miracles.

It's crazy to think that this time last year we didn't even know that we'd have a baby! But then again... there were a lot of things we weren't expecting.

This past year my testimony has grown. I know I have a Father in Heaven who is watching over me and my family members. The power of prayer is real. This year I have had the opportunity to really think about my life, the people in my life, and how much they mean to me. Although I'm not necessarily grateful for the hard things that I went through this year, I am so grateful for the lessons that I have learned as a result of them. I've been able to learn from my dad how gracious, strong, and kind we--as people--are capable of being despite our circumstances. The people around me--family members, neighbors, friends, ward members--have taught me how important we are to each other. I have seen how my parents have turned to the Lord without hesitation, and I have learned that I can be more like them. I have learned what it means to love a child of my own. This past year, I have learned to live with more gratitude.