Our Life

Tender Heart

2012-02-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

My heart has felt very tender this week. Our ward split, we knew it was happening and I thought I was prepared for it, but they split it in a way that I never thought they would. After hearing they were going to split our ward I comforted myself with the thought that they wouldn't split our small neighborhood and so some people RJ and I are very close too would still be in my ward. I knew as long as they were in my ward I could handle it. Well they split us down the middle and some people that I have long admired and actually have had the opportunity to know and love and become friends with are no longer in our ward. I realize that only blocks separate us, that our friendships are strong and will stay in tact, but my heart hurts. And I'm going to need time to adjust.

One person in particular has helped shape my testimony and been such an example of service to me and I'm sad to not have that example on a weekly basis. I looked up to her and she helped me in ways she will never know. She has such a big heart and wears it on her sleeve, I count myself lucky to have had the opportunity to call her my friend.

So I know the work will go forth, that the gospel is still true and my testimony has not been shaken, but for a while at least my heart is tender.

Finally

2012-02-13T08:31:00.001-07:00

Finally after completely changing our bedtime routine Tyson slept through the night again. Now lets just hope that he continues to do this. It was heaven.

Mean Mom

2012-02-01T08:40:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago we decided that we had had it with the binky. Tyson loved it and would wine if he didn't have it. But the kicker? He didn't have it at all at the babysitter, so every day he would be hours without it, but couldn't let it out of his sight with us. So finally we talked it over and started telling Tyson he was a big boy and that only babies need a binky whey they cry. After about a week of that for family night we took Tyson over to our friends house and he gave his binkies away to their adorable baby. He didn't cry, he just handed them over while I wanted to cry. We came home and I mistakenly thought to myself that maybe this wouldn't be bad at all. Foolish thinking. Tyson screamed for 45 minutes at bedtime as we tried to sooth him, then finally he fell asleep. Sleep didn't last long, he woke up screaming again at 11 and screamed, cried, and asked for his binky until almost 2. We tried everything, even watching tv but nothing worked. He got so upset he threw up. Finally at 1:30 I took him downstairs and sang, cried and talked to him until he fell asleep and then put him in our bed. What a long night.

Needless to say we were worried about the next night, it went better only crying for about 20 minutes at bedtime and then he woke up about every two hours whimpering and crying the saddest cry ever. I felt so mean.

That was the worst of it, but then Tyson got a cold and we haven't had much sleep at our house for almost two weeks. The nice part is, Tyson doesn't ask for his favorite friend his binky anymore, but he can't sooth himself back to sleep very easily either. Cross your fingers sleep returns to our house soon. But I have to say I'm proud of my big boy.

Let's go to the Movies, Lets go see the Stars

2012-01-16T14:17:00.002-07:00

My parents call this week and asked me if we were free on Saturday, they wanted to take the Grandkids to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D. I'm so glad we didn't have other plans. Tyson hadn't been to a movie before and we were excited to take him.

We got there a bit early and there were a billion previews, but overall Tyson did great, he left his glasses on most of the time and actually paid attention to most of it. It helped that there was room to move around, a Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and Dad to rotate laps and cousins to be with.

All in all it was a great day, and the icing on the cake was we got to have dinner with RJ's parents for our anniversary as well. We are so lucky to live close to family. I count that as a blessing daily.

Forgot

2012-01-16T14:14:00.002-07:00

I already blogged about this fun day, but I just found it on my phone and had to post it. What sweet, incredible grandparents I have. It truly was the highlight of my day watching them beam as they experienced the train ride with almost all of their family surrounding them. Love them so much!

Love Him

2012-01-11T15:30:00.001-07:00

Just a small thing I love about this kid, look at how darling he is when he stands. He does this with his feet when he is standing still (which doesn't happen often, usually his feet are a blur). I find it adorable.

Christmas Time Again

2012-01-11T12:46:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. RJ had to work at Deseret Book more than usual and we missed him like crazy, but other than that it was amazing.

Tyson and I headed to Fairview a few days before Christmas to spend time with the family and had a great time. We played with the cousins, watched movies, looked at Christmas lights and had a great time. RJ joined us on Christmas Eve and we were so glad.

For Christmas Eve we had dinner and played some games with the family. Then we went and looked at lights before we came home and opened our magic Christmas jammies, read the Christmas story from the Bible, shared some good time together and then had some delicious hot chocolate. It was a great night. Tyson had a ball, but ended up enjoying too many treats and getting too wound up. It was after 11 and took RJ, myself and my mom to get him to fall to sleep. After a lot of crying, throwing up and lots of rocking and singing he finally gave it up and fell asleep. Of course I didn't sleep much, who can sleep on Christmas Eve?

It was nice waking up to a more quiet house with just my parents and our little family. Tyson was adorable, he got a lego table and loved it. We had a hard time getting him to open anything else because he just wanted to play with it. Christmas is amazing, but so much better as a parent. Children really bring in the spirit and joy.

After we played with our presents we went to my sister's house to see if Santa found them and then headed home to get ready for Church. We went to church and felt the spirit so strongly with a choir program. I love a Sunday Christmas. I love the reminder of why we even have Christmas, and Tyson actually did pretty well even though we didn't have his binky with us.

After Church we headed back to open gifts as a family. Tyson was so tired from going to bed so late the night before and me waking him up at six, but he did pretty well. Only one big melt down before we found his binky.

After opening gifts it was time to load up and head to RJ's family.

We had a fantastic time in Eagle Mountain with RJ's family, we ate a yummy dinner, opened gifts, played games and watched the kids play and play. I love watching Tyson with his cousins. I have no idea where he found the energy to keep going all day.

All in all it was the perfect way to spend the day surrounded by family and love.

25 Rules for Moms with Sons

2012-01-06T14:00:00.002-07:00

I know I’m not caught up blogging and will finish up Christmas when I get a chance, but I came across a link to this on Pinterest and it touched me so much and brough tears to my eyes. You can find the blog it’s posted on here, studerteam.blogspot.com.

I love being a mom and as part of that role I have so many personal quiet thoughts and feelings on what I want to be as a mom, what I want to give Tyson, what I want him to become and I felt like this was something that helped put my thoughts into words. It was also something I don’t want to forget and often times we get caught up in life and forget the small simple things and the way they shape us and those around us. Although written by another and a little long it is a great start of what being a mom to my little man means to me. How lucky I am to be trusted with this incredible little spirit.

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He’ll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.

2. Be a cheerleader for his life
There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to “stop, mom” when you sing along to his garage band’s lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you’ve been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he’s embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.

3. Teach him how to do laundry
..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.

4. Read to him and read with him.
Emilie Buchwald said, “Children become readers on the laps of their parents.” Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.

5. Encourage him to dance.
Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn’t have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it’s perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.

6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).

7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).

8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.

9. Teach him to have manners
because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.

10. Give him something to believe in
Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won’t be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.

11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle
like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people’s feelings.

12. Let him ruin his clothes
Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You’ll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don’t waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.

13. Learn how to throw a football
or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.

14. Go outside with him
turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It’s like magic.

15. Let him lose
Losing sucks. Everybody isn’t always a winner. Even if you want to say, “You’re a winner because you tried,” don’t. He doesn’t feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that’s a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn’t mean you ever give up.

16. Give him opportunities to help others
There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.

17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.
This doesn’t just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.

18. Answer him when he asks, “Why?”
Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he’s too embarrassed to ask you - he’ll know where to go to find the right answers.

19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.
especially the wipes.

20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the ‘right way.’ If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.

21. Give him something to release his energy
drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you’ll be sorry.

22. Build him forts
Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he’ll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.

23. Take him to new places
Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.

24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, ‘what happens in between that made you lose that?’ Let’s try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they’re loving and kissing them even more when they’re wild. Kissing them when they’re 2 months and kissing them when they’re 16 years old. You’re the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad’s too).

25. Be home base
You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you’re the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.

North Pole Express

2011-12-30T11:29:00.003-07:00

For Christmas this year my sweet grandparents took our whole family on the train in Heber. It was amazing everyone except six people were there and we filled a whole car. We were so excited for this and it didn't disappoint. We sang carols, drank hot chocolate and told jokes as we traveled to the North Pole. Tyson didn't even cry when he saw santa. All in all it was a great day that we very much appreciated. One of my favorite parts of the day was watching my grandpa play peek-a-boo with Tyson. It melted my heart.

Just one word of advice, it's not a great idea to put your dark skinned child in a shadow when taking his picture, you won't be able to see him without much photoshop.

What Cousins are good for

2011-12-30T11:23:00.003-07:00

Dressing up together.

I love that Tyson has cousins. I loved growing up close to mine and they are part of what made the holidays special. We were able to go to Fairview before Christmas and Tyson had a great time playing with the girls.

I do have to say that it's either love or hate with these two, they were either hugging or hitting. It's so hard to share toys when you are little. But they did have fun dressing up which was amazing.

Cars, Cars, Cars

2011-12-30T10:01:00.003-07:00

RJ's mom saved his old match box cars that RJ played with growing up and we brought them home and Tyson has had a blast playing with them. RJ has too for that matter.

Tyson lines them up and moves them from place to place he can hardly carry the bag that we keep them in, but boy does he love playing with the cars. One of his favorite places to play cars in the window sill and if you look behind my couch he has a whole line up in the window. It's so cute to see him making car noises and driving them around.

In an instant

2011-12-30T09:50:00.003-07:00

This boy moves so fast, it only takes a moment for a mess to be made. Lucky for him he is adorable and we don't mind cleaning up the messes. He also knows the clean up song and is a great help picking up his toys.

Tradition

2011-12-09T08:46:00.002-07:00

For the past three years My mom and sister and I have gone to Time Out for Women in Salt Lake and it has quickly become one of my yearly highlights. I always love time spent with my mom and sister, but something about this weekend is just a little different, we laugh and joke and have a wonderful time, but one of the best things about it is being spiritually fed and seeing the spiritual side of the people I love.

I'm sorry to say that often times we talk about the day to day things in life but don't have very many spiritual conversations and this weekend brings out the spiritual side. I learn about the quiet strengths these amazing women have and it makes me feel even more blessed to have such an incredible mom and sister who are doing everything they can to be the best women they can be. I love them both.

Stationery card

2011-12-02T22:35:00.001-07:00

Seasonal Chic Christmas Card

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Adoption Awareness Month

2011-11-23T15:06:00.011-07:00

I know everyone has been busy writing about the things they are thankful for, but I wanted to point out that November is Adoption Awareness Month and for me adoption and giving thanks go hand in hand.

Recently there have been some things that have happened that have made me once again realize how miraculous it is that Tyson is a part of our family. He is such a miracle to us and him coming to us is a testimony of Heavenly Father's hand in our lives and in the lives of the children he sends to earth. These babies go to the families that were meant for them and it's an incredible and humbling thing to be a part of.

At the heart of the miracle of adoption is the birth parents. In our case our amazing birth mom. Often I wish I could talk to her just once more. I have small little questions about her and her pregnancy that have crept up and it would be fun to talk to her about them, also I wish there were words better than thank you to better express my heart. I can't believe how much I love our little guy and every day that grows and grows. Sometimes I look at him and almost burst with the love I feel and I wish I could give a little piece of my heart to his birth mom so she could get a glimpse of the gratitude I feel. Adoption is truly all about love, it's can't happen without it and the love is all surrounding and consuming. It's incredible to be trusted with such an amazing spirit and I hope and pray daily I can do her justice.

So this year, like always I'm grateful for adoption and the gift of love that it is. I'm grateful for my hard earned family and the journey it took us to get to this point. I'm so grateful for my husband who is my best friend and that I get to go through life and all of it's ups and downs with him in my life. Amazing how blessed we are.

This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween

2011-11-23T15:06:00.007-07:00

If you know me, you know that I love Halloween. I love everything about it and can I just say, Holidays have always been great, but every holiday is 100 times better as a parent. We took Tyson trunk or treating with RJ's family in Eagle Mountain and had a ball, when we got home I opened the door to find a death grip on his bucket and tootsie roll. It was adorable.

After I carried him in to get him ready for bed it woke him up again and he did what every kid does, checked out his treats. It was so cute and I had a small battle getting him into his pajamas and then another one when I had to take away his bucket so he could go to bed.

My mom always does a Halloween party and this year didn't disappoint, a yummy spooky dinner complete with witches brew, a pinata full of Halloween goodies and a few rounds of a spooky minute to win it. It was so much fun.

Halloween was also such a great time, RJ brought Tyson to my office to trick or treat and he had a ton of candy before we even made it home, after a quick dinner RJ's parents, sister and our niece arrived to head out trick or treating. Tyson loved it and again got spoiled. It's funny because he was drawn to snickers. I boy after my own heart, but it everytime he reached into his bucket that is what he wanted to hold. I loved it. Such a smart boy.

Well, all in all Halloween was even better than I had hoped and I can't wait until next year.

The Zoo

2011-11-16T10:47:00.005-07:00

I have been wanting to take Tyson to the zoo since he was born. Finally he was old enough and we found the time to spend the day seeing the animals. Tyson loved the animals, but he wasn't feeling 100% despite that we still had so much fun and were glad that my mom, sister and her cute girls were able to come with us to join in the fun.

Halloween Fun

2011-11-11T16:36:00.001-07:00

Draper had a fun halloween carnival and we decided for family night it was the perfect thing to do. We didn’t really play any games, the lines were super long and Tyson was just having fun tasting his first churro and dancing to the music. It was so much fun and will hopefully become a new tradition.

It’s a Dinosaur!

2011-11-11T16:23:00.004-07:00

Over UEA I took some time off work and we had a great time, we took Tyson to the dinosaur museum with his cousins, did some much needed yard work to get ready for winter and went to the zoo. I loved watching the boys play at the museum. Tyson is still too young to really know about dinosaurs, but it was fun spending time with people we love and miss and watching the boys young and old alike take in the huge dinosaurs. I will say, I think we could have saved the money and just let Tyson climb up on the rocks outside and jump off over and over again and he would have been just as happy. He loves climbing and jumping.

Adorable

2011-11-11T15:57:00.003-07:00

Isn’t this boy the cutest thing you have ever seen? I love him! We went out to dinner the other night and Tyson loved the creamy broccoli soup. We just let him have at it.

Identical Cousins

2011-11-08T08:32:00.005-07:00

I love that Tyson has cousins close to his age, but I especially love that he has a boy cousin just a year older than him. From the beginning Ryan has been a goer, and Tyson is following in his footsteps. Chris and Karen came for a visit during a break from school and I loved spending time with them and so did Tyson. I loved watching the boys run around and I love that Tyson is starting to keep up with the big kids. I also love how opposite these two are.

Both boys love cars, they run everywhere, they like to climb and jump and they like to pick up and carry rocks. When we went to Grandma's and Grandpa's house they had a little collection of rocks on the front steps courtesy of Ryan which is much like the one Tyson collected while we were doing yard work.

I can't wait for them to grow up together making memories.

Therapy

2011-11-07T08:40:00.004-07:00

As you can see, Tyson is going to need therapy in his coming years because at his first Halloween party with his friends at daycare he was the only boy who wasn't a super hero. His dumb mom wanted him to be a cute puppy instead. The other sad part is that other than spiderman, I couldn't even tell you who each of the other super heros are. I promise Tyson is wearing his costume, but it's pretty hot so that is why it's unzipped and the cute hood is off. I still think he looks pretty adorable.

Jumping Bean

2011-11-07T08:39:00.001-07:00

Nov 1, 2011

This little guy is a climber and lately into jumping. He started jumping after seeing his cousin Reagan jump, but it is only recently that he has been able to jump and get off the ground. It’s so cute. The only problem is that now he climbs on everything to jump off. It scares me to death. The other day he was jumping off the couch onto a pillow and at my mom’s this past weekend he was jumping off the fireplace. So scary, but it makes him so proud of himself that it’s hard to make him stop.

Family Fun

2011-11-07T08:38:00.006-07:00

Oct 25, 2011 11:17 AM

We had the Harris family over for dinner in honor of Chris and Karen being in town. We hate it that they moved, but love it that Chris is in PA school. It was so much fun seeing everyone and seeing how much the kids have grown in the short time they have been gone. It was also good as always to see Oma and Opa (RJ's grandparents).

Corn Dogs

2011-11-07T08:38:00.005-07:00

Oct 24, 2011 9:44 AM

We took Tyson out to eat a few days ago and let him try his first corn dog. This kid doesn't like to eat all that much so anytime we can get him to sit down long enough to actually eat it's a miracle. Well he loved the corn dog and we loved watching him taking his huge bits. One of the things that makes Tyson who he is, is the huge bites he takes. He is always in a hurry and so he shoves as much into his mouth as possible so he can play. It's cute for now, but probably won't be so cute as he gets older. Hopefully we can teach him differently so he doesn't do that on his mission.

The Great Pumpkin

2011-11-07T08:38:00.003-07:00

Oct 24, 2011 9:42 AM

We know of a darling house in Draper that has hundreds of pumpkins for sale and RJ and I have gone there for several years. This year I couldn't wait to take Tyson. He loved riding in the wagon, but also loved pulling it. We all chose the pumpkins we wanted and took them home to decorate the porch. Tyson loves them, he carries them around and rearranges them. It's adorable and I was so happy to share with Tyson a tradition RJ and I started that we love.

I've said it once, but I'll say it a million more times. I love this time of year!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-11-07T08:38:00.001-07:00

Oct 18, 2011 1:46 PM

I love the holiday season and for me it starts with fall. I love the pumpkins, the treats, wearing sweaters, the crisp air and I love the anticipation that just keeps building until Christmas.

Yesterday RJ took Tyson to his work Halloween party after school and they decorated a pumpkin. He sent me these photos and I wanted to much to be there with them instead of stuck at work, but when I got home, Tyson more than made up for it.

I walked in the door and RJ has put the pumpkin down on the floor so Tyson could show me. Tyson ran over to me and then took me over to it. He kept trying to pick it up and was so proud of it. I loved it. The sweetest pumpkin I've ever seen. We took it out to the porch so Tyson could put it with the other pumpkins in the prime spot right in front. I love fall and all the memories that are made during these months, and I love sharing them with my little family. I also love that I have a husband who is the best Daddy in the world who will take the time and go to the effort to do things like this with Tyson.

Lucky, Blessed Girl

2011-11-07T08:37:00.001-07:00

Oct 13, 2011 9:01 AM

I am such a lucky girl. It’s no secret that RJ bleeds blue. He has always been and will always be a loyal flag flyin’ BYU fan. Needless to say, me working so closely with the U of U has not be his favorite thing. Luckily RJ’s brother married a U of U fan so it helps to balance things out as far as his family goes. Believe me, the first time I watched the BYU/Utah game with RJ and his family I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

I’ve worked on the U of U account with our agency for close to four years. For a long time it was me, all of the athletics designs came from me and my head and I loved it. Ironically enough, I’ve never been to a football game or even a basketball game up at the U. I’ve been to Gymnastics meets and I’ve sent family members but I’ve never gone for various reasons. Plus it’s also not a secret that sports are not my thing. (Pretty funny because that is mostly what I deal with every day at work.) So this year it was suggested that I make an appearance at one of the games so of course I had to drag RJ along too and that is why I’m so lucky.

RJ views Rice-Eccles stadium as a hostile environment, but he loves me enough to join me and most of my sister’s family at the football game. A task that got harder to do when he was offered BYU tickets for the same day and then found out we didn’t even have the channel to watch the Cougars from home. He loves me and came with me. He carried Tyson up the hill, dusted off his only red hat and while he wouldn’t put on a U of U shirt he wore black so he could blend in. And here is the proof.

All in all it was a fun day, cold and we walked in right during the first touchdown so the screaming fans scared Tyson to pieces. His defense was to bundle up and fall asleep. I’m so grateful for my boys and that I have a husband who will put aside his wants for me and mine. I’m also so glad our families live close so we can spend time with them.

Also I love this photo. Tyson was fascinated with the handles on the train, so when it emptied out a bit RJ stood up to stretch and Tyson had to be just like Daddy as usual.

Family Time

2011-11-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Oct 6, 2011 8:47 AM

I love being a mom even though it is pretty hard for me to be a mom that has to work. I feel like I miss so much! Sometimes the only way I can keep my head up and be happy about the blessing of having a job that has been super busy and stressful lately is to savor those small moments that are hard to explain but are priceless.

The other night after a long week RJ and I took Tyson to Chili's for dinner and it was so much fun. Tyson is a mover and so eating out has been a lot harder with him than it once was and I was tired and not looking forward to the wrestling match that would probably happen getting Tyson to sit still and eat, but I was really wanting to spend time with my boys so imagine my surprise when one of those small moments when the love bubbles up to the surface and I'm reminded like I am daily how much I LOVE my family, my life and my blessings.

Tyson sat in a booster seat and colored while RJ and I talked about how big he was and how smart. (That is a frequent conversation we have but never get tired of.) We laughed about Tyson's love of spicy salsa which he sucks off of his chips and when our dinner came, Tyson ate like a champ. He loves broccoli and was sitting there eating and dancing along to the music. I loved it! That is when the magical moment of motherhood hit. Emotion is hard to keep back and I look at what I have been blessed with and I can hardly believe how much I love Tyson and love being his mom. I savor those times that sneak in on a regular basis. Amazing how much we are blessed and how the small simple things remind us of that. Being a mom is hard and stressful and I worry so much that I'm not doing a good job, but it truly is a blessing that humbles me and stretches me and amazes me. I love it.

Babysitter

2011-11-07T08:35:00.003-07:00

Oct 6, 2011 8:38 AM

We have had to change Tyson's babysitter three times in his short little life, and it has been a hard adjustment each time. We just get into the routine and he is adjusted and something has happened with the babysitter and we have had to change. That is a lot of change considering he is only a year and a half old and he didn't start going to a babysitter until he was five months old. Also, during the summers RJ is home with him.

Anyway, I was really upset about changing babysitters this time and I shouldn't have been. After we got over the first few weeks of him crying when I dropped him off things have been great. He gets to play all day with a bunch of little boys two of which are my cousins'. I love it, and it's been fun to see Tyson get even more grown up and change how he does things like throw balls and play with toys that I think is in part to being around the "big boys" at the babysitter.

Our babysitter texted this picture of the boys to me and I love it. I love that he stands out and that he has a whole lot of buddies to learn from and play with.

Quack, Quack

2011-11-07T08:35:00.001-07:00

Sep 30, 2011 8:52 AM

We have been trying really hard to have Family Home Evening each week. Our goal is mostly to get in the habit of it right now so that when Tyson is older it is part of our family life. They are simple and for sure they are not very profound, but I love this so much. Sometimes all it ends up being is reading stories, reading a bit from the scriptures and playing outside on the swing set. We have been doing really well at being consistant and I can already see the blessings that have come from it. This week's activity was one of my favorites. We took Tyson to a small pond by our house to feed the ducks. This kid loves, loves, loves animals and this was a big hit. I should have brought more bread, he loved throwing chunks to the ducks and we loved watching him. It was adorable and as always it was great to spend time with my little family. What inspired leaders we have to encourage us to make specific time each week to strengthen our families and our testimonies. We are so blessed.

Love it

2011-11-07T08:34:00.001-07:00

Sep 27, 2011 11:15 AM

I love being a mom especially when you walk into a room to find surprises like this. Who wouldn't want a goat in the bathroom sink. It makes me smile. I love my boy.

Childhood

2011-11-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Sep 26, 2011 10:18 AM

I had such a wonderful childhood and there are things I was lucky enough to do growing up that I wish every child should be able to do. The necessities if you will of growing up. Lucky for us, over Labor Day weekend I was able to introduce a few of them to Tyson.

Playing in the back of the truck (remember when we used to get to ride in the back?)

Catching Frogs with the cousins

Spending great time with your Grandma

Throwing rocks in a lake.

Climbing trees, the more the merrier I'd say.

I love that we live in such a beautiful place where we can enjoy the mountains so easily.

Ward Campout

2011-11-07T08:32:00.004-07:00

Sep 12, 2011 8:46 AM

This year our ward changed things up a bit and did a ward camp out instead of Father's and Kids. I have always loved Father's and Kid's because it gave me an opportunity to spend time with the wonderful friends I have here in our ward so this year I was a bit bummed. I didn't have the best outlook on the trip, but all in all it was a lot of fun.

Tyson loved playing in the tent during the day, but as soon as it got dark it scared him. He also didn't fall asleep very early, it took me waiting until pretty much everyone had gone to sleep until he settled down and feel asleep in my arms. He did great and slept in the pack and play most of the night and then between RJ and I.

We had a great time and are so blessed to have such a great ward. Tyson loved playing in the dirt and rocks and just being a boy, so I of course loved it too. We had a good time roasting hot dogs, eating yummy dutch oven cobbler and a delicious breakfast with everyone. Tyson of course loved the water. All in all it was a pretty nice trip.

Daddy's Little Helper

2011-11-07T08:32:00.003-07:00

Aug 31, 2011 3:48 PM

RJ is so good with Tyson. I love to see how patiently he teaches things to Tyson and I love to watch Ty watching RJ and then doing the same things he sees him doing. I love this picture of Tyson with his hammer, he rediscovered this toy on Saturday and fell asleep while we were out running errands. So cute.

This past weekend we had a plumbing adventure that started with replacing our kitchen faucet and ended with a leak in the connection to the water filter system and two trips to home depot to temporarily get things moving until the water softener company can come to replace old worn out parts. It was a long day and a long project that should have been much easier than it ended up being. I know that is just how home improvement goes. At 9 pm I looked at my messy kitchen with the contents of my under the sink cupboard overflowing on the counters and wondered why when I had been working on cleaning my house for a day and a half it was dirty than when I started. I will say that Tyson as usual was the bright spot in the whole thing. He took advantage of a moment when we were talking about the solution to the problem and climbed into the cupboard to see what he could do. Adorable!

Summer Fun

2011-11-07T08:32:00.001-07:00

Aug 31, 2011 2:57 PM

RJ gets to spend most summer days at home with Tyson, and in honor of his returning back to school and Tyson going to yet another babysitter I decided to share the photos RJ texts me during the time I'm at work and the boys are home.

Tyson loves playing in RJ's closet. He slides the doors back and forth and hides inside.

He is so happy!

Taking a seat in the fridge, who wouldn't want to sit there?

Breakfast Time

Sleeping in, at least once in a while. Tyson is becoming such a good sleeper.

This is classic, Tyson with the remote. He loves buttons thanks to his Daddy teaching him about them.

Nap Time

Tyson learned how to climb on the automan this Summer.

Swinging is one of his favorite things to do.

Down the slide!

Helping Daddy fill the pool.

Tyson loves water and loves to be outside.

Running errands with Daddy.

Tyson and RJ went with Grandma and Grandpa to Bear Lake, he loved the outside time.

Here he is with his Great Grandma Harris, also known Oma.

Tyson with Kaytlyn his cousin enjoying the summer sun at Bear Lake.

Picnic time.

Tyson loved the beach once he got used to it.

Nap time, we worked really hard this summer to transition Tyson from being held or sleeping on the couch for nap time to his crib.

Playing with Daddy. Blurry pictures are common with Tyson because he is always running and on the go.

Riding in the car. Tyson is still rear facing, but graduated to a big boy car seat. We can't wait until he is two and can face forward.

RJ plays the Wii and as long as Tyson has the controllers to hold he thinks he is playing too.

We got Tyson his own chair and he loves it, but after trying to put it on the automan and then climbing on it we moved it out to the front porch. It looks so cute there and he likes to sit on it to watch RJ mow the lawn.

More shopping and as you can tell, it's getting closer to football season.

I was actually home for this, but it's adorable. This was the first time we could get Tyson to eat corn on the cob and he loved it.

Tub time even without the water. He loves his tub time.

I was with for this adventure as well. This toy scared Tyson after we put the money in it to let him ride it.

Prepare

2011-11-07T08:31:00.003-07:00

Aug 26, 2011 7:03 AM

Being a working mom is hard. I feel pulled in so many directions and nothing I do feels like it is ever done well or enough. One of the things I love to do and have tried to squeeze in between everything else is to prepare our family for possible problems. This summer I have made strawberry freezer jam, raspberry freezer jam and freezer salsa.

We have been getting bountiful baskets and have been loving the fresh produce at the bargain prices they offer and as a result my freezer is better stocked than it ever has been. I was a bit skeptical about the freezer salsa but I had everything I needed, and I'm so glad we tried it. Amazing! Here is the recipe, I added a few extra jalapenos and it was perfect. My neighbor came over and we made three batches, it was a lot of work but made me happy to feel like I've done something for my family.

Ingredients

8 cups diced seeded peeled tomatoes (about 10 large)
2 medium green peppers, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
4-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Directions

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring often.
Pour into small freezer containers. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Stir before serving. Yield: 10 cups.

Sunday Morning

2011-11-07T08:31:00.001-07:00

Aug 26, 2011 6:57 AM

Sunday mornings at our house find just Tyson and I making the mad rush to get to church at 9 am. I love any time I have with Tyson, but boy is he busy. This mess is something he created within about 5 minutes of waking up.

Fairview Fun

2011-11-07T08:30:00.004-07:00

Aug 23, 2011 8:53 AM

We love going to Fairview. Usually a trip involves, lots of visiting, playing games and fun times with the family.

This was Tyson's first time on a 4-wheeler ride with Grandpa, I think Grandpa was more nervous about it than he was. The kids love spending time with Grandpa.

In the summer we spend a lot of time in the back yard and Tyson loves it. We visit while the kids play on the swing set and jump on the trampoline. It isn't hard to convince grandma to join in the fun. Tyson is so lucky to have such wonderful grandparents.

24th of July

2011-11-07T08:30:00.003-07:00

Aug 23, 2011 8:45 AM

We love the summer holidays and this year’s didn’t disappoint. For a long time holidays were a bit bittersweet for me, I loved the fun, traditions and family but I would look around and see others with kids and ache for my turn. Having Tyson in our family and starting traditions and sharing them with him is everything I hoped it would be. I love it.

We started the weekend with the Fairview Rodeo, for those of you who don't go, you miss out. This is one of our favorite things to do all year. We stuff ourselves on the concessions and watch the cowboys and animals. I love it, and Tyson had a ball. He ate nothing healthy and watched the animals from just about everyone's lap. He is a boy full of wiggles, but loved the animals. It has to be mentioned that RJ loves the concessions, he eats more at the rodeo than he does most other days. It's part of the fun to see what he is going to come back with.

The 24th of July was perfect as usual, the only thing different than past holidays was the giant hole left by my tiny Grandma’s absence. I miss her and kept wishing she were sitting up on her porch during the parade. Her influence and impact will not soon be forgotten.

The parade was great, Tyson loved running around and by the end of it was picking up candy. He spent part of it on Uncle Joe’s lap and the combination of the two brought in a lot of candy. It was sweet to see them together. I can’t believe how grown up Tyson has been looking lately. He is going going, going every minute.

After the parade we headed to Mom’s for the traditional BBQ with the extended fam. I love it, the food is always amazing and you can’t have a Mower get together without a huge variety of desserts. As usual my mom had plenty of water fun for the kids, Tyson had a ball, he loved the little pools and having all of the kids around. This year mom also made kits to make giant bubbles that both my boys had fun with.

The day was perfect and we had a great time catching up with everyone and soaking up the sun. That evening we watched the neighbor’s fireworks show while we tended babies and waited for the derby to end to see the city fireworks. All the excitement and fun of the day had Tyson pretty tired so he slept through the city’s show. All in all it was the perfect day.

Back Yard Fun

2011-11-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

Aug 22, 2011 9:36 AM

One of the things we love about our new house is the big back yard that is fenced in with the perfect swing set. Plenty of room to run around in and the swing set has everything a playground would have. We love it and love spending time outside with Tyson.

Tyson loves to slide, he claps every time he goes down it because we always have. It's adorable. He also loves to swing and tips his head back when we push him and laughs and smiles. We love it.

We have a gate that goes from the front to back yard and if we out front, it doesn't take long for Tyson to be stretching up as tall as he can to open the gate and head to the swing set.

Blessing Day

2011-11-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

Aug 8, 2011 4:59 PM

We blessed Tyson the Sunday following his sealing and I’m kicking myself because I didn’t get any pictures of the blessing day. What was I thinking? I even had my camera at church to take pictures after, but we were late getting out of sacrament meeting and I forgot. I guess a big trip followed by all the family fun and planning that goes into these special days made me spacey. At least I have pictures of Tyson in his white clothes. He looked adorable. The cutest little guy dressed all in white. He brought tears to my eyes.

Tyson let Tyson walk to the front where he gave Tyson the blessing and in the circle were, Bishop Crowshaw, RJ, My Dad, RJ’s Dad, Opa, Papa, Grandpa Johnson, Joe, Casey and Steven. The blessing was beautiful. The spirit was so strong and Tyson didn’t even make a peep. My dad did say that he tried to grab the microphone once and then he played with the bishop’s chin during the blessing, but he was quiet. I was worried he would cry or scream because he is older than most kids who get blessed in church.

After Tyson’s blessing and Sacrament Meeting we headed back to our house for breakfast and had a great time with our family. We are so blessed to be surrounded and loved by so many people. All in all the weekend was everything we hoped it would be and Tyson is officially Tyson Mark Harris and ours forever.

Eternal Family Day

2011-11-07T08:27:00.001-07:00

Aug 8, 2011 4:51 PM

After we got home from Louisiana we jumped right into preparations for the biggest day of all, our sealing day. We cleaned, shopped and crossed things off my list. Friday I had the day off from work and I spent the day finishing things up and baking with Tyson. I can’t describe how it felt to be doing something I had pictured and dreamed about doing with my own child. I held him as he helped put the chocolate chips into the cookies and had to fight back some emotion. It’s all such a miracle and still hits me sometimes. I love being a mom, and it’s the little things like baking cookies together that I dreamt about and now it’s actually happening.

Our Eternal Family Day started out bright and early dancing in the kitchen to Taylor Swift, all three of us took a few minutes to just be together and danced. It was a priceless moment. Tyson is a kid who loves music and anything with a beat has him moving to it. So we took the time to be silly have fun with him because after all, that is what this day was really all about, togetherness. After loading the car we headed over to our church to set up for the open house and get things ready for the day. RJ’s parents were nice enough to help us out, if they hadn’t we wouldn’t have been ready in time. My iron leaked in the basket full of treasures for the display table, but most things we were able to save.

After setting up Tyson was really tired so while I showered we let him nap until Grandma and Grandpa came to get ready. Grandma Janet helped get Tyson dressed and we were on our way. He looked so handsome in his white shirt and tie, such a big boy. Two trips back home for forgotten things and we were really on our way.

I can’t begin to describe how special this day was, I was emotional on the way to the temple. This was something I had pictured time and time again and finally it was happening. I had literally pictured walking into the temple with our child, and finally our dreams were coming true. We walked into the peaceful feeling of the temple and the nice workers led the way to the nursery where we dropped a crying, screaming Tyson off with a temple worker. We filled out paperwork and then went to change into our temple clothes. After Grandma Janet was dressed she went into the nursery to calm Tyson down and get him dressed.

RJ and I were then able to spend about 20 minutes in the Celestial Room soaking up the spirit of the day. After that we went into a small sealing room to talk with the sealer. We were told that Elder Christofferson had just left that room where he had been praying. It just added to the day. The sealer talked about what a special day this was for our family and reminded us that Tyson would be ours as if he had been born under the covenant to us. He then showed us how things would work and we walked into the sealing room where all of our friends and family were waiting.

The feeling of peace and love in the room was overwhelming. It was such a blessing to look out into the eyes of so many loved ones. We had just gotten settled when they opened the door and Tyson came in with Grandma. I felt like my heart would burst as we listened to the sealer go over the sealing with us and he then proceeded. I’m not really sure what he even said because once Tyson was in the room with us I couldn’t focus on anything else. It was all about him and this moment as a family. Towards the end of the sealing Tyson reached his little hand up to my face and I kissed his fingers. It was a priceless moment. After it was over we were able to stand and look at our family in the mirror going on forever. The perfect ending of our time in the temple. I am so grateful that finally this precious spirit that is full of fun and spunk is ours forever. We love him more than we ever imagined.

After we got dressed and snapped a few photos we headed to the church for ice cream sundaes and cookies. Tyson feel asleep in the car and slept in my arms and then my Grandma Johnsons for a while. He woke up happy but still wouldn’t eat. He decided to pretty much not eat anything all day until the evening. We had a great time with out family and felt so blessed to have their support. When Tyson was born we were amazed to see that he has seven living Grandma’s and five Grandpas, I wanted so much for a picture with all of them. Sadly my sweet Grandma Goldie was there in spirit and RJ’s Great Grandma Luella was too frail to make the drive, but we did get some pictures of all of the Grandparents there. Such a great legacy.

My parents stayed over that night and we ended the day with baking for after the blessing and a little Café Rio. The perfect way to end the day. We are so grateful to everyone who came to share the day with us, and we missed those who were not able to join us.

Trip Home

2011-11-05T19:07:00.000-06:00

Aug 2, 2011 8:43 AM

Our last day in Louisiana we didn't plan anything other than getting to the airport so after breakfast we packed up the car, got lost a bit and finally made it to return the car and catch a bus back to the airport for our flight.

Tyson did great on the flight, just one little fit and it was well earned. Seriously I don't know how we were so blessed with the best baby in the whole world, but we packed him in and out of the carseat and stroller in the heat and humidity all over for four days and he hardly complained at all. He didn't have a schedule and not as many naps as usual and he was a smiling happy boy the entire time. All in all I'd say he is a better traveler than I am.

The trip was amazing but we were more than ready to get home and wade through the mountain of laundry that piles up on vacation and prepare for the very best day of all. Our eternal family day, the day of Tyson's sealing.

Swamp Things

2011-11-05T19:06:00.002-06:00

Jul 26, 2011 4:35 PM

The last full day we spent in Louisiana started out with court and ended up being one of the hottest days I’ve ever had. After court we headed back down to the French Quarter to walk through the French Market. Tyson got a small nap in the car and luckily with it being a Monday morning we were able to park really closely. As my dad was walking into the market he was stopped by a man who writes a poem a day. The man said he could tell that it was a special day for him and asked him why. My dad was quick to tell him the reason, (my dad’s a talker and told a lot of people why we were there.) He said his wife was adopted and that adoption is special to him and gave him a free bookmark with the poem of the day that he then signed, dated and wrote halleluiah, amen on it. The poem is sweet and something that means a lot to me.

We did a little shopping and then it was time to head out of the city for our swamp tour. We stopped at a restaurant that we had ordered food from on our first trip, recommended by our birth mother’s case worker and enjoyed the yummy food. We were all pretty excited for the tour and had a good time checking out the swamp and area around it while we waited for the tour to begin.

While we were on the tour we were all able to hold a baby alligator named Elvis, Tyson included. We got to see raccoons and quite a few gators. I even got to stand on the platform on the side of the boat and hold raw chicken over the water for a 14 foot gator to jump up and grab it. It was pretty scary but I’m glad I did it. The tour was super hot and even my mom was hot and she loved the humidity while we were there. Poor Tyson was sweating bullets along with the rest of us. The entire trip Tyson flirted with cute girls and on the tour he wanted these two strangers to hold him, luckily they were happy to do it, so that is why the photos of the random people with my cute boy.

After the tour ended we were dying of thirst and got a quick drink to help. Tyson drank 10 ounces of water in just a few minutes the poor guy. We then headed back to the hotel so Tyson could swim and we could get packed for home.

One of the highlights of our trip was having Miss Donna our birth mom’s case worker who delivered Tyson on the side of the road come for a quick visit that night. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of them together. Tyson was a little shy at first, but warmed up and gave her one of his classic snuggles before she left. It was adorable, and we were so glad to have an opportunity to see her again, who knows maybe we will be back in Louisiana with her again for another baby.

Hot, Hot, Hot

2011-11-05T19:06:00.001-06:00

Jul 26, 2011 4:16 PM

Day two was the day we decided to brave the one way streets and limited parking and head into the French Quarter. After finding the court house for the next day we headed into the city. Parking wasn’t too bad, we did get yelled at by a rude Marriott worker but then found someone a block away that was so nice and parked our car, and then we headed out into the hot summer day.

We walked down a street window shopping and looking at the souvenirs. It was really hot but we walked down to Jefferson Square. The square is beautiful, just a pretty park with the cathedral on one side and lots of artists set up painting and selling their stuff. We stopped at the fountain on the square so that RJ could teach Tyson how to throw a penny in the fountain to make a wish, I’m pretty sure he only understood the throwing part, but it was cute. We were wanting to try beignets so we headed to the famed Café Du Monde to give them a try. We got to watch a balloon artist make balloon animals while we waited and then gave them a try. They were good, but I would call them a square scone with powdered sugar on them.

We kept wandering down the street not really paying attention to how far from the car and our street where we were reaching the tour guide. Tyson loved the music and I could have watched the cute Jazz Band all day. We browsed and looked at the architecture and melted in the sun. For lunch we decided to walk all the way back through the quarter to have lunch at the famous Mother’s. We wanted to give Po Boys a try and have heard great things about the place. It was so HOT and further than we thought, but we made it and had a yummy lunch in the cool room before we headed out into the heat to meet our city tour guide.

We had a great tour, we were able to drive all around the French Quarter including down Bourbon Street. (I’m glad we didn’t walk down it, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.) We headed out to see the levee that broke causing the flood after Katrina, it ended up not being a levee at all, just a big concrete wall that broke. It was sad to see the foundations that were left, but we also got to see the rebuilding efforts and the memorial art piece.

We drove through the Garden District and got to see how the rich live including Sandra Bullock, Brad and Angelina and Nicolas Cage. One of the most interesting things we saw were the cemeteries. Because they are below sea level they bury above ground and basically stack the bodies which after a year cook into ashes that are pushed back into a pit so that another family member can then be placed on top. They were creepy and fun to drive through.

After the busy day we had dinner at Popeye’s Chicken and spent some time at the hotel cooling down from the hot temperatures and going to bed early to be ready for the big finalization day. I have to say that night was a pretty emotional one for me, being tired and hot all day combined with the big day ahead I needed the good cry to prepare myself.

Stepping Back in Time

2011-11-05T19:05:00.002-06:00

Jul 26, 2011 3:01 PM

Our first full day of our time in Louisiana we decided to head away from the city and tour a plantation home. We toured one by Baton Rouge when we went to pick up Tyson and loved it so it was something we were looking forward to again. We went to Oak Alley, the drive there was fun, it’s always nice to see another part of the country and we loved looking out over the bayou.

It took about an hour to get there through a few small towns but once we got there the humidity set in. Ignore my hair, I promise it stayed dry for about five minutes after I did it each day. Humidity and I don’t seem to get along very well and in my defense, it was HOT! They were having heat advisory warnings while we were there.

We started the tour walking around the grounds taking pictures of the amazing oaks. Incredible. While we were in the house it poured rain. Luckily it stopped right as we were finished with our tour so we could walk around outside a little more and take the time to enjoy the non-alcohol version of Mint Juleps. (They were amazing, Tyson absolutely loved them, my dad thought they were better without the sprig of min in the way making them smell like ditch water.) The entire time my mom was wishing for her prom dress so she could fill like Scarlet O’Hara. You truly feel like you stepped back in time. Those trees are majestic and I can only imagine how it used to look without the big levee in the way of the view of the river. My only sad part of the tour was I wanted to see slave quarters and they were no longer on the property. My heart aches for them when I look at how adorable Tyson was and think of how things would have been had he been born at a different time. I don’t know how people could treat anything living like some of them were treated.

After our tour we headed to a small little place close by for lunch. I must admit not liking seafood really limits choices in New Orleans. RJ was in heaven, we ordered 3 pounds of crawfish that came with corn and potatoes. We also tried Boudin balls, fried alligator, hush puppies and something else fried with crab I think. Notice, RJ is actually sucking the juices out of their heads. Gross. Gumbo was also something we tasted. After RJ did his best to enjoy every last bite we were on our way to give Tyson a chance to nap and to cross off the list RJ’s request for the trip.

There is a giant bridge that runs across Lake Pontchartrain it’s about 24 miles across and is the longest continuous bridge over water and RJ wanted to drive across it. RJ was a good sport as we teased him about this, but it was a pretty cool experience to be driving on what felt like a freeway and see only water on all sides surrounding you. It felt like we were driving into the middle of the ocean.

After the bridge adventure we had dinner and headed back to our hotel to relax, recover from the heat and put Tyson to bed.

Finally

2011-11-05T19:05:00.001-06:00

Jul 26, 2011 9:39 AM

I know this is out of order, but since finalization was the whole reason for the trip I’m going to jump ahead to Monday and our court appointment.

Sunday morning on our way into the city we drove over to where the court house was so there would be no getting lost and risk being late. If you know me at all, you know that I hate being late and I’m already a worrier, so being late was just not something we were going to risk. The GPS got us there perfectly.

Monday morning dawned bright and early we had to be to court at 8:30 so of course it made sense to leave at 7 for the 20 minute drive over there just in case there is really bad traffic. The GPS started us out and started to send us the wrong way. It panicked my mom, but we made it with an hour to spare before court. Lucky for us there was a McDonald’s close by so we had a quick breakfast before heading to court.

We had no idea what to expect for the day. I was pretty emotional and had been all weekend so I was sure I would cry and it would be such a special moment. I don’t know why, but I was not expecting to go through security to enter the building. It makes sense, but I just wasn’t planning on a security check like we went through at the airport. Once we had our shoes and belts back on and had checked our cameras (cell phones were not even allowed in the building) we were on our way upstairs. The court handled juvenile cases as well as other family cases and the waiting room filled up pretty quickly. Tyson was happy to play at the lego table with several other kids while we waited. Our regular attorney was double booked for court so we one of his associates help us. She was wonderful, she prepped us for what would happen and checked to make sure a bailiff would bring our camera up to us for pictures with the judge. After waiting for a while we were on our way into the room.

We walked into a room with a conference table and microphones, my parents set in the back corner and RJ and I took Tyson up the the table where he immediately grabbed the microphone giving them all a start. We pulled him back and court was underway. I didn’t even have time to get emotional it was so short, the attorney asked us our names, income, employment, and address and then asked us if we understood that this was legally binding and that Tyson would be legally viewed as ours as if he had be born to us. We were then asked if we wanted to proceed, of course that was an absolute yes and then it was stated that he would be hereby known as Tyson Mark Harris and it was official. The whole thing was so quick that I didn’t even have time to get emotional. It was such a big moment and I just couldn’t stop smiling. We snapped a few photos with the judge and we were on our way finally a legally bound family of three. We waited downstairs for the official document and then we were on our way. We kept joking that we should take pictures outside of the courthouse in the French Quarter so the building would look official, but the building didn’t really matter the huge smiles on our faces and the weight we carried lifted off our shoulders was really what mattered.

I can’t begin to describe how it feels to be Tyson’s mom. I feel like pinching myself every day that he is mine. He is incredible and learning so much every day. His little smile can brighten any bad mood and I treasure his sweet hugs. I sometimes just wish I could hold him forever and keep him by me. I don’t know what I ever did to be trusted with such an incredible spirit. We are grateful every day for his sweet birth mother and her sacrifice she made to give Tyson the life she knew he deserved.

And so it Begins

2011-11-05T19:04:00.002-06:00

Jul 19, 2011 11:53 AM

I have a very full heart and a ton of photos to share right now, mostly I want to document things for Tyson so that he will know a little bit of where he came from and the journey we took together to make him ours forever.

We have been waiting for Tyson’s birth certificate for forever. 15 Months to be exact. This was the only hold up, but his being born on the way to the hospital and not in the hospital complicated things. They called it an undocumented birth and so it sent up red flags all along the way. The other complication was just that they move at a slower pace in the south and are not as urgent as we are.

So finally on the Friday evening before our court date we along with my parents boarded our plane for our nonstop flight to New Orleans. Tyson slept during part of it and loved pushing the buttons for the lights and air in the ceiling. We had to keep him on one side of the plane because that had the extra masks on it so part way through the flight Grandma and RJ changed places. Things were smooth sailing until we landed with a giant screech and then stopped. The pilot came on and told us that our breaks had locked up and were pretty hot so they were going to have the fire department come check it out. A few minutes later this was our view out the window.

The pilot then came on and told us they had cooled, and they were going to try to slowly taxi to the gate. We barley moved when they were back on telling us that instead they were going to get someone to tow us in. After a few jerks again our pilot came on and told us that they were going to have us deplane on the tarmac and be bussed into the baggage claim. By that time it had almost been an extra hour. Luckily we have the best baby ever and he was still being pretty good despite the late hour.

We stepped off the plane like the President of the United States and climbed down the stairs to the waiting busses only to see we were surrounded in flashing lights and then were escorted to baggage claim by the police. Boy I’m glad we landed safe and sound with no problems. We were super tired and starving, but got checked in and some dinner and finally went to bed about 1 am local time. Our trip had begun.

America's Pastime

2011-11-05T19:04:00.001-06:00

Jul 19, 2011 9:11 AM

Every year my company has a summer party and this year we were happy to see it was back at the Bees game. It ended up being the day after RJ got out of school for the summer so what better way to celebrate! We met my friends from work who happen to have a darling friend for Tyson to play with and enjoyed the free BBQ and game. We opted out of our seats to sit on the grass so the kids could wiggle and play. It was a pretty fun night to be out in the Sun enjoying the atmosphere.

Let Freedom Ring

2011-11-05T19:03:00.004-06:00

Jul 19, 2011 9:07 AM

I love holidays and I love both of the Summer holidays. Sadly RJ had to work over the weekend so Tyson and I headed to Fairview for the holiday without him. We missed him so much!

We started the day out with Jill's cute family riding in on a bike ride. We missed the annual Ward one on accident so Mom made a yummy breakfast. Tyson actually ate which was a miracle. Mostly he doesn't like to eat and just likes to play.

After breakfast we headed out the door to Mt. Pleasant to watch the parade. We love parades and I was so excited for Tyson to catch candy. Sadly no napping all weekend at Grandma's combined with the parade starting out with all the sirens was a bad combination and he would hardly let us put him down to pick up candy, but we still had a good time. He loved eating popcorn and seeing everyone.

After the parade we headed to my grandparents for a delicious BBQ. There were over 50 family members there. It was nice to see everyone. Four of my cousins had babies within a few months of Tyson so we couldn't resist a quick baby photo. Getting them to sit still was quite the challenge, so we decided it should just be a mom and baby photo.

After the fun with the family it was time to head home to see Daddy. We went out to dinner with our neighbor and then it was home to finally relax. Tyson was so tired after the big weekend we just skipped fireworks and headed straight to bed.

Too much

2011-11-05T19:03:00.003-06:00

Jul 5, 2011 10:26 AM

This is what happens after a weekend trip to Grandma's house filled with sun, playing with cousins, going to a parade, bbqs and hardly any naps. It's 10:30 a.m. and Tyson is still asleep, this has never happened and even my holiday loving self didn't keep him up last night for the fireworks, the poor little guy was just too tired out.

Stinker

2011-11-05T19:03:00.001-06:00

Jun 30, 2011 4:40 PM

Look at this adorable face, so innocent, he wouldn't be up to anything would he? He is would never get into something he shouldn't or cause havoc, no never...

while RJ was downstairs folding laundry, Tyson broke away for a few minutes and had fun on his own. We now have a big pile of toilet paper on the bathroom counter instead of on the roll thanks to our darling little stinker. I'm sure he had more fun than RJ did when he had to clean it up.

Miracles Happen Every Day

2011-11-05T19:02:00.003-06:00

Jun 30, 2011 11:22 AM

Rj went to trek with out stake this year as part of the equipment committee and after his experience there we are more than happy that he made it home safe and sound. If you want a better version of the story ask him because he has all of the specifics, but in a nutshell this is what happened on the way home.

RJ was riding in a Pathfinder pulling a trailer with one other person and it was really windy. The load they were hauling was unbalanced, and the wind started causing it to sway. Just outside of Evanston the force of the trailer pushed the Pathfinder into the guard rail which caused the trailer hitch to break in half and the Pathfinder to roll three times. Many blessing came our way that day. The truck landed right side up without rolling of the road or into another vehicle, RJ was able to climb out the broken window onto the guard rail without any major injuries. The driver was equally as blessed. RJ had a sore elbow for a day or so and a scrape on his knuckle. He didn’t end up with any bruises and wasn’t even stiff and sore the next day. Following them were some great friends of ours who were able to help avoid further accidents by helping to direct traffic around them until the police and paramedics came.

The paramedics were expecting the worse when they arrived on the scene and were shocked to find out that there were not injuries to treat and that everyone was fine. One of them said you can tell this is a church group because you don’t see people walk away from something like this.

RJ arrived home delayed, but safe and sound and we couldn’t be more grateful to a father’s blessing before the adventure and the prayer asking for safe travel offered by our Stake President before they all headed home. I can’t even begin to describe my gratitude and relief over having him come home safely. Miracles big and small happen every day.

Perfect Ending

2011-11-05T19:02:00.001-06:00

Jun 27, 2011 2:07 PM

We had a super busy day on Saturday and after running errands in the heat Tyson and I both came home cranky and hot. I pulled out the new sprinkler to try to get the dry spot on our lawn green and the fun began. It was so much fun to watch Tyson experience this for the first time, his little mind started working and I loved watching him play in the water. He ended up soaked, but it was worth it because we both had a great time, the perfect ending to a hot busy day.

New Car Seat

2011-11-05T19:01:00.001-06:00

Jun 23, 2011 4:53 PM

Tyson finally hit the 20 lb mark and we decided it was time to get him a big boy car seat. We did a lot of research and finally went with Britax the brand our Pediatrician recommended. Our doctor also told us that the while legally he can be forward facing now new guidelines have come out to keep a toddler rear facing until they are two years old, so while we would love to have him face forward we decided to be as responsible as possible and keep him rear facing. Lucky for us Tyson has never been a kid who hated riding in the car. Rear facing has been a little inconvenient because we can't really see him, but so far so good.

The Big Easy to the Temple

2011-11-05T19:00:00.002-06:00

Jun 7, 2011 1:15 PM

We finally have Tyson's court date scheduled. I cheered when I got off the phone with the attorney and Tyson started clapping because mommy was acting so funny. We have court scheduled for July 11th and we will be flying back to New Orleans on the 8th and staying until the 12th. We were able to talk my parents into making the trip and we are getting so excited.

As soon as we found out about the court date we scheduled our sealing day and I'm even more excited about that. July 16th is our big day and we can't wait. I have spent so much time rocking to Tyson singing Families Can be Together Forever and I Love to See the Temple telling him about his adoption and how we can't wait to have him sealed to us, picturing that special day. My heart feels like it's going to burst at the thought. I can't wait to see our handsome man walk into the sealing room all in white. He is going to look adorable! We are blessing him in our Ward on the 17th and so happy to finally reach that milestone. We are so blessed and can't believe how the blessing just keep pouring in.

Messy, Messy Boy

2011-11-05T19:00:00.001-06:00

May 30, 2011 8:02 PM

Tyson will not let us feed him. He isn't the best of eaters anyway because most of the time it just takes to much time to sit down long enough to eat. Tyson is also pretty independent and seems to be in a big hurry to grow up, so rather than let him starve he just hand over his spoon like we did tonight at the restaurant and let him have at it. As you can see, it's a messy process, but he is getting better at it and it's pretty dang cute if you ask me.

Growing Up

2011-11-05T18:59:00.001-06:00

May 30, 2011 7:53 PM

Our baby is getting so big. He learns new things everyday. Most of them RJ teaches him. I promise, I'm not a slacker mom, RJ is just born to be a teacher and I love watching him teach Tyson new tricks.

The newest of Tyson's tricks are:

Pushing the garage door opener to open and close the garage as we go in the house.

Shutting the microwave door and pushing the right button for the 30 seconds it takes to heat his bottle to his liking.

Turning off and on the light switches. (This can be a pain because if he sees a switch he wants to flip it on and off.)

Tyson went through a faze where he didn't like to lay down in the bath tub, but he loves to know because of RJ working with it.

And finally as you can see, RJ is teaching Ty about brushing his teeth. (we realize that it is pretty early to do this, but Ty got his teeth early he already has 12 and he is only 14 months old and it's pretty cute and for now a fun game.)

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-11-05T18:58:00.000-06:00

May 30, 2011 7:44 PM

As mentioned we went to Fairview for Memorial Day. For us it's a tradition. Memorial Day was the first time RJ met my family. He learned that the weekend is full of good food, family and many many trips to the cemeteries. He met Aunts, Uncles, a few cousins and my Grandma Goldie. Later Grandma told my mom she thought he was a keeper. So did I.

This weekend was the same in so many ways but different in others. This was the first without our sweet Grandma. It was also the first time home with her gone as well. Little moments it kept hitting me and stopping by to temporarily store our newly finished jam in her freezer was hard. She should have been sitting in her chair when we walked in but she wasn't. It was also strange not to have her up for a meal or to go for a visit. I'm sure it won't be the last time she was missed.

We had cooler than normal weather, but did have time for some outdoor time. My dad made a dutch oven and of course Ty had to be outside helping him by getting in the way and playing with his cousins. It was great as always to spend time at a slower pace and enjoy part of the family. Of course this year didn't dissapoint, we made a few trips to the Fairview Cemetery as well as Manti's, Ephraim's and Mount Pleasant's.

One of the Big Boys

2011-11-05T18:57:00.000-06:00

May 30, 2011 7:37 PM

Tyson is getting so grown up and I've said it a million times, but he really loves his dad and wants to do everything he does. While we were in Fairview this weekend for Memorial Day RJ, Casey and my Dad put a grower box together. Of course Ty had to be part of the fun, because he is after all one of the guys.

Good Property

2011-11-05T18:56:00.002-06:00

May 30, 2011 7:28 PM

To start out this weekend my sister and I decided to take advantage of the yummy strawberries this season and make freezer jam. As my Grandma always said, food storage and the makings of such is "good property"

We worked most of the day and ended up with eight batches. So many jars that I can't wait to enjoy and share. It was so much fun spending time with my sister and my mom oh how I love and admire these two women. Normally my mom would have been leading the way in the work, but she had surgery this week and was recovering. We did let her cut the labels out however.

Like Father, Like Son

2011-11-05T18:56:00.001-06:00

May 21, 2011 4:34 PM

Buying a new home has brought with it a ton of yard work that we have never had to do and so far we are liking the new challenge. We bought our first lawn mower and the first time RJ went out to mow the lawn his little shadow Tyson had to be part of the action, so we went out on the porch to watch. Tyson walked from front to side as RJ moved around the lawn poking his little head between the rails to watch RJ's every move.

Once the front was done we had to put Ty in the stroller in the driveway to keep an eye on the action. It was adorable. Tyson is loving having our yard and I love that he is so much like RJ. Adopted yes, but he is RJ's boy through and through and I wouldn't have it any other way. I count my lucky stars every day that I get to have these amazing boys in my life.

Graduation

2011-11-05T18:55:00.002-06:00

May 21, 2011 4:25 PM

Big things have been happening around our house. One of the biggest is RJ graduated from the U with his Masters in Math Education. And yes, I typed that correctly, RJ is now an official graduate of the University of Utah. After he walked, I asked him if he wanted to head over to the bookstore to get a nice U of U Alum license plate holder, he quickly declined.

On a serious note I just wanted to take a few minutes to say how proud I am of RJ. He juggled his full time teaching job, church callings, a part time Deseret Book job and grad school all while becoming a dad with no notice and selling our home and buying a new one. He is amazing and my super hero. I’m so lucky to have a husband who works so hard for our family. I do have to say that I am glad he won’t be spread quite as thin, Tyson and I love having him home with us.

Luckily we had beautiful weather for graduation and we were so glad that we had so many family members there to celebrate with RJ. Oma and Opa came from Star Valley and Papa and Gram called. All it all it was a good day.

After the ceremony we headed to RJ’s choice place of Red Lobster, we are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that love us and support everything we do. It was a fun day spent honoring our smarty pants. The only down side to the whole day was me still battling the cold that turned into bronchitis/borderline phenomena so I wasn't up to full speed.

Math Conference

2011-11-05T18:55:00.001-06:00

May 17, 2011 8:53 AM

I know everyone will be jealous, but RJ had the opportunity to attend the National math conference in Indianapolis this year. I can’t think of anything more painful than four days of math classes and meetings, but RJ was in heaven. They got to stay in a really nice Marriot hotel and he even found a Dunkin Donuts. It was nice that for a change he got a little spoiled.

While he was there he and a few of the other teachers were able to go to the race track where the Indianapolis 500 takes place. As you can see, he was happy as a clam and took the opportunity to kiss the brickyard like the race winners too bad he didn’t have some milk to drink as well.

We missed him like crazy while he was gone, but we are happy his district asked him to go.

Goldie Mower

2011-11-05T18:54:00.002-06:00

February 18, 1924 - April 21, 2011
Goldie Tucker Mower, 87 of Fairview, passed away peacefully at her home on April 21, 2011. She was born February 18, 1924 in Fairview, Utah, to George Que and Goldie Terry Tucker. She attended school in Fairview and Mt. Pleasant and was a graduate of North Sanpete High School. Goldie married Ted Reece Mower in the Manti LDS Temple on September 8, 1943.
Goldie had a strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She loved the Savior and the scriptures. She exemplified service throughout her life and was a true example of womanhood. She served faithfully in many church callings including Relief Society President and many years in the Primary. Her most cherished calling was serving with her husband Ted for five years as ordinance workers in the Manti and Provo Temples. She volunteered at the Fairview Museum and was an active member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and the Fairview Senior Citizens. Goldie was blessed with many talents which she used serving others. She was gifted in sewing, quilting, gardening, canning, and cake decorating. She was an amazing cook and made sure that each meal was beautifully presented with proper table and place settings. Her delicious hand-dipped holiday chocolates were unmatched. She devotedly loved and served her family throughout her life.

She is survived by her son Paul (Faye) Mower, Grantsville; daughters Lee Ann (Larry) Hansen and Janet (Chad) Johnson, Fairview; Sally (Brent) Dyches and Anita (Brent) Bailey, Moroni; Claudean (Randy) Cox, Bountiful; and daughter-in-law Denese (Lynn) Nish, Millville. Sisters Vada Nielsen, Providence; LuDean Seeley, Ogden; and Lilly Mae Allen, Springville; sister-in-law Dorothy Tucker, Roosevelt; and 27 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Ted who passed away in 1993; son Karl Sidney Mower; her parents; brothers Que Dell and Billie Bert Tucker; sister Ruby Eulala Tucker; and by her great-grandson Colton Dyches.

Funeral services will be held Monday, April 25, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. in the Fairview LDS (Rock) Chapel. Viewings will be held on Easter Sunday, April 24, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Rasmussen Mortuary in Mt. Pleasant and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to the services on Monday. Interment will be in the Fairview City Cemetery. The family would like to thank Helen Perry, Debbie Dyreng and the staff of IHC Hospice for their loving care.

Grandma Goldie

2011-11-05T18:54:00.001-06:00

I have sat down to write this post about 100 times, but always the task just seemed to great to tackle and my emotions kept getting in the way. But I’m going to do it for myself and because I wish the world could have been as lucky as I have been to know such an amazing lady.

I have been spoiled my whole life. Until I moved away from home I was lucky enough to live within a few minutes of all four of my grandparents. I’ve always felt bad for people whose grandparents didn’t live close enough for a Sunday visit. I was spoiled enough to sometimes get to see both sets of grandparents in one day. Amazing and something I often took for granted.

Early last Thursday morning after incredible fight, my sweet, kind, loving Grandma Goldie went home. My heart is so full because it was time for her to go. Her tiny little body that did so much for so many people was just worn completely out. We knew it was coming and that she would be so much better off on the other side, but as my mom said, you want to much for them to go and to stop suffering, but the moment the leave you wish they could come back.

Grandma spent the last few days here on earth with her daughters serving her and I will never forget the example of selfless love and service they set. They spent the time helping her wrap up the little things she needed to in order to go, they sat with her, held her hand, talked to her and loved her just as she would have done for them and while it was the hardest thing they could have been asked to do, they did it out of love and appreciation for their incredible mom.

My childhood was filled with trips to Grandma’s, like I said, I was one of the few lucky enough to live in Fairview and have her close. Sundays included delicious dinners and desserts, feeding Wendy dog, climbing trees, picking peas in the garden to decorate the sand cakes we made in frisbees in the sand box under the tree. During the winter we played downstairs in the basement and I won’t ever forget the closet filled with clothes we spent time in, the brass knobs on the stove and the cold wall by the blue bed. Grandma’s house was always, always clean and welcoming. There were always treats weather it was dried cinnamon apples or homemade cookies from the freezer there was always something good to eat.

When I was little we used to have sleepovers at Grandma’s usually all wearing matching nightgowns she had made and given to us for Christmas. In the mornings we would climb into bed with Grandpa while Grandma worked in the kitchen fixing breakfast. That sums her up, always serving, always loving and always sharing her talents with those around her.

When we used to go shopping in Provo with Grandma, we would pick her up and she would always have a baggy of treats for the drive up. She loved to eat at Chuck-a-rama and would tap her keys on the way home.

Birthdays Grandma either made us a dress, decorated a beautiful cake and in her later years a sweet card. It was a privilege to come from her family. Grandma was always sewing something and I used to love to play with the marbles under the quilt top she was working on.

I was lucky enough to have Grandma watch me a few times when I was sick and like mom, she would come into the room and touch her hand to my cheek. I wish I could have one more day with Grandma like those. I was also one of the few who got to have Grandma stay over on Christmas Eve to share Christmas morning with us. She was always so kind and thoughtful. Grandma was also one of the first people I wanted to show my prom dress and wedding dress to so she could look at the fabric and tell us how pretty it was. When I learned how to bottle peaches my mom taught me the way that Grandma taught her, pit side in so it looks pretty on the shelf. That is what Grandma did, make everything around her prettier.

Now that I’m older I have been able to have times to hear Grandma talk about some difficult things in life. Our struggle to have children seemed to have touched her and she opened up to me about having her children. That is a conversation I’ll always hold in my heart. When we decided to adopt Grandma let me choose from the stack of baby quilts she made so I could save a boy and girl quilt because she knew I would need them. The Grandma Goldie quilt made the flight to New Orleans and it was the first blanket I wrapped around Tyson. It felt like a piece of her love was there.

Every day we were gone Grandma called Jill and asked how we were doing and I couldn’t wait to show off my baby to her. She ooed and awed over his features and even up until the last time I saw her she held him and loved him. I wanted more than anything to have all of Tyson’s grandparents and his sealing and while we won’t be able to see her, I know she will be there with Grandpa on that special day.
Apr 29, 2011 1:52 PM

To me Grandma will always be there in Christmas chocolates, pretty dresses, nursery rhymes, climbing trees, big swing sets, warm quilts, yummy food, lilac bushes, Easter egg hunts and bottled jars of fruit. Grandma led by example and never wanted to be the center of attention, but it’s been said “by your fruits ye shall know them.” and if you look at the care and love given the final week of her life you would know that Grandma was one of the best. She was a elect lady who had the light of Christ shining in her eyes and she will be forever loved and missed. She is one of my hero's and I look forward to the day that I can be with her again. I love you Grandma thank you for everything.

Is it Time?

2011-11-05T18:53:00.000-06:00

Apr 5, 2011 8:46 PM

I'm guessing it's time for another haircut. Boy his hair grows fast!

Happy Birthday Tyson

2011-11-05T18:52:00.000-06:00

Mar 31, 2011 4:19 PM

Tyson’s birthday marked a year full of happiness, growth, love and learning. One year ago my life and heart changed forever with a simple phone call. It started out with “you’ll never believe it, but a baby was born on the way to the hospital this morning and his birth mom is so sad she hasn’t found his family yet. Can you send your profile digitally so we can show it to her?”

My heart stopped for a minute and I sent the files on their way. Following the phone call were a series of phone calls to RJ and our parents to give everyone a heads up. The next four hours it seemed like time stood still. At 2:30 that afternoon I received another phone call, this time I was on speakerphone and several people congratulated me. We were on our way. Three incredibly crazy hours later we had wrapped up work, gathered paperwork, wired money, made several phone calls, arranged travel, and made a mad dash to the airport. We were on our way! Those were the shortest three hours of my life and what followed were the longest three hours as we flew across the country to meet our baby boy.

The moment Tyson was placed in my arms the next afternoon I was hooked. He was as much a part of my heart as any baby I would have carried. I can’t even begin to put into words how those next few hours went. They were heaven on earth and everything was amazing especially my baby boy.

Tyson’s first birthday started out with him giggling and bouncing on the bed while RJ and I sang Happy Birthday to him. We dressed him in his 1 year old shirt and headed out for the day. We left the house 1 year and 1 hour to the minute from when he was born. My heart was so full.

Tyson’s babysitter had a fun day in store for him complete with a balloon, crown, cupcake and a new ball. As a mom who works, it melted my heart. After RJ picked him up they headed over to my office so I could soak up more time with the birthday boy and show him around. He is always a very popular guest in the office. After we left the office we headed to Nielson’s for dinner and frozen custard. Tyson loved it! He loves ice cream and so we thought that would be a good way to celebrate. He of course loved it and had it running down his chin. We spent the rest of the time playing and soaking up our time with Tyson. We can’t believe it’s already been a year. I didn’t realize that babies only stay babies for a blink and then they are big.

Tyson has been the best, hardest, happiest, most fantastic change in my life. We love him more than we can ever say. Seeing the things Tyson learns on a daily basis never ceases to amaze us. We catch ourselves watching him do something incredible like fold his arms for prayer and look over at each other in amazement. This past year has flown by, who would have know when we woke up a year ago that one simple phone call would change everything for the better.

Motherhood is the best thing I’ve ever done. I love being Tyson’s mom and RJ’s wife. I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to spend forever with my two boys. Life is good, especially on birthdays. Happy Birthday bug, you are so, so loved.

Boy oh Boy, look who is 1!

2011-11-05T18:51:00.000-06:00

Mar 30, 2011 8:21 PM

I can't believe the year has flown by. My baby is one. We had an amazing family party on Friday night. An early celebration never hurt anyone if you ask me.

We ordered the most darling cake from and I absolutely loved, loved it!

Before the party, we had pizza for dinner and as you can tell, Tyson loved it so much he stored some in his hair for later.

Tyson was so spoiled, he wasn't very interested in opening the gifts, but he loved playing with what was inside the presents. He won't put the toy cell phone down that Chris, Karen and Ryan gave him. He carries it around the house all the time.

After opening presents it was time for cake. I have been excited for this for months and couldn't wait for him to dig in. Tyson liked the cake, but didn't like having the sticky frosting all over his hands. Having a room full of people watching him wasn't ideal either. He did make a huge mess and had blue frosting in his hair and ears.

All in all, the party was a ton of fun.

Moving Day

2011-11-05T18:44:00.001-06:00

Mar 27, 2011 8:59 PM

Moving Day started bright and early with boxes stacked everywhere! We had so much help and even though it was really stressful things went smoothly. The only mishap was the bag that RJ packed his shoes in got put away in the pod and he ended up at church for a day with gym shoes on.

Tyson was a champ, he was so good but so tired by the time the day was over. He fell asleep for a quick nap at 6 pm. Most of the day he kept walking around wondering what was happening. He has adjusted to the move very well and has had fun playing with my cousins darling kids.

Stupid, in a hurry

2011-11-05T18:43:00.001-06:00

I accidentally deleted a bunch of my posts, that is what I get for being in such a hurry. Luckily I followed myself in Google reader and so now I just have to redo them all. So nothing current, just trying to keep our history up to date and not lose anything.

Last night

2011-03-18T21:21:00.000-06:00

My heart is very full tonight. I'm sitting in an almost all the way boxed up quiet house with a sleeping baby in the next room and I don't really know how to feel.

These walls of our home have seen us through so much. Much happiness, much trials, much love, much laughter, much sadness, much tears, much joy, much hardship, much growing and tonight it feels less like home and more like just a house.

This house started out on a rocky start, it was hard to find and then we lived through the flood and fixes up to make it feel like home. This is the house where we found out that starting a family wouldn't be easy. It's where we were when we held each other and cried. It's also where we were when we picked ourselves up and decided to brave the scary world of infertility and take the leap of faith and try in-vitro. This house is where we were when the medicines wouldn't work and we found ourselves in a less than 1% category and had to grieve the loss of the baby who would come from us and look like us. This house is where we stepped into the world of adoption full of hope and fear and we struggled here while we worked our way down that bumpy path. This house is where RJ and I grew closer together as a family, even just a family of 2 for a while. This house is where we lived when we made some amazing friends, had some amazing times with them. We had grown up callings here, we worked, loved and played here and then finally when we were feeling like life was pretty good and that we were going to be ok, this is where we made the mad dash around packing and dreaming and hoping because finally we were on our way to bring our baby home. This is the home that I worried we would never bring a baby home to and the day we walked through the door with Tyson in our arms will never be forgotten. The love and care and visitors we welcomed in to meet our newest family member will forever be in our hearts.

I have so many memories here, traditions were started here and our family grew here. I will always cherish this little house in my heart and these five years we were here. Tonight marks the end of our time here, and tomorrow marks a new adventure. We have been so blessed and are so full of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the gifts he continually gives our family.

Packing

2011-03-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

So the marathon packing has begun. Let me tell you, packing with an almost 1-year-old is a ton of fun. Last night I was packing and had an empty box on the floor, before I know it, my darling little man was helping out, he picked up one of my shoes and one of his books and dropped them in the box, then he was off to find more things to help pack.

The other day I was packing up my linen closet and Tyson was either taking things out and carrying them off or he was adding toys like his night light and horse from his barn. It makes packing harder, but it's so cute!

Tyson has really been starting to imitate us in the sounds we make and trying to say the same words it's adorable and keeps us on our toes.

House Sold

2011-03-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

We are officially under contract for our house. It's hopefully as good as sold and we are in the process of packing and getting ready to move on the 18th & 19th. This should be amazing, great news, and it was until 2 days ago when the house we were negotiating back and forth on suddenly wasn't an option anymore. The sellers decided that they just wanted to keep it.

We love, love, love our ward and neighborhood and have said all along that we don't want to leave, now with our house sold there isn't anything for us to buy. So keep us in your prayers as we figure out the next step for our family.

My Boys

2011-02-17T14:34:00.002-07:00

Boy oh boy, I love these guys!

Changes

2011-02-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday when I showed up to drop Tyson off at the babysitter she told me that after that week she couldn't watch him anymore. We were really upset, we have loved Diane and so has Tyson. I've been so grateful that I've never had to leave a crying baby behind while I went to work. Well we started the hunt for a new babysitter and today I dropped him off at a new one. We feel really good about her and Tyson will have some fun kids to play with. But Tyson didn't want me to leave and I cried I drove away. Being a working mom is really hard.

Other changes are, we are hopefully going to have our house sold and be making an offer on a new house in our neighborhood. The negotiations on our house have been done and all that is left for the buyer to quite dragging her feet and send over the paperwork. We are excited and nervous all at the same time, so keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't change her mind.

Work has a ton of changes happening as well. We are growing and expanding our agency at a very rapid rate and restructuring, it's stressful and could hopefully turn into something amazing. The jury is still out there, it will probably be a good six more months until things start being less stressful.

One other aspect of our lives that hasn't changed, but we are really hoping will, is Tyson's adoption status. We are praying so hard that his birth certificate will come and we can fly out to Louisiana for finalization. We are more than ready for this little man to be ours forever and the waiting is killing us. Any prayers you want to send our way would be more than appreciated.

Morning Commute

2011-02-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is what greeted me this morning when I got to our babysitters house and opened the back door. It's hard to say what I'll find, a smiley happy boy or a tired sleepy one. The funny thing is, he wouldn't be so tired if he wouldn't have been waking up all week at four a.m. And it has to be said, this boy loves, loves, loves his binky.