Pictures galore!

Well, I haven't posted in FOREVER! Goodness, I gotta get better about this. So, where to start. We went to my sister, Becky's house for Thanksgiving. Her and her husband and their four kids live in Boise. We had a lot of fun! And I must say, that was the BEST turkey I have ever had! Everything was just delicious! And it was so nice to spend some time with her and her family. We absolutely love them! We drove up that morning with my parents and came back that night. It was a short trip but totally worth it!

The Monday after Thanksgiving we left early that morning and drove to Las Vegas for a Ground Water Convention for Marty's work. It was a little less eventful then I was hoping but it was fun regardless. We got to walk the strip for a little bit and we saw the water show at the Bellagio (which was amazing of course!). It was also a pretty short trip but I'm glad we went. The day we left, Monday, the 28th, also happened to be mine and Marty's twp year anniversary! Best two years of my entire life :) The day was spent driving but it was still a great day.

Walking the strip with momma and daddy!



Us in front of the Mirage hotel

my sweet boy taking a nap on the way home

Daddy and Declan eating dinner at In&Out Burger



Declan is still not quite walking. He can stand up all on his own but no steps yet (which I'm not too upset about haha). He is going to be walking SOON though! I can't believe my baby boy is 9 months old already! He is growing sooo fast. He is very interested in things, too. He has recently discovered a love for toy cars (anything with wheels really). He loves making the wheels turn. He seriously just gets fascinated by toy cars! I have a feeling he is going to be quite a bit like his daddy :) Declan also LOVES my parents little chihuahua (her name is Kitty). Him and Kitty absolutely LOVE each other! Not ganna lie, it's kinda cute.



A good friend of mine, Doug, came to Burley a couple months ago and did some pictures of Declan for me (he also did some of me too). He is an AMAZING photographer. I absolutely LOVED what he did. Unfortunately, Declan wasn't wanting to smile for him though, haha silly boy! They still turned out absolutely fabulous though! Thanks again Doug!!! You're amazing!!!!



A little of this, a little of that

Marty had his 23rd birthday! He worked all day on his actual birthday so we weren't able to do much but that night we went out to his parents house and had cake and ice cream. My sister and her husband and their two kids were in town, also, so the next day Marty and my brother-in-law Kyle worked on the yard, patio, garden, and garage almost all day while me and my sister Sam worked on the inside of the house and watched the kids and then that night we grilled up a bunch of steaks and had a big BBQ! It was a lot of fun!  I think Marty really enjoyed his birthday weekend.

Declan turned 7 months. About 4 days before that, he officially started crawling! So he's been crawling about two weeks now and he thinks he is a little pro already. He is already getting fearless and has even attempted the stairs a couple times (with my supervision of course!) He is loving the fact that he has a little more independence now but it us also making it a little harder to get him down for his naps. He thinks as soon as I put him down that he NEEDS to either be sitting up or crawling. Silly little guy

Helping momma with Laundry!



I forgot his exact height at his 6 month appointment but he was totally off the charts for his height! He was in the 85% for his weight which was 18 lbs 9 oz. He is a pretty big boy. So all in all, he is crawling, sits up GREAT and can sit himself up all by himself, and has his bottom two teeth (which is absolutely adorable with his funny little grin. He is also starting to understand the meaning of no and when I say it to him, he looks up and me and just GRINS! My parents think it is adorable (which it is, but I won't admit that haha).

I helped my little brother ask his girlfriend to homcoming last week. I was over at my parents house and he was trying to figure out a creative way. We finally decided to make a cake. The theme for homecoming was candyland so we made a candy cake and I must say... It turned out AWESOME!

The Cake

I also did her hair for homecoming... I think it turned out pretty cute!

The cute couple :)

(I also helped with her makeup!)

I honestly sometimes can't believe that we got so lucky with Declan! He is SUCH a happy guy! He is so sweet and really very content most of the time. He loves to play and loves being around people. He doesn't have a problem letting most anyone else hold him (although still prefers his momma and daddy if we reach for him). He hasn't seen my sister is a few months and when she went to hold him, he was as happy as a clam! We also went to dinner last night and he was in his high chair. Any one that would walk by, he would just turn and look at, and smile, and flirt with! It was absolutely adorable! All the waitresses just adored him, and he was sooo incredibly good the entire time!

Marty was out working in the lawn the other day and we had Declan out there playing with his toys. I was in doing soem housework and I came outside to check on Declan and this is what I saw. Cutest thing in the world...

We finally turned him around so he could watch his daddy a little more easily. He was completely uninterested in his toys. He has turned into quite the little daddy's boy. Marty likes that he is crwaling now because he'll walk in the door after work and Declan will get really excited and crawl right over to him! He has also LOVED cuddling with marty more now, too.

A few more picture...

His "it wasn't me!" look haha

Cutest.Face.Ever!



We're pretty much loving life! I absolutely love my little family :) We have been extremely blessed and I couldn't ask for more then what I've already been given.

Growing up

Its crazy how quickly things change, and how quickly little boys grow. It so crazy to think that my little man is 6 MONTHS OLD! I keep asking myself how that happened and where on earth the last 6 months have gone!... Declan has started to change quite a bit recently. He was really fussy for a couple weeks ago, nothing too horrible, but not his usually easy self, I knew he was teething but I didn't know he was actually cutting a tooth but a couple days later I felt in his mouth and on the bottom, a llittle tooth has popped through! It is the cutest little snaggle tooth I have ever seen in my entire life, especially with his big old grin he does! I absolutely love it and just can't get enough! I tried to get a picture of his tooth but I don't know if you can really see it...

Declan's little snaggle tooth

He is also ALMOST crawling!! I can't even believe it! He gets all the way up on his hands and knees and rocks  back and forth and he can go backward but he just hasn't quite mastered going forward yet and it's extremely frustrating to him :) I can't believe how fast he growing and picking up everything! I got a pretty cute picture of that

In crawling position

Declan also got his first hair cut this last week (thanks to his Aunt Angie!!!) His hair is so light you cant really see how much he actually has but he had a ton of really long hairs that would totally go all out of control. It was pretty hilarious and Marty and I would call him our little Albert Einstein with his crazy hair but thats all gone now. It made me a little sad but I knew it had to happen sometime!

LOVE this one!!



 



Marty and I had a pretty eventful week too. He had a week off this last week before starting his new job and it was sooo nice having him home! Especially since I caught this awful cold so he was really able to help and take good care of me. We went to the first Burley High School home football game of the season. We also had a yard sale Saturday morning to try to get rid of a few of the extra things we have since we are living in our grandparents house. Then Saturday night we decided to go to to Shoshone Falls and it was really nice to get out of town. We got a couple pictures of that, too.

Beautiful view with the rainbow

Declan was asleep in his stroller for this one



I just have one last picture of declan sleeping. You can't really see but he was kind of sticking his little bum up the the air while he was asleep. So dang cute!

Well, we are doing fansatic, Marty is loving his new job and we are just all around happy and loving life :) Hope everyone is doing wonderful!



Changes

There has been lots of changes in our lives recently...

Marty just put in his notice at his current job. He is going to be starting work for his brother David at Apex Drilling Sept. 1st. We are VERY excited about this change. He has really enjoyed his time working for Cody at Bowers but this is more of a long term career and as I said, we are very excited!

We also just moved into my grandparents house. They are on a mission in Ghana, Africa. They've been gone since October. My brother, his wife, and their four kids were living there before but my brother just recently got a job at a CAT dealership in Pocatello so they moved (congrats again Jeff! Super proud of you!). We are very happy to finally be out of an apartment and in an actual HOUSE with a LAWN! We are still trying to get organized and all settled but it has been really great so far! We're excited to be able to spend the next year or so in their house taking care of everything for them. I'm really close to my grandma though so I'll also be very happy when they come back :)

Declan is a little over 5 months now! Its crazy how fast time is flying. I know I say that a lot but it is really true. He gets smarter and grows and learns new things everyday! I've taken him to the kiddie pool a couple times so far this summer and he has seemed to really like it. I'll try to get pictures the next time I take him. He has been eating baby food, too. I started him on it at right about 4 months. He would always watch us so intently whenever we were eating so I thought it was probably time. He eats AMAZINGLY good! He opens his mouth SOO big and he'll get a little irrated at me if I don't feed him fast enough. I was just feeding him baby food once a day but I just started feeding him twice a say now. He still is nursing just as much, too! He is just one hungry boy! He is built like a tank (He feels like he is about as heavy as one, too :) haha). He loves being on his tummy. He is such an entertaining little guy! He LOVES sitting, standing, kicking his feet! I have a feeling I'm going to be in trouble with him very soon :D He's teething too, but I think he's actually been very good considering. He still is sleeping really good. He averages about 8 hours at a time at night and wakes up to eat and goes back to sleep and he is getting a lot better at taking his naps. He's been a lot sleepier lately, but I think that is a mis between a growth spurt and teething.

Honestly, I don't think life could get much better right about now. I'm happy, Marty is happy, and Declan is sure happy most of the time :) I love being a wife, I love being a mother, I love being ME!

Crazy how my little boy has gone from this....



To this :) My sweet baby Declan!

Blessings in our lives

I don't know if I have much to say right now but I just wanted to post a little bit anyway. I can't believe how quickly time flies when you have a baby or how quickly they change and get so much bigger. It makes me a little sad, but much more happy because the alternative to that is unbearable to even think about. Anyway, I don't want this to be a depressing post. I actually wanted to list a few things I am thankful for!
-My wonderful husband. He really gets me through a lot. He is always so willing to do anything at all to help and to provide and make Declan and I happy! I couldn't have asked for a better daddy for Declan! I love being able to be with my best friend everyday and how happy he makes me.
-My sweet, funny, handsome, and sometimes very tiring little boy! He is just the funniest little thing and he is already teaching me so much. I want to be a better person for him and I am DEFINITELY learning more patience (haha)! I love being able to see some of myself in him and some of Marty in him. I love being Declan's mommy more then I could ever describe! I never knew being a mom could be so fulfilling and I love seeing him grow and learn everyday! It is just so remarkable to me. (And on a side note, now that the little monster has started rolling, I can't get him to stop! haha as I said, it's tiring, but oh so worth every minute!)
-My sweet parents. They have really done so much for us. There is no possible way we could ever pay them back, and they amazing thing is, they don't expect us to. They'll never know how much I truely love and admire them.
-My awesome, fun, (and sometimes dorky) sisters! I have such a special relationship with each one of them. I love that Mel and I have a baby so close in age. It is really bonding us more then I thought it would and I love it. I love all the conversations I have with Esther! She is really so great to talk to and I love how she is always so excited to see me. Sarah is probably one of the sweetest people ever. She makes me feel so loved and so good about myself and I always just can't wait to see her again! Becky is always soo helpful and so positive! She is such an upbeat person and I'm always in such a better mood after talking to her. Angie... Oh Angie! I LOVE that we live so close and can see each other often! I love love love your clothes and I love your desert recipes and your house. I kinda just wanna be like you :) I really love spending time with you and going on crazy adventures (ya know, cause Utah is crazy ;) haha) I admire what a good person you are and I love how dorky we get together. Sam has been my best friend since we were old enough to pull each others hair. I love how protective she is of me. She would do anything for me, and just about has! I'm so glad I had such a loving and sweet older sister to look up to and tag along with all growing up! I don't know what I would have done without her. I don't think a girl could ask for better sisters then what I have. I don't know how I got so lucky!
-Marty's job. His job seriously aggravates me a LOT of the time but at least he has a job! Marty works really hard for his boss and we are lucky that he has a boss that notices that and takes care of us because of it.
-Today I'm especially thankful that Marty has Monday off! We are going to have a really nice weekend and I am really looking forward to it. We both really need it, especially Marty. He's been working hard lately.
-I'm thankful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have such a testimony that it is true. I am soo incredibly thankful that I am Sealed to my amazing husband and wonderful baby boy for eternity. I'm thankful for the blessings I have received through the power of the priesthood, especially the one before I gave birth. I'm so thankful for tithing. We have been so enormously blessed because of tithing. I'm thankful to know that the church is true.
-I'm also grateful that I married into such a great family! All my in-laws are so wonderful! I'm happy that his family was even a little bigger then mine, so that when Marty came to my family, he wasn't overwhelmed haha
-For all my friends through the years. I've had some great friends. I haven't kept in contact with a lot of them like I wish I would have but they were so great! I had some really good friends through Jr. high and high school, and I had some of the best roommates, and I've gotten some really good friends since being married, too (some I knew before that I got reacquainted with and some I've just recently met!)
Ok, well I think that is probably all for tonight. I'm still a little sad. We were supposed to go to Utah for my sisters daughter's baptism and her son's baby blessing but we weren't able to go last minute. So I'm really missing seeing all my family this weekend. BUT hopefully I'll see them soon anyway. Everyone take care and have a safe 4th of July weekend!
PS I can't help but post a few pics. You know how I am ;D

Momma and Declan

Probably my all time favorite picture of my baby!

Hahahaha

Declan's handsome daddy

So sleepy

Nappin with DOUG!

Yeah, he's cute