Oops-iversary!

Wednesday was Kellen and my six year anniversary. That evening after Kellen got home from work and Ashton went to bed I went to a friend's house for a Jamberry nail party. As I sat there, I idly checked my phone... Nov 20, 2013. Oops! I text messaged him and we laughed about how sad it was that we both forgot!
Honestly, this was my favorite anniversary yet. The next day, Kellen had the day off and we had errands to run. We are needing to move out of our apartment end of December, so we had some appointments to check out some neighboring communities. As we were going around getting all the availability and pricing information we were really disappointed to find there aren't many options in our price range. We sat in the car discussing our frustrations and our plans. I've never loved Kellen more than in that moment. Sitting with him talking about our dreams and ambitions, weighing options on how to make them happen. It's in those frustrating moments when we have to pull together to problem solve that I'm most grateful for him. He's so hard working and wants all the best things for our family. We went to our last appointment, and to our relief it was perfect! Available and in our price range!
As wonderful as it is to do something fun like a vacation or a date night, it's in the difficult times that a strong marriage really counts. I'm so grateful for my good husband who I can count on in the difficult times.

Confessions of a Working Mother

On Monday I started a new job. When I was offered this job at a spa here in Las Vegas I was completely split down the middle. Sad and happy. I really liked the place and the owner and I love doing esthetics, so for all those reasons I was really excited. But having a job meant leaving Ashton with someone else, and that breaks my heart.
We were so lucky to find an awesome in home daycare! Even though it's an awesome place, I was still nervous about leaving him just because in the past he hadn't done well. He would even cry being left with my sister. So I was just sick over it all weekend, thinking about him crying for hours on Monday while I was at work. I'm so glad to say that I was wrong! He did really well. She text messaged me about 20 minutes after I left and told me he had asked for me once but other than that was doing just fine! I cannot even express in words how relieved I was! With that out of the way, I was able to enjoy my first day at work. I had two facial appointments and they both went splendidly!
All in all it was a total win!
I love being a stay at home mom with Ashton. I've had other jobs since he was born but the majority of the time I've been able to stay home. I'm grateful for that. But to be honest, I think I'm a better mom when I work. I love to get out and do something I love for a while. Focusing my energy on something else for a change sort of refreshes me. Then when I get home to my boys I can give myself whole heartedly to them! I savor and enjoy our time together better when I know there will come a time I'll have to step away for a while.

A Cowardly New World

One of these pages was blocked from Facebook.
Which one do you think it was?




The first, a mother feeding her child.





The second.....what is she doing? I don't even know. Suffice it to say I got it from a page titled... Drunk Girls..... Classy. And this was one of the more tasteful pictures on the page because I wasn't comfortable putting anything else on my personal blog.




I recently started following the Instagram of Sakura Bloom, a ring sling company for baby wearing. From their feed I was led to the page 4th Trimester Bodies Project.

This project was created by a photographer, mother, women's advocate. As stated in her Facebook page profile:

"This project is dedicated to embracing the beauty inherent in the changes brought to our bodies by motherhood, childbirth and breastfeeding."

It's a beautiful cause and I've loved following both on Facebook and Instagram. 

The project is that she takes pictures of mothers and their children. 

"Our only guideline is that you are a MOTHER and are willing to {tastefully} bare it all in the name of honest beauty. This on going series will culminate in a community website, gallery show and printed publication."

The photos are so beautiful. They show the reality of what giving our children life does to our bodies, and it's stunningly gorgeous. 

Ashlee, the creater of 4th Trimester Bodies Project continues to receive flack from Facebook for the beautiful, empowering images she shares. She was just recently blocked from making any further posts on both her personal and business accounts. Meanwhile, pages titled Drunk Girls flourish. Its disgusting. 

Something should change. It's a sad day for humanity when half naked tweens are revered while real womanhood (in all it's glory! Cellulite, stretch marks, scars of childbirth...) is censored. They started a petition to Facebook when Ashlee was blocked the first time, but that doesn't seem to have helped much. I don't know what we can realistically do but I think maybe shedding a little light and spreading awareness could help.
Feel free to share this post or write a post of your own. Maybe we can help this cowardly new world we live in. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013: A Day in the Life

  

*8:30 AM It was one of those super rare mornings where I wake up on my own before Ashton. So I took the opportunity to enjoy my icy cold breakfast of choice.








*By 9:00 Ashton was awake and jumping away in his crib! My favorite way to fetch him. Happy!






















 *9:30 After a nice fresh diaper and clean teeth, we enjoyed some blueberry muffins I had made the day before. We had a deep conversation about cupcake papers and Ashton's toes with occasional spurts of happy dancing!

 *10:00 Ashton watched some Curious George while I got ready and folded a little laundry. I walked out of my room to find him doing summersaults over the back of the couch. Crazy kid!

 *11:15 We headed off to Trail Canyon Park for a playgroup with friends from the ward. It's finally nice and cool outside so we can play for hours!

*12:45 We were back home and got some lunch.
I even got this picky boy to eat some "leaves!" Big victory!

*1:45-5:00 Nap Time!
*6:30 After daddy got home we went to In n Out for dinner! A special treat to eat out. And when we got home a little after 7 Ashton was running and jumping all over. I decided he needed a cape! So I whipped out some scraps and put together a Super Ashton cape!

*He played and ran around until bedtime at 8:00. What a big day!

Joy School

Our ward here in Henderson has been such a blessing! It didn't take long for Ashton and I to be invited to Playgroup. From there a few of us with two year olds started a Joy School every Tuesday morning. It's been so much fun! My favorite part has been watching the kids become friends. They are getting to the age where they play together, as opposed to just next to each other.
We rotate which house it's at every week. We do a theme, Seasons, Health, Colors, for example, and a letter of the week. We listen to music and dance. We let them play together and do a craft. It's been so fun to watch them learn. Toddlers are incredible!

Playing with rocks with Paisley. Who needs a playground?!

Some highlights from Joy School:

Ashton's Second Birthday!

Boy, I thought the first year went by fast. It doesn't slow down, that's for sure! We were still a bit new to the area, and since at two years old your friends are more about your parent's friends, we weren't able to have a real party. But we had a fun little celebration with Kellen's family! We made homemade mini pizzas and had cake!

My sweet little baby is changing into a sweet little boy. My heart is so full of love for this awesome little person. It's amazing how they learn and grow right before your eyes. And the growth that they force from you is equally at awing. I've become a better person for him. Because I want him to learn from me how to be good and generous, thoughtful and considerate, helpful and kind. It's so true that children teach you more than you anticipate. An infant trusts his parents, implicitly. I never want to do anything to violate that trust he was born with.
I will be forever grateful that I listened to all the advice I received to savor all those sweet times with my baby. I always took my time, rocking him while he nursed, tickling his tummy during a diaper change, playing peekaboo all afternoon, chasing him in circles around the couch. I don't have any regrets about missing his infancy. I will continue to treasure every step, milestone and phase of his life.

Fresno Trip

We rolled into Henderson on a Friday, stayed the night with the in-laws, unpacked the truck Saturday, and said Goodbye to daddy on Sunday! Kellen had to go to training for his new Verizon job in Phoenix. For three weeks he left every Sunday and got back every Thursday. We had never had to do anything like this so it was a trial. My mom flew Ashton and I out to Fresno the second week Kellen was gone. It was my first visit back since we moved back to Utah May of 2011. And it was Ashton's first time! It was so good to be in a familiar place while we were still transitioning to life in Nevada.

First things first, we had to get the good stuff for lunch! I never realized how awesome Me n Ed's was until I moved away!

 We didn't really make any plans while we were there. Just the kind of vacation I love. Go with the flow. Here we are getting ready for a walk to Todd Beamer park. And it was a lovely warm but overcast day. Pretty good for July in Fresno.

Ashton had a ball playing with uncle Alex's old Thomas the Tank Engine collection! We ended up decided to get him his first set for his birthday a month later.

This is my favorite painting. So gorgeous. It has hung at my Grandpa's house ever since I can remember. I just love it. 

Bath time!

Frozen yogurt date with Mimi and Misha!

Oh the freshness of the Central Valley. 

We had a bit of difficultly keeping our nap schedule while we were there. So we had a few of these overly exhausted car seat knock outs! Lol so cute.

Visiting Ashton's Great Grandpa Smith in the hospital.

Alex took me on a date for tepanyaki. Another thing I haven't been able to find anything that compares to home.

We could not leave without some Judy's Donuts!