Bliss at the Cabin

After our return from Rexburg is when the really fun of the summer started.  David, Mandy, and my cutest, newest nephew, Kellan, flew in from Ohio, my dad flew in from Thailand, and Laura and Scott drove up from Utah.  Laura and Scott's wedding was two weeks away and we had a lot to do before then.

First, though, we enjoyed a relaxing week at the cabin.  It was so nice to be there with my whole family.  Austin loved having all the attention from his aunts and uncles.  He was totally spoiled.  Of course, sweet little baby Kellan got all the love and attention he could handle.  Austin didn't seem to mind sharing the spotlight.  In fact, he loved his little cousin "Keyan."  But, really, how could you not?  He's just so adorable.

So, back to the cabin.  We had a blast.  I probably took in at least of 6 hours of straight suntanning/book reading/girl chatting a day.  The men caught and prepared some tasty crab, too.  Nothing beats crab that fresh.  I could go on and on, but I'll just let the pictures make you jealous.

While we were all together we took some family pictures.  Aren't we a good lookin' bunch?

I've been wanting a good picture of Austin for a long time now.  Needless to say, today wasn't the day.  He was interested in anything but looking at the camera.

Luckily when we got home we were able to get a better-ish one.  At least he's smiling.  Isn't he a cutie?  I'm grateful for my talented brother who took all these great pictures.

Oh, and of course Austin spent a lot of quality time in his "nothins" --  just like a little boy should.

As did his crazy uncles....

We sure do love the cabin!!!

Quick Trip to the Burg

My favorite sister graduated from BYU-Idaho this summer.  My mom and I drove over for the ceremony.  I was so excited to go.  I hadn't been to Rexburg since 2007, and a lot has changed since then.  Plus, I LOVED college, and was just excited to relive my glory days a little bit.

We left late Wednesday night and drove five hours to Spokane.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) there was some sort of conference in town and most of the hotels were completely booked up.  The only available room we could find was a Jacuzzi suite -- complete with kitchen, 2 bathrooms, huge open Jacuzzi, couches, and (of course) a black light and stars on the ceiling.  It was very romantic...if you're into the stars on the ceiling type of thing.

We slept for a few hours and finished the remaining 8 hours to Rexburg.  Well, we actually drove straight to Idaho Falls to meet Laura and Scott for dinner.  My BFF, Amanda, and her husband, Jason, joined us too.  They were actually driving from Salt Lake to Spokane for the weekend.  We enjoyed a delicious Texas Roadhouse meal while we laughed about all the stupid things we did in college.  I sure to miss my BFF.  Maybe someday our dream of living right next door to each other will come true.

The next morning we woke up early and went to the Rexburg temple.  The last time I saw it the temple was still in construction.  It really is quite stunning with all the surrounding farmland.  Afterward we took a little tour of campus and the new bookstore.  All the changes are AMAZING, but it was also quite sad for me.  It just looked so different.  To be honest it looked a little less "ghetto."  It looked nice and sophisticated, but I kinda liked the charming ghetto-ness that I was used to.  I stalked up on a hearty--but necessary--amount of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears at the bookstore.  We polished off the afternoon with a trip to Craigo's (which I think has a new name, but whatever).

The graduation was that night.  Laura and Scott were both participating in the program (in the choir and Laura said the opening prayer), so they were able to sit on the stage.  That also meant that they received their diplomas first.  We were able to sneak out with them and take picture while all the other graduates were still walking.  And then we were back on the road -- just 24 hours after we'd arrived.

It was a great trip.  I was able to reminisce on my college years, but also to appreciate the fact that those years are over.  And I'm so happy with where I am now.  But maybe I'll do a little blog walk down memory lane in a future post.  Congratulations Laura and Scott!!

Couples Retreat: Disney Style!

A few month before my mom arrived she called and said that Toren and I should plan a getaway while she was home for the summer.  She said she'd love to have a little one-on-one time with Austin.

That night we had flights, a hotel, and tickets to Disneyland booked.  The last time we went on a vacation by ourselves was when I was 7 months pregnant with Austin.  That was a great vacation, but this one was WAY BETTER.

One of the (only) perks of Toren traveling so much is that he really racks up the flight miles and hotel stays, so we were able to fly and stay for FREE.  We got a slight discount on the Disneyland tickets and I brought coupons for our meals so it was an incredibly affordable trip too.

We flew out early on a Tuesday morning and by the afternoon we were walking into the Happiest Place on Earth.  We just love Disneyland.  Remember we started our Honeymoon off there?

We tried to take as many pictures as possible, but it's hard when you're too busy working the Fastpass system like champs and riding an average of 3 rides an hour!  It's quite exhausting being expert Disneyland vacationers.

Notice all the Fastpasses I'm holding?  Yeah, those were all redeemed in ONE evening.  See, we're professionals.

And, of course, the picture of a picture...pictures.  Don't we look like we're having a blast?

I really do love rides, but let's be honest, they're a little scary too.  Don't tell me you've never experienced a ride like this:

A flashback of the It's Tough to be a Bug show.

We arrived back in Seattle on Saturday afternoon.  We were gone for 4 nights, which was by far the longest I'd ever been away from Austin.  I didn't worry about him AT ALL.  I knew he was having the time of his life with my mom.  And that's what made it the BEST vacation ever.  I still check the ride wait times on my phone....just in case we need to hop on a quick flight down to enjoy a little Disney magic.  THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH MOM!!!!

4th of July at the Cabin

We headed up to my grandparent's cabin on Whidbey Island to celebrate the 4th of July.  Remember the fun we had their last summer?  Well, this time Austin was was nearly exploding with excitement.

We love the cabin because there is literally nothing to do but have fun.  We went on a few walks, played in the sand, soaked up some rays, ate lots of delicious food, and even caught a few naps.

Of course we did our version of fireworks (i.e. just sparklers).  I thought Austin might be freaked out by the spark so I created a little shield for him with a plastic cup (bottom right picture).  As usual, I was wrong.  He had no fear and asked for more as soon as one burned out.  He went through 8 boxes on his own!

Oh....Hello There Blog....

Wow...this has officially been my longest blog hiatus ever.  Three months!!  And this has probably been the busiest three months of the entire year.  Truthfully, I needed to take something off my to-do list for a while, so the blog got the boot.

I'm finally feeling like I have things (sort of) under control again and life is settling back into a routine.  I am actually excited about getting caught up on the ol' blog.  I have a lot of work ahead of me, though.  Like I said...it's been a busy few months.

Summer is my favorite time of year.  I'm a warm-weather person, and I love to be outside.  It seems like there's just so much more to do when it's nice a sunny out.  Plus, the summers are when we get to spend lots of quality time with Nana!!!  Austin was thrilled when she arrived.  He wasted no time in checking her suitcases to make sure she brought him some goods.  Of course she didn't disappoint.

This time it was a new Angry Birds t-shirt and awesome backpack.

P.S. These pictures were only taken 3 months ago and that t-shirt is already too small for Austin.  It's so crazy how fast they grow.

First Trip to the Dentist

I was certain that taking Austin to the dentist for the first time was going to be a terrible experience for both of us.  Welp, wrong again.  He LOVED it.  We went to an office that is specifically for children, so they do a great job of trying to make the experience fun and easy for the kids.

The hygienist showed us a short video about a dinosaur who goes to the dentist for the first time. I'm not sure Austin got anything out of it, but it was a nice effort on their part.  Then they brought us to the dentist chair and the hygienist assured me that it's normal for the young kids to freak out about sitting in the chair alone.  She said he might need to sit on my lap and they'd be happy if they got a little peak at his teeth with the mirror.

Again, I was shocked with Austins response.  He thought he was pretty hot stuff sitting in the chair.  He was in the zone once they put the headphones and cool shades on him and showed him that Cars 2 was playing on the ceiling.  He opened his mouth on command and even let the hygienist give him a full-blown cleaning and fluoride treatment.  He kept asking for her to spray more water in his mouth.  The hygienist said she couldn't believe he was only two.

When the dentist came he was just as agreeable.  Austin's teeth are healthy and he has no cavities.  We'll be back in 6 months and hopefully it'll go just as smoothly.  I actually always loved (and still do) going to the dentist.  There's no better feeling than super clean teeth.  Maybe Austin just inherited this freaky trait from me.

The only blip we had was that as we were leaving Austin kept screaming for candy.  Perfect timing, kid.

Two Year Check-Up

I took Austin in for his 2 year update last week.  I was  a little worried that it wouldn't go over so well, considering he screamed through his entire 18-month check up.  I was pleasantly surprised.  He loved it.  He walked around the lobby like he owned the place.  It was a quick appointment and the doctor assured me that Austin is right on track for his age.


He's growing like a little weed.  It feels like every other week he's going through a grown spurt and eats like a bottomless pit.  He's spends all day long chatting, and is as busy as ever!  Every day I'm thankful that I get to be his Mom.


Austin's 2 Year Stats:
Weight: 30.4 pounds (87th percentile)
Height: 35.25 inches (82nd percentile)


At 2 years, Austin...


...asks all day long what I'm doing.  He just follows me around and every minute or so asks,  "Mama, what you doing?"  
...is starting to attempt to climb out of his crib.  He hasn't completely made it out  yet (instead we find him dangling from the railing, screaming), but it's time we transition him to a toddler bed..
...loves to dance and force Toren and I to dance too.
...is into watching Spider Man and Spongebob on Netflix.
...asks for a band-aid every time he even mildly hurts himself.  I just tell him he's not bleeding and doesn't need a band-aid.  So far he's been okay with that answer.
...loves Finding Nemo.
... absolutely loves going to nursery at church.
...can count to six (but he always skips 3 and 5)
...when asked how old he is, always replies with "nine!"

....wouldn't knowingly eat a vegetable to save his life.

...loves "The Wise Man and The Foolish Man," which he calls "The Rock Song."  We only sing the first verse, but he can do all the hand signals.
...points out all the buses, firetrucks, planes, motorcycles, semi trucks, helicopters, etc. when we're driving around town.

...loves to have us sing the "ACBC"'s with him.  "W" is his favorite letter to say.

...has a few favorite books - The Very Busy Spider, Goodnight Moon, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Are You My Mother, Go Dog Go!, and Ten Drowsy Dragons.

...took his first trip to the dentist...and loved it (post to come).

David, Mandy, and my adorable little nephew, Kellan, are coming to stay with us for Laura's wedding (YAY!).  In preparation, we got out a few of our infant things for them to use during their stay.  Austin begged me to let him take the swing for a spin.  Can you believe the difference 2 years makes?!?!