isaac & ash + baby ava

12-18-11.

2012-01-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

we celebrated christmas at our house a week early, since we were going to be traveling on christmas day. we woke up, opened presents, had cinnamon rolls, went to church, played with toys, took a nap, had a delicious dinner made by isaac, listened to christmas music, and spent time together. it was a great day.

ava loved christmas this year. she loved santa (as long as she didn't have to sit on his lap), she loved the lights, the parties, the music (she still makes isaac and i sing jingle bells and frosty the snowman to her). this age is so much fun! this year she got a tea set, mega blocks, a pack n' play-stroller-bouncer- for her dolls, m&m's, chap stick, sticker books, pj's, and a dog that turns into a blanket.

dang you, pooridge-type breakfast food, for turning my daughter into Little Miss Burns-a-lot!

2012-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

every morning ava wants cream of wheat for breakfast. she stirs it, adds the salt, puts a little sugar in it, and is such a good little helper. yesterday, she went to grab the spoon and slipped and her little hand went right into the hot stuff. she cried for 4 hours, and we thought it was something we could handle on our own. then she woke up this morning and her whole palm of her right hand was blisters. we took her right to the doctor. she has second degree burns. we have to put special medicine on it and wrap it up twice a day until monday. if it's not looking good still, she goes to the burn unit to get the attention it needs. this morning at the doctor, i was preparing her for what was to come. i told her that they were going to put medicine on it to make it feel better. when the doctor walked in ava lifted up her hand and said, "daddy wrap it" (because isaac wrapped it up last night). when the doctor got close, ava started screaming, then saying, "make it feel better". she's doing pretty good right now. she's been tough as nails through all this and still manages to be so happy. i feel like a terrible mom. if i would have just made the breakfast by myself, this wouldn't have happened. too bad you can't press rewind on life sometimes. but isaac keeps reassuring me that it's good to have her help me through the day, and accidents do happen. it's sad to see your own child hurt and in pain. after the doctor we went to the store and she really wanted the duck, it cheered her right up. i love you ava claire!

sweety pie.

2012-01-25T13:49:00.000-08:00

ava is so stinkin funny these days, and lets not forget, so stinkin mischievious. we were in walmart walking around and a lady came up to ava and said, "hi sweetheart". ava looked at her and said, "hi sweety pie"! it was so funny.

sundays.

2012-01-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

p.s. 9 o'clock church rocks!

twenty months.

2012-01-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

ava is 20 months old! it's crazy how fast she's growing up. she can say anything now and says alot of sentences and it's pretty dang cute. she loves blankets and sleeps with 5 every night. she loves her dolls. and she loves jewelry (a little too much). she loves to give hugs, kisses, and nosies. she is sleeping in her own bed through the night. still does not like the car seat. she loves to talk on the phone, and when there is no one talking to her on the phone, she'll pretend there is. she likes to pretend she's talking to patsy (grandpa hoggan). when i don't make it to the gym, i'll stick in a jillian michaels dvd. ava will work out with me and it's hilarious. she'll try doing jumping jacks, pushups, the whole works. lately, she's started calling herself a "happy princess". cracks us right up!

ava loves the playground. she especially loves the slide. she'll go down just about any slide no matter the size. she gets excited to go to the playground because she knows her friends will be there.

loves stickers.

she got a tea set for christmas and loves it. she pours the water, adds creamer and sugar, then stirs, and serves. it's adorable.

she's become a fan of apples, bananas, and oranges lately. she won't actually eat the orange, but she likes to suck the juice out, then make us eat the leftovers.

her favorite new food is cream of wheat. she loves the stuff! and loves to help make it. she's a good little helper.

we love our little ava to pieces. life with a toddler around is CRAZY! but so much fun. she is so entertaining, funny, and the sweetest little girl.

butthead.

2012-01-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

ava grabs my cheeks with both hands and looks me in the eye-

ava: butthead.
mom: where did you learn that?
ava: daddy do it. (with a big grin on her face)

daddy looked a little guilty:)

church these days.

2012-01-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

ava is now is nursery, yay! and she is totally fine in there, no crying, nothing! why, you ask? because isaac and myself got callings in the nursery. in a way, it's kind of a blessing, because if we weren't in there, ava would be one of those kids that screams the whole time cuz she wants her mom and dad. it's pretty fun watching her play and interact and participate in the activities. she's a pretty cute kid.

this past sunday was fast sunday and we were sitting in sacrament meeting. a guy was bearing his testimony and got a bit emotional, so ava stood up on the bench and blurted out "CRYIN". and it happen to be the day we sat on the 3rd row, in the very middle. guess we better get use to stuff like this:)

yesterdays purchase..

2012-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

we were walking around tivoli village last night, it was cold, so we went into a store. the store had these very attractive candals (kidding) sitting on the lowest shelf. ava went over to it and picked it up. it was alot heavier then she thought it was going to be and the lid fell off and shattered on the floor. price tag: $50. and yes, they did make us pay for it. at least it smells good i guess:)

{christmas post coming soon}

best thing ever.

2011-12-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

ava came up to me and put her arms around my neck, then said, "kiss" and kissed me on the lips, then said, "hug", and gave me a hug. holy wow! that made my day! she is so sweet. that's just about the best thing i've ever experienced!

on another note, isaac and i got called into the primary yesterday. that should be fun. on top of that we got asked to speak in church, yikes! i haven't spoken in church since i was like a sophmore in college, and i am so nervous! by the time we were done with our interviews yesterday, i think ava had eaten the bishops whole bowl of candy. ever since halloween she loves candy..like wants it all the time.

thanksgiving 2011.

2011-12-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

this thanksgiving was so fun. we spent it with my family in Arizona. ava and I flew down a week earlier then everyone else so we could have more time to hang out with jenn’s family. (jenn and I needed some major sister time)

isaac was going to drive down Wednesday after work, but Tuesday night I got a text from him saying to call him because he had a surprise for me. I love surprises, so I called him. he asked what I was doing, and I said I was watching a movie, then is asked him what he was doing and he told me he was watching jay fix a light switch…umm..creepy:) he totally surprised me and I was totally excited to see him a day early.

we had a blast with family all week. did a lot of shopping, eating out, movies, sitting by the fire making smores. we had a delicious turkey dinner. while us girls fixed thanksgiving dinner, the guys took the kids hiking. the girls went to the mall thanksgiving night at midnight and stayed out late, which was so fun. we weren’t really looking for anything in particular, it just sounded fun, plus no kids or husbands:) isaac, ava, and myself stayed at jenn and jay’s house, and the rest of the clan stayed at a hotel, which had a pool, so the kids got to go swimming which they loved. the weather was perfect-72 degrees.

it was such a fun trip. thanks mom and dad. and thanks jenn and jay for letting us crash at your house. man I have so so much to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my family, good health, a sweet husband, isaac’s job, and my sweet baby girl that I absolutely love to pieces! and much much more!

the whole clan-dad who was taking the picture. scott and mark's family couldn't make it this year.

eating at rosa's the night before thanksgiving. mmm..good!

the boys and kids hiking.

this isn't isaac holding this nasty thing..but he did hold it.

bass pro shop. we took the kids there to get their picture taken with santa. it was so fun and we left with way too much fudge.

mesa temple lights. they were so pretty. they give temple square some real competition, plus it was warm while we walked around, which a a major bonus.

the kiddos at the temple.

the parlor. pretty much the best pizza ever!

thanksgiving dinner. it was so good delicious and we ate way too much food.

our cute little gal swimming.

dad took us to outback for mine and michelle's birthday. it was so yummy, and again we ate way too much food. and on top of all the food, we all got our own dessert..whoo..it's good we don't eat like that all the time:)

and that's our trip. went way too fast as usual, but thank goodness we get to see these fine folks in 3 weeks!

eighteen.

2011-11-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

(ava won’t hold still for a second, so taking pictures is pretty hard these days)

ava is eighteen months! she is not a baby anymore, it makes me a little sad, but it’s so fun to watch her learn and grow. she is getting cuter every day, and learning so much. she’s our little parrot. seriously, all day long she copies everything we say. it’s so cute! the way she talks melts my heart, it’s totally adorable.

as of last week she loves mickey mouse. she’s never liked to watch tv, but I turn it on it the morning for background noise as we play. one day it clicked, and she loves mickey mouse clubhouse. she only likes the goofy baby episode, so she always says, “ipad”, cuz she knows she can watch it on that. she narrates the whole episode for us because she has the whole thing memorized, it’s so hilarious. then when that episode is over she says, “spooky”, and wants to watch the mickey & Minnie Hansel and Gretel song on YouTube (just watch it, you’ll know why she says spooky). speaking of ipad, she knows how to use it. she looks through all the pictures, & plays angry birds.

ava loves to hand us her blanket (or towel if she’s getting out of the tub) and say, “baby”. this means she wants us to wrap her up and pretend like she’s a baby. she’s also turned into a little cuddle bug, and I love it! if she is asleep by Isaac or i she’ll scoot into us so we are spooning her, it’s so funny.

she still loves animals. not so fond of her car seat. loves pizza, bananas, potato soup, water, toast with honey, cinnamon life, mints, and chocolate. loves bikes. still hates the vacuum when it’s on. she likes to clean. when we get done eating, she’ll get the paper towel and clean the table. she likes to shop. when we go to a store she sees me looking through the racks of clothing, so she’ll do the same, it’s pretty funny to watch. she’s a great napper, but hasn’t been sleeping great (molars here we come).

we couldn’t imagine life without our little ava. she makes life complete. we LOVE you ava, so much!

our first VISITORS.

2011-11-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

my mom and dad came to visit us (mostly ava:) the weekend of halloween. ava was so excited. the day they flew in. she kept saying, "grandma and papa comin". it was so cute, and when they walked in the door she was so wound up, and she was totally loving all the attention! they were here 4 short nights and we did alot of playing, eating, sight seeing, shopping, staying up late watching movies, enjoying 75 degree weather, and much more! take a look...

ava dragging grandpa around the mall. this girl loves to shop. right before this picture was taken she had a major meltdown because she found a pretty necklace, but couldn't have it. this girl has a one track mind, and isaac says she gets it from me...don't know what he's talking about.

played some slots.

ava got to show grandma and papa where we spend most of our free time..SWIMMING.

riding the merry go round. she loves it! thank goodness it's free because we have to ride it over and over. my mom tried getting ava to ride the elephant, but she was afraid of the huge ears haha.

went to church.

gotta go to the strip and fremont. (fremont street draws in a very different crowd..the weirdness doubled during halloween, holy cow, had to walk around with our eyes shut)

we rented a boat at lake las vegas. it was a blast! it was so beautiful and so relaxing. ava loved it and wanted to sit on papa's lap the whole time to steer the boat and honk the horn.

all the houses on the lake were amazing and had awesome yards like this.

this was an awesome resort we went to with my new favorite restaurant, the yard house. holy wow! best steak i've ever had hands down! my parents love to eat out and the places they pick never disppoint.

ava and papa playing on the grass. this was where isaac's swearing in ceremony was. we went to a buffet here because it's supposed to be the best in town and it was so good. best buffet i've ever been to..and the dessert bar was amazing!

ava sure misses grandma and papa. when we dropped them off at the airport she watched them walk away and starting bawling and yelling, "grandma..papa". i told her they had to go home. still to this day, she says multiple times a day, "grandma, papa gone", or "grandma, papa home".

we had a total blast. mom and dad you never fail to show us a good time. it was so fun having you here. (it's a fun experience being here, but man we miss family). thank you so much for coming down and all you do for us. we love you sooooooooooooooo much!!!!

pumpkin.

2011-11-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

after breakfast the other day ava got very quiet...i walked in and she was coloring her belly with orange highlighter. i said, "ava". and her response "pumpkin", and she pointed to her belly. smart little stink. this halloween season she has been totally obsessed with pumpkins. everywhere we go and she see's one she started yelling pumpkin.

this girl has changed so much the last month. she can say pretty much anything and copies everything we say (so we gotta be very careful, i've learned that lesson..). she is smart, holy cow! i can't believe how much she's learned lately. she's so entertaining to be around all day. she calls me her buddy, and i feel pretty special:)

halloween.

2011-11-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

i could not get my busy little bee to hold still for one second so i could get a picture of her:) but as you can see, ava was a bee, and cute very cute one. isaac and i are boring and we didn't dress up..next year is a must because ava will totally get it. our halloween was great. we spent the whole weekend with my mom and dad (a post of that is coming). we took ava trick or treating at townsquare and she loved it. she carries her pumpkin around the house saying candy all day. the weather was so nice and warm. it was a good day!

congrats to the mr.

2011-11-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

isaac passed the nevada bar! he got sworn in on october 21. they had a nice ceremony with good speakers, and afterwards they had delicious refreshments out by the pool. it was fun!

after they announced the names of the people that passed, they had them all stand and give a round of applause to their family members for all their support the last couple of years. it was pretty cool, and i got a little teary. as hard as the last few years have been, it's a little sad to see that chapter in our lives end, but i sure am loving our new one. it's so nice to have isaac to ourselves when he gets home at night, and not have to share with with the text books...well for one more week...he starts studying for the utah bar:(

i sure am proud of all his hard work!

ava was so good during the whole thing. she wanted her daddy though. she kept running over to where he was sitting and saying "daddy". she's pretty darn cute and loves her dad, and who could blame her! she sure loved the chocolate and strawberry drink they were serving.

to celebrate, we went out on the town for some good mexican food. it was a good night:)

seventeen.

2011-10-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

yep, that's right, ava is seventeen months old! time keeps flying faster and faster. ava's personality cracks us up! she is so funny, so entertaining, the biggest sweetheart and so smart. she can say pretty much whatever word we say, she knows what objects go to which words, she makes animal sounds. i bought her a doll the other day and she treats it like her baby. she feeds her, gives her a binky, hugs her and it's so cute.

ava loves water, and it's good we live a a warm place cuz we're still swimming almost everyday. the other night we were on a walk and ava pulled off her dress and got in the pool really quick before we could stop her. she loves animals so much, like really really loves them (takes after her momma). every stroller or carseat she sees, she says, "baby", and points. she still hates her carseat. when she poops, she points to her diaper and says, "poo". she loves books and being read to. when we pull into our apartment, or a store parking lot she says, "buckle", because she knows that she is getting out of her blasted carseat.

she's a very friendly little gal, and loves having all the attention on her. she gives the best hugs and kisses, and they melt my heart everytime. i couldn't imagine life without my little girl. sometimes she'll walk up to me and say, "buddy", and it makes me feel so good. she is changing so much everyday. there is nothing more fun than watching ava learn and grow. it's seriously amazing how fast she catches onto things. she is a happy little girl and such a great example to me. she is so pretty and so sweet.

love you ava.

xoxo

ava's first sentence.

2011-10-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

"chill out baby"

october 8, 2011

oh happy day.

2011-10-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

isaac passed the nevada bar. yay! and just when we thought we could breathe, he gets to start studying for the utah bar. boo! i'm really proud of him, he worked his little tush off all summer long. he doesn't look super excited in the picture (poor guy is sick), but he is pretty stoked. we are going to have a weekend of celebration (he doesn't know this yet), but i'm thinkin good mexican food is a perfect way to celebrate..mmmm.

funny story- isaac didn't know he passed, then i got a text from my friend that said, "congrats to your husband, huge deal!" i texted her back and asked if the text was meant for me, and she's like, "yeah, he passed the bar." haha, we thought it was pretty funny.

go isaac, go!

2011-09-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

isaac ran the top of utah marathon saturday. he did so good. we are so proud of him. the weather was terrible (rain and hail), and his shoes were soaked before it started, but he's tough. isaac is awesome!! that is one BIG accomplishment.

(ava was so cute while isaac was running by us. she clapped and clapped. she was very proud of her daddy).

afterwards, we went and ate el toro viejo (yum).

after, afterwards, isaac and i went to a movie all alone. we missed ava like crazy, but she was in good hands (thanks mom and dad), and isaac and i were in much need of a date. it was fun.

fhe.

2011-09-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

tonight for fhe we went to townsqaure for a night of fun. we took ava to the splash pad/playground, which is pretty awesome. she had a blast. she loves the water (could have something to do with going swimming everyday). seeing her so happy and having so much fun gives me butterflies. i love it! afterwards, we got some ice cream and made a little pit stop at h&m. it was a perfect night. even got pulled over on the way home, and the nice cop let us off. yay!

little artist.

2011-09-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

ava really likes to color now. i bought crayons, but she insists on markers. once in awhile i'll find some marker on the floor, but she's pretty good about staying on the paper. when she gets done, she'll show us with a big grin on her face and is so proud. it's pretty stinkin' cute!

birthday boy.

2011-09-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

on august 26th isaac turned 31, wahoo! we had a fun time. he got off work early, and we played the night away. we did a little shopping, went to an awesome mexican restaurant, and came home to eat a cake i made him (and yes we did polish the whole better than sex cake off by ourselves), and watched a movie. it was a great birthday for a great guy. love you mr. byrd!

goodbye:(

2011-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

goodbyes are my least favorite thing on the planet, especially to those who i love most. moving was hard, especially because we spent all summer up in logan with my family. we were surrounded by people 24-7 and loved it. ava always had someone to play with. this summer was up there with one of the top summers of all time. we had so much fun! we spent all day out in the sun and all night eating outside, talking, playing games. it was perfect.

grandpa and ava spent alot of time outside this summer. she would always go to grandpa and point to the door because she knows she has him wrapped around her little finger.

on the way out of utah we stopped at isaac's parents and stayed for a couple of nights. we had a great time. we spent a day at the lake and ava absolutely loved it. we sure miss you, family. come visit us! love you all!

last hurrah.

2011-09-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

the week before we moved we went to park city with my family for 4 days, and it was a blast! we stayed the Canyons resort. we did lots of swimming, some shopping, alot of eating out at delicious restaurants (yes we did make it to ruths chris, and yes it was yummy), watching movies, a little hiking, and spending time together. i didn't get very many pictures of this fun trip, but here are the ones i did get.

my mom got there a day later than the rest of us, and one day my brothers and isaac went golfing. my dad stayed behind and showed ava and i a good time. we rode the gondola, went on a hike, walked around, and relaxed. it was fun to have some one on one time with my dad.

we found snow on our hike! and ava wanted to play in the water, but after i stuck her feet in the freezing cold she had second thoughts.

thanks family for the fun trip. we love you!

lovely.little.lady

2011-07-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

little thief.

2011-07-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

jen and i were at the mall trying on swimsuits. as we were doing this my mom was chasing ava around the store. when i opened the door to the dressing room to show mom and jen my suit, ava ran in and took off with my bra! she ran, and when my mom found her it was no longer in her hand. we had to search the store for the freakin thing..haha it was pretty funny.

a few weeks earlier, in the same store ava got a pair of underwear off the rack and was running around the store laughing. people were laughing at her too. we went back a few hours later and one of the employees said, "there's the underwear girl."

she is so funny and quite the character. as i write this she's snuggling with my dad, it's quite a cute sight.

summer nights.

2011-07-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

summer nights at my parents house are absolutely perfect. we have lots of cookouts, yummy smores, big yard, we play games til dark, sit on the grass and talk, walks, and lets not forget great company. ava loves to be outside. the second she wakes up in the morning she points to the door and when we go out, she heads for the swing, ball, or cat. when i try to get her out of the swing she pushes my hand away. oh how i love my little gal.

jen and jay sold us their sweet bike trailer/jogger. i am so excited to get back on my bike and have my little cutie along for the ride. ava and brighton have become quite the pals. ava likes his hair, but brighton gets mad when she touches it cuz he doesn't want it messed up.

ava loves aspen, and aspen is a big help with ava,

ava loves all the attention she gets from the time she wakes up til she goes to bed and a big yard to run around in. we aren't going to know what to do when move.

summer so far..and a major picutre overload

2011-07-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

swimming

swimming

and more swimming. ava loves the pool.

ava's first time mini golfing.

she loves taking the golf balls out of the hole and putting them in.

shaved ice. yummy!

playing with the cat.

ava lookin' dang cute.

this girl loves being outside.

swinging.

bear lake was a blast as usual.

lots of play time with cousins. jen and her family are here most the summer so we've been spending most of our time at my mom and dads. we hang out all day long and its' been a blast! ava loves her cousins.

ava and grandpa.

more pool time in bear lake.

eating lunch in the condo. right after this picture was taken, ava bit the water balloon that is in her hand and it popped in her mouth.

swimmin.

bridgette and kyler got married. their wedding was awesome and it was a great day. congrats to the cute couple! they got married in the manti temple. on the way to their wedding i officially became a true mother. ava was so sad the whole drive there, so about 10 minutes away i took ava out and she threw up on me 4 times. it was stinky and had the texture of glue, so there was no way it was coming off my dress. luckily, chellese had extra clothes in her car that i was able to wear and ava felt alot better afterwards. it was so sad to see her sick like that.

while ava and i are having a great time this summer, poor isaac is studying his buns off. he studies about 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. he is such a hard worker and i'm very proud of him. only 18 more days and he will be done with the bar. yay! summer is my favorite time of year and it's been so fun, and the weather has been so perfect. we have alot more things on our list to do this summer...so until next time.

york please

2011-06-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

this girl is cracking us up lately. ever since she started walking/running, she is so independent. yesterday i was about to eat a york peppermint and before i could even get it out of the wrapper, she yanked it away from my hand, ran to the stairs and ate the whole thing (don't worry, it was a miniature one). and shopping has become quite the experience. she runs all over the store, and when she sees me coming to get her, she'll drop to her knees and crawl super fast, then i catch her and she laughs for a second, then starts to scream cuz she wants to get down. it's pretty funny..lets just say, we attract alot of attention. lately she acts so grown up and her personality is so cute. i love this girl.

today's forecast

2011-05-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

perfect.

was today beautiful or what?! we are loving this weather {sunny and 70's} we've been staying at my mom and dad's and ava is loving a big yard to roam around in. she wants to walk around it all day long, and when we try to pick her up she wants to get down. she's takin' after her mom and dad...she loves being outdoors!

chillin with my homiez.

2011-05-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

today after church we put our pj's on and hung out outside all afternoon. it was perfect.

ava turns one.

2011-05-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

ava turned 1 year old on may 14th. our beautiful baby is 1!! where does time go? we celebrated this special day with family and it was so fun! at first ava didn't know what to do with her cake, then she liked it quite a bit and kept trying to feed it to everyone else, it was pretty funny. she has grown up so much these last couple of weeks. yesterday she took six steps in a row and she was pretty proud of herself. she's starting to copy alot of what we do and it's hilarious. ava loves to shop {isaac says it's because she spends half her life at the mall}. everytime we walk past a clothing rack, she grabs as many hangers of clothes as she can and hugs them. ava loves to help around the house. when we unload the washing machine or the dishwasher, she takes one thing out at time and hands it to me to put away..man i've got her trained. ava has 4 teeth and 1 more coming in, and they look so cute. she says mama, dada, uh-oh, and yes. she loves going up and down the stairs all day. our little gal has the cutest laugh i've ever heard, the sweetest voice. i just love listening to her jabber all day long. man we love this girl. she has truly blessed our lives. i serioiusly can't believe it's been a year since she was born. what an amazing year it's been.

she loved opening her presents, and her cousins loved helping her too.

ava, grandma hoggan, and cousin lauren.

we took ava to hogle zoo the day before her birthday and she LOVED it. her favorite animals were the tigers and the monkeys. she got so excited and would kick her legs and hold her hands out to them. it was a blast taking her to the zoo, and a perfect sunny day too.

daddy and ava sharing an ice cream cone. {it was so good}

all worn out from the zoo.

she graduated out of a rear facing carseat and now faces forward...the car is alot more enjoyable for all of us:)

we've loved the nice weather lately. ava loves being outside, and likes to push her walker toy around.

He did it!!

2011-04-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

yesterday, april 22, 2011 isaac graduated from byu law school. i am so proud of him! he has worked soooo hard the past 3 years and has accomplished so much. even though he was busy studying 16 hours days, he never failed to put family first and always found time in his day to play with ava and me {he's cool like that}. we have had so much support from our families and we thank you, we love you all {we are blessed with AMAZING family}. it was a special day, and afterwards we got to hang out with our families, mingle, and eat good food. it's kind of sad this chapter in our lives is over, but we're excited to start a new one! congrats isaac!!! we are proud of you! now isaac gets to study for the bar for the whole summer, yay!

GO ISAAC!!

miscellany.

2011-04-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

ava has only been sleeping in her crib for 3 weeks now. she slept with us until she was 10 months old, but it was time to move her into her own bed. she sleeps so good now. she wakes up at about 7 in the morning and comes in bed with us to snuggle for an hour. best part of the morning! i could never find crib bedding that i liked (yes i can be picky at times), so I picked some material, and my talented mom made the bedding and the quilt. i LOVE it. it's the cutest bedding. i'm so glad my mom sews and was so willing to do it. she's the best mom ever!

ava wants to ride around the house in her laundry basket. i have it up high and she'll always go to where it is and point. so i'll get it down and she'll crawl right in and want to be pushed around forever. i may have a hard time getting motivated to go to the gym, but i sure do get my exercise chasing this little girly around all day.

she found the q-tips and had the time of her life scattering them all over the bathroom.

she loves to get in the suitcase when we are packing or unpacking. she will take everything out, then put it back in. it's hilarious. she loves clothes too (like her mom). when i walk over to the dryer to take clothes out, she freaks. then she dives into the pile and plays in the clean clothes forever.

she likes books like her daddy. i love this picture. and i love these two, they are my loves!

uh-oh

2011-04-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

this week ava started saying uh-oh. it's the cutest thing i've ever heard. she loves dropping something on the floor and saying it. i've said it a billion times and i will say it again, i love my little girl.

we also went up to logan and spent some time with my family. it was much needed and so fun. thanks for a great time mom and dad. we love you.

i love conference weekend. conference was so awesome and i feel like i got alot of direction and great reminders. yesterday we went up to salt lake for lunch in the joseph smith building, walked around temple square, and enjoyed the warm weather.

it's been a wonderful week.

ten.

2011-03-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

ava baby turned ten months old on the 14th of march. she is so stinkin' cute. we love her so much. ava's personality is so funny and she cracks us up. she's a little sweet heart too, with a very tender heart. she is still crawling everywhere, standing up to everything and walking along furniture. last week she discovered the stairs and loves going up them. she's giving kisses alot now and it melts my heart. she loves the game of us chasing her and saying, "i'm gonna get you". she crawls really fast and starts laughing.

this week we finally started sleep training her and she's been so good. the first night she cried for 15 minutes, the second 2 minutes, and tonight 5. she sleeps about 8 hours straight and wakes for a second, then goes back to sleep. my friend let us borrow her video monitor and i stare at it all night. it's so funny, ava falls asleep sitting up, then isaac has to go lay her down. i really miss snuggling with her all night, but i gotta keep telling myself that it's good for her. we love our little gal and we are so thankful to have her in our lives. we're so blessed.

next stop..

2011-03-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

isaac got a job offer this week in las vegas. he'll be clerking for the district court judge there. we'll be moving there in august and the job will last one year. i gotta say, i'm not a fan of vegas, but i am a fan of warm weather almost all year round and the shopping is great! it's a great opportunity and a new adventure with my little family!

nine.

2011-02-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

ava is nine months old today!! i can't believe she's been out of me as long as she was in. time goes way too fast. ava is weighing in at a little over 18 pounds and is 28 1/2 inches long {tall and skinny}. she is crawling all over the place and doesn't hold still for a second. her favorite thing to do is pull all of isaac's books off the book shelf. she is into everything and anything she can get her hands on. she just got her first two teeth. she gives fives and waves bye and she just learned how to clap tonight. her personality gets more funny everyday. and her sass gets sassier everyday.

ava is the sweetest thing.

-love you baby-

on a roll.

2011-01-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

ava took a few crawls today, and it's the cutest thing. she is so funny. whenever i change her diaper she rolls and looks at me to see if i'm going to catch her, when i say, "i'm gonna get you", she busts up laughing. and good news! she is eating so great now!

we went to my parents over the weekend and had so much fun {thanks mom and dad for everything}. ava loves the cat. everytime she saw pucker's she would kick her legs and want to get down on the floor and pull her tail. hilarious. i think she would love a pet cat...hint hint daddy.

sweet tooth.

2011-01-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

i shared my sucker with ava after church on sunday and she freaked when i tried taking it away. i let her have it, and she sat on the couch and was very content until she got all sticky. funny girl.

this week she's getting her first tooth..oh man, it's sad for her and us. seriously what do you do for a teething baby? she's also crawled a little bit for the first time yesterday. it's so fun to watch her learn new things.

girls day.

2011-01-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

today ava and i met my mom in salt lake for a girls day out. it was soooo fun! we ate lunch at the cheesecake factory and had our favorite red velvet cheesecake. we did lots of shopping and found awesome deals, which really adds to the shopping experience. to top off the day we had some tcby ruby red frozen yogurt. ava is quite the little shopper and was an angel all day. it was so fun seeing my mom and spending the day with her. she's the best! love ya ma!

eight.

2011-01-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

on the 14th my sweet girl turned 8 months old! to celebrate isaac and i ate a whole pan of ghiradelli brownies by ourselves..really we did.

ava has grown up so much this past month. she's gotten alot better at eating. she still isn't a fan of baby food, but she's a good sport and eats it anyways. however, she loves our food and will eat anything we eat. she likes to eat baby mum mums, cherrios, puffs, and yogurt melts. we caught my mom giving her a taste of coke..ava was smacking her lips and grabbing the straw for more. to get ava to eat baby food i'll give her a cherrio, then i'll trick her after a few and sneak in some baby food. she caught onto this trick pretty quick. now she'll take the cherrio out of my hand and put it in her mouth herself.

she says dadadada all day long, and when she is crying and wants to be held she'll say mummma. i'm not sure if she's really calling for me or if that's just the sound she makes when she's sad, but i pretend she's calling for me and it makes me feel good. when she realizes she's going to get picked up she gets super excited, kicks her legs, and waves her arms. ava is still trying to crawl but hasn't quite got it down yet, so for now she rolls everywhere and scoots around on her bum. changing her diaper has become challenging lately. we can't catch her to put a diaper on. ava gives fives now, and she can wave goodbye, and it's so cute.

ava is a way happy baby. her smile melts my heart, it's the cutest! we just say her name and she gets a big grin. in the past month she's turned into quite a sassy little lady at times. if she wants something she's sure to let you know, and if you take something away from her she freaks. she still rarely cries and is pretty content.

she's been out of the country once and is the best traveler ever! my family kept telling us how lucky we are to have such a good and happy baby. ava still sleeps with us. (any tips on sleep training??) she's so fun to wake up to. the second her eyes open she looks at us and smiles, then starts babbling..what a great way to start the day.

she loves being out. since it's winter and freezing outside we go to the mall and target alot!! we are so grateful to have such a healthy and happy baby and we love her so much! she is so fun and brings so much happiness into our lives. we love you ava!

merry christmas.

2010-12-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

oh how i love the holidays!

i truly feel so blessed. this has been an awesome year.

ava turned 7 months this week. she is weighing in at 17 pounds and 8 oz.

isaac finished school this week. only 1 more semester to go.

i also finished school this week, and took my last final of my college career yesterday. wahoo.

we're off to spend holidays with family tomorrow.

hope you all have a merry christmas and a happy new year.

peace.

i love

2010-12-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

i love my baby ava.

i love the way she holds her arms out for me to pick her up.

i love that she makes me feel special.

i love when i pick her up and she kicks her legs and gives me hugs.

i love the cute little personality she has.

i love the sweet, sweet baby she is.

i love how she needs me.

i am one lucky mama.

little cutie.

2010-12-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

cbcg photography

grandma & grandpa's house.

2010-11-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

ava and i spent the whole week last week visiting my parents. we had a great time! ava went to her first aggie basketball game and loved it. thanks grandma and grandpa for everything, we had so much fun!

Half Year

2010-11-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

ava turned 6 months old today. we are loving this stage. time goes by way too fast, i just want to freeze her. she is so cute and so much fun.

ava still isn't loving solid foods. she sits up. she says la, la, la all day long. she rolls and rolls. still loves her baths. she loves to be on the go.

we love our little babe. she fills our lives with so much happiness.

we love you ava.

afternoon stroll

2010-11-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

today was a beautiful day.

we took a nice long walk and enjoyed the sunny, blue skies, and the fall air.

ava is so cute. she loves our walks.

lately, we give her candy that is in the wrapper and she's entertained for a long time.

love the weekends!

heavy drinker

2010-11-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

BOOoOo!

2010-10-30T17:22:00.001-07:00

hapPy halloWeen!

Ready to Travel the World!

2010-10-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

ava received her first passport in mail today! her passport picture is sooo cute!

BLAH...

2010-10-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

is what ava thinks about rice cereal.

she makes this face everytime she eats it. it's so funny. we've been feeding her this stuff for 10 days now and she still isn't big on it. i'm open to suggestions and ideas, so if you have any tricks up your sleeve, please share them.

5 MONTHS!!

2010-10-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

ava turned 5 months old today. time flies way too fast. she ate cereal for the first time and it was pretty entertaining. she did pretty good and liked it ok. her personality is getting cuter everyday and she is always learning new things. we love her so much!

pals

2010-10-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

cutie pie.

2010-10-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

cousins.

2010-10-08T20:40:00.001-07:00

my sister in-law chellese (cbcg photography) took this cute picture of ava and beckham.

10/4/2010 Appointment

2010-10-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

Weight: 15 pounds

Length: 27 1/4 inches

Ava cried a bit with the shots, but then was happy. She is a tall skinny little gal. She's growing and healthy! Only 8 more days til she gets to start eating rice cereal. Yay!

Weekend..and of course more AVA

2010-10-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been so fun. Conference weekends are the best. And the weather..perfect! On Friday my dad and Isaac went to the byu vs. usu football game. Go AGGIES! While they were at the game Ava, Mom, and me went to Rumbi and the movie. The rest of the weekend we ate alot, enjoyed conference, and spent alot of time outside. Good times! I didn't get pictures of the weekend, but I did get pictures of Ava. Just can't get enough of our girly.

Love those chubby legs. Could squeeze em all day long.

Ava really likes Puckers. Puckers is really good with kids, but today Ava was playing with her when she was in a playful mood and Puckers scratched Ava, but Ava is tough and didn't even cry.

Flower Girls

2010-09-26T21:30:00.001-07:00

Isaac picked these lovely flowers for us:)

randomness.

2010-09-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my sweet dad's birthday. ava and i were in town so we got to celebrate with him and the rest of the fam. we have the best dad and grandpa. thanks for all you do for us dad. we sure love you!

isaac and nathan ran in the tou 5k. go isaac!
ava walkin'.

all the grandkids in my family love taking baths in my parents big brown tub. ava had her first bath in the tub and loved it.

i came home from the gym the other day and ava had a diaper on her head. compliments of isaac.

we like to go on walks at night. well this night in particular isaac didn't want to go upstairs to get his shorts, so ta da! he wrapped ava's baby carrier around his legs. never a dull moment being married to my man.

ava's nightly manual and mental dexterity exercise.

she's got a sweet tooth like her mom and dad.

my tWo loves

2010-09-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

4 MONTHS

2010-09-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

ava turned four months old today. she is the cutest. she brings so much happiness into our lives. ava gets cuter and more fun every day. she still sleeps like a champ and loves being held all the time, loves her bath, she can roll over, and she can sit up pretty good, loves playing with her toys, and loves being outside. this little girl of ours has a mind of her own. i love being her mom and feel so lucky to stay home and play with her all day, everyday. we LOVE you ava!

Happy Birthday to the Mr

2010-08-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Isaac turned 30 YEARS OLD on August 26th. Tony and Carrie invited us to go to Park City for a couple nights to celebrate Isaac and Carrie's birthday. We had so much fun. On our way home we went through Salt Lake and met up with my parents for a birthday lunch, a movie, and some shopping. Ava was so worn out. On Sunday she took a 4 hour nap after church. It was a way fun weekend. We love and appreciate you Isaac!!

3 Months

2010-08-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

(picture taken by my sister inlaw Chellese)

On August 14 Ava turned 3 months old! We LOVE you Baby!

Ava's Blessing Day

2010-08-15T18:57:00.001-07:00

Today was a very special day. Ava was blessed by Isaac. He gave her an amazing blessing (a big thanks to Darin and Chellese for recording it and writing it up for us). We had so much family there to support us and we really appreciate it and missed those who couldn't make it. It was an awesome day and we will remember it forever. Ava is a great blessing and fills our lives with so much happiness. The guys said she was wiggling like crazy, my dad said her eyes were as big as quarters, and she had the hiccups. Cute girl, we love you!!

( dress made by my mom. talented woman, that mom of mine:))

sleepy head.

2010-08-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

colorado.

2010-08-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

silverton.
ouray.

ridgway.

telluride.

durango.

the last few weeks we were so lucky to have both sets of parents come visit us in colorado. last weekend we traveled around colorado. we saw beautiful scenery and had so much fun. we drove a ton and ava was awesome! we had a wonderful time. thanks mom and dad. we love you.

tears.

2010-08-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

lets just say, the carseat isn't exactly her favorite thing.

pretty in pink.

2010-08-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

2 month checkup

2010-08-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

weight: 12 lbs. 10 oz.

lenght: 24 in.

head: 41.5 cm.

ava had her 2 month checkup and shots yesterday. it was more like 2 1/2 month, considering she's almost 12 weeks old now. she was so good at her appt. she cried for a second after the shots, then calmed right down. she was tuckered right out afterwards and slept the day away. we feel so blessed to have a healthy, happy, growing little girl. she is the cutest! her personality is really coming out. it's so fun and way entertaining. we love you baby girl!!!

so grown up!!

2010-08-01T22:00:00.001-07:00

ava smiles, giggles, and coos. so cute!
isaac is trying to teach ava to hold her bottle. she does pretty good when she's in the mood.

ava only wakes up once during the night to eat. she is a way good sleeper.

ava is starting to play with toys and really likes them. it's so fun to watch her do new things everyday. love this girl.

temple square

2010-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandma

2010-07-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

this past weekend ava had her first girls outing. my mom, ava, and i went shopping the whole weekend. it was so much fun. ava was the best baby the entire time and i think she really learned to appreciate the fine art of shopping. we hit just about every mall in utah (ha ha) and even made it to the farmers market. we had a great time together, & ate yummy food, & found some awesome deals. thanks so much for everything mom! we had a blast!

9 weeks + 3 days

2010-07-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

weekend in colorado

2010-07-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

this summer isaac has an internship in colorado. we've been back and forth from colorado and utah, so this past weekend was our first in colorado. his friend david served his mission in the town we are in. his words for it are.."it's the armpit of colorado". ha ha that pretty much sums it up. but we have fun spending time as a family. really though, if you go up in the mountains it's beautiful. and we feel blessed for the opportunity.

we took some nice naps
went to grand mesa. it's like 11,000 ft high. has hundreds of lakes. beautiful.

ava ready to go out on the town. i can't believe how big she looks in her car seat. i was looking at pictures when we first brought her home and she looks so tiny. she's growing up so fast. i love being her mom. it's an amazing thing.

after some good mexican food we went to the drive in movie. it was ava's first. she fell asleep and stayed asleep during both movies. what a good baby, huh? isaac was quite thrilled about the double feature. we got to watch twilight eclipse and letters to juliet. he's a good sport. i love spending the weekend together!

you make me smile

2010-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

i like naps

2010-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

i've never really cared to take naps. how can i resist now that i get to cuddle with this little girl..

BEAR LAKE

2010-07-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

for the 4th we were in bear lake for the annual reunion on my mom's side of the fam. we had fun swimming, miniature golfing, enjoying sunshine, long walks, and the kiddos are always excited to see byrdy (isaac) cuz they love to play with him. ava was so good and i think she had fun too. she sure did get alot of attention as usual and was never put down...which shenever complains about.

New Toy

2010-07-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

ava and i made a trip to wal-mart to get her this new toy! a table swing! she'll sit in it for a little bit, and mommy can get a few things done. i have made it so ava wants to be held, swung, bounced, and walking around 24-7. oh well, we have fun. love this girly!

Girls Night

2010-06-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight my mom, sister inlaws, ava, and i went to see eclipse. it was ava's first movie and she did so good. she was awake most of the movie, and didn't even cry. she is such a good baby and i love her so much. by the way it was a good movie. i haven't read the books and i'm not super into it, but i did think it was a good movie. go team edward..ha ha.

2 YEARS!

2010-06-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

2 years ago i married my best friend. we've had the best of times together. been the best 2 years of my life, and i'm excited to spend forever together. and now with our new little addition it's that much better.

(our 3 way cuddle on the couch)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY LOVE

1 Month

2010-06-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

June 14th ava turned 1 month old-she is so fun. we are so in love with her and she is such a blessing in our lives. she is growing and getting the cutest little fat rolls-love it!

at lunch with the fam. she has had quite the eating out adventures her first month of life.
daddy's little girl

got to meet her cousins from texas for the first time.

on our way to colorado. her first time out of the state. she was so good on this long drive. mommy and daddy appreciated it. only had to stop three times on the way there and twice on the way home.

just kickin back

love you babe

more ava claire

2010-06-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

what can i say, i'm in love with this girl. she loves to stick her tongue out. it's hilarious.
she is starting to stay awake a good portion of the day. her eyes are so big and pretty.

gonna punch mom in the face if she doesn't stop taking pictures and give her some food

she is a very good sleeper (as long as she's in bed with mom and dad)

she loves her bath. and loves the after part when mom and dad massage her with yummy smelling lotion.

this is her first stroller ride. she loves it. we can make it about 3 miles before she wants to eat again.

i was looking through the pictures on our camera and this one made me laugh. it looks like those cheesy prom pictures you get taken when your date comes to pick you up. this is us about a week before our sweet little gal came into our lives. it's so weird to not have a belly anymore. in a weird way i miss it sometimes, but the little bundle of joy is even better on the outside. we are loving ava to pieces. she is getting her own little personality that's so cute. she doesn't like her binky. it lasts for about ten seconds. but she sure does like sucking on her hands. we're loving every second with her.

CLOWNING AROUND

2010-06-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

we were over at Chellese's house over the weekend. isaac was having the time of his life dressing ava up in all sorts of things. this was our favorite.

2 Weeks!

2010-05-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ava is 2 weeks old today! she had her 2 week doctor appointment today and everything looks great. she is now back up to her birth weight. they even pricked her heel today to draw blood and she didn't even cry..she is tough as nails! she just gets cuter everyday and we love her more and more. she is getting her own little personality, and it cracks us up. she brings so much happiness into our lives. we love you ava claire!

tubby time

2010-05-23T22:38:00.001-07:00

madly, deeply

2010-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

in LOVE

we are so in love with our little girl. she is the cutest things on the planet. i could hold her and stare at her all day..oh wait, i do! she pulls the cutest faces and makes the most adorable sounds. i love being a mommy and i love watching isaac be her dad. he is so cute with ava. in fact, as i write this, he's asleep with her on his chest..aww melts my heart. i also want to thank isaac for his sweet post previous to this one. i love my little family, and i'm so grateful so have ava claire in our lives. she is such a blessing. ava is one week old today! time goes way too fast.

Meet Ava

2010-05-17T17:47:00.001-07:00

Lifetime statistics:

Birthdate: May 14, 2010; 9:26 p.m.

Weight: 8 lbs. 14 oz.

Length: 21.5 inches

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Dark (indecipherable)

Meconium poops: 3

Farts: innumerable and stinky

Heart-rending cries: many (conveniently nearly always at night)

What can I say about becoming a daddy to a little girl? To begin with, the entire labor process was one of the most frightening, nerve-racking, emotional, and special moments of both of our lives. I felt so much sympathy for Ashley, her labor lasted nearly 24 hours from when her contractions began to be about 5 minutes apart to when Ava was born, and when our "little" girl popped out I was shocked by her size. She obviously doesn't set any records or anything but she has very chubby cheeks and cute, little, non-newborn-like fat rolls on her legs.

Ashley still hasn't felt up to blogging much, so I just wanted to step in and proudly introduce Ava. I have a feeling that she is going to be a mix between Jason Bourne (martial arts and revenge skills), Stephen Hawking (mad intelligence), Eleanor Roosevelt (classy lady and well spoken), and the prettiest woman you have ever seen (my wife, of course). So, she has that going for her...which is nice.

Love you, Ash. You will always be the number one lady in my life. Love you, Ava. I am so excited to get to know you better and can't wait to see the many amazing things that you will do! Nothing could make me prouder than being husband to such a wonderful woman and daddy to such an amazing little girl.

Skeletor vs. Elephant Woman

2010-05-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

I got a wicked case of elephantitis. Pregnancy is the best!

I get my hubby back!

2010-04-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

As of two days ago Isaac finished his 2nd year of Law School. Wahoo! I am so proud of him. This last semester he had 6 FINALS!! He worked his little toosh off and is so happy to be done til August. And somehow, no matter how much schoolwork he has, this amazing guy always takes time out to spend with me. 2 years down, 1 more to go! It's been so nice to just spend time together. We've even been doing a little nesting for our little babe.

Ahh...

2010-04-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Really enjoying this weather

Weekend Events

2010-04-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Recognize these people? Our friends from New Zealand that we lived with last summer have been visiting in the U.S. for the last month. Hans (the dad) got released from being the area authority seventy at conference the weekend before. We got to get together with them twice last weekend. Isaac's parents came to Provo and took us all to Olive Garden (Thanks Lana and Scotty). It was so fun to see the Sorenson family again and visit. Then on Sunday they invited us to a musical fireside. It was so awesome. Hans and Fredda both spoke, and Elder Spencer Condie also spoke. We feel very blessed for the doors Isaac's school have opened up to us, and to have met such awesome people that will be our friends forever.

After lunch Saturday I called my parents and they told me they had to run to Salt Lake to get my mom's car fixed. This made me happy because Isaac has been studyin' in buns off and I had nothing to do, so I met up with them and went shopping and ate dinner and the fabulous Cheesecake Factory. It was a very fun time. Thanks mom and dad.
And..can't leave the baby out. She is doing good. I think she wants to come out and meet us pretty bad because she sure does wiggle and kick alot. It's so fun and I'm going to miss feeling her move around, but having her in my arms will be even better. Our doctors appointment yesterday went great, but no signs that she's ready to come yet. Wow! Pregnancy is an amazing experience. It's pretty dang cool.

party #2 for baby

2010-04-06T22:10:00.001-07:00

last week was a great week. i spent the week in logan so isaac could get some studying done without interruptions. he came up thursday and we spent the weekend up there too. we had a great weekend and easter with my parents. conference weekends are my favorite. this conference had so many great talks, and i heard things i really needed to hear..funny how that works. on thursday my mom and sister in-law had a baby shower for me and the baby. it was so much fun! alot of people showed up, we had a good time, and as always yummy food. it was good to see family and friends that i haven't seen in a long time. we got some many great presents. we feel so blessed to have the support of so many people.

claire, nikki, kate, me
melissa, kira, me, margie
the cute baby cake
the adorable diaper cake my mom made

mom, jill, zoe, lora

34.4 week pic (and getting bigger every day) i officially can't reach my toes, so over the weekend isaac took off my toe nail polish and my mom filed them and painted them for me. thanks you two, i feel like a new woman:)

time is flying and we are getting more anxious to meet our little girl. it's getting very exciting! it's crazy that we could be holding her in our arms at any time now. i'm excited to hang out with her all day and love her up. had 35 week appt yesterday and things are looking good. love hearing her heart beat. it's so amazing!

party for little ms byrd

2010-03-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

last weekend Isaacs mom and sisters had a baby shower for baby here in provo. it was so much fun. we had great company, delicious food, fun games, and baby byrd got so many cute things that she'll love! thanks guys! (i've been awful at taking pictures lately, so sorry to those of you i left out, i still love you)

stacy, lindsey, carrie, ray
sydney, bridgette

mom, holly, lana, carver

my mom stayed with us all weekend, so we played it up! after church sunday we walked around the temple. it was a gorgeous, warm day.

2 Years

2010-03-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

ago today this handsome man asked me to marry him, of course i said yes! And we were officially ENGAGED! it was a very special day and so perfect. it's a day i will never forget. i'm a very lucky girl!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!

ALMOST 31!

2010-03-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

not much going on with us lately. we are keeping super busy with studying, exercising, hanging out with family, and getting our last weeks in together alone. i seriously can't believe how fast time is flying. this little wahine is going to be here before we know it, and we are so excited! we can't wait to meet her and love her up. i'm starting to feel really nervous..i still feel like a kid myself and now i'm having one. she is such a blessing in our lives and we love her already. i love feeling her move inside my belly, and she is a total mover! i've started going to the doctor every two weeks now, and we love getting to hear her heartbeat that often now. at my last appointment the doctor was talking to me about which pain medications i would like when i have her, i was getting so light headed just talking about it, so i'm very curious how this labor stuff is going to go. for those of you who know me well, i don't do well with doctor, needles, the smell of hospitals, etc. things are going great and i'm feeling really good. we are so grateful for our family and friends and all the support they give us. i'm also grateful for isaac and for being the best husband, he is so good to me and i love him so!

Weekend!

2010-02-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

I found this yummy treat at the grocery store. I haven't really had cravings during my pregnancy, but when I find something I like, I'm hooked. Plus, it's easy to fix, cheap, and low in calories. This weekend we went up to Logan to hang out. We had alot of fun. We went to some movies, had good food, went shopping, went to the aggie game (which they won), had a super bowl party, plus it was great to get out of Provo..ha. My cat is starting to like my mom more than me. They've become quite the pals.

Dad and Isaac watching the big game.

And finally, my 27 week pregnancy picture. Thought I might as well put one up sometime. I'm feeling pretty good, and very grateful for that. We can't believe how quick time is flying and how soon this little girl of ours is going to be here! She moves alot, and I love it!

Warm, Amazing, Merry Christmas

2010-01-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas my family went on kind of a last minute trip to Cabo, Mexico. We were there for an amazing 8 days. It was so fun. We played in the sun all day. Explored. Ate so much food, and magnum bars, and drank so many pina coladas. At night our hotel would put on really good shows and before the shows they would have all the kids come up on stage and play games, and I have to say, my nieces and nephews rocked it and won alot of the games. It was so much fun being with the whole fam for the holidays. And we appreciate my mom, dad, and scott for taking us. We love you.

We watched the sunrise in the mornings. It was so amazing. Wish we could wake up to that everyday.

I loved that the airport is so small that you walk from the plane to the airport.
The hubs and I on the beautiful beach at the hotel. (Remember, I'm pregnant, not just getting fat for no reason)
The grandkids waiting for the waves to chase them.

We went to Hard Rock when we went into Cabo San Lucas. The cups the coke came in were cool.

We went on a boat ride out to The Arch at Lands End. It was one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. It had the most beautiful beaches. It was totally awesome!

Dad and Isaac at the marina in Cabo San Lucas.

On Christmas my mom and dad gave all the grandkids matching pj's to wear together. It was so cute. Our little Ms. Byrd even got some cute pink pajamas.

On the beach again. I couldn't get enough sun. It felt so good to lay and play in it all day long. I love summer, so it was nice to go somewhere hot in the middle of the cold winter.

On Christmas we acted out the nativity scene from Luke 2. The kids drew out of a hat which part they would play. Autumn got to be Mary and Luke got to be Joseph. Baby Jesus was a roll of toilet paper wrapped in a towel. They were so fun to watch. My brothers got to be mules.

Breakfast at this resort was so good. I had on omelette and fresh fruit every morning.

Us in front of the resort we stayed at.

On Christmas day we walked up to San Jose to check out the town. Isaac and my dad tried some of the yummiest fish tacos. The town was so fun to walk around.

Some of the clan in front of the Christmas tree in the hotel lobby.

They had activities for the kids on Christmas morning. My mom got in on the fun during the beating of the pin'ata.

Dad loved Santa's helpers.

The kids at the kids pool. They had a big boat with slides off it. It was so fun.

Chillin at the pool.

We're expecting

2009-12-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

she will be here may 2010.

she is amazing.

we are so blessed.

GRATITUDE

2009-12-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

Today, well and every other day, gratitude fills my heart. I'm grateful for my wonderful life, and the wonderful people in it.