Heart Attack on All Fours!

Joseph absolutely ADORES his big brother, and Darren can't wait for Joseph to be big enough to really play with. They already seem to have this "understanding" between them that says "Let's give Mom a heart attack, and try not to get in trouble for it!" So, today, Joseph was on the floor enjoying some tummy time, and Darren was just playing. All of a sudden, Darren goes over to Joseph, and SITS on him! I, of course, take a flying leap in an attempt to "save" Joseph and try to prevent myself from having a HEART ATTACK at the same time! By the time I get there, Joseph is not only smiling, but LAUGHING; very clearly LOVING that Darren is sitting on him! Now, this is not the first time that this has happened, nor do I think it will be the last; but this is the first time the camera was close enough to snap a picture. I still feel my heart skip a couple beats whenever Darren does this! How in the world am I supposed to teach Darren that doing that can hurt the baby, when Joseph clearly is NOT hurt, but actually LIKES it?! I don't think most babies would tolerate such treatment! I'm glad they're great friends already, but I think I'm in trouble for the years to come!

Also this last week or so, Joseph has started scooting backwards! He also has figured out how to get up on all fours! He hasn't done either one very much - until today! Today, he has not stayed put on the floor for more than about 30 seconds, and has been up on his hands and knees a lot! Then, tonight, he started rocking back and forth while up! I think he's going to be crawling soon, though I'm not sure I'm ready for a mobile baby yet! He's not even 6 months old!!! Maybe it's a good thing parenting is not about "ME!" He's such a strong boy. Look at that determination on his face.

He started out at the OPPOSITE end of his blanket facing the other way. He's such a happy baby!

7 Wonderful Years......

Seven wonderful years ago today, Matt and I tied the knot in the Provo LDS temple. Since then, life has thrown us several twists and turns -some planned, some unexpected, some good, some not so good. But, through it all, we have stuck together, grown stronger together, and have watched our love grow. I love him so much more deeply now than I could even IMAGINE on our wedding day!

Matt has so many WONDERFUL qualities and traits that help make our marriage GREAT! To keep this from getting too long and too terribly sappy, I will just mention 7 - one for each year we've been married.

1. Matt is famous for his SMILE and cheerful disposition! In fact, his smile is one of the first things I noticed about him when we first met, and I was attracted! It's also contagious! He smiles so frequently, there are only a few times when he's not. When he's upset, disappointed, deep in thought, or worried about someone he loves. Actually, that's not entirely true - Matt sometimes still has a smile on his face when he is deep in thought. It guess it depends on what he's thinking about! He also has a very optimistic attitude on life!

2. Matt is the most FORGIVING person I have ever met. When things happen, he always gives EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt. I don't think he has the ability to stay mad/upset with anyone or anything for very long. I love that! I reap the benefits of this quality all the time!

3. To go along with number 2, Matt has NO TEMPER! Whatsoever! I have not EVER heard him raise his voice in anger! He hollers at Darren on occasion to get his attention, or to send the message that he means business, but NEVER out of anger. Matt does get upset, just like everybody else, but he has an uncanny ability to remain calm about it!

4. When Matt decides to love someone, he LOVES them. Unconditionally! I have learned a lot just from his example. I probably shouldn't admit this, but our first year of marriage, I intentionally tried to push his buttons, as an attempt to find that point at which he would stop loving me. I know that sounds stupid and irrational, but up until Matt, I felt like every single male in my life had put limits on their love for me, (I will love you if..., or as long as, etc.), and I had to know at what point Matt would stop loving me so I could stay away from that point. I never found that point then, and I have since come to realize that I don't think it exists! Such a great feeling! It's not just family that he loves unconditionally, it is everyone he chooses to associate with. This ties into #2 very well. All of that being said, he is terrible at writing letters, and staying in touch - even with his own family! But that has nothing to do with the love he feels for others, he just hates writing/typing, and talking on the phone!

5. Matt has a great sense of HUMOR! He has a great ability to relieve tense/stressful situations with humor. One example is one day I was really worked up about something (I don't remember what) and venting to him. I had been pacing the floor with him sitting on the couch. I went to go sit next to him, and "accidentally" sat on his hand. So, I got up to scoot over a little so I wasn't sitting on him (oblivious to the look on his face), and he moved his hand over too so that I would sit on it AGAIN!! I stopped my venting long enough to ask him what he was doing, and he replied with a smile, "I just want you to know that I support my wife!" We both started laughing at that point, and somehow the situation I was upset over didn't seem so bad anymore! Somehow, it fit the situation, and was perfect! There are many other similar examples of things he does to get us all laughing at our house! He also has a little dance he does that makes me laugh every time he does it, and now he's trying to teach it to Darren, which is even funnier!

6. Matt likes to TRY NEW THINGS! He's usually up for an adventure, and thrives on change! This is really good, on account of he's in the military and we move all the time! He gets bored with things staying the same for too long. While I too, love a good adventure, I also really like consistency and predictability, and HATE moving around! While we have both learned to adapt, our differences in this area create balance, which has helped us to find win/win solutions, compromise and be tolerant in other areas as well.

7. FAMILY is VERY important to Matt. He ALWAYS puts the wants and needs of his family above everything else - including his own desires! He spends time playing with our boys everyday - not because he feels obligated as their father, but because he REALLY wants to! He also takes the time to spend with me daily, so that we can keep our marriage alive. Matt takes his role as husband and father very seriously, and is 100% committed! He works hard and does everything he can to make sure that we all have the things we need, and that we are all safe, comfortable, and happy!

I am so glad that I married you, Matt. It's been the best decision I have ever made! I'm so glad that we have the opportunity to be together for eternity! I wouldn't want it any other way! Thank you for seven wonderful years so far. I am really looking forward to the rest of our lives together! I LOVE YOU, SOOOO MUCH! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

A "LOVE"ly Birthday!

Matt turned 30 yesterday - yes, on Valentine's Day! Consequently, he HATES Valentines' Day and doesn't ever really plan anything for it (that's okay with me, because our anniversary is 2 days later, and HE plans that!). Growing up he remembers having heart shaped cakes with pink frosting all over them. He was not a fan! So, when we got married, I promised him that I would never make him a heart shaped cake for his birthday, unless he requested it (like he would do that!) That being said, I have to rack my brain every year for what to do for him - both for birthday and valentine's day while keeping them separate. Someday, he'll realize that valentines day isn't that bad, and it's okay to share it with a birthday. :)

Anyway, this year, I decided to make a cookie bouquet (thanks for the idea, facebook friends!) for him for valentines day. I had never made one before, but had fun doing it. I made peanut butter cookies with caramel filled kisses in the middle, and put a Reese's peanut butter heart in the center of the bouquet. It was a hit! He was very surprised and impressed, and is LOVING it! Peanut butter is one of his very favorite foods!














Darren likes it too! He calls them popsicle cookies!


Lemon is another one of Matt's favorite foods/flavors. So, I made him a lemon refridgerator cake, made with lemon cake, lemon jello, lemon pudding, and cool whip over the top. It was very lemony! Matt's had a bit of a complex about turning 30, so I wanted to tease him by making his cake look like there were neon lights on it! Colored marshmallows were about as creative as I could come up with! However, I forgot about the candles until it was time to sing to him, and of course didn't have 30 candles, or the numbers 3 and 0. So, I compromised! He liked his cake, although as soon as he blew out the candles, he rearranged the marshmallows to make 20 instead of 30! Turkey!!

Almost every time Matt gives the boys a bath, he comments on how cool he thinks their hooded towels are, and says he wants one too! So, for his "fun" birthday gift, I studied my boys' towels to figure out how to make them, and then made one! He laughed pretty hard when Darren handed the towel to him! He's already used it, and thinks it's great! Happy birthday, Matt!

Baby Blessing

Today, we finally had little baby Joseph blessed. We have family in town, so we thought it would be a good time. It was a really great day! There were 4 confirmations, and 3 baby blessings at church today! They all took so much time, that there were only about 15 minutes for the sharing of testimonies, but it was one of the best meetings I've been in for a long time. Joseph's blessing was absolutely beautiful! I am so thankful that I have a husband who holds and honors his priesthood, so that he can be worthy to bless our children! I do wish we would have taken more pictures; especially since not all family members present got their picture taken. But, we had tired, hungry kids, that made pictures a bit difficult. So, these will have to suffice.

Our little family. I love how Darren has his arms folded and his eyes mostly closed!

Father and son!

My parents with baby Joseph

My boy, all dressed in white!