Can I just say that...

baby giggles are the funniest and sweetest things ever! I love this video of joshie giggling! enjoy!

Sweet Boy

I was thinking a lot today about my little Joshua and how much my life has changed with him around.  He has inspired me to be a better person, an example and great teacher to him.  We were looking through some videos we took of Josh when he was first born and what a beautiful, amazing, and life changing day that was.

Here is the first video we took of him after he was born

Joshie in his Jammies!

I love jammies especially on my cute baby Joshua.  So, of couse, I had to take pictures of him in a few pairs. Enjoy!

i love the puppies on his feet

get that camera out of my face

sweet smiles

he loves doing this with his hands

BIG giggles!

look at them big lips

Craft Project

So in my very large amounts of free time, my neighbor and fellow classmate wives have tried to spend some time together doing some things that we enjoy (crafts, canning, jam making, baking, park play dates, etc.)  For this time when we got together we decided to do a craft time.  Last week we went to the store and got items for what we wanted to make.  I didn't originally know what I really wanted to make, but I found an example of a calendar like this.  I did change it (made individual magnet letters so i could spell out all of the months, and i will do dry erase for the calendar days instead of additional magnets) It was pretty inexpensive and very cute I think.  I will now never have to buy a calendar ever again.  And the nice part about this calendar is that I can change the background scrapbook paper anytime I want.  So that will end up being a lot of fun to play around with.  Our next get together we plan on making freezer jam.  I got a bunch of blackberries from a house we went to for a BBQ so I think I will plan on making blackberry jam.  I also went to a peach orchard the other day and picked 23lbs of peaches that I will be canning later on this week.  I have never canned before but from what I read, it doesn't sound like it's that hard.  Wish me luck!  I'm sure they will turn out just fine.

Indian Tuesdays

Jake and I have started a tradition since being here of making Tuesday Nights Indian Food Night.  It's been going for 3 weeks now and we've come across some great recipes.  My favorite curry chicken thus far was this recipes.  It was easy and really good! Even though my house has smelled like Indian Food for a good 24 hours, I'm hoping a little Febreeze will do the trick. 

Every week we have made some of this naan too!  It's probably the best part of the meal.  We follow some of the suggestions and put the garlic in the butter, and cook it on the George Foreman. Super easy. Just allow about 3 hours to make it from start to finish because of the dough rising, etc.


Hopefully you are able to try out some of these recipes.  They are really good!!!

Family Update

Well I thought it was about time that I gave an update of the happenings of the past 1 1/2 weeks.  It feels like it's been so much longer than that with how much we have packed in to it.

Well Jake started school.  The first week went by pretty well and he didn't seem to be too busy.  But we have just started the second week and it has definitely picked up.  I hardly seem him, which is really weird because for the past few months we (all three of us) spent a lot of time together.  While I was on maternity leave, Jake had a slow schedule and of course Joshua was at home growing.  I took this picture on Jake's first day.  As you can tell he was thrilled about my geeky obsession of picture taking on the first day of school. 

So I'm a huge nerd and had to take a picture of Jake on his way to his first day of school. He wasn't too happy about it!

His cute Sunday outfit!

 Joshua is also growing up so fast!  He's such a stinking cutie and I can't get over how much I love him.  He has been sleeping about 10 hours through the night which is an amazing blessing.  He is such a smiler and started laughing the other day when I tickled him.  We are working on rolling over.  I hope he doesn't get mobile too fast!  Then my life really has to change.

Duck Towel! "Oowoowooh!"

Drooly Baby

About to eat his hands off!

Cutie! Started sucking his other fingers instead of just his thumb

Hanging out with mom

He talks to these "Safari Friends"

 I also finished decorating the place and figured why not get some pictures up of it.  We are really liking it and I'm looking forward to the fact that we don't have to move for two years.  I hate moving and so I'm glad this place worked out. We have excellent neighbors and are meeting a lot of new people.  Our ward is amazing and we couldn't have asked for more.

Living Room

Piano Area

Jake's Study Room

Crib and Letters (I made them)

Joshie's room!

The new dresser (it only took 4 1/2 hours to put together). Thanks mom!

Once again, we are really enjoying it here.  Things will definitely start picking up for me which will be nice.  I start teaching dance in September, which I'm slightly nervous about, but really excited.  We went out dinner with the owners (The Akins) and they are great.  It was great to get to know them more and it's always such a blessing knowing that you are going to work for such nice people.  She continually reminds me that finding me was not a coincidence and that she is so excited to have someone that is in line with their mission statement and had training at BYU-I.  It will be exciting to start teaching those students and start using my talents to change and inspire people's lives.

I can't believe

that my baby is three months old, we are here in Yakima and Jake starts Med School on Monday!  What a crazy whirlwind of life, but I'm really enjoying it.  Josh really is getting so big.  We've started having some big milestones with him lately and it is so much fun!  We are working with rolling over and he can sort of do it from his belly to his back, but needs a little help.  I think if we keep working on it, he'll have it in no time.

Josh has also started reaching for things.  He has a little playmat he lays on and he has started to reach up and move the toys that are hanging from it.  How fun!  I love seeing him develop.  Again, I still can't believe that my baby is three months and is doing all these things.  Seems like yesterday he was just my little newborn.  Now he sleeps through the night (8+ hours), reaches, smiles, talks, rolls.  All so great!  Here are some pictures below...

Life thus far in WA...

So a lot happened from the time just before we left until now.  I don't know how exactly I'm gonna remember everything that happened or what we did, but I'll try.

Of course before we moved we had a lot of packing to do, but we wanted to make some visits to some family.  Especially some family that we may never see again.

We visited the Hunt's.  They are such an enjoyable couple to visit with.  Jake enjoys listening to Grandpa's wild outdoor adventures.  And grandma is always so interested in our lives.  Leaving this visit was a little tough for me because they are two people I don't know if I'd see again.  The next time I will be seeing them is Christmas.  Because of their age (Grandpa 94 and Grandma 92) it's hard to know how long they will be around.  I was grateful that we were able to get a picture with them and Joshua.  They have always welcomed me as part of their family and treated me as one of their own grandchildren (which I feel I am).

As we packed up the house and made our way to Yakima, WA we stayed one night in Boise, ID.  That night we visited Jake's grandparents, The Jensen's. 

The last picture is of our moving van.  Yeah.... talk about the freakiest picture ever.  You have Michael Jackson in a carriage being driven by Dracula coming out of his castle.  Weirdest UHaul I've ever seen.

Once we arrived to Yakima, we had a lot of unloading and unpacking to do.  Thank goodness my mom came.  She helped out so much with the unpacking, watching the baby and helping me organize the place.  She really is such a life saver and I couldn't imagine life without her.

As far as the apartment goes, we are loving it.  It's actually a 3 bedroom townhome.  We have a front porch, and a back porch area with backyard.  I'm sure Joshua will love this when he gets older.  Two of our neighbors (husbands) are students at PNWU.  One being a 1st year with Jake and the other a 3rd year.  This will help out a lot.  I've been in contact with the wives for many weeks now and I'm grateful for the network we have already set up.  I'm positive this will help out when school starts.

Since being here I just caught a few pictures of Joshua.  He loved his bath and we tried out his new robe.

We also set up his crib.  I really really love this crib.  Thank you mom and Lorin.  This is a gift that will hopefully last through all of our children. Since getting here we've put Joshua in his own room.  He has done well, and I'm fine with it that way too.  I can tell he's a little distracted and freaked out by his new crib and bedding, but I think slowly he'll get better at it and he will get used to it.  He's absolutely loving having a mobile though (watch video below to see how much he's loving it)

We also took a visit to Mt. Rainier National Park.  Jake has a complete obsession with that place and so we HAD to go.  We barely missed out on breakfast (bummer) but we were able to grab some food, go on a short walk to some waterfalls and then head out.  Joshua did great. He loves being outside.