Time For An Update!

Ok, I will admit it. I have seriously been slacking at keeping our blog updated. My biggest excuse for this was that we only had one computer and Jared uses it 98% of the time. When I finally got a chance to use it, I didn't want to use my precious minutes blogging. (I mostly chose to look at baby stuff- a much better use of my time, right?) Anyway, I can no longer use that excuse because for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, Jared and JJ got me a really nice desktop. I mean, it is slick! So, now that I have a computer that I can use whenever I want, I am going to try really hard to stay on top of our blog. I think they are a great way to stay connected and I love reading other people's, and I really admire everyone who keeps up with theirs. So, I am hoping to do the same.
As for an update, so much has happened in the last four months(!), that I don't really know where to begin. So instead, I am just posting some pictures (because that is the best part of a blog anyway) and then, hopefully from now on, I will post stories along with the pictures. But, for now...enjoy!


In September, we went to Nevada to visit my family. My dad flew over from Georgia to meet us which was great because we hardly ever get to see him. This was on Brennan's 21st birthday. We went to this great buffet at a casino in Las Vegas to celebrate.

This is Jared after accomplishing a great feat: He went "Around the World" at the buffet. (If you want to embarrass him, ask him about it.)

Jared refused to actually gamble (what a guy!), but he did want his picture taken so he could see what he would look like if he had.
This is JJ on our roadtrip to Nevada. We rented a car and drove down there. I was a little nervous about how he would do, but he did great! He is such a trooper!

At 4 months, we decided to start feeding JJ cereal. This was one of the first attempts. He loved it and would get so excited every time he saw a bowl of food.


On Sunday, November 21, it started snowing...and snowing...and snowing.

This is my slick, new computer. I love it!

This was my fabulous birthday dinner. There aren't many good restaurants in Rexburg, so we just decided to make my dream dinner. I was so proud of it that I insisted on taking pictures (I'm a nerd). It was delicious!

Our fancy table setting for my birthday dinner.

Me on my birthday. The big 2-8.


This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of JJ. He is the cutest!

The little stinker started crawling right after he turned 7 months. We can hardly keep up with him!

JJ loves to eat (just like Daddy) and he loves shoving mouth-fulls of food into his mouth (just like Daddy).

This was on our trip home from Boise in September. I love his hat!

Summer Fun

I feel like we have had a crazy summer. I don't know if it is because we have a baby now and life is just crazy in general, but it seems like we have been going non-stop lately. Here is a brief list of our summer highlights:
*We have gone to Boise a few times to visit family and friends.
*We went to Utah for a family reunion over the Fourth of July weekend.
*JJ went to the doctor for his four month check-up (and more shots). He is healthy and doing well.
*I got bangs and I love them!
*JJ began sleeping through the night at 3 months. (This was HUGE for me.)
*We celebrated JJ's first Father's Day.
*We celebrated JJ's first Independence Day.
*Jared finished another semester (this happened yesterday)!
*We went to the drive-inn last night to celebrate the last day of school.(JJ slept through it all!)
*I started nannying again for the same family (I get to take JJ, so it is awesome)!
*JJ is four months old, weighs 15.5lbs and is 26.75in long.

It seems like we are never home and our house is always a mess. There are usually laundry piles all over the couch, our bed, and JJ's floor. I am beginning to accept that it will probably be like this for a long time. The important thing is that we are all happy and that we are living life. I am happier than I have ever been and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family!

JJ and his Great-Grandpa Stanger.
JJ at the drive inn last night. JJ's first time in a swing at the park. He LOVED it!
JJ with his cousin Connor. They got matching outfits for the 4th and they both looked so cute!

Hooray!

Jared said the best thing yesterday: "I will graduate in two more semesters." We had talked about his graduation plan before, but now it sounds really soon! There are so many things that I love about Rexburg, but there is an equally long (if not longer) list of things I do not like. We have had a lot of fun here, but it will soon be time to start a new adventure, and I can't wait!

My Sweet Boy

Let me just say that I love being a mom! J.J. is such a blessing and I love him so much! As long as I can remember, all I have ever wanted to do is be a mother and, as it turns out, motherhood is even better than I thought! Every day I get to watch my little boy grow and discover new things. He makes me laugh so much and he amazes me with everything he does. He loves to smile now and, to my delight, does it all of the time. (Lately, he has been smiling and squealing, which means that giggles aren't far behind.) He has the most beautiful blue eyes and we are already catching glimpses of his personality. He loves attention and quickly becomes frustrated if you are not watching his every move. He loves Mama and Daddy and thinks we are the funniest people on Earth. He loves to cuddle, but is already fighting me at naptime. He is such an angel and I am so grateful that we are blessed with him.

Sleeping on the couch.

Taking a nap with Daddy. (So precious!)

J.J. napping on Daddy.

I can't believe how big he is getting! I took him in for his two month checkup in May and he already weighs 12 pounds and has grown to 24 inches. He is a very long, skinny baby. He has started trying to roll over and can sit up if he is propped. He can hold his head up really well and loves to bounce on his toes. It is amazing how fast he is growing and developing, but it is bittersweet. Every time I do laundry, I have to put some of his clothes in storage and I am faced with the fact that my baby is growing up and he won't always be my baby. So, I treasure every day and we try to make it as memorable as possible.

Our first family trip to the park.


J.J. just chillin'.

Smiling after his trip to the doctor.
(He was so brave when they gave him his shots. I definitely cried more than he did!)We were blessed with another miracle last week. J.J. got a cousin! Jared's brother and his wife, Shea & Kay-Marie, had a baby boy. Jared, J.J. and I went to visit the new parents and baby Connor last Friday and he is adorable! It was so funny to see how tiny he was compared to J.J. and it was hard to believe that J.J. was that size only 2 1/2 months ago. We are so happy for them!

What a Blessing!

On May 9, we had J.J.'s baby blessing at church. It was a very special day, especially for me because it was also my first "official" Mother's Day. We were lucky enough to have some of our family come and be there to share in the celebration of J.J. and of mothers. Jared did a great job giving the blessing and he promised some wonderful things for J.J. He is such a wonderful husband and father and I am so grateful that he is a worthy priesthood holder. I love him so much and I am glad that we have an eternal family.

The happy family.
After sacrament meeting was over, we all headed over to Jared's parent's house and had a BBQ. It was so fun spending time with family and friends while enjoying delicious food. Thank you to everyone who came and made this day so special!

The proud grandparents and great-grandparents.

Four generations!

What An Adventure!

Jared ended the semester on Friday, April 9. Since it was still snowing a little in Rexburg, we decided to take advantage of the time off and head over to Boise to enjoy the warm weather. This was J.J.'s first real road trip, and I was a little nervous about how he would handle being stuck in the car for five hours, but he did great! He slept almost the entire way. He is such a good baby!

We spent almost a week in Boise. It was so nice to relax and not have anything to do. It was a little difficult for Jared to go from being really busy to having nothing to do, but after a few days, he got used to it. We did some shopping and visited with some of Jared's family. His brother C.J. came over to my mom's almost every day and hung out with us, which was really fun because we don't get to see him that often.


J.J. relaxing at Nana's house.


One of the best things we did in Boise was get some more baby pictures taken of J.J. My mom has a friend that is an amazing photographer and she came over to my mom's house and we did two photo shoots. She has posted some of them on her website and they are incredible. We have the cutest baby ever! http://www.heathersaliphotography.com/


On Thursday, the 15, we embarked further on our adventure. We all flew to Portland to go to my brother Jared's wedding. Again, J.J. did awesome. He sat on my lap and sucked on his binky most of the time. While we were there, we stayed with my dad at his hotel. It was the first time he got to see J.J. and it was so cute watching them together. We brought J.J.'s stroller and my dad was his favorite driver as we walked all over downtown Portland.

One of the fun things we did in Portland was go to the famous Voodoo Doughnuts. They have some interesting flavors of doughnuts, one of which is a doll-shaped doughnut filled with red jelly and a toothpic in it's "heart". They were all out of those, so we ordered one with bubble gum on it, a chocolate one with Cocoa Puffs on it, a maple bar, a doughnut that is "The Official Doughnut of Portland", and the biggest glazed doughnut I have ever seen. They were all so good, and it was really fun to see all of the interesting concoctions they make.


Jared and me eating our humongous doughnut. (In all honesty, I ate most of it!)



Brennan, Kristen, and Jared on the Max on our way home from Voodoo Doughnuts.

Jared's wedding was on Saturday, and it was really beautiful. He and Jamie looked so happy and I am really glad they found each other. The ceremony was in this really old historical church and the reception was on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel. We had a delicious dinner and the rest of the evening was spent dancing. It was so much fun and I am so glad that we were able to go!


My dad, Brennan and J.J. sucking their thumbs at the wedding.


School started again on Tuesday and Jared will be busier than ever. He got an internship with a Medical Practice Group in town and is taking on more credits so he can graduate in three more semesters. He is so wonderful and I really admire his dedication to school and his family. He is such a great guy and I am so lucky to be married to him!

Happy Easter!

These were too cute to not share!