Hiking & Biking Moments

We've really been enjoying the beautiful colors of this season, both up in the mountains and around our neighborhood.

Besides going on a few drives to see the leaves and help the baby sleep, we have also done a little hiking and biking. I had been missing the mountains and hiking a lot this summer, so it was fun to get out on a trail again. One of Tyler's sisters joined us and we had a great time hiking with her.

Baby's first hike!

The ruins of an old power plant up Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Tyler also recently tuned up his mountain bike, and after he told me about the beautiful trail he did in Corner Canyon, I decided I was ready to give mountain biking another try. I am really out of shape and had to take it pretty slow, but Tyler and another one of his sisters were super patient with me. They made it really fun even though I'm sure they wanted to go much faster. I'm so glad they helped me to stick with it because it felt so good to be active, and the trail was so beautiful.

Happy Fall!

Cousin Moments

I was very close with my cousins when I was growing up. My Mom and her 5 sisters all had babies within a 2 year period, so I had many cousins that were close to my age on that side of the family. We loved playing together at Granny's house when we were little, and hanging out as friends when we got older. I also have fond memories with my cousin on my Dad's side as well. It was so fun to grow up with them, and I still enjoy their company and friendship.

Me with the girl cousins close to my age, and their brothers. (I'm in the middle...and sorry about the underwear)

I'm excited that our kid will have a cousin his age on both sides of the family, and two fun older ones to look up to. He will get to meet his Boston cousins from my side in January!

His cousins on Tyler's side are also both boys, and they have already had some adventures together- including a fun trip to the zoo last week.

I think I loved this awesome polar bear exhibit as much as my nephew.

Hooray for cousins!

Diaper "Love" Moments

It was 4 in the morning, and with bleary eyes I picked up my baby and made my way to the changing table. I unzipped or unsnapped (who can remember which at such an hour...) his pajamas and got ready to change his diaper. But there is a message written on the front of the diaper that makes me stop for a moment. It says something along the lines of

"You are awesome for doing this."

It made me smile, even though this was the second or third time (who can remember which at such an hour...) during the night I had woken up to a face that looked something like this:

I thought about my family and friends who wrote messages on diapers for us at one of my showers. Some are just funny, while others are encouraging, like this one that told me I was awesome.

I finished changing his diaper and in that moment, I did feel awesome...especially since my baby's face now looked something more like this:

Special thanks to everyone for all the fun diapers. We enjoyed using up that package and reading all the notes. It certainly made changing time a little more exciting.
My favorite diaper? The one that said it was Tyler's turn, haha. :)

Having Fun Moments

A few years ago, I ran into one of my friends who had recently given birth to twins. When I asked how things were going, she said, "We are having a lot of fun!" Although I'm sure she was probably pretty tired, her answer was positive, upbeat, and sincere.

I have thought about her answer lately, and wondered if I could say the same thing. I mean, let's be honest, it can be pretty easy to get caught up in the hard aspects of taking care of a newborn. It's a pretty demanding job! I'll admit there are times for me when the sleep deprivation leads to grumpiness, and I forget to enjoy these moments... I forget to have fun with it all. So here's to the fun we've had so far, and to finding and making more fun moments in the future!

It makes things more fun to laugh at some of the crazy and challenging things that happen, like getting peed on in the middle of the night or burning dinner..again. As Marjorie Hinckley said: “The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”

Sad sweet potato fries

It's fun to go out and do things as a family.

Our first official family outing at a yummy Hawaiin shaved ice stand.

Bear Lake on Labor Day

Tyler is saying "You will like this place!"

It's fun to go out and do things as a couple. (Thanks to very supportive family members who offer to babysit and make that possible!)

We loved this date night to see James Taylor and the Tab Choir!

It's fun to go do things with friends.

Baby's first walk with one of my good friends and her kids.

It's fun to wear red together. :)

Go Utes!

It's fun to see the little changes that happen every day.

We are on the lookout for his cute smile!