i get it now

So this is why everyone said I should be grateful that Beck wasn't moving yet.

He's still not walking, but the last week he all of a sudden decided he wanted to move. And he's everywhere!

{pics taken by my new phone. I'm pretty sure I'm the last person to join the whole "smartphone" club. I've never felt so technologically challenged as I have while trying to use this gadget}

3 years

{our anniversary breakfast in bed}

As I said before, the weekend of the hell fire, we were away celebrating our anniversary. 3 wonderful years we've been married. I sure love this man. I fell for him within just a couple weeks of us dating and that love has just gotten deeper and deeper.

Thanks to our kind parents, we got to spend a night up in Salt Lake just the two of us. It's always so nice to be able to just focus on us and hold hands as we walk around.

Here's to many more years of loving you baby.

This was our view from our porch last night. Crazy. Unsettling. Scary.

We were actually gone all weekend celebrating our anniversary and then Sunday dinner with our family. We had heard talk of the fire all afternoon, but thought it was plenty far enough away. Right as we were getting ready to head back home, we got word that hundreds of homes were being evacuated in Herriman.

I still didn't think we were in immediate danger, but Travis was really concerned. Thankfully, my in-laws offered to put the babe down to sleep at their house while we went home and surveyed the situation.

We could see the flames and the mountain on fire from quite a distance, but it wasnt' until we were driving up the hill towards our house that I started to panic. The whole top of the mountain was filled with bright, orange flames. And it was so close.

We spent the next hour or so talking with neighbors trying to get caught up and also checking in on our friends to make sure everyone was ok. Evacuations were taking place a couple streets over and we decided we had better get our things packed up. We quickly grabbed the essentials- clothes, stuff for the babe, important papers, etc. and threw them in our trunk.

Travis' mom and brother then called and said things were escalating quickly and they were coming to help us pack up more of our stuff and we were getting out of there asap.

I was so grateful to learn that my husband could be the calm, collected one in an emergency, as I was freaking out at this point. Also, I was so glad that we left the wee one at sleeping safely at grandma and grandpas.

Getting out of Herriman was insane. There really is only one way out, and it took us an hour to go not even ten miles. It was very unsettling to drive away with the inferno just blocks away from our house, not knowing if we were going to have a house to come back to.

Talk about a long night. Luckily, we saw the worst of it. Thanks to thousands of prayers, the wind changed directions and the efforts of the brave firefighters were paying off by morning. Although areas were still evacuated and the fire not completely contained, our imminent danger was gone and we were able to come home around noon. It is nothing short of miraculous that only 3 homes were destroyed. Looking at our now black mountain, you would never believe it.

Our hearts go out to those families who lost their homes. We were all blessed that it wasn't worse. It's amazing how something like this helps you see that your things are just that: things.

Thank you to all of our friends and family who sent concerned calls, texts, and messages. It meant the world to us.

holding onto summer

{is it bad that I laugh everytime I see the bottom left picture?}

{so happy that my child has taken a liking to two of my favorite things of summer!}

Please don't leave summer.

I love fall and all, but everything beautiful about fall (the leaves, the colors, the smells, the clothes) is tainted by the knowledge of 6+ months of dreary winter coming next.

things I want to remember

At one year,

Little (I don't know why I always say "little", he really is anything but) B is 24 lbs (66%) and 31.5 in. long (86%).

He still doesn't crawl, and I honestly don't think he will before he walks. The Dr. calls him content, I say he's lazy.

He stands for a few seconds on his own, walks along furniture, and is needing less and less support from our hands when he walks around the house.

He has gotten more picky when it comes to eating. Cheese and eggs are still among his favorites.

He has transitioned to whole milk without even blinking an eye.

He is very attached to his blankie. Actually it's not even his. Its an old, thin, ratty, fleece one being loned to him by his cousins.

He is very advanced in his speech and social skills (according to the Dr.). He says ball, ba ba, pa pa, cooper (pu per), cu ca, quack quack (when asked what a duckie says), mama, dada.

He gives the best wide, open mouth kisses. And he is so pleased with himself after each and every one.

We taught him to throw a couple months ago, and he now throws everything: his binks, his food, his toys, etc.

He answers with the cutest "uh huh" when you ask him if he wants something. He also will say the same thing when he sees something he wants.

He loves to push buttons. On remotes, on his toys, on our phones, anything he can get his hands on.

He can even play a game on his daddy's ipod. His pudgy little finger touches the screen at just the right place to make an animal appear out of a barn, followed by the noise it makes. He will do this forever!

He loves animals of all kinds and loves to read his many animal books. Puppies are his favorite and the only ones in his books to get kisses.

He is at such a fun age right now, soaking up his world like a sponge. I feel like everyday he is learning something new or understanding something better.

He still gets excited (and says "uh huh") when you ask him if he wants to go "na nights". I wonder how long that is going to last? :)

He's goofy, silly, and charming. He definitely knows how to work his crowd.

He's got a little temper and is quite the stubborn one. Luckily, the times when he shows either are few and far between.

He loves when his daddy comes home. As soon as he hears the garage, his legs start to kick, arms start to flail and a huge smile takes over his face. It's darling!


Wow, that ended up being a lot longer than I thought. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised...I could go on and on about that adorable boy of ours!

starting young

We were so excited to take the little man to his first BYU game! I love how everything is more fun when you are experiencing it for the first time through your child. Besides almost melting during the first half, Beck actually did really well at the game. He never tired of saying "ball" everytime he saw a football. So cute!

Can't wait to continue to share our love for BYU football with this darling boy.

(Oh and don't worry, Travis is already teaching him to say "poo poo Utes")

the party

{the birthday boy}

{the details}

{the guests}

{the presents}

{the cake}

this kid did not mess around with the cake. Once he realized we weren't going to take it away, he picked the whole thing up and shoved it in his mouth. Like a pro.

his daddy didn't think he got messy enough with the first cupcake (white on white), so he made me give him a second (blue on chocolate)

he was thrilled to have free reign on the sugary goodness....

that is, until he realized it was gone.

distracted

So, I've been a little distracted lately.

And by distracted, I mean completely obsessed with these books.

Just ask my husband. He's been feeling a little neglected the past week and a half seeing as how any spare time I've had, I've been engrossed in my book. Don't worry, my house is feeling the neglect too.

But I only have like 40 pages left in the 3rd book! I have loved this series. Even more than Twilight (gasp, I know). I'll be finishing it tonight, and then I can get back to posting about important things like B's first birthday!