Catching Up!

The first 3 pictures were taken at Dustin's wedding back in August. Well, the first 2 are at the restaurant afterwards where Van rehydrated. He loves cups!

He is now 10 1/2 months old. Time is flying!

We just got back from a trip to California. We had a good time and packed a ton into a short 3 days. We stayed in a different place every night and although we loved visiting my family we were glad to get home.

We went to the family cabin in Inverness California. The first photo was at the "lighthouse". It was so cold and windy we couldn't even get up to the actual lighthouse so we took a few pictures and we went to the beach.

 Van loved the water, he took every chance to get by it. Here is his first experience at the beach!

 Dad didn't pick me up fast enough! I got soaking wet!

But I still loved it!!

 He watched Dad skimboard...

 Played in the sand with mom...

Told not to eat the seaweed...

 Tried to anyway...

 Grandpa Dave gave me a claw hand! I kept trying to eat that too!

We went hiking the next day. It was beautiful, brisk, and the manzanita trees were awesome.

 Van made the wall at Great Grandma and Grandpa's. 4 Generations!

 Van also met the horses Bluebell and Mako. He would nervously laugh when they got close and then make faces and squeal when they would turn away. He loved them.

Our vacation was great. Van is growing up so fast and does new things everyday. He made faces at everyone and chased every dog he came across. He got to visit all his California relatives for the most part and it was great. He is also walking up a storm and gets everywhere so easily!

8 months!

Van is closer to being 9 months now than 8 months but I have been busy (maybe more lazy) and have not gotten to these pictures.

Van is awesome.

He has now rode behind a 3 wheeler.

He has 2 teeth.

He crawls like crazy (the higher he pumps his arms the faster he goes!).

He loves all food, anything he can get his hands on.

He can say mama and babbles all the time.

He loves people but now "acts" shy.

He and his buddy Tracen are getting along better, Van is learning to just get out of the way.

He is starting to stand! He picks himself up and then lets go for up to thirty seconds, but his favorite part is the applause that he gets.

We love him!

 Uncle Rhett pulling him on the 3-wheeler and dad holding him! THis was on our whirlwind trip to Idaho.

 4 generations of William Peterson!

 We went and visited Grandpa Peterson and Van's Auntie Tyla, who Van has the same birthday as.

 Van had only 1 meltdown on our way home from Idaho. Poor little boy! But so funny and so cute!

Look everybody NO HANDS!

7 months! One crazy boy!

In the last month...
Van got his first tooth
He learned to legitimately crawl and then he sat up
He was happy for about 2 days then he
Learned to stand...
and has been whining ever since.
He hates getting stuck, because he can get up but can't get back down.
He is finally figuring out how to duck underneath the coffee table.
He has about knocked himself out at least twice
   One time he tried to stand up on a glass door and his arms slipped out and his face slammed into it
   The next time was on a chair at church
   O yeah, lets make it three times, slamming his face into the tile of our house, I guess Timber could hear it downstairs.

Van loves to talk to his toys and he babbles incessantly (when he isn't whining about something).
He likes to scream....
He likes to crawls into the dog's bed (gross, but so funny) He loves petting Scully, Cash runs away.
His new favorite toy is a matchbox car, o and the dog dishes...
He stops whining if you give him little puff rice cereal.
Rod painted his new (old) wooden highchair red and he loves sitting at the table with us.

My son, is turning into a crazy kid.
Here are a few photos from the hike!

 Dad carried him the whole way!

 Happy "hiking"

He was tired he passed out on my shoulder

Dad built me this gate! Pretty Sweet huh?!

I will stand up on this table! Even if I have to bite my way to the top! 

This picture makes me nervous for the near future!

It Takes Two Makes It to Two Years!

2 years ago today Rod and I were sealed for all eternity in the St George Temple.
In that time we...
Got jobs
Lived in a sick apartment for a little over a month.
Bought a house
"Worked on the house" (This is still going on and will be a forever project)
Found out the school we both worked for was closing, so we both got second jobs at different schools, and found out we were pregnant simultaneously.
Worked and worked and worked.
Moved into the upstairs of our house.
Had a baby!
And the last 6 months have been a little bit of everything while juggling taking care of our little boy. We have been so blessed.


These are just some of the main events, that don't include any of the fun stuff. Like having family come to town for Van's baby shower that Rod's mom and sister threw for me, or my mom coming for Van's birth, our families coming for Van's blessing, Aunt Maurie and her family living with us, and now Timber, Angel and Tracen moving in.

The last two years have been a lot of hard work. I don't think Falling in Love really prepared us for the marriage that we entered. It is the work that we have been doing throughout that creates a foundation of love that  our marriage continues to build on. We still have tons to learn about patience, respect, and communication but it is coming, slowly but surely.

I am grateful that I have a husband who works so hard. He works hard at everything, including us. He sometimes confuses that with working on the house, but his priority is our little family.

He gave me the greatest gift I could ask for, an eternal family.

Happy Six Months (Almost)

I am 24 today...and Van is 3 days away from being 6 months old!!

He is getting too big.

He weighs about 18 pounds.

He has scooted across the floor a couple times but is more comfortable rocking.

He is back to blowing raspberries.

He sleeps in his crib for most of the night.

He is getting to be so much fun and more of his personality is showing.

He is a pretty mellow kid and he thinks he is funny.

We love him so much. 

Van sleeping on dad. I love this picture.

 I did a photo shoot with Van. I had to take them myself, if you can't tell.

 Curious Eyes! I love him!

 Yesterday we went skim boarding. Van is pretty good, don't you think?

 He looks confused here "Mommy, what is daddy doing?"

 :)

 Van wouldn't smile here, he was done after about 45 minutes.

 But he smiled for daddy!

 These are some extras, Rod and I did an 8x10 portrait of Tom Petty for the Kayenta Street Art Festival back in April. It turned out pretty sweet and Rod was on the news!

A semi-failed photo shoot, but Van is always adorable.

Ahhh! Look at that smile!

Showing off the first vegetables of out garden!!! We are super excited.