So busy...

We have been so busy lately with my sister Megan here, Jethro's family coming, and then me packing and getting ready to go to Portland. This is the first time that I have ever really had a busy, busy summer. I guess that's what happens when you have kids. Here are a few pictures to play catch up on what we've been doing.

Katya and Amy swimming on Friday. She loves the water.

After swimming on Saturday. She was so exhausted.

Nya teaching Katya how to drink from a cup.

Jack with Katya on Thursday. He was so good with her.

Lily loved to hold Katya and to play peek-a-boo.

We went bowling with all the kids after swimming. Katya
hadn't had a nap and didn't want to take one. She was snuggling
with everyone though.

Katya sleeping Sunday night. She was so tired from a busy weekend.

Katya again on Sunday night. She often does the funniest
things in her sleep and rolls all over the entire crib before morning.

Whatcha been doing?

It's been awhile since I've posted pics of Katya and such. My sister Megan has been here for the last couple of weeks and we have been busy going to the zoo, doing much needed yard work, and just hanging out and having fun. Katya has really enjoyed Megan sleeping in her room and has learned to wave at Aunt Megan with prompting. It's been great having Megan here and I'm going to miss her when she leaves tomorrow.

Here are some pics of the things we have been up too.

June 14th at Hogle Zoo with Megan

Finally, something that is too small for me. June 17th

Hogle Zoo on June 19th with Megan and Mom.

Stylin'. June 20th

At the park with Megan and Mom. June 20th

Zoo with Mom. June 14th

Yummy ice cream at the zoo. June 19th

I am so stinkin' cute. June 20th

Having lots of fun with Megan. June 20th

Daddy joined us for lunch at the park. June 20th

Jethro is a....

I'm a Ferrari 360 Modena!

You've got it all. Power, passion, precision, and style. You're sensuous, exotic, and temperamental. Sure, you're expensive and high-maintenance, but you're worth it.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

What kind of sports car am I?

I'm a Ford Mustang!

You're an American classic -- fast, strong, and bold. You're not snobby or pretentious, but you have what it takes to give anyone a run for their money.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

To the World's Best Husband and Father...

What more could I ask for in life-- I already have you.

Jethro is such an amazing husband and father and I just want to take this special day to tell him that. Jethro is so wonderful at taking care of me and doing whatever I ask, even if I do nag sometimes. He often does stuff before I ask which makes me so happy to know that he is so attentive and caring. He loves me unconditionally no matter how emotional or crazy I am being. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I wouldn't trade him for anything.

October 2004

Jethro is also the best father. When we first had Katya, he could change her diapers better than I could, and still can. He has always wanted to be a father and has really embraced fatherhood. Jethro and Katya have such a special bond and I love to see her eyes light up and the big smile on her face when she sees Jethro. She loves spending time with her dad whether it's while playing on the Wii, reading stories, wrestling, or snuggling. I just love to see them together. It makes me so happy. Katya's first word was da-da so I know that she will definitely be a daddy's girl. I don't mind. I can't wait to see Jethro with our other kids in the future and the special bond that they will have with their dad.

April 2007

I love you Jethro and appreciate all that you do for Katya and I. You are the greatest and I really admire and respect you. I love you.

Happy Father's Day!

Here's to wishing all the dad's out there a Happy Father's Day, especially our dads, Ralph Hawks and Reuel Jones.

My dad, Ralph with Katya in May. Happy Father's Day, Dad.
I love you.


Jethro's dad, Reuel with Katya the day after she was born.
Happy Father's Day Reuel!

Goodnight Kisses: The Movie

The other day Staci posted about the kisses that Katya gives us after we pray. Today, we thought we would record it. So after Katya kissed us, Nya said she wanted to do it. She was a little more hesitant. It was still cute though. I would like to state for the record that school is finally out. Yesterday I checked out and this morning I went to meet with my department chair for next year at my new school! I am very excited, and I will post more on that later... Here's the video:

Goodnight Kisses

Katya loves getting a goodnight kiss, but it has to be done at a certain time in a certain way. Every night we say prayers with Katya before putting her in her crib. During that time Jethro always holds her. After we say Amen, Jethro and I always kiss. Katya has grown from not caring that we kiss to laughing with joy to now having to be in on it. As soon as we say Amen and lean in to kiss, she leans in to get a kiss too. She is so funny about it and always smiles after she gets her kiss and sometimes will even laugh. Well, last night she was really excited. Jethro finished praying and said Amen. Before we could even lean in to kiss Katya had already leaned way in so that her head was between ours. She totally "jumped the gun." She thought it was pretty funny though and laughed. I wish I would have been able to film it or something because it was hilarious and we were dying with laughter. What a little cutie!

Stawberries

I just love fresh fruit and vegetables and am very grateful that the house we live at has a huge, huge garden with lots of fruits and vegetables. Since it is still pretty early, most of the fruits and vegetables haven't come in, but the strawberries have. I picked the first batch yesterday and there was way more than I expected. I tried one to see if they were ripe before I picked a bunch, and lets just say that they melted in my mouth. I have never had a strawberry that was that good. I just wanted to eat every single one of them, except for the fact that I'd get a major stomach ache. When Jethro came home, he ate so many of them. Katya even had some for dinner and absolutely loved them. Can you just say yum!


This was all that was left this morning. I'll probably have to go out and pick more today. I am so excited for all the fresh fruit and vegetables that this garden will bring.

SPT (Self-Portrait Tuesday)

Ok, so I'm a little behind. I had every intention of doing last Tuesday's but was at my parents house and just didn't have the time to do it. Sad I know. I just thought that I'd catch up and do last weeks this week with today's. I really hate being behind and I really don't want to miss one since I just started.

This week's challenge is "the colors of my world". I thought this is such a fun and creative idea. I always liked blue from the time I was little, but now am discovering so many more colors that I like.

I never liked pink growing up because that was way too girly and I was definitely not girly, or so I thought. Now that I have a little girl, I love the color pink. There are so many cute shades and patterns that I fell in love with it. So much in love that I bought a pink Razr phone, which I can't get a new one of for 2 years. I must really like pink.

Just a few of my many, many pink items. I just love all the different shades!

Another color that I have grown to really like is red, but it has to be rich. I have seen quite a few read things lately that I absolutely love, including a way cute red and white outfit of Katya's. I was never a fan of it, but am really growing to like it and would like to do my kitchen in red accents.

Katya's red outfit and a red place mat for our table. I just love how
deep and rich the color is.

Another great color is a combination of two. Some people don't consider them colors, but I do. They are black and white. I love the combination and I think that they look great together. I am so drawn to them that the majority of my dressy clothes and black and white, including my summer ones. I just think that there is something so classic about it that lasts through time. This means that I can keep my wardrobe for a couple of years without feeling the need to update because I hate having to buy clothes so often.

My Easter dress. I just love the color combo.

Brown- pretty plain but I love it. It is one of those timeless colors that I really love. As I grow older and have kids, I like things that last and are versatile. I don't like having to change things often and can't afford to. I love the brown shade, khaki. I think it is one of the best colors. I especially love it in pants and shorts- a perfect color for the summer. I just found this really cute pair of shorts at Old Navy that I absolutely love. They were a little pricey, but I hate shopping for shorts because I can't find any that fit right so when I do find a pair that I really like and will definitely wear, I don't mind splurging a bit. I also have these amazing brown flip flops and a pair of brown capris that I just love. I can't get enough of brown.

My new brown shorts from Old Navy, so comfortable and lightweight.


My favorite capris and flip flops.

Just so you don't think that I don't like color at all, I am a fan of bright colors, just not in my clothing. I like things that I can easily spot and that attract attention. For this reason, I bought Katya's diaper bag and consequently has a stroller of the same color. (Megan, you'd be so proud of me for this color!)

Katya's diaper bag. Her stroller is the same color.

There are a million other colors that I am discovering my love for, but these will have to do for now.

Last week's was all about what's in your purse. Because Katya is still so little and needs a diaper bag, that is often my purse. Because it is, I just have my wallet so that I don't lose everything and my mind. I did buy a purse that I really like a couple months ago. On the rare occasion when I don't take Katya with me, I take the purse. I got it from TJMaxx for $10. It was worth it. Here is what is in my purse when I do happen to take it with me.

Trip to St. George

This past weekend we took a little trip to St. George to hang out with some friends. We went down Friday afternoon and came back on Sunday afternoon. We wish that we could have stayed for longer, but it was still a really nice trip. There were four kids total and Katya loved playing with the three other kids. We pretty much hung out and swam. It was really nice to just hang out and relax. We haven't had a chance to do that lately so it was great.

Katya and Jethro swimming. They are just so cute.

I can't believe how cute she is!

Katya playing with her friend Truman. They really like playing together.

The Rest of the Oklahoma Trip

The remainder of our trip in Oklahoma was great. Katya loved being around everyone. She loved all the attention. I think her favorite part of the trip was seeing Jethro when he surprised us by getting someone to cover his class and pick us up from the airport. She was just so excited to see him. She sure loved and missed her dad.

Total Cuteness!

She loves the zoo!

Being goofy

Katya loves it when Megan reads to her.

Trip to Oklahoma

On Wednesday I left to come to my parents house in Oklahoma for my younger sister, Megan's, graduation. I haven't been home in 3 years so it was nice to be back. I don't have much time to write, but here are a few pics of the trip so far.

My dad and Katya.


























My cousins Michael and Christpher with Katya. They absolutely loved playing with her and she loved it too.


































This is what Katya thought of her first plane trip.

































Megan and I right before graduation.




























Megan, Katya, and I at the Tulsa Zoo. Katya loved it!

SPT

can you guess the challenge?!? that's right!! - make new friends and keep the old. i like this because it is really two challenges in one. you've been challenged to answer the questions: who is an old friend? who is a new friend? how long have you known them? what brought you together? have you drifted then reconnected? where do you meet new friends?? but you are also challenged to do more than just tell us about them. in the spirit of national new friends/old friends week, make the time to let your friends know that they matter to you!! have lunch, send good mail, pick up the phone. this is "just because" connecting at it's finest!!


The challenge for this week really excites me. I love having friends and making new ones. I find it hard to make friends sometimes, especially good ones that you keep for years. Growing up, I lived in 3 different places and found it hard to leave my friends when moving day came. College was also hard having to make new friends every year. Now that I am married and done with college, I realize that without friends I would be so lonely. There are so many friends that come to mind when i read about the challenge. Let me introduce you to a few of them.

Dierdra has probably been my friend for the longest time. We met in 1996 shortly after I moved to Borger, Texas. I had a really hard time when I first moved there so I was really lucky I met her. We became fast friends and have been friends for almost 11 years now. We have fallen out of touch and then back in touch. We are so different- from religion, hair color, height, family size, where we live, and such- but we get along so well. I haven't seen her since she flew in for my wedding reception 2 1/2 years ago. I am so excited because I get to see her this Sunday. She lives near my parents right now and since I am going home for my sister's graduation I get to see her again. I am so excited to see this old friend again. I'll have to post some pics when I see her.

Another friend of mine is Noelle. We met in Fall Semester 2002 when we became roommates. It was awkward meeting a new roommate at first, but we became fast friends. We were such good friends that we ended up rooming together for 2 years and working together in the middle of nowhere for a whole summer. Noelle is one of those friends that you don't want to lose. She has such a personality that always made me laugh, and sometimes drove m crazy. She is such a caring person that I am so lucky to have known her. Now that we are both done with college I don't get to see her as much as I want to. She is always so much fun to talk to that I feel like no matter how long it's been since we talked, we never seem to skip a beat. She is such a great friend and I really miss having her around.

I never thought that I could be best friends with one of my sisters because I thought we were all way to different. I'm happy to say that my opinion on that has changed. My littlest sister Megan is 4 1/2 years younger than me, but I see so much of myself in her. I miss not being able to see her very much- it's been 6 months. I talk to her just about every day online and probably call her a couple of times a week. I feel like we can talk about so much and are on the same wave length. The age difference isn't a big deal at all. It feels like it doesn't really exist. Our relationship has changed over the past year from just casually talking to her for 15 minutes once a week to our calls lasting at least 45 minutes. She is going to BYU next year and I am so happy that she will be so much closer so that I can see her on a regular basis. I am also really excited because I get to see her on Wednesday and watch her graduate from high school on Thursday! I'll have to post some pics from home when I get back.


There are so many old friends that I wish I had kept in contact with and so many new friends that I'm making. It's nice that there is a whole week dedicated to celebrating friendship. As the week goes by, I hope that I can remember those friends and celebrate the old and new friendships.

SPT (Self-Portrait Tuesday)

I read lots of blogs (judging by all the links on the side) and often see SPT (Self-Portrait Tuesdays) on almost everyone's blog on Tuesdays. I think that it is a good idea, but have been debating whether my life is exciting enough to actually do it. This week I decided to make my life exciting and actually do it. It will give me something else to write about and to keep my blog updated. The originator of this concept is Lelly. I'm going to give it a shot and hopefully it will work and I'll be able to keep up on it every week.

Since this past Sunday was Mother's Day, the SPT of the week is talking about our mother. What a great idea! I love my mom and don't mind talking about her and letting you all get to know her more.

My wedding day

• She has 2 sisters and one brother. Her brother is 16 years younger than her.
• She moved around a lot when she was growing up because her dad was in the Navy. She even lived at Pearl Harbor.
• She served a mission in France and I think it's really cool to hear her speak French and I think it's cool that she still remembers some.
• She is such a good cook. It always makes me miss home cooked meals.
  
• She is a really good seamstress. It amazes me at what she makes and how well it all turns out. She's amazing. She made my junior prom dress modest and it looked so cute with the shrug she made for it.
• She makes the best homemade bread ever. Mine never comes close to how good hers is.
• She was always home for us when we came home from school. Sometimes I thought it was annoying, but I really appreciate it. It was so nice knowing that she would always be there for us and that I didn't have anything to worry about.
  
• She taught me how to clean, cook, sew, and be a good mom. I wish I could do all those things as good as her.
• She taught me to love reading. She was always reading a book and still always reads one.
• She forced me to get along with my sisters, which ended up being a good thing.
  
• She always made sure we ate well. We hardly ever ate out growing up, which is probably why I like home cooked meals so much.
• She always sends me good coupons.
  
• Her frog-eye salad, potato salad, and coleslaw are the best!
• She always took lots of pictures of us growing up.
• She doesn't let others have negative influence on her. She has her own style that hasn't really changed. I like it.
• She is such a great grandmother. She loves to hold Katya and take care of her.

• She loves babies and I bet she wishes that we would give her more grandkids.
• She has a lot of patience when it comes to dealing with babies.
• She finds good deals.
  
• She raised all 5 girls to be good kids- she sure did a good job.
• She always does a good job in her church callings.
• She doesn't give unwanted advice. She always knows where boundries are and respects that. She is not a pushy mom or grandma.
  
• She knows when her help and input is needed- it's like a sixth sense.
• She loves watching the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
• She drove our car all the way from Oklahoma to Utah by herself. It was so nice of her.
• She came out right after Katya got out of the hospital and stayed for 2 weeks. She was amazing and such a big help to us. I am so glad that she came.

• She does so much for us kids.
• She made us wear matching outfits as we were growing up.
• She makes the best casseroles. Hers are the only casseroles that I like. I've tried to make casseroles, but mine turn out horrible and super mushy. Gross!
• She picks out the cutest outfits for Katya.
• She taught me to be modest.
• She is a convert to the church. I really admire her for that.
• She's smart.
• She has read the whole dictionary and knows the meaning of tons of words. It amazes me.
• She listens when I talk.
• She is the best mom.
  

I love you, Mom. Thanks for all that you do. You are such a good example and have taught me so much. Thank you.

My Mother's Day

I had a fabulous Mother's Day that was stretched over a couple of days. Jethro's preset to me was to get my hair done. I wanted to go back to blonde for so long but just hadn't yet. It felt so good to have my hair done at the salon and I absolutely love it.


Since I'm in the shade it doesn't look as blonde as it really is. (I can't believe how big Katya looks in this picture!)

Jethro has been really busy this past couple of weeks with work, school, and subbing on a donut route which meant lots of time when I was just home with Katya. He could since that I missed him and wanted to spend time with just him. Saturday was our special day together. He totally made me feel special. He took me to lunch at Gardner Village's Archibald's Restaurant. I had never been there before or really even heard of it. I loved it though. They have this super yummy California Croissant that has turkey and avocado. So good! They also have really yummy fries. It was so good. Afterwards we went to see Spiderman 3 and it was so good. It was so nice to spend the day with Jethro. Thanks Rebekah for watching Katya for us. We really appreciate it.

Sunday was a great day for a couple of reasons. First of all, a year ago on May 13, 2006, we were finally able to bring Katya home from the hospital- the day before Mother's Day. It was such a happy day. It had been a long process to get her home, which made Mother's Day more special. This year I was able to look back on the last year that we had her and makes me so happy. I love my little Katya and am just so happy that I am so blessed to be her mom. She is such a wonderful child that I just feel so lucky to have the chance to be her mom and to raise her. I just love being a mom and won't trade it for anything. I just love her so much. Another reason for Sunday being so great was because of my wonderful husband. He treats me like a queen and sure knows how to do the right things to make me feel so special. He took care of Katya for me on Sunday and even made me breakfast. He is also so sweet with his compliments. I just love him so much and am so proud to be his wife. He is such a good husband and father that it makes my job of being a mom so easy and worthwhile. Thanks for the great day(s) Jethro and for making me feel so special.

On Sunday afternoon, Matt and Rebekah were nice enough to have us over for dinner with all of Matt's family. We had some super yummy Fajitas and way good berry shortcake. Yum! All in all it was a great Mother's Day.