From Hawaii to Virginia and Everywhere in between!

Can I just warn you that this will probably be my longest post ever! So much has happened and it is not in any kind of order! On a whim...this last weekend I flew to Virginia for a "me" weekend. My good friend Cari is expecting twins in March and my wonderful in-laws flew me out for her shower. The picture above is the whole clan at the shower. It was so fun to see everyone and catch up. Better yet was that she didn't know I was coming so it was a jaw-dropping experience for her! So fun to see her cute belly growing! Below is the mommy-to-be!

This is Hyrum's baby blanket...for those who wanted to know, and you know who you are.

Happily reunited after Hawaii! Hyrum has gone through a little separation anxiety with all of our traveling but we are starting to get back to normal.

Our last day in Hawaii we went to Diamond Head Crater and hiked up it. This was part of the hike...steep stairs!

Had to laugh because on the USS Bowfin there was this placard showing how to do CPR. On your tummy?

USS Missouri! We got to explore the boat! Ben was like a kid in disney land!

Me in front of the big guns!

Me driving the USS Missouri...kinda!

This is me in the USS Bowfin (the submarine). Small hallways.

Ben peeking through the same hole!

USS Arizona. What an amazing memorial. It was really neat to walk around on it and see the sunken ship and remember what happened at Pearl Harbor.

The view near our hotel in Waikiki.

The girl baby blanket I made for Cari. Just wanted to have some pics to remeber it by.

Ben on the North shore. We drove up to see the Big waves!

Us in front of the Laie Temple. Unfortunately its under construction so we couldn't do a session. It was still beautiful and we walked through the visitors center.

Our dinner at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Yup...thats a dead pig!

Us at the PCC eating dinner!

The USS Missouri again.

Inside the Arizona Memorial. It was beautiful but windy!

Us before we boarded the submarine USS Bowfin.

All the boys watching football in Portland after our trip.

Many thanks to my mom who watched Hyrum for us. He really enjoyed her hot tub and is not scared of water whatsoever. He loves to dunk his head and blow bubbles and even jump off of the step! My mom said she got the best sleep she had in a long time the week she watched him! Thanks!

Ben's cousin had her baby 3 days after we got home from Hawaii and 1 day before I left for DC. We watched her little boy (thanks to Ben you're the best) during the time and here are the boys in the tub!

View from Diamond Head.

Boy quilt for Cari!

Hyrum with Mr. Potatoe's glasses on.

A cool fish we saw snorkeling at Hanuama bay.

A parrot fish.

Hanuama Bay.

We went to Kailua on the west side to do some kayaking and snorkeling. This was probably our favorite day. Here is Ben eating lunch on the kayak.

How attractive!

Even more attractive right?

Me on Kailua bay. Yes, we were the whitest people in Hawaii. And no, we did not come back brown. Most our coworkers asked if we even went because we were still so white!

It was a great trip full of fun memories. It already feels like forever ago. We had a great January and are excited for Hyrum turning 2 this month! Two years flies by! Now it is back to work and reality! Can't wait until the twins are born for another excuse to go back to Virginia! Aloha!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Can't believe it's 2010. I secretly think how funny it will sound when we tell our kids we were born in the 1980s! It will sound more ancient than when my mom said the 1950s seeing how ours is in a new millenium! Nevertheless, here's to a new decade and year! My picture are all out of wack but above was taken today! Hyrum and our snowman. We got about 6+ inches of snow the last day or so and we've had fun playing in it. Hyrum loves the snow!

Sorry this picture is sideways...forgot to turn it. Cute though.
Here is our house all covered in snow. My mom gave us her snowblower when she moved. We happily used it once and then went to use it last night and nothing...its broken. It is old and we'll see about fixing it...guess tonight we're clearing the snow the old fashioned way...shoveling!

We sadly took down our Christmas decorations yesterday and Hyrum loved reading his books in the boxes!

Ben's been home this past week and we've really enjoyed it. We went to Rigby to see his cousin Lindsey and their new lab puppies. Only a week old! Hyrum loved them. NO we will not be getting one! I haven't forgotten the puppy stages yet!

This picture is taken from Christmas morning. We had a great Christmas holiday! This is the best present and probably could have been the only because he has rarely gotten out of it since Christmas morning. He cries when we pull him out! He proceeded to open all his presents in the car that morning.

I worked Christmas Eve so Ben kindly fixed breakfast for us Christmas morning. Here are my two boys Christmas morning. I then got to sleep for 2 hrs and then finish Christmas in Rexburg with Ben's family.

Ben's Aunt Colleen sent Hyrum this cute outfit! Such a handsome boy!

Ben's parents came for Christmas and it was great. They stayed with us a few nights and Hyrum really enjoyed being with them. We also appreciated the babysitting, date nights, and quality time with them. Some highlights included going on a sleigh ride/dinner/date show in Ririe. It was fun and a nice kid free adventure for all the adults!

I got brave and made sugar cookies with Hyrum one day before Christmas. He loved playing in the flour. Think he's a little to young for this tradition still!

Ben's parents and Hyrum!

Hyrum first thing on Christmas morning. Of course he had no idea it was Christmas and was probably wondering why I took pictures of him?

Handsome boy again.

Hyrum & I Christmas morning. Don't judge...I had just worked all night.

Here is a little video of Hyrum sledding yesterday in the snow. I was holding two cameras at once trying to film so sorry for the shakiness.

We're looking forward to the adventures 2010 brings. We are excited for our trip to Hawaii in 2 weeks! After living in cold a warm 80s sounds nice. We've got other little trips planned/scheduled too that we look forward too. Can't believe my baby will be 2 soon! Time flies!

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

So I am really slacking with blogging...I've been wanting to post Thanksgiving for a while now just haven't got around to it yet! Well, so much has changed I have to remember what to catch up on. Mom and Nate came for 6 days for Thanksgiving and it was great. We miss them now that they are gone but excited because Butcher grandparents come tonight! Anyway, my mom helped me cook the big turkey dinner and it turned out yummy with lots and lots of food and leftovers. We put up our Christmas tree while they were here so here is Hyrum & Nate showing it off. Christmas is a lot different than last year. Hyrum is more into the tree than we'd hoped. Lets just say all the unbreakable ornaments are on the bottow for him to pull off and on all day. He loves to tell us the lights are "hot."
We've had more snow but this was our first big snow and Hyrum loved it!
Below is just Hyrum and Nate being silly.

We drove up past Ririe to a Snake River outlook and my mom kindly took Christmas card pictures. Sorry if you didn't get a card. Leave me your address and I can send you one if you want. Here is one of the ones we used.

My Cute boys Thanksgiving morning. Hyrum is really into "hats" right now.

Guess Ben was taking this picture but here is most of the Thanksgiving gang!

Grandma & Hyrum.

My sister-in-law Becky told me about a great find. Free pictures with Santa at BYU-I one night of the year! We hauled Hyrum up there to get our picture with Santa. ( I wasn't about to pay $30 like last year for 3 crying pictures of Hyrum). Here is 3/4 of Becky's girls with Santa.
I guess I just realized Hyrum's pic with Santa is lower...so keep scrolling.

My little boy loves to wear daddy's redskin crocs all around the house!

He is my child...he loves chocolate kisses!

Two years in a row...still doesn't like Santa. He was a really nice Santa though.

Lastly, tomorrow is Ben & I's 4th wedding anniversary! Can't believe how time has flown! I am so grateful for him and the wonderful husband and daddy he is. He is so selfless and helpful I couldn't ask for more. Since our anniversary is 1 week before Christmas we decided to celebrate a month late and go to Hawaii! We are dropping Hyrum off in Portland with grandma and then heading to Hawaii for 6 days. We are super excited and figure we might as well do it now...who knows when we will get another chance! After 2 weeks of -15degrees the peace of the 80's sound great! Already I'm missing Hyrum but it will be good for us.

We also found out the week of Thanksgiving that I have some genetic thing where I don't absorb folic acid properly and clot my blood easier. (MTHFR) Don't ask what it stand for cause I don't know! The doctor has given me a baby aspirin and 2 extra pills of folic acid to take for now. Heparin and more folic acid will probably be the prescript when I get pregnant again. Not looking forward to the Heparin shots...wish I still had a my nurse friend that lived across the street-why did we move again? Ben has already said he won't give them to me. Any takers? Really, this is a blessing to find this out and its a pretty okay thing to have instead of lupus or ms. Just makes me even more grateful for Hyrum- he is our little miracle. Hopefully next time we will have better luck! Hope to have some good news next year!

Ben's parents are coming for Christmas. We are excited to see them. Hyrum hasn't seen grandpa in 14 months! He's changed quite a bit! (Hyrum that is). We look forward to a week of family packed fun! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and I'll try to post Christmas pictures before Valentines!

Halloween Pictures

So this is going to be another long post but there are too many cute pictues to choose from. I have been working on a baby quilt for my cousin-in-law so I finally finished the quilt top. My mom is going to help me put the rest together. Below is a picture of Ben & Hyrum before church. Too cute and hansome!

Handsome boy! I have to post any and all pictures that he smiles for because it is rare these days. I miss when he was such a ham for the camera and he could be screaming and then I pull out the camera and he smiles....gone are those days!!

My pictures are never in order so here is Halloween backwards! Here is our adorable litte frog with his loot! We wore Uncle Nathan's froggy costume from when he was this age. Now he is almost 12! Crazy!

We hiked up to Rexburg to be with Ben's sister for Halloween(they have a much better trick or treating neighborhood...rich houses). Here are the girls + Hyrum.

Cute froggy!

Frog & dog.

If we ask him to wave to the camera he will wave and smile. He loved the carved pumpkin!

Peeking under pumpkin's "Hat."

First time with costume on. He cried every time we took it off. He loved wearing it. Too bad its a little hot for the house!

Froggy boy!

For family home evening last week we carved our pumpkin. We did it close to bedtime so nothing extravagant was carved. Hyrum was disgusted by the pumpkin guts. I thought he would love them but instead he cried when I tried to make him touch them. We carved our pumpkin on old "Friend" magazines. He was more content flipping through the magazine than carving the pumpkin.

Before carving!

Here are two videos of Hyrum....one of him and the girls saying Happy Halloween. Another of him showing us the parts of the pumpkin. Enjoy!