The Roberts Family

He's Here!

2011-10-17T23:03:00.003-07:00

As promised, we are so happy to announce the arrival of
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Oliver Hall Roberts

He indeed arrived on Friday at 5:50pm (12:50 am Friday morning for all of you) weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. (3.83 kilos) and measured 20 1/2 inches long.

A quick overview of the day:

Nathan and I went in at 8am for my scheduled induction. The doctor came in about 8:45 and broke my water and we chilled until the anesthesiologist came in at 10:30 for the epidural. I figured I was getting one anyway, but didn't realize it would be administered before they even hooked me up to the pitocin. That was given soon after and my contractions started, and they increased the dosage every half hour. I don't know how anyone opts for the pain...I was so comfy cozy chillin all the day long. Love those drugs.

At about 5pm I knew something had changed, and sure enough he was ready. The delivery was the best yet, super quick and he came out pink and perfect.

I have had a fabulous recovery. Aside from losing a lot of blood during delivery, the whole thing was textbook and he's eating, pooping, and sleeping like a champ.

Now I'll shut up and show you the rest of the pics.

On Saturday morning Nathan brought the boys in to meet their little brother. Beckett was immediately interested in holding him, and sat like this for almost 5 minutes. When we asked Wil if he wanted to hold baby brother, he waved us off and replied casually, 'no baby, no baby'. He did come around after about an hour and was very intent on touching all of his facial features.

I'm not one for hospitals, so even though standard issue for normal deliveries is 4 nights here in Australia (yes, I'm serious!), I asked to go home the next day. When I asked my nurse what needed to be done in order to leave, she said she'd have to check as she'd never discharged someone the day after.

Home from the hospital

After his first bath

We're so glad he's here!

Baby's on his way

2011-10-12T03:16:00.002-07:00

Hello to anyone who still checks this silly blog.
I'm all out of excuses for not posting, however I figured that it would be a good way to update the 2 of you who still check it.

Baby boy #3 will definitely be here by Friday October 14th! Just two more sleeps to go. We are so excited to meet him, and I'm feeling so much less anxious at this point then I was with the other 2. I actually feel super-duper, but I'm looking forward to being done being pregnant. It's getting too hard to bend over, hold 2 year olds and open car doors. The door catches my mid-section every time!

This is a picture of Nathan and I on our 'babymoon' 3 weekends ago when we traveled down to Melbourne for the weekend. Our awesome friends, the Airds, watched our kiddos and we explored the city, had lots of yummy food and took a 5 hour drive south along an ocean highway to see one of Australia's wonders. These bad boys are called the 12 apostles. It was definitely worth the drive.

I'll be posting details of the little man's arrival shortly. If you have the time and patience... stay tuned.

For a husband far away

2011-08-03T19:17:00.007-07:00

This post is for N who's been back in Sydney hard at work for a week and a half and requested some pictures of these boys. We are into our 6th week of vacation and have seen more friends on this trip then we knew we had. I'm sure several of you reading this have seen us in the last few weeks. The trip has not disappointed. I'm sure these pictures show evidence of our state of bliss.

Hope you enjoy the randomness.

{More of the Frannie part of our vacation soon. xo}

And last but not least, B showing off his mad kung-fu moves.

Bon Voyage

2011-06-22T15:14:00.002-07:00

Feeling a bit guilty here since I haven't posted in forever.
T minus 4 hours till we leave on a jet planed destined for the beautiful US of A. Can't wait to get back on American soil. Thought I'd leave you all with a picture of this little turkey.
xoxo,
Linds

Yay for Wil Wil

2011-05-18T23:59:00.007-07:00

My baby turned 2 and we had a little party to celebrate. I decided that it would be fun to make him a dinner that he'd enjoy so I made a bunch of finger foods, kid friendly and mostly unhealthy. Of course he came down with the flu that night, which explained why he wanted nothing to do with the food.

He also wanted nothing to do with the party hat. Fortunately the rest of the dinner party were not as picky about wearing them as Wil was.

He was interested in dessert. What 2 year old isn't? flu or no flu.

A tower of monkey's to celebrate the biggest monkey of all.

Dessert went something like this:

"Ooh, I want to blow these out so bad, I'm trying to restrain myself"

"What happened, where did the lights go?"

"Did I do it right, Mom?"

"Oh good, I did it!"

"Did everybody else see what I just did?"

"Oh I'm so good at blowing out birthday candles!"

"Not going to waste any time with utensils"

"If I could just secure the cupcake a little bit better"

"That's better"

"See how good that worked?"

The older boys enjoyed them too.

We bought Wil a ride on toy so he and Beckett would stop fighting over the one we already have. Now they just fight over the new one.

So happy to celebrate Big Dub.

Addition

2011-04-27T19:38:00.004-07:00

Eeek...I can't even contain my excitement at the arrival of my newest niece.

Miss Evalyn Elizabeth Klain.

photo courtesy of coleenhauthphotography.com

She made her debut early last Saturday morning. I've only seen her sweet little face over miles and miles of wire connections, but she is beautiful and elegant (how can a newborn baby be elegant? One glance at her and you'd know.) I am dying to meet and squeeze her.
She is perfection...

Addendum to previous post...

2011-04-19T09:32:00.002-07:00

Possible explanations for the random picture in that last post from Nathan?

(not sure if the lack of comments/questioning stemmed from the inability to conclude any parallels between that image and our life, or just shear confusion.)

Possibility #1. Our first sighting of the Australian mammal.

Possibility #2. A simple reminder to you all that we're still here. In Australia.

Possibility #3. A recent lesson on how kangaroo offspring are toted around in a pouch.

Possibility #4. Nathan just brought one home as a pet for the boys.

Possibility #5. That one of us might be looking like said kangaroo before too long.

Any guesses?

Yes, indeed #3 is on the way and we are so so excited! I am due mid-October and am just through my first trimester. I felt more sick this time, but still think it's a boy. I figure that way I am not disappointed when I find out it is a boy, and if it turns out to be a girl, it will be a delightful surprise. Beckett has been praying for a baby sister.
(probably so I stop trying on all of the girl accessories I buy on him) :)

Oh and I had to include this picture, so you can get an accurate idea of what the babe will look like if it is a girl.

I went in yesterday for my first doctors appointment and giggled through the whole ultrasound like it was my first experience with it. It just became a reality for me as I saw the little bean wiggle around, feet crossed at the ankles, hands waving around. It's pretty awesome.

Yay for babies! Can't wait to meet this little one.

2011-04-11T22:19:00.001-07:00

Seeing Australia {Part 1}

2011-03-02T19:40:00.005-08:00

When we headed to Oz, Nathan and I knew there was one thing above all else we had to do while here.
And that was to snorkle in the Great Barrier Reef.

Fortunately for any of you who would have put that on your list as well, I'm a picture taking fool and have included waaaayyyyy too many photos in this one post. I hope you enjoy. We really did.

On the easy 2 hour flight there. The boys did so well and snuggled together as they watched some TV.

Upon arrival at the tiny itsy-bitsy airport in Hamilton Island
(part of the Witsunday Island chain).

Besides the picture of the welcome sign, this was the first sight my eyes met as we rounded the corner. I immediately thought of Mom and Dad who love Hawaii. I'm trying to convince them to come visit us sooner than later, maybe this will seal the deal.

We boarded our golf cart (everyone on the island drives these) and took a little tour (or detour) on our way to the accommodation. We saw the resort side of the island...

and some rain headed our way...

...fortunately it was just a nice refreshing little shower and didn't stay long.

The first day was spent:

#1 Swimming

#2 Beaching

and #3 Mini Golfing

(Notice Beckett's new pose found here and in the first photo. He's spent hours refining it.)

The following day we saw what we'd come to see. The reef.

This is the floating pontoon where we suited up and ate lunch.

I hope Katie doesn't kill me for posting this, but I wouldn't have ever dared if she didn't look so dang HOT in it.

We also went out on a semi-submersible so the kids could see what we'd seen while snorkeling.

Our last day was spent at White Haven beach.

On the ride over

Our boat

What the kids did while we boated along some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.

We put the kids in these stinger suits to help protect against the sun
(and cause it was hil.ar.ious).
Surprisingly they were not bothered by them and Owen even protested having it taken off.

Another refreshing rain came by and cooled us off and we were ready for more stinger suit action:

Okay, okay, I'm done with the funny suit pictures. Sorry.

I am definitely a fan of this place.

We finished our trip off with a nice trip to the park.

Then waited patiently to catch the bus back to the airport.

What a trip.
(Both for us and any of you who actually finished reading this post.)

Shiver Me Timbers, B turned 4!

2011-02-14T15:45:00.003-08:00

My little boy turned 4, and to celebrate we had a few (like 12) of his friends over for a pirate party.

We had swords, eye patches and of course pirate hats for the kids. We searched for treasure, ate some pirate ship cupcakes,

got pirate tattoos, and opened gifts. My favorite gift was the actual pirate costume he got which is going to work great for Halloween 2011, and he was spoiled with lots of fun things. It was a bit of madness with so many kids running around, but I think he felt special, which was the whole point.

His BFF Easton

what Dub was doing the whole time

Happy Birthday to B!

Tough break

2011-02-02T22:23:00.006-08:00

Big Dub has had a rough month. Aside from dropping a brick on his toe on Christmas Day, he's also managed to burn his wrist on the toaster and break his leg at the park. Truth be told, that last one wasn't the little guy's fault. A brief synopsis: Nathan was swinging with Wil in his arms, the ground was wet, when Nathan stepped off the swing he slipped, and somehow in the process Wil's little tibia got munched. It was a very small fracture, so small, in fact, that there was neither swelling nor bruising. Thus, I didn't take him in for a few days, figuring a small sprain or something minor was keeping him from walking. It was definitely an AMM *awesome mom moment* when the doctor came out and showed me the x-rays. Yeah, I'm a good parent.

Well, the cast came off yesterday, and I have to give kuddos to my little guy for his amazing performance with the cast. Truly, not a minute of despair at having to drag around the heavy cast. He didn't complain for a second when it rubbed little callouses on his toes and thigh and he even figured out how to walk on it for the last couple of days. We called him peg-leg as he wobbled around on it; the cast ensured the knee was bent so he had to bend his other leg to compensate. People who witnessed the hobble weren't sure whether to express concern and sympathy, gawk in horror, or burst into laughter. I just giggled. He was just that much cuter as a little peg-leg pirate.
The whole experience could have been a lot worse--obviously the break could have been more severe. We were also fortunate to get a waterproof cast (did you know they even made these?) and take the cast off ourselves, no saws required. Just unwrapped it like a present.

And what a gift it is to have my little crazy man back to his usual tricks. He's not yet stable on it, but he's giving it 100% and I have no doubt I'll be chasing him down the isle at the grocery store soon enough.

ksl.com - Video: A Jimmer Spectacular

2011-01-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

ksl.com - Video: A Jimmer Spectacular

A Christmas recap

2011-01-03T18:20:00.005-08:00

This year to combat the strange Christmas summer season, and lack of family around, I made a special effort each day to try and help us get in the Christmas spirit. Between the decor and activities, I think our first Aussie Christmas was a success.

A couple of fun highlights from the month of December were:

Gingerbread Houses
_
(made a little more difficult with the absence of graham crackers in this country)

Making new (much needed) stockings.
_
Beckett's stocking last year was from the dollar store, and Wil didn't even have one.

Adventing
_
Each day looking forward to performing something Christmas-y found in these fun little boxes boxes, such as...

...making a reindeer crown

...writing Santa his Christmas Eve note

...acting out the nativity scene with all of Beckett's animals.

...making lots and lots of Christmas goodies

...and even more Christmas crafts

...and enjoying each and every day of the season.

We had such a wonderful holiday celebration, hope yours was special too!

Love those Kiwis . . . and Christmas

2010-12-17T17:55:00.008-08:00

Many members of our Church's congregation here in Sydney are from the south Pacific islands and New Zealand. They are wonderful, warm-hearted people and we've enjoyed becoming acquainted with them and learning a bit about their culture.

If you aren't accustomed to the various accents from Commonwealth countries, you may not be able to distinguish between them--they may all just sound "British". The Kiwi accent is quite distinctive--and pretty funny. They add "is" to the end of statements, but pronounce it "az". As in, "I'm thirsty az". There is a Youtube video that some Aussies produced making a bit of fun. We got quite a kick out of it too. Warning: there is one curse word. You may not even notice it because of the accent, but this serves as a disclaimer.

In what couldn't be less relevant to the video above, this next clip is of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing "Angels from the Realms of Glory" with the Norwegian crossover soprano Sissel. They performed together at the Choir's 2006 Christmas Concert in Salt Lake City. It is to the tune "Gloria" (or "Iris", the same tune "Angels we have Heard on High" is usually sung to). It was written in 1816.

I find the lyrics to be quite powerful. They are more prescriptive than descriptive like in "Angels We Have Heard on High". Midway through, the lyrics shift focus from the humility of Christ's birth to the triumph of His return. It captures the longing of the saints for that event. As a Mormon and a Christian, I appreciate the reference to the Temple. It's interesting that it is even there--the absence of the temple and temple worship is conspicuous in Western Christianity. Coupled with the power of the full Choir and orchestra, a great arrangement, and then add a voice like that of Sissel's, and it is, in my opinion, very moving. My new favorite Christmas hymn.

Here are the lyrics used in this version:

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth.

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light;

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;

Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:

Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill His Fathers throne,
Gather all the nations to him,
Every knee shall then bow down.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2010-12-01T17:42:00.003-08:00

HAPPY DECEMBER!!

This year Christmas is obviously going to be a bit different, being in a new country and all. Word on the street is the celebrations here are closer to a 4th of July vibe than a 'baby it's cold outside' feel. It's all good, I'm just going to prep myself to be sweltering on Christmas morn, and then we'll break out the BBQ and have ourselves an Aussie Christmas. I've been busy coming up with Christmas decorations (as all our stuff is sitting in a storage unit in LA) so I'll be sure to post some pics of what I've come up with.

As for a few non-Christmas related experiences I've had lately...

via

A rooster lives outside our bedroom.
I know I've already posted about the crazy birds, but this morning there was a full on rooster (no, not an actual rooster, but it might as well have been) outside our window. We're talking 4 am, sun hasn't come up, and this bird is cock-a-doodle-dooing the whole world awake.
Needless to say, I did not wake up for the day rested.

via

A wee?? Last week in church a 3 year old little girl suddenly burst from her seat and exclaimed, "I have to do a wee!!" (imagine it with the accent) I almost had to follow her to the bathroom cause I was laughing so hard. I'm pretty sure we're going to change out our current phrase for that one.
So cute.

via

Crocodile Dundee was at my house.
When we first moved into our place we realized one of the window panes in our back room was cracked. So they sent out someone to fix it. They just didn't tell me it would be HIM. I'm serious when I say this guy could have been his stand in. He had the shaggy blond hair, wrinkly over-tanned skin, grungy tank top, short shorts, steel toed boots, and he sure as heck called me matey (like 20 times). It was awesome. I spent the whole time he was here trying to figure out how I could take his picture without him noticing.

Alright, well I'm off to print my Christmas cards. If you're late like me and stressing about getting them out on time, here are 5 fabulous options brought to you by the one-and-only Becky Higgins.

Happy Holidays!

A day at the beach

2010-11-10T02:32:00.005-08:00

I'm truly not trying to rub it in (yesterday my mom informed me it was snowing there) but we did have a fabulous beach day. Katie and I attempted the infamous Bondi Beach for the first time, and there's a reason it's such a destination.
It is so beautiful.

The boys were sand maniacs. At one point Owen was actually rolling around in it. Beckett and Easton wrestled in it, and Wil was captivated by all of its uses (eating, throwing, digging, burying, scooping).
Needless to say, we are still finding sand in interesting places.

Okay, so if we're not enough to get you out here to visit, hope these pictures entice and give you a reason to come.

And for those of you dying for some Australian info this blurb comes from Wikipedia:

Bondi Beach is about one kilometer long (≈0.6 miles) and receives many visitors throughout the year. Surf Life Saving Australia has given different hazard ratings to Bondi Beach in 2004. But it remains one of the best beaches in the world. While the northern end has been rated a gentle 4 (with 10 as the most hazardous), the southern side is rated as a 7 due to a famous rip current known as the "Backpackers' Express" because of its proximity to the bus stop, and the unwillingness of tourists to walk the length of the beach to safer swimming. The south end of the beach is generally reserved for surfboard riding. Yellow and red flags define safe swimming areas, and visitors are advised to swim between them.

There is an underwater shark net shared, during the summer months, with other beaches along the southern part of the coast. Pods of whales and dolphins have been sighted in the bay during the months of migration. Fairy Penguins, while uncommon, are sometimes also seen swimming close to shore.

In 2007, the Guinness World Record for the largest swimsuit photo shoot was set at Bondi Beach, with 1,010 women wearing bikinis taking part.

Glad I wasn't here for that one...

A winner..and a photo update of my boys

2010-10-19T23:31:00.007-07:00

G'day Mates.
(people seriously say that)

Wil and I are both so happy to announce the winner of our very first giveaway.
And the irresistible box of Tim Tam is on it's way to commenter #21, Jamie!
So glad you blog stalked me and won these delicious babies. Please come stalking any time. xoxo

Thanks to all of those who commented. Unfortunately shipping from Oz is out of control or I would ship a package to each one of you. Thanks for humoring me.

I couldn't post without some sort of photo display, and since I haven't posted anything about these two cuties in a while, here are a few recent photos in no particular order.
(This is mainly for you two grannies).

B and Dub enjoying a banana milkshake.

B's first haircut where he didn't scream like a crazy person

These last two might need more of an explanation...one night Nathan decided it would be fun to paint an upside-down face on Beckett's chin. The funniest part was watching Nathan's attempt to get himself upside-down on the couch. Too funny.

Love these boys.

5 Sydney Bits + My Very First Giveaway

2010-10-06T16:24:00.006-07:00

Check it. Hasn't even been a month and I'm back.

Here are a few more bits about life here in Oz.

Bit #1.
How're you going?

Yes. That's how Sydney-siders greet one another. Not how's IT going or how're you DOING, but how're you going? Does that make sense to any of you? And what is the appropriate response to this greeting?
Good? I'm going good? Or maybe well? I'm going well?
Usually I just say, "I'm doing well" and leave it at that.

Bit #2.
The birds in Sydney are crazy.

This morning I seriously had a dream that I was in the middle of the jungle and when I came to I realized it was because of the birds going crazy outside my window (imaging 30 loud, different sounding birds all jabbering to each other at the same time...lasted for like a minute and then quiet. Creepy.).
Two of my favorite bird calls are the ones that make the same sound a guy would makes when whistling at a hot girl, and the other sounds like a small child yelling (I can never tell whether Wil is awake from his nap, or if 'it's just one of those crazy birds' as B says.) They are seriously out. of. control.

Bit #3.
Sydney-siders are CRAZY J-walkers.

image via

Like I've almost hit 5 people since moving here. People will just start walking across the road wherever and whenever they feel like it. (The image is not accurate...they do not use the crosswalks).Driving here is kind of like a thriller movie, I'm always peeking out of one eye to see if the insane girl walking through 4 lanes of traffic, standing on the 1 inch median is going to make it out alive. C.R.A.Z.Y.

Bit #4.
Don't speed in Sydney.

image via

And no need for police officers here. They give all the dirty work of ticket-giving to these little tiny speed cameras that sneak up on you from out of nowhere and hit you with a lovely bit of mail more than a month after the incident. Not only do we pay tolls to use the roadways, we pay for every mistaken mile over the limit (which, by the way are insanely slow. Like the fastest I've ever seen is 80 km/hr). Sydney just keeps getting more and more expensive.

Bit #5.
The Tim Tam

Ah, on the bright side, let me introduce you to one of Sydney's delights.
These little irresistible biscuits are sure to counter any speeding-ticket-induced foul mood and send you right back to your happy place. And just because I'm such a fan of the chocolaty goodness, I'm going to give a pack to one of you. All you have to do is leave a comment and I'll randomly select a winner. Giveaway closes Sunday, October 17th.

Mmmm mmm...is it calling your name?

To Do: the blogging, the boxes, the boomerang??

2010-09-16T17:02:00.007-07:00

Okay Mr. Blog...you've been on my list of 'to-do's' for far too long. Each morning I get up and the first thing that crosses my mind is "to blog, or not to blog" that is the question.

Thing is, I've let it go for so long I can feel the anticipation throughout the world as to what this post will entail. Problem is, besides stating the obvious, 'we're alive', most of the other details include little more than "I'm ready to set all these empty cardboard boxes on fire just to rid myself of them." No, that's a little extreme, but we have mainly been busy doing all the normal moving things. Shocker, I'm sure. Lots of boxes, boxes, garbage, boxes, and did I mention boxes?

There are a few new things that come along with moving across the world. Here are some exciting tidbits amongst the mundane.

#1

We moved into a house! A freestanding, no common-wall-sharing house. Gone are the days of telling the boys not to jump and run around. It's good timing too cause Wil's decided screaming is his new favorite pastime.

#2

Along with our new abode came a built in amusement park! I know...crazy right?!?! And they call it a yard. Beckett has spent hours in the back playing with sticks, rocks, bricks, and a few unidentifiable objects. It's so nice to open the door and just let him go.

The yard is beautiful too, with these flowers everywhere it's nice to just sit on the back porch and take it all in. (Although the flowers are in shorter supply since we got here.) B is constantly picking them for me, and how do I tell him to stop when each one is accompanied by,
"I picked this for you, Mommy, cause you're so sweet".

#3

The house also came equipped with our own set of garbage bins. To most of you this probably doesn't seem like something worth noting, but each time I walk by them, I feel like I've really grown up now. I have my own bins! Aren't they pretty?

#4

Another new thing has been the upgrade to a bigger vehicle. (look at that fun bright yellow NSW plate!!) We bought a Mitsubishi Outlander and it's been a delight to put the stroller in and take it out and not have a fist fight with it each time. The most challenging part of having a new car is this little change:

But, I'm quite the accomplished driver-on-the-other-side-of-the-roader, and haven't crashed once (which I was sure was imminent when I first attempted it).

We did spend last Saturday doing something non-moving-ish and took our bikes to Centennial Park. It's a HUGE park right in the middle of the buzz, so big that you can't tell you're in any kind of buzz at all. Very peaceful. I got this image of the boys chasing each other around as we sat on our blanket and watched the sun set. Note the black swans on the water.

Quick update on the boys.

Both are doing amazingly well and have transitioned so easily to life here. Both were rockstars on the trip over. Wil slept 10 hrs straight, and when B wasn't sleeping he was watching TV.
I love you TV.

Some new things that Beckett loves are his best buddy Mr. Easton, his bunk bed, and of course his 'super cool backyard'.

When he's not screaming, Wil is the sweetest little man. Loves to follow Beckett around, climb up on everything, and say all sort of new words including Beckett (Bettee), eye, ear, nose (and points), and bye bye (always with a wild flapping arm).

I am happy here. In a lot of ways the changes are similar to any move, whether it be within the continental US, or across the globe. I am content here having my bff Katie just up the street (her hubby and N work together and we became friends in LA 4 years ago), my sewing machine and my sweet boys. What else could I need?

-------------------------------------------------------

Lastly, I've included a little piece of Australian information for those of you dying to hear something specific to this country. While working at Outback Steakhouse (I know, I was destined to live here) I always wondered what the deal was with the boomerang. Let me tell ya.

(Excerpt taken from Susan Butlers, "The Dinkum Dictionary, The Origins of Australian Words")
"While much of Aboriginal culture was hidden from or overlooked by white settlers, the boomerange was not to be ignored. Its shape, its flight, its function, all made it an item that was ripe for linguistic exploitation. In particular, the flight away, and then back to the thrower was an image that could be applied metaphorically in many different contexts.
There is some skill involved in catching the returning boomerang which would otherwise deal with the thrower as effectively as it dealt with the target, and so a certain amount of anxiety is associated with its return. What comes back to you is as likely to be unpleasant as not. One instance of a 'boomerang' is a bounced cheque. While this use has established itself in Austalian English, there are examples of a wider use in more ad hoc circumstances, such as in references to a joke 'boomeranging' in a biter-bit style, and a voice 'boomeranging' as an echo. One further use, which is well established in the oral tradition, is the polite indication to a borrower that the lender expects the item to be retunred, with the phrase, 'This is a boomerang, you know.' "

And there you have it folks, now you can use boomerang in your every day vocabulary and think of me when you do. Oh, what an Aussie I am becoming.

-------------------------------------------------

And with that, I'll sign off for now. But stay tuned for a photo guided tour of our new place. Here's a little teaser, the view from our front room. And I promise it will take me less than two months to post again...(I know I say that every time) but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

They are GRAND parents

2010-08-01T17:35:00.004-07:00

I'm not sure my boys realize it yet, but B and Dub truly have the most grand grandparents. We just returned from 6 weeks away (3 at each grand house) and those boys were in heaven.

Between digging in the dirt with one Grandma to making cookies (or a cocoa explosion) with the other, B couldn't have been happier. Both boys benefited treat-wise from both Grandpas. One gave B chocolate milk first thing in the morning and the other, well the picture speaks for itself.

Truly I am so thankful for 4 such grand people in my life. So grand as to watch those 2 boys for almost a week each while Nathan and I were house hunting in Sydney.
Any ideas on how to repay someone for such grand-ness??

Missing my boys.

2010-07-15T16:39:00.003-07:00

Day 10 of being away from them and I am having major withdrawals. I keep getting on my blog to look at them but I needed a few more of B (the last post was overwhelmed by Dub) so here are a couple of my biggest boy.

More on our latest trip to Oz next week (and the lovely house we signed on...whoo hoo!)

Big Dub at {ONE} year

2010-06-09T00:17:00.010-07:00

My little tiny infant baby turned ONE {a month ago} and Beckett helped me take some pictures to capture Wil at his year mark.

Some fun things to note at this very noteworthy time are:

He is a lover and always has a smile.

Loves to do patty cake, big boy (arms up in the air),
claps, and knows how to fold his arms for prayer.
And he loves his bink.

He loves his brother B and follows him around...

...usually stealing B's toys

He's adventurous and very active

He's a screamer. Think nails on a chalkboard. Oh, and he doesn't like hats.

He has officially lost all of his baby fat. Do you see THE role?

He's still my little angel.

I can't believe you're one year old, sweet baby boy. I love you more than I ever thought possible.

San Francisco...

2010-05-24T14:05:00.005-07:00

Over Mother's Day weekend I {+ 7 of my fabulous LA friends} went to San Fran for a weekend of rest and relaxation. All of our wonderful hubbies watched our kiddos (we counted 20 kids between the 8 of us). Here's a photographic overview of our memorable 2 1/2 days together.

Flying was even a treat for us, as we each usually have 2 or 3 or 4 kids in tow. It was SO easy getting through security without the little yahoos.

After piling in ONE taxi-cab we got to our hotel at Union Square. Do we look happy to be there??

After chillin in our hotel room for a few minutes we realized we hadn't decided who was going to sleep where so Katie and Ashlee did the honors of drawing names. It was a very big job, and they did it so well.

That night was spent strolling down the streets of San Fran, eating amazing hamburgers, and cuddling up on our feather duvets for a romantic chick flick.
Come on, what did you expect us to go clubbing??

Saturday was busy and we saw a lot. Some highlights for me were a fun and yummy breakfast at this little cafe,

a couple hours at the salon, (I think they were a little overwhelmed by us)

shopping, (of course)

taking the Cable Car to Ghiradelli Square,

being together,

and a fun dinner out on the town.

On Sunday half of the party went home but the rest of us walked around the city,

took lots of random pictures,

saw Lombard Street and the amazing view from the top, {see picture at the beginning}

and ended up at the Botanical Gardens at the Golden Gate Park. It was beautiful.

We took pictures, and sat around enjoying the sun and kid-less-ness.

Also, I just have to give a shout-out to this lady who traveled over from London to be with us for the weekend. It wouldn't have been the same without you, Katie.

Sorry there are so many pictures. There were so many fun shots documenting such fun memories. I love you ladies!!

Visitors

2010-05-16T21:15:00.005-07:00

So, Nathan informed me that my last post sounded creepy. As it was intended as a humorous post, I do realize there are people out there obsessed with bands/celebrities, so maybe it wasn't as funny after all. For the record, I'm not on the path to becoming a groupie.

Now, as promised, here are a few images from our weekend with our family from the South.

Beckett and Lydia had fun some of the time and annoyed each other the rest.
However, I loved having her here and especially enjoyed logging some bonding time as we tried on lots and lots of jewelry.
She's such a little princess.

Camille tried hard to keep up with the boys (that is, Nathan and Logan) looking hardcore in her bandana. This was taken at the top of our hike up Temescal Canyon. It was beautiful.

Of course, we had to go to the beach, even though it was a brisk and blustery day. It didn't stop Logan, Nathan or Lydia from the water.

We quasi-celebrated Wil's first birthday (6 days early) with Dan and Paula who gave him this fabulous toy. He was very pleased as you can tell by the clapping.

And of course, a highlight for all of us was seeing these two brothers back together again. I know it's hard for both of them to be so far away from each other.

Good times together.

For a more extensive post, Paula did a great recap here.

Do you know Jason Wade??

2010-05-12T10:34:00.006-07:00

Last week we went to a concert with Logan and Paula and saw Lifehouse and Daughtry perform. It was AWESOME. One of my favorite parts was when Jason Wade (lead singer for Lifehouse) came out with Daughtry and sang 'Home'. Really good stuff. Jason Wade is really good. I've always loved Lifehouse, but to hear him and see him, took it to the next level.
What do I mean by next level??
The day after the concert, I called Nathan to give him the scoop on Jason Wade (because I'd wikipediad him) and Nathan said, "Wow Linds, you were really taken with him, huh?" Unfortunately I couldn't deny it.
Just so you can see what I'm talking about, I've included some pictures.

photo via photos

photo via photos

photo via photos

photo via photos

Does anyone agree with Nathan and I?? Here are some additional details to help you understand.

-He is adorable.
-He has an IN-CRED-IBLE voice. You've heard it, but it's just as good live.
-He's married and has been for 9 years.
-He's a talented songwriter.
-He is an amazing performer. Believable
-He's got an interesting story...Christian missionary parents, lived all over the place.

I digress.

Oh, and Daughtry was really good too.

Miss Lydia Lou Lou

2010-05-04T15:04:00.003-07:00

Just spent a week chillin with this little lady.

More pictures from the trip later. Just wanted to stare at her sweet face for a while.

one of those days...

2010-04-27T15:40:00.003-07:00

This summarizes the kind of day I've had today.

From being up all night with an inconsolable child, to dealing with a screeching younger child for an hour in the grocery store, to this {see picture}, I am about ready to throw in the towel and call it a day.
Fortunately while at said grocery store I was inspired to buy myself a refreshing Diet Cola and for a few moments I will bask in sweet silence and forget that I have a bottle of Pace Picante salsa adorning the inside of my refrigerator.
And I had fun photographing it.

Here's a post...

2010-04-19T21:37:00.005-07:00

...just for 'new post' sake.

What have we been up to lately?? Hmmm... well, a couple of weekends ago we got to hang out with 6 really tough moving men all Saturday as we sent most of our stuff to long-term storage and moved 2 miles north to Westwood Village where we will live until heading to Sydney. Why the move?? In 20 words or less--our landlord got foreclosed on, the bank took the property back and basically we had 90 days. {Which fell just about 90 short of our time frame with moving to Sydney.} So, now with the move-before-the-move over, we are situated in our furnished place right in the heart of the UCLA neighborhood. It's been a fun little adventure, pre-adventure.
A few pictures of the move, and new place.

A few days after the move my parents came out for a visit. We loved having them here. We hung at the pool, the beach, did some shopping and celebrated Easter together. Here are a few images.

B had so much fun searching for Easter Eggs.

Lovin on Shosho

Headed to Redondo Beach to enjoy some sand and surf. Do you love that my dad is using Wil's blanket as a sun shield?

Handsome Babu.

The boys are both doing great. Wil has gone from 'Chill Wil' to 'crazy crawler, screecher and all-over-the-place Wil.'
Gone are the days of chilling quietly by himself for hours on end. He is Mr. Go. He gets such a kick out of life and is such a happy little boy.

I mean, come on, just look at that face.

Here he is giving me one of his big slobbery kisses. Yum.

B is still talking up a storm and has mastered identifying most of the letter sounds.
He has a crazy imagination...which has proved to be very entertaining.
Example #1: One day while packing I came into the kitchen to find B 'baking' his blank. He was using a canvas print as the sheet and even had the oven mitt on.
And yes, the blanket was delicious.

Example #2: Bear (aka. my 3rd child) and Blank (aka. his blanket) desperately needed to be washed. SO, instead of just tossing them in the washer and having to deal with an inconsolable B for the 2 hours while they washed, I told him that Bear needed a bath. We put him in the sink and scrubbed him down with baby wash (which B loved) and then transferred him to the washing machine aka. 'pool'. Every so often B would open up the machine to see where Bear was 'swimming'.

He has also become very artistic. No exaggeration, we went from lines and dots, to this masterpiece in a day. {You can kinda see that in the drawing...lines/scribbles on the left to making these...umm...things} Again, it was one day as we were packing, we laid out some packing paper with a marker and this is what he did.

And that's pretty much it. We're enjoying these last few month in LA, looking forward to seeing a lot of family and friends before we leave.

Big Boy

2010-03-13T23:46:00.002-08:00

Such a big boy!
The little man is finally crawling, although he's a lazy turkey lurkey and isn't usually too happy about having to exert any effort to get from place to place.
He loves to stand and hang on the couch or chair and is usually content to watch Beckett run around. They have started playing together, I hope they get along this well through their teenage years.

A new blog

2010-03-08T17:03:00.005-08:00

So a little while ago Beth started a crafty blog. While we were hanging in Denver together a couple weeks ago, we decided that we could join our crafty forces and make it into a virtual craft room for the two of us. I wanted to invite you to join in the fun.

ellemichelleandelizabelle.blogspot.com

Hope you can check it out.

Oh, and we were so excited to be featured on ucreate this past weekend. Whoo-hoo!

Glasses

2010-02-28T20:14:00.003-08:00

Embarrassingly, many of you have asked if B's new look is for real, or just something I concocted in the name of accessorizing.
Do you really think I would do such a thing??

A few months ago our pediatrician noticed Beckett's eye turning in, but I didn't think much of it as I had never noticed anything. The next visit was for Wil and she saw it happening again. She mentioned casually that sometimes if that part of the brain hasn't been stimulated it shuts down and the damage is irreversible. Yikes. I had a eye doctor appointment made that day.

Beckett has a lazy left eye. He is severely far sighted in his left eye and moderately far sighted in his right. His condition is called Accommodative Esotropia which refers to a crossing of the eyes ("esotropia") caused by farsightedness. Poor little guy inherited this from his father.

I was worried about the diagnosis and wasn't sure how accurate the testing could be due to Beckett's age, but from the first time he put the glasses on he has never tried to take them off (unless they've interfered with him laying down).

I take it they're working.

So, here's the new face of Beckett. I ignorantly asked the optometrist how long he would have to wear them and was taken aback when she answered that the prescription is usually lessened at age 11 or 12.

Fortunately he is adorable in them (at least I think so). He is constantly telling people about his lazy eye, "hey, I have a lazy eye" and whenever he sees someone else with glasses asks, "mommy, does he/she have a lazy eye?"

Who knew when I took this picture back in August 07 that it would become a reality for this little man.
(And these glasses are the reason you were all wondering about the validity of his rims.)

Happy Love Day

2010-02-14T18:57:00.003-08:00

9 minus 3 {Wil's 6 month shoot }

2010-02-08T23:18:00.008-08:00

Can't believe I haven't posted Wil's 6 month shoot, but it happened smack dab in the middle of my busiest time.
I have so many other things that I should be doing,
but I was searching for some photos, came across these
and I had to drop everything to get them done, or I may never have.

I love this little boy!

Question . . .

2010-01-31T18:12:00.004-08:00

What do the following have in common?

Bondi Beach

The Kangaroo

Ayers Rock (or Uluru)

The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge

And. . .the Roberts Family

Any guesses?

Well, as of this summer all can be found in the great country (and continent) of Australia. Yep, you heard that right. We're headed down under!
Nathan's company is opening an office in Sydney and has asked him to go help start the office. We don't have an exact date as of right now, but we'll be there by summertime. He's committed to 2 years.
We're so excited to live abroad, to have a grand adventure.
Any advice on moving across the world??

Christmas Vacation 2009

2010-01-19T17:18:00.005-08:00

We survived the snow! And even had {some} fun in it.
Christmas 2009 was wonderful. I LOVED being home with my family (minus Tyler and Nathan) and just being able to stay in my pajamas day in and day out. Beckett had fun getting to know cousins Addy, Mckenzie and McKay a bit better, and Wil loved the jumper.

This picture of Dad and B is one of my favorites (and one of the reasons I even bought B this suit). B did pick up the fact that he looked just like his Babu.

After it FINALLY warmed up (to like 0 instead of -30) my mom and dad took B and Addy outside to play in the snow. Beckett started pulling Addy on the sled and was bound and determined to pull her the end of the driveway (even when the snow was gone and the gravel began). My dad and I were laughing so hard at this sight: (don't you love the high-water snow pants?)

What a good Babu

Just before Christmas we made the trek across Montana, and this was the view for about 8 hours that day:

Wyoming was not quite as cold, but we were toasty in a house full. All of Nathan's family were there (13 adults, 4 grandkids). Ben blew us away with this gingerbread house.

Santa did indeed bring B 'some lot of new cars', and Wil got his much anticipated tissue paper.

I was excited to get a 4 generation picture...I'll have to post another favorite image from our trip in my next blog.
This one will have to do for now.

One milestone reached while on our trip was the appearance of these two little babies.

Since getting home B has spent a lot of time on his new scooter,

and just started his soccer class last week. He even got shin guards. {Adorable}. He's the farthest one on the left with his hands behind his back.

And this last one is just because.

Oh there's no place like home...

2009-12-11T00:40:00.002-08:00

...for the holidays...

I am so excited to get to the farm! Even if it's going to be -20 degrees C next week. Eeek!
I don't even know what that means anymore. But whatever. It will be cozy and warm in the house and that's where I plan on being.

I figured I'd post a Christmas post right now as I don't know if I'll get around to it later. B and I have been crafty some more, and here's a picture of what B calls 'our Christmas craft'. Every time we come in the house he says, 'Mom, look at our Christmas craft.' He was such a good little helper ripping off all the tops of the bulbs.

Also, a few days after that I got a hankering again and made this fun topiary with some random stuff I had lying around. {Better Homes and Gardens} These pine cones used to hang on our tree, but they were a pain to put on, so I found them a new home.

I also thought I'd include a couple pictures of these boys getting ready to face the arctic.

I have really had to plan as Beckett didn't even have any closed-toed church shoes, and Wil had one pair of long jeans. Beckett is such a California boy as it was raining a few days ago and when we walked out of the house he immediately stopped, pointing at the rain and said 'what's that??' when I told him it was just rain and to hurry up, he protested, "I don't like it."

We are in for it. Big time. Wish me luck!

Crafty days

2009-11-21T11:13:00.002-08:00

I have been working on some fun crafty projects, but I can't post most of them, because a few of you can't see them quite yet ;) However, I did want to post this picture of the bedding I made for Wil's room this summer while on vacation. It was so fun to do something creative- especially cause I had no idea what I was doing...I made it up as I went.

And just a quick Beckett funny. While sitting in traffic (and expressing a teensy bit of road rage) Beckett asked, "mom, where's your smoke coming out?"

While putting him to bed the other night:
B: What is that noise?
Me: Oh, it's just the neighbors
B: I am worried about it.

{Halloween}

2009-11-07T22:20:00.005-08:00

This year Wil just had to be a pumpkin.
With his cheeks it would have been wrong to do anything else. He played the part well.
As Beckett calls him 'Chunker Wil'.

Beckett was a bit tricky as we all remember last year's Halloween fiasco of putting his pirate outfit on 5 minutes before the trunk or treat and it didn't fit. (If you don't recall, this might help spark your memory.) So, I figured a nice non-invasive outfit like a train engineer. (What could be easier than a tee-shirt and some light overalls?) Well he was having none of it, and I had to bribe him all night to keep his hat on. While trunk-or-treating at the church party he spoke about 2 words the entire night, neither of which included the words trick, treat OR thank you. We kept walking around and I'd say, "Beckett, can you say trick or treat" and he'd stand there silent. Then I'd take a candy and say, "Beckett, what do you say?" and he'd stand there silent. Finally when people asked what he was dressed up as I told them he'd come as a mute train engineer. Yeesh. At least he looked cute.

{and yes, I know B has chocolate all over his face. I thought it added to the picture}

Project 365

2009-10-22T20:56:00.006-07:00

2 months ago I started a project I'm sure many of you have heard of. The concept behind Project 365 is to take one picture a day and journal about it. After having Wil and seeing how fast (1) my pregnancy went (2) how fast he was already growing and (3) how big Beckett was--he wasn't a baby anymore which was emphasized because I had a baby to compare-- I decided that I needed to do something to preserve this time of my life; to preserve these babies.

Enter 365. It has been so much fun to think about what I want to remember and document it. I have already seen the result- I just looked through it tonight, and there were a few things even just 5 weeks ago that I'd forgotten about. Life goes by way too fast.

Since getting 365 underway I've decided to undertake another project-doing a book for each of my boys. I want to write monthly about the things they're doing/the way they're growing. I have yet to work out the details, but I know that I'll be glad I did it when I'm old and senile.

Here a few pictures from my weeks. This first one is Beckett at his last doctors appointment. Just chillin in the waiting room.

And Wil blowing me bubbles the other day. He's doing all sorts of new things.

Last, a picture from our trip to San Diego this past weekend. Beckett and the Hansen boys spent a good portion of the game wrestling each other between the stands. They'd wrestle for a minute and then one of them would call a 'time-out' and they'd 'take a breather'. It was hilarious to watch. Good thing the stadium was empty and they had lots of room to play.

Family Pictures

2009-10-03T22:45:00.003-07:00

While home in Canada this summer my wonderful mother took these family pictures for us. She was such a good sport to run around the farm with us trying to get the boys to look (Beckett got a little distracted by a tractor driving by), get the right photo composition (we were in some interesting spots), and try to understand my instructions. I think she did a dang good job for what she had to work with. Thanks mama.

Reagan Hayes

2009-09-26T08:47:00.004-07:00

I've been meaning to post about this for some time now, and finally got around to it. My fabulous friend Reagan just launched her new furniture line 'Reagan Hayes' and I had the amazing opportunity to photograph the furniture. It was a very unique experience, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. Her line has really taken off. If you have time to visit her site, make sure to click on the press tab to see how much publicity she's gotten since starting. It's been really fun to see my photography all over the web (and in published articles as well). Also, just a plug that her stuff is really amazing. I'm posting a picture of two of my favorite pieces, the Wendy sofa and the Cynthia dining chair. Check out her site, and if you're looking for furniture, her stuff is truly amazing!

reaganhayes.com

A shoot with B

2009-09-15T17:47:00.003-07:00

While we were in WY I finally got around to taking some pictures of my own child! B was such a trooper this day. I bribed him to get dressed with promises of seeing the trains and then I just so happened to have my camera with me. :) We were glad to have Nana with us for B to make all these faces at.
Sorry that there are so many, I couldn't decide which ones to post.

Busy Busy

2009-09-10T11:14:00.005-07:00

Last week we had a really busy week. My friend, Katie, came back to LA to visit us since they've been away in Ireland for the past year. We've missed them so much! Beckett and Easton were reunited as well and they had a blast together. Here are some of the highlights of our week. We started off at the beach on Monday with several of my girlfriends. Beckett is always pretty skeptical when we get down there, but by the end he was too busy building a sandcastle to leave. Here he is with his friend Caleb doing just that.

Tuesday was B's first day back at school and he was happy to be at Miss 'Coles' house (Nicole). We were in a bit of a car accident that day (a taxi backed up into my car and then said it was my fault) but I don't like to think about it, so I'm not going to.
Then Thursday I taught school here, and the boys were so cute. There is actually one little guy missing from this picture, so there are 5 boys total, and they are all such sweet little men. I love teaching them. Here they are in the aprons I made them for school this year.

Friday was our first attempt at Disneyland where we became true LA-ites and purchased season tickets. It was HOT. But the little people did remarkably well and we're glad we went. Here are B and W at the end of our day. Highlights from the day for me were Small World and a frozen lemonade. Beckett LOVED the carousel and the Finding Nemo ride.

Saturday, well...I already went there in my last post, but we were glad that Nathan got to be at the game, and even happier when he came home to us on Sunday. The week was topped off with Labor Day holiday Monday and we did some serious relaxing as a family.

Woot woot.

2009-09-05T23:16:00.004-07:00

It's official. Tonight I proved myself to be a true blue Cougar Football fan. This afternoon, with both boys asleep, I chose to watch the BYU-Oklahoma game, and I couldn't take my eyes off of the TV. Sure it was a great game, sure BYU (20) beat #3 Oklahoma, but going into it, even turning on the TV, when I could have done a myriad of other things in those few moments to myself says something. Toward the end of the game I even caught myself screaming (even though I fully realized the potential wake up threat it risked). You should have seen me standing in my living room--by myself--glued to ESPN; my mind trying to decide who to call to celebrate. I even thought about calling the Roberts brothers. :)
So, sweetie-you'll be glad to know that it happened. I'm converted. True blue through and through.

B BOY 2 1/2 YEARS : WIL 3 MONTHS

2009-08-23T14:53:00.003-07:00

Big B. Little Eckett. 30 Months Old.

-He's learning so rapidly. His vocabulary is pretty extensive for a 2 1/2 year old. (Just now, "Can I blow raspberries on Wil?"...and his pronunciation of raspberries was pretty close).
- Still loves cars, especially his orange Lamborghini.
-He'll lay on his side (pretty much anywhere) and drive his cars around for lengthy amounts of time.
-Insists that he's a big boy. If I ever accidentally say anything about him being little he quickly corrects me.
-Every morning he asks me, 'where Daddy go?' and when I tell him work he responds, 'boo.'
-Currently trying to potty train.
-Loves Baby Wil. Or as he calls him 'Yittle Wil'.
-Loves to pillow fight with dad every night before bed.
-He's really sweaty.
-Loves candy or 'reats' as he calls them.
-Is petrified of 'ambaids' (aka. bandaids).
-He's still really shy and takes a while to warm up to people.
-Asks a million questions a day...'Mommy what's that?' and I tell him ___. Then it's, 'Mommy what that ___do? Repeated at least 5x per object.
-Loves to roar which sounds like 'war'.
-Is amazingly obedient for a 2 1/2 year old...he'll let me brush his teeth.
-He's just learning the art of stalling (before going to bed).
-He's very cautious...he still can't walk up or down stairs very fast.
-Loves being in his crib (playing with his cars)...not sure when the upgrade to a big boy bed will happen.
-He's hilarious. I wish I could remember all the funny things he says.
-Still loves books and would let me read him 20 books each night if I had time.
-Currently not that into TV or watching movies.
-When he's lazy and wants me to get something for him he'll tell me that he can't because it's too 'scary'.
-He loves playing pretend. It's so fun to see his imagination grow.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WIL. I. AM. 3 MONTHS OLD

-Such a good baby.
-Has long eyelashes like his dad.
-If wrapped/rocked correctly he falls asleep in less than a minute.
-So smiley...but you have to work for the ones he gives.
-Such a grunter and has been since day 1. I've put him to bed and he's just grunted himself to sleep.
-Such a good eater-which is why...
-He's grown out of several 3-6 month outfits. I put him in a 9 month sleeper last night...and it fit!
-Loves the swing.
-Looks identical to Beckett did at 3 months. (I'm going to show you in a future post).
-Is in the 86th percentile for height and 94th for weight.
-He's pretty much bald (way less of a mullet than B had).
-Has on dimple on his right cheek. I only see it every once in a while.
-He's really loud like his mom. When he gets squawking...
-Loves bath time.
-Blows out of 80% of his diapers.
-He loves it when I kiss on him and let my hair tickle his face. He gets all flustered and giddy.
-Spits up ALL THE TIME. Just like Brother Beckett. Oh the joys.
-Does not love the bottle.
-Just found his tongue and plays with it in his mouth...thus we go through 20+ bibs a day.

I feel so blessed to have these two little boys in my life. Before meeting Wil I had convinced myself that he would not be a good baby...because I couldn't imagine being blessed with 2! They are amazing little men and I love them so much.

Where are we?

2009-08-16T16:15:00.012-07:00

I feel like we've been on a roller coaster ride the past couple of months. In June we were in Cedar City for a week (see last post), in July we went to Utah for a baby blessing and my mom came back to LA with us for a weeklong visit right after. Then we were home in LA for a couple of weeks before heading off to Nathan's parents house for a week, and now I've been in Canada at my parent's place for almost 3 weeks. I figured if I was going to make the effort to come home this summer, fly with both boys by myself, and spend the cash to get us all here, I was going to make it worth my effort. So, our month-long vacation is almost at it's end and thus the delay in my blogging. (Yeah right...I post so often otherwise :) ) However, this trip has been so rejuvenating and blogging more frequently is on my list of things to improve on when I get home. I love how easy it is while on vacation to commit to augmenting my efforts in all aspects of life after the vacation is over. But this time I'm serious! :)

So I figured while I'm still here, I'd post a few pics from our second summer vacation...the Utah trip for the 4th of July (and to attend baby McKay's blessing).

We watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks from the BYU campus and it was amazing. What's better than a pic-nic and free fireworks on the 4th?

And my cute little brother was just home from his mission in Kenya...it was SO great to see him!

We utilized the pool at the hotel and it was fun to see how different Addy and Beckett are. He cowered at the side of the pool, while she flung herself at Tyler. B clung to Nathan's neck while Addy seemed ready to swim laps. What a funny little pair.

An example of the clinging

And sweet little McKay on his special blessing day. Both Brenan and Beth's entire families attended. So fun to see the Klain family!

Here are the three grandchildren all born within two months of one another. McKenzie, McKay and Wil (should we have gone with McGregor?)

And just a quick shout-out to the world's greatest Sho-sho (swahili for Grandma). She is such an amazing woman.

Since we haven't all been together for over 2 years, we got family pictures and Katie and Dan at peekaboophotography did a fantastic job. I can't believe how big our family is!

Cedar City

2009-07-07T19:11:00.015-07:00

We spent a week at a cabin just outside of Cedar City and had the opportunity to spend time with several of our siblings. Forrest and Elin came down first and after one futile attempt at hiking (there were loggers in the area) Nathan and Fori tried a hand at fishing and caught a total of three Rainbow trout. Beckett was super stoked about it until he saw the fish wriggling around, and he started crying. I had the same response when I watched Nathan smacking it's head against a tree trying to put it out of it's misery. I've decided I want to remain blissfully ignorant about where my food comes from.

Aren't they cute??

Nathan and Beckett wetting a line

Beckett spent most of the day throwing rocks in the pond...which is probably why Nathan and Forrest only ended up catching three fish. The rest of us (Elin and I) had to whisper the entire time.

Ben, Ryanne and Rachell came the following day and we headed over to Bryce Canyon for a fun little hike through the hoo-doos. It was so beautiful...the colors were amazing.

Uncle Bean and Aunt RyRy

Uncle Fori and Aunt Elin

Rachell was there as well, but as Tim skipped the weekend I didn't get a cute 'couple' picture with just her :) Instead, here is a couple picture of her and Elin.

And, of course a picture of the brothers. These are three of the handsomest men I know.

This was the last night before the Roberts clan left. We made a mean hot dog dinner, and some delish s'mores.

Beth, Brenan and McKay came and shared the last day with us. It was so fun to meet little McKay and to see Beth in action as a mom. They are such a cute little family. We loved being together...even if it was short. Check out our delish tinfoil dinners.

Thanks to all who made the trip to come and see us. We love you and enjoy spending time together.

A day at the Park with Nana

2009-06-30T16:36:00.005-07:00

We love going to the park, especially when Nana comes along and entertains Beckett the entire time. On this particular occasion, Beckett took Nana with him to his imaginary fast food restaurant approximately 361 times where she ordered about that many hamburgers and french fries. We love and miss you, Nana.

Wil and Beckett

2009-06-24T06:43:00.004-07:00

Thanks to my mom for helping out so I could get some newborn shots of this little guy. I didn't have a ton of energy at this point, but I'm glad we at least made the effort. The reason I'm so tardy with this post (and why you don't get to see very many) is cause I had to decide on the pictures to use for his birth announcement. I didn't want to give those ones away :)
As for an update-we are all doing well. I've been busy with photos lately, and it's a little crazier trying to figure out how to juggle everything with two. Fortunately Wil is an amazing baby, and sleeps a lot. He's been a trouper through some of the crazy places we've been lately. I'm going to post pictures of our trip to Southern Utah soon...

Welcome to the world...

2009-05-12T16:15:00.008-07:00

Well, we are officially a family of four. William (Wil) Brooks Roberts joined our family on Friday May 8th, and 11:52 am. He weighed in at 8 Lbs 7 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. The whole process took about 12 hours from start to finish, and went very smoothly. I'm definitely glad it's over, and to have him here safe and sound. Here's a really long post with lots of pictures of the past few days.

The last pregnant pose. This was just hours before going to the hospital. Can't say I'm not happy to be done being pregnant.

This picture marks the last moments of it just being Beckett and I. I love this boy so much and am excited to see him as a great big brother.

Right before putting Beckett to bed we tried one last time to help Beckett understand how his world was going to change by reading him this book. Not sure it helped, but we tried.

And finally, what you've all been waiting for, here are pictures of the little man. These first few were taken just after he arrived.

Proud PapaBeckett came in to meet Baby Wil in the hospital, and it was really sweet. Although, at first he kept asking what Baby Ana (one of his friends' little sisters) was doing...I think we've finally gotten past that. He's pretty excited to meet his little brother, (or at least to be poking him).

We left the hospital as soon as they'd let us go, and these were taken as we left.

Changing into the going home outfit, which he wore for about 3 hours, until he peed all over it.

Nathan thought he looked like he was breaking out of jail.

And this last one shows how Beckett is warming up to Wil. Last night as I was feeding him he came and sat next to me and just wanted to watch Baby Brother. It was very sweet.

So, there it is. Life is good and I'm feeling well. Nathan headed back to work today, and doing it by myself for the first time was a success. We'll see how these next few weeks play out. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Whoa..get ready for a post.

2009-05-07T11:53:00.005-07:00

First things first. This is for all of you who have been bugging me for a picture. Not my favorite, but at this point...

This is me at about 36 weeks. It was taken on my way out the door, headed to a shower thrown by my fabulous friend Ashlee. We had such a fun night chatting and being girly. It was perfect.

So, now here's the recap on the fun and crazy things we've been up to lately. Here are some shots from our weekend in Detroit. We had a fun trip, aside from the 10 hour trip home with a layover in North Carolina. If you don't realize how ridiculous that is, look at a map. The UCONN-Michigan State game was amazing. I was so into it, at times I felt like a Michigan State Alum.
Here's a picture from our seats, 7th row up. It was pretty incredible to be so close.

Don't mind the double chin in this picture. It was freezing and I was trying to conserve heat. :)

After we got back from that trip, we moved into our new 3 bedroom apartment, about a mile away. It has been the best decision and I love it. Here are some random pictures of a few of the rooms. I hope to post a more thorough tour later. (Oh, and I wanted to show you our new bedroom furniture, thus the plethora of pictures of our room).

As for the biggest news, we will welcome the new little guy to the world tomorrow. My induction is scheduled for tonight, and we will hopefully get to meet him sooner than later. I can't believe the time has already come, this pregnancy has flown by in comparison to the first. Still no name, but we have narrowed it down to a few, so we'll see who wins out. Thanks for all the name advice in the last post. Here's my hospital bag, packed and ready to go.

Also, just wanted to show you some fun new things I've been accumulating/working on.
Here's our new double stroller. I highly recommend it, (although I have yet to use it as a double, obviously). It's the Phil and Teds Sport. Isn't it cute!?!

A few weekends ago, Nathan went to a Scout camp-out and Beckett and I recovered my rocker/glider. Too bad I don't have a picture of the before shot (take my word that it was pretty haneous), but I was pretty proud of my reupolstering abilities. Not too shabby for having never done it before.

Lastly, here is my new diaper bag, thanks to Auntie P and Michelle. I LOVE it. You're probably thinking I'm insane for wanting a white diaper bag, but with its removable inside, and white leather exterior, it's fantastic.

So, next time you hear from me it will be to introduce you to our new little arrival. Stay tuned for some fun pictures and the name verdict.

2009-04-03T17:43:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to tell you to look for us tomorrow during the final four. 7th row, just off from center. I'll be wearing a tan sweater.

Cheese...

2009-03-25T17:53:00.004-07:00

Sorry that these pictures are just more of the same. I do have other exciting things to post about, but as for pictures, this is what you're going to get.
These pictures were taken while out on a walk around our neighborhood. Beckett was loving these stairs, although he kept running up to the front door and I was pretty sure I was going to face an awkward situation. Thankfully no one was home. He was being such a ham that day. Total cheese for every picture.
In other news, I am now just 7 weeks away from my due date, 6 away from baby coming if I'm inducible. It's gone by so fast, I can't believe I'm already to this point.
As I'm only 33 weeks along, we decided now would be the best time to move. (sarcasm noted). We are moving to a 3 bedroom just a few blocks away and I'm so excited about it. I will feel so much better prepared when I actually have a room to put the baby in. This past weekend I painted my apartment back to white (boring) while Nathan was on a youth camp-out, and now I'm just packing away. We don't move until the beginning of the month, but I'm just trying to do a little at a time, as not to overdo it. I don't want this baby to come quite yet.
We still don't have any names for the babe, and it's starting to be source of sleeplessness, so I'm going to ask for any suggestions...we've got nothing!
I'll post pictures of our new place when we get moved in, but if you don't hear from me before then, you know why...

Love my boys

2009-02-25T17:44:00.002-08:00

Here's just a little peek into our typical Saturday morning. Beckett usually comes in to 'sleep with my my mommydaddy' (yes, it's become one word) and we cuddle, throw pillows and jump on Dad. It's truly one of my favorite times of the week. Beckett is such a loving little boy--he jumps at any chance to give a squeeze or a kiss. (Sometimes you get a little more than you bargained for...which explains N's face in that second picture). I love these two boys so much, and can't wait to meet the next one in only a couple of months.
Here are a couple of Beckett stories- lately he's been feeling a little bit territorial, but not about what you might think. He's very protective...of his name. Nathan often refers to him as 'my Beckett' and so he'll retort back, 'no, MY Beckett'. It's hilarious to watch them argue back and forth about who's Beckett he is.
The other day we were playing on our bed and Beckett accidentally kicked me in the stomach. I told him that he had to be careful with Mommy's tummy and to say sorry to baby brother. So he puts on his adorable pouty face and sullenly says, "sorry baby brother in there" and kisses my belly. I wish I could have captured in on video.
He's such a character...I love him so much.

Really? American Idol??

2009-02-13T10:30:00.006-08:00

So, let me preface this post with a disclaimer: I have NEVER been a fan of American Idol. Last season I did watch the last few episodes, cause I had a mutual friend of Brooke White, but besides that, never. Well, I've surprised myself this season. For some reason I watched all of the auditions...which I actually hate, cause I feel so bad for the people who suck-who think they're legitimately good singers...(did any of you see the girl that Kara thought was playing a joke??it was super sad) and now I just want to see what happens. So I guess I'm a fan.

I thought I'd share my favs for the season.

#1-Danny Gokie. With a last name like Gokie, what's not to love??

This is actually my #4-Michael Sarver, but I'm too lazy to switch the pictures. I just love this guy cause he is not at all what you'd expect. I was surprised when I first heard him sing.

#2-Kristen McNamera. She has an AMAZING voice. I got goosebumps hearing her sing. Simon doesn't think she's attractive, but I think she's really pretty. Whatever Simon.

#3-Lil Rounds. She's a mom of 3 kids. Props to her.

Happy Birthday B!

2009-02-01T21:27:00.003-08:00

On Thursday we celebrated Beckett's 2nd Birthday! It's hard to believe it's already been 2 years since he came into this world, but we're sure glad he did. Here are a few pictures from his 2-year shoot and also an update on what he's been loving lately.

As he is now two, he figured he should start acting the part--and he's excited that he can now identify 20 letters.

A-B-E-F-H-I-L-M-N-O-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-and-Z.

He can count all the way to ten, but if he's feeling a little lazy we hear 1-2-7-8-9-10.

His favorite past time is sitting on the computer in front of an open word document, identifying letters on the keyboard, and then typing them and seeing them on the screen. He gets pretty enthusiastic about

it, and will sometimes even shout the letters in his excitement.

Super Why is still his favorite TV show, and when identifying letters on billboards, store windows etc. he often refers to the letter Y as Super Y.

He loves blueberries and calls them grapes.

He's currently developed an aversion to anything small that he can't identify. The other day he was sitting in his high chair and suddenly got really nervous-pointing to something on the floor. I finally interpreted that he was saying 'little bug' over and over with concern. I didn't even realize he knew what bugs were.

Oh, and it was a piece of lint.

He loves his cars and is content with 2 or 3 or 4 of them in his hands at one time (as shown in these pictures)

Love you Beckett! Happy number 2!

Guess what...

2009-01-20T16:45:00.003-08:00

Beckett has some exciting news to tell you all. He figured the best way to tell you would be with his new shirt. Don't be alarmed, the baby isn't actually here yet but will be making it's debut on or before May 15th. :) We also just found out that Beckett will be welcoming a baby brother and we couldn't be more excited.
Beckett's not quite sure how he feels about this new development. Here are a few of his thoughts.
He's excited...

and nervous...and unsure..

and skeptical...

I am now 24 weeks along, and apologize for not telling everyone sooner. It's not cause we're not excited, it actually all comes down to me remembering how long Beckett's pregnancy lasted. It's gone by so much faster this time.
If your lucky (or maybe unlucky) I will post a picture of my growing belly--proof that this is actually happening.

Just so you know...

2009-01-07T13:30:00.002-08:00

Hey blogger friends. Just wanted to let you all know that the lack of posts is because our computer got sick with a really nasty infection, and is out of commission. I'll post just as soon as I possibly can. Bear with us.

Thanksgiving in Frannie

2008-12-17T14:03:00.009-08:00

Oh gosh. I was so sick of getting on my blog and seeing that last post, I had to do something about it today.

We had such a great Thanksgiving in Frannie with Nathan's entire family. He took a week off of work, so we were there a total of 10 days. Besides a sick little boy, we had a great time. So good to see everyone and catch up.
We got some fun pictures of Miss Lydia and Beckett one of the first days we were home. They liked each other for the most part, and although Beckett didn't like sharing all the time, he tried to make up for it by giving all his germs to her right before we left. How nice of him.

Lydia is such a doll.
(Don't worry about downloading them Paula, I'm sending them all via CD this week.)Logan was teaching Lydia how to be a monkey.

Thanksgiving dinner was amazing. There were 25 people total--and food left over. Here are some shots of the Roberts clan.And I just had to add this picture, because even though I took pictures of several teenage boys, this is the only 'see-food' picture I got. Thanks Papa.Frannie treated us well once again and we had a fabulous Thanksgiving with our family. Love you all.

Arrrr.....

2008-11-07T19:28:00.006-08:00

Before Thanksgiving gets here, I should probably post about Halloween. We tried to get Beckett ready by bribing him to wear his hat for a couple of minutes each day the week before. Well, while I was concentrating on the hat, I didn't even think about trying the costume on before hand. Let's just say that 15 minutes before we headed to the ward trunk-or-treat, the outfit was looking a bit snug. He was SO mad at me. He wouldn't even walk around, I had to carry him for the majority of the night. I figured he was playing the part well, because as we all know pirates aren't the nicest people anyway. (at least he's cute)
We also tried to teach him how to Arrrrrr.... to complete the outfit. Alas, he didn't say it once on Halloween (cause he was so mad about the outfit) but several times since he's come out of his room with the hat on saying 'Arrrrr.....'

It Passed!

2008-11-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who gave of time, effort and money to preserve this sacred institution.

A hard time...

2008-11-02T21:29:00.004-08:00

I know, I know...two posts about this in the past few days. But I just want to put one last plug out there to everyone I know, either living in or outside the state of California. The last few months have been really difficult as we've moved toward election day, and for us here in California, the outcome of a very heated and controversial issue. This commercial sums up how hard it's been for us to face so much opposition and hate. If you think they are exaggerating how bad it's been, they are not. I have been called those names (and worse) and have seen the anger and rage coming from the other side. I pray every night for the hearts of people everywhere to be softened, to really search out this issue and the implications it will have on our lives. I pray for this state and this country, which I love.

A busy month

2008-10-23T09:08:00.007-07:00

Life has been so busy since the start of October! Some of our greatest friends, Carrie and Nick, flew in on the 7th and were here for a week and a half. It was so much fun to be with them. We went to the beach, to dinner, to the park, to Wicked (girls night), played Rockband, and just hung out. I treated them being here as if I was the one on vacation, so it was really relaxing for me too. They helped me out with Beckett, and that's always such a treat. Thanks to Nick for staying home during Beckett's naps so Carrie and I could get so much done.

The Beach
The ParkWicked!
Does anybody notice anything different about me?Carrie and Nick being Beckett's buddies

Rockin' Rockband

Thanks for being such great friends. We love you!
A couple of days after they left, Nathan and I decided to make the trip to Saint George, UT where he biked the Tour de Saint George. He totally rocked it! He had been going back and forth, trying to decide between the 30 miler or the 65 miler, and finally challenged himself to the 65. Let me also add that he hadn't trained for this. Most days he rides to and from work (approx. 6 miles). All I have to say is that he wasn't even sore the next day. He had such a good ride, and it was so refreshing from the craziness of LA roads and traffic. I'm so proud of him and what a machine he is :)
Ben and Ryanne also competed in the race and also totally rocked it, and it was fun to hang out with them. Beth and Brennan drove down from Provo and that was a fun little reunion as well. I called Beth the morning that we left to tell her where we'd be, and she immediately said, 'we'll be there'. We're so glad you guys came to see us!Aren't they so cute in all their gear?

And that's pretty much the whole of it. We're now just getting ready for Halloween and I just got Beckett's costume yesterday. Be excited for pictures. Want a hint as to what he'll be?

'Arrrrr me matey'...
Be Excited.

Proposition 8

2008-10-14T17:29:00.001-07:00

Here in California we are all facing a constitutional issue that will be voted on November 4th. It is something I've thought long and hard about, something I have studied and researched, and something that I feel very strongly about. Proposition 8 is an issue that will come to affect not only citizens in California, but eventually will have an affect of each of us who live in the United States of America. I have taken an active role in working to inform voters about the issue, and how, most importantly, this will affect our children and their future. I know what a sensitive issue this is, and how it has been portrayed from both sides. I would encourage each who land on this blog to look into the issue (even if it just means taking 4 mintues to watch this video) and realize what same-sex marriage means for you and your family.

2008-09-12T10:55:00.002-07:00

I've just finished editing Tim and Rachell's wedding pictures. Here are a few more of my favorites. Enjoy!

Exciting News!!

2008-09-09T10:31:00.004-07:00

Alright friends! It's the day you've all been waiting for. Well, maybe not...but I have. This morning my new photography website went live. Check it out at vintagespicephotography.com. I'd love to get any feedback on it, so let me know what you think.
Also, the blogspot that I was using as my quasi-site, is now free to use as a blog, so check that out too for updates and sneek peeks!

2008-09-01T21:47:00.007-07:00

Yay! We're back from our crazy summer, and I'm ready to finally recommit to my blog. To prove this-a massive post to catch you up on the adventures of Linds, Nerf and the B man. We have had an amazing summer but it's time to get back into the swing of things, for Beckett to get back on a schedule, and to plan for adventures to come. So, here's a post about our trip, to my very favorite place in the world:
The Farm
Beckett had a blast. To start we'll go over some of his favorite things about this magical place.
Obsession #1: The kitties

The poor animals...Beckett had to learn how to be soft...Fortunately he learns quickly

Obssession #2: The car (quad)

Obsession #3: His Shosho (grama)

His Babu (grandpa)

AND how they spoiled him with toys, kisses and lots and lots and lots of love

Some highlights for Nathan were:
-shooting gophers with Dad and Nick

-spending time with Nick and Carrie and the Schow clan at Echo

-and visiting Logan Pass where we took in the wonder and beauty of Glacier National Park

For me, the best part was just being with my sweet family.

I loved hanging out with my parents-aren't they the cutest! Thank you so much for taking such good care of us...we don't know how to function now that we're home. :)

We also got to see Beth and Brenan for a few days. They are so much fun to hang out with...props to us for seeing each other 3 times this summer! Whoo-hoo!

Lastly, a quick shout out to my one and only sweetie. We celebrated 4 years while we were on our trip...our best anniversary yet! Love you.

an extra picture of what we've accomplished in those 4 years. yup-this pretty much sums it upWhat an amazing place in the world. I'm so lucky it's mine to go home to. Thanks to all who helped make it such a special trip.

Making up for lost time

2008-08-11T10:49:00.002-07:00

I'm off to Canada tomorrow for a couple of weeks, so I'm posting again so that you have this sweet face to look at while we're away. These are Beckett's 18 mo. shots. What a sweetie he was for all of these pictures.
We'll be back at the end of August. I'm so excited to get home and have some down time, just hanging at the farm! Until then...

Half-Way till home

2008-07-24T19:36:00.002-07:00

Right now I'm sitting in a beautiful log cabin in Island Park, ID, compliments of my sister-in-law Ryanne, and her family. Last Wednesday Beckett and I flew to SLC and drove to Frannie for Rachell and Tim's wedding on Saturday. We had a great time being with family, and celebrating the wonderful newlyweds. It was so much fun! The Billings, MT temple is beautiful. I did the pictures for the wedding, so the day was slightly more stressful, but I'm excited about the results, and will post tons of pictures soon. On Sunday night Nathan flew back to LA, but I stayed to spend some time with his family and we came up to the cabin on Monday. We're having a blast--another promise for pictures--but not for another week or so as I am travelling down to Provo tomorrow to spend a few more days with my sister and parents. I will have SO MANY pictures to post when I get home. Be excited. :)

A humongous post about some humongous trees

2008-06-18T11:37:00.008-07:00

Nathan once heard that RVers are nice people. Since we think we're nice people, we figured it might be a good fit. We found some friends that are also very nice people and went on an RV road trip. Nathan and his mad driving skills took us to Seqouia National Park (about 5-6 hours north of LA). Seqouia is home to the largest tree (by mass) on earth, and you can also see the tallest tree. We camped there for the weekend, did some hiking, saw a bear, froze our butts off, lost some sleep, ate some smores, and found out that yes, RVers are, in fact, very nice people.
Enjoy the massive amount of pictures.
Easton is pretty excited about leaving in the big RV.

Leaving on our first hike.

The cute Aird family .Beckett was giving his daddy big squeezes.The big trees.

We went on a very treacherous hike up Morro Rock. Nathan was very brave! I'm so proud of you sweetie :)

In front of the biggest tree on earth...General Sherman.

Family Photos

2008-05-25T16:20:00.004-07:00

Not too much going on at the Roberts' household. Lots of picture taking, bike riding, and hanging out with the little man. He's still jabbering, but hasn't come up with too many more words. His newest trick is climbing onto the dinner table. The other night I was at the computer and Nathan was watching TV, and I turned around to find Beckett standing on the table. He hadn't even ever climbed on the chair. His favorite place to play is in the car, (drivers side) where he grabs the wheel and rocks back and forth giggling. He loves pressing the buttons, and we never know what we'll find when we turn on the car.
Last weekend it was beautiful, so we strapped our bikes to the car and headed down to the Santa Monica strand. Beckett tried out his new bike trailer, and didn't love it unless we were moving. He was a trooper though, and we had a good time.
Anyway, that's about it for an update. Included are some recent family pictures, with my newest photo finish. Enjoy!

A vistit from Babu and Shosho

2008-05-12T08:59:00.005-07:00

A few weekends ago my parents took their spring break and came to visit us here in LA. My sister-in-law, Juliana, and daughter Addy came a few days later then followed by my brother Tyler. We had a blast hanging at the beach, going out to dinner, playing Rockband, giving the babies baths, and just hanging out. It was fun to be together, and for my parents to have had both grand-babies in one place at the same time. I'm kind of picture happy lately, so enjoy all of these!

At the beach

Grandpa giving Beckett his first carbonated beverage. How nice of you to share ;)

Grandpa feeding Beckett his 'baba'
We did a little photo session with 'Babu' and 'Shosho' (which is grandma and grandpa in swahilli)
Of course we ate at In-N-Out more than once.
And here's a picture of Beckett and I, since I haven't been in a picture in quite some time. Thanks for taking it Mom!

My hubby

2008-05-05T16:30:00.012-07:00

So, I’ve been tagged numerous times now, and I realize it is bad blog-etiquette to not respond to being tagged. So, I’m combining Shantays and Gays tags, both about Nathan. I figured you didn’t want to read two (let alone one) husband tags. So, here’s to you sweetie.

What is your husband's name?

Nathan Allred

How did you meet your spouse?

Nathan was just back from his mission, and I was a freshman at BYU-I. We met in the bookstore, and he helped me find my books. He’d been instructed by top management to help all the cute girls find their books…or so the story goes.

Where did you go on your first date?

Since Nathan is such a high-roller he took me to the drive in theater where we watched a cheesy Mormon flick about some ballerina chick. They were supposed to play Singles Ward, which is a much higher quality movie.

How long have you been together?

We’ve known each other for almost 6 years, and have officially been together almost 5 of those years.

Who eats more?

Nathan

Who said I love you first?

Nathan. This is a funny story. He came to Canada the summer after we’d met to see me, and one night we were hanging out with a bunch of my high school friends. We went up to Waterton National Park and were walking around the docks down by the lake, but the rest of the group was above the water, just out of ear shot. He’d been acting mysterious all night, and finally I asked him about it. That’s when he dropped the L-bomb. I was not at all expecting it, and needless to say my reaction was not what he was expecting. He stepped backwards away from me, but caught his foot in the space between the two docks, and went down backwards, taking me with him. Everyone else heard the commotion and looked down just in time to see us both topple over. It was hilarious.

Who is taller?

It depends on what shoes I’m wearing.

He is.

Who sings better?

Me, but he’s not bad.

Who is smarter?

Definitely Nathan.

Who does the laundry and the dishes?

I think he’s done the laundry once. And a few months ago (after living here for a year and a half) he asked me where the drinking glasses were kept.

Who is more clean?

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

It depends. Right now he does.

Who pays the bills?

I try. But quicken really confuses me.

Who mows the lawn?

What lawn?

Who cooks dinner?

Always me, unless we’re grilling.

Who has more siblings?

He does. By two.

Who drives when you are together?

Him. I can’t stand his back seat driving.

Who is more stubborn?

We’re both pretty hard headed. But probably Nathan.

What do you like to do together?

Be at the beach, talk about the future, watch Seinfeld, eat out, play Rook, bike…

Who is the first to admit when they’re wrong?

Always me. I’m the peacemaker.

Who’s parents do you see the most?

It’s pretty equal.

Who kissed who first?

Nathan kissed me.

Who proposed?

He did an amazing job. There were fireworks. Literally.

Who’s more sensitive?

Me. Especially when I’m pregnant.

Who has more friends?

I’m better at making friends. He’s great at maintaining friendships.

Who wears the pants in the family?

We both have a variety of pants. Jeans, sweats, dress slacks… No really, it depends on the issue.

Best features?

His long eyelashes, and smile.

What is his best quality?

There are three:

1. His encouragement and support.

2. He's such a great dad.

3. His conviction to the things he knows to be true.

Vintage Spice

2008-04-29T16:58:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to share some exciting news. . . the debut of my new photography business--
Vintage Spice Photography.
Although my website is still in the process of being published, I have a temporary blog site that you can check out.
vintagespicephotography.blogspot.com
It's pretty makeshift, but at least you can see some of my work. It's exciting and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Enjoy!

Atlanta-(check out my 2 posts in 3 days!)

2008-04-03T15:21:00.007-07:00

As most of you know, last weekend we took a trip to visit Nathan's eldest brother, Logan, and his wife, Paula. They just had a little girl in September, Lydia, and also recently purchased a home. We had to go and check it out.

This is Beckett wanting to go to GA to visit :)

It was so much fun to just be together, and we also took the opportunity to be touristy and see some of the sights of Atlanta. Paula and Logan gave us the perfect combination of relaxation and entertainment. Friday night we spent rocking out at some friends' house, playing Rock Band all night. Beckett was a great little 'groupie'. We ate lots of yummy food and appreciated the generosity and hospitality of Greg and Melissa. On Saturday we went to Coke World and The Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. Nathan loved tasting all the Coke products from around the world and Beckett enjoyed seeing all of the fish and whales (Beluga whales, in fact). That was one of the highlights for me too.

I am pointing at a drink called 'Stoney' that is found in Tanzania. I was thinking of you, Dillon :)
Beckett pointing the fish
We at the the yummiest place called 'The Varsity'. It went down in Nathan's book of Great's cause of their amazing Chocolate milkshakes.

Sunday was very relaxing and we spent the evening at Paula's parents house playing games. It was fun to be in their home and remember the time we've spent there. Good times.

Beckett and Lydia enjoyed each other immensely. Whenever we'd drive somewhere, they'd be giggling at one another in the back seat. It was hilarious. We can tell they're going to be the best of friends :)

Lydia is the sweetest girl and I think she approved of me as an Aunt. She was full of sweet smiles for me and she even let me take some pictures of her. Here is just one for your viewing pleasure.
We left Monday morning, and well...the rest is history, but we had such a great time and can't wait to see you guys again!

Beckett got so sick of our trip home, he stormed the cockpit and took over. If not for him, we may have never made it back to LA.

Sitting on a plane for 12 hours with a small child isn't my idea of fun...

2008-04-01T13:15:00.003-07:00

And we weren't even on our way home from some distant destination. Let me explain.

LAX to Atlanta (direct flight)= 3 hours 47 minutes.
Atlanta to Dallas to Austin back to Dallas to LAX= 11 hours 23 minutes
All the fun we had together while sitting on the full planes entertaining Beckett who slept a total of 30 minutes the entire day=priceless.

I knew it wasn't going to be pretty when we got the airport to check in and Beckett had leaked out of his diaper so bad that he went the rest of our day pants-less. Yeah... we're classy like that.

So we got to our descent to Dallas and flew around for 45 minutes because of thunderstorms. We used up so much gas in the inturum that we ended up flying to Austin to refuel and then sat on the Tarmac there for 2 hours. We then flew back to Dallas. Our layover there had long since departed, but Nathan had called and gotten us on the last and final flight to LA which departed at 6:20. We landed at 6:35. I was seriously distraught. We were going to have to spend the night in the Dallas airport. However, we got to the departure gate to find that the next flight had been delayed and was leaving 10 minutes later. Wonderful, except that we didn't have seats together. Great.
So we get on the plane and this nice woman agrees to trade us seats, and so we sit down, the plane leaves...we're on the runway...and suddenly 'our voice from the cockpit' comes on and tells us we're returning to the gate. So we turn around. However, we were in a larger plane and since not all of the gates cater to that size we had to wait for a gate to open. Meanwhile they wouldn't tell us why we had turned around or what was happening. Finally we get to the gate and see two police officers come on board and take a very questionable looking woman off the plane. At this point we think we're in for a pretty good story. We then wait for another 30 minutes for them to gather her things, and then we are told the story. Turns out some woman changes planes at the last minute and thinks that her dog changes as well. When she finds out that it's on a different plane, she freaks out and threatens the airline stewardess. Lame. So, some lady doesn't take her meds, and we all suffer because of it. Anyway- we started at 2 pm Atlanta time and landed in LA almost 12 hours later. It was brutal and I'm never traveling again. You try and entertain a 14 month old little boy in a 2 foot radius for half of a day and let me know how you feel. Blah.

What's really incredible, though, is that even with all the trouble, the trip was still absolutely worth it. We had such a great time in Atlanta with Logan, Paula, Lydia, and their family and friends, that we would happily do it all over again.

*I promise to post pictures and info about our amazing weekend in Atlanta. I decided to give you the bad news before the good.*

A day at the park

2008-03-22T23:04:00.002-07:00

Yesterday Nathan had the day off and we had a very enjoyable pic-nic at the park with our friends. Beckett had fun spilling water all over the blanket, chasing Arleigh around and petting a dog for the first time. It was a gorgeous day!

San Diego

2008-03-03T14:29:00.005-08:00

We, along with 8 other couple friends, went to San Diego for a getaway weekend during the first part of February. It was such a blast to stay right on the beach. I finally got to see some sun! I needed it. On Saturday night we all headed out to dinner, and this is when the madness began. Let's just put it this way. 8 couples. 10 kids. no fun. Beckett was super grumpy the whole time and it was a nightmare. We got some pretty intense stares.

All in all we had a fabulous weekend. We have the greatest friends here in LA and have such a great time together.

blah about blogging

2008-02-17T23:20:00.009-08:00

I can not figure out why I am so against blogging right now. But I dread getting on here to post. I am sorry and really am going to try hard to post more often. Just so you know, I really respond well to comments, so if you check our blog regularly and often find yourself disappointed, comment. Usually when I see about 10 comments, I vamp up for another post. Maybe that's being a bit too honest, but it's true. (Having said that...I hope this doesn't drive any of you away from our blog)

ANYWAY...our lives have been very exciting recently. Beckett celebrated his first birthday almost a month ago (see pictures below), last weekend we were in San Diego with some friends, and life is just great.
Beckett has been acting a little bit crazy/weird lately, I think it's a combo of just having his MMR shot and also I think he's teething. The past few weeks have made me really grateful for his sweet demeanor and fun personality. I admire any of you who have had tough babies.
Okay so on to pictures of the birthday party.
Once all of the birthday guests arrived, we ate yummy waffles and breakfast foods. Here's a picture of some of the yummy food we had.

Then we opened presents, and this is one of Beckett's favorite books. (He LOVES books)After we finished opening his gifts everyone clapped, and he got all excited and responded with clapping, which brought about another chorus of claps, and this went back and forth several times. (long enough for me to take about 20 pictures of him clapping...here's just one).Then we had cake. It was a funfetti cake which wasn't as fun to see him smear all over himself. We're going to do chocolate next year.

Beckett has so many buddies here in LA. Here are a few of them.

Here, he and Beckham are racing to the top of the stairs. I LOVE to watch them interact together, they're such great friends.And lastly here is a picture of the sweet wheels Beckett received from none other than the Hunka D and Auntie P. A special thanks to AP and Jules for their efforts assembling it.

5:47 and sick as a dog...

2008-02-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

So, I've been up since 3. yup...3 am. not feeling so hot. so i'm blogging to take my mind off it. Nathan just went to work and told me to try and go back to bed, but I can not handle tossing and turning any more. I might as well get something productive accomplished.
Here are some new fun pictures that I've taken of Beckett lately. The first 4 were blown up at his birthday party. I'll post pictures of that as soon as I get them uploaded. Maybe if I still can't sleep in an hour they'll be posted then.
Other than how I feel right now, life is good. Beckett is a big walker these days- it's fun to see him strut his stuff. He just had his 1 year immunizations, took it like a girl, and screamed bloody murder the whole time. His face got super red, and he looked at me like 'how dare you!'
Oh, and I just want all of Nathan's brothers who read this to look carefully at what Beckett's shirt says (and where it comes from).
Alright, blogging has worn me out. I'm headed back to bed.

No time

2008-01-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

I was going to spend some time today playing catch up, but right as I got on here I heard a little boy who's supposed to be asleep for at least another hour. So this is all you'll get for today.

At the beginning of the year, Beckett finally graduated from the mini tub. He has loved his 'big boy' baths. Here are some pictures to demonstrate.

I hate the garbage truck.

2008-01-09T14:45:00.000-08:00

I would have titled this blog 'I hate the garbage man' but that may have sounded a little harsh. So, here's my beef. EVERY Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, (and maybe even Thursday's too) I awake to a monstrous revving engine, followed by lots of clashing and banging, loud beeps (backing up) and then, the whole process repeats itself at least 3 times. Sometimes more. However, today the garbage man was having a hay day. He was in that back alley dumping dumpsters 3 different times. What is going on? Does this man have nothing better to do with his day then come to our alley, and our garbage can 3 times in 1 day?!?! Oh, and it's not just that he's loud and annoying, but he comes at the exact WRONG time of day. I swear he knows when my child is sleeping. Today I was coming home from a jog, and I saw him emptying the cans (which was his 2nd offense of the day) and I almost, almost went and asked him if he could only come once a day maybe twice in a week. Or maybe if he could come by later on in the day so he doesn't WAKE my SLEEPING BABY. Oh no...I HEAR HIM RIGHT NOW! This makes 4 for today. I can hear his massive clashing sounds and his huge engine ripping around out there. He is going down.

Happenings...

2008-01-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! We have had such a fun and exciting month. We celebrate Beckett's first Christmas quietly, with dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Johnson on Christmas Eve. Beckett loved being at their house and exploring their stairs, chairs and coffee table. We opened presents on Christmas morning, and Beckett enjoyed the boxes and wrapping paper. He got uber-spoiled by his Grandparents. Lucky duck. Nathan and I both enjoyed our Christmas morning, and Nathan surprised me with a new Canon Rebel XTi SLR camera. I had absolutely NO idea that it had been sitting under our Christmas tree for a month. I love it, and subsequently have taken over 600 pictures. That's one reason there are so many pictures in this post. This is Nathan and Beckett being excited about my camera.

We went to Dan and Paula's for Christmas dinner and Beckett again racked in the presents. It was such a wonderful day, and we're so blessed to have our California family here to celebrate with.Beckett playing with some bubble bath
Lovin' on Auntie P

The day after Christmas (aka. Boxing Day for you Canadians) we packed up and left at 8:30pm on a flight to Dallas. We traveled ALL night, and got to our hotel at 4:00am central time. Beckett did really well, but didn't sleep an ounce until we got OFF the plane. What a guy. We spent two fantabulous days in Dallas with Nathan's family, and one highlight was meeting Miss Lydia Roberts. Beckett had fun trying to poke her in the eye (as evidenced in this picture). We finished the trip off with a wedding. Forrest and Elin got married on Saturday, December 29th. It was a beautiful wedding, they both looked amazing, and are so happy and perfect together. We love Elin and are so excited that she's part of our family.Sunday morning brought a whole other adventure with our trip back, but fortunately Beckett slept on the trip home. He was pretty tuckered out. It was nice to be back and for Beckett to be on a schedule again.New Years was quiet as well, and we celebrated with a fondue pot and a game of Settlers, (which we were so involved in that we missed welcoming in the new year by an hour). We were hard core and stayed up till 1:00 am. That's right, baby.

Nathan went back to work this morning...bummer...but it makes for a shorter week. We hope all of you had a great holiday celebration.
This is what Sam and Jules call 'the Dillon face'

And ONE last picture of my sweet little man

My new room...

2007-12-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are the pictures of my redecorated bedroom...what do you think?

The November Super Post

2007-11-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

Here goes a super post about all of the adventures we’ve been on for the past month.

First off, at the very beginning of November, we headed off to Provo to relive the glory days of college. We’re not sure if the biggest motivator was to see our family or to see a BYU football game. Pretty sure football always pulls rank. It was great to see campus, and to visit the people we love (that goes for both family and the football players).

Loving the fall colors on campus

The day after getting home, Beckett and I embarked on another fun filled adventure to Houston to visit our Whittle friends. Beckett loved little Adalyn and we hope she liked him too. It was fun to show Allison and Tyler what fun they soon have to look forward to when they have a little crawler. We had such a great time visiting them and hope to see them again soon.

Isn't she a doll!

The week after that we took a short break from traveling to hang out with dad and here are some random pictures from that. We celebrated Elizabeth’s birthday and now Beckett can’t wait to turn one!

Then, just last week we flew to the true north strong and free for Beth and Brenan’s wedding. It was such a beautiful day and we loved every minute of being home.

Beckett bonding with Auntie P
Beth and Brenan and their wedding album
Beckett and cousin Adelynn. He was lovin on Addy.
An awesome picture of a sweet little girl
YAY for the Klains!
The 'Hall' Girls...or one Hall, one Roberts and one Klain...
The whole gang

We’re now home for a month before heading to Dallas for Fori and Elin’s wedding.

Phew…and that’s a wrap.

Gone Sailing . . .

2007-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we went sailing with our good friend Rob Aird and his dad, Richard, who was in town for the weekend. Rob arranged a charter trip on an authentic wooden yacht, the "Amethyst", captained by Capt. Mack (www.GoSailNow.com):

We spent three hours sailing up the coast from Marina del Rey to Malibu and then back. One of the highlights of the trip was the dolphins:

They were swimming right next to the boat for quite a while and came right below us:

We had such a good time. However, sailing can be exhausting, and Captain Beckett didn't last.

Later that night, we attended a trunk-or-treat hosted by the three wards that meet in our building. Beckett went as a chicken, costume courtesy of Grandma Roberts.

Beckett had a good time hanging out with the other animals. Here he is with Beckham Smith (skunk) and Easton Aird (turtle).

Videos of Beckett Crawling

2007-10-25T20:49:00.000-07:00