a night alone…

Ok so I know what you’re thinking…”wow Jame, way to go on the blogging…you’ve been so lame lately…and now here you are with three posts.”

Well, I felt a little obligated.  I’m sitting here home alone.  I know…like when does that ever happen?  Ummm…never.  Gma & Gpa took J home with them as a trial run for next week’s anniversary trip.  (I think it was just an excuse to get more alone time with her.)  Ry is at a Stake Priesthood meeting.  So here I am…avoiding cleaning my kitchen. 

This is the first time in the last 13 months - 22 if you count being preggers - and well the first time “ever”…that I’ve been away from J overnight.  So how do I spend it?  Blogging about her…haha…that’s pathetic.  But it’s a Sunday night…it’s not like I’m going to be out partying.  I mean any other day I’d totally be clubbin’.  No seriously, stop laughing, I totally would be.  Well, I’d at least be treating myself to some In-N-Out & a movie.

I just thought I’d share this monumentous moment with all of you.  Kiss your babies for me!

 

ps.  I know my date says July 21 (which is a Monday), but the time setting is confusing and is totally off.  It really is Sunday!

One Year Old!

21 lbs (30th percentile)

29 inches (75th percentile)

4 teeth, with 2 more on the cusp

more hair than she was born with (but that’s not saying much)

says: dada (constantly), mom, ball, dog, nana (aka banana), gramma, papa, i want down (seriously she said that to her Uncle B as he was torturing her), out (while pointing to outside), hello? who’s there? (while answering the pretend phone in the palm of her hand)

signs: baby, eat, drink, cracker, milk, cereal, banana, more, dad, mom, bird, fish, dog, hurt, shoes

she hugs anything that resembles a stuffed animal while saying “awh”

she dances

she kisses

she laughs out of the blue for no reason

she can throw a fit like nobody’s business (we’re talking: foot stompin’, tears streamin’, fists flyin’, floor poundin’ fits!

she hates getting manicures & pedicures

she would drink all of her meals if I’d let her

she loves yogurt, fruit, sweet potatoes, nilla waffers, quesadillas, any carbs - breads, pasta, etc - ice cream, oatmeal,

she’ll choose a pink ball over any other color

she watches Baby Signing Time & Super Why everyday, but these are the only shows that will hold her interest for more than 2 minutes…so you can imagine how much i look forward to these two 30-minute shows!!

 

Pretty much she is the love of our life.  We think she is pretty great and we’re looking forward to all the new experiences that will come with her second year!

J.J. turns 1!

Aunt Holly & Uncle Heath

(who have their own little one on the way…congrats to them!)

 

great grampa & janice

cousin  dalton

cousin trent

cousin gracie…the real party girl…it doesn’t even have to be her bday, she’s always up for a good time.

 

Reason #3: Happy Campers

Still a little swollen from the wisdom teeth, but we’re a bunch of Happy Campers!

 

Day 1 

We rolled in, and got right to work. 

 J got busy playing.  Gpa built the best camping playpen ever!

Gma & Gpa got busy fishing

Gma is the Supreme Fisherwoman! She pretty much caught her maximun everyday.

When she wasn’t fishing, she was riding her bike.
(Yes, some of you might take note that her bike is the same one I got for my 9th birthday - that was the year I broke my arm! It now has a new home and is actually getting used.)

 

Day 2

Ry took a more unconventional approach to fishing.

Not only in the fact that he used a net duct-taped to a 10ft pvc pipe…

 

but in what he was trying to catch also…can you see it there in the water?

Here’s a better look…that’s right he went fishing for crawdads!  Why?  I’m not too sure!  Maybe I’ll try to find a receipe for crawdads to take with us next time!

 

Day 3

Here’s the thing about Camping Girls…once you’ve reached day three a hat is absolutely necessary! Day 1, your hair looks great because you had time for a shower & a style before you left home. Day 2, your bangs are pulled back, your hair is up in a ponytail. Day 3, your hair is now in a messy bun with a hat on at all times - excluding sleeping. Day 4, you spend all your time wishing you could home quick so you can just stand in the shower, letting the water & shampoo work its magic.

 

Instead of the Day 3 hat, J chose to go with the Day 3 hood! Another fine choice!

 

Day 4

Here was the view on the ride home…exciting I know! We almost forgot we were camping. Trees? Forest? Mountains? What?

 

We missed one of our turns and added an extra hour onto our already 6 hour ride home! But, in doing so we had some unexpected sights!

We came across a family of elk. This was the closet shot I could get.

 

Winter’s last patch of snow trying to hold on.

J’s first Snow Day. We just had to stop for a photo-op!

Reason #2: Book Club Day Trip

So my second reason for the tardy blogging is that we traveled on down to meet our friends for our monthly book club/swim date. 

We started to day with a swim party. 

 

Then discussed “Three Cups of Tea” over lunch.  Let me just add a quick plug for this book.  Everyone should read it.  It is truely an inspiring book, the best we’ve read in our book club so far.  It will readjust your thinking about service and what you can do to help others. 

I want to personally recommend this book to a few specific people (that popped into my head while reading it)  1) Joan K.  - my long lost book club buddy…if you haven’t read this, I think you would really like.  You popped into my head a lot while I was reading it.  2) Brentis - If you haven’t started this book, go get it today, it screams your name. 3) Chelsea C. - your heart is so big and kind, I know you will just love this story. 

And like always we ended our trip with a visit to Target, where J enjoyed her own bag of Cheetos.  It is the secret weapon to a peaceful shopping trip.  She’s happy, I’m happy…we’re all happy.

 

And the “Catch Up” Begins…

Ok so I’ve been down & out for the last month…
here’s the first reason…
I got my wisdom teeth pulled!

I was doing good the first two days after the big extraction.  I wasn’t too puffy, I was feeling pretty good, and nothing really slowed me down.  I thought I was going to be home free.  Then Day Three hit me, and Woooh, I was definitely down & out. 

 

Luckily, my mom came to give me a hand with the baby. Oh it was so nice. I’d just take a percocet before bed and then I’d wake up the next morning with a smiling happy baby who had been up since the crack of dawn without me. Oh how I miss having her here!

 

Since I was feeling “sooo good” on Day Two, we went on a little family outing. I decided it would be a good idea if Rylan and I went for a jog (you know, to keep up with everything after my marathon) while my mom pushed J. in the stroller to the park. Then we’d all meet up there.

 

 

Come Day Three…the jog didn’t really seem like such a great idea.  I think I might have pushed myself a little too hard.  But we had a lot of fun and the pics make it worth it!

 

Stay tuned for more reasons I’ve been slacking off for the past month!

some more pics from the trip…

Apparently her own bed wasn’t quite up to par!  She slept in between us every night we were gone!

 

A Blast from the Past!

This picture was taken exactly 9 years ago today!

Elder Hammer took this of my friend Eric & I right before I was baptized.  I look back on that day with fond memories and recognize it as a big transition point in my life.  I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without joining the church….or be married to Rylan…or have my beautiful baby girl. 

I think a big fat thank you is appropriate to all those who had a hand in my conversion - you know who you are.  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  Rylan thanks you, J thanks you, and any future postarity as well!

 

Speaking of Elder Hammer…here is the latest pic of our favorite German missionary. 

He’s living in Germany raising his two handsom boys.  If anyone would like to get into touch with him, send me an email and I’ll point you in the right direction.  His email has changed since we were in high school.

 

So Happy Anniversary to me!  I think I’ll celebrate with some rocky road ice cream and a PG movie once I get J down for the night.

 

ps.  For those of you Orange Stake Girls who are a year older than me (ie. Chelsea, Kelli, DeDe, Shan, etc.) it has also been 9 years since you received your YW Recognition.  That was right after my baptism.  I remember freezing with my  wet hair during the fireside.  haha!  Congrats girls!

Another “Have you ever? Moment”

Have you ever…

Ran 26.2 miles???

Cause I have!!!!

 

That’s right my fine friends, my marathon was the this past weekend. 

 

Here I am just before we were bussed up the mountain.  I’m ready!

The View Along the Way!

 

Brentis!

 

Dana & Lacy 

 

 Here I am…proof I made it to the end!

 

The Doting Husband!

 

 J thought the medal was the best part!

 

Daddio         J       Ry-Babe          Me               Barb        

The “Jamie Rocks” Fan Club!

 

The two who sacrificed the most during my training! Thanks Loves!

 

More details to follow.  I just wanted to get some photos up for everyone! 

(Yes, Lacy I totally stole pics from your page.  Help yourself if you see anything you like!)

Our Budding Musician!

First a little exercise…

 

Then she gets to work.

 

She’s the Tiger Woods of the Piano.  When she’s a famous musician she can say she started playing before she was one years old.

There is some major concentration going on here!