Stanworth Ohana

Beautiful sunsets

2012-01-31T14:23:00.004-07:00

Here is one of the many reasons I have grown to love Boise. We are able to enjoy these gorgeous sunsets throughout the year from our back door. Sunsets have always been one of my favorite things in the world.

Halloween activities

2012-01-31T14:07:00.005-07:00

For Halloween this year Blake wanted to be Jake from Jake and the Neverland pirates. About two weeks before Halloween we were looking for costumes and he saw the Woody costume and quickly changed his mind. Isaac fit into Blake’s costume from a couple years ago so he was an elephant. They both looked adorable. We had a lot of little activities leading up to Halloween. First, Blake had a Halloween party with his preschool.

They all looked so adorable. We also had a playgroup Halloween party with kids from our ward.

We then went to Boo at the Zoo, which is always a favorite for the boys to get treats and see all the costumes.

I decided that Danny and I needed costumes and so quickly sewed up some Mr. and Mrs. Potato head costumes. They were totally simple but I love having us dress up for Halloween. J

We went to Halloween party at Kristie’s sister’s house and then we also went to our ward trick or treat and also went to a few houses to trick or treat. It was a very busy couple of weeks but we all had so much fun.

Carving pumpkins

2012-01-31T13:53:00.002-07:00

These were our awesome pumpkins we carved this year. Blake chose what he wanted us to carve and then helped pull out the guts of the pumpkin. Blake has never been a huge fan of getting very dirty so Danny taught him how to scrape it out with a spoon. I bought some of the fake candles that have a switch and gave Blake the job of turning on the pumpkins every night. He loved it and would run out as soon as it started getting dark every night.

Pumpkin Patch

2012-01-31T13:25:00.006-07:00

This year we went to the pumpkin patch with my good friend Cherie and her adorable little boys Brody and Parker. The boys always have so much fun together and this was no exception. This year they had a water pump that would move little boats into big water buckets. The boys spent quite a lot of time pumping the water. They also rode on ponies, played in the bouncing houses, took a tractor ride, and went through the corn maze. They also had the little tractor pull. Cherie and I also rode along with the younger boys and tried so hard to get some good pictures. It was such a fun day with great friends.

Barber to Boise

2012-01-31T13:17:00.002-07:00

Danny ran another race this fall. It was a 10K that went from Barber to park and ends in the Bronco stadium. Danny rocked it. We got to the finish line just in time to watch him running around the outside of the stadium. We ran inside so we could see him at the finish line. Danny is pretty amazing and I always feel so proud of him when I see him crossing those finish lines.

Worms

2012-01-20T14:44:00.004-07:00

So I have never been a huge fan of worms. They don’t totally gross me out but I have never had the desire to play with them, or in Danny’s case eat them. Having boys, I have tried to make a point of letting them play with bugs. One day there was a lot of rain and there were worms everywhere. Blake loved picking them up and Isaac squished one. One cute story that I don’t want to forget is we were in the backyard one day and found a slug on our back porch. Blake wanted to stay out and play with it while I was making dinner. About three minutes later Blake walked in and said, “ Mom, the slug is with Heavenly Father now.” Little Blake accidentally squished it. He seriously cracks me up with the things that come out of his mouth.

Hidden springs duathlon

2012-01-20T14:33:00.003-07:00

Danny participated in the Hidden Springs duathlon again this year. This year Ryan was able to do it with him. These boys are pretty awesome and have been really good exercise partners. They are able to plan and train for a lot of races. For this particular race they run first, then bike, and then run again. This was Ryan’s first time on a road bike and did really well. As always we have the boys biggest fans that want to watch and cheer them on at the finish. Great job Danny and Ryan!

Nana's visit

2012-01-20T14:18:00.004-07:00

For my mom’s birthday this year we flew her out to visit us. We had so much fun spending the week with her. She is such an amazing mom and it was so fun to have her spend time with the boys. We took walks every day and showed her a lot of our favorite places in Boise. We went to the zoo, park, nature center, river, and had picnics. We love her and are so grateful for her in our lives. She really is so adorable and has such a sweet spirit. The boys love playing with her. We love you nana.

Baby #3 is on the way!

2012-01-20T14:17:00.001-07:00

In September we found out that I am pregnant again! We are so excited and can’t wait to have another sweet spirit in our home. We adore our little boys and have felt so blessed to have them in our family. So the baby is due May 26. I have been so amazingly sick but luckily Blake and Isaac have been so great. I have literally spent hours lying on the couch and gagging at even the thought of some foods. My doctor prescribed some anti-nausea medicine, which seems to help. If I forget to take it by ten or eleven though, the rest of the day seems to be shot. I always think, whenever I have been sick and pregnant, is that it’s all going to be worth it when I am holding our brand new little baby in my arms. It always could be worse too. J We are so grateful and excited for this new little baby!

McCall 2011

2012-01-20T13:58:00.006-07:00

This September we took our annual trip out to McCall. This year we rented a condo that was walking distance to downtown. I am constantly amazed by what an adorable little town it is. This year was warm enough that we were able to play in the lake. We spent a lot of time outside and enjoying the beautiful scenery. We love taking this trip with Ryan and Kristie and look forward to it every year.

Spirit of Boise

2012-01-20T13:53:00.002-07:00

Every year Boise has an event called “The spirit of Boise.” During the week hot air balloons are seen throughout the sky as they fly over Boise. Every day the boys would run outside and try to find all the balloons. At the end of the week you are able to go to the park and watch them light up the sky. Danny was out of town that weekend and so I braved taking the boys by myself. Keeping them entertained before it started was a little challenge, since there were so many people, but one it started they were mesmerized watching the huge hot air balloons. Blake would countdown for them to light up and Isaac would clap. It was a very fun night with my little boys.

First day of pre-school

2012-01-20T13:46:00.003-07:00

Well that day finally came, and our little Blake started pre-school. He was so excited! He loves to learn and enjoys being in a teacher-student environment. He has always excelled in that atmosphere. His new teacher is named Miss Stacey and she runs a pre-school out of her home. His best friend Brody is in class with him, so that always makes transitions easier. It’s crazy how quickly he is growing up. He looks just like a little man.

Super Blake

2012-01-20T13:38:00.002-07:00

No words are really needed except for how awesome this little boy is. This was the outfit he chose one day. He wanted to teach Isaac to blow bubbles that day. By the way he was just wearing underwear… I chose not to put those pictures in. J We love our little Super Blake.

Fishing

2012-01-20T13:21:00.003-07:00

This summer Danny wanted to take Blake fishing. Blake was so excited as he learned about putting worms on the hook and reeling in fish. We drove for a while along the river and spent a few hours fishing. For whatever reason, none of the fish were biting that day, but the boys loved it. It was beautiful and such a great day to be outside. Next year we’ll have to try again.

Isaac and his red shoes

2012-01-20T13:18:00.001-07:00

Our little Isaac has always had a passion for shoes. Saying he loves them is an understatement. He has to always choose which pair of shoes he will be wearing and shows them off to anyone who pays attention. Well one of his first loves were his little red shoes. He would wear them all day. As soon as he woke up they were the first thing he wanted to put on. We got an entire summer use out of them. Here’s Isaacs first love.

Barclay Bay

2011-12-21T09:04:00.004-07:00

At the end of the summer one of my friends, Cherie, asked if we wanted to go to Barclay bay. It’s just a little area on the edge of the lake that is more kid-friendly. They have put sand all over the area and a big dragon coming out of the sand. The boys loved it. They spent the majority of the time throwing rocks in the lake and watching hundreds of fish jump out of the water. Blake and Brody found they can jump off the dock into very shallow water and loved it. These boys play so well together and think anything is fun, as long as they’re doing it together. They definitely are best friends. This was such a fun place. I wish we had gone there earlier in the summer. Well we always have next summer. Just a side note, Cherie and I have found that catching a good picture of Blake and Brody is so difficult. These are the best I could do that day. What crazy little boys.

Floating the river

2011-12-21T09:01:00.003-07:00

Every summer we make sure we float the Boise River. It is one of the most fun and relaxing days of the summer. This year we went with Ryan and Kristie. It is such a beautiful river that winds throughout Boise. We are amazed every year in how it could be so peaceful when we are right in the middle of downtown. Of course Ryan and Danny have to show off their awesome skills backflipping into the water. Blake jumped in a few times as well. It was such a great day.

Greenbelt

2011-12-21T08:40:00.003-07:00

One of our favorite places is the greenbelt, which is a paved path along the Boise river. We have our favorite spot that we go to every time that is loaded with rocks. The boys spent hours throwing rocks into the river. It is so relaxing sitting by the river and listening to the water. The boys love it and with the help of Danny, always seem to get in the cold water.

Summer Favorites

2011-12-16T14:09:00.005-07:00

We had such a fun summer this year. Blake and Isaac had so much fun playing together. We spent every day enjoying the sun. We played in the kiddie pool, at the neighborhood pool, swimming lessons, blowing bubbles, sidewalk chalk, the zoo, the nature center, parks, and going for walks. Our boys are turning into such good friends and have really enjoyed being able to play with each other.

Sidewalk chalk

2011-12-16T14:03:00.001-07:00

Our boys love playing with sidewalk chalk. After Isaac got over the stage of trying to eat it, he found out how cool it is. We spent a lot of time drawing pictures on our little patio and fence. I really don’t understand how the boys would get this dirty after every time.

Hawaii 2011

2011-12-16T13:22:00.008-07:00

After Danny and his family left Hawaii, we drove back out to my dad’s and spent a couple more weeks with my family. We had such a blast. This was one of my favorite summers in Hawaii. I felt like I was able to spend a lot of quality time with individuals in my family. I have an amazing family and miss them all like crazy. We were able to meet the two newest members of our family, Kalena and Benjamin.

We had so much fun going to beaches, parks, the aquarium, and sea life park. My dad taught Blake and Megan to surf and they loved it.

It was so adorable watching them try to stand up on the surfboards. We attended the annual Manoa Bon Dance, which is always a blast.

We just were able to spend a lot of family time this summer. We ate at all my favorite places. We were all so sad to leave but we also were missing Danny. Hopefully we’ll be able to get out there again soon

Stanworth reunion 2011

2011-12-14T14:18:00.008-07:00

After Blake, Isaac, and I were in Hawaii for a few days, Danny and the rest of his family flew out for the Stanworth Reunion. We stayed at the same beach house my family rented last summer and the house next to it. We had so much fun. The kids loved playing with each other. We were able to attend the temple, scuba dive, cliff jump, kayak, go to the pcc, and spend hours at all the beautiful beaches on the north shore. At night we would take all the kids crab hunting, a favorite past time with my family. We also had a talent show and a birthday party for Luke. We loved spending time with everyone and wish we could see everyone more often. Just a quick heads up... there are a lot of pictures.

Honolulu Zoo

2011-12-14T14:15:00.002-07:00

This summer we had the opportunity to go to Hawaii. For the first few days we had my little niece Megan spend time with us. Blake adored her and couldn’t get enough of her. She is a year older than Blake and they played so well together. She is such a doll. One of our favorite things from those first days was going to the Honolulu Zoo. It is such an amazing zoo and the kids loved it. We literally were running from exhibit to exhibit so we could see all the animals.

Isaac's first haircut

2011-12-14T14:06:00.003-07:00

It finally was time for us to get rid of Isaac’s mop. I always get nervous having them cut all the baby hair away but he looked so handsome and grown up after. Isaac is such a doll and has such a fun and crazy personality. He definitely has added some extra fun to our family and we are all so grateful for him.

Fourth of July

2011-12-14T13:58:00.004-07:00

For the fourth of July we went to the parade downtown. Our good friend Kristie came with us. We had so much fun watching the floats and having candy thrown out for the kids to get. We got the boys their own chairs and they loved sitting in them. After the boys napped that day we went out to Kristie’s parents house and went swimming and had a bbq. We all had so much fun and had such a great day with great friends.

Riding with two wheels

2011-12-14T13:39:00.003-07:00

Danny decided that this would be the summer that Blake would learn to ride his bike without training wheels. I was extremely nervous, since he is only three. Danny started taking him to the track and teaching him. After a couple of falls and a little nervous boy he got the hang of it and now rides with two wheels. It is adorable. He is just so little and it’s crazy watching him grow up

Little golfers in the making

2011-12-14T13:34:00.003-07:00

For those who know Danny, golfing has always been a passion of his. It seemed only natural that our boys would be drawn to it. Both of our boys literally have been swinging golf clubs since they could walk. This summer Danny began taking Blake to the driving range. He had such a blast! He is such a natural just like his Daddy. One day he asked if we could go. Both Danny and I weren’t in the mood to go that day. He asked if we could just drive him over and drop him off. I think I just saw a glimpse into our future. Isaac loved trying to putt. He gets very possessive of his club and balls and screams if anyone touches them. They both have a natural passion for golf.

Downtown fountains

2011-12-14T12:55:00.005-07:00

One of the boys favorite things during the summer is head to Daddy's work and play in the fountains downtown. Blake loved running in them this summer. The water is pretty cold and so he would scream every time he ran in them. Isaac loved going and running close to them but didn't like the idea of getting wet yet. He would usually stand and watch Blake or find snacks and sit and eat. It is such a great activity for the boys to get some energy out and cool down.

Boise Zoo

2011-12-14T12:41:00.003-07:00

Ever since we moved to Boise and started having kids, we have had a zoo pass. I have spent more days there than probably any other location. We usually try to make it there once a week but during the summer we end up there a lot more, up to three times a week. Blake has always had a love of the zoo and animals so naturally I figured Isaac would be the same. They both adore the zoo. This summer they added a new exhibit... butterflies. It was a small exhibit but butterflies were everywhere. They always ended up landing on Blake. On one day, I counted over 50 that landed on him.He is so patient and just stands still so they all land on him. Blake is such an obedient little child and has such a tender heart. Before you go in to the butterfly exhibit they make sure all the kids know not to pick up any butterflies and to watch where you step. Blake was patiently waiting in the corner for the butterflies to land on him and one little boy was going around trying to grab the butterflies. One was on the ground. He wasn't watching and stepped right on him and killed him. Blake was stunned for a minute then broke down crying. I took him out and explained the butterfly is in a better place and is okay now. He was sad the rest of the time at the zoo. We went home and the boys took naps. When Blake woke up he wanted to talk to me about it and told me that it's ok the butterfly died because he's happy that he's with Jesus now. What a sweet little boy. I love that he already has that faith and knowledge.

The Nature Center

2011-07-15T10:28:00.003-06:00

Since we have lived in Boise, we have found a lot of kid-friendly activities that the boys just love. One of their favorites is the nature center. They have a lot of places that you can look through the glass and see a lot of fish. We also have been able to see a beaver a couple of times. Blake’s favorite is looking at all the waterfalls and climbing on the fences. Isaac’s favorite thing is looking at the fish

Our little helper

2011-07-15T10:09:00.006-06:00

My little Blake is such a great helper. He loves to help any time we need help. One way that he loves to help is in the kitchen. He loves to help with any cooking that he can. Last Christmas he asked for his very own apron. I found a little one and sewed on a little extra car to make it more “manly.” J A little update on our little Blake. He is 3 ½ years old. This coming fall he will be starting preschool. His favorite colors are green, blue, orange, purple and now almost all the colors except pink, because “it’s a girls color.” He is so amazingly smart. He can count to forty, actually count objects correctly, knows his left and right, has known the alphabet and can identify the letters for about two years, remembers songs after hearing them once, and can spell his name. Yes, I know I am a little biased since he is my son but this boy is smart. He started primary this year at church and everyone always praises him for how well he knows and sings the songs. He loves having dance parties with isaac and me. He also is amazing at making friends. He talks to everyone we come in contacts with. He always is making “best friends.” His best little friend is a little guy in our ward, Brody. They have very similar interests and play so well together. Blake is a daddy's boy. He absolutely loves Danny to pieces. I love seeing that Daddy and son bond. Blake loves anything outside… the zoo, parks, feeding ducks, nature center, and especially riding his bike. He now knows how to ride with his training wheels off. He also just finished swim lessons and swims like a fish. He loves the water. He informed me this week his favorite food is “anything mommy cooks.” Yes, that melts my heart. He has such a sweet heart and loves people. I am so proud of the little man this boy is becoming

Baseball boys

2011-07-15T10:02:00.003-06:00

To say our boys like sports is an understatement. They love everything about sports. Danny recently has played on our ward softball team. They boys loved going and watching Daddy play. First of all, Danny is pretty amazing at baseball. He played growing up and I was pretty amazed by how well he handles that little baseball. I on the other hand hate the idea of a hard little baseball zooming towards my face. J Of course the boys had to wear baseball hats like Danny and Blake learned he can use the zoom button when he takes pictures so we had quite a few pictures of Danny. They boys got a little distracted with the tennis courts behind us but this sure was a fun way to spend some summer nights.

Happy Birthday baby Isaac!

2011-07-15T09:41:00.004-06:00

My little honey bear turned one! I seriously can’t believe how fast that first year flew by. It really felt like yesterday he was placed in my arms for the first time. He has been such a great baby and now little toddler. It’s so fun to see his personality. He is full of life and loves every minute of it. He constantly has a smile on his face. He loves making messes with anything he can throw around. He is obsessed with playing catch already. He eats like it’s nobody’s business. He literally eats anything and has to eat any time someone else is. His favorite foods are blueberries and pasta. He has to feed himself or he throws a temper tantrum. He climbs on everything and just found out recently he can climb on the table. He loves Mickey Mouse and dancing around. He loves loves loves Blake, Daddy and me. He still is luckily a little more of a mama’s boy and I love it. He loves to snuggle. He loves to give kisses. He is about the fiftieth percentile for height and weight. He goes down for naps and bedtime the easiest I have ever seen a child do. His eyes and face light up every time he smiles. He laughs every day. He tries to copy everything Blake does. He says mama, dada, ake (Blake), Ice (Isaac), up and uh oh. On his actual birthday we just had our own little family birthday with cupcakes. A week later we had a little birthday party with his favorite people, the Kemps and Musicks. Happy birthday baby Isaac!

Women of steel and utah trip

2011-07-15T09:10:00.004-06:00

Back in May we decided to take a last minute trip to Utah. I knew that my sisters and mom were participating in a sprint triathlon and decided to try to do it too. Thursday night I started making phone calls to try to get a spot. We drove up on Friday and got in late that night. The next morning I completed my first triathlon. It was so much fun. I had zero training but had a lot of fun doing it. My mom and sisters also completed it. I am so proud of my mom for keeping with it and finishing. That is such a big accomplishment. She was the only participant in her age group to finish. Great job mom! While in Utah we also attended the national playoffs for rugby and were able to watch Highland play for the championship. It wasn't the greatest ending but still fun to go and watch.

It was a fun trip and always fun to see our families.

On the drive home we made a quick stop in Twin falls to go and look at Shoshone Falls. If you haven't been there before I recommend it. The waterfalls are amazing!

Disneyland!

2011-07-12T21:34:00.005-06:00

We have been so excited to take Blake to Disneyland. He loves Mickey Mouse and all of his friends and so it was such a magical experience for him being able to meet some of his favorite cartoon characters. As soon as we walked in Goofy and Mickey came walking out. We literally ran to Goofy and then moved on to Mickey. He was so excited to hug each of them and get his picture with them. I am so glad we took him when we did. Even though Blake couldn't ride all the rides because he was literally about an inch too short, he still was at a perfect age that it just was magical. I love going to Disneyland and feeling like a kid and it was such a neat experience to be able to take our own little boy and experiencing that pure joy with him. His favorite rides were the autotopia (driving cars), the teacups, and any that flew, like dumbo and the rocket ships. We also got him his very own Wall-E. This truly was the happiest place on the earth!

San Juan Capistrano

2011-07-12T21:10:00.006-06:00

We had the opportunity to go to San Juan Capistrano this year with some of our best friends, Ryan and Kristie. We had so much fun going to the beach and hanging out at the pool. It was so relaxing and fun to get away. Kristie's sister also lives there and so her boys were able to come and play with us too. Blake loved them and still talks about his best friends in California.

Our friends, the Musicks, were also visiting their family in California at the same time and so they were able to come over and play in the pool with us for an afternoon.

We went to church and then to the pier on Mother's day. This was Isaac's first time on the beach so of course he had to taste it.

Blake also found some roses that had washed up on shore, that he gave to me. :)It was a great mother's day spending time with great family and friends. Ryan was our personal chef while we were there. It was so great getting a break from cooking. We had wonderful food every night. The boys loved playing mini golf in the backyard

We also took out Kristie's sisters' paddle boards and played on those one days. Blake went with Danny a little bit and loved it. Kristie and I went a little further out in the harbor and saw a boat washing out all the fish guts out of their boat. There were birds everywhere and all of a sudden we saw two fins. After a little freaking out we realized there were two dolphins so we paddled close to go and see them. It was a pretty awesome experience being that close to wild dophins. We had so much fun and can't wait for our next trip!

Food monster

2011-07-12T20:43:00.003-06:00

So one of the biggest differences between Blake and Isaac is Isaac adores food. As soon as he learned that he could put food in his mouth he never has stopped. He eats anything and everything. I absolutely love it. He gets so messy and always has to feed himself. Every morning Isaac needs to eat within the first ten minutes of waking up, if he doesn't get his food right away he starts yelling until he gets something. He is such a happy baby and is always happy when he has a full belly. His favorite foods to eat are blueberries and pasta. He really eats anything. Blake has slowly learned to eat with his hands and is giving in with mostly pasta but at least we're getting food in his mouth :)

Go baby Go

2011-07-12T20:31:00.003-06:00

Isaac took his first step a few days before he turned 10 months old. After one of his naps Blake was helping me lower Isaac's crib. I turned around and Isaac was standing up. He smiled a huge smile at me and took four steps. He tried again a few minutes later. He just wants to move all the time. He had been trying to walk all the time by pushing things around... now he doesn't stop moving.

BYU fans

2011-07-12T20:26:00.005-06:00

For those who know us, know we are huge BYU fans. Danny and I both attended BYU and love watching any BYU games. Our boys have grown up watching the games and love anything having to do with BYU. They look pretty cute in their clothes too.

Pinewood derby

2011-07-12T20:22:00.003-06:00

So every year our ward does a pinewood derby activity. Anyone can choose to make a pinewood derby car and then they race them down the track. Danny was able to go and carve a car this year and then we let Blake paint it completely on his own. Of course it was his favorite colors... green, orange, and purple. We had a great time and the boys loved watching the cars go down the track. I think we got past the second round but got beaten soon after. It still was fun to watch.

First dentist appointment

2011-07-11T14:43:00.003-06:00

At the age of three, dentists recommend having the first check up. We fully prepped Blake for what exactly would happen when he went to the dentist. He was so excited! When the big day finally came we went to the office. He met the dental hygienist, Kim, who was so nice. I could tell he was a little nervous walking back. Kim showed him all the tools she would be using. She let him play with the water and let him squirt water in my mouth and then use the sucker to suck it all up. He loved it. He was so amazingly good. He sat in the chair and let her do a full check up and cleaning. After he got to pick out a prize and also got a brand new toothbrush and toothpaste… he loves toothbrushes. It was a great experience and a great start to healthy teeth!

Run Danny Run!

2011-07-11T14:32:00.003-06:00

This is my stud of a husband. He is such an amazing athlete. I always knew he was with sports but never realized how hard he works and his commitment to succeeding until he started getting more into running. He loves races and so he’ll sign up and then work his tail off for the big day. Here is a race in March that he ran with Ryan... we like to poke fun at these two running buddies a little bit :)

The next race was a half marathon in May. He ran this again with Ryan and another one of his best friends, Blake. I truthfully am just waiting for him to announce that he's signing up for a marathon. Good job babe

What we do when it cold

2011-07-11T14:23:00.002-06:00

So winter seemed to last quite a long time this year. We spent a lot of days inside and here are some of the free entertainment that my boys came up with this year. Isaac is so much better than a piece of paper to decorate with stickers.

They really became such good friends being able to spend so much time together.

We also bundled up a lot of days and headed for the parks or zoo. I love the weather in Boise. Even in the middle of winter we still can have so much fun and enjoy some sunshine.

The Musicks

2011-07-11T14:15:00.002-06:00

There are two little boys in our ward that are close to our boys’ ages and Blake and Isaac loved them right away. Brody and Parker Musick. They are such adorable boys and my boys have so much fun playing with them. We spend quite a bit of time with them and no matter how much time we play it never seems to be enough. We love this family and are so glad they moved close so we can spend time with them. Parker is the little one and Brody is the older one. We never can seem to get a great picture of them all at the same time but we take what we can get.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

2011-07-11T13:48:00.004-06:00

So I don't know what it is but my boys love Mickey Mouse. The show on tv also has a song at the end called the hot dog dance. Without fail, every time Mickey mouse says "come on with me and do the hot dog dance" my boys run to the tv and start dancing away. I love it and have gotten some awesome pictures and videos of this obsession. Please excuse the huge mess during the video... honestly our place looks like this without fail at least once during the day. :)

No training wheels

2011-07-10T19:46:00.003-06:00

So Danny decided that he wanted to teach Blake to ride his bike without his training wheels. My initial response was..."He is way too little!" I remember learning how to ride my bike so obviously I thought Blake being three was way too little. Danny still insisted and so last week Danny took him to the track and let him practice with wheels and pedals off. He was a little wobbly but it was a good start. So he was talking to me before he went and said "Mom, I'm gonna try really hard and I might fall down but I'll get right back on and try again... I won't give up." I can't believe how old he sounds when he says those things. On Saturday, Danny took Blake again to the track and he did so much better. Blake has a little amazing mind and I can only imagine him thinking about how to balance better all week. We went back to the track that night to show me. He did amazing. He rode without any help the entire way around the track. He was so proud of himself so we went and got a little prize (Dairy queen chocolate ice cream cone). We went again yesterday and got some videos of our little man. He is great. He got his first little cut but did so great and can't stop asking to go riding his bike with two wheels. We are so proud of our little man!

The big 2-8

2011-06-23T09:32:00.003-06:00

I know this is so late but I am in major need of updating this blog. This year my Danny turned 28. I just wanted to take a few minutes to write some stuff about Danny at this time in his life. He is an amazing husband and father. We are so lucky that he is able and loves to spend so much time with us. Our little boys absolutely adore him. They have to wear hats when he does. They have to wear sunglasses when he does. Blake has to wear the same socks that danny does. They have to wear the tie that matches Danny's the most on sunday. They seriously idolize him. I am so grateful for the person that he is. He also puts up with all of my nerdy tendencies like wearing birthday hats :) Danny is a running machine now. He has his gps watch that he uses every run :) He does half marathons, triathlons, duathlons, and so many races. He is seriously an amazing athlete. Here's to my dear boy. We love you so much!

Best buddies

2011-04-08T14:35:00.002-06:00

So when I found out that I was pregnant with Isaac I was a little bit nervous. I talked to a lot of people who had two boys and heard a lot of negative things about how difficult it is as a parent. I talked to a friend from church, named Helen, who happens to have two little boys. She had so much good stuff to say about boys... yes, they can be crazy sometimes but they are best friend. This definitely calmed my nerves about having two boys. After that all I could think about was how much I wanted my little boys to be best friends, and I am very pleased to say those dreams have come true. Blake and Isaac absolutely love each other. Yes, they still can get on each others nerves but they adore each other. Blake loves snuggling with Isaac and just recently Isaac will actually snuggle up and lay his head on Blake. Their favorite thing to do right now is Blake will ride on the Nemo car and Isaac holds on tight behind him, then they take off and ride all around the kitchen and living room. They play together and laugh together. It makes me so grateful as a parent. I hope that they will always be best friends. I know they're going to fight and get mad at each other but for this small moment in time, I am just going to enjoy these smiles and laughter.

Crawling baby Isaac

2011-04-08T14:02:00.004-06:00

So starting around seven months, Isaac started doing the pre-crawling things. Here is a little time line of this little man. First he would literally just do hundreds of push-ups every day. That little man is one strong baby. Look at those little chunky legs :)

After that he would do little flops to get places. First he would only go backwards, which would drive him crazy since he was moving further away from what he wanted. Then he started going forwards. He looked like a little seal. He could cruise around pretty fast just flopping around. He almost always had this face while he was flopping too... I think that's his concentrating face.

I got his first time crawling on camera. He was very determined and so just under eight months this little man started crawling. He is one happy baby and is all over the place now. Oh my goodness I can't believe how cute this little man is. He will be walking any day now.

Christmas

2011-04-08T09:11:00.005-06:00

Ok so Christmas this year was so much fun! Blake loved learning about baby Jesus and his mommy Mary. We listened to Christmas music the entire month long. One super fun new tradition we decided to do every year as a family is go to the assisted living place and give all the sweet elderly people candy canes. They were all so happy to talk to Blake and give us all hugs. We had Isaac dressed up as Santa and they couldn't get enough of him. I think doing things like that keep the true meaning of Christmas in our minds. Even if it's just small acts of service like that, I think it's important to teach our kids that from a very young age so it will be something they love to do as they grow up.
We also got the book "Elf on a shelf" which was so magical for Blake. I highly recommend this little book to anyone with little kids. It comes with a little Elf that "magically" flies to the North pole every night to report to Santa if you've been a good boy or girl, then he flies back and you have to find his new spot every morning. Blake loved looking around for his elf, Snowflake. He also loved the idea of Santa. He wrote a letter to him, sat on his lap, left cookies and milk.

I attempted to sew pajama pants for the boys, which actually ended up really cute.

Christmas morning we opened up presents. Some of our favorite presents we got... Blake got a train table and more Thomas trains, Danny got a "Why I love my daddy" book that Blake and I made for him, I got the cutest picture with handprints and footprints that Danny made with the boys, and Isaac got a ball popper. Of course there were more presents but those were our favorites.

We cleaned up the mess, packed up and headed to Utah to see our families. We seriously have some amazing families and it is always wonderful to see them.

When we were there we took Blake ice skating for the first time. He loved it. We took Isaac around a couple of times, but Danny's cute sister Jill held him at the benches for most of it, since she's pregnant. We had a blast.

Last picture is of bath time. My boys absolutely love water and baths. They spend at least a half hour in there almost every night. They splash and laugh and play with all the cute bath toys that Nana got them.

Winter 2010

2011-04-07T15:59:00.004-06:00

So ever since we moved to Boise, everyone told us how mild the winters were. Well we got a major snow storm this year. Blake's friend Gage came and played in the snow with him. I pulled them around in the snow on a sled and the boys loved eating the snow. Gage actually would stick his face right in the snow to get a mouthful. :) My friend Kristie came over and we built snowmen for Blake. We seriously had so much fun. It felt like being a kid again.... we were laughing so hard trying to lift up the huge snowballs to make a snowman. I don't remember it being that hard to make a snowman. Anyways... Blake loved them.

We also went to our ward's Christmas party. Blake was so excited to see Santa. He was very much into Thomas trains and so he actually brought an entire list of trains to show Santa exactly what he wanted. It was so cute. Isaac loved Santa too. He just sat on his lap and looked at him. He also gave his beard a few good tugs. We waited for all the kids to sit on his lap and Blake wanted to talk to him again and give him a few more hugs.

Last but not least we decorated a gingerbread train. It was really cute and we let Blake put on all the candy. He ate about half of it but it still looked cute.

Fall

2011-04-07T15:36:00.004-06:00

So for those who don't know, Boise is called the city of trees. Since there are so many trees here, fall is absolutely beautiful. Almost anywhere you walk you see beautiful leaves around. Here are some pictures from our favorite places to walk... the zoo, the greenbelt, the nature center, and a park.

Danny ran his first half marathon with one of our friends, Ryan. We love to go and watch Danny finish his races. We also got to go and visit family in utah for a little bit. We got some great pictures with the leaves in grandma and grandpas yard.

While we were in Utah we got a little snowstorm and so we also got to play in the snow with the cousins. Blake loves his cousins!

We also were able to take Blake to his first Jazz game. He only lasted until about half time but he had so much fun, especially dressed in his Deron Williams jersey. Danny's parents have tickets on Row 6, which makes the games so much fun to watch. We were watching the players come onto the court and Blake just yelled and yelled and yelled "Hi Deron" while he was waving his arms all over the place. I almost cried because I could feel how excited he was

Halloween

2011-04-07T15:18:00.004-06:00

So for months before Halloween, Blake had it in his head what he wanted each of us to be for Halloween. Danny and he were going to be dogs, I was going to be a kitty cat, and Isaac was going to be a turtle. I found both of their costumes for killer deals. We made a deal with Blake that if he filled up another potty chart we would dress up however he wanted us to. Well he filled it up pretty quick so I put together stuff for our costumes. These are pictures from our ward trunk or treat.

These are some of Blake's best friends. Bailey and Brody

And another best friend, Gage.
October was filled with so many fun activities. We went to one of the pumpkin patches here and rode on tractors, and little cow cars pulled by trailers. They had pony rides and a petting zoo. This was the best family picture we got because Blake just got bit by the camel so there were many tears.

We also did Boo at the Zoo. Blake loved it this year seeing all the animals dressed up. Of course he like the dogs best because he was a dog too. This halloween season was so much fun, because Blake understands holidays so much more. It's fun to see him countdown until that magical day comes.

Potty training

2011-04-07T15:07:00.005-06:00

So back in September I decided that it was time to start potty training Blake. I read a lot of people's tips and talked to many friends about how they attempted to potty train their kids. I figured out what I thought would be best for Blake and came up with this. He got to pick out underwear at the store. I also found a "Cars" potty chart online and printed it out. Every time Blake went to the bathroom he got a sticker (that he picked out) that he would put on the chart. Our deal with him was once the chart was full he got to pick out any toy he wanted at the store. It worked like a charm. He listened to the deals and only had two accidents in two weeks. I have to tell about the accidents because that was pretty cute... Well every day Danny gets to come home and eat lunch with him. To say Danny is Blake's best friend is an understatement and so when he walks through the door Blake runs as fast as he can to jump in his arms. Well he was so excited both of those two times that as soon as Danny got home he peed his pants, kind of like an excited dog :) Besides that Blake did great. He would wear pull ups at night until a couple of months ago. So luckily potty training for Blake was a breeze.

Riding bikes

2011-04-07T14:55:00.004-06:00

Since we have been in Boise, one of our favorite things has been to ride our bikes. We have a beautiful paved path following the Boise river, and it is ideal to ride, walk, or run on. Well back in April 2010 our friend Blake found an amazing deal on a little bike for our Blake. One afternoon I started teaching him and he was a natural. He absolutely loves his bike. We would take him to the track and just let him ride until he was worn out... which never happened. We would get worn out before he did. He watches bike shows and tries to copy all the "cool bike moves," like making skid marks from stopping so fast, standing up while riding, only holding on with one hand, going off curbs, and going literally as fast as his little legs will go. It has been so much fun and will continue to be for hopefully a while.

Happy Birthday little Blake!

2010-11-16T10:01:00.003-07:00

Yesterday my little munchkin turned three! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. I still remember when we were taking him home from the hospital. Blake is such an amazing little boy and already has such a big heart. He brings so much happiness into our home. We laugh every day because of all the funny things he does. Here are some of Blake's favorites as he turns three. His favorite colors are green, orange, purple, and he likes yellow a little bit. He is in love with trains... which is why he got so many for his birthday. He is totally potty trained, with only three accidents. He loves to help me cook anything.... cookies, pancakes, green smoothies, pizza, and pretty much anything that he gets to measure and stir. He loves the zoo, because of this we go about once or twice a week. He knows almost all the animals by name and has found out many of their actual names from zoo workers. He does the cutest dance in the world that he made up. He loves singing and knows many primary songs. He knows his abc's, counts to 29, knows all his colors, and is learning how to write the alphabet. He is an amazing big brother. Isaac has some of his best smiles for blake. Blake loves holding him, taking baths with him, and getting good night kisses from him. He has been so gentle and such a big helper. He loves nursery and his friends. He loves pretending anything now, we play pretend almost every day now. He is such a wonderful little guy and we have gotten teary just thinking about him growing up so fast. We just want to freeze him how he is right now. He is a big daddy's boy and yells, runs and gives danny the biggest hugs every day when danny gets back from work. We love you so much buddy! Happy third birthday!

McCall

2010-11-07T08:31:00.004-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to McCall with some of our best friends, Ryan and Kristie, during September. We had been saying how we should go for some time now and the timing finally worked out. It was beautiful! It just is a small town with a huge lake in the middle and cabins scattered around. We always have such a fun time with them and this was no exception. We spent the weekend walking around the town, playing by the lake, eating at "my father's place" (some great burgers and shakes), and of course playing games. They are such a great couple and Blake seriously considers them his second parents. We are so grateful to have such great friends. Thanks again for such a fun weekend!

Favorites during our Utah trip

2010-11-02T10:28:00.004-06:00

I love being able to go to Utah and visit our families. This time was no exception. We did some of Blake's favorite things while we were there: the zoo, Wheeler's Farm, and playing with our families. His favorite thing this time was jumping on the trampoline and of course riding the train at the zoo. He is growing up so fast and definitely has his favorite things that he talks about for months after. His favorite colors right now are green, orange, and purple so of course those were his favorite tractors. We also tie dyed shirts with my sisters and kids so that was his favorite shirt that he wore almost every day. He loves looking at all the pictures almost on a daily basis. Here were his favorite things from this trip in September

Hawaiian vacation

2010-10-19T14:14:00.005-06:00

This last August my dad decided to fly us all out to Hawaii. We had such a blast. To change it up a little bit, from the past times we have been he decided to rent a beach house on the north shore. My brothers and sisters and I spent the summers growing up working for my dad in Honolulu. It was awesome spending more time on that side of the island. It seems so much more laid back. The house was literally on the beach.

We all stayed there and had such a fun time. The schedule was pretty packed but we were able to pack a lot of fun into those two weeks. We started with going to the bon dance. Blake loved his first experience with this. He tried doing all of the dances and all the kids were so cute trying the Japanese dances.

We also blessed baby Isaac while we were there in my dad's ward. It was such a wonderful experience and I'm so glad my brothers, dad, and brother in law could participate in it. I didn't get any pictures of Isaac in his outfit because he had a blow out in it before sacrament was even over.... doesn't that always seem to happen? :)

We had family pictures and learned how to make mochi.

We also had a talent show/luau where we all had to participate. It was also a graduation party for Shawn, who graduated from high school. Danny actually learned how to play the ukelele and my little sister, Tracey, and I performed hula to the song, hukilau. It was a lot of fun! We then all took sailing lessons. I can't believe how much work it is to make that little sailboat go.

We also were able to go to sea life park and swim with the dolphins. Blake loved it! It was so much fun being able to be in the water with Kaleo, the dolphin, and play with him.

As always we made a stop at Matsumoto's shave ice. I love that place!

We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and visited the villages as well as saw the new night show.

A few of us were able to go scuba diving. It was so much fun. We saw some sharks and a lot of turtles. This was the first time Danny and I have been able to go together. It was awesome being able to do that together. We also learned how to fish the old hawaiian way with nets.

It was so good to be with family. We always love seeing everyone and letting Blake get to know his cousins better. Thanks dad for such a fun vacation!

Just a little more summer

2010-10-17T09:32:00.006-06:00

Ok so the next week or so I have some major catching up with blogging of things I missed and don't want to forget. Ok so in July we were adjusting to having a new little baby around. Surprisingly it wasn't that much different. We still did a lot of things just had a little extra person around. A quick warning... this is going to be picture overload. The first picture was some finger painting. So Blake has always been a very very very clean boy. I couldn't even get him to do fingerpaints without a paint brush. Luckily he is growing out of that.

The next picture is what happened when he would get dirty. In case you can't see where he is dirty, look closely under his ring finger. There is some paint there :)

And the final one is what Isaac would do during all this

Next, we went to the snake river stampede rodeo in Nampa. Blake absolutely loves horses right now and so he was so excited to go. He would clap after every rider. It was so much fun to watch him and see how excited he was. Isaac literally slept through the entire thing. The noisier the better it was for Isaac.

The last thing we did in July was Danny participated in his first Triathlon, the Spudman in Burley Idaho. Anyone who knew Danny growing up would know Danny didn't work out. Well last summer he got he exercise bug and started running. He then got a road bike which started him riding and during the winter he started swimming. He works out like crazy now and enters all sorts of races. It has been so fun to watch him get better and better. We love waiting at the finish line and cheering him on for a job well done. My sister Kim and her husband also participated in this race. I didn't think this thing through all the way and didn't think that after Danny started the race we would be waiting around for a couple of hours. Luckily, some of our friends from our old BYU ward were there. Lisa was pregnant so she sat and hung out with us while our husbands worked their buns off. So proud of my triathlete!

Our fun visitors

2010-09-13T13:23:00.007-06:00

This summer we have had some fun visitors to come and visit us. First, my little sister Tracey came a few weeks after Isaac was born. We had so much fun celebrating the fourth of July, going to the zoo, parks, and hanging out. We love her and she is so amazingly helpful around the house and with the baby. Love you small fry!

Next, Danny's sister Luann and some of our nieces and nephews came to visit us. Blake loved playing with all of his "friends." We floated the river, swam, played guitar hero, bridge jumping, going to the zoo, and just had a lot of fun. We love having visitors and loved having Luann, Spencer, Tyler, Benny, Kate, Nick, and McKelle come to visit us

My latest obsession

2010-09-02T22:25:00.002-06:00

So... since Blake has been eating solid foods it has been a major struggle to get him to eat his vegetables. I have tried forcing, bribing, persuading, pretty much everything to get him to eat any. With most of his vegetables I have to end up chopping it up into his food so he doesn't realize they're in there, but I can't get him to pick up a vegetable and eat it. So... I started hearing about people making smoothies and adding spinach to them. I figured I have nothing to lose so I started making spinach smoothies with Blake. They were a hit! He loves it because he gets to help me make them and then it makes it green, which happens to be his favorite color. You can't taste the spinach at all and he gets his fruits and vegetables. This makes a very happy mommy. So if you want to try ours out here's what you do. Put enough spinach to fill up half the blender, add some juice (we like apple), add a banana, and any other fruits you choose. Our favorites are blueberries and mango. Then blend it up for a while until its smooth and put some ice in. Enjoy!

Little Isaac's Story

2010-07-19T13:54:00.003-06:00

So finally I am getting around to posting a little bit about our precious new little baby boy Isaac. He was born June 2 and is perfect. I had gone in for my weekly checkup and since I was far enough along they asked if I would like to be induced that day. Of course I said yes so around noon we checked ourselves into the hospital. Danny and I watched some chick flicks while the pitocin was starting to work. I got an epidural around three thirty right before my doctor broke my water. A little after five I started feeling some pressure and so I had Danny get the nurse. She checked and sure enough I was ready to start pushing. I pushed for 7 minutes! The cord was wrapped around little Isaac's neck and so the nurses took him and made sure everything was ok. He was perfect. 7 lbs 13 ounces and really just perfect. So in about 5 1/2 hours my entire labor was done. I really can't even say anything else but how perfect it all was.
Blake has been such an amazing big brother. He loves Isaac and is constantly wanting to hold him or help out with him. It is so fun to see already what good friends they are going to be. I love my boys and am excited for all of the fun experiences we'll have
.

Baby's name is Isaac Daniel Stanworth!

2010-06-05T13:01:00.000-06:00

Baby Boy has arrived!

2010-06-03T20:59:00.013-06:00

New Baby Boy Stanworth has arrived. We promise a name will be posted once the decision has been made. This is my (Danny's) first attempt at updating our blog, so it will mostly consist of pictures. I will let Lisa fill you in on the details once she is arrives back home. This sweet little boy arrived on June 2, 2010 at 5:27 PM weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Both he and Lisa did wonderful! So far he has enjoyed his new world, sleeps well, and is learning to eat. Grandma Jonna was able to fly in on the evening of the 2nd to help out, and Blake has found a new best friend in her. Grandma feels so lucky to be able to see Lisa and this sweet little boy in the hospital and we are so lucky to have her here! Hope you enjoy the pictures and thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

13 days left until due date

2010-05-26T13:20:00.003-06:00

So I am going through the longest month of pregnancy. This month seriously seems to drag on for like a year. I know I can't complain because I have had a pretty easy breezy pregnancy and am not in back labor, like with Blake, but I am so anxious to get this little guy out and hold him. My doctor has been telling me for about a week that he wouldn't be surprised if he came out in the next couple of days. I am not very good at filtering the whole pregnancy talk so if this stuff grosses you out, you can skip reading this. I am already dialated to a five! My doctor has also stripped my membranes twice, but I guess I should know by now that my boys are stubborn and will come when they're good and ready. We are moving in two days, so realistically I should wait until at least Saturday so we can get rid of some of the stress but I am not a very patient person :) Anyways, hopefully my next post will be welcoming our new baby boy (name still undecided) into this world. Wish me luck!

Busy as can be

2010-05-08T13:25:00.003-06:00

So I have neglected this blog long enough, so I have a little catching up to do. Life has been busy, good but busy. This last week we sold our jeep, Danny is driving our new car back from Salt Lake this weekend, we are moving to another place in three weeks and baby boy will make his grand entrance sometime in the next 4 1/2 weeks. My mind is telling me I should be nesting but it's kind of pointless knowing that we have to box everything up and move it, literally down the street, in three weeks. I am so excited about all the changes, but it has kept us busy. Anyways, I have found a new little passion during these last couple of weeks. My mom gave me her sewing machine and I am a little obsessed. In two weeks I have sewn baby bumpers, a baby blanket, and just finished a throw pillow for baby boy's room. Here are some pictures. They will look cuter when we can set up his new room once we move, so for now you'll get the idea. I have never had a sewing class, so I have been pretty proud of myself that I have done this without a pattern or anything. I figured it's for a baby so he won't care if my lines are straight. :)

I am very ready for this little guy. I can't wait to see him. If you haven't noticed his name is still baby boy. We finally are getting to choosing names we like and have narrowed it down to four! Starting next week I will be seeing my doctor every week . I can't believe that sometime in a month we will have another sweet little boy!

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T13:50:00.006-06:00

It's about time for an update. Here's the latest with little baby boy... I am now 32 weeks along. Technically, that means he can come in 5-8 weeks. I definitely am not as nervous just getting anxious to see this little man. The beginning of this pregnancy was so different than my pregnancy with Blake but since about 20 weeks it has almost been identical. This little baby is active just like Blake and I only feel a little sick if I haven't snacked in a little while. These little boys like to snuggle up in my ribs so that is my biggest complaint. Other than that, the later half of this pregnancy has been a breeze. It goes a lot quicker too since I have little Blake to keep me busy. We don't have any names picked out that we're even deciding between and I'm sure we won't until we see him but we're excited. Here's a couple of pictures from 23 weeks pregnant and then 30 weeks. My belly is sure getting bigger. I am measuring almost exactly the same as I was with Blake.

Next, we had such a fun Easter. The week before we went to the zoo for a big Easter egg hunt. Blake loved looking for eggs and feeding the new sheep and goats. We had a very relaxed Easter weekend watching general conference. On saturday we hung out and died eggs with our good friends Ryan and Kristie. On Easter we did a little easter egg hunt for Blake and gave him his easter basket that he believes is from "peeps" bunny rabbits. He loved it and we had such a fun time. It is so much fun to watch him grow up. He is just like a little parrot now and never stops talking. He says the cutest things and has us laughing all day long. We love him and he is so excited for baby brother. This last week I was trying to explain to him that baby brother has to stay in my belly until he's ready to come out, and that when Blake was a little tiny baby he was also in my belly. He started trying to shove his head through my belly button and kept saying, "I wanna get back in mommy's belly." He is such an amazing little boy and can't wait for another little one.

Boy #2 is on his way!

2010-02-07T09:38:00.003-07:00

We found out last month that we are having another little boy! It was definitely a shock because I have been so sick I was sure it was a girl, but I am I am so happy Blake will have a little brother to play with. Before I was pregnant with this little guy, I had had a miscarriage in August, and so I think I have a different perspective on really worrying about the gender of our little one. All I want is a healthy little baby and I feel so blessed to be getting this. The ultrasound estimated the due date to be a little earlier (June 3) which would be great but I am still keeping my old due date June 8. Little boy looks healthy and is so active just like Blake. Any names suggestions would be great! Here are some pictures of the ultrasound

Catching up

2009-12-19T09:43:00.004-07:00

The longer I have a blog it seems the more I neglect it. We have had quite a bit happen and I just haven't sat down and written about it so here's my catch up. First, we went on the first Stanworth family reunion with Danny's immediate family in October to Exuma (The Bahamas). We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. The water was amazing and warm and since it is considered the off season we pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves. Danny got certified for scuba diving while we were there and we loved playing with the family. It was beautiful and we had so much fun.

Next, Blake and I went down to Salt Lake for a couple of weeks since my mom was in the hospital. There were just a chain of events that seemed to keep her in there. A mass in her stomach, hysterectomy, blocked small intestine, and multiple infections kept her in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Luckily she is getting better and stronger. We were able to spend a lot of time with my sister Kim and her sweet family. My brother Matt and his little family came up from Hawaii so we were able to spend time with them too. Danny came down for the Halloween weekend. Blake was a chubby little elephant. He loved trick or treating and could have run all night with Danny.
Last, but definitely not least I AM PREGNANT! I totally had forgotten that I haven't posted this big news. I am almost 16 weeks pregnant and am due at the beginning of June. We will find out our next appointment the gender of our little baby. I have been a lot more nauseous with this pregnancy but am beginning to feel much more like myself. My belly has popped out much sooner but the baby looks and sounds healthy. We are so excited!
We will be heading down to Salt Lake for Christmas so if any of you will be around we would love to see you. We hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday Blake!

2009-11-15T13:36:00.004-07:00

I can't believe that my little baby is growing up so fast. Two years ago this little man was just coming into the world and now he is a talking, running, laughing, little man. He has brought us so many smiles and laughs and I can't even imagine what we did without him. We just love him so much and am so thankful for all the joy he has brought into our lives. Happy Birthday baby Blake!

Summer Fun!

2009-09-14T13:43:00.006-06:00

I FINALLY am updating this old blog. I keep thinking about it but then I get distracted and find other things that I do instead. So, I am sitting here making myself update this before anything else gets in the way. I realized summer is pretty much over as I went for a bike ride along the green belt and rode over the many leaves changing colors and falling to the ground. We had such a fun summer with so many great ups and very little downs. I just can't help but recognize how blessed we are with wonderful families, great friends, an amazing city, and a great ward. Danny found a new bike for him, me, and a bike trailer all on craigslist so we have been having so much fun going on little family rides. We also have been running a lot and will hopefully be doing a couple of races in these next couple of months. Blake is growing in leaps and bounds. He doesn't stop talking and learns at least one new word every day. He recognizes and can point out and say all of his abc's except for "w" which is he working on. He knows almost all of his colors and all of the animal sounds even the ones I make up when I don't know the sound, like a giraffe or a zebra. Does anyone know what they say? He loves nursery and loves playing with his friends, especially Gage. He is just a bundle of joy and gets more and more fun every day. Just a quick recap on our summer. We spent most days at the pool, zoo, or park. We went to California in June, my dad came and visited in July and I roadtripped it with him to rexburg, then utah, and we will be going to Salt Lake this week for Danny's best friends wedding. Here's my favorite pics from a great summer. There's a lot...

Care free days of summer

2009-06-22T07:47:00.007-06:00

I think this is one of the cutest videos of Blake. He is growing up so fast and seems to be learning new things every day. I love watching his little brain grow. Here's a quick update of our summer so far... for my 25th birthday, Danny planned a whole trip for me to California. We had so much fun playing in the pool, going to the beach, morning donut runs and just spending 10 days with Danny and Blake. We lucked out and had beautiful weather almost the entire time we were there. Besides that we just play every day and then play some more when Danny gets home. Blake is growing up so fast. Some of his favorite things right now are playing with rocks, copying EVERYTHING Danny does, helping me cook (he actually cracked his first egg this morning making muffins), feeding the ducks and yelling "Catch!", going for my morning runs with me, and just being outside for anything. We are loving being his parents and having a great summer!

Four Year Anniversary

2009-04-23T13:38:00.006-06:00

Today is our four year anniversary! I can't believe how fast time flies. We've had so many fun experiences and I can't wait to make more memories. Love ya forever babe!

Spring is here!

2009-04-19T13:22:00.010-06:00

Well two months have passed by while I have been seriously neglecting this blog. Danny surprised me with a trip to Utah during the beginning of April and we had so much fun seeing family and friends. We both have such amazing families and we love being able to have Blake get to know them better every time we go to Utah. We also were able to catch up with many friends. It was such a blast even though I picked up a cold while I was there. Utah has always felt like home to me, but I was telling Danny the other day that for the first time in my life a certain place doesn't feel like home but wherever he and Blake are. Home definitely is where the heart is.

Blake is growing so quickly and he is no longer a baby. He is now 17 months old and has such a fun little personality. He talks for hours every day and even though we can't understand much of what he is saying it's fun to listen to him. We have had the most beautiful weather here and have been able to get out and go to parks almost every day. Blake's latest favorite things are getting in the shower with Danny or me, playing on the playground and slides all by himself, making tons of animal noises, and bumping his head just to get a kiss better. He is such a little angel and we love watching him grow!

Danny also gave Blake his first haircut. Our friends, the Kowallis' gave us the idea of giving a sucker to keep him occupied and it worked like a charm. He sat still the entire time and looked so cute with his new haircut. The latest news with Danny...

Poor guy sprained his ankle and now got a cold from me. All in all we are doing great and loving the beautiful spring weather!

Finally an update!

2009-02-05T14:31:00.010-07:00

I know I have been neglecting our blog for so long so finally after a couple of months here's is a little update of what has been happening. Christmas was wonderful! We stayed in Boise for Christmas eve and Christmas day with just our little family. We opened our Christmas pajamas and Danny made my favorite breakfast for Christmas morning. We opened up presents and spent the day just playing. It was such a fun day. We drove down to Salt Lake the next day to spend time with our families. We were able to go to one of our nephews baptisms, snowboarded with my family, and spent a lot of time with our families. My favorite surprise was that my brother Johnny and his wife Nicky surprised our family by coming from the Netherlands to see everyone. It was so good to see them and all of the rest of our families that traveled from Hawaii, Texas, and Boston.

After we got back to Boise, Danny worked for a week and then we left for Hawaii. My dad flew us out there for a couple of weeks. It was so nice to get out of cold weather and enjoy the beach and sun. It was Blake's first time to the beach and he loved it. He would yell and run for the water every time we went. My brother Steve, his wife Jenny, and their little girl Megan also were there visiting so we got to spend a lot of time with them going to the beach, hiking, and just hanging out. Blake loved Megan. My other brother Matt and his wife Natalie and their little boy Spencer just moved to Hawaii in December so it was great to be able to spend time with them too. Spencer is about 5 months younger then Blake and it was like two little brothers hanging out. So sweet. We also got to celebrate Danny's 26th birthday while we were there. Hmmm... what can I say about Danny? He is such an amazing husband and Daddy. We love him so much and are so grateful for the time we are able to spend with him. I just fall in love with him over and over again every day.

I know that this blog was soooo long but just needed to update. Hope everyone is doing well!

December

2008-12-17T20:16:00.010-07:00

Ok I am finally updating our blog. We are all doing great even though there is about four inches of snow outside. Last Saturday we had our ward Christmas party and it was Blake's first time on Santa's lap. He was fine until he touched the beard and then he didn't want anything to do with him. He did get a cute little teddy bear from him and we got a couple of cute pictures.

Blake also loves feeding himself, his favorites are yogurt and applesauce. This has become a nightly thing right before his bath so he can get as messy as he wants. He also loves trying to feed me and wiping the yogurt on my face. He is such a little ball of energy and keeps me busy every day

These last two pictures are of Blake with his BFF Gage. They have known each other their entire lives and play so well together. I got to have Gage over today and Blake just kept on hugging him. They also had so much fun on the little truck Aunt Andee gave Blake for his birthday. Blake would just drag Gage all over the place. I will try to update more frequently so everyone can see pics of out sweet little boy. Lastly, we finally signed up for Skype so if anyone wants to chat let me know! We hope you all are doing well!

One year pictures

2008-11-18T11:18:00.007-07:00

So I decided to try and take Blake's one year pictures instead of doing them in a studio and see how they turn out. It is way to beautiful outside to pass up this opportunity. I still might end up taking him to get some but I sure got some cute pics. Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BLAKE!

2008-11-15T07:48:00.008-07:00

It is unbelievable that a year has come and gone since our little boy has been alive. He has been such an amazing baby and has brought so much happiness to our family. We are so grateful to have him in our lives. He is growing more and more every day and I finally have realized he is no longer a baby. He runs, dances(mostly goes in circles and waves his arms), and talks all day long. We love him so much!

You know how when you were young and you were so excited for your birthday that it was hard to sleep the night before? This was totally Blake last night. It's like he knew. He went to bed later than he normally does, woke up like 5 times, and woke up early. I'm sure eating birthday cake last night didn't help! We had a little birthday party last night with some of Blake's little friends in the ward. Here is a pic of Gage, Izzy, Blake, Stone, Clark, and Cassie.

This was Blake's birthday cake that Ashely and I created. We copied the design from the napkins and plates. It ended up so cute and tasted awesome.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BLAKE!

Halloween weekend

2008-11-03T08:24:00.012-07:00

So... Blake's first Halloween week has come and gone and we had so much fun. I probably had more fun than he did but he loved all of the fun activities. It definitely made me remember what it felt like to be a little kid and how fun Halloween was.

First, last Saturday we went to Boo at the zoo with our friends Ashley and Gage. The kids all got to dress up and trick or treat. Saying it was crowded was an understatement... they had posted their limit for letting people come in was 13,000 people. It was packed but we had so much fun... I even touched a snake!! Gage was a duck, Blake was a frog, and Ashley and I were cowgirls.

Later we carved pumpkins with the Kowallis'. I was bored later on in the week so Ashley had given me a cute idea to let Blake paint the pumpkin. I was super careful because I didn't have finger paints but it lasted less than five minutes and Blake got the paint everywhere including himself, the floor, our rug, cupboards, and luckily the pumpkin.

Then on Thursday I took Blake to a corn maze. We skipped the corn maze and did all of the fun courtyard activities. We petted the animals, took a bumpy cow train ride, took a hay ride and a pony ride, and took tons of pictures. I had so much fun.

On Halloween we went to our wards trunk or treat. Blake became so good at picking out pieces of candy from the bowls. He was so cute! I had so much fun getting free candy that I begged Danny to go down some of the streets and do some trick-or-treating. That lasted about two streets and then we needed to get blake home for bed. That is a wrap up of this week. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Fall in Boise

2008-10-21T15:22:00.003-06:00

Our little sports fan

2008-10-03T09:45:00.004-06:00

Here are some recent pictures of our little Blake. He is growing so fast, I can't believe that he is 10 1/2 months old already. He is walking all over the place and is getting so much attention from everyone for it. He loves to play peek-a-boo and make funny faces. He also has started feeding himself which means more messes than I can count. I probably change his shirt 3 times a day but he loves it. The other pics are some our our favorite teams. Of course BYU... we are coming to Salt Lake next weekend to go to the game! Red Sox!!! And the last is Boise State gear since this is our hometown. Hope you all enjoy the pics

He doesn't eat apples like this... I just bite it for him and he sucks out all the juices. So cute!

Toilet paper trails

2008-09-29T10:40:00.003-06:00

So my friend Meghan had put this on her blog... I couldn't stop laughing about it. Here is a story from my childhood. Meghan and I grew up three houses away from each other so no doubt she was my bff. We had so many crazy stories and this is one that will keep me laughing for years. Anyways here's a story for those who didn't know me back in the day and for those who did but never knew these stories. Keep in mind this is from meghan's blog word for word... but she is so much better than I am at telling stories... Enjoy!

Every kid goes toilet papering at least once, right? That revered tradition, meant to both terrorize and honor the victim, has been a teenage rite of passage for decades. Everyone has a toilet papering story. The following is one such story.
From the dusty archives of my own memory, this is how it goes:
I was probably about twelve years old when I first experienced toilet papering. I was accustomed to weekly sleepovers with my “all-time bestest friend forever”, Lisa (whose friendship has endured throughout the years, despite many silly, ridiculous, pathetic little escapades, like the one being described). Lisa and I knew that every Friday, we would choose a location- “My house or your house?”, watch Boy Meets World- every week hoping that this was the episode that Cory and Topanga would finally get together for good, and then leave ourselves to mischief for the rest of the evening.
One Friday night, probably in September (didn’t you always feel more daring in the first month of a new school year? I did.), we cooked up a plan to go toilet papering. Our circumstances couldn’t have been more convenient: we were in my basement, which had a separate entry from the front door of our house, and there was a new stock of toilet paper in the basement bathroom. ”This will be so cool”, I remember thinking. And it could have been. If I hadn’t been such a square.
First, I wrote a note to my parents. I didn’t want them coming down to find an empty basement, then going crazy worrying about us. ”Dear Mom and/or Dad, Lisa and I went toilet papering at midnight. We won’t be gone more than 45 minutes. We’ll stay in the neighborhood. Love, Meghan”.
Then, I realized it was unsafe to be out that late without at least a flashlight. So, I tiptoed upstairs to get one from the hall closet.
Finally, we set out, feeling giddy with freedom. We decided to toilet paper the family around the corner, who had a son that was in our Sunday School class. We draped a few white, wispy streamers across the branches of their shortest tree, then wrapped the mailbox. When we stood back to admire our work, we saw that there wasn’t much to be admired. So, we wound the toilet paper through the railing on their front steps, and added to our artistry with the baby tree. Finally, we got bored and left.
My parents slept soundly through the whole thing, so I discarded the note I had written them. I returned the flashlight upstairs, and we turned out the lights to go to sleep. But I couldn’t sleep. The guilt was too much. What if they think someone doesn’t like them, and that’s why they got toilet papered? What if the sprinklers come on? What if they trace it back to us? What if they’re angry?
So, at 6:00 on Saturday morning, I snuck out again- to clean the whole thing up. The neighbor family was still asleep, and I’m pretty sure no one ever knew about my debut as a toilet paper-er. Which was fine with me. I decided at that point that I would avoid all other pranks involving toilet paper, for as long as I should live.

The last days of summer

2008-09-10T11:03:00.012-06:00

California, Utah, 4th tooth, and sleeping through the night... in that order. It has been a busy two weeks. So about a month ago we were walking through the Boise zoo and I told Danny that the next time we went to California I wanted to go to the San Diego zoo. This sparked a little idea in Danny's head and two weeks later we were off to California... such a sweet husband. We met Danny's parents there and were able to spend four fun days in California. The San Diego Zoo was unbelievable... we loved seeing all the animals and were amazed with the neat exhibits they lived in. We pretty much saw every animal you could think of. Blake loved the monkeys and became very good at spotting them. After the zoo we went to Danny's parents house in San Clemente and stayed there the rest of the time. We played in the pool for hours and ate way too many snow cones. We got home on a Monday and on Tuesday my sister, Kim, gave birth to her fourth baby, Isabella. I decided I wanted to surprise her and so Blake and I drove down to Salt Lake on Thursday. We had so much fun and little Bella is so precious. Blake had so much fun playing with all of his cousins. The night before I left Utah Blake's fourth tooth finally broke through. We drove home and for the first time Blake slept through the night... 11 hours! Ohmy goodness sleep is wonderful. You don't realize how sleep deprived you are until you can sleep the whole night again. Anyways.. he is sleeping like a champ now. Everything is going great with us and it was so fun to see everyone. I took a lot of pictures so here are my favorites.

Care-free days of summer

2008-08-27T21:23:00.005-06:00

We have had such a fun summer here in Boise. We have had the opportunities to go boating with our friends (Ashley, Gavin, and Gage), been to the zoo and the merry-go-round, golfing, going to the pool, and playing with his friends. Here are pictures of some of our fun outings. Blake is still exactly in the 50% for height and weight. On Sunday he decided to take his first real steps. He kept standing up so I grabbed the camera and luckily caught his first real steps on camera. We are leaving for California tomorrow so we will have more fun pics soon.

Like father... like son

2008-08-07T08:24:00.004-06:00

Danny and Blake have always had a close, special bond since he was born. They both are always so excited to see each other and to give hugs and kisses. They definitely love each other. Anyways... we try to go to the driving range about once a week and Blake loves sitting and watching us. This last week he dumped the whole bucket of balls out. I think it's pretty funny that he is only 8 1/2 months and he already loves golf.... just like daddy. I sure love my boys and know I am the luckiest wife and mommy in the world.

Europe 2008

2008-07-06T08:44:00.004-06:00

We had the opportunity to go to Europe with my family. My dad took all of the kids and our spouses to France, Germany, and The Netherlands. My brother John and his wife have been living in the Netherlands for the past year and they proved to be great tour guides. We had so much fun! Thanks Dad and Nancy! We took over 400 pics so I chose a few of my favorites...

Look who's crawling!

2008-06-14T12:05:00.006-06:00

These last two weeks Blake has seemed to grow so much! He now knows how to wave, clap and CRAWL!!! He started doing all of these things at about 6 1/2 months. It is still so amazing to me to see this little miniature person and watch him progress and grow. I love watching his little mind work. Last week I turned 24 and just wanted to thank danny for such a fun day. He made me breakfast in bed (my favorite breakfast), then came home for lunch and had me find my presents. I totally got spoiled this birthday. My presents... a jogging stroller, running shoes, a couple pairs of shorts, two new dressy shoes, a skirt, and a shirt. Then we went to the cheesecake factory for dinner. I sure do love my boys.

Weekend with the Christensen Family!

2008-06-01T21:21:00.003-06:00

This last weekend we were lucky enough to have this wonderful family visit us. Trina is Danny's sister and she has one of the greatest families we know. We lived with them while Danny worked as an intern for a summer after we got married. We love this family and were so happy we were able to spend time with them. We had such a fun time feeding geese, miniature golfing, going to the zoo, golfing, paddle boating, and feeding the squirrels with them. We love you guys and are so glad you came!