Back to Blogging...

It has been exactly two weeks since I have created a post.

The reason...?

There have been many other things occupying my time, brain power, and computer usage.

...

I will not jumble everything in one post; for that would make it seem as though each thing is of little significance.

So, I will begin with the heaviest distraction [from blogging] first.

And this is, searching for a home.

...

I have mentioned a few times that we are planning on moving into our very own home.

Believe me, this plan is definitely in the works.

Austin and I have looked at about a billion homes [both online and in person] with our beloved Realtor.

To our surprise, we immediately fell in love with the very first home that we saw.

But before making a quick decision, we decided to view a few more homes first.

This was the biggest mistake we could have made.

Without knowing this , we ended up putting a bit on it about a week later.

The home had been on the market for 80 days with no lasting contracts.

To our horrible luck, another couple decided to put their bid in on the exact same day that we put ours in.

I cried.

We waited a few days to hear the devastating verdict [and to see who won the bid].

Disappointment set in when we found out that it wasn't going to be ours.

We feel better now; knowing that this place was not the right one for us at this time.

...

So the search continued...

And continued...

And continued...

Until we finally found a home with the perfect location.

...

The home itself is not as... ideal as the first one, but is the one that makes the most sense for us at this time.

We put an offer in on this house two days ago and are pleased to announce that it was accepted by the Realtor!

However, since it is a foreclosure, the offer now needs to be accepted by the bank...

We are a bit nervous about this one because we offered significantly less than the asking price; since it was a bit above our price range.

So today, we wait.

We pray that this is the right place for us.

Austin and I feel good about it so far; even though it needs new flooring, kitchen cabinets, toilets, etc. [the house itself is in excellent condition... it just needs a good makeover!].

...

So here it is; our new beauty [yes, the front yard will be re-done as well]:

Spring Break - Thursday

Happy Saint Patty's Day!

We hope you have a lucky day.

We know we will with this little man.

Spring Break - Wednesday

We looked for homes. ALL DAY.

Spring Break - Tuesday

Tuesday
Today, Austin and I had the opportunity to babysit little Naomi! She is so precious. We cannot wait until these two are old enough to play with each other!

[LOVE this one. A little boy trying to get a little girl's attention...]

[Sad boy. :( We think he was not happy that I was giving another baby attention.]

[Then he fell right to sleep.]

[Austin held Naomi while Ryker was sleeping. This was so he didn't see Daddy holding another baby too.]

[Don't worry, Mommy cuddled with Ryker during that time.]

After we finished babysitting, we ran some much-needed errands. And that pretty much sums up our day. Austin will be playing Stake basketball tonight at 9:00pm, but other than that, we are pretty stress-free for now. Hope you were too.

Happy Tuesday.

Spring Break - Monday

Spring Break is finally here.

Austin and I [mostly me] have planned out each day this break.

Monday

Today has been a busy day so far. Austin woke up early, went to work, and came home around 9:00am. I woke up at 6:00am, got ready, and prepared Ryker for the day. Around 10:00am, We dropped our little guy off at Grandma Rowley's house and headed out to Scottsdale. We met with our loan officer, Matt, at First Option Lending to discuss purchasing a home! As soon as all of the paperwork goes through, we will officially be pre-qualified. 

Afterwards, we headed to Scottsdale Drive and walked around the outdoor mall. We still have a gift card, from our wedding, for Crate and Barrel... Yes, we have been married for some time now and still have not spent it... So we walked around the store there for a bit. I wanted everything and had such a hard time picking something under $25. The store is very pricey.

We ended up getting nothing. Maybe after we start decorating our house, then I can make a decision.

The outdoor mall that we went to had a lot of high-end stores, so we just enjoyed the weather, each other, and walking-up an appetite. We ended up going to one of my favorite places, Tropical Smoothie, and had some lunch.

On the way home, I fell asleep in the car; the drive was long and I was exhausted.

Before we went home, we went to pick up Ryker. Boy, were we so excited to see him! I was expressing to Austin how lucky I truly am. I am able to spend each day with Ryker while Austin is providing for us by going to work and school.

This happy little guy truly makes our day! It is nice having some alone time with each other, but we are always so excited to see this little guy and have our family complete.

I know there are a lot of pictures... I just couldn't decide which ones to use! So, I used all of them.

A Day in the Life of Austin

Yesterday was a big day for my husband. He had a coveted job interview for Apple. This job is one that would be very beneficial for his future computer science career, and would create many possibilities within the company of Apple itself. So yes, yesterday was a bid deal.

Austin had told me that his interview was from 11:30am-12:30pm. So, I anxiously awaited a phone call at the latter time. Finally, at 12:31pm, I got my call.

I listened. I cringed. I almost teared up for my poor husband.

This was his day so far:

3:45am - He wakes up.
4:00am - He leaves for work.
8:45am - He comes home, showers, and gets dressed in his nice suit for the interview.
9:00am - He departs for ASU.
9:45am - He arrives at ASU.
10:00am - He has an appointment with his guidance counselor to discuss plans for next fall.
10:30am - He finishes the meeting with his counselor, and feels that he has a significant amount of time to print his resume and some other important documents for his interview. [Earlier that morning, the ink cartridge was out in our printer at home.]
10:31am - He quickly checks his emails and decided to scan over the one from Apple one more time... OH NO. The interview was really scheduled for 10:30am... NOT 11:30am. Already one minute late. But wait, he hasn't printed out his resume yet.
10:35am - He runs to the nearest career center and asks them to place a phone call to the building that was hosting Apple for the day. The employee informs Apple that Austin was on his way.
10:40am - He gets on the elevator in the career center on floor 2. The elevator was supposed to be going down, but just before the doors shut, another student gets in and pushes the buttons for levels 4, 5, and 6... So, UP Austin goes.
10:50am - He finally gets off the elevator and runs to the nearest computer lab.
10:55am - He sits down at a computer and proceeds to log in. The computer is slow, the internet is not working, and it will not take his flash drive.
10:57am - He switches computers and finally prints his documents.
11:00am - He departs from the computer lab and runs halfway across ASU campus to the correct building.
11:10am - He finally arrives; drenched in sweat, suite ruined and all.
11:15am - He begins the interview.

After he told me his horrific story, I was lost for words. I felt so bad for my sweet, sweet husband.

At least the interview went well. He will hear back in 2-3 weeks. Fingers crossed!

To continue on throughout the rest of the day, Austin managed to fall asleep in class due to exhaustion, take a test and sadly guess on half of it [that impossible teacher], and arrive late to his last class where the teacher is a stickler on tardiness and attendance.

What a sad day!

However, my amazing husband still came home with a smile on his face and with so much love to offer Ryker and I. He even watched half an episode of Gilmore Girls with me and helped with dinner! Amazing, huh?

I love how Austin is such a hard worker. He is continually stressed with work and school, but never shows it. Everything is done with a smile on his face and with humor in his words.

Thank you for providing for us, Sweetheart. Loves.

Four Months

Four months ago, at 1:42am, Ryker was the newest, purest baby on earth. He could not have come to us more perfectly. As Austin and I were holding him for the first time, he looked into both of our eyes, and we were hooked. The love shared between me, Austin, and Ryker was instantly the most powerful feeling we had ever experienced.

After four short months, this love has grown immensely. We never thought it could be possible, but we have grown more closer and stronger as a family with each passing day. We are very grateful to have Ryker in our lives. He makes us happy.

A lot has been accomplished so far in Ryker's short time with us. Here are some fun traits our little guy blesses us with every day.

• He is not so light anymore... Especially when you get to carry him around all day! He now weighs _____. [His four month appointment is on Friday. We will post the stats afterwards.]
• We would have to say that his absolute favorite thing to do right now is stand up. When we help him sit up, by pulling his hands, he automatically straightens his legs and stands. He can do this all day long!
• Our little man now measures _______ long. The large size of his hands and feet foreshadow a future basketball and volleyball career!
• His hands are constantly in his mouth. Last Saturday, he even stuck his finger so far in, that he made himself throw up. Poor guy!
• Teething has definitely come upon him. With this comes three clothes changes a day. The amount of slobber this guy produces, makes him look as though he just got out of the bath fully-clothed!
• His laugh is the sweetest thing ever! He is finally starting to laugh at funny things instead of just bursting out at random moments... :]
• Talking is a regular occurrence now. Austin and I have conversations with him all the time. He babbles, we babble back, he babbles, we babble back, etc.
• He plays with toys now!!! His favorite so far is his ball toy that makes jingling noises.
• Everything goes in his mouth.
• When we are holding Ryker and have something in our hands, he has to grab it. We love this.
• He is the most smiley kid ever. Anything and anyone will put a smile on his face!
• Along with his smiles comes shyness. When someone makes him laugh or smile, he will cover his face with his hands or turn away. It is precious.
• Sleeping is still something he needs to work on. Six hours at night is his max.
• He is not a boy who likes naps. We have to push him to get an hour in for each nap during the day.
• Everyone who comes in contact with him falls in love.

Happy four months Ryker!

A New Baby!

Last Saturday, March 5, 2011, my big brother and his wife welcomed their baby girl into this world!

She is beyond precious.

We are very thrilled to have another baby in the family.

This is Ryker's very first cousin.

I am finally an aunt and Austin is finally an uncle.

This is grand-baby #2 for my parents.

Naomi

7 pounds, 11 ounces

20 inches long

I am deeply saddened by the fact that I did not get very many pictures.

There are a few reasons for that...

My camera died, and since Ryker had to wait outside for a bit, Austin and I were switching off visiting the room.

However, I did manage to get a picture with Naomi.

I will have to post one with her and Austin after we go visit again!

I was even lucky enough to snatch this one:

Is this not the most precious picture you have ever seen?!?!?!

Look how big Ryker looks compared to Naomi!

And don't they just look so much alike?? :]

Ah, the joys!

Congratulations Cody and Kristell!!!

In the AM

Ryker woke me up at 5:30am this morning. Of course, my husband has been gone to work already for a few hours, so it is me who has the privilege of sitting awake with him in these wee hours of the morning.

Many of you may think that I am being sarcastic when I say that I have the "privilege," but I am not. These are the times when I really have the opportunity to truly soak in every single second I have with our sweet boy. I do get to spend my entire day with him, but there is just something about the early morning when the world is sleeping, the streets are quiet, and the lights are low. It is special. It is peaceful. It is priceless.

We sit and smile at one another. I tickle him. He giggles. I do peekaboo. He kicks in excitement. It is all very precious. And I love it more than I could ever possibly love something.

These are the moments that I will never get back. Sure, I get this early morning time with him on occasions, but each is special; unique. And when the day comes that I will not have these times anymore, I will be heartbroken. That is why I have to cherish every single second; soak it all in.

Little Ryker has brought so much joy into our lives. Sure, there have been some hard times, but we would not change those for the world. They have brought us so much closer to our little man; and have taught us to appreciate him much more.

We love you, Monkey Boy!

[Pictures from just this morning.]

A Trip to My Favorite Store

To be honest, I really do not know what to 'journal' about today.

Therefore, I will give you a little peak at my shopping list for my next trip to Target; which will hopefully be tonight.

1. Crest 3D Whitestrips

[I have a great coupon.]

2. Neosporin

[Coupon.]

3. Baby Wipes

4. Hand Soap

5. California Baby Super Sensitive Baby Lotion

6. Lysol

[Coupon.]

7. And maybe some cute Saint Patrick's Day shirts for Austin and I to wear on that special day!

So if you didn't feel like a big part of my life through this blog before... Now you do!

Happy Thursday, readers!

Making a House a Home

So, many of you have asked about the status update found on our Facebook page a couple of days ago.
Yes, we have found a home that we would absolutely love to purchase.
No, we won't say exactly where it is; for that might spoil the surprise... And might tempt all you home seekers out there to go and check it out.

However, before we put a bid on a home, a few things need to happen first.
One major thing is the decision on how I want to decorate! :]
I know this may sound materialistic, but for any of you who know Austin's Grandpa, you know how he can pretty much build houses all on his own. In fact, he has! Multiple times.
Last Sunday, I was talking to Grandpa about our potential home and he said, "Oh yes, and once you really get inside, you might want to do some... remodeling!"
Don't you just love him?!
I know we do.

So before I even think about that, I am looking at colors, colors, and more colors!
I will have to admit, this website has been my absolute favorite as of late.
I have found that my style is eclectic through this amazing quiz!
And I have fallen in love with the colors gray and white.
I want our home to be bright, fun, happy, and welcoming.

If you are anything like my husband, you are probably thinking that I am crazy for putting my time and effort into decorating plans when we don't even have the home yet...
Yes, I am crazy. Crazy for designs, patterns, and colors.

I am just a little excited!
Because all of this is what makes a house a home.
And your home is where your heart is.
[Cheesy? I think not!]

Disclaimer: I would like to add to this post that my sweet husband absolutely loves listening to me talk about our future decorations, but does not wish to contribute much to the overall look of the house. He continues to state over and over again that the only room that he really wants to be in charge of is his office! And he can have it!

Personal Challenge

Last week I did not post about my personal challenge. The reason being, which is a terrible one, is that I had not lost any weight. So this week, I am coming to you with some official results. I have lost two more pounds and am now 22 pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight.

I am still cutting my meals in half and am walking every day. However, this last week I started something new! I began to wear this each day:

This is a pedometer. It tracks how many steps you take. On average, a person should take 10,000 steps in one day. This may seem like a lot, but don't let me fool you... it is! Towards the end of my first day wearing this sweet little device, I felt done and was only at this number:

I don't even want to go into detail about how I tried to hit 10,000 steps before bedtime that day. Let's just say that I did not make it. 10,000 is a lot of steps; even for a mom who is constantly doing laundry, shopping, cleaning up, and going on walks with your baby. So, I have found a website that has really helped me find hope in achieving my goal.

It says that a "reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day." Since I was able to begin at about 5,000 in one day, then I should have a goal to hit 5,500 for that week. Then the next week, my goal should be 6,000. Eventually, I will make it to the big 10,000!

Walking has already made a difference in my life. I feel more motivated and more happy! I highly recommend everyone trying the pedometer thing. It is a cheep way to get some exercise!