Saturday

I love being with my two boys.

And today, I was able to be with both them... all day!

We went Christmas shopping at the San Tan Mall and had a wonderful time walking around for a couple of hours.

Afterwards, we went and grabbed some lunch and then headed to play kickball with friends!

[I sat and entertained Ryker for most of the time.]

When we were finished, we went home, cleaned up, and played with Ryker until he fell asleep.

What a perfect day.

We love our life.

No Longer a Newborn!

We have the most wonderful baby in the entire world.

[The above statement represents no biased opinions whatsoever...]

We are more than blessed to have Ryker in our home.

He has such a pure spirit that radiates to everyone around him.

He is one month old today and is progressing more than ever.

<> He is the cutest when he eats. You can always find him wide-eyed and squealing like a little animal!

<> He has recently discovered his tongue. There is nothing like having your little boy stick out his tongue at you. :]

<> He is fascinated by the light. We know we have said this before, but looking out the window can keep him occupied for hours.

<> He continues to poop every time we change his diaper. We have learned to be prepared.

<> He also continues to pee during every diaper change and after each bath. Again, we have learned to just expect it.

<> Speaking of baths, he LOVES the bath. No fussing goes on there!

<> He is so good at lifting up his head during tummy time. Tummy time is one of his favorite things to do.

<> He intentionally grabs hair; or at least this is what we believe...

<> He grabs a tight hold on your finger during feedings. It is adorable.

<> He enjoys standing up. We only need to hold him with one hand when he does this. He supports himself so well!
<> He attended his first day of church on December 5, 2010. He was such a reverent little boy.

[Our little family right before leaving to church.]

This last month has been a dream come true for us.
We could not have asked for a better Christmas gift than our little Ryker.

We have never felt a love like this before.

Geocaching

***Warning! This post contains spoilers of geocaching sites and containers. Continue at your own risk, you hardcore geocachers!***

Last night, Austin and I went on a date.

He had this date planned all week long, and stood-his-ground by not telling me what we were doing; even though I tried to get it out of him a countless number-of-times.

So finally, as we were pulling out of our driveway last night, Austin told me we were geocaching!

For any of you who don't know what geocaching is, the website describes it as:

"... a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment."

So, this is exactly what we did!

And let me tell you, we were definitely beginners.

Luckily, there are some hidden containers located in our neighborhood, surrounding neighborhoods, and nearby deserts.

And yes, these are rated the easiest of easies!

To begin, the first two hunts that we attempted were epic failures...

[This is my attempt at a sad face after we gave up trying to find the second one.]

BUT, when it came to our third hunt, we finally had some success!

The treasure was a toy skunk.

We thought this was real cute since the name of this hunt was, 
"A Real Stinker."

Our fourth hunt had us passing through this:

After about an hour of searching through the desert with our flashlights, 
we finally decided to go onto the next one.

Like I said, we are definitely beginners.

However, our last two hunts were successful [maybe because they were very easy-finds].

We had so much fun geocaching and recommend it to just about anyone!

If you are beginners, like us, they have hints and clues as to 

where to find the treasure.

Austin and I definitely plan on going again. 

I am sure that we can do better than our 3/6 that we found this time.

Oh, and once we were done being hardcore geocachers...

 ...we grabbed some burgers, snuck them into Harkins, and enjoyed eating our little feast while watching HP7.

It sure was the best date ever; with the best man ever.

Crunch Time

There is a good and a bad to the end of every semester.

Good: we get a much-needed break.

Bad: it is a rough ride with finals.

Austin has already been working on some of his final projects for weeks...

And let me tell you, he has been one busy man!

As for me, I only have a few online classes this semester and then I am done until I get accepted into the dental hygiene program.

The countdown to the last day of classes stands at:

8 days.

Once we are out of school we will complete this list and have so much fun doing it!

But for now, we are having a blast together, loving life, and cherishing every second we have with Ryker.

Three Weeks

People keep telling us to enjoy every moment because they grow up so fast.

We are starting to believe them.

Ryker is now three weeks old and it still seems like he should be just three days old.

Time is going by so quickly!

That is why Austin and I really do enjoy every single moment we have with our little cutie.

Austin and I are filled with so much happiness whenever we are with our son. 

He brings so much light into our lives and we cannot even imagine what life would be like without him now!

We are so grateful that we do have the opportunity to be a family forever.

We have been sealed in the Temple; meaning Ryker is sealed to us.

We take much comfort in knowing this and are forever grateful for this wonderful blessing that we are able to enjoy.

T-11 Days

My mind is on Winter break.
And I am convinced that we are going to have the best Winter break ever.
Let me explain...

1. We get to spend it as a family. This will be our first Christmas with Ryker and we are so excited to spend each and every minute with him. No school, no homework, no nothing to take our time away from family... excluding UPS of course.
2. We get to take long walks. I love taking walks. There is nothing better than strolling around the peaceful neighborhood with your husband and son by your side.
3. We [Austin and I] get to go on a date to see Harry Potter. Any of you who really know me, know my love for this series. I have been waiting forever to see this movie and we are finally going to take time to go!
4. We get to keep working on Ryker's baby book. We have had so much fun working on his book! But unfortunately, since both of us have lots of homework to do, it has been very difficult finding time to really sit down and write in it. We are finally going to have the chance to finish it this break!
5. We get the opportunity to sleep. With Austin being home from school, we can switch off taking naps! Boy, am I looking forward to this.
6. We get time to exercise more. Well, this is my goal at least! I am lucky enough to have gone back to my pre-pregnancy weight already, but that is not saying much. I am planning on starting P90X with my dad as soon!
7. We get to spend time with both of our families. We are super ready to just kick back and spend some good, quality evenings with both sides of the family.

So basically, we have eleven more days until all of this begins.
Be jealous. ;]

Week Two!

We cannot believe that our little guy is two weeks already!

He continues to amaze us each and every day.

<> He loves sleeping next to Daddy! [Mommy only allows this when she is in the room.]

<> He has a new fascination with hair. Whenever anyone's hair is near him, it automatically becomes tightly gripped in between his tiny fingers.

<> He finally had his first bath! And yes, he cried the entire time.

<> He smiles a bajillion times a day.

<> He will stare at a light for as long as we let him. Christmas lights are his favorite!

<> He knows that his pacifier is not milk. That is why he refuses to use one.

<> He absolutely loves 'cooing!' Mommy and Daddy adore the baby language and frequently add to it.

<> He gained back and surpassed his birth weight in two weeks!

[Born: 8 pounds, 1 ounce]

[24 hours old: 7 pounds 10 ounces]

[Two weeks old: 9 pounds!]

<> He perfectly times his bathroom urges to occur right when Mommy is in the process of changing his diaper. However, this never happens to Daddy.

We sure do "have a keeper!" [Or so that is what Ryker's pediatrician tells us during each visit.]

Austin and I are just so lucky to have this sweet little spirit in our home.

Life sure is grand.♥

One Year

Exactly one year ago, I married this man...

It was honesty the best decision I have ever made.

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SWEETHEART!♥

One Week

Little Ryker has made so much progress this last week!

He believes that he is much older than his age and this just cracks us up! 

For example:

<> He is already drinking a couple more ounces of milk than a newborn normally does.

<> He can almost roll to his side when laying on his back. Give him a couple more days and he will have it!

<> He lifts his own head and looks around when laying on his tummy. This is definitely early!

<> He started smiling when he was just four days old.

<> He loves standing and holding up his own body weight when we lift him up!

<> He can go up to five hours of sleep at night.

<> He follows your face when you move side-to-side while talking to him.

<> He recognizes Mommy and Daddy's voices and turns to look at us when we talk!

<> He lost his umbilical cord at seven days!

<> He has strong hands and clutches onto anything that comes their way.

<> He snores in his sleep... just like Daddy!

<> He is so strong that he can wiggle out of his tight blanket that we wrap around him at night. AND he manages to get it completely over his head. Very scary.

<> He knows when he does funny things. Example: During a diaper change, he decided to squirt Mommy with some poop and then smile real big afterwards. This made Daddy laugh really hard.]

<> He would rather sleep in a big person's bed than his own. He is constantly on Mommy and Daddy's bed.

[Our favorite picture... ever!]


We love this man so very much and we cherish every second that we get to be with him.
Happy one week little guy!!!