Springtime?

Is it springtime yet? It may still be February but here in AZ it feels like springtime. There are 2 times of the year that I love the most. The first is fall with all the colors changing and a crispness to the air (we don't really get fall in Arizona), the second is springtime. The birds are chirping, the sun is out, and the orange trees are beginning to blossom. This is the perfect time of the year right before the heat wave of 4+ months hits. It is nice to go outside and enjoy the fresh air, the smell of grass, and the warm sun on your skin. I hope it gets to be springtime everywhere soon.

Cabin Highs

Last weekend we went up to Flagstaff with Brandon's family since it was a 3 day weekend. WE stayed in this beautiful log cabin on a hill top. We didn't get to Flagstaff until about 8:30 on Friday night and we finally found the cabin which was up on the hill, in the woods. The only reason we found it was because there was a little track of footprints leading up the hill so we knew that was it (the neighbor had unlocked the door and turned on the electricity for us earlier that day.) It was an adventure getting all our stuff; clothes, food, snowboards, sleds, etc, up that hill. Jackson was a little scared and a little cold. He just held onto me really tight until we made it to the top.

Once we got in it was AWESOME! The cabin was fully furnished with 4 bedrooms (9 beds in total including 4 king beds), 2 TVs, a fully functioning kitchen, hot plates on the ground so your feet stay warm, and completely child proof. They also had tons of toys for Jack to play with and a rope swing in the middle of the living room for all the big kids. We spent the weekend sleding, drinking hot chocolate, watching movies, and playing games. Then on Monday Brandon, Cameron, Miss, and I went snowboarding for the day. It was so much fun teaching Brandon's sister and brother how to snowboard and since they took a free lesson we got to spend some time alone on the slopes as well. I haven't been boarding in like 4 years so it was nice to see the snow and get out in the fresh air. Jackson spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa and apparently he slept most of the time we were gone. I think that is probably best because he wasn't too keen on the snow. It didn't help that his snow suit zipper totally broke when we were sleding so we had to wrap him up in scarves and hats. He is an Arizona baby and the snow just wasn't his favorite. In fact when we went sleding about 1/2 way through I was standing up watching everyone and holding him when suddenly I looked down and he was snoozing in his suit. That kid can fall asleep anywhere.

Here are a few pictures from the trip. It was a great short vacation and I hope we make it an annual thing.

Expanding

As some of you may already know our family is expanding quickly, as am I. We are adding a new addition to the family! I think we are a little special in regards to due dates in our family. Jackson was due on April 6th, and now the new baby is due on September 30th which is actually Brandon's birthday. We are very excited for Jack to have a sibling and will keep you updated as this new pregnancy develops.

Thanks to my friend Jordan there is a baby tracker on the side of the blog which I think is really fun. Thanks Jor.

Happy V Day

This year for Valentine's Day we are going up to a cabin in Flagstaff with Brandon's family. I am really excited for Jack to see the snow. I bought him a somewhat ugly, but cheap snowsuit...it's hard to find a snowsuit in AZ. We are going for the entire weekend which should be really fun. Snowboarding and sledding, I can't wait.We also celebrated Valentine's by having a Valentine's Day party for our Mom's group. It was so much fun. The girl who hosted (Amanda) decorated her whole house in heart and streamers, everything looked so cute. The kids ate some lunch, exchanged Valentines, and enjoyed eachother's company. Even though Jackson doesn't know what a Valentine is yet, he still had a blast and I get all the candy. Jack's favorite part was the balloons. He LOVES balloons. We took home 3 and he just gets a kick out of hitting them and having them bounce back to him.

Also lately Jackson's favorite thing to do is push this diaper box around the apartment. He has a push walker but it is difficult to maneuver around corners. The box is perfect because it is light and just the right height for him to stand up and push it around. He is a funny little boy, looking more like a boy than a baby these days.

Nothing New

The Lazy DAZ of January have finally passed. For some reason, other than my birthday, nothing happened in Jan. I didn't take many pictures, I slept a lot, and just hung around the house which is super boring. However I did get a lot of scrapbooking done which I have decided is the best thing to do for documentation purposes however it is kind of of the devil for me because I find myself addicted to buying scrapbook stuff. We now have 7 completed scrapbooks from college and my married life so far. Does that sound a little extreme to anyone else? I am currently working on Jackson's baby book (which is all caught up I am proud to say), and a book that documents our family since Jack was born (a baby book for Jack and a baby book for me). Anyways, it is a good thing that I am an extremely organized person because if I wasn't our house would be over-run with paper, glue, scissors, and stickers.

On another note, if anyone living in AZ has an idea of houses to rent let me know. Our lease is up in May here and I think we are going to be needing to move to a bigger place. That is if we are still here.

Brandon is still looking for a job and the urgency is at an all time high! He had a few interviews last week that went well so hopefully something good will come from them. Otherwise, I don't know what we are going to do. Maybe go back to school, move to Seattle, who knows. It is hard not knowing the future for me. I am a planner and this uncertainty is driving me crazy!

I am glad we have the gospel in our lives and that we pay our tithing because I know the Lord will protect us and help us to overcome these trials. Anyways, hope all of you are doing well. More pictures of Jack to come soon. . . I am going to motivate myself to get out there and practice my photography talents.