Our Lovely Life Together

Anna and Tyler's Wedding

2011-09-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

This post is LONG overdue. I traveled to Springfield, MO to prepare for one of my best friends wedding. She asked me to make a cake and also cupcakes for the occasion. Most of you know that I REALLY worked hard on this project. I put many hours into baking and frosting cupcakes as well as making fondant and experimenting with different techniques. I had a lot of fun making the cake and cupcakes. I also had lots of help preparing the fondant, frosting, and flowers for the cakes. A BIG thanks to my cousin Anna,sis Laura, and Andrew for your help. It made my time more efficient with help on some of the simpler things. It turned out great and Anna loved it.
As for the actual wedding? It was beautiful. It was simple yet elegant and had lots of "Anna" flair to it. One thing I absolutely loved was the cute little touches in her wedding. She had this beautiful short wedding dress that she wore a shawl over. She had real daisies for her flowers and held them along with a lace fan as she walked down the aisle. They also had fans made with their names and wedding date on them for their guests. So cute! The reception following the wedding was so much fun too. (Sorry the pics are blurry. They were all taken with my phone.)
To Anna and Tyler Hobbs. July 30, 2011. Love you guys!!!

Cristina (Anna's sis) and her daughter Celia.

The bride with mom.

Saying their vows.

Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs

The cake I made

Cupcakes I made.

Andrew and Carrie

First dance!

The matron of honor's speech.

Millenium Park

2011-08-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

While the girls were visiting, we took the train to Chicago. I have never seen a bunch of girls get ready so quickly before! We had to hurry to the train station to catch the express train otherwise we would have had to stop 21 times for pick ups along the way. We had an interesting trip to say the least. Anna almost got attacked by giant pigeons. It was hilarious to watch her run down the sidewalk while still talking on the phone. Lol! We walked for what seemed like FOREVER. We stopped along the way to get Slurpees from 7 Eleven and then finally arrived at the park.

This park is unique because there is a giant "Bean" in the middle of it. It is like a giant bean shaped mirror that you can walk under. We all enjoyed it very much. Another unique aspect of the park is the Jay Pritzker pavilion. There were a few Jazz musicians "playing it up" there and it sounded wonderful. We walked a little further into the park to play at Crown Fountain. It was so much fun. The water falls down these huge brick pillars. The brick walls have imaged faces on it and sprays water out. Jeffrey absolutely loved it! Emily was nice enough to take him through the water because I didn't want to get too wet since we still had a lot of walking to do. It was really hot out so after we played in the water, we went across Monroe St. to the Art Institute to cool off, and let Jeffrey play in this children's room. It had lots of books and toys in it. We really enjoyed our trip to the city.

City reflection off of The Bean

Word!

This is looking up from underneath "The Bean".

Jeffrey and Emily's reflection under the bean

Pritzker Pavilion

Crown Fountain

Anna, Carrie, and Jeffrey

The Art Institute

3 feet tall!

Downtown Naperville

2011-08-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

My cousins Anna and Emily and my sister Carrie came to visit in mid July. While Carrie went with Paul to visit his stores, the rest of us went to downtown Naperville to explore. I have been there before but never really did a lot of walking around. We ate lunch at Noodles & Co. then walked down to the river walk. It was really fun! We let Jeffrey play in one of the fountains and really got a feel for the culture of the city. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures but here are some that I managed to capture. Enjoy!

Anna and Jeffrey in front of a mural

Emily and Jeffrey posing

Jeffrey's favorite fountain in downtown Naperville

It was really bright outside

Watching the duckys swim. There was a Mama 6 little ducklings.

Navy Pier

2011-05-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

My sister Laura came to visit us and we went to the city to explore a little. The weather wasn't too bad. It rained a little but nonetheless, a great visit. We went to Navy Pier and had a lot of fun. It was our first time there and let. me. tell. you! It was awesome!! I honestly didn't realize there was so much to do there.

We had lunch at America's dogs (so good) and then walked around.

Aunt La and Jeffrey after lunch. Jeffrey loved the fried pickle spears. They were yummy!

Jeffrey loved watching all the boats go in and out of the area. He also loved watching the seagulls squawk and fly around.

Dock street view

Not only did Navy Pier have lots of things to do, they also had many stained glass pieces on display at the Smith museum of stained glass windows. The displays were just breath taking. I could have seriously stared at them for hours...but having Jeffrey with me, he was not as fascinated with them as I was.

The Pier had a little train that went around a small track Jeffrey LOVED it!! He had such a blast and the elderly man that ran it was so interactive with the kids. He had a train whistle and yelled "all aboard" as the kids got in. Then when it ended, he picked Jeffrey up and said "Alright batman, lets take you to your mommy". He was such a cute old man.

Just Some Cute Photos:)

2011-05-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

The other day, I took several pictures of Jeffrey and the cute little faces he makes. On this specific day he sang the ABC song like 50 times. His Grandpa Mike bought him this little leap frog when he was about 7 months old that sings the ABC song when you press his tummy. Jeffrey pressed his tummy all day and sang the song with the leap frog all day. I got a cute video and will try to upload it soon. Enjoy!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny came and brought Jeffrey a basket full of goodies. It was the same basket that Aunt Carrie bought him when he was just 2 days old. I also included a little stuffed frog holding a carrot that he got that day too. I used the same basket and stuffed frog last year as well and I have decided to keep this tradition going until the basket goes kaput. He was really excited. He wasn't sure what to think about it. We told him the Easter bunny brought it to him and he said "Eater bunny?" It is so cute some of the things he says now. Lol!

Later that evening, we had an Easter egg hunt upstairs in and around his room. He was such a good egg-hunter. It's like he knew exactly what to do and all we had to do was say "let's find all the eggies, Jeffrey". It was a lot of fun! We are so blessed to be a family!

He was finding all the eggs in this pic.

More photos from the weekend :)

2011-04-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Easter Weekend

2011-04-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we had so much fun. Jeffrey got to meet the Easter Bunny at the festival in our community. He was a little unsure about him but really liked holding his basket. He also got to make his own bunny ears at the craft tables.

Daddy helped Jeffrey color Easter eggs while I snapped some photos and then we took his new wagon out for a stroll. We bought a new wagon for his birthday and he LOVES it. It is really neat too because the seats can fold down into a regular wagon and it has little cup holders inside. It also has straps so he won't jump out while traveling. We played at the our community playground for a while and then headed back home for dinner. It was so nice to spend time as a little family but we sure miss our families back home. Happy Easter!

Jeffrey is really in to dinosaurs right now. It is so cute!

2nd Birthday in Granby, MO

2011-04-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law wasn't able to make it to his party in Springfield so we went to visit her on Sunday April 10th (Jeffrey's official birthday) to celebrate. We went to church with her then went to her house for a wonderful lunch. She also made a cake. It was so yummy! Thank you Suzanne for putting that together. My sister-in-law and her kids were able to come to celebrate with us. They lives in Owasso, OK so it was such a treat to have them there. Jeffrey had so much fun with his cousins Max, Maycee, and (8 week old) Roxy. Jeffrey likes to wrestle with Max. He also wanted to hold Roxy so much while we were there. It's amazing how much Roxy has changed already :). It was such a sweet visit and I am so glad everyone could come. Thank you so much for the many gifts as well.

Those kids are so photo-genic!

My sweet niece Roxy! She is such a cutie!

She was having a conversation with Grandpa Mike.

Her's a talkin'!

Love this pic of Mace and I! She looks so grown up here. She just turned 3 a couple months ago. <3

He was getting tired here.

What a sweetie!

Max showing Jeffrey some of his wrestling moves.

Jeffrey's 2nd Birthday

2011-04-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

While we were ins Springfield, we celebrated Jeffrey's 2nd birthday at my Grandpa Elliott's house. Paul wasn't able to come with us so I sent him pictures from my phone. It was a perfect day! We had so many family members and friends that came by to celebrate. A great BIG thanks to my cousin Anna for helping with all the party decorations, favors, cake, and cupcakes. She was able to put the whole party together for me since I now live 8 hours away. Thank you SO much, Anna! Also, a big thank you to my sister Laura for sending out the invitations for me. Jeffrey received so many wonderful things. Thank you all so much for all the gifts. It was very thoughtful of you. Now, Jeffrey is set for summer! Enjoy the photos! :)

Blowing the candles out with "Memmy"

Emily helping Jeffrey open presents so I could get some pictures. Luke was checking things out :)

Some great friends and family (From left to right: Melanie,(Cousin) Anna, Anna, Jeni)

Me and a couple of my sisters and cousins (from left to right Me, Carrie, Natalie, Katie, Laura) Gosh, I love those girls.

Playing with his Bubble gun and Katie!

Edward with a serious look

Peek-a-boo, Caleb!

Jeffrey all tuckered out from all the fun.

Dickerson Park Zoo

2011-04-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Springfield to visit and we able to spend a little time with my Jeni and Madi. Jeni has a family pass to the zoo and just so happened to get a free pass in the mail right before we arrived. We met up with my cousin Anna and took the kids to the zoo. It was really warm out but we were able to let the kids run out some energy. It was really fun. Jeffrey and I had not been to the zoo since The Little Rock Zoo a year ago so we really enjoyed it. Jeffrey got to feed a Giraffe with Anna and also got to ride the train (Madi was begging to ride it). Jeffrey would have been fine just watching it pass by a few times. I have more pictures on my phone but these were from my actual camera.

Shedd Aquarium

2011-03-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

My sister Carrie and long time best friend Anna came to visit a couple weeks ago. We didn't have anything really planned other than going to the city and shopping on Michigan Ave. Since poor little Jeffrey had to endure our shopping expedition, I thought it would be fun to take him to Shedd Aquarium first. Plus, he hadn't had a nap yet so I was hoping it would wear him out.

We had a lot of fun and Jeffrey was so fascinated by all of the underwater creatures. It was really cute to watch him explore all of the different areas of the aquarium. There is this one area that is called "The Reef" and it simulates waves crashing onto rocks behind plexiglass. As we were walking up, every time Jeffrey would see and hear the waves crash, he would stop in his tracks. It was so funny. When we finally arrived right in front of the simulation, he was giggling so much and having a blast watching the waves crash. I got it on video but since it was taken with my phone, it is not the best quality when expanded.

Jeffrey did indeed fall asleep as we were looking for a place to park that was semi-close to the stores we wanted to shop in. He didn't stay asleep for long. Only til we finally parked the car. Then he was his ornery little self. He is going through this stage where he does not what help with anything and then he gets mad because he can't do it by himself. This time, he wanted to push our gi-normous jogging stroller as fast as he could in H & M (a favorite clothing store of mine). I would start helping because he was out of control almost running in to shoppers and he would throw the biggest fit. After battling with him for 20 minutes, I decided to just walk outside on the sidewalk between the 2 blocks where we were and waited for the girls to finish their purchases.

Then, we got a little lost going back to the car but it was a lot of fun. I had my two best friends in the whole wide world and the sweetest little kissable boy with me so nothing was going to ruin our evening. Lol. We. Had. A. Blast!!! I can't wait for them to come back and have another adventure. :)

Aunt Carrie with Jeffrey

Whoa, Mom! Do you see that?!

He loved climbing on this sea turtle.

Dolphin

Kind of a dreary day but This picture turned out good. I liked the fog on the water.

Chicago

2011-03-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure by now most of you know that our little family moved to the Chicago area. Paul was offered a promotion to come out here and, after much thoughtful prayer, we decided it was best for us. So, we packed up all our belongings and headed up north.

We live in the town of Aurora, IL which is about an hour from downtown Chicago. We actually really like it here. There is so much to do and so many fascinating things to see. Our community in which we live is really interesting. All the houses are close together and it has a nice playground for Jeffrey to play. It also has its own eatery, flower shop, ballet studio, and childcare facility right in the center of our neighborhood.

I don't have any pictures of our home yet but I will definitely take some as soon as it is in tip top shape. Til then, I will post some photos I took while my sister Carrie and friend Anna came to visit. You can look forward to those photos soon! :)

Playin' in the Snow

2011-01-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, it snowed about 4 or 5 inches here. It was really cold but I wanted Jeffrey to experience the snow while it was still fresh so I bundled him up and took him outside to play. He had a lot of fun and didn't want to come back inside when Mama was ready to. I couldn't get him to look at the camera for the life of me so all the photos below are candid shots. He was so stinkin' cute in the snow! He didn't like the snow on his mittens or his boots. He would brush his boots off with his mittens and then couldn't figure out why the snow would not come off of his mittens. In the first photo, he wanted my help getting his mittens cleaned off. He loved to make his own tracks and would go in circles, dragging his feet to pile the snow up in front of him. Hope you enjoy the photos. :)

Makin' my own tracks, Mom!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

We spend Christmas eve with Paul's family every year. We always have appetizers and open gifts together as a family. While I didn't get any pictures as we were opening gifts (I was helping Jeffrey open his), I did photos before we left that evening of the kids in their pajamas.

Paul's mom Suzanne and Mike.

Jeffrey wrestling with Maycee.

Having fun in the kitchen :)

House of Bounce

2011-01-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve day, we spent some time with Jeffrey's Grandma Suzanne, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Robbin, and his cousins Max and Maycee. We went to the Northpark mall in Joplin and walked around for a bit. Then we took the kids to House of Bounce to allow them to let some energy out and just have fun.

It was so great to see Jeffrey play with his cousins. Jeffrey loves his cousins so much and they love him too. In one of the bounce gyms, the kids would make it through an obstacle and climb up a an area so they could go down a slide. They did this OVER and over again. Each time, they would work together to get up to the slide and Max would help Jeffrey up and they would all three slide down together. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. We love these kids so much and wish that we could see them so much more.

Max going down the BIG slide. (If you want a good workout, climb up that thing a few times) Whew!

In action

Max

Maycee

Max waiting to catch Jeffrey. <3

A Visit at the Hansen's

2011-01-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

While we were in Springfield over the holidays, Jeffrey and I were able to take a trip out to Wentworth, MO (a little over an hour west) to visit our dear friend Cegan Hansen and her little boy Heath. It was a short visit but so great to see them.

Us girls caught up on each others lives and our boys played with some toys that Cegan had out in the living area. Heath will be a year old on January 20th, 2011. He looks so much like his mama and made the cutest little faces. He did not like to take his paci out to pose for photos so all the photos I have of him have his paci as well. We had so much fun visiting. We will definitely need another "Hansen" fix the next time we make it back to the Springfield area.

Cheeeese!

Those BIG brown eyes :)

Love! So cute!

So Much Fun With the Browns : )

2010-12-06T12:49:00.001-08:00

We always try and visit our friends Jeni, Joe, and Madison Brown when we visit Springfield. These were taken Thanksgiving weekend. Since we have a lot of family to visit, it is hard to see my friends but even if it is only for a little while we try to make it work.

Jeffrey and Madi have a love-hate relationship and it seems to be either one or the other that is in the mood to bully. This visit, it was mostly Madi that would push Jeffrey around but he was able to get some pushing in too. He loves to wrestle with his cousins and I guess wrestling with Madi is no different.

In these pictures, they were snuggling with Joe and saying cheese for us Mommy's with our cameras. It was the cutest thing ever. The last photo is my favorite! Mad is sitting on Jeffrey's lap and they both look cute as can be. Love it when we get to visit! We will have the Brown family come to visit STL after the Holidays as well. :)

CHEEEEESE!!

Madi loves her baby doll.

Another BIG cheese.

What cuties! We didn't pose them or anything.

Scott's Birthday

2010-10-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey, Carrie, and I all took a trip to Owasso, OK to visit Paul's family. It was the weekend of my brother-in-law Scott's birthday celebration. He turned the big "3-0". We had so much fun! Jeffrey loved playing with his cousins Max and Maycee. He could not stop wrestling with Max! I think it was his favorite thing about the whole trip. We took the kids to the park to play and then Grandma Suzanne and Grandpa Mike took them to see a movie. It was Jeffrey's first time since he was about 2 months old and surprisingly, the kids did really well at the theater. Later that evening, we ate yummy food and just had a great time with family. Scott got a few gifts and a wonderful homemade cake that his lovely wife Robbin made. The cake was chocolate with a peanut-butter filling. Can you say Yumm-o!!

Grandma Suzanne sliding with Jeffrey

Jeffrey and Maycee sliding together.

Grandma Suzanne enjoying 2 of her grandbabies.

Maycee in he costume. What a cute little witch!

Scott the 30 year old!

18- Month Wellness Check-Up

2010-10-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey went to his new pediatrician on Oct. 20, 2010. He weighed 25.9 lbs (50th percentile), his height was 33 1/4 inches (75th percentile), and his head circumference was 48 cm (50th percentile).

The visit went well and the doctor said that Jeffrey is doing everything he should be doing at this age. They gave him the seasonal flu shot which he didn't like much and he kept pulling the bandaid off. After the visit, he fell asleep in the car on the way home. He was a tired little boy. I laid him down and we both took a nap when we got home.

Picking Apples With Papa

2010-10-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

The house I grew up in that my parents still reside has an apple tree in the backyard. The apples are getting ripe and are big enough to pick so my Dad took him out back and held him up so he could pick his very own apples. He had so much fun. He would pick an apple off the tree, look at it for a bit, and then throw it on the ground. His Papa holds him up pretty high so Jeffrey really likes to be held by him.

We have a wooden swing in the backyard and Jeffrey tried to push his Papa off the swing so he could have it all to himself. It was so funny! He loves to be outside. If he had his way, he would never go indoors.

Trying to decide which apple to pick next.

Papa and Jeffrey

Jeffrey's duck

2010-10-12T10:38:00.001-07:00

Just for you, Jeni Brown! She requested I post a picture of Jeffrey and his new duck. This is the only one I captured and it was at ABMD. I took it with my phone. Turned out pretty good I think. Isn't he the cutest little boy ever?

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Apple Butter Makin' Days

2010-10-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to Apple Butter Makin' Days in Mt. Vernon. We woke up really early and made it out there to watch the parade. It was really crowded but the parade was awesome. It was Jeffrey's first time to see a parade so he was just kind of in awe over it. He didn't say a word til the very end and then he started clapping. It was really cute. He wore his STL Cardinals hat that he kept turning around and putting on backwards.

My cousin Emily was in the parade twice. She was first marching with MV band and then she rode her horse with he dad at the very end. She is my helper when it comes to Jeffrey. I bought him this little duck made of wood that he pushes around. It has rubber feet on the wheels and it actually looks like the duck is waddling. He absolutely loved it and so did anyone who saw him with it. Emily made sure he didn't run into people and played with him (and showed him off to her friends) while I was in line buying kettle corn.

Anna, Aunt Mary, and Jeffrey waiting for the parade to start.

This is Emily and my Uncle Joe on their horses.

Jeffrey and his Emmy.

Jeffrey 17 Months

2010-10-06T19:13:00.001-07:00

Jeffrey is amazing! He is full of surprises and I just adore every moment I have with him. He can say so many words and phrases now. The newest words/phrases he says are: Snack (he says "dack" and points at the cabinet), want down, love you, go outside, oh bull, down Molly, book, milk, banana, fishy, movie, "oh toodles", Elmo, touch down, hot, and slide. He has such a fun personality and it shines through in everything he does.

He is becoming very independent now. He always wants to put his pants, socks, and shoes on all by himself and hold Molly's leash without my help when we walk her. He is very curious to his surroundings and loves to explore. He loves to play with other kids and has so much fun with his cousins. He has a very good appetite these days and rarely spits anything out.

He love his daddy so much. When daddy comes home, Jeffrey does not let go of him until he has to. It is so fun to watch them together. The best moments, though, are when we are playing together as a family. Jeffrey will giggle and run back an forth between mommy and daddy. Then, he will jump on Molly and hug her so tight. We love the time we can spend together. It is when we are the most happy. The photos below were taken Oct. 5. :)

He loves to walk Molly. He gets so mad when I try and help.

He was picking up acorns and saying "ball".

He was telling me all about this leaf he is holding up.

He loves to throw all the pillows off of the couch.

Summertime :)

2010-09-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted a blog in a while and a lot has gone on since my last post. We have moved yet AGAIN and currently live in St. Louis, Missouri. My sister Sarah was nice enough to let us live with her and her family for a couple months while we found a place to live.
We just moved into an apartment and are doing well. Although it is tough going from a house back to an apartment, our place is nice. It has several amenities that I am excited to utilize. We are able to have our dog Molly with us too. It has a dog park for her and a playground for Jeffrey. It is very secluded with woods surrounding and lots of wild life (wild turkey and deer) that can be spotted daily.

My cousin Margaret welcomed her 1st baby into the world, Caleb Michael Perry, in July. He is so precious. I had the opportunity to meet him when he was just a few days old. The pictures below are Carrie and I holding him. He is so snuggley.

We have been visiting Springfield a lot the past few months and we were able to go to my Aunt Mary's home in Mt. Vernon. Jeffrey loves dogs and he is really loving on Clyde in the photo. It was also Jeffrey's first time on a trampoline. Nana and Emmy played with him gently as he bounced.

I was able to visit with my Aunt Anita and cousin Dougie while they were visiting from Wisconsin the beginning of September. A lot of family came to visit while she was in town so it was a real treat to see everyone. Aunt 'Nita made this wonderful pizza that I just could not stop eating. I have to try and duplicate it one day. Yum!

Uncle Chris rode up from Oklahoma on his red Honda Goldwing. Jeffrey was staring it down so I put him on it for a minute just long enough to take a picture. He was very interested in all the buttons and gadgets it had on it.

I had the opportunity to visit my mother-in-law Suzanne in Neosho on her lunch break. We had lunch at Mazzio's where Jeffrey ate pasta and pizza (and had his own kids cup :)) then we went to Big Spring Park so that Jeffrey could play on the playground. It was a very lovely visit and I only wish I could see more of her. Unfortunately, there are no pictures. I forgot my camera and only took one photo with my phone. Suzanne didn't want her picture taken anyway so I guess it all worked out. Lol!

That brings us back to the present. I am currently still staying home with Jeffrey fulltime and taking 3 online classes. It is a lot of work and it is hard to find time to get my homework done but somehow I manage. I'm excited for what our future holds. As long as we have each other, I say "Come What May". Much love to all of you who read this. <3 <3 <3

Carrie and baby Caleb

Jeffrey lovin' on Clyde.

Jeffrey loved the Trampoline!

He knows the stairs are a "no, no" but he tries my patience daily. Little stinker!

At Aunt Sarah's house. Cute face!

Papa was eating a cinnamon graham cracker and Jeffrey wanted a bite. I think he actually ate most of it :).

Cold push pop. He wanted to hold it and got so mad when I tried to take it away.

The Goldwing!

Dougie and Jeffrey were best buds when he was in town.

He really liked Aunt 'Nita's beads on her shirt.

Swimmin'

2010-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

We bought Jeffrey his very own swimming pool and he LOVES it! It has a little whale slide a dolphin that squirts water. He likes to drink the water from the dolphin too. Its really cute to watch him splash and play. My sister Carrie and cousins Anna and Emily came to Arkansas to help me put together a garage sale which was a great success. It was scorching hot out and we decided to play with Jeffrey in his pool. They pool is only made for a 2 or 3 toddlers at a time. We decided to "go swimming" anyway. Lol! The pictures really say it all. Jeffrey is definitely a water bug. He doesn't want to ever get out.

Jeffrey and Aunt Key

It was a pretty bright outside. Such a sweet smile.

Carrie, Anna, and Emily playing with the lil man in his pool.

He really liked the water hose.

Visit with Natalie and Colt

2010-07-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

In Early June, we had the opportunity to spend some time with my beautiful cousin Natalie and her husband Colt. We were visiting my parents in Springfield so they came over for a BBQ and to play with Jeffrey. It was so much fun. We went outside and watched Jeffrey push his play lawn mower around and try to ride on it. (He tries to ride on EVERYTHING now :)) Then, Jeffrey got a bath and got all ready for bed in his dinosaur jammies. He was climbing all over Natalie and Colt. Colt had a STL Cardinals hat on which Jeffrey LOVED. He was trying to pull it off so he could wear it. It was so cute! We had such a nice time and I am so glad they were able to visit. It had been a long time since I had seen them so the visit was much needed.

What a great picture! They are both so photogenic.

"Hm, what is this stuff on your chin Colt?" lol

A Weekend Visit from the Brown Family :)

2010-06-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is long overdue but I finally sat down to update my blog. Jeni, Joe, and Madison Brown came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. We had so much fun together and it was so great to spend time with them. My sister Carrie also came for the weekend. We were able to get tickets to a festival in downtown Little Rock called Riverfest. It was really hot outside but we had a good time. We had lunch there and walked around for a bit before noticing a HUGE storm cloud heading right towards us. We booked it to the cars so we wouldn't have the kids out in the storm. We made it to the car just before the rain came.

We then went to a local mall that had garage parking (in case the storm was still underway) and walked around. I bought Jeffrey some Stride Rite shoes that are super cute. We enjoyed the air conditioning and bought the kids some Dip N Dots ice cream to try. They loved it!

The kids always have to have a bath at least once when they are together. They will probably hate us when they get older but they are just so darn cute together. Little Madi has the chubbiest little legs I have ever seen on a baby. Lol! She is such a cutie! It was time to put the kids to bed and they had both recently learned to give kisses. Jeffrey and Madi gave everyone else kisses and then gave each other a kiss, with Jeffrey's arm around her and all. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. I hope you enjoy the photos. I only wish I would have captured more.

Jeni and Madi at Riverfest

Our little man was so hot and fussy.

He was pretty much running all over the mall.

So cute!

Jen, Carrie, and the kids at the mall. They were both doing their own thing.

Hot Mamas! Lol!

I styled Madi's hair in this bath pic. She is such a doll. Not sure what Jeffrey is doing here though.

The big "goodnight" kiss. So precious!

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

It was Mother's Day weekend and wee got the opportunity to visit family. Paul wasn't able to go with us but Jeffrey and I sure had a lot of fun. We visited my mom and dad and grandparents in Springfield and also made a surprise visit on Mother's day to attend Church with Paul's mom (Suzanne) in Granby. We also ate lunch together and visited for a little while afterward (I didn't take any pictures though :( ). It was so nice to be able to visit everyone. Paul has been working VERY long hours so I was in desperate need of adult interaction. Don't get me wrong, I love talking and playing with my son all day but I long for some "me" time every now and then.
Jeffrey and his Papa

I think I was napping or something but the Carrie and Anna snapped some photos of Jeffrey and his first popsicle. A bomb pop! He ABSOLUTELY loved it!

Eatin' strawberries!

Fascination

2010-05-14T20:44:00.001-07:00

Jeffrey LOVES to use a fork or spoon to eat his meal out of a bowl. It's like he is fascinated by it. What's weird is he actually eats better for me if I put his meal or snack in a bowl rather than just place it on his high chair tray. If a great portion of his food falls out of the bowl on his tray, he will hand me the bowl and expect me to pick the food up and place it back in the bowl for him to finish. He is TOO funny! Ah, the simple things that keep him happy :D

Cause and Effect

2010-05-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey plays with the remote that controls the HD cable box all the time. He has figured out that it controls what we watch on the television. He will now push random buttons then look up at the t.v. to see what he did. It is so funny. The thing is, he hardly watches the t.v. unless he hears an interesting song (i.e. the "hot dog dance" song from The Mickey Mouse Club). After the song is over, he loses interest and goes about his business. His business usually consists of stringing his toys out all over the house. He sure is cute though!

How ornery!

Harmonica

2010-05-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

A little while back, we bought Jeffrey this musical instrument kit that had a harmonica in it. Lately, we will find the harmonica in amongst his large supply of toys and starts slobbering on it. Then, he hands it to me so he can hear me play it. He hasn't grasped the idea that you have to blow air in it to make the sound but he did do it once by accident. Lol! Anyway, I just thought this picture was cute

Sunday Photos

2010-04-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Sunday after Jeffrey's birthday, April 11, 2010, we were all dressed up from being at church and decided it would be a great opportunity to take some cute pictures with the family. My sister-in-law Robbin and I thought it would be cute to get our kids matching outfits and boy was it ever CUTE!! We also took pictures of our little family units and also with Grandma Suzanne and all of her grandbabies.
Maycee, Max, and Jeffrey in the bright sun. They were good sports.

I like this picture because it looks like Jeffrey is about to take off. Lol!

Scott, Robbin, and their two kids Max and Maycee. Such a sweet family!

Grandma Suzanne and her grand kids. She is such a great grandma to them.

Scott and Robbin.

Brotherly love <3<3

My Two Favorite Boys

2010-04-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

I stole this lovely picture of Paul and Jeffrey from Paul's mom's (Suzanne) blog. I absolutely LOVE this picture. Jeffrey definitely looks like a miniature Paul. They are making the same facial expression and it is so stinkin' cute. This was taken a couple weeks ago before (or maybe after) church. We had such a great time with family.

First Time to Church

2010-04-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to go to our church here in Conway since we moved and I finally got the chance to go. The first weekend we were here was the weekend we moved and things were a little crazy around here. The Sunday after that was Easter/General Conference so we stayed home to watch it. The Sunday after that we celebrated Jeffrey's 1st birthday so this week was our first opportunity to see our new ward and meet new people.

Let me start of by saying that Jeffrey was a pain in the you-know-what! Lol! He decided he was going to forgo his CRUCIAL morning nap and play instead. Any other day that would have been ok. Some kids are fit throwers when they don't get a nap but my son is as hyper as all get out. Paul had to be at training so I took Jeffrey by myself to church. He was trying his hardest to pull this huge pink flower out of this little girl's hair in front of us and grabbed her hair several times. The family sitting beside us had a little girl playing with this paper doll which Jeffrey wanted to take and tear apart so badly. It took all my might to hold him back. Then, there was another little girl a little older than him in the pew across the isle that was very interesting and he darted off a couple times after her. I tell you what! I definitely had my hands full today. I decided it was time to sit in the lobby and listen to the rest of the speakers.

Whew! I knew that this kid HAD to take a nap or else it was going to be a long day. After church I took him straight to bed. Let's hope that next Sunday turns out a little better. :)

Trying to Walk

2010-04-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey is definitely getting the hang of this walking business. I took a great video of him taking several steps. He still needs my help but sometimes, he will just stand up in the middle of the room and take a few steps on his own.

Jeffrey's 1st Birthday (cont.)

2010-04-15T20:19:00.001-07:00

On April 11, 2010, we celebrated Jeffrey's 1st birthday in Granby, Missouri. We went to church in the morning and then had a party for Jeffrey at my mother-in-law Suzanne's house. We had lots of family and a few friends come to celebrate with us.

Suzanne made everyone Frito pie and brownies and my mom made the punch. It was a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme and my wonderful sister-in-law Robbin made an awesome cake just for Jeffrey. She did such a great job and Jeffrey was able to have one of Mickey's ears as his own personal cake. He received so many nice gifts too.

Jeffrey had so much fun playing with his cousins Max and Maycee. Jeffrey had blast wrestling with Max too. Max and Maycee love Jeffrey so much. They love to give him hugs and kisses. They talk to him like he's a big boy also. It is so cute to watch them in action. I brought mouse ears for the kids to wear and they also had party favors to play with. We all had such a good time. Thanks to everyone who made Jeffrey's 1st birthday so wonderful. We have many memories that we can cherish for many years to come.
Robbin's wonderful creation.

Aunt Robbin and the birthday boy with his cake.

Max and Jeffrey wrestling. Max was so good with him.

I love this one.

Maycee and her cute self.

Max is so photogenic.

Opening his first gift from Grandpa Mike.

He had fun ripping the presents open.

His new fridge farm that Uncle Scott, Aunt Robbin, Max, and Maycee got him.

Digging in!

Jeffrey's First Birthday

2010-04-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

On April 10, 2010, we celebrated Jeffrey's 1st birthday in Springfield. We had the party at my grandparents (Elliott) house and it was a great success. There were so many friends and family there to celebrate. Jeffrey received many wonderful gifts and had his own little friends there to play with.

Below are some pictures that were taken by me and others of the party. The cake was specially made for Jeffrey by my friend Jewellyn Grout who is a fantastic cake baker and decorator. Her blog, (http://sugarrush2000.blogspot.com), has a fantastic gallery of beautiful and creative cakes that she has created.

My sister Carrie bought Jeffrey a big bunch of balloons and also made the punch and most of the appetizers for the party. My cousin Anna made an appetizer and also took a big portion of the pictures so that we could capture this wonderful day to hold dear to our hearts forever. Thank you to everyone who made this day special.

The birthday boy with his cake and baloons. His T-shirt was a gift from Amy Duree. Her son David is a couple weeks older than Jeffrey.

Our lovely family.

Getting ready to open his presents.

Reading his new books that Aunt TT got him with my niece Tia. They are AWESOME!

A cute new outfit from Anna.

Jeffrey loves his new choo choo train from Aunt Julie.

My friends and their babies. All of us had babies within the same year. (From left to right: Jeni with Madison, Me with Jeffrey, Danielle with Kinzley, Casadee with Masen, and Corrine with Alyvia)

Jewellyn made Jeffrey his very own cake.

His first taste. Yummy!

Having fun feeding daddy.

He was starting to get fussy at this point. He didn't like all the frosting on his hands.

As I was getting him out of his chair, Anna took a nice shot with him digging his toes in the cake. Too cute!

The finished product.

Getting cleaned up to go play with friends.

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T20:49:00.001-07:00

Easter Sunday was a really relaxed day for the Becker family. We spent time together as a family and watched General Conference on our computer.
The Easter Bunny stopped by and brought Jeffrey an Easter basket. This is technically his second Easter basket but he was only 2 days old when he received his first one so it really doesn't count. Aunt Carrie gave him his first basket so I kept it and decided to use it this year as well. He also has the same stuffed animal and plastic eggs that Aunt Carrie bought him. He had a lot of fun digging in his basket. He had Easter grass everywhere. I let him play until he discovered the candy and then quickly took it away so he didn't start eating it. He's a little young to be eating candy by himself but mommy and daddy shared bites of their candy with him. It's hard to believe my little stinker has already had 2 Easters. He is really growing up. Happy Easter!

Learning Walker

2010-04-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey received this learning walker from his Great Aunt Julie this past Christmas. He LOVES it! He takes it and walks all over the house with it. If he runs into a wall with this walker, he just backs it up and goes in the direction he desires. It is really fun for him and it plays music as he walks. It has all sorts of buttons to push on it too. Thanks Aunt Julie for such a wonderful gift. Jeffrey has definitely gotten some use out of this toy. I believe he will be walking on his own before we know it.

He noticed the camera light.

He is such a happy boy.

He was crawling all over me in this picture.

His face looks so chunky here.

Playing in the Grass

2010-04-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

It has been so nice lately here in Conway. While it may be a little chilly in Springfield, Mo, it seems to always be 20 degrees warmer here. I started to realize that Jeffrey really hasn't had a whole lot of time with mother nature so I decided to sit with him in the grass and see how he would react. He didn't really like it at first because the grass was kind of prickly. Notice in the pictures that he is lifting his foot up. He is not a big fan of how the grass feels. Later, he noticed a few leaves on the ground which distracted his focus on the grass tickling his feet. Lol! It was so cute to watch him look around and explore. We have a lot of fun outside these days.

He was smiling and looked down quickly as I took this photo.

Jeffrey and Mommy. Look at those droopy little cheeks of his. So cute!!

Family and Our Move to Conway

2010-04-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well...it's official. We are Arkansans now. We moved to Conway March 27th and had some help from our family members. We went up Friday, March 26th and stayed the night in our empty house. My sister's Carrie and Laura drove in one car while my cousin Anna rode with Jeffrey and I. Paul's company paid to move us so (lucky us) we didn't have to pack or move anything but our clothes for the weekend. It was nice to sit back and relax while the movers carried all the heavy boxes in. We all went to Wal-mart and purchased a new TV that was much needed (our old TV was acting crazy). While we were there, Carrie and Anna decided to try on some of the razorback apparel that was readily available...everywhere! Aunt Carrie also gave Jeffrey a horsey ride which he just loved. We all had so much fun together.

Our new house:)

Anna and I getting ready to leave Springfield.

Our sleeping arrangements for the night.

Anna and Carrie being Crazy!

"Whoa! What's on your face?"

Horsey ride time!! He loved it!

One Proud Grandpa

2010-04-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Mike wanted a picture with ALL of his grand kids. He is one of the proudest grandpas I know and he loves these kids to no end. It is so cute to watch him hug and cuddle them. He is a great grandpa and has so much fun when he gets to spend time with his grand kids. We love you Grandpa Mike!

Grandpa Mike and kids at the House of Bounce.

House of Bounce

2010-04-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

While Paul's brother's family was visiting in mid March, we had the opportunity to spend some time with them. We went to the mall (while a huge snowstorm was hitting Joplin) and had a lot of fun.
My niece Maycee and nephew Max wanted to go to the House of Bounce to play on the big blow up play gyms. When Paul, Jeffrey, and I were done shopping, we joined everyone there. I had planned on holding Jeffrey or letting him walk around while holding my hands the whole time until I noticed this play gym especially for toddlers. I was sceptical about letting Jeffrey play on it at first because I thought he would get trampled by all of the other kids playing but Uncle Scott played in the Gym as well making sure Jeffrey was well taken care of. He had a blast playing with his cousins and bouncing up and down. It was a very memorable moment.
"This is awesome, Mom!"

Pretty Maycee upside down.

This was one of his favorite spot to bounce.

My sweet nephew Max. Such a cutie!

He was rolling around.

Going down the slide with Uncle Scott.

Eatin' Spaghetti

2010-04-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

I love his messy face. So cute!

This is Jeffrey's first time eating Spaghetti. He seemed to like the taste and also had fun playing with the noodles. (This was taken 3-10-2010)

Little Rock Zoo

2010-04-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit our new home of Conway, Arkansas. We decided to make a trip so we could sign our lease and check out the town. Afterwards, we went to Little Rock to stay the night. The next morning, we took Jeffrey to the Zoo for the very first time in his little life! You think we would have taken him the the Dickerson Park Zoo in my hometown of Springfield, Mo a long time ago but we always have SO many people to visit and spend time with that we never got the chance.

Since it was just our little family, we were able to enjoy the animals and take some really great pictures. When we parked the car outside the Zoo, we heard the monkeys making all sorts of noise and Jeffrey was so curious as to where the noise was coming from. Lol! Jeffrey loved to look at the animals. We had a great time together.

Daddy took our picture in front of the zoo entrance.

These were the monkeys making all that racket.

The elephants didn't do much but swing their tails.

Jeffrey and Daddy watching the elephants.

This gorilla was so funny. He would just turn his head and look at each one of the persons looking at him. It was so bright out that he was blinking excessively.

Our Next Move...

2010-03-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

So, we found out earlier this month that Paul got a store manager position at the Verizon Wireless in Conway, Arkansas. He is currently the sales manager here in Joplin. It is a substantial promotion and we are excited to be moving. We are sad to be leaving our close family and friends though :(. We will be receiving a relocation package so we won't have to worry about packing our things and loading them on the truck because the movers will do that for us. Lets face it. It would be close to impossible for me to pack things while Jeffrey is in the same room because he would just be pulling the things out of the boxes just as fast as I put them in. Lol!

Paul has to be in Conway by March 28 so we are moving very soon. We already have a place to live and we are going there to sign the lease on our rental home this Wednesday. Our new home seems very nice. It is in a quiet neighborhood and has a HUMONGOUS backyard, perfect for any dog. However, we can only have an outside dog which puts us in a little predicament. Our current dog Abbie is strictly an indoor dog so I am not sure if we would be able to take her. My dad and her are best friends though and I am sure he would take good care of her if we had to leave her behind. My dad and I have "joint custody" of her right now. I have her for a week or 2 then dad has her for a week or 2. Dad is her favorite though and it is plain to see. We will be taking another dog who is an outdoor dog and her name is Molly. She is a chocolate Labrador and is just beautiful. We are excited to add her to our family.

We just bought a new car too. A 2007 Honda CR-V . It is a Silver color and we had the dealership put leather seats and an entertainment package in it. The DVD player has 2 headphones that are wireless to connect to it. I LOVE out new car! It is a really smooth ride and not bad on gas mileage.

We are so excited for our new location and all that the town of Conway has to offer us. It will be nice to meet new people and start fresh in a new place. We will be back to visit as often as possible.

10 Months Old

2010-02-26T09:35:00.001-08:00

Jeffrey is 10 1/2 months old now and he is doing pretty good. He loves to play with mama and look at books as I read them. It talks a lot too. He knows so many "words" now too. The syllables he says the most right now is nana, gaga, and googoo. He loves the way the "g" sound rolls off the tongue. It is so cute to watch him. He is very fascinated with his voice and likes to scream to utilize his vocal cords. He has 7 teeth now: four on top and 3 on bottom (and I have a feeling he will get his fourth on bottom very soon;))

I am starting to wean him but it is kinda difficult because he hates formula. The parents as teachers representative that visits us recommended that I try mixing an ounce of apple juice in his formula to see if it helps. I do see improvement but it still takes him a while to drink the whole thing.

He loves to push his walking toys all over the living room so I have no doubt that he will get the courage to walk very soon. I am starting to feed him what I eat and he seems to enjoy mealtime a lot more. He likes to mimic mommy too. He can make the fishy face (I have yet to get a picture though) and he shakes his head no when I say the word no. He can wave bye bye but it is pretty selective.

Overall, he is one happy boy and getting easier and easier for mommy to handle. I just can't believe he is almost a year old! Where has the time gone?

Playing with his "walking" toy that Great Aunt Julie bought him :)

Grinning at mommy making funny faces.

A Visit from Aunt Carrie :)

2010-02-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

On January 29, 2010, my twin sister Carrie came to visit. She didn't have to work that day but ended up traveling in a snowstorm to get here. We love it when she comes to visit. We didn't do a whole lot but we had fun. I am sure she had a lot of fun with Jeffrey as well. Jeffrey hasn't been in the snow yet. He likes to watch the snow fall though. It was so cute to watch Carrie and Jeffrey look out the window at the snow. I really liked her finger nail polish too. Carrie gave Jeffrey a bath and played "where's Jeffrey?" with his towel. This is the first time he actually put the towel over his head all by himself as Carrie said "Where's Jeffrey?". It was the cutest thing ever. Come back soon, Aunt Carrie!

Aunt Carrie Squeezin' the little guy.

Getting ready for a bath. I think Carrie was making him laugh.

Carrie was squirting Jeffrey with a rubber ducky.

He would laugh so hard. I love his little laugh.

Random

2010-01-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

Living in Joplin is wonderful. I love that we live close enough that my family and friends can visit often. A little over a week ago, my cousins Anna and Emily came to visit for a couple of days. We always have so much fun. They are a really big help to me too. Anna insists on feeding and bathing him so then I have time to make dinner as well as do other things around the house. (Some of these pictures were taken while I was napping on the couch) :D

Emily looks classic in this one.

These are great pics after bath time.

Laughing! Look at those teeth (He has 4 more on top too).

Cute little guy!

9 Months Check-Up

2010-01-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

On January 13, 2009, we took Jeffrey to see his new doctor. Our insurance changed at the beginning of the year so his former doctor was no longer able to provide us with care. Jeffrey is doing really well. He recently had an ear infection in one ear and almost one in the other ear. Both ears have now cleared up. His weight was 20.3 pounds, his height was 29 inches, and his head circumference was 17.75 inches. His weight is 75th percentile while his height and head circumference is 5oth percentile.

A Visit From the Brown Family

2010-01-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

We invited our friends Jeni and Joe Brown to stay with us this past weekend. They have a baby girl (Madi) that is Jeffrey's age and they just love to play together. We can't help but take a TON of pictures when they are here because our babies are so darn cute together. We always have such a good time when they come to visit. I never want the time we spend together to end. Over the weekend, we watched football, ate yummy food, and just enjoyed one anothers company. Jeni and I always have so much to talk about and it is so nice to be able to catch up with her. We are both stay at home moms and have a lot in common. Madi is such a fun little girl. She is very spontaneous and is always talking. She is full of smiles and can say several words. Our kids are so cute together so below are some of my favorite photos of them.

This was them in Jeffrey's crib just before we bathed them.

We couldn't help but give them a bath together. They are really going to dislike these photos when they get older. Lol!

Jeffrey's Aunt Robbin got him these bath toys. Jeffrey loves them and has so much fun playing with them. Thanks Aunt Robbin!

Our cute, little froggy!

I LOVE this one! They were just talking and smiling at each other.

He loves the camera, that's for sure.

When I would try to take pictures of Madi, she would make the funniest faces. It almost looks like she is mad in some of them. So cute!!

I had to take a picture of him here. He is sitting so cute. It's almost like he is saying "What Mom?"

When it was time for them to leave, Jeffrey didn't want Madi to leave. He was touching her head and messing with her hair.

Cute Baby Boy

2010-01-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

I took some great pictures of Jeffrey on Dec. 29, 2009. He is really starting to shine through with his own personality and attitude. He is so much fun to play with and I am constantly teaching new things to him. He loves to learn! He is such a happy boy and is always full of smiles. The pictures below really capture him in all his greatness. We love our baby boy so much and are so blessed to have such a wonderful son in our lives.

He's blowing bubbles in this picture.

Jeffrey playing on his new lion we bought him for Christmas. It roars when he pushes the lions purple nose (the nose also lights up) and also when he pushes it. He can ride on it and it can easily be converted to a stand up walker.

Ball

2010-01-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, we taught Jeffrey how to catch a ball. He gets so excited when we get the ball out and he loves to catch it. Below is a video I took of Jeffrey and Paul playing catch.

Christmas Day

2010-01-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas day at my parents house in Springfield, Mo. It was so beautiful outside with all the snow on the ground. Jeffrey just didn't know what to think about all the white stuff outside. It was cute to watch him stare out the window. Jeffrey wore his "My 1st Christmas" jammies that his Aunt Carrie got for him. I was up way before everyone else so I encouraged all the others to get up around 7:30 in the morning. We all had a good time opening presents and watching Jeffrey play with all the things he got.

Aunt La La helping Jeffrey open his present that she got for him.

Jeffrey and Aunt La La

My FAVORITE pic of all. So cute!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

Every year, Paul's family has a gathering at his mom's house to spend time with one another. We eat appetizers, open presents, and just enjoy one anothers company. Jeffrey was in to everything and he had fun playing with his cousins Max and Maycee. My mother-in-law, Suzanne had these Christmas bells hanging on the doorknob of a closet that Jeffrey just loved. He went to those bells several times that night. It's so funny that the most simple things keep kids entertained. We had such a good time with our family.

Grandma Suzanne reading a book to all of her grand babies.

There are those Christmas bells again. :)

2010-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

I thought this video was really cute. Just another day at home with Jeffrey :)

Jeffrey's First Picture with Santa

2010-01-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

We took Jeffrey to the mall to see Santa on December 23, 2009. It was the cutest thing to see. It took us a while to get a small smirk from him but all in all it was a fun experience. Santa was very nice looking and he was really good with Jeffrey (I guess he has had some experience). Every time Jeffrey would try to turn to see him, Santa would back away so that Jeffrey wouldn't catch a glimpse of him and get distracted. It was so funny :).

Our Little Family Christmas

2010-01-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

Before we went to spend Christmas with our extended families, we just had to get Jeffrey's first gift opening on camera. We only wrapped a couple of things because we knew he would be getting a lot more gifts and let's face it, we are buying him things constantly anyway. Paul was getting the gifts out from under the tree for all of us and Jeffrey was tugging at daddy's shirt as if saying "I wanna help, dad". It was so cute to watch him with open his presents. He was very careful and really only cared about chewing on the bright and shiny paper instead of the gift itself. When it was all said and done, I couldn't help but put him in the middle of all the wrapping paper and take a couple photos. I must say that the best gift Paul and I got this year was Jeffrey. He is such a blessing in our lives and I couldn't imagine life without him.

Jeffrey and Daddy

2010-01-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

Lately, Jeffrey has been so attached to his daddy. When Paul leaves the room or leaves the house for work, Jeffrey gets so sad and has the cutest little pouty face. I just thought these pictures of the two of them were great. Daddy loves his little boy and it breaks his heart to have to leave him to go to work everyday. These are my two most favorite boys in the whole world and I love them so much. I could not ask for a more perfect family.

A Messy Bathtime

2009-12-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

Jeffrey has been doing the funniest thing when he is getting a bath. He takes his hands and slams them into the water, making a HUGE, wet mess everywhere! Sorry about the video quality. I took it with my digital camera and it looks really fuzzy. I am definitely going to have to start giving him a bath in the tub now. For a while, I was using the tub but I somehow broke the drain plug and now it drains really slow making it very hard to clean it properly. It is so fun to watch him in the water. He is so fascinated with the cause and effect of the splashing.

Jeffrey's First Christmas Tree

2009-11-25T19:22:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday, I decided it was time to put the Christmas tree up. We were going to be out of town the next weekend so it seemed like the best time to do it. Besides, I couldn't wait to put Jeffrey's "First Christmas" ornament on it. I started putting it up while Jeffrey was crawling around everywhere so it was a little difficult with him underneath my feet. He was so curious of the trees branches, almost more than the shiny ornaments it had on it. I have a cute sea turtle ornament that was just perfect for Jeffrey to play with. I decided to put it within his reach to see what his reaction was. He loved pulling it off over and over again and chewing on it. He also loved to pull on the silver ribbon that was just above the turtle. I captured some great photos below of him.

Baby's First Christmas. I got it personalized for him.

Look at that cute little guy! I love this picture!

Yummy!

Jeffrey Started Crawling!!!

2009-11-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

On November 20th, 2009, Jeffrey started crawling for the first time! When he first started moving around he was doing the army crawl with his belly on the floor. Now, he uses his arms and legs with his belly OFF the floor to crawl around. It is so cute to watch him. I kind of feel a little unprepared with the baby proofing though. The only thing we have baby proofed it the power outlets. We are going to get an attached baby gate to go at the top of the stairs, a portable gate for the bottom of the stairs, and an entertainment center that is enclosed. Jeffrey loves any type of power cord he can get his hands on so we really need to get an entertainment center that can house all the cords so he cannot get ahold of them. Watch the video below to watch Jeffrey in action!

A Visit with Family

2009-11-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, a bunch of our family came to visit. We had a lot of fun just spending time together. Jeffrey was a good boy (except for at dinner) and we were able to just relax. It was a lot of fun.
Jeffrey with Papa Elliott

Aunt Carrie was dancing with Jeffrey while he was taking a bath. He was like "what the heck is going on? This is fun!"

My sisters and I: Laura, Carrie, and Me. Carrie is pretty dark (cause she had been tanning so she didn't look pasty white in her Aphrodite goddess of love costume).

Wiggling Around

2009-11-09T21:45:00.001-08:00

Jeffrey is scooting around now. He tries so hard to get up on he knees but doesn't quite make it yet..

Halloween '09

2009-11-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

For Jeffrey's first Halloween, we dressed him up as a lil' lion cub. He looked so darn cute in his costume. We didn't take him out trick or treating around the neighborhood but we did take him to a TRUNK or treating. It was located at our old church (ward) we attended in Springfield. We went around to each car's trunk that participated and got a treat from each one. We weren't able to stay long because it was Jeffrey's bedtime but we were able to visit with our old friends in Springfield. There was all kinds of food, games, and other children to play with. They were all dressed up in cute costumes. It was such a fun experience. I know that Jeffrey will have a lot more fun next year too.

Look at that face! He wasn't really a fan of putting the costume on. Poor little guy. Mama tortured him with it for a few minutes to snag some pictures.

Jeffrey's First Word

2009-11-09T21:05:00.001-08:00

On October 27th, Jeffrey said his first word: Mama! I was extremely excited when he first said it and made sure he said it more than once to confirm that it really was his first word. Now he almost says it constantly and definitely knows that it is my name. Lol! It is really cute to hear him say it. He says it a lot in the mornings and also when he wants me to pick him up. I'm so glad he said Mama first. I have heard that Dada is easier for babies to say. In fact, most of my friends babies said Dada first even though the Mommy's were working on getting the babies to say Mama from the get-go. I like to say that Jeffrey is advanced (but of course all babies progress that their own paces). My little Punkin is growing up and I am so excited for all of his new milestones to come.

Just Playing.

2009-10-20T21:04:00.001-07:00

Jeffrey and I just love playing on the floor with his toys. He laughs and plays the whole time...until he decides he's done. My supervisor from my previous job gave us a bunch of toys that her kids outgrew. Some of them are a little big for Jeffrey but we were given these really neat blocks that are clear with little things inside. It is so neat to watch him knock the blocks over and look at the objects inside. We were also given a few clear roll-around-balls too. He love to chew on them and make them all slobbery. I love play with him but every now and then I have to stop him and give him smooches. Sometimes it makes him mad though. Lol! <3 <3

He was laughing at me.

Sippy Cup

2009-10-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

We decided to introduce the sippy cup to Jeffrey. He didn't really like it at all the first day we got it. He has just now started to kind of suck on the tip. Every so often, I will tip it over to let him get a taste of the apple juice inside then he really wants to find out how to get more of that. We also started letting him try the Gerber banana Puffs and strawberry yogert melts. He LOVES the taste of them. I am trying to get him to pick them up and put it in his mouth but he hasn't grasped that concept yet. Oh well! One step at a time I guess. Lol!

Doesn't quite get how to get the juice out yet.

Jeffrey's face while dissolving a yogert melt. It is so funny to watch him eat those.

Jeffrey's 6-month Dr's visit

2009-10-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

October 16 was Jeffrey's 6-month check up. The office was very busy due to flu season approaching but all in all a pretty good visit with the doctor. Jeffrey now weighs 16.88 pounds, is 26 inches long, and his head circumference is 43 cm. She didn't tell me his percentile though. She said that everything looks great with Jeffrey. She gave me the go ahead to give Jeffrey the little Gerber puffs that melt in his mouth easy so I am going to purchase those next time we go to the store. The doctor also said that now is the time to let him start picking up certain foods and letting him feed himself a bit. She also let me know that I can start working with a sippy cup for him. I need to start "baby proofing" the house because I just know that our Lil' Punkin is going to start crawling out of nowhere. He received 4 shots this time. One of the shots was a "catch up" from the last appointment when they were out. Another extra shot I had them give him is the flu shot. He will get a following flu shot next month. He did well taking the shots. He just cried for a minute then he calmed down. His next doctors visit is in January for his 9 month appointment.

6 Months Old...Already!

2009-10-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's hard to believe it but our sweet little boy is already 6 months old. He has accomplished so much in the past couple months. He has mastered sitting up all by himself. He is so good at it now that I will just put a blanket down with some toys and sit him up to let him play. He will eventually fall over but it takes a while. It's so cute! It won't be long before Jeffrey starts to crawl. He is already moving his body around to get things that are out of his reach. He has also tried all kinds of baby foods. He tends to like squash and sweet potatoes for veggies and ANY kind of fruit. We just started him on the 2nd foods which include more that one ingredient. He does really well at eating unless he gets distracted. Just in the past few weeks, Jeffrey has cut 2 teeth in. He had a fever of 101.6 we couldn't figure out why until the next day when this little bitty tooth popped out. They aren't completely out yet but are very visible. I took a picture of it below but it is really hard to see. He is such a good little guy! He needs some entertainment most of the time but he is getting better about entertaining himself with his own toys. Time is really flying by fast. Mama and Dada love you so much, Jeffrey!

His first tooth! If you enlarge the picture, you can see a little white thing on the right.

Sitting up all by himself!

"Can I have that camera, Mom?"

He chews on his bottom lip when his gums are bothering him.

Weekend in OK and Kings of Leon

2009-10-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 2nd, we made a trip to Moore Oklahoma to visit my Uncle Chris and Aunt Val. Aunt Val was so kind as to watch Jeffrey Saturday evening so that Paul, Scott (Paul's brother), Carrie, and I could go to the Kings of Leon concert in Oklahoma City. Jeffrey loved spending time with Aunt Val. She was so good with him and got him to laugh so much. I have never really heard him laugh so hard like he did with her. They were just talking, playing, and laughing all night. The concert was great. We went to The Melting Pot in Bricktown before walking to the Ford Center for the concert where we met up with Matt and Jake (Scott's bro-in-laws). Even though our seats were pretty far up, we still had a blast. I hope we can go back to Oklahoma really soon :)!

Laughing away.

Carrie and I on the way to The Melting Pot.

Scott and Paul at The Melting Pot. ( I had to take like 50 pictures to get a good one because they were being so goofy).

New Exersaucer

2009-10-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

We bough Jeffrey a stationary toy called an "Exersaucer" and he seems to like it. We were thinking about buying him a jumperoo but this toy allows up to 35 pounds compared to 25 pounds with the jumperoo. It bounces and rocks as he plays with all the developmental toys. The seat spins too so he can play with each one. He love to stand and "bungee jump" as my cousin Beth puts it. (He lifts his legs when you bounce him). This product was well worthe the money.

Big Smile for Mama!

More pics from OK

2009-10-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Cousin Anna and Jeffrey. Doesn't he look cute in his sun hat. Its getting a little snug on him now.

Cool shades.

Part of the fairgrounds.

Trip to Oklahoma

2009-10-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my family in Stillwater, OK. They go every year the the Oklahoma State Fair and this year I was able to go with them. Jeffrey and I rode to Stillwater with my cousin Margaret and her husband. My cousin Anna also came with us. We all had such a great time together. Below are some great pictures I took.
"Can I have those glasses?"

Just too funny! Not sure what this face means..

My Aunt Stephanie and I. You would think she was my mom, huh? We look a lot alike ;)

My sister Laura and baby Edward.

The babies were so tired. Edward only sleeps on his tummy.

Candid photos

2009-09-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

My cousin Catherine and her family were visiting Joplin a couple weeks ago and I forgot my camera. Luckily, she was able to take some great shots of Jeffrey with her camera that has infinite memory. She sent me these pictures via email. Jeffrey is still very interested in his feet. They are probably the main thing that he sticks in his mouth these days. Lol!

Just some great photos

2009-09-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey is starting to sit up nicely without me holding on to him. He eventually flops over but each time he can hold his weight longer and longer. It's so cute.

When I change him on his pack and play, he really likes the shiney door knob that is just above it and within his reach.

Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

Rubber Ducky

2009-09-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey got a new Bumbo seat with a tray and so on Monday, I decided to see how he did with his rubber ducky that my great Aunt Anita got for him. He's teething so I be it felt good on his gums. He is just so photogenic that it is hard not to get a good picture. He's my little super star!

Weekend visit from friends

2009-09-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Baby Madi giving me a great big grin!

Proud dads with the babies in their Seahawk gear tht Joe bought.

Over the weekend, our good friends Jeni and Joe Brown and their daughter Madison came to visit. Paul and Joe went to the Chiefs / Seahawks preseason game in Kansas City on Saturday while Jeni and I spent time together and watched our babies play. We watched a couple movies and went out to eat as well. We like to call Jeffrey Madi's boyfriend because Madi likes to hold hands with Jeffrey all the time. Well, sometimes she will hold his leg if she is closer to that. At one point Madi was even sucking on Jeffrey's toes! Lol! It was really funny. They are just too cute together.

Eating 1st Foods

2009-08-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

At Jeffrey's last appointment, his doctor gave me the "go ahead" to start feeding him some 1st foods. He wasn't quite sure about eating off of the spoon but he quickly got the hang of it. I couldn't help but take a few messy pictures! Lol!

He is eating some rice cereal here.

Big smile after mama cleaned him up.

Eatin' green beans!

He is very fascinated with his tongue lately.

Trip to Kansas City

2009-08-27T14:08:00.001-07:00

Last week, Paul, Jeffrey, and I took a trip to KC, Missouri because Paul had some training he was required to attend. While we were there, Jeffrey and I spend most of our time in the hotel suite while Paul was in training. I was able to take some pretty cute pictures.

He is making such a funny face in the this one. I love it!

The first day, Daddy was so tired but immediately spent some time with baby before he took a cat nap!

Sitting up...almost!!

2009-08-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey now likes to try and sit up as much as he can. These pictures were taken a couple weeks ago and Jeffrey is sitting up so straight in his bouncy seat. He also has a book in his lap that he enjoys looking at and also enjoys when I read to him. There are lots of colorful pictures in it and different animals to go along with the themes of each page.

4-Month Checkup

2009-08-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

The pediatrician said that Jeffrey is doing fabulous. Although we were there FOREVER, Jeffrey did well at entertaining us and himself. He now weighs 14.8 pounds (50th percentile) and is 25.5 inches long (45th percentile). He was really squirmy and rolling all over the place so to was hard to get measurements that were completely accurate. The doctor said that he is now able to have "1st" foods. I have been giving him rice cereal but I think I will try to give in a taste of veggies next time :). My inconsistency makes it hard though so we will see.

Expressions

2009-08-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Our little boy has so many different expressions that his face portrays. I'm not sure what some of them mean yet but I am sure I will catch on soon enough. In these pictures, he is in the middle of talking and he means business. You better make sure you listen and talk back or he gets upset. He is so cute. I just love talking to him. He really makes the day go better when I listen to him.

Abbie and baby

2009-08-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Our Dog Abbie likes to lay on the ottoman while I am holding Jeffrey. I decided to play "Horsey" with Abbie. We have taught Abbie to be very gentle. She is a really good dog to have around Jeffrey.

Visit from Papa and Grandma Elliott

2009-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

My parents came to visit a couple weeks ago. I wanted to show them how Jeffrey plays. On his play gym, it has this purple elephant that vibrates when you pull on it. Jeffrey loves it and chews on it all the time.

This is a great shot of him!

Papa Elliott loves to hold Jeffrey like this.

While they were here, we showed them how Jeffrey ate cereal. Jeffrey was such a talker.

Anna and her cophew in a self pic.

New play gym

2009-08-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

My cousin Catherine got her son a play gym that Jeffrey just loved. I decided to get him his own. It is the neatest thing ever. He just loves to lay and look at all of the toys. The play gym has 4 stuffed toys and a little rattle. It also has music and a hidden squeaker. In some of the pictures, you'll notice that he is sucking on his foot. He is very curious of his hands and feet. I love how he uses both hands to put his foot in his mouth.

My little chomper

2009-08-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures on July 20, 2009. Jeffrey is starting to chew and suck on anything he can get his hands on. Here, he is in his swing chomping on his blue moon blanket that Grandma Elliott got him.

Splish Splash

2009-08-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey taking a bath. He is getting more and more curious about the water. Now, he really likes to kick and splash everywhere. I have to make sure I have towels ready to wipe up the floor. He is a good sport in the tub even though he doesn't like the washing part. He's my little water bug!!

My two favorite boys

2009-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

On Paul's day off, he usually sleeps in so I get up before him. Sometimes Jeffrey will snuggle with daddy while mama takes a shower and gets ready for the day. I always get some good pictures with them together. You can't tell, but Jeffrey is stretching. His usual stretch is with one or both arms straight above his head. Daddy calls that his "champion stretch".

Jeffrey rolled over!!

2009-07-29T12:00:00.001-07:00

On July 10th, 2009, Jeffrey rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time. At first, he couldn't quite get that right arm unstuck but he soon got the hang of it.

He finally got the arm out after a a couple more tries.

Jeffrey's first taste of cereal

2009-07-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

On July 2nd, 2009, Jeffrey tried rice cereal for babies for the first time. He didn't like his first bite but I think he liked it towards the end.
Love those blue eyes!

Daddy giving him a funny face.

"I'm not sure if I like this, Mama"

More photos

2009-07-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Abbie thinks the Boppy pillow is hers. Lol!

7/1/2009: Mama reading Jeffrey a story for the first time.

June 30, 2009 I first noticed Jeffrey looking closely at objects and batting at them.

Photos from the last few weeks

2009-07-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

On 6/29/2009, Jeffrey had his first swimming pool experience. It was a really nice night and we went over to Great Grandma Peggy's (Paul's Grandma) for a swim. He looked so cute in his little swim trunks. He didn't even mind the luke warm water.

Grandma Suzanne and Jeffrey

Jeffrey and his cousin Max. Max loves little Jeffrey so much. The whole time we were visiting family, he was so gentle with Jeffrey. It was the cutest thing ever

I love this picture. Jeffrey was just staring daddy down.

One of his favorite things to do is lay on the floor. He just kicks and coos away. So sweet.

Jeffrey's First Trip to the Lake

2009-06-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

Jeffrey's first lake trip was to Table Rock Lake on June 6th, 2009. We had a great time with family and friends in the water. Although Jeffrey was too little to be on the boat and in the water, he still enjoyed being held by everyone.

He looks so darn cute!

Jeffrey and daddy trying out the Baby Bjorn. They look so much alike.

Aunt Carrie with Jeffrey. I wanted a picture with the water in the background.

A Father's blessing

2009-06-14T17:36:00.001-07:00

On May 31st, 2009 Paul gave our son a wonderful father's blessing in Granby ward. It was very emotional and he did such a great job. We had several close friends and family there to celebrate: Jeni, Joe, and Madison Brown; Melanie and Ryan Miller; My parents and Pauls parents, Grandma Peggy and Granpa Hank; My sister Carrie, cousin Anna, Karen Easton and Josh, Danielle, and Kinzley Gorham. My mother-in-law Suzanne made a fantastic meal afterward for us all to enjoy.

Jeffrey slept through the entire blessing.

Nice family photo. Baby Jeffrey is still sleeping.

The whole group of people that came to celebrate.

The boys and their babies. Joe Brown and Madison (she is 3 days older than Jeffrey) and Paul and Jeffrey (still sleeping).

Shopping in Branson

2009-06-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago on May 30, we decided to go to Branson, MO to shop for a while. We met up with a few of my Aunts, cousins, and my sister Carrie. Anna was of course my helper with Jeffrey. Although he is usually a good boy, it is always nice to have a helping hand. My cousin Catherine and her newborn son Edward were there as well. We allowed our boys to kick side-by-side for a while and I was able to capture a few pictures of them.

Here is Jeffrey and Edward.

Jeffrey with Aunt Stephanie on the left and Edward and his Grandma (my Aunt) Julie on the right.

The boys were very interested in something over there.

Edward is 6 days younger than Jeffrey. They are getting so big.

My cousins, Anna making a funny face and Nikki looking gorgeous.

My smiley boy

2009-05-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Anna Marie took these pictures of him smiling. I have started back to work and she is babysitting Jeffrey while I am working. It is pretty hard not seeing him every moment but I am grateful I have a sitter I can trust. I get to come home at lunch but he is usually sleeping at that time so I only get a quick kiss then I have to go back.

Big Blue Eyes

2009-05-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted pictures for a while so these pictures are from the last couple weeks. His eyes are always so wide and they are the deepest blue. I love him so much!!

I love this picture. Not sure what he is doing though.

After another bath

2009-05-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

He just had a bath and I just couldn't help myself. I just had to have Paul take a couple pictures in his little diaper. Lol! He is just too cute and he holds his head up so well.

Jeffrey and Momma