Favorite Pics

While this isn't a post to keep you up on what has been going on, I there are a few pictures that I have that I haven't put on the blog that I really like. Of course, Kyson is in all of them.

Kyson loves his grandparents, and his grandpas in particular. One night we were visiting my parents and I took a picture of Kyson with my dad. It warms my heart to see how involved my father wants to be in Kyson's life.As many know, Kyson has had trouble with eating for a long time, and has really progressed in the last few months. One of his favorite foods is corn on the cob, and I think the picture says by itself how much he loves it.
Our backyard is full of weeds (which we've recently been working on) and Kyson and Franni Faye love to walk through the jungle. it may not be pretty to look at, but it creates a nice background for pictures.
My husband took this picture and it just reminds me of how children and animals love unconditionally. It makes me thankful for the wonderful family that I have.

Another Year With No End in Sight

The other day, we had the privilege of celebrating our 8th anniversary. It's amazing how quickly the time passes, and we never had that famous "seven year itch." Sure things aren't perfect, but what a boring marriage if everything was bliss all the time.

When Kris and I hose our wedding date, we didn't know it at the time, but it was the day before both of our parents' wedding anniversary too. Our wedding was a little different in the sense that we were married in the temple on a Friday night, June 15, and the reception was on Saturday night, June 16. Our wedding celebration on June 16 was also both our parents' anniversary. So I'd like to wish a wonderful anniversary for both my parents and my in-laws. Both couples have done so much for us and have been an example to us in different ways.

My parents have been married for 36 years now, and Kris' parents for 16! Congratulations to all.

Third Time is a Charm

Well, on my week off, we decided to try Kyson out in a big bed once more. The first time he developed a habit of sleeping on the floor and became attached to 2 blankets. We decided to put him back in his crib because they say, "old habits die hard." We didn't want him to stay sleeping on the floor. The second time, we were up ALL night because he kept falling out of the bed and crying. We couldn't take the sleep deprivation and put him back in his crib.

Each of the first attempts we put him in a toddler bed, but my eighbor suggested we try putting him straight to a twin bed. I was worried that it would be too big for him, but it was worth a try. Well, I don't know if he just wasn't ready before, or if the toddler bed was too small, but he loves his new bed. The first night, I laid by his bed until he fell asleep, the second night we let him cry and he slept on the floor in front of the door. The third night, he cried a while but when I checked on him before going to bed, he had gone back to bed, and the fourth night, he slept in his bed. It was wonderful. THey grow up so fast! I guess the next big transition will be potty training - yea.

It's a Girl!

Yesterday was the anticipated ultrasound, and we were hoping to get some answers this time. Fortunately SHE cooperated. Once again, they looked at all he organs and the size of the baby and everything looked great, but the first thing they did was look for the gender for us. Immediately they said it was a girl. The technician checked 2 more times during the ultrasound just to sure. When the doctor came in, we asked her to check as well - just to be safe. The doctor checked and said that it is definitely a girl. Of course there is no guarantee, but she said, "there is no outdoor plumbing and the female parts are very clear." Of course, I'm not getting rid of Kyson's old clothes until after the baby is born, but I'm pretty sure it will be a girl. We're very excited!

While I'm updating on the pregnancy, I do have some news that potentially could be a downer. Because of my kidney history, they wanted to do extra tests - which was annoying, but I did voluntarily. All of my kidney functions came back normal, but they said I was showing signs of early gestational diabetes. I go and get tested for diabetes on July 10, but pray that I don't have it. I've heard that diabetes causes large babies and Kyson was 9 lbs 5 oz without diabetes. I can't deal with a 15 lb baby. Pray for me that it will come back negative!

My Son, the Joker

Recently, Kyson has taken on the look of a famous villain - the Joker. When I went to work one evening, he looked completely normal. When I returned, he looked like this. Kris doesn't know what happened either. It took many takes to get this shot because every time I held up the camera he would smile really big and you couldn't see the sores. I pray they heal quickly because it is embarassing to take him in public. Who knows what people are thinking - I promise, we didn't do it. On the bright side, at least he looks like one of the best villains ever played.

Another Trip to the Lake

Last weekend we went to Bear Lake again, but this time, I brought a friend. The weather didn't cooperate most of the time so we relaxed all weekend by having a movie marathon. We watched Mall Cop, Nights of Rodanthe, Forever Strong, Taken, and Marley and Me. While the weekend was uneventful, I can say it was wonderfully relaxing.

In the short time that we did have nice weather, my dad, Kyson, and I went outside and played in the mini-pool. The lake was too cold so I filled up the pool with hose water and boiled water to make it warm. It was impossible to get Kyson to sit in the water, but he had a lot of fun with my dad splashing the water and playing with the boats and balls. I love watching my father with him. He's really a wonderful grandfather.

After his adventures in the pool, we had a short photo shoot. Kyson now understands what a camera is and as soon as you hold up a camera, he smiles for you. I've included the short photo shoot we had.

Memorial Weekend Fun

This last weekend, we went to Bear Lake with the family. We went last weekend to clean up the cabin for the summer, but his weekend was to be for fun. The weather wasn't perfect, but we were still able to enjoy the time away.

Saturday we went four wheeling. Normally I go with my dad and we go on some rough trails, but my cousin decided they wanted to go too and bring their kids. At first I wasn't happy with the idea because I didn't think it was possible to have any fun with small kids on a real four wheeling trail. But I figured since they were bringing their kids, I may as well take Kyson. Kyson has done short trips on the four wheeler, like down to the beach, around campgrounds and stuff like this, but nothing rocky and in the forest. He loved it! He had always liked riding them, but this trip was extra fun for him. I kept asking him if he was having fun and he said, "yes." He was laughing so much and even saying "Weeeeee," as we went down the canyon. I'm so glad that I took him, but I'm afraid I opened up a can of worms. After that trip, he always wanted to go on rides, and he even figured out how to steal my cousin's kid's four wheeler. he disappeared for a short time and we found him in he yard riding Daxton's toy four wheeler. He figured it out all by himself.

All weekend Kyson played with my father. At times, I even had he courage to leave Kyson in the care of my father - Super Nanny himself. Kids love him and I don't know if it's because he's a big kid himself, or because they can do whatever they want with him. I was lucky enough to capture a perfect moment from this perfect babysitter.While my dad has his moments of admiring tractors, he is a wonderful grand- father who adores Kyson. It's fun to see them play together because I know they enjoy one another's company. It's wonderful to see the tender side of him as a grandfather that I don't remember seeing as a father. In fact, it was my dad's idea to bring Kyson four-wheeling, not something I'd expect from my dad.

The weather was too cold to take advantage of the lake, but Kyson still took advantage of the beach. I wasn't planning on him digging into the sand because it was all wet after the rain, but I turned my back to set his shoes aside, and I ended up with a very dirty boy. I let him play and even sent my dad to get lawn chairs after I'd been standing there for 15 minutes. He had to have been freezing by the end, but he was happy - and that's all that matters, right?