Halloween 2012

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! We sure did. We kinda celebrated 4 times throughout the month of October! We went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze, went to our ward trunk or treat, visited both sides of the family (that means trips to Rexburg and Malad!), and then did Halloween night here in Chubbuck around our apartment complex. Noah wanted to be a fireman, so I found Riley a dalmatian costume. We had a fireman and his fire dog! They were so cute! Noah liked trick or treating but still didn't like it for very long. And Riley slept through the whole experience! Here is some pics of all the fun!

Riley: 4 months

Four Months Old!

Riley turned 4 months old on Nov. 7th. Wow. I seriously can't believe that he has been with us for 4 months! Time is flying so fast! He is such a joy in our home, he is the sweetest baby, and oh so happy. I love every second of being his mom. We just moved him into his big crib in he and noah's room and he loves it in there! Riley sleeps like a champ. He wakes up only once during the night and he falls asleep for nearly every nap and bedtime on his own! (That is something Noah never did, heck he still has a hard time with it!) Riley is such a happy baby. He found his voice just a couple weeks ago and he loves to coo and yell and talk to us! He has only giggled once and it was at Noah. I am still waiting for a really good laugh! I love his voice and I love watching him grow. He is still breastfeeding like a pro and he sure loves his mommy! He loves when Noah plays with him too. Riley loves to smile and hates to be ignored! :) Just last night (November 9) he smiled for the first time. I was in the kitchen doing dishes and Noah was with Riley in the living room playing with him and I heard Riley let out a few big laughs so I came in to listen to him and Noah laugh together. It was so cute! Noah loved that he was making Riley laugh and Riley loves when Noah plays with him. They sure love each other! Riley loves tummy time and rolling onto his side [he can't quite get all the way over, but loves to be on his side!] We are seriously so blessed to have Riley in our family, he is so so loved!

His 4 month stats:
Weight- 18 lbs 8 oz (99%)
Height- 25 1/2 in (I don't remember the percentile.. 67% maybe?)

He is my little chunker! Super duper healthy! He is pretty long too, he just doesn't look it cus he is so round!

If I Could..

So, I am totally in love with this song. Trev and I got this lullaby cd when Noah was a newborn and I had a favorite song then... and surprisingly when I pulled it out to use for Riley, I picked a new favorite song! It's called "If I Could" I could explain it and all that jazz but just listen to it! But you probably won't appreciate it unless you have kids! :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

So for the longest time I had a hard time getting my cookies to turn out the way I wanted them to. They were too flat, too hard, not cooked enough, too brown... etc. Anyways, after much trial and error I have discovered what I think to be the perfect cookie! :) Most important tip I have learned: use more flour! (Thanks to my friend Autumn- who happens to make some of the best cookies ever!) I have found in nearly every recipe [not just chocolate chip] I have to increase the flour by at least 3/4 cup.. sometimes more. So here is the cookie recipe my mom gave me.. with just a couple changes by me!

-1 cup crisco (or regular unsalted butter works just fine, but I prefer the crisco)
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla
-3 cups flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I use 1/2 cup semisweet, 1/2 cup milk choc)

Directions:
Cream together crisco, brown sugar, and sugar. Add in vanilla and 2 eggs, mix well. Mix in baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in flour, I do one cup at a time. Stir in chocolate chips. Easy Peasy. :) Bake at 375* for 8-10 min. I check mine at 8 minutes, but usually cook them the full 10 minutes. Just cook them til they are golden brown and look good to you.

This is the only picture I have of my cookies! Thank goodness for instagram! :)

20 Random Facts About Me.

So recently I posted this post, and I am now doing #1 on the list.

20 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME.

1. I sometimes think I could live on ramen noodles and cereal. Oh and tuna helper. Ya I know, suuuper healthy.

2. I don't really grow leg hair... like I only have to shave my legs every 2 months.. and I don't think anyone but me notices the hair on my legs.. Not even Trev. Ha.

3. My favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid. (Wish my boys would appreciate it more..)

4. I have a new found love for hiking. I love love love hiking with my family. Wish there were more places to hike around here though.

5. I am slightly obsessed with TV shows. We recently got rid of our DISH but before then I had at least 2 (5 at most) shows recording every night. Ask me how I am doing with our TV... :( Haha.

6. I cry in pretty much every movie I have ever watched. The way I see it, if I don't cry the movie wasn't very good. Haha.

7. I am a morning person. I would much prefer waking up at 6:00 a.m. and go to bed by 9:00 p.m. than to sleep in all day and go to bed after midnight.

8. I can be a very jealous person. Funny quote I found a few months ago, "A jealous woman can do better research than the FBI." 100% true... at least for me. I rock at finding stuff out. We joke that I should probably be a detective. :)

9. I am a liberal. I am just beginning to understand and enjoy politics and while I have been learning and researching more about politics and government I have discovered I am very much a liberal.

10. I think my boys are the cutest, smartest, most amazing kids on the planet. Haha. They are my world. :) (Biased much?)

11. Condiments are more important to me than the actual meal.

12. I am slightly anti-social. I am working on being a better people person.

13. Right now, I am desperately wanting a Chevy Volt and a house that is powered by renewable energy (solar panels, windmill, yada-yada)

14. I love love online shopping. :)

15. I take WAYYYY too many pictures. Haha. I just love documenting my life. :) I don't want to miss a moment!

16. I am totally into astrology/horoscopes stuff. I love reading into why I am such a cancer and why trev and our boys act the way they do because of their signs. I have astrological charts printed off for all 4 of us, saying what sign is our sun, moon, rising, north node, etc. Pretty nerdy... but totally cool! :)

17. I sing the same 5 hymns/children's hymns every night to get Noah to sleep.

18. During my pregnancy with Riley, my feet grew 1/2 size.. I barely squeeze into my shoes now.:( But I do get to do some new shoe shopping now!

19. I have zero self discipline. So this whole "losing the baby weight" business is getting terribly depressing for me! 

20. This list was way harder than it should have been for me... it literally took me weeks. Haha.

I found this idea on pinterest and then found the girl's blog who made up the list. The original post is found here.

"Babyproofing Your Marriage"-Book Review!

Source: suarezfamilyroots.blogspot.com via Shaylise on Pinterest

*Found this awesome quote on Pinterest awhile ago, and i just love it.*

So, I am sure I don't need to tell anyone that has kids that everything gets a little harder once you add a baby into the mix. But you tend to forget how hard that transition is when you decide to add a second baby in... well at least I did. The whole time I was pregnant with Riley, I was concerned about Noah's transition from only child to big brother.. I didn't even think about the challenging times for my marriage. Not that I am saying our life is that bad or ever has been.. but having children is an adjustment. In the long run, I would definitely say having a baby strengthened my marriage (just in the short 2 years of Noah's life, my love for Trev has grown immensely and I know he feels the same.) But that first like 6-12 months of having a baby can be a little rough at times. I know for me, I felt slightly overwhelmed trying to figure out how to be a good mom, wife, house cleaner, cook, etc. etc. Oh and after all that is done, finding time for ME. Haha, yeah right. With all that pressure, any little thing can send a person WAY over the edge.. and trust me that has happened many times! But things calm down and the baby starts sleeping more, you figure out a routine and what works for you and your family, and slowly things return to normal. (or your new normal, what I feel [most days!] is better than before!)
Ok, ok.. I totally went off there. My point, I forgot how hard it can sometimes be with a newborn. It is a crazy, wonderful thing. It's even harder when you have a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn... there is seriously no time for my marriage. I know we will get through it and come out so much better and stronger and more in love than before. ALLLLLLLL that being said, I am reading this book called, "Babyproofing Your Marriage" and it totally rocks. I am in love and only a few pages in. It is written by three women Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill, and Julia Stone. I am recommending this book to anyone with kids, or expecting, or even newly married! Go buy this book NOW! :)

I am not trying to say my marriage is on the rocks (cus it's not! Ha not that I would probably share if it was, lol) and I am not saying my children have ruined my life.... because they have blessed my life and shown me that I have so much love inside me. They have blessed my family and my marriage, they have strengthened me and Trevor and our love. Holy cow, I need to get off my soapbox about this.. Book review/life lesson over now! :)

Riley {2 months}

Riley's 2 month Stats:

Weight- 14 lbs 3 oz 93%

Length- 23 1/2 in 75%

Head Circumference- 40 cm 52%

Riley had his 2 month appointment today and he was such a trooper. Shots are hard and he cried pretty hard during them but as soon as I held him he was better. He has been sleeping since we left the doctor's office though, must have been rough on him! Noah also got his flu vaccine while we were there so we are all caught up on our vaccines. :) Riley is very healthy and growing like a weed. He is a big boy! Dr. McInterff says he is doing great!

Riley is seriously such a good baby. He is so happy and really hardly ever cries. He is just starting to sleep about 7 1/2 hours straight. I have a hard time keeping him awake after 7 p.m. so he goes to bed around 7:30 p.m. and wakes up around 3:00 a.m. and eats for about 15 min has a diaper change and goes right back to bed. Then he wakes up at about 6:00 a.m. for another feed and sometimes goes back to sleep until 8:00. It's pretty fantastic. He is starting to be awake quite a bit more during the day and loves when Noah plays with him. He loves his milk and is a great eater. Nursing has been so fabulous this time. (Not that it wasn't with Noah, but I just know what I am doing this time!) Riley eats about every 2 1/2 hours during the day on average, sometimes it's a little longer between feeds. He smiles like crazy, loves to be talked to, and is starting to coo quite a bit. It's adorable. He loves to be in his swing and just kicking around on the floor. He also really loves bathtime! He and Noah are gonna be an unstoppable pair in the tub when Riley gets to be able to splash and swim like Noah! Haha. When Riley is tired he prefers to be laid down and left alone to fall asleep rather than be cuddled or nursed to sleep.. which is a good thing... but I sometimes wanna cuddle him! Ha. Oh, he has also discovered his hands and loves to chew and suck on them! I just love this little boy so much! We are having so much fun with him. My favorite part about having two kids is how much they naturally love each other. It's amazing to watch them interact and see how Noah loves to kiss and hold and talk to Riley, and how Riley lights up when Noah is around him. It is the best. Riley is scheduled to be blessed in 2 weeks, on September 23. I am excited for that day. Anyways, that's my Ri-bug in a quick little nutshell. He just completes our little family(for now) and we are so happy he is ours. 

Riley-7 weeks old

Riley- Aug 31, 2012

Riley- September 7, 2012

My Happy Baby! :)

The List.

So, while browsing pinterest I found this fun list. Trev and I are gonna try to do a question a day together or something like that! I will post some of my/our answers on my bog every now and then! You should totally check out this girls blog! It has some really fun stuff on there! I love her marriage advice and church posts! http://cherishinghopesanddreams.blogspot.com

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

http://cherishinghopesanddreams.blogspot.com/2012/01/30-things.html

Happy 3rd Anniversary To Us!

Source: a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net via Shaylise on Pinterest

This next quote hits home for me and how I feel about our relationship. From the beginning, Trev has always seen things in an entirely different view and given me fresh perspective on a lot of things I never would have thought about before. I think that is part of what attracted me to him from the start! Together we find some sort of perfect balance. And we never expected to end up together... and look at us now! Feeling so blessed and happy to be together. 

Source: weheartit.com via Shaylise on Pinterest

"Choose your love, love your choice." -President Thomas S. Monson

So, I have been trying to write this post for a couple days... I just can't believe its been 3 years since we got married! {Also, I was going to put the pics in a timeline.. but that's too difficult for me so you get them in random order! Haha} It is amazing to me that Trevor and I have been in each other's lives for 4 1/2 years and married for 3. Who knew when we first met Jan. of 08, we would be married with 2 kids now?! Haha, neither one of us did! We definitely weren't looking to get married at the time we met! We met while working at applebees together and began hanging out with mutual friends. I was totally infatuated with Trev's great smile and his sweet personality. He was also hard for me to figure out, not the usual jock/cocky types I usually found myself dating. We were totally just friends and we will both still tell you to this day, we would have never pictured us getting serious when we first started hanging out. Haha. But once we fell for each other, we did hard and fast. We are kinda opposites and I feel like we balance each other out perfectly. I am so thankful that I met Trevor and we fell in love. I cannot imagine my life without him and our boys. It has been a wonderful 3 years of marriage.. I have loved every amazing, irritating, hard, crazy, fun minute of it! I have learned and grown so much as a woman, wife, and mom. And as a couple we have grown tremendously. We have learned that forgiveness is key, communication is essential, to laugh through the times, and we have to always put each other first. :) Among a whole bunch of other things. Honestly, I find myself more and more in love every day. That realization that we are growing closer through the years, not drifting apart gives me such comfort. "If I had to do it all over again, I'd still choose you." <--- This quote makes me so happy. I would choose Trevor every time.

Haha. I love this. So true... well at least in our marriage. :)

Source: dashboard.bloglines.com via Shaylise on Pinterest

{Some pictures throughout the last 4 1/2 years}

{Dating} Christmas 08

{Wedding} August 16, 2009

{Wedding}

{Wedding}

{Vegas} Sept 2011

{Vegas} Sept 2011

{Vegas} Sept 2011

{Basic Graduation} May 2011. after a 3 1/2 month separation.

{Basic Grad}

{Basic Grad}

{Basic Grad}

{Honeymoon} Aug 2011 San Diego

{Dating} Jan. 2009

{Dating} Jan. 2009

{Dating} Feb. 2009

{Dating} Seattle Space Needle April 2009

{Dating} Oregon April 2009

{Dating} Astoria, OR April 2009

{Dating} Oregon April 2009

{Dating} Feb 2009

{Dating} July 4, 2009

{Dating} Summer 2008

{Dating} Summer 2008

{Dating} Spring 2008

{Dating} 

{Dating} Summer 2008

{Dating} Summer 2008

{Dating} Fall 2008 Hiking the Tetons

{Dating} 

{dating} 

{Married} Hiking @City of the Rocks Oct. 2011

{Married} Feb 2012

{Married} Feb 2011

{dating} Halloween 2008

{engagements} July 2009

{engagements}

{engagements}

{engagements}

{engagements}

{engagements}

{engagements}

{married} day that trev left for 6 months for the army March 7, 2011

{married} Valentines Day 2012

{married} our first Christmas as a married couple

{married} Feb 12, 2010

 right after Noah was born.... let's be honest if a man can still love you after this (literally looking like a train hit you) he is definitely a keeper! Haha.

{married} July 7, 2012 right after Riley was born. 

{married} Nov. 2011 Army Ball

*Babe, Thanks for a wonderful 3 years of marriage. I love you so very much. You are an incredible husband and a wonderful daddy. Here's another quote that reminds me of you, "I never knew how much I loved your father until I saw how much he loved you." Thanks for the amazing love you have for our boys. Thank you for providing for our family and taking such great care of us. We have had a great few years, and I am looking forward to a lifetime more. I love you. Happy Anniversary.*