The Isom's

This is NOT News!

2012-01-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

John Wayne and T are best friends.

This should not be shocking.

They've always been buds, while I'm merely a mediocre replacement for when T is gone.

Case in point: last night, T spent the night in Cheyenne for work purposes.

A distraught John Wayne called his daddy and told him exactly what's what.

Selfishly, I enjoyed our time, especially sleeping in our king size bed together.

2012-01-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Sure, it's been cold out.

That windy, freeze you to the core, kind of cold, but thankfully it hasn't really snowed much since before Christmas. (I'm scared to death of driving in the snow)

Round these parts, some people have been doing some 'snowless winter complaining'.

To them I say, 'Do shut up.'

(Not to their face, but in my head over and over again)

This weekend, those complainers got their wish.

It snowed.

A lot.

Fortunately for me, it only lasted about two hours.

Fortunately for John Wayne, he's still as cute a ever soaking wet.

Miracles

2012-01-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, T would absolutely consider an abnormal day.

I actually made dinner.

Huzzah!

I enjoy cooking, I just don't enjoy the energy I have to exert while cooking. If there was a way where cooking gave me more energy, I would totally do so everynight.

Anyway, it was a good night.

This recipe is right up T's alley and even John Wayne enjoyed it, if his cheesy grin means anything at all*.

*I actually said, "John Wayne, smile!" and this is what I got.

Reasons Why I Love My Little Man More Everyday

2012-01-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

1. Whenever he hears music, he not only starts dancing, but encourages us to start as well.

2. He talks so well! It's hard for me to believe he's as young as he is when he can hold a conversation with me as well as tell me exactly what he wants at all times, identify about half of the alphabet, repeat names back after me telling him once, explaining a story I'm reading using the pictures, memorize parts of stories, etc.

3. He has been sleeping with us for a few months (I mean six). We got him a toddler bed. He screamed the first night and kept running out of the room. Now, about a week later, is totally quiet and never leaves the room (even the time in the middle of the night where he needed a diaper change).

4. He gives his hugs and kisses away so freely.

5. He lets me maul him without hardly any complaint.

I feel like I'm addicted to my kid. Is that weird to say? I miss him all the time, like at work (of course), but also when he's sleeping and even when he's in the other room.

Happy Four Years!

2012-01-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

I'm a good wife.

This year, we spent our anniversary (the next day, anyway) in Vegas.

Where,

we went,

to a UFC fight.

It was actually pretty good, and pretty interesting.

Especially since Brock Lesner retired right after his fight.

I still love you, T

Modern Technology

2012-01-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

Wyoming spoils teachers.

If you are looking into the education field, I would highly suggest this glorious state.

Having said that, my school gave me an ipad2.

To keep.

Forever.

*Pause for judgemental/jealous gasp*

Anyway, I'm finding it really useful.

Especially for my child.

He LOVES it.

He loves to watch Elmo, Thomas, and anything related to those two things.

I even downloaded an Elmo app which he can't get enough of.

The interesting thing about it is he knows his way around that ipad.

He knows how to get to his Elmo app, he knows how to get out of it.

He knows how to get to the songs he likes, and he knows how to watch the videos he wants.

It is awesome to see him so enthralled with something I, myself and learning how to get around on.

It is also weird.

Phoenix Shenanigans

2012-01-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

Phoenix was great (as it always is).

It makes me sad to think we live so far away, mostly because the drive takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R!

I feel sorry for T who has to drive with me.

An hour outside of Provo I asked, "How many more minutes until we get there?"

It just got worse from there.

I digress.

Phoenix is fun.

Cousins are fun.

Takee Outee is fun.

The perfect weather is fun.

So that's that.

Phoenix Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Living here in this winter wonderland, people have asked me what it's like to never have grown up with a 'White Christmas.'

To which I usually respond, "My Christmases were just like yours."

"Full of laughter and joy..."

"...cuddles and love..."

"happiness and childlike wonder..."

"just minus the snow."

Isom Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

Always a joy.

Always.

Even with 20 some odd kids running around trying to kill each other (in a playful way).

The feeling like it's a million degrees with all the bodies crammed in there.

I'm Two!

2011-12-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to teach my fourth graders responsibility.
When they come to me with, yet another, sob story about why they didn't do their homework, I usually tell them something along the lines of:
"No, the REAL reason you didn't do your homework is because you were being irresponsible."
They usually bow their heads and nod in defeat.
Then, they bound away fully intending to do it again the next day and the next.
This Christmas season, I could say I was really busy.
I could say I was really stressed out.
I could say I had tons engagements to attend to.
I could say my computer broke and I was unable to use a device that allowed me to keep up with things.
But, no.
I was being irresponsible.

Now that we have that out of the way...
John Wayne turned two!

It's weird for me to think of my baby boy as a two year old...

On one hand, I feel like he's my baby, and he should have NEVER been allowed to turn 2.

On the other, I feel like he acts waaay older than two and cannot believe he's only 2?

Either way, he's two.

We enjoyed a birthday celebration in our little home, and had a pretty fun time for it being only the three of us.

(I get the impression John Wayne likes bigger crowds than both T and I enjoy).

We ate pizza.

Where he ate all the toppings off of it.

He gave me some good happy shots with his daddy, who is seriously the main reason why my boy wakes up in the morning.

He opened up a few presents from us. Mostly, he opened his gifts with one hand while he held he latest Thomas DVD in the other.
He wasn't in a pants wearing mood (is he ever?) so I granted his birthday wish.

He got phone call/skyped with his grandparents, who are the second reason why wakes up in the morning.

I think the thing that gave him the most happiness?
Spending time with the people he loves.

There's Dasher, and Prancer, and Donner....

2011-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to us all!

Two Days After Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

After we went to Heber and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, we were fortunate enough to have T's family come to our little town at T's dad's ranch and enjoy some cowboy fun.

We almost froze to death with the crazy Wyoming wind, but the hooked-up team more than made up for it.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

A good thanksgiving in John Wayne's eyes:

Find some old Thomas Train toys his cousins outgrew and play with them for hours.

Climb up and down the stairs for hours.

Play with cousins for hours.

With such a busy schedule, there were a few things that couldn't be squeezed in, like:

eating,

taking a nap,

and hanging with the mom and dad.

Good time were had by all (especially the little ones).

Family Photos 2011

2011-11-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

This month, we got our family pictures taken.

It was pretty cold, but I think they turned out ok.

My heart went out to my little man and shaking body near the end.

Even freezing, he's adorable!

Copycat

2011-11-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's funny he watches us more than we think.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

Too Early To Do Anything But Think

2011-11-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here feeling that pump of adrenaline you feel only when you've pushed yourself to the max.

I LOVE that feeling.

It's the promise of that feeling that wakes my butt up at 4:30 AM in the morning.

It's that feeling that puts me into a cleaning frenzy the minute I get home.

It's that feeling that gives me the energy to deal with 21 too-stressed-for-their-own-age fourth graders on a Monday morning.

It's that feeling that encourages me to drive on snowy, windy roads on my own instead of weakly and babyishly making T drive me to work.

It's that feeling that makes me want to cry and laugh and puke all at the same time.

It's that feeling that makes me think like it's my own personal drug, and it's that feeling that makes me reflect on all the wonderful blessings I have in my life at 6:30 AM.

I am truly blessed.

I am blessed to take care of two, very healthy, very sweet, very adorable boys.

I am blessed to live in such a wonderful place.

I am blessed for us both to have jobs where the morale makes us want to come to work most days (this is not common in my profession).

I am blessed to have family who loves and supports me.

I am blessed to have a place where we call home.

I am blessed to have a man who loves me and supports me on a daily basis.

I am blessed to have the schedules we both do, where we actually get to spend every evening together, and I am blessed to feel the spirit in my home.

It's easy for me to focus on all the things I don't have, all the things I'm not doing, all the qualities I'm lacking, but today, at 6:30 in the morning, I am thankful to be able to sit down with my thoughts, reflect, and start a day filled with fourth grade science experiments, and lots of kisses, hugs, and squeezes from both my men.

Did I mention this adrenaline feeling also makes me a huge sap?

Happy Birthday Lovebug!

2011-11-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again... T gets to be the same age as me. It sometimes sucks having a husband younger than you (8 months) because he can't relate to my annual birthday freak out.

"But you haven't turned (fill in the blank), you can't possibly understand what I'm going through." I say every year.

In fact, he has no opinion of birthdays whatsoever. I always ask him what he wants for his birthday, and he always replies, "I don't want anything."

This year I told him, "Sometimes it's not about the gift getter, but about the gift giver. Can't you just humor me and act a little bit excited about your birthday, for me?" After that, he did actually humor me. We got him a nice gift and had a nice party with his family planned (pretty much thanks all in part to my sister-in-law, Jenny).

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Mere hours before the party (right when everyone was supposed to start driving to our little secluded town), a white-out begun. The party was promptly canceled, and we were stuck.

In the end, we did exactly what T wanted to do. Nothing. All. Weekend. Even our baby boy helped, with his waking us up in the middle of the night to cough until he puked; we didn't even go to church. We never got out of our pajamas, and I'm pretty sure John Wayne never put on pants. No showers. No errands. No nothing. T decided to drive the 3 miles to buy himself a pie for his birthday, and that was that. Even the gifts didn't come until Tuesday......

I think he couldn't have been happier.

Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful

2011-11-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, the day after Halloween became a winter wonderland.

I'm not exactly digging the wonderful-ness.

Last year, I FREAKED out when it started to snow.

(My excitement dimmed the next few months after that.)

This year, I'm just not ready.

1. It's too cold out.

2. The snow is cold in my work shoes.

3. I HATE having recess duty now; some kid is ALWAYS throwing snowballs in the snow-covered field and I have to go referee, which brings me back to number 2.

4. I lost control of the car. Again. Same experience. Same result.

5. I try to workout in the mornings, but looking out at that dark sky, white ground, and slick roads, I just want to go back to sleep.

6. Winter colds.

7. Stupid heating bills. (which are WAY more than air-conditioning bills in Phoenix, by the way)

I have been the biggest grouch lately (just ask T), and I was totally prepared to stick my head under the covers for the next 7 months (?!?!?!), until I witnessed this:

And this.

I may not enjoy it thrown at me, but I can certainly appreciate a child's first experience with playing in the snow, making/throwing snowballs, rolling around in the snow, and eating snow.

Maybe this won't be so bad...

Halloween!

2011-11-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but notice I was more excited than my son was for him to experience Halloween this year.

I couldn't wait for him to get all dressed up in his little John Wayne outifit.

For him to get ogled by all who saw him.

For him to have been practicing all week 'trick or treat' (or at least his version of it), only when the time came, would simply look up at people with his oh so beautiful eyes and stare as if he totally blanked on what he was supposed to say.

For him to look up at people, take the candy, put it in his bag, and say, so adorably 'E Too' (Thank you) (once he realized they were giving him candy, he was all too willing to say thank you.).

Halloween turned out to be everything I hoped it would.

Except for the fact that I knocked him over in parking lot, giving him a bloody lip right before the trunk-or-treat started, became kind of a royal pain near the end of the night due to a combination of too much sugar and not enough sleep, ate waaaayyy more candy than an almost two year old should and ended up waking us up at 3 AM to vomit everywhere.

I wasn't expecting perfection.

Just memories,

and I gots those in spades.

Obsession to New Heights

2011-10-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

John Wayne loves trains.

Duh.

I found these train pajamas in a pile of stuff my sister-in-law gave me.

It was love at first sight.

So much so that he throws a wild conniption fit if we try to take them away.

This week, John Wayne:

wore his pajamas under his clothes everyday.

screamed for a good 20 minutes when we tried to wash them.

after 2 or 3 minutes of coaxing, got them off to change his diaper while he held them.

brought them to church.

and refused to take a bath without them.

Weekend Checklist

2011-10-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

With all the hustle and bustle of the weekday, I consider myself lucky to have a little fun.

John Wayne got to spend some time at the ranch, among the horses and the cows during make-up vaccination/de-horning time. As well as have some fun enjoying the beautiful fall weather 'round these parts. I may not want to get back to it today, but at least I have some great memories!

To Christmas Gifts that are Finally Appreciated

2011-10-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

My mom bought him this castle for Christmas, and he couldn't have cared less.

Now, it's his special hiding place.

Gotta love growing up.

Denver's Deliciousness

2011-10-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

My brother and his wife had a baby.

She is one cute baby...

...and I'm an expert.

I had so much fun hanging with my family.

We seem to be getting more and more spread out, and it's becoming less and less often an occurrence where we're all in the same state let alone the same house.

We had fun nonetheless.

Especially our little attention-grabber who thoroughly enjoyed a new audience to show off to.

He's a wild man, and my family ate him up with a spoon.

Which is just the way he likes it.

Thanks for welcoming us into your home, Richard and Joie.

We loved visiting!

3 Down 1 To Go

2011-10-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

My relatives are getting busssyy.

This would be the third baby blessing we've gone to in the past three months, and they're all gonna be my little monkey's cousins.

I don't think he could be happier.

It is blindingly apparent how much he loves playing with kids.

My boy wore a pajama shirt, pants two sizes too big, and a piece of twine as a belt to church. We're not fancy people...

It is also becoming blindingly apparent how much he's going to enjoy the snow.

He's got quite the arm, this winter I'm going to need to watch my back...

General Conference = Family Time in Pegram

2011-10-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

Bonus for the parents?

We get to hear from our church leaders give us excellent and uplifting counsel.

Bonus for the kids?

They get to watch the train go by (which in Pegram is roughly every ten minutes), eat some of Grandma's home cooking, and play for hours with each othe everywhere (especially the tramp).

I'm pretty sure John Wayne had the time of his life...

I'm also pretty sure his new best friend/cousin, Charlie, is going to be one of those people he's going to look up to for the rest of his life...

Wake Up Call

2011-10-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

Morning greeted me with this:

And this:

Am I really ready for this???

Flaming Gorge

2011-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday Afternoon + Husband's old button down and pajama bottoms + quick short trip to flaming gorge + beautiful day + son throwing husband's hat into the creek = PERFECTION

I am nervously wondering, "How many more gorgeous days are left?"

HATES!!!

2011-10-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

T got a job.

This means we had to put our love child into daycare.

I. HATE. DAYCARE.

I hate that I'm away from him.

I hate that he misses us.

I hate that we miss him.

I hate that someone else is watching him.

I hate he is all I think about all day.

I especially hate that someone else gets to enjoy his sweetness and delight all day while I don't.

I guess things have to be the way they are.

For now.

But I still hate it...

Toot Toots and Backpack

2011-10-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

John Wayne is obsessed.

With Trains...

So, we sometimes take him to some nearby train tracks in the hopes of seeing one to satisfy our little monster.

Sometimes, we're sucessful.

Usually, we're not, but at least we have some fun while we're there!

He's also obsessed with Dora, so that means he spends lots of his time like this...

And this...

Who needs a T.V. when you have this little booger to entertain you?

Where Oh Where Has the Time Gone?

2011-09-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging for a number of the following reasons:

a. Too tired to move my fingers let alone type something after work

b. Not much has been going lately to photograph, let alone report on.

c. When I see my son now, I just want to cuddle right up into his little body and blissfully veg.

d. We don't internet at our house, which has been nice, since it forces my husband and I to actually have conversations with each other during the week.

e. Daily, I look at my list of things to do, blogging/journaling falls somewhere below, 'give my son a bath' and 'do the dishes', and those things hardly ever happen on a weekday so...

P.S. I think we're getting internet soon, so *maybe* the blogging will continue...Also, where did September go? I've been asking lots of people and no one seems to know...

Fall Is In the Air

2011-09-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, T, John Wayne and myself all spent the night in a twin-sized hospital bed so my baby could get a breathing treatment for his horrible croup.

This week, I'm pretty sure my kids gave me foot in mouth disease,

John Wayne had the worst bloody nose I've ever seen come from a baby, bled all over our bed, pillows and myself.

Happy Fall to All!

My Boy

2011-09-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

My baby child is disgusting.

I think he finds joy in grossing me out.

He's pretty though.

So, I guess we'll keep him.

Small Town Living

2011-09-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I'm no stranger to the big city. In fact every city I've ever lived in up til recently has been large.

And yet, ever since I can remember, I used to fantasize about living in a small town. I had no real experience with the small town. All I'd ever known was the stuff I'd seen in movies. And yet, I was still fascinated.

Then, I graduated high school and went away for the summer to work in South Dakota. I met a girl there named Meghan. She was from a teeny tiny town in Minnesota and we became fast friends. I was obsessed with her small town lifestyle, mentality, and demeanor. She gave me something real, not something I'd watched on a T.V. show. To me, living in a small town seemed like everything I'd hoped it be.

So when I met T and found out he was from a 'town' of about 20 people, I was instantly attracted. He could give me something I've dreamed about forever. Now, we are living that dream and I love it. At every turn, we are among friends. Every person we see, we wave to, if not stop and chat with. I feel special here. I feel noticed. I feel like I'm part of a family much larger than myself, T, and my son. I feel like I make a difference. I feel if we left, I would be missed.

Some of you may think I'm crazy and that's OK.

Do I get annoyed sometimes because I live 40 minutes from a Wal-Mart?

Do I get frustrated when I'm bored on a Saturday night?

Do I sometimes miss the hustle and bustle of busy streets?

Sure.

But does that outweigh the traffic, murders, rapes, anonymity, rudeness, and the go go go mentality of the big city?

You bet ya.

So, go ahead and feel sorry for me. Just as long as you don't move here, I'm fine with that.

Pack Trip

2011-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's finally happened.

T convinced me to go on a pack trip.

I was nervous to say the least.

My nervousness was eased by John Wayne NOT tagging along.

All in all, I had a good time.

It was super fun riding those horses.

I have to say, I was crazy sore afterward, however.

It was worth it.

Another (Awesome) Blessing!

2011-09-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

My sweet little niece Milly was blessed two weeks ago.

I've been a little busy to discuss it due to the fact that my time is extremely stretched these days.

Luckily for me, we only Monday-Thursday, so Friday is my catch up day.

Milly looked so adorable.

Something I found also extremely adorable was these two.

They are pretty good friends.

Their relationship has grown exponentially now that John Wayne actually interacts with him.

They were so cute together.

I loved watching them play.

Hopefully, we can schedule another play date soon, Jenny!

Beginnings Beginnings

2011-09-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

This picture marks the day before the first day of school.

This picture marks the day before the madness began.

Good madness, though.

I'm just glad the first week is over.

As much as I love the newness of the whole thing, I'm ready to get into my groove and teach the crap out of these kids...

This is going to be a great year!

LOVE

2011-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

It's pretty obvious John Wayne loves:

his dad

the Wii remote

swings with dad (still)

swings by himself

diapers on his head

animals

feeling the pokey grass

and making us laugh

It's also pretty obvious John Wayne hates:

getting his nose picked

I Put My Visitors to Work!

2011-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, my mom and Aunt came to visit.

I had a great time.

It was so fun visiting with my mom before school frenzy started.

The teachers started back the 22nd, and I still had a lot of work to do on my room!

This is the finished product.

The person previously occupying my classroom left me a TON of stuff.

Which I am very grateful for.

It also left me with a lot of stuff I didn't know what to do with.

My mom saved my life.

She's got some mad organizational skills.

John Wayne even helped. A lot.

I'm gonna miss my mom.

She's great.

John Wayne's also going to miss the round o' clock attention giver as well.

I Am NOT Vidal Sassoon

2011-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

John Wayne's hair was getting rather crazy.

He gets this wild bedhead that lasts all day long because I cannot get a comb through it.

So, I gave him a haircut.

I did it as fast as I could due to the short attention span this is my 20 month old.

I think I did ok, except for the fact that I cut the back shorter than the top.

Which means he looks more like a girl than ever.

I think I'm going to have to invest in a buzz cutter...

To Big Decisions

2011-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

After 3 years, 7 months, 1 week and 5 days, I've finally decided being married to T isn't so bad...

I got my name changed.

Yeah, I guess you could say I procrastinate.

P.S. I've got some serious crazy eyes in my picture. Don't judge.

P.P.S. How hard is it to make a driver's license? They gave me a 'temporary' one and the 'real' one will be coming in the mail in 4 weeks.

Huh.

Good Times in Heber

2011-08-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, our little adorable nephew, Flint was blessed.

He has these baby blue eyes to die for.

Blue eyes are very common in T's family.

Out of the 25 or so grandkids, three of them (John Wayne included) do not have blue eyes.

I want a child with blue eyes...

Unfortunately, I do not think it's possible.

We had a wonderful time.

T's sister has the most amazing house.

I told T to built this exact same house for me one day.

T said he would.

I want to believe him so bad!

Summer is winding down, which means I've been in my new classroom all week getting things ready.

I'm nervous, excited, ready, not ready, about to throw up (nervousness, NOT pregnancy) , overwhelmed and excited.

(Those are the all the emotions I felt just then).

18 months

2011-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

Due to the hulabaloo, I am late on this, considering he turns 20 months in a few weeks.

I just wanted to document, my child's changes and developments at this year and half mark.

He LOVES to sing.

He knows, 'Old MacDonald', 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', 'Once There Was A Snowman', 'If You're Happy and You Know It' and 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' and many more. He sings them all the time. It's hard to keep up with the little guy.

.He LOVES animals, and knows the sounds of many animals (dog, lion, bear, cow, cat, duck, monkey, fish, pig, frog, and rabbit).

He loves learning new words, and is constantly surprising us with the things he remembers.

He's been getting into 'boy' things: trucks, trains, dirt, rocks, and mud.

True to boy form, he's found gross things highly entertaining as well.

The funniest word in the world to him right now is, 'Ewww.'

He is the BIGGEST copycat. He watches us so diligently, it's hilarious to see what he picks up on.

He been getting into possessions as well. He'll pick up something and say, 'Mommy's' or 'Daddy's'.
It's hard to document his interests because everyday it changes, and everyday he's a little different.
With everything that has happened lately, I can believe how lucky we are to have this little preciousness in our care.

I'm Not Going to Go Into Details...

2011-07-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

Two of the most horrifying moments of my life occurred yesterday.

Horrifying moment #1: (After rolling several times in my jeep on a highway county road), turning around to check on your child only to find the jeep completely empty.

Horrifying moment #2: (After finding your child across the road on the shoulder, still strapped into their car seat, holding him, letting him bleed all over), the look my 17 year old brother gives me: sheer terror and shock all rolled into one.

Those two moments I will never forget in entire life.

Three of the biggest miracles occurred yesterday too.

Miracle #1: I walked away with a few bruises and scrapes.

Miracle #2: My baby brother walked away with a broken nose.

Miracle #3: After being life flighted to Salt Lake for precautionary measures, John Wayne walked away with a few scratches on his head, a scrape on his left eye, and a grape-sized bruise on his lower back.

No internal damage, no broken bones.

Words cannot describe my gratitude.

Words cannot describe my relief.

Words cannot describe the feelings I'm feeling right now.

It's almost like I'm experiencing so many different ones at the moment, I cannot begin to deal with just one.

All I know is there's someone out there watching over me.

Hug your loved ones.

I Did It, I Did It, I Did It, Hooray!

2011-07-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

We had been talking about it for weeks.

The day finally came, and we did it!

T's cousin, Libby, invited us to do a relay triathlon with her this last weekend.

We'd decided T would do the swimming, Libby would do the biking, and I would do the running.

I tried to run as much a could before the race, at least to feel somewhat prepared.

T did nothing, as usual.

Then, two days before we were supposed to do this thingy,

Preston (who has been staying with us for the past few weeks) decided he wanted to do the whole thing by himself.

No. Training. At. All.

The day came.

I was nervous, but excited.

It was so much fun!!

The boys did great, I was especially impressed with how well Preston did, and now we're all talking about doing it again next year!

I'm so glad I did it, and who knows?

Maybe next year, I might do the whole thing!

A Day in Park

2011-07-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

It feels like all this summer's been in one park or another...

I think all my tan has come from watching kids play on slides, jungle gyms, and swings...

And I love it.

Last week, I got the opportunity to see an old friend...

We knew each other for this...

teaching English to cute little Russian children.

Now, we have our own cute little children to teach.

She has a bigger job than I at the moment.

I think our boys had a good time.

And then they didn't.

But then they did again.

Though the kids enjoyed themselves, I didn't get NEARLY enough time to chat with my dear friend. It seemed every time we started a somewhat decent conversation, one of us had to jump up and grab one of our little ones from running into the street.

We need to see each other more often Megan!

Next time, how about we stick them in an enclosed room while you and I go somewhere else?

Summa Summa Sumertime!

2011-07-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, the weather has given us a break!

We are so happy (especially the 25 pound outdoors lover we keep with us)!

We've fit a lot into these short, yet splendid months, and we're gonna fit more!

We went down to the ranch (cuz, ya know, it's only 5 minutes away...jealous Isom men?), rode some horses, and cooked tin foil dinners. So good!

We did some exploring 'round these parts, and found some beautiful hiking territory.

The mosquitoes were not so beautiful...

T's been around more often, so he's been able to help me around the house.

Our little helper refuses to be no more than three feet away from his dad at all times.

Rendezvous Days yet again.

Very much like last year, just as fun.

We picked up this cool print and frame on John Wayne to put in our little John Wayne's room.

What summer is complete without popsicle and bubbles? Not ours!

Little John Wayne got to hang with his best bud and do summer/boy things, like, swimming, eating summertime meals, and pushing big trucks around.

Yep, it's been a pretty good summer so far...

Our Fourth

2011-07-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little behind, we don't have internet quite yet in our house, so I blog when I can.

Our Fourth of July was extremely memorable.

We woke up at 5 AM.

Climbed the pinnacle with the rest if the Isom clan and posted the flag.

I truly enjoyed standing out there in the wilderness taking in all the beauty we are so freely given. It has given a new-found appreciation for this wonderful country.

Later in the day, we went to this waterfall out on T's dad's land.

The Isom spent the better part of the day trying to dam up the waterfall to make a pool.

I couldn't believe it, but they finally did it, and it was pretty cool!

I was dead tired after the whole day's activities, but it was so worth it...

Happy Fourth!

Sunday Funday

2011-07-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today was my first time taking my little monkey to nursery.

He loved it.

I decided to stay in with him, but I'm pretty sure he couldn't have cared less if I was there.

There's something about having a 100% independent child that makes me feel both proud and somewhat disappointed at the same time.

T let me take pictures to commemorate the event.

I jumped at the chance.

Splash Park Fun

2011-07-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Splash Parks are gifts from heaven.

Especially to moms whose children are super independent and obsessed with water.

I wish they had them where we live.

Of course, people would only be able to use them for exactly two months.

Then again, where we live we also have four seasons as well as soft grass.

I still love you splash parks.

I had a GREAT time with you, Chelsea.

We need to do it again soon!

How John Wayne Spent His Phoenix Vacation

2011-07-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Grandma read him lots of books.

My parents got him a little swimming pool to play with due to his love affair with water.

He was having a blast with that hose!

Grandma and Grandpa took him to the zoo!

I think he loved the animals, but couldn't quite understand why he couldn't pet them.

It was HOT day, (as most Arizona days are) so my mom gave him a spray bottle to use.

He never put that thing down, if that is any indication as to how much he loved it.

It's fun to get sprayed.

We had so much fun down there, it was really hard to leave.

Hopefully, we'll get to visit again soon!

Happiness is...

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

Seeing your child after a week and half

To Manly Love...

2011-06-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have never met three men who love each other as much as these guys...

A Little Out of My Element

2011-06-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a little wet here...

Yea, there's not supposed any water there.

While getting ready to fly to Phoenix, we stayed in Minot, ND.

They were having some troubles.

From the time a flash flood warning was issued the water level was supposed to rise 7 inches.

People were being evacuated from their homes, and it was almost promised they would lose their homes.

The red cross basically took over the flooded part of town.

My heart goes out to those who will lose their homes.

When We Weren't Missin Our Son...

2011-06-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

T had a job to do in North Dakota.

I tagged along.

Our plane broke down in Gillette, WY.

We spent some quality time in the Gillette airport.

They only have one airline using it.

They only go to Denver and Williston, ND.

On the plus side, we got some free plane vouchers.

Due to all the oil busy-ness going on there in Williston, we sometimes had a hard time getting a hotel.

Luckily, T and his brother had left a truck there the last time they were there.

So, we got the opportunity to sleep in the rig.

Multiple nights.

It was ok.

Except for the lack of electricity.

And running water.

And the dustiness.

And the one twin bed we had to share.

After T's oil gig was finished, we got to explore North Dakota little bit.

We went to Roosevelt National Park.

It was pretty quite pretty.

I loved the rolling hills and the fact that it is oh so green.

We took a little nature walk.

We did some pretty cool stuff, when T wasn't working, and I wasn't waiting for him to get off work.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my little guy.

That would make this whole trip complete!

A Letter of Love

2011-06-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Dear John Wayne,

I thought I was so brave.

I let you go down to Phoenix, while your daddy and I stayed back in Wyoming and eventually went up to North Dakota.

I thought I was going to enjoy having some alone time with your dad.

And I did.

For about 2 days.

After that, everyday has felt like an eternity. I about can't take it!

There are a few things I want you to know.

I miss you chubby little cheeks I kiss and munch on so much. You're such a sport, because I maul you whenever I want. I miss your wet, sometimes boogery kisses. They make my world go round. I miss you constantly bringing your favorite books to me in the hopes I might have be in a giving mood. I miss your anxious little body snuggling up to mine; getting ready for me to begin reading. I miss you chiming in when you see a picture of something you know. I miss you trying to get me to read the same book over and over. I miss the way you laugh and smile. I miss your little personality. You charm the pants off everyone you meet. I miss your easy-going attitude. I miss how well you get along with other little boys and girls. I miss giving you super tight squeezes. I miss your little fingers and toes, and I certainly miss snuggling you when you want your mommy.

I'm happy you're having fun in Phoenix.

I'm happy you're not giving grandma and grandpa too much grief.

I'm happy you've acclimated to your surroundings so well.

I'm happy you're learning more words.

I'm happy you don't miss us (too much).

However, am I happy I'm not with you?

NO!!!

We love you, and can't wait to see you come running (and you better come running) up to us. Your happy little self, wanting to be held and loved. Both your daddy and I dream about it.

Just in case you didn't know, we have boring, crappy lives without you.

Love, Mom and Dad

Remembering

2011-06-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

My dad experienced a trauma around the time he started dating my mom.

His sister and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident by a drunk driver.

They had five children.

The driver was 17 and survived.

Drinking is one thing.

Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is another.

I often find myself thinking about that poor boy and how he has to live with the fact that he's responsible for five children growing up without their parents.

I wish I had me them.

They sounded like wonderful people.

On a nicer note, when it came time for my grandparents to find burial plots, they decided to buy 4 all next to each other.

That way, when the time came, my grandparents could be buried next to their eldest daughter.

I couldn't think of a sweeter thing.

On my parents way home, they decided to make a stop in Ogden and pay their respects to my dad's mother, father, sister, and brother.

My mom cleaned the head stones, and placed flowers on their graves.

My dad told his famous, and never dull stories.

T and I listened to my mom and dad reminiscence (I LOVE to hear stories).

John Wayne played in the cellophane the flowers came in and ran around the cemetery.

What a beautiful June day made more beautiful by paying tribute to some wonderful spirits.

To All the Dads in My Life...

2011-06-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

You have helped me learn so much about myself.

You show me how to be a better mom.

You have supported me and loved me (even when I wasn't very supportable or lovable).

And seems all your strengths are my weaknesses, so it all works out!

Love you guys!

Happy Father's Day!!

2011-06-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

People don't come to visit us (Ahem, this means you).

It's ok though.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we live in a small, unappealing town for the average tourist.

So, you can imagine my joy/surprise when my parents told me they were coming for a visit!

They drove up, stopped off in our new little town, and swept us away to a wonderful week in Jackson!

I would say we had a good time...

Our little monkey became fascinated with saying 'boat'. Primarily because my mom gave him a toy boat.

Did I mention he got so fawned over, I'm not sure he will remember a time when someone wasn't waiting on him hand and foot?

Why don't pictures do it justice?

He learned how to use the stairs. So he did. Over and over.

On our way to go white water rafting.

Our little water boy couldn't come...

Touristy chuck wagon, which turned out to be really fun, primarily because my mom took care our child when he got restless.

Yellowstone.

It was so cold...I hate you winter.

Mr. Baby seemed to have a good time, though.

I sometimes think he's already a Wyoming child.

When he's having a good time, a little cold weather doesn't bother him in the slightest.

I miss them already. Thanks for coming!

Making New Friends

2011-06-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

John Wayne already made a new friend...

He tried to feed the dog some grass.

He is applying what he learned about horse to this situation.

The dog didn't seem too grateful.

Goodbye, Hello

2011-06-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Goodbye brand new bowling alley...I wish we would have gone to you more...

Goodbye Midway Mall, you were the only place to go in Big Piney to buy anything obscure. Frankly, I did not appreciate your overly inflated prices because you could.

Goodbye dry riverbeds. I will miss the driving adventures it took to find you...I've got a feeling that there are more finding adventures in my future...

Goodbye Big Piney park...I wish we could have visited more...alas the weather wouldn't allow it.

Goodbye laundromat...I kind of liked knowing I could get all of my clothes clean in 2 hrs.
John Wayne had fun helping me close all the doors.

Goodbye Linkon.

John Wayne will certainly miss being pulled around by you.

I will certainly miss watching you guys play together.

Goodbye Big Piney trailer.

A lot of things about you annoyed you, but you were our home for a year.

Goodbye Big Piney.

You will be missed.

Hello horse trailer.

You were able to fit all our stuff in there, with minimal scratches.

Thanks, Pete!

Hello new house!

We are happy you sit on a double lot, so there will be extra room for John Wayne to run and play this summer!

Hello empty spaces and LOTS of boxes.

I am NOT looking forward to dealing with you.

We are officially living in our new small Wyoming town.

I am so happy to be here, and I am so ready to start getting to know our new surroundings.

Getting Ready

2011-06-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

This week has been NUTS!

I have been so stressed out.

T went on a work trip to North Dakota unexpectedly, so I was home alone.

I was lonely.

Fortunately for me, Jenny and Sydney were home alone, too.

We decided to have a slumber party!

I'm not sure the last time I had a girls night, but I have missed it.

We did our faces, gave ourselves hot oil treatments, and watched the best movie ever!

Anne of Green Gables.

Thanks Jenny and Sydney for a super fun, de-stressing night!

Patience is a Virtue

2011-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

The other day we had a blizzard.

I don't want to talk about it.

My new mentality: if you act like it's summer, the weather will follow suit.

Hence, John Wayne and I have been taking some walks.

It's cold, and my baby is bundled up, but we are doing it.

I really hope the weather clears up.

I can't stand one more day being cooped up in the house.

This is the face he made after seeing his dad coming home from a long day of work.

I think it's pretty obvious how much my little boy loves his dad.

Finally!

2011-05-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've never lived in a place where all four seasons were officially present and accounted for.

Is it just me, or was this so called 'winter season' the longest thing in the entire world?

I mean, early last week, it snowed!

Weird!

Anyway, the last couple of days have been absolutely wonderful.

So in your face, Arizona!

We have 50 degree weather, what do you have?

This will probably be the only time I will be able to rub the gorgeous weather in Arizona's face, so I am going to do it loud and proud!

Neener Neener!

Due to this is much deserved weather, we've been (gasp) actually going outside!

That just blew my mind.

Our niece got baptized in Logan.

We actually enjoyed the beautiful park and grass and everything!

T, John Wayne, and myself wanted to get out of the house.

T wanted to go off roading on some sand dune type mountains near out house.

John Wayne and I wanted to go to the park.

So, we did both.

That, my friends, is Big Piney.

It's teeny, but it's ours for the time being.

Big Piney just built a bowling alley/movie theater.

It's a big deal.

We had to go bowling at the very least.

John Wayne is saying, 'What is the bright thing in the sky, I've never seen it before!'

He Want What He Wants

2011-05-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

My blood sugar was pretty low.

Luckily, we had some suckers on hand.

We also had our baby on hand.

He wanted my sucker oh so bad.

So, we gave in and gave him one.

Oddly enough, he still wanted mine.

Ah, the terrible twos are coming oh too soon...

Mother, I Love You

2011-05-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day has come and gone.

Yet, I can't help but think about my mom.

I miss her.

I have so many special memories of my mother.

She has set the example.

Since I've been thinking about her and missing her, I've decided to share some special memories I have.

Being the second oldest, it wasn't always easy to get the attention I felt I deserved.

One night around when I was 10 or 11 my mom had just got off the phone with my aunt, who needed someone to accompany her to Las Vegas. I didn't think much about it until early the next morning. I woke to my mom rubbing my back and asking if I wanted to skip school and go with her to Vegas.

Just me and her.

I don't remember much about that trip, just that it was a special time for me and my mom.

I think that was the time I learned how my parents met (special, and super cute, by the way).

I also got to skip school (super special).

From 90'-91', we lived in Chicago.

We only lived there a year.

My parents wanted to move back to Phoenix.

They also didn't want any distractions moving;

me being seven, I probably would have been.

So, my older brother and I spent the summer in South Dakota with my grandparents.

I missed my parents terribly.

I was anxious to see my mom and dad.

I don't remember much about the drive back to Chicago, but I do remember what happened when we pulled up to the house.

They were busy packing and my mom was taking out a rug.

The moment we saw each other, she dropped the rug, ran to me, picked me up, hugged the hardest I've ever been hugged, and spun me around.

It was a tender moment in my life;

I knew she missed me as much as I missed her.

When I was 8, my mom was my primary teacher.

Our class was very small, and all the rest of the kids came sporadically.

Dying for some individual attention from her, I would hope every Sunday, I secretly hoped I would be the only one in class.

Most Sundays, if not, all of them there was at least one other child in the class.

Except for one special Sunday.

I was the only one.

I don't remember what we talked about, but I do remember how special she made me feel.

I sat on her lap the entire time, she held me and whispered in my ear, and made me feel only the way a mother knows how to.

I'm not sure she even taught the lesson!

So Mom, here's to you.

I may not remember the exact details of things, but I certainly remember those feelings.

Those feelings I will cherish forever.

I know you don't think you were good enough, as I'm coming to understand this mom-oriented feeling more and more.

I am here to say:

You were more than good enough.

Actual Video Footage

2011-05-01T20:02:00.002-07:00

This is the first time I've done video on here.

There's a few things I must apologize for first:

Our messy house.

The fact that the video is sideways.

Other than that, enjoy!

Man's Best Friend

2011-04-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

He has been carrying this around EVERYWHERE!

He also just learned the sound a dog makes, so he's been barking at everyone.

It's quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard!

In other news, T and I are moving.

We are moving to another small Wyoming town about 2 hours from here.

I got a teaching job there, and am super excited!

I am a little stressed out about everything, but we are praying it will all come together.

I have decided not to say the name here for privacy issues (I will be working at the only elementary school in town).

Believe me, the only ones who would really care already know!

So, I guess our summer's already planned out!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was one of the most pleasant days this year so far...

I am grateful for the Savior in my life.

I'm grateful for His atoning sacrifice.

This Easter I was reminded I need to use the Atonement everyday,

in order to better enjoy my life.

More importantly, in order to enjoy him in my life.

Pretending it's Spring

2011-04-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

Being from Phoenix, I've always been a little hazy on the seasons.

Up until my Junior of high school, I thought the seasons went like so:

January-April = Spring

May-August = Summer

September-October = Fall

October-December = Winter

(The only reason I thought maybe I wrong then was because my dad laughed at me when I told him this.)

This winter was...eye opening.

I was stuck inside a lot of days,

and there's only so much one can do in a small two bedroom trailer.

The one I feel really bad for is John Wayne.

He just learned he has these legs, and he only gets to use them exploring our house.

The other day, we decided it was time for him to start discovering the world.

So, we took him to the park.

I don't mean to brag, but Big Piney has TWO playground parks.

One right next to the post office, and the other next to the Senior Center.

The one near the Senior Center is better, but it's been covered in snow up until a week ago.

We took this as a sign to go to the better park.

Once we got there we found out there was good news and bad news.

Bad news:

The snow may have melted, but it was no where near the right temperature to be touching cold, metal, playground equipment .

Good news:

John Wayne was so excited to be outside, he didn't notice how cold he was.

He loved the swings, as usual.

He makes this face and does that thing with his finger A.LOT. It looks like he's trying to educate us...

He saw this thing, ran over to it, and shouted "Dog!"

We couldn't feel our appendages, but we had fun at the park.

Always Fun

2011-04-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

We live in Big Piney.

Surrounded by nothingness.

The nearest town is 40 min away,

and that town is just as small as us.

Anything larger is 2+ hours away.

Needless to say, we are secluded.

Sometimes we like it.

Sometimes we don't.

The past couple of weekends we've been getting away.

This last trip was to Rich's (T's dad) ranch for his surprise birthday party.

We had so much fun.

Even though it was SUPER windy.

I think we kinda wished we could stay longer...

Who IS This Kid?

2011-04-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

My baby has been doing lot of changing.

Lots of growing up.

I have a love/hate relationship with this growing up thing.

It seems he's learning something new everyday.

He's been talking.

A lot.

Mostly it's babble, but there are a few words he's picked up lately.

Last week, it was 'ball'.

Everything was ball.

A few days later, it was 'dog'.

Everything was dog.

Fast forward a few days, and it was 'Hi Daddy'.

Everything and everyone was hi daddy.

Lately, he's learned two thing.

The first is 'yee-haw'.

(He learned it from a toy; it sound like 'eee-aww'.

The second is 'here you go'.

(I think he learned that from me; it sounds like 'eee-oh'.)

It's fun to see what he can pick up on.

His current loves include:

Dancing,

(although I've yet to get a picture or video of it.)

Playing 'I'm gonna get you' with his dad.

Waving to people, but only on his terms.

He doesn't care if someone waves at him, he only wave when he wants to.

Copying people.

(We were just combing his hair.)

Sticking his tongue out.

Yes, my friends he is my son! He LOVES pickles!

And walking.

Everywhere.

Oh my, we love that little kid.

Pegram Weekends

2011-04-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

General Conference was amazing.

Feeling so so blessed.

Feeling so so lucky.

Questions of mine were answered, and my faith was further strengthened.

I love this feeling.

Anywho, it's tradition in T's family to go stay at his parents on General Conference weekend.

It made sense.

Considering we don't have TV, it made tons of sense.

There's something about Pegram.

Isom boys consider it paradise.

John Wayne got to hang out with Grandma.

We made ice cream.

T got to tickle his baby.

T wanted to play basketball at the church, but John Wayne wanted desperately to be apart of it.

T decided to play ball with one arm.

It was one great weekend!

T and I had wanted John Wayne to have his first horse ride for awhile now.

The following weekend, we headed to Lyman make this dream a reality.

There is no doubt this child is an Isom...

He LOVED riding the horses.

I would have taken more pictures, but the horse kept getting spooked by the camera.

Weird, considering how docile they are!

Just a Reminder

2011-04-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

I love my husband. A lot.

Then there are those days. Among the stresses, fears, responsibilities, worries, envies, misunderstandings, fights, and fatigue of everyday life, my mind sometimes plays tricks on me. It makes me think bad things about my husband. It makes me focus on his faults and forget why I married him in the first place. I figured I needed a reminder.

Reasons Why I Married/Love Being Married to My T

Before we got married, T was always talking about how much fun he would have with his family. WORKING.

Weird, but true.

(flashback to sweaty summers digging holes, pulling weeds, and my general surliness towards all of my family members).

It is of my opinion, Isom men are extremely good-looking.

Obviously, I married the best looking.

I've heard stories. Let's just say high school girls went gaga for Isoms.

It is also of my opinion, those girls went crazy because not only are these boys so handsome, they are so nice, sweet, and humble. Not a one ever took advantage of how good-looking they are, which tends to be rare.

He has always admitted/apologized when he's been wrong. He always looks for ways to make me happy. He doesn't have one pretentious bone in his body. He has something nice to say about everyone. He is so sensitive to my needs and recognizes what's important to me, like having family pictures.

T loves kids. He loves his nieces and nephews. His nieces and nephews love him. He loves his own child, and his own child LOVES him.

He knows what's important.

Me.

John Wayne.

He acts like it.

I've gotta go give my love a kiss now.

He Observes More Than We Think...

2011-03-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

That is a timer.

He kept putting it up to ear and saying 'Daddy'.

I think he's trying to call his father...

Birthday Reflections

2011-03-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

This is just bizarre.

I keep having to remind myself how old I am.

We didn't do anything super special on the actual day...

Unless you count 12+ hours of driving 'super special'...

John and Jenny did buy me this cake and sang to me once we stopped at a hotel in Amarillo, TX ...

That made me feel pretty special.

On second thought, spending time with my guys in a car all day and hanging with John, Jenny and Linkon actually made my day really great.

Lemonade

2011-03-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm trying.

I'm really trying.

We just got back from a little trip to Houston.

For T's work, he had to pick up some oil field thing.

John Wayne and I came along and turned it into a mini vacation.

Little did we know what we were in for...

Lots of bad/frustrating/annoying things happened,

but let's not focus on those.

Rudy's, please come to Big Piney...

I was bored, John Wayne was too.

He passed the time by sleeping/trying to escape his car seat.

I passed the time by taking pictures of him sleeping/trying to escape his car seat.

We went to the Houston Aquarium.

Fun!

One day, we went on down to Galveston.

We went on a ferry.

We played in the water.

My son has no fear.

He kept trying to crawl out into the ocean.

He. got. soaked.

T kept having to lasso him back.

Even though that trip will NOT go down in history as the best road trip ever, at least I got spent it with my two favorite boys...

I Looked Out the Window and What Did I See?

2011-02-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, my friends you would be right.

That mound of snow used to be our car...

and taking out the trash has never sucked as much as it does right now.

I'm trying to think of a silver lining here...

I got nothing.

Hair Adventures

2011-02-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

While enjoying our Pegram weekend adventure, my boys had some fun hair-wise.

While T and I went to a baby blessing in the Pegram church, John Wayne stayed back at the house. We came back to this charming little guy.

Jenny had used some of T's dad old foot cream in John Wayne's hair.

His head smelled weird, but he looked funny.

In other news, T's hair was looking a little, ummm, long? hippie? weird? crazy?

We decided to cut it.

Into a mullet!

Just kidding, if I would have let him, it would have stayed this way, though.

Much better.

I think he looks way younger now, and way thinner.

I love my man, but it was hard to find him underneath all that hair!

Besides, the girl's hair should get in the way while making out, not the boy's...

Childhood Memories

2011-02-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentimes!

2011-02-16T08:48:00.000-08:00

T was so wonderful to take the day off so we could have a day of fun.

We packed up the car, dropped John Wayne off with Grandma Carol, and headed to Logan.

While living in Big Piney, I've learned I miss being around people.

While spending all my time hanging with the little man, I've learned I miss being around adults.

This day satisfied both.

While eating at Cafe Rio,we also learned some things:

If you are eating at Cafe Rio on Valentine's Day you are:

a.) A family who had too many kids to find a babysitter

b.) A bored married couple

c.) a group of friends hanging out due to lack of Valentines or their Valentines unavailability

d.) a noncommittal couple a few dates into their relationship

e.) a married couple who couldn't find any other place that didn't have an hour wait (us)

The category more observed?

Thank you T, for making me feel oh so special.

He Loves His Toys

2011-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

'Oh Jackie, does that mean he loves his books?' you might ask.

No.

'Does that mean he loves his stuffed animals?'

No.

'Does that mean he loves his blocks?'

No.

'Does that mean he loves the other 4,000+ toys he's got lying around everywhere?'

No.

The title means he loves my bowls, pans, tupperware, and pretty much anything else he can reach in the kitchen.

Don't get me wrong, I love it, I just wish I would have predicted this.

That way, I could have gotten us a new set of pots for Christmas we all could've enjoyed.

lKX;lk:LK

Heads Up

2011-02-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

Just in case anyone is planning on visiting...

(We have a comfy couch and a working heater, by the way...)

I have to warn you about the bathroom...

Once you go in there, you will hear the sound of frantic crawling toward the bathroom door.

Not only that, but if you look in the gap between the floor and the door, you will see this

He knows he's missing something super fun going on in there.
If you're T, our darling little man will scream 'DADAAA!!' over and over again until he comes out.

Pretty Good Weekend

2011-02-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about the Super Bowl.

We live in the sticks, don't have actually T.V., and were too lazy to go over to someone's house to watch it.

Which reminds me, who won?

No, I'm talking about when T's parents came to visit, helped fix our car, went out to dinner, came home and played some Wii Fit.

The latter was the best part.

And by best, I mean funniest!

I'm Not Gonna Lie...

2011-02-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

John Wayne has his moments...

but 80% of the time, he's this super sweet, super fun, super cute, super cuddly baby!

Winter Blues

2011-02-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Being from Phoenix, I never really understood that phrase.

Maybe I still don't...

All I know finding things to do while staying inside all the time is getting old,

and being outside in the single to negative digits is not so appealing either.

This time every other year, I so smugly bragged about swimming in heated pools, hot tubs...

Hiking, long walks...

Enjoying the Phoenix monsoons with the beautiful lighting display...

I got mine.

For now,

and I guess the next few months...

Feel free to enjoy the following:

lots of pictures of us indoors

pictures of us attempting walks outside, only to freeze our buns off

and maybe, if you're lucky lots (and lots) of complaining about how cold it is here.

My Night Was Fantastic, You?

2011-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's 4:30 AM.

I've been laying down with this screaming child in the hopes that he'd go back to sleep for the past two hours.

I'm trying to play doctor.

Is it his stomach?

Is it his teeth?

Is it his ears?

I don't know, it could be all three.

I finally give him a bath in the hopes that he'll feel better.

Oh, he feels better, alright.

So much better, in fact that now he's wide awake.

So, here I sit, half-asleep,

watching him crawl around doing his usual 'take out the batteries in the remote, repeat 'dada' over and over in his sing song voice, try to get a game of peek-a-boo going' routine.

Even though I'm super tired and kind of annoyed, I can't help but give this little guy kisses and marvel at what an adorable little guy he is.

Even at 4:30 AM.

Deja Vu

2011-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a flashback...

Back to a time when John Wayne was a mere tiny lad...

Back to when T was spending night after night, trying to get him to crawl.

It soon became obvious he was not going to do it until HE wanted to.

Now, he's crawling. A lot.

And he's doing a lot of this:

Mostly because we're making him, and MAYBE one tiny step to get to us, but that is it.

He really seems happy with the way he's getting around now: crawling and walking along the furniture.

I still can't decide: stubborn or laid back?

Fortunately, he's just as cute as ever.

Vampire fangs and all.

Yes Yes Yes Yes

2011-01-25T04:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, we have been using our Wii Fit, but I use it more than T.

Yes, we do consider it working out, but we don't really break a sweat.

Yes, T is better than me at the balance games, but I'm better than him at the rhythm games.

Yes, our house is a mess sometimes, but notice how it's all children's toys?

When A Boo Turned Into a Yay

2011-01-23T03:18:00.000-08:00

The heater broke in our trailer:

BOO!

I complained nonstop to T until he came home from work early to fix it:

YAY!

I'm not a big complainer (c'mon, we all have our moments).

BUT

When it comes to cold weather: yes, yes I am.

What Did I Blog About Before John Wayne?

2011-01-21T03:18:00.000-08:00

My baby is no longer a baby.

I get an email from babycenter every week; informing me of where he should be, developmentally.

The emails no longer label him a baby.

They now call him a toddler.

I guess he technically is, but I refuse to do so until he AT LEAST starts walking.

(Which is closer than I would like )

Even then, I reserve the right to call my child a baby until I see fit.

I took him to the doctor this last week and learned a couple of interesting facts about my little guy.

He has anemia. (This means I have to give him an iron supplement everyday for a year.)
He still had a residual ear infection from his last ear infection (November), so he's back on antibiotics.
He takes shots like a trooper, but needs his mom right after to console him (melt my heart).

Fortunately, unfortunately

2011-01-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

Fortunately, John Wayne is feeling better.

Unfortunately, not well enough to prevent him from throwing up at church.

Fortunately, we went home and cuddled.

Unfortunately, our baby's face was permanently covered in goobers.

Fortunately, he was smiling through his goobers.

Unfortunately, it is gross.

Fortunately, I don't care.

To Sum Up the Past Couple Weeks...

2011-01-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

John Wayne caught this terrible cold.

Oddly enough, he caught it in Phoenix, not Big Piney!

Anyway, it's been awful.

He woke up screaming at all times of the night.

He wanted to be held all day.

He wouldn't eat solids.

And he had all kinds of runny noses.

It would have been really gross if I wasn't his mother.

Only now is he really start to shake this thing...

and only now is he the sweet, cuddly, smiley, easy-going baby I remember.

It's funny how you take 'normal' for granted until you lose it...

And how grateful you become when it returns!

He's still getting over it.

First real smile I've seen in a while.

It is so nice to have my baby boy back!

New Teeth

2011-01-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

John Wayne and I are still down in Phoenix,

and boy, has he been busy!

Two teeth came in, and I'm pretty sure there's more on the way.

The only weird thing is that he cut his incisors before his top front teeth.

Now he looks like Dracula until the other two feel like making an appearance.

3 Years.

2010-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

December 2007

December 2008

December 2009

December 2010

I like that our anniversary is in December.

It gives me some closure as well as an opportunity to reflect on everything that has happened this year.

If I could sum up this year in one word it would be...

growth.

Which is really just a fancy, more positive word for...

difficult.

This year has been the most challenging year probably of my life

Since they go hand in hand, it should really be no surprise that it has been the most educational of my life as well.

It seems the older I get, the more I realize I have absolutely no clue about anything.

I knew a mission would be no sweat before I went out.

I knew marriage would be a breeze before I got married.

I knew pregnancy would be nothing before I got pregnant.

I knew motherhood would be simple before I gave birth.

Guess what?

Surprise, surprise

I was wrong.

If there was one thing I came to know this year that would be valuable to future me it is this:

EVERYTHING is a learning opportunity.

Don't assume you really know anything.

Now that this year is over, I feel closer to knowing my husband.

I feel closer to knowing how to be a mother.

I feel closer to knowing the new me I've become.

I don't know anything.

But, I'm getting closer...

Christmas(es)

2010-12-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, T and I had 5 Christmases this year!

Man, December was wiggity crazy for us, and I get the impression that December will ALWAYS be crazy for us.

Christmas #1

To preface: I have a problem.

I CAN'T wait for Christmas to give T his gift.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever let T open my gift to him on Christmas day.

This year was no different.

One Sunday, I made T open my gift.

Then, to balance things out, I opened his gift to me.

We were disappointed in ourselves, but what are you gonna do?

Christmas #2

Jenny and I decided to have a little Christmas party with each other.

I HAD to buy these pajamas for T and John!

Christmas #3

We flew to Denver for a few days and celebrated the holidays with my family.

Since Joie and Richard weren't coming to Phoenix for Christmas this year, my parents brought Christmas to them!

We had some snowy fun!

We went snowmobiling!

Like my snowsuit?

T jumped in lake.

He couldn't get anyone else to do it with him...

Baby J really liked his gifts.

We also celebrated Baby J's birthday.

I was hoping he was going to get all into his cake and make big mess...

Instead I forced him to put his fingers in the frosting, and he started crying.

I had to feed him his cupcake because he refused to touch it.

Christmas #4

We flew back to Salt Lake and went to the Isom Family Christmas Party.

As always, they NEVER disappoint.

Yay for babies!

There are three new babies coming into the family next year.

These are their mommies.

Can you tell how happy and comfortable they look?

Christmas #5

After the party, we drove down to Phoenix to spend Christmas day with my family.

We lit fireworks...

Played with the wrapping paper...

Made a mess...

And cuddled.

It was a good holiday.

1 Year Old!

2010-12-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

He's my one year old baby.

I finally got him to take a decent picture of him and his stuffed animal sitting up.

I'm proud of myself.

He definitely has his own little personality....

He'll let me cuddle him (practically to death) for as long as I want.

As long as afterwards I let him go do whatever he wants.

Funnest thing I've seen in a while...

Him figuring out these gloves!

He LOVES this monkey.

He throws it.

Talks to it.

Screams at it.

Kisses it.

He'll even lay down on it.

T and I can only take showers now when someone is home to watch him or else this happens.

He will not leave you alone!

He plays with the shower curtain and gets not only himself all wet, but the floor is soaking, too.

He HATES the vacuum cleaner.

He screams and screams until I hold him while I vacuum.

(This is not an easy task).

I feel like I've changed so much since he's entered into my life, all for the better.

It may have been hard.

It may have felt impossible.

And at times I considered it to be never-ending, thankless, and burdened.

It might continue to feel this way for some time...

But I'm a better person for knowing you, John Wayne Isom.

Isom Family Pictures

2010-12-18T15:19:00.000-08:00

I have this goal of getting family pictures taken every year.

So, as for 2010, consider these our family pictures.

I love the way they turned out, and I love the fact that they're in the snow (something somewhat new to me).

Reasons (Today) Why I Love My Husband

2010-12-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

He lets me convince him into playing Skipbo.

(Even though I beat him horribly *almost* every time)

I'm practically afraid of yeast.

We were both dying for some pizza.

He so nobly got the recipe from his mom (thanks, Grandma Carol!)

and made literally the best pizza I've ever tasted.

(Granted it might have been because it was 10 at night and I was starving, but still)

He lets me do girly things to his face and document it.

This time, it's this lip buffer stuff.

He kisses me with said lip buffer stuff on, and though it grosses me out...

He says we should do it.

Love you, Love!

11 Months

2010-11-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

He's 11 months old!

Here I thought he was going to be my baby boy forever...

It's getting harder and harder to take this stuffed animal picture.

I had to bribe him with some milk in this one to keep him still.

He's crawling like a maniac. I have to keep one eye on him at all times or else he'll get into something I won't like.

He knows exactly who his dad is. All I have to say is "Dada", and he looks straight at his dad.

He has it all figured out what we're each good for. His dad is for playing/rough housing. His mom is for cuddling/making ouchies better.
He's very inquisitive. He'll stare at in adamant objects for long periods of time like he's trying to figure them out. As I type this Baby J is sitting in his highchair not eating just staring silently at his food, fingers, and harness straps.
He loves to talk and try out different syllables.
He changes so quickly from one day to the next; it's hard to keep up with him!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

We spent our November holiday in Salt Lake with LOTS of T's relatives.

Lots of firsts for us this year.

First time we spent Thanksgiving with T's family as a couple.

First time we celebrated the holiday with our little youngster.

First time I've had Thanksgiving dinner served to me!

We had a great time, and what about that snow?

Wonderful!

We did it again.

We went to another restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

It was featured right there in SLC.

Red Iguana.

T and I weren't all that impressed due to maybe a couple of things:

We both dislike mole. (the main thing featured on the show)

We had to eat in the car in the restaurant parking lot because Baby J was taking a nap, we didn't want to wake him with his irregular sleeping patterns that entire trip, but maybe the ambiance made up for the mediocre food?

The food was unnecessarily greasy.

I don't think we'll be going back anytime soon.

What a great mini vacation!