Yesterday my little baby turned one.

At a year he knows 5(ish) words.  "Mom" and "Dad" for sure.  People claim they've heard him say his own name.  He loves to say "ow" and "wow."  Also the other day my sister and I are pretty sure he said "water."

He is walking like a pro and is so incredibly proud of this skill.  He even tries to walk in the bathtub, which is beyond scary for me!

He's an awesome eater, though I've discovered he's not a fan of hot dogs or Cheetos...or bread, really.  But the boy loves tomatoes.  Go figure!

Am I the only one having a hard time with the fact that Gregory went from this:

to this?:

Seriously, where did the time go?

And as a side note...my boys continue to have the best relationship!

Big News!

I've been holding back on this but word is starting to get out so I might as well make sure everyone gets the right information.

We just bought a house.

Yes, that's right.  We are homeowners.

We aren't living in our house yet.  We still live with my darling Grandma who may live another 10 years, she is so awesome!

Why do we have a house, then?  I'm not 100% sure.  Tyler saw it, liked it, and couldn't stop thinking about it.  I saw it, liked it, but thought nothing of it.  Tyler kept bringing it up until we finally prayed and took it to the temple.  The peace I felt in making this decision has been...amazing.  I'm trying to decide if I've ever felt this calm and put together about a decision before.  We were meant to buy this house.

We can't have an empty house though.  And we won't be moving in until Grandma no longer needs us.  So we have offered the house to our sisters who are going to UVU.  The house is in Provo but right off the interstate so the commute to school will be quick and easy.  They both have cats and have had a hard time finding housing that is affordable and lets them keep their pets.  As long as they help take care of our house, we are letting them keep the cats.  (though if anything gets ruined by the cats, you'd better believe I won't be the one replacing it!!!)

It's crazy and exciting and scary and...just awesome.  The overwhelming feeling I have is still peace.  I have some doubts and fears and worries and things as well but...God isn't letting me forget that this is right.

And we love our new house.  Jamison wants to go visit it every day.  (I think he mostly just likes the trampoline in the ground out back).

Side note: If you are looking to buy or sell in the area, our realtor was seriously the best (and also my cousin, but still the best).  Angie Evans.  And our loan officer was amazing too.  Bliss Sawyer.

I just have to express how grateful I am that I have a loving Father in Heaven (and of course show off my cute kids).  He answers my prayers. Not always the way I expect, but always in the way I need.

When I pray to receive guidance in raising my children, I find it.  Sometimes it just shows up in my mind and sometimes I have to work for it.  But it comes!

When I pray for the end of a trial, it rarely ends.  But it becomes managable.

When I pray to have a good day, I don't end up with perfection.  But I get through the day, and usually with a fair amount of happiness.

I do get answers, and I get help all the time.  My Heavenly Father loves me.  And He loves you too.  Pray in faith and just see what happens!

Life has been getting me down lately.  I'm working at being more positive, especially since most of the things upsetting me aren't even within my control.  So today is my day of gratitude.  I woke up this morning and started thinking about the good in my life.  This list is more for me than for anyone else, but if it reminds someone else that life isn't as bad as it feels, that there are some good things no matter what, that's great.  :)  

(Please note that this is no way an inclusive list.  I obviously have lots to be grateful for, today is just the list of things that made me feel better this morning.  Things that made my heart swell with gratitude.)

*I am grateful for my children.  They are so cute and so sweet, and though sometimes they drive me crazy...I wouldn't ever trade them.  I love watching them learn and grow.  I love watching them play together and show love for each other.  I just...love my boys!

*Pancake mix.  But not just any pancake mix.  This morning I wanted pancakes but I didn't want to make a huge mess in my already messy kitchen.  Luckily for me, my mother in law and her husband gave us strawberry pancake mix for Christmas two years ago and they have kept us in stock ever since.  So all I had to do was pull out the mix and add water.  Jamison and Gregory LOVED it.

*I am grateful for my grandma.  She is such a good example to me.  She's 94 and she's lived through a lot.  I love that she is still able to remain positive.  So many elderly people get cranky but she is the sweetest woman alive.  She will bend over backwards to make sure everyone else is happy.  I love that about her.  I strive to be like that, but I fall short.  Maybe in another 60+ years I will be half the woman she is.

*Yard work!  I know that sounds weird.  Growing up I hated weeding and planting and...anything that was around bugs, sweat, or dirt.  But since I've had my own yard to take care of I've discovered great joy in pulling weeds, pruning trees, picking tomatoes....at the end of the day I can see my hard work and feel satisfied.  It's the best feeling.

*I'm so so grateful for my parents who taught me how to work hard.  I hated it and thought they were so mean, but I'm learning now how much they obviously love me.  They made sure I knew how to cook and clean and do laundry and play the piano, follow through with obligations, treat others with respect....the list goes on.  I really am so grateful for parents who weren't just my friends (though they are that too) and were hard on me when they needed to be to make sure I became a well-adjusted adult.  

*I'm glad I have a double stroller.  I was so against getting one because they seemed so annoying and bulky...but now that I have one I use it almost every day!  The boys and I walk around the block or to the park or even to the store.  It's fantastic for us to get out of the house and for me to watch them both.  

*I am grateful for Tyler.  There is so much to be said on the subject.  He's not a perfect man, but I'm not a perfect woman.  He's perfect for me, though, and that's what counts.  He is amazing.  He really is.  I could spend hours listing all the wonderful things about Tyler.  But I can't without neglecting my children (fairly certain Gregory will be up from his nap soon).  

*I'm incredibly grateful that my Father in Heaven loves me enough to watch out for me.  Always.  Right now I have the privilege to care for my Grandma and my children and not worry about needing to work outside the home.  What a blessing.  

This is such a short list.  I have so many other things to be grateful for.  I don't know why I let myself get down when I have so much happiness around me!

(sorry there are no pictures, I haven't figured out how to load them from my phone to my iPad now that I don't have an iPhone...)

When life feels like too much, I have to remember to look at the good.  I look at my sweet husband who will do anything for me.  I look at my darling kids and all the joys and challenges that come with raising them.  And I realize...it's not so bad.  I can do this.  And I have the cutest companions to enjoy this journey with.

Jamison is so creative and clever.  His imagination just blows my mind.  He can turn anything into...well, anything.  It's awesome.

 (this belt is his whistle)

 (this lawnmower also doubles as a motorcycle)

Gregory never really took to baby food but he loves eating table food with us.  His favorites are bananas, grapes, and corn.  And our house is no longer safe as Gregory has figured out how to get around.  His version of crawling is a little funky but it gets him where he wants to go.  I've learned it's a lot harder to baby-proof a house when you have a toddler but we are working on it!

Tyler is staying busy with work and school.  I'm so proud of his hard work.  We drove all the way to Tooele (hour and a half) on Saturday so he could take a test.  And then (of course) they had problems with the computer and he had to reschedule.  Luckily he can take it closer to home this time.  While we were out we took the boys to the zoo for the afternoon.  I'm not sure Gregory knew or cared what was going on but he was excited when I took him out of the stroller to go in the Reptile house.  And Jamison was so impressed with all the animals he could see in one place.  He would request one animal after another and we'd go find it.  Elephant, Rhinoceros, Gorilla...the only thing we couldn't show him was the Lion because they are creating a new environment for it right now.  The good news is that we got a season pass for Christmas so this definitely won't be our last trip!

What have my boys been up to?

~Enjoying the sunshine!

~Tasting a variety of table foods.

~Accessorizing.

~ Trying to figure out forward motion

~Being generally cute and clever.

(Whenever Jamison sees his Nana now he says, "Okay Captain Nana!  Let's go!")

I've started a log of the hilarious things Jamison says (because he's ALWAYS saying something funny).  Here are some of my favorites:

J: "What's this?"
M: "It's a lady bug."
J: "I think it's a lady ant."
M: "It's an actual bug called a lady bug."
J: "Well they are bugging us."
M: "Are they bugging you?  They aren't bugging me."
J: "Yeah.  It's in my belly button."
M: "In your belly button?! What's it doing there?"
J: "Eating."
M: "What is it eating?  What kind of food do you keep in your belly button?"
J: "Healthy food."
M: "Oh that's good.  I'm glad you have healthy food."
J: (whispers) "From Jesus.  To make me strong and healthy."

"I am really sick.  Because I am sick I will want a cookie."  (He's got his priorities straight!)

After I said ouch, Jamison said.  "A song will help."  Then he proceeded to sing a song of his own creation for me.  He also tried to sing me to sleep the other day.  He makes up songs about everything, including going to the bathroom or getting in trouble.

J: "I hate being happy."
M: "I'm not sure that's what you mean.  And where did you get the word hate?!"
J: "From my mouth."

"Grandma I need to help you.  Just trust me."

Jamison saw his dad scratch his nose and said, "What are you looking for Dad?  A booger?"  When I walked in the room he came to me and said, "Mom, Dad is just picking his nose like that." (Jamison sticks his finger up his nose) "He shouldn't do that."

M: "What should we do?"
J: "You should tell me I'm funny."
You really are, my son, you really are.

Also, here is what Gregory currently "says".  I love it.

I love THEM!!!

Today I realized that I don't have any "professional" pictures of Gregory.  The place I used to go every few months to get updated pictures of Jamison went out of business.  I've never found a replacement.  So thought, well....maybe I can just do it at home.  I'm not terrible at taking pictures.

I started to take some pictures of Gregory and Jamison jumped in.  So I thought, why not.  I will take pictures of them both! It turns out taking pictures of two active little boys is very, very hard.

 (I won't be hanging it on my wall or anything but I do love this photo.  It might be my new wallpaper.  I feel like somehow it just....IS my boys.)

 (this is one of my favorites....their faces! lol)

If I try this again...I will have someone else with me to make funny faces or something.  :)