Oh, time!

Wow! Time has flown. Here's a little catch-up. In case anybody still reads this.

Jace is almost 2 (October). He is as wild as ever! He can say "na na" (banana), "gar" (car), "no", "momma", "da", "ba" (ball),  make the sound for monsters, Wreck-It Ralph, and cars.  He is so smart! He's a joy to have in our family and we love him to pieces!

Our sweet baby girl arrived May 7. Taryn Sloan. She is a little over 2 months old. Taryn is an extremely happy baby. She sleeps through the night - goes down between 10 and 11 (or 9:30 on a good night) and won't wake up till between 6 and 7 (sometimes 5:30). So I am getting rest and I am glad! She's a wonderful addition to our family.

In August we will be taking a couple trips - a trip to Utah for a family reunion and see my sister/brother in law and their first baby - Gabriel. Then we will have a week in between that trip and our next trip that is still up in the air, so I don't want to say anything ;). Derrik is working on his dive certification, he should be done by the end of August. He's excited for that - he will be able to join his mother on her dives.

There is really not that much to catch you up on. Or I'm just good at summing it up quickly ;)

Have a great week!

Catch-up!

We are just over ten months for little Jace! He has started walking! Baby steps, but he will definitely be walking by his first birthday! :) He loves eating everything and hasn't hit any allergies yet (knock on wood). Jace acts just like his daddy, it's fantastic. We love this guy so much!

 

 

 

Derrik & I also hit our three year anniversary. Three years!! Wow! It doesn't feel like it's only been that long - feels like it has been longer! I love that feeling. I love that we are still finding things out about each other - we shouldn't know each other super well, I think. Not yet, anyway. It's fun to discover new things about each other and also about ourselves, as well. We went to our traditional places - Cask'n'Cleaver, where we had our wedding dinner and Razzle Dazzle (frozen yogurt) where Derrik proposed to me :) It was a sweet night and fun to be by ourselves.

 





(The picture got cut off - but our sign says "Est. 2011")

 

 

I love that man so much. He is my favorite. He makes me laugh and feel like a million bucks everyday. He's my best friend. And I never have to worry about him leaving me. He will always be my best friend. My true friend who sticks by me, no matter what. 

9 months

9 months ago, my sweet Jace was born. It was a long three and a half days to get him here, but when he arrived, it was the sweetest thing. I love him so much; he has brought me so much happiness. Jace is my best friend. You laugh at that, but you'd only understand if you had children of your own. I know there will probably be times when he is upset at me or doesn't like me, but I know he will always love me. I'm his momma.

Jace says mama, he can stand on his own for about a minute, puffs his cheeks up with air, recognizes himself in pictures, sings along when the piano is playing, plays peek a boo on his own (he starts the game by hiding), waves hi/bye, LOVES the water, and loves eating food - adult food more then his baby food! He is just the sweetest thing.

The gospel

The gospel is a HUGE blessing in our lives. We are an eternal family - which means death isn't the end for us. We believe we will be together forever, as long as we obey the commandments and keep true to the covenants we made in the temple.

I (Denise) recently have started truly, really, studying the life of Christ. I knew it before, of course, but I wanted to know more, understand more, come to love Christ even more (yes, that's always possible). I have found some AMAZING things, so far in my study. Especially some personal revelations that I really needed to hear, or read, at this time in my life.

When I look at my son or when I listen to him babbling and playing, I am overwhelmed with love, with gratefulness, with joy. It is so fun watching him learn. Even if it involves me constantly getting up to bring him back to his blanket and toys. It is amazing how much he learns in a short amount of time. Since he has been crawling, he just wants to get everywhere! He makes himself, his parents, and his family and friends around him smile and laugh. He has such a personality already, I cannot wait until he is older! But I am definitely enjoying this time!

This and that

I am done with Facebook. I'm on Instagram, Pinterest, and my blog. I think that's fine. If anyone wants to keep in touch with me or how my family is doing, they have three options. Well, maybe two. Pinterest doesn't really show how my family is doing haha.

Anyway. Jace is 8 months old today!! He:

-learned how to crawl, so he wants to explore EVERYTHING
-got even better at pulling himself to sitting and standing position
-tried combined dinners. Some he likes, some not so much
-LOVES drinking water
-likes to make noise and any toy that makes noise
-smacks his lips and blows raspberries (with his tongue out and with just lips)
-has become more vocal
-is friendly, smiles at everyone!
-loves being outside, feeling the wind and sunshine
-has cut one tooth and one is on the way!
-likes touching hair (very touchy-feely boy)
-loves music

 

 

I wonder as I wonder

The name of this blog post is a song, isn't it?

Anyway. Things are going well. I wish I was a better writer or had stuff going on in my life besides the same old. I don't really have friends to do stuff with anymore. It's Derrik, Jace, and me now. We all hang out during the day, then it's just Jace and I at night. And Jace goes to sleep between 8 & 9, then I am left to do my own thing - I catch up on my current shows, make some greeting cards, read, play on my tablet, and do chores I can't get done when Jace is awake. That's my life.

At first, I didn't like that. I've always been a social butterfly and have had lots of friends. But not anymore. Probably just because I'm in a different stage of life. Or people don't like me.

And I am now okay with that. I don't need friends. I have my family and that's all that matters to me.

Sometimes I wonder what it's like to win the lottery. I wonder what it will be like when it comes time for Derrik and I to have more children. Jace will be older (that's weird to think about!) and so he will be able to help in the ways he knows how. Hopefully by then we will be closer to having our own home, Derrik will have his own practice, and I'll be continuing my lifelong dream of being a mom. One who has after school snacks for my kids; one who goes to all the sports games; one who takes her kids to the park to play with their friends so I can visit with my friends - hopefully I'll have some by then. It's weird to think about, but it's also pretty great.




PS I'm currently reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain & Tea Cups & Tiger Claws by Timothy Patrick.

I've just started both of them and I'm enjoying them both already.

Sneak Preview!

My friend Katie is an aspiring photographer and she asked if she could do a mini photo shoot of us, to help show what she can do. Of course we said yes!!

Here are a few of the pictures, sneak peek!

Families are forever.

 

Best friends. Eternal companions.

 

My handsome boys!!

 

I just love this baby boy to pieces!!