Summer Fun

Wow, I can't believe that July is already over. This summer has been going by SO fast, but we are definitely taking advantage of the warmer weather and having so much fun.

Here is a look at what we've been up to:

{Jaxson's First 4th of July}

We had a great Independence Day and were fortunate to spend a lot of time with family. We got together with some of Mike's family on Sunday for a BBQ and fireworks.

Jaxson is hanging out with the cousins...the boys all looked so cute together in their matching swimsuits. It was so fun to visit with everyone.

On Monday, we headed over to my parent's house for their annual BBQ and fireworks show. For as long as I can remember, my family has invited the neighborhood over for fireworks. Every family brings fireworks and snacks to contribute, so there ends up being a lot of great food and fun. Jaxson LOVED watching the fireworks. He was so tired from staying up so late, but he did great because he was so mesmorized by the fireworks.

Our family on July 4th.

{First Trip to the Zoo}

Jaxson and I went to the zoo with my mom, cousins, Denece, and Kambri. Jaxson seemed to really enjoy looking at the animals and any of the exhibits with water. He especially loved the panther and the lemurs, probably because they were so active. I am looking forward to taking him back next summer because by then he will really be able to enjoy it!

{Bountiful Handcart Days Parade}

Since Mike's work is right on the Handcart Days parade route, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to take Jaxson to his first parade. I was a little nervous that he would get bored from sitting in his stroller, but he was fascinated by everything. He especially loved all the marching bands.

We loved the Utah Utes "Pioneering into the Pac 12" float!

{Water Fun}

Jaxson absolutely LOVES anything to do with water, whether it is taking a bath or playing in the pool. We decided to let him play in the sprinklers, and he had such a fun time. He loves to try and catch the water in his hands and mouth.

{Mueller Park Canyon}

A couple days ago, we decided to head up the canyon for a campfire dinner. This was Jaxson's first time in the mountains.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our dinner short and pack up early. There was a HUGE rainstorm, so we only were there long enough to make a fire and roast one hotdog. Mueller Park is such a pretty area and it is so close to home, so I would love to go back up again this season, but we'll see if that happens.

Vote for Jaxson!!!

I entered Jaxson into the Gerber Photo Contest, and we need your help getting votes! Voting is very simple...all you have to do is click on this link and then click vote. You can also go to facebook.com/Gerber and search for him using his entry ID, which is 77850. The winner in each category gets an Ipad 2, and the overall winner gets a $50,000 scholarship.

Any person with a facebook account can vote once per day...imagine all the votes we could get! Voting ends July 31. Thanks for your help!

Big Days

Jaxson has had a lot of big days lately!

Two weeks ago, we were able to finalize his adoption. It felt so good to make everything "official" and know that he is legally ours, even though he has always been part of our family. Everything went really well...it was such a smooth process. We were so fortunate to have Mike's grandpa represent us as our attorney, which made it seem even more special.

This is us with the Judge after the adoption was finalized. The Judge made a point of saying that he had to hold Jaxson since "there is a rule saying any newly adopted babies have to be held by the judge during photos". I think it is just because Jaxson is so cute!

We have had to wait to bless and seal Jaxson until after his adoption was finalized, so we were able to have his blessing day yesterday. This was something I have really been looking forward to, and it was such a special time. We were able to have some family and friends come up to our ward, and we really appreciated everyone's support. We are so luck to have such great people in our lives! Mike did such a great job, and Jaxson did better than I was expecting. He is so wiggly and is always trying to get down and crawl, but Mike said he did pretty good being held...he just wouldn't keep his head still.

We are so fortunate to have Jaxson in our family...we couldn't imagine life without him!

June Fun

We have had a busy, but very fun June...it seems like there is something always going on, and I can't believe the month is already almost over.

Jaxson started swimming lessons this month, and he has absolutely loved them. He is definitely a little fish. He loves to kick his legs and splash his arms. The class we go to is a "parent - tot" class, so it has been fun to be in the water with him.

It probably sounds crazy, but I can tell that he is learning things in the lesson. Whenever I have him on his stomach, he immediately starts kicking and moving his arms, and he wasn't doing that at the beginning of the class. He also loves to sit on the side of the pool and "jump in" for a glide.


We had a great father's day! Jaxson and I are so fortunate to have so many wonderful fathers in our lives. Here are a couple of pictures of Jaxson on Father's Day:

Jaxon is getting so big! It seems like he has grown and developed a ton this month. He has started crawling and he loves to be moving around. He is starting to get into everything and seems to be fascinated by how things work. He has also started pulling himself up into a standing position and even started taking a few tentative steps while holding onto furniture. He does really well at walking if he can hold someone's hand.

Jaxson and Faline are best buddies. He gets so excited whenever he sees her, and she has started trying to play little games with him now that he is crawling. She will get close, then hurry out of reach once he gets to her, then come back again, like she is teasing him.

The Living Planet Aquarium

I took Jaxson to his first aquarium visit with my family on Memorial Day. Although I think he is probably still a little young to really enjoy seeing everything, Jaxson absolutely loved looking at all the brightly colored fish and seeing all the water. It was so fun to watch him stare at everything and just soak it all in.

We decided to compare Jaxson to the size of the different penguins. When I tried to show him the penguins that were swimming around, I think he was more interested in the water than in the actual penguins. This kid loves the water!

Jaxson was pretty interested in the area where you could reach in and touch the rays. For the most part, it was a little too deep for him to reach, but we were finally able to get one close enough that he was able to touch.

Staring at the fish...Jaxson's favorite were definitely the ones that were colorful.

All in all, it was a fun trip. I think that Jaxson will really enjoy it once he gets a little older (and we go when it isn't quite as crowded). Now I really want to take him to the zoo - I have a feeling that he will love watching all the animals!

My Baby Loves U2, Tender Moments, and Other Thoughts

Last week, we were able to go to the long-awaited U2 concert! We have seriously been waiting for this for SO long...I had originally bought tickets for Mike's Christmas present in 2009 to see them in Denver, then we sold those tickets and bought new ones once we found out they were coming to Salt Lake. I have seen them perform before, and I have always told Mike that he totally missed out when he could have seen them the last time they came around. Seeing U2 was on Mike's "bucket list" of concerts to see, so we were both looking forward to it.

A few weeks before the concert, Mike's stepdad was able to get better tickets than what we had, so we sold our tickets again and ended up going with his family. They had an extra ticket, so we were able to bring along my sister, which was fun.


The stage set-up was pretty intense. Apparently the band has four or five different stages that they use on tour because it takes too long to set-up each time. It was crazy to see all of the semi-trucks and buses that were needed to haul all of their equipment.

The concert was so much fun! This was the third time that I have seen them perform, and they did not disappoint. They played all of my favorite songs. Our little girl definitely enjoyed herself as well. She started moving a TON once they started playing and kept up most of the night. It was like she was rocking out in there. At least she has good taste in music!

The sweetest thing happened last week...I was snuggling Jaxson on the sofa, and the baby started to kick quite a bit. I don't know if he felt her or if it was just coincidence or what, but Jaxson then proceeded to move down until his face was next to my stomach. He started patting my belly and then leaned over and kissed it. It was so tender!!! I know that chances are it was all coincidental and he didn't really know that he was giving his sister a love, but it was so sweet...it just melted my heart. I hope that he loves his sister that much once she arrives and as they grow up together. I hope that they can always be close friends.

I can't believe that I am nearing the third trimester of my pregnancy. Time has gone by so quickly...I can hardly believe it! I have been fortunate in that I have felt really good ever since the morning sickness stopped. A lot of times I just feel like my normal self, so I really can't complain. Sometimes it seems so surreal that we are expecting a baby in September. It just doesn't seem real sometimes. I am sure that in some ways it is because it is something that we wanted for so long, and now that it is happening, it has taken a while to sink in. I am so grateful f0r this opportunity to be pregnant and I can't wait to meet this little girl. I am so glad that she has is healthy and is growing just as she should be. I love Jaxson so much and am so thankful to be his mom, so I can only imagine how it will be to have that love multiplied by having two children. If a year ago someone had told me how my life would be now, I would have thought they were crazy, but now I can't imagine it being any other way.

6 Month Check-Up

Mike and I took Jaxson in for his six month check-up earlier this week...I can't believe how big he is getting! He is still tall and thin...he weighed in at 15lbs 9oz (13th percentile) and is 27.5" long (80th percentile). Jaxson was totally showing off for the nurse and doctor during his appointment because he kept flexing his muscles and was just so friendly and good. They both commented on what a great baby he is.

I love watching Jaxson grow and develop. It seems like he is learning something new all the time. He has gotten really good at sitting up and has started scooting. He also looks like he could be getting close to crawling! He is able to pull himself up on all fours, and last night he moved one knee forward before stopping. Jaxson also loves to eat! He loves applesauce, bread, and pretty much anything that he sees us eating. It has gotten to the point where he starts to get angry if he sees us eating and we are not sharing anything with him. He is very vocal about the things he likes or wants.

Sometimes it seems crazy to think that Jaxson is already six months old, but at the same time it seems like he has been part of our family forever.