Evan is One!

My tiny baby Evan is no longer a tiny baby. He is a walking, baby talking, full of personality, one-year-old. It seriously seems like yesterday that we were bringing our tiny 6 lbs baby boy home from the hospital. He has added so much joy to our family, and it's impossible to remember what life was like before he joined us. Evan is a fireball of personality. He is feisty, but also so sweet and gentle, and he definitely holds his own with Curtis (although most of the time Curtis is a super sweet brother). Evan is such a loving boy, and we are so blessed to have him with us. 

May 2013

More pictures below....

Picture Update

Life lately...

(Oldest to Newest)

Evan the Baby

My little Evan the Baby is growing up so fast. He is 9 months as of Sunday, and I swear he changes every day. It has been so fun to have another little boy in our family. Evan's personality is really starting to show, and I like to call him my little drama baby. He is so happy and mellow and mild-tempered...most of the time. Just watch out when he's angry because this boy can throw a fit. He has the loudest scream ever. It is cute right now but I have a feeling this baby is going to give me a run for my money over the next few years. :)

Even though he knows how to throw a fit, Evan really is a very happy baby. He is always smiling and laughing, playing and interacting. Evan is very observant of people. He really looks and sees things. He is also so much snugglier than Curtis was as a a baby, and I am soaking in every cuddly minute. 

Evan is fully crawling these days (has been for about three weeks), and he is pulling to standing. He hasn't quite figured out how to stand on his own and balance yet, but I'm certainly in no rush for him to walk. I'll happily keep my baby for as long as possible. Evan loves to feed himself, which makes mealtimes a bit difficult. He is also a much pickier eater than Curtis was. He loves veggies much more than fruit, which is also different than I expected. I am still nursing Evan and hope to continue at least 3 more months. It has been much easier to keep it up than it was with Curtis because I am home basically full-time. I worked a lot more when Curtis was a baby. 

Evan hasn't been a very good sleeper, well at least compared to super-sleeper-baby Curtis. Evan is finally sleeping through the night (about 7:30pm-6am). He'll usually go back to sleep until 8am, then he naps again at 10am. I'm finally feeling like a normal person again. Ha! 

Evan loves his brother. He always gets the biggest smile on his face when Curtis comes in the room, and no one can make him laugh like Curtis can. I love seeing them together! 

I find it really difficult to put my feelings about my kids into words. This morning as I held Evan before his nap, he fell asleep in my arms, and I was completely overwhelmed with love for him. There truly are not words to describe what a mother's love is like. I live for my babies. They have completely changed my life. There's just nothing like it in the world. Nothing in my life has been as rewarding as having and holding and loving and raising my babies. Life is good. 

Mr. Curtis

Curtis is 3 1/2 but most of the time I feel like he's much older than that. This boy is so funny, sensitive, imaginative, inquisitive, active, sweet, and he is the best big brother. He is such a great boy, and every day I feel blessed to have him.

Some of Curtis' favorite...

Things to do: 
-Role play (super heros, knights, etc)
-Jump on his trampoline
-Play with Evan
-Eat
-Watch movies
-Play with friends
-Go to the park

Things to eat:
-Oatmeal with blueberries
-Yogurt and granola
-Eggs and toast
-Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
-Popcorn
-Broccoli
-Cucumbers
-Carrots
-Grapes
-String cheese
-Soup
-Bananas
-Smoothies

Toys:
-Dress ups
-"Little things" (anything small he can keep in his pocket)
-Mr. Potato Head
-Animals
-Cars
-Action figures

Curtis is very coordinated and loves music. He loves to dance and move. He is a pro on the trampoline and is always wanting to show us his tricks. He loves watching movies with popcorn (sometimes it's a battle to keep him not asking for a show; especially in the winter). He is so sweet to Evan, and it is seriously the best thing ever to see him interact and play with his baby brother. I have felt such great joy lately watching these two together. Curtis is such a great helper with Evan. He helps keep him entertained and makes him laugh a lot. I am constantly overwhelmed with gratitude for Curtis. He is an incredible boy and I really look forward to seeing him continue to grow and learn! 

And I saved the best for last. Here are some of Curtis' recent quotes...

-"Daddy, when I have a mustache, I'll have one like you."

-"I like you, Mommy. You're pretty."

-"Daddy, I'm not your buddy, you're my kiddo."

-Mike: "Curtis, you should turn off your show and use your imagination." Curtis: "Oh! That's a good idea!" 

-While at his aunt and uncles house, "Wow, nice tub! I have one like this at home!

-"Daddy, I have big boy little poo poos."

-"Dad I want to tell you a secret....let's go to the park..........later."

-Curtis loves to tell "once upon a time" stories. During one story he told about a bear who fought a bad guy, "with his own sharp fingers...and he died!"

A Letter to My Boys

Dear Curtis and Evan,

Sometimes I try to remember my life before I became a mother. And I can't remember it. I can't remember what it was like not to have two amazing sons who bring light and purpose to my life. I can't remember what it felt like not to have you both constantly on my mind. I can't remember what it was like not to have you here with me. I can't remember what it was like not to know you, to see you, to hear your laughs and cries, to see you playing together. 

Becoming a mother has changed my life forever. And I would never go back to my life before you both made it brighter and better. 

But today I am really scared. You see, living in this world means there is risk of hurt, sickness, and even death. I'm afraid for you growing up in a world filled with bad things and bad people. I'm afraid for you. I am afraid that I won't be able to teach you everything you need to know. And I'm afraid that I won't be able to let you grow up...that I won't be able to let go. 

Every day bad things happen to good people. Often I don't feel strong enough to live with the risk. Sometimes it's too much to handle and I feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. Too often my fear is greater than my faith. It's something I have to fight every day. The battle never ends. 

With great love comes great risk of heartache.

And I love you both more than I could ever say. 

So today I am praying for my boys. I'm praying that you will have happy, healthy, fulfilling lives. I'm praying that you will grow to be honorable men who fight against the evil that fills the world. I'm praying that you will make good decisions and that you will choose right over wrong. I'm praying that you will grow to be great friends. I'm praying that you will experience "forever love." I'm praying that you will someday experience the love that a parent feels for their children. I'm praying that you will feel peace in a world of war. 

And I'm praying that I will have the courage to be your mother. 

All My Love, Forever,

Mom

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Last month we took a 10 day trip to North Carolina; my mom's home state.  We lived there for the 1997-1998 school year, and I love going back to visit. It was so fun to have Mike with me, and have him visit NC for the first time.

We had a wonderful trip! It was great to be with family, and the beach was beautiful. We rented an ocean front home and an ocean view home right across the street (since there were 24 of us). All of the adult children + spouses, except for Phil and Sarah, were in one house, and everyone else was in the other. Phil and Sarah had a cute little "honeymoon suite" detached apartment. 

I loved being there with my family. It's not easy, or cheap, to fly 17 people across the country, and I'm sure it will be a few more years before we do anything like this again. It was also special to be there with Braden before he left on his mission to Poland. 

Uncharacteristically, I took zero pictures. None. We still don't have a camera worth taking pictures with, and when you're on a trip with that many people, there are bound to be pictures taken. Luckily there were some great pictures taken, although I am sad that we didn't take more of the things we did together as our little family of 3. 

Now I will probably sound like the worst person ever, but I definitely had my eyes open to the fact that there really isn't such a thing as "vacation" when you have young children. We had a wonderful time, but it was anything but relaxing. It was hard to travel with Curtis, hard to juggle nap time, hard to have time to chill, and definitely no opportunity to just relax on the beach. Being the only one with a child was hard. I tried my best not to feel left out of things, but it's just inevitable when no one else has kids to worry about, so they can do pretty much whatever they want, whenever they want. You just can't do that with kids. So, next time we go on a family vacation, someone else dang well better have some kids. That or we're bringing a paid nanny with us :). 

But even though it was hard with a two-year-old, we still had a fantastic time, and I miss it! I love the East, especially NC, and I'd live there in a heartbeat if we could. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the week. 

Thank you to my mom, my brother Michael, and my sis-in-law Tregani for the photos!

LOTS MORE...

We're Back

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

We got home last night at 3am,

which was really 5am to our bodies.
It's always bittersweet to return from vacation.
I'm ready to be home, but not ready for "real" life to start.

We had a wonderful trip to North Carolina.
The beach was beautiful,
Curtis did well,
and it was great to be with family.

Time to unpack suitcases, grocery shop, do laundry

and . . . 

START PACKING!  

Moving day is coming up quickly.


On a slightly different note:
Mike is officially graduated
and I couldn't be more excited!
I'm so proud of how hard he has worked these last few years.
Definitely looking forward to having more time together!

Father's Day 2012

This post is a little late in coming, but I couldn't miss the opportunity to write about how grateful I am for the fathers in my life. I am blessed to have some amazing men in my life, and I want them to know how much they mean to me. 

Mike, my husband, father of my child, best friend, and love of my life . . . 

Family Photos 2011

I have been blessed with such an amazing husband. I have known Mike for nearly 10 years, and I have always been impressed with his passion for life. He lives life with energy, enthusiasm, and a desire to always learn and improve. He is patient, gentle, and sensitive of others' needs. He is a very dedicated worker, and excels in the workplace. Whatever Mike puts his mind to, he achieves. He helps me to be a better person. He is optimistic and helps me to see the blessings in my life. He is my best friend and confidant; I know I can always count on him to listen to me, and I can tell him anything. He is a wonderful father to Curtis, and I can't wait to see their relationship grow as Curtis gets older. Pretty much I am the luckiest woman alive to have such an incredible husband! I love you, Mike! 

iPhone Photos

Our life, lately. . . 

Braden's Mission Call!

My brother, Braden, opened his mission call last night. 

He will be serving in the Poland, Warsaw Mission,

and will report to the MTC on August 22nd!

I'll always think of Braden as my sweet little brother who used to always ask me to snuggle him :). 

I sure do love him, and am so proud of the man he's become.  

22 Months

My baby is 22 months, and I can hardly believe it. We spent the day together, jogging up the canyon, going on a bike ride, and then watching Sesame Street after he woke up with a high fever. As horrible as it sounds, sometimes I am grateful when he has sick days because it means he will snuggle and let me hold him. He fell asleep on my lap TWO different times. It was heaven.

He's feeling much better today, and back to his active, no snugglie self. But that's okay! He's currently in the other room having some TV time and laughing at Elmo. He loooooves Elmo. Ah I love my boy!

Curtis is learning so much! He is picking up on so many words and is able to communicate much better than at 18 months.  (I have a video that I'll post as soon as I can get it from Mike's phone)

The other day we were looking through his baby pictures and videos and it was so hard for me to believe that he was actually that little! And Curtis kept saying noooo when I'd point to his pictures and say, "that's you!" The older he gets and the more personality he develops, the less I can remember what he was like as a baby. It's just hard to remember him before his sweet words, generous kisses, silly faces, and constant running. I suppose that's why I'm aching for a new baby; because I'm starting to forget what they're like. 

Last night I went into Curtis' room after he was asleep to put some laundry away, and it woke him up since he wasn't feeling well. As I went to have him lie down again he sat up, puckered his lips and said mmmm, gave me a kiss, and then went back to sleep. He really is the sweetest boy. It's hard for me not to get emotional when I think about how fast these last 2 years have gone, and how I fast I know the next 16 years will go. I'm going to miss these days. Life is too short, isn't it? Well, childhood is too short.

Happy 22 months, Curtis. I'll love you forever.

A Few Easter Photos

Thanks to my sister-in-law Tregani for taking these pictures!

We have a lot more of Curtis (of course) to come! 

2011: A Year in Review

Two-Thousand-Eleven.

A very good year.

I always find it a little sad to see another year pass by. 

Sometimes I wish life could just slow down for a while. 

But, change is good, exciting, and always inevitable. 

Our family experienced a lot during 2011, 

and, as is the tradition, 

we'd like to take a look back to remember what happened during 2011.

Christmas 2011

I know I'm weeks behind, but that's okay. 

I knew I'd have to catch up sometime. 
Bear with me as I attempt to remember a few important events!

Christmas was wonderful this year, as it is every year. 

We were especially excited to have a 17-month-old to make celebrating even more fun. 

We always start the Christmas week off by celebrating our anniversary. This year we went up to Salt Lake and stayed in the Little America Hotel. It was the first time I'd spent a night away from Curtis, but fortunately I was able to relax and trust that he was being well taken care of by Mike's parents! We went to dinner, walked around Temple Square, and had a great getaway. The next morning we had breakfast and then did some shopping at Cabella's and Ikea. Unfortunately, I didn't do a good job of taking pictures. I don't think I even took one photo. Woops.

iPhone Photos

Lately...

Photos via Instagram App for iPhone

Halloween 2011

We had a really fun Halloween this year! 

We decided to have another family party with costumes, prizes, games, and good food. 

We had a really good turn-out (missing only Sarah).

Curtis was definitely a hit in his little Pubert Addams costume (Addams family)

Halloween has always been one of those holidays that I don't really care about at first,

but then it always ends up being really fun.

I think dressing up is actually really enjoyable.

(Even if it is pretty pointless)

Jesse and Alysha

Marisa and Braden

Kristie and Michael

Hannah Chase

Eliza and Max

Tregani and Chris

Curtis, Dence, and Kimmy

Mark

McKenna and Mallory

Chris and Kim

THANKS TO THESE GREAT FOLKS FOR A GREAT HALLOWEEN!

Father's Day

Today I am grateful for all the fathers in my life. Especially for Mike, my dad Mark, my step-dad Chris, and my father-in-law Hiley. I have been blessed with wonderful father figures and today I am especially grateful for them!

Most importantly I am grateful for the wonderful examples that Curtis has to follow. I told Mike today, and I meant it, that my greatest hope for Curtis is that he grows up to be just like his daddy.

Happy Father's Day 2011

Blessed

Ah, General Conference. I SO needed you this weekend. 

I needed time with my little family.
I needed to listen to prophetic counsel.
I needed to be chastised.
I needed to be comforted.
I needed to be inspired.
I needed to have a wake-up call.
I needed to set goals.
I needed to receive answers to my prayers.
I needed to feel gratitude.
I needed to feel compassion.
I needed to work on my patience.

This conference was wonderful. I am excited to be able to re-read and study all of the talks again. Last conference I was still learning to be a mother, and I was exhausted. This time I felt like I could actually listen, focus, and think. It was wonderful. I want to make it a goal to re-read all of the talks before next conference, as well as to write a few thoughts about each one.

I feel so blessed!   

Kitto Family Pictures

A few weeks ago we took family pictures with the Kittos before Rachel left for the MTC. 

Here are a few favorites.

Eight Months

Dear Curtis,

Again, it seems like it's only been a week since I was writing last month's entry. Time is going by much quicker these days. You are no longer my little baby boy; you are my big, smart, growing boy. We are so blessed, Curtis. We have everything we need and want. We have the gospel and a wonderful little family. Dad and I love you more than we ever imagined possible.

I had a very sweet experience this past month that I want to share with you. It was your bedtime and I was holding you and snuggling you before I laid you down to sleep. As I held you I was so overcome with love for you, and in that fleeting moment I was given a glimpse of the incredible love that our Heavenly Father has for you, and for me, and for all of His children. It was such a sweet moment that I will always remember.

This month you have grown so much!
-You know how to crawl! You have been making a lot of progress over the past few days. This is the sequence that usually happens. 1) You start on hands and knees 2) you take a few steps 3) you get tired or frustrated and fall on your tummy 4) you bury your face in your hands 5) you scoot your knees under you while your head is on the floor 6) you push back up to hands and knees 7) you start the cycle over again 8) when you get really tired or frustrated you just roll over.
-Your first official "steps" were on Sunday after Uncle Michael's homecoming. We were all so excited! Your aunts and uncles all gathered around and we just watched you for a long time.
-You met your Uncle Michael for the first time, and you said "see you later" to Auntie Rachel for 18 months.
-You love food. Yes, you are your daddy's boy. If there is food out, or if someone is eating, you are watching and wanting. You love when I mix up our "real" food for you.
-You are sleeping great again. Sometimes you wake up really early to eat, but then you go right back to sleep.
-You still don't have any teeth. I think they are coming soon, though, because you have been crankier than you have ever been.
-You have learned that you don't like it when you don't get everything you want. You are smart and you know when we take things away from you. You really don't like it when we do that. Maybe we need to give you a little brother or sister so you don't get too used to having all the attention. Well...maybe in a few more months.
-Lately you have been sleeping on your knees, like in the yoga child's pose. It is just about the cutest thing ever.
-You love your family and they love you! You love giving everyone great big smiles.

We love you Curtis! Happy eight month birthday!

-Mom

With Grandaddy Mark