The Ricks Family

Happy heart

2012-02-07T22:33:00.002-07:00

We got some great news today. We learned Jackson's heart is 100% normal and is absolutely perfect! You may (or may not) remember when he was born there were a few concerns with his heart. He had a murmur and the doctors were worried he had what they called a "narrowing of the aorta." They ordered an echo to see what was going on and found a few things. He had two small holes in his heart and the echo showed one of his valves as "bi-cuspid," instead of "tri-cuspid." They explained to us that a bi-cuspid valve can stiffen up over time and cause problems. After the first echo, the doctors ordered a second echo because results were inconclusive on the narrowing of the aorta problem they originally ordered the echo for. The second echo came back and it was determined he did not have the narrowing of the aorta. We were told he didn't have this specific problem and that was all. Thankful, we took our new baby boy home and figured we would do as the doctors suggested, and monitor the bi-cuspid valve when he got older.

Fast forward to the present. At Jackson's 3-year checkup, I mentioned the bi-cuspid valve to the doctor. It had been on my mind because our brother-in-law is having surgery this week to replace his bi-cuspid valve with a mechanical valve. The doctor looked through the echo notes and discovered the second echo came back saying Jackson's valve was actually a TRI-cuspid valve, not bi-cuspid, like the first echo had stated. No one had happened to mention it to us back then.

I don't blame our doctor at all because he wasn't the pediatrician that gave us the results of that echo (he was out of town or something). Because the results of the echos were conflicting, our doctor ordered a new set of tests be done on Jackson so we could put the issue to rest.

Today was the day!

Jackson got a new echo and an EKG. He thought the "stickers" for the EKG were pretty cool. The doctor came in and gave us the great news that not only did Jackson have a perfectly normal tri-cuspid valve, the holes in his heart were also gone. In his words, his heart is "perfect." What a relief!

A bit frustrating that we have had this concern for his heart for the past three years, but such a blessing to have the knowledge now that he is ok. I am grateful we didn't just continue on in ignorance with this concern looming over us. Our prayers were answered and I am very grateful. And fitting, I think, to get such happy news about his heart so close to Valentines Day :)

Praying for more happy heart news in regards to our brother-in-law. We'd appreciate any extra prayers in his behalf.

A change of scenery

2012-01-24T22:04:00.003-07:00

Aside from Jackson's birthday, January is usually not my favorite of months. Sometimes it starts feeling a little "Groundhog Day"ish. Here in Utah we haven't had much of a winter so far and we were missing the snow! Jackson asks if we can go to the cabin on almost a daily basis, and ready for a change of scenery, we made the trip.

We wanted snow, and snow we got!

It snowed all of Saturday and made for some good sledding (after my dad and Sean got the cars unstuck). Jackson loved being pulled behind the car and even my mom got in on the action!

We took one slow trip around the block for Bode (Jackson is hiding in the middle)

Sunday morning we woke up to one of the brightest blue skies I have ever seen. It was SO pretty.

The trip was really relaxing. It was a nice feeling to be away from everything for a few days and not have the everyday menial things like laundry and grocery shopping to worry about. I got in a lot of reading, pinball, and family time. I was worried when Jackson started the trip out with pinkeye, but thankfully it cleared up fast.

We stopped by to see my grandma before heading home on Monday. We always enjoy our time with her. I don't have many recent pictures with her, so I asked Sean to take a few.

When we got home I was surprised to have a package waiting for me from my good friend Taryn. She sent me an early birthday present and had crocheted these awesome hats for the boys!

Aren't they adorable?! I LOVE them, and so do they. I love having talented friends :)

I am throwing in this random picture of the boys playing because I think it's cute!

Birthday and party time!

2012-01-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Jackson's birthday was on a Sunday this year so we celebrated as a family on his actual birthday and had a party later in the week.

His big day started out with smoothies and french toast. (wearing his new Spiderman pjs he opened the night before)

Since he has been so into trains lately, I made him a train birthday cake.

I thought it turned out pretty cute! I hadn't decorated a cake since his last birthday, so it was fun. The train is a GeoTrax train that he can use with the set he got for Christmas.

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I showed it to him at breakfast and he was really excited about it, so it was worth the effort ;)

Ready for church!

Showing me "how many" he is

It was Jackson's first official day as a new sunbeam in primary. Despite being traumatized a few weeks earlier in a trial run, he did great. I could tell he was nervous but was trying so hard to be brave. At one point the leaders asked he and his friend (who was born New Year's Eve) to come up to the front so they could sing happy birthday to them. It was honestly one of the sweetest things I have EVER seen. Those two boys in front of everyone, standing close together, almost as if they were leaning on each other for support, and smiling shyly while everyone sang to them. I get choked up just thinking about it! After the singing, I think he felt like a million bucks and decided primary was cool. I was relieved because I didn't want a repeat of how it was starting him in nursery!

All smiles!

We had my sister and her family over for presents and cake that night. He received many nice gifts from family and friends and he was excited about every one of them.

New Lightning McQueen slippers!

Book that turns into a pirate ship

His new alligator bank was a hit.

Time to blow out the candles! Sean and I both remarked later about how cute he looked while we sang to him. You can tell he felt pretty cool.

I wanted a few pictures with the birthday boy :)

Party time!

We had his party at Kangaroo Zoo this past week and it was so much fun. It was nice because all I basically had to do was show up with some cupcakes. He loves this place and had such a good time with so many of his friends there.

Ready for the "blast zone"

Jackson and Ashton

Nash and Dax

Sean decided to jump in!

His birthday room

After awhile we took a break and opened presents and ate cupcakes.

We even had a special visit from "Coco" the kangaroo!

We put Bode in the pouch for about two seconds before he started screaming :)

After presents there was more jumping, sliding, and playing

I think he had a great birthday, which is ultimately all we really wanted. Thanks so much to everyone who celebrated with us!

Three!

2012-01-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Jackson turns THREE today! We can’t put into wordshow much we love this kid.

It’s hard to believe it has already been three years sincewe welcomed him into our family. We're so grateful for him!

I put together this group of some of my favorite photos of Jackson from the year as a gift to myself. I do realize there are a ton, but it was a fun trip down memory lane!

Jackson, you are a bright light in our lives and we are so grateful for you. Three years ago, you made our dream of becoming parents come true and we know we truly did hit the 'Jackpot'. Happy Birthday, buddy. We love your guts!!

Some notes about Jackson as a big three-year-old for my own memory's sake:

-He’s got quite the sense of humor and it is easy to get him to laugh. Especially if you are talking about pee, poop, toots, or bums ;)

-Loves movies and cartoons. Current favorites: Polar Express, Rio, old Donald Duck cartoons, the new Winnie the Pooh, Kung Fu Panda, Rescue Rangers, Duck Tails, Lambert the Sheepish Lion (cartoon from when we were kids), Superhero Squad, Little Einsteins, Curious George

-Doesn't take a daily nap anymore. Will only take one when he's really tired.

-Loves to help with anything you ask him to do

-Very into trains and when his toy train is moving, he says, “it’s chuggin’!”

-Asks Sean and I to snuggle him every night when he goes to bed

-Likes to help me in the kitchen. Especially when it involves making cookies (or “kookies” as he pronounces them)

-Has a serious sweet tooth but hates anything with mint.

-Favorite foods: cereal, Ramen Noodles (we call them "Kung Fu Panda noodles"), grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, clementines, pears, apples, pizza, pasta, stromboli (I think he just likes saying the word!)

-Loves his little brother so much and makes him laugh and smile the most of all of us. Is very concerned whenever Bode is crying and makes sure Sean or I know.

-Loves the “jump house” (Lowe’s Xtreme Airsports), Kangaroo Zoo, and the gym class I had him signed up for in November

-Still calls “strawberries” “straw-ter-berries” and motorcycles “motor-snike-uls” and his “L’s” usually sound more like “W’s.” I love it and hope it doesn’t change any time soon.

-Quick to say “thank-you” and instead of saying “you’re welcome,” he just says, “welcome.”

-Likes to sing and has been singing a lot of “Jingle Bells” lately. Likes the song "Walking on Sunshine" and a lot of Disney music.

-Enjoys the “Starfall” Web site and has learned how to use a mouse on the laptop

-Whenever he hears Sean go down to our garage to get something, Jackson will run behind and turn the lights off on Sean in the garage. He giggles and thinks it is the funniest thing ever.
- Has a few types of kisses he will give me at night: regular kisses, fish kisses, eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses, and fart kisses (where you blow on the other person's cheek lol)

-Been potty trained since summer and wears super hero undies every day

-Wears 3T and 4T in most clothes (though the sweat pants I bought him the other day were 5T!)

-Size 9 shoe

-Does what we call the “shoulder dance” where he jumps up and down and leans his head on one shoulder and moves the other one up and down

-Always bargaining for more time. If you tell him he has one minute, he says, "I want two minutes!"

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

We had such a great Christmas this year! We stayed home for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, and then headed up to Idaho Falls during the afternoon to spend time with both sides of the family. It worked out really well.

We've sort of blended a few traditions from both Sean and I's families, as well as added a few of our own. On Christmas Eve we went to Lowes Xtreme Airsports in Provo with my sister's family and my brother Todd's family. We have been several times and both Sean and Jackson LOVE it. We figured it would be a good way to wear the kids out. Even though we had a small mishap at the end when my brother-in-law took a pretty hard fall, we had a great time. Thankfully he is fine!

Sean doing some sweet tricks off of the trapeeze!

For dinner we had Chinese sundaes (or Hawaiian haystacks) in keeping with Sean's family's tradition. We also put luminarias up our walk in keeping with my family's tradition.

The boys opened up new matching Christmas pajamas to wear to bed.

We didn't forget to leave cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer!

Jackson came into our room Christmas morning a little after 7am and said, "Did Santa bring me a train?" He has been patiently waiting for this train for months and my heart about burst when he asked so sweetly. Santa did remember the train and even had it set up and ready to go for him.

He was so excited to see it and immediately sat down and started playing with it. It was one of those moments where you are reminded that being a parent is the best thing in the world.

Bode was pretty excited about the puffs and other snacks he found in his stocking

A whole box of tractors!

Rio!

A special present from mom

A blanket of his very own similar to his older brother's :)

…and back to the train!

After church we packed up and headed to Idaho Falls. It worked out well-- Bode got his nap and Jackson got to watch one of his new movies. We didn't have to haul everything and we got to spend time with family. Win-win!

We had a yummy Christmas dinner with my family and Bode got in on some Jello action :)

We opened presents with grandma and grandpa and then headed to nana and papa's for more family time and gift-giving.

Sad to see this season end, but thankful for our very merry Christmas!

A blanket for Bode

2011-12-29T22:54:00.003-07:00

When Jackson was about the same age Bode is now, I made him a blanket. I was new to sewing and had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to make something special for him. I made it extra large on purpose and am so glad I did. Jackson refers to that blanket as the "doggie blanket" and still uses it all the time. Flaws and all, he loves it.

I knew I wanted to make a blanket for Bode, too. I noticed how much he liked being wrapped up in Jackson's and I set out to find the right fabric. Finding the "right" fabric is by far the hardest part for me. It's almost like I have to envision him with it and make sure it fits. Sounds nerdy, I know. After much searching, I found Bode's blanket:

I could see him wrapped up in it and the fabric made me smile.

As with Jackson's, I put his initial in one of the corners.

I hope it is something Bode will love and use for a long time. I loved making it for him.

Opening it up on Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas to you!

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

We are so grateful for our Savior and hope this Christmas is one of joy and peace for all of our friends and family.

Christmas happenings

2011-12-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

We've been able to do lots of festive things this month!

Lights at temple square with the Morris fam

Miss Belle

Ashton striking a pose

Jackson had zero interest in having his picture taken that night.

Jackson and his buddy Dax at a neighborhood gingerbread house party.

Making our annual family gingerbread house. I decided to simplify this year and bought a gingerbread house kit from bountiful baskets. I highly recommend it-- still homemade, just not by me! :)

Bode's new favorite thing. One of those mesh food holder things. He LOVES it.

Try not to be too jealous of our gingerbread decorating skills. This year's is a beaut!

It wouldn't be Christmas for the Whittington side of the family without breakfast at the Little America coffee shop in Salt Lake. My parents stay there every year and this year we were able to spend a night there also. We all (minus Thomas and Megan) were able to go to the Motab Christmas concert either Friday or Saturday. I always look forward to the concert and enjoyed it again this year.

Jackson and Sean sleeping in

Breakfast!

Swimming in what I still consider one of the best hotel pools ever.

We walked over to the Grand America and checked out their holiday window displays. They have a fun game for the kids that goes along with the displays and at the end they each get a sticker and cookie from the sweet shop. The kids (and adults) all loved this one in the new Jou Jou toy shop window. It's one of those ball maze type things-- very impressive and on sale for a mere $10,000!

Life-sized gingerbread house

Sean's parents are visiting for Christmas and we were lucky enough to have them stay with us for a few nights. It was great to spend some time with them and the boys were so excited to have them here.

A few random pictures

I call this hat the "Better Off Dead Hat" because it reminds me of Ricky. :)

Bode fell asleep on me awhile back and Sean snapped this picture.

I love this sweet little face.

Christmas has been a lot of fun this year with Jackson. He is really into it and is loving everything-- reading the Christmas story, nativities, the music, lights, Santa, Christmas movies, sweets, etc. His favorite songs are "Sleigh Ride" (instrumental version) or "the horsey song" as he calls it and "Jingle Bells." His lyrics often include, "Jingle bells, poo poo smells…" hmmm… wonder who taught him that? He's asked Santa for a train set this year and is pretty excited about it. Naturally, his favorite movie is "Express" (Polar Express). He's also a big fan of "Mickey's Christmas Carol" and "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." He calls our stockings "costumes" for some reason and I've given up trying to keep the tree looking nice. He loves moving the ornaments around and we even found a big stash of bells inside the hole in our bedroom door (you know, the hole he punched in our door with his forehead eight months ago…). Along with all of the fun, we've made a big effort to teach him about Christ and explain to him He is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas and get to do all of these fun things. In his prayer a few nights ago he said, "Please bless Jesus and Santa will come to my house." :)

I think we're ready for Christmas!

Family pictures

2011-12-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

We had some new family pictures taken awhile back. My friend Ashley took them for us again and I am so happy with how they turned out!

Watch out, ladies! ;)

This picture may be my favorite!

Ashley, you rock! Thank you so much!

http://irresistiblephotography.com/

Santa and a new stocking

2011-12-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

The boys got to sit on the big guy's lap today. Jackson was so excited and has been asking me about going to see Santa all week. He ran right up to him and said his line he has been practicing-- "I want a train set, please!"

I didn't have the camera in focus yet, but I thought this picture was still so cute.

Bode grabbing Santa's beard to make sure he is legit! ;)

He is!

We all got a good laugh and thankfully there were no tears or hesitation this year.

On another note, I realized we needed a stocking for Bode. I made some for Sean, Jackson, and I a few years ago and copied some designs I liked out of Crate & Barrel. I looked to them again for inspiration and found these cute ornaments:

I used the sledding one as my guide to create Bode's stocking.

I thought it turned out really cute!

Glad Bode now has a stocking ready for Santa :)

Every year when I take out our "J-O-Y" stocking holders it causes me to pause and be grateful. I bought them after Christmas several years ago with the anticipation of having our first child by the next Christmas and needing three holders. We didn't have a child by that next Christmas-- or the one after that. Those Christmases where the stocking holders remained in their packaging were difficult. The following Christmas, I was about to give birth to our sweet Jackson. Having to buy an extra holder this year because we have expanded to a family of four is very humbling and a sweet reminder of how grateful I am for our little boys.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T20:55:00.001-07:00

My parents had a full house this Thanksgiving! All four of us siblings and our families were able to celebrate together this year. It was a really nice holiday and so much fun having everyone together. We also were able to spend time with Sean's sisters and families and a few of my uncles and aunts. I am grateful we could spend Thanksgiving with many (not all!) of the people we are most grateful for.

The whole family

It is no secret my mom is a great cook. Her turkey was awesome this year, as well as all of the rest of the food. Her rolls are renowned and we needed two batches-- one for Thanksgiving dinner, and one for leftover turkey sandwiches :) My contribution was the sweet potatoes of holy goodness (thank you Erin for the recipe) and a few pies-- gf pumpkin and a coconut cream pie with a chocolate crust that Sean and I love. We also got to indulge in some very yummy pies at Erin's house. My niece Riley made the prettiest pecan pie I have ever seen!

We didn't venture out too much while we were home (no 1 a.m. Black Friday shoppers here), but we did make a quick trip to the mall and saw the movie "Arthur Christmas" friday afternoon. I thought the movie was cute and it was fun to go with the kids-- even if Jackson lost interest halfway through and started crying and yelling about needing to go to the bathroom :)

These guys had a great time together

These are all of the cousins on the Whittington side. Thomas and Megan will be adding a new little one in March!

I hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving.

We have a lot to be thankful for.

Fiesta!

2011-11-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

Sean turned the big 3-0 Saturday, and to celebrate we had a surprise fiesta! It just so happened he was in North Carolina most of last week, so it was the perfect opportunity to plan and prepare for the party.

For my escape I told Sean that Jackson and I wanted to go finish up some birthday shopping at the mall (the party was friday night). After everyone arrived at the clubhouse, I called him and told him I thought I had left my iPod in the gym (in the clubhouse) that morning and asked if he could please go check. He ran over so fast we barely had time to turn the lights off! In fact, he thought he was going to rush in and out so fast, he left Bode at home :)

Needless to say, he was definitely surprised! He told me he was confused because as he walked up to the clubhouse door he could see a reservation notice and people standing in the dark. He was afraid it was a surprise party for someone (not realizing it was for him!) and everyone was going to yell "surprise" to the wrong person. When we flipped on the lights and he looked around, he realized these were our friends and the party was indeed for him. :)

We had fake mustaches for the hombres at the fiesta. Sean's was muy especial!

Bode wanted in on the action!

We kept it low-key and had a good time with lots of food and good conversation. It was fun just getting everyone together and hanging out! My friend Ashley was awesome enough to take a few pictures during the party for me since I was all over the place, and I am so glad! She took WAY better pictures than I could have, even though she kept unnecessarily apologizing for them due to bad lighting, etc.

The main reason I chose fiesta as the theme is because Sean's favorite food is Mexican. We had Cafe Rio knock-off salads/burritos--not really Mexican I guess, but still yummy :)

I did have a near disaster about 15 minutes before the party was supposed to begin. I had a big crockpot FULL of black beans that wasn't warm enough yet so I put it on the stove... hahaha do you see where this story is going?! Well, the crockpot literally exploded (sounded like a canon). Black beans were EVERYWHERE. Apparently I missed the memo that you can't put a crockpot on the stove. Luckily there was a new neighbor in the clubhouse checking out the gym and he helped me clean it up in record speed (welcome to the neighborhood!) My friend Kristol rushed a mop over and got things back in order before the party started. Crisis averted.

For dessert we had a few different kinds of cupcakes (first two were gf)

Mexican hot chocolate

Dulce de leche

And funfetti in the back!

The frosting for the dulce de leche cupcakes was the winner for me. It is called a "swiss meringue buttercream" where you mix in dulce de leche. I almost didn't make it because the recipe scared me. It was easier than I thought it would be and I LOVED it. I could've eaten an entire bowl of it. Try it!

Time to blow out the candles!

Trying on dad's special 'stache.

I was pretty excited about the Mexican sodas :) There is just something special about drinking out of a glass bottle!

We had such a fun night! Thank you SO much to everyone who came to celebrate with us! And thanks to everyone who helped me pull this off. Our friends and family rock.

Feliz Cumpleaños Sean! :)

A Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T23:18:00.000-06:00

After Sean's swearing in, it was time to prepare for Halloween night!

First up was dinner with our friends, the Ogdens. Jackson was pretty excited about the witches brew.

Time for costumes!

This year we had a Butterball turkey and a lion :)

The turkey idea came from a comment my dad made awhile back. He was talking to Bode and referred to him as a butterball and said something like, "We're just going to have to baste you and put you in the oven." I realized awhile later that I could re-use the fleece body suit I made for Jackson's Bam-Bam costume last year and turn it into a turkey. I got some cute ideas for the costume online-- my favorite being the tinfoil covered carseat as a roasting pan :) So easy, and I think it turned out so cute!

Sean's aunt gave us this cool lion costume a few years ago. With "Lion King" being Jackson's current favorite movie, it was a perfect fit! I know this is picture overload!

I love how his hair fits right in with the mane :)

ROAR!!!

The lion costume was apparently meant to be because Jackson's best friend Dax ended up with the exact same one! This is crazy because this costume is old! As I mentioned, Sean's aunt gave it to us in Las Vegas years ago (and it was old even then). Kristol's sister found Dax's at a garage sale in Utah. When we realized it was the exact same one we knew it was just meant to be. So fun for them to be able to go trick-or-treating together in matching costumes!

They got plenty of candy and we all had a great time.

After trick-or-treating it was back to the Ogden's house for some hot chocolate.

Bode was done with his costume so we took it off (minus the bow tie) and let him strut his stuff for his cute girlfriend :)

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!

Swearing in

2011-11-01T23:11:00.001-06:00

Well folks, it is now really official. Sean is OFFICIALLY an attorney. He graduated, passed the bar, and was sworn in Monday in Salt Lake!

All of the new attorneys (standing and facing the table) raising their arms and taking the oath.

Signing the court rolls

Hooray!!!

pumpkins

2011-11-01T23:09:00.002-06:00

We carved our pumpkins on Sunday with my sister and her family, as well as my parents who happened to be in town for Sean's swearing in ceremony. It was a lot of fun!

Sean and Jackson used our battery-powered pumpkin carver-- a good investment! That thing is at least five years old and is still going strong! If I remember right, it was only $5!

Each in front of their own pumpkin

The finished products

Jackson wanted a skeleton/pirate. We gave Bode's one bottom tooth in his honor!

Halloween Half

2011-11-01T23:06:00.001-06:00

I ran the Provo Halloween Half Marathon this past weekend. I had been toying with the idea of running one for awhile, and I finally committed. Lucky for me, I had some friends from my neighborhood who also signed up and we all went together.

The course started at Aspen Grove, above Sundance and ended near Riverwoods. Even though the race didn't start 'til 9am, we had to be on the bus by 6am. It was FREEZING! We hung out in the tent checking out the costumes until it was time to start.

Near the start

The course was really pretty and a lot of fun. The first few miles were a pretty steep decline, which was challenging. By the time we turned onto the freeway from the turnoff to Sundance, I was definitely ready for more level ground.

I felt good as I ran (especially after my hands thawed out at about mile 6!) For some reason there was no mile marker for 11, and I kept thinking mile 10 was taking forever. When I saw the 12 marker, and realized I had already run mile 11, it was pretty much the best surprise ever. Made that final mile go by faster :)

My official time was 1:54:29-- I beat my goal and I am really excited about it!

At the finish with my friend Trish

I was happy to have my family there :)

I set a goal after running my first half marathon a few years ago (after Jackson was born) that I would run one after each baby. So thank you, Bode, for giving me some motivation ;)

And thank you Sean for supporting me and making it possible for me to run these past few weeks without kids!

Maurice Klitzman Award

2011-10-27T23:54:00.000-06:00

Sean is part of an association for intellectual property attorneys called the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). The association has an annual conference in Washington D.C. and this year they introduced an award for young corporate attorneys/patent agents called the Maurice Klitzman award. Guess who won? Sean! :) Guess who got to go with him? Me!

They paid for his airfare, conference fees, hotel, etc. Sean says the coolest part about winning the award was the fact that they set him up with a mentor during the conference and he was able to network with some pretty amazing people. His mentor is a patent attorney for 3M. Other notables he got to meet: David Kappos (Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office), Judge Randall Rader (Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit), Paul Michel (Former Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit), and many others.

Receiving the award at the luncheon

From left: Bruce Klitzman (Maurice's son), Sean, David Hill (President AIPLA)

A bit fuzzy since this was taken by cell phone. There was a professional photographer there who took a picture, so I'll post that later if we get a copy.

Photo from the AIPLA newsletter:

Pretty cool. Congrats, Sean!

A HUGE thanks to my sister-in-law Erin and her family, as well as my parents, for adopting two little boys for a few days so I could go!

For anyone who is interested, here is AIPLA's description of the award:

The Maurice Klitzman Award

Through the generosity of the Klitzman Family, and Mrs. Mary Ann Klitzman as the initial benefactor, AIPLA is proud to introduce The Maurice Klitzman Award. The Award is intended to provide a junior corporate attorney or corporate patent agent the opportunity to attend the AIPLA’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. and to be connected with an experienced AIPLA mentor. The award was established as a lasting and appropriate memorial to Mr. Klitzman, who passed away in January 2010, for his active service to AIPLA, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors and a member of the Amicus Committee, as well as the active role he took in educating many new patent attorneys, both as a senior corporate patent counsel and as an adjunct law professor. His heart and soul were dedicated to training young patent attorneys and helping them to develop a broad approach to IP Law with a conviction to moral principles and ethics. Mr. Klitzman also promoted and recognized innovation by helping found the National Inventors Hall of Fame. His career was a unique blend of corporate IP law, heart-felt support for the inventor and shaping the mindset of future IP leaders.

Lagoon

2011-10-22T22:00:00.000-06:00

We went to Lagoon a few weeks ago with Sean's sister Erin and her girls, along with some of their cute friends. Jackson and Sean went last year and Jackson has been pining to go again ever since. We had a such a great day!

Jackson and Remi cruisin' on the boats

I didn't realize Lagoon is so kid friendly. There were a ton of rides for the smaller kids.

Jackson is waving in the back :)

Roxy, Jackson, and Remington ready for the swings

One of the kids' favorite rides was the new Bombora roller coaster. It was really fun and we rode it several times. Jackson seems to have no fear when it comes to rides. I was actually kind of surprised he was old enough to go on it.

Jackson and I in the back on Bombora

Oh my sweet Bode.

Hanging out in the stroller all bundled up. It was pretty dang cold the first half of the day. Luckily it warmed up slightly in the afternoon when the sun decided to finally peek through the clouds.

Hooray! Sunshine!

Jackson also loved this ride. It is a smaller version of "the rocket" ride for adults. He liked putting his hands up (until we actually dropped, that is!)

So much fun spending time with cousins :) And such good cousins to help out!

Sean and I riding "the rocket: re-entry." Just before the ride started we heard an employee ask another worker over the loud speaker to re-check Sean and I's harnesses. Um, what?!!!

Trick-or-treating

Before anyone could stop him, Jackson hopped in this ride with this random little girl. Smooth move buddy! ;)

Remi and Jackson

An overall great day. I think this needs to become an annual event!

6 months

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

This guy is 6 months old.

I can't believe it. Watching him grow and learn is so exciting and fun, yet hard at the same time. I wish babies were babies longer!

He's such an enormous blessing in our home. I am so grateful he is a part of our family.

Bode is a happy baby. It is so easy to get him to smile and giggle. All he ever wants is just to be around people. He loves his brother and lights up when he sees him. Jackson loves making him laugh.

Bode started solids at 5 months. He was a champ at eating from the very beginning. I'd say he was ready, judging by how he kept grabbing our hands and pulling the spoon to his mouth! Just working on maintaining his awesome bod ;)

First bites

By pure luck I was able to snap a picture of his sad face. He heard Jackson crying in the other room and his little lip started quivering.

This face just kills me.

So does this one.

And this one.

Sean's happy to have another little buddy to watch the game with.

Don't you just want to squish those cheeks and legs?!

Bode's never been a big fan of tummy time, but he's starting to come around!

Look who can sit up!

(And yes, we have those body suits in several colors.)

His first tooth finally broke through. He's drooling all over the place and likes to have something in his mouth at all times.

A few additional notes about Bode at 6 months old:
-Sleeps from 9pm to 7-8am. Takes a morning and afternoon nap.
-Loves eating solids. Will eat everything so far, but bananas are his favorite. He tries to eat his bib after every bite of food.
-Will often scrunch up his nose when he smiles
-Always wants someone near him and someone to play with. Doesn't self-entertain for very long.
-Loves the exersaucer.
-Very vocal :)
-Gets really excited when he first sees you in the morning.
-When he sees the boppee he gets impatient and wants food right away!
-Loves blowing raspberries.
-When he gets really excited he wiggles his head from left to right and does a little dance with his feet.
-Likes to grab onto his toes and put them in his mouth.
-Still takes a pacifier. When it is time for bed, after nursing, as soon as we put the pacifier in his mouth he falls right asleep. It is like magic!
-Loves taking baths.
-Gives great hugs and kisses. Grabs your face and sucks on your cheeks.

Before Bode was born I wondered what he would be like. I am so glad he is who he is. As his mom, I of course think he is absolutely perfect.

He's our second little miracle and I feel so lucky to have him.

I am overwhelmed at the love I have for my boys.

It's been a great first 6 months.

Masters Plus -- Race License School

2011-10-09T16:05:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago, I went down to Alabama to go to driving school again. It was an amazing experience, and it was also an excuse for me to visit my brother in Alabama.

The class I went to was a three-day race licensing school that is about 90% track time and 10% class time. The class/instruction is done by world class racers, (One of my instructors at the course was Andrew Davis who won the 2011 Grand-Am Road Racing GT Championship the week prior racing for Brumos Racing) and all of the track time/racing is done in Porsches.

I attended the class with my friend Rob, and we were the only two in our group of 16 who did not own at least one Porsche, but that didn't stop us from dominating on the track. Here are some pics and vids:

The video below is during one of the coaching sessions where an instructor was teaching a method called "trail brake modulation" I told him to just call it what it really is: "power slides."

This is a lap at Barber Motorsports Park. I got to within .5 seconds of the instructor's hot lap time. Thank goodness for PSM (Porsche Stability Management), it saved my bacon more than once!

It was a fun time and now I am eligible to apply for my SCCA Regional License so I can start racing!

First father-son campout

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Sean and Jackson went on their first father/son campout this past weekend with their buddies Sam and Dax. They went up to Mutual Dell, and from what I hear, had a great time. Here are some pictures of their adventure:

Tinfoil dinners for the big boys, hot dogs for the little boys

Setting up the tent

Ready for bed!

I love this picture.

Jackson was a little nervous about sleeping in the tent. I guess there was a moth that flew in (a "butterfly" as Jackson called it) and he refused to lay down until the moth was out of the tent. Sean said it took a few episodes of Donald Duck to get him comfortable and fall asleep.

In the morning they discovered they had been robbed by raccoons during the night! The raccoons got in the cooler and ate the rest of their marshmallows, a dozen eggs, pistachios (they even shelled them, which I find very impressive), an entire bag of popcorn, cookies, etc. Sneaky buggers!

Not sure what this sad face is for.

All smiles on the way home :)

Boating

2011-10-06T08:06:00.000-06:00

We've been fortunate to have friends invite us boating these past few months. We made it out on the water several times this summer and have had a blast.

Sorry, many of these pictures were taken with Sean's cell phone when it had a scratched lens.

Surfing

Why aren't there any pictures of me surfing? Well, it might be due to the fact that I only made it up for a whole five seconds... but hey, I am proud of those five seconds!

Our baby chipmunk

Jackson LOVES the tube. He and Dax were brave and took a few rides (despite the picture, an adult was always on the tube with them, I promise!)

The boats lulled Bode to sleep every time.

Luke and Jackson checking out the sunset

Keisha, I stole this off of your blog :)

Pumpkins and fall

2011-10-03T16:07:00.000-06:00

I am happy to report after the great pumpkin massacre last year, our pumpkins escaped unharmed this year :)

All summer we thought we only had one pumpkin growing. It is the biggest pumpkin we've had so far and was completely orange at the end of July! Overachiever I guess ;)

A few weeks ago my friend Kristol found a second pumpkin from our plant that we had overlooked. It was growing in her garden spot on the back fence... literally on the fence.

It didn't turn fully orange until last week, so we must have just missed it since it blended in with everything else. I thought it was so funny that is where it ended up!

Two pumpkins for two little boys :)

Here are a few pictures from one of our recent trips up the canyon. The colors were so pretty!

We stopped at Silver Lake Flat. Jackson was in heaven throwing rocks into the water with his dad.

Gorgeous.

I love fall!

Results are in

2011-09-18T13:58:00.000-06:00

He PASSED!!!

Hooray!!! I am not surprised, but I am happy it is official and Sean feels like he can really celebrate now! Anyone will tell you passing the bar is no small feat. The weeks of waiting for results are over and celebration is in order!

So congratulations to you, babe! All of your hard work for the last several years got you here and it is truly such a HUGE accomplishment.

We couldn't be more proud of you.

Labor Day weekend

2011-09-11T22:26:00.000-06:00

We decided to head back up to "God's country" (as my dad calls it) for more time at the cabin.

My parents, brother Todd and his family, and uncle Karl were also there and we had a great weekend.

These two were quite enamored with the four wheelers and probably would have slept on them if allowed.

My dad, Karl, and Sean took out the drift boat to fly fish one afternoon. They didn't end up making it home until pretty late, but it sounds like they had a good time.

We took a small hike near my dad's family's property near Hebgen Lake to a little pond we used to hike to as kids. It is one of my favorite places on earth and it was really cool taking my own kids there.

My little brother and I once saw two bear cubs here. All I remember was being scared to death and running down the mountain as fast as we could. I think Thomas had made it to the bottom before I had even made it down the first hill...

Well hello, Bode!

Hard to see, but the pond is in front of the guys. My dad and his siblings used to hike to this same pond when they were kids.

It is a beautiful place and I have fond memories here. I used to think of it as my own version of a secret garden.

Todd's cute family

Chillin'

S'mores

Someone ate like 10 marshmallows... and yes, this picture was taken on the toilet.

See?

Hahaha! I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help it.

Hoping we make another trip soon.

Saturdays with dad

2011-09-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Jackson and Sean have a Saturday morning tradition-- and no girls allowed!

First:

Grab "monkey money"

It's Jackson's little toy that he likes to keep coins in. He steals change out of the jar we have on our desk.

Second:

Move car seat to the "zoom-zoom car" and get strapped in

Third:

Cruise around and look for garage sales (and stop at a gas station to buy a sucker)

Fourth:

Come home and show off the cool stuff they find

This was what they bought a few weeks ago. They got all 19 of these books for $4!

They got a big Disney set (hard cover) and two other really cute ones called "Rotten Ralph" and "Flawed Dogs." Sean also bought a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and a book called "Starman Jones" that he saw selling for $50 on eBay.

I'd say the majority of our children's books are ones they've picked up from their garage sale adventures. We have several Dr. Suess board books and entire hardback collections of classic fairytales, etc. A few weeks ago they brought home a copy of "Miss Nelson is Missing" and I about died because I remember loving that book when I was a kid.

I love that Jackson and Sean have this tradition together. Jackson looks up to his dad so much and he is always so excited on Friday night for the next morning :)

Just for fun

2011-08-26T07:10:00.001-06:00

I love him.

Glory Hallelujah!

2011-08-22T23:30:00.001-06:00

This, my friends, is Jackson's potty chart. Notice, it is complete!!! After more than a month and a half since beginning this fun little journey, I dare say our little man is potty trained! Cue the choir....

Not going to lie, it was rocky. We are definitely not one of those "I trained my son in two days" phenomenons. I had no intention to start potty training until he was closer to 3, but Jackson decided he was ready, so I jumped on board.

Things were going well until we ran into the problem of him refusing to poop. I know there are all sorts of reasons and theories for this. Poor kid. All I know is after a month, my patience was gone and I am sure he was just as frustrated and sick of the whole thing as we were. I was ready to put him back in diapers. Problem was, he loved his new big boy undies and refused.

A few weeks ago he decided he was ready for #2. Sean and I had pretty much promised him the moon if he'd go, so when he did, we had to pay up in the form of a new Spiderman toy, lunch at Arctic Circle, ice cream, and a shaved ice. I think I would have bought him a new car if he'd asked.

We had a few hiccups after that, but last week (after we bought a new package of super hero undies) it all of the sudden just seemed to "click." No accidents for several days now and he is pretty excited about the whole thing. He is quite proud of himself, as am I!

And... he looks pretty darn cute in his undies :)

A much needed trip

2011-08-07T22:19:00.046-06:00

With the bar in the rearview mirror, it was time for a vacation! A quick trip to Idaho Falls and then on to Island Park for some cabin time.

Raspberry picking and a ride at Nana and Papa's

First ride on a ferris wheel at Fun Land

No second rides because one of us might've had to sell a kidney to pay for it...

My 10-year class reunion (yes, I feel old) was last Saturday. We went to the family picnic in the afternoon and had a good time seeing some old friends. My friend Britney took this picture and I stole it off of Facebook. Thanks Britney! Especially because this is one of the only pictures we have of our whole family!

On to Island Park!

Jackson has been asking to go fishing for weeks now. I am not sure where the interest came from, but luckily grandpa knew a good spot where catching a fish was pretty much guaranteed.

Fish on the line!

Success!

His first fish :)

He was pretty darn excited and proud of himself. If you ask Jackson what the fish ate, he will tell you "gummy worms."

Upper Mesa Falls

There was a lot of ping pong on this trip. Jackson calls it "game ball" for some reason and wanted to play all day. The best part about playing with him is that he gets the ball off of the floor every time-- no bending over required!

I love how he has to stand on his toes to play

There was also a lot of pinball... we tried several times to dethrone the [alleged] high scoring champion (brother-in-law Dave), but alas it was not meant to be. Next time!

Whenever possible we go out to breakfast one day to Campfire Lodge. It is right on the Madison River and is one of my very favorite places. Plus, the pancakes are bigger than your head! It is not as peaceful now as it once was-- you know, with a 2-year-old running laps back and forth across the tiny dining room and escaping out the back door towards the river-- but still a good time.

We spent one day in Yellowstone. Hot pots and geysers, Old Faithful, ice cream, etc.

Sean fished in the park for a few hours. Had a couple fish bite and take his flies, but didn't end up landing any.

Bode was a champ. I took these pictures of him one afternoon when he was in an especially chipper mood.

Love this kid.

In true Sean fashion, we had to do some "off-roading." While he and the boys checked out the river, I took the chance to play around with the camera and take some pictures of the wild flowers.

When not playing "game ball," all Jackson wanted to do was ride the four-wheeler.

As usual, we made a trip to Big Springs to feed the fish. This year there were so many stupid seagulls all of the fish were hiding under the bridge. They are so loud and annoying!

One positive was we saw a mom and her cute baby ducks

Jackson didn't like the seagulls either and tried to chase them off

Howard Springs

It was a relaxing week!

The Bar

2011-07-27T15:29:00.007-06:00

As I write this, Sean is within minutes of finishing the Utah State Bar Exam. Pretty exciting.

This is how he has spent the majority of his summer:

Yikes. When he signed up for his prep course and received these in the mail, I nearly fainted. He tackled it head on and has been studying like crazy since graduation. He even took the entire month of July off of work to prepare.

The Bar Exam is two days. Yesterday was the essay portion, and today is multiple choice. He came home last night feeling really good about how things went yesterday. I talked to him during his lunch break today and he was still feeling confident. Results take 8-10 weeks so we won't know right away if he passed, but I have a lot of confidence in him :)

After all of that studying I think he is more than deserving of a little fun. We've got a trip to the cabin in the works. I think we're all excited for more time with daddy!

A new discovery

2011-07-20T14:05:00.011-06:00

Are you catching the trend?

Yes, Bode found his thumb and seems to be quite smitten by it. I half-heartedly tried to discourage it at first because I was worried he'd end up like me (in braces for sucking my thumb waaaaaayyyy too long). I've learned there's no point in trying to stop it though, and besides, I secretly kind of like it. I guess only time will tell if this is just a phase or if he's hooked.

Posting these last two because they make me happy:

The Fourth

2011-07-14T08:00:00.003-06:00

As has become tradition, the day started with my dad taking the grandkids (minus one) for a ride in the Model T down the parade route. They go before the parade starts and throw candy and have a great time.

I love this picture of the kids watching the parade!

Miss Brinley and I. The fact that she is letting me hug on her is a big deal and I took advantage!

How Bode spent most of his time:

These two are quite the buddies and it is so much fun watching them talk and play together!

My mom put on quite the bbq for everyone-- yummy ribs, barefoot contessa pasta salad, watermelon, garlic bread, etc. I have decided my sister is the baker of the family and she did not disappoint with the cute cake she made:

We watched the infamous Idaho Falls fireworks from Freeman Park this year. It was a good choice. The kids got to run around, it wasn't crazy crowded and we had a good view.

Julie and Emily brought glow-sticks for the kids and they were a hit!

Though Bode didn't think it was funny when his dad did this:

Nothing food can't fix!

In my quest to learn more about my camera, my sister-in-law and I spent our time waiting trying to figure out what settings to use to take pictures of the fireworks. My initial guess was totally wrong. Someday it is all going to click!

Oooohhhh Ahhhhhh

Unfortunately Jackson wasn't so into fireworks this year. We had a small incident a few weeks ago where we lit off a tank in front of our house. He was taken completely off-guard with the loud "pops" at the end and ever since then it has been game over. He tried to put on a brave face at the first of the show, but was screaming before we were even a minute in. The only way I got him to calm down was by laying down with him on the grass snuggled under a blanket. Poor kid. Better luck next year!

I decided to stay in Idaho Falls with Jackson and Bode for the rest of the week. Sean is in full swing studying for the bar, so I thought we'd give him some peace and quiet for a few days. My dad was headed to Alaska with my brother, and my sister and her husband went to California and left their kids with my mom for a few days. I thought it would be fun to spend the week with my mom and I knew Jackson would love spending time with his cousins (from both sides!)

Besides the aforementioned kidney stone debacle, we had a great week. Jackson had the time of his life.

There were lots of popscicles...

Playing at the park and a ride on the airplanes at Funland...

A trip to the zoo (where we saw a baby zebra that was only a few hours old!)...

And tons of cousins to play (and dance) with:

What more could a kid want?

The saying is true...

2011-07-10T22:13:00.000-06:00

Passing a kidney stone is worse than labor. Unfortunately I can now verify this statement!

This past Wednesday I started getting a dull ache in my lower-right abdomen. I didn't think much of it at first, but the pain started rapidly getting worse. Within less than 30 minutes I was doubled over, throwing up and pretty much feeling like I was going to die.

My poor mom. It just so happened I was in Idaho Falls for the week hanging out with her with intentions to help her babysit my sister's three kids while they were in California. When the pain became unbearable, I knew I had to go get checked out. I dumped my two kids on my mom while my aunt drove me to the emergency room. So now my mom was responsible for five kids under the age of seven... one being a nursing two-month old!

My aunt was a saint and I am beyond grateful she was able to help. The emergency room was fairly busy and I was pretty much in agony while waiting. The pain truly was crippling. The best word I can think of to describe it is maddening because it is unrelenting. I couldn't sit down, nor could I stand up straight. I had to bend over and brace myself on the chairs. I had the privilege of throwing up in a bucket several times for all to see. I heard the people around me starting to place bets as to what they thought was wrong with me. So glad I was the waiting room entertainment! Seriously, I left that place with zero pride.

I didn't end up having to wait too long and my aunt told me my why later. Apparently the nurse came out and called another man's name to be seen. He asked the nurse to please let me be seen first. I don't know who this man was, but I am so grateful for his selflessness. I hope he scored some major points upstairs-- he is my hero!

After some testing and an IV (and asking the nurse to please knock me out with a baseball bat) they gave me morphine. All I can say is hallelujah for modern medicine. Within about 15 minutes I was no longer in pain. In fact, I ended up taking a nap while we waited for test results to come back. All signs pointed to a kidney stone (which we knew I had because of the CT scan I had a few months ago). I declined the option of getting a CT to see where the stone was and how big it was, so they gave me another dose of morphine, wrote me a prescription and sent me on my way. My mom has some great neighbors and friends who were able to watch the kids long enough for her to come pick me up.

Apparently a stone usually passes anywhere from 2-48 hours. Lucky for me, mine passed within about a half hour of coming home. The entire ordeal lasted less than five hours. I know I am extremely lucky (blessed). By the next morning I was completely back to normal and it was like the whole thing never happened. I know I have more kidney stones, but I hope they decide to stay put rather than make the trek any time soon!

Homemade graham crackers

2011-07-03T10:00:00.000-06:00

Before Sean started eating gluten free I had no idea you could make your own graham crackers. Out of desperation from not wanting to give up cheesecake and other desserts with graham cracker crusts, I found this recipe for gluten free graham crackers. I have had a few people ask me for it so I thought I would just post it. I made a big batch of these last week before heading up the canyon with some friends to make s'mores. Even though they are gluten free, you really can't tell. They are so good! They make regular graham crackers taste bland and stale. I like to grind up the leftovers into graham cracker crumbs to have on hand for pie crusts, etc. Anyway, here is the recipe with my notes:

Ingredients

2 Cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup Brown Rice Flour

1/2 Cup packed Brown Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon (I use half this amount)

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum

7 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp Cold Water

3 Tbsp Honey

1 tsp Vanilla

Sugar

Directions:

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with Pam.

Combine flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, salt and xanthan gum in a large bowl with a wire whisk.

Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles cornmeal.

Add water, honey and vanilla to flour mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir ingredients until the mixture is well combined and forms a ball.

(You may need to add a bit more water, or more a bit more brown rice flour if your dough is too dry or too sticky.)

Divide dough into two parts, wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

With another lightly sprayed piece of parchment placed atop the dough, use a rolling pin to roll each half into a large rectangle on each cookie sheet. (I don't use parchment on top of the dough. I just rolled it out using a bit of extra rice flour to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. Make sure to roll it pretty thin.)

Carefully peel off the top layer of parchment, and using a knife, score the dough into squares.

Remove the rough edges of the dough (you can save the scraps to form more crackers).

Using a serving fork, prick a few rows of holes in each cracker. Then sprinkle lightly all over with sugar.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and re-score along your previously cut lines by pressing straight down with a knife. (I think a pizza cutter works best. Make sure to do this while they are still hot.)

Remove crackers to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe from: http://www.whatlifedishesout.com/?p=638

Pictures

2011-07-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

I told Sean a few weeks ago how I was sick of not knowing how to use our camera. I kept saying when we bought it I was going to learn how to take pictures manually instead of using the automatic settings all of the time. Well, it has been nearly two years and I think that is enough time for procrastinating, don't you? I have no aspirations of becoming a photographer or anything, but it would be nice to know what the buttons and dials on the camera actually mean.

Lucky for me, my friend Keisha loaned me a book on photography that dumbed it down sufficiently for me ;) I am finally starting to get an idea what those buttons and dials do (though knowing what they do and using them efficiently are VERY different. Ha!) We'll just say I have a lot to learn. Everything I have read says the best way to learn is just through a lot of practice.

Speaking of practice, I was playing around with different settings on the camera one morning last week and I took a couple of pictures of Bode I think turned out so cute:

It was probably more luck than skill, but it does give me hope that I might actually be learning something. If anyone with photography skills has any advice, send it my way!

My superhero

2011-06-25T17:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of days ago Jackson kept running around the house saying he was a superhero. I asked him if he would like a cape and he enthusiastically said yes. One small blanket and hair tie later, and his cape was born. Add in his favorite red sunglasses and garden boots and you have one pretty awesome getup.

He LOVED running around with his cape. We spent most of our morning outside and he kept it on the entire time. He talked a lot about "super powers." I asked him what his super powers were and he said "swinging" and "riding his bike super fast."

One of his super powers in action:

haha, like father, like son!

As a proud mommy, I would like to add a few more super powers to his list.

Including:

-An infectious smile and laugh that brightens any situation. He has a light about him that helps make our home a happy place. He's also learned he can use his smile and charm to his advantage... I guess that makes him a smart super hero, too.

-Luck. It has seemed to follow him even before he was born. All of the sudden we (he) started winning stuff like online baby showers, prizes for services from our doctor, gifts from the hospital for being the New Year's baby, etc. Hence his nickname, Jackpot.

-A memory that is unreal. This kid remembers EVERYTHING. He loves to play an animal memory game on Sean's phone and is really good at it. Sean and I will mention something haphazardly and he will remind us of it days later. He can memorize a new song in no time.

-His hair. I consider it a super power because people are drawn to it like a magnet! Complete strangers are always patting his head and wanting to touch his hair.

-Being the best big brother I could ask for.

He truly loves his little brother. They are lucky to have each other.

Yes, Jackson, you ARE a super hero. Never forget it.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T15:02:00.009-06:00

Happy Father's Day Sean!

These are two very lucky little boys to be able to call you dad! Thank you for being such a great example to them!

And of course happy Father's Day to both of our dads:

We love you!

Garden-- 3rd year

2011-06-17T08:00:00.002-06:00

I am sure everyone is just dying to know what we planted in our garden this year. Ha! I know I am such a nerd for getting so excited about it, but I can't help it. I find it so gratifying! Before we planted a garden for the first time three years ago, I couldn't keep anything alive. Not even bamboo, which is supposed to be one of the easiest things to grow. The fact that our garden has proven even remotely successful is a major victory in my mind. I walk out to our garden plot pretty much every day. Let's be honest... I don't have a whole lot going on right now besides wiping bums, nursing, etc., so that may account for part of the excitement.

We planted pretty much the same stuff we have the past few years with a couple of exceptions. We have zucchini, tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers (green, red, yellow), jalapenos, pumpkin, sunflowers, peas, potatoes (red and gold), beans, green onions, lettuce, and spinach.

New additions:

Artichoke-- I am VERY excited about this

Strawberries (or "Fodder berries" as Jackson calls them):

Something keeps eating them so we need to build a fence or something. If anyone has any tips, send them our way!

I tried a mixed lettuce (left) that I am excited to start eating this week and our spinach (right) actually grew this year after being a no-show last year:

We are quite proud of our homemade trellis for our peas.

I would be really embarrassed if anyone knew how long it took us to construct this.

And finally, judging from the five small zucchini I found on our plant this afternoon, we should have plenty to pass around. The faster it grows, the better-- I am dying to try a recipe for a zucchini cranberry bread with vanilla glaze from my Food Network magazine. Maybe if it turns out I'll post the recipe!

Smiles and stats

2011-06-14T23:10:00.005-06:00

Bode had his 2-month appointment today and here are the stats:

Height: 23.5" (72%)

Weight: 13.32 lbs (85%)

Head: 15.5" (35%)

Thatta boy!

It's been fun trying to coax smiles out of him. Hopefully we'll be seeing them more often!

Bode's blessing

2011-06-09T13:29:00.018-06:00

Sean blessed our little man this past Sunday! We had several friends and family come support us and we are so thankful to everyone who could come!

The blessing was beautiful and Sean did a great job. Bode was calm throughout and I thought he looked pretty handsome all dressed in white. :) We did have a minor blowout after, but thanks to the onesie, the blessing outfit was saved!

A few proud parent pictures:

Group family shot:

Cute kids all over the place!

Kisses from cousin Emerson:

Thanks again to everyone who came-- especially those of you who had to travel. Bode is lucky to be surrounded by so many people who care about him. We love you Bode!

Bode's birth announcement

2011-05-29T11:00:00.002-06:00

The image quality isn't the best since this is a scanned in copy, but I thought these turned out so cute. Whenever I look at it I want to give those big cheeks a kiss! Thanks to my friend Ashley who did a great job taking the pictures! Her site: www.irresistiblephotography.com

The grad!

2011-05-16T15:26:00.021-06:00

It was a big weekend for our family with Sean graduating from law school at the University of Utah on Friday!

When I saw him all dressed up in his regalia I had to try really hard to hold it together! I am so proud of him for this huge achievement. I know it wasn't easy, but for those of you who know Sean well, you know he is awesome at keeping things low-stress. Despite working and going to school, he somehow always managed to find time for us too.

Sean's parents flew in all the way from North Carolina for his graduation. We hadn't seen them since Christmas and it was so good to have them there!

My parents also came to support the new grad!

I was worried about how the boys would do during the 2-hour ceremony, but thankfully they were well-behaved. I took Bode out in the hallway near the end and it took quite a few snacks to keep Jackson occupied, but we made it!

Several of the speakers mentioned the bad economy and how many of the graduating class did not have a job lined up (before trying to bolster them up by talking about overcoming the odds, etc.). Sitting there, I kept thinking about how grateful I was that Sean not only has a job, but one he loves. We are really lucky.

It is strange thinking of life without school. Either one or both of us has been in school our entire seven years of marriage (not including summer). I remember when we were first married thinking about how long the road to the end of school seemed, and yet, here we are.

Congrats to you, Sean, for a job well done! We are SO proud of you!

First real haircut!

2011-05-09T14:46:00.013-06:00

Jackson got his first real haircut last week! I have cut it several times at home, but I figured it was time to take him to someone who actually knew what they were doing. For a long time I think his curls masked my cutting attempts pretty well, but recently it was getting to the point where his hair was reminding me of an old lady's "poof" mixed with a slight mullet. No bueno. I was really nervous about taking him because I was afraid they would cut too much off-- I love his shaggy curls and am not ready to part with them any time soon!

I took him to Cookie Cutters in American Fork and I'll tell you what, he thought he hit the jackpot. He got to pick his chair (the airplane), pick his DVD (Mickey Mouse), and they gave him a balloon and sucker at the end. I think he would get his hair cut every day now if he had a choice.

Before

During

After

Handsome little devil :)

And just for kicks I'm throwing in a couple of recent pictures of Bode!

Another handsome little guy :)

Love all of my boys (Sean included!)-- and grateful to them for making my Mother's Day so great!

Happy Easter/Anniversary!

2011-04-24T15:13:00.011-06:00

Our 7th anniversary happened to fall on Easter this year. With a new baby and Sean in finals, we decided to keep this anniversary low key. We had a great day just hanging out together and had a yummy Easter dinner at my sister's house. Thanks to my friend Heidi who volunteered to babysit, Sean and I were able to go out to Tucanos for dinner last night (we took Bode with us and he slept the entire time). Seven great years together so far, and many many more to come!

Last week we were invited to an Easter egg hunt. It was one of my first solo outings with the boys, and I am happy to report it went well! Jackson has been obsessed with plastic Easter eggs this year, so I knew he would love it. It was funny because as soon as he found an egg he would open it and start eating the candy before looking for another one. :)

Belle, Ashton and Jackson after the egg hunt

Jackson wasn't so sure about the Easter bunny...

Face painting!

We dyed Easter eggs last weekend.

My sweet boys

I told Jackson he had Shrek hands from the dye (which happened to be on tv while we were coloring the eggs)

Easter morning

The "Easter Rabbit" (as Jackson calls him) came!

And there was even a little basket for Bode--comprised of gifts from other bunnies ;)

Candy and eggs aside, we are so grateful for our Savior and His example and sacrifice.

We hope everyone had a happy Easter and happy anniversary to us!

A small mishap

2011-04-24T14:57:00.003-06:00

While at the hospital after having Bode, Jackson had a minor incident. My mom said she heard him running down the hall and then heard a big thump. When she ran to get him, she found this:

Notice the hole in the door on the bottom right.

Wonder how he managed to punch a hole through our door?

Why, with his forehead, of course!

We're guessing he must have tripped and hit the door with his head. Though our doors are not high end, we were all quite impressed that he managed to punch a hole through it. Also impressive that his scratches were in a nearly perfect circle.

Jackson has been enjoying telling people what happened to his forehead when they ask. He shows them our door like it is a badge of honor. Glad he can smile about it. Funny kid!

Introducing the newest member of our family!

2011-04-18T23:30:00.002-06:00

Bode McEwen Ricks

Born April 13 at 1:03 pm at 36 weeks and 6 days! Weight: 7 lbs, 12 oz. Height: 19 inches.

We are so happy this little guy is here! He is doing awesome and is so strong! I was thinking we might have another baby in the NICU, but not so! He came out breathing just fine on his own and took to nursing like a pro! We think he is so handsome and are so proud of him :)

We decided to name him Bode (pronounced bo-dee) basically because we both just really like it. I love "Bo" too and liked that it would work as a nickname. McEwen is Sean's middle name (and his mother's maiden name) and I have always loved it. We thought it sounded good with Bode, so it stuck. :)

Here's the short and sweet labor story if you are interested-- Last Monday I went back to the hospital and got my routine blood testing done. My blood platelets came back low again and they were getting low enough that if they went down much more I would not be able to have an epidural. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and we discussed options. I was originally scheduled to be induced tomorrow (the 19th) but the doctor was nervous that my platelets would go down again and I could get sick. I was not crazy about the idea of not getting an epidural. After much discussion, we decided it would be best to induce me the following day. I was just shy of 37 weeks. Both Sean and I felt at peace with the decision and it was nice to finally have some sort of plan!

Final belly shot in the hospital before being induced:

The labor was honestly a dream come true. I was given the pitocin a little after 8 am and Bode was born at 1:03 pm. I got the epidural around 10:00 and was dilated to a 4. By 12:30 pm I was at a 10. I could have delivered then, but they actually told me not to push and to try and hold off because I was supposed to have the antibiotic they had given me in my system for four hours. At 1 pm I started pushing and Bode was here 3 minutes later. Pretty much the easiest thing ever. I almost started laughing because I just couldn't believe it could be that easy!

Just after Bode was born:

Back in the mother/baby room:

So far Jackson has been a great big brother. No poking eyes out or major tantrums... yet! ;) He is protective of "baby Bode" and gives him lots of love.

Ready to go home!

A few pics with his eyes open!

He has two dimples just like Jackson:

We feel so blessed he is here safe and sound and that he is doing so well! We're having a great time cuddling him and kissing his chubby cheeks. I forgot how much I love newborns. I love the way they smell and how soft they are. I love the little sounds they make and their total dependence on you.

The hospital offered a photographer to take pictures of Bode while we were there. I wasn't expecting much, but when I saw the pictures they took, I ended up buying the cd because there were a few shots I ended up loving. I didn't really have professional pictures taken of Jackson until he was 7 or 8 weeks old, which is what I plan to do with Bode, but I thought it would be fun to have some really newborn ones. Here are my favorites of the ones they took:

B&W version

Welcome to our family, kiddo! :)

Another update

2011-04-04T13:39:00.003-06:00

Went to the hospital this morning for another round of blood tests. My liver enzymes went down, meaning I will not be induced today! :) I am very excited to meet this guy, but so glad for the extra time. Grateful more prayers have been answered.

I will be 37 weeks next Thursday, so we'll see how close we can get!

8 months and an update

2011-04-01T18:15:00.000-06:00

Well we weren't sure we were going to make it to 8 months, but I am so glad we did!

My blood tests and 24-hr. protein test came back Monday and for the most part the results were good. My blood platelets and protein came back much improved and well within normal range. The doctor said he's never really seen such a turn around and joked I would be the big topic at their next conference. He's pretty sure preeclampsia is not an issue at this point. My liver function test did come back elevated, but this is common with people who have cholestasis. I went in again Thursday for another round of testing. Again, blood platelets were great, but liver function went up again. Blood pressure is still good.

So the plan as of today is to get retested again Monday. If my liver function goes up yet again, my doctor said he thinks it will be time to induce. If the level gets better or plateaus, we will continue the waiting game and retesting every few days up until 37 weeks. On Monday I will be 35 1/2 weeks along. Still early, but it sure sounds a lot better than 33 weeks did! And though I am trying to prepare myself for a possible delivery Monday, I keep reminding myself that the labs could totally reverse in our favor again. Obviously I am hoping to keep him in the oven as long as possible, but I am feeling confident this little guy is going to be born when the time is right, whenever that is. We'll still take any prayers anyone wants to send our way! :)

I did go in for an ultrasound Wednesday to see how the baby is measuring. When I got home from the hospital and weighed myself, I was pretty surprised to find out I had lost five pounds. The doctor measured my stomach and I measured fine, but he ordered an ultrasound just to be sure. The ultrasound went great and following in the footsteps of his big brother, the baby is actually measuring 2 weeks early. Not sure if my weight loss was due to stress, water retention, hospital food, or a combo, but I am using it as my excuse to eat whatever I want until I deliver!

Here is a cute face shot the ultrasound technician got:

Looks a lot like Jackson I think. Same nose and lips :) Pretty excited to meet this guy!

I've had better weeks

2011-03-27T14:27:00.010-06:00

Spent the last week in the hospital and let me tell you what a fun experience that was.

The friday before last, 3/18, I started having sharp pains in my abdomen every time the baby would kick. I was only about 33 weeks along. I called the doctor when it started hurting pretty bad and they sent me to the hospital for a non-stress test. I am used to getting NSTs because I am required to do them twice a week anyway because I also have a condition called cholestasis of pregnancy. So I went in not expecting much, and though the baby was doing great according to the NST, they admitted me overnight at the hospital because they could not come up with an explanation for the pain. The pain got worse-- to the point where I had to have help walking and simple things like changing positions on the hospital bed would take five minutes.

They did a lot of blood testing and found that my liver enzymes were elevated and my blood platelets were a little bit low. My blood pressure was totally fine. They also did an ultrasound on my liver and kidneys and found that my kidneys were swollen. On top of that they did a CT scan to check my appendix and gallbladder-- both fine. The scan showed I have kidney stones in both of my kidneys, so they originally thought maybe that was a cause for the pain. However, as time went on, where the pain was manifesting and the fact that I wasn't passing any stones made them think kidney stones were not the problem. The doctor ordered a 24-hour urine test to check for protein (loads of fun) and when it came back it showed me as being in the preeclampsia range. That combined with the elevated liver function and low blood platelets worried the doctors as being a form of atypical preeclampsia (basically preeclampsia without the high blood pressure). At this point I had seen several doctors who had also conferred with a few specialists at the hospital. The specialists were pretty convinced it was preeclampsia and that I needed to be delivered as soon as I hit 34 weeks. My doctor wasn't entirely convinced so he kept me in the hospital and kept repeating the tests to see if there was any change.

Much to everyone's surprise, the labs started getting better. My liver function started coming down and my platelets started going up. Because my pain was starting to ease (and because I think they could tell I was going to have a nervous breakdown if I didn't get out of the hospital) they let me go home on bed rest, with plans to continue the NSTs and regular blood testing.

I got home and was feeling ok for a few hours, but before I knew it, new pain started and I started panicking. I started having pain in my shoulders and chest and it was really painful to breathe. Sean took me back to the hospital and they re-admitted me. Again, the baby was doing just fine and was being monitored closely. The fact that I was having such difficulty breathing made the doctors worry I could possibly have a blood clot. So once again I was wheeled down for a CT scan of my lungs. They tried to have me lay down on the table for the scan and I honestly could not do it. It was the most severe pain I have ever felt. When they got me on my back I honestly could not breathe. They had to send me back upstairs in the hospital for pain medication and we had to wait for it to take effect before trying to lay me on my back again. Luckily the medicine worked and I was able to lay on my back for the scan. And we were very happy that the scan showed no sign of a blot clot.

Basically from that point on I was just in the hospital and having tests repeated on me every 12 hours. The pain started easing again and my labs continued to get better and better til eventually the liver function and platelets were in the normal range. The doctors ordered a new 24-hr urine test and it came back thursday morning in the normal range. By thursday I was feeling MUCH better and once again they decided to let me go home with the same instructions of NSTs twice a week and regular testing.

I have been home since Thursday and I am still feeling pretty good. I am not 100% and still have random pains here and there, but it is a night and day difference compared to how I had been feeling. I am now 34 1/2 weeks. I was starting to feel like maybe I was in the clear, when I found out this morning that the lab at the hospital messed up my last 24-hour urine test. This was the test the doctors were really concerned with, so when it came back in the normal range on thursday, they felt good about sending me home. The fact that now I have to repeat the test because of error makes me extremely frustrated and nervous all over again. I do take comfort in the fact that my other labs have improved a lot, and just hope at this point that this next round of testing (which will be done tomorrow) will yield good results. I had to go in for another NST today and the baby continues to look great on the monitors, which is obviously the most important thing.

Here is what I don't know:
Which of the symptoms I have/had caused the pain
If I truly have preeclampsia
If my 24-hour urine test will show elevated levels of protein in the urine
If the medication I was on for cholestasis could have been the cause for some of the pain
When I will deliver (could be this week if labs are bad or could be as late as 37 weeks-- not later because of the cholestasis)

What I do know:
I still do not have high blood pressure
I have kidney stones and my kidneys are swollen
As of thursday my blood platelets and liver function tests were normal
My appendix is fine
I do not have a blood clot
Spending a week in the hospital sucks

As of right now I am extremely happy to be home and feel very blessed that I have not had to deliver yet. I know this is a direct result of many prayers and a priesthood blessing. Any extra time this little guy has in the womb is a plus. We have had an outpouring of support and help from family, friends, and neighbors and we are really grateful. We really appreciate and welcome all of the prayers in our behalf. My mom and sister have been saints taking care of Jackson all week and he has had such a great time I don't know if he's even missed me! Sean has been an amazing support and I am grateful he is so patient and loving.

So here's to hoping testing goes well these next few days and our son will get more time before he makes his debut. I will try to be better at updating!

Fly Fishing

2011-03-15T15:12:00.005-06:00

Sean went fishing last weekend with our friend Brent. Brent is an avid fly fisherman and one of the founders of the Web site Fly Fishing Frenzy. Brent happened to be taking a video for the site while Sean caught a fish, so I thought I'd post it for fun (with permission of course!).

Singing and marching

2011-03-06T19:05:00.007-07:00

Nothing of much interest has been going on with us lately, but I wanted to post a few funny videos I took this week. The first is Jackson singing one of his favorite songs he learned from his Sing-a-ma-jig:

Jackson is also a BIG fan of The Jungle Book and loves what he calls the "elephant song." I am not quite sure how it started, but he likes to march like the elephants in the movie when he hears it. Cracks me up every time!

7 months

2011-03-05T09:36:00.005-07:00

I've gotten a lot of "wow, you've really popped!" comments these past few weeks. Hahaha-- tell me about it! Feels like we're getting closer to the home stretch.

Disneyland

2011-02-18T14:39:00.042-07:00

We just returned from a trip to Disneyland/California Adventure! We went with my sister and her family, my parents, and uncle Karl. We had such a great time! We seriously lucked out with the weather and it was such a nice break from winter. It was in the 80s the first day and in the 70s and high 60s the rest of the trip. We also scored with short lines-- especially Tuesday. In fact, on Tuesday, there were a few rides with no line at all (one being Sean's favorite-- The Tower of Terror)! Don't worry-- I skipped out on the big stuff.

Day 1: Disneyland

We were so excited to get into the park we could hardly stand it. It was so perfect that right after walking in, who do we come across but the main man himself:

Jackson was so excited to see Mickey Mouse he started running straight for him. There was a short line, so we told him he needed to wait his turn. When his turn came, he ran right up to Mickey and gave him a big hug. No hesitation whatsoever. I don't think Mickey was expecting it! It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen in my life and nearly brought tears to my eyes! So glad we were able to snap a picture.

Hanging out with Dale:

In line for Peter Pan with some very excited kids:

Dumbo with dad:

Teacups! I forgot how fun these are!

Heinhold family:

Small World:

Meeting Goofy (or "Goosey" as Jackson calls him):

Inside Mickey's house in Toon Town:

Jackson's favorite roller coaster-- Emily and Hayley in second car, Dave and Max in third, Sean and Jackson in fourth:

Close up:

Jackson loved this roller coaster and rode it several times. He kept laughing at the frogs that spit a stream of water over the carts when they rode by.

It was great because Jackson is just tall enough to meet the height requirement for a lot of rides. He even got to ride the Matterhorn with Sean! Besides the roller coasters, his favorite rides were probably Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear, Finding Nemo, and the Toy Story and Monsters Inc. rides.

The classic Mickey Mouse ears! He loves his.

Day 2: Balboa and beach

We spent most of the next day hanging out in Balboa and playing at the beach. We walked up and down main street and hit up a few candy shops and then rode the ferry over to the beach.

Lunch at Ruby's at the end of the pier:

With the breeze it was chilly at first, but thankfully it warmed up later.

The old farts as I lovingly/teasingly called them:

Looks like he fits right in with those blonde, curly locks! ;)

Sean was the only one brave enough to swim!

We spent the rest of the evening at Disneyland and apparently I didn't take any pictures!

Day 3: Disneyland

I think he is growling like a dinosaur in this one-- whatever he's doing, it makes me laugh!

Always a fan of merry-go-rounds :)

Funny boys:

Max developed quite a love for the talking tom cat app on our phones. It was one way I kept the kids entertained while the other adults went on the rides I couldn't!

Matching red sunglasses!

And finally, all tuckered out from all of the excitement:

We are so glad we went on this trip. It was a lot of fun to be there with family. We loved seeing Jackson's reaction to everything and seeing him having so much fun. He may not remember it when he is older, but we will! Until next time Disneyland!

Birthday recap

2011-02-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am officially 28 years old! I had a really nice birthday this year. Relaxing and low stress :)

Sean and I celebrated Tuesday night because he has late class on Wednesdays. My sweet friend Heidi took Jackson for us so we could go on a date. We went to Magelby's for dinner and it was yummy! It was nice not having to entertain a two-year-old the whole time :) In keeping it low-key, we decided to go out for dessert instead of having a big birthday cake at home. I've wanted to try a place in Orem called "The Chocolate" and try we did:

They even had a gf turtle tart dessert for Sean (half-eaten on the left). My favorite was the chocolate cupcake with the caramel frosting. I have yet to eat the chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting... even I have my limit!

After dessert Sean and I decided to head to the new Provo Beach Resort at Riverwoods for a little competitive skeeball. I am not sure how it started, but ever since dating in high school we have had a thing for skeeball. It was an even matchup- he won two games, I won two. We scored enough tickets to pick out some sweet prizes for Jackson.... a monkey bag where he keeps his "monies", some finger puppet monsters, and one of those water balloon tube things with plastic fish inside that flip inside out. He was pretty happy we didn't forget him :)

On Wednesday I got to start my day by going to breakfast with my handsome boys. We went to Kneaders and I finally tried the famous french toast. It is as good as everyone says it is!

I got to spend a lot of time during the day talking to friends and family, which I always enjoy. My friend Heidi took me out to lunch and my sister and her kids came over in the afternoon bearing gifts. Finally, I ended the day hanging out with some girlfriends and chatting until nearly midnight. It was a great start to my 28th year!