a new look.

I think I may be a little bit on the crazy side. If my furniture stays in the same place too long I get ancy. It’s been bugging me for MONTHS but with little monkey boy it’s been hard to rearrange. Yesterday I finally had the courage to attempt it. I LOVE the outcome…but still have a lot of mess to clean up. What do you think?

Closer look at the makeshift hutch. I bought both the coffee table and the bookcase at Deseret Industries a few years ago when Tim & I got married. They both were about $5 each. The bookcase is actually a piece of an actual hutch. I took out all my pretty white serveware (the cake stand I found at Ross for $7!) and the birds are actually Salt & Pepper shakers from Target. I looooove the antique pie plates! I found them at the flea market & am planning on giving them as gifts; but for now they are on display. The chinese tea mugs are from my parents (christmas gift from last year) and the soda bottles are just empty IBC bottles. Honestly, everything in the picture cost less than $10.

ps. can you tell I love baking & decorating? all the magazines piled on the sides are Better Homes & Gardens, Domino, Country Living or Martha Stewart.

I know it’s no magazine cover but I love all the extra pathways and room!

a new look.

I think I may be a little bit on the crazy side. If my furniture stays in the same place too long I get ancy. It’s been bugging me for MONTHS but with little monkey boy it’s been hard to rearrange. Yesterday I finally had the courage to attempt it. I LOVE the outcome…but still have a lot of mess to clean up. What do you think?

 

Closer look at my make shift hutch

It feels bigger with the extra walking space, I LOVE IT!

Plus, tulips were on sale for 99 cents a bunch!
It was just the thing I needed to really brighten up the space!

Trunk or Treat

We are on the activities committee for church and were in charge of the decorations for this years trunk or treat dinner. I have to say I had a lot of fun & was really proud of the result. It turned out exactly as I had pictured.
I was so happy with the autumn luminarias. I picked it because it was easy to do & it’s kind of New Mexico’s thing. Everything looked so cool when the lights were dimmed & the candles could really glow.

I had a hard time deciding on Owen’s costume. I wanted it to be fun since it was his first Halloween but since I didn’t know how I would do it I just gave in & bought him a mouse outfit at Walmart. Two days before the Trunk or Treat I had a break thru & came up with a HILARIOUS idea. If you know what it is you’ll notice it’s pretty acurate.

Owen as Goku from Dragonball Z. So obviously asian but so obviously cute!

The Back.

I was so proud of it! It turned out even better than I expected & I made it all by myself!

Workout Buddies.

A few months ago Courtney Driver and I became workout buddies. We had our babies just 4 months apart and needed to work off those last stubborn pounds so we began the P90X workout DVDs. Boy are they brutal! The first workout I lost 5 lbs! We have been doing pretty well & have about a month left of the program. I actually got down UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight & even fit back into most of my old jeans! I was amazed! I still have a little ways to go though. My tummy pooch is my biggest problem area as it is with most moms. It’s been so much fun to workout with a friend & see some accomplishment! I’ve actually grown really close to her & am so sad that she’s moving back home to Florida! I guess we will just have to visit!

Buddies & Babies

Owen & Bobby are buddies too.

Quick trip to SLC.

We decided kind of last minute to go to SLC for Tim’s fall break. It turned into kind of a disaster. I was running around like crazy that day getting everything ready and the house clean while Tim was at school. I managed to pull it off and we were on the road at 5:30. Half an hour out of town and our back tire blew up. We stopped at a gas station to put on our donut when we found we were missing a part to our jack. Thankfully, a worker at the gas station had one we could borrow but we had to go back to ABQ to get new tires and most of the stores were closing. Plus, while putting the donut on, two of the nuts broke off the rim! We waited for 2 hours to get tires put on and then our friends the Driver’s helped us replace the nuts that broke. We didn’t actually leave until 9:30pm! We drove all the way thru the night and arrived in SLC at 8am. We were both DEAD TIRED. As soon as we got there Owen started teething mega time (his first two teeth weren’t bad, he was mostly just crabby but this time it was high fever, diaherra, you name it! Poor kid!) and Tim found out he had gotten sick from a friend at school. We spent most of our vacation indoors since neither of the boys were feeling well. Plus I forgot our camera! I couldn’t believe it! I usually take it with me everywhere!  Saturday was Cannon’s (our nephew) 1st birthday and we all ventured to Hoogle Zoo. It was a lot of fun! I even got to help decorate his birthday cupcakes! He was such a cute birthday boy. We even got to visit our niece Callie’s new horse! She let me ride him but I was a wussy. The last time I’d been on a horse it kept throwing me into the fence so everytime this horse went toward the fence I panicked. The other horse I rode was a bit more trained and after a few circles around the corral I was comfortable enough to trot with him. I had forgotten how much I loved to ride. She promised we’d go more when we came to stay in July. Unfortunately, we think Owen is allergic to the horses & maybe even the dogs. He had puffy red eyes most of the trip and sometimes even some reddness in his cheeks. It could just be regular allergies but we took notice to watch for it.

Here is the only picture I managed to take with my phone on our trip. Boo to me.

Needless to say, Owen wasn’t very interested in the zoo.

Grandma Brant visits.

My mom came to visit us way back in September. (I’m a little behind!) We had a lot of fun! It was really nice to have someone to hang out with and talk to while Tim was at school & work. We went to the park, Old Town, the aquarium, & the botanical gardens. Owen got pretty spoiled while she was here. When she’d try to put him down for a nap he would smile & coo & just be super cute so she’d play with him instead. Worked every time. I have to admit I was a bit spoiled as well! It was nice to not have to schedule my work outs around Tim’s ever changing study schedule. We love Grandma Marilyn & already miss her so much!

Grandma & Owen in Old Town

These Navajo Wind Talkers were at a bookstore in Old Town signing autographs on books for donation.
I wanted so bad to buy one but they were all $50! I even asked the lady in charge if I could just donate a smaller amount and she said no! Donation or no donation I told them how grateful I was to them. They were really nice but I felt like a jerk leaving them with nothing.

Grandma & Owen at the Park

Grandma even spoiled us & took us on Base to the Commissary & BX. I was in heaven!

Low prices & Anthony’s pizza!

We love you Grandma!

BFF.

Tim rarely plays video games but he thought Owen should learn how. I was laughing so hard in the background as Tim would say to Owen, “See how I smoked that guy!” or “See how awesome that trick was!” And Owen, ever the good student, always gave him a smile.

*They were playing Tony Hawk. See how old Tim is? haha kidding.

Singing in the Rain

This is a pretty old picture but I thought it was too cute not to share. Owen just LOVES this movie. He loves music and dancing. I used to sing this song to him and dnace him around when he got upset and he would automatically smile until I stopped singing. Even now, if he’s upset, usually a song will help cheer him up. Just last Friday I had to sing at the top of my lungs all the way home from Evelyn’s house to keep him from crying. (He’s in that stage where he HATES being in his carseat. As soon as we take him out he stops crying.) Anyway, before he was able to sit up he would turn his body as much as he could so he could see the screen. I thought it was so funny I snapped a few pictures.

Owen is growing up!

I’ve been a horrible blogger lately. Owen likes to try to type for me when I get the computer out so I’m not on it as often. Our little Owen sure is growing! He got TWO teeth at 4 1/2 months and at 6 months he is getting two more! As cliche as it sounds, I just can’t believe he is 6 months already. He looks so grown up too. When he started getting teeth he stopped looking like a baby. He is such a funny boy though. He tries to talk all the time and can say, “Mama” and “Dada” on occasion. He almost says “Hey” sometimes too. He laughs all day long and will smile at just about anyone who talks to him. Today we took him for his 6 months check up and he is 50%  in length at 26 1/4 inches and 90% in weight at 21 lbs! He sits up pretty well now and still LOVES to be outside. His hair isn’t as curly as it used to be but is still fairly long and unruly. We love him so much!

Cute Things About Owen:

He LOVES the movie, “Singing in the Rain.” I always have to put it on for him when I want to get things done.

He is always smiling. I will look up from what I’m doing and he will be grinning ear to ear.

He has the CUTEST belly laugh. He thinks Dad is hilarious.

He likes to be startled. We sneak up to his crib when he wakes up in the morning and say, “hey!” He jumps and then laughs.

He LOVES his feet and hands. If he’s on his back he’s usually holding his feet and if he’s sitting up you can bet his fingers are in his mouth.

He always wants what Mom & Dad are eating and will get mad if you don’t share.

Cries when I leave the room and cries when Tim leaves for school.

Loves to be talked to or sung too.

Still has BEAUTIFUL blue eyes.

He doesn’t crawl or even roll over all the way. He gets on his stomach but keeps his arm under him so he can push himself back since he hates being on his belly.

He arches his back and pushes backward on his feet to get places.

He reaches his arms up when he wants you to hold him.

Has a SUPER strong grip and is ALWAYS pinching people.

Still can do a “mad dog,” face like nobody’s business.

We just love our little guy.

Piggy piggy.

Owen had his 4 month check up a few days ago (he’s actually 4 1/2 months already! We were a little behind) and he is still…

BIG.

He is in the 75th Percentile for his Height

25 1/2 inches

and 95th Percentile for Weight

18 lbs

He is definitely a big boy! He is so funny nowadays. He talks to himself a lot and kind of sounds like a monkey. He tries to be so independant as well, trying to feed himself (he eats foods now!), tries to walk on his own (we’re trying to get him to crawl first, or at least roll over!), and this kid just LAUGHS all the time. It’s hilarious. He thinks everything is funny. His favorite toy is a plastic crab rattle but he beats himself up with it and then cries when I take it away. He’s also been teething for a month or so now. Just when we got him to sleep thru the night! He’s doing pretty well though, usually only waking up once, maybe twice a night. Overall, he is a really good boy & we have so much fun with him!