Another Not Me Monday

I apparently have done more than my share of things I would never do this week since I have the pleasure of being able write not one but two not me mondays. I would never give my toddler a medicine bottle to play with instead of a rattle. I would never be too lazy to find his rattle and give him the first thing I find that rattles. In my defense my mom has given him medicine bottles to play with since he was a few months old so I don't feel so bad.

Matt and I were sitting in the living room watching tv and playing with Colston. He kept tossing his zyrtec bottle to his daddy and then walking around the living room with it. At one point he most definitely did not figure out the child safety cap and spill zyrtec all over the floor. Nope not my child! And Matt and I did not just sit where we were and watch in astonishment as the pills fell all over the floor. Like good parents we did pick up all the pills and keep our little one from eating any of the pills he managed to scatter all over our living room floor.

All is good now. All the pills are picked up and he is now playing with a ball. I think that may be a little more safe than the prescription rattles. Great, now I guess I should go find his rattle and put the bottles out of reach from now on.

Not Us Monday

So this week is a "not us monday" because I did not do this no, no alone. Actually if anyone was more to blame...okay so Matt and I were equally at fault this time. It was a great big oops that hopefully will never happen again and thank God did not end badly this time. I should start off by saying that we moved about a month ago to a new apartment. Our new place has a front entrance through the living room and a back entrance through the kitchen. We usually use that entrance since that is where we park (in the back) and take the trash out.

So last week Matt and I were in the kitchen doing some cleaning up after dinner. I always get onto Matt about not taking the trash out until it's over flowing. So he was taking the trash out for me and I was texting our friend to see if he was coming over for dessert. Matt most definitely did not leave the back door open as he walked out and I most definitely was not busy with my phone instead of watching my toddler who was in the kitchen. All of a sudden I hear this "Stop, No, No. Don't...aghhh...blah (non-sensical jabbering)". When I looked up I definitely did not see my toddler stumbling out the open door and teetering his little body, huge head towards the stairs outside. Did I mention that our stairs are metal with little spikey things coming up and my son was only in his diaper? Yeah, couldn't have been a worse scenario.

So I start running as Matt is running as fast as he can still yelling incoherently at this boy and I am doing the same. Apparently our jabbering worried him and he sat down right at the top of the stairs. Whew! We learned some valuable lessons in that moment. I think the most important was never, ever leave the back door or any door near stairs open if a toddler is near by. We couldn't get on to Colston because he just wanted to see where daddy was going and be his walking buddy. God definitely protected him and his little body from those treacherous stairs! Ouch!

Oh and I didn't mention the biggest no, no which was when my husband preached on Sunday. Without me knowing he decided to tell this wonderful story to the whole church. I think the best part was as soon as he said he left the back door open the whole congregation went "Oooooh". It was like a bad part in a movie or something. I definitely did not laugh the entire time he was telling the story!

So proud

My husband and I moved to Utah to work with the youth group at Mountainside Baptist Church. We've been here for over a year and a half now and it's finally feeling home. Our church is growing and our youth group is growing and our small groups are growing. Everything is growing it seems like and we are so excited about it! God has been blessing our church and we are so thankful for that.

Matt loves teaching the youth group and I love watching him. He is so goofy and the teenagers love him. He really connects with them and makes them laugh. I love watching him in his element. More than that though I love it when he gets to preach in front of the whole church. When we first moved here and Pastor Matt would go out of town my Matt would have to preach. He would get so nervous but he would always do such a wonderful job. Of course!

Today Matt and Jamie were out of town so my Matt got to speak. And he did a wonderful job! He spoke about Nehemiah and what he called the cage of responsibility. It's from the series he is doing now with our youth called the wild goose chase. He wanted to show the church what the teens are learning and show how it can apply to the adults life too. He talked about how we all have responsibility but a lot of times we use that responsibility as an excuse to not do what God wants us to do. We don't want to chase the Holy Spirit to where he wants to take us but instead try to meet up with him later while we go about doing our own things.

As he was preaching about how we don't always think that we are capable of doing what God wants us to do I was thinking about him. And how everything he was talking about applied to his own life. When I first met he was always scared to preach in front of the adults. He wasn't ever sure if he could preach where it would apply to them or that they would think that he's too young. But every time he preaches so many people tell him that his message was such a blessing.

Today was the first time that I saw him preach and he was not nervous at all. He even spoke slower than usual until the end then his fast talking took over. He even told his funny stories and made everyone laugh and was totally at ease. I couldn''t help but look at him and feel so proud. I think today was the best that he has done. I am so lucky to be married to such an amazing, godly man!

H2O is the best

My son loves water. I mean absolutely loves it! Whether it's the pool or the bathtub or in a bottle he loves it. When he was about 4 months old we started taking him in the shower instead of a bath and he would fall asleep as the water showered down on him. Once he was able to sit up we would let him crawl around in the shower. Even when I took him to the Philippines we would fill up a plastic tub you wash clothes in and he would sit in it and play with his cups. Even now if I start filling the bath tub with water he gets all excited and starts yelling to get in. He even tries to hike his leg up over the edge of the bath tub to get in. Thank goodness he's short. The other day I stripped him down as the bath tub was filling up and turned my back for one second...big mistake. Apparently the sound of rushing water was very soothing and I turned to find he had peed all over the floor. I learned to never leave a boy's diaper off when near running water. Big mess!


His new thing lately is to try and drink the bath water. Icky! Not to mention he could very sick from that. At least that's what my mom always says when I tell her what he's doing. He also likes to try and suck all the soapy water out of his wash cloth. Ewww! But it is so cute that I had to take pictures and a video but then I took the wash cloth away.

I love taking pictures of him in the bath tub because his eyes are so blue. I keep wondering if it would be weird to have professional pictures taken of him in the bath tub....hmmmm.... However our favorite photographer just moved away. So sad. All of my favorite pictures we've taken of him are in the bath tub and I will frame them and put them up! He's just too adorable not to. And the bath tub is when he is the happiest and actually smiles for the camera!

The other day I got to take Colston to the pool and it was so fun. He had the best time. He splashed and played and didn't care how cold the water us. I even got him to hold his breath a little so I could put him under water. He loved it and didn't cry at all. That boy has no fear. He kept trying to crawl away from me and go head first in the water. Luckily he didn't get too far away from me. I want to put him in swimming lessons soon. Since he seems to be half fish as it is I think he would pick it up pretty quickly.



I am so blessed to have such a happy, easy going baby. And blessed that when he decides to be stubborn or cranky it's usually at home. He is definitely a crowd pleaser and much happier with lots of people. Even taking him to the grocery store is fun. He says hi to just about every person we pass and waves and smiles. He doesn't know a stranger. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. I am so thankful that he likes lots of people and is not clingy to Matt or I. Although when Matt comes home he definitely wants his daddy. He gets so mad when Matt leaves. It's very cute and sad. I love that I get to spend all day with this amazing little boy. He brightens up my day, even when he's cranky. I am so blessed!

The dino museum

Yesterday a bunch of us moms got together and took our kids to Thanksgiving Point to the Dinosaur Museum. It was $2 Tuesdays so we were excited to get in so cheap. We go there a little before it opened but apparently everyone else had the same idea. The line wrapped around the building! But luckily the line went pretty quickly. Once we got inside and paid we had to go through another line to let us in the actual exhibit part. Before we got in that line my friend Amy told me that they won't let you take sippy cups in. So I put mine in my bag and went and told our other friends the same thing. Right before we got up to the check in point I told a lady in front of me the sippy cup rule and she put hers in her bag. Well then when I got up there the sippy cup nazi told me to take out my cups and I said "what cups" and she said "the ones I saw you stuff in your bag". First off I knew she hadn't seen me do that but it was the lady in front of me but I went ahead and took one out and then walked through with a full bottle of water and a full juice cup. But I did not take them out while I was in there. Come to find out the lady had said the same thing to a lot of other people. I guess it's her tactic to get people to give up there cups. I'd hate to have her job. She did not seem happy.
Colston climbing on one of the dinosaurs.

















As we started walking through the museum we saw all the wonderful teaching of evolution. It was crazy to see all the half evolved sea creatures and the dinosaurs and the similarities between us and them. So silly. Besides all of that all of the exhibits were pretty cool. They had fake dinosaur skeletons so that kids could crawl on them and touch them. All of the actual fossils and bones were in glass cases so they wouldn't be touched or broken by the children running every where. They also had and erosion area where the kids could play with sand and dirt and stuff and get their hands all dirty. I opted to keep Colston in the stroller for that time.






I think the saddest part of the whole day was when we found a little girl probably about 7 years old crying because she lost her mommy. It was so sad. She kept hugging me and climbing in my lap. Finally an older man that worked there came over and took her from me to find her mommy. After he took her I kept wanting to follow him to make sure he was really going to take her to her mommy. I think I've watched too many episodes of Law and Order SVU. But when it comes to the safety of my kids or anyone else's I think it's okay to be a little paranoid. And if it keeps my kids safe and doesn't make me crazy over protective then I'm okay with that.

All in all it was great day with good friends and a chance to get Colston out of the house. The next time we go he will probably be walking and I am leaning towards the leashes I never I thought I would put on my child. But as much energy as that boy has I no I will have my hands full when he starts running all over the place. Sometime I think he is too stubborn and curious for his own good. Wonder who he gets those qualities from??? I wish that was something I could blame on his daddy but I'm definitely the guilty one.

Oh and I did put a bow in my sons hair to see how cute he is. His daddy was not happy but said he is pretty cute with the bow. Don't worry I took it out right after the picture.

My New Hobby

I am not talented. I don't play an instrument. I can't sing, or draw, or dance. I've never had anything that I was extremely talented at or even good at. Unless you ask my parents then they will say I am good with people. I always laugh when they say that. It never sounded like a compliment to me when I was younger but now I see that it is. However, I decided after I had Colston that I wanted to have a hobby that I was good at that I could do for my kids. And I decided if nothing else I wanted to be able to make their birthday cakes every year.

For his first birthday I decided to make his personal cake a fish. And the big cake was the ocean with fish swimming.

After I made his birthday cake my friend Larissa asked me to make ones for Bella's first birthday. She gave me the theme and I came up with these lady bug cakes and the personal lady bug cake for Bella.


Since making those cakes I have sold some others for birthdays and special occasions. I get so excited every time someone new asks me to make cakes for them. Especially when they offer to pay me. I have finally found something I am not only good at but enjoy.

The cake that started it all was the strawberry one I made for Larissa's birthday and then sold two like it. They are made to look like a basket of strawberries. The white one is my favorite but I think the chocolate tastes better. Mmmm....





And then for fun I found these spaghetti and meatballs cupcakes and owl cupcakes that I made for our bake sale at church. It was so cool to have someone want to buy something I made. It was a very rewarding feeling.

Hopefully this is a hobby that I will not only continue doing but will get better at the more I practice. I have enjoyed coming up with new fun ideas to make cakes and cupcakes into something more than just a cake. I already have several cakes to make in the next few months for birthdays and holidays. I'm praying that this will be a way I will be able to make a little extra money since I am not working right now. After Colston and any other kids I might have are in school I might take this skill and try to work at a bakery or something. As long as it continues to be something I enjoy and not something I begin to dread. Baking and decorating has become an outlet for me when I'm busy or stressed. I know that sounds weird but it works for me.

Not me Monday

So, when my friend first told me about "Not me Mondays" I thought I would never have anything to add. But then the other day I found one. I was taking a shower while I let Colston eat his waffles in his high chair. I heard him talking and yelling for me as usual but then when I was getting ready he started yelling louder and crying. I came out to the kitchen and saw that he had tried to get out of his high chair but got only one leg out and couldn't get it back in. Hence, the loud crying for me.





I would never find my child like that (crying and stuck) and go grab my camera to take pictures of him. And I would never take those sad and hilarious photos and then post them on my blog for all my friends and family to see my baby like that. And I would never continue to laugh about it as I post them. Nope, not me. I'm a much better mommy than that! Or so I thought.




Now, that I have done this once I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time I use my baby for a laugh. When he's older I'm sure he'll laugh too!