Camping Weekend

We spent this past weekend camping with Troy's family. His brother took us to a beautiful place a few hours away. It was quite the drive, but definately worth the trip especially since this will probably be the only chance we get to go camping this year. Between moving into our house and having Baby Boy, I dont know if we will get to go again. I know I have said it a hundred times, but Stockton is definately going to be a mountain man. He is 100% boy and it is showing more and more. His favorite thing right now is definately riding four wheelers. If it seems like all of our pictures are of him on the four wheeler, that is because that is where he was ALL weekend! If we werent on a ride, he was sitting on it pretending he was driving. We went on a 40 mile ride and when we got back, he still cried because he wanted to keep going. I loved watching him and Dad riding together, it just melts my heart seeing them do things together. He is lucky to have a Daddy that loves him so much. They were best friends all weekend. My weekend was full of "stay away from me" looks and crying anytime I would try and hold him. I sure felt like I had been replaced. I guess I can deal with that from time to time since I know how much he really needs me.


This is the treatment I got most of the weekend.

Here is Stockton and Troy's "Forrest Gump" picture.

Here is an example of the "Mom, you better stay away from look" that he mastered over the weekend.

I finally got a picture of him giving his goofy toothy grin, but of course it is blurry. You can see his little chicklets a little bit. :)

A little sad

I had my first real dose of "home sickness" this weekend. My sister and her family stopped in Boise for a couple of days on their way to Oregon. Stockton LOVED having 2 of his cousins to play with. He was so happy both days he woke up and they were still here. We took them to the Cherry Festival and he rode his very first carnival ride with Sam and Will. He had a blast. He loved it so much that his Uncle Pete went and bought him more tickets so he could ride again, but he refused to ride it without his cousins, I guess that is what made it so much fun for him. It was so cute. I wish I had the pictures to post, but they are on my sister's camera. The rest of the weekend was spent just following them around and rough housing with each other. It is funny how if he falls down on his own he comes crying to Mommy, but when he is thrown to the ground wrestling with his cousins, then it is the funniest thing in the world. I guess boys are just weird like that...

On Saturday after they left, we went to a neighborhood park that has water fountains for the kids to play in. We have gone a couple of times, but normally we are the only ones there. Going on a hot Saturday afternoon, that wasnt the case. There were alot of families there and tons of little kids running through the water. I got really sad seeing Stockton just stand there looking lost watching the other kids run around having fun. I couldnt help but think that if he had any of his cousins there with him, that he would have been so happy chasing them around. I am very close to my sisters and I knew that I would be sad about him not seeing his cousins on an almost daily basis, but this was the first time I have dealt with it first hand. I hope there is still a way they will all be able to be best friends with each other and that we will see them enough that he wont forget them.

It was a sad realization to know that I am really his only friend everyday and lets face it, I am not that fun. On the bright side, he will have a little brother soon so lets cross our fingers that they will love each other as much as I am planning on. :)

Having fun in Boise

I have enjoyed living in Boise so far even though it doesnt really feel like I actually live here yet. Hopefully once we move into our house it will start to feel more like home and less like a never ending vacation.

Stockton seems to be enjoying the wide open spaces. He has become obsessed with his Uncle Scott's "tractor" and loves helping Daddy mow the lawn while we are out there.
Daddy is also trying to get him into football, much to his mother's disapproval. I think he has too many other better sports to focus on rather than football, like basketball, soccer, ice hockey, tennis...anything other than football. I must say though, he sure was cute to watch. I guess if he stays this cute instead of turning into a bone headed jock, then he can keep playing.

This weekend was full of adventure. We went biking along the Boise river on Saturday and then four wheeling all day Sunday. And then Troy decided he needed another day off work so he decided to have the stomach flu all night Sunday and Monday. You would think after having 4 months off work that he could work a full week, but I guess it's just something he needs to gradually ease back in to. Just kidding, I am glad he is feeling better and hope Stockton and I are lucky enough not to get it. He was miserable.

As you can see, this kid LOVES playing in the water. It was FREEZING cold, but you couldnt get him out of it. He must get that from his father. Troy will swim in any water. Once his clothes were soaking wet and his feet were bright red, we pulled him out kicking and screaming.

It was a long drive to go four wheeling and Stockton was getting very grumpy in his car seat so I decided once we got on to the dirt roads in the mountains, that I would let him out and just sit on my lap. I grew up riding around on dirt roads, so what would it matter, right? Well, apparently that wasnt enough for him. He wanted to help Daddy drive. Of course, it didnt take long for Daddy to give in and let him sit on his lap. He loved it.

Tell me this kid doesnt just belong in the outdoors...

He was definately pooped out by the end of the day.

This coming weekend we are going to the Emmett Cherry Festival with my sister and her family when they come through on their way to Oregon. I can't wait to see them and hopefully convince them that they want to live in Idaho, too!!

Home Sweet Home

I am VERY excited to say that we were able to find a house within only a week of living in Boise! We were lucky to find a screaming deal in the crashed housing market here. We will be living in the rural community of Star, ID. We should be able to close in about 30 days so we will have a few weeks to get settled before Baby Boy arrives in August. Now all of you can start visiting soon!!!!

Farewell, Old Friend

This post is mostly for me to just feel some closure. It has been one week since I quit my job with Marriott. This whole process of moving and the waiting that has accompanied it, has been long, stressful, and a little chaotic. I knew that I was sad to quit the job that I have spent 9 years of my life with, but it wasn't until I walked out of the building for the last time that I really felt it. I don't remember the last time I have cried like that because I was just sad. I sat in the parking lot trying to compose myself and figure out why I was reacting so emotionally. And this is what I figured out...That is essentially the only "real" job I have ever had and the job that supported me 9 of the 10 years I spent in Utah. Those 10 years were a time of constant change, growth, and learning who I was and what I wanted to become. It was a time of being young and free right after high school, traveling to all sorts of places that I normally wouldn't have been able to, getting married and later divorced, learning to be independent and support myself financially, finding my course to spirituality, dating again and finding the love of my life, getting married and starting a family. During these 10 years, I moved 10 times. During all of these changes, my job with Marriott was the only thing that remained constant, never changing. It was like my home base. It has been sad to close that chapter in my life, but I will love re-reading that chapter over and over again and remembering all the memories that my job was a part of. I am excited to start writing a new chapter and am so happy that Troy and our family are my home base now. Marriott will never compare to that.

Pete's Post

For those of you who dont know, my sister's husband, Pete, played a very nasty joke on all of us a few months back and almost died. Luckily, not only is he still with us, but he has made an almost full recovery. We have all seen the changes in him after his experience, the deeper love for his wife and kids and all the people around him. It has been refreshing to see this softer side of him again, even if it has taken some getting used to. Sorry Pete, you had gotten a little rough around the edges over the years. :) Anyways, he recently made a post on his blog called, The Spiritual Me. I thought it was a great post and wanted to share it with anyone that may be interested. I don't know that I want to go into a big long post about my thoughts on the balance of religion and spirituality, but I really enjoyed this insight into his thoughts as they are things that I reflect on regularly. It is nice to know that I'm not the only one. Maybe one of these days, I will have the time to blog a little more about my own thoughts on the issue.

Our New Adventure

I am excited to OFFICIALLY be able to say that Troy will be taking a job and moving our family back to ....

An opportunity at his previous employer presented itself to us and we decided to take the leap. We are both very excited and very sad at the same time. I have been really anxious to move up there over the last few months, but now that it is official, the reality of it is sinking in. Obviously, I am so sad to leave my family and friends , but I am surprisingly really having a hard time leaving my job where I have spent the last 9 years. I know I will love being a stay at home mom, but I have always worked and I don't know how it will feel to just rely on Troy for everything and not make any financial contribution to our family. The idea seems so weird to me. I dont want to dwell on all of the obvious negative things about leaving Utah. Some of the things I am most excited about:

*Getting to spend more time with Troy's family so they can be close to our kids and vice versa (I am counting on still seeing my family alot since I know they will come to Boise often, RIGHT????)
*Being one step closer to getting my dream house in the country
*Living in a more rural/down to earth place

*Getting into a more affordable home so we can have more resources to play and do the things we enjoy
*Troy having a job that he ENJOYS so he is happier and can be home with us more
*Camping and playing!
*The chance to get to know and explore a new city and state
*Not having to work so I can focus on being a wife, mother, and having the chance to explore new hobbies that I have wanted to learn about for so long.

Utah, you have had a good 10 year run, but I am excited to take on a new adventure...Idaho, you better not let me down!

The Zoo

Two posts in two days, shocking right? Well, since Troy is out of town I figured I would post these cute pics of Stockton that I got at the zoo yesterday so he could see them. We have been to the zoo a few times this year, but I think this was the first time Stockton REALLY enjoyed seeing the animals. The last few weeks his love of animals has really taken off. His favorite books to read all involve lots of pictures of animals. He used to LOVE horses, but it seems cows are starting to pull ahead now. He has even started to MOO when he sees pictures and kissing the picture of one cow in particular. Yesterday, the giraffes were definitely his favorite to see. Here are the pics from the day:

Hangin out with one of his cute little girlfriends.

Such a handsome boy. Uncle Scott, how do you like his shirt???
I can't believe how white his hair is getting. I never imagined I would have a toe-headed baby.
He was running around with his hands in the air, just laughing and laughing.

Is it just me or does he not look exactly like Troy in this picture just with blonde hair and blue eyes?? From the look on his face, to the way he is walking, and even his style. All he needs is just a Boise St hat to wear backwards and you wouldnt be able to tell the two of them apart. :)

He loved touching the water,
but then decided splashing was much more fun.

He wasn't too excited when mom decided he was wet enough.

After we got home, he enjoyed a good game of peek a boo with me and his Auntie.

Stockton's new favorite thing

Stockton has always had a fascination with the vacuum. Anytime I vacuum it is a bigger job than it needs to be because he likes to follow me around and try to touch the light on the front of the vacuum. Well, we were recently at a store that had toy area for kids and he found a toy vacuum to entertain him the entire time we were there. He just followed me around pushing this little vacuum back and forth like he was a pro. When it was time to leave, he threw the biggest fit I have seen my precious boy throw. So, like any loving mother who can't help but want to give her child everything they want, I dropped Stockton off at home with Dad and went to find him one of these vacuums. He has been addicted ever since. At least now he is willing to share with his cousins. The first few days he would scream if either of them even touched it. Hopefully living with my sister during this time will teach him a lesson or two about sharing.