Utah Trip

We ventured out on our first road trip with all 4 of us--me, Collin, Ashlyn, and Lucy! We went down to Utah (which we will be doing frequently for a while) to visit Collin's parents. We stopped in Tremonton for a while to visit with Morgan and Lana and their kids on our way down. Aiden's first time holding Ashlyn! I can remember my first time holding Aiden when he was that little! what?!

The Tremonton Robertsons got a puppy!! His name is Snowball. He was so funny to watch with Lucy. She is generally pretty bossy when it comes to playing with other dogs, and he was a little too chicken to really play with her, so she got bored and started ignoring him. He would follow her around, but the minute she turned around he would run away! So funny. Hopefully he will get more used to playing with dogs so in the future they can play together! Lucy always loves a good wrestling match!

Our best attempt at a picture with all the cousins and the dogs (and somehow I am in the picture??) ! Darby, me, Aiden, Scotty, Savannah, Ashlyn and McKinzie! They all fought over who could hold Ashlyn.... and all got equal turns! McKinzie was a champ and got Ashlyn to finish a whole bottle, which she hadn't been doing for me lately.

We finally made it down to Saratoga Springs about 11:30pm. Ashlyn was wide awake so she got to hang out with Nana for a little while before she went to bed. But about an hour after we got there, Jim's rehab center called to say he was having some trouble and Darlyne needed to go in. Collin went with her, so they were gone until about 2:30am I believe. The rehab center is in Orem so it's about a half-hour drive each way every time she goes over there, which is all the time of course. Nothing of notice happened when they went over there, thankfully.

The next day, Papa got to come home for the day! It was fun to be at home with both of them, but also a lot, LOT of work for Collin's mom. Collin's dad is doing so much better than we last saw him, that was really encouraging. He had a massive stroke so he can't talk and can't move the left side of his body much, but he can balance and put weight on both feet and he's very coordinated with his right arm and leg. He still has his same sassy sense of humor, which is funny to see how that comes out even when he is still recovering like this.

Ashlyn spent a lot of time snuggling with him, and so did Lucy, although I didn't get a picture of that.

This was a cute picture Collin took of the two of them.

On Sunday, we went over to Jim's rehab center for the afternoon. Lana and the kids were there, and so was Beau. We hung out in Jim's room for a while then went to church with him. I forget how it's Utah and most people everywhere are LDS, so they had a big turn out at their meeting there at the center. I'm used to the ones our ward goes to, where there are like 5 people there! Anyway, it was like 2 hours long! I didn't realize but it was sacrament meeting, then also sunday school added on. The whole time I was thinking "oh my heck is this speaker ever going to stop!" when it turns out he was the sunday school teacher! it was good to be there in church together anyway.

Snowball came along! We dropped Lucy off at Sam and Megan's for a few hours, and they were nice enough to watch her for us until we were on our way out of town. No pictures of that, oops.

We had a lot of time to kill waiting for their church to start, so we moved a piano into a lobby and had a little piano recital! You can guess who had the camera at this point... that guy I'm married to who (annoyingly) always takes pictures of me in ugly positions playing the piano! I did play something, nothing awesome. It was only because Jim asked me to. It was fun to hear the kids play, they are all getting ready for a piano recital. You know how I love those! :)

The raptured audience

After church we headed by Sam and Megan's to get Lucy, then back home it was! It was not a big deal traveling with both a baby and a dog, although Lucy really likes to sit in someone's lap and since she couldn't sit in Collin's lap that left me to have her sitting on me practically the whole time. Ashlyn was a great traveler and I hope that keeps up! We will be heading back down there in just a couple of weeks so I bet you will be excited to see more pictures soon!

Graduation!

We are now a family not only of Broncos.... But also of Vandals! ahh! Collin said he decided he will cheer for BSU in all sports except basketball, and then he might cheer for U of I. ha ha. Not like we're fair-weather fans or anything. :)

Graduation for the Boise extention of U of I was held at the Center on the Grove. Ashlyn and I went, and she was a little peach until literally 3 people before they called Collin's name. Of course. So all I got were some horrible blurry pictures of him walking! oh well.

You may be wondering how Collin got his masters from a school that is like 10 hours away.... well, it was ALL ONLINE! Can you believe it. He just graduated from a school he has never actually physically been to.

Collin started in on his masters degree 3 years ago and just finished this spring! He could have graduated in December, but he decided to prolong his last internship over one more semester, since wrestling season is so busy. So he did 3 total internships! One at summer school at Meridian H.S., and the other 2 at Centennial.

Ashlyn will hopefully enjoy this picture someday!

Collin has seriously worked his butt off for this! My husband is generally the hardest worker I know anyways, and this was no exception. It is WEIRD to think that he doesn't have homework anymore! Some people think that online classes are a cop-out, but for a degree like this they aren't. He has studied so many things from Special Ed Law to State Budgeting to Classroom Diversity. His final presentation of his Masters Portfolio was 2 weeks before graduation, and he practiced on me, Ashlyn, and Lucy! Ashlyn and Lucy both fell asleep! I stayed awake though....through all 2 hours of it! I was super impressed with how much he has learned and what perspective he has gained through this process. It's too bad more administrators out there didn't start out as teachers, because I think that really lends and extra perspective that is much needed in the higher-ups. Anyway, his presentation went great and he of course passed with flying colors.

Collin graduated with a 4.0 GPA! woot!

We are so proud of you, Collin! You have worked hard! Way to go! We love you!

3 Months Old!

Look at this cute little bug! She is already 3 months old! Time seems to be flying by, but then again it seems like she has been a member of our family for so much longer than just 3 months. Ashlyn usually keeps me company in her bumbo while I'm doing stuff in the kitchen or piano room. She loves it! She is pretty strong, holding her head up so well! She definitely would rather be looking around a room than all cuddled up when she's awake.
I thought this was funny--my 2 little bugs I hang out with all day every day. Aren't they cute.

Ashlyn is starting to grab at things with her hands! She can't really figure out how to see something, grab it, and hold onto it (yet), but she is definitely trying to figure it out! She bats at things and she really likes to grab her shirt or blanket and scrunch it up to her mouth and make "cookie monster" sounds! It is so funny.

She attended her first wrestling event! (besides the banquet) It was the Patriot Wrestling Club's picnic, and she was showing the colors loud and proud! She is so pleasant, she doesn't mind getting passed around to different people, and is pretty much game to just be content looking around at wherever her surroundings are. I am hoping that lasts!

Collin took this picture because he said we had "matching" headbands. HELLO! Sometimes I just don't see how guys' minds work.

I swear I have tried a hundred times to get a good smiling picture. She is too fascinated with the camera when I pull it out, and immediately she just stares at it and doesn't smile anymore. Sometimes I can almost get one-- but this is about as close as I can get!

Big stuff! I love the "surprised look"! huh??

Oh the Awesomeness

In the last 2.5 weeks, Collin and I have had a delicious, home-cooked dinner every week night, and I have only cooked 2 of those nights. Are you wondering how this is possible? Let me tell you, it is awesome. A couple of my friends have brought up a sort of co-op dinner thing several times to me, but I always backed out of it because I was worried it would be too hard with my weird working schedule (Since basically, I work right through the dinner hour, meaning Collin and I usually get to dinner around 8 or 9 pm). BUT, a few weeks ago a friend of mine brought it up again when a few of us were together, and I agreed! I was skeptical, but it has been so great! Now I am thinking we should have started this up a long time ago! I wanted to post it on here just because if you're interested in doing it, don't be discouraged because it is really great and not a big deal.

So how ours works is, there are 4 of us, so we each have one night of the week, the same night each week. (Mine is Tuesday, since that's my small teaching day) On our day, we make enough dinner for all 4 families and take it around. It's usually one main dish and one or two sides, nothing fancy. SO, we each cook a big load once, but get to not even worry about dinner the other 3! If you ask me it is a win-win. And I can't believe I was worried about it working with my schedule, because it is actually fabulous! Now, instead of once I get done teaching, having to quickly whip up some dinner while meanwhile Collin has been starving for 3 hours, dinner is already here, hot and ready to eat! I am telling you, it is awesome. Hopefully my friends think my cooking is okay, that is the only thing I worry about...!!

Happening Lately

Easter...... You can't see it but her jammies say happy easter.. aw.

If I sit down to play she calms down. No kidding. Well, unless she's in hysterics because she's hungry or something. I wonder if this will last?

Easter Baskets..... Ashlyn's had books, sunglasses, onesies (size 3-6 months!!!) and treats for Mom and Dad, Lucy's had a bone and a pig ear! haha

I swear she was smiling until the minute I took this picture. I know she is still a little young for the bumbo, but every week or so we try it for a few minutes. She likes it... before she gets tired of holding her head up. Note the monstrous piece of chocolate cake on the counter behind her--we went home from the baby shower with an entire layer of the cake. Like we needed that.

My studio recital! Andrea and my mom were in town for NHD (if you know what that stand for... you're a nerd!) My studio recitals were that night, so Andrea came to be my helper while Mom stayed home with Ashlyn. Andrea decorated this table, she was proud of it. Yes, I made all the refreshments myself!

Collin came for the second recital and as always, got some awesome action shots of me. der.

Older kids getting their certificates and trophies

Younger kids getting theirs.... Andrea took this picture thus the horrible quality! :) She was too embarrassed to stand up on a chair in the back to take a good picture, so instead she waited until they were all sitting back down! oh well. Seriously though, are these not the cutest kids. I love my students!

First real day at church together!

And after church.... trying to get a decent shot with Lucy looking and Ashlyn's eyes open... not so easy.

So Spoiled

We were so spoiled by our friends upon arriving back in Idaho from Michigan--Ashlyn has had a total of 4 baby showers. I know. It has been so much fun. Our first one was the week we got back--and I don't have any pictures! My friend Dakin threw it for all our old friends in our old ward, which we loved so much and were so sad to move away from. It was great to see all my old friends and some of my young women (beehives back then--laurels now!!) came. We felt very loved and it was such a good time.

The next shower was thrown by my good friend Chandra, who is amazing. As you will see from the pictures! I was horribly sick that weekend (seriously. I've only been waiting for my baby shower for 4 years, and then I get the stomach flu that weekend?!? ) , but it was by a huge blessing that I actually felt okay during the shower! Before and after? Not so much. But it was beautiful, and so many of our friends from the ward and my piano teaching buddies stopped by, it was wonderful and again we felt very loved!

Check out the pictures of her adorable treats and decorating:

This is the only picture of Ashlyn with anyone at a shower! These 2 girls are in our ward, so super cute. One is one of my super-star piano students, so this is a cute picture to have.
The third shower was in Idaho Falls--thrown by Tara (although I think my mom actually put most of it together) --with our family. And Kaylin and her mom, since they are my family too! Ashlyn got passed around, and it was great. My grandma flew in from Denver just for that, which was really special. It was a lot of fun. Again, no pictures. I know, I am such a loser.

The fourth shower, I should have pictures of sometime.. it was just a couple of weeks ago. It was a little get together at a restaurant with some of the wrestling moms. They were so nice to put together a shower, and Collin came, which I believe was his first (and probably last) baby shower! They had the poopy diaper game where it was melted candy bars, and well you can picture Collin's face. He was like "this is what you guys do at these things?" pretty funny. Ashlyn had just gotten her shots that day so she wasn't exactly chipper, but she was still a good sport letting all the moms hold her. It was fun.

Thanks to everyone who has been so kind to us doing these things and coming to them! It has been so nice to feel so loved, and with paying off adoption and travel fees not having to buy clothes has been AWESOME! We are very blessed to have wonderful friends and family!