Yay for Summer!

These past few months have gone by so fast can I just say? I thought I would be better about blogging, but not so much it seems... :)

I have been home from the office for a few months now, and I have about an hour of work each day. I get up early, get my work and workout done, and then Ethan and I play pretty much all day. He is still sleeping about 10-12 hours per night and taking an awesome 3 hour nap! I still work for a few other clients, so sometimes I work while he naps or after he goes to bed, but its been a great adjustment to be at home with my son, it feels good, and I'm grateful for the opportunity I have.

We have been playing a lot this summer! Ethan loves the water so go swimming quite a bit, and we've been to a couple lakes this year, Steinaker, Echo, Deer Creek and Bear Lake. We've been sailing on Tyson's friend's boat on the Great Salt Lake also. Ethan loved riding such a big boat, our pictures didn't turn out so great on that one, Ethan is getting a little cranky as we approach nap time:

On a hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon:

Playing in one of many rainstorms:

1st Camping Trip of the Year:

We are loving this warm weather and are trying to get out and do as much as we can. Costco has Christmas decor out already, and I just don't want to even think about snow flying... there will be time for all that. As for now, we are just enjoying our time together and are lovin' life!

New Start

Well, if there are any of you left, here is an actual post...

There has been lots going on, aren't we all so busy? So, some news: I was expecting baby number 2, and now we are not. I actually passed tissue on Mother's Day, and am just recovering from a pretty devastating and life changing event. Next to Ethan's birth, this is the hardest thing I have ever gone through, and even though physically, I am getting a little stronger each day, the emotional and spiritual side will take time, but we are alright. I have been truly humbled by the outpouring of generosity of friends and family, thank you all so much, you will never know how much you have done for me and my family. There has been an amazing spirit of love in our home that I will be forever grateful for.

Five days after Ethan was born, 3 days after getting home from the hospital, after being in labor for 22 1/2 hours, and a C-Section later, I was on the phone with my boss discussing my return to the office. 5 weeks later, I made my great return, with a baby in tow. Ethan has gone to work with me for nearly 2 years. It started at about 5-6 hours a day and has gone to about 3. He used to nap, nurse, play, crawl, eventually walk and now run around my office for all this time. When he was younger, toys (a rattle) sufficed, and as his patience and attention span shortened, we bought a portable DVD player and Elmo, Super Y and Nemo have been his babysitter while I bussle away at my work tasks.

With this new pregnancy, keeping up with a busy toddler and going into the office 5 days a week had become quite the effort and I was getting very tired, and very stretched thin needless to say. I had planned on talking to my boss about working from home, since I obviously couldn't bring a toddler and a newborn into the office, there had already been complaints about my "noisy" son in the building. What would they say about the lady bringing her tribe to work? Well, the miscarriage shed new light on the situation, literally.

My doctor said it could easily take 2 - 3 months to get back to "normal" and we want to try again, since we have been trying for almost a year as it is, we brought Ethan home a week before our 5 Year Anniversary, so we are anxious to get our family here. I couldn't ask for a 3 month pass out of work, so I proposed I work from home. My boss graciously accepted my proposal and now I am a Stay at Home Working Mom.

This past few weeks have brought many changes and adjustments, and although I won't be having a baby in 6 months, I now have the amazing opportunity to be with my son, not just while he watches puppets and cartoons, but really be with him, sing songs with him, color with him, make cookies with him, take him to the aquarium and wheeler farm, and just enjoy the little awesome boy that he is, I think I really have missed out and now I'm going to do all that I can to make up for lost time.

I hope you are all doing well, I enjoy seeing your updates, and will try harder to post more regularly, now that I'm not passed out on the couch by 7 pm nightly... :) Here are a couple of pictures of my sweet little boy!

Missing Maui

My parents took our family to Maui in January for Christmas. We stayed in condos across the street from the best beach (just right sized waves, reef to snorkel and explore, clean and not too crowded) for 11 days, 10 nights! Oh, it was heaven can I just say?!? Tyson and I seriously were considering selling everything and moving there. I would love to live in a warmer climate, I would just adore growing and eating from a garden year round... We found a gorgeous mango tree, the branches were literally about to break from all the beautiful mangos growing on it. Tyson loves, loves, loves mangos, and seeing this tree just about convinced him of moving us to a warm tropical place!

We've been to Maui twice before, with out kiddos. We are usually on the go 24/7, seeing, doing all there is to do on that fun little island. But this time, we had our little bug and naps and bedtimes really slowed things down for us, but in a seriously GREAT way! We don't have cable or even the basic 5 at home, we just watch movies and netflix, so have having 70 cable channels was just the ticket during nap time. We brought games and played games with my two sisters and brother in law almost every night, it was such a different trip, but so, so enjoyable.

Ethan loved playing in the water at the beach and at the pool. My little boy is fearless, he let the waves pummel him, jump in the pool going all the way under and would just scream with joy, he is a water baby, we need to get him in lessons for sure!

Tyson and I went out to a Japanese Sushi Steakhouse place, it was seriously the best seafood I have ever tasted, and so fun to try new things. I've been getting way into Zumba, and my sis went with me to a Zumba class, it was a riot, the Hawaiians taught us white girls to hula and shake those hips... we just laughed and had a great time!

So, we came back, got back to life in the cold, and got right to work on finishing our basement. In fact, its being taped, mudded, textured and sanded on Monday. Then we get to paint, carpet and have a real basement! We've been in our home for just a little over 2 1/2 years and this is milestone we have really been looking forward to. And it will be getting finished just in time to put our back yard in this summer, then this old bank repo might just start shaping up!

I can't believe its March, those first two months went by so fast, but all the better, closer to spring and summer. We are planning on going camping and Tyson turns 30 in July, so I'm working on some big celebrations for his big three zero!

A Post... I can't believe it, an Actual Post!

Well, I haven't updated in months, and months, and I have really decided that I love reading blogs, but I'm not great at posting on my own. I keep a journal for myself and my son, and I scrapbook. I think possibly one of my siblings, and one of my sisters in law are the only actual family members that read my blog. I wanted to post pictures and update for the grandparents, but creating a gmail account and signing in to view the blog is too difficult, so they don't look at it either.

I think blogging is a fantastic way for all of us to stay in touch, and keep up on the up and up, so I think I will make my blog public again, and move forward with just that in mind, and if I'm not great about updating, please forgive me, I'm asking this way in advance. It has been so much fun to see all of your families grow and see how you all are doing, so thank you for updating and staying in touch!

I'm hoping to post a pic here and there, and maybe I'll recommend a great recipe or movie. So here's to a new take on the blog, thanks for reading if there are any of you left... Hope you all are having a great start to the new year! Dani