2010 Goals

After reading my friend Tori's list of goals for 2010, I found myself trying to think of my own goals: Tori I love you! hahaha

1. Always look hot. Wash my hair only once a week so I can do super cute curls and they won't fall out!

2. When I get hungry, chew on a lemon peel. No swallowing!

3. Must have my eyelashes curled at all times. I don't ever want to be caught in 2010 without perfectly pumped lashes.

4. Pedicure every 3 weeks. I want a flower, a gem, or super cute stickers of kittens on my big toe at all times in case anyone sees my feet.

5. Compliment my husband more. I hear that if you compliment someone about something you want them to be, they will eventually BECOME that way. I am going to start with "You clean so well and so often," Next will be "You always buy me things. Thanks for always buying me things"

6. Teach Ethan the importance of taking care of his body. I am going to take him to the gym with me or have him start lifting little things around the house. Nothing big, but just teach him how to do curls and sit-ups. It's important that he understands the significance of looking good.

7. Buy more shoes that I can't afford. Even if I have to charge them all to credit cards, I think that nice shoes make a huge difference to a person's overall outfit. People will think I am rich if I wear nice shoes so I will take out loans if I must to impress people!

8. Only eat foods that start with the letter C. Califlower, Carrots, Cottage Cheese, Cranberries, Cucumbers, Celery, Corn and Crabmeat. The only C words that don't count are Chocolate, Cupcakes, Cake, Candy, Cheese, and Cherries.

9. Lose the baby weight in 3 weeks. I will run everyday if I have to, but I swear to lose all 35 lbs in 3 weeks or I will burn all of my clothes, including all my nice new shoes.

10. Last but not least, Follow every single fashion and health trend that comes along this year. I will double dose my HCG shots with a prune juice cleanse, while having fake eyelash extensions put on after tattooing my eyebrows black and cutting my hair into a super adorable Kate Gosselin Bobcut, wearing thigh high snakeskin peep-toe boots!

Gosh, This is gonna be a great year!!!!

Oh, I almost forgot! I am going to name my child Jessica Simpson no matter what the gender! YAY!

Mexico- Shmexico! Lots of Guacamole!!

Mexico luckily was filled with beautiful weather and lots of great company. Steve and I were going going non-stop taking advantage of every minute without the babe. It wasn't all fun and games though... I did get very sick on a boat ride to the island of Cozumel and cried the first three days just thinking about our fabulous boy Baby Ethan... but from the amazing Hotel, to the breathtaking snorkeling, it was an incredible and memorable trip!



After taking scooters around the island of Cozumel we stopped at this little resort to play around a bit.




Guacamole and Chips... what else?

Coba - Mayans built these towers and carved their calendar into stones. recognize this one? "2012" Hmmm... END OF THE WORLD!




Steve at the top of the tallest tower

Tulum







Carrrrr Sick... I made Julie take a picture of this because it is how I spent most of the trip... argggh

Snorkeling in AkuMal at Ya-kul. Unreal. Dori, Nemo... and a Lobster!





Steve swimming down into the caves



Saw ALOT of fish that looked sorta like this...



The "Lobby" of our hotel. Seriously?! I know... we didn't belong there haha



Welcome Home Mama and Dad!!!!

I wanna be like.... Marilyn

I just received my weekly San Diego Fashion Newsletter. It always has a fun fact about a famous model, celeb or designer. This week, it included

"Did You Know.... Marilyn Monroe used to wash her face up to 15 times a day. When at home, she applied vaseline or olive oil on her face, she believed that this was the way for her face to remain fresh and young."

I'm on day 4 of my vaseline and olive oil facial applications. Things seem to be going well! The 3 deep wrinkles I usually have on my forehead are almost non-existent today! Other than my forehead I don't really have deep lines to practice this on... but if Marilyn did it... hell, so will I!!!

My Fabulous Boy is Fabulously One Year Old!!!

Ethan's Sand Castle Cake!!!!



honestly.. I dunno why I made a pig but it totally made it onto the cake, along with the chicken and sheep??

Julie's Awesome Crab

Sierra the Sea Horse also attended the party... with Sally the Sea Slug and Sylvia the sand dollar! All of Ethan's Friends were there!!







We kicked off Ethan's 1st Birthday out at dinner with Grandpa Dave, Grandma Jo and Aunt Jolee! Ethan was super excited to open his presents but waited patiently til we got home...

Now that he is "of age" he can have sugary drinks and he LOVED it!

October - Marathon Weekend

Rushie, Paige, Ethan and Mr. Bentley all made it to the finish line is style while Grandpa lead the way!
`tober
Steve and I right after finishing the race with my new friend Darren Rowley. Darren and I ran together for much of the race.


Steve crossing the f

SO HOT... even in super shorts!






So rude that I would take a picture, but there is just something I can't resist about crying babies!


Mr. B and the Evil Chuckling Pumpkin




Ethan LOVES his aunts, uncles and cousins!!!

This One Is For Me...

If you and I aren't tight... this will bore you to the bone. This is really just for me... and maybe my mom. haha

As our car pulled into the parking lot of our apartment complex in St.George late that night, with no sound of ocean waves to lull us to sleep, just the passing by of fast cars and noisy semitrucks. No surfers in the morning doing what they live for, just the hustle and bustle of Life waking up and getting to work on time. No cool ocean breeze or mist to cool me down after a run, just the brisk mornings and blazing afternoon sun. Though living at the beach is a dream, after a week back in St.George, I am starting to forget about life in California.

After I put Ethan back down for a nap, I spent the morning reminiscing this same time last year. I was big as a house, uncomfortable, swollen yet I miss the anticipation of something great. I stand here in my apartment and remember how I used to wake up every morning and walk in to my "soon to be baby's room." I used to sit in the glider and hold a stuffed bunny rabbit my mother had given to "her newest (unborn) grandchild" for Easter, just after we found out I was pregnant. I would hold the bunny,wrapped in a blanket and just stare at his closet full of teenie tiny clothes given to us at the baby shower. I knew I was going to have a baby, but I did not realize the impact this funny little bump in my belly would have on my entire world.

The cold weather outside, the Halloween decorations, the week of pain like I had never felt before. Tucks pads, and normal pads, and crying for no reason. Trying so hard to take care of someone else yet needing someone to take care of me just as much. I remember thinking the pain would never end, and sleep would never come.

The smell of the Scentsy given to us last Christmas is warming in the other room, reminding me of the time Ethan was only 2 months old. Steve and I, tired and still clueless as to what we were doing. The smell of uncertainty, exhaustion and overwhelming responsibility. As I peek in Ethan's bedroom while he sleeps, with his legs all tucked up underneath him and his binkie in one hand, I feel so small, so worthless without him.

It is not until this day, a year later, have I missed those painful kicks to my ribs, the swollen ankles, taking hours to find something to wear, more specific, something to fit! I am so proud of the parents Steve and I have become and the Amazing child that has created us. Yes, I truly believe that Ethan has taught us and molded us into more patient, more loving, more grateful and thoughtful people.

Though I love falling asleep to the crash of waves, and waking up to the sight of dolpins, nothing will replace the feel of home, the start of this amazing thing we have called family. St.George is packed with people I adore, and people that I feel adore me. No sandy beach can compete with the excitement of bringing home a baby for the first time or being so close to so much family.

I wish I could have it all, yet I already feel I do.

- Journal Entry

October 6, 2009

Love Always & Forever, Andee

Wet Wipe Fiasco!

Ethan was getting tired so I thought it would be funny to wrap him up like old times. He fought it at first but as soon as I finished getting him wrapped his eyes rolled to the back of his head he took a deep breath and just fell asleep.
The pictures with me is only to show how big he is. I wish I could find some of the pictures of him wrapped up when he was tiny. Either way... what an adorable little burrito.





Okay, so the beachy pillows I ordered online got here and I wanted the beds to look all pretty for our next company so I set Ethan up with some toys while I made the beds.
Here is a look at the guest beds.




I came to check on Ethan and this is what I found...



56 Wet Wipes scattered around Ethan. This is the initial guilty look, but right after I put the camera down and said "Ethan..." he panicked and started ripping them out violently. like he was thinking " I gotta get to the bottom of this before she stops me!!"
It was super cute because I know he was just curious, but I was still super annoyed that I had to either throw them all away or have to refold them.



I decided to refold them.

He stayed by his toy bin and watched me clean it up and when I looked back this is what I got...

Now how could I be mad at that?!?! blowing bubbles and cheering to me for cleaning up!

Kevin and Rachel to Ourselves for a Whole Weekend!

Our friends Kevin and Rachel came down with their baby Claire last weekend. Claire is only a week younger than Ethan so it makes it a lot of fun to hang out with these guys, since they are going through all the same things as us. Ethan and Claire made each other so happy! Ethan would wake up in the morning with a huge grin on his face while he searched for Claire! While Claire would try to sneak into his room when he went down for naps.



They had so much fun together!



We cruised around on the bikes a lot. It is such a stress relief to just cruise around in the ocean air. We ate at a lot of great Restaurants this weekend too. Cafe 101, The Longboarder (our favorite), Maui Wowi for fabulous smoothies, and Steve and I ended the weekend with endless shrimp at Red Lobster! YUM. I'm like a thousand lbs heavier though. Totally worth it.





Top Gun House

Cruising on "The Strand" in front of our house.



We had a perfect beach week too. The surf was perfect, the weather was perfect, and the beach seemed to always be at Low tide giving us lots of acrobatic room!
Here is a pic of Rachel being AWESOME!!! We couldn't get a pic of me doing one this weekend... but I promise I can do it, Thanks to Rachel. She was so brave and just whipped it out. I had no choice, I had to try even after running 16 miles earlier that morning!

Fun weekend with grandparents!

We took this cruiser out with all 6 of us packed in... Ethan had the nicest ride but that stinkin helmet was so heavy he finally just gave up and laid his head on the bar and tried to look out the corner of his eyes to see what was going on. He looked so adorable, he got a lot of whistles.


Steve's Grandma Janet, his dad Tim, mom Becky, Ethan and Steve and I squeezed in right between the two boys up front! sorry for making all of you do the pedaling!


Straight up Flinstone style... ha


Ethan and Grandma Janet. Two "Blue Eyed babes"




Bubbles!



Ethan and GRANDPA TIM!

Finding Nemo.. which played about 4 times that day.. I think all I know is I have the whole movie memorized

Summer Recap!

1ST TIME HOME ALL SUMMER!

We went home for the 24th of July festivities and Ethan had a blast playing with his cousin Paige, Aunt Reese, and Grandma! Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Dave came out to see us last weekend and for some reason, I can't find a single picture from the entire weekend! We loved having them here though I wish they could come a lot more often!






BOYS WEEKEND

Tim and Jeff came out to have a nice vacation and we put them to work!!
The three of those guys ripped 3 layers of shingles off my roof!! It was so impressive and so helpful!! Ethan LOVES LOVES LOVES playing with his Grandpa Tim and Uncle Jeff.








SURF AND TURF

Reese, Chris, Anna, Jolee, Jo, and my Dad came out for a weekend. EVERYBODY was out surfing, and did some Beach BBQ'n! Thanks so much for all your help cleaning and working that weekend, it was such a big help to Steve and I! It was great to have a few extra hands with Ethan too!





INSIDE-OUT WET-SUITS

Jeff, Julie, Kaulin and of course Mr. Bentley came out for the 4th of July on the beach. Though there were no fireworks, no biking and no driving, we sure had a lot of fun anyway! E misses the B man!






We have had a ton of visitors down here to see us through the summer and we are so grateful! We love having friends and family down here with us!