4th of July

This 4th of July my sisters both came to Malad and brought all the kids. We only get together like this once or twice a year so it was really fun to see all the cousins together. Kam had a blast with them.

All the cousins. I am so glad Kam turned around in this one just in time for me to catch how excited he was.

Kam looking at the horses. He loved them!

priceLESS

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture is definately worth that, maybe more. I love Kam's face in it. It sums him up. Proud and happy are the first 2 words of thousands that come to mind.

gourmet...cupcakes :]]

So one morning, at 7:15 I woke up to Kam staring at me holding cupcake papers. I knew that it was going to be a fun day from the get go. Well it turns out he didn't have anything to make them except the paper things. So we made a trip to the store, got the necessary items, and baked our little hearts out. He was the happiest little boy ever that day. It was also the night before a trip to Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Phil's house so he was able to take some to Grandpa Phil for his birthday. You better believe he held them the whole way to Pocatello.

what is LOVE

The other day Kam and I were playing around and Kam looked up and said "I love you mommy!" I smiled and said "Well I love you too Kam!" We kept going back and forth with I love yous and so I decided to ask him "What does love mean?" Without skipping a beat he looks right at me and says "Me and you!" I almost started crying. I know that my little boy is someone special, but sometimes the things he says and does just blow me away. Thank you Kam, for everything you do.

viva LAS VEGAS

I was able to have a little me time this September, and where better to have that time than in Vegas?! I had never been before and after going I asked myself "why did I wait 22 years?" It was very hot and very crowded, but it was a blast! I got to see some really cool things, eat some really good food, pay wayyy too much for a bottle of water and cross off #12 on the bucket list, get a tattoo in sin city. Here are just a few pictures from the very long weekend!

...my lil cowboy...

Kam has decided that he is going to be a cowboy. Living with Grandma and Grandpa triggered this idea, that I am sure of. Kam loves to ride the horses, watch rodeos, feed the steers, and has decided that when he is a "really big boy" he will ride bulls. I am fine with everything except for that last part. Just the thought of him on a bull scares me. If this idea sticks around, I just hope we have great insurance on him. We may need it.

SUPERheroes don't need capes...just mommy to KISS owies better

Since Kam and I have been living in Idaho we are quickly finding out that there isn't much to do on Sunday. (Besides church...if you know me you know that doesn't work into my schedule.) Kam and I found out just as quickly that the park offers endless amounts of FREE entertainment! We usually go for a few hours, or until it gets dark. It is a good opportunity for Kam to play with other kids and for myself to read and relax...in between really big pushes on the swing set. Well one day Kam being the little boy that he is decided that he might be able to fly. Off the merry go round. Unfortunately Kam left his cape at home and it made for very undesirable flying conditions. Once he settled down and we got the sand out of every crack and crevice on him he did what any superhero would do, got a "big kissy" from mommy and ran to get back on. This time however, he was very aware that he needed a few more flying lessons before launching.

Ohh where tO even begin?!?!

I cannot believe the little person Kam has and still is becoming. He has the biggest heart ever and a smile that makes me melt. Everyday he amazes me. Every mother thinks their child is the smartest one on the planet, and well I am no different! Some of the things he says I just can't believe! He knows his colors and shapes, we are working on counting and he knows every animal that there is. His biggest obsession right now is tractors. Yellow ones, red ones, green or blue. Doesn't matter he LOVES them! He has also found a favorite song...Big Green Tractor by Jason Aldean...go figure. Kam is a very special guy and I hope that he continues to grow and learn with everyday. I see so much potential in him. I am a very proud and lucky mommy!

It has been too long!

Ok it has been forever since I have posted anything and it is lonnggggg overdue! Where to even begin . . . A lot has changed for Kam and I since the last post. We are currently living back in Idaho and couldn't be happier. My job is awesome enough to transfer me to a store closer to family, which was much needed! Kam is quite the personality lately. I love spending time with him. His vocabulary is so big and he is such a smart little boy. He has become the apple of Grandpa's eye since we have been in Idaho. His favorite thing to do is ride the tractor with Grandpa, help Grandpa with chores, ride the four wheeler with Grandpa, well really do anything with Grandpa. He never wants to come inside at night, until that is Grandpa does too. :]]

EGGstravaganza

I know this post is a little late, but oh well it made it on here! We decorated eggs for Easter and Kam had sooo much fun. The egg decorating kit didn't come with all the color tablets though so we only had pink and green. Good thing Kam is so easy to please. He didn't mind a bit.

owies are owie....

Kam managed to slam his finger in a door pretty good awhile back. The door unfortunately won, Kam's nail did not.
Door: 1 Fingernail: 0
This happened 4 weeks ago (at least). When you are 2 though owies tend to linger. He is convinced that he needs to wear a band aid still. It's not consistent though. He mostly decides it is necessary when he looks down and notices it. I had to get a picture of the band aid extravaganza on this particular day though. He is wearing one on the thumb that got smashed and one on his hand that a coloring book fell on. Yes, it does have Jesus all over it too. We ran out of Toy Story, so Jesus had to suffice. Later that night I was having a hard time getting Kam to bed. He was making all sorts of excuses. "Chocolate milk all gone" "Dropped Teddy" but my favorite is "Might need medicine" I looked down at eyes full of tears and asked "What do you need medicine for? Are you sick?" "Owies are owie!" I couldn't help but giggle. I had no idea a coloring book could hurt a hand so badly.

making time for myself

I realized the other day that sometimes you need to make a little time for yourself. It is sometimes too easy to get caught up in all the chaos that we call life. Being a single working mom it can be especially hard. Recently I have found 2 things that I enjoy doing for myself though! (Thank heaven! I think I was driving the people around me crazy.)

Working out and paper crafts.

After moving to Utah my lifestyle changed a little since I didn't know anybody really and everything I was used to was 300 miles away. So I bought a yoga DVD. One small step for Mattie one giant improvement for Mattie's health. Kam and I started doing yoga every night before bed and I started to realize how much I enjoyed it! Not to mention how much I enjoyed watching Kam try to do the poses, not that I looked much more graceful, but that is beside the point. After about a month of doing the yoga every night I started to look into ways to eat healthier. That eventually led to me throwing out every ounce of junk food in my house and becoming a calorie counting freak and protein shake fanatic. Shortly after came the gym, then the personal trainer, and then some new workout clothes to stay motivated. You get the picture though. I can honestly say yoga was my gateway drug for a healthier lifestyle! Looking back I can't believe how much I didn't care about myself. I love living a healthy and active lifestyle and hope that I can set a great example for Kam.

Now for the paper crafts....this is becoming an addiction. I used to do them a lot with my older sister April, but then it gradually took a back burner to other things. I discovered that one of my friends in Utah is very much into them, so, I was intrigued. GIRLS NIGHT! After a trip to Robert's that was supposed to take 10 minutes, but turned into 60 because we were practically skipping down aisles, we headed back to my house to craft. And craft we did! I still need to get better at it, I'm a little rusty. Here are some pictures of the event. I hope we can do more soon! I'm hooked!

No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap

There is something about a sleeping child that can make your heart melt. No matter how old Kam gets I will still sneak into his room after he falls asleep to kiss him on the cheek.

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living,

My baby you'll be.

THE little THINGS

Being a mom is definitely the most rewarding job ever. One thing that I absolutely love about it is that the little things are a big deal to them. Every meal can be a science experiment, every walk to the park is an adventure, and you celebrate every holiday no matter how big or small. I know the picture isn't that great but I tried my hardest to get one of Kam wearing green for St. Patricks Day. He has been learning about colors a lot lately so he was very excited to wear a lot of green that day. I tried explaining to him that this is the only day of the year it is ok to pinch people....I don't know that he quite understood it completely.

.::cELeBrAtE::.

Kam is officially a toddler. I can't beleive how fast time can go by. He is quite the little personality these days and has came a long way from that little guy that was born at 2:52 in the morning in the midst of a terrible snow storm. He got more toys than he even knows what to do with! Tool benches, clothes, trucks, giant floor puzzles, and a lot more. The highlight was definately the Nemo cake. He was so excited and could hardly wait to eat it. It has been the most fulfilling 2 years of my life to watch him grow, learn and most importantly love. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

embrace lifes [[messes]]

12 dozen eggs down....
little stinker

the culprit.....

as messy as it was, he still looks very cute (even covered in powder)

a very proud Kam and a very big mess