Jacob's 2nd Birthday

Yesterday was Jacob's 2nd Birthday!  We love our little man so much.  It is crazy how much he has changed this last year!  We were so happy to be able to celebrate him all day and how grateful we are that he is a member of our family.  

In the morning Jacob and I headed to the park.  It was so hot.  But Jacob had a good time - the slides are his favorite!

That evening we went downtown and picked up some Cafe Rio and picked up Mark from work.  Then we headed home for some birthday celebrating.  We ate our dinner and then had birthday cake and ice cream. 

Afterwards we were able to open cards and presents.  We have such wonderful family and Jacob loved all of his cards and presents.  He couldn't wait to open everything and figure out how it all works!  It is so much fun to watch how his little mind works.  

We had a great day and we are so grateful for this little man in our family.  He makes us incredibly happy.

We love you Jacob!

Here are some of Jacob's favorite things:

Balloons

Giving "Loves"

Balls

ALL Fruit

"This little piggy..." on his Toes

Bunnies + Birds

Tickling his Daddy
"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" Song

"Stars" Book

We hope you had a great birthday buddy!  

We can't wait to celebrate more this weekend!!!

Craft Time

The last couple of months Jacob has gotten more and more into "crafts."  And by "crafts" I mean coloring and playing with stickers :)

I have a purple container, which is the "craft box," that I keep in Jacob's closet.  He loves to take it down and sit at the table and color.  He cracks me up how he lines up his crayons and does a little scribble with each color and then moves it into another pile.  

Basically, I think he is adorable and I am happy that we can sit across from each other at the table and work on our separate "crafts."  

Love this little boy.

Father's Day

I love holidays!  And I love that yesterday we had the opportunity to spoil and love even more on the father's in our life.  

This man is a great father!  I love watching him be a Dad.  I love the man that he is.  I love that he wants and is involved so much in Jacob's life.  I love that he wants to be apart of the decisions in how we raise our children.  I love the example that he sets.  I can't wait to see him continue his role as a father with this little girl that will be coming our way.  She is one lucky girl to get him as a Dad - and Jacob is already a very lucky boy.  

We also enjoyed spending the day talking with my Dad and Gus.  They are both such great men and great father's to Mark and I and amazing grandfathers to Jacob.  We are so lucky to have such wonderful men in our lives.  

Happy Father's Day!

New Normal

Mark is already in his third week of his first rotation - can you believe that?!  I can't.  Time is moving so fast.  But I think we have moved into our new normal pretty smoothly.  Mark is gone more than he used to be but when he is home - it is awesome.  I love that we can just relax and snuggle and watch a movie or play a game or read in bed together - just being able to go to bed together is awesome!  I love that he isn't up until two or three every night and can just relax.  I am liking the new normal.  

Plus, our new normal means that we can have more moments like this...

Melts my heart...the boys just snuggling reading books!

Then I just need to add this picture because I think it is too funny.  I was having a meeting the other day and Jacob was hiding out in his bedroom the entire time (which is usually what he does when there are "new" people around).  This is how I found him once they had left...

I love how he is completely content to just sit and look at his books (never mind the box of toys he dumped out!) but that he has also made a stack of the books he has looked at.  Love this boy. 

Assistant Beehive Advisor

Yesterday I got a new calling in my ward!  I am so excited and nervous all at the same time.  It has been almost two years since I've been the Primary Pianist and so I am excited to get a change and dive into something new.  

I was called to be the Assistant Beehive Advisor.  I am a little nervous because I haven't been in Young Women's since I was in Young Women's which although wasn't actually that long ago - it sure feels like it!  I am trying to understand the new curriculum and how it is taught and read up on what works and what doesn't work.  It will be a good challenge for me and I think will actually be really good for me - and of course, I just want to get to know and serve the girls in our ward.  

I am excited!

WOOT WOOT!

Temple Tour

Yesterday our Primary organized a tour at the Denver Temple.  I was so excited to go down as a family and learn more about our temple.  I knew that they did official tours at Temple Square but I didn't know that it was something that could be organized at other temples.  

It was such a neat experience to be able to walk around the temple grounds and learn about the symbolism on the outside of the temple and learn of the experiences of the members and leaders of the Church during the process of building and dedicating the temple.  At one point in the tour, they invited us to reverently go up to one of the sides of the temple and touch it and make a promise that we would go inside someday and make the temple a priority in our life.  Even though Jacob is too young to understand what we were doing - someday he will be and I hope he decides to make that goal for himself.  

We are so grateful to have such a beautiful temple close to us.  I've had a picture of the Denver Temple in Jacob's room ever since he was born and now he loves pointing at it.  Temples are such a sacred place, even on the grounds, and I am so glad that because of what goes on inside, my little family can be together forever.