Love to love blogs:

So, just like my mom, I love the blog world. I’m afraid, however, that the blogs I know about are just the tip of the iceberg.Pitt started an outdoor blog in conjunction with his kayak school, so be sure to check this one out too! I love his title: Ridge Tops, River Bottoms. I just wanted to share some of the great blogs that I love to check out. I am SO glad I don’t have to plan a wedding…just because then I would be spending days and days clicking thru all the wedding blogs out there. I love checking out the wedding trends! These photographers are amazing and the details (and moolah $$$$) that go into these events just have my eyes dancing! Here are some links to a variety of blogs I love-photography, stationery, design, clothing, girl-power, weddings, projects and design. Did you know even the White House has a blog? Don’t let your blog die! Keep posting, I’m reading!! Go to any of these blogs and they have so many other blogs on their blogrolls that we will never be able to read them all. But I will die trying!

• Michael Norwood Photography
• Style Me Pretty
• Hello Lucky
• Amy Wenzel Photography
• Feathered Nest
• Athleta Blog
• Elements of Style
• Apartment 34

Fun times with Suz

Suzie came to visit us from Las Vegas last week. It was about a year ago that I went to visit her and let her be the first one the know that we were having a baby. There’s something really great about having a sister.  It is a relationship that no matter the ups and downs, it always ends in friendship. Suz and I are great friends. We talk on the phone and share our successes and problems. I loved being able to call her to talk about being pregnant when no one else knew. It was our little secret! I get great ideas from her-mostly for good shopping deals and dinner ideas. She is a great homemaker AND full-time teacher. Well, we had a lot of fun hanging out with Emmett, shopping, and crafting. We also met Aaron’s family at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. If you’ve never been, you should go! It definitely did not disappoint. I’m excited to share our cute, cute project that we worked on. I just haven’t finished it quite yet. But it is so cute and worth the anticipation. Thanks for coming to see us Suz! I loved having you here!

If you look closely, you will see that Emmo spit-up right down her shirt! Yuk! It was hilarious though!

Wrap it up!

Everyone loves Lettuce Wraps right? I know I do! I love them the most from P.F Chang’s and California Pizza Kitchen. The first time I met Winston (my sister’s hubby) I was eating CPK lettuce wraps, they looked so good Winston asked to try some off my plate. That’s when I knew we would always be friends! I’m always eating off other people’s plates, so if Winston was ok with that, then I was ok with him marrying my only sister.

Well, why not save yourself $40 dollar bill at a restaurant and make them at home?! I tried this recipe last week and I loved it! I want to make them every week now. I thought they would be kinda tricky and take me forever in the kitchen, but seriously…15 minutes and we were ready to sit down to dinner. Oh so good! You have to try them! PS I don’t take pictures of my food, it never does it any justice.

Click here for the recipe I used. I did a few things different. I didn’t have rice wine vinegar, so I just used white vinegar. No hot mustard or sesame oil…no prob! I just put sesame seeds into the special sauce instead. And you can’t leave out the rice noodles! Sprinkle them on top of your wrap, they add such a good crunch. I hope you try and enjoy this easy meal.

Growth Tracker: 3 months

Emmett is now 3 months! I can’t even put into words how much we love this little guy!

What a darling little face! He smiles a lot and is working on laughing.

Compare to 2 months old:

Compare to 1 month old:

Compare to 10 days old:

What have we been up to? Just life: here it is…

Buddy Bear enjoying his Bumbo:

Numb-heads! Our trip to the dentist, we both had to get some cavities filled before we lose our dental insurance this week. Fun, fun!

Our buddy Jose is here to visit. We’ve been up to nothing but trouble.

New Year, New you!

That seems to be the catch phrase right now. Even though it is a week into the New Year, I’m finally getting around to making my resolutions. I find if I write them down and put them somewhere I can see them often, it really helps. I hang mine on the inside of my cereal cupboard.

• Get back to my pre-baby weight…and then some. How? Exercise!
• Sing in the shower. Why? I think it’s fun and I don’t do it enough.
• Visit teach every month. Ready Kirsten?!
• Learn something new…Photoshop perhaps.
• Document life: journal, scrapbook, photos…etc.

There you have it! It is  now recorded for all to see. Good luck with your resolutions too! May this New Year bring much happiness and many opportunities for growth! And just for fun a picture of Emmett and Pitt, I caught them having a casual conversation one night before bed.

Christmas catch-up

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Growth Tracker: 2 months

We’re watching him grow right before our very eyes! He’s a trooper!!

10 lbs 2 ounces (16th %) and 23 inches long (54%)

For comparison, check out the previous months here. We love our Emmett!!

Emmett’s Blessing Day

It was a very special Sunday for our family. I’ve been to many baby blessings and they are always uplifting, but nothing compares to seeing your own baby in white cradled in your husband’s arms surrounded by loving family and friends. The blessing Pitt gave him was beautiful and Pitt sounded so calm, even when Emmett cried out a couple times. My favorite moment is always when the circle disperses and the father holds up his baby to show off. Pitt did that and in that moment they both melted my heart. This little baby has brought so much gratitude to my heart. Every day he makes me smile (and sometimes, cry). He is so precious. I love to watch him wiggle, squirm, eat, sleep and make Pitt laugh. It was fun to have people over at our house afterwards. We are skipping our Christmas Party this year and so this little gathering took its place. Thanks to everyone who came and supported us. I love our ward and was proud to finally introduce our little guy to that loving ward family. It is fun to show the baby to the Primary kids and YW (the 2 groups I worked with this year). I think most of them forgot that I was ever pregnant, even though they asked me so many questions about it. So, when they see that I have a new baby it reminds them…Oh ya! She had a baby! They love looking at him. Little children are so genuine. Thanks to my Aunt Kimberly for the beautiful baby blanket that she hand knitted (or crocheted-I don’t know the difference, sorry).

Isn’t he handsome!

{introductions}

Some big introductions have happened lately for my baby. Emmett met Aunt Suzie and Uncle Winston in St. George a couple weeks ago. He will have so much fun with them! Between Suz’s relentless teasing and Winston’s constant jokes and laughing, it’s always entertaining. Thanks for coming to St. George to meet him!

That same weekend he got to meet my Grandparents-Evan and Jean, who are completely amazing! I could just see in their eyes how much they love him already! In fact, when Grandpa first picked him up Emmett burst into a big smile. Grandma loved holding him and kept saying “He is just so cute” and “What a doll!”

We also introduced Emmett to nature. We presented him Simba style at Snow Canyon. The red rocks in contrast to the beautiful blue sky were so amazing!

Pitt carried him in the Baby Bjorn and Emmett was fast asleep very quickly. We are so excited to share our love of the outdoors with our little boy, we couldn’t do it soon enough!