An Amazingly Awesome Arave August!

Where has this blogging slacker been, you might ask?? Well, since you asked...........


Here is our month in review!
(Sorry about the length!)
(I seem to say that a lot!)
(I can't help it if my family is so cute and I can't leave a single picture out!)
(Please realize that it took me a couple days to make this post, so don't feel bad if it takes you a couple days to read it!)
:)

Nelson and I celebrated our third anniversary on August 3!! What a wonderful three years it has been! When I think back to our wedding day, it seems so long ago but yet not so long ago at the same time. I remember thinking as we were married that there was no possible way I could love my sweet husband anymore. Well, my heart must have grown three sizes too big because here we are three years later and my love has just sky-rocketed for my husby!! Once my mother-in-law said that she hoped her other two boys could find wives that love them as much as I love Nelson. What a sweet thing to say. I really do love Nelson so incredibly much. What a blessing he is! Here's to eternity together!

Ready to go to our anniversary dinner!

Unfortunately, Nelson was at school for 10 hours on our anniversary working on this monster:

What is that? I asked myself the same question every day for three weeks while my poor husband was at school all. day. long.

It is a life-size model of a section of a pavilion! The end result was really awesome!
Ashton and I attended the final presentation and I'm pretty sure Ashton earned his daddy some brownie points with the professor. She thought Ashton was so cute and he kept flashing his flirty smile and batting his eyelashes at her. Good boy, Ashton! Way to help Dad ace his way through architecture school! :)

Here is our cute boy ready to go for a stroll!

Standing up like a big boy!

Here's Ash with a couple of his cute little buddies!

We went swimming with a couple of friends at their community lake...it was a blast! Ashton wanted to go deeper and deeper. He was fearless!

Mommy's little helper!

Eating dinner after a long, fun day in the sun!

We also went to Splash Park, which was a blast! Ashton kept reaching his hand into the water, causing it to spray him in the face. He would scream in delight, pull his hand away, then repeat.

Nelson had a three-week break between semesters and we PACKED those weeks full of fun! Since we drive through Ashton every time we go home to Idaho, we decided to stop and take some pictures!

Ashton, you are the coolest! You have a town named after you!! ;)

Ashton and Daddy-o!

Ashton and Mommy!

Cute boy!!

We went to the zoo! Ashton loved seeing all the different animals, especially those {stinky!} monkeys! (Seriously. If you have been to the IF zoo lately you know what I'm talking about!)

Monkey!

Ashton kept trying to get this monkey's attention. Ash has a stuffed monkey friend at home that he loving refers to as "Key," so he took an immediate liking to the monkeys who were actually alive!

Ashton and Daddy looking at the otter!

My favorite: ZEBRAS!

Sweet little Olivia holding Ash! Livvy is Nelson's cousin's daughter and she is the cutest!

Mommy and Ashton by the tiger!

It is a requirement to take pictures on the cool lion. :) Doesn't Ashton look like he is riding a bull?? He is a true cowboy at heart!

Isn't Ava's face priceless?? Yay! We love the zoo!

Ashton loves roaming around Grandpa and Grandma's house! He doesn't have much room in our apartment, so he is super excited to explore!

My little helper emptying the diaper bag! Thanks buddy!

We went to a ward party and someone had carved this fruit basket! Amazing!

Ashton's new thing is pretending everything is a cell phone. Sometimes when he is playing by himself I will glance over and see him with a mega block pressed to his ear, listening intently. It is the CUTEST!

Ashton with his Uncle Caleb!

They just love each other!

Cute cousins playing on the stairs!

While we were visiting, we had the opportunity to meet some people Nelson's parents met on their mission in Russia. This is Ira! She was visiting America for a couple of months and I'm so glad we were able to spend some time together! She is just the sweetest and as you can tell, Ashton loved her! It was so interesting to hear how a member of the Church lives in Russia.

These two guys are going to BYU and served their missions in Russia while Tom and Pat were there. Ashton thought they were hilarious!

On Saturday we had a fun picnic, went swimming at Ross Park, and then to the Indian Relay Races at Fort Hall! What a fun day!

My TWINS!! Aren't they soooo handsome??

Ashton listening to some tunes with Uncle Caleb!

Playing in the grass!

The whole gang eating lunch!

Ashton thought it might be ok to just dig right in! Haha!

The boys playing basketball!

I have a love/hate relationship with the relay races. They are so exciting to watch, but at the same time I am so worried someone will get hurt I almost can't bear to watch!

Tom, my dad, Mike, Nelson, Ira, me, Caleb and Ashton!

After our fun trip was over, we drove back to Montana, re-cooperated for one day, and set off on our next adventure:

SALMON!!!
My oldest brother, Derek and his wife Brandy flew into Bozeman from Orlando. It was so fun to see them! My other brother, Carl and his wife Laura drove up from Provo and my Mom and her husband came from Helena. It is very rare that we are all together so this was really a fun opportunity.

It was absolutely gorgeous up there!

Ashton with his very favorite person: Aunt Brandy. Ashton has a thing for blondes and was a perfect angel in the car because beautiful Brandy was sitting next to him!

My brother, Derek, and me posing! :)

Hanging out upside-down!

This is an inside joke with my family...of all the senior pictures my brother took in high school, my mom chose the one with him posing just like this to blow up the biggest! Haha! We will never let him live this one down!

Nelson, me, Ashton, Laura, Carl, Mom, Kamren (my brother's friend who decided to jump in the picture!), Derek, and Brandy. Sure love my family!!

Ashton sitting on a stool just his size!



The most exciting thing that happened in August, however, was
ASHTON'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!
Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was so wonderful to celebrate our little guy with two fun parties!

First we had a party in Blackfoot with Nelson's family!

We made ice cream cone cupcakes {yum!},

and homemade pizza!

Our sweet birthday boy opening his presents!

I love this face! Ohhh, mega blocks! :)

Ashton liked the wrapping paper better than the presents! Typical, right??

Someone get this hat off of me! :)

Here comes the best part of every one-year-old's first birthday: CAKE!

Ashton wasn't sure what to do at first. He kept touching the icing and rubbing his fingers together. Nelson guided his hand towards his face and once he got a taste of chocolate, he knew what to do!!

Mommy and Daddy love you so so so much Ashton!!

Ashton with his grandparents!

Sharing with Grandpa Brad! Ashton loves to share anything he is eating with anyone who will take it! He is such a sweet little guy!

Want some cake, Uncle Caleb? :)

Ashton with his great-great-aunt Lois and great-grandma Colleen!

Nelson's cousin's adorable daughters Siena and Olivia!

Ashton with his great-aunt Gay and great-uncle Ken! Ashton was experiencing his very first sugar high by this time and thought Ken was hilarious!!

Uncle Rhett and LoriAnn! Ashton is eyeing Rhett's cupcake!

Aunt Tara and cousin Ava! Now Ashton is covered from head to toe and is feeling very full. Ava is wondering if she can have a bite....

Olivia in my heels! She is my mini-me!

Time for a bath!

Ashton is convinced that chocolate is good for the hair! That face cracks me up!

Ashton's second party was in Bozeman with my family!

Our little family!

My mom and Doc!

Brandy and my crazy brother! :)

Happy little guy!

Looking at the menu..... ;)

Happy Birthday to you!

We only let Ashton sample this cake!

Happy 1st Birthday Ashton Jay!!

As I look back upon this past year, my heart is filled to brim with happiness. I have always known that parents have a huge impact on their children, but I did not realize the monumental impact that children have on their parents. I have learned so much being Ashton's mother and I know that this growing will continue. I've learned lessons of patience, of quick forgiveness, of happiness, of pure joy, of sacrifice, of endurance. As I have grown closer to Nelson and Ashton, I have grown closer to my Father in heaven. Our home has been filled with Ashton's sweet little spirit and every day I am uplifted.

It was so odd to say things like, "A year ago at this time I was having contractions!" or "Ashton was only two days old this time last year!" Being a mother was truly a dream come true for me, my highest aspiration. What a wonderful opportunity to raise a child!

Right after Ashton was born, I was filled with anxiety. Those after-birth hormones probably contributed to my anxious feelings. I was constantly worried that I wasn't doing enough for Ashton. Soon I learned that the perfect parent only exists in Heavenly Father. When other mothers ask for advice with newborns, I always say PRAY!!! At those times when Ashton would cry and cry, I would pray for guidance. I would pray for strength. I would pray for comfort for Ashton. I would pray for the Spirit to help me be the best mother to our precious boy. And still today, I pray for these same things. My testimony of prayer has grown because of our little Ashton.

What a special bond our family shares. My love for Nelson grew in a new way as I watched him be a father. Ashton is the biggest blessing!! We love his sweet smile and flirty giggle. We love his curiosity and excitement for life. We love his sweet kisses and hugs. We love his ability to forgive his parents so easily. We love the way he babbles on and on in his loud voice. We love the way he calls Nelson "Dada" and me "Mom-mom." We love the way he folds his sweet hands for prayer. We love how others are drawn to him and he rewards them with a big smile. We love everything about him and couldn't be happier that he is ours!

Happy happy birthday to my sweet boy!! Your parents are so proud of you and are eternally grateful you are in our family! Let's keep learning and growing together, helping one another along our journey back to Heavenly Father.