My Sexy Hard Working Man! Mmmm!

Nothing gets me like a sexy hard working man and I got just that! Mmmm! Ya know what they say about a man in uniform? ;-) Love you baby!

New Crafts!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My fun Valentine's project! I didn't finish it in time to display this year but I will have it for next year!

Me as a baby!

I got out my scrapbooks to find my newborn pictures to see if I looked like Saije and sure enough! It's crazy!

Baby Food

Just after Saije turned 6 months old, I decided it was time to start rice cereal again and introduce baby food. I don't know if you remember, but I first tried rice cereal when she hit the 4 month mark and she couldn't handle it at all! She would drink it in her bottle but she would end up throwing it all up. It did not settle well with her little belly. This time I didn't put it in her bottle. I mixed it in a bowl and tried spoon feeding it to her! BAD IDEA! That stuff smells aweful so I can only imagine what it tastes like! It can't be worse than formula though can it?! She spit it out faster than I could shovel it in! I was getting so frustrated! Granted it was only the VERY FIRST time I tried spoon feeding and she didn't know what to expect either, it was still frustrating. I opened a jar of bananas thinking she would like that because it's sweet and NO BUENO! First spoonful and she pulled a face like she just ate a sour patch candy!  WHAT THE HECK!? I finally just put the rice cereal she didn't finish into her bottle and a few spoons of bananas and she sucked it down. With that being said, it can't be the taste...it's just the overall experience of using a spoon and the texture of it being solid vs liquid. She'll get it!

Later that day I decided to give spoon feeding another try. This time I used sweet potatoes to mix with the rice cereal and HOLY CRAP she loved it! She downed it! So...my kid hates bananas and loves sweet potatoes! JUST LIKE HER MAMA! The next morning I tried doing the same thing with applesauce and she pulled the same face as she did with the bananas! What a weirdo...Oh well. We will keep experimenting until we find stuff she likes and will eat. Once she grasps the concept of the spoon we'll be golden. Until then.....lol

Date Night!

This last time Brogan was home, 2/21, Brogan and I left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and headed to Twin for a much needed date night. We don't get them very often! In fact, it was Grandma and Grandpa's idea! He took me to Sakura, a super nice Japanese restaurant where they cook your food in front of you and put on a show while they do it. For all you Utah readers, it's identical to Tepanyaki, or however you spell it. It was delicious! Then we went and picked up Bill and DeAnna, Brogan's old coworkers and really good friends (they are married) and we went to the bar for some drinks and socializing. Bill and Brogan used to play in dart leagues together back in the day so we ended up playing darts all night. Brogan and I on a team and Bill and DeAnna on a team. When I first started playing darts with Brogan I totally sucked. I'm not too bad now! I can actually aim and hit the number I want! YAY!

<3 KISSES! <3

I love this man! He's my rock and my world! Couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else!

SiLlY!

Ok...so we were all just hanging out at home and inevitably the camera came out! lol

Everyone was in a good mood and happy and smily! I love our little family! <3

Silly picture! THIS IS PRICELESS!

During all this, Saije sat up by herself for the first time! She was 5 months old at the time so it was due time for it to happen. I can't believe how big and strong she is getting!

The past month!

Every time we pick up Channing from his Mom's on Brogan's first day back in town, he is super clingy to Saije. You can tell her really really missed her. It is so sweet! He's always so full of loves and kisses for his baby sister <3

Channing loves Daddy's new truck!

Man...this girl...I tell you what...she makes me sooo happy!

Channing playing with the 3D glasses at Grandma and Grandmpas house.

Brogan is Channing's idol. Everything and anything he does, he wants to do also. Brogan and I both have electric toothbrushes so we go Channing one for Christmas too. He used to HATE brushing his teeth until we got that and now he gets ticked when you tell him he's done and take the toothbrush away! He wants to be just like his Daddy!

Saije still can't crawl forwards yet, but she sure can get in the position all by herself and rock back and forth. She's mustering up the courage to take the first "step" forward but she's doesn't quite have enough of that yet. Ha Ha. She can sure as heck crawl backwards though! GEEZE! Why can she go backwards but not forwards?!

Brogan is a Puma guy. All he buys is Puma shoes. When I saw this darling Puma outfit at TJMaxx I couldn't resist. I knew he'd be a proud Daddy when he saw this and he was! In fact, before Saije was even born he bought her a Puma jumpsuit. Ya know...the workout pants with matching track jacket? It is DARLING! But the smallest size he could find was 12 months so it will be another 5 months or so before she will be able to fit in it. Just yesterday, I bought Channing one also! They are normally $44 but it was on sale at Macy's for $17.99! I couldn't pass that up!

My "Mom", Cris Strank, sells these cute beanies at her craft boutique in Ogden called "The Ivy Cottage". Saije and I made a trip down there to attend my cousin's baby shower and we stopped in to pick up some new craft projects and to see Mama Cris! She gave this to Saije and she wore it the entire hour we were there. A customer walked in and saw her and was like "She is the cutest baby I've ever seen! That hat is darling! Where did you get it?" Cris was holding her at the time so she explained that she sells them right there in that store. The lady bought one! How's that for good advertising?! lol

Saije really needed an excersaucer because she LOVES to stand up and she loves grabbing things! At first she was really weirded out by the whole thing and would cry if I walked away from her while she was in it. Eventually she grasped the concept of it and learned how to turn herself around using her legs and now she loves it! Just this morning she sat in it and played for a good 45 minutes or so.

Alissa and I spent a day in Twin Falls at the mall and she got Saije this cute stuffed bunny. She slobbered and drooled on that dang thing the entire time we were at the mall and it was soaked by the time we were done!

We went to Micah's basketball practice and watched her and I learned something...my daughter is going to be a Pepsi addict like her Daddy and I! Ha Ha!

While Brogan was gone, I had a ladies night with my friend Megan. She came to town from Twin and we went out to the bar and chatted and had a good time with just the two of us. It was MUCH needed! I normally don't do a whole lot when Brogan is gone. I normally just hang out with his family, run errands, and stay at home with the little princess. It's nice to get out sometimes though and have some TLC with my girls! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for babysitting like always! <3

We always hit up Costco when Brogan comes home while we are in Twin Falls picking up Channing. Saije is getting too big for her car seat and it's such a pain to drag it in and out of stores all the time so we just left it in the truck and put her in the cart by herself. She did sooo good! She just kicked back and chilled the entire time!

Micah asked me to help her with her science project for the science fair so her and Alissa came over. While we were messing around with the experiment, Alissa gave Saije her first bath ever in the kitchen sink! I know ALOT of people who always do this when their babies are first born, but I never did. I always just bathed her in the bathtub. I have to admit. It was pretty dang cute because she isn't this tiny little baby anymore!

My friend Crystal hosted a little get together with a few of our girlfriends to craft and hang out. It was during Saije's naptime so I went and laid her down on Crystal and Fabian's bed. I walked in to check on her and this is what I saw! I take it she was REALLY comfortable! lol

This is our girl! Look at those precious cheekies and that priceless smirk on her face! It's funny because although she has NO genes shared with Brogan, she sure does pull alot of his same faces. Mommy and Daddy love you baby girl! Keep smiling! You're beautiful! <3

Valentine's Day!

I did it! I went back to platinum blonde! Thanks Alissa!

For Valentine's Day, since Brogan was gone and Channing wasn't with us, I got Saije a Valentine's shirt that says "I <3 Mom" and dressed her all in pink. I wore a pink shirt with a pink flower also and we had a girls day!

KISSES for my Valentine!

I also got Saije this stinkin' cute stuffed lady bug. It's way bigger than her but she loved it and still does! For Brogan, I mailed him a homemade card, rice krispie treats, Dove chocolates, and muddy buddies. He eats alot of gas station food and what not so I figured a taste of home would be nice! For Channing, I got him a cute little book called "Snuggle Puppy" and a heart shaped box of Carz chocolates.

I didn't get my Valentine's Day gift from Brogan until he came home the following week but I loved it. He got me a really touching Hallmark card, an electric vase with a rose in it that blooms in from of you and on the inside of the flower it says "Love you lots!", and something else I will not tell you about for your own good ;) It was really cute. Before Brogan left to go back to North Dakota I gave him a VERY serious spiel about buying me flowers on Valentine's Day. I said he will ABSOLUTELY NOT buy them! 1. They are outrageously expensive and only last a week 2. I want flowers randomly throughout the year and not just on Valentine's Day because he feels obligated to. 3. I'd rather take the cash and go shopping! Lol! He was good and didn't and I am so happy. Last time he bought me flowers before he proposed to me, he dropped $125 on them! WTF?! Flowers are too damn expensive for what they are!

Hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day with all those that you hold dear to your heart! I love you all!

Ronald Leroy Gransbury R.I.P

As I've mentioned before, Brogan's Dad passed away almost 3 years ago after a 9 year battle with Muscular Sclerosis. Not a day goes by that Ronnie doesn't cross Brogan's mind. He misses him so badly :( Unfortunately for me, I never got to meet him, but in a strange way I feel like I know him still. His photo hangs on our wall in our front room and at times, I swear I feel his presence. When Saije is in her crib and starts hysterically giggling for no reason, it really makes me wonder if she's closer to him than we think.

 On February 1st, during Brogan's week off, I asked him why he'd never taken me to his Dad's grave. It's only a few minutes away at the Paul Cemetary. He just looked at me and said "Because it's hard for me to go, but I will. Today." There really aren't words to describe how much his Dad's passing affected him after years and years of being his primary caretaker. He bathed him, he cooked for him, he helped him use the restroom, he cleaned the house, he paid the bills, and played "Dad" to his younger sister Kayla all from a young age of like 14 because Ronnie had become paralyzed and couldn't walk any longer. When you dedicate so much of your life to someone and you support them 100% for so long, you really become attached. You even mention Ronnie's name and Brogan tears up. My heart breaks every time too because I know Brogan would give ANYTHING to have his Dad back for even just a day.

The 3 year anniversary of his passing is coming up on April 25th. I just looked at the calendar and realized Brogan will be home on his week off during that. THANK GOODNESS! Last year he was working in North Dakota away from his entire family and had to go through the grieving and memories all alone in a hotel room. He said it was the worst day of his life! As you can imagine, excrutiating depression set in and he had to do it alone. That was a month before he met me. I've told him, and I will continue to tell him, that he doesn't ever have to do it alone ever again! I'll always be by his side no matter what.

Before we left the cemetary, Brogan wanted a few quiet moments to himself with his Dad so I loaded up the kids into the truck and let him be. Watching him stand over his Dad's grave and bow his head, opened the watergates for me. I sat in the truck and bawled! It was such a special moment to see him carry on a conversation with Ronnie and tell him how much he loved and misses him. Pretty undescribable actually...I don't know what it's like to lose a parent, but to lose one parent to death and the other parent to prison is more than I can possible fathom. Brogan is so strong. He's had the choice to turn to drugs like his Mom and become a piece of crap person and father and blame it all on his trials, but he doesn't. He's consciously chosen to be an amazing Father, a dedicated (soon-to-be) Husband, and a uplifting and selfless individual. He'd give the shirt off his back to anyone who needs it. I feel extremely blessed to have such an incredible man in my life. Just goes to show that "good things fall a part so better things can come together."

Ronnie-

Although we have never met in this life, I feel like you are always near and I feel like I've known you my whole life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for leading your son in my direction. The timing was awkward, but I know you had a huge part in bringing us together. You should be so proud of your son for the kind of person he has become. Most importantly, the kind of Father your son has become. Please continue to watch over us and allow us to feel your presence. I love you Ronnie!

Love,

Jayne