I Never Thought It Could Be this Good!

So recently Colby is always telling me that Tate is SO CUTE! All the TIME- and of course I agree! So I thought I would share the latest cuteness.

Tate and mama

Tate and Daddy trying out Tate's new winter hat.  Colby has really been bonding with Tate more and more lately.  I love this.  Colby will hold Tate all through church while I play the organ.  I was really worried about this at first, but Colby loves this time with just the two of them.

When Tate wakes up he is SO happy and can't wait to tell us about it.

This is how we conquer the laundry battle at our house.  The only problem is that Tate likes to pull the clean cloths out and stuff them in his mouth!

We love it though

Tate and Daddy

Dear Charlotte- Your webs in our front window were beautiful, but we were afraid of babies comming in the house.  We just hope the bug spray caused instant death so you didn't have to suffer too much.

Tate's first hair cut! August 14th.  My sister Heidi did the job because I was too scared to.

Tate didn't really like it, but did really well.

He was please with the result at the end though

Tate was scared of my dad and brother Spencer.  Every time he would look at either of them he would cry.  When he looked away he was happy as a lark.

Tate, Spencer, and Kaytlee.  Kaytlee is three months older than Tate.

First time in the Bumbo and first time eating ceral.

Tate's Sunday best.

Helping mama open birthday presents.  Tate really loved the paper.

Opps! Caught eating holes in the wrapping paper

Tate is so smiley, even with a terrible cold.  He brings us so much joy!

He is getting good at using his hands

Colby checked on Tate the other night and then came to me and said, "I love that little boy." Then a little later after non stop talking about how much he loves Tate he said,"I just didn't know it would be this good!"

The Happiest Place on Earth

I have been thinking a lot about our Heavenly Father's plan for us, the plan of Happienes.  Some times I don't understand it like I think I should, or wish I could. Today I went to a meeting for managers of apartment complexes with the school.  One of the classes I took, the speaker compared how our apartment complexes should be like the happiest place on earth- Disney World-  making life a wonderful and cheerful experience.  That may be for most people, but as I thought about things, my happiest place on earth, well there are two of them; is the temple, and my home with my family.  I have never felt more welcome, more complete than in these two places.  I actually left the meetings in tears, because I was surrounded by tons of people, but was so alone, and trying to push Tate around in his stroller in the crowds, and mean grumpies mad that I brought him- it was so un-welcoming in a way.  But go to these two places, and I am somebody and I am wanted (and so is my sweet baby).   In these two places Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness becomes a little clearer.   

I never felt so alive and ready for life until I met Colby.  I knew before our first date was even over that he was the one that I had been waiting for- and actually I think I knew two years before I even met him, when I met his brother Dusty.  Dusty talked about him and for some reason, I wanted to hear more of this brother that had just left on a mission, and I wondered if I would be around when he got home. I promptly dismissed those thoughts thinking they were silly, and moved away thinking I would never see Dusty or meet his brother. But, as I am learning over and over again the Father's plan is greater than I know. And I met this wonderful brother of Dusty's and He truly is my best friend.  When we went through the temple for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the love I felt for Colby, and the understanding that was opened to me of the Father's plan. At that moment, I knew that everything was in place.  We were complete.  When we were sealed together forever, That completeness became even more complete- if that even could be.  I am so grateful that we can finish our part of the Father's plan for us together, and know that when we leave is frail existense, that there is more; so much more.

Our Summer Adventures

                                        

Would you just look at that fat tummy.  Tate is growing and changing so fast, I almost feel sad.  I love this baby and love every second with him.  I love his sweet blue eyes, his fat belly, his big nose, his big hands that have sharp finger nails that always gouge my face or neck when he eats, his chubby rolls, the dimples on all four cheaks, and his stubby toes.  Oh, AND his long, wild and crazy hair that stands straight up despite all efforts to get it to stay down. I love how sweet he is, how he coos and talks to me and tells me everything, I love his cries ( not so much at 2-4 am, but still), I love the way he likes to read books with me, the way he explores and studies his hands.  I love how he likes to kick his legs in the mornings when he is waking up, and his excited squeels and shreiks when I give him my sleepy smiles and he realizes I am awake too. I just LOVE it all. 

I helped host my sister Susie's Bridal Shower here at my house the other day. It was a lot of fun, and people were so generous with her and gave her some really cute, usefull, and fun gifts. The first game we played was the question game.  One of her friends vidoe taped Daniel and asked him questions about himself and Susie.  We would pause the video after each question was asked, and Susie would have to give the answer.  We would then watch Dan give the answer and if She got it wrong, then she would have to chew on a peice of bubble gum.  Each wrong answer would merit anouther peice of gum. All the questions were cute, and Daniel gave really cute answers.  For example, his first question was:

When you think of Susie what comes to your mind?

Daniels Answer: Wildflowers

Question: What is your favorite feature of Susies?

Dan's Answer: Her Big George Nose- because she hates it.

All of his answers were cute, but my favorite was the last question, what do you love most about Susie? He talked about wildflowers, her big george nose, her love for others, and every quality that is so great about Susie.  It brought tears to my eyes, to see how much of her he really loved, and how well he really knew Susie.  I guess the year and a half of dating really taught them a lot about eachother. 

We also made wedding dresses out of toilet tissue.  The lovey bride on the left is my soon to be sister in law Christa.  She is marrying my little brother Arley in November.  The lovely bride on the right is Daniel's little sister-she is too young to get married right now, but she served as a great model.  All in all it was one of the best bridal showers I have been to. So fun, and so simple.  My favorite gift that Susie got, was some baby cloths - they came with a note that said, "We couldn't afford the honeymoon gear, so we thought we'd go post honeymoon." It was pretty cute.

Colby and Tate are really good buds.  Colby loves introducing all things to Tate.  Here he is showing Tate how to ride a bike.

Tate is really getting the hang of it.

Here Colby is teaching Tate how to wear the gardners hat, with brim folded back.  We were just getting ready to go on a date, where Colby counted and identified plants the whole time- wouldn't you know, he just can't leave work behind.  I love it though, because Colby is always trying to learn, and keep knowledge he has already learned.

Showing Tate the ducks at the duck pond.

Having so much fun!  I was crushing saltines (left over from when I was pregnant- I will never eat anouther saltene again!) and feeding them to the ducks, and a little boy came over, so I handed him a cracker to feed to the ducks, and just then his dad walked over, and said, "oh he'll eat that before he feeds it to the ducks" and sure enough, the boy stuck the whole thing in his mouth and walked away. It was pretty cute.

So Susie and my cousin Jessica got married in two consecutive days, but had a joint reception the night Jessica got married.  I was honored and thrilled when they both asked me to do their wedding and reception flowers. I immediately started searching for ideas and themes, and all things wedding and creative.  It was so fun.  Jessica wanted her boquet to be made out of silk flowers, so this is a sampling I sent her to see if she liked the Idea.  She loved it, and the real thing turned out beautiful.  But, of course, I was too busy with all the other flowers to get picture of the real thing, or of anything else for that matter!  Seriously, sometimes......

Tate is really comming into himself.  He is finding his hands, and smiling and so happy.  We really love this boy.  He has been such a blessing to us.

We went camping with all of Colby's family.  What a fun time.  Tate slept in a tent with us for the first time.  He slept all night.  There were still a few mishaps though.  He rarely has blowouts, and its not a big deal, but this weekend something was going on, because he had two really bad ones.  The first one happend while he was a sleep, He was sleeping by me in the sleeping bag, and I woke up just sopping wet, our blankets were wet, everything was wet, but we were warm! Then after his breakfast, he had Major spitups all over both sleeping bags, so guess who gets to find a washing machine big enough to wash them...Mommy does!  The second blowout happend at church.  Dusty and Mel blessed Halle, and in sacrament meeting, I heard Tate go to the bathroom, but like I said, he rarely has a blowout so I wasn't worried.  After the meeting, my hand felt really warm so I knew his pants were full so I took him out to change him.  Well, his pants were really FULL! All down his pant leg, and squishing up his front.  AND of course I didn't have an extra outfit.  Thankfully his shirt got spared, but his onsie and pants were out of commission. So he got to sport his little chubby bare legs and diper the rest of the day.

Our camp

We celebrated Haylees birthday while we were there. It was a lot of fun!

Tate with Grampa Jake.  Notice the bare legs and diaper- this was after his blowout at church

I got to go home for a week for the George Family Reunion, and Susie and Jessica's weddings.  Tate got to meet his sweet cousin Kaytlee while we were there.  Kaytlee was born in March and Tate in June, but they are pretty much the same size.

Tate with Grandma jus chillin

So I was asked to do Susie and Jessicas wedding flowers.  I ordered them through the flower shop here in Rigby, and they were UPSed to Cody.  Should have been no problem, but they were shipped to Colorado, THEN Wyoming, and then sat at the loading doc all weekend.  I didn't get them for 5 days, and then they were rotten mush.  I called the company and had them send a whole new order, and that came at 3 pm Teusday.  The reception was at 6pm.  I was able to make some wearing flowers for Jessica's wedding Teusday morning, but a lot of it didn't even last through the day for the reception, so I had to remake them.  I was able to make Susie's boquet and the wearing flowers just in time for the reception, but everything else was a joke.  It was sad, but it turned out ok. I was so busy trying to get everyting done, that I didn't even get any pics of what I did.  So sad.

My All That Glitters family came to the reception, and it was Wonderful to see them all again.  I worked with them for almost a year at the local jewelry store.  We had so much fun, and I learned a lot from them.  They have always been so good to me and so supportive. 

My darling boy! I just can't get over his chubby tummy!

This is a picture of us at the Billings Temple after Susies wedding.  It was so good to see Colby after a crazy busy week of missing him.  He really missed us too.

On the ride back home.  Notice the mirror on the back of the seat.  Tate loves it because his little buddy lives in there.  He always is smiling at his buddy and sometimes talks to him. So cute.

Our Growing Boy

Tate has been growing and changing sooo fast! 

Maybe I'm a mean mom, but I think it is so cute when Tate starts to cry.  His facial expressions are so funny

Happy to sleep in with Dad

Showing off his sweet muscles after a bath

Recently, Tate has been smiling at us.  He smiles and coos for about a half hour every morning.  It is so cute, especially when he gurgles and coos

more smiles and coos

Yesterday we blessed Tate.  Some of my family came

Almost all of Colby's family was there too

The four kids all born with in a year--sabras trying to hide the fourth one--- I can't wait for them to play together, they will be such good friends

Colby gave Tate a sweet blessing.  It was a special experience for us.  I am so grateful to have married Colby, and that he presides over our family in love and righteousness, and is worthy to hold the preisthood to bless our family.  I was talking to a freind in our ward during releif society- I know naughty, we should have been listening to the  whole lesson, noy just parts of it...- and she pointed out to me that not everyone had been married in the temple(our lesson was on temple marriage), and  there were a few husbands that were inactive and the wives came to church alone.  My heart just broke for those girls because I had just witnessed again how we have been so blessed for being active in the church and married in the temple, and these girls didn't have that, and I know they want it so bad.  It just made me realize how blessed we are, and made me remember to be more grateful for it. 

After holding Tate, my dad, mom, and Colby all complained that their arms were dead and hurt because Tate weighed so much.  So after church, we weighed him and he now at 6 weeks, weighs 11.8 pounds.

so sweet!