Easter Egg Hunt

This was Jackson's first Easter Egg Hunt! He actually did a good job at finding the eggs, and loved to shake them, not really caring what was in side. He didn't like putting them in the basket, though. He didn't catch on to the idea that he could get more eggs if he put the one he was holding in the basket....oh well. We had more fun as parents watching the whole thing! Holidays are way more exciting with children!

Hubby Tag

I am copying my sister-in-law, Claire, who also did this...great idea, I never have enough info about my husband on here!

What is his name? Brian Quinn Beutler (I love his middle name, we want to use it for one of our children’s names someday)

How long have you been married? 3 years, 7 months

How long did you date? 5 months, short and sweet~ we knew the best was yet to come!
How old is he? 28

Who eats more? He does at dinner time, but then again, he usually skips breakfast and lunch (I can’t do that)
Who said I love you first? I did! And it was a long couple of minutes until he had a reply!

Who is taller? He is

Who sings better? That’s a toss up!

Who is smarter? Brian, he’s more logical
Whose temper is worse? Probably mine, but I wouldn’t say mine is bad either…

Who does the laundry? Me

Who does the dishes? Me, usually. Sometimes he helps
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me, and He wouldn’t dream of switching sides!

Who pays the bills? Brian does, at least he got them all automated, so neither of us worry about it (OK, well HE might worry about making sure we have enough to pay them)
Who mows the lawn? The HOA, but soon it will be Brian when we have our own yard.
Who cooks dinner? Me, mostly. Although Brian is a great cook when he has time for it.

Who drives when you are together? Brian
Who is more stubborn? That’s a toss up too…

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Depends on the situation
Whose parents do you see the most? Together, we see ours both the same. But I visit my mom a lot, with Jackson, by myself.
Who proposed? Brian-of course!

Who has more friends? Brian~ he’s a great people person. I am horrible at keeping in touch

Who has more siblings? Me- but only by 1. I have 5 and he has 4

Who wears the pants in the family? I like to make sure that he thinks he does!
I LOVE YOU HONEY BUNCHES!

That's why they call it a toddler!

This is what you get when you have a 10 month old walking! Jackson got his first busted lip today. It was around 10am this morning. He was following me around the house while I did my daily pick-up, and he tripped over something on the floor, causing him to land, face first, into the changing table. Unfortunately, his lip got caught between his teeth and the changing table. It was quite an ordeal! After he cried it out, he fell asleep in my arms. I put him in his crib, only to find a bloody mess (and I don't mean the British term, it was really bloody) when he woke 2 hours later....

These pics were actually taken around 2p.m. ~ yup ~ still bleeding! It will be fine for a while, and then he will rub his nose, or bump it, which will bust it open again.

I am letting him walk around the house without a shirt on today, I tried the bib thing and he's already on his second one! Just hope I'm successful enough to keep him away from my white bedding! Wish me luck.

OH! The last pic is him running away from me when I was trying to take care of him this morning! Had to put it on the blog!

Who knew?

You have heard the saying, "Everything but the Kitchen sink" well, this deal included the kitchen sink! Brian and I are having custom cabinetry installed in the kitchen of our new house, and we were planning on taking sledge hammers to the old cabinetry and dumping it. We even planned a demolition party for Saturday morning. Last minute, my dad suggested we list it on KSL, so we did. I didn't think we'd have much interest. I even thought I priced it too high (at $1100 for the cabinetry, counter tops, appliances, and of course, the kitchen sink). Who knew that this specific layout would work in another's home? Within minutes, we had several people who were interested in looking at it. I got 5 calls within a half hour later- all potential buyers! I began thinking "they must know something we don't"...or "maybe I should have priced it higher afterall"! We met two families last night, both want the kitchen, and both will rip it out and haul it away for us. Sold! In less than 24 hours- What a deal! What would have been dumped, is now an extra $1100 in our pockets, PLUS we don't have to do the work of ripping out the old kitchen ourselves. Who Knew!?!? Thanks Dad!

I've been tagged!

Tag I'm It
Mauri tagged me a while ago, but I just figured it out, so here it goes.

The name of this game is to answer the following 10 questions and then tag 4 other friends or so to do the same on their blog pages.

1. Best thing you cooked last week? Spring pasta (one of our favorites, and the weather was perfect for it!)

2. If money, time and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who? The “with who” part is easy- definitely my husband Brian. I don’t get to spend enough one-on-one time with him and he makes anything more enjoyable. As far as “where”, a day at a spa would be nice, but if time is no issue, than I’d probably pick Chile or New Zealand. Two places we’ve always wanted to explore together.

3. When was the last time you cried? I think Brian has a better memory than I do on this stuff. I can’t specifically remember the last time I really cried (I mean, I shed an alligator tear once in a while, like when I misinterpret something Brian has said, but I don’t consider it “crying”), but I do remember crying once to Brian about how sad I’d be if either he or Jackson passed away. I remember telling him that I am not prepared for that day. I must have seen a movie, or watched the news that day and it triggered my emotions….

4. Five things you were doing 10 years ago? 1) Graduated from high school 2) working at the Pizza Factory 3) Broke and hungry, but on my own living at the Glenwood (AKA “Glenhood”) 4) attending UVSC 5) staying up way too late at night for my own good

5. Five things you were doing 5 years ago? 1) still attending UVSC 2) still broke and hungry and on my own 3) working as a dental assistant 4) living with Christina (who would eventually become my sister-in-law) 5) working out every day

6. Five things you were doing 1 year ago? 1) Pregnant, and what Brian likes to call “nesting” (shopping for baby stuff anywhere and everywhere) 2) yoga almost daily 3) Still going to school… working on my Bachelor’s degree at BYU in Nutrition (Chemistry was a KILLER!) 4) Serving as a Stake Assistant Camp Director and Ward Laurel Advisor (yes, we were planning summer camp in the middle of winter). 5) Becoming more in love with stampin up!

7. Seven of your favorite hobbies: Not in any order~ 1) yoga 2) card making/scrapbooking 3) taking pictures of Jackson 4) blogging 5) planning and decorating my new home 6) swaps (card,recipe, etc) 7) making desserts.

8. Five favorite Foods: 1) lemon desserts (specifically Cheescake Factory’s and Macaroni Grill’s lemon desserts) 2) Brian’s steaks 3) grilled zucchini and squash (any grilled vegetable really- onions, peppers, asparagus, etc.) 4) Mexican food- all of it 5) creamy Italian pasta sauces (I know, this will bite me in the butt some day)

9. Five places you've been: 1) Hawaii (Kauai, Honolulu) 2) Mexico (San Miguel de Allende and Puerto Vallarta) 3) Canada (Niagara Falls) 4) All over the West (CA, ID, UT, NV, WY) 5) TEXAS (I had to put this one in all caps)

10. Five favorite moments: 1) waiting in the celestial room of the temple with Brian before our wedding 2) the delivery room~seeing Jackson for the first time 3) cuddling with Brian during a movie at home on our couch 4) our first kiss! 5) seeing my boys accomplishments (both Brian and Jackson have accomplished a lot this year and each one makes me proud)

I tag Christina, Megan, Chantel, and Carissa (maybe she’ll finally get a blog).

Little Baby Steps

Where oh where has my little boy gone!
I can't believe this, he is growing way too fast! Jackson has been taking a few steps on his own for a couple of weeks now, but those first few steps were so hard to catch on camera. I would never know when he would gain the courage to just get up and go! The first time he walked more than three steps without falling, we were on opposite sides of the living room. I was seated on the couch, watching him play with blocks he had been picking up off the floor and placing on our shelving unit across the room. All of a sudden he just turned and looked at me and a second later he was crossing the room on his own two feet! I couldn't believe it! I hadn't coaxed him to do it at all! He had a huge smile on his face and I was freaking out! I called Brian to share the news, which made his day at work.
Since then, he's become way more confident in his ability to walk. While exciting, I am feeling sad that he is changing so quickly from being my little baby to an independent toddler! Check out this clip....

Idaho

Last week, Brian surprised me with a last minute trip to visit Carissa, Braxton and Chloe in Caldwell Idaho, just outside of Boise. He had an unexpected business meeting in Boise and decided it would be fun if we came a long and spent some time with family too. It was a blast!

It was Jackson's first time flying and he was soooo amazed at the plane. He loved looking out the window, in fact, it was during his dinner time when we all flew out (and usually nothing gets in the way of dinner) but all he wanted to do was look out the window. He would turn his head to take a bite and then whip it back around to peer outside again! After the first ten minutes of that, it was bouncing between our laps, looking over the the seats, and being totally restless! I think he just loved the idea of not traveling in his car seat....

Sleeping in a new place was an adjustment. He was also cutting two new teeth, and so the nights were kind of difficult for us, but we more than made up for it during the day! Jackson loved being around new toys, a new environment, his cousin Chloe (who was teaching him how to walk AND kept him company in the back seat), and having more than just his mom who was there to hug and kiss him during the day. I have a really cute picture of Chloe and Jackson holding hands in the backseat of the car, but it's on my phone, so you'll have to wait until I can retrieve it.

Jackson LOVED taking a ride in Chloe's wagon! I just might have to get one too!

We had dinner at the Cheesecake factory (the chicken costaletta is my favorite), and we each got dessert to take home and share. Jackson and Chloe had fun banging the spoons on the table. Whatever entertains!

Carissa took me to a cute little town called Eagle, where we shopped at a home decor store (a lot of things I liked, but couldn't fly home with) and had a snack with the kiddos at a bakery which was across the street from a shop called Jackson's. I forgot my camera that day, so ya, it's on my phone.

We loved the visit. The morning we left, it started to snow. I snagged a few cute pictures of the kids looking out the window. They always had to copy each other, when one cried, the other cried also, when one was held....you get the idea. Anyway, we miss them already! I love having a sister who is so close in age. I may not have appreciated it when I was younger, but I love the advice, tips, and ideas we get to share with one another on raising kids, family life, and working out. I only wish they lived closer!

I took this picture of Brian after his business meeting. We were all trying to head out the door to catch dinner and there was Brian, hands full with two kids. I could tell he was feeling overwhelmed! I remember thinking, "so, you think your job is tough?" and had to snap the picture. His job may be demanding, but it definitely doesn't give back rewards like mine!

"Conversation" with Dad

On Valentine's Day, Brian took over the kitchen. He is a great cook, so I was really looking forward to it. The meal was beef tenderloin with a port reduction sauce and mashed potatoes (he thought mashed potatoes would be too common for the meal, but since I requested it, he gave in).

Jackson loves when dad comes home. He gets so excited when he hears the lock on the door jiggle, and knows that within seconds, dad will appear through the doorway and wrestle with him. Here, you can see him playing at dad's feet carrying on a "conversation" with his dad. It was so cute!

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Lately I have been working on baby announcements for my sisters-in-law. It is an addicting pastime and hobby for me, so a total pleasure for them to allow me to do this! Who knew all of those kindergarten art classes would come in handy one day?

Liz had baby Max on January 16th. He was 7 lbs and 7 oz., Sweet, tiny and cute! Visiting them at the hospital bought back some nostalgic memories with Jackson, and made me want to have another! Don't worry, I'll keep you all posted if anything happens...

Claire is expecting little baby Carter in just a couple of weeks. It will be her second, although her first boy. We are excited to have boy cousins on both sides of the family~ it will be fun for Jackson to have cousins so close in age!

Nap time

Two little words can bring so much joy! Don't get me wrong, I love my JJ when he's awake, after all, he keeps me skinny by running after him. But I just love that time when he sleeps too. It's "my time". The only 3 hours I get by myself the whole day. Often, I have a hard time deciding what to do on "my time". Should I shower without an audience? Clean the house with a free pair of legs? Maybe catch a nap as well? Too many choices, so little time!

Even though Jackson may not wake up from his nap in the best mood, he always brings a smile to my face when I pick him up out of his crib. Imagine this: he's whining, mom's laughing. Why? His hair! I may have a hard time deciding what to do during nap time, but other than sleeping, I have no clue what He's doing back there! I wish these pictures did justice to just how sweet his bed hair is! I don't even bother brushing his hair anymore until after the morning nap....

Again, the little things that make life so worthwhile. I love being a mom!