How Time Flies!

This time last year I was adjusting to the life of a Mommy. And I must say that I am still making adjustments. Hunter turned 1 last month. I can't believe it! I no longer have a baby. I have a toddler. And he is a handful! But, we love him. He is so funny and entertaining. And has very little paitience, just like his mother. We had his birthday party a couple weeks ago, and Grama and Grampa got to be there! We flew down to Texas the last week of May to my baby brother's graduation and then drove back up with them. Toby is now living with us until school starts and he can move into the dorms. He'll be here for a year, then he will leave on his mission. It's only been a week that we've had him here, but I think he is going to be a big help. When he's not working, of course.
In September, Grama is going to fly Hunter and I out to Texas to stay with her for a while and help get her house ready to sell and just to hang out and spend time. Of course, we all know she just wants her little grandson all to herself. And who could blame her? He is pretty neat! I'm so glad he has such a good Grama and Grampa. He had a ball with them while we were there and they were here. Especially with Grampa.

Anyway, I have mostly just rambled. Not much in this entry makes coherent sense. I am tired.  Here are some pictures.

Time for an update?

Well, I have no idea what to say tonight, but I decided it is possibly time for another blog entry...maybe.

OH!!! Hunter took his first two steps 3 weeks ago! And he hasn't really taken any since. But hey! It's a start! I am really hoping that he either is walking by the time we go to Texas for my baby brother's graduation, or that he finaly just GOES while we are there. I think that would be AWESOME for my Daddy to get to see. Of course, we will be driving back to Utah with them and they will be visiting here for a bit, so I'm sure he will have plenty of time.

Trip to Texas: The last one we will be taking together as a family. Around November/December my dad will be stationed in Florida (more than likely), so other than when Hunter and I go down and stay with my Momma for about a month or so, it really will be the last trip we all make to Texas.

Brett and I have decided to become consultants for a company called Shefreliance. It's basically food storage items. And they are reasonably priced. Brett is really going to be the one doing the selling. He has the perfect personality for it. I am just too shy and self concious to do that sort of thing. Anyway, my mom sent us a bunch of stuff from the site to help us get our food storage built back up, and I checked out the webiste and decided I liked it, and my mom has actually tried alot of the product and she says it is actually pretty good. I remember when I was growing up, all the stuff my parents had in our food storage was kind of "ucky". I don't really recall ever liking much of it, so having "yummy" items in my emergency supply of food sounds great! And then Brett looked into it, and we decided it would be a good way to suppliment our income and help us get out of debt. SO. If you are interested, here is the website : http://www.shelfreliance.com/. Head on over and take a look. Brett is the one that REALLY knows all the details. He still needs to sit down with me and help me fully understand how it all works. But it really is a worthwhile investment. I promise!

Well, now that I've "plugged" our "business", I think I'm going to call it a night!

Home Improvements

Getting very excited for the next few weekends. This weekend we will be heading to Sutherlands to buy paint so we can brighten up our dinning room and hallway walls and have something other than white baseboards, because I am lazy when it comes to cleaning them. Sutherlands' brand of paint is buy 1 get 1 free for the next little while, so we are taking advantage. Cannot wait!! I thought I liked the dark brown walls, but they are just too dark and depressing. It makes it seem like the walls are closing in on you, and there is NEVER enough light. We are also going to be measuring the square footage of our home to get new siding. We are putting it on ourselves. Had to make a claim with our insurance, but oh well. The aluminum siding is NOT quality and the wind is just too crazy to have that stuff on our house. We've lost multiple pieces. Hopefully we will have enough money to do the whole house. Especially considering that we are waiting to buy the siding until April 16th. It's Sutherland's anniversary sale and if you go between 4am and 7am, everything is 20% off. Definitely taking advantage of that!!!

This past weekend, Brett's dad and brother, Cody, came and helped us put the baseboards in Hunter's room (FINALLY). We had hoped we would have enough for the computer room too, but no such luck. Once we get a new vent cover for the hallway we will be able to finish the ones in the hallway. I think we will wait to do the computer room once we are ready to move Hunter into it, since we will hopefully be having another baby next year.

Also, this past weekend, I got the yard mostly cleaned up and ready to try to bring our grass back to life! Hopefully it works this year. Last year the problem was me, but hopefully I will be better this year. I also got most of the shingles and nails picked up from when we tore them off our roof last summer. Kinda late? Yeah, I know. It was hard with a little baby then. He never napped very long, so I didn't get much done, then it got cold and snowed. But he has gotten lots better, and will even sit and play in the playpen while I work. Anyways, I have a little bit more to clean up, but it will get done very soon. Then we can start pulling the car up rather than behind the other one.

And now, other than this quick break I took to write this, I am busy cleaning. But I think I'm going to have to take a break from that too, because Hunter is Freaking!

Coupons

I REALLY want to become a "couponer". I watched a show the other night about it with some friends, and there were people that bought like $300 worth of stuff and only paid like $6. I would LOVE if I could do that! But all the coupons I get are for things that we really don't need or use. Bleh. And sometimes, even with the coupon, the store brand is still cheaper. Yeah, so I have a dream, but will probably never achieve it. Actually, if I could find coupons for baby things and meat for every time I go grocery shopping, that would be AMAZING! That alone alone would help lower my grocery bill by AT LEAT $20.

He's a Biter

Hunter thinks it's funny to bite me. He grabbed my foot last night while I was on the phone with Brett, and today while I was on the phone with my mom, and bit me! Little snot. I don't know what brought it on all of a sudden. When I pick him up and give him loves, he bites my shoulder. Could it possibly be because he just had a tooth break through the gums today? That would be my guess. He is getting better everyday at standing without holding onto anything. I keep waiting for him to try and take just ONE step! I'm so anxious! I would like for him to be walking before we go to Texas, so he can show off to Grama and Grampa. I think that they would enjoy that. I know that they are looking forward to driving back with him in the truck with them. My mom already informed me that those are the riding arrangements, "My carseat, my rules." Some doesn't miss their grandson, do they??? Haha.

I guess I can just go ahead and turn this into a "Hunter Milestone" entry. He is also starting to develop a bashful side. There hasn't been any stranger anxiety so far. He is just starting to smile bashfully rather than boldly like he use to. He also has quite the little personality. Wait, let me correct that statement. He has quite the BIG personality. And he LOVES to be heard. He yells and jabbers. I just love it!! I have been blessed with such an angel for a son. And he's not that bad looking, if I do say so myself!

Stress!!!

We received some bad news last week. Brett's job is going to be laying off 2/3 of their workforce. They don't have the funding to continue past July with all 300 employees. For those who don't know, Brett is working for Energy Solutions on the uranium tailing clean up down by Moab. He works at the disposal site. He started there in July of 2008 as a Laborer and is now an Equipment Operator and is on the site's Safety Committe and Behavior Based Safety Commitee. Which looks good when they evaluate everyone for continued employment or layoff. Hopefully, he ranks high enough in their little ranking system that he will stay. We will know for sure starting in July, when they lay off 70% of those that will be laid off. The rest will be notified in August or September. I  have prayed and cried over this quite a bit. For the most part, I feel calm reassurance. So I take that to mean either, 1) his job is safe. I mean, afterall, he has impressed the bosses and moved up alot, or 2) his job isn't safe, but everything will still be ok. I'm hoping for the former. Plus, if he does get to keep his job, he will no longer be on the night shift, which I will LOVE, and he will be able to ride in the company van and only pay $20 or $30 a week as opposed to that much every 3 days or so. That will save us a lot of money. UGH! I hate not knowing what is going to happen. So prayers would be MUCH appreciated. And if he does lose his job, I hope he finds another one before November, because December is when we are planning on adding to our family, and I REALLY don't want that plan to be derailed!!!

It's Been a While

I am finding this blog thing to be very difficult. I never really know what to write about or that anyone really cares about my life or what I have to say. Sometimes, though, it is nice to get my thoughts out there.

So, for an update. There have been a few events worthy of mentioning in the last month since I last wrote.

• I have a Niece! Which is great, but horrible at the same time. Reminds me of how BIG my baby is getting, and how BADLY I want a little girl! Anyways, she was born February 4th, and her name is Gemma Renee Austin. She is a sweetie!
• We paid off our credit card (had to buy roofing supplies, among other things, with it).
• We paid off the loan we got to replace the motor in our Cavalier (which we no longer own).
• We bought our plane tickets to Texas for my baby brother's graduation. I can't believe he is almost done with high school!!!
• Brett decided to go back to school and get his degree in Occupational Health and Safety. SO PROUD! We are getting ready to mail off his application and everything within the next few days.
• Hunter's hospital bill is PAID OFF!!!! We even got a 20% discount for paying off the balance rather than continuing to make payments.
• We bought a new couch and love seat! I love them!
• I have a new little cousin. My cousin, Becann, had a little boy on February 23rd. Hoyt Rick Price. He is a cutie! And he has the best big brother!
• Hunter has 3 teeth, total. And he kind of feeds himself.....well, more like paints himself with his food. But I had to at least let him TRY. He also stands all by himself and walks along the couch and things very well. He has also finally mastered the art of tipping his head back while he drinks. My big boy!

Well, that is all I can come up with at the moment. I really suck at this!

To Do List

A lot of these things have been on my TO DO list for almost a year. (*)

• Put the smoke detectors on the ceilings, where they belong. (*)
• Repaint diningroom and hallway walls.
• Fix cupboards next to stove. (*)
• Finish cleaning computer room.
• Get rid of stuff. (*)
• Finish Master Bedroom and Bath.(*)
• Hang up coat hanger.
• Put a ceiling fan up in the diningroom.
• Put a pantry in the kitchen.
• Restore old dressor. (*)
• Get screen doors. (*)
• Clean my room.
• Clean the livingroom/tv room (haven't settled on what we are calling it).
• Clean the bathtub.
• Baby proof cupboards and drawers.

Yeah, some of these are things I would like to have done today, some are things I would just like done before the week is over. What's the chances of that? Oh and then there are some things that are just "someday, I would like to have time to do this (like restoring the old dressor and finishing our bedroom and master bath). A girl can dream, right?

I wish we were rich!

It would be really awesome if we could win a lottery or something. Be anonymously given a cash donation to help us get out of some debt. Our house and car payments are necessary debts, and ones I'm ok with making payments on. But there are a few other things that I just want to get paid and be done with. But we just don't have the money right now. If I was still working, it would be easier, but I don't want to leave my little boy with someone else while I work, because we learned the hard way that Brett can't get up and watch him while I work. It's just too hard. So we would have to find some sort of day care, and I don't like that idea, because Hunter would probably get sick a whole lot more often, and what little money I bring in would just go to pay for the child care. Kind of pointless. I just don't know what to do. Brett wants me to sell Avon or do Pampered Chef, but I just am not interested in doing that. I'm not a sales person, and I don't want to host parties in my home. I want something I could easily just do from home, with little human interaction. But there is nothing out there, and it makes me feel bad that I can't help contribute and help pay for things. *sigh* I hate this feeling. The only thing I can think to maybe, possibly, do is sell my crocheted blankets on ebay or something, but I doubt anyone would buy them. This is an absolutely AWFUL dilema.

Reflection

It's amazing how you look back on your life and think, "wow, I never thought I'd be where I am today". Well, I guess that's not completely true for me. At one point, I did imagine myself exactly where I am. Then I started high school, then moved to Texas. And my path for myself changed. I WAS going to move back to San Diego, and I thought I knew who I was going to marry. I had my life planned out. Boy am I glad it didn't go that way!!! I would never have met my amazing husband or had any of the life experiences I have had. And I would not have my little Monkey. Life would not be complete without him. I'll admit that there are things that are going on right now that I would gladly trade, but looking at the big picture, I couldn't ask for a better life!!! Thank you Heavenly Father!

Looking Back

2010...what can I say about 2010? It stared out kinda crappy. Had a lot of 2009 run over into, mostly things that were out of my control. And some days, life seemed to be careening into a figurative bottomless ravine of hate, distrust, dishonesty, unsurety, and the like. But, there were some amazingly gleeming events too.

For instance:





We were redoing the roof.


• We bought our house. 4 Bedrooms, 3 stories (sort of), 2 side yards (it's a corner lot-LOVE IT), original hardwood floors (in need of restoration, but it will happen). Still have to finish the master bedroom and bath down in the basement, but there's already an amazing jetted tub! We are in love with this place and are already making and following through with plans to make it our own.
• My Momma and Daddy flew out! Most especially, my Daddy got some leave to time fly out from JAPAN! It was so good to see them! And VERY reassuring because......



Very first picture EVER!

• 3 days later, on May 11, 2010 at 8:17pm, Hunter William Austin made his appearance into the world and our family. I had a relatively easy labor, considering he was my first baby and I was induced. 10 hours of labor, but more than worth it for the angelic, albeit sometimes trouble-making, little boy.



Just a few days ago. He loves taking Daddy's hats!

• While I was discharged 2 days later, Hunter had to stay in the hospital a whole week on IV antibiotics because his white count was HIGH. Normal is like 2.0 or something and his test results were 5.8! Dr. Madsen (Hunter's Pediatrician and our family friend) assured us that Hunter was not really sick, though. He certainly didn't act it! What he and a specialist up at Primary Children's Hospital think is that we caught a bacteria or something REALLY early, before it had the chance to make him sick. We are SO grateful, and thank our Heavenly Father every day, that Dr. Ted listened to the promptings he received and ran that test! Even though it made me sad that my poor baby had to have that dumb IV. But that's ok, because on May 18th, my original due date, we got to bring him HOME!



Getting ready to leave the hospital.



Very first nap in his crib.


• My Momma and Daddy had to leave 3 days after we brought Hunter home, and Brett went back to work that following Monday, so I had a REALLY hard time being home alone with my little newborn but thankfully, 5 or 6 weeks after they left, Momma and my baby brother, Toby, along with my Grandpa Jewkes, drove back here from Texas and spent 6 weeks here with us. I LOVED having my Momma here to help. And help she did! I think that if it weren't for her coming and helping me out, I would not be as confident as a mom as I am now.




Grandma has the magic touch...and still does!





Uncle Toby put him to sleep.

• Brett and I celebrated 3 years together as a couple, and 2 years of wedded bliss on July 1st and July 12th, respectively. I am SO thankful that he didn't give up on and me and kept pursuing me, even though I was a little hesitant in the beginning.



We were either dating or engaged...



June 2010 at the Manti Pagent.



The Cousins!

• My Best Friend and Sister and her Husband (also our best friend and Brother) gave birth to my little Nephew, Taylor Matheson Bohman Jr. on August 16th. He and Hunter have to be the cutest little cousins ever! Lindsey and Matheson came for a visit for the month of October and we loved having her and Little Bear here! I miss them every day! Thank heaven for facebook and texting, or I would miss them more!
• On November 28th we celebrated 2 years of being sealed for time and all eternity in the San Antonio Temple. I am so glad that I know that he and I will have each other and all the children born to us, with us in the next life. That death is not the end for us. Because I do not think I could go on, thinking that someday, he wouldn't be mine and I wouldn't be his, and our kids would no longer be ours!
• We went to Texas for Hunter's first Thanksgiving. We only stayed for 5 days, and wish we could have stayed longer, but we still had so much fun. Hunter LOVED all the attention from Grandma, and Grandma LOVED having her Grandbaby there with her! She got to show him off at church that Sunday, which of course she loved doing. She is such an amazing Grandma and my little boy sure lucked out!

On the plane in Houston, 30 minutes from Grandma's!



Nap time with Grandma in Grandpa's chair.

• Our first Christmas in our house and Hunter's first Christmas!!!! It was so fun to open presents with our little boy! And boy did he get spoiled!

In his Jeep. And yes, most of those presents behind him are his.

Books from Grandma.

And those were the highlights of 2010. While it was great (obviously), hopefully 2011 will be even better and leave alot of the nasty stuff of 2010 in 2010. Can't wait for Hunter's First Easter, his first birthday, the first time he meets my Daddy, since the last time he saw him he was only a week and a half old. Oh, and his first trip to the zoo! The plans are in the works!