Happy Birthday, son.... sort of...

Deer in the headlights. And look at that double chin!!

This is a speedster from 1927. Mom's favorite car of the night.

Shiree, Kelle, and Aiden by the old Model T..we think it is a Model T anyway.

Cousins Shiree and Kelle by the beautiful yellow "vet".

My two little guys.

Aiden is 2 months old today! Happy Birthday, Son! I have to say that the last two months have been by far the happiest, the scariest, the most rewarding, and the most anxious of my life. I would not trade my last 8 weeks for anything in the world. We have had many, many family outings and hospital visits. We feel support from family and friends. We have spent many waking hours bonding. It has been great. It is the most warm reward for just being a mom.

My heart is full for all the fun we have had as a family of 3 (Aiden, the dog - Roman - and me). Yesterday we went with the Smedleys to a street festival in Layton that included antique cars, food, and music. The band was actually really great (they played my favorite song by Steppenwolf) and the cars were very cool. My favorite was the 1927 yellow speedster. It was great to have Aiden with his cousins who love him.

I have learned many things about life in the last 2 months -
-when the baby is asleep you can get so much done. When he is awake, you get nothing done.
-baby's first smile will make you cry
-sacrifice means nothing. Time, money, energy, and sleep - I will gladly give all if it makes him grow to be a good man.
-family (my extended family) suddenly becomes so much more important
-Things that you usually struggle to make part of your life become paramount (Scripture study, prayers, and church...) because you know your son is watching
-people say you think twice about every decision - once for yourself and once for your child. I think you only have to think once... for your child. Your needs mean nothing any more
-True love is totally redefined.
-Laundry does not double - it quadruples - how do baby socks get lost so easily?
-More than anything, I have learned that I love my son. So much. A friend said to me, "Did you ever think you could love something so much?" Never.

Aunt Kari's Black Belt Test

Congratulations to Aunt Kari! We went to see her black belt test on Aug 22nd and were amazed at how much work was involved. She ran 2 miles, 200 sit ups, 200 push ups, 15 minutes in this crazy "horse" stance... then about 2 hours of straight punching and kicking, about 1 hour of kadas, then hours of self-defense, sparring, and breaking boards. We were so happy to see her reach a goal that she has had for nearly 4 years.

On Monday night, we went to the ceremony where she received her black belt. It was an amazing ceremony that was really traditional. The black belt people received their black uniforms, black belts, rings, and lots of flowers. Aunt Kari can really be called Sensai Kari now!!

Beach

Last Friday, we had a family gathering at Pineview to go boating. I drove the Smedley kids and we listened to David Sadaris on the way up. It was so fun to see the Rays, Biddulphs, Derus, - most of the family.

Alec was home from his summer working in California in Scout Camp. His hair is so blond - he looks like a beach bum. Let me explain the picture of Michael - his dad, Scott, bought the Captain Jack Sparrow hat at Disneyland on their trip to see Alec this summer. Michael somehow wrangled it from Scott and came up the beach acting drunk and VERY Johnny Depp-ish. I had to get a pic. So funny.

Aiden did really well and looked so cute in his new swimsuit with matching hat. He looked like Walter Mathau - too big of shorts, tee-shirt, fishing cap and socks. We enjoyed the hamburgers and chips that were there. I enjoyed the 3 Diet Pepsis that I brought up. Yum. We didn't go on the boat, but enjoyed hanging out with the moms - Teresa and Hillary and Amanda.

It was wonderful to go back up to the Eden/Huntsville area. I loved living there and miss it when I return. I love the beauty of Ogden Valley. There are many times that I want to live there again, but it is so unpractical. I loved the people and the way that, on the drive up to the valley, life seems to slow down.

I love being able to do fun things with my new little son. It makes me feel like I have a real family. It gives me a reason to have a camera, a blog, a photo album, scrapbooking supplies, and a camcorder. I love being a mom.