Whitney Needs

So I ran across a post today that I thought was pretty cute. What you do is go to google.com and put your name in followed by needs. You then receive a list full of what you aparently need. So because I think that this is kind of clever, I gave it a shot. Here is my list:

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First one in BOLD letters: "Whitney needs Jesus!!"
Second, also in Bold: "Whitney needs help"
Third, not as bad: "Whitney needs a family"...what?
Fourth, getting worse: "Whitney needs some help now, Damn it!"

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Then it occurred to me, this game isn't fun. I will have to find another one to play.

Flashback Friday

Ryan 2years old. Remind you of anyone?

Review

I feel like I haven't posted in awhile. I have been a little busier than usual with work. I had a training this week on Domestic Violence that I really enjoyed. Our Victim's advocate for Provo put together this training that was given by some nationally renowned people and it was Awesome. It made me scared and excited about my job all at once. I went home and talked Ryan's ear off about stories I heard and all of the passion that I feel about this job and how important it is to me. I really feel like I have found what I love. I love what I do and I just want to be better at it! I feel so blessed to have found something that I enjoy so much and that I can always use if my family ever needed me to. Here are some misc pictures from the past week or two that Ryan and I have taken of the boys. I feel like I haven't been able to post about them for some time. They are such sweethearts and they are growing up so fast! Paxton does whatever he can to help me with Gauge, he has figured out some of his own little games that he plays with Gauge to get him to laugh, its really cute. He helps me vacuum, he helps with the cooking, pretty much whatever he can help with and he loves to help me with the laundry, for the reason above...he loves to jump into the clothes. I don't let him jump into them anymore, I just throw them on top of him.

We went to a new park with week. This one was AWESOME, located in Springville. Something weird about it though is that there is an open pond in the middle of the park. Kids can run right down into it and drown! Apparently we are the only ones that thought it was weird. I guess that just means I am getting old?!
Ryan takes Paxton and Gauge out for a walk in the wagon whenever it is sunny. I always miss it because I am sleeping so Ryan took a picture for me. I love this picture of them!!
Gauge just woke up from his nap in this one and I had to get a picture, I think that he looks so cute all disoriented!!

That's about it for this week. We hope you are all doing great. Also I wanted to Shout out (I know I am a dork) to my brothers. They have both had some big things happen for them both lately and I wanted to tell them congratulations and I love you both so much!!

His and Hers

WE GOT A NEW CAR!!! The best part about this car is that it is perfect for us! It has exactly what the both of us want. We actually shopped for this 80 for a long time. When we finally found the right one it was an eBay auction. The guy really liked talking to Ryan and told him that he would sell to us, then he just ended the auction and met us at the airport. We flew down to Phoenix last Saturday, we got in, and we drove home. For those wondering, this is not a brochure photo, this is our car!! We took this picture on the way home!

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My favorite part about this car is that it is the sister to the Cruiser we already have. When Ryan and I were first married I had mentioned to him that the FJ-60 was my favorite truck, the one that I wanted. Being the sweetheart that he is, he immediately found one for me. We drove down to Texas for it and towed it back. He has put a lot of hours into it over the years and has made it so beautiful. The only problem is, this family is growing and we are already talking about third row seats and other safety issues for the kids, and here was the solution. So now we have his and hers cruisers, Ryan drives the 60 and I get to have the 80. Ryan also wanted me to mention, it has lockers front and rear. I LOVE IT!

By the way, anyone interested in an Lincoln LS?

Happy Birthday HEATHER

Today is my sweet sister Heather's birthday. She will be the big 26?! Usually we call each other first thing the morning of our birthday, but being a married woman with a child now, I think I will just post it and let her sleep.

Heather, I love you. You are such a good sweet person and you have always been so good to me. I am so lucky to have you as my sister and to have you as such a close friend. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Flashback Friday

This is one of my favorite pictures of Paxton and Ryan.

SCARY

Okay, I don't mean to post anything scary, but I have to vent a little bit about this. Way back when I worked at the hospital, grave yard shift, there were times when it was so slow we would tell ghost stories in the middle of the night. Now if you want scary, try sitting in a huge empty hospital with the lights off when they are telling you about weird patient stuff in the psych ward! Stories would also be told about babysitting in the middle of the night and every night the washer and dryer would turn on at the exact same time. There were stories told about hearing or knowing that someone was walking past them when they woke up in the middle of the night and no one was there...nothing got to me. HOG WASH! I am pretty good at reality checking myself and finding explanations. Well, I am not that tough, the psych ward stuff scared me to death but things turning on, YEAH RIGHT!

The other night I was downstairs in our computer room by myself...typing away on the computer. Ryan had gone upstairs to check on the boys. Did I mention I was by myself?

All of a sudden, the TV behind me turned on. CHILLS up and down my spine! I didn't move! All that could be heard was static from the TV. I knew that no one was there, so I sat there and told myself what I knew that it was, a power surge and that I would be fine. In fact, to prove to myself that nothing was wrong I MADE myself sit there and continue what I was doing while I listened to the eerie static. That was fine right...although I don't know WHAT was keeping Ryan for so long while I proved to myself I was tough and desperately needed my knight in shining armor to come sit with me!

Then, seriously about 20 minutes later, I had not even looked behind me or even touched the TV...and it turned off!! I was out of there man!!! I can explain it as a power surge when the TV turns on, but what the heck is going on when it turns off?!!

raining and pouring

Monday night we were all outside because it was so beautiful out. I don't even remember if it was really sunny at the time or what but it started raining pretty suddenly. Not just raining, it was pouring, thunder pounding, lightning, water everywhere. Paxton was so excited! Lately when he is excited he will start to run. Well, this particular time I wouldn't let him go down the driveway and it wasn't raining under the patio so he had no choice but to run in a circle. Thats exactly what he did, he ran as fast as he could in a circle over and over! Here he is, doing his rain dance. It was so fun to watch, he was soaked!!

Jumping in puddles This one is after some really loud thunder, I told him the sky was talking to him so he looked up and yelled "dah hoo" which is thank you.

story time

I was looking through some pictures and I found these two of Ryan and myself early on in our relationship. I guess the picture of me is a year after we met, seven years ago.This picture is from a drive that Ryan and I took when we first dated. We drove around and found ourselves near the rail road tracks. When we stopped at the tracks, we looked everywhere, but were unable to find any sort of no trespassing signs near the broken section in the fence. That is when we decided that it must be okay to go in. When the spot light passed our area in the broken fence and the security guards weren't looking, we ran onto the tracks... just kidding. We really must have been there on an off day. No one was around, and we just walked in. We actually did climb up and around a bunch of the trains and we walked around on the tracks for awhile. It was really cool, I had never done anything like that before. This had to be within the first few weeks that we were dating.

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This picture is from our first Anniversary. I came home from work to find this HUGE card that Ryan had made me, and a rose. The card said Happy Presidents Day on the front and then inside you can see where he wrote just kidding, then he wrote a poem to me about our Anniversary. At that point our Anniversary was in February around Presidents day. (pay no attention to the mess in that room, its all my roommate!)

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For those that don't know us very well, Ryan grew up on a dairy farm in Idaho and I was born and raised right here. Long story VERY short, Ryan came to BYU when he was seventeen. At that time I would have been twelve and in elementary school...weird huh! His apartment was actually right across the street from my elementary school and next door to the church house where my ward met. We were in the same town for 7 years before we finally met. Ryan became roomates with a very dear friend of mine. When I went to see my friend, I met Ryan and it wasn't until I first spoke with Ryan that I realized I needed some more, and I persued him with my wit and my brownies. The rest is all history, the guy didn't stand a chance!

mind wanderings

I had a conversation with some of my friends the other day about seasons and how they affect your mood. I have decided that I definitely have what they called Seasonal Defective Disorder...aka SAD. This is really a disorder for those that are laughing out there! It basically means that you get really tired and you discover a loss of interest in things when the weather is bad, basically like winter in Utah when the sun doesn't shine. Also part of the Seasonal Disorder, the depression gets better as the weather gets better. Now thinking about it I realize, hey my mood is getting better too! The flowers are out, the sun is out, the weather is beautiful and I feel like I can do anything again. I am finding projects, going for walks, I love every second that I am living and I can't get enough.

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All of this has made me start thinking about where my inspiration comes from. When I was little I remember a teacher telling me that if she were to describe me in one word it would be determined. I wonder sometimes. Have I lost that? Has the world already gotten me down to the point that I don't have the determination and the drive to be the best that I can be? Coming off of winter I feel like that is exactly how I have been feeling. I do know that I don't ever want to be mediocre though, so what is going to help me to always be happy and not just during the Spring and Summer?!

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I know that the first thing that comes to mind is our Savior. This is number one. But, I also thought of my husband. I realized that I don't just have SAD, but that I have a Ryan disorder where basically I am unhappy without Ryan, Ryan affective disorder...RAD?! LOL, I didn't even plan that one, but that is funny!

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It makes me happy to realize how much my husband inspires me. I feel like I can be happy when I am with him, like nothing else matters. I know that with school and work and being a full time Daddy and husband that you feel beat down and so tired Ryan. But you do inspire me and I feel so lucky to have such a strong husband who tries so hard in every aspect of his life. You are an inspiration to me and I feel so blessed that you are my partner through this life. Just knowing that if I stay determined and work my heart out that you are my reward for Eternity, makes everything easier, or worth doing. I love you so much baby!

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For everyone else, this is CHEESY I know! BUT when it comes to my family I can't help it!! I really do try to focus on not being so cheesy on every blog so everyone please realize, it could be a lot worse!

Flashback Friday

One of the ones that my Mom doesn't know I have...

Whats up

There hasn't been a whole lot going on lately, but this little guy has hit some milestones that I am quite proud of!!

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First, he has his second tooth, it came in last week

B- he can roll over now, woohoo! I never thought it would happen, not because I don't believe in him but because babycenter.com makes it sound like it happens by 3 mo. It set expectations.

3- he is eating solid foods. He no longer uses the almighty spit reflex

and d- he no longer likes to cuddle. The kid wants to be up. He likes to try to sit up or to stand up every single second that he is awake. I was really wondering when these things were going to happen, I don't remember anything from when Paxton was this age. He still smiles like crazy but he is beginning to be more vocal. I think he is realizing that he is going to have to be louder living with Paxton.

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Paxton is still working on the potty training. I am pretty sure that he is not ready to begin, but he is so big that he no longer fits the size 6 diaper...the biggest ones. They rub him raw in places because they just don't fit right. I am at my wits end! We have decided to let him run around half naked to try to teach him what it is he is doing in that diaper, but I don't know that its working. He seems to be understanding what he is doing, but he refuses to give us any warning!! I gotta be honest, I don't like the messes.

Paxton is so much fun right now. Besides the potty training...he is putting sentences together. The other night he told me "Daddy home night" and in the morning he will say "morning Mom" He is really trying and he tries to say just about anything that I ask him to. He also tries to sing with me when I sing him to sleep or when I sing at all now. He listens for words that he knows and he sings them whenever he hears them. He also says his own prayers now as we pray. I have noticed with his prayers that he says the word "eat" every time. He knows all of the actions to itsy bitsy spider. He loves to cuddle with me and Gauge, and he always tells Ryan and myself thank you, even when there is nothing to thank us for, "Dah Mom"

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I have been keeping myself busy with some projects of my own. I have decided to upload pictures that Ryan and I have. I am copying baby books, wedding photos etc that I can have for safe keeping. Ryan has two HUGE books of pictures that his Mom and his sister Heidi put together for him. These books go from birth to age 17. I, on the other hand, have one book which contains about 3 pictures. Not counting the ones that I have that my mom doesn't know I have...

It has been a really fun experience for me to see these pictures of Ryan. I feel like it will be a worth while project, if for nothing else, for flashback Fridays!

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Ryan is finishing up his semester and is BUSY! He has already had one final (which he aced!!) and is preparing for his others. We aren't seeing each other much but are excited for my change in schedule which will give us a little more time together then we have now. He has also been hard at work on his crew cab and although it is not quite ready for paint, it is so close! We have the paint all ready. I keep asking him when he is going to need it. He is priming right now but the truck is huge and it is taking a really long time. That and he is quite the perfectionist...enough said.

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We hope that everyone is doing well!

Easter

The police department had a little Easter Egg hunt for our kids on Saturday. It was going to be a learning experience for Paxton. We had one last year but I was pretty sure he wasn't going to remember what to do. To my dismay, we actually ended up getting there late because we went to the wrong place. They held it at Provo High and a few of us ended up at the football field when the hunt was actually at another field.

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When I finally arrived in the right place the Easter egg hunt was already over. A few of the other mothers realized that some of the kids didn't have a chance to find anything, so they had the older kids throw some of their eggs out into the field for the little late comers. I ran out into the field with Paxton to try to show him what he was supposed to do. Due to the fact that there were really only two mothers at the wrong spot (hey this was my first year attending) all eyes were on us. As we were running out into the field Paxton spotted the eggs that were thrown out there but he also realized that no one was picking them up, and that everyone was throwing them.

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So he hi-tailed it out there, and in front of everyone, grabbed an egg and immediately, with the perfect wind up, threw it up into the air. Then he quickly found another egg, ran to it and threw that one up in the air as well. He had everyone laughing, I wish I had a picture!! After he realized that he was supposed to collect the eggs, he did a really good job of that too and he collected quite the stash! Gauge enjoyed himself too...

Sunday morning we had a little Easter Egg hunt of our own and Paxton was spoiled again.Here are my beautiful boys dressed up for Easter Sunday:

good to be home

This week I went to a training in Cedar City and it was so nice to come home. No offense to those who may be from Cedar City, but when you are there for work and you have no contacts there, it is the most boring place on earth. The training was really well done, but we would get out of training at 5pm and have only a few hrs of sunlight left. This left no time to head out to Zion's and they do not even have a mall to walk around in. We did finally realize, after more then likely embarrasing a few of the teenagers there when we asked them what there was to do, that we were going to need to head out to St George to keep our sanity. We were actually told that the only thing to do was to go to Walmart and watch the polygamists shop...So we quickly got out of there and headed for St George, every single night! I was gone for the better part of the week and I missed my family so much! When I got home I had such a sweet welcome!

When we hit St George we went to the outlet malls and Osh Kosh had 50% off everything in the store. Needless to say, I went crazy. When I got home I gave Paxton his new presents and he had to wear every one of his shirts at once. He is wearing 5 shirts in this picture... It is so nice to be home!

SO embarrased!

After you are done laughing...please read on so that I can explain.

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Okay, I am posting this because first of all, I don't look like this. I have also decided that I can look at it now and think that it is funny, and most of all, because I actually posted about this incident earlier and was pretty proud of myself. Well, apparently what I did stuck out and due to my excellence, I have been commended at the police department. Part of this commendation includes a framed certificate with my picture hung in the main hall of the police department for all of dispatch, patrol, well basically the whole city to view. Below is the beautiful picture that will be posted.

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I have been wanting to get it updated. I do believe that ID cards are like year book pictures man, I mean really, whose identification badge really looks that great or looks like themselves?! I have gone to great lengths to hide this picture when it is around my neck and I do not understand why they do not take a current picture to display?! Anything would have been better than this thing! People actually laugh out loud when they see it, they just start laughing. I really do need to just laugh, but I can't help but be really, really embarrassed that everyone is going to see this. I fear that I will not hear the end of it.

Flashback Friday

The Riv

This is the car that my HOT husband drove when I first met him. Doesn't it make him even hotter?! I just loved that about him, that he loved this car. When I first saw it, the person who pointed it out to me called it a Ghetto Cruiser. Ryan told me it was a Land Shark and my Dad called it the bat mobile. I know that my Dad did this to discourage me, but it only encouraged me...was I dating Batman?! Whatever this car was, he loved it and it made me love him more. When we first dated we actually cruised around in the Riviera all of the time, listening to Delicate Sound of Thunder and talking for hours. Just looking at these pictures brings back so many memories. I really miss the riv!

my super boys

Super Gauge
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Paxton in full gear, and attitude! He struck that pose himself in the first shot***
Below you will see the very first Bastian boy wrestling match. Considering the differences in weight, you might be surprised by the results!
(notice the growl on Gauge above)

My Baby Gauge