The Summer Sizzle with Mustard and Catch up...

Hi Friends! It's July and we've been lovin' every minute of it. We've spent lots of time swimming, going to the zoo, watching parades and fireworks, and generally hanging out with our cousins. Here is the month in pictures...

For extra points, see if you can spot the tiger.

The 4th of July!! One of my favorite holidays. Hunstville is the best for old timey Americana. We started with a pancake breakfast in the park and then headed over to the parade. One float was full of cheerleaders from the local high school spraying everyone with water guns. As they passed by the house we were sitting in front of, the owner came out with his garden hose on full blast and doused them all. Hilarious. See what I mean? You'd never see that in a big city parade.

Waving the red, white, and blue!

That night we returned to Huntsville Park and set ourselves up for the fireworks. We ate sweet chex mix, now dubbed "Satan's Snack Mix" because the stuff is so addictive, played frisbee and danced the night away. Seriously, the DeeJay played music all night and it was like a huge dance party in the park. Then we got cozy and watched the magic of Isla's first fireworks. We were so excited to see her face light up with surprise, but after all that dancin...she fell asleep.

Hiking! Ben got brave and loaded up Isla in the back packer and we headed up to Waterfall Canyon. It was worth it. The mist from the waterfall was so nice and Isla was amazed at the sight of it.

Cuddling up to mom at a summer concert in the park. Love.

Every year on the Sunday before the 24th of July, Weber State hosts a summer pops concert and firework show out on the grass by the duck pond. It has been a tradition to go and picnic and listen to the symphony since I was kid. I look forward to it every year. This year was no exception.

Isla didn't like her glow sticks in a necklace.

There, fixed it.

Lil' E, however, likes his glow sticks any way he can get them.

Happy Summer!!

Numero Uno!!

My baby turned 1 today. Well, technically yesterday. We partied today due to it being a Saturday and, well, let's face it, the only sunny day we'll be seeing for a while. *sigh* How can it be?! Sometimes I want her to stay little forever, but since it cannot be, we might as well eat cake. And oh, what a cake! Here are a few scene's from the happy day.

A few of the party guests.

The Birthday Girl!!

See what I mean! A.MA.ZING. And it tasted great too. Made specially for Isla by the talented and lovely Jenn Bradshaw. Thanks Jenn!!

Cassie came to celebrate and brought Isla the biggest, most ginormous bear she could find. Seriously. It's huge.

I don't think she minds!

What a year!! It went too fast. We fall more in love with this little woman every day. Happy Birthday sweetheart!!

Mother's Day Re-cap

Mother's Day.

I must admit, I have dreaded this day during the past 5 years we've struggled with starting our family. This year I was asked to speak in church and I must have some sort of disorder in which I cannot say no, because I heard myself say, "Sure!" and then I went home and cried. How could I speak to my entire ward about the sensitive feelings I've had towards a day that so clearly marked the thing, that up until now, I was not? I was definitely feeling sorry for myself and letting it get the better of me. Don't get me wrong, I am eternally grateful for the incredible sacrifice and blessing that made me Isla's mom, but our struggle with infertility and recurrent miscarriage has left a few battle scars. Old injuries that sometimes ache. And then an interesting thing happened. Cassie, Isla's birthmom, invited me to attend the annual dinner held at the LDSFS office in Salt Lake City to honor birthmothers day. Birthmother's Day is held the day before Mother's Day. This may be the first time you've heard of it, but the day seems incredibly fitting to me, seeing as Cassie had to be a mom before I could be one. I walked into a room full of women that had all placed a baby through adoption anywhere from 25 years ago to 2 weeks ago. The spirit in the room was so strong as I listened to each of their stories, laughed, cried, and looked at pictures of their sweet babies and the new families they had created. Beautiful women. Loving mothers. One word...humbled. I know my Heavenly Father loves me, but I'm grateful that he chooses to remind me that sometimes, it's not all about me. It was just what I needed to give me the strength and inspiration to speak to the women in our ward. Women who should know that although it is a tremendous blessing to be a wife and mother, the greater blessing is that first and foremost we are

Daughters.

It was a good day.

Spring Forward

Hello everybody, it's Ben here. Kindle had been neglecting this here blog, so I thought Isla and I would take a crack at it. Tonight the rain clouds parted just enough for us to take an evening stroll in the sunshine. It finally felt like spring time. If you'd like to join us, press play. -Ben