Happy Anniversary!

Mmm-hmm, you look good babe!

5 Years!  Thanks Ryan for being my husband, best friend, confidant, supporter, and father of my children.  You're my favorite and I'm so grateful I have you.  I love you so much!

Amy's Graduation

Last weekend we went to George Mason University for Amy's graduation.  Amy talked to the Engineering Graduates (which she is a graduate of that college and also Economics).  So we got to hear her speak and also watch her walk.

Asher did good with the ceremony, but we did have to take him on several walks around the stadium since it was several hours long.  After Asher had a good time running around the grass with his cousins.
Here is a picture of all the family that was able to attend.

Amy at the Scholar's Graduation.  It was much smaller as there are only a few scholars for each year.

Amy signing the Class of 2012 sign.

Asher with his Uncle Richard and Aunt Emily.  He was all wet because he decided to run through the fountain and his dad decided to let him:)

Asher got a new hat too.  He's super cute with it on.

Of course he needs to keep it on:)

We also went to Amy's graduation party on Saturday.  Asher had a great time seeing all his cousins but he didn't want to share his dad on the trampoline.  He's a daddy's boy!

15 months old

 Today Asher is 15 months old.  He had a doctors appointment and here are his stats:

Height: 33 1/2 inches (97%)

Weight: 26.7 pounds (75-90%)

Head circumference: 18 1/2 inches (50%)

 He is such a good kid.  He is happy and loves to play.  He has 4 teeth still, but is slowly working on 4 more.  He still hasn't said any actual words, but he babbles and makes all the sounds.  He has figured out how to communicate with us though, he will pull and push us to where he wants us and point and 'complain' until he gets what he wants or something else that distracts him.  It's so funny when he tries to pull us up because he can't actually lift us at all but he will shake because he is pulling with such effort:)

He loves his daddy and tries to go to work with dad everyday, and is left behind everyday.  But he knows what bag means that dad is leaving and what bag means that mom is leaving.  The other day after his dad left for work, he went and got my bag and brought it to me so that we could go too.  He was quite insistent.  I love that he has things figured out and knows the significants of what we do.  He knows where his bellybutton is and also his nose.  We are working on other body parts.

 He has connected the doctors office with getting exams and shots.  He didn't want me to put him down at all.  And when I put him down for the last time to get his shots, I think he knew what was coming.  He started screaming and crying before he even got a shot.  But as soon as I picked him up and held him after he stopped crying.  

Our next pediatrician visit will be for a little girl:)

Busy Weekend

 This weekend we went into DC.  Asher loved it, but he is getting so independent.  He wants to explore and he will do it all by himself so we have to watch him extra close.

Asher in the Lincoln Memorial, he was running around so much in this open space that he needed a break and just sat down on the floor.

 Our family with Albert Einstein.

 Ryan's sister, Julie got into town this last weekend and decked Asher out with BYU apparel.  This is what he thought about it:)

 We are excited because over the next couple weeks all of Ryan's family will coming to Washington DC to visit and support Amy since she is graduating from George Mason University.  Asher will have lots of cousins to play with.

We bought Asher a new toy a few weeks ago and he really loves it.  He carries this toy around to where ever I am so he can play with it.  He's a pro at hooking the rings on, but now we need to work on size and color so that he gets the right order and can fit them all on.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

 It was Ryan's birthday a couple days ago so we had a small family celebration.  I cooked dinner, Ryan opened presents, and Asher made a mess.

Dinner was one of Ryan's favorites: pork chops and corn on the cob.  Asher has decided that he loves corn on the cob and has to have his own.  If not, then we will insist we give him one of ours:)

 Asher has also learned to pray.  Well, as best a 15 month old can anyway.  Every time we sit down at the table he will fold his arms like this.  He also does this when we stand or kneel by each other.  It is really cute and we try to say prays whenever he wants.  What is so great is that we never tried to teach him this, he just picked it up all on his own.

 Ryan's presents and birthday cards.  Thanks everyone that sent him a card for his birthday.  (He likes my parents card and says it proves that they like him best.  His favorite card however, is from his brother Richard.  It's the home-made one in front and has references to... (what else?) The Simpsons.

This is a picture of Asher's seat.  He was squirreling away food down the front of him.  He can make such a mess at times!  I find it funny the things he thinks he gets away with.  As he eats, he will put food in his mouth, then throw food on the floor, put food in his mouth, then throw food on the floor.  I will tell him not to throw food on the floor and I think he understands me pretty well because then he starts throwing it on the floor through the leg holes in his seat, as though I can't see that he's still throwing food on the floor under the table!

Spring Cleaning (a ranting post)

Since it's spring time and everything should be fresh, I started spring cleaning our place.  I've decided that the task has become much harder since I have a little one at home to undo what I just cleaned.  It makes it much tougher to even keep up with things like dishes since anytime I am in the kitchen so is he. And when the dishwasher is open then he thinks it's a toy.  He pulls everything out, shakes the racks, and generally makes it impossible to do dishes.  I usually end up rinsing the dishes out and putting them on the counter to go in the dishwasher when he is asleep.  Though sometimes he is super cute when he thinks he's being helpful.  Here is a photo of how he loaded the dishwasher all on his own- with paper plates!!!  Too cute:)

But back to spring cleaning.  Our new place is nice enough, but as I've been cleaning it's become very obvious to me that not everyone knows how to clean.  It all started in the kitchen.  We have some tall cupboards with a space between them and the ceiling.  I wanted to put some decorations up and noticed that the top of the cupboards were DISGUSTING!  I mean, our house is about 10 years old and I don't think they've ever been cleaned.  It took me a couple days to clean them because they had to soak and I had to scrub.  Gross!  Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not dirty, people.
Next, I cleaned all the windows and I don't think they have been washed in a long time.  The previous tenants used a cleaning service and our contract includes a quarterly cleaning service as well.  I've seen what they do and while it's nice to let them come and do the basics, there's still plenty that's left behind.  Not only were the windows super dirty, but the window seals were super dirty.  I don't think it's that hard to open the window and wipe out the dirt, but apparently it is.  I guess some people just don't know where to clean.  Something else the cleaning services don't do- vacuum corners!  They do vacuum, but not around edges or in corners.  I've noticed that the edges around the rooms where the carpet meets the wall , and on the stairs in the crevices, are gray looking because there's been so much dust build up. I've since used the hose to vacuum all these areas.  They are better but still not great. I'm sure it would have been better had this been done with some regularity from the beginning.  I hate to be cliche, but the saying about doing things right in the first place comes to mind.
Okay, my last rant is about mopping.  I know that mopping has been made easy by all the mops you can buy at the store.  We even have a wet swiffer that I really like, but it still doesn't mean you never have to get down on the floor and scrub.  Even though the cleaning service mops and we have a swiffer, I still had to get down on my hands and knees and scrub the kitchen floor.  It's a good thing I did too since there were patches of dirt that don't come up with a mop.  Talk about gross dish water!  I guess if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.  It's amazing to me to think that people just don't know how to clean properly anymore.  It not a hard skill to gain, just takes some effort and common sense (something that has been going out of style for a while.  Just call me old fashioned).  Who's says being a stay-at-home mother/homemaker isn't a full time job?!?!  And not just anyone could do- as proven by my never-before-spring-cleaned home:)