Monday, July 28, 2008

I can't help that he's so cute...

I know all I ever seem to blog about is my son...I suppose there are those who think blogging is for more important things and more deep thoughts, but I am inclined to disagree! I can't help that I am a proud mom, and I don't think there is a mom who reads this who would feel differently than I do. I'm proud of Gavin and all that he is. I love being a mom, and refuse to think that it's all that I am.


I took these pictures of Gavin yesterday after church. He just looked so cute in this new outfit playing outside. And he was HAPPY! That's a big change from how he has been lately! He's been such a handful. I was glad I took these pictures to remind me just how sweet he can be (when he wants to!) Enjoy!
Yes, his eyes really are this blue!


I was standing on the trampoline and he wanted "up".


New page...paper and embellishment credit goes to Sheryl Barcenas. You can find her great stuff over at http://www.azonefordigiscraps.blogspot.com/



Tuesday, July 22, 2008

New Digital Stuff


Here are some new digital pages I've done and a thing for my sister in law. Sorry if you get bored looking at all this stuff, but it's about the only talent I have! So skip over it if you're not interested!

I just thought this was a funny picture and couldn't help making it funnier :)

Hey baby, let's go to Vegas...


As mentioned in my previous post we took a trip to Las Vegas last week for my brother's wedding. We went down with Gavin and my mom took him back home so we could have a little vacation. Needless to say I discovered Vegas is not my ideal vacation, but we had fun anyway. I wasn't really great at taking my camera with me. These are picture my mom took because I'm too lazy to go downstairs and get my camera right now. (Besides I only took pictures of some of the hotels, nothing interesting.) There is one picture that our friends took of us at the Luxor, but I don't have that from her yet. Anyway, we mostly did A LOT of walking and A LOT of eating. I didn't know it was possible to gain so much weight in such a short amount of time........


Gavin overlooking Vegas from the Stratosphere wedding chapel.

McKenna and Gavin showing off their musical abilities!
Notice the sign that says not to play...they said the babies were too cute and could play all they wanted!
Family photo before the wedding...Gavin is the only one who doesn't look tired, funny because we're tired because he kept us up all night!

Wedding Bells...




Austin and Chelsea are married! It was a very nice ceremony way up in the clouds. Okay, maybe not the clouds, but I am sure they felt like they were on cloud 9! It was at the top of the Stratosphere in Vegas and they were surrounded by family and friends. Congratulations you guys and we love you!!!

Monday, July 14, 2008

In loving memory...




This is a very special post for me. I have been thinking since last night about what I wanted to say. 10 years ago today, my grandfather passed away. I don't think it is possible to put into words what this man meant to me. I still remember that summer like it was yesterday. I remember staying at my aunts and my dad and Amy showing up at her doorstep. I knew something was wrong and I didn't want to know what it was. I remember trying to run from them so I didn't have to find out. I remember my heart completely breaking and the tears stinging my eyes.




But I choose not to dwell on that memory. Instead I choose to remember every moment spent with him I possibly can. I remember how he'd leave his turn signal on in the car after he'd switch lanes. How we loved to watch the Price is Right and Perry Mason while eating our mush during breakfast. How he'd remind me every Tuesday that he couldn't pick me up from school that day because he would be working at the temple. I remember his silly hats and working in the garden. I remember his silly Oldies songs in the car and how he named me Buttons and Bows after one of them. I remember not living near him and how he would call every Sunday and ask how the weather was.


I dearly, dearly love my Grandpa Cobbley. I always thought he'd be there to see me grown up, get married, have children. But he is still here. He knows and loves Keith and Gavin, I can feel it. I'm so thankful for the knowledge that we have that we can live with him again.


I wrote the following essay for a composition class I had in high school and thought I would post it. Thank you to those of you who will take the time to read this post and share this day with me. Most of all I thank my Grandpa for being who he was and loving me. I love you.


Key Memories


Situated upright in the corner of the computer room at my grandfather's house, is an aged and well used piano. Cluttered on the high, wooden top are many papers and once important documents. Amongst the chaos, pictures of cousins, aunts, uncles and generations of grandparents can be found. Further down the front of the piano is a pattern along the sides, one I never paid much attention to because even further down the piano was the most extreme and enjoyable part; the keys. I didn't mind the one that was cracked, part of the white removed from it, or even the one that needed to be tuned badly. The keys were my joy.


I remember being a young child and running my small fingers over each of the ivory keys, delighting in the opportunity I had before me. Suddenly I would strike each key with a force beyond my control, one I knew not that I possessed, forgetting that less often times is more.


The pedals on the piano were very mysterious to me for I knew not what each one did. To this day, I still don't know what the furthest left pedal does. However, I would begin with each pedal and press them each respectively thinking I was the greatest musician in the world. I often wonder how anyone's ears could have withstood the banging and clamorous racket I projected from the contents within the piano, but someone, other than myself, enjoyed whatever I composed; my Grandpa Cobbley.


For the longest time I remember the strong connection and bond everyone said my grandfather and I had. This was further proved whenever I was told to tone it down while banging away, yet my grandpa encouraged me to play on as strongly, or beautifully as he would say, as before. Standing proudly in the doorway he would watch each one of my concerts, and if you can imagine a grandpa squealing with delight, that's almost how ecstatic mine was. When I finally learned to pound out a few correct notes, my grandpa would encourage me even further, always asking whether I had practiced that day. He even insisted upon paying for my lessons.


That piano became a tool for me to express my feelings. I would pound out angry sounding songs over and over if I was mad, or beautiful ones like they should be played when I loved life. A favorite of mine to play was "The Can-Can." It never failed that if I began to play that song, and my grandpa was in the house, he would once again appear in the doorway with an immense smile plastered across his round face to tell me how much he loved to hear that song. He would often say that my grandmother would sure enjoy hearing me play. My grandmother had passed on and I like to think that whenever I played I was able to help remind him of the joy he shared with her.


This piano brought great comfort to both him and I, for not long after I returned for my usual summer visit, my grandpa passed on too. The anguish and unfairness seemed to hit me with such a powerful force and I remember thinking of how much more we could have done together. It seemed that I was so foolish to not have taken advantage of the time I was handed that summer, but once again the piano gave me solace. I returned to his house alone, for it was so much my own, and desperately played "The Can-Can" over and over again until my fingers ached. I sobbed fervently, my tears cascading down onto the smooth keys when suddenly I realized how much time the piano had provided me to share with my grandpa. The piano still sits in my grandfather's house, as strong as it was before, but maybe even more worn. My aunt resides there now, and it seems so strange to see someone else's belongings arranged around the piano which for so long was accompained by my grandpa's possessions. The piano is familiar, almost a fantasy amid the other objects. It's capable structure and the warmth that I feel every time I play it, reminds me of my grandpa and his love for me. Though it's worn and has succumbed to age, it's beautiful to me, as was my grandfather. It's a priceless symbol containing whimsical memories of the love, dreams, and hope my grandpa and I shared.





Friday, July 11, 2008

Uh-Oh


I took these pictures the same day as the Fuzzy Friends pictures, but I didn't look closely at these ones. Probably because I was frustrated about how Gavin had gotten into yet another thing he shouldn't have. Anyway, tonight I was changing a bunch of stuff on my blog and I came across these pictures and looked closely. It's almost as if he is saying, "Oh brother, what have I done?" I HIGHLY doubt that is what he was feeling, but I thought what a perfect time to snap these! He's so funny and this makes me laugh because my mom always tells a story about how she asked me to go get her a tissue when I was younger and I came out of the bathroom and the tissue kept following me because I didn't tear it off the roll. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree in our family! I love you, Gavin!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Happy Birthday Austin!

Yesterday was my brother Austin's birthday. I tried to post this, but we all know my feeling about blogger lately....

So Austin is the big 1-8! I can't believe he's that old. I still remember him coming home from the hospital. He was such a cute baby, and has always been cute. And now here he is, a very handsome young man. It's sort of bittersweet to see one of my baby brothers this old. I'm proud of him, and excited for him, but I still miss the little boy.

I love Austin because he is very kind hearted and VERY witty. He always has something clever to say, one thing I probably admire because I NEVER think of clever things to say! I also love that Austin is never afraid to show his love. I think a lot of guys his age have to show this big tough guy complex, but not Austin. We all know he's tough, and we all know he loves us. I love you too, bud. Happy Birthday!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Fuzzy Friends


My dad and step-mom went to Yellowstone a couple of weeks ago and brought Gavin back some moose slippers. We put them on him the night they gave them to him and I have hardly gotten them off since! I wasn't sure that he would think they were that cool to walk in, but he loves to wear them! If they are not on his feet he brings them to me and lifts his foot up for me to put them on him! Keith called them his fuzzy friends because that's what the tag said and now anytime we say, "Where's your fuzzy friends?" he will go and find them or point at his feet. Smart little guy to pick up on that! Anyway, I finally took some pictures of him with them on and as you can see they are about all he had on! That is how much he loves them, he gets right out of the bathtub and wants them on. Forget the 90 degree weather!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Couple of new pages

Just a couple more scrapbook pages. I have a couple more to do, but I sat around enough yesterday to last me the rest of the week! Enjoy!


Sunday, July 6, 2008

Addiction

I am positively addicted to Photoshop. I think most of you know that by now. Lately I haven't had much time for it, but I finally found some time the other day to do my brother's wedding announcements and then tonight I threw together a new scrapbook page for Gavin. I still have more to do to catch up, but I'm not too far behind. One of these nights I'm going to have Keith watch Gavin and take my laptop over to the library and scrapbook there in the piece and quiet! See the benefits of doing it digitally?! Anyway, I know I already posted these pictures, but here is the actual scrapbook page. Also, I wanted to show how fun Photoshop is when you find yourself in a picture you don't particularly want to be in!

Now you see me....





Now you don't!





I have also learned air brushing techniques and I can make myself seem a bit thinner in a picture too...but I'm not really great at that yet. Don't worry, I will be practicing that one for sure!




My Brother's Announcement

Friday, July 4, 2008

High as a flag on the 4th of July...




If you can tell me what musical the title of this post if from, you get extra points! So, I'm the biggest loser and I'm already home blogging about our 4th of July. Oh well, Gavin is in bed and this is the only time I get!


We started out with sleeping in until 9 and missing the ward breakfast. So we decided we would go to breakfast at Village Inn. We didn't get there until 11:30ish but we still had breakfast and enjoyed it. Then we came home and got ready for our spur of the moment bbq with some of our Smith relatives by doing some yard work. Gavin went down for a nap and I spent the next 4 hours cleaning and whipping up some potato salad, baked beans and Eclair cake (after a quick trip to Wal-mart....). Two of Keith's brothers and one of his sisters and their families came over along with Keith's parents. We enjoyed LOTS of good food and relaxation....well as much relaxing as you can do with 13 kids running around. Gavin wasn't overly happy during this part of the day despite his WONDERFUL 4 hour nap! He did enjoy some of it and even found time to help daddy in the garden.


We drove over by the Riverton City building to watch the fireworks and had a great time there. Gavin was absolutely FASCINATED by the fireworks and kept saying, "WHOA!" It was so cute! I wished I had my video camera. He was darling and so well behaved, thankfully! This 4th of July was so fun with him, to see him get excited about all of the things he was experiencing. He's growing up so much!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Morning at the Aquarium



We finally got out of the house and did something today. We went to the aquarium with my sister in law and her 2 girls. Gavin LOVED it! I didn't think he would really be all that interested, but he just sat in his stroller and stared at all of the fish tanks! It was cute. He loved splashing in the little touching pool thing and he LOVED looking at the sharks. They kept swimming right in front of his face and he kept saying..."Whoa!" It was so funny. He was standing on a little ledge looking at a tank and slipped and hit his lip. He screamed a bit and then ran and splashed a little more. I think it scared me more than him. The ledge was only a foot off the ground, but that's got to be a little higher feeling to him than me. Naturally I forgot to bring my camera...I'm really good at that. So here are some pictures from my cell phone.
Gavin and his cousin Katie. They wouldn't hold still so this is extra fuzzy.

He thought pushing the stroller was much better than riding in it.