Pics to go with our latest posts

We got a jogging stroller! J.D. got this for me for Mother's Day and it arrived today. Dawson LOVES it! It had speakers for my ipod built into the stroller!! I can go on and on about the features, but I am stoked! Thank you hunners!

Another stroller shot! Dawson loves it the most that one speaker is right next to where his head is and he gets to recline and feel the wind in his face..or his feet ..


CHEESE! Dawson will often bring the camera to me and say, "picture of Dawson please mommy." I love it and as you can see he loves it too!

Here is the craft that I made thanks to my friend Jessica and her mom. You guys are awesome! I had so much fun at this craft night Jessica threw together. Her mom is amazing with crafts. This middle block will say 'Grand Children.' This is one Christmas gift down, lots more to go. haha! But it's only April and I have time to make the rest right??? :-)

AND here is my transformation...please remember that I tried to loose the baby weight for 2 years...I would shed a pound here and a pound there, but it was impossible no matter what I did to keep it off. When Dawson turned 2...some weight just naturally came off without doing anything...and then in January I really started working on it.

This is 3 months after Dawson was born. I had been working out for about 2 months straight in this pic and NOTHING! NO RESULTS! Talk about depression...
You might have to click on the pic so the the rippling rolls...it starts with my boobs (which were so saggy...), then my love handles, and then the hips and thighs...gross. I'm glad I have this pic to remember what I don't want again. haha!

And then...here I am today...
Drum roll.... here it is! 7 pounds from my goal weight and I feel so good about my transformation! Yes...my boobs are much smaller, but at least they don't sag as much! :-)

I changed shirts because black is always thinning. I wanted to have proof that it's not the color black! I really have done so good! NO RIPPLES of fat!

For the record, I have been wearing one pair of my high school jeans! They were my fat jeans in high school, but hey- I can't complain.

I hope this motivates my future girls that I may have that it is possible and there is hope. Babies are worth it. I hope this next time around I will not get so sick and be able to keep working out and not have so much to loose afterward.

Now I just want to take a bit of space to write about how hard it is to loose weight with a husband who is so kind and nice about loving me for me. I wouldn't change him for a husband who complains about my weight, but it is hard to stay motivated. lol! J.D. is truly the most amazing husband. I can't get enough of spending time with him. Some days I feel like a newly wed because I just want to see him all day long and be clingy. haha! Thank you hunners for loving me and for the jogging stroller!

Go Mom!

First, I really hope one day if I ever have little girls that they get my sister's skinny genes, or the stevens' girl genes of being thin all the time. It's been 2 years and 8 months since I had Dawson. When Dawson turned 2 all of the sudden I lost weight and I wasn't even exercising! I basically still weighed about the same when I did have Dawson. January rolled around and yes I set a New Year's Goal of getting down to 135 and I had to be there by June 4th. I figured it wasn't my high school weight...but it was a reality goal for me. Also, I refuse to get pregnant again until I'm at my goal weight. I am happy to announce I am 7 pounds from my goal weight with 1 month to go! I can't explain how good I feel about myself. When June 4th comes then I will reveal how much I've lost, but for now I have 7 more pounds to go.

For my future daughters if I ever have any, I'm sorry if you get my genes and it takes years to get baby weight off. It's very depressing, but after 2 years with a husband who loves you and encourages you to just keep going, it does come off. :-) My advice- if you have strength to exercise during pregnancy then do it! Exercise before and after and eat HEALTHY! I was told by WIC to eat anything that will help me gain weight (because I had lost so much from being so sick). That was terrible advice! I didn't do it, but i also didn't watch myself. I am going to keep exercising and eating healthy. Then keep doing it during pregnancy- I will let you know the results and hopefully they are different. haha!

NEXT "Go Mom' moment, I have finished another semester! What a relief! I have one week before another semester starts and I have: baked bread, made chocolate strawberries, made and stocked our freezer jam storage, made a craft for my mother in law for christmas (she doesn't read this so I will post pics of it on my next post), cleaned, re-arranged, and organized my entire house, read a book, and spent lots of quality time with Dawson. My husband has commented on how happy I've been...well it's because for one week I get to do the things that I want to do as a mom. I get to be a real mom for one week and I am going all out! haha! In 2 years, I will get to do this stuff all the time and I don't want to take it for granted. I have loved every minute of motherhood and I still have 3 days left!

I always get so depressed during school time because I have to do homework and I neglect Dawson, cooking, and cleaning. Motherly things seem like chores instead of having joy in them like it should be. I'm almost there and when it's done I know I will say "It was worth it." I'm glad I can do it now and then be able to give my full attention to my children to come, and to Dawson as he starts to remember things forever.

Pictures to come on the next post I promise!

Little Cowboy

I have been needing to print off new pics of our family and Dawson. I still have his 1 year old pics up and he's turning 3 in a couple months...I'm horrible. I have finally picked out the ones I want, and photo shopped them a little. I'm SO excited. Some of these you may have seen before I've fixed them up. I don't do a lot, but I just love how they turned out. It's easy when you have the cutest little boy, you don't have to do a lot of fixing up :-) I loved seeing him watch little waves and stare out into the water. He can't get enough of water- EVER! He loves the water!

This is my favorite. I'm probably going to get a big one of this and hang it up in our living room. I have a silhouette of J.D. and Daws on a horses that I'm going to put in Dawson's cowboy room.

This is my little Cowboy.

My updates for our family... well on May 7th Dawson and I will say goodbye to J.D. for 6 weeks! We can drive up north anytime to see him, but it's still going to be long weeks without a daddy around. We are kind of living life day by day right now. We have plans, but we have to wait things out to know if the plans are going to fall through. It's kind of fun not knowing what we are doing, but possibly could be doing, and what we will do between now and then. haha! We honestly just keep smiling through everything! J.D. graduates May 6th- which we are so PROUD of him. He has worked so hard with his degree and dental pre-requisites. He is very excited to have a degree to show for all his hard work.
My 2nd semester ends April 30th...two more years. For me, it's all a countdown and 2 years doesn't seem like a long time when you look at all the things going on in our lives the next year. I love the end of a semester, it feels like such an accomplishment. I'm proud of myself because I have seen my potential with my calling, school, a 2 year old, and all the other family things we've been going through. I get stressed out and depressed, but when i get to the end of a semester I realize how much I can do and deal with emotionally and physically.
Dawson is growing up so much! I feel like he's an adult with the things he says to us. He is becoming pretty good at driving too :-) He has slept through the night more nights than not the past month. He loves to exercise with his mom and dad. Really-he gets his bball shorts, no shirt, and shoes. He has learned how to do crunches and push ups (he can't quite get these yet). He loves to play with us whether its baseball, kicking a ball around, pillow fights, or dancing. He has learned the color blue, red, and the shape circle. He loves to go to church, see family, and play with his best friend Andi. I wish everyone could see how excited Dawson and Andi get when they see each other. They truly are best friends! Dawson is now wearing 4t and is growing like a weed. He still has 2 molars that need to come in, but I think they are on their way.

That's all until next time! :-)

Great Grandma Beil

Today was such a special day for us. My Grandma had been visiting for about 2 weeks and was on her way home. My Aunt Sonja was driving her to Vegas to the airport and they stopped in Cedar City! I haven't seen my Grandma since last fall at my Grandpa's funeral. Dawson saw her, but he didn't really remember who she was because there were SO many people around. I was so excited for him to meet her and get to spend some time with her. She is his GREAT Grandma on the Shelley side. I never knew my Greats growing up, so it was important for me to make a big deal for it with Dawson. He loves Grandma's and Grandpa's, even if they aren't his own! Any old person he sees he will say, "mama!" or "papa!" He loves the elderly. He has a Great Grandma on both sides of the family- which he adores his Great Grandma Stevens (he knows her because she has a cane and he loves to bring it to her to use).

Back to our special day, Grandma and Aunt Sonja picked up my cousin Billy who is here in Cedar as well. Then they came to pick us up! All day long I had been showing Dawson a picture of Grandma Biel so he wouldn't get confused about which Grandma was coming. They pulled up and Dawson flew out the door! He ran right up to Grandma Biel and gave her the biggest squeeze! Then...all of the sudden he started to get shy. I told him, "It's okay. Why don't you go get the camera to take pictures." (This was something else I told Dawson. I had told him he could take pictures of Grandma when she came. So I knew this would probably get him excited). I was wrong... he didn't want pictures... as you can see he was a little nervous.

BUT Grandma's always know what's best and NEVER go wrong. My grandma pulled out her purse. She speaks so softly. Dawson was really into listening to her. She pulled out a silver clip. She showed Dawson that 'this is where I keep my money.' He started to get more interested.... Then she gave him a whole dollar! She said, "Now this is for you. You can go get you an ice cream okay?" He was SO EXCITED! He just replied, "Oh gosh Mama! Thank you!" And this is what happened next.....

From then on, Great Grandma Biel or 'mama' was Dawson's best friend. We went to lunch and Dawson insisted on sitting by 'Mama.' We sat down for dinner and he ate his soup because 'mama' was eating her soup. He talked and talked and talked to 'mama.' He kept bringing up his dollar bill and saying, 'Ice cream!' Great Grandma Biel was so happy and sweet to Dawson. She kept saying how cute he was, what a little gentleman he was, and how well he could talk. They gave each other the biggest hugs and kisses when they had to leave.

This made my whole day to see my Grandma, and watch my son create a sweet bond with his great grandma. I love how kind Dawson is and how polite he is becoming. I love how much he loves family, especially Grandma's and Grandpa's.

Dawson Update

My little guy is the cutest and darnest thing ever! He seriously makes J.D. and I laugh everyday!

He is so TALL! He is in 4T and is not even 3. We have to watch what we buy because we have to get the slim 4T things. He is so skinny it's hard to find clothes that don't hang to big on him. BUT if we buy smaller things then he looks like he has high waters or his tummy is slightly showing. It's so hard! My mom tells me that she went through the same thing with most of her kids. Dawson definitely gets his height from my family. Most of the guys in my heritage were all over 6 feet. The women are shorter for sure, but there is a lot of tallness.

Dawson is getting so good with his coordination too! He loves to kick the ball around the house, and is asks me everyday if we can go outside to play baseball. He still has a love for animals and especially horses. We had to buy him 2 new hats already because the ones from his birthday are pretty gross and WAY worn down. He still loves to have the least amount of clothes on as possible. He loves to dance! When fun music comes on from a movie or my phone, he will always grab my hand and say, "Mommy! Dance with Dawson!" I am the luckiest mom ever! He is better at taking his vitamins and flouride pill than I am. He reminds me quicker than I can think. He is still into trains and dinosaurs-it amazes me how much he loves Jurassic Park the movie. It doesn't scare him at all! He loves that movie! He has become quite the expert with making mac and cheese! lol!

Dawson can be proper sometimes- he won't eat without a place-mat on the table. He loves the routines of getting the place mat, silverware, cups and preparing to eat. He loves to shower by himself! He has learned to wash himself and rinse his hair without my help. He even closes his eyes. He is the biggest helper with cleaning. laundry, and dusting!

Dawson is talking so much too! Every night I try to go through sounds of letters with him. He was starting to have a lisp and stick his tongue out for 'S' and 'l' and 'f.' BUT after 3 nights of the sounds he doesn't even make the lisp noise anymore. We have still been going over sounds for about 3 weeks, just to get him used to hearing and making the right sounds. My mom started pre-school with my nephew, and when Dawson wants to, we go as well. We have learned about circles and Dawson is practicing writing his name. We are starting colors as well. He is doing amazing!

He is eating so much better than ever before! Mostly because he isn't sick and is growing so much. We only have 2 more molars on the top to get. We went to a dentist appointment and my Dawson got a small chip fixed. They drilled, and sanded, and filled the chip in- he didn't cry! Not once! He likes the dentist! He didn't cry for his hair cut today either! He lets me know when he's wet, and will hide to work on his stinkies. He isn't a big fan of nursery, but he loves to go to primary with me and sing the songs with the older kids. I love it too! He isn't always so perfect- he can definitely throw a really good fit. He plays J.D. and I against each other ALREADY! If I say no, he will go ask his dad. Is that normal for a 2 year old?

Other random updates- he love his face tickled with my hair. He loves to have his back tickled. He loves to drive his four wheeler around the house to get things done. He loves to sing in sacrament for church. He will lead with his hand and sing. I didn't teach him this- he just mimicked the chorister. He loves to go to church and get on his nice clothes. He loves routines or doing things like putting chapstick on, putting hand sanitizer on, brushing teeth, going potty on the toilet before getting in the tub, reading scriptures and saying prayers before we eat, and getting ready for the day. He is a little prankster and tease with J.D. and I. It's the funniest thing. He loves to be held and rocked.

AND last but not least- he has slept through the night 3 nights in a row!!! :-) AND he is still taking a nap most days. :-) We are happy parents!

Summer please come!

We are so ready for the rain and the snow to disappear for a couple of months. We had a couple of good days here in Cedar, but then within a hop, skip, and a jump it was gone! In one day we had sunshine, wind, rain, snow, and sunshine again! I can't handle mother natures mood swings anymore. It's time for summer!
Dawson loves to play outside, and I love a good tan...so for a few days we were living the life! And now I have to tell Dawson its too cold to stay inside. Both of us are struggling with being cooped up any longer after the winter season. We love flip flops, no shoes, shorts, t-shirts, swim suits, tanning, baseball, parks, picnics, and ESPECIALLY the LAKES! We don't have a boat, nor any sort of lake water toys. BUT we just love to swim and play in the sand, BBQ, and be in the sun with friends and family. Dawson loved it last year, and we couldn't get enough of it either! I will admit, some days it just gets too hot, but if you have a lake to go swimming in then life is great!

We have already made up a summer list of things to do! We usually don't get all of the things done, but it gives us great ideas when we find ourselves with a spare day. This year a couple of things we want to do besides lake trips, is going out to see J.D.'s sister Lynette and her family, see my brother Chad and his family, and my dad and brother in Colorado. J.D. loves to travel- I do too, but I like taking my time to do things and not make our visits a rush. However, seeing family- I'll take what I can get. So will Dawson! He just loves family! He has a big heart for traveling and seeing family as well. He is willing to go through any car ride to see family.