My First Mother's Day!

So weird that a year ago tomorrow I was going to the hospital to be induced! I was bummed that she didn't come on Mother's Day, but glad she was comin' soon! I love being a mother. I have never been so happy and felt so much love in all my life. I am so grateful for our Eternal Family. Charlotte and George are my world. I am so lucky.

Well, here's my new (used) sewing machine that I got for an early MD gift! I'm so excited for my first project, tab top curtains for Charlotte's room. They will be dark chocolate brown curtains with pink tabs and different sizes of pink dots on the curtain part. Kind of hard to visualize, so I'll post pics when they're done.

Charlotte and I went for a walk by the river yesterday and I took some "Almost ONE" pictures of her. I can't believe how big my little girl is.

This is about 3 weeks, she looks totally different!

And now, almost a year later!

Playing with leaves.

Some pretty purple flowers by the river... not sure what they are, but they're pretty!

Just Charlotte.... being Charlotte :)

Reading books, Wii Fit and eating. Love her :)

My Balcony Garden

About a month ago I planted a bunch of starter plants and some seed plants. I love seeing them growing bigger and changing EVERYDAY! I'll look at them before I go to bed and seriously the next morning there are new leaves or sprouts or blossoms! I love gardening in pots, but can't wait to have a big garden someday. Here's my plants...

Basil, starter plant. I've used this a couple times in my spaghetti sauces and it is SOO good. I ♥ basil.

Tomato, starter plant... check out those blossoms. Blossoms = tomatoes :)

Tomato, starter plant. Kinda dying. Shouldn't have planted it in the basket...

Chives, from seeds (organic, thank you very much). The ones on the right are doing the best. I think I'm going to transplant them in another pot.

Far right, bell peppers, starter plant. They are alive, just not any bigger. To the left of them, yellow onions (normal cooking onions), starter bulbs, 3 have grown and sprouted. If any of you know anything about onions and such, advice is welcome :)

Potato plants, starter seed potatoes. See the bitty one in the middle to the left? Yeah, I only planted 2 potatoes and 3 are growing!!

Well, that's my garden! We'll see what kind of harvest I get. I'm really excited! 

Charlotte turns one in 10 days. Crazy. This year has flown by. I'll list her stats on her birthday... I know, now you're all waiting in suspense, right? Right? :)

NEW FUN BLOG!!

HELLO!! I have (with the help of a super awesome friend) put together a Recipe Exchange blog. If you want, grab a button to put on YOUR blog! If you would like to be a part of the group, leave a comment with your email and I'll add you in. It will be so much more fun if we have a LOT of people. That way, there will be LOTS more recipes going in and out. Check it out, and join the fun!
http://friendlyrecipexchange.blogspot.com/

Also, here's our family Easter pic :)

First Date

I don't know why, but I've been reminiscing on our first date. Let me tell you about it :) Actually, now that I think of it, maybe it wasn't our FIRST date... but one of THE first ones. Who knows? Anyway, the moment that sticks out to me is this. We went to Sunset Park pretty late and parked by this grassy area to sit outside and talk. Seriously, we just talked... lame. So all of the sudden, the sprinklers turned on. I scream and run away. George runs too, looks at me then runs back. He calls for me to come. Now at this point I am thinking, "Maybe if I go out there he'll think I'm so amazing and hold my hand! Or better yet, KISS ME!". So I book it over to him. He catches me in his arms and swings me around in the water. We run together like little kids. Anyone that saw us probably thought we were high or something. After running around like crazies for a minute, we walk down some grassy hills and talk. Here's where "Forward Becca" comes in. I grab his hand as we're walking.... wait for it... and he lets go. OUCH.
That's all I remember. Obviously he warmed up to human contact. But it was months before we held hands or kissed. He just wanted to be sure I was someone he cared deeply about. He didn't want to get all involved and then realize later that he didn't really care for me as much as his hormones did. I respected him more for that than many things while we were dating. He is so careful. People's feelings mean the world to him. I remember after we had taken a break from dating for a couple months and I was at his house just talking and he kissed me. It was perfect. Right then and there I became the last girl he'll ever kiss.
Sorry to get all mushy. Ashley Bryan inspired me, so did Lindsay Miranda. It's their anniversaries this weekend. Ashley wrote a sweet memoir to her hubby and Lindsay's husband, Lewis, left a sweet note on her Facebook.
I love George.

Being in love rocks.

Happy Easter!!

This free greeting card made with Smilebox

Charlotte is 10 months old!!..... and other stuff...

Way late.. My birthday. George baked and frosted the cake all by himself! It was an awesome birthday!Charlotte's bubble hair.
Standing for the first time.

We took some pictures with the neighbor's camera a couple weeks ago. I found a semi good editing program online, but really want to save for a nice photo editor. Anyway, here they are!
She LOVES this baby!! (Thanks Eliza!)

Charlotte was sick of being outside..... so was I.


Charlotte's Can-Do's

-standing

-beginning to cruise around furniture

- crawling EVERYWHERE and super speedy!

-mimicking us

-folds her hands when we pray before bed (stinkin' cute!!)

- eating all solid foods, cut up nice on her high chair tray

- loves to be outside

- loves to have her back scratched. She stares off into space the whole time you do it :)

- is content to watch Baby Beethoven and Baby Mozart for hours

- very fidgety in church, she wants to be crawling and hates sitting still for 3 hours

- wearing size 4 diapers still, but in 12 month clothes

- loves buttons and zippers.... and shoes..... and cords..... and lint...... and hair..... gag

-has ONE cute little snaggle tooth

- taking 2 naps a day (finally back on a real schedule!)

---- That's about all I can think of.

Our Family's Update

-George is still in school and totally loves it. It's so nice to see him so excited and happy about his future career.

-George also got a job at Carmax for the time he is in school. It's a light class load and no take home work or projects, so a job is easy and they are willing to work around his schedule (yay for income!!!)

- I got called as the Primary Chorister in our ward!! I am so excited and can't wait for my first week. I think this will be the best calling so far!

- The weather is finally getting better here. It's been cooler the past couple days, but at least it's in the 50-60 range and sunny outside most of the time. I finally know spring!

--- That's all folks. Leave comments to validate me :)

I'll post more pics and a couple videos soon!!!!

Mommy Makeover 2010

I am doing a "Biggest Loser" type blog/contest. It'll be so much fun! Before I give major details and rules, etc. I'd like to get a number of how many women would be interested. Let me know if you are!!

A new me.

Well, I have decided to make myself healthier. I watched an amazing and super informational movie called Food Inc. It ruined my life.... actually, no. It totally changed my life and has changed the way I will eat FOREVER! I found a natural foods market here in town that sells chickens that are farm raised here in Tulsa and then are brought to this store and frozen. They are only about $3.50 per whole chicken. So I am going to cook them each in the crock-pot without any seasonings, shred them up in 1lb portions and then freeze the cooked meat. As for beef, there is a farm about 40 mins away that sells fresh and frozen beef that is already portioned out into roasts, steaks and ground beef. I will NEVER, EVER buy meat from a regular grocery store again. I am also only buying in season produce. In April, the Cherry Street Farmers Market opens and I will only be buying my produce there. It will actually be cheaper to get my meat and produce this way because there are no shipping costs. And it makes me feel good. I feel like I am helping the farmers here stay in business. I feel like I am supporting them. For my birthday George got me a bread-maker. I will be baking my own bread once or twice a week. This will save us money on bread and will be better for our bodies.

For the exercising part of me, I am running outside by the river, doing the Tony Horton 10 min Trainer, Wii Fit and an exercise ball routine. I love it. So far I have gone a week straight of working out at least 30 mins everyday. I feel so good already. I feel like I have more energy. I feel like I am sleeping better. I feel happier and less irritable. I've been eating better and journaling my food for The Ladies Olympic Challenge and although I feel kind of hungry at night, I know I am doing something good for ME. MY body feels better, which makes ME a happier wife and mother.

I am so excited about this new way of life. I have let myself go and this is me starting over and becoming a new woman. FOR ME!!!

Home Sweet Home!

Well, we're here and settled in. George left on Saturday the 2nd with our good friend, Josh Edwards to make the LONG drive to Tulsa, OK. They were able to make it completely safe and sound and in 2 days. Charlotte and I arrived on Monday the 4th, by plane :) We were not about to make that long drive with an 8 month old. She did so well on our first flight. It wasn't full so we had the whole row to ourselves. She slept and talked to everyone. It was cute. Second flight she was SOO tired and the flight was completely packed. We got shoved all the way back.... in the second to last row.... window seat... by a 12 year old that was TOTALLY in love with her :) She cried and cried for the last 45 mins or so. Then RIGHT as the plane was landing, she finally fell asleep on my shoulder. Stinker. George came and picked us up at the airport and took us to our humble abode.... oh wait, scratch that. He took us to our fancy hotel..... nope. I had pre booked us the cheapest hotel for a couple days, and it was DEFINITELY cheap. We were a little scared that the owners were terrorists :) jkjk

I was immediately in love with this city. It's the perfect size. It's large enough to feel like I'm in a big city, but small enough to feel cozy. I love that there are a TON of trees here. In the spring the city is going to be so beautiful! OH, and the fall, with all the leaves changing colors! I'm so excited to be in a place with seasons!

My amazing sister in law found us the wonderful apartment we are now happily moved into. She rocks. It is right next door to the Arkansas River! Cool huh!? Our home is also about 10 minutes away from the campus George will be attending. The school is wonderful. It looks really nice and he's so excited about the next two years of school!

We have absolutely WONDERFUL neighbors.... so far :) By day 4 of being moved in, everyone in our building has introduced themselves to us. Super nice. Our upstairs neighbors have a little almost 2 year old. They are a cute family and I think we'll end up being good friends.

We went to our new ward today and were very pleased with how friendly everyone was to us. And, small world, one of the women in Relief Society actually grew up in my hometown, Roosevelt, UT. She went to HS with my aunt and her dad was my mom's 4th grade teacher.... HAHA! Awesome.

Charlotte has been sick for the past 3 days. Her cough seems to be getting worse, and I'm sure it's just a cold. No fever or anything. But she can't sleep because she keeps coughing. And I think I'm getting it too. My head feels like it's tripled in size in the past hour... not good. Oh well.

Well, here's a bunch of pictures from the last week. Courtesy of Ferlayna. I still can't find my camera :(

Downtown Tulsa. Pretty buildings!


Ha ha, this sign was awesome. We are totally in the Bible Belt here, so there are a million gospel radio stations and every church you can think of!

One of the display planes at the TCC Tech Center, where George will go to school.



Charlotte last night on our car ride. She was FREEZING! But FINALLY was able to sleep since she was sitting upright and could actually breathe. Poor thing :(

The Burger King that has free Wi-Fi that we used so we weren't stealing it from our neighbors :)
The Arkansas River.On our moving day. George heading out :(
Getting the truck all set.We were sad to leave. I was sad to be without my hubby for a couple days.
George's mom was so sad!
Edwards. He's the man. He drove all the way with George so we could get both cars here.
Sad mom :(
That's all for now, until I find my camera. Miss and Love you all!!!