Walking Machine!!

So for weeks Parker has been teasing us with the whole walking thing, taking a few steps here and there, but still using crawling for his main mode of transportation. Then all of a sudden he just took of on Tuesday and has been a walking machine ever since!! I was really starting to worry that something might be wrong with him, but I think he just lacked the confidence, not to mention he didn't need to since there are so many people around to carry him everywhere! Well needless to say I'm relieve that he finally picked it up, now I get to start chasing him around!! Well I decided that I'd better provide some proof for those of you who might doubt, since it has taken him so long!!
(P.S. Just ignore the messy house in the background, and pay attention to the cute kid!!)
(Another P.S. Our dog didn't actually hurt Parker at the end of the little video, he just scared him!!)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Family Picture Time Again!!

A couple of weeks ago we got our family pictures taken by my wonderful sister-in-law, Katy Checketts. Yesterday we got to see them, and they turned out fabulous!! So if you like our pictures, and live in the Salt Lake City/Provo area, be sure to let me know so that I can give you her number. Her business is called Photography by Katherine. Anyways here are a few of my favorites!! (Just to warn you, I have A LOT of favorites!)

Halloween!!!

For Halloween this year we just took Parker around trick-or-treating. It was fun, and Parker LOVED seeing all the other kids in their costumes. We were planning on dressing him up as a monkey, but waited until the last minute to get his costume. Needless to say, when we went to Wal-mart the day before Halloween, there wasn't much to choose from!! So Parker ended up being a very cute skeleton!! Here are a few pics.

Travis Graduated!!

Yesterday Travis graduated from the police academy!! So now he is an official corrections officer, with a badge and all(which he is pretty proud of I might add!!) Before the graduation they had a spouse class that I attended which was really good. They talked to us about how to live with a member of law enforcement, and how to make our marriage work (the divorce rate for law enforcement is pretty high- 55%-80%) Pretty much they just stressed to have balance in our lives and to give 100% into the marriage.

The graduation ceremony itself was also amazing!! They had some really good speakers, and pretty much I just LOVED seeing my husband looking so sharp in his uniform, being sworn in (how I love a man in uniform!!!)

Here is a few pictures of my hansom husband!



Here he is being sworn in.


Showing him some love!!


Our little family!


Travis with his good friend Clint, who used to work at the prison, and now works for Summit County Sheriff.


I know that my last post was dedicated to Travis, but I am really proud of him for his accomplishments, so I wanted to share this exciting time with the world!!

I'm In Love!!!

I have a wonderful husband, and just wanted to take a moment to brag about him just a bit!! Today when Travis got home, he walked in with a rose in his hand. When I asked him what it was for he said "just because." How sweet is that!! He really is such a sweetheart and I love him very much! I am so grateful that we are sealed in the temple, and that I get to be with him for eternity!! Here are a few things that I love about Travis:

~He is very caring. He will give you the shirt off of his back if you ask, or he thinks you need it.

~He has a strong testimony, and has high standards. He makes me want to be a better person.

~He is an amazing dad. It just comes naturally to him, I wish motherhood came more naturally to me! He is so patient and loving to Parker.

~He is a wonderful cook. He cooks more often than I do, but keeps me striving to be a better cook, and try new things.

~He is very outgoing and friendly. Anyone who knows Travis knows this to be true. He is a chatter box and isn't afraid to talk to strangers, like I am!!

~He is a very fun person. He is very entertaining!! We have a lot of fun together!

Well there are tons more things that I love and admire about Travis, but I'd better stop bragging!!

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED!!!

Thanks for tagging me Amyee! This is a pretty fun one!

~The tag is to go to your picture files... open the 4th folder... then open the 4th picture.
Here is my pic:



This is a picture of my family right before we dropped my brother, Dalton off at the MTC! Dalton has been in New Zealand for several months now, and is doing great! He is such an awesome kid, and I miss him a lot, but know that he is where the Lord wants him to be! I love you Dalton!!

Ok, now I tag Katy C., Allyson M., and Dayna A. I can't wait to see your pics!!

Sick Boy:(

I have a sick little guy at my house:( Poor thing. Parker has been running a fever, and has developed sores all over on the inside of his mouth and his lips. He won't eat anything, and hasn't since Friday. I called the doctor, and they told me that it was a virus and to just keep him hydrated, and let it run its course. They said it will probably last about a week. Yuck. So the last 4 nights Parker and I have had all night movie marathons on the living room floor, and have averaged about 3-4 hours of sleep per night. Fun stuff! I feel so bad for him because he is so miserable and I'm sure he is starving. I wish I could do something more to make him feel better, but there isn't much to be done I guess. I'm ready for my baby to be better.

Earring Giveaway!!

I'm having a giveaway, so check out my Mariah's Creations blog for details. Good Luck!

New Blog

I started a new blog for my jewelry and other creations. I will try to keep it updated often with new things that I am working on. Hope you enjoy! mariahscreations.blogspot.com

My Baby Takes His First Steps!!!!

So on Sunday Parker took his first steps. Hooray! He's been trying, but has only ever taken one or two steps before falling. On Sunday however, he first took about 4, and then as the night progressed, he kept adding steps until he walked halfway across the room! He has also been talking a lot lately. Here are some of his words:

Babies--he calls all stuffed animals "babies" but has two that are his favorite. Some of you might remember his green bunny, well he still has it, and loves it more than ever. It is definitely looking quite tattered, and the tail is about to fall off(he like to chew on it) but it's his baby, so we keep it around. He also has a bear that he totes around. He has to sleep with both, one in each arm, it's really cute, if I do say so myself.

Doggie--we got two dogs about a month ago, a beagle and a dachshund, so Parker picked this one up pretty quick. He even pats his leg and and says "om ear" which translates to come here!

Mommy, Daddy--he's been saying these for awhile, but he actually knows who's who.

Cheese--one day we were trying to take his picture, but he wouldn't look at the camera, so Travis stood behind me and peeked out to the side, telling Parker to say "cheese", so Parker copied him and tilted his head, a few days later he learned how to say cheese!

Well anyways, he is definitely growing way too fast, and is out of the baby stage and into the toddler stage. It's really fun to watch him learn and grow, and I love being a mom more and more each day!

All Alone

Parker and I are all alone today, and it is rather nice! School started today, so everyone is back in the school routine. Since moving in with my parents in April we have rarely been alone. Travis is staying in Salt Lake City in the dorms while he goes through the academy (to save on gas) so we only get to see him on the weekends, but all summer my mom, dad, and three little sisters have been around. While I greatly appreciate all of their help with Parker, I also enjoy the quiet of an empty house, other than the random squeals, etc. that I hear from Parker:)

Other than having the house to myself during the day, I am also excited to get back into somewhat of a routine. I am the kind of person who loves routine, I just feel like I get so much more accomplished when I have a daily routine! One part of my day now is to get up and run. I made a goal to be able to run a 5K in October, so I've started training for it! I know it's only 3.1 miles, but asthma has always held me back from running, so now that I have it under control I really enjoy running, but will have to work up to the 3.1 miles. I'm excited to see if I can do it, especially since Travis will be running with me!

Now about Parker, he is sooo close to walking. I feel like I've been saying that for a while now, but he really is. He loves to walk while we hold his hands, and we've started helping him walk by holding his tummy and back, that way we can gradually let go so he can do it by himself. Slowly but surely he is catching on. He does stand by himself, but when he wants to go somewhere he drops to his knees and crawls. Yesterday he was sitting in his high chair eating, and I turned my back to him for a minute, when I turned back he was sitting at the edge of his tray, backwards. SCARY. I guess I'd better start buckling him in again! I guess I'd better get something done!!

How Funny!

Tonight during dinner Parker fell asleep in his high chair. The funniest part was that he had a mouth full of bread when he fell asleep!

Fun in the Sun & the Days of '47 Parade

Parker has a little blow up pool that he has been enjoying this summer. He is a water bug and loves to splash and play in the pool. Here are a few pics of him enjoying the pool and the sun.



We decided to go over to Salt Lake for the parade on the 24th of July. It was very hot, but we had fun. There were lots of really cool floats, and we got to see Pres. Monson. It was crazy seeing him in casual clothes, since we are used to seeing him in a suit and tie. Here are pictures of us enjoying the parade. Don't you just LOVE the goofy umbrella hats!!





I love this sweet shot that I took of my boys.

YEAH!!! It's Official!!!

Hooray!!! Travis got hired on at the prison!! He starts the academy on July 28th. We are so so excited to have a job again. It's been a long few months, but they are finally over. Travis is really excited for this new chapter in his career and for the experience he will receive at this job. Hopefully he will be able to put his helicopter experience together with this new experience in a few years and be able to fly for a police department.

We are still living with my parents for a few more months while we save up and find a place to rent. We are so grateful for all of the support that we've receive from family and friends as we've endured this trying time in our lives. Thanks to all of you for your love and prayers. We really appreciate it.

Parker Pics

I figured it was about time to add more pics of my little guy. Here are some of him eating an oreo! He loved it!!



Notice we forgot the bib!

A couple days ago he fell asleep on his bear. It was too cute to pass up!


Here are a couple other random shots.


Parker's first 4-wheeler ride with daddy!! This was a couple weeks ago, I just haven't got around to posting the pics until now!




And finally, we will end with some more eating pics. These are from last night at dinner. He sure did like the mashed potatoes!

New Hair

It's really nice having my very own hairstylist, who doesn't charge me an arm and a leg to get my hair done! I needed a trim, but was ready for a change, so I decided to get some layers added. Heidi was also ready for a change and decided to change her color and add lots of highlights. I think the changes look pretty darn good!! The thing I like most about my new haircut is that it is so much easier. I don't like to spend all day fixing my hair, so this was a big plus! Here are a few photos.

Jewelry

Lately I've been spending almost every spare minute that I have making jewelry. I've got several things completed, so I thought that I would share my new-found love with all of you. Keep in mind I am just a beginner and have a lot to learn, but I am pretty excited about the things I've made so far.






This is the first set I made.







I have some of these posted online at www.mariahscreations.etsy.com. I'm very interested in any comments or critiques, so let me know what you think!!