Happy New Year!

I have been so bad at posting lately! It seems like life keeps us so busy. Chris recently took a job in Arizona. He had to go through a 3 month training/testing program before we found out if he got the job or not so I stayed in Montana. Its been hard to be apart for so long but we are getting ready to move in a couple months. I have been busy working and taking care of Austin.

Austin started going to daycare 4 days a week when Chris left for Arizona. I was nervous about it but it has been so great for him to interact with the other kids. Lynette (she owns the daycare and I went to high school with her) is so great with him. He always tells me about "nanette, hunter, and logan". It has been really nice for me to work during the day instead of trying to work at night after he goes to bed and then wake up when he wakes up.

We have been trying to potty train and have made some decent progress. Yea!!! The other day I Austin followed me into the bathroom and after I was done and had flushed he started clapping his hands and said "Good job Mommy! Good job!" Nothing like a little positive reinforcement!

I so far behind on posting pictures! I made a calendar for all of Austin's grandmas for Christmas that kind of sums up the year so I thought it would be fun to post the pages. Hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year!

January: New Years Eve Party 12/31/08

February: West Yellowstone Trip Feb 2009

March: Hogle Zoo Spring 2009

April: Dying Easter Eggs Spring 2009

May: Visiting with Uncle Gordon May 2009

June: Mowing the Lawn with Grandpa Summer 2009

July: 4th of July Party 2009

August: Fishing with Daddy August 2009

September: Riding the Combine and Hauling Grain September 2009

October: Little Frankenstein Halloween 2009

November: Playing in the leaves Fall 2009

December: Sitting on Santa's Lap December 2009

Mowing the Lawn

Austin has loved mowing the lawn with Grandpa Todd this summer. I took this picture a few weeks ago and I love it!

The Zoo

On our way back from Arizona we stayed in Salt Lake and took Austin to the zoo. His favorite animals were the meerkats. He got so excited watching them run around. He would just giggle and chase them back and forth across the window. He also liked the zebras and the elephants. He took a ride on the carousel and the train. The carousel he wasn't crazy about but the train was a whole different story. After the ride was over and the train stopped everyone was getting off but Austin wouldn't budge. He sat there gripping the handles not wanting to get off. It took both Chris and I to pry him off and he kept saying "choo choo! choo choo!". It took a little while to get him out but there was no tempertantrum or major meltdown thank goodness:). It was so fun to watch Austin get so excited about the things he saw. I think Chris and I almost had more fun them him. It so amazing to watch everything through Austin's eyes. It makes me appreciate the little things that as adults we sometimes take for granted. Thank you my sweet boy!

Arizona and Graduation

So I have been a real slacker and haven't updated the blog in a REALLY long time. But in my defense we have been very busy the last month and a half. In the middle of May we took a trip to Arizona to go to Chris's little brother Jeremy's graduation. He was the last of the siblings to graduate high school. It was so fun to see all the family and watch Jeremy. The graduation was really nice. Austin was a really good boy but got tuckered out and didn't make it through the whole thing. On Sunday there was Seminary graduation where Jeremy gave an awesome talk. We were really proud of him!

Jeremy with Charlotte and Will

Austin asleep on his daddy

Austin had a blast playing with all his uncles, his auntie, and grandma and grandpa. Gordon, Chris's brother that lives in New York was able to come. Austin hadn't seen him in a year but he warmed up to his uncle Gordon pretty fast.

Austin and Uncle Gordon having a nice visit :)

We had such a good time and wished the trip could have lasted a little longer.

Dying Easter Eggs

Here are some belated pictures from Easter. Austin had so much fun dying Easter Eggs with Aunt Tiffany! He decided it was just too big of pain to use the spoon and much easier to use his hands. When he thought an egg was done he would grab it with his hand out of the dye and then give it to grandman. Then he'd hold out his hand to mommy and say "egg... egg" wanting a new one to drop in the dye. The dye doesn't wash off to well so he went to church on Sunday with orange and green fingers. :)

Mr Money Bags

Elderly people seem to love Austin. It doesn't matter where we go...the grocery store, Walmart, resturaunts...they all want to stop and talk to Austin. As any mother does, I love to hear people tell me how beautiful and cute my child is so I stop and let them. This past Saturday we went to breakfast at a little cafe and as usual Austin had many admirers...Only this time they started giving him change! Thats right change...coins...money. He had one couple give him 2 nickels and another give him a quarter. Since when do kids get paid for being cute? Chris and I got a kick out of it. If we take him there a few more weekends he might be able to fill his piggy bank up :)!

Like Father Like Son

When we lived in New York there was this bakery in the city we used to go to called The Magnolia Bakery. You might recognize it from the TV show "Sex and the City".
They have awesome cupcakes, cakes, and all kinds of desserts. Most nights you would have to line up around the block and wait to get in the door. Whenever we went there Chris used to the Banana Pudding. He loved it. Its the kind that has the Nilla Wafers in it. So this week I found a recipe on the internet and made it to suprise Chris. Chris wasn't the only one that LOVED the dessert. Austin thought it was the best thing EVER! Here are some cute pictures of him eating his pudding.