Baby Girl

So Braxton has basically renamed Adelle "Baby Girl." It's so funny now because he know her whole name and he can say it but he has always called her "baby girl" and now Jeff and I find ourselves calling her "baby girl" and everyone around us is calling her "baby girl." The other day we received a card in the mail that said, "Dear Jeff, Andrea, Braxton and Baby girl." It was so funny and so true. I think Adelle will always be "baby girl." I'm actually ok with that since she seems to be growing up so fast. She is such a sweet, cuddly, mellow "baby girl."

As for Braxton his imagination has taken over our lives. He is so imaginary lately, pretending to do everything and doing it so realistically. Funny story: Jeff goes to morning meetings on Sundays now with his new calling. The other Sunday morning after Jeff had left Braxton comes out of his room wearing nothing but his diaper (we're working on that one too), church socks and church shoes with my camera case hung on his shoulder. "Bye mom," he said, "I'm going to my church meeting." "Ok bye, I love you," was my response. "Have fun at your meeting." I then peek around the corner to him with standing at the table in the front room with his pen and paper as if he is taking serious notes. A couple minutes later he comes back to the kitchen where I am. " Hi mom, I'm back from my meeting." I respond, "Hi Brax, how was it?" His answer, "Good, I went to my meeting and to church," then he paused and with the most serious face he says," OH CRAP I FORGOT TO GO TO NURSERY!" It was so funny and so realistic like he had really forgotten. I couldn't help but laugh. Then I asked him where he learned the word "crap" and he said, "from dad." It was a good learning experience for me because I know I say that word too and obviously he is picking up everything we do and say lately!

Adventures in Camping...

Jeff and I have decided that we are really want to do more camping and after this last weekend I think we can handle anything and everything the great northwest has to offer. Braxton loves to camp and fish and was geared up this weekend with his very own camping pack that Jeff's parents sent, complete with sleeping bag, water bottle and flashlight. Those of you who know me well know that camping isn't typically my thing but after breaking down the first night, camping in the backyard of the Chevron Station in the pouring down rain and not even getting wet I find it fun and exciting. Plus, it was basically a weekend off for me. Jeff and Brent were the tent setter-uppers and the Braxton entertainers. Dad was the boat provider, the weekend chef, and the peach finder/picker. Mom was the food bringer, the meal cleaner-upper, and the babysitter. That leaves me as the sun-bather and camping princess...How could I not want to do that again? Thanks to all for a really relaxing weekend!

Conversations with my 2 year old

This morning Braxton and I were talking about the Temple. He was telling me that when he gets to be a daddy then he is going to go to the Temple. I got out mine and Jeff's wedding pictures and I was showing him that mommy and daddy got married in the Temple. Then he said, "I get married in the temple when I'm a daddy." I'm hoping this marriage actually happens before he is a daddy but I love and adore his innocence and his desire to be like his daddy. Then I said, "what pretty girl are you going to marry in the Temple?" He looked at me and thought for a minute then he said, "Bauma." (this is what he calls my mom "grandma"). He loves his grandma! It was so sweet! He's just been cracking me up with what he says lately.

Life's a Beach!

Our life is really fun and eventful which is why when I do blog I have a million pictures to post and a story to go with each of them. Unfortunately I don't know how to post picture, words, picture, words...like most of you so I will sum up our busy week and then post the pics.

Our bestest friend Shelby was here for the week last week and we had a blast. She stayed in the Ashmore home and fit right in, crazy! Braxton and her really got to be buds this trip and she was a ton of help to me too. What an amazing gal!

We spent all day Friday and Saturday at Cherry Point with my mom and dad crabbing! It was so fun and Braxton went on the boat every single time anyone went to check the pots! He even fell asleep on Jeff's lap on the boat at one point after two days with no nap. He is definetly a boat man. Jeff is now really into crabbing too and so far he has his own license and crabbing shoes, next will be the pots and then maybe a boat! Grandma, Adelle and I love the beach and the sun so it's a perfect fit for everyone to be there. Plus you can't beat fresh crab right out of the ocean. We really are true Northwesterners I guess. It was such a fun and relaxing weekend and I feel like it was the first really nice weather that we've gotten to truely enjoy and bask in! Horray for the beach, for the best family and friends, for sunshine and really good food.

Happy Campers!

Jeff and I decided that to we would celebrate our 5 years of bliss with a camping trip to Harrison Hot Springs up in Canada, BC. It was one of my favorite places to go growing up and Jeff had never been. The resort there is amazing but we decided to save that for later when we don't have our little kiddos to bring along......so we camped! It was a total blast and we couldn't imagine not bringing our kids to such a fun place. Braxton loved every single thing we did from setting up the tent to swimming to tearing the tent down in the pouring rain Saturday morning. He was such a good sport. Adelle was happy too and loved all the fresh air.
The pictures I've posted crack me up because we are the only ones in the lake. The weather was overcast Friday but it's a good thing we swam anyway because Saturday it poured rain. In all the pictures we look so cold and uncomfortable but it really wasn't that bad! It was a great family outing and camping with 2 kids was way more fun and relaxing than I ever would have thought. I guess I just have awesome kids!

5 years!

They say that it’s in the first five years in your life that you learn the most. You learn to depend on your parents for your every need. You learn to breathe and to eat and to walk and to talk. You learn the alphabet and your numbers and your colors. More importantly you learn security. You learn whether or not your basic needs will be met and by who. Ultimately the things you are taught and the way you are treated during these first years will greatly affect who you will become and how you will treat yourself and others for the rest of your life.
I would argue that likewise the first five years of your marriage are just as important to the rest of your marriage as the first five years of life are to your future. It’s in these first years that you learn to loose yourself and to be dependent on each other. You learn the other ways that things can be done, even if it’s not the way you would have choose to do them. You learn that your needs are still important but that they are worth sacrificing to meet the needs of the one you love the most.
You learn to talk so that your spouse can understand you and to listen without judging or being critical. You learn that they think differently than you and that they may have different opinions then you do but they are still valid. You learn to defend them and stick up for them when others think they are wrong or out of their mind. You learn to live to make them happy and by doing so you become happy yourself.
You learn that the promises you made to each other aren’t to be broken and that forgiving each other is essential. You learn that you are stronger together than you are alone and that you have been commanded to be each others helpmate and to cleave to one another. You learn that others won’t always support you and that you have to be truly committed to overcoming your hardships. You learn that the reasons you love each other the most is because you know each other the most and you accept the good with the bad.
You learn to say “I love you” as many times as you can and to say “sorry” more and to hold grudges less. You learn that although you may be tired someone is working hard to make your life easier and to provide you with all the things you need.
You learn that you really are amazing and beautiful to that one person in the world who can get turned on giving you a morning kiss and that stretch marks can actually be sexy. Who would have thought?
That’s briefly some of what I have learned. Thanks to you, my one true love and my everything. I love you and can’t wait to spend the next forever by your side!

Big.....BIGger....BIGGEST!!!

So our kids are growing up too fast! Adelle is 8 weeks today and she is already growing up way too fast. She is such a smiler and now she has increased her cooing and talking. She is so amazing and such a cutie. Her personality is so sweet and she is so chunky but still has such a delicate little countenance. We love her so much and can't think of what our life was like before. Baby Carson, Braxton and Adelle's cousin, came over last night with Lesha and Peter and we had fun playing with all the kids. They are so fun! Carson, who will be 6 months, makes Adelle look tiny and then putting Braxton in the mix makes both the babies seem so small. Braxton loves being the big brother and cousin and both Addy and Carson just watch Braxton in awe. He is definetly the ring leader and eats it all up!