Tender Moments!

Carden is the sweetest baby!
He is such a people person. He does NOT
like to be left alone, which makes it hard for me to eat anything. He loves to stand. His legs are so strong, it is amazing!

He rarely sleeps during the day, but does great at night. Actually I shouldn't say that because he does sleep a LOT but only if he is held! He especially loves to sleep on his Daddy's chest! He just loves to snuggle! At night he usually only wakes up at 3 and 6 am.

My favorite thing is to watch Carden wake up. He has the cutest little stretch. I've tried to get it on camera, but it doesn't do justice. He throws both his arms back and arches his back while his little forehead wrinkles up. It is the cutest sight ever!

Sometimes when he sleeps he will but his little arm over his eyes (which is such a Justin thing to do!). He is just like his Daddy in many ways! :)

My Summer Project!

So I have a pretty AMAZING Aunt! She made me this cute quilt for Carden!
I just love it soooo much that now I have decided to make a matching bumper and a crib skirt
for Carden's crib.

Please let me know if anyone sees ANY of these fabrics in the stores!!!
I have only found three of the fabrics (but not in the colors I want :( ) and that was in the Cotton Shop. I really want to find the orange, blue, and green fabric patterns in any of the lines, polka dots, or child print.

But Carden loves his quilt! One time I heard him grunting around in his crib and he was totally in a back arch trying to look at all the FUN prints on the quilt. It was so cute!

The baby is growING!!!

Carden is bursting out of his clothes,
he practically is out of 3-6 mo and
now I have even put him in 6-9 mo.
onesies!

Photo shoot! Here are just some of Carden's cute little outfits!
Carden is getting soo cute and talkative!
He loves to stare at Justin and I and just coo. It is so tender. Right now
he is getting a work out kicking his little feet in his Play-chair. He loves to watch
the little animals move while he kicks his legs. He is so good at grabbing his animals and pulling them to his cute little mouth!

Justin's work of Art!

Doesn't this look sooo delicious?
Well, it really was!

Justin made me dinner on Sunday and it
was such a treat! He's gotten me to eat
tomatoes and onions (and actually enjoy them)!
Which makes him a MIRACLE chef!

So I asked Justin what he did and he seriously can't remember. He just put stuff together and made a mystery meal that is sooo delicious!!!
The pasta was my favorite!
Thanks babe for that yummy meal!

Home in Sunny California

What a great trip we had to California with the van Beevers to help them move to Fresno! We left May 31st and stayed until June 10th. There was a lot of NEW things that Carden got to experience (being only 8weeks old) such as:

1st time out of FREEZING cold Utah!
1st time to go to In-in-Out Burger!
1st time in SUNNY California to visit Grandma and Grandpa house!
1st time to see Nana (the great) and all the cousins!
1st time to the BEACH in Oceanside!
1st time on a plane and he didn't even cry!

While on the trip he started to suck his fist like crazy! He also started to drool and coo! He loved watching Nana, especially with all her animated faces and sounds! It sure was a fun trip! I think the funniest (but scariest) part of the trip was when SAM did a little summer salt into the pool! He took it like a champ!

Baby Barracuda

So I was anti-pacifier, but when you have a barracuda baby you must give in!

So Carden has the strongest suck ever.
He gave me, Carter, Lucy, and Makenna a hickey in less than a minute.
So WATCH out!!!

The pacifier has actually helped a lot. He seems to be less brutal when he sucks now since he takes it all out on the pacifier (which is SUCH a relief to me). Nursing has finally started to be enjoyable (it only took 11 weeks!!) but I am extremely happy that I stuck with it. I am extremely glad to have three AWESOME sisters who are sooooo helpful and encouraging (thanks guys!).

Our yard is in full BLOOM!! Aren't these pictures beautiful?
Justin is quite the photographer...watch out Will!!!!

Carden doing some tummy time!

Carden really doesn't like being on his tummy besides when he sleeps. He just loves being held! He is really strong though. He practically can stand his legs are so strong. He's been strong since day one! He has the cutest little calf muscles, they are like little grapes! So we went to his two mo. check up and the doctor asked if he is having his tummy time? (I was kind of nervous b/c I really haven't been putting him on his tummy b/c he always cries unless he is sleeping) Dr. Adams then put Carden on his tummy and right away Carden did a nice back arch up, he is a little show off!! I tried to get it on the camera, but I'm always too late b/c Carden is usually worn out by the time I think to get the camera!

Dance is over for the SUMMER!

Dance Teachers/Choreographers: Me, Brittany, Gillian, Janna, and Nesha (missing Lindsey Chant)
Well, it was a great year teaching tap, ballet, and jazz at Nesha's studio.
The girls did an amazing job. I really do love my job! I am always blown away at
how talented and creative Nesha (my boss) is!! Her choreography is so moving to watch!
I hope to one day be like her! I am sad that I am leaving Utah because I will miss teaching at her studio with so many great dancers. Hopefully I will continue to teach dance wherever we end up for law school. It was so funny though because I can't believe how GOOD Carden is when I go to dance. He seriously doesn't make a peep. He just watches the girls dance.
When we had lighting tech I seriously left the house at 9:30am and didn't get home until 6pm and during that whole thing I didn't hear Carden cry once! He just loved it. All the mom's thought I had the perfect baby, and well, I do!

Another Walk in the Stroller

Carden loves his stroller! He is soo cute in his little "BOY" outfit
that his Great-Nana got for him! He is soo long that he has
already outgrown his 0-3 mo. clothes.

Mr. Indiana Sweeney

So this is my handsome husband (the soon-to-be law student, but really should be the next Male Model) !!!
This is his cute hat we got him for the Men's white water rafting outing. My dad decided it was time for some son-in-law bonding time! And what better way to bond than by almost killing each other going down some white water rapids! They sure had fun!

What did the girls do while the boys were gone? Well of course... we shopped!! It was pretty much was a waste because no one came home with a purchase:(

Salsa Recipe

This recipe is many years in the making but I think I've got it down finally...

MJ's Salsa

- 1 6oz can of tomato paste
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (or mexican style stewed tomatoes, I think 12 oz)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 jalepeno (leave seeds in for extra spicy salsa)
- couple shakes of paprika (probably 1.5 tsp)
- couple shakes of chili powder
- one shake of cumin
- salt and pepper

Blend all this up with a hand blender (Bosch). This will be your "base".

Now add...
- 3 diced, vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced fine
- 1 large green onion diced fine
- 1/2 - 2/3 a bunch of cilantro finely chopped
- 1 Lime, juiced

Mix this all in just with a spoon...taste it...add salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika and cumin as needed.

Father's Day

I was excited to have my first official Father's Day...Marin got up before my bishopric meetings and made me coffee cake. Then when I got home from church we had pot roast for dinner and the table was decorated with all these hearts from a Valentine's Day when we were dating. She saved them and used them again...it was funny.

Anyway, BYU was having a great sale a couple weeks ago so she got me some books I've been wanting to read...Miracle of Forgiveness, The Inevitable Apostasy and a collection of 7 of C.S. Lewis' best. It was a great gift...But the greatest gift is to be a father and to have such an amazing wife. They are both so CUTE (in their own way!) and I can't imagine my life without them.

Cute Carden

Here's some more pics of the cutest boy in the world...

Grandma and the Boys

Here's a few pictures of Carden and Sam with Grandma. They love being held by the grandparents!

"The Big Fun Salad"

Nana asked us to make a "big, fun salad" so Marin and I made our favorite salad...here's a couple pics and the recipe...

- 2 bunches of spinach (you can add lettuce if you want a mix)
- 3 large avocados
- 2 granny smith apples
- half a bag of grapes
- 1 small (or half of those huge) red onions
- 1 package bacon (cooked in pan to desired crispyness)
- 1 package strawberries (I believe 1lb)
- 1 bottle of Briana's Blush Red Wine Dressing (the one with a strawberry on it)

You can change up the ratios or ingredients to what you like best, but this is Marin and I's favorite combo...

Mix it all up, pour on dressing...ENJOY! (This served 13 hungry people)

CA Trip!

We got to go to California for the last 10 days...We drove down with Hayley and Will and stayed in Visalia for a few days. We got to see the Van Beevers cute new house, and enjoy the beautiful weather, and the pool. Dad even took Will and I white water rafting...WAY fun, chilly water and good food...family tradition?

Then we went down to SoCal for a few days to visit the Livingstons and the BEACH. It's so gorgeous down there...we ate real mexican food, In-and-Out, and a "super fun salad". (see pic above).

We loved every minute...here are a few pictures...