Mallory and AJ Hortin

One year ago today....

2012-02-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

I have soooooo.....oooooo much to catch up on, but for now we are going to make it nice and quick. I promise updates VERY soon!

One year ago today we announced to our families that we were pregnant. I was 7 weeks pregnant and thought I could wait to tell them for a couple of weeks-that didn't happen! :) The reason that I know it has been a year is because it was on Super Bowl Sunday/Saturday 2011. We told the Hortins on Saturday and my family on Sunday.

We told them with a hand-written note (that was written with my left hand so it looked like a little kid) and it said:

"Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
My mommy and daddy scored a touchdown! Do you
think I will be a football player or a cheerleader??
See you in October!
Love,
Your Grandbaby

I look back now and can't believe that it has already been a year since that day. It was such an exciting time in our lives and I remember just thinking that it wasn't real. I had always wanted to be a mother and I couldn't believe it was happening! It is so fun to look back and remember those times and how paranoid I was! :)

We are so grateful for our beautiful little man and look forward to lots more memories!

Blessed

2012-01-14T06:29:00.000-08:00

As I am laying here on Saturday morning at 5:00 am with my little boy having just fallen asleep in my arms, I can't help but realize how blessed I am. I have an amazing husband who works so hard for our family. Our little boy is healthy and strong and is growing and developing so fast. We have a place to call home that we love. I have a job that i love and that has been so flexible with my schedule. We have been so blessed and are so grateful for all that I have.

AJ had his first graduate school interview yesterday in Mesa, AZ. He had a wonderful experience and really enjoyed his time there. The interviewers were very positive and so we will just be playing the waiting game for the next little bit. He has another interview at Creighton in Nebraska on March 23rd and we are still waiting to hear back from 4 more schools. I have mixed feelings about this new stage in our lives. I am very excited for this new adventure and the places it will take us but I am also nervous to move somewhere new. I must say though that I am excited to get out of my "bubble" and meet new people in a new place. It will be hard to be away from family but

I am so proud of AJ and for his determination and motivation to follow his dreams. He is such an example to me and I am so grateful for him in my life. We know that the Lord is guiding us right now and know that wherever we end up, is where we are supposed to be. I am so grateful for the gospel and for the comfort that it gives us.

This coming year will be full of changes in our lives and in our families' lives. My little brother returns home from his mission in July. My little sister's personal life has some big changes on the horizon. Change is so fun and we are so excited for those changes and the new adventures that await us!

Random Pictures!!!!

2012-01-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

Just some random pictures from the last month of our lives!

He LOVES bath time.....especially his turtle towel! Dad turned him into a pirate.

Happy New Years! We spent New Years Eve at my parents and had dinner and played games. We are so looking forward to the new year and new adventures.4 generations on the Hortin side

Just loving being bundled up in my bear coat! Mom really loves to snuggle me in it.

He absolutely loves tummy time and has a super strong neck! I believe he was watching hockey.

My precious baby boy!!

Thacker's 3 month pictures

2012-01-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Thacker got his 3 month pictures done at Fotofly....I highly recommend them! The photographer was absolutely wonderful with our little guy and got lots and lots of genuine smiles! These are a few of our favorites.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T18:35:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!! We had an amazing holiday season this year and it was all because of the amazing gift that we were given this year...our little boy. He is the most amazing gift that I have ever been given and I am so grateful to be a mom! Even though he was only about 2 1/2 months for Christmas this year, we had so much FUN with him! We were able to get him some really fun things that he will use in the future...not so much right now. :) Lots of books and baby DVDs and also some rattles and teething toys.

Our holiday started early on Christmas Eve morning with my little brother, Josh, calling from his mission in South Africa....it was so good to talk to him! I love his positive attitude and amazing work ethic. His testimony just rubs off on all of us. I can't believe that he only has 7 months left! Gosh time flies! Later we had Christmas Eve dinner with the Hortins. It was really nice to spend time with the extended family because we don't get to see them very often. It was great to catch up with them and celebrate our Savior's birth. Then we went to my family party and spent some time celebrating with them. Then we went to our cute little home and opened up our Christmas jammies and went to bed. Our little guy slept so good which was so nice for mom and dad! We got up Christmas morning, opened presents with just the 3 of us and headed over to the Hortins for Christmas breakfast. It was super yummy! Then we headed to our sacrament meeting at 1:00. AJ was in the choir and the program was really great with a special spirit. I loved having Christmas on a Sunday because it helped to remind us of what Christmas is truly about. After sacrament we headed to my parents house and spent the rest of the day there. Christmas was really great for us and I am so grateful for my wonderful family and especially for my amazing husband and precious little boy.

Christmas afternoon-headed to sacrament meeting. Thacker's little outfit was from Grandma and Grandpa Hortin and was so so so cute!!

Thack was so excited on Christmas morning! He was so cute-every gift that we opened, we would show to him and he would get his "big eyes" on and give us a huge smile. It melted by heart.

Our little family in our Christmas Eve jammies. It was so great to spend the night as our own little family.

Thacker in his cute Christmas jammies! He was our little elf. :)

All of the little one's loot!

We had the opportunity to play Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus at our ward Christmas party. It really was a neat experience.

Thacker spending time with his great-grandpa. Papa is absolutely smitten with the little guy.

We feel so blessed to have had such an amazing year and are so grateful for the amazing things that have been given to us. We are grateful for our Savior and for the gift of his birth, life, atonement and resurrection. We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you all the best in the year to come!

Our perfect Christmas gift!

Thacker is 2 months!

2012-01-01T15:10:00.001-08:00

So I know I am a little far behind and that is there are so many posts at one time! On December 3rd our little T-man hit the 2 month mark! I still am shocked by how fast time goes and am loving watching all of his changes and development that has been going on. He is such a precious little boy and has the cutest little personality.

A few things that he has been doing....

At his 2 month appointment he weighed 11.2 oz and 23.5 in, which is the 50th percentile for both, so he is growing the way that he should be and is very healthy! He had his 2 month shots and did really well. Of course he cried and cried when he got poked, but as soon as we cuddled him, he calmed right down. The dr told us at our last appt to give him some baby Tylenol about a half hour before his shots so that it would already be in his system so I know that helped a lot. Well my little angel was just fine for the rest of the day. He never got fussy or a fever or anything and I made sure to move his legs around a lot so they never stiffened up. Me and him just cuddled for the afternoon cause he was so sleepy from the medicine.

He loves to have things on his head! When he is really tired, he will pull the blanket up over his head and go to sleep. It cracks us up! He also loves to wear hats whenever he can.

He does awesome on his tummy time. He has a really strong neck already and will push up on his arms and look all over. It is so funny to watch him be so curious about his surroundings. He also has started to roll from his tummy to his back. He tries really hard to get from his back to his tummy, but just doesn't quite have the hang of getting around that arm yet. :)

We got his first real giggle a few weeks ago! It was so cute!! We were just playing with each other and I was tickling him and he just giggled and giggled! He is such a happy little guy and has a constant smile on his face.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-01T14:57:00.001-08:00

We had a really wonderful Thanksgiving this year and had the opportunity to spend time with both sides of the family which was so nice! We started at the Thacker side of the family for dinner. We met at my grandparents house and had an absolutely amazing feast! I could have eaten all afternoon, the food was so yummy! We have a tradition on my dad's side of the family where we go around the table and say something that we are grateful for in the past year. I know that a lot of people do this with their families, but I really love this tradition! It is so nice to hear people talk about what they are grateful for in their lives....especially in a world where pity is often sought after. I love the positive side of Thanksgiving and the atmosphere that it creates.

After my family dinner, we headed over to AJ's family. We had LOTS and LOTS of desserts and they were so yummy! It was nice and quiet so we were able to spend some quality time with AJ's parents. Thacker was in heaven with all of the love and attention he got! :) He is one spoiled boy, but it is all spoiled with love!

Here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for my family and for the time that we were able to spend together.

You have to play in the leaves at Granny and Papa's house! They have 2 big trees in the backyard that have a crazy amount of leaves and the kids were in heaven!

Our sweet little family on Thanksgiving....I am so grateful for these boys!

Thankful!

2011-11-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year and the feelings that accompany November and December. I just think that this season and the holidays are such good reminders of what is really important in my life and it helps me recognize my priorities.

I am so grateful for my little family. I have such a wonderful husband who works so hard to support us. He is one of the most hard working and dedicated people that I have ever met and I am constantly amazed by how willing he is to serve others. He is such a wonderful example to me and always makes me want to be a better person. He promised me that we would always laugh together and he has kept that promise! We are constantly laughing and, for both of us, laughter is a stress relief. He is the best! I have the sweetest little boy that has brought so much joy into our lives! I can't believe that such a tiny little person who doesn't talk or walk yet has changed my life so quick. He has reminded me of so many things-the innocence that we should possess, unconditional love, the light of Christ, finding the joy in life and being optimistic. I look at him everyday and just am overcome with love for our handsome boy. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that I am able to be a mother and I know, without a doubt, that Thacker was meant to be in our family.

I am grateful for my family. I have the most amazing family in the whole world and I don't know what I would do without them! I have called my mom countless times in the last 7 weeks with questions about how to be a mom and all of the surprises that come with birth/motherhood! :) She has such a strong testimony and is a HUGE example to me. I have always been somewhat of a daddy's girl and I love my dad mucho! He was the most kind-hearted and sensitive man as he raised us, and because of that, I have always trusted him with everything. He was never a yeller or an intimidating discipliner-when we were in trouble, he sat down with us and talked it out. We have very similar personalities, so I hope that I am the same way with my children. He is always making us laugh...never a dull moment at that house...and knows exactly what we need to hear at all times. They are also the very best Gramma and Bumpa out there. They are absolutely in love with their grandkids and I love seeing them interact with Thacker, Jack, and Lily. I love my siblings and are so grateful that we are so close! I love spending time with them and having them as my best friends in life.

I am also very grateful for AJ's family. They have been such a great support to us through everything and I feel so blessed that I am able to have 2 sets of parents that I love to be around. My mother in law and I have always been close because she has 2 boys, so when I came around she finally had a girl to do "girl things" with. :) And now that Lizzy is in the family as well, we have too much fun together! I am grateful for Andy and Lizzy and for their friendship. Lizzy came over a couple of weeks ago to help with Thacker while I cleaned and got ready for his blessing. Well, he slept the whole time so we were able to just chat. I am glad that I have a sister in law that I get along with and that we enjoy being around each other. The Hortins are wonderful people and I feel blessed to have them as family!

I am grateful for the gospel and the opportunity that it gives me to become a better person. I am grateful for a Savior that died for me, so that I can make mistakes and learn from them and be forgiven. I love the constant guidance that we get from the prophet and that we are able to continually grow. I love my calling and the opportunity to serve with the young women. They are absolutely amazing and I am constantly astounded by their testimony and strength against temptation. The youth are so strong and I love leaerning from them and their example. I think right now, I am most grateful for eternal families and for the temple. I am grateful that AJ and I were married in the temple so that we can be an eternal family.

I love this time of year and the time it gives me to reflect on all of the blessings in my life! Happy Thanksgiving!

Some Random Thoughts...

2011-11-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

So today has been one of those days that I have had a lot of time to just "think". Little Thack man has been sleeping a lot today...he had a little bit of a long night so he has been catching up...so as I have been doing things around the house, my mind has been going a million miles a minute. So, just a warning, this post will be full of some random thoughts. :)

*I have the cutest little baby on the face of this planet! ok ok, maybe I am a little biased, but I sure love his little face and just cuddling with him all day.
*Because I cuddle with him all of the time, my house has been neglected, but don't worry that was fixed today.
*I am absolutely in love with pumpkin chocolate chip muffins! A friend put the recipe up on her blog and they are super delicious and super easy and quick...every mom's favorite type of recipes!
*I am a serious list maker and that keeps me sane. Unfortunately, my list right now is SUPER long and so it feels a little overwhelming. But, don't worry, updating our blog was on my list of things to get done today so I am getting things crossed off slowly.
*I am absolutely DREADING going back to work. This is my last week of maternity leave, so I start back on Monday. I am so sad to be going back, but I am grateful for a job that is willing to work with my schedule and get me into an office closer to home.
*I am so glad to have school over with, but at the same time, I hate the idea of student loans. Ugh.
*I am excited for our future. As we finished up applications for Physical Therapy school for AJ, I got to thinking about how exciting the next few years will be for us! Woot!

OK, I think that is about it! It feels good to have those things off of my mind!

One month!

2011-11-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

One month!?!? ONE MONTH! Oh wow....my baby is growing! Here are a few fun facts from the first month of Thacker's life.

ONE MONTH

* He has grown so much and changed a lot since he was born. His dark brown hair has lightened up quite a bit and he now weighs 8 lbs 14.5 oz....he is a good little eater!

* On November 2nd, we got our first "real" smiles! Not just a gassy smile or a good dream smile, but an actual reaction smile! It almost brought me to tears!

*He is the most alert little baby I have ever seen! He is constantly looking around at everything around him and has started to respond to voices. He focuses really well on faces and LOVES pictures...especially the picture of the temple in our front room. He will stare at it forever!

*He loves to be sung to. Some of his favorite songs are "I Love to See the Temple", "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus", and "I am a Child of God". He also likes a lullabye that my mom use to sing to us called "Up, Up in the Sky".

*He is soooo strong! He pushes up with his arms and looks all around. He has also figured out how to use his legs and is constantly kicking. When we are holding him, he will push off of us with his legs and he loves to jump...definitely a little boy!

*He loves his dad! It is amazing to watch him respond to AJ. If AJ is talking, Thacker will automatically start looking for him. I love seeing their bond. He was his dad's constant companion after AJ had some surgery and gave his dad extra loves. *He had his first Halloween and was the cutest skeleton on the planet! He was spoiled and had 4 different Halloween outfits, so we started celebrating on the Friday before Halloween.

*He has finally started liking bath time! At first, he absolutely HATED getting a bath, but then AJ gave him a really good bubble bath one day and he has loved baths since. He has grown out of his pink basin and is now using the "big boy" bath. Thacker was also blessed on Sunday, November 6, 2011. It was such a special day and we felt so loved by all of the support from our family and friends! AJ did an absolutely amazing job on the blessing. He was so nervous before hand, but he was definitely led by the Spirit and the blessing came straight from our Heavenly Father. Thacker looked so cute in his little outfit...and I am a horrible mom and didn't get a picture of just him in his outfit, but luckily my mom did so I will put that one up when I get it! We were able to have all of our family over for lunch after the meeting and it was so fun and lots of yummy food! We have such great families and are so grateful for all of their love and support that they constantly show.
We love this little boy so much and can't wait to continue to watch him grow!

3 1/2 Weeks

2011-10-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

Wow...I can't believe that my baby boy is already 3 1/2 weeks old...how does that happen so fast!? I know that everyone says that they grow fast, but I never believed it until I look at him and see how much he has already grown. AJ and I fall more in love with him everyday and are so grateful to our Heavenly Father that we were given this special blessing. There are a few things that I have learned about being a mom...

*You really can live off of very little sleep. We have been blessed with an angel of a sleeper and he usually sleeps for about 4-5 hours at a time through the night, but my "mom ears" hear every little squeak from him through the night, thus I am never able to fall into a deep sleep.

*Those late night feedings are some of my favorite times! I love being able to spend the one on one time with my son and he is so stinkin' cute in the middle of the night!

*You would rather get pee, poop, and throw up on you than have it get everywhere and have to clean it up.

*Babies have this keen sense of knowing right when you put a new diaper on them...within 2 minutes they are making another mess.

*You never knew you could do so much laundry! And yet, you always seem to have more to do.

*Your life is now run by someone who can't walk or talk. Their routine now becomes your routine whether you like it or not.

*Not being able to shower until noon isn't a bad thing! At least you are getting a shower.

*There is absolutely nothing wrong with neglecting housework, grocery shopping, or making dinner to spend time cuddling with your baby. :)

***Being a mom is the most rewarding and amazing experience of my life! All of the changes that have come with this little one are absolutely worth every second. I am so in love with the 2 amazing boys in my life and feel so blessed to have them.

I have to go back to work in about 4 1/2 weeks and I have already had a few meltdowns just thinking about leaving my little man. I know that he will be well taken care of by his grandmas, but it is still hard to think about not spending every minute with him. So I am just cherishing these times that we have right now and soaking in every moment. I try not to complain about anything because i am just so grateful to have this sweet little guy.

While I am thinking about it, I have to say how much I love my wonderful husband! He is the most amazing man I know and he is an incredible father. I love to watch him with Thacker and the bond that they already have is amazing. Whenever Thacker needs to be calmed down, he doesn't want me...he wants his daddy. AJ has a special way of calming the baby and I can tell that Thacker just loves him so much! Let me just give you an example of how wonderful AJ is....a couple nights ago Thacker had a rough night. He was up at 3:00 to be fed and instead of falling right back to sleep after getting fed, he had a gassy belly and was up and restless for the rest of the night. Well, it happened again the next night. Needless to say, I was a tired mommy! AJ doesn't work Thursdays and so he insisted that he take the baby with him to run a few errands and I take a nap. Well, those of you that know me know that sitting and relaxing isn't what I do best!....I cleaned the house instead! :) Well, Thacker was asleep when him and AJ got home so I was cuddling with him and fell asleep-for 3 1/2 hours! The baby woke up while I was asleep and AJ made him a bottle from the pumped milk in the fridge, fed the baby, and I woke up to dinner being made! What a sweetheart! I guess he knows me better than I know myself because I felt like a new person after such a great nap! I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband and I am glad that Thacker has a wonderful example to look up to in his life!

The story

2011-10-08T10:10:00.001-07:00

So, I have started this post 4 times and I am determined to finally get it done! It's about time that I got the birth story on here!

So it all started on Friday, Sept. 30th at my weekly dr. appointment. It was my 4o week appointment so the doctor decided that we should "talk" about the options-meaning do we wait until he decides to come or do we induce? Well, he was worried that the baby was getting too big and he really didn't love the idea of me waiting until the baby decided to come because of his size and my "petite figure". So after quite a bit of discussion, we decided that the best idea was to induce me on the Monday after my due date-October 3rd.

We went into the hospital at 7:45 am and they broke my water and then started the pitocin at about 8:30. When we got to the hospital, I was at 4 cm and 90% effaced and by 11:00 I was at a 5 and 100% and I was ready for an epidural! Funny story about that....the anesthesiologist was wonderful and did a wonderful job on my epidural. Well, about an hour after he did the epidural I started feeling everything again and was in a lot of pain! So I pushed the button for more medicine, but after 20 minutes nothing had changed. So the nurse came in and said that she was going to have the anesthesiologist come in and do a manual dosing to see if that would help. Well, as soon as he came in, he saw the problem-they had forgotten to hook up the tube that carries the medicine to my epidural!! So, when I pushed the button all of the medicine just pooled on the floor. ha ha! The poor anesthesiologist felt absolutely awful! I wasn't upset at all, so I think that helped put him at ease a bit. He was extra nice and gave me some "extra" medicine in my epidural and within about 10 minutes I was numb again and feeling good!

AJ decided at about 1:45 that he was going to go for a little walk and get some fresh air...well, of course that was right when the nurse came in and checked me and I was at a 10 and ready to push! Ha ha! Luckily AJ wasn't gone too long at all, but he sure was shocked when he got back and they were getting me all ready and the room ready. :) Well, long story short, I pushed for 2 1/2 hours to get this little guy out and nothing was happening except for his heart rate kept dropping and then shooting up. I have an absolutely amazing doctor that kept me informed on his thoughts and our options. He was also very positive and made us feel comfortable that everything was going to be fine. The baby was stuck in my pelvis and just couldn't get past it. My doctor started to get really concerned and said that we had to get him out quick so my options were forceps or a c-section. He suggested we at least try the forceps for a few contractions to help guide the baby out and if that doesn't work then we had to do a c-section. I told him that I was fine with whatever he thought was going to be best for the baby. That was my biggest concern-the baby coming out healthy. So, I pushed with the forceps for about 5 contractions and the dr said that if we didn't get him out with the next contraction, we were going to do a c-section....well the baby didn't love that idea, and finally came out on that last contraction! AJ cut the umbilical cord and they took him pretty quick to look at him. He had swallowed some meconium that they suctioned out and other than that, he was perfect! He had the funniest little conehead, but we were absolutely head over heels in love with him already! Once they had him all checked out, cleaned up, and weighed and measured, they brought him to me to do skin-to-skin time where they put the baby right onto my chest. It helps regulate the baby's temperature and heart rate. It was so amazing to hold him for the first time and to have him so wide awake and just as curious as could be!

Birth was such an absolutely incredible experience and I have never felt closer to AJ or to our Heavenly Father. To think that this beautiful little baby just came from His presence, strengthened my testimony so much and the gratitude that I felt was indescribable. We feel so blessed that everything worked out and that the baby is as healthy as he was! He just keeps getting healthier by the day and makes us laugh all of the time! He has the cutest facial expressions and we love to just sit and watch him. It really is amazing how much you can love someone that you just met! He is such a joy in our life and we know that he was meant to be with us!

Right before we went to the hospital-40 weeks and 1 day pregnant! We were ready to have this little guy.

The little guy practiced using his lungs through his bath, and once it was over and he was all wrapped up, he was as content as could be!

Ready to go home!! He has the biggest and brightest eyes.

He makes the cutest little faces and he must have been dreaming of something good because he kept this little smile on his face for quite awhile while he was asleep.

We love our little addition so much and our so grateful for a healthy and happy baby! And just as I am finishing this...my boy is waking up. :) Time to go be a mom!

He's Here!

2011-10-04T12:28:00.001-07:00

THACKER JOHN HORTIN

Born: October 3, 2011

4:42 pm

7 lbs 4 oz

2o.5 inches long

Perfect in every way!

**Details to come!!**

The waiting game....

2011-09-22T10:21:00.001-07:00

Well, the last few weeks have been long and have tested our patience....but only because we are both so anxious for our baby to get here! After our little "scare" a few weeks ago, we have been trying to be patient and remember that the longer he is inside, the more healthy he will be, but it is sometimes so hard to think that way when you just want to see him and hold him in your arms.

I am at 38 1/2 weeks...10 days left to go and I am afraid that these might be the longest 10 days of my life!! :) I have always prided myself on having patience, but I am running a little low lately while we wait for him. I really am feeling great and couldn't have asked for a better first pregnancy and feel so blessed to have him joining our family, but I just want him HERE to hold and cuddle. I think AJ is actually a little more anxious than I am, which I love! I love when he talks to him and tells him "you can come out anytime buddy. I really want to hold you!" It just melts my heart!

We have tried everything to get this little boy out (except for Castor oil...I refuse!). We have tried all of the things that people say put you into labor...obviously nothing has worked. So I decided he is just like his daddy...a little stubborn. :) I even tried to tell him while he was trying to stretch out (there really isn't room for stretching out anymore) that if he would just come out he could stretch out a lot more! Needless to say, I think he might be a little too comfy and is just going to work on his own time....which is fine by me! I know I will have separation anxiety issues when he does come. That sounds so bad, but for the last 9 months, he has been my little constant companion all of the time and I am pretty sure I am going to miss that when he comes out. I must say though that the thing I am most excited for is to see AJ hold him for the first time...I get teary just thinking about how special that will be. I already know that they have a special bond...Thacker responds to AJ's voice every single time AJ talks to him, and I am excited to see that bond strengthened. AJ is always telling him all of the things they are going to do when Thacker gets here and all of the father/son time they will have...I just love that!

As of yesterday, I am dialated to a 3 and 70% effaced...so basically he really could come any day, so for now we will just keep praying that he continues to grow healthy until he decides to make his debut! We are so in love with him already and we know that he will be spoiled rotten...with love from his mom and dad.

Well, that really is it...sorry for the boring update, but I really want to remember this time in our lives and the excitement that we have felt!

A Quick Update...

2011-09-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

Well, I decided while I have a few minutes of "down time" that I would hurry and do a quick update on the Hortins.

AJ has been playing hockey for awhile, but this was the first season that he played on an actual league with referees and they kept score. He has been playing in a drop-in league for awhile before this past season and they don't keep score or anything...it's just for fun. AJ really wanted to play in a league that brought a little competition and he has absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, the next session of this same league plays on Sundays so he isn't going to be playing again, but he had a great time and I loved watching him do something he enjoys so much.

The team played every Thursday night and AJ's team won the Championship!!! I know it is just a rec league, but I sure had fun watching him and cheering him on and AJ had a blast playing! GO Blue Dawgs!!

As for me, I am just working on keeping our little guy in my tummy for a few more weeks. About a week ago, after some weird symptoms, my doctor had me go into Labor and Delivery and get checked to make sure everything was ok with the baby. So we headed over to the hospital and, after getting all hooked up to the monitors, they found that I was contracting a lot and they needed to get them stopped. The baby would have been 4 1/2 weeks early, so they wanted to try all they could to get the contractions stopped. So they pumped me full of fluids and gave me a shot of some medicine (that I don't remember the name of!) and after a few hours, the contractions slowed down enough to the point that they were comfortable enough to let me go home under strict "limited activity" restrictions. So not an actual bedrest, but I just need to take it easy.

We went to the doctor today for my weekly visit and the doctor said everything is looking great and now that I am 37 weeks, if labor starts again, they won't stop it. The little guy is considered full term and, let me tell you, there is NO ROOM left for the little guy in my belly. :) So now we are just anxiously awaiting this sweet little baby's arrival. Everything is ready for him so he can come whenever he wants!

35 weeks...the angle of this picture is absolutely horrible!!! So just don't pay attention to how gross I look, but at least you can see our little basketball of a baby. :)

Well, that is about it for the Hortins. We are happy and loving life and couldn't be more excited for the adventure that awaits us! :)

Growing up....

2011-08-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here today thinking that I really need to blog about something besides the baby (which consumes our lives right now) and I got to thinking about my cute little brother, Josh, and little sister, Katie. I guess I really can't say they are "little" anymore, but to me they will always be the "little kids" of the family.

So first off-Katie, Nana, Naners, Aunt Nana, Sister Mister, etc. Katie started college today at UVU! When the heck did she get old enough to move out on her own and become an independent young women?! She is such an amazing and inspirational girl and inspires all of those around her to have a good attitude about life and live it to the fullest! I am so impressed by her desire to follow after our Dad and become a police officer...don't let the pretty face fool you...she is one fiesty little stinker! I know that she will be great at whatever she decides to do with her life and am so excited to watch her continue to become a woman.

I love having a little sister that can also be a best friend. Sometimes, I forget that she is my sister because we never really ever fought (probably because of the 6 year age difference), but we have always gotten along so well and I love spending time with her. Katie is probably one of the most beautiful people I have ever met-inside and out and I am proud to call her my sister! Love you lots sister mister!

This is how I will always picture my little sister! (Above)

But, this is how beautiful she really is! The boys better watch out!

And then there is my amazing little brother Josh aka Saucy. He is 20 years old and hit his one year mark on his mission in July. He is serving the Lord in Cape Towne, South Africa and every letter makes me realize how much he is growing up and truly becoming a man of honor, obedience, humility, and faith. We always joked before he left that he was "kind of a big deal" because he has accomplished quite a bit in his 20 years including homecoming king, senior class president, hockey captain, 31 ACT score, 2 humanitarian trips to India, a humanitarian trip to Mexico, and received his Associate's Degree before he left on his mission....yep, I think that sums up about how cool Josh is....and if you ask, we will always joke that he is the favorite child. :) But, honestly the greatest thing about our brother is his ability to love everyone and make everyone feel like they are special!

I am so proud of my little siblings and feel so blessed to be a part of a family that is so close and truly look at them as my best friends. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to learn from Katie and Josh and appreciate the examples that they are to me!

I had better put Matt in here too...Matt is my older brother whom I love dearly! He is married and has the twins-Jack and Lily. Matt has always been an example to me and since we are only 2 years apart, we spent a year of high school together. I was so grateful that he had such great friends that accepted me into their group and that my older brother was always watching out for me.

I don't mean to make it sound like I love my younger siblings more than Matt at all, because there is plenty of love to go around!....I have just been thinking lately about how fast life goes and how quickly we all "grow up" and Josh and Katie are constantly reminding me of how old I am!

Nursery Pics!

2011-08-15T20:25:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful Mom, we were able to finish the nursery! AJ, my father in law, and my dad went to the Bees game for a "guy's night" so my Mom came over and helped me with the nursery. She has such an eye for decorating so I knew that I would need her help to put the finishing touches on the nursery. It is so fun to have it all done and be able to just sit in there and feel like, no matter when the little guy decides to make his appearance, he will have a room that is all ready for him. We haven't quite finished everything yet, we just need to get the vinyl saying for above the crib and then we are completely finished!

AJ and I also washed all of the cute little clothes that we have so far and go things organized and put away. It was so fun to look at all of his clothes and how little they are!! It is hard to imagine that a baby is small enough to fit in those clothes! Each day we are getting more and more excited for him to join our family.

32 1/2 Weeks!

2011-08-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yes...in pregnancy EVERY day counts so as of today I am 32 1/2 weeks! :)

First, I am feeling great! I am so grateful that I have stayed healthy through this pregnancy and that my body has endured it well. Have there been hard times? Of course! Uncomfortable times? Of course! But, every single one of those tough days is completely worth it when I can lay there and have little "chats" with our baby boy and watch him wiggle all over! On Monday night AJ was able to feel his cute little hiccups for the first time! It's so fun to be able to experience these things together...especially for AJ. Sometimes he feels a little left out because our baby boy and I get to spend all day every day together. So, when the baby is doing something crazy, I love to have AJ feel it so he can experience it as well. Right now though, I am cherishing the time that it is just me and the baby. I can already tell that I am going to miss those kicks and punches all of the time....you never get lonely when you are pregnant! :)

Second, the nursery is coming along so great! I am so excited to get it finished! We have all of the furniture set up and my mom and I are going to do all of the decorating this weekend. I am just so anxious to get it all done so that, no matter when he comes, he will have a room ready and waiting! I guess it's the organizer/clean freak in me. I will post pictures as soon as it is all done! AJ has been such a good sport about the nursery....even about me just sitting in the glider looking around and getting all emotional about the baby on his way. (That has happened more than once...I promise!)

AJ and I are both at the stage that we are really anxious for him to get here! We can't wait to have him here to cuddle and smoochy his little face! Luckily with everything that is going on with my showers, work, and a busy young women schedule and AJ's last few weeks of school and Physical Therapy School applications, time is continuing to fly by. So I know that he will be here before we know it!

My due date isn't until October 2nd, but my doctor is hoping/thinking the baby might come a bit earlier which puts him the end of September. So at my last appointment my doctor said, "Well, I guess we will most likely be having a baby next month!" WHAT???? When did that happen? I feel like just yesterday it was the beginning of February and we were just telling our parents that they were going to have a grandbaby...now we are on the countdown....7 1/2 weeks...maybe a little sooner!!

Well, that is about it on the udates for the Hortins. Other than the baby, AJ has his final this week for his last class! Then he will be all done with school until PT school starts! YAY!!! He will be finishing up PT applications by the middle of September so that will be nice to have all of those done before the baby gets here. As for me, I am just working and enjoying the summer....indoors. :)

As promised.....

2011-07-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

I promised pictures from the last little bit, so here it goes....

We took a fun weekend trip to Mesquite in May and spent a bunch of time just hanging out together!

Of course AJ couldn't go to Mesquite and not go golfing....so I rode in the cart and read my book. It was the perfect day for both of us!

4th of July....We both look a little tired, but that's ok. We spent the morning with Hortins at the Murray parade and then a BBQ at Grandpa Hortin's house and then spent the evening with the Thackers having another BBQ and fireworks of course!

This was so cute....Lily loves to get her "pretties" painted...aka fingernails. While we were waiting for the fireworks to start on the 4th, Lily decided she wanted purple pretties. Well, usually I do them, but she really wanted Uncle AJ to paint her pretties this time, so he did! It was so stinkin' cute!!

Jack loves to take pictures while he is pulling faces, but whoever is with him has to pull one too or else he gets mad! So here is our pulling face picture from the 4th.

And finally....some more belly pictures! The one above is at 24 weeks and the one below was just a couple of weeks ago at 29 weeks.

Well...there is a quick overview of the last little bit in our lives! Other than that, we have been getting busy setting up the nursery and getting ready for our little one to arrive. We are down to single digit weeks...9 weeks and counting!

30 Weeks!

2011-07-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

First let me say, I am at work doing this post so there won't be any pictures, but I PROMISE that I will put some up soon!

Wow...I seriously can not believe how fast time flies when you are pregnant! :) Ok...maybe for some people it goes really slow, but for me it is just flying! AJ and I both feel like the 30 weeks mark was a huge milestone...why?? I don't really know, but it really has felt that way for both of us. So we decided that this past weekend was a perfect opportunity to really buckle down and get a lot done with the nursery. Plus, I am still feeling really great and full of energy (well, as much as you can have being pregnant) and wanted to help as much as possible before I start to get too uncomfortable...so the process began!

The room that we are using for the nursery was kind of our storage/guest room so we had a ton of things to move out, go through, throw away, etc. So that was a huge process, which luckily I had done a few weeks ago so we were able to really start on getting the actual nursery set up! AJ worked on Saturday morning so my wonderful mom came over bright and early and helped me steam clean the carpets. It's amazing how dirty carpets get! It was so gross! So we cleaned them really well and they look great and I feel much better k nowing they are clean! Then I ran some "baby errands" with my amazing mother-in-law to get a glider and a blessing outfit for the baby, and of course lunch and lots of laughs! When I got home, AJ was out mowing the lawn, so I decided to be brave and start taping off the nursery so we could paint on Monday. I am proud to say that I was an amazing taper...I think I found my calling in life! Ha ha. AJ had to do the tops of the doorway, window and closet because I couldn't reach, but it was so nice to have it all ready.

On Monday morning AJ, my cute dad, and my cousin went golfing so I recruited my cousin's girlfriend to help me paint. Stormy is such an angel and we were able to get the whole thing done (2 coats) before the boys got home! I may or may not have accidentally hit the ceiling with the roller once or twice and Stormy accidentally hit the doorstop, but we sure had fun! Then AJ was feeling extra ambitious and decided that we should set up the glider. So we got it set up and moved into the room and then he decided we should just set up the crib too. What a great hubby huh! So we got the crib all set up, but we didn't measure it at all, so it didn't fit in the doorway of the room! So we had to take it all apart, move the pieces into the nursery and put it back together again...it was a little frustrating, but all we could do was laugh about it! So now we just need to set up the dresser and the changing table and all of the furniture will be set up! YAY!

As I sit here and feel our little boy being a wiggly worm, I can't help but be so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing us with one of His children. I think that pregnancy has brought on a whole new form of humility in my life and it makes me have a completely different perspective on the things that really matter. I am so grateful that our baby is healthy and I can tell you that he is definitely getting strong! And, I am grateful everyday that I have been blessed enough to be able to carry him and experience the amazing changes that are happening. I know that this little baby was supposed to come into our lives right now and it strengthens my testimony that the Lord knows what is best for us and His timing is ALWAYS the right timing, especially if we have faith. I'm sorry to turn this into a little testimony meeting, but that is where my feelings are right now-grateful and humble.

As I said, I will get pictures up soon!

Our little man....

2011-05-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

We are having a BOY!!!! Both of us couldn't be more excited for our little man to join our family. I have always wanted to have a boy first because I loved having an older brother or "protector". :) Matt was, and still is, very protective of his siblings and I hope that our little guy will be the same way! I know that he has some wonderful examples of good men in his life...his daddy, both grandpas, and three uncles that I know will love that little boy more than anything and teach him all the "manly" ways of doing everything.

Our ultrasound was really good! This was AJ's first time to see the baby moving around in there and actually look like a baby. The last time he saw it, our little one looked like a gummy bear (I was 8 1/2 weeks along) so he really loved being able to see his little hands and feet and watching him move around like crazy. He is one active little boy, although I am still not feeling too much yet, I am looking forward to feeling all those strong kicks and punches more and more. The tech said that everything was measuring perfectly and everything with his brain, heart, stomach, and kidneys was perfect. We feel so blessed to have a healthy little one on the way and pray everyday that he will continue to grow healthy. I must admit.....I cried when they told us it was a boy. Happy tears of course, but still tears! Those of you that know me well know that I don't cry much at all and this is the first time that I have cried at an appointment. I guess it just made it seem a little more real to me and I am so in love with this little boy already!

As for other news....AJ's little brother got married on the 17th. It was a very nice day and they looked so happy! It rained and rained, but Lizzy said something cute... She said, "We met while we were wet so we might as well get married wet". They met swimming. So I thought that was a good attitude on her part. The temple sealing was wonderful! I always love going to sealings to help remind me of the covenants that I made with my sweetheart and the Lord on our wedding day...it always gives me a boost and a desire to be better. By the reception, the weather had cleared up quite a bit so they were able to go out and do some really nice pictures outside and we did all of our "family" shots at the reception center. Everything turned out really great and we are very happy for them!

Graduation!

2011-05-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! Today has already been quite the day! AJ has worked so hard and this morning was commencement for the U and AJ is officially a graduate!! I couldn't be more proud as his wife....and of course Mancub is excited too! :) AJ and I were able to go to dinner last night to Old Spaghetti Factory so that we could celebrate with just the two of us and then this afternoon after commencement, AJ's parents took us out to lunch and now AJ is golfing...which he deserves to do more of. And tonight my parents are doing a little BBQ with the family to celebrate. I am so proud of AJ!

Here are just a few pictures from this morning.

Belly Picture....

2011-05-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

I promised a belly picture so here you go!

18 WEEKS!!!!!

And then here is just another one for the fun of it!

12 weeks

Wow!!!

2011-04-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

I know that I have said over and over that I need to be better at blogging....it is obviously not happening!! Oh well....it will get better I promise! So this might be a really long post, but there are a lot of things going on in our lives right now so consider yourself warned!

First things first...we are having a BABY!! We couldn't be more excited for our little one and are so grateful for our little "Mancub". AJ started calling our baby Mancub as soon as we found out that we were expecting, and it has kind of stuck. We don't know the gender of the baby yet, so Mancub is good enough for now! My pregnancy has been good....sick at times, tired at more times, and loving every second of this journey! Our baby is due October 2nd, so it puts me at just over 17 weeks right now. I had a dr. appointment today and I am happy to announce that everything is going perfectly! The baby's heartbeat was perfect and I am measuring right where I should be. We find out on May 16th what the baby's gender is...so input on what your guesses are always welcome! I am in constant awe of AJ and how excited he is for our addition. He is so funny about making sure that I am not "over-doing" anything and is always excited to hear how the baby is changing each week. He has been such a wonderful uncle to our niece and nephew and I just know that he will be a wonderful daddy! I am at work right now, so as soon as I am at home I will add some belly pictures.

Second-AJ is graduating next week from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science! I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked to get to this point! He has always been so dedicated to school and hard working and I know that all of that work is starting to pay off. He will be applying to grad schools this summer for Physical Therapy, so hopefully we will be able to start in the summer or fall next year. We decided to wait to start school because we felt that the Lord was leading our lives in another direction....we weren't quite sure what direction that was until a very special temple visit that prompted us to start a family. I guess that is the path that we are supposed to be on now and we couldn't be more excited! I am just so proud of AJ and all of the hard work he has put in to getting to this point and supporting his family. I sure am one lucky girl!

Third-I am also finishing up school this semester. I finished up my hours at SLCC to get my state license to do hair and am so glad to be done!!! For now, I am going to be focusing on just barbering and after the baby is born, I will finish up the cosmetology portion. My original plan was to do both cosmetology and barbering together and was well on my way to that license, but then....as before mentioned...that path was not the one I was supposed to be on. So, here I am studying for the state board exams and relieved to finally be at home in the evenings...I think AJ is more excited for the home-cooked meals!

Fourth-Well...this will just be a quick update on a few other tidbits in our life. AJ got a new calling that he is really enjoying! He is now a Sunday School teacher for the 14 year olds in our ward. I am still in the Young Womens and loving every second of it! I am disappointed to be missing camp this year because of our little one, but I am sure I will hear plenty of stories! We spend a lot of time with both of our families and have a few things going on in that department....AJ's little brother, Andy, is getting married next month and we are very excited for him and Lizzy! I can't believe it, but my little sister, Katie, is graduating from high school this year!! Gosh that makes me feel old! She is most likely headed to UVU to study criminal justice/criminology....I guess she got our dad's genes on that one! Cute little Josh is working hard serving the people of South Africa and we can't wait to talk to him on Mother's day.

Well, I think that is about it for now....sorry to bore you with all of the updates, but this is a pretty big time in our life and we are so excited to be able to look back at all of these times!

Just a few pictures....

2010-05-31T16:13:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few pictures....I am really horrible at taking pictures, so enjoy the few that are here! :)

Our 2nd Anniversary at Olive Garden. After a full day of shopping in Park City!

At the Timpanogos temple for Josh's endowment session. So proud of that boy!

A.J. doing what he loves to do....HOCKEY. He is a true Thacker now!

These two little stinkers are the sweetest things on this planet! Nothing is better than watching them watch "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". They love it!

Two of my MiaMaids. Britt and Kendra at our New Beginnings. They are so sweet!

Don't worry...we both look high, but we were tired! New Years Eve.

Who would've thought??

2010-05-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that I actually miss school??! I am sitting here at home at 6:00 on Thursday night and I am just thinking about how unproductive I have been for the last 3 weeks that school has been out. I guess part of me misses the HAVING to stay busy part of school. I always felt so busy, yet productive, during the semester and now that I am on a break, I am not getting everything done that I have wanted to get done during this summer break. Some things on my list of projects are: clean out the closets, "spring clean" our apartment, do some crafts for our home, organize our office, make my Trek skirts, and work on Young Womens stuff....just to name a few. Well, needless to say, none of that has been done! Oh my....what a failure! Well, I am letting everyone know that they WILL get done by next semester. I am disappointed in myself. I am not trying to be a downer or anything....I have just realized that nothing will get done unless I make sure it gets done! I have been inspired by some amazing examples around me of hard work and motivation to get things done.

On a happier note! :) AJ and I are loving being able to spend time together in the evenings! (Maybe that is why things aren't getting done!) We have had so much fun talking about our days and not being half asleep while talking! We have been able to have dinner together every night! I didn't realize how much I have missed cooking for my husband. I have always loved cooking and have really missed doing it. It has been great to be able to plan my meals and do the grocery shopping. Who would've thought!

Well, that is about it for now! Thanks for reading all of my ramble!

The Busy....but GREAT Life!

2010-04-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well obviously I haven't kept my promise to be better about updating this. Oops! So I guess that I better not promise that anymore! So, now I will just say, I will TRY to update more. :) So here is what is going on in our lives....

The semester is coming to an end and we are both soooooo ready for a good summer break! I am taking the semester off to work my tushy off and get some money saved up because....AJ applies for grad school next month which means that we will most likely be moving next year! It is so exciting that this new adventure is finally here! We have been looking forward to it for a long time and it is here! So there are a few schools that we are looking at and I will keep you updated on where we will be headed!

As for my school, I will be done in December! YAY!! The end is now in sight and, as sick as I am of the 5-10pm school nights, it is bearable now that I am almost done. I am loving my calling in Young Womens! I love the girls and the reminder they are to live life to the fullest and just have fun. They really have taught me so much and I am so lucky to get to spend so much time with them. Oh! Big news here! AJ and I got called as a Ma and Pa for Trek! Isn't that crazy!? We are 23 years old and now we get to be the parents to 12 teenagers! Oh my! It will be such a blast though! We are looking forward to getting closer to the youth in our ward and all of the fun adventures that come with Trek.

AJ is excited to be done with this semester too because he has had some tough classes this semester! He is always such an example to me of hard work and dedication. He has worked so hard and his grades show it! I am definitely sooo proud of him and love him with all of my heart!

We had a fun "adventure" this past weekend....my brother and sister-in-law had to go to California to a funeral and didn't want to take their twins, that are 9 months old now, with them on that long of a drive....which makes total sense! So they asked us if we would take the babies for a weekend. Well, needless to say, we said yes, but I don't think we knew what we were getting ourselves into! They are the most adorable lil' bugs on the face of this planet, but twins are sooo much work! They are both crawling now which means they get into everything!! So our house looked like a tornado had hit with all of their toys everywhere, but it was such a wonderful weekend!! We even braved the grocery store AND church with them. And that was no easy task. :) We had so much fun though! I love Jack and Lily so much and it is fun to be around those cute little things!

One more big piece of news! My cute little brother Josh got his mission call a couple weeks ago! YAY!! He is going to Cape Town, South Africa. He leaves July 27th. We are all so excited for him!! We went to the temple last night with him for his endowment and it was a really great experience. He is such a sweetheart and I can't believe he is old enough to be going on a mission! He will always be the sweet little Joshers that use to bug me all the time and never leave me alone! He will be a great missionary and the people of South Africa are going to be lucky to have him and vice versa!

Well that's about it for now! "A busy life is a rewarding life".

Saturday, Saturdays, Saturdays

2010-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

So I really really loves Saturdays! They just are not the same as they use to be....you know, sleeping in til whenever, getting up and staying in pjs for all day until there was some fun thing to do that night! Now, Satudays involve getting up early cause AJ has work, cleaning all morning long, laundry, vacuuming, mopping, etc....then comes getting ready, doing homework, preparing for Sunday, grocery shopping, etc. Hey, but I guess I wouldn't trade it for anything cause, at the end of the day, I can feel good about all that was accomplished. Plus, I get to stay in my pajamas until after cleaning is done! ( I guess that hasn't changed since the "good ol' days")

Anyways, school is going good for both AJ and I! We are really enjoying this semester...even though it is only 1 week into the semester! :) We really enjoy our classes and now that I am adjusted to the schedule from last semester, I am not nearly as exhausted as I was. Don't get me wrong, the 4 week break was wonderful, but it is really good to get back into the 'swing of things'! AJ is working really hard and just got a job at RPT physical therapy! He really loves it and can't wait to gain so much more knowledge and experience in his future field. I am sooo proud of him!

We were challenged by our Stake Presidency to go to the temple every week from the last week of December until the last week of January to prepare for our Stake Conference. We are getting a new Stake Presidency and while it is very exciting, it is also very bittersweet. AJ and I have really loved our current Stake Presidency, but we are excited for a new one and look forward to getting to know some more leaders from our Stake. So anyways, we have been doing really well with the challenge and it is amazing how the Lord makes the "time" to go to the temple when you really don't think you have any! It has been really enjoyable and we really love it!

Well that is about it for now. Our life is wonderful and we are enjoying every second of it! :)

Wow! Wow! Wow!

2010-01-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

So I am pretty sure that I am the worst blogger on the face of the planet! Sorry! So with the new year, I am going to be better at keeping this thing up to date! :) The new year is going to bring us lots of changes and opportunities for growth! We are so excited to see what 2010 is going to bring for us! Here is an update on our lives!

First, AJ is doing so great in school! he is working SO hard and I am so proud of him! He has about 4 months and then we start applying to graduate schools for Physical Therapy. Let's just say that it is going to be interesting to see what the next year and a half have in store for us, but whatever life brings, we will make the best of it! Even if it does mean moving from our home and families to a different and new place! It will be so exciting to start a new adventure!

AJ is also busy with work at Cyprus Credit Union and being in the the Elders Quorum presidency in the ward!

As for me, I am in Cosmetology school and loving ever second of it! It is a really hectic schedule with work 8-5 and then school 5-10, but it will be over before I know it! I am so grateful to be finally going into something that I really enjoy and that I know will help us in the future! I will be done with my schooling, hopefully, next December so the "light at the end of the tunnel" is in view! :)

I also got put into the Young Women's presidency in our ward and I absolutely LOVE it! At first I felt too young to be a leader, but I am constantly amazed by how well the Lord knows us and exactly what we need at exactly what time! I am so grateful for this calling! It has really helped me grow and become a stronger person.

As for work, I am a Medical Assistant at a Sports Medicine clinic and I really enjoy it! Never a dull day!

I guess I should throw some pictures on too!

Me and the other Young Women Leaders in our ward!! We have so much fun together....not to mention the girls are awesome!

We added some new additions to the family!! These are the cutest niece and nephew on the planet! Jack and Lily joined the fam on July 8th! We love them dearly!!

This past summer we were able to spend a lot of time together before school got started again! Being outside is our favorite!!

We went to Denver on vacation! It was soooo much fun to just get away...even if it was just for a weekend! We went to an Avalanche hockey game (our favorite team) and Wicked! We had such a great time and were really grateful to be able to spend some time together!

One Year!!!

2009-05-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Yesterday was our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! I can not believe that we have been married for one year already!! This year has gone by so fast and has been full of ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade a single second of it for anything! We have gone through tough classes, serious illnesses, two layoffs, double knee surgery, financial problems, and just adjusting to each other....but at the same time, we have spent this last year with our best friend! I am so grateful to AJ for being there for me through some tough times and for being my shoulder to cry on. He is my strength and I don't know what I would do without him. I can't imagine what life would be like without him in it. He is such an example to me and he always makes me want to be a better person! Thanks for making this the best experience of my life A.J.! I love you!!!
Here are some of our experiences of the last year...

I married my best friend on May 8th 2008

We were able to spend our first Holiday season together as husband and wife.

Our First Christmas!

Fun times with family and friends.

Valentine's Day

Just having fun hanging out with each other.

Celebrating our First Anniversary!!

And....of course eating the cake...it was a little freezer-burned. :)

So that is about it! One year down....ETERNITY to go!

Update...Sorry!

2009-05-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

So I have been so horrible with keeping up on this blog! I promise I will do better!! So here is an update on our lives...

1- AJ got through this semester! It was a tough one, but he studied his little heart out and got great grades! I am so proud of him!

2- I got a great new job! I work at a sports medicine and rehabilitation clinic. It is so great! I am a medical assistant and really love what I do. The doctors that I work with are absolutely fabulous and the people I work with are wonderful!

3- We both are going to school this summer. It will be fun for me cause I haven't been for over a year....I am a little worried but really excited! AJ is so supportive and in August, I will start Cosmetology school. Yikes!

4- We have been having so much fun lately! AJ has been busy with school and I have been busy with work, but we have really tried to spend extra time together and it has really paid off. We love to just sit and watch movies together, read, talk, and laugh together. I couldn't ask for a better husband!

Well that is about it for now!

The Proposal

2008-10-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, AJ proposed on Christmas Eve. I was really surprised because he had told me about a week before that he was really sorry, but the ring wouldn't be done until after the holidays. So anyways we went to his house right before all of the festivities began and his parents kept trying to get me in the living room. I just kept thinking that why are we just sitting here, we are late for dinner! Finally they got me in there by his mom wanting to "show me some decorations". I walked in, and his mom ran out of the room. That's when I knew something was up. He grabbed an ornament off the tree and said, "Mal, look how fun this one is." So, I looked at the ring was inside! He took it out, got on one knee, and asked me to marry him! It was the best Christmas present a girl could ask for!

The beginning.....

2008-10-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well I don't quite know how to start a blog so here it goes. AJ and I met in high school in seminary. We both had seen each other at school, but hadn't talked until that class. We became good friends and then started dating. We dated for 8 months and then AJ went off to school and I was still stuck in high school. Well....long story short....AJ and I started talking again right before he left on his mission and wrote through his whole mission. He got home the end of June 2007 and we have been connected at the hip since!