Friday, December 25, 2009

Happy Holidays

This is my absolute favorite time of year. I love everything about it, from the gathering of family and friends, to the delicious holiday treats, scents of cinnamon and winter greenery, twinkling Christmas lights, and the sound of beautiful Christmas music that reminds us of why we celebrate the season. The holidays were extra special this year because of our little man, Rylan. Although he doesn't understand Christmas and all its meaning yet, its still exciting to pretend like he can tell the difference between Christmas Day and any other day. We enjoyed every moment of this holiday season and can't wait for all the wonderful Christmas's to come with our growing family.










Thursday, December 24, 2009

Rylan's New Friend

Well, the first week of daycare was a success! Our good friend Camille is watching Rylan and it's nice to know that he is in good hands while we are gone during the day. Camille's daughter, Lily, is such a little sweetheart. Her and Rylan have become good friends and love to laugh and play together.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

What a Difference...

...three months makes. I can't believe how quickly time has passed and how big my son has gotten already! It seems like yesterday when we brought him home from the hospital. I'm so grateful that I could take 12 weeks off and really enjoy this transition into motherhood. Sadly, the time has now come for me to return to work. I sure will miss the little guy during the day. He'll be okay. It's me that I'm worried about:). I've already given my coworkers fair warning that I'll be crying in my cube for a few days until I get over my separation anxiety. Hmmm, I wonder if I could just hide him at my desk. Just kidding!

Rylan at 1 week and 12 weeks

Sunday, November 29, 2009

A Bustling Household

The birth of our son has brought lots of welcomed visitors. Thank you to all of our family and friends who have shown us so much love and support. We love you guys!

My mom was the first to come stay with us. She was here for 2 weeks and man oh man was she helpful! It seems like Rylan would fall asleep every time he got in her arms. After having 5 kids of her own, she sure did have the magic touch. Rylan will miss having grandma around and hearing her sing bedtime stories.













May dad and oldest brother ,Jeff, both came for Rylan's blessing. It was so nice of them to travel all the way from California to share this special time with us. My dad and I particularly enjoyed going to the Japanese Tea Gardens, where we captured some great photos with the baby.













Jill was the last visitor to come stay with us. I always love when she comes because I can do all of the fun girly stuff that my husband would rather not do (shopping, cooking, etc). Since it was my birthday just a couple days before she came, we celebrated with some pampering. We enjoyed relaxing massages (complements of my sweet husband), got our hair done, and did a little shopping. Her visit definitely wasn't long enough. Jill was so excited to meet baby Rylan and enjoyed giving him his bottle and going on walks with him. Jill loves this picture of Rylan sleeping because his bum was sticking up in the air. Matt and I are just waiting for Jill to quit her job and be our live in nanny:)!






Saturday, November 28, 2009

Take It From The Top

Oh, where do I begin. I have recently become a mother and realize that it's about time to start documenting our life together. No more excuses! I'll take it from the top and quickly summarize the past 6 years to get you caught up to speed...

Matt and I met at a single adult activity in the summer of 2003 just a couple days after he returned home from his mission. It was love at first sight. On June 17th 2004 we were married in the Los Angeles Temple for time and eternity!



We both attended Cal Poly State University. After much thought, prayer, and consideration, we made the decision to move to San Antonio, Texas after graduation so that Matt could pursue his business in real estate investing. In June 2006 we packed up our little apartment in SLO and made our way down to Texas, where our lives would forever be changed.



When we arrived in San Antonio we were homeless and jobless, but it didn't take long for us to establish some roots here. Matt jumped right into his real estate business and I found a job for a local food distribution company (Labatt Food Service) as a Marketing Specialist. Anyone who knows me well knows that food is a passion of mine and that this job was a great fit for me.

A Before and After photo from one of Matt's very first projects
Before

After


In March 2008 we purchased our first house. And of course it was a remodel. We were so excited to jump right in, put Matt's skills to the test, and make this house our home. It took almost a year and a half to get it just the way we liked it. We love our home and look forward to the many memories that we will have here.















Kitchen Before

Kitchen After


Matt and I welcomed the birth of our son, Rylan, in September 2009. He weighed in at 7lbs 10oz and was 20 1/2 inches. We absolutely love this kid!