Ben and Christa

Photo Booth

2012-01-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

Can you guess my favorite?

I'll give you a hint: Augustus Gloop.

Catching up

2012-01-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

A little bit of what we've been up to these last few weeks:

Play dates at the park by the lake. It's my favorite park here in Irvine. It may not be the biggest, but it has the prettiest surroundings!

Playing with cousins and eating lots of Cafe Rio (that's nothing new).

Wrestling with Daddy. This happens every night, and I finally snapped some pictures. Luke is in love with his Dad. You should see him when Ben comes home from work. He jumps, runs in circles, laughs, squeals. I'll have to get it on video sometime. It's darling.

We've been playing outdoors quite a bit (until it got cold). Here's Luke playing peek-a-boo behind the sliding door.

We went to the BYU Men's Volleyball Game at UCI. They had a great win, actually two great wins. We just went to the Friday game. Luke had a ball watching them play and clapped every time the crowd clapped and cheered.

Bundled up for some walks. It got really cold, really fast over here in Irvine. But it's a nice change. And the only reason why I like it is because I know it won't be long until it's warm again!

I've been playing classical music lately and Luke seems to enjoy it. One day he grabbed his blanket and plopped right on his belly next to me by the computer. Within minutes he was asleep. First time he's ever fallen asleep by himself on the ground like that.

Saturday I went to my good friend Sara's baby shower. Can't believe I didn't get a picture of her. She looks amazing and you would never believe she is due in three weeks. We are so excited to meet her little girl!

After the game we went to a soccer game! Let me introduce the Solomon Family. My mom has been dating Kent for over a year. He is awesome, to say the least, and we love him. He has a daughter, Kiana, who is 11 and a son, Kennedy, who is 15. We watched Kiana play at her soccer game. They won! It was so fun to watch them. I was desperate to run onto the field and start playing! Oh how I miss soccer.

This princess turned 29, again. We enjoyed lunch with her on Friday and dinner with her on her actual birthday, Saturday the 21st.

And things we've done or been up to that aren't pictured:
Had a date night at the Newport Beach Temple.
Started gardening.
Spent time with family watching football at my Dad's.
Celebrated Sam's 16th birthday, twice.
Got dinner with some good friends Steven and Lorraine.

Got gym passes (woohoo!).
Started searching for cars (another woohoo!).
Lots of crocheting.
Birthday party planning.
Work, church, friends, family, and all the in-between.
Oh, and loving every second with my boys.
Life is beautiful!

Sweet Baby Luke

2012-01-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

I melt every time I see this picture of my baby.

It's hard to believe that in just a couple weeks he will be one. I assume at some point I would stop calling him my baby and refer to him as my child, son, toddler, or little guy. He already acts like a grown up in his little body. But, he will always be my sweet baby Luke. My baby.

Moments like these, when it's 55 degrees outside and my baby is happier than ever to be bundled up and out on a walk, make me realize how pure and sweet babies are. They make me realize, along with all the other cherished moments, that being a mother is such a blessing. An eternal blessing that God has given us and will either in this life or after. I cherish my calling so much and wouldn't want to do anything else with my life. How can I when I have this sweet face to look at everyday? He's not only cute, but so fun, happy, energetic, and excited about life. My best little buddy. He's growing so fast and it's so much fun watching him do new things and explore. I am so proud of him, and so so crazy about him. I don't know if it's possible to love any thing or any one more. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that I have more love within me to love my future babies. To think that I am this happy with this much love for Luke, and knowing that there is more love within me for more children, makes me so excited for each new day and for what the future holds. It makes me giddy inside to think that I will spend the rest of my life and eternal journey loving. Loving my husband, loving all of my children. Loving makes me feel so good inside!

I am so grateful for all the love around me and for all I have to love.

11 Months

2012-01-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

(Sorry about the overload of stripes...It was a lazy day today;)

Mr. Luke is 11 months old!

This age is so much fun (I think I say that at every age). We are having a blast with our little critter.

He's walking everywhere and LOVES to dance. He'll do squats and try to beat box every time he hears a beat or Dad gives him one. It's hilarious. Funny because I don't remember ever teaching him to dance like that...

He can blow kisses, give kisses, gives eskimo kisses (my favorite), clap, shake his head, wave, and dance all on command.

He responds to me when I call for him if we are in separate rooms.

Loves kids.

Loves to play with all of his musical instruments he got for Christmas, to play on the drums, and on the piano. I think we have a music maker on our hands.

Loves anything round and can already toss a ball. I think we might also have an athlete on our hands ;).

Can't believe next month he'll be a year old! Boy does time fly.

Break

2012-01-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

After Christmas it was (practically) a week of play. Monday we played by the pool at the Chamberlin's, watched (and played) basketball, and spent time with family and friends.

Tuesday Ben worked. Wednesday Ben worked while Luke and I went shopping with my Mom and Sister. Then we dropped Luke off at Ben's Parent's house and Ben and I got to go on a date to Macaroni Grill and stay at the Marriott in Newport Coast.

Random pictures of Luke that day eating leaves. He thinks it's funny when I tell him he can't eat them.

Thursday we went to brunch at Ruby's Shake Shack on PCH by Crystal Cove. The weather was perfect! We played with Matt and Emily by the pool at the Marriott all day and then watched a movie back at the villa. We saw a beautiful sunset and then the whole Chamberlin crew came up and we went to Ruby's in Laguna.

Friday we went to the Santa Ana Zoo with our cousins Jake and Lacey, their kids Kody and Eden, and some more of Ben's cousins Joe, Meagan, and Nauni.

Waving to the animals.

Giving Kody hugs.

And the biggest animal in the park.

Kody and Eden feeding Luke.

Saturday we played and surfed at San Onofre Beach.

The fog rolled in and it was COLD!

Bottomless pit right here.

I love these pictures of my boys...

Then we celebrated New Year's Eve at the Chamberlin's with Big Papa's traditional and delicious curry and rice, some treats, games, and family, including Matt and Emily.

Monday Ben and I spent a few hours taking the Christmas tree down (sad) and putting Christmas decorations away, cleaning the house, and getting things back in order. We then went to the pool with the Chamberlin's and cousins in Marina Hills, to In-n-Out, and went to the Chamberlin's to watch football, a movie, and play in the spa.

What a great week! Now time to get back into the swing of things...

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

It was Luke's first Christmas! ...And I think it was successful. He seemed to have fun, but I actually think I had more fun! Christmas is a blast with a kid. This year, it was my first official Christmas as a mom so I wanted it to be unforgettable. From shopping for toys to wrapping them, from visiting Santa Claus to celebrating Baby Jesus, and from singing Christmas songs to spending time with family, I think we did a pretty good job at making it fun for Luke (even if he didn't have a clue what was going on). It was a new experience, a ton of fun, and I'm definitely excited for more Christmases with more kiddos!

Our Christmas this year went a little something like this: home, to last minute errands, to the mall, to Mom Butler's, to the Chamberlin's, back home, sleep, wake up, go to church, come home, open gifts, go to Mom Butler's, go to the Chamberlin's, go to Dad Butler's, go to the Chamberlin's, back home. Ca-ray-zee. But, it was great being able to spend time with everyone, even if it felt rushed at times. Next year we might have to add another day of Christmas to make things a little less hectic. I think it's a great idea. Who wouldn't want another day of Christmas?

Our first stop on Christmas Eve was seeing Santa. Poor Luke. We had to wake him up from his nap and put him pretty much straight on Santa's lap. We're mean parents. The pictures will describe his feelings:

Then it was off to Mama Butler's house for Christmas Eve dinner.

Then to the Chamberlin's for the sibling gift exchange, pjs, and hot chocolate. Bekah's gift was by far the best. The boys decided to make a calendar of the sexiest men alive. And no, it didn't include Brad Pitt or Ryan Reynolds, it included the real sexiest men alive; the Chamberlin boys. Unfortunately it is strictly confidential and not to be disclosed to the public, ever.

And the cutest boy alive...

Christmas Morning

at our home

Sike! Sorry Luke, no time to open gifts. This is a precious picture though. So excited, he can't sit still.

We went with the Chamberlin family to church in Las Flores at 9am. Ben's sister Sarah played the harp and Ben's brother Sam played the piano. It was beautiful and the entire program was wonderful!

Then we came home and opened gifts. We probably shouldn't have opened the ukelele first. Luke didn't want to let go of it. But we were finally able to get him interested in maracas and colorful blocks. (Notice how he goes straight for the round object. We need a lot more sports balls around here, that aren't styrofoam--he likes to eat those.)

Then it was to my mom's for her delicious baked blueberry fresh toast (to die for) and to open gifts with my siblings. Luke got a fun little bike, some toys, and a precious voice-recorded book from his Great Grandpa and Great Grandma who live in Georgia.

After my mom's, we went to the Chamberlin's to open gifts. Check out Luke's new ride. (He's also happy about his new Veggie Tales Christmas movie.)

Then we were off to my Dad's in Orange Park Acres. They live on an acre, we call "The Ranch". They have horses, a volleyball court, horseshoes, and soon stretches of grass for Luke and the future grandkids to run on. They've been working on this land and their home for almost a year now and it is looking amazing. We are super excited about it.

Caitlyn got a ringer and she and my brother were pretty excited about it.

Luke LOVES the animals. They have two horses and two dogs, and they are boarding a pregnant horse.

Then we walked down to the little community zoo down the street from where they live. I love this picture of my dad and Luke.

After my dad's, we went to the Chamberlin's for the BIG gift exchange. That includes extended family and some friends. I got Ladder Golf/Ball, and Ben got one of the gifts we brought (a movie and beanie). He said I never make beanies for him so this was the only way he could get one (whoops).

Ben and Luke playing catch and with a new toy.

Notice a theme this Christmas? If you guessed music, sports, cars, I think you're right. Santa and his elves didn't even realize it until after all the gifts were open! I guess those are all boy toys....

Anddddddd, officially pooped! Back home to sleep for days...

Christmas Lights

2012-01-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

It's the best time of year! One of my favorite things to do during the season is look at Christmas lights. We went to Balboa one night and to Brea another night to look at lights. In Brea, they have a famous neighborhood with amazing lights and the "pickle tree". It was fun, and Luke seemed to have a fun time too. He loved watching the santa cycle on the tightrope (second picture).

And of course, the pickle tree.

Hawaii 2011

2011-12-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Chamberlins in Maui. It was amazing! It was one of the best vacations I've ever been on. Most might be surprised when I say that because our 10-month-old crazy, hyper, squirmy, man-child of a baby was there too. But, he was fantastic and so so good to us. He played with his toys in the sand, explored, crawled around on stretches of grass, and floated in the warm pool and ocean. And while he was occupied in all of that, Ben and I got to relax on the sand, in hammocks, on the grass, on lounge chairs, and in the water by his side. My idea of a vacation. That's how all of our days were spent; doing nothing but relaxing. Here is what a typical day looked like:

9/10am: Wake up in our king size bed, eat breakfast, get in bathing suits, pack toys and sandwiches for the beach, and walk 1 minute down to the water.

11am-5pm: Play in the sand, get sandy, get wet, change Luke into a onesie, go play and lay out on the grass, rock Luke to sleep, put him on the grass in the shade, lay out some more, Luke wakes up, pool time.

5pm-11pm: Dinner and games.

Both Sundays we attended Church and spent time indoors talking about our family tender mercies, playing scripture golf, and napping. We walked to Wailer's Village a few times, went snorkeling at Black Rock, and on the last Sunday we left the site and went to check out the blowhole. Other than that, our days consisted of lots of playing and lots of relaxing.

Excited to be in Hawaii.

The view from our villa.

First stop: the beach!

And what was the first thing Luke did when we got to the sand? Nope, didn't eat it. He crawled straight for the water. He loved it!

Sunday we went to church and took some family pictures

We also went for a walk by the beach and got some pictures in front of the Christmas tree.

Played in the sand and ocean...a lot.

Walked to Black Rock.

Did some snorkeling

Ben and Sam jumped off the rock.

Can't pass up on these.

Walked to Wailer's Village for Hula Pies, a little luau, and some entertainment by Makenna and Luke.

Played in the pool...a lot.

Lots of napping by the beach.

Did a lot of playing on the grass.

(This one below is probably my favorite picture of the whole trip.)

Luke did a lot of walking.

Grandpa time.

Tub time with cousin Makenna.

Thanksgiving Dinner! Can you believe it was done without a stove? We really took advantage of the BBQ for dinners. Oh, and we didn't go out to eat once! I really liked that.

Luke got a lot of love.

Saw some beautiful sunsets.

And rainbows

My boys after church. We attempted to take family pictures in the howling wind. Yeah that didn't work out so well. But I thought these two were cute.

Went to the blowhole. By the look of Luke's face you could tell how windy it was. His face is hilarious!

Spent our last night watching the sunset and playing on the sand.
Look how beautiful is this picture of Lauren and her little girl.

Gramma Jamma time.

Last day in the Maui sun!

We are so grateful for Mom and Dad Chamberlin for giving us all the opportunity to spend time together in Paradise. It was perfect.

Thank you! We love you!

Last Call for Beanie Orders

2011-12-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

Though I'm making beanies like there's no tomorrow over here, I want to give everyone the chance to order theirs. Today is the last day I will be taking orders until after Christmas. Prices will also change come the start of the new year so if you want one at a low price, order today!

To order, click here. Click on the tab Styles and Order Forms. Find the style you want (colors can be customized when filling out order form). Click on the Click to Order link below the picture of the beanie you want to order. Fill out and submit the form!

Thank you!

Christmas Tree

2011-12-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to pick out our Christmas tree with Shaundra, Darron, and Jersey. We both found beauties. We had a fun night, but it was freezing! I would say in the 40's...and some of you are probably thinking that's warm compared to where you are. It was cold for Orange County that's for sure. But I kind of liked it. We bundled up and it truly felt like Christmas!

Wanted to get a Luke-tree, but we got a decent size one pictured below. Except that you can't see it because we are standing in front of it...woops.

Aren't our little snow bunnies cute? Our men are pretty cute too...

Then we got home and started decorating the tree. Here's our little helper getting tangled in the lights.

Tada!

Merry Christmas!

Double Digits: 10 Months Old

2011-12-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

Luke's Updates

Luke took his first flight over to Maui! If he could talk, I think he would say it was the best vacation he's been on yet. I would agree with him. Nothing but lounging and playing. Lots of crawling and walking around the island grass and sand, and hours of floating in the Marriott pools and Maui ocean. Truly paradise.

He started walking a couple weeks ago (as you could see in the previous post). He took a few steps before Hawaii, but really started cruising when we got there. It must be the fine grass or island sun. Brings out the best of us.

When he would rather get somewhere fast, he chooses to crawl. A lot of the time, if he wants to transfer a toy, sock, anything from one place to another, he puts it in his mouth like a puppy with a frisbee and crawls on his way. That's why we call him "puppy"...

Is a crazy, bouncy dancer. For evidence, and a good laugh, check out this video Ben's brother posted.

He points, gives high fives, claps, shakes his head, and waves. He also gives hugs and kisses, and it is down right adorable. Just today he was standing next to me while I was sitting on the ground and he looked at me, threw his arms around my neck, and held on so tight. My heart melted.

Has 7 teeth, one more coming in.

Is a great copy-catter. Make a noise (he likes grunt or yell noises) and he will copy you. It can go back and forth until you give him...he's not a quitter.

Our little guy is getting so big! We are so excited to celebrate Christmas with him this year. Our first Christmas a family of three.

Luke Walking in Hawaii!

2011-12-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

Our little guy is walking. Crazy! He would still prefer to crawl so he can get from one place to another in Luke-speed (if you've seen Luke crawl you know what kind of speed that is), but when he's not trying to get somewhere he likes to pull himself up and perform with some walking. He took a few steps before Hawaii, but really started taking steps (up to seven or eight) while we were in Hawaii. Pretty sweet huh? It must run in the family because my sister starting walking in Hawaii too. Since we've been home, he has walked a lot without falling. Sometimes I'll look over and see him cruising on his feet, no big deal. My favorite is when he stands with his arms reached out and starts to walk to us, then when he makes it he falls into our arms and ends with a hug. I am such a proud mama.

Here is a clip we got of Luke taking a few steps... not the best, but the only one we got!

9 Months!

2011-11-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

Little man is 9 months old! Last month of single digit months. And in three months, he will be a year old! Crazy! Where did the time go?

Weight: 22 pounds - 87th percentile

Height: 29 3/4 inches - 96th percentile

Head Circumference: 18" - 74th percentile

More Luke updates... If you know Luke you know he is squirmy, energetic, nonstop, and everywhere. But even more so lately. He is all over the place and doesn't sit still. When it's time, he won't walk, he will run.

He has six teeth with a major gaposis between the top two. It's pretty cute.

Dances and sings when he hears music or anything that makes a constant noise (e.g. blow dryer, vacuum, lawn mower, etc.). Loves the piano.

Has developed a love for hair brushes. So random. He crawls around with one in each hand. It's the only thing that can keep him occupied for more than a few minutes.

He is way too cool for toys, unless they're Mommy or Daddy's toys.

Talks a lot. His favorite word is "Dada". He can also say "kitty" and loves to play with my mom's cat. He'll chase her until he's chased her off the ground.

Such a cutie.

Tarjay and Kisses

2011-11-01T12:51:00.001-07:00

We go to Target about once a week (I would go five times a week if I had a car, probably a good thing I don't). Sometimes we dress him up when we see something funny, like these hats. Too bad my baby all of a sudden hates anything on his head. Even worse, he hates anything on his feet! As a mom who loves dressing my babe up, this, is a big time bummer. Any ideas of how to train the boy? Duct tape?

In other news, Luke has a new trick...

Giving kisses! Luke has just started giving kisses and oh man are we loving it.

Halloween 2011: Trunk or Treat

2011-10-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Friday night was our stake's Trunk or Treat. Crazy! We were wiped clean of candy within 40 minutes (or less), and we had a lot of it! It was down to passing out our balloons, and when those were gone, we were out of there. It was a lot of fun. We decided to be the characters from the movie Up and we had a ton of fun getting ready for it. I was surprised at how easy it was to prepare and make our costumes! For Ben (Carl), all we had to do was pop out the lenses of some cheap wayfarers and get him a coat jacket from the thrift store. For Luke (Russell), I sewed him a sash and sewed Ben's Merit Badges onto it, and dyed a neckerchief, shirt, and hat. For me (Ellie), bought myself a cheap dress and pair of eyeglasses from the thrift store. And as for the props, we already had the chairs, quilt, and hose, just had to buy balloons and make a poster of "Paradise Falls". And there ya go! Easiest costumes and props. Such a fun night.

He had a few licks of his first sucker...loved it.

Thought this little guy was adorable.

Princess Eden and Pirate Kody. And little Jersey was the cutest, most cuddly little ladybug (wish I had a picture).

I love how Ben is posing for the camera while still passing out candy. We seriously had milliseconds to get a picture. So many kids!

Believe it or not, we didn't get one picture of Luke smiling. So too cool in these next two.

Happy Halloween!

Park by the Lake

2011-10-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Our weeks are filled with a lot of this. We love going to the park by the lake. It is absolutely beautiful. The water, the trees, the rose bushes, the ducks, the bridge, the homes, the sun hitting the water, all of it. This handsome guy really loves the swing, as you can see (who doesn't?). He laughs and giggles, and usually about five minutes into it he is on the verge of falling asleep. Today his eyes had just closed when all of a sudden a little girl came over to swing with him. His eyes opened and he welcome the little lady with a smile. Such a flirt.

"I look just like dad"

2011-10-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I think he's right.

{Recipe} Fried Rice

2011-10-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

So if you know me, you know I'm no cook. It's something I just don't do. I remember back when we were newlyweds and I was trying so hard to be the bomb wife so I cooked glorious meals every night. Well that only lasted about a week. Since then it's been quesadillas, grilled cheese, Hamburger Helper, top ramen, and occasionally some special recipe, usually when we have company. We also eat out a lot. Call me lazy, call me a terrible wife, call me whatever. I'm totally not fulfilling my motherly duties, I know. Well, I've turned over a new leaf and I have decided to start cooking. Really start cooking, and more than just occasionally. And to get me started, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite recipes; fried rice. It's the only meal I am proud of because I started from scratch without a recipe and I have been making and perfecting it since we got married. And, apparently, a lot of people like it. Or maybe they are just being nice, but regardless, they give me hope. I never created an actual recipe for it because I just kind of winged it and never paid attention to the measurements. Well, the last time I made it I decided to keep track of the measurements so that I could turn it into a legitimate recipe. Here it is!

Servings: 6-8 people

Ingredients:
5 cups of white rice
6 1/2 cups of water
2 tbsp canola oil (for onions)
1/4 c. of brown sugar
1/2 c. of canola oil (for rice)
1/4 c. of teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 lb. of fully cooked grilled chicken strips
Half a bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 onion
5 eggs

Directions:
(Note: I have this microwavable rice cooker. It's the bomb. But any rice cooker would work just as good. So the way I cook my rice may be different than the way you cook it depending on your cooker.)

Put 5 cups of rice into cooker and add 6 1/2 cups of water. Cook in microwave for 20 minutes. While rice is cooking, grill onions, cook chicken, scramble eggs, and warm vegetables. Grilled onions--chop one onion into desired size (onions shrink when grilled). Put into a small pan on the stove. Add oil and brown sugar. Turn to medium/low and stir occasionally. Chicken--put on a microwavable plate and warm in microwave. Cut into bite-size pieces. Scrambled eggs--scramble eggs in small pan on the stove, easy peasy. Vegetables--microwave or steam them, another easy peasy.

When the rice is done cooking, scoop it up and put it in a large, deep pan or a large bowl. Cover. Add oil, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce. Stir. Add grilled onions, chicken, eggs, vegetables. Stir, and serve.

(Note: if you want to put the rice in a large, deep pan (there will be a lot just so you know) and keep it warm, I would recommend covering it rather than turning the stove on. In the past when I have had the stove on, it has burnt some of the rice. Be careful! If you choose to do it this way to keep warm or warm up, make sure you constantly stir, or you just might get some crunchy rice.)

Oh, and if you want a good dance while cooking, listen to this. If you want to connect with your rice, Agnes can help you with that. I'm obsessed and currently listening to both on replay. Each time the first one comes on, Luke crawls over to the computer and starts to dance. I'll have to get it on video, it's pretty cute.

And since I am raving about my current obsessions, has anyone been watching Revenge? I'm hooked. And how about Justin Beiber's new Christmas album coming out November 1st? Yes, ever since watching the movie I am secretly obsessed, no secret now.

Track list to “Under The Mistletoe”:
1. Only Thing I Ever Get For Christmas
2. Mistletoe
3. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) feat. Usher
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
5. Fa La La feat. Boyz II Men
6. Christmas Love
7. All I Want For Christmas Is You Duet Mariah Carey
8. Drummer Boy feat. Busta Rhymes
9. All I Want Is You
10. Fa La La (acapella) feat. Boyz II Men (Deluxe Edition)
11. Christmas Eve
12. Home This Christmas feat. The Band Perry
13. Silent Night (Deluxe Edition)
14. Pray (Deluxe Edition)
15. Someday At Christmas (Deluxe Edition)

You know the entire album is going on my Christmas song list this year.

Anyway, now that I got completely off topic. Hope your fried rice is delicious. Happy cooking!

Sliding Door

2011-10-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was in the middle of sealing our kitchen table in the back and looked over to find Luke doing this:

(The third one is my favorite)

Luckily he kept doing it for the camera too. So glad I captured it. He was shoving his face into the sliding door, sucking on the glass, sticking his tongue out, singing, strumming his lips, faking a laugh, and smiling. This kid cracks me up. And would you believe he has a cold? The pictures don't show it, but he does. His first cold. And he is being such a trooper.

Moved

2011-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Over a week ago we moved to the cozy Woodbridge community of Irvine. We LOVE it. This area is absolutely beautiful and I fall in love with it more and more each time I go outside. We are right next to a quiet street surrounded by beautiful vintage-looking homes built decades ago. The street has a perfect sidewalk shaded by giant trees that leads to parks, pools, trails, and my favorite, the lake. We love walking along the lake. Watching the ducks, playing at the park, and going over the bridge. It's so beautiful and refreshing, I could be there all day. There's also a lagoon, paddle boats, tennis courts, and sand volleyball courts--already looking forward to next summer. Sorry, I may sound a little over the top here, but at our last place there was one sidewalk two feet away from a busy street with cars going 50 miles per hour--not my idea of a nice stroll. And a park? You had to go over the river and through the woods to find one. Let's just say I'm one very happy mama to live here.

As for our home? It's ghetto-fabulous. Built in the 70's and hasn't seen an upgrade since. We love it though. Because it's old school, it has so much character and makes decorating cheap and easy. It's surrounded by trees so our place stays nice and cool (good thing, because we don't have air conditioning). There's lots of space and storage, and it has the most darling patio with rose bushes and space to garden.

Luke playing on the front porch. Obviously doesn't like my pumpkin display.

There are lots of leaves because of all the trees and plants. I usually don't let Luke outside to play because of them. He finds a leaf, it goes right into his mouth, then he chokes, I pull it out, and then he's off to find a new one. One day he'll learn...

Remember my love for pumpkin farms? Either someone found out or someone else has a love for them too because we have a pumpkin farm growing on our front lawn. Kinda cool, I guess?

We are so lucky and blessed to live closer to family, friends, the beach, the temple, and, pretty much everything else.

Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of weeks I have been keeping my eye out for the best looking, most genuine, classic pumpkin patch. All I've seen are blow up sinking ships, dragons, and slides, with a small patch of pumpkins hidden in a corner. Don't get me wrong, these places are a blast, but maybe next year when Luke is old enough to enjoy them. I was hoping for something more like a pumpkin farm, with pumpkins still attached to the ground with stem and root. So classic. My cousin told me about this place called Tanaka Farms in Irvine. I couldn't wait to go check it out. We went a few nights ago and wow, to say this place is awesome is an understatement. This place is amazing! Admission was free, we picked our own pumpkins, and had a blast. I can definitely see this becoming a family tradition.

8 Months!

2011-10-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

Our smiley boy is getting so big! Both in age and in size. He's crawling everywhere, getting into everything, climbing on anything, and putting all things in his mouth. He has four teeth; two on the bottom, and two on top (the left front top and the one next door). We can see the top front tooth on the right and the one next to that coming in. Ouch.

He eats like there's no tomorrow. Thirty-six ounces of formula, rice cereal and fruit for breakfast, vegetables for lunch, rice cereal and vegetables for dinner, and snacks in between. Someone please tell me if I am feeding him too much...

He has all of a sudden become the biggest cuddle bug. I love it. When he was born he loved to snuggle (like any newborn), but after a few months he didn't want to anymore and would rather just go in his crib and fall asleep on his own. Even when I tried to hold him or rock him a little, he was pushing and turning away as if he just wanted me to put him down. It was a bitter-sweet change. But just in the last week, he has started snuggling again! And it's even better than when he was born because he is actually putting his arms around me and resting his head on my chest while still awake. It is so sweet and makes me feel so loved.

He is sleeping twelve hours a night and taking two to three naps a day, can crawl up the stairs, can stand on his own for a few seconds, and is learning and growing so much!

Love this little guy.

General Conference Weekend October 2011

2011-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous weekend watching General Conference and spending time with family and friends.

Cafe Rio, a BYU win, great friends, amazing conference talks, a visit with my girl Sara and her baby bump, yummy munchies, cousin playtime, cousin sleepover, berry waffles, a visit to Nana and Papa's, project ideas, and some Butler BBQ.

Our weekend was awesome.

Checking to make sure Uncle Ben/Daddy is all right after that ride.

Mommy, come save Daddy!

At Nana and Papa's house.

Kody and Eden. We missed Miss Makenna!

Laughing with Daddy

2011-09-27T13:55:00.003-07:00

Forget-me-not

2011-09-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Did you watch President Uchtdorf give his incredible talk at the Relief Society General Broadcast last Saturday? Wow. It left me wide-eyed, with my jaw dropped, and completely blown away. I couldn't even wait to get home to tell Ben I had to call him right away. It was right on the money. And so what I needed. It was as if President Uchtdorf was nudging, eyeballing, doing anything and everything to get my attention and let me know this talk was written for me. He might as well of turned it into a letter and started it with Dear Christa. I'm sure many of you felt the same way.

He compared the petals of a forget-me-not flower to five things we as women of God should never forget. Here are a few of my favorite quotes.

"Forget not to be patient with yourself...God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. Let me add, God is also fully aware that the people you would think are perfect are not. And yet, we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others. Usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to crave expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet."

"Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It is wonderful that you have strengths, and it is part of your mortal experience that you do have weaknesses. God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths. But he knows that this is a long term goal. He wants us to become perfect. And if we stay on the path of discipleship...one day we will. It's okay that you're not quite there yet, keep working on it. But stop punishing yourself."

"Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. An acceptable sacrifice is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth."

"Forget not to be happy now. In the beloved children's story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the mysterious candy maker Willy Wonka hides a golden ticket in five of his candy bars and announces that whoever finds one of the tickets wins a tour of his factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate. Written on each golden ticket is this message: Greetings to you the lucky finder of this golden ticket. Tremendous things are in store for you. Many wonderful surprises await you. Mystic and marvelous surprises will delight, astonish, and perplex you. In this classic worldwide children's story, people all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket. Some feel that their entire future of happiness depends on whether or not a golden ticket falls into their hands. In their anxiousness, people begin to forget the simple joy they used to find a candy bar. The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket. So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket. The ticket they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about. For some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage. For others, a magazine-cover home."

"If we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us. This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don't close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day's ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life. The happiest people I know are not those that find their golden ticket. They're those who while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments...these are they who are truly happy."

"Forget not the why of the the gospel...The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation, it is a pathway. Marked by our loving Father in Heaven leading to happiness and peace in this life, and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come."

"Forget not that the Lord loves you...You are not forgotten...Sisters, wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love."

When did the word "no" become so funny?

2011-09-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

Cutest little bum ever. I wish he could crawl around naked all day because his tooshie is so stinking cute I could gobble it up. Okay that's weird, sorry. Well, it's a good thing I don't let him crawl around naked all day, because it only took about 30 seconds for him to pee everywhere.

Now that he is crawling, he is everywhere and into everything. How do you tell an almost 8-month-old no without him thinking it's funny? I don't think it's possible. Then because he is laughing I start laughing and well, so much for that. Opening drawers, climbing on things. And the bathroom. Why the bathroom? Gross. If I don't close the bathroom door, he will be in there in a flash, pulling himself up on the toilet, the drawers, or the tub and knocking all the shampoos down. Then I say no, and he laughs.

The best, or worst, is when he is eating. Obviously crawling isn't the issue here since he is strapped down, this time it's the raspberries. I'd have to wear a poncho to stay clean and dry! I tell him no, and then what does he do? Laughs. Of course.

But at the end of the day, all of the chasing, the times I said no, the messes, and my carrot and squash-covered clothes don't seem to matter anymore. All that matters is that I am snuggling up with my little man in our pjs, reading a bedtime story, and taking in every ounce of the warmth in his little hand as it rests on mine. This is life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Letters to Luke

2011-09-23T12:28:00.002-07:00

How sweet is this face? I know I tend to over-post about this baby, but let's face it, pictures of this boy are way more fun to look at than pictures of his parents. But most importantly, he is growing so fast and I've got to have it all on record. Thank you blogger. I love that you have given me the opportunity to post images, videos, and write words about events and adventures in our lives. I love that I can always go to you if I forget what happened on a certain day in my past. I love that I can reminisce about my past by simply clicking. I love that I can turn you into a book that can forever sit on my coffee table. And I love that family and friends all around the world could watch Luke grow too, just by the click of a mouse. Oh what would I do if you crashed.

This blog has given me the opportunity to record our lives. But there is so much I want to say to Luke. Things I only want him to hear. How he has blessed our lives, how he makes us happy, proud, and the luckiest parents alive. I want to be able to tell him about the little things he did that made us laugh or smile. So just recently, I was inspired to make an e-mail account for Luke and start sending him letters. I call it Letters to Luke. Why didn't I think to start it right after he was born? I know he might think they are silly, but I hope that one day they will comfort him when he feels alone in the world, reassure him of how much we love him when he feels like we don't, and remind him of how important he is to so many people.

Flying with Daddy

2011-09-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

This little guy loves flying with Daddy. He smiles, makes cute noises, and giggles every time. At some point during each time he flies, he looks at me. I like to think he does this to make sure I am watching him. It melts my heart. It's like he is thinking, Mommy, watch! Look how high I am getting! I love it.

Doubletime

2011-09-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

This little guy doesn't have one swirly, he has two. They look like two giant hurricanes turning in towards each other forming a ginormous wave. In this case, I'm afraid that wave is not going to crash and Luke is going to have an alfalfa all of his life. It's either going to have to be buzzed or long, or alfalfa and crazy spikes. I'm afraid it's going to be a wild adventure getting this doo ready for church, school, and family pictures.

But, we love it, unfortunately, the comb doesn't.

The Faces of Luke

2011-09-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

(when he's not smiling)

And our weekend? JB, beanies, family, spa, rain, and an embarrassing display of football.

Crawling, Climbing, Growing Too Fast!

2011-09-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

This baby is pulling himself up on couches, ottomans, laundry baskets, his car seat, and anything a couple feet high. He is crawling everywhere, reaching for us, crawling on us, and drinking out of a sippy cup all on his own. Lately he has been squinting his eyes at us while slightly shaking his head, then smiling. It is by far the funniest and sweetest thing....well, among all the other 837 funny and sweet things he does.

Luke's Crawling!

2011-09-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well I guess we should have prepared ourselves after watching Luke do push-ups last week because now, exactly a week later, he is on the move! Our 7-month-old baby is crawling!

(Crawling after yarn and a quesadilla on a plate)

Luke is 7 Months!

2011-09-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

(not-so-good camera phone quality...but still so cute)

Luke has become quite the character. I know I say this every time, but he has so much personality! He is still a flirt, full of smiles, and loves to laugh and babble. He curls up and smiles and laughs every time we kiss him on his neck. He says "mum mum" when he is sad and "dadada" when he is happy. He did his first push-up this last weekend and since then he gets in the push-up position all the time. He has also taken his first few crawls and has become very mobile. Even though he doesn't fully crawl yet, he can figure out a way to get somewhere by scooting, rolling, hopping, or reaching. However, sometimes he will scoot backwards instead of forward.

We just recently discovered he has a new tooth on top and another just days away from breaking through (explains the abnormal amount of fussiness and poor sleeping in the last week). They are the teeth just next door to the top two front teeth. We're hoping he gets those top two front teeth in quick otherwise he's going to have quite the gap and quite the fangs.

He's eating lots of yummy pureed baby food and rice cereal. He's not drinking mama milkshakes anymore, just formula, but doesn't seem to mind! He is definitely a water baby and gets so excited when he knows he gets to go swimming. And he is definitely crazy about his daddy. He moves his arms and legs so fast (kind of like a dog moves his tail when he gets excited) and squeals when he sees his daddy--it's the cutest thing ever.

Bowling

2011-09-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went bowling with some friends. Luke was a natural, I beat Ben (not sure how happy he's going to be when he sees this), and to top the night off, we went to BJ's for pizookies.

Days later, we are still complaining about how sore our left glutes are. Who would have thought bowling could give you such a workout?

Stayin fit for the ladies, one push-up at a time

2011-09-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Friday night we got back to the Chamberlin's pretty late. But, it's never too late to party at the Chamberlin abode. Luke woke up in his car seat, greeted Grandpa with a smile, and got out to play. As I was in the middle of changing him into his pajamas, he flipped over turbo-speed and did one of these (see picture above). Haha! He had us crackin up. Then he did a bunny hop and took his first few crawls! Talk about overload of milestones and hidden talents (yes, we consider push-ups a milestone). Man, this little guy will be crawling before we know it.

Hey guys, wanna see somethin cool?

2011-09-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm that fast.

My 23rd Birthday

2011-08-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

There are some good things about having an end-of-summer birthday. You have the choice of being the biggest on your soccer team and knocking everyone out, you get to celebrate under the sun, and you're the last of all your friends to get your license (wait that's a good thing for my parents, not me). But there are some not-so-good things about having a summer birthday. There's actually a really big one. You don't get to celebrate it at school. No cupcakes, no balloons, no cards, no presents, and most of all, no recognition. I never got to enjoy any of those things with my classmates growing up. It was as if no one even knew I had a birthday.

But, there is one very good thing about having a summer birthday. You get to celebrate it at the beach when the weather is perfect. Even though I never got to celebrate my birthday in class, I did get to spend over ten years celebrating my birthday camping at San Clemente Beach. Yeah I'd say that's pretty sweet. My birthday always fell on or around Labor Day and that's when we camped. Oh those were the days.

You might think this is leading to a post about my 23rd birthday celebration at the beach. Unfortunately, I was mostly just reminiscing about my previous birthdays and there was no birthday beach celebration this year. I guess that's what happens when your birthday falls on a weekday, your husband works, and you live 45 minutes away from the ocean. Hopefully next year we'll live closer. But the benefit of having your birthday on a weekday-it always extends from or to the weekend. We celebrated four nights straight. And I guess we can keep celebrating through this weekend right? We might be able to celebrate at the beach after all!

The best part, it was the first year I got to celebrate my birthday with this this little guy.

Thanks to those who helped make my 23rd birthday memorable.

A Summer to Remember

2011-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Uncle Danny and Aunt Bekah left for school in Utah this week. We miss them already and won't see them until Thanksgiving in Maui. But I guess that's a double whammy--two things to look forward to! Summer was a lot of fun having them around. We did a lot together! Surfed, played at the beach and in the pool, played games, watched movies, stayed up late eating chocolate covered almonds and chitchatting, and went on adventures to Utah, Lake Powell, and Illinois. We also enjoyed spending time with my family doing many of the same things like playing games, playing at the beach, eating ginormous dinners, visiting, and going on an adventure to Palm Springs. It was Luke's first summer and Ben told me last night that if Luke could talk he would say, "Mommy, I had a very fun first summer!" That makes me happy. And my response to that... "Buddy, it's not over yet!"

This next picture is going to freak you out, especially if you've seen Ben's baby pictures.

I think we have a mini-Ben on our hands!

Cruise to Mexico 2011

2011-08-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Ben won a competition at work and the prize was a cruise. Yeah, I'd say pretty sweet prize. We got to choose the date of the cruise and immediately chose the weekend of our 2nd wedding anniversary. What better way to celebrate than relaxing, eating delicious food nonstop, and a little sight seeing? It would have been super sweet if we were sent on a longer cruise to more than one port, but it worked out perfectly that it was a weekend cruise because we got to leave the babe with my mom. Awesome right? But oh man was that hard! We dropped him off and within minutes without him, I felt naked. It's the best word to describe it. I couldn't get myself to stop checking my phone, texting my mom, or kissing his picture. I'm obviously obsessed. It took a while to get used to it, but once I was distracted by all the excitement on the ship I was able to relax and start to enjoy it without being too "Lukesick". On the ship we enjoyed couples massages, spent time poolside, felt like kids again doing down the cool slide, played some miniature golf, took lots of naps, slept in really late, and ate large, glorious meals. Saturday our ship stopped in Ensenada, Mexico and we took a trip down to the blow hole and spent the day bargaining at a flea market. We bought Luke a little guitar and sweet poncho to match Daddy and I just had to get our future baby girl a darling flower-embroidered dress and little sandals.

Ensenada, Mexico

Almost bought one of these Nacho Libre masks for Luke. Next year.

Did get him of one the little guitars. Start him young.

Ben licking his fingers after every sample the vendors offered.

Back on the ship.

My hair attacking Ben's face. The front of the ship was pretty windy, to say the least.

We had a blast and enjoyed some much needed relaxation time. But I was very eager to see Luke. On our way back to my mom's I had butterflies in my stomach! It felt like forever. Ben and I questioned whether he would be crawling, walking, or even talking yet! Ha, ya right, but it felt that long. I will never forget walking in the house to see Luke's little head sticking out from behind the wall. He was full of smiles and giggles, and so happy to see us. We were so happy to see him too.

2nd Wedding Anniversary

2011-08-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

August 21, 2009

As a young girl, I always imagined what my wedding day would be like. Some might be surprised since most of my days led to a stained shirt and dirt on my face. But behind the scabs and tough skin, there was a girl who knew would one day become a woman and wear a white dress. I often imagined where my wedding would take place, what colors would scatter the tables, and most importantly, who that man would be. Little did I know I would one day marry a smart, talented, hardworking, handsome brunette with squinty brown eyes, who would fill my life with love, adventure, and make me laugh until it hurt. How did I get so lucky? I have truly been blessed.

These last two years have been filled with accomplishments, changes, creation, and adventure, all of which continue to fill our days. I still can't believe how far we have come in such a small amount of time, and I know that it doesn't stop here. With that being said, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know that the little girl with the dirty face and scrapes on her knee never imagined her life to be this amazing.

Here's to us. Two years down, an eternity to go.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ben's 24th Birthday

2011-08-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

After blowing out the candle. It was the only picture we got so we cherish it.

Ben turned the big 2-4 on Monday (the 15th). We put our new boards and state beach annual pass into use and celebrated down at San Onofre surfing, playing volleyball, roasting dogs and s'mores, eating cupcakes, and catching up with good friends and family by the fire. We had a blast!

Sun

2011-08-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Surf

Feet in the sand

Sunsets

It doesn't get much better than this.
(Camera phone photos.)

Luke is 6 Months

2011-08-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

This age is so much fun. We are having a blast with this baby boy. Playing in the water at the pool, in the bubbles in the tub, in the sand at the beach, in the air doing supermans, laughing with him, singing with him, talking with him, traveling with him, feeding him. Whatever it is, we are just having so much fun!

6 Month Stats

Weight: 18 pounds 3 ounces- 65th percentile

Height: 28 inches - 90th percentile

Head Circumference: 44 centimeters - 75th percentile

I know I've said it before, but Luke smiles at everyone. It doesn't take much. I think his smile describes him perfectly. Such a happy boy.
He is very active. He moves his arms and legs crazy fast. When he gets really excited he opens his mouth in the shape of oval, widens his eyes, and starts to move his legs and arms double time. He kind of looks like a dancing monkey. It's pretty funny.
He loves to babble and make this funny "ah" noise that comes more from his throat. It is so cute. He loves to "battle" us with noises. He makes a noise, then stops to listen to us make a noise, then he makes a noise, and so on. It's real cute.
He's getting mobile, and rolling all over the place. Off the bed, off the swing, into the couch, you name it. Ya those first few aren't exactly good things-we've learned. He has to be strapped into everything now.
He has two "teef"! They started coming in about two weeks ago while we were in Nauvoo.
He is sitting up on his own!
Loves to eat! And we love that birdie face. It's so nice now that we can go somewhere and find something for him to eat. He is always going after our plates so giving him "grownup foods" makes him real happy. He loves pears, banana, avocado, applesauce, peaches, and believe it or not he really loves green beans, peas, and carrots. He also gets prunes, squash, sweet potatoes, and cereal. Oh, and occasionally he'll get some foods like watermelon, beef jerky, and lime. That's when Daddy is feeding.
His tummy is doing much better! Since he started solids, his acid reflux has mellowed down almost completely and he seems to be experiencing no pain. Woohoo!
We are loving every minute with this boy.

US Open of Surfing

2011-08-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Huntington Beach

On Thursday we headed to Huntington Beach for the US Open. The weather was perfect and the sun never felt so good. We got to watch CJ Hobgood, Taj Burrow, Kelly Slater, and other guys who were competing in Men's surf. Then we walked around, ate at Wahoo's (where Luke took his nap), had a yummy cookie sandwich, and watched The Sounds. Luke was a stud and I'm pretty sure he was the only baby at the concert. It was a fun day, but after seeing 6,478 bikinis, 8,543 tattoos, and one too many puffs of smoke, we were relieved to leave the beach scene when the time came.

Super Saturday

2011-08-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Baptism, In-n-out truck (free), Montage Beach with Darron, Shaundra, Jersey, Matt, and Emily, sand, sun, water, tide-pools, Cafe Rio (free), and spa. What a great day.

Luke's girlfriend, Jersey.

Pool Time

2011-07-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

with Uncle Matt and Aunt Emily

A few nights ago, Matt and Emily came up to play. We went to the pool, to dinner, Yogurtland, played Cranium, watched a movie, and had a sleepover. It was like old times.

The boys giving Luke swimming lessons.

1. Floating

2. Blowing bubbles

3. Kicking

4. Face-dunking. This is a shot taken right after Luke decided to drop his head smack into the water. It was cute. And he didn't even fuss. I think we have a water baby.

We can't wait for the day these two move a little closer.

Nauvoo, Illinois 2011

2011-07-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Day 1:

On Thursday morning we left for Nauvoo, Illinois to explore church history sites and see Ben's grandparents who are serving as missionaries in the Nauvoo Temple. Our flight was at 7am out of LAX. A bit early I'd say, but it worked out and Luke did great! He was so excited to look out the window. Every time I closed it he would put his hand on it like he wanted to open it back up. The flight was 3.5 hours to St. Louis. Then we drove 3 hours to Nauvoo.

We arrived to Nauvoo and began our stay at the Willard Richard's home. It was beautiful! All the decorations were vintage; the bath tub, the sewing machine, the organ, the decor.

That night we walked down to watch the Nauvoo Pageant. Even though it was about 100 degrees, as humid as it gets, and we were sweating just about everywhere, we enjoyed it.

Day 2:

We went to Carthage Jail to see the place where Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered.

Then we went back to Nauvoo to watch a show called "High Hopes and River Boats". It was pretty funny.

Later in the day we walked around the little town. I kind of felt like we were at Disneyland in Frontierland. There were shows going on everywhere, demonstrations, and workers (missionaries) teaching us about things like how bricks are made, how to make horse shoes, and the history of the printing press. I was in awe at how beautiful the landscape was. So much green, so many trees, wood fences, barns, and old buildings and homes. All we needed were some high-waisted pants, suspenders, bonnets, and dresses.

Day 3:

Saturday we went to the Nauvoo Temple. It rained and there was lightning and thunder. Then we went to a buffet dinner and watched a show called "Rendezvous in Nauvoo".

Day 4:

Sunday we went to church at 8am, then walked to the Nauvoo Temple to take some pictures.

Dressed up this cute boy. He wasn't so happy about the bonnet...and we thought that was a good thing.

Then we went to see Joseph and Emma Smith's house and the cemetery where they and some of their children were buried.

The Red Brick House. Upstairs is where the Relief Society started in March of 1842.

Then we drove the Trail of Hope (it was raining) down to the Mississippi River. Below is how the pioneers crossed the river when they traveled west.

This would be a darling picture...if the water wasn't so dirty. Yes, the Mississippi River is dirty dirty. They call it "The Muddy Mississippi".

Waving goodbye to Elder and Sister (Papa and Nana) Chamberlin. They make such cute missionaries!

Then we headed home. It was a great experience. I will be honest, it was a lot of work traveling with a baby, but it was worth it.

Luke Beat Boxin'/Drumming

2011-07-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is what Daddy/Son time looks like each day:

(Don't worry...he didn't hurt him)

San Diego Temple

2011-07-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

First time to the San Diego Temple for Mommy and Baby.

Too Much Fun?

2011-07-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

I think so.

Or maybe it was Mulan in Chinese that completely exhausted him.

Utah for 4th of July 2011

2011-07-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

After Lake Powell we headed up to Midway, Utah to celebrate 4th of July and Big Papa's birthday. Saturday we went to Stadium of Fire in Provo and watched David Archuleta, Brad Paisley, and fireworks! It was Luke's first time seeing fireworks. He slept through almost the entire firework show but then woke up for the last few minutes--and totally loved it. Sunday was Big Pops' birthday and we enjoyed it in Midway. Monday we ate at the Midway pancake breakfast and had a volleyball tournament in Midway with all the family. The prize was some nice cash and guess what? Ben and I won! Then we played a few games of Bang!, ate some yummy food, and watched fireworks under a beach umbrella in the rain.

Stadium of Fire

Midway

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Pancake Breakfast

Volleyball

Fireworks

Lake Powell 2011

2011-07-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Houseboat, babies, lifeguards, life jackets, movies, Bang!, wakeboarding, tubing, sea doos, relaxation station, tanning, sunburns, aloe vera, sunscreen, sunrises, sunsets, ladder golf, boche ball, stars, wind, rain, problems, neighbor houseboat rescuing, chocolate, otterpops, more problems, guitar, family, naps, and lots of playing.

Palm Desert 2011

2011-07-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago we celebrated my grandparents' 80th birthdays in Palm Desert. We stayed at the Shadow Ridge Marriott and had a great time relaxing with family, hanging by the pool, and not worrying about a thing. Unfortunately, the pictures I took with my waterproof camera didn't turn out (:/)...but we did get some good ones hanging in the villa.

Back to the 3rd Grade

2011-07-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

What hospital was he born in? What time? Is he a pirate? Have you ever dropped him? What's his last name? Where's his lightsaber?

A few weeks ago, Luke and I went to visit the 3rd grade students that I student taught before Luke was born. They absolutely loved seeing Luke. They just about trampled us to the ground when we walked through the door. Above were some of the questions they asked us. One boy, who I would always bump with my big pregnant belly as I walked by his seat, was excited to meet the baby with those strong legs. It was very cute seeing all the kids to excited to meet Luke. Luke was a champ through it all and was very entertained by all the faces. It's crazy how just 6 months ago I was saying goodbye to all my students and telling them I will bring in Luke at the end of the school year. Time flies!

Luke is 5 Months

2011-07-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

This baby is 5 months old...plus a day. He has done quite a lot in the last month and has had many firsts! He took a trip to Palm Desert, to Lake Powell, and to Utah. He had his first haircut, first time out of the state, first boat ride, first stay on a houseboat, first time on a wakeboard, first time in a life jacket, first time drinking formula, first time eating solids, and first time watching fireworks.

He is still our happy boy, full of smiles, and so much fun.
We love him more and more each day!

Oh, just kidding about the wakeboarding. We may be crazy, but not that crazy.

Daddy's First Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

This year was Ben's first Father's Day! We celebrated Father's Day in the Chinese Branch the night before at a dinner with activities, a slide show, primary performance, and some daddy competitions. Sunday we went to church, had lunch with Ben's family, and then went to my grandparent's house in Brea to have dinner with my dad and the Butler family.

I am so lucky to have a great Dad and Father-in-law. They are great examples and two of my greatest friends. I also have wonderful Grandpas :) I am also so grateful for such a great husband who makes the best Daddy. I have been so blessed! Luke is crazy about his Daddy (so am I). I am so in love with my boys, and so happy to have them in my life.

FHE at the Park

2011-06-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening this week we went to a park in Tustin with the Chinese Branch. We brought some In-N-Out (yum!), a blanket, our jackets (we obviously own too much striped clothing), and played in the park. The sunset was beautiful and we had a good time!

Our attempt to take a family picture.

Blurry, but so cute.

Hangin with Gramma

2011-06-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

Baby's First Haircut

2011-06-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

Baby's first haircut

If you know Ben, you'll find this hilarious...

2011-06-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Luke's First Time Eating Rice Cereal

2011-06-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

This face is priceless. And it says exactly how the experience went--not too well. I think he would have preferred Mom's milk, and he isn't quite patient when it comes to food so the spoonful just wasn't cutting it for him.

We'll have to try again...

(Any suggestions Mamas?)

Luke is 4 Months

2011-06-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

4 Month Stats

Weight: 13 pounds 5 ounces - 25th percentile

Height: 25 inches - 50th percentile

Head Circumference: 41 1/2 cm - 30th percentile

Our baby is 4 months old. No longer a newborn. He is getting really fun and developing his own personality. He is talking and singing more, continuing to flirt and smile like crazy, and is starting to laugh. Needless to say, he loves the sound of his own voice. He is at the stage where he doesn't like to lay down so he does crunches in his bouncer and car seat because he wants to sit up so bad--but he can't sit up on his own yet. He is happiest on someone's lap or in someone's arms. He constantly needs attention. He has the biggest smile. He loves analyzing his hands, and eating them to the point of gagging himself. He has the craziest hair (two swirlies in the back of his head that form an alphalpha, a bump from birth next to his swirlies which makes some hair stand straight up, is bald on his left side, has a dark mullet, and has some growth coming in that have light roots and dark tips). He doesn't like his playgym anymore, and slobbers everywhere. He loves to squeal. He loves to pull his binky out of his mouth. He loves to stick his tongue out when he smiles or laughs. At night he sleeps about 8 hours straight, wakes up up to eat, then goes back to sleep for more, totaling about 12 hours. But is he still a baby? Yes. He cries, he spits up, he fusses, he poops, he's needy. But he is the cutest thing. And he does allow me to get my sleep. And everyone is happy when Mommy gets her sleep.

Oh, and he gets about 600 kisses a day.

Camping with the Branch

2011-06-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

We went camping, well kind of, with the Chinese Branch at Caspers off Ortega. We had everything packed. Tent, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets. Then before we left the Chamberlin's, Luke came down with a fever. Poor guy! I've never seen him so lethargic. I held him and he looked up at me with his puppy eyes and I could tell he just wanted to be loved and to feel better. He had his 4 month shots earlier that day...

So we decided we would just go for a few hours and come back to the Chamberlin's to sleep. There was a great turnout--about 50 people. We bundled up by the campfire, made s'mores, played guitar, sang primary songs, played games, and chatted. Oh, and Luke did great. He was up for a little bit and then slept on my chest the rest of the night. It was a lot of fun!

My Husband is the Bomb

2011-06-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah that's right. He worked his booty off and won a competition at work! We're going on a cruise to Mexico! Endless sun, endless food, paid vacation, and the first time Luke will go out of the country. We better get him a passport!

Summer Vacations: Palm Dessert, Lake Powell, Utah, Nauvoo, Mexico.

Ah! I am so excited.

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

2011-06-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Three BBQs--one with each family. Pool, basketball, mani-pedi, many games of Clue, and lots of family time!

Daddy

2011-06-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Love this picture of Ben playing with Luke on my lap.

Chamberlin Family Pictures 2011

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2011

How sweet are these cheeks...

2011-05-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

Pool Time

2011-05-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

We decided we wanted Luke to come in the spa with us, however, we were not prepared. Waterproof diapers? No. Trunks? No. Luke went in with his normal diaper and that was it. He might as well have been nakie right? Good thing Gramma Jamma had a sweet raft he could float in.

At first, he was a little nervous. Then got a little scared. Then he realized he kind of liked it! He loved lounging in the raft and especially loved playing with Grandpa David.

I'm still learning how to use my new camera...

Oh, just watchin Ellen

2011-05-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

She's funny.

Bathtime

2011-05-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a clean, delicious-smelling babe. Gotta love this face.

Love this face

2011-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

My First Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever appreciated Mother's Day like I do now. Now that I am a mom, I know the sacrifice that my own mom made for me when I was young. All the challenges, the hours spent up at night, the spit up, the diaper changes, the crying, the lack of sleep. And of course all of the fun parts like bath time, the silly faces and voices to make me smile and laugh, the cuddling, the kisses, and the tears of love. This Mother's Day was especially wonderful. I realized how much my mom sacrificed for me as I am now sacrificing so much for Luke. I am so grateful for my mom, Ben's mom, and I am so grateful to be a mom.

The day started off with a delicious breakfast made by all the Chamberlin boys. Flowers and gifts, lovely talks at church, more flowers and hugs. We spent the first hour of church at the Chamberlin's ward, then went to the Chinese Branch for the last hour. The branch men and women did such a great job. We had a great Relief Society program. Four women, including me, spoke for a few minutes about being a mother. I spoke about being a new mother. The Spirit was so strong and I was so grateful to share my feelings. After I spoke, the men came in and sang "Love at Home" to us. I watched as Ben came in with Luke in his car seat and couldn't hold back the tears. I am so grateful for my boys. I love them so much. Then we had some delicious food and went to the Chamberlin's to rest for a bit. Ben gave me a "picture" perfect Mother's Day gift and a beautiful card. Then we headed to my Aunt's in Huntington Beach to enjoy an evening with my mama.

Some pictures of the evening...taken with my Mother's Day gift :)

My beautiful Mama, often mistaken for Luke's Mama and my sister.

Aunt Caitlyn trying to talk Luke through it

Talking doesn't work. When this guy is hungry, he means it.

Weekend Recap

2011-05-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

It was a long, fun weekend. We went down to the homefront (Las Flores/MV) Wednesday. Costco, basketball games, work, Matt and Emily, walks, Sammy's volleyball game, spa, sun, Brett and Michelle's wedding, family pictures at the beach, basketball game, errands, shopping, Cousin Chloie's graduation, Mother's Day (gets its own post), church, and family.

Chloie's Grad Party

Wedding: (Pics by Emily)