A night at the park

Yesterday was a fabulous day for Pocatello. 75 degrees with hardly even a breeze. The sun felt so nice. We loved it. 

Tyler has been traveling to Jackson Hole for work a lot, which leaves Calvin and I home, lonely to ourselves more than usual. Normally we would go to my parents or my sisters house to hang out and kill some time, but they are all in California havin a blast at Disneyland! 

I didn't wanna sit my apartment all night, it was too gorgeous outside! So I sent a text, and met up at the park with friends Annie Simmons and her sweet boy Carter, and Molly Landon and her sweet girl Caroline. 

My friend Molly is a photographer in real life, and she had this cool camera lense for her iPhone she brought with to the park to take some pics of the kids! She sent them to me last night, they turned out so cute! 

 The only way Calvin goes down the slide is on his belly haha!

Sweet Caroline in this pic cracks me up! Such a cutie.

Seriously though... Not sure how one can make an iPhone pic look so professional... But Molly can! Haha. Calvin looking way too handsome with those baby blues <3

E A S T E R | 2014

Hello friends. I know... It's been a while (pronounce as whhhhile), so I figured I would right a little post during Calvin's nap time and catch you up on a few things and about our Easter weekend :)

So here's a little update on my little family of 3: Tyler- is working so hard to finish this semester and keep good grades! He's doing awesome... He works nights and gets home usually between 4-6 and is up for his first class by 10:30. I couldn't be more grateful for his hard work. Love that baby daddy of mine <3 

I (me, myself and Irene ;)- have been doing my usual routine of hanging out with Calvin every minute of every day. Mothering is my main job these days, and I wouldn't have it any other way :) I have also been busting my butt to get to the gym and eat healthy every day for the last 3 months. I still have 3 weeks left in my 8 week challenge, excited for it to be over and to eat a cheeseburger would be an understatement! Haha. 

Calvin- is busy being a growing boy! It just hit me the other day that he is now not so much a baby anymore, but a growing toddler. He is slipping away from me every minute that passes by, but I can't help but be grateful for the fine boy he is turning out to be. "And he's so smart, Jenny." (Try saying that without tearing up. Forrest Gump for those of you who didn't catch on...) but really, he's so smart. He's starting to mimic little words and lines Tyler and I say: love, thank you, please, no no no, la la la, and night night. He's starting to like books! I've been worried he wasn't ever going to like them... But as of late he will bring me a book and sit my lap while I read to him. I love it. He has 11 teeth!! 3 of them just came through in the last week! He loves to play outside, drink from his sippy cup, play with his ball, play chase, and dance. We love him so much. 14 months never looked so good. Tyler and I often look at each other at random times and say "he's so cute, babe. How is he so cute?" 

Easter weekend was so great to us. Although I didn't get to have any Easter candy because of my challenge... I saved it all in a gallon size Baggie to save for my cheat day... Coming up real soon. 

Playing the Easter bunny was fun for me. After cal went to bed Saturday night, I stayed up and prepared. I made bunny bait for my primary kids, which smelled so delicious. I didn't even lick the spoon or my fingers...  

      (This is as crafty as it gets for me...)

                 Stuffed our Baskets

And enjoyed my time with my family I have been so blessed with. I'm so grateful for my Savior, and for the many sacrifices he made me for me personally. Because of him I get to live with these sweet souls for Eternity. There is no greater blessing than that. 

Here's a few more random pics from the last couple weeks! Hope everyone had a great Easter! 

These folks are my cosmetology instructors... And two of them are retiring this year so I won't be able to see then as often. Love them so much <3

                  Dwight K. Schrute

A blog will be coming soon to fully explain what these keys go to :)

Mustache Bash

So i know im a little behind and all, but i have to make a quick post about Calvins first birthday!!

When Calvin woke up that morning, i burst in his room with a handful of balloons and showered them over his crib. The look on his face was priceless. Like, the best day of my life face. haha. We (and when i say we i mean Calvin) then had oreos for breakfast (because what one year old doesnt deserve cookies for breakfast on their birthday?), and afterward headed to the gym. I know, i feel like a terrible mom for taking Cal to the gym daycare on his birthday, and i wasn't originally planning on going, but lets face it, I've become somewhat of a gym junkie...any who... i didnt feel as bad taking him because i know he LOVES that place. So we went and he had a good time with the other kids. I had to run a few errands for party supplies after the gym, so we did that, went home and Calvin had a nap while my mom came over to help me decorate the cake and set up for the party. So my lovely sister Sarah is a baker! she is awesome, she does cupcakes and cakes and cookies and lots of yummy treats. She even has a bakery out of her home! Sweet Bliss Cupcakes. They are amaze balls, let me tell ya. So of course i had her make calvins cake and some sugar cookies! The plan was for her to bake the actual cake at home, and then come down to Pocatello early to help me decorate it. She lives in Idaho Falls, and the weather was really crappy and stormy that day (just like it was the same day a year prior ;) So she called me and told me she wasnt going to be able to make it, and that she had sent the cookies and cake home with Tyler (who works with her husband and they had work in Idaho Falls that morning, luckily). Soooo... i had my mom come help me. Cause shes good at that stuff... and im not the greatest baker... Heres the final product. I was pretty proud!

Cute right!? we actually made the fondant and all! I even frosted it! (i guess my skills from working at Mrs.Powells bakery for two years finally payed off ;) We got the birthday banner and picture banner all set up, the table organized and hung the tissue pom poms i made just in time for people to start arriving for the Mustache Bash. Honestly, there were so many people in our tiny apartment i hardly remember what happened next haha. We opened presents, and watched Calvin get spoiled rotten! While we were all sporting our mustaches of course!

We got Calvin a slide, some outfits and couple pairs of cute shoes! He loooooves his slide. And is finally starting to be able to sit and slide down on his own haha. We have been practicing ;)

It was honestly such a fun day. And we felt so loved by everyone who came and supported Calvin and our family on his day! We love you all and thank you for coming to party with us! We love our Calvin so much and i still cant believe how much love can grow in just a years time. Here are some more pictures from the party, including bath time with cousin Ise after he ate his cake :)

12 | m o n t h s

One year. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 525,900 minutes. (I know you all thought it was 525,600 huh? ;) how do you really measure a year though?? 

On March 1st, 2013 at 11:51 am, after 8 hours of exahsting labor, I finally delivered this beautiful baby boy. 

Calvin Tyler McKee weighed in at 7.4 lbs and 21 inches long. Along with the birth of this sweet babe, came the birth of my motherhood. The absolute best calling in my life. I live every day for his laughter, cries, kisses and hugs. I read a quote a while back and fell in love with it, but I can't remember where! In a few short words, it describes exactly how grateful I am to my first born son. "I made you, but you made me a mother." And there is no greater gift that anyone could ever give me than that <3 

Anywho, here is how I would measure Calvin's first year. I've never been good with words, so pictures will have to do. Happy birthday Calvin! We love you more than you will EVER know.