Columbia

So I'm pretty sure this is our 39th State capitol or something like that. It's hard to keep track without my little map (that I accidentally left in UT). This weekend, we went down to South Carolina and played a rousing game of croquet on the lawn of the state capitol. These grounds were probably some of the most beautiful Ashton and I have ever seen. The landscaping was absolutely beautiful. Lots of southern looking trees and bushes, magnolia trees, the SC palm that flies on their flag, etc.

One thing that I have found interesting among visiting the southern states is how much the confederate states still means to these people. In the very front on the building is a confederate flag with a monument dedicated to those men. If you look closely in this picture, you can see that the statue of George Washington, his cane is broken off. This is because during the Civil War an angry mob of confederates broke off the bottom of his cane. I remember going to Alabama; that place is filled with confederate history: the place Jefferson Davis gave his inaugural speech, the first confederate white house, multiple statues recognizing the confederacy. It seems to still be quite alive in the South.

After our game we stayed with the Connell family. Ashton wrestled at UNC with their son Ben. It was great to be with them. They have 5 boys and 1 girl and seem to be a great family who love each other and are strong in the gospel. It goes to show that no matter where you live, among many members of the Church of few, strength comes from within the family, not from being around many members. It is what is taught in the home that matters most. We are grateful for their hospitality and love for us. We had a great time with you!

Appomattox Courthouse

This is the room where the final surrender for the Civil War was signed

This is the spot where the final shot of Appomattox was fired

Just last week, Hallie, Liz and I went to the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. It was a nice little road trip. We  learned a lot about where the surrender for the Civil War was signed. It was strange to think about how peaceful it is there now versus nearly 150 years ago when turmoil, anger, and dead bodies lined the fields. We are grateful for our great country and the rights and freedoms we have and try to keep protected.

Hallie's First Baseball Game

I can't believe this was our first baseball game all year long! There are not really any major teams here in North Carolina, but there are a lot of minor league teams. We went over to Greensboro to enjoy a great game and good company! And this little girl is so dang beautiful! She had a great time at the game (sleeping through part of it) and then did not even flinch at the loud fireworks afterwards.

Duke

In the Cameron Basketball Arena

Jessica, Me, Hallie and Ashton in front of Duke Chapel

The past little while we have been making little trips in the morning to check out the beautiful state of North Carolina. We took a visit to UNC, where Ashton wrestled before going to BYU and then we went to Duke. We forgot the camera for UNC, but we got some pictures at Duke. They are both beautiful campuses, filled with age and character.

Published!

In between motherhood, I have been working on getting some manuscripts ready for publication. I am happy to say that I have one article accepted for publication in the Journal of Family Psychology and another (my thesis) has just been submitted to the journal Fathering. And I will be attending the APA conference this summer in San Diego to present some research. It feels good to have these things off my plate. But I do enjoy this whole research thing. I have a good opportunity to continue research with my chair, Ramon, on projects he has and also analyzing my data more. No doubt it is a lot of work, but it is very rewarding.

Major findings from my thesis submitted to Fathering:

• Recreational activities that fathers do at home with their families are related to greater levels of family coheion, family adaptability and overall family functioning than activities out of the home such as tvacations, camp outs, or other big family events. This is true from a father and youth perspective
• Satisfaction with these everday activities is the single greatest predictor of family cohesion, family adaptability, and overall family functioning from both a father and youth perspective
• In other words, DAD MATTERS!!!! Also, not only is it the level, or amount, of everday activities that fathers participate in that predicts greater levels of family functioning, but also the quality of the interactions.

5 Months

Hallie turns 5 months tomorrow! My goodness how time flies! Hallie is starting to be able to do so many fun things. She likes to hold her own bottle, she loves to sing songs, she is still a great sleeper. One of my favorite things is when she wakes up and I come in to get her--she is always so excited and kicks and smiles and is so dang cute. She loves people and will easily go to anyone. She is eating solid foods and she loves bananas. She is very easy going--she'll sleep anywhere, will eat cold food as well as warm. (Traveling has been so easy with her.) She is very calm and hardly cries; when she wants something she grunts for it. She has found her feet and loves to hold onto them. She is getting stronger all the time. She loves to look in the mirror; she always stomps her feet and squeals with delight when she sees herself. We are just enjoying our little girl!

Beth Annie Comes to Visit

We spent some great time in Chapel Hill walking around UNC.

We ate dinner at The Top of the Hill.

And on this night Bethany caught her very first firefly!

We enjoyed time at Carolina Beach.

We all took a nap listening to the beautiful waves

and then ended the day right with Ritas.

We enjoyed the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.

This place was amazing!
The had tons of stuff to do in the great outdoors.

 We enjoyed 2 rafting trips and some kayaking.

There was just not enough time to do everything...

biking, hiking, rockwalls, geo caching, etc.

Although not pictured, we went to the massive Farmers Market, we ate yummy food on the 4th of July and enjoyed the fireworks with you. We had a great time with you Bethany and were so sad to see you leave. You are such a great friend to us and a good example of doing what is right. We could just sit around at home just hanging out and laughing with you all the time. Who knows where we will be next summer...maybe another visit will be in order?

Ben is Married!

Ashton, Hallie and I flew to AZ for my little brother's wedding. He married Liberty Thompson in the Mesa temple on June 25th. It was a beautiful day...hot, but beautiful. Ashton stayed a few days and then flew back for work and Hallie and I stayed a bit longer. It was great to catch up with family and friends. One of our favorite things to do in AZ is get an agua from the agua shop--oh so yummy. And boy is it hot in AZ, but it is so nice and dry. It is blazing here in NC with this humidity.

Anyway, we are so happy for Ben. He and Liberty are so in love and they are so dang cute, always holding hands and hugging when they think no one is looking.Oh to be newly wed again!

1st Solids

At 4 months our doctor told us we can start giving Hallie solids in the evening before her last bottle for the day. We started her off on just rice cereal and needless to say, she wasn't crazy about it. But now we mix it in with a fruit or veggie and she is doing awesome! She loves everything that she has tried so far--pears, carrots, greenbeans, peaches, bananas--all but yucky, plain, rice cereal!

Bumbo Fun

Hallie was playing in her Bumbo enjoying her tinkle butterfly with me....

....when all of a sudden she got REALLY tired and just kept rubbing her eye.

She must have done it like 40 times in a row before we put her to bed.

It was just too funny to let her stop. She is so dang cute!

4 Months

So obvoiusly I'm not doing too great on this turning pictures thing and I am too lazy to take the time to figure it out. So we are all just going to have to deal with it, annoying as it is.

Height: 23.5 in

Weight: 12 lb

Head: 39.5 cm (I think I remember this one right?)

Well, dear Hallie,

you are 4 months old and can do so many things. Girl, you're amazing! You love to sit in your bumbo and play with your tinkling butterfly. You can grab things at are really good at eating them. You love to read books and look at all the pictures. You love to look in the mirror every morning, you always smile at yourself...so cute. You love to take baths: always splashing and laughing in the tub. You love your daddy, epecially when he makes silly noises with you. You always growl. You know when your bottle is ready and you always grunt when you see it. You also grunt when you want to be picked up. You are getting so strong and can stand up with a little help. You love car rides and singing. The doctor said we can start feeding you solid foods...which will be fun! You have the sweetest smile and funniest little squeal when you are happy. 

You can sleep all the way through the night. At 3 months I stopped feeding you in the middle of the night but you kept waking up around 4am and I would stick your binki in and you would fall right back asleep. Well after a few weeks I was tired of that....so, I put you in the other room's closet on the other side of the apartment and closed the closet door, the door to that bedroom, and our bedroom door and let you cry it out. The first night when I woke up at 6am to go running you were crying your lungs out. The next morning you were crying but not so bad. The next morning and ever since then you have been sound asleep! You figured it out and are a great sleeper. You sleep about 12 hours at night and then take 3 naps during the day. The morning nap is about 1-2 hours. The afternoon is 2-3 hours and then an hour nap in the evening. I couldn't ask for more sleeping!

We are so glad you are in our family little Hallie bear! You make us all so happy.

Memorial Day

Ashton, Hallie, and I went to Hurricane to spend Memorial Day at the Yellow House with Ashton's family. We had a great time just hanging out with everyone and spending some quality time together. We are glad we could go.

Hanging out with all the cousins and Grandpa and Grandma

Chillin with cousin Chache ( Sorry i couldn't figure out how to turn this picture)

 

Going Swimming

This Picture Makes Me Happy

Sleeping these days....

These pictures were taken right after we got to NC. Hallie sleeps through the night now (after a little encouragement). But I just thought these pictures were funny. I think there's something inherited from both sides. It isn't unusual to find Hallie (or her parents) sleeping with both arms up.

3 Months and Mother's Day

Our little Hallie turned 3 months on Mother's Day. What a treat she is to have around these days. She is singing and talking more. We love her "pillow talk" and her sruprised face she makes sometimes after she's done talking. She has found her hands and loves to suck on them. She has become a great little sleeper. She sleeps all through the night and goes down easily. She has the sweetest laugh and smiles with her whole body. She loves books and soon I'm sure she'll truly taste them. Everywhere we go, people love to ooohh and aahh all over her. I really believe that she has brightened people's lives when they needed it most. She has surely brightened ours. We love our little Hallie bear.