The best weeks

This week has been a chill, uneventful one for our little family. And honestly, these weeks are my favorite. Just me and Jude, playing all day and waiting for daddy to come home. It's fun because once daddy steps through the door Jude and I exchange mutual looks where we both understand that it's time to pretend that there's no way we ate cookies all day or just changed into normal clothes 10-minutes ago. So yeah sure, we totally read books for 5 hours, went to the park and got discovered for our superior slide skills, Jude learned Chinese and that's why he's taking so long to blurt out anything English, and he's also in the top 100 percentile for fingernail growth and belly button perfection. 
Either way, in whomever's eyes, it was a perfect day :). 
Here's more pics from our astonishing Myra Merrill. 

Being a Mom

It's honestly so euphoric, me and my little dude every day. He's constantly running over and hugging and kissing me; playing and laughing with me. It's seriously a dream and I know all-too-well that I'll wake up in 20 years and he'll be off and married and forgotten all about how he completely stole my heart. 
It all seems so tragic, in a way, that from day one we form this pure, profound, concrete bond of complete love, friendship, and loyalty, knowing from the beginning that the day will come when he wakes up and forgets all about it. Forgets the sweet words I whispered while rocking him to sleep, how my kiss was the only one in the world that could whisk away the pain of a skinned knee, and how I read his favorite book over and over again just so he could laugh at his favorite part. 
And we all know it's going to happen. Yet we do it every time--love completely unconditionally, put everything we have into it, give everything we can and our hearts are left inevitably broken. 
Well, not broken, I suppose. Just left missing a part of itself that was given away to a perfect little boy. 
So why do we do it?
Because it's worth it. And it's worth doing over and over and over again. To be part of this boy's life in some way is my greatest honor and my highest purpose, and it's worth every tragedy and every inevitability. 
Every day with him is counted and every day with him is the best day of my life. 
What a privilege it is to be called "Mom." 

Photo credit to Myra Merrill! 

Last Month in Powells

Last month, Myra and Kenneth came to visit us and she was nice enough to pull out one of her 50 cameras and take some gorgeous pictures of us while in Portland--this day was in Powell's Books :). Thank you so much, Myra! Move in with us already!!
Gosh, Adam and I LOVE having talented friends. 

Hey, if any of you friends out there need an IV or an enema, I'm here for ya.

Gross. Just kidding. 

Oh, Jude. We love Portland, don't we? :) 

Uncle Bryon and Aunt Courtney

Last month, my brother, Bryon, and good friend Courtney--who just-so-happen to be marrying each other in August :)--were kind enough to drive from Rexburg to spend their Spring break with us!
Oh goodness, a whole week of girl time, dance parties, Jude and Uncle Bryon, Portland-exploring, eating way too much, and laughing our butts off made for an incredibly memorable visit.
We love you two and can't wait until Aunt Courtney is "officially" Aunt Courtney! 
So many pictures...sooooo many pictures...

We sure do love visitors :). Now if we could just get them all to stop leaving us and move out here already...

Bikes on the waterfront

This last week we had the time of our lives hosting Myra and Kenneth around Portland! They seriously made us fall in love with this city all over again. :)
We've been enjoying some pretty fantastic weather lately and my favorite thing we did together by far was renting bikes (after stuffing ourselves on Voo Doo) and riding along the waterfront and over the Steel bridge. Holy mother. Watching your man tote around a cute toddler who ate up every second on that bike in the gorgeous sunshine with some best friends and zero incline felt like heaven. 

Isn't she gorgeous?!

Oh, Kenneth. You're such a cool guy. Move your family in with us!

Loved following around that little blue helmet! 

We love the Rose City. :) 

After our hour was up he was undone when we pulled him out.
Just an excuse to do this every weekend, right?
Disclaimer: we did almost die on multiples occasions while taking photos with our iPhones every two seconds. Especially since we rode during lunch hour and one businessman in a suit yelled at me to watch where I was going.
Sorry, dude. I'm only having the time of my life. 

The month of visitors.

I've been MIA this past month due to the fact that we've had non-stop visitors. Once some left, others came. 
I thought I would be left tired and anxious to be alone in the end, but we're honestly sad that it's just us now. 
So thankful for all of our wonderful family and friends who came to visit--you don't know what it means to us!!

So, while I sort through pictures, here's one of my dear friend, Myra Merrill, who came with her amazing husband, Kenneth, for their Spring break! They just left on Sunday and we were very, very sad to see them go. Remember their wedding in LA last year?? 
ahhh...so many photos. so much awesomeness...

A few pictures from Grandma's visit

My mom left a week ago today, but I had a few extra pictures from her visit that I wanted to post. 
She's such a sweet and loving grandma to our Jude and we can't get enough of our visits with her--she even got him a water table for his birthday! 
Does she know this kid or what?

Haha he put her head between his legs and would squeeze them together so she couldn't move :-P

We had lunch one day at a raw food restaurant called The Blooming Lotus and it was to DIE for. 

Can't wait to see her and everyone again for my brother's wedding in August!