Kids at Play and the UP Fest

Here are just some cute pictures of our kids playing and of them going to the University Place Festival with their Grandma and Grandpa Dickinson, their uncles Matt and Drew, and Drew's girlfriend Amanda. They watched them for us while we went on a hott anniversary date. :)

My Birthday

For my 25th birthday we didn't do anything too out of the ordinary. Josh gave me a kiss in the morning and told me happy birthday and then hurried off to work. The kids were pretty good all day, we went and did a little birthday shopping, but being a mom is always a lot of work and part of me wished I could have the day to myself. But I an so grateful to have little babes who always want to be with me and who love me unconditionally. They are my happiness and I was grateful to spend the day with them. Then we all went out to El Azteca, a pretty good mexican restaurant out here. We got fried ice cream as our dessert, my FAVORITE! If you've never had it, go out and get it right now! Mother, this means you! ;0)

While we were eating Josh kept telling me to hurry up and that we had to get home because he had another surprise waiting for me. I told him it was my day and that I wanted to eat my ice cream! I was feeling a little bummed because I really a bike and trailer for the kids, but here in WA it just isn't practical. Someday. So I was really trying to enjoy my dessert. But he was so cute and excited so we go the ice cream in a little to go bag and hurried home.

Since we had driven separate cars Josh got home ahead of us. So we pulled up and I got out to help with the kids and Josh came out of the apartment to help me. Then he tells me to go ahead and go inside with the ice cream. So I get to the front door and it was locked. Josh had just come out of there and he knew I was coming inside so I started getting snippy with him, "Why would you lock the door when you knew I was going to go inside?" Blah blah blah. Then I open the door and there was people in my apartment with pantyhose on their faces yelling, "Surprise! Happy birthday! We're here to kidnap you!" Well holy crap. I wasn't expected that.

My awesome friends decided to kidnap me and take me out for more dessert for my b-day. It was great. I didn't even think anyone remembered, so the fact that they did and took the time and effort to take me out really meant a lot. Krista, Rachel, Kelli, and Kim, thanks so much for the birthday fun! It was truly a great day and I am one blessed girl. :) And to those who called and texted, it meant the world. You know who you are.

I know I'm hott. Sombrero's really bring out my eyes. 

P.S. In case you were wondering, my birthday is the same day as Harry Potter's. That's right, permission to be jealous granted.

Six Years

                 Six years of marital bliss! Where has the time gone. I guess it's a good thing that time has gone by so quickly--means things are going well. :) I remember being such a young bride, 19 years old by 5 days baby!, and being so excited to get married. I remember sitting in my parents dodge ram truck and driving on the freeway towards the San Diego temple and coming around the corner and seeing it in all of its glory. I about peed my dress from excitement! It was a typical perfectly beautiful Southern California day and I was in heaven the entire day. Nothing could have ruined that day. We really did have a lot of fun at our wedding, both at the temple and especially at the reception. I remember running through everyone as they blew bubbles at us and getting in the car and thinking that this is it, I am no longer a Bateson, I am forever a Dickinson. A Mrs. Joshua Dickinson. I couldn't have been happier. I remember driving in the car away from them all and stopping in the parking lot of a nursery to take off the cans and the flags and all of the other things that they decorated our car with and giving Josh a hug and being so incredibly happy. I had never had such a feeling of contentment, peace, and joy as I did on that night on the way to our Honeymoon. What a great day.
                  I love to celebrate our anniversary as the years pass and remember that beautiful day. Josh has been so good to me. He puts up with my incessant talking and ranting about who knows what, he always offers me sound advice, and he always tells me I'm beautiful, even if I'm nine months pregnant and huge, or deathly ill and dying. :) Sometimes I think he's lying, but he always makes me believe he's not. He is perfect for me in so many ways and I often count my blessings that we get along so well and that I found him so early in my life.
                 I remember meeting him two weeks after getting to BYU, a scared Freshmen who definitely was not planning on getting married so young. I remember he walked into the Canon Center, the freshmen dorm cafeteria where I was working as a student cook, and I looked at him and thought, he's cute! He gave me this look out of the corner of his eye and I was smitten. Our shifts overlapped by one hour, and that's all it took for the magic to happen. Our first date we went to the World of Dance performance that BYU puts on and felt like we had been lifelong friends. Everything just clicked. I remember him whispering things into my ear throughout the performance and always finding ways to touch my hand or my leg. He was quite the charmer. Our second date was a movie night at his apartment that went horribly wrong, complete with an ex-girlfriend I happened to sit next to and everything. Josh was kind of a manwhore in HS. He'll even tell you that himself, so I don't feel bad saying it. haha He was almost cut for good. But he redeemed himself by showing up at my apartment and playing makeup hardcore.
                 I kept telling my mom that we were just friends, and for a while we were. But she told me that she knew I was in deep when I said that. We just kept dating and getting to know one another and eventually he invited me to meet his family at Christmas, but I was scared. I didn't know if I was ready for that and I think my mom was a little bit worried too since she told me she didn't think it was good idea. So I told him no. It just happened to be a weird Christmas break at BYU that year where we happened to get 2 weeks off for Christmas instead of one, and as I was with my family that first week I kept thinking about Josh and how I really wanted to go. I missed him. So, against the wishes of my wary mother, I called him and told him I wanted to come. He had a free ticket from a friend he used to work with at the airport so he scrambled to get it for me. Before I knew it, I was on my very first airplane headed to Seattle.
                 Long story short, I got really sick on the plane ride, I don't do well with bumpy, turny, stuffy rides of any short, especially the kind where I'm not near a window or air and with a greasy haired kid slumped over me the whole 2 hours. So when he met me at the airport, I was a little nauseous. I remember thinking how beautiful Washington was and that even the bark on the trees has green on them. For a girl from the High Deserts of Southern California, this was a new world. Little did I know that someday I would live here and come to love the green, but hate all the rain every single day of my life. j/k--sorta.
                So I got to meet his family incredibly sick and clammy and pale. I also have a blood sugar problem so I was in great shape. His mom had made eggs and I was so thankful. I changed into my pj's right away, which she later told Josh meant she knew I'd fit right into a family of 5 boys. :) I was sooo nervous, but they were so nice to me and made me feel at home even though I was still a little homesick myself, I was only 18 afterall. Such a baby, but oh so wise for choosing this family to marry in to. Josh and I had the best time, even if his dad did have to come downstairs while we were cuddling and watching a movie at midnight and tell us that the Holy Ghost went to bed at 10. haha Memories. Little did we know we would someday live there and bring our first baby home there and rock her to sleep at midnight on that very same couch, minus his dad. Trust me, I wished I could have gone to bed with the Holy Ghost at 10. We have so many memories there.
                  That week is what sealed the deal. From there on out when we got back to BYU Josh was always trying to talk me into marrying him. Kinda sad really. I always told him that I wasn't ready, that I wanted to go on a mission and that I was too young. I had never really dated, only two weirdos who don't even really count. How did I know if this was the real thing. I prayed and prayed for answers, but I had no feelings either way. I remember going to BYU Devotionals and being so frustrated that the Lord wouldn't answer my prayers, at least that's how I saw it. Even in my Patriarchal Blessing it never said anything about marriage or children. I remember getting it at 14 years old and thinking, "Oh man, I'm never getting married. I'm just getting lots and lots of cats." Little did I know.
                  One night, 4/4/06--I'll always remember it because 4 is Josh's favorite number, we went out to a movie and to get Josh some new shoes, he still had his shoes from his mission--they were sad, and somehow we ended up talking to his bishop about some of my fears having to do with my family and things, and the spirit was so strong. His Bishop talked about how his wife was 18 when they got married and that it's the best decision they ever made. That helped me, along with other things. Josh and I went on a walk after that and out of nowhere he says, "Can I ask you a question?" I thought, sure! Sneaky little devil. "Will you marry me?" Uh.........it took me awhile to answer because I really wasn't sure. So I said yes, thinking that if it didn't feel right after I could always back out. Terrible, I know, but honest. So as we walked I was quiet and was thinking about what had just happened and that I had just said yes when this overwhelming feeling of assurance, and joy, and all of those feelings that you get when you make the right decision, but amplified times 10, came over me. I suddenly got so excited! We had planning to do. I knew that this was right.
                   And thus began our engagement. We had ups and downs with planning the wedding since we had no idea what we were doing, but through it all we were just so excited to start our lives as a married couple, together. Our wedding day was long awaited and it did not disappoint! It was all we had hoped for and almost everyone from both families got to be present for the sealing and reception, what a miracle that truly was. We were given excellent counsel in our sealing that we sometimes forget but try to remember and live by. Looking back now, I probably would have chosen an entirely different dress, theme, colors, etc. for our day, but I would never change the feeling that was there or the person that I married. Even though marriage came a little earlier than I was planning, the Lord allowed me to make the decision for myself and made sure that it was to the right person. It was really was a miracle how it all came together.
                   I couldn't have asked for a better person by my side, a better father to my children, and a better partner in life than him. We really are perfect for each other. At BYU, when I felt like dating other people, I would always compare them to Josh, and they never measured up. The same holds true today. No one holds a candle to him in my book. Especially for all of the crap he puts up with from me. I'm a pill. But you already knew that. ;)
                   We definitely have our fights. And they really are fights. Josh hits me.....nah, I'm just kidding. He doesn't hit me. I was testing you to see if you're still reading this novel. Congratulations if you are. You have stamina my friend. But we do have some pretty good verbal "conversations". I don't think it's normal for couples to not fight every once in a while. I dare say it's good for a marriage to have disagreements, even fights. I think it helps to get things out in the open, I'm way more honest in a fight than I normally am in the day to day stuff. And sometimes it feels good to yell a little at someone you know loves you no matter what. I'm know I'm probably going to be smitten for saying that, but for us, it's like a cleansing process. And making up afterward makes it all worth it. We get everything on the table, get a little upset, take some time to reflect, and then come back softened and with a renewed love for the other person. We definitely have things that are ongoing "disagreements", i.e. the fact that he doesn't seem to know where the laundry hamper is or how to open it and put his clothes inside, but they are minor in the big scheme of things and we both know it.
                        In the end, we really are truly happy, and even if there are low times, I know that we can always be happy again. We both went into this knowing that once we were married, sealed for time and all eternity, there was turning back or backing out. We're in this together forever. I sound like a seminary video. Awesome. That's when you know you've made it my friends. :)
                       Really though, it has been six years of marital bliss because I'm in it with someone that I love more than I ever thought I could love someone. He has given me so much to be joyful about in life, not just happy, but joyful, and I'm so glad I get to share it all with him. He is the best person I know and I'm so thankful to have him as my confidant, friend, and husband. There's no one else I'd rather it be than him.
                     And that's our story. Two kids, lots of pound gainage--won't tell you how much, and many "heated conversations" later and we're still in love with each other. That wonderful, comfortable, contented love that comes from being with someone who knows you so well, it's scary. So until next year, since that's about how often I blog, I bid you adieu. May you all be as blessed in love as I am. :)

Our Engagements

In my front yard, taken by my momma with my dad's old, film mission camera.

So young and in shape. :) At the BYU waterfall by the bell tower, also taken by my momma. 

The Wedding

After just coming out of the temple.

Haha So true.

Leaving through the bubbles on our Honeymoon. :)

Recent

Recent Seattle temple session trip.

Families are Forever.

P.S. This is mostly for my records since I don't really keep a written journal and since I'm realizing more and more that I can't remember anything past a day ago, welcome to having two toddlers. So thanks for reading it if you did, but I understand if you didn't. :)

Thanks for making me laugh kids.

I found this lying around today. Not sure where her head ended up, but at least she has her nightgown on.

Just what I needed for a good laugh.

Mother's Day 2012

   Mother's Day this year was just about perfect. I woke up to french toast and to my children running into my room (alright, mostly only Soph was running, Noah was carried in by my running husband, still counts) yelling, "Happy Mother's Day! You look so beautiful!" Lies, but it was still the best. Then we took our time getting ready, one of the good things about 1 o'clock church, and walked to church from Josh's parents house. Church was pretty good, Noah got a little fussy, but nothing much. Then we walked home to Josh's parents house and had great food and good company. I was sad we couldn't visit my mom on Mother's Day, but I'm grateful I got to visit them just a couple of weeks ago, hopefully a post about that will be coming soon--no promises though. :) We exchanged love and presents and it was nice to be with family. We walked to the nearby apple orchard and let the kids play in the dirt. They were filthy and cried all through their baths because they were so tired, but it was totally worth it. Then Josh and I stayed up late watching the last few episodes of Smash for the finale tonight, poor guy-I just outted him. :) 

Most importantly though, I felt loved and cherished by my husband. He's been known to get in trouble for not doing things for birthdays and such in the past, and I know he's been trying to improve. I appreciated it soo much. He got me a card from the kids stating that someday they would change my diaper, comforting thought, and Zumba for the Xbox--wha wha?! I'm so excited to try it. All I have to do is stop eating these jelly beans. :) haha He was really helpful all day and made me feel so special and like I was the best mother in the world. He's normally pretty helpful anyway, but he was really helpful yesterday. That's all any woman really wants on their special days, to feel appreciated and cherished. So good job honey. You won't get yelled at this year. :)

And I just have to say that being a mother is so much harder and trying than I ever thought it would be, but it's also more rewarding, more satisfying, and more life-fulfilling than I ever thought anything could be. It is making me into the woman I want to become and I can see why Heavenly Father commands us to multiply and replenish the earth. I am so grateful I can have children of my own, my heart breaks for those who cannot and I hope that someday they too can experience the joys of motherhood, although I believe that all women are mothers in their own rights--even if they don't have children of their own. I know that Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ watch over me in my responsibilities of motherhood. I am not alone in this, and I am so thankful that I have them to guide me and support me through this. I would terrified if I was alone. And I am so thankful that families are eternal. Lately I've heard of and had a lot of friends deal with the deaths of loved one, particularly children. I cannot imagine the depth of grief that this causes, I hope I never have to experience it, but I know that for those who have the Gospel, the sting of death is softened by the fact that they will see their little ones again and have the opportunity to raise them. They are in the safe keeping of their Savior.  I am so thankful for my family and that we will be together for eternity!

Sophie and Noah are so sweet and loving to each other and to everyone around them. They make me want to be better and to draw nearer to the Lord. And although I do miss some of the things about the days before them, I feel like my life really began when they entered it. I was born to be a mother. I already dread the day they move out, although that may change with time and hormones :), but I'm excited for them to live life and to experience things on their own. I hope we'll always be close and that they'll always want to come home again. I am so thankful for them in my life and I thank Heavenly Father everyday for them.

        

And lastly, I am so thankful for the mothers in my life. My own mom is absolutely the best around, at least for me. She always listens to my rants and allows me to be me. She understands me in a way that no one else does. I know that I can always come to her with anything and she almost always tells me exactly what I need to hear. I'm so sad that we don't live closer, but I cherish the times we get to visit. And my mother-in-law is a great mother to her boys and daughter-in-laws as well. I am so thankful she taught her boys the importance of the Gospel and of getting married in the temple. I know that Josh is a product of her and Clay's example. Although I complain about Washington's rain and other things, I am grateful to have gotten to know her so well and to have her as a part of our children's lives. They love their grandmas and I'm so grateful they have such good ones.  

                            

So Happy Belated Mother's Day all! There is no work as important as the work of rearing children. I believe that now more than ever.

Love,  Moi

(Rocking the aviators, sorry for making fun of you for wearing these in the 80's dad. I guess you were cooler than I thought.)

My Little Noah is One

My little (well sorta big) 8 lbs. 6 oz. boy has turned into this:

Oh my, where has the time gone. My little Noah is one tomorrow, well today since it's past midnight now. He is truly a gift and I thank my Heavenly Father daily for him. He was sweet from the minute he was born and is my big hunk of burning love. :) He is different from his sister, but they both have the same sweet disposition that makes my heart melt. They are so good and pure and always want to help me and be by me all the time. I cherish it, although sometimes I need my space. You all know how it is.

But seriously, my little man is a big one year old. With Sophie I felt like she was one. It definitely felt like it had been a year, not necessarily because she was a bad kid or anything, she just didn't sleep and we were living with Josh's parents, and I had to do my internship, and on and on with everything that happened in her first year of life. Things with Noah have been so different, circumstantial wise at least. We've had our own place, I've gotten to stay at home the whole time with him, and I have 2 children to care for instead of one. Sometimes I feel bad because Noah kind of gets forgotten. He's definitely behind on certain things, at least when compared with Soph at this age, and I don't know if it's his personality, because he's a boy, or because just don't work with him on things like we did Soph. I feel badly about this at times, probably because I know I could fit in times to work with him on talking, reading, walking, etc. But a lot of times I choose to fill it with the computer (he's sleeping now so it doesn't count), or a tv show, or whatever. I need to change that and I'm going to.

He is truly a joy though and I know he's going to be just fine. He is so smart and he loves to figure our how things work and why they do what they do. He's such a boy in that sense and I love it. Sophie was more into talking and people and food, although Noah has yet to eat something he doesn't like :), and really didn't like to play with toys all that much. It's been fun to watch Noah interact with things. He doesn't really talk yet, although lately he's been trying to imitate intonations and will say "Yea" if you ask him a question. I've been trying to teach him sign language but he is so stubborn! Especially when it comes to asking nicely for food. haha Little stinker.

He has blue eyes like my grandfather and a soft face like Sophie. He is strong and barrel chested and will make a great football player, or wrestler as Josh always likes to add. :) Just as long as Sophie doesn't wrestle, the boys can do what they want. He has his daddy's happy-go-lucky attitude and is pretty easy going (again, except when he wants your food). He puts his head down when he crawls like he has somewhere to go and he's gonna put his whole body into getting there. He loves to be tickled and laugh and he likes to fall--little risk taker. He LOVES his sister and she can always cheer him up if he is sad. They are so sweet together and Sophie really is the best big sister. She is very protective of her little brother. She always wants to make sure and remind us to not leave Noah behind, "Mommy, get Noah!" I'll always remember that when he was a newborn we went to get pictures done with Josh's cousin's little boy and Sophie freaked out when we were trying to get picture of just Noah, "Mommy hold Noah!" She was crying and wouldn't stop trying to hold him when we let go of him. It was frustrating but sweet. :)

Anyways, he is a wonderful boy that I'm so grateful to have as a part of my life forever. I'm excited to watch him open presents and to have the whole day be a celebration of just him. He gets pushed to the side too much and I'm excited to enjoy him. I can't wait to hear the things he has to say, I can always see the wheels turning in his little mind. He already has a great sense of humor, but really, how could my children not. ;) haha See how funny I am.

I remember when I first found out I was having a boy I was shocked. I have 4 sisters so boys are unknown to me. I did, however, know exactly what we were going to name him. I've always loved the name Noah because in a a religion class at BYU a professor taught us how righteous Noah must have been to walk and talk with God and to be one of a handful of people saved when he destroyed the earth. I remember thinking that I wanted to name a son Noah so that he would be righteous like that. And Joshua because I wanted him to be like his daddy, who I think is pretty awesome too. I was a little nervous about how a boy would be but now, I can't imagine having it any other way. I'm so grateful for my children, they are everything to me, along with their daddy. They are the best things to ever happen to me and I'm so glad I can call them mine forever. Happy Birthday my little Noah! I'm excited to celebrate you tomorrow! We all love you soo much. :)