Need a Summer Read

So I have been itching to start a new book lately. I recently checked out a decent book from the library called 'Little Bee' by Chris Cleave. I really enjoyed the story, but decided to quit reading after it abruptly became very graphic. For some reason British authors, which Cleave is, have a lower censorship than a lot of the other authors I have read (am I the only one who has noticed this?). Anyway...I need a good book to read and thought I would enlist your help. Leave a comment if you have any good recommendations, preferably clean titles only please.

It's Official

Noah is officially a Los Angeles Dodgers fan! Anyone who knows Andy well knows how much he (and his brothers and Dad) love the Dodgers. It's something their dad passed to them, and something that Andy plans to pass on to Noah. While at the mall today my brother Mike pointed out the cutest Dodger's onesies that I had to get. I know Andy would be proud. (If you notice, Noah is sitting up really well!!)

The following picture is of Noah wearing a light up Dodgers hat that my parents bought for Andy. He looks so natural in it! Too bad they don't have one in his size!

What a cute boy! I have had so many people ask me who they think Noah looks like. Many of you may think he has a bit of Jorgensen in him, and although that may be true, the proof is in the pudding! Take a look and tell me if you don't think that Noah is the spitting image of Andy (of course Noah has a little extra 'meat' on his bones :).

A Dip in the Pool

So this weekend has been great. My good friend Cammie and her little sister Kaylee came to visit us for the weekend. It actually worked out nicely since my parents took a little trip to Cheyenne WY for the weekend. So us girls had the place to ourselves. On Saturday we decided to take a trip up to Heise hot springs to take a little swim. This was Noah's first experience in a swimming pool, and although he loves the bath tub, I was a little nervous about how he would feel about the temperature of the pool. I took it slow at first but then realized that he was loving it. I wish I would have gotten a little 'floater' for him...but we will have to put that on our list for next time! (PS. I know you all love my gardening hat, even thought I don't garden. ha.)

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Here are some things I have been LOVING lately!



Pureworks- Alcohol Free Antibacterial Foam. This stuff was recommended to me by a gal that works with my mom. I am sure she heard me complaining about how Noah had the worst baby acne and I couldn't figure out how to help it clear up! She told me to try this, and since it contains no Alcohol, it is super gentle. Needless to say, I LOVE IT, and swear that it is the main reason that Noah's sensitive skin is finally under control. I sometimes use it on his dry scalp or on his eczema, heck I sometimes even use it as just a hand sanitizer. It's great!

Um...many of you may know that I am a lover of all things cold cereal. I use to go through phases where I would like it for a while, and then lay off for a while....but since before I got pregnant with Noah, cold cereal has been my go to. Anyway, I have officially found my favorite cereal (for now that is)...Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Clusters. Mix it with a little bit of grape nuts, fresh strawberries and some 1% and you have a little piece of heaven on earth!

Walmart brand Mainstays Candles. Yes you read that right...WALMART brand. I love candles...but honestly, I have a hard time paying $25 for a candle! However, I have often been disappointed by the lack of 'scent' the cheap candles have...so in an effort to have a nice smelling home, I would buy the pricier candle. Not any more!! Mainstays candles are so great, and cheap! If you don't believe me, they have small candles for $1.00 that you can by and try for yourself. They smell up your whole house! I love them!



Owl City. I love their new song 'Fireflies'. Listen to the song above, or go HERE to see the actual video!

For Your Listening Pleasure

My friend Kara had this on her blog, and I loved it so much that I had to share. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Coldplay. What a great arrangement of two great songs. Enjoy! (and thanks Kara for the great find!)



www.jonschmidt.com

My Exciting Saturday Night

So, since I have no place to be on this Saturday night...here I sit watching the Disney Channel (yes, you read that right) and blogging the latest. There hasn't been much going on here lately. Andy has officially been gone for about two and a half months...it seems like SO much longer than that...but seems to be going fairly quickly at the same time. We miss him so much, and are thinking about him constantly!

Andy actually recently sent us a little package from Afghanistan with some authentic clothing. I decided that Noah and I would model it for everyone. So here we are...I hope this isn't disrespectful to anyone, it certainly isn't meant to be.

Don't we look official? It was really neat to get our first package from Afghanistan and we can't wait to get more :) These are things we will hang on to forever.

Also Noah has been rolling over like a mad man...he has back to front down...and although he can roll from front to back, he really dislikes being on his belly. He also will sit up occasionally (for short periods of time)...my mom caught him in action! He isn't sitting straight up, but he is getting there!!

He is so much fun, and he is changing every day. I love how he touches faces, and loves to explore. He is starting to figure things out. I don't know what I will do when he starts crawling!!

Lastly, we went to dinner with my family last night and caught this gem of a photo. I can't help but squeeze Noah's cheeks...they are irresistible!

Who has two thumbs and is 5 months old?

This guy!!

Noah is officially 5 months old, and I can't believe how quickly time has gone. He is getting so big (literally) and is such a joy to have around. Here are some of the things he is loving right now....

-Chewing his fingers. He has been doing this for a while and is still going strong!

-Jumping in his Jumberoo!

-Music. Noah loves to listen to music, watch baby Mozart and play with musical toys!

-Talking. He has become quite the chatter!

-Rides in the stroller. Noah loves to see the world and loves to lounge while he does it! Whether we are going for a jog or just walking around the store...he loves it!

-Taking naps. He has become really good at staying on schedule and I am so proud of him!

-Talking to his Daddy on the phone. Noah is always attentive when he can hear Andy's voice.

I love it!

-His Aunt Megan. Noah has a secret crush on her, and she is my best babysitter (aside from Grandma of course).

-Smiling. Noah has two looks...serious and smiley. I love how his smile changes his whole face.

Serious Noah vs. Smiley Noah. See what I mean??

Here is Noah doing some of his favorite things...

Chatting:

Jumping in his Jumberoo:

What a sweet boy he is and how lucky I am to be his mom! I can't wait to see him grow and learn even more! Happy 5 months buddy!

Update on A-train

It has been a little while since I posted pictures of Andy. He has been at Bagram Air base for a little over a week doing some work. I think we would be lying if we said he didn't like it there, but he should be heading back down to Shank sometime this week. His job is keeping him really busy, and is teaching him a lot about what he may want to do in the future. Overall, aside from being away from Noah and I...he really is enjoying his job, and we couldn't be more happy about that. Here are a few pictures of him at the project site. His current project is building a runway for Shank, along with other post expansion projects.

(Andy is third from the left...holding the large gun. Yeah, that makes me feel good.)

This picture is of Andy and 3 of the members he serves as the serviceman's group leader down at Shank.

Tentatively Andy is hoping to come home during Christmas for his mid-tour leave. I hope everything works out, but the truth is...we would be happy to have him home whenever!
We love and miss you Andy! <3

Happy Fourth of July!

We had a wonderful 4th this year. Much like years from my past, the fourth is always celebrated the same when I am here in Idaho...and this year wasn't any different. Parade, family BBQ and fireworks. I didn't actually attend the big firework show this year...I figured putting Noah to bed on time sounded a little better to me than roughing the crowds and having a crabby baby. But the parade and family BBQ were great...and I think Noah's first Fourth of July was a real special one!

I decided to make Noah a T-shirt...to send a little love his Daddy's way. This was the finished product, along with other pictures from the day. We love you Andy, and miss you lots!

We also took a little trip out to the Field of Flags here in Idaho Falls. Its an area where they dedicate flags to Veterans, Active Duty Military members and fallen soldiers. We had a flag dedicated to Andy.

As a side note, I also got to see a lot of good friends this weekend. My friend Laura was in town visiting her sister...it had been two years since we had seen each other and it was fantastic! I also got to meet up with Amy and Jon...can we just say Reed's Dairy? Yum!

We had a wonderful holiday, and are so grateful for the freedom we enjoy. Especially to those who defend our freedoms. May we appreciate it, and not take it for granted.

Portland

So just this last Wednesday, Noah and I returned from our two week trip to Portland. This was my first time every visiting the state of Oregon, and I have to say I was quite impressed. The weather was beautiful, the company was great and the adventures were memorable. I look forward to visiting Andy's family again soon. But for now, here are some great pictures of our time there. I have to thank Andy's sister Natalie for taking a lot of these! We ended up taking quite a few candids of Noah...so bear with me and all the random pictures!

While visiting, you can bet your money that I took the opportunity to get Noah a few new clothes. I owe that in part to MacKenzie and Natalie, for kindly pointing out all the cute outfits to me...but I just couldn't resist! I will mention though, that everything I bought him was on sale...so I don't feel too bad. Especially when I see how cute he looks. See Exhibit A:

Family Night. A family in the ward invited the Stockhoffs over for a fun game of soft ball. I opted not to play, for fear of public humiliation...but did snap some cute pictures of the little guy and I. I will say that Gary, Natalie and MacKenzie played a fine game of ball, and we loved watching the action!

The Oregon Coast. The girls and I (and Noah of course) took a day trip to the Oregon coast. It was such a beautiful place and I loved shopping at all the coastal shops. We even got ourselves a tasty cup of frozen yogurt and some jalapeno salt water taffy!

Roseburg, the heart of Oregon. Gary took the girls and I to visit Nanny in the heart of Roseburg. About a 3 hour drive south of Portland. We had so much fun, and even held our own initiation ceremony...where Noah proceeded to poop on Nanny. Needless to say Nanny is an official member of the 'Noah went to the bathroom On Me' Club. While in Roseburg we were sure to hit up Abby's Legendary Pizza...and make a stop at the Art Festival...where Noah played the part of Mona Lisa.

Anniversary. Of course there was our two year anniversary, which all of you have already heard about. Thanks to Nana, Gramps, Aunt Kenzie and Aunt Natalie for being such wonderful hosts!

We had such a great time there, and can't wait to visit again!

The Best Two Years

This week, Andy and I celebrated our second anniversary. As many of you have read below, this anniversary was not only unique, but very special. By the time our third anniversary comes, Andy will have spent about half of his time away from home. But I can honestly say, the past two years have been the best of my life, and right now I am really missing my best friend.

Let me illustrate why this anniversary was so special. I had an inkling that Andy was possibly planning something after I first arrived in Portland. I had expressed to him that I felt like there was something sneaky going on, and eventually I got him to admit that he was a part of it...but he advised me to not snoop around (he knows me well). When I got up on Monday morning, Andy's mom brought me a little gift bag, with simple instructions. Andy had gotten me a gift card to Nordstrom, with instructions to be ready to go shopping at 4:45pm with Natalie and MacKenzie. I assumed that while we were shopping, Andy's parents would make dinner or something and that maybe Andy would be on Webcam. So when 4:45 came around, I was ready to go. After we were finished shopping at Nordstrom, Natalie told me that she wanted to go look for sunglasses at Forever 21. About 30 seconds after we walked into Forever 21, Natalie shut her phone (obviously after reading a text) said 'OK' and started walking out of the store. I figured she had gotten the 'cue' that it was time to head home. I couldn't help but laugh at her obviousness, but they were all aware that I knew something was happening. So back to the car, I thought, and headed toward Nordstrom. As I turned to walk toward where we were parked, Natalie and MacKenzie started walking in the opposite direction...that confused me. Then I noticed they were walking toward The Cheesecake Factory. I had finally caught on.

As we walked toward the back of the restaurant, I saw our little Noah in a Tuxedo, holding a rose and a note. I had officially lost it. As I held Noah, Andy's dad began to read the very special letter written below as well as give me a personal letter that Andy had written for me. On the table were two pictures of Andy, so that it was if he were there with us. I was so amazed at the preparation (and sneakiness) that Andy put into this very special day.

But as if the night weren't special enough, there were two other instances that made it even more memorable. One of the waitresses had approached us and told us how much she loved us. Her husband, also in the military, is currently serving his third solo tour in Korea and she couldn't help but feel touched by our situation, which seemed so similar to hers. I couldn't help but hug her and as silly as it sounds...her and I both cried as we did. She was so sweet and even bought us a slice of cheese cake to express her thanks for Andy's service.

At another point in our dinner another waitress approached our table and asked if I was the wife. I told her yes and she said, "There is a table over there that wants you to have this, and say thank you for your husbands service." She proceeded to hand me a $25 dollar gift card. I was so touched by that simple gesture and am grateful to those who were so kind as to express their thanks to us in such a way.

Needless to say this anniversary will be one I will remember forever. I am certainly not an expert, but I can say from experience that being away from your husband (or wife) stinks. Home isn't home without them there, and it is harder then I ever imagined it would be. But with that, Andy and I have also received so many blessings from this experience. So thanks Babe, for such a wonderful anniversary. It was the best day I've had, since you've been gone.

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