All I want for Christmas...

It's official. There's two of them. Just look at those pearly whites! Ethan cut his second tooth a couple of weeks ago, and it's grown in enough to take pictures of. Boy, does he love to gnaw on things with them! He also pulled himself up to a standing position-- by himself--for the first time yesterday. My baby's growing up way too fast...

The Great Explorer

Ethan LOVES being able to crawl around everywhere to explore EVERYTHING! He's having fun experimenting with pulling himself up on things, too, and sitting on his knees. I let him wander around the house by himself (of course checking on him, too), and I think he thinks he's pretty cool. It's so amazing to see the progression from even a month ago! He's so beautiful...

Do the " 'Do"!

Okay, so can I tell you how much I LOVE my little son?? He's such a fun kid, and he puts up with his mom "gelling" his hair into all sorts of crazy 'do's! I love these pictures, and I couldn't NOT share them with everyone! Yah, I'm a proud mama-- if you couldn't already tell by now... 

Easily Entertained

Can you say, "Easily entertained??" Ethan and I had fun using features on "photo booth" on our Mac today. What a cute little boy and a strange little mama! 

Wedding Bells!

    Kristy & Clint-- Just Married!
Our feet! We had cute flip-flops w/rhinestones 

Me in the receiving line, next to other best friend, Tiff Mitchell
Dryden Mitchell (9 1/2 months) & Ethan (8 months)
                                                               The race is on....
and the winner is....
Beautiful bride... and me!

We had a fabulous time at Kristy (Wigginton) Moore's wedding and reception yesterday (oh, and Clint's, too:). She married in the Mesa temple in the morning, then we had a luncheon at Old Country Buffet afterwards. The reception was later that evening, where I was one of her bridesmaids (aren't the dresses cute??). Tiff and I had quite the dapper-looking young boys, in their little suits:) Ethan had so much fun playing with the "big" boys and girls, and seemed to want to run around and play with them. Joe and I danced our booties off! Congrats, Kristy and Clint!! 

8 Months!!!

Ethan is 8 months old today- wow!! I feel like my little baby is slipping away from me. He's such a "little boy" in so many ways now. I can't complain, though, because I love every minute I get to watch him learn new things. He's really into exploring EVERYTHING right now. I love his curiosity. It's amazing to me what things he finds so intriguing. Babies are great! 

Mr. Tough Guy...

My brave little boy! His grandpa was babysitting today while I had a Mother's Day lunch at Mimi's with my mom, and they decided to play in the clovers in my parents' front yard. Ethan had a grand time pulling them out of the ground and trying to eat them. After a while, his grandpa noticed an ant on his pant leg and brushed it off. So, he decided to check Ethan to see if there were any ants on him, and he found at least four ants crawling on his arm and biting him! I counted 11 ant bites on my little sweetie pie. His grandpa said Ethan didn't complain at all, so he never knew he was being bitten! He still hasn't complained a bit about them (as you can see from his gleeful smile!), and I only hope they don't bug him later on! What a tough boy I have!!

Ms. Smarty-Pants!

Congratulations, Kristy Lynn!

One of my best friends, Kristy, graduated from ASU's West campus yesterday with a Bachelor's in Recreation, Tourism, and Management-- and Magna Cum Laude, at that! We grew up together and were roommates at EAC. I'm so proud of her for sticking with her goals and pursuing her education both before AND after serving a full-time mission! 

Here's a quote I like from former President Gordon B. Hinckley:

Be smart. You are all in school. Do not waste your time. This is a time of great opportunity that you will never have again as long as you live. Make the most of it right now. It is wonderfully challenging. It is hard, it is tough, isn’t it? But what a wonderful thing to go and learn of all the accumulated knowledge of all the centuries of time. Go on to college or whatever school, vocational school, whatever your choice is, but take advantage of every opportunity that you have because the Lord has laid upon you a mandate through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning not only spiritual learning but secular learning. Yours is the responsibility, and you can’t afford to waste your time. There is so much to learn. Be smart. Give it the very best that you have.

Education is really important to me, and I'm so proud of Kristy for going for it! Congrats, congrats, congrats!! (Oh, and if I look exhausted, it's because I am-- overly-tired 7-month-olds are not recommended at college graduation ceremonies, unless you truly desire a head of gray hair!)

"These is my Words"-- another great one!

Alright, so I just finished another book-- I had a hard time putting it down! Wow, two really good books in a couple of weeks! I guess there are two more books in the "Sarah Series"-- don't know if they're good or not, or if I should just stop now (will the others be as good, or will they ruin the greatness of the first??). Anyone read this one, or the other two? It's a fictional novel (based on actual memoirs of the author's ancestors), written as a diary of a girl in the Arizona Territories, so it was kind of fun to read about what went on in the state I live in, way back when, and how the people lived. It was funny and really heart-wrenching at times. I would often smother Ethan with kisses when he'd wake up from his nap (after reading a few chapters), just grateful that he's alive and well, and that I haven't had to go through what Sarah and others like her went through. 

It was a little hard getting into this book at first, only because I'd picked it up right after finishing "Twilight," and it was a big shift in writing style and plot, but I really would recommend it, and you'll have a hard time putting it down. Thank goodness for Ethan's nap time!