BOISE BALLOUS

The cuties on Halloween

2011-11-05T15:41:00.001-07:00

My favorite part about Halloween this year was watching Eva run from house to house with that big red wig flopping up and down. She had fun being Ariel. When she first tried on the costume she started singing, "Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah...," just like Ariel does. We actually got Charlie's costume first from Emily and pretended the lobster was really Sebastian the crab. Cute, huh?

I made Eric put on this get-up so that he could be Prince Eric, which is what Eva introduces him as to everyone anyway. He is bending over so you can't see the nice red sash he had on. What a handsome Prince.

Clark cracks me up in these photos. He either has a mouthful of candy, or has his head in the bag of candy. And Brenner was the most handsome cowboy I've ever seen; not the most courageous at times when there were scary things on doorsteps, but pretty brave all in all.

Fun times!

Outer Banks, NC

2011-10-29T21:12:00.001-07:00

After spending a couple days in Richmond, we drove to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to stay at a beach house with dental school friends and Craig & Julia. This is one of my very favorite places! The beaches are beautiful, quiet and the water is warm enough to play in. It was wonderful. We began to forget what day it was as we would wake up and walk to the beach each morning.

We were here at this lighthouse for probably 2 minutes, just long enough to snap this photo. There were swarms of mosquitos so we had to skedaddle!

Aquarium

Virginia

2011-10-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, Virginia we miss you so, but it was fun to come visit! We took the kids back to Richmond to visit old friends, go to the branch where we went to church, see the dental school and to eat at our favorite restaurants. It was wonderful to see everyone and to reminisce about dental school days.

After church we went to Maymont, a beautiful estate that is open to the public with gardens and animals.

I like this photo because I feel like a celebrity with my two children out for a stroll and the paparazzi caught us.

Another Sad Hair Tale

2011-10-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

These little girls are some pretty freaky hair stylists! Eva just had hers done by her 4 year old friend that lives next door. This is her cute little haircut that had just grown back nicely after the 2nd hair cutting incident:

I wasn't worried after the second haircut thinking these girls had learned their lesson and wanted to have princess hair like we kept talking about. I guess it is too tempting knowing there are scissors within reach. One evening when I was working in the yard Eva was next door playing with her friend. I went to go pick her up at about 8:00 to get ready for bed. I walked up the stairs of their house after being invited in by my friend (Eva's friend's mom) and screamed when I saw this:

Those poor people bolted up the stairs thinking that one of the girls was hurt. That's how loud I screamed. I overreacted. But look at that! "What do we do now?" I thought. Check out how close she got it to her scalp. Man! Kelli, my hair-stylist friend, saved us. The next day she came over and did a great job:

So now she has a cool, spiky haircut that no other girls her age have! Just for laughs, check out the first two haircuts (all three have been in the last 7 months):

This was the first time right before she turned 3 in March. The girls were caught with scissors on the trampoline at the neighbor's house.

This one was in July I think and I was so bummed because her hair was getting pretty long. All I can do is laugh and be glad that Eva doesn't care one bit about it. I would feel bad if she did. Actually, it's nice to have low maintenance hair. And haven't we all wanted Halle Berry hair but never have dared to do it? Now I can have fun with short hair and not have to cut my own! Let me know if you have any cute ideas. Moms of little girls: hide your scissors!

Happy Father's Day to the Best Dads

2011-06-19T12:29:00.001-07:00

These dads mean so much to my children and me. They teach, play, lead, and most of all they love. We love you! Love, Nicky, Eva and Charlie

Fun Getaway

2011-06-09T22:12:00.001-07:00

McCall has become one of my very favorite places to go since I've become an Idahoan. Eric played in a dental golf tournament there on Friday, which meant we got to stay at the Shore Lodge for a great deal. We were there on a perfect day. It was 70 degrees and we pretty much had the lake to ourselves. It was much too cold to swim, but perfect for a kayak ride. After playing in the hot tub and in the kayaks, we rented some beach cruisers with a trailer and went to Icecream Alley. We had brought Eva's bike and she was insistent on riding it, especially after being in the trailer, and she really wanted to "pull Chawie." She was able to do some riding (we spared Charlie) and then we headed home for a not so peaceful drive. It is funny though, how they can both sleep through each other's crying. What a fun family getaway!

A Happy Mommy

2011-05-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

As Mother's Day has been approaching, I have been thinking about the wonderful moms in my life. I am grateful for their sweet examples of motherhood, their guidance, their friendship and their love. They have inspired me to be the best mom that I can be and to enjoy these special times with my kids.

I am blessed to be Charlie and Eva's mom. I am still learning, but they are patient with me and remind me to live life simply, enjoying the present moment. I am blessed to have a wonderful man who has given me the best gift: a family. My heart feels joy every day when I am with you guys. I love you.

Eva Joy is 3!

2011-04-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Eva had fun celebrating her birthday with Grandma Christy, Grandpa Cole, Great Grandma Donna, Aunt Liss and Alaina! It was great to have them stay with us for the weekend. One of Eva's favorite things is going to see movies so we all went to the theater and saw Rango (which I don't really recommend) and then went and got pizza afterward. I spent my morning making this Ariel cake, which was fun to do, especially seeing Eva get excited about it and putting the sprinkles on it herself. It was hard work though! Eva was thrilled to get an Ariel barbie, Woody ("he's a cowboy doll," she says) and some pretty new dresses.

What a big girl she is getting to be. She likes to do art, ski, ride her bike, talk and sing to Charlie. We love you Eva and all of the spice you add to our lives. Happy Birthday!

P.S. The close up photos are pre-mullett days. I just love them and had to add that cute smile to her birthday post!

A sad, sad tale about a pony tail

2011-03-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

Last week Eva was playing at the neighbor, Jonette's house next door and I was having a quiet moment with Charlie. That is why I found it strange to find Jonette on my doorstep, without Eva. She was laughing to herself and said, "I don't know whether to laugh or to cry, but Eva just cut her hair." And I just started sobbing. (A little dramatic, I know, but she's my little girl who doesn't have much hair anyway!) So I went over to find that Eva and her friends had a pair of scissors on the trampoline. Thank goodness it was only hair that was cut. Yikes! It wasn't as bad as I had envisioned, but check out the sweet mullett she gave herself:

Since there was nothing I could do, I decided to just laugh about it and be glad that she: 1) didn't seriously hurt herself, 2) she won't be going to school where kids will make fun of her, and 3)fsimply because she doesn't care one bit. Thank goodness Liss came to town 2 days later to fix the do. I didn't know whether to do a short pixie cut or to just let this one side that was cut catch up to the rest. Liss ended up cutting bangs and now we do a nice comb-over and part it on the opposite side with a big flower covering it up. You can hardly tell when it is all in place!

The little guy, 5 months

2011-02-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

Eva Skis Bogus

2011-02-07T15:26:00.001-08:00

A few weekends ago we took Eva skiing for her first time at Bogus Basin. She did so good! Eric took her on the "Magic Carpet" and they skied down together and wow, does that girl like speed! They did it about a dozen times before she was tired. I didn't get the chance to do it with her so we've got to go back soon!

Halloween

2010-11-04T21:52:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late I know, but I'm late for everything these days. We found this tiger costume at a kids consignment store and when I put it on Eva I almost peed my pants. Everyone in the store was looking at me wondering why I was laughing so hard. Am I the only one that thinks it is hilarious? And her friend Mikaylas costume couldn't have matched better. They looked so cute together and had fun at the trunk-or-treat. After getting 2 pieces of candy Eva stopped, trying anxiously to get a wrapper open. Why keep going when you have a candy right here? Mikaylas mom, Carina Dewitt, took these cute photos of them. (more photos by her to come).
And for the little guy...

He was toothpaste this year, wearing the same costume at 6 weeks old that Eva wore when she was 7 months. Cute aint he?

Life with 2

2010-11-04T20:52:00.001-07:00

Wow! I don't know how you women with multiple children ever have time to sit down and blog! Actually, how do you have time to sit down at all? Life with 2 kiddos is intense and exhausting, yet wonderfully fun and rewarding. Our day begins with a sleepy mom and baby in bed trying to get some last few moments of shut-eye. Then the Eva girl awakens and marches right in, immediately wanting to hold Charlie, burp Charlie, kiss Charlie, and lick Charlie. There is no doubt she loves her little brother and thankfully hasn't shown any resentment towards him at all for swaying some of our attention his way. As I pry my eyelids open, I encourage her to be gentle and then pull a pillow next to her so that she can hold her brother. Although I could fall back into a sound sleep in 2 seconds, I do love watching this sweet moment with my kids. It sure feels strange to say "kids". I have to say that everything has been 10 times easier the second time around. I don't know if it is just because Charlie is such an easy going baby, or if I just have more confidence in my mothering abilities, or both. I am definitely more relaxed and confident though. I remember being worried our first nights home with Eva that she would be afraid of the dark. So I put a dim light on in her room. Silly, huh?

I think Charlie loves his sister too. Today I was putting my makeup on with Charlie lying on my bed. He started to get fussy and in walked Eva. "It's okay Charwie,"she said while patting his head. I said, "Why don't you read Charlie some books and sing him some songs?," hoping to buy some more time getting ready and keep her from roughing him up. So she did. It was a nice medley of all of the songs she knows, which is Eva style and she even did Ring Around the Rosies while holding his hands. I was a bit surprised when Charlie did stop crying and intently watched her. Hah! Here is benefit of having two! I am loving my tiring days with these little ones that need me almost every moment. I am also loving my zombie nights because they are so quiet and peaceful with my darling little Charlie boy. You never knew you could love a little someone so much...

Our Charlie Cole is here

2010-09-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Charles Cole Ballou, "Charlie," was born on Saturday, September 18th at 2:30 in the afternoon weighing 7 lbs 5 oz! We are in love with this little guy. He fits in our family well and is so sweet.

He came when we weren't really expecting it. I was still feeling great with no labor pains at all so I assumed it was going to be another week or so. Then early that morning mild contractions started and they became more and more regular. So we went to the hospital expecting them to send us home. Well... I had him 3 hours later. Everything went very quickly and smooth and we had a great experience overall.

Right now we think he is a pretty good mix of Eric and I with light brown hair, dark eyes that are still puffy and lots of peach fuzz. One of my first thoughts when seeing him for the first time was, wow, he's big! He came out with little rolls and chub on his cheeks. It's kinda nice having a chubby baby! Eva was so tiny and skinny (4 lbs 12 oz) we worried she was going to break. This is a rough and tough little guy, like my Mom put it.

Eva is still adjusting to having a new baby brother at home and is learning to be gentle. She likes to give him kisses and put toys in his crib. "Here you go, Charwie."

I am so grateful for family and that they have taken the time to travel and stay with us. They have been a huge help with Eva, the house, filling our fridge with food and making sure I get some sleep. Thanks everybody!

Good times of Summer '10

2010-07-10T17:20:00.001-07:00

The sun is shining and the days are long and warm. What could be better? Summer is my favorite season, I think. Eric had his 30th birthday, Father's Day and we had our 8th anniversary all in June. It was a month for celebration except Eric wouldn't let me throw him a big birthday bash. Instead we went to our favorite restaurant for lunch that day, ate outside and then he got to go to San Diego with his dental school buddies. They say they had a conference to go to- I can just imagine one, on the BEACH! He said that they tried out wind surfing- I wish we had some pics. Meanwhile, Eva and I went to Salt Lake for a few action-packed days with the families. We got to go boating with Sam, Liss, Alaina and Mike. Sam taught Eva some new dance moves and it felt so great to be out on the lake. We also went on a little hike with a picnic up Big Cottonwood canyon. Eva discovered a new hobby: throwing rocks, sticks, and anything into water.
As for July, it was nice to be home for the 4th. My parents came and we had such a fun and relaxing time. My Dad and Eric played a lot of golf so Eva and I had some girl time with my Mom and we went shopping for baby boy (and us ofcourse) and visited Zoo Boise where we saw these two huge tigers! Then on the 4th Eva rode her bike in the neighborhood parade. She looked so stinkin' cute on her trike and she rode it pretty far! Because the boys hadn't had quite enough golf one day we went to the range where Eva got to practice her swing too. I can't decide what was my favorite moment, watching Eric show Eva how to swing a club, or watching him walk along side her at the parade. Yay for Summer!

Outside!

2010-06-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't given much attention to you lately Blog because it seems that every moment that Eva is awake, we are outside. It's great! I love Spring and Summer. We get up, get dressed, then the neighbor girls ring the doorbell and out they go, up and down the street with their baby doll strollers. There is a park behind our neighbors house that we frequent and Eva has gotten really good at riding her bike so we like to ride down to the Merc to get a treat. She has even gotten a bit less stubborn on it too and she allows us to push her and pull her with out freaking out. It's nice. She tried out the neighborhood pool in her new swimsuit and life jacket that Eric picked out. She probably didn't need the life jacket in 1 ft deep water, but we had to give it a try! It will be great for going on Sam and Liss's boat (hint you guys!) and Warm River. Probably should have bought blue or green so baby boy could eventually use it, but it would have totally wrecked the pink cuteness of the swimsuit. The pool is great though. I have a feeling I will be living there this summer especially as I grow and as the temperature rises. We have also been spending a lot of time trying not to let our yard win the white trash prize, but it is our first yard we have had to take care of so we're learning. Our lawn is really patchy with yucky stuff growing all over in it and there are weeds galore. I have become friends with Round-Up and every day I spray a section of weeds. Soon it will be lovely, I hope. Yesterday, Eric took a break from yardwork and built this cardboard house for Eva in the back. It has been a hit with the girls on the street. I think their babies are sleeping in it now...

Eva with her buddies Mikayla, Afton and Maryn

Last weekend was super fun too. We went to McCall for a golf tournament Eric was playing in. We walked around in the rain on Friday and then Saturday was beautiful so we went out for a canoe ride on the lake.

The previous weekend we went to Eastern Idaho. First we stayed with Emily and Travis in Idaho Falls and discovered they have a terrific zoo. We then stayed in Island Park and went into Yellowstone for a rainy afternoon. It was a lovely time and fun to be with our fam.

Long Way Round

2010-05-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

About 2 years ago Eric saw the documentary The Long Way Round and got obsessed with the idea of going on a long motorcycle trip like Ewen McGregor. I just liked watching cutie pie Ewen. Last weekend he went on his first one with his friend Heath (Eva calls him Heaf). They left Boise heading west on Highway 26, the scenic Oregon Trail route passing Mount Hood. They got to Portland that friday night after a long day of riding and met up with another high school buddy, Dusty Wickham. After crashing at Dusty's place, he was gracious enough to be their guide on saturday to show them Multnomah Falls, a fish hatchery with sturgeon, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Ecola, and then finally back to Portland that evening. The last day of the journey they saw the spruce goose at an airplane museum, traveled through Oregon wine country, through Sisters, Bend and then finally back to Boise sunday night. Check out the pics above.

Meanwhile, Eva and I had a nice girls weekend. We went to the zoo with our friends the Jarvis' and shoe shopping. We were happy to have the boys home safe.

Baby Brudder

2010-04-26T21:12:00.001-07:00

If you ask Eva what kind of baby is in mommy's tummy she will tell you "baby brudder." She has said it all along. And we found out that she's right! We are thrilled with the news and excited to meet this little guy. It always helps me to visualize and feel closer to the baby when I find out what I'm having. So I'm one of those annoying patients that is begging for an ultra-sound at 16 weeks. My doctor let me come in at 18 and it was pretty clear. I think this baby wanted to make sure we got rid of all the pink in his room.

Eva likes to kiss my belly and say, "Wub you baby." It's really cute, until we are in church and she is trying to lift up my shirt! I am so glad that she is excited. I know she will be a fabulous sister...a little overbearing, maybe, but a loving one.

Easter

2010-04-14T15:50:00.001-07:00

Easter weekend was spent in St. George, UT this year. Well, actually in Hurricane (Hurricun is how they should spell it if they are going to say it like that). The Ballou's bought a beautiful home there so we all decided to meet and check it out and enjoy Easter/ General Conference together. We had fun in the 70 degree weather and playing on the fake grass. That stuff is awesome! I wish we could put it in our yard but I think we would stand out too much in our neighborhood. Anyway, the Easter egg hunt was great and pretty funny to watch. Eva would get interested in the first egg she found, try her best to open it to get the candy out while Brenner ran like lightning to get the eggs. He was so cute because he still let Eva pick up her share of the eggs. What a relaxing weekend! The drive wasn't even all that bad.

Who is the man in this picture? Eric and I went on a hike right outside the back door. It was awesome having all that red rock to climb on! Eva bossing Clark around

I'm not fond of me and the belly in this photo but I couldn't pass up the cute loves for Uncle Travis

The Puffy Coat Dance

2010-03-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our friend, and Eric's high school buddy Heath came to town with his friend, Sara. We took them to McCall and did some cross country skiing there. Eric, being the handyman that he is, constructed the perfect little sled to pull Eva behind in. He gathered some foam pads and camp pillows and made the most comfy little seat. Well, she only lasted a few minutes being pulled behind in the sled. I don't know if it was because of the monotonous way the sled jerked back and forth or if she simply wanted to run around and eat snow. Since I was enjoying myself on the skis, Eric kindly took Eva to watch a special olympics race that was going on while the rest of us skiied on the trail for a while. As you can see, she liked the excitement of the race much better than the lame trail. There was music to dance to and "kids" and people to watch her dance moves.

Come September...

2010-03-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

This little person will be coming to our family! We are so excited to have a tiny baby again. Eva has been kissing my tummy so I think this baby will get lots of good kisses from big sister.

Happy 2nd Birthday Eva Joy!

2010-03-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

We had a busy couple of weekends around Eva's birthday that made it fun to celebrate. The weekend before we went to Island Park with the Ballous where we enjoyed snowmobiling, sledding and as always, eating and hanging out in the lovely cabin. Eva got to have a chocolate birthday cake with the fam!

The next week, we flew out on her birthday to Scottsdale, AZ where Eric had another dental conference. We took her along this time and had fun in the sun. She and I hung around the hotel most of the time chasing bunnies and swimming. She would say, "Bunny, come 'ere." Then she couldn't understand why they would run away. There were a lot of little wild rabbits running around. A highlight of the trip was seeing our good friend from dental school, Kathryn and her two girls, who met us to go swimming. Thank you Kathryn for coming! The night of Eva's birthday we went out to dinner with some other dental folk and Eva did great, especially when they brought out a little chocolate surprise with a candle for her!

We were excited to get home because Eva could test out her new birthday prize: a bike! I think she looks pretty cute riding it. She has just now learned to pedal but we are working on the steering part still...

She was happier than she looks, I promise!

We love you Eva. You brighten every day with your smile, dancing, your little voice, and your friendly nature.

Say goodbye to your dance floor, Eva...

2010-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

This is what we have been doing a lot of since we moved in October: sitting on the floor in our kitchen and living room. We don't have a good excuse since we have perfectly fine furniture. We just decided it would be best upstairs in our bonus/ guest room....Oh and I guess we do have a couch in our bedroom which is kind of wierd. So I'm not saying, "poor us" by any means. I'm just thrilled for our new open living room and kitchen and for some furniture to make it cozy! We wanted a more open feel in our kitchen and living area and there was an unnecessary wall in between them. So Travis came and did the demo. He did a beautiful job as you can see the pretty white trim and new wall. It was really fun having him, Emily and the boys here too. Thanks Trav! And thank you Emily, Brenner and Clark for driving here and keeping us company.

Uncle Chuck, you're the best.

My sweet uncle Chuck and aunt Bonnie gave us a tremendous deal on furniture through Ashley Furniture and then they actually drove it up to us from Salt Lake. Wow! I'm glad Eric was able to do some work on their teeth. We had a fun time catching up with them and showing them around our town. Thanks you guys. We love you!

Oh, and I have to thank myself for getting the perfect color of pillows. The red orange ones.

Eva doesn't seem to sad that her dance floor just got covered. If furniture never came we had a plan B thanks to Dad. It was going to be Eva's roller skating rink slash dance floor. I think this is better though.

Okay, this one doesn't really go with the story, but I had to add it. It is my little artist that I am so proud of. She asks to color all of the time and I think it is so cute. We have Grandpa Ballou's awesome old desk and call this room "the art room." You can see my eisel in the corner. I actually got to use it during Christmas time for a couple of paintings! More to come I hope...

A Little Valentine's Message with a Hug

2010-02-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, she can be up to mischief a lot of the time, but doesn't that just melt your heart? I had to video it before she can actually say love instead of wub. Then it won't be as cute.

We've had some ups and downs the last couple of days. I have been laid up with the flu and Eva has been quite patient with me. I was in the bathroom yesterday and I could hear her rummaging around in the pantry. Then she came in with a box of Captain Crunch about as tall as she is with her whole arm drowning in the box. She pulled it out with a handful of the crunch and carefully placed them on my leg. "Here, Mommy, this will help you feel better", she must have thought. And it did. Not because I was craving Captain Crunch at that moment, but because she wanted to do something for her poor sick mama. What a sweetie.

We had a good day despite the bug. We made it to the "animal store." That's Cabella's. Thank you Emily, Brenner and Clark for giving us this glorious idea of fun in the winter time. We saw "ewk, zebas and bayas". The day was complete when we watched the Little Mermaid on my bed and Tiny fell asleep. Now when I should be sleeping, I'm typing away...

Happy Valentines Day!

We wub you

Tiny Dancer

2010-01-22T09:52:00.001-08:00

If you think you're a good dancer, you better watch out 'cause this little girl is gonna show you up!

Baby Dolls are Better

2010-01-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Just so I don't freak anyone else out, I have to tell you that the mini motorcycle isn't for real. Eva can barely run straight and without falling down so it's terrifying to think of her riding something motorized. I suppose she is like her mother in that way. I was scared to drive even our wimpy scooter we used to have. We were just in the KTM dealership to get Eric's bike fixed and they had about 20 of these little motorcycles so we thought it would be a fun trick to play on the grandmas...

Instead, Santa brought Eva 2 baby dolls. I love to watch her hug her baby because she holds it ever so carefully in between her shoulder and cheek and carries it around. Then she plops it in the stroller and pushes it while running at top speed around our empty living room. She says, "botto." And then after she takes a fake sip, she shoves the toy bottle in the dolls face. It's so sweet. Much sweeter than a motorcycle.

Eva's surprise from Santa

2009-12-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Race in SLC

2009-12-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

Here I am after the Thanksgiving 5k with my bro Mike and sis in law Emily. Sorry Dad, we didn't win the million dollars. But I'd say we did pretty awesome AND we got to eat 2nds at dinner and 3rds of dessert.

Must See Alaina

2009-12-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

My sis got her blog up and running so check out their new baby girl under Sam and Liss.

Red Neck Lingerie

2009-11-16T20:54:00.001-08:00

Some husbands buy their wives satin and lace, but hunters' wives wear lovely nighties like this. Eric got home from his elk hunt with the Vaterlaus's yesterday and was quite excited to give Eva and I our new prizes and show us photos of his week's adventure. She loved pointing at my back and saying, "ewlk." I thought these guys must be crazy to live out in the cold for a week with no hot showers or bathrooms, but after learning about the Vaterlaus extravaganza I can see why they have so much fun.

They slept in cozy tents with wood burning stovesand ate cowboy grub.That's Eric. It's hard to see him in his fancy new camo.buddy TalbotWolf tracksEric came close, but no elk this time.catching up to Santa's sleigh

Meet the Tooth Fairy

2009-11-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

She's very friendly, saying hi to everyone that comes by. She gives out handfuls of gum and toothbrushes and will dance for you if you are lucky.

She pays cash for lost teeth and suckers.

She likes sugar.

But then she pouts when her teeth aren't clean.

She glows.

This is where she lives.

2 Fabulous Trips and Home Sweet Home!

2009-10-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hello blogger, how I have missed you. I can't wait to get caught up on everyone's blogs because it's been about a month since I've lurked you all. I thought I was one of the least busy people, but in the last month we went on two trips, closed on our house and moved! After getting just about the last box unpacked, I'm sitting here relaxing at my desk. How wonderful it feels to have a house! The walls are mine to paint and drill holes in and do whatever the heck I want! I don't have a clue how to manage a yard or that kind of stuff, but I'm excited to learn. We pulled weeds and cleaned up our front yard last saturday and it was one of the funnest saturdays at home that I can remember. Is that wierd? I love that Eva has a yard, a place to explore and girls on both sides of us that are her age! No offense Mary and Lloyd (the sweet little old folks next door at the appartment), but it's awesome being in a neighborhood with tons of kids. They are all over the place riding their bikes, playing ball, and going down to the local Mercantile, "Merc" for cookies. There is an elementary school in our neighborhood and some of them ride little scooters to school each day. For real! We came from a ward with 5 nursery kids to this new ward that has 2 nursery classes with a dozen kids in each and 50 new kids coming in January that they don't know what to do with. Eric's dad made a good call, "It's kid mecca." Maybe I'll show you some pics.

As for the fabulous trips I was talking about: 1st Eric and I went to Scottsdale, AZ for a dental CE course and to have a romantic little getaway leaving Eva with my parents and taking advantage of a lovely resort with pools and shopping galore. It was incredibly relaxing for me, Eric learned some good stuff, and we had a great time just the two of us. I was ready to get back to my Eva girl, though, and I was a bit sad to see that she didn't miss me at all. My mom and dad had her entertained every second and it was hard to compete with grandma and grandpa. I was glad she had so much fun. Two days later we moved....

The day after moving we flew to California for Megan and Rob's wedding (dental school friends). We left a house full of boxes with leftover pizza and pop from the night before sitting on top of them. I thought I wouldn't be able to relax thinking about all I had to do, but we had the best time. We flew into Oakland and the next morning went to the LDS temple there for their marriage sealing. It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun seeing and catching up with our friends. The reception was in Modesto that evening so we drove down and it was such a cute wedding. Megan you are so creative! She made these cute little birds on the cake.Trevor and Nicole Beck live a few hours away from there in Pismo Beach so we drove to their house the next day. We stopped in Monterey which I fell in love with. Cannery Row and Fisherman's Warf were really cool and we had a nice seafood lunch on the beach. Eva had a blast at the Aquarium. She had a fun time splashing around and jumping on a big bubble, or "bup" as she calls them.Eric took this one in honor of me and my chocolate obsession at the Nestle Tolhouse bakery. I think it's the truth.

We took the Pacific Coast Highway down to Pismo Beach and it was an incredible drive. It was such a different California experience than the one I have done so many times in crazy, busy L.A. and DisneyLand. The coast was remote, and quiet and when we made it to the Beck's we fell in love with their little town. It is near San Luis Obispo, which everyone refers to as SLO. And it is nice and slow-paced. It is small, but a fun beach town with unique restaurants and shops. We were so glad to see that the Becks found the place that is perfect for them! It's awesome and I'm excited to go back and visit them. They were so kind to let us stay with them after Nicole just had their darling 3rd baby boy Weston. They are champion parents and so we didn't seem to bother them too much. Actually, the kids had a blast playing together. The beach was chilly, but who could complain when it's this pretty? Eric and Trevor went out for a surf while the kids played. We had so many fun memories at the beach in dental school so it was great to be back with the same crew.

Can't forget this little guy, Weston. He is such a cutie- another handsome Beck boy! Thanks again guys for showing us around your new town.

Congrats Megan and Rob, hope you guys are doing well!

Motorcycle Diaries

2009-09-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

We had an action packed weekend beginning with a motorcycle ride to Warm River. Eric rode his new motorbike, as I like to call it, and Eva and I followed behind in the car, or tried to follow this KTM 950 Adventure. I don't know motorcycle talk, but this thing is fast! It was a nice drive- Eric loving his new bike, Eva loving her new forward-facing carseat, and me enjoying a book on CD. We stopped every hour or two to give Eric's bum a break and to rest. When we got there we had a great time playing in the river, on the swing, biking and riding quads. We also spent some time at the cabin in Island Park where the kids had fun in the huge bath tub. The ride home was a different story. I kept losing Eric and passing him when he would get off on an exit. Because of the wind, we decided to go a different route through Sun Valley. It took longer than we thought and night hit us with 3 hours left to go. After a deer jumped out and missed Eric by a few seconds, I freaked out and we pulled up to the nearest hotel. Whew! We had a hot shower and cocoa and the next morning we finished the drive. It was a pretty one, but man I was ready to be home safe.

Petting Zoo

2009-09-03T22:21:00.001-07:00

When I heard that there was a petting zoo at the fair, I just had to take Eva, even though I have never been crazy about the fair with it's crowds, the heat and the rides that look like they could break any second. So to avoid all of that, I took her myself one morning knowing she wouldn't make me go on any of those scary rides. We had a great time! Our first stop was the goats, which she can say clearly now. "Goat!" I thought the little baby goats were so cute. Then we got cockadoodledooed at by this grouchy old rooster. You can tell by Eva's face that he kind of startled us! One thing I was amused at was the grooming of the cows. I suppose if I went to the fair to buy a cow I would want the prettiest one, but I actually saw someone blowdrying a cow's fur while brushing it so it would stand up nice and straight on it's back! Maybe this is common practice- I wouldn't know. I still need to ask Eric and Emily who grew up in Erda, UT.

The carousel was fabulously fun, but short and $4 a ride. So we only rode once but loved every second. I think I may go back next year as long as the carousel is the only ride I have to go on.

Kisses

2009-09-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Lucky Peak

2009-09-03T21:01:00.001-07:00

Check out the pics from our fun day at Lucky Peak, a lake right here in Boise. We went with the young men in our ward.

puddle bum

2009-08-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Backyard Bootcamp

2009-08-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

"Side, side!" Eva said this morning, begging to go outside. I was all dressed in my workout clothes, but didn't know what to do, so I went outside and did this bootcamp workout while she played. It was great because I was able to watch her and get a great cardio and strength workout at the same time. It was simple enough that I could pull her out of the mud if I needed too and then get right back. Just a few tools are needed:

sturdy chair or deck stairs
jumprope (imaginary one works too)
stability ball (optional)
mat
8 lb minimum weights
watch

Start with a warm-up by jogging back and forth for 2 minutes. Then begin the workout:

Station 1: repeat 2-3 times
Sprint running for 1 minute back and forth or around your yard then 30 second recovery walk.
30 lunges

Station 2: repeat 2-3 times
Chair (up R up L, down R down L) or Stairs for 1 minute
Jumprope for 75 jumps

Station 3: repeat 2-3 times
25 Jumping Jacks
25 Squats holding the weights at your sides

Station 4: repeat 2-3 times
Push-ups- as many as you can. If you can't do 10, do as many as you can on your knees (girl push-ups).
Bicycles (abs): Elbow to opposite knee.

Station 5: repeat 2-3 times
Bicep Curls- as many as you can.
Ball Crunches: around 3o. Make sure you are keeping your back straight and not arching it.

Cool down and stretch.

I did this workout on my tiny cement pad that is too weak to even be considered a backyard. It doesn't take much space. I thought it would also be fun to invite another mom over with her kids so they can all play and you can do the workout together, switching off stations. Who knows, maybe the kids will want to join in! What a great way to set an example of being active to your little ones. Have fun!

huckleberries

2009-08-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

It's getting late, but I just had look at these pictures and write about our perfect day. We went up to McCall last night and stayed with the Dames at their condo. Eva had trouble sleeping so I got up with her a couple times during the night. Eric was sweet this morning and took her outside so that I could sleep a little longer. When I decided to roll out of bed, I went to look for them outside and this is what I found:

Picking huckleberries. How cute! So we picked and picked and then went back to the condo and made the most delicious huckleberry waffles for breakfast. Then, while Eva took a nap we lounged around and read. Eric had a golf lesson in the afternoon and Eva and I played in the sand and water which was just a step outside the condo. So nice!

building sandcastles

Hmmm, sand isn't a very tasty treat.

These are the times you have to write about and remember. I hope you are all having a fabulous summer!

Good Times

2009-07-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last week Eric went on a high adventure trip to Warm River with the young men. It was a success and no one got hurt, they just got their bums bit off by mosquitos. All in all, they had a great time backpacking, fishing and floating the river.

Eva and I spent the week in Salt Lake with the families. It was a fun-packed week with many outings including the splash park, aquarium, the zoo, playing outside and shopping. Eva nailed walking just trying to keep up with Brenner. We also saw a bit of mischief come out when she was around her little cousin Clark. She likes to poke, tap and push him and we keep telling her, "Soon he is going to be bigger than you, so watch out!"

Besides the little kiddie fun- I got a new do by my sis that I love and had a blast at the Nordstrom sale with Meg, Nancy and Em trying on a bunch of clothes in this huge dressing room. I mostly tried on shoes- that's what Nordstrom is known for in my book. So I walked out with fun pair of boots. My Dad took me on a lovely hike up Little Cottonwood and it was nice to have some one-on-one time with him while my mom and Eva played at home.

Highlights of the week:Splash Park

The Zoo Saying hi to the big "kitty." Or...lynx. Checking out the lizards with Brenner and Nana

Special High 5

2009-07-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

On thursday while Eva and I were in Salt Lake we were able to go to my cousin Brooke's bridal shower at Little America. After we had lunch my mom was playing with Eva out in the hallway. She pops her head around the corner and motions for me to come quick. Guess who Eva got a high-5 from?? President Monson! He came up to her and said, "What a cutie." Then held his hand up and she kept giving him the high-5. Other people were gathering around and Eva started to talk and play with some little kids. President Monson then said, "She has a good personality." Wow! That sure makes a mother's heart smile. I would have to agree with him, she is quite a friendly little girl.

4th of July at the River

2009-07-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

It was a splendid 4th of July weekend at Warm River! The highlight of the trip was being in the Ashton, ID parade. I was honored to ride on the spectacular Connect-A-Dock float made by bro in law Travis who is a contractor and also builds docks. And, he was the only genious that thought to give out full-sized candy bars. We had a ton of fun that morning then we went back and floated the river. Eva loved playing in the water, with her cousins and the "doggy." It was great to see all of you Ballous.

DOGGY!

tinies

Workout Tip: Take care of those knees please!

2009-07-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most common complaints heard among exercisers is knee pain. There is no wonder why there are so many knee problems these days with all of the constant smacking against concrete and other hard surfaces. Our bodies weren't really made to do some of the things we do, but there are things we can do that can help prevent knee problems that will in turn allow us to be active throughout our lives.

1. Run on a softer surface. If you can, find a dirt road or track to run on. If you run in a neighborhood, run on the asphalt on the left side of the street rather than the concrete sidewalk. It is a little softer.

2. Do squats and lunges correctly. Stand to the side in front of a mirror and as you go down for a squat or lunge, your knee should not extend past the toe. While squatting, push your hips back. While lunging, go straight up and down with a wide stance in a 90 degree angle.

3. Wear proper shoes. When you notice knee pain, take a look at the tread of your shoes. If they are pretty worn, invest in a new pair. If you go to a running store, the clerk will watch the way you walk/run and make suggestions on different shoes depending on your gait.

4. Stretch after a warm-up or after your workout. While the muscles are warm, stretch the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles. As we age, we become less and less flexible which makes it more difficult to move. Maintaining flexibility may help prevent injury.

5. Crosstrain. If you are a runner and a runner only, try and do a different workout once or twice a week to change it up. It will decrease the wear on the knees and help strengthen the muscles around them. Try cycling or swimming. If you are into races, try a sprint triathalon.

6. Weight Loss. If you are carrying around excess weight, the knees can be affected.

7. RICE. If you are experiencing knee pain, use this formula: rest, ice, compression, elevation. If the pain doesn't go away, see a doctor. There are a number of things that could be causing the pain. They may give you certain exercises to help strengthen an area around the knee.

Summertime

2009-07-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

We love the things that Summer brings! One of our favorites is this cool park that not only has a big playground, but a water-play area with fountains. This is her little friend Annie that introduced us to the place.

It was so nice to have some visitors come this month. My high school friend Annilee came to visit with her husband Jeremy and little boy Cannon. We had a great time reminiscing and laughing. Oh how old friendships never change. We also had some friends from Virginia drive across and stop by before they got to their hometown in Eugene, OR. They have the cutest tiny baby girl, Penelope. It makes me so happy when people come stay, even if they are just passing through. It is wonderful to have people that I love in my house!

Our good friends Jess and Damariz came to town with their little boy Sam. Eric has been friends with Jess since high school and it is so fun to see them because Sam was born one day before Eva. He is much taller than her, which is not hard to do, and it is fun to compare the things they are doing and learning. They do share a favorite food: strawberries.

Here they are playing in the fountains:

Cousin Lovin'

2009-06-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

Cousins are the best! Watch how cute Eva and Clark are when they're together. Eva likes to push him around in her walker (she thinks she's too big for it now). She tried saying his name, although it sounded more like dog, which is the word of the week. It was another great weekend at the cabin in IP.

Oh! And speaking of cousins, Eva is going to get a new girl cousin in November. Sam and Liss are having a little girl. Yahoo! Congrats to them.

A girl can never have too many pairs of shoes.

2009-06-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

She said it! Eva's first word is "shoe." A close second is "ball." She already has a shoe fetish like her Dad and loves trying to put her own shoes on, put my shoes on my feet and pointing at everyone else's shoes and saying, "shoe."Isn't it incredible how kids learn and pick up on things you say and do? You don't realize it until you are a mom and your own child starts to say words. Sometimes I think, "What?! Where did that come from- you're just a baby!" I am also very amused by the things she copies me doing. For example, she has heard me blow my nose so many times that if you put a tissue up to her nose, she blows hers too. One day I was spot cleaning the floor and I looked behind me and the little Cinderella had my rag wiping the floor. so stinkin' cute.

Her second favorite object is a ball of which we have collected in all sizes and colors. We found one at the store that she fell in love with and couldn't wait to play with it so while I was paying the cashier, she played catch with the customer in back of us. Such a friendly girl.

Her new favorite pair from Grandma Jules.

This one makes me almost pee my pants.

Going to the pool with buddy Roan

Hi Dada

2009-05-29T22:04:00.001-07:00

Who needs toys when you have cell phones? Eva loves talking on the phone and no matter who she is with, she is always talking to Daddy on it. I love the way she says, "Hi Dada."

Eric has been out of town in Arizona for a dental course so we have been missing him. I hate being alone at night so I usually watch a movie and make some sort of chocolate dessert that I eat half of one night and the rest the next night. This time it was brownies and the pan is just about empty. When we went to Blockbuster tonight I didn't see anything worth renting. Eva picked out a bunch however. After I set her down for 2 seconds she pulled the whole bottom shelf of DVDs on the floor. No one minded because she looked so cute doing it.

Come home soon Dada!

Bums Up!

2009-05-29T21:55:00.001-07:00

We discovered one night when checking on Eva that she sleeps with her bum in the air. It is the cutest sight, but you have to wonder how that can be comfortable...? We have gone in her room every night ever since and sure enough, this is what we get to smile at before we go to bed:

No Hands!

2009-05-14T12:13:00.001-07:00

Eva has this great new trick that she likes to show anyone who will watch . She stands up holding on to the furniture then she lets go with her hands in the air as if to say, "Look at me, no hands!" And then we all clap (including her). It is so cute how excited she gets.

Does her hair look different to you? We had to give her a haircut because one day I got her out of the car, wondering what she had been chewing on (I looked at her in the mirror while driving) and it was her own hair! She had pulled out a lot of it in the front. It looked silly as you can see in the sleeping picture- it was so long in the back and thin in the front. I was sad. I have been dying to put it in a curler to tame those wild stick-ups into sweet curls. I guess I will just have to wait.

As for the eating: she ate 17 bites of yogurt, 3 bites of banana and a whole strawberry this morning. Her eating is better, but there are some things she still refuses. She can tell if there is egg in anything as soon as her finger pushes it on her tray. There is no way that is going in. I tried to get tricky and made french toast and quiche, but she's too smart for that. Although, she will eat chocolate chip cookies and I guess those have a little egg....amongst all of the chocolate and sugar. She still only has 4 teeth but she uses them well. I asked for kisses yesterday and got bit.

When I am getting ready in my bathroom she likes to get inside the cabinets to see what she can rip apart. Feminine products and toilet paper can keep her busy for a while. Then in the kitchen, there are endless possibilities. It is always interesting after I have had my back turned for a couple of minutes what I will find when I turn around. This is usually how it looks:

All day she points at the window and begs to go outside. So we do and she wears out the knees of her pants. But it is worth it to see her smile as she crawls around the sidewalk and grass throwing rocks and chasing after leaves. Last week we had the brilliant idea to just put her in her walker outside and let her at it. Oh, the freedom! Luckily we live in an old-folks neighborhood that doesn't get much traffic and when it does you can bet that those RVs are going to be slow. But I try to get her to stay on the sidewalk because sometimes you can find ducks and chase after them!Yay for orange!

Cute sleepyhead girl.

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Cristi and Brooks put on a fabulous Cinco de Mayo fiesta last week. They required a latin article of clothing so Eva got to wear a little Peru beanie that looked so cute! I brought some homemade tortillas and a few of you asked for the recipe. This is from a friend from Mexico who taught me how to make them. Enjoy!

Flour Tortillas

3 cups flour

1/4 cup and 1 T oil

1 1/4 cup boiling water

1 tsp salt

Mix flour, salt and oil. Add water and stir. Knead 5 minutes. Make small balls and roll into 1/8 inch thick. Cook in a pan on med-high heat (no oil or butter needed). Turn tortilla when tiny bubbles form on the surface. Cook about a minute on second side. Makes 1 dozen small-medium size tortillas or 5-6 large burrito size tortillas.

Yellowstone

2009-05-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

We made some new great friends named Stephanie and Peter who are from Iowa and living in Boise for 6 months. They wanted to see some cool sights that Idaho has to offer so we took them to the cabin in Island Park and did a day in Yellowstone. We were greeted by the buffalo that live in the Park and got to see Old Faithful. To end the day we watched the Bears Imax movie then went back for some of Mom's cookin at the cabin. It was a relaxing weekend and it was fun to enjoy the wildlife.

Here comes the sun..

2009-04-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

And I think it's here to stay! This whole week it has been at least 70 and sunny so it's pretty safe to say that Spring is here to stay and Summer is coming. Hooray! I am definitely a summer girl and I am finding that Eva will be too. She loves being outside crawling around in the grass, going on walks and going to the playground. I am so excited for warm weather things: the zoo, swimming with Eva in her tiny swimsuit, camping, golfing with Eric, hiking and riding bikes.

Workout Tip: Use your Stroller and burn more Cal

2009-04-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

I hope you are enjoying some exercise outside as the weather is getting nicer. And for you moms: You can burn more calories and get a better total body workout by pushing a stroller while walking or jogging rather than not. It is great because you can bring the kids along during your workout, and not only are you using leg muscles, but upper body as well by pushing, especially if you're going uphill. According to a study by ACE, exercise intensity and calorie burn were about 20 percent higher when walking with a stroller at 3 mph than when walking without a stroller.

So don't feel bad if you missed your morning run before your husband left for work. Just enjoy the outdoors with your kiddies and get a nice workout at the same time!

Easter Fun

2009-04-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

I love everything about Easter: flowers, warm weather, chocolate, family time and most importantly, it is a humbling time to ponder our blessings and have gratitude for Christ's atonement.

We had a wonderful weekend with Eric's family in town. Saturday the boys went golfing while the girls and kids went shopping and to lunch at Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine where we ate bugers and sweet potato fries in this old car. Easter morning Brenner dyed the most lovely, glittery eggs. Then we had an easter egg hunt in our tiny backyard. It was hilarious to watch Eva run in her walker and Brenner find an egg then hury to open it before he could look for more. "What's inside, what's inside?" he would say. Then he would give his empty eggs to Eva who took one in each hand and zipped back and forth. Kids make holidays so fun and it's even better when they can spend them with their cousins and grandparents. Thanks for coming guys!

Eva's Poundage, Jeep Drivers Ed and House Shopping

2009-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Much has happened since I posted last, especially with Eva. At her 1 year check-up she weighed 15 lbs 8 oz which dropped her from being in the 3rd percentile, to being off of the charts. That doesn't mean much to me anyway if you look at the world and see that people come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just tiny. But I was a little concerned that she had only gained a pound and a half in 6 months and that she all of a sudden became a picky eater. So not only does she look identical to my baby pictures, but she loves carbs, especially cereal just like me. Cheerios are her favorite and she has grown fond of Kix this week too. But she has grown to be independent and wants to feed herself which makes it difficult to get much healthy food in her. But, since she has gotten her two front teeth she is doing much better. So I don't worry so much anymore when I see chewed up raisins in different corners of the house.

Feeding Dad makes mealtime more fun.

I have been too scared to learn how to drive the jeep, but there are some days when I will need to drive it, so I am finally learning. I have never driven a stick shift before and it is very intimidating to me. 10 times Eric just had me practice slowly lifting off the clutch and that alone. Then when I got that down I was allowed to use the gas too. Shifting gears was a differernt story and I'll have to practice that more before I go out on the roads. Yesterday we just went in a circle a hundred times and the old people (everyone in our neighborhood) probably got their naps interrupted each time I would peel out around the corner. I don't catch on to these sort of things easy. Eric's mom drives a harley- I don't know how she does it. I remember being in driver's ed and my teacher was in front of the car I was driving motioning for me to pull forward and park. I did, then instead of braking, I punched the gas and hit the poor man! Needless to say I had to retake both the driving and the written tests! I'll let you know when I'm driving the jeep- maybe you'll want to stay off the road.

We have been renting for almost a year in Boise and now that we know that this is definitely where we will be staying, it is time to buy our first house! Although house shopping is super fun, it's a little tricky trying to decide where we want to live for the next 5 plus years. The good news: interest rates are looking mighty fine right now!

Some random but fun pics:

Skiing at Bogus BasinI love this one because you can just tell how much Grandma Christy loves Eva.

She has fun pulling her self up and walking around the furniture.

Workout Tip: Exercise During Pregnancy

2009-03-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

For my friends who have a bun in the oven: keep working out! Exercise can help you have a healthy pregnancy and can also make the delivery easier, shorter, and less complicated (ACE Certified News). You should first check with you doctor before beginning. But usually, if you were physically active before your pregnancy, you can do most of the same activities within reason during pregnancy. And as your belly grows, modify your routine to what is comfortable. Keep in mind that your resting heart rate is faster during pregnancy due to the blood supply going to the uterus and you want to make sure the uterus is getting plenty of blood and oxygen as well as keeping your core temperature stable, so maintain a moderate intensity. Some women prefer not to lay on their backs and if that is the case, you can do most exercises standing or on a ball. Evaluate each form of exercise and rule out any that have risk of:
1. Injury
2. Falling
3. Abdominal Trauma

Cardio that is great during pregnancy:
Walking (jogging if it is comfortable and you are used to it)
Swimming-you feel weightless in the water and it's wonderful! It is easy on the joints too.
Elliptical

Strength Exercises that are great during pregnancy:
Ball Squats (ball up against wall and back against it)
Standing Shoulder Press
Standing Bicep Curls
Crunches on Ball: small crunches are ok to do on a ball in more of a vertical position rather than horizontal. Sit on the ball and roll forward so that your bottom is closer to the floor
Pelvic Lifts on Ball: In that same position as crunches on the ball, lift pelvis up and down. Feels great!
Cat pose: Get on hands and knees. While inhaling, arch the back and exhale while flattening it out. Yoga pose- helps ease lower back pain.
Tail Wags: Sounds funny, but while on your hands and knees move your hips side to side. This eases hip and back pain.
Hamstring Stretch

Click on my link for Fit Mama to see all of my workout tips!

Happy 1st Birthday Eva!

2009-03-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Our Eva girl is 1! She has added so much joy, laughter and meaning to our lives. I feel so blessed to be her mom. She makes me laugh every day with the funny things she does. One of her favorite things is running around the house in her walker. Today she came out from the office and the tray on her walker was loaded with pens, pencils, and markers (and the box they were in dragging inside the walker). Ahh! With a big smile on her face and a little ink on her tongue, she came out to show me what she had found. I suppose I need to follow her around and keep a better eye on her or do a better job at child-proofing. She is an army-crawling champ, but doesn't have a lot of patience and would rather be on her feet. She has been teething- just two so far on the bottom but I think she is getting top ones. She has been a little fussy lately so they must be coming. It's sad, but sometimes amusingly funny to see her get mad. She arches her back and while crying, she rolls her tongue. Eric thinks it's just a sign she'll be an excellent spanish speaker.

I was really looking forward to having a little party for Eva this weekend. My parents and sister were planning on coming and then had to back out at the last minute (for good reasons). I was so sad, so they sent us this beautiful fruit boquet. It was so yummy. Eva took a strawberry in each hand and went to town then she had fun tasting a chocolate-dipped pineapple.

We were glad to have Eric's Dad come stay for a couple days. He came to see us and to have some dental work done. So he had birthday cake with us and got to see Eva dive into her first cupcake after he helped her blow out her candle.

Happy Birthday to my little sweetie!

Ballou Winter Fun

2009-02-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

Before I was a Ballou, I didn't care much for snow or anything to do with cold. But after so many fun times with Eric's family skiing and snowmobiling, I really look forward to these little winter trips with them. We just had a great weekend at Eric's mom's cabin in Island Park, ID with the Ballou family. There was so much to do- they brought up 4-wheelers and we rented snowmobiles on saturday. I tried for the first time snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and I loved them both! Probably because neither requires much skill and they are great forms of exercise. There was so much flat open land so it was perfect. And ofcourse, we never fail to have good food and lots of laughter. Every night we would stay up late, chat, watch movies and sit in the hot tub. Then sleep in the next morning and wake up to a hot breakfast prepared by Dad. Eva and her cousins Brenner and tiny Clark had so much fun playing together and Nana took good care of them while we went on our little adventures.

We tried pulling Eva on a sled while snowshoeing, but she got a bit mad when she fell over after a bumpy ride. So Eric, being innovative, made a nice little seat for her and pulled her along:

Hot girls snowshoeing

Russell attempting to cross-country ski. This is what he looked like most of the time.

Emily, Brenner and Travis goin for a ride. The ninja hat is very becoming on Trav. No way would I show you what I look like in one.

Hot babe Meg going on a ride following Eric. I wouldn't have dared, but she kept right up!

My sister-in-law Emily made these cute beanies for Eva. She is so good at it. I attempted the craft, but failed when my hat looked more like a barbie hat. Here is Eva modeling one for you. I love the flowers.Brenner and Eva putting a puzzle together.

Happy LOVE Day

2009-02-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hope you are having a lovely Valentines Day with your sweeties. I enjoy Valentines because it is fun to plan a romantic night with my man and give him a cheesy homemade valentine, I like making and eating heart sugar cookies and I love pink and red. Although, we do like to celebrate it a couple of days late. It's a little silly, I guess, but it's great because we don't get stuck with a 30 minute wait at a restaurant, and all of the candy at the store is 50% off. So Eric and I will be celebrating on monday.

Eva and I made these cookies for the office:

She liked the pink frosting and shaking the sprinkles.

Our January

2009-02-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

Life is good at the Ballou house. Eric has been able to do some cool different cases at work and is getting busier. He loves what he does and I'm so glad for that. I am teaching my class and only have a few students, but it is great to get the practice and the workouts. Personal training is going well, especially because I have been able to bring Eva while I train a lady twice a week at her house. She has been such a good girl and just sits and claps at her while we workout. She is getting around better now, though, not quite a crawl, but scooting on her tummy. I love little baby girl dresses and get excited on sundays when I can dress Eva up. All of the grandmas have supplied us with a closet full of cute dresses. This is one of our favorites. That face is classic too.

We went to a Boise State basketball game where Eva clapped for our team in her cute orange and blue.

Last weekend was action-packed. We started out in McCall with Cristi and Brooks and some other friends for the Winter Festival. It was cool to see some huge ice sculptures, have breakfast at the Pancake House, and to walk around one of our favorite places. Sunday morning we left early for Logan where Emily and Travis live. They blessed their new baby Clark. We had a lunch afterward with everyone. The food was splendid, as always with the Ballou family, and it was fun to hang out for a little while before having to drive back home! It was lots of driving, but very worth it to see cute little Clark in his blessing outfit and Brenner in a shirt, tie, vest, cowboy boots and hat. Wish we would have taken pictures.
We have been taking a bunch of mini- videos of Eva. This one is pretty funny.

Workout Tip: Move the Furniture and Shake it!

2009-01-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

Excuses, excuses. I wanted to do cardio today, but I don't have a gym membership, it's freezing outside and I'm stuck at home. What to do? Well, I thought of a fun idea. Don't you sometimes just want to dance with the music blaring when no one is around? Maybe I'm the only nerd. Use those moves that were hot in the 80's or when you were in high school and make your own cardio routine! If you're not a dancer use punches and kicks or aerobics moves. You and your kids will end up laughing your heads off. Here's what you do:
Write down 12 different moves. Here are some simple ones you can use:
1. Grapevine
2. Step touch side to side and clap above your head
3. Shimmy
4. Jumping Jacks
5. YMCA while jumping
6. Hamstring Curls
7. Famous move from Grease (only Kim will know this one)
8. March in Place
9. Stayin' Alive disco move
10. Kicks and punches
11. Speedbag while doing lunges
12. Jump Squats

Then, break them down into 3 groups of 4. Put 8 or 16 counts to each move. Do your first four moves, one right after the other. For example:

Grapevine for 8 counts
Step touch for 8 counts
Shimmy for 8 counts
Jumping Jacks for 8 counts

= 32 counts- should go great with any upbeat music. Once you have this one down, move to your next 4 moves. You can combine them however you'd like.

Ballou & You Fitness

2009-01-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post the blog address for my new business. I am taking new personal training clients and I am also teaching a kickboxing class. Check it out, especially if you are in Boise!

http://www.ballouandyoufitness.blogspot.com/

27!

2009-01-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

Wrinkles?

I turned 27 on friday and boy does it feel a lot older than 26. Last year I still felt far from the dreaded 30, but now I'm really creeping up on it. Ahh! Actually, I don't know what the big deal is about 30. I'm having some of the best times in my life right now and my parents say that this is the best time of life- when your kids are little. I suppose we are wary of 30 because as a kid, 30 seemed so old. We laugh because when Eric was little he said he would get a porsche when he turned 30. Now it's more like 50, if that! I think it's just fun to talk about how you're getting old and hope that your spouse throws you a surprise party for your 30th.

I had a wonderful birthday. It started out with Eva and I shopping at Target where I found some cute shoes for a killer deal. My parents sent me a new iPod which was a total fun surprise. Then our friend Colleen came and picked Eva up so Eric and I could go out. It was so nice to have some alone time together. He surprised me with my favorite kind of roses and a new camera that I love. I have taken a lot of pictures ever since and I think Eva is getting used to having a camera in her face. After our date, we went to our friends the Jarvis's to pick Eva up and they had made me a chocolate cake! Perfect way to end a birthday for me. I had 2 big pieces and didn't feel one bit bad. Probably because Annilee told me to eat lots of cake.

Eva is growing up before our very eyes. It is so fun to watch her learn new things. She can almost crawl, she claps her hands when you say YAY, and she bites you with her new tooth. One new trick that I am not too fond of is when she pushes food away with her hands and then rubs the remains in her hair. Eric decided to get creative tonight and he fed her an entire serving of carrots on a chip. I don't know how that was better than a spoon, but it worked ! Silly girl.

Christmas in SLC

2009-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was one of the funnest ones I have had since I was a little girl waiting for Santa. I suppose it was the combo of having my Eva girl, Mike home which was unexpected, and spending quality time with each family. On Christmas Eve we had a superb skiing day with Julia and Craig at Alta that ended with a relaxing evening in the hot-tub and vegging. Christmas morning we had breakfast at my parents house and opened homemade gifts with my family. Yes, my family has picked up the tradition too. The Ballous started it maybe 5-6 years ago and we look forward to it every year. We draw names and make a gift rather than purchase one. It adds so much more meaning and excitement when you watch the person open the gift you made for them. I was so surprised to open my gift from my Mom, who made a scrapbook of my whole life and also a video with a compilation of photos and music. She has been working on it for 6 months and it means so much to me to have all of my memories beautifully compiled in a book with poems. Travis made me a wooden recipe card box which I love since I have started cooking a lot more. Eric's Dad put a bunch of photos on a card table and put a resin finish on the top. It looks really cool. My brother in law, Sam, made Eric a framed saying: "Tools for Success" using dental instruments. Everyone was really creative this year.

My lover gave me a cute orange coat that I adore and I gave him some shoes he was dying to have. Eva got The Little Mermaid on DVD which is probably more of a gift to me seeing that it is my favorite Disney movie, but I'm sure she'll like it.

Although Eva didn't know what was going on, it was so fun to see her with her presents. She got a walker that was pretty exciting even though yesterday was the first day she figured out how to get across the floor. It is so funny to see the look on her face like she's saying, "Look, I can go wherever I want." I keep getting out new dish-towels then I realize she has pulled them off and is sucking on them... She also got 2 new coats. One from Liss, a darling red pea-coat that looks so cute on her. My aunt gave her a little brown fur coat that is so very stylish too.

New walker from Grandma

Made with dental instruments to Eric from Sam

Eric made my aunt Barb some bleach trays for her homemade gift

My scrapbook

Playing the piano with Great-Grandma Donna

Look how Eric's new shoes sparkle!

Workout Tip of the Week: SMART Goal Setting

2009-01-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the gap in workout tips. The holidays have kept us quite busy and frankly, I haven't been working out as much as I'd like to. So just like many of you I am setting some New Year's Resolutions and Goals. As I have thought about them, a few good tips came to mind:

Make your goals SMART!

S: Specific. A goal should be specific in time and amount. For example: I want to lose 10 lbs in 2 months.

M: Measureable. You should be able to measure your success. Rather than saying, I want to be stronger, set a goal to be able to do 50 push-ups by March.

A: Attainable. Set goals that you are likely to achieve.

R: Realistic. Don't go overboard on your expectations of yourself. Set goals that you can achieve in a realistic amount of time. Perhaps set smaller short term goals that work towards a big long-term goal.

T: Timely. Always set a time frame for your goals so that you actually work on them!

Set 3 exercise goals and 3 nutrition goals for 2009 and then watch how great you feel as you have worked to improve your health. Go for it and good luck!

Here are mine:
EXERCISE:
1. Be able to do 30 push-ups without stopping by February 1st. I have always been so weak at push-ups!
2. Create one new strength training routine a week for 6 weeks so I don't get bored.
3. Run for 30 minutes once a week for 1 month.

NUTRITION:
1. Try a new healthy recipe once a week for 8 weeks until March 1st.
2. Eat 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for 1 month, until February 1st.
3. Drink 6 glasses of water a day for 1 month, until February 1st.

Merry Christmas to All

2008-12-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

So far Eva has loved just about everything to do with Christmas- touching the ornaments on the tree and trying to pull them off, play with ribbon and tape while I wrap presents, and suck on candycanes given to her by her dad. But there is one thing she hates. When I use scissors to curl ribbon on a present she screams her head off. I don't really know why. Maybe it is the sound that bothers her... a mystery.

Even though she doesn't know what is going on, I am really excited for Eva's first Christmas. I thought she would be crawling by now, but she isn't (which I am a bit grateful for) so I pictured her getting into everything under and on the Christmas tree. But I think she will just sit and try to suck on as much wrapping paper as she can.

I'm also excited to go home to Salt Lake with Eva and Eric to be with all of our families.

We hope that everybody has a wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with health, peace and joy!

Sleigh Ride & Play-Doh for Dr. Ballou

2008-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

For Eric's office Christmas party we went on a sleigh ride at Bogus Basin ski resort. It was freezing, but fun! We bundled up and rode on an actual sleigh pulled by horses through the snow to a little cabin where we had a nice hot dinner and listened to a cowboy play his guitar and sing some country classics. I think the best part was coming into the cabin from the snow and having hot chocolate ready waiting for us. And then to top the night off, the staff gave Eric and Dr. Peterson each a Dr. Drill an Fill Play-Doh set that you can actually make teeth out of play-doh and stick it in some plastic gums. Then you can drill them and fill them with some gold play-doh. I think it's going to be his favorite gift this year. He played with it as soon as he got home that night. They also gave us a gift card to our favorite restarant which I'm way excited about. Eric has a great staff and we are grateful for all that they do!

Meanwhile, Eva was hanging out with her Nana and uncle Quinn. They were in town for a couple of days so Eric could take Quinn's wisdom teeth out. He was a great sport. Nana bought Eva a high-chair. Yay! Look how cute and tiny she looks in it!

Thanksgiving in Island Park

2008-12-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

We had a cozy Thanksgiving weekend in Island Park, ID at Eric's mom's new cabin. Craig, her husband, is a builder and contractor and he just finished building a beautiful cabin there, where he is from. We had a great time helping decorate the place with old skis, snowshoes, artwork and we even put up Christmas tree and stockings. Most of the weekend was spent sitting by the fireplace and eating. I did try to follow my own advice from my workout tip, although it was extremely difficult to do when we had such a fine cook. My mother-in-law that I often refer to as Wonder Woman cooked a different meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner all weekend long. She is a great cook and it is something that she really enjoys. Eric and I were so excited to take Eva out for her first time in the snow. I think we had more fun than she did, but she sure looked cute in her bear suit!

It was so nice to be with family for Thanksgiving. Our last 4 years we have been in VA and every year we had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant we loved in Washington, D.C. It was a fun tradition and great memory, but it sure is good to be home. Plus, it's about time I learn how to cook a turkey from the pros!

Workout Tip of the Week: Stuff the Turkey, not Yourself!

2008-11-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

There is nothing worse on Thanksgiving night than feeling stuffed and lazy. Why not feel great and enjoy the time with family and friends? Here are a few tips to help:

1. Start the day by eating a small breakfast rather than skipping meals until turkey time. This will help you not to over-eat after being hungry all day long. Our bodies aren't meant to eat 2,000-3,000 calories at once and will store the excess calories as fat.

2. Workout! Go for a walk, jog or do a quick weights routine at home. It will feel great to burn some calories before the Thanksgiving meal.

3. Watch your portions. Eat a little bit of the foods that you really like. Sometimes if it is there, we eat it. Stop and ask yourself what you really want. Stuffing and cranberries aren't my fave so I like to save those calories for pumpkin pie, which I love!

4. Bring a healthy side dish. Sweet potatoes are full of nutrients and taste great by themselves. Bake some without adding all of the sweet and fatty stuff. A little cinnamon and sugar is all they need.

5. Do something active with your family after the meal, especially if you weren't able to workout in the morning. Play tag with the kids, start a basketball game, or go for a walk.

Eva's 1st Halloween

2008-11-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

Have you seen a cuter tube of toothpaste? Kids make holidays so much more fun. I loved dressing Eva up for her first Halloween and taking her to the dental office. She was pretty happy until her cap would fall down over her eyes! Thanks for the help with the costume, Grandma Julia.

The next day...

And I thought I could trust the dentist.

What have the Ballou's been up to?

2008-11-17T14:08:00.001-08:00

Oh, how time flies. I haven't updated in a while, sorry. We have been busy but life has been treating us well. We went to my first BSU game (Eric took some young men from our ward a couple months ago) last weekend and had a blast. It is great to see so many crazy fans and nothing but orange and blue. We have become quite the fans ourselves. Remind me to post a picture of Eva in her new BSU t-shirt.

Eric has been working hard, seeing lots of patients, which is great! I'm so glad that he loves what he does. I have been preparing talks and lessons for the past couple of weeks for church. Eric and I are just the opposite when we have to teach or give a talk. I get scared and sweaty just thinking about it and Eric gets excited and after jotting a few thoughts down he is prepared and does an awesome job. I had to give the dreaded dating lesson to the young women at church and prepared and prepared and probably overprepared, but it went well. I wanted to do it in a way they could remember so I used jelly-bellies and compared them to boys and I compared the selection of a favorite flavor to dating. I encouraged them to "taste all of the flavors" and date lots of boys. I don't think they will ever look at a jelly belly the same. After that lesson was over I was asked to speak on gratitude at enrichment night. I was so glad I did because it really made me aware of my many blessings and after recieving a cute little gratitude journal I have been trying to write down something every day about how the Lord has blessed my family and I.

If you look closely in the bottom picture you can see the last reason why I've been too busy to blog. Yes, I finally started Twilight. I'm probably the last of the mormon girls on earth to start reading it, but I haven't been much of a reader. After this I definitely will be. I love it! And my main reason for starting this is so that I can go to the movie with Emily, Meg and Nancy who have all read just about the whole series.

JUMP!

2008-10-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Eva has discovered a love for jumping. She is finally big enough for her Johnny Jumper where she now spends a lot of her time. It is pretty funny and cute to watch.

Fun Week in Salt Lake and Park City

2008-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Eva and I drove down to Salt Lake for a full week in anticipation of the Ballou-girl weekend in Park City. It is a fun tradition where all of the girls in the Ballou extended family stay in a hotel in Park City, have a big sleepover, eat lots of yummy food, and shop! It was a splendid time and I can't wait for the next one. Shopping with Nancy, Meg and Em was my favorite part I have to say....and well, eating too! I wish I had some pictures, but we're waiting for photographer Tonya to show us the cute ones she took. Missed you Ashley and Tara!

We also had a fun time with my family hiking and seeing the beautiful fall colors. Living away from SLC makes me appreciate the amazing mountains there even more. I loved walking through the leaves with my girl.

I love downtown Salt Lake so we met my Dad for lunch and went to the Nauvoo Cafe.
Eva is 7 months old and I still have not put bumper pads in her crib yet. Until now! Poor girl has been bumping her head. So my sweet mother in law helped me make some bumper pads, a quilt, and skirt. Actually, she did most of it because she is a talented seamstress, but I helped by occasionally threading the needle. She did an amazing job. Eva loves her new bedding!
It was a wonderful week, but we missed Eric and I think he missed us too. He's so sweet. When we got home, I walked into a spotless house with flowers, chocolates and a note on the counter.

Workout Tip of the Week: Interval Training Workout

2008-10-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ready to spice up your workouts? Interval training is a time-efficient way to do strength training while also getting cardiovascular benefits. You can burn a lot of calories and so it is excellent for individuals who want to lose weight. It involves alternating short bursts of high-intensity exercise with rest. Here is a total- body interval training workout to try:

It takes about 45 minutes. You will need weights (8-12 lbs) and stairs or a chair.
Warm-up for 10 minutes.

Station 1: Lunges with weights/ Running: Do a set of 15-20 repetitions of lunges (walking or in place) holding weights. Then run as hard as you can outside or on a treadmill for 1 minute. Slow down to walking for 30-45 seconds Repeat twice so you do 3 sets at this station.

Station 2: Push-ups/ Jumping Jacks: Do as many push-ups as you can then do 20 jumping jacks. Rest for 30-45 seconds by walking in place and repeat all twice.

Station 3: Bicep Curls/ Jump Squats: Do 15-20 bicep curls. Then do 15-20 jump- squats, which is going into a low squat and then jumping. Rest for 30-45 seconds and then repeat all twice.

Station 4: Crunches & Bicycles/ Stairs or stepping up on a chair: Do 15 crunches and then 15 bicycles (for abs: elbow to opposite knee while legs are in cycling motion). Then climb up and down the stairs 3-4 times. Or you can step up and down from a chair or bench for 1 minute. Rest 30-45 seconds and then repeat all twice.

Cool down for 5-10 minutes. Stretch.

You may add more stations or create your own workout. Here are some more ideas for your intense cardio sprints. Just simply partner them with a strength exercise.

jumping jacks, running, jumprope, jump squats, stairs, lunges, stepping up on a chair or or an aerobics step, cycling, etc.

TURN UP THE MUSIC AND HAVE FUN!

Dad is teaching me early.

2008-10-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Workout Tip of the Week: LOWER ABS: From Flab to Fab!

2008-10-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

While working at the gym I think the number one complaint I heard was along the lines of, "For as many crunches that I do, I just can't get rid of this lower ab flab." Especially for women who have had babies, it is not easy to flatten that area around the bellybutton, but there are some things that can really help and the first step is to learn what ab exercises work the different parts of the core. A common belief is that standard crunches work the whole abdominal area, including the lower part. But although they are good to do, they mostly work the top which is where you feel it.

In order to strengthen the lower abdominal region, you have to do exercises that involve lifting the lower body. Don't worry, you don't have to do the dreaded straight-leg lifts that are nearly impossible for post-pregnancy abs. There are many variations and different things you can do. If you are feeling really weak in that area, simple pelvic tilts work well: Lay on the ground or a ball with your feet on the floor and tilt your pelvis towards you. It is a rotational movement rather than lifting up and down. You can do these while doing crunches at the same time to work the whole abdominal muscle. A few others for the LOWER ABS are:

Bicycles: These are my favorite because they work all of the abdominal muscle- upper and lower, as well as the obliques on the sides.
Bent-Leg Lifts: Lay on the floor with knees bent and feet on the floor. Lift, bringing your knees in towards you and then tap your feet on the floor.
Bent-Leg Lefts with Ball: Same as above with a stability ball between the knees. Also works inner thighs!
L-Shaped Lifts: Similar to the bent leg lift, but when you lift your legs, straighten them out so your feet point toward the ceiling then bend the knees and straighten them about 6 inches from the floor then touch toes on floor. You are drawing an L with your feet.

Give some of these a try a few times a week and you'll feel your core getting stronger and maybe even see some definition! Keep up on your cardio- it will also help you to stay slim in your middle.

Still tiny, but healthy, happy and adorable.

2008-09-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

At 6 months old Eva is now 13 lbs 5 oz which I think is pretty good considering she was 4 lbs 12 oz at birth. But she is definitely still on the tiny side. Last night was the first experience with rice cereal and boy was that fun to watch Eric spoon it in her mouth, half of it dripping down her chin. What a fun age! She has been cracking us up left and right as she growls, laughs, and grabs everything in sight. Here are some fun recent pictures.

We have been taking monthly pictures of Eva on her "Eva blanket" so that we can compare her size.

Just a few days old:

6 months old:

McCall Weekend

2008-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

We had a nice relaxing weekend in McCall with the Williams and the Dames who were so kind as to invite us to stay in their condo on the lake. We enjoyed playing on the beach with the kids and Guapo the dog, stuffing ourselves at the Pancake House, eating Cristi's Cafe Rio salads and watching The Office episodes. We even braved the chilly lake and went for a swim- Eric and I in our wetsuits ofcourse! The cold water didn't even phase Eva when we dunked her tiny toes. She loves the water!

Workout Tip of the Week: SQUAT-PUSH-PULL

2008-09-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

I know these words sound a little silly, but I use them every time I plan a strength training workout. They are key in a workout because with just those three exercises alone you can work all major leg muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves), all major arm muscles (biceps, triceps, shoulders) as well as chest and back. Then you can add whatever core exercises you like that work abs and lower back. What do I mean by squat, push, pull?

SQUAT: A squat is any exercise using both the knee joint and the hip joint such as traditional squats, lunges, and back kicks.

PUSH: A push is any exercise using both the shoulder and elbow joint such as push-ups, bench press, chest press, and shoulder press.

PULL: A pull is any exercise using both the shoulder and elbow joint such as a lat pull-down, row, pull-ups, and chin-ups.

Pick one or two of each to do twice a week. Start with 2 sets of 15-25 repetitions. You should struggle to get through the last set. Make appointments for yourself just like you did with your cardio. It should only take you about 30 minutes and you'll feel awesome afterwards!

10 good reasons to do strength training:

You will be able to carry your kid in a car seat without tipping over.
You will stop wishing you had Cameron Diaz's arms.
You will have more energy.
It burns calories.
It helps prevent osteoporosis by strengthening bone.
You will have a better chance at being an American Gladiator.
You will be better and stronger at doing the activities you enjoy.
It boosts your metabolism as muscle requires more energy to maintain that fat.
It makes aging easier both physically and mentally.
It helps prevent injuries such as breaking your arms.

Mikes New Smile

2008-09-09T09:14:00.001-07:00

Eric, or should I say Dr. Ballou, did a smile makeover on my brother Mike this weekend. Mike flew in Friday morning from Nevada (where he is living) and I took him straight to the dental office so Eric could get started prepping for two veneers. While Mike hung out with Eva and I on Saturday morning, Eric did a wax-up of the new veneers or crowns, made the model in the lab, and Monday morning, using the Cerec computer program, designed Mike's new crowns. The Cerec milled the veneers out of a solid block of porcelain and then Eric customized the shape and used a paintbrush to add a little color and highlights before he glazed the crowns in an oven. He delivered the crowns and they look beautiful. What a difference just changing two teeth can make in your appearance and in your confidence to show your smile.

Eva Meets Mike

2008-09-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

It has been a year since I have seen my brother Mike so it was a lot of fun to have him stay with us this past weekend and have him meet Eva for the first time! He was a little scared to hold her at first but by the end of the weekend he couldn't stop playing with her. It was pretty cute to watch them make each other laugh. I think he really likes this uncle business. Eva and Mike actually share the same birthday!

Workout Tip of the Week: Keep Moving!

2008-09-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Now that swimsuit season is about over, it's not as easy for most of us to stay on top of our workouts. So my first tip includes just a little motivation to keep you going (or to get you going!)

Make a little list of the activities/sports that you like to do such as walking, running, tennis, dance, aerobics, biking, chasing kids outside, etc. Then, look at your planner to see what days and times you can workout the following week. Pick at least 2-3 workouts of at least 30 minutes and actually write down the activity and time you will do it as if you are making an appointment for yourself. You will be surprised at how efficient you will be at getting all of the other things done on your list after you have had some fun and done your body some good! Kids make it difficult? Bring them along in the stroller or do a workout video or tell your hubby you want to start doing better with your workouts. He will most likely encourage you and help you out with the kids. Eric has been awesome and watches Eva thursday mornings before work while I go running with friends. I also decided I was going to go jogging (with Eva) in a different place every week. I did this last week and went to a new cool part of town I had never been to called Hyde Park. I was in a better mood the rest of the day and Eric encouraged me to do it again the following week suggesting a few cool places in Boise.

Remember: The best form of exercise is the one that you will do! Have fun!

Warm River

2008-09-02T20:26:00.001-07:00

I am sad to see summer go, but what a wonderful weekend to end it with! We went to Warm River which is in Ashton, ID near Island Park where Eric's family has a cabin. It is awesome because the cabin is right where the Snake and the Warm River meet and there is tons to do. My family went for the first time and some of Eric's family was there too. We did a lot of sitting around the campfire roasting mallows for s'mores (my favorite part), playing a bit in the water and hiking. Eric's crazy new favorite water sport is river boarding, which involves riding the current on the river with a rope tied to a bridge or tree. He made his own board and he and Travis were actually able to surf on the river. Check it out!

Meanwhile, Liss and I sat and ate slices of watermelon bigger than our heads.

Mesa FallsHike

Who says there aren't beaches in Idaho?

2008-08-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Eric's Dad was in town visiting and we had a really fun day on friday. The two of them planned a day of golf in McCall (2 hours north of Boise) and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to go to my new favorite place. I keep seeing Richmond friends' blogs with their Virginia Beach pictures and they really make me miss it! But we have found our new beach- only with pine trees and mountains rather than salt water and waves! McCall has a beautiful pristine lake and the little town is full of cute shops and good restaurants. So Eva and I decided we were going to have some girl time while the boys golfed 18 holes.

We found a nice beach area so I changed into my suit and since I haven't found Eva a swimsuit yet, she just wore the good ol' fashioned kind.....a diaper. I know, not as cute as a teeny bikini but it served it's purpose for the day. She loved going out into the water and getting her toes buried in the sand. I had the funnest day and was so glad I had my little sidekick with me. She makes everything more fun.

What do you think?

2008-08-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about putting a "Weekly Workout Tip" on our blog using things I learned in school and work. I thought it might make our blog a little more interesting and helpful and it would also help my brain to keep functioning since I'm not currently working. What do you think? If hardly anyone responds I'll get a clue that it's a cheesy idea but I won't feel bad.

Happy Birthday Liss!

2008-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

It was the birthday of my cutest, sweetest little sister Melissa Jewel yesterday. I feel so lucky to have the relationship that I do with her. She is my best bud and even though we have lived apart for a while we still laugh our heads off when we are together just like we did when we shared a room as little girls. We are 4 years apart and many times people have thought that she is my older sister... for some reason :)! She is such a good person and has so many friends because people always want to be around her. She can make you laugh and make you feel good about yourself. She never has anything negative to say about others. She is always happy and smiling with a positive attitude.

Liss has been doing my hair for quite some time now and I don't know what I would do without my little beautician. The night I went in to to the hospital to get induced to have Eva I took a shower before we left and Liss wouldn't let me go without blowdrying and curling my hair. There was no way I was going to meet my baby without my hair done! Little did we know what labor would do to it...but it actually did look pretty good. With no one else can I get beautiful hair, drink crystal light and get it all over my face, sneak into private swimming pools (ok maybe that was my doing), dance like a madwoman, be awesome body-boarder chics, drive to abercrombie and get lost, and just be crazy sisters.

Thanks for so many fun memories and for being the sis that you are. We love you.

Happy Birthday!

PICS FROM THE WEEKEND IN UT:

Nerds getting our picture taken at Cafe Rio for Lissa's birthday lunch on Saturday.

Lissa's Party

PICS OF GOOD TIMES:

1st Run: Deadly but Fun

2008-08-07T12:46:00.001-07:00

This morning I went running for the first time since I had Eva. Except it wasn't just running. It was 6 miles and a full hour of trail running up and down a mountain (probably a hill, but felt like Mount Everest). Some friends from my ward invited me and I got beat down by a very fit mother of 6 and her daughter and friend. Huffing and puffing I ran the whole way with them but I had to keep up to avoid getting lost and turned around. Yes, I'm a personal trainer, but hey. Those 2 mile walk-jogs on the Greenbelt Parkway with Eva and a little kickboxing are all I have been doing. It was great to have somebody to challenge me and to be able to go before Eric left for work. I loved seeing the beautiful morning sun come up over the mountains. If I'm not still sore, maybe I'll go again next week.

Amigos de Peru

2008-07-30T13:42:00.001-07:00

Feliz Dia de la Independencia!

Eric took me to Peru last year and I got to meet some of the wonderful people he served while on his mission (LDS) and to see some of the world's most amazing sights. We went to Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Lircay, Lima, Ayacucho, Huancayo and Huancavalica. We promised our friends there we would send pictures and we are finally posting some for them.

It was an incredible trip. I am grateful for the people I met there and what I learned from them. They didn't have much, but wanted to give us what they had. I came home with a new perspective on life and a desire to be a better person.

I'll never forget the feeling I had while standing in the clouds at Machu Picchu. It was peaceful, serene and mysterious at the same time. I can't wait to go back!

We went to a party the other night celebrating Peru's Independence Day here in Boise and eating the food just reminded me so much of our trip. So I started looking at our pictures.....there are kind of a lot.

Climbing up Waynu Picchu

I fell in love with llamas but no one would let me ride one.

Cuzco

Hotel in Cuzco

A chola in traditional dress. I was wishing I was wearing the same thing.

Lircay friends

Our friends in Lircay prepared a very nice dinner for us.

Lima friends

Sister Reynaga prepared a fabulous meal for us with all of the traditional Peruvian dishes.

My Peru Cake

2008-07-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Does it look like I worked at Schmidt's Pastry Cottage?

Eva and I had fun baking this cake that we took to a Peru party, celebrating Peru's Independence Day. I tried building Machu Picchu on a cake using chocolate squares. It took me back to those funny days our sophomore year when I worked at Schmidt's with my friends Kim, Annilee and Ashley. As you can see I was never a cake-decorator. But I did have to write Happy Birthday many times on cakes. But what we got really good at was dipping things in chocolate (cookies, eclairs, hands) and putting our mouths up to the custard machine!

"Do you like campin' Eva?"

2008-07-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

It was Eva's first time camping and sleeping in a tent last weekend. She loved it! We woke up on Saturday morning and she was bright-eyed and mesmerized by her surroundings. Here is a video of her telling you all about it:

The Jeep Finally Made it to Boise

2008-07-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

We had quite an adventurous weekend in Almo, ID near the City of Rocks last week where we went for a family reunion. It all started with Eric and I so excited to pick up our jeep that has been in the shop in Burley, ID. This is the famous orange jeep that Eric used to drive when we were dating (one of the reasons I thought he was so hot.....that smile, those eyes and a cool jeep to top it off!) It was his Dad's all along and this year he decided to sell it. Ofcourse Eric couldn't bear to see it go so we bought it. It may have been a dumb decision because it couldn't even make it home to Boise without breaking down on the way. So it has been in Burley for a few weeks at the shop getting fixed and since Burley was on the way to the family reunion we picked it up and took it to the ranch excited to do some jeepin' around all of the cool rocks there.

Saturday morning we left Eva with her Nana and we went with Eric's brothers Quinn and Russ in the jeep and Emily, Travis, Brenner and Meg were driving in their car looking for some places to rock climb. We drove on because we didn't have much time, me being attached to a baby and all. We were enjoying the ride as you can see:

I think I look pretty cool next to this jeep that I don't even dare to drive!

We were rolling along for quite some time enjoying the beauties of Idaho and "Snap!! Tink, tink tink..."
"What was that?" We all hopped out of the jeep to find a part that I can't remember the name of on the ground. It had something to do with the gas because that didn't work. We were stuck. Eric was concerned about the jeep and I was freaking out about getting back to my baby knowing she would be hungry soon. I was so grateful to have the boys with us because while I steered they pushed and we coasted until we got to a downhill. It must have looked pretty funny. Eric stayed with the jeep and the boys and I found a good samaritan to take us back to the ranch. I found Eva still sleeping. Thank goodness! And luckily Travis the car expert and handy mechanic was kind enough to get the needed part and help Eric fix the jeep.

It was a learning experience: for me to be better prepared with some food for my baby if I leave her and also to be ready and willing to help others that are in need. I was so dependent on that man to take us back down and although I was so grateful, there wasn't anything I could do to repay him. But he did it because he was kind and charitable.

We had a great time with the family the rest of the day and made it to Boise that night without any problems. Yay!

A Few of Eva's Favorite Things

2008-07-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

I say this at every stage, but I think this one is my favorite. Eva is 4 months old now and is a noisy, smiley little one. She has been cooing like crazy and her smiles just make us melt. Each one reminds me how much I love being a mother. What a blessing she is. Here are some things that Eva loves:

Her Baby Jogger stroller is a sweet ride

Well, maybe it's my favorite....but we love going walking and jogging so we take this thing everywhere. It is so easy to maneuver and to fold down. Thanks Grandma Christy and Grandpa Cole!

Bath Time!

Her Daddy

Good kisses especially from Dad

Good Rest

Isn't this precious?

Her Bed

Thanks Grandma Julia and Grandpa Craig! Her crib is beautiful.

Her cousin Brenner

Eva loves watching everything Brenner does and he can sure make her smile.

Her buddy Sam (Jess and Damariz baby boy)

Sam was born the day before Eva, can you believe it? Jess and Eric made them kiss.

Aunt Eva and her pretty name....and Dave Ballou of course!

Hangin' out with Mom all the time

Well I like to think that she loves me too. We have lots of fun together even just being at home. This is the best job ever!

Our Girl

2008-07-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a special one. We went to Salt Lake and had Eva's baby blessing at my parents house. It was nice to have both of our families there to support us and for some of them to meet Eva for the first time. One of my favorite parts was seeing Eva in a bonnet.

A bit about Virginia

2008-06-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

To catch up I wanted to tell a little about our last 4 wonderful years we spent in Richmond while Eric was in dental school. I had never even been to the East Coast before so it was quite a change to go from desert to green and to experience a little of the south. We lived in a little cape cod style house that was a fixer-upper so we spent a lot of our time working on it. Our neighborhood was pretty close to the dental school so if you were lucky you might catch Eric riding his longboard to school in a shirt and tie.....Yes, thats my husband. Our neighbors were awesome and I think they loved having us as the only white folks on the block.

Carter Mountain Orchard where we would go to pick apples and eat apple cider doughnuts.

A farm in lovely Charlottesville, VA.

Virginia is for lovers.............Virginia Beach, VA

Cape Hatteras lighthouse in the Outer Banks, NC.

Thanksgiving in the Outer Banks.

Eric became an avid body-boarder. These guys went boarding and surfing all year round so they all bought full wetsuits, gloves and hoods. Check out the ninjas.

Eric surprised me one year for our anniversary and we stayed at the Jefferson Hotel.

Charleston, South Carolina, my new favorite city. If you haven't been there you should go. It has everything we love: old architecture right on the coast with delightful restaurants and fun shopping.

I survived my first sprint triathalon thanks to my friend Turia. It was in Dewey Beach, Delaware.

Williamsburg, VA.

While Eric kept busy studying and working in peoples mouths I decided to keep busy myself so I finished school at VCU. I studied exercise science and worked as a personal trainer the last two years right up until Eva was born. I guess I moved around a little too much during my pregnancy because now Eva likes to be moving constantly. After being exausted from bouncing her we rushed to the store and bought her a swing. She only likes it on full-blast- what would normally scare most babies.
Graduation May 2007.

Nerd, I know but I had to show that I worked, not just played.

Eric holding our sweet Eva Joy after she was born.

It was a pretty busy past 3 months. Eva was born, we sold our house and 2 cars, Eric graduated and we moved across the country. Here are some pictures of graduation, the formal dinner with Eric's class, and Eric at the dental school working on Reuben, who came in a couple years ago needing a whole mouth makeover. Eric completed all of his work a couple weeks before graduation. I'm proud to say that my husband changed this guy's life just by doing his dental work.

Reuben

Eric with some friends in his class.

Senior Gala.

Graduation.

We made it to our new home

2008-06-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Family and Friends,

We thought that now would be a good time to start blogging since we have moved and our friends and family are spread from California to Virginia. Thanks to Cristi and Brooks we figured it out- we're not too blog savvy.

We moved to Boise, ID 3 weeks ago and Eric has started working as an associate dentist in a practice that he loves. Eva is loving life and making us smile all the time! We miss our friends from VA, but we like our new home. Soon we will add more pictures and details.