Good Ideas and Bad Ideas

The last week has been just comical at our house.  Camden is fully walking now and has no inhibition as to what he tries to do (I blame it on the helmet--he's truly fearless). He is also discovering so many new things, and it's just fun to watch.  We're learning from our mistakes, however.  Here are a few of them:

Good Idea: inviting friends over to play.

Bad Idea: drinking bug infested, 3-day-old pool water.

Good Idea: Teaching Cam to like the slide.

Bad Idea: letting him try going down head first--now it's all he wants.  

Good idea: Letting Cam learn to play on his own when mommy needs to get things done. 

Bad idea: leaving the tissue box within his reach.  

 Good Idea: using the stroller as a pack n' play while i make dinner... 

Bad idea: now whenever he sees the stroller he wants to get it out and push.

Good Idea: letting Cam help me cook.

Bad Idea: letting him get addicted to playing with spices...and watching them spill on the floor. 

Good Idea: Teaching Cam to love music and the piano.

 Bad Idea: Letting Cam do it on his own. Now he'll never let us help. 

Sticky fingers + piano keys = horrified Mom and Dad

It's been fun to watch him learn.  He's growing up really fast. He has more of a little personality every day. 

The Gardener in Our Backyard

Mat had this weekend off, so he spent quite a few hours trying to redo our backyard.  It was complete weeds when we moved in and over the 9 months that we've lived here, they grew to a healthy 4-5 feet tall.  Mat had to weed the entire thing (it's not huge, but indulge me) then level it with a little, plastic toddler rake (word to Camden for letting Dad use his birthday gift). We bought some dirt to level it even more, then planted seed and fertilizer, etc. Then he pruned back the tree that hangs into our yard from our neighbor's. 

Camden loves being outside, so we all spent one morning outside together.  Cam played in his pool while I sat and read a book, and Mat worked (I'm a great wife, can you tell?). As I sat watching Mat, though, I was overcome by the hard work he was putting into it.  He was sweating and tired, but he worked relentlessly to perfect every part of our little backyard.  He was to be master of it--I could see it in his eyes.  It was becoming his pride and joy, and he would spend many hours caring for it.  I was suddenly reminded of the Allegory of the  Olive Tree and how the master goes to work with his servants.  I could see how much it mattered to Mat the outcome of our little plot and he refused to let it fail.  In that moment, I felt like I saw a little glimpse into what our Heavenly Father and our Savior feel for us.  They truly sweat and work and care for us in every way. It made me want to work a little harder on myself, so maybe in the future, I wouldn't need as much pruning. 

Somehow it didn't quite motivate me enough to get up and help Mat, though.  :) 

Camden's Birthday Revisited

Mat and I had a blast celebrating Camden's birthday this last week. I thought I'd share a few of the highlights.  

  On Thursday, his actual birthday, we went out to dinner as a family to Qdoba and bought Camden his first burrito (ok, it was more of a taco, but Mat deemed it worthy of the word "burrito"--which is almost a sacred word in our home). Cam LOVED it! 

He loved my burrito a little more though. 

We bought a cupcake with vibrant blue frosting for him to demolish.  He wasn't quite sure at first, but then he got into it. 

We let him open gifts and he had a blast.  

Then he found the box--and it was all over. 

We had some friends over for cake and ice cream on Sunday to celebrate. It was more for us than for Cam, but all parties had fun. I made a cake...

out of cupcakes...

and Mat carved the roast beast... I mean, the watermelon. 

Mat was so proud of his masterpiece that we used him as a scarecrow in front of our house.  I'm not sure what he's scaring away, but whatever it is, they are scared.  I can feel it. 

We had a great time celebrating our little baby, who's not so little anymore. 

My Mom's A College Graduate

About a month ago, Camden and I had the chance to go to Utah to see my mom graduate from college. Because of pregnancy and illness, my mother was unable to finish her last semester.  She always wanted to finish it, but somehow raising 5 children got in the way (we're needy children :) ). She recently went back and finished and all 5 of us kids flew/drove out for it. 

The "Original 7"

While there, we had the opportunity to go to a luncheon congratulating her, to her commencement and graduation, and she even got interviewed by BYUTV--they made a commercial out of her journey through her degree. 

She is a true hero to not only her five children, but to hundreds of people that she has influenced through her callings in church, through the school board, and her every day activities.  I am so proud of her! Love you, Mom!

Happy Birthday Camden!

Happy Birthday Camden!  I'm so glad you're mine!  Love you!

My Little One-Year Old

Camden is turning one next week, and I'm sitting here trying to figure out where the last year went.  I feel like it was yesterday that we discovered we were pregnant, then I blinked, and he was born, then I blinked, and I was planning his first birthday.  But enough of my reminiscing. Camden has really started to have a little personality, and it is so fun!  Allow me to tell you a little bit about him:

Camden loves to smile. I take him to the YMCA with me almost daily and he now waves at the lady at the front desk, and other people often run over to say hello to him.  They have no idea his name, but he is a literal celebrity because of his 4-toothed grin. I promise that we don't ask him to smile for pictures.  He just does.  That's just who he is. He's quite the little social butterfly. (He gets it from his father. ;) ) He will randomly wave and almost anyone, and can even do it on command now, always with such a satisfied little grin. 

He also loves to laugh, at the silliest little things. Check out this video of him with his cousin.  

Since he has learned to stand, he absolutely LOVES pushing anything and everything from point A to point B: 

the doctor's chair, 

the stroller,  

the shopping cart, you name it.  He has whole-heartedly enjoyed being able to move on his own. 

Since Camden has been sick so much, he is quite the cuddle-bug.  He will curl up in Mat's or my arms several times a day, wiggle himself onto my crossed legs on the floor, or hug my legs if he is scared.  It's quite cute, and I'm living it up, as I'm sure once he realizes that it's not cool to hug Mom, that will end quickly. 

Cam loves his daddy, and his daddy loves him.  He likes to work on projects with daddy,

and sometimes I will find them from time to time sitting together in the same position, or doing something that only dads can do with their sons. 

Camden loves food, 

loves to color, 

loves to explore,

 and loves to try and fit himself in small places.  

He gives great, big sloppy kisses, blows kisses, gives high-fives, knows how to sign "all done", "please", and "more", and is learning a myriad of other things daily, including throwing tantrums.  

He loves to swing, to jump with "dada", and he just recently discovered his little chair that we have for him.  I will often find him pushing it to a random place, then he'll crawl up in it, and sit back, with a satisfied look on his face. 

Camden also loves music.  When we sing to him he will stop and listen, and now often we can hear him joining us in his own jibberish.  

He loves books, and will saddle up and read with almost anyone (but grandma was a personal favorite on vacation!).  

Camden makes a lot of messes, and it's hard to know how to react to them. It's cute....after I've cleaned them up.

We are truly in love with him.  He surprises us every day and makes our lives so interesting.  We couldn't have asked for a better child.  Happy First Birthday on Thursday, Camden!