THINGS I LOVE

1. Husband - A hard working one who worked his tail off for 14 hours today trying to get our backyard put in!
2. Parker - Who makes me feel as though every morning is Christmas when I get to go get him from his crib and see his happy little face (Somedays I feel like a total zombie that early in the a.m., but I am still so excited to see him!).
3. Sunshine! Please stick around...
4. The beautiful area we live in- I just love this little neighborhood we live in. I feel so safe here and so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. The mountain views outside my front door are breathtaking and I just love the beauty that surrounds us here.
5. Family who love my little boy! We are blessed to have great family who absolutely adore Parker. Chris' Mom calls often to tell me that they are having "Parker withdrawls" & are in need of a visit. We feel blessed that Parker has such great grandparents and aunts and uncles who are soooo good with him. He has just one adorable little cousin - Atticus (5 months old) who currently lives in Texas, but we know that eventually they'll be great friends and are grateful to have at least ONE cousin who isn't too far apart in age from him!
6. A baby girl - This pregnancy came somewhat as a surprise - but we couldn't be more thrilled to be expecting Parker's little sis in just three months. Seeing the baby "countdown" on the blog drop below 100 days floors me! In so many ways this has seemed like an eternal pregnancy (it being accompanied by lots of sickness in the first four months, followed by many strange and not so fun medical "issues"...lately I'm pretty good though, knock on wood) but then again, I can't believe I'm in the third tri and that this baby's debut is just around the corner. We're so excited!!!! :)
7. Chris' job - It's been really thrilling for me to sit back and watch Chris as he exercises the doctorate degree that he's worked so hard for this past 8 years!!! He decided as a kid that he wanted to be a Pharmacist when he went on some scout or church outing to a neighbor's pharmacy, which really sparked his interest. As he was going through college working on his undergrad, he at times doubted his abilities to accomplish this goal and wasn't so sure that this was the path for him. But with lots of hard work and perseverance, he made it through and it definitely has paid off! I am so proud of all of his hard work & for all that he's accomplished! Pharmacy really is such a great field and we highly recommend it as pharmacists are in such demand. All in all, we are so grateful that he is blessed to do something that he so enjoys, that he's worked so hard to be able to do, for the way that he's able to provide for our family - and the job security is such an added bonus! Great work, honey! We think you're the best.
8. The Gospel - What a blessing it is to be a member of this church! I am so grateful for all the good things that encompass my life, beliefs, and standards because of it. I'm grateful to be able to move anywhere in the world and have those instant associations and meaningful relationships with many wonderful people that otherwise could take years, if ever, to develop. I'm so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and to know that I have the opportunity to be with lost loved ones again someday. I'm grateful for the meaning my knowledge of the gospel gives my life and for the way it is enriched because of it.
9. Great friends over the years - I've been so blessed throughout my life to have great friends. I had such a wonderful group of close high school friends who were always such amazing examples to me. I was one of the lucky few I guess you could say who really was never "peer pressured" in high school, because those that I hung around with were truly upstanding people. I was also one who was blessed to have a blast in high school and to really leave with no regrets.
I also had great friendships develop in college, and then as Chris and I have been married we've met such wonderful people through our first married student ward, all the way through grad school in Arizona and back. It's hard to keep in touch with everyone that we want to, that is for sure! This blogging thing is so good in that regard... I wish more of them would enter the blogging world!! :)
10. Roxy- I admit - she's really annoys us somedays but we do love her and she really has blessed our lives. Chris picked her out at a no-kill rescue shelter right after we moved to Arizona one day while I was at work, and she has been like a little child to us ever since. Once Parker arrived, her status in the family definitely changed - saying she was demoted is an understatement (I know, poor Roxy), but we love her nonetheless and she's brought us much joy in the almost four years we've had her. Oh, and Parker definitely enjoys having someone to boss around all day. (Once again - poor Roxy...)

Parker Pastimes

Parker love love LOVES to feed the dog. No, I don't mean by giving her a dish full of dog food, but handful by handful, piece by piece. I know what you're thinking - "SICK" - yes, trust me, I know. It grosses me out on a regular basis. Why in the world he derives such great joy from this - I have no idea, but it makes him so happy (he squeals and giggles the entire duration of this little activity each day) & Roxy for some strange reason seems to enjoy it these days as well... (probably because she feels like he's being nice and not trying to torture her somehow). SO - I allow it to happen. If not, I end up putting her food up to keep him out of it and poor Roxy ends up starving all day. Needless to say, I constantly have my trusty vacuum out and am cleaning up the trails left behind by all this dog food.... oh no, there is not just one designated place for these feedings, part of Parker's "fun" is feeding her all over the main floor, and once in a while I find some pieces on the stairs.... we of course are sure to wash up his little hands after this lovely pastime. FUN TIMES!! That's what it's all about, right?

Who can resist those dimples?

I'm sure this may be a familiar story...or is it just me... I had Parker all ready for bed the other night(husband was working the late shift)... bathed, in his jams, all ready to read stories so that the exhausted pregnant Mom can finally go eat her dinner (which will probably be at that point a bowl of cereal). But Parker had other plans as usual and was hopping, squealing, and laughing while running up and down the hall and into his room like a mini mad man, all the while wearing his Dad's favorite BYU hat. Meanwhile, my pathetic worn out body sat helpless in the rocking chair waiting for him to somehow calm himself down so that I could get this little boy into bed and then do the same myself. Seriously -- WHERE DOES ALL THIS ENERGY COME FROM? And could I please have a small fraction of it?? I just had to laugh at his antics, and managed, despite my sheer exhaustion to snap this picture of my silly, good natured, hyperactive, sweet, crazy almost two-year-old little boy. He sure wears me out - but the joy he brings us in return is so worth every minute.

One question -do little girls have this much energy???

STICKERS

So this morning I was blow drying my hair, and I look down to find Parker with these big, white "stickers" that he'd found in the bathroom drawer placed over his eyes and over his head. I started laughing and he just looks up at me, grins, and runs off to his room squealing. I followed behind, grabbing my camera to take advantage of the photo op. He DOES love stickers....especially the ultra thin, super absorbent type...

A picnic in the park

Can you say, "HOORAY!" for warmer weather! Finally we got some this last weekend and Chris and I took advantage by taking Parker on a picnic in the park. He just loves to be outside and I am so looking forward to getting our backyard put in so that we can play out there all summer!!
After experiencing the devastating loss of my brother last Fall, to only be followed by the most awful, dreadful, snow-filled, depressing winter I've ever experienced in my 28 years of Utah life, I have never anticipated the sunshine and warm, bright weather more than I have this last few months! Winter has just dragged on here and we've barely even had a spring seeing as it snowed here just last week. So to have warm weather and sunshine this last few days has been such a welcomed treat (FINALLY)!!!
Oh wait - don't be fooled. It's supposed to cool down and rain for the rest of the week...Sheesh! It's becoming so predictable - I hate it! Oh well, at least Mother Nature blessed us with a couple nice days in there for a minute. After this, can we PLEASE just get on with the seasons as they are scheduled?? Is it only ME that feels this way?? Six months of dark, gloomy weather can't be good for anyone.... can it?
At least I know Roxy agrees and celebrated the warm weather as well

My Boys

Ohhh, aren't they cute?? Besides eye color, (Chris has brown, Parker blue) and hair color (Parker being more of a blondie) Parker looks like a mini version of Chris. Hopefully our baby girl on-the-way will be as lucky...

Thanks Mom

My Mom came up from St. George to stay with us on the evening of Mother's Day (which was also her birthday) & then left early this morning. It was so nice to have her here! It was great to have some extra hands in taking care of Parker for a change & it was fun to have her around for a minute. We went and picked out some darling (seriously) baby girl fabric and she is going to make the baby bedding. I am sooo excited because she worked on it yesterday and it's turning out so cute! I will definitely post a picture of the final product when it is all finished. I'm so looking forward to decorating our little girl's nursery! Thanks Mom for doing this and for all of the work you're putting into it! We loved having you here and appreciate so much all you did while you stayed with us. We love you!

Don't you think that Parker kind of looks like her? I think he definitely looks more like her than myself. I actually didn't take any pictures while she was here, so this was really taken a month or two ago at my house. Sorry for the weird nipple shot of the dog!

This last year

AVAILABLE BACHELOR LOOKING FOR CUTE DATE

So this is my adorable little brother, Steven (holding Parker). If anyone has a friend or sister or association that you know of that might fit with him, please let me know. He needs a date for a formal banquet for work that is coming up the towards the end of May, and I thought this would be a fun way to find him one. He is 22 years old, an RM, goes to the U of U and is working towards a degree in business, is going to be an EFY counselor for 8 weeks this summer, and is a lot of fun to be around! Oh and did I mention that he's a super nice guy and a great uncle? If anyone knows of a fun, cute girl we could line him up with, let me know! (If you want any other details about him, feel free to email me.) This picture is from last summer, there are several more of him in the post below. :) Help me out! It's fun to play matchmaker, right?

Night at the Pizza Factory and the Play Zone

My Mom and Stepdad were in town to close on their house on Tuesday night, so we met up with them and that crew at The Pizza Factory/Fat Cats for dinner. It was fun to see them! After eating, we took the kids into the "Play Zone" there and Parker had a great time on the slide... My Mom, little brother Steven, and Parker
Don't mind the big pregnant belly front and center!

Unfortunately, Chris had to work so he missed out.

Parker is obsessed with SLIDES! He is absolutely fearless when it comes to things like this and he can't get enough of them! He went down this slide again and again for an hour straight! Needless to say, he had a great time playing.

Mr. Charismatic

A few Sundays ago after church, I was trying to get Parker to hold still for a picture - but with no luck. So this is what I captured. I have to admit - it depicts his personality far better than him sitting still for me on the couch ever would have. He sure is always on the go and these days he climbs on whatever he can possibly find. If you look closely, you can see that he is actually standing on a tupperware full of powdered sugar that he'd just pulled out of the cupboard. He is such a good-natured little boy and is full of endless entertainment. I had no idea how much personality could come in such a tiny little person! He has enriched our lives so much & we are so grateful to have him as a part of our family. We love you, Parker and can't imagine our lives without you!

SICK DAYS - lots of them

Today was the first day in the last nine that I've stepped foot out of my house! Parker and I have been so so sick for the last week. I was "struck" with a horrible throat infection which came along with lots of nasty side effects - it was just awful. I will spare you all of the gorry details, but I don't remember ever having such a bad sore throat - especially one as relentless and ongoing as this. You know when you are just so sick and in so much pain that you can't function, and in fact wouldn't mind someone just doing you the favor of putting you out of your misery? That was me! The hard part was HAVING to function because I had poor Parker to take care of, who wasn't nearly as bad off as myself, but still had a bad cold and endless runny nose. Poor Chris has been sleeping in the guest bedroom for the last week in an effort to avoid this nasty germ, but he still ended up getting a little sick. Parker is still "under the weather", and in fact seems to have gotten worse the last few days. I just feel for the little guy, but I am so glad to be feeling better myself so I can give him the care he needs. All in all, I am happy to say that I survived, although last week I wasn't quite sure whether that would be the outcome. Talk about sounding dramatic - I know - but it was that bad! Overall, Parker's only had a few small bugs here in there in his almost two years of life, and for that we are so grateful! This last week has really made me more empathetic for those who experience chronic pain and illnesses that so many out there have to deal with on an ongoing basis! It's awful to not only feel so broken physically, but it can really break your spirit too because it's so consuming that it's all you can think about or feel. Imagine that - just a simple week of the flu & I sure came out with renewed appreciation for the good health I've experienced throughout my life! I have much to be grateful for.

Still a Girl!

Isn't she Sweet?

Early last week we had our "official" doctor's ultrasound. Yes, we cheated several weeks ago by going to Fetal Photos to find out what we were having, who had assured us that it was a girl. SO, at the official 20 week ultrasound done in the doctor's office, we were relieved to find out that we didn't have to shift gears in our thinking or anything, that this baby really IS a girl. She is right on target and from what they can tell, she is looking very healthy. There was a big surprirse however for another couple who saw my Dr. that morning... They, too, had gone to Fetal Photos several weeks ago and were told it too was a girl, only to find out that morning at the Dr.'s office that it was really a BOY! We were grateful to NOT be the ones on the receiving end of that shocking news that morning, and to know that I wouldn't need to be returning any of the cute new girl outfits I've recently bought! I'm still trying to get used to the idea that we're even having another baby, let alone a girl this time around. We're really excited for what is coming our way. Well, besides major sleep deprivation and all the added chaos that is.....I'm really trying to enjoy all the sleep I can get these days because I know it'll all be coming to an end in a few short months.... What can we say though - we're still so excited for this new little person to join our family!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

So we're finally joining the world of blogging. I've resisted doing this for a long time for various reasons, but finally convinced myself that if for no other reason it will be worth it to motivate me to journal our life. Time sure flies and although I always think that I'm not going to forget all the special moments, I find that with the hustle and bustle of everyday, I don't reflect enough on the small moments that enrich my life. Hopefully this will help Chris and I and our family as it grows down the line, to remember all the many things we have to be grateful for, and the great journey that we've made along the way. Here we go blogging! (Yikes - I feel like a dork already!)

Baby #2

So our most recent "news", in case you haven't already heard, is that we are expecting our newest member of the Hansen clan coming up on September 1st. That makes me 20 weeks along, and yes, in case you are wondering, I am wearing PINK because it's a GIRL! Needless to say, we are very excited for this new addition. Growing up without a sister, I was always jealous of my friends who all seemed to have one. Although, I have to say, they were good at sharing the ones they had with me (Lacey and Brooke!). So I am so excited to be getting a girl in this capacity who is a part of me. I've always said that if I have ONE daughter, I've got to give her sister so that they can have what I didn't. I guess only time will tell on that one! Meanwhile, we are thrilled and are trying to wrap our brains around the idea of pink, dolls and bows after the twenty months we've spent with Parker in boy mode. He will be a great big brother and we're so excited to have one of each!

Easter 2008

In preparation for Easter, we did lots of "practice" egg hunts with Parker throughout our house the week leading up to the big day. He thought it was the best game to run around and find the empty eggs we hid for him. It's been several weeks since Easter and he still asks to play with the eggs!
Easter at Mimi's (my Grandma's) is always a big event. Parker found lots of eggs on the hunt and loved the toys from his baskets. Every time we turned around, he seemed to have found a piece of chocolate that he was trying to shove into his mouth (or that Uncle Steven was opening for him!). All that available sugar was a little stressful for Chris and I, but heaven for Parker. The kid is already addicted!
The Hansen's had a nice Easter dinner and yet another fun egg hunt. Uncle Dustin kept telling him to "put his eyes on" while he hunted, so Parker kept walking around with one hand over his eye, and the other holding onto his basket, which kept everybody laughing. What a fun day!

DISNEYLAND March 2008

Early in March we were able to get away and go on a much needed - and in my opinion - much deserved vacation. Chris and I have gone to Disneyland numerous times during our marriage and we were sooo excited to this time around have a little person to enjoy it with! We had such a great time!! Here is a little recap below.... If you look closely, you can see the airplane behind us. We were sure glad when the flight landed, and I'm sure our fellow passengers were as well. They must have been so grateful to be relieved of Parker's screams and cries! That plane ride was by far the most stressful part of the trip!
As you can see, Parker absolutely LOVED meeting Mickey Mouse! It was so fun to see his excitement as he met his little friend, who he calls "Me-Me".

One of Parker's favorite attractions was the PHONE in our hotel room! We couldn't keep him away from it. We finally unplugged it so that he could enjoy himself without calling for roomservice.
Toon Town was a big hit with Parker! He loved going through Minnie and Mickey's houses and exploring all the cartoon-like features there. He also loved Buzz Light Year, The Jungle Cruise, Nemo, watching the nightly parades, and he was fascinated by all the ducks and birds walking around the Disney grounds. We had such a great time and it was so nice to get away and have some quality family time together without all the everyday distractions of home.

A Little Rewind to Graduation! Midwestern University 2007

After eight+ long years of college, Chris finally graduated from Pharmacy school last June of 2007. We had such great experiences over our years as "poor married students", and we'll always look back on those days with great memories. We absolutely loved the three years we spent in Arizona. I was blessed with a great job there that I really enjoyed at a dental office up until I had Parker, Chris (for the most part) really enjoyed Midwestern, & we were so blessed to be in a wonderful ward and made great friends that we will never forget. Above Chris is posing with two of his closest friends whom he met at school and carpooled with almost everyday. They are like the three stooges and have such a great time together. We are grateful that we still get to see them as they, too, coincidentally are originally from UT and also moved back here post graduation. We will always look back on those times spent in Arizona with the fondest memories. With the dreadful winter we've experienced here in Utah this year, we sure wish we were enjoying the awesome weather Arizona offers this time of year! Finally being graduated is a strange phenomenon that we are still trying to get used to, but Chris is really enjoying his job and we feel so blessed because of it and the journey that we took in getting to this point in our lives. It was all so well worth the long years of school and any "sacrifices" that may have been made along the way. In reality, we were 100% blessed the entire time.