Aiden Jarom Cowan

Our first nephew as a married couple arrived yesterday January 23rd, 2011 at 8:02 am. He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz. 21 inches. He is so beautiful! Jared and I went by to see him and mom yesterday since he was delivered via c-section. We saw him about eight hours after he was born, and he was so aware! He had his beautiful deep blue eyes open and was watching everyone. He wasn't highly fussy, and if he did cry it was because his blanket wasn't wrapped tight enough. Hopefully that doesn't change as time goes on.

Big sis Isis holding her new baby brother Aiden

Daddy Jarom looking at his first son. So precious!

And of course, I got to hold him for a good solid hour. Ah, I LOVE the smell of new baby!

I can't wait to get to know this little angel as he grows!

Engagement day

A year ago today, my honey got on bended knee and asked me to marry him for time and all eternity in the exact same spot we first said we loved each other. It's been a wonderful year engaged/married to this man, and that will never change!

So today, Jer drove us to Arches National Park and we walked around and just took tons of pictures! It was so much fun, and a wonderful adventure day for our day off from school and work.

We saw Petroglyphs, and the 'Double Window', and most importantly on of the seven natural wonders of the world, the 'Delicate Arch'.

(see that little white dot under the arch in the left pic? That's my hubby)

It was amazing and mind boggling how big it is!

It's supposedly a 'hard' hike to Delicate Arch, but I really didn't think it was that bad. It's a 3 mile round-trip hike, but it was beautiful the whole way. The thing that was really surprising was that the entire hike you didn't see Delicate Arch at all, until you round the last bend and BAM! There it is. It was very enjoyable weather, and we even sat and looked at it with a couple from New York and chatted for about half an hour.

And of course we played around a bit with the rock formations. 

Needless to say we had an absolute blast of an afternoon!

V-day

I'm a touch late, but I figured better late then never. Our Valentine's was filled with what almost all our previous holidays being married have been....working. Which was fine, because truthfully, Valentine's isn't that important to us...mainly because our "Valentine's" is a full week after on the 21st of Feb when we got engaged. 

But don't get me wrong, I'm all for a day specifically devoted to L.O.V.E. I was actually so excited for it I made a Valentine's wreath about two months ago! I wanted you to see it because I sacrificed many hot glue gun burns+multiple hours sitting making it.

Personally I think its b-e-a-utiful!

Congrats to all those friends who got engaged on Valentines! Hope it was a wonderful lover's day for everyone!

Oh BABY!

The answer is NO for those of you thinking this is a prego announcement. No, this is solely about planning and carrying out a surprise baby boy shower for my sis-in-law Breck. 

I made the invites and sent them out about two weeks ago. This shower was a alphabet shower, ex. B is for Bottle. It was a great idea because Breck got a lot of things that she really needed but wouldn't have necessarily gotten at a normal shower. I personally gave her a handmade (obviously) baby quilt. It was dashing if I do say so myself.

When she first drove up all 25 of us adult women were acting like teenage girls, giddy and excited to hide and jump out when she walked in. It was SO hard for me and Sherrie to sit on the couch, seemingly waiting for Breck to get there so we could have our 'girls craft day'. 

It was an extremely fun shower that I hope everyone enjoyed. I know I did! If I only I didn't have to work tonight so I could have gone with the sister and mother in laws for pedicures after.

Hope everyone had a lovely Saturday!

~M

Daddy-Daughter Skiing Date

Since class got out today at 11 for me and I didn't have to work, Dad and I arranged to take the day and go skiing. I met him at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon and we drove up to Brighton. It was a lovely three hours on the slopes. 

I grew up skiing. Dad actually was the one who taught me when I was three or four, and every winter while I was in public school he'd check me out of school almost every other friday to go skiing. It's one of those childhood memories that come back on days like today. 

Anyways, I love getting back on the slopes. Its so peaceful just gliding down the mountain with the wind in your face, and the snow glistening and such. And the even better part of a day skiing is riding up the lift with Dad. It's nice to get time to just visit and enjoy something we love together. 

Can't wait to be back on the slopes very, VERY soon. 

~M~

Happy Birthday Honey

Today my man is the birthday boy! Twenty five years ago today he came in to this world a little over seven pounds (he guessed) and now he's my world.

Last friday my parents and I took him to Texas Roadhouse for his birthday dinner where we gave him his birthday gift (a new laptop), and they made him sit on the birthday saddle while everyone screamed 'Ye-HAW'!

Look at that dashing smile! He's all mine ladies

 Then today I surprised him with a very red decorated apartment, and his 

birthday cupcakes from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. 

I even sang a solo of Happy Birthday (completely on-tune of course).

I love my baby, and not only is my baby the Birthday Boy, but he's also

the newest employee of Ascend Recovery! That's right, he got the job!

Today is completely full of blessings for us (:

Happy Birthday Jared Hilton Smith! Love you!

My Grandma is AMAZING

Most grandma's don't live into their 90's. I actually had a lot of people growing up being like..."You're grandma is in her 90's?!" Yes, yes I did. But guess what. That has only been surpassed by...NOW. Because my grandma is a Centurion. 100 years old! She was born Feb. 1 1911. Crazy huh?! She has seen some amazing things, and has just as many stories to prove it. She still remembers who I am, and she still has as much tease and sweetness as she did when she was younger.

The old genes definitely run on my mom's side of the family. My grandma actually had a sister that lived to 103. That to me, is so amazing. You have to wonder what secrets or things did they know that we don't? Was it growing up on a farm, being healthy and fit all their lives, eating unprocessed foods that did it? I guess we'll find out as we get older.

A shout out to my amazing grandma who has lived through so much, and is still fighting. I love you.

and p.s. my grandma is cooler then yours :)

I love my Helen Zbinden Buck.

[It's a little blurry cause it was taken via iphone but it still captures the moment]