No Internet, No Blogging

We moved to Kansas at the end of February and decided to not get the internet at our new place... Which is a pro and a con. Pro is that I am forcing myself to get more projects done that have been on my to-do list for far too long, but con is that I can't keep up with my blogging.
This week I came down to Colorado to hang out with Jena and help them out while she had a minor little surgery (I say minor so that hearts don't start skipping a beat, she's healthy and happy! I'm sure she'll update on the ordeal in her own time:)) Consequently, I've stolen their internet to do some catch up blogging while Will and Shaffer are napping.
These last few months have been lots of fun. We're living in a small town in Kansas, where the wind never stops blowing, tornados threaten, and where we've made some killer good friends.  This project that Rich is working on is nice because we have two other LDS guys that are working with Rich and they have wives and babies! Sooo, I actually have FRIENDS that are BOMB! It's really, really nice to have girls to hang out with who are super in the mommy business too.

Will has been growing like crazy. He now has two teeth (bottom front teeth), rolls from his back to his tummy like a pro, is eating "solids" and loves it, is no longer swaddled to sleep but sleeps with a "lovely" (his bear) and blanket AND sleeps on his tummy! (We NEVER let him do that before he was 5 mo. and did it himself), and he is full of cheerful babbles. I am in heaven watching him grow and develop! 

I'll get crackin' on the updates here! 

  (Our cute Minnesota snow baby! February 2012)

We were assigned to the Kansas wind farm project, and moved at the end of February from snowy, populated Minnesota to warmer, more baren Kansas. This move wasn't as much of a shock as our move to Iowa was, thank heaven. I anticipated the small town feel and was simply thrilled that our town not only has a Wal Mart but a HOBBY LOBBY too :)

***

There are many times as a mom where you experience moments that want to etch in your memory forever. Times where I look into William's bright blue eyes and see him light up in a smile, times when I snuggle him close and he seems to be holding me back, times where we are together as a family and my heart feels to beat extra strong... these are moments I don't want to have fade with time.

In March William and I took a trip to Colorado to hang out with Jena while Rich was in Minnesota finishing up some details for his current project.  It was such a relief to be with my sister and mom (since she was there to help with their move and new baby). I didn't realize how being in the house alone would wear on my nerves. After a week alone I finally got a good night's rest, it made me feel like a new woman!
Logan and Shaffer were very attentive to Will's needs. It was adorable to see them trying to play with him and make him happy.

Mom was playing "round and round the garden goes the teddy bear" with Shaffer- he was LOVING it! 

How can your heart not melt at this smile?!?!

William makes Oaklie look like a toy doll. I like to say he's going to be her big protector.

Who doesn't love a big cheeser grin, food and all??

My sister with her sweet big boy and little Oaklie girl. She's such a fabulous mom. You can't even tell that she just recently had a baby in these pictures! Love and hate her for that ;)

Logan really wanted his picture taken with baby sis. Her face cracks me up every time I look at this picture! Utterly flattering.

Miss Oaklie Jena Rohatinsky. She is such a precious little girl. Rich came down at the end of our week with Jena and her family. I'm pretty sure he melted into a puddle of mush over her!

We spent some good park time together in Colorado.

William got his SECOND haircut while we were there also! He's looking foxy with the new buz (that... is now grown out a lot because it took me forever to post..!)

The three grandsons. Their charming smiles are addicting. I  love my boys!

Logan wanted to hold Oaklie, and once he had her we put William by him. Logan then told us that we should take a picture, and how could we not!?

This sweet little girl is so fun to dote over. It hasn't been long since William was her age/size but it feels like forever because he's such a tank now.

Shaffer takin' a snooze after lunch. Impressive sleeping arrangement for the kid that never sleeps unless he's in his bed.

William LOVES to try to rough and tumble with William. It is so nice to have Rich around to play with William in ways I don't think to... (like rolling around in circles on the floor, or holding him upside down and making silly faces to get a laugh ;))

Rich is also very tender with William.  Since he works CRAZY long hours he goes to work before William gets up and then gets back after William goes to bed. He peeks in and gives him a kiss after he's asleep, then we have Sundays and every 3 weeks a 4 day weekend together where they get to spend daddy-son time. It makes me sad they don't have time together, but giddy when I see how Will attaches to Rich after a long weekend together.

Like I said above, William has figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy. He is so curious about everything that's going on around him. I love to see him reach for toys and slowly get one in his hands so he can suck on it.

Our little man is an eating machine! He likes most everything, but while he was teething he didn't want to have anything to do with me feeding him.  It resulted in me doing dinner and a show (the show being me using toys, my water bottle, singing, and other resourceful methods to get him to smile so I could pop in a spoon full of food!)

Our Mortenson baby!

Ricky and I celebrated our TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY! We remembered to take a picture together after we had changed out of our nice clothes for the evening.  I feel very blessed to be married to such an incredible guy. He makes me happy and helps me to feel validated when I feel inadequate in every way. -I love you, Richard! You still make me giddy :)

Our little man is to DIE FOR CUTE! Seriously. I love seeing him peacefully sleeping.  It makes me catch my breath. Will's thing is to sleep with his bear close to his face. It made me nervous at first, but I just watch him closely and let him find ways to soothe himself to sleep.

William has the best blue eyes. He is discovering his toes and his building up his core muscles so he can learn to sit up and crawl. As a warning, I am going to freak out when he does both of those things...

I adore our mornings together...

The sweet little bear of ours loves his walker- especially chewing on the horn.  It used to play music and flash lights, but he drools excessively over it and I'm pretty sure the quantity of drool that doused it killed both the music and the lights. Sad day.

In short, we are having a blast with this kid of ours! I find incredible satisfaction from being a mom and from being able to be with William every day.  The long hours Rich pulls are hard and taxing, but we're grateful he has a good stable job that provides for our little family.  We're working on over coming imperfections and having fun as we learn to laugh at out silly mistakes and miscommunications.  We feel blessed continually to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and are thankful for the power of prayer that guides us in what we should do as a family.  Life is treating us well, tornado warnings and all :)