Here are some pre-Halloween pictures. We took JJ's first trip to Lombardi's Ranch. He had lots of fun. As we sat him by the pumpkins, he loved to touch them, and also he loved playing with the hay. He even went on the very top of the huge stack of hay (with Da-da's help, of course). For those of you that don't live out here, they have a little train, petting zoo, animals, and even a "scarecrow alley".

I love this picture of JJ with mama, and JJ and daddy. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take a family picture all together. Next year we will for sure. I can't believe we are starting to celebrate the holidays for the first time as a family. It is so cool to be a mama! I can't wait until my favorite holidays: Christmas and Thanksgiving. We had lots of fun on his first trip to a pumpkin patch!


Here are some pictures taken on Halloween. He started the day in his "I love my Mummy" shirt. He's was so cute in the shirt. Then, it was off to church for the "Harvest Hang Time."

We only stayed for a little while to make an appearance and take some family pictures. When JJ gets older, he will enjoy the Harvest Hangtime more, when he can play in the bounce houses, play the games, and get candy. :)

Our cute little dinosaur was quite the hit! He's about the cutest thing Brice and I have ever seen. I can't imagine having another baby...I'll be too worried that he/she will never match up to how amazing JJ is. He is such a good baby, and starting to be even more fun as the days go on. He now interacts so much, and brings so much joy to our hearts.
Thank you Lord for such a huge blessing. Just last night, Brice went into kiss JJ after he was asleep. He took a while, so I went in his room to discover Brice crying tears of joy. He and I both are so overwhelmed sometimes by the joys of parenthood. We couldn't ask for more.

I will write more soon to give some more updates of events that passed.

Pray!

Pray, pray, pray!

Brice takes the written test for the LA County Fire Department next Wednesday...Pray that God will help him think clearly, and do his best, and of course, pass!

I'm praying, and believing God has great things in mind for us.

Our Sweet Chickadee

~Our little chickadee is so precious! Here are a couple of adorable pics of JJ right after bath time. He loves baths, and that happens to also be one of mama's favorite part of playing with little Jackson.
~It has been quite a while since I've posted...our sweet boy is already over 4 months old!

How time flies! Right now, we are hopeful that I may be able to stay home in the future and not have to work full time anymore. Brice got a letter from Los Angeles County Fire Department last week, inviting him to take the written test on September 30th.

We have been praying for about a year that God would direct Brice to the career path he should be on, and the Lord has seemed to be quiet for a while. We know He is still there, but we (especially me) have been really struggling with me having to work full time. I have really been about at my whit's end and really trying to lean on faith that God knows my heart and my strong desire to be at home with this amazing, sweet blessing from above.

Then, out of the blue, God opened this door. From what we here from other firefighters, getting a letter from LAFD is almost the same as winning the lottery. It doesn't seem to matter what background you have, what education you have, or who you know; it's really luck. We know luck had nothing to do with it. Grace has everything to do with it. So, we now have a glimpse of hope as this could be in our grasp. We are moving forward, believing God will work it out. Brice also takes the CPAT test next week, which he's already passed once. Brice feels very confident that he'll pass with no problems.

So, I will try to post more often, especially adding more pictures of our sweet boy. Jackson is just amazing. He ate a full serving of rice cereal for the first time tonight. He didn't really love the idea of eating slowly from a spoon; he'd rather just drink out of the bottle. But, he did really well! He is rolling over both ways now, and still learning to laugh. He doesn't really belly laugh yet but I can tell that he wants to laugh. I love to tickle him and kiss him!

Until I write again...

Laundry

So, who would have thought that laundry would all of the sudden get enjoyable? I just can't get over how cute baby clothes are! I know JJ will out-grow so many of these oh-so-precious outfits very soon, so I have got to enjoy it while I can. I love him so much and want to document that he smiled at his mommy for the first time this week. It just made me melt! I love all of these "firsts". Yay for him being 5 1/2 weeks already! It's going too fast...

Introducing...

We welcomed Jackson Jett to the earth on April 23 at 9:05 a.m. His birth was text-book, and we felt it went great! Contractions started around 9:00 a.m. on April 22nd, his due date. We kept track of them, and they started progressing throughout the day, and at 6:00 p.m. they were about 6-7 minutes apart. We had not eaten dinner yet, and I wanted Panera, so we headed off there. I thought, "I'm not gonna eat until after I have the baby, so I want one last quality meal before we head to Kaiser. So, Panera it was. As we were driving, the contractions got more severe due to the bumpy roads. They were about 5 minutes apart while we dined...so, we ate fast and headed back to the house to grab our stuff. (P.S. We saw Renelle there with her study group, and the ladies were freaking out saying, "Lady, you better get to the hospital!" But I knew we'd be ok from what we learned in our class...We also saw Nick Wasniak there, one of our dear friends. He was excited that we were getting so close!)
Here's the last pic of me before we left for the hospital...my last prego pic! So, we arrived at Kaiser in Panorama City around 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. and they checked me out. They monitored me for a while and then had me walk around for a while to help move me along. Brice was an amazing coach...He helped me the whole time. He was encouraging and did everything we learned in our class. After getting an epidural, they broke my water around 6:30a.m. and I progressed very fast after that. I went from 6 cm dilated to 10 cm in about an hour, which was awesome, and they had me start practice pushing around 8:00 a.m. He was born only an hour later. I actually couldn't believe it when I heard him scream. I thought it would take longer. So, he was 5lbs 15oz and 18 inches long. He's just a little guy, and oh so cute!

Here is a picture of my First Mother's Day, which was nice. It was a beautiful day. We relaxed and watched the Lakers at my parent's house. Brice and my family made it special for me with gifts and cards...Thanks guys!

Brice and I were just talking today about how much he's already grown. We can't believe that next Thursday he'll be a month old! Wow! He is gaining a little personality too, with fun faces and noises. We are in wonder as we look at God's creation...the connection between a parent and child is indescribable.

We do want to always protect our marriage and have time for us in this new journey. We believe the example of a godly marriage will be invaluable for him, and an important piece to him understanding God's love. (We will soon attempt to go on our first date without Jackson...We've agreed to go a minimum on once a month.)

More than anything, we pray often that JJ will meet God at an early age. And that we will be godly parents; loving, patient, gracious, kind, fun...that we will only aide him in knowing Him. That's our goal. Our new purpose in life.

Tea for Two

About 3 weeks ago, Brice and I had tea together. I am always having tea with my girlfriends, and I told Brice I'd like him to come with me sometime because it's so fun and tasty! He was very thoughtful and actually got me a gift certificate to The Tea Gardens for Valentine's Day and said it was for us to go together. What a guy! So, we went and enjoyed good food together. I was explaining to him that "tea" usually takes a minimum of 3 hours when I'm with girlfriends because it's really about the social gathering. He and I were done in about an hour. Ha! But, I didn't expect him to be my girlfriend...He's my husband! Thanks again babe for going with me to something I enjoy...You're the best hubby ever!

Last Bit of Showers...

Well, in the last few weeks, I was able to have 2 more showers. The first was hosted by my

Mom and Judy...however, Mom spent some time in the hospital up to the day before, and Judy was sick the day of the shower. So my best friends Renelle and Laina also stepped in to help. It was such a wonderful shower with mainly family. It was so nice and lovely. Thanks everyone!

Then, my sister and friend Laina hosted a shower with my friends. It was so cute with the jungle theme. Renelle decorated the cutest cake I've ever seen. It also was another lovely shower with some of my closest friends. I was so happy to enjoy such a wonderful afternoon! Thanks ladies for being such a blessing in my life!


I can't believe that I am less than 3 weeks away from my due date!!! I am getting so anxious and excited to see his little face. What will he look like?
When will he come? Will I be able to do it without drugs like I want?
Will everything go smoothly?
I want him to look just like Brice, but he wants him to look like me. Good thing we know God is in control of all! We can't wait! We'll keep you all posted!

Life as we know changing

Today was my last day at work before being out for maternity leave. Part of me is very excited to finally be able to breathe and rest...The other part is in limbo, as I don't know what my future holds. BUT, I do know that God knows, which gives me peace. Pray for both of us that we will trust God with our future, and rest in His peace.

Baby Shower (#1)

Thank you Stephanie and Renelle
for hosting such a wonderful joint choir shower for Amanda and I!

We are so blessed to have wonderful examples of godly mommies and grandmas in the choir. Everything about the shower was so wonderful! The food was so delicious, the games were fun, and the ladies were so generous in giving us such amazing gifts! It really touched me to know that some of the ladies from choir even took the time to prepare handmade items for my little sweet pea...It was so special to me. I shared with some of the ladies that I don't have any grandparents left in my family, and that I am so thankful to have a whole new set of family with the choir. Thank you, thank you, thank you! May God richly bless each of you!

Valentine's Weekend

I am so glad Brice and I were able to enjoy a relaxing weekend in San Diego for Valentine's Day!
Brice was singing in a men's quartet (which was incredible, by the way!) Sunday morning, so we left after church was over. We made great time, and arrived at my parent's timeshare in the afternoon. As you can see, the room was very nice. I even took a picture of the lamp for my sister, the bird-lover! Cute, huh?


Sunday night, Brice surprised me by taking me to a local playhouse. We were in the second row for the play "Love Song". It was a romantic comedy and was very well-done! It was super fun and we laughed out loud quite a bit!

For the rest of the trip, we just relaxed and watched Fireproof. Which, by the way, if you haven't seen, it is a must-see! It was quite lovely to have no plans for a couple days...Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us enjoy the timeshare one last time before Baby Boy comes into the world next month!

Love is in the Air

Happy Valentine's Day...
Brice, I am so glad we have so much fun together. I am blessed to be married to you! How I love you...Let me count the ways...I love you because:
1. You love God
2. You love me for me...whether I'm all dressed up, or at the house with no make up and my comfy pants: you still think I'm beautiful
3. You make me laugh
4. You have the most adorable dimples of anyone I've ever known
5. We can have so much fun doing everyday activities: making dinner, cleaning, watching tv, etc
6. I've known you for so many years
7. You're my best friend
8. You're really hot
9. You're creative
10. You're passionate
11. We can't stay mad at each other for more than a few minutes
12. You're the father of the baby in my belly
13. You are comforting to me when I'm sad or stressed
14. You help me keep a grounded perspective
15. You know me well
16. You have a great smile
17. You're adventurous
18. You aren't afraid to cry with me
19. You're athletic
20. You accept all people: you're not judgmental or "clicky"
21. You like animals
22. You are an amazing singer
23. You give good massages
24. You like sports...I love watching sports with you
25. You like being outdoors: camping, surfing, etc
Just to name a few...
Love you babe!

A VERY Busy January...

Well we started out the month with a happy new year at our good friends' Josh and Laina's house. Brice had to work and didn't get to their house until about 11:45. Josh, Laina, and I sat around, practically falling asleep, asking each other, "Is it midnight yet?" "Nope, it's only 9:30!" Well, I think we all realized we are finally there. Old.

Ahhhh the good old days are gone of hanging out in a filled house with young adults, wondering who we would be standing next to when the ball dropped! It is funny what change will come in only a few short years.

We also did our yearly tradition of seeing a movie at Grauman's Chinese Theater. This time we saw "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey. It was definitely laugh out loud funny! Before the flick we indulged ourselves at California Pizza Kitchen. (We're stoked about getting one here in Valencia soon!)



We also painted the nursery with the help of my loving dad, mom, and sis! Thanks guys for helping with this not-so-fun task! Your help means so much to this prego!

Meet the newest addition to our family: Chai. She is a sweet kitty who we adopted from our friends Ricky and Barrett. They had moved, and she needed a new home. We are so happy she's a part of our family now!

In addition to all this, we also enjoyed attending our friends wedding: James and Tinna we love you and are so glad we could be there on your big day! I was also able to enjoy 2 lovely teas: One with Renelle, Mom, Lindsay, and Bev, and the second with Mom, Renelle, Judy, and Jill for Judy's birthday. Happy Birthday my wanna-be-mom!

Lastly, Brice and I were able to enjoy a breathtaking day at the beach. We enjoyed breakfast at our favorite diner Pete's in Ventura. Then, we drove to Carpinteria for the remainder of the day. Oh how great it is to be with my sweet husband! We are trying to get "time for us" in as much as possible before baby boy comes in April...as we know it will be limited forever after that! We did some window shopping, and of course went to Rainbow Ice Cream Shop, where my ultimate favorite ice cream is...Kona Chip. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we really needed the breath of fresh air. Thank you God for giving us a glimpse of Your beauty!

We also enjoyed walking across the street from us and taking in the sights at Castaic Lake. It was very nice and relaxing. Thanks honey for a wonderful walk in the park!

Over and over we realize how blessed we are. We are given so much more than we deserve. "Thank you God for choosing to give us grace when we deserve death. Please continue to shower us with Your love as we enter into parenthood. Bless our son as you have blessed us so graciously!"