Digger Man

So every time we pass a tractor or digger Gage says "ride tractor". Well, Gage has been sick the past little bit and it's been sad to see him down, now he is finally starting to act like he is getting better. So we told him we could go ride tractors, anyway, as you can see he loved it. I don't know where the obsession came from, but it started when his Grandma gave him a book called "Digger Man" and in the illustrations the little boy actually looks like Gage. So he'll point to the pictures and say "Gage" when it shows the little boy and "Josie" when it talks about his little baby brother.


And Josie is starting the whole cooing and smiling stage which I forgot was so fun. Sorry about all the pics, I just can't help myself.

Blast from the Past

While I was at my parent's house, my brother in law, Paul, gave me this picture to take a look at some awesome hairstyles. So, Raquel, this one is for you :) My mom was only 24 and my dad, 25. Crazy!

Josie's First Christmas

We had an amazing Christmas Eve party. My mom went all out on the decorations and it was fun to be with family. As Cody and I were driving home from the party we couldn't help but feel so blessed. It made us want to act in a way to show our gratitude for such a wonderful family and all the blessings we feel in our lives.

Lexi was especially fun to see this holiday season, she is visiting from BYU-I. I love the girl. Carly has a new boyfriend that the whole family loves, so it should be interesting to see how her little love life progresses. Raquel is always fun to be with and her little Presley lights up the room.

Gage was a riot Christmas morning, even though he is feeling sick, he still managed to squeal as he opened his Cars and Trucks. His big gift the year was a wagon from the Startins and a table and chair set from the Woods. I feel I made out well, with a new lens for my camera and Cody got a Kitchenaid Mixer. Kinda bizarre that the man of the house would request a kitchen appliance, but I quess it's okay to not fit the stereotype.

I can't wait to hear how all your holiday fun went. I'll be blog stalking all of you :)

Ward Christmas Party

As you already know Cody and I are the Activity Chair people of our ward, and I'm happy to say we had a great turnout to the big Ward Christmas party. The highlight for me was how willing everyone was to help out. I handed out 39 lbs of chicken to my friends in the ward to cook up and bring, I bought a huge amount of salad from Costco, relief society gals baked up a bunch of potato dishes, and the rest of the ward brought desserts. We had a talent portion and then Mr. and Mrs. Clause were nice enough to fit us into their busy schedule to come and have the kids sit on their laps.

What we've been up to

So I know it's been a while since I updated. I've just been enjoying our new addition, having family come into town, spending time with family and friends, planning ward parties, and taking people's pictures.
I never enjoyed Cody's peeps more than this past Thanksgiving. We had all of them staying out our humble abode and it was like a party every night. Jad (Cody's older brother) ran the Turkey Trot with me and it was fun to see many of you there. We were able to have some great conversations and deepen our friendship. I also loved being around my nieces and nephews, they are growing up so much and it is hard that we live so far away from them. Even though I was pretty much at the kiddie table for the Thanksgiving feast it was fun to eat all the good food that was prepared. Thank You, Startins for all the fun, food, and SHOPPING! Best "Black Friday" ever!

The picture of Gage in the swing is us at "park day" that we participate in every Friday. A group of girls from my ward all get together and let our kids run wild in the park. I remember thinking that I would never have a child old enough to participate in those kinds of things as it was brought up in Relief Society, but now its crazy that I have my Gage who loves it.
I have to say though that I am struggling right now with how to go about with the whole discipline thing. I am trying to figure it out, I feel like I am failing somewhat. I want Gage to be a good and obedient little boy, but I just feel like such a rookie. We are both learning together -- I need to sit down with some of you veteran moms and listen on how you do it.
Life is busy, as I'm sure it is for all of you. But isn't it wonderful!!! Cody and I have recalled President Monson's talk on finding "joy in the journey" many times. I really want to cherish each stage of our lives no matter what the trials are. Again, I can't help but think how blessed we are to have so many wonderful people in our life that bless our life in so many ways.
Off the top of my head I need to give a shout out to my big sis Raquel, I just feel like she has put forth extra effort to show me love. I love you Quel, it hasn't gone unnoticed.

Blessing Day

Today was a special day for us. Cody gave Josie an inspired and heartfelt baby blessing. We are loving this little girl so much. I appreciate my friends and family so so much. I don't think they realize the strength that they give me. I loved seeing my uncle Eric, Grandpa Peterson, Dad, Paul, my bestest friends from our ward husbands' - TJ, Drew, Jeff, Steve, Chris, and Hugh support our family. I love the picture showing the generations. I think my mom and grandma are two of the most beautiful people I know.

Costumes

October was fun and BUSY. Cody and I are the activities chair people for our ward and so we were in charge of planning the Halloween Party. I was so impressed with the amazing turn out and how so many people helped out. Having two kids has definitely been an adjustment for me. I am someone who likes to feel like I get a ton accomplished each day, but with the new addition I feel like a have more of a FULL-TIME mommy position. Whereas with just one, it feels more like part-time. Anyway, I find that if I can just keep the two alive and happy that was my big accomplishment for the day.

Happy Halloween

I thought these were cute Fall pics. I will post some of them in their costumes when I decide to get them off my camera. I love this time of year. The Holidays are finally upon us. Yippee!

I can't help myself

I know I'm a little out of control with all the pics. I just can't help myself. Having a girl is different for me, I feel a special bond with her. Yet, the fact that she looks EXACTLY like Gage is also fun because it is like I get to raise him all over again. I know is sounds a little twisted, but I guess you get the point that I am a little obsessed with this little girl.

Thank you for all the wonderful dinners that have come our way, all the nice comments and having you come visit. It has made this last week and a half be even more enjoyable.

My sis-in-law just had her 2nd baby girl today. It looks like Josie will have a cousin that will be her same age. Congrats, Kenzie!

Hands and Feet

What is the obsession with newborns little hands and feet? Well, I can't get enough.

Josie Grace Startin

Born: October 3rd, 2008
Time: 9:26 am
Weight: 7 lbs 9 oz
Length: 20 in.

Thursday night I started to time my contractions and by midnight they were 5 min apart. We hopped in the car and off to the hospital. It was a smooth delivery and we are so blessed to have her home and healthy.

Ready to POP!

So here I am... about ready to pop. I got to say this has been a pretty smooth pregnancy. I've really enjoyed all the movement and excitement that goes along with being pregnant. Of course, these last weeks are dragging on like crazy, but she is pretty darn easy to take care of where she is at. Thank you for all your fun gifts, I have some amazing friends and family. We are 100% ready for this baby girl to get here.

Yeay! I can feel cooler weather ahead!

So I'm loving that it is FINALLY cooling off. We've spent the last two mornings hanging out in our side yard. It will be great when I birth myself another child who can help entertain Gage, even though as you can see he cracks himself up pretty easily.

Binkie Buddies

As I was clearing off my memory card I found this picture that Megan must have taken while at my house. It made me laugh, but then I realized that Gage looks way to old to be still dependent on his Binkie. So if anyone out there can please help me, I need some advice on weaning my almost 2 year old from his favorite possession.

New Website

Cody and I have been having a lot of fun creating a new look for my photography website. It is now complete and updated. I've added my talented friend Megan to the business and we've had a lot of fun working together. Our new name is ModPhoto, and the web address is http://aubryandmegan.com
startinphoto.com still works it will just reroute you to the new site. Anywho, because I want traffic to my new website, the first 10 people who email me from my website will receive half off the sitting fee.
It is great being busy and seeing success, but Megan is coming at the perfect time. She has helped out so much and will especially be a lifesaver when I do weddings.

Payson, Arizona

We've had fun having Cody's brother, Jad, and his two kids, Jada and Cole with us the past 5 days. If any of you haven't visited Payson, you should give it a try; the weather was perfect. We stayed up at a cabin right on Christopher Creek. It was a kid's paradise. They caught snails, lizards, catapillars, and Gage especially loved throwing rocks into the creek. We also made foil dinners and went on a fun walk.

Also, this Saturday I spent the entire day at a workshop for photographers and I absolutely loved it. It was slightly overwhelming and I had some serious information overload going on in my little brain, but I am excited to play with my new skills. With this new upcoming holiday season, it will be fun to give my clients more options.