Yee Hah Cowboy!

Owen had his dream day. As we all know Owen is big time into cowboys these days. I'm sure Ryan is praying this is only a phase. However, Richard Luff's parents, who only live a mile from my parents, teach Owen in the nursery at church. They have discovered his love for the wild west, lassos, horses, etc. They were kind enough to invite him over to see their horses. What a treat! Owen thought he'd died and gone to heaven. There was so much to see and experience. Ava was in a backpack on my back so I could have two hands available. Even she loved it. She would get upset if she wasn't in arms length of the animals. If I turned so she could touch them, she got so excited. Thank you Luff family for making Owen so happy.
Owen was excited to try to ride the horse, but he only lasted for a minute. As soon as he felt the horse move, he got a little worried. It did seem pretty high for someone small like him. He loved the saddle though.
Kelly Luff was helping Owen feed the horse. He loved to see the big teeth and nostrils.
Owen was ready to climb right in with the cow. Not shy at all.
One of the highlights was feeding the animals. This was a calf that was just Owen's size.
Ava couldn't take her eyes off the calf.
Of course one of the best parts was all the tools Owen found, like the pitch fork, shovels, whips. Poor Ava had a hard time looking away from the horse to see her face in the picture.

Twin Falls, ID Temple

Yeah!! My home town of Twin Falls, Idaho just opened the doors of our new LDS temple to the public. Construction is complete and they've had an open house for anyone to enjoy the beauty of the new addition. So, most of my family minus two brothers came down to go through. I took the kids thinking Owen might get something out of it. His favorite part was the cows and swimming pool. Anyone familiar with LDS temples knows he was talking about the oxen surrounding the baptismal font. That's about the extent of what he got out of it.
However, I loved it. It really was beautiful. I felt so proud to be a member of the Mormon church and so grateful to have temples on this earth where we can truely enter and feel the Spirit of the Lord. My greatest blessing in life is the fact that I know because I was married in the temple, I will be sealed to my husband and children for eternity. I only wish I would be here for the dedication. Here are a couple pictures of me and the kids. Again, Ryan missed out.
My Mom, Dad, and Grandma are posted. My Grandma is actually not a member and she was amazed. She loved it. This is the most interest she's ever had in the church. Fun to see.
It was very bright and we should have chosen the other side of the temple with some shade.

Happy Birthday Owen

Our sweet Owen has turned three. I feel like he's not a toddler anymore. Actually, I've felt that way for quite some time. He just talks, plays, and acts like a little boy now. I have loved to see him grow and watch the person he is becoming. He loves to be around people, no matter what age. He's always been so friendly. From when he was 12 months old, he would do this fake laugh if he heard a group laughing, just to include himself in the fun. I can also really see that he wants to do the right thing. That doesn't mean he always does. But, he likes to please and make choices that will make him feel good. He's definitely all boy as well. He's into rocks, dinosaurs, construction, messes. However, his two biggest loves in life are cowboys and hooks. I know - hooks? He is OBSESSED with anything that has a hook. Including tow trucks, cranes, etc. When we got to my mom's house it took him .2 seconds to find something with a hook. He found a dog leash with a clasp on the end. Sometimes he'll pull the tails off of his animal toys because they curl up in the shape of a hook. Then, asks to sleep with them. I have no idea what the attraction is, but it's all Owen. I've added a video of him opening presents mostly for Ryan's enjoyment. We were pretty bummed he wasn't here for the big day, as was he. It was a cowboy birthday. Owen was so excited. He had one of his favorite meals, tacos. He got to wear a cowboy hat, sit at the head of the table, and drink out of a cowboy boot. Does life really get any better than that? Going with the cowboy theme, he ate a horse shaped cake. Happy Birthday cowboy Owen! We love you owen and Dad sends his birthday wishes too. Being lucky enough to be at Nana and Grandpa's house for his birthday this year, Great Grandma Struchen got to come too.

Splish Splash

So, to fill part of our month's time in Idaho while Ryan is off at boot camp we went to Pocatello to visit my sister for a few days. The kids loved playing with her little girl. We went to story time, a petting zoo, parks, pizza at Craigo's (an absolute treat. Anyone who lived in Rexburg knows what I'm talking about). On our last day we went to an awesome water park. They had a blast! They are both little fish. Poor Ava just doesn't understand she can't crawl right into the deep end. It had a really great play place in the middle of the kiddie pool that kept Owen busy.
Argh! Come here matey!
Again, Owen thinking he's steering a pirate ship. Owen's dream, next to being a cowboy, of course.
Ava's constant fight to swim on her own. Absolutely no understanding of her bounderies. The joy of a 1 year old. It's only begun.
Owen's attempt to make a silly face.

Happy Independence Day

Well, tonight was definetely a chance for Owen to practice his own independance when all teachings of never to play with fire went out the window. This is the first time Owen has been able to semi-understand the 4th of July. After debating all day whether I should keep him up until 10:30 to see the city fireworks in the sky (he usually goes to bed and 7:30), I decided simple sparklers would do the job and we wouldn't have to suffer the wrath of a overtired Owen tomorrow when he is behind on his sleep. So, with Ryan gone we are visiting Nana and Grandpa for the month. We lit some sparklers in the back yard. Sadly, it was still light out. But, the kids (Owen and cousins) had a ball.

On a more serious note, I have to say this holiday has always been special to me. I really appreciate being born in a country where I can choose my own religion, and other freedoms. I feel I've been so blessed in my life. With Ryan in the Air Force now and living on base, we've met a lot of families with deployed husbands. I've gained a whole new appreciation for what they go through. Of course, just having our own #1 man in our lives gone for the month has also helped with that appreciation even though it doesn't compare to anything others have gone through. Happy 4th to everyone. God bless America!

Ava's 1st Birthday

On June 18, our little girl has actually turned one. Since we're new to the blog world, it's just now getting posted. Really though, I can't believe we've already had an entire year with her. I honestly feel like we just met her for the first time just a couple months ago. It's amazing and sad how fast everything goes the second time around. She's really growing and doing new tricks all the time. We love having a daughter. There is something so sweet about her. Of course, we love our Owen. But Ava definitely brings something special to our family already.

Favorite things about Ava:
Bright blue eyes (a real miracle when Ryan's and his whole family's are brown)
Curly hair (slowly getting more of it)
Kisses
Chubbiness
Noises she's constantly making, like her tiger's purr
How she'll wrap her arms around you while you hold her, and pat you on the back while you pat her
How she'll go to sleep right when you lay her down - priceless
Her fun people personality

We absolutely love you Ava. We are so blessed to have you in our family. Happy birthday.

Bye Bye Dad!

Ryan left for Alabama this week where he will complete 5 1/2 weeks of officer training with the U.S. Air Force. Because he received a 3 year scholarship from the Air Force during dental school, we now owe them 3 years of our life in the service. Before that can begin, he needed to go through training since we've literally done NOTHING except recieve their paycheck every month for the last 3 years. Nows time to pony up.

Thankfully we hear it's not as bad as the enlisted boot camp others go through. However, he did get a wakup call today at 4:30 am and when his roommate called the female officer, "Sir," he got a, "IT'S MA AM, AND I CAN SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE." Luckily she didn't elaborate. We're thinking he'll have a lot of stories to share after this month. Luckily, his good friend Richard Luff is there going through it with him. Some moral support may be needed at times.

Really we're hoping our time with the Air Force will give Ryan a couple extra years of training (one year for sure with his general practice residency) and then a couple more good years of experience before we decide where to settle down and buy a practice.

We're thinking about you every minute Ryan. Hang in there.