Love and marriage!!

It's been a while since I have posted. Good news, I am married! My husband is Joshua Heywood and he treats me like a queen and Miley like a princess (but not a spoiled one). I am extremely pleased to announce that we were married in the Mesa, Arizona temple and sealed for time and all eternity. Josh is so wonderful. He is always making me smile. He is an amazing chef and constantly cooks me gourmet meals. He is also a wonderful handy man. Each day he has new ideas on how ti improve our home or lives- and the best part is that he acts on them. Our home has evolved so much since he has moved in. before it was a cramped little two bedroom but he has changed it into a classy little pad that can actually be called a home. It is so amazing the change he has made in my life. Prior to knowing him I used to be afraid or terrified of the world (and germs) and now, my fear has depleted -- although I have not forgotten how bad it can be- at least its liveable!

For the past couple of weeks the urge to create a food storage and 72 hour kits has been looming in my mind- maybe because it was what I always promised to finish and create once I had a child? or perhaps I just want to be ready in case so that my family wont go without. either way, once I figure out how to perfect the storage, I plan to post it.

When I also repo my camera from my parents (dad just loves my camera), I plan to take pictures of my pretty house (its soo nice now!!!). It is exciting and wonderful to have a husband who likes to be proactive and do things!!!

surprise

My family decided to throw me a surprise birthday party. That day my boyfriend, Josh, took me to the park and there were two birthday parties going on. Instead of wanting to play on the play ground, he grabbed me by the arm insisting that we crash said parties- despite my struggling to leave said parties alone because it would be weird. When we got close enough to one of the groups, they all yelled "surprise!!".. took me a minute but I finally realized that it was my family...' What was the surprise?' i thought. then it took me another minute to remember that it was my birthday.

So much fun!!

Miley standing and signing

Miley is learning how to stand. Today her max time was nearly a minute. It is so cute to watch her wobble once she realizes what she is doing. A few times she has stood up from sitting down. Once everyone claps for her standing after she has fallen to the floor, she stands up on her knees and bounces around as if she were standing and waits for everyone to clap again. So adorable!

Miley loves Signing Time and I don't know what I would do without its 30 minute distraction! She is beginning to sign "more", "eat" and the occasional "drink". She is very good at communicating with everyone on her needs.

It is adorable to watch Miley play with her doll (no one knows where it came from, but she loves it to pieces). She will take it in her arms and rock it. Tonight I was reading a book to her, and she got her doll and pointed at the pages and would put it's head close to the book as if to show it the pictures. It is amazing to me that motherhood is instilled in her even though she is only 10 months old! Miley will be such a good mommy one day!

Miley, Miley, Miley.

Todays been awesome. I love my ward and they love Miley!

Miley stood up all by herself tonight. She is getting so strong and independent. This afternoon she pulled herself up into a child's rocking chair and jut sat there rocking. I was so impressed and amazed! I cant get over how big she is getting.

Disneyland

Miley's first time at Disneyland!

Sterling's such a good uncle! (haunted house)

Miley and Fairy winged Mommy

Us in front of pumpkin Mickey

Disneyland was a blast! Miley was so excited that she missed most of her naps. We went on the Haunted Mansion (Halloween The Nightmare Before Christmas edition), Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small world, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Storybook Boat ride, and the carousel. She had such a wonderful time. We didn't run into any characters, but I purposely avoided them (I think every young child is excited to see them, but not go near them, lol). Miley couldn't get enough of all the music. The first time she went on It's a Small World with my mom she went ballistic with excitement. I'm so happy she was old enough to enjoy herself and have such a wonderful time and I can't wait until next year when she will have even more fun!

California

Sorry, but the pictures wouldn't let me put them in order so, yeah, like 1.2 and 1.3 means the order in which we did the activity.

Day 2

Poundex

Poundex was so fun!! Poundex is a furniturestore, but it might as well have been Disneyland for me and April. Mom, April, Miley and I were the only ones that went, but we were there for a couple of hours. It was so much fun walking the isles and looking at all the stuff we wanted to order to decorate our houses. Miley even recognised the furniture already in our house. She enjoyed crawling on the floor and playing peek-a-book between the furniture. I kept thinking that I should have tied a baloon around her. When we went to lay on matresses she was so happy because she thought I was going to nurse her to sleep- so cute!

The beach

Miley's firrst time to the beach. 30 minutes before the beach I bought popsicles. I don't know why but I always expect the beaches in California to be warm even though countless experience tells me otherwise. While the little kids were playing in the sand and the water in their bathing suits, all the adults were bundled up in sweaters. I find that halarious and ironic. The kids all had 1-3 popsicles and the rest dad walked up and down the beach giving away to strangers before they all melted. At the end of it all, we only had to throw away 2 melted fudgesicles. Miley was playing in the sand for about 20 minutes. She kept getting a confused look on her face every time she would dig her hand in the dirt and pull it up. Its adorable that she didnt know what to do with it. I am surprised that she didnt even eat it; she went to then stopped. I wonder if she could taste the salt in it before it would touch her tonge. After she got her socks wet enough frim the sand mud, she got cold and wanted to be helt the rest of the time. Whenever I would try to put her down she would cry and cuddle closer, but she had fun just watching her cousins playing. When the sun went down everyone else went to walk along the boardwalk. Mi and I stayed in the car because it was too cold for us. Miley enjoyed sitting in the front seat and she kept standing up to the steering wheel and would dance to the music and it was like a glimpse into the future for me- teenaged Miley in her own car dancing to the music, being a crazy driver and telling everyone else to get off the road. So cute.

Miley Driving the car :)

It says "Miley"
Dad handing out popsicles
Mi walking along the sand with me
Stefanie and Reed
Michael
Awwww!



Miley's first moments on the beach
Miley was so exited to get on the beach (this was before she got wet and cold). She kept dancing with excitement
Dad and Russ
Sara and Summer
Sara loved building in the sand

Day 1.3

Hollywood

Hollywood was 5 miles from the science center and we had never seen it- unfortunately we hit rush hour and it took us over an hour to crawl the 5 miles. I must say that it was as impressive as I thought it would be. Tv makes it seem like Hollywood is a beautiful place that streaches for miled, but in reality it was just 1 building (the chinese ampatheatre) with the foot prints in frount of it, and the sidewalk with stars. We saw Michael JAckson and Yoda impersonators and even a guy on a amplaphone yelling "repent the end is near". We went and got pizza at a little resurant where the waiters and waitresesses would sing to a piano. Our waitress sang us Somewhere over the rainbow and Miley recognised the song. When Miley and I were done eating we went over by the entrance near the piano and we had all sorts of fun dancing. Everyone kepts stopping to tell me how beautiful she is. I love my little girl.

Day 1.2

The Science Center

Miley LOVED the science center. Ironically it was cheaper than the tar pits (ahahaha). Miley had so much fun playing with all the little exibits. She was very excited by all the sights and sounds and I was very happy that she could touch things. She is very smart and I think she will be like me where she learns more by touching and seeing the object in action.

As we were leaving the science center (we were the last ones out as always) we had all the little grand babies play chicken!

Miley and Mommy (its a giant scale in the back; the girls are trying to lift a truck)
Mom and Reed
Lincoln and April; Ashley and Stefanie, Sara and Michael, Miley and Grandpa Smith
I love Lincolns face in this one :D
Miley was so amazed at all the fish (we are in a underwater tunnel)
The center of attention (ahahahhaha)
Miley, Dad, Mom, and Reed
The family at one of the science exibits
Audi's a pro!
Ashley's ready to go to Hollywood
Miley loves riding on Grandpa's back

Miley helping pack for the trip :)

This last week we went to California. Miley had a blast!

Day 1

We went to the La Brea tar pits. It was my first time ever seeing the tar pits as well, and I found it very interesting. I learned that sloths are actual

ly the size of a small car- it could have littereally tipped my vw bug over without any effort! I kept thinkin

g to myself that the sloth on Ice Age must have been either a baby, or the baby human must have been the size of a full grown adult!

I was also surpirsed to learn that camels and mammoths co-existed at the same time. I remember once hearning how religous scientists said that the book of mormon was wrong

because it talked about camels and elephants lived in the Americas and Mexico where as "scolars" said that those animals were brought over to the Americas during its colonization. More proof that the BOM is correct!!

Outside there were tar pits- still bubbeling and popping up in the most random places! we found one that wasnt fenced off and just starting to breach the surface. Lincoln ran through it to leave his mark. I think April has a picture of it on her blog.

Full grown male average sized. 15 thousand tons and 18 feet tall. Wow.
A mommy and baby mammoth found with a camel. A mommy and baby Miley.

so precious! Lincoln
Ow ow! Summer!
Autumn found a tar pit!

A squirrel that the kids got more excited about than the tar pits.

A bubbling tar pit.

The kids chasing a squirrel.

Grandpa, Mi, and me