Too much to do...

and here I am on the computer blogging. Well we have 5 days left before we go to Texas for Christmas. We need to have our house completely packed before we leave so we can go up to Rexburg as soon as we get back. I am having a hard time because I look around and everything that I see I would like to pack but I know I will need to use before we leave. I know I will be completely stressed out on Tuesday night.
Today we were going to take our Saturn in to Carmax and let them buy it. We have had so many problems with this car since we bought it and we are ready to be rid of it. It has always been one thing after another. Recently, we had a completely dead car battery that we would have to jump it every time we wanted to drive it. We finally got a new car battery yesterday. Eric was cleaning the car out today so we could take it to carmax. While cleaning it he reclined the drivers seat and the passenger seat forward so he could clean under the seats in the back. Well, the drivers seat is a power seat and it jammed so we couldn't recline it back to its normal position. So we took it into the car shop to get it fixed. You should have seen me driving in a seat that was reclined forward. It was killing my back. Well a couple hundred dollars of labor later it is fixed. Some how that Saturn knew what we were going to do and something just had to go wrong one last time. We hope to take it in tonight and be rid of it forever.
We want to get rid of a car payment plus we figure we will be fine with one car up in Rexburg, especially since we are now going to live on campus. Well I need to go fill up some boxes while the baby is sleeping. Take care!

I got the job!!!!!!!

I am so happy. Today I got the job as the head resident at the girl's dorms. Since deciding that we were going to go to Rexburg, Eric and I were a little worried about how we were going to get by financially. Well a few weeks ago I saw an opening for a head resident job. I thought I would go ahead and apply and see what happens. Well after I applied they called me to get to know me a little better. They told me that they were going to go through all the applications and then call their top candidates to interview. Well a week went by and I heard nothing. So I convinced myself that they had already called people and I was 100% sure I didn't get the job. The next day the phone rang and it was BYU-Idaho calling to schedule a phone interview for the job. I was so relieved. They scheduled the interview for a week later.
Well, this morning I had my interview. It was very hard. They asked tough questions and I gave them the best answers I could. There were many times I wasn't sure how I was going to finish a sentence or my mind went completely blank. I felt so nervous and scatter brained. I didn't know how I did. Then at 3:30 this afternoon they called back and offered me the position. Eric and I are so happy and grateful that I got the job. We feel so blessed. I can't tell you how amazing it is to know that someone is watching over us. I have been completely humbled this year. When I found out I was pregnant, I wasn't sure how we were going to get by with me staying home. Then I was able to find someone willing to teach part time with meand then convince my principle to let us go part time. It has worked out so nicely.
Now that we are moving, we were worried again about how to earn money and take care of Aaron. I feel so blessed that I was able to get this job. I know it will be hard at times but I think I am prepared for it. We will have free housing and utilities for the next 2 years. I am so excited to work with the residents in the dorm. It will be a neat experience.
This whole thing just testifies to me that tithing really does work and that prayers are answered. I can't express enough what a wonderful thing this is for us.

Aaron grabs toy

What's new with the Bells?

Well, not a whole lot has been going on with us these last couple of weeks. Our thanksgiving was pretty uneventful. We stayed in Las Vegas this year since my parents went to Melissa's for thanksgiving. We did spend the day with Eric's sister's in laws. There was a lot of food and looking through black friday coupons. We watched some football. I am not sure which games we were watching or who was playing. It was fun.

We have started packing up our house. We don't want to come back from Texas and have a lot of work to do. We have cleaned out most of the closets and some cupboards. We have packed away most of our clothes. We took down our dining room table last night. Today we cleaned out most of our bedroom. There is still a lot to do but we are making a big dent. It is nice that we have a garage that we can store all the things we already packed. I am really excited that I only have to teach 6 more days! I am having a tough time motivating my students because they don't want to do anything. I am kind of excited to be done with them. I know that sounds bad but it is hard dealing with 35 eighteen year olds that don't want to do anything I tell them to.

We are looking forward to moving up to Rexburg. I have applied to be a Head Resident at one of the girls dorms on campus. It would be awesome if I get the job but the competition is pretty rough. I figured with all my experience from these last four years I would be one of the top candidates. I should find out next week. We would have free housing and utilities and I would be able to work at home so I can still be a stay at home mom. This would be a great way for Eric to finish school without us getting into debt.

Aaron is still growing and learning. We have so much fun with him around. We took him to the doctor on Wednesday and he currently weighs 15lbs 13oz and he is 26 inches long. That means he is a tall skinny baby. He has learned to beg for attention by squealing and he loves to play with his toys. He is even trying to learn how to sit up. When he is laying down he can lift up his head and shoulders but he still needs our help to sit up. I can tell this kid is going to keep me on my feet once he learns to stay on his. He is teething. He is drooling like crazy and is always bitting his hands. He likes to bite down on our fingers. It will start to hurt once a tooth breaks through.

When we go to Texas we are taking our dog, Sugar, with us. Eric's parents are going to dog sit for a couple of years since there is no housing up in Rexburg that allows pets. We are worried about her because she has been sick the last week. We did change her food on her and I think that is causing her to be sick. Poor girl! We are going to miss her.

Here are some of the pictures we have taken recently. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Honey!!

Well today is my sweetheart's 27th Birthday. I can't believe we are getting so old. :( It has been a pretty laid back day so far. Eric woke up at 6 am to play World of Warcraft. Then we had a nice morning making Eric's birthday strawberry cheesecake. For the last four birthdays Eric's sister, Bonnie, made his birthday cheesecake. Since she was working today and we are moving away in a couple of months I thought it was time I learn to make Eric's favorite cake. It was actually very easy. It also tastes very good.




Eric went out at noon to do service, scouting for food. He picked up food left on doorsteps to donate to hungry families. While he was gone I was busy wrapping presents.

Eric got another Wheel of Time book in hard back. That is his favorite series of books. There are 11 books and they are all huge books. There is suppose to be a 12th one but the author died in September. Eric was pretty upset about that. Hopefully someone will help finish it.


Then Eric got wireless headphones. Now he can stay up late and watch t.v. without waking me. They work through out the house. They are pretty neat.


The final gift was Eric's surprise. He had no clue what I got him. I got him a new battery for his laptop. Since he is going back to school I thought that would be a practical gift. The old battery has pretty much died. It only lasts about 30 minutes fully charged. I remember when we were dating, Eric carried his laptop every where. Now that the battery doesn't work it just sits on the desk plugged in. I think he liked the gift.

We are going to go to "On the Border" a Mexican restaurant for dinner. We are just waiting for Bonnie to get off work so we can go with her. I hope Eric has enjoyed his birthday hanging out and doing the things he loves.
I am so excited to celebrate with him. I am truly grateful to have him in my life. He has taught me so much about life. I love how he is always positive about everything. He is always looking on the bright side. He never gets mad at anybody or anything. He has definitely rubbed off on me. He would always have the attitude "It doesn't help the situation to get mad" or "have low expectations and you will never be disappointed." Because of his example I find myself a lot more happy and willing to work through situations instead of get upset.

He is a wonderful husband and father. He has always made it his goal to make me happy. I love those days when I would come home and find a clean kitchen or the floor has been vacuumed. He is always looking for ways to serve me and take care of me. I know I am lucky to have such a wonderful man look after me. I love it when Aaron just looks at Eric and smiles really big. I know that Aaron loves his daddy. Since Eric gets to take care of Aaron when I go to work, I know that they are having fun together. Even though Eric is 27, he is still a kid himself. He loves to sing songs and make weird and funny noises. Aaron loves it.

Happy Birthday, Eric!!! I love you so much!!!

He likes to dance

He is really learning to focus on what we are doing now. Angela is playing games on Eric's phone while Aaron is content just to watch the screen.


Aaron is liking his jumper more and more. It's a nice break to just put him in it and let him play on his own for a while. In this video the music isn't added. Aaron can hear it and is bouncing with it. I think he will be a good dancer when he grows up. =) It is fun watching him do different things everyday. He grabs on to anything with in his reach and, of course, puts it into his mouth. He loves loves to grab Eric's hair on his head on his chest. He has a really tight grip. I swear I have seen Eric cry a couple of times from it. jk

Now at 4 months Aaron is really enjoying his toys. He can sit and play with them for a long time. I think he is trying to learn how to sit up already. I have noticed recently that he lifts up his head and shoulders when he is lying flat on his back. With a little bit of help he will pull himself up to the sitting position and then to the standing position. It will be cool when he can do those things on his own. I hope you enjoyed the video.

We are moving...

to.....Rexburg, ID. Unfortunately, things were not quite working out down here with Eric going to UNLV and he will not be graduating this December like we had hoped. Eric has decided to change his major from Electrical Engineering to Accounting. We decided that going back to BYU-Idaho would be the best option for our family. Eric will begin classes on Jan. 9th. We are looking forward to this new change. BYU-Idaho is where Eric and I met and I think it will be fun to go back up there. I am not looking forward to the difference in the weather between Las Vegas and Rexburg. Here in Las Vegas it snows one day a year. I kind of liked it. Now we will be going to Rexburg in the heart of winter. Here is a picture of our new apartment that we will be living in. Doesn't it look cozy??
If any of you are still not sure how cold it gets up there, here is a picture of a man who stepped outside for just a few minutes. We are definitely nervous about the move. This will be our first big move. We have no idea how we will fit everything in to the moving truck or if it will fit into the apartment. We have collected a lot of stuff in the last few years. We have a lot of work to do since we are leaving for Texas for Christmas Break and then when we return we will be loading up the truck and heading north.

It will be a little sad to leave Las Vegas. When I came to Las Vegas to teach more than 4 years ago I didn't think that I would be here for this long. Eric and I have many memories here. My first day in Las Vegas Eric purposed and since then we have had a wonderful 4 years together. I feel like I have done a ton of growing up here. I came to Las Vegas a very naive young 21 year old college girl. Since then I have gotten married, taught high school for 4 years, been young womens president for 2 years, and now I am a mom to my baby boy. I some how grew up from being the youth to leading youth. Although my experiences have been, to say the least, hard, I have definitely learned something from each of my experiences. I have had many missionary experiences here. I have really enjoyed talking to people about the gospel and in some cases helped some of my friends get baptized. That won't happen in Rexburg. :(

Because of all my leadership opportunities I definitely feel too old to be going back to Rexburg since some of my Young Women that I used to serve now go to school there too. Since I have already graduated from there I may take up to 6 credits a semester. There is so much I want to learn that I think I will take a couple of classes each semester. I am also hoping that by next fall I might possibly teach part time on campus. What I am really looking forward to is being a full time mom. We know that this move is the best thing for our family and that Texas will just have to wait a few more years before we make it out there.

We are mean parents, but he's so cute!

We think Aaron is adorable looking when he is getting ready to cry. We've figured out a few things that he knows he doesn't like. Some things will make him cry immediately, and others will cause him to build up to a cry with sad faces. The sad faces are so cute that we wanted to get them on video. We love that he pokes out his lower lip. For your viewing pleasure at our son's expense, here is his cute little video. Really we are good parents, and he is a very happy baby. It's just that slow-mo sounds and high pitched Mexican squeals will set him off every time. (A Mexican squeal is when you roll your "r" while going up and down with your voice.)

Happy Halloween!

We are really feeling the spirit of Halloween this year. I haven't dressed up for Halloween in years but that didn't mean that Aaron couldn't dress up. This year he is a fireman. He puts out all the fires with his slobber and spitting up. He made a very cute fireman. Eric really wanted to dress all of us up as Star Trek but I wouldn't do it. Aaron would have made a cute bald Captain Picard, but I don't share Eric's passion for Star Trek. Sorry honey. :)
Last night we went to our wards trunk or treat. We don't have many halloween decorations so we decorated with a tablecloth and a jack o lantern.

I took Aaron around the parking lot so everyone could see his cute costume. He even collected some candy on the way.
We wish you all a Happy Halloween!

3 months and rolling

Aaron is really growing fast. The other night we were playing and he started rolling over onto his belly. I tried to catch it on video but he wouldn't fully do it unless I wasn't recording him. Silly kid! Still you can see how close he is. It won't be long before he won't stay put. I hope you enjoy the videos.

It is finished!!!!!

After 3 and 1/2 years of working on the same cross-stitch, I am happy to say that I finished it today. I have been working on it on and off for years. Some of you may have seen me working on it. It all started back when Eric and I were first married. Eric wanted me to get a hobby because he has many hobbies and I really didn't have any. Eric wanted me to work on my hobby while he "played" his. :) Well here is it.




YW of excellence is tomorrow night and I was determined to finish it today so I can display it tomorrow. I would say that I have easily spent over 200 if not 300 hours on it. So you can understand how excited yet sad I am to finish it. Eric was already on the internet looking for other patterns I could do. When I start a new one, hopefully it won't take me as long next time.

Some New Experiences

Thanks to Angela's cousin, Todd, we were able to get tickets to the BYU vs UNLV football game. This week we took Aaron to his first football game. If you were wondering who we were cheering for, then think blue and white. BYU won 24-14. It was a slow game, but still fun. We sat by ourselves in the top corner of the stadium. Aaron got to ride in the front carrier strapped to Angela. He was the perfect baby for the game. He just wanted to look around and take in all the sights. There were so many new colors and sounds for him to explore, so he loved it.

We also found a jumper in our closet that we received at a baby shower. We figured he'd be too young for it, but we tried it anyways. Turns out he is a little too small, but he still loves it. At first he just sagged off to the side and didn't do anything, but within a few minutes he had it all figured out. He twists and turns, goes up and down. He has a blast.

He is always turning toward the t.v. when we have it on, so we bought him a "Baby Einstein: My First Signs" video. He surprisingly can sit through a whole video and watch. We have already picked up on all the signs and have them memorized. It should take Aaron a little longer.

The Joys of being a Mom...

The best part about being a mom is when I look at my little boy and smile and he gives be a big smile back. Yesterday when I was working on the computer I turned around and found Aaron with his arm through one of the toys on the bouncer. I thought it was so cute and I started to smile at him. This is the cute smile he gave back. While writing this blog Aaron has gotten his arm stuck in his toy 5 different times. Everytime I would turn around I would laugh and he would try to laugh back.


Last night I had Aaron propped up on my lap facing me while I was watching t.v. The show I was watching made me laugh. Aaron saw me laugh and tried to laugh back by making a very high pitched squeal. It was so cute that I kept laughing at him and he kept laughing at me. I hit the point where I could not stop laughing and tears started coming to my eyes because I was laughing so hard. Eric and his sister, Bonnie, were up in the loft laughing at me. :)
Aaron is the best when he is on the changing table. As soon as I lay him down and give him a smile he always smiles back, even when he is in a bad mood. These are definitely the highlights of being a mom.

What's new with Aaron...

Aaron is now 3 months old. I can hardly believe it. We didn't really have very many toys for him so we used some gift cards and got Aaron a little mobil to play with. He loves it. It is fun watching him play with his toys and interact with the lights and sounds. I can definitely see him changing everyday.

Surprisingly, it actually was a little cold this weekend. Going through Aaron's closet I found this cute outfit that had pants and a sweater. When Eric saw the outfit he said that Aaron looked like a geek and he thought that his dad had those same pants. :) I think he looks cute.
Aaron loves bath time. When giving him a bath this weekend he was actually splashing the water and having some fun.
Aaron has a stiff body. He is always wanting to stand. As you can see in the picture he is excited that he is standing up. (Ignore the mom still recovering from pregnancy, she still has a few pounds to lose. :)

My Baby Sleeps

I know this website is all about Aaron but, can you blame me? He is so much fun. I am so proud of this little guy because he is so smart. He is 2 and 1/2 months old and he is sleeping through the night. I was scared that I would get a baby that would wake up at 5:30 in the morning and would want to stay up. I may still get one of those but Aaron is not that baby. I am putting Aaron to bed between 8:30 or 9:30 at night and he wakes up once around 3am to eat and then is right back asleep til 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning. I don't know how long this will last but I love it. :) His naps during the day are definitely dwindling. I am lucky if he stays asleep for an hour during one of his naps. I am just happy that he knows the difference between night and day. I don't know how I did it but I hope it is this easy with all my kids. "knock on wood"
With me working every other day it is nice that I am getting as much sleep as I am. I never thought I would get any sleep on the days that I work. I feel so blessed to have a such an awesome baby. I know he might change on me but I am counting my blessings now.

Everyone together

Baby gets jiggy.

Just another update....

I know it has been a couple weeks since I last posted a blog but it was because I didn't have anything to post. Well Friday I decided to finally get my hair cut. It has been over a year since the last time I got my hair cut. The ends were split and damaged and my hair was getting in my way. I got 6 inches cut off. I can tell a difference. My head isn't so heavy any more. :)

After I went to get my hair cut I went shopping at Mervyns to get some clothes that fit me. I figure I am never going to quite fit into all of my clothes again since my body has changed from having a baby. Mervyns was having a big sale so I got 5 tops for 35 dollars. I was pretty excited. One of my tops I got for $3.

Aaron is progressing nicely. We took some pictures and some videos of him when he is waking up in the morning. He is normally a lot more smiley than he is in these pictures, but we did the best we could. He is laughing more each day.

He can hold his head up at 90 degrees for a couple of minutes when he is on his tummy. Yesterday when he was playing on his tummy he rolled over onto his back all by himself. 3 different times. I am so proud of my little boy. It is so fun watching him grow and learn everyday. He is definitely aware of his surroundings and wants to see what is going on all the time. Bonnie and Jarom came over to watch "The Big Bang Theory" on TV with us. That show is hilarious. Anyways, they held Aaron and were amazed at the difference a week or two can make in his development.

Things are starting to go back to normal...

It has been a crazy and eventful summer. I was huge and tired all of June and half way through July.
I had a baby in July and had my mom in town for a week.
We then went to Salt Lake for a week in August for my sister's wedding.

Then when we came home and we had Eric's mom in town for a week. I went back to work that week.
We had my parents back in town that weekend for Aaron's blessing.
On that same Sunday my Grandpa Astle had passed away so we went back up to Salt Lake that next weekend for his funeral.
We have had a lot of fun spending time with family. I love to take every chance I can get hanging out with my family.

Now we have been back for over a week and it is nice to get back into a schedule. I am really enjoying teaching part time this year. I only go every other day each week. It has been so nice because I spend most of my time with Aaron but I have a chance to get out a couple times a week and still accomplish a few things. I have the same three classses everytime I go to work. I am teaching Math Apps this year. It is a class to help seniors pass the math state test. These kids have to pass this test in order to graduate. This is definitely different from teaching Precalculus for the last three years. I am used to students who somewhat enjoy math and are constantly challenging themselves. Now I have a group of seniors who really struggle with the subject. I am having to change up my teaching methods because I am trying to basically teach everything from sixth grade math up to geometry.

I want to be a stay at home mom all the time. Although, I am beginning to see how being a stay at home mom can be hard. Even though I have a cute baby and dog to play with, I find my self a little bored at times. I need to find things to keep me busy. It is hard to start on something when I know that Aaron is going to wake up soon or it is time to feed him in a half hour or so. I need to make goals for myself or I know my days are going to pass by with nothing getting done. If any of you stay at home moms have any tips I would love to hear them. I am very new to this and am trying to figure out what works for me.

Now that we are home and we have no more guests in the baby/guest room we have moved Aaron in his own room to sleep at night. It was hard for me at first but I realize it is nice because I am sleeping a lot better. He only wakes up around 3 am for a feeding and then he is right back to sleep til 6:30 or sometimes 7:00am. It won't be long til he drops that feeding.

Here a a couple of pictures of Aaron from this week:
He is smiling and laughing a lot more each day. It is so cute.

Eric is a wonderful dad! Although there are sometimes he does things that I question. I came home from school yesterday and this is where I found my baby.
He is on the floor with no clothes asleep. When Eric brought Aaron home from the babysitter he started to undress him and Aaron fell right asleep. So Eric just left him there for 45 minutes.
Aaron likes to show off his muscles when he sleeps. Look how strong he is. :)
He will be 2 months tomorrow. I can't believe how fast time is going. My little boy is growing everyday. It is a lot of fun being a mom. I can't believe how happy I am when I am with my family. I have a wonderful husband who makes a special effort to make me happy. I have a beautiful baby boy who smiles when I walk in the room. And I can't forget about Sugar who is constantly tugging at my pant legs when I am walking around. She wants to play. Life is good.