thegoltrys

Justus...You are always just blowing us away!!!

2012-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here is what you have been up to at 13 months old...
~You snap your little fingers (doesn't make any noise, but you got the motion down!)
~You know your where your tummy and eyes are
~You love playing "chase"
~You go up and down the stairs with ease (you know to turn yourself around and go down backwards on your tummy)
~You are currently working up "walking" up the stairs
~You are walking all over the place
~On Feb. 4th, You stood up all by yourself out in the yard without using anything to pull up on :)
~You dance and clap and get so excited with music
~You love love "praising Jesus" with your worship DVDs
~You say "Mama" now when I ask you. Oh it's the sweetest sound!!!!
~You know what a lizard and monkey do
~You sign "book"
~You love quinoa, beans, and veggies
~You know how to get off furniture
~You know how to kick balls
~You almost can say "Uh Oh." You've got the "Uh" part down.
~You have 6 teeth

You are such a blessing to watch grow and learn. You crave learning and are such a little sponge! We pray you will always love to lift your hands to Praise Jesus and grow to love Him with all your heart!
WE LOVE YOU!!!

All Photos by Diane Loveless Photography (Taken Late Jan. 2012)

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

And finally...the Birthday Party! YO! HO! YO! HO!

2012-01-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

When planning a 1year old "Pirate Party," I discovered most everything I found was kind of lame, kiddy, and cheesy, all of which my husband and I do not "do." ;) So here is my best attempt of a "Non-Cheesy, Pirate Party"...enjoy!

Vintage drink crates, and glass bottles of Root Beer gave off a "Pirate" vibe

Nick said the straws were not tough and not Pirate, but the kiddos and women liked them :)

Waters for the kids...wrapped in scrapbook paper

This table was located on my tile...just incase we had some spillage!!! :)

Center Pieces

(Ball Jars filled partway with sand, wrapped in strands of burlap & ribbon, with pictures and ship cut outs on wooden dowels)

Treasure chest filled with "Pirate Booty" or favors for the kids

"Pirate Booty"

Cupcakes...so much easier than cutting a cake!!!

Popcorn Bar

Bags for the Popcorn

Table decor

Burlap covered tables, Lanterns, and some balloons for height! :)

Brownie Bites...or Cannon Ball Bites! YUM!!!

POPCORN!!!!

a serenade by Grandpa

Birthday Boy!

2 Grandpa "Mikes" this could get confusing!!! :)

Having Fun!

Prayer

Justus and Uncle Aaron

Kids making "spy glasses" for their treasure hunt

Treasure Hunt in my HUGE backyard! HaHa!

Pirate Eden

Justus and Great Grandpa Kenan

Best little buddy..."Elliott"

Grib Side

Goltry Side

GiGi

So lame! Forgot a candle...Who does that? :)

Justus got a whole wheat corn bread muffin...made with everything organic (even the eggs came from the "Goltry Farm!" And NO sugar! HE LOVED IT!!!!! Devoured it!

Sweet Gami and Justus

"Pin the treasure chest on the map"

Yes...I made this map...don't laugh! I'm no artist!

Happy Birthday Justus Michael!

Hope you liked your party! Haha...you'll never remember, but we will! :)

Thank you everyone who came to celebrate, and thank you to all of you who helped!

Special Thanks to Diane Loveless Photography...Thank you for all you do, your hard work, and capturing this special day! You are AMAZING!!!

Grandma and Grandpa Grib Visit/Birthday Prep

2012-01-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

My parents came out for Justus's birthday party a day early to hang out and help out. So so blessed to have them here. My mom helped me out so much, and my dad was the babysitter. He was amazing. Justus loved loved playing with Grandpa Grib. When they first got here. Justus wasn't sure about them, within just a couple of minutes, he was pointing to both of them and signing "please" :) So sweet! Mom saved my day, when I burned out my popcorn machine the day of the party... She fixed it. :) Then, when I messed up the "Zebra" popcorn recipe...she did some "mom" thing and fixed that too! It came out yummy! Thank you mom and dad for helping with Justus and everything else. So blessed!

Just getting ready for his "Rager" :)

Grandpa Grib time!

1st Birthday

2012-01-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

We had a fun little 1st birthday. I usually work on Thursdays, but I worked wednesday instead so I wouldn't miss being with my sweet boy! And drum roll please!!!!......Nick surprised us and took the day off work! :) Unheard of right? I know! Thursday, January 12, 2012, Nick Goltry took a day off work! (His wife was not having a baby, and he was not sick or crazy!) He took the day off for his son's 1st birthday! Justus...I want you to know how stinkin' special you are!!! Anyway, Nick did have a game to coach, so we stayed at home and had a nice morning. We did take Justus up to the park, but he started getting tired, and there was a really obnoxious girl there, so we hung out for just a while then went home.
Justus...at 2:53pm (the time you were born), a year later, I got to hold, cuddle, and pray with you! So special! Love you so much and I'm so thankful for you!

Thank You Lord, for allowing us to take care of Justus for You! May we bring him up in a way that is pleasing to You!

Nick and I got Justus a toy Pirate Ship. He loves the canon on it!!!

Playing with his work bench from Jean Fowke. Loves it!!!

Park time

Loved the swing...for a little bit, then he looked like he was sick! :)

Cute little snaggle tooth!

Loves picking the bark off trees, and trying to put it back on!

My two faves!

Loves him some dirt and bark!

Our Blessed Family of 3

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY JUSTUS MICHAEL!!!

Justus Michael at 1 Year Old!

2012-01-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Wow! I know I keep saying this, but time is just going by so so quick!!! Pretty sure this has been the fastest year of my life! I can't even believe we have a 1year old! Sniff Sniff!

Justus...here are all your "tricks" :) (Like you are my circus clown or something!)

~You took your 1st steps on January 2nd, 2012. Since then, you are getting more comfortable, and can pretty much cruise around the whole house. You just need a piece of furniture or a wall to help you back up when you fall.
~You know what the cow says (you say...mmm), and what the lion says (you put out your tongue when you growl) :) Just the other day you meowed a couple times too! You don't always perform when I ask you though!
~Yesterday when I showed you a fish in your book, you sucked your cheeks in! So smart!!!
~You can show us your hair, feet, nose, teeth, tongue, hands and...your little "man part"
~You sign, "more", "please", and "all done" Sometimes you get them confused, but you get your point across! So funny!
~You point to everything and sign "please" You are so interested in learning and studying things. Dad was messing around last night snapping his fingers. You watched him close, and started trying to snap yours!
~You have been doing the "itsy bitsy spider" motion with your hands for a while now
~You have 4 teeth! Your top right one came in a few days before your birthday, then your top left tooth after your birthday.
~You are a smart little stinker...The other day you were ready to be done eating, and wanted to get out of your highchair, but hadn't eaten all your veggies yet. I told you you had to eat all your veggies 1st, then you could get out. A few moments later, you were waving "all done" I looked at all your veggies were gone! They were all stuffed in your mouth! Haha! Made me laugh! I kept my word and got you out! You went and played with your mouth full of vegetables, and ended up eating them all! :)
~We took away your "Pa" around Christmas time, and you have done amazing! Haven't needed it since!
~You like your "Nesting Blocks" and love trying to figure out how to put lids on things.
~You LOVE your Praise Baby DVD. You will watch it and lift your hands and sing! When we ask you to "praise Jesus" you lift your hands and sing. You also did this when Grandpa Grib was out and played his guitar for you. So precious! :)

Love you and so Proud of you! It's amazing watching you grow and learn!

Justus's 1st Steps!!!

2012-01-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

On January 2nd we went over to Nicks parents to watch a football game, then Nick and I were gonna go out to dinner and leave Justus with Grandpa and Gami. Justus's new trick that day was standing by himself for a good amount of time. The football game went later than we expected, and Tami had just made her home-made pizza. We couldn't pass up that amazing pizza, and we wanted to get Justus to bed on time, so we ended up just staying over there. Thank God we did! When were getting ready to leave, Mike put Justus down, expecting him to show us his new trick and stay standing. He didn't...instead he walked to daddy, who was several steps away!!!! What the heck? I was so excited, I screamed...and almost cried!!! :) So glad we didn't miss out on that milestone!!! And Oddly enough, with Nick always at work...He still has seen most of Justus's "1st's" What a blessing!!! GO JUSTUS GO!!! :)

These weren't actually his very 1st steps, but really soon after!!! :)

Merry 1st Christmas!!!!

2012-01-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

Our 1st Christmas as a family of "3" was Lovely. In my previous post, I mentioned that we got to celebrate Christmas during Thanksgiving with the Grib side. That was too fun...watching sweet Justus's face when he got excited about something was just so cute!!!

We got together a little earlier in the month with the Kenan portion of the family, had chili, and had our "gift/stealing" exchange. It was a great time!

Justus and Uncle Aaron

Concentrating a little to hard...he sticks his tongue out like his daddy! :)

Christmas PJ's from Auntie Joy

Christmas eve we stayed home together, ate some yummy home-made soup, "web-casted" the Christmas Eve. service, opened our stockings, and played some canasta! We hope to keep this as "our tradition." Except in the future, we plan on actually "going" to church instead of just "watching" it. :) It's nice to stay home and relax during this "crazy" time of year! We had an awesome night!

Justus loves his daddy!!!

Love these two!!!

Justus watching church on the computer :)

On to Christmas day...

We got up, and I was so excited! So excited to watch Justus be excited! But he wasn't! :) HaHa maybe next year! I really don't want to put such a huge emphasis on "gifts." I want to emphasize "Jesus" during Christmas, but its hard, because there is just something so sweet about watching your baby be excited about something, and that's usually presents!!! I Gotta figure out how to make the "Christmas Story" fun and exciting each year!

Justus' 1st ornament...Yoda of course! :)

This silly toy...Before Christmas, I kept trying to hide it, and Justus kept finding it. I would find him in a room, sitting inside a box that I tried to "block" the toy with and spinning the little doodad. :) Was so excited to see him be able to play with it! He still loves it! :)

After our morning at home, we went over to Grandpa and Gami Goltrys. The kiddos opened gifts from GiGi, we hung around, relaxed, ate, and did gifts with the "Goltry Clan" in the evening. Justus did good, and had fun seeing all his extended family!

Loves his Gami...Loves his Smoothie

LOL...This is Uncle Nathan's gift for Justus. Buddy says "Justus can't read, so I drew a picture of us so he will know it's for him and from me" HaHaHa (Justus even has his red dot, and Nathan his patchy beard)...Love Uncle Nathan!!!!

Typical Nick

Kisses from Auntie Joy

Loved his "Little People" School bus from his cousins Chan, John, and Ann :)

GiGi with all the Great Grand Kids (who could come this day)

Love the faces!!!

Crew Shot

Playing with Gami and Daddy...so sweet!

We had a wonderful 1st Christmas with you Justus...and we pray there will be many more to come! We love you!!!

Happy First Thanksgiving!!!

2012-01-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

Our first Thanksgiving with our little boy was a blast! We went out to visit my parents in AZ. Justus had fun crawling around playing with grandpa, hanging out with grandma, and visiting with Auntie Sarah (who he hadn't seen since he was only a month old!). We even celebrated Christmas, with the "Grib" side of the family. Oh and I can't forget all the yummy home-made meals and thanksgiving dinner! LOVE LOVE LOVE my mommas ham! :) I am so blessed to have my parents live so close now! I can't even imagine them still living all the way in Oregon! Thank you Jesus for bringing them out to Arizona!!!!

Justus couldn't even wait to get on the stinkin' road!

Grandpa gave Justus his leather hat! Oh so many memories with that hat! :)

Hopefully Justus gets his Grandpa Misha's musical talent!

1st Family pic in who knows how long!!!!

Auntie Sarah has got some musical jams too!

You Love your Snowman Cup with a straw... you are so big!

You love drinking "Gami's" home-made smoothies in this cup!

You loved your new cell phone from grandma and grandpa Grib!

Justus, every time Grandma and Grandpa Grib see you, they are blown away by how fast you are growing and how fun you are getting. :) Hope you enjoyed your 1st Thanksgiving! :)

Justus 11 at Months!

2011-12-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

Here we are in December and you are 11 months old! Can't even believe it!

Here is what you've been up to lately...

-You are definitely getting your own little personality!
-You can be a little copy-cat! If I cough, you fake cough...so cute
-Just today, you have started this "come here" looking hand gesture...so funny
-You HATE your diaper being changed! It has become a nightmare to change you, you flip over and try to get away! Make things really difficult when there is some nastiness in there!
-You are quite a handful. If I'm not careful, you make it places quick...garage, stairs, etc.
-You seem to need my Undivided attention 24/7. If I am working in the kitchen, and not paying attention to you, you know right where to go...the stairs! Haven't got a baby gate yet, so you go right to the stairs and stare at me 'cause you know I'll come get you! Stinker
-You like the dishwasher
-You love chewing on large carrots
-You also like onions from our garden...Daddy is to thank for that!
-You have been eating more "big people" food, mostly fruits and veggies in chunks, but you are very finicky!
-You love Gami's homemade wheat bread! You'll shove so much in your mouth at one time that you'll choke!
-You love testing your boundaries of what you can and can't touch
-You like intricate things
-You can make a "doggy sound"...adorable
-You give the best kisses
-You have been doing a funny "Darth Vader" noise
-You do a "wiggle"
-You can throw a pretty ridiculous tantrum
-You've started throwing things, and you've got a mean arm
-You STILL wake up at least twice a night! Although last night only once!!! Thank you for that!
-Oh, I've been putting saline in your nose to keep you from getting sick. Only after a couple times, you took the can, put the tip in your nose and sniffed!!!! LOL!
-I've tried hiding a Christmas present from you in a couple different places, but you keep finding it and trying to play with it. You've even crawled into and onto boxes that were blocking it! I also caught you trying to take the blanket off of it! :) Silly Smart Boy!
-You LOVE LOVE being outside!!!
-You can show me your nose!
-You say "All Done" by waving your hands so good!!!

Justus, you make me Crazy, but you make me Crazy happy too! We love you, and are looking forward to celebrating Jesus' Birthday with you!!!

Justus Michael...10 Months Old...Already!

2011-11-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

Here we are again...already another month has gone by! Justus, you are a big huge 10 months and 8 days old! I'm sorry, but you keep me pretty busy, and I keep getting a bit behind on this blog! :)

Here is what your little self is up to...

~You wave "Hi" and "Bye!" You did this for the first time on October 27th at Gami's when I was leaving for work! So sweet! (Nope you don't cry when I leave...You LOVE the Goltry Farm!)

~You clap your hands

~GiGi (Great Grandma Goltry) Taught you "Pat-a-Cake" and you have your own little "Roll it up" Adorable!

~You love Grandpa's dear head in his office!...You always crawl down that hall sit in the office and stare at the dear until Gami picks you up to look and touch it. Future Hunter?...

~You know how to make baskets with your little basketball and hoop

~You got your second tooth on November 17th (your bottom left) This one came with a fever and runny nose! :( So sad and hard to see you not feeling good!

~You love showering with Daddy

~You love going on walks and visiting the dogs a few houses down

~You still have your Cute little "Fake" laugh!

~You make your little lips into a circle and put your hand out when you want to touch something

~You are starting to understand "Kisses" more

~I think you are catching on to "All done"

~You always want to have something in your mouth...shoes, socks, toys, laundry...Anything!

~You definitely keep me on my toes!

You are so much fun and bring us so many smiles! Thank you for who you are! We love you!

Roll-it-up!

Shootin' Hoops!

(Ignore My Annoying voice in these last two!)

Fake Laugh!

Oak Glen Petting Zoo and The Pumpkin Patch...

2011-11-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was busy! We took Justus up to Oak Glen to visit his first "petting zoo." The Goltry Grandparents met us up there and we walked all around and saw all the dirty farm animals! :) Justus loved it! Then we headed down to the pumpkin patch in Mentone where "Gami Tami's" friends all meet up each year with all the grand kids. There was more animals there, as well as a big hedge maze, and a hay ride! After that...we had some yummy pizza! Justus loved it all! He loves being outside so much! Here's some pics...ok...well, lots of pics! :)

This guys "underbite" made me giggle! :)

Whoops! Daddy sat in some dung! :)

Daddy being silly

Justus loves his "Gami"

My favorite two boys!

Justus...your first "Fall" was a blast! We love you!

Goltry Life...

2011-10-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe how fast time goes by now. The days are a blur, the weeks come and go like nothin', and the months fly by...I can barely take it all in! They say time flies when you are having fun...my life seems to be a whirlwind...so I guess I'm having a blast. :) I get to hang out with my sweet boy 6 days a week, and only work one day. The day I work, Justus gets to go spend time at the "Goltry Farm!" He loves it! He gets so much love and attention over there. We LOVE when dad gets home...I get a little break, and Justus gets tons of fun and energy from him! :) The kid is totally mobile and wants to learn and get into EVERYTHING...I can hardly keep up! He pulls himself up and cruises around coffee tables and along the couch. He loves when you crawl around with him and play chase. :) He cut his first tooth on October 22nd...the front bottom right. These have been some of the roughest nights, but at the same time...so amazing! Everything is just happening so fast...He is turning in to a little boy so quickly!

Lord, help me to breathe and enjoy every moment! :)

Justus...you have some pretty big shoes to fill...your daddy is a STUD! :)

A couple weeks ago, our sprinklers needed a little fixin'...I went outside and found this...

It was a "Dirty Day!"

Yes...Nick was letting Justus chew on an onion!

Justus learning sprinkler work from the master!

He loved the dirt so so much!

Loved it so so much...he had to try some! :)

Yes...I was having anxiety out there...so...

It was time to clean up...and Justus was bummed!

Love Love his sweet smiles!

Dad made a fire in the back yard...Justus was mesmerized

When the kid went to sleep, Nick & I watched "The Office" out by the fire... Amazing!

More Fun Fall Pics...

Just Some Fun Videos!!! :)

2011-10-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Justus Shows off His Muscles!!!

Justus Hangin' In His Crib

Dad Teaches Justus How To Scream!!!

Justus Michael...9 Months Old!!!

2011-10-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Happy 9 Months Justus!!!!

What a beautiful time of year...FALL! I love it! You have officially seen all 4 seasons! Time is going by so so fast, I can't even believe it! I am so sad, and want to pause and rewind the time, yet I am so blessed and filled with joy by you! I am so proud of you and so excited to see you learning and growing!

Some things you have been doing...

~You get around by your sweet little "army crawl"

Today, I was eating my lunch and you scooted all the way across the living room, and under the table to get to my feet! :)

~You can sit your self up

Last week I laid you on your tummy, and a few moments later I looked at you, and you were sitting up!

~You pull your self up to stand in your crib

Dad put you down this past weekend for a nap. Things were quiet, and he just went in to check on you, figuring you were sleeping. But no...he walked in to you standing up! Out came the wrenches, and down went your mattress! :)

~You have a sweet "fake laugh"

~You love your home-made baby food...especially peaches

~You still don't have any teeth! :)

~The past few nights, you have only woken up once

~You love when both mom and dad play with you

~You love walks

~You like flicking door stops, turning our stereo knobs, and exploring the house

~You do a cute "sharp tongue" face

~You like to flex your huge muscles

~When you get excited, you wrinkle up your nose and breath through your nostrils really fast!

I started this post in the morning...since then...

~You have learned to crawl on your knees!

I was getting my hair done, and dad witnessed you "crawling" for the first time

~Dad also taught you how to Scream with excitement!

You are getting more and more fun by the day!

WE LOVE YOU SWEET BOY!

Fun Fall Pics...

9 Month Birthday Pics...

"Yeah...I'm big!"

Justus Army Crawls!!!

2011-10-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

I am a bit behind...Like always, but last Sunday Sept. 25th, Justus started his "ARMY Crawl" :) Nick was home and witnessed it for the first time! So stoked! We didn't get the camera out in time, but this video was the next day! :) We are so so proud of you Justus!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

More Catching Up On Life...

2011-09-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Dedication

On August 28th, we got Justus dedicated at church. We wanted to give him back to the Lord, and make a public statement that we are going to do our best to raise him in a Godly home. Poor Nick woke up that morning with a migraine, but with lots of prayers, he didn't barf on stage and he ended up feeling better! Most of our friends and family came out to support us! Thank you all, and we will continue to need your prayers in raising Justus! It was a crazy-busy time and unfortunately we hardly got any pictures, here are just a couple...

Camping

We took Justus on his 2nd camping trip to Boulder Basin labor day weekend. It was hard but fun. Justus had a TERRIBLE time sleeping 2 of the nights. He would wake up and scream and would only calm down if I fed him. Nick decided to make a new "tent pad" further into our camp site, in hopes Justus wouldn't be so loud for the other campers, and for extra privacy. After a few hours of work...moving logs, digging and evening out the terrain, we were ready for our move. We moved our tent, and the 3rd night, Justus slept amazing. He only woke up once, but then we were woken up by rain @ like 5:00am! We were worried that because Nick moved all this fresh dirt, we would end up in a mud slide. :) We got up, checked things out, cleaned up our site so our things wouldn't get ruined in the rain, and tried to go back to sleep. We couldn't fall back asleep so we ended up just packing up. :) We still had fun though...we went hiking, played some canasta (Nick beat me both times), played smashball, ate s'mores, and relaxed! Nick even took Justus out hiking and let me snag a nap! Oh so wonderful! Justus is kind of at a hard age for camping, he's not quite old enough to walk around and enjoy things, but he wants everything and wants to be mobile.

Happy 8 Months My Little Man!

2011-09-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Justus Michael...
You are 8 months old today, September 12th 2011!
Because I am lame and posted your last month's birthday so late, you haven't really been up to anything different, but here are some things...

-You have been eating carrots pretty good :)
-You have been sleeping better since we started giving you a bottle before bedtime
-You are figuring out how to get yourself around, by rolling and twisting
-You lunge forward for things
-You love chewing on paper
-You know when we are playing games with you
-You Love anticipation games

Justus, Your little personality is coming out more and more and you are so so much fun! I can't believe how fast time is going! I love you more than you'll know!!!! :)

Anniversary 2011

2011-08-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today August 30th, 2011 is our 8th wedding anniversary! Where the heck did all that time go? Well I guess thats a good thing...time flies when you are having fun right? :) We must be having fun then!

Nicolas David...I want this next year to be our best! I want to be a better wife, I want you to be a better husband, I want us to be better parents, and I want us to better our relationships with the Lord! Bring on year 9!!!!! Excited to spent the next 8 years and 8 more after that, with you!!!

A step back in time...Here are some old pics from engagement, wedding, and honeymoon... :)

Engagement...

Engaged on Superbowl Sunday 2003

Wedding...

Thank You Pastor Jim...We love you!!!

Mr. & Mrs. Goltry...

Honeymoon...

Bubble Gum Alley-San Luis Obispo

Be Imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

So So Happy To Be Married To You Snick!!!!

Catch Up!!!

2011-08-29T14:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, It's gonna be a long one! Here is a bit of what we have been up to the last month or so...

On July 30th, we went for a little hike up the San Bernardino Peak Trail. We only went up about a mile or two, but it was a good time! Justus slept all the way up. He loves his REI hiker pack! The weather was amazing...it teased us on the way up with thunder, but no rain. On the way down we were blessed with some sweet light showers! Love summer rain!!! Justus involved himself in mine and Nick's conversation pretty much the whole way down! So cute! He just started saying "da da da da" :)

Justus love's things that make him feel like a "big boy..." brushing his gums being one of those things. :)

We went back to Arizona the 2nd week in August to visit my parents again...Justus did good and we had a great time! We rode, we wake-boarded, we boated, and we relaxed. Justus hates his life vest, but he loves the boat! He had fun playing with grandma, listening to dad and grandpa play music, and taking a ride with mom and ronnie in the razor! :)

On August 20th We and several of our friends and their kids all went to the beach! It was Justus' first beach trip. He had a good time. He slept for a long time, played with his buddy Elliot, played and ate the sand, and even got a little wet! Thank you Leslie for getting this little trip together! We ended our day with Rubio's and some Cold Stone...YUM! :) Justus, you slept amazing that night! Thank You baby...I needed that!

Justus playing in the back yard with daddy. Nick is so so good with him...Best dad ever! :)

This month was a lot of firsts for Baby J. First Razor ride, 1st beach trip...and now his 1st time eating solids, and his 1st hair cut! My boy is getting so so big!

We gave him home-made sweet potatoes...He loved it. That was friday the 26th, and now every day since then, he will not eat the sweet potatoes anymore! He keeps it in the pocket of his mouth then spits it out with a sickning face! :) It's pretty hilarious!

His first haircut was also on August 26th. Daddy played barber and cut his little "rat tail" :) My handsome little man!!!! It may look as if he was...but he was NOT harmed during this haircut! :)

7 Months

2011-08-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've really blown it blogging! We have lot's to catch up on!!! Today you are 7 months and 17 days...Here are some things you have been up to...

You sit up like a stud
You can roll from your tummy to your back both ways
You rolled from your back to your tummy a couple times, but you hate being on your tummy!
You say "Da Da Da Da..."
You are getting so so fun!
When you are done or just need a break from eating, you lean back and talk...da da da! :) So cute!
You are ticklish! You giggle when I tickle the back of your neck
You love sleeping on your side
You still don't sleep through the night...You have been waking up twice...if I'm lucky, only once!
You ate solids (home-made sweet potatoes) for the first time on Aug. 26th...You LOVED it!
You tip your toy box, and get out the toys you want!
You lunge forward for things, and it looks like you want to be mobile so so bad!...It won't be long!!!

Justus Michael...you are so stinkin' cute and we love you to bits!!!!

Off to Grandma and Grandpa's we go part 2! :)

2011-07-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

We had another amazing trip to Arizona last week and Justus did great! We went out on a boat, and anchored in a cove for a few hours. We swam around and just hung out with the fam and some friends. Justus went swimming, and got a nice nap. Justus & I got to hang out and go shopping with grandma (so fun) while the boys went out on a 12 hour ride! Then of course I had to get my riding fix, so on sunday, grandma Grib watched the kid, & I went out with the boys for a couple hours. Had a fun, technical ride!..Loved it! It was nice to spend some time with my hubby! Grandpa played the guitar and sang while Justus just watched and listened (so cute!) We ate some good grub, relaxed, played, and had a blast! Justus loved seeing Grandma & Grandpa Grib, and his Graunt and Gruncle (Vicky & Ronnie) :) Plan on going out again in a couple of weeks!

Justus, What The Heck?...You Are Six Months Old...

2011-07-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

You are actually 6 months and 8 days old (I'm a bit late) I cannot even believe you have been a part of our lives for 6 months already! Crazy! We love you so much and are so so blessed by you! Your little personality is coming out more and more, and you are such a joy to us! Here is what you have been up to:

You are pretty good at sitting up all by yourself now
You have found your feet and like sticking your toes in your mouth
You have conversations with your monkey when you wake up from your naps
You roll over from your tummy to your back (to your left) with ease! Can't quite get the right side yet!
You put everything in your mouth
You are a lot more vocal
You have a way of telling me when you are "over" something :)
You have a TEMPER!
You scream and push my hand away when you do not want your pa & monkey for nap time
You try to get out of taking naps by spitting out your pa, smiling, and kicking with excitement (so stinkin' cute! )

Here's what your cute self looks like at 6 months:

Thank you Diane Loveless Photography!

Nick's First Father's Day

2011-06-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

Nick,

Happy First Father's Day! You are such a huge gigantic blessing to me, and the best dad I could ever ask for, for our sweet boy! You have been so close by my side and so so much help these past 6 months! Thank you for those nights you get up with me even though you are half a sleep, for your extra hand around the house, for providing for us, for grocery shopping, for taking care of the endless stack of non-sense papers, for encouraging me, for being so stinkin' excited to see me and Justus when you come home, and most of all for being a Godly example to me and our boy. If Justus plans on being anything like his dad...he's got some huge shoes to fill! Thank you so much...I love you millions! Look forward to being on your team when raising Justus!

~Ambee

After camping we came home, unloaded, napped, and relaxed a bit, then we were off to mom and dad Goltry's...for a Father's Day get-together.

Justus sitting all by himself for the 1st time! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T10:34:00.001-07:00

You Know Your A Mother When...

2011-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

So I totally had a... "you know your a mother when" moment on saturday!
Nick and I were working in the backyard and found that we had 2 birds nests on our house...right by our bedroom window. I was trying to get Justus to fall asleep a couple weeks ago, and couldn't figure out what the condor raptor wast going on outside our window! It was so loud and obnoxious...I hate birds! Oh and there is bird poop all over our concrete, fence, and blackberries...looks like there was some sort of bird poop bombing! Anyway, so this past weekend we were working outside and I decided these nests had to go! Nick rigged up something to knock them down, and I came over just in time to see a poor sweet little baby bird on the ground crying. He was so small you couldn't hear him! I was devastated!...In tears! Felt so bad for him and then feeling so sad for the mama bird! Later just as I was getting over this tragedy, I went over to that side of the house again only to find...the mama bird (I think) Looking up where the nest was! Again...pretty much almost in tears! What a wierdo! If you know me...I HATE birds...and I do not cry very easy...but this showed me...I must be a mamma! :) This concludes... my fisrt "You know your a mom when..." Maybe I will post more...who knows! :)

Camping Trip...Father's Day Weekend 2011

2011-06-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Nick put a little camping trip together for us and some of our best friends and their kids. We went up to a place called "Boulder Basin" up in the Idyllwild Mts., and got our favorite spot. Justus did amazing! It was colder than I had thought, so the first night, I doubled up J's pj's. Moments later, he exploded his diaper dirtying both jammies! Yeah Sick! He knew what he was doing though...he got to sleep between Mom and Dad in our sleeping bags! :) Loved cuddling him...wouldn't have changed a thing! :) We had a really good time and are already looking forward to our next annual "Friends Camp Out." Hopefully more of our friends can make it next year and we can raise a camping riot! :)

Eden playing her #1 hit "Heart"

Sawyer is such a little boy...loved the dirt and climbing the rocks

My sweet boy being so good, but probably wishing he could get out & play

Leslie and cute Madison

The Homies-
Uncle Connor and Justus

Went on a hike up to a fire look out! My men are so so handsome!

Thompson's striking a pose

Hiking wore him out! :)

Sawyer loving on baby "J"

All the mama's trying to keep the kiddos occupied up on the fire look out, while the boys enjoy the view!

Eden the Ham! Love her!

Some serious "Horse Shoe" playing

Leslie and all her "Stud-Mom-Ness" Brought a few activities for the kids...a egg hunt being one of them!

Justus and Madison being stroller buddies

Tom brought his guitar and led some nice worship

John enjoying roasting one huge marsh mellow!

Nick loving him some Smore's

Connor preaching from his flaming stump :)

Some Of Justus's Favorite and Not So Favorite Things...

2011-06-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

So we bought a little blow up pool for our back yard and on Memorial Day, we put Justus in it for the first time...this was not one of his favorite things! :)

His buddy Eden is trying to pump him up by giving him a motivational speech

One of Justus's Favorite Things is...Grappling with Turtle St. Pierre

He's got some mean kicks and has been known to get Turtle in some sweet "Arm bars"

We took Justus to the pool for the first time...the whole trip was about 20 min...He did ok, but not so much one of his favorite things...at least not yet! We will keep trying! :)

Justus Loves to Talk to his bears...He is such a big boy! :)

Rollin' with the Homies!!!! :)

2011-06-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Justus...you are such a big boy now! I laid you down on your tummy for your nap, then a while later I heard you talking...I went in your room only to find you on your back! :) You little stinker! I have been trying to get you to do that for weeks and catch it on camera, and you go and do it when I'm not around. You made up for it though you did like 6 times for me! :) Thank you sweetness...so proud of you!

I will post a video later!...Tried posting a video and it didn't work! :( Here's a pic!

Justus Michael-5 Months

2011-06-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Justus you are 5 months and 1 day old today! Wow, Time is going by way to fast! You are such a joy to your dad and I and we love you so so much!

You have tried to roll over several times from your tummy to your back, but you just can't quite get it yet...your arm gets in the way and you get ticked! Keep your chin up kid...you'll get it! :)

You can go from your back to your side. You did that for a couple nights, and you looked so sweet sleeping on your side cuddled up with your monkey!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Breezin' Thru Beaumont 5k

2011-05-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

So, a little over a month ago, I decided that I wanted to run in a 5k. My overly excited and competitive hubby signed him and I up along with 45-50 of his middle school students. This weekend crept up on me quickly, and I didn't get as many practice runs in as I had hoped! :) The race was this Saturday, and thanks to some sweet tunes on my ipod and some good ol' adrenaline... I finished! And I even knocked about 9 min. off of my practice run! :) Nick and Justus were one of the top ten finishers and, in my book, were #1 for "the best looking men" out there! I had a blast, and I'm so glad I did it! I was also blessed to run with some of my best friends...which made it all the more fun!

Thank you Tom and Leslie for all the pics!

Fun In The Sun!

2011-05-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago Justus and I enjoyed the beautiful weather while Dad planted our garden!

Love weekends like this!!! :)

My First Mother's Day

2011-05-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day was... mostly great...everything except for...well...my sweet son! :) Nick took me to my favorite breakfast place, Mimi's, before church. After church we went to the Spaghetti Factory for lunch with the Goltry Clan. Then off to the Goltry's we went for some sweet fellowship and relaxation. Poor Justus on the other hand was disturbed during his morning nap, and he never quite recovered. He was pretty grouchy the whole day! :( Can't mess with that guys nap! The same thing happened on Easter. Hopefully soon he will be a bit more flexible! :) Nick did manage to get a couple "Mother's Day" pics...

Justus Michael...you are growing up too fast!!!!

2011-05-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today you are 4 months and 12 days old
You weigh 15 lbs 7 oz and are 27 in long

Your first smile was February 14th
Your first "cooing" was February 27th
Your first belly laugh was April 2nd
Your first bat at your toys was Good Friday, April 22nd

Now...
You give us lots of smiles (still not too smiley with strangers)
You've gone from coo's, to soft little sounds, to spitting bubbles, to little screams of excitement and anger!
You hold your head up really good
You are still pretty stinkin' selfish with your laughs! You laugh best when mom and dad are both around! You make us work pretty hard for those laughs sometimes! :)
Your hand coordination is really good now...you pull on your toys, bring everything to your mouth, pull my hair, and suck on you thumb and index finger (wierd!)
You LOVE being naked! As soon as I start to put your clothes on...you cry!
You Love your "Kick! Boom!" game with dad
You Love sleeping on your tummy! Can't wait until you start rolling over so you can sleep on your tummy at night!
You usually only wake up once to feed at night...although lately it's been more. Not sure whats up with that!
You just recently started tolerating "tummy time"
Your "Pa" and your monkey are your best friends for sleeping, going on jogs, and car rides.

I love you so so much and it's amazing to watch you grow...time just needs to slow down a bit! :)

Off to Grandma and Grandpa's we go!

2011-05-23T15:26:00.003-07:00

So in march, we decided to take our first road trip with Justus! We went out to AZ to see my mom and dad. Justus did so so good. :) Only had to stop once to feed him his lunch and he only got a little bit fussy once...nothing his pacifier and monkey couldn't cure! :) So glad we went and glad my parents got to see this growing boy! Lord willing, we will do a couple more of these trips this summer!

Justus Michael Newborn Pics By Diane Loveless Photography

2011-05-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Let The Goltry Madness Begin...

2011-05-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

Justus, you survived your 1st "March Madness!" Dad helped you fill out your 2011 bracket and you didn't do so hot...Next year mom will have to help you! :) You spent many hours over at Grandma and Grandpa Goltrys and overall, I guess you did pretty good. Thanks to Aunty Diane, you had some Saweet March Madness Gear to get you all hyped up! :) Hopefully someday you will enjoy this crazy time as much as dad does...then I can get let off the "madness" hook and you guys can spend some amazing time watching basketball together! :)

Some memorable moments and faces along the way...

2011-05-16T11:40:00.001-07:00

Ok...on to the good stuff...

2011-05-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

Justus Michael's Birthday

I started feeling "different" about 2 in the morning on January 12th. I woke up and wasn't sure what was different or exactly what I was feeling. With a little anxiety, I went down stairs, ate some cereal, read my bible, and prayed. After I was done, I went back upstairs and tried to go back to sleep. My hubby was sick, and being the sweetness that he is, he desperately didn't want to get me sick. So... he was sleeping out in our loft. Sleep was just not working for me, so I decided to wake up Nick. I told him I thought maybe I was having contractions, but wasn't sure. I would shout to him when a contraction would start, and he would help me time, and keep track of them from the other room. :) It was pretty funny. I got tired of being separated, so I went out to the loft and we watched some "Office." We had some good laughs. Six O' clock came pretty quick, and because I wasn't really sure what was going on, we both contemplated going to work. But we decided against it. (Good call by us! :) ) We went for some walks and tried to watch Avitar, but the contractions were getting painful, and the movie was annoying me. Off it went! Around 11 O' clock I decided we should head out to the hospital. After a bit, we were off. We checked into the hospital about ll:45 am, and they confirmed I was in labor! On January 12, 2011 at 2:53 pm, our sweet little miracle, Justus Michael was born! :) Everything went so fast and was such a blur! With a champ "coach," friends praying, and some sweet breathing...I was blessed to deliver smoothly with no meds! :) He was 7lbs 1oz and 17.75in...He was perfect and beautiful! Thank you Jesus for getting me through the hardest and probably the scariest time in my life! And for my sweet little boy! :)

And...The Baby Shower

2011-04-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing and beautiful shower thrown by my amazing and beautiful friend, Jannae. Everything was picture perfect from the burlap table cloths and decorations to the AMAZING cake balls! Yum! Loved them...and so did Justus (He was jumping all around in my belly!) :) Jannae put so much thought, time, and effort into my "shower day" to make it oh so special! I was totally blessed by all who came. From childhood friends, to long distant family members. I can't even believe how perfect it was! Thank you to everyone for celebrating my sweet Justus with me! And thank you Diane Loveless Photography for all the great pics!

More Catching Up On Life...

2011-04-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

"Baby-Moon"

So in the 7 years we had been married, we hadn't yet gone anywhere "tropical" together. We went up the CA coast for our honeymoon, and most vacations we went up to Central Oregon to see my family. We love Oregon and all the hiking, rivers, and waterfalls, but I wanted to go somewhere WARM with white sandy beaches. :) We figured with a baby on the way, we may never get the chance again... so we decided to go to Kauai! :) On the way over we grabbed a pamphlet of Kauai, and saw so many things we wanted to do. Some of which I couldn't (being preggo and all) but when we landed, we hit the ground running (Literally)! We wanted to do and see everything! We would get up early and stay out late trying to soak it all in. Was it relaxing? No... but extremely fun! :) We swam, snorkeled, hiked, kayaked, and laid out on many beaches. We went to a Russian fort, a coffee plant, and a botanical garden. Nick jumped off rocks and rope swings, and we set out to find some sweet hidden local spots...and that we did! Oh, and not to forget the Hawaiian shaved ice with pistachio ice cream and Kauai Pasta! UH-MAZING! So so glad we went!

Yes, that little person you can barely see in this pic is my husband...breaking all the rules and hiking where signs clearly said..."Danger Don't Go Beyond This Point" :)

Getting ready to Hike along the Napali Coast

Two miles in, we hiked down to this beautiful beach

After this beach, we hiked another two miles to a huge beautiful waterfall and went swimming there! Total hike was 8 miles...not bad for a preggo! :)

Kayaking is an amazing arm work out and test of your marriage!

Is it illegal to salute another countries flag? Oh well.. just being proud of my heritage is all! :)

Catching up on Life...

2011-04-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy

I was really blessed to have an easy pregnancy without complications. At some points it seemed like it was taking forever, but other times flew by quickly! I was also blessed to go through the summer in the beginning rather than the end. The only real craving I remember was wienerschnitzel chili cheese fries...YUM! I hated veggies and still have a hard time eating carrots!

:) If we have another kid, I hope and pray that I will love veggies and hate sugar! Here are some preggo pics...

God's timing is so so perfect...I even got to be pregnant with one of my best friends and coworker! :) It was great having a friend only 2 weeks apart to laugh and share things with... thank you Diane!

Blogging...

2011-04-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

So, I've joined the "blog club..." Now that I am not working full time and I have a sweet little bundle of Joy to be oh so excited about, I thought it was time to get blogging! :) My parents and sister both live in different states and I figured this would be the best way to keep them updated on our lives! :) Still trying to figure things out...like how to get the title and picture on the top of the blog centered, why the titles to my blogs are invisible and only pop up sometimes...just to name a few. :) I'm kinda dumb at this...but oh well...here it goes! Enjoy!

Our "Faith Building" Baby Story...To God Be The Glory!

2011-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

In August of 2008 we decided it was time to start a family. Timing was perfect.... By the time we had the baby, Nick would be done with his masters program and would be receiving his degree, he would also be tenured at his school in Beaumont. We would get pregnant in August, tell everyone at Christmas, and have the baby sometime in June! I wouldn't go through the summer pregnant...we had it all figured out! :) But...God had a different plan for us...

After a little more than a year of "trying" we decided it was time to get things checked out by a doctor. We charted for several months, we also took some tests, and still no baby. In march 2010, the doctors considered us infertile and said we would need help getting pregnant; either through AI or in vitro. We checked into these processes and were overwhelmed with the decision and didn't have a peace about it. A while before this, we were presented with the opportunity to go to Haiti with our church. We decided to put these baby decisions on hold and serve together in Haiti. We stopped "trying." In the midst of all this, I kept telling myself that if God wants us to have kids...He could make it happen, despite what the Doctors said. But did I really believe it? Not Sure.

Later that month (March) we went to our Wednesday night bible study. We were busy and didn't feel like going, but we did. They had a guest speaker there who was sharing about some ministry opportunities. At the end, he asked if he could pray over each of us. Honestly, I was a bit sketched out. We did not know this man, but he told us that I have the gift of discernment and Nick that has the gift of teaching (which he does). He also told us that he saw kids in our future. (We only had told a few close friends about our trouble with conceiving) He gave us the verse Psalm 37:4. How Crazy!

We went home tripped out, excited, and unsure. We prayed together, and thought...well we'll see if this guy is legit. On with life we went, helping with college group, preparing for Haiti, ect. We still were not "trying."

May 14th 2010 we were getting ready to go camping in Dark Canyon (our camp spot as kids). Nick says..."I think you are pregnant, you should take a test." He was always Mr. positive. He was wishing me happy mothers day that year, just messing around. :) Anyway I was like "no I'm not" He said "No really you should take a test" ...so I did...and not 1 pink line but 2 showed up! What the Heck? I took another one...same result! :) We went camping and had a blast. We were excited, but tried not to get our hopes up. On May 19th my blood work was confirmed that I was preggo! Wow! God is Amazing! He had to take us completely out of the picture to do his thing. We still have no idea when it happened, and I know He wanted it that way to build our faith and so that He would get all the Glory!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR AMAZING FRIENDS WHO PRAYED FOR US AND ENCOURAGED US ALONG THIS JOURNEY!...WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Psa 37:4

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.