Dear Joshua

Dear Joshua,
      You are almost 8 weeks old and already I can barely remember my life before you, or rather my life did not have the value that it does now. I will not lie, motherhood is hard at times and an adjustment, but it is also wonderful, beautiful and incredible. As I look at your sweet face, your beautiful eyes and your tiny hands, I am amazed that my body created yours. You are completely unique, half me and half Garett. As I listen to your tiny heart beat, mine melts and swoons.

       I hope you know how grateful I am to be your mom. I have always wanted to be a mother, but as the time drew closer I feared that maybe I wouldn't like it or would get bored with it. My fears are gone though, for being a mother brings me a joy that I had not known could be possible.

       I love being your mom more than anything in the world. I love watching you grow and improve your motor skills daily. My favorite thing in the entire world though, is when you smile at me. I cannot fully explain the feeling I get as that smile creeps across your tiny face and your eyes sparkle with happiness. When you smile at me, that is all I need. On days when I feel sick or tired, I just see that smile and suddenly everything is better.

      I always knew you would be a blessing in my life, but I was not prepared for how much you would increase my joy and happiness. You are the greatest blessing to come to Garett and I. I thank the Lord everyday that I am allowed to be your mom. You truly are a miracle.
      When I was pregnant with you I prayed every single day that I wouldn't lose you. When it got close to your arrival, I prayed for your safe delivery into this world and that we would both live to see you grow up.

       Now as you sleep across the room in your swing, I pray that you will continue to grow stronger and live a full life. I have only been your mother for 8 weeks in this world, but I would never go back. You have already taught me a great deal. I even amaze myself with recognizing your different cries, when your hungry, when you have gas, or when you just want to be held.

      You're around 10 lbs now and it still baffles me that my body has been able to nourish yours. It amazes me daily that I gave birth to you and that you are eternally mine. I guess I wrote this, because I don't want to forget these feelings of being a new mom, your mom. You are going to change constantly this year. I am excited to be there for all of it, but I don't want to rush these early weeks, because though your changes may seem small and menial to others this early on, to me they are the coolest and greatest things to watch.
      Thank you Joshua for being our son and blessing this family with your presence. I love you with all my heart and I look forward to having many adventures this year and all the years to come.

-Love,
Your mom

A Year In Review 2014 Edition

This will be a long post, but I promise it'll be mostly pictures. I won't be offended if you just look at all the pictures though. 

This year by far has been the best yet (though I know 2015 is going to beat it).

We spent winter semester hanging out with friends and having an epic married couples sleepover.

We played Betrayal at the House on the Hill, had lots of snacks and lots of laughs.

 We have been blessed with such great friends here in Rexburg and I will hate to go whenever the time comes. 

Oh and we built a fort!

Later on we went down to California to visit Garett's family for a weekend and to take a break from the Idaho winter.

I must say I love going down there to see his family and also the beauty that is southern California.

 Our friends Katy and Sam added a new member to their family, their cute puppy Marley. 

 In the srping my mom came to visit and we go to go to the drive-in theater. 

In the spring Garett and I found out we were pregnant with Joshua.

I have to say it was a beautiful surprise right before mother's day. 

Though that brought about morning sickness which lasted all semester.

I was taking ceramics that semester and throwing on the wheel made it worse.

I'm surprised I survived that.

(No that wasn't thrown on the wheel, but I'm not particularly proud of the stuff I threw)

We had our first appointment right before my birthday and it started to settle in that Joshua was really there, growing and becoming an awesome little person.

I remember my doctor telling me not to increase my exercise dramatically and of course I had a travel study down to Moab, UT the next week where we got 3 hours of sleep and hiked 15 miles. 

It was worth it though! 

I made some great friends on that trip and had tons of fun despite being sleep deprived.

Goes to show that you can still handle a lot even with being sick, or maybe I just got really lucky.

 After our 2nd appointment and making sure Joshua survived that semester as well, we decided to announce his arrival!

Garett graduated with his Bachelors in Microbiology.

And my dearest friend Haley married her love Bryce.

She made a beautiful bride!

Around our 2 year anniversary we went down to California and got to go camping at Carlsbad beach with Garett's family. I loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat!

I got to see Garett surf for the 1st time in 5 years and it was by far the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Surfing is a very attractive sport. 

Shortly after that we found out Joshua was a boy!

To prepare for Joshua we moved to a 2 bedroom apartment in our complex. 

For Halloween we continued our tradition of carving pumpkins with our friends Katy and Sam.

Not pictured is that his past semester Garett and I got to have a pretty fun game of D&D with several of our close friends. Garett was our DM and made it fun for all of us.

During Thanksgiving break Garett and I went down to Utah to see my family as well as Grandpa Bonds one last time.

He was thrilled to hear that his great-grandson Bonds was on his way. 

(FYI Joshua is the 1st great-grandchild to carry on Grandpa Bonds name, so he was pretty thrilled)

My final semester kept me busy with walking lots and climbing 4 flights of stairs every day. 

On the bright side it helped me keep my pregnancy weight under control. 

In December I graduated with my Bachelors in Photography at 37 weeks.

Then we played the waiting game over Christmas break.

Due to being so pregnant, Garett and I spent our first and only Christmas alone in Rexburg.

Luckily we had great friends (Ron and Bryton) to share Christmas day with.

Shortly after the new year I went into labor and gave birth to our son Joshua. 

Grandpa Bonds despite his health lived to see Joshua being born.

Though they never met in person it was wonderful that Grandpa Bonds got to see pictures of Joshua and his arrival into this world.

It was a roller coaster of a year thanks to Garett and I finishing school, making new friends and me being pregnant for most of it.

We had a wonderful year and loved getting to share it with such great friends and family!

We love you all and this year shall be even better!

-Megan