September 2011

What a fun month :)  Parker's 1st birthday was on the 9th.  We had his party early so Aunt Stephanie could be there before she went back to BYU-Idaho.  Other fun visitors we had were Grandma and Grandpa Jensen, Uncle Tyler, and Aunt Allie. Skye and Andrea came, along with Mariah. My good friend Emily came. Jessica came and helped blow up and put up a bunch of balloons.  Parker LOVED the balloons. He loved Andrea too...until she got her camo pj's put on, then he wasn't AS impressed.

When we brought out he very own fancy cupcake he tried to put out the candle with his fingers (we didn't let him).  It took him a minute to figure out what to do with the cupcake but once he did, he ate the whole thing!!

Here are a few of the pictures of the nights festivities :)

Parker is SO excited to see Andrea!!

Skye found the shirt and crown at her Target on clearance! They are soo cute. I looked at mine but they didn't have any and I was disappointed so Skye totally made my day!

 

Parker loves Grandpa

...and Andrea. HUGS!

More HUGS!

"Whoa...its so pretty"

(That right hand is on its way to explore the pretty light but Mommy said no)

"What do I do with it?"

"Ohhhhh"

"Yum!"

Post-party snuggle with Daddy and his favorite puppies :)

Our other September adventures included perfecting walking.  He started right before his birthday and by the end of the month he didn't even want to hold our hands.  We take dinner to Alex a few days a week and after we eat we walk around the parking lot (follow the exploring Parker). He loves it :)

We also discovered a fun park with Emily and her 2 year old daughter Haylee. Parker got to swing, run around, AND climb on the jungle gym. He was very mad at me for making him go home. No worries though. We'll be going back again soon :)

We also got to celebrate Haylee's 2nd birthday with her at an indoor play place called Amaya Papaya.  Parker had lots of fun! There were plastic balls everywhere so he spent a majority of his playtime running around with a ball in each hand saying "Ball! Ball! Ball!"  It is currently his favorite word. He can also say "Lacey" (one of our puppies...the snuggliest one that puts up with Parker best). He can imitate other words but "ball" and "Lacey" he understands what he's talking about.  He is definitely a smart one and learning fast!

Here are a few pictures from Haylee's party:

Cake please :)

First time down the slide. He wasn't sure about it but wanted to do it again.

He LOVES to bounce so this little trampoline was a blast :)

Baby #2 is doing well. I am 17 weeks along. Next week we have our first ultrasound and we should be able to find out the sex.  No we don't have a preference between a boy or a girl. We're excited either way :) 

slow.

My sister is always telling me I'm slow. I ride the short bus.  Of course she can't RIDE the short bus because she drives it. You can't be slow to drive it. Only special :)  Unfortunately life isn't very slow.  There is no pausing time or slowing it down.  So Parker is now 10 MONTHS OLD!! CRAWLING!! And now Tweed baby FL Edition #2 is on its way!  Baby #2 will arrive in March 2012.

Happenings at the Tweed house haven't been overly exciting.  Alex has been working, finishing up the summer semester and having too much fun with the young men.  We recently chaperoned our stake Youth Conference.  Our young men stayed at the Bishop's house and the young women at ours.  Well Alex had picked up a huge package of Monsters (which are energy drinks if you aren't familiar) on his way home from drill the prior weekend so he would not fall asleep on the way home. Well the package was still in the truck when he loaded up the boys to take them to the Bishop's house and of course they all wanted one. He gave them each one and ditched them at the Bishops.  The poor Bishop didn't even know what a Monster was.  The boys were good though and not too crazy.  Parker had fun at Youth Conference. His favorite part was holding on to my fingers and cruising around the dance floor.

My favorite of our recent outgoings is when the Barkleys came down to FL from Camp LeJeune, NC to have their cute baby Andrea Kadence Barkley to be blessed.  We all went down to Tampa and visited Jessica and her new baby Graham Vergara.  It was so awesome!! Skye, Jessica, and I have been friends since we were all beehives and now we are married with babies!! Its so crazy but so much fun!!  Too bad we don't all live closer. Someday :)

Good times :)

Here are some recent pictures and videos of Parker when I actually remembered to grab the camera for:

Parker found a tennis ball in the dog bed and went in to plaay with it :)

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He thought it was funny playing with the beach ball and Aunt Allie :) He's a goofball

Party Time!

For past month it feels like we've been having too much...well maybe not so much for Alex. His life consists of going to school, going to work, doing homework, eat a little, and sleep a little. There's not much time for anything else but that will end on June 20th.  He has 3 classes right now and two of them will end on June 20th then he will just have his online business class and work to worry about.

Parker and I have been busy lately.  In May we went to a Cinco de Mayo party at my parents house, we saw a couple sea turtles released back into the Atlantic, celebrated Alex and my 3rd anniversary (first one spent together!), ran a 5K with my sister on Jacksonville Beach at the 2011 Never Quit Beach Fest (raises awareness for Hypertension), my grandparents (my Dad's Mom and Dad) came, visited, and met Parker for the first time (he is their first great grandchild).  We went to a Memorial Day parade, ceremony, and then a party at my parents house.

This past Thursday was MY 22nd brithday so I had a party. It was actually the first birthday party I've had since I turned 17!  It was lots of fun.  My parents and siblings came (except for Stephanie who had to work). Brenda and Paige came and Jonna and Kurstin came!  We had pulled pork that I smoked on my BBQ, corn-on-the-cob (thanks to my parents), hummus and carrots (thanks to Jonna), and super yummy potato salad (thanks to Brenda).  I made black forest brownies (brownies with cherries in them and sour cream frosting baked on top of them). It was a new experiemental recipe. It turned out alright. With lots of whipped cream out of a can they were fabulous!!  After getting fat on all the yummy food we played Spoons.  Paige brought pink cards that we used.  We had to teach Jonna who actually ended up winning!  Of course it was a narrow win over Alex.  Its VERY difficult to beat him.  We did discover that there is a million and one different ways to play Spoons.  (I like Alex and my way the best).

Yesterday Parker and I went to the beach with my Mom, Tyler, Allie, and Stephanie.  My mom and Tyler have recently acquired new bikes so we brought them to ride on the beach.  My Mom and I rode first.  We rode a mile and a half down to the New Smyrna jetties and back.  My Mom has a beach cruiser bike made for big butts like mine.  Tyler has a mountain bike which is not made for big butts like mine.  Needless to say my beehind was not feeling so plesant by the time we were done.  I survived though. 

There was a big tide pool that we played in.  Parker and I were sitting close to where it got shallow again where the waves came in.  We made lot of mino friends.  It was hard to get a picture of them because the water wasn't clear enough but you can just believe me when I say there were a LOT of them!

So that has been our month of parties and too much fun :)  This week coming up is Girls Camp!!  I'm bummed I can't go for the whole time because Parker still needs me too much but we'll be there Thursday night to help perform Sanford Ward's version of "All the Single Ladies" :) 

A little bit about us

Alex and I have been married for 3 years and have our 8 and a half month old Parker. Alex has been on 3 deployments with Bravo Company (-) of the Marine Corps Reserves. The first deployment was before we met so it didn't affect me much. The second two where pretty much back to back with a few months in between. Neither one of them was very exciting as far as fighting action went. The only time he actually got to shoot his gun was when they went to the range. I love that Alex loves to serve his country :) We've made some really grear friends through the Marine Corps.

Right now we are currently entering a very busy phase of our lives. We've started our family and Alex has started college and is working full time. He works hard so I can stay home with Parker. I'm very very blessed to be able to do that :) I stay pretty busy too with Parker, the puppies, cooking and cleaning. I also planted a garden this year. Its my first garden. Alex built planter boxes and put them up on cinderblocks to keep the dogs out. Some things are growing great others haven't made it. Next time we'll plant earlier and use better soil.

Well...that a little bit about us.