The Bills Family

more pictures of ronan from one talented cousin

2012-01-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

My cousin Lauren and her husband Andrew were able to visit from Oregon the weekend Ronan was born. Lauren is super talented....at everything, it is almost sick how talented she is and how quickly she picks things up, like photography for example. She just recently got a new camera and has already been asked to do engagements, a wedding, family and senior portraits.....so I was lucky enough to have her take some family shots before Ronan was born and then have her capture some in the hospital the next day. You should all check out her blog.....it is thelaurenstyle.blogspot.com. The link below goes to the hospital pictures, but search around because some of our family photo shoot is on there as well....oh and did I mention that she is super talented; she is usually my go to girl when it comes to fashion, hair, make-up, products, you name it, she knows it so you should start following her because you will definitely learn a thing or two!

http://thelaurenstyle.blogspot.com/2012/01/this-is-my-cousin-alta-and-her.html

Ronan J. Bills

2012-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ronan J. Bills

1 - 15- 2012

4:43 pm

7 lbs 8 oz

20 1/2 in

We welcomed Ronan into our family just over a week ago (can't believe a week has already gone by) and we are loving every second. Of course it is an adjustment, not only to have a newborn, but to now have two kids, however I think we are pretty blessed to have two amazing little boys. This little guy wasn't suppose to come until January 25, or 21 or sometime in February, according to some ultrasounds.....who knows....apparently the doctors weren't too sure either. Around 37 weeks the doctor ordered a non-stress because there were concerns that Ronan was too small. The tests showed an active baby and a good amount of amniotic fluid, so there was no need for an emergency induction.....the doctor just said the baby would probably be small, around 5 lbs. She also stressed that we would need to rush to the hospital when the time came because I was already pretty far along (4-5 cm dilated, and 50%+ effaced). So we went on our way a little nervous, but very excited to meet the little guy. The Thursday before Ronan was born, I woke up feeling really dizzy and light headed, which is not too big of a deal considering I have super low blood pressure during pregnancy, but I also didn't feel Ronan move as much as usual, so we called the doctor with our concerns. That night we went to Walnut Creek's labor and delivery to have another non-stress test. Again everything checked out, but there was still worry about him being a small baby. The doctor said I was definitely dilated to a 5 and 80% effaced and thought I would deliver before the weekend was over. She went ahead and scheduled an induction for Sunday morning because I as so far along and the baby was small, but she had her doubts about me making it until then. Welp, I did. We had our bags packed and walked calmly into labor and delivery Sunday morning to check in. And after 7 attempts at an I.V. (apparently I have tricky veins), I started the induction process with pitocin. Then some waiting, a little bit of pain, two attempts at an epidural (yep apparently my spine is tricky too), then some more waiting, we were ready to go. I told the nurse I felt some pressure and was ready to push. She checked me, saw some dark hair and got the doctor in there....we were ready to meet Ronan. Thomas scrubbed up to deliver the baby (the doctors asked if he wanted to deliver Ronan, knowing he was in medical school and very interested in the whole process) and then four sets of pushes, 7 1/2 minutes later , Ronan was here (and definitely not as little as the doctors thought....who knows where he was hiding). Just like with Krew's delivery, this was another peaceful and calm experience. I am so grateful for educated doctors, kind nurses, pain relieving medication!!!, a loving husband, a supportive family and now two beautiful children.

Best Face of 2011

2012-01-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

I Heart Faces is asking everyone to go through their photos of 2011 and pick their best face for the year...sounds like an impossible task, but I knew exactly which face was my favorite.....I mean look at this guy, doesn't he look like a doll in this photo?? And the fact that he is announcing our baby number two (who should be here soon) makes it extra special to me. Here's to 2011; it was a good year for our family: we lived in a different country, got to travel all over Europe, announce another baby into the Bills Family, and Thomas finished the first year of medical school successfully....couldn't ask for a better year!!! Can't wait to see what 2012 brings!

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. "Best Face of 2011" – www.iheartfaces.com

Top 10

2012-01-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

The super hero photo of Krew was chosen as one of the "Top 10 Cutest Kids of 2011" for I Heart Faces. I had no idea they were doing "Top 10" categories to close out 2011, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Krew's photo up on the website. It has given me a little more motivation to keep taking photos, although I think this big belly of mine has slowed me down a bit. I am excited to keep capturing Krew and soon add this little guy into the mix.

cleaning up christmas

2012-01-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Putting away glass ornaments isn't the most ideal task for a two year old so I tried to keep Krew busy playing with some extra christmas lights while everyone else cleaned up christmas. I wanted to take the photos a little later in the evening so that the lights shined a bit brighter, but Krew was so happy to be playing, I just had to snap a few. It was a good way to finish packing up christmas.

merry and bright

2012-01-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

I love my boys. I really do. Christmas always reminds me of how special they are to me and I cannot wait to add another boy to this family. My due date has been moved up a few days earlier and this next Bills boy may be here sooner than we thought. We don’t have a name yet but this next little guy looks just like Krew in the ultrasounds, "Whipple genes are strong" according to Thomas. This Christmas in California has really brought our family together and it will be sad to have Thomas leave for school shortly after this next baby. But in the mean time its moments like this when he is here that I love to capture and look at over and over again.

changes

2012-01-01T00:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much motivation to blog lately...I blame all the changes going on around here. Krew and I flew home to California for Thanksgiving, leaving Thomas in Newcastle to finish up his first year of medical school (which he did great by the way; we are really proud of him). Krew had a little trouble transitioning from his simple Newcastle life to his new family filled life around here, but he has come around. We finally reunited with Thomas just in time for Christmas; it has been so nice to have him all to ourselves and not share him with school. Thomas and I had fun teaching Krew all about Christmas; he understood that it was Jesus' birthday and that Santa brought presents. We might have made a rookie parent move and overdid Christmas, because Krew was not too interested in opening presents, which I guess is good news for us when it comes to future birthdays/holidays, but it was fun either way. Now that Christmas is over, things have calmed down a bit, but more changes are just around the corner. We are excited to meet our new addition in a few short weeks. Who knows what life will be like then, but as for now we are counting our blessings for being together, being healthy and being near family. (As for the picture, I think I am about 34 weeks here. Krew and I were just outside playing when the sun was going down, which always makes for some fun shadow shots)

there has been a whole lot of this lately

2011-11-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Krew has had some rough couple of nights.. Not sure why; I think I blame everything on teething....which means I am chalking this one up to his two year old molars. The only thing that is saving us...well me, is nap time!!! So while I am snuggled up in an empty bed, making myself plenty comfortable with tons of leg and baby bump space, Krew is always cuddled up with his favorite black blanket!

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. "Black" – www.iheartfaces.com

capes and suckers

2011-10-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Krew and I shared a sucker this afternoon, meaning I got the first two...maybe three licks in before it went straight into his mouth and then never came back out again until it was just the stick. It was a pretty dang good flavor too, but I couldn't bring myself to yank it out of his mouth for another lick, especially when he he was trying to flex like a superhero.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. "Let Them Be Little" – www.iheartfaces.com

a toy story party

2011-10-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

These are just some quick shots of the treats before Krew's little friends showed up for the party....they were fun to make, but probably more fun to eat!! Along with the treats, I made a western "Happy Birthday" banner, a cowboy vest (which Krew never touched), some Wheezy Penguin bean bags and a boot for a snake toss.....might have been a bit much, I mean he is only 2, but I think it was more for me to stay busy once he was down for the night. Overall it was a fun birthday party; I loved seeing how happy it made Krew, which made it all worth it.

BoPeep Sheep Cupcakes

Alien Cupcakes

Mr. Potato Head and Ham Cake Pops

the best way to wake up from a nap......

2011-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

.......is with chocolate cake and candles

not the best pictures, but it was fun seeing how excited he was for the simple pleasures of having a birthday!

Two

2011-10-14T05:04:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share a quick photo of Krew, Still can't believe he is TWO! I am a little behind on picture posting as usual, but other than that my baby belly is growing nicely, maybe a little too nicely. We see Thomas for a bit in the mornings and then every other hour in the day/night/early morning is spent studying. As for Krew, he is loving his weekly playgroups and museum visits. All in all we are doing well and are excited to see friends and family in just a short while.

Birthdays

2011-10-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

We have had some birthdays over here. Krew's was on the 3rd (more pictures to come from his little party we threw for him) and Thomas' was on the 9th. Can't believe how blessed I am to have these two birthday boys in my life. Krew amazes me everyday and reminds me that being a mother is the best gift anyone could give me. Thomas is such a wonderful husband even if he did want to grow his hair out for a bit....no but really, he is the most selfless and loving person I know. I am so glad I get to celebrate their birthdays and love them everyday in between!

"Raise Your Hands," For No Nap Time

2011-10-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

Playing in the grass is much more fun than nap time...at least Krew thought so.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. "Raise Your Hands" – www.iheartfaces.com

ABC's and 123's

2011-09-12T01:31:00.000-07:00

While Thomas is off taking tests for medical school, I am at home constantly quizzing Krew on ABC's, 123's, shapes and colors. So far so good; he has his ABC's down and can just about sing them...well kind of. He can point out things like, "Z is for Zebra," or "M is for Monkey." As for his numbers, Krew is pretty solid with 1-10; he definitely knows he has ten crayons, ten blocks and ten cars....now it's about time to move on so the poor kid doesn't think he just has ten of everything. Krew's first shape was a star, which he calls an "up above." I have been amazed at well he has done with his shapes; he easily recognizes the differences between circles and ovals or squares and rectangles. That just leaves his colors....and lets just say it is a good thing it is considered "back to school" time because we have some work to do!

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. "Back to School" – www.iheartfaces.com

it's a............

2011-09-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

BOY!!!!

and we couldn't be happier.

lately

2011-08-31T00:27:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been wanting to listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies...is that weird? All I know is that these next couple of months are going to go by pretty slow if I am already getting into the Christmas spirit....I still have birthdays and Halloween costumes to think about.....Yikes!

Lately, my belly has made it past the awkward fat/you ate too much stage and is rounding into a nice baby bump....which is probably due to the fact that I have been craving refried beans and skittles. So I guess if you want to get out of the awkward fat stage all you have to do is pack on a few more "rounding" pounds from bean, cheese and rice burritos.

Lately, both Thomas and I have been super anxious to find out this baby's gender.....boy? girl? boy? girl? I have no idea, no mother premonition. However, at this point it better be a girl because our list of boy names is about as long as our monthly grocery list. Welp, I guess we will find out next week!

Lately, Krew has been....well, he has been Krew. He has been keeping up with his smarts; practicing his abc's, shapes and colors everyday. He has been really into his cars; "vrooooming" them down the couch cushions for hours. He has been sneaky; writing on the walls with crayons for the first....and LAST time (by the way using a hairdryer and a soapy cloth gets it right off). He has just been Krew....which I love; he is just a unique and special little boy, we love him so much.

Lately, Thomas has been studying a ton, but has been able to make it home a lot more than last term. Krew loves it when Thomas is home and will often sit at his feet and play quietly while Thomas studies at the desk.

Lately, Krew and I have had fun with milk and cookies and powdered sugar...anything to get a kid to take pictures...right.

milk and cookies

2011-08-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

This boy sure loves his cookies....as well as his milk because he knows it will give him BIG muscles...he will even flex for you, if you ask.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. "White" – www.iheartfaces.com

obsessed

2011-08-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am a little obsessed with peacocks after our trip to the Barcelona Zoo. Future pet??? Hmmmm, either way I know that there will be some sort of peacock in my future, whether it will be running outside in my yard (not very likely) or simply a peacock printed pillow on my couch.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

life of an almost two year old

2011-08-05T02:17:00.000-07:00

This almost two year old....

knows all his letters and is working on his numbers; I guess that is what you get when your only bath toys are floaty letters and numbers (we've recently added some animals so he is not totally deprived of bath-time fun)
is nearly potty trained; I almost wish I could say it has been a hard process so the next kids will be a breeze, but I think we are in for a rude awakening when it comes to potty training the next ones.....because Krew has pretty much taught himself.
loves to read books before naps and bedtime and when I say read I really mean recite from memory (note to self, it might be time for new books)
has a not so little crush on a girl name Evie, but we can't blame him, she's gorgeous
has good manners; likes to shake hands and for the most part remembers his pleases and thank you's.
is really into Cars and now Toy Story 2, but that is because his other crush is on Jessie
is not the best eater, but might be a milk junkie
loves music; if all else fails music usually does the trick
knows a bunch of animal noises. He literally knows more than twenty animal noises, including the spitting camel, standing one foot flamingo (not a noise but still counts) and the ever mystical unicorn (which does in fact make a noise, all you have to is put your pointer finger on your forehead and say "ding, : according to Krew)
may or may not be a bit OCD. He loves to line up all his cars, or the shower products, or the goldfish crackers. but then again maybe he is just an organized little boy
loves to be thrown by his dad. and when i say thrown i mean really chucked up in the air. three or four feet above Thomas' head is not high enough. He yells "higher" or "fly" every time he lands and then yells tornado because he wants to be thrown in a three sixty at the same time. Thomas is always happy to fulfill his request.
loves to help out those who are hurt. It makes me want to cry every time i see him run up to the little boy or girl who has fallen or who is sulking in the corner and hold out his hand to pick them up and with his head tilted just so slightly to the side ask the little friend "you okee."
loves to shower. it took a while for the shower to not scare krew but now he loves to stick his face in the removable shower head nozzle and spit water out all around him. he loves to spray dad too, and somehow he always manages to get a few good shots up dad's nose.
loves Babe Ruth. Krew has a picture above his crib of the Great Bambino hitting a homerun with his picturesque swing. Every night Dad puts him to sleep and says dream of baseball, and every morning Krew gets up and points out to Dad that he and the Babe both have great homerun swings.
loves Dash from the movie incredibles. but who can blame him. i wish i was fast enough to run on water too.
loves Jesus. we have taught him about Jesus and he loves to point to his church pictures on the wall and say Jesus. The only problem now is that anyone with a beard is Jesus. At the supermarket he saw jesus three times last week, and on our last bike ride he saw Jesus twice.

We still cant believe he is almost two. He will be a great brother to the future addition to the family. We love him so much.

............

2011-07-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

January 25, 2012

our english fourth of july

2011-07-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

There were no rodeos, badminton, Whipple shirts, 10k run, or any extra lb's from Aunt Leslie's delicious food this year for the Fourth of July, instead we spent the summer here in Newcastle. I have such fond memories of our Fourth of July Whipple reunions that I just couldn't let the day pass by without having some sort of fun. So we headed to the beach for a bbq with our English friends....which might seem a bit funny, so naturally we eased the whole Independence Day thing by serving up some good old USA sugar cookies and teaching the kids all about America's favorite pass time, baseball of course....no cricket fo us that day! I'm just teasing, we loved our little English Fourth of July, we could't ask for much more; the weather was beautiful, the food was delicious and the company was absolutely perfect. We have such good friends here in Newcastle and are grateful for them in times like these.

trips continued.....Venice and Barcelona

2011-07-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

So like I said before, we were lucky enough to visit Rome, Venice and Barcelona....all beautiful and interesting places. Rome (in the previous post) was so neat; the rich history could not be ignored as you walked down the streets surrounded by ruins. Venice was so unique, showing us a different way of life; life on the water. Then there was Barcelona, a great way to end our trip with the beach, beach, and more beach. We weren't the typical tourists in Barcelona; we didn't do much site seeing, instead we just relaxed on the beach everyday and let Krew discover his love for sand.

its been awhile

2011-07-23T00:54:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a good excuse for not posting, but I don't. This summer we have had a good combination of both lazy days and busy days. We have had fun visiting other countries or simply going down to the local park. It has been nice to have Thomas home for so long....we have never had him to ourselves like this before....I don't think we want it to end and may be in for a bit of a shock when it actually does in just a couple of weeks. Although, it will be nice to see Thomas back at school, he is really in his element and does so well at studying. As for me and Krew, we will get back into the swing of things....playgroups, parks, museums, markets, etc. A predictable schedule might be nice after a summer of being spoiled with lots of time. With all that time we have been lucky to see a lot of neat places....after Paris we visited Rome, Venice and Barcelona. Here are some photos from Rome. Venice and Barcelona photos should follow shortly.....fingers crossed!

lazying around

2011-06-25T05:17:00.000-07:00

We have allowed ourselves a few days to recover from traveling. Ten days in Italy and Spain were amazing but definitely tiring so we have spent these last couple rainy Newcastle days inside in our pajamas. Lots of running around couches, building forts, reading books, practicing ABC's and 123's, hitting the baseball off the tee and trying on some of dads hats. We got out to the park yesterday, did some grocery shopping and cleaned a bit, so I think the simple rainy days are over, which means I should probably go through our photos from the trip.....we'll see how fast that actually happens.

this was suppose to be nap time

2011-05-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

Krew was suppose to be taking a nap, but once he heard the ducks there was no way he was going to go down....so I guess lucky for me because I finally got some good photos of he and Thomas!!

(this pond was right outside Versailles)

two posts in one week....miracles do happen, or it's just Paris

2011-05-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Louvre

Notre Dame De Paris

Arc De Triomphe

Champs-Elysees

Normandy (Omaha Beach)

U.S. Memorial in Normandy

playing at a park (or garden as they like to call it)

Eiffel Tower

Luxemburg Gardens

Versailles

Paris. doesn't get much better.

2011-05-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Thomas finished up his first term of medical school giving us a couple of months to be together as a family....first thing on the "Family To Do List," was a trip to Paris. CHECK. We had a great time being tourists, eating delicious food and playing with Krew. More pictures to come.

Yes, we are still alive, just not the best at blogging

2011-04-07T17:26:00.001-07:00

maybe one of these days the post might not be about krew.....but don't count on it

2011-02-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

Just another pose from Krew....with my camera becoming more like a fifth limb and with such a one-of-a-kind face like Krewzers, we seem to always have a good photograph to share. I am behind on posting pictures of our recent trips to London and Edinburgh with Jeff and Leigh Ann. Krew and I had such a wonderful time...good company, good food, and good sites to see; can't wait to do it again with Thomas one of these days....haha, well here is to wishing that that day might come!!!

working the catwalk on the way to buy milk

2011-02-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

His hair might be a little crazy, but I still think he has some serious model potential.....baby gap perhaps?

the epic comeback

2011-02-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to the Newcastle vs Arsenal game.....and if any of you watched some ESPN highlights they are calling it "The Epic Comeback." Newcastle (our home team) was losing 4 to nil only twenty minutes into the match....Newcastle fans were disgusted, some even left before the half in hopes to find better entertainment (which probably included a lot of drinking; they seem to do that in excess over here). After the fourth goal we joked that to make it a worth while game, either Arsenal needed to score a ridiculous amount of goals to make it a never before seen HUGE blowout or Newcastle needed to make an incredible comeback. We thought it would be the first, by the way Arsenal just seemed to toy with Newcastle. At half time the odds of Newcastle making a comeback was 250,000 pounds to 1...I'm not much of a gambler, but I don't think I would have bet in favor of Newcastle. The second half started off with an Arsenal player getting a red card, forcing the team to play a man down - I would sure hate to be that player right about now. After that Arsenal seemed to fall apart...two penalty kicks and two amazing goals later, the game was tied 4, 4 (Newcastle actually scored another goal, which would have made it 5, 4 in their favor, but it was called back.) When the whistle blew with a tied score the stadium roared; cheering, taunting, yelling, strangers hugging (like Thomas and the man behind us), it was unbelievable. No one had ever seen anything like it; there has never been a greater comeback in the Premier league...ever....and we were there for it all!!!!

Look at Krew in these two photos, the perfect model, you can't top those poses....he cracks us up!!

an early breakfast

2011-02-01T00:17:00.001-08:00

So we have been getting use to life around here; Thomas has his study schedule all worked out (which is, leave real early, have class allllllll day, try and study in between then, hopefully make it home for a later dinner, and then study while everyone else hits the sack...I'm glad I'm not the one with that crazy schedule!!) Krew and I have a much more relaxed week. We try and do a little something each day; Monday is open for anything usually library or walk in the park, Tuesday we go to an art gallery to do a craft and then play in their children's play area, Wednesday we go to a playgroup a few metro stops away, Thursday we will be getting together with some families in the ward to let the kids play and hopefully have one of the moms teach me some more about photography, Friday we go to a playgroup just down the street from where we live, and Saturday is family day in the morning (this next week we will be going the Newcastle vs Arsenal game....it should be fun. Last week we went to Newcastle's largest shopping mall, well it is actually the largest in the UK, about four miles of shopping, they even give you a map because it is so easy to get lost!). Our scheduling makes it sound like everything is running smoothly around here, but I would be lying if I said it was. Krew has been having a tough time ( it is getting better now), but for a while he was waking up several times during the night and waking up for the day around 4:30, which meant none of us were sleeping. And because his sleeping was all messed up, he was constantly fussy during the day....he would scream and cry while I made dinner or did the laundry....it was tough, and draining on all of us. But one morning, one early morning, Krew and I sat down to have breakfast and he proceeded to fold his arms, bow his head, close his eyes and say a little prayer out loud. I only recognized the word amen at the end, but it didn't matter, all I needed was the feeling that came with that prayer. It was just a little tender moment I needed that made me forget all about the hard week we just had. I was so proud of Krew and so happy that he is learning what we are teaching him, even if we get a little frustrated or tired sometimes. Anyway, after that breakfast this boy doesn't stop saying his prayers....half the time he reminds me and Thomas to say them....he really is a sweet little boy.

gems i forgot to post

2011-01-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Krew had his first real snow experience this winter in Utah....gotta love his face! He liked, but probably would have loved it if he was allowed to play without his jacket on; Grenada might have made him into a bit of an exhibitionist.

what a find

2011-01-14T09:49:00.003-08:00

Krew L.O.V.E.S. rocks....if he sees a rock, he has got to have it, preferably one for each hand, so we are pretty lucky to have a little garden area full of rocks just out our back door. Can't wait to see what he finds out there.

white coat ceremony

2011-01-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

we are so proud of Thomas...let the journey begin!!!. sorry about the dark pictures.

update

2011-01-11T04:15:00.000-08:00

So we are officially in Newcastle, England. We have only been here for a few days now...trying to get settled into our new place. I still can't believe that we live in a different country. It feels like a dream walking down these cobble stone streets, but my permanent plugged ear reminds me that, yes, we did in fact fly for a ridiculous amount of time to get here so it all must be real (my ear is actually fine now, but it did take about two days to de-plug....so annoying) Our place is amazing...aside from the drastically tacky red carpet and red velvet curtains (I don't know what the old lady was thinking when she decided to go all out in red), but we have decided to embrace the English fashion (or English Old Lady fashion, probably not the best combination) and buy a pink and red floral bedspread to match....now it all kind of blends together, like it's a fashion statement made on purpose. And you know what, despite the awkward amount of red, the place is really starting to feel like home; the rooms are warm, the fridge is full, the water is hot, and Krew has more than enough room to play, which is all that really matters. We have had to spend a lot of money to get all settled, which means I have been stressing a little and Thomas has had to be the calming effect, which he usually is anyway. It is just frustrating to buy things that you already have stored away....in TWO places in our case; by the time all this is over we would have bought pots, pans, dishes, bedding, electronics, cribs, etc all over the world, three times over, in Utah, Grenada, and England. We have met some nice people; a neighbor just above us that was so helpful in pointing us in the right direction for doctors, dentists, baking, internet.....she even offered her shower when we couldn't seem to get the water working. People from the ward have already offered us dishes and strollers...and Krew and I even have a playdate scheduled for tomorrow with people from the ward (I think we might be going to a museum where the kids can run around and explore). There are also a few married couples from the states here as well that seem like they will become good friends over the next year (well the wives at least....I think we all just become friends out of necessity, which is great). Other than that I haven't had much time to figure the area out....I need to master the metro first, which make me a little nervous, but it will all work out....everything always does. I guess that is what I have learned the most from all this craziness; that it is not craziness at all. It might seem like it, especially to someone like me that stresses more than usual, but it all works out, and more often than not, it works out better than you even planned because in the big picture, your plan doesn't mean all that much. Heavenly Father knows you from an eternal perspective; He knows the "you" before you came here, he knows the "you" now, he knows the "you", 10, 20, 30 years from now, and the "you" through the eternities. I have come to realize that his plan for me and my family is much more calculated than I could ever devise with my limited knowledge. I know that even if these experiences are challenging and uncomfortable, they are blessing in disguise, they certainly have been thus far. Well, hopefully I will start taking some pictures, so all of you can enjoying this place too, but right now I have the urge to watch a James Bond movie, or perhaps Harry Potter.....you know, really getting into the english spirit!!! Here are some winter break snapshots to keep you occupied.

Walk Like A Man

2011-01-02T11:17:00.001-08:00

Never been a big fan of putting naked photos of our kid online but this picture was just too funny. He looks like he is an adult with his arm swing and stride. He loves being naked and running around. He has got some serious thighs on him too, and we love his big old calves.

Christmas Break Photos

2011-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

Le Phare Bleu

2010-11-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

So this is thomas writing. I dont usually do this but i wanted to share some great pictures of our family that our friends ashley and hillary took. They took them at a place called Le Phare Bleu on the east side of grenada. And since alta and krew have gone back to the states while i finish up med school classes i look at them all the time and think about my family. i love and miss my family so much and am thankful to the two girls for doing such a great job with these photos. i am going to put up a bunch of photos and hope that it is not over kill.

no longer a little baby

2010-11-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

Lately, Thomas and I just stop and look at each other in amazement....amazed that Krew is no longer a baby. Everyday he is becoming more and more like a little boy. It is fun to watch....maybe a little sad that time has passed so quickly, but mostly we just watch amazed as proud parents of such a wonderful growing boy. Yesterday, Thomas was going to get gas in the car and yelled out to ask Krew, who was in the other room at the time, if he wanted to take a ride. Krew immediately grabbed a matching pair of shoes, ran to the door, and looked up at dad all ready to go. We had to laugh (and maybe hold back some proud tears, well I had to anyway). And then today we had the primary program at church and Krew being the little boy that he is, didn't want to be left out. Every time the primary children stood up to sing, Krew joined in with his loud "la, la, la's;" he even waved his hand back and forth to help lead the music. I guess we should have felt bad, because Krew stole the show at times, but all we could do was sit back and be amazed. He really is a little boy. A fun, smart, sweet little boy.

sleep advice from Krew....who needs a warm glass of milk when you've got wrestling moves

2010-11-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

So lately Krew has been a little sensitive when it comes to bed time. I'm not quite sure what it is; teething (I am pretty sure I blame every "off" behavior on teething), the anxiety of being alone or in the dark, or just trying to find any excuse to stay up with mom and dad...who knows. Well tonight was no different. It was coming up on 8:00 (bedtime in our household) and all the tired signs were there, huge yawns and constant eye rubs. So I promptly began the bedtime routine; diaper change, brush the teeth (more like a street fight), footie pajamas, Goodnight Moon book (his favorite thing to point to is the light and the red balloon), Its Time For Bed book (he just made a fish noise for the first time tonight when it came to the goodnight fish page), prayers, a kiss on the head, a whispered goodnight and in the crib (well, pack-n-play) he goes. His eyes rolled back, his arms stretched over his head and his legs sprawled out. I closed the door and instant crying. I let him cry it out for a bit, but then decided to see what all the fuss was about. I picked him up out of the pack-n-play and laid with him on the bed. I pulled out all the moves; rocking, patting, humming, singing (yikes, I can't imagine my singing would be soothing to anyone so I might remove this one from my bag of tricks), bouncing, rubbing, you name it, i tried it and nothing seemed to work he still cried and cried. Since I didn't seem to help the situation I just let him do his thing while I laid next to him on the bed. Krew then proceeded to pile drive into the bed....I mean he violently switched sleeping position after sleeping position. I am certain he would have injured a rib of mine if I had kept trying to rock him on my chest. This went on for maybe ten minutes; every position different, head burrowed, butt up, knees bent, one hand rubbing ear, one hand rubbing hair, laying on one side, both hands on the face, flat on back, legs in frog position....he got pretty creative, with every violent switch (it was pretty entertaining to watch). Then he finally drifted away, one his back, arms stretched over his head, and legs sprawled out, just like I had laid him down the first time. I guess he just need to work in the mattress, kind of like a hacky sack, pile drive after pile drive until his spot on the mattress was niiiiiice and sooooooft and comfortable. All I have to say is watch out Thomas, because I really haven't been sleeping to well either come to think of it and according to Krew all have to do is brush up on my wrestling moves (I would protect that perfect nose of yours if I were you.)

just another day at the beach...its kinda what we do around here

2010-11-03T08:54:00.001-07:00

KTB

2010-10-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures that our friend Ashley Willis has taken, she is so talented. I hope to one day be half the photographer she is....I am trying to soak up all that she has to teach me while we are here in Grenada.

yo ho yo ho a pirates life for us

2010-10-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

We got to sail around the island in a pirate ship not too long ago. We had a lot of fun, but I don't know if we are quite cut out for a pirates life to be honest....

Krew fell asleep for half of the trip and missed out on all the rum punch (well, more like pineapple and sprite for us)

I did enjoy swinging from the ropes into the water, but felt a little claustrophobic when we stopped to snorkel (in my defense, right when I jumped in the water someone spotted a huge octopus, which didn't help with the fact that I was trying to cope with feeling trapped in a vast, quiet, eerie and dark ocean...ok it wasn't that bad, but claustrophobia really does kick in any time I am in the ocean).

Thomas wasn't able to enjoy going all Jack Sparrow and swing from the ropes because of his surgery recovering wrist, he was however able to walk the plank...still very entertaining. Thomas loved snorkeling; where we stopped there were huge sculptures carved out of metal that had been dropped to the bottom of the ocean. I thought they were a little creepy, especially the carved people, but Thomas loved every minute of it (I am beginning to think we should have kept Krew's webbed toe so he and his dad could share a love for the water....). After watching Thomas jump into the water and fearlessly snorkel around the creepy sculptures, I was beginning to think that Thomas could really embrace the pirate lifestyle, until.....he lost his wedding ring to Davey Jones' Locker; I mean pirates are suppose to make it out with all the booty not lose it to the ocean, right?

Thomas felt horrible....he actually tried diving down into all the coral to search for his ring (which explains why I couldn't find him for a half hour). When we got home he couldn't eat or sleep, so he rushed out to the local mall and bought a cheap replacement for the time being. Knowing that his birthday was coming up, he told me not to get him anything; he wanted any money he received from family to go toward buying a new ring. Thomas always told me that he wanted to be the old man who still wore his original wedding ring, all worn and aged over the years. This. is. why. I. love. Thomas. The dang ocean can keep the ring, all I need is that husband that still wants to be there when we are worn and aged even it means going through a few rings.

what we have learned from a one year old

2010-10-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

(These are pictures from the day of his birthday....it is slightly ghetto, I couldn't get eggs from the grocery store to bake a cake in time and we didn't spend the money to buy a real candle, hence the match....we are planning to celebrate a bit better this weekend for both Thomas and Krew after Thomas is done with midterms)

October 3rd started off bright (literally bright, shades are not made well enough to keep the Grenadian sun from blaring into your room) and early (this is one of the reasons we keep Krew around, he has a nack for waking up no later than 6:30 in the morning, so we never have to hassle with an alarm clock ever again). Once we heard his cheerful jibber jabber and obsessant scratching against the pack-and-play, we burst into a horrible early morning rendition of happy birthday. Krew was wearing a huge smile, welcoming the surprised (tone-deaf) singing. While he kindly stared at us, waiting for us to finish singing, I thought to myself, "Is is possible for someone to look so much older after just one day?" You know how your grandparents always ask you if you feel any older on your birthday and you sheepishly answer back with , "well, yeah I guess so," but today wasn't like that. I knew if Krew was able to communicate, he would definitely say that he felt older; that he finally felt like he was one. Today he had the wisdom of a one year old in his eyes. That may sound stupid, I mean how much wisdom can a one year old really have, right??? Well, who knows...all I know is that this one year old has taught us a lot. Krew has taught us that:

making excuses is for the less creative--Krew prefers to cram at least 10 toys at a time into his left hand because he never knows what toy he might need while his right hand is doing all the exploring; he never seems to be bothered by the fact that he only has two hands...me on the other hand (no pun intended), I complain about not having enough hands to carry in the groceries, but now I am going to have to get creative with my loading methods, thanks to Krew.

genetics are a tricky thing--Even though Krew does look A LOT like me as a baby, you still never know....I mean, two brown haired parents can still produce a little red head boy...who saw that coming???? I'm not complaining though, it is such beautiful hair....people pay money for that kind of hair. And if its even possible, I think his hair has actually gotten more red since we have been in Grenada...and with sweaty curls, it makes for the perfect combination.

sharing is the cool thing to do--Krew will rearrange a neat row of shoes, just to hand you one, or two or three...he is usually willing to share all that the neat row has to offer. He even takes the time to dig through his blue bucket of toys to pick out the perfect toy to share, which is usually the dinosaur or the baseball. Krew is even willing to share in public places (which makes it real, right? I am just not making this up), like church, where he continually offers his prized possessions (his books) to the children sitting next to us. When it comes to sharing with Krew, there is no indian giving allowed, when you share, you put your whole heart into it. Need I say more, this behavior can be a little intimating, especially from a one year old, now I find myself making goals that involve sharing rather than going to the gym.

baths, books and bananas make for a great day--I think we all enjoy life's simple pleasures at times...a steamy hot shower, a bowl (or three...ahhhem) of your favorite ice cream; its all very normal, but this boy lives for these so called simple pleasures. He screeches a high pitched "ba, ba, ba" as soon as he hears the bath water start and at times he has been known to try and climb over the shower step....anything to get into the bath faster. I am beginning to wonder if he gets dirty and messy on purpose just to squeeze in an extra bath. As for books...man does Krew love his books. If all you did was read him books for a day, that would be the happiest day of his short little life. I almost feel bad for the toys that he has, they're clearly not treated equally. Bananas are Krew's new found love. Back home bananas were a little ho-hum, but bananas in Grenada are the real deal....super sweet and delicious; Krew can't resist and I for one can't blame him.

you can never wave too much or too fast for that matter--Once Krew got down the whole waving thing, I was excited for the occasional bye-bye waves, but "occasional" doesn't seem to exist in his world. He waves at everything and everyone and at hummingbird speed (I don't know how it is physically possible for a wrist to move so fast). It is no wonder that we both come back from a walk pooped...I am doing all the walking and Krew is doing all the waving.....he never misses a car, a person, a dog, a telephone wire, and lets be honest, a blade of grass; everything gets a proper wave on our walks.

playing a jam always makes you feel better--We all know that playing a good song does brighten your mood, but since having Krew, it is almost more enjoyable to watch Krew jam to a jam. This little boy loves music; he will stop whatever he is doing just to put a smile on his face, rock back and forth (keeping with the beat of course) and every once and awhile throw a fist pump or two. He just recently started stomping his feet (especially when Paul Simons', "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" is playing, funny, huh??).

a learning curve can never be too steep--We use to joke that Krew was a bit of slow learner (Kind of a mean joke I guess, but joking about it made us feel better about the fact that he didn't start crawling until about 10 months)...little did we know, that he just wanted to impress us with his super steep learning curve and learn everything all at once. He learned to walk (and now practically run), say dog, woof like a dog, hold up one finger when you ask him how old he is, play vroom vroom with cars, decently throw a baseball, knows the difference between a plane and a car....the list goes on. I guess he shut us up pretty quick because now our jaws are dropped with amazement.

its pointless to learn how to say "cat" or "meow", because dogs are so much better anyway (Thomas would agree 100%)-- Everything is a high pitched "dawwww" (dog) these days and no matter how many times you say a cat says "meow" at the end of the day it always says "ooooof, ooooooof." So right now I am having a moral dilemma....since he has the dog thing down, do I teach him all about cats now....but what if he replaces his love of dogs for a love of cats....I don't know if Thomas can handle that. Oh, well, we will have to see, the learning must go on.

if you've got it flaunt it--And I don't know exactly what IT is, but Krew definitely has a lot of IT. Every where we go...especially here in Grenada people stop what they are doing and go gaga over Krew. Children, the ladies, grown men even, all they want to do is get a smile out of him and chat for a bit. It is incredible how much attention he gets...and I would say that he doesn't even know it, but I think he does. He waits for the perfect moment to flash a smirk or wave hi....he might be a little bit of a charmer like his dad....which will make for one happy wife one day.

walking should be a pass time and not an everyday necessity--So like I mentioned before, Krew has been walking for a little over two weeks now. Once he took his first steps, he was off with only two speeds, fast and faster, but now that the novelty of walking has died down, he would just rather....not. Getting him to walk on his own now is a bit of a chore; he prefers crawling or stringing you along by the finger....it is only when no one is paying attention will he venture off by himself. Oh, well at least we know he can walk, it will become exciting again one day, maybe when he figures out that the next step is running.

There are so many things that Krew has taught us. We become better parents, better spouses and better people each day because of what we learn. We are so blessed to have such a sweet, smart, and funny little boy in our lives. We in no way deserve him, but we love him more than we ever thought was possible, so thats got to count for something, right?

only in grenada

2010-10-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

So Krew is officially walking!!!! (well he has been for almost two weeks now, my updating skills are a little lax these days) Not only is he walking, but the little guy turns one tomorrow!!! Can you believe it; this could have possibly been the fastest year recorded in history....I can still remember his birth like it was yesterday. Well, I told myself that I should write a proper post devoted to Krew for his birthday (mainly for my sake to remember the special day) so maybe I will accomplish that tomorrow, who knows, like I said the updating thing hasn't gone so well for me thus far. In the mean time I thought I would share a funny story....

So realizing that I might not see my family for a year....or more, Thomas and I decided that it would be a good idea if Krew and I flew home for Thanksgiving and spent a little time with my family while Thomas stayed in Grenada for two weeks to finish up with finals. I got on the phone and made the painful but necessary phone calls to switch our flights. Switching my flight was a sinch because it is all electronic, but switching Krew's was a little more tricky. Since he is a lap child he is required to have a paper ticket, meaning I have to go to the actual airport and get one printed off. Knowing that ticket prices go up as time passes, I decided to rush to the Grenadian airport, and take care of Krew's ticket asap. Well, needless to say the Grenadian airport is nothing like what we are used to in the states, but when I walked into the small...tinny, tiny international airport, I actually thought the whole process might be pretty simple because there was only one American Airline ticket agent and only one person needing help (me)...haha, boy was I wrong. So after explaining my situation I was prepared to pay the change fee to receive Krew's new paper ticket, for his new flight. In the end none of those things happened. The ticket agent was adamant that I did not need a new paper ticket and that the one I had would work just fine....even though it was for a different time, a different date and a different destination..... I guess she could tell that I was a little uneasy about the whole thing so she told me to step over the weight machines, behind the ticket counter (could you imagine!!!, this would never happen in the states....only in Grenada) and then I followed her to this security locked office (again, this would never happen anywhere but here), where she pulled up my flight information on a computer (using all of her passwords that I could have easily stolen and reeked havoc on the tinny tiny airport, you know if I was crazy like that). After she pulled up my locator number she proceeded to call American Airlines on the phone. She handed me the phone and stood right next to me while I talked to the American Airline representative. I was baffled by what was happing.....the conversation went a little like this:

Me: Hello, what process do I need to go through to change my son's flight; he is a lap child?? (already knowing the answer to this question because I had called the day before and was told that I needed to go to the actual airport for them to print out a completely new paper ticket)

AA representative: You need to go to the actual airpot and have the ticket agent at the counter print you off a new paper ticket.

Me: (repeating loud and clear so that the ticket agent standing right next to me could hear every detail that I already explained to her five minutes earlier). Okay, so I need to go to the ACTUAL AIRPORT and have the TICKET AGENT print me off a COMPLETELY NEW PAPER TICKET!!!!!!!!!!

AA ticket agent standing next to me: Ask her if she can do it over the phone???

Me: (already knowing that the answer was no, but obviously she needed a more simple no, because the last answer wasn't straight forward enough) She wants to know if you can do it over the phone??

AA representative: No, I am sorry i cannot do it over the phone, I can only do electronic tickets and paper must be done at the airport.

Me: (again repeating loud and clear) No she cannot do it over the phone, you need to do it here.

AA ticket agent standing next to me: Ask her if there is a price that you need to pay and if she can take care of that over the phone??

Me: (I also knew the answer to this question from my previous phone calls the day before, there was supposed to be a small change fee associated with this new ticket and it had to be taken care of at the actual airport) She wants to know if there is a fee associated with this new paper ticket and if so can you take care of it over the phone???

AA representative: I do not know if there is fee, the ticket agent at the airport should be able to take of all of that at the airport....wait a minute, is the ticket agent asking you to ask me these questions...what is going on over there????!!!!!

Me: Yes, m'am, I have no idea, but I will tell her that you cannot do anything to help me over the phone and that everything needs to be taken care of with a ticket agent at the actual airport and that she would need to print me off a new paper ticket and check to see if there is a price associated with it....thanks bye, bye.

So after all that, with straight forward directions from an American Airlines Representative, this ticket agent still believed that my original ticket would be sufficient, but to make me feel better she printed off an itinerary, that she typed up herself, to bring back to the airport the day of our departure.....and there should be no problems......right??!!?!?!?! We will have to see if Krew and I make it off this island. I guess the plus side to all of this is that we didn't have to pay the change fee, because the ticket agent was also convinced that I already paid for that as well (which I did not, and was totally ready and willing to pay). Like I said I was so baffled by this whole experience, that on the way home, I drove through an entrance only section, which means I think I skipped out on paying for parking.....oooops!!!!! At first I didn't realize it, but after seeing two Grenadian workers throwing their hands up in confusion while staring straight at me, I finally realized what I was doing. So of course not only was I confounded about what just happened at the airport, but then I felt bad about not paying for parking....although my remorse didn't last very long when I saw a guy driving completely on the side walk, making people jump out into the street to get out of the way.....at least I didn't put peoples lives in danger when I went out the wrong way......oh only in Grenada!!!!! Got to love it.

the real beaches are in grenada

2010-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

almost calendar worthy

2010-09-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

a welcome home, a wedding bash, and a long flight to grenada

2010-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

so just a quick update....life has been very eventful in the last month or so. Krew and I moved in with my parents for a month at the beginning of August while Thomas headed off to Grenada to begin school at St. George's University. Krew and I stayed behind to see Uncle Conner (my younger brother) return home from Korea where he had been serving a mission for the last two years. It was great to finally see him. He couldn't put down an In-n-out burger and he speaks super quietly.....other than that same old Conner. No, I will give him more credit than that, he definitely changed a lot, the mission really has made him into a great person ready to start the rest of his life.

Our trip was timed perfectly because not only did we get to welcome Conner home, but we also got to celebrate with friends and family Caitlin's (my older sister) marriage to Matt Sheets. The wedding was perfect; a beautiful bride, a groom with bulldog cuff links, dang good food, red velvet cake....mmmmm, and a whooooooole lot of dancing, Whipple style of course. Its not a complete wedding bash without all the cousins gett'in down on the dance floor.

On a lighter note, while Krew and I were in California he finally mastered crawling (I know, I know, a little late, but I think he is more of an intellectual than a physical go-get'er, he would rather sit read a book than make his way across the room), he got two teeth on the top and we are expecting some more to cut their way through any day now, he took his first trip to the zoo (it was a bit anticlimactic, his favorite animals were the ducks swimming in the river at the giraffe exhibit because they were the only animals that made any sound!), he took quite a few steps on his own, but only when he didn't realize I slipped my fingers from his grasp, he knows what an elephant says---when you ask him he throws his arm up and down like an elephants trunk, he used to know what a bear says but got too old for growling so he decided to stop that trick, he has been able to say tick-tock for awhile, but that is only half of the trick---no matter where we are he has this amazing ability to find every clock (tick-tock) in the house, whether it be one that hangs on the wall, a wrist watch or an alarm clock (which he seemed to reset and kindly wake my parents up at 3:00 in the morning), he got his first tastes of cake and ice cream (thanks to grandma and great grandma....there was no holding back, icing and all and of course he loved it), we had a mock-birthday party for him a month early, he didn't dig into his cupcakes because he was waiting for grandma to feed him the good stuff, and lastly he's got some sweet moves---anytime he hears music, he stops whatever he is doing and rocks to the beat with a huge smile on his face, his favorite genre is reggae, which is quite appropriate for the island life.

speaking of island life...we made it!!! 11 hours of travel time later we are here safe and sound and very hottttttt. We have spent the last couple of days touring, sweating, learning how to drive a stick shift, sweating, going to church, sweating, swimming at the beach and definitely sweating some more. I will hopefully get on a picture taking kick because this place is unbelievably pretty and should be shared with all....so more posts to come.

J'aime mon mari

2010-08-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

So something that Thomas asks me on a daily basis is, "Why do you love me?" I've never really been good at answering this simple question, not because I don't have something to say, but because I absolutely have too much to say and I am far from being decent at expressing/articulating my emotions. Thomas is kind enough to let me off the hook when I just seem to struggle anyway, but there are three days a year that I can't let slip by without telling my husband why I love him; his birthday, valentines day and of course our anniversary.....which is today!!! Three years....can you believe it, I sure can't. Anyway, I am going to stay focused, this post is about Thomas and why I love him, not about the amazing, fun, and interesting three years we have been married....maybe I will share tid-bits here and there, but on to Thomas. Here are the top ten reasons Why. I. Love. Thomas. (now I am not really sure how most people do the whole top ten thing, but in this case all my reasons are equally important, it just didn't sound right to say the top ten number one reasons why i love thomas). So the moment all of you (meaning Thomas, who is probably the only one that will really appreciate this) have been waiting for....

1. Movie star good looks---I don't think I need to expound much on this one, but I will anyway. Of course this is where it all started....I remember thinking that Thomas K. Bills was so good looking; he was such a pretty face to look at during those long sacrament meetings, or during the ward prayer song that no one knows the words to without a hymn book, or while playing Mario Cart and losing to Peach (who was Thomas and of course I lost, I was too busy looking at him), or really during any activity and any time of day. I remember thinking that he was just too good to be true and I never thought that someone that good looking would ever be interested in me....thank goodness he was. Next time you see Thomas, really look at his face (I won't mind) he has perfect features...pretty big green eyes, perfectly shaped nose, nice big lips, and very very straight teeth....ok moving on.....

2. Great sense of humor---Thomas is one of the funniest people I know; I pretty much laugh really really hard everyday, like tears flowing because I laugh so hard. In all of our marriage I do not think we have come in contact with someone that hasn't laughed in Thomas' presence, he is just that funny. His jokes are so real, everyone can relate.

3. Wonderful Father---It is very apparent that he loves his son, he would do anything for Krew. He is a natural father; so so so patient (something that I hope will rub off on me) and always looking for teaching opportunities. He is so youthful and finds such joy in playing with Krew. He has great aspirations for Krew and will do whatever it takes to see him succeed in life.

4. Impeccable driving skills---You can always feel safe when Thomas is behind the wheel (that's the real reason why I have him drive the entire way on road trips, not because I would rather sleep.....). I have also never seen someone back-up as smoothly as he does...he can fit any into any space, which is sometimes scary to watch, but he gets it done.

5. Loving spouse---I am so lucky to be married to Thomas; his first goal in life is to make sure that I am taken care of and that I am happy. He's never missed one night of saying "I love you beautiful" before going to bed since we have been married. He thrives on gift giving and surprises. He would hold my hand all day if he could. Sometimes I come home to a clean house, dishes and all, just because he thought it would help. We rarely eat chinese food because he knows it is not exactly my favorite, which means more girly salads and sandwiches all around. He does whatever it takes to make our marriage a strong one and wants to be in love forever.

6. Hard working---Without a doubt, I know that our family will be taken care of because of this quality. Thomas does what ever it takes to get the job done; there are no excuses for lack of hard work in Thomas's mind. Besides being the funny one, I think most people know and define Thomas by this quality. Grueling hours, hard physical labor, or emotionally taxing, Thomas will do it all if it means things get done and his family is taken care of.

7. One of the most selfless people I know---Thomas puts everyone before himself...all. the. time. I honestly cannot think of one time that Thomas has been selfish since I met him. Thomas will continually take the blame for anything just to keep the peace. We do not have much to give (still being in school and not having an income), but that does not matter to Thomas, if someone is in need he finds plenty of ways to give, give, give.

8. Better than 20/20 vision--- Thomas really does have great eyesight (which makes up for his poor hearing...its a touchy subject). He was tested for 20/10 vision. I can't tell you how much this has come in handy. We never miss a turn because he can see the street signs from so so so far away. Its great.

9. A super good memory (which you could love or hate...right now I love)---Never play any memory games with Thomas...you will lose. Or think that you will stump him with those "do you remember...." questions, because he will definitely remember and then go on further to ask you a similar question and end up stumping you at your own game...its not fun, incredible, yes, but not fun. This great memory of his makes me so jealous, especially right now as it is being put to work at school. It is crazy how fast he can memorize....like all the bones in the skull. only took half and hour. yeah...its amazing.

10. Very, Very, Very athletic---Thomas is good at everything he does, especially when it comes to sports. I just sat here for literally five minutes trying to think of one sport that Thomas is not decent at and I could not think of a single one. The only thing I could come up with.....maybe.... is that he is not the most flexible person in the world which is ok because I think he is just way too tall anyway to do any sort of gymnastics. I can't wait to see what kind of little athletes we have running around our house; you know we will with their dad's great athleticism and coaching ability.

Bonus (11). I love that Thomas loves/supports "The Rock" in the movie industry. I am pretty sure we have seen every movie of his from, "Walking Tall" to the "Tooth Fairy." He is all about "The Rock."

Well I love you Thomas, thank you for making a top ten list so easy!!!! Happy Three Years!!!!

webby is no longer....

2010-08-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

When Krew was born Thomas and I instinctively scanned him over from head to toe the first chance we got; he was perfect, like all babies are of course. The nurses seemed to agree with us as he passed all of his tests and exams, it wasn't until his first bath that a nurse pointed out his webbed toe ("webby"). Krew was born with extra webbing between his second and third toe on his left foot and if we are being completely honest....the webbing on his right foot is a little higher as well, but not nearly as noticeable as the left. Thomas and I had to decide if we would let Krew grow up with a webbed toe and teach him to love his uniqueness or get it fixed so that there was never any chance of teasing or embarrassment. We thought the webbed toe was pretty cool; we showed it off to anyone that wanted to hear about it, but when we really thought about Krew we decided to get it fixed. We would have hated for Krew to be uncomfortable about his toe growing up, especially when we had the option to fix it before it could cause him any grief. His doctor was the head of plastic surgery at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake and he assured us that the procedure was very straight forward. So we felt confident about our decision, but it was still difficult to pass him off to the nurses and wait anxiously for it all to be over. The surgery went well, according to the doctor....we will see what the toes look like this Wednesday when the cast comes off!! Krew was such a great patient through out the whole experience; he never seemed to be in pain, he didn't pick at the the cast and nothing seemed to phase him, he continued to be his happy little self and insist on walking all over the house. Not only was he a great patient, but I am pretty sure he was one of the cutest......

My trip to the rain forrest.

2010-08-16T11:36:00.001-07:00

This is the top of the Grand Etang

Top of the rain forrest . its a little warm here to say the least

the south side of the island

my friends and classmates scott and zsofia

St George's University School Of Medicine

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the first six photos are from leo. theyre not mine but they are amazing views of the school

Grenada

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here are some photos from grenada where i am starting medical school. My dad came out with me to the island because my hand is still broken and i cant carry much. it was great to have him here. We had a great time.

Bills family photo at riverwoods

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From left to right
We have Kevin, Whitney and Satchel sitting on the rock. Heather and Billy standing back left. Grandma Leigh Ann and grandpa Jeff holding Tanna 5 Dane 8 and Elodie 2. Far right, Alta Thomas and Krew

the fourth in eugene

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Family Photos

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Bills Family Pictures

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Our friend Jessie Eyre took these photos and did an amazing job. Thanks Jessie

This is one of my favorites. She took 700 pictures so there are many more great shots to come.

Photos from Brianne Serrano

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Krew

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Life at 4 Months

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4 months
12 lb 15 oz
26 in

Krew is a little over four months old now!!! He is making lots of new noises, smiles every time he sees dad, sleeps pretty well through the night, loves to splash in the bath tub, wears lots of cool Vans, learning to sit up, drools all day long, puts his pacifier in his mouth all by himself, enjoys being tossed in the air and brings so much joy into our home; we can't imagine life without him, we love him more and more every day.

Food and A Little Fun at Color Me Mine

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Probably not the best picture, but I made some Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables the other night...it turned out great. My goal is to try and make at least one new recipe a week so if any of you have some good ones, don't hesitate to share!!!!

Speaking of goals, Thomas and I spent a date night with our creative juices at Color Me Mine and made some candy dishes for Valentines Day. Our goal is to make something for every Holiday.

Burp Cloths, Boppies and Baby Bedding

2010-02-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

This is mainly a post for family members that haven't been able to visit old Canterwood #2. These are some pictures of Krew's room (I wish I could say the whole house was as carefully planned and decorated as his). A few months before Krew was born I thought it would be a good idea to start cultivating new hobbies...such as sewing. Encouraging this new desire, my mom bought me my very first sewing machine!!! Not knowing how to sew, I started out small...you know, working on a little something called the "straight line." Once that was mastered I got pretty brave and sewed burp cloths with fun fabrics and stitches (still using a straight line, but I felt pretty accomplished once I saw the cute finished products). After whipping out a dozen burp cloths I thought I would move onto something more challenging....a Boppy cover. I sewed on a curve and added a zipper; it seemed like a huge deal at the time and with another job well done, I was ready to move onto much bigger projects. Krew's bedding!!!! Luckily my mom was still in town because I don't know if going from a boppy cover to baby bedding is a realistic goal, so it was nice to have someone around that knew what they were doing. The whole project only took a few days (we were like machines, not sleeping until things got finished).....and it turned out great, much better than I expected. With the bedding finished Thomas and I started thinking about wall decor and stumbled across these decals from "Blick." The blue giraffes/dots were originally neon pink, but for obvious reasons we painted them blue, the same color as his wall. So here's Krew's room for ya (Not the best pictures...I knida neglected the other walls, which are decorated too).

Thumb sucker

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oh no! he's already sucking his thumb, and it feels like he may be getting his first tooth.

krewzer

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2 month appointment

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10.4 pounds
24 inches long

photos to update family on the growing baby bills

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holiday/church outfit

Krew is definitely a happy baby...he is smiling and cooing a ton these days

hope you dont mind....but more pictures of Krew

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Doesn't he look like he is about three years old right here...and minutes before the picture just proved one of Einstein's formulas to be wrong...

look at that pose...

A little late, but he is exactly one month in this picture

The Kennedy Family Photo Shoot

2009-11-01T10:26:00.001-08:00

These are pictures from Jake and Jenny's Wedding...We joked that it felt like a Kennedy Family photo shoot in this beautiful mansion posing the way were. Thanks Lauren for the fun pictures!!

Bringing Two Sides Together for the Holidays

2009-11-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

Krew was love'in his costume. He was so relaxed...we contemplated about using it as his church outfit; he'd be asleep the entire time!!!

The Pilgrims and Indians just needed something as cute as Krew to bring them together!!!

I love how Krew is wide-eyed, looking straight at the meat tenderizer

Thomas is wearing bright yellow spandex to match his bright yellow, politically correct Indian feathers; it was classic.

Krew's pre-turkey costume...just wanted to be festive.

Our Jack-O-Lantern Family

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Happy Halloween!!!

The Bills and Johnson Family Jack-O-Lanterns (Alta, Leigh Ann, Tanna....so funny she just wanted to carve one eye, Billy, Thomas, Jeff, Dane, Krew and Heather). That is one creative bunch.

Alta's Picasso of a Pumpkin

Thomas' version of a Jack-O-Lantern...this just makes sense after all that has happened recently

Good looking Jack-O-Lantern Family!!!

Halloween Happenings

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Krew was tucked away and sleeping well so we didn't dare take him out in the cold for a photo-op, instead we brought the pumpkins to him.

Thanks to Leigh Ann's photography skills, we have the perfect display of foreground, middle ground, and background.

A close up at Pumpkin Land

The Bills little family...Krew is fast asleep, but I am sure he loved walking around the pumpkin patch, and below is a picture of Grandpa Bills and cousin Elodie with Krew. If you look closely Krew has a smile on his face...so cute....must be the family love!!

we found this picture from the night krew was born. he was born just after the byu football game

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mckenzie oborn's blessing

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who does he look like?

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good pics

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Out of Order, but lots more baby pictures

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jakes wedding

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Baby Krew

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