Ash splash in bath bath

One of Ashton's favorite things is water...he loves to pour water from cup to cup, splash in puddles, swim, bathe, if there is water he wants to be actively engaged in it. So here he is in his element!

Match Day

So for the past few weeks Tyler has gone out interviewing at different hospitals for residencies. He received the Health Professions Scholarship for the Air Force which means that the AF paid Tyler's way through medical school and included a living allowance and in return Tyler will work for the Air Force as an MD when he is through with his training for 4 years. Because of this agreement Tyler would have to apply for residency through the military which he did and ranked a deferred civilian residency as his number one choice (this is why he had set up and started interviewing for residencies at various programs. Tyler had done REALLY well on his Step 1 USMLE (United States Medical Licensure Exam?) and thought he would get his number one choice being a deferred residency rather than a military residency. So when Military Match day came we were shocked to find out that he hadn't gotten his number one choice, canceling all remaining cilivilian interviews and match, and that our little family would be packing up and moving to San Antonio Texas for him to begin his intern year in General Surgery. To be honest it was a HUGE blow. He had become so excited at the many great residency programs he had interviewed at. It took several weeks to adjust to the idea of a military residency. It was really hard for me to see Tyler's disappointment and feelings of failure. It was hard to see the good in this. But finally the disappointment is gone and we are very excited for what life will bring to us in San Antonio. It helps to remember that God is at the reigns. He knows what is best for our family and for a reason unkown to us, San Antonio is where we need to be. It helps to also remember that we LOVE San Antonio. We were there a few years ago for one of Tyler's Air Force trainings and while we were there we visited that awesome Zoo, the River Walk, and Sea World. Plus there is a temple there and it's only an hour and a half away from Gabe and his family! So we are now excited and looking forward to our adventure. After all, the experience is what you make it!

Christmas 2008

This year we spent Christmas in Colorado with the Rust family. We actually got to celebrate it twice because most of Tyler's brothers weren't able to make it on Christmas day....The original plan was to postpone Christmas a few days, but then we got to excited and decided to celebrate twice.
On Christmas Eve Tyler played some Christmas carols on the piano while the family sang. That is one of my most favorite traditions! We then let Ashton and Isaac put on the their Christmas jammies and Ash got to open one present. He was so excited and couldn't stop screaming ELMO!!!

The following morning we ate Christmas rolls and opened more gifts. Ashton loved his piano! He gets into it and will jump up and down on the seat while he plays the keys and jams to the music. It is great!

Horrah in Houston

We took our first trip with the boys this last week. Tyler was starting the interview process for residencies and so we packed our bags and headed for Texas. Our journey started in Dallas where Tyler interviewed at Baylor and UT Southwestern. The interviews went well and he was impressed with both programs. We then headed to Austin to spend a few days with my brother Gabe, my sister-in-law, Becca, and their two kids Ashlee and Ben. It was so fun to see and spend time with them. Their kids are SOOOO cute and we took advantage of the great weather and packed the kids in bike trailers and rode to two different parks, one of which we fed the ducks at. It was a ton of fun. The traveling and change of locations wore on Ashton and although he was pretty clingy to me he had a great time running around and playing with Ashlee. He also loved how cuddley Ben was. It was so fun to be with family and we sure hope Tyler does residency near them!

Gabe

Ashlee

Duck Feeding

Me and my boy

Christmas Suprise

The last leg of the trip took us to Houston for Tyler's last interview (Baylore again) where we were able to stay with our best friends from St. Louis, Jamin and Kimra Barber and their sweet girl Emerson. They moved over the summer and did it ever feel good to see them! There's nothing like good conversation with great friends that you know you will have for life. We sure love you guys!!!
The trip ended there and I headed of to Colorado with the boys and Tyler went back to St. Louis where he will finish up his last rotation and a few more interviews. We can't wait for him to join us here at the end of next week!

Photo Shoot

Thanks to Emily, a wonderful photographer, we have some wonderful newborn and family pictures that I will forever treasure. These pictures were taken when Isaac was only 2 1/2 weeks old and I'm so happy that we will have these amazing pictures to remember the newness by. The following are some of my favorites and you can click here to view the rest of our pictures!

Boys and Baking

This is what the boys were up to while mom was getting ready for church...Aren't they adorable!

So I have been craving chocolate cake all weekend, so when Tyler left to go home teaching and Isaac had fallen asleep, I saw an opportunity to have some fun with my sweet little Ashton. We went to pantry where he selected the cake mix. Then he helped put all the ingredients in the bowl. When I showed him how to use the mixer I was a little nervous about what the outcome would be...Well, he proved to be a pro...see for yourself!



He did so well that I let him pour the mixture into the cake pan...that's when it got messy so I had to get it into the oven if there was going to be anything left to bake. He wasn't too pleased so I had to remedy the situation by offering him the batter coated spatula which he ate in style! I learned that I can have fun baking with my boy, but to change out of my church clothes beforehand.

18 Months

Last night Tyler and I found some video that we had taken of Ashton a little over a year ago. He was so chubby and so cute. We watched him flail his arms about, listened to his sweet talking sounds and couldn't resist laughing when he unsteadily lost his balance while sitting on our bed falling over backwards again and again. He has grown and changed so fast that it's impossible to remember him being any different than he is now. So I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to "remember" all the cute and unique stages of my children's lives, I am going to need a little video assistance. So here is a little clip of Ashton in his element, grooving to some tunes!

Ashton at a glance:
Loves to dance to groovy tunes
Loves balls
Loves to jump in his crib
Loves his baby brother
Loves ELMO
Loves to read books and look at flash cards
Loves Bacon
Loves to take baths
Loves to joke around, calling himself mama etc.
Loves to be chased
Loves to fill up anything that can be filled from the bathtub
Loves to feed fish and ducks
Loves stickers and to color
Loves to eat moms chapstick
Knows apx 70 words
Loves skittles
Hates wearing a coat or jacket (or cloths for that matter)
Is finally learning to take a good nap
Loves to go "bye-bye" especially to the park
Overall, LOVES LIFE

Okay, so I couldn't get the video to work, but seriously, he's adorable!

3 Weeks

Isaac is 3 weeks old! He is as cute as ever (but what's not cute about a sleeping newborn!). Surprisingly I'm not feeling too overwhelmed having 2 under 2 which has made having a newborn enjoyable. I have to admit, Tyler has made a big effort to be home early most days which for sure has contributed to making this as easy as possible.

At three weeks, these are a few of the things that I love about my sweet baby Isaac:

He loves to smile! All it takes is a gentle stroke on the cheek or some baby talk.

His hearty laugh when he sleeps.

His beautiful blue eyes that love to look at me! (Ashton didn't start this so young)

His tolerance of his smoothering big brother

His little hands that are quick to grasp my finger

His strength. He holds his head up so well.

He's a great sleeper!

And my absolute favorite is that he lets me and even prefers for me to hold him for hours and hours...a trait that is lost far to quickly.

Nanas and the Boys

Aren't moms amazing! Everything is always better when mom is around. I am so grateful for the two special mothers in my life. My mother came out from Colorado to be with me when my second child was expected to arrive. Although she arrived before he did I was able to enjoy my mom for myself, playing games, watching movies, shopping, and leaving my house over to her so that I could enjoy my husband's company for one last date before the baby arrived. I didn't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, laundry, or anything~ what a special treat. And did I mention that everything tastes better, looks cleaner, feels better when she is around! How wonderful to have a mom. I hope that I can be as special to my children as she is to me!

The second mother is Tyler's mom...She too is quick to help and has the same magical effect on life. We were so lucky to have her come out to help with the baby as well and oh how nice it was. Thank you Janis, Thank you mom...life is definitely sweeter with you in it!

Two Weeks Old

I can't believe baby Isaac is 2 weeks old all ready! So far he has been such a sweet little thing! He sleeps, eats, smiles and handles Ashton's smoothering quite well! My favorite things about him are his adorable smiles and his cuddley body. We are so glad to have him and wish he would stay little longer!

Happy Halloween

Ashton's favorite pal is his monkey "Boo". He loves monkey's so much that when he wouldn't put down this monkey costume at Baby's R Us we knew we had found his costume! Well, we were expecting another little boy a week before Halloween so I decided the perfect complement would be a little banana. Here is the result for the 2008 festivities!

Delivery Day

So my mom came out to help with the new baby and arrived on my due date, October 24th. Only, when she got here, the baby wasn't! So we scheduled an induction day and went October 28th to St. Mary's Hospital to have the baby. It was exciting and I wasn't sure what to expect since I went into labor on my own with Ashton. I was started on Pitocin at 7:30 that morning...by noon I had only dialated to a 5 so the Dr. broke my water. Well, labor picked up quick after that and the contractions were getting painful. I asked for the epidural and an hour later the anesthesiologist finally came into the room without any intention of delivering the epidural. Apparently my platelets were too low and I was at high risk for paralysis if I were to get it...Well, at that point the pain was so strong and I didn't know how I was going to get through labor. As soon as the nurse and Doc left I grabbed Tyler's arm and asked him to give me a blessing inbetween the next contraction. The first words of comfort told me that I would be able to appreciate Christ's suffering for me through the events that I was about to experience. Those words are really the only words I remember but I do know that I was blessed with comfort at that time...and boy did I need it! I was howling in pain...I couldn't help but crack jokes through the pain that was quickly escalating. After three hours of labor I cried (and by this I mean screamed at the top of my lungs) for help. Before I new it the room was full of nurses, residents, and Dr. Blaskewiez. I can't thank Dr. Blask enough for his calm demeanor and firm instructions as to what I needed to do to effectively deliver my baby. I remeber seeing Tyler gown up and hearing him coach and encourage me through each push. It didn't take more than 10 minutes of excruciating pain before Tyler held our boy in his arms. There is NOTHING like holding your child for the first time. I LOVE YOU ISAAC!!! My mom arrived with Ashton an hour later and I was sooooo grateful for all she has done for me and all she did while she was here.

Announcing....

Isaac William Rust
born Tuesday, October 28th
3:58 p.m.
9 lb. 5 oz.
20 3/4 inches

His face was so bruised when he came out! Poor Mr. Blue..

Happy and relieved Momma and a tired baby

Proud Papa ready to take his boy home

Brothers

Delighted Nana

Apple Pickin at Millstadt

After seeing how much Ashton enjoyed picking plums off of my parents trees, I thought it would be fun to take him apple picking. There is a great farm about 30 minutes away that not only has great orchards for picking, but also has lots of farm fun entertainment!

Ashton on his first pony ride. He wasn't too sure about it!

Waiting for the pig races. So cute!

Feeding the goats, one of Ashton's loves.

Ashton's 1st Bubble Bath

We Love Chocolate!!!

Since I've been married to Tyler, I've come to realize that he can ALWAYS tell if I've eaten chocolate. So I guess that's where Ashton gets it from...

General Conference

So, although it's been much more difficult to hear the prophets messages over conference weekend with an active 16 month old, there has been a particular phrase that I think about multiple times a day. Elder Wirthlin in his address Saturday afternoon spoke a phrase that his mother told him after a disappointing football game. She told him, "come what may and love it".

And why not? Life experiences are so unique and ever changing, and while it's easy to wish or think upon how things could be better or easier, we can be sooooo much happier enjoying life as it is.

Sure it's been a little tough being without Tyler these last four weeks and taking care of my crazy sweet boy all by my self being now 38 weeks pregnant. But those few words have made such a difference this last week and I've been really able to value my time with Ashton and enjoy our last one on one adventure together before baby brother and Dad join us. I'm thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and my needs and speaks to me through a prophet's voice.

Strides 4 Kids

This last weekend was the day of the big race! Tyler and I, and many other SLU medical students and friends have spent the last 6 months planning and preparing a 5K race. We held it in towergrove park and it was a SUCCESS!!! This was a HUGE and very stressful but rewarding event.

I've always enjoyed running and after hearing Tyler comment about a once upon a time medical student who put on 5k run for charity, I couldn't get the idea out of my head. I thought that we could do something like that and that it wouldn't be so hard. Pick a charity, a location, advertise, and host the event. No big deal, right?! Well was I ever wrong!!!

We invested many hours of most days to putting the event together. We were so LUCKY to have great friends want to be a part of such an event and together we went to work. We first choose for our proceeds to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our experience with Ashton has created a special spot in our hearts for sick children and their families and this would be a small way we could help others in need.

We put together letters to give to potential sponsors. We solicited almost 100 companys and recieved awesome prizes to use in a raffle but very little money. We were nervous about how we fund the raise and began to advertise at many other races, schools, community boards, etc. When the race was only a month away, a professor at the med school heard what we were doing and a Strides 4 Kids interest group was created and we recieved funding to cover many of our costs. We would have proceeds after all! We made flyers, held an icecream fundraiser night at a local icecream parlor, hosted our own website, made T-shirts and attended to the details of race day. It was down right work and we learned a lot about what it was like to be a leader and a manger. It was a hard lesson but one that will benefit us as parents as well as our callings in church.

On race day, Tyler was in Biloxi working with the Air Force. It was so unfortunate for him to not see the fruits of our labors because they were sweet. It was hectice but over a 120 runners came out to support the event. My favorite part was having two children suffering from cancer come down to our event and cheer on the runners. They had such wonderful attitudes and it was great to see their beautiful spirits and sweet smiles. After the race was over we held the raffle and those two kids announced and handed out the raffle prizes. Other than the a man collapsing by our pavillion and having a Ambulance come to aid this man (who apparently was walking through the park, had a seizure, and became disoriented) the event went smoothly. It was great to have over but rewarding to know that we were successful and would be of some help to those in need.

I have to give a special thanks to Jeremy and Ashley Timm and Aaron and Angela Robinson. We COULD NOT have done it without you! Overall we raised over $3,600! We look forward to having this event continue on the future and hope to double our proceeds next year.

Birthday Visit

So, It's been a long time since I've posted, but then again, lots has happened. On August 27th (my Birthday) Tyler's parents and brother came out to visit us! It was AWESOME to have them! This first picture is of Ashton helping us get the house ready for our guests.

While they were here we went to the Science Museum...where Ashton got his first Build-a-Bear (a fisher monkey named Zee), went to the Botanical Gardens, the St. Louis Zoo, and we even ventured out to Six Flags!

The zoo was so fun! We always seem to have luck when we're there because most of the animals are out and moving. Here is my boy with Papa and Nana, and the following is at the sweet penguin house.

The St. Louis Zoo has an awesome penguin house. Sure it's freezing cold inside, but the birds are so close to you. Ashton loves that, and loves when they caw, flap their wings, swim and splash.

And then here are the boys on the carousel.

The following pictures are at the hippos. They are usually pretty entertaining, swimming laps by the windows for all to see.

Ashton would get into position and when the hippo got close....

He would run over to Dad to finish the spectacle safely.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens

This is seriously one of the most beautiful gardens on earth.

Nikki Art Sculptures throughout the Gardens

Where there is water, there is Ashton...

Mr. Mischief

The Grand Finale

I'll admit, when I saw what Ashton was doing I was furious. Luckily Tyler had a sence of humor about the situation and snapped a pic. All I know is that the toilet lock has saved us a fortune! We had a great time with the Rust's! Thanks for the visit!

Where, oh where could the other shoe be?

Yesterday I wanted to take Ashton to the store and started looking for his cute new little Nike shoes...I remembered putting them on the table the night before but there was only one on the table. I started the hunt searching every room in the house...No shoe...I grabbed the car keys determined to find it but kn0wing full well that I had taken them out of the car the night before. Sure enough no shoes. And my gut told me where they were. Last week I cleaned the house from top to bottom searching for Tyler's school badge which lets him into the school and hospital. For three days I cleaned and looked...No luck. And then we caught on to Ashton's new habit...Moving items from their place to either the laundry hamper or the trash can. Unfortunately the Tyler had just taken out the trash (but fortunately the trashman hadn't come yet). So the next place to look for the shoe was also my last one...the dumpster...

Our little family....