Valley of Fire

Yesterday we took a family trip to what is called The Valley of Fire. It is a state park here in Nevada approximately 40 miles north of where we live (about an hour plus of the strip) Anyways, on our drive north we saw a baja style off road race going on. There were people stopped along the freeway to take part in watching the race. I couldn't believe how many people were out in the middle of nowhere to watch this thing. It was a first for me, but not Jayson. It brought back many memories of his childhood.
Here are some pictures of some racers...


Pictures below are of the Valley of Fire. It was a beautiful park if you like the desert atmosphere. It was a pretty nice day 70-80 degrees... at least not 120! Gwen did pretty good. I'm not sure if she's really into the hiking thing. We need to take her some more to get used to it. As for Magnum... he loved it! The only problem we had with him was he was throwing up rocks all day. I couldn't figure out as to why and when he ate them, but I did today!!! I forgot I had dumped some bacon grease next to the trashcans (in the rocks)in the backyard the other day and he must of enjoyed himself a bit.










I've saved the best picture for last though.

Yes, this woman was riding on a motorcycle with a Chihuahua strapped to her front side in a baby carrier. Yes... a baby carrier, but that's not it... look closely at the dog... do you see it? The dog is wearing goggles! Jayson and I couldn't stop laughing when we saw this. There are some strange people in this world I must say!

Park Day

Today was a great day for a picnic in the park. Jayson's been flying nights this week, so Gwen and I have been able to enjoy his company for 3-4 hours during the day before he goes to work. So with that said... I made us a picnic lunch and off we went to the park. Magnum just loved being outside, off his leash, and more so with us. It was nice being outside and it not being extremely windy or unbearably hot!


Don't these two pictures tell it all. Miss Gwen was in a very yucky mood today. She was just beside herself all day. The expressions on her face tell it all!



Jayson feeding Miss Gwen

The family out at the park. We forgot to get Magnum in the picture. Next time!



Mommy and Gwen

Gwen enjoying her first time down the slide thanks to daddy!

It was a great day for the park!

Gwen is 3 months old today!

Gosh! Where does the time go. My baby girl is 3 months old today!
She weighs 11 lbs 5 ozs, and is 22 inches long. And her head circumference is in the 83rd percentile (thanks to daddy!) He said it's because she has lots of brains. Shes too smart already. We both agree to that one.


She has changed so much and way too fast for me.


She holds her head up really well, loves to take naps in her swing, loves to take magnum for walks, loves car rides, finally enjoying her floor gym, discovered herself in the mirror, smiles all the time, is starting to giggle, tells some very interesting stories, finally doesn't mind her clothes being changed (mommy loves that one!), loves the bath now, figured out what her feet can do, is starting to sleep through the night, loves to eat, tells you exactly what she wants and when she wants it, starting to enjoy her toys, is getting interested in Elmo, loves to watch tv with daddy, is interested in other little people her size, loves when mommy and daddy read to her, loves the endless kisses from magnum, and just loves life!

Here's a couple of pictures of her latest accomplishments. I wouldn't say I'm thrilled about this one. It's going to be very hard to take that thumb away when she gets older!



Jayson and I have loved every moment so far with Gwen. She is truly one fantastic blessing in our lives!

we've had success

I woke up this morning when Jayson was getting ready for work...around 5:30ish. I rolled over and asked him if he had fed Gwen in the middle of the night and he said no. When I turned on the video monitor she was sound asleep still. I couldn't believe it. She had slept from 6:30pm until 6:00am. I really thought I was dreaming. I guess she knew her mommy really needed some sleep last night. My cold has gotten to the point that now I don't have a voice today. Wonderful!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Gwen's Trip to Texas

We started our trip last Thursday morning at 3:30am. We almost missed our 6:45am flight, but thank goodness we made it. I did a great job packing so running through the Vegas airport with a baby strapped to your front side wasn't too bad. Whew! We flew from Vegas to Denver first. We had a layover there for 2 hours. We boarded the plane and sat on the plane for 2 hours before we took off. Yes, 2 hours! This was because of paperwork that was filled out incorrectly. Thank you very much maintenance! Then we were off to San Antonio. We finally made it there at 4:30pm. Yes, started at 6:45am and finished at 4:30pm. Not fun was an infant. We were both exhausted! Here are pictures from our layover in Denver.




The next day my parents flew in. I guess I should tell you why we went. It was my niece's 1st birthday and I surprised my sister with coming out. We had a great time. It was so much fun seeing Gwen interact with her cousins Isaac and Jocelyn. She was very interested in little people.






We had a great trip. It was hard saying goodbye like it always is. I never know when I am going to get to see my sister. It's tough. The flight home went fairly well. Gwen had her momments, but we handled it. We made it back to oh so wonderful Las Vegas at 10:30pm. It was great to see Jayson and Magnum waiting for us in the parking lot. But boy am I exhausted and I think I am getting a cold. Yuck!

Gwen has a new friend

Today Gwen and I went to a Baby and Mommy playgroup. Ooh it was so much fun! Gwen met a little girl name Abby. She was absolutely mesmerized by her. It was cute to see her laugh and smile. I even enjoyed the company.

The Easter Bunny Came Early

Gwen is 2 1/2 months old

Okay I really need someone to take some pictures of us. I am definitely not a photographer.

This morning... well we forgot to set our clocks ahead. We missed the 9am service, so we went to the 11am service. So, it was time for a photo shoot. Okay, the Rickard way (not very good) Oh well, here is Gwen wearing tights for the first time, and shoes that are way to big! And for me... I got into another pair of my pre-pregnancy pants! WhaWhoo!!

thumb sucking

Whew! Where did the week go? This past week was a full, busy, but an enjoyable week. Monday my good friend Kate and her husband came down to visit for the week. We also had Jayson's grandma and aunt come for a visit that day. There were many stories told sad, and funny that made the day very special. The rest of the week Kate, Gwen, and I enjoyed time shopping, relaxing, walking, and so much more. And to end the week... I finally got my car. Jayson and I finally broke down and traded my little jetta in for a family mobile. Yes, a family mobile. We purchased a GMC Acadia. I love it so far. I'm still not used to not having to shift, put the clutch in and so on. I'm sure I'll get used to it quick. I love how much room I have. This car is going to be a lot better for Gwen, Magnum, and I when we drive down to Califonria to visit my parents. The other latest and greatest... well, not so much greatest, but Gwen has decided she wants to be a thumb-sucker. I have an ultrasound picture of her sucking her thumb and when I saw that... I told Jayson she needed the bink right away. My theory is it's easier to take a bink away then a thumb. I think Gwen has her own thoughts on that. She still doesn't have it down pat just yet. There seems to be a lot of frustration involved, so that's when I step in and give her the bink. I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to do that for. We'll see how it goes.

best of friends