2010 Cutest Baby Contest

We put Toa in a "cutest baby born in 2010" contest held by the Idaho State Journal. It was really A LOT of fun! We submitted this pictureand then got EVERYONE that we could find to vote for him. There were 219 ADORABLE babies in the contest and A LOT of steep competition. The competition lasted for one week and there were a few babies giving Toa a run for his money BUT the night that the contest ended Toa pulled ahead by 22 votes and WON!! I hardly EVER stay up past 10 p.m. but on this night I stayed up till midnight to see if Toa had won! I was sooo excited and happy!

We were told when we entered the contest that the winner would receive a GIFT BASKET. So when we showed up at the Idaho State Journal and saw ALL of the gifts that Toa had won we were SHOCKED! Here is a picture of Toa with his winnings! Too cute!

This picture of our little family went into the newspaper on the 2nd of February 2011 as a special "thank you" to Bingham Memorial Hospital for donating the gifts


Toa at home with all of his gifts

Getting EXCITED to open them and see what he had won!

Can you BELIEVE everything that he won!! I was AMAZED as we helped Toa open his gifts and saw Toa's eyes start to SPARKLE with EXCITEMENT as he saw all the books, toys and clothes that just kept coming out of those bags!
The after math of opening ALL of those gifts!! Toa LOVED playing in the ribbons and paper that came from the bags!
This is what was published in the Idaho State Journal on the 30th of January, 2011

and then the picture published in the paper on the 2nd of February, 2011

What a wonderful experience and memory that we will cherish FOR EVER!! We love our little Toa-Tot and are so thankful to all of the friends and family who voted for Toa (he couldn't have done it without you ALL), Idaho State Journal and Bingham Memorial Hospital for providing such a great opportunity and the AMAZING gifts that were provided for the cutest baby born in 2010

TOA!! :)

Christmas 2010

Cam, Savana and my mom playing with Toa on Christmas morning.

Mama and daddy opening presents with Toa at my mom's home.

This picture just cracks me up! It looks like Toa is ticked because Cam is playing with his toy. This boy is gonna have to learn how to SHARE! :)

Mama helping Toa open his gifts and showing him what he got Toa with a FEW of the gifts he got this past Christmas. He got sooo spoiled!

Mama and her baby boy!

My dad, Tina and Toa on Christmas day

Alofa, Toa and I showing off the gifts we got at my dad's home! Thank you EVERYONE!!

Sleep in HEAVENLY peace! This is Toa sleeping on Christmas Eve, right before Santa came to see him! He had been such a good boy and got SPOILED!

Our little family on Christmas Eve. This picture is right after we had gotten home from driving around looking at all of the Christmas lights.
Alofa and I let Toa open ONE present early, his bumbo chair, and he LOVED it!
Cam, Joseph, Dad, Tina and I made sugar cookies the same night we took Toa and Cam to see Santa. We had such a great time and Cam is quite the cookie decorator AND EATER! :)

Joseph was a pretty good little cookie decorator and EATER too! :)

Cam helping me cut out the cookies

I LOVE our little family!

Toa's first picture with Santa and Cam. He didn't like it so much but it still is pretty cute!

Cam checking on Toa while they are sitting on Santa's lap. He just wanted to make sure that Toa wasn't too scared! What a great big cousin!

Mama and her sweet baby (even though he doesn't look so sweet in this picture ;))

Love my BOYS!!

Our Christmas Stockings

Mine, Toa's and Alofa's

Toa's first Christmas Ornament hanging on the tree

Toa's first Christmas Ornament
There is just something about celebrating Christmas with a brand new, sweet baby in the home that invites the spirit and magic of Christ into a home. This year was sooo perfect and memorable as we celebrated the birth of our Savior. I am so thankful for His birth, life and atonement that makes it possible for me to be with my family forever. I can not think of a more valuable or special gift! I will be forever grateful for all that my Father in Heaven and Savior have given me!

New Year's Eve

This year for New Year's Eve we were able to go and celebrate it with my cousin, Braken and his wife at their wedding reception. We had sooo much fun!

Braken and Grandma Howerton

Grandma with her glass of water

Grandpa Howerton and Aunt Vicky

Toa is ALWAYS eating!!

Sami and Toa

The LOVE BIRDS!! Congrats guys!! We wish my MANY years of happiness and LOVE!

Grandma Howerton and I

Me with my Aunt Karen and sweet Cousin Sami

Papa Howerton, Toa and Chris. Chris gave Toa the balloon that he is holding on to and Toa would NOT let go of it! He loved his balloon!

I LOVE my sweet husband! He makes me smile everyday!

Shaley, Grandma Howerton and Aunt Vicky

They like to MOVE it MOVE it!

Hot ladies shaking their STUFF!!

Grandma Howerton getting DOWN on the dance floor!! This lady has got some HOT moves!! GOOOOOO Grandma!!

Our sweet family on New Year's Eve
This is how Toa rang in the New Year!! Sleeping in his swing!! What a sweetheart! This past year was an incredible year!! I finished grad school (which I NEVER could have done without the love and support of my sweet husband), celebrated Alofa and my first anniversary (one year of wonderful memories and LOTS of FUN!) and brought a brand new spirit into our home. Toa has been such a wonderful blessing in our lives and everyday we thank our Father in Heaven for him and his health! We can only hope that the next year will be just as wonderful and fulfilling at this past year has been!

I NEED to catch up!!!

So much has happened in the past 2 months (all of it good) and I have NOT been able to keep up on my blog let alone work full time, keep a clean home AND be the mommy that Toa deserves & good wife that Alofa deserves. While it is true that it's WAY late to make New Year's Resolutions, I can still make some goals to help me feel like I am keeping up on everything that I need and WANT to do. Some of these goals are:

#1 keep a cleaner home for Alofa, Toa and myself to live life to the fullest in. I plan to go around the house and at least "pick up" every night after Toa goes to bed. That way the house won't get sooo overwhelming that I just look everything I have to do with a feeling of defeat. Alofa helps out soo much! He does the dishes EVERYDAY!! Bless his heart, I love him sooo much!! On the weekends, I will deep clean 2 rooms. I am going to set up a schedule so that I can make sure everything that needs to be done will get done. I will do at least 1 load of laundry daily. That way it won't pile up so bad. I feel comfortable with these goals. I feel as if I can accomplish them and still get to spend a good amount of time with my sweethearts!

#2 I plan on posting on my blog at LEAST once a month! I know that I have sooo much to share, just not enough time to post it all. I have thought about it, and if I were to post more frequently it wouldn't take me a million years to share the important (and maybe some not so interesting at times) happenings of our lives. If I really think about it, I LOVE looking back on the older posts of our blog and remembering the wonderful times of our lives! I WANT to post more and I can do it.

#3 I will not complain about having to work. I think this will help me to have a better attitude when I get home which will in turn make the time I do get to spend with my little family sweeter! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job and am so thankful that I have such a good, flexible, good paying and FUN job!! BUT there are times where I wish I could be a stay at home mommy! (Just look at this face!! Who WOULDN'T want to stay home with him?!?) :)

Needless to say, Alofa, Toa and I have been very busy, VERY HAPPY and very blessed!! Look forward to more posts on New Years, Christmas, 2010 baby contest and Valentine's day soon!! I am going to cuddle my boys now!

LIFE is GREAT!