Happy Abigirl

This picture of Abigail was taken on Sunday I think. She is just a happy girl. She smiles like this all the time. I was chatting online with Missy today about what Abby had done, and I started to cry a little at how absolutely happy this little girl is. I know I'm probably not the only out there who loves his own child this much, I just would never had guessed how much fun and how much joy having children was going to bring to my life. I just hate the fact that I can never find the right words to explain how happy it makes me

And just to be clear, Abigail LOVES her food. She just puts it away and cleans that plate EVERY time. You can't eat anything in front of her unless you are going to be giving her some too. Especially if it's ice cream. And somehow she knows when it's something really good (i.e. i don't want to share) but the second she gets upset I have to give her some... it's too hard not to!

Tender Mercies

The last few weeks the Lord has left bread crumbs of faith along our
way that are too convenient to be happenstance and to miraculous to
not be from Him.

In retrospect, it becomes blatantly apparent that we (all of God's
children) are always under His watchful eyes. That as much as we think
we may be unnoticable from His point of view, He knows us and what we
are going through. When the arranged randomness of life calls on us to
go through affliction it is through those times that the Lord can
humble and strengthen us.

In my life, I have noticed, that I can most easily recognize His help,
in the moment the yoke is being removed from me. Just as waking from a
dream, you have the clear memory of what just happened and also an
accurate view of your current course and heading. As the mind compares
those two, the math only adds up if a Third Party was involved adding
a great deal more to your personal efforts.

Who could have thought that a boy like me could be sealed to the girl
of his dreams, be the father of such a beautiful and happy girl with a
healthy boy on the way and have a job that gives me an otherwise out
of reach education that also allows me to feed and shield my family
from the storms of this world. Not possible with my efforts only. It
is a round of miracles from the Lord that has put me in this present
position. I really am nothing.

Tyler Owens

Abi Plaing with us

Shower

This morning as I was showering for church I suddenly realized there
was a very cold draft. I looked behind me and the shower door is wide
open. Little peeping Abi. I can just hear her thoughts "dad, what are
you doing? Come and play with me"

IHOP

So this morning we decided (okay missy decided) we needed to go to
ihop. The only time I've had to wait for a seat at ihop is 12am in
Orem. So seeing it packed with a 10 minute wait on Saturday at 10am is
a little foreign to me. Welcome to the Midwest.(even though if you
look at a map it is nowhere near the west).
Seeing I haven't posted in awhile and haven't sent pictures in awhile,
I figured it was a good time to post something since we have a ten
minute wait. We love and miss you all.

Tired

Needless to say. She slept without tossing to much.

Lightning Clouds

Taken from my phone. What a pretty specticle.

Storm

So we just had a major storm roll through and it was crazy. It was a
"tornado watch" for us (which means that a tornado can happen but not
likely, "tornado warning" means the beginnings of a tornado has been
seem in the sky in your county).

What is typical for where we live is to be on the very edge of the
storms. Below you can see all the lightening strike locations of the
past five minutes. See tho total number?

We live about half way between the storm cloud and straight above the
"n" in "Bolton"

We Moved!

I know. i know. "you're making a mistake" , "you're going to miss it here" " you'll be back soon i know it" you could be all right.

But, We know this is where we are supposed to be. We have moved to Kansas City, Missouri. More specifically Lee's Summit, MO.

I started a new job working for an east coast based consulting company. Because it's east coast they wouldn't even consider me unless we were further east.

I have flown to Tampa 2 times now (that's me waiting to board my plane to KC from Tampa)

I know it's not very clear, but it was taken from my 10 laptop webcam. the same computer i'm now typing on to write this. Anyways.

I'm loving my new job. I'm learning TONS and finding it very rewarding. The only downside at all, (and it's a major downside) is i am away from home monday through thursday. So that part is hard. But otherwise, this is the best job i've ever had.

I guess i'm mainly writing this to tell you how much we miss you guys. we love you. and we will try to visit as often as we can, (which should be cheap for us considering how many miles i'll be racking up.

alright. we're boarding. have a great day!

Peanut butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Abigail really like to eat whatever she can... especially if mom and dad are eating it too. Dad came home for lunch and we had PB&J Abby decided she wanted some too. She wanted the one that wasn't cut into bite-sized pieces, but mom wouldn't let her.

She really enjoyed it. (you can see the peanutbutter in between her fingers... she didn't like that being cleaned up)

What?

She was pretty proud of herself

Pool!

Yesterday we went to the pool, but got a little camera crazy before we actually got in.

She just threw her face into dads chest...we couldn't figure out why, but it was pretty funny :)

Just hanging out with dad

She loves watching big kids do things

Not sure what was going on...but she thought it was funny

Her top teeth are in!

After yesterday, we decided that we need to be going to pool as often as we can. It was so much fun for all of us and completely pooped Abby out.

When is this baby coming?

I went in for 20 wk. ultrasound/checkup last week and found out that the baby (still a boy) is growing 12 days ahead of where he should be according to my due date, but that was when she thought that she told me that I was due on Aug 1, I'm due Aug 7. She decided to keep my due date the same, but was just letting me know that this baby might be coming a little earlier than we had expected.

So anyone who knows me knows that I'm not always the most patient (when I was little I would unwrap my Christmas presents, ever so carefully, weeks ahead of time and then wrap the back up; and then I married someone who did the exact same thing). Anyway, I come home from that doctors appointment and just start thinking that

... oh gosh... Abby came a week early .... but she tried to come 2 weeks early ... (was that a braxton hicks?) .... and if the baby's growing 12 days ahead .... 12 days is almost 2 weeks ... and then if I add the week between Aug 1 and Aug 7 ... (there was another braxton hicks) .... that's like 5 weeks ... No way! ... (Maybe these aren't braxton Hicks and I'm going into labor ... no ... too early for that) .... This baby is gonna be here .... like the beginning of July ... that means that I might only have 15 weeks left ... woohoo! ... I'm already 25 weeks! ... dang ... I look good for 25 weeks:)

But then, after I have week to cool off, (and realize I'm imagining braxton hicks) I finally start thinking... maybe I should just have everything together and ready... just in case, but plan for the baby coming mid Aug and then nobody has to deal with me being an overly emotional, overdue prego if I make it to August.... but who am I kidding?

poor Tyler.....

Abigail Update

Abby has been up to so much lately. She started scooting around at 5 1/2 months and tentative crawling at 6 months. By the time we moved (she was almost 7 months) she was getting around on her own pretty well & even ended up crawling into the pantry cupboard while I was unpacking. It me a minute to figure out where she went, it was like she knew she shouldn't be in there... she was soo quite! She started pulling herself up to stand right at 7 months. At 7 1/2 months she started singing to herself in the mornings, It was so much fun for me to wake up to that! -she is such a sweet sweet baby.
She just turned 8 months last Saturday (Valentines) and is making all sorts of noises. She started with bababa (I claimed this as her saying my name, Tyler's family calls me 'Bob'), then she started babadabda, then came dadada, and my personal favorite, tehtehteh(she whispers it- so cute!)

Surprise!

A lot has been going on the last couple of months, it's been so fun and exciting:) First, we found out that Abigail is going to be a Big Sister! We've known for a little while and been trying to keep it pretty quite and just among family until I was further along. I went in for a check-up (16wk) on Thursday and found out...we're having a little BOY! I couldn't be more excited, I'm gonna have one of each!
I really had it stuck in my head that we were gonna be having a girl and it made sense; Abigail will maybe be 14 months when this one comes (he's due Aug. 7 & she was born June 14- a week early); they would have a lot of the same friends, it'd work out great with clothes, and they would be fine sharing a room for forever.
I wasn't even letting myself think that it could possibly be a boy. I just can't stop thinking about it. I was sure that Abby was gonna be a boy, even after we had a couple ultrasounds that said she was a girl. Not that I have anything against girls; honestly, I'm a little jealous of Abby I always wished that I had a twin brother or at least one that was a little closer to my age. I'm just excited that our little family is growing.

We're Back!

So after a few weeks without internet, we are back online! hurray! here is a VERY brief summary of the last few weeks in pictures

 

Kristin got married to Chris Tobler and Brittany was a Bridesmaid, Abigail was tired, i know.

 

She woke up later for the above Picture

 

This is the pantry in our new apartment that Abi wanted to move into.

 

And this was on Christmas Day. we thought it was a cute bow for her.

Happy New Year! and "watched over" update

So this may not mean much to anyone else. More of a spiritual moment for us that we want to record. if you benefit, great.

So our last post was about being thankful for being watched over.

today, about 10 minutes ago, we were driving home from in n out and as we were turning left onto moulton from avila (you can see the intersection here) a car traveling about 45 mph zipped 3 feet in front of our bumper. (missy was in passenger seat, and abigail was in back on passenger side).
when that happened our car was in in front of the fast lane. the car that almost hit us was in the fast lane before realizing she was running a red, she couldn't swerve into the middle lane cuz a car was stopped at the light in that lane so she somehow passed the line to stop at, swerved to the right and was able to not hit us.

i have no idea how she didn't. I know all this happened that way, not because i saw it coming, but because i saw smoke coming from the ground in the fast lane in my rear view mirror after we got onto moulton.

we feel blessed and definetly watched over. just wanted to share our appreciation.