Miss you daddy!!!

Eric has been gone for two weeks now and Hallie and I are missing him like crazy!!! Thank you so much to my wonderful family and friends for keeping me busy, helping me pack, and just being there for me when my hubby is MIA. This weekend, Hallie and I went to Utah with my mom. It was great to get away! Our trip was pretty uneventful, except that we took the sacred 5 generation picture that my grandpa has been obsessed with since Hallie's conception, and Hallie got her first ear infection. She is the most amazing baby. She NEVER cries, seriously, never. I have never seen a more laid back happy little thing. Well, one night she was hysterical and I could not calm her down. We rushed her to urgent care where after a two hour wait we finally saw our doctor who was, well, not typical. She looked about 19 and had on jeans, a flannel shirt, tons of friendship bracelets, and long scraggly hair. Hallie kept grabbing it :) My mom called her a granola cruncher. It was funny to hear her say that. But she knew what she was doing and Hallie feels better, which is the important part. Anyways, we are home now, but not really home because Eric's not here. We really miss you, E! I can't wait until life is our life again... together. LOVE YOU!!!

On our way to Sky Harbor!Hallie and her Mama!

Hallie and Grandma on the plane! She looks so ready to be done! I practically had to nurse her the whole flight home to sooth her aching ears.

I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go!

So... a lot can happen in 24 hours. I still can't believe this and neither will you. We decided we were going to wait until June to move to Georgia. Wednesday Eric watched Hallie while I went to the temple. While I was gone he read the new Ensign cover to cover, and while reading he got the strongest impression that Heavenly Father needs him in Georgia now and not to wait. He tried to ignore it because it just didn't make sense. That night he was laid off from his job. When he got home and told me the news, of course I was devastated. We have been going through job challenges forever, our biggest one this last weekend when Eric was offered a job that paid 4 times what he makes now with a position waiting for him in Atlanta when we move. Sounds great right? He had to decline because after a three interview process and a full day of working his little booty off they told him Sunday's were required. He told me about his impression earlier and then said he thinks that he was laid off as a push from Heavenly Father to go to Georgia now. So we prayed about it, and know what to do. Eric is going to move now, I'm gonna move in with my mom, and when he gets a place to live and a job, Hallie and I will join him.

The question was... HOW ON EARTH ARE WE GONNA DO THIS?!?!?!?! We need the money and the means to make all this happen. Eric related us to Indiana Jones in one of the movies where he is in a dark cave or something and he has a map that tells him there is a path for him to step on, but all he can see is a fall to his death. He can't see the path and has to trust that the path is there so he steps, and it turns out the path is there, it's just invisible. Heavenly Father gave us the map, we can't see the path, but have to step and trust that it's there. So, Thursday morning we posted our truck and Wii on Craigslist. No more than 5 minutes later our phone was ringing off the hook!!! So much so that it died! We sold the truck 45 minutes later, cash in our hand! The Wii sold within the next 2 hours. Eric contacted his great aunt who lives in the Atlanta area and she offered to let Eric live with them until he gets things in order. He found a place to stay in Dallas so he won't have to pay for a hotel on the drive over. Everything is literally falling into place so perfectly. He is leaving on Monday for our new big adventure. And this all happened within 24 hours! Sounds hectic, I know, but I feel more at peace right now than I have in a long time. Everything just feels so right. We are really excited to find out why we are supposed to move, but not excited to be away from eachother. Hopefully it won't be for long. The way things are going, I'm not worried. Our invisible path has been found, and we need to just keep on stepping.

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I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord

Over Mountain or plain or sea.

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord

I'll be what you want me to be.

Thoughts from a first time mom...

Two months old already! How time just zooms past when you don't want it to. It's crazy how such a tiny little baby has had so much influence on me. And I am not just talking about influencing me to change a lot of diapers, wipe up a lot of spit up, etc. Being Hallie's mom just puts everything in a different perspective. I am sure that all of you who are mom's can totally relate, but there is just so many different lessons that Hallie teaches me everyday. The eyes of a baby are so pure. I love how she just looks at me like I am the coolest person in the world. Like she knows I can do anything, and I feel like I can because she believes in me. She doesn't even notice how many mistakes I make or how I can do so much better. She just loves and trusts no matter what. How the world would change if we could trust our Heavenly Father the way a baby trusts their parents with no worry, just complete faith. She makes me stop and see the beauty in the small things in life. My testimony has grown so much as I take the time to see things from her perspective. It really is the small things in life that testify that Heavenly Father created everything in this world. I just look at her and see the greatest of all miracles. I am so thankful to be a mother. My heart is complete now. I didn't even know part of it was missing until Hallie came and made it whole. I love this song by Nichole Nordeman, a christian artist, about how her baby makes her want to be brave. Here are part of the lyrics that describe what I feel towards my little Hallie:

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Welcome to the middle ground

You're safe and sound and

Until now it's where I've been
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything

But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings

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So long status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

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I am small

And I speak when I'm spoken to

But I am willing to risk it all

I say Your name

Just Your name and I'm ready to jump

Even ready to fall...
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I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame

Every storm will start with just a drop of rain

But if you believe in me

That changes everything

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Hallie's new favorite game... pat-a-cake

Shes sick in all these pics and still all smiles :)

So cute you'll pull your hair out!

The day after we brought Hallie home from the hospital our friend Troy Lunt came over and took some adorable pictures of Hallie. He did an incredible job and here are some of my favorites. Now if she isn't the cutest thing in the world then I don't know what is?!?!

Here is Troy's website:

www.luntphotos.com

Use him!!! He is amazing!

What's In A Name

I just have one thing to say... it's Ha-llie like:

Not Hay-ley.

Everyone keeps pronouncing Hallie's name wrong and it's driving me nuts. So this post is so everyone will get it straight :)

From Russia With Tough Love

Yesterday, Eric surprised me with this...

What is it, you might ask? Well, it's a kettlebell of course. He also downloaded a kettlebell book for women called From Russia With Tough Love. Here is the books definition of a kettlebell:


Eric has been using kettlebell's to workout for a while now. I remember when he first started like it was yesterday. He bought the kettlebell and a video to teach him how to begin. All I remember hearing from the other room when he put it on was, "Now pick up the kettlebell, comrade, and leave the woosie's behind." And lots of other funny quotes like that. I made fun of him at first, but he stuck with it and has lost 30lbs and looks super hot! He actually is really into it and is working towards becoming a certified instructor which is really hard, but really cool. He is going to incorporate it into his chiropractic office someday because there are tons of benefits. So that is my reason for giving into the Russians way of working out and adapting the kettlebell lifestyle. Here is one reason the book says to use kettlebell's:

That's right! The Hutchison's live on the edge! :)

This lady is in her mid 50's!!!

A new way to use a famous breakfast food

Well, we are officially getting into the swing of things. Life is so crazy the first few weeks after having a baby, but I feel like we are finally starting to figure things out a little. Hallie is so sweet and has brought Eric and I so much joy. She is sleeping better which makes me really happy! I don't mind getting up in the night, however, if Eric keeps up his hilarious sleep talking episodes. The latest: He sits up out of bed and starts motioning with his hand to the corner of our bed. Here is our conversation:

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Eric: "Put da... put da... da... put da weapons in the ________." (I couldn't understand the last word)

Brittany: "What?"

Eric: "Put da... put da.... weapons in the oatmeal. At the corner of the bed. It will get you a point."

Brittany: *Uncontrolable laughter!!! "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Eric: "Why are you laughing? Stop laughing."

Brittany: *More laughs.

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... And he doesn't remember a thing! It was all worth missing an hour of sleep. This one has to go on my list of favorite midnight quotes from Eric, along with "I'm going to round-house kick his face" and "Salt shaker of doom!" He must have some pretty crazy dreams. Now the real chaos is starting as we are trying to prepare for our move to Georgia. It's supposed to happen at the end of March but we might be postponing until the end of June. There are alot of weighing factors, but right now we are aiming for March. Although I am pretty scared to move, I am ready to do it! The sooner we begin, the sooner we finish. So I hope we can get started ASAP!

Now back to Hallie. I just love her so much it's crazy, and I love being a mom too. It's just the coolest adventure of my life. I feel so at peace like I am doing what the Lord wants me to, like I am starting my mission here on earth. I used to wonder why everyone always posts so many pictures of their kids on their blogs, and now I know why! And it's my turn so, here we go!

Hallie's first Christmas!

She got to play baby Jesus in the nativity at Eric's families on Christmas Eve.

The girls on Christmas morning. Catching some Christmas Zzz's with dad!
I love her fuzzy hair right after a bath. So cute!

Two Sunday's ago we were able to bless Hallie. She looked like a little angel dressed in her white dress that both grandmas bought for her. Eric gave a beautiful blessing and it was a wonderful, peaceful, special day.

The mommy.

The blesser.
The bless-ie.
Hallie's just thinking about her special day.