Birthday Boy

Austin turned one on Sunday! My baby boy is growing up! We celebrated his birthday by opening presents and then going to our cousin's house for cupcakes. Austin loves all his new toys. I couldn't even get a picture of his face because he was so into all his new stuff. At age one, here are the things we love about Austin:
-sleeps through the night
-weighs 24 pounds and is 30 inches tall
-has two teeth
-favorite foods are bananas and yogurt
-crawls all over the place
-loves to babble and talk
-stands up next to furniture
-loves bath time every night
-has long blonde curls on the back of his head
-loves songs, reading books, and peek-a-boo
-can dance, blink, snap(well tries to),wave and give hugs on command
-loves to play with rocks and sand
-says Mama
-just started to figure out how to feed himself





He wasn't so sure about the cupcake at first but he warmed up pretty fast. He like eating it but also loved crumbling it between his fingers!

Austin's New Favorite Thing

Standing! He loves to pull himself up to stand. He pulls himself up on everything. This is how I find him every morning and after naptime.
He especially loves to pull himself up next to the bathtub. He is also starting to get into everything that is within his reach. Sometimes when he is standing he will let go and be balancing all by himself before falling down! There's no walking yet but I bet it will come soon enough.

Quarter of a Century

That's how old I am now! My birthday was over the weekend and it was a great day! Matthew and I were able to go out on a real date to dinner and a movie. It was fabulous! And check out the adorable cake my visiting teacher made me!

Yesterday=Not so Great, Today= Much Better!

Yesterday:
-Austin wakes up before 6:00am
-Our AC in our apartment goes out
-Austin gets a sunburn and stung by a bee
-Oh yeah, we got a $200 utility bill

Today:
-AC is fixed
-Austin took 2 2-hour naps
-very productive day
-Went to the grocery store by myself
-However, it did reach 112 degrees today. (Thank goodness we had AC!)

Alyssa's Visit

My little sister came to visit! With Alyssa being the youngest in the family and me being the oldest I didn't get to grow up with her a lot before leaving for college. We are 12 years apart and I left home when she was 6! So I am so glad she was able to visit us here in Arizona. We had a great time and Austin loved having someone else to play with. She stayed for almost a week but the time flew by! We were able to do some shopping, went to the Science Museum, went swimming and to the Wildlife Zoo. It was so funny to see people trying to figure out our relationship. I got asked a couple times if I was her mom or her Aunt! Here are some pictures from the week.

Summer

Arizona sure knows how to heat up the summer. It has been in the 100's. The highest being 110 last week. I know I have a lot of catch up to do so I will start with Memorial Day. Matthew has cousins that live in the area so Jordan and Natalie and their three cute kids came over to swim and have a BBQ. It's so nice to have family in the area and they are really fun to get together with. Austin loves playing with other kids in the water.



Last weekend we took a road trip to Vegas. Kind of a funny story, we were suppose to meet up with Matthew's good friend and his family. They haven't seen each other in years and Vegas was a good half way point. When we got there, Matthew called his friend to see where they were and it turned out that we had actually planned this trip for the following week. Thats right, we came on the wrong weekend! Fortunately we had some good friends from Utah who were willing to take a spontaneous trip to Vegas. They have a little girl Austin's age and they love to play together. They were our neighbors in Utah and we would get together a lot. So it was still a fun trip but kinda too bad that we messed up the date and didn't get to see Matthew's friend. We didn't get any pictures of the adults but of course we did of the kids!

On the way home we drove past the Hoover Dam and saw the new bridge they are building. It was really impressive and quite the site! They have really built up the area and are making it really touristy. Last time I visited there was nothing but the Dam. We had to wait in construction traffic for an hour or so but I am really glad we were able to see it.

Oh the Cuteness

These are just some cute videos we have taken recently of Austin. I just can't help but think that he is the most adorable little boy and couldn't decide which video to post so I just posted them all. He really has been doing a lot of new things lately and we have caught some of them on tape. Make sure you pay attention to the second video around 40 seconds in, you will be glad you did!

Poor Austin

This is how Austin has been lately...

Poor guy, he has been so sick lately. He has been miserable and just screams if I put him down. He is getting better but it's so sad to see him so sick. (But I have to admit that I laughed a lot when I saw this picture!)

Today...

is our wedding anniversary! We have been married for 4 wonderful years!

Baby Aaron

We have a new nephew!! Matthew's sister, Aubrey, had a baby boy a week ago today! He is so cute! He was 8 lbs 13 oz when he was born. I am so sad that we left Utah just a couple weeks too early to have been able to meet him. Aubrey and Aaron are doing great and we hope to see them soon.

My Little Indian Boy

Kansas Visit

Austin and I went to go visit Jenna, Cole and Cade a few weeks ago. It's taken me awhile to post about it with the move and everything but I unpacked my last two boxes yesterday so now I feel like I can move on to other things like blog posting! It was so fun going out to Kansas. Cade is getting so big! (and so is Jenna's tummy!) We did a lot of hanging out, playing with little boys and getting ready for our booth. We had a vendor spot at a local event where we sold our aprons. It went very well and we had so much fun doing it. Highlights of the trip:
-Making homemade cinnamon rolls
-Watching Cade and Austin "play" together. (This means watching Cade trying to teach Ausin something like throw a ball, drive a toy car, or walk and then watching Austin stare and laugh at Cade!)
-Saying every night that we were going to go to bed early and then staying up really late talking every night.
-Having root beer floats every night while talking
-Austin pooping in the bathtub and Cade freaking out
-going to the Zoo
-Playing vendor and having our booth be a success!
-Jenna ordering a shrimp salad and then asking for the chicken to be fried. (It was so funny, you had to be there! I am literally laughing as I write this)

It's not fun living so far apart, so I am so glad we were able to get together. Here are some pictures of our stay.

We Made It

We now live in Arizona. That will still take some getting used to! But so far we are loving it. Matthew's brother Ben drove down with us and helped do a lot of unloading. It helped out so much. Austin didn't do very well with the drive. I went through a lot of banana peels! Now, I am still just unpacking, and unpacking and I have found Walmart and Costco. Our place is a little smaller than we thought but we love the apartment complex and the area. Matthew's cousin lives really close to us and have already helped us out so much as well. Throughout the move Austin has developed some new talents. He can point now (it's soo cute!), he has cut through his first tooth, he understands and loves peek-a-boo and is so close to crawling. He will get up on all fours and rock but hasn't figured out how to go forward but is quite good at going backwards. These are some recent pictures of Austin.

Warm and Sunny

That's what the weather has been lately and it feels great! A couple weekends ago we went to the park for the first time this season with Aubrey & Jon and Jeannie & Jared. It was so nice to be outside. I caught a video of Austin going down a slide for the first time!

A Happy Omen

We bought some ice-cream last night and this is what we found on the top of the lid when we opened it.


Matthew did make some really good milkshakes with that ice-cream.

Some of his Favorite Things

Austin loves the most random things to play with. His favorite at the moment: a banana peel. Whenever I eat a banana he just reaches out and wants it so bad. I finally let him play with it once and he was in heaven for like 10 minutes. I let him play with it every once in awhile but it gets to messy and nasty that I don't let him that often. I now have to eat bananas in secret. A close second would anything that has a tag. Give him a cool toy or stuffed animal and he will find and play with the tag. Next is my keys. I have a little purse on my key chain and apparently its the best chew toy he has found. He also loves the remote control to the TV, paper, and bottles. Again, random things have become his favorites.

In other news, April is a very busy month for us, or at least for the Graff Family. Within a couple of weeks, Matthew will be graduating with his Masters, his brother Brian will be getting married to Michelle, his other brother Ben will be leaving on his mission to Brazil, his sister Aubrey will have a baby, and then we will be moving! Crazy month huh! So many good things happening at once. Actually I am hoping Aubrey's baby comes early because there is a good chance that we will have to move before the baby is born! That would be so sad! I have already started packing boxes. I am trying to start early and keep things organized so that it's not a mad rush at the very end. So there is a little update of what we are doing.

Some Fun and Embarrassing Moments

As Shanna's kind and loving husband, I thought I would share some of her life experiences that she probably wouldn't share on her own. You better not remove these Shan or I will never change another poopy diaper again! I love you!




Shake that thing!



Those poor girls that really have no arms. How cruel.



Have a nice trip? See you next fall!

Laughs and Grooves

Austin loves music! Matthew decided to help him dance. It's so funny, Austin has discovered he has a tongue and loves to stick it out! You will see it in one of the videos. Austin also loves to laugh. It's so cute! One day he was laughing so hard while I was feeding him so I caught some of it on tape. I was trying to keep him laughing so I was a little shaky with the camera.

Bath Time

Austin is beginning to enjoy bath time now! He still is terrified of the tub but he loves the faucet in the sink! Bath time used to be like this:


It's much better now!

Valentines Day by Matthew

I have never written a post on our family blog and feel that now would be a great time. The reason I wanted to write a message today is so the world might know that Shanna is the most amazing wife and mother ever. There is rarely ever a time when you will find Shanna angry or upset and in the few moments where she does feel those emotions, they quickly pass and all is forgotten. It is so wonderful to come home to a wife who is excited to see me and wants nothing more than my comfort and happiness. Even after a long day with a crying baby, and not being able to accomplish all the things she had planned, she still greets me with a smile and a kiss and is just genuinely happy to be alive.
Shanna is so optimistic about everything and helps cynical me see the best side of every situation and person. I love the way she can make me smile even when I feel like I will never be able to beat the challenges I might be facing at the time. I know that she loves me, my son and the Lord and I will eternally be grateful for that fact.
The pure heart and sweet naivety allow me to trust her completely. I know that she is mine forever and that she would never leave me. The fact that I have someone so perfect in so many ways is a blessing I know I don't deserve, but give thanks for every day.
It amazes me to no end to watch how patient and sweet Shanna is with our little Austin. I love him but, I hate him compared to how much Shanna loves him. (Madagascar) She will spend hours with him reading books and playing with annoying toys that play the same stupid song over and over again. The way she holds him and protects him allow me to leave home and go to work knowing that my children are in the best possible hands that exist. I thank her with all of my heart for the sacrifice she has made to be a mother and give up some of her personal ambition to be home with our children and teach them how to become strong men and women of faith. She is the right person for the job and I know now that I could never do what mothers do every day.
This ode to Shanna would be incomplete if I didn't mention how incredibly gorgeous my wife is. Every so often we will be watching a show and I will notice an attractive woman on the screen, but when I look back at my wife every woman pales in comparison to her beauty. It would be inappropriate for me to elaborate more but I know that I am the luckiest man alive.
Thank you Shanna for the life you have lived and for deciding to be my wife and the mother of my children. You are the love of my life and I am forever yours.

With all the love I have,
Your husband

We have News!

No, I'm not pregnant. I guess this is more Matthew's news that I get to share. He will be finishing his Masters program this year and for these past two years Matthew has had a tough time deciding what to do once he graduates. He has gone through many options like medical school, getting a doctorate in Neuroscience, dental school, and others. He really didn't feel quite right about any of them but knew he needed to make a decision. He sent out several dental school applications recently, however in the meantime found another option that he is really excited about. He found podiatry school. He sent out applications and within a week got 4 interviews. I really feel that this is the route we are suppose to take. I have never seen Matthew more excited about a career choice. He loves that he will be going to Medical School but will come out specialized in the foot and ankle instead of graduating from med school and then having to specialize after that. He also loves that he will be doing office visits and surgeries. Matthew has been interviewing and has been accepted to several places and we have made our decision....We will be moving to Arizona!! Matthew will be attending Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. We will be moving this summer. I am so proud of Matthew and all that he has done and we are both excited to start this new phase of our life.

We Match

I didn't plan this and didn't even notice until we were already at church, but Austin and I completely match! We are just sporting our BYU colors!

Road Trip

Matthew and I just got back from driving to LA. The reason for the trip will be for my next post but we sure did pick the wrong weekend to go to California. If you have seen or heard on the news about the weather there, apparently it has been record setting. They have been getting tons of heavy winds and rains and we were right in the middle of it. When we planned on driving out there we were expecting sunny days with temperatures in the 70's. Well maybe on any other week except this one. On one of the days I was alone with Austin in our hotel with a tornado warning! There have been mud slides, flooding and lots of issues not conducive to trying to drive cross-country. But we were safe! While out there I was able to see my friend Taryn who lives in the area. It was so fun to see her and her two cute kids. We went to Downtown Disney, right by Disney Land, to hang out and have lunch until we got rained out! We got soaked trying to walk back to our car both pushing strollers with umbrellas! But I am so glad we got to spend some time together. We also got to visit Matthew's grandparents who also live in the area. We hadn't seen them in a long time and it was nice to catch up and introduce Austin to them. It was a quick but productive trip.

Visiting with Taryn!


Swimming in the heated pool at the hotel


Austin really wanted to help drive.

Austin Update

Austin is 6 months already! I can't believe how quickly he is growing up! Now I can't imagine life without him. He is such a blessing to us and we just love him so much. Here are some of the things Austin has been doing lately:
-On our last day in Texas over the holidays, Austin rolled over! Now he is a rolling machine. Only he won't do it on command.
-He loves to laugh and coo all the time.
-He is going through a rough phase with sleeping during the night but hopefully it will pass soon.
-Austin loves books and he tries to read them to me now whenever I pull them out. It's so cute!
-He weighs about 18 pounds.
-Does not enjoy bath time.
-His new trick is spitting and he thinks it's really funny.
-He is getting so good at grabbing and playing with toys.
-We have started him on eating cereal. He hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.
-He has been teething but no teeth have come through yet.
-He loves being out and about and seeing new things.
-He loves music and songs especially if they have actions to go along with them.

The Holdiays

We have just come home from being away for almost 3 weeks. We are happy to be back but we sure had a great time with family and friends. We first went to Alabama to be with Matthew's family for Christmas. The whole family was together for the first time in years and it will probably be the last time for a few more years. We really loved being there and I love watching Matthew interact with his brothers. They are so competitive with each other and its pretty funny to watch. While we were there we played lots of games, had a girls day and just had fun with the whole family. Christmas morning we had homemade cinnamon rolls and Austin loved watching everyone get excited about opening presents. He is a little young to get excited about opening his own presents but he sure got some great toys that I am pretty excited about. Then we were able to go to Texas to spend New Years with my family. I can't believe how fast my little sisters are growing up! We watched movies, played the Wii, went shopping and hung out with Alexi and Tim. Austin was a big hit with everyone. He loves being with other people. On our last day with my family Austin rolled over for the first time! We loved being able to spend so much time with so much family.