December 2012: Christmas

While preparing for the festivities of the day, on Christmas Eve 2012 I wore this fun and festive t-shirt inspired by one of our favorite Christmas movie's, Elf:

I LOVE this t-shirt I bought in San Diego!

It's become a tradition for us to go see a movie on Christmas Eve, so that afternoon we went as a family to see Rise of the Guardians. After the movie my mom and sister A needed to stop for a few things at the store. In the pet section we noticed two pictures that reminded us quite a bit of our sweet Jeffrey and spunky Copper: 

Jeffrey and Copper

In keeping with another Christmas tradition:

Christmas Eve jammies!

Christmas morning, this is what we woke up to: 

Merry Christmas!

Presents from Santa

A big surprise from J-rod and Z

So blessed!

C-sta and Li'l J trying out their new presents

Aww, they do love each other!

While we are daily grateful for all that we are blessed with, during Christmas our hearts and thoughts are especially turned to the blessing of the Savior, the knowledge of His gospel in our lives, and all that He has done on our behalf so that we may be a forever family. 

January 2012

The dress C-sta is wearing was made by my Aunt Z. 
Aunt Z sent it home with us for C-sta 
when we visited with her in December.

January 2012 was spent recovering from our crazy and memorable December 2012 and happily settling into new routines for the new year. On the whole, I felt much better about the start of 2012 than I did about the end of 2011.  I worked on being better at letting things go a bit more, while better appreciating the organizing 'here and there' that happened on occasion and the projects that were completed as a result. 

M turned 11 part-way through January. As is tradition, we left up the Christmas tree in the loft until M's birthday so he could open up his birthday presents under the tree.  

The newest 11 year old Scout in our troop is really enjoying his experience so far. Isn't he handsome? He's getting so grown up!

C-sta is so happy to be in Sunbeams now!

C-sta finally stopped using her binkie in December--yay!--and in January she began taking ballet lessons Saturday mornings.  Not knowing that she was going to begin lessons a couple weeks before her class started, C-sta began telling me (very dramatically), "Mama, ballet is my DREEEEEE-MMM!".  Where she learned that, I don't know but it was super cute to hear!  So far she is enjoying her class, loves her teacher (a ballerina in our stake), and loves that one of her friends from her preschool is also in her ballet class.  I love that we can help her "DREEEEEE-MMM" come true.  

Weekly I trade babysitting with a friend so that she and I both can go help in Li'l J's 1st grade class. C-sta and her friend B really enjoy their weekly play-dates.  Pictured below is C-sta with her friend B one afternoon at our house.

Pretty pedi's

Pretty in Pink

C-sta still enjoys it when I document her cuteness with a picture or two. Recently she wore this cute outfit that once belonged to her Aunt C. I fixed her hair in a set of double flipped ponytails and ta-da, total cuteness!

Off on a Daddy-daughter date!

This month J-rod took C-sta on a date to see the 3D release of Beauty and the Beast.  C-sta was super excited to wear her Belle crown that she got for Christmas 2011 from the LV S family. She had such a good time at the movie that she's still talking about her date with her dad and asks to watch our Beauty and the Beast DVD almost daily.

After coming home from the movies with J-rod, C-sta and the boys found an itty-bitty lizard. All three kiddos really, really, really wanted to keep this little reptile, but J-rod said NO way! Fortunately I was able to appease these cuties by taking a picture of each of them holding the whittle-guy.

Five years after moving to this area, I have come full circle in the callings I've held. At the end of  January I began serving where I first served after moving here--the nursery.  My good friend S (and fellow nursery leader) and I had a crazy, chaotic first day as we tried to get our bearings, but we are very excited to be working together to love and serve this group of sweet little kiddos.  The counselors J-rod has been serving with for the last year and a half were released and called to serve as the Young Men's president and the Ward Mission leader, so J-rod has called new counselors and the new bishopric is working hard to keep the ward running smoothly.

M visited with the pediatric orthopedic specialist Phoenix Children's Hospital to review the scoliosis x-ray series taken a few months back. The doctor we met with told us that while M does have a slight curvature, for right now he'd like to keep an eye on the curve and continue to watch what it does as M grows. He asked that we come back in six months for a follow-up. 

Coming up, February 2012.

April 2011

~A beautiful double rainbow during a rare rainstorm~

As Fall finally begins to makes its appearance in our little corner of the country, and winter quickly approaching here I am finally writing about Spring.  When April arrived it was technically and officially Spring, but the weather we experienced through the beginning of the month was unseasonably "winterish" and rather cool.  No complaints though, the unusually cool weather was WONDERFUL and we enjoyed being able to be outside knowing that the unbearable heat was just around the corner!  Though I didn't take any pictures, the desert flowers and trees were in bloom unlike we'd seen in our first three years here and everything was absolutely gorgeous.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  Instead here's a picture of our kiddos for you to enjoy:

~Thank you G'ma S for the great T-shirts!~

While the April weather was unseasonable, our level of keeping busy was not.  Activities for M and Li'l J were plentiful and lots of fun!  I got to help teach M's Webelos den one night a little bit about the Spanish language and then another night I helped drive them on a field trip to a nearby dam as they were learning about the history of the area we live in.  On a third night, both J-rod and I got to help out with a mock camp-out at the Cub Master's house so that the Webelos could sign off a number of their requirements.  The boys had to show up completely packed as though they were prepared for an overnight camp-out.  Once they arrived, they got to take part in an obstacle course where they got to practice tying and untying knots and then they built a fire which they cooked over.  We love our Cub Scout leaders and all that they do for our boys!

The weekend before Spring Break, Li'l J and C-sta attended a birthday party for a classmate of Li'l J's and her younger brother.  The party was held at a local park that had just opened their splash pad for the season.  Our kids had such a good time!

~Li'l J, C-sta, and friends have fun splashin' around.~

Both M and Li'l J went on class field trips (the last of the year) and I got to go as a chaperon with each of the boys.  Li'l J's kindergarten field trip took us to a puppet theater where we enjoyed The Tale of Peter Rabbit.  The story was told non-verbally through the movement and interaction of the puppets; it was all set to music which also helped move the story along.  It was a really fun production that we all enjoyed.  The next day was "show and tell" day in Li'l J's class so he took a Peter Rabbit puppet we were given at a baby shower when I was expecting M.  Li'l J's class LOVED it!

~Our 10 year old Peter Rabbit puppet.~

~Li'l J Cottontail~

C-sta and I went with M when the fourth grade celebrated Earth Day and the completion of their "life science" unit by going to see the "Disneynature" documentary, Africa Cats.  I think my favorite part about this movie was the beautiful cinematography: the African Savannah is breathtaking and viewing it this way is probably the closest I'll ever get to it.

~Using his Legos & his creativity,

M builds a scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.~

~Track stars!~

We all enjoyed cheering M and his friend M on as they took part in their first track meet.  For a beginner, M did fairly well in his events: the discus throw, the long jump, the shot put, and hurdles.  So it looks like the strong "track" legacy from J-rod's side of the family will be carried on in our family too--yay!

~"leaving, on a jet plane":

*waiting for the plane

*playing Angry Birds with J-rod to pass the time

*"da plane, da plane" finally arrives

*M gets to board the plane 1st~

Also in April, M and Li'l J had Spring Break.  M got to fly by HIMSELF to visit G'pa and G'ma S for the week.  Thank you G'pa and G'ma for having M and for taking such good care of him while he was there!  He sure enjoyed himself and looks forward to being able to come visit again soon.

Putting M on a plane by himself was not easy for me to do, but it all worked out so smoothly that in the end I was really glad he got to go!  M had a wonderful with all the family he got to see and can't wait to go back.  Li'l J now wants to know, just when will he be allowed to fly by himself to visit G'pa and G'ma??  Uh, not until he's at least 10 like M, sorry bud!

While M did take a camera with him on this trip, we forgot to make sure there was a memory card in it!  As it turned out, the camera M had didn't hold very many pictures and the ones he did take got accidentally erased.  Fortunately G'ma S came to our rescue by sharing with us the pictures she took while M stayed with them.  Thank you G'ma S!

~Happy early birthday to N!~

Since we are notorious for sending our loved ones their birthday gifts long after their special day has passed, we sent N's presents with M so that he'd have them.  We figured N wouldn't mind having his presents early, as early is always much better than late!

~Four wheelin' during a chilly evening.~

M emailed us a report of the fun activities his first day away.  In his own words, this is what he shared with us:

"Hi! How are you? Yesterday I got home after midnight. Today me, N, and C went bowling. When we got home I went and played with the dogs. Maddie got most of the attention because when ever Scout came by, she bumped him out of the way. Later C drove us on the ATV to Uncle E's house and we jumped on the tramp while we talked to Aunt C. Then we drove home. We picked up N from track practice. That's how the day has been. I love you. Bye."

Other things M did while at G'pa & G'ma's that he thought were pretty cool:

*M watched Scooby-Doo every morning with his Uncle N.

*M learned about doing yard work from Uncle N.

(So how do we get M to think that doing yard work at home is fun???)

*M went to the library with Aunt C & Uncle N.

*M walked to the movies with Aunt C & Uncle N from the library; they saw Rio.

(This is pretty cool considering our "smallish" town doesn't have its own movie theater and walking anywhere around here is almost out of the question.)

~M enjoyed dying Easter eggs with Uncle N & Aunt C.~

~Before his return trip home, 

M spent part of the day at Uncle N's track meet.~

While M was away Li'l J got pink eye, C-sta worked her way through croup, and J-rod worked lots of LONG hours so I just laid low with the kids and Copper that week.  During the middle of the week I thought some fresh air would do us all some good so Li'l J, C-sta and I took Copper for a walk.  Here is how I reported our walk on my Facebook status that day:

"SB '11 Day 4: walk w dog & kids = epic fail! Dog got out of harness mid st. x-ing. Couldn't chase him, Sis had to catch up: she was pushing her stroller. Once at park, finally caught dog after he chased lizards! Walk home: no better. Worn out, dog laid down 2x's refusing to move. Sis wouldn't sit in stroller, push it, or walk. Finally carried her home as she kicked & screamed. We ALL took a nap after lunch!"

Though its seems funny now, apparently we ventured out too early as that walk was clearly more than we were ready to handle!  By the end of the week when the kids were feeling a bit better and I was beginning to go stir-crazy, Li'l J, C-sta, and I met up with some friends at Peter Piper Pizza for lunch and then we also went to see Rio.

~C-sta before she got croup, enjoying herself poolside.~

~Li'l J enjoyed making chocolate chip cookies once he was clear of pink-eye.~

When M flew home, he happened to be on the same flight as some good family friends.  We were all grateful he had such good company and someone to help calm his nerves on that return flight.  Thank you N & J for taking such good care of our boy!  It was fun to visit with N & J for a few minutes after they all got of that plane. : )  Once we said goodbye to N & J, M and I made our way over to the temple where we met up with J-rod, Li'l J, and C-sta to watch the Easter Pageant.  What a great way to welcome M home!

~Welcome home M!

We're glad you had such a good time.

We sure missed you and are very happy to have you home!~

~Happy Easter from our cute kiddos!~

~Celebrating our friend M's birthday. 

After lunch and presents, we saw Hoodwinked Too with him and his family.

Our kids picked out two things for M that he really wanted:

1. Pokemon cards

2. A darling little garden gnome.~

April turned out to be a big movie month for our family.  In addition to the movies already mentioned, we also saw Hop in the theater (with our friend J that had just moved back--yay!!) and then at home we put C-sta's copy of Tangled (that she got in her Easter Basket) to very good use.  Also, J-rod and I finally got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.  It definitely left me looking forward to seeing the second part!

J-rod and I also went on some fun dates in April.  One night we saw a stage production of one of my favorite musicals, Fiddler on the Roof.  I have loved this musical since I was a little girl and it's like an old friend. In fact the day I got all four of my wisdom teeth pulled, when I came home after the procedure I asked for some chocolate ice cream, sat in my dad's comfy chair, and watched Fiddler.  So how J-rod and I managed to get this far in our marriage without my making him sit down and watch the dvd with me before taking him to see the stage production, I don't know!  To see the professional stage production was amazing for me--I LOVED it!!

Though somewhat non-traditional, another fun date we went on was to serve at the Cannery together with one of J-rod's counselors and his wife.  The day we served, we helped can yummy spaghetti sauce.  J-rod and I got assigned to work side by side putting the glass jars onto the conveyor belt which carried the jars to the steam bath.  Though I only broke one jar, we did have a couple more that came out of the boxes chipped that we then had to throw out.  When our shift was finished we were told we helped bottle approximately seven thousand jars of spaghetti sauce.  On our way out we were given a jar to take home as a thank you.  We're grateful we got to serve at the Cannery that day.

Another date we went on was to the Elder's Quorum activity entitled, "Date Night".  We met at the home of one of the EQ counselors, visited with the other couples that came, ate the yummy food everyone brought to share, and then enjoyed a fun movie together.  Such a simple activity and yet, so fun!

There you have the end of April 2011.  When will I ever get around to writing about May...or the rest of 2011?  Hopefully over Christmas Break 2011!

December 2010: Milestones

As mentioned in previous posts, June and December are always filled with the celebrations of many milestones in our family.  This December was no different.  First let me tell you about a big step C-sta took in December.

One of our goals for the coming New Year, was to move C-sta from her crib to a "big girl" bed.  We figured that after the business of the holidays was over, that it would be a good time to take the first step in helping C-sta make the transition from "Baby Girl" to "Big Girl." We planned on using the first part of January to find her a nice day-bed with a trundle, take down her crib, and move her room around.

Shortly after Thanksgiving C-sta made it clear we would have to make the switch sooner rather than later as she first started climbing out of, and then pretty much JUMPING out and down from her crib!  Neither M nor even our Li'l Monkey, Li'l J, were ever much for climbing in, out, on, or off of things as toddlers so we never had to worry about having them climb out of their crib before we moved them to their twin beds.

C-sta's bold moves were so different than what we had experienced with the boys, that she was pretty much giving me a HEART-ATTACK daily when she'd CRASH out of the crib.  She didn't get hurt, never cried, just was ready to get out when she was ready to get out and it wasn't a big deal to her.  To me however, it was a BIG deal!  This is my BABY we are talking about here!!  I worried that she wouldn't land well and break a bone or two so after a few weeks of feeling like we were "living on the edge", we went ahead and pulled out the ol' toddler bed.  We were hoping to skip the use of the toddler bed altogether but since we felt time was of the essence here, by the middle of December we introduced C-sta to her new "little girl" bed.  The "big girl" bed we had been making plans for would have to wait.

~Think she likes it?~

C-sta was one HAPPY girl in her new bed and we are happy for her!

Now onto the next two milestone celebrations.  So not only is each December filled with the hustle and bustle that comes with Christmas preparations, but we also have two birthdays we celebrate: my birthday midway through December and Li'l J’s birthday at the end of the month too.

Usually we take a weekend trip up North to play in the snow in January for M’s birthday, but this year J-rod surprised us by taking us up for MY birthday weekend! While packing to go we worried there would be no snow to play in as it hadn’t snowed the two previous weeks up where we were headed. Once we got up there the night before my birthday, we discovered it had been snowing all that day so all was well.

~A winter wonderland awaited us.~

The morning of my birthday J-rod and the boys went to get breakfast while C-sta and I slept in.  After a leisurely and yummy breakfast we headed out for the day.  Before heading to the sledding hill we stopped to buy some snow bibs for C-sta and M as they had outgrown theirs from last year.  Down in the valley of the sun where we live it's just plain too HOT for any of our stores to carry winter wear--ha!

The day dawned a bit on the gloomy side, but still a good day for sledding.  J-rod and Li'l J went down the hill first and had a fun ride.

~J-rod and Li'l J enjoy a good ride.~

Then J-rod attempted to take C-sta for a ride on her little sled.  C-sta was not nearly as excited to ride as Li'l J had been, not at all!!  See?  J-rod is all smiles, C-sta...not quite.

~One grumpy li'l C-sta!~

The last two times we’ve gone up North to play in the snow since C-sta joined our family, she has had a great time but NOT this time. She cried the entire two hours we sledded!  Guess this time it was just too cold for her, poor thing! 

~Time to snuggle & get warm.~

Since C-sta was pretty much inconsolable, J-rod volunteered to sit and snuggle C-sta by the fire pit set up along side the play area.  While J-rod and C-sta warmed up the boys had a good time sledding:

~Sledding is such fun!~

at times just rolling down the hill:

~Li'l J enjoys a good roll.~

making snow angels:

~Our sweet li'l angels!~

and occasionally stopping to check in with me and the little snowman I was building.

~M and Li'l J help dress-up the snowman.~

After sledding we enjoyed a yummy birthday dinner at The Outback Steakhouse then went back to our cabin to play the Disney edition of one of our favorite games: Apples to Apples and to watch The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in preparation for our activity the next day. Before heading back home the next morning we took the kids to see the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which we all enjoyed very much!

~Happy Birthday to Zippy!~

Photo Courtesy of M.

Two things I will always remember about my 35th birthday: one sad and one happy. As we were having breakfast the morning of my birthday, J-rod wanted me to get acquainted with the iPod touch he and the kids had given me.  So as I spent some time scrolling along the news feed J-rod had previously set up for me, I came across the report that the Provo Tabernacle had burnt down earlier that morning! I couldn't help but cry as I looked over the many pictures of it going up in flames as the firefighting crews doused it, hoping to save it. I was so sad! I thought of the many times I had been to that beautiful building for concerts or church meetings and while I felt what a great loss this would be, I was one, grateful no one was hurt and two, I was grateful for my many memories of that beautiful building.

Later as we were finishing up breakfast, on a completely different topic I joked to J-rod about how cool it would be if our cute sister-in-law M (J-rod’s brother D’s wife) had their baby that day (a week early). A couple hours later we got a text from D wishing me Happy Birthday with the news that their daughter A had indeed been born that very morning (right about the time I had been joking about it happening!!)—yay, now my cute niece and I share a birthday!! We haven't yet had a chance to meet her, but I can’t wait!

As both Li'l J and M had friend birthday parties last year, this year we celebrated their birthdays with just our little family.  We LOVE our little monkey, Li'l J and are grateful for the joy he brings to our life!  Very early the morning of Li'l J’s birthday,  C-sta woke up vomiting--NO FUN!  So after Li'l J opened and played with his presents, C-sta and I stayed home while J-rod took M and Li'l J to go see a movie of Li'l J’s choice: Gulliver’s Travels.  After the movie they ate dinner at Li'l J's favorite restaurant: Red Robin…yum!  Here's a look at how his day went:

~For his b-day breakfast Li'l J asked for and received: 

chocolate glazed donuts, yum!"~

~Present time, oh yeah!~

~Enjoying some of his b-day presents right away!~

What I love about the pictures above of Li'l J playing with some of his presents:

1. It's December 29th and Li'l J is OUTSIDE

wearing his favorite Spider man flip-flops!

2. Behind him you can see the rain as it hits the pool.

3. Thanks to the rare humidity, the bubbles stuck to the grass!

~After the movie and dinner, 

the boys brought Li'l J home

for birthday cake.~