Saturday, December 17, 2011

I Know You've Missed Us...

It has been a busy 6 weeks...that is all I have to say.  We have done a TON of fun things leading up to Thanksgiving...through the weekend and now into the Christmas season.  I promise to get our blog up to date with this coming up week.

Tonight, we packed up the family and headed to Maryland to get some Cafe Rio and more importantly to visit the temple in all of it's Christmas glory.  With so much left to do before next week, we almost didn't go...but it was on my list of things to do and so we jumped in the car and drove the 2 hours to get there...and it was well worth our time.  Had we known it was such a big event we may have planned better.  There we tons and tons of people there.  They boast having more than 500,000 lights on the temple grounds, plus a large nativity and they do a program every night.  We were too late to hit the 7pm or even 8pm shows...and we couldn't wait around for a 9pm show...so that will be on our list for next year.  I love Christmas time...and I love it even more as we have found fun things to do every day leading up to Christmas as a family...some have been just for fun, but I also tried to do a lot that were Christ centered.  This was my favorite so far and will be a family tradition for the next 4 Christmases while we are out here!



















MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I love the babies!

Sorry Amanda & Jess
...but I had to STEAL these!
They are too precious :0)
Sigh...
This is the hardest thing...
living away from all of the cute
nieces and nephews
especially with all the new arrivals
and my boys missing their best buddies,
Ethan, Jace, Miles, Tyson & Zack.
Jessica B also had her baby this past week
sweet baby Carter David Bradshaw!
Peyton Daniel Watts  2 months old

Sweet Miracle Baby- Jordyn
Jordyn Ann Sydenham

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

jAmMiEs!

Today we spent 4 hours at the park.
The weather was AMAZING
and we got to hang out with some of our favorite friends!
As a ReSuLt
We are extremely tired
and needed some new jAmMiEs!
With the weather being a little colder
than we are used too...
I figured we could afford $9 for 2 pairs
of footie Pajamas
(one of the perks of having 2 boys
who are almost the same size!  )
Logan's are a bit big in the length
but hey...he will grow right?
and the boys are off to bed
@ 7:15 pm!


Saturday, November 5, 2011

Maybe just a piece of us

Chris works just under 80 hours a week.  Did I really just say 80?
I HATE that he works nights, but it makes the time go by a
whole lot faster than when he works days and
only 6 more to go for the rest of this year.
(which really isn't saying much since he will have to do 12 weeks of night float next year.)
Maybe I will conveniently be out of town.
I think  it is pathetic that I am excited for him to work 530am to 630pm 6 days a week;
Right now it's like a dream job.
Tonight he didn't want to go to work.  I didn't want him to go, but I didn't tell him that.
I think one of my roles is to be his cheerleader, so I didn't say that I wanted him to stay,
but I did.
He was nervous to go to work tonight.
I think it is stressful to learn how to be a doctor and I don't think people get it.
I didn't get it until now and maybe still don't.
I can't wait until January
Period.

I really like to run and I have my favorite songs that I like to listen to while I run.
If You're Going Through Hell and Club Can't Handle Me are two of my favorites right now.
but I can't run and I am frustrated beyond belief.
my knee aches and my hip pops!
I used to be able to run through the pain but it doesn't go away and I can't anymore.
It was my stress relief;
no other exercise helps.
I think I really just need a new pair of running shoes
mine have just a few too many miles on them.
I'm currently obsessed with the Pretty Little Liars books...I think I am on number eight,
but I don't remember.  Now I want to watch the show but we don't have cable. 
I have to watch my shows Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice
on the computer.  That's how I spent my Saturday night.
I am loving being home with the boys. 
It was a hard transition (some days still are hard)
We have been having a lot of fun together
We go to the library at least twice a week (we went 3 times this week)
and we like playing games Candy land and Bingo.
I am going to make them some Christmas presents again this year and I am excited.
PS Christmas is only 7 weeks from tomorrow.

Tracen loves to ride his bike and he still loves his trains.
All he wants for Christmas is the Polar Express that is as big as Papa's Pacific.
He is doing really good in school but today he told Chris that if he cut his hair wrong
then kids would laugh and call him a nerd.
It broke my heart.  I wonder where he learned that?
he is my tender spirit even though you would never know it.
he loves and idolizes his dad.
he brings me flowers and tells my I'm beautiful but
he will rarely say "I love you" with out you asking him to.
It is interesting.
Today he also told me that he wanted to sing
The Horse Put His Foot on the Ground for baby Beth but that he would only sing
the first verse because she wouldn't like the other ones-they get too loud and she is a baby.
He reminds us to say our prayers and was so sad that we didn't eat dinner
as a family last night because Chris got off work late.
I was frustrated too, not at Chris, but that I didn't know how to explain it to Tracen.
He was better when Dad got home and played Candy land with us.
He likes to sing and I love that he does.

Logan is learning his articles of faith. (and so is Tracen)
he can recite the first three and I love the way he says
"frew the atoment of Christ"
(yes I know those are spelled wrong-try to picture little 3 year old language.)
He loves his brother; they are best buddies.
I hope they stay that way!
Logan changes his clothes at least 3 times a day.
he always wants a jersey for nap, jammies for bed and will usually sneak into his swimsuit and shirt at some point only to take off everything to wrestle Tracen in his boxer briefs.
He is a big snuggler
but also has been known to throw some mighty tantrums in the past couple of weeks.
I didn't know how to handle them and now I do. 
He likes to ride his big boy bike, but he LOVES to play with his guys!
He wants everything for Christmas.
He usually shows up in my room around 4 every morning.
If Chris is gone he gets to sleep in Mommy's bed, but if Chris is home he sleeps on the floor
so he doesn't kick his daddy.

This is us in a nutshell...well
maybe just a piece of us.  We do good most of the time
but like most people we have our hard days too.
We are already listening to Christmas music.  It puts me in a good mood but we are still
excited for Thanksgiving.  I have been practicing my cooking...we will see how that goes.
I love my family.  I love my home.  I love my faith.  I love my music.  I love my life.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Just The Boys

I wasn't completely happy 
with the pictures I got 
of the boys...
so  
we went again. 
I am so excited that 
we did! 
Here are the boys in 
all their handsome-ness! 
Man I love these dudes!  
I still included some 
"bloopers" 
for your enjoyment!

























We Did Our Photos!

With funds low...
but a great need...ok, maybe want 
of getting our pictures done
we decided to swap picture taking with our friends 
the Sorenson's

...Can I tell you that it was the BEST DECISION EVER 
to buy the home just around the corner from them...
i.e. I went out to the car yesterday monring 
to find that the battery was dead, 
Chris was at work 
I had 10 minutes to get Tracen to school.  
 I called Leslie 
we took her car 
then she came up and jumped our car...
yes my friends two...very unknowing 
(well, Leslie might have been knowing) 
ladies jumped the car and got it working again.  
If we didn't live where we did...
I would have had to stay home all day = no school for Tracen...
but I digress... 

Back to pictures...
we headed over to the glamorous 
Hershey Hotel
and took pictures in their courtyard
  From over 100 pictures
we actually got a few that I am really happy about!  
And I paid zippo dollas!  
Enjoy!  
Some of my Family Favorites
2.4.8.9.11
minus the closed eyes on 8
(I threw a few of my fav bloopers in here too :)

2
1


4
3


6
5

8
7



10
9

12
11



14
13


15
16