Year End Wrap Up!

I saw this on Tib's blog last year and LOVED how simple and concise it was at re-capping the year, yet I never followed through with completing it myself. So, I am taking the bull by the horns this year and FINISHING it! Only problem is, this year was ALL ABOUT BABY for us, so the answers are pretty redundant, not as exciting as my 2008 re-cap might have been, but still a re-cap. So, without further adieu-in all it's glory-2009!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Ate NUTELLA! I am so in love:)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I made PROGRESS towards some new year's resolutions but did not reach my overall goals in any of the problem areas of my life. My resolutions were things like: live in the moment, treasure the little things, drop the guilt etc. etc. Like I said, I made baby steps but still have a LONG way to go. This year I am already getting a jump start on going further with those goals with the help of this super fun book that came in the mail yesterday. I am hoping that this will help me break some old habits and set some new standards for greatness for me and my family!

I also am going to continue the tradition of picking a Word of the Year -I did this last year (I don't think I ever posted ANYTHING about it, but I thought of it often). I was amazed at how many times my word would pop into my head at difficult or overwhelming moments and it calmed me. My word for 2009 was: cherish. This year, my word will be: SEIZE. As in SEIZE the Day or SEIZE the moment. This will be my year to GET it DONE and quit procrastinating. It is my ONLY resolution because I think everything else will fall into place if I can get a grip on this one stumbling block of mine.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

YES! Some extended family, some friends, and FINALLY-me (hallelujah)!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Sadly, I did attend one funeral this year. A fellow co-worker and friend.

5. What countries did you visit?

Never left the United States. Hardly left St. George.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

More sleep and the ability to fit into my regular pants (as opposed to maternity and/or larger sized pants).

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 14th. Brayden made his debut!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Bringing a healthy boy into the world and conquering breastfeeding!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not being able to keep up on all the housework, to do lists, quality time with family etc. etc. without losing my cool.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really. Just battled the little bout of baby blues that I always get after I have my babies. The only difference this time was that I was more aware of it, confronted it head on, came to terms with the fact that it is a hormone adjustment thing for me, and found ways to deal with it as best I could!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Um, the Bemis Easy Change Toilet Seat. I know, strange answer. Especially considering the fact that we bought a new vehicle this year too (our beloved Toyota Sienna which we love), but seriously-this toilet seat is amazing! It has changed my life:) Obviously, a woman with sons must have invented this. It is completely removable/washable and it makes me giddy every time I clean it:) Brilliant and WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF IT FIRST??? And, if YOU own one, why didn't you tell me about it before 2009???

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Steve- He is truly the most patient, amazing person.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

A few celebrities come to mind, Adam Lambert, Tiger Woods, The Gosselins etc. etc. Thankfully, no one that is close to me.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Brayden, Brayden, Brayden. And he was worth every PENNY, PENNY, PENNY!!!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Anything new having to do with being a mother to a newborn again. I was excited to wash the newborn clothes, get his room ready, go into the hospital to give birth, introduce him to his brothers, bring him home from the hospital, give him his first bath (you get the idea)!

16. What songs will always remind you of 2009?

Let's see, I will pick three:

Taylor Swift, Love Story This was on the radio virtually every time we were in the car. I have memories of Lewis, Conner and me singing at the top of our lungs on the way to school in Beaver Dam EVERY DAY!

Miley Cyrus, The Climb I am not a Miley fan but I have to admit, there were a couple of occasions this year when my baby was screaming for long stretches of time and I would pack him up into his car seat to go for a drive and this song would be on the radio. It actually lifted me up and helped me DEAL with that challenging moment. So, thank you Miley.

And then, for sure: Black Eyed Peas, I Gotta Feeling Just my favorite "feel good" song of the year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier. We have so much to be thankful for and everything we could have wished for.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. I have about 10 pounds to get off/or turn into lean muscle mass!
c) richer or poorer? Both. Richer; In friends and family. Poorer; monetarily. We have less money coming in now and we spent way too much money on Christmas this year. Whatever happened to the days when kids were giddy about getting a stocking with an orange and a fist full of peanuts???

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Sleeping and sleeping.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Complaining and worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Refer to the Christmas post below.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Yes. With my new babe!

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Sadly, I watched WAYYYYYY more T.V. this year due to the large amounts of time I spent camped in front of the tube nursing my baby. Even more sad perhaps is that my favorite shows were the Today Show (with Hoda and KLG) and Dr. Oz type shows. The Kathy Lee Gifford thing is REALLY a shocker to me. She used to bug me to death. I think that is partly why I started watching. Now she is a guilty pleasure to watch and I love to hear her voice her opinions about things.

I guess I just have never had a chance to experience these types of shows before, with being a working girl, so this has been new to me and I have grown to enjoy the little tid bits of info. I get from watching these shows. I have been guilty of holding off my ravenous child for a few extra minutes to be sure I am feeding him during a prime T.V. hour (one that would include either the Oz man or Kathy Lee Gifford). I know, so pathetic.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I have no room in my life for hate. There are people I dislike but I just don't include them in my sphere. Hate is a worthless emotion.

24. What was the best book you read?

I really thought that THIS year was going to be my year to get back into books. At the beginning of 2009, I had been TWO years without my beloved book clubs and had gotten out of the reading habit. Unfortunately for me, it has been harder to get BACK INTO it than I thought it would be. I set the bar high by trying to do the FIFTY Book Challenge. A few days ago, I updated my Goodreads shelf and sadly, I only made it half way to my goal. Also, MOST of the books I did read were NON-Fiction! I just couldn't seem to get into the "novel" groove, even with great titles like, The Hunger Games and A Thousand Splendid Suns sitting atop my night stand (both books have gotten RAVE reviews).

So, having said all that and scanning through my Goodreads book shelf, I'd have to say that the BEST book I read this year, was the memoir by Jeannete Walls called, The Glass Castle. It was riveting and a true story of hope and resilience.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sia, thanks Jen! Love her!

26. What did you want and get?

A healthy baby.

A happy family.

Some contentment.

27. What did you want and not get?

Some sleep. Sigh.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I haven't seen The Blind Side yet, but I have a feeling that will top whatever I put on here right now. But, for 2009, I guess the best movie was: Julie and Julia. I know, weird choice, but I didn't see a lot of movies and that one is fresh in my mind and was so inspiring to me. I love when a movie can pleasantly surprise you, which is what this one did. I wasn't expecting much, but ended up loving it and wanting to see the bonus features on the DVD (which are worth watching). I love that the women in this movie had ideas in their little brains and used them to turn their lives around for the better. I also enjoy well written movies and I thought it was so clever (very Sleepless in Seattle-ish) how the two life stories were intertwined so beautifully. Plus, Meryl Streep: amazing!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 33 this year, I think. Is that right? I have gotten lazy about keeping track. I was born in '76, so you do the math. Anyway, my b-day was on a Sunday and it was all about relaxing and enjoying the day peacefully with family. Just a pleasant day.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I wish I could say nothing because my year was AMAZING and so fulfilling. But I'd have to say, my year could have been much more satisfying minus the ugly cloud of depression that plagued so many days. It is debilitating and ridiculous. It's so strange to be the happiest you've ever been and at the same time get so overly annoyed and crazy over little, stupid things that really don't matter. Again, hormones are not my friend, but the clouds have lifted and life is looking beautiful again:)

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Oh goodness. So very sad. So trying to cover all the flabby areas with whatever is in the closet that will cover it. So trying to look polished and professional in clothes that don't fit quite right. So not wanting to spend money on bigger clothes but not wanting to look silly in the too small duds. A no-win situation really.

2009 was a blur of borrowed maternity clothes, husband's closet raids, and clearance rack specials. Not really my best fashion year (not that I have ever had a good one). Definitely not my best.

32. What kept you sane?

Keeping a routine and saying "NO"! Also, I have to say that I turned to food quite a bit this year, mostly chocolate. Hence the sad fashion sitch.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don't know if I fancied any celebrities. I really admired Taylor Swift this year though. She is such a talent powerhouse!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Healthcare.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Brayden Taylor Peterson. Of course!

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Never give up.

37. What are you looking forward to in 2010?

12 year anniversary with my sweetheart.
Conner turning 8.
Finishing some unfinished projects.
Remodeling bathrooms.
Reading more books.
Getting more organized and content.
Girl's Camp.
Family vacations.
Spending lots of time with friends and family.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

It is a tie between these two:

Oh, I just can't get enough.
How much do I need to fill me up?
It feels so good it must be love.
It's everything that I've been dreaming of

I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin
'Cause no matter what I do,
My heart is filled with you.

-Colbie Caillat, You Got Me

Happiness is just outside my window
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?

-The Fray, Happiness

Okay! That was 2009! Looking forward to a FABULOUS 2010! BTW. Are you saying it- "Two-thousand-ten" or "Twenty-ten" ? Just wondering.

Family Photo Shoot 2009

Thanks to my awesome friend TERESA, we finally have some great new photos of our family! Sad but true, we only had like two (terrible) photos of our entire family with new Brayden since his birth. I haven't wanted to update the pictures on my blog because we haven't had any good ones. Now I am excited to do a much needed remodel. I know I have put this off for, um, ONE WHOLE YEAR!!!! But, I am now ready to say goodbye to my much loved, family-of-four pics and replace them with our FAMILY-of-FIVE!!!

Our Christmas

This year we hosted Christmas Eve at our house since it was going to just be our small family plus my parents and brother, Kirk. We can't fit too many more in our tiny living room so it was perfect. Steve LOVES taking charge of the "program" and he did a good job of keeping us all entertained with games and stories and even the "Nativity" movie. Here is how it all happened that evening:

1. The guests arrived and we ate dinner (forgot to take pictures of our meal).
2. We gathered in the living room for the program. We played the "Left/Right" game where we each had a gift and had to pass it either right or left whenever we heard the words right or left in the story. The story was a version of the nativity story that Steve found online with the words left and right added in strategically. We all ended up with gifts we loved in the end and it was a fun variation to simply reading from Luke as we always have done in the past.
3. Brayden kept us all entertained throughout the night as well. He was so exhausted after his bath, he fell asleep in Steve's arms as he was being dried off in the towel. Too bad we had to wake him to get him dressed.
4. Both boys provided us with well played Christmas music for the program.
5. We enjoyed peppermint ice cream for a sweet treat.
6. The kids took some time to prepare for Santa's visit by sprinkling reindeer dust on the lawn and setting out cookies and milk.
7. We read "The Night Before Christmas" right before bed.

It was one of our most relaxing and enjoyable Christmas Eve's to date!

CHRISTMAS MORNING 2009-

Grandpa Bevan told the boys about a Christmas his dad had one year when all he got was a lump of coal from Santa. Upon hearing this, the boys voiced their worries and concern a time or two before their heads hit their pillows on Christmas Eve. We couldn't guarantee that the same thing wouldn't happen to them, even though we were certain they had more GOOD behavior days than BAD. They both said extra FERVENT prayers for sure that night and we tucked them in with our fingers crossed.

ALAS! SANTA DID COME!

You could definitely see the look of relief on their faces Christmas Morning, when they saw that Santa had indeed left presents for them! And WOW, he really left a pricey loot this year. The boys scored new BIKES and a Wii gaming system! Lewis kept saying, "I can't believe we got BOTH!"

Conner admitted that he didn't get EVERYTHING he had asked for on his list, but he said, he got the two best things he asked for. He vowed to be a perfect saint ALL YEAR next year to see if that will help him get his ENTIRE wish list fulfilled. We shall see.

Brayden actually slept THROUGH the first part of our Christmas Morning, with the boys excitedly unwrapping their gifts and taking their new bikes for a spin in the FRIGID temperatures. But as soon as we heard him, we all went in to get him. I think he thought he had died and gone to heaven with all of the attention that was being paid to him! The boys were tremendously cute with helping him open his presents. As expected, Brayden enjoyed eating the wrapping paper and boxes more than his new toys!

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST/DAY-

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is to visit Grandma's house on Christmas morning. She prepares the greatest breakfast of crepes with strawberries and whipped cream, sausage, bacon and orange juice! It is just perfection! This year, Lewis told Grandma that this breakfast is BETTER than going to Denny's (which is saying a LOT for this picky eater who happens to love Denny's)!

Usually, we go to Grandma's, eat and exchange family gifts, play for a little bit, and then head home to get ready for the day, visit Steve's family and sort of clean up Christmas a bit. Not this year. Steve's family wasn't around this year so we stayed at Grandma's almost the entire day, only leaving because Brayden had a massive "blow out" and I didn't have a change of clothes for him. So, around 3:00, we left for home, cleaned up a bit (I took a nap-thanks Steve) and then at around 4:30, we went back to Grandma's for more yummy food!

We ate Christmas dinner and then played games and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation before heading back home again around 8:00.

It was such a RELAXING and low-stress day. Thanks goodness, since the days leading up to it were anything BUT stress-free!

Here's hoping your Christmases were just as relaxing and fun!

Holiday HAVE-TOs

I don't know why it is, but every Christmas season, there is always ONE week that is jam packed with what I call, "Holiday Have-To's". They are the events that come around every year that MUST be attended. All of them are FUN and purposeful, but somehow they all end up in the same week, proving to be exhausting and crazy! I kind of thought this year might be a little less stressful since I am not working full time, but that theory was beaten down pretty quickly. I was still lost in a deep sea of Christmas chaos right up until the last Christmas carol was sung and the last present was wrapped and tucked under the tree. Here is a quick re-cap of SOME of the events (I didn't even take pictures of all of them this year):!

Conner's Piano Recital-

Conner started taking piano lessons at the beginning of the year soon after Lewis started them. It has been fun to watch him progress and develop in his skills. Piano doesn't come as easily to Conner as it does to Lewis, however; Conner is better at practicing than Lewis, so it has been interesting to watch. They each have different teachers with different techniques. It has been a good learning experience for our whole family.

At his recital, Conner played two pieces: "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" and "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus". He was the last player of the evening which was a good thing because Steve was busy overseeing one of Lewis' basketball practices and got to the recital just in the nick of time! Conner did great and we are so proud of him. We went out to dinner at Durangos to celebrate!

Ward Christmas Party-

Steve was recently appointed Ward Activities Chairman and this was his first opportunity to try out his party planning skills. It was actually super easy since the former chairman had already booked the entertainment and basically mapped the whole thing out! It was all a matter of advertising and delegating. Some of the highlights were:

1. Re-connecting with old friends and neighbors,
2. eating a warm meal that I didn't have to cook,
3. listening to good, live entertainment,
4. watching the boys run around with their friends and do karaoke,
5. taking advantage of a photo opp with Santa!

Nothing better than a good, old fashioned, ward Christmas Party!

Traditions Show and Tell-

Conner had an assignment to tell about one of his favorite holiday traditions at school. I was surprised when he chose this one that we do with our Christmas books. I started this tradition when the boys were really little to give them something fun to look forward to each day as we count down to Christmas. What I do is gather up as many Christmas books as there are days until Christmas and wrap them up. We start on the first day of December so I wrap 24 of them. I then number the "gifts" and put them in a basket next to our Christmas tree. Each night one of the boys unwraps a book and we read it. When they were little, Steve and I read the books to them, but now they are old enough to read them to us which is a nice change. I can see why this is a fun tradition for Conner (a man obsessed with presents). He gets to open a present every day and even though we have read all the books before, they somehow seem more special and new as they are opened and revealed.

I brought the basket into his class one day and he unwrapped book number 15 in front of his class and then had his teacher read it. It was the book, "Bear Stays Up For Christmas" which was just a perfect book for the occasion. Not too short (some of our books are little board books) but not too long (some of them are really lengthy). His teacher was interested to see what some of our other books were so Conner showed the ones we had already read to his class too. It ended up being a really cute little show and tell situation!

Preschool Polar Express Party-

One of the major stresses of the season for me is preparing for the Christmas festivities at preschool. From art projects, Christmas gifts, party preparations and on and on, it can take a lot of time. Luckily, I just have the one class this year so surprisingly, it was easy to pull it all off! We did the Polar Express party again (my favorite way to celebrate) where the kids wear their jammies to school and we have a yummy breakfast, read the story, drink hot chocolate and make fun Christmas crafts. You know it is a good party when the kids beg to stay longer! That is exactly what happened this year. No one wanted to leave! Ahhh. So sweet:)

Ugly Sweater Party-

Laura and Kurt hosted the Christmas party at their house again this year. It was the ugly sweater competition and I must say, we all could have won! It was a nice change to be able to wear something UGLY instead of having to try and pull something CUTE together in my limited, 'plus size' wardrobe (I still can't fit into most of my pants. . .arghhhh). Anyway, we did the annual white elephant exchange (which gets a little more R rated with every passing year hmmm???). No one will fess up to who is bringing the questionable stuff, but it sure makes for some good laughs!

Miscellaneous Have-To's-

For Young Womens this month we went to the Dickens Festival, had a White Elephant Party, went Christmas caroling and participated in the "Koins for Kids" charity drive at Walmart. I thoroughly enjoyed attending all of these events with my girls. They are so great and added so much to my holiday season. I only snapped pictures of the Dickens Festival and the caroling though.

Steve decided that it was MANDATORY to go COYOTE hunting with one of his Lunch lady's husbands days before Christmas this year, causing me a little extra stress. Hunting isn't exactly something you can do in a couple of hours and I was feeling pulled from all directions so to have to give up my hubby for the day was a bit tricky but I survived and Steve had fun, although-no coyotes!

Speaking of Steve, this year his school district had a party at his boss's house in Beaver Dam and I tagged along. The boys were in HEAVEN because they got to go play at their friend Jaiden's house for the evening while Steve and I partied, ate and exchanged white elephant gifts. The boys made plates of goodies with Jaiden's grandma, played video games and had a general blast that evening. We didn't get home until really late and it was a school night. Kind of inevitable during this crazy week of holiday have-to's!

Basketball Season

Seems football season isn't even OVER before we start up with basketball! Both boys are deep in the thick of practices and games.

It has been tricky trying to keep track of their little schedules but we are doing our best. The games are every Saturday and that gives our family something fun to do together each weekend. Brayden enjoys the noise and chaos of the basketball court just as much as the rest of us!

Steve has been coaching Lewis' team this year and they are currently undefeated! I haven't had a chance to snap any pictures of them yet, and BARELY have had a chance to get any with Conner playing too, but the season is still young.

Conner has a really great team too and he has been enjoying the challenges and excitement that basketball has to bring. I love that both of my boys would rather be out shooting hoops than anything else lately. They've got the BASKETBALL bug!

Infections and Viruses and Bugs Oh MY!

About the same time our computer caught a nasty virus and CRASHED, our sweet little baby caught the croup and kept us on our toes for several days.

Both events came on so suddenly. One minute I was typing and blogging and surfing the Net and the next I was in complete lock down, not able to access any of our files! Luckily we have a friend who took a look at it for minimal cost and fixed it for us. It took a good week to get it all the way back up and running AND we lost every single document file we have ever had! At first we thought all of our jpgs were gone too, but luckily those have been recovered, minus only a few here and there. I have some of our files (mostly my preschool stuff) on a back up disc and I am currently trying to get all of that back onto our computer, but other than that-our computer trials are over. PHEW!

Poor Brayden on the other hand, his little cough sure is hanging on. His croupy cough came on SOOOOO suddenly. It was barky in the morning and by late afternoon I was in the doctor's office with him. He could barely breathe. By 6:00 that night, we were in the thick of breathing treatments and marathon nursing sessions. He was only content with me holding him for what seemed like two straight days.

Luckily babies are so resilient. He was back to his normal sleeping eating schedule within a few days and aside from the occasional cough-he is all but better. We are so glad. Croup is super scary:(

Santa Baby

Funny to think that last year at this time, he was only a thought, a dream; tucked away like a tiny peanut inside of me. We weren't even sure if he was a boy or girl at this time last year. Now he is here, bringing us so much holiday cheer! He laughed like crazy when we put this Santa hat on his head. Everything is new and fun for him. And that makes everything new and fun for us all over again! Babies are so great!

November

Well, here it is, December, and I am ONCE AGAIN looking back on a month's worth of memories I failed to report, in a timely manner, on this here blog of mine. So, ONCE AGAIN, here is a LONG WINDED, super in depth, probably not interesting to anyone but us, re-cap of November happenings (in no particular order):
My little (BIG) Brother's Birthday-

Yes. It is hard to believe, but Kirk is now TALLER than me and 14 years-old! He is such a good kid and I am glad he's around, not only for someone fun to hang out with but also for my boys to look up to. He has always been such a fun, good uncle to them. We had an enjoyable dinner with cake and ice-cream and then opened presents and listened to a private concert:) A typical, relaxing birthday occasion!

I found this picture of Lewis (on his first Thanksgiving) while at my mom's for Kirk's birthday. People are always asking me if any of my other kids were as chubby and huge as Brayden, I think this is sufficent proof. I actually think Lewis looks chunkier in his picture, and notice the two teeth! Lewis had two teeth by the time he was two months old and kept getting two more every two months after that! Brayden still has not had any teeth cut through his gums, but he has been working on it for a few months now. Hopefully they will just come in already and leave him BE! Anyway, I thought it was fun to see a picture that really showcases how similar Brayden and Lewis look.

The END of Football Season 2009-

Um, sadly this is the ONE AND ONLY image I have of EITHER of my boys playing football this year (and they aren't even playing)!!!! Our computer crashed last week and some of our photos are gone forever! That is indeed a whole 'nother story (a sad one) that I might feel up to telling later. As for this post, I just want to say that football season was pretty good this year. There are PROS and CONS to going with the Washington City League this year as opposed to the pricier SUSA that we have done in past years. With SUSA, the kids have way more playing time and they get to have custom jerseys and mouth guards and weekly games and practices. With the city league, there are WAYYY more kids per team and they wear the city jerseys. Also, apparantly nobody is at risk for losing their teeth 'cause mouth guards aren't required and, they have some different rules that I am not sure I liked or understood, but whatever. I guess the only thing I really liked better about city league was having the games on Saturday as opposed to week nights and you save a few bucks. I really think the boys had better opportunities to grow and shine on the pricier teams. Hmm, I really didn't think I'd come to that conclusion or even notice! I am so not a sportsy person! But, I guess as always, you get what you pay for. REGARDLESS, the boys had a great time and isn't that all that matters:)?!

Young Womens-

Man. This calling has certainly been keeping me busy! Between meetings, events (like Young Women In Excellence that we had at the beginning of Nov.) and other weekly activities, I am BACK in the saddle for sure!

Could not ask for a cuter group of girls to be hanging around with though! I have amazing girls who are so WITH IT! Here's something sort of funny, one of the girls in this picture I used to babysit when I was in college! She was THREE at the time! Now she is fifteen (and still cute as ever)! This really shows my age. . .

Yep! She is still such a sweetie. I can still hear her little three-year-old voice saying "Nick Jr." 'cause that is all she wanted to do (watch Blue's Clues on Nick Jr.)! So funny. Her little sister is in Y.W. as well. I used to change her diapers (she was one at the time). Oh, I am sooooo old:)

Being Thankful-

This year we did a Thankful Jar where the boys chose a paper from the jar each day and on it, it had something for them to be thankful for and a task to perform representing the item. This turned out to be a really simple and fun family thing to do each day. I was amazed at how little I had to do to help the boys perform their tasks. They were really cute about doing them and seemed geniuinely excited to choose a new one each day. I am thankful to Lindsay for sharing this cute activity with us. Otherwise, I never would have known about it and never would have done it. I think our family truly benefitted from this:) Here's the link in case you want to give it a go next year: Thanksgiving Thankful Countdown

First Place Lewis-

So, Lewis memorized a fairy tale for his school's Story Telling Festival and as no surprise to me, he took FIRST PLACE in his division and went on to perform for the district. He is such a great storyteller, a natural, and I am so proud of him for giving it his ALL! He had some pretty stiff competetion in the second round, but he did his best! Everytime I crack open the book, "Falling for Rapunzel" and read the words. . ."Once upon a bad hair day, a prince rode up Rapunzel's way. . ." I will hear Lewis' funny, little British accent-voice and smile! He is such a funny kid and never ceases to amaze us with his hidden talents.

Time to Ourselves-

One great thing about Steve's mom is that she is always begging to have the grandkids come and stay with her and Grandpa. Since we were up to their house in Richfield for Thankgsiving, we decided to leave our boys there for a few nights of fun with them and some of their cousins. While they were off riding four wheelers, building gingerbread houses and Christmas caroling, Steve and I had some time to re-connect and relax at home with Brayden.

Steve is soooo super busy all the time. He is always running from one thing to the next and it's hard to carve out time for just us and for just FUN!

We spent our three days getting Christmas shopping done (yeah Black Friday!), doing odd jobs around the house and just CHILLING! It was so great! We even got a jump start on the holiday decorating and surprised the kids with most of it done by the time they got home on Sunday.

Of course, Conner was soooooo stoked to see his baby brother again. He is such a sweetheart when he wants to be. He played with Brayden for HOURS non-stop and was just so obviously excited to be with him again:)

Of course, we saved the decorating of the tree for the boys to do with us that night. It was the perfect way to send November out the door and welcome in the December festivities. We had a fun and packed month and look forward to more of the same in Dec.

ONCE AGAIN, I am going to make a promise to myself to not wait until the very end of the month to post the happenings! I am going to try harder to keep that promise this time:)

A Chuckle for You!

This needs no words. It is an actual house in my neck of the woods. I'm guessing the inhabitants must have spent most of their Christmases, previous to this one, in another country. Or maybe they have a son named Leon? What do you think???

Thanksgiving Day 2009

This year we spent the big day in Richfield with Steve's Mom's side of the family. Of course, no one's house can accommodate the hugeness of this family so we took over the town church which was just the right size. The food was GREAT, the company was FUN and there was plenty of entertainment for the littles. There was bottle rocket making and shooting, an Oreo turkey craft and Snowman craft (for the girls). My favorite though was the Rock Band extravaganza that took place on the stage for hours and hours.

It was fun to hear both Lewis and Conner ripping it up at the mike and also trying their hand at the guitar and drums. Of course, Steve loves to let loose and did a great job with David Bowie's "White Wedding". I think he will always be a kid at heart. I am so grateful for my family. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

6 months

Well, it is hard to believe, but on November 14th, our baby hit his biggest milestone yet. . .6 months! He is bigger and better than ever and we can't figure out where the time has gone. It is funny how when you are uncomfortably pregnant, the months drag on and on, yet when you have a sweet little baby to love on each day, the time seems to vanish into thin air.

It's no secret here that our baby is growing by leaps and bounds. His official weight this time was a little surprising to me though. I thought for sure he would break the 20 pound barrier, but surprisingly, he was a straightforward, no nonsense, even. . .

18 pounds! Still huge, but not as over the top as I had thought. I guess packing around all this dead weight every day takes its toll and feels like more than it actually is! He is above average in both height and weight and his head is now in the average bracket. Indeed, he is growing and it is showing!

Not only has our boy been packing on the pounds in this past 6 months, but he has also been busy learning some new tricks! He does a funny thing with his tongue, pokes it in and out like a little snake! Who knows why?, but we think it is adorable.

He can sit up completely on his own now and that has made life so much easier. I don't dare leave him without the Boppy tucked around though, he tends to grab for anything and everything in sight and the Boppy transforms his falls from trauma and drama to smooth and sweet.

Once he's down, he rolls all over and I can never keep him contained on a nice clean blanket. I am dreading the days, shortly ahead, of having to keep the floor spotless. We are grateful, for the time being, that he is still pretty immobile and content to play with just about anything within his grasp not excluding his feet and fingers. He giggles and giggles when he is content (small spurts of time throughout the day).

He is still pretty high strung and NOT a home-body (like his mom) though. He much prefers to be out and about. He jabbers away like he is telling us ALL about his adventures! When I am at the store, shoppers always comment on how talkative he is:)

He is starting to inch his way into the "stranger anxiety" phase though. He will definitely let you know if you are invading his personal space.

He's happiest when his mom or dad or even his brothers are around; preferably holding him (making it increasingly difficult to get to that huge pile of laundry in the background there)!

Steve some how brings out the relaxing side of him. He is content to chill on Steve's lap for great amounts of time. He does not do this for me! He is usually more excited and CRAZY when I am holding him. I am not sure what Steve's secret is or what I am doing wrong?, but he pretty much tries to devour me when I am holding him!

Currently we have been using the nickname "Raven Claw" (yes, paying homage to Harry Potter) or sometimes "Razor Claw" because of his crazy need to claw at anything and everything! Eyeballs, hair, our faces are not excluded from his tiny claw grasp. I literally have to clip his nails every other day, it's absolutely mandatory!

The other day a friend of mine asked if he is sleeping through the night yet. I laughed! He is still not even close to that milestone, but I am not stressed in the least about it. He is getting better slowly and I don't mind feeding him in the night. I actually think I am cherishing it this time around. He is consistently waking at around 2 am and again at around 7 am. That's not too bad. Sometimes he'll even go back to sleep after his 7 am feeding letting me get a quick jump start on the day.

He did surprise us on his half-birthday though, with sleeping in his CRIB for the first time evah! We put him to bed in his crib (like we have tried to do dozens of times past) but this time, he ACTUALLY slept in it!!!!! This was huge for us! Up until that day he had been sleeping in his car seat. I guess he finally realized the benefit of being able to sprawl out!

Yes. This boy is crazy. He is particular, even persnickety about funny little things. But we love him, quirks and all! I remember when he was still in the womb and moving like crazy and even getting the nurses to scratch their heads at his above average need to move and groove, now we know why! He marches to the beat of his own drum and is perfectly content to do it!

One thing is for sure. This sweet little babe is just about the best thing that has happened to us in a long time! This year, when we look back on our blessings and start with the counting of them, this sweet boy will be at the top of all our lists! It would be impossible to love him anymore than we already do! Happy Half-Birthday Mr. Brayden!