Christmas '09

We had a great Christmas this year and  were very blessed with everything we received!

Festivities started the night before with a nice dinner, watching old family videos of Christmas past...so funny, and slightly embarrassing in some parts...watching the nativity, listening to Christmas stories of other family members traditions and opening one gift, which of course were pajamas!

Christmas morning came bright and early at 6 a.m. Kylie was so excited she could hardly stand it. Jase didn't have a clue what was going on. One of the traditions in our family has been that the kids have to wait at the top of the stairs until our parents told us we could come down see what Santa brought. Here they are waiting.

Kylie wasn't going to waste a minute, she immediately dug right in

Jase still didn't have a clue what was going on.

Uncle Adam likes to give gifts that are outrageous to open. She found them at the very bottom after swimming through the phone book paper.

Kylie made off with a new "big bike", a computer, hair tools, art supplies, baby highchair, a giant Mr. Potato Head and clothes.

Jase also did well for himself getting a ball popper, his first set of tools (you can never start them too young), a bunch of cars, sippy cups and clothes.

The aftermath of it all. We had a great day and Jeremy even surprised with a new pair of haircutting scissors...which I love!!  Christmas is a wonderful time of year and I am so grateful we had a chance to spend it with my family! I love them so much! I am also grateful for the Savior, his birth and his life and the chance we have to truly reflect on that. That really is what's most important! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

The Year of 2009

2009 has been one amazing year for us. We have been blessed beyond belief and are so grateful for all that we have. Our biggest blessing happened in January when we were able to bring our little JASE home from the hospital. The guy has a mind of his own and decided to make his entrance 9 weeks early. He spent a totally of 54 days in the NICU, most of those days spent up at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake. After undergoing exploratory surgery in his bowels he now sports what Jeremy calls a "chick-magnet" scar just above his belly button. He has turned into one happy kid that crawls like a crazy man and loves his voice!! (I just hope he learns to say more than Da-Da...it just doesn't seem fair!)

KYLIE endured that crazy time like a champ and was so patient and understanding when I would have to leave to be with him. She has taken the role of big sister very seriously and loves her little brother. Kylie is absolutely beautiful and along with Jase look just like their dad did as a kid. She started preschool this year and loves it!! She has mastered writing her name, the alphabet, some silly songs and the Pledge of Allegiance. Kylie is a very good little girl, but you never know what witty thing will come out of her mouth next! She loves to be outside playing with her friends, dressing up, writing and pretty much anything "girl". She couldn't be more thrilled to finally graduated from nursery to the "big Primary."

I seem to keep busy with, of course the kids and taking care of the house. I still love to do hair and have found that my luxurious kitchen is just a good a spot as any to get the job done. (Thank goodness my clients don't seem to mind too much) I love decorating our newly purchased house and being outside with our neighbors. We are very blessed to have moved into a fun neighborhood with lots of kids and some really great friends. I have grown to really love St. George and try not to think about how far I live from my family. I am just grateful Jeremy's family lives close.  Nothing is better then being a wife and mom to my kids and husband!!

JEREMY has been very very busy with work. Some days can be very long and tiring, but we are just grateful for his job. He seems to love what he does and is good at it. I love having such a handy man right at my disposal and he is very patient to put up with my very long "honey do" list I seem to always have for him. He still enjoys woodworking and maybe someday will get that much needed workshop in the backyard. He is a great husband, father and provider for us and we are very blessed for all he does. 

This year has been a year of abundance for our family and Heavenly Father has really blessed us. We are  very grateful for our Savior and his birth this time of year. Our testimonies have grown as prayers have been answered and blessings received.  We couldn't be happier and look forward to what's in store in the coming year!

Family Pictures 2009

We were a little late this year, but we finally got our family pictures taken. I asked Brooke from Snatch and Snap Photography to take them for us and she was awesome! She was very patient with the kids doing everything she could to make them smile and had really fun locations for us. She was also great at editing out our red noses (it was freezing that day) and making us look fabulous. Prepare yourselves for an outrageous number of pictures. My problem now is deciding which ones I want on my wall.

Caroling...Preschool Style

Well folks, according to Kylie's count down ribbon it looks like we have three days til Christmas. I think we were able to do most of what a wanted to do so far this year to celebrate. The shopping is done. The wrapping just about complete. Now it's on to packing for our trip down south. It's been pretty cold here and I am excited to bask in the 70 degree weather and soak up some sun.

Kylie's preschool got together this afternoon and went caroling around the outlet mall. They just sat on a trailer and sang their hearts out. Kylie enjoyed herself when she wasn't in a daze. (I think she was tired and a slow trailer ride didn't help the situation) She did a great job singing and hasn't stopped since. Jase on the other hand didn't think it was fun at all to sit in the cold rain and watch. Poor kid! We are excited to spend time together as a family and enjoy the rest of this season.

We've Been Grinched

My mom sent us some funny pictures of them with "Mr. Grinch." Kylie was less then thrilled and told me she was not going to spend her Christmas with the Grinch! It took some serious sweet talking and some reassurance that the Grinch was just a cartoon and won't be joining our festivities to convince her it is still OK to join Grandma and Grandpa in AZ.

She now laughs at the pictures and continually asks me if there are more.

The Reason for the Season

We thought that maybe in between all of our holiday festivities we should probably throw in a little something about Christ's birth. So we headed to Tuacahn with the Dyer's to see the Live Nativity. Actually Kylie and I have had quite a few discussions about what Christmas is about and I think she is starting to understand it a little bit. She loves a birthday and anything to do with that she is all over. It was fun to take her and give her a chance to actually visualize what we have been talking about.

The Nativity is always really neat and the perfect length to keep the kid's attention.

Of course we had to fit Santa in there also

We have learned that Jase HATES the cold. He gets really frustrated and won't sit still for a second, and it was a cold nigh. We even got snowed on a tiny bit. The only way Jeremy could get him to relax was to wrap him up as tight as possible in a thick blanket.

Tuacahn is a very fun place. It is beautiful out there surrounded by the mountains and during Christmas time it's covered in lights.

Merry & Bright

Since I was a little kid one of my most favorite things to do at Christmas time is drive around and see all the lights on houses. I love neighborhoods where everyone decorates and I have even heard your house is much safer when you put Christmas lights up.  You can imagine my excitment when Jeremy was told about this BEAUTY...

It is unreal! Who knew the Griswalds moved to St. George?

I whis the picutres really captured what it is like, but here are a few close-ups to give you an idea.

My most favorite part are the lights that go up and down the roof. Anybody who does that  automaticly qualify for an amazing house.

It even continues to the side and back of the house.  This house really makes me happy! We have also seen a house with lights that cordinate with music and

this is on the hill next to our neighborhood.  Kylie loves it when we pass it! It's such a fun time of year and I love sharing it with my kids!

Jase's Big Day

Today we are celebrating Jase's 1st Birthday. As every mom says, I can't believe it's been a year! He is one amazing little boy that has clearly had a mind of his own from the very beginning. As I think back to this day a year ago, we really didn't know what was in store for him or us. And we never could have guessed the number of surprised we would encounter those first few month, but how blessed we were then and how blessed we are now to have a healthy and happy little boy. He has grown and developed far better then any doctor could have predicted. He may be a little small, but he is right on target with his development and doing what most every other 12 month old is doing. He has doubled his height since birth and weighs in at 19.4lbs. and I think it is safe to say he has grown into those lengthy feet of his! Here are a few pictures for reminising...

This is what he looked like the first time I saw him. He was 3 lbs 6 oz and 16 1/2 inches long. He was A LOT smaller then I thought he would be and it was somewhat intimidating at first.

He is two days old here and getting ready for his flight up to Primary Children's for his surgery. I was excited to actually be able to see his face, but I hated that huge tub he had in his mouth.

 I can believe he has had more adventures than most people do their whole lives!

Holding him for the first time

1 Month old

   

54 days old...The day we brought him home.

2 months

4 months

6 months

9 months

Here is the wild man today. All I wanted was a nice picture of him sitting & smiling next to his presents. He went in a million different directions and I never really got a smile out of him.

Kylie was more than willling to help open the presents and it looks like Jase would just assume let her.

He was OK with the flame tonight

But he still hates cake!

It was hard to imagine a year ago what he would be like today, just like it's hard to believe he was that same little boy a year ago laying in that hospital bed. I love Jase more then anyone could ever comprehend. I am so grateful for his smile and his playful personality. I am grateful he babbles, and thinks it's a game to throw his bink on the ground so I have to pick it up, crawls around and giggles. And most of all I am grateful he is healthy and happy and he is mine!! Happy Birthday Buddy!! I love you!!!

Jase +Ty+ Christmas = A Party

We had a little combo party celebrating Jase's first birthday, Ty's (Jase's cousin) first birthday and Christmas. My grandma and sister Amanda came, along with everyone from Jeremy's family except for Jeremy's sister Ang, who was sick. The night was filled a delicious spaghetti dinner, thanks to Jeremy

a little Christmas devotional about the light of Christ by Loralyn and everyone was given a flashlight which the kids absolutely loved.

Two boys opening birthday presents...mostly eyeing what the other got and eating the wrappings

Singing Happy Birthday and waiting the boys to dig in.

Jase grabbed for the flame and freaked out at everyone's reaction causing him and

Ty to want nothing to do with the baseball cake!

Jase continued to cry at the sight of cake and will probably never eat it again!

Everything did end happy though and Grandma and Grandpa Felix was also able to get a picture with all 10 of their grandkids.