My Favorite Moments: January 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Surviving January

A few things we've been up to this month....trying to occupy these long blah days!

Halle started piano lessons at the beginning of January. She's been wanting to for so long, but just took me a while to figure out a teacher. She loves it and is very eager to practice. Thankfully she seems to have her father's talent for music, rather than mine!

We had our fun cousin lunch at my Grandma's house and Avery was loving all the girls that were there to play with. Aidan happened to be the only boy this time and he wasn't too thrilled about that.

Caitlyn, Annie, Avery & Haylie

A HUGE event has taken place in our home. Avery has finally started playing with toys. She will actually sit down and play for longer than 4 seconds. This particular day we set up the whole Little People town and she played for almost 2 hours. Don't get me wrong she still gets into plenty of trouble, but I get a few breaks of it now throughout the day.

{Remember when you could sit like this and it didn't hurt...those were the days!}

Littlest Pet Shops are her other favorite thing.

The kids rockin out to Band Hero at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

My favorite thing this month was our VERY spontaneous getaway to St. George. A couple weeks ago Halle had Friday and the following Monday off school so Friday morning we decided to get out of town and an hour later we were on the road. The kids were thrilled to be able to play outside and actually breath the air.

We met up with our friends that live in Cedar City and spent the afternoon together. We played at Jumpin' Jacks and then went for pizza after.

Aidan and Halle had a great time playing on all the blowup slides and bounce houses.

Odessa, Halle & Aidan

Avery on the other hand was not so keen on the idea of getting in a big blow up house to jump. This is as close as she would get to them.

She thoroughly enjoyed these riding machines better...and I didn't even put quarters in them to turn them on.

She finally bummed a ride with some other kids whose parents were nice enough to spare the 50 cents.

Jenny, Adam, baby Addison and Tucker

We spent a whole afternoon hiking around the red rocks and enjoying the nice weather.

And of course swimming is always a must.

It was such a fun trip and nice to be away together.

And now the month is all but over and I feel like spring isn't SO far off. Busy life keeps us moving and I'm sure it will be here before we now it. I hope so any way.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Today.

today i woke up too early.

i said my morning prayers in the bathroom. it was the only place they couldn't find me.

i cleaned up spilled milk. twice.

i did 8 loads of laundry and somehow managed to get it all put away. that NEVER happens.

i put diaper cream on one very sore bum.

i listened to two 3 year old boys playing together. they called each other bud.

i picked my battles.

i washed paint off a 2 year olds hands, clothes, and face.

i read with my 6 year old.

i cleaned marker off a cabbage patch doll.

i consoled a sad little boy. more than once.

i played hide and seek.

i heard "I Love You, Mom" more times than I can count on two hands.

today i'm thankful to be Mom.

Monday, January 11, 2010

New Years Eve

The last few years we've spent New Year's Eve at my parents house with most of my siblings. The kids all play and then we put them to bed at a reasonable hour and we can still enjoy the rest of the night.

We started the night with the "Cereal Game". This is a tradition that my grandparents have been doing as long as I can remember. On Christmas day all the cousins pick a number and we take turns choosing our BIG box of cereal. It was a HUGE deal when we were kids to all get our OWN box of cereal, and now that we're all grown adults its still fun. So this year my parents started the tradition with their grandkids and decided to do it on New Years!

Just missing Lauren and Andrew...

This is what our kids came home with...

I got out the floam and they were entertained with that for quite a while.
Then they got in their jammies and we turned on a movie and started the winding down process. The adults played lots of fun games and ate TONS of yummy food.

We turned on the tv just before midnight to watch the ball drop. My mom had party poppers for us all...

Alissa & Jeff

Mom & Dad

Travis & Amy

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Christmas Day

What a fun Christmas we had this year. The kids are all at such fun ages and they were all so excited to see what Santa had brought them. I think Tucker and I were even more excited becase we woke up long before they did. Halle finally woke up around 8, so we decided to wake Aidan and Avery up.

The kids went down stairs and headed for their stockings first. The first thing we did was read our letters from Tucker. For the past few years he has written each of the kids and myself a letter and put it in our stocking, its a tradition that my dad has always done for my siblings and I treasure them.

Halle reading me her letter.

Then the kids took turns opening their Santa gifts.
Halle got the Liv Barbie doll she was hoping for.

Avery got a cute pink laptop computer.

Aidan and Halle both got Leapsters.
I love how excited Halle is for Aidan in this picture.

Avery got a cute new baby that talks. She loves it.

Aidan was most excited about the Batcave.

Halle got a desk and Pretend & Play school set. She was so worried that she wasn't going to get a desk because she didn't put it on her letter to Santa. He left a note inside the desk telling her he knew she had wanted one. She was so surprised!

Santa also brought some new Wii games for the family.

Then we opened the few presents from mom and dad and the gifts the kids got for each other.

Halle was excited to give us her present from school...her journal she's been keeping all year. It was so fun to sit down and read all the cute things she writes about.

Avery decided to take a break amongst it all to color for a minute.

Aidan asked for this Playdoh ice cream parlor

Avery and Halle got these cute matching skirts.

...and they also both got some Littlest Pet Shop paraphanalia

Then Avery took a candy break.

After the kids got through all their gifts Tucker and I opened ours. I got a new camera (FINALLY!) and Tucker also surprised me with a weekend trip to St. George w/tickets to see Brian Reagan at Tuacahn with some of our favorite people! YEAH. So excited about it. I also got the Wii Active fitness game so I can get myself in shape, but sadly Tucker has been WAY more diligent with it than I have. It's lots of fun though. Tucker got new clothes (boring), a game he wanted, new shoes, and some iPhone accessories.

Around 10:30 we headed to my parents house for brunch and another round of Christmas presents with them and my siblings.

Lauren gave Avery a cute baby and My Little Pony that she carried around all day.

Halle gave Lauren this Wizards of Waverly place diary and pillow.

and Andrew picked out stamps for Halle!

Halle was SO excited about the fun Hello Kitty Gumball machine and water dispenser my parents gave her.

My mom surprised my dad with a Wii. So we spent a good portion of the day having Wii tournaments. Good times all around!

Nice form!

Then someone stole my camera and took random pictures of everyone...I honestly don't remember posing for this picture. Hmmm...

Amy & Travis

Typical...Actually we were just glad he was there. Christmas Eve he came down with a nasty stomach bug and so we weren't sure they would be able to join us at all...It was a Christmas Miracle!

Later that evening we headed back home and Tucker's parents came over to give the kids their presents and to see what they got from Santa! It was the perfect way to end the day.

And just like that it was all over. I loved every minute of it.