The Ostebos

This is actually from Spring that Mark and I played on the Timpanogos ED softball team 'Adrenaline'

Owen's BFF Ethan Hale

He loves staring and laughing at his reflection 

We took the Skyline Drive up Spanish Fork Canyon 

Owen gets so excited, jumping up and down whenever he gets near the steering wheel.

I've started to host play groups at our house. It's so fun to get all the babies together and chat.

Calvin and Charlotte (Lindsey Myers), Ethan (Christina Hale), Riley and Tyler (Lindsey McKinnon)

I love the light in the house late afternoon 

We celebrated our anniversary in SLC and visited Snowbird 

The caged beast

Mark took the scouts to Rock Canyon for an overnight campout...he goes once a month with the scouts 

Owen and I went to Gardner village with our friends. 

They had a box full of corn kernels!

Jessica Skankey, Lindsey McKinnon, Lindsey Myers

On the slide 

We went with Brady and Barbie Decker to a cabin in Heber

This buck stared at us all night in our bedroom 

We're bad parents...I know Owen has no helmet 

Owen has frequently recurring croup. Another doctor's office visit 

My shopping buddy 

Guilty as charged...no toilet paper roll is safe 

Mark played in the annual BYU alumni game 

The GLC...Great Lakes Committee

Owen's first time on the ice 

Porcelain play time 

At the ENT Dr. office waiting for a check up on his breathing problems 

Hot tub fun

That Fox chin grin 

Owen has figured out a few tricks;). He claps his hands, waves, and gives high fives. When we drive places I'll ask him to do each one and I can see him in the mirror waving and clapping. It's so cute. He scales the stairs and so far has figured out he can get down at least a few by diving head first. He knows how to share his toys. We play ball and instead of throwing it, he crawls back to me and places the ball in my hand. He stands for a few seconds now! And we hold his hands and he walks laps around the family room. We play peek a boo on the stairs. He sits in the hall. And I crouch below the stairs. He'll shout for me....and then I jump into the hall and he giggles and giggles. 

He rides on Mark's back like he's a horse. And Mark bucks him off onto the couch. Mark throws him into the air and he gets the biggest grin on his face. 

Owen is just on the move! He doesn't sit still unless he's sleeping or going to sleep. He is one determined soul. He twists and turns to see what he's missing if I'm holding him. 

My favorite time is still when I put him to bed and I sing to him and he hums and coos along with me. He'll sit still and close his eyes and let me hold him. 

He also has some good chompers coming in. He'll have six here pretty soon. And we definitely hear about it when they are coming in. And he turns into a drool boy. 

He continues to bring us so much joy. We soak in the simple joys of feeding him his bottle, smelling his sweet skin, laughing with him as he splashes in his bath, and snuggle him in the mornings when he wakes up and his cheeks are puffy. 

Another fabulous Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a memorable one for sure with the family AND the Bridegans, Kameron Cooper, Derek Fox, and Mark's friend Justin. We brought the mashed potatoes (we warned everyone not to light a match in the house after eating them), Karlee brought the famous Cooper rolls, and Mom made a beautiful spread of sweet potatoes, beans, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, AND of course a deliciously juicy Butterball turkey. The feast began around 4pm. 

Afterwards, we did an amazingly fast cleanup of the place and got ready for...yes its a crime...Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving. 

Bub had a school project that included needing to buy a certain few items at Walmart. He and the Bridegans staked out their spots and said when the bell rang to grab the items, it was a feeding frenzy! Mark and I went to Sports Authority. We were in line to check out and Mark gives a motional speech...'What are we doing here?! It is Thanksgiving! We shouldn't be shopping. We should be home. With family. Eating Pie!' And with that we dropped our goods and left for home.

The next day was our last day all together so we power packed everything we wanted to do. We went back out Black Friday shopping, went Bowling, ate a good lunch, took naps, went to a Stake center that had on display hundreds of nativity scenes from all over the world, visited the Logan temple....and then....we came home and put kids to bed and watched a movie. 

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for. Of course, the new addition to our family. We've felt an extra added measure of joy in our home. I'm personally grateful for peace, free agency, the ability to learn and grow. And I heard a friend say, which says it all for me..."Being in a family is a special thing. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life."