Christmas Eve...

Somehow, a Sunday morning picture in front of the tree has become our tradition. This year was quick and unfortunately out of focus! The girls looked great in their christmas plaid. Em's was special because it came from Scotland, Cody's mom bought it when she was there a couple years ago. Not sure who she bought it for, cuz little E wasn't even a thought then! But it fit great, and was an exact match for dad's tie!

Another Christmas tradition is Christmas Eve at my parents. This year was no different. We all gather and play and eat and read stories and eat some more. There are nineteen grandkids now, so you can imagine how crazy it can get! But it was a good time as usual. My mom makes the best bread sticks and clam chowder, my sister in law Ruth made some smokin hot chili that was so yummy! And of course...

it wouldn't be Christmas (or any day for that matter) without my dad sharing his soda with the babies!!

Em and Uncle LaRen playing bells

This year, Cody's parents rented a house in Pine Top for Christmas. So, we loaded up from my parents and headed straight up there. The kids were all in their new Christmas PJ's. We were singing Christmas songs and talking about having a white Christmas for the very first time. We actually got out of my moms at a reasonable time, so it wouldn't be too late when we arrived. Emrie had fallen asleep, and all was going well....

Of course, it didn't stay that way. Remember all the yummy food and drink I described? Well, my sweet baby had partaken in all of it. We made it to Globe (aka: middle of nowhere) before sweet baby started heaving and puking in the back seat.... Merry Christmas to us!

We've never had a car puking baby, thank goodness. So this is new to us. She's puking away and there is nowhere to stop. We had already decided to stop at McDonald's on the way so we decided to keep going til we got there. I thought she was going to choke a few times, it was sooo gross. Well, McDonald's was the farthest 2.2 miles in history!!! Then when we got there, it was closed of course. 8pm on Christmas Eve, there was nothing open. Thank goodness for clean clothes and an industrial box of baby wipes. We got the poor kid cleaned up. I'll spare the details of the cottage cheese, bean, and potato mixture that I cleaned up. We did the best we could and got back on the road.

Unfortunately, it's a windy canyon and she wasn't done. She started again as we pulled into Show Low. We got to the cabin about 10:30. The kids were sooo excited. Gammy had the place decked out like a Christmas Wonderland. With a lighted tree, garland, and a nativity. It was a cute house and looked amazing. Em got a bath in the kitchen sink, mom got a shower, and we finally got the kids to bed.

Then Cody, and I and his parents watched Christmas Vacation waiting for Santa to come, and for Em to fall asleep.

Avery left the cutest note for Santa along with her treats for him and the reindeer.

Translation:

Dear Santa, thank you for bringing presents. I love Christmas. My favorite color is red. Here is a snack for you and the reindeer. Love, Avery

New Family Pictures

Finally, some new family pictures. We haven't had any good ones since Cody was all hairy!! Why does he get to look younger and better, and I just get older? Maybe I'm feeling old cuz I just had a birthday. Not as much fun as they used to be!!! Anyway, I love the pictures. Thanks to Miss. E of Yellowpear. She can make anyone look good!

I can't stand how old she looks!!!

Never had a serious picture of myself I liked. I usually look mad, but this turned out great. I think Cody looks really good. No forced smile works for him.

typical Emrie face

LoVe, lOvE, this boys eyes!!

Hope everyone has a very, Merry Christmas!!

Count Down

I've come to the conclusion that the count down to Christmas has begun. Whether or not I choose to admit it, or am ready for it. I know this sounds awful! I really do love Christmas. I love that it's getting cold. I love reading stories to my kids. I love hot chocolate. I love teaching them what is really important and what Christmas really means. What I don't love is all the work that leads up to it. Taking everything out of the garage, putting all my other stuff away to make room for it. And I absolutely dread putting it all away when it's over. But, it really doesn't seem like Christmas until we get it out. Cody stayed home from work today. We've both been fighting colds, so he slept in which he needed. But then, we actually decided what we are buying and got some shopping done. Then, he got the tree down and we got it all done!! I am happy. It was a nice night with the kids. I forget how much they truly love it! They remember which ornaments are theirs, and where they came from. They are sweet...sometimes! Now, I feel like I can get excited and ready! Hope you are all getting excited too!

Christmas Already???

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had a fun, busy weekend as always. We had Thanksgiving dinner in Buckeye with Cody's family. His uncle is a farmer out there, and it's a fun place to visit with the kids.

Friday, we went to Casa Grande and had another fun day outside with a bunch of families that Cody grew up with. It was fun to hang out and see everyone's families and hear crazy stories of what they did growing up. There were millions of kids to play with and lots of food and conversation. What could be better?

Friday night we went to Cody cousins sealing to her husband. It was sweet and beautiful. There is nothing like a sealing to help you feel the spirit, and remind you of your own wedding. I remembered ours and all of the councel we were given, it was a great reminder of what our priorities are and how lucky and blessed we are to have each other and our families.

Saturday we hung out and played games with Cody's aunt and her family. Another late night.

Then, on Sunday we had Thanksgiving dinner with my family at my sisters new house. She worked all weekend, and my parents were out of town for Thanksgiving. It was weird to not see them all weekend, and fun to hang out on Sunday.

So now it's December and I am sooooo not ready for Christmas. We've already been to Avery's winter performance at school. It was cute, and fun, and crazy as always. And being the organized, good mother I am..I forgot the camera at home. So, I have no pictures!! We have exactly one Christmas decoration up, and thats only because Cody's mom brought it to me. The kids are itching to decorate, but...this is all I feel like doing!! I hope the Christmas spirit finds me soon!

Thankful...

Thanksgiving seems to be a time of reflection. A time to remember how fortunate we are and to show gratitude for all we have. I have so much to be grateful for. These are just a few...

MY HUSBAND:

I'm not going to say that we have the perfect marraige, or that we never disagree or get grumpy with eachother. It would probably be boring. What we do have is a great partnership. He works so hard. I'm so grateful that he does that so I can be home with our kids. It's hard on him to be away so much, and he misses the kids when he isn't here. But it's important to him that I'm here with them, so he does it. He is so fun, our kids are lucky to have a dad that loves to play with them. He is very sweet to me too. He tells me everyday that he thinks I'm beautiful, and that he loves me. And I know he means it. That makes me pretty lucky!!

MY CRAZY KIDS:

They are definately hard work. But I can't think of anything that is more worth it. They are so sweet and loving. Avery and Liam are so giving of hugs and kisses. Liam always has a snuggle for his mommy, and I love that he doesn't think he's too big for that. Avery is such a big help with Liam and Emrie. She never complains about being the oldest and having more responsibility. She's a happy, smart, sweet girl. Emrie is a busy, moody little thing. But she is so full of personality. She is our family entertainment! I feel so blessed to be their mother. It's fun, hard, crazy, tiring, and rewarding. And thats all in one day!

OUR HOME:

I can't seem to keep up on all there is to be done around here. Some days, I feel like all I do is pick up after people. And, laundry alone is enough to drive me insane sometimes. But, none of that really matters. Our home is the place we gather, the place my children play and the place we teach them about life. It's a safe place for them. It is a happy home. Even if it isn't the tidiest on the block!

OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS:

We are surrounded by love and support. Both of our parents live close by. I feel blessed that our children are so close with their grandparents, and get to see them often. They also have tons of cousins to play with. I have great brothers and a sister who is my best friend. We also have such great friends around. There are so many strong families who have the same morals and goals that we do. It's comforting to have people close that are going through the same things we are. There are always friends willing to pick up kids, or let them play, or lift my spirits when I need it. It's great to know that as our kids go through school, they will have good, strong friends.

OUR FAITH AND BELIEFS:

I know we have a loving Heavenly Father who cares about each of us, and has a plan for us. He gave us this life and all the experiences in it to make us stronger, and to allow us to make choices. I'm thankful that we have that opportunity. I'm thankful for my life and for all the people in it. There are so many good examples around to help make this life easier and more enjoyable.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Our Little Bug...

Just turned ONE!!

I can't believe that it's been a year since this little sweetie came into the world. At least half of that year was a blur. She is definately our hardest child. She was not an easy newborn by any means. Cody calls her our birth control because she is still quite demanding!! But she is also sweet, and so squishy cute, and hilarious! She makes us smile and laugh everyday, and I can't imagine our family without her. She loves her da-da and yells his name constantly. She has recently started saying bu-bu (brother) and loves to attack Liam whenever he is sleeping. She has six crooked teeth, and is working on more. She runs everywhere and gets into everything! She definately keeps us busy.

My super talented friend took these fun pictures to celebrate her birthday.

Her bumble bee halloween costume

This was my very favorite. She thought she was so big sitting on that suitcase. Posing like a pro!

We had a fun bug themed party for her birthday. My cousin decorated this cute little ladybug cake.

I have never seen a baby attack the cake like she did. Avery and Liam both needed a little help to get started, but not her! It was so funny to watch.

Not quite sure...

First taste...

I guess she decided she liked it cuz she dove right in after this...

Wow, that was tasty...now get me out and clean me off!!

This is her with her gammy Jane playing with toys after her bath.

Birthdays always get me thinking about the past, so I found some pictures of Emrie Jane's first year...

First picture with my amazing Dr.

Mommy and hairy daddy...

She seriously seemed like she was all-HEAD when she was born. She had this chubby face, no neck, and this short little body. Not much has changed. She is still super short for her age, and still has chubby face and no neck!

First Christmas

Getting bigger

Learning to crawl

It amazes me how much they learn and grow everyday. I could watch her for hours, playing around the house, always checking something out or investigating something. She is such a blessing to our family.

Happy birthday my sweet girl. We love you!!

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween this year. We did our ward Trunk-or-Treat on Friday night, then went to a fabulous party on Saturday night. Here are our little ghouls...

liam was spider-man


Emrie was a sweet little bumble bee

she makes this face and runs for the camera as soon as she sees it. makes getting decent pictures pretty tough!

one of his great web-shooting poses

Miss Avery was Fancy Nancy

and she was very fancy indeed. Lots of people didn't know who Fancy Nancy was, but thats ok. She was also dubbed the "glitz witch" by someone at one of our parties, and that was very fitting too!

Cousin Kendi was also Fancy Nancy...imagine that. They both won prizes at the costume contest, they were thrilled!!

Cody and I realized that Halloween is not nearly as much fun as we remember it being when we were kids. It's lots more work being the parent. But it was worth it. They were all cute, and had so much fun!

Girls Cruise 2009

We had a great time on our girls cruise this year. It was a bunch of crazy ladies, some I knew, some not. It didn't really matter, we were all on a mommy break and it was a blast! We sailed on a Carnival boat from San Diego, to Catalina Island, to Ensanada and back. The cruise was a people watchers paradise! I think someone forgot to tell us that it was a 50+ lesbian cruise! I have never seen so many groups of scary lesbians in my life!

It was crazy! There was tons of food, and my favorite thing was the self serve chocolate soft serve ice cream 24hrs a day. Dangerous!!

These were my "roomies"

My friend Angie who I have known for 20 years. She left her 8 children behind with her brave husband. And my sister in law Janelle. We did lots of late night laughing, talking, and reading. Good thing we could sleep in as long as we wanted!

One of the most entertaining things on the ship was the nightly Karaoke. Drunk people are pretty funny!

Each night our cabin steward made a little animal from our towels. This was the night before we docked in Ensanada Mexico. We decided this was a little piggie warning us that we'd probably pick up a little "swine flu" in Mexico!

So, this was as far into Mexico that we went. They set up a little shopping center/swap meet kind of thing right at the dock. So, we went to Mexico for about an hour!

Some of the silly ladies we were with dressed up for the Halloween party on deck. My favorite was Hannah Montana with her pleather leggings!

This is what we did most of the time!! Sometimes we put bathing suits on but, it was cold this day! Being lazy at it's finest.

This is the boat docked at Catalina Island. It was actually really pretty. It was my first time there, and there was more to see than I imagined. We rented golf carts and toured the island. It was a beautiful day.

This is me, Kierra and Tracee. Kierra lives in Mesa. We hung out with Tracee in high school, but she lives in Minnesota now. I re-connected with her on facebook and she was brave enough to come join us. It was so much fun to catch up with her. She is exactly the same as she was then!

We had a fabulous time, it was fun and relaxing. Now, it's back to the real world!!

Home Sweet Home...

I am home from my trip. It was filled with girls, food, fun, music, ice cream cones, laughing, not much sleep, ice cream cones, dancing, talking till the wee hours, laughing, sun, Mexico, ice cream cones, shopping, and probably some more ice cream cones. We had a great time! Missed my kiddos and husband like crazy. Glad to be home. I loved Cody's post. He's so sweet. The kids had fun with daddy time. It's so good for them to get to spend that much time with him with no rushing off to work. Emrie was walking EVERYWHERE when I got home, and was quite a daddy's girl. Which is a huge change. They were eating dinner when I walked in. So sweet. The house was cleaner than I left it, which definately wasn't a requirement. I just wanted them all fed. They did have a busy weekend, and Cody experienced church with all three ALONE! Never fun! Thanks Cody, I love you! I will post pictures of my weekend madness when I unpack!

MR. MOM

Candi has been gone a few days, she went on a cruise with some of her friends from high school and I have been home with the kids. We have had a lot of fun but it has also been a lot of work. It takes Candi leaving for me to fully appreciate all she does. I can truly say she works much harder than I do at work. We have been busy going to soccer practice, parent teacher conference, soccer game, pre school and spending time with family.

About all I can manage is to keep the kids alive, fed, and in clean diapers. The house was a wreck until my Mom came over last night and cleaned...She is the best. I haven't done dishes or laundry, but don't worry ladies I will get it done before Candi returns.

Let me tell you about the preparation Candi did to go on this four day trip.

She left me a whole itinerary:

Example:

Thursday

8am Nicki will pickup Avery for school

930-1200 Liam Preschool

1215 School Out (early release) Melissa will drop Avery off

530 Soccer Practice

Homework- Small book to read, study spelling words, reading log read and sign, sign homework log.

*pack Avery a snack for school

Friday

8am Nicki will pickup Avery

1215 Melissa Drop off Avery at home

145 Parent Teacher Conference

Call my mom she will watch them if you want to go to the football game.

There were instructions like that for every day..

She also left lots of numbers of friend from the ward that I could call if I was having a crisis.

One I thought was funny was "if Liam is driving you nuts, call Noah"

All Joking aside: How lucky are we to have such good friends close by that can help, There are always people picking up and dropping off kids, letting kids stay and play and have sleep overs. Its great..Thank You everybody.

Candi also left instructions on how to care for Emrie..What to feed her, when to put her down for a nap..I asked for these instructions because I had not a clue..I just get up go to work before anyone is up and get home in the evening.

The best thing Candi did was she made a little love note for each kid for each day so they could still have Mommy tell them she loves them. They were so excited to open them each day. Candi also left little presents for them to open if they got especially sad. What a great Mom.

Some Pics of Daddy Time. Carving Pumpkins at Uncle Cy's.

Emrie Helping Dad with the Knife!

Emrie's View of the Whole Mess.

My Obama Lantern. To me nothing is scarier than this guy running the country.

The Whole crew and our pumpkins...Having fun but Missing Mommy.