Blast from the past: New Year's Eve

We spent New Year's Eve with everyone at our house!

We had to take the kiddos to the Festival of Lights.

They loved it!

Shawn & Abby surprised us...Shawn was able to get off work so they came down!! The kids were SO thrilled to see them. (They had gone to AZ for Christmas) We had another mini Christmas celebration so they could open their gifts. Which was a must so we could play Abby's new gift: Kinect sports! Yay!!

We played the kinect (SUPER cool, I now want an X-box), laughed, ate good food, and had fun hanging out together to ring in the New Year!

Here's to the start of a really great year!

12.31.10

New Year's Eve

I thought I had already posted this... but here's our fun filled New Year's Eve:

The kiddos really love the festival of lights. We have gone on New Year's Eve the past few years and it's always a lot of fun. This year Mom, Shar, & I took the kids. Loved it!

Shawn & Abby surprised us with Shawn getting off work to hang out. The kids adore their Uncle and were thrilled to see him (they had been in AZ for Christmas).

After the kids went to bed, Shawn & Abby opened their gifts then we played Abby's gift: Kinect Sports.

Awesome! and SO funny to watch!

Happy New Year!

Blast from the Past - Christmas Eve

My parents arrived at our house the night before Christmas Eve. The kiddos were SO excited to see them and made sure to get Grandpa time in right away Christmas Eve morning:

Later in the day, Chelsea, Rob & their cute kids came over for dinner and celebrating!!

The boys sure love playing with their cousins:

We had a delicious Christmas Eve dinner, the kids got to open their night before Christmas gift (pjs!!) and we watched the movie The Nativity. 

We love spending time with family!

Oh Christmas Tree!

The boys get to pick out their own ornament each year.

It was so fun showing them their ornaments from past years and seeing them get excited over the new ones.

I love decorating the tree, and this time was even better with my boys!

Spreading the Love, One Christmas Card at a Time

It's that most wonderful and magical time of the year. The time when old friends & new friends, near friends & far friends come together to celebrate.
And even if we can't see one another in person, it's the one time of year we make sure to keep in touch.
I might have forgotten birthdays, thank you cards slipped my mind, and Ryder's birth announcements are still sitting in a pile ready to be addressed and mailed.

But Christmas cards- They WILL go out!

Enter Shutterfly- my absolute favorite place for photo books and now for Christmas cards!
Their fabulous 50 cards free promo, is making our countdown to Christmas a little less stressful and whole lot more magical! So if you're a blogger, be sure to check it out!!!

I have been a huge fan of Shutterfly since I started making photo books. Their quality just can't be matched. I love looking through each of our family yearbooks with my boys and am always so pleased with the options Shutterfly has available. From Birth Announcements to thank you cards, calendars (which we make every year through them) to Birthday cards, their selection is one of the best out there!!

As far as cards go.... I, myself, am loving their 2010 Christmas selection!!! I won't give away the exact card I have picked out...but I'll show you some of my favorites and you can guess which one you'll be receiving in the mail!

With Love Chartreuse
Top Ten Moments
Woodblock Joy
Initally Chic Green
Snowflake Wishes

That's just a few of the ones I have my eye on. I don't know how I'll pick just ONE!

What are you waiting for?! Head over to Shutterfly to check out their amazing deals & incredible holiday selection! Make sure to try out the promo while you're at it!

Happy Holidays!!

Ryder - 4 months

Our sweet little Ryder at 4 months:

Babbles and Coos all the time

Loves to watch his bros

Loves to be held and snuggled

Rolled over for the first time - didn't like being stuck on his tummy

Reaches for things & is just starting to try to grasp things

Sleeps like a champ at night now (10-12 hours, wahoo!)

Is our smiley, happy guy

We love you, Ryder, more than we can ever say.

We all love to be near you, to hold and cuddle and love you.

Thank you for coming to our family.

So low

The boys and I had a funny converstation tonight as I was putting them to bed. We had just finished reading one of our superhero stories and they had been fighting over who got to bring the Superman toy with them to sleep. So I found Batman and Robin and made them sound super cool for Tave since West had picked Superman first. This is what resulted:

Me: Oooh, Tave, you can bring ROBIN with you too, that way you have Batman AND Robin, how cool is that. They ARE the Dynamic Duo! (as read in our book)
Tave: oKay! Cool, Batman AND Robin.
Me: Yup, because Batman is the hero and Robin is his sidekick.
Weston: (starting to think he got gyped) Hey, does Superman have a sidekick?
Me: No, because he flies SOLO! (making it sound like a really awesome thing to do.)

I think the converstation is over.
Then:

West: Mom! Look at Superman flying low! (Weston is spinning around and having Superman fly close to the ground)
Me: laughing. A lot. Hey, bud you're right, he is flying So Low. Hahahahahaha. Hahahahahaha.

I love my kids.

Brave

We hung out with Chels & Rob today.

We all went out to eat and the kiddos did awesome. Seriously, it was tons of fun.

Weston, he who was super super picky when he was little(r), tried octopus.

Yes, Octopus.

He didn't actually bite and chew, but he voluntarily said he would try it and

put it in his mouth.

It was all I could do to keep my own lunch down. I was seriously grossed out.

Eww. Eww. Eww.

But SO proud at the same time.

Way to go, bud!!!

Bijou Market!!

I will be a vendor at the upcoming Bijou Market!

If you're in Utah, be sure to attend-- it is filled with fabulous hand made items, you're sure to get all your Christmas shopping done in one spot!!

To enter a bunch of giveaways from many of the awesome vendors, check out Bijou's blog here.

Also, my shop has officially been changed over to EndeeMade.

Check out my etsy shop here.

and my blog here.

I have lots of fun stuff that's not up yet, but it will all be available on the blog soon. So check back often!

Blast from the Past: Patience

I love tulips.

I love that you plant them in the fall and when spring comes around, something beautiful and magical pops up.

I love that it's also a perfect way to teach (and remember) about patience, about working for something and then waiting to see the results, about good things coming in their own time.

We planted with the boys. It felt so good to be working together as a family- getting the soil ready, placing the bulbs, digging holes, planting the flowers just-so, and then covering them up again.

The boys loved every minute.

And I am glad for this reminder - in the middle of a long, cold winter when I am tired of being inside and we're all ready for some sunshiney, outside days- that spring really is just around the corner. And we have some good things coming if we have a little patience.

10.29.10

Leaves!

10.29.10

"Come, little leaves," said the wind one day,
"Come o'er the meadows with me and play:
Put on your dresses of red and gold -
For summer is gone and the days grow cold."

Coming soon to my shop:

The part I'm most excited about is that I created this headwrap pattern MYSELF!!

(The incredible flower was created by Shaina Galbraith...it's so cool)

So, thoughts anyone, do you like?

Love this boy!

ps I do have other children, they are just capable of running away from the camera!

lots more photos coming soon

Blast from the Past: Pumpkins!

We picked up these fun stickers at Pumpkinland. (pics soon)

I thought this was THE perfect way to 'carve' pumpkins with kiddos. The boys absolutely loved it, too. Weston was so serious about getting things in just the right spot. Tave called his pumpkin his 'baby' and wrapped it up in a blanket to carry around all week. And sweet little Ryder was just along for the ride. We had a blast and will definitely be making this a tradition.

Five

I love our little family.

Some good things

have been happening around here:

Ryder is sleeping through the night!!!! Cue choirs. Seriously.
Sometimes it's 6 or 7 hours. But most often it's around 9-10. Hallelujah, I am one happy mommy!!!
We had family come visit. Weston & Tave had TONS of fun with Cole & Owen. I had a blast with Amanda (and way too many cupcakes), and Jeff, Joe, & Jonathan got to go golfing. A pretty perfect weekend, if you ask me.
I've been playing with my new camera and having so much fun. I'm not any good, but that just leaves plenty of room for improvement, right?!
I created my very first crochet pattern!! I LOVE it and have been crocheting like crazy for the upcoming Bijou Market. The pattern will be in my shop soon, so if you crochet, head on over.
We have a few more family visits to look forward to in the next few weeks. We LOOOVE visitors!

Photos of all these good things coming soon!

Ryder - 3 months

October 20, 2010

The past 3 months have been so full and fun. This sweet little guy has made our lives so much better!

A little about Ryder at 3 months:

He is such a smiley, happy guy.

He started sleeping through the night the day he turned 12 weeks. Yay!

He babbles and coos all the time, and LOVES when people talk to him.

He loves his star playmat.

He loves watching his brothers.

He laughed for the first time this week when mommy tickled under his chin.

He is very ticklish when he's getting dressed and undressed, especially when we put on or take off his shirt.

He takes a bottle okay when he needs to.

He is just so pleasant and content.

He loves to be held and snuggled and loved.

We love you little Ryder!

Chuck E. Cheese

The boys' cute friend, Nathaniel, had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's.

We love that crazy, fun place.

Ryder was awesome, and slept the entire time!

Cousins & Grandpa Great

We visited Chelsea and her cute kiddos. It had been waaaay too long since we'd hung out.

Like Chelsea-had-never-seen-Ryder-in-real-life too long!!

We had so much fun chatting and watching the kids play. Our boys sure love their cousins and I sure love my sister and my adorable niece and nephews!!

After visiting Chels, we were able to have a fun visit with my Grandpa who was in town.

He got to meet Ryder for the first time and we had fun hanging out for awhile.

We love Grandpa Great and are so glad we got to see him!

Fire Station Field Trip

Weston's preschool class went to the fire station.

Tave LOVED being a 'big' boy and getting to go, too.

We loved meeting the fireman and learning all about safety!

Firestation Fieldtrip

A fireman

A firetruck

A bunch of preschoolers

It was awesome!

For the grandmas

This is from today:

Ryder says HI!

Ted E. Bear

Weston got to bring Ted E. Bear home from preschool for a few days.
(Each child gets a turn having Ted come visit and then they write up a little paper telling what they did to put in Ted's scrapbook.)

The boys loved hanging out with Ted, wrestling with him, having him go to bed in their room, eat with us, and play games.
We loved Ted's visit and hope he comes again soon!

September - Favorite Faces

I am constantly amazed at how fast the boys are growing.

They are so much fun and I feel so incredibely lucky that I am their mom.

Here are some of September's random, adorable moments:

Weston:

Tave:
(Tave has decided that photos are not cool...hence he has the least amount)

Ryder:

Love them.

Buttons Buttons

A long time ago I turned my spice rack into a button holder.

I.Love.It.

and so do the boys.

Any chance they get, they are sneaking in to play with these.

Looks like fun!

Love her...

I have been so amazed at this woman's strength and grace. I can't wait to hear her speak.

Does anyone care to join me?!

Let me know!!!

Ryder - 2 months

September 20th

Height: 23 inches

Weight: 11 lbs

This little guy has completely stolen our hearts!

He is all smiles now, especially when we talk to him.

He loves love loves to be held and snuggled.

He is still a sleepy head in the day but stays awake for longer periods.

He falls asleep the minute we put him in the stroller or in his carseat.

He still wakes up a few times at night, but hopefully that will get better soon.

He is ticklish on his tummy and feet.

He does really well having tummy time.

He is so patient with his brothers when they want to hold him and play with him.

He LOVES bath time and having his hair washed.

He is a champion nurser, now. But he does have lots of gas and upset tummy... so he has a hard time at night from about 8-11pm. That's when he gets even more snuggle time.

He loves the swing, getting rocked in the glider, and going on walks.

He is such a sweet little guy.

Call me crazy...

Do you know what this is?

Do you KNOW what this is??!!!

(besides one dang cute Tave)

Yes, I am cloth diapering. Part time.

What- ME?! Yes, I AM crazy.

However...

Did you know the average child uses about 6,000 disposable diapers in 2.5 years?

This adds up to aprox. $1,600-$2,000 worth of diapers AND lots of waste in landfills.

I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty, I LOVE me those disposable diapers.

But I'm a little more than disgusted at the thought of what Weston's 3.5 years & Tave's 2.5 years worth of diapers are doing to our earth.

So I'm trying it out. I'm really excited about this and the potential cost savings it will have on our household.

Not to mention- they are just so stinkin cute on that bum.

AND they are oh-so-soft organic cotton. Really truly, I rubbed it on my face it was SO soft. (BEFORE they ever touched a naked bum)

And just so you don't think I'm completely off my rocker -

I am not cloth diapering the newborn. No way, uh-uh. In a few months when I have this whole cloth-diapering thing down (and he's not going through 12 diapers a day) we'll start.

Wish me luck.

ps. for those of you interested, these are the diapers I'm using. Jeff & I figured, if we stick to this, it cost us about $400 upfront, but we'll be using them on Tave until he's potty trained and then Ryder and then whoever else comes along. You figure out the math!

**I'll update periodically to let you know how it's going and the things we've learned about cloth diapering.**

Just to see you smile...

Little man has started smiling when we talk to him.

We are all so in love with this boy...hee makes us smile every single day.


Babies bring Heaven right into your home.

Entertainmet Center

I had to take a break from playing blog catch up to post something recent.

Jeff finished the entertainment center!!! YAY!!! I really, truly, absolutley, 100% LOVE it!

I did a bunch of looking online to find just what I wanted. I took pieces of this and that and told him everything this one needed to have to be just right. He took all of my suggestions, added a few of his own, and designed this awesomeness:

Our good friends, Will and Geniel, and Will's dad, are who helped make this happen. We can't thank them enough. Jeff loved learning how to make something from scratch. They all put tons of time into making this and I am so grateful! It still has some work to go (more sanding and paint) but I seriously Love love love it.

Thanks, babe!

Weston started Preschool!!!

September 2010

Weston started preschool in September and he is loving it!

He was SO thrilled for his first day and he is doing awesome.

His teacher is wonderful and he loves spending time with his friends and learning new things.

Tave and I definitely miss our buddy while he's away, but it's fun to have some time with just the little two and West is having a blast.

I just can't believe how fast he's growing!

Fun with Grandma & Grandpa

Mom & Dad were able to stay an extra day. It was awesome to have them to ourselves and get to spend that extra bit of time with them. The boys sure love their grandparents! I'm so glad they were able to meet Ryder and see his little tiny self!!

We had a Wii night with them, I think they liked it. :)

Ryder's Blessing

Baby blessings are always so special.
I love seeing all the preisthood holders in our family take this little baby in their arms and give him a blessing. It is amazing to think about his life and who he will become. I love hearing about the blessings he will receive as he lives worthy and it reminds me just how important my job as his mother is. I get to help him on this journey.

How lucky I am.

Thank you to all the wonderful family who were able to be a part of this special day. And to those of you who were far away, we felt your thoughts with us and we missed you.

After the blessing we went back to the house for some brunch and relaxing.

We had such a fun time together and while ALL the boys took a nap, the ladies played some games. It was a wonderful day!