Baby Ava

On the way over we had this conversation:

West - Mommy I love Ava
Me - I love Ava too.
West - Mommy, I see Ava
Me - Yup, we're going to see Ava
West - I love Ava I love Ava I love Ava

Fast forward 15 minutes

Amy - Weston this is Ava
West -
Me - Isn't she so little and cute
West -
Me - do you want to hold her?
West - Mommy hold Ava.
Then he runs away to play with toys.

He did warm up after about 30 minutes and then he was ready to hold her, kiss her, and touch her soft hair. She was an angel through it all.
On the way home we pretty much had the exact convo as the drive there.

Oh how we love baby Ava!

Hard at Work!

Naptime

Today while Tave was supposed to be taking a nap...
he thought it would be more fun to hang out & play with me instead.

How could I turn down a face like this:

and this:

and especially this:

He's just too cute to resist.

So even though I missed out on my 'me' time-
I'd say it was worth it.

ps. if you click on the first picture you will get a GREAT view of his first tooth (the second one is barely visible right next to it)

New Year's Day!

We started off the New Year right:



Playing with our boys and their new stuff,

laughing, relaxing, eating good food,

spending quality time together,

and just enjoying our time as a family before school starts again.

It was so perfectly perfect.

We loved it.

Happy New Year everyone!

We were so excited to take the boys to the festival of lights.

It did not disappoint!

The boys had tons of fun. (this had nothing to do with the fact that we let them sit on our laps while we drove around, going 2 mph - don't worry)

Weston kept calling the castle (picture at the bottom) the Temple. How cute!
What a great evening with my guys.

New Year's Eve

We had a fabulous New Year's Eve!
We spent a fun, relaxing, wonderful day with our beloved little boys.
Then we had a classic New Year's Eve dinner: Pizza. Perfect.
Boys were bathed, pjd, storied, serenaded, and placed in their cozy beds.

Our wonderful neighbors, Liz & Ammon, came over for some partying. Okay, really we were all tired, so partying consisted of the most awesome game: Ticket to Ride.
We had lots of fun: talking, snacking, and building train tracks. It was great.
We all meant to call it a night early (we're party-poopers, I know) but we talked so much that pretty soon it was midnight.
So out came the martinellis and the ball dropping and all that good stuff.

Unfortunately, we failed to capture all of these delightful moments on camera. So Jeff & I had a little midnight photo shoot. It was late, folks, that's all I have to say. But we sure laughed and laughed and laughed. I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year!

Thanks, friends & hubby, for a lovely New Year's Eve!

Meeting Ava

We just met our beautiful little niece
Ava Kathryn.
She was born December 26th to James & Amy.
Isn't she just the most darling little baby!
We love her to pieces already and are so thrilled for James and Amy.

We were lucky enough to get to spend some time holding and cuddling her. I think newborns are the best therapy ever. Their spirits are so strong and sweet and they leave you feeling better for having spent time with them.
James & Amy are already such amazing parents.
We love you all so much!

PS. Weston & Tave had colds, so we didn't bring them in to meet Ava. (Jeff & I took turns getting to visit...it was definitely NOT long enough with this precious baby girl...we'll be going back very soon) Weston has been SO sad about that...he is REALLY excited to meet her and keeps talking about her. He kept telling us over and over that he loves baby Ava. We made this little video on our drive home so he wouldn't be quite so upset. So, Ava, this if for you:

And ps again: yes Weston is burping, I think it is so gross, but Jeff thinks its hilarious, what do you do? He was really cute about Ava, so overall its a cute one.

Good Friends...good times

On our drive home from CA we stopped in Vegas. How could we pass up an opportunity to see one of my most favorite college roomies?!

We had a blast chatting, watching the kiddos, and just catching up. It was way too short!!!

Of course we had to capture a shot of our cuties together:

Weston 2 1/2 yrs, Tave 7 months, Aloria 6 months, Joshua 2 1/2 years

Notice a trend here? My kiddos are a few months/weeks older than Annie's. SO..she has warned me that I better consult her before I get pregnant again. ;)

I love to see the Temple

One of Weston's favorite songs is "I love to see the Temple"

He especially likes when Jeff and I sing it together. I'll admit, it usually brings a tear to my eye. He loves talking about the temple and pointing out pictures of each one when he sees them.

So we definitely had to make a trip to see this one in person.

I can still remember the day my Grandparents first brought me to the San Diego Temple grounds. It was under construction then, but they told me what was being built there and how special it was. They told me that one day I would be able to go inside.

Four years later, when I was 12, the temple opened for viewing. I was so excited to be able to see it during the Open House. My parents, siblings, and I all went together to see this beautiful House of the Lord.
I was immediately impressed by the Spirit that was felt upon entering its doors. My mom pointed out the bride's room and told me that one day I would stand in that very room, as I prepared to be sealed to my husband for time and all eternity.

A few months later the Temple was dedicated. My mom, dad, Shar & I all went together to this most special of days. As we took our seats, some of us had to move because of space. I ended up sitting on the end of a row. (I have never liked the end of rows) My memories of the actual dedication are a little bit hazy. I remember songs were sung, the prayer was said, and most importantly--I felt the Spirit. So strongly.

As the Prophet and Apostles exited the main room, they passed through the room we were in. They all walked right down the aisle I was sitting beside. President Monson stopped, smiled at me, and shook my hand. I was surprised and so glad that I was sitting on the end.

It was sweet day, one that I will always cherish.

12 years later I was standing in the bridal room again. This time I was dressed in white and ready to be married to my sweet husband. I love every moment about that day, but most of all, I love that I was sealed to Jeff for eternity in the Temple of my childhood. Eternity is such a long time to learn, grow, and love together.

As Jeff and I showed Weston this most special of places, we realized it was the first time we had been back (to the San Diego Temple..we've been to others lots of times!) since we had been sealed there 3 1/2 years ago. What a beautiful moment it was to share with our two little boys.

I am grateful to have married someone who holds dear the values that are such an important part of my life. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who gives us these amazing temples where we can make covenants that allow us to be together as a family ~ forever.

So, Weston, I am humbled and overjoyed that you 'love to see the Temple'.

For more information about Temples go here.

A day at the Park!

What is missing in this picture????
Hint: it's cold and white and all over Utah right now!!!

The kids ran around, climbed, layed in the sand, swung, drew pictures.
All of those wonderful things that aren't as much fun in the cold, wet snow.
This is the beauty of sunny southern California.

I'm so proud of my guys:
Weston hasn't been to a playground in a few months. In those months he has suddenly become a HUGE daredevil. He's able to climb pretty much everything now and he had a blast showing off his skills.
Tave also tried swinging for the first time ever! He loved having Grandma push him and tickle his little feet. He laughed and had such a blast.

I love the park. Spring ~ please come quickly.

Bates Nut Farm

Feeding the animals is always so cool. I love being a kid with my kids!

Christmas Day!

Christmas morning just gets better and better.

I loved watching my little guys get excited over gifts, wrapping paper, and maybe even something inside that beautifully wrapped box. ;)

I also loved watching my family open their gifts.

I am a gift-giver. I love it. I wish I had all the money in the world-- I would shop for every single one of you. ( and then probably spoil all the surprises by telling you exactly what I got you before you opened it...it's so hard for me to hold things in!)

I loved watching my dad help each of the grandkids open their gifts.

I loved watching my mom get excited over helping the kids play with their gifts.

I loved watching all the guys laugh, tease each other, and play rock band with their new stuff.

I loved sitting with my mom and sister and just soaking it all in.

I loved seeing everyone all comfy cozy together.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Dear Family & Friends,

This has been a wonderful, busy, sweet year for our family. We would have loved to send cards to you all, but in our attempt to save money and go a little 'green' for Christmas, we opted for the digital version. Hope you all feel our love for you this holiday season.
Here are the highlights from our year:

January: Snow. Snow. Snow. And building snowmen. Jeff turned 26.
February: House hunting. And more snow. We found a home, put in an offer, and it was accepted! Traveled to CA to visit my family, saw Wicked the musical and went to the beach. Awesome trip!
March: Moved into our new townhome. LOVE having more space and a place to call our own.
April: Both sides of the family visit for Amy's and Trav's graduations. Tons of laughs and good times. Lots of fun Weston-friendly activities before baby boy #2 is born.
May: Tave Daniel is born! We sure love this beautiful addition to our family. My mom is able to visit and help.
June: Weston turns 2, Tave is blessed, and both sides of the family get to be here for both. Jeff's side of the family is here for a fun-filled family reunion. Jeff starts working on his Master's Degree at BYU. We find three new babies will be joining our families in Jan/Feb. Yay for nieces/nephews!
July: Lots of good summer days filled with little boys and days at the park. We are adjusting to Jeff being back in school. We celebrate our 3rd Anniversary! Shawn & Abby come out for a visit!
August: We get to go on a date for Nicole's birthday. It was a blast!! We find out the three babies-on-the-way will be: a niece and 2 nephews. SO FUN!
September: Jeff starts teaching at a new school and begins a new semester at BYU. We get to watch our darling niece, Kapria, for an entire week while her parents go to New York. My mom comes to visit and help. We had a blast, but boy, was it a busy week!
October: My dad comes to visit after a hunting trip. We love having Grandpa here. Tave's first Halloween and Weston's first time really enjoying trick-or-treating.
November: We get to travel to CA for my Grandma's funeral (we miss you Grandma) and Thanksgiving. It is a bittersweet trip, but definitely full of good family moments.
December: A whirlwind month full of family, friends, fun, and lots of snow. An adventurous road trip to CA for Christmas and a wonderful holiday. We are loving spending time with family!

We hope this season is filled with only the best for all of you. We are so grateful to have you in our lives. We have a deep love for our Savior Jesus Christ. May His spirit fill your hearts and homes.
All our Love,
Jeff, Nicole, Weston, & Tave

Christmas Eve

We had a wonderful evening.

We had the traditional Christmas Eve dinner with Mom's side of the family. This year was a little different ~ it was at Mom & Dad's new home for starters. and Grandma wasn't here. We missed her so much. More than I can say.

But we filled the night with yummy appetizers, a delicious mexican meal, tasty desserts, fabulous company, lots of fun and laughter. We watched a musical slideshow of pictures of Christ's birth and then enjoyed watching the kiddos open gifts from each other.

It was so great to be together.