Temple Square at Christmas 2010

The lights were so magical and beautiful on Temple Square. It was the first time my children remember ever seeing them. As you can tell, Jayden and Tyler love to jump on Daddy.

It was fun for us to see "Our Temple" where we were married 12 years ago and remember our sweet day.

Christmas 2010 in Lindon

Is santa singing along with grandma under that big beard? ..."All together now..."

Putting on our family Navitity at Joe and Elizabeths home in Provo.

A suprise visit from Santa at Wallabys restaurant. He gave all the grandkids a candy cane. Ashlyn didn't want to sit on his lap.

Fun play in the snow for hours on end.

For Christmas it was so nice to have everyone be all together and spend some good time together. Some of our highlights were having Family Home Evening at John and Lisa's home in Payson, being close by when Amy was born to Mary and Micheal, eating at Tucanos, and sledding with cousins. Just being with everyone was my favorite thing. I miss everyone!

Happy Halloween

Since Halloween fell on a this sunday this year, we did a "Trunk or Trick" in the parking lot of the church out of our cars. It was fun for me to hand out candy and to see all our little friends in the ward. Kaylee was...yes, you guessed in "Pipi Long Stockings"

Ashyln didn't want to keep on her butterfly costume on, which I'll try to post later, but was completely excited about seeing "pops" (lollipops) go into her container.

"Master Jedi and his young padowan, Tyler." "I am your Father!!!" AHHHHHH!

I was a mad pirate with a stumpy peg leg "Aarrrg maite," and Jayden was a military man. Ethan was in a cute outfit that said, "I love my Mummy" so I had to put him in that one! We had a fun time. On Halloween night we carved pumpkins by flashlight and Tyler liked pulling out the "pumpkin guts." It was a fun year low-key year!!!

What a crack up!

On the dreaded day of Sept. 16th, I was playing co-ed volleyball at our stake center. I was playing at the net when a ball came my way. I went back, the guy behind me went forward, we collided and my ankle got caught in the middle of our momentum going in opposite directions. "Crack!" I heard something snap, so I sat there and waited for Ivan to come over. I told him that I think I broke my foot and wanted to leave to the ER now. I'm not sure why I didn't cry, it wasn't as bad as hard labor, right ladies? I got fireman carried out, which was embarrassing, but I was glad to go to the hospital.
On Ivan's Birthay, Sept.23, I got surgery. Basically they put in an internal splint that helps the bone grow back together correctly. As you can see from the x-ray, they put in a plate with 6 small and 2 ginormous screws. Ouch! When I came out of the anathesia, I was in tons of PAIN. The break was nothing compared to that! That night I think was the most painful night of my life. I couldn't bare it, and it was only an inner and outer ankle bone broken!
A couple weeks later on Oct 6th, I got the dressing removed, saw my leg for the first time, felt grossed out after seeing it, and then got a hard pink cast put on. That was actually pretty painful to get the cast put on. They had to push down on my achilles tendon, since it has stiffened up now.
Ouchie!!

At least the cast was pink.

On Oct. 20, I got the pink cast off, which felt great, Ahhhhh!!!! I did, however, miss the sweet love notes from the family that they wrote on my cast that seemed to help me get through the rough spots.

They took out the stitches, and fitted me for a boot. The boot is much more comfortable, just as effective as a cast, and allows me to take it off to wash up.

It didn't tickle. Yikes!

The incision seemed to be healing well and hurt less, even though I still had these shooting/ burning pains. All kinds of new and funky experiences with this one!

That's gonna leave a mark!

My next appointment is Nov.17 when my surgeon will let me start to move it a little bit. Then around Nov. 23 or so I get to put a little weight on it and start to walk again. It makes me get so exicted and tear up just thinking how thankful I'm going to be this Thanksgiving just to be able to walk again!!! Thank you everyone that has helped me, called me, prayed for me, or just wondered how I'm doing. I appreciate all of your thoughtfulness more than I can say!!!

Ethan's Baby Blessing

Ethan was blessed on the 4th of July by his Dad, Ivan. All in white and looking so adorable, Ethan stayed quiet the whole time and was blessed with many wonderful things that will be a great strength to him all his life. He has been such a sweet and cooperative baby, we couldn't be any happier!! Here's our little smiley guy when he was 8 weeks old. At his 2 month check up he was over the 100% percentile for his height (grew 2 inches in two months) and 97% percentile for his weight. (14.8 pounds) He's a hunk of chubby love.

Ethan at 3 weeks old

I love this little guy, Ethan. He has been so much fun for all of us. I love waking up to his piggy snorts and grunts at 4:00 in the morning as he is looking for his early-morning breakfast. (The other morning Ethan was snorting on one side of me, and Ivan was snoring on the other and I had to smile to myself because I felt like I was in the middle of a piggy farm.) I have enjoyed rubbing his soft peach-fuzz hair and putting his head up to my cheek. I love sinking my little kisses into his soft warm baby-licious cheeks and giving smoochies. He's something I look forward to in my day. He's a great baby!!

I love to hear Kaylee (10) sing Ethan a little lullaby when I hand him off to her. She loves being a responsible "mini-Mom" and I'm so glad she's here to lend a hand!

Jayden(8) can often feel of Ethans sweet spirit. Once when he was in a pouty mood he came in my room and started complaining about something. Then he saw Ethan. He smiled at the baby and his whole disposition changed instantly. Babies have a way of bringing a better mood to the room.

I can tell Ashlyn (2) is very nurturing because she loves to take care of "Bee-bee Efan." She'll run and get a diaper for me when he's stinky and says "HI!!!" really loudly into his bassinet in the mornings. When she wants to hold him, she'll say"Hold him, me?" (and she'll hold him until he squirms so much she'll hand him back to me.) One time she sqeezed his toes too much and he started to cry. She felt so badly, she started to cry, too. I felt bad for them both, but I didn't join in the tear fest, I just thought it was kind-of cute. I really think they will be life-long friends.

During sunday school, Tyler's teacher asked him some of his favorite things at home were. He said, "Holding my little brother, Ethan." Tyler(5) smiles and talks cute "baby talk" to his little brother when he holds him.

Ethan has filled up the feeling that someone was missing in our family. He has charmed us with his coos and helped us all talk a little quieter. He's been a sweet, soft spot during our busy days and I look forward to the snuggly moments we get to spend together every morning.

I can't help it, I have a crush on Ethan!

An update on the Fantastic Four

A Quick update of Kaylee, Jayden, Tyler and Ashlyn.

(Pics taken 6 weeks before Ethan came.)

Kaylee is her mom's right arm around the house in helping out. She's extremely helpful and always willing to be "mini-mom." She's our little book worm and has created a family book club for us to do. She chose "Pride and Prejudice" for our first book, so everyone is invited to participate. She's head and shoulders above her parents, and a great example, that's for sure!!

Jayden, our big 8 year old, loves boy scouts and memorized the motto a few weeks before he even joined!! He loves getting his badges at the award ceremonies and keeps on his parents to pass off more. He is excited about life and seems motivated about any rewards out there. This past summer he beat his personal best in the butterfly, freestyle, and backstroke. One of his fun silly things he loves to do with his sister is have a "belly flop" competition. It's fun to watch, but looks painful! He likes to do that and anything else to make us laugh!! He's a great guy with a great sense of humor!!

Tyler (5) is as rough and tumble as a boy can be. He prides himself on being able to "take down" his older brother's friends in a wrestling match on the trampoline. He thoroughly enjoys putting on his battle gear and wacking the life out of long grass or the swing set in the back yard. He is always the first to say "Thank you for the meal, Mom" at supper and gives the strongest, tightest hugs we've ever experienced. He's a bundle of energy!

Ashlyn is our little sugar. She is two years old and loves her blanket she calls her "Mimi." We think it's called that because if you try to take it she'll run over to it and say, "Me...me!!" Like, that's mine, no touchie, touchie!!

Daddy calls her "Little Birdie" because everytime he dishes up a bowl of something good to eat upstairs in his big chair she comes up to his side, opens her mouth like a bird, and waits for something yummy to be dropped into it.

We both love when she comes into our bed in the mornings and has a whole lot of something to tell us. It's definitely not in English, but there's tonz of expression and heart she puts into it.

Our favorite thing is when we come home from being away and she bee-lines to the door when we come in yelling, "Dada, or Mama!!" It makes our day! Everyone needs a little Ashlyn in their day to make the bla-bla moments go away!

Our four QT pies have sure had quite a year!! They are growing up so fast, we blink and they get taller on our height chart every month! We are having a hard time believing that this is Kaylee's last year of Elementary school and Tyler's first year of Kindergarton. They find out who their teachers will be soon, and they're pretty excited.

They've all been awesome older siblings to their little brother Ethan. He couldn't ask for better brothers or sisters!!