Bring On 2013

We rang in 2013 with a bit of celebrating. We hit up the bowling alley for a little family fun.  My mom and sister Krista joined us in the fun since they were headed back to Ephraim.  The more the merrier right?  We had a hard time keeping Sawyer around our lane since there was a carousel with horses in the arcade section.  There were quite a few people who had the same idea as us so the lanes were pretty busy.  When we finished our games we were pretty hungry.  We had heard the grill at the alley was a pretty good place to eat so we thought we would try it out.  The people were not lying about the food, it was pretty good.  

We got home and bathed the kids thinking that we would watch a movie and share some bubbly (Mormon bubbly that is- sparkling cider) to ring in the new year.  However, we each put a kid to bed and ended up falling asleep with the kids.  I woke up at 11:50 pm.  Travis was sawing logs in the bedroom so I waited until midnight gave him a kiss to wake him up and fell asleep myself.  Times sure have changed as we have gotten older.  I would not have been caught dead going to bed  on New Years without some major celebrating, now I could barely keep my eyes open.  

On New Years Day the Yardley's always have a great big pasta dinner provided and all homemade by Uncle Dale and Aunt Anona's family.  I haven't been since before Travis and I got married.  I was so excited to be closer to family this year so we could go over to it.  This year did not disappoint with the food and company.  I believe there were over 50 people that came to the dinner.  That is a lot of pasta. I need to learn how to make the pasta and sauces.  

Kids

Our kids are growing like crazy, doesn't every parent say that?  It is amazing how fast these little ones change so quickly, you forget as you get older that at one time you changed and grew quite rapidly.  Now days the only growing I do is out and not up like the kids, which is not what anybody wants to do.  Here are some much needed stories and updates of the kids.  

During hunting season when Travis was cuting up my deer Sawyer just had to be part of the action.  He decided that he needed to cut his playdough to be just like daddy.  For a while afterwards even he kept asking to cut the deer. 

Sawyer learned some Christmas songs this year.  He really liked Jingle Bells.  He could and now can still be heard singing "Jingle, Jingle, Jingle Bells".  When you ask him to sing 9 times out of 10 he starts singing this. One time in church during the holidays we were all singing a song.  Travis and I could hear "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells".  We looked over and it was our little Sawyer.  His song was nothing close to what we were singing but he was doing a very good job singing along in his own tune. 

Sawyer loves horses, no surprise if you have ever met the kid.  He loves to go to Poppa's and ride horses.  One day I came in and Sawyer was trying to get Jaylee on all 4's so he could ride her. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "I ride sister?!"

Sawyer's new saying is "Are you kidding me?"  Travis hit Sawyer playfully and he turned to Travis without missing a beat "Are you kidding me Dad?"

Jaylee started teething at 5 months with her two front bottom teeth.  I was not prepared for this.  It was a little rough at first with nursing but she eventually got  the hint that if you bite no more food. She now has 7 teeth and she will be 8 months on March 7.  Her bottom 2 teeth came in and then two top teeth came in but they aren't her front teeth they are off to the side.  She is a our little vampire baby.  

Jaylee has been sitting up by herself since she was about 6 months old.  She rolls all over the floor. I am a little worried that she won't crawl because she gets where she needs to be by rolling.  She always rolls into the most awkward places.  I found her behind our fireplace one day.  I seriously left the room for two minutes to change laundry and she was in the middle of the room.  I heard her squawk and I then I heard Sawyer over comforting her "Don't cry baby." I came in and she was behind the fireplace.  Don't worry we don't use the fireplace at all- EVER!!! 

I know I am a bit of a clean freak.  I need stuff put away and cleaned, if it isn't I get a little testy- Just ask Travis.  I am rubbing off on Sawyer.  I spilt some cocoa powder on the counter when making some hot chocolate.  The next thing I know is Sawyer had gotten the broom out of the pantry and had it up on the counter trying to clean up my mess.  He is such a good little helper. 

For Valentine's Day Travis brought me home some flowers and the kids some balloons.  I could see when he pulled up in the driveway so I told Sawyer to go answer the door.  He opened the door and was so excited and shocked by the gifts he exclaimed "Merry Christmas"

We were at the library getting our weekly books, if you ask Sawyer we were at the "Raspberry", and he likes to pick out books and sit on the couches while I pick the books we get to take home.  He brought a book over to me that was about dragons.  I asked him if he wanted to get it.  He swiftly put it back and told me "No, it is dangerous Mom".

I got Travis a harmonica.  We all love to play it.  Sawyer loves anything that makes a lot of noise which makes Jaylee happy too.  We asked Sawyer what he was playing,  he said a Har Moc a da.  He is pretty sure that is how you say it too.

This pictures is exactly what I would have been doing at this age, thumb in the mouth with my silky corner from my blanket.  

I not to big momma see.  

Rolling everywhere makes it hard to change this little ones diaper. 

Such a great helper putting up the Christmas tree.  He was so proud of his decorating.  I loved how it was all in one spot.  

This boy is so observant.  I was taking my toenail polish off one day and I got interrupted.  I heard Sawyer go in the bathroom and he was really quiet for awhile.  When I opened the door this is what I found.     

We started solids with this little one.  She is really hard to feed because she wants to eat what we are eating but hasn't quite figured out that she needs to chew and then swallow.  She gags herself a lot.  She doesn't like baby food that much her tongue also gets in the way.  It is so long she doesn't quite know how to work it.  Most food ends up on her bib but we try.  

Here is proof of the bottom two teeth. 

One day I was nursing the baby.  I knew Sawyer was in the kitchen which is one of his favorite places to play these days.  He loves to play in the sink and push his stool around to see everything on the counter.  He had been quiet for a minute so I went to see what he was up to.  Turns out he found the cake.  He decided to eat all the frosting parts off the cake.  When asked what he was doing, "I eating cake mom",  like duh!

We were all eating ice cream cones so we decided she would have a cone herself sans ice cream.  She ate every last bit that didn't fall on her shirt or the floor.  

What I see you use it, why can't I?

I like Rice!

These two just love each other so much.  They melt my heart when they play and interact. 

Christmasing Again

Christmas was crazy this year with trying to schedule a time my family could all meet together and do gifts.  We settled on the Saturday after Christmas which worked out great because we were over the sickness at our house, thank goodness.  We also got to meet up with all of my cousins- even Rowdy who surprised us all.  He was supposed to be working but because of bad weather or something he got to come home and boy were we thankful.  

We had an amazing dinner at Uncle Todd's as always- prime rib, cheesy potatoes,and homemade beer, I mean rootbeer.  It was great.  After dinner we headed back to Grandma's for opening presents.  It was almost more presents than Christmas was.  Thanks for spoiling us everybody.  We enjoyed spending time with everybody even if it wasn't for very long, we had to come home that evening.  We headed back down on Sunday after church though and spend the night so Travis could go ice fishing again- he went before dinner on Saturday. 

These two babies are 4 months apart. 

They found the legos, watch your step

Happy Christmas

Toy Story, I love Buzz and Woody

My horses, you can find these horses lined up like this in various locations through out the house. 

Just look at the baby in this picture

Just woke up

Great hair day

Our Special Snowman

We were so lucky to have a white Christmas down in this part of the state.  I was a little worried we would never get any snow but it came just before Christmas and stayed well we still have the snow from before Christmas and it is January.  We got some really good snowman building snow so we thought we would take advantage of it.  

Christmas Eve Travis had the day off so this was the day he/we created the most unusual snowman.  The body started out normal but the additions were where Travis got a little, um lets say creative.  We had tennis balls for the eyes, a sprinkler for the mouth, a block for the nose- which had to be Aggie Blue to appease Sawyer, blocks for the buttons, antlers and ears for Travis, hot dog roasters for arms, and a pot for a hat.  Later that evening Travis wrapped our Christmas lights around the infamous snowman but I didn't ever get out there to get a picture of it unfortunately.  People kept driving by our house to see what in the world was lit up, we know this because we live at the end of a dead end street. 

While Travis was building the snowman I pulled the kids around the yard on the sled.  Sawyer kept saying "faster, faster", I had precious little cargo though so we tried to keep it smooth for the little one.  

We Survived Sledding

It finally snowed A LOT, enough to do a little sledding.  Travis found out where the locals go sledding and convinced my sisters and I it would be a good little outing.  I was a little skeptical, I have previously had some really bad experiences, but shoot what the hay lets give it a try. 

We all loaded up in the suburban and headed up to the gravel pit, which is where the best sledding is. We started out on a small hill to break us in.  That wasn't enough so after a few runs on the bunny hill we advanced to the big hill.  

Sawyer landed on his face. He thought it was great though. 

Aunt Nessy what a great babysitter.  She is like the baby whisperer. 

We convinced Krista to go down the hill first.  She is the youngest so she really had no choice.  Oh the joys of being the smallest.  She survived the first run so I decided, hey I can do that.  I went down but my tail bone is just not what it used to be after children.  We moved to a different run to avoid the bumps at the bottom.  The run didn't seem that bad but it was pretty steep.  Again, we sent Krista down first.  She made it! I decided hey I can do that. Just closed my eyes and yelled.  I made it too.  Travis decided he should climb half way up the hill and take a picture of our faces.  Good idea right?  Well, I was first up for the photo op.  You know how when you don't want to hit something and by not wanting to hit something you actually head right for it?  I started down the hill and my sled was veering towards Travis.  I leaned the other way but that just made me really head towards Travis.  Luckily, he jumped.  He cleared me but the sled hit his foot causing him to do a barrel roll in mid-air.  All I could think in my head is "This is really going to hurt."  I kept waiting for the impact of hitting Travis but it never came.  Thank goodness, instead I fell off the sled and rolled the rest of the way down the hill.  I wish he would have had the video camera going instead of the picture camera.  We all had a great ab workout laughing about that incident.   

I love Vanessa's face. Priceless

Sawyer even rode down the hill.  Well from a few feet up.  He would just lay down and yell because that is what we were all doing.  We kept saying just close your eyes and lay back. All in all  great fun was had by all.