Merry Christmas!!

This year, in an effort to save money, we decided to for-go Christmas cards and send out our family picture electronically. I also decided to write a little bit about everyone.

We have been staying very busy this year and thankful for all the blessings we have received through out the year.

Ryan is currently the Stay At Home Dad and is realizing quickly how much work that entails. He also is a researcher in the jobs department and hopefully something will open up early next year. The bishopric must really like him because he still is the Financial Clerk for our ward. He loves playing with the kids, shooting Nerf guns with Drew, and playing computer games in his spare time.

Amy is currently substituting to help pay the bills and can't wait to be back to staying at home. She misses spending time with the kids and getting the housework done the way she likes it. She is now the co-chair on the Relief Society Committee and still loves not having a Sunday calling. She loves running her 4 miles to Freestone Park and back and is excited to run Pat's Run this spring. It is only 4.2 miles, but once she has more time, she will get back to training for a 10K.

Drew is 5 years old now and still our active little boy. He loves trains, trucks, and playing Angry Birds or Nick Jr games on the computer. He also loves going on bike rides and playing at the park. Yes, he is quite the boy. Next year will be an exciting step for him when he goes to all day Kindergarten. He can't wait, and neither can Mom and Dad.

Kylee is our sassy 3 year old and isn't afraid to state her opinion. She loves playing with her dolls and pretend playing with Drew. She is very girly but also quite a monkey too. Last week she decided to climb on top of the changing table and jump off. She landed on her wrist just perfectly and broke it. She was sporting a purple cast till a boy yanked it off her. Now, she has a pink cast to prove she is a daredevil just like her big brother.

Bryce is our sweet 16 month old. We are so grateful for our surprise baby, and he balances out our family perfectly. He loves to climb on the table and chairs and scare Mom and Dad all day long. He also loves to get into drawers and be outside. His favorite outdoor activities are the sand box and swinging. Thankfully, he no longer has any allergies and going to out grow Kylee and Drew soon.

We are so thankful for such wonderful friends and family and wish you a very Merry Christmas and wonderful 2012.

Drew's 5

Ever since Easter, when he got a red train, he has been begging for a black train. He was so happy to finally get one.

33.6 lbs (6%)
40.5 in (6%)

Wow, I can't believe 5 years ago I became a Mommy! Man, time has flown. Drew has grown in leaps and bounds this year. In March, he got placed into the GPS preschool program and took off in his academic growth. He can count to 20 forward and backward, knows all his shapes and colors, knows how to write his name, can recognize numbers and most letters, and is starting to remember the sounds of the first few letters in the alphabet. His teacher says he is super smart, which is awesome, because he is also easily distracted. For some students that can hinder their learning, but Drew is keeping up. We are thrilled he gets to stay in the preschool program till April.
Drew still loves his trucks and trains and recently got into Angry Birds. He got a black Angry Bird from his cousins for his birthday and just loves it. He also loves playing Nick Jr's website and shooting his new nerf guns. Also for his birthday, he got a Leapster and loves playing games on there as well. He still has a love for the outdoors and loves riding his bike. Mommy just got a new bike and Drew loves when we can all go on a bike ride together. He is also a big helper, but also loves to tease his sister. For some reason, at times, he gets a long with Bryce better than Kylee, but we know he loves her. He went to his first friend's birthday party a few months ago and with the prizes he won, he made sure he got something to bring back to Kylee. He also loves to play Mommy and puppy with Kylee, where Drew is the puppy and Kylee is the Mommy. It is actually hilarious to listen to when they play it. Happy 5th Birthday Drew!

15 Months to 16 Months

I took these pictures last month when Bryce turned 15 months but forgot to post them. Now that he is almost 16 months I think its better late than never. Ryan took him to his 15 month check up, and I can't find the papers he brought home. So I don't have his stats, but if I find them, I will post them. Bryce is probably our slowest talker. He still can only say Momma and Dadda. Tonight, Ryan heard him say dah for dog and when he wants something to eat he says nana nana over and over again. He communicates great with his actions. If he wants milk, he goes to the fridge door. If he wants water, he goes to the water dispenser. When he wants something to eat, which is constantly, he bangs on the counter and says nana nana. He has developed quite the sweet tooth and eats more than Kylee and Drew put together at meal time. He loves to throw tantrums and play outside. His favorite toys are probably things he is not suppose to have like cords to fans and daddy's screw driver. Just before Thanksgiving, a friend of mine watched Kylee and Bryce when I had to work and Ryan had a prior commitment. Ryan picked them up at lunchtime and didn't see Bryce's binky in the bag and thought he left it. So Ryan put Bryce down for his nap without his binky. Well, we decided to not give him back his binky from then on, and Bryce has been our easiest to break. He struggled a little bit at naptime for the first 2 days, but it really didn't seem to bother him. I don't know why I was so chicken. So now he is binky free and I love it. He is also developing such the cutest personality. Oh I love this boy!

Vertuccio Farms

Just after Halloween, we used our coupon and took the kids to Vertuccio Farms. We had so much fun and plan on making it a tradition from now on. The kids loved milking (water) the pretend cow and had so much fun on the air pillow. The corn maze we saved for closer to the end, and they didn't like it at all. I don't know if they were just tired and hungry, but we didn't even finish it. The train ride around the farm was the perfect close for our adventurous day. Even though it ended up being a super windy day, we all had tons of fun as a family.

Halloween 2011

Oh my goodness! Do you know how hard it is to get 3 kids under the age of 5 to pose as a group? These aren't the best pictures, but will have to do. Drew was a cowboy, Kylee was a ladybug, and Bryce was the infamous cow that hopefully will be retired. We usually head to Sonic for Halloween dinner but ran out of time so we just headed to my Mom and Dad's and ate a little over there before trick or treating. The kids had so much fun spending time with their cousins and getting lots of candy and the traditional doughnut. I am ready to throw it all away if anyone wants it. My kids ask all day for it and it drives me crazy. They are either throwing a tantrum because I won't let them eat it or they are on a sugar high. Thank goodness it is now November. I LOVE November and December, and the only thing I really like about Halloween beside homemade pumpkin seeds, it is the beginning of the holiday season.

Trunk or Treat

The kids had lots of fun at the Trunk or Treat. We have learned that you get there right on time and eat, then play games before the lines are long, and then you are not late trunk or treating. I think this one was the best for us. The kids are old enough to understand what is going on.

Kylee's Stats

I got Kylee to the doctor last week and she is growing. She is 26.7 lbs (10%) and 36 3/4 in tall (35%). Usually she is in the 5% for weight so the doctor was impressed. She hasn't been in the 10% since she was 6 to 9 months old. One more thing I need to add about Kylee is she loves sleeping in other places other than her bed. For naps, I let her sleep on the floor, but at night we enforce sleeping on her bed. Drew wakes up before her usually, so we don't want him tripping on her when he gets up. Well, the past 2 nights Kylee has decided to get up and sleep somewhere in the house. I have no idea when she does it, but sometime between midnight and 5 AM, she will go in the bathroom and sleep on the floor with her blankets and pillow. This morning at 5 I found her on the living room couch. She is such a stinker. I told her I will have to lock her door if she keeps doing it. She's giving me a heart attack when I find her missing from her bed. I guess I need to start using a baby moniter again.

My Girl is 3

On Sunday, Kylee turned 3! You would have thought she was 3 a few months ago with all the sass this girl has to offer right now. She was suppose to go in today for her checkup, but her doctor got sick and had to reschedule for Thursday. So I will post her stats then, but I didn't want to keep putting off this post. And I need to get a better picture of her. This was taken Saturday night, just after opening a few of Grandma's presents early so she could wear them to church.

This girl is a total mommy's girl, and I think she is having a hard time with me going back to work. I try to give her lots of love when I am home and snuggles usually help. She loves to talk, but will hide and be shy when meeting new people or when anyone comes up to her, but once she says HI she is usually OK. She loves playing with her dolls and her play food. She will put her dolls on the chairs at the table and serve them food and pretend to eat with them. She has quite the imagination. We are so happy it is finally getting nice outside because she loves playing outside. Her favorite activity is swinging and riding her new bike. Tonight at dinner she demonstrated her new found talent...burping. She went on and on for at least 5 min. I know we shouldn't have, but we all got a good laugh out of it. She loves being a sister and is always concerned about those who are hurt or crying. Tonight, Drew fell off his bike pretty hard in the neighbor's driveway. Kylee was in front of our yard and as soon as she saw him fell, she jumps off her bike and starts running toward him yelling, "My brother, my brother, are you OK? My brother, my brother!!" It was the sweetest thing ever. Even though she fights us for naps and bedtime and can get quite sassy at times, Kylee has the biggest heart and really means well. I guess we will keep her!

Daddy's Helpers

Drew and Kylee thought Daddy needed some help mowing the lawn. They sure do love to help with yard work. Hopefully that love continues into their teenage years.

The Cutest 1 Year Old You Ever Did See

I am in LOVE. I finally got Bryce's 1 year pictures. He did awesome and this happened to be the first shot. I never noticed his dirty foot or stretched out toe, because I was only focused on his face and body. I think it adds character to him!

Forest Lakes Weekend Getaway

This past weekend we went to the inlaws cabin up in Forest Lakes. I desperately needed a break from life so we headed up Friday morning and came back Sunday afternoon. Friday was fun with just us. The weather was beautiful, and it rained just after we got there. Saturday morning we took a ride to the Rocks and made memories. My sister's family joined us at lunch and the kids loved playing with their cousins. We roasted marshmallows and hot dogs and made smores. The kids loved palying outside all day long. The weather was so perfect and it was hard to leave Sunday afternoon to head back to the heat. Ryan wanted to stay till Monday but was reminded quickly how all the kids don't sleep well and were getting attitudes and whiny. Next time we need to bring fishing poles and go fishing with the kids.

Family Movie

We watched Rio the other day as a family and this is how the kids looked like during the beginning. It's a great movie and everyone loved it.

Bryce's Stats

Just to clarify, Drew is not grabbing himself in those last pictures. I asked him to pull his shirt down because it was up over the waist of his pants and he just kept his hand there. I tried to pull it away but then he put his hand right back to his shirt....just to clarify.
On to Bryce. I finally got him into the doctor today for his 1 year appointment, yes almost a month late.

Weight 20lbs 13 oz (20%)
Height 31 inches (78%)
Head 18 1/4 inches (50%)

Bryce is doing fabulously and just continues to grow super tall. To compare, Kylee is 36 inches tall so he just needs to grow 5 more inches and he is as tall as Kylee. He loves to babble and make lots of noise. He totally knows when he is annoying someone and will continue his annoyance because he knows it is bothering someone. He is very laid back but knows how to throw good tantrums. We know when he is ready for a nap or bed because he gets so mad at the toy he is playing with. It is quite funny to watch him get so upset because the toy isn't doing exactly what he thinks it should be doing. Two days after he turned 1, Bryce decided to get the courage to walk on his own and he hasn't stopped. He loves this new found freedom and can get up in a standing position right in the middle of a room with no support. He is our smartest kid and picks up things so quickly. Except for talking. He only says 2 words, momma and dadda but just like his walking, I think he is just absorbing everything and will take off with his talking when he is 100% ready. He loves pretty much any food I give him but his absolute favorite is corn on the cob. We give him a third of a cob and he will just eat at it for 30 min. in his highchair so happy. If you try to take it away from him, he will let you know to back away. His favorite toys are the toy vacuum and lawnmower, my old cell phone, his toothbrush, and any hairbrush. He will just walk around carrying one of these in his hand thinking he is just the best. He also loves to get into the dogs' food and water, and will have a heyday with both if left unattended. I think he can't wait for it to get a little cooler so he can go outside to play. He is definitely our little explorer and just doesn't understand why Drew and Kylee can go outside but not him. We let him play a little bit here and there, but not every time he would like. What a life a 1 year old has!

Drew's First Day of Preschool 2011

The first day of school finally came and went. There wasn't any tears or tantrums so I was grateful. The anxiety Drew had on Monday and Tuesday seemed to have disappeared by Wednesday. I think it is going to be a great year for him!

Getting ready to eat lunch before the bus came.

Kylee was jealous of Drew and had to have her backpack out by his.

Waiting patiently for the bus.

After school, I had cupcakes made and Drew helped me frost and decorate them. Of course, he ate one, as you can tell from the picture. I wasn't sure how I would like afternoon preschool, but I really like it. We get to spend the morning together, and then he leaves just after lunch and comes back before naps are over. It works out perfectly for our schedule.

Bryce is 1

I can't believe my sweet boy is 1! Bryce turned 1 last Thursday. I know I am late, but only by a few days. Last week was a little crazy, so we decided to celebrate his birthday on Friday. He opened his present from Grandma and Grandpa, and immediately Drew and Kylee took it away to play with it. So we had to set some rules, but that's what happens when you bring new toys into our house. Then, we went and did the traditional Happy Meal. Well, with Bryce's allergy to soy, we were kind of limited because all he can eat for Happy Meals are Chick-Fil-A's waffle fries. So, we decided to head down to Ikea, because it just happened to be free Kid's Meal night. The only thing we thought he could eat was the mac and cheese, but Drew and Kylee wanted mac and cheese so we got the chicken strips. We knew there would be left over mac and cheese, and sure enough, there was lots left over. We let him eat some french fries too, even though we could tell there was a coating on the fries, which means soy, but that kid was begging for some. So we gave in and Bryce was in heaven. He definitely takes after his Mom when it comes to french fries. Then on Sunday, we got together at my mom's and I made him cupcakes. For some reason Bryce doesn't like chocolate. He didn't get that one from me, but I am sure down the road he will change his mind. So I made him white cupcakes with vanilla frosting. He loved his cupcake and ate most of it within a few minutes. He loves food, just not chocolate.

Man, I love that kid. He is growing way too fast. He now drinks whole milk from a sippy cup and loves both. He is my smartest kid so far and had the sippy cup mastered in 5 min. Drew and Kylee both took weeks. He didn't walk by the time he turned 1, but on Saturday he took up to 7 steps. He loves all his walking toys and anything he can push such as cars or chairs. Ryan got him to clap tonight and can say momma and dadda. It is so cute. With Daddy home right now, he is starting to become a Daddy's boy, which makes Mommy sad but knows it will probably be temporary. Bryce is still allergic to soy but so happy to be finally on good old milk. That last month on formula was complete torture for him. We are so happy Bryce is apart of our family, and as Drew would say, "Bryce is so cute!"

I am such a horrible Mom that I forgot to take before pictures of Bryce eating his cake, so we recreated it a few days later. The above pictures are recreated and this picture is his original cake!

Utah 2011

I totally forgot to blog about our Utah trip and came across this picture on my phone. This year was a little different, because Ryan couldn't take any time off work. So he worked 10 and 12 hour days before we went and also when we came back. We were in St. George for 3 days and Provo for 2. We weren't even planning on going at all, but the family picture we took in December of everyone, didn't turn out, and we needed a new one. So, rather than make everyone wait till December to redo it, we made some sacrifices and headed up. It became a little more hectic of a vacation than we had hoped, but glad we were able to see family. The above picture is Drew and Kylee with some of their AZ cousins. They were watching the Lion King after church. The picture below is the big family picture. It turned out nice except my chubby cheeks. Don't worry, I'm working on it still. Just need the weather to not be so hot. It is so much easier walking and jogging in 100 degree weather, not 110 degrees! But it was a fun trip and the kids can't wait to go to Utah again.

Thank you Ryan for keeping your head straight!!

And I can't forget this picture. Drew posed this all by himself. What a cutie!

Our Journey

Today has been weird. It was the first day of Ryan's 'retirement' as my Dad calls it. Most of you already know, but Ryan lost his job on July 29th. We knew this was happening 4 years ago, when he went from an intern to full time employee. At first, his lab was moving to Ohio in 2009, but then it got pushed to 2011, which we were extremely grateful for, with the economy tanking and all. As we entered 2011, we knew it was coming. We had to decide if we wanted to move to Ohio with his job. I was adamant about not moving. I moved to Utah for Ryan just after we got married, and it wasn't the best experience, so I didn't want to move out of state again. Also, this job doesn't pay very well and it didn't help that our health insurance was so dang expensive. So in my mind I thought why move for a job that really isn't all that great. After praying and not really receiving an answer as to what direction we should take, I gave in to my stubbornness and started to look for a house. If this is where we were suppose to be, I wanted to have a house to rent or buy. I had been searching for a day or two when my answer came to me as a bolt of lightening. We are not suppose to move to Ohio. I questioned it at first, and it came again so strong, that I knew not to question it, but to have faith and figure out a new job for Ryan.

The hard part for Ryan, I think, is he really loved this job, and he had the best co-workers and bosses anyone could ask for. We really have been so blessed these last 4 1/2 years. A few weeks ago, Ryan flew out to Ohio to help set up the new lab, and I am glad he had the opportunity to do so, because it only solidified to him that we made the right choice. We have been looking where we can at finding a new job and have friends and family keeping an eye out for us, but this has been such a stressful time for our family. We have been here before and were blessed in the end, and know we will be blessed in the end, but hoping it doesn't take too long to get to the end. Sorry for such the long post, but this is a journal for our family and wanted to make sure I wrote down our feelings to look back on down the road. So, if you know of a job or see one, send it our way. In the mean time, Ryan will be job hunting and working on my To-Do List for him. I think by the end of August, he will be so ready to be working again!!!

Silly Bryce

All my kids are so fun to go in to their rooms late at night and see the different positions they are in, but Bryce is hilarious with his infatuation with his bumper. Ever since he was 3 months old, maybe even 2 months, he has been all over that bumper. It started out just sleeping up against it and then by 6 month he was all over it and still is to this day. He absolutely hated sleeping in the pack n play from the start and I never understood why. Then in May, after camping, we started putting 2 and 2 together and figured out he needed his bumper in there. So when we went to Utah the end of June, we made sure to bring his bumper and sure enough, he slept so much better. What a silly boy!

Conquering the Fear

This guy is scared to death to walk by himself but finally is ok to push things. Yesterday was the laundry basket and today was the car, even though he pushes it sideways, he is starting to build confidence. One of these days he will conquer his fear and go for it. He is usually my no fear boy but when it comes to walking, he is just plain chicken.

Meet Max

Call us crazy, but we added one more to our family this week. Meet Max! He's a chorkie and we are all in love. Back in June, my aunt got a new dog, and we were just kidding around asking if there were siblings. Well, joking turned to serious, and my mom brought him home with her when she was out visiting my grandmother and aunt. Max has the cutest personality and loves to cuddle. The kids clobber him but are getting better and Mia, our other dog, at first stayed away from Max. But slowly, they are becoming best friends. So call us crazy, but I think we did good!

What's Wrong with this Picture?

If you look carefully, you will see that Kylee put her baby's bottle with Bryce's bottles that I just cleaned last night. She cracks me up. She is obsessed with all her babies and feeding them and putting them to bed. I'm glad she is a girly girl!

Who would have Thought??

Who would have thought, Tom and Jerry would be so appealing to my kids. Ryan loves this cartoon and puts it on every once in a while. But yesterday, when I turned it on for quiet time, my kids were captivated. Kylee couldn't even sit down, she was so into it. Of course, Drew has to be right there in front of TV. We can't break that habit that started when he wasn't even 1. Oh the simple things that keep my kids quiet so I can enjoy some quiet time too!

Smiles and Frowns

I have been struggling with my kids behavior. It has gotten worse since preschool got out and the hotter temps are keeping my kids inside more. It was so bad that one day, by lunchtime, each was in timeout at least 5 times. So I thought hard trying to come up with a behavior chart and the smiley face cards were created. My kids love it and it has really helped our house be more loving. I drew the smile on one side and a frown on the other. The kids got to pick out the eyes for each face. On top is each child's name in case it gets taken off of fridge. They all start with smiles and have to have at least 1 smile by the time dinner is over to get the treat for the day. The treat could be as simple as marshmallows or ice cream or an outing such as playing at the park or going to McDonald's the next day for lunch. My kids are easy to please. If they decide to not a make a good choice, they have to turn their smile to a frown. They can easily earn that smile back by doing something extra nice or going the extra mile in helping me. I wanted it to be more of a teaching lesson to help my kids physically see what it means to be nice and mean. Now granted, I have a 4 and 2 year old, so this works great, but as they get older, I already have better behavior chart in mind for them. But this works perfect for us right now. So far so good, both kids have gotten their reward every day. Today might be an exception, because since taking those pictures 30 min. ago, Kylee only has 1 smile left.

And Drew created this smile for me the day we started, because he was mad at me for some reason and thought I needed a smile and frown card. That day, he turned my card to a frown!

10 Months

I can't believe this little guy is getting so close to being 1. He has the cutest personality and is very laid back when nothing is bothering him. He doesn't like to sleep at all while teething, so we just smile and pull through those weeks. Bryce now has 6 teeth and is becoming an awesome finger foods eater. He loves all the snacks i feed him and loves grape sandwiches he got for the first time this week. He also loves hot dogs and ate those today for first time. He doesn't like his formula all that much anymore, so now we feed him 2 different times in one feeding. That seems to help. Bryce loves to explore, loves anything with music to it, and loves crawling outside and hanging out on the grass trying to eat rocks and poop. Yes, I said poop, but never on my watch. We are just so excited Bryce loves a variety of food and crossing our fingers his soy allergy goes away soon. We love our Bryce!

Camping 2011

Last weekend, we went camping with my sister's and brother's families. My sister had this camping trip planned for 2 months, and of course the day before we are suppose to go, it rains and snows up north. The snow would be melted, but as a result the ground would be muddy. Needless to say, we decided to stay at my in-laws cabin. I'm glad we did, because it was a little cold Friday night, but we all had fun. I am sure my 9 month pregnant sister appreciated a bed to sleep in and not the ground. Everyone had fun jumping on the trampoline, cooking tin foil dinners, roasting marshmallows and making smores, and staying up late watching movies (kids) and chatting around the fire (adults). The next day, we had fun riding the 4-wheelers and playing the Newly Wed game, thanks to my awesome sister-in-law. Ryan and I won, of course!! Can't wait to go camping for reals, next time!

Bryce got to sit forward facing on the way up so he could watch the movie. He just chilled all the way up. He sat backward facing on the way home so he could take a nap, but this little guy only likes to take naps in his own crib.

The kids were so excited to see some snow still survived!

And they loved the snowman cousin Jason made the day before after it snowed 2 inches. They packed the snowman really well, so it survived the warm up the next day.