Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!!
Levi really loved Christmas this year. Everything was entralling for him, from the "kwismas ites", to the tree, the presents "more pwesents...pweeease". Christmas definitely is more fun when you have kids. Levi's favorite toy was a race track that he can race up to 4 cars at a time, even though he tries to do all 10 at the same time.


Jace LOVES his exersaucer (a regift since it was Levi's hand-me-down)


Rick and I enjoyed our stocking stuffers and revelled in how we have been blessed during the past year. We decided that we had enough gifts this past year with buying a home, a new van, and most recently a new washer/dryer.
On the 23rd of December we got a lot of snow during the night so Levi and I played in the snow while Jace took a morning nap and before I had to go to work.

My favorite pic of Levi in the snow.

Our pitiful attempt at a snowman. It was too powdery to stick together so our snowman was all of about 10 inches high.

In reflecting on the past year, we have been extremely blessed, we have 2 handsome boys, (I have to digress for a moment, last Sunday as I got Levi ready for church I told him a couple times he was very handsome. While Rick and I were getting dressed, Levi went into our room, tilted the full length mirror so he could see himself and cocking his head to the side said "handsome", what a hoot!) we have a nice home and wonderful friends and neighbors, a loving, supportive family and our most important blessing of all is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which binds us together eternally and brings so much peace, joy and love into our home. I am grateful for the experiences that we have had recently that have increased my testimony. I hope that others have been as blessed as we have been.

Christmas Village

Last night we took the boys to Christmas Village in Ogden. We originally planned to go the night before but due to weather we took them to see the mall Santa for FHE and then went to the lights the next night. Levi was very excited to see the "kwismas lights".

We lucked out and there wasn't much of a crowd there. We were able to let Levi walk around and run ahead without worrying. He loved looking in the little houses with Christmas scenes in them. He was especially enamored with the Elementary kids that were singing Christmas carols in the amphitheater.

Jace was in the Snugli front pack and slept a good portion of the time. With a blanket covering him, he was probably the warmest one. He is growing leaps and bounds. He rolled over from front to back on Monday night. I had put him down for tummy time and Rick was sitting with him downstairs and all of a sudden he was on his back. Of course we didn't see it but no one turned him over. He is also a very happy baby and loves to smile!

Family Photos

We had our family photos taken 2 weeks ago and got them back today. I'm excited to get them printed and on the walls. They were taken by © Melissa Seamons 2008. She did an AWESOME job. If anyone wants her info just let me know. She was fabulous.

Decorating

The first ornament of 2008

We usually decorate the tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving but since we were out of town we got around to it yesterday. I actually set up the tree Monday, put the lights on Tuesday during naptime and we decorated after I got home from work we decorated. Levi had a grand time decorating and now wants to redecorate the tree every chance he gets. In fact, this morning he pulled the tree over trying to get an ornament. Rick picked it up before I could snap a pic. Any ideas on how to keep him from pulling it over again???

Later that night Rick had scouts so the boys and I went Christmas shopping and Levi picked out ornaments for himself and Jace.

Family Vacation

This past weekend Rick and I took the boys down to Moab. Rick only had to work 1/2 day on Fri. so we left shortly after. We first stopped at the Living Aquarium down in south Salt Lake, had lunch then headed to Moab. We stayed until Sunday and then headed home. We spent our time at Arches National Park. What a beautiful place that Heavenly Father created for our wonderment. I'm always amazed at how many beautiful places there are on this earth. I'll post more pics later but we're low on sleep (the boys didn't do too great at the hotel). We had a GREAT time!!!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Rick is quite proud that he has taught Levi not to bang on the piano but rather play 1 key at a time. Levi loves to sing Twinkle, twinkle little star, at bedtime, naptime and frequently in between. He also loves to sing his ABCs and recently started singing I Am A Child of God. We love to hear him sing. Any time there is a musical number during sacrament or when the hymns are being played he is very reverent. During musical numbers he is captivated by the singers. I am really glad that he enjoys music and hope that his appreciation will carry throughout his life.

I actually hope that Rick's musical abilities will carry over to his children. I didn't know how musically talented he was until after we were married. He plays the piano, guitar and drums! He actually was in a scholarship competition for piano (he lost, a very sore subject secondary to the circumstances surrounding it). I really LOVE my husband and appreciate all he does and what a devoted father he is. I just sit back and smile when I watch him play with the boys and you can tell how much our boys love him.

Happy Thanksgiving. The above and many other things I am so very thankful for.

Rest

I am taking a little rest today, the boys are down for naps. Well... Jace is asleep and Levi is having "quiet time" which lasts from about the end of lunch till 4-4:30. He usually doesn't actually fall asleep until 2, after I've reminded him, usually with a lot of emphasis, okay I raise my voice, no shouting yet, that he needs to be quiet, not sleep but be QUIET.

I went walking with my friend Angie this morning, Levi in the stroller and Jace in the snugglie. I'm going to miss walking every day now that the weather is getting colder and I'm headed back to work.

During my siesta I plan to make a grocery list for the week and get preparations for Thanksgiving thought of. I'm hosting my side of the family this year. Not a lot of people compared to Rick's side, but I think that my mom is quite relieved to not have to do all the cooking this year. She did however buy a lot of the food. The turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, I now just have to do the cooking.

The house is mostly clean, don't look too close because it's just a surface clean, I'll save the deep cleaning until later this week, probably next Tuesday to be honest.

I may even start wrapping Christmas presents so that they are done and hid away. Levi is all over the place, except for in the crawl space so that is where we will be hiding the gifts. I don't think they'll even get put out until Christmas Eve or Levi will unwrap them.

Levi has been loving to climb in Jace's bed in the mornings while I feed Jace. Keeps him occupied. He is really starting to like his little brother a lot.