Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve day we went to Sean's grandparents house in Stone, Idaho. It was SUPER fun. All of Sean's family was there, his grandparents, an aunt and uncle and their boys from California, and an aunt and uncle and their boys from Las Vegas. Brooklyn LOVES playing with these boys and they love playing with her too. Brooklyn loved playing outside and riding on the 4-Wheeler. We had so much fun up there that I only took 3 picutres. We came home and caught the tail-end of the Maughan-Wright party it was fun to see family there that I hadn't seen in awhile. We came and the girls opened their Christmas jammies and Santa visited us that night. We had a fun Christmas morning at our house and the gals enjoyed opening their presents. We had a spectacular breakfast at Ric and Paula's and then headed to Sean's parents house. We got to open more presents there (and again I didn't take a single picture) Sean's mom made the girls a pillow using a square from a quilt her grandma had given her. They are really neat and I am going to get a picture with her and the girls with the pillows. We then went and visited Sean's grandma at Legacy House. Then it was time for our final destination, my parents house. It was all my siblings year at the in-laws for Christmas Eve so my parents had prepared a lovely dinner and all my siblings and their spouses and the Anderson's were there. It started snowing at about 4:00 and by 9:00 there was a foot of snow. It was fun a bunch of people got geared up and went to play and shovel in the snow. Brooklyn was complaining of her stomach hurting and just kinda laying around- finally she puked and didn't stop until 2 in the morning. The nasty flu also hit Sean, my dad, and me. It was snowing so bad and Sean and Brooklyn were sick that we ended up staying at my parents house that night. And me and the gals also stayed Friday night and my parents took care of Gracie and Brooklyn for me while I was sick. Thanks mom and dad- you are the best!! It is Sunday and I am still trying to get over it. It was a lousy way to spend Christmas night- but other than that we had a great Christmas!! (Looking through my pictures i realized that I didn't hardly take any at any event we went to. I will have to do better! :)

The drive to Stone was Gracie's first time sitting forward. She loved it!

Our family

Brooklyn and Uncle Kerry (he took her for a ride and even let her drive- she thought it was great! They make such a fuss over Brooklyn- she loves them a ton!)

Christmas Jammies (pretty sad this is the best picture I got of both of them- They were not cooperating with me taking a picture.)

Christmas morning- Brooklyn got a Leapster (Santa had a hard time with her this year because whenever she was asked what she wanted she said, "everything!" and meant it. Grace is in zombie mode- we woke her up and she was still pretty tired.)

This was what we saw when we opened my parents front door

Chels and Brooklyn look so cute as do Brian and Brett.

When they were looking for snow gear for everyone they ran across these old snowmobiling helmets- that are at least 30 years old if not older.

Merry Christmas!

I love the holiday season! I love everything about it. I have loved this year more so than years that have past- I have not allowed myself to get worked up and we decided to scale things down this year. What I especially love about this time of year is that we tend to reflect more on our Savior Jesus Christ. Last year being 9 months pregnant around Christmastime- put things into perspective. I don't know how Mary mustered the faith she needed to get on a donkey when she was having contractions. And then as I was getting my epidural and enjoying the nice hospital suite. I couldn't help but think of how devastated Mary and Joseph must have felt when they knew that the Savior of the World was going to be born in a stable. Jesus was born in the humblest conditions. I am so grateful for His life and example. I am also so grateful for the Atonement so that I can use it in my life. I am grateful for His death and resurrection and knowing that we will live with Him and our family again some day. I hope to try and reflect on Christ all year this coming year and not just at Christmastime! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Yesterday was Gracie first birthday! Looking back I cannot believe that a whole year has passed since she was born. It feels just like yesterday. I was induced with Grace at about 10 PM on the 19th and had her just after 3:00 AM on the 20th. Since she was born she has been such a sweetheart. She really is a happy baby. We have been so lucky with her- between 6-8 weeks she started sleeping through the night and has since. Here are some fun things about Gracie- she is walking all over the place, she has the cutest dimples, she has 4 teeth (2 on top, 2 on bottom), she loves to clap, she likes to point and say, "dat", she thinks that anything Brooklyn does is the best, and she has the cutest belly laugh. I feel so blessed to be Gracie's mom and to have her in our lives. She brings such joy and happiness to those that are around her. Happy Birthday Grace- We love you!

We had a little birthday party for Gracie at our house. She had her own little cake and I was really interested to see how she would do with it. (When Brooklyn turned 1 she wouldn't touch the cake- she didn't like to get dirty.) Not Grace- she LOVED it. She dug right in and had a blast!

7 Years

The 14th marks me and Sean's 7th wedding anniversary! I cannot believe how fast time has flown. We have experienced many things together. When we first got married we lived in the basement of my grandma's house in Wellsville. We had our own little apartment down there and made many memories there. We spent 1 summer in Atlanta, Georgia. We got roped into Sean selling Pest Control and making the big bucks (ha ha). Sean would tell you that I hated every minute of it down there. At the time I think I did. I had never been away from my family or Utah and was so homesick. We only had one car and Sean needed it so I was stuck inside by myself all day. Toward the end I got a job working in an Law Office- a member in our Bishopric was an Immigration lawyer and hired me to help do paperwork. That made my days in Georgia more bearable. We did some fun things down there and looking back now I have fond memories of our summer in Georgia. We came back to my grandma's and were both in school. My grandma eventually got sick and Sean and I had the priviledge of helping take care of her. Also at this time we learned that we were pregnant with Brooklyn. What joy and happiness she has brought into our lives and our families. We often comment that Brooklyn gave my grandma 1 more year of life. I was touched as I would watch Sean so tenderly take care of my grandma. They would watch sports together and Sean would come up and watch the Jazz with her. After she passed away we were on a walk and walked passed the house we would eventually buy. We saw it was for sale and made an appointment to see it. The first time we walked through it we knew we wanted it. It has been a great "first home." We have welcomed Gracie into our family and what a sweetheart she is- also bringing joy into our lives. In our 7 years we have had 2 babies, bought a house, both graduated from college, had 2 dogs, had 6 different cars, lived in 2 states, gone on some way fun vacations, and grown together as a couple. We have had our ups and downs- and continue to love each other. I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend and to have him as the father of my kids. Happy Anniversary Babe- I love you!

Christmas Tree Catastrophe!

The other night we had a MAJOR incident with our Christmas Tree. Sean, Brooklyn, and I were hanging out before she went to bed. My phone rang and I got up to get it- as I was turning around, I hear Sean yell, "Brooklyn! Look out!" I hear this LOUD crash and look to see this:

Christmas Tree on Brooklyn

This is what was under the tree when we put it back up

The tree after the incident

So to preface the tree falling- I have to explain. Our front room is too small for our tree. Our tree is artificial and one that you have to put in branch-by-branch. So our first Christmas in our house I came up with the idea of just filling the branches in the front and side and putting the back right against the wall. It does get heavy on the side with the branches so we put weights on the base to even it out. Evidently, the weights fell off- making the tree fall right on top of Brooklyn. Sean went over first thing to lift the tree off her and I was like, "Wait- I need the camera." It was actually quite funny! The amazing thing is that only 1 little bulb broke. We did have a mess after and I had to redo parts of the tree. But it is up and we have put more weights on it.

Moab

This last weekend we went down to Moab and spent a couple of days with our good friends Nick, Monica, and Addi and Buster. Moab was having their kickoff celebration of winter and were having a 10K that Sean and Nick decided they were going to run in. They both did awesome. I was so proud of Sean- he just started running about 2 months ago and he did great! On Saturday night there was a light parade we went to. It was tons of fun- Brooklyn and Gracie loved it and the highlight was when Brooklyn saw Santa Claus- she was so excited it was way cute. While we were there Sean, Nick, Brooklyn, and I hiked to the Delicate Arch. (Monica volunteered to stay home and watch Gracie and Addi. Thanks Monica!) The hike is pretty much all uphill on a huge rock. Nick was nice enough to push Brooklyn pretty much the whole way in a jogger stroller. Thanks Nick!! When we got to the top and finally saw the Arch- it was breathtaking- it is gorgeous! It is amazing that right in the middle of nowhere is this amazing arch! What a great weekend- thanks Nick and Monica for taking such great care of us while we were down there!

Thankful

I love this time of the year- that I have to stop and really reflect on the the things that I am thankful for. It seems like after Halloween, stores start putting up the Christmas and it is like Thanksgiving is forgotten.

I am so so thankful for my family. I don't know what I ever did to deserve such an amazing family. I am so thankful for Sean and for all he does for our little family. I am thankful for my 2 sweet girls- they are the light of my life. I am thankful for wonderful parents who have always supported me in everything I do. I am thankful for my sister and brothers and their spouses- we are so lucky that we all get along so well and love each other so much. I am thankful for Sean's family. I am thankful for my extended family as well and for the love and support they give us.

I am thankful for the gospel, my testimony, and my Savior. I honestly don't know where I would be without it. I know that my Heavenly Father knows ME and loves ME and what a comfort that is.

I am thankful to have such wonderful and supportive friends.

I am thankful to live in this country. I am thankful for the freedoms we enjoy.

I am thankful for my house, our cars, electricity, food, computer.

I could go on and on for the things I am thanful for- I hope you all have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

We have a Walker and Proud Parent Moment

Over the past month or so Gracie has been taking a few steps here and there, but now she is walking all over the place. This video was taken last week and I can't believe how much she has improved in just a week. She walks now about as much as she crawls- I can't believe that she is walking and 11 months old already.

Last Sunday was Brooklyn's Primary Program. She had memorized her part and was so excited for the program. Grandma Sue, Pops, Nat, Garrett, and Grandma Maynard came to watch her. When it was time to go up her whole class but her went and her teacher mouthed to me she wouldn't go. So here I go and get her and take her up on the stand and she said it perfectly. I guess she was a little nervous- I would've been to. After the program she also had her first talk in Primary she did a really good job. I have to admit I was really proud of her! (I am so mad at myself that I didn't take a picture of her.)

I LOVE Concerts!

I LOVE going to concerts whenever I can! This month I have been lucky enough to go to 2. Collin Raye was playing at the Desert Star Theater and me, my mom, sister, Jan, and friend Susan Nielsen went and saw him. It was so fun it only seated 200. It was an unplugged dinner show. I had never been to anything like that before. And then a group of us went and saw Carrie Underwood. It was a way fun concert. I had never seen her before and she put on a really good show!

Jan, Me, Nat, My Mom, Susan

Collin Raye

Mal, Heidi, Chels, Me, Jan, Marijka, Karen, Marlee, Kami, Karlie, (Nat taking the picture)

Heidi, Chels, Me, Mal, Karlie, Nat

Halloween!

I have had a hard time finding the time I needed to get this post done. We had a great and full Halloween week. It started off on Tuesday when Brooklyn went to a Halloween party with Nat, Derk, and Garrett in Salt Lake. On Thursday, Brooklyn got to dress up for her dance class and then we rushed home to make it to our Ward Trunk-or-Treat. On Friday, Brooklyn got to dress up for preschool and then we started making the rounds. We went and visited Sean's Grandma at Logan Nursing, went to Sean's parents, went and saw Nick, Addi, Randy, and Kandace Oldroyd, and then headed to Wellsville where we hung out at Kami's. Every year Ric makes homemade chili, we also have cinnamon twists, and Jan's "Witches Brew" which is homemade RootBeer. Brooklyn always has such a blast playing in it. The girls handled all the madness very well!

(as usual I took WAY too many pictures)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Busy, Busy, Busy

(I have been computerless since my last post- gasp! So I have a lot of catching up to do. Since I am using my blog as my journal this is going to be a long post.)

What a busy couple of weeks. At the American West Heritage Center they have a Corn Maze and Fright Lights. Sean and I thought it would be fun to take the girls to the light section. We picked a cold night to go, but we had a fun time anyway!

Every year over UEA the girls head down to Park City. This is a tradition that started with my grandma and Uunt Venice and has continued on. When I was little, my mom left us kids home with my dad and just the adult ladies got to go, but now we take the kids and have a blast. My mom, sister, aunt, cousins, and good friends come. This year we rented a townhouse that was 5 bedroom 3.5 baths so we had plenty of room. We had a blast. Lots of eating, shopping, laughing, and talking. Sadly, we were having so much fun I didn't even take on picture. I did get this one from my sister. Poor Gracie.

Shopping til' you drop ( I lined the bottom of the cart with clothes I was going to buy and covered her up with the rest.)

Another fun tradition my family has this time of year is the Deer Hunt. Every year the 3rd weekend in October the deer hunt opens. The guys head up Franklin Basin and set up camp. Although, I don't know if I really consider it camping. They have 2 huge army type tents. One is for cooking with 2 long picnic tables, 2 camp chefs, a big grill, and a big food box. The other tent is for sleeping- it is lined with cots with thick foam pads and even air mattresses. In both of these tents there are heaters so there is no going cold. There is even a shower tent. (Sad to say I didn't even get a picture of any of this). We went up 2 nights this year for dinner. (We didn't dare stay with the girls.) We had a BLAST. I must say the women are treated like royalty up there. The men make dinner AND do the dishes- it is super nice. We got to ride horses and 4-wheelers- Brooklyn was in Heaven. Gracie did well although she wanted to be on the ground crawling. Thank you so much pops and the other guys who treated us so nicely up there- we love you!

Then to top things off, our 2 nieces Lauren and Celina were baptized on saturday. It has been awhile since I attended a baptism. It is really a neat experience to see someone baptized and then receive the Holy Ghost. We are so proud of the decision they made to get baptized and love

them very much!

One of the more exciting days of Brooklyn's life happened on Oct. 24. High School Musical 3 came out. I have mentioned before how Brooklyn is OBSESSED with HSM. She tells people Troy is her husband and she is Gabriella and on and on. Us, my aunt, and cousins all went to the show. We had a blast and Brooklyn loved it. We asked her what her favorite part was and she said, "The Boys are Bad (instead of Back), being Gabriella (she really thinks she is), and of course seeing Troy." That night when I was tucking her in she said, "Mom I need to tell you a secret- Troy is sure a cutie!"

Another month has passed and my little Gracie is 10 months. She has reached many milestones in this past month. She says 3 words, "Mama, Dada, and baba." She waves "Bye-Bye." She started giving kisses- I love her slobbery kisses. And she started taking her first steps. Doesn't she realize she is my baby and is supposed to hold off on this? It is sure amazing watching her grow and develop and seeing her reach these milestones.