Merry Christmas

Our family was very fortunate once again to have another wonderful Christmas. To be honest, the thing that makes it the best (for real) is to have family around to spend it with...my only Christmas wish that i will keep having to wish for is that my entire family can spend it together sometime...but i am grateful to have the ones around me that i do.

Christmas Eve was spent with Mike's mom and his grandparents and Christmas day was spent with my family. This year, mike got an ipod touch and mario kart for the wii. i got a kindle (which is an ipod but for books instead of music) and a swivel sweeper which i have wanted forever! kayhlen got a TON of clothes and some toys and as a family we got our very first flatscreen tv (watch out troy, we're moving up in the world :)) We continue to be very blessed. i love every bit of christmas, from the lights, the music, and the good feelings it brings. i always get sad when it's over :(

i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and as usual we continue to be forever grateful for the true meaning of Christmas, the celebration of Savior, Jesus Christ.

Waking up on Christmas morning

Nike was thrilled with her santa outfit

New pj's

She loves her new University of Utah balls

The best present i've ever received

Christmas dress

3 Years

It's hard to believe that 3 years ago today, Mike and i sat in the Celestial room of the Salt Lake temple waiting for our sealing to take place. At that moment we looked at each other, smiled, and said "i'll go through with it if you will"...obviously, we did go through with it. in many ways it feels like it was just yesterday and in other ways it already feels like it's been eternity. we have had our ups and our downs, like every marriage does, but the good times far outweigh the bad. unfortunately, we are unable to do anything today as far as celebration goes because mike has been and continues to be plowing the freaking snow (have i mentioned how much i hate the winters in utah) practically 24 hours a day. he has hardly slept in the last 10 days and so i was shocked when he came home this morning (after being out for 30 straight hours) with flowers for me. i am forever grateful for the man that i married. he is the only man, and i know my family would agree, that can put up with me for eternity. he would give anything and do anything just to make me happy, including letting me win all of our arguments :) i love him in so many ways and i'm so grateful to have him forever.

Utah vs BYU football game

Engagement picture

Mesa, AZ temple

San Francisco

Uncle Steve's house

I Did It

For the first time in my life, i can say that i have truly heard all of the conference talks from this last October session. I have been reading atleast one talk almost every night since we got the Ensign and last night i finished it. i have never gotten too much out of conference because i have a really hard time paying attention for that long, but i gotta say...i really enjoyed reading the talks. there were several nights when i was actually excited to go to bed so that i could read a talk. i was uplifted through the process and plan to continue reading them now for the rest of my life.

Bath Toys are Fun

Playing with Riley

Sunday was our traditional "gingerbread house" night that we do every year. Kayhlen enjoyed the icing but didn't quite grasp the concept :) Mike did make a house and did a fantastic job. I didn't get any pictures because i was doing video the whole time but it was fun. It was also great because Ron, Lori, Lacey, and Riley joined us as well (they are so good about giving us time to see Riley, Kiley's birth son). Even though Kayhlen is 6 weeks older than Riley, you wouldn't know it by looking at them because he is a tank. They were already stealing toys back and forth from each other, but thankfully neither one of them is to the stage where they really care yet. He is a cutie.




My girl knows what she wants and goes and gets it :)

Standing All the Time

Kayhlen is now a 100% standing girl. She stands up at every chance whether it be using her crib, the couch, or her favorite, my leg. She will for sure be walking before we know it.

This is funny

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/1RAFns9JibSgtBcmdfbp

Does he actually listen?

Mike is the type of personality that he feels like he needs to be doing something at all times...he's rarely able to relax or take a nap (unlike, um....me). Since the snow has yet to fall out here and he's not in school until January, he's had some time on his hands. The other day he was fidgeting and i could tell he was getting antsie (no idea how to spell that) and so i said (completely joking of course), "Mike, if you're bored i have a lot of things you could do" "Like what?" "Well, the bathrooms really need to be cleaned"...and then that was the end of that conversation. Lo and behold, however an hour later i found him like this:





Guess he was REALLY bored!

Took Me a Minute

So I was just going through the few videos on my flip camera and I came across this one. I watched it and kept thinking..."i don't remember doing this"..."i usually take Kayhlen's shirt off when i feed her, why didn't i take it off?" After watching it about 3 different times i finally realized that the voice you hear is not mine, it is actually my sister, Kiley. She must have done this while she was babysitting the other day. The funny thing is that people have a tendancy to mix the two of us up when they see us which we've always thought was ridiculous...i guess i don't have any room to talk any more since i can't even tell our voices apart.