Have a Merry Christmas?

We did!

We had a Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year...

and now it is 2012!

I can't believe the new year is already here. The older these kids get the faster time goes by.

Explaining to Jackson why we celebrate New Years inspired me to actually make a resolution this year (I never do). SO, here it is...

This year I am going to make BIG changes.

I'm not talking about keeping on top of the dishes or exercising more, I mean BIG!

Nothing in particular (although I have a few in mind), but possibly life changing big.

Wish me luck.

COUSINS!!!

We love 'em!

It's the only reason we live here!!

I will save you the counting...18!

I am still amazed that we got someone to take pictures of all 18 of them together and it turned out good!!!

2

That's it. She's 2. We are officially in for it. Not that we haven't been for the last 7-8 months but I have a feeling this little Christmas package is only going to get cuter, goofier, sweeter and attitudier. Which means that we will get even more wrapped around her finger, even more laughs from her and even more headaches from her:) I am always amazed at the amount of attitude that this girl has. She has been so strong willed and independent from day one. I don't see it but people say she looks like Jackson, I guess that may be but they could not be more opposite in their personalities. She is totally my sour patch kid, sour one minute then instantly sweet the next. She knows all she has to do to get her way with Daddy is cuddle with him (seriously, he can't resist it). She knows just how to push Carson's buttons (her current favorite is to take his hat off and throw it on the ground). She knows that Mama is pretty much a sucker for anything, i.e. bat the eyes, stick out the bottom lip, say "peease" or ask for a hug. She knows that her Aunties are even bigger suckers than her mom:) I am pretty sure that above all this she knows how much she is loved and adored by everyone around her...and if you don't feel that way then take a hike!

This morning she got herself dressed in her Minnie Mouse jammies, that are too small, and her new fancy red skirt from Ga. Nice. I had to bargain with her to get her to change...we traded the Minnie Mouse top for the red Santa one and the bottoms for some jeggings but only if she could wear her pink twinkle toes. It was a little better.

Yesterday was her actual birthday and we had some great birthday plans; lunch w/Jay and Brandi and the kids, birthday cupcakes from the sweet tooth fairy then Staheli farms with everyone for the nativity, reindeer and hot chocolate...instead we got a call from Jack's school at 11:30 that he was sick in the office. So we stayed home and watched Christmas movies instead. She wore her 'Birthday Girl' shirt and her crown (upside down) all day and I let her have way too many pieces of bubblegum and other treats and that made her a pretty happy girl. I guess it was OK since the birthday celebrating and spoiling started 2 weeks ago and didn't let up til today:)

Party Time!

Princess Sophia Marie's 2nd Birthday Gumball Party!!!

Codee put up with my unorganized, last minute, plans for a birthday party again, and helped me (well, a lot of people helped actually) throw together a little backdrop for a cute photo op. It turned out so fun! I am so glad we did it! I didn't get any traditional party pictures because the camera was set up in Sophs room the whole time but I was ok with that cause I thought this would be worth the sacrifice...and I was right! I love all these pictures so much! It captures Sophia's goofy, crazy, fun, loving family and neighbors perfectly! It also helped cause Crystal (my awesome-amazing neighbor) ran home and grabbed her camera for some cake, present and game shots of the party! Seriously, I would prob not get anything done if it weren't for all the help I receive from everyone who loves me:) and it certainly wouldn't be as fun with out all of them!

Soph totally is a gum thief right now so we set up a gumball bar for the kids to have their way with (your welcome parents) and had a bubble blowing contest; 1st place: Ryanne, 2nd place: Carter (or was it Cooper:), 3rd place: Owen! Soph got spoiled rotten with a ton of gifts that she loves already!!! and a very pretty princess cake with a crown on top and everything...cause she is kind of a princess. It was kind of a simple, relaxed party but that is how we do it and I wouldn't have changed anything, we had a blast and the clean up took FOREVER!!!!

*Just last night at J&B's Soph was talking to herself "princess, I'm a princess". We might be giving her a complex or setting ourselves up for a whole lot of trouble.

LOVE

Guess who these items belong to.

I really love her, I can't believe she is almost 2!

She got her first Birthday present from Ga today, she loved it!

She opened the princess and horse to play with right away and

changed into her new dress immediately.

I think she will enjoy her party when she gets tons of presents and attention...

and gum.

She seriously loves gum.

and purses...

and boots...and horses... and kitties...and dresses...and sleeping in Mama's bed.

Among many other silly things.

*Random side story* lately she calls other little girls "princess" (namely the ones with pretty shoes or something of the kind), last weekend at walmart she looked at the cashier girl ringing us up, then looked at Codee and whispered "princess". I am not exactly sure why but it was pretty dang sweet.

Not NY...again?

I'm really not sure if there is a good enough explanation as to why I have now done TWO posts and neither of them have been about New York...what the? But this is just a super quick post, look at all these cute baby pictures I have on my phone!! I thought it was funny:)

Do you know who is who?

No pictures, please.

I am sure that I will soon be flooding this blog with a ridiculous amount of pictures taken in New York but before we get to that I just want to remind myself what it was like to leave my kids...actually that part was pretty welcome, let me rephrase that...what it was like to come back to my kids;) While I wasn't crying at every baby I saw (like someone else I know), at the end of every night, no matter how exhausted or how bad my feet hurt (it got pretty ugly one night) I couldn't help but to lay in bed and wonder what my stinkers were doing. There was a very strong sense of feeling that I was not where I was needed most. Let's face it, I spend A LOT of time with the little goofballs so I wasn't feeling guilty or worried (I knew they were being spoiled rotten) I just couldn't shake the desire to take care of them. I'm not sure I am getting my point across well enough but if you are a mother, I'm sure you catch my drift:) When we finally got back to St. George I was anxious to see them. I was tired, they were too, still we stayed up too late looking at pictures of my trip, playing with their new gifts I brought them and laying in my bed...and I couldn't get myself to ask them to leave my side...so they didn't! We all three slept in my bed, even all three on my SIDE of the bed. I hardly slept at all for fear of waking up Soph who was smashed between Jackson and I but it was well worth it. I held Soph way too much today...even rocked her to sleep (while standing up holding her). It's good to be home:)

Lucky Me

What are you doing this morning?
Me?
Hanging out with this cute little ladybug. Jealous?

My Little Lady Bug

Springdale for the afternoon.

July 14th Jay, Karen and I decided to pack up the kids and head for Springdale. We were looking for something a little different to do with the kids but mostly we were looking for somewhere that was a few degrees cooler than St. George:) It wasn't some spectacular event but it was a day full of cousins and ice cream and running around. That is what is (is what it is;) so great about living by your fam...every day is spectacular!! (wether you ask for it or not:)

I totally love my nieces and nephews...even the ones not pictured here...enough to put up with all their parents crazy, just for the chance to hang out with them.

She likes to hold hands, be the boss, make everyone run and she LOVES Carter!

p.s. where's Jackson?..anyone know?

One Random Night

So you know how I am crazy right? Well I can't stand doing these posts out of order but I also can't get myself to blog anymore without doing these...they are on my blog 'to do' list. I know it's pathetic but what can you do. So here goes three out of order posts...if I can go through with it.

*July 9th, 2011

*Ice cream @ DQ with E & K

*Watch the kids run till they are sick

*Fiesta Fun for mini golf

A fun night for all (even Eric and Codee) complete with rain and fireworks!!

Brighton:)

We LOVE to "watch" Brighton.

(we just play the whole time)

I say "we" cause Soph totally loves him too.

It goes without saying that he is the cutest, chunkiest, most fun baby...

you can't be that fat and not be in that category:)

Ballerina

Picture taken: Sep. 7, 2010

Once upon a time I had a sweet little princess that did adorable tricks, smiled all day, made everyone laugh and was practically perfect in every way.

One day my sweet angel woke up on the wrong side of the crib, she has yet to find the "right" side.

Boys run from her, she scowls from sun up to sun down, she will NOT laugh when you try to make her and she even argues with her momma!

I am embarrassed when she scratches and hits her cousins, I sometimes cry when her attitude is more than I can handle on my own, I make excuses for her poutty little butt as she waddles away from the nice old couple trying to talk to her.

All things considered she is the light of my life.

There are 30 redeeming minutes almost every night just before bed. She is the funniest, cutest, sweetest little girl there ever was.

*fingers crossed* We make it through this stage and live happily ever after...maybe even with Carson still as a friend:)

Can NOT wait for this.

Picture Taken: Dec. 18, 2008

Picture Blogged: Almost 3 years later...cause Christmas is right around the corner.

I can NOT wait for the cold weather to get here this year! Just came across this photo in my old phone picture libabry and wanted to be there so bad I could feel the cold. Codee and I are both so ready for it. In anticipation, we went and bought some new sweaters for our trip to Provo this weekend...I hope we freeze!!!!

Two LONG Awesome Weeks and a MEGA Sleepover!!

"That's right I said MEGA SLEEPOVER! All the children (and 2 extra adults) seen here had a big ol' sleepover at my house last week. It was so fun, I LOVE that my kids have so many cousins!! There were 17 of us total and if you have been in my house you know it doesn't really accomodate that many people, it barely accomodates the 7 that actually live here! Another thing that doesn't accomodate 17 people is mine and Jonis vehicles but we made it work."

*That's right, I stole from Jamie's blog again...deal with it.*

Brandi and her kids moved to California about 7 months ago and this was the first time we had seen them since. They were here for 2 weeks and we made the most out of every second of it! We had all the kids over at Matt and Shenelles the night they got here to surprise them and we didn't leave there until about 1 in the morning. That was pretty much how the next two weeks went, staying up way to late then meeting up again the next day way to early! I think most of the kids are still trying to catch up:-)

Another post by J-Me for V.P. I couldn't resist!

I don't know how these got overlooked! I love love love these pictures of all the girls. My fabulous friend Chelsy took these amazing pictures of Chloe, Claire, and Sophia. It was so fun, the girls got their hair done and pics taken! Good family fun! Thanks Chelsy, we LOVE them!

-it is killing me that these are out of order but I had to have them on my blog and in our book!!

A hi-jacked post of our 4th of July party:)

Joni and I threw a killer Fourth of July party this year, just ask anyone who was there, it was awesome. (We really missed you Karen but it was still awesome and next time you should take us to Puerto Rico with you) We made super fun invitations that looked like firecrackers (3D). Once you opened them there was an invitation in there and some little pop its (we call them poo poos, I don't know who started that but that is what they are in my family) for the kids. I didn't take pictures of them but I think Joni still has one at her house if anyone wants to see it.

We swam in the pool

ate licorice, popcorn, watermelon and salt water taffy

played on the swing set

visited, laughed, and had fun

had a corn on the cob contest, Jason won, and now I know why

We made our own Italian Sodas, super fun and super delicious

Carson REALLY wanted his own

and Carter (I'll be honest, I wasn't positive that was Carter so I asked Billy and he's really not sure either so I'm going to say 90% sure that's Carter) REALLY enjoyed the whip cream on his!!

And last but not least some pictures of the hostest(s) with the mostest(s) and their cute baby girls!

Oh yeah and we played slip n slide baseball, here's Eric and Carson running the bases, it was pretty cute!

FUN FUN FUN!

I love my family and I am (usually) so glad we all live so close together!!

Except Brandi and her family, we miss you guys!

-created by Jamie, stolen and reposted by Joni-