Max's Birthday Party

Thursday was Max's 1st birthday. We had a party after we ate thanksgiving dinner. My parents were the chefs this year and they did a fabulous job. Dinner was delicious, of course they made enough for a small army so everyone got their fill. It was fun, my whole family was there except BethAnne. Max had a good time I think. He really liked the balloons and the candy canes they were tied too. He LOVED his presents, thank you everyone. Unfortunately for Nate he got a lot of toys that make noise. He was so interested in them. He got mad when we would take one away so he could open the next one. Luckily he had lots of help from his cousins so he could cry while they opened the presents. It was a lot of fun. The kids were really cute and excited.

Chewing on his candy cane
walking with daddy
Opening his very first birthday present ever, from Sydney (and Staci and Jared) He was content with this but we made him open them all.
It is a "little people" airplane
A present from Grandma and Grandpa, a sit and spin toy
And probably his favorite toy right now, it sings songs and lights up. He loves it. Lucy was pretty interested in it too.
A singing story book from Riley (and parents)
Blocks from Mom and Dad

And the Birthday cake. He wasn't really sure about this, but these next few pictures are pretty hilarious
Eating cake
And he's had enough, not exactly the show his cousins put on for their first birthday. Lucy and Riley both pounded their cakes. Max just doesn't have much patience for sitting in the highchair, no matter what he's eating.
Riley loved the balloons
Joe and Riley

Chase, hanging out on the couch. He was so content to sit there and watch people, not bad for a 2 month old.
Lucy and Grandma
Birthday boy and Grandpa. Max was SO tired. He was such a good boy even though he was exhausted. Happy Birthday Max! We love you!

Sappy Thanksgiving Letter

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you are all having a great day. I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude. I am so blessed. I have been given so much. I just wanted to take a minute and list just a few of the many things that have blessed my life so much. First is my wonderful, loving husband. He is so patient and kind and genuinely wants nothing more then for me to be happy. He can always make me laugh even if I don't want to and that is sometimes the best thing for me. He reminds me daily not to take myself so seriously and to find the humor in everything. He is my light. Thank you so much Nate, I couldn't do this without you. Next is my beautiful boy. I had no idea I could feel so much love and joy from such a little person. I can't imagine life without him. He is so happy and easy, we really got blessed. I love when he just leans over and gives me a kiss for no reason. Or when I walk into the room and his face lights up. Or when he laughs so hard at something so simple, I don't even notice it. He has only been with us for one year and I am changed forever. I can only say that everyday with him is a treasure and I can't wait for many, many more.

Next, I am so thankful for my wonderful family. That includes my parents who are always there for me, even for the smallest thing. They are so loving and supportive, I know I have taken them for granted so often in my life and I just feel so lucky to have them. Thank you Mom and Dad. Also, Nate's parents who have been the best in-laws I could have hoped for. They did a wonderful job raising Nate, I am so lucky to have him. They continue to bless us all the time even from a distance. They have always been so warm and loving I have felt at home with them from the very beginning. We love and respect and admire them so much. We only wish that we could spend more time with them. Continuing with the family, My brothers and sister, I could name each one individually but that would take days there is so much to say. I just want to thank you all for sticking it out. We have learned a lot together and been through a lot together. I want you all to know that I wouldn't take any of it back. It has made me who I am and I am a better person for it. I think there is a reason we all ended up in the same family. I know there is so much I have learned from you all. I love you more then I can express. Thank you for sharing your lives with me and making me a better person. And your spouses, you are all very patient people. I love you so much. Thank you for being willing to jump into our family and love us for who we are. Thank you for letting us love you back. You have enriched our lives. Nate's brothers and sisters, and husbands and wives and children, I love you so much. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world. I married into the best family I could have ever even imagined. Having only met two of you briefly before we got married I was very nervous for what my future family was and what you would think of me. Thank you so much for loving me and excepting me and making me a part of the family. We don't get to spend much time together but I always look forward to the time we have. I only wish it could be more often. I love you.

Now, moving on to the other significant people in my life. I want to first say that the Nybo's have been a second family to us and we love them so much. They make us laugh, and cry with us when we need to cry. They have been there for us in everything and we are so grateful for them all. To my wonderful loving extended family; aunts, uncles, cousins on all sides thank you and we love you. My friends, who have been there with me through it all. You girls have stood by me through the best and the worst. You know everything about me and you still love me. I know that I was blessed to have you all in my life. I couldn't have made it through those hard, hard years without you. I am so glad that you are all still in my life. I am constantly blessed by you. "Thank you" isn't enough, but I don't know how to say it. I love you all so much.

Of course there is so much I am thankful for and so much I have been blessed with. I couldn't possibly name it all. So I will stick to the people who are blessing my life. I want to end with the one who I owe it all too. I am so grateful for everything I have. I Love the Gospel. I know that it is true. I know that no matter what happens in my life the Savior will always be there for me. I know that He has already walked with me and carried me through so much. I know that He truly loves me more than I can even comprehend. I can't imagine where I would be without Him. What a wonderful, beautiful thing it is to know that He is real, that He lives, that He loves us all so much He died to save us, and someday we can live with Him. That is the crowning blessing.

Max will be ONE!

Max's birthday is this week. I can't believe it has been a year already. It has gone by so fast. He is such a delight. He is so happy and fun. He wakes up happy and talks to himself for a while until we go in and get him up, if it takes us too long he starts to yell but just enough to get our attention. He loves to crawl around the kitchen/dinning room/ living room and laugh and talk to himself and find things to make a mess of. He is constantly pulling things out of their home and tossing them to the floor. We have a basket of books in the living room and everytime I put the books away Max goes over and pulls them ALL out one by one. He'll grab one, flip through the pages for a minute toss it aside and move on to the next one. Most of our cardboard books are missing atleast one corner. The kid loves to read though. He especially likes the books that are interactive, lifting the flap is his favorite. One of his favorite games is to stand on the couch and look over the back while I "sneak up" on him and tickle him. He laughs so hard, and throws himself on the couch in anticipation of the attack. It is really cute. Anyway, here are some pictures of Max being Max.

Reading with Mom
He always to eat the camera so it is hard to get a picture that isn't to close
Tired eyes
Playing with something he shouldn't be playing with. Notice the mess in the background
He was pushing the vacuum around the room
reaching for the camera

Halloween

So I know this is REALLY late but here are the pictures of Max on Halloween. He was the cutest little monkey you've ever seen. He really liked to chew on his tail, by the end of the night it was soaking wet. We only went trick-or-treating to a handful of houses, but I think Max had fun. We saw Grandma and Grandpa Kennard, Great Grandma and Grandpa Hodson, Stacy and Sydney (Jared was out of town), and Grandpa Nybo. Wish you here Grandma and Grandpa Peck. We missed you.

Grandma Kennard on her way to work



cousin Sydney, she is a Dragon Princess. it was kind of an issue because that's what Nate was going to be, but then Syd was it so he had to change his costume.
Grandpa Nybo

Chewing on his tail.
Playing with Daddy
Playing ball
the Family. I made Nate dress up. I was a devil and he was a Whoopie cushion
Grandma's camera

Trying to walk

Grandma and Grandpa Hodson
Our little monkey

Chuck E. Cheese

On the 25th, we went to Chuck E. Cheese for a duel birthday party for some friends kids. It was pretty cheesy and the pizza isn't great, but Max had a great time. Nate and I had fun too but it was mostly fun to watch Max experience rides for the first time. He is kind of a little dare devil. He rode the merry-go-round probably 12 times and loved it every time. He sat there all by himself and held on and was even brave enough to let go with one hand and touch the pole in the middle and wave occasionally. It was really cute. We moved on to the monster truck which was an even bigger hit. He wouldn't let me take him out of it. He sat there and rode it with everyone who wanted to join him. It was kind of stressful because they didn't have any straps to hold him down and he doesn't really appreciate the fact that he needed to hold still so he didn't fall out. he wanted to stand up and hold the steering wheel and look around and climb on top of the truck. He is so curious. He was all smiles the whole night.

ridding the merry-go-round
holding on tight
driving the monster truck
a view from the side
Max and Oscar going for a ride. climbing on the hood, don't worry the truck wasn't moving
Max and Lina
Max and mommy, it wasn't exactly built to hold me, you'll notice it is leaning pretty bad
ridding the merry-go-round....again.
Shaoli and Piper and Max. This was Shaoli's first birthday in America. I think she is really starting to appreciate how great life is here.