CHRISTMAS 2008!

We spent Christmas in Maryland with my family this year. We had a great time and have lots and lots of pictures to show (who doesn't on Christmas!!)! Sorry this post is so late but I forgot the number one essential (our camera!) and so I got all the Christmas pictures off my parents camera this past weekend when I was out there!

My munchkins and me on Christmas Eve

Natalie LOVES chocolate...she takes after her daddy!

The boys "entertaining" the kids...playing Wii!

Josh called Grandpa "Santa" all night long because he had a Santa hat on...how appropriate!

The munchkins opening their Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve.

Hanging out with daddy in their new PJ's!

Love this girl!

Josh opening Uncle Aaron's present on Christmas Eve.

He LOVED the swords Aaron got him! Sometimes he is a little too rough with them though and they get put on timeout!

Helping Uncle Aaron bring in wood for the fire.

Natalie playing with her toy from Santa.

Josh seeing what Santa brought him.

The tree.

Grandpa and Grandma (my mom and dad) going through their stocking.

Natalies first baby doll.

Josh in his dinosaur cave with all his stuff.

We played this game over and over and over (and did I say over?!) I am a pro at putting Don't Break the Ice back together!

We had to take a break opening presents. Josh wanted to play with his toys!!

Grandpa and Josh riding the horsies at the park. Josh's hands were cold so Grandpa gave him his gloves.

Grandpa and Josh

Grandpa and Natters

Josh and Natalie

Uncle Max and Josh playing who knows what! Matthew is such a great Uncle and Josh just adores him!

We had a great Christmas and always love going to visit "Pee-pa and Maa-ma" as Joshua calls them!

Slacker

I have been such a slacker when it has come to blogging! It has been a little while since I have posted new pictures of the munchkins. Here are quite a few pictures of what we have been up to lately!

Partners in crime!

We had the stomach bug go through our house. Mark wasn't feeling well so Josh curled up next to him and they watched a movie together.

At the Rainforest in Cleveland.

Josh and I watching the monkeys. There was a baby monkey with its family and Josh was fascinated by them...of course...probaby because he thinks he is a monkey!

Daddy-daughter time! She LOVES her daddy! The moment he gets home from work she lights up and can't crawl fast enough to get to him!

When I was a little girl I remember putting my little brother Aaron into my baby doll strollers so I had to smile when Josh asked me to put Natalie in is Tonka Truck! He pushed her all around the house and she loved it!

He even took her back to his bedroom and got her a toy to play with. What a sweet boy!

Josh wanted a turn when he was done...he was a little bit too heavy for Natalie!

Josh was picking on Natalie so it felt like she would not stop whining. Finally the whining stopped and I come out to find Mark feeding her a Snack Pack! Of course she loved it...who doesn't?!

That is a face of pure enjoyment!

Happy baby after church.

Love her!

She was being such a sweet girl I couldn't stop taking pictures!

I know this was picture overload! But yes, we are still alive and well here in Ohio! We are getting a little case of cabin fever because we are getting so much snow. And it is so cold outside that it is just so much easier and warmer to stay in and have lazy pajama days! (those are the best days anyways!)

2009!!

I can't believe it is already 2009! This past year has flown by. It was quite an eventful year for our little family. Here are a few of the highlights! In March, we purchased our very first house in Rexburg, Idaho. In April, we welcomed our newest addition, baby Natalie, to our growing family! In July, Mark and I graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho!! In August, Mark was hired on with URS Washington Division and we moved to Avon, Ohio (very unexpected...so in September we rented out our brand new home we purchased).



It feels like the more little munchkins you have the quicker the year goes by! 2008 has been a very busy year for us and we are excited to see what is in store for us this upcoming year! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!' (Christmas pictures are coming...they are on my moms camera so I am waiting for them to get e-mailed to me!!)

Does this look like a football to you?

Josh is a funny boy. He likes football. Mark plays it with him quite a bit. Josh likes to put both his hands on his knees and say "FOOTBALL" in a gruff tone of voice (well I guess about as gruff as a two year olds voice can get!). It is the cutest thing! The other night I was giving Josh and Natalie a bath together and Natalie had pulled herself up so she was standing leaning on the side of the tub. Josh was playing and then all of a sudden he looks at her bum, grabs one of her cheeks and says "FOOTBALL!" I was cracking up and said thats Natalies bum Josh, not a football. He shook his head, grabs it again, and says "FOOTBALL" (in that gruff tone of voice)! It was funny! I don't know what it was about her little cheek...but to Josh it was a football!

I love my little monkeys!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love everything about it! I love putting up decorations, I love listening to christmas music, I love buying gifts for my family, I love taking plates of goodies around to the neighbors, I love making gingerbread houses, I just love absolutely everything that has to do with christmas. When we got back from Thanksgiving we took all our fall decorations down and got the christmas boxes out! We put on christmas music, I lit the cinnamon candles (don't you love the smell of christmas too?!!), and we started putting it all up! Mark always puts the tree up and I do the rest of the house! Josh and Natalie were very big helpers too! Here are some pictures of all the christmas fun taking place at our house!!

The kids helping Mark put together the tree.

My little bucket heads!

Josh thought it was pretty funny to put it on Natalies head too!

Josh ran around with his and Natalies stockings or "socks" as he called them on his feet!

He wore them all night!

Decorating the tree.

The finished product...

We are all ready for CHRISTMAS!!

"I'm a Monkey Mommy"

Josh's newest craze is being a monkey. No matter where we are or what we are doing he finds a way to be a monkey. In Target I usually get those monster buggies that seat both kids and Josh, of course, won't sit he likes to stand and hang/swing on the bar saying "Mommy, I'm a monkey" followed by a screaching "Ooo-ooo, Ahh-ahh". Heads are turning in the store to see what that horrific sound is! I then proceed to ask him to be a quiet monkey so he then whispers "Mommy, I'm a monkey" followed by the same loud screaching "Ooo-ooo, Ahh-ahh". Oh well, whatever makes him happy!!

Yesterday, I hear Josh yelling "Mommy, I'm a monkey" over and over from my bedroom. I can only imagine what he is doing this time. I'm a little nervous, I walk in and he has climbed onto the tall dresser in our bedroom and is jumping off of it saying "Ooo-ooo, Ahh-ahh." Luckily, we had to move our lovesac into our bedroom so we could put our Christmas tree up in the sunroom so he was landing in the lovesac. It actually looked like a lot of fun!

I love this age. Josh has such a cute little personality and is learning new things so quickly. He amazes me. He always adds some excitement to my days! I love you my little monkey!

What a cute little monkey!!

I just love this kid!

He also likes to prove he's a monkey by hanging on the doorknobs!!