Christmas and More

 Christmas was just lovely! We had time to ourselves as a family of 4 and time with both extended families as well. It was perfect.

 

 

A few weeks ago we took family pictures in a pecan grove in Chandler. I'm pretty happy with them. Except Grant was sticking his tongue out in 90% of them. Oh well, such is life.

 

And to update the baby bump... 

21 weeks along

 

and 24 weeks along

This little girl is moving a lot now. She is healthy and well and we are so grateful!

 

We also enjoyed a family hike at Papago Park. The kids loved watching the airplanes fly in.

 

I tried to be a fun mom (doesn't happen too much) and plan Christmas crafts for Grant. This kid is so happy with a project to work on. Here is what we came up with on 6 different days.

 

1. Candy cane ornaments: pipe cleaner, propeller beads--huge hit!

2. Coloring a page of Christmas symbols and discussing what they each mean.

3. Santa ornament: paper, cotton balls, pipe cleaner

4. Manger for Jesus: lunch bag, paper

5. Rudolph ornament: paper, googly eyes, cotton ball, pipe cleaner

6. Letter to Santa: he wrote his name, I wrote what he told me for the rest. And guess what? We sent it in the mail and actually got a response from Santa in the North Pole. How fun is that?

 

 

 

Too Many Santas??

Well December is busy as usual but so fun too. Last weekend we somehow managed to meet 3 Santas and Grant was simply in heaven.

 

First up, Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas block party.

 

 

Second, Bass Pro Shop. Poor Preston was sick of waiting and not happy about a stranger holding him.

 

And third, we went to downtown Mesa to walk around their "Western Days" and found a lovely Santa sitting with absolutely no one around, no line, no kids. So we had to say hello and take yet another picture. (He was my favorite--looks the most like the real one.)

 



Also last week, we (in the primary presidency) treated our primary teachers to hot chocolate at Liberty Market as part of their Christmas gift. It was a nice hour out, getting to know them better, and enjoying adult conversation. This is something we want to do every year if our budget allows.

 

Grant completed his weekly cooking class with Ms. Kathy at the rec center. It was a good time for him, he made new friends, and got to have fun in the kitchen. This was their final class and they decorated gingerbread houses.

 

We love our little, pre-lit Christmas tree. We've used it for 6 years now and even though it's not life-like, it's perfect and the kids adore it. Preston sometimes likes to pull on ornaments but luckily nothing is breakable (thank you shatter-proof balls).

And just because it made my day I have to include this. As I was putting Grant to bed tonight and walking out of the room he said to me, "Mom, I can't wait to see you in the morning." Ahh--it melted my heart!

In the last week...

We've enjoyed a lot of activities in last week. I took the kids to the temple visitor's center and enjoyed the nativity room, the lights, and the Christmas trees. Turns out, if you go before thanksgiving, you'll be the only one in the entire place and it'll be calm and perfect for the kiddos. No Christmas madness for us!

Last week Sean and I went to the Michael Buble concert at US Airways Arena! It was so great to have a real date together and the music was fabulous of course. Michael Buble is a great performer and a funny guy too. I love the big-band, "classic" style that he has. We enjoyed it for sure!

And of course we had Thanksgiving. What a great weekend. To have Sean around for 4 days in a row--now that is unheard-of. The morning started off with a rousing game of flag football for Sean and I took the kids out to watch him and get some fresh air. This is why we live in Arizona--to have beautiful, 73-degree weather on Thanksgiving day.

This year we had dinner at the Oborn's which of course, never disappoints. Natalie was able to come down from BYU which was great. We've missed her up there. This was our feast!

 

And here is the boy so excited to dig in.

And who couldn't enjoy grandma's homemade pumpkin pie? Yum. We've been looking forward to that all year.

 And one last glimpse of my thanksgiving decorations before Christmas swoops in and takes over. =)

A Kiddo Update

Grant is nearly 4 years old (in January) and is growing up so much. He carries on adult conversations all day long and I feel like I'm talking to someone much older than he is. His latest conversations have included things like...

"hmmm, I suppose so"

"I'm pretending to be an adult, mom"

"Are there cars and trucks in heaven?"

"Did Heavenly Father change my body so I'll never die too?" (After we talked about the 3 Nephites)

"When I go on a mission, I'm going to take my green blankie."

"Mom, someone is grilling salmon. I just love salmon!" (We were on a walk and could smell this from a neighbors house.)

 

We still have an occasional tantrum or 3-year-old moment but overall, Grant is getting a better grasp on his emotions and on being mature and well-behaved. He is currently in a cooking class and enjoys his teacher and making new things each week. He loves making anyone laugh, especially his little brother. He is getting to be such a better eater and lately has tried (and liked) asparagus, cooked spinach, mushrooms, and adores broccoli (with butter and salt of course). Grant sleeps from 7pm-7am every night and only takes a nap maybe 2-3 days per week. Grant knows how to pray but for some reason has been nervous to do it lately so we're working on that. He knows some scripture stories and loves saying the name Mohonri Moriancumer. Grant has memorized the first two articles of faith and we're working on the third one. He is a sweet, smart boy and a great big brother.

 

 

Preston is 16 months old and is a fun boy who is into everything! No drawer or item or table full of stuff is safe. He just started coloring (scribbling), "vrooming" cars around the carpet, and climbing onto chairs/tables/etc. Poor guy is always sporting some bruise or scrape because he's very curious. He walks everywhere but sometimes still stumbles and falls. His head is still in the 97th percentile so balance can be tricky. Preston repeats lots of words and has recently said...

please

apple

doctor

no no

cake

yum yum

bath

 baby
blankie

Preston is a picky eater and is totally past the baby food phase but then really doesn't like much of what I cook. He just spits things out and throws things off his tray like crazy. Hence the reason my kitchen floor is always dirty. Preston is currently growing 3 more teeth at once so he has been a little fussier. He goes to bed at 7pm and wakes around 6:30am (although I don't get him out until 7am). He obeys simple commands and is really starting to show his personality. He loves dancing too and is very much a daddy's boy. Preston is our sweetheart and still such a baby to me.

 

Baby girl is doing well. I started feeling small movements around 17-18 weeks but now they seem stronger and more frequent. She's growing and likes to hang out on the right side of my tummy. The belly bulge is totally here to stay (for a while at least) and even strangers now comment on the pregnancy.  I'm in the awkward clothing stage where the regular clothes are way too uncomfortable (and don't button) but maternity clothes still feel a little baggy and unnecessary. My appetite is back full-force and the nausea is gone. Woo hoo! The fatigue is still prevalent but really, I think that's just how it's going to be until my kids are out of the house. :) We have no name for her yet--we can't agree on anything. I love seeing her on ultrasound at every appointment. (Our doc does a quick ultrasound to check heart rate and such instead of the Doppler.) Grant has just started saying things like "When is my sister going to come out? I miss her in there." It's sweet.

 

16 Weeks Along

 

17 Weeks Along

 

20 Weeks Along

 (I swear I can only find striped maternity shirts. It's not a great combo--a wide, round belly and horizontal stripes. Oh well!)

Sean is extremely busy with school and work so I'm holding down the fort for now. We love spending time with daddy when we can and Grant literally counts down the days until Saturday (when daddy is home). Life is great and we feel very blessed!

Annual Zoo Trip

Every autumn when the weather cools off we enjoy a trip to the Phoenix Zoo with grandma Norine. It is so much fun and great to enjoy the outdoors.

We brought sack lunches to save money, but for a treat grandma splurged and got us slurpees. Yummy, red mouths for everyone!

Grant still enjoys a good ride in the umbrella stroller after walking a ways. Good thing we brought two strollers. Oh boy, what'll we do with another baby who needs a stroller? =)

Over the Years

A look back at Halloween over the years...

 

2010: Cowboys

 

 

2011: Pumpkin

 

2012: Lego block and another pumpkin

 

 2013: Crayon and a monkey

We had a great Halloween this year. Grant was beyond excited for the trick-or-treating. Preston was so content sitting in the stroller, watching all the action as we went around the neighborhood. We hit three streets and then we were burned out. The kids ate too much sugar but everyone was in bed by 7:30pm (only half-hour late) so it was a success in my book. These kids bring excitement and joy to everything and I love experiencing the holidays with them. These boys make life wonderful for us!!

Drumroll Please....

Yesterday was the day I've been looking forward to for a while. Sean left work early, my mom came to babysit, and we headed to the doctor's office. This wasn't the extensive, anatomical ultrasound (that's the next appt.), but we were able to get a quick peak and see the gender of our little one. We are excited to announce that Grant and Preston will have a baby sister!! I can't even believe it. It's weird to even write that out or say it. I'm so used to my boys. Sean was right again--shocker. =)

 

Sean and I stopped at the store to buy something pink to announce it to the boys. I picked these pink-frosted cookies, bought them, and put them in a brown, paper bag. We got home and told Grant, Preston, and Grandma that we had a present for them. Grant opened them, screamed "pink", and then was so excited about eating them that he didn't care about the significance. My mom totally freaked out. It was fun. Preston is still such a baby he doesn't know what is going on. But of course, he got a few bites and totally loved the "sister cookies". It was a fun day!

 

 

I Heart October!

October and March are my two favorite months of the year in Arizona. The weather is quite picturesque and there are more fun things to do. First off, I really like decorating for Halloween. I like that we have a whole month to enjoy before the actual holiday. These are the fun items that adorn my house.  

 

We decided to decorate our door into a monster. Grant named it 'Misty the Monster'. It's made out of streamers, paper plates, cardstock, and painter's tape--everything we already had on hand.

 Afternoon playtime with my boys.

 Grant went on a date with Grandma Norine last week and went to look around the Disney store. Turns out, if you're the first one there before they open, you get to be the magic Mickey for the day. Who knew right? They pick one child to wear the Mickey hat and robe, hold the magic pixie dust, turn on the lights, open the door, and be the first one inside. They gave Grant a free Mickey lanyard and made him feel so special. What a fun outing for his grandma date!

 My boys are slowly learning to share--it's a long process but we're getting there. Preston is old enough now that he wants ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that Grant has. He does not want to miss out that's for sure.

 Over conference weekend we pulled out the 4-wheelers at grandma and grandpa's house and took a little ride--such fun for the boys.

 Rachel and Mike were in town which was a blast. Grant loves these two and cried and cried when they left to return to Vegas.

 Preston took his first official ride on a 4-wheeler. He seemed to like it and rode around with his mouth wide open. (For my kids, that means they're excited and happy!)

 We had to stop at Home Depot between conference sessions for some air filters and they happened to have a kids project going on. What a fun, free surprise! Rachel and daddy helped Grant build an airplane.

Six months had passed so it was time to visit our favorite pediatric dentist again. I talked it up a lot and Grant did fabulously! I was so pleased. He did x-rays (for the first time), the cleaning, the fluoride, and the doctor's exam. No cavities here. Woo hoo. (Of course it helps that the staff/doc are incredible with little kids, they have movies playing on the ceiling, they give stickers and prizes, and the office is decorated for kids' enjoyment.)

Way to be brave big boy. The staff kept saying , "Wow, is he always this happy?" To which I replied, "no, but I wish he were!" =) We made our next appointment for 6 months from now and it's crazy to think we'll probably have a one-month-old in our family by then.