Four Christmases

This year we did not have an ordinary Christmas, although, we did get to technically have it 4 times! (More detailed posts to come). We decided to have our own little Christmas at our apartment a couple days before we left out of town. It's fun watching your child get excited to open his presents and experience all the fun parts of Christmas. Kohen seemed to be somewhat oblivious to the presents until it came time to open them. Then he was everyone's helper...whether they wanted it or not. Haha

The 2nd Christmas we had was a day early since Stuart's parents were leaving to Hawaii Christmas Eve to meet up with Stuart's other brother and his family.
Kohen was in heaven with all the gifts and attention. And as you can see, he had to test everything out by climbing on it.



Christmas day was very low key. We went to Stuart's brother's ward and just hung out.

And the 4th Christmas came a couple days after Christmas where we had more presents to open and give once we reached CA.

The Best Is Yet To Be

As much as I enjoyed our vacation I have to admit I was excited to get home and write my New Years Resolutions. Call me a nerd, graphomaniac, ...etc. but I love writing lists and goals. Frankly, I am actually fairly good at completing my daily "Things To Do" lists and achieving my goals too.
Although I am not going to write my goals here, I thought I would share a brief over view of them to help hold myself that much more accountable.
I have 40 goals separated into categories such as:
Physical
Health
Spiritual
Mental
Home/Family
Marriage
Personal/Other

I've been feeling in a rut lately. Feeling very unimportant because I don't have a real job, any worthwhile talents, a formal college education (degree/completed), "The American Dream" (house, car, dog, ...), a looming dental school debt about to hit us with a lot of uncertainties about the economy and our future....etc.
I try not to let others views and worldly pressures effect me but I have to admit I get weighed down by it more often than not. I have sooo SO much to be grateful for. SO, to help show my gratitude to my Heavenly Father I've decided that I am going to take advantage of this new year by bettering myself in ways that I can actually control and keep working on being the best "Home-maker" (wife, mother, cheerleader, caregiver, teacher, uplifter, ...sometimes slave haha....) because that's what really matters.

Side note: I was reading some articles on goals/resolutions and stumbled across an article called, "The Best Is Yet To Be" by Jeffery R. Holland. It wasn't what I had expected but it was of course a great article and reminder of moving forward with faith.

Here's to MAKING our year a good one by choosing to better ourselves!

Thanksgiving 2011

THANKSGIVING

(Warning: This part is boring. This is more for our record because we find these parts funny.)
It's always an adventure when we travel but we are usually too excited to care.
(Not to mention just grateful we aren't having to drive the whole 13 hr drive)
This adventure started like this:
Stuart worked his 12 hour shift that night/morning as usual
(I couldn't sleep at all as usual)
We headed out on our 2 hr drive to Spokane at 6am even though our flight wasn't until noon in case we ran into bad weather or car problems.
We got there PLENTY early (grateful) but that left a lot of time for Kohen to "burn energy."
I have significantly cut back on the amounts I pack since I've had Kohen. But he makes up for it so we are back lots of luggage. I was excited for Stuart to be traveling with us this time so that I wouldn't have to be the one juggling all the luggage and chasing a restless, busy boy.
BUT Stuart got food poisoning. :/ Luckily it hit while we had our 4 hour wait in the airport.
Not on our drive there or on our other flight.
Kohen's usually a trooper for the most part. Don't get me wrong. NOT with out struggles.
But I'm so grateful for understanding people who chat with my friendly little boy.
(Probably not teaching my son stranger danger though. :/ )


Kohen LOVED the escalator.
Weighing himself.
And he tried his first potato chip.

VISITING GRAMMA & GRAMPA'S HOUSE IS SO FUN.
THEY HAVE LOTS OF THINGS TO DO.

TOYS & TENTS

I'm pretty sure he remembered the toys because he ran right in to play with them when he walked in the door.



HE OBVIOUSLY LOVED THE PLAYGROUND




PLAYING BASKETBALL

CHUCK E CHEESE
(That will be a post of its own)

I was trying to sneak a picture of the guys (all in black and all with the same stance) BUT they spotted me and ALL posed with a goofy face.

Once again I forgot to take a picture of everyone at the table

Kohen loved the attention he got and would show off all his tricks.
(Cheeks, Tummy, Nose, Mommy's feet)


VISITING WITH FRIENDS

AND OF COURSE THE BEST PART WAS JUST SPENDING LOTS OF TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY

Kohen and Uncle Ben had a fun time playing their little game.

Auntie Krista

Grampa

Gramma

Burning energy at the airport before heading home :(

My Dad got us first class tickets for one of the flights home. It was so nice and Kohen seemed to recognize that too. He loved feeding us the cheese and fruit platter as well as drinking out of the glass cups.
He also seemed to notice there was much more space and insisted on us making a pillow out of his blanket.

As you can see, it was a sweet flight!

Thanks again Mom and Dad!

Kohen's 5 "Laugh Languages"

Kohen got this Dove msg tonight.
(I'm a sucker for little messages and fortunes and obviously get excited about them.
Yes, call me a dork.)

But the truth is Kohen has a great laugh! Several actually. And I LOVE them all.
1-He has his regular laugh
2-His exaggerated "tough guy" laugh/
very similar to his SUPER excited laugh
3-His exaggerated "fake" laugh
4-His belly laugh
5-His "delirious, tired, anything can make him laugh" laugh
(which is so fun and makes me feel like I'm actually funny)

A good Mom would record each and save them (I'll kick myself one day if I don't)
Maybe a New Year's Goal??

Let There Be Christmas!

Kohen loved helping but thought he was the boss

Normally I am a scrooge about waiting until after Thanksgiving to get ready for Christmas or play Christmas music. Especially when Stuart (the exact opposite) asked if we could set up the Christmas tree before it was even Halloween (exaggerating...only a tad though).

I gave in and a week before Thanksgiving we set up our tree AND played Christmas music. I don't know if it was
-the practical side of me with valid excuses as to why we should,
-the CUTE ornaments we saw for an awesome price I couldn't resist,
-or the fact that I'm not looking forward to a doom and gloom winter and wanted to spend as much of it with holiday cheer as possible.
Christmas comes so fast as it is and then it's all over. So why not bring on the cheery music, gingerbread cookies, the happy and giving attitudes and everything else wonderful about this time of year?!

I love how our tree turned out and I can't wait to do more festive activities!

Pilates

Yep. Kohen does pilates. haha

Or at least he tries to copy me.
To be honest, I think he has better form than I do.
What's funny is
1- IF I work out at home it's usually while he's napping. This "little," almost 30lb guy is just too much weight when trying to do a push up or something.
2- I haven't done pilates in a few weeks...yet Kohen started busting out these moves recently
(And if you're wondering if he's imitating a dog peeing that crossed my mind too.
But he's never seen one.)




When Daddy came home and Kohen showed off his trick, Daddy grabbed his legs.
Now Kohen likes to walk around with his arms w/ Daddy....if he's not laughing too hard.



Taking a breather in his rocker that he's obsessed with.


OTHER RANDOM KOHEN MOMENTS FROM THE PAST WEEK

Kohen was laying down (top left pic) (a rare occasion)
But when he realized I was taking a picture of him he ate it up and even posed.
(As you can see)



To say Kohen loves to climb and explore would be an understatement.
This just happened to be his climb of the day.
He'd pull various objects up to the gate and try to climb over.
(Even though he figured out the week previous how to reach through and pop the sucker open all together)
Luckily for me he has either forgotten or lost interest in both tricks at the moment!
*sigh of relief*

Our Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner

To make a long story short:

Stuart + friend Andy + cousin Lewis = good friends at school
Stuart + free turkey as a gift from his job + big dining table given to us
= who to invite for a traditional dinner

Me+ love of decorating = An excuse to pick up a new project
$1 Gold chargers + $1 Purple plates + 50% fabric at Joanns = SCORE!
Handmade cloth napkins, place mats & table runner - sewing machine that wanted to work
= last minute hot glueing table runner (Didn't look AS tacky as it sounds)

We had the Ashford family and a couple of Stuart's cousins over for a Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner.
It was so funny to hear/see them get excited and try to plan it. haha
This was Stuart's first year making a turkey and it turned out great!
I was so proud (even if I was too grossed out to eat it)
Although, after the dinner we felt guilty that we were having a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner when there are some out there who don't get any at all. So we vowed to donate our turkey next year.

I have to be honest. Thanksgiving is not one of my favorite holidays.
Not really keen on traditional Thanksgiving foods and seeing as the holiday is geared towards stuffing yourself with them.... you get the picture.
I'm not much of a fall colors person either
(although I liked my choice of gold and purples this year with only accents of Orange)

However what I DO like about Thanksgiving is being around family and I LOVE that we still have a holiday to help us "remember" to be grateful.
I am so grateful for family! All of our family and the love and support we are given from them.
I am SO grateful for our health and safety.
It's something that I try to never take for grantid as a mom. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday and pretty much beg that we may continue to have it.

I am so grateful for our home. Ok, it's an apartment. But it's perfect for us.
I dream about the big house I'd like one day but am always so grateful for our apartment now.
(The lightness, light/cleanish carpets, dishwasher, washer dryer hook ups, and storage all help too of course)
I'm so grateful that we have been blessed enough to continue working towards our future. Stuart has a great job that allows him to go to school full time and support us. As hard as it may be on both of us, we are so grateful that I am able to be home with Kohen as a full time Mommy.
I am so grateful for Stuart and the intelligent, hard working, loving person he is.

Although I'm grateful for much much more,
I'm sure you'd be grateful if I'd leave it at that.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving this week!