We decided to be really traditional this year and go up to the mountains and chop down our very own christmas tree. So we loaded the boys and hiked up a little ways till we found...not the perfect one, but a good christmas tree. Brad and Wes chopped it down we brought it home. Since we chopped our own tree down we were able to get a pretty big one, I think it's something like 15 feet tall, so we had a heck of a time decorating it, but it was fun.
So I guess I haven't posted what were having.....but if your reading this I've probably talked to you lately, so you probably already know that were having a girl. Anyways, for those that don't know......Its a girl! I must admit, when I first found out I had massive anxiety, and I still do a little bit, but I just figure....what can you do. My boys are just so not high maintenance, and I have the feeling that if I get a girl, and she's whiney, I'll just be so insensitive. I'm sure I wont be, but whatever. I would have been o.k. to have all boys, but Heavenly Father knows I need some lessons that only a girl could teach! It'll be fun. I am 26 weeks now and doing pretty good.
Brad and I went to Mexico this November for a little r & r, and no.....we didnt take the kids. We had a blast! For the first few days we toured some of the ancient Mayan ruins that dot the landscape. We went to Chichen Itza, and Ek Balahm and Coba.
After that we drove up the coast and stayed in some of the little towns and stayed at some cute places and some not so cute ones. In fact, one of our favorites was in a town called Tulum because it was right on the beach, but it had a rock hard bed and no electricity.
The last part of the trip we stayed in a vacation house right on the beach for three days. Prior to the trip Brad, as always, did some great planning and found a beautiful vacation house that we were able to rent, with our own private pool and hot tub. Both of us got through three or four novels over the course of the trip. It truly was a vacation.
I'm so grateful for a husband that places such value on romance in our marriage. It is sooooo hard to be anything but roomates, with lifes everyday challenges of kids and work, so these times that we can get away are precious. They are definately not without challenges though, There was a lot of work to do when we got home with getting kids back to normal and all.
I'm tryin to play a little catch up here. Wes turned 3 in october and Brad and I finally broke down and bought some toys. He got a train set and much to Brads dismay.....a kitchen set. Much to Brads delight.....he plays with the train set way more often.
Miles turned 1 shortley before that in September. Things were a little more low key with just some family there and some new clothes...but he sure loved the ice cream.
It's so interesting to watch these guys grow up together and have such different personality's, Wes will run into nursery and doesnt look back, but Miles on the other hand, if someone even smiles at him, he'll brake into tears sometimes. Miles has lately started prefering Brad over me and let me tell you.....what a relief. I just love it. Miles says "hi dad" whenever he come home from work. I think Brad just eats it up.
We finally moved into our house on September 1st, but we didnt get the internet here until last week...soo....here we are. We have just been busy, busy, busy getting the house finished, and yes...this time I have been on Brad daily to get it done. In our last house I was content to let him go at his own pace, but this time I wanted trim and stuff up before we decided to move again. So just about daily, when he gets home from work I say "K....what are you gonna work on today?"
He pretty much just groans, but gets to work. In fact he really has worked so hard since we've been in here. He got a short break for some of football season....but were gettin there.
The boys are doing great, Brad and I went to Mexico a couple of weeks ago and I think they were really glad to have us back. I think its soo important for us to get away sometimes, but it sure is hard on the boys.
Westley is three now and quotes movies all the time. "You bit the hand Marty....you bit the hand." (Madagascar) It's just crazy how much our family dynamic changes with his ever growing personality. Miles is 14 months now and the little dweeb is still crawling around. He'll walk inbetween people, but refuses to on his own. O' well. miles had a bunch of curls on the back of his hair, but it started getting so long it was looking too mullet like....and we cant have that, so they got cut off. I miss them, we'll see if they come back in. I attempted a photo shoot, nothing special but i'll post a few of them.
Well, lots more to write I guess, but it will have to be later.
It's amazing how fast life moves. We still are not in our house yet, but hopefully are only days away. Seems that we have been saying that for weeks now....so we'll see. Miles is just growing up, his upper teeth are poking thru and loves to eat what we eat. ( As you can see) The little dude still doesn't exactly crawl, he's adapted his own version....Brad and I call it "the slug." He slaps the ground with his hands and lifts his butt up, then slap, and lift the butt up. I've never seen anything like it. He loves to walk, look out if he gets a hold of your fingers, then you'll do nothing else for the next half hour. I had to get a picture of his little curls! We love em! The whole back of his head is curly hair. I wonder if he'll keep it.
Wes turns 3 in two months. Everywhere we go people are thrown by how good his vocab and social skills are. They usually ask if he's about four, and when I tell them two.....they just cant believe it. My sister had her baby about a month ago, they named him Raiden...well, Wes and I are in the car and Wes goes "Mom...I'm excited to see Raided grow up. His head will get bigger huh?" What insight.
Life is as stressful as it has ever been for me right now, but my boys make it liveable. I'm grateful for their spirits and am truly blessed.
Git r' done! We wanted our kids a little closer this time, and more importantly I wanted a spring baby this time instead of fall. So luckily it happened as planned. I'm about 8 weeks along, and due about mid march. yeah. The plan is now I can still enjoy summers if i'm on this winter track! Well, Brad and I hope for a girl, but Westley is dead set on another brother. I have not had as easy a pregnancy this time around, so who knows, maybe that means a girl.
Brad and I bought a new camera and I decided I needed to find out how to actually use the thing....so I signed up for a photography class. Lets just say have you ever seen the movie "almost heros" with Chris Farley in it? The part where he's learning the alphabet and screams "do you want my brain to explode?!" Yeah. thats about exactly how I felt. So hopefully my pics will start improving here soon. I actually really love doing it, and this new camera is pretty high tech, so I can't mess up that bad...can I?
These pics are actually back from April but they were so cute I thought i'd put them up. Wes just can't wait for Miles to get a little bigger to be able to wrestle. It seems like i'm always saying "softer! softer!" Miles does just get the biggest smile on his face when Wes comes running into the room.
Here are a few pics of Brad and I wakeboarding! Brads just naturally good every year regardless if he got out the year before, me....not so much. So heres a few pics of me "staying up" and Brad gettin some pretty good air.
So I cant for the life of me figure out how to put pictures where I want on my page. So until I figure it out. sorry.
Last week my brother and his wife and their little girl came to IF because my brother layed the stone on our fireplace. While they were here we did some fun things. We went to a couple of waterfalls and we took the boat out a couple of times and went wakeboarding. I LOVE wakeboarding. I'm not very good, but then again I havent had the chance to go more than once a summer wether its been because we didnt have a boat, or twice, because I was fully on prego. ( which by the way, didnt stop me, Brad had the issue. ;) So anyways. Thats been my release lately. My father-in-law has an old boat we take out when we want to. Wes claps and shouts "good job!" whenever someone does anything remotely cool. (like get out of the water)
We also went to Messa and Cave falls. pretty cool. To hot, but fun.
so....as you can see I am awefull about keeping this updated. So here's my latest attempt.
I guess some of the biggest news is that we are almost done with our house. Brad is laying tile as I write, then throw in the plumbing and carpet and were done. I cannot wait!! I hate this hot, smelly apartment. We have done a little more on this house ourselves, like the painting, and it is just wearing me out. I have helped Brad do all the specialty colors, so I have been dragging my poor boys up there every morning to get the painting done. They are such good sports. Wes just plays in the sandbox outside, and Miles usually naps. They are so tender. I am soooo excited about our house colors. (i'll post pics here in a few days) Our last house we just did one color everywhere, and we went the opposite extreme on this house. I hope others like it.
Last year we bought some land in Idaho Falls and Brad drew up some plans and went to work on building our second house. We are now on the finishing stages which means I dont see Brad much anymore. He goes from work to the house. Its ok though because we should be done in a month our so. We built in a "secret" play room for the boys underneath the stairs....Westley cant wait to play in it. He lets us know what colors and everything he thinks is cool. Its amazing how much kids listen when you dont think they are.
Wes is my little gentleman lately...he opens doors for me every where, and he say "here babe" everytime he hands me something. It's presh. My brother and his family are in town this weekend for my Grandmothers funeral, and Wes just loves his cousin Cora. He started singing "I love Cora, yes-sir-e, I love uncle Justin, yes-ser-e, I love Christina so you see!" He gets so excited to see them.
