Two Years Old!

Happy Birthday to the best thing we ever created! We love you so much bud and are so grateful to have you as our son. You keep us laughing and enjoying all the exciting things life has to offer. Today will be all about you! Dad took off work so we can hang out all day long, and we are so excited. Thanks for being the reason we get up the morning, work and pray so hard. We love you with all our hearts and love watching you learn new things, grow and develop that adorable personality. You are saying new words everyday and love to snuggle up with us in bed in the morning and watch your "Choo Choo" show. You love to point out every car, truck, tractor, train, bus or backhoe you see and I just love hearing you say "Mom! WOW" when you see something new or exciting. Thanks for making us so happy. We are so excited to see you with your new little sister, she will be so lucky to have you looking out for her. Have a great day little man. We love you!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Oh What Do You Do...

Oh what do you do in the wintertime, when your mommy looks like this?


Do you go to a basketball game and play with your cars?



Do you use your yummy waffles as cars on the kitchen table?


Do you snuggle with your mom and watch your new favorite show, "Chuggington?"


Do you get to entertain yourself for hours while you mom paints and paints and paints??



Is that what you do? So do I!! And I love it!

Catch up...

Well friends, it's January...And after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and vacations, it just seems like a pretty boring month. We really haven't done much that is blog worthy, but I thought I would post a few pictures for Grandma.

We have mainly been getting ready for this baby that is scheduled to come in 4 weeks from Friday! I have a tentative C-section date scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26th but we will confirm it at my appt. on Wednesday. I am really excited to meet this little girl and can't wait to see Hayden as a big brother! We have been painting, going through newborn clothes, rearranging, buying, borrowing, etc. to get ready for her arrival. It just floors me that something so small needs SO much! I am still feeling really good (all things considered) but I am definitely anxious for the pregnancy part to be over. But I am trying to make the best of it and enjoy this time just with Hayden.

The other day we were sitting on the couch in the afternoon reading some books and the baby just started kicking like crazy. I put both of Hayden's hands on my belly so he could feel her move and the expression on his face was priceless! He was so excited to feel her move and even see my belly move. It was so adorable to look down and see his little hands feeling that baby move. Made me a little emotional...just one of those special mommy moments.

Hayden has all of the sudden turned into a little boy. He is really starting to talk and says a new word everyday. His new thing is to say, "Hey mom, wait!" whenever I leave a room. So cute! I want to write down all the things he can say but I will do that when he turns 2, which is coming up soon!

He also slept in a big boy bed last night! He did really well. He cried for a bit by the door, but after going in once and laying him down again he slept the whole night in his bed. He was so excited about sleeping in that bed! We went to dinner and on our way home I was telling him that he got to sleep in his new bed. So when we pulled up to our house he yelled, "Na night! Woohoo!" I took a few pictures of the happy big boy. I don't have bedding or anything yet for his bed but he sure looked cute!


We also took some time this week to make brownies. I wasn't sure if Hayden would want to lick the beaters because he doesn't really like chocolate that much, but man! He went to town and threw a fit when he had licked every last ounce of chocolate off and there was none left. He got chocolate everywhere! YUM!



And then lastly, here is a picture of my cute boys all ready for Church. I just love them so much and am so grateful they are mine! I am one lucky mom and wife!



Have a good week!

Quick Trip to Cali

The middle of December, Matt had an agency Christmas party in Newport Beach, CA. His agency here in Washington combined with another agency in California a few months ago, so they decided to fly all the Washington agents and their wives to California for a big Christmas dinner complete with prizes, great food, and beautiful scenery. The dinner was held at a reception hall that looked over the Newport Bay which holds a Christmas boat parade each year. So we sat and ate a wonderful dinner while watching this fantastic boat parade! It was great to meet more of Matt's coworkers and get a better feeling of what exactly he does all day. He has worked so hard this year and really holds his own next to some of these agents who have been in this career for 20 years. I was really proud of him that night! He also won us some great gift cards! Woohoo!



We had some time the next day before our plane left so we took advantage of it and walked around Newport Beach. We stopped at this gorgeous outdoor mall, Fashion Island, and had a great time window shopping as well as people and car watching. Matt could not get over the cars! Just a little different than our lives here in Buckley...hah!



After the mall, we made our way to the beach. It definitely wasn't warm enough to get in the water, but we put our feet in a had a good time watching the surfers. The ocean is just so relaxing to me. It was really nice to be there, even if it was only for a few minutes.


We then ate lunch at a local crab restaurant and then headed off to the airport and back home. It was so nice to get away together for a night and enjoy each other's company. Thanks Jenn and Dawson for taking Hayden. He LOVED being at your house and still talks about how he went "na night at Evi's'" We owe you big time!

Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! It was so much fun to watch Hayden enjoy this Christmas season. He didn't get the whole Santa brought his gifts or what the whole holiday means, but he sure had fun looking at all the lights, opening his presents, pointing out the baby Jesus in every nativity and spending time with all his grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles.




A few days after Christmas we made the trek up to our Canadian family to spend a week celebrating with them. We had a fun filled week! We played a traditional BINGO game, went sledding, went swimming at an indoor wave pool, checked out the Calgary Children's Museum, had a fondue party New Years Eve, went snowboarding (well...Matt did), and we even were able to be there for the blessing of Matt's cousin's new little girl, Olivia. It was FREEZING up there in Calgary! We looked like such rookies when we went sledding (it was a sight! haha) but Hayden loved the snow (TROOOOOWW, as he calls it).




Matt and Hayden sleeping after a long day of snowboarding and playing at the museum.

I guess Hayden thought our game of BINGO was a bit too loud for him. He kept plugging his ears.

We had a great few weeks with family and Hayden sure got spoiled! He loves both sets of grandparents and it so fun to watch them with him and him with them.

I love the New Year because it gives me a chance to reevaluate, set some goals and get organized. We have a lot to do before our baby girl comes in 8 weeks and we are so excited to have her here!! I know the lack of sleep is hard, but I just love newborns. They are the best. Only 8 weeks left, I can't believe it!

Some randoms...

I have a few pictures and videos I have been meaning to post for Grandma and Grandpa in Canada.

A month or so ago, we went to the Seattle car show. Hayden loved all the cars and kept asking to "ride" in everyone.



I just love that first one of my two boys. Matt sure has a little car buddy in Hayden. It was too cute watching them admire all those cars!

I must say that I had a real "mom" moment yesterday. Hayden brought home his first ornament made in nursery! I was so proud! It made me feel like a real mom to have my little guy bring home an ornament from Church. It is too cute and looks so good on our tree.



And here is a quick video for Grandma and Grandpa. We have been skyping them lately but Hayden will only sit there for a minute or two, so here is some more of him talking and showing off the Christmas decorations.


Tonight my piano students had their Christmas recital at a local nursing home. They all looked so cute, played so well and I was so proud of them! They all had lots of family there to support them and the residents of the home loved having them there and even sang some Christmas songs with them. I have been teaching piano for about a year and a half now and have really loved it. I am stopping now so that I can get ready for baby #2 and have bittersweet feelings about it. I am really going to miss the kids! Aren't they just the cutest?



And I just have to end with this cute picture of my sister Claire reading to Hayden. He was super hyper tonight but he loved sitting there quietly listening to Claire read "Twas the Night Before Christmas." It was pretty adorable.

We're back!

We have been without a computer for the last few weeks and I have felt so disconnected from the world! It is kind of sad how much I enjoy my computer time while Hayden is napping. But, we got a new computer yesterday so we are back online and taking some time to upload the blog.

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Hopefully you ate a lot of yummy food and enjoyed family and friends.

We decided to make the trip to Salt Lake to spend Thanksgiving with some of my family there. The best part was that my sister Erin, who plays basketball for SLCC, had 2 games this last weekend so we were able to watch her in action.

It was so much fun to see family in Utah that we don't get see very often. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt and uncles in Park City on Thursday and then spent Friday and Saturday watching basketball. Hayden loved every minute of it. He watched the game, danced to the music, cheered for Erin and pushed his cars around the bleachers. He was such a trooper the whole trip.

We had a great weekend but were excited to get back home, get our Christmas decorations put up and enjoy this holiday season!

So beautiful!!


Thanksgiving day with my brothers Chase, TJ and sister Erin. We missed you Claire! And I think Perry was passed out in the recliner at this point...

Hayden listening to some tunes with TJ's headphones. This lasted about 2 minutes.


He was rocking out to some rap song so we taught him a thug move. He looks pretty tough, huh?

Hayden and his auntie Erin. So cute!