Better late than never, right!

I wimped out and just did Costco this year...actually b/c I got a great deal there, but I really was kinda sad I didn't design my own again...but I do LOVE that cute little snowman!

20 Collages...

Get ready, get set, Go! Props to whoever can get through the last 3 months of pics!!! Whew...see, we're so busy, it's hard to find time to write about all that we're doing!!! Enjoy, or not, but either way, I got it done, and I'm so stoked about it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DECEMBER THUS FAR:
After the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert. James' cousin's wife had extra tickets, and we all had a blast! Not pictured: James' 95 yr. old grandma that was with us before, but went home with someone else. We had to walk soooo far from our car to the Conference center, I think we were like 6 levels underground...once we got into the parking garage, they just kept directing us down, down, down...and we even had to take 2 seperate elevators...it was bizarre. Meanwhile, grandma is keeping up with all of us like a champ. The only time she seemed to waiver was when we hit a huge stairwell at the end, but she totally got up the courage and climbed all the way up...I could not believe her! We ended up sitting on the front row for the concert, and it was amazing...so was Grandma! Thanks Sonja!!!Rudolph Kaylie. Preschool is so fun!
LAST day of dance. Shed a tear. Can't afford it next semester, and really, life is a little too busy, so I won't miss it, but I know Kaylie will...
Goodbye to my Aunt Karen. Her funeral was last Sunday. It was so bittersweet to see her kids. We don't get to see them very often, so we loved being with them, but it was a rollercoaster of emotions hanging out with them and going through all of her stuff. We got to go see our Uncle as "Clarence" in "It's a wonderful life" the night before the funeral...and went to The Pie after, which was sooo much fun, and gave us a break from thinking about everything.
I will always remember my Aunt's fun, bouncy attitude, and forever be thankful for all the years she let me use her pool for my birthday parties. The smell of original Trident gum will forever remind me of her, and I do buy it often! I was amazed at all the stories of quiet service, and how quick she was to help behind the scenes. I know I will see her again. And I know for sure that she and my dad are having a blast watching all of us until then... :)
Zoo lights. I had no idea how amazing they are! They are soo cool! And there are sooo many!!! I wish it hadn't been so stinkin cold, we would have walked around a lot longer! I loved how bundled my kiddos were, don't we all look like marshmellows! He he he! I highly recommend everyone go see the lights!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
Thanksgiving Day...obviously, we had fun. I LOVE food. And this year we started a new tradition, that I'm actually not sure we'll continue, but let's pretend we will. Each family got to decorate their own gingerbread house. I came up with the icicle idea, and it was cute on mine, but then my bro, who is a great ar-tiste, took it to a whole new level, I didn't put the pic of his on, cause I didn't want to embarrass mine! Ha! Kaylie loved it, she was so into it (um, not...all she did was eat the frosting the WHOLE time James and I were trying to put it together). But it was fun, despite all the trickiness of it! And boy, with all the crazy stuff going on in the world right now, we were extra thankful this year for our warm home, comfy beds, and both of our jobs (even though I would rather not work), b/c we are truly lucky people, and so grateful to have each other, and ALL our friends and family that we LOVE so much!!! Happy Thanksgiving...Kangaroo Zoo 11 25 09: Just another fun day of play with Jaxon, John, Dan, Peyton, Kaylie, Josh, and now little Joseph too!
Yes. Yes. Yes. New Moon with the girls. It was sooooo much fun. And actually, it wasn't even the movie that made it so fun, although Jacob did help that movie fly right by...he he he! It was soo much fun to be with these girlies. We had a blast talking and catching up before and then after for like 2 hrs! Love you ladies!James got a night out on the town too, with his "favorite daughter" at Princesses on Ice. They had sooo much fun too! James was laughing at Kaylie's reactions, she was either GLUED to the show, or so ecstatic she couldn't contain herself. Needless to say, I think they'll probably go again next year! (Side note: I used to go to Disney on Ice with my daddy too!!!)
Another fun day of dance. This day though, Kaylie had twinner outfits with her friend Naomi, on accident of course! It was like this amazing bond came with wearing purple skirts and black leotards that day! It was cute to watch!!!
WOOT WOOT! Everyone, Joshua James is officially walking now...and isn't he so stinkin cute doing it!!! I love watching him walk around, and I really think he gets a kick out of the fact he can do it too!
We went to the zoo one day, and liked it so much, we went back the next day for a playdate! It was perfect weather, and I've never seen all the animals so active...plus we got to see all the babies, the baby monkey, giraffe, and elephant were ADORABLE!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OCTOBER:
Halloween 09:
At the childrens' museum...with the Kercher cousins.
At preschool...they even put on a little program with Halloween songs and a parade. Kaylie got a prize for selling the 3rd most cookies for the fundraiser...she was kinda shy about it! Then all the kiddos got their very own pumpkin out of Ms. Wendy's pumpkin patch!
At the Evans: Grandma Evans is a witch every year and always makes a killer "brew." James really likes the "Stirring the Brew" song...can't you tell! And yep, that rockin, sick looking eyeball was a cake, made by me...gross huh! It actually was quite good, with strawberry sauce all over it, acting as the blood...he he he!
This is actually the only time James and I put on our full costumes. We really like themed costumes, so Kaylie was a lion, Josh a tiger, and James was a hunter... I naturally, was an Animal rights activist, to protect my little ones of course! Ha!
Actually on Halloween, trick-or-treating/hangin with the Steadmans :)VEGAS BABY!!!!!! I got to tag along with James on his business trip to Vegas. It was 3 days and 3 nights, and it flew by! It's the longest time we've ever left our kiddos. The only time we've left Joshy. And the only other time we've gone anywhere overnight was 1 night, and we picked Kaylie up at like 10am the next day!
So yeah, it felt a little weird, but also a little liberating! I slept in til 11am one day! Woot woot! But I did spend a lot of time one day at the pool on the phone b/c Josh and Kaylie both got sick while we were gone...had to do some rearranging with babysitters...
We had a blast being together just us...we also had lots of fun seeing our buddies Cory and Jess! It was super tricky to get babysitters, so I don't know that we'll do it again any time soon, but it sure was fun while it lasted!
Before we left for Vegas, we took the kids to make bears...we recorded our voices on each one, so they could press their hands while we were gone, and they each say "Kaylie/Josh, mommy/daddy, loves you!" They're pretty cool little bears, and they love them!
Family Pics. Our cute friends just took these for us one night, so we wouldn't have to pay someone else booku bucks...Thanks Andy and Julie!!! They turned out great! And I know, I know, I'm a bad mom for having a barefoot baby, but I just love his little feet, I think they're adorable, and amazingly tan, so I like to show em off! :)
Playin in the leaves: I just love looking down our street at all the huge trees, and all their many colors! I think some of my favorite pictures of Kaylie in her life have been of her playing in leaves, she just LOVES them...like me!Family fun night. We sure like frozen yogurt and smoothies in our family...can you tell?

September in a nutshell...I mean in collages...

So...why is Joshy in a cute little hospital outfit? I think some people already know, our little Joshy got tubes in his ears the beginning of Sept. Since then, he has slept through the night, and doesn't stop playing to pull on his ears...(except recently again, since he's getting his molars! OUCH!)
He actually did so great with all of the surgery stuff. He was a little disoriented when he woke up, but once we left the recovery room, he was a champ, doing JUST fine! I have to echo others that I've heard have had this same surgery done, "I wish we had done it sooner!"

Family Night Fun. We LOVE the mountains, and Millcreek is our canyon of choice...it's where we went on our first date, where we got engaged, and where we got our engagement pictures too...So, we had so much fun going up the canyon and making smores with the YW/YM the week before, we decided to do it for Family Night before it started getting too cold. And actually, speaking of engagement pics, I wish I could post the one that looks just like those 2 of James and Kaylie in the water...we have one just like it, from 6 years ago...he he he!

Well, well, well. Keithy, you sure made my night! Keith Urban. One great country ROCKER! I dragged James to his concert in CT, and he actually had a good time, because Keith knows how to get down and rock it...seriously, awesome with that guitar, even the light up one!
Here's the best part of the story:
James got me the tickets for my birthday, which was in August, but really he bought the tickets in March, and I talked him into getting the cheap seats, ya know, save some moola. But when we got there and realized our seats were 4 rows from the very top of ESA, he was feelin pretty bad, and I was actually pretty bummed... So we went down a few rows, and we were the only ones on the row, waiting til someone claimed their seats... A guy walks up the stairs, and keeps looking at us, so I say "oh, sorry, are these your seats?" He laughs, and says "No, but are you Keith Urban fans?" I was like um, yeah, why else would we be here, but anyway, he asked if we would like better seats...NO KIDDIN, he hands us tickets for the 5TH ROW!!!! I was beside myself. Not even just 5th row back in the middle, ya know, straight on with the stage...but the side 5th row...soooooo close to the stage, I couldn't stand it! It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! (And, some may say it was a coincidence, but honestly, I had been praying that somehow we would get better seats, there was a contest by text, and I kept entering it, and praying in my little heart)...it really is so cool to see how Heavenly Father uses other people to answer your prayers... Whether you believe it or not, I think it was an answered prayer, and I am so grateful, because it made our night so much more memorable!!!! James and I love date nights so much...there's nothing like getting away for a while and feeling all young and crazy again! Sum up: I love Keith, and I love James for taking me to see him... :)

St. George. So fun. That's right, no James in those pics, actually no dad's at all. Liz and I packed up us and our 4 combined children and headed down to visit Jess and Pete for a couple days while they were down there. It was actually sooo fun, I love never ending playdates, can't beat it, when you get to play all day, and wake up and play the whole next day with friends. I think the mom's had just as much fun as the kids...some of those pics are cut off, but if you can kinda see the dirt they were playing in, you'll understand why we took pics of them in the tub after...the whole tub was dirt colored, so to really clean the kids, we had to wash them individually in the sinks! Ha!

Kaylie's first day of Preschool...doesn't she look so grownup with her backpack!!!!
She is LOVING it, and it's actually been super fun for me too, I've been getting way more cleaning done, and I'll be honest, a few more naps too... he he he!Dance. Dance. Dance. Need I say more? Like mother like daughter, she can't get enough of it. She LOVED being like a butterfly with her cloth wings. She always wants to goto dance, but it's only once a week. Not enough for Kaylie.
And just a random fun pic of James and I at the temple. Trying to go more lately...
Love the temple. Loved Conference last weekend.
Loved September. Can't believe how stinkin fast it flew by...can't believe I didn't blog like at all...

A little angry...

So. I've decided I don't think I'm ever ready to get pregnant again. Here's why. So, I got a little taste of it again, flashbacks too real...
I got a new prescription for my birth control last week. Since I started taking it, I have been soooo nauseous, having headaches, feeling soooo tired. So, was it a dud, didn't work, and I'm prego. Nope, 2 tests have confirmed no! Thank goodness. Turns out, the pharmacy gave me the WRONG pill!!! I've always been on the mini pill...forever, and never had any problems, well, they gave me the generic for Ortho-Tricyclen. Oops, wrong! So, thanks a lot, Mr. Pharmacy technician, for hurrying to get me my Rx before I went out of town...but next time, take your time, so you get the right pill, and save me all the flu like miserableness that I sure would have liked to do without!!!
So, now, after the week of yuck, that brought back so many fond (not) memories of the first trimester of both of my pregnancies, I am yet reminded why I want to wait for a long time, if not indefinitely to have another one...EVEN though I know, I know, they're worth it in the end...

And just for fun, for those of you that know how crazy weird I am about numbers...Lovin all the 3's on both of their tickers!
Okay...I copied them when Kaylie's said 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and Josh's said 1 year, 3 months and 3 days...Now they changed...

Hiking

Kaylie and Porter. BFF's!

Kaylie ran almost the entire way up AND down the whole hike...she was a fast little ball of energy! She would've run the entire way, but I made her stop and wait for the rest of us!

Sweet little Josh man...mommy always takes you places when it's your nap time...you are oh so patient and cute to sleep wherever!

I LOVE hiking. And I can't believe I have a little 3 yr. old that loves it as much as I do... If I hadn't had a backpack with a baby in it, I would've run up and down the whole trail with her... I can't wait til she gets older and we can go on even longer hikes together!!! And we LOVE our friends the Bybees, what a fun afternoon with such fun people!!! :)

End of July to End of August...

In a nutshell: playdates, Thanksgiving Point, the Zoo, swimming, Joshy learning to feed himself, and stand, and walk pushing things, crawling everywhere, Growing our own crops, Me turning 26, going to Lagoon with just James (best day! Seriously, one of my favorite birthdays so far!), Liberty park, Laird Park, science class making and eating ice cream, Kaylie dressing herself, wanting only dresses, sometimes could talk her into skirts, for like the entire month of August, McDonalds playplace, fun now that Josh can climb so well, Ward campout...to sum up: LOTSA FUN! Can't believe summer is over, it has gone way too fast...but don't worry, we'll still have lotsa fun with fall too... :)

Some other random pics I couldn't fit in the collage:Have I told ya'll about my family's obsession with Berry Smoothies from Costco? Seriously, we need our own machine, especially Josh. The kid goes crazy for em!!!
James' 10 YEAR high school reunion...yep...he's that OLD!!! HA!!!
"Tree Hugger Kaylie" Yep, following after her mommy and grandma, who, James says, are total tree huggers too... Disclaimer: I did not tell her to do this. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and she was worried about the tree...on her own!
Oh my heck. Nothing better than the sound of your two kids playing together and laughing hysterically, especially after you just dragged them all around the mall!
Summer night bike rides. Pure bliss in my book. Especially here, when they both fell asleep just in time for bedtime... We have loved having James home at night (not at school) this summer, and cannot believe summer is already over, and it's already back to school time...bummer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Cabin Pics: from last month, but still needed to post...All the cousins waking up and hangin out together, and of course, adoring the babies!Josh and John. 10 weeks apart, and you'd be surprised who is older... :)