2009

Well it has almost been a year since the last update so it goes without saying it has been a busy year! Little ones, work, and keeping up house is extremely time consuming! Plus you just can’t rely on the boys to do it! No Jeremy would do a good job but I keep him busy too! My parents and 6 of the kids moved to Okinawa in June. Jeremy, Oakley, and I, Melissa, her husband Justin, and now a new little boy Kodah are living at my parents while they are away. We are house-sitting for them so they have a place to live when they return in 2 years. Josh is on a mission in Orlando Florida! Jeremy lost his job at Qwest in March. We were really worried but he was able to find a better job with Supervalu in April. He is in the tech support area there and he is loving it! With the job loss and new job he has not been able to return to school but we are hoping in April we will be able to get tuition reimbursement from his work and he can get that finished up. Other than that I have been keeping him busy with projects around the house! I have still been working in the Women's Float Pool in Salt Lake City. I work on the Maternity, Nursery and NICU floors and I am hoping to train in Labor and Delivery soon! Working out is my second passion after my cute little family. Jeremy and I have recently started p90x. Its an extremely crazy, but great workout! We have only been doing it a little over two weeks but we can both see results already! Oakley has been growing and changing like crazy this year. She celebrated her first birthday in August. Her Grandma was able to fly over to be here for her birthday and she was so glad to see her! She has been walking or should I say she has been in a steady running state since 10 months! Mommy falls into bed exhausted after watching her all day. Work is a break! She has endless energy and goes from one thing to the next faster than I can keep up with! We call her hurricane Oakley! She is learning so fast. She loves to blow kisses, read books (and she really does read them in her own language to us!), talking to the family on the web cam, and visiting Great-Grandmas! She just learned how to pull out drawers to get things from the top of the dresser, play dress up in mommy and daddy’s clothes, and to tell mommy “No, No, No” when she does not like what mommy is doing! But above all her cousin Kodah and bath time are by far her favorites! This year has been full of fun! We went to Hawaii before my parents and Josh left. This summer we had a friend who bought a boat and we bought two wave runners with Jeremy and Tiffanie. Every chance we could we were out on the lake, including some time at Lake Powell. Summer was over too quick! I think that is what kept us the busiest! Well that is our year to date in a nutshell. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying life like we are!

Christmas!

Wow the holiday season flew by so fast! We had such an amazing year! Christmas was so fun with a little one! Even though she had no idea what was going on! We kinda went overboard buying her presents but we had such a great time shopping for them! Christmas is a great time of year to see family and friends and be with those you love for an extended time! When you get married it is hard to have the time for ALL the family parties around Christmas! Ours started with Jeremy's parents on December 19th. We had a great time eating, playing games, and exchanging Christmas stories. Oakley was so cute in her Santa shirt with Daddy! Then on the 20th we had a party with my Mom's side of the family! More food, games, and white elephant gifts were exchanged! I apparently am not very good at the pinata! Jeremy, Oakley, and I were also part of what we have affectionately named "The Mangy Scene!" We were Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus (Oakley is the only baby on that side so she was as good as it gets!)! We also played some rounds of lighting and even Grandma joined in the fun! We went home and took a nap after that party! On Christmas eve my family has a couple of traditions. First we get to open one present from my parents! It is always pajamas. Then we all put them on and line up for our family photo! It is getting kinda squished with all our new additions to the family! Then we all get comfortable and listen to my mom and dad read us "The Forgotten Carols" story. It takes a while and some even fall asleep but we love this tradition! After that all the kids bring their sleeping supplies in the family room downstairs and they all fall asleep in the same room watching "Elf" and "Muppets Christmas Carol!" Once all the kids are in bed Mom, Dad, and some of the older kids lay out the presents. Every year the kids get older they sleep in a little later on Christmas morning! This year we got to sleep until 7! Then rule is everyone has to be awake and no peeking! So we wake everyone up and go upstairs! Dad hands out the gifts. Once presents are open we have eggnog and doughnuts and orange rolls for breakfast. This year it took us a little longer to get to breakfast because Mom and Dad bought Marshmallow shooters. So we had a marshmallow war! I think we are still finding marshmallows around the house! But what a memory! Around 1030 or 11 we all head over to my Dad's parents house for presents and lunch there. Then we watch some football and take naps. Then its home to play with the toys! This year my family got a Wii and I got a Wii fit to go with it so we had some fun playing with that! My mom and dad got a massage chair, well one of those things you put on a chair, that we all took turns sitting in all day! Overall it was an eventfull, but fun, day! Jeremy and I even got to have Christmas Eve and Christmas off from work! That made the holidays that much better! Oh and we were blessed with a white Christmas also! What a fun year!

Our First Family Photos

We had our first "professional" family photos taken today. We had to go pretty cheap so we just got them done at the portrait studio in Walmart. I think they turned out so cute! Oakley did pretty good especially since she just got her 4 month shots and has been a little grouchy. She lasted until the very last picture, barely. It was fun to see how cute we were!

Christmastime Traditions

So we have discovered that Oakley loves Christmas

just like her Daddy! Well she loves the Christmas tree

lights! And she loves the train that goes around the

Christmas tree! She also loves the Christmas music

and playing the Christmas songs on the piano with

Mommy! Her Aunts and Uncles love to put her under

the tree and watch her watch the lights and train.

We have a tradition, that I am sure others around this

area do also, we go see the lights on Temple Square

as a family so we went Monday night. Oakley was

fascinated by the lights! She loved it! She was all

bundled up and in her snugli with Mommy. Her little

cheeks got cold but that was it! She did not make it

all the way through! By the end she had crashed!

But she came home and played some more with

her Mommy! So far we are loving the Season!

Still not sure about the snow though!

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Thanksgiving was great! We have so much to be thankful for. Sometimes I think it is wrong that people need a special holiday to remember the things they are thankful for but we do because life gets too busy and we forget. We spent Thanksgiving with my Mom's side of the family. We trade off years with my Mom and Dad's sides of the family. This year was Mom's. We go to my Grandma's church and eat until we can't move! Then Grandma brings out the pies!!! So we eat some more! Then we just waddle around! Actually we usually start up some shooting with a basketball and play until we are sweaty and want to die because of the tummy aches! This year Jeremy and I went over to his brother Jons house and had more food! Yummy! All in all it was a good and filling day!
Yes I am one of those people who love to shop the sales on Black Friday! I know some think you only save a couple of dollars but most of the time it is much more than that! The lines and the crowds are all worth it to me! I am not one of those shoppers that loses all of my humanity for the sale items like some! I have been punched and shoved and had things stolen from my arms but I still return! Besides as long as you get there early enough and get the things you want quickly the lines are not that long! This year we got a bunch of stuff at Wal-mart and had quite a good time! We were quite the crowd! We had my Mom and Dad, Jeremy and I, Jeremy and Tiff, Melissa and Justin, and Josh! We split up and got some really good items! We go to breakfast afterward and it is quite a tradition.

The big game!

Purple for the big day!

Fuzzy but cute even though she is Utah stuff!

She even has red sparkly shoes to match!


Wow! Was it disgusting! I really thought BYU had a chance to at least look good against Utah but Max Hall the quarterback single handedly screwed that up! Yesterday was a horrible day to be a BYU fan! Even though I wanted Utah to win for the BCS bowl and everything I still hoped it was going to be a game! And it was! Until the 4th quarter!
Oakley was as promised neutral almost all week! She wore purple everyday this week! She looks so good in purple that was the main reason. But on Friday the day before the big game I got her dressed in a Utah utes undershirt and a BYU t-shirt over it with her sparkly jeans! She looked just adorable! I am at work doing this blog or I would add a picture! Her daddy did not think it was fair that the BYU shirt was on top though! Lol! But her mommy is the one that gets her dressed so haha! Not that it helped! But it made me feel better about the horrible loss yesterday!
Jeremy and I were almost not able to hang out at all last night I was so upset! He got back from watching the game at his friends and he was so good about it! Even though I know he wanted to rub it in! Oh well better luck next year BYU! I for one still remain faithful!

The Rivalry

Early preparation for the summer sun!

So big!

Smiles for everyone!

Smiling and moving! Too cute not to post with her little tongue sticking out!

Chillin' with Daddy!

Not much happening here lately. We are just preparing for the big game this Saturday. Because Jeremy and I differ on our opinion on the teams we have agreed to keep Oakley neutral this weekend. So she will be dressed in purple. No plain red or plain blue anywhere in site. We had to do this for the best compromise possible. Since I am usually the one that dresses her and Jeremy is going to be gone anyway (he can't even watch the game with me because I am a BYU fan), I could have just gotten her dressed in anything I wanted and he would never know but I thought I would be the better person and go with the compromise. So she will be pretty in purple even though she owns clothes for both teams. (The BYU stuff is cuter!) GO BYU! I have recently gone back to work but I have not had to work very often lately. Which is a huge blessing because I hate being away from her right now! Not to mention pumping at work sucks! Once I am done breastfeeding her in a couple of months it will be a lot easier to work! So even though the money is tight it is nice to be home and continue to bond with Oakley! Not to mention I have time to get things done when I don't have to work. You are never really prepared for how much work it is to be a mom! I don't know how women go back to work full time and keep on top of the housework, the cooking, and a brand new baby! Part-time is crazy enough! I feel like I never have enough time for everything and things that should not be put on the back burner get put there because there is no time! Oh well it will get easier I am told!
Oakley is getting so big so fast and I hate to miss out on anything!She loves to stand and sit with help of course. She is quite the talker now! She also loves to give out smiles! They are so hard to get on the camera though because her whole body gets excited also! That is another good thing about not working much! I don't miss very much! I am afraid while I am at work I am going to get texts from my mom, who is baby sitting her, that she has learned to roll over without me there, or learned to crawl without me there! I guess only time will tell.
It is crazy how fast this year has come and gone! The holiday season is fast approaching! Next week is Thanksgiving! Crazy!