Tuesday, December 29, 2009

We want to wish you...

A wonderful, fabulous, joyous, healthy and happy New Year!
With Love ALWAYS...
Justin, Kylea, Jyllian and Cohl



December 2009

I have to say that this month has flown by so quickly I sometimes forget what all has happened. We've had a wonderful month of December. Days flew by being filled with school, parties, assessing (for me of my school kids), shopping and hanging out with friends and family. I feel as though our lives are just so full of wonderful things. We have made some great friends this year and have enjoyed getting to spend time with them and their families. My family has been wonderful as usual and we are so blessed that we are able to be around them and they want to be around us. Whatever we ask, whenever we ask they always come through for us. We really do not know what we would do without them. We're thankful that their grammy and uncle live so close. Cohl's favorite things to say lately (although quite annoying to mommy) "Wheres Shane? Grammy? Work? Home?" He asks so quickly you usually do not have time to answer.
Our Holdiays were a little different this year and we were not able to have Christmas at the ranch with the Scott Family as we usually do. We had to adjust and adapt our Holidays because Justin's work schedule does not allow for him to be off for all major holidays. Unlike me he doesn't get off for two weeks at Christmas or three months during the summer. He doesn't get to make his own hours where he can just take off whenever he wants. His job isn't flexible so that if he takes off early today he can make those hours up over the weekend...so when the schedule showed that he was yet again working Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as EVERY weekend in December we had to make some adaptions to the holiday. We decided it would be wonderful if we invited everyone to be with us for Christmas. Although only my family came, we were able to spend it with people we love and my mom and brother were able to see the excitement on the kids faces when they woke Christmas morning. Our family tradition is and always will be that we are home on Christmas morning as this is where Santa comes. If and when the day comes that they no longer believe we will think about doing something else. I am thankful that my mom and brother share with us this tradition and will not miss it! Although we missed the Scott family and we were not able to celebrate with them we thought of them and hoped they had a wonderful Christmas. Maybe next year we will be able to have Christmas with them too...
Christmas was wonderful. The anticipation the kids had was just exciting and made me and Justin feel like kids again. We were giddy Christmas eve night as "Santa" arrived and brought the presents. To see our living room be transformed and rearranged to make room for all the gifts was just plain awesome. We loved it...Cohl got great at saying "Santa HoHoHo..Merry Christmas!" We were all SPOILED as can be on Christmas morning. It was great to watch the kids open their gifts. Cohl lasted about 30 mins and then he was done. Jyllian ended up opening the rest of his. Jyllians favorite gift was the DS she got from her pappy, twin cabbage patch babies from grammy, tinker bell doll from uncle shane, a vanity from Santa and an easy bake oven from mom and dad. Cohl favs are his couch from pappy, chair from grammy, crayons he got from mom and dad, and Chuck the talking truck he got from Santa. Justin got clothes, stuff for his garage, new running shoes and workout clothes as well as gift cards and misc items. I got new boots, running shoes, a fondue machine, clothes and stuff for sewing--just to name a few :) the best thing that Justin/I got besides money was a printer/copier/scanner that we got from Jerry (my mom's boyfriend). We love it! Thank you to all we appreciate your givingness!!! And we love you.
So with that here are some pictures again in a slideshow as I am finding this is much easier to do than actually attaching all the pictures of the month of December.

A recap of September-November.

Wow has it really been since Halloween that I've posted??? Geeeez Louise I'm awful...its not like I have two little ones and a full time job to keep me busy :) Ha! But still it is my goal in 2010 to be better at keeping this updated at least once a month. We shall see how that goes. It has been my goal to use this as a way to remember the days from when the kids were little. To look back and remind myself of thing they did or said, as well as keep family and friends from far away (or not so far--MOM) updated on pictures and what we've been up to. So I hope to be a little better at doing just that!
So lets go back to Halloween...wait no I need to go back to September! Yes September days of back to school and seasons changing. I do believe that is when I got too busy to keep up with this here blog. Well actually lets just give a update as whole. We will start with me! Work, kids and my hubby take up the majority of my time. We will start with work...My class this year is very unique...as a hole they are much lower than last year but oh my do they have a personality. I have enjoyed them so much and its been so fun watching them grow. We have been super busy and I am amazed that half the year has already passed. The next few months will fly by as they always do and before I know it will be May again--which will make me just so happy. I am in charge of the social committee again this year at work. This is where we plan the fun stuff for the staff...luncheons, gatherings, parties etc. Its fun...but our staff is a little well lets say bitchy so it makes it a bit difficult from time to time. I've been on the committe for a few years and have headed it up for the past two. Needless to say this will be my last--time to pass the buck :) I've also starting working on a RTI Committee which has been exciting. RTI stands for Response to Intervention and its where you to teach to each child's needs by grouping them accordingly and then continuously monitoring to make sure what you are teaching is working. It is so exciting for educators :) and I'm excited to be apart of that team. Another big thing I've done at work is joined the afterschool program team. I'm teaching remediation to 1st graders for 45 mins afterschool. It has been so much fun to get to hang out with some of my old kiddos or just kids I was around last year. Its exciting to see their growth even if they are behind their peers. So I've enjoyed that. The extra money I'm making for that helped with Christmas this year...and in the spring will go towards a 30th Birthday Get-a-Way.....we are working on the plans as we speak :)
Outside of school I've been busy with 3 other moms putting together a working mom/night group of MOPS. MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers and its a support group per say for moms of children ages pregnancy-kindergarten. We are busy busy busy getting plans underway and are very excited about this group! Our first gathering will be on January 20th as a meet and greet and then we will be meeting the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month. This will make my Wednesdays very busy for the rest of the school year but yet another thing to make the spring go quickly. I'm ready for summer break and christmas break isn't even over yet :) Ha! Time will go quickly I know. So thats pretty much it for me...
Justin is busy too with work and being daddy daycare when he is off. He also heads up Search and Rescue for the county so that keeps him busy as well. When he is not working he is wrangling up the kiddos. He is such a wonderful daddy and the kids just love being home with their daddy. We have an awesome daycare but they would much rather be home any day. Jyllian especially. Justin does his best to keep them entertained and not killing each other which proves to be a chore most days. He has been working really hard at running the past few months to prepare for a 10k we are running in May and then eventually a half marathon and maybe one day a marathon. I'm too much of a procrastinator to start that early--I will wait until March :) He is doing really good at it though and ran his first unofficial 10k one night and I was just so proud of him. Jealous--a little but my bed felt much better! I know he will do just fine when the time comes for the big race.
Now onto the kids...
Jyllian stil loves loves loves school. I think she would go everyday if we let her. I know she will be wonderful in Kindergarten next year. She is already counting down the days. I on the other hand am already have anxiety attacks over it. I just don't think I'm ready for her to be 5 and going to big kid school. I am thankful however that she will be there with me even if I have no intention of teaching her. I do plan however for her to be across the hall from me so I can check in on her whenever I want. I am pretty sure I will be the one having the hard time next year. I think Justin is also counting down the days! In school she is just like a sponge just soaking up everything Miss Kendra teaches. She has learned most of her alphabet along with the sounds and can give words for the letters. She rhymes like a rhyming queen. Its pretty funny though every word that she gives to rhyme starts with a "B" so if I say what rhymes with cat-bat; candle-bandle; tree-bee. Its funny. Shes come a long way socially too, she is not as much of a follower as shes been and actually is beginning to stand up for herself which is wonderful. She is quite emotional...have no idea where she gets that from HA! Shes going to be just like her momma. Jyllian started gymnastics this year and oh my goodness she is a natural. She does so good and is such a good listener. You can tell by watching her that she is giving 110% at everything. We are so proud and its so fun to see them involved in something they enjoy. Justin really enjoys going and watching and since it is on Monday nights at 6:45 I usually have him just go and I stay with Cohl as he is in bed by 7ish everynight. Only on nights that Justin has to work do I venture out. It is so awesome to watch her though. I can't wait to continue to watch her do it. I think she could be pretty good one day. She loves to dance as well. We thought about dance for her but decided against it so for now she is busy dancing her heart out at home. We also have quite the vocalist on our hands as well as a guitarist. she is a one woman show! She loves to dress up in her princess dresses and sing her heart out. She knows most Taylor Swift songs by heart and played the guitar and sang for us the other night. She also writes her own music...I'm pretty sure her lyrics last night were..."mommy's on the computer and daddy says its family time oh yea oh yea!" Oh I was laughing so hard. It was the cutest thing ever. I am going to attempt to get a video of her soon. Its priceless.
Cohl is growing growing. Its amazing to me that he is already a year and half. I can't even begin to think of where the time has gone. He amazes us every day with what he picks up on and is able to do. He is a copy cat and mimics everything we say and do. He can speak more words now than Jyllian did at this age. He cracks us up with the things he comes up with. And oh he is soo darn cute. His cuteness sure does get him out of things now we can only imagine what it will be like when he is older. He is still our peanut though..well both kids are. Jyllian our skinny minny and Cohl our short and stout little boy. At his 18month check up they literally stretched him to make him stay on the growth chart. Our dr's words were "well he is not going to be no Andre the Giant is he!" Nope sure not. His allergies limit him on what he is able to eat and drink but he is thriving which is what is important to us. He loves going to daycare and even has a little girl friend there. Her name is Bradee and she is just a couple months younger than he is. Oh they are sooo cute together. They give hugs and kisses when leaving. Too cute! His little heart was broken the other day though when she scratched him across the face. It was a pretty good scratch leaving a semi deep cut that we're hoping will not scar he cute dimply face. When I got him home I asked him what had happened and he said "Bra-e krc" and held his finger like a hook and pretended to scratch. I laughed but he was so sad about it. Now everytime we mention daycare he tells us "Bra-e krc!" So we shall see how much "in love" they are when we go back next week. Lucky for us though he absolutely LOVES Jayme his babysitter. He wakes up every morning when he has to go and says "Juhme, juhme!" We're so happy to have found someone that both kids like so much and she takes wonderful care of them. She is resonably prices and lives across the street from us. YAY! Its just wonderful. She too has a son that is several months older than Jyllian but will be in her class.
Jyllian and Cohl both keep us on our toes with their own interaction. It never seems to fail that we turn our back for one second and they're fighting. Oh how early this begins. He wants what she has, she wants what he has. He's hitting me, she is in my space. Thats mine....MOMMMMMMYYYYYYY! Oh the joys of having two. Everyone says we should just throw another into the mix. I think NOT!
So that pretty sums up the update on us...I will let the rest of what we've been up to be summarized in pictures...Hope you enjoy.
I have created a slide show...the view a caption for the photo please place the mouse over the picture and it will tell a little about what the picture is about.



PS: December/Christmas will be a separate post. I hope to have it up before New Years :)

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween

I know I haven't posted in a couple of months....I do plan to have an update up about what we've been up to soon. So make sure to check back. But in the meantime thought you'd enjoy some cute pics from tonight. Jyllian was Dorothy and Cohl was the Tin Man. They both had a great time! Cohl loved trick or treating, even if he can't eat the candy! :) So enjoy....AND be ready for a grand post about what we've been up to with tons of pictures. Because afterall the pictures is what you come here for anyways right?!?!?!


























Sunday, September 27, 2009

Jyllian's First Day At Preschool

TGFD--thank goodness for daddy's! Thats because this mommy had to work on Jyllian's first day of school and due to the fact that things were too crazy that morning for me to leave Justin had to take Jyllian on her first day and boy oh boy did he do an awesome job! Not only did he get her to school on time, but he also took some great pictures and even took her out to breakfast. What a great daddy he is! So here is our big girl on her first day. Next year...Kindergarten! Oh I get sad just thinking about it, but the only positive thing about that is she will get to be right across the hall from me all day long!!! Still I am super sad about the idea of her going to school. It just doesn't seem possible....ugh! Anyways enjoy the cute pictures my hubby took of our sweet baby girl.






(Cohl is pretty excited too!)



The Month of August...in pictures and a few words!

August came and went rather quickly this year. But we had a busy month filled with trips to the pool, a wedding, camping, The State Fair, picnics and the start of school for me as well as something new for Jyllian--Gymnastics. It was a great month and so I thought I would show just a snapshot of what our month looked like. Enjoy!

The new splash park at our city pool.
Cohl LOVED it!
We couldn't keep him out of the water. He was simpley amazed!


We also had the chance to go out in Shane's new boat. The kids enjoyed getting to "drive"
We got these cute life "jackets" that just go around their waist so that it doesn't choke them. They are great!

But as you can see Cohl wasn't having any of it!


We also had lots of days at the park and on picnics.
Cohl found the perfect hiding spot!


Eating lunch with daddy
The wedding was a highligt of our month. Jyllian did sooo GREAT as a flower girl! So cute!
Her and her cousin Kellan were inseparable! They were so cute. People thought he was sweet on her until we told them they were cousins!
The happy couple--Matt and Terry Ann Scott
The Flower Girls doing a great job!
Me and my kiddos
My sweet babies--oh how I love them
My sweet girl! Isn't she the most precious thing?!?!

Kellan and Jyllian again inseparable!
I LOVE this picture!


A fun filled family night of Putt Putt Golf

Camping at Sandy Beach. The kids had a blast playing in the sand. It was ALMOST like we were at the ocean. The closest thing we will get for awhile I guess :)
Cohl found the perfect spot!

State Fair 09'--Jyllian is in the yellow one!

We rode this ride a lot since there were not too many that she could ride due to high restrictions! And the fact that Justin arrested 1/2 of the Carnies so we didn't feel too comfortable letting her ride the rides ;)
Cohl watching for his sister in the State Fair Parade
She was so excited to ride with her daddy!
Jyllian all ready to go to her FIRST gymnastics!

Well there you have it, our month in review. Lets just hope I am a little better at the months to come as I was not the greatest at August or September :)