Don't Give Up On Me.... A Year End Wrap Up

Ok... so I suck at this whole blogging thing and I vow to try and continue at keeping up on it for the new year. Bear with me and sit tight as this will be long as I make my updates to get me current since October. So without further ado...

October... (end of the month) my baby turns 1!! I can't believe it has been a year and my last baby has hit an all important milestone. We celebrated his birthday among friends and family at the house. I had planned it to be an outdoor, in the backyard, kind of day but instead it was HOT! Only in AZ can you find this on November 1st! So we all crammed inside the house for a party. He loved the attention and the cake!! He realized while eating the cake that it is a bit messy with your hands so he went in face first! He LOVED THE CAKE AND DIDN'T WANT TO STOP EATING! After cake was done he was full and ready for a nap and really didn't care about the presents at all. So all the other kids opened the presents while Aidan took a much needed nap. It was a great day.

Since my baby is no longer a baby..... We decided to have another baby.....

Not of the human type. We got a puppy. Introducing Gus.... The kids absolutely adore him. It has been a lot of work but he is a very sweet puppy. We adopted him from family in Utah (thanks guys.) and he is a welcome addition. He loves following Hannah and Ashlyn around and he thinks Aidan is another puppy or a toy and tourments him. Aidan isn't always such a fan of the puppy. It took some work getting Tim to agree to get him too, but Tim loves the little guy now too (even if it isn't the most manly dog). :)

Halloween was fun. We spent it here with my sister's family and my parents. We ate our traditional chili and dogs. We had a fire in the firepit since it was 70 degrees out. The guys took the kids trick or treating and the girls held down the fort at home. We missed Hannah and Brennan as they were visiting my nephews in Texas that weekend. Hannah was a a witch and Brennan a red ninja. Ashlyn was suppose to be Winnie the Pooh but as my strong willed child will have it she changed her mind and dressed up in her Tinkerbell dressup clothes and went as a true princess. Dawson didn't mind being Eeorye and Aidan and Emery were adorable puppies.

Thanksgiving was a bit quiet this year, but it was very nice with lots of great food and conversation.

Marissa and Hannah performed a Christmas Recital.. Every year Marissa performs at Glendale Glitters (a Christmas festival). This year Hannah also performed. They had a great time and did really well! Hannah did a dance number to Run Run Rudolph. Marissa performed 3 numbers that she will perform again at her dance competition.

Ashlyn turns 4... we had a small party at the house and decorated gingerbread houses. Our princess planned the whole party. It was a great day with nice weather. This time we spent the day outdoors.

The Real Santa visits the girls schools... Santa came to visit the girls schools and they decided that it is the real one that came. Santa knows every child including where they go to school. The girls were pretty excited at their special guest.

Christmas finally arrived... even if we weren't ready for it. We scaled back this year on gifts and I don't think the kids even noticed. Santa came and brought lots of great stuff. This year my step sister and her family came for Christmas and it was so great seeing them. Everybody was there except for my brother Jason and his family. (They came the next day.) The kids received there pjs (a Christmas tradition) on Christmas Eve. We spend Christmas Eve at our house with games and a delicious turkey, ham and all the fixings dinner. Christmas morning we all opened gifts at Jen's house together and had a big breakfast. The rest of the day was spent relaxing which we desperately needed. Aidan was pretty sick for Christmas this year. He had an upper respirtory infection, croup, high fever and an ear infection. We only slept 3 hours on Christmas Eve and we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Urgent Care. So needless to say my looking forward to watching him dig in to his presents this year for the first time didn't happen and I carried around a very cranky baby all day long. Other than that we had a great time.

A few days after Christmas.. My brother and his family came down to spend through New Years with us. (Just as my step sister and her family had to leave) :( Seeing my brothers boys so big now reminded me of how long they have been gone. We spent the week visiting everyday.

Our friend Tony came to visit us as well. He only lives in Flagstaff but we never see his family or even talk to him. It was great visiting him and one of his daughters. Tim and Tony even took Hannah and Riley fishing one cold morning. It was great seeing you Tony!

We even got up north to the snow one day with my sister Jennifer and her family, my brother's wife Sally, my brother Jason and his family, my sister Jessica and my parents. Everybody had a blast sledding. Most of the adults even sled (myself included) without injury. We had a great day up there. The kids were sledding for hours. Ashlyn was such a trooper sledding alone a quarter of the way up the hill. She didn't have ski pants like most of the other kids did so she layered up with jeans and thermals. Her gloves wouldn't stay on either but she kept going until more than an hour later she couldn't move her fingers and I could ring out her pants. She spent the rest of the day in the car with the heater on defrosting. In the car I took off her soaked boots to find that she also didn't wear her socks because, "she doesn't like them". Her toes were almost purple. She is my summer girl. Aidan was still sick this day too and he stayed bundled up on Grammy's lap sleeping. Marissa brought a friend and Hannah, Brennan, Jared and Austin hung out taking turns all day on their sleds.

Eventually Jason, Amy and the boys had to return home. We said our sad goodbyes, cried our tears and vowed to keep in better touch until we see each other again.

(Pictures will be coming soon!!)

There is our year in wrap. Yes Aidan after WEEKS of being sick has finally gotten better. Hannah, Ashlyn and Tim all had a quick bout of something and we may finally be on our way to a healthy house again!! I am vowing to stay on my blog as one of my many New Year's resolutions. I must say it is much to hard to do quarterly blog updates!!!