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!!!

Family Vacation

Also this month we went to my uncles wedding in Southern Utah and had a wonderful time. We met up with my cousins, aunts, uncles and numerous other family members. It was a fun filled weekend. We started the weekend with a Halloween party for the kids. The kids loved it and it was fun to see them all dressed up. They played games together and were so excited to see each other.

The next evening was spent riding horses, riding quads, playing in the bounce house, and ending our evening around a warm cozy fire. The big boys also enjoyed being kids and wrestling, until someone enevitably gets hurt. (Tim fractured a rib.) It was so much fun. (For everybody except my dad who was very ill after getting into town.)

The next morning was a layed back morning of breakfast and wedding in the park. It was a casual wedding near the base of Zion National Park. The weather and scenery were beautiful. After the wedding it was onto a delicious bbq and more visiting while the kids played in the park and the parents hula hooped!! (My poor dad missed this too.) Here are some pictures of the day. My uncle played one of his beautiful flutes that he makes.

The next day should have been our goodbyes. Most of us left, but Tim and I stayed a bit longer enjoying another couple of days with the kids riding quads and visiting. (oh ya and waiting for my dad to get out of the hospital.)
Overall it was great for most of us. It was so nice seeing my cousins and their kids again. We miss you guys!!

Neglected

Ok what else can I say, but I suck. I have not blogged in nearly a month. And what a month it has been. So I will try to catch up. It may have to be a few back to back blogs!

This month we had a visit from Tim's brother Darren. He is engaged to a wonderful girl named Linda. They just celebrated the birth of their beautiful daughter Annabeth in August. We had so much fun visiting with them and getting to see them as parents too. Here is a picture of Aidan and Annabeth. He wasn't sure what to think of her, but was fasinated by her.

This Week........

Last weekend we went hiking at the White Tanks and brought a picnic lunch with us. The kids had a great time except for the massive amount of bees that were out there. Needless to say the picnic part didn't last long and nobody was stung. We brought my nephew Brennan out there too. So here are the pictures from the day.

Skipping ahead to Wednesday night Ashlyn felt the need to cut her hair AGAIN!! It has been a long time since the last two incidents and maybe she felt the need to look more like Abby next week when we go to Utah. (See my cousin's blog at http://www.stockbergerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/ Well I attempted to do something with it today, but I have to admit she is making this more challenging with where she cut it. It is in the crown of her hair right in the center. She only left 1 inch and I couldn't get it up in a ponytail!! Pair this with the fact that I am trying to grow out her bangs (still from the haircut she gave herself last year) and she thinks she can decide daily how she wants to wear her hair for the day. What can I do?

Busy and Exciting Weekend

This was a very exciting weekend around here. Friday night was the Homecoming game. We all attended the game. During halftime Marissa's dad and I walked with her and the other nominee's onto the field where they announced the winners. SHE WON FOR THE FRESHMAN ROYALTY . Her title is Lady Monsoon. It was a very proud and exciting moment. The Freshman boy that won was her very good friend Matt who has been in her class since 3rd grade. It was so cute that each of them WON!! Their school won the game too! Saturday night was the dance. She went with her best friend as her date since she can't date yet. She got to dance with Matt during the Royalty dance. She had a great time! Not to forget the little ones. They went to a birthday party for a friend of ours daughter. The girls got their faces painted. Hannah is a dog and Ashlyn got a heart. They also had a great time.

This Morning

Everyday Ashlyn goes to school she asks if I will take her in the wagon and walk to school. I keep telling her not until October, because it is to hot. She keeps asking! So today I gave in and walked the 8 blocks to school with her and Aidan in the wagon. Yes it is still to hot to do this, but we did this anyway. On the way back Aidan laid down and cuddled up with the water bottle. I think he liked the movement of the wagon and the warm sun on him and it was to bright out. He fell asleep before we got home. It was so cute.

Homecoming Nominee

Last Friday Marissa was nominated for Freshman Royalty for her Homecoming. She was so surprised. There are 5 nominees out of the 700 in her freshman class. This week has been very busy getting her dress, shoes, and jewelry. (They actually treat Homecoming similar to Prom these days.) She also had to make a sign to wear all week and participate in every silly Spirit Week event this week. So everyday it is something around here. The game is Friday night and they will announce the winner during halftime. The dance is Saturday night. We'll let you know next week if she won. (Here she is with her sign she had to wear all week.)