We got out the tree and the decorations first thing Friday.
1 year ago
Oh Christmas Tree
Every year I dream of getting a real tree. And every year I don't. I get too excited and always have to decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. So once again, we pulled out our old trusty $20 fake tree and purtied her up.
We got out the tree and the decorations first thing Friday.
Kate was very excited! She's very good at decorating as well.
If you look closely, you can see us in the christmas ball. We quickly realized that we were missing a lot of our ornament hooks, so I made sure to buy some in all the midst of my black friday shopping. So we didn't get to finish it until that night.
The finished result. Except that now I have a red bow on the top of the tree.
It may be a little early, but I already had my kids in their Christmas outfits on Sunday! I figured they only get to wear them for a few weeks anyway, and I'll be in Snowflake for actual Christmas sunday, so they can wear their outfits as much as I want. I just love Christmas!
We got out the tree and the decorations first thing Friday.
Thanksgiving
This year we had Thanksgiving at Ron and Debbie's in Thatcher. We drove there that morning and arrived about an hour before we were supposed to eat. We made a stop at Grandpa Welker's house then we all went to eat! It was delicious as Thanksgiving always is!
After spending most of the day at Ron and Debbie's, we went to see Grandma Watson and that side of the family before heading home. They had a dog, and man did Kate love that dog!
She was so funny with it! She didn't play with anything else the entire time we were there. It was *almost* enough for me to revoke my no pets rule. Almost. I already clean up enough poop around here. haha.
And to make a perfect day even better, this was how beautifully it ended.
I love Arizona sunsets. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now onto Christmas!
And to make a perfect day even better, this was how beautifully it ended.
I love Arizona sunsets. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now onto Christmas!
"Teacup Ride"
How Kate re-creates Disneyland for Max:
In other Max news, the x-ray showed that his soft spot had closed, so my doctor ordered a CT scan to get a better look. That is scheduled for next Wednesday. I'm trying really hard to stay positive about this, but it's hard when you know that surgery is a very likely possibility. A very scary surgery at that. I don't want my little boy to go under the knife, and have his skull broken and put back together again. It makes me sick just thinking about it. So I really really try not to. But tonight I'm not succeeding. I can't help but worry about my little man and what the future holds for him. Please keep him in your prayers.
I'm so thankful for my family. I love my husband more than anything and am so grateful for him. He works so hard to provide for our family and I'm so incredibly thankful that that allows me to be able to do my favorite job: being a mom. I have to say when I was younger, motherhood didn't sound like very much fun to me. It wasn't something I really looked forward to, and after seeing a lot of children come and go (my family did foster care), it wasn't something I was ready to jump into when I married Dustin. It took 4 years for the Lord to finally have me feel like the time was right, and it was the greatest decision I've ever made in my life. Nothing makes me happier than being home with my children. I'm grateful for Kate and her ability to make me laugh and test my patience each day. I'm thankful for my baby Max and all of his cuddly cute-ness. They are awesome, and they make my life happy.
I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life. Lately I've been watching someone I know struggle with a decision to leave the church, and it had me questioning my own beliefs. Is this something I was raised to believe? Or is it something that I know? I've never had that one defining moment that makes it undeniably true, I simply know it's true because I can't imagine my life without it. I know it's true by the joy I feel when I go to church. I know it's true because I can feel the power of the priesthood in my home. Yes there are unanswered questions, and things we don't understand, but that's why it's called faith.
I'm thankful for my home. I'm thankful that we have a place to raise our children. I'm thankful for Dustin's job and that we have financial stability. I'm thankful that we have modes of transportation. I'm thankful for modern technology. I'm so blessed to live at this time on earth, with electricity, indoor plumbing, and modern medicine. I'm grateful to live in America, and more specifically Arizona. I'm thankful for the beautiful weather this time of year, and the beautiful sunsets we experience daily. I'm thankful for my talents and hobbies, and how fun photography is for me.
I didn't mean for this to ramble on so, I guess it's just one of those deep-in-thought nights. And I guess since it's thanksgiving in 2 days, it's very fitting. I'm thankful for my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
In other Max news, the x-ray showed that his soft spot had closed, so my doctor ordered a CT scan to get a better look. That is scheduled for next Wednesday. I'm trying really hard to stay positive about this, but it's hard when you know that surgery is a very likely possibility. A very scary surgery at that. I don't want my little boy to go under the knife, and have his skull broken and put back together again. It makes me sick just thinking about it. So I really really try not to. But tonight I'm not succeeding. I can't help but worry about my little man and what the future holds for him. Please keep him in your prayers.
I'm so thankful for my family. I love my husband more than anything and am so grateful for him. He works so hard to provide for our family and I'm so incredibly thankful that that allows me to be able to do my favorite job: being a mom. I have to say when I was younger, motherhood didn't sound like very much fun to me. It wasn't something I really looked forward to, and after seeing a lot of children come and go (my family did foster care), it wasn't something I was ready to jump into when I married Dustin. It took 4 years for the Lord to finally have me feel like the time was right, and it was the greatest decision I've ever made in my life. Nothing makes me happier than being home with my children. I'm grateful for Kate and her ability to make me laugh and test my patience each day. I'm thankful for my baby Max and all of his cuddly cute-ness. They are awesome, and they make my life happy.
I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life. Lately I've been watching someone I know struggle with a decision to leave the church, and it had me questioning my own beliefs. Is this something I was raised to believe? Or is it something that I know? I've never had that one defining moment that makes it undeniably true, I simply know it's true because I can't imagine my life without it. I know it's true by the joy I feel when I go to church. I know it's true because I can feel the power of the priesthood in my home. Yes there are unanswered questions, and things we don't understand, but that's why it's called faith.
I'm thankful for my home. I'm thankful that we have a place to raise our children. I'm thankful for Dustin's job and that we have financial stability. I'm thankful that we have modes of transportation. I'm thankful for modern technology. I'm so blessed to live at this time on earth, with electricity, indoor plumbing, and modern medicine. I'm grateful to live in America, and more specifically Arizona. I'm thankful for the beautiful weather this time of year, and the beautiful sunsets we experience daily. I'm thankful for my talents and hobbies, and how fun photography is for me.
I didn't mean for this to ramble on so, I guess it's just one of those deep-in-thought nights. And I guess since it's thanksgiving in 2 days, it's very fitting. I'm thankful for my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
4 months
I feel like I need to prepare you for the cute-ness you're about to see.
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
You know what? Nothing I could say could prepare you for this...
BAM!!! Cutest kid EVER!
Little Max is 4 months old! I just love this little guy to pieces!
He had his 4 month well child check up a couple days ago and here are his current stats.
Weight: 16.12lbs
Height: 26 inches
Head circumference: 16 inches
He's gotten really tall lately, he's in the 75-90% for height, 75% for weight and 50% for head circumference.
It's not a photo shoot until Kate insists on taking a picture too!
So along with all the good news we got at the doctor, we received some bad news as well.
Max has no discernible soft spot on the top of his head, and my doctor is afraid that his bones have fused together too early. If this is the case, it would might require cranial surgery (which sounds brutal from what I've read online) followed by him wearing a helmet for about a year. I took him to get his head x-rayed yesterday. He was not happy about that! He screamed the whole time. The technicians thought it was cute that his mouth was wide open in all of his x-rays.
Hopefully we'll hear back soon. I really really hope that it is nothing, or if it is, that it's not bad enough to require the surgery.
So if you find yourself lacking for things to pray for, please send out a little prayer for Max for us!
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
You know what? Nothing I could say could prepare you for this...
BAM!!! Cutest kid EVER!
Little Max is 4 months old! I just love this little guy to pieces!
He had his 4 month well child check up a couple days ago and here are his current stats.
Weight: 16.12lbs
Height: 26 inches
Head circumference: 16 inches
He's gotten really tall lately, he's in the 75-90% for height, 75% for weight and 50% for head circumference.
So along with all the good news we got at the doctor, we received some bad news as well.
Max has no discernible soft spot on the top of his head, and my doctor is afraid that his bones have fused together too early. If this is the case, it would might require cranial surgery (which sounds brutal from what I've read online) followed by him wearing a helmet for about a year. I took him to get his head x-rayed yesterday. He was not happy about that! He screamed the whole time. The technicians thought it was cute that his mouth was wide open in all of his x-rays.
Hopefully we'll hear back soon. I really really hope that it is nothing, or if it is, that it's not bad enough to require the surgery.
So if you find yourself lacking for things to pray for, please send out a little prayer for Max for us!
Play Time
Lately I've made a goal to be a better mom. I want more time with the TV off, and more play time with my kids. So now every morning, instead of camping out in front of the tv, we'll do some sort of arts and crafts, pretend time, dress up...etc. Here are some of the things we've been doing lately.
The main thing we do is paint. I bought some tempera paints at Target. I'll give Kate two colors of paint each day, draw a line down the middle of the paper and say something like "Ok now paint yellow on this side, and blue on this side". It sounds simple, but it's really been helping her to learn her colors.
I can't look at this picture and not laugh.
Sometimes I'll just set the arts and craft supplies on the table and let her go to town! She always ends up in a big mess, and that's okay.
There is still glitter that refuses to get off my kitchen floor.
Two days ago I found a recipe for face paint, so we gave that a try! At first Kate didn't want to get messy (so out of character for her), but she quickly got over that and had fun painting her face...and even mommy's!
Yesterday I was cleaning out the office area and I remembered that I have a lot of felt! So I made this felt board for Kate and cut out lots of different shapes! She hasn't stopped playing with her shapes all day and is currently napping with them.
I plan to make lots of different things out of felt for this board. It's definitely a hit!
And here's Max in all his chubby cuteness. He's big enough to put in the saucer now, and he loves it!
He even gets instructed on the right way to play in it. "No no no no Max, you don't fall down okay?"
I bought this cute little outfit for him the other day. It's marked 9 months! Dang my baby is huge. Which really doesn't have to do with what I'm posting about. I just wanted you to see what he's wearing. I love it.
And last but not least, if you have a problem with witches or dragons in your house, just call Pirate Kate and she'll kill them for you. She saved Max and I from at least 20 on this day, and we are forever grateful for it.
All in all, I think I'm doing good with my goal. I've got lots more ideas and activities planned thanks to Pinterest and the Play at Home Mom blog. It's amazing how well Kate has started to learn during this past little while!
The main thing we do is paint. I bought some tempera paints at Target. I'll give Kate two colors of paint each day, draw a line down the middle of the paper and say something like "Ok now paint yellow on this side, and blue on this side". It sounds simple, but it's really been helping her to learn her colors.
Sometimes I'll just set the arts and craft supplies on the table and let her go to town! She always ends up in a big mess, and that's okay.
Two days ago I found a recipe for face paint, so we gave that a try! At first Kate didn't want to get messy (so out of character for her), but she quickly got over that and had fun painting her face...and even mommy's!
Yesterday I was cleaning out the office area and I remembered that I have a lot of felt! So I made this felt board for Kate and cut out lots of different shapes! She hasn't stopped playing with her shapes all day and is currently napping with them.
I plan to make lots of different things out of felt for this board. It's definitely a hit!
And here's Max in all his chubby cuteness. He's big enough to put in the saucer now, and he loves it!
I bought this cute little outfit for him the other day. It's marked 9 months! Dang my baby is huge. Which really doesn't have to do with what I'm posting about. I just wanted you to see what he's wearing. I love it.
And last but not least, if you have a problem with witches or dragons in your house, just call Pirate Kate and she'll kill them for you. She saved Max and I from at least 20 on this day, and we are forever grateful for it.
All in all, I think I'm doing good with my goal. I've got lots more ideas and activities planned thanks to Pinterest and the Play at Home Mom blog. It's amazing how well Kate has started to learn during this past little while!
Phoenix Zoo
It's my favorite time of year again here in Arizona. The weather is beautiful! The high on Saturday was 73, so we decided to go to the zoo! I'm sure we'll go a couple more times before the year is up as well. But next time, I won't bring my camera! When I left the zoo I realized I had taken 130 pictures! 130? Seriously, who does that? Oh yeah, me. The girl with a camera always in her hands. So next time, I'm going to leave it home, and just enjoy the zoo with my family. Don't worry, I am not about to post 130 pictures. I made myself delete almost all of them. Here are a few that made the cut.
We had so much fun! Kate is the perfect age to take to the zoo now. She knows all the animals and get's so excited when she sees them. I asked her what her favorite animal that she saw and she replied, "the snakes". I'm so afraid that one day she's going to see a snake and try to pick it up (...and bring it in the house, and I'll be so hysterical that I'll have to call animal control to come get it for me). So I've been trying to emphasize that snakes are scary and they bite. She was afraid when Dustin put his head inside the fake snake though, so that gives me hope. haha. Her other favorites were the monkeys. They have two really cool monkey exhibits at the Phoenix Zoo. One that you can walk through, which are when I captured the monkey pictures above, and a cool baboon exhibit, where the monkeys always come right up to the glass.
Not in this picture, but they do, I promise.
I just love the zoo, and Saturdays spent with my little family!
We had so much fun! Kate is the perfect age to take to the zoo now. She knows all the animals and get's so excited when she sees them. I asked her what her favorite animal that she saw and she replied, "the snakes". I'm so afraid that one day she's going to see a snake and try to pick it up (...and bring it in the house, and I'll be so hysterical that I'll have to call animal control to come get it for me). So I've been trying to emphasize that snakes are scary and they bite. She was afraid when Dustin put his head inside the fake snake though, so that gives me hope. haha. Her other favorites were the monkeys. They have two really cool monkey exhibits at the Phoenix Zoo. One that you can walk through, which are when I captured the monkey pictures above, and a cool baboon exhibit, where the monkeys always come right up to the glass.
Not in this picture, but they do, I promise.
I just love the zoo, and Saturdays spent with my little family!
Sticky Paint
Recently I've been introduced to Pinterest. Pinterest is an amazingly awesome, horribly addicting little website. It's basically an online pin board where you can pin anything on the web. It's a lot like twitter as in that you can follow anyone you want and you see what they are pinning. They're are amazing ideas from everything to fashion to food. Basically it's a mass of good ideas all in one place and you feel like you just can't take your eyes off of it until you've seen it all. Lately I've been spending a lot of time on this site (and on the internet in general) and I came across this amazing little blog called Play at Home Mom. I was simultaneously excited that I had found this blog, and guilty that I spend too much time on the computer when I should be playing with my kids. I vowed then to get off my bum and spend the better part of my days OFF of the computer. This will get increasingly difficult as I am getting really busy with photography, but I promised myself that I will do at least one activity from this site a week with my kids.
The first thing I wanted to try was something I already had everything for. Sticky Paint. All it is is corn syrup and food coloring. I had an expired bottle of corn syrup up in my pantry and was excited to use it because I just hate throwing things out. I used my large muffin tin as our paint cups, and got started!
I had Kate stir the food coloring into the syrup. She was amazed just by this! Notice how clean and innocent she looks at this moment. She doesn't stay that way for long.
Max had fun in his own little way.
After painting a few paintings with just the paintbrush she realized that she could make a bigger mess of things, and mommy didn't get mad!
I tried to use this as a learning exercise to help her learn her colors. She's doing a little better. She can though, hear any Disney song and tell you what movie it's from. So that's something.
By the end she was completely covered from head to toe in colorful shiny gooey-ness. She played with this paint nonstop for about 3 hours this morning, and loved every minute. Telling her that is was time for lunch was the only thing I could say to get her to stop and take a bath.
This activity was so much fun, and so simple! We'll definitely be doing this one again, especially since I still have more than half of that expired corn syrup bottle. It looks really messy but was surprisingly easy to clean up, and even came out of her clothes with a little stain remover. I would still suggest wearing play clothes though, and I think I'm going make (or buy, who am I kidding?) Kate a little smock to wear for our future art projects. I LOVE the Play at Home Mom blog. Go check it out! You won't be disappointed!
http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/
The first thing I wanted to try was something I already had everything for. Sticky Paint. All it is is corn syrup and food coloring. I had an expired bottle of corn syrup up in my pantry and was excited to use it because I just hate throwing things out. I used my large muffin tin as our paint cups, and got started!
I had Kate stir the food coloring into the syrup. She was amazed just by this! Notice how clean and innocent she looks at this moment. She doesn't stay that way for long.
Max had fun in his own little way.
After painting a few paintings with just the paintbrush she realized that she could make a bigger mess of things, and mommy didn't get mad!
By the end she was completely covered from head to toe in colorful shiny gooey-ness. She played with this paint nonstop for about 3 hours this morning, and loved every minute. Telling her that is was time for lunch was the only thing I could say to get her to stop and take a bath.
This activity was so much fun, and so simple! We'll definitely be doing this one again, especially since I still have more than half of that expired corn syrup bottle. It looks really messy but was surprisingly easy to clean up, and even came out of her clothes with a little stain remover. I would still suggest wearing play clothes though, and I think I'm going make (or buy, who am I kidding?) Kate a little smock to wear for our future art projects. I LOVE the Play at Home Mom blog. Go check it out! You won't be disappointed!
http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/
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