Change Change Change

As promised...I vow to catch up on the last 3 months! Hope the next 3 go this fast! Way back in November of 2011 we had Thanksgiving. I worked the night before so we stayed low key. We got all dressed up to visit Ben's sister for dessert that night and then chickened out (more like tired out). But, we took a few family pictures before we ate. Hyrum & Alison on Ali's first Thanksgiving (above). Below is our entire family. Ali welcomed Thanksgiving in by getting her 1st tooth! She then proceeded to get 5 more in the next week. Fun!
I love Christmas and was so excited this year. Hyrum is at such a fun age to celebrate Christmas. Christopher Popinkins stopped by and made sure Hyrum was nice every day. We had a great Holiday celebrating with family. My mom and brother Nate came from Oregon too which was great! Oh yeah...and we sold our house and moved during Christmas too! We literally packed up the Christmas tree the day of Christmas (so sad for me). But, we were so blessed to have the time off work and family around to help us! Thank You to everyone who helped! We couldn't have done it without you!
Anyway...one tradition I normally miss out on due to work is the kids acting out the nativity scene before Christmas. We did this a few days before Christmas with Ben's sister's family. It was great! So cute to see the kids. Here they are all dressed up!

Hyrum had his 1st preschool Christmas program this year! So cute!

We had to visit Santa at our ward Christmas party and we actually got a smile out of Ali. More than I can say for Hyrum at that age!

Our Beauty!

Back tracking (someday I'll get it in order??) Hyrum helped Ben put up the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving and loved it!

Forward again....Ben holding the littlest ones at our nativity night.

Loving Grandma! So grateful to have her here for Christmas and moving!

Christmas morning! We were spoiled as usual! The highlights: a kitchen for the kids, Hyrum got a fire truck, Ali got a bitty baby from Grandma Breese (love these!), Ben got a laptop for school. It was a great Christmas-not only with the material things but being together too! Wish every day could be Christmas!

Ali's 1st Christmas!

Beautiful Christmas Morning!

We had church that afternoon. Here we are all dressed up!

Maybe I should title these before: (morning)

And after...

Lately I've been trying to be better about doing Ali's hair because it is always in her eyes so here was my first attempt at pigtails. Pretty cute!

More pigtails, Alison Boo and a Hyrum doodle bug!

Really we have been so blessed this year and already can see the blessings coming for 2012! I must admit that I'm trying to remember the blessings of this house building thing as we live in a interesting apartment and I freak out about all the decisions for the house. It will be so nice to have it done!

Ben is doing great in his first 2 weeks of school. Back in the grind! Let the next 2 years fly for that!

We have started going to our new ward and so far love it so much more! People have been so friendly and it reminds us of our beloved Virginia ward.

I think I'm all caught up! Whew!

New Year, New Start

Well a lot has changed in the last month and I haven't had time to catch up the blog. Surprisingly

we sold our house in 6 short weeks and have moved out! We close today! It is bittersweet but more sweet. We are so grateful everything happened so fast and its amazing how everything is falling into place. My mom and brother came out for Christmas and spent most of the time helping us pack. We are living in an apartment (already ready to be in a house again-forgot how much I hate appt living). The computer is in Alison's room for now so my time to blog when she's sleeping is non-existant. So, someday when life settles down I'll post pictures. For now Ben has started school, I'm back to working 3 shifts in a row every other week, and we are scurrying to get house plans done to start building. Hopefully by February 1st we'll have a hole in the ground!

Halloween

Finish! Finally I can blog! Way back on October 15 we had a great day! I ran my 1st 5k and finished 8th overall for women! It was so much fun! This is me almost ready to cross finish line! It has me addicted to running and am planning on maybe a 10k or half next spring/summer. I gotta keep some motivation to keep running! Later that day...we went to a pumpkin patch with the kids. Hyrum had a blast!

Ben & Hyrum riding the train!
So Handsome!

I got this idea from pinterest...but we decorated our front door(frankenstein).

Since I have a nice camera now...I've been trying to take pictures of Alison for her milestones. This is normally how she acts! Mean mommy! I was really tempted to have the lady that did her newborn pics do a 7 month shoot for us...glad I didn't because Ali won't sit still long enough to capture!

Occasionally I do get a smile!

Hyrum helps a lot!

My 7 month old (almost 8 months now). She always has her finger in her mouth or her tongue sticking out! At 7 months you are crawling everywhere and can pull yourself up to the couch and walk along it! Watch out me! I'm going to have a walker soon!

Hyrum was a fireman for Halloween. He loved it and got to wear his outfit a few times.

This is his preschool class (minus 1 boy). So cute!

Halloween night: This is how Ali has to eat to avoid getting food in her hair!

Hyrum & Daddy carving the pumpkin!

We had to bribe Hyrum to pull out some of the guts! Funny boy!

All done!

Alison was a lady bug! So cute! I could barely get her to hold still for a picture!

Hyrum & the pumpkin!

I was trying to get a picture of the 2 of them....not the best but the best out of the ones I took. Yes, Ali is picking the pumpkins nose!

Above is a video of Hyrum singing some songs for Grandma and Grandpa to hear.

Well...some big news for us lately....1. Ben got in to the MBA program! Hooray! He starts in January! Goodbye husband for 2 years!

2. We are selling our house! Well...trying to. Interest rates are so good we really want to build a house so we are trying to sell. We have been deep cleaning to get everything perfect. It is kinda a pain to have to keep your house perfect all the time for a potential showing anytime! On the flip side...its nice to always have a clean house!

3. The holidays are finally here! I've been waiting waiting waiting for this! Love this time of year and can't wait for the extra family time we will get to spend together!

3.5 & 6 months

Wow, 2 months has flown by! Things have been busy as we try to soak up these last few days of nice weather! In August, my sweet Grandpa Weatherford passed away. The kids and I flew out to say our good-byes before taking him off support and then Ben drove out for the service. Above is a family picture of all of us(that were able to come) at the service. So grateful for my knowledge of eternal families...and my knowledge as a nurse to help our family...and for my great bro-in-law who is a doctor and helped me muddle through what was going on with my grandpa. It was an unexpected passing but we know he is comfortable now!

2 days after returning from Portland...Hyrum started his 1st day of preschool! He goes 2 days a week. I thought I would be sadder...but mostly I'm enjoying my freedom to shop for 4 hrs/week with just Alison!
Beginning of August...my mom came out and took our annual Redskin family photo! BTW...tonight they play the cowboys for mnf...Go REDSKINS!

My Sweet Alison! The next are random photos over the month of September of my cutie! Yesterday she turned 6 months! Time flies! She is almost sitting up, scooting everywhere, rolling everywhere, eating some solids, and receiving loving from her family! (I inherited a dslr camera and have been loving playing with it so sorry for all the pics!)

Happy 1/2 Birthday of Pears!

Cuties before church!

Funny face!

The pears!

All dressed up for church on her 6 mo bday!

Smiling for Hyrum!

So sweet!

Look at those blue eyes and red hair!

Sorry, tons of the same but grandmas love that!

Superwoman!

Silly smile!

Not sure about the grass...

Handsome 3.5 year old!

Happy in her bumbo!

We have a crazy next 3 weeks...I have tons of extra work for education stuff the next few weeks....Ben is taking the GMAT (scarry) on Oct 10 for his MBA (hopefully starting in January)...and I'm running my first 5k on Oct 15! Wish me luck! Hope the weather stays nice enough so my lungs won't be burning in 30 degree weather at 8am!

Happy Fall!