Our Elf Family!

Okay...this is the LAST post today... I promise! This is jsut a little glimpse into the future when holden and our next little boy grow up! LOL Check it out!!! :)

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1403441338

12 Days of Christmas!

Okay, so this is my 3rd post today...forgive me! I just wanted to share what I'm doing for my hubby for Christmas. I love doing the 12 days of Christmas and it's something we always did growing up. Doing the 12 days for someone in need or just someone that needs cheer has been one of the greatest blessings for me during Christmas time. Josh and I have done it to families since we have been married, but because we are on a little bit of a budget.. hehe...I thought I could find some way to do it anyway. Well, I decided my husband is so wonderful and does so much for our family, that I decided I would do it for him. Plus, he's not picky on the gifts I would have to give! :) Anyway, Here is the first day that I did last night. I will post pics of each day and what I did for him. Just thought it'd be fun to share! The card says, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, One Golden Me-mo-ry." Then it says, "There have been many "firsts" in our marriage but none so monumental as that first kiss! So, on this first day of Christmas, I give you one bag of kisses and my memory of our first kiss!"

Also, we had Josh's work party the other night. It was so fun to hang out and just enjoy time with friends!

Family Pics!

Here are some pics from our photo session with the Adam's family...lol.. that sounds kind of funny huh..lol They were amazing and we were so grateful to them for doing this! Thanks again Emilie and Brian!

My Gratitude for Healthy Holiday Treats!

So, right now I'm STUFFING my face with the most yummy healthy treat. Compliments of Rachel! I'm sure Emily is doing the same thing right now!...I'll tell you how it all began.
Yesterday was fun filled! Rachel called me in the morning and told me to come hang out with her. Yes, she threatened! lol Okay, maybe not quite, she just knows I'm a lonely desperate soul, so she thought she would do a good deed by inviting me over. Well, that's my opinion anyway! We called Emilie and we had a little party over at Rachel's house. We just hung out and chatted while Rachel was making treats for the neighbors.
Rachel was telling us that it was a yummy treat because it's not too sweet and you can eat a lot of it- AND it's even a little bit healthy for ya! The healthy part? There are almonds in it! LOL We were totally laughing and joking that because of the almonds in the mix, we don't have to feel one bit guilty about eating a lot of it! Thank goodness for that! Why doesn't everyone add some almonds to every treat- then I would have my holiday diet! Just think...you make fudge- add almonds...you're good! Think of the possibilities! Okay enough of my stupid ramblings! Healthy or not, We tasted of the fruits and could not get enough, so she made us each our bag of treat mix and wished us a Merry Christmas. Of course neither Emily or I waited to get home to eat it. We opened our bags right there and started to chow down! To make it sweeter, we watched Polar Express while we ate and played with the kids. How fun is that? :) Here are some pics of us hangin' out!

Rachel and "Katie" LOL

Emilie and McKenna

Me and Holden

PS That is a self taken picture of me and Holden...pretty impressive eh?
Later, Emily- like a good mom, took McKenna home for a nap. So, taking advantage of my patient child's sweet disposition, I accepted the offer to go to Walmart with Rachel. After Rachel's post about how horrid this place is and how long the lines were, when we went there, there were no lines and we waited about 5 minutes for her pictures she was picking up. I think she was making up the whole thing! :) LOL
After that, poor Fletcher (Rachel's little boy) hadn't eaten and had been so good, so Rachel treated him and us to some Panda Express! When I asked to pay, she just told me I "owed her lunch"! What a great idea! Now she's TOTALLY obligated to hang out with me again! It was such a nice day and good to get out of the house! Thanks again Emilie and Rachel for a great day!

One Step Closer to Independence!

So, I thought I would see how things would go if I just gave Holden all of his food on his tray and let him go at it! The first pic is the beginning- all clean! Second pic is the aftermath on his face! Not too bad.. and there was only one piece of food on the floor! It also turns out he doesn't like anything on his tray except what he can shove "full fisted" into his mouth. I kept putting his cup on his tray to have a drink and he kept side swiping it off. He only wanted food on his tray. Funny.My cousin Bryan is in town and he, my aunt and Grandma picked me up to go visit my brother, his wife and their kids. This is a pic of my aunt and grandma with the baby!This is THE aunt that is an amazing cook! From Mayonnaise cake and homemade bread to her famous burritos- her kitchen is heaven!

Later we went to my sisters house to see my little sister who got in from Washington for Christmas. After using the Garmin to find a KFC ( a sore spot), we picked up some chicken and were on our way to the gathering! It was fun to see her and her new little baby and little girl. So, these are pics from the festivities!

Visit to Jeff and Natalie's

I just wanted to post some of these pics cause they were so dang cute! I took back a pack and play that Jeff and Nat let me borrow and while we were there, we got some pics of Holden and Elayna, Madelyn and Holden! They are dolls! Holden loves to play with them and play chase!

December...So Far!

Well, considering we got through Thanksgiving and are well into the Christmas season, I thought it about time to give an update of our comings and goings thus far! The first thing on the list was the Festival of Trees.

It was amazing . I love it every time we go. Josh DRAGGED his feet going, and kept telling me this was "my thing" and that he was just there for me. He was trying to be sweet to do something I really wanted to do- but in the end, he was the one taking the camera and snapping pictures of his favorite trees. He ended seeing so many things that he thought were unique and creative. He had a really good time and I'm so glad we made the trip to go. Holden was so cute in the stroller. He reminded me of a MAJOR rubber necker on the highway looking at an accident. We strolled slowly by each tree so he could see, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from one to look at the next. Once we snapped him out of that, he would see the next tree...and the cycle continued! He loved it- I didn't think it would be that entertaining to him. He loved the bright colors and lights- but especially the toys! Josh and I kept joking that one day we could buy a tree from there and we'd be set with books, toys and board games for the rest of our lives! There were so many fun trees and ideas. To show some pics of our favorites, I will start with one that was in the lobby. I was looking at it with Holden cause Josh was still parking the car. I couldn't believe how it caught me so off guard. It wasn't that amazing the way it was decorated, but as soon as I looked closely, my eyes welled up with tears. Surrounding the tree in picture frames were photos of fallen soldiers from the war in Iraq. People surrounding the tree were not talking, just staring at it in silence. There was such a sweet and reverent spirit surrounding the tree. I just found myself giving thanks to not only those soldiers, but to those thousands who are still fighting for liberty. They are making so many sacrifices that we cannot even imagine. We should all remember them and their families this Christmas season.These were Josh's favorites! He loved the upside down tree. I thought it was ugly when I first saw it, then after some persuasion from Josh, it grew on me. :) The second is made of gingerbread. Isn't it crazy? I thought it was pretty amazing as well! Josh loved the dragon and wizard though...neat!
This one was my favorite. A little bit of European, French style, classy! I loved it! Actually, the tree wasn't that great, but everything else with it! :)
This one was "Holden's" favorite. Okay so it was really Josh's! It was this big candy making factory built around a tree. Wow- some people have quite the imagination! This one and the tool tree made of wire!

Okay... I just had to post this for Marshall, my bro-in-law! Maybe this will make him feel better over the loss to BYU! :))

We also saw a Polar Express show and got some fudge. Fun stuff! It was good to kick off our Christmas holiday season!

Thanksgiving and other stuff!

Well, I feel like it's been a while since I wrote on here, so I thought I'd give an update. I'll try to keep it exciting! The first pic of the rose stem with the note attached is from a story my dad sent along before Thanksgiving- the overall idea is that we should thank Heavenly Father for the thorns along with the roses. The thorns in our lives strengthen us and build us up and help to mold us into eternal beings. So, I shared the story with my Sunday School class and gave them each a rose stem without a flower. I asked them to think of any trials in their life and during Thanksgiving week, to think of them and thank Heavenly Father for them and to think of how they have grown because of those trials. The other thing attached is a baggie of pumpkin choc chip cookies! It's a weight watchers recipe I got from my friend Camille. Good news is, is that these are low fat! Other good news- there aren't any weird ingredients. Just a spice cake mix, can of pumpkin, and choc chips! Very easy to make and sooooooo yummy- I ate a million of 'em. Except, I think it's only a weight watchers recipe if you don't eat the ENTIRE batch. lol.. They're THAT good- you gotta watch how many you eat. After 4 batches, I'm still trying to learn how to eat in moderation! :) After a ton of trauma and last minute fixes with our car and thanks to Rachel for being my chauffeur- we were able to go to Boise for Thanksgiving! It was a short trip-Tues LATE evening (4:30 am) to Friday afternoon. Josh had to work on Sat. :( But it was great to be there. We spent the first day catching up on some lost sleep and then spent the evening with Josh's dad.

We went to an Egyptian place for dinner and then caught a bit of ice cream from an old fashioned ice cream parlour- Goodies! We went back home and watched Ratatouille- which was pretty good!

The next day for Thanksgiving, Josh went with his mom to volunteer serving the homeless and I stayed back with Holden. Then we all went to Josh's Uncle and Aunt's house to eat and visit with cousins. It was so delightful and exactly what I needed! They were so much fun and I felt like I was home with my own family gathering for the holiday.
We then went home to a turkey that a kind bishop had cooked for us. This wasn't just any turkey. He cooked it in a dutch oven in the ground with special secret spices! It was amazing and looked awesome! Holden couldn't wait to get his hands on some! :) We ate more turkey and rolls 'til we were stuffed again. Then we just relaxed the rest of the night.

Our little family with the turkey!

Grandma Mercer also found out about Holden's love for the refrigerator. So she let him get inside and look around a bit! It was the best part of his vacation!

Along with loving the refrigerator, the dog Scruffy was next on his list! He had never seen a dog before this one. He was amazed at the little animal! Grandma Mercer would sit outside on a chair with Holden and just talk to him and let him feel the outside air. Holden loved his time with Grandma.

The last pic is of Holden wearing Josh's favorite hat when he was a little boy!

Can I just say how much I love my kid!? He is always so happy- I am so grateful to have such a sweet boy! I know all moms think this so I know you don't mind me saying it! The next day we packed up and went home. It was a very short, but nice and needed vacation!

Next on the to do list when we got home was to decorate for Christmas! Instead of a real tree this year- of which I am a total advocate btw- I decided to simplify especially with our limited space and Holden's roaming fingers! I put up my white wire tree instead.

I also put our stockings up! Check out these stockings. A friend of ours had his mom make them for us. Aren't they so fun? No way I could ever fill those, so I think their just for decoration and we'll use other stockings for Christmas morning! Although in the future, I'm sure our kids would love it if we filled them! hehe :)

I put up our nativity over the tv...perfect place eh? lol It was the only place big enough and out of Holden's reach...I KNOW that's one thing he wouldn't keep his hands off of!

I'm playing with the idea of puting up garland, so we'll see if it happens. After decorating, I made some spice potpourri for the stove and soon enough our house smelled (and still does) like Christmas! The very last thing to do was put on the movie Polar Express. I have now watched it about 30 times since Monday! lol I love it and it makes me all teary eyed every time. The little boy in the galoshes is soooo sweet and cute. Also, I would like to point out that at this time of year our carpet actually looks fun and adds to the spirit of Christmas with the plaid and all! lolThis is Holden's happy face! lol He is soo excited to have all this stuff up. Amazingly enough, he just looks at everything, and he'll touch a light on the tree once in a while but he doesn't pull anything down. He mostly just sits in front of the fireplace or in front of the tree and stares and babbles. Again, he loves the lights! Also, he is soo funny. Whenever I pull out the camera, he'll just be sitting there, then I tell him to smile- and it's like he knows exactly what I'm saying because he will pull a perfect smile whenever I ask him to. lol We get such good pics it's funny he loves to pose so much... I guess that makes him a poser...LOL jk I love his guts!

Okay- I think that's enough for today. Hope you enjoy the pics and that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now it's on for Christmas! YEAH!!!!

My Semi- Busy Day!

Well, today started early! Now that Holden is an early riser, I really have no choice! We went to the care center today and helped out with the Relief Society. The little kids from our ward came today and sang "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree", "I'm trying to be like Jesus" and "Hinges". It was so cute and the women at the care center loved it. I had to post these pics because they were so cute.

These are just other pics from the care center as well.

Nita the Relief Society Pres. and Holden

Virginia, Mary, Holden, Me, and the reluctant Amy-

she finally gave in and was smiling in the end!

Daniel, Irina, Sarah and Aloah

This is one of my favorites! Afton and Jenna-

Doesn't Jenna have the cutest little smile? She is sooo sweet!

Also, I had to add a pic of the yummy Manicotti Rachel brought us when I was sick.

It was soo good! YUM! YUM!

Now, time for some Holden pics in the bathtub! He is so yummy! We love his guts!

He loves his toys!

I think his lips are blue-

This was the end of the bath and his little lips were quivering!

Yes, this is our "dear" caught in the headlights!

He loves bath time and cries when he has to get out!

Well, after all of this excitement, I decided to take on the task of writing thank you notes to those who helped out while I was sick. I had fun though creating some on the computer. I heard this once, and I loved it so I thought I'd do it. I heard a lady say that she never wanted to return someone's dishes to them empty! So she always put treats in them. So, I baked some cookies and filled everyone's dishes with them. Now aren't they glad they decided to give service? lol Maybe not, but I bet it's a much sweeter deal! :) Heck, who wouldn't love to get their dish back filled with goodies! I thought it was the least I could do for all of the help we received!

Now, one last little thing I promise and my saga will come to an end. I finished reading the book, The Christmas Jars. I don't know why I am so emotional- I think there's just something special about the Christmas season that brings my emotions to the surface. As I finished reading the last few chapters, I just cried and cried. I thought it was the sweetest book ever. I recommend it to start out your holiday season especially Thanksgiving- remembering all of the blessings that we have been given. Also, reflecting on all those who have served us should light a fire in us this season to really find ways, even small ways, to brighten another's day. We never know the great effect we can have by doing simple things this holiday season! Okay, I'm off my soap box, but again, I love this time of year with Thanksgiving and Christmas so close! There is such a great feeling of love and excitement in the air! We get to decide how to make the best of the season- and may this include giving to others to honor those that have given to us, and making a real difference this year! Luvs to all! Night Night and sweet dreams!