Merry Christmas!!

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our dear friends and family! Hope you all have wonderful and safe holidays!

Happy Fourth Birthday Ansel!

Our handsome little boy turned four yesterday! He's big into legos right now.. so I made him a huge lego cake he was pretty excited about! He's so much fun. He gets so excited over the littlest things. He's also always been precise about some things... for example, he was opening his presents and he would stop after every piece of paper he pulled off to make a neat pile of paper. Then before he opened the gift up to play with he'd go throw away all the paper first! I think I may be a little spoiled sometimes! Don't get me wrong.... he has his angry frustrated moments still.. but really he's a pretty easygoing kid (except for when he's tired and SUPER cranky :). I've never even thought about him coloring on walls or anything like that because he's so precise about things having their place and purpose and will comment on things that are "out of place". (he's always been obsessed with shutting toilet lids, doors, and stuff like that too. such a funny boy :) He's also really good at entertaining himself easily and quietly. It'll be interesting to see what the next little one is like! I might be in for a big surprise! I'm so glad he's come so far from four years ago!!! We're very blessed. Oh, and his growth is still quite consistent.. 3 more pounds this year! (we're up to 27lbs now!) He's also around 37 inches tall.

Here's a link to some more birthday pictures, along with a few other Christmas pictures. He was so funny after seeing Santa (there was a Parents as Teachers Christmas activity we went to.) As we walked away he told me, "I asked him for legos, but he didn't give me any" He just said it so matter-of-factly with such a funny little tone in his voice it made me laugh.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=355432&id=576240252&l=9ec4008ef9

Happy Fifth Anniversary (and Thanksgiving!)

This was of course a couple of weeks ago.. but our fifth anniversary fell on Thanksgiving this year! Seemed appropriate to me as our marriage is definitely one of the things I am most thankful for! It's always nice too (well.. for now since we live near family!) because not only do I know Cody will have some time off but so will family who can watch Ansel so we can have a date!
It's crazy how much can happen in five years! We've been through a lot together and have grown stronger through it all. I'm very lucky to be blessed with such a great husband who's also such a great father, and I am grateful to him for all the support he gives me. Our decision to have another baby after the crazy pregnancy with Ansel wasn't an easy one (esp. with the incredible support from doctors... haha), but talking and praying together about it reminded me of how important marriage is. (Not just by having a family, but by growing together through making those important decisions together and helping each other strengthen our faith.) Before I got married, it seemed so easy to just pray about things and make my own decisions about what I would do in life... but it's definitely been a learning experience to have to work with someone else in order to make those important life decisions! I'm so grateful though I've been blessed with the opportunity to do that, and for someone who shares my same goals, values and beliefs. It makes life much easier! I love you babe!