Janurary Happenings part 1

So this is just how I blog I guess. I just post a bazillion pictures and add a couple of sentences. Maybe I'm just a visual person.

Here's a quick overview of our January.

We spent New Year's at my parents house.

Devin and Reddic

My mom asked me to take a photo of my nephew Traejan in front of the Christmas tree. This photo makes me laugh everytime I look at it. He is actually the worlds happiest baby in real life. :)

My parents with all of their grandkids.

My dad howling with his dog. :)

My brother and his mustach

 Luke talked my mom into making gingerbread houses while we were there. I'll never understand the amazing power Luke posesses to pursuade my mom into doing anything he wants.

My kids have the best dad in the world. Seriously.

Reddic had his first taste of solid food! It went pretty well, I think.

Love this photo!

A self portrait of sorts.

Grady completely suprised me and wanted to try feeding Reddic one day. Usually he wants nothing to do with the baby.

We got a package in the mail from Uncle Sam! If you are related to me you will understand this photo. My uncle made the hat and booties. :)

Luke got a CTR ring. He is so proud of this thing, and knows all about choosing the right - just ask him.

One of my favorite photographers

I'm trying to win a free shoot. :)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/erinhouseholderphotography

A very informal poll

If you had a bright little boy with a birthday at the end of April, would you consider holding him back a year and starting him in kindergarten when he is 6 or would you stick with convention and start him in kindergarten when he is 5? What if he were born in May, June, July, or August?

I'm really curious to find out what my friends think and why. For the longest time I've been sure that I'd send Luke to kindergarten this next year, but now I'm rethinking a few things. Thanks in advance!

Christmas part 2

So this post is mostly just for posteriety's sake. We spent Christmas at our house this year again, just our little family starting traditions of our own. Luke had been so excited for Santa to come. This was the first year that he really understood the whole Santa thing. Christmas eve, I heard something, and I told Luke "Luke, I think I just heard Santa's reindeer landing on Brigham's house (our neighbor)!" Luke got this really serious look on his face, got up, and sprang to his bed faster than I've ever seen him go, burried himself under his covers, and closed his eyes. When I tucked Grady in for the night he had quite the opposite reaction. He kept crying and saying that he didn't want Santa to come to our house. He wanted Santa to go to his own house. Luke woke us up a little before 7am ( about 30 min. before he usually wakes up) saying "the sun is taking FOREVER to come up!". We went into the living room and watched them look at their things from Santa and their stockings. Luke said to me "How did Santa know that I like Captain America?". I love that kid, and he really loved all the Captain America stuff he got. It was so funny, he got to the bottom of his stocking and pulled out an orange and said "Hmmm. Here dad. You can have this." I'm so glad we got that on video! For Grady, Christmas was all about candy and guns. No, I didn't get him any guns, but he just happened to be able to turn just about every present into a gun or some other fighting object that "shoots fire". He is 100% boy. Reddic was completely oblivious.

This picture is from just after Santa came on Christmas Eve. Ty and I looked at this picture Christmas night, and both remarked that we couldn't believe that our house was this clean only 24 hours before! 

My candy-aholics

I got their names embroidered on their stockings this year. I love the way they turned out.

It was so sweet the way he just stared at his new toothbrush.

The super cool disc shooting Captain America shield! Luke really loved his presents.

Reddic just chillin'. Don't worry, that is just a tootsie roll on the floor by his head. :)

Grady finally starting to warm up to his present.

Then we went to church. I got to play my violin twice and sing with the choir too.

Then it was time to open presents.

Hmmm. I wonder what this could be.

Ty had this tradition growing up, and we are hoping to carry it on with our own boys. After all the presents are opened, all the kids get burried under all the wrapping paper and then pop up out of it. Luke was the only one who wanted to do it this year.

Then we headed over to Ty's grandma's house to say hello. Oh, don't worry. Luke really wasn't injured. He just really liked his new Angry Birds band-aids.

I love love LOVE this picture. For some reason, everytime my mother-in-law holds Reddic he makes this face and then starts to cry.

Then we went over to Ty's parent's house. Reddic just chillin' with Papa.

Ty and his brothers gave his parents lots of funny pictures of them. His parents really got a kick out of it. I don't think I've honestly ever seen them laugh this hard.

And that was the end of Christmas day. Look forward to part 3 coming soon. :) 

Christmas

Okay, I think a more accurate title for this post would be December through New Years. I feel like I missed doing so much loosing that whole week to sickness in December.

We watched the light parade with GG, which has sort of turned into a tradition for us.

We had a great ward breakfast Christmas party. The kids got to meet Santa.

Reddic did not like Santa.



Grady disliked him even more.

 Luke loved Santa.

We got our beautiful Christmas tree.

Reddic tried to eat the tree.

The Allen Family had a Christmas Party

We went to the Mesa Temple to see the Temple lights on the 23rd. Ty had that day off work, and we woke up and didn't have a plan for the day. I suggested that we go down to Mesa to see the temple lights. It was a nice little family trip. We ate dinner then went to the temple.

More to come...