New Year Eve Day!

We had a fun New Year's Eve Day! We played around the house in the morning and said goodbye to our California cousins Nicholas, Clara, and Ezra. That afternoon we drove down to Utah County with Grammy to have a late lunch at beautiful Sundance. I seriously love that place and the food is always delicious. We then headed over to the Marriott Center to watch the men's BYU basketball game. The kids had fun at the game, although Alegra kept her eye on "Cosmos" the cougar mascot the whole time. She wasn't so sure about him. We made it back home for bedtime (on time). The early birds we are, we didn't have the kids stay up later than normal, plus they still don't get the whole "new year" thing. Shawn and I watched a movie and hit the sack before the stroke of midnight. I got awoken at midnight but luckily everyone else slept through the passing into a new year!

I feel like we have been very blessed in 2011. The kids have stayed relatively healthy, Shawn and I have stayed relatively healthy, Shawn continues to have employment in this troubling economy, Cruz is enjoying school and really learning, Alegra is growing and talking like crazy, we have stayed safe, traveled, and LOVE each other. We are looking forward with fondness to 2012, adding a new little girl to our family and continuing to learn and grow.

Day After Christmas Fun!

The kids still enjoying their toys, day after Christmas!

Christmas 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas and feel very blessed for our family, health, and home! Cruz was so excited this morning, it was just awesome to watch. Alegra's eye didn't seem to bother her or hold her back either. They both really enjoyed opening presents and Cruz was really excited for everything he got.
Alegra's eye, poor girl!
Opening presents
Another shot of her eye
Cruz so excited for everything he got
Alegra having fun opening gifts
Cruz made Shawn and I the cutest ornament/gift at school. He was so proud of it. He had it wrapped special and he didn't even want me to see the wrapping so he hid it under the Christmas tree skirt.
Shawn and the kids!
Cruz kissing his Lego police station!
more presents....
Alegra got a new dolly and doll high chair from Grammy. She was having fun today feeding the baby!



We had a pretty mellow day of playing and opening gifts. We wanted to just monitor Alegra and let her have a good nap too. Tonight we went over to Grammy's for dinner with Rich and Katie's family. Russ and his family left for California today so Cruz and Alegra got to play with Nicholas and Clara a bit tonight.

Christmas Eve 2011!

Christmas Eve day started out so good!!! We played around the house in the morning and then around 1:00 we met the family that was in town down at "All Star Lanes Bowling". Grammy, Uncle Russ, Aunt Ali, Georgia, Macy, Grant, Walt, Aunt Katie, Uncle Rich, Nicholas, Clara, and Ezra, and our family. Little Ezra was the hit because he was dressed in the cutest Santa Claus outfit. Alegra couldn't get enough of Ezra. We all got turns bowling and it was a fun way to spend time together. That evening we went over to Grammy's house with Russ's family. Rich's family was having dinner with Katie's family that evening. Dinner was going well until Alegra climbed up a chair but slipped and fell and the way she hit her head she sliced her eyelid right above her eye. It was very scary. Luckily Ali was there who is a nurse and she could help us. We decided we needed to take her to the ER to get stitches. Unfortunately we started dinner a little later than normal for Christmas Eve so it was already 7:30 when we loaded the kids in the car to go to the ER. Grammy tried keeping Cruz but he was scared too and wanted to go with. Luckily we were the only ones at the ER. It still took some time and was very traumatic, but we weren't there all night. They had to put some numbing cream on the area of the eye and let it sit. Then we basically had to straight jacket Alegra down to the bed to get the stitches. She was screaming and it was pretty awful. Shawn and Cruz had gone out to fill out paperwork and actually that was probably the best thing because that might have traumatized Cruz. It was hard enough on me to hold Alegra down (with 2 other nurses). Luckily she calmed down once the doctor was done with the 3 stitches. Her eye is black and blue and it makes me so sad to see her little face hurt, but in the whole scheme of things, it could have been so much worse. We got home by 9:15 and got the kids to bed and both Shawn and I were exhausted. Luckily the kids both slept well and slept until about 7 in the morning.
Baby Ezra
Ezra and Uncle Rich
Macy and Alegra
Shawn and Cruz
Grammy and 2 of her boys, Richie and Russ
Alegra trying to hold Ezra
Alegra bowling with Macy and Georgia
Grammy bowling too!
Grammy and Alegra
Cruz doing a great job bowling!
Eating some snacks!
Dinner before the whole fiasco! Grammy had the table set so pretty!
Our Charley Brown Christmas tree, I have loved this tree!!!

Photos of the Kiddos

This one ended up being the winner!!!

So when I took Alegra to Fotofly to get her 2 year old pictures, I had a few pictures of the kids taken together HOPING to get a good shot for our Christmas Card. Luckily they were both in a good mood and we had a hard time deciding what picture to put on our Christmas Card.

Lights at Temple Square 2011

The kids and I met Grammy, Aunt Katie, Aunt Rebecca, Georgia, Macy, Walt, Nicholas, and Clara down at Temple Square to see the lights. They were beautiful as usual!! Grammy works down at the Joseph Smith Building on Monday so we thought it would be the easiest day to meet up to see the lights. Katie and the kids just came in town yesterday for Christmas. Alegra liked the horse drawn carriages that go around Temple Square the best.