Thanksgiving 2016

This is the very first year that Clark County had a week off of school for fall break. Emily was on a cruise with the Flake family and my two best friends were out of town as well. Without any of my play mates I was dreading being alone with the kids by myself all week. But... we LOVED it!! We had the best time just hanging out with each other and even getting grandma to ourselves.

Monday we went to the library and check out a big stack of fun books and played with all their toys. Then we went to moms house for lunch and to help her get ready for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday we spent the morning decorating (no tree though) for Christmas and then went to the Childrens Museum. We had grandma and grandpa over for dinner.

Wednesday we spent the morning talking a long walk/scooter ride around Wetlands park and visiting the free nature museum they have there. The kids loved seeing the river and all the critters along the trail. We made pies with grandma in the afternoon and got ready for Caity and Ryan to arrived

Thursday we had the best Thanksgiving dinner after the Flakes arrived and of course went Black Friday shopping. I loved the apple salad and stuffing oh and rolls. Those 3 items are always my favorite. Jack napped while we ate dinner so I could actually enjoy the meal and talk. I love the simplicity of Thanksgiving and especially working in the kitchen with all the women getting the meal ready. It is my favorite holiday (along with July 4th). I love that its all about family, gratitude, and there is zero fuss. No parties leading up to it or big expectations (like Christmas). Just good food and wonderful company.

Friday we did some shopping in the morning and then on a hike around the mountains by our house. I loved talking with Ryan on the hike and getting to know him a little bit more. He is such a kind, calm, and loving man...perfect for Caity!

Saturday we made sugar cookies, got pedicures, went out to dinner with the just the adults, and watched the BYU football game at Emilys house.

It was a perfect week of relaxation, good (really good) food, and my amazing family!!

Artwork at nature museum

Completely homemade pie the girls helped me make 

Making grandpa woodbury's famous stuffing

First pedicure! She initially thought that they would take of your fingers nails but then she realized it was just all amazing fun!

Valley Of Fire

I came back from my run on Saturday morning and Nick had lunches packed and a hike all picked out. Off we went to Valley of Fire! I have not been in probably 20 years and I forgot how beautiful it is. We all loved going on hikes and eating lunch together. Nick wanted to a make a wonderful memory and it totally worked. Nick is such a wonderful father and husband! We all feel so lucky to call him ours!

Jackson 2 years old

                            
I looked at this sweet little boy this morning and I just started to cry. I just couldn't get over how amazing beautiful and innocent he is. His eyes and smile are so bright that is shakes my soul. How did I ever get so lucky to be his mother?! I love watching Jack interact with the world and how he just emits so much life.When he runs he runs with his whole body, arms and legs just going a mile a minute. When he laughs he laughs loud and wild. When he eats he eats with his whole mouth and puffs out his cheeks. When he drinks he guzzles the water and lets it drip down his chin. He shows no shame for loving what he loves and doing what he does!! Being with a two year old reminds how me much joy their is in this world.

Jack is such a wild and free spirit. He always wants to climb to the highest part of the jungle gym or go the highest he can in the swing. He never settles for mediocre...he has to take it all the way to the extreme. The other day he was eating yogurt and he started out just putting it in his mouth, then he put his finger in it and then his whole hand. By the end the yogurt was thrown on the floor and his messy hands were in his hair and he just had this look of "what just happened" on his face. That is perfectly jack. He always takes it too far!! If he is riding his scooter he has to be going faster than he should, in the middle of the street, without shoes. "Jack you've taken it too far" I yell. In fact, its because a big family joke to say "jack you've taken it to far" when some one... well takes it to far. But he never cries or fusses. He can fall off the slide and is perfectly fine as long as I let him climb back up. His most natural state is shoeless, running around the back yard with no rules. Throwing dirt, climbing the small trees, and kicking all the balls. He loves to have no boundaries. I let him most of the time just be free!

Here are Jacks favorite words
1. Again (he loves to do crazy stuff again)
2. Eat/food/snack
3. Bottle
4. Blanket
5. Drink ("rink rink")
6. Down (as in put him down)
7. Baby (which is anything snuggly or cute)

His favorite things
1. Bottle
2. Snacks
3. Choo choo trains
4. His green stripped blanket
5. putting on shoes
6. climbing out of any harness (he gets out of anything and loves it)
7. riding his scooter
8. throwing balls
9. Swing (but you have to push him dangerous high and pretend that he hits you. He loves it)
10. Dumping out all his toys and then kicking them around.

I love putting him to bed and snuggling him up with his bottle and blanket. He gets a book for me to read and climbs up on my lap. I tickle him over and over (because he learned to say again, again) and die over how cute his dimples are. When I was young I always wanted a big family of boys. I would think about what they would look like or how they would act. Well, Jack is literally everything I dreamed of. I feel so, so blessed to call him my son and get giddy over how enjoyable it is to watch him grow!!

Birthday celebration at grandmas house with all his favorite people. He loved blowing out the candles so much we let him do it 3 times. He clapped and giggled at each time...sweet boy. Here is his big day in pictures

 

Photo shoot to capture his personality