Christmas Break

We have been truly blessed this Christmas season. Curtis was able to have a few weeks off and we have loved every minute that we have had to spend with Daddy. Vance can't get enough of him and mommy is grateful to have the break. We really haven't done a lot but that is sometimes the best thing. We got to play in the snow and attempt to build snowmen. The snow was too fluffy and wouldn't stick together. But we had fun none-the-less. Vance got to open presents early from Grandma Janette and then again on Christmas so he was loving it. I am amazed at how much Vance retains from what we tell him. He amazes me everyday. He kept calling Christmas Eve "Christmas Night." He also knew that it was Jesus' Birthday on Christmas day. He is so smart. Curtis is amazed at how much he can say and do. What a HAM we have! We got to talk to all of our siblings either on Christmas day or the day after. It was great to talk to them and see how they are doing. We love our family and were sad to not be with them this Christmas but we are grateful for the time to start our own family traditions as well. The Lord has blessed us this year and we are so thankful to him for helping us make it through it all. We hope that you all have had a wonderful Holiday season and that you are blessed into the New Year as well. We love you all. Enjoy this slide show of our family time.

Mimi and Papa come to town.

My Mom and Dad came to visit us this weekend and we had a great time. On Friday we went to our Ward Christmas Party and we were able to bring a family with us. The program was great, the decorations beautiful, food good, and company FANTASTIC!!! It is always fun to spend time with family. Vance got to see Santa Claus and at first was scared but when he got up to him he walked right up, waved to him and hopped up on his lap. It was so cute. He is growing up so fast. On Saturday we spent to day running around and that evening we went to the Iowa vs. Iowa State wrestling match. My dad was a wrestling coach many years and so we new we had to get him up here at some point and see the Hawkeyes wrestle because they are the best. We had so much fun. Vance loves to cheer and hollar with everyone and the match was just great. It was so much fun to see my parents and we were all very sad to see them go. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see them again. WE love you Mimi and Papa! Thanks you for everything.

Snow and Random Vance Pictures

Vance playing with his Nativity set from Grandma and Grandpa Birdno last year. He is trying to decide where things go.
He put them in there like that all by himself. He knows where the baby Jesus should go.

Note the animals all in a row.
Pushing the angel to make it sing "Away in a Manger"
The final product of his. Looks pretty good.
Vance found a sheet of Smiley stickers and decided that they all needed to be worn at once so this is what he did.
You got me!
Such a goof.
He liked the snow but didn't want to wear a hat and he was mad that the snow wasn't sticking together so he could build a snowman.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year we were able to have 3 sets of Elders in our home. It was my first year being the Hostess and it went really well. Do you think I took any pictures of the food or anything, no! I don't know why I didn't think of that because the turkey was amazing but we will remember even without a picture. So here we are with the elders and it was great.

Curtis cheesing during a rousing game of Phase 10.
Just Chillin!
Vance eating his Pumpkin pie. He loved it.
He had a great time with the elders. He thought he was in Heaven!! Fun guys to play with and jump on.

Vance, need I say more

What can I say I have the cutest son in the world. He is always cracking me up. In the last few days he has just started talking and talking and talking. I don't always know what he is saying but he sure does say a lot.  He is so polite and sweet. He says please most of the time and thank you almost all the time. He is really excited about his Baby Brother coming. He loves baby's and every time he hears a baby cry he says "Baby Bottle?" He wants to give the baby a bottle to help it stop crying. So cute. Well here are just some cute pictures of our sweet boy.

How cute is that face.
Vance has on Daddy's hat, slippers, and is putting on his belt.
When his hands are messy he won't pick up his cup he does this instead so it doesn't get dirty.
Cheese!
Bubble fun!
Silly kid
Giving himself a beard.
Daddy and Vance with bubble beards.
Vance put his giraffe JJ to sleep here and is pretending to snore.
Having fun in Daddy's Halloween costume.
He loved his hat.
His favorite thing to do is to grab the had and say "EEEEHAAAW!
And the final product.
Vance in his big boy underwear. So cute.

Things I am thankful for....

So weeks like these week make you realize the things and people you are really grateful for. Vance has had sort of a rough week. I don't know if he started out sick or was just being two but he ended the week being sick which is always such fun. Curtis is also sick and I am not feeling to swell myself. I am realizing how grateful I am for my mom, mother-in-law, sisters, sisters-in law, and any woman that has children. Sometimes I look back at growing up and think how did my mom ever get things done? How did she have the energy to take care of us all and clean the house and have a calling in church and be a cheer coach. I just don't know how she did it. And then there is my mother-in-law. I wasn't there during Curtis' childhood but he has told me some amazing things and I don't know how she had the brain power to have so many different jobs, and finish her master's. Oh and my sisters/sisters-in-law, when I look at there lives it just amazes me all that they are doing and how they are keeping it together. They are all just such and inspiration to me and so good to talk to me about whatever I need help with even if they have a billion things to do that. It's not that I am not grateful for the men I my life because I absolutely am but this week just really made me think about the "Mom's" in my life. The Lord has blessed me with these amazing women that are all around me and it is such a blessing to be able to pull from their wisdom to help me in my life. Yes even you that may be single or not have children yet you are amazing and have so much to offer. I just wanted to say thanks for always being there and being willing to listen when I need someone to talk to. You are truly a special gift to me that I cherish so much.

On a lighter note here are some other things that I am thankful for this week:

  1. Child door locks

  2. Curtis, for giving me girl time even when he was sick

  3. Vance's ability to still love me even when I yell at him for something.

  4. Sweet smiles that come out just when you are mad and want to send your children away.

  5. The energy of a two year old

  6. The library for having books and movies to entertain so that I can have some me time.

  7. Those new cold medicine strips that Vance can't spit out at me when I give it to him.

  8. The cold fresh air that I can breathe in and get away from the throw up for the 6th time in            the last few days.

  9. The fact that my son does understand me even when he tries and succeeds at ignoring me.

  10. Being pregnant, because it reminds me that I didn't screw up too bad otherwise Heavenly           Father wouldn't send me another one.

  11. Pretzels, that can be my saving grace in a tight spot like shopping at the store.

  12. Josh Groban, well I am sure you all know why he is amazing. 

  13. Dish washers, 'nough said

  14. Chick flicks that my husband doesn't like to watch which gives me yet again more girl time.

  15. Geo tracks, it can occupy Vance for a long time

  16. Blogs because it gives me a chance to vent.

So there you have it just a small list of things I am thankful for this week. I figured since this is the month of Thanksgiving that it would be a good thing for me to think more about the things I am thankful for. 

Doings and Sayings from Vance

Vance has really started talking a lot now and some of the things he says are so funny. I thought I would share some of them with you. He is also just doing so many fun things as well. He is just so cute I can't help but share.

If I ask him to come here so we can change his diaper he will say "A minute" which means in one minute mom.

If there is something that he wants to show me he will say "Mamon I show you."

When he does something, for example falling out of the chair onto the floor, he will say "Sorry Momma" I don't know why if he fell he has to say sorry but that is what he does.

A few weeks ago we were at my mom's house with my cousin and her kids and we were getting them all settled in to eat dinner and she said okay it is time for prayer and all of the sudden Vance said "Father, day, food, Jesus Christ, Mamen." It took everything I had not to bust up laughing in the middle of it. I couldn't believe that he just started saying the prayer. Now he says it for breakfast and lunch and sometimes helps with the prayers in Sacrament meeting. SO FUNNY!!

When we were in Oklahoma he was introduced to Diego and just loved it. Well he found the dvd at our library I don't know how because I have tried to find it since then and couldn't. Anyway they teach you some spanish words and one day when watching they were counting in Spanish and he started saying "Uno, dosh, tes, qato, tinto, safe" and so on it was so funny I was just cracking up. 

Last night we went to a fireside and the General Authority said something that made the congregation laugh and he started laughing his loudest funniest laugh because everyone else was laughing too.

When asked what he would like to eat he will say "MMMMMM (while tapping his finger on his lip) NO" if it isn't something that he wants. So opinionated.

The other day while we were out as a family Curtis had said "Are you a Knucklehead?" and when Curtis went inside to get something Vance said "C'mon Knucklehead" I couldn't believe it.

He got a Knight's outfit for his birthday and is just now really starting to enjoy it. Well he will put on the breast shield and the helmet and give daddy the other sword and say "Watch me" and will start sword fighting with daddy and if thinks I am not watching he will stop, lift up the little face shield on the helmet and say "Mommy watch me" and keep doing that until he sees me watching him.

If he feels that I am talking to long to someone either on the phone or in person he will put his hand up and say "Stop" and if that doesn't work he will climb up onto my lap and either put his hand over my mouth or give me a kiss on the lips until I stop talking.

It has been such a fun time seeing him grow up so much in the last few months. I can't believe how big he is getting but I love it. Everyday is a new adventure and we look forward to what the future brings for our little guy.

Halloween

Well this Halloween was so much fun. Vance loved every minute of it. He really got into dressing up this year. Now I don't think that had anything to do with the fact that he got to be Buzz Lightyear, RIGHT!!! On Halloween morning he kept saying "Haween, Haween" and "t or Teet" it was so funny. I couldn't believe that he remembered it but all day he kept asking if he could get Buzz on and I kept telling him no but he kept asking. Well we went trick-or-treating at the mall with some friends and ate dinner there as well. It was Family Friday so the Carousel was free and we had to take three rides on that, poor daddy. The Hawkeye Basketball team had set up a little place where the kids could come and get candy and have a poster with all their signatures on it so we did that and Vance was freaking out because Herky, the Hawkeye Mascot, was there and he kept saying "Monster mommy, scared." He loves Herky but I guess it is only from a distance. After the mall we went to Wal-mart to end out trick-or-treating and he had a great time. Well it just kept getting better for him because our ward party was on Saturday so he got to dress up again and go trick-or-treating again. He loved every minute of it. We couldn't keep him off the stage while they were trying to do all the prizes and such. He didn't win this year but he sure did look cute. We all went as Buzz, Woody, and Jessie from Toy Story. We looked cute if I do say so myself. On Thursday night we decided to make our own costumes and I ended up sewing Curtis' vest, his holster and star, and my chaps. It was great fun let me tell you. But in the end I think it was worth it. Halloween is really fun, especially when your kids get into and enjoy it with you. 

Vance giving his best Cheese for the camera while trying on his Buzz costume that he wouldn't take off for like 30 minutes.
For Family Home Evening we carved pumpkins and Vance got to color his.
He was really serious about it as you can see. He just assumed the position and went at it, and he had to color mommy and daddy's as well.
"Look at that!"
"OOps I got some on my tummy" or in Vance's words "Mess"
Here is Curtis' annual Sun Devil Pumpkin. I traced this off the computer and he cut it out. Go team!!

Looks pretty good.
I decided to torture myself and do a Lightning Mcqueen design which I had to trace off a box and figure out how to shade and what not. After almost cutting my finger off I think it looks pretty good.
In the light this is what it looked like.
My Woody and Buzz getting ready to go trick-or-treating.
Our family at the mall.
This is from carousel ride number two. I just thought it was a super cute picture.
Buzz playing on the electric toys.

This I think was from ride number one. Curtis looks like he is having a great time.
Oh this is the Pull string that I put on the back of his vest because Woody has a Pull string so we had to have a Pull string.
Vance coloring at our Halloween Party. He loved coloring that thing.
Our family picture.
My boys.
Vance throwing the balloon around with some friends.
Here he is on stage finally. He doesn't like attention at all!!! HEHEHE~