Christmas Day

Christmas was so different this year than last, I can't wait to see what next year will be. It just gets better and better the older he gets.

 

So this was our little Christmas corner.

 

For breakfast we had cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. They were so yummy! For lunch we had a sandwich and for dinner we had; fall off the bone ribs, green bean casserole and rolls. For dessert we had Muddy Buddies, which are totally addicting.

 

 

Walker and Julian got many fun things and we are greatful to our parents for the things they gave them! Here are a few pictures from that day.

Here's a video of how Walker likes to ride his bike!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Boy

It was Walkers birthday today and it was so much fun! I loved watching the expressions on his little face when playing with balloons and opening his presents!

So while he was taking his nap I got everything set up and prepped for his birthday dinner. We had hamburgers and garlic fries. I made his cake the night before so I didn't have to worry about that part (totally recommend doing that). Thanks Tammy for all of the tips.

For his second birthday he got:

Trains

 



Puzzels

 



A Ball

and more.
Thank you Nana, Pa, Grandma and Grandpa for everything!

After presents we sang happy birthday and we blew out the candles.

 

Today was such a great day and am so happy with how everything turned out.

 

This is the blanket you see in the picture. It's a different version of a tie fleece blanket. Here is the link if you want to check it out. Click Here It was super easy to make and it's nice and warm!

From 0 to 2

It is hard to believe that it has already been two years since you have entered our lives! It's amazing how quickly time goes by. I remember the whole 3 years we were waiting to have a child and wondering if it would ever happen. Then in April, I had a feeling I needed to take a pregnancy test. And to my surprise we were pregnant. Things have never been the same since. You have made our lives so much better by having you in it. You entered the world a whole 10 days after your due date, on a cold and rainy Christmas Eve!

 

 

3 months later things had changed. You were smiling, cooing, laughing and spiting up on everything in sight. But we still loved you anyways! You were also blessed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

 

When you were 6 months old we moved to Laramie,WY. Shortly after moving here you started to sleep 12 hour stretches, You could also sit up unsupported.

 

At 9 months you were pulling yourself up onto everything you possibly could; couches, chairs and beds that you could reach. You also started to walk shortly after this.

 

At 1 you got into everything! You were able to run, walk, climb and trip and fall down. You could drink from a cup, feed yourself for the most part and you loved to laugh. One of your favorite past times was to take things and put them in a the hamper in your room. On your first birthday you were sick with a stomach virus and we ended up having to go to Urgent Care. You can read about the 1 year old blog here.

 

At 15 months you started to take off developmentally. You loved try new things and to receive praise for everything, and I mean everything. You loved to do anything your Dad would do. About this time  you were able to go to the park and climb on the play set. Going to the park was by far your favorite thing to do. We would walk there from our apartment and you would just look at the trees and houses, but as soon as you knew we were close to the park you wanted out of the stroller so you could run on the grass.

 

At 18 months we were in the process of moving to Las Cruces, NM. You loved helping us pack (and unpack) things. We also visited both grandparents! You became a great travel buddy when we saw the grandparents and when we moved. You even got brave at this age and started to climb on tables. I remember being at Grandma and Grandpa Capells in Modesto and I just went to the back for a second and you had climbed on top of the table because there was watermelon up there. You little stinker.

 

And now you are two. You are the happiest little kid I know. I have decided that you are going to be the laugher in the family. You just love to laugh at pretty much everything! You are such a good big brother. Anytime Julian burps and look around for a towel to help clean up the spit-up. You are sleeping in your big boy bed and doing a fantastic job at it and you still like to sleep with you little elephant. You love to help me cook, clean and bathe Julian. You go to nursery all by yourself and you enjoy watching other people (I think you are like me in that way). In the past month you have changed a lot; you have started to try to repeat things that we say; you no longer lay down your toys, you throw them; you also drag out all of your toys instead of playing with one or two at a time; you have gotten into Mickey Mouse; when you get extremely excited you like to run around the house and then throw yourself onto the couch. I could go on and on about how amazing and silly you are, but I will sum it with: We love you very much and enjoy every second with you.
Happy 2nd birthday!

 

Easy Soup

2-32 oz beef broth
1-15oz can of tomato sauce
4 to 5 tbsp basil
Jenni-O breakfast sausage
2-Zucchini chopped
5-Whole carrots chopped
1-Head of broccoli chopped

Using a 5 quart pot, cook the sausage until done, and then add everything else and let cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how you like your veggies to be cooked.

The recipe is pretty much done to taste, so add more of what you like or just don't use certain veggies. This is the first time I have added broccoli to this and if I was to add it again I would wait until the end because I don't like over cooked broccoli.

Walker even eats it!

Little of this and a little of that

Walker has become such a good little builder. He has to use all of his blocks and stack them as high as he can.

 

 

Whats better than nutella and bread? YUMM!

 

Julian is just my lttle cutie! He is such a talker. I have decided that Walker is our laugher and Julian is our talker.
"Mom this book is for the birds"

 

I just think he has the best blue eyes ever! Also the above picture was taken the day before this one and his face is so much better! Poor kid. Cetaphill bath and cortozone on that face just did the trick.

Prayer

With Christmas approaching I've been trying to think about ways Christ has helped me out this past year. Here are the two major things that I have been thinking about.

#1
    These past few months have been crazy. In case some of you don't know Eric got a job in October working with the Juvenile Justice System. We were both excited for this but it was unexpected because of the job requirements. Our plan was to put school off a semester (since that was the reason we moved here) because out of state was a little much.
    But this job came along and changed everything, and I mean everything. Part of taking this job meant that he would be gone every other week starting in October and going through the end of November. I wasn't to excited about this with having a 1 1/2 month old and a almost two year old.     
    So I had to suck it up and deal with it. I was worried about going to church by myself, buying groceries, going to the park, nap/bedtime, plus everything else. I know that their is no way that we could of gotten through this whole experience if it wasn't for prayer. I don't think I have prayed so much in such a short time frame in my entire life. I truly know that my Heavenly Father was there for me through this time. It wasn't easy, and I did have my moments. When those moments would occur I would pray and things just seemed to be so much better. I am truly grateful for the love our Heavenly Father shows us.

#2
    Making the move out to New Mexico was not easy for me. I love to move, and I love change but this was not one that I was happy about. The whole reason we moved to Wyoming was for Eric to go to school and get his pre-requisites in Speech Pathology.
    We'll that was my plan! Once Eric was done with that program we started to apply for graduate schools. Things didn't turn out our way in that department. But something did happen. Eric, for some unknowingly reason, applied for a masters in Curriculum and Instruction at New Mexico State and he was accepted. When I first saw the acceptance letter I was so excited, because all I saw was "accepted" but the more I read, I was like what the crap, Eric did you apply to the wrong program?!?!
    So we go back and forth about what to do. Shortly after we received the letter, my visiting teachers came by and gave a nice lesson that really got me thinking. They talked about "our" plan vs Heavenly Fathers plan for us. Lets just say I wasn't to happy with what I was hearing, I wasn't accepting this. So many things were going through my head, why did we feel that we should come to Wyoming, why did we accumulate more debt, what are our family members going to think and say about this if we go to N.M.??
   We were praying about it and I told Eric that I am never going to get an answer, this is not what "I" want, this was not "my" plan. So Eric, being the wise ol' owl he is, told me to pray that my heart will be soften, so I could receive my answer. So I took his advice, and with some time I received my answer. I was prompted to go to the Relief Society activity, that I wasn't planning on going to, that they were having at the stake center. So I went, and I heard the same thing again that my visiting teachers had spoken to me about. The speaker seemed to know exactly how I was feeling, it was so strange. From praying and that exeperience I knew what we needed to do. And here we are, in New Mexico, and not going to school. What !?!? Not going to school, I know, I know. But one thing I do know for sure...I know that this is where we are suppose to be right now, doing the things we are doing. I know now that if things didn't happen the way they did we would of never considered moving here, and Eric wouldn't of gotten this great job doing something he enjoys.

**********

I know that our Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers. I know that if we go to Him with an open heart that he will lead and guide you. I am grateful for the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the comfort and peace it brings to me. I know that our Savior lives. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet and leads and guides His church. I am grateful for the friends I have made through going to church and the service that they have provided to my family. I know that we are all brothers and sisters and moving here has really shown me this. I love our Heavenly Father very much and am grateful for everything He has done.

Julians Blessing

Today was such an exciting day, Julian was blessed in the Las Colinas Ward in Las Cruces, NM. The blessing was beautiful as well as testimony meeting. We missed having more family members there but were grateful my parents could make it.