Christmas 2009...A picture is worth 1000 words

There are so many pictures to share of Chrismas Eve and Christmas, I decided to try posting them a new way (click on the collages to make them bigger) I tried making a slide show...but I can't figure that out apparently!

I'll keep the words short...just enjoy the pictures for what they are

CHRISTMAS EVE

Check out these cute babies watching Grandma's train

New Jammies for all, and getting ready for Santa!!

CHRISTMAS MORNING

oh so much anticipation and excitement!!

Grandma Dever came and we had lots of fun (but mom forgot to take pictures...grandma Dever did though...maybe she'll send us some and I can add them) But even without pictures, it was one of the best parts of our day!! We really loved sharing our chrismas morning with her!!

Then it was up to Grandma& Grandpa Walkers...Thomas waited patiently for his turn, and Robert really liked playing with curly ribbon!!

The funnest part of the trip to grandma's was the surprise she had waiting for us...

First we had to line up...

Then we had to listen to the rules...


Then we were surprised with new toys and even more presents to unwrap!!

This was the level of excitement with each opening... (and when we were down to three presents left...they knew they were for Gavin, Hayden, and Ethan...come up soon and see the new toys guys!!)

Then there was only one present left...?what to do?...Grandma had a great idea...EVERYONE open it at once (I thought for sure she was crazy...but it was FUN!!)

All in all a GREAT Christmas was had and Thomas told me today as soon as spring summer and fall are over...it's time for Christmas again...I think I'll need that long to recover!!

Traditions...

One of my favorite traditions we have, is the ornaments on our tree...

Dave came up with the idea when we were on our Honeymoon in Annapolis Maryland...we found this beautiful ornament and that's where it all began...

We decided to give each person in the family a new ornament each year (usually right around Thanksgiving when the tree goes up)...

Here are this year's ornaments...

Dave's

Mine (Dave say's I'm his angel and the green wings represent me getting better at taking care of our garden and stuff like that)

Michael's (my boy LOVES BYU)

Thomas' (he really loves cats!)

Robert's (We will put a picture of him on his first chrismas in the middle)



We also decided to get ornaments from anyplace we've traveled that year

we have a lot from here!

Disneyland!!

Family vacation to Salt Lake


I just LOVE getting the ornaments out each year...it is one of my favorite things that I do to get ready for christmas...I open the box and memories come FLOODING back...

Our first kiss (on Mt. Kissamore...we had smores after)


Michael's First grade gift to us (his handprint)


How much Thomas LOVED the color orange


Some just make me laugh...


Some make me cry... (my favorite ornament from Grandma Walker's tree)

How much my hubby likes to BBQ


Moving into our new house...



Dave's first "real" job...


Each ornament has a memory with it...I LOVE it!!

Even the Star has a memory...it looks like one we saw in the Browning center when Dave and I went to the Nutcracker...I looked for it for 4 years! (had foil covered cardboard until then)


We of course started with just a couple of ornaments and needed other things to fill it up like candycanes, and other types of ornaments...now we don't even hang them all...the tree is getting crowded!

Someday maybe I'll have a pretty, shiny, coordinated tree somewhere in my house...but I'll always have a tree like this somewhere too!



Of course, my favorite thing under the tree is this :)


The plan is to give the boys their ornaments when they have their own homes...sounds like a good idea...but I'm not sure I'll be able to part with them!!

The reason for the season...

This is my new favorite decoration this year...well I've had some of the decorations...just added to it this year

The Nativity, Dave bought me a few years ago...(I want to add the wisemen someday)...this year I added the sheer sparkly fabric and the lights...


The picture of the temple is one an old roommate gave me. I went through the temple to receive my endowment on the 23rd of December, so she gave me this picture of the Salt Lake Temple and the lights on temple square. I will always remember how wonderful that day was and how fun it was to walk out of the temple then walk through the lights (It was a big decision for me to go through the temple just for me...no mission, no marriage...just for me...(little did I know that is a few short months...I was going to meet my eternal companion...go figure!)


The three small pictures are new this year..They are Simon Dewey prints of Mary holding Jesus, Jesus in the manger, and Joseph holding Jesus...I really love them (and at 1.50 a piece...that's a new decoration in my budget!)


The red sign is one from the "after Thanksgiving dinner craft" a couple of years ago...it says "The Magic of Christmas is not in the presents...but in His Presence" So true...I am so grateful for this time of year and the chance it gives us to focus on the Savior and becoming more like him

Merry Christmas!

Caught Red Handed

Looks guilty doesn't he...

While I was in the kitchen fixing Robert a bowl of peaches...he decided to fix his own breakfast! (yes I left the box in the front room this morning when I gave him a snack in his saucer)

At least he knows what he did was wrong...

How do you get mad at a face like this...

Tell me...just how do you?!

Anyone wanna come over for a bowl of Cheerios...Robert MIGHT share...no promises!

Snow

It's not much of a secret that I don't really love snow...I think that's mainly because of what it does to the roads and increases my worry about my hubby having to get to work safely. Also, we were responsible for shovling snow for the apartments we managed for way too many years so snow always meant work...and it's so unpredictable...always seems to mess up plans...

But there are things I do love about snow...

...How happy it makes my children (yep...they stayed out until it was starting to get dark)

...How it can make the beautiful place I live even more beautiful......but I won't lie...I wish spring came in January!!

All types of Testimonies...

I think most people who read this blog know how addicted my husband Dave is to football, and how much he loves the New Orleans Saints. (if you don't...just check out his blog...it's on my sidebar)
Well...the Saints are doing EXCEPTIONALLY well this year, along with the Colts, they have one of the longest undefeated streaks in NFL history (I think this is what he told me...sometimes when he starts talking football I hear Charlie Brown's teacher "whah whah whah...whah whah"


The fact that they are doing so well means that their games are televised more frequently. Of course most games are on Sundays, and they seem to have been starting at 11:00 which means he gets ready for church early and watches every last second he can until we leave (at 12:50..on a good week). I can see how torn up he is to have to leave such exciting games!


Well today he was watching a game and it was snowing like crazy. He hadn't had the chance to get ready for church early since he had been shoveling the 3,000 feet of snow we got today. So...he had to tear himself away from the game even earlier so that he could get ready. We had discussed having him stay home and keeping Robert home to keep him away from germs...but HE decided that the place we needed to be was church.


While he was in the shower I was talking with Michael...here is our conversation


************
Michael: What would happen if there was so much snow that it covered up the doors of the church.



Me: Well, the Bishop would call us and cancel church.



Michael: That would be cool and dad would love it cuz he could finish watching the Saints
(and Michael could continue trash talking the Saints)



Me: Dad would like to stay home and watch football I'm sure, but what is he going to do today?



Michael: He's going to church.



Me: So what do you think is more important to dad...the Church, or football



Michael: The church is most important to him.



Me: Yep...it is...now go get ready!


*************
When it was time to leave for church...Dave gave me his pitiful puppy dog eyes and didn't want to leave the game yet...I told him the conversations I had with Michael and told him what a strong testimony he was bearing to his son today...just by going to church. To me too...Knowing how important football is to him...and that his team is having the dream season he's been wishing for since I've known him...watching him go out that door to church instead of making excuses and staying home really meant a lot to me today.



Thanks Dave for being an example to your son and for sharing your testimony in all kinds of ways...I love you!!

I love Saturdays!!

I got to sleep in until 7:30 because my kids were busy doing this...

Then the cutest 7 year old boy in the neighborhood shoveled my walks...

Good day!

For the love of the game (or at least the love of talking trash!!)

I thought that since the Saints were doing so well this year, I'd give Dave's Saint's ornament a front and center place on our tree...well...Michael had a different idea. He has gradually moved his Green Bay Packers and new BYU ornament in front of Dave's saints ornament.

Nope...there's no love of competition in this house...not at all (YIKES!) Sometimes I think Michael likes sports just so he can smack talk his dad!! I think (well, actually I know) that they both enjoy it a lot!

*For those that don't know we have a tradition of getting a new ornament for each other every year. A very fun tradition...maybe it needs it's own blog post.*

White Shirts

As I ironed white shirts this morning, my mind wandered back to a thought I had a couple of weeks ago, and decided to record it here.

Like many sunday mornings, I had spent a good chunk of time ironing shirts (I know I know, Saturday is the special day we should get ready for Sunday...I'm working on it) On this particular sunday I ironed a white shirt for each of my boys (from Robert to Dave) As we sat in church that day and I looked down the row at all of them with freshly pressed creases in their white shirts...I got a little lump in my throat and thought of how many times I would be ironing white shirts for these boys (and the two years when they would have to do it on their own)

Instead of being overwhelemed at the amount of work that would be...I was overcome with gratitude for the opportunity to some day have so many worthy priesthood holders in my home. (And a little overwhelmed at the responsibility I have to raise these boys to be worthy to hold that Holy Priesthood.) I am also grateful to have the biggest of my boys (you know it's true Dave!) already hold the priesthood worthily in my home...it is something I rely on a lot and hope to never take for granted. I am a blessed woman. Bring on the white shirts!!

Looking at things in a new way...

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."

Thomas S. Monson, Nov. 2008

I'm really trying to enjoy my life as it is now...this quote helped me today so I thought I would share it :)

The report is in...

Robert has an Artrial Septal Defect (ASD) which is a hole between the upper two chambers of the heart.

His is small (3-4mm or about an eighth of an inch) if they are less than 6-7mm they usually close themselves...but it may take up to 3 years to close) All we will do at this time is know that he has it and watch it at each well baby visit to make sure there are no problems. If it isn't closed up by the time he's preschool age...we'll do another echocardiogram at that point and see what's up.

Everyone has this hole in their heart before they are born, it just usually closes, and his hasn't yet...but IT WILL!! I'm so relieved, now don't get me wrong...I wish he didn't have it at all...but this seems so minimal. I even read about it online and am more comforted than scared (now if for some reason we have to have surgery in 3 years...that will be a different story!!)



Read here if you want more info (seemed like a pretty reliable source)
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11065

Here's another site that explains it pretty well too http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/asd.html


Thanks so much for all the prayers and support (and thanks Dr. Watts for calling me today so I didn't have to worry all weekend!!)

Robert's big day

**Long post alert...remember this is my journal and skip what you want)

Today was Robert's first echocardiogram (I have been mistakenly calling it an EKG....that's and electrocardiogram...a little different...learn something new every day!)


The morning started early...4:50 to be exact. I woke Robert up to give him some apple juice as he could have nothing after 5am (I had given him formula at midnight since he could have no food except clear fluids past 2am...and he was awake then since Thomas was awake with a terrible ear pain...it was quite a night!!!)


I was feeling calm as we went down to the hospital. Robert had received a beautiful blessing, and although it was snowy and the roads were terrible...Dave was with me and I knew all was going to be o.k. (Thomas woke up feeling better...yay for motrin and prayer!!)


We got to the hospital and they weighed and measured him and went on and on about how cute he is and how chubby his cheeks are. The nurses were so sweet. We had a few minutes for them to play with him and get him to warm up to him (he was tired as you can see) They decided to get out the bubbles.



He really liked them but got a little upset that everytime he tried to grab one it disappeared (how rude!!) It was really quite funny :)

(He was watching bubbles pop on the floor here)


He looked so cute in his little hospital gown and the tag they put on his arm was a great chew toy!! It was supposed to go on his ankle, but they underestimated his size and it wouldn't go around his chubby calf (they probably could have taken his socks off and fit it on his ankle, but they didn't want his toes to get cold)


The pulse/oxygen monitor was wrapped around his big toe with his sock on over it...good idea I thought....then it came time to sedate him (so he would hold still for the procedure)

They explained what would happen and the side effects (always scares me) They said they weren't putting him out very deep and that we needed to keep him still so he would sleep and that some kids really fight the medicine before they fall asleep...so we went back to an old trick and swaddled him very tightly before they gave him the medicine. They actually complimented me on my swaddling skills! (we were planning on taking more pictures...but since he was so lightly sedated, we were afraid it may wake him up and then they'd have to give him stronger meds...so no other pics!)

They then turned down the lights and everyone started talking in whispers (if it was light or it was loud he may wake up since he wasn't out very deep) He fussed just a little as I rocked him and hummed in his ear...after 8 minutes he was completely asleep! What a good boy.


They took him from me and put him up on the little crib and started getting him ready. They put a nasal cannula on him and then I got upset. Even though it was just a tiny bit of oxygen, just seeing that made me sad. I cried a little and the nurses didn't even make me feel bad for doing it :)


Then the ultrasound tech came in and hooked up the wires to his chest and started the ultrasound of his heart. I was disappointed when I found out that they weren't going to tell me anything about what they were seeing. Dave said they don't pay them enough to deal with worried moms.


It was cool to watch the ultrasound...I was trying to figure out what I was seeing (without much luck) and I went back and forth being amazed at the technology and freaking out that it was my baby hooked up to this machine!


I decided that they must not be seeing anything too scary though since the Dr. that was checking on him during the procedure was looking up the RSL soccer championship on the internet between when he was checking on him.


After it was all done, they unhooked him from everything and turned on the lights and stood him up and he woke right up (he was a little groggy) They tried to offer him a sucker but he didn't want it at all, nor did he want the juice they offered (the medicine they gave him was NASTY tasting and he wouldn't let anything else in his mouth.


We finally got him to drink a little juice (from his own bottle, from me) and smile and talk to us and we were on our way.


We have to wait to find out what they found out for sure, but I talked to my Dr. today (about Thomas) and they hadn't given him the report yet...which, according to what they said at the hospital today, means it is nothing too serious.


Robert has been a little groggy and sleepy today, but with every nap he's more and more like himself...this is what they said to expect.


I'm anxious to hear the report and know what the next steps are. But in the meantime...I'll enjoy this happy boy who obviously isn't too sick!!
(enjoying a snack after his fist nap...he was in the saucer because he kept falling over while trying to climb up on things!)


Oh did I mention it was a long day...this is what I just found when I went to check on Dave and Robert in our room...TOO CUTE!!! Love my boys!!

9 months old!!

This is always kind of a thoughtful (for lack of a better word) birthday for me since now he's been living outside of me as long as he was living inside of me. As much as they develop inside in those 9 months, they do so much developing outside in 9 months too.



His offical 9 month picture...(no sitting still on the couch this month mom thankyouverymuch!! Just put that elephant by me while I play)



Stats: 25 lbs 7.5 oz 30 3/4 inches yep...that's my big boy!!



Here's his list of new accomplishments...

-pulling up to stand (using the crib, couch, chair, toy box, whatever he can)

-he's starting to inch himself along whatever he's standing up to (I'm SOOO not ready for him to walk!!)

-He has 7 teeth and almost 8

-Eating all kinds of food including table foods. We found out Sunday he LOVES ham!!

-He is a human vacuum cleaner and finds things on the floor and the go immediately in his mouth! Speaking of which ...I'm really glad he makes an "mmmmm" sound when something goes in his mouth it's alerted me to when he has something in his mouth he shouldn't have in there!!

-He is a little jabber box but has yet to say ma-ma (why is that last?!)

-Just last week he popped up on his hands and knees to crawl (instead of his belly crawl) and he is FAST!!

-He claps and waves bye-bye

-he still has that infectious laugh...he laughs at a particular point in one of the baby einstein videos he watches every time...so funny!!

-Oh...and he is finally sleeping through the night (of course he wakes up at 5:45...I could do without that...but we're working on it)



I haven't mentioned this before, because I was told not to worry about it (and was trying to pretend it didn't exist)...but his dr. noticed a small heart murmur at his first appt. and told us not to worry that it was very common and would go away...I was shocked and a little scared, but found comfort in the fact that it was normal and was assured it would go away....well at each subsequent appointment I waited anxiously to hear that the murmur was gone...and it never was...and it's still not.



Dr. Watts still assures me that it's nothing to worry about, but he's sending him for an EKG on Monday. I'm trying not to worry...but truth be told...I'm worried...It's my baby's heart for crying out loud!! No one (in the medical profession) seems to be worried about it, and they keep telling me not to worry...so I'm really trying not to.



Monday should be an experience and I'm praying that it's nothing more than something insignificant like Dr. Watts thinks it is. He just wants to make sure what it is so we know what we're not worrying about. I've promised him and myself that I will stay off the internet and not worry until I have something to worry about, I'm not sure how that will go!! I will worry...but I'm really NOT going to look on the internet about it...been there done that too many times!!!



So this will be a week full of keeping myself busy so my mind can't wander, and praying extra hard!! I'll just keep telling myself that everything is going to be fine!!



Robert...I can't belive how big you're getting!!!

I love you and love the times you still let me cuddle and snuggle you!!

Love, Mom :)

And then there are these moments...

Yes this is my husband actually reading instructions before beginning a project...a rare thing in our house. (just for clarification...it's the reading of instructions that's rare...not the project doing!)

Oh...and yes Robert's 9 month birthday was yesterday and I'll do the update post on Tuesday after his Dr. appt. but here's a picture for a teaser...

...and no...he first word wasn't "CHEESE" (although it looks like it)

These are the moments...

There are lots of things I need to blog about...but I was able to catch this moment on film tonight and wanted to share it.

One of the best things about having kids is the frienship that develops between siblings...I'm always surprised how fast it happens. Robert loves every minute he can spend with Michael. I'm glad he has such a good big brother to look up to and learn from.

(and Robert has learned to react to the camera...everytime I took a picture this is what he did the quiet beep of the focus made him look up and smile every time...silly boy!!)