Blessing Day

Our sweet Daniel Boy is getting so big and old wayyyy too fast! We had his blessing a few weeks ago. It was such a special day, and all of our family in the area was able to attend. The only bummer was that Uncle Jason and Bishop Eddy were in the blessing circle but unable to be with us for the pictures--boo! Still, it was such a special day. We also FINALLY did the pinata (which was supposed to be done for Rebeccas birthday, but Daniel had other plans--I think he wanted to be at the party). Daniel is truly a precious miracle. I cannot imagine our home without his sweet personality.

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was so fun, but a little quiet compared to the norm. Some of our Hall family was out of town, and the rest wanted a quiet day. Most of our King family was gone, too, leaving us and the Goeckeri. :) Cheralyn and Wayne made an AMAZING feast!!! We loved being at their house with the missionaries. Between dinner and dessert we played Turkey Bingo and all won tons of fun prizes. We were having such a great time, we hardly even noticed that we were about half the size we normally are for holidays (although we did miss everyone who was not there!)--that was mainly apparent when we dug into our 3 yummy pies (we normally have upwards of 15).

I am so grateful to know that we will always have loved ones to complete our celebrations! We are so blessed in so many ways.

A Bakers Dozen of My Favorite Pics

Happy Birthday, Princess!

Our baby girl is 2! Having a new baby right now reminds me of how new and tiny Rebecca was two years ago. Now she runs, carries on full conversations, and loves to take care of babies of her own.

I was so excited to do a party for Rebecca with our families, and I worked so hard. I was a little sad to have to leave it early to hurry to the hospital after my water broke. (Of course, it was totally worth it!) I don't think Rebecca noticed, though. She was screaming with glee from the moment her sweet Steven gave her her first gift that afternoon to the moment she had to go to bed. Thanks so much to both our families for helping our girly girl's birthday so special!

Rebecca is such an amazing big sister. She asks all the time to hold her and loves giving Baby Daniel lots and lots of hugs and kisses.

Happy Halloween!

This year Halloween was particularly special because that was the day we brought Daniel home. The kids were so excited to finally have him home! How fitting that the night had a party feel. My mom came over to pass out candy with Daniel and me while Adam took Steven and Rebecca trick-or-treating. They had a blast and scored a TON of candy! (Yum!!!) It was really fun to see a tall hot dog walking around with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.

Before Halloween we went to the pumpkin patch a couple times--once with friends, and once with the Halls. The kids really loved getting to pick out their own pumpkins. I love the feel of fall, and I loved all the yummy foods and beautiful colors that come with it.

Daniel Bruce

8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20.5 inches of pure joy!

Our sweet baby boy is finally here! He was due November 1st, and we were going to induce by the 8th. He surprised us and came a few days early on October 29th--sharing his birthday with two awesome cousins! We were right in the middle of a family birthday party for Rebecca when my water suddenly burst. I was standing in the middle of the kitchen when it happened--weirdest feeling, ever. I had no idea what to do, but I could not move for about 10 minutes because I was too nervous to have more and more water come and start getting all over the floor. Sorry, tmi? Maybe.

Anyway, Daniel is so completely precious. He mostly just sleeps, eats, and poops right now, but he has a few awake moments each day that are so peaceful. He opens his huge, beautiful eyes and gazes around the room. He is already starting to try to focus on our faces, too.

Steven and Rebecca are IN LOVE. They cannot get enough of him. Oh, and Steven totally calls him Cookie Monster. I think that name might be around for a while. ;)

Fashionista

Rebecca has become quite the outfit creator as she discovers her inner diva. I am usually able to help guide her to match, but not always. I am pretty sure her favorite part of our new house is the mirrored door to her bedroom closet--she is constantly staring at herself, watching herself dance, and practicing pretty poses. The really nice thing is that her new found desire for all things pretty is making her let me actually do her hair. Rebecca loves when we go to Grandma's house and pull out the dress-up necklaces, also when we go to Karlie and Eliza's house and they share their pretty dress-up things. She is such a girl! I love it!

Getting Wayyyyy Too Old Wayyyyy Too Fast

Steven is in preschool! Ahhh, he is so old! I am already starting to stress about him starting Kindergarten. :( Of course, Steven LOVES school. The best part about it is that he gets to go with his cousin Thomas (they have matching Lightning McQueen lunch boxes) and Aunt Cheralyn is the teacher! Every week he comes home with an amazing painting project which we always hang up right when we get home and he shows to anyone who comes in our house. He also loves getting HUGE bunches of grapes from Aunt Cheralyn's backyard. I am so impressed with the things Steven is learning and so proud of him and his desire to know more.

Cousin Visits

We recently bought our first home! We have been loving having our own place, decorating it the way we want, etc. A few weeks ago we had our first overnight guests--my cousin Sara and her cute family. All the kids loved playing together, and my kids are still talking about Christopher and Baby Brooklyn. Thanks so much for coming and being so fun! Please come again soon!

A little while later Ben and Will came with Grammy for the afternoon. We made good use of finally having a backyard and had all the kids jump on the tramp while I sprayed them all with the hose. They loved the homemade water park! We love those cute boys!!!

Fun at the Aquarium

Adam and the kids LOVE fish! Of course, I do too; but they really, REALLY do. I have never been one to be lucky and win stuff, but I actually won some tickets to the Long Beach Aquarium, so we got to go! The kids loved watching the sharks eat, and they even got to touch some fish and manta rays.

Summer Travels, Part 4 of 4

Our last stop this summer was to Idaho to see our Hall grandparents. Grandmother and Grandfather have an amazing produce garden, and the kids were loving eating everything from the strawberries to the green peas. We enjoyed taking pretty walks, saying hello to horses (Rebecca now calls them neighs), and just being being together.

We loved getting to visit all the family we have up there. We are so glad we took advantage of being so close to them during all our Utah travels. It is such a blessing for us and our children to have such wonderful relatives.