Just a Quick Note

Hello to anyone that reads my blog and wonders what is going on at Casa de la Gaines. We are alive, just busy, busy. Since July, we have gone to Lake Powell, Justin turned 29, I turned 29, Sophia started walking and talking and Broc just continues to be Broc. Our computer got a virus, my camera went retarded, I got a new cell phone (apparently when you drop your phone on it's face, the screen cracks). Who knew. Sophia gets to go to nursery (has.only.been.once.due.to.this.cough.that.will.not.go.away.) We got our Halloween on at a couple of parties and trick or treating and we ate til we dropped at Thanksgiving. That's our lives right now in a nut shell. I will post with pictures when I have more time but right now I am baking a million loaves of bread for a fundraiser I coordinated. Long story short, we are alive and well.

Broc is 4!!

I can't believe Broc went from this

to this

 in what seems like overnight.(His birthday was May 31st. I am just super slow to post) He is at the age now that he fully understands everything and is excited for it all. He is such a caring little boy and is just grown up all of a sudden. He loves to rock out to certain songs, knows his alphabet and colors, can tell you how to spell his name, and just learns something new every day it seems. In celebration, I decorated the house the night before so when he woke up he found streamers and balloons. We then got ready and headed north to go to the zoo!! We ended up buying a pass (well my mom bought it) so now we can go whenever. It was fantastic!! They have dinosaurs at the zoo right now and they look soo real. Kind of freaky. The raptor looks like he is really following you with his eyes and then he spits water out at you. Thanks mom for a fabulous day!!

 a cake for my nephew that my friend Aisha made. She does AMAZING work!!

That weekend we had his camping parties. And for the record we have the best friends and family around! We grilled hamburgers, roasted hot dogs and made smores. Happy Birthday Broc!! You are so much fun and such a little spit fire. There is never a dull moment when you are around that's for sure!! Your dad and I am Sophia love you so so much and we are glad to be your family forever!!

Sophia is 1!!

I can't believe that a year has gone by and that my baby girl is already 1!! Her birthday was the 21st. I had to work all day since it was Easter week, so my mom, sister and nephew came down to play with her for the day. She got sung to and snuggled. Not much more went on that day. Justin had scouts and I had a Relief Society meeting. Sorry about that baby girl. The real festivities were over Easter weekend. She got baby dolls from Grandma Linda and Aunt Kim, an adorable Minnie Mouse that sings from Aunt Kerrilee and money from Grandpa David. That was just Saturday. Sunday we went to Ogden for dinner with my family. There is where we did the cake. She went to town!! She loved every single minute of it. There she got a telephone from Aunt Lisa, clothes from Aunt Joanie and Aunt Barb and Aunt Trish. It was so fun just celebrating Sophia. When we sang Happy Birthday to her at my mom's she had the biggest smile on her face! She knew we were all there for her. I loved it!! Happy Birthday Little Girl!! We are so happy that you are part of our family! It is so fun watching you grow and learn new things and I am super glad I get to be your mom. We love you!!
"Words" she is saying right now:
mama, yep, yea, dada She "talks" a lot of Sophanese but I love listening to her babble.
She is finally fully crawling, still no desire to pull herself up which I am fine with but she will attempt to walk when being helped. When being held, she pulls her body in the direction she wants to go which is usually outside. She loves to go on walks, playing with the animals and playing with Broc who finally really loves his sister now that she is more able to interact with him. Ha. 
Her 12 month stats:
Height:    28 1/2" 30th percentile
Weight:   21lbs. 10oz. 60th percentile (she has only gained a pound since her 9 month check)
Head:     46 3/4 cm 90th percentile

Daredevil (Colton, this one's for you)

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I forsee many stressful days in my future. I thought I had a few more years until he would come up with ideas like this but I guess I should never underestimate the BCG :)

Such a ham!

I can't believe that in less than a month this little chunk is going to be a year old. Can someone please tell me where that year has gone? It has been a year and we can't wait to celebrate it that's for sure!!

Sophia's First Hair Cut

Sophia's hair was gettng too long to do anything with, so I had it trimmed by our one and only Kellie. She has been doing my hair for 20 years and she is the ONLY one Broc won't throw a fit with when its time for a haircut. My grandma would really be turning in her grave with the fact that we cut her hair but what can you do? Sorry grandma. She only got frustrated once. Man I love this little girl.

Long post....Let's Just Call This a Catchup

I am super lame in the blogging world but then I think hmm does anyone really even read my going ons? We have been busy but not so productive at Casa de la Gaines. Winter just sucks the life from our household. I sure hope you are ready for a some download. (Keep in mind a lot of this is for my journaling)

Sophia

Sophia is 10 months old now. She is soo much fun these days. She loves to sing when she hears music (makes sacrament entertaining), she loves to watch her shows and she has some favorites already. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Special Agent Oso, and Imagination Movers. She is a little lover. If you ask her for loves, she lays her head on your shoulder for a minute. Kisses are open mouthed. You can be holding her and she will look at you and lean in for a kiss. I love it. She will tell you hi, gets shy around any guy and thinks everything that Broc does is hilarious. She is finally getting 1 tooth, refuses to crawl but instead scoots and rolls her way to anything she wants. She loves her baths and she lets you know it. Bath time is when she gets the most vocal. Its loud and its funny to listen to. She eats a little bit of everything. She's not too fond of green vegetables, but loves her orange colors and all fruits. She is 100% a mama's girl. She wants to be with me no matter what. The only thing I remember from her Dr's. appointment was that she weighed 20 lbs. She is in the 80th percentile for head circumference 60th for weight and 20th for height. I lost the paper somewhere so I don't have the exact stats.
BCG otherwise know as Broc
 And who can forget Broc? He is such a caring little boy. He shows concern for almost anyone, punishes himself when he does something and if he is mad, he lets you know it. We are trying to get him to use his inside voice a lot more and he proceeded to tell me that he doesn't have an inside voice only an outside voice and it's loud. Haha!! He and Sophia go to daycare now and he is loving it. They go to the park pretty much every day therefore he is in heaven. I think it has been more of an adjustment for me to have to get up earlier to get myself and both kids ready and out the door by 7:30am. Broc is getting huge and we think he is going to be a tall kid. He got a lot of that from my side that's for sure. He comes up with something new everyday. He tells all sorts of stories and apparently makes everything now. We were at a birthday party last weekend and every gift Zoey opened, he apparently made. He is as amazing as Santa :) When he is tired he will ask for his blanket. He has his own room but prefers to sleep in ours and he likes to play jokes on his uncle Craig. He told me yesterday that his uncle Colton is his best friend and he adores his aunt Holli. He knows his colors, can say the alphabet and count pretty well to 20. He sings a lot of songs and loves to sing along to different shows. (Yes my kids like their shows). He has an amazing memory and remembers almost anything you tell him. He is a Sunbeam this year which is an adjustment but he actually colors a picture now which is a change for him so we will take it. He is becoming a better protector of his sister. It's nice to see. It makes me feel good to know he will always have her back.

Staci

I am working like usual. I got transferred to the American Fork store. So far so good. I had some things to clean up and I am still making it my own and to my standards, but I am loving the team there. My store is set for a remodel around St. Patrick's Day. New carpet, new paint and the new logo on the building! It has taken me 9 years and almost 20 stores to get something new so to me I will do whatever it takes to get the job done. The only downfall to getting transferred now is that I wanted the new store in Pleasant Grove we are opening this year but oh well. Besides work I am just here. I am in 2 Bunco groups and starting a third which helps keep me sane. It's a guaranteed night out for me. Other than that it's just cleaning, being a mom and wife. I seem to balance it all but not sure how some days. My bestie and her daughter moved in with us back in November which has also been an adjustment but things are going good at this point. Broc and Larissa are finally back to being friends and not hating each other. Life is good.

Justin

Justin has been working and helping his brother do a remodel on their kitchen. I am so glad it is almost done because then I get my husband back and some projects of my own done. He is still growing his farm. We have lost a few birds but what can you do? It's basketball season therefore, Thursday and Friday nights are spent at ball. Broc likes it because he gets to go play with his friends and I like it because I get adult conversation. Nothing else too exciting on his end of things. We are kind of low key and don't do much. We are homebodies that's for sure.

We went to Promontory Point with my dad for the running of the trains. It was super cold but a lot of fun. Thanks dad and thanks mom for keeping Sophia warm at home.

Inside the train.

The Jupiter

New Years Eve Broc and Larissa

Doing "sprinklers"

Pop its on my kitchen floor. It was freezing so I let the kids do them inside. Yeah, I am that cool :)

Helping herself to ramen

My ones and onlies. No really, we are done.

I love this man!!

Pictures Broc takes

This year is going to be a great year for the Gaines family. I can just feel it. I will get better on blogging and keeping updated on things. The kids will continue to grow and Justin and I will just keep on keepin on :)