Bring on Nursery

Jason is 18 months old! I am excited to send him to nursery, and I think he will be excited too, especially since his friend Elena will be there. Jason does so many cute things, some of which I will try to share.

Jason is our little parrot. He repeats a lot of words we say. Kyle got him to repeat the alphabet after him, one letter at a time. When Kyle tried to get him to say "W" for the first time, he just giggled. What a funny letter to say. It took him a few times before he attempted saying "W", but now he'll repeat it pretty well. Kyle and Jason have added nursery rhymes to the activity, with Jason repeating the nursery rhyme one word at a time.

He became obsessed with Shrek when we saw a Shrek balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We've also introduced him to Toy Story. Now every day he asks to watch "Shrek," "Yoy-yoy" (Woody), and "Buzz." No matter which DVD we put in first, he'll watch it for three minutes, and then ask for the other DVD. The two are very connected in his mind and he wants to see both right away. It makes me miss the VHS days when you didn't have to start over every time you put the tape in.

Jason's two lovies are his pacifier ("paci") and green bear. Whenever he has one, he also wants the other. Although he mostly calls his bear "bear," sometimes he calls it "Buzz." Can you see the likeness?



Jason loves the outdoors and is becoming more and more social. We have to get out of the house at least twice a day, which can be hard during these winter days, but it is harder to stay cooped up inside.

Although he got new toys for Christmas, his favorite toys remain regular household items. One of his favorites is the toilet plunger. He loves to walk around with it, using it like a walking stick. Jason's four-year-old cousin Sadie saw him doing this one day and said, "Oh no! He has the toilet plugger!"

Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles are also a favorite distraction. Bath time is a favorite occasion because of all the bubbles he gets to play with. One time Kyle was doing the dishes and a tiny bubble floated up towards the ceiling. Jason noticed the bubble as it neared the ceiling fan, and he watched it until it disappeared. Now he studies our ceiling fans to try and find more bubbles lurking about. A couple times when Jason woke up crying in the middle of the night from a fever, he asked us for bubbles when we checked on him.

Jason is becoming more and more picky about eating. He has developed quite the sweet tooth. He has learned the words "treats" and "snacks"; now he asks for treats and snacks when he wakes up in the morning and afternoon. When we were eating at Jason's Deli the other night, Jason became hard to contain after finishing his dinner. He wanted to walk around the restaurant instead of waiting for mom and dad to eat. Kyle mentioned to me that maybe it was time to give him the free ice cream, and at the mention of ice cream, Jason snapped to attention and became the best behaved boy, especially because we really did give him ice cream.


Our favorite time together as a family is getting Jason ready for bed. Kyle and I do it together, one person entertaining Jason with stories while the other puts on the PJs. We all have fun listening to the stories and watching Jason's face as he concentrates on the stories. After stories we cuddle as we sing a song. He is becoming good at cuddling again.

We love you Jason!

Ho Ho Holidays

Jason and I went to Gardner Village to see the cute elf displays.



We took Jason to his first BYU basketball game. It was an afternoon game at the Energy Solutions Arena, so we decided to give it a try. Jason was very entertained by it all for most of the game. He loved the lights, the clapping, and the cheering. He cheered and clapped better than most of us (as you can see by the picture). We all had fun getting involved in the crowd cheers of "B-Y-U- Cougars!" Lucky for us, two chairs next to us were empty, so Jason could have his own seat and some roaming room.


After the game we saw the tree at Gateway, then enjoyed some Costa Vida and cookies.


And last but not least, Jason had his first introduction to Santa at our ward Christmas party. Believe it or not, Santa has Jason on the "nice" list this year.

Noing

It's been "noing" a lot around here, as Jason says it. One of the down-sides to home ownership we've discovered: shoveling your own snow. We were pampered the first three years of marriage by not having to shovel our walks. We're quickly making up for it now, especially since we're not in Provo anymore, which doesn't get much snow comparatively.

I love this picture of Jason in his snow suit. This typifies what Jason often looks like when we get set to go, especially with the bear and pacifier, his two favorite objects. He thinks they need to come along everywhere. We usually let him bring the pacifier, but we try to leave the bear at home since we don't have a spare. Jason is a good sport about getting everything on because he knows it means he's going outside. And he loves tromping around in his boots.


Jason also loves to wear Kyle's hat. I bought the hat in Bolivia to give to Kyle.

I am Thankful

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. It was our turn to be with the Hunsaker side. In the Hunsaker family, the rolls are the least favorite food to make. I figured it was my turn to make them, so I plucked up some courage and volunteered to give them my first try. I must say Kyle and I did a pretty good job. We were like rock-stars for having made them ahead of time and saving all that dish-washing time.



Jason got hungry before the appointed feast time, so he had a Thanksgiving feast of bananas, cheese, and rolls. Not bad. And then we put him down for a nap and enjoyed our feast. Notice in the picture that he is on a stool and not in a high chair. He is becoming Mister Independent and enjoys eating like a big person. He also enjoys climbing on the table, not like a big person.


In attendance were the Cleggs, Robbins, Karren, and my parents. We'll actually have Thanksgiving dinner part 2 this Sunday when Mitch and Heather get back and everyone else is in town.



We have so much to be grateful for: a house, Kyle's job, good parents, supportive families, crazy Jason, health, indoor heating, mashed potatoes, raisins, swings, diapers, running water, lotion, temples, and much much more. I am particularly grateful to have a husband who is so good at helping me with cooking and cleaning. I am so lucky!

Holiday Fun

A few of the fun things we've done during these holidays (sorry if it is a bit of a travel log, but I want to remember):

1. Tour Sweet's Candy Factory. The tour itself was really interesting. The problem was Jason. Once he figured out exactly what we were seeing (and it didn't take him long to notice candy), he tried to get at it the whole time. Three samples were not enough for him. He wanted something in his mouth the whole time. I had to physically hold him back throughout the whole tour. I was worn out at the end and pampered myself by buying some salt-water taffy-- peppermint flavor of course.

The lighting in the picture is bad, but you can sort of see the hair nets we had to wear during the tour. The up side to Jason's drive to get at the candy was that he forgot about the hair net and let it be.


2. Friends party at a cabin in Heber City. Danielle invited us to her parents' cabin. Kyle and I were jittery with excitement for this party because we got to leave Jason behind in the care of his grandmas. It was magical: child-free, lots of snow, awesome food, fun games, good conversation, incredible decorations, and even a bit of sliding down the road on the way home. Newlywed games never do get old, do they? Thanks for hosting, Danielle.


3. Jazz game against New Orleans. We won! Kyle, who remembers every game we've attended, says we are starting a new winning streak. We had a long streak from the time we were dating where the Jazz won each time we went, but that ended in a playoff game against the Lakers. Now we can start a new streak. I am glad I have Kyle to keep track of this stuff for me.

4. Radio City Rockettes show with Holly. Pretty amazing. I am glad there is still a national production that isn't afraid of acknowledging that Christmas is about Christ's birth. It is fun to have a girls' night out every once in a while. And we didn't feel bad about leaving our husbands behind because we let them watch the BYU football game in peace earlier in the day.

5. Black Friday. Not so fun, but worth mentioning. I had my first experience this year of going to Walmart's midnight shopping on Black Friday. Not Worth It. At least not for what I was getting. I'd rather pay two extra dollars for the toy and keep my normal sleep patterns. It has taken me a while to get my normal self back. I must be getting old.

6. Jordan River Temple. I have an awesome new friend (Shauna) and we swap babysitting so we can both make it to the temple each month.

We're looking forward to more fun stuff, including Kyle's work party, skiing, BYU basketball game, temple square, and getting together with family.

Three Down!

I passed my third CPA Exam! That means there is only one left, which I already took. I should get my score back in the next three weeks. Hopefully I passed.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

For Halloween we dressed up as Dorothy's worst nightmare: lions and tigers and bears. The only problem is most people thought I was a mouse or a cat. Nope. I was a bear.

Before trick-or-treating we had a birthday celebration for my oldest sister Brooke. I made a graveyard cake for her. On the tombstones are the words "Happy Birthday," among other Halloween phrases. Yes, birthday cake on Halloween was overkill. We didn't eat any of it that night, but I still wanted Brooke to feel special.



Kyle and I had a blast trick-or-treating with Jason, despite the pouring rain. We went out at the worst possible time, but how were we to know it would stop raining an hour later? We had a huge umbrella all three of us fit under, so we still had fun as we watched Jason's eyes grow larger and larger with each handful of candy that was thrown into his bag. I'm just grateful he hasn't yet figured out where I hid the bag.

Happy 26th Kyle!

Twenty-six years old and still as handsome as ever. I still have moments when I think, "How did I get so lucky to marry him?"

I hope you had a great birthday, Kyle. I put a lot of heart into this awesome ice cream cake.



Thanks to Curtis and Linda for making an awesome Sunday dinner as well as taking us out to dinner. Kyle and Quinn shared the Sunday dinner since their birthdays are so close together. Don't the little boys look cute in their matching Halloween shirts?

First Snow Flakes

I am in trouble: Jason loved being out in the snow. He figured out how to eat it all on his own. At least I can get him to keep his hat and gloves on so far... Aren't they cute? I found them at Old Navy. Grandma Linda made the awesome jacket for Kyle when Kyle was one year old.

Now Kyle and I have to differentiate three types of "NO."

1. "no" meaning no
2. "no" meaning yes
3. "no" meaning snow

We'll probably be on this neighbor's swing all winter long.

"Daddy's" New Side-Kick

Kyle was gone for two weeks in a row for work. Jason and I decided to vacation in Alpine at my parents' house while he was gone rather than be alone. Kyle had been gone for a week in July, but it didn't seem to phase Jason too much. This time, however, I noticed Jason was always missing his daddy. He was obsessed with looking at Kyle's pictures at my parents house and on this blog. Jason said "daddy" all the time. When Kyle came home for a mere 34 hours between trips, Jason was Kyle's side-kick, which was a first; normally he is mine. Jason became alarmed anytime he couldn't see Kyle. I assume he was worried Kyle might leave him again (which proved to be a genuine worry). As Jason watched Kyle drive away for his second trip, he burst into tears (which made Kyle teary as well).

Thankfully we had Grandpa Hunsaker, who Jason calls "Bopa," and other relatives to fill in while Kyle was away. Bopa entertained Jason with his first riding lawn mower ride, JCW french fries, M&Ms, and a trampoline.

Now that Kyle is back for good, Jason continues to be his side-kick, which is just fine with me. Jason asks for daddy first thing in the morning. He prefers to have daddy push him in the shopping cart. The list goes on. We're both very glad daddy is home.

Three Dates in a Row

Kyle and I had three dates in a row-- on the weekends, of course. This is a new post-baby record! Thanks to Holly, Linda, and Brooke for babysitting.

First date: BYU football game against San Diego. We actually won!



Second date: Anniversary outing. We tried a new Thai place in Sandy called "Simply Thai" and we loved it. After dinner we went to a musical called "The Drowsy Chaperon" at the Hale Center Theater. It is now on our list of favorite musicals. We are looking forward to "My Fair Lady" next year because that is also on our list of favorite musicals.



Third date: Birthday date for Kyle. We went to Tucanos for a free birthday meal and then to the temple. Happy Birthday Kyle!

Happy Anniversary!

I want to let the world know that I love my wife! Happy Anniversary Love! These have been the best 4 years of my life!

Tiger Grins

Happy Halloween from Jason. Isn't he the cutest tiger in town? Jason is 15 months old in these pictures. Which tiger picture is your favorite? I couldn't decide if I liked it better with the hat on or off, so I had to get a print both ways.

Witch Fest

Check out the Witch Fest at Gardner Village. We had so much fun. You get to walk around finding all the crazy witches they have on display. And it is free. Just print off the scavenger hunt before you leave so you can fill it out and get a cookie. I think I'll go back again before it ends.

Welcome October

We welcomed October with a BBQ party at our house with high school friends. Kyle and I were in the same group of friends in high school, so it was fun for both of us to have our old buddies over. In attendance: Danielle, Jeremy, Kaden, Brinnley, and Maggie; Kristin, Wyatt, and Kody; Trisha, Gavin, and Lincoln; Jessica, Ellie, and Cade; Micah and Allison.

I couldn't believe the great turnout we had. Unfortunately, we didn't whip out the cameras before people started leaving. We are so lucky to have had friends in high school who were good influences on us. May all of our children have the same good fortune.