2010 year in review

2010 is yet another year of adventures good and bad.
January: Torrey moved to Washington to start a new job and bob-a-loo turned 2
February: We visited Torrey in Tri Cities and saw for the first time where we were moving
March: The boys and I moved to Washington
April: trying to move in and unpack, took a day trip to the Oregon coast (took something like 16 hrs)
May: monkey turned 5, we went to Seattle, Pikes Place Market, and the Puget Sound
June: The boys started swimming lessons at the Richland WA pool
July: went to Spokane and Mt Rainier
August: Weekend vacation to Oregon coast, to Utah for Alpine Days, and hiked to the top of Multnomah Fall in the Gorge near Portland, Or
September: Monkeystarted kindergarten in WA, we moved to Utah and Monkey started school, again, at Antelope Elementary.
October: my brother Mitch and his lovely wife Shalecia got married Oct 2! We had my mom visiting us for a couple months! For halloween Bob-a-loo was a clown, Monkey a lion, and I was a flapper.
November: I got the boys room decorated with jungle decor and we began our weekly (if not more often) visits to the doctor for several random illnesses (croup, ear aches, etc)
December: our Christmas partying was hard and heavy, we made gingerbread houses, visited the christmas village in Ogden, breakfast with santa, and TONZ of presents!
We had a very eventful, and interesting 2010. I'm glad it's over and we can begin a new year! Hello 2011!

Our Christmas

Merry Christmas! We had a fun-filled holiday!
We went to the Christmas Village in Ogden on 25th street. It was so fun and magical! The boys had a lot of fun with their cousins running around and getting to see what surprise was in each "christmas house".

Bob-a-loo, as usual, got a bit ornery and done walking around. Luckily, grandpa could hold him and keep him warm.

Here we are in front of the Tree in Alpine and g-ma and g-pa Copfer's house. The boys really enjoyed Christmas eve there!

It's Christmas morning and the presents are being opened!

I did a GREAT job at getting video, but unfortunately I forgot about the whole picture camera... so not so many great photos from that.

The Tree before all the presents were opened. I had to wait till AFTER the boys were asleep to even put the presents out from everyone. We had an incident with Bob-a-loo earlier this season, so they were hidden in my room untill the special night.

And here is what they got! Those boys had a lot of fun opening everything.

I think they really enjoyed being able to relax and enjoy the morning. They had to have their tv time before playing with more toys and going to g-pa Darrell's.

We had a very enjoyable Christmas. All in all, I think the boys made off quite well, and were quite happy with the results. We even tried to remember what this time is all about and think of Jesus Christ and his example to us. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

homemade Christmas gifts

I had planned to make all my christmas gifts this year. However, life happened and I didn't have the time I thought I would to complete all my ideas. I was able to get a couple of the gifts made. I know it's before Christmas, and I'm showing the gifts. But I just don't care and I'm guessing those who are getting these gifts won't actually look at my blog before they get the present, if they even look at my blog at all. (I hope I didn't offend any of my regular readers, I probably didn't make this for you.)


I'm really excited about the hat. It was knitted, and I'm not as good at knitting as I thought I would be, or atleast I'm not as fast at it as I am at crocheting. The hat took atleast 2 times as long as I thought it would to make.
I love the wraps because I made the pattern from another wrap I bought. I am actually really proud of them because of that! They sure turned out great, if I do say so myself.

The snowman was really fun to make and SO much easier than I thought it would be. I just got the pattern off of Lion brands free patterns. I had it out the other day, before I wrapped it, and I caught Bob-a-loo playing with it like a stuffed animal. It's actually an ornament, a big ornament, but if I had more time I'd probably make my boys one each just without the part to hang it on the tree.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Breakfast with Santa!

This year for our family Christmas party we had breakfast with Santa. We had a large, really good breakfast and as we were finishing Santa came and joined us. My digital camera is dead, and I haven't unpacked the charger yet, so luckily others were there and took the pictures for me (thanks Merrilee!)

Bob-a-loo was the first to run up to santa and sit on his lap. we have no stranger danger there... good or bad I'm not sure. But he was happy to talk with santa, and I did over hear that Bob-a-loo wants race cars for christmas.I had to entice Monkey to get over and talk with santa. I was surprised when he actually sat on his lap and talked with santa. It was really cute when santa asked Monkey what he wanted him to bring, Monkey would only whisper in his ear... I didn't get to hear what he said. We'll see if santa was on his game or not this year.

Family pictures!

We went out and got family pictures done before Mom went back to North Carolina. It was a bit of an adventure since we didn't have anyone else there taking the pictures. We just had our camera with the delay. We were sure lucky to get the one's with everyone AND the boys actually looking at the camera.





Here I am with my boys. We were lucky they were still in a good mood, or atleast it looks it with them being silly. Whoever was taking these pictures didn't really think about the boys being squished on eachother. I guess we may as well see them in their natural way.

This one is very artsy, right. I would love it more if only Bob-a-loo would actually have been looking at the camera. It sure is difficult with youngins.

The boys were happy to pose with grandma. They have really enjoyed being with her the last 2 months!

Ahh, the siblings. It's funny because I'm really NOT the shortest one, but it sure looks that way. But I'm also not the tallest, just the oldest.

It's the whole fam-damily.

It was fun getting everyone together.

Aren't we so cute? Who knew green would make my eyes so blue!

the boys room!

Welcome to Monkey and bob-a-loo's newly decorated bedroom!

The door really set the stage for what you will find within!

Hello bunk bed! You will notice the beautiful animal motif, which draws in both old and young, animal lover and safari enthusiast.

This is now definitely a shared room, how can it not be with the names prominantly displayed for all to see! My favorite addition is the very fun, very simple animal wall adhesives. They add a flare of home-grown, safari flavor.

Bob-a-loo's dresser is sporting his special birthday teddy, crayons and the very fun monkey "kids at play! Caution" sign in addition to the fantastic, crooked animal frames (yet to be filled).


Monkey's dresser is caring for the always needed cool air humidifier, the trying to survive plant, and the fun-loving teddy bear that supports CSU. Not to be underestimated, the adventure-seeking animal trio coat hanger (you'll notice the extra long noses of the tiger and monkey, and they have not told a lie).

I was so excited to finally get their room somewhat decorated, to have it really feel like they both belong (this used to be just Monkey's room). I still have more decorating ideas to complete in this room, which will be completed as funding dictates.

Halloween

Hello Halloween friends. Our holiday was not filled with ghosts and ghouls, but with lions, clowns, and flappers! I had a BLAST getting ready for Halloween, making costumes, decorating, and coming up with themes. Unfortunately, that was the best part of Halloween for me. The parties we went to were fun, but the trick-or-treating was rainy, cold, and LONG. I did enjoy getting dressed up and playing with the boys when they were being enjoyable. But the anticipation was highly disapointed by the reality of the events. Oh well, such is life! I'm still glad I had something to look forward to and get ready for, it sure kept me going the last couple weeks.
Monkey was a fantastic Lion and showed his courage while fending off those ghosts and ghouls for us.

Bob-a-loo was not the happiest clown, but did crack us up with his 2 year old antics. Luckily the clown hair was near his head for this picture, which was the closest it got before going out that cold cold cold night! Luckily it was cold so Bob-a-loo had to wear his "clown hat" to keep him warm! He earned his treats!