Holidays and Family Time

Happy Holidays from all of us to you!

This was a very special Christmas for us this year as it was Lucas's first christmas. Alex and I have spent a lot of time over the past few weeks remembering what we were doing at this same time last year. We had just recieved a phone call from our caseworker that Lucas's birth mom wanted to meet us. We were so excited and very anxious & couldn't wait to meet this special young lady. She was so wonderful and after spending hours talking & getting to know one another, she announced to Alex and I that she knew we were to be his parents. We were overjoyed and couldn't wait for his arrival. Lucas would be born a week after Christmas, and here we are, almost an entire year later, and we feel ever so blessed.

Alex and I have several Christmas traditions, many that we have carried over from our childhood Christmases. Some of these include driving around to look at the lights; reading the story of the Savior's birth from the scriptures; watching the cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"; drinking hot cocoa & delivering goodies to neighbors and family. We also give each other a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve- Lucas got his first pair this year & I have to say, they fit him like a glove :) Most importantly, Christmastime is about family time for us. My Mom , sisters, and sweet nephew Ethan spent a week here with us and as always, the time went by waaay too fast! I had a tender moment take place the day after my Mom and nephew arrived; it was snowing pretty steadily outside and it looked so beautiful. My mom was in the kitchen with my son and nephew baking her famous treats, and I found myself holding back happy tears. I had imagined that type of moment, where my mom's baking smells would fill my home & I would hear the laughter of my kids around her. It was my best Christmas gift. We loved having my 4-yr old nephew with us too! He found so much joy in the simple things, like making a snowman in the front yard or looking at the neighbor's lights. My two sisters were here as well, and they spoiled Lucas with so much love!

Thank you, to all of our loved ones near and far, for making this another wonderful Christmas to remember!

Check out some fun family videos below!

A Time for Thanks

We love the holiday season! It's always filled with good food, good friends, and great family company! Each year, Alex and I rotate spending Thanksgiving with one family and Christmas with the other. This year, we were able to spend Thanksgiving with both! Before taking off to visit my family out-of-state, we held a Thanksgiving dinner at our house for Alex's family. I feel extremely proud to say that I took care of the star of the show-the turkey-and I mean from start to finish! My mom was on speakerphone while Lucas looked on from his high chair as I cleaned, both inside and out, the turkey & prepped it for the main course. My mom grew up on a farm & is one tough lady, so she had quite the laughs listening to me (via the phone) prepare the turkey. I can honestly say though that there is nothing more fulfilling then accomplishing something you have never done before or thought you could handle. My mom has always empowered myself, along with my sisters, to embrace the "scary stuff" and confront it head on. She has always taught us that if we want things to get done, she's there always to help, but we've got to do it ourselves in order to recieve the real reward- the feeling of accomplishment. We also made mashed potatoes, candied yams, stuffing, and were blessed with the other great dishes brought by Alex's family. After the meal, we played games & enjoyed some amazing desserts.

The next morning, Lauren met us at our house & we took off on our road trip home. We played "Would You Rather" in the car to pass the time & it turned in to some pretty hilarious conversations! We were greeted by my Mom and older sister Nicole who were anxiously awaiting our safe arrival. My Mom couldn't wait to get her hands on Lucas! He was a little overwhelmed at first by all the hugs & kisses, but he and my mom quickly became inseparable (as always)! During our time home, we enjoyed another wonderful Thanksgiving meal, tried out some new dishes by my Mom such as bacon-wrapped lil' smokies (sooooo good), and enjoyed some Black Friday shopping. It was also my nephews' birthdays, so we were so grateful to be able to share in their Toy Story party, along with seeing Jalen & his family for his birthday. We love you guys! It was such a wonderful trip and as always, goes by wayyy too fast!


(Mom and the boys)


(Alex and I on Thanksgiving morning)

(Just one of the many naps for father & son. Don't you love how Lucas sleeps with his mouth wide open sometimes!)

(Lucas with his cousin Nathan-and his crazy mohawk-!)



(Some funny faces from Lucas!)

Alex and I are greatly anticipating Lucas's first Christmas AND birthday in the upcoming weeks. Judging by his "paper-shredding" abilities in the video below, I don't think he'll have any trouble with his presents :)

The "First" of Many.....

His "first" official haircut.....


Lucas has had a ton of hair since the day he was born, and it has continued to grow in pretty thick and super fast! When it reached the point that it was taking me a longer time to do his hair than it did mine, I knew it was probably time for a haircut. He sat so good in the chair for the stylist! What I have learned since becoming a mom, and what Alex and I have learned since becoming parents, is that something as simple as a first haircut can bring us to tears :) I was so proud of him for sitting so still & I couldn't believe he was already a big enough boy to be getting his first haircut. I think he looks super adorable now with his new buzz!



Speaking of buzz.....

Lucas celebrated his "first" Halloween!

Lucas dressed up as Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear this year and looked soooo cute! Alex had to work all weekend, and we missed him greatly, but are so thankful for his hard work. He was able to join us later in the evening at his family's Halloween party, so we were so happy for that! Lucas's uncle came dressed in a huge curly disco wig & we thought we'd put it on Lucas to see who wore it better. I think it's safe to say Lucas did :) Love you though Uncle Trent :)
My sister Lauren came down for the weekend & her and I went as cheerleaders. I love seeing Lucas with her because you can tell how much her loves her and knows her. Thank you Lauren for always making such an effort to be involved with him! We love you!

At the family halloween party, Lucas got to see lots and lots of extended family! His cousins, Amyrlin and Ivy, were there and looking adorable as ever. Amyrlin came as Belle & Ivy came as a witch. Grandma and Grandpa were there to give lots of hugs, kisses, and candy to the grandkids. It was a wonderful weekend!

His "first" sour lemon.......

Alex and I were out to eat with Lucas the other day, and decided to give Lucas a taste of lemon (just to see if he liked it). The video explains it all!

Where does the time go??

Alex and I were talking the other night about how incredibly fast time goes by. We recently celebrated another wedding anniversary, Lucas hit his 9 month birthday mark, and the holidays seem to be right around the corner once again!

Over the weekend, we enjoyed a wonderful and spiritually fulfilling few days of General Conference. Lucas napped the first session on each day, and played quietly (most of the time lol) during the second sessions. Each time the choir would sing, he would seem almost transfixed by their beautiful sound. He would sit there and listen & you could tell he felt the happiness and peace from their songs. Lucas is changing so fast, I almost can't keep up! He has 5 teeth, 2 on top and 3 on the bottom, and another on the bottom is cutting through. He says "Dadda" nonstop, loves to play with kitchen 'toys' such as measuring cups and serving spoons, and can sit up and play all on his own. He really, REALLY loves books! A family member recently gave him a "Touch and Feel Noah's Ark" book that has swatches of different animal textures. He especially loves the soft bunny one. He's weighing almost 22 pounds and counting! He's a healthy, active, and happy little boy!

We went to visit a sister of mine in college, and she took us to this beautiful river filled with ducks! Lucas absolutely loved it! We dipped his feet into the river & he actually handled it pretty well. We only dipped his feet in it for a few moments because the water was pretty cold, but he really loves being outdoors.

Lucas's First Camping Trip

We took Lucas camping for the very first time over the Labor day holiday & we're happy to report it was a huge success! He really enjoyed the outdoors and the fresh air, and especially being snuggled up all the time. It was really windy at our campsite, and the night got pretty chilly, but Lucas had lots of blankets and love to keep him warm.

Lucas loved being with all "the boys" and it was a special moment for me as a mom to see him with his dad & all his uncles-they all just love him so much!


Alex and his brothers went on a "guys' ride" on their 4-wheelers throughout the mountain. Because of the terrain and the wind blowing so hard, the guys came back packed and covered from head to toe in dirt and sand. My sister-in-law, Sara, and I were just cracking up! You could tell they really had a great time though! All the guys, along with Alex's dad Bart and some extened family, played almost an entire afternoon's worth of horseshoes. I'm proud to say-and brag- that Alex came out on top! He and his brother Ben made a great team!



Sara was heaven-sent on this camping trip! She was always so willing to help me with Lucas & he gets so excited every time he sees her. I can't tell you how many times she was able to get him to sleep/nap when I couldn't, but I am so very grateful for her & the love she has for him. Thank you Sara!!!

Trent, my bro-in-law, was also so wonderful with Lucas. In the picture below, Lucas was zonked out in Trent's arms, and I remember Alex coming over to me and saying, "Lucas is so comfortable right now that he's drooling!" Lol. I love my in-laws! We had so much with the family!

Fun at the Fair!

What a fantastically fun and enjoyable weekend! Alex, Lucas, and I went to the State Fair with some of our cousins, their kids, and our grandparents, and it was a BLAST!! We got up early & drove up to the fair. Lucas did great for the car ride and once all the family met up, we knew it was going to be a wonderful day. The sun was shining, the fair grounds were packed, and the smell of cotton candy, tiger ears (scones), and corn dogs filled the air. We walked by countless shops and vendor stands, and even entered a few prize drawings. We saw some of the biggest cows I've ever seen and also got to look at some of the most beautiful Clydesdale horses. We passed a really neat, authentic, cowboy hat stand. At first, we just had Lucas try on the cowboy hat for a picture, but as you can tell, he looked so darn cute we just had to buy it for him! He was able to wear it for most of the day because it fit so perfectly and comfortably.

I always wanted to get a caricature picture done for each of our children, so when I saw this woman's small stand for caricature drawings, I just knew we had to get one done. Lucas sat so still & good for the artist & we're so pleased with how it turned out. ( See pic below).

My cousin Claudia brought her two girls & they were so adorable and did so great all day! They had the cutest pink cowboy hats at the same stand we got Lucas's, so we knew we had to snap a picture of them in theirs. So fun!

My cousin Kory & his wife also brought their baby girl to the fair. She also did so well all day & her and Lucas looked quite the pair in their cowboy hats.

The main event (and the big reason we went to the fair on that particular day) is because they had the Indian Relay races & championship going on. They have to be THE most exciting, heart-pumping, adrenaline rush-ing thing out there to watch. I captured a quick video of one of the races and posted it below. (My camera fades out for a moment in the beginning, but then it clears up I promise lol). Lucas absolutely LOVED the races! The stands would get so loud and you could just feel the excitement in the air! So very glad we were able to go!