Disney Cruise HERE WE COME!

So this is a BIG announcement for our family.  Something we have only dreamed about.

We are going on a DISNEY CRUISE! 7 day/6 night Caribbean. What!?!

I really can't even believe I am saying that (I know some of you are probably laughing at how cheesy that is or sounds, but to us we never thought this would be possible).

It all started a few years ago when Ned got it into his head that he wanted to go on a Disney Cruise or Disney World. I just thought it was a fleeting thought and never thought much about it, just kinda blew him off. Well the last few years we looked into it and it just wasn't plausible.

Well this year we wanted to do a big vacation for "us" (Ned & I) and things just didn't work the way we had planned.  So lucky for us we decided to really check out the cruise idea. We found that kids cruise FREE in Jan & Feb this year and we had almost half our trips cost saved on rewards points from our credit card!  So the whole trip (flight, Marriott Hotel, AND the cruise (including ALL food, activities, etc) would be about the same price we budgeted for "our" vacation.  And what an opportunity to bond with our little ones and spend this time together with them.

So we did it. We booked the cruise!  We were kinda in shock.  But have your ever taking someone to Disneyland for their first visit EVER.  Are your just giddy with excitement for them.  Well that is how Ned and I have been for the last week knowing we are taking these 2 kiddos (Tate will stay with my LOVELY, WONDERFUL mother in-law, who I trust with my life.  It will be hard leaving him, but knowing he is in good GREAT hands leaves us a little more worry free to enjoy everything!  FOOD! SWIMMING! FOOD! SHOWS! FOOD! RELAXING! FOOD! ACTIVITIES! FOOD! (Kids club all day).

 Yes there is a water slide and a movie screen on the pool deck.

Ella was SO excited when she got home from school.  She got out this board and drew a picture of us flying (they have never been on an airplane) and then us on the cruise ship (she has a princess hat on)!

I was trying to get pictures of the kids SO excited looking online at all we get to do, but instead captured a chunky baby smiling at me wherever I went!  I CAN EAT HIM UP ALL DAY!

Telling the kids...they didn't get it right away, but eventually got the idea...and squeals ensued (even the kids).

Ella's last words last night, "Well thanks for telling us mom (in a very sarcastic voice) now I REALLY wont be able to sleep!)

Rascal Baby

So my baby who doesn't even officially crawl yet (army crawl is sufficient for him).

Well today he decided after NEVER crawling up a single stair step that while mom ran to check on dinner he would just do the whole dang staircase. So asher yells mom Tate's up the stairs. What?! It didn't even click. I run around to see him more than halfway up!

Needless to say we ran to Wally World to get a new baby gate ASAP. I guess baby #3 is going to give me a run for my money.

Here we go...(ps sorry for the horrid pictures, they are from the video Ella took)

Year in Review (everything I missed earlier)

Ella got Academic Student of the month!

We celebrated Daddy passing his MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist Liscense exam).  Isn't root beer a great way to teach our children (after we were like Hmmm this might look a little funny in pictures of what our newly liscensed MFT father is teaching his children...ha ha ha)

We laughed a LOT with family.  

(Boppie was teaching Oscar the Todd families dog to do circus tricks jumping through a hoop)

Ella went on her first real field trip to the Ocean Insitute

(a little anxious about going on a bus on a rainy day without mom, but ended up LOVING IT!)

Asher loving his new preschool class and learning SO much! 

And his fun field trips to the train station and the first station.

yes that's Asher being uber silly, of course!

Lot's of school performances...

Enjoyed life for the first time as a family of FIVE!

 The kids showed immense love for their new baby brother, Tate!

GOOD BYE 2012!

Did I ever say Gobble

Yes I am aware it's almost Christmas...

Before I Forget

So Asher is a sensitive soul (or very wimpy) so we thought it was funny when at our church Halloween party he went through the Haunted House the youth put on and came out and said with the most sincere voice,

"That hurt my feelings and broke my heart!"

He also has been knowing to say, after listening to Ned and my music too long in the car, 

"That's Enough Already"

90th Surprise Birthday Party for (Great) Granny

We all LOVE Ned's Grandma or his dad's mom (Frances Broberg) or Great Granny. She is the sweetest. I love her like my own Grandmother, truly with all my heart!  

My kids just love her too, but especially Asher. He always calls her my buddy. He loves reading Lowly worm books at her old house with her, picking oranges in her backyard, and ALWAYS prays for her.  In fact she recently broke her arm and he was so upset if Ella forgot to pray for her arm EVERY night.

So she recently turned 90 years old and we had a lot of fun throwing her a surprise party at the church.  It was great fun (even though my kids were all pretty sick) and great food (mostly in part to Karen, of course).  But to celebrate this wonderful women's 90 years of life is a blessing we always count!

Milestones

Still just trying to figure out where in the world 8+ months has gone.  Life is FAST!

Our big BOBBLE head baby!

8 months old

LOVES LOVES to play with other kids

Is comtemplative when thinking of what he's thankful for

FAvorite way to talk it with a "oooh" of his mouth. Mommy and Daddy LOVE it!

Yes

Let's us dress him up already, and likes to make us laugh

He still loves his paci and were still ok with that

LOVES to smile and laugh, a lot

Can sit up on his own

and laughs while sitting

LOOK I can cut my own hair (video)

The week before Thanksgiving I went to a baby shower. While I was gone Ned had all 3 kids.  He was bathing Tate when suddenly:

Asher walked in the room with a pair of scissors in one hand and a huge tuft of hair in the other hand. He said, "Dad look I can cut my own hair now."  

Ugh, so Ned tried to repair the hair, but if you have noticed any of the pictures I have posted lately of Asher, they do NOT include hair. He ended up having to shave it all the way to a 1. Asher was less than happy about that, but then maybe he will learn his lesson.

So Ned took a video of him to send to me, which I thought was hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing at how pathetic Mr. Asher sounded.  Turn it up (he is quietly pathetic) and its short.  Enjoy.

This is what he looked like BEFORE:

Missionary Style

Faux Hawk (his favorite) style

Reading Rainbow (Christmas Version)

My kids love to read. So for Christmas we actually pack all our Christmas books with the decorations so we only have about a month to get in all our favorites.  So the list keeps adding up. So again I thought I would share some of our favorites, old and new in case you needed some ideas.

Another tradition Ned and I started was every year we let the kids pick one new book to add to our collection (usually Sam's Club or Costco) and sometimes with a little encouragement on our end. But this year it was a fun book!  (**our books)

*A Pirate's Night Before Christmas 

Philip Yates

They love to gather by the fire (usually upstairs in our bedroom on the floor) and even when its still 75* outside.  But regardless we have fun reading a few books each night.

Here's a few more we enjoy:

The Gift of the Magi by O Henry

*The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston

*O Come, All Ye Faithful by David Christiana

A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas 

Philip Yates 

*Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor

There Was A COLD Lady Who Swallowed Some SNOW!

*The Night Before Christmas by Moore

Of course this is a CLASSIC in our home:

*How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss 

Most people already know I am a Mormon, so this next one is a beautiful one with pictures, stories, and songs telling of the Birth of Christ.

*A Book of Mormon Christmas

The Carpenter's Gift by David Rubel
 

So if you can take some time out of sipping cocoa, hanging up decorations, or (don't mention the word here) shopping. Be sure to (TAKE A LOOK IN A BOOK!)