Dating Again

One of our resolutions this year is to go on dates more regularly. We've been able to trade off babysitting with some friends so it's not so expensive to go out either. It's been so nice to go out and spend some time together. When we were dating and engaged, we couldn't wait to get married. We often reminisce about that time and how much fun it was. Now that we're married, I miss those days of just being able to go out and have fun, just the two of us. These past few dates have been refreshing and I look forward to many more. For one of our dates we went to the shooting range. It was a lot of fun and we found out we have pretty good aim. 

As a kid I liked the cop shows, like CHIPS and Hunter. I wanted to be a cop after watching those shows. It looked so cool and adventurous. Once I knew the reality of how dangerous it could be, I changed my mind. So I guess I really just wanted to be a TV cop. The kind where the good cop always takes down the bad guys and never got seriously hurt in the process. I think my interest in guns comes from liking those shows. It's a lot of fun to shoot a gun. I know it's not a toy and I'm very cautious but I really enjoy shooting guns. So does Chris by the way. He pretends he's Jack Bauer from 24. Anyway, we had a lot of fun and here's some pics and a video:

Mommy/Daughter Date to the Circus

I took Lila to the Circus for a mommy/daughter date. It was a double date with our friends, Holly and Eva. Lila talked about the circus all week leading up to the day we went. She was so thrilled at the idea of going and loved reading the books about the circus we got from the library. She kept asking what animals we would see. I wasn't sure what we would see so I made a few guesses of what I expected for a typical circus. I vaguely remember going to a circus as a kid. I'm actually not certain I even went to one, it could have been a dream, I don't know. Chris and I went to a circus when we lived in Arizona a few years ago. We left early because of how lame it was. I can't remember what made it lame, I only remember that was the reason. Anyway, with my limited experience at the circus, I didn't know what to expect except to have fun with my Lila. The show was AMAZING and everything I imagined a circus to be. I can't even say one thing was my favorite. I don't think there was one part I didn't like. Lila loved it! She loved the whole experience. She was in awe the entire time. I loved watching her watch the show and taking it all in. Lila liked the animals the most. That and going with her friend Eva. They even enjoyed the intermission playing together in the bathroom line. We had a great time to say the least and look forward to going again next year.

Here's pics and a video:

Emmett's 4 month Stats

Our Emmett boy is growing up so fast. He had his 4 month check up the beginning of January. 

Here's his stats:

Height - 26 1/2 inches (96th percentile)

Weight: 16 lbs. 6 oz. (72nd percentile)

Head: 42 1/2 cm (79th percentile)

He's a big boy just like his brother, Calvin. 

Emmett has been such an easy baby. He's always smiling, easy to please, and so much fun to be around. He's started teething and is handling it well. I haven't seen any teeth poking through only the constant gnawing on his hands and the excess drool lead us to believe that's what happening. Emmett also rolled over for the first time at around 3 1/2 months. Rolling first from his stomach to his back but he can also roll from his back to his stomach. He loves being free to wiggle and roll around on the ground. We love him dearly and are so grateful he's part of our family. Here's some pics and a few videos.

3 Never Seemed So Big

Lila is 3 years old:) 

Her birthday was December 28th and we were able to celebrate it with Chris' side of the family in Utah. We went to the Brick Oven for pizza then Lila opened up presents. Our waiters joined us in singing the birthday song and she ate her birthday ice cream dessert. It was a fun party and nice to be able to spend it with family. Lila got great gifts but she is a little shy when she is the center of attention. After opening up each gift she would slowly walk over to who gave it to her and give them a quick hug. Not smiling at all because all eyes were on her. I later asked her if she had fun and she said 'yeah, it was a great day.' 

Our little girl is getting so big. She's always acted older than her age. She has a big personality for such a little person and we love every bit of it. She is sweet and kind-hearted. She is funny and sassy. She loves to cuddle and is also independent. She definitely has a stubborn and strong-willed side to her. She is very smart and eager to learn. She is a great helper and is often willing to do chores if I let her. She loves to play and run around the house but can also be content sitting and looking at books or watching a show. She surprises us daily with her vocabulary and observations. I don't know how many times my own words have come back to bite me because she repeats phrases I say to her. Such as 'you need to relax', or 'you need to listen to me', or 'hold on, just one second'. 

She had her 3 yr. old checkup and here are her stats:

weight - 28 lbs (22nd percentile)

height - 37 inches (57th percentile)

She's a petite little thing, unlike her brothers.

Lila is becoming more opinionated and independent. She now has some self-proclaimed favorites. Her favorite color is purple. Her favorite princess is Cinderella. Her favorite food is french toast with sausage on the side. Her favorite friend is Eva. I love how she can tell me what she likes and doesn't like. At times it can be difficult when all she seems to be saying is 'I don't like it'. However, I'm always interested to know her opinion. We love our Lila and continually look forward to her growing and changing. She is beautiful inside and out. I'm honored to be her mother and never knew such love until she came into my life. I admire who she is and I love that she loves us too.

Here's pics from her birthday:

Here's a video just because she is the cutest girl ever!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

I love everything Christmas. My favorite time of year is from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas morning. There is something magical about the Christmas season and I look forward to it all year long. I love  Christmas movies, decorating the Christmas tree, the cold weather, baking goodies for our family and others, teaching our children about Christ's birth, teaching them about Santa, buying gifts, getting gifts, Christmas music...I could go on and on. I try to cram as much of those things in the short amount of time we have between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We were able to do most of them this year. 

My mom gave me a childrens nativity set. Lila and Calvin asked to play with them every day. Lila always asked to play with baby Jesus. Calvin loved playing with the animals. It was a great way to teach them about Jesus' birth. We also baked and frosted sugar cookies. The cookies did not look like the cookie cutters we used but they tasted good and the kids enjoyed help making them. Even though we were going to be in Utah for Christmas with Chris' family, we still got a tree and decorated it. Lila put the star on top and asked for the lights to be turned on every night. As for movies, we may have over done that a little. I don't even know how many times they requested to watch Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I'd say those were the biggest hits this year. Before we left for Utah, we decided to have a pre-Christmas morning opening gifts with the kids. Calvin loves his new bead runner toy. Lila had been asking for a Cinderella doll and was really excited when she opened her present and saw Cinderella. Almost the same amount of excitement as last year when she pulled a banana out of her stocking. It's funny how things change from year to year. We flew to Utah that afternoon and we were there for 10 days. We were worried about the long plane ride with 3 small children. However, they did great, both ways, but I'm grateful all the traveling is over. It was nice having so much time before Christmas to spend together without work getting in the way. 

Lila and Calvin played in the snow the first morning we were there. They were anxious to get outside. Calvin had a hard time walking around and kept falling over but Lila was able to play without too much trouble. Both Lila and Calvin loved playing with their cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Nana, and Papa. Chris' parents also had a childrens nativity. Lila was playing with it and Chris picked up baby Jesus that was on the floor under the table and asked Lila if she knew who the baby was. She responded 'it's Jesus Christ and he's in time-out'. Not sure where that came from but it got a laugh out of everyone. Emmett was as calm and sweet as ever. He handled all the hustle and bustle of being away from home with laughs and smiles.

Christmas is even more great with little kids and their excitement. Lila loved opening gifts. It didn't matter if they were hers. Calvin and Lila got a ton of great toys which we had fun packing in our suitcase to bring home. They definitely got a little spoiled being the young ones on Chris' side of the family. We had a great visit and a wonderful Christmas! 

Here's pics from our Christmas season: