Christmas Day

What a great day!

We woke up to a room STUFFED with things from Santa.

(we had 13 kids at our house that morning)

Leilani, ironically enough, slept until Targhee had to actually wake her up or we'd be late for church:)

I really liked having Christmas on Sunday.  I felt like it gave Christmas the correct reverence of being on the sabbath and going to church.  It was a perfect reminder of why we celebrate.

After Sacrament Meeting we opened gifts from the family.

The living room was not big enough for everyone to sit in, so we made an assembly line from the tree to the game room and sorted presents into families out there:)

Leilani was happy to wear her Christmas "pretty dress" while we opened presents and even sneered at this little sweater outfit until...

she opened THIS!

She immediately wanted to rip off the red dress and put on the snow white.

My favorite part is that as soon as she got it on she announced, "I need an apple!"

and she ate the ENTIRE thing!  Core and all.  You go girl:)

We then went to Gramma and Grampa Fuzzy's (Targhee's parents) for lunch.

Leilani was not about to give up her Snow White dress.

(is it bad that I have to admit that she wore it for two whole days, including sleeping...I had to hide it from her during a temper tantrum when I had to take it off)

In a snow globe trance

Somebody knows about little girls and dress ups:)

Thank you Aunt Nana!!

I couldn't get her to wear a shirt:)


Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve

For as long as I can remember my family has done a Christmas Program on Christmas Eve.

Since my family has grown we have kept the tradition but the talent has moved on to the grand kids.

This year was especially fun because we had 85% of my family here.

(Yes I did figure out that correct percentage...I'm a geek)

Starting out the program on the right foot with Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer

Leilani was not a part of this number, but she felt the need to be included:)

Choreographed by our very own Morgan (the tallest:)

I had a hard time keeping from crying as I watched all of their numbers.  Some were silly and some spiritual, but I was so happy to have my family together celebrating Christ's birth and was amazed by their talents.  Brooklyn on the piano, Jesslyn on the flute, and Preston on the violin. (...and Leilani interpretive dancing)

Leilani was also feeling the spirit of the Bishop tradition so she did an impromptu act of Jingle Bells.

I think I have solidified to myself this Christmas that I am a huge traditionalist, so I always feel the need to participate:)  I sang a song too.

My Mom worked for hours and hours putting together special books for each one of her grand children.  Each book was entitled "Memories with Grandma and Grandpa" and had pictures just about that specific child with a personalized letter written to each one of them.  It was very special and they all loved them.

Oh yes!  And Santa comes every year with a bag of candy.  This year he even had one of his helpers come with him.  Eighteen kids is quite a quota to fill.

Leilani wouldn't take her eyes off of him, but stayed a good distance away.

White Elephants

We act out the nativity scene while my dad reads the story of Christ being born.

Leilani was supposed to be an angel but she would not take off her pretty dress and wanted to wear a crown so I guess she was one of the wise women.

Sweet little Angle Annie

Then of course we have to open Pajamas!

Prying the "pretty dress" off to put her jamies on was quite a feat, but she cooperated as long as she got to keep the crown.

You gotta pick your battles.

"Leilani, what's on your shirt?"

She had no idea what she was in for the next morning:)

Party of 4

Other than the regular aches, pains, and discomforts, I've been pretty oblivious to this pregnancy.

I was even asked the other day how many weeks I was and I honestly had no idea.

(Don't worry, I went straight home and checked my calendar:)

I guess that's really the way to go.  It makes the time go by much faster.

BUT

The other day I did something that made me stop and go, "huh!"

I made and hung another stocking for our little guy.

I stared at the display for quite a while letting the idea sink in.

We are going to be a family of FOUR!

What on earth do I know about taking care of two kids?

My one wears me completely out as it is!

Time to prepare myself for another jump in the learning curve:)

Closure

I am finally coming to an end of a chapter in my life.

School.

And I couldn't be happier about it!

I know that I could keep going if I'd like, but that's the best part... "if I'd like."

Right now I am completely content to be getting my Bachelor's Degree.

I started college Fall of 2004 and now finally 7 years later am getting my degree.

You'd think I was just being lazy taking seven years to get a degree, but when you think about everything I have accomplished in those seven years, I'd say I did pretty darn good!

I spent a semester in China, got an Associates Degree, went on a year and a half mission to DC, got married, and had a child...and a half:)

After finding out that we were expecting Leilani, the idea of finishing school seemed very daunting to me.  I knew that we have been told by the Brethren to get an education but we've also been told to not postpone our family.  But, they don't really go into detail about how you are supposed to do these things simultaneously.

I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.  When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to major in because if anyone ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was always, "A mother." 

After Leilani was born I stayed home with her for 7 months before returning back to school and can honestly say that those were some of the hardest seven months of my life.  Staying at home was not everything I had dreamed it would be.  It was hard work:)
Going to school at that time was exactly what I needed to get out of the new mom rut I was in.

P.S. I have to add that going back was only possible because of my amazing Mother.  I would not be graduating if it were not for her service and support.  She has watched Leilani for a year and a half.  She is a huge blessing in our lives for which I do not have adequate words to express my gratitude.

But, then I came back home this last summer knowing exactly what I was getting into by being a stay-at-home mom.
So I had a plan.
I was amazed by how much I did not know about my child.  I had been around, but not really there in her life.  I had to relearn her style and the stage she was in.  The day I was down on the ground playing with her I will never forget the look she gave me as if she couldn't believe that I was really there, as if she was seeing me for the first time and I was seeing her for the first time.  I cried as I thought about the sacrifices I had made to pursue my education and seriously doubted my decision to return even though all I had left was one semester of student teaching.
We soon became best friends playing and learning together.  I loved my summer with her so much.  But the time did come for me to return.  We moved in with my parents so that my mom could watch Leilani in her own home and I wouldn't have to worry about my long hours. 
Leilani was mad at me for quite a while.  She didn't want anything to do with me when I came home from school for those first few weeks.  I guess she figured if I was just going to leave then it was better if she acted like she didn't want to be with me at all.  
Again I cried.
Those first few weeks of student teaching were very hard.  I was still sick from being in the first trimester of pregnancy, adjusting to a new living situation, and basically working full time- with no pay:)
I asked a friend of mine who is a first grade teacher how she did it every single day.  She replied, "I do it because I love it."
I had to agree with her that the only way anyone could be a teacher and do what a teacher does day in and day out was truly if they loved it.  I do love teaching, but at this stage in my life, I realized that I love my daughter more and that being home with her was the most important thing I could do for our family.
My heart ached each morning I waved good-bye to my little girl.
But we adjusted again, and made it through student teaching with flying colors.  I enjoyed my placements and learned so much from being "in charge" of a classroom.

Some people may judge (everyone always has an opinion, right) and say that I am wasting my education by not choosing to work, but I cannot think of a better way to apply everything I've learned than to teach my own children.
So with that I am saying WOOHOO!!
Let's celebrate!

And since I always like to add some pictures, especially if you just sat and read that entire post, my friend took some graduation pictures for me.
Thank you Sierra!!

Our family bracelet.

We get to wear it during special events in our lives.

This is my scholarly look.

Very thoughtful and reflective.

Isn't that what you're supposed to look like after becoming a college graduate?

Slacker

I don't know if you can call being a student teacher slacking or not, but I have been slacking on keeping up with Leilani's ever growing vocabulary and everything else that comes along with becoming a two year old.

So, here's some things I can remember right now... (while I AM being a slacker with lesson planning:)

• She calls herself "Yani"  She cannot say her "L's" yet.  (didn't really anticipate that one when we chose the name) but for right now it's pretty cute.
• The other day I hid around the corner from the bathtub to watch her play.  After a while I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "Making funny faces."
• She has a BIG bucket of Lego's which she often dumps all over the floor,  yesterday she climbed into the bucket, ducked down as far as she could and said, "Leilani the Grouch!"  I still chuckle.

• If you ask her what time it is her response is always, "night night time"
• She can often be found dancing around the house wearing a "pretty dress" singing "I know you...dance upond a dream" -and no that was not a typo:)

• If she sees something that looks yummy...aka cake or something, she won't ask for some she'll just lick her lips and say, "ooh! yook at dat!"

• She is still a pretty good eater although she has slowed down some (thank goodness) but at dinner time when I tried to give her some green beans, she tasted them, then said, "Green beans...yike em?  No I don't!"

• My mom has been taking care of her while I've been student teaching this semester.  She took her to the store and unbuckled her from her car seat.  Leilani immediately ran to the opposite side of the truck.  My mom said, fine, shut the door and walked around to the other side.  As soon as she opened the door Leilani ran to the other side.  My mom sighed and said, "This is not a fun game!"  Leilani replied, "Yes it are!"
• She watches Dinosaur Train in the mornings and therefore can say almost all of the dinosaur names.  Hearing a 22 month old say "triceratops" is pretty funny.  Why are kids so enthralled with dinosaurs?
• She finally started saying "I yuv you" (again without an "L") Nothing melts my heart more than when she runs and gives me a hug and says, "I yuv you Mamma!"

There are many more, but as you can see she has developed quite a sense of humor.  I enjoy seeing how she makes connections with the world around her and am amazed by the things she catches on to.  Too smart for her own good!  (Doesn't every parent say that?)

Oh ya! It's all comin' together

So I was looking at some pictures of Leilani and was noticing that quite a few pictures had something in common.

I was starting to think my daughter had quite an extravagant fashion sense until the other day my husband did this...



Now it all makes sense:)