Family Update

Finally, I'm back with an update on our family!! We had family pictures done January 7th. I thought it was about time to show off our awesome girls! I think they turned out quite well. It was pretty fun to get them done. Even Cody was on board with doing them!

 Cody and I are great! Cody is still working graveyard shift. We have adjusted ok, but it's still super hard when he has to go back after having 3 days off. We really enjoy those days & nights he has off. It's a great job, and he's learning a lot. He does have the opportunity to take it as far as he wants to. I'm finally adjusted to life with 2 kids. We have a schedule figured out, as far as bath times for both kids,  what I can and can't get done while Jordyn is in school. Just normal day to day stuff. I've figured out times that I can finally get a workout in. It's not the time I really want to work out, but it's worked so far! I had a personal trainer tell me once, that 6 months after you have a baby, you can no longer use that as an excuse as to why you are still "fluffy". So, I am doing my best to not look "fluffy" when Aspyn reaches 6 months!!

 Jordyn started taking a dance class January 14th. She's been asking to take ballet since we first moved here. Well, I couldn't find a ballet dance class close to our small town, so she had to take Jazz! She loves it!  Her 1st day she was kind of nervous right at the start, but after meeting her teacher she just jumped right in to the funny dances they learned.  It's a 10 week class, followed by a concert. The teacher asked each girl what their favorite color was (so she could get an idea on costumes), well each girl had a different color. So I think their costumes are going to be rainbow!! She learned the dances so quick. She's such a natural! I think everything she does, she does well. I can't think of anything that she's done lately that she hasn't enjoyed and had a good time at. I still wonder what she's going to want to do in high school. I wouldn't mind if she did everything there is to do. She's just so happy when she's doing some sort of activity. Just seeing her having so much fun and learning and socializing, is so great. She's a lot less grouchy and moody too!

She also moved up to a different class in Primary this year. She is now in CTR class. There aren't a lot of kids in the ward her age, so a couple of classes are combined. She loves it! I think she knows more people (young and old) than we do! There is one girl that no matter where we see her, whether it's the store, or church will just run up to her, pick her up and just hug her. Everybody that Jordyn meets really, really likes her. She's got such a great personality! She's beautiful, and so so so creative!!

Her 5th Birthday is coming up. I'm getting nervous about the bowling party that she wants to have. I'm sure it will go just fine, I'm just stressing a little about it! I can't believe she's almost 5! Wow!!

Aspyn is now 2 months old! She had her 2 month checkup and shots on January 13th. She did awesome. The shots barely bothered her. By the time the needles were out she was back to smiling at the nurses! She weighs 11 lbs 1 oz and is 22 1/4" tall. That puts her in the 50% for both height and weight. Dr Moore is very pleased with her growth and says that she is hitting all the milestones for her age and then some!  Around Christmas we switched her to Soy formula after several weeks of her being colicky, and super mad at the end of the day. We tried other formulas like sensitive formula, gas & colic formula and nothing seemed to make her happy. Soy formula seems to have helped a ton! She is less gassy, and less colicky. At her 2 month checkup, I was telling Dr Moore about her still spitting up a lot, not letting us put her down for at least 30-45 minutes after eating, and sometimes still crying while eating. She determined that she may have a bit of Reflux. So we now have her on Zantac twice daily. Having her on that medication has been such a huge help.  She is now more content to be put down on her blanket to play after eating, the crying while eating is no more and is so much more smiley!!

She is liking tummy time a little bit more, as long as her diaper is OFF. Once it's off she'll play, lift her head up and all around and will be okay for quite awhile. If her diaper is ON, forget about it! She will just be super mad.  She loves, loves to stand up. If she's a bit fussy, if you stand her up she'll smile and everything will be great again. We play a little game where we hold on to her hands and have her sit down. We'll tell her to stand up and she'll pull herself up. She'll stand for quite sometime, we'll tell her to sit down and she'll sit herself down. She knows what's going on and is quite a strong little girl! It's so much fun watching her learn new things! She's been sleeping in her crib upstairs since New Year's Day and it's been great. She will sleep from around 10-11pm to 6:00-7:30am. During the day she'll just catnap, but I am loving the night time!

Everyone is happy and healthy and doing great! We are trying to stay busy and involved with activities and fun. We are getting back on track with things financially and personally. It's such a great feeling!!  So far it seems like 2011 is off to a great start!!

Goodbye 2010

 Wednesday December 29th we woke up to a lot of snow! Jordyn was pretty excited! She wanted to go out and build a snowman, so we did! Isn't he great!!  It was fun. We built the snowman, had a small snowball fight, she made snow angels! Then we decided we were a little chilly so back in the house we went, where Cody had a wonderful fire raging!!

It continued snowing until about December 31st. We have gotten used to driving in this white stuff. Four wheel drive is great!  They don't plow the roads here in town, so where ever you go, don't plan on getting there too quick. Such a different experience than living in Southern Utah! We love it though!

2010 has definitely been a year of up and downs and major life changes. From lost jobs, to big moves, to broken bones, to adding Aspyn to our family it's been one heck of a year! We've learned a lot this year about ourselves and our families and what really matters in our lives. Looking back at all the challenges we had this year, I am glad they all worked out the way they have. Cody and I live in a place where we feel "at home". We have been accepted by the people here and have made a few friends that don't really care how we live, what we drive, the amount in our bank account or what you do for a living. Jordyn has made friends that she will be able to have throughout her school years. Aspyn will have the same opportunity to have those kind of friends as well.

So, while 2010 wasn't exactly what I had in mind when it first started. I am very grateful and happy about the way it ended!

Christmas 2010



Christmas this year was so much fun! It started a week before Christmas actually. Jordyn was able to go to St George and spend that week with Grandma & Grandpa. She had a blast! The original plan was for her to come back with them on Thursday when my family was coming over here, but the weather put a kink in things and they didn't end up coming over until Friday.

Friday my family made it over here early enough that we were able to have a fantastic Christmas dinner or ham, funeral potatoes, shrimp, sparkling juice and salad. After dinner Jordyn and Amber went out and spread Reindeer food out on the lawn for Santa's reindeer, so they would have something to eat while Santa was inside.  Jordyn was so excited this year for Santa to come. Other years she's been excited, but this year was the 1st year that she "got it"! It really wasn't too hard to get her to go to bed, as long as Amber went with her!

Well, Santa came and the next morning Jordyn was super excited to see what he had brought everybody.

 Jordyn had written a letter to Santa saying she wanted a new bike and a new Barbie house. She must have been really good, because she did get both!

 Everybody seemed to have gotten what they wanted and more. It was a great Christmas, not because of all the "stuff" but because my family was there with us. It was great! Aspyn was spoiled as well. We didn't  make her get up with us and participate, but shortly after we started she woke up and was very very interested in.....her bottle! Next year will be great!

Santa brought Cody and I a Wii, with some games and Guitar Hero. Most of Saturday was spent playing the wii, having bowling tournaments and trying to master the songs on the guitar. Who would've thought that by playing the wii you could really become sore?!  We just lounged around the entire day.

We also received a phone call from Brieanna! It was so great to hear from her. She is doing great! I really missed her being there, but hearing from her was just the perfect last gift Christmas day!

 Sunday my dad was able to bless Aspyn in our ward.  He did a really good job!  The missionaries, the Bishop, his counselors, & the Elders Quorum president were also there in the circle. It was such a great blessing. I'm glad he was able to do it here in our ward!

 Monday Cody, Jordyn and I went up Powderhorn to do a little bit of skiing. Jordyn had her first ski lesson. She did amazing!  Her instructors were amazed at how well she caught on. We saw her a few times when we were all in line to get on the lift and asked her if she was ready to go. "Um NO!" Then we asked her if she wanted to come back again. "YES!!"

 I thought she would be scared to try skiing, but she wasn't scared at all. She started out in Level 1 and by the end of the day she was on Level 3. Amazing little girl!

Cody and I had a good time snowboarding also! I think I do like Utah snow a little bit better though!  It's going to be great to have a ski resort about and hour and a half away now that Jordyn is getting into it. Only 3 more years and we'll Aspyn up there on skis!

Tuesday my family had to leave to get home. It was such a great holiday being here with them. I'm so glad they made the trip over. It made the 1st Christmas here in Colorado not so lonely!