Merry Christmas!

Every time I see my Grandma she is looking older. She is 86. I love her so much. It dawned on me that we may not have very many more Christmases with her. So I made sure we took more pictures. Christmas evening we went back to my moms and had dinner. My Grandma and my mom's brother and sister was there. No siblings and cousins were here this time. We missed them.

My mom, with her mom and sister.

Grandma playing Christmas songs, while Jocelynn sings.

Jocelynn made Grandma a calender. Each month had her hand prints. It was so cute. For example, January was mittens (my hands are mittens), February (my hand is a heart). Grandma loved it and Jocelynn loved giving her a present. It was sweet. After Christmas Jocelynn said to me, "I'm sorry mom I didn't make you a present, that made me really sad." She is such a sweetie.

Couldn't get one of Jocelynn smiling. 4 generations.

My Grandma.

Jocelynn playing with her baby.

Christmas dinner.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning

Christmas Eve I made some corn bread and Olive Garden Toscana soup. Then we went to Main street and looked at the lights. We decided to stay the night at my mom and dads house. It was nice hanging out with them that night. My dad and James watched a movie and my mom and I talked while she cooked. Grandma read the story "I Believe in Santa" before bed.

Christmas morning opening her stocking. She woke up at 730am.

Santa's cookie and milk. The rein deer had hay, tangerine and some reindeer mix of oatmeal and raisins.

One of her presents. A Tinkerbell tent and tunnel.

Grandma and Jocie putting baby Jesus in the manger.

Baking with our matching aprons

Jocelynn and I and her baby have matching aprons. She loved it. She is always helping me cook. We made peanut butter bars, smore bars, oreo truffles and blondies.

I have a timer on my camera, that is why my head is cut off.

She loves this part!

Man I love this little girl!

Santa picture

So last year at Christmas time, I was 2 months pregnant, catering a Christmas/ birthday party and cooking for our business. I was so busy and nauseous and tired. Christmas came and went. I made sure this Christmas I was going to enjoy it. We went and took pictures with Santa at the mall. Jocelynn wrote a letter to Santa. It was the cutest. We even put it in the mailbox. She was excited to see him. It was hard taking them by myself. I couldn't take the picture and get them to look at me and the lady wasn't helping me at all. I was glad we got a picture though.

We've also talked about the story of Jesus this month. I think she knows the story pretty well. I have a child's nativity set and a magnetic kind on the refrigerator. She told me last night she wants Jesus to be a baby again and she doesn't want him big. We went caroling tonight. Here are some family traditions I'd love to continue throughout the years

• Elves bring Christmas pajamas the day we decorate the house for Christmas
• Baking and caroling as a family
• Santa picture at the mall
• Story of Jesus and act it out
• Open their own ornament on Christmas Eve
• Lights
• Letter to Santa
• I would like to do some type of service also

I LOVE Christmas!

We went to my parent's Ward Christmas party. Which will be our ward in a couple weeks. Jocelynn was tired, as you can tell in the picture. I'm so grateful for my mom and dad.

Schools out!!!

Funny things I find Jocelynn doing to Carter and he doesn't care. Iguana on his head.

Wow! The past couple of months. I'd say 3 months to be exact has been . . . interesting. I started school when Carter was one month. What was I thinking? I don't know. Right before I got pregnant with him I decided for sure what I want to do when I go back to work. Before I had Jocelynn I was working at Ontario High School and going to school to be a Special Education teacher. I loved working with students with disabilities. I remember going to my friend's house and she had a baby (this is before Jocelynn) and she was telling me she thought about going to school to be a Speech Pathologist. The next day I was thinking about that and was watching the speech pathologist in our classroom and thought that would be a good job. I continued with school and started the credential program. We decided to have Jocelynn and it didn't feel right staying in the program. Seeing what the Special Education teachers go through I wasn't as excited to become one. Anyhow, sounds funny but because my friend wanted to pursue this, I felt I couldn't. Through prayer I realized this was what I wanted to do and became REALLY happy about it. She didn't care and I signed up for a class last semester when I was pregnant at Santa Ana College. I loved the class. I asked people in the class where they were going to school and everyone wanted to get into Cal State Fullerton. Out of everyone, I was the only one accepted. I didn't think I could do that though and be away from home so much. Someone else mentioned Utah State! It was an answer to prayer. I could start the program at home, online. So I was in the nesting stage of pregnancy and thinking I could get so much done and accomplish everything. I thought I could do it!! The semester started out fine but one month into it, both kids got sick!! The only time I could work on school work was when both kids were asleep. When kids are sick they rarely sleep and if they do they are in your arms. My mom came over to visit and I was crying. She said why are you doing this? I looked online and it was the last day to drop a class. I decided to drop one class. I'm so glad I did. One class was hard enough but we made it through. I loved the class though!! I remember one night imparticular, Jocelynn was fighting sleep, James was away on a business trip and I had a test the next day. I got Carter to bed at 1030pm went to bed at 1am, he woke up at 2am and I got up again at 4am to study.

She loves his cheeks!

Jocelynn wanted to make a birds nest. We got leaves, paper, sticks etc from outside and made mud and mixed it together. She loved it!

Carter eating rice cereal. He liked it! and slept 8 hrs that night.

Christmas Pajamas

This is at our Ward Christmas party. They made these cute reindeer hats. I had the kids ready in their pajamas so they could go straight to bed when they got home. They were Christmas pajamas so I could get away with it, right? :)

Carter just hanging out with Dad. The guy in the background played the saxophone. He's really good.

Decorating our tree was so much fun. My friend does this and I liked the idea. While we are decorating the tree someone knocked at the door. The elves left a gift. They were these CHristmas pajamas. Jocelynn started lifting up her feet quickly with excitement. I think this will be a fun Christmas tradition every year.

Jocelynn hanging the ornaments on the tree. It's going to be a fun Christmas.

4 months

4 months . . . almost 5 now? I've had this in my draft and haven't had time. Life with 2, school, moving, Christmas etc. i can't keep up these days. Lucky for me, Jocie is back to napping. Will explain that on another post. Here's Carter's 4 month stats. At his 4 month he got shots but did well and Jocie got the flu shot, she did well also, cried for a second. She kept lifting her skirt to look at the band aid.

Weight 16 pounds 8.8 oz 80%

Length 2 feet .9 on 50%

Head 43.2 cm 75%

I came home from his check up that day and started him on rice cereal. He likes it. Just learning how to eat it. At times, he blows bubbles while he eats it and thinks it's funny. At 4 months he'd take about 4 naps a day and bed by 9pm. A time or 2 he has slept longer then 6 hrs but for the most part he sleeps around 7 hrs. Bedtime 9pm. Wakes up around 730am. Back to bed by 830am. He got his first tooth Dec 11th and his second tooth poked through yesterday dec 20th. He likes to chew his thumb, talk, play with sister, listen to someone talk in a high voice, hear Daddy sing. He started sitting up yesterday. I put him in his bath tub and he wont lay back, he wants to sit up.

Since September, Jocie went to Joy School. She doesnt anymore but the kids were able to come over 2. This time I had the letter V. I decided to do a volcano with baking soda and vinegar. The kids loved it. Jess and Keven came down the weekend of Thanksgiving. It was great to see them. We miss them.

Thanksgiving in Texas

We went to Texas for Thanksgiving. First Thanksgiving with James family. When I was pregnant with Carter I felt we should go. It took some convincing to get James to agree, only because it costs so much to fly. All of his immediate family was there. We left on MOnday and came back Friday. I wasn't sure how flying would be with the 2 but it went well. We packed light and the kids were great. Carter slept on the plane as soon as we took off. Jocelynn loved that she was going on an airplane. She sat by the window. I on the other hand, was squeezing James arm and breathing slowly.

This is where we stayed in San Antonio. It was a really nice Hyatt, recently built.

We ate at a place called Freddy's and had chocolate custard ice cream. It was so good!

James really wanted BBQ. We ate at "County Line." It was good. For desert we had Bread Pudding and Pecan Pie. Yum.

Jocelynn loved playing with her cousins. Jocelynn 3, Cyan 6, and Keona 10.

Aunt Jeanette (James sister), Keona, and Carter

James Dad (Pops) and Carter

Lola (James step mom) Terry and Carter

We were a couple blocks away from the temple.

This is Papa Steve (James step dad). He is a cook and did all the cooking. We ate so much while there. Thanksgiving day there was ribs, turkey, brisket, ham, mac n cheese, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, and stuffing. It was so good.

Lola (James mom) and Carter. She couldn't put him down. Carter just loves her.

Aunt Rosalind (James sister) brought a craft for the kids to do.

Jocie and Cyan played a lot together. Jocelynn didn't nap all week unless we were in the car so she was pretty tired.

James Dad, James, Carter, Terence (James half brother) and Jaylon (nephew)

Rosalind (James sister), her daughter Cyan, and Carter

Carter Loved Keona's hair. He kept reaching for it and smiling.

Jocie warmed up to Jaylon. She used to cry when she would see him but now likes him. They were playing with the pillow pets.

Love them and miss them. Wish they lived closer so we could see them more.

This is the way home. We struggled getting Jocelynn to sleep in the hotel. It would be 10 or 11pm every night before she would fall asleep. I don't blame her though. It's hard to fall asleep when others are still up. Aunt Jeanette bought her this pillow pet. She wanted this for Christmas and was so happy. Since we've been home she sleeps with it every night. It was perfect for the way home.

I am so glad we went to Texas. It was so worth the memory of being with James family and spending time with them. I love his family. I hope we will see them again soon.