Humanitarian Center

A couple of weeks ago Ryan and Mazzy were able to go to the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake and put together hygiene kits to replace all of the ones that they had sent to Haiti. I had to stay home with Bronson because he wasn't old enough to go. It was a great experience for Maz. She has been so intrigued with wanting to help the people of Haiti. The first time she seen a woman being pulled out from under a building on the news, she immediately said to Ryan and I almost crying, I want to go there and help. We explained how far away it was and told her that even though we couldn't go, there were lots of ways she could still help. So she is donating her own money to send to Haiti. She jumped on this chance to help at the center to make the packets. While she was there she learned and was able to tie some quilts and was taken on a tour of the building. She found out how everything worked and where all of the packets and quilts and things like that go. I am so proud of her for always wanting to help. She is such a loving and caring little girl. Ryan said she worked really hard while she was there too! I am grateful she was able to have this experience, she really was so proud to be a part of it.

Old Fogey

I had my 31st birthday on Jan. 25. Yes, any of you who forgot I am still accepting all major forms of cash, checks and presents, I will even accept them with a card. Ryan has been working non stop with the Sundance Film Festival going on, so I had told him not to worry about my b-day until after that was over. But my AWESOME friend Jaycee just couldn't let my day go by unnoticed. So she had me and the fam over for dinner and presents and a wonderfully delicious chocolate cake. What would I do without Jaycee???? Probably go insane! She is always there for me no matter what and she is a huge blessing in my life.....(love ya!!!) Thanks to my wonderful husband and kids and to the Hammerstroms for making my birthday a great day!!! My birthday was extended a day also, we had to go up to Morgan for Bronson and Ryan to go to the dentist, so of course my mom and dad had my traditional birthday dinner....lasagna!!! Yum! So thanks to my mom, dad, Scott, Mist, Kaden and Stryder for another great day! I also want to thank everyone else who expressed birthday wishes to me....love you all (and you should all know who you are)!

Jaycee and me eating the yummy dinner Jaycee cooked up! Bronson and Mazzy got me gum and chocolates.

And Ry and the kids got me a mother's necklace....LOVE it!!

Bronson's Teeth

I'm a little late on this one, but during the winter break Bronson lost both of his bottom teeth on the same day! One in the morning and one that night. He was so excited about it! He had been SOOOO nervous about having them pulled (which you can't blame him considering all he had to compare it with was his top tooth that took so many beatings and finally getting knocked out). Luckily he was just wiggling them and they popped right out. I can't believe my baby is old enough to be loosing teeth. Crazy!

I am so proud of him. He is growing up so fast and is making huge improvements with his speech. I am still very glad of our decision to hold him back and start him in Kindergarten this year. He is doing well in preschool also. I have started to teach him to read. I use the book "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons" it is an amazing book. It is completely scripted out for the parent to teach. But the main reason for me doing this is because of the specific way it teaches a child to learn to read and sound things out. The way it teaches them to sound out words and sounds is exactly what he has to do in speech, so it will help him with speech and to learn to read, a double wammy! I would recommend this book to any parent with a child of 4 to 5 years of age. It is awesome! And Bronson is doing very well with it so far!

Overnight Getaway

Ryan and I decided to take the kids, where they didn't have school Monday and Tuesday, and go up to Logan and take them to Hardware Ranch. I had never actually taken the little tour on the horse drawn wagons. It was so much fun! If you've never been, the wagon ride takes you right in the middle of the herd. It is really cool to see them up close like that. I think there was 400 head that day. We stayed the night in a hotel and went swimming and out to dinner with Ryan's cousin Adam and his wife Michelle, whom we don't get to see very often. We didn't go very far from home, but we all had the best time and that's all that matters, right?

This is a picture of Norman and Scotty the horses that pulled our wagon. Ryan, Bronson, and Mazzy

Some of the elk lounging around.

Christmas Day 2009

Christmas morning could not have been better. I usually tell the kids not to go in the front room and to come wake up mom and dad first so we can video them going in and get their first reactions to what Santa brought. But I forgot and plus we've always had to wake our kids up, so I woke up to the pitter patter of little feet running very loudly and swiftly down the hall and into the front room. I hurried and woke up Ryan and got to share in the excitement of our 2 awesome kids! They both got a couple of things each separately and together they got a wii with Mario Cart and a Glo Station drawing board. Santa made their day! Then they opened presents from us and we had cinnamon rolls with chocolate milk and played all morning. As tradition our wonderful friends Scott and Breckan Arnold stopped by to visit and see what the kids got. After a while the kids got restless to go up to Morgan again and see what Santa brought to Grandpa and Grandma's for them. Santa leaves a present for each of the grandkids at my parent's that gets to stay there for them to play with. The only thing missing from the day was Ryan's parent's, but due to Renee's knee replacement surgery, we were not able to spend any time with them, but next year it should all be back to normal, we missed them. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We also had a great New Year celebrating with all of Ryan's high school friends, which was a lot of fun. I didn't take any pictures of those events for some reason. But Happy New Year to all! Santa's presents at Grandpa and Grandma's.

Mazzy and Bronson got Jedi robes......The force is strong with these two!
Playing Mario Cart with Grandpa Thayne.

Christmas Eve 2009

Christmas Eve was a whirl wind of traditions, laughter, lots of driving and GREAT food and presents. We started out at Ryan's family for the traditional dinner (well more lunchtime) which was at Greg and Gena's (Ryan's brother) due to his mom just having a knee replacement 4 days prior. Afterwards we all headed to Ryan's parents house for the famous skits that each family puts on for each other and then the opening of presents. Our family skit was simple this year with Mazzy and I singing a song because Ryan didn't want to participate and Bronson never does. Then we were off to Morgan for dinner and more presents. The kids had so much fun, but were very eager to get home to bed for Santa to come. Mazzy has anxiety about getting to sleep so Santa won't pass up our house. Last year ended in tears for Mazzy. We were just getting home and out of the car to go in to our house Christmas Eve night, when her dad pointed out that he saw Rudolph's nose flying in the air. She bursts into tears, starts shaking and runs in the house and cries and sobs and tells us "Santa knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake, and I am not going to get to sleep in time." She did not stop crying until we got her into bed (I think this went on for 30 to 40 min). She was still really worried about getting to sleep on time this year, she kept asking me "Mom, what if I'm too excited and I can't go to sleep? Will Santa come back after I'm asleep?" She is so funny.
The kids got hot chocolate mugs and Christmas jammies before they came home. As you can see Bronson is pretty darn excited about his Darth Vader mug. And Mazzy is over her precious moments mug.
The kiddos in their jammies holding their mugs.

Christmas Adventures

As everyone can tell, I am playing Christmas catch up on my blog. I'm so behind. Well during the month we were able to do lots of fun things. I know this first picture isn't very good, and WHY I didn't take a good close up is beyond me, but it is Ryan at our Ward Christmas party MCing as an elf. I still can't believe he agreed to it. He is the one to the right. And yes he has on striped sock leggings (mine of course). I also got to be very involved with the ward party also. I got to sing with the Young Women's, then I sang my own solo, and then sang with a group of 3 other ladies to finish the party up. I think my talent's for singing and playing the piano have officially leaked out to my ward. (not so happy about the piano one, but I guess that is what talents are for......sharing) My family came down from Morgan and we all loaded up and once again went to Temple Square. It was a beautiful night and I think it always reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas.

This is Ryan and I's psychedelic Christmas picture to share with everyone.

Santa and the Clydesdale Horses

I took the kids up to Morgan to see Grandpa and Grandma and low and behold it was the day that Santa was coming on the firetruck to the courthouse and the Thurston's were giving free hayrides to everyone afterwards. So we headed on over and waited outside in the wonderful 12 degree weather (thankfully only for 15 min. then they let us in) and the kids got to tell Santa what they wanted. Then it was back outside in the wonderful weather conditions to have a hayride with the Clydesdale horses.
Here is everyone climbing aboard to go around the block on the funnest hayride ever!! Bronson is behind my sister's head. (I'm sure she'll love this picture too)
After the kids got to pet the BEAUTIFUL Clydesdale's.

Bronson's Preschool Christmas Program

Bronson had a cute little Christmas program for his preschool. He got to be and do a number of things in it. Well, let me clarify, as most of you know, he is a very shy little boy. Just the fact that he was willing to stay up on the stage was HUGE for him. He really just stood up there, he didn't sing or dance or do anything that the other kids were doing (he did put on the dress up stuff) but we were just so proud of him for staying up on the stage willingly. He was a Wise Man, Rudolph, he played an instrument (which was the only thing he really participated in). It was so fun and cute to see him overcome a fear of his like that. And at the end Santa even showed up, which was a big surprise for all the kids and he bravely sat on his lap.

This is the most Bronson would even look at Santa.
He had a fun time twirling his fingers through Santa's beard.

Winter Piano Recital

This past week was Mazzy's piano recital. She did a fabulous job! We were so proud of her. My sister Misty is her teacher and being that the recital was going to be a little short, she roped me into singing a Christmas medely of Silent Night/Lullaby Little One at it. Ry told me I had to put it on my blog. Our camera doesn't video for long periods of time, so I didn't want to put 4 videos of me singing the whole song, so I just picked the last half of the song, the end got cut off but it's good enough. (the shaking of the camera was due to Bronson climbing on Ryan) Hope everyone is enjoying this Christmas Season!

Bronson, Whitey, and Checkers

When we go up to Morgan to Grandpa and Grandma's, Bronson loves to play checkers with Grandpa Thayne. When Grandpa is not there to play, Bronson gets his stuffed animal, whom he named Whitey, and plays checkers with him. It always cracks me up! So I thought I would share some of Bronson and Whitey's skillz (as Bronson calls it) with you. It's kind of long, but you have to watch until he traps Whitey because Brons does this thing with his arm and says "Yes", like he has really tricked Whitey......I think it is HILARIOUS!!! I also have to add that I think it is so cute that Brons even understands the concept of the game of checkers, he has been playing with my dad since he was 4.

What does Mazzy want for Christmas?

Her 2 front teeth! She is so excited to be singing "All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" at Christmas time! She has now lost 4 teeth in the span of 3 weeks, crazy! My little girl is growing up. It may sound cheesy and corny, but this is really bitter sweet for me. She will never have that little girl smile ever again (if that makes any sense at all). Her little looks will be changing now and there is no going back. It's so fun to watch her grow!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. This year we had Thanksgiving with my family, so we headed up to Morgan to have a great dinner at my Grandpa and Grandma's house. It was GOOD food, good people and good laughs!

Ryan and Shadd coming down off the dryfarm from shooting. This is tradition in my family, who doesn't like a good turkey feast and then some shooting to follow? I was trying to get the kids ready to go home after a long day of eating and visiting, but they weren't going to have it. They were being as silly as they possibly could be. They put on my mom's boots and were chasing each other around the house in them. Bronson could hardly walk in them, it was pretty funny. Here he is trying to shut the door on me before I could get a picture of him...I'm too fast though.
Here is Mazzy in the same boots, what a girl! (and note the beautiful Christmas tree behind her that my sister and I decorated for my mom, you really can't see it all too well.)