New Years

Wow! I cannot believe it is already a new year!

This year has been quite a big one for us. 

Remington turned one year old

We bought out first house together

Eli has been at his job for 1 year

New truck

Baby #2 on the way

And even more love and memories than we can count!

We had a fun New Year's Eve together as a family.

We ate dinner, and then played with poppers and confetti before going over to Eli's parents house.

Daddy and Remi

She is getting so big

Me and my love.
It has been exactly 9 years since we met at Blast Off and had our first kiss!
(It was at a sweeto New years eve party put on by the church!)

She thought it was pretty weird!

Scared her a little when we popped it, but she kept saying "more, more!"

Don't look so happy there Remi :)

We played some really fun games and ate tons of yummy finger food at Eli's parents house with Bonnie, Beau, Jerry, and Patsy! Remi stayed up until the ball dropped. Lucky us, she won't sleep anywhere but her own bed! ;)

It was a great night and I am so excited to see what this year has in store for our family!!

The Little Things...

Remington is just hit her 20 month mark. I look back at pictures and videos from just 6 months ago and I can hardly believe how much she has changed. You don't notice how huge the difference is in your little ones day by day, but when you finally look back, you can't believe they were ever that small. 

Every night we ask if she would like to say family prayer. She always replies, "No, mama." or "No, dada."

Tonight she finally said yes.

I never thought it would hit me so hard hearing her pray for the first time. 

She folds her little arms and when she "kneels," she really lays on her stomach (because she hasn't figured out quite how to do it yet. )

We had to help her of course, but I never felt so proud than hearing her little voice say "Tank ooo, Dejus" (Thank you for Jesus) and other things about mom and dad and baby, blankie, food. 

That little prayer warmed my heart more than words can express. I know that is just the beginning of many more prayers and experiences, but I am so thankful for tonight. It boosted my spirits and made me want to rededicate myself so that Remi has good role models to look up to. So that she sees what the gospel means to me by how I live it and love it.

I don't get on here enough and express little stories and things that happen day today as I often as I should. I find myself upset and regretting all the things I :"miss out on."

 I feel like I am missing sweet little moments that I swear I will remember and write down later, but they fade away and I don't write them down!

 I used to keep a journal EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT while Eli was on his mission. I never missed a day (When I did though, I went back and wrote about each day, in detail, that I had missed.)

When we got married I stopped writing, and I regret it so much that I don't want to start again because I linger on all I missed out on. I am thankful though that I have had this blog to document all the major things we have done since we were married.

Anyways I am just rambling, but I am rededicating myself to writing down these small, sweet mercies that happen in my daily life.

 I really feel like it is time to just SIMPLIFY. To not be so rushed and always trying to make everything perfect, but to just enjoy the little things. Like the quote says...the little things really will be the big things someday.

One of my many goals this year is to put down the phone, get off of the computer. Be in the moment with my sweet girl and husband. Serve friends, neighbors and family. Enjoy the little moments, learn, grow, do things that challenge me and do things that I enjoy.

To just BE IN THE MOMENT.

I am so thankful for the atonement and for being able to feel my Savior's love, even when I am not doing all of the little things that I should. He knows me and he knows that I am trying. That is what matters. After this life, our testimonies and our families will be all that we have. We need to build and strengthen them each and every day!

Happy New Year everyone! It's going to be a great one!

Christmas Festivities

We had our very first Christmas in our house this year! 

It was so fun to see Remi's reaction as we pulled out all of the decor and set up the Christmas Tree.

We had especially fun making and decorating sugar cookies. Although, I am pretty sure that Remi probably ate more dough than she helped cut (ok, and maybe me as well.)

Painting a wooden christmas tree

Remi and I went over to my parents and made some gingerbread houses.

Mine looks a little bit like a 5 year old made it... Oh well, I had a blast making it!

Remi ate my snowman before I could get him on there but that's alright.

Olivia's

Mine

Mom's

I had to make one of my most favorite treats.
Almond Roca!

Here is our Christmas Eve Feast! We decided to stay home as a family and have dinner.

We had pink salad, baked potatoes, ham, rolls, salad, 7 up, and martinellis!

My very first ham, smothered in honey! YUM!

After dinner, we opened our Pj's, and then we went over to Eli's parents for the Christmas story.

Every year they have the grandkids dress up and put on the story of the birth of Christ While Eli's dad 

reads it to us. We sang some Christmas hymns as well.It was just the thing we needed to get us even more in to the Christmas mood!

Remi, Scarlett, and Chloe

 Grandma Patsy got Remi this little Elf on the shelf! 

We named him Buddy, of course, and had a lot of fun surprising her with him every morning.

I didn't know she would really get the concept as well as she did, but she loved it.

Every morning he was in a different spot with a treat of some sort (a banana, orange, etc.)

She only touched him once and he went away for a whole day.

She was really sad, but Eli helped her write a letter to Santa saying that she was sorry and he came back the next day!

On Christmas morning, we let Remi give him a big hug before he headed back to the North Pole. ;)

She was super excited to finally touch him!

We had a wonderful Christmas morning! 

We were all spoiled beyond our expectations. Eli did such a great job this year. He got me a laminator, owl blanket, downeast shirts, super cute leggings, and lots of Bath and Body Works lotions and bubble baths!

I got him a sweeto tool stand, a huge batman blanket, some new shirts, and a Xbox game.

Remi got a tricycle, tons of barbies and littlest pet shops, a tea set, puzzles...the list goes on.

The best thing in the whole world was seeing her face light up when she came down the stairs :)

Barney was laying right in front of the heater. Spoiled dog!

Playing tea party

After opening presents, we headed over to Eli's parents for homemade crepes. SO GOOD!

Then we went over to my parents for some lunch and took their gifts to them!

This was definitely her most favorite gift of all. She played with it almost everyday for the next couple of weeks.

As the morning went on, we could tell that something was wrong with Remi. She was not really interested in any of her toys, she was coughing so bad, and running a fever.

By the end of Christmas night we knew something was definitely wrong with our sweet girl.

We took her in to the E.R. and they diagnosed her with Bronchiolitis. They were so sweet and gave her a little puppy dog stuffed webkinz. 

They kept us there for a good while because her oxygen was really low and her blood pressure was really high. When that got looking better, they gave her a steroid and some cough syrup. She zonked on my lap and didn't wake up when we left or put her in her bed.

Within a few days she was finally herself, enjoying all of her gifts from Santa!

We had an amazing holiday season! I am thankful for the birth of our Savior and that we have his atonement in our life each day. 

Sledding

We recently traded our little dirt bike for this awesome fourwheeler!

Before the snow came, we took a few rides up and down the canal banks, but we couldn't wait to get a sled 

hooked up behind it!

Do you like Eli's makeshift rope of a dog leash and dog tie? Awesome, I know!

Remi was super excited even though it was really cold.

She went on the sled with me up and down the road a few times.

Then she got to help daddy drive!

She was like a little popsicle when we were done, but of course screamed and did not want 

to go inside! Afterwards, we had delicious hot chocolate, flavored with vanilla, and some cookies!

SO much fun! I even enjoyed it :)

Where's Remi?!?