A Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! We hope everyone had a really great Christmas. We sure did. We thought we would send a few pictures of the boy. He was very entertaining this year.

Christmas Eve, after chatting on the phone with Karl's brother Kevin, we went out to dinner with Karl's family. We had some fabulous Pizza Benders at the Italian Village. Just before our food came, who should walk in the door, but my parents, Matt and Clancey, my aunt and uncle, grandpa and Greg and Cheryl! Crazy... There must not be a lot of Restaurants open Christmas Eve!

Anyway, after dinner we went back to Karl's parents' house and opened presents. Riser got a wagon and a dog book (that we read about 100 times a day) from Grandma and Grandpa, some books from his cousins and a doodle writer from Aunt Justi and Uncle Kent.

After that we went home and put our tired boy to bed.

The next morning we got up to see what Santa had brought. Riser was very surprised to see a bike sitting beside the tree... so surprised that he wasn't quite sure if he could touch it. He grabbed my hand and took me over to it and just kind ofr looked at me like "is it o.k. for me to play with this?" Once he got the o.k., he was on and off of it all morning long. He LOVED it!


After a nice relaxing morning, we headed into my parents house for more presents and hanging out. Riser got some fabulous bath toys (that are so much fun that they don't seem to stay in the bathroom), and a really cool airplane. We also spent some time with Grandpa and my cousins that night and had a delicious Ham dinner. It was so much fun to be able to spend time with both our families. We hope everyone else had a great Christmas as well!

Greetings

Hello and Merry Christmas to all of you! This year we decided to post our Christmas Newsletter on our blog. That way we can put lots of pictures on, and they won't be tiny and blurry.... except for the ones I take... they seem to end up blurry a lot....

Well, we have had a really great year. Riser is growing at a break-neck speed, and Karl and I are starting to feel like we might be getting the hang of this whole "parenting" thing. At least for now.... who's to say what next week will bring.

Here's what's been happening with each of us this year. We'll start with the star of the show.

Riser: Riser has had a big year. Some of his great accomplishments this year are: Sleeping through the night! There was much rejoicing in our home when this finally happened. We never knew how much we had taken a good night's sleep for granted. Sitting up, crawling, and finally, WALKING! The boy is forever on the move..... so is everything in our house that isn't bolted down. We have learned to keep anything important well out of Riser's reach. Otherwise, we may never see it again. Signing and Talking He knows so many signs and words, He talks my ear off all day long. I love it. Some favorites are mom, dad, Mya (his dog), hello, milk, cookie, cracker, water, uh-oh, and no (of course). Playing with his best buddies (his cousins) Riser is so social. He loves to play with any kids he can find (at church, at the store, you name it.) but his favorites are his cousins. He gets so excited when we pull up at both of his grandmas' houses because he knows that his friends are inside. We are having so much fun watching Riser grow up and we feel so grateful to have such a fun, talented, funny, smart, friendly, and handsome little boy.

Karl: Karl's biggest change this year was getting a new job in June. He is working for a company called Alliance Health doing design work (he can explain what he does a lot better) for all of their products. He has really enjoyed being at a start-up and watching the company grow. I am posting here as well for you all to behold the batman pic that Karl is posting on the web. Right now Karl is excited about the new Batman movie coming out in July. (some things never change.) Karl's makeup is real (AND I got to drive around with him looking like this) but please rest assured that I didn't let him do that to Riser... his is photoshopped. He just updated to CS3 (kudos to you if you know what that means) and got a new apple monitor. He was like a kid in a candy store the day he brought them home. He is also the cutest dad I have ever seen. I love to watch him wrestle with Riser. They are such good buddies.

Jenny: This year I had a few "1st's" of my own. I had my 1st cavity, which was completely terrifying, I am pleased to report that I came out alive, but I am still afraid of the dentist. I got my 1st pair of glasses, which was actually kind of fun, because I always kind of wanted to wear glasses anyway. Now I had an excuse to go buy some. I feel like I look very smart now :) All in all, Let's hear it for getting older! I also ran my 1st 5k in July with My sister-in-law Kamille. Our goal this time was to finish (which we did), our goal for next time is to improve our time. We had a great time, and I was so proud of us, that I displayed my number on our fridge....It's still there. Other than that I am just loving hanging out each day with Riser. I feel lucky to be able to stay home with him.

Mya: For all those wondering about the wonder dog, she's hanging in there. She has a love/tolerate relationship with Riser. Riser LOVES her, she tolerates him because every now and again he drops some food for her or pets her instead of just pulling her ears. We keep thinking they'll be great friends if she can just make it through him being a toddler.

Well, that is what has been happening in our family this year. Keep checking back for more updates. We hope that all is well in your homes, and that you have a fabulous holiday season! Merry Christmas!

With Love,

Karl, Jenny, Riser, and Mya the dog

Riser and Mya the Elves

Riser thought it was so funny when everyone else posted their's, that we thought we better make one for him. he thought it was soooo funny! he just kept smiling and laughing. very fun!


http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1336230261


http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1368258149

another tag

I thought of someone that I need to tag for the 6 things..... I was thinking about all the girls in the fam being tagged and
completely forgot about my fabulous husband!! Karl, tag, you're it... aren't you glad I remembered you?

My 6 things....

O.K. Well, here we go...

I talk A LOT....... so this is hard. Like Nicole, I feel like everyone know pretty much everything about me. I am not shy about telling anyone anything about myself, so if there IS something you feel like you don't know about me, hey, just ask. :)

I am a HUGE worrier. Nothing is too big or small. I worry about it. I worry that Riser will inherit all my learning disabilities. I worry that I offend people all the time. That I am not being a good mom, wife, daughter, primary president, friend etc...... The thing is, I can step outside myself and see that I am being silly, but I can't stop myself from worrying... STRANGE.

I have always been TERRIFIED of the dentist. I have the most non-intimidating dentist in the world, but the day before I go, I start to feel really anxious. The whole way there I have to give myself a pep talk "You can do this Jenny, it's not scary, you've done this a million times, It's no big deal" By the time I'm there, I have sweaty palms and shaky knees. Here's the kicker. I have only had one cavity my whole entire life, and I didn't even get that until September. It didn't hurt to have it filled, but even now, just thinking about going I'm getting a little shaky........ do you think I am crazy yet?

I don't miss teaching... not even a little. This really surprised me, because I LOVED teaching. I felt like I was a good teacher, I loved the kids, I loved the grade I taught, I loved my friends I worked with... but I don't miss it. People ask me all the time if I miss it, and if I think I'll ever go back, and I don't think I ever will. I love being home. I love watching Riser grow and learn. I love being able to be the one to put him down for a nap. I love being the one to read him books, and feed him his lunch, and just hang out with him. I know that he will grow up and not need me so much, but then I will have time to volunteer to help more places, and do some of the things I never seem to find time to do. I love knowing that I will be available when he does need me. Sometimes I feel like people think it is strange that I don't want a job anymore, but I really feel like this is where I should be, and I am so happy being here!

I used to hate to read. I know this made my mom CRAZY the whole time I was growing up, but I absolutely HATED it. She would buy me new books hoping that it would get me excited about it. We always went to the library, but no dice. I hated it. I can't decide if it was because it was hard, and I didn't like to fail, or if it was because everyone was forcing me to do it, and I was just stubborn.... possibly a combination of the two. Anyway, I finally figured out in college that it really wasn't that bad, and that I actually loved to read. In fact, it ended up as one of my minors! I wish I had more time now to do even more reading!

I love "clean sheet night" This is the 1st night you sleep in your bed after you change your sheets..... it can't be beat. They are all nice and crisp. They smell lovely. The only way you can make it better, is to take a nice hot bath/shower before hand, and then put on some p.j.'s fresh out of the dryer.... I think I will go and change my sheets right now. I encourage everyone else to do the same!


Anyway, that is me. I'm kind of weird. I hadn't really took the time to notice that until know, but wow..... kind of weird. Anyway, I think everyone in "the fam" has been tagged, but Steph, if you've got some time.. tag you're it! 6 things about yourself!

Why I shouldn't read at lunch

Riser usually takes a little longer than I do to eat his lunch. This is fine with me, because I usually pass the time by reading articles in magazines and such. Today, I looked up from my article to find that Riser had created a work of art. He was so proud. Even now as he watches me upload his pictures, he is grinning ear to ear. Ahhhh... my little comedian.

more back tracking: Halloween!

Halloween morning, we went to visit Grandpa Larry at work. We had fun showing off our super cute costume to all his coworkers and getting treats from Doris. We also tried to visit Grandpa Kraig, but we missed him. The good news there is that his secretary gave Riser a treat, so not a total loss right?









Next we went with Grandma Marlene, Aunt Susie, Aunt Cynth and his cousins Ethan and Tanner to Gardner Village. We had so much fun. We took lots of fun pictures, had some lunch, and the boys even got to ride a pony. Very Exciting! It was such a nice day. Very warm, and the village looked so cute with witches everywhere. Riser loved the pumpkins and the ponies. He didn't really get that he was riding on top of one, but he was super impressed with Ethan and Tanner's ponies. At lunch, Riser shared an open faced turkey sandwich with me, and then ate half of Ethan's mac and cheese. I guess it was good that Ethan didn't really care for it.

















Later that night, after a "traditional" halloween dinner of chili, tamales and doughnuts (thanks for always indulging me Karl), Riser and his dad (or Jack Jack and Mr. Incredible) headed out to a few houses around our neighborhood to do a little Trick or Treating. They had a great time. Riser liked the scary houses the best (Once again, he's his father's son), although we are now wondering if they are giving him nightmares..... After they were done, they came back to help me (Elastigirl) pass out treats. We had a really fun day.

Back tracking: Halloween party at Grandpa Wayne's

I need to put some of Riser's Halloween pictures on this, so I thought I would start with the Halloween party at Grandpa Wayne's apartment. We went the Thursday before Halloween for His complex's trick or treat night. We met up with Riser's cousins, Kennedy (the duck) and Matthew (the turtle). Then we went around to all of Wayne's neighbors. Kennedy loved it, Matthew was not so sure. Riser loved seeing all the other kids, pushing all the buttons on the decorations outside the doors, and putting the candy in his bucket. He DID NOT like walking up to the residents at each door. Who knew that a smiling cute old lady was more frightening then the talking skull outside her door? Oh well... He still had lots of fun. My favorite part was walking through the halls and hearing people talk about the cute "Jack Jack". They were amazed that he would keep his mask on. All I can say is that he is his father's son. He loved his costume, especially his mask. He would bring it to me whenever he would find it at home, so I could put it on him. He loved to go admire himself in the mirror. When we were finished, he fished through his bag and found a tootsie pop. I opened it and gave it to him (big mistake). It was so big that it barely fit in his mouth, and it was so good, that he wouldn't take it out... even to swallow. Before long, he had chocolate drool from his chin to his toes and I was laughing my head off. Don't worry, we took it away before the stick fell apart!

We're entering the 21st century....

We now have high speed internet... at last. Gone are the days of dial up. I have been browsing all the sites that were once such a frustration. It's a beautiful thing! We're so happy!

Grandma Melba

We love you so much Grandma. It is hard to even express how important you are to us, and how much we miss you. The late night chats, the Sunday dinners, Thursday Shopping trips. You are such a huge part of our lives. Karl will miss teasing you and being teased back. Riser will miss hanging out with his favorite red head. I will miss just having one of my best buddies around whenever I need to talk. We look forward to the time when we can see you again and give you a great big hug. We love you!

My 2 Favorite Guys

Last night Karl and Riser got to hang out all by themselves while I went to a Stake primary meeting. When I got home they were curled up in their P.J.'s reading a book. It made me think about how much I love those 2. It is so much fun to watch them together. I love to watch Riser wave good bye to Karl every morning and hear him say "bye daddy". I love to see him hurry to the stairs in the evening when he hears the garage door open and say "dad, dad, dad" as he waits for him to come in. It cracks me up to see them wrestle and "work on projects" together (Riser loves all of Karl's tools). They are such good buddies.

I can't stop!!!!!!!!!!

So, the other day, Karl and I were talking about the over use of the exclamation mark. Actually we were talking about a discussion he had with a writer at his office about the over-use of the exclamation mark. Anyway, ever since this conversation, I have been aware of the fact that I over-use it all the time. Like right there, at the end of the sentence I had to physically stop myself from adding one in. It leads me to wonder..... Do you over-use the exclamation mark? Take my exciting poll at the bottom of the page! :)

Parenting Milestones

As Riser has grown up this past year, we've had several parenting milestones.... holding him for the 1st time, watching his1st smile, his 1st steps, his 1st words... all fabulous. This week, we had another kind of 1st....... Now I worn you, this is kind of gross, so if you don't want to read it, or feel that it is in poor taste to right about these kinds of things, I apologize. This week we had "the 1st vomit and diarrhea in the middle of the night all over himself and the crib". This milestone was not so fabulous. We knew we weren't off to a good night earlier in the evening when he had one of the most horrible diapers I have ever changed in my life (The kind where you think how am I even going to get his clothes off of him?!). We struggled through that mess, got him all bathed, and put him in his crib for the night. Sometime later, we heard him start to fuss. Normally, I let him fuss for a while and he will go right back to sleep, but I just kept thinking, he might have another really bad diaper... I should go check. As I opened the door it was clear that it was way more than just a dirty diaper. I was glad I decided to check. I had no idea such a little person was capable of creating such a disaster. I had to go back and get Karl. It was definitely not a one man job. 1 hour, a bath, a new set of sheets, a new pair of pajamas, and many tears later, we were all ready to go back to bed. Several days later, I think we may have gotten over it all..... Well, physically I guess. I don't know that the memory of it will ever fade.

more milk!

The boy can sign! Very exciting. So far his repertoire consists of more and milk. Milk is used whenever he is thirsty, or whenever he sees any type of liquid or a cup. Today while I was getting ready, he was watching his baby signing time and pulling things out of my drawers. The DVD came to a song called more more more. He stopped what he was doing walked over and sat in front of the TV and started signing along. It was cracking me up, he would dance and wave his arms during the signs he didn't know, but as soon as they sang more or milk, there was my boy signing along. So proud. What a smart kid!

walking is dangerous work!

Riser is a walking boy. Now he even has the bumps and bruises to show it. He has fallen down more steps than we can count (because, now that he walks, he should be able to walk down the stairs....right?), crashed into every wall he can find, and tripped over every object in our house. Yesterday at Grandma's house, he was following his dad up the stairs when he met the corner of the banister full force. He had a knot on his forehead that made him look like he was a rhinoceros (fitting since we went to the zoo earlier that day). I took some pictures today, but they don't even come close to doing it justice.

Riser's 1st Year

Well, since Riser's birthday I've been a little nostalgic... I thought I would go through and relive some of the highlights of his 1st year....

#1 He's born! He was quite the cone head... poor guy. He had quite the bruise on his head as well. A rough entry to the world. But what a cutie!

#2 His first Smile... I was so happy to see this.... even now his smile just melts my heart.









#3 Sleeping in the car seat. He slept there for almost 3 months. It was the only place he felt secure enough.





#4 Riser's HUGE eyes. It still makes me laugh to think about his bug eyes... I always liked to hear what people said about him.... "Wow , he sure is alert." "He is really fascinated by something" "Is he feeling nervous?" I loved the bug eyes!






#5 Those 2 fingers in his mouth. Some babies suck their thumbs, Riser has his 2 fingers. He still does this when he gets sleepy.



#6 The remote. Wow.... Who would have thought that his favorite toy would be a remote with no batteries? He loves that thing, and really who wouldn't? It's a phone, a hammer, a car, as you can see in this picture, a sucker.... the possibilities are endless!









#7 Crawling!! This was a liberating day for us both!!! He could get what he wanted, I could do more of what I wanted.... A win win! He been going none stop ever since!





#8 Swimming. The boy absolutely LOVES to swim. The minute he sees anyone near any sort of water he almost starts hyperventilating. He could swim all day.






9) Eating.... This kid can pound it down. I think he might eat more than his 4 year cousin. Thus far the only thing he isn't a big fan of is garbanzo beans. He likes humus, just not the beans alone. If it's food, he'll eat it. One of his favorite's is sheet cake.... He's his parents' son, what can I say!



10) Walking. He's nearly mastered it. It amazes to watch him go. What happened to my tiny baby? Who is this big kid running around my house? I can't believe how much he has learned in one year. The time has flown by. I can't wait to see what this next year will bring. What a fun boy!

Here we go!!

Well, since everyone else was using blogspot, we thought we would use blogspot too... we didn't want to feel left out! So here we go!!