Happy Birthday to Tal, Happy New Year to You!

It does not seem like a whole year ago that we were having a New Years Eve party, and Talmage decided to interrupt it. But Here we are one year later having a Birthday/New Years Eve Party. I can not believe how quickly this past year has gone. Wow, the older I get, the faster time slips away, and I am not even that old.

We had a pretty fun party. I thought it was so much fun to celibate both New Years Eve, and Tally's Birthday. We had a great spread of food, all the yummy finger foods, a great cake, presents, a New Years Countdown. How could it get better? I always like to make a creative cake for birthday parties. This time I made a Cookie Monster cake. I was so proud of it, and my boys loved it, especially Tal.

After we did all the Birthday festivities, we decied to do the New Year Countdown at 9:30 (Midnight is just a bit too late for my boys, and their cousins). Holy Cow, I think it was my favorite count down ever. Kids just make Holidays fun. They all ran through the house yelling and screaming, tooting on horns, and dancing around.

After the 9:30 Countdown, we figured that there was no way a Midnight Countdown would even compair, so everyone went home. And I fully intend on being in bed by Midnight.

Happy New Year!!!

My Big Brave Boys

My boys are growing up. They are venturing out, trying new things. Talmage started walking last night. I gotta say, it happened a bit earlier than I expected, Owen did not walk until 13 months, and Tal is not yet one. He has been taking a few small steps between Tom and me for a couple of weeks. But last night, Tal was standing up, holding on to the couch, and Tom was sitting in the chair across the room. He just looked at Tom,put his hands up in the air, and off he went. He hasn't stopped since.
Here is an action shot of some of his first solo steps:
Now, Owen, is doing his own kind of growing up. He has been a bit hessitant to play with his new bike. I think the whole Two-Wheel thing is stairing him. So I desided to show him some videos of other little kids playing on their bikes, in hopes to incourage him. So this is what I showed him (these are videos from the makers of his balance bike):





Man, that did the trick. He loves his bike now. He still doen't quite sit on it, but he loves running with it between his legs, and his favorite thing is to do "jumps." It is so cute, he just pulls up on the handle bars, making the wheels bounce. Love it!

Merry Christmas to all!

I love Christmas! I loved the Christmas magic when I was little, and now I love trying to create it for my boys. I started Christmas chopoing this past summer, which I used to think people that Christmas shopped in the summer where crazy, but now I did it. Hey, sometimes you just find the coolest things, and if the price is right, why not. Mostly, I found things at garage sales. I figure, if it is in pristine condition, why should it matter where it came from. Anyway, most of my shopping was completed by the end of the summer, which made me happy, I figured I could spend December actually focusing on having a Christ centered Christmas.
Then I went to the Big Sale at Joann's the day after Thanksgiving, where I got struck with all these brillian ideas of thing I could make for my boys for Christmas. Suddenly, December turned into a month of frantic sewing. Hooded towels, blankets, crayon rolls, matching shirts for Tom, Owen, and Tal, I-Spy Bags. Yep, Lots of sewing. Don't worry, I think we still had a fairly Spiritual Christmas, but I deffinately felt the Christmas pressure this year.

Santa was really nice to the boys this year. Tal got a Fisher Price Noahs Ark, and a tool box, and Owen got an Elmo Chair and a Balance Strider Bike (Awesome!). It was pretty funny when we went to see what Santa left. I asked, "Owen, what do you see?"
He got all excited, "A Boat!!"
Tom asked, "What else?"
"Oh, tools!"
I ask, " Do you see anything else?"
"Elmo Chair!!!"
Really? Come on, the bike was leaning infront of the chair. Come on, it was totally the elephant in the room, and he was completely missing it.

Finally, he saw the bike, and I think he likes it, but he is still trying to figure out the whole two wheeler thing. And Tal loves his Noah and tools.

We also had a some wonderful family parties. I love spending time with family at Christmas. My brother and his family came to visit from Maryland. Tom's brother came down from Idaho Falls. My mom made nativity costumes, and had the grandkids dress up. We got to go to Tom's sister's Chior Concert down at Temple Square.

I just love this time of the year.