Family/Date Night

Firehouse Subs Family/Date Night

1.13.12

Guess what just opened in Queen Creek? Yup...the amazing Firehouse Subs!  It's so fun living in a growing town because there are always new shops and restaurants opening up.  I had never eaten at Firehouse but Jacob had told me how incredible it was!  So on Friday night, we headed over!  It was delicious and I wanted more!  I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a gourmet sub! 

Anyways, the kids loved the Firemen hats that they were giving away.  They both looked so cute!  I just had to take a picture!

Daddy and Emma Game

Daddy and Emma

January 5, 2012

New Year Tradition

January 11, 2012

New Year's Tradition

Yearly Interviews for the Kids

Here's Talmage's Interview!

Look What I Found!

I found these 2 adorable little rascals playing under the sink in the bathroom.  It's their new secret hideout.  They even shut the cabinet doors and have secret meetings with their toys.  I love how they play together....such good friends!

Chuck-E-Cheese

Chuck E Cheese with Papa & Grandma Patterson

January 2, 2012

Today was a special treat!  Not only did we get to see Papa and Grandma Linda, but they took us out to lunch to Chuck E Cheese!  Woo Hoo!  Talmage was so excited!  When we pulled in the parking lot, he said, "Yaaaay!!!" It was also a special treat because daddy had the day off since New Year's was on a Sunday.  We all had so much fun!  One of Emma's favorite foods is pizza.  I think she actually ate more pizza than Talmage.  He was a little preoccupied with the games and rides.  Emma loved the little rides and Talmage had a blast with the games!  What a great day!

Candid Shots at the Chuck E Cheese Photo Booth

Perfect!

Not so perfect...wrong camera...let's try that again!

Almost...Let's see if I have any luck...

Nope!

And definately no!

Grandma Linda had a lot more success!

And so did Papa...perfect!

Grandma Linda and Emma...so cute!
Emma let grandma hold her at least a half hour!
That's amazing for Emma!  Go grandma!

Emma giving kisses and showing off her pigtails!  

Her hair is finally long enough in the back for a pony!  I'm loving that!

Emma LOVES to dance whenever there is music and sometimes without music.  Papa recorded a little bit of her dancing moves.  She was rocking out all afternoon long!  Go Emma!

A SUNBEAM!

It's official!  Talmage is all grown up!  He's now a SUNBEAM in PRIMARY!  I can't believe it!  I'm so excited for him though.  I know he will have a blast singing songs and learning lots.  Talmage had a hard time departing from daddy and he cried a little.  

It's such a huge change from nursery but in the end, he did really well.  Actually, he did a lot better than daddy did.  Jacob kept roaming the halls and checking on him.  Funny but so cute to see him worried for his son's big day!

Our church time changed from 8:00 am to 10:00 am starting today.  It was soooo nice to wake up when it was light out and let the kids sleep in a little.  I'm loving the new time!  

Happy New Year and Happy Sabbath Day!  Hope everyone had a wonderful day at church!

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the New Year with Jacob's family at his brother Jay's house. Seven out of the twelve kids, and their families, were present: Merie, Ginger, LaLoni, Audrey, Annie, Jay, Eddie and, of course, Jacob.  We had a blast. Talmage stayed up to see the ball drop and we left with him crying because he didn't want to leave his cousins!  Crazy boy!  We had some awesome food, roasted marshmallows and Starbursts, made S'mores, had hot chocolate and played games.  It is so fun being apart of a BIG family!  I love it and I love that Talmage has soooo many cousins to play with.  It's a blast!

Now onto the New Year's Resolutions...

Christmas

Our Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! I totally spaced it and forgot to get the camera out and takes pictures!


On Christmas Eve, we had a family get together with my siblings, Ryan and Sariah, Grandma and Larry, my Aunt Sheila, and my Mom and Ron.  We had dinner, chatted, did a white elephant gift exchange and opened presents from my Mom, and everyone else.  It was a lot of fun and of course, the kids were spoiled!!  


On Christmas morning, we watched Luke 2 in our bedroom before heading out to the living where Santa had left our presents!  We then opened gifts as a family!  Talmage was sooo excited!  I loved that!  He was even excited about a candy cane in his stocking.  Emma needed a little help opening her gifts and in the end, she was actually more interested in brother's toys.  


Later in the afternoon on Christmas, we headed over to Scottsdale to have Christmas dinner with my Dad and Linda, Aunt Sheila, Grandma and Larry, and Linda's two boys, Jason and Devin.  The appetizers were amazing and the dinner was even more spectacular.  We love dinners at my Dad's because Linda is an awesome cook and my Dad is amazing at the grille!  Yum!!  After dinner, we opened gifts and were again spoiled!!  


I can't believe how truly blessed we are with so much family.  We received so many nice gifts this year and were overwhelmed with all the love from those who gave them.  This holiday season has been so memorable and we're so grateful for the reason for the season.  As I get older, I realize more and more how truly amazing the birth of Christ was.  And as a mother, I now have a different perspective on what it must have been like for Mary.  I'm so thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who cared so much about us that he would send a Savior, His only Begotten Son, as an example for us and to save us from our sins.  It is truly amazing!  Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Card

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

Emma's Birthday Celebration

Emma's Birthday

12.12.2011

Just opened her Care Bear

Opening her Gifts

We started off celebrating her birthday by opening presents right when she woke up.  We have a family tradition of hiding the birthday presents first but since Emma is only 1, we scattered the presents around the room where she could see them but still have to crawl to them. It was so fun watching her open her presents and play with her toys.  Two of her presents were clothes, which she wasn't exactly thrilled about.

Emma Maren & Grandma Maren

Emma asleep with her
Cabbage Patch Doll

After presents and playing around for a bit, we headed off to IHOP.  I know she's only 1 but it was a reason to go out to breakfast!  She and her brother both received complimentary ice cream sundaes there as well.  Once we finished up our meal, we took Emma to see her grandma and grandpa.  Emma Maren is named after her grandma Maren.  She was also born on her grandma's half birthday so it's extra special!

Emma at McDonald's

Emma at McDonald's

Later on that day, after Talmage had come home from Preschool, we took them to McDonald's.  Awhile ago, I found a really cool McDonald's play place that was geared towards toddlers and older babies.  Emma's only been there once before and she loved it so naturally, we just had to go there on her birthday.  She had a blast playing, crawling and standing on all the soft objects.

Emma & PaPa opening gifts

That evening, my dad and Linda came over to join in our celebration.  They brought a balloon, gifts, cards and cupcakes!  I had already made Ladybug cupcakes for her cake so we had double the cupcakes.

Lady Bug Cupcakes

I can hardly believe that Emma is 1!  It seems like she is only about 8 months.

Some fun things that she's doing now are:
-standing up to the couch

-taking a few steps along the couch
-waving

Attempting to blowout
her 1st Birthday Candle

-babbling and talking

Eating her Cupcake like a Lady

-words: daddy, hi, aye, hey, mama, uh-oh
-mimics sounds

-mimics actions

-dances...ALL the time

-points and talks

-sings

Emma: Birth to 1 year

Here's a little re-cap of Emma's First Year

Newborn: 1 week

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year

Happy Birthday Emma Maren!

Happy 1 year!

12.12.11

12.12.10

10:33 pm

7 lbs 7 oz