Merry Christmas 2009

from our family to yours

Jared & Sydney

Gibson {5}, Easton {3} and Creed {8mo}

It's Beginning to Seem like Christmas!

This is the worlds fastest picture of my kids. We were already 3 minutes late to church but I knew if I didn't get it before we left, I'd never get it at all. I sat them all down and Creed held still for almost 30 seconds. I snapped some pictures and off we went.

I actually had some better pictures of the three of them but I really love the way Gibson and Easton are looking at their baby brother. Oh how these three love each other.

Gibson is hiding toys behind his back. It seems like there is always a toy in one of our pictures.

There are no ornaments on the bottom branches. Creed likes to eat them.

Easton had his tie off in the first 10 minutes of church. Gibson's shirt was untucked and Creed pulled off his socks.

I took the boys to meet the big guy. We went early on a Monday morning and waited for about 3 minutes. It was great. Gibson told Santa he wanted Bumblebee {news to me} and Easton wants Superman.

The boys loved it. Gibson has told everyone that he saw the "real one". I'm loving Gibson's excitement for Christmas this year. It's making our house very festive and very excited for Christmas eve!

Easton turns 3

photos by Kati Price

It doesn't seem like 3 years ago Easton entered our family. It all honesty it seems much longer. Easton's presence in our family seems like he's always been with us. I think he thinks so too, when you ask him how old he's turning he says 5, same age as Gibson. The two of them are two peas in a pod. Best buddies. Good Brothers.

Three years ago we drove onto the Mountain Home Air Force Base with a purpose. That of being induced by Dr. Paltzer. She agreed to induce me a week before my due date since Gibson had been born with Group B Strep and if Easton would have been born with it the Mtn. Home hospital was not equipped to take care of it and I'd have to be flown to Boise. So I was able to get antibiotics before having him.

I was the only one having a baby by induction that day. I believe one other baby was born but the hospital was quiet and I had a lot of attention from everyone who knew "Dr. Condie". It was a great delivery, a million times better than that of Gibson's.

Fast forward 10 days and "Baby Condie" was just that. We couldn't decide between Easton and Carson and it was on day 10 when the birth certificate department at the hospital called me and told me I HAD to decide right then and there that I told them Easton.

Easton is our spit fire. He's never cuddled, never sat in his crib and played. He insisted that he start sleeping in a big bed before he was 2. He had a funky crawl and will eat anything I put in front of him.

He loves Buzz Lightyear and lately Batman and Superman. He could drink a gallon of apple juice each day and never is full of fruit snacks or fruit by the foot.

He has a temper and lowers his voice when he's mad. He also will give them best hugs and "i love you's".

He is a perfect second child. He is an absolute joy in our lives and the past 3 years have been full of amazing memories that only Easton could have made!

We love you Easton.

Keep 'em coming

I picked this card holder up at Costco last year for around $14. It's one of my favorite Christmas decorations {other than my Willow Tree Nativity Set}. It trumps the one I got a few years ago from pottery barn for about 3x the price.

I love that Christmas cards have started to arrive. I love that I have a mailbox that I can wonder out to {in my pajamas} to retrieve them.

Christmas decorations are going to be sparse this year for a few reasons. 1) I haven't unwrapped the Christmas boxes yet 2) I haven't put away the boxes I've unpacked. The thought of putting all that stuff into a box so that I can unwrap another box and not have somewhere to put it is too much 3) I'm finding that sparse is good. Especially with a crawling 8 month old who likes to pull, touch and put things in his mouth.

This is last years full tree. I kept it up until March. Yup, March. Never tired of looking at it and love the vastness of the many wonderful relationships we have made over our years. It makes me happy....so keep 'em coming.

I thought I had a few more months before I had a helper in the kitchen.

I don't.

The bright side?

All of his hard labor wore him out! Ten minutes later, he was sound asleep.

New Address

I know you're all dying for my new address so you can send me a Christmas card.

So, here it is.

1149 South 1650 East

Springville, UT 84663

801-602-8423 Syd Cell

801-602-1353 Jared Cell

We'll eventually get Christmas cards out. They may be Christmas Eve Cards or even New Years card but I'll get 'em out. So if you want one, send one to me. That's the surest way of guaranteeing you'll see my cute family in your mailbox!

Flashback

On November 1st, my little sister Chana and her husband Fred ventured off to Arizona so that Fred could attend school.

Rewind, 8 years ago and Jared and I did the same thing.

We have a picture similar to this first one somewhere in the piles of pictures. Us and a moving van, in front of my parents house saying good bye. We had been married a little over a year and knew that it would be at least 4 years since our return, it ended up being 7.



She use to live in Logan and it was nice that she could pop in and out as her schedule allowed her too. Now, that drive is a little too long for a pop in and a pop out so I may just have to go and visit her:)

As much as I wish she lived down the street so we could have super fun all the time. I'm excited for her new adventure. We absolutely treasure our four years in Cleveland, year in Colorado Springs and two years in Mountain Home.

I hope they enjoy their time at school as much as we did.

It doesn't change the fact that I sure miss the girl.