Happy Birthday Jake

Wishing you the happiest birthday!

Wish we could be there to help celebrate with you!

Ryan and Rachel

***giggity, giggitty***

Black Friday

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is getting ready for Black Friday.

All of that turkey giving me the energy to get out there and get the good deals!

It all started on Thanksgiving night, 10pm headed over to toys r us. Waited in line alone for two hours. There were THOUSANDS of people waiting in line! Including two ladies behind me from Wisconsin! I was lucky ones who got everything that I wanted! Many people did not.

I got home thinking that I would have time to lay down for a little while, but when I went to set the alarm I realised that it was already time to go pick up Lauren!

Lauren and I helped each other navigate through the sea of people!

She got some great deals too.

The best thing that she found......

EDWARD!

I know what I want for Christmas now!

Hahahahahah!

Just kidding.

I stayed up ALL NIGHT. It was sooooooo worth it!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving morning we spent sleeping in and relaxing.

Something new for me this year. Usually I'm down stairs cooking by 7am on Thanksgiving morning. This year it was just Ryan's parents and us.

So this year we went to a nice buffet at the Arizona Grand Resort instead of slaving away in the kitchen all day.

Me and Ryan

*

Although sometimes I feel like there are so many things in my life that I would love to change, so many trials and obstacles in this life that make things seem so hard and unbearable.

However I know that there are so many more things in my life to be so deeply thankful for. I am even thankful for some of my trials, without them I wouldn't be who I am today.

I am so thankful for-

The health of my children and family, a husband who loves me and works very hard for me everyday. Family who love and support me in everything that I do. Who are always there to catch me when I fall. Sometimes knowing what I need before even I do.

I'm thankful for a home to live in, food to eat and the blessing of freedom.

I am thankful most of all for my testimony in our savior Jesus Christ. For my knowledge that he lives and love us all.

*

Hanging out at the resort I took a couple pictures of the kids.

Ella {the model} thought that there were many places to take some great shots of her.

Jack still had a very messy face. Oh well.

After we ate we all went and saw the movie "a Christmas Carol".

It was pretty dark and scary, I was worried that Ella would have nightmares, but a couple days later and it looks like she was ok.

After the movie we went and got some pie at Denny's.

We are so much food through the day, I'm still not hungry!

It was a great Thanksgiving.

Ella's favorite part of the day- driving with Grandma and Grandpa!

Thank you Rick and Sandy for such a great day! We were so glad that we got to spend it with you both! We love you!

Jackson's Birthday

Look at this hansom little guy!

Although he's not so little anymore. He's growing up.

He's really started talking now. He'll say just about anything that you ask him.

But a lot of it sounds the same.

He's defiantly hit the terrible twos!

{I think that I've said that more then once at this point}

I didn't know he could get into any more trouble, but it seems that everyday he's able to find something else to climb on, dump out of break.

He's a sweet boy thought too.

He is also so cuddly and loving. He gives the best hugs!

I love it when he says I love you mama!

He loves to sit with me and play with my hair.

I'm so lucky to have this big boy!

A couple of days before Jack's birthday we threw a little party for him!

{since his real birthday was on thanksgiving}

I didn't take very many pictures, SAD.

I was too busy chatting it up with our friends!

Jack picked his own cake. He really did. I would NEVER have picked a sesame street cake.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I HATE character things- clothing, toys and CAKE.

But he does love Elmo and it has a car on it.

So we got it for our little man.

He blew out his candles so well!

So well in fact that Ryan didn't have time to get the video camera,

we lit them and had him blow them out again.

I didn't get any pictures of him eating his cake, because he didn't really eat any.

I guess he's like his mama and would rather have something else, like pie. Yum!

His whole birthday was race car themed!

He LOVES LOVES LOVES cars

or anything that goes or that he thinks he might be able to drive.
Thank you to everyone who came, it was a lot of fun!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful gifts!

Our baby is 2 years old!

Happy Thanksgiving

Jackson's 2nd Birthday

Today is Jack's second birthday.

I can't believe that it was 2 years ago today that our little man was born.

He was such a wanted baby. We waited so long for him to get here.

The say he was born was the happiest day of my life.

That little tiny baby, so tiny and sweet

is now

a naughty 2 year old who throws tantrums and makes huge messes.

I feel so deeply blessed that he's my son and that I have the privilege to be his mother.

Happy Birthday Jack-Jack.

Happy Birthday Aaron

Sarah, Aaron and Me
Adam, Sarah, Me and Aaron
*
Today is my brother Aaron's birthday.
He's my little brother but he's been taller then me since he was 3.
He was a very naughty brother.
The kind that would hold you and the bottom of a sleeping bag and not let you out.
The kind that would tease you so bad that several times a day you would have to go taddle to Mom that he messed up EVERYTHING!
The kind of brother who walks into the already very loud kitchen and starts screaming at the top of his lungs, just to make things that much more stressful.
There were times that he was a good brother though, like when he would let us girls put make up on him or when he would play Barbies with us!
He was almost always happy, always in a good mood.
He has always loved Babies, he could hold a tiny baby for hours.


Now he's all grown up and a Husband and Daddy!
I'm so proud of you Bo, you've grown into such a great guy! I'm so proud to call you my brother.
Happy birthday little brother.
I love you Bobo!

Christmas is coming

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but ever since Christmas music started playing on the radio about a week ago, I've been in such a Christmas mood!

I've already planed out my strategy for Black Friday shopping. I plan on being done with all of my Christmas shopping by Friday at 8am!

*

The kids thought it was pretty fun to decorated some foam ornaments!

Jack was pretty good with the glue. If good means getting it all over my table.

It washed off and he had fun.

Thanks for the fun cups Grandma on the farm!

They thought that was so much fun, they use them everyday now.

Later that night
We made the yummiest ginger bread cookies!
They really were the best I've ever had. We'll be making those again.
Maybe with out sprinkles though.
Jack dumped a whole thing of sprinkles all over the kitchen floor.
The little ball kind. They rolled all over everywhere.
I've swept and swept, but the bottom of my feet continue to find more. Ouch.

This is Ryan's "what? I didn't just sneak a cookie" look.

Yeah right.
{Don't you think it's weird that he has part of his eye that's brown? See, Ryan doesn't have brown eyes! {some people claim that he has brown eyes} My brother Aaron has brown eye's with a spot of blue. Funny huh?}
Isn't my husband HOT!?

Naughty Boy

I am a terrible mother, I was laughing the whole time!

I just can't believe a person so little can do things like this and without fear.

He doesn't know he's being naughty.

Happy Birthday Early... I guess

Jack loves stuffed animals.

He only has one that he can really call his own.

Ella has many. You can imagine how upset and frustrated she gets when he's constantly stealing some of her best friends.

So when thinking of things to get Jack for his birthday, a stuffed animal was a no brainier.

A few weeks ago Ryan and I went to Ikea, knowing that they would have the main gift needed for our little man. {You'll have to wait and see} While there Ryan found the most perfect "boy" stuffed animal. A BIG bull dog.

So excited we kept it hidden the whole way through the store and when we got home I hid him up in my closet saved for such things.

Until... the other day when Ella opened that door.

She knows better then that. Stinker.

As luck would have it, Jack was sitting right there! You should have seen his eye's light up when he saw that stuffed friend!

Wrapped with a big red bow, his head sticking out of a large bag.

I tried closing the closet and pretending that nothing was in it.

Ha, there's not a stuffed animal in there!

But it was too late. Jack stood at the door screaming "Dog-Dog!"

Now "dog-dog" is never far out of Jack's reach.

And Ella CAN'T touch him. This time, it's all Jacks!

.

.

.

{Do you think that he calls it dog-dog because he's Jack-Jack?}

Christmas is Coming

I've taken so many pictures in the last couple of weeks! I've been so busy!

But I was happy that I was able to take the time to take my own kids out to for some pictures for Christmas.

It's one of my most favorite Christmas traditions.

Here's a little preview, you'll have to wait for your Christmas card to see the winning shot!

I still have a couple of time's avalible to photograph YOUR family.

Check out my Photo Blog to see about my Christmas packages!

For my Mom

It's almost his birthday....

Lotion

One evening last week, while working on the computer, I THOUGHT that Jack was playing nicely in his room.

He came out looking like this.

He did smell wonderful for days though, even after bathing.

Slumber Party

We don't normally do sleep overs, but when it's with a cousin, it's all right!

When we were at Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's earlier in the week Tori reminded me that I had promised her quite a while ago that she could come and have a sleep over with Ella.

With Veteran's day on Wednesday it was perfect timing!

Let's just say that Jack wanted to be a part of all the fun too.

The girls said no.

Poor Tori, she's the youngest and didn't know the hardships of having a little brother.

I think that the girls had fun though, eating pizza, watching movies in their jammies and eating popcorn!

The next morning they went swimming {burrrr, I did not!} and just played together.

They both love littlest petshop and Polly pockets!
Thank you Tori for coming and hanging out with us! We'll have to do it again sometime!

Thanks Sasha and Stacy for making it possible!

Jack's turning 2

Last week all of the Bailey's in Arizona got together to celebrate all of the November birthdays

Andre, Melissa and Jackson

Jack's cake

He really liked the candles!

Last year he couldn't really blow out candles yet, but this year he knew what he was doing.

It was so sweet. He didn't blow hard, but he got the job done.

Grandma and Grandpa Bailey gave Jack a birthday card that played one of the songs from the movie "cars".

He LOVED it to say the least.

He has been carrying it around all week!

Happy Birthday to Andre and Melissa!!!