Birthdays, Birthdays, and more Birthdays!

Spring had always been slow birthday-wise in our family until Noah came along. Then one by one we've added Ella, Riley, Alexa and now new baby Jasmine. I guess now I have an excuse to just keep on shopping straight through Christmas!

First we celebrated Alexa's 1st birthday. She's getting so big, and I can't believe she's already 1.

Alexa and her mommy on her 1st birthday!

Alexa and her favorite Aunt on her birthday!

(can't you see the resemblance??)

Yummy birthday cake from Sugarlips Cakery!

Then came Noah's Birthday! Noah is 6 this year. My how time has flown. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating his 1st birthday, now he's all grown up and almost done with his first year of "big kid school." This mama isn't liking my last baby growing up so fast.

His crazy laughing monkey card from Aunt Dana & Uncle Wes. (thanks for the annoying card you two! Just wait, now you have a child....paybacks... well you know the rest :)

Uncle Gary flew in for a visit just in time to celebrate with us!!

Alexa with Dana & Wes. I think she's all partied out at this point!

Thank you Granny & Poppy for his "6 fives"

He promptly spent it on Beyblades :)

Noah's fabulous cake from Sugarlips! Yummy!!

Uncle Josh and Ella flew in for a few days to visit, just in time for Noah's birthday. Unfortunately, Aunt Dana has the pics of them together on her camera. As soon as she shares (hint, hint) I'll add some more pics of their visit, and our trip to the zoo while they were here.

We've had a good past month visiting with family, and taking lots of spring time outings. It'd be nice to do it more often.

Coming up next.....more pictures of Ella & Josh's visit.

Karen

Long Overdue.....

Obviously I'm a bit behind in updating my blog. I haven't posted since last February which makes me a total slacker.

We've had a busy year this past year. Noah started Kindergarten (cue the waterworks), Reaghan is studying for her drivers permit, and Sydney is getting ready to get her braces off. My how they've grown.........and how the time flies! I, of course, am NOT getting any older :)

I finally have a new computer (iMac, love it!) that will upload photos, so over the next few days, I'm going to try to upload some pics from the last year. (these were taken by an RT I work with, check out his work here: mblonde.smugmug.com)

My niece Alexa is just turned 1 and I have another new niece, Jasmine, born just before Noah's birthday this month! Our family is growing more every year!

I still love my job in the Peds ER, although it has been crazy busy the last couple of months. I've changed my status to Seasonal RN which means I work 7 days every 2 weeks, but I'm off 3 months in the summer with pay (kind of like a teacher) so I'll get to play all summer this year with the kids!

Gotta run....more to come with pics hopefully.

K

"It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, He did everything that needed to be done for everyone..." Hebrews 10:14

All because two people fell in love....

"For I know the plans I have for you....plans to give you hope and a future." --Jeremiah 29:1


Almost two years ago, we were blessed to welcome Wes into our family....

This past summer, we were all thrilled to receive the news that this little blessing was on it's way...

Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce this little bundle of joy:

Alexa Kate Sanders

born at 4:05 p.m.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

7 lbs 2 ounces

19 inches long

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I've asked of him"
-- 1 Samuel 1:27

We all are so excited to have this newest edition to our family. Dana, Wes, and Alexa are all home and doing well. We are so blessed!


Now, let me just say that the waiting for this baby was pure torture for me! Not only did Dana & Wes not find out the gender, but they didn't tell anyone the names they had chosen either. I'm a planner by nature, so the not knowing was a killer for me. Do any of you realize how hard it is to shop for gender neutral baby gifts?? If not, let me tell you now, it's no picnic!!

Anyway, I was so excited to be living here close for her birth, and to spend such sweet time with my sister while waiting for her first baby to be born. I'm so proud of the woman she has become and absolutely positive that she and Wes are going to be wonderful parents to baby Alexa. Once again, thank you Lord for this wonderful blessing!!

Love to all,
K

Christmas 2009

We had a really nice Christmas holiday this year. Granny & Poppy arrived on the 17th. The kids were so happy to see them! Mimi & Papa made a surprise appearance on the 22nd (the kids didn't know they were coming.) Noah really had a grasp this year of the "Santa thing" and it was so nice to see everything through the innocent eyes of a little kid this year. We celebrated with Dana & Wes on the 23rd since they were flying out on Christmas Eve for Illinois. Thank goodness they made it in and out safely and didn't get snowed in. St. Matthew's had a beautiful Christmas Eve service and we actually managed to get everyone there on time! I have to admit though that the sign language choir is my absolute favorite to watch. It is so peaceful and soothing to see them perform. Now on to some pics :)

Noah riding his "big boy" bike for the first time. He's getting so big, my how the time flies. The kids all got new bikes this year so I anticipate a lot of this in the future.

This is Noah's favorite shirt for Scottie. He loves Wolverine :)

A little old school Lincoln Log action...

Sydney waiting to open her first present of the year.

We had a really nice visit with all the grandparents, and were sad to see them go. The kids are all making plans already to go to Arkansas to visit this summer. We are so fortunate that both Scottie's and my parents are young enough and energetic enough to still chase the kids around, or in the girls case, chauffeur them around!! I know we should enjoy it while we still can 'cause they won't be small for too much longer.

On another note, I celebrated my 37th birthday on the 27th. I'm not sure why, but this number isn't sitting too well with me. Maybe it's that it is closer to 40 than to 30....I don't know. I'm well aware that 'age is a state of mind,' but this number is very depressing to me. I'm going to have to reconcile myself to this though, 'cause I'm not going to get any younger!

K

Halfway thru December...

Here we are already over halfway thru December and I have yet to post anything. What a slacker I've become! We've been very busy. Sydney has started basketball practices, I'm still working nights (yuk!) as is Scottie, and Reaghan and Noah are just trying to keep up. I am proud of myself, I did manage to get my Christmas cards all mailed by December 10th! I think that's a new record for me. Here's a peak at our Christmas card this year:

I ordered them from TinyPrints. They do the best cards, and have super fast, competent service :)

Last weekend we decided to take a trip to the Phoenix Zoo to see the zoo lights. I must say, I was pleasantly suprised by the display. Reaghan opted to be "too cool to go" and stay home, but we had a good time anyway with Dana & Wes.

I thought this peacock was the prettiest of the displays.

Syd & Noah posing by the giant spider web. You can't see it in this picture, but there is a giant spider looming in the top left corner.

Here's a picture of our tree this year. Big fiasco with the tree this year. I had a pre-lit tree that I loved, it had lots of lights, and rotated....so I plugged it up this year and guess what?? It decided to die. Only half of the top section would light up, none of the middle section, and only the front part of the bottom. Thank goodness for Wal-Mart and cheap trees, 'cause we now have this one:

The girls said, "it looks like it's throwing up..." Gotta love the honest, uncensored input from teenagers. This is why they said it looks that:

Noah picked out these cute sparkly things at Hobby Lobby and I couldn't come up with any other use for them. I did make a new bow for the tree top this year too. I guess those who don't help decorate the tree don't get to make too much of a fuss about it though... I am super excited about my new paper for this year's presents though. Here's a pic taken by Sydney that I really like. We may have a budding photographer on our hands. I like her perspective on it.

I guess I've babbled on enough for now. I'll update more after Christmas. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pics. Granny & Poppy are here, Noah had a school Christmas program, and Christmas is Friday. Take care all, and I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas!
K

The Polar Express

We had a great Thanksgiving with Dana & Wes. This was our first official holiday here in Arizona. Fortunately we have family here to share such events with. I'm a stickler for not celebrating or even decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving is over, but since it is officially the Christmas season now, we headed out yesterday to see the Man in Red himself. Off we went north to Williams, Arizona to ride the Polar Express to the 'North Pole.' Here's a few pics.....

"Look mom, we can sit together and not fight!!"

Did I mention that it had been snowing up in the mountains? Well it had been, and it was cold!!

Some of the lights at the 'North Pole'

Here's our funny little chef....they brought us hot chocolate (yum!) and chocolate chip cookies on the Polar Express!

Noah was all hopped up on chocolate (thanks to the chefs) and ready to sing some Christmas carols

A Christmas bell from the Man himself.....let me assure you, there was no shortage of bell ringing going on in the room last night. He had three bells between him and the girls. Anyone know how to take the 'ring' out of those bells?? I need sleep...zzzzzzz

Yummy cookies!!

waiting with Sydney to get on the train.

My beautiful babies actually posing for me by the Christmas tree at the lodge. Gotta love Noah's goofball expression. I'm sure there are many more years of those to come :)

By the way, for those of you who know Noah....guess what he told Santa he wanted for Christmas??? You guessed it, a COMBINE. I guess Santa's going to have to comply. He's been asking for one for about 6 months now.

Here's hoping you guys all have a safe, happy and healthy Christmas season. Remember germs are everywhere so wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands! (and sneeze into your sleeve :)

Let's not forget the reason for the season.....

Love,
K

Kicking off the Christmas season.....by rail!

This year we're going to try something a little different. Instead of kicking off the Christmas season by torturing ourselves with the annual Black Friday shopping trip, we're going to try this the Sunday after Thanksgiving:

We're taking a train ride.....to the 'North Pole' (actually the Grand Canyon). Upon arrival to the 'North Pole' this guy will board the train....

Here's what the website says, "The Polar Express comes to life when the train departs the Williams Depot for a journey through the dark and quiet wilderness for a special visit to the "North Pole." Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while listening to the magical story. Watch the joy on the children's faces when the train arrives at the North Pole, where Santa Claus and his reindeer are waiting! Santa will board The Polar Express and hand each child their own special gift. "

Then we'll take the train back here to spend the night:

The kids all get to wear their Christmas pj's on the train, so now we're on a hunt for cute Christmas pj's for everyone. I'll be sure to take my camera so I can update everyone with pictures after the trip. Noah is so excited!! I guess I'd better hurry out and get the 'Polar Express' movie so Noah can watch it before the trip....time's running out :)

If any of you are interested, here's the website: www.thetrain.com/polar-express