A sunny Christmas, Staycation and Fondue

Christmas this year was so different than any other christmas for me. The anticipation of seeing Boston's face when he saw the presents on christmas morning or when we fed the raindeer or when we did any other christmas tradition was what made it so different. On top of that it was kind of the first christmas that we lived away from any family and where i hadn't been able to see alot of my family in a while. My only sister and of course my best bud Lyndzee lived in England and would be there with her family. It was so fun to see Boston and Jackson play together.

They were there along with my brother bret and his wife Haylie from Utah, and Brock Jaime and their new little one...Crew! Taylor was greatly missed but i am so proud of him for serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Chicago! Way to go T-Bone!

It felt like the memmories i always had of cousins pulling in to share thanksgiving with us, and i kind of felt like an official adult, two kids, real job, and driving 16 hours to see the fam! If you can beleive it i was actually looking forward to the drive becuase although they are not always good ones.... i have so many memmories of roadtrips to utah with my family to see my extended family. Sometimes i just stop and think, " man, have i actually arrived at this place in my life!?" But it was so fun to have every body greet us at the front door when we arrived, on Christmas Eve none the less! I loved it. Oh and it was awsome cause we ended up driving through San Diego and got to see David ( jason's Brother) his wife Mandy ( my sista girl) and their adorable little one Kate!

Christmas was so fun with so many wonderful gifts given and recieved! Jason and i tried to go the homemade route this year, which is what i usually do, but this time we went all out.

For my dad we made him these cute little signs to label his vegetables in his garden. It was so fun making these with Boston( but very messy!)

For Brock and Jaime we made them a bench we found the plans for. Here is the link for the plans to build it. The bench turned out awsome. We stained it with a dark walnut stain, and that was all it needed!

Well the plans for after christmas were to go to Disney Land, but a few days before we were planned to leave we heard that the park was so full they were turning people away at 9 am so we opted to plann a "Staycation" thats right I said staycation! i ended up being fun. Some trips to the railroad park,

dinner for Haylies birthday, a night at the Mesa temple to look at Temple lights, and my favorite... Fondue In on New years Eve followed by "Mintute to Win It".

Summer it was so fun to play with You, Huddy and Abbigail!

(Here is the spread for dessert in chocolate fondue...and Brock haha)

It was so fun and flippin hilarious to watch everyone play the crazy minute games . If you can't tell from the pics, we had so much fun goofin off together.

One of my favorite minute to win it games was when Haylie had to tie panty hose around her waist and thier was a banana hanging in it.Then she had to get the banana swinging until she knocked 2 oranges into a hoolahoop. Haha, don't think about it too hard! And i loved how everyone stayed after to try and become master stackers.. of the red cups that is!

After we did fireworks and i just had to go and wake up Boston to share this moment with us, some call us fun parents..other call us irresponsible, i just call it Jason and EmyLee Parenting.

We try and be good, but we love to goof off with our kids. This sometimes leads to late bedtimes, but we do ok!

To my Family, i love you all so much and we had so much fun with you. I choose you and fondue over mickey any day! i love you, emy

Bret is such a good photographer so he took some awsome pics of us! We are just being goofy here, so serious!

If i havn't already mentioned i am so in love with Story! She is like a little ball of sugar! So sweet and smiley!

I loved how much Lyndzee and Dustin loved Story! I found Dustin reading to hear in a chair in Anthropology while we were shopping! So cute!

And i just couldn't resist this cute pic of my favorite people in the whole world!

Halloween

This year for Halloween we all went as charachters from Toy Story. Boston was Rex the dinasour

Mommy and Daddy were Ken and Barbie!

And Story was Ham!

Heres the wreath we made at girls night

Beware... in high humidity it melts no matter what kind of protectant you put on it!

And of course the traditional, 4th annual dinner in a pumpkin... same recipe, new friends! it was a blast ...here is the spread!

Bostons all grown up!

Lately Boston has wanted to be just like daddy and has said, "by mom i am going to worky" he then gives me a hug and a kiss, puts on his back pack, rain boots and his hoodie, and he's off to the back porch to wash all his cars in the tupperwares full of rain water. I laughed the other day as i thought of the contents in his suitcase (backpack). Contents as follows:

crayons and markers

binoculars made out of toilet paper rolls (made by daddy)

mommys old bedazzled cell phone

and flame sunglasses

and let me tell you. He uses every item in that backpack! It is essential that he does not leave the house without it!

And this is just his cute little sister! what a doll! p.s she is soo so so smiley it makes my day so much brighter!

Thanksgiving in San Francisco and Projects

Is this guy cute or what?! He could make us some major mula with these good looks! ooooowww!

So i hope you are reading in hopes of getting an "everything" update. Just a quick disclaimer, this blog is being turned into a book and so it is really my idea of a journal so i don't stress about spelling or how iphrase things or if its interesting or not! hehe ok.

Thanksgiving with the Abbots!

We were unable to go home for thanksgiving so our good friends Margo and Tim Abbot were nice enough to have us in there home for thanksgiving. We met them at BYU and they live in Oakland now. Time works for the Oakland Temple and so he was able to get us a place to stay. The house we stayed at is usually for temple workers who have traveled to get there. It was crazy inexpensive and you would not beleive the views. It has about the same view that the temple had and you know that's always high on a hill! We had the most amazing veiw of the temple and city lights at night, and watched from a huge balcony! It was really cool cause the house is owned by the church and you could feel the spirit... when do you feel the spirit in a hotel room! so i had to watch what i said...just kidding i am pretty good! haha

Margo did a beautiful dinner party feel and the food was as pretty as it was good! we spent the next two days exploring San Francisco or as the locals call it, "The City".

View of Oakland from The Temple!

We spent our first day at Fishermans Wharf or Pier 39! It was so fun. This is us in front of Alcatraz

There was an awsome carosel on the Pier and Boston loved it!

The next day was spent at the San Francisco Zeum for children. It was a placed geared towards technology and play! here is Jason and Boston playing with the big blocks. you don't even have to be in the museum to play with these, but you know kids, they don't care how much or little something costs, or if its a toy or not... when its fun.. its fun !

This was so cool! they created a play ground that was completely green so that it was a green screen that had a monitor that the kids could see as they slid down the slide so it looked like they were in the clouds or the ocean!

Projects

This is just a branch that boston and Jason found for me in the forest behind our house. we then tied ribbon onto snowflake wood ornaments and put vinyl on the ornaments! i love rustic design that brings the outside in!

Heres boston all bundled up before going out in the rain to search for pine cones and a stick!

And here's what we did with the pine cones! Jasons idea! he is so wonderful and crafty! Oh and i am sure many of you are thinking "where did you get that beautiful frame?" cause i get that alot... well the answer is my friend chrissy @ chrissymariedesign.com. she is not making them any more, but she has some already made that she will sell! Thanks Chrissy! we love it!

This is an oh so easy Christmas craft. you just string ornaments onto a hanger in the shape of a circle ( p.s hot glue the silver thingy's on first!) I love the unconventional Christmas colors.

Story's room! We still have boxes in there so this is the most your gonna get for now! haha!

This is a bow and ribbon holder my sister in law showed me how to make.My first baby girl craft! It is so fun having a little girl!

And of course, the main event, Boston's big boy(twin) bed! we were so excited to put Boston in a big bed (not to mention that he was so squished in his pack and play). We looked and looked for a bed but didn't find anything we liked for a price we likes. I guess that's the motivating reason for most DIYers, expensive taste and not enough money! haha. So, just to clarify Jason built the whole thing from scratch and i helped to distress paint and stain it! It turned out so good! we love it! way to go babe!

By the way, boston did great the first 5 or so days followed by 3 days of torture ( he got out of bed 10-15 times each nap) but now he is back to staying in bed, although he does read for about an hour before he goes to bed. he clutches that Thomas book so tight. I tried to take it from him when he was sleeping, but he cried and held it even tighter! I sure love my bubba!

To the man i couldv'e never dremt up

to my sweet jason on this special day, our four year anniversary! i want you to know how incredibly thankful i am to have you in my life every minute of every day! you are such a special person and so incredibly perfect...for me! One of my favorite qualities about you is your ability to feel and express sincere emotion. instead of being angry you are sad, you tell me how much you love me all the time (3 things you love about my insides and of course 3 about my outsides haha), and you are the most tender and sweet father i could have chosen for our little ones. I titled this post the man i could've never dremt up because the longer i have known jason the more things i realize he has that i never knew i needed. Jason lets me tell him all of my drama and he never tries to fix me, he just listens. He is so adventurous just like my dad and i definatley didn't know i wanted that, haha. this summer in DC we had so much fun mostly due to the fun excursions jason would plan that ended with us getting on the metro close to midnight, me pregnant and boston on the back of our bikes. So awsome, wouldn't change a thing.

Jator, i love the simple moments with you, when boston brings out his book and you rush to lay beside him and we gigle on the carpet together. I love laughing in bed till it hurts and we know we will pay for the late night, the next morning. I love that you share in my hobbies with me eventhough i rarely stick with just one and you always support my creative whims. you are so special and important to me. I don't know what i would do without you in my life. I cant wait to fill our house with even more noise of children and laughter and crying and wonderful family drama! everyday to come no matter what comes will be great if i can do it with you. i love you emy

Remember When

We went to homecoming when we were engaged! we were and will always be huge goof balls!

our beautiful wedding day, the first dance, and the way we felt! i love you!

The honeymoon we missed the first time. It was definately worth it though! heres us at a cliff diving show in acapulco Mexico

Our first camping trip together as marrieds! Zion national park with your sissy Kim!

When baby Boston came along! he changed our lives and we couln't be happier!

This is Jason being the amazing dad that he is, teaching boston how to grunt and push out the little stinkers!

our beautiful baby Story arrived! She is gonna be so close with her daddy!

you can already see how jason has rubbed off on Boston. He is so incredibly soft and sweet with Story!

You went as Ken to the ward halloween party! i stinkin love you! thanks for being my ken...love barbie! by the way, nice ascott!

heres jason and boston at Apple Hill here in CA

Jator baby! it has been an amazing ride and i can't wait to continue on it with you. Dont ever forget how amazing you are and how much you meen to me. I love you with all my heart! i love you, emy