Temple Square 2009

We went to Temple Square to see The Nativity and the Christmas lights for family home evening on Monday. Kasen and Aidan really enjoyed looking at all of the lights and the many nativities that were on display. We loved the new nativity set-up they have next to The Tabernacle - it is much more life like and is really well done. It was cold outside but not as cold as it has been when we've gone in years past. I love this tradition and will be sad when the time comes for us to move away and we won't have Temple Square so close to us.

Aidan - 15 months old

This is so cliche but...I can't believe Aidan is 15 months old already! Aidan and Kasen have been sick lately so we've been to the doctor's office about 5 times in the last 2 weeks. Both boys had mild double-ear infections and they both had colds that turned into infections in their sinuses and eyes. They were both put on antibiotics and Kasen is now on an inhaler. The most recent appointment was for Aidan's 15 month check-up. He weighed 18 pounds 10 ounces (negative percentile) and is in the 25th percentile for height and head circumference. He weighed the exact same weight at his 1-year appointment. He is definitely following in the small footsteps of his parents!

Aidan has recently learned to fold his arms and say "more" and "eat" in sign language. He loves to touch everything and put anything in his mouth that is not food. He has recently become a "blanket boy" and drags his only blanket around the house like Linus. Yesterday, I was eating breakfast and I suddenly felt a cold gust of wind. Upon investigation I discovered that Aidan had opened our front door (the door knobs and light switches are a lot lower here)! Aidan sure keeps us on our toes but we love having him around!

Party time?

Last week I was in my bedroom while Kasen was playing in the living room. All of a sudden he came running into my room and this is the conversation that followed:

Kasen: "MOM!! It's PARTY TIME!" (jumping up and down and grinning from ear-to-ear)

Shelley: "Really? What do you want to do for party time?" (with a confused look on my face)

Kasen: "Um...make a party!!" (more jumping up and down)

Shelley: "Make a party? Well, what do you want to do for the party?"

Kasen: "Um...make cakes!!" (even more jumping up and down)

He was so excited about this party that we were supposedly having (don't ask me where he got this idea about a party) that I compromised in regard to making cakes and we made cookies instead! I love it when I have the energy and when I make the time to do such spontaneous things with my kids (it doesn't happen very often).

'Tis the Season

There are several new posts, so scroll down!

Last week we were able to get everything unpacked and put away in its rightful place in our new apartment. With all of the unpacking done we were able to put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house! Kasen really enjoyed helping me put up the tree and decorate it. The second I plugged in the tree lights Aidan dropped everything in his hands and came running - truly like a moth to a light! Aidan has enjoyed taking the shiny ornaments off of the tree (he has broken at least 4 so far). I have been playing Christmas music all of the time since the 1st and we've been having hot cocoa more often. It finally snowed on Saturday and so now it really does feel like Christmas time. Kasen and I made paper snowflakes that evening. Every morning Kasen loves to put an ornament up on the Christmas tree advent calendar that my mom made (see our living room pictures from the post below) and turn on the lights on our Christmas tree. Kasen and Aidan recently received a fun advent calendar from Mama Nagle (Amy's mom) which gives them a chocolate for each day until Christmas!

This morning Kasen and I made gingerbread cookies and then we decorated some of them. This evening we went to the Holiday Lights display at Thanksgiving Point for family home evening. It was a mile of winding roads with a lot of Christmas light displays. We just got Aidan a forward facing car seat so it was the perfect activity for our family. We were able to see all of the lights while we drove around in our heated car and ate gingerbread cookies! Kasen kept saying that everything was "beautiful". What a great way to start our Christmas season! (The pictures of the cookies and of me making them were taken by Kasen!)

Our New Apartment

Here are some pictures of our new apartment! We love the layout and we are so grateful to have a washer and dryer and a dishwasher!

Fix-it Kasen

Mikah and I were putting up all of the clocks around the house this past week. I guess Kasen thought he should help too, so the other day I came into the kitchen to find him standing on our kitchen table with his toolbox and he was "fixing" our clock.

Wrestling Brothers

Kasen and Aidan's favorite thing to do together is wrestle (and when Dad is around he joins in too)! Kasen will often come up behind Aidan, wrap his arms around him, and then both of them fall back onto the ground. If Aidan is in a good mood they will both start laughing and then they will wrestle.