2012

We had a great year this year!  No major crisis came our way and we feel like we were blessed in so many ways.  We're all healthy, steady jobs, kids are great, marriage is fantastic - blessed, blessed, BLESSED!

We have many exciting things to look forward to in 2013 and are excited for what the next 365 days will bring!

We hope you had a great 2012 and wish you an even better 2013!

Books of 2012

Books I've Read -

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - written in letters, I loved the story
• Gods and kings - historical fiction set in biblical times, liked
• Heart of the matter - good, but the plot is about a cheating husband so it's kinda depressing
• The kitchen house - set in deep south during the 1800s,  loved, loved loved!!!
• The uglies - didn't like at all, young adult fiction and really superficial
• Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet - Chinese/Japanese in America 1940s, really good
• Same kind of different as me - really sad, yet uplifting storyline
• The shack - an interesting twist on religion
• Delirium - fun young adult read about love
• The happiness project - a very practical approach of how a woman pursued happiness, great if you're feeling down and do know what to change
• For all eternity - AMAZING marriage communication book, we've implemented lots of tools from this book
• The birth order book - nonfiction about how your birth order affects your personality, I love this kind of stuff
• Boys should be boys - parenting book on raising sons, just okay
• Choose to lose - diet book by Chris Powell.  Nothing too crazy, just eating clean and small, frequent meals
• Digital SLR for dummies - great book if you don't really know how to use your DSLR
• Photoshop elements unlocked - finally got me brave enough to start using the software
• The invisible bridge - World war 2, set in Hungary.  Great book but definitely not an easy read!
• The thirteenth tale- I liked it but it wasn't my favorite, novel about a writer telling her story to the person who will write her biography
• Heaven is for real-a 4 year old talks about his brief trip to heaven.  I love an innocent child's testimony
• The maze runner-young adult fiction, just okay, kind of a random plot
• Between shades of gray- Lithuanian deportation under Stalin.  Great!
• The grand sophy-regency romance with a sense of humor
• Divergent-same idea as hunger games, delirium, etc. but a great, easy read!

Books I still want to read -

• Clockwork angel
• Pope Joan
• Room
• Women of courage, intimate stories from Afghanistan
• Three little words
• The story of Edgar sawtelle
• Little bee
• Matched
• Deception point
• The distant hours, the house at riverton
• The walk, miles to go. Richard Evans
• A million miles in a thousand years
• the kommandants girl
• Princess of sultana
• Still Alice
• How to talk so kids will listen
• Pandemonium
• Sugar queen

If you have any thoughts about the books I haven't read (good or bad) let me know.  Also I LOVE getting book recommendations from people I know so what have you read lately that you loved?  Please share!

Photography: McGarry, Libby, Mathewson

The McGarry Family -

Libby - aka Vance's girlfriend

The Mathewson Family

Nice Things

Whenever something got broken or dirty or just wasn't being cared for properly Chad's dad always said, "We just can't have nice things!"  Since we've been married I have also accused Chad of that same thing (his version and my version of taking care of things is very different...).

 

Well I saw this shirt that says "I'm the reason we can't have nice things" and just had to buy it.  Chad wore it over to his parent's house and everyone got a good laugh.  We decided that we would hold on to the shirt for now but when someone in the family does something deserving of the shirt we will send it to them.  Hopefully it never makes its way back to us :)

Keller-Antics

Keller has been starting to develop so much personality.  He does the funniest things sometimes!

One day Vance and I were sitting on the floor playing rock,paper,scissors.  Keller came sat next to us and slamming his hands together randomly.  Then about every 15 seconds he would say "Oooo" or just start laughing.  He thought he was playing with us.

If we lost something usually Keller is the culprit.  If it's something he likes he puts it away in his hamper, trash can, drawers, etc.  His favorite Christmas things were immediately taken to a hiding spot.  Kind of like a dog with his bone...

Keller scavenges the trash.  When he finds a wrapper of something he would like to eat, he brings it to me and grunts.  Charming!

Keller hasn't figured out how to make his feet run.  When he wants to go quickly he pumps his arms like a crazy-fast speed walker.  It's hilarious to watch!

I thought Vance was a blanket-boy, but Keller has taken it to a new level.  He insists on getting out of his crib each day with not one, not two, not three, but FOUR blankets.  Then he drags them around (and trips on them) all day long.

We have a step stool in the kitchen.  When I hear Keller screaming from the kitchen I know exactly what I will find.  He will be standing stranded on the top step.  What goes up, does not come down :)

Keller's latest thing is to lay on the floor.  I don't mind except for the fact that he wants company.  He sits down and pulls her hand as hard as he can until you come lay with him.  Every once in awhile someone is nice enough to give him company.

Keller loves to be outside.  He rides his bikes, goes down the slide, throws rocks, "fixes" the Jeep, and jumps on the trampoline.

When you make him go inside he stands with blanket in hand and cries.  Sad, but funny :)

Vance-isms

Vance talked nonstop about there being a "medium list."  He said it was for the people who tried to be good but just couldn't do it all the time - "you know - like Keller."  Too funny!

He always pronounces "Christmas" like "Chritmas."  He always has and I love it.  I don't even correct him because it makes me smile every time I hear it.  The best was Christmas Eve when he very happily announced, "Its Chritmas Eve.  You know what that means - ONE DAY TIL CHRITMAS!"

Everyday Vance asks, "Did you put on your very special princess make-up I gave you?"  If I say no he asks "Why not?" If I say yes he says, "You look very pretty!"

I get upset with Vance when he constantly asks to buy things.  It seems like all he wants is more, more, more sometimes.  His new way of asking for something without asking (so he won't get in trouble) is, "I know I just can't buy anything right mom?"  It's not as bad but still drives me nuts.

My mom got these CD's from an institute class she goes to.  It's Grandma Ginger's Stories.  Vance calls it Grandma GG CD.  She tells a story and then talks about the moral of the story afterwards.  I think it's cheesy and kind of boring but Vance loves them.  He asks me to stop it after each story so we can talk about it.  We have had some really sweet conversation though.
-V: Next Chritmas I'm going to go to BassPro and ask Santa for food 'cause some peoples don't have any.  I could just give it to them.
-V: A little bit of something bad is bad I think.  I wouldn't want to eat brownies if it had even a little bit of yucky poop in it.  A little bad IS bad.
-V: We shouldn't say nasty things to each other.  Let's bury all of those words in the backyard.

Christmas Day

Keller had a LONG night on the 23rd so we all slept great on the 24th.  I'm normally too excited to sleep on Christmas Eve (I'm just a big kid) but this was the best night's sleep I've ever had on the 24th!  We woke up at like 6:45 and lined up from youngest to oldest to go see what Santa brought us.

 We all got so spoiled.  Everyone got just what they asked for and the boys could hardly wait to play with all of their new toys.

 Both boys really liked the Diego Animal Rescue Center that Grandma Sutton gave Vance.

 However I think Vance is most excited about his new iPad.  We got my mom one about a year ago but she got an iPad mini from her boss for Christmas.  She likes smaller things so gave us the iPad back since she didn't needed it anymore.  We got Vance a new case and wrapped it up for Christmas with an iTunes giftcard and all of his apps installed on it.  He was BEYOND excited!

 Vance could hardly wait for all of us to open up his presents.  Here he is with Grandma after she opened up his beautiful silk flower :)

 Keller decided the best way to try out new presents was to crawl in/on/next to them.  That kid is hilarious!

 Keller wasn't into the unwrapping at all.  He had fun just snuggling with everybody and watching Vance unwrap both of their presents.  He would take breaks to get down and play for awhile.

 The biggest hit for Keller was the baby grand piano with microphone my mom gave him.  He loves jamming and singing (aka groaning) into the microphone.

 It's tradition to layout all of your presents in your room.  Here's all Keller's stuff: horse, shopping cart, vacuum, lawn mower, piano, nativity set, little people garage, cars, balls, bear rug, and keys.

 Vance got lots too: iPad, lots of beyblades and arenas, Diego house, Cars games, Wii games, hotwheels track, board games, movies, cars, and a few other random things.

 Chad and I always agree not to go overboard on each other but it seems like we always do.

 Chad got a smoker with smoking chips/cookbook/meat, dress clothes/shoes/socks/ties/belts, wallet, and MONEY FOR A NEW GUN!  I am so excited about the money for the new gun because I have slowly been saving it so it's money he didn't know existed.  Happy shopping honey!

 I am so, so, SO excited about my new computer (with Photoshop!)!  I also got new bedding (see the blue/grey pillows behind), slippers, blender, fisheye adapter for my camera, random photography stuff, curling iron, steamer, make-up and a set of jewelry from Brighton (earrings, bracelet, and necklace).

 Once we were done opening at our house we headed to the Waldrons where the boys got to open one more present.  It took Vance a little bit to figure out what it was but once he did he was very excited - a new TRAMPOLINE!

 Thanks Grandpa and Grandma.  Hopefully we will have a new house for this soon!

 Keller just sat and hugged the box for about a minute :)

 It's another tradition of ours to have crepes Christmas day.  I made them while we were at the Waldrons.  Zach helped me and if you look closely you can see him showing off his flipping skills.

 Then Grandpa got out the four-wheelers for the kids.  They ended up playing hide and seek with a tin of treasures and their GPS's.  Vance was so excited to have fun with Grandpa and Uncle Zach.  They even made their own geocache for other people to find one day.

 After that we gave Keller a nap, went to Grandma Waldron's house to hang out with the extended family for a little bit, and then went to the Mathewsons for dinner and to play their new xbox 360.  A fun, but exhausting day!

Here's all of our family in our new UNLV gear.  Hope you had as merry of Christmas as we did!!!

Christmas Eve

I tried not to take too many pictures Christmas Eve and Christmas day this year.  They were both great though!  Christmas Eve Chad and I both had to work a half day.  After that we came home to start cooking and get ready for the night.  

We ran to the Waldrons for about an hour.  Vance has been practicing "Jingle Bells" on the piano for a few weeks now.  He played it for them and of course everyone loved it.

 Keller isn't one to be out done, especially when it comes to the piano.

 When we got to my parent's house we sang around the piano.  I loved every second of it.  It's nice to let Amy play and I could just sing :)  Christmas music is one of my most favorite parts of the holiday season.

 We started the evening with appetizers (I made spinach and artichoke dip) and our talent show.  Each family does a little something.  Vance played "Jingle Bells" again and did great.  I was one proud mama/piano teacher!

 It was a night full of piano.  I played a pretty arrangement of "Joy to the World." Amy played a great arrangement of "We Three Kings," and Colton played "Jolly Old Saint Nicholaus."  The Mathewsons also sang/danced to "All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" (for Brayden).  My parents read a children's book they gave all of us and the Terrys coordinated a fun game.

 Then we ate a delicious steak dinner!  After dinner was most everyone's favorite part of the night - the White Elephant.  The kids were dying to open up a gift.

 All of the kids got matching pajamas.  Chad and I ended up with Mac mascara, 22 bullets, Target giftcard, toe socks, and Victoria Secret perfume.  Thanks Mom and Dad!

 I love my socks!  I danced around in them for the rest of the evening.  Everyone loved it...don't believe it if they say otherwise.

Last up was dessert.  My mom made two super cute individual sized desserts.  They were a little hard to eat but they sure looked cute and tasted good if you didn't mind getting a little messy.

We're so blessed to have so much family so close.  I'm especially grateful for my main squeeze who doesn't mind being a little silly with me now and then -