The End of 2011

It came so fast! 2012 is now upon us but I wanted to wrap up the blog for 2011. We had an eventful year...it went by a blur. Seriously. The kids are growing faster than I ever imagined. They have blessed our lives every day. I hope I can continue blogging through next year to help document these memories that are flying by. I forget them faster than I realize, too. Here's to a wonderful year last year and to more adventure in the next. Well maybe not too much adventure...:)

Christmas 2011

Christmas this year was wonderful! The kids got out of school the Thursday before Christmas (which was on Sunday this year). We had Friday to finish up some Christmas stuff and then Saturday was Christmas Eve! It all happened so fast! We spent Christmas Eve at Jared's parents which the kids always love. In fact, they spent Friday night there and we met them there Saturday.  Christmas Eve always involves super yummy food and fun family times. We got all the grandkids to do a Nativity while Grandpa read the story. It was pretty darn cute with little Maya as Mary, and Will as Joseph. The kids were adorable! The most anticipated moment of the evening is always presents. The kids get to open their gifts from the Grandparents and cousins and they LOVE it. I realized I didn't take enough pictures this year...probably due to photo burn out from everyone else's family pictures.



Next was Christmas Day...I was a little stressed this year because not only did we have church on Christmas Day (which in other circumstances might actually be lovely...), I had to speak. And I was so stinking nervous the whole weekend because of it! The good thing about speaking on Christmas was that the whole week leading up to Christmas Day I was preparing for the talk and focusing on Jesus Christ in a lot more depth than normal. That part was nice. Not the nerves. So after church, we rested a little while the kids played with new toys and animals..then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Cooper's again for the annual family Christmas party, which happened to fall on Christmas this year. It was a blast and we all had a great time with this amazing family that we love!!! Again- not enough pictures.

Isaac Is Four!

My little baby turned four on November 5th. I can't believe it. I feel like it wasn't so long ago that I was 5 days late with a big huge belly. And now here he is.  He is a sweet little boy and I am trying to enjoy every minute I get with him before he goes off to school and becomes a really big boy! Right now his world consists of speech, preschool, friends and mama! He loves Mario. He was Mario for Hallowe'en, so of course needed a Mario-themed party! He was sick on his actual birthday so we pushed it back a few days and then invited over Grandma and Grandpa and the cousins. He had a blast! 

The Gassers

When Derek and Heidi came to visit on the week of Hallowe'en, I took a few pictures. I wanted to post a few for memories sake. I have a few more to come that are adorable of Addie and Mason. Here are a few for now...

Hallowe'en!

This Hallowe'en was so much fun! A little extra long, it seemed, but still fun. My good friend Sharon offered to make the kids' costumes this year, and just look at how amazing they turned out! She is in one of the last photos with the kids. We just love her! Hannah was a gypsy, Jaxon was a dementor (Harry Potter), Mason was Luigi and Isaac was Mario. We were also so excited this year to have Heidi and Derek and the girls stay with us for a week over Hallowe'en also. So the morning of the 29th, Jared ran his first half marathon and we were soo proud and excited for him! I am going to get a few pictures from Jenna so I can post them here too. Derek and Heidi arrived around 9:30 a.m. and we sat and chatted for a while, while the kids reconnected and played. Later that day Jared and I took the kids and Addie to a Hallowe'en party at the Lowder's in Santa Rosa which had horse rides thanks to Jed and Kalleen, and plenty of games and fun for the kids. After that we headed back to Petaluma for our ward Trunk or Treat. And that was the 29th! We still had 2 more days til Hallowe'en! On Sunday the 30th I took some family photos of Derek and Heidi which I will post a few of here later too. On Monday the 31st, the kids had a fun Hallowe'en parade at school, and then we had a fun evening of Trick or Treating with the Gassers and Sharon also. For a few days after Hallowe'en we had very sick kids, so Heidi and I stayed home and relaxed and enjoyed each other's company! It was soo nice! I miss that girl. Enjoy these fun photos from Hallowe'en!

Family Pictures 2011

    I had my good friend and fellow photographer, Nitny, take our family pictures this fall. Last year I was to busy to even think about it and I felt like we just had to make it work this year. After one failed attempt in September, we got ourselves all dolled up once again and headed to St. Vincent's School for Boys in San Rafael for our pictures. The kids did NOT want to cooperate but Nitny managed to capture a few cute pictures! 

Jared Turns 37 | Sept. 2011

     Jared's birthday was pretty fun this year. He had gone to the "float tank" in the morning with Brett, and came home to birthday fun with the kids. They had worked hard all morning getting their "gifts" ready as well as their birthday video (on my iphone) and little "present hunt" for Jared. It was adorable. He kept telling them how much fun he was having and how it was the best birthday Ever. That's why I married this amazing guy. He rocks. Hannah's expressions sure show how happy she was. Love it.