::CHRISTMAS 2010::

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Santa was oh so good to us this year.
Cohen had an absolute BLAST, but I think Brock and I had an even better time. The break from routine was well needed and very enjoyable. This year was Brock's family's year for Christmas, which meant we stayed there and spent most of our time with them. I guess you could say we're lucky and get to see both families each time we're in St. George.

Christmas Eve morning my girlfriends and I and our husbands and babies got together for a breakfast. {Thanks Shell for planning!} I only see some of these girls once a year so this get together was a must. Our babies are getting so big, but none of us girls have changed. It's so much fun getting together.

 Co & I :: Nikelle {Jensen} Ence :: Loni :: Ashlye {Leavitt} Blake & Kendall :: Megan {Stanley} Weist & Aubree :: Shelly {Poole} Messerly :: Lindsey {Esplin} Robinson & Dog
 
 {My Loni and I}

 {Brock :: Andrew Ence:: Matt Weist :: Garrett Messerly :: Quinn Blake}

These cute cousins played SO good together this time! They just followed each other around, and when they couldn't find each other they would ask where they went. Cohen said "KAI?" about 80% of the time we were in St. George.

 Kai said he was the cowboy and he had to push Cohen in his wagon to the 'wilderness'.

Christmas Eve day we did a little service and went around the neighborhood and raked and swept leaves. Cohen loved helping. It made us all feel warm and fuzzy inside, and to top it off it felt like SPRING outside. St. George = heaven on earth.

Mr. Kai in Aunt Jenna's funny pants.

Traditional Christmas Eve Fondue dinner. I always eat WAY too much when having Fonue.
But it's just so good!

Traditional Christmas Eve jammies.

Here we are right after waking up Christmas morning.
We had quite the night...Cohen had a nasty cold and was up WAY too many times, which took a toll on us both since we're both used to him sleeping 12 hours every night.
But even so, he woke up happy and excited to see what Santa brought.

Every year we have to wait on the stairs til
Papa Todd gives us the GO to see if Santa came or not.

Cohen walked right out and said "basket" and then made one.

He loved opening presents this year, although it was a little overwhelming at times. He is loving all his new gifts. Brock was surprised to see my gift to him was a shadowbox of his marathon awards and picture. Kai LOVED his new Batman and I don't think he put it down the whole weekend.

Cohen's LOVES his new tractor he can ride and his blocks.

The boys drooling over Matt's new Itouch.
Cohen taking a break from toys and playing Papa's drums.

After opening gifts at Kitchen's we then went to my parents house. When we walked in Grandma said Grandpa was hiding and this is where the boys found him....Silly Grandpa! I love him. He makes me laugh til my stomach hurts.

Opening gifts with cousins Corby & Naomi.

Corby got a Wiggle car and we all had to try it out!
It holds up to 200 lbs which is awesome.

My parents stopped by Christmas evening to see what Santa brought us.

And last but not least....my handsome boys ready for church.
Could they be any more handsome!? I think not.

What a wonderful Christmas we had to relax, visit loved ones, and relfect
and ponder more about the birth and life of our savior, Jesus Christ. 

::oh, to be a kid again::

{building a pillow fort after breakfast} 

a few new things that i love about cohen:

-his sense of humor is hilarious and getting more funny

-I love when he says GUBS = gloves

-he says BESS = bless you, everytime someone sneezes

-he's working on his stomps and jumps {HILARIOUS and so cute}

-he is starting to be less of a picky eater

{i'm thinking it was just a phase}

-loves Gogurts

-had the best time yet playing with cousins over Christmas break

-wants to give LOVES to everyone

-has learned new body parts...cheeks, chin & chest

-reminds us to pray before meals

-loves watching for the "GAH-BEGE" garbage truck, hates to see it leave

-comes and tells me when he's poopy

-he missed Abigail SO MUCH while we were gone and said her name at least once a day

-he is starting to remember to clean up after himself

Everyday I think to myself "how can life get better?"

He makes life so enjoyable and teaches me something new everyday.

He reminds me of the things that matter most.

And we are in heaven having Daddy out of school for Christmas break.

I LOVE YOU COHEN.

Thank you for having a love of learning.

:: a kid in the tub ::

 What am I going to do with this boy?? I know...

Keep laughing and learning! He is absolutely hilarious.

We started the tub, turned to go in his room to get him undressed {which he usually follows right behind us} and next thing we know he is in the tub with his clothes on without a splash. My question is how did he do it so quietly and 

without landing face first? Yikes. Scary. Lucky.

 He did NOT like being in the tub with clothes on. 

I'm thinking it won't happen again. 

At least for awhile.

 He wasn't quite sure what to do either. He just kept looking at his wet clothes, 

then at us with a very confused look on his face.

 Silly Cohen.

:: a night with Abs ::

 I love these two together more than ever now.

We got to tend Abs {Co calls her Abs now} while Ty and Laura went to a concert on SLC. We love when she comes to play. They have so much fun together. We brought Abigail's highchair down so they could eat together and BOY DID THEY THINK IT WAS COOL. Not only that, but they both ate SO good. They ate everything we made for them.

 They also figured out that they could push each other in Cohen's wagon. {didn't get a pic. bummer} They would take turns and just laugh, pushing each other around.

 

This is the only picture I got of Abs. Sorry Abs, right as you took a bite. But how darling is she still? Can't get enough of her.

COHEN + ABIGAIL = LOVE. 

:: POSITIVE ::

NOTE: I don't consider myself a negative person in any way.

With that said, I had to write a new post asap so my slightly

negative last post doesn't keep popping up first.

Cohen makes everything better and more simple.

I'm laughing at hearing myself say that just because some days are hard.

BUT...

Today was not. Not is any way.

Today I laughed with Cohen for hours.

We danced as if nobody was wathcing us.

I had the patience I wish I did everyday.

 Cohen is learning a hundreds of things daily, at least I feel like he is.

He loves being quized, which happens most of the day.

He know all his facial features and many body parts.

He now prefers to eat like a big boy. He says "BIG BITE"

at every meal at least once, meaning he wants bigger bites.
He also is liking to eat cereal in milk in a bowl like us.

His vocabulary has caught on FIRE lately. Some new words he says:

"HO, HO, HO," when asked what Santa says.

"Sanna" = Santa

"Memy" = Merry

"Kissmus" = Christmas

{won't say them together yet}

"Bet" = Belt {he LOVES Daddy's belts}
"Orsin" = Orange

When he needs his diaper changed he comes to me and says "Diapa".

He loves trying to sing the alphabet, "A, C, B" he says.

I made him copy every letter after me, and he made it all the way to G! I was so impressed. They all sounded just like they should.

All his teeth have popped threw, minus his 2 year molars.

  {eating a BIG BITE of "Stawbeyee", still his favorite}

I love this picture.

I can hear his laugh when I see it.

He was nothing but HAPPY today.

And we even accomplished A LOT of Christmas shopping.

Thanks for being my best buddy, Co.

I love you to the moon, and stars, and back.

:: what a day, what a terrible day::

Yesterday was the worst day I've had in a LONG time.

I'm not going to list reasons, because I want to forget about them all forever.

I will say I am a TINY bit grateful for trials and bad days,

only so I can appreciate the good days.

My boys and I are still alive and healthy, and that's all that matters.

On a more positive note, something that makes me HAPPY:

MY BOYS.

My boys playing horsie and doctor.

A beautiful Sunday when we get to spend a WHOLE day with Daddy.

My boys laughing at each other, as if no one else is in the room.

I am grateful for moments like these.

P.S. For all of you that are avid "NieNie" readers like myself, I ran into her at the grocery store a few days ago. She is as down to earth and sweet as she sounds on her blog. It made my whole day. We chatted for only about 5 minutes,

but it was a great 5 minutes.

:: annual MATHEWS FAMILY CHRISTMAS party ::

 I love this party more than most people know. It is the only time in a whole year that my Mathews family gets together. And we party! This year there was finally enough snow to play in. My sweet dad and his brothers pulled everyone behind their trucks on "homemade sleds and tubes" {car hoods, conveyor belts, etc.} We had a blast! When I say 'we' that's excluding Cohen. He's not so fond of snow. {that's my boy! when he says snow he also says YUCKY right after.}

 He was sure cute in his snow gear though! Thanks to my cousin Brit for the perfect pink snow boots we borrowed.

 We tubed behind my grandma's house, behind her barn out where she has acres and acres to run around.

 My beautiful Mom holding my niece Naomi, Me holding Co, and Corbin in front.

 We had dinner and had lots of entertainment that evening, held at Grammy's church like always. {so we can all fit}. The kids decorated bags to catch candy in from the candy shooter. Cohen was very scared of the sound of the shooter this year. It's quite powerful. We played Minute to Win It games and won AWESOME prizes. Brock one wireless headphones that you can connect to your TV, I won a DVD player, and my cousin Kristen one a HDTV flatscreen.

 Cort and I got our names drawn to shake our booties against each other to see who could get 9 ping pong balls out of a tissue box tied to our waist. I WON.

 Here's Kristen and my Dad trying to win the tv.

 Corbin LOVED Santa. He told him he wanted Thomas the Train and some tools. 

What a sweetie. 

Cohen on the other hand, had "GET ME OFF OF HIS LAP" written all over him. I was surprised he sat there long enough to get a few pictures. Next year will be better I'm sure.

 I LOVE THIS EVENING!

It's so great to be together as a whole family, and catch up with everyone. We ate such a yummy Christmas dinner, and I'm pretty sure my brain was floating in sugar that night. YUCK! 

It's so good at the time, I just can't stop.

I LOVE MY FAMILY.

'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!