2019 Recap

I feel so guilty each year when friends and family reach out for our address to send us their Christmas cards, and I never do the same. And if ever there was a year to send out a Christmas card, it was this one! So, to all of you wonderful people, please keep sending us your cards, and I HOPE to get one sent to you next year!

Things to Remember in :

January

We survived the Polar Vortex; we were literally the coldest place on earth during one of the week's this month. 

Addie was so sick 

February  

 I turned 30!

Was enjoying "gyming" with my friend each day 

(We were both pregnant and going to the gym together each day, but not always in the mood to actually work out, so we called it "gyming" as more of a social placeholder in our day until we could really push it again!)

Had some sever Cabin Fever! Thank you Longest/Coldest winter, EVER.

We were on the news

March 

Travis and I both coached the boys' basketball teams

Addie ended up so ill that she went to the Hospital with severe dehydration

I fell down some stairs and ended up in the hospital for observation

Gma Lori arrived to help with baby

Avery was born! March 29th, 4:52am

April

Travis, his mom, and the kids went to Nauvoo while I stayed home with Avery

Travis had a week off work to help out.

My mom came for almost a week to help

Lots of Easter celebrating/me surviving with no sleep

May

A VERY rainy spring! 

Baseball season started for the boys

I started going for morning walks with the girls

Travis went on lots of mountain biking adventures

Boys' camping trip/Girls weekend 

June 

Tennis and Swim lessons

Our very good friends moved away

More baseball and more mountain biking adventures

Avery's baby blessing/ Trav's family come to town

TRAVIS GRADUATED RESIDENCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July

Utah trip/beginning of Travis's 7 week vacation

August

End of the Utah trip 

We contracted a house!

Travis started his new job!! 

Said goodbye to more of our friends

Travis took the boys and Addie on a weekend trip

Back to school: Maddix- 3rd grade, Aaron- 1st grade

September

A VERY frustrating home closing, then FINALLY moved into our new home!!! 

Hosted a farewell party for our wonderful neighbors before we moved

Stayed in complete awe over the fact that we moved

Flew out to California to celebrate Gma Eileen's 80th birthday at Disneyland and a beach house

October

A month of endless illnesses

I took a weekend away.... just me!

Maddix's football team were first place champions! 

November

Still sick

Aaron started wrestling (and it's his LOVE)

Friendsgiving  

A piano smashed my hand 

My sister came to help due to my injured fingers

I dyed my hair!

December

Travis's tragic birthday where he had to wrap his own gifts/make his own food

Garett came to visit/hang out with travis as a bday present/ ended up doing all my house work!

Maddix had the lead in a school play

Boys both volunteered to play piano in a school talent show

Aaron's first piano recital (he practiced SO hard!) 

Largest Christmas we've EVER had! 

~The Holidays~

We were able to have some friends over to join us in our annual Grinch Corn Event. Each Christmas eve we eat a Grinch Corn treat and watch the (human version) Grinch.

Afterward we opened Christmas eve gifts via FaceTime with family, had Susan over to open her Gma gifts with us, went and played an incredibly fun few hours of Ultimate Frisbee with all our friends (gorgeous weather; 45 degrees!), and then participated in our family's nativity reading; we are always the wisemen from afar. Then the kids were all given their special pillow cases that have a special poem about Christmas eve dreams, Travis read them the Night Before Christmas in front of the fire, they set out cookies, and then went to their rooms for a very RESTLESS night's rest.

Travis and I cleaned, wrapped, and prepped for Santa's arrival until 4am-

As tradition dictates, we always start off by putting on Christmas Vacation in the background while getting everything ready :D Next, we ended up watching Christmas with the Kranks and Travis decided that he REALLY doesn't like that movie anymore; he views the daughter as spoiled and out of touch with real life, and that the mom coddles her too much! 

"I mean, why is she even engaged after one month? It's not even like she's Mormon." 

I died when he said this. 

"At 4am, we'd snuggled in our beds, and dreams of sugar plums were soon to dance in our heads. The glowing house was silent and still, when the sound of a jingle caused the children to squeal. 

Bright and early the boys burst in our room with a yell, "Santa has been here! We even heard his bell!

While mom and dad could barely open their eyes, they knew all the work was worth this Christmas surprise.

The day was spent unwrapping gifts and being lazy. Many treats were eaten and the kids played like crazy. We watched our new movies in our Christmas pajamas, then spent time FaceTiming Grandpas and Grandmas.

By the end of the day, our energy all spent. We slept, super grateful, for the gifts we all did get."   

*Boys each received Mountain bikes, and Travis took them out on a ride to test them out. 

*Addie and Avery received an indoor trampoline for the toy room and they love it! 

My new coat

Santa left their stockings downstairs under
their special 'Kid's tree." 

She read so many of the Christmas books from
our collection

Maddix was very worried about whether he was
on the naught list, no matter how much we assured him
he couldn't possibly be; he had to hear it from Santa.
This was the note he wrote, and the answer he received. 

We are so grateful to have "Gma Susan"
to celebrate life with. 

Ringing in the New Years

I couldn't WAIT to get all the decorations down this year; normally I enjoy letting them linger awhile, but this year I found so much joy in cleaning and packing them all away. 

We've had a lot of quality time. There as also been more screen time then I typically enjoy; however, I'm sure the boys will always remember the year we set up the t.v. in their lego room and let them play video games on the Wii! They are so cute; they sit up in the top bunk, in the dark, snacking on treats, and playing games. They've also had a lot of opportunities to play with friends. And on New Year's Eve we went to a friend's house and rang in the new year at their annual party, which we always enjoy; I cannot believe we kept the girls up though!!! 

Needless to say, we all slept in the next morning. 

I will always find it funny that the New Year is when goals are set to wake up early, sleep earlier, eat healthier, and exercise.... but we start these goals off by staying up late, eating junk, and being too tired the next to day to possibly exercise! :D 

But it's pretty fun. 

Happy New Year 2020! 

 

Organized and baby proofed again!! 

Received a new hook to put our bags on

Family Twister on Aaron's new game

And of course Addie is into EVERYTHING
and climbed the shelf to get all the finger
paints.... it was such a mess. 

Missionary work is so important, and I know the importance of sharing
the missionaries with different areas each time there is a transfer, but I
sure hate saying goodbye! This has definitely been my favorite
duo since Poland!
We will miss you E. Butler. 

Just happy about life, and how blessed we feel.