Long Time Over Due

I have so much to catch you all up on, I'm sorry I have been so bad about updating our blog since I went back to work. My goal for the year is to update the blog twice a month, so please encourage me to do that. If you see I haven't posted in a while call me and tell me you want new pictures or updates.

We are very blessed and can't wait to see what 2012 brings not only us, but our family and friends. This is an exciting time in not just our life, but many of our friends as well! We have many friends starting new journeys of their own, and we love sharing in their special moments, just like we LOVE having them share in ours! Here is to new relationships, marriages and babies in 2012!

October - catching up

Happy Halloween

I like my orange stripes

In October my mom moved in with us. She moved in the week before I went back to work. It was nice to be able to have a week with my mom before I had to go back to work. We started working on Brandon's scrapbook and adjusted to us all living together.

Going back to work was a rough transition for me. My mom helped make it easier by emailing me pictures in the morning. This helped me get through the day, and quickly I changed my desktop picture so I could see B every day!  My class this year is helping me grow a lot as a teacher. 

Near the end of the month my Aunt Michelle came out to visit. We had a lot of fun hanging out with her, but we didn't do much. We did a lot of eating of course, because that is what we do best!


November - catching up

November brought our first time away from Brandon. For thanksgiving break Tyler and I always have to go to teacher's conference. This year the conference was in Long Beach. We decided not to take Brandon, so that way we could concentrate on the conference. It was a good idea, but we still missed him while we were gone. We left him at home with my mom and dad for three days. At conference we were to see a lot of our California friends, which was awesome.

One night we were able to hang out with our friends Jim and Nina. We used to hang out with them all of the time when we lived in California, so it was nice to be able to spend some time with them, and catch up.  Plus they were getting married in January, so it was fun to see them before the wedding again!

After conference we headed back home for Thanksgiving. My dad was already in town, as he had driven in on Saturday before we left for conference. We hosted Thanksgiving this year, which was a lot of fun. We had my parents, Tyler's parents, my grandma and Mills, and then the Axtmans. We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and it was very nice.

My mom and I went shopping on Black Friday, and we were able to get all of our Christmas shopping done! Our lists were a lot smaller this year, but either way it was nice to say we were done.

December - catching up
December was a very busy month, as the holidays always are! Megan and Dan came into town, we had Brandon's baptism, and we celebrated the holidays.

Megan and Dan came into town for a week, and even though we weren't able to spend as much time with them as we had wanted to, it was still great to see them when we were able to. We celebrated Christmas with them, and it was a blast. We had a lot of fun taking pictures with Brandon.

Brandon's baptism was a blessed event. We were surrounded by people who not only love us, but people who love Brandon already too. My grandma and aunt Julie came into town for the weekend, so it was awesome to be able to spend some time with them as well.  My dad was able to come into town for the weekend too!

Christmas was a blast! Tyler and I had different Christmas breaks, so that was hard, but it ended up working out. The week before Christmas my mom and I did a bunch of errands, and things to get the house ready for Christmas. Then my dad flew in Christmas Eve. We went to church at Mega life on Christmas Eve, and then headed home for a gourmet dinner of hot dogs and chili. We went out to look at Christmas lights after dinner, and went to our favorite House in the valley. It was really busy this year, so we'll have to go earlier in the year next year.

Christmas day was very low key. We woke up and went to open presents and see what Santa had brought. Santa brought Brandon a new play mat as well as an activity center. Brandon already loves his activity center!  For dinner we had a very traditional dinner, or our new tradition at least, of enchiladas and tacos.  It was just family over, so it was very low key, but a lot of fun!

For New Year's Eve, Tyler and I left Brandon at home with grandma and grandpa and we headed down to our friend's house for a fun time!!  We were the first ones to get there, and brought some drinks with us, only to find out that they were pregnant!!  We were so excited for them, and honored that they would share that happy news with us!  Their baby is due in the  middle of August.

Pastor Shrank baptizing Brandon

Godparents Dan and Megan

All my girls with Brandon

Great Grandma Sandy

Four generations

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Hathaways

Nebraska Fans

First time in our bumbo

Our Christmas present

Family Christmas picture, in matching sweats!

Team Grandpa

Our outfit didn't fit for new years any more, so we wrestled it on for a picture!

January and February - catching up


Going back to work after being off for Christmas break was a challenge, but Tyler and I both made it through.  In January my parent's put their house up on the market, and they had an offer after it had only been on the market for THREE days!!  We thought that was crazy, and obviously a God thing for sure!!


Susan came to visit us for a couple of days in January, during her Christmas break!!  It was a lot of fun to able to spend some time with her, and she was able to meet Brandon!!  :)  She then drove with us out to California.  While we were in California we were able to spend some more time with Jon and Nicole, and then we went to Jim and Nina's wedding!!  We had a blast the whole weekend we were there, and it was fun to be able to spend some time with people we don't get to see very often!


Needless to say my parent's have now sold their house, and when my dad came out to visit for Valentine's Day weekend, they went up to Prescott and they have already put an offer on another house.  If things going well, then they will be closing on that house by the end of March!


Tyler and I are very blessed to have such amazing support systems here, and friends to count on.  We can't wait to see where God leads us this year, and how he will use us!

Aunt Susan and Brandon

Hanging out in our cool outfit from the Koumontzis family

We fell asleep eating our dinner