A NEW YEAR

Alright so I have to say it has taken me awhile to get back in action since the holidays.

Blogging was the last thing on my mind during the last couple of months. Especially with INSTAGRAM. I find that the easiest way to keep in touch with the world these days, even if it means posting a picture of Vivian everyday!

I literally just breathed in as much of Vivian as possible. I loved all the nights singing Christmas songs to her and holding her warm body all snuggled up next to me while feeling her breath on my neck. Ahhhhhhh I could just swallow her up I fear!

Since it is mid January I decided I should jump back into blogging. Not that you all were sitting at the edge of your seats just waiting for my next post...but I am back nonetheless.

As I have spent time reflecting on 2011 I realized that 2011 was really year of the Vivian. It was the majority of my pregnancy followed by the birth and beginning of Vivian. 2011 brought some big changes our way as Aaron got a new job just 3 weeks before my due date which moved us from LA down to the OC. It is still an adjustment for me and while I love where we are living, hard to complain about being at the beach in less than 5 minutes, I have decided that I officially miss LA and plan on always missing it...it will always have such a special place in my heart. The 2 years we spent in LA were filled with trials that tested us big time and our time in LA ended with our biggest trial being completed...the birth of our Vivian.

• 2011 was also filled with some of the best memories. Nightly hang outs with Jer, food food food and more food followed by even more food, amazing Young Women whom I still talk to weekly and miss daily, a ward that was unlike any other ward I have ever been in and we have decided is unlike most wards (being in LA created a unique ward experience as you can imagine and it was a perfect example of the Gospel in action), special friends, and an overall feeling of warmth and support in a city we loved.
  
• A pause in my career came as I got ready for our bundle of love which resulted in some bittersweet goodbyes to loved colleagues and resilient kiddo clients that I continue to think about often.
• It also brought a new opportunity for Aaron in his career which we are so thankful for. He is happy in his new job with great coworkers and a great experience for him in a workplace that is supportive and understanding of the importance of families.
• New cousins to Vivian were born this year too, which makes us wonder if we will hold Vivian back one year as she gets older so we can have her and her twin cousins go to school together and be the 3 musketeers.
• There were many visits to family and from family. We are constantly thanking our Heavenly Father for the families we have been blessed with. They are both such a huge source of strength for us and I don't know how we got so lucky!
• Grandpa Murray and Grandma Wayman passed away in 2011 leaving us with 2 grandparents total left. What a treat it was for Vivian to be able to spend time with Grandma Murray and Grandpa Wayman over Christmas.

I am thankful for the opportunities a NEW YEAR brings us. I look forward to 2012 with so much joy and excitement. It will be our 10 year dating anniversary, which is absolutely bananas that it has been a decade of US. We already have many things to look forward to already i.e. trips to AZ, UT, family vaca to Newport with Murray's, the Grand Canyon with the Steenbliks, crossing our fingers for a Disney trip with Liam and George (George grow a few more inches please HURRAY so we can go again), a 1st Birthday for Viv, Cass moving to So Cal, me finishing up my licensure in CA, and yes the DIRTY 30 to finish off 2012!!! I know there will be more exciting events and I am sure there will be struggles and trials as usual, but I know with certainty that we will continue in the usual fashion and celebrate celebrate celebrate as we go about this thing called LIFE.

Merry Christmas

We did a lot of snuggling during the holidays...my Birthday was no different. My Birthday gift to myself was having Viv nap on me!!!

My boys!!! These two are amazing. Sweet, loving, creative, determined and love me and I love them. They love Vivian too. They love everyone actually!!!

While Viv is having a bit of a fat kid moment here, no doubt she is a cutie and
she and JuJuBee are buddies.

Look at these 3!!!

Viv is usually caught making this face...not a bad look.

Happy Birthday to me. Doesn't get much better than this.

Vivian did not go without attention over Christmas. These 3 just love her. Emma is the most amazing babysitter in the world. Chase is hysterical and just walks around saying baby V V. Ellie is way to grown up and I can't stand it. They are growing way too fast.

Viv finally got to meet Aunt Ashley and Ash couldn't wait to get some snuggle time in. Viv even got to nap a bit on Ash which Ashley was not complaining about one bit.

First pair of Cowboy boots from Santa.

First Christmas morning. I can't wait for more Christmas mornings like this when she wakes up and heads to the tree in her Christmas pajamas.

Christmas morning at the Steenblik's. U of U gear this year for our Steenblik xmas pjs.

On Christmas we made the rounds from Bountiful to SLC to Malad Idaho to visit Grandpa Wayman. He couldn't get enough of Vivian and just stared at her playing the whole time we were there. It was too cute.

Christmas with just us. She loved it. She kept chewing on all of her wrapped gifts and loved ripping the wrapping paper. She got her first teddy, stuffed bunny, cowboy boots, some wooden blocks, stacking cups, some books for the library, and some other treats from Santa.
It was perfection celebrating with her.

She loves her stacking cups.