January

January started out rough with sick kids and daddy on a work trip.  Jack had a weeklong fever of 103-104 and I was spent by the end.  Thank goodness for good friends and a sweet happy baby to help us make it through.  January is one of my hardest months.  It drags on FOREVER, its cold, and we all get a bit stir crazy after the craziness of December.  We entertained ourselves with some friend outings to Jungle Jims Playland (totally gross and hasn't been updated since I had my 8th birthday there 21 years ago), Mr. Potato Head playdough, and playing dress up.  Lucky for my kids they are so cute because by months end I was completely spent and Tom had jumped into tax season early leaving us daddy-less for a bit longer than we experienced last year.

Happy New Year!

I LOVE New Years!  I am a goal setter and I love to start fresh.  We celebrated New Years with our incredible friends, the Sachs.  We definitely couldn't ask for better friends (not to mention their kids are the same age as Porter and Jack and they're best friends as well)  We never make it to the official New Years these days, but spending New Years with my kids is my favorite thing to do.

Wearing out Jack and Finn on the treadmill!

This year I have chosen to focus on a word rather than making goals.  My word is  REVEL!  I have lived so much of my life waiting for the next best thing.  I feel like so much of my life is living in the "I can't wait until..." or "I'll be happy when. . ." I tend to focus on to do lists and getting everything done before I let myself enjoy basically anything.  Kids grow up too fast.  I want to revel in those little precious moments that I will never get back.  So even though I want to make those goals of exercising more, losing weight, reading more, deep cleaning and organizing my house, etc. etc., more importantly I want to revel in the sweet and simple moments I have with my children because those are things I will never get back.  So here's to REVELING in the MOMENT!

December Happenings

I always begin December with great plans of everything I want to do, but then reality hits and I realize my husband has a job and my child has school and I have a job and way too much to do.  Alas, we try our hardest and that is enough.

We did manage to squeeze in a lot of fun family activities and (I hope) really helped teach our children the importance and true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas Cookie Decorating at Kate's

Porter and Hallie

Gingerbread Houses

Look at that chubby face!

The Polar Express

We planned a Polar Express night with the Sachs.  We got the kids in their pj's and as we were putting them to bed we handed them tickets to ride the Polar Express.  We drove through neighborhoods while they ate their treats and ended with some Baskin Robbins.

Santa's Sleigh Ride at the Homestead

While our finances may not have been in the greatest spot, we still managed to do our annual Sub for Santa for families in need.  I hope to keep this as one of the main traditions we do at Christmas and am grateful to a mother who made it a point to serve and give to others.

As always, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were full fledged craziness and we loved every minute of it!  We went to our annual Christmas movie, The Guardians, and ventured up to my mom's house for a fun snowed in Christmas Eve (when I say snowed in, I mean full fledged snow storm  and some of the cars couldn't make it up the street)

I have always loved the nativity and always will!

We weren't really sure what role Jack played in the Nativity but he found a yellow Mexican dress in the box and insisted on wearing it because it was yellow.  Unfortunately we couldn't hold back our laughing which took away from the spirit, but he was too cute!

Porter was Joseph

Reading the Christmas Story with Manna

  

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is watching the wonder of children.  I love to see them anxiously await the visit from the elves who bring them pajamas and I love to watch the wonder in their eyes on Christmas morning when they open their gifts.  I love their innocence and their genuine love for all of their gifts.  We had a fantastic Christmas season with a wonderful babe to celebrate with.  I feel so blessed for such an incredible family to share the Christmas season with.

 

 Poor little Addie was enjoying her play mat one minute, and the next we found ourselves in the hospital with Croup.  Luckily, after a steriod boost, she fought it off.

We found Jack hidden in Nanny's fort on Christmas morning, exhausted from too much fun!

Adelaide's Blessing Day

Adelaide Gwen LeBaron was blessed on December 9th 2012 by her daddy.  Uncle Justin, Uncle Trent, Grandpa Neil, Grandpa Carl, Great Grandpa Payne, Uncle Joe, Uncle Jim, Uncle Seth,  and Ben Sachs held this infant and helped Tom give the sweetest blessing about her being a choice spirit and blessing our family with peace.  He blessed her for the opportunity to find a worthy young man to marry in the temple.

 Addie's middle name was given after my Grandma Payne.  She was one of my favorite people and my best friend until I was 8 years old and I still miss her every single day.  I know without a doubt that her spirit was with us that day and that her spirit will be with Addie throughout her life.

I am so grateful for forever families and the opportunity I have to have a worthy husband bless my sweet baby girl in the church with all of our family there to witness and bless her too!
Well, this is the best we could get!

Happy 5th Birthday My Blue Eyed Boy!

While I may be his mother, Porter is definitely raising me!  His mind and memory astound me and his love and understanding of the Gospel are far beyond his years.   Family prayer, meal prayers and FHE cannot be missed (even if he has to say them quietly to himself).   He is so grown up that sometimes I forget that he is only 5 and expect a little too much from him.  His self confidence is incredible (something I lacked most of my life) and he truly believes he is incredible.  I hope with all my heart that he never loses his self confidence.  I have loved volunteering in his Preschool and watching him interact with his friends and teachers.  His two favorite people in the whole world are Daddy and Papa Carl and if he could choose, he would spend every waking moment with both of them.  This little boy has my heart and although at times he can be a handful, his sweetness melts me and I would love nothing more than to snuggle his scrawny little body all day long.  

FAVORITES:

Song: Praise to the Man and Latter Day Prophets

Color: Green (blue is a close second)

TV Show:  

Food:  According to him, Chicken Fingers and Salmon, according to me, Mac and Cheese and Peanut Butter Sandwiches  (although is palette is finally expanding)

Book: The Book of Mormon (according to him)  We just finished reading Harry Potter, which although may have been a bit advanced was completely thrilling to him

He loves Playmobile, Legos and Superheros and a new found favorite The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The traditional breakfast in bed (in mom's bed because a bunk bed is entirely too hard for those types of things)

We celebrated his birthday Pirate Style and invited far too many children to count!

They walked the plank, launched cannon balls, at Pizza and watched "Pirates-Band of Misfits".

A few of the many LeBaron cousins (remember how I said too many children to count, these were just the family members invited, this doesn't include all the friends, yikes!)

It wouldn't be a party if Jack doesn't crash!

Oh Jack!

 My little darling boy, I cannot express my love for you and all your crazy quirky habits.

You may possibly be a little OCD and very habitual but you love to shop!  Every morning you began the ritual of Grocery Shopping our fridge and pantry.  You had favorites, namely:  cereal, mac and cheese, chicken broth, and milk with a few others thrown in there randomly each day.  It began as an arrangement on the counter and then moved to the stairs but we can't keep you away from it!

So shop away!

The Rest of November

November was full of taking in every moment of this little beauty!  How adorable!

We started a new tradition of the LeBaron Family Turkey Trot!  This may have been the first time I exercised since I had a baby and it was a little rough but we all thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to make it an annual tradition!

 The whole English clan was here visiting so we made the most of our Thanksgiving weekend!  

Gardner Villiage

 Porter and Tommy joined the family down town to see Savior of the World and take in a little bit of what down town has to offer at Christmas time.  Porter was in heaven, especially at Temple Square.

 His favorite part about this visit was seeing the statue of Joseph Smith.  He was in complete shock and awe and literally believed that Joseph was that tall!

We headed down to Alpine to cut down our Christmas tree!  It was unseasonably warm and the boys were in heaven romping around the field trying to find the perfect tree!

I'd say we did pretty well right?