Choose Joy

My one new years resolution for 2012 (ya know, besides losing weight, having a healthy family and happiness..) is to CHOOSE JOY. I have been so incredibly inspired lately by Ashley from Lil Blue Boo. In 2011, not only did her father pass away very unexpectedly but she was also diagnosed with cancer at a very young age. Read more about her story here. Not only is she a great story teller but she also has some amazing tutorials.

The happiest people don't have everything, 

they make the best of everything.

I know that everyone has ups and downs. That's life. But I'm a firm believer that we all have a choice in life to choose happiness. I've always believed that but some days it's harder to remember than others. I bought this bracelet from Lil Blue Boo not only as a reminder to Choose Joy but to also show my support to Ashley, I know she can win this battle!

The bracelets also came with some Bella sized bracelets. She is my little model in the above picture :)

I really feel that 2012 is going to be a fantastic year. I'm so excited to see what it has to offer us!

Top 11 in 2011

11. Shop success!

We have lots of markers of success for our little business. Lots of new designs. Justin joining the team full time. Lots of sales and making Handmadeology's list of top 1000 handmade Etsy sellers.. sliding in at #802! Not bad!

10.  Vegas!

Our first real vacation as a family! It was a blast and Bella did so good in the car. Especially due to my iphone, snacks and the portable DVD player that my sister loaned to us. 

10. Bella's first dance recital!

Bella loves dance and still talks about her dance recital. She loved dancing on the big stage. Probably her favorite moment of 2011!

9. Lazy summer days at the park and zoo!

There is nothing more that we love than hanging out together and the park (or zoo!) is the perfect place for us. We always have so much fun!

8. Celebrating our 5 year anniversary in Park City

Our over night trip to Park City was so much fun! We celebrated our 5 year anniversary. It was our first (and only) overnight stay without Bells and while it was much needed, it was so hard! We came home so early the next day because we both missed her too much.

7. Spending lots of time with my favorite girl!

Making cookies!  Note: Check out the PJs! Those Teletubbies pajamas were uncle Ty Ty's and she LOVES them!

Lots of parades!

Swimming

Car rides!

We always find lots of fun things to do! I love these times where we are making memories and spending time together as a family.

6. Relay for Life

Celebrating my mom as a cancer survivor. Celebrating life. Celebrating HOPE. I love it! I'm on the planning committee for next year and it's going to be great!

5. Spending lots of time with our BFFs!

I love getting together with my best friend Steph. Her little boy, Jake is 4 months older than Bella and they are best buddies. They get along so well! Steph has been my best friend since I was about 3 or 4 years old. We were neighbors growing up. We all love to go shopping, make crafts, hang out at the house, go to the park, go to lunch.. we have so much fun!

4. Carver's Cove

Carver's Cove! It's my favorite place to go to in the springtime. Definitely a family tradition!

3. Polar Express

I don't know what it was about the night we rode the Polar Express but it was something magical! I think about it all the time. For sure one of this years highlights!

2. Bella turned 2!

We loved celebrating Bella's 2nd birthday.. circus style! It was so much fun. Next year she is insisting on a Chuck E Cheese's birthday, so that's what we will do!

1. Our big surprise!

Finding out that we were going to have another baby was definitely our biggest surprise of the year! We have so much to look forward to in 2012. Bring it on!

Our Christmas Surprise..

 A few days before Christmas, we went to the doctor for our regular pregnancy checkup. The doctor was doing an ultrasound when she asked, "so.. how much have you bought for the baby?"We answered that we really hadn't bought anything of significance. She said, "good because you might be having a boy!"

The doctor got a good shot of what could be "boy parts" but there was so much cord in the way that she couldn't get another good shot. She looked and looked but just couldn't get another view to tell us what we are having. So we don't know! We will be so excited to find out what we are having.. again. I don't care either way. It was exciting to think of having another little girl and to give Bella the sister that she really wants but of course it would be fun to have a little boy too.

We should find out at our targeted ultrasound at the end of January!

Christmas 2011

Christmas morning we managed to sleep in until about 8. Well Justin and Bella did. 

I woke up several times (the first time at 3 am). They are lucky I let them sleep in.

It is Christmas after all.

The one thing Bella consistently asked for (besides a swimming pool, a baby and a horse) was a pink puppy. Santa definitely came through on that one.

She woke up all bright eyed and bushy tailed and started opening all of her gifts. 

She wanted to stop and play with each thing. 

She probably would have been happier if she didn't have to stop and unwrap them all. 

She really likes her new roller skates, blocks, tractor and all the goodies she got in her stocking. 

She also got lots of arts and crafts stuff since she is the little artist of the family.

She LOVES her new baby doll complete with a stroller and medicine bag.

Her big gift this year was a mobigo game system complete with case and a few games. 

She has been too busy this morning to really sit down and play with it.

But.. her most favorite gift ever is a super duper.. harmonica!

Grandma, Grandpa and Ty Ty called us on FaceTime (notice the phone with the baby doll in the stroller) and Bella serenaded them all with songs from her "monica" all morning. 

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope your day is wonderful!

Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! 

The reindeer food has been made and sprinkled in our yard. Christmas Eve PJs are on!

Santa is coming TONIGHT!

Birthday & Gingerbread Houses!

Sunday we celebrated my mom's birthday. We went to La Puente and then afterwards went to my sister's house to have some cake and ice cream.

Bella insisted on getting grandma a gingerbread house so we bought a couple so that the kids could decorate them together.

It was really fun! Bella, Tayzhia & Drayven (a little boy my sister watches) all decorated one and Gretchen and Emma decorated the other one.

I was really impressed with both of the houses. They did a great job!

Emma and Gretchen's

Tazy, Bella and Drayven's

My sister baked two cakes and they were both delicious.

Afterwards we went over to Layton Park and drove through the lights. I love December!

Polar Express 2011

Last night we went to Heber to ride the Polar Express. We all loved it! We went with my parents, little brother and my sister's family.

First we ate dinner at the Dairy Keen. It is the cutest little hamburger restaurant and the food was really tasty.

We headed over to the train station a little bit earlier because we wanted to make sure we were all sitting together on the train.

We had about a half an hour wait in the cold. Brrr! It was freezing. I didn't bring a coat. Justin was extra smart and brought hand warmers. He is the thinker of the family. We finally got to board the train and we were all together! Good thing since we were first in line for our coach.

We got to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies on the train ride. Our hostess, Rudy the reindeer, was hilarious. We learned how to do the reindeer cheer and how to give reindeer kisses.

Rudy helped the kids make magic snowballs. Bella thought that was really fun!

We sang Christmas carols and Bella even fell in love..

His name is Sunshine and it just so happens that he is an elf. A real elf! ;)  Bella thinks she loves him. He was nice enough to take a picture with her.

The girls all danced in the aisle while waiting for the train to switch directions.

Finally Santa boarded the train and gave all the kids a jingle bell. Bella LOVES Santa!

I love spending time with all of the family. This one definitely one of the bests nights I can remember. My mom bought us all matching ornaments for our tree. I'm glad it has the year on it since we plan on doing this every year and will have to buy a new ornament each time! Definitely our new family tradition!