getting ready for Christmas

The kids were so excited to set up the tree and put out the decorations for Christmas. Erick brought everything down from the attic and we got right to work. Erick and the kids build a little platform for me to set up my village on, it is so perfect. The village is on both side of the tree and what you can't see is that it actually goes all the way behind and the tree and connects both sides. I have the "park" set up behind the tree which is Kyler's favorite with the ice skaters. I have been so amazed that Koby has not pulled on the cloth that covers the platform. He is not crawling but he can roll to about any place he wants, but he has left the tree and village alone! We got everything set up and now just have to wait (the hardest part!)

Our Thanksgiving

Bryn was sick the entire Thanksgiving break, actually she was sick until the following Tuesday. However she did eat some leftovers on Sunday, so she at least got to have some Thanksgiving dinner. It was just our little family this year, but it was really nice. We all stayed in our jammies most of the morning while we finished up the preparations. The kids watched a movie and played in the tent. Dinner was almost perfect, I need to fine tune my Thanksgiving dishes, but for our first Thanksgiving alone it went well. We of course missed our families, but enjoyed the day together!

One of Koby's favorite places to play. He pulls and pulls on the basket when I fold laundry until I put him in it.

These are just a few pictures of the kids playing. Koby loves the little barn that makes the animal sounds and the Bryn and Kyler love to play with him. They are so much help when I need someone to keep an eye on him!

The time of year when sickness abounds!!

The kids have been so sick this year, I feel like we have caught every bug that has come along. Erick was even lucky enough to catch one of them. This was a picture I took of Koby at the Dr. Office. He was so happy and at the same time he felt so sick. I couldn't believe what a good baby he was even with a 102.3 fever!

A visit back in October

It is so great to have visitors! Erick's mom and dad were able to come out for a visit in October. His dad had some work out here and his mom was able to come along. It was so nice to see them and spend some time together. It was conference weekend so we were able to watch that and Erick and his mom went to his choir practice Sunday evening. They also took us out to dinner one night which was a real treat! We really enjoyed spending some time with them and hope that his dad has work out here again real soon.
Here are a couple pictures I got while they were here:

WARNING!!!!! Very long catch up post........

So it seems that I have been neglecting my poor blog lately. I have had it on my to-do list for a while, but it just never happens. If anyone is still following us, I apologize for the break. I am going to do a big catch up post and will then try to stay on top of it a little better.
First of all, Erick is in his Surgery rotation and is loving it. He is working with two vascular surgeons and has had a lot of hands on experience. He works 7 days a week, most people would think that is horrible, he thinks it is GREAT!!! He is singing in a choir here that will be doing some Christmas concerts which we are all excited about. We have also heard they will be singing at the temple re-dedication. Koby is getting so big, he is now officially five months old. He is rolling all over the place and eating rice cereal. He loves Bryn and Kyler and all the entertaining they give him. He is such a happy baby and will give anyone a huge smile. I like to pretend he knows when I ask for a kiss, because he really plants one on you, however, I think if you just get close enough to his face he would do it weather you ask for a kiss or not!!! Bryn is loving school, she got all A's on her report card and one B which we all think is wonderful because she made the honor roll. She makes friends where ever she goes. She and Erick had their first Daddy-Daughter dance. It was a luau and they had a great time. She has a bunch of gentlemen callers that circle our house on their bikes when she is outside playing. However, she is oblivious to their efforts of getting her attention. She is a huge help to me with Koby. She loves to dance around the room with him which always makes him laugh, she can stand in front of him and dance around and entertain him for hours. Kyler is also loving school and does very well in class. He is starting to read and wants to tell us what letter EVERYTHING starts with. He always has a ball in his hands or kicking one with his foot. It doesn't matter what kind of ball, he likes them all. He loves to play with Koby and can't wait until Koby can wrestle with him. I have to remind him sometimes that he is not big enough yet, but he really loves his brother and always wants to give him kisses. I am still plugging away at my school work and will finish classes next summer. Then I will just have to student teach to finish up. Now for the fun part....
















We also to a trip about 45 minutes north of us. Bryn has been learning in school about the state of Georgia and wanted to see some of the sites they have been learning about. This trip took us to tallulah gorge. It was beautiful. The leaves were changing and the temperature was perfect. We hiked down to a bridge that went over the waterfalls and then came back up. We were very close to South Carolina where Erick served his mission, and after we got back, he realized he had actually been to Tallulah gorge on his mission! Anyway, it was really fun.