Sunday, February 26, 2012

Garrett and Landon's BIG day!

**** There are a lot of pictures and long journal writing. ******

These pictures of are those surreal pictures I couldn't wait to have but it doesn't seem like I've been a parent long enough to have a boy get baptized. Garrett was so ready to be baptized. He has been talking about it for years, and not just because he associated getting baptized with getting a dog. He has been excited to experience baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost. Garrett was blessed to have attended a Christian Preschool, where they studied a child's bible and memorize scriptures every week. At the time I thought he was too young to gain anything from it, but that boy knows his Bible stories. This past year we read the Book of Mormon to Garrett. He's the right age for expecting anything he reads and hears. The truth is so easy at that age to feel and believe, no wonder Heavenly Father has children commit to the gospel at such a young age. He's so eager to learn and read about the Gospel. This year, January, Garrett started reading the Book of Mormon out loud to me. He LOVES it! We moving slow because he has to stop to discuss and explain words that are unfamiliar, but I can see that he is soaking up the stories of the Book of Mormon just as he has the Bible stories.
We decided to have Landon blessed on the same day as Garrett's baptism. Keith was blessed on the same day as his older brother Randall was baptized. I love this picture below, because I shows just how excited Garrett was about the whole day.
The baptism was perfect! I will never forget the spirit that came over me as I watched my oldest son walk down into the water of baptism with his father. I could not have been more pleased the decision he had made. I know the Lord was happy to have him enter into the covenant and start on the path to happiness. How blessed I am to be the mother of such a righteous good boy. I know he will grow to be a great and productive servant of the Lord.




Here's a couple of pictures of Landon's blessing day. All of the children were dressed in their blessing gowns on Vonda's bed. I have pictures of all them them laying just like this expect Alina. Sad, I know. I have so out of it when Alina was blessed that I didn't get pictures.




















After the baptism, blessing, and pictures, we had a BBQ in Vonda's back yard.
We LOVE VONDA & BILL!
Most of my greatest memories have happened in their home. Thanks!
Grandpa Hatch had the hardest job helping out with the grill in 110 degree weather.


WE miss our cousins and great family members!



Thursday, February 23, 2012

Grandma and Grandpa Hatch for Christmas


We were so blessed to have Grandma and Grandpa Hatch come visit for Christmas. Grandma Hatch helped us create a winter village out of gingerbread houses. Alina and Landon were excellent helpers. While Grandma stayed busy making crafts and playing games with the kids, Grandpa fixed everything in our home. Two of the four sinks upstairs had issues - fixed! Garage door light hasn't worked to over a year - works now! Pictures and racks that have been leaning against wall for years - now on the wall! Keith and I's dream of having a hanging system in the garage - 2 bikes, 3 strollers, 11 tools, 5 folding chairs, 1 weed-eater and a latter are all now safely hanging in the garage. Grandpa is AWESOME!

Garrett took great joy in having the house with the most candy to adorn it!


I love my two sweet girls! They love each other. They were so excited on Christmas Day to play with everything that Santa had brought them. Taryn was the most excited this year about her American doll, Kit. On Christmas morning while all the kids rushed down stair to look at the toys, Taryn only saw one American Girl doll with dark hair and it was by Kendall walking dog. Taryn thought about it for a minute, then in the sweets way said to Kendall, "Kendall, can this doll be my American Doll, okay?" Keith and I laughed, and showed her the blonde, blue eyed doll that looks just the Taryn Bears. She loves Kit so much and sleeps with it every night.
I could not have asked to two better girls. Right now, Alina is a different story.


The Sneak!


Unbeknownst to Grandma Hatch, Alina was up to her usual tricks to stealing coke.

She gets away with everything with that little smile!


The Little Man, loved his one and only gift, a basketball hoop.
Look at the grip on that kid!

We miss Grandpa and Grandma Hatch. Having them here made me realize all the great memories that my kids are missing, by not living close to family. I also realize how much I miss seeing and talking with my Mom and Dad. They are a blessing in my family and in the life of my family.

How many messes can two little people make?

Alina is more attentive to Landon's needs than I am. The second he makes a sound in his crib she in there, with the light on, throwing hims toys, food, the phone, pillows and any other random thing she runs into. As you can see Landon just sits and takes it.
Alina has taken playing the pantry to new heights.
Dangerous? Yes!
But she's so excited about all the new food she has found on the top shelves.
Of course, she has recruited her little brother into the fun of destroying the pantry.

But how could you get mad at that adorable face, even when he dials random people on my cell phone, his favorite toy.

Santa pictures at Chick-flia

Another reason I love my Chick-flia, the real Santa comes to talk with the kids. He's great! He takes time with every kids, and is patient with my screaming babies.
This year Santa asked Garrett to resit the Scout pledge. Encouraged him to become an Eagle, and "Do his best" He also turned the tables on Garrett and sat on his lap for a while.

These two girls were so excited all we to ask Santa for am American Doll.

Sweet Ali M.

Keith keeps reminding me that this "phase" that Alina is in, will pass! When? So I thought I should document some of her finer moments so that someday I will sit back and laugh.
First, Alina is obsessed with "diaper cream." She wants us to put on diaper cream with every change, and most of the time she wants to put it on herself by herself. She makes sure we put diaper cream on Landon, particularly on the every end of his something. Her obsession with diaper has now gone too far when every baby doll in the is house has a glob of paste between their legs. I'm removing all diaper cream, and white pastes from our home.
Second, Alina does not take correction well. Who am I kidding... she does take no for an answer. She takes strong-willed to a whole new level. Below is a picture of sweet Ali M. letting me know she didn't steal the cookie, it belonged to her. All thing belong to her.
On a side note, here's a picture of my hand a week after I burned it on our coil stove top. Dumb, I know, but it happened. I had turned on the store to make Garrett soup after school, but I didn't have time, so I put it in the microwave. Unfortunately I didn't turn off the store. We ran out the door to dance. When we returned, everyone was hunger, but there was a huge mess of paper of the bar. In a hurry, I put my hand down to wipe of the counter. Immediate pain surged through my body. Fortunately I have the presents of mind to turn around to the sink and submerge my hand in water. I quickly realized that I couldn't take my hand out of the water and I drugged myself up with Ibuprofen and left over pain medicines from my pregnancy.
It was 6:30 p.m., everyone hunger, dirty, and tired and Keith was not coming home until 10:00 p.m. I called our friends the Warners, but they were in DC......... My angel boy Garrett, came to the rescue. He jumped in and made chicken nuggets, and cleaned up the mess. He stripped the babies down and put them into the bath. That includes a bad diaper on Landon. I worried about him pulling Landon out of the tub. So I bit my lip and pulled him out on the floor. Garrett dressed him and Alina, made the bottles, put them to bed, read to the girls and put himself to bed. I pretty much passed out on the sofa and waited for Keith to come home. He arrived just as the Warner came drove up to check on me. Because the only relief I felt was when I had my hand in water, I sleep with it in a wet glove. Kendall had burned herself last year, so we had left over burn cream that worked wonders. Just one of many crazy nights here in our house.