This year started out great! Dan got to go to his cousin Scott's wedding in San Diego. Here are some pics. of the happy event. I stayed home with Josh and Maggie and a extremely sweet young woman from our ward stayed with me and helped me out, Bryonna. We had a lot of fun watching chick flicks and laughing after the kids were in bed! She was an absolute angel!
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| Scott & Brittany, the happy couple |
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| Grandma & Grandpa Colton showing off their moves |
Then BAC (Beautiful Aunt Carolyn) came to stay with us for 2 weeks to help out with the kids while I rested. The kids loved story time with BAC and especially dancing! We had a wonderful time with her here! Thanks BAC!!!
Then a week later the Jarvis family came! Josh and Maggie LOVED playing with their cousins! They all played so well together! I had a great time playing games and laughing with Jenna and Jared. While they were here they took the kids on some excursions to some local castles, IKEA and Grandpa's house in Frankfurt. It was so much fun spending time with them, I am really missing Jenna's cooking! Thank you so much Jarvis family! We love you!
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| cousins playing dress up in the castle |
Next my mom came a few days before Bradley was due. She was such a great help! It was so much fun to have her here. She stayed for 3 weeks and took great care of me during the recovery and the kids loved having her to play with. The last week my mom was here my dad flew out. It was so much fun having Nana & Papa here to help! THANK YOU!!!
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| definite family resemblance! |
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| Nana loves the grandkids! |
Between family helping out my dear friend Bonnie has been helping me. She has taken Josh to school, cooked meals, and been my absolute angel friend! She is the greatest! She has a little girl Hadley who is Josh's age, they are in the same class at school. Josh is quite smitten and is already planning their marriage...we told him he needed to wait until after he grows up, serves and a mission and has some money. To which he responded, "alright, that's good news, I need to be taller anyway." The two little love birds even had a New Year's kiss on the cheek. My little 4 year old is already a Cassanova...yikes! He does have excellent taste in girls though!
My weekly excursions were to the doctors...for me and for the kids. Maggie was sick with croup twice in January and then got it again the beginning of February. Josh was sick with a double ear-infection and strep throat while Jarvis' were here; and I got the bug and am still fighting it, and shared with my mom while she is here. Little Bradley was very anxious to come early with more contractions than I would like...luckily through prayers and priesthood blessings he made it to 37 weeks.
After a few scheduling issues (the hospital didn't have record that I was supposed to have a C-section, even though it was planned for months) we did get in on Feb. 14 and had Bradley. He is doing great! He is a little jaundiced, but nothing too bad. He is a great sleeper, which his parents especially appreciate! Last night he slept 8 hours!!! WOW! He is an absolute joy to have in our home! Josh and Maggie adore him and love to give him kisses, hugs and show off their dance moves for him!
While I was resting I was able to do some projects for our house. I decorated Josh and Maggie's room with a fairy tale theme, we are in Germany, the birth place of Grimm's Fairy Tales! Here are a few projects that I've been working on:
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| Every Knight needs a castle... |
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| Maggie's big girl bed. (I made the tree on the wall) |
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| Our guest room/ play room |
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| Bradley's Nursery (I painted the pics) |
Maggie recently gave up her binkies. We gathered all of her binkies, put them in a bag and then she got to pick out a toy from the store and "pay" with her binkies. She picked out a barbie with a baby. She is growing up so fast! 
