Merry Christmas

Josiah becomes and Elf

If you thought I was cute as an elf, wait until you see this:)


http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=f6b52c95aa364665449633dG06122406

I Just Made a Total Elf of Myself

This is the funniest thing ever!! Thanks Mindy!! Check this out by clicking on the link below:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=6513de43c56c235b221e980G06122018

Prayers for a Potential Job

I was called today from a temp agency that I had applied with for a potential job at EDS. It would be from Jan. through March. The pay was very good and from everything I hear they are a great company to work for. So I am really hoping that it works out (that is if it is meant to be). I would love to find a place that I fit in and that I could start building a career. Not to say that a temp job would turn permanent, but who know's once you get in. The temp agency said that I testing excellently, so that shouldn't be a problem and with my experience I should be a shoe in for a temp. Lets cross our fingers!!

A Day Home with my Boy

It was a great day today! Josiah was in much better spirits. For some reason I always forget that he is affected by the shots he has to get for at least 5 days. He is fussy and winey the whole time. Only now his fussy and winey mean that it seems as though he was changing his little personality. But in actuality he is just older now and the way he show his crankiness is different. Granted he is definately becoming more independent like all the books say he will. But he isn't quite so vocal. He is still a momma's boy right now. All of the sudden he doesn't want me to leave the room. But I am pretty sure that this is a pretty universal thing with 1 year olds. I do love it when I come home and he is chanting "ma ma ma ma"

Prayers for a friend

A very close friend of mine went in for a routine prenatal check up. It was her 6 month check up. The pregnancy had been going along great, no complications at all. When they checked for the fetal heartbeat they couldn't find one, so they tried with an ultrasound and discovered that the baby had died. Absolutely heart renching. I still can't believe that this is happening to her and her husband. And prayers is all we can give at this time, so please keep her in your prayers over the next several months. From what I have read and heard...it will be a very long recovery back to any semblance of a normal life.

A New Phase

Josiah has entered a new phase, one that I am struggling with. Up to this point I have not been bothered that much by crying, early mornings, sleepless nights, 10 toys going at once, running from one thing to the next. But this one is starting to get to me...the one they call INDEPENDENCE!!

The fun thing about a 1 year old becoming independent is that they want to be left alone and do things on their own one second and then they want to cling to you the next. And you never know which one you're going to get. But the best part is the yelling and screaming. If he isn't getting what he wants or if something is going exactly his way he now yells, grunts and screams really loudly. Great fun to take him to restaraunts. Granted he is not always yelling and yes he is still the sweet little angel most of the time. And the yelling is even funny a lot of the time. But when it is a contest of wills (his against mine), that's when I struggle. For example; diaper changing. Let me explain. Today he had a poopy diaper and of course I needed to change it. Lately he has started to really fight me when I am changing his diaper (poopy or wet). But today was an exception. Not only did he fight me, but he rolled and kicked and screamed all the while, I had his legs in my hands and I was trying to wipe him. But no it doesn't stop there...the kid clenches his little butt cheeks so tightly together that I could barely wipe him. That little stinker. He was mad, I was mad. I did get him changed, but then he wouldn't let me put his pants on...so he went to bed without his pants on. I had had it!! 15 minutes later I had to go in and put pants on him and his socks back on because he wouldn't go to sleep without his pants on. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!! I was so relieved when all was silent and there was no more grunting and yelling at me!!

I think Josiah's terrible 2's have already begun!! He was such a sweet, quiet infant, but that I believe that period has ended and we have begun a new phase. One that I really am looking forward to...I will just need the patience that every mother prays for as their children begin to become independent.

Favorite Picture of the Month: November

I think this is my favorite picture to date! Isn't he just precious!!

Josiah's 1st 1st Birthday Party

The theme for this party, as you can see by the cake, was MICKEY MOUSE!! I had plates and napkins left over from the baby shower my friends from college through for me, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to use them. The absolutely wonderful cake decorating was done by Julie's (Dan's mom) neighbor and the pastors wife. The did an incredible job. They used a picture I had printed out to decorate the big cake and the little one has the picture on top. They thought that would be best since the black frosting really stains bad. I was grateful not to have black stained all over Josiah at the end of the cake smashing:)

We invited everyone in church to join us for lunch. It worked out perfectly. At first we weren't sure we would have enough food, but as usual we had plenty for everyone plus leftovers!!

This was the first picture I had taken with my new hair do. Kelly did a wonderful job of coloring and cutting my hair while we were up in the UP. It took me a little bit to get used to and I had to brush off a negative comment right away, but now I love it:)

Josiah absolutely loved being sung to. When we started singing "Happy Birthday" to him and everyone was looking at him...he was just giddy:) Definately going to take more after his mom in that category than his shy dad:)

It didn't take him long to get right into the spirit of the 1st birthday cake!!!

Since we were at the church and there was no bath tub to throw him into, we had to improvise!! I think he had just as much fun taking a bath in the kitchen sink as he did getting messy and digging into the cake.

Brayden was the ever helpful best bud and helped Josiah open his presents:) I think they both had more fun with the paper than with the presents!!!

That is until we put him on his new Winnie the Pooh fire truck. He loved and still loves that car. It has buttons, music and within an hour he figured out how to get on and off it by himself. It has been the best gift thus far:)

Overall I think Josiah had a really fun time and we were glad that so many joined us for the festivities. He got many wonderful gifts and had a fun time getting all messy and eating cake:)

Thanksgiving

We had a really great trip up to the UP over Thanksgiving break. A long trip up, and we had to stay an extra day because I got food poisoning, but all in all a wonderful visit with family and friends. We spent Thanksgiving day with Jeremiah and Kelly' family at the church fellowship hall. The food spread was incredible and we even got to play games:) And those of you who know me well, know that I love games!! Brayden and Josiah had fun playing...or at least they played, and they were near each other. All in due time, they will be playing together! It was so much fun getting together with Jeremiah and Kelly. We don't get to see them enough:( But the time we get to spend, we always make the most of!!

The picture directly below is of the onsie that a good friend of mine, Weezie, gave me at my baby shower. I was due for Josiah before Thanksgiving, so truly, last Thanksgiving should have been his first. But he was so nice and cozy that he decided to hang out for another 10 days:) I kept the onsie and thought that maybe I could use it somehow for this year, his realy 1st Thanksgiving. I thought that maybe I could cut off the arms and the buttons so that it would fit. However I never got around to it. I stuck it in anyway just in case we could do something last minute. I got the shirt out and just tried it on and since there were snaps at the neck, I could still get it over his head and teh arms were really stretchy. It definately wouldn't snap underneath, but for the most part it fit...we just tucked it in:) I was just excited he was able to wear it:)

Family Photoshoot/1 Year Photo's

How in the world do you choose just 1. It was hard enough to narrow it down to these few. Christy did an outstanding job at this photoshoot. This time we decided to make it a family affair. It was quite an ordeal to find something for all of us to wear. I especially had a hard time, because if you didn't notice...I got my hair colored. It is now red! And the sweater I was planning on wearing looked really bad with my new hair:) But in the end, I think we all looked pretty good. I think my favorites though are the ones where we are wearing our hats!! ENJOY!

Birthday Party #2

Thanks Terra for suggesting that I get some more pictures up online. I haven't posted pictures in quite a while and I have some really good ones from his birthday party and the surrounding weekend.

Cousin's Samantha and Nathan, Dan, Josiah and I all visited my mom's for the weekend of Josiah's birthday. What fun we all had. Samantha became quite the little photographer over the weekend...I can't wait to give her her Christmas present this year...110 pictures all scrapbooked onto 20 pages. It will be my favorite gift to give.

Saturday was Josiah's big day! I made both of the cakes. "Over the Hedge" was the theme for this birthday party...only because I got all the decorations, toys and plates for a wopping $20. Couldn't beat that deal. For the cake, I got the idea from my sister-in-law Dawn. She made her son a Superman cake by printing out an image on regular paper, laminating it and putting it on the cake. The she just added a little frosting around the outside edges. You couln't tell it wasn't a professional made cake. So I did something similar and just printed the image out on photopaper. I think it turned out pretty well, if I might say so myself:) And Josiah's little cake was completely destroyed, so it must have been pretty good!!! What a fun day!!!

At some point during the weekend we all got our hats, gloves and warm coats on and went out to play in the snow. I had a Mickey sled that Josiah had never used and it was the perfect weather for it. We had a ton of fun and got some great pictures.

Samantha took a great picture of Dan and I...we rarely ever get good pictures of the two of us since not very many people know how to use our camera very well. So it was great that she was busy taking pictures.

Josiah tries out his new snow suit from Grandma W. To cute!!

Samantha and Nathan couldn't get enough of Uncle Dan and the games on his laptop. I think Dan was loving it just as much as they were.