Christmas

Christmas was fun this year. We spent way too much but this was the first year we had the boys open a bunch of gifts that were wrapped under the tree. Other years we have gotten them just one big gift. It was really fun but at first a bit disappointing. Jake arranged the tree and presents all perfect so when they came out Christmas morning they would all light up and open up their gifts. You know, the way we remember Christmas. Well Brody wanted to play the computer and Ryan wanted to watch a movie in the playroom. So they looked in the living room at the gifts and then both cried when they couldn't leave to do what they wanted. Then Jake and I decided to do our gift exchange until they were ready to open gifts like all the other children do! In the end they all had so much fun. This is the first year Ryan sort of started to act like he understood the whole Santa thing. Maybe next year we'll try more with baby Jesus being the real meaning of Christmas.

I got a couple videos of the boys opening up their presents and being cute but Blogger has NEVER been good about videos so I am not even going to try

As you might be able to see we moved all the toys up right with their names on them and nothing was in the back so they could see all the gifts. Guess in the end they really didn't care.

I feel I have been cheating. But in a bad way. Not cheating like those women and men who pretend and lie to prove they aren't. I feel I have cheated and haven't made an effort to seem like I am not. Between all the busy life that ensues in this time of year PLUS my new iPhone and Facebook, I have severely neglected my first marriage with Blogger.

I love Blogger and it is a true love. But the cheating has probably made Blogger feel betrayed and unloved.

I think partly is that I have had very little pics lately and sometimes my iPhone takes better quality pictures (which is so sad when you think that our camera is pretty new). It is just so easy and convenient to use the phone to pose on Facebook. More so, this holiday season we have been having so much fun that we haven't stopped to take pictures. Understandable but I know we'll regret it later.

But I am powering through and posting on Blogger!

Holiday Party

I have already posted some pics on Facebook but not everyone is on Facebook plus there are some photos that I took that I feel more comfortable posting on the blog.

I didn't get any pics from the actual party. There were like 800 people at the party and it was fun to meet all of Jake's co-workers but I would have felt weird to snap a bunch of pictures at a party like the one they had.

It was a fun excuse to dress up and go out to downtown Phoenix and eat a nice meal at a hotel.

Thanks to Becky for doing my hair and helping me pick out an outfit. My hair is always so straight, straight, straight so it was lots of fun to have it curly. I hated taking all the pics of myself I was was trying to capture how pretty my hair looked and the rest of my outfit!

New Toy

I might have been the last in the world to get a 'smart phone' but I got an iPhone last week and I can't seem to stop playing around on it. To re-sign a 2 year contract at AT&T, we were able to get this phone for $0.99! Couldn't resist that great deal.

So between the iPhone and newly joining Facebook I feel I am finally part of our advanced Society!!

Now I can understand conversations or jokes about apps and Angry Birds!!

Thanksgiving

After the meal and some visiting the Parker kids wanted the uncles to teach them how to play Halo on the Xbox (just like the pilgrims you know)!
Not much of decor and sadly I only had a before shot and not with all the food

This year it was decided to not have turkey so Jake spent a couple hours smoking a pork shoulder (strangely called a Boston Butt)

It was juicy and extremely yummy!

Every year I tell myself to take lots of pictures during Thanksgiving. I mean one of the main reasons we take pictures is because we are trying to capture a moment and remember it for years to come! This was a goal, especially this year I wanted to take lots of pictures during the Miller Thanksgiving so that Donna and Dennis could see some pictures cause they are serving a mission in Italy. BUT, as always, I got caught up with hosting, children and talking with family. As you can see I only took 4 pictures. As for not taking any pictures at the Hatch family Thanksgiving - I blame that on my kids. Ryan was chasing rabbits most of the time in the backyard of my Uncle Kirk's house. With Brody we had to be weary of the pond. He would occasionally sneak over there and look around to make sure no one was noticing. Ryan had lots of fun though. I think Ryan was very confused that the rabbits did not stop as he was yelling, "hey, hey rabbits. Stop. I coming. Hey, hey rabbits, come here"

Both family meals were lovely and very enjoyable because they were not only with wonderful family and yummy food but they were on different days. This year the Millers celebrated Thanksgiving on Saturday night. It made for more enjoyment cause there was no trying to balance time with both families or rushing off to another meal.

I am thankful for my beautiful and amazing little boys.

I am thankful for a husband who truly strives to make me happy. I hope I have made him half as happy as he has made me.

I am also thankful for family. Extended family with all the aunts, uncles and cousins. I love them all and it is always wonderful to visit with them. I am grateful for marrying into a family and having such an easy time having such great friends in all my brother and sister in-laws.

This Thanksgiving more than most, I realize that I am blessed beyond words and I feel that I can't thank the Lord enough for all that I have been given.

I hope everyone else had a fantastic and very Happy Thanksgiving!

Funny, cute children

Of course every parent thinks their kids are the cutest but I thought I would post some pictures of my adorable boys

Dressed for church!

Ryan is wearing the polo because his dress shirt was wrinkled and I realize (first time since the move) that we don't have an iron or ironing board!

A very dressy and cute Brody
Wearing Daddy's shoes - Ryan is always entertaining me during the day

In this new house there is an Arizona room (enclosed patio) we use it as a playroom. It has been wonderful for the boys. There is a sink in the room to. I thought at first it would be great but then I realized the flaw is that they would constantly mess with it. So the water is turned off but that apparently doesn't stop the kids. With where the entertainment center is situated with the cable and all the best place to put a couch is right by the sink. Which in the end has become their stepping stool to the sink. So everyday at least once this is what I see

It is cute but dangerous so Jake and I are constantly telling the kids to get down off of the sink. We have silly, risk-taking boys!

Recently Brody has started playing games on the computer. It is just some games on Nick Jr. but it is neat how just within a week's time he went from not being able to use a computer to being able to navigate on Nick Jr's website and use a mouse really well.

The downside is the fixation and always wanting to be on it. Oh and not going potty cause he is so into his computer games. But I guess it is good for Brody to learn to transition and also have something he loves to motivate him when he needs to work on something.

I caught Brody this way the other day

I guess he had got a hold of some candy and this was the scene when I caught him!

I thought it was naughty but pretty funny

This was just a funny pic I had to include. This is the door to the play room. I turned a movie on for Ryan. I guess he didn't want to be too close to the television and/or didn't want to fully commit to the movie. So until he could decide he sat like this for (not exaggerating) 5 full minutes watching from the doorway.

Children sure keep a person busy but definitely make life interesting

Halloween

Halloween is always interesting with a child with autism. Brody hated his costume this year. Refused to wear it more than a minute or two. I didn't necessarily love the costume for him either but apparently someone his size and age doesn't have much of a choice if they don't want to be a superhero or character. He loved being Tigger last year but they don't make costumes like that for someone Brody's size. I even looked all over online. So that is why I went with the Buzz Lightyear costume and now I am kicking myself cause he hated it so much.

He also refused to say Trick or Treat, Happy Halloween or even Thank you. He was too focused on being mad that he couldn't go into the people's houses when we went up to trick or treat. Brody assumes we are going to someone's house to play and there is a possibility of toys in the house. So he was so mad last night after the 5th house and we didn't go inside to play.

Last year we went to a Trunk or Treat and now I realize why it is probably better to go to that.

This was part of the scream-fest while at home before we gave up.

Ryan was cool and ready to go as Tigger (he doesn't really know Winnie the Pooh characters so he always corrects me and says he is tiger)

This was the ONLY picture of both boys dressed for Halloween before I gave up forcing Brody

Halloween costumes that are too small

This picture was from a couple weeks ago when Brody saw this in Ryan's closet and he got so excited but as you can see it is way too small and I wanted to buy Brody a costume because it would be something Ryan can grow into for another year instead of buying Ryan a costume. FYI - Halloween costumes are SO expensive!

Speaking of too small this was a costume bought last year that was too small for Brody but didn't realize that till we were at home. I saved it hoping it would fit Ryan but he was too tall for it and it was stretched on this torso making it too small on his face.

Too bad though - would have been adorable!

Aren't they adorable

It has been a while since I have posted. So I snapped a couple pictures of my adorable boys and one of our cute Mollie. Life is okay just lots of poop in our lives still. We had a follow up with the GI specialist. Brody's results were looked over by the doctor and an exam of his belly all pleased her. The follow up treatment from the clean out is that Brody has to be on TWO LAXATIVES everyday for the next three months. I don't give him the laxatives till after he comes from school so it is a long afternoon and evening of pooping from a child reluctant to go on a toilet. The issue the doctor says happens with a lot of her patients with autism is that they are not going poop when they need to thus being one of the reasons he had some retention. Also all the laxatives will force him to poop also helping potty train him. Brody wants to control and keep himself from going and sometimes the problem is he is not relaxed enough to go. Even now, a couple days into having him on the laxatives Brody refuses to go after I take him all the time. It should get better each day with him not withholding his bowel movements. So here is hoping tomorrow adds more poop to the toilet and less in pull-ups, floor, hands, bathtub and sink!! (With that last sentence I am pretty sure I just kissed goodbye any future visitors to our house :)

The good news is that there are two new babies in our lives. Two beautiful baby boys were born within days of each other. My sister Jada had Lorenzo on Sept 15th and my dearest friend Amber had Arlo on Sept 17th. Both women are amazing and we are all excited for the addition of two precious baby boys in this world.

P.S. Ryan is deathly afraid of newborn babies!