Christmas this year was filled with so much excitement, energy, and anticipation. Adelyn and Boston are at such a fun age! This was also Emmy and Max's first Christmas. This year Adelyn got an IPOD dock, sewing machine, and an art set. Boston got a new bike and helmet and a skateboard. They were both so excited. It was so wonderful to have Christmas close to family and in our own home.
Boston has been attending Skill Builders preschool this year and for the last day of class in December they had a Christmas party. Of course they had to have Santa Clause come and visit. Boston was patient and waited his turn to talk to Santa, and then when it came time to talk to Santa, he would not sit on his lap. So we finally talked him into standing behind Santa so I could get a picture. Silly boy! Not like he didnt sit on Santa's lap 2 times before in the month...or maybe that's why he didnt want to this time.
We went to Tuacahn with the Hugh's family to the live Nativity scene. It was a great way for our kids to see how the story of Jesus's birth in a more interactive and real way. The kids really enjoyed it.... but it definately did not last long. It was especially important for us to make sure our kids knew and recognized the true meaning of Christmas. Before the nativity, we all went and ate Texas Roadhouse in St. George. After the Nativity, the kids went and sat on Santa's lap. Addy was so glad because when she sat on Santa's lap earlier she forgot to tell him she wanted a sewing machine. Here are some pictures we took with Santa!
Because the Rowley side of the family is so big and we are all married and have two families, we decided a few years ago to have a big Rowley family party so all the family could get together during the Christmas season. This year we all decided to have the party up in Salt Lake at Nick and Bridgette's apartments party room. They live in the Brigham Young apartments and the temple is just a short walk away from their house. We loaded the car up to the hilt and packed all the kids in the Traverse and off we went. It was such a blast! I love how Addy and Boss have so many cousin friends they just love to see and play with, and Emmy and Max are fought over by the adults of who gets to hold whom. We ate dinner, visited and then the whole clan walked down to the temple grounds. Poor Chase had broken his foot but was still trying to walk.... so Bren and Linds went and got him a wheelchair. In the meantime, Colby paid Addy 5 dollars to stand and sing with the Sister Missionaries who were singing Christmas Hymns. The whole experiance was such a blast! This is one of the best parts of Christmas for me.... being with family!
Travis has talked about shaving what little hair he has on his head off (actually he had more than he thought). The week after Adelyn's baptism and after Christmas he realized he really didn't have to go back to San Diego for a while and we had no other BiG events coming up so this would be a great time to shave it. He figured that way if he didn't like it he could grow it back. We were up to my parents just chillin when he asked Lindsay to shave his head. Little did I know he had brought his shaver up and had been planning on doing it if Lindsay was there. She got excited and sure enough...... off with the hair. I was dying. He was afraid to look in the mirror. Brennan, my Mom and Dad all LOVED it. It was just so strange to see him with such a drastic new look. I liked it... but the longer he was bald the more I LOVED it. He looked in the mirror the next day and found he liked it also. Love my hottie of a husband!
These two are seven months!! Time is flying by so fast. I am trying so hard to document each moment I can among all the busy,busy in the days. These two celebrated their first Christmas this month. You would think they would be overwhelmed, but it seems like they were just happy to have all the activities and see all the new places and faces. For Christmas they got clothes, a walker, a cars toy (Max), a dolly (Emmy) and a bunch of other presents. They liked to play with the wrapping paper.
Emmy is such a happy baby. She is very busy and is a pro at rolling wherever she wants to be. She gets on her knees and rocks back and forth and is on the verge of crawling. Im not really encourage this milestone for obvious reasons. She gets really vocal and loud when she is hungry or tired. Otherwise she is "go with the flow" and chill. Thank heavens cause her brother is high maintence at the moment. She discovered her toes this month. We love her to pieces. She adores Adelyn and smiles so big and rolls to her everytime she gets home from school. Addy and Emmy have such a neat, special bond and always have since the day she was born.
Max learned how to give kisses this month! He kisses you on the cheek with his mouth wide open. He still has reflux, but his nutramigen is helping his stomach and his skin has completely cleared up. He looks like a little old man. He also discovered his toes this month and he looks at his hands a lot. He learned a new trick: holding his own bottle! This is life-changing for me.
There is a quote on the twins wall that expresses perfectly how I feel: If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart. So true! I feel so overwhelming blessed to have such healthy, happy, beautiful, fun kids!
Today is a day Travis and I have looked forward to and prayed for since Adelyn was born. She has chosen to be baptized. She has been so nervous to get baptized. The week before she was really nervous and she told her activity days teacher she was nervous. Sister Reber got some of the girls in Addy's class that had already been baptized and they came over and shared their experience of when they got baptized. She also had printed off a bunch of material for Addy and answers to questions she might have. Grandpa Rowley also came and got Addy and took her to the church and let her walk into the font so she would be prepared. It was a neat experiance.
The day of her baptism Addy was just so excited. Toni and her kids stayed here that night and Addy was so excited to have Reagan here. Adelyn had so many family members there to support her on both sides of the family. She was baptized with Ayda Ramsey.... whom she was blessed with so that was pretty cool. Travis baptized her and then confirmed her. In the blessing he gave, he blessed her that she would marry in the temple someday. This was very important to me as he did not bless her with this when she was blessed. Afterward, we went to a different church building and had a lunch of Lin's sandwiches. Kim Roy made a beautiful cake. It was such a special day for her and I will always be grateful she made the choice to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
