2011 Comes to an End

Well, the year has come to an end and I sit here in awe of what has happened, just to our little family. We moved into our first home at the end of last year and it has been a work in progress since then. You don't realize how much work a house requires until you try and make it your home. The boys are growing up fast and Dustin and I are trying to keep up :) They are such joys...full of creativity, energy, and sweetness. The bond they have as brothers is indescribable. Nothing can warm my heart more than hearing my boys tell each other "I love you"!

We got Chickens, a composter, and our garden. All of which Dustin & I had been wishing for but unable to create with out this house. It may seen minimal, but it's amazing how your life can be so directed with opportunity. Which brings me to the point of this post....opportunity! With each day, I  realize just how fortunate I am, how fortunate my family is, and how much we really have to be thankful for. Complaints can be voiced each day...but we are able to change the direction of unhappiness into something positive!

We (our family) have so much, and yet much less than most people. We live with one car, on a strict budget, and plan for major upgrades and expenses. And yet I think we are ultimately, quite happy compared to many. We don't desire more than we have, well at times maybe, but overall we are content. I believe our travels have shown us how "the other half lives" so to speak. I have learned just how precious clean living environments, health care, and nutrition really are. At times, I am sad about how the world is progressing, I worry for our children. And yet all I can really do is hope.


That is my New Year's Resolution...if there is a negative, find hope! And if it can't be done, then I will  accept it and find a way to learn from it.

May we all find Hope... Happy 2012 to you all!

Christmas Dinner

For Christmas dinner we returned to our Cioppino tradition! We opened a Napa Cab that we have been saving for 7 years and it was well worth the wait.

Christmas Morning

Our Christmas morning this year was filled with blueberry pancakes, sweet babies opening presents, skyping with Oma & Opa, and a great family gathering at my father's house. The boys were showered with gifts and mom & dad did pretty well too! Santa was good to the Holley family this year...although Rhonen is still convinced that Santa is going to bite you! So be-ware :)

Cousins

We had a great little pre-Christmas celebration with our Cousins...please take note of the pictures above (aka Jackson getting ready to pop Rhonen with a plush soccer ball). We had a wonderful morning with our Chico family!

Christmas with Gigi & Gramps

My grandmother (the boys' Great Grandmother) and Gramps came to Chico for an early holiday celebration. It was a wonderful evening! The boys got a new table, lots of books, and wonderful toys. We enjoyed home made tamales, courtesy of Dustin. We are so fortunate to have such a supportive and loving family base, and I am more aware of this each year!

Oh Christmas Tree

We have a beautifully decorated Tree, a noble fir. It smells amazing and is very charming. However, it has all of the ornaments on the top of the tree, so our children don't destroy them! It looks somewhat unbalanced, but wonderful nonetheless!

Thanksgiving 2011

This year we had Thanksgiving Holiday with the Holley's who drove all the way from Utah and San Jose to be with us. Rhonen and Jackson got to spend two whole days with their cousin Ekite. Dustin cooked an amazing Turkey with all the fixings. We are so fortunate to have such a great family to share Thanksgiving with!

New Do

Cottage Cheese & Spoon

Jackson has insisted that he feed himself 100% of the time...which makes for very messy mealtimes. He loves to use his spoon and is pretty good at maneuvering it.

30 Months...aka 2 1/2!

Rhonen is now a big boy 2 1/2! He growing and changing so much each day. Here is a list of recent accomplishments:

-He can sing songs and sometimes he makes up his own words.
-He is a great climber, often going to the top of the play structures by himself. He can even climb the pretend rock wall at the playground!
-He decided that he wanted to sleep in his big boy bed and has done so successfully.
-He is starting the potty training 1st steps...he even went in his potty for the first time!
-He is a great brother! Lately he takes Jackson's hand  and tells him what they are going to look for..."Come on Jack Jack, let's go see mama" is what I heard this morning. He is very loving and and kind with Jackson
-He can draw straight lines.
-He can almost always find the moon in the sky, day or night.
-He carries on conversations at the park with other children and adults.
-He can pour his milk over the cereal, with supervision of course.

These are just a few of the wonderful things we get to be a part of each day! What a wonderful child he is :)

The Reading Chair

This is our reading chair...that is now a new "nap" chair :) Rhonen is now sleeping in his toddler bed but he sometimes falls  asleep here after a good book.

Halloween 2011

This year for Halloween Rhonen was a pirate and Jack was a cute clown. Mommy was a kitty and Daddy was "Bubbles", TV character. Rhonen was not too thrilled to dress up but quickly caught on to the trick-or-treat protocol. And Jackson was right behind brother, ready to collect treats in his bucket. I must say that holidays truly take on a new found glory when  you have children to share them with!

2011 Pumpkins

Picture Time

I took the boys to a local photographer, Park Avenue by Terese. She has the cutest props and we some great shots. I was exhausted at the end, trying to get photots of two toddlers can be difficult. Oh, and we had to get the last photo of Jackson because it was just too sweet to pass up :)

Jackson trying to catch chicken

Rhonen is sick

Rhonen has been sick for about 6 days with a bad cough, fever, and runny nose. We went to see our Pediatrician Dr. Brown on Monday, but she told us his lungs were clear and didn't warrant antibiotics (which he's never even had, knock on wood)! Here is a cute video Dustin took today, he's sweet even when he feels crummy!

Hawe's Pumpkin Patch

We took the boys to a pumpkin patch in Anderson, which is about an hour north of Chico. This place was amazing. It was like a harvest dream come true for families. It had pony rides, a real Train, tractor rides, a four-horse stage coach, a giant bounce pad, play areas, food and of course, pumpkins! The farm was so picturesque...the snow capped Mt. Shasta loomed in the back ground on a perfect October day. We all had a great time. I think we'll try a few other pumpkin patches this month, but Hawe's will be hard to beat.