Six.

This little boy isn't so little anymore. He turned six on Saturday. He's got so much personality and charm you can't help but want to be around him. He makes us laugh and is silly, and fun. He is confidant and will try anything. He always gives 100% when doing something. He is so handsome and has a wonderful smile. I'm so grateful he's mine. We love you Ty.

We just had a small gathering for his birthday. I told the kids they didn't get friend parties because we're already going to Disneyland, so we just had family and one of his friends from school over. We just had cake and ice cream, and played and visited. Ty had a great day.

ps. don't mind Ty's blue mouth. He got some trick candy that makes your mouth blue for his birthday but of course he had to try it first to see if it worked:)

Favourite things.

Here are some of my favourite things right now:

1. The color mint green

2. Anything chevron



3. An app on my Iphone called Song Pop. You challenge people to a song guessing duel. they have a ton of different genre's of music and then they play a small part of the song and you either have to guess the title or the artist. It is so fun.




4. My mustache mug that I got at Target. I love drinking hot chocolate during the winter months and I won't drink it from any other cup right now.

5. Coconut M&M's. I found them down in the States and can't wait to get down there again to pick some more up.




6. Cookie Butter. Its a really yummy spread that taste's like creamy Gingerbread. My sister in-law brought me back some from the State's. I can't wait to get some more. Its really good with apples and pretzels. We've also put if on pancakes. You get it from Trader Joe's.




7. Fish Tail braids. I'm getting pretty good at doing them to myself.




9. Nail polish. I'm not much of an accessory person. Usually just earrings, so nail polish kind of is an accessory to me. I love the brand Essie.

Musical Beds

We've had some interesting sleeping arrangements around here for awhile. Well, it all started at the end of summer when Hayley started teething, then she had a cold, then she was teething, then she got a cold...so she wasn't sleeping very well. She would wake a lot in the night and sometimes be up for a couple of hours. We made McKenna a bed on our floor and she would sleep there so that Hayley wouldn't disturb her. Then Nate started having his anxiety and he would come into our room at night. Then Ty didn't want to be in his room all by himself, so at one point we had all three kids on our floor. I think Hayley realized she was all alone on the other side of the house so she refused to sleep in her crib. She would scream and scream and scream. I can't let my babies cry it out like that so we ended up sleeping in Nate's bed with her and she would sleep really good like that. Ryan and I would take turns sleeping with her the whole night. Now that Hayley wasn't using her room we put McKenna back in her bed, and the boys on her floor. That worked for a while. Nate and Ty were sleeping really good there, so I knew they would be fine to go back into their room. We moved Hayley to our floor, and the boys back in their room.

McKenna then decided she wanted to sleep in Hayley's crib.

At least someone was using it. Ryan and I would keep trying to put Hayley in her crib and she continued to scream and freak out. Finally at one of her nap times, she cried a bit and then was quiet. She had fallen asleep. I was so excited. Then she did at night, and now she is doing it pretty regularly.

Things are starting to feel like normal again around here.

The only thing is, Hayley sleeps way better if she's sleeping with us. If she's in her crib she occasionally will sleep through the night, but most of the time she wakes up a ton and then she is awake for a couple of hours, so as nice as it is to have her in her crib, I'm tempted to move her back on our floor. I need me some sleep. We'll try a little longer but I'll do anything to get a good night's sleep.

Snow day.

We've got a ton of snow right now. I love the snow when it is not too cold outside and there is no wind. Friday morning we woke up to a ton of snow so I kept the boys home and they played in it all morning. Hayley and I even went out for a bit. Hayley loved being outside but she wasn't too sure about the snow.

Then on Saturday we went out to the farm and went ski-dooing and tobogganing all afternoon. It was so much fun. The boys even got to try out Auntie Shannon's snowboard. They loved it. I forgot how much fun snow can be!

Love.

I love this little girl, and I especially love this picture...

I also love this picture...

Cute cousin's sharing.

2013

I love the beginning of a new year. It always feels like a celebration of the previous year and a fresh start for the new year with new possibilities and new opportunities. We celebrated the New Year with the Olsen clan. We had a yummy Cafe Rio style dinner and then had chocolate fondue for dessert. We always have a good time visiting and eating. Love that family.

Here are some things I am looking forward to this year:

Organizing the house from top to bottom! This can take a few months, but it always feels good when it is done.

Getting the basement organized. It isn't finished so its just a disaster area. Now that Ryan closed in a storage room and the furnace, I feel like I can make it a nice, livable space until we're ready to finish it.

Our trip to Disneyland which is in 5 weeks! I never got to go when I was young so I am super stoked for this trip. I've been counting down for over a year.

I really want to get the girl's room all finished and decorated nice. McKenna will be getting a new bed soon and I want to have that space finished for them.

My sister in-law's wedding this summer. Its always exciting to sit around and plan, so to see the finished product and finally experience it will be so wonderful.

Having 3 kids in school next fall. I can hardly believe it will only be Hayley and I each morning.


What I'm not looking forward to is having to tighten our budget so we can go crazy on our debt. It is so hard but I know it will be so worth it in the end. The end won't come this year, but I'm hoping for huge progress.

I hope you all had a wonderful 2012 and that you've got big plans for 2013!