More Resolutions

I am posting these so I can be more accountable.

-Be more organized, especially with my photos on my computer and certain areas in my home


-Finish projects I have started


-Cherish every moment with my family and loved ones


-Learn to be more frugal and pay off our debt

Happy New Year!

This year has been very crazy, fun, busy, exciting, changing, tough, and wonderful. We are looking forward to another new year but I wonder... Why do we wait until the first of January to start a new diet or new organizing plan? Why not start on September 12? April 22? Why do we wait until Anniversaries and Valentines to show our love for someone, or Birthdays to show how special they are? Why do we scrapbook Birthdays and Holidays, Vacations and Photo Shoots but have a hard time taking pictures of everyday stuff? Why do we wait until someone is gone (even if only for a week on a trip) to really appreciate them? Just some things I have been pondering. So, I guess one of my New Year's resolutions is to live life more fully, everyday not just the special occasions and appreciate what I've got. And I am starting it right now!

Cameron's new friend

The other day Cameron was eating in his highchair and I was upstairs doing something. I heard him talking to someone so I came down to see what was going on. He was looking out the back widow and talking. I looked for a bird or rodent or spider... nothing. I got him down and he ran right over and started talking to a fly on the inside of the window. He was playing with it! He'd talk and laugh and scold. The fly would buzz around at him and Cameron would run away screaming. That happened several times. Then he got his book and shared it with the fly. I sat there watching this thinking, " I have got to set up a play date for him!"

More Traditions!

Christmas Jammies
Green Pancakes and Red Syrup

Special toys and books brought out only at Christmas Time

Sunday Best!

Cameron's new Sunday outfit....

And, yes those are jeans, but never fear, Gramma D got him some chocolate brown corduroys for Christmas.

Tradition....... Tradition!

Okay I know you were thinking of the Fiddler on the Roof after reading that title! Unless you haven't seen it... then you have no idea what I'm talking about and think I am a crazy person! Anyway, Jenny inspired me to post our Christmas traditions. I grew up with a lot of traditions and some have been carried on in our home, along with new traditions.

Before Christmas we see Santa at a different location every year and try to go do a few fun outings. Last year we saw the Salt Lake Temple lights, Zoo Lights, a Suns Game, and saw Santa sitting in a sleigh outside a little boutique in Draper, Utah. This year we went on a Sleigh Ride, played in the snow, saw the Arizona Temple Lights one night while they were being installed (so it wasn't crowded) and saw Santa at Bass Pro Shops. Growing up we didn't have a ton of clothes but we always got fancy dresses for Christmas and Easter. Cameron gets a new Sunday outfit for those holidays too!

Christmas Eve

- Green Pancakes and Red Syrup

- Driving to see the lights around the neighborhood

- Christmas Program (I used to plan and coordinate one every year in my home but when I moved out I made a slideshow to music. It changes some years but has some songs about the true story of Christmas and a song or two with our Christmases through the years)

- Christmas Jammies (Not always Christmas themed)

- Reading The Night Before Christmas (This will be our first year doing this and I am totally stealing Jenny's idea of wrapping the Christmas books and opening one every day.)



Christmas Morning

- We each take turns opening presents

- Cameron gets a new ornament for his tree

It's begining to look like Christmas finally!

So this year, I was a little behind, but our decorations and lights are finally up. And the house is finally clean. With the cloudy, chilly, rainy weather I have gotten in the spirit and am excited. It has been a tough month for us with being sick and transitioning to me working part-time and having a miscarriage. But we are trying to focus on our little family and what we have. Each other, Cameron and his sweet spirit and cute little attitude, our beautiful home, wonderful and supportive family and friends, and even our jobs. Here are a few pictures of our home all decked out for Christmas.

Sleigh rides!

Obviously it was a carriage ride (with wheels), but they were advertised as complimentary sleigh rides. We stood in a long line, but it was a fun thing to do and Cameron seemed to enjoy looking at the lights. Afterwards we played in the "snow". Cameron liked that too, until he looked up and it got in his face.

Santa

We went to see Santa tonight at Bass Pro Shops. He was really great! He told us that Cameron is very handsome and that he is so tall he looked 3 instead of almost 2. He didn't make Cameron sit on his lap, because he didn't want Cameron to have a bad experience. Cameron told him he wanted a trike for Christmas. They had this whole wonderland set up, trains and reindeer, and shooting galleries... you know, just like the north pole.

Cameron is talking!

Okay, not a lot. But he is getting better just about everyday. It's been really fun as he is learning so much. Momma, Daddy, Hi, Bye-bye, Nigh-night, Go, Uh-oh, and 1,2,3 Go, All done/All gone (which vary from day to day and mean both when he is done and when he wants you to be done with something he wants), up? (to get picked up) fishies, What is it?, What's that?, Who is it?, have all been around for awhile.

Now he calls for me Momma? or when I walk into the room and he is excited to see me then it's Ma! He folds his hands for prayers and has recently started saying Amen afterwards. Once in a while he will put his finger to his lips and say shhhhhh... Shoes is fairly new and oooOOOOoooo has mostly been replaced with Wow! Book? (with a slightly silent k) and Ball. (with slightly silent ll's) are also new and sometimes sound very similar. Here go, as he hands something to you. Now he asks Where'd go? then says There it is! He also says Oh Man! which sometimes sounds more like Oh Ma. Tadaa! is one of my very faves. My sister-in-law Jenny said he said more? to ask for more popcorn, while my friend Jade(who has been watching him while I go to work) said that he barely talks to her but she was trying to get him to say all done after lunch and finally he looked down and whispered it. We are working on please but are still only getting mmmmm? but are happy with a nice sound instead of crying or screaming. We are also learning on/off as he has learned to switch the light switch and open/shut.

He also knows a lot of words meaning but doesn't say them. If we say "Do you want to go?" he grabs his shoes and tried to put them on or if they are already on he will go to the door. He understands bath and several other day to day directions like snack, food, movie, nigh-night, kisses, peek-a-boo, book. If we say 1,2,3 he shouts Go! If we say put your arms in he will do that to get dressed. If we ask where is your nose, he points to it. If we say "Where is Cameron?", he hides and knock, knock, gets him to knock on the door. Depending on the day and current mood he "forgets" what no means and just ignores me until I come over to him, then he runs away and laughs like it's a game...I do not like that. Jade says that when she tells him no, he shuts he eyes like then she can't see him.

He is also becoming a big helper... most days anyway. Handing me clothes when I'm doing the laundry, closing the dishwasher for me, picking up things I point to and ask for, putting Daddy's shoes in the shoe basket, closing doors that are supposed to be kept closed, and helping put his toys away.

On a side note I put a Santa Potato Head on Cameron's Radio Flyer Retro Rocket toy and when he saw it there he walked over to it pointed at it while telling him off in baby talk and smacked it right off then got on the rocket and (I think purposefully) ran over the Potato Head! He has also told off some kids at a mall play area and Jade's 4 month old baby Indiana (who just laughs at him).

Hello!

So, I've been told I haven't been very good at posting. Sorry, we all got sick for about 2 and a half weeks right after the zoo and were in urgent care ... it was bad. Then we got better and it was Thanksgiving weekend, getting ready for the holidays, starting a new job. Well it's actually the old job at EVIT. I am there part time helping the students again. I really enjoy working there. Anyway there is a lot going on this month of course but I will try to post more soon!