Valentine's Day!

For Valentine's this year I decided to do some pictures of Maddy and then attempted to learn Josh's photoshop for touch ups, without him knowing. I didn't do too shabby if I say so myself. (Excuse my gloating, I'm just proud of myself). I framed some of the pics and surprised Josh with them on Valentine's morning. It was so fun to see his face. I love him sooo much and am grateful to be able to tell him I love him everyday.

Maddy and Addie BFF's

Josh and I have some great friends who have a little girl named Addelaid and they call her Addie. She is only about 15 hours younger than Maddy. Our friend Katie and I found out within days of eachother that we were pregnant. Katie ended up being a week over due and I was almost 2 weeks early. The morning we delivered Maddy Josh called Austin and Katie to let them know we were in the hospital and they just laughed. Katie's water had broken just before our phone call and they were on their way to the hospital. Ever since then these girls have LOVED being around eachother. They are just so dang cute and complete opposites in their looks but the best of buddies. There is an older picture of them in a box on here (Austin was taking them on rides down the stairs) but the rest are all fairly recent. We love you little Addie and hope you will always be around!

Big Horn Sheep Park

We decided to take a family day with just the three of us right after the new semester started. We went out to the Big Horn Sheep Park in Boulder City and Maddy LOVED the sheep. She wanted to walk right in the middle of them. One of Josh and I's greatest joy's is watching Maddy on a swing. The look on her face is pure happiness and it can only make you laugh while you watch on.

Happy New Year!!

New Years was so much fun. We started it out by getting Maddy all dressed up. Josh and I were getting ready and Maddy came into the bathroom and kept saying "hair, hair". She likes having her hair brushed so we decided to get her dolled up for the evening as well. She had gotten a brand new outfit from her aunt Rachel and she looked so adorable in it. We all went to dinner with Mom and Dad Moser, Justin and Melissa, Justin and Rachelle, Jerry and Shannon and Shannon's younger sister Jackie and her friend Troy (we were so excited to see them while they were down.) We ate oh so yummy mexican food and then most of us headed back to Justin and Melissa's to have smores made over their firepit, hot chocolate and play with sparklers. They have a fantastic view of the city from their house so we also got to see all the fireworks. I love spending holidays with family, they make them so memorable. Thanks to Justin and Melissa for hosting it and to dad Moser for doing the sparklers, the kids LOVED it!

CHRISTMAS

For Christmas this year we had Christmas Eve with the Mosers and Christmas Day with the Mangums. This was also Jerry and Shannon's last Christmas here for a while so we decided to spend Christmas Eve night with them at Mom and Dad Moser's house. I am so glad we did. We had such a great time. Christmas morning Cohen and Maddy got little car type things to ride on. They were sooooo cute! Jerry was SHOCKED when he found a full set of lefty golf clubs with his name on them and I was STUNNED when I found a brand new digital camera with my name on it. I'm not going to lie, I cried. I was so excited! I've been wanting one for a long time and I couldn't believe it was actually sitting there. We opened presents then headed over to mom and dad Mangum's for a few more presents and breakfast. Clint had to work that day but he made a special stop at the house with his police car so all the kids could see the lights and sit in the back. They were so excited. At Christmas time we always reflect on the great blessings we have had through the year and this year I was especially grateful. A month before Josh started grad school we decided that I would quit work at the end of the year and be a full time mom. We were both a little nervous since at the time Josh barely had a job and he was getting ready to start school. We decided to put our place up for rent and when I quit we would move in with my parents. Well the first blessing came 2 weeks after Josh started school. He was given a Grad Assistant job at the University and that meant he could spend all day at the school. No more running back and forth, he had 80% of his tuition taken care of and about 80% of his health insurance paid for. On top of all that he received a monthly stipend that ended up being more then we expected. So many blessings, we just couldn't believe it. The hunt for a renter was not going so well so in December we decided to put our place up for sale. December 23rd was my last day of work and it was very bitter sweet. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that I would be spending my days with our daughter and I was so thrilled and felt sooooo much peace. It was all I had ever wanted. I was going to miss all my friends at work and that meant everybody. It was such a fantastic place to work with great coworkers and a wonderful boss. This job was a huge blessing for our family and I was going to miss the people. I am so grateful for a husband who has such a strong testimony and great faith in our Lord and Savior. This was a step that scared us terribly but we both felt it was time and the Lord wanted me home. Maddy and Josh needed me there and the closer we got to me quitting the more evident it became. I really couldn't have asked for anything more for Christmas. We hadn't had any real bites on our house for a while. We decided not to move in with my parents until we had a renter or until we sold it so we spent the first weeks of the new year just praying for lookers. The middle of January came, we found a renter and within a week we were moved out. It has been such a blessing to be here with my parents. They have helped us so much, we can't express the gratitude and love we have for them and the sacrifices they are making for our little family. It was very sad to leave our ward. We had become a family in that ward and that was how we saw the members. They were truly part of our family and they took care of us very well. I miss my young women terribly and all the leaders I worked with in the program. They all taught me so much and will forever be grateful for their examples. I have a firm testimony in prayer and sacrifice. It is so hard sometimes but the Lord always knows what is best for us. If we could only rely on him more easily we could probably get a lot more of His work done on this earth. I have a firm testimony of family. Being a mother is the greatest gift I could have ever received and having such a wonderful and loving husband next to me is more than I could ever ask for. I am grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for our Heavenly Father. The sacrifices they made for me are countless. I love them and can't wait for the day I can fall into their arms and know I did all I could to get back to them.

MoTab Christmas Concert

So we were able to get 4 tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert this year and I was soooooo excited. I had never been to one but Josh and his family have when they were young and they just loved it. Mom and Dad Moser came with us and we went and spent the weekend in Salt Lake. We got to stay with Uncle Bill and Aunt Kim and we had such a great time with them. We wish we could have stayed longer. Jessica and Jayden were there with them and we even got a chance to talk to Jessica's husband (sorry I'm having a brain fart on his name) who is on active duty in Iraq. He and Jessica were talking over the webcam so we talked to him and got to see him. We were so grateful for that. We are so thankful to all of our family who are and who have been in the service. Their sacrifice we could never repay but we love you very much and you are always in our prayers. We also got to spend a little time with my little sister Kristin and her husband Ryan. They took Maddy for us while we had dinner and went to the concert. THANKYOU SO MUCH!! Ryan was so sweet, when they brought her back to us we met on Temple Square and Maddy had fallen asleep in the car and he didn't want to wake her up so he carried her from the car to us while she was in her carseat (not an infant seat, a full car seat). He is such a sweet uncle and we just love him tons! We also got a great unexpected surprise and ran into Josh's old mission companion and his little family. It was a total fluke but we are so grateful for those fluke's. Ryan and Sarah have a little girl named Cora who is only 2 days younger than Maddy and it was a little shocking to see how much they look alike. Same big brown eyes and dimples in the exact same place. Sooo cute! We love them and miss them tons but were so grateful to see them. The lights on Temple Square were just exquisite and the concert was phenomenal. It was a great way to start the Christmas season.