December 7, 2008

happy holidays






I love Christmas time. It's so fun to relect upon the year and remember all the great times and count our blessings. Chris is finishing up dental school in May and our family will pass a great milestone--we will no longer be students!! Chris can't wait to have a profession and put studying behind him. We will be relocating with the Air Force once he graduates and we'll find out that location in January. As a whole, we are very excited and optimistic about the future.
We have loved watching our family grow and this year was marked by the arrival of Brady (aka: Brady pants, Dee-dee, Brady boy). We just LOVE having a cute, chubby baby in our midsts. It's so fun watching all of our kids grow, but we really enjoy the baby phase which seems to be passing by so quickly. Brady will be crawling any day now and seems to have a very mellow nature. His favorite activities include doing anything with his siblings. He is so entertained by them and we have loved watching their unique relationships develop.
Mia is a beauty. Maybe we're partial since we are her parents, but we can't help admiring her beauty. She talks very well, so we are getting to know her better each day. We get such a kick out of what she says. Our favorite phrases include: "Stop it Jonah!", "No way!", and "Love you". She's got to be the most polite little one-year old around. She is constantly saying "thank you" and "sorry" without any prompts. Her femine side is emerging more and more lately. She now insists on sleeping with not just one, but two of her baby dolls at night. She is rarely seen without them. We sure enjoy having a little girl in our home.
Jonah loves being the big boy at home. He is so sweet with his siblings....most of the time. We're starting to see his creative side as he develops elaborate scenarios for him and Mia to play. It's not uncommon to see he and Mia crawling around barking like dogs, building forts or racing cars. He's attending pre-school three days a week and loves it. We've seen so much growth in him already and he loves his friends and teachers at school.
Mandi is a busy mother, to say the least. Taking care of the three very young kids is demanding, but she seems to be adapting well. She enjoys a break a few days a month when Chris stays home with the kids and she goes to work as a dental hygienist for a local dentist. It's a great way to make some extra money and for Mandi to keep up her skills. Parenting is so rewarding in so many ways and we feel so blessed to have our children.
We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that you get to enjoy your loved ones as we celebrate our Savior's birth. Merry Christmas!

16 comments:

Tracey said...

You guys are so cute! Now I want to get Sam a tie! Merry Christmas!

Vanessa said...

You have such a gorgeous family! Brady sure is a smiley baby! So cute. Wow, so you are almost done. Good luck these last few months of school. I can only imagine what it will be like to really be done with school. I can't wait for our turn (too bad it wont be for a while). Merry Christmas!!

Whit said...

What a good lookin' little family! I can't believe how much they've grown up since I've seen y'all last! Can't wait to see you guys soon!

thepainterfamily said...

Oh Mandi! What an adorable family! I love your Christmas attire! :) Honestly, I was squealing over your sweet, sweet kiddos. I am so excited for your next adventure. I will really miss having you right there in Kansas City! It was so good to chat the other day! I hope to see you soon! :)

Stacy F said...

I love the pictures, you all look great! Mia's dress is gorgeous!!

Tiffany said...

Your outfits turned out SO cute! You are seriously supermom. You really have to teach me how you do everything. You are always so on top of things. It was so good to talk to you the other day. I'm glad things are going well, we will be waiting to hear where your new home will be next month! We will really miss you guys. Have a merry christmas and we need to get together afterwards.

Mary Morris said...

What cute pictures! You are all coordinated so well.

Merry Christmas!

Lora said...

Your family is just so beautiful. I love their little holiday outfits and of course, you match them perfectly. We might be mailing out cards this year. I have to see if any of our family pictures turned out. Brittney would not cooperate. So we probably have two shots to choose from. Love ya.

Natalie N said...

What a great family newsletter. I loved reading about how all of you are doing. Wow - May '09 will be here before you know it! Congrats in advance on this wonderful milestone. Do keep us posted on where you'll be with the Air Force!

I all of the love pictures; you all look so great! My favorite would have to be the 3 kids together. They have such sweet dispositions. How did you get them to sit so still and perfectly?

Merry Christmas!

Natalie N said...

Sorry...I just re-read my comment. Looks like some dyslexia is kicking in. That nonsensical sentence should read: "I love all of the pictures" DUH! :)

The Nielsen Family said...

Beautiful family picture. I love all the outfits. Mia is a beauty. Sure is fun catching up. I am so interested to hear where you guys will be relocating to!

S&J Jones Family said...

Merry Christmas!! You have such a beautiful family! Where did you get all the matching ties, band, and stuff?

Court and Britt said...

love the pictures!! you all look great:)

Lindsay said...

Your hair is gorgeous!! and your family is so cute!

Whit said...

My boyfriend and I had nursery duty last Sunday and we had so much fun with Jonah. He is SUCH a sweet, spunky little dude :)

Chelle said...

Okay, you guys honestly look like a model family! You should be on post cards. :) I LOVE the matching outfits. You inspire me Mandy! You are truly a domestic goddess. Hope your Christmas was wonderful.