nine

We hit #9 this week....nine years of marriage.  We were talking about the past nine years the other day and we both agreed that it has gone by rather quickly...yet we can't imagine not being married and having kids...the life before all of that seems like whole other life...strange how that happens.  Needless to say, I am grateful for the past nine years.  I feel like we have learned a lot.  We have had some fun times together, accomplished a lot together and shared some hard times together...isn't that part of what marriage is all about...experiencing life together?!

Do you like my scrunch face in the pic above? I'm trying to make my top lip touch my nose.  I know, pretty talented!  :)

The night before we got married, {Dec. 28, 2001 to be exact}, I remember we had spent the day getting last minute things together.  My brothers and sisters and their families were all coming to Orem to be with us on our big day. Jared's family was all there too.{I am really grateful that everyone was able to be there with us.  It was pretty touching to look around and feel totally overwhelmed with love for family..of course we missed my sis Deb, but I know she was there with us and was celebrating. I am grateful to family for making the sacrifices necessary to be there}. 

So, I remember that night Jared went to see Oceans 11 with some of his college buddies...as guys are he was totally relaxed and not worried about a thing..just calm and ready for the next day.  I on the other hand was puttering around making sure everything was ready & it was.  I remember sitting in my parents basement with my mom and sister and talking while my mom ironed a million white shirts. It was fun to talk and laugh and feel excited for the next chapter in my life.

 {July 2005 Park City, Utah}  Many chapters have followed since then & life has happened. Jobs, houses,  four babies and one lost baby, lost job (thankfully only one and that was in our first year of marriage), moving from one state to another, moving from one country to another, decisions..the list could go on and on. 

I am thankful for it all.  I feel pretty lucky to be married to such a good person.  Jared is a good person and he always tries to do the right thing, even if it is hard. 

I think we are are a good match...I am a stress ball and he is not...He calms me when I need calming..and we both know how to get each other laughing.

I remember one night sitting on the counter in the kitchen (I love sitting on the counter) and my mom and dad were there too and my dad turned to me and said, "Jared is a really good fish, you shouldn't let him get away." We hadn't been dating all that long, but I was surprised and couldn't agree with my dad more.  Jared was and is great. A keeper!

I wish I had some good wedding pics to post, but they are all in a box back at Jared's parents house.

I am also grateful that we are close enough that I can pick his nose for him...haha, just kidding, I am not really sure what we are doing in this pic.  Looks like I am looking for cliff hangers.

So, yay for 9 years.  Looking forward to the next 9 and so on...

Last night we stayed in, put the kids down and ordered Thai food..so yum and watched Prince of Persia.  We are celebrating our anniversary on Saturday out on the water.  We are learning to sail on a yacht..pretty excited!

I am sitting here trying to type more stories, more info...but my eyes are heavy.  Jack was up most of the night, poor little thing is teething...Rex was coughing his head off and Lucy had a bad dream...so therefore I am super tired!  Nighty, night!

kickin it on the beach

The kids waiting on the stairs for moment we give them the go ahead to run down the hall.

Before we opened presents we headed to Queen's Cliff Beach and opened a few presents (beach related presents) The weather was perfect!!  We were there by about 8am and we spent the
next hour playing.  Rex got a new body board and loved using it on the huge waves.

It was fun, something we have never done before.  Our Bishop and his family went to New Zealand for a few weeks and brought us back this mat.  We have been wanting one for a long time.  We love it!!

Livi got a snazzy new beach chair, one that keeps her way off the ground so that sand doesn't get all over her. She isn't a fan of sand .

Jack is a bit of a maniac at the beach.  He likes to consume a large amount of sand in a short amount of time.

 

                                                                 Merry Christmas morning!

Jack got his first pair of flip flops.  I love his chubby feet in them. So tender!

Rex is the one you can see riding in the wave.  Jared is behind him...not the guy on the speedo..thank heavens. haha!

I put Jack's feet in the water and at first he curled his legs up, but after a few times he loved it and wanted to dive in.

Lucy loves, loves, loves the beach.

Livi just likes the beach. :)

Together they had fun though.

We got home about 9:30 and we opened pressies and had waffles for brekkie.  Waffle irons are hard to find here.  For some reason they don't sell them like in the US, so we haven't had waffles for 2 years.  Well, a few weeks ago I was at a yard sale and found a waffle iron for $5.  It was in the box but the box was a little mangled so I figured it was used.  Nope, it was brand new, never been used.  Sweet!

Rex is hilarious! He has been wanting a back stratcher because he says he always has an itchy back.  So I got him a back scratcher...and now he can reach those hard to reach itches on his back.

Livi loves Full House.  She takes after her mother. :) I found the first season on eBay a few months ago and have been dying to give it to her.  We watched 2 discs so far.  Still as cheesy, funny and corny as ever.  Love it!! 

Jack was actually asleep when we opened presents so he opened his in his high chair during breakfast.  Happy first Christmas baby boy!!

It was a scorcher on Christmas day so we spent the rest of the afternoon in the Prepchuk's pool.  It was great, we had a fun time.  {Liv and the boys bobbing around on the noodles.}

Jack's second time in the pool.  He loves it, it is like a huge bath he can splash around in.

Traditional Aussie Christmas meal includes prawns.  Rex, Jared, Wes & Reid ate them...the rest of us said a polite...heck no. :)

Is it just me or does Jack look huge in this photo?! 

Lucy & Lena doing a Christmas cheers.

The next day we went to church and then spent the rest of the day snuggling, relaxing and just being together.  It was perfect.

Jack is crawling everywhere and he is quick.  The other day I turned my back for about 5 seconds and we found him 4 steps away from the top of the staircase.  I think it might be time to put the gates up.

He is pretty proud of himself though.

After dinner we did a few more Christmas crackers.

                                            They were filled with fun little trinkets and hats.

King Rex with his many hats.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS!!

pudding, jammies and crackers

Christmas Eve was spent with our English friends, the Collings family.  They invited us over for a traditional English meal.  It was delicious!  Yorkshire pudding, scrumptious stuffing, turkey, pork...all of it =some serious yum!

It was nice to spend the evening with such nice people.

***

Everyone waiting ever so patiently for the food.

 Lucy was pretty adorable with her cracker.

We headed home around 8:30 to start putting our super excited for Santa to come, kidlets to bedie bye.

A friend at Jared's work gave Lucy this Christmas dress.  She wore it for 2 days straight.  Everyone got a kick out of her at the shops as she clopped around in her feathery high heels.

She is saying, "I am a grand lady.  Clip clop." She is quoting Lola from Charlie and Lola.
{my FAVORITE kids cartoon, by the way, I watch it when the kids are no where around...it's adorable}

These two cutie pies starting dancing and I about died, it was so cute.  Rex was so professional and had Lucy dipping.  Liv yelled out for him to kiss her when he dipped her because that is what Jared does when he dips me...Rex said, "Ahhh...NOOOO."

Jacka Boo with his da da da da da da!  His first and new word is da da da da da.  I even got kicked out of Sunday School at church because he was yelling da da da over and over again and it was so cute but SO loud the teacher kept losing his train of thought.

We let them open their PJ present before bed.  Jack experiencing his first ever present opening.  He liked it! 

This pic cracks me up.  Everyone looked thrilled to be having their picture taken for the bazillionth time.Liv missed her nostril, Rex had too many drinks at supper, Lucy is singing some random song she made up and Jack is doing the scream and arch.

Ahh, sisterly love in their cute Zhu Zhu jammies.  Merry Christmas Eve!