DEAR SANTA

Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a house full of love and laughter. I want to make memories my kids will remember with traditions they will want to pass on. I want my house filled with the sound of Christmas music and the smells of goodies baking. I want days spent with family and friends. Remember Santa I do love the snow!! "Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!" Oh and a couple pairs of fun cute socks as well if it's not too much trouble!
Love Melissa



Here's the kids writing their letters to Santa. You can't write letters to the big guy without cookies and hot chocolate!!!
This is what the kids want for Christmas.........

Addison
DawsonKy

The kids all wrote their letters themselves this year-even little Ky man!

Festival of Trees

Saturday we started off the day with waffles at Grandpa and Grandmas. He makes the best waffles! Then it was off to the Festival of Trees and to see Santa! The trees were amazing yet again.They had trees decorated for all the Disney princesses, including Tinkerbell. Addy took a picture by the Tinkerbell tree for Grandma Wood who loves Tink! They had Spider man, Superman, Batman, they had it all. Here are the kids highlights! P.S. The American Flag tree was for the soldiers-so that was for you Tay!
So when we went to go see Santa, something rather unusual happened. Dawson was scared. Not just a little, he was crying and would not sit or talk to Santa. Crazy! Never saw that one coming. It wasn't until I told him a "little secret", that he was all for talking to the big guy. I told him that this was just one of Santa's helpers dressed up like Santa,ya know like Halloween. Santa was to busy, so he sent his helper to talk to the kids and bring back the list of what they wanted. "OH" he said. Then off he ran while drying his tears to go and talk to "Santa".
Ky of course cried when sitting on Santa's lap.
Addy sat and told Santa what she wanted. No picture obviously with all the drama, oh well maybe next year!

Thanksgiving Fireworks

Friday night was the annual Thanksgiving fireworks. We LOVE fireworks at the Wood house! We got all bundled up and off we went. This year they had a little program prior to the fireworks. Then Santa came to set off the fireworks! It was a spectacular show. Ky didn't even move the whole time. I have never seen him that still in my life, not even his his sleep!

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

This year for Thanksgiving we stayed home! It was wonderful! We spent a lot of time as a family and not in the car!!!! We hung up the Christmas lights on our house, Addy and Dawson were big helpers. We had a Wii PJ party, we shopped, we took the kids to see Christmas Carol- the movie with Grandma and Grandpa. We did the fireworks on Friday, the Festival of Trees on Saturday and of course saw Santa.It was just a nice weekend!
Thanksgiving day pics of the family. We had Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Morris's.
All the kids. Poor Addy was the only girl cousin this year, however I don't think she cared one little bit!


The whole gang

Thanksgiving night we had a WII pajama party!
We had a great Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for. We are so blessed and I feel so grateful for some many reasons. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!!!

BYE ,BYE, BYE (binkie, bottle and 2 naps)and other Milestones!

Let me start off by saying, how amazing it is to FINALLY have a night of uninterrupted sleep! The past 4-5 weeks have been less than dreamy! It has been more like a nightmare! Ky has been going through a phase I guess you could call it. In October, out of the blue,Ky started waking up in the middle of the night and shouting "Baaa, Baaa." In fear he would wake up Dawson, as they share a room, we would get him a bottle or give him his binkie and life was good again. However we started to see a pattern we did not want to keep up. So we tried to let him cry it out. Yeah that didn't work either, we ended up with both boys up at 3:00 am. That makes for a not happy momma! So we decided to have Dawson sleep in the guest bedroom or the play room to break this habit. We have officially gotten rid of his binkie! He is now adjusted to 1 nap a day, which may not be something to be happy about, however if now sleeps through the night, I'LL TAKE IT!! The other big hurdle at the prompting of his Dr at his 18mon. check up, was to get rid of his bottle. He said it would help him sleep better as well. All for it! So as of last night he has officially slept through the night for 2, yes 2 nights!! WHOO HOOO!!!!!
I love my Ky man, but the past 4-5 weeks has been rough. He has been more whinny and clingy through this adjustment. He is getting some new teeth which hopefully is part of the reason he is so fussy. He now has 3 teeth on the bottom with possibly another one more coming in and 4 on top. So cute! Love his little smile! Another milestone, he went to nursery! YEAH!!! Except he cried when we left and off and on the rest of the time. I have to say that I feel a little like I am on foreign ground. Like I said this part is all new to me. My other kids couldn't wait to be away from me! Ha Ha. Oh well, this too shall pass, right???
Amongst all the change and craziness going on, he continues to make us laugh, smile and bring joy into our home!
To say Ky is busy, busy, busy is a Understatement!!! He keeps me hopping. He loves to play! He loves to dance, wrestle, play in the water(in the tub or out), run and of course have races! He loves to climb, which brings me to the stage I dread. I can't protect him! I guess when you have an older brother in which you idolize, it comes with the territory. He loves Dawson and mimics him. I have to say I love to watch them wrestle together and play cars together. Seriously it just makes me smile and happy! Man I love my kiddos!!! Ky is just growing up to fast right before my eyes! I can't believe that he is 18 months already! Where has the time gone??? I am so grateful for Ky and the joy he brings into our family! Can't wait to see what other adventures he adds!!

Nuts!!

Tonight I learned that I have failed some what as a Mom! Apparently I need to do more education with Addy! I was in the kitchen making dinner, Addy was upstairs trying to get Ky to come downstairs when I heard the following conversation tonight.
Addy-"Ky please don't kick me. Ky it is not nice to kick. Ky! Kyler don't kick me in my nuts!"
By this time I was already half way up the stairs to help her, when I started laughing! Seriously I thought I had done better than that! When I got into the room I found Addy standing up as Ky lay on the floor still kicking his feet. Trying really hard not to laugh, I said "Addy you don't have nuts."
She looked at me and said, "Mom he kicked me there," ( as she pointed to her groin). I said again, "Addy you don't have nuts, only boys do." She then pointed to her little tush and said partly being silly," are these my nuts?" To which I chucked and said, "No. Addy only boys have nuts!" To which Addy replied, "Well I'd sure like to see these nuts sometime!!"
At that point there was no holding back! Seriously!!! Well I guess that's what you get being surrounded by to much testosterone!
Just so you all know, anatomy class has been RETAUGHT and all is well.

Young Women In Excellence

Tonight was Young Women In Excellence. I have to say I am grateful for my calling and for the opportunities it gives me. However being in charge of Young Women In Excellence was slightly scary. I mean to be honest I was really nervous. I really wanted it to be a special night for the girls. With much prayer and help from all the wonderful YW leaders, I think it turned out great! It just goes to show that the Lord qualifies those whom he calls!
I felt the spirit so strong. I was trying everything I could to not be a big ball baby. I can only pray that the YW felt it as well. I hope they truly know they are "Queens to be!" I hope that their testimony of their Divine Nature and their Divine Inheritance was strengthened. They are beautiful young ladies. I hope they can see what we as their leaders, parents and their Father in Heaven sees in them! As a Mother I really hope I can impress upon my own daughter her Divine Nature and the love her Father in Heaven has for her and his Daughters. I love my calling and am grateful for the examples of the YW. I am grateful that through my calling my testimony is strengthened!

New Moon

Saw it yesterday with some of my girlies, Adrianne,Natalie, Shannon, Julie and Trisha. I loved it!!!! Can't wait to buy it.

Family pictures 2009

Thanks Abbey for capturing memories for us! Your the best!

Dancing at the Talon Fair

Addy had one of her first performances on Mini company at the Talon fair. She did great,other than the problems with the music. The boys had a good time as well, once they finally got to the dancing!

Keeping Ky happy-Suckers a Moms best friend to help entertain him and myself!!!

Tried to get a picture of Dawson dancing to the Holiday music. Guess I'm not fast enough!Addy in her T lift. The lighting in there was bad so I didn't get any other good pics. Oh well, this one turned out OK!
They did a great job! Love watching her dance!

So You Think You Can Dance......

Well Addy and I can and we did at the show! We went to go see the show this weekend in Vegas! It was amazing! Addy and I have watched the show from the very first episode until now! We love it! It was so fun to spend the weekend with just her. We love our girly time since we are in a house full of TESTOSTERONE!!! Us girls have to stick together!!
We started off on Friday night at one of our fav spots...........In and Out Burger.
Saturday we slept in, another pastime we both enjoy! Then it was off to the mall shopping! Nana came along with us shopping and boy did we shop! She is a girl after my own heart! Then we went to dinner with Nana and Papa. Addy chose and of course she chose, Olive Garden. After we stuffed ourselves we headed to the Orleans to dance the night away! It was so fun to see her literally so giddy,especially because I was just as excited!
Our seats were great and we loved the show!

Addy had one last request for the weekend, and that was to go and see the water show and conservatory at the Bellagio. Sunday was a beautiful day and a great way to end our little weekend!
As much as I love all the stuff we did, I love the time I got to spend with just her. I love her to pieces. I am really grateful that I have not yet reached the point in her life where I am no longer "cool", Oh I know it's a comin'. I got to cherish the moments while I have them! I am just so lucky to have her in my life and am lucky and grateful to spend time with her!

A Big Time Out!

This weekend I was the one with a big time out! I went to Time Out For Women in St. George. It was WONDERFUL!!! I loved it and needed it! I laughed, I cried, I had a blast! Can't wait for a Time Out next year!!!