Christmas

Christmas was a little different this year because we spent it with just the three of us but honestly it was one of the best Christmas's that we have ever had. For Christmas Eve we had our friends Sean and Collete over for dinner. It was so fun to have them over! Their boys, especially Ryler, were so excited for Santa to come that night. Tess really just wanted to eat her presents and didn't care about anything else haha. Christmas morning was so fun because we got to do whatever we wanted. After we opened up our gifts Cory made breakfast while Tessa and I played with her new bike she got.

We flew out to Utah on the 27th to spend time with my family and for Josh's wedding. He and maddie we married in the bountiful temple on New Year's Eve. The day was so fun and we were so happy that we were able to be there to share thier special day with them. We spent the rest of the time down in Richfield with my family. Since our family wasn't able to be together for Christmas we decided to celebrate while we were out there. My dad dressed up in his Santa suit and brought the kids some candy. Tessa hated every second that she had to sit on his lap but at least we got a picture :) We also celebrated Tessa's birthday while we were there. It's still hard for my to believe that my baby is almost one!! Im so glad that we got to spend time with both of our families and that I got to see some of my high school friends. Brittany, who was my best friend in high school, dad passed away a couple of weeks before I went out there. I was so sad that I wasn't able to be there for his funeral but I'm glad I got to see the family while I was home. Growing up we lived around the block from each other, Britt and I played ball from the time we were little all the way up to high school together, and I saw him countless times at the hospital. Kendal was such an amazing guy who was loved by so many people. I'm grateful that I was able to know Kendal as well as I did. It always makes me wonder what is so important on the other side that someone has to be taken from their family so young? I'm very thankful we have the gospel in out lives so that one day we will all be able to be renited with our loved ones. 

Xoxo

11 months

I can't believe my baby will be one next month. She is crazy busy and keeps us in our toes all the time. I have decided that it's not even worth picking up the house while she is awake because she pulls everything out faster than I can put things away.

Fun things about Tess:

-Her first word besides momma and dadda was happy. I called my mom and told her I thought that Tess just said happy but I'm sure I was just thinking it because there is no way she would be saying that. Well sure enough the next day she kept saying happy all day long :)

-She loves to dance anytime she hears music 

-She still loves the tub

-she likes any kind of food

-she takes three naps a day. One about an hour after she wakes up, another about two hours later and then agaib around three. 

-she is wearing  9-12 month clothes

-she has taken a couples steps on her own

-she loves to play peek a boo with Baxter in the morning

-she's a little big of a dumpster diver. Yep my daughter loves to get in the trash and eat whatever she can. I have found her eating an old banana, paper and even trying to drink some soda that was throw away. 

-in one of our bottom drawers in our kitchen is where we keep all of our rags and her bibs. One of her favorite things to do is pull everything  out of the drawer which makes a huge mess

-her pack n play has to sit in front of our tv because she loves to keep Turning the xbox on and off. Even with that there and weights by the wheels she still somehow manages to get to the xbox once in a while. 

-my mom gave her a little leap frog for Christmas and she plays with it all the time.  It's one of the only things that will distract her when she is getting into things

-she loves to give babies and bax hugs and kisses 

-Cory's mom gave her a little doll that she loves to rock

 -whenever the door to our room is open she heads straight to baxters food

We sure love our little munchie!!

Xoxo

Proud Wifey!

Cory has been going to school full time and working full time since we have moved out to Missouri. Most weeks he would go to school three times a week getting home around nine or ten at night and then getting up at six the next morning for work. It has been so hard to have him in school and gone so much but he's FINALLY DONE!!!! He graduated with his bachelors degree in marketing in December and started his new job right away. He will now be a sales rep for the printing company that he has been working at. We are so happy that he has the opportunity to get the sales experience and that they offered him a job. He had to commit to two years but then we are hoping that we can find a job in Utah.
I couldn't be more in love with this boy and I'm so lucky that I have him forever. He truly is my very best friend and the best Daddy that my kids could ever have. I listen to girls complain about their marriages and it makes me so much more grateful for how good he treats Tessa and I. I couldn't imagine spending eternity with anyone else but him.

Xoxo

10 Months

You would think since she has had a bow on pretty much everyday of her life that she would keep them on but nope she refused to have one on during this picture.  She's a little stinker but we love her so much!!

Fun things about Tess:
-She is getting so opinionated. If she doesn't get what she wants or we take something away from her she starts crying until she finds something else she wants.
-Every night after we eat we start the tub while she is still in her high chair and as soon as she hears the water she gets so excited and starts kicking her legs and flailing her arms.
- She has a little crab and block letter that she loves to play with while she is in the tub
-We had to put her pack n play in front of our TV because she gets into baskets in the tv console and also likes to play with the xbox power button. She now has figured out how to push the pack n play out of the way so that she can get to everything
-She LOVES to get into the kitchen drawers and pull everything out
-I can't do any laundry while she is around because she pulls them out as soon as I put them in a basket
-She is a really big Momma's girl
-She loves to tighten up her muscles and make grunting noises
-She loves to be on Daddy's shoulders and be chased around the house
-When she gets caught doing something bad she starts shaking her arms and tries to get away really fast
-If she is going after something that she shouldn't and you see her, she'll look at you, squeal and go as fast as she can to beat you there.
-She walks with her motorcycle all around the house while she laughs and babbles
-She's always making funny faces
-She loves to put blankets and other things in front of her face and play peek a boo
-She has taken a couple steps while standing in between Cory and I
-When she's in our room she goes directly for Baxter's food and when she gets busted she hurries over to chew on Daddy's papers
-She HATES being in her car seat while we are in stores. She likes to sit in the cart and look at everyone
-She loves to help us unload the dishwasher haha
-Another tooth came through and one more is almost out
-STILL chewing on everything
-Points her finger like a gun
-Waves "bye bye"
-She loves to give kisses
-She crawls around making noises all day long
-She climbs on everything
-She is starting to copy us
-She loves to chew on anything but her favorite is paper
-She is starting dance when music comes on
-If Cory and I are wrestling she starts crying because she thinks we are hurting each other
-I had to move the pictures that were under an end table in our living room because she just wanted to climb on it
-She likes to take her diapers out on by one and throw them on the floor
-She has three teeth and her fourth tooth is almost through

Happy Thanksging

I have so many things in life that I am thankful for but the thing that I am most grateful for is the Gospel. Because of the gospel and our Savoir Jesus Christ, I am able to be with my family for eternity. I'm so grateful for a husband that has a strong testimony of the gospel and who constantly influences me to be a better person. He has truly made me a better person and makes me realize the things that really matter in life. This has been one of the best years of my life because we got to share it with our sweet baby girl. She has brought Cory and I so much happiness and joy. Of course there are days that are long and exhausting but there is nothing better in this life than being a wife to my very best friend, and a mom to our sweet girl.
I had to work on Thanksgiving so Cory's family was so sweet and had it on Friday so that I could be there. It's always hard not to be with my family on holidays but it's nice that we were able to go over to his parents for Thanksgiving. My best friend, Karem, and her family joined us on Thanksgiving because they weren't going to either of their parents house. It was such a fun day and I'm so glad I was able to spend it with family and friends.

9 Months

Tessa in now 9 months old. It's hard to believe that in just a few short months this little one will be a year old. Cory and I were looking at pictures of her the other day and we can't believe how much she has changed and how big she has gotten. Since we see her all the time it's hard to see how much she has changed until we look at pictures. I miss my little tiny baby but this wild girl is so fun and definitely keeps us on our toes.

Fun things about Tess:
-She still talks like popeye
-She LOVES food!! No matter what we are eating she wants it in her mouth
-Everything still goes into her mouth, so annoying haha!
-Her favorite thing to do, besides eat, is be in the tub
-She wants Mommy most of the time but still loves Daddy
-She wakes up at 7 and goes down for a nap about 7:30 or 8 and sleeps for a couple hours
-She loves her sippy cup
-She loves to make messes all over the house
-We had to move Baxy's food into our room because she would try to eat it as soon as she saw it
-She got a new little bike that she pushes all over the place
-Still wearing 6-9 and some 12 months
-She loves to look at herself in the mirror and on my phone
-She now weighs 18.5 (51%) and she is 62% in height. She is growing like a weed!!
-She was only saying Momma when she was sad but now she is starting to say it all the time
-She is still saying dad all the time
-She is starting to babble a lot more
-In the mornings I bring her in our bed to drink her bottle and after she is done she loves to play peek a boo with Baxy
-She hasn't started to walk but she does love to walk behind her bike, along the couch, and pulls herself up on anything she can
-Her nicknames are, Tess, Tessy, Munchie, Munchkin and Chunk