Kaitlyn is 22

Kaitlyn's birthday was last week, and she is 22. It's hard to believe she is 22 already. I feel like just yesterday she was 2. Where did my little Miss Kates go???

We had fun celebrating her birthday with a dinner(out) of her choosing and a party at home.

This was a milestone birthday of sorts, as it is probably the last one she will have at home. She graduates in May and is job hunting, so this summer will be a busy and eventful one for our girl! We are so excited and proud of her and cannot wait to see what the future holds!

Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!! We love you!!

Hubba Bubba

What happens when we buy a pack of "real" bubble gum??

A bubble blowing contest, of course!

Casey Update - 20 Weeks Post Accident

Friends and family have asked how Casey is doing, so I thought I'd update everyone on the blog as to his latest recovery status.

He is, for the most part, doing much better. Recovery is definitely a bumpy road. Some days are better than others. Casey made the comment last week that he would really like to fast forward past all of this painstakingly-seemingly slow recovery process, but each week is a little better than the last. He may have one more minor surgery next year to remove the plate that was placed in his wrist, as it causes more pain than is needed or wanted. The Orthopedic surgeon said the x-rays look good and the bones in his feet and wrist have healed up nicely and are exactly where they need to be. He is still on blood thinners for another 4-6 weeks - At which time he will go in for a scan to make sure he is free & clear of any lingering blood clots. He walks with a cane(to help thwart off any falls), and is pretty much self-reliant. He is driving to work a few times a week as well as having therapy twice a week, so his days are busy. He still has to take it somewhat easy though, or he is down for the count for several days. He is trying to find the balance of doing enough without doing too much. I think it's just trial and error at this point. It's good to push and build his endurance back, but he doesn't want to constantly be fighting the pain & exhaustion that comes along with it.

It's a new normal for all of us, but life is slowly regaining it's regular scheduled programming. One thing we both agreed on after the accident was, Family comes first. We want to slow down the pace of life and take more time to enjoy each other, because in the end that's all that matters!

We love our Casey, and we are so thankful he is still here with us to enjoy a lot more family time together!

Birthday and Baptism Weekend

Seth turned 8 this weekend. Not only was it his birthday, but it was also the weekend of his baptism. So, we headed over the mountain and joined in on the weekend festivities.

Parties are always fun, and he had quite the turnout for his Jumping Palace Party. Baby even enjoyed it, especially the cupcakes!

Things started to get a little messy...

There were a few games of ice hockey being played.

As well as selfies with baby -

After the party we went to dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant. As Cody would say, "It's wasn't Sr. Sol, but it was still really good!"

After dinner Andy suggested we head up to the Lookout for Sunset pictures. We arrived just in time! Only a few more mintues and we would have missed it. It was beautiful!!

Sunday was Seth's baptism. It was so nice to be able to be there for his special day. We are so proud of his example and the decision he made to follow our Savior Jesus Christ and be baptized.

We sure love this sweet family!

After the baptism we took a few more pictures outside before heading home. It was a fun & beautiful weekend spent with family.

CAUTION

Cody sent us this picture of an interesting sign he found in Canada. Translated it says, "Watch your kid...this could be yours."

I guess they believe in creating a visual(little freaky if you ask me)!.

Happy New Year!

Christmas

With everything that happened in the months leading up to Christmas, Ryan was concerned we weren't going to have a Christmas. And I have to admit, I had not purchased a single gift as of December 1st. I was having a hard time keeping up with just the basics, let alone Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, ect... Emotionally, I was spent. Physically, I was exhausted. However, I knew we needed to keep as much of the normal routine in place for everyone to enjoy the holidays. Several people were posting various Christmas videos on facebook, and there were a couple I really enjoyed, but his one became my favorite and really transformed my spirit during the Christmas season...

It encompassed all that is truly important in my life. I am so grateful for the birth, life and example of our Savior Jesus Christ and the love that he has for each of us. It is what helped carry me through these last few months. I was looking forward to the season of love, when everyone is so involved in serving and loving their fellow men. We had several groups stop by and sing carols, we loved the Christmas cards we received from friends and family, and we enjoyed every single minute that we had to spend together as a family.

Ryan helped me decorate the house. We weren't able to set up our big tree in the living room, because of the hospital bed that had taken up residency, so we opted for a smaller version this year. It was perfect!

We had some cute visitors...

And Santa found our little tree and managed to leave everyone a gift or two.

Santa also found Cody and dropped off a few gifts for our missionary in Canada. Thank you all who sent mail to our missionary. He loved it and was very thankful!

We had a wonderful Christmas morning filled with all of the excitement that comes with opening presents and enjoying the gifts that were received, especially baby. He was definitely overstimulated by it all and needed an early nap. Too much fun!

Ryan got some Christmas kisses. Ry is his favorite - Grandma's a little bit jealous!

We had a delicious dinner, played some games...

And ended our day with a Christmas skype with our Cody - Absolute very best Christmas gift!!

We had a fun week with family. Nobody was sick, which was a Christmas miracle! As always, it went by way too fast, and we are looking forward to our next fun visit with our favorite peeps.