Earlier today I was giving Gabe a great big kiss on the cheek and I got to thinking - it’s amazing how many times in a day I kiss little Gabers! I’ve been thinking about why I do it so much – and this is what I’ve come up with:

1. He’s so dang cute – how can I resist????
2. He is a blessing – something I wanted forever, and I love that he’s actually here, and actually MINE!
3. He’s my bud, we spend all day, everyday together – and I love him for putting up with me (whether he likes it or not).
4. Someday he won’t want me to talk to him in public – much less kiss him in public! I need to get it in as much as I can now while he can’t fight back.
5. He has the softest cheeks, neck, shoulders, forehead, feet, hands….etc.
6. I love him so dang much, and I feel like he doesn’t really “get it”. I can’t express in words how much I love him – maybe kissing him to death will get the message across.
7. His smile is amazing, and I love to make him giggle. If I kiss him on his neck (kind of giving him raspberries) he grins ear to ear and makes a gut laugh. Love it.
8. Someday he will live lots of miles away, and I won’t get to kiss his little face every day – so maybe I can smother him with kisses now so I can look back and remember how sweet it was when he’s grown and gone.
9. He’s my first child – aren’t you supposed to spoil your first rotten? I promise not to play favorites with my kids – but Gabe will always be my first, and he’ll have a special (or different) place in my heart than the rest will.
10. Because I can. Do I need any better reason?

Our house - is a very, very, very fine house

I have had several people ask me to take a picture of the outside of our house at Christmas time so they could see what it looked like. I had kept putting it off and now I know why! Yesterday I got the perfect picture of our house looking all Christmas-y. (Actually Cory got it. I was on the way to the gym and I saw this gorgeous sunset and called him and asked him to go out and take a picture of the house).

Yesterday afternoon we had a short storm that gave us just enough snow to make it look pretty. That, combined with the simple lights and wreaths - not to mention the gorgeous sunset - made for a perfect photo op.

Gabe and Santa

So after not getting to take Gabe to sit on Santa's lap before we left for the wedding - I was worried that we wouldn't get a pic of our little guy on the big guy's lap. Lucky for us Grandpa Ellis just happened to have a Santa suit on hand, and Gabe got to sit on his lap for some pictures and had a chance to tell Santa his Christmas wish-list.

Aunt Ashley was great to supply the adoreable reindeer antlers, and Uncle Coby helped out by dressing up as Mrs. Claus. Now if we could just get a photo without Gabe's tounge sticking out, or his hands in his mouth......

Mr. & Mrs Rhien

Here are some pictures from Pual and Nicole's wedding last week. It's crazy for me to think that my little brother is married now. But we're excited to welcome Nicole into the family. She's a real sweetie, and I am grateful Paul's found someone who makes him smile so much.

Some pics

Looking snazzy and ready for church.

This is Gabe's new face he makes at us. He loves sticking his tounge out. It's a little game we play where I'll stick my tounge out, and he does it back - it's really quite cute! (although as a teenager I may be regretting the fact I taught him to do this.)

Most of the family together for a picture. Sorry Cory - someone has to be behind the camera. It's hard not to take so many pictures - our little guy is just so darn cute!

He has been so adoreable this morning - from the moment he woke up. It's like he can tell we're getting ready to go see everyone for the wedding and he's excited to get loves from all of them. We're glad we'll get to see family in Logan on the way back too. Lots of family and friends to see in the next couple of days!

Christmas Tag

1. Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog?
· Hot chocolate. But this year since I’m doing Weight Watchers – I’m looking at drinking sugar free, fat free hot chocolate….I might just have to skip it J

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just set them under the tree?
· Oh some of both. If we wrap some of them than we can take longer finding out what Santa brought – it’s kind of fun. Actually every year around this time Cory comes to me and says, “So – I don’t remember, am I supposed to wrap Santa presents or not…”

3. Colored or white lights on the tree/house?
· WHITE-WHITE-WHITE. I should post a picture of the outside of our house this year. Cory did a VERY nice job – it’ exactly how I love Christmas decorations. Clean, simple, and classic.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
· nope

5. When do you decorate?
· Generally we decorate around Thanksgiving. Depending on what our travel plans are the tree might be up before Thanksgiving, but definitely that weekend. This year we didn’t get it up until the weekend after. I didn’t like that.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
· Hmmm….again, Weight Watchers – trying not to think about FOOD this holiday. But I do have to say I love my mom’s candy cane cookies, and fudge. I also love the Mexican food we have for dinner on Christmas Eve.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
· When Santa came to our house and interrupted dinner one night in December. I was in 2nd or 3rd grade and I was just memorized but the fact he knew what I wanted, and came to our house to talk to us.

8. How and when did you learn the truth about Santa?
· Oh what a sad story. I was in 6th grade (just call me a believer) and my social studies teacher read us a book about the legend of Santa Claus, and how even though Santa wasn’t real, his memory and spirit of giving lived on in others. I was devastated and told all the other kids that wasn’t true because I KNEW Santa was real. I came home and told my parents what had happened, and they tried to explain it all to me, but I was in tears. I don’t know when I finally believed them – maybe a part of me still believes in Santa Claus.

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
· Most years we open jammies. Maybe a sibling present. If it was up to Cory we’d open all of the on Christmas Eve.

10. What kind of cookies do you set out for Santa on Christmas Eve?
· Candy Cane cookies – always. However, mine never turn out like my mom’s so I don’t know what we’ll do for Gabe…

11. Snow! Love it or hate it?
· It depends….I love it when it’s fluffy, there’s lots of it, and I don’t have to drive in it. I hate when the roads are iced over, it hangs around forever, and it’s slushy and icy.

12. Can you ice skate?
· Ha – can I do anything that requires coordination?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
· There are so many, I’ve been so blessed….but one of my favorites was Cory and my 2nd Christmas together. I was bummed because we’d be hanging out at the ski slopes with the Ellis family (and I don’t ski – see question 12) and I missed my family so much. I just thought I’d be left out for the day and was sad I wouldn’t be hanging out with Cory much. Not to mention we didn’t have a lot of $ as students, and I thought I knew all of the presents we were getting since we were on such a strict budget. Well on Christmas morning after opening some presents Cory pulled out a few more for he and I to open. He had bought us snow shoes, and had planned on spending the day with me snow shoeing instead of skiing! He has saved a bonus he got at work and used it for our gift. Not only was that a complete surprise, but the day was gorgeous and we had a blast together. He loved surprising me, and I loved his thoughtfulness. Then later that night we took a carriage ride around Temple Square and it was really a magical Christmas.

· Another favorite was a gift I gave. I worked on a scrapbook of Cory’s mission for him one year. He had no idea what I was doing, and I loved surprising him with it.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?
· Remembering the Savior, and the gift that he is to all of us. I think that is so hard in our commercially driven world. Also as I grow up, being with family is so important.

15. What’s your favorite holiday dessert?
· Just about all of it (hence the reason I’m having to do Weight Watchers)….but as I mentioned above, I love my mom’s fudge.

16. What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
· I love driving around to see the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve, and then coming home to read the Christmas story in the Bible by the light of the tree lights.

17. What type of tree?
· Artificial. It’s just so much easier! Next year though we’re getting a pre-lit tree – the lights are a pain to get working each year.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
· Giving by far. Unless it’s to Cory. He is the hardest little goober to shop for! J

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol?
· Silent Night by far. It brings a tear to my eye and makes me think of the real reason we celebrate the season.

20. Candy Canes, YUCK or YUM?
· YUCK! Unless they’re the “Bob’s” brand cherry candy-canes – then I can’t resist.

And I tag Jed & Laura, and Paul & Nicole!

Boy's best friend

Well, Gabe has started to show some interest in Sadie. Last night he kept wanting to hold onto her, and Sadie wanted to lick his face. It was so fun to watch them. I actually missed a great shot where Gabe was holding onto her ears (because I went to run for the camera). But it is awesome to watch a budding friendship. I hope that Sadie and Gabe can be great friends as Gabe grows up. I never had a dog as a child, and I think that it will be so awesome to watch them together.

Toes!

Gabe has recently discovered his toes. He hasn't quite got them up to his mouth yet, but he loves to just hold onto them. It's cute to see him discovering something new. Oh - and his toes are ticklish too. He loves me to tickle them when we play "this little piggy".

A Beautiful Baby

Today we were in church and an older woman who was sitting in front of us turned to the side so she could see Gabe. She just looked amazed and said in the most reverent voice, "He is a beautiful baby!" She was in awe, and just looked at him like he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A minute or so later she turned around again and said, "Would you mind turning him so I could see him better?" (He was in his car seat). So I turned him towards her and once again she whispered, "He is just a beautiful baby!" Then her eyes filled with tears. She proceeded for the next several minutes to look down at Gabe, and then wipe the tears from her eyes.

I don't know if the reason she was crying had anything to do with Gabe. It appeared to since she choked up when she looked at him. But it made me wonder what she was thinking. Did she look at our sweet baby and see all of the goodness in him? Did she sense how close to heaven he is? Did she look at him and see the man he will become one day, or the person he will be that will teach others, and touch lives for good? Did she look at our son and see that he was an answer to hundreds, if not thousands of prayers? What did she see when she saw him?

Whatever it was was touching. It touched me to see someone else get emotional over our baby. I do it daily, but I thought that was just because I'm his mom. But through his life I hope and pray that Gabe will touch others often. I hope that he will maintain the sweetness that fills him right now. I pray that he will inspire others, teach others of the goodness in life, and help to answer other people's prayers. I hope that he will be a hero to someone someday, and that we can raise him to be the kind of person who others want to be around, and who eminates as much goodness as he does right now - through all of his life.

4 months old

This week Gabe turned 4 months old. WOW! Time goes by so fast it's scary! He went to the dr this week and he is 13 lbs 7 oz and 25 inches long. He's in the 25% for his weight and the 60% for his height. So as with everything else he's just like his daddy - long and skinny.

His shots from his dr visit weren't too great. He was sick yesterday and felt achey. He has a big bump on his leg from the shots too - poor little guy. He's feeling better today, so that's a good thing for a mommy.

This afternoon he hit a milestone too. He rolled over! I set him on his tummy on a blanket while I made lunch. As I walked away I looked back at him and he rolled himself over to his back. I started crying. Silly, I know. It just hit me that he's growing up and changing so much. Sure, he's still a baby, but he's not a newborn anymore. He is developing his own personality, his own independence, and now his own skills. I'm so proud of him, but it's hard to think thta he'll be changing so much in the months to come. I'm going to be one of those sappy moms that cries at each little change and development. Cheesy, I know, but he's my baby!

A year ago tomorrow...

It was a year ago tomorrow that we found out that we were expecting Gabe. Earlier in the week I had hit a low, and had basically given up on the idea of having children of our own. I was depressed, and very sad about the fact that we weren't parents yet, and I remember just feeling so down and crying more than I had ever cried about the situation. To top it all off I was so tired I couldn't stand it - and it just made things worse. I felt pretty crappy.

Turns out my being tired was actually because I was pregnant! I remember running around the house screaming (to the dogs...Cory wasn't even home), "It says I'm pregnant - the test actually says I'm pregnant!" I was completly in shock and I had to say it out loud about 100 times before I could actually believe it.

That night to tell Cory I had a little set up. I had gotten dinner for us, and I had a candle light dinner going. (We were having Pizza Hut pizza - we've eaten that when we've talked about several very important changes in our lives - deciding to get married, talking about moving, deciding to buy the Blind Guy franchise...it was kind of symbolic of something big coming up.) Then I gave Cory a cheesy poem with a present. The present was a bib that said, "I love Daddy" and the poem I wrote went along to the poem "Twas the night before Christmas". It said,

Twas the month of December - the last month of the year
The tree was put up and our shopping in gear

We had lights on our house and gifts under the tree
Presents for sadie and Daisy, for you and for me

But there was a gift that was missing, one we had wanted for so long
It wasn't a saw, or some skis - no, that guess was wrong

We'd wanted a present that we just could not get
A wish that was sweet, one we couldn't forget

For years we had begged and for years we had pleaded
We'd cried and we'd tried - but we hadn't succeeded

Finally the wish was granted and the gift on its way
But this gift wasn't coming tied to the back of the sleigh

For the gift we will get won't be under the tree
But it's something that will bring a smile to you and to me

Ttoday I found out, and I know you'll be glad
In 9 months it looks like - you'll be a DAD!

Now I know it's cheesy, but it still makes me bawl when I read it :). Anyway, these last few days I've looked back on the time that we were so desperately wanting children, and I feel so richely blessed. I never knew motherhood would be as satisfying, and rewarding as it is, or that each day I would be even more in love with my little guy. It is simply amazing to be responsible completely for him, and to have him be such a sweet spirit in our home.

I know now, after these past several years that the Lord truly is mindful of us and our struggles. Last year I really had hit the end of my rope, and I don't know if I could have handled waiting much longer - and the Lord knew that. He truly will not give us more than we can handle, and I strongly believe that.

And now I feel so blessed looking at little Gabe's sweet smile, that I feel like I couldn't ask for much more in life!

MORE

Today in church one of the people speaking mentioned something that I had never thought of, and it's stuck with me all day; and hopefully through the holiday season.

The word Christmas can be broken into 2 parts. Christ, and mas - which means more in the Spanish language. We need to focus on including Christ MORE in our Christmas celebrations. We need to remember Him MORE through the festivities, the excitement, and through all of the things we do to celebrate.

I know I'm more than guilty of focusing too much on the presents, the parties, and the other fluff, and not enough on our Savior - which is the reason we even have Christmas.

So I encourage each of you to focus your holidays MORE on Christ, and remember His life, His birth, and what He has done for all of us. Add a little more of what is important to your holiday celebrations.