Pictures From Christmas...

One of our favorite things to do during our Christmas Eve party is sing MUST BE SANTA.  Here are some of the singers caught in action!

One of our favorite traditions is painting Christmas cookies.  I have been doing this since I was a little girl!  I am glad that my boys are doing it now!

Greg was in charge of the camera because I was holding a sleeping baby, but here are some pictures of Christmas morning at the DeVries home.  We went there for breakfast and opened presents.  We always enjoy are time at Grandpa and Grandma D. home, but one of the boys highlights from this day was being pulled on the sled behind the snowmobile.  Thanks Grandpa for the fun! 

This picture is adorable...

Colton was so excited that Santa stopped in Idaho Falls and brought his Denver Bronco's stocking to Utah

Cannon was excited because Santa used his hat for his stocking!

Crew and I enjoyed watching everyone open their gifts

My Dads favorite gift was his boble head of Monk

Christmas would have been an absolute let-down without the boys receiving their WII.  They waited until 9:30 p.m. Christmas night to open this gift.  I think they were excited!

We had a wonderful Christmas! 

Just A Quick Update...

Our holiday vacation in Utah has passed by so quickly.  I can't believe we have almost been here a week and we have not done half of what we had on the agenda.  So here is a quick recap of our week.

Sunday...We arrived Sunday evening just in time for our annual Christmas Eve party with my Mom's family.  We always have a great time together.  On the drive down from Utah, Colton said the present game we play every year is one of his highlights of the year.  We ate yummy pasta, had a short spiritual message, sang songs, and exchanged gifts. 

Monday...Christmas Eve.  We hung out at my Mom's most of the day and then went to Texas Roadhouse with Greg's parents and brother Steve.  Then we went back to his parent's house and enjoyed playing a few games.  It was a snowy day and I kept saying, "Please let it snow more!"  We had a wonderful low key night and put the kids to bed early. 

Tuesday...Christmas.  We had a wonderful Christmas morning.  The boys were excited that Santa came and Colton was especially excited that Santa stopped by the house in Idaho Falls and surprised him with his Denver Bronco's stocking.  However, the excitement shortly came to a halt as Colton would tear a tiny piece of paper from each present and when he saw it wasn't a WII, he would put the wrapping paper back up on the gift. He tried to be gracious and happy, but his body language and sadness in his eyes told us differently.  After we opened all the presents and went out to get into the car to go to Grandma and Grandpa DeVries' home, he said, "I still have two chances to get a WII.  One at Grandma and Grandpa D. and one at Grandma Grandma's."  Our Christmas Morning turned quickly into a nightmare and we ventured down my parent's (hill) driveway and came towards the bottom of the hill and Greg lost control of the car on the icy hill and the car went off the hill.  The fence post and barb wire stopped the car from rolling, but we did not know that one tire was completely off the ground.  I got out quickly and got the kids out of the car and Greg climbed his way out.  We had to cut the barb wire and my uncle pulled the car out with his truck.  We are very lucky we didn't roll and no one was hurt.  It was a very terrifying experience.  Since the accident, the boys are scared to drive up and down the hill.  But, we had a great rest of the day.  We had a wonderful breakfast at Greg's parents and the boys spent most of the afternoon out in the field on the Snowmobile and sled.  Then we rounded out the night at my Grandma Char's house and had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed spending time with each other.  To top the night off, we finally received the WII (Brittney's brother brought it up from Provo Christmas afternoon) for the boys and surprised them with one last gift at 9:30 that night.  They opened the WII and Colton could not stop smiling.  I am so glad that he had a wonderful Christmas and got his WII.  Thank you KSL.com because we had been looking every where for one.  The boys kept saying the elves would make them one and not to worry.  Don't we wish it was really that way!

Wednesday...We spent most of the day addicted to playing Guitar Hero and then we went to Cafe Rio for dinner and played games with the family.

Thursday...We spent the day shopping in Salt Lake and then went to PF Chang's for dinner and played games with the family.

Friday...We are off to bowling at The Junction.  (Colton and Cannon's favorite place to go in Ogden)

Saturday...Packing up to go home and party with cousins.

Wow, what a jammed packed week.  We will need a vacation from our vacation.  But, the memories are wonderful that we make every Christmas.  We are thankful for our very many blessings!

Keep watching for all our pictures to post when we get home from Utah!

Go Cougars...

Tonight was the BYU bowl game.  We can't believe they actually won with the blocked field goal at the end.  Here are some of our pictures!

Our Christmas Tradition...

Our little Christmas tradition is going to a steakhouse to eat as a family and then taking the kids to sit on Santa's lap.  This year we did it a few days early because we are going to be in Utah on Christmas eve.  Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Cheeseburger Soup...

There is nothing better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter night for dinner. Also, you can't beat the yummy leftovers you can warm up for lunch the next day. Soup is a great way to feed a big holiday crowd! I got this awesome recipe from my good friend Amber. Ever since we had it for the first time, it has become one of our family favorites.

Crew 5 Weeks...

We are still loving Crew so much. 

Frozen Fruit Salad...

This is a great side dish with any meal. It is fun to serve because it is still frozen which makes for something different when it comes to side dishes.

Hot Dip...

This is one of our all time favorites. This is the perfect beginning to every family party. Everyone standing around the crock pot and dipping their chips, shooting the bull!

Santa Letters...

On Saturday we went to drop off our Santa letters.  In town they have a drop box that you can put your Santa letters in and then they will write and mail a letter back. 

Well, before we left to take our letters, we were trying to take our family picture and Cannon was throwing a fit and said he wouldn't be in the picture.  So, we called Santa.  Santa said that if Cannon didn't take pictures he wouldn't be able to bring him presents on Christmas Eve.  After the phone call he cooperated, but when it came time to take the letters he said, "I am not going, I hate Santa."  Then he found out the real Santa wasn't going to be there, so he came. 

 Such drama!

Trying to smile...

This is what happens when a smile goes wrong.  The word here is trying!

Christmas Card...

2007 has been quite a year for our family.

Greg is beginning his 7th year with AstraZeneca.  He still enjoys selling drugs!  He has been trying to stay fit this year by getting up at 6 a.m. to play basketball and he also played on a flag football team this fall.  He is still trying to relive his younger years, but soon found out that his body isn’t so young anymore!  He is still serving in the Young Men’s in the ward. 

Emily had a hard year.  She spent many hours sick and in bed due to pregnancy, but the reward was our sweet baby boy Crew!  She still enjoys staying home and taking care of the kids.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time with the family, going to lunch with friends, blogging, watching her shows on Tivo, and shopping.  She is also staying busy serving in the Relief Society Presidency in the ward.

Colton started 1^st Grade this year.  It has been a nice break for Mom to have him in school all day.  He is doing great in school, but his life revolves around sports.  He loves to play sports, watch sports, and even plays all the sports games on Nintendo.  Welcome Emily to life with boys!

Cannon has had to adjust to life without Colton being around all day.  He gets very bored being home with Mom all day.  He is also trying to adjust to Mommy having to give attention to Crew during the day.  He enjoys preschool, playing with his friends, and playing sports with Colton. 

Crew was born on November 14, 2007.  He weighed 8lbs. 2oz.  He is a healthy and happy baby.  We are so lucky to have him in our home.

Some of our highlights for the year are going on the Disney Cruise, camping, Park City, and Crew’s birth.  We reflect during this holiday season on all our many blessings.  We hope this letter finds each of you happy and healthy.  We wish you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

    

Crying...

I am literally sitting here at my computer, crying and attempting to type with one hand as I hold my precious little Crew and realizing that my arm is feeling tired and heavy from holding him.  Crew is only 4 1/2 weeks old and he is getting bigger and growing and changing every day.  Why does this make me sad?  Well I have been sitting here pondering this, and this is my conclusion. 

-It took us over a year to conceive our precious little boy

-He doesn't talk back

-He sleeps most of the day and night

-I can hold him and he cuddles into my body

-He is a Mommy's boy already (O.K. a Daddy's boy too)

-I laid in bed last night listening to Greg sing to Crew and rock him (It melted my heart)

-Having a baby reminds me of the true miracle life is and strengthens my testimony

-I love being a Mom

Crew 4 Weeks...

4 weeks, it has gone by so fast.  I really want to freeze time and keep him this age for at least a few more months.  Today we went to the doctor and Crew weighs 9 lbs. 8 oz.  Wow, he must be drinking cream instead of milk.  The past few weeks have been great.  I have loved every second of having Crew in my life.  Crew so far is a very good baby.  He is sleeping so well at night.  He is only getting up once.  He loves bath time.  He especially loves when I get him in the big tub with me.  He loves to be held.  He loves his blankets to touch his face when he is trying to go to sleep.  I feel like I can really tell what he needs when he cries (hungry cry, sleepy cry, and when he wants to be held.)  Our family is so blessed.  We thank Heavenly Father every day for Crew.  Greg and I are lucky to have 3 amazing boys in our lives and I am lucky to have 4 amazing boys in my life.   

Me and My Boys...

I told Greg that I didn't have a picture of Crew and me except one from the hospital. So here it is...
and it is almost impossible to get a good picture of all 3 boys but here it is...

Nativity FHE...

Last night we did our Family Home Evening on the Nativity. I figured after Colton's episode with his show and tell, we better take a night and review the story with Colton and Cannon. After we did a fun little activity, we gave them their own Nativity from Grandma V. to put in their room. I still have the one my Grandma gave me. Mine is very special and I reflect on my wonderful memories of my Grandma Char every year when I pull it out. I hope the boys will have a special place in their heart for their Nativity set.

Colton & Cannon

Colton took his nativity set to school with him for show and tell. When he got home from school and was taking the nativity set out of his backpack, I asked him what he said to explain the nativity to his classmates. He responded, "This is Noah and this is Mary." My mom and I looked at each other completely mortified. He told everybody that Joseph was Noah. Yes, I do try to teach my children. Guess with need a little more Family Home Evening on this one!

When my Mom was here helping with the baby, we were riding in the car and Cannon said "comed" for come and my Mom told Cannon that was not correct English. Cannon continued to say things wrong on the drive and my Mom kept trying to correct him. Finally Cannon said, "Grandma, why are you trying to teach me a different language." Leave it to children to give us the laugh for the day.

I am Obsessed...

I am obsessed with baby shoes. I never really put shoes on Colton and Cannon because they always seemed to fall off. This is a pair of cute shoes that Crew wore the other day!

Baby Crew 3 Weeks Today...

I am fascinated with watching Crew. It is so funny that in a matter of minutes they can change their face into so many different expressions. This is what I caught on camera in about 2 minutes.

Girlfriend's Christmas Party...

I was invited to a girlfriend's Christmas Party on Friday and I had such a good time. The two hostess's put so much work into the night. We started off the evening with appetizers and painted a darling picture frame then put the ribbon on it and the word joy with vinyl lettering. I love it, it is so cute!



Then we went to Johnny Carinos for dinner. We ended the night with dessert and a dessert exchange. We were suppose to bring a yummy dessert with a cute tray and played the number exchange game. This is the dessert and tray I came home with. The cake was super yummy and the cake stand is so cute!



This was definitely a fun night. Thanks Hilary and Shelly!

And a special thanks to Greg for taking care of the new Baby Crew, so I could enjoy my night out! They did great together. Here is a picture of Crew sleeping away before I left.

Baby Training...

After all the helpers have gone home and we are all alone with the baby, we started our baby training last night. Baby Crew loves to be rocked back to sleep after he has woken up to nurse in the night. Last night I was so exhausted after I fed him at 11:30, I couldn't even think about rocking him to sleep. I laid him in his crib and crawled into my bed. After a few short minutes the crying began. I told Greg, "He is fine, I fed him and he has a clean diaper. Let's just let him cry for a few minutes." After 4 minutes of fussing, he was off to dream land and so were Greg and I. He is such a sweet boy. I love him so much!

Two Weeks...

Wow, I can't believe that Crew has been a part of our family for two weeks. We have had many different emotions these last two weeks. Crew has certainly enjoyed making us worry about him more than once. After a short spurt in the NICU and a lump forming on his head, we have said many prayers on his behalf. But, inspite of all the worry, we have loved having him around. Although I didn't exactly plan on having a four year gap between Cannon and the baby, I feel this age difference has really allowed me to be able to give Crew lots of love and attention. I have had the time to really enjoy him because Colton and Cannon are old enough to entertain themselves for the most part. I am so thankful Heavenly Father has given me the opportunity to be a mother to yet another boy. I love him so much and just after two weeks can't imagine life without him. He truly has been an amazing baby. Crew does not cry very much. He is content most of the time. He loves to be rocked to sleep. He loves to be held. He loves to have a bath. Hopefully Crew will stay this way. Sometimes babies can have personality shifts after a few weeks.



I really love this newborn stage except for the nights. I really don't want him to get any bigger. I wish I could freeze time for a little while longer.

Stressful Day...

Yesterday was a very stressful day. I woke up and was feeding Crew and found a lump on his head. I immediately called to get him a doctor's appointment. His doctor was uncertain about what the fluidy bump was. He then sent us to the hospital for an ultrasound. After all this hassle the radiologist wasn't sure what it could be either. So the conclusion is.....we will watch it for a week and then decide if he needs a catscan.



Amongst all the chaos he looked adorable for his doctors appointments!



Look at his darling shoes!

Forgotten Carols...

Greg and I escaped the 3 boys and went to the Forgotten Carols last night. We enjoyed the musical and the spirit of Christmas that was felt. Thanks Grandma for watching all the boys!

Thanksgiving 2007...

There are many many things I am thankful for. I love Thanksgiving and I love to reflect on the past year and all of my many blessings.

T-estimony. I am thankful for my testimony. It is so nice to have a foundation of the gospel in my life. I am thankful that I can teach my children about Jesus Christ and the difference between right and wrong. What a wonderful blessing to have the gospel, especially when times get rough and we need something to pull us through.

H-aving our sweet baby Crew. I can't believe how much we have enjoyed having Crew in our home. He is definitely a piece of heaven. He is such a good baby so far. He is sleeping well at night and is a joy to have around during the day. I am so thankful that we are blessed to have Crew join our family.

A-nother year. I am thankful for 2007. My family has been very blessed to have health and happiness in 2007. I am looking forward to a new year and new experiences. I hope for health, happiness, and growth in 2008.

N-eighbors. We have so many wonderful neighbors and friends. Our friends are the very best. They are always there for us and we have such a great time hanging out and spending time together.

K-ind Acts. These past few weeks we have had so many kind acts given to our family. We are thankful for meals, visits, and gifts given. Thank you so much for your love and support.

F-amily. What would we do without our family. I love Greg, Colton, Cannon, and Crew so much. They are my world. I love each day and each new adventure with them. I am also thankful for my Mom, Dad, and Siblings, and Greg's Mom, Dad, and Siblings. We have been very blessed to have all of their help and support these past few weeks since Crew has been born. They have also taken their fair share of tending kids this past year while Greg and I have had a couple of vacations. Thanks for all your love and support!

U-nderstanding Husband. I am thankful for my wonderful husband. He has been so great to pick up the slack these last 9 months during the pregnancy when I was tired or not feeling well. He picked up so much of the slack. I am also grateful for all the help since Crew has been born. He is an amazing husband and I am so glad we have a great marriage.

L-aughter. What would we do without laughter. I just love to hear Colton and Cannon laugh when they think something they say is funny. Laughter is also the perfect remedy to a bad day.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We headed down to Utah and enjoyed a few days of relaxation. Crew was held the whole time. Colton and Cannon played card games or nintendo the whole time. It was great!



Dad carving the Turkey



The Cooks



Colton and Cannon enjoying the rolls. That was all they would eat.



Crew snoozing on the kitchen counter while I chated and everyone else cooked



Crew in his cute outfit

No Time To Blog...

Having a newborn has really thrown me for a loop. I am truly enjoying having a newborn again. I have loved every second of it, but I don't have time to do anything else but take care of Crew. The last two nights Crew has done amazing with his sleeping. He has only woken up once each night. What an angel. I hope that we can keep that up from here on out.

Today was totally exhausting. It took me from 8-11:30 trying to get ready to leave the house. I can't believe one little person can throw my schedule off so much. We had to take Crew to the doctor to make sure his weight was stable. He came home from the hospital weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz. Today he weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. I guess he is getting enough to eat! I also worked on laundry all day trying to get ready to go to Utah for Thanksgiving. I also ran to Target to get diapers for Crew. (I forgot how much it costs just to have a little one in diapers) and then Greg (bless his heart) was totally losing patients with Colton and Cannon this afternoon, so I offered to take them to the library. Greg has done so much, including nights with Crew that I wanted to let him have some quiet time. But, the library was not the greatest idea. After leaning over getting books, holding a pile of books in a long line, and walking a pile of books to the car, I felt I had been hit by a truck. Then, I had to come home and pack 3 kids and myself to go to Utah tomorrow. Now you can see why I am totally exhausted. It makes me exhausted just typing this.

Anyways that is the happenings of our family the last couple days. Hope everybody has a happy and safe Thanksgiving. I am truly grateful for all my many blessings!



I thought I would just close this post with a picture of Crew's foot. Ever since we first saw them, we laugh that he has ski's for feet. They are so long. We love it!

Crew's 1st

Crew's 1st Night Home

What a nightmare! Crew was awake screaming from 11:00-5:00 last night. He wouldn't even calm down when we would hold him. I don't know what was wrong with him. Hopefully tonight will go better.



But, of course, he has slept all day!



Crew's 1st Bath

Besides pooping once and peeing once during his bath, he actually did pretty good!



Crew's 1st time wearing this cute outfit!

Even though last night was the pits, it has been so fun having a brand new baby in the house again. I can't get enough of Crew. I want to hold him, smell him, and kiss him constantly. I love him so much.

The Birth

The belly...Just before the C-Section



Greg thinks he is as smart as the doctors!



The C-section was quite an experience. It was quite different from what I remembered from the last one. I could not really feel any pain when they put the spinal block in. Immediately my legs and stomach were numb and the procedure begun. Dr. Leavitt went quite slow at first removing the old c-section scar and the anticipation of hearing the baby cry was nerve racking. Dr. Leavitt started pulling the baby out and his hand wanted to come out first. After putting his hand back into my stomach, the pulling began. I about died when the 200 lb. assistant pushed on my belly for what seemed hours but was probably only 5 minutes, helping to get the baby out. Finally the baby is out and everybody had bets on how big he was. The doctor kept saying how huge he was when he was trying to pull the baby out. After just minutes the nurses shouted into the surgical area 8 lbs. 2 oz. 21 1/2 inches long. Wow, what a baby. I really can't believe he was shoved inside my belly. Oh yeah, I guess I can because I felt like crap the last few weeks.

Now that Crew was out, I finally felt like we made it through. But, after having Crew in the c-section room for only minutes, they took him away because his breathing didn't sound good. After many tests and one hour later, the doctors surrounded my bed in post-op and told me that Crew was going to have to be admitted to the NICU for 48 hours because his sugar levels were too low and not functioning properly. I was very sad knowing that I wouldn't have my sweet little baby in the room with me, but happy that we had such competent hospital staff watching out for him.

Crew in his incubator in the NICU



Greg taking care of Crew while I was in post-op



Crew with all his cords and wires hooked up to him



Crew being moved into an open bassinette in NICU



After being in the NICU for 48 hours, all of Crew's test came back looking good and they released him and he got to come into my room. YEAH! (Breath a sigh of Relief) Although everything turned out just fine, I have a whole new appreciation for families who have babies in the NICU for long periods of time. Just 48 hours was terribly hard, exhausting, and emotionally draining. We are just happy that today we came home from the hospital with our healthy baby boy Crew. We love him so much. He will be so fun to have around.

Colton and Cannon are so happy to be able to see and hold their brother



Cannon breaking out Crew



Yeah...We are bringing Crew home



As for me, I am recovering really well from the C-section. The first several hours after I had the c-section were pretty rough. After many hours of throwing up, I started feeling better and was able to finally go see and hold Crew. But, each day, I started feeling less sore and I feel like this recovery is going really well!