Bring on 2014!

January started out rough for us.

 

New Years Eve we had a fun party planned with a couple of our friends and their kids.  But that didn't happen.  I ended up taking Bry and Rett to the doctor.  Rett's asthma had flared up bad and Bry ended up having pneumonia.  (Last year I had pneumonia on New Years!!)  And I ended up getting a horrible head cold (which turned in to a sinus infection that I could not get rid of for the whole month!).  We sure know how to party hard.

The boys fell asleep early, but the 3 of us held on and made it to midnight.

 

This little buddy of mine loves his trucks. 

We sat down to play one morning and lined them all up just perfectly.

TROUBLE.

Seriously, when you hear these 3 laughing in the other room,

you can guarantee there is mischief going on. 

Thankfully the crib survived.

 

Bry and I organized the basement to get things out of the way while he works on framing.

We found some old pics.

I was 19 - spring break in St. George with a couple of friends.

We laughed.  A little too hard.

Big hair and I actually had a chest back then!

Yes, I just said that.

Good times!

 

It's hard when friends move away.

But it's fun when they come home for a visit.   

Joni and Rico invited Bry and I to lunch while they were in town.

It was fun getting caught up.

Ohio is lucky to have her.

 

Game nights with friends!

We used to do this ALL the time before we all had kids.

It was fun....and a lot more chaotic with our combined 11 kids.

 

My cute little Mother-in-law turned 50! 

So, of course there had to be a celebration in the form of a surprise party!

Heidi and Stef planned a great night.  I just did what I was told. :)

Stef made a fun cake complete with headstone and grave.

 

The whole gang (minus Heidi's other half).

She is probably the most generous person I've ever met.

She would do anything for her family.

Anything.

She is an incredible Grandma.

And she's an incredible Mother-in-law.

I remember when Bry and I started dating, I just loved being around her.

I would come hang out with her even when Bry wasn't there.

I've learned so much from her.

She's stronger than she thinks.

And has such a beautiful soul.

 

January was.....interesting for me.

Depression raged on.

And then I found out what I had to teach on in Relief Society that month.

"A Broken Vessel" by Elder Holland.

A talk on depression.

Bry and I kinda laughed - every single lesson I've had to teach

has been something I really needed that month. 

Coincidence?

Nah.

It's amazing to me how well Heavenly Father knows each of us.

He wants us to be happy.

But understands and knows that life can just be hard sometimes.

And that's when those beautiful souls he has placed in our lives come in to play.

And they remind us that we can do hard things.

 

Bry's cousin Aubrie is amazingly talented.

She made this darling family theme for us this year.

And I am loving it. 

We have a list on the fridge of a "Let Us Be" characteristic that we will work on each month.

I am so excited for us to work on this as a family.

Bry and I have made some goals to strengthen our family this year.

Good things to come!

 

Sometimes, Bryn will let me do cute things to her hair.

We had fun looking for cute styles to try.

 

Still trying to push myself at the gym.

I have a couple of goals for fitness that I'm really trying to focus on this year.

Jordan and I thought we'd try some tricep dips. 

They guys next to us thought it was pretty funny, but encouraged us to try. 

I could do 3.

Definitely harder than they look.

 

Rod and Stef had a party to reveal the gender of their little peanut.

Stef planned a darling night and had a couple of teasers to keep us guessing!!

 

I had my bets on a girl....

BUT, it's a BOY!!!

We are beyond happy for them!

True examples that through being faithful and patient, good things will come.

 

And of course Uncle Bry had to have a little fun with the kids.

Tug-of-war at it's finest.

 

And this happened.

He was scared of the "big potty".

So, Mandee gave me her little one to try out. 

I set it in the kids bathroom one night.

Next thing we know, Garrett comes running in to our room and said that Brody had just gone potty!

He followed Rett in there and the rest is history.

The kid taught himself.

He is now fully potty-trained.

I have mixed feelings about it.

My baby is growing too fast.

 

And to end the month, Mands took me to lunch for my birthday.

We went to Pizza Pie Cafe, maybe because we love the dessert pizza's a little too much.

Best friends truly are the best!