18 months

(a matchbox car in each hand)




(running away from Mom on our walk)










Malaki is officially 18 months! For church, 18 months is a milestone for going to the Nursery class (18 months to 3 years). It's a little class for this age group but because I'm the leader, Malaki has been going already, so tomorrow won't be a big deal. Our little guy is not so little anymore, well, he's still little (he's a Mendoza) but he's bigger then he was!
Things Malaki likes: cars, playing outside, running, climbing, laughing, smiling, opening drawers, eating, to just name a few things. He's speech is coming along and it seems like everyday I hear a new sound, but still only a few words. My favorite thing that Malaki does is that he plays with his toys on the windowsill in the office (it's low) and he plays with his cars and dinosaurs and watches the world. He also lays on his stomach to play with his cars. It's very cute but of course no pictures because as soon as he sees the camera he comes to investigate. He also crawls under dad's desk and turns off all the computers (more then once when dad was working) and he found an old printer in the office and he sits on the video camera bag and plays with the printer and has all the doors and buttons figured out!

Malaki

I just love this picture of this cute guy, what's not to love?





Boy News:
*climbs up to my computer and plays, I now have to lock it when I leave.
*went to use my printer to find chicken nuggets stuck in it, thanks little guy!
*knows what he likes, shakes his head no or gets really excited if the answer is yes!
*runs EVERYWHERE! did I mention this kid is a boy? All boy

My Sassy Olivia

Olivia is the funniest, sassy little girl I know and I love her to bits! This is how she "posed" when daddy asked to take her picture in front of a waterfall. No coaching from me at all. P.S. she dressed herself :)

Merry Christmas

As always, the holidays come and went before we had time to enjoy them. I got most of my decorations up in a timely manner and our poor tree was only half dressed to discourage a little boy from touching, little did I know that a young lady would also have to touch and rearrange all the decorations. December started with snow (on the first) and mother nature wasn't done. Snow came not once, not twice but 3 times in December and for the first time ever for me, we had a white Christmas. Of course as much as cool the snow is, it just causes trouble in my opinion. We can't drive anywhere and we don't have proper snow clothes. Our original plans were for Christmas Eve dinner at the Angeli's and breakfast at our house. Due to the snow, we ended up home with just our little family, eating whatever I could put together (I wasn't planning on cooking a whole meal) and Tomas and the kids watched a cartoon Christmas special. I of course was sorely disappointed and pouted the whole night. Called my mom's and talked with my brother for a while with all the Christmas joy sounds in the background, I have never been so homesick for California as I was that moment. We got everyone to bed and Santa made his yearly appearance. Olivia was cute, in the morning she woke everyone up that "Santa had come" and she squealed with delight with everything she opened, ate or saw. It was just what I needed to be reminded that it's really for the kids. It kind of stinks to be a grown up when you just want to be a kid again. The roads weren't clear until after 10 in the morning, so Christmas breakfast became Christmas brunch. We had a great time with the Angeli's and snowed in Katie and Bryce, what a fun surprise but I'm sure they would have loved to have been home for Christmas. A first and probably last, I made matching PJ bottoms for the kids. Olivia refused to wear them so I only have a picture of Malaki wearing his. His turned out funny and were skin tight and low riders. I got a good laugh out of seeing him. I didn't make him wear them to bed, Tomas didn't think they were warm enough. I think I was in a little bit of denial of the holidays coming, I still have pumpkins on my pouch, which then became snow covered pumpkins.

Family Photo

Here's just a taste of what we got...

Christmas Party

We had our ward Christmas breakfast and one of the activities was to dress up as people of Bethlehem and take a picture in a stable. It was just I and the kids but it was fun :) Good food, great friends, a great morning :) Merry Christmas

November

The month flew by faster then you can say "Football"! The month started with nice fall weather and ended in a cold front that brought snow December 1st. We ended up staying home for Thanksgiving and due to a spectacular win from the high school football team we were joined by the Angelis at the last moment. We didn't take pictures that day but Lisa and I put together a fantastic meal. We had turkey and ham, sweet potatoes, jello and veggies to just name a few favorite's. And of course it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without yummy desserts. I made a creamy pumpkin spice pie, bought a very yummy dense fudge chocolate pie and made soda cracker pie that is my favorite from childhood. Lisa made a very tart lemon pie and a blueberry pie. We had lots of fun and enjoyed each other's company and Mark of course got to watch some football.