Happy, Happy Birthday! Jennifer is one of my cousins whom I love dearly! She lives with her husband is Enterprise, Utah but we grew up as neighbors and were very close. She is a very smart, beautiful, and fun woman! She loves fashion and her family. I hope that your day is PERFECT!
I am proud to say that after taking a blog rating quiz...my three year old is allowed to look at our family page! It did let me know that I said pain 2x and poop 1x! That's my life I suppose! If you want to take the quiz click here.
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My mom, my brother, my girls, and myself all went shopping in Williamsburg last week. We had so much fun and the girls were great. I had made Isabella a cozy, warm bed in her stroller and put this blanket over it so that she couldn't see us. I walked with her for about 5 minutes and after her being so quiet I thought for sure she had fallen asleep. A few minutes later I turned the stroller to the side and saw this! She had found a peep hole and was soooooooooooo not sleeping! She was probably thinking that her mom is crazy!!
I just wanted to send a shout out to my Sister-in-law Jen and let her know how much I love her! This is her sweet family (that's one of John's brothers). Jen is an amazing woman and I am amazed by all that she can do! She is a fantastic mother and loves her children more then anything...besides James of course! She is creative and has the most beautiful decorating capabilities! She is so fun to go shopping with, and to play games with, and to eat with, and to talk with! I love you Jen...Happy Birthday!
We have a great ward activities committee that is always planning fun family activities that are so great! This week there was a chili cook-off cowboy party and Hailey and I has a blast! John stayed home with Izzie (she was sooo sick)! My brother is living with my mom for a little while to help with the packing and final projects on the house. It's been fun to have him around! Click here for the recipe of the winning chili! It was amazing! The family didn't actually use a dutch oven though...I guess that it still works!
Isabella has not been the speediest at moving around and getting up but she has finally figured this one out. She thinks that it is so funny to sit up in her crib and then stand up to talk to her sister. I do not think that this is funny....but it is very cute. I am having a hard time getting them to sleep though and am desperate to figure out a way to keep her lying down when I put her down. She doesn't rollover....she sits straight up!
I'm actually only a survivor because I have been so blessed with the ability to survive! It sounds like most households are battling the nasty winter bugs that are floating around and our house was not forgotten. Between my two children, we have dealt with someone being sick continually for the last 3 weeks. I am not one to take my children to the doctor...most of the time I feel like they send you home and you have just wasted valuable resting time. John and I just do our best as parents and we end up doing a lot of snuggling, medicating, wiping, and rocking! It's so sad to see your babies uncomfortable! Isabella loves nursing and she especially loves to nurse in the middle of the night! On average she wakes up 3 times a night to enjoy her favorite snack and then she gets a good tuck back into her cozy bed! It's been this way ever since she was born (almost 1 year). John is so sweet to her and gets so sad when she cries...so we don't let her cry! I can handle this...if she goes right back to sleep! With her being sick, she is feeding and then crying, crying, crying, and crying! Hailey is also making her appearance a few times a night which means that I do not sleep very much! So...I am a survivor because everyday I am able to get up after cat napping all night and carry on with our busy day! I know that my Heavenly Father has blessed me to get through this hard time and I am so thankful for that. I know that I have so many important things to do in a day and I appreciate that I am not alone!
What a wonderful year this has been for our family! We decided not to send out Christmas cards this year (to save a few bucks) but we will definitely be sending them out next year so don't take us off your list just yet! We loved receiving all of your letters and pictures and have enjoyed seeing a small peek into your lives! We have really enjoyed having my dad and brothers in town but are sad to see them leave again soon. The Holidays go by so fast! We have loved hanging out with John more too! The Hecker house has had at least one person sick all of our three week break! Hailey was up all Christmas Eve night with some sort of stomach bug (which means that I didn't sleep either!) It didn't end there though! She has decorated our car, a room at my parents house, and Olive Garden with her vomit! She also has an awful runny nose and nasty cough that we just can't seem to help her get over. We are all praying for her to be feeling better soon.
Here is a little glimpse of our 2007:
Isabella Maiya Mae was born on February 8th and has brought so much love and joy to our family. She has mastered eating, pooping, crawling, and playing! She has not figured out how to sleep through the night yet...we are crossing our fingers that this will come soon! She is already a shadow as she like to be where her sister is at all times!
Hailey turned three this summer and has turned into at least the equivalent of a 6 year old! Sometimes we think that her time clock must be off! She is so independent! She has learned how to ride an 18" bike and has started preschool (a rotation school that some friends and I started). She love to cook, do the dishes, play with friends, and watch Caillou!
John is officially half way through his 5 year Doctorate of Psychology program at Regent University! He has received straight A's for two semesters this year and deserves it for all of his hard work and sacrifices! He has been interning at Langley Air Force base two days a week and has really enjoyed his experiences there. He is the Ward Clerk in our Ward and because he is so organized, he has aided in keeping our ward running smoothly! He wishes that there was more time for golfing and tennis...maybe in a few years!
I have loved being a mom of two! I spend my days running our household (cleaning, laundry, dishes, feeding, bathing, dressing, carrying, and picking up the endless scattering of toys!) As I have been able to serve our children, my love for them has deepened! In November we found out that I miscarried for the second time! After the D&C I got an infection from the surgery and was pretty out of it for a little while. Thanks to great friends and family, we got through it and we look forward to more children someday! I have been the Primary Chorister for two years and love that calling; however I have now been called as the Primary 2nd Counselor and I look forward to the growth and learning that comes with a new calling. I have also been very busy with my new business 'Little Miss Priss' and have loved every second of it! I have a great support system of family and friends that have made all things possible for me and these people have added to the fun of my year!!
Our family enjoyed a wonderful trip to Utah in August and we enjoyed spending time with family and friends. If we didn't get to see you then we look forward to catching up with you next time. Because both of our families will soon be there we will have more vacations there.
Thank you again for your wonderful Christmas cards. We are so thankful for the wonderful friendships that we have been able to make throughout the years. Some of you we don't get to see very often and some of you we never get to see, but just know that we love you and cherish the memories that we have with you! All of our friends have made an impact in our lives and you are thought of often! Happy New Year!
