Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 was a lot of fun now that Ronin is a bit more excited about his presents. He still gets more interested in the box it came in most of the time though. We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and decorated cookies. My dad and Matt made the cookie dough (which was funny to watch but tasted great), and we all decorated cookies. All of my siblings were home except Logan, whom we miss! He is scheduled to come home from Iraq in April.

Ronin mostly just ate the frosting. He has become so independent that any time I try to help him with something, he screams and yanks it away. So most of the time I just let him be and he has been able to learn to do a lot of new stuff without me pestering him.

Looking at this picture makes me realize that I deserve an award for the Best Mom of the Year since I let my one year old eat with a knife. HA HA.

I thought this was a funny picture since the angle makes it look like my sister in law Emily is resting her head on Matt. Everyone was very proud of their cookies, although they were a bit scary. I spent most of the time eating the frosting, which may explain where Ronin gets that from.

One of Ronin's favorite toys that he got from Grandma and Grandpa Isom was a garbage truck. He loves it and enjoys dumping the little garbage cans in it. Most parents have their kids playing with doctor's kits, so I find it a bit amuzing that he loves this garbage truck so much. I guess diversity is the key. Garrett was such a good uncle and helped Ronin unwrap his presents.

Elmo has become my latest nemesis. Everywhere I go I hear Elmo and that cat screatching voice! I always said that I would never let my kids get into Elmo, but everytime Ronin would see a commercial or Elmo in a store he would get so excited. I guess you can't help what your kids are into. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Thanks to my parents, Ronin now has a lovely Elmo video for us to watch and a stuffed Elmo that talks all the time.

We spent Christmas morning at our house with Matt's sister Stacey and Grandma Sonya. It was really nice just to hang out all day and relax. Having to run around on Christmas can kinda suck. Sonya got Ronin this big dumptruck which Ronin loves cuz it is big enough for him to sit in. This picture made me laugh because Ronin thought the box was his present and loved it as much as his truck. He likes to roll his little friend Elmo around in it.

Some of the things Ronin got were some markers to use in the tub, a flashlight, books, clothes and pajamas, and I little gun from Toy Story which I also get the pleasure of hearing all day. I got earrings and a matching necklace, Matt got some golf club stuff and a shave mirror with a radio attached.

I love the Christmas season and get excited every year to put up decorations. Sometimes it can be very easy to get distracted from the real meaning of Christmas. When the Savior was born, he was not met with parades or mounds of gifts. He was not welcomed with banners or decorations. He was born into a humble family of lowly means. I'm thankful for His birth and especially his life. I'm glad every day to have friends and family who love Him and want to be like Him. I am especially thankful for our family always having what we need. We don't have a giant house or fancy clothes, but we have the gospel, a testimony of the Savior, bills that are paid, and we love each other. Merry Christmas!

Disneyland!!!!

Warning: picture overload!
I recently received the best birthday present ever! Even though my birthday is not til February my parents got me a trip to the happiest place on earth-Disneyland!!!! When I was kid we didn't really have the money to go on big trips like that and I always joke with my parents that my littlest brother has it made cuz he gets to go on more trips now that my parents are established and older. I really hope my parents didn't feel guilty about not taking us when we were small, but either way, it was a very thoughtful and generous gift. I am so thankful for my childhood and the way I was raised. I really did come from "goodly parents." We decided to do a girls only trip, which I think every woman needs to do at some point. It was just my mom, me and my sister in law Nikki. Even though I missed Matt and Ronin, it was a great way to spend time with some of the coolest women I know.

We drove since it was way cheaper than flying, and it wasn't too bad on the way down cuz we stopped in Vegas for a night and did some fun stuff there. Vegas was fun but I don't think I would go there again unless I had a lot of fun stuff planned. I saw some of the trashiest people there. It was like walking into the world's largest freakshow gathering.

One of the fun things that we did in Vegas was go to the Wax Museum. I got this pic just for Matt! It's Evil Kinevil and his motor bike.

As we were walking through Caesar's Palace (or where ever, I was a bit lost) we passed this shop that had Elvis memorabilia. They also had an Elvis impersonator singing. I was pretty impressed!

We also saw the Bodies Exhibition which travels around with their collection of bodies that have been donated to science to use for teaching and educating the public. When I was pregnant with Ronin, I had free tickets to see the exhibit in Salt Lake, but I was big as a house and didn't make it. So when I got the second chance to go, I was so excited! This was an amazing exhibit and was neat to see, even if you are not in the medical field. I highly recommend it!

My hat goes off to this lady and her husband. They were standing infront of the Bellagio preaching scripture and that we were all going to Hell. I didn't really agree with them but you gotta give someone credit when they are bold enough to shout that stuff at a bunch of drunk people. Plus, I liked her sign. Her husband was also singing Oh Holy Night in Korean. Now that's entertainment. We also ran into the Grinch!

The casino we stayed in had live music shows by celebrity impersonators that also ran the game tables. This guy had the best resemblence to his celebrity. It's almost a little scary. Some of the other ones we saw were Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

We finally made it to Disneyland Sunday night and I totally see now what the hype is about. It really is the happiest place on earth! I can see how they can charge so much for admission because you really get your money's worth. It made Lagoon look like a gas station. It was so clean and they had so much stuff to do. There is no way that anyone could get bored there. There was always something going on whether it was a parade, characters walking around, or live bands and musicians. I loved it! Christmas time is a really awesome time to go as well. They light the castle frequently, do fireworks every night, and even have fake snow flying around during the fireworks.

These two pictures are from the nightly Christmas parade.

The California side was also really cool. Some of the rides were insane and so much fun!

I loved splash mountain! The first night we were there it was around 50 degrees but I totally didn't care. I was so excited to be there I felt like I had reverted back to being a 9 year old. We got on splash mountain and rode it three times in row. We were able to just keep getting on because no one was in line because it was so cold. But of course when you are from Utah, 50 degrees is nothin'. We rode it right before the park closed at 11 pm so it was even colder. By the time we were done my pants were completely soaked and I was still running to get on more rides before the park closed. I think my mom and Nikki thought I was on crack or something, but they were good sports and allowed me to be a kid again!

I think the finding nemo ride was totally overrated. People waited in line for up to 3 hours to get on it. Fortunately we had an early morning pass and didn't have to wait more than 20 minutes. It was cool but not worth 3 hours of my precious Disneyland time.

Haunted Mansion. Nikki loved this one because it was decked out in The Night Before Christmas themed decorations.

It's A Small World ride.

There were a ton of characters walking around both sides of the park. It was fun to get pics with them, and to watch Nikki get weirded out by "people in costume." That was also entertaining. Here are just some of my favorite characters we got pics with! There were too many to post!

I never thought I would rock a fanny pack in public, but it was totally practical. It was so nice not to have to carry a bag around or worry about leaving it somewhere. I also realized that people can be very vain. Some people were dressed to the nine, and looked like they were about to walk the catwalk. A little ridiculous. I was a little curious who they thought they would impress. Afterall-you are in a park full of screaming kids. But just like Vegas, there was no shortage of freaks! I was a little bummed looking through the pics though cuz I realized I didn't have very many with my mom! That's what I hate about pictures, someone always has to be behind the camera. Since this was her third time going, I'm hoping she didn't feel too bad about that.

I am so thankful to my parents for a wonderful birthday present! I feel so spoiled! It was so much fun and a trip I still mention almost everyday. I'm sure Matt is getting sick of hearing about it. It was very memorable. I think everyone should go atleast once in their lifetime. Thanks Mom and Dad! And thanks so much Dad for taking such good care of Ronin while Matt had to work. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

Baby Ronin where did you go?

So lately I have been a bit bummed that Ronin is getting older. I love babies, especially newborns! It has been so much fun seeing Ronin's personality come alive and I really enjoy watching him learn new things. But I may have caught the "baby bug." I really miss the days when he was just content to let me hold him for hours, and he would just fall asleep in my arms. The past few days Ronin has had 3 teeth coming in, one is a moler. That should give a good idea of how much fun I have had the past few days. Sunday night was the worst. I think Matt and I were both at our witt's end and were about to fight to the death over who would get to go to work the next day. Unfortunately I lost that battle. Most days I love being able to stay at home but my four days a month at the SST are now precious to me! Thanks Matt for being a great partner in parenting. You're such a great dad and I appreciate you every day even though I don't always show it.

Yesterday I had a great time with Melanie. And I'm sure others were entertained at watching both of our children. Especially when mine is usually screaming. I was really spoiled with Ronin. His whole first year he was a perfect little angel. Even when he did something naughty he was still cute. He has slept through the night since he was 4 weeks old, he made breastfeeding easy for me, was always good for me in whatever store I was in, and the only sickness he has ever had is a cold or flu. He has never even had an ear infection. When I switched him to cups he didn't even notice. But the last few weeks has been a battle for me. He gets into everything that is not nailed down, throws tantrums when he doesnt get what he wants, and is starting to hit people at random. I guess he is starting the terrible twos a bit early. To whom ever took my sweet little baby boy, I would appreciate you returning him!

What the....

I have decided that having children is a really expensive form of entertainment for parents. Atleast once a day Ronin does something funny that makes me laugh and think, "What the...." It is interesting to me to see how kids can entertain themselves with the simplest of things. Ronin has been listening really well, doing what I ask (half of the time) and learning all sorts of new things. Since I use this blog as my journal, I like to record different things that Ronin is doing so I can remember it one day when I am old and gray.
~He loves "washing" his little truck with wipes (definitely matt's child!).
~He loves brushing his teeth which I'm hoping that habit will last a long time.
~He "helps" with laundry which usually consists of me searching my house afterward for the clothes and underwear that he trails throughout the house.
~He is learning to brush his own hair which ends up with him screaming because he wacked himself in the head with the brush.
~He has a new obsession with our shoes and is always trying to walk in mine and Matt's, which again, ends with screaming when he trips and falls.
~He is a huge cuddler, which I love! Even though this sounds kinda odd, I am totally ok with Ronin waking in the middle of the night when he is scared and teething no matter how tired I am because all he usually wants is to be held and rocked. Those are some of my most treasured times, rocking him when he is cuddly. A little bit of TLC goes a long way when you're a baby.
~ He has gotten really good at matching shaped blocks with the corresponding holes in a bucket.
~He frequently sits on poor Roam's head and uses him as a chair. I'm shocked that Roam has not run away. Well, atleast Ronin doesn't poke his eyes anymore.
~He rips the flip up parts out of his books and proudly brings them too me. I think it gives him a sense of accomplishment.
~Before having Ronin I used to see parents in the grocery store who had kids screaming at the top of their lungs and think "that's gotta suck." I realize now that what I should have thinking is "Like looking in a mirror."

The neighbors must think we are ghetto. They may be right. Afterall I'm letting my baby use a cooking pot for his own personal pool.

Ronin likes to show off his limberness, but he has a freak attack because he can't escape from the confines of a chair. I'm the mean mom that is snapping photos before helping him out.

Hopefully these hugs make up for the eye gouging Roam puts up with.

Since we don't travel much, Ronin has put our luggage to use. Its his favorite place to read his books.

What awesome fashion statements. Hopefully we don't end up on What Not To Wear someday. Ronin will be wearing his cowboy boots and pajamas, me in my pink bathrobe and pajama pants, and Matt in his usual basketball shorts and white t-shirt.

I'm so happy to be this little guy's mother. I love being able to stay at home with him(all though my four days a month at my paid job helps me to be a sane mother) and I'm so thankful to Matt for working so hard so that I can be at home. Ronin has always been such a good baby and I really feel blessed. He still has his bad days but thank goodness they are not often. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my other babies will be similar.

Gratitude

Lately I have been thinking alot about what I am grateful for. My family is healthy and happy, we have a testimony of the Savior, and the bills are always paid. What more could I need? I am reminded of a situation I was in while Matt was in the military. He had been deployed to Iraq for about 3 months and had come home on leave. He had been having back problems due to some herniated disks in his back and we were expecting him to stay longer than 2 weeks so they could properly manage his healthcare.


He came home the week before Thanksgiving and I was so excited that he would still be around for Christmas. Too many people take for granted being able to spend holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries with their sweethearts. Some of the toughest people I have ever met are "married to the military." Because of that, every day is special for them, holiday or not. Unfortunately he got a call on the 22nd of December from his superior officer telling him he needed to come back to Iraq and it had to be the next morning. I was totally crushed and that night we put up our sad little tree we had just bought with a few lights we had and no ornaments. I knew he would have to go back eventually but I wasn't ready yet. He was gone the next morning, just 2 days before Christmas. I didn't see him until the next August.


This brings me to what I am grateful for every year. My partner in crime (you know who you are) came to see me a few hours after Matt left and invited me to go on her holiday trip with her and her husband so i would not be alone on Christmas morning. We didn't have the money to fly home last minute. My friend Melanie from back home called me the next day and said she had bought me a plane ticket and I would be flying home on Christmas eve. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such giving people.


One day sweet little Ethan Bremmer will thank me for not going on that holiday trip with his parents because if I had gone, his birthday would have been later than September :). I am so thankful for caring friends who have shown me Christ like kindness and have been there for me at times when Matt was called away. That whole year he was gone I was fed every Sunday by caring friends and always had a friendly face to count on. I feel extremely blessed to know these people. (Who would have thought I could be so sappy?:)

Christmas trees...past and present.

We put up the Christmas tree tonight and I love it! I am such a Christmas junkie. I always have an American themed tree to remind me of what a great country this is! Usually the tree and every decoration I have with red and green on it is up the day after Thanksgiving. Since I worked that day, today will have to do. Me and Matt have always been those stickler kind of people that don't put up any Christmas related item or listen to any Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately I had to leave the bottom half of the tree a little bare since I have a very curious little boy running around now. Every time I turn around he is putting something in his mouth...leaves, rocks, wood chips, even a nasty old butterscotch candy he found on the floor at church that was half chewed!The garland was Matt's contribution to my Christmas decoration frenzy tonight. I have come to realize that Christmas lights after kids have gone to bed can be very romantic :)
This is from 2007 when I made my first turkey all by myself. I was obviously very proud. This bottom picture was taken a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant with Ronin when we lived in North Carolina. Exciting times!

Steelers Game

So for the last few months Matt, my dad, brother, grandpa, and uncle have been planning a "man trip" to the Steelers/Broncos game in Denver. They finally went a few weeks ago. My dad is a big steelers fan and Matt has always wanted to go to an NFL game. I guess we started an expensive habit because he loved it and next year they all want to go to Pittsburgh for another game. Now I'm not a big football fan and have no interest in it so I was glad that Matt was able to go with others that enjoy it as much as he does.

Here is the stadium the Broncos play in. They had pretty decent seats. Matt's brother Brady and his wife Kelsey also went and had awesome seats close enough to smell the sweat!

My dad's goal is for Ronin to love football since he says he failed with my brothers and I when it comes to that sport. He even got Ronin all this Steelers themed clothing.

While in Denver they also went to an aquarium and the US Mint where money is made.