Derek (3.5 yrs)

Derek is so creative and uses his great imagination when he plays with his vehicles. I LOVE listening to the stories and scenarios he creates. Derek has been going on 5 mile bike rides with us while we run and push Rylie in the jogging stroller. We LOVE this time as a family. We LOVE to be active together and we have so much fun chatting, singing, and looking at nature. Derek has also begun to write his own name. Its soo cute and we are so proud of him. Derek is so sweet to his sister. He encourages her, plays with her and treats her just like one of his friends. He has such a sweet heart. I LOVE listening to the conversations they have. Derek is very independent and responsible. Derek has basically stopped napping (naps once every other week) but will play in his room for about an hour a day during "quiet time." This has been a tough transition because my alone time is short, but on the positive side Derek now goes to bed at 6:30/7:00pm instead of 9:00pm so Matt and I have much more time together in the evening!! We love you buddy.

Derek LOVES to take pictures

Christmas comparison

 Rylie 9 months (2012) & 21 months old (2013) - look at her hair!!!

Derek 6 months (2010), 18 months (2011), 2.5 years (2012), 3.5 years (2013)

sweet siblings

Christmas in AZ

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, celebrating in AZ! We were so blessed to have both sets of grandparents visit us too!! It was so awesome to be in our own home while Matt had some time off. The weather was amazing and we had some great quality family time. Here are some pictures that highlight the Christmas season. It was so fun to listen to both kids sing Christmas songs and talk about the Christmas story and what Christmas is about. We LOVED watching the kids give to others!

 Singing "Happy Birthday Jesus" at Derek's request. We sang it 3 nights in a row (every time we had our carrot cake dessert).

 stockings on Christmas morning with a note to each kid from Santa

This year Derek asked for me to take him to a "present store" to buy a present for Rylie and Daddy. He knew exactly what he wanted to get them and I couldn't wait to take him shopping. Derek picked out a stuffed doggie for Rylie and a firetruck for Daddy. He wrapped them himself too. Christmas morning the first present he picked out was the one for Daddy from Derek! Once Daddy opened it Derek asked "Daddy can I borrow the firetruck?"

 Christmas Day family hike

 Rylie all tired out from playing Christmas morning!! Napping with her new doggie from Derek (its as big as her).

 Christmas Eve Pinnacle Peak hike with friends

 We LOVE our neighbor's decorations!!

 We visited Baby Eli and the kids loved playing the keyboard at Eric and Andrea's house. Then singing Christmas carols!!

Nativity under construction...Rylie LOVED using her tools on the nativity

 Derek loved Kreiman's train. He asked all the time if he could "stop that train and go that train."

Stockings that I made

Decorating gingerbread houses

Finished product

Sugar cookies

Grandma and Grandpa drove to AZ to celebrate Christmas with Kevin's family and us on Dec. 26th.  Rylie LOVED their 2 pugs.

Polar Express

One of my favorite Christmas experiences of this year was taking the kids to ride the Polar Express. Derek LOVES reading the Polar Express book and requests it all year long. He was the perfect age to grasp the "magic." The train is in Williams, AZ 2.5 hours away from Phoenix. The weather was perfect...it snowed the morning and as we drove up the kids got to see snowflakes. We got hot coca and cookies on the ride to the north pole while they read the book to us. The kids saw Santa and then Santa boarded the train and gave each kid their own bell. We sang Christmas carols on the way home and Rylie was dancing in the aisle. Can't wait to ride the Polar Express next year!

busy on the car ride up