HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

My birthday is something I make sure does not get over looked. Yet, for some reason I am just not to excited about it this year. My 27th birthday was not an easy one for me. 27 was way to far away from 20 and way to close to 30! So now that 28 is here it just seems to be another year to me. As I look toward 28 this is what I am seeing.

28
Twenty-freakin-eight.
(For posterity's sake)
As I am slowly approaching the last of my twenties, I AM:
A mother of 2 children under 5.
A wife to Jordan.
Working at home as an Insurance agent and assistant to Robert.
Living in a house on Melissa Meadows.
Living with 3 dogs and a hamster and also lots fish.
Driving a Toyota Sequoia.
Trying to make dinner at least three times a week.
Growing out my hair.
Still struggling with a bedtime for my 2 children.
Living in a constant state of chaos.
Happy that I have people to care for my children. And me at times.
Always forgetting things.
Very much awaiting our vacation to the Virgin Islands in August.

Enjoying every minute of being a stay at home mother. (Well most of every minute)
This is what 28 looks like for me.

THE THREE BEST THINGS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME

FOOD SAVER

My mother-in-law gave me the best Christmas gift this year. I received a food saver! I have really been trying to use my coupons and get my food storage built up, but I notice my food wasn't lasting quite as long as I needed it to. So tonight I started going through my pantry. I got out fruit snacks, marshmallow's, nut clusters, sunflower seeds and M&M's. It was so fun to get everything canned. I am just hoping now my food will last a little longer!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF

This post is only 2 days late! Jeff joined our crazy Coache clan in October and boy are we happy to have him. The kids absolutely love their Uncle Jeff. He is so good to take time to play with them. So we couldn't let his 28th birthday pass by without acknowledging how wonderful we think he is! This picture was taken in May and Jeff was learning how fun trail riding with Bob is!

BOB-O

Well I know this post is coming late but I could not skip it completely. So Happy B-lated Birthday Bob-O. My father-in-laws Birthday was on the 20th of December. I can not express enough my gratitude for my father-in-law. He has help open so many doors for our little family. With out his love and generosity I'm not sure were we would be. These are just a couple of pictures of Bob doing what he loves!

CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON

Well Santa ended up leaving a present at Grandma Zips house for the kids.

A GIANT BASKETBALL JUMPER!!!! Breezy & the kids!The kids got Jeff & Jenn in there too!GO JENN!!!

I had to add this picture in because I wanted to show how wonderful it is yet again to have Jordan's family feel so welcome at my parents that we can all spend Christmas afternoon together!

CHRISTMAS WITH THE COACHE'S

We headed over to Grandma & Bob-O's at about 10:30am to open gifts with them.

Paislee had to teach Jeff about all the Disney Princesses!

Paislee and Jenn with their annual Christmas picture.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

The kids were so excited to have Santa come. My parents wanted to come over and watch the kids in the morning and of course they were running late so we made the kids sit at the top of the stairs and wait a few minutes until they got their. For about 2 months now Paislee has told anyone that walks in our house the Nemo and Dory are not in our fish tank. She has about driven Jordan and I crazy about needing to really FIND NEMO! So needless to say Santa brought our fish tank, and Paislee NEMO AND DORY.

All Rylan wanted for Christmas was Maxius Drago. So of course it was the last thing in his pile and the first thing he had dad opening!

Rylan was almost done opening his gifts before he realized he had a bike sitting next to the tree. He wasn't to excited about it but when we got home Christmas night him and dad checked it out!

CHRISTMAS EVE GIFTS

Every year sense my dad was a little boy my Grandpa George has had to work Christmas day so they always opened all their gifts Christmas Eve. This tradition continued on until about 7 years ago when my grandma said it was getting to hard for her to have us all come to her house. We now go to my parents house so my grandma can give us her gifts on Christmas Eve. My mom is trying to figure out how she wants to continue this tradition. Last year she brought all our gift to each of our houses Christmas morning, but she didn't care for that because she felt like she was taking away from Santa for the grandchildren and also we didn't get to watch each other open gifts. This year she decided to give us all our gifts on Christmas Eve. I don't think words can describe how excited Rylan was to come back to Grandma Zips house and find out he gets to open presents. Who knows what she will decide to do next year, but the kids were sure glad she chose to do it this way this year!

PAISLEE'S BLANKET

I FINISHED IT!!! If you haven't read previous post I have been working on blankets sense July and completed 3 of the four until now. I finished it just two days before Christmas. My mom again was a huge help in getting the finishing touches done. I have the hardest time with putting the boarder around the side. Paislee loved it, she hasn't felt well tonight and we have just been snuggling in it.

CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS

Every year my mom gives each family the 12 days of Christmas and on Christmas Eve we open day 12 and get our Christmas pajamas. This tradition started when my mom was a little girl and her mom would do the same for their family. As my moms family started getting older my grandma started sewing for all 34 of her grandchildren. I am pretty sure she started sewing in July!!! Each Christmas growing up we always knew Grandma Zobrist was going to give us treats for the 12 days of Christmas. After Grandma past away my mom as continued the tradition. I am so thankful for her and everything she does to keep the family traditions going.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Every year we have the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve with both of our family's. We started the day off with going to see the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel with Jordan's parents. It was a very cute movie and Rylan loved it. Paislee is just too active to sit through any movie. After that we headed to my parents for our traditional Port of Sub dinner. Once dinner was finished and Jenn & Jeff made it to town we joined Jordan's family in handing out hats, gloves, beanies, jackets, socks and candy to the homeless. I still am not comfortable taking Paislee with us, but it is an experience that I am so grateful to have with Rylan. This year Rylan understood exactly why we were out there and wanted to give every person something. He was not afraid of any of the men. I was so proud of my almost 5 year old son going out to serve his fellow man. I don't have to many pictures but here are a few.

Loading the car to head down town

I'm really not sure why I looked so grumpy!

Jordan found this jacket in the piles to give out and thought he should be able to keep it. Thank goodness he ended up giving it to someone!

PAISLEE'S CHRISTMAS DRESS

This year I was a lot more on the ball than last year. I found Paislee's Christmas dress at the beginning of November! I even got Rylan a new suit. The Primary children sang in church yesterday and he looked like a stud up there. Paislee kept telling me she looked like Santa!