January

We love January, or should I say Alivia loves January. For the same reason I love April.
We had Alivia's birthday party today and it was fun. We had a few friends and cousins over. It started with a picture coloring activity while we were waiting for everyone, pin the tail on the donkey, a pinata (Liv pronounces it pee-nata). Pizza, cake, ice cream, Hokey pokey, dress up and dancing in the basement. At one point during the party 15 kids were singing, I like to move it, move it......Here are some pics of the party and our night out ice skating mixed in.
We decided to take the kids skating for Alivia's birthday weekend:)

Grace, Alivia's cousin

Bauer loved walking around in his ice skates, did not like the ice unless Ben was holding him and skating around with him.

Kyleigh, Alivia's cousin

Thank you to everyone who came and all the wonderful gifts, Alivia is in heaven:)

Happy New Year

I really had some fantastic intentions of sending out Christmas cards and finishing my neighbor gifts (sorry all of you south of the Leavitt's:) I hate excuses so I won't give you any.
But I will recount what the letter I did type out said and fill you in on some of our intentions for 2009.
Throughout our marriage we have been blessed and we truly were this year.
First Kessler born in March and from non biased parents what a sweet baby, he is so good, and so cute! It was thankfully another good pregnancy and a delivery to remember:)
Alivia started kindergarten and she loves it, she has Miss Gurney in the PM and some comments from her teacher she is nice to everyone and is always happy.
Ben passed of STL for Target and what a RELIEF......... we are still waiting to hear what, when and how? but seriously he has worked so hard and continues to work hard for all of us, he loves his job, he loves working for a really good company.
We went on a few trips this year, another trip to Florida in February I was 8 months pregs, I have not been to Florida NOT pregnant...WTH? We made it to Kauai in June and that was a trip to remember...I loved it, it is so beautiful and I love just sitting in warm sun. Kessler did a really good job, he would fall asleep every time we would go by the ocean, it was so cute.
I continue to work for SkyWest coming up on 10 years and I am still part time and love it. I have been able to write and help develop training programs for their new hire program and their annual training program. Something that I love to be a part of.
Cooper has gained A LOT of ground this year, he would contently hang on to Livi's coat tales and go for the ride. He is gaining more confidence and is such a sweet, loving little boy. He loves dress up right now, and loves his class. He especially has loved Christmas songs this year, you will hear him singing randomly through the day.
Bauer is the brute, he is the tough guy. It takes A LOT to make him cry, but when he does get sad enough to cry, he makes Kessler cry it actually really cute to see.
Kessler is on his way crawling, walking along things and loves to dance, just say the word dance and he starts to sway.

Our goals this year, well I did accomplish my goal that I set last year, so we have to step it up a notch this year. I am still thinking of some goals that I feel I could work on, but here is the starting point.
Ben's goal is to gain weight, ummmm yeah who does that, oh wait the Whidden's do.
He made that goal because when we went on a cruise in 2007 in the picture you can see his ribs and so he wants to fill in some chubby by his ribs?!? and he wants to work out more consistently, (more than once a month)
I on the other hand want to trim up or would it be down? I actually love to exercise, and to lift weights. My goal is to keep working out and build up each week to longer and stronger.
Also I want to study something each week and post a quote or a saying from the subject on my mirror for that week to think about.
I also want to get my photos organized, that will take me ALL YEAR LONG for sure.
Anyway happy new year, to health, happiness, love and Joy in the Journey:)
The Whidden's

Merry Christmas!

Lots of fun around here the last 24 hours. The kids had a blast opening their presents and they were actually pretty good the night before. We tracked Santa on NORAD Santa, and when she found out he was in Canada, she rushed and put her pj's on. ALivia wanted to hurry and get to sleep so Santa would come.
Livi left Santa licorice, that Santa forgot to eat...how rude. Not on purpose though.
The kids highlights were, Cooper loves dress up clothes, he got batman wings and mask, he also go a police uniform from Nana Whidden. Bauer got army dress up and a spider man flying thing, and some hulk gloves. Alivia got colors, Lucky the wonder pup, and Ben bought her a necklace with a dragon fly on it, that she loves. They all got clothes and needed stuff, socks etc....it was funny when they opened those gifts they seemed excited. Sad that will only last so long. We have a video of Bauer getting really excited when Livi pulls out a red sweater. It is hysterical.

Ben got a cool Canucks hockey wall decoration, a watch and a gift card to his favorite store Target. I got a necklace from Ben and a necklace from the kids, and a gift card to one of my favorite stores. Thank you Nana and Papa Whidden.
We also booked a cruise for the beginning of February out of Florida, a five day through the Bahamas. I get periodic emails from a company who sends out deals to airline employees, when cruise companies want to fill their ships. We booked the cruise for 109.00 each:) I was looking at the price break down and for the kids they were 69.00 and the cruise was just over 9.00 and the rest 58 dollars and change was taxes and government fee's. Note to self always look for cruise deals around Christmas:)
Ben built the kids a snow fort and was going to take them sledding up to the school but the back yard hill, was just fine:)
We had a yummy Christmas family dinner and ended the night just relaxing, watched a movie and enjoyed watching the snow fall

Finished Product

Bauer working hard---one candy for the house, two in his mouth:)

Andrea's airplane landing on the runway, runway 16 at SLC:)

Good Work Liv!

Coopers Space ship had a melt down. I think the graham crackers were too old?

Bauer still quality checking the candy...

Alivia's Princess castle

Kessler got in on the action:)

Ben's poker table ( I don't know what setting I had the camera on, sorry some are not focused?)
The vacuum, ate all the candy dropped on the floor.

Some Pics..

Today was a fun day, Ben usually has Thursday's off and today was a really fun snow day. The kids were able to play outside in the snow for most of the morning.

Our dog incredible is so crazy in the snow, he loves when the kids try and throw snow on him and he runs around like a mad man.

Bauer loved playing in the snow

Cooper tonight had his preschool Christmas program and he looked so cute I thought. He had his new little suit jacket on, a sweater and some jeans, I thought so business casual. Last year I had them wear their cute Christmas outfits and compared to the other kids they were a little over dressed. Cooper was funny when I started taking his picture he started doing this with his hand, he hand would go up and he would smile.His hand would go down and he would frown, I have NO idea where he got this, it cracked me upAfter the program Ben wanted to start the kids Gingerbread houses and a few years Ben has had a theme of his house and so this year, we all did themes, instead of just a plain ol boring house.

This is mine below and these are the before pics, I will post the after, when it is after:)

Mine is a airplane landing on a runway, just wait till it's all done it is going to be cool.

This is Alivia's hers is a castle with a princess stuck in side. She wanted a moat around it. (Marshmallow dyed blue)

Cooper wanted a space ship

Bauer didn't care so I made him a beach house over the water and the sand.

This is Ben's, a poker table. Just wait till you see who comes to play poker;)

IIf you are wondering how we do this, we just take sugar and melt it in a frying pan. Take graham crackers and dip the ends in the melted sugar and then stick them together and let the sugar get hard again.

Merry Christmas!

The only way to keep them interested , brought out the bows.

The Christmas suits:)

The Christmas Angel!

Bauer not so much...ha ha

Kessler was so over it!! and below the Christmas card I made and printed off at Costco, and I didn't know this, but at Christmas time, the one hour photo turns into 2 hour photo. You can't beat the customer service though, they were so nice!!!

I love, no super love this time of year. I do love snow, no I don't love driving in it. But I love to look out the window and wonder what kind of soup should I make today? I actually like, not love..... shoveling the walk, and No, I don't contract my self out unfortunatly. Ben doesn't believe in shoveling the walk, living in Canada his whold life, either he had to shovel too much or there was no point in shoveling that much snow. I remember one of the first years I went to Canada for Christmas, I watched the weather and the forecaster, fore casted it to snow for 3 days, yes day and night. And it DID!! it also reached or bottomed out to -36 Celsius.....mmmm doesn't that sound like FUN!!!!

I will definitely miss all the fun we do have in Canada, when we visit for Christmas.

I love the familiar feeling that comes with Christmas, the last friendly visit from the neighbors, dropping off goodies ( I mean the last until it defrosts a little bit:)

But mostly I am so glad for the Christmas spirit. This year at our ward activity we now call neighborhood activities. We read this really great story, I love the story so much, I am ordering a few copies to send some peeps that I know. The book is God Bless Your Journey, the story is so heart warming and the pictures are illustrated so wonderfully!!

With all the wonderful things that comes with Christmas, I would be sad if I didn't say how thankful I am for my life and every single detail that comes along with it. I am thankful for the trials that have come my way, I have learned a lot from them, and realize they only make me wiser and to keep taking inventory on what is the most important. I am thankful for my Savior and know that without him I would not be me.

Merry Christmas, and to those we won't see this year!! miss you and hopefully see you soon!!