2012

Well I sort of remember last years goals but the ones I remember I realize that I didn't really reach them ha ha! At least I can be honest about it right?

But lets makes some new ones.

1. Temple attendance

Ok so my first year of temple attendance goals I did well, last year not so much. There isn't much else to say here but that it is extremely important and I owe it to the Lord and to myself to follow through. I need to attend monthly.

2. Family & Friends

Date my husband (also a goal we failed at last year, but we already have a date planned for next week so we're working on it!).

spend more time with my brothers.

Take some fun trips and make memories with my own little family, even if its just to a campground. Spend time with friends and family. Recognize when I can help and do it!

3. lose weight!

this sounds totally cliche I am aware, but I am hoping to lose the final 10lbs of baby weight. Starting on Monday no more sugar for me for lets say 2 weeks to start and I am hoping to make it a month, because for one thing, no one should use sugar as their main food source and for another I am starting to grose myself out! Then I am getting a rec. memebership so that I can get back in shape. Starting to miss running (ha ha! who ever thought I'd say it?!).

4. finish!

un-finished projects galore I tell you! During my nesting stage or pregnancy last year I had no controll over what I really wanted done so what did I do? I started about 10 projects that I was completely unable to finish before the baby arrived. I have no idea what happened to my brain (maybe it was the sugar!).

*finish 3 quilts that I started for my kids

*finish the yard, we got it about 1/2 done

*re-finish an old box chest I picked up at an estate sale (its from the 20's)

*re-finish my old doll house that is sitting in our garage giving annoyance to Brad

*finish the book shelf in the basement /and the bathroom (that is mostly for Brad because what do I care if I dont have another bathroom to clean right?)

5. Read

It's no secret that I love to read, last year I set the goal on goodreads.com to read 30 books in the year of 2011. I read 35! how did I find the time? Probably from not finishing the projects right? ha ha But I feel that I can still find time to read and finish my projects I am pretty sure that one of last years goals was to manage time better, I should keep that on the list. Anyway I am upping my goal to reading 35 books again this year. Should be do-able.

Whatever your goals maybe good luck and have a wonderful new year! Oh and please hold me to these!!!

Squeeeee

finding her tounge and her voice!

Our Christmas

Pretty cozy!

after seeing the scooters the kids dashed for their stockings first.

Maren's first Christmas!


apparently she was taking too long

love that wrapping paper! by the way its not a good idea to let your baby play with curling ribbon. We found some silver shavings around her mouth after she'd been sucking on it, oops.

big smiles and Christmas jammies

this is the first time since I can remember ever having this little snow on the ground. But it makes good weather for going out and riding new scooters.

wiped out

So this video makes it sound like I have a lisp, just ignore that part :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!

I have always loved this time of year. There is something that is simply magical about it.

We are so blessed that our Heavenly Father sent the gift of Jesus Christ to the earth to teach us how to live, to suffer for our sins and then to overcome death through the resurrection. I hope with all my heart that I can live each day more fully patterning my life after my Savior, the Savior of the world.

Our Christmas letter:

Merry Christmas
From the Callahan Clan
Brad and I have been busy with taking care of our sweet little family. Brad still works hard during the day doing MRI and comes home to our house full of Mexican jumping beans. And I stay home with those jumping beans which is a job of it’s own. Our kids are pretty much our lives right now and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Garrett is 5 and a bundle of energy (as always). He started kindergarten this year! He was very excited to start and his first report card says that he is doing great. He is experiencing a bit of shyness that is a little new but it probably comes with the territory of growing up. He played baseball this summer and just started Jr. Jazz Basketball this winter.
Embrie is 2 soon to be 3 and is a bundle of personality. She is becoming quite the little princess if you know what I mean. She likes pink , dancing and dresses, but don’t let it fool you she can hold her own in a wrestling match just fine. She’ll be starting dance class in January and preschool in the fall, She’ll be excited to go to school like her big brother.
Maren is 4 months old and a bundle of heaven. She is so content and happy and growing up fast. She currently loves the sound of her own voice. She has discovered that her brother is very funny and that her sister makes her nervous. She is getting a little closer to being able to sit up. And she gets to start trying baby cereal this month! Yum!
Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope that this holiday season is filled with joy and love and the spirit of the Savior for you and yours.
Much love,
Brad, Randi, Garrett, Embrie, & Maren

Setting out the milk and cookies

and a little food for the reindeer . . .

Christmas with the Niederhausers'

We found ourselves at Papa and GG's for our first Christmas Eve party with them. It's become a tradition but we've never gone seeing as how we need to be in our own home on Christmas Eve night and we don't live close enough. But this time it took place throughout the day so we figured we could still make it home in time.

Grandma Sheri got things set up for the kids to play some Christmas bingo right away!

one cool gift that they got was a book that is read to them by grandma Sheri and grandpa Blaine at the push of a button! So fun!

we all played pictionary! bet you'll never guess what Embrie was drawing (neither did her team mates).
so glad that we get to have grandpa Blaine home for the holidays!

Ouch!

Maren had been a little irretable for a few days which is out of character for her and we wonder if this could have been the reason. Poor baby! under her chin(s) (its hard to get under there) had gotten rubbed raw and bleeding from moisture from spit up combined with the cold! You can bet we've been keeping a keen eye on things since this event!

Christmas with the (rest of the) Callahan's

The weekends before Christmas we got together with Brad's side of the family. The kids were so excited to be together with all their cousins and of course share fun times with the fun gifts they got from grandpa and grandma Callahan.

the girls (minus one napping baby Maren)

the boys (minus one little baby Dallas)

all the grandkids together

the girls got some real makeup from grandma and grandpa and they spent that night putting almost all of it on at once.

someone's fabulous!

Maren opening her very first gift!

On Sunday we all went to the nursing home to attend church with Grandma Great! Grandma loves it when the great grandkids come to visit and they love her so much!

all the family minus Brad's oldest brother and his girlfriend.

A very merry weekend!

Checking in at 4 months

Maren Stats:

weight - 14 lbs. 8 oz.

height - 24.75 in.

doing great!

trying our first bites of rice cereal

It's not too bad so far. It will just take a little getting used to.

Santa Claus

We got to have a special visit with Santa!

This year -as always- my kids don't really ask for much or don't know what to ask for (enjoy it while it lasts? probably). They've been asked several times what they would ask Santa for for Christmas, Garrett said he didn't know and earlier this week Embrie said she was going to ask for some new toys. ha ha!

But when they finally got the chance, Garrett first thought transformers, then changed his mind and asked Santa for a car. Of course Santa was relieved when we clarified that it would be a toy car instead of the real deal. Embrie asked for a doll. However, she did so via mom because of a sudden case of 'the nerves'.

Maren sat this one out. Mostly because when we got to our turn to see the Big Man she and dad were no where to be found. For some reason I don't think she'd have had much to say anyway, but she sure looked cute!

the spirit of giving

Ok so this hardley ever happens, in fact I don't remember the last time this happened. Brad bought me flowers!!!! ok so I was standing there in the store with him and he handed them to me I smelled them said they were pretty and put them back. He was like "I mean you can have them." Yay! pretty and festive. Now this is not to say that Brad doesn't do lost for me he just doesn't usually buy flowers. But this was a special treat. Thanks honey!

On the 3rd

There was seriously so much going on on this day! First of all Garrett started Jr. Jazz, yay! I wasn't there so there are not pictures of that yet (rest assured there will be). The reason I wasn't there is because me and the girls were headed to Ogden for a couple of big events. First our Jerzee girl's 3rd birthday!

Here she is licking the frosting off her barbie -doll cake, ha ha it was funny!

Garrett and Brad met up with us about an hour into it.

Then there was the annual Neilsen family Christmas Party.
This year my mom and I had volunteered to be in charge of the big bash. We decided to do a service project of donations and cards for care packages to the US Troops overseas.
As I was planning these events I heard many people around me talking about how their families would moan and groan if they suggested a service project or how young men and young women in their church organizations would only come as long as it was a "fun" activity but wouldn't show up to do a service.

So I'm really proud of my family for all the donations they gathered and the cards the kids made and the kind letters from the adults. I am glad that we could count on them to willing do this with us and I am glad that it turned out to be a success and that we also had fun as always!

Fa la la la la

We've decked the halls!

(Maren's first Christmas tree ornament)

Sick sick sick

The last year or so has gone by pretty good in the way of staying healthy. It was not bound to last though, this last 3 weeks we've been hit hard. It started with Garrett having gastroenteritis, and I got a cold while taking care of him then he got a really bad cold before he was even over the other stuff. Then Just as he was getting well -although I had tried as I might for 9 days to keep everyone seperated- Embrie got sick with a fever and bad cold which then turned into pneumonia. She finally started to get better and now Maren has her first illness a really bad cold that is making her miserable and now I have a new cold too. (Brad has been lucky and he even works at a hospital and then comes home to us how'd he get so lucky?) Ok ok I know you can't stay away from every germ forever but I am ready to get us all healthy and enjoying the holidays!

This is a picture of Embrie's poor red and cracking lips, I don't know if she was dehydrated from lack of liquid combined with cold weather and cold medicine, but this picture sums up the funk we've been in.

I'm thankful for . . .

working together

loving service

rolls

keeping busy


getting along




We're very blessed over here at the Callahan house.

Thanksgiving in Cokeville

There were lots of fun things to do over the Thanksgiving Holiday with our family as we spent it in Cokeville.

First of all Embrie finally met her adopted cat Petey and his sister Patches.

Grandpa played a fun "draw the turkey game" with the kids

Pin the feather on the turkey too!


This was supposed to be a weekend where Grandma spent some individual time with the girls, but Embrie was sick so she didn't get to have movie/sleep with grandma & Jerzee time. It'll just have to wait. But the magic tree grew some cool things over night for the girls!

I don't think I mentioned how freezing cold it was! Guess this tree grows things even in the winter.

even if we're sick its not too bad

Grandma Sheri also planned to make snow globes with the kids. It didn't quite turn out as she planned but the kids had so much fun anyway!

And of course the dinner and the company were fabulous!