Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year! We hope you are all doing well
and hope that 2011 treated you well! It
is amazing how quickly each year flies by, but in the moment they seem so slow!! Each
year has its ups and downs, but we are grateful for all of the moments that made
up this year.
We had a few big events that have
made this an unforgettable year. Jordan
graduated in December of last year with his MBA and we moved to Utah shortly
after so he could start his new job in SLC!
We are so grateful to be closer to more of our family members so our
kids have a chance to know more of their cousins, aunts, uncles and
grandparents. It was an unexpected move and
we are grateful for it.
Ayden and Gavin finally got potty
trained in March, and just one month later we bought our first home. Two weeks after the move we welcomed our 5th
child Carter Jensen Smith into the family; yet another wonderful blessing that
has been brought into our lives! We
could never have imagined life 4 years ago to turn out the way it has. Life
is busier than we would have expected, but we love every minute of it. Ayden and Gavin started Pre-school in
September, which has been a good transition for them. They
really struggle with adjusting to new situations and it took about 2 weeks for
them to not cry when I left, but shortly after they were asking me to go! It is so good for them to have this time to
interact with other children their age; this in all has been a wonderful
transition for them. Our family is
growing so fast in so many ways and it is so fun to look back and reflect on
the year.
Jordan – He is hard at work settling down at his new job with Zions
Bancorporation. Although he works a little later than he did
before, it is great to have school done with and to have him home at nights
without the burden of homework and studying that we have had the last 3 years!
Chandra - I am at home very
slowly putting the house together (as I write this laundry is piling up higher
than I ever thought possible!). I keep
thinking things will slow down as my kids get older, but then as I talk with
others I realize it won’t! I guess I
need a new game plan with keeping up. Life
is great and it is so fun to watch my kids interact with each other and grow up
so close with one another; they truly love each other
Ayden (4 years) - Once
again (because I am sure I have said this before), he is our ball of energy! I tell
him he is my Super Star helper! If I ask
him to get something for me he is the one that doesn’t even hesitate to do it. He works so hard to help clean up and rarely
complains about it. He loves being a part of everything, constantly
wants to be busy and always wants to EAT!!
I swear I hear “I am hungry” from him at least 100 times a day and 50%
of that is right after he has eaten! I
guess he needs the extra food just to keep him fueled. In the summer he loved riding his bike and
did so well at it. He loves to help cook! Ratatouille is his favorite movie (and he is
not a big movie watcher) and he always says I am going to be “one of those with
the hat one day” (a cook). He definitely
has the nose of a Chef. If Jordan or I
ever try and sneak a snack without the kids seeing, you can count on Ayden to
find out. He can smell it on our breath
and knows right away what it is. He is a
funny kid and we are grateful he is ours!
Gavin (4 years) – He is our
little teaser! He is the typical brother
that thinks he is so funny when he plays little jokes on everyone! He
loves his siblings and does really well at helping them with things, like;
getting their coats on, helping them put their shoes on, etc. He is a sweet kid and a big help when it
comes to the younger 3. He is a Momma’s boy and always has to have me
tuck him in (in his very particularly way) at night! He is a very organized little boy (that
doesn’t mean he isn’t messy) and very meticulous with things. He is like his mom and does not like his food
to touch on his plate, but that is just the beginning of the things he is
particular about! This summer he enjoyed
learning to play t-ball (at home) and seemed to be excited about learning how
to play the different sports. He is a smart boy and really enjoys quieter
activities such as, Play-Doh, and coloring.
It is fun to watch the boys as
they grow older and see the similarities and differences between the two.
Ava (2 years) - Calling
her our little princess is an understatement!
She definitely stands on her pedestal, or at least tries to! Pink is HER color. She has to have the pink crayons, utensils,
plates, everything! She is learning to talk so well and uses her
vocals to sing! She loves princesses and
knows most of the songs and dance steps that go to her sing-a-long princess
show. I feel so bad when every time she
wants to watch one of her girly shows, all of the boys yell “NOOO, we don’t
want to watch this”. So, usually she loses
out and they get the show on that makes the majority happy. She sure does know how to stick up for
herself among in a house full of boys and actually leads the pack most of the
time. She and Ayden are two peas in a pod (always
moving!!). She learned how to ride her bike this summer
which was an exciting accomplishment for her!
She has this Tinker Bell bag that she carries fully loaded with all her
“princesses”. It seriously probably
weighs more than her with all she loads in it, but it goes every where she goes! Most recently she has begun to love dress up!! She has this Cinderella dress and crown that
she wears day and night; it is almost impossible to pull it away from her! A major milestone within the last few months
is that Ava is no longer dependent on a binky!!
It has only been a night binky for a while, but now she is finally binky
free!!
Easton (2 years) - For 18
months he was the hardest child, at least with naps and bedtime. Then, magically
one day right before Carter was born he started letting us lay him down and now
we are at the point that we can even lay him down awake!! We have had some major progress with this
sweet boy this year! He loves his older
siblings and looks up to all of them and tries so hard to keep up with them all. He plays so well with them and gets along
with each one of their different personalities.
He is really starting to talk well and is an independent little boy. He has already started to ride his scooter
this year and seems to catch on to things really well. He is
really just a sweet cuddly little guy that is the little peacemaker in our
family.
Carter (7 months) - He Is a
very smiley little baby! Like all my
other children when they were babies, he has continued the tradition of never wanting
to be put down EVER!! (I must be doing
something wrong in this department!!) He is a sweet little boy, but a lot of
work that is for sure! He has started
eating solids and is getting better and better every day at sitting up on his
own! He has such sweet little baby
babbles and is a joy to have in our family!
We are grateful for life and all the
opportunities that come our way! We’re
grateful for all of our family and friends and hope this Holiday Season brings
you as much joy as it brings us this time of year!
Love,
The Smiths
(Jordan, Chandra, Ayden, Gavin, Ava,
Easton, and Carter)
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