Birthdays, Christmas, snow and fun

So, finally here is an update. I got a new camera and then lost the software to get the pictures to my computer and then I got busy, but here is an update at last.

We have had a fun couple of months. The end of November brought Rowan's first birthday. It was so much fun to see him open presents and remember how just a year before I had been dying to just not be pregnant anymore. He has grown and changed so much. I am always amazed that so much personality can fit into these little bodies our kids come in. Rowan is such a mix of Kiara and Aidan. He talks and talks and talks like Kiara, but he is into everything and more like Aidan. He likes to climb onto the couch and look out the window at whatever is out there. He especially likes the train and lucky for him it comes at least twice a day. He refuses to really walk still, but he knows how to do it. He likes to stand in the middle of the room and clap for himself until we all join in. His second year will be full of even more adventures, I'm sure.

After Rowan's birthday, Shane had his birthday. We were excited to go see a movie together and I surprised him with a Star Wars book that covered all the Star Wars movies and had really neat inside info on the movies.



After that was Christmas, or as I like to call it a whirlwind of craziness. We got to go to Great-grandma Hansen's party in Phoenix 1 weekend. There the kids got to play with some cousins and explore Great grandma and Great grandpa's tree in the backyard while mom and dad got to chat with family. The next weekend we went to Uncle Steve's in El Frida and had a party with Shane's mom, sister, and aunt. Then it was Christmas here in Pima with the Bryces. It was the first time we had all been together since Aaron left on his mission, so it was very exciting. We also got to meet baby Dallen, Ren's baby for the first time. They got to my mom's house just in time for Dallen to play baby Jesus in the Christmas Eve play. Shane, Andrew and Ren were wise men, or as Shane put it "wise guys". I think wise guys is probably a bit more accurate. Aaron took up his old role of donkey and Kiara and Aidan were Mary and Joseph. Avery was an angel with Elizabeth and our angel was "great with child" as well. (Elizabeth is due in March with baby Turley #2). I got to be the shepherd and even Rowan had a part as the sheep.





Santa found our house and the kids were overjoyed. Santa and Mrs. Claus were exhausted in the morning, but it was worth it for the happy faces and hugs and kisses.

Santa even remembered to bring something for Moly!

Just when we thought the fun of Christmas break was over, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Stephanie went up to Mt. Graham and brought a present back for Aidan and Kiara: a whole truckload of snow. They had fun jumping in the snow and having a snowball fight until the snow was all melted.

School started back up last week and Kiara was student of the week. She had lots of fun being the line leader and getting to be her teacher's special helper. She also got to bring in pictures of her and her family and got to bring a special snack for Friday.

That is about it, I believe. Hopefully, I will be able to keep this a little bit better updated now that I found my camera software and got it all set up :) Thanks for reading!

The newest addition to the Hansen family

No, not a baby, but a kitty! Meet Cooper, the cat:

Last weekend we had a yard sale at Shane's mom house. A lady came by and was buying something and was holding a kitten. We commented how cute the kitten was and the lady said "You want it? It's yours!" We, of course, said no, but after she let me hold it I was sold. Shane was against it, but after being tag teamed by me, his mom and the kitten lady, he really had no chance. I felt bad, but not so bad that I wanted to give the kitten back. I had to promise to give him a bath and clean the litter box and he said I could keep him!!!


So now we have a kitten, Cooper, in our family. He is already very well loved by everyone. Rowan follows him around and Cooper plays with Rowan. Rowan is actually really soft with him. The one we have to watch is Aidan. He likes to throw Cooper and pick him up by the tail. Cooper gets him too, but I'm still not sure it is a fair trade off. I'm not sure what Moly, our dog, thinks of him, but hopefully she will get used to him. The first thing Kiara wants to know when she wakes up and when she gets home from school is "where is Cooper?"



Shane won't admit it yet, but I think he likes Cooper after all. While I am working at night, he and Cooper sit on the couch and watch TV and I can hear Cooper purring all the way over at the computer. I think they are destined to be good friends whether or not Shane ever admits it.

Tractor Ride with Uncle Aaron

My brother, Aaron, got a parttime job driving the tractor to clear cotton fields for a few weeks. He gets to drive the big tractor, so being the cool uncle that he is, he invited his nephew to come ride the tractor with him. Needless to say Aidan was overjoyed at the idea of getting to ride a big tractor. Not only was this tractor bigger than grandpa's, but it has a door and windows and cool things in the back. This was 1 little boy in heaven!

The hat Aidan is wearing is one just like Aaron's. Aaron bought it for him and now they match. One of these days I will convince Aaron to let me take a picture of both of them together with their hats.

Here is a picture of them driving off into the sunset, literally. Aaron says the best part of this job is that he gets to see the sunset every night. (He works from about 4 until about 10 every night after working construction! He is definitely staying busy!)

Madam Hildegard and my new pets

Every year on Halloween my mom (who teaches 1st grade) goes home early and a substitute teacher comes to class to teach. This teacher makes a witch's brew and gives out pumpkin cake. It is a good thing Madam Hildegard is so willing to come to my mom's class every year. Here she is with her favorite kindergartner.

I hope my mom still likes me after seeing that I posted this picture! She is so much fun and her costume gets better every year!

For Halloween, I got a new kitty and 2 new puppies. I made the boys' costumes and happily, they turned out better than I expected. The pictures are not what I wanted, but they were all way too excited to go trunk or treating.

Kiddos

Kiara went to a birthday party last Saturday where they got to go have their hair, makeup and nails done. She came back all beautiful and very happy. Here she is posing with her pretty hair.

She wanted to pose with her birthday blower, so here you go. She is quite the photo queen.

Today the baby woke up and I needed to finish something up, so I asked Aidan to go talk to Rowan to keep him happy. When I went in there, this is what I found:


Aidan climbed in and kept Rowan happy. They were having fun in there. Aidan is already teaching Rowan how to jump on the bed.


Sometimes I forget all the good things about being a mom in the midst of the diapers and the dishes and the messes, but things like this really do make it all worth while. If only I could hold on to these pictures and times a little bit better!

Rowan meets Oreo . . .

We were trying to get the laundry room cleaned out and Rowan kept getting in the way. So I put him in the high chair and gave him an Oreo. He had never had one before, but as you can tell I think they will be great friends for many years to come.

Here are just some other cute pictures of some kids that I think are pretty cute. (I may be a little biased, but . . . )

My friend, Leah, who is an aspiring photographer (a very good one!) just took some pictures for us today. I can't wait to get them back. She is so fun and did so good with the kids. She was hopping all around and even got Rowan to smile in some of the family pictures. I can't wait. Thanks Leah!!!

The Fair!!

Last weekend was the Graham County Fair. Shane took Friday off and we pretty much spent the weekend at the fair. Friday Kiara was in the parade, so we went to that. Elizabeth, Andrew and Avery were all down for Aaron's homecoming talk so they got to come too.

Aidan and Avery had fun waiting for the parade, playing in the dirt and checking out the trees and pinecones and rocks.

You can barely see Kiara in this picture. I don't know how to make it zoom up, sorry.

Friday afternoon we went to the fair to check everything out. Kiara had entered cookies, cupcakes and some drawings in the fair. She worked really hard to decorate the cupcakes all by herself and she got a blue ribbon on her cupcakes and her cookies. She got a participation ribbon on her painting and I think she was more excited about that one because it was red white and blue! The kids and Shane rode on the merry go round. This picture is kind of blurry, but I think you can tell they were having fun!
Saturday we went back to the fair so Kiara could perform with her dance group, Precision Dance Company. They did an excellent job. Tonya Larsen does such a good job with all the girls. I still can't believe she can get 3 to 5 year olds to dance so good. She is amazing!!