Happy New Year!

(Does it get cuter than that?)

We brought 2010 in with a bang (kinda). We had some of our friends over (Buswells and Gunns), ate some food, threw a 9:00pm New Years celebration with the kids (Eliza loved the silly string), made a big mess, put the kids to bed, played some games, laughed a lot, celebrated midnight New Years and stayed up way to late. It was one of my most favorite New Years I've ever had!

Abby's birthday

I can't ever keep it strait how old I am and then when it changes it just confuses me more. I can't wait for the year that I turn 30. That should be easy to remember.
It was a great birthday! Once again Rob treated me right. He and the girls made me breakfast in the morning (crepes - my favorite!). Then we went swimming at Fairmont pool where Sarah and Jenn surprised me that they came. We swam in the somewhat chilly water, Rob scared Eliza to death on the water slide, and we had cake and candles to end the awesome party! I felt like a kid again! It was awesome. Then we went home and I opened my present. Some new snowboarding boots. I think I am going to be a ten times better snowboarder now (and a warmer one). It was an awesome gift and the girls like pretending to snowboard with me.
Then the whole fam helped clean up the house. That night we had Hannah come over and went on a date to Koyo's restaurant. Rob let me know that he had also signed me up for a photography class that I wanted. I want to be able to take my kids pictures and have them look good. We'll see. It was a great birthday and definitely one to remember.

Merry Christmas

The Saturday before Christmas we saw Santa at the ward Christmas breakfast. Then we hurried up to Twins Falls for the McMillen Christmas Party...


We had a big party at Pat and Tina's house where we were able to see Santa again. Then we went to a rest home and sang carols to the elderly and handed out presents. It was a great activity. The elderly just loved Liberty and Eliza. Libby just couldn't dance enough for them either. Unfortunately a couple days after that Liberty got sick with we think the 24 hour stomack flu. Then I didn't feel very good for a couple of days. We went back home thinking Eliza and Rob were out of the woods. Went to Adam and Chelsea's delicious Christmas Eve brunch (which I still dream of all the delicious food) and then later that night Rob was sick in bed. It made for a little bit of a lonely Christmas Eve nigh but still fun and at least a little less crazy. The girls and I had (by request of Eliza) bread, cheese, and salami for dinner. Then we made Cookies for Santa...

Then went to bed early so Santa could come. (The whole night Eliza kept saying, "we better hurry and get in bed, so Santa can come" this was of course starting at like 6 pm.) So she was eager to go to bed. We woke up that morning with Rob feeling a little bit better. There were so many fun gifts to exchange. Liberty for some reason never wanted to play with what she had been given but just wanted everything that Eliza had recieved. It was a little frustrating but at the same time pretty funny and ironic. (Apparantly she didn't like Elmo as much as she had put on the months before.)

(Rob displaying my new back pack carrier, couldn't quite do it with a child in while being pregnant but sooooo excited to hike with it this summer.)

(Eliza with Baby Alive. It really poops and pees, not quite sure if I will like that.)

(Libby with her new high chair. She loves to feed her babies)

After opening presents with in the morning with our small family. We got all Stevensons on board to let us come up for the family party even with our germs. I was so glad everybody was so willing because I really wanted to be with the whole family for Christmas. We put Rob in quarantine in the basement which I am not so sure he was sad about since he got to watch a lot of TV and relax. We opened presents (everyone was so generous and thoughtful in their gift giving) and ate some delicious food. It was a really great Christmas, even with the stomach flu.

Thanksgiving

Eliza made these super cute costumes of Indian and Pilgrim in preschool and I just loved them! For actual Thanksgiving day we were up in Boise, Idaho at Aunt Chris's house. It was a super delicious dinner even with the "Christmas Vacation" turkey. Eliza was inseparable from Kennedy and Libby found every chance she could to harass either Krew or Taiton. It's so much fun to hang out with the McMillen family.

Happy Anniversary

We had our 6th anniversary on Nov. 22. Rob planned an awesome little anniversary weekend. We first went to Michelangelo's (an Italian restaurant and I love Italian) then we went and checked in at the Little America Hotel in downtown. Then the next morning had a delicious breakfast. Went to the temple and did sealings (where I passed out, totally embarassing). My blood sugar was a little low and I was feeling woozey due to the pregnancy. Luckily it subsided because next we went to the 3D "Christmas Carol" movie. By then I totally couldn't wait to see my kids and we went to pick them up. It was all around just totally relaxing. It was great! Plus it's always fun to have these kind of trips because it makes me realize how much fun we have together. Love you Rob.

Halloween

(We lit our pumpkins like a week after Halloween because we weren't home the night of Halloween but the kids still wanted to see them glow)

(Eliza at her Preschool Halloween Parade, singing a Halloween song)

So I did not realize how far behind I am. I hope to do a quick update. For Halloween we were characters from Snow White. Eliza was snow white, Rob was Prince Charming, Libby was a Dwarf (Happy or Grumpy or Dopey depending on her mood), and I was the Queen/old lady that gave Snow White the poisonous apple. We had a fun day at Grandma and Grandpa Stevenson's Halloween party. In fact we had so much fun we stayed to late to go trick or treating in our own neighborhood and just went around Grandma and Grandpa's neigborhood. The kids loved trick or treating. Liberty learned quickly what to say if she wanted "canny".

Family Christmas Letter

This year we decided to do our "Christmas Card" via email. If any did not receive it I thought I ought to put it on the blog and apologize that it did not get to you for some reason.

This year has been a rather crazy year. Here are some of the highlights.Rob worked hard through the spring juggling both work and school but finally graduated BYU with a JD/MBA and continued working for vSpring capital. After graduation we were very fortunate and were able to take a cruise to the Caribbean, just Rob and I as a 5th anniversary/graduation present. We moved from Provo and lived in the condos by the Gateway in Salt Lake City where we house sat and took care of some cats. It was fun to live in downtown and experience a little taste of the city life. Eliza loved living right next to the Gateway Children's Museum which we visited regularly.

At the end of the summer Rob and I took a trip down to Monterrey, Mexico and considered moving down there but soon after felt that it was not the time to make such a move and found a home in Millcreek. Mexico is always on our mind and we'll see what the future holds.

While living in our quaint home in Millcreek Liberty has decided she wants to be independent. She wants to do everything herself. Going potty in the toilet is one of them (Yeah!) and pouring her own milk is another (boo). She is a lover and a hater. She has pulled out many a child's hair, loves to ride on babies like they are horses, and will bring out the teeth if she must. (Fortunately I think she is starting to catch on that these things are not OK. At least this is what I tell myself to keep sane.) But she is also the most loving little girl. She loves to snuggle and give hugs. She always is saying hi to everyone at the grocery store and her smile can light up anyone's face. Just a couple of days ago we went and visited a rest home and she went around and shook every person's hand and said "hi" and "merry christmas". They all loved it.

Eliza started going to a preschool this year and when we moved to Millcreek started attending a preschool called "Grandma's Garden". It is the best school I could have ever asked for. Her teacher is great and she has just taken off on learning her letters. She thinks it is the coolest thing that she can write letters and everyday she surprises me with the things she has learned. But she also loves the television. Brady Bunches is her favorite show and when she misses it she's pretty disapointed. We are happy to report though that while delivering Christmas gifts to our neighbors this year she yelled out with delight, "This is better than watching T.V.!" She is an amazing little girl, an awesome big sister, and a great example to me.

Soon after the move to Millcreek we were happy to find out that our third child is on its way and due to arrive the end of May. Eliza and Rob are sure its a boy! We'll find out in January.

We feel so unbelievably grateful for the blessings that God has given us this year and we are most grateful for Heavenly Father's most precious blessing, his son. For without him there would be no atonement. We are grateful for this Christmas season where we are able to focus even more on this gift. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Love,

Rob, Abby, Eliza, and Liberty McMillen