Mama's Holiday Wish List

Mama’s Holiday Wish List MemeTodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
As this is a WISH list here you go:
- Cricut Expression
-Letterpress Combo Kit
-A Mac so I can see what I am designing more clearer and because they are the best!
-Wristlet/Clutch to fit my phone, keys, credit cards and for it to fit in my diaper bag
-Camera for my car so that I can see behind me when I am backing out (there are a lot of kids in my neighborhood and I could never forgive myself if I hit one of them)

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
-A beautiful poem written by my husband for Valentine's Day

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
-a large painting

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
-All the gifts my parents got me because I knew it was a sacrifice on their part

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
-laptop, vacuum

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
-Turkey...oh yum

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
-An advent calendar and small gifts for it

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
-The Nativity Story (we must not forget the real meaning of Christmas :))

9. Favorite holiday song?
-Jingle Bell Rock, Christmas Song by Dave, O Holy Night

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
-Spending the holidays with family as we don't get to see most of them more than twice a year!

peru

My family took us to Peru 1.5 yrs ago (I was 6.5 months pregnant I think). We had such a wonderful time! We went to Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa and Lorin, my dad and brothers went to Puno, Lake Titicaca and Colcha Canyon. My mom stayed with me because it was the altitude was too high :(

In Lima we stayed in Miraflores which is super close to tons of shopping, restaurants and nightlife....although Lorin and I went to bed at like 11pm after watching movies. We aren't party people but for those that are there is tons to do.

What made it so nice was that we rented a sweet apartment in a safe part of town where most tourists stay...ok we aren't tourists but the locals totally know we are from the States. We had 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, washer/dryer, cable, internet and the most important: HOT WATER! It was sweet and made our stay that more comfortable. We could have stayed with family but none were equiped to house 8 of us :(

So why am I blogging about this you may be asking yourself...
Well my parents have an apartment in Miraflores that they are renting out and asked me to tell my friends who love to travel about this. They've rented it out numerous times but since times are tough now they needed an extra helping hand from me and my blogging friends.

Here is the link for those that are interested or know of people that may be interested. All I know is that traveling to Peru is much easier now that we know that we are going to be staying in a safe place with all that we are used to having here in the US. So for those that are planning to go to Peru (which is totally awewsome by the way......especially the food....oh my gosh don't even get me started!!!) here it is:

www.mirarentalperu.com

it really is sweet and super nicely furnished....let me know if you have questions or whatever :)

sadness

I felt like this. All day yesterday. It was a terrible feeling. One I couldn't shake off. I did try but nothing helped. I fell asleep feeling miserable and woke up and immediately thought of these:

Sweet son with sweet smile.

my loves

my joy

i don't know why i felt the way i did. i didn't like it. i tried so hard to feel happy. i should have prayed. humbled myself and asked for help. i didn't. i slept and the Lord blessed me this morning for he knew what was in my heart. i wanted to feel joy and He helped me find it.

baby shower

October 17, 2009 we held a surprise baby shower for my mom (due Nov 26) and my aunt (Dec 23). Two boys!!! Let me tell you it was very hard to keep this secret from my mom as we talk almost every day. I just told her I was sending Ashton to visit and would fly to CT with my brother. She bought it and was totally excited to see her favorite grand child....

The turnout was huge and my inlaws were so great to come, too!

We already have sooo many boys but I guess we just keep breeding them!

The boys playing.....

celebrating my mom's 45th birthday! she doesn't look a day over 30 :)

and there will be dancing!

my aunt had a baby boy in september and just had surgery...man she looks awesome!








my aunt looks awesome and so happy!

the games to embarass the husbands....muhahaah

the decorations and glorious fooooooood

SURPRISE!!!

the big uno

ok these are out of order but blogger makes it impossible to move these around easily.

On

my little baby Ashton turned 1!!!! I know it went by so so fast! We celebrated this wonderful occassion on 9/26/09 because the whole Bird family would be in Utah. We had such a wonderful time and Ashton loved seeing all his aunts, uncles and cousins.

This pic is upside down...I made an Ashton nutrition label and but it around water bottles.

The birthday plate I made at Color Me Mine for the rest of the kids on their birthdays. Except I forgot to put his cake on it!!! It was right next to the cake...I'm getting old.

Decorations (all of Ashton's firsts documented)

ooo first haircut done by auntie mike

mike teaching ashton how to ride

lucas taking a turn riding....ahahaha pantless of course. that is how it is done at the bird's

(above) and we played ashtivia which was a hit! trivia about ashton....who won? i can't remember. it was close though!

the gang

ashton loving the cell phone auntie val gave him.

i made this banner..........yeah i went a little overboard

all clean! look below for the messy shots

after cake....thanks auntie lisha and shannon for bathing me
oh yeah he ate ALL of it

mmm i love it so much. you hate it compared to how much i love it. (madagascar...anyone??)

my nieces are so awesome

the cake (i got it at the lehi bakery...mmm mmm)

"thank you for coming to my party!"

i attempted to make cakepops by bakerella.....they were rough but anything for my baby

happy birthday my little one

i love you more than you can imagine.

my baby is now a toddler. a running blabber mouth. an opinionated, fist-clenching drama queen (king?). a little squirmer with a bottomless pit for a stomach. a hugger, kisser and comforter when mommy is sad (i pretend to be so he'll give me hugs). i love him more than anything. he is the reason i wake up happy every morning, the reason i want to be better. i love you, ashton.