Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I am normally pretty good about sending out Christmas cards every year. I enjoy making them and writing a short note in each one letting everyone know how we are doing and that we are thinking of them. This year however, there will be no cards sent. In their place we are doing an email/blog entry Christmas letter. Please know that we are still thinking of you all and wanting to wish you the happiest of Christmases.
This year has come and gone so fast. Zach turned 8 in Jan. and was baptized by his dad. It was a beautiful day to celebrate him and the good choices he has made. He has loved scouts this year as well. He continues to excel in school, sports and anything he puts his mind to. He is a thoughtful young man and is a great example for his younger brothers.
Matthew turned 6 this year and is loving the first grade. He has picked up on addition and subtraction so well (I wonder sometimes whose kid he is :) He played soccer for the second season and also tried b-ball this year. He loves both and is learning so much. He is growing to be a little gentleman, trying to remember to open the door when he walks ahead of me. He also is a great helper around the house.
Tyler is my little spit-fire :) He is full of life and energy. Sometimes I wonder if he will ever slow down. He is such a friendly kid, always introducing himself and sharing bits and pieces about him to anyone who will listen. He is loving pre-school and wishes he could go every day "like his brothers" He still loves giving hugs and kisses and I still LOVE getting them.
The newest member of our family is scheduled to join us the end of March. We anticipate with excitement his arrival.
John continues to work for IHC as a self-proclaimed computer nerd. He is amazing at what he does and I am so thankful that he has a job he enjoys. John has kept busy coaching the boys in both soccer and b-ball this year. He does a great job and the boys think it's "awesome" that dad is their coach. He has also kept busy this year with the "around the house" things, such as putting in a yard. The "honey-do's" never end :)
As for me, I quit my job at the pre-school due to the pregnancy. I loved my job but being home has been the best thing for both me and my family. I do get to watch my nine month old niece twice a week (which is fun having a little girl around). I am also enjoying working with the 8 yr. old girls in activity days. My boys keep me happily busy and I find so much joy in them.
As you can see our lives are full and blessed. We thank our Heavenly Father for the bounty he bestows on us. We pray for all of you and hope you know you are in our hearts.
Have a very Merry Christmas and may you find much joy in the New Year!
love,
John, Amanda, Zachary, Matthew, Tyler (and baby on the way)

IT"S A BOY!!!

Now that we know we are having another boy we are trying to figure out what to name him. We are somewhat at a loss. A couple of the names that are being tossed around are: Joshua, Blake, Lance, and Max. None of these have been agreed upon by all parties involved :) So please, let us know what you think. Or if you have a better name, let us know that too. We are not going to announce the middle name yet but it starts with D. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

PUMPKIN PATCH

We have a tradition of going to the pumpkin patch every year and letting the kids pick their own pumpkins. Then come home and decorate them. The boys LOVE it and look forward to it every year. These are some pics from this years adventure.

So Thankful

I gave a lesson several years ago on dealing with our trials. While researching for the lesson I found a quote by Pres. Hinckley that said he always thanked Heavenly Father for his trials. When I first read that I thought "really...isn't that kind of like asking for patience " :) But it wasn't necessarily the trial we are thankful for it is what we can get out of it or learn from it.
Yesterday I was having a hard day. By about 8:oo last night I was ready to give up...I felt like I couldn't take much more. So I asked John if he would give me a blessing. It was a beautiful blessing that brought me so much peace.
I am so thankful for the preisthood. I'm thankful to have a worthy husband who honors his preisthood and is always willing to use it to bless his family. I am thankful for the support of good friends and family. I truly do have much to be thankful for...even through the trials.

And The Winner Is...

So when John read my last post he said he didnt think anyone would get it. Well, little does he know I have some very intelligent friends.

YES WE ARE EXPECTING!! To answer all of your questions... I have been sick with this one (less sick than with Zach but more than with Ty). My scheduled "due date" is March 29th which puts me at almost 11 weeks. The boys insist this one will be a girl but John is positive it is a boy. While eating breakfast the other day the boys had a very funny conversation. It went something like this...
Ty: I think the baby is a girl
Zach: If it is what would you name it?
Ty: Grandma
Matt: We already have lots of grandmas
Ty: But not a baby one

So for being so smart and figuring out the word problem you are all the winners. And your prize is...

A Word Problem For You

I enjoy writing a blog...it is a fun way of journal keeping. But, I'm not really sure anyone reads it. So I have devised a way to see how many really do read it. Here is a word problem for you. Post your answer on my blog and if you get it right you could win a prize.

A + J had a son. They added two more sons. Then another baby. How many people were in their family?

kids say the darndest things...

Zach walking in the door after the first day of school, "I never knew the first day of school could be so much fun. I think I'm ready to go back".


Me: "Tyler, how did you get so cute?"
Tyler: "Grandma made me that way."
Me: "How did she do it?"
Tyler: "She is a wizard and she used a spell on me and said 'Tyler be cute', and i was".

Me to Matt after his second day of school "Matt how was school today?"
Matt: "It was so long... it felt like 10 hours. But it was only seven!"

A Week Full of ADVENTURE

This week was so much fun...and somewhat exhausting. My niece was here for a week and we packed that week full of fun adventures. The boys loved being with their cousin and I have to admit, having a girl around was lots of fun. She is a sweetheart and it was amazing to be with her.

Here are some pics of our adventures...

above: Lagoon (after riding the rapids)
below: Treehouse museum with Pres. Obama



























running through the sprinklers at grandmas
(before we had grass)

traditional graham cracker flag decorating

10 YEARS and Counting

John and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this month. We were planning on going somewhere exotic but decided to be practical and put the money into our yard. So we took 5 days and went down to St. George instead. We golfed, shopped (sort of), went to a movie, drove around in a convertible (top down), ate out, swam, and just enjoyed each others company. It was a great vacation. And we didn't even have to leave the great state of Utah :)

Here's to 10 years and many more. I love you dear :)

Soccer Season

The boys have loved playing soccer this year. They have really improved and have learned a lot. Their coach was a big part of making it fun for them (thanks john :)

Mothers Day

We had My grandma P and my aunt Jane, Mom and Dad and G & G Egan over for Mothers Day dinner. Everyone helped with the meal and afterward we opened gifts and played games. It was a great evening.
John surprised me with ballroom dance classes. So sweet!

School Programs

Zach and Matthew had their school programs. Both of them did a great job. Thanks to the teachers who put in so much time and love to pull these off.

He Is Risen

This is one of my favorite paintings of all times. I love the peaceful feeling I get as I study the Savior and this scene overlooking Jerusalem. This painting hangs in our front room and is a reminder to me and hopefully to my boys of the life and love of our Savior.

This weekend was full of family, candy, egg hunts and best of all, reminders of our Savior. It is tradition in our family that we do all of our secular celebrations on friday and saturday. So we had our annual egg decorating and hunt at g-ma Kennedy's on friday night. It was fun to see the kids excitement as they found each egg and discovered the treasures inside. Thank you g-ma for all of the work that goes into these fun traditions.
Saturday the easter bunny came and hid baskets for the boys. Zach was up before any of us and had found all of the baskets. We also enjoyed Easter dinner at Great-G-pa Kennedy's. We had an egg hunt there as well. We enjoyed dinner and visiting with extended family.

Sunday was our celebration of the Savior and His life and sacrifice for us. I had the privilege of doing sharing time in Primary. The theme was "the importance of having a testimony of Jesus Christ". My sister had done a FHE lesson where she put items in plastic eggs that represented the last few days of Christs life (ie nail, thorns, stone, white cloth etc.). I used her idea and tweeked it a little to fit what I needed. At the end of my lesson I opened it up to the kids to bear testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in complete awe and so touched at the response. (We could have spent all 30 minutes for testimony). What a sweet and re-affirming experience.
We had dinner with my parents and then held our yearly Easter FHE. At the end of our lesson I asked if anyone had something they would like to share. Zach asked if he could bear his testimony. It was simple and sweet and full of faith. Then Matt asked if he could share his testimony. He too bore a simple and heart-felt testimony of the Savior and His gospel.
I am so thankful for the knowledge I have that our Savior lives. He died for us and He is Risen. He knows and loves each of us. I am thankful that my boys are nourishing their testimony's and that they too feel the love of the Savior. HE IS RISEN!

Happy St. Patti's Day!

We woke up this morning to a huge mess. Those silly leprechauns went on a rampage through our home. Chairs were tipped, cupboards open, cereal out, pillows and blankets on the floor...among the mess we did find several clues which we followed and eventually found their hidden treasure (consisting of green taffy and green M&M's). The boys were ecstatic. Then they found the Lucky Charms on the counter and when we went to get the milk out it was green as well.
Matthew searched the house hoping to find one of the leprechauns hiding...he had no such luck. One of these years we will catch them.
The boys were wondering this morning why the leprechauns don't go to everyone's house...I told them it was because they like to visit people of Irish blood. That gave us a chance to talk a little about our Irish heritage. Today we were all proud to be a little Irish. It was a great morning!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Happy Birthday Baby

Yesterday my baby turned three years old. It was a bitter-sweet day for me. I am enjoying his fun personality and his quick wit but I am mourning the fact that he is growing up so fast. When he woke up I sang "happy birthday baby" to him and he yelled "I AM NOT YOUR BABY!" I guess that is true. But in my heart they will always be my babies. :)
It was a good (simple) day. We celebrated by having his favorite dinner (sgetti) and having cake and ice cream with grandparents. He opened presents and could have cared less about what was under the paper...he just enjoyed ripping into them.
A word about my "baby"...he is full of personality. He speaks to me like he is an adult in a little boys body. He loves anything orange and his favorite new hobby is playhousedisney.com. He wants to do and be whatever his big brothers are. He gives the best hugs and still loves kissing his mommy. He tells me he loves me at least 20 times a day and I am savoring each time (I know it wont be long before i have to pull those words out of him). He has a room full of stuffed animals and believes they are real and they have feelings just like the rest of the family. He has a stubborn streak and can get super mad, but for the most part he is my sweetheart. Happy Birthday Ty. Mommy loves you!

Blue and Gold

On Jan. 24th Zach turned 8 years old. Not only did this mean he was baptized but it also meant he became a scout. He got his shirt and book for his b-day and he was off. In one day he passed off all of the requirements for his bobcat. Needless to say, he was very excited to be a part of the scouting program. Then last week we (Zach and I) got to experience our first blue and gold banquet. The theme was America ABC's. He was assigned a letter in the alphabet (X) and had to make a poster and a cake about a city or state that began with that letter. Thankfully we thought of Xenia (a town close to Beavercreek, OH where we used to live). The cake was the Ohio state flag. It turned out pretty good for our first themed cake.
Zach had a great time making his poster. I also enjoyed talking to him about our adventures in Ohio while we put the poster together.
I was a proud mama as he received his bobcat and he got to "pin me" (don't worry...there was no blood:)
I hope he continues to carry the enthusiasm throughout his time in the scouting program! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK ZACH!!

I've Been Tagged

Ok Aunt Marilyn...this ones for you...
This is a pic of Zachary and Matthew about 4 years ago. I was doing aerobics on my mat and the boys came down, grabbed their mats (aka blankets) and started right along with me. I thought it was the funniest thing I just had to snap a photo.

So...now I tag Mona, Diana, Melanie, Alisa W., Annalynn, and Kim...go to your 6th folder and pick the 6th picture and explain...its kinda fun :)

The newest member of the church

Zachary was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints yesterday. It was a beautiful day all around. The sun was shining as we drove to the church. We were met by close friends and family. Zach looked so handsome in his new suit. The program was put on by our family and it was perfect. The spirit was very strong and I could not help getting emotional as he entered the waters of baptism. As he arose there was a definite glow about him. He later told me he was so happy because he could really feel the spirit.
One of my favorite parts of the day was when the primary children sang "I am a Child of God." I got chills as they sang the words"lead me, guide me, walk beside me..." As I looked around the room, I wasn't the only one with wet eyes. What a wonderful thing it is to see and hear the testimony of children even through song.
I am so proud of Zach and the wonderful young man he is becoming. His testimony is so simple yet so pure. He loves the scriptures and learning about the prophets. He is a great example to me. I know that he does and will continue to touch many lives through his spirit and example.

EIGHT really is GREAT!!

Zachary turned eight years old on the 24th. He chose to spend the day with family instead of having a friends party. So we took the grandparents bowling. Zach beat the pants off of everyone. Maybe he should join a league. Happy B-day Zachary.

My TWO year old makes me laugh

Daddy: "Tyler, it's time for bed. Come get into your bed."
Tyler: "I dont like that bed. That bed is too small for me. I a big boy."
Daddy: "I will make you a deal...If you go pee pee in the potty daddy will by you a big bed."
Tyler: "I cant go pee pee in the potty. I too little."

(go figure)

Tylers turn to say family prayer, "Thank you for this nice day. Thank you for this family. Help us to be nice. With Liberty and Justice for all."

We have had some requests for pics of our new house. Here are just a few. We still feel very blessed to be in this beautiful home. We are hoping to have a house warming once we get a little more settled. When (and if) that happens, you are all invited. :)