A New Year

I HATE the days that follow Christmas.

The excitement, the fun, the cheer, the feeling, its all OVER! All you are left with is a huge mess, kids pent-up and bored, and cold weather!

I hate taking down all the Christmas decorations, too. It leaves me feeling sad and blue.

But today I have to do it, I have to take down my trees, I have to un-Christmas my house. Which leaves my house feeling as gloomy as outside feels all of January.

Under great protest, I am doing it, TODAY!

2009 was a great year for us. I think that we grow as a family through trials and tribulations. I think that having things happen to you, the good and the bad, makes you become a stronger family. And I think that my family only grows stronger everyday!

This is an overview of last year...

January...

We went Ice fishing. My Blog celebrated its 1st birthday.

February...

I really started taking more picutres and learning about my new camera and FALLING in love with photography. I started my "Ten things I love on Tuesday" which I loved doing and that only lasted a couple of months...which I also think that I am going to start doing again!

March...

My sister had her 3rd baby boy. I was there to witness the miracle. I loved it!

I took my first newborn shoot (of my sis and her baby), in which I credit as the start of my Photography business.

April...

April we finished some HUGE projects in our house. We cut down a huge tree in our backyard that ended up taking us forever to get rid of.

I had my 1st "official" photography job.

May...

My mom, Aniston, and I went to see Taylor Swift in concert. It was unforgettable.

I had 2 more photography jobs and was LOVING my new venture.

On to June...

We fished a lot this month. We enjoyed being outside and together.

July...

Aniston celebrated her 7th birthday (sniffle...sniffle). We rode in the parade. We fished.

Ryan and I went to the George Strait Concert for our anniversary. I did several photography shoots this month and learned a lot about it.

August...

Ryans youngest brother got married (in which I shot the whole wedding)We camped every single weekend.
Aniston started 2nd grade.

Emerson turned 3.
And we found out that we were going to welcome a new member to our family.

September...

We went to Lake Powell and had a fantastic time.

October...
October was a month of survival. I didn't feel well, but we survived!

November...

I turned 30 (yuck).

And we found out that our new baby was in fact a brother, just like the girls had said all along.

December...

We celebrated Christmas with Santa leaving us a cute, furry little present.

Last year was fantastic and now on to the New Year.

I am really not one make huge New Years Resoultions. Last year my resoultion was to never leave dishes in my sink. (Lame, right?) But it really has been the only resoultion that I have been able to keep. This year I have 3 things that I want to do.

1. Manage my time better.

2. Keep up my Laundry!

3. Run the 5k that I trained for last year.

Easy enough, right?

Our newest addition...

Meet the newest addition to our family. Her name is Coco.

She was the hit of Christmas, and nothing else really mattered!

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas

I scrambled this year to get my Christmas Cards finished.

My husband fished every weekend in November,

(in which he caught his biggest fish so far...a 36 pounder...so it was soooo worth it)

Therefore getting a picture during the daylight hours was impossible, just about as impossible as being your own photographer.

Working last minute meant that Walmart lab was my only option, which wouldn't allow my design...

But...

WHATEVER,

They got done...

They relayed the message that I wanted,

and I learned my lesson!

I know that there are family and friends that didn't get one, because I didn't have addresses.

I am so sorry...but...

I am wishing you all a beautiful holiday,

with the day spent loving your children,

and enjoying your families,

and devouring yummy food!

Merry Christmas!

with love,

The Colby's

Our "REAL" Christmas Tree

Our upstairs family room is "almost" completed, and as I was decorating our house for Christmas the upstairs family room felt sad. Sad, because it didn't have a Christmas Tree in it. So, I decided that we were going to get a tree for the sad family room. I really wanted a real one, but didn't want it to be bare and ugly.

I got an ad in the mail and Home Depot was selling real Christmas trees. We went to Richfield and picked us out a beautiful tree. We got it home, decorated it, and it smelt heavenly. Now I know why all you people like real trees.

The girls were so excited.

"We have never had a real tree before," said Aniston.

Exactly one week later it was dead! I mean, dead, like needles falling off, I was afraid of turning on the lights, dead.

We called Home Depot and they said bring it back. I un-decorated the tree and we took the dead, sad tree back to Richfield, and got a new one. We put it up again, and decorated it again.

Which was good because I didn't get any pictures of us decorating it before. So after all the fun with the "real tree". I think I am going to buy an artificial one after Christmas for the upstairs family room.

And half way though the decorating, this one was done. She was on the floor rolling around and being her silly self.

Boy, do I love these girls, and the Christmas season, and spending time decorating, un-decorating, and re-decorating Christmas trees with my family!

21 Weeks...

Here we are at 21 weeks. I feel so good. I have so much energy during the day, but come 9:30 I am ready for bed. I can eat again and I want to! Christmas is the perfect time to "have to" gain weight. We are constantly eating YUMMY treats and snacks. I love it!

I have been feeling the baby move around a lot and I love it. I sort of feel selfish because I get to feel him all day and his daddy doesn't. The other night he was kicking pretty hard and Ryan did get to feel him and I think that he loves it too. I think that it is funny that you forget something so small as feeling the babies move and kick. It is an amazing feeling. I could just set there for hours and feel him move!

The girls are so cute and are so excited for their new little brother!

We haven't thought of any names yet. I have to see them before I can decide for sure.

Countdown to Christmas...

I made this countdown board at a CK holiday retreat. I didn't finish it last year because I was insanely busy with my "homeade Christmas". My poor sweet kids got neglected and I felt like a horrible mother!!
So with a new and improved vision for Christmas this year, I finished this board and we are doing little activities everynight. And it is so much fun. The girls LOVE to pull the next slip to see what we are doing. They aren't hard, unrealistic things. They are fun little things like write a letter to Santa, and make ornaments for their tree, make treats, and stuff like that.


I just have to say that it has been so much fun not stressing about making every gift. I am not even close to finished shopping and I am not one bit stressed out about it. Everything will fall into place and I am determined to just set back and enjoy my time with my family.


Tonight our activity is to make hot cocoa and read a Christmas Story. I just found this recipe and how YUMMY does peppermint whipping cream sound. We are so topping our cocoa with this stuff tonight.

Find the recipe here...Peppermint whipped cream

I hope that you are all taking the time to enjoy the little things!!

It's Beginning to...

Look a lot like Christmas

I am not done with my shopping...

I am not all the way done decorating...

But I do have a pretty good start...

But I am enjoying the season this year...

We have one tree decorated...

We have started our "Christmas Countdown"

with activities for everynight...


starting with our paper chain making

Ohh...this year we are going to have so much fun!

And my girls are going to be so happy come Christmas morning!

I really, REALLY love this season...