2012 in Review

No news is good news right? This year has been so uneventful I am having trouble thinking of things to write about in this review. Which is SUCH a good thing when it comes to us. Let's go through my calendar and see what I can find....

Of course first and foremost, Tanner turned 1! It was a big deal. A big deal because there was the possibility that he could have not been with us for his 1 year birthday. First birthdays are a huge celebration and milestone in the heart world.

Doctor appointments are a big deal to us, especially cardiology appointments. Tanner had a sedated echo in April. It went so well! They were able to sedate him much easier than the last time and we received the best news possible for our situation. Dr. Minich was impressed with how Tanner was doing and told us that she didn't want to see him for an entire year! (before this we were seeing her every 6 months, so stretching it out to annual appointments was a big deal) 

We had lots of IHH events and different play dates with our heart buddies. This was a big highlight this year at least for me. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have this support group or these families in my life now. I didn't find them until Tanner was almost a year old and I don't know how I got through that first year without them. I hope that the friendships that I am making will become life long relationships for me and Tanner as well. And hopefully we can get Kollin more involved next year! *wink wink*

Kollin and I also had our 1 year wedding anniversary. We kept saying to each other that it seems like it's been way longer than just a year. In a good way. Technically it has been 3, but it still seems even longer than that with everything that we've been through in the last little while and that it seems like we've always been together.

Other than this there really hasn't been that much that happened this year. Isn't that great?!? I am looking forward to new adventures with my little family. We are going to be moving soon and hopefully there will be more little Starks on the way soon!

Happy New Year!

Christmas!

Christmas day was a success at the Stark house! We went to Great Grandma Norman's as well as Great Grandma and Grandpa Richens'. It was all so fun! I am not bothering to rearrange the pictures. My patience is gone when it has to do with this blog today. Either way, enjoy!

Opening LOL Elmo. I think this is his favorite so far.

Daddy scored

Tanner playing with some of his presents

 Playing the with train at Great Grandma and Grandpa Richens'

Tanner got Daddy and awesome skeleton tie

 As I mentioned before. LOL Elmo. Total hit.

Being a good boy by actually holding still and showing me another present he got

Getting awesome presents from Grandma Stark

This one is another favorite

We are ALL loving this trike from Great Grandma and Grandpa Richens

My new jacket from my boys

Getting ready to attack the presents

Perfect Kodak moment playing with the train at Great Grandma and Grandpa Richens'

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was pretty fun. Kollin got off work around 1:30 which was so nice!

We went to Grandma of the Great Cannon's house for the annual Christmas Eve family party. There were a bunch of us there but not everyone (there are over 100 of us now so I don't think that will ever happen again).

We did our family programs which mostly were just updates on what is going on with family and a few musical numbers.

Playing in one of Grandma of the Great Cannon's chairs

Then we had the traditional Nativity Scene with the younger kids. I tried to get Tanner into it as a shepherd, but he wasn't having it.

Grandma gave her Christmas Memory then everyone opened their gifts from her. 

 Tanner got this little toy what you flip a switch or press a button and an animal pops up (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, they're everywhere). As soon as he got it unwrapped cousin Megan's little Elliot (about 4 weeks younger than Tanner) came running over and started playing with it with him. It was so cute!

After that we went to Grandma and Grandpa Cannon's house for more partying. 

Aunt Bippy tried to get a picture with all the nephews

Here's one that worked a little better.

Playing with trains with Andrew and Wayne

We had homemade pizza, did a white elephant and opened our presents from them. At the white elephant I got a box full of quarters ($10 worth) and Kollin got the movie Elf. We were happy with both since we can use the quarters at the grocery store! Whenever we go grocery shopping Tanner has just about had it by the time we get to check out. So I take him to the little arcade and let him ride the fire truck. Yay for quarters!

All the girls got pretty aprons

Then we went home and got to bed probably around 10:30. Tanner did so well the entire day though. What a trooper!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

December Mish Mash

This next week is going to be pretty crazy and I'm sure I'm going to take a ton of pictures.
So here is what has happened so far in December while I have time to relax and do this!

We went to the George Q Cannon Christmas party.
Tanner was such a turd almost the entire time. At the beginning there wasn't anything we could do to keep him from throwing a fit. He wouldn't eat dinner (he ate shortly before), and wouldn't even take a cookie when I tried to pacify him. I finally just let him run around in the hallways. Which made for a really fun time for mom and dad.
Once the program was starting he still wasn't having it. So I let him run around as long as he wasn't running to the front of the room where people were speaking.

Then it was time for Santa! All of the little kids get to go up and ring bells while everyone sings Jingle Bells so Santa can hear us and come.
Tanner was able to go up this year and ring a bell. When Santa came Ho-Ho-Hoing into the room I had tears in my eyes to see that Tanner was able to participate in this. As you can see in the video he didn't know what was going on, but I'm sure he'll catch on in years to come!

and of course the dreaded Santa with the toddler picture

We went to go see the Live Nativity in Bonneville Glen.

My dad came with us and we were able to pet the animals.

I hadn't been to this in years and it was so fun to be able to share it with my little family and for my dad to be there with us.

Aunt Carler threw a Clark cousin family dinner at her house.

She has been doing these monthly for a while but this was the first one we've been able to go to lately.

It was so much fun to see a bunch of our Clark cousins that we don't see very often.

The kids also loved watching Cinderella and eating grapes.

I became an aunt again!

Clark and Megan had their little girl.

Isabel Alice

She is a beautiful tiny little thing.

This is the first granddaughter on my side of the family, so we will all be tightly wound around her little fingers!

We went to Hire's and Temple Square with my family.

Libby was in town (and will be here until Christmas day) so it was great to be able to see her and little Wayne.

Libby was holding Wayne behind Becky and he was not happy about it

It was a very cold night but I think we were well prepared. At least for Tanner.

He was bundled up pretty well and never seemed to complain about the cold. His only complaint was wanting to get out of the stroller (of course).

sitting with cousin Wayne in the JSMB

I know this picture is really dark, but I just love how Tanner is just peaking over the bottom of the picture

Kollin on the other hand got super cold. He was going to bring a beanie to keep his ears warm, but in the end thought he'd be ok. Not so much. Oh well! At least we learned for next year!

And then here are some random tid pits from this month...

following Daddy around grocery shopping

snuggle time. this is the monkey he got at the George Q Cannon party from Santa (thanks Grandpa Stark!)

Twirling

the classic baby bum in the air sleeping

Helping to put away laundry

9 years.

I've been sitting here for 20 minutes watching my cursor blink. Nothing is coming to mind to say or write. Only fun memories of you are coming to mind. So I'm guessing that is what I should write about this year....

You love to crunch ice. I was never able to figure out how you could do it. I would try to stick a whole cube in my mouth like you do and would have to spit it back out a few seconds later from being so cold.

Your hand writing is beautiful. I would love to watch you write. You would use a calligraphy pen even to write your checks. On this same note you would constantly be writing with your index finger. I pointed it out to you and you never realized you were doing it.

We would always say the only think on your body that was smaller than on my body were your ankles. I have always had kind of bigger ankles from spraining them so much when I was younger and also never had that definition between my calf muscle to my ankle no matter now much I worked out. I just love your legs.

We have matching birth marks on our right thighs. I've always thought that was pretty cool.

You have this freckle on the front of one of your two front teeth. You mentioned to Clark and me that you were going to get it bleached. Both of us kind of freaked out on you and told you not to. That it was a "mom thing" and you wouldn't be the same without it. You never bleached it.

I always knew that if I didn't see you at the kitchen window as I was walking to the side door of the house coming home from school, I could find you downstairs at your sewing machine.

One year as we were driving home from Lake Powell you were driving and I was navigating (Dad wasn't with us). I accidentally told you to take a wrong turn and you got so scared when we realized what happened and Dad wasn't there to fix it. It made me feel so bad that I caused you to feel that way. But I was able to get us turned around and back in the right direction which calmed you down.

The last time we went to Disneyland before Clark went on his mission. You were willing to ride almost all of the rides with us and wear these stupid little fuzzy antennae with your daughters. The best part was when we rode that rocket ride thing (I can't remember the name). You freaked out as the ride was either shooting up or dropping down and all 4 of us kids laughed SO hard at you. I loved it.

There was almost always an opened can of Diet Coke in the fridge. That I would steal sips from.

You would always get emotional and cry and the most random things. Ok, so that is more of a Grandma Clark thing. But it sure trickled down to all of her kids and now I think I've got it too.

Sleep Baby, Sleep.

I just came back from soothing you back to sleep. I was just sitting here playing on the computer (yes, I am aware it is 2am) when I heard you start to cry. You have been doing this almost every night for the past while.

I can only guess that you are having nightmares or night terrors. There have only been a couple times where you were so scared and crying so hard that I couldn't console you immediately. The rest of the time as soon as you see me or feel my hand on you, you calm right down.

Sometimes I try to pick you up so I can rock you back to sleep in the rocking chair. Since you are not liking it when I try this lately and want to just stay in bed, I will rub your back, head or leg. Whichever I can reach the easiest depending on your position in the bed. Sometimes I will sing Baby's Boat a Silver Moon to you.

It doesn't take long to calm you down and get you to doze off again. Every now and then after I stop rubbing you will lift your head up and make sure I am still there. I will sit by your bed for a couple minutes just so you will know that I am there and sneak out when you haven't lifted your head to look for me in a little while.

Every bit of this process just melts me as well as breaks my heart. 

I wish I knew what was running through your little brain to wake you up from sleep in a cold sweat and crying. I wish I could jump in there and protect you from what is scary.

I love that you usually calm right down as soon as you know I am there. As if you know that Mama Bear won't let anything happen to you.

I love being able to comfort you. That you trust me enough to be able to fall back asleep as I watch over you. But then my heart is broken again when you lift your head to look for me and I can still see fear in your sweet eyes.

Sweet dreams my baby boy.
Mama loves you.

I Must Be Crazy

But I love it!

FIFTEEN inches! {donated to Locks of Love}

Tanner's reaction to my new hair.