Making messes is a part of cooking, right?

At least that is what I have tried to convince Clayton, because I'll admit that I am the messiest cook I know. Fortunately, I have been blessed with a husband that doesn't mind cleaning up after me as long as he gets to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Oliver has totally bought into the idea about messy cooking!

New Year's Eve Snow Shoveling

My poor Mom

Things are not going well for my mom, but she is trying to keep her spirits up.  I've often questioned if this was the best time to be pregnant, but I know she looks forward to meeting her 13th and final grandchild and that is helping her stay positive.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Christmas Day in Utah!

Oliver had an amazing Christmas and thanks to big help from my mom earlier this month, he got everything he wished for including a Tonka Crane Truck that he had been wanting.

Merry Christmas

Oliver loved his scissors

tractors and trucks

Using his scissors to open his big present

It's a crane truck!

My parents got baby Miles a bear and a blanket

The bear is giving me loves

Oliver building his Geotrax set

He loves it!

That is a lot of Christmas loot!

.

My mom hasn't been feeling good for quite some time, she had chest pain and lots of trouble breathing and has been sick with what we thought was a cold for a while.  My Dad finally took her to the doctor the same day I had my ultrasound and almost two weeks ago, we found out she has Uterine Cancer.  It is a very fast growing cancer and it has already advanced to Stage IV cancer.  We are all heartbroken.  She has been in the hospital for a while and I got to go see her today and take a walk with her to wish her Merry Christmas.  

My mom walking at the hospital

My mom's new bedroom suite for Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve!

Today we were invited to make Christmas cookies with Aunt Shell's family, the kids all had a great time and the cookies were delicious.  Then we exchanged gifts and Oliver was really excited to get Hi-Ho Cherry-O!

Royal Evans Christmas before we head to SLC

Merry Christmas!

I am totally behind on sending out cards this year, but they are in the mail now. I wanted to be sure to post this picture before Christmas. I love how it turned out this year!

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!

Oliver is 38 months old and other great news

Okay, okay, I'm still counting and snapping pictures for my refrigerator magnets. I love having his monthly pictures side by side on my refrigerator. My mother in-law asked where I am going to fit all the pictures of the new baby, and although it will take some adjusting, I'm sure we can make room; just like in all other aspects of our life. Oliver's 38 month birthday started out with a trip to the doctor's office with both Mommy & Daddy to see the new baby again. I had a first trimester Down Syndrome screening where they do a sonogram and a blood test which detects DS with 91% accuracy. Oliver loved hearing the baby's heart beat and even requested to hear it again, fortunately the doctor was nice enough to let us all hear it again. The baby was sleeping in a very cooperative position and so at just 12 weeks we were able to find out we are having another BOY! And there was no doubt about it, the doctor didn't even have to tell us for us to know. How exciting to know so early! We didn't know with Oliver until I was 21 weeks pregnant. Oliver has been telling me all along that it was a boy and he was right. We are all very happy to welcome another boy into our family!

the traditional profile sonogram

and proof of the gender -- if you are not familiar with looking at sonograms, this is a shot from the diaper changing position, in the center of all the blackness there are two almost parallel white lines which are his legs and in between is the proof.

Afterward, we went to Oliver's favorite mall to do a little shopping, ride his favorite cars, and see Santa. But you may be wondering, didn't we just see Santa??? Yes, we did. But Oliver was worried that the "mall Santa" might not know what he wants for Christmas. And since it was his 38 month old birthday and all, I couldn't resist having his picture taken with the same Santa as last year for my refrigerator magnet. Oliver was certain to tell Santa that we would be in Utah for Christmas and that was one smart Santa. He told Oliver he has to stop and pick up more packages in Draper, so he knows right where his Grammy's house is in Sandy. So although I wish Oliver's smile would have looked a little less forced and a lot less painful (Santa really isn't hurting him), I am glad he is in an outfit of my choosing with a Santa that I just love!

Nuestro último día de escuela de español

Spanish School has come and gone. Oliver really enjoyed the activities and the songs we sang and his Spanish vocabulary increased significantly. And on top of all that, he got a little taste of what preschool will be like next fall. If his attention span will increase, I think he will love it (but I guess most children this age have this problem)! We learned about day and night, names of family, days of the week, pets, colors, shapes, body parts, and several other things I can't think of right now. They had a little party on our last day and Oliver got to eat a chocolate cupcake; that is when Josephina won his heart! (I have no idea if the title is correct, I used Google to translate)

Oliver's Impromptu Santa Visit

This is not what I would have chosen for Oliver to wear for pictures with Santa. Nor is this the Santa I would have chosen for him to visit. But we walked into the grocery store, and there was Santa, and the store employee offered to take their picture. Kind of hard to turn down free pictures with no waiting! :) Only problem is now my little guy wonders why their are two different Santas. Isn't three young to question that kind of thing? Luckily I was able to change the subject without answering, but I guess I'm going to have to come up with an answer someday. Oliver is very excited for Christmas and is even more excited now that he was able to tell Santa what he wants: a train that goes round and round. Now he just has to stay on the nice list and he will get exactly what he wants! :)

My Little Digger

Oliver loves excavating with this tractor he received for his birthday, but let's face it...you can only dig pretend dirt so many times before it becomes....BORING!!! So today, Oliver and I came up with something new to dig. Oliver loved it and would play with this all day if he could.