Anniversary # 3....Check

Three years ago today I married this man...

and I began to believe that fairytales do come true.  B, I love you big, deep and wide and more than all the stars in the sky.  Its been a crazy ride so far - but I'm not getting off anytime soon.  I love you!  Here's to finishing this contract and renegotiating in 47 years or so.  Nice to know that after so many frogs you do finally find your prince oh and two little munchkins too : )

Finding the Magic in Christmas

Well once again it has been far too long since I have posted anything.  This year I am having an incredibly difficult time finding the magic in Christmas.  This is my most favorite time of year. It is my favorite holiday - my favorite type of weather, I love what the season is celebrating - I love all the lights, the good time with family and the opportunity to just slow down and remember why we are all so lucky to have the things we do.  Anyway, this year I am being a bit of a scrooge.  We just finished the lights on our house.  I am not done shopping.  I don't have anything wrapped.  My anniversary is in four days and we don't have a plan so I am a little doom and gloom to say the least....until today well yesterday and today.  It started yesterday when my sweet friend Amanda surprised me with a very thoughtful gift that reminded me magic comes in the most unlikely places and then tonight over dinner my daughter out of the blue says the most wonderful thing completely unprompted - "mama - it's Baby Jesus' birfday (her word for birthday) in just five days.  Oh and Santa is bringing presents."  And you see there it was Christmas magic.  I no longer care about all the things that aren't done and so glad that my baby gets what this is all about and knew her mama needed a gentle reminder.  My princess is an angel I tell you.  So, shake off the scrooge - time to celebrate and back to blogging regularly - I promise - how could I not share this sweet angel with everyone : )

Pics of the kiddos

Mommy I love bath time....















Are you kidding me? She really is the most beautiful thing in the world.















I love her uh oh face - she's always getting caught in the act...















Mama's happy man...















Yes, mom I am working on my Cosmo cover...

Pure Joy

I realize it has been awhile since I was able to blog last - I had promised myself that this wouldn't happen - but nonethless life sometimes creeps up on you when you aren't paying attention. I have spent quite a bit of time in the last week reading other people's blogs - thanks Corie you know a lot of amazing and special people - and it has really made me put life in perspective. Simply put - I love my life - I don't have the biggest house or even a clean one at the moment - I don't have a lot of fancy clothes or jewelry - I don't have a lot of material things that I may want someday - but I have everything that I need. I have the most wonderful husband - who can make me smile with a simple look or a one word reference to a memory we've shared together. He makes me a better person. He is the reason I get up in the morning - he makes me feel special at all times of the day. If he could have it his way I'd never wear makeup and a raggedy old t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts will do just fine. He'd like it if I let him control the TV more often - but beyond that he always tells me he doesn't have any complaints and to be really frank in moments of weakness he admits that he loves "So you think you can dance" too. He loves me - 100% - he loves me more than all the stars in the sky... He is my best friend, my inspriation, my hero and the love of my life. He is an incredible father and the person that the good Lord made to be my perfect life partner. We are working really hard at creating a love that will last through this life and into eternity. I don't know if I tell him often enough - but this is a start : ) On top of that I was graced to get to be a mother two times over. I have a lot of friends struggling with getting pregnant or who have lost a child and I often wonder why did I get lucky. But, rather than focus on that I focus on little things like the most perfect color of Addison's hair or the way that I can settle Jackson down more so than anyone else. My babies are beautiful and I am blessed to be their mom. They make me so very happy - Brian and I started a family and they have completed it. I love every little thing about them - I love that Addison speaks the clearest when she is angry, just like her mommy or that Jackson invents new sounds every day. I love that they are both in the 95 percentile in everything, height, weight and head circumference - no wonder they were both born by C-section...lol. I love them big and deep - and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life showing them just how much. I know I am being sappy today - but I just needed to state that even in moments of adversity and weakness I really do love my family....my loves...my life.

Family is the most important thing

This week has been incredibly rough - my little brother Russell got very ill and it put life in perspective.  There are only a few things in life that matter, the Good Lord and family.  I watched my children in awe this week that even at their young ages they understand these priorities.  Brian took the sweetest video of them playing together.  You can see in Jackson's eyes how much he adores his sister and she likewise.  Addi was so cute this week - she walked around all week saying that Uncle Russ had "owies".  Even though Brian and I tried very hard not to disrupt them, they knew mommy and daddy were scared and they were such troopers.  As hard as life seems to get - I still wake up everyday realizing that I am the luckiest person on the planet.  I thank God for healing Russell and I thank him for blessing me with the best family a girl could ask for.

Addison the climber, the talker and the best big sister

Addison can now scale tall mountains - well more specifically her changing table.  She has also become quite the big sister - wanting to hold her brother, play with him, love him and yes even tickle here and there.  We are so proud of our big girl for being such a big girl - it makes our hearts smile.

Too cool for shades

We've been having a good time taking random shots of our kids - how could we not they are too adorable for words.  Here are just a few.  taking family pictures has become an adventure - we can never get both of them to look at the camera simultaneously - it is really quite hysterical.  Addison is truly a Nyman underneath it all - look at the sleeping picture - yes Dad she is like her mama - she is sleeping butt up...lol.  Finally, they are both experimenting with sunglasses - can we say too cool for shades....  Life really can't get any better than this

Finally a Cure...

Well finally after three weeks of sickness in the Potter household I think we are finally all on the mend.  Thank the Good Lord.  I remember when Addi was a baby and would get sick and we'd worry so - but now when there are two of them it is so much worse.  Daddy and I need a vacation after the weeks of sleepless nights - but I am so thankful the kids are on their way back to good health.  Today we got to take a walk which they both really enjoyed and Addison got to get on her swing.  We are so excited to take advantage of spring and now that they are healthy we are going to try and spend as much time outside as possible.  These videos melt my heart - listen real carefully our little man is snoring in the stroller and listening to Addison laugh on the swing is so infectious - that's the kind of sickness I'd like to get any day : )

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Well other than the sickness that is plaguing our family - it was  Happy St patrick's Day.  Ne-Ne came to hang out with a sick Addison - and I think she loved every second of it.  My kids are so very blessed to have their grandparents - both sets of them.  We feel so blessed everyday - but for some reason today I realize even more just how lucky I am : )

 

Itsy Bitsy Spider

So Addison is our musical prodigy.  She loves to sing and dance, dance and sing and sing and dance some more... Her latest accomplishment is itsy bitsy spider.  She doesn't really know all the words - but she has the right inflection and all the hand motions down to a tee.  She keeps us smiling and laughing with all her dancing and busy activity.  And now she has an even more captive audience - as her little brother adores her and thinks she is the funniest thing.  Hard to believe she is going to be two in just a couple of months.  

All by myself...sort of

Jackson is so close to sitting on his own. This is just an example - although if you notice his feet are so much more interesting. I never knew toes could taste so good...lol He is getting to be such a big boy and we are so proud of him.

Beautiful Babies

So I promise and I do mean promise that I will be updating this more often. We'll call it my St. patrick's Day resolution. Anyway, life in the Potter household is crazy but good. As you can see Addison and Jackson are getting so big. Addi turned 22 months old yesterday and our baby boy is 5 months old today. Scary how time flies. I'd like to say that we are getting more sleep - but Jackson still isn't quite sleeping through the night - although I do believe he is trying. Yes, friends and family I know he needs to be "ferberized" - mommy just isn't quite ready. Addison is a very active 22 month old - she loves to climb and when I say love I mean LOVES to climb. In fact yesterday, daycare had an impossible time pulling her off the jungle gym and she got her first toddler sunburn. Poor kid got my skin : ) Jackson is cooing and trying so hard to roll from back to front - its quite cute to watch him get to one side and not know what to do next. May take him awhile after all he is almost 20 pounds already - again Brian and I have great genes...lol. Brian and I just got back from an adult weekend in Disneyland - I know it sounds funny that we went to Disneyland of all places - but we had such a good time and we're so grateful we did not have our little ones in tow. Thanks Ne-Ne and Pa Pa. I'll borrow my cousin Jamie's statement - we were doing a "research" trip : ) Well, that sums up life right now - but hopefully I will get better at updating this once a week or so. If you are blogging - please let me know so I can keep up with each of you.