Merry Christmas!!

this week my son..

Learned to say:

Thank you (AT THE RIGHT TIME!) it sounds like Hank-koo

Hike (he then THROWS the football/tennisball/soccerball/anyball with all his little might)

can a mom be any more proud than I am right now? I tell you NO!

wedded bliss...

A few things... I am enjoying wedded bliss. BUT this is about my baby brother.. Would you believe my 6 year old brother is getting married!!!?? um.. no? me either.. Well that'd because I no longer have a 6 year old brother. When I moved away he grew up! It's crazy how time flies and how life moves ahead even when we are not there to witness it.
Well... time goes by and he went on his mission and the came home.. Low and behold.. He met a girl! A SWEET one too. Her name is Melanie and he knew what he wanted and he worked hard to get it. Melanie is strong and smart and kind as can be. She is a doll and absolutely perfect for him. Watching him fall in love with her was awfully fun. You see, this summer he moved in with us. And by the end of the summer he was done for. Absolutely head over heels for this girl. And now?? Wedding bells are ringing! A dress was purchased! Pictures taken and now?? They are trying the eternal knot December 28 in the Bountiful Utah Temple.. (SAME PLACE AS SEAN AND I GOT MARRIED)

Anyways.. I'm flying out to Utah (thanks all due to a kind family gift) and I get to see them get married. I can't wait. Chase and I head out December 27 and come back the 29th. YAY! For Trevor and Melanie! So excited for you two! And so proud. Can't wait to share your special day.

Halloween at the Stewart household...

So.. Halloween. Oh. My. Gosh. Chase is definitely forming his own opinions and becoming independent. I wanted us all to be the three Musketeers. Well.. he decided at the costume shop that he wanted to be a kitty. The closest thing? A lion. He got the costume.. Grabbed it. Held onto it. (I didn't try and stop him. i actually wanted to see what his plans were) THEN.. the meowing began. He looked at the picture on the from of a baby in the lion costume?? and he began to meow. Okay.. Well far be it from me to tell him he can't become whatever he wants to be. So.. We got him the costume and decided to just dress him up. This was the first year Sean and I didn't have costumes.
So.. When we got home I wanted to try the costume out on him and make sure i had time for alterations if needed. We put him in it then showed him the mirror. From that moment on.. my son transformed into a kitty. He crawled on the ground (dove into the carpet) and meowed.. He held his kitty stuffed animal and meowed.. So.. My lion was a kitty. How cute. We were dying. So off to trunk or treat at the church. He again, meowed... all night. When people said "Oh cute! You are a lion! ROAR!" Chase would just look at them and meow.. In his TINY high pitched squeaky meow with his sweetest loving face. You see, he loves kitties. So he was a sweet kitty.

It was one of our favorite nights. THEN.. Halloween night came around. Again.. Dressed up as a kitty we walked the neighborhoods with Tim and Marcia and all their kids. And my baby meowed... Up one street and down the other. He meowed. THEN. IT HIT HIM! Half way through he decided he was a duck. The quacking began and he quacked the rest of the way home. My little lion, turned kitty finally discovered  he was actually a duck. It was adorable and we had a blast!

Life on the east side!

So our lives changed in a huge way moving out here.. Away from family. Good friends.. and Utah. (It's a different world out here) AND since we've been out here we have been busy, busy, busy. Learning the area. Touring DC. Spending time with visiting family. And getting ready to have the ENTIRE Stewart Clan out here for Christmas. ALSO.. Finding a rental for Chris and Evie since they can't be out here to do it themselves. AND... It's all worked out. The whole family will be squeezing into their place for a couple weeks in December and staying into January for the swearing in. (Chris as a Congressman.) So much to look forward to. I get to spend quality time with my sisters and their babies and Sean will get to have his best friends around for a few weeks. He loves his brothers and dad so I just know this will be so much fun for them.
And Chase.. My growing baby. He is such a good sport about going all around with me.. In fact, he enjoys it. We go see new places all the time and spend time in the car, and visit daddy on the Hill... and pick him up from the metro after work. He loves the park. And sticks. They are built in toys that he can find nearly everywhere we go and he finds such delight in them. Also... he wrestles! he loves to tackle daddy and pounce on him.. and he has even been trying to tickle Sean.. It. ADORABLE. Then, there is the library. He adores the library. Inside the kids section they have three huge stairs he loves to scale and sit at the tippy top and look out the window and squeal down at the other kiddos and look at books. We go about once a week and he gets to pick eight books. (We get the same number every time. Makes returning them easier.) They books are always about animals and babies. This week I traded in two of his books for truck books. AND... TADA!!! He loves it. So thats good. He is learning everything. He is my 22 pound sponge. Absorbing all the information he can and talking and talking. Which, by the way, is the cutest thing EVER. I didn't know how much I could love him. It changes everything, they way I see my mom, Sean's mom... I never knew how much I could worry or feel or the pride I would have. He is the absolute light of our lives. Why we have been so blessed I'll never know. But I am thankful every minute of everyday that he is mine. Now I'm not saying every minute of everyday is easy. BUT it has not been hard to remember without a doubt that I am the luckiest mommy alive and to count my blessings because I am his mother.

a few updates!

1. LOVING the DC area. All of it.
2. Chase is a funny kid. He tells jokes and does things with the intent to make us laugh. He is so fun.
3. Sean is loving his job on the Hill. like.. LOVING it.
4. CHRIS STEWART (my father in law) was elected to be... CONGRESSMAN STEWART. Utah's 2nd district has wonderful leadership. It feels good to know my vote won a good man into office. I've know him for years now and I couldn't love him anymore. I feel good knowing not all politicians are as bad as the media makes them sound. I'm so proud of him. He is a great man.
5. We had two new Stewart babies born in the last two weeks! One niece, Layna Lyn, and one nephew, Thomas Haden. and they are BEAUTIFUL.
6. Chase's favorite animal is still a kitty. EVERYTHING is a kitty. BUT he loves ducks and elephants too.
7. We are library card holders out here in Virginia... and PROUD of it!
8. Chase can RUN! JUMP! and really do anything he feels like.
9. Chase now wears a size 4 shoe.. he is getting bigger and bigger!
10. Chase is eating and eating now. He doesn't really eat lots. BUT he eats instead of drinks his lunches and dinners now. Thats a huge step since he LOVES his bottle and we had to keep him on formula to help him grow and gain weight.
11. Sean and I are getting ready to celebrate 4 years of marriage bliss. hardwork. love. and dedication to each other and our life together.
12. We have family coming out next week!! and then two weeks from that! and then A HUGE CHRISTMAS PARTY that will last for weeks this December and into January! We can't wait!!!

Arlington Cemetery. We will honor you.

Trying to put into words the feelings and pride that overcame me when stepping onto this ground is hard for me to do. But I will say, the pride in God, Country and soldiers was nearly overwhelming. It feels good here. Beyond good. No selfish feelings just gratitude and love for those who have served and given their lives and also their loved ones who served from home while supporting their soldiers. It is by far my favorite place in DC. This is something everyone needs to experience. 

I made it to Arlington. I will go back. And my children will go back and they will learn and be thankful just as I am. Thanks to our men and women in arms who have served us and our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. 

PHOTO CREDIT  LAURENMICHELLEIMAGES

VISIT MY SITE @ LAURENMICHELLEIMAGES

Guest Post

Hello ladies (and any gentlemen!) I am having a guest post by my lovely sister in law. I hope you enjoy her thoughts as much as I did.




The Child Whisperer, by Carol Tuttle

For those of you who are familiar with energy profiling, and Dressing Your Truth, The Child Whisperer will build on the knowledge you have, and help you make more sense than ever on how to help your children be true to their nature.

For everyone else, if you have kids, you need to read this book. Have you ever wondered if there was
a “way” to raise your children? Well, as you already know, each of your kids is different. The tricks
or methods you used to help teach, or discipline, one of them rarely, if ever, works the same way on
different children. Each child comes with different quirks and personalities, and each one of those things makes them wonderful and unique. But at the exact same time, each one of your children comes with unique and perplexing difficulties.

The Child Whisperer is a unique book. It takes what you know about your children, and helps you create a roadmap for each one. It allows you to get inside each child’s head, or rather their nature.

If you’ve ever wondered why one of your children seems more reserved, or willing to obey you, while
the next one seems to bounce off the walls, exuding enough energy to arm a nuclear bomb, you are
most definitely not alone. The wonderful thing about Carol Tuttle’s book is that is equips you with the
ability to identify your child’s nature, what makes them tick, and how to help them live true to who they
are.

There are four basic types of energy, and each person predominantly lives their live, whether they
know it or not, around one of these types. Each type of energy processes thoughts differently, reacts
differently to any given situation, and even loves differently. The Child Whisperer will first help you
identify which energy type your child is, and then it will give you suggestions and tips on how to help
that child learn and act in ways that honor who he or she is.

This book is so helpful you can’t not read it. I read it, and already I have been able to see a difference in
my children. They are happier, and I am happier.

Follow this link and check out the website … and the book. You’ll be glad you did.

Sincerely,

Gwen Floyd

a day in DC

my big boy!

So Chase....

Well hello there handsome! We are so in love with you. 

at 14 months old you are now:

Running all around...

Eating everything and anything...

You now cry when I leave the room. I am not allowed to go anywhere without you. (which is fine!)

FINALLY feeding yourself your own juice cup...

favorite food: Grapes. Banana nut Muffins. anything mom is eating.

You are a dancing machine! and you love music like your mommy

And a talker!? Bigtime.

Mamma. Dadda. Kitty. Chase. Ball. Bath. Bra. (i know.. he keeps getting into my closet.) What. Wow. and many more words... 

AND you learned how to whisper. Its ADORABLE.

You love to talk on the phone.. when no one is on it. And you love the sound of it ringing.

you are all boy. Football? Soccer ball. Tennis ball. ANY kind of ball. You throw it. kick it. bite it. then do it all again. 

You have claimed a drawer in the kitchen. You removed all my towels and filled it with toys...

And sometimes? i turn around and find you also in that drawer. 

You now sit and read to yourself.

You will also sit while we read scriptures. 

You still cuddle!!!!!! (FAV) (LOVE)

You are a 100% walking.

You have also decided you love running...

Cutie-pie loves to jump jump jump around...... 

You now do things to make us laugh. You know how to be funny.. And you LOVE to make us laugh. 

Bathtime is still your favorite. 

Naps? Hard. BUT you still need them. 1 at least. Usually 2. 

Bedtime? 7pm. And sometimes you barely make it till then. You love your sleep.

And you are the light of our lives. We love you so much. Thanks for coming to our home. 

Leg 4 Dayton OH to Virginia!!!