This year has been so good to us. We had some hard times financially but the best things to happen to us came in the form of two very healthy perfect babies. Our lives have been greatly enriched because of them joining our family.
I decided on the above picture but I also really loved the last four pictures in the one below. That photoshoot turned out so cute.
JANUARY - I started my first non stress tests for the babies and I had such anxiety that they wouldn't cook long enough in there. I was also very uncomfortable and at 28 weeks my belly was measuring 37 weeks which is crazy to think about now. Luckily I was able to stay pregnant for the entire month.
FEBRUARY - We bought a new family van which would fit our entire family and it was good we did because the babies were born at the end of February. Their birth and the fact that they were so healthy was the best thing about 2021 hands down. We love them so much. Our last holiday before the girls were born was Valentine's Day and the kids were spoiled with new Pokemon plushies.
MARCH - We got pictures taken with the five kids and I love how they turned out. We were slowly adjusting to being a family of seven and our first errands out of the house was to the dentist. It was Grant's first visit and he did awesome. The girl's first holiday was St. Patrick's Day and we finally got our surprise twin birth reaction video back. I love that video so much and will cherish it forever. I also turned 32 and got to meet my new niece Haivyn for the first time.
APRIL - It's been a full year and we are still not back to in person church. The kids did start virtual primary though which is great. We were also very exhausted and in our sleep deprived state switched the babies up. We're still experiencing effects of the pandemic and enjoyed Easter at home and it turned out very nice. Also the babies in their bunny outfits are to die for. They were so adorable in it.
MAY - This was a busy fun month. We started out by having the twins babysat for the first time while we took the three to Golden Coral. It was such a needed family outing. I finally wrote down a deep seated dilemma that was in my heart and today I can say that I haven't worried about that since writing it down although it will probably stay with me deep down for a long time. I feel great about where we are at with my family. I experienced Mother's Day for the first time as a mother of five. I still can't believe that we had five kids in six years. I love it. The babies were blessed and Addie graduated kindergarten. The month ended with Rylee having another hip dysplasia doctor visit.
JUNE - We got the news that Hudson was accepted into BYU's preschool program and we are so excited for him. We celebrated Danny turning 32 and two days later went with everyone to the zoo which the kids loved. We surprised Dad this Father's Day with a video that the kids acted in and it turned out so cute.
JULY - Baby Bean turned Three! We celebrated him with a Blippi party. We celebrated the 4th of July which is always fun even if we decided to keep it really low key this year and I ventured out and took three of the kids to the movies. It was the first time for both Hudson and Grant and the experience was so great to have together. The month also ended in a traumatic way with an accident that took several lives of people I knew and it changed my perspective for how I see time with my own family. I definitely cherish it even more deeply these days.
AUGUST - We had to cancel our planned vacation but still had fun with a staycation! Addie started first grade which is just crazy that I have a kid in full day school now. I miss her but she's loving it. We had family pictures updated and Danny and I celebrated eight whole years of marriage!
SEPTEMBER - Addisyn turned 7! I can't believe she's so big now. She was surrounded by both friends and family for her birthday. Hudson started preschool and super loved his first day. Addie and Hudson both got to go to Splash Summit for Georgia's birthday and had so much fun. We had to get rid of Edith because it turns out she's actually a He and we gained Scarlett a new hen for us. It's been 18 months since the pandemic first effected us and we're back to in person church but have been asked to continue with wearing masks.
OCTOBER - This is always my most favorite month because it's full of different fall parties and activities. We had our traditional Jakers outing and it's crazy how this might be our last time for awhile if we move. I did a second year of costume ideas with a mini Halloween Series featuring Grant and I'm not sure we'll be able to top this year's with another one. Our family theme for the year was Wild Animals and their zoo keepers and seeing the babies in their first costumes was the best thing ever. Also I got Addie's first school picture ever and I can't get over how grown she is. I love this month and I love my kids so much.
NOVEMBER - I was able to visit my sister Camila who is still alive although not doing well. I am extra attentive with every visit as I know it could be the last. The kids had a primary program which I always love watching. Grant didn't like that he wasn't a part of it though. I can't wait to see him up there next year. We used our Thanksgiving Point pass for the first time with the Butterfly Biosphere exhibit and had a really good time and we ended the month picking out a real live Christmas tree for our house this year.
DECEMBER - Hudson is now 5! He's the sweetest kid ever. We also said hello to Felix who joined our crew this year. We decorated cookies with Oma and Opa, had so many parties, went to the Dinosaur Museum, watched Home Alone and celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas as a family of seven for the first time.
Last year at the end of 2020 I was very pregnant and still keeping the twins a secret from our families. In my year review blog post this is what I wrote at the end -
"This year I'm highly looking forward to March where we will be done with this final pregnancy and our family will be complete. Currently my body is stretched to the max but to know that we'll be experiencing the newborn stage again and adding pieces of heaven into our lives and family has me both giddy and nervous. I know we'll have some rough months adjusting to little sleep but after 2020 I feel like we can accomplish anything. Addie is so ecstatic to not be the only girl anymore and I cannot wait to see how Addie, Hudson and Grant adjust to what our family is going to look like. I'm also looking forward to Danny completing another year of school because we're now past the halfway point of his PhD experience and that's exciting. I'm excited to hopefully fit in a small family trip. I understand this year might be a little crazy because of the newborn life but I'm hoping that maybe I can make something happen. I'm thinking a possible trip to St. George but we'll see how much sleep we can get this year first. I'm looking forward to Addie starting first grade and Hudson starting preschool. Grant should be getting potty trained soon and he's already showing signs of interest. Truthfully I'm also looking forward to having a new President at the end of this month and I'm hopeful that he can bring some unity to our country. Also I'm looking forward to getting a new vehicle because ours isn't going to meet all our needs and is already struggling. 2020 we grew closer because of all you brought and we're really excited for what 2021 has in store."
It's funny now how cryptic I was trying to be by emphasizing how hard 'newborn' life would be when really what I wanted to say was that we would be adjusting to two babies. I mean we've done the newborn stage three times before so if it was just one baby I wouldn't have made that sound like a big deal. Now here we are at the end of another year and we have almost one year olds. It's crazy how fast this year flew by. We didn't go to St. George like I mentioned but we did squeeze in a little family staycation which turned out to be fun. It also helps knowing that we're for sure taking a trip to St. George next summer with my side of the family. Danny is near the end of his PhD program and could be graduating early next Summer. We're in the thick of applying to jobs across the country and it's both exciting and nerve-wrecking. By this time next year we might be living in a different state which is crazy to even think about. Addie is in first grade and loving it and Hudson is really enjoying preschool at BYU. Grant got potty trained super fast at the beginning of the year and rocked at it. We got a new van which the process of doing so was horrible but we eventually got it all worked out after spending way more than we wanted to. It fits us all though which is awesome because there's seven of us. SEVEN of us! I had to repeat that because it's still so surreal. I love my tribe with my hardworking husband and amazing five kids. Even though life can be a rollercoaster I'm glad I'm experiencing it with my favorite people.
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This year I'm excited to see where Danny's schooling takes him. He could potentially graduate just four years into his grad school which is a whole year earlier than originally planned. Thank you Vanuatu. He's applying to places now and we haven't heard back yet but the possibilities are endless. He's applying everywhere from Washington state to the tip of Maine. If he doesn't graduate this year then I'm really looking forward to having Addie continue schooling at Provost Elementary with Hudson joining her this year. I'm so thrilled with her experience there so far. I'm signing Grant up for preschool at BYU and I'd love to have him go there if we stay another year. I'm looking forward to our big family trip this summer at St. George. It will be with my siblings and parents and I can't wait for my kids to enjoy several days back to back getting to bond with their cousins. I'm also excited to hit some personal goals as well. The year 2022 is going to be about me feeling like myself. I'm no longer sharing my body with anyone and definitely feel done with any future pregnancies so I'm ready to gain back confidence and get fit for good. I'm also very very excited for Addie and for a potential choice she might be personally making. She turns eight this year and could be getting baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If she does this will be a very big thing in her life and I'm excited to see her become ready for it.
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