Georgia's Birthday Pics

Check out Georgia's other birthday post right after this one.

Today was Georgia's first birthday. We just took it easy today and pretty much relaxed. Robbie made hamburgers, french fries (homemade) and macaroni salad for dinner tonight, and I did the birthday cakes, presents and decorations for our little celebration. We have a tradition in my family-for a child's first birthday, they get their own birthday cake to dig into and make a mess. Lots of fun for them, and we've done it with Gwen and Grace too. I didn't do any fancy cake this year because of that. So here are some pics of our little one year old celebrating her first birthday!!

Georgia in her First Birthday hat.

Opening all the cards-they were so cute!!

A baby doll diaper bag (just like her big sisters).

A new outfit.

K, explanation for this one. This is a Disney Princess Bath Time Doll (equivalent of a Barbie) and we got this for Georgia because Gwen and Grace each got one for Christmas (different ones though) and Georgia gets so mad when they don't share in the bath that she throws toys at them. So, take away the small piece (the crown) and it's totally safe, and safer for Gwen and Grace. She won't understand the whole color changing cloths and hair, but at least she'll have a doll to play with in the bath like her sisters.

A baby doll quilt.

Georgia's new baby doll.

Georgia's special cake.

The cake everyone else got to eat.

Another party hat.

Not sure I like squishy fingers.

First taste..

Mmm...it does taste good!!

Oh yeah...ice cream too!!

Having a great time.

The final messy face picture.

Hooray for cake and ice cream!

Happy Happy Birthday Georgia Dear!!

Happy Birthday Georgia!! Today you turn one!! How crazy is that? It doesn't seem like you should be one yet and doing all the things that you do. I wish that you would stay smaller for a little longer...I love how sweet you are when you're small. Right now you're sitting in your high chair, eating saltines and apples and watching cartoons. How did you get that big?

It seems like we were just getting ready for your arrival. You were so impatient to get here that you came a week and a half before your due date...and almost on your big sister's birthday!! My labor was long-15 1/2 hours-but Daddy and I were so thrilled when we saw you. I even brought bows that I had made for you to wear after your first bath. You were 7 pounds 10 ounces and 19 inches long-so big!

And then 3 months had passed, and you were holding your head up, starting to roll around, smiling and growing so much! We didn't have you weighed or measured this month, but when you turned 4 months old you had gained 5 pounds 10 ounces and had grown 6 1/4 inches.

Before we knew it you were 6 months old!! Where had the time gone? You were eating baby cereal, had been weaned to formula, went through a huge cross country move, and you were rolling all over the place. You were even trying to figure out how to crawl. Soon after our move you started eating fruits and veggies too. You had gained another 2 pounds 6 ounces and grown another 1/4 inch taller.

And you kept growing so fast!! We realized that you were so close to being a year old when you turned 9 months old. Daddy and I couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible that we were already so close to you having your first birthday. I didn't want to believe it. You were making mama and dada and baba sounds, getting teeth like crazy, and trying so hard to walk. You could pull yourself up into a standing position and walk along furniture but couldn't seem to get walking down yet. You were crawling everywhere though! We would look away for just a second and when we would look back you'd be halfway across the room or gone!! You gained 2 pounds 14 ounces during this time and grew 1 3/4 inches more.

Now you're a year old. It's sad to think that you are already on your way to being considered a toddler and not a baby any more. But I am so proud of all you've learned to do. You drink from a sippy, eat normal food, drink whole milk, and have even figured out how to eat M&M's. You walk and run everywhere, climb on everything, and laugh like crazy for no reason at all. You say papa, mama, dada, buh-bye, baby and yeah, and are working on the word no (heaven forbid). But you still have the same personality you had when you were a newborn-calm, peaceful, loving, and so full of joy. You haven't really gained more weight, but you have grown another 3/4 inches taller. You are my happy baby and I am so glad you decided to come to our family. Your daddy, sisters and I love you so much-you can see it on our faces every time we look at you. We love being a part of your life and we love you! Happy First Birthday Georgia girl!!

Goodbye Spc. Jacob Sessions

Today was a sad day...but a day to be proud as well. This morning Rob, the kids and I went with my parents to one of the send offs the Vermont National Guard has had for it's troops this week. The reason for going? My brother Jake volunteered a couple months ago to deploy with a different troop than the one he's in and is now in Indiana until March for training with over 3,500 troops and then will be deployed to Afghanistan.

It was an early morning for us all because we had to be there by 8:15 for Jake to report and to do our final goodbyes because once the send off ceremony was over they would be getting on a bus to head to the airport. There were tons of people there. So many family and friends came to see their loved ones off. I didn't start crying until 10 minutes before the ceremony, and I have cried on and off since then all day today. We sent my brother Matt to the MTC a couple months ago, and it was hard saying goodbye to him for 2 years, knowing that he'll be in China-halfway across the world. This was harder though I think because I knew that there was a chance that Jake might not come back at all. Man, I can't even get throught this post without sobbing.

It also hit me while we were listening to the speakers that there were soldiers in that room that won't come back, or will come back wounded. I've had such a hard time lately with our situation-no job, no job opportunities, not having a home of our own-basically just feeling stuck with no options, our lives on pause. Being there, however, made me realize that I have so much to be thankful for. Oh how can I complain when these people were giving up their sons and daughter, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters to fight for freedom?

So here's a big thank you to all the men and women in the military-for your sense of duty, your love for your country, and your bravery to fight. I am so grateful for each and every one of you. To my wonderful little brother Jake, or as I like to call him, my "Strawberry Shake," I am so very proud of you. You are a strong and brave young man. Your love for your country and your sense of duty are amazing. I am going to miss you so much...your willingness to help, the way you get the girls to smile, the special bond you have with Georgia, and so much more. Your smile, your laugh, and your company will be sorely missed. i will look back often on the good times and share them with the girls so that they can remember you while you are gone (as I am doing with Matt). We love you so much and we are so very proud of you. You will always be in our thoughts and prayers as will all the members of the military serving right now. Be careful, stay safe, and come home to us-please. We all love you...I love you very very much!!

Huge Snow Storm

On the 2nd we ended up getting a huge snow storm. It was like all the snow that should have fallen last year came at once. As we were inside watching the snow fall, my mom gave the girls some stickers to do their favorite art project with-sticker art. Sticker art is where the girls basically decorate a piece of paper with whatever stickers they want in whatever way they want, and sometimes they even color to add to the picture. Well, Gwen and Grace decided to start turning themselves into the art work. It was pretty funny.

Before we went to bed, my mom took these pictures of their back deck. Here's the railing of their back porch:

And here's their BBQ grill, all before we went to bed on the 2nd:

This is what we woke up to the next morning (Sunday the 3rd) when my mom opened the door to let their dog out:

The front walkway and our car, burried in snow:

The grill:

The back porch railing:

And the outdoor fireplace where we took our family photos a couple months ago:

And amazingly, we still had church. So in preparation the night before for Gwen's first sunday as a Sunbeam, I curled Gwen and Grace's hair after their bath:

I dressed them in the matching dresses that my mom got for them, and actually got some of Georgia's hair to go into a tiny little pony tail:

They looked so cute:

Georgia ended up with a little bit of a mohawk after I took her ponytail out after church:

Lots going on here! They keep telling us that we're supposed to get more snow, and that there is a possibility of another huge storm coming through this weekend. My brother is leaving for a training camp on Friday morning where he'll stay until March and then be deployed to Afghanistan (sniff), my parents leave on Saturday for a vacation/school visit to California (and we get to hang out with my sister Missy-Yeah!!), Georgia's birthday is on Monday, and Gwen's birthday is on Tuesday. Crazy crazy crazy!!

Multiple Postings-Check Them Out!!

So I did a bunch of different posts to catch everyone up on what we've been up to lately. On this blog, scroll down to Thanksgiving and work you way up (if you want to see everything).

I also update my craft blog about all the stuff Rob and I made for Christmas as gifts. If you want to check that out, the website is:

http://sarahcongdonscrafts.blogspot.com/

If you want to check them all out, start at Pre Thanksgiving Crafts and work your way up from there.

This will probably be the last post I do until Gwen and Georgia's birthdays in a couple of weeks (hence the birthday background) so enjoy!!

Christmas Day

Christmas day started off with us showing the girls their big Christmas present from us: their toy kitchen. Since it was already downstairs in the basement "apartment" where we are living at my parents, we didn't want to take it all the way upstairs just to show it to them and then bring it all the way downstairs again. They didn't care though. They were so happy to have a kitchen to cook and play and make their own food. It's good to know that our hard work was loved so much, even though it wasn't store bought.

We then went upstairs to do stockings with my family. The girls each got an assortment of toy food, pots & pans, and mixing items (measuring spoons & cups, ladles, stirring spoons, mixing bowls, etc.). They also got hair bows (I had fun explaining to Gwen how Santa knows how to make hairbows just like mommy) and new Nalgene bottles that matched their new pjs in their stockings along with the usual-orange, apple, candy, and bath stuff (shampoo, soap, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, etc.).

Grace (yes, she's picking her nose....blah), my brother Jake (he's getting deployed to Afghanistan in a few weeks) and Georgia waiting to get to the stockings.

Georgia's first Christmas.

Gwen and Grace playing with their new toys.

Oh, and Robbie made this for my dad (I made things for family as well, but you can check them out on my other blog http://sarahcongdonscrafts.blogspot.com)

And then on we moved to opening presents. Robbie got a new playstation game, books, movies and sander (please note that we did have a limit for spending this year as usual so nothing expensive). I got a new makeup bag, socks, pj pants, and lots of books (which is just what I wanted...I am so happy!!). And the girls!! They got new sweaters, books, their first barbie dolls, baby doll diaper bags, baby doll diaper and wipe kits, and movies. Because Georgia is still considered a baby, she got other things: a sweater, books, an interactive baby book (sings and lights up), a musical mailbox, and other such baby toys. They also all got a new twin sized blanket for their beds. They had a blast opening everything and playing with everything. They also went to the toy store a few days letter to get bathtime disney princess dolls with some Christmas money they were given.

Gwen and her new blanket.

Grace and her new blanket.

Around lunch time we went down to Robbie's parents to spend part of Christmas day with them. Rob and I both got new cloths and towels, a movie and book for Rob and a new purse and book for me. Georgia got a soft baby doll, a stuffed panda bear, toy keys with noisy buttons, a teddy bear, books, and a light up musical doll. Grace got a puzzle, books, a vet pet set, a new headband, a disney princess doll, a new naptime blanket and a tinkerbell dressup box (and other things as well). Gwen got a glodoodle board, an art stamp set, a new headband, books, a disney princess doll, a new naptime blanket and a princess dressup box (and other things too). All three of the girls were also given a princess play tent. They really did well for themselves this year and they're having a blast with everything.

Grace and her new puzzle.

Georgia playing with Grace's puzzle.

Gwen and her new art stamping set.

Georgia and her new Teddy Bear.

Gwen in her new Princess cloths.

Grace and Gwen all dressed up.

Grace inside the princess tent.

We came home a few days later and they went straight for their toy kitchen, and barbies (of course). Thank you to all who thought of us this year, and for spending the Christmas season with us.

Playing in the kitchen.

Gwen and Grace with their Barbie dolls.

Georgia and her new toys.

Our Christmas Letter

This is the letter we sent out with our Christmas cards:

The Congdon Family Christmas Letter

November 2009

Once again we decided to continue with Sarah’s family tradition and write a Christmas letter. It was great fun for us last year and something we hope to continue doing through out the years as our family and lives change and grow. In this past year we have been given the opportunity many times to do something different with our lives and have been blessed so much…including an addition to the family, a move cross country from Idaho to Vermont and so much more!!

Robbie graduated from college in July-it felt like we were never going to get to that point! Thanks to the economy he did however have a hard time finding a job. This situation led us to move back to Vermont where Robbie was blessed to get a wonderful job with a construction company called J Hutchins doing excavation work and the main office is located only 15 minutes from where we live. He enjoys his job and we know that this is the job the Lord had in mind for us right now because he is receiving even more experience in a different field of the construction process and has a higher level job/responsibility than he would have with other companies as a new college graduate. Robbie also enjoyed the fishing season this year and is looking forward to going hunting this year and is now the 1^st counselor in the Young Men’s presidency in our ward. Robbie also has more time to spend with us and it’s been wonderful!!

Sarah has been busy busy busy with the kids. She continues to be a stay at home mom and absolutely loves it!! It does have its challenges and trials but it is teaching her more and more every day. She loves the special time with each of our girls and has fun doing art projects and teaching them new things. Sarah just received a calling to be on the Relief Society Board, helping with Enrichment. She has done this before and is looking forward to doing it again. When she can find any spare time Sarah has been learning how to use a sewing machine and continues scrapbooking, reading, crocheting, and many other craft/cooking projects. Sarah has really enjoyed learning new things and being able to make things for our family instead of us buying it in a store.

Gwenyth (Gwen) turned 3 in January. Boy is she getting big! She was finally potty trained in March, will start Sunbeams in January and 2 weeks later will turn 4. Crazy!! Gwen was lucky enough that we were able to find a preschool with openings right after we moved. Her preschool is through our local parks and recreation program and is awesome! She goes every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm and does amazing for them. They are constantly teaching the kids things but try really hard to let them be hands on and learn themselves. They even go on fieldtrips with their first being to a local apple orchard in the beginning of October. She is still a tiny little thing (the tiniest one in her preschool) but is learning so quickly about so many new things. She loves to help and pretend play and has such an outgoing personality-no one is a stranger!!

Grace turned 2 in July. She is just about the same size as Gwen now. She is only about 1 ½ inches smaller than Gwen but weighs almost a pound more. We are constantly asked if we have twins. Grace too is learning very quickly. She is constantly surprising us by how much she really does know. She is getting very familiar with her shapes, numbers and colors and we are trying to work on the alphabet too. The only thing that we are having a problem with lately is potty training. Like Gwen, she is just not understanding it completely yet. So we have stopped the serious potty training and moved on to her going when she feels like it. We are hoping that this will help when she decides she is finally ready. Grace loves going to nursery and playing with her friends and learning/hearing new stories and lessons. She has such a sweet, loving personality and is more introverted but still very friendly. Her favorite things to do are dance and cuddle-what a cutie!!

Georgia is the newest addition to our family. Georgia was born January 11^th 2009, a week and a half before she was due and the day before Gwen’s birthday. Seriously, we did not plan that. Georgia is now 10 months old and getting so big. She has three teeth (with three more about to push through her top gums) and loves baby food, but not more than a bottle. She loves her bottles. She has her own baby language and loves to talk all the time. She plays games, claps, smiles, waves and says bye, mama and dada. She can walk while holding both of your hands or along furniture by herself, but is hesitant to take any steps on her own. She will stand by herself for a few seconds, is building her strength and before we know it she will be walking!!

This has been a wonderful year for us filled with lots of exciting new things. We have had our trials as well but these experiences have brought us closer to one another and closer to the Lord. What a wonderful time of the year this is, to share our love of Christ with others and to feel his love for us. This gospel is such a wonderful blessing in our lives and we are so grateful to be a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We hope that as this next year passes our lives and yours will be filled with the love and spirit of our Heavenly Father and his beloved son, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!!