Photos, mostly of Josh of course.

If you look closely, Josh is finally getting hair! It is so funny.

Okay, I know this picture looks horrible, but I thought it was so funny because he woke up screaming and I ran in there and I find him like this. How he managed to get his arm out of his pjs, I'm not sure, so I ran to get the camera and don't worry, I picked him right up afterwards, it was just so funny!

Our tree hunt, I walked right in and saw and said "that is it, I will have no other." I came, I saw, I conquered.

Don't my boys look so cute? We even put Josh in his woodsman hat Bunk gave us especially for the occasion. This was the day Kenni and Chris found out they are prego. Weird and Huzza!

Okay so one of my favorite things about Christmas is the mess after opening presents. I know that sounds weird but I love looking around and it is the one day of the year that a mess means you and the people you love most are having a great time. It is sooo much fun! This is the little mess we made, it was so fun! I can't wait until next year, hopefully we will have another little person to make even more of a mess. This is our beautiful Christmas tree. I picked it out and I have never been prouder of a tree in my life. It is just a few inches taller than me and strung fabulously with fruit loop strands. :) Perfectly edible for little people.

This is our little dude man looking like a hot shot on his little race car, looking like his Uncle KJ. I stinking LOVE this outfit from Tyson's Aunt Judy.

Another shot of Josh in his cute outfit

The Past Month

okay, so it has been way too long since I wrote. And since I am stuck at home feeling completely sick, well, I am feeling way better than the past few days, I decided I should finally write something. Here are some of the going-on's of the past month:
-Christmas was wonderful! Tyson and I couldn't wait for Josh to wake up so we could set him in front of the Christmas tree and have him open all his presents. He was scared at first because we had been telling him not to for so long, but after a few presents, he was tearing them open and shaking and panting like a dog, he was so excited for each one. It is way more fun on Christmas with kids!
-Two days ago we went to the temple, and although I used an entire roll of toilet paper blowing my nose on the 7 hour drive there and back, I was so glad we went. Tyson was able to go in and do an endowment session for my Great-Grandpa Charles who was married to Mary Claire (my namesake). Tyson came out so happy, it was wonderful. And Josh and I got to hang out in the visitor's center until the lights came on (gorgeous!), and I also got to see Sister Katie Hamblin from my high school days, pretty neat.
-I finished my photo class a few weeks ago. I am sad not to have a class with Kenni, but I am really glad I don't have that stress anymore. It was a really fun class and I didn't realize until after the class ended just how much I had actually learned.
-I lost my job. This probably was the hardest thing for me because I absolutly love the family I babysat for. I am still not quite sure if they didn't need me anymore because their situation changed, or because they didn't like me as a babysitter, but I hope it was more of the first. :) However, Tyson and I did give them the "Joy to the World" DVD and a Book of Mormon for Christmas, and that was a really wonderful experience for me, and hopefully for them as well.
-Little Josh is cruising all over the place now and babbling constantly about something, I'm pretty sure he mostly talks about how much he wants food. :)
-My cell phone and our DVD player on the lap-top (we don't have a TV, nor do we want one) both broke, so we have been a little technology challenged as late.
-And, probably coolest of all, my brother Yance and his wife, Kimmy were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on the 20th. I wasn't able to be there but I heard it was wonderful and amazing and I am so happy for them.

And many other things happened, mostly just fun and wonderful things. I have to run because Josh is waking up and the poor guy isn't feeling good either. Love you all and Merry (late) Christmas!

Butter Making and Birthday Celebrating

So this past few weeks have been crazy busy, and looking at our calander and the thousands of Christmas parties we have, it is only going to get busier. I'm glad, as much as I'm a home person, I love to be with other people, especially to celebrate something like Christmas. Well, so we had a great Thanksgiving. We didn't have food poisoning (Tyson and mine first Thanksgiving experience together), and I wasn't 9 months pregnant like last year, plus we got to eat with Kenni and Chris and Chris's cousin, Whitney. Bunk and I divided up the cooking and so not only was it fun, I had it easy. Tyson and Josh made butter together, and it was so cute. Josh is really loving being with Tyson and it is so cute to see the change and the love deepen in our little family over the past year. Then, this past Saturday, little Josh had his first birthday. True, he probably had no idea what we were all excited about, but he loved it. Kenni made him a cupcake cake that looked like "Swampy" the alligator, and it looked soooo cute! Josh dug into that thing before we even started singing. He absolutly loved the frosting, as you can tell by his face. Oh, and he loves to glare at people. Tyson taught him to, and everyone keeps encouraging him, which isn't always great because now he glares at random people, especially at church. Well, I don't know how to undo that, especially since it is so funny. But I love having a one year old. He sure is crazy and so much fun!

Gratitude

So reading Marissa and Kirsten's blogs and seeing their 7 days of gratitude got me thinking I needed to post my gratefullness (pretty sure I spelled that wrong, don't tell anyone my degree was English) as well. All this month, Tyson and I have written 10 things we are thankful for each night before we go to bed. At first I thought that would be kind of hard because we can't do any repeats. Well, I guess I never realized how blessed I am and all the little things that surround me that I would have such a hard time living without. Like dental floss, pillows, gloves, mail boxes, hair elastics, and the one drawer we have in our kitchen. :) I love November, I think it is one of my favorite months. True, outside looks pretty dismal but so many wonderful things happen that month. Everyone is really excited because there is a long break from work, school and the normal routine of life at the end of the month, not to mention a huge feast. Plus, Christmas is soon so that magical feeling is always in the air seeping into our homes and our hearts. It is hard not to be happy right now. And plus, last year at this time little Josh was so close to coming into our lives. In five days we get to celebrate his 1st birthday and I am so excited. True, he is exhausting and sometimes frustrating, but I love him so much, and I can't imagine my life without him. And of course I think every day is wonderful because Tyson is in it. My life is so full and wonderful because of him. Every evening when we get home from work it is like a party. We are always doing something fun and enjoying each other's company. I know that right now, even though he is at work and busy, I know in the back of him mind he is thinking about me and hoping I am doing well and always loving me. I know that because no matter what I am doing, I am loving him and thinking of him too. The Lord has been so good to bless me with so much. My life is filled with happiness. I have so many friends and people that love me, so much food in the cupboards and fridge, so much warmth in our apartment, so many happy memories, so much to be thankful for. Thank you to everyone that reads this, because I know you care about me and I'm thankful for you.

The Exhausting Age...

So I don't think I have ever been so tired, and I know it is only going to get worse. There is nothing more wonderful to me than being a wife and a mother. But Josh sure can wear me out. He has learned to do sooo much in the past week. Let's see...he can:
-climb on the couch
-climb off the couch
-push off all the books, pictures, and anything else on the table next to the couch that he used to not be able to reach, but now he can
-he can climb/fall into the bathtub
-he can open the toilet lid
-he can flush the toilet
-he can find, and open tampons :)
-he can tear up my notes for class
-he can tear pages out of my scriptures
-he can take all his clothes out of his drawers (well, he has been able to do that for awhile, but he does it way more than usual now)
-he only wants to eat cheese and bananas
-he can stand up on his own
-take a few steps on his own
-open DVD covers
-climb on the couch and throw toys in between couch and the wall
-help me (kind of) clean up all his messes

Basically, it is an adorable age but I have kind of given up cleaning. The house is a total wreak and often looks like hurricane Joshua has just blown through, but it is a lot of fun. He is so giggly and full of hugs. I love being a mom, but that is what I have been doing for the past few weeks, just cleaning and trying to laugh off the destruction going on in my home. :)

Lia Sophia Jewelry

So Kenni and I went to this jewelry party at our friend's house and now we are both hosting a little party at our homes because we just fell in love with the stuff, and hey, we love parties (We are Hardy's and so that is what we are all about: "Party Hardy" as my Dad would say). Haha, so anyways, you should check out this website: http://www.liasophia.com/

I don't really ever wear jewelry, but I love looking at it, so hey, if you like to look, check it out. Anyways, just thought I'd share.

Happiness!

So Happy Halloween to you all! All morning I was playing dress up and absolutely loving it. It reminded me of the time Kristen, Heath and me all dressed up in the weirdest outfits, just laying dress up clothes on, and driving around town and then crashing Stephen's party. Good ol' times. I don't think I will ever grow up. But anyways, what I really wanted to say is Happy Birthday to my little brother, Chanson. Happy Birthday Buddy! Thanks for letting us call Josh "puggles," I knwo that is what we called you. :) I can't believe you are 17, all to soon you will be leaving home and going on a mission and living your own life, probably somewhere in Europe. Hehe, especially since you speak German, or Russian, or Latin, or maybe all three. :) Chanson, you have always amazed me. You are not afraid of anything it seems and you have always been so smart and good. Thanks for always being my friend. I still feel so bad for all the years I was just a mean big sister and beat you up all the time. I hope you always know that I love you and I think about you all the time. I'm so glad little Joshua loves you and your hair. :) I love you tons and tons! I hope you have a great day and remember a little family out in Virginia loves you very much...well, two little families including Bunk and Chris...and if you include your little slew of women out here that adore you as well, the list could get pretty big. Hehe. I love you!