NEW CAMERA

C.J. let me buy the new T3i Rebel cannon and I have been having so much fun with it! At first it was really overwhelming trying to learn what shutter speed, aperture, and ISO's were but after reading a lot and taking notes, and testing it out I really feel like I got it down. I also got a little trial run of Photoshop and my awesome sister-in-law Brandilyn has taught me a few tricks on it. Here are some of the pictures I took of Jaysa and my little niece Breklyn.

These two are SO cute together!

My favorite one of Breklyn

My very favorite of both of them! How cute is this?!?!

And here is my cute sister-in-law Kindra!

Love this picture but I hate the tractor in the background! I should have had my aperture up higher to blur out the background.

Obviously I am still learning a lot. Should have taken the halter off the horse! Maybe next time.

Love these ones

This one is my most favorite!!!! SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL! I had lots of fun taking pictures of you Kindra! Love you!

FAMILY PICTURES

We took family pictures at the beginning of this month. It was so hard to keep both girls happy and warm but we did our best! Here they are!

So fun

Love Jaysa's face

Paisley's face in this one is so funny

My pretty baby!

My favorite of the whole family

My favorite of me and Paisley

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FERGUSON'S

The hallways are decked with berries and holly

The Ferguson’s inside are smiling and jolly

This year’s letter will be extra fun

Dr. Seuss lends a hand to get the job done

Working so hard to make these word rhyme

The girl’s favorite Seuss book will help us this time

With this Christmas season the girls’ favorite read

Is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” with all of his greed

There’s no Grinch in our jolly home, you could find

The season’s whispling whirlwind of thanks on our mind

Our St. George Who-ville is a great place to be

The new house that we bought will go well with our tree.

Improving jing jinglers and tinglers of sorts

Robin spends too much money! While C.J. just snorts

To save up some money and lower expensive bills

C.J.’s been using handy-dandy man skills

He painted the house, the cabinets, the walls

A fireplace, a kitchen backsplash, the man does it all

He bought new gadget tools of bells and ring ringles

He even hung Christmas lights from our shingles

Our Who-father, C.J. is a busy who-bumbling bee

Recruiting kids from Vegas is his job at Dixie

In his spare time he hunts to provide a who-deer-roast-beast

Taking down a full velvet, 3 point, his pride has increased

And so with the who-hash, who-pudding and who-deer-meat

We will feast, feast, feast, oh what a nice treat.

Our Who-father, C.J. also enjoys a good dash

A bicycling bike ride and a splikity splash

1^st place in his age group for the summer triathlon

He also completed the St. George Marathon.

Our Who-Mother, dear Robin, just got her degree

From writing papers and essays, she is finally free

She still keeps herself busy throughout the day

Kissing bamshakeled bruised boo boo’s away

Her latest creation came early in the year

Valentine’s brought our darling Paisley dear

And so with more smiles and twinkling toes

She bought a Cannon camera to capture all those

Our little Cindy Lou Who

Is named Jaysa Sue

Her Christmas spirit is the brightest of all

Her heart is not two sizes too small

However, her shoes the left and the right

Are growing a teeny pinch too tight

Older and older she will soon be

Our big girl is going to almost be three

She’s gotten so big and loves to play

With her sweet little sister, Paisley Mae Mae

The best big sister and so full of love

Her biggest accomplishment we are so proud of

Her successful training on the toilet-commode

Has lifted her Who-parents heaviest load

And finally, our tiniest Paisley who-ster of all

Pulling up and standing, she still prefers to crawl

Pizza, and popcorn, and sweet pumpkin pie

She eats everything, or at least she’ll try

Mac N Cheese is her favorite who-ster who-meal

She loves her loud voice, oh that terrible squeal

Climbing the stairs is her favorite activity

Her fast little legs have a zinging proximity

Her cute little smile is hard to resist

Her cubby little cheeks are so often kissed

Dawho Doorey, Dawho Doorey

We’ve reached the end of the Ferguson story

And so as it is our family tradition

We conclude this update on our condition

But as we say goodbye to yall

Remember the most important of all

Listen to what our Grinch friend learned

A Grinchy lesson, your ear he has earned.

Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store

Maybe, perhaps, it means a little bit more

With one more quote from our fine friend

Dr. Seuss’s Christmas message we will send

“Welcome Christmas, bring your cheer

Cheer to all who’s far and near

Christmas day is in your grasp

As long as we have hands to clasp

Welcome Christmas while we stand

Heart to heart and hand in hand.”

THANKSGIVING

With so many years in the past Thanksgiving has been a day of stuffing my face, football watching, a family Turkey bowl game and the traditions of going around the table and saying one thing we are thankful for. This year has been a little different. There have been several experiences this past year that have caused me to realize the importance of truly being grateful. This Thanksgiving morning I have truly felt deep gratitude for many of the blessings the lord has given me. I am thankful for my family and the chance we have to all be together during this holiday and for the fun and good memories we can create together. I am thankful for my husband who sticks by me no matter the situation. I am thankful for my children and the joy they bring to me. I am thankful for good friends who would drop everything to come to my side when I need them. I am thankful for financial stability, my family in Texas, my religion and so much more.

Normally I don't think about what I am going to say at the table until my belly is full but this year I know exactly what I am going to say. This year what I am most grateful for is the health of my children, my husband, and myself.

As many of you know this has been a hard year for C.J.'s family with the diagnosis of our 5 year old niece, Jaylie, and her brain cancer and then with our brand new nephew needing multiple heart surgeries at just a few weeks old. As a mother I can't help but put myself in my sister-in-laws shoes and try to understand what they are feeling as they watch their child struggle. I am infinately more grateful to be able to step out of their shoes and enjoy my children and their health. My emotions have been all over the place as I continue to watch my neice and nephew fight for their lives. I remember the morning after we found out about Jaylie's brain tumor and the possibility of it being cancerous I could not control my feelings. I woke up and just held my children and cried. For whatever reason I felt the need to write those feeling down so that I could remember them years from now. I have only shared what I wrote with one person, my husband, because it was so personal to me. Today C.J. told me he thought I should post what I wrote that morning on the blog. I was hesitant at first but thought it fit with the Thanksgiving spirit and expressed what I am most grateful for. I am not a great writer, I don't proclaim to be, but I enjoy putting my feelings on paper and in this case felt the need to share. So here goes... I called it Green Pancakes because that morning I was supposed to begin writing a very important paper for school but found myself unable to think about anything else besides how grateful I was for all the things that drove me nuts about being a mom. I felt the need to enjoy my children and and the simplicity of our life here on earth. Instead of starting on that paper I made my kids green pancakes and we sat on the floor and laughed and giggled as we ate them together.

Green Pancakes

I made green pancakes today

Simply grateful for one more day

With my sweet and beautiful girls

Ages 2 and 2 months, blue eyes and thick curls

Life is so fragile you never know

When the Lord will say it’s time to go

I am so sorry its taken the experience of one

To realize my blessings and what he has done

He’s given me things I should be grateful for

Life’s little moments, I taken for granted no more

I am so grateful for times I’ve lost my head

So grateful for the crumbs that are in my bed

So grateful for the messes that they make

So grateful for my things that they break

So grateful for tears shed today

So grateful for the price my Lord paid

So grateful that he loved enough to die

My eternal family is what he would buy

So grateful for the stress of each day

So grateful the Lord made it this way

So grateful for the days that they whine

So grateful for just a little more time

So grateful for the sound of their voice

So grateful I was given a choice

To come to this earth and be made a mother

My trials are so easy compared to another

So grateful for their joy and laughter

Their smiles are mine forever after

So grateful for their earthly bodies, I love

Which were sent to me from heaven above

So grateful that our spirits will always live on

Temple ordinances provide an unbreakable bond

So grateful that the Lord has a plan

In time I hope I will understand

So if he must take one of my own

I pray he heals my broken home

So grateful for my eternal family

Together forever I know we’ll live happily

And so with this poem I write today

I thank the Lord for Green pancakes and one more day

I Love you Kip, Kajsa, Jaylie, Breklyn, Crew, Ryan, Brandilyn and baby Briggs.

HERE IS PAISLEY'S NEW THING!

Paisley has started growling! She ALWAYS does it! It's so funny and I love the face she makes while she is doing it!

Brian and Shelbie

Dear Brian,

I know that your name is not brain! I know exactly how to spell your name B.R.I.A.N. I just want to apologize for ALWAYS calling you Brain! My fingers just get moving to fast on this keyboard and I type brain. Please Forgive me! I love you guys and miss you guys!!!! I also know how to spell Shelbie!

ARIZONA

C.J. had a recruiting trip in Flagstaff, Arizona so we decided to make a weekend out of it and head to the Phoenix and Mesa area to visit our friends Brain and Shelbie and C.J's family

BATH TIME!

Jaysa, Paisley and Brain and Shelbie's little girl Mya taking a bath!

They loved the bubbles

My sweet baby!

Toys!

Paisley and Mya

Such cute little girls!

This is the story of Paisley's life. Jaysa is always trying to hug her and give her kisses and ends up completely mauling her. She has started to learn to push Jaysa away.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBIN!

I no longer have enough fingers to show how old I am unless I have help from my awesome friend Shelbie! Ha Ha I just noticed that my numbers are backwards. I am not 62! You would think the guy taking the picture would notice that.....C.J.!

She is in the trunk of car if you couldn't tell

For my Birthday we went to a restaurant called Houston's that C.J. said was supposed to be really good.

It was more like a train wreck with all the kids.

SNOW!

While we were in Flagstaff we took a drive in the mountains and found some snow!

Paisley, me and Jaysa

Trying to keep Paisley warm. I don't think she is liking it though

Dad and the girls waiting outside the dressing room while I try an outfit on

Sweet Jaysa

Look at that smile! I love it!

Car rides with babies are never fun! Trying to keep Paisley entertained is no easy task.

Chewing on her babies leg helps ha ha jk

Jaysa is actually really good at it! Here is Jaysa throwing around a ball to keep Paisley laughing

at the mall in Prescott...I think

NASCAR!

Brandon and Sherrie are big Nascar fans and had extra tickets to the Nascar truck races and we were lucky enough to get invited!

C.J. in front of his favorite car.

Taking a break in the shade away from the hot sun. From left to right Tessa, C.J., me, Tyra, Trae and Trae's friend Tyler

All the boys taking a picture with Travis Pastrana who is a professional Dirt bike guy that does Nascar too.

Me and Sherrie

Brandon

Tyra and Tessa in the coolest DSC Sunglasses ever!

Me and Sherrie sitting in this really expensive car. I don't remember what kind it was I just made Brandon ask if we could sit in it

Brandon signing some car for some sort of diabetes awareness

Me and C.J. My mom took the girls for the day. We had a lot of fun. I have never been to anything like this so it was a really fun and neat experience. Thanks for inviting us Brandon and Sherrie!

THE DEER HUNT

C.J. finally drew a deer tag this year. He has been out several times with buddies and bow hunting but this time he finally got to bring something home.

Brandon was nice enough to take C.J. and a few of his other buddies out and help make sure everyone got a deer. I told Brandon that if C.J. didn't kill a deer to leave him out in the mountains and let him find his way home. I was so happy when C.J sent me a picture of him with his deer!

I don't know anything about hunting but I guess this is a really neat deer because he is in full velvet. It is currently at the taxidermists house being prepared for a mount

C.J. and Jaysa with Brandon's brother Cody's deer... or whats left of it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Our neighbor's have twin girls Jaysa's age. They threw a little Halloween party so we got to go!

Jaysa all dressed up in some of her dress up clothes

She is a princess/angel/whatever I could find to put on her

Jaysa has always made lots of funny facial expressions. Here are a few cute and funny ones

PAISLEY AT THE PARTY!

These are just some cute pictures I took of Paisley!

I love this girl!

Everyone enjoying their sucker!

Even Paisley got one!

She loved it!

Cutest face ever!

Lilly (the twins little sister) trying to get Paisley's bow.

Jaysa playing on their swing set

too cute!

Jaysa and Emmy... I think... eat their spider cookies

Jaysa just dug in!

I told Jaysa to look at me so I could get a picture ha ha ha the sun was in her eyes so this is what I got.

We even had a little parade up and down the street.

All the kids

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

I have the hardest time getting Paisley to lay still and drink her bottle. If I don't stay there with her she usually rolls over in a matter of seconds and is off playing. The other day I told Jaysa to make sure Paisley did not roll over while she was drinking her bottle. When I came back this was her solution the Paisley's problem.

She just sat on top of her!!!

I laughed so hard

Jaysa is such a silly girl sometimes!

This is Jaysa sleeping in the car when my mom drove us home one weekend. Looks so comfortable! I love Calvin's face in the background.

Having fun doing our hair during a sink bath

Dad actually did it for her

So funny!

Dad and his girls!

Cute picture of Paisley and Jaysa on our little trampoline

OREOS

Paisley has just discovered the joy that comes from Oreos!

She loves them!

If I could put words to Paisley's facial expression it would be..."Where have these been all my life!"

I even let her have one for breakfast!

She makes the biggest mess of them!

Taking a bath after eating our Oreos. These next few are just a bunch of her cute smiles!

PULLING UP!

Paisley is really starting to get around! She just started pulling up on things a few weeks ago and is now holding on to furniture to walk around.

She still seems so little. I can't believe she will be walking soon!

My girls!

Miss Paisley

I still have a few more post to do including Trick-or-treating and as promised our new house and all our projects ! Check back soon!