Christmas time is here!

I just love the Christmas season! I love the music, the snow, the treats (a little too much) the gift giving, I love how everyone is so kind this time of year, and most of all I love spending it with family and friends! This year I don't get to go home to Utah :( but I do get to go to New York to be with my little sister Rachel, which I am really looking forward to!

I am also so grateful that I have such wonderful friends out here with whom I have been able to share some fun times this holiday season! Some of the fun things we have done, we had are ward christmas party where Levi, and I were asked to be Joseph and Mary with Spencer as Jesus. That was special! I went and made ginger bread houses at my friend Ty's house with a bunch of my friends, which was so much fun! I also went to a cookie exchange party at my friend Carolyn's house and loved it! I was a little bummed because I didn't make my moms amazing banana cookies when I knew I should have, cause they would have totally won the competition... maybe next year! (after all, I have to follow in her foot steps).

Kristin and I have a friend named Kathy who goes to a Greek Orthodox Church and she said they needed help with there choir for there christmas program, so Kristin told her that she could get a few people to help out...so Kristin, her husband Dean, Janelle, Levi and I all went and sang with them today! It was a great experience!

This is Janelle and Kristin they have been like sisters to me here! I just love them!

All of the girls from my ward family who came to the cookie exchange... so fun!

This is Danielle, and Suzanne also two of my good friends!

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

I absolutely love this talk that Elder Holland gave on the Book of Mormon, and all that Joseph and Hyrum Smith were willing to do to testify of its truthfulness! As I watched this again, I felt the spirit penetrate deep in my soul that what he says is true! I too know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, Jesus Christ lives, and he called Joseph Smith as a prophet in our day to restore the fulness of the truth to the earth! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is in fact Christ's church upon the earth today! How grateful I am to have this knowledge and to benefit from all the blessings the gospel brings to me!

If you have never read this book, read it, find out for yourself that it is true! It brings true happiness the kind of happiness that only comes through our Savior Jesus Christ!

Trip to Utah

Here are some pictures of our trip to Utah that we took at the beginning of Sept. It was so much fun to get to go home and see family and friends! The most special part of our trip was that we got to bless Spencer with most of our family there! (we sure missed my sister Rachel and her family, and Levi's sister Lacey and her family!)

Breakfast at Village Inn with Momma D, Danielle, Courtney, Whitney, and Papa D

One of my very best friends Karyn, who by the way is going to have her first baby girl Laura in Febuary,( happy day) and her awesome husband Eric. Aren't they such a cute couple... I sure love them!

My brothers Richard, Aaron, and Andy!

My sister Allison, and Sisters in law Kelly, Allison, and Melanie!

I really wanted to get pictures with everyone of my siblings and there spouses, but my sisters Maranda and Melinda left before I could get a picture with them and their spouses, and Jared, Allisons husband had to leave as well! So maybe next time.

My Mom and Dad and Grandma Atwood!

My Grandpa Atwood! Isn't this such a precious picture!

We went and saw the community play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor dreamcoat, which my mom was a part of! My mom has always enjoyed performing and she is so good at it!

Spencer and his Grammy Pam

Spencer with his cool aunts!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, it has been too long since I last updated our blog... what can I say, I'm horrible at these kinds of things. The latest in our lives is that Levi and I are both doing the biggest looser competition with some of my sisters/ sister in law/ and their sisters in law. It has been really good for us, because we are cooking healthier meals and motivating each other to keep exercising! I am feeling a lot better about myself, and finally saw on the scale my pre-pregnancy weight! Yay! I feel so happy for what I have accomplished so far! Levi is such a great example to me and he is full of encouragement, so thank you Hun!:)

Spencer is doing so well! I can't even begin to explain the joy he has brought to our home and to me! I love having my little buddy with me everywhere I go! He is smiling so much as you can see in some of these pictures, and occasionally we will get him to laugh! I don't know how my friend Kristin does it (she's like the baby whisperer or something) but she has the magic touch and is able to get him to laugh for her, just about everytime! What's up with that? We have also introduced him to solid food, just a little rice cereal, and he eats it like a champ! I have some pictures that I haven't put on the computer yet, so I'll have to get those up soon enough! It sure is fun to watch him grow!

I am so grateful for the life I've been given, for my husband Levi for his hard work dedication to living the gospel, and the service he always shows me, for Spencer and how he has already changed me and taught me so much, and for or all the rest of my family! I am also grateful for all of the wonderful friends that I have who are very dear to me, and who have made a difference in my life! I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I feel so blessed for the knowledge I have of the Plan of Salvation! Thanks to the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I know that I can be with my family through out all eternity, and I know who I truly am, and what my purpose is here!

These are a few of the many things I am grateful for at this thanksgiving time! I hope all of you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!:)

Helga took this family picture of us when we cam out to Utah last, and she did such a great job with all the pictures she took! Thanks Helgs!

Spencer's cute little smile!

We found him in the pack and play just holding this pose... who knows how long he kept his arms like that...it was hilarious! Go BYU!

He Loves his Daddy!

This is when Anna and Chelsea came to visit me for a week! It sure was fun having them here! We spent a ton of time just relaxing and talking like old times! I miss you girls!

Spencer at 2 months now!!! It's amazing how time goes by so fast!

So happy that bath time is over!!!

Spencer loves sleeping in this position, we just had to capture it on camera cause it's so darn cute!

Levi and Spencer exhausted after playtime.

So I got camera happy, and took alot of pictures... I couldn't help it... It was so hard to pick, cause they are all so stinkin' adorable, here's a few of them!

Spence is 5 weeks already... he is doing so well!

The humidity wasn't so bad today, so we decided to go for a little walk! Doesn't he look so cute in this hat (even though it kind of doesn't fit him!:))

This is a picture to show just how tough Spence really is, already feeding himself!


While Spencer was in the hospital again for his shunt surgery, Levi and I decided to take advantage of the fact that he had a great babysitter/nurse to watch him, so we went out for our Anniversary! ( I can't believe it's already been a year... and some much has happened!) It sure has been the best year of my life!!!

Back in the hospital in down town DC for Spencers Shunt surgery! Everything went well, he seems so much happier, and it seems he feels a lot better too!

I just love snuggling with my little guy!

He is so adorable... I just love him to pieces!

Bath time!

These are the casts that they have put on his legs to correct his clubbed feet! It's amazing how fast it is working! He's looking great!

I can't even begin to tell you how incredible Spencer's improvements have been! He is swallowing so well now! He has no problem taking a bottle, and I have been working on breast feeding him, and he just keeps getting better and better with that too! They said he was progressing faster than they expected, and that he may be able to go home this Wed! I am so happy, and I know that Heavenly Father has been helping him all along the way! There is such a sweet and peaceful spirit we feel every time we are in his presence. I know the spirit has been with us every step of the way! I know we've said it before, but once again Levi and I thank you all so much for all your thoughts and prayers! We love you!

It has been so great to have my mom here with me! We have enjoyed singing to him and have shared many special moments together during this time! I was so glad that she got to hold him before going home!

Levi is such a great Daddy already! I love seeing how excited he gets when ever he gets to hold Spencer, he even gets excited to change his diaper... I hope that never changes! haha

Here's our cute little guy sleeping comfortably! As you can see they have taken out the drain in his head, and feeding tube in his nose! He seems so much more content now! Dr. Myseros, the Neurosurgeon said that as far as he is concerned there is no more need to keep Spencer at the hospital, and that he would like to see Spence in about two weeks to check up on his head. They aren't ready to put the shunt in, because there is still blood in the ventricles... Dr. Myseros, told us not to worry, because it would work it's way out. So we just have to give it time. We are just waiting for the Neonatologist to decided when he feels that Spencer is ready to go home! (we think it will be soon!) Yay!

I think he was a little alarmed by the flash! :)

I love this little man soooooo much!

This was when I got to do Kangaroo care! Oh how I loved this moment, I can't believe I am a Mommy!

What a cute Daddy Levi is! I just continue to fall more and more in love with him every day!