Come, and Gone!!!

Another year has come and gone....and boy what a year it has been! Besides moving halfway around the world and back, adding an addition to our family in China, and getting a few premature grey hairs from a bunch of stress that these items have caused - it has been a wonderful year! It is always at this time that I get a bit sad that the year (and all my fall travels) is coming to an end - but also excited for the new year, new adventures, and a time to make goals and hopefully set off on my way to reaching them.

In honor of today being a bitter sweet day for me - My hubby got back from CHINA - HAPPY!!!! and my sister left our pad and headed back to Utah - SAD!!! I wanted to post other things that have come and gone lately and I haven't had time to do their own post for! Here's to comings and goings - and all that life brings us!

Chip turned another year older this past November (I, on the other hand, did not age a year this year :) We had friends down for the day to celebrate and it was a great day!

Chip cried for the 3rd time our entire marriage when he got his present - pics of the boys sketched by this awesome artist in China (and pics of me and him too - but this didn't bring about the same emotion)

Our trip to Utah in November came and went too fast.....along with Alex's braids!!!

Our time with Uncle Sam brfore his mission was way too quick! We miss him a LOT!!!

Griffin's blessing came and went without even 1 picture of him in his blessing outfit! Sad!

My time with this little guy is going way too fast!

Griffin having to be swaddled to sleep has come and gone - and now he just passes out when he gets too tired on the couch like the rest of us!

Friends visits always come and go too quick - Thanks Jenny for rescuing me this past week and being SO awesome with my boys - Especially Cash - the toothbrush was sure a hit!

And the love of the Book of Mormon was awesome too - and hopefully is one that won't pass ever for this little guy!

Visit from my favorite sister WAYYYYY TOOOO FASTTT - and yet so much fun and time spent with Suzie at lunch was awesome!

I love you more than you love me forever!

Holiday season always goes quick - but these cookies went even faster!

So much fun taking them to daddy at work and surprising him with our creative skills!

Cash's love for carseats in China has definitely went - as he cries EVERY time we are going in the car, complaining all the time that the sun is bugging him and so is the seat! Wish he would wear these shades more!

Eating healthy this holiday season came and went on DAY 1 --- just enjoying ALL the treats the holidays brings - and oh boy were these cupcakes from Lindsey's calendar no exception!!! They were the best tasting cupcakes I have ever made, and so pretty - and best of all --- SO SO SO SO SO EASY!!!! If you didn't buy her calendar, you are missing out - better get your order in now for 2012!

Pumpkin passion is what I call them because i am really passionate about eating them all up!

Another year of holiday cheer, beautiful tree and lights, and thoughts or our Savior!

Using my camera and testing out settings for some cool pics!

Got my shopping for Christmas done back in October in China - so just enjoying the season now of not having to buy many things and enjoying seeing the joy of presents through my child's eyes!

Thoughts once again of the gift of our Savior's birth we celebrate and how lucky I am to be a member of his church! I love the music, the lessons, and this holiday season when my thoughts are much more centered on Christ's gift to me of choosing to come down and pay the price for each of us! What a beautiful gift and far better than anything I have under the tree!

Merry Christmas - may you all a wonderful weekend!

Dear Santa......

Santa: What would you like for Christmas?

Cash: I want a Harry Potter Wand!

Santa: What will you do with that?

Cash: (pointing his pencil - aka his wand right now- at Santa and yelling) Leviosa not leviosah! Expelliarmus!!!!

Well, we'll see if Santa can find that wand!

I have a tradition of getting the picture of Santa and a frame to go with it each year so I can see the changes in my kids - for the past 2 years it has just been Cash!

This year, with 2 kids - i thought the picture might be disastrous or have 1 kid crying - but we lucked out and got them both smiling! How awesome is that! I then display the pics in the frames on our mantel - or right now in the cutout window on the staircase since we don't have a mantel! I love this tradition and get excited each year to make the trip to the mall to get it! We always do a new Santa, and it was a blast going to Richmond, seeing the authentic old Santa setup they had, eating lunch with Suzie, and having Kimmy join me! What a great time of year! The pic is a little blurry since i had to take a picture of the picture with my camera - but you get the idea!

Merry Christmas!

(what are your favorite Christmas traditions?)

Evidence Chip works tooooooo much!!!

My friend Jenny was over and we were all hanging on the couch watching Elf before Cash had to go to bed. I had fed Griffin, and we were getting ready for him to go to bed also!

Jenny looked over and Cash had ZBZ - his cute softy Zebra - pushed up against his skin on his belly shirt lifted. Jenny said "Cash, what are you doing?" to which he replied:

"I'm just feeding ZBZ like mommy feeds Griffin!"

Hmmmm - Daddy - your son really REALLY needs a father/son date ASAP!!!!!

Come home quick!

Little Like Deja Vu.....

Super bad snow storm!

Stuck inside!

Chip gone to China!

Sister in town!

Super cold outside!

Eating yummy soup and other warm dishes I can make in the crock pot!

Longing for warmth!

Wow! Last week felt just like a year ago when it was almost exactly the same scenario!

So glad last week is over!

Here is to a good week of time with hubby, family, and a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

FAREWELLS.......AND AN EARLY PRESENT!!!

Today is a bittersweet day for me! It is a day our family has longed for, hoped for, looked forward too, and especially prayed for for a really long time.....and one that at times seemed like it would never happen......and yet now it is here I wish it were yet a little farther off!

Today my favorite youngest brother left for the MTC! He is going to be serving in the Lansing, Michigan Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so proud of him, so happy for him, and yet will miss him terribly.

Sam is one of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. He is great with my kids, calls me all the time to see how I am doing, shares my love of sports and games, and is the best "uncle Sam" we could ever have. We will miss him a lot, but it is so exciting he has made this choice and his great journey will begin! I love you so much Sam, and the pic below is one of my favorites (taken by the great and talented Kelly Anderson)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Today my hubby also left for China for a business trip. I have been dreading it since the moment I found out he was leaving. I hate when he goes, and it seems so much worse that it is so far away. However, i have friends planned to stay with me for each night, and had geared up for the week and settled in this morning to embark on it and make it go quickly - and then I got the phone call..........he called my mom while he was at the airport this morning and booked my sister a ticket to come stay with me while he is away! What a sweet heart! I couldn't ask for a better Christmas present (ok, other than him not having to have gone at all - but that wasn't an option)! Thank you honey for making my day and week look so much better! I love you sooooooooo much!

5 MONTHS TODAY!

I can NOT believe this little cutie is already 5 months old! Where has the time gone? We are loving him more and more each day and so happy he chose to be a part of our little family! My favorite part of his day is when Cash wakes up and comes in to our room and says "hey Griffi - hey griffi grew! how you doin' today griffi grew! it's me, Cash, your brother - i'm here now! i wuv you! hi griffi grew!" (yes, he does say all that, and sometimes more, every day!) Then Griff looks at Cash and smiles and smiles - it is so fun, and so wonderful having the kids be so cheery in the morning!

Griffin and Cash both had their 4 month checkup at 4.5 months, so easy for me to compare their stats!

Griffin weighs 14 lbs. 13 oz. (just 12 oz less than Cash did)

Griffin is 25.9" long (just 1 inch less than Cash)

Griffin's head is in 10th percentile (Cash's has been in 95% since his birth)

Starting out 2 lbs. lighter and 2.5" shorter, he is catching up quick......except for the headsize, and not sure that will ever catch up to Cash! But as the DR. said - looks like another tall, lean boy!

We like that!

Below are some pics of what Griff is up to these days at his 5 month mark!

Sitting in his high chair, eating his favorite treat - his hands!

With his small features, ears that stick out, and bald head he kind of looks like cute little old Howard W. Hunter, don't you think?

Grabbing for toys, and ALL food that is close by!

Playing with his toys, and looking at the lights!

Smiling, laughing, and babbling ALL the time!

Learning to stare right into the camera!

Giving the look of "are we done yet!"

Griff is SO smiley, loves to laugh at his brother, snuggle with his mommy, and be held upright when he is awake. He wishes he could sit up all the time, but will probably master that this next month! He is a good sleeper, and today finally is learning to take a bottle! YEAH! We love him and are having so much fun with him! I am grateful for the past 5 months and how easy he has been for me (altho at times i haven't always thought this), he is actually a very good baby!

4 kids say cheese.....please!!!

Getting two 2 year olds to look, as well as 2 3 month olds is not easy.....so all things considered these turned out quite well!!!

These were taken the day we left Beijing. We had to say goodbye to some of our bestest friends there, and definitely Cash's best little friend, Nora. She brought him some hi-chews from Taiwan to take on the airplane (they were soooo delicious), and it was so cute to see the 2 of them interact and say goodbyes!

I do this post now in honor of them coming home - so welcome back to the US Roneys! We missed you the past few weeks, and can't wait to reunite sometime soon!

2 boys, 2 girls - maybe someday we will even be family! haha!

Cash, Griffin, Nora, and Adelaide

what good older siblings - holding and looking!

Best one we got - too bad Griffin looks not as happy - but really, he is laughing on the inside!

Cash and Nora posing for one last pic - yea, i think she likes him don't you? these 2 are such a cute pair, and the other day when Cash was sick I got a popsicle out for him to help his throat to which he replied - "not pink mommy....this pink is for Nora - i like green!" It was the color of Nora's shirt in this pic and reminded me of how much fun we had with the 2 of them - he asks often if she is coming too when we go places! Wish she lived closer!

Christmas Spirit

We are having SO MUCH FUN this year getting into the Christmas Spirit, despite being sick this entire past week with terrible flu/colds! My friend Rian inspired me to do Advent bags for the month, and ours are VERY basic, but working out great for us! Cash can hardly wait to open his bag each morning - and in fact usually opens a few each day so that then I have to re-wrap them back into their bags, but that's ok! I have not taken many pics for awhile so I decided to take a bunch of my 2 little kiddos in their Christmas jammies in front of the tree! Enjoy way toooooo much cuteness below!!!

Cash with 2 Advent bags

What's inside mom?

A big pencil - awesome (mostly used as a sword to shield off the 'bad guys' Cash doesn't like)

Take 1 of Cash and Griffin - with Cash's other present for being good for his babysitter last night - Elmo!

o my cuteness - cutest little santa EVER!

I may be littler but I can push!

I love these 2 so much!

Cash's cheese smile, and Griff's favorite food!

Hey santa baby!

I love Griffin mom - he is my cute brother

almost done

cheesey

smiley smiley santa!!! ho ho ho!

HO HO HO!!!!

RANDOM....

So i have so much to post about I don't really know where to begin.....and since I can't figure out blogger and it is just a sort of frustration now and i don't really like going into it then I am just attempting to ignore it.......and instead will just post a few random thoughts!

1- i hate the flu mist they shot into Cash's nose........and altho you say it doesn't cause the flu - within 2 hours of getting it he has the worst flu case he has ever had, we haven't slept for 2 nights, he has the saddest hoarse voice you have ever heard (altho i think it is so cute too), and he has been miserable the past 3 days - but we are seeming to be on teh up and up.........and I will never again make the mistake of going against my gut and agreeing to put him thru this!

2- he has been saying the funniest things lately.....such as "mommy, i am in big really trouble now huh?" (really big trouble now he means --- and yes, he was)

"mommy, that is just obnoxious" (when i couldn't find something i was looking for)

"I can't reach the moon...(after a few seconds thought) I need a trampoline, to bounce to reach the moon!)

Mommy, you are rude....you r being rude to me! (I had taken his fishys away!)

"Griffin - you look so cute today........you are my cute son!" (actually brother but he thinks he is his son)

"that's ridiculous!"

"mommy, thanks so much for making this dinner...thanks for making this corn for me" (please stay this grateful and polite forever!"

"there is no dobby in my room, there is no bad guys, there is no harry potter"(he is really concerned with bad guys and good guys these days)

"i don't like the garage - i don't like the dark...it is scary!"

3- back to reality of chip working late nights and i am wishing badly and longing to be back in Beijing!

4- i have started no sugar for the month like I did 2 years ago and am already going through withdrawals after just a day, but also am headache free so maybe this is the solution!

5- love laundry day with friends!

6 - have enjoyed making yummy dinners since I been back - some great satisfaction I have gotten from cooking and creating good/healthy food for my little family!

7- I am in serious need of a good night's sleep, but instead am sitting here on my blog and fb and not going to get in my bed!

8- Griffin is darling and so much fun right now, and i love being a mom of 2 cute boys!

9- i love the modern family, and the comedic relief it brings to me every time i watch it!

10- i love the christmas season, and seeing it through they eyes of my child is even more fun this year than last!

happy christmas season!