A much needed update!

* Warning-  This may be the longest post in blog history.

I apologize for the lack of posts in the last couple of months. Life has been wonderful, but I haven't been much in the mood to write it all down. I hope I can remember everything.  First off, we will start with Halloween.  Deklan was a spider for Halloween. The cutest spider I have ever seen.  Our ward had trunk or treat at the church with a chili contest and karaoke.  It was a great party and Deklan got a ton of complements on his costume.

This is Deklan and his friend Heath, the Pirate. 

I have never really been into decorating for Halloween, but having a baby kind of changes things. I found the pattern for this banner online and my mom and I both made one for Halloween when I was home in September.  I love it and want to make one for every holiday.

My birthday was the first part of November and my only request was to go the beach.  We live only about 40 minutes from the ocean.  So we packed up the car and headed out.  It just so happened that my birthday was the windiest, coldest day we have had since we have been here.  We stopped at the ocean briefly took some pictures, and decided that we would head up the coast to Cocoa beach and hope for a little less wind.  There was an air show on Cocoa Beach that afternoon and we ended up spending most of the day in horrible traffic. So we did get to see the ocean for my birthday but only for about 5 minutes.   Deklan didn't care much for the ocean, I think it is because of the noise. It is so big and even a little scary for me, I can't imagine what it appears like to him.  

Deseret Ranch has a visitors center not far from our house. The senior missionaries serving on the ranch run the visitors center and give tours of the ranch.  We decided on day to go on the tour.  The visitors center is great and below you will see a picture of Deklan sitting by an alligator. This is a gator that was found on the ranch in the orange grove.  It didn't harm anyone, but made the orange pickers a little nervous, so they harvested the gator.  His name is Gus, he is about 13 feet long.  While on our tour we saw a turtle crossing the road and we saw our first wild gator. 

November was a great month!  I was called to be the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society and it has kept me very busy, but we did have time to make another trip to the beach and lots of playdates and daily trips to the park.  

Cute little piggies in the sand

Grandma and Grandpa Jensen came to visit for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely wonderful having visitors. Deklan loved the extra attention and Grandma loved all the playtime with Deklan. We took them to the beach and to the Kennedy Space Center.  Grandpa Jensen loved the Space Center. He and Nate could have spend days there.    We had Thanksgiving with the Walker family. It was a wondeful meal and we love spending time with their family.  The day after Thanksgiving, our ward had a campout.  They had a pot luck- dutch oven meal that was great.  We didn't camp this year but have every intention of doing so next year. Everyone who camped out seemed to really enjoy themselves.   

It was wonderful having Grandma and Grandpa Jensen here to visit, we were so sad to see them go and hope them come back soon. 

Deklan is growing like a weed.  He was 9 months in December.  I can't believe the time is going so quickly.  

At nine months he weighed 24.9 lbs and was 30 inches long.  Everywhere we take him, people say "Wow, he is a big kid."   He is big, and adorable and funny.    

He is crawling and climbing everywhere. He has 4 teeth, two on top and two on the bottom.  He loves to clap and we are working on waving bye bye. 

We had family pictures taken the first part of December for our Christmas cards.  Sister Walker took our pictures in her yard and did a wonderful job.  Deklan loves Sister Walker, she can always make him laugh and smile.  

Deklan hates wearing bibs while he is eating, he is constantly trying to pull them off, which usually turns into a fun game of beek-a-boo, while I am trying to feed him. Whenever I get the camara out and start snapping picture he starts squinting when the flash goes off. It makes me laugh everytime, he is such a ham. 

Immediately after Grandma and Grandpa Jensens'  visit, I put up our Christmas tree.  Every year I tell Nate that we have the prettiest Christmas tree and this year was no different.  Also, it made our new house feel a lot more like home once we put up the Christmas decor.   Deklan didn't bother the tree too much at first, but by Christmas he had destroyed the lower portion of the tree, what baby hasn't right??

Deklan often crawls over to the mirror, pulls himself up and talks to and kisses the mirror. Nate is convinced that he is self absorbed, I am sure he doesn't know it is himself yet. I think he just like other kids.   Whatever the case may be,  it is dang cute when he flashes a smile in the mirror.

Nate and I got a new camera as an early Christmas present.  Nate had a great time playing with all the features on it.  He loves this picture of Deklan and I will admit, it is pretty funny too.

Here are some other random pictures that I took of Deklan throughout the month. I just can't get enough of him and how fun he is.

I had to capture how cubby those little legs are. The picture doesn't do them justice

Getting ready to go to church.

This is one of my very favorite picture of him.  

A whole new meaning to "Oatmeal bath"

Proof that he is a good eater

Just a week or so before Christmas, some of our very good friends moved away from the ranch.  The Birchs moved to Nebraska to work on the ranch there and the Larsens moved back to Rexburg to finish school.  We were very sad to see both of them go and will sorely miss them.  The park will not be the same without little Ruby and Heath.  Deklan loved having other little people around.


                                             CHRISTMAS
Although a little bittersweet, Christmas was wonderful to us.  It was our first Christmas being away from home and family. We definately missed all of our family and friends and all of the wonderful traditions that we have shared with our families in the past.  However, this was Deklan's first Christmas and it was so magical even though he had no idea what was going on. We were able to start some of our own traditions and carry on those we love of our families.    Nate's favorite tradition is, each year on Christmas Eve, his mom reads the story " The littlest Shepard"   It is a wonderful story and it never fails to leave us both in tears.  We love this story and it will be one that we continue in our family.   I loved having Christmas on Sunday this year. What a better way to spend Christmas than at Church. We had a wonderful service and felt the spirit very strongly.  After church we went to the Walker's house for brunch and then came home to have Christmas with our little family.   It was wonderful.  Deklan got spoiled rotten.  We appriciate all the wonderful gifts from our families and hope that we you all had a wonderful Christmas as well. 

Christmas morning

Santa brought Deklan a rocking horse

Lots of books from Grandma Jensen

A twirly tower from cousin Kai 

New sneakers and lots of clothes from Nana

As this year comes to a close, I can't help but remember Nate's sister Natalie telling him last year (2010) that she had a feeling that 2011 was going to be a great year for us.  2011 has been an absolutley wonderful year for us.  We have been blessed beyond belief this year.  I get choked up every time I start to count the blessings that we have, and I cannot deny that we have a loving Heavenly Father who cares for each one of his children deeply and has bountious blessings in store for all of us.