New Years Eve

Every year my brother David and Danielle put on a New Years Eve party at their home. We start with a pot luck dinner and then play games till it's almost midnight all the while eating and eating delicious treats. We watch the ball drop and toast in the New Year with Cherry 7-up with a cherry in the cup. The guys then shot in the New Year. If you ask me it's a fantastic night dinner, games and treats till you can't eat anymore all the while hanging out with a great group of people! Jaxson was in heaven to be at my brother's house all night to play this hockey game they got for Christmas. Thankfully my brother Greg was a great sport and played with Jaxson as did Maddie and Kale all through the night. Brett, McKayla and Nancy doing a little Just Dance My oldest brother David and me. I had to watch myself every time I would get up or look away my brother would try to add domino's to my stack.Brett, Jaxson and Dylan shooting in a New Year! Jaxson was so cute with his toy gun and wanted to be part of the guys in shooting. It's fun to pass down traditions with my son that I've seen since I was a little girl.

Christmas

Our Christmas was packed full with doing Christmas in our own home that morning, going to church and then spending time with both our families before the night was over. I didn't take a ton of pictures during the day but enough to share of our Christmas 2011. Jaxson got up around 7:40am. He was so excited to go into the living room and see if Santa had come during the night. He loved all his presents and halfway into opened them asked if we would take him to the North Pole so he could tell Santa thank you. It was so cute. Jaxson was so shocked and thrilled that Santa had remember all the things he had said through the holiday that he would like and brought them to him.Jaxson with his wrestling men he asked Santa for when he sat on his lap.

At my parents house Lexie and Jaxson tried out Grandma and Grandpa's new bean bags and Wii games.

All the Erickson cousin's enjoying Jaxson's new Marble Run he got from Grandma and Grandpa Erickson

Jayden, Jaxson and Kylen

The boys enjoying a pickle break on Christmas.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was so wonderful in our home. Jaxson was dying to open his presents under the tree and Brett and I figured why not since Christmas would be filled with lots of gifts. In the morning we let him open up Just Dance 3 and had a great morning of dancing. We are huge Just Dance fans at our home. In the afternoon we went to my grandma's and let Jaxson open up the game my grandma had gotten Jaxson. He loved this old classic fighting game. In the evening Jax opened up his Christmas Eve PJ's.

Christmas Eve Dinner and Night at my parents house. Love that Jaxson gets to spend time with his favorite people---his cousins!

Jaxson came into the family room riding Braden with my grandpa's cowboy hat. Soon Kole appeared with his funky hat. We then were entertained with Braden and Dylan being bulls and giving Kole and Jaxson bunking rides and chasing them.

My parents always put together a game for us to play on Christmas Eve. This year we were in 4 teams and did 16 Minute to Win it games. If you won your round you got to pick a prize from the prize table if you won a second time you got to pick from the money box that had different amount of bills. If you did you're very best the whole night and cheered your team on you qualified to have a chance to win the surprised Grand Prize. It was such a fun night! The annual firetruck ride. We get spoiled with a firetruck ride so we can look for Santa and sing Christmas songs. The perfect ending to a special family night.

Uncle Greg and Jaxson

Gracie and Me

Jaxson picked Sugar Cookies to leave for Santa. The day before Christmas Eve we made sugar cookies together. Jaxson was a huge help with cutting out the cookies, put them on the pan, listening for the timer and then getting the sprinkles on them after I iced them. Jaxson was right Santa LOVED his homemade Sugar Cookies he found out our house that night!

My New Love

Meet my new LOVE-Jacob

My sweet precious nephew!

Love holding him, cuddling him and looking at him!
Love being his Auntie!

November

One Sunday Jaxson wanted to play camping and Brett set up this tent and then promised Jaxson that the following Friday they would "camp out", what a dad! So they had a mini camping trip in our spare bedroom in November.
Jaxson loves playing with his buddy Kylen Brett introduced Jaxson to a football PS3 game in Nov. Jaxson loves playing the game with his dad and as soon as Brett gets home from work he begs Brett to play the football game.

This year we were with Brett's family for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of yummy food.

Jayden and Jaxson doing a little Thanksgiving cooking

Kylen, Jayden,Jaxson, Kaysia and Kemery The kid table Thanksgiving weekend we always go up and get our Christmas tree. There was a little bit of snow and it wasn't that cold so it was a perfect day to get a tree.
Eric and Elizabeth brought this sled and Jaxson and Brianna loved it. Brett pulled them around to find our tree and then they started sledding in it by themselves. They were so fun to watch. A couple of times they went down the hill super fast and then hit into a tree stub and just laughed and laughed wish I could have recorded them.

We enjoyed Holiday Days. I thought this swing ride was awesome. Jaxson loves to swing.We had lots of fun times with Brianna and Abbie. Love these girls!

October

I better hurry and post Oct before it's time to post November.

Gingerbread Cookies: Every October my mom invites all the grandkids over to decorate gingerbread cookies. We had lots of yummy cookies to eat in our home thanks to Jaxson and grandma.

DINOSAURS: We were able to go to the newly opened Dinosaur quarry and the museum in Oct. Brianna and Abbie were great friends to invite us to come along with their family.

CORN MAZE: Brett and Jaxson joined his family to go have some fun at the corn maze. Such a fun Fall activity. I was sad I was out of town when they went but there is next year. Jaxson told me all about it and sounded like he had the very best time.

COOK FOR LOVE: In October I was able to go to a PKU Cook For Love workshop in SLC. Now this workshop wasn't just any kind of workshop at least not to me. It was a dream come true right up there with meeting Oprah.=) Going to it I felt the excitement of my birthday, Christmas and my anniversary all wrapped into one. It was a BIG deal to me.

My PKU Super Hero--Brenda!

Her name is Brenda I feel that she is an earthly ANGEL! She has 2 children one with PKU. She lives in NY and co fonded a PKU food website that has changed my world. It has allowed me to cook delicious breads, main dishes, side dishes and desserts for my family. Brenda has given me back the hope that we can all sit down at the dinner table and eat the same things and not just anything but absolutely delicious food. I now have lots of yummy food options for Jaxson and for us not to mention the peace of mind that she has brought into my life.

I felt honored and knew it was a sweet blessing from God that I who adore her and her fabulous recipes was able to spend hours with her and talk to her and gain knowledge. It was for sure a highlight in my year. She only commits to 2 or 3 a year she told us and the fact that Utah was the one she did say yes to I'd say God was smiling down on me for sure

I could go on and on about this girl, Stephanie. She is one of the most amazing people I have had the chance to meet through PKU. No question in my mind I was meant to meet her. I'm thankful for her friendship and all the support, help and love she gives me and my family. She is really one of the great ones and I'm blessed to call her my friend.

Halloween Party with all (well almost all) of Jaxson's cousins. We invited everyone over and had a total of 15 kids in our home for a Halloween party. We played Halloween games and had a Halloween witches brew float. It was fun to spend time and put a party together for my nieces and nephews.