Last Goal of the Year

I have a lot of New Years Resolutions, 

and I want to do a post about this past year. 

But first I have a goal for this last day of 2011.

Finish a blessing dress for this little girl

Madeline is going to be blessed by her daddy at church tomorrow - 

hopefully her dress will be done!

Happy Anniversary

A week before Christmas was our one-year anniversary.

I can't believe its been a year! And yet I can't believe its only been a year!

With out doubt its been the best year of my life.  It may sound kind of crazy to some, but I'm so glad I decided to get married when I did {see the We Fell In Love tab above for more juicy details}

In the past year we have laughed together and cried together.  There have been good times and bad times. I've fallen even more in love with this wonderful man and loved more than I ever thought possible.

We've shared some incredible experiences - 

the biggest of all bringing a daughter of God into this world. 

I supposed most people don't think of spending their first anniversary with a baby.  But soon after we got married we knew it was not only what we wanted, but what Heavenly Father wanted.  We are so happy to have Madeline in our lives.  Life is a little bit brighter with her around. 

Marriage is definitely a beautiful and sacred gift.  I'm so grateful for a kind, loving Heavenly Father who provided a way for families to be sealed together, forever.  I can't say I know what would have happened if Jeremy and I had waited til June 2011 to get married, but I'm afraid that it would have been hard to stay morally clean being engaged for so long.  This picture (above) was taken just after we walked out of the Temple.  It shows my feelings so well, "Hurray for making it to the Temple!"  

Because spending an eternity without these two:

sounds like a miserable life to me.

We celebrated our anniversary by taking a quick date out to dinner.  

My parents were kind enough to babysit.

{Madeline was babysat by her other grandparents a couple nights

 before while my family went to see a production of A Christmas Carol.}

This is the remains of the big cupcake on top 

of the cupcake tower we served at our reception.

Originally it had our initials in chocolate - obviously its a little pathetic now.

We had planned on taking a bite, but it was pretty disgusting. 

 So we took a tiny lick of the frosting.  

Yeah it was pretty nasty.

Here we are on our first anniversary with our cupcake and our baby - HA.

I think the number two thing I've learned this past year is marriage is hard! 

It requires ultimate selflessness, patience, and lots of work.  

The number one thing I learned: it's definitely worth it.

Thanks for the wonderful year, Jeremy.  I love you so much.  Thanks for your patience with me and your willingness to let me try again over and over.  You've taught me so much by your bright and shining example.  I can honestly say I am proud to have you as my husband.  

Here's to the next eternity of anniversaries!

Love always,

                       Your Sarah

  

The very best...

...gingerbread you ever did have! 

We made gingerbread houses over at the Fullmer house the other night.

It was a lot of fun! We've never really done it in my family before. There were four groups (and therefore four houses).  This first one is the 'Wells' house.  Can you see Jeremy, Madeline and I outside? Standing next to our teeny-tiny door? haha.

My BEAUTIFUL roof! Come now, give me some props! Isn't it gorgeous?

{I'm not proud at all...}

~

Group 2: Mom, Adam, Emma, Elizabeth

Snowman chillin' in the back yard

~

Group 3: Dad, Christian, Joshua

Complete w/ fire-pit out front

Arial view

~

Group 4: Peter, Hannah, Rachel

If you've heard of the 'I'm a Mormon' campaign 

(In association with the LDS Church)

You'll get a kick out of seeing Peter's ''billboard'' leaning against the bottom of the house. It's Santa saying, 'I'm a Mormon'. haha.HA.

Hope your days are merry and bright!

{MERRY CHRISTMAS}

And fyi, "Santa is still watching! Even though it's Christmas Eve he still has camera's all over the North Pole facing in EVERY direction!" -- My six year old brother, Joshua, encouraging my four year old sister, Emma, to stop fighting with Elizabeth, our two year old sister. 

Rub-A-Dub-Dubb

A little baby in a tub

Nothin' like a Christmas Eve bath!

Merry Christmas

We didn't do a family Christmas card this year.

Probably because even if I got it together enough to make a Christmas card I wouldn't know who to send it to.  We're just not quite to that stage of life where we have a bunch of friends to send 'em to.  Maybe after we move we can send them to our old college friends.  I don't know.  

But... if we did do a Christmas card, it'd probably have a picture like this telling everyone we're enjoying the best Christmas present ever - parenthood.  

In the Bleak Mid Winter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow on snow.

In the bleak midwinter, long, long ago.

What shall I give him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet, what I can, I can give him, give my heart.

~ Christina Rossetti 

Geography

I've never been very good at geography....

You know how you focus on learning your states

 and world geography in 4th and 7th grade?

Yeah... I was home schooled during those years. 

When we were flying home, however, Jeremy and

 I both brought the word stupid to a whole new level.

{For the record we both know the things I'm about to tell you - 

we had just finished finals and hello we have a

 three week old baby.  We're kinda tired...}

So we're flying into the Oakland Airport and the

 airport is positioned right on the San Francisco Bay. 

A picture for those of you who are as bad at geography as us

It's not broad daylight, but it's about 3:00 in the 

afternoon so the light is pretty dang good.

Jeremy looks out the window and says, 

"Hey Sarah, I think that's the..." He didn't finish his sentence.  

But I knew he was going to say, "OCEAN." 

 The funniest part was that you could see mountains across the bay.  

I literally lol'd.  And yes I just said lol'd.  I'm that cool. 

But then, me being the girl who's just super good at 

awesome comebacks says, "Yep - that bridge leads to Europe Jeremy!" 

oops.... I quickly corrected myself and said, "I mean JAPAN."

{dang it...}

But luckily Jeremy took the cake later when he was 

commenting on the fact that he's never seen the ocean.  

He said, "Yeah I saw Pearl Harbor when

 I was in Seattle. -- I mean Puget Sound..."

haha.HA.

Hope you enjoyed a good laugh at the stupid things we sometimes say!

kluvyoubye

Awkward/Awesome: Airport Style

Awkward

- Trying to type while breastfeeding (i.e. one-handed) and 

subsequently spelling awkward with a 'Q'

Thank goodness for backspace. {And no I wasn't trying to 

type and breastfeed at the same time in the airport.

 I save that for the comfort of my own home}

- Getting in line to board your flight and waiting in said line for a good twenty minutes only to find out that this line is boarding a plane to Houston and not Spokane. And then soon after hearing an announcement over the intercom, obviously in connection to you, that they are now boarding to Houston and not Spokane. Thank goodness this wasn't us...

- Waiting to board with a crying baby and feeling the

 annoyance radiating from the other passengers that a 

fussy baby is going to be on their two hour flight.

- Boarding said flight with now sleeping baby but 

having to walk the aisle past business select glaring

 at you for having the audacity to fly with a baby.

Awesome

- Madeline slept the whole flight! Boo-yah business select!

- Walking into the airport in SLC and seeing a massive security line.  We had plenty of time, but still, who likes waiting in those never ending lines?  We'd been in line probably less than a minute when a kind, angelic TSA guy escorted us to the small child line! Oh the sweet rewards of carrying around a baby {they are few but sweet} 

- Getting our picture taking with Santa {for FREE} during our three hour layover - saWEET!

- My awesome Mother-in-law who came down to help us through finals week and did wonders for my nerves flying home. It felt so good to know she was there incase Madeline fell apart because I think Jeremy and I would have too. Luckily nobody fell apart and we made it safely to Spokane.

We are so happy to be home for Christmas and we're glad we 

don't have to be in Utah for almost three weeks!

 No offense Utah-ans, we just like the Northwest. 

kluvyoubye

**A big thanks to Husband for taking over the typing after the title**

Cousin Fun

Four of Madeline's cousins came to play today! 

They drove all the way from Clearfield to see Madeline 

and their Grandma - not us.  We're boring. HA.

Madeline is the fourth of five girls to be born 

this year on Jeremy's side of the family.  

{The last of which was born today! Congrats Jon & Kim!}

When Katelyn came over today we just had to get a picture (or two or twenty) of them together.

  

FYI Katelyn is 5 months old.  Madeline is 3 weeks old.  

Katelyn was fascinated with Madeline. 

 It almost looked like Madeline was going to be her new favorite toy.

In case you didn't know Madeline's feet can be quite extraordinary.

And then her feet weren't interesting enough so she went for the face. 

Sequence (1/3) Madeline looks a little uneasy here.

(2/3) And then a lot more uncomfortable.

(3/3)  And that was the last picture we took.  

I can't wait to get all 5 girls together next summer for a picture! It'll be so fun to see them a little older and more evened out size wise.  

Katelyn is just a really big girl! But she's a cutie!

Thanks for coming guys!

a busy first week of life

I'm assuming that most humans spend their first week of life snuggling at home with their new parents.  Free from the cares of the world and away from all the hustle and bustle of life.

Madeline's, however, was rather busy.

Day 1

 So there was, of course, the whole journey through the birth canal - that had to be kinda rough.

Yeah... not so happy about that... 

Day 2

But later she decided it was ok because she has a really great dad. 

And she got to come home from the hospital.

Day 3

Left at home with dad for the first time.  My sister Hannah turned twelve the week before and in our family when you turn twelve you can get your ears pierced.  Hannah was so nice and agreed to wait til I could be there! Seeing as our options were Wednesday or Friday (black Friday) we decided to make our trip to the mall Wednesday - even though I'd just come home from the hospital the day before.  It was a quick trip but I was so glad I could be there!

 Nervous?

I think this is her concentration face, what do you think?

All the girls (minus Elizabeth and Madeline)

I look horrible in this picture because I had a baby two days before.

Just wanted to point that out.

DAY 4  

Happy Thanksgiving! We went up to my Dad's Mom's house for Thanksgiving Dinner.  My aunt and uncle and cousins were there and it was a lot of fun! Great food, lots of pie :)  And unfortunately I didn't take like any pictures.... oops!

Day 5

A much needed day of rest and snuggle time :)

Both of us enjoy sleeping with this toasty warm little bundle of love!

DAY 6

Less than 24 hours before Madeline was born, my beloved great-grandmother passed away.  She was 91 years old and truly my biggest hero. I don't know of another person on this earth closer to perfection than she was.  When I was born, her mother was still alive and we took a 5 generation picture.  Me, my mom, my grandma, my great-grandma, and my great-great-grandma.  We were all excited with the possibility of getting another 5 generation picture once Madeline was born.  However, my grandma is helping my grandpa Preside over the Albuquerque NM Mission so she wouldn't have been able to be in the picture (for another year and a half at least). Because of the funeral my grandma was able to come and she got to meet Madeline.  {Is this all getting way too confusing? }

Sorry if this is a kind of an uncomfortable picture... 

but we just had to do it. 

Madeline is the first daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, 

and great-great-granddaughter of all of these women.  

Most of the Fullmer clan headed out that night so we had to hit up Temple Square to see the lights before they left.  

Madeline is in the moby wrap under Jeremy's coat.  

She was toasty warm and slept the whole time.

Where's the baby?

There she is!

You can see a little bit of her face right above Jeremy's hand.

{Gah I hate how fat my face looks.... And still looks.  Any guesses what my New Year's resolution is going to revolve around? haha.HA. No really....}

DAY 7

We went to Sacrament meeting then came home and took a nap.
Later that afternoon Madeline got her first bath!

She wasn't wild about it right off the bat.

Then she decided it was pretty nice.

Mommy and Madeline

{I love being mommy}

And after her first bath she got her first pedicure!

ten tiny toes prettily painted pink :)

And so the sun set on her first week of life.

We're glad Madeline has proved to be able to keep up with our busy lives!