Christmas 2009

Well, Christmas finally came for the boys.  They woke up at about 8:00am and came running into our bedroom to get us.  We came downstairs and noticed that Santa had ate his cookies and milk and gave the reindeer their carrot.  The boys always love the tradition of yarn that Matt continued from his family.  Santa strings yarn from their stocking to an exciting gift.  The yarn zigzags around the house until the end that leads to a gift.  Santa was very generous this year and the boys were all smiles.

The boys had to see their little girlfriends so they ran over to Kay’s and Kelsie’s.  They were excited to show each other what they got for Christmas.

Pappa Scott came over around 9:00 and we had an enormous breakfast!  Complete with bacon, hashbrowns, eggs, oj etc.  Pappa Scott gave the boys ski helmets!  He can’t wait to take them up to his place in Park City and teach them to snow ski.

We then headed to Pappa Kurt’s and Grandma Lynn’s house for the Draper side.  We all exchanged gifts and had a great time mingling.

We then headed up to Grandma Judy’s and Grandpa Mike’s house.  The boys loved going to each house as everybody had different presents for them. 

I don’t know if Matt was more excited or the boys, but they got an electric hotwheel racecar set.  Matt had one of these when he was a child so it really hit home to him.  It was a HIT for the boys too as they played for hours!

Here’s a shot of Scooter putting on his new YOUTH large jacket – whoops.  Made for a very good laugh!

Just hanging our enjoying each other company.

As a joke, Matt got some silver pants – he thought they were pretty sexy and plans on wearing them quite frequently :)

Our greatest Christmas present was this little boy!  We are so grateful he came into our lives!  He’s now outgrown his colic and has become the most precious boy in the world.  His little smile warms our hearts and lightens our days!  He sleeps 7-8 hours through the night and is such a happy baby.  He’s plenty healthy – he measures in at 95% in every category!  We love you Mackay! 

All Dogs Go To Heaven…

A man’s best friend.  Today was a very difficult day for Matt.  He had to put his black lab down today.  Bucky was Matt’s hunting dog that he got his junior year of highschool.  When Matt left on his mission Matt’s dad Pappa Kurt took care of Buck.  Buck was a good dog.  He never growled or barked.  He was really good with kids, even in his later years when he was older.  We’re glad that Mason and Maxwell got to know him for a short time.  Thanks Buck for 14 years of friendship…

Grandma Barker’s Funeral

My Grandma Barker died 2 days after Mackay was born. We were sad to have her leave us, but glad she is out of pain. My Grandma Barker is my mom’s mother. She is one of those amazing people. She had 8 children. She was a great mom and I always loved hearing about all of her stories and traditions. She was a super hard worker.  My Grandma is one of the toughest people I know, she has battled cancer several times through out her life. The cancer finally won and was everywhere in her body. I will never forget:

My Grandma’s French braids that were so tight my eyes looked Chinese.

My Grandma’s great example spiritually. No matter what life threw at her she always had a strong testimony of the church.

My Grandma’s love for her family. I loved all of our family parties and get togethers.

Making scones with my Grandma.

My Grandma kept everything I gave her. I loved going to her house and seeing all of my pictures all over her house. She also framed a poem I wrote in 7th grade and hung in the hall of her home.

I always knew my Grandma Loved me!! She had 28 Grandchildren and 17 Great grandchildren and each one of were special.

I love you Grandma!! I am glad you are no longer in pain and with Grandpa.

My Mom gave a beautiful talk at the funeral. Matt and Scooter were Pal Bearers and Scooter dedicated the grave.

Annual Pumpkin Carving

Tonight was our Halloween Eve tradition of carving pumpkins.  This year Maxwell chose a witch and Mason  a mummy.  Oh daddy’s poor fingers :) but they turned out GREAT!

 

 

Mason also had his first Elementary Halloween parade.  Unfortunately this was the only picture we got cause we were so busy helping with the class party. 

Kangaroo Pouch

A while back before Mackay was born Mason was trying on a kangaroo costume.  He asked what the pouch was for in the front of the costume.  Our response was that mommy kangaroo’s carry their babies in it.  Mason thought for a bit and then said, “I know, when Mackay comes I can carry him in this pouch!”  What a good idea Mason!  At least it made for a cute picture. 

Maxwell wanted to join in on the family fun!

Maxwell is obviously going to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween.  And when Max is in his costume you can’t call him Max, it’s Buzz.  “To infinity and beyond!” he says.

Random Pictures

We Love Mackay!

Daddy’s Dragon

To hear the story behind daddy’s dragon click here.  My husband is NUTS, but it is quite the story :)

Fake Baker

Our first week with Mackay was adventurous to say the least.  Mackay had some Jaundice that the Dr. was worried about, so we got sent home with our own little tanning bed.  Mackay was supposed to be on this light bed for 3 hours straight and then 1 hour for feeding and loving.  Well, that got old really fast.  Mackay even had to sleep on this bed.  Every day we had to take him to LDS hospital to get his blood tested.  After the first couple of days his level even went up!  So we were sent home with another light that was to be applied to his tummy.  Finally after a while his level dropped to where we could take him off the lights. 

Mackay is a good little boy.  It’s fun to learn things he likes and doesn’t like.  Mason and Maxwell have been WONDERFUL big brothers.  Poor Max had a cough for the first couple of days Mackay was home, so his contact with the baby was limited.  Both Mason and Maxwell were very excited to meet their new brother, as they weren’t allowed to go to the hospital according to the new state wide hospital rules of no one under the age of 14 allowed in the hospital. 

A Couple of Hours Old

A Couple of Hours Old…

There’s something about the birth of your new baby that is absolutely amazing and indescribable. From the baby taking it’s first breath of life with it’s brand new lungs and heart, changing from pale blue to warm pink, to hearing those precious baby sounds. And did I mention the smell? If we could bottle it, we’d be rich. There is an instant bond, love and friendship that occurs at this time as well – something that is priceless.

Mackay Matthew Draper was born on today, October 12, 2009. (He actually shares his birthday with Grandma Barbara – happy birthday mom). Mackay weighed in a hefty 9 lbs. even, 21” long. A perfect baby!

I’m going to spare the details of the birth – Mo can describe those things better than I. Plus, I didn’t think the whole labor thing is that bad – JK!!! I know better than saying that.

Here’s my description – Baby is here. Mom and baby are doing great!

Flying in Pappa's Plane

Pappa Kurt took Matt and the boys flying. They LOVE to fly. Max came home and told me all about the mountains, snow and clouds that he saw.

He's Here!

OK, the title is a little deceiving. We haven't had our little guy yet but Vaughn and Helina did! Introducing our new little nephew/cousin! Gabe Vaughn Draper was born on the 23rd of September. 9lb 14oz, 21-1/2" long. Healthy and strong little boy.

Both Maxwell and Mason are SO excited to have another cousin.

Television!

Ha ha, we came across a video of Maxwell when we were at Disneyland earlier this year. We were just hanging out watching a little TV. I can't tell if Maxwell was into his show or not. So funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAj5ezQIYds

Our Preschooler!

Lil' Maxy has started Preschool with Miss Shauna. We can't believe how grown up he is getting.

We're Ready When You Are !

It's still a ways away but we've been preparing for the new baby and have put the finishing touches on the new baby's new room. Hopefully he likes it :)

Below is a before and after picture.

Yellowstone

I had never ever been to Yellowstone and Matt insisted that I go before the baby comes. So we headed out over the Labor Day holiday with the boys and Pappa Kurt and Pauly. We had a little excitement with a blow out on the ol trailer. We were pretty close to Idaho Falls when it happened so we were luckily able to drive about 10 miles to a tire shop. There wasn't much left of the tire when we got there and it set us back a bit to get there. Luckily there was a McDonalds close by so we let the kids play on the yucky playground for a while.



Just outside of Rexburg is a little deal called Yellowstone Bear World. I would totally recommend it! You are able to drive through the animal refuge and see all sorts of elk, wolf, bear, deer, moose etc. They also have a petting zoo with deer, goats and crazy birds. They have 3 new black bear cubs and 3 grizzly cubs that are the cutest things in the world.




This little bambi noticed Max sucking on his shirt so he decided he'd give it a try too. Those deer were so cute.


After the petting zoo we headed over to the kids rides, which the boys loved.

We stayed at the Grizzly RV Park just outside of the West Yellowstone entrance. It was recommended by a friend and it was great! The first night the moon was full and bright! Day 2 we did a lot of walking. We headed to some hot pots and found some fun things.

Mason and Max found some bones of an Elk, they thought that was pretty cool. They were all about picking them up and chasing their mom with them...

Max found a fuzzy caterpillar

Mason and Max were good troopers with walking but they loved the shoulder rides the best.

We loved Old Faithful and it was right on time. They boys wanted to wait until the next round but 90 minutes was just too long to sit around so we headed for ice cream and more driving.

We saw all sorts of animals on our trip.

Bear...

Bald eagles...

Lots and lots of bull Elk...

Buffalo...

The last night we headed to Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. Pappa brought his boat up so we could go fishing. Fire and Smore's - Mason's favorite thing!

We had a wonderful time with each other this last week. We loved it so much we bought a season pass for the National Parks - We know we'll be back to Yellowstone shortly. Our Heavenly Father has given us such a beautiful world and we are so grateful to be able to enjoy it as a family. The memories we make are the most precious things to us.