Baby Steps

In deciding what to title this post, I had a lot to think about. As I watch Adam grow I think he'll look back and think it was just baby steps while I'm thinking it's more like leaps and bounds. Yesterday, Adam took his first step! We've been giving him a little practice and he's just so cute when he does it. Ok, when he's super tired, it's not so cute when he falls down because then he just screams.

Luckily we were able to get a good clip of Adam taking a few steps before he got too grumpy (it is his bed time). The first step he took, I just couldn't believe the adrenaline rush I felt! It was just amazing! As I see Adam growing up so fast, I wonder what Heavenly Father feels about us. We see ourselves as taking baby steps, but perhaps He sees us taking leaps and bounds (hopefully in the right direction). I love being a mom and I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father and Brian trust me enough to raise these little munchkins.

25 Years in Reflection

Seeing as Brian and I recently had our 25th birthday...I thought a little reflection on those years was a good idea. Since I only know my pre-marriage years thoroughly, Brian's might not be as detailed...sorry.

Jan 3 1984...Kathy was born. What a relief! Oops, relief? I meant surprised. Everyone thought I was going to be a boy. But when the doctor pulled me out, hooray! I'm a girl! (thank goodness Brian thinks...)
Jan 8 1984...Brian was born! Hooray! Another boy! Brian is kiddo number 4 in his family and also son number 4. I'm so glad he was a boy! Otherwise, we wouldn't be married and well...yeah.

1989/1990...Brian and I both started a long journey of school. Who knew it would take 15 years for me and 16 years for Brian? I'm glad we did it! This year I meet Sarah Borba, in primary...we became good friends. It's been nearly 20 years and we're still friends!

2002...Ok, I skipped a few years. Brian and I graduate from High School! Hallelujah! We made it! And I'd say we did pretty well. Honestly, we both owe it all to our parents. You are seriously amazing. I completed my Young Women's personal progress and Brian became an Eagle Scout. Kathy survives a horrid car accident after girls camp with minor injuries. Brian and Kathy are both accepted at BYU and start in the fall. That's when we met. We lived in the same set of dorms and were in the same ward. We became good friends and learned to rely on each other. This is the year I meet Gisela Pomales and many others, what a blessing.

2003...Brian leaves to serve a 3 month service mission in Nauvoo, IL and then leaves in September for a full-time mission in the Las Vegas, NV West mission. With the help of friends and family, Kathy overcomes consequences of that car accident and gains a firm testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I room with amazing girls; Gisela, Sara, Karen, Emily, Cherie, and Darcey. Brian and I start writing letters in May since he's on a mission.

2003-2005...Kathy sticks her nose to the grind stone and finishes college. Along the way meeting many friends and having a wonderufl time. I learned to rely on the Lord, my family and friends. I dated and had fun, lots of fun, but never settled. Brian served a fabulous mission, meeting and teaching wonderful people and serving with amazing guys. In September, Brian returns home. Kathy is thrilled to the extent there are no words to describe. Dec 2005 Kathy graduated from BYU with her BS in Special Education with an emphasis on working with individuals with severe/profound disabilities.

2006...Brian and I started dating. I taught a Life Skills class at Orem High for the first half of the year. June 15th, Brian proposes and we pull a wedding together for August 9th. The happiest day of our lives up until that point. We were married in the Bountiful, Utah Temple for all eternity.After getting married, Kathy started teaching a special education class at Mapleton Elementary and loved it! Brian continued with his education at BYU in Chemical engineering.

2007...Brian and Kathy are thrilled to find out that a baby is on it's way! This photo is of Kathy, Sarah Terry, and Gisela Brennan in Nov 2007. Three good friends, pregnant at the same time and all expecting boys.2008...Adam is here! After what seemed like an eternity being pregnant, Adam David Daniels arrived late Friday night on March 21st. 8 lbs. 7 oz and 21.5 inches he just rocked our world!In April, Brian graduated from BYU with his BS in Chemical Engineering. May brought us to Kingsport, TN and Eastman Chemcial Company. September brought us our first house and consequently the largest debt we have ever incurred. It also brought Leah, Evan, and Noah...some of our greatest friends out here in Tennessee. Thank heavens for kind people!

2009...well, we'll have to see what this year brings.

Reflecting on the last 25 years, we have been truly blessed. Brian and I were blessed to find each other and be married in the temple. Then we were blessed with our son and then a good job and a beautiful home. Most importantly of all, we are blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a great blessing this is in our lives. No matter how long we have here in mortality, I am so grateful to know that my family is forever. Life is so wonderful and I hope that we don't get too busy or too involved to forget how truly blessed we are.

Just a Little More

I just had to add some more pictures of Adam...he's so cute and growing so fast. Here's Adam opening a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Haynie...he loves it!


Opening another gift...bath tub toys!! We're so excited! Adam loves baths so much now with his spiffy toys that he screams when it's time to get out...even when I let the water drain while he's in the tub.And I just had to put up a picture of our birthday cake. This is a homemade ice cream cake (my family's tradition) and it's made with homemade rocky road ice cream. I made it for Brian's birthday and we still have almost 2/3 left. It's really creamy and delicious. I was surprised that it turned out as well as it did. Hooray!

Oh There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

So, there really is no place like home for the holidays and fortunately, for us, home is wherever we go as a family. This year holidays were spent with Brian's family in the Texas home. What an adventure! 15 adults, a two year old, and three kiddos under the age of one...talk about happy chaos! We had lots of fun and are so grateful we were able to see everyone.

I know you will all probably think I'm a bad mommy for not taking a bizillion pictures of Adam opening presents...in fact, I didn't even take one. We were busy enjoying opening presents and I did get this lovely picture of Adam afterwards.Adam also got to play with his cousins a lot while we were there. Here's Adam with his cousin Enoch and Great-Grandma Hofmann. It's just so cute! Adam loves the piano...has since he was just a few weeks old.
And we also got to take Adam to the park, a lot, and he loved it! Adam loves taking walks and he got to go in the swing for the first time. He had so much fun! I couldn't get a "perfect picture" but this comes pretty close--it's typically Adam.
After a long trip home we all fell exhausted into our beds. Not really, Adam wanted to play and crawly around. So he did. Until we made him go to bed. He wasn't thrilled. The next day however, he was more than happy to help Mom and Dad unpack. Here, he is trying his hand at being a luggage inspector. He apparently has found something fishy...wait, that's actually one of his shirts...oops.
All in all, it was a great Christmas. Spending time away from home helps me realize how much I enjoy the monotony of my life. I wake up with Adam, feed him, do some laundry or cleaning, play with Adam, feed him some more, work on a project, talk to Brian at work, feed Adam again, and change his diaper frequently. I know it sounds boring, but it's comforting and it's somewhat predictable. I love being a stay-at-home mom. Somedays I wish I could call in sick, when I really am sick, but I love it. At the moment Adam is stretching, chewing on, and attempting to put on my knee highs. I hope they're clean. As hard as it is sometimes, there's nothing like being a mom, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

A Christmas Treat!

So as I was trying once more to download pictures from our video and still camera, I had lots of trouble. But, to my pleasant surprise I received an early Christmas treat and I was able to download pictures from our camera! Hurray! So, here are the latest pictures of Adam, such a sweet little boy that's constantly into everything. Adam getting into the popcorn popper as we prepare to make caramel corn to start off our season celebrations.

Check out those biceps! Man this kiddo is buff...woo!
It snowed! I didn't think it snowed this much in TN, ever, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Adam can now balance on his knees and likes to kneel in front of buckets, boxes, the oven, anything really, and clap his hands or grab anything he can.Thanksgiving day at our house. Adam got to go out and play on the grass and enjoy the sunshine. This is what he thinks of it. He didn't particularly enjoy crawling on the grass. He just kind of stayed in one spot and moaned instead of crawling. Silly boy.

Well, we're off for Texas in the morning and NC tonight. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!