The most wonderful time of the year!!

We spent Christmas in Show Low with Anthon's family & even though it was a fast trip, we still had a lot of fun! It always seems like we never have enough time to spend with the family up there, but it's still nice to spend some time with them!

I had to work Christmas eve ( I know, LAME right?!?), but thankfully Anthon & I are a great team & were super organized so that we could leave town the minute I was off the clock!! We got to Show Low in time for dinner & all the Christmas eve traditions.



Here we all are in our jamies, ready for bed

Our kids were ROTTEN that night! Roman would not stay asleep for anything & ended up waking Sterling up. Finally, around 1AM I got them both to sleep & they stayed asleep... til 4AM. Roman got up to pee & for some reason stripped completely naked, then came into our room & turned on the lights. That woke Sterling up & he was bright eyed & bushy tailed, ready to play until about 5:30AM. I could have beat them both!!! Everyone had planned to get up at 6:30AM to open presents & do breakfast before Mom & Dad had to leave for Cibecu, but thankfully they woke us up last & we got to sleep in til 7AM.

Even though the night before Christmas was awful, Christmas morning was wonderful! It was so fun watching the boys get excited about their gifts!



Sterling loves his squishy book!

& Roman finally got his bike!

 We got this beauty on Craigslist for $20... it has a little wear on it, but Roman doesn't care



He was SO excited, & he just LOVES it!



Church didn't start til 1PM, so it was nice to take it slow & enjoy the morning together. Anthon's niece, Lilly, spoke in church so it was fun to get to listen to her talk & hear the pretty music. I continued the tradition this year & got all the boys matching ties... I LOVE them in their Sunday best!!



Please ignore Sterling's shoes... I forgot his dress shoes :(, but was still very thankful I had a pair of BLACK shoes for him to wear with his suit!

Monday was a fun day!! It was also, our last day there. But before we left, we played in the snow!! Roman had been asking to go play in the snow for weeks, so he was STOKED to finally get to do it!



Nothing makes me fall in love with Anthon more than seeing him play with our sons!



Sterling was SO happy the entire time we were out in the snow, too. Made it so fun!

There wasn't a lot of fresh snow, or very deep snow, so Anthon drove us around on the 4 wheeler & made a trail that we could pull the kids on.

 Sterling LOVED sledding!!

JK! He was only on the sled for a photo op... please don't call CPS on me ;) Don't you love howfat his face looks in this picture?!?! I do :)

 Roman, on the other hand, did get pulled on the sled... lets just say, he most certainly didn't love it, but he tolerated it long enough to satisfy his parents- such a good sport!

Even though the trip was too short (as they always seem to be), it was SO wonderful!! I don't know if it's because we're fresh out of finals & an insane semester, but the time we spent together & with our boys was so precious! And the fact that the focal point of the entire weekend was on our Savior, & the blessings we receive because of His birth, just made it all the more sweet! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!!

ahhh, I can breathe again

The weight & stress from my hellacious 8 week classes is over, & it feels so nice to relax & breathe again! Of course,, the week of finals had to be especially stressful, so Sterling had the stomach flu for 3 days (& I mean bad!! The poor baby could not keep anything down!) and as soon as he stopped throwing up, Roman started. Roman had it for only 2 days, and then the day he stopped throwing up, Anthon started. You add that all up & that's an entire week of vomiting at the Perkins house... Remember what my desk looked like??? You ain't seen nothin'!! Yeah, my house was completely thrashed & reeked of vomit. Thankfully, somehow the house got cleaned, & I was able to pass my classes- I got an A in Pathophysiology & received a total miracle in math!! I had spent less than an adequate amount of time learning the material that would be covered on the final, and an even less amount of time studying said material, because I was so concerned about my patho class, and had children constantly throwing up on me. So when I took my practice final to see how I would fair on the real deal, I scored a 56% the first time & a 58% the 2nd. I was heart broken, SO angry with myself, & just knew I was going to fail- wasting the 8 weeks of complete hell!! Thankfully, Anthon is the man that he is! He wrapped me in his enormous arms for a much needed bear hug & then suggested we pray before I left to take the actual final. I must say, I felt completely unworthy to ask the Lord for help remembering the things I hadn't spent enough time to learn on my own, but Anthon said a pleading a prayer on my behalf anyway, & sent me on my way to take the final. I stopped crying in enough time to have only slightly red eyes when I got to the testing center, & felt complete peace the entire time I tested. You can imagine my gratitude after submitting the final, to see that I scored a 77% and got an overall B in the class!! God does hear our prayers... and is merciful!!
So, that was my Friday. Saturday, I worked and then after, we had every Christmas party in the world to attend! I was gone from the house from 8AM til about 10:30PM, & was completely exhausted. Sunday, blessed Sunday, we went to church, came home, & rested!! It was SOOO nice to simply relax & enjoy my family... I swear, it felt like I hadn't held/ really interacted with Sterling for weeks :(. I'm so glad life is getting back to "normal" now!
Last night, after our full day of rest, we decided to go see the temple lights. Anthon's brother, sister, & brother-in-law met us there and even though it had been a rainy, drizzly day, it was a pleasant evening.

Roman had a blast running around outside & looking at all the lights

I simply enjoyed snuggling with my baby.. he's super sweet & makes a great little heater :)

 Something else I failed to mention, Saturday marked 10 years that Anthon & I have been together! I'm so grateful for our relationship! I'm pretty sure I'm the only girl on the planet who is willing to put up with him, & he's the only guy on the planet able to put up with me. I love him so much that the word "love" itself just doesn't seem to describe how I feel adequately. All I know is that with him, the easy parts of life are made funner, the hard parts in life are made easier, and the joyous parts of life are sweeter! Not many people can say the best decision they ever made was made in high school, but I can... it was Him!

PS- If you wanna read the story that started our romance, click HERE :)

November Nothings

As you can see from our header, we did do something this month... we got family pictures! A lady in our ward took them for us & did an amazing job!! It's a miracle she got any of Roman because he was WILD, but some how she managed! I LOVED the location- it's a historical building in down town Mesa & it was better than I could have dreamed! I really love how they turned out! Here's just a few: 

Is it just me, or does he look really grown up??



No matter how old he gets, he'll still be my little boy!



Can't get enough of that smile!

 

Handsome boys!

 Besides that, we haven't had anything exciting going on. But I figured I'd go ahead & post about the "nothings" of November (my blog is pretty much my journal now, & I hate to leave gaps in time just because we haven't done anything special. Every day life with our family is special, right?!?). Anthon & I do school & go to work. That's it. You're caught up on us. Onto the cute ones, Roman & Sterling!

Sterling is growing up too fast!! He's learned how to hold his own bottle, which is nice if he's hungry when I'm in the middle of something, but I still LOVE snuggling with him while he nurses! It's so great- I may breast feed this kid til he's 5, just sayin'.

See anything new on this little man?? He got his 1st tooth!!   



I honestly don't think he could be any more adorable- inside & out!! He is SUCH a gift!

Even when he does this... 

This has been happening a lot lately...



so he's been getting a lot of baths 

All clean!

I love his little nakey bum!!

Pardon my lack of makeup & overall exhausted appearance, but I ADORE this boy!

Roman is so SWEET! Granted, he has his terrible (rotten, awful, hideous) 2 moments, but inside he really is a kind, sweet, loving boy! I've really been enjoying my time with him! He's been playing outside a lot since we got rid of the dog, & LOVES it!

 Baseball is a must for this kid... & he's pretty good at throwing/hitting a ball, if I do say so, myself!

Rocks. The boy is obsessed with rocks. 



He'll line them up, thrown them, take them with him where ever he goes, & stash them away in safe places...

Like here, in my bed. Along with his quarters & skull whistle.

We just started bathing the boys together & they both seem to really enjoy it... well, most of the time.

Awesome picture, right?

He did say sorry to Sterling once he realized he didn't like having water spit in his face.

He really does love his little brother!

So fresh & so clean- Ready for bed. Bed time is awesome for so many reasons- Our life right now is insane- like barely keeping our heads above water, insane. I love having a few minutes every night, where our family can gather together to pray (& thank the Lord that we survived another day!)! Then, I get to lay with my boys & sing to them while Roman plays with my hair & Sterling nurses, until they both fall asleep. I usually get a much needed cat nap too!! Ahh, bed time is awesome!

Ok, this may have been the longest post in my history of blogging, but then again, it did cover almost an entire month. Anyway, thanks for catching up with us! 2 & 1/2 more weeks of school, then hopefully life will be back to normal... & so will my posts.

Kelly's Baby Shower

We threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law Kelly at the beginning of this month & it was a BLAST to prepare & attend! I was in charge of the decorations & wanted to do something that would be easy & cheap, but would still look good- so I decided to make pom-poms. As I was heading up to the register at Hobby Lobby with all the tissue paper for said pom-poms, I saw the silver garland & knew it was destined to be included. The tissue paper had such a soft texture & the pearls of the garland were an awesome contrast! I LOVE how everything came together!



The entry way: Both sides were lined like this



The "head" of the entry way

Kitchen: may have been my favorite area!



The yummy spread: tri-tip, potato casserole, home made rolls, broccoli salad, & fresh fruit with dip!



The cupcakes: Our dear friend Kim made them & they tasted just as good as they look



Aren't they beautiful?!?

Front of the diaper cake



Back of the diaper cake

Kelly got a lot of SUPER cute gifts!!

 I made her the car seat cover in this picture... I'm SO glad she liked it :)!! We love you, Kelly!! & we can't wait to meet little miss Olivia Paige!

5x7 Folded Card

Delicate Merry Wishes Christmas Card

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I love Shutterfly! They have the best cards & they're always sending me awesome discounts & coupon codes, so I get their darling products for next to nothing! Why, just for sharing our Christmas card on our blog, they're giving me another $10 off! So, go check 'em out... you won't regret it ;)

6 months

I am enjoying every second I have with this boy! He is SO incredibly sweet, patient, & cute!! I love his face- I know he's not chubby at all, but I love his plump cheeks- we call him "Fat-fatty" all the time because of them :). I guess I should write about some of his milestones, huh??
At his Dr. appointment today he was 27in. tall and weighed 15lbs. He's on the same growth curve for height, but dropped a little in weight (I don't understand how that can happen! The kid eats like there's no tomorrow). Speaking of food, he loves rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and ANY kind of fruit. So far he doesn't like peas or corn, but we're working on it. His 1st tooth broke through this weekend & he's trying his hardest to scoot around on the floor. He started saying "Mama", but only says it when he's whining or sad- it's still pretty cute to hear him say it, though! He loves to hear his daddy sing- seriously, the kids face lights up & he can't stop smiling when Anthon sings to him. It's adorable to watch!
I seriously can't believe Sterling is half a year old already! He wasn't an infant for long was he?? & I'm betting his baby phase will go by just as quickly... he'll be a toddler before I know it! SO sad :(. I was thinking the other day about eternal families & how lucky I am to know that I will have mine forever. I love knowing that my children will always be mine! But then, I realized that my boys are going to be adults in the eternities, and it made me SO thankful for the chance I have to know them as children- the sweet, Innocent, adorable little boys that they are! That realization makes me want to cherish every little milestone, even more! This time with them is so precious, and I'm so thankful I have it to spend it with them!

More hair cuts

After Being successful with my first hair cut ever (on Sterling), I decided to try a more difficult subject... a toddler- Roman specifically! It took me longer than Sterling's did, but I guess that's to be expected; Roman has a bigger head & more hair. He was very patient with me, though & did a great job of sitting still. So, what 'cha think?? 

I think he looks super handsome (but I may be slightly biased)!!

 I know it may seem silly, but being able to cut my boys' hair makes me feel very accomplished, independent, & happy. I'm so thankful for this new "life skill" I've been taught!

Watch out, Anthon... you're next ;)!

Pre-Halloween weekend... picture overload!!

Friday:

Our ward had a Halloween party Friday night, so we all got dressed up & enjoyed the nice weather, yummy food, & good company! Roman wanted to dress up as Woody this year, so we decided to go with a Toy Story theme.



Naturally, Sterling had to be Woody's counterpart!

He LOVES the costumes- which makes it all the more fun!

Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head

I'm sad I didn't get a good picture of the 2 of us together, but I'll try again tomorrow! This costume is probably the hottest, most ridiculous, & unflattering costume I could have chosen for myself, but I love a good theme... & it was a hit, none-the-less!

I look really tired, don't I?
If you don't know why I'm so tired, you obviously didn't read my last post.

Anthon looked great in his costume... Hot, even!
Am I sick or what?!



Saturday:

I finished all my assignments Saturday afternoon once I got off work (& got A's on both my quizzes, I thank you!) so we decided to use a Groupon I bought for DeWitt Stables. It was SO much fun!! The weather was perfect, we went in the evening so most of the people were leaving, & they had so many fun things! They had a bouncy house, barrel train rides, petting zoo, hay maze, hay rides to the pumpkin patch, tons of little kid games, photo ops, &  Roman's favorite, by far... pony rides!

 & this is what pure joy looks like! This was his 1st time on a horse & I'm so glad Anthon captured it!!



He loved every minute of it!



His little guide was so sweet & let Roman use his hat for a "Wee-Haw!" 



The sunset was so pretty! ...even though Anthon's got the creeper vibe going on in this picture



The petting zoo was another big hit! They had all kinds of farm animals: rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, a puppy, goats, sheep, & a pig.



Roman loved this chicken! Probably because it was the only one he could pick up & hols on his own :)



Here we are on the hay ride to the pumpkin patch



I LOVE how this picture turned out! The scarecrow, Roman's face with his pumpkin, Sterling's expression, the dust in the air... it's all great!!



After the stables, we hit up Bahama Bucks- another 1st for Roman. It was a success, as well!



Sunday:

It was a regular Sunday: church, naps, lots of family time, & a nice dinner... but with the 1st week of my new INSANE schedule down, I'm finding a new, greater appreciation for our sabbath- a day of rest! We had our Relief Society Extravaganza (use to be super Saturday) last weekend, & a lady taught a class on cutting boys hair... I LOVED it  and was anxious to put my new skills to use! What cha think??

Not that big of a difference, but it still makes him look older to me!
I love me a freshly, clean cut little boy!



I must have been in a fall colored kind of mood today cause we all ended up wearing some form of brown/orange



& this was the cherry on top of my fantastic weekend... watching my darling boys play with their adorable daddy!