Finally... after 12 long years...

We are now home owners!!! (Or at least mortgage payers)
We are so excited to announce that we closed on our new home yesterday! The home is in Sandy, in a great area. The school is one of the top in the state and we have been attending the ward (church) for the past month.
The only down side is that the current previous owners have yet to find a house so they are renting from us now. We have to be patient a 'little' bit longer and stay in our apartment (oh- did I mention we are currently living on State St- lovely... note sarcasm ). We wrote the contract through the end of June; after that their rent triples.  So hopefully, that deters them enough to move out by then. 
Here are some pictures of the place. (Note, being apartment dwellers we do not have much furniture to fill the place- we joke that we don't know what to do with so much space but I am sure that will be remedied quick enough.)

 Yes, those are chickens. They asked if we wanted to keep them. Um... no. (though they did share some really good eggs with us)

Just Cute!

 Teaching him to do laundry at a young age...

Unfortunately cleaning the toilet didn't go so well.

Wyatt is 1 years old!!!

My baby is 1! It's amazing how the year passes and how much he grows and learns! Wyatt started taking 3-4 steps alone at Christmas and can now make it 10-12 steps. He thinks he can walk downstairs and climb anything he can get his leg on.  He says 'Mama,' 'Dada,' 'Nana' (banana), and signs milk for just about anything he wants.  His face lights up when I mention 'outside.' He loves, loves music and will dance away! He is not a good sleeper and woke every 1-4 hours his entire first year of life. Finally we started 'sleep training' him and he actually made it from 8pm-5am a few times! It was amazing! Unfortunately he got a cold following this good sleep and is starting over again. He is still our little bug.  At the last MD appt he only weighed 18 lbs (not even on the growth chart) and was 27 inches tall (6%), but the doctor said he was still growing and not to worry. 
We had a great party for him with many friends and family. It was so fun to be in Utah with everyone here to attend the party.  Wyatt was happy, and even spent a little time away from Mom's arms and with his Grandpa's.  The theme was a California Sun (which was quite appropriate with the snow falling outside). 

 I was quite happy with how the cake turned out!

 Singing 'Happy Birthday'

 1st Cake

 Slowly...

 Sorry... did we forget to put up the 'splash zone' signs?

 Eli was so excited to give Wyatt his present (and play with it himself as well)

We love you Wyatt! Happy 1st birthday!

Sink Bath Time

I don't know why, but I rarely gave my children baths in the sink as babies.  We don't have an infant bath tub either.  Generally it was sponge baths or in the shower with Mom or Dad. Recently I thought Wyatt would enjoy a sink bath and he did!

The prize toy

So Eli got a paper, put together, Batman from a kids meal (to be honest I don't even remember what restaurant) a few weeks back.  Obviously it was beyond the skills of a 3 year old to put together, so that left Mom. Once I got into it I was obsessed with getting it right and it was not easy.  Eli was perfectly content taking a single piece and flying it around like a rocket ship.  I think it took me over an hour to complete- ridiculous, right? Why I wanted to build that Batman so bad I will never know, but here it is...

Unfortunately I think it has landed itself in the trash by now...

Sledding

So the kids got a sled for Christmas (initially Eli thought it was a surf board :)) but we had yet to use it until last week.  No snow in the valley so we went up Big Cottonwood Canyon to find the snow.  There were great sledding hills and not too crowded.

 Getting ready...

 Yes, I have the baby on my back...

 The smiles really came out when we put them in the sled together!

 So Cute!

 Looking over the edge...

Ended with the baby's first snow face plant. Poor thing... 

I think he will be up for it again another day.

Snow