Better late than never! Merry Christmas!!

I still haven't posted Christmas!  It's almost March!  Where does time go? I love Christmas morning, right before the kids come out to see their gifts.  I love to see the excitement, and fun they have looking through all the surprises.

Santa likes to spoil "Miss Madi".  She is at the funnest age.  She loves anything girly, but she likes to play with the boys too.  At school, when the girls are being "drama queens" she'll just go over with the boys because they don't cause a lot of drama.  She'll get right in and play football or basketball with them, or just cheer from the sidelines. 

Jordan's Santa Stash... Those shoes look really big! Jordan had a huge growth spurt, he's taller than me now.  The shoes are a 9 1/2.  He is all about being with friends and lots of food right now.  He's had a lot of extra time with Hudson, and they have such a cute relationship.  He is starting to work into 4 classes a day, and still on Home and Hospital.  His "bad" days are starting to get less frequent, as long as he doesn't go beyond his threshold.  He's an awesome kid!

Little Huddy's gifts.  He LOVES Thomas the Train!  He calls him "Mopas" .  What would we do without our little guy?  He has brought an element of fun, love, and laughter in our home.  He has also helped us all learn a lot of patience.  Life feels a little crazy sometimes with the age spans in between our kids, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Family...

Pics of my kids and Jeremy and Lindsay's kids, clothing provided by Grandma and Grandpa Nielson.  Lindsay was photographing all the kids for a grandchild picture, we snuck in a few pics with our little point and shoot camera.  She did an awesome job!

Madi's 09th Birthday

Sooo, I went to write Madi's Birthday card, and I wrote Happy 10th Birthday.  Jordan hesitantly asked me, "isn't she 9?" uh, yeah.  So I tried to correct it on the card and it came out looking "Happy 09th Birthday!" oh well, I try.

You are growing up too fast!  You are such a great young lady, and you are gorgeous!  I love how you like to do girly things with me, and how you like to cook.  You are such a great older sister and younger sister.  You know how to be such a great example to Hudson, and keep Jordan on his toes at the same time.  You are a beautiful dancer, singer, and friend.  We love you so much! XOXO.

 

Good Morning Birthday Girl!

A Birthday Girl's breakfast!

My mom made this amazing cake! It is candy land... it was so heavy with candy, by the end of the night it was starting to cave in.  It was just what the 9 Year old ordered!

Happy Birthday Madi!

Presents with the family.

For Madi's birthday, South Jordan has their "lighting of the tree", so we always walk over there and take a Hayride, see Santa, Ice Skate, and drink free hot chocolate and eat free cookies.  Tons of fun!!

Huddy is starting to understand Santa and Reindeer this year.  It is so fun to see a whole new world light up in their eyes.

Aunt Jenna presenting Madi's cake to her over at Grandma Baumgarts party.

Halloween Fun!

Madi's whole 3rd grade did a Halloween Program.  It was the cutest ever!  This picture is with Madi's great teacher Mrs. Mackerell.

We had our Halloween Party over at Lindsay and Jer's house.  Hudson was a puppy and a monkey this year, Madi was a witch and a football player, and Jordan was a FBI agent for President Bush.

Jordan and my dad decided to both be agents for President Bush this Halloween.  They made duck tape wallets, and my dad is wearing a duck tape gun holster.

My mom dressed as, well...I think she said she was a rock star and I told her she was a street walker... hmmm.

Most the kids at the party...mine, Lindsay's, Brett and Samantha, Jamie and Tracy's, and Kevins.

Madi in her witch costume.

Charlotte (Jer & Lindsay's)

Pinata Time!!

My brother and my cousin Rheanna's husband (Luke).  They almost look like brothers, and Luke is looking a little punchy!

Aww...Huddy as the monkey.  He was scared of this costume at first, so we just hung it over the door for a week and let him walk by it and touch it, and then he was okay with wearing it.

Ha Ha, Mom will NEVER ask me to write "apple juice" on her pitcher again!

Halloween dinner at my moms.

Emilee's Birthday!

My sister Jen, made these cute cards for all her nieces and nephews for Halloween.  She is SO talented! I just love her and I am so greatful to have such a sweet sister.

My Birthday Cake! YUM!!

My Birthday party with my cute nieces and nephews and kids!

Football 2010

J.B. is #7, our star quarterback, and MVP of the season (for reals).  I think when they lost the Q.B. mid season, they realized Jordan was a pretty valuable player.

I took this picture to go with one of my favorite quotes Jordan's coach said this year.  At half time, the boys are losing the game, so he quotes in his southern drawl "if you boys win this game today, my head will be this big" (as he is showing how much larger his head will be).  I had to turn around and giggle.  The coach already has a good size head, both in attitude and in actual size.  I'm just sayin'!!

Jordan is telling the team the play...they look like they are all gonna die...uhhh maybe they need some better conditioning during practice coaches?? Wait! Maybe any conditioning would be AWESOME!

Jordan with one of the Neurologists (I think) at Primary Childrens Hospital.  They were so great up there, and Jordan loved his room with the xbox, movies, and room service.  Jordan could order anything he wanted!! He was in heaven.  I am SO thankful we live so close to Primarys.  I'm glad we are close to the U of U too.  They have been great so far with his rehab.

Baumgart Times

Before I post pictures of all the fun times we have together as a family, we have our trials too.  I am thankful for trials, because they always seem to humble me and bring us all closer to our Heavenly Father.  This year has seemed to be a year that we have taken things a day at a time, or even a minute at a time.

On October 7, Jordan sustained a traumatic Brain Injury.  He was in football running through hitting drills, and went helmet to helmet with another guy 3 times his size... why the coaches didn't stop that, I'll never know.  He got hit 4 times.  A couple of days later, before he played his next game, we took him in to the Doctor because he was experiencing concussion symptoms.  Come to find out, his brain was bleeding and he had a 4 inch fracture on his skull.  The ambulance strapped him in and off they went to Primary Childrens.  He stayed there overnight, so they could monitor the bleeding on the brain.

The Neurologists said he would be 3 months in recovery, and they were right! He is slowly recovering, but having several symptoms still.  He is not attending school, which is hard for him because he is an Student Body Officer, and wants to be there to help with the activities involved.  Instead, he is on home and hospital. We feel so lucky to still have Jordan here, we have been told over and over that it probably would have only taken one more hit, and it could have been fatal.

This experience has been a bit difficult for me as a mom.  I just keep wondering why...the answer I get is that, it is time for Jordan to head into a different direction now at this time of his life.  Jordan LOVES playing football, but he will not be able to play it anymore.  He will most likely deal with headaches the rest of his life, and he has a hard time with short term memory.  We are hoping the new year, will bring Jordan health.  In the end, this trial has helped us and Jordan focus more on long term goals. 

So, in between going to Neurologists, Concussion Rehab, MRI's or CAT scans for Jordan, I've been spending time with our cute little 2 year old monster, and our cute Madi.  I always look forward to the time Joel and I can take a night out, it rejuvenates me!  I am so thankful for Joel and all the patience he has.  He is a wonderful father, and husband, and person.  He just "gets" me.

Hudson is Two!! Choo Choo!!

Happy Birthday Hudson!  Wow, time is going by too fast!  You'll always be the baby of the family and you know that because you like to snuggle like a baby, and you get away with a lot more that Jordan and Madi ever did.  You are starting to talk... sometimes it sounds like you've learned Chinese, but you know what your saying, and we will understand it here pretty quick.  We love you so much and we wouldn't know what to do without you!  I love your energy, I love the way you like to pucker up and give everyone kisses, I love the way you run, and your feet swing side to side, I think it's funny that you yell mom over and over and over, even if I answer you, you just keep saying it.  You are just everybody's little buddy.  We love you!! XOXO.

Huddy LOVES Thomas the Train.  He loves all trains!  He got this Thomas flashlight for his bday and uses it at night to find the "perfect" blanket, or his binki.

Monkey Cupcakes for the monkey!

His favorite dinner over at Grandma Nielsons.  Hot Dogs, and fruit (especially watermelon).

Horsey Back Ridin' with Grandpa!

THOMAS!! THOMAS! THOMAS!  (as he hyperventilates because he's saying it so quickly!)

CHOO, CHOO, CHOO, CHOO (again, hyperventilation).  The funny thing is, he didn't want to ride on it, he was afraid to.  He just wanted to look at it!

A Huddy proof Dump Truck!  Hudson is more aggressive than Jordan and Madi were, so toys get broken ALOT, and all we hear is..."uh oh".  He doesn't mean to break them, he just tugs and pulls and lets them fall down the stairs.  He is a crazy kid...all the toys we saved from Jordan and Madi, he is destroying!

Hudson's Thomas cake minus Thomas.  When he saw the cake he just grabbed Thomas off to play with him.

And that would be the Thomas that belongs on the cake!!