The Oldroyd Family

Santa came to our house this year!  It was a fun Christmas.  We started out the present opening by having the kids open new blankets - which they loved!  Sam grew up always setting his blanket out to open presents on and we've continued that tradition with our kids.   Some other gifts were: Nathan: A "real" football, BYU & Michigan t-shirts, a batman set, a new coat & hat, Planes the movie & Turbo for the Innotab. Alexa: An easel, a My Little Pony set, an American Girl doll, The Little Mermaid, a necklace making set, and a Hello Kitty Innotab game. Maxwell: A Geotrax Cars 2 set, a Planes Lego set, a coat and hat, a firetruck, Turbo the movie & Planes for the Innotab.  Another fun Oldroyd tradition we've carried on now is doing a scavenger hunt for the family gift!  This year, the family gift was a movie day to see Frozen, the new Disney movie, complete with drinks, Popcorn & candy!  (The scavenger hunt led ...

After a fun Christmas Eve night at Grandma & Grandpa's, we came home to get ready for Santa.  We opened our traditional Christmas Eve gift from Gma Marie & Gpa Ron - Jammies! We also left cookies, milk and... 1 carrot... for Santa & his reindeer.  We've got to plan better for those reindeer next year!

We've been married 10 whole years!  It's been a great decade. We celebrated with shopping, a movie & dinner at Tucanos.  Yum yum!  And I was actually able to enjoy it now that I'm not so morning/all-day sick!  Bonus! Happy Anniversary!  Here's to the next 10 years!

Mr. Personality is going to regret this one later.  I see wedding video material!

We went to see Dr. Adam today to see how baby is doing & confirm the gender.  She was still not 100% sure, but the ultrasound tech thought she knew last appointment, at 12 1/2 weeks (I'm 14 1/2 weeks now).  Here's a picture of our little guy... So it looks like Alexa will stay our only princess. It's a boy!

I didn't get around to mailing out a card this year, so we just emailed it!  Here it is: 2013  In Review - Oldroyd Edition January  - Alisha flies solo to Utah to celebrate Grandma Gines' 50th Birthday, we welcome Hank the puppy into our family, Alisha begins a new job working for BYU-I online teaching math. Sam & Alisha go on a cruise to Mexico with the Walkers, kids have a blast at home with Grandma & Grandpa February -  Max is potty trained - no diapers in this house!  He also moves to a toddler bed & gets rid of the binky (unwillingly).  Grandpa Ron comes for a visit during a work trip. Tax season starts - ugh.   March -  Nothing much going on in the Oldroyd home.  Just cute kids & trying to survive without Daddy during tax season. April -   Grandma Marie & Grandma Great Gines come for a visit over Easter, tax season ends, Daddy turns 35, Maxwell turns 3! May -  Our much awaited ...

Max is home sick.  Hank is right by his side taking care of him!  What a good puppy!

And we're pretty excited about it!  Christmastime is the BEST!

This was the extent of my Thanksgiving Day pictures.  But they're good ones! We love playing games when we can, which is a lot harder than it used to be now that there are so many kids!  An Oldroyd Family favorite is called, "Mormon Rummy."  Here are Grandma & Grandpa playing the forehead round!  We love them! And this is a picture of the one pie I make every year: Lemon Sour Cream.  It's as good as it looks!

I got to go up to school today to see the Kindergarten Turkey Parade.  Their 5th grade buddies helped them make their turkey float (out of a potato & other decor) and their hats & vests.  So cute!

The only thing that could make these pictures better is if William, Owen & Callan were in them!  We love our Grandpa John!  Happy Birthday!

We have loved having Hank as part of our family.  I'm a big sucker for his cute face & fun personality.  Even though he has been crate trained from the beginning, its not his favorite place.  This is what happens every night when I tell him to get in his crate for the night.  I feel like he's saying, "How 'bout you rub my belly instead!"  Who can resist that face & polka dot tummy?

Some people from church started doing a little fall soccer program a few years back.  Nathan & Alexa were finally old enough to join in this year! At the end of the season, we had a little party where the kids got trophies and certificates.  Go Nathan & Alexa! And this is how Max felt about not getting a trophy... Next year, buddy!

Back in September, Alexa was the "Star of the Week" for her class.  She got to bring home the "class pet," Timmy the Turtle.  We took pictures with him doing various activities and made a few scrapbook pages for her class book. We also made a Star of the Week poster all about Alexa!  They displayed it at school for a while & she got to bring it home today, as well as her "favorite things" poster. We love you Alexa!  You're a star every week at home!

To celebrate the 50th Day of School, the kids had a sock hop!

Recently, the Houston Temple started opening its gates on Sundays so families could enjoy the temple grounds together.  Today, we took a drive up and spent some time there as a family.  It was beautiful & peaceful!

The Trunk-or-Treat at church was extra fun this year because Grandpa & Grandma were in town! Grandma took the kids out to get their very own pumpkins this year, too!  Grandparents are the best! Here they are on Halloween.  We had so much fun trick-or-treating over in Uncle Dave & Aunt Jennie Jo's neighborhood last year, we decided to do it again!   Happy Halloween!

I have a love/hate relationship with all of the papers my kids bring home from school.  But I really love when I get a true gem that comes home.  Seeing Nathan & Alexa learning to read & write has been awesome. And it can be quite hilarious also.... This came home with Nathan earlier this month.  Despite the appearance of vulgarity, here is what it REALLY says, "My pumpkin is scary..." and then the best part... "my PUMPKIN IS COLORFUL."

At the beginning of this month, we found out we were expecting baby #4!  A lot of time, energy & praying has gone into us trying to grow our family.  I was finally healthy enough to get off all of my kidney drugs, so here we are!  I started to feel sick right away, and there were some scares with my hormone levels.  Lots of doctors appointments, medicine, ultrasounds, and sick days... and praying that things will go well until the end!  The 40-week due date is on June 15th.  And baby #4 has started making itself known pretty early!

Nathan came home with a "Student of the Month" ribbon & certificate today.  His teacher reports that he is such a good helper and kind to others in class.  Way to go, Nathan!

Max's preschool had a field trip to Dewberry Farms.  We love this place!  We brought along our friends, Kason & Daylen.  It was rainy but still a super fun day!

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Nathan & Alexa had "Pink-Out Day" at school, where everyone wore pink!  Well... not everyone... I guess most of the boys didn't. But Nathan was proud to wear his pink shirt in honor of Grandma Joan who is fighting this fight!  I love these kids!

While Hunter was here, Alexa was invited to a birthday party for a little girl in her class.  The whole family could come so I packed up all FOUR kids and went! It was out at a little farm with everything you could imagine.  So fun! The theme of the party was "My Little Ponies," so here are Kaylee & Alexa as ponies... and Max.  Who also just HAD to be a pony.  (His dad is so proud). They had animals all over... Dogs, cats, goats, and these little ponies.  Here's one mama with her baby! Here's Nathan ropin a calf... his Uncle Lee would be so proud!!  They had a little pink pony named Sugar that all of the kids got a chance to ride. There was a stage coach ride, games, swings, you name it... what a fun place for a party!

While Zack, Hilary, & their friends, Joe & Laurin, went on cruise out of Galveston, I got Hunter all to myself for a whole week!  It was so much fun!  He was the best little visitor ever. We went to the zoo with our friends who were in town from Arizona: Dana, McEwan & McKenlee.  Fun fun!  (Hunter wasn't too sure about the carousel, but Max loved it, as you can see!) Hunter definitely kept me on my toes.  I couldn't believe when he climbed up in the bathroom sink all by himself!  We had fun taking Max to school in the bike trailer, playing outside, swinging at the park, and Hunter LOVED being with his cousins.  Especially Alexa!  He also loved feeling like a big boy & eating up to the table! He was sure glad to see his Mommy & Daddy, though, at the end of the week!  I love this baby!

I am having so much fun alone time with my little buddy!  I love this handsome guy!

This September, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the BYU-Idaho Fall Faculty Conference - and my travel was paid for!  I couldn't just head up to Idaho with my family (and Cafe Rio) being so close by in Utah, so I got permission to fly into Salt Lake a few days early & drive up to Rexburg for the conference.  It was weird but fun to travel alone! Here are 4 of my favorite things about Utah: Spending time with my Grandma Gines, seeing my little guy, Hunter, CAFE RIO, & the Bountiful Temple, where Sam & I were married 10 years ago! Mom & Dad were actually still out of town for their Anniversary when I got there, but we still had a sibling Sunday dinner at their house!  Loved being with Amanda, Zack & their families! And I can't forget another favorite thing about visiting Utah... getting my hair done by Brittany! (Driving around in my mom's convertible Mini Cooper with the nice Utah weather was a definite bonus as well.)  I...

This handsome guy started Preschool this year!  He's going to The Learning Garden, taught by my good friend, Vanessa.  It's perfect - 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours each day.  And he gets to be with friends!  I can't believe how grown up my baby is.  He is just happy to be a "big kid" and go to school, too.  Have a great year, Max!

**Sniff Sniff** My cute little tiny preemie babies started Kindergarten this year!  How did this happen?  They were so ready, though, and SO excited. I got to walk them into school for the first day.  Here's Alexa with her teacher, Ms. Lewis.  She is excited to be in class with her friends Kaylee, Seth & Nick!  I know she'll make a lot of new friends, too.  She'll do great! Here's Nathan with his teacher, Miss Harbison.  She is darling & I know Nathan will be well taken care of.  He is in class with Benjamin from preschool!  Nathan is so ready to learn!  I only got a little teary-eyed after I left the school.  I know they are in great hands & will do so well! After school, we celebrated at Shipley's with donuts.  They did great & loved it.  But they were exhausted!  Alexa let me know that she didn't know how to read yet... I told her it would take more than one day!  I look ...

5 Years Old! (Picture taken on "Meet-The-Teacher" Day) Nathan:  Height - 43 in. (50th%) Weight - 40 lbs. (44th%) Loves every sport, especially BYU, Michigan & Texans football Has a lot to say.  A LOT.  You'll never wonder what he's thinking. A super good helper & the fastest toy-picker-upper around. Loves to tease Feels emotions very deeply (good & bad!) Looks up to his Dad so much Loves to swim - no floaties! Loves to wear cowboy boots & a belt Listens very intently, especially in Primary at church, & remembers pretty much everything he is taught by his teachers Is very affectionate & still likes Mommy to tuck him in at night Alexa:   Height - 44 in. (78th%) Weight - 37 lbs. (25th%) Loves to swim & dive for things.   Is very sweet to babies & animals Makes friends easily & sees the best in everyone Loves Ponies, Princesses & all things sparkly Loves to get her nails painted (see s...

I don't know if anyone's shouting "Hooray!" but I did indeed turn 31 this year!  We celebrated with a delicious dinner at Sam's parents house. I look forward to my birthday each year because if this cake pictured below - A Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake from Marble Slab. Pure Heaven.  R.V. Ice cream cake + family = My favorite kind of birthday!

Here are Nathan & Alexa on their new bikes.  They love them!  We even got Spencer's old little bike for Max & we've been bike riding fools ever since.