They don't say "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" for nothin'!

There's no doubt about it. We are excited for Christmas!

We've been trying to do fun, Christmasy things. A few nights ago, Jared and I did our fun stocking tradition. We go to Wal-Mart, have 30 minutes and (this year) 21 dollars to buy each other stocking stuffers. The fun of it is in bumping into each other at the store with our gifts hidden in our carts. We have such a blast with this! Last night, we went to a Christmas fireside. Tonight, we had friends over to decorate sugar cookies. I especially liked Jared's cookie rendition of Tiny Tim, from a Christmas Carol...aka a gingerbread gone bad. I have pictures, but they aren't quite uploaded to the computer yet. So, I decided to post pictures of...who else?! I don't seem to take any other pictures anymore...but I can guarantee that I do not look this cute in a picture! Coming up on the holiday fun agenda: Polar Express in 3-D w/ hot apple cider, delivering plates of cookies that we made, having Jared's whole family come in from Utah, a couple more christmas parties, and then the best day ever- CHRISTMAS! Hope y'all are enjoying this December as much as we are!!!

Yogurt Parfaits by request

I've had some people ask me what I was making in the kitchen with Noah. It's one of my favorite things to make because it is soooo simple, but it looks and tastes fabulous.

YOGURT PARFAITS

Layer:

vanilla yogurt

grapenuts

raspberries (I thaw out frozen raspberries- and they are delicious!)

bananas (here, I just use them on top, but if you want them throughout, slice them thin)

Of course, you can change up the parfait with whatever you want: blueberries, cornflakes, different flavors of yogurt, cinnamon, etc...you get the idea!

ENJOY!

My Little Buddy

I never want Noah to grow up! I've decided that I love the stage he is in. If it were possible to freeze time, I think I would.

Here are the top 5 reasons that I love Noah at 4 1/2 months:


#5. He still likes to cuddle.

#4. He helps me in the kitchen!

#3. He doesn't mind being my little fashion accessory. :)

#2. He doesn't judge me when I look like this:

and the #1 reason: He's my best little friend!

I love you, Noah!

ZZZ talk

Come to find out, Jared really wasn't feeling very well in the middle of the night when I woke up to feed Noah. He woke up this morning, sick as a dog. However, here are some of the conversations that we had around 1:30 am. I wrote them down because I thought they were so funny!

Jared: "I think I'm getting a sore throat."
Court: "No, it's just the middle of the night."
Jared: "Then, let's fix the middle of the night."

J: "Love me like you love me."

C: "Did you do your homework?"
J: "A piece of it."

C: "How old are you?"
J: "I don't know. I don't know."

C: "How long have we been married for."
J: "Oh dear. I don't know."

Noah's big week

Noah's accomplished quite a lot this last week. Last Sunday, he got back from his 8th state...so far, he's been to: Utah, Idaho, Washington, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, & Mississippi. Not too bad for a 4 month old!



On Monday, he ate his first meal...delicious rice cereal. I really do think it's delicious, and don't mind eating what he doesn't want. Now that he knows that there is more to life than milk, he wants it all.









On Tuesday, Noah rolled over 4 times in a row from his stomach to his back. Mommy cheered so loud and he just giggled.



Today, he played the baby Jesus in the ward's primary activity. The kids loved him. One girl REALLY thought that he was the baby Jesus. She could not believe it and would not leave his side. It was great. Speaking of Jesus, Noah still smiles and reacts the same way everytime that we show him His picture. We try to show him everyday.

Thankful

I've been wanting to make this post for a while, but just haven't had the time to sit down and do it. In light of the Thanksgiving season (that I guess is technically now over), I am thankful for all the friends and people I know that brighten my life. I'm thankful for all of you that update your blog so I can stay updated on all the little (and big) moments that I miss by not being close.

To express my thanks, I'm listing the #1 favorite thing I love about each person on my blog list.

Cristi: I love how I can tell you anything and everything. You always listen and validate me.

Niki Wells: I love how concerned you are for me, even after all these years of not living close.

Liliya: I love your spirit and fun energy.

Misti: I love that you have always & will always be there for me---from 9th grade until forever.

Natasha: I love the support you give me, especially with our babies practically being twins- and that we were able to experience our first pregnancy together.

Carrie Drake: I love how positive and involved you are.

Sarah: I love that we keep in touch after only knowing each other a short time. I love reading your blog and seeing all the fun things you do.

Janessa: I love how you would do anything for anyone. You are beautiful inside and out.

Cadence: I love what a good writer you are. I see big things for you.

Mekell: I love your personality...noone can ever be sad being around you.

Jill: I love the good advice that you always give me.

Megan Johnson: I love your fashion sense and decorating ideas. I also love how generous you are.

Amanda: I love that you befriended me as soon as I moved here.

Alicia: I love the pictures that you take.

Jessica: I love our deep talks.

Kylee: I love seeing all the fun adventures that life takes you on. You have so much energy and always seem so alive.

Megan Linford: I love your personality and kindness.

Nikki P.: I love how genuine you are. People love to be around you.

Rachel: I love your honesty and your dedication to causes you really believe in.

Ryan & Becky: I love you both as a couple & especially love your sense of humor.

Kelly & Spencer: I love your examples of service and love.

Ashley: I love talking to you every Sunday- and anywhere else I run into you. You are so energetic and fun.

Jamie: I love what a good friend you are to everyone. You set the perfect example of what friendship really is.

Christine: I love how motivated and successful you are.

Mary: I love your attitude and positive goals, and seeing you do what it takes to achieve them.

Caleb & Becca: I love that you compliment each other so well.

Miquelin: I love listening to you talk...you always make me laugh.

Whitney: I love that I still feel so close to you even though we are so far away from each other.

Carlie: I love the passion you put into teaching and everything else you decide is worthwhile.

Susan: I love your views on parenthood, and your positive attitude about being a mother.

Rick: I love that you say what you think and aren't afraid of other people.

Hillary: I love the example you set on loving your spouse.

Leslie: I love your laugh, your excitement, and your presence.

April: I love that I can rely on you for anything. You are one great friend.

Sheena: I love how much fun we have whenever we are together. That hasn't changed since we were in high school.

Jody: I love how active and fun you are.

Mandy: I love your bubbly personality.

Brittany: I love your family; they are so wonderful.

Carrie Staten: I love how creative you are.

Melissa: I love the close connection that we have, even when we are so far away. When we get together, it's always like we were never apart.

Nick & Megan: I love the way you raise your kids and run your home. You set such a good example for us.

Gina: I love that you are following your dreams and not letting anything get in the way. You are a powerful woman.

Amy: I love your personality so much.

Brooke: I love that you throw parties for any event that can be celebrated. People are so drawn to you.

Shelly: I love your creativity, positive energy, and friendship.

Jen: I love how similar our life is right now and love being able to talk to you about everything.

Andrea: I love your sense of humor.

Jaclyn: I love your faith.

There are so many more people that I want to give compliments to, but today, I just stuck with people whose blogs I read. Thank you all again for the positive influence you have on me! :)

We just got back from Memphis, which is where we went for Thanksgiving with Jared's relatives. We enjoyed good BBQ, the STAX museum (Jared's dad was in the band- the Bar-Kays!), seeing Memphis, eating too much, shopping, and being together! I am happy to be back today though and back to a schedule...especially for Noah.
How was your Thanksgiving?