2011 In Review

What a year this has been! I can't believe its already coming to a close and it'll be 2012 in just a few short days!! This year has had its up's and its down's thankfully the up's out weigh the down's. Here are the highlights of this year for us:

• Kyler crawling, walking, and constantly learning new things!

Enjoying our new apartment.

Our second anniversary and getting to spend it relaxing and enjoying Salt Lake.

Kyler's first birthday!!

J.J. earning his associates degree

Sharon turning 22

Colton's Year Mark

Derek and Kellie Graduating.

Going on our first family vacation to California, and enjoying Palm Desert, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and the Ocean!

Having a fun filled summer filled with lots of playing outside and going fun places.

Mostly for me but, finally losing the baby weight plus more!! and getting healthier. Got down to 70 pounds lost and feel so much better and healthier.

Watching my brother Rhett play football.

J.J. turning 25

Enjoying fall...especially Kyler running through the leaves and seeing him react to the different weather.

Dressing up as Captain Hook, Smee, and our little Crocodile from one of Kyler's favorite cartoons for Halloween and taking Kyler Trick-or-Treating.

Finding out that we are expecting again!!

Watching Kyler eat a huge plate of Thanksgiving dinner!

Kyler helping decorate the Christmas tree and having him turn on the lights.

Going to Zoo Lights and Temple Square and seeing all the lights, Kyler seeing Santa for the first time while we were there.

We got our fist nephew. Ryan Don Jacob

Watching Kyler's face light up Christmas Morning and enjoying Christmas with family, and finally announcing we will be having our baby in July.

We have really enjoyed this year especially since Kyler has had alot of first and just watching him develop into a little boy! We are looking forward to 2012...we have alot to look forward to and hoping for a few things to work out this next year as well. It will be another fun year and I'm sure one we won't forget!

Happy New Years To You All and May It Be Filled With Everything Wonderful!

Big Surprise!

If you saw our post on Chirstmas you'll know we are expecting Baby #2!! This came as a bit of a surprise to us. We kinda decided to start trying in October, even though I was a bit nervous because of the miscarriage in July. But we decided that it would happen when it was suppose to and to just give it ago. We really didn't think it would only take us a month!
I started to feel sick and really tired around Halloween, but just thought I was coming down with something. After about another week of feeling that way however I knew something was up. I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I through the thought of being pregnant out the window. That was until the day I was suppose to start. It was the night me and my friend Ashlee went to see "Breaking Dawn" and I figured since we were going to be out I should pick up some test just to see. I'm cheap when it comes to pregnancy test so we just went to the dollar store. I remember Ashlee was all excited when I picked them up! We then went to dinner and headed to the movie. Before the movie started they had some drawings and give aways. One of the giveaways they had all the pregnant moms go to the front and they gave them little onesies. Ashlee leaned over to me and said," You should have tested before we came!" I laughed because it would have been hilarious to see my moms reaction since she was helping with the giveaways. We then watched the movie and lets just say when you think you might be pregnant and knowing if you are you'll have to have a c-section and you watch the end of that show it kinda freaks you out! After the movie we headed on home, I dropped Ashlee off and I couldn't get home fast enough to take the test.
After walking in and saying "HI" to JJ I ran to the bathroom. He was right at the door asking me how the movie was and what exactly I was doing. I told him, "I'm seeing if we were going to have another baby!" his response, "WHAT?" He opened the door and the test had just started. I turned away but he had his eyes on it the whole time. He started saying, "What does this mean?" I looked at it and jumped up and hugged him and started to cry. "So that's a positive right?" and I said "YES!!" We were both so excited. Kyler was already in bed so he didn't get to share in the excitement of it that night.
We decided we were going to wait to tell our families because I really didn't want to share the news and then have it not stick. The next morning when Kyler woke up I was so excited to try and tell him what was going on. I didn't know if he'd really understand it. I sat down in the chair in his room and started to rock him. I said "Your going to be a Big Brother! Mommy has a baby in her belly!!" I then pointed to my belly. I was kinda shocked when he started to rub it, and it made me cry. I so wish he could talk and tell us what exactly he understands! I then pointed up to the pictures on the wall of him when he was a baby and tried to explain to him that's what baby brother or sister would be like. He was kinda done at that point and wanted his breakfast. But we make it a point everyday to talk about the baby and that its in my belly. I'm really hoping he will be okay with having a little one around and won't be mean to them. It weird to think we will have two kids in just a few months!
As I said before we decided to wait to tell our families until I was further along, and Christmas sounded like a fun time to do it! However my mom, being the mom she is had realized I hadn't talked about getting pregnant for awhile. I got a call one night asking me why that was so I just told her. The other thing I didn't know was that she had me on speaker so my dad and brothers had heard too. I made them all promise not to tell anyone until we told people on Christmas, and they agreed not to. We had found Kyler the shirt he was wearing on Christmas and decided that would be a cute way to let everyone know. Since my family already knew there wasn't to big of a shock there. When we got to JJ's families house his mom was the first one to spot it and said,"Is that an announcement?" and JJ said Yes! He then went on to show everyone Kyler's shirt. I think he was a bit excited to tell everyone! We then posted it one facebook and on here so everyone else could know!
Its already been a rough couple of months being pregnant! We found out on November 17th, which I was only about 3.5 weeks along, and already feeling really crappy. The day I turned 4 weeks was when the throwing up began and it has been an everyday thing since, so its getting really old! I can't believe how exhausted I have been this time too, some of it could be chasing Kyler around but I am so tired all the time! This pregnancy has already been alot harder than when I was pregnant with Kyler. I'm hoping things will ease up once I'm in the second trimester. I am also very excited to know if its a boy or a girl. Since I have been so sick everyone is guessing a girl, which I would love, but I will also love having another little boy around Kyler is kinda out numbered. We have my first doctors appointment in just a few days and I can't wait to see this little babe and I'm hoping everything will be okay with them. I'm still really nervous about it. I just need to stop worrying to much about it I guess and just know everything will be okay.
Well thats the story of how we found out about baby number 2, and some of the craziness that followed!! Sure can't wait to have them here!

Our Christmas Announcement!!

He's shirt say "Snow happy I'm going to be a Big Brother"

Harris Baby #2 is on its way!!
They should be here middle to late July. My first doctors appointment is next Monday so we will know more then:) All the early pregnancy symptoms have hit hard and I'm hoping that the second trimester will be alot kinder to me than the first has been. I don't know if Kyler quite understands whats going on, but he will come and touch my belly when we ask him where the baby is! He's been pretty good with the new babies in the family so I'm hoping that will last and we won't have to many problems when ours arrives.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day started out bright and early for us. We got up at a quarter to 6 and started the day. Santa found us and spoiled us:) As you can see in the pictures. Kyler was so cute and came down and started playing with everything that was out for him. After a few minutes of playing with his toys we had him sit down and open the gifts under the tree. He was still pretty tired and wasn't to into ripping the presents open so we are lacking in pictures this year due to helping him, but managed to get a couple. After we opened the presents under the tree we were off to my parents to exchange gifts and then tto J.J's parents. We then went to my aunts for lunch and got to spend time with my mom's family. Kyler loved being around all the little kids! While we were there my brother Colton called again and we got to talk to him somemore. That evening we went upto my Grandma and Grandpa Abplanalp's until Kyler started to get really tired and then we headed home and enjoyed the rest of the day relaxing. We hoped all our friends and family had a great day and a very Merry Christmas!!

For journal purposes I'm going to post what we got and pictures are below that:)

Kyler:

Cozy Truck, Tool Set, Vaccum, Frog Chair, 2011 Bear, Christmas Turtle, a bunch of goodies in his stocking, xylophone, piano, puzzles, broom, shapes ball, basketball hoop, lightening mcqueen car, a bunch of disney movies, pajamas, Cars raceway, books, Doodle pad, Mega blocks, clothes, piggy bank, NYC taxi cab, quilt.

J.J.:

Shoes, Nintendo 3DS, a bunch of games, a bunch of movies and tv series, money, clothes, pj's.

Sharon:

Shoes, Zumba, Heart rate monitor, wii games, treadmill, exercise bike, movies/tv series, quilt, money, CTR ring, pj's, decorations, Holiday Barbies(this was so neat! My Great Grandmother collected them and my Great Grandpa gave her one each Christmas, when she past she gave each one of the girls in the family one. Well J.J. decided to do the same. He went and found the ones from 2009, 2010 and then this year, the year I was born, and the reproduction of the first one. It was by far the most thoughtful gift I have ever gotten, since I remember as a litttle girl going and looking at my GGM's everytime we were at her house and admiring them:)

Pre-Christmas Day fun!

On December 19th we got our first new nephew!! Ryan Don Jacob was born at 9:47 weighing in at 9lbs. and 12oz. and was 20 inches long!! Mom and baby are now doing great after a few complications during delivery and are staying at J.J's parents house right now. We got to meet him on Christmas Eve:) He is sure a cutie!!

After we spent sometime over there we headed over to my parents for most the night. Our tradition is to watch the Nativity Story. Its my moms favorite and we have done it since it came out. We then do a fish pond! This is something we all look forward to and I couldn't wait to see how Kyler would react to it. I just wish I would have remembered my camera! Kyler loved throwing the bowl over the blanket and getting a toy or a treat back. My mom always goes to the dollar store and gets stuff for it so to him it was just as good as regular presents. To the rest of us however we just laugh and make fun of what we get but its so fun to see everyones reactions. After the fish pond we open a gift we opened what my Grandma Jones gave us. She gave me a bunch of stuff to decorate with and she gave J.J. some candy and money. Kyler got a new piggy bank! After a little while we got the first call from my brother Colton in Honduras:) It was so nice to hear from him. We even got to talk to his Companion and look forward to meeting him when he gets home. I can't believe in just 5 months Colton wll be home and Derek will be leaving. 2012 will be one busy year! After talking to him for awhile we went and looked at the lights and then came home. We let Kyler open one of his presents from us. He got the Lion King and some PJ's!

After Kyler went to bed we were Santa's helpers and put out what Santa left for him. I will post those pictures in the next post:)

Zoo Lights and Temple Square

Tonight we decided to take Kyler down to ZooLights at Hogle Zoo and then to go to Temple Square and see the lights there. Kyler absolutely loved it!! It was so much fun to see his reactions to all the different lights. These were a few of our favorites:

^^first time seeing Santa and he gave us $20 to Macy's and some crayons and coloring page for Kyler for going and seeing him:)

^^Riding Trax to Temple Square

^^The Nativity at Temple Square

^^The Best Family Picture we could get

Christmas Card

For those of you whose address I don't have here is our Christmas Card this Year!

Another Christmas Post :)

I found this Christmas Countdown at Shopko on sale and since I've been wanting one so Kyler could count down the days we bought it. And since Kyler won't leave it alone we decided to put it up on the shelve above our TV and then we will take it down and let him move the tracker and then put it back up. He is so funny when he gets it on the right spot I'll say yay! and he starts clapping he's so proud of himself when he does something good! Again these aren't very good quality pictures since they are from my cell-phone but they work:)

^^picked the ticker right off

^^putting it back on^^decided to put it on Santa's head

^^finally after about 5 minutes got it on the right spot

^^all the presents are wrapped and under the tree!

Kyler has been so good not to get into the presents I've been so surprised! He'll go towards them but will stop and just look at them. He still gets so excited when we let him turn on the lights and they light up. He tries to say pretty, but its more like "ity". But we are starting to hear a few words a little bit! I've been so happy about that, it'll be nice when you can clearly hear them but for now we'll settle for the little tries at them. Well that's all for now:)

The Reason For The Season

Shepherds came to worship Him

Wise men came from afar

But the light that they were seeking,

was more than just a star

He was Heaven's gift Sent down to earth

Mary's little boy

Wrapped there in swaddling clothes

was peace, and love, and joy.

there's never been a greater gift

God gave His only Son

To whom extended mercy and grace to everyone

The reason why this King would come

be born within a stall

was to die for me at Calvary

The GREATEST Christmas Tree of All

From a stable in Bethlehem

to a cross upon a hill

Praying Father, please not my will,

but thine to fulfill.

from the safety of a virgin's womb

to be hung on Calvary

where the light of the world decorated

The GREATEST Christmas tree

The Soldiers that nailed Him there,

No beauty could they see,

yet an ornament of love,

they were hanging on that tree

no ribbons, no angel top just a thorny crown

and the gift He gave to all the world was

HIS BLOOD FLOWING DOWN

From a stable in Bethlehem

to a cross upon a hill

praying, Father, please not my will,

but thine to fulfill

From the safety of a virgin's womb

to be hung on Calvary

where the light of the world decorated

the GREATEST Christmas tree!