Giving Thanks!

This year we have A LOT to be thankful for!  Last year I can remember thinking how different our lives were going to be at the next Thanksgiving,... I can't believe that time is already here!  This has been a year of such unimaginable joy and happiness I cant even begin to try and put it into words.
We spent Thanksgiving in Heber this year.  The whole family (minus Cassie and Marc Jr. -p.s. we missed you guys so much!) went up Wednesday to spend the night before Thanksgiving.  It was a great couple of days full of amazing food, family, and fun.  What more could you ask for?

We don't get to see Meghan and Jason too much so it was fun to spend time with them!

Meghan and Jason brought their dogs Barley and Lakota.  Hayli could't have been happier, it was probably what she was most thankful for this Thanksgiving.  :)

 A bunch of the extended family also came up for dinner and it was so fun for Hayli to be able to meet some of her cousins!  Elli is just two months younger then Hayli and it was fun to watch them interact with each other.  Hayli was so happy to have someone her size there!  It reminds me of me and my cousin Emily.  We have pictures very similar to these.  :)

Hayli had her first Thankgiving dinner...

So gross, I know!

She actually liked it a whole lot more then I thought she was going to....doesn't look like it in these pictures though. haha

We played some fun games one night trying to name all the funny cities in Utah.

Playing some music with Uncle Corey.

Since Derek had to work such long hours that weekend, I stayed up in Heber with Hayli while everyone else left Thursday night.  Hayli got so sick again that night (second time in two weeks!) so the next day she sported her super cute comfy hat that I am absolutely in love with!

So while I ended up with a sick baby, it was still a great Thanksgiving!  Hope everyone else had a great one too!

Happy Halloween! (better late then never)

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I was so excited to have Halloween with Hayli!  Derek and I had been thinking for months about what we wanted Hayli to be.  At first we were thinking Pebbles from The Flinstones, but one day Hayli was wearing a big red bow and I just knew that she had to be Mini Mouse.  I was Mini Mouse for one of my first Halloween's, and its just so girly and cute that it couldn't have been more perfect for her!  I had Sally Photography come and take some cute Halloween pictures of her a few weeks before and they turned out so adorable!!

Derek and I had to work for a little bit that morning so Tracy and Grandma Faye came down to watch Hayli.  She was already all pooped out by the time I got back to her!

Sleepy Mini.

We all drove up the Heber and had a lazy afternoon just hanging out.

Grandpa taught Hayli the funniest thing, when you say "soooo big!" she will lift both her arms up high above her head!  Sometimes she acts like she has to put so much effort into getting them up. haha

I was SO excited for Hayli to see all the trick-or-treaters, so I let her take a late nap hoping it would help her stay up a little later, this turned out to be not such a great idea.  At first Hayli loved the trick-or-treaters. We would take her to the door every time the door bell rang and she would get so excited, but after a while all she cared about was watching the dog react to the trick-or-treaters.  haha.  She did love to sit with the whole bowl of candy right in front of her and just dig through it like she was going to eat it all!

The closer it got to bedtime the more agitated she started to get.  I guess she is too smart for my tricks.  When it came time to actually put her down she was so overtired that she would not fall asleep.  All she wanted to do was play and she was being to stinking cute that it was impossible to stay strong and get her to sleep.  I think she was up till 10:45pm that night. haha. 

Overall, it was a great night, and we can't wait till next Halloween!

Falling In love With Fall

This Coulam family LOVES the fall!!  And this fall has been so beautiful here in Utah!  Derek and I really wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather with Hayli, to make sure she got outside a lot before it got too cold.  So, everyday I take Hayli out, either on a walk, or to the park, or we just sit and play in the leaves in our front yard.  Hayli loves to be outside!  She gets so excited just by opening the front door!

I love this!  Sometimes she thinks she's shy!

We love taking her to the park on Sunday's after church.  We have been doing it ever since she was just a few months old and it was warm enough to take her.  Sometimes we play on the playground then walk around the park while Hayli sleeps in the stroller.  Other times, we just sit and play on the grass while Derek kicks a soccer ball around with some friends.

Just chillin.

Hayli's first interaction with a soccer ball.  Daddy was so proud!

She loves the ducks!  I really think she could just sit there happily and watch them for hours!

 

On Derek's days off we really try and go out somewhere fun.  A few weeks ago we went up to Sundance and spent the day.  It was breathtaking up there!  Derek talked me into taking Hayli on the chairlift which almost gave me a heart attack, but she loved it and it was definitely worth it in the end!

Gorgeous!  There is nothing like Fall in Utah!

Derek had to hold Hayli because I got too scared she was going to fall.

She loved it!

But sadly even as I write this, snow is falling outside my window, which means that our time spent outside is probably going to lessen.  But then again, who knows what the winter has in store for us.....