One Cool Toy

Jingle Bells by Canyon

Christmas 2009

I was pretty excited to share this special holiday with my baby brother this year. I sat him down so he could participate in opening gifts with me. He was very curious at first. Then he became very upset at me. Clearly he didn't know that this tool set is MINE! It didn't take him long before he found a special gift just his size.

Thanks grandpa and grandma for sharing this special day with us and for an amazing meal!!

Grandpa is so silly!

My favorite part was going to see some very special lights and sitting on grandpas lap in the front seat!!

CANNELL FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER

2009 has been an amazing year for us and we have so much to be thankful for. The highlight of our year was the birth of Sawyer John. He brings us so much joy and we have enjoyed watching him grow into such a fun boy. He is completely opposite of Canyon and keeps us on our toes. He has a contagious smile and boundless energy!

Canyon has the sweetest heart and loves having Sawyer for a brother. He is starting to talk more and more and amazes us with new phrases every day. Canyon has an adventurous spirit and enjoys his time outside. He is quite the little hiker and loves to collect rocks and sticks. We have discovered a musical gift in him and are looking forward to watching him explore that even more. His one request for Christmas this year is a "new" guitar.

Greg is still in the car business and we are thankful for his job during a tough season of unemployment. He works very hard and provides for us so I can stay home with the boys. He is an amazing daddy and the best husband I could ever ask for. He makes us feel so loved and does things for us daily to remind us just how much.

I have been busy being a full time mommy and wife which is what I value most. I also have my own business selling jewelry and love the time I get away and bless ladies with free jewelry. I also teach a stroller fit class and am looking forward to starting a new sculpt boot camp this next year and helping moms reach their goals. I have such a passion for this and am thankful to share it with other moms.

Other memorable events from this year...Going to South Dakota with grandpa and grandma Dosmann and meeting Steve and Steph and the kids there. We all went to Mt Rushmore and had fun riding the trolley downtown. We also took a trip to Moab this fall and had an amazing time hiking and exploring such a beautiful place. Katie and I ran the Moab 1/2 marathon together and we were thankful to have her with us on this great trip! Our many visits to Rocky Mountain National Park are always fun and we were able to watch our little Canyon ride his bike for the first time there...a great memory for his daddy!

We also had fun getting to see all of Loris sisters this year (we missed you Jan), dad's sisters Irma (Russ) and Marilyn (Roger) twice!

Greg turned 40 this year and we were able to visit with some of his closest friends. Thanks to all of you for making this a special day for Greg.

A special memory for me was our friend Peggy coming to stay with us right after Sawyer was born. Peggy you are a beautiful person and I thank God for bringing you into our lives. You are such a giver and bless everyone that crosses your path every day. We love our little Speedster and look forward to our next visit with you!

Having kids has been our biggest adventure yet and we are blown away by the love we have for Canyon and Sawyer. As our boys grow fast before our eyes we realize just how soon the time we spend with them will be gone. As easy as it is to get caught up in the day and feel overwhelmed by the to do list that can never be accomplished, I am reminded quickly by Sawyers smile and Canyons hugs what's most important.

Greg and I are both blessed to have all of our parents with us still and realize how important the time with them is as well. Greg's dad Harold and wife Jasmine are living in Florida and we hope to see them again this spring. Greg's Grandma is still with us too and hope that she will be able to meet our boys in the near future.

Greg's mom Judy is living here in Fort Collins and loves to spend time with the boys. It is the one thing she looks forward to the most.

My dad Vern and step Mom Lori live just down the road and we are especially thankful for their giving spirit and time they spend with the boys. Dad witnessed the birth of Sawyer and also cut his cord, a memory I will cherish forever. Lori is an amazing grandma and Canyon has so much fun being creative with her. She always does the coolest crafts with him...creating memories that he will never forget! I see the love they have for our boys and it warms our hearts every time they are around them. Thank you for all you have done for us this year and we love you so much! We hope that Great Grandma Sims will meet our boys soon too!

My mom and her husband Keith are living in Minnesota and we have been able to see them twice this year. They came up to visit us after Sawyer was born and we were able to surprise them recently with a visit to MN. Thanks to Skype the boys get to see and talk to grandma almost every day. Canyon loves this time with her and Sawyer tries to jump through the computer to touch her. Mom you have overcome so much and we know our time with you is so precious!! We love you and continue to pray that you will be with us for a very long time!

We look forward to a new year and more adventures with our boys. Thank you to all of our family and friends who have touched our lives in so many ways this year. We love you all and wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love, Greg, Stacie, Canyon, Sawyer, and Halee!

Holiday Baking

I have become an expert at baking these days and find it rather addicting. I am a very careful decorator and love to be creative!

The best part of being a baker is the eating part. Mom seems to let me eat "tookies" when I bake so it's a great incentive for me to get a special "teet" (treat)

Baby Sawyer really enjoys watching me and tries to sneak a cookie if I'm not careful guarding them.

Grandma always does fun things with me when mom is bye bye. We made special marshmallow balls and they were super yummy! Thanks grandma for loving us so much and for always doing the best projects with me! And grandpa for always taking time out of your day to play with me. I love you so much and am so thankful to have grandma and you close by!

This is my cheerio pretzel necklace I made one day for a fun activity.

I recommend patience when trying this! The end result is worth it!

Trip To Minnesota

My trip to Minnesota was so much fun I already miss everyone! All my cousins were there to meet us and the best part was surprising my grandma! She had no idea we were about to walk in the door and spend the next 5 days with her! Grandpa Keith was so much fun! He even slept on this very chair just so we could have a bed to sleep in.

Baby Sawyer liked grandpa too! Thanks grandpa Keith for your amazing heart and for taking such good care of our grandma!

Grandma gave us both special baths in her very special sink! Grandma we love you so much and are so thankful to be able to see you everyday on the computer.

Grandma gave baby Sawyer cheesecake...shhh don't tell mom!

Breanna is a great cousin to have because she is full of energy and loves to play with us!

She was even gentle with my baby brother!

Which is a good thing because I am a little protective of this little man!

After seeing Sawyer take a bath in the special sink, I knew I'd have to give it a try!

This is my newest cousin Delaney! And my uncle Steve! I hope that I get to see everyone soon! Thanks Aunt Steph for coming to get us at the airport and for my special train you gave me. I take it every where I go and LOVE it!

8 Months Photo Shoot "Our Little Angel"

Sawyer is growing fast and is so full of energy! He started out this sweet little baby and is now our wild little monkey! The only time he wants to sit still is when he is sleeping! It took him 71/2 months to realize that it's a good idea to sleep through the night. It makes everyone so much happier! We have come to realize that teaching Sawyer "NO" is going to be a BIG challenge. He is stubborn and on the move! If he wants something he is on a mission to get it!

He is always smiling and has the cutest belly laugh!

If we had a monkey suit it would be much more fitting but the angel was too cute to resist for this photo shoot!

He is already climbing on everything and surprises us every day with some new trick!

This is his "look at me" look!

We love this little guy more than you could ever imagine! He keeps us on our toes and is so full of love! We look forward to his next move!

Christmas with Grandma via Skype

A big package came in the mail and there was no waiting at this house! Grandma called right away and we had to open our presents immediately! This is a very special book I got from Grandma and Grandpa Dircks. What makes it so special is that when I open it up Grandma and Grandpa are reading "It was the night before Christmas" to me! This is one gift every child should have! I also got the movie Ice Age and a super cool remote control Mater!!

Mater is one cool guy!

Grandma also sent me some really cool stickers that I put up on my window all by myself. Mommy was amazed at how good I did.

Baby Sawyer got a very soft doggy that he loves to sleep with. I wonder what my brother is thinking about in his sleep?

Birthday Parties Galore!

This weekend I was able to take part in 2 birthday parties!! I discovered that balls enclosed in a small area can be a ton of fun! This is my friend Emerson and her mommy and daddy! She turned 1!

This is me eating a delicious cupcake at my friends Princess Party. I was her prince as you can tell by my King hat. Never mind the burger part:)

And this is my princess Morgan. She turned 4!

Thank you to all my friends for including me on your special day!

How to keep my brother from eating MY cookies!

One of my favorite things to do is help mommy bake! It's what I choose to do when I get to pick a mommy time activity! Since building towers is my second favorite thing to do, I took it upon myself to build an ingredient tower! We made GREEN Christmas trees and put RED sprinkles on them. Who knew learning colors could be so much fun!

My time with mommy quickly came to an abrupt halt when my brother woke up and wanted to help out. It was now my job to keep him away from my cookies!

You can't take your eyes off this little guy! He is quick!!

This is me eating my last BLUE cookie. We also made RED wreaths. I had to sit in between my brother and the cookies since he was determined to help himselft to one!

He even tried to take it right from my hand...can you believe how brave he is?

I tried to tell him a story about how cookies are only good for big brothers but he wasn't buyin it!

It's hard to see but I am showing you all the colors of my cookies on my face. Yes, mom let me have one of each color plus some cookie dough...watch out nap cuz I'm not comin!

ALL GONE!

It's a good thing Sawyer thinks I am funny!