My Birthday

Matt took me to Santa Paula/Camarillo for a few days for my birthday.  We had so much fun—it was perfect and wonderful—thanks babe for such an amazing time.  Matt decided we don’t have a lot of pictures of us together—so everywhere we went we took a picture (they all look the same!)—I am not photogenic at all, but Matt sure looks amazing—I am so glad that we have these for our memories!

My Birthday Dinner (at Carrows—we were tired and hungry from traveling and it was the only place around, really, that we recognized—I am not daring when it comes to food—or anything, really—I like what I know—kinda boring, I guess!).

At IHOP:

Bowling:

Love this picture of Matt:

We found a great steak house in the middle of nowhere:

This is the place we stayed at—the Glenn Tavern Inn.  It was built in something like 1914 (it has been renovated since :)).  It was a cute little place, very inexpensive, unique and different and in the middle of nowhere (loved it!).

Christmas

This Christmas was super busy, as most holidays are, but we had a lot of fun.  My family was all together for Christmas for the first time in 2 years.  We had Christmas eve and New years eve at our house and Christmas Day at the Burnett Home, then the Sage Home, then the Anderson Home—

Here are some pictures:

Christmas Eve—everyone together and then my parents’ six grandchildren(sorry, Matt hasn’t had a chance to take the windows and flash out of the background, yet)…

 

Christmas morning at our house (Jackson checking to see if Santa ate the cookies we left):

Jackson bought Reagan a scarf at his school’s little boutique:

 

Happy Birthday Weeze!  We made her a huge bowl of mashed potatoes (her favorite).

Christmas morning/afternoon at the Burnett’s":

Poor Carson!  Madie loved him and wouldn’t leave him alone—kept tackling him.

 

Christmas at the Sages:  

Piano Lesson

Jackson had his first piano lesson today.  When Matt first suggested I give him lessons, I didn’t think that would be such a great idea—but, I love it! 

By the way, I can’t believe they now have one book for learning piano—I use to have to carry around theory, solo, and lesson, plus any additional music I was learning—great idea to put the three in one book!  He also began the first line in “I am a child of God.” 

I am so excited to practice with him this week and then to begin teaching Reagan in a year or two!  It has inspired me to try to find some time to begin practicing again--

Madison…

Is ten months old and weighs 27 pounds and is 32 inches long. Wow—

Looking Back

Looking back on 2009—a year of rich blessings and important lessons.  The most important thing that happened to our family is we welcomed little (although chubby:)!) Madie into our home—we love her happy, inquisitive nature and now wonder how we ever got along without her!

Here is 2009 in bullet form (so as not to bore everyone, but still have it for our family history):

• Madison Ashley Sage joined us March 7th
• I passed my Master’s Exam—finally, after seven years (technically in December 08)
• Our ward was split—said goodbye to a lot of new/old friends
• Jackson started Kinder and played soccer for the first time and lost his first tooth
• Reagan began preschool
• Matt was put in the Eastvale 2nd Ward Bishopric
• My family was altogether again (it has been two years) for Christmas
• Madie got her first tooth, crawled for the first time and had her first Christmas.

We feel so blessed to have had such a great and challenging year and look forward to new beginnings in 2010!  Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Paper Angels

For Family Home Evening on Monday, the kids made paper angels and then wrote on the angels a gift that they could each give to Jesus (December Friend) to put on our tree. I don’t think they quite understood.  Jackson wanted to give him a gun and Ray wanted to give him a camera.  We tried a couple of times and they finally said:  “Be nice to my little sisters” and “Be happy and laugh”.  Then they proceeded to draw belly-buttons on their paper angels.  Whatever…some things work, some don’t. 

Photo Shoot

Everyone who has kids or has tried to take pictures of kids know how difficult it is…Our photo shoot the other day of the kids was difficult, but out of a couple of hundred pictures we managed to find one. 

First, it took about an hour or so to bathe everyone and get them in their Sunday best.  Then, the light wasn’t so great, so Matt took time trying to find a good spot.  Next, the grass was wet (at 1pm!), so we had to put down plastic lids under the blanket.  And then, huge gusts of wind were blowing the kids every which way.  We finally got them seated—Jackson whining because we took him away from his computer, Reagan pouting for any number of reasons, and Madie was chewing on a toy gun—but at least she was smiling!

In the end, they are all adorable to Matt and I and some more fun Sage Family memories were made!

Here they are:

Toy gun in the way:

 

Too much wind:

Too much wind, again:

What was so funny?:

We lost one:

Love this one, except for my pant’s leg:

Madie was smiling in every picture—she was the easiest to work with, this time:

Ray was done with Madie touching her:

This was the one we finally chose:

Love these two pictures of Madie: