Christmas Letter

So I did awful with my 30 days of Thankfulness and not much better with getting Christmas cards out. But here is our yearly letter that I wanted to send out.

 

Dear Family and Friends,

Our family has had a wonderful year! We have had some ups and downs this year but all in all we have been very blessed.

Mark and I will celebrate our 9^th anniversary in January. I don't know where the time has gone. Mark is still with the City of Mesa as an Aquatics Programmer and loves it! He also started his Masters program in June so getting back into “school” has been an adjustment. He has liked most of his teachers and is doing really well.

I am still a stay at home mom. I do respite care for a friend’s son every morning and on occasion in the afternoon. I babysit a boy on Tuesday who Mallory loves to play with. I also do a traveling preschool for Mallory once to twice a month. So my days are busy. In March, I got called to be the Primary President in our ward. It has been a fun calling to have and I am enjoying it.

Tessa is five and started kindergarten this year. She goes all day and is doing very well if she can remember to not be too chatty. She is also taking a movement and music class after school one day a week which she likes because many of her friends are in it. Tessa loves to draw, paint or create things. She says that she is a “good artist”.

Mallory is 3 years old. She is a spunky girl! She can keep up and hold her own against her sister. She loves to go to preschool and dance class. Mallory made our family vacation to Sea World in April memorable by breaking her arm the first night in San Diego. She loves princesses and to play dress up.

I think that biggest surprise came in August when my doctor confirmed our pregnancy but announced that it was twins!!! We were shocked to say the least. We were hoping for one healthy baby after having a miscarriage earlier in the year but were blessed with two. So far things are going very well in this pregnancy if you don’t count the being “so big”. We are having a boy and girl sometime between March and April 3rd.

Well, that is us this past year. We know that the New Year will bring more excitement and sleepless nights but also many blessings to our family. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Love,

Mark, Tara, Tessa & Mallory Foote

30 Days of Thankfulness

Day 1: i am thankful for my husband Mark. He works so hard to provide for our family. He is a great dad and husband. He makes me laugh and holds me when i am sad. He is worthy to hold the priesthood and blesses our family with it. I couldn't imagine my days without him.

Day2: i am thankful to be a mom. My days are not perfect neither am I or my girls but i am thankful to have the opportunity to be a mother. I am grateful for the experiences i have as a mom and the chance i have to learn and grow from them. I am excited, nervous and happy to be expecting twins and know that with the Lords help i will make it :)

Day 3: i am thankful for tessa. she loves to have fun. she is learning things everyday. She loves to sing and dance, color and draw. I am excited to see  her grow.  She loves her sister and can bug her sister just the same. I hope she will be excited for the twins and want to help. She still loves to cuddle and tell me “ i love you mommy.”

Day 4: i am thankful for mallory. she is spunky! Mark often asks “where did she come from?'”. She loves to dance, color and draw like tessa. She has a temper which she doesn’t get from me :) She loves to play with friends. She is stingy with her “i love You”s but she loves to be held. she is adventurous and loves her big sister.

day 5: i am thankful for good friends. my friends help, love and respect me and my family. some of us are in the same boat (parents of young children) and others haven’t begun that chapter but we still find time maybe not as often but time to do things together. we worry for each other and want only the very best for one another. I love my friends!

day 6: i am thankful for jobs/careers. i was blessed to be able to be a teacher for a few years and i have both fond and not so fond memories. I am thankful for the countless jobs that Mark and I have had to help provide for our family. I am super grateful that Mark has a career he loves and that he is pursuing a masters degree to help him in his career.

day 7: i am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. it has guided me and upheld me more times than i can count. i know that the gospel is true. i know that i am a daughter of God. i know that families can be forever. I know that by attending the temple it can bless me and my family. i am thankful for all the church callings i have ever had.

day 8: i am thankful for family pizza and movie night which is every Friday. It is fun to have a dinner that i don't struggle to get my girls to eat and then to share a movie with them as we snuggle on the couch.

SoMeBoDy turned 3!!!!

Mallory turned 3 this month. She has been wanting so long for her birthday.

She had a princess party, of course!

She got so many things that she loves! An Ariel and Sofia dress, a Barbie movie, coloring stuff, a princess doll, piggy bank, a stick horse and much more.

    

Mallory is totally her own person…She is spunky, sweet and silly! She keeps up with her big sister and wears mom and dad out most days. She can always make us laugh and we wouldn’t trade her for anything!

1St Day Of School

Tessa started school in August when it was much TOO hot. She is in Kindergarten and goes all day. She also gets to ride the bus. Tessa really likes her teacher and has lots of fun each day. Tessa has realized the joy of Friday…NO homework!

Mallory is doing a traveling preschool 1 day a week. Two other moms and myself each take a turn hosting preschool. It is two hours and she loves to go. Her backpack is bigger than her!

SoMeBoDy turned 5!!!!!

Tessa turned 5 yrs old on the 4th of July!

She had been counting down to the day since school ended in May. Mark and I took them to Bounce U to play and then we meet up with Grandma and Papa O  for lunch. She had a fun morning.

  This was Mallory’s favorite part of Bounce U. She would have taken the thing home with us if we let her. Tessa ended her day with a BBQ at Papa and Grandma Foote house, more presents, and fireworks with friends.

 

Tessa had to wait a week for her friend party. This year she had a luau party! It is tradition to have a piñata and this year Mark made it. He did a fabulous job!

Tessa invited 21 friends/cousins but only 12 were able to come which was perfect! She got some wonderful presents and she was so excited to see her friends.

Happy Birthday Tessa! We love you and hope that you have a fabulous year as a 5yr. old!

Being all Crafty

Look at me being all crafty! I have seen these chicken wire frames and loved them. I decided to make one once i realized that to buy it premade was about $70. I made it for half. Now i have a great place for the girls to hang their art/school work.

This is how Mallory took her nap the other day! Tessa didn’t even see her when she went into open the door.

SEA WORLD

We took the girls to Sea World in April for a vacation. The weather was perfect and the girls did great on the trip ride over. Tessa only asked “are we there yet” a dozen or so times.

Okay so things wee going great… playing in the pool, dinner, went to play at the park by our hotel….and This little girl reached and missed the monkey bars. She came up crying with an arm the didn’t look right or feel right. We rushed her to the nearest urgent care and sure enough she fractured her arm. The doctor splinted it and said she would be good until we got home. She was so brave! She hardly cried and never really complained about it the whole time.

Sea World was great! The rides were fun and the dolphin and shamu show were amazing. The girls got to touch a dolphin so the trip was a success! My parents came with us.

Our seats for the shamu show were awesome! We sat up high but not high enough and we got wet when the shamu splashed. Mallory loved it! Tessa did like getting wet again because she was just drying up from the shipwreck rapid ride where we really got wet.

My dad will probably hate this picture but he had to use a cart because of his knees!

We also went the an Aquarium which was neat. 

yes, Mallory does have a bag on her arm so she can play in the water but not get her arm wet.

 

The Beach was so fun and the girls LOVED going out in the ocean. Next time we could have totally done all day there but not this time with Mallory’s arm.

Tessa and her seaweed castle!

See the people in the center of the photo…that's Mark with one of the girls. They had to take turns because he couldn’t take both at the same time.

Feb./March Madness

This was the best spot that the girls could find to sit.

Mallory decided that the dress-up box made a good house

Mallory playing ring –around- the –roses with a good friend, Virgilio.

 

Tessa wanted to make a bandage on her face!

Mark ripped out a stump in the yard. He probably scared some neighbors when he succeeded getting it out because of all the excited shouting he made.

NEW Calling

Well my life just got a whole lot crazier! I was called to be the Primary President in our ward. AHHHHH! and What!!!!!

I am excited, overwhelmed, nervous, and ready (i think) for this very new experience. Right now I am trying to get organized because i like to be organized. I am reminding myself that i don’t have to have it perfect by Sunday. I was just called on Wednesday.

Wish me luck!!!

Fun with Christmas toys

Daddy and girls in playhouse

Building towers with our new blocks

 

Side note:::::

Torturing our dog Annie

Evening with Grandma and Papa O

My parents took the girls and I to McCormick Steal railroad park. The girls had a wonderful time on the train and carousal.

There were a couple different characters for the children to meet. Tessa wanted to meet all of them and Mallory didn’t want to be too close to any of them.