'Tis Newsletter Season

My last post was all about Ames. I hope you enjoyed that. So now here are some current facts about Air and I. 

Pretty boring stuff! Enjoy!

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Aaron received a calling in our church this month as the Assistant Ward Clerk and now spends a few hours before and after church on Sundays working and etc. Um, he's in heaven with this calling and is ridiculously glad to be serving in the church again.

His health has been on what we call "a good cycle" since October and we are counting our blessings and crossing our fingers that we don't run into another "bad cycle" too soon. We found a new doctor this month and have some hope again that we'll find some diagnosis from lots more tests.

While Aaron was shoveling our driveway a month ago he slipped on the ice and caught himself, but pulled a leg muscle pretty severely and has been limping around everywhere and in a lot of pain since then (a long time). We are thinking about him going to physiotherapy if he can find a second of time, also that's what the dr recommended.

Aaron is still managing group homes for people with disabilities. His work is extremely... busy? But also a huge blessing for us because it pays for everything we need. I think we need a vacation soon.

Aaron is the best husband and the best Daddy in the world to Ames, and Ames knows it. Whenever Aaron is around, Ames is ALWAYS right by his side and making him laugh. They are awesome together…

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And me: I just got a new calling in our Ward too. After working in the Primary presidency for a year and a half, I was released and called to Cub Scouts... crazy. I am really going to miss primary, I was seriously just getting into a really great groove when I got released. Luckily I already know all the boys in cubs, and they are great so that helps a lot.

My health is great and I am very blessed for that. I've been doing most of our shoveling myself since Air pulled his muscle, I don't really mind it much since we've got the best shovel ever this year.

I finished nursing Ames at the beginning of November. Ames and I both loved nursing and it was really hard to wean him. But hey! I'm not a dairy anymore! Plus, I don't have to be with him every night to nurse before bed. A little freedom.

My job is great... I cook and clean and grocery shop and play. I am so blessed to have a husband who allows me to have the best job at home, while he has a not-so-perfect job away.

I love being a Mommy and a wife and hope I’m doing ok at it… I know I’ve definitely still got a lot to learn.

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We are thankful for this time of year that we can remember Christ and his example and the things he taught while he was on Earth, and the enormous sacrifice he did so that we can live with Him again one day.

Thank you all for being here and thinking of us so often. We love you all and hope you have a beautiful white Christmas and a fantastic new year. May your days be merry and bright :)

I made you cookies

Love, A&A&A Gusa

.Ames facts at 16 months

1. When Ames wants my attention these days I often hear him calling “hunny-hunny-hunny!”, because he calls me and his daddy ‘hunny’ now. And I guess that’s what we call each other a lot.

2. Lately Ames’ favorite show is Looney Tunes. Whenever he wants us to turn it on he shouts “hop-hop!”. Bugs Bunny is his favorite character. He will watch it intently and when its over he will wave and say “bye”.

3. When Ames wants something that he can’t reach he will yell “PWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” (please). We seriously only had to tell him to say please maybe twice before he started doing this all. the. time. And it is really hard to say no when he’s being so polite.

4. Ames is a cuddle-bug and regularly comes to me throughout the day for a “hu?” (hug). He holds on tight around my neck for a long time and sometimes pats my back a little or plays with my hair. My hair is his favorite.

5. Ames will try to repeat anything you ask him to say… unless it’s an animal. Then he will tell you the sound it makes instead of the name of the animal.

Say owl “hoo”, say tiger/bear/lion/monster “WAAAWRRRR”, say dog “wuh wuh”, say elephant “woo”…

6. Ames doesn’t love vegetables, but I find ways of making him eat them. He LOVES steamed and mashed cauliflower with a little butter. So do we.

7. At church on Sundays we take Ames to nursery (even though he isn’t 18 months yet). We take turns staying with him and he loves it. His favorite primary song is Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam, I caught him singing it by himself one time and he loves to shout out “BEE!” (beam) whenever I sing it to him.

8. I gave Ames his second haircut last Friday. I got really creative and sat him in his bumbo in the bath and filled it with water and toys and gave him a lollipop. I cut his hair while spinning him around in the bumbo and it worked out perfectly. Although… the haircut didn’t turn out perfect. I’m still learning.

9. I was teaching Ames how to smile by saying “Daddy smile” Air would smile, “Mommy smile” I smile, “Ames smile” and then he carefully opens his lips and sticks out his lower teeth and clenches them together, and feels his mouth with his fingers to make sure it was right.

10. Every morning when Ames wakes up, the first thing he does is point out his bedroom door to the Christmas tree and says “tee?”.

11. Every afternoon when the day is at it’s warmest, I dress Ames up in his snow pants, boots, coat, gloves, hat and scarf and we go outside to play. I am amazed by his ability to walk on the slippery ground without falling. He follows me around while I shovel (usually trying to sneak onto the shovel for a ride). And he sticks his mittened hand into piles of snow, to get it all covered, and then he licks it off. Gross.

12. Every night before we put Ames to bed we have family kisses and hugs. I kiss Air, and then Ames sticks his lips right in and we all hum “MmmmmmWha!” and we throw our heads back and all laugh hysterically. I’m not even exaggerating this.

He’s a special boy, this one. And we truly love the stage he’s at right now and how sweet and loving he is. He’s helpful. He’s curious. He’s gigantic (I don’t want him to get any bigger please).

We love you Amesy.

.The Boy Who Hated Santa

At our ward Christmas party this weekend Ames met Santa for the first time.

Look, I’m not sure that this boy would have hated Santa so much in other conditions. You see, the room was LOUD with speakers booming the loudest dance music ever right beside Santa’s chair. Ames was on edge the entire time we were there, and it was only elevated when I handed him over to the stranger with the beard. The boy couldn't even stand to be in that room, let alone sit on Santa’s lap. It wasn't great, but you know, the pictures do make us giggle.

 

↓↓↓Here we are in line to see Santa… next to that blasted speaker↓↓↓

↓↓↓The poor little guy wouldn't even dance, he kept running straight out the door into the quiet halls↓↓↓

 

Otherwise, the party was fun. We really love our ward. Wish we could have stayed longer, but at least we got the rest of our Christmas shopping done afterwards and had a nice dinner out.

Ames is a very interesting little 16 month old now. So smart and funny, but really timid and nervous around large groups of people and loud noises. Hopefully this doesn't last forever.

.gusa gram

Here are the latest instagrams and vines from our phones. Also some pictures and videos that were never posted. This pretty much covers all of November up until the present day. Enjoy!

↓↓↓You can’t tell by looking at him, but Ames loves getting rides in this shovel. He screams when we take him out and follows me around while I shovel, trying to get back in↓↓↓

↓↓↓We’re definitely getting our share of snow//Playing with flashlights in the dark↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Tara came to visit from Hawaii. We miss her↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Spending time outside in the cold//He holds so still when the duck is suctioned to his head↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Our awesome friends fed us American Thanksgiving dinner yum!//The comfiest pants alive (from Costco)(and Ames is making a break for the Christmas tree in the background)↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Had to use my crappy old scissors one last time to open this packaging//We often get stuck waiting at the train near our house↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Ames with his friend Rhys↓↓↓


↓↓↓The things that become hats//Our ward has these “pass it on” dishes going around and I accidentally washed the marker off this one. Oops↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓This is –30* C. Coldest day so far//Aaron’s parents are hilarious. I laughed for so long at this comment↓↓↓

 

.Already Prepared for the Holidays

Yes. We are still alive. It's been a while since I've posted anything, and to be honest I've been ok with that. I've been going through a bit of a computer break and have just been using my phone mostly for things like facebook, email and instagram.

I feel like we had a really great month of November. We got together with lots of friends and did ALL of our Christmas shopping and shipping. We've been having so many fun evenings as a little family playing around the house with our boy and listening to Christmas tunes and introducing Ames to everything. He is such a sponge these days and just seems to understand everything. I wish I could describe to you the joy he gives us... or tell you every little thing he does, there really is no limit to his antics nowadays. We are constantly amazed by him.

Sometimes, late at night, after a snowy-blowy day, when Ames is fast asleep, Air and I will go put on all our warmest layers of clothing under our warmest coats and gloves and toques and go outside and shovel together. It’s the most romantic time under the glowing light of our home and the Christmas bulbs around our roof. The sparkling snow all around. We love to do everything together when Air isn’t working, because that is such a small allotment of time. My new favorite thing this year has been shovelling our neighbor’s sidewalk too… because it makes me feel good.

Anyway, I took photos of some of the Christmas things around our home. Welcome Christmas.

↓↓↓Our sad little tree looks like a cactus from this angle, it's having a hard time holding those lights up↓↓↓

↓↓↓These little snowmen dolls and nesting penguins are Ames’ favorite toys these days. He’s obsessed with the “baby” ones and showers them with kisses and hugs↓↓↓