The Pounds-2013 Christmas letter

 

This year has been full of fun adventures and even a new family member.

That’s right a new family member. We had Jordan Evan Pound on February 13th. He has been so much fun to watch to learn to sit up, crawl and start playing with his older siblings. He is such a happy baby and we love him so much! His big brothers are so good to look out for him and make sure he is happy.

Gavin has been adjusting to become a great big brother. He is good at making Jordan laugh and LOVES playing with his big brother, Austin. He has made some good friends that he loves to play with and is excited to go into primary as a sunbeam in a couple of weeks.

Austin has been having lots of fun learning at Preschool. Gavin can’t wait for his turn with all the fun papers and stories Austin comes home with. He was been making lot of friends as well even if he doesn’t know their names.

Debra has been working on her crafts, making freezer meals and does a child exchange every Tuesday with one of her friends in Smithfield. That means for 3 hours she has 6 kids and then 3 hours with none. It has been awesome for her to have that time to herself and get projects done. She has just been put in as the Beehive advisor in the ward and has really enjoyed being back with her girls. (she was activity days leader for the 10 and 11 year olds prior to this calling.)

(Busch gardens: ride with mom)

Andrew has been school or work at all times with a little church and family on the side. He is still working on his thesis. He is planning on getting it done by new years or by latest the end of the next semester. It is in Electrical engineering and then on to the doctorate. Andrew also took a full time job with Space Dynamics Lab which keeps him busy from 7 to 5. Taking this job also makes it so we will be staying in Smithfield longer but we should be able to graduate with no student loans debt!

 

(Jordan with Daddy)

As for our adventures this year we got to go out to Virginia for the extended Pound and immediate Pound reunions. Debra’s oldest sister came along to help. We went to Busch Gardens amusement park, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Washington D.C, and New York City. We even got to go on a passenger train from Washington D.C to New York. Austin was in heaven even if it was 4 am. He was pointing out everything. Jordan was strapped to Debra and slept everywhere as we went and Austin and Gavin had fun running all over the place, seeing family and falling asleep in the double stroller as mom and dad ran around from place to place.

( Austin is being carried away in the current)

2013 was a great year and we look forward to 2014. See you there!

Love,

  Andrew, Debra, Austin, Gavin and Jordan Pound

December

 

I”m so excited to get this post done! Once I get this done I will have finally finished up the 2013 year! Sure its the end of April right now but hey better late than never right? :)

Austin’s B-day. We told him to go and see his wrapped present under the Christmas tree. (Presents under the tree is my tradition. I always loved having my bday presents under the tree. It was the only perk of being born in the month of December. I wanted to make the effort for Austin to always have that tree up for him too. His birthday is the 1st.) Well he came running in with this…..I guess we didn’t tell him he couldn’t open it yet. Our bad. At least he loved them.

 

Left picture: Boys decided to put on the stockings as stockings. So cute! Right picture: Jordan had a blow out at the ward party there were no pants in the diaper bag. No worries. Andrew found these beauties.

Eating sushi for my birthday. I’m so predictable. Nothing is better than sushi. They give free ice cream on you b day too.

   

Jordan had been crying so much, refusing to go to sleep. I finally gave in and found that he just conked out, like this. Folded in half.

Lee Christmas party: Santa and Mrs. Claus included.

Gavin had thrown up in the car on our way there. Oddly enough no one sitting next to him knew he had. Chad was even back there with them. Poor kid. He didn’t get to enjoy the party. He basically just slept in the foyer.

Jordan on his way to help daddy with the gifts.

  

Grandpa Pound

Us getting our gift

   

Jordan’s first time with Santa.

Stockdale’s Christmas Eve party. First up Christmas Bingo.

And then Time bomb. I really wonder how this became one of the games. Originally we played this game with an actual time bomb game. It was a black ball with a red portion on top that you twisted to start the timer. So yes a bomb. That says Christmas Spirit all over it right? Nothing like blowing up your family Russian roulette style. The Timebomb has now died so we use a hot potato now.

 

Christmas day at the Stockdale’s.

Happy New years!

 

November

 

We didn’t get a lot of pictures taken this month so look at just see the cuteness that is my children :)

  

Austin opening his birthday present a little early. Jordan totally posed for that last picture.

 

October

Austin’s field trip with his preschool to the fire department. Miss Jaci allowed Gavin to go around with them. It really made his day!

Jordan is really starting to get around now.

The Pumpkin walk.

 

Hat day at the book preschool the library puts on. That is a fun half hour! They read a bunch of books to the kids and then they have an activity for them to do at the end. So cute!

 

Andrew turned the big 3 0 this year so to make his birthday special I gave him 30 gifts! I’m the best wife ever! :) I gave him things like a mug and t shirts with saying like 30 and still sexy, and this is what awesome and 30 looks like. They were fun to make. I had cards and pictures done by the boys, money for a movie night together,

Made a cake and a pie, coin holder thingy, an oboe session to see if he can still play it, pencil holder, a small dish of spider rings. (Andrew’s mom said that’s how they taught him to count was with little spider or lizards. dish scrubbers (that his job he’s in charge of)

30 skittles, 30 pennies and 30 quarters, gag gift of trick toilet paper, and 30 pens. That’s all I can think of right now. It was way fun to put together, and be able to show Andrew how much we love him!

Andrew decided to teach the kids how to start collecting stamps. They loved having the attention from daddy with something he does. Of course, they ended up ruining every one of them since we left them out to dry and they found pens to put their own creations on the stamps. Andrew was mad at first but took a deep breath and said the stamps weren’t his anyway. If that’s what they want to do with their stamps that’s up to them.

Looking through the pictures I found these treasures. The kids found my camera and took pictures. I must say they all turned out pretty good. And yes, that’s a spider in Gavin’s fingers...