Christmas Eve 2016

This is twice in a row that our Christmas Eve tradition of sledding had to be canceled because of not enough or no snow. (but don't worry....we had a VERY WHITE christmas) So we had to improvise! Of course we did the sugar cookies and that is always fun. Then we took off to the bowling alley. 

 Ry wasn't really a fan but the rest of us had fun!

 Gosh I love him.

 and all of them.

 Finally it was time for the christmas story and PJs! Carter STILL thinks its a real gift and is always disapointed when it's "just pajamas." Sorry kid.

 The girls were ecstatic to have matching night gowns! As you can see on Mollie's face.

 And little Rylee loves her's too and gets it out of her drawer to wear every day! Carter was a good sport.

 How blessed am I to have all these sweet little bodies. The excitement was through the roof but they weren't too crazy and we had a very enjoyable evening!

 Everyone then got their blankets and we snuggled up on the couch to watch Polar Express.

                                                       <3 love="" nbsp="" p="">

 And when it was bed time the kids all wanted to crash on the couch together so here they all are passed out by 9pm (with a little help of some kids melatonin...which I thought I was awesome for thinking of BUT I will never give to them again on Christmas eve.....)

 BECAUSE 2:45 AM came VERY EARLY!!!!! Stay tuned for Christmas morning! (no you did not read that wrong)

Other December things....

A few other things before I get to Christmas! Carter lost both his front teeth during christmas break. This picture shows one front tooth still barley hanging on but the one behind it was already grown in! We kept teasing him with the song "All I want for christmas is my 2 front teeth!"

 Chad's work had a big celebration of 50 years of no one being hurt at work! That is quite an accomplishment and so they celebrated with providing a nice dinner at Little America! It was a fun night and a yummy dinner!

 Several bosses stopped at our table and told me how great he was and how he was their "go-to" guy. I'm so happy to be married to a hard working man who does his very best at anything he puts his mind to, who is trustworthy and honest in all his dealings.

We got some nice gift certificates from the company and played a fun game and won a stud finder! He is quite the stud, isn't he?!

 Something I worked on all Fall was this beautiful bedroom set and bed! It was a chalk paint project and I love how it all turned out!

 Me and Mollie snuck away to go see Trolls. Perfect for her ......strange and very glittery for me.

 One of our dear friends and Carter's old primary teacher was diagnosed with breast cancer and on her last day of radiation we wanted to celebrate with her! I made up this cute photo and the kids helped me put together a poster to take to her house.

 We love Sis. Huffman and are so proud of all the tough things she went through to beat cancer! Her hair has started to grow back and it makes us all so happy! She is such a strong woman and even came to Carter's baptism the DAY AFTER she had her surgery to remove the cancer! I couldn't believe it! She has such a big heart and we love her dearly.

AND NOW ON TO CHRISTMAS!!!

Brielle is 3!

On Dec. 10 Brielle turned 3! She was so excited and it was the first year she understood what was going on. She wanted a new bike and at first she couldn't ride it but by the afternoon she was whipping around our island at a high speed. 

 We decorated up our christmas tree to help it feel more birthday like around our house. Here is Brielley with her grandpa patiently waiting for her party.

 And she wanted nothing other than a SUPER GIRL party! I have no idea where this fun idea came from and I never thought I'd be doing a supergirl party for my daughter! And she was so happy for it!

 As you can see. Look at that little face!!

 It was a simple party with grandparents and Eash's and it was perfect. She got tons of gifts, A favorite being..

 A super girl cape and mask. She wouldn't take it off for days.

 Cupcakes and friends!!

 And after the party was over she was quickly back on her bike doing circles in the kitchen! She's a pro now and we are looking forward to spring when she can take it outside!

 My little dear Bri...You ARE super girl! You can do anything you put your mind to and your strong and happy personality will take you far. You will be a good friend to many and have the ability to lift many. I love you more than you will ever know. You hold a special place in my heart and I'm so glad you came to our family.

 And just so I can always remember her sweet morning face....here it is. Who wouldn't smile at this sweet pic!Love you Bri Baby!! (woops she would yell at me for calling her baby!)

18 MONTHS OLD!

RYLEE IS 18 MONTHS! 

This little gal is such a ball of fun and emotions! She is happy 95% of the time and always trying to keep up with the big kids. Her little blonde head and blue eyes are so adorable to us and it is so fun to watch her learn new things. Her vocabulary is developing every day and she loves to be out all the time! Whenever I ask if she wants to go to the store she screams YES! (same if i ask her if she wants dinner!) And as you can see she loves shopping. At Target especially!

 She's a snacker! She is constantly asking for snacks and eats better than any of my kids! It doesn't show though because at her checkup the doc said she was tall and skinny!

 Her and Brielle have become BEST BUDDIES! All day long they chase each other, tickle eachother, and torment each other. I hope they go through life being best buddies. There was a reason they came to earth so close together and I think they needed each other.

 With all the sweetness comes the grouchy times too! I often have people tell me that she gives them dirty looks all the time! She has a feisty little attitude and is really good at getting what she wants. She's the baby!

 She loves to lay down when she colors. She has to have her (chi) blanky She started sucking her thumb (which is totally cute but i want her to stop for her teeth's sake).She loves to be held and snuggle into my neck still. She's a momma's girl but at the same time will go up to complete strangers and expect them to pick her up. She loves older people. She always finds an elderly lady at church to crawl up on her lap to be held. And she sits so still for them!

And the best part about her being 18 months?! NURSERY!!!! She loves to go and we have had no problems with her going without crying. I don't quite know what to do with myself during the last 2 hours of church! It's so peaceful. HOORAY FOR NURSERY!

Its December!

Christmas this year started in November! Even before Chad's birthday. We got a new 9 ft tree which I love but it was used and I knew it was going to take a lot of work to get done since many of the lights weren't working. So I got started early. I only got a few working but I sure enjoyed the tree every day that it was up. Love how it turned out! The kids quickly went to "work" playing santa clause and stuffing various toys under the tree. 

 Chad brought home a beautiful nativity from his mission and I haven't put it up for years. This year I found a perfect spot and the kids all sat around Chad one night while he told them about it. It was a precious moment for sure.

 December brought TONS of snow!  More than we usually see and we usually see quite a bit!  I was happy to see my eager son out there often willing to shovel anyone's sidewalk he could. He's getting to be a great helper! And me....while I stayed snuggled up in my warm home drinking hot cocoa and wearing my cute new christmas sweater.....who am I kidding?! I shoveled plenty of snow and taxi'd kids around through it all. I'm so glad we got new tires on the van this year!

 These two! They are becoming such great friends and I love to hear them giggling and see them playing together all own! Poor Ry fell asleep one day in her high chair during lunch. She was so sleepy and I think we found out she was sick after this. OH THE SICKNESS this winter has been awful! We've all had it. several times!

 One of the great things about Tooele is the winter parade! We go every year and the kids love it. We were lucky to have mild weather for it. Here's the kiddos waving to Santa! Ry didn't know quite what to think but she was glad to be out of the car and stroller!

 We were determined to fit in a Christmas party with friends before the season got too crazy and so on the 3rd we headed to the Lopez's house to party it up....or just do a lot of talking and play one game at the end. And here are the results of that game! Reindeer Antlers!

We are so glad we have these friends! They have made living here all the better. They make us better people and we have such a good time whenever we are all together!!