January

 For New Year's Eve we had such a great party with our Vivint friends who we went to Oklahoma with and also my cousins, who could also be considered part of the Vivint group.  We had boys vs. girls minute to win it and other competitive games.  I love the photo below of Brit giving her sister a pep talk of how to stay focused and beat the guys.  Also, we were playing the pass the orange game, in case some of those photos look oddly inappropriate. 

We started the New Year off by sending up paper lanterns as well as our wish for the coming year. 

New Year's Day we went snow shoeing with the Jensens in my parent's back yard.  Emma did as good as any of the adults.  I'm excited to have this activity to do with her.  

 Both the girls started dance this year and nobody is more excited or more in love with it than Lydia.  I let her choose her own poses and the above photos are what she came up with, including standing next to that little mannequin. 

 It has been a FREEZING month!  There were a couple of weeks where the HIGH didn't get above 4 degrees!!  Look at this icicle, it goes from the roof to the ground, and it's yellow because of the leaves in the gutter. 

 One Sunday we were all home sick and so we decided to make the best fort the girls had ever seen.  We put quite some time into it, but it was so charming when it was all finished.  We dragged our mattresses in there and slept inside there as a family for a week!!  There was a fireplace in there and it kept it nice and cozy. 

This is a random photo I took of Emma inside the fort, blimey this girl has great hair!!

It wasn't much, but we let the girls go sledding one day and it was so fun using the sled my parents used as children, as did I, and now my own children are using it. 

For nearly 7 years I have been warning Ry about the dangers of tickling little girls....it finally happened.  During a tickle fest with Lydia, she peed on him.  

Lydia joined a little Joy School group in our ward.  January was my month to teach.  It was actually pretty fun.  3 year olds are WAY easier to manage than 6 year olds.  

When we found the girls playing in the front entry way with their toys, instead of using their massive play room or fort we built them, well, that was our cue to take down the fort and put away some excess toys.  

There were quite a few days off in January so we had the cousins spend the night one night.  The kids had so much fun together.  Emma was gone to a party but I snapped a quick photo before the boys left.

Christmas Day

 I thought it would be fun to compare previous Christmases in my parent's house.  In 2010 we had Ryan's sister Julie come celebrate with us, last year we lived with my parents, and this year we live near my parents :)

My dad wrote and composed a beautiful song about our Savior that Emma sang for our program, the picture of her kneeling by the manger is part of her musical performance.  Lydia couldn't be left out, so she had Caleb hop on the piano while she sang us Jingle Bells.  I had my parents give the girls their gifts on Christmas Eve so they wouldn't get washed out with the morning's presents.  Emma was over the moon about her new "warm sheets" (flannel.)  Lydia....not so much about her "warm sheets."  Then we had white elephant prizes and the highlight for the kids was the penny auction.

We went outside and set off paper lanterns, a signature activity for this year and to celebrate a Holiday. 

The elf knocked and the kids went RUNNING for bed!!  They crawled right in bed and pretended to be asleep as fast as they could....never to even make a peep or get out of bed until the morning.  Oh how I love that elf knock and all that it represents. 

 I'm very thankful that Santa got my note and was kind enough to take a photo of all the toys that he had laid out for the girls the night before.

The best part of Christmas morning was watching Lydia be reunited with her "Taggy."  On her third birthday we sent her Taggy up to the North Pole for Santa to keep it while Lydia worked on not sucking her thumb anymore.  This blanket had a tag on it, and Lydia would hold the tag in her hand while she sucked her thumb.  This was cute as a baby, but had to stop.  So off the blanket went and she never sucked her thumb again past her third birthday.  Christmas morning Lydia knew her Taggy would be there, and sure enough, she was the happiest I've ever seen her. 

 Doc McStuffins Kit- we have all had MANY check ups.

I love this photo.  It capture the early morning sun rising over the mountains.

  This is my FAVORITE photo of Em.  I just love how full her confidence is in herself.  I know that with time, age, hormones, and mean girls that it will surely decrease.  For now, I try to encourage her every chance I get to love everything about herself.

 

Brave- Bow and Arrow

Ry might have been the happiest of all....finally, not only do we have a decent blender, but the best on the market!!  Blendtech!

The start of many toys and tiny toy parts to assemble

It's fun to see how things change, even though I bed Lydia could still fit in those baby pajamas

We had a yummy breakfast and let things simmer down before I let the girls open their presents from their Grandma and Grandpa.  I don't think it's fair for grandparent gifts to get lumped in with everything else.  They were so thrilled with these gifts, thanks Margo and Clay!

 From Margo and Clay Lydia got a new Minnie Mouse dress up, and Emma gave her the little Minnie Mouse doll. 

We spent the day eating left overs, playing cards, and just RELAXING!  The girls took at least a two hour tub since some of their new toys were tub friendly, this is how their hands looked when they finally got out. 

I can't say enough how thankful I am for all the joy, love and blessings I have in my life.  I am thankful for the outlook I have on life and the clarity in which I can see what is important.  I am so very thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, who loves me....no matter what.

Christmas Part 2

For my family's Christmas party my parents stuck with tradition and got all of us a hotel.  This was our first time staying at a Hilton compared to the Marriott and we loved it!  We stayed downtown Ogden at the Junction and had the best time.  We started with dinner at Olive Garden, then a scavenger hunt at the mall, and a visit to see Santa.

Then we came back to the hotel for dessert and games in our own private room.  We all went swimming and hot tubing and had the place to ourselves.

Of the girl's 28 cousins, these are the only two they live by!!  All the rest live in the North West.  But these four are super darling together and close as can be :)

The next day we went out to breakfast and then headed over to the Junction for bowling and mass amounts of arcade games.

This was such a great way to spend time together and get outside of Cache Valley for a little bit.  I just LOVE my family!

Ry was busy finishing up the last of his finals and it was a great feeling to know that we survived this first of many chapters in this new life of ours. 

In honor of the children of Stoney Brook Elementary we decided to do some random acts of kindness.   We stopped by a nursing home one evening and popped in on a random tenant.  This has been my highlight of the whole Christmas season.  The girls sang her some songs, and she cried, and we just enjoyed a great visit with this WONDERFUL woman.  We have since been back to visit her and there isn't a night that goes by that Lydia doesn't bless Carma in her prayers.  (I don't know why Lydia looks so frightened in the photos below, but she loves this woman despite that look on her face)

Is there anything better than little girl's dresses at Christmas time?

These two cousins of mine ADORE my kids.  They have been SOOOO good to them, above and beyond.  Calling them their first cousins once removed just doesn't cut it, so we just go with Aunt Kylee and Aunt Jessica.  The title "Aunt" has far less to do with the blood relation and birth order than it has to do with the commitment and connection in one another's life.  Lydia likes to call these girls her sisters.  They came over one night for a slumber party.  They played tag, hide and seek, and tucked the girls in bed.....they were in heaven!!

Another day we went to the Jump Zone with the Jensen fam.  It was really fun and we pushed ourselves really hard, or some of us did.  Granted, I was sore the next day from ATTEMPTING to do tricks, but it sure was a fun time as an adult acting like a kid.

We were so glad to have Kylee and Brody in town and see them as much as we could.  After jumping we went back and had a scrumptious pinterest breakfast before Bundy and I had to dash off to finish our long list of last minute details for Christmas.