Gracie turns 6 and her "frozen" party

Birthday dinner of choice.  Fish fingers, carrots, and mexican rice.  This is the third year in a row she wanted fish, usually fish and chips (such a brit).

                                 

 DQ ice cream cake

 yum yum

The frozen party.  Lainey painted that awesome Olaf for our pin the nose of the Olaf game.  I think Gracie had a great time, it went really well one of the smoothest birthdays yet.  I on the other hand don't love "friend" parties I do it for my kids.  Having a party every other year even seems too much I may move to one every four years  :)

Milestones

Lyssie's first Sunday as a Sunbeam! she graduated from nursery and now gets to sit with the "big" kids at church.

 7 Months old...need I say more

Hubby's Birthday

Because it's still a novelty to have nice weather in January T wanted to go on a hike for his birthday.  It was great perfect weather for such an outing.  Other than forging our own way to the trail and scaring the kids by scaling up and down a hill it was lovely.

We enjoyed a BBQ followed by creme brulee for dessert yum...made by Lainy using her new kitchen torch, the kids thought it was awesome to light the candles with it. 

 Our annual hot dog roast

Happy Birthday babe! to an amazing husband and father.

December 2013 (all at once)

I'm still playing catch up...I put together a few collages to capture the happenings in December.  It was the end of a great year full of good memories.

My lovely family came to spend Christmas with us in the warm Arizona sun.  We Had fun at the Children Science Center, and Zoo.  We Played games, ate yummy food, and had fun cousin time.  Love you guys thanks for making the trek down here.

Uncle Nate came for a visit.  We saw the the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple, fun evening.  We also had a great day at the park, after all Phoenix winters are peek outside time. Letty enjoyed some chess playing/lessons.  All the kids enjoyed Uncle time.

Baby is 6 months!!  I love the top right smerk :) This little guy is so happy and so loved.  What a joy he is.

Other pics from the month.  Top right, my awesome friends the Balvert's came to visit.  I grew up with this family so they were like second parents.  A pic of the girls singing during Christmas around the World at school.  Gracie and babe taking a nap :)  Lyssie took about 15 pictures on my camera, about 10 of those were of her feet.  Me and the hubs, and Gracies all about me poster.

That wraps up December and 2013!!  Thanks for good times.

Thanksgiving

I feel so behind in so many things but decided to just plunge in and try and get caught up with blogging.  I'm not awesome at journal keeping so must keep this up so I can at least look back and see what we were doing at a certain time.  I decided the other day to sit and make a master list of the all the things I want to do to feel more organized.  I felt really good after making the list, it let my brain rest from trying to remember everything.  It worked for about a day and then I started feeling stressed again about it all.  I shouldn't be surprised by feeling this way the entire year after having a baby I feel like I can't get a hold of things, I know it will pass but still makes me crazy.  Anyway thought I would post a few pictures from Thanksgiving.  I'm missing some pictures that I saw on Lainey's blog here.

Getting to do some early Christmas traditions.  Making gingerbread men with Grandma.

 Baby enjoying some piano time with Aunt K

 One of his sisters leaving their mark :)

 family bowling fun

 Lyssie and Berry enjoying bowling in their own style

 Pizza Pie Cafe

We had a lovely time and were glad we were able to go and visit.  Lyssie unfortunately threw up on the plane about 15 minutes before we got off but luckily it went into the appropriate "barf bag."  She continued to be sick on the way home poor girl.  I only bring this up because now whenever anyone mentions being sick she says "I got sick on the airplane" and continues to talk about it.

November

Some fun in the rain.  Little did we know looking back, that the few days of rain we got then was about all we have gotten since and now its nearing the end of Janurary.

 I just love green rain boots or wellies just for English sake

My super helper pushed our little guy around when he was being rather fussy during dinner.  She came up with using the stroller and roller skates.  Might as well make it fun :)

 Baby's first food, he is so lucky to have awesome sisters who want to feed him

Lyssie's Birthday

She's 3!!
Way back in November this little fire cracker turned three.  Some favorites are wearing this BYU shirt or her cougar shirt as she calls it.  She mostly likes to wear navy blue shirts with pink shorts.  She likes granola bars and fruit snacks.  She likes all kids of soup.  Her favorite game is freeze tag.  Favorite animal is a lion.  She likes playing with her toys and friends.  She likes going to "mommy preschool"  a co-op I'm doing with friends.  Her favorite songs are "I am a Child of God and I am like a Star"  she especially likes to sing in church when no one else is :)  Her favorite book at the present moment is Tabby McTat but she calls it The Cat and the Hat.  Her favorite book(s) tends to change and then we have to read whatever it is every night for months.  Lyssie is a fun girl who is full of energy and spunk.  She is independent and likes to do things herself.  She has stretched us as parents and forced us to think outside of our own box.  We love her dearly.  Thanks Lyssie for making us smile.

 Eating snowballs with sprinkles