2018 Christmas season

We played HARD this December! We filled our days and nights with so many fun traditions. We saw Santa, decorated gingerbread houses, went looking for great lights, watched every holiday movie, drank hot chocolate every night, and read all our Christmas books. One tradition our kiddos really love are advent calendars. We had 3 this year: the nativity one, chocolate one, and the coveted harchimal one. Everyday really was magical! 

2018 Christmas season

We played HARD this December! We filled our days and nights with so many fun traditions. We saw Santa, decorated gingerbread houses, went looking for great lights, watched every holiday movie, drank hot chocolate every night, and read all our Christmas books. One tradition our kiddos really love are advent calendars. We had 3 this year: the nativity one, chocolate one, and the coveted harchimal one. Everyday really was magical! 

Scarlett’s 9th Birthday

We are half way done raising Scarlett and it has gone by in a flash! She is such an amazing and talented girl. She is my biggest helper and loves to mother Callen. In the morning she gets Callen out of bed, makes him a bottle, feeds him the bottle, changes his diaper, and gets him dressed. I get back from the gym at 7:30 and he is sitting in his high chair happily eating Cheerios and ready for the day! I love her

Scarlett is super creative and loves to draw, color, craft, and do anything with art. We go through tons of paper, tape, and stables these days. I love see

What her imagination can come up with. Scarlett is not a tv or electronic person at all. She loves to play in her room with all her tiny collectibles (hatchimals and shopkins) instead. She is great at playing by herself but I know she can makes friends easily. She is well loved by her classmates and is a good friend. She is slow to judge and easy to forgive. All around Scarlett is an amazing kid and I am so,so lucky to have her as a daughter! 

For her party we took some friends to the movies and played games at the house after. It was all Scarlett’s idea. I stole her away for her birthday from school so we could get a manicure and ice cream. We both loved it! 

Newport Trip 2018

The week before Thanksgiving we spent a wonderful week in Newport Beach with Emily, Clarah, and my parents. The weather was perfect and it felt like summer all over again. The first day was spent at Disneyland where we played all day and chased Jack around like crazy people. Jack just loved running from us and getting lost. Lucky I had my name and number on his arm so we was always found pretty quick. That darn kid!!  The kiddos LOVED the rides and all the yummy snacks/food we got. Callen was especially well behaved and loved sitting on my lap for the rides. He would just look around in such amazement. I was praying for a good first time at Disneyland with the kids and we got it! Favorite ride for all of us... space mountain. Best part was wrong Jacks face in Splash Mountain haha. 

We spent the next couple of days swimming in the pool, visiting the temple, going on scooter rides, and playing at the beach. It was beyond wonderful to get away and spend some time as a family. 

Grandpa Doug’s funeral

My sweet grandpa Doug passed away the week after Thanksgiving. It is so bitter sweet. He missed my grandma and was ready to go but we will all miss him. He had a quiet presence but he lead a life of service. I loved his long stories and how he would squish snails with his fingers (it always made me squeal). I make my zucchini just like he did with lots of butter, cheese, and onions. He Thanksgiving stiffing is my absolute favorite and I my mom makes it just like him every year. It was a wonderful day celebrating his wonderful life. Being together with ALL my siblings at Christmas time while staying at the Grand America Hotel was a gift beyond words. Though  it was a quick trip it was perfect! 
I drove up quick with Emily and my dad got us rooms at the Grand America. Stayed up late chatting with Emily and Brady. I sure love my siblings 

All my cousins! 

Callen 10 months

Callen turned 10 months last week and it’s been a big week for him. I weened him, he started sleeping in Jack’s room, and he started sleep through the night (on most nights)! He is so so happy and has MAJOR fomo (fear of missing out). This kid has to be right in the middle of all the chaos and loves to scream and make his voice heard. Scarlett and Alice adore him and he always wants to play with them. He is the cutest little puppy and is loved by us all!

I decided to ween callen because I was in fear he wasn’t getting enough to eat. Sure enough he loves his bottle and is so much happie now that we done.  It was a little hard to stop nursing as I wanted to make it to 12 months but it’s nice to have a more freedom. I LOVED nursing Callen and sitting in my rocking in my room all those months. I would sit in the rocking chair, look out the window to the mountains, and enjoy the peace. I feel so so blessing that I have been able to nurse all my babies for as long as I really wanted. It’s been a joy of my life to cuddle them and have that close bond!!