Warm winter days

We've had some unusually warm winter days and decided to go on a family nature walk in this 70 degree weather. The girls had all kinds of fun picking up rocks and sticks and even scootin down the riverbank with dad.

Temple square

I don't think we have been back to temple square since we got married there 7 years ago so we were excited to be able to go see the lights with my sisters family while we were there for Thanksgiving. They were as beautiful as I remember them but we made it quick since it was cold outside and my coat won't button over my pregnant belly.

My nephew Blake was kind enough to let me borrow his hat. Chewbaca anyone?

We love grandpa GG

Thanksgiving

After learning last month that my Gramps has lung cancer and that the doctors have only given him a few months, all my siblings and cousins and I knew we needed to all make an effort to be in Shoshone for Thanksgiving to give Gramps one last holiday with his whole family.  Most of us were able to be there and it was so great to be with everyone.  There were so many of us that we had to reserve the church for Thanksgiving dinner.  And we decided to get family pictures while so many of us were home.  I think the only ones missing were Minon's girls, Jackson (who is on a mission), and Tabrina (who had already booked a trip to Thailand over Thanksgiving).  We ate turkey and all the fixins and then of course played dodge ball with everybody after we cleaned up.  It was lots of fun though I only joined in for one game and regretted it afterwards.  Dodge ball is not a sport for preggos apparently.  Breea and Brian also blessed Oliver that weekend so we got to be there for that which was a treat.  Ava and Charlotte loved getting to hang out with their cousins and I was able to spend lots of time with Gram and Gramps.  I sure love those two.  Its been so hard to know that Gramps is sick, he is supposed to live forever.  I can't imagine my life without him because he has always been there.  Growing up living right next to them was such a huge blessing in my life.  I literally saw them every single day.  As a kid I didn't realize how rare that was and how lucky we were to get to have such a close relationship with them. In high school when my parents were driving me crazy (and I was probably driving them crazy) I'd go to my grandparents house to get a break and they'd both just sit and listen as I complained (even though they probably thought I was being a bratty teenager).  Love them both so much and so glad we got to be there for Thanksgiving.

Tired bug

Charlotte was so tired last night that she fell asleep in about two minutes. And apparently she was sleeping soundly as this is how I found her this morning. Pretty sure she slept through falling off the bed and wriggling underneath it.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas! We got the tree up tonight and the girls tree as well. We started out with our yearly head scratching as we try to figure out why only half the tree is lighting up. But then onward we went and got it done. Notice the girls tree has like 4 ornaments per branch and they wouldn't have it any other way.

What kind of sisters?

The other day I said something about sisters and then Ava and I had the following conversation.
Ava: Mom what are those one kind of sisters? Friend sisters?
Me: Sister-in-laws?
Ava: No, thats not it.  Is it cousin sisters? Or sister aunts?
Me: I'm not sure what you're talking about.
Ava: You know, your sisters that are already dead.
Me: (wracking my brain) Um, do you mean ancestors?
Ava: Yes! Yes! That's it.

Ancestors/Aunt-Sisters.  Lol.

Winter pumpkin patch

One day this week Ava came to me and asked if she could have some of the pumpkin seeds I had roasted from our Halloween pumpkins. Then she went to work. She planted all 10 of them, watered them and even made a little marker out of wood lest we forget what is planted there. I didn't have the heart to tell her that November isn't the best month for planting or that after roasting the seeds it was unlikely they'd grow. She is such a creative little thing and loves anything outside. Here's a peek at her pumpkin garden.

We are thankful

I love November. I love being reminded of all the blessings we have and for being given extra opportunity to reflect on what we are thankful for. Last week for family home evening we made a gratitude wreath. Some of the more interesting things mentioned were toilets, scissors, and crocodiles.

Charlotte's first haircut

Ava was 4 before she got her first haircut so this is big news that Charlie got it at only 2 1/2. She was such a good girl while I trimmed it thanks to some help from the Disney channel.

Mouths of babes

Charlottes family prayer tonight: Heavenly Father: thank you for this day. Thank you for the gospel. Thank you for glow sticks, thank you for lights, thank you for the fan, thank you for crocodiles, thank you daddy came home from work, thank you for mommy and she can go to work just like daddy, thank you for stars up in the........(looks at the glowsticks in her hand and starts laying them on the floor) 1...2...3...

At this point mom jumped in to help her finish. I love kid prayers. :)

Yep, it's a girls house here.

Stuff we've been up to

And here is where I post a billion pictures to catch up on some every day stuff we've done that I want to remember/share.

We got Ava this sock monkey in Utah.  She named it Sockette and it immediately became her best friend.  One day she came to me and said "Tomorrow is Sockette's birthday and we have to have a party."  Lol  So we had a party, complete with little birthday cakes and Ava's best friend Ande.  They each blew out a candle for Sockette as well.

Ava built this set herself.  That's a dinosaur in there and she put on a little play for us.  When the dinosaur climbs the mountain, you turn the set around and there's a different scene on the other side. 

Proud of herself after putting on her little show.

Being fancy pants in mama's shoes.

This girl loves to play in the rain

Charlie loves to play in the rain but always keeps coming to me saying "I gettin wet."  Yep, rain will do that.

Ava asked her daddy to do a painting project with her and then gave him very specific instructions about the rainbow they were going to be painting.