Traditions

Christmas Cards

Visiting Santa

Christmas dresses

(the dresses were bought specifically for my brother's wedding next month, but they work for Christmas dresses too!)





Gingerbread house... a train this year




And Christmas sugar cookies for Santa... which the kids and I will make tomorrow.



I'm loving this time of year and all the festivities. We got to go to the Live Nativity (incredible, minus Mary falling off the donkey); attend our ward Christmas party and Benj's work party;
and Connie and I took our older girls to see the Nutcraker Ballet. It was so cool, Lexi especially loved it and is going to inform her dance teacher she wants pointe shoes NOW. :) And most importantly, we are remembering the Reason for the Season.

Madison, Lexi and Ava

Benj and I also celebrated 10 years of marriage! I honestly can't believe it's been ten years... I am so lucky to have married an amazing man. We've been through so much with getting our educations, career moves, buying our first house, having our 3 beautiful daughters and I'm loving this ride we are on! Love you babe and I'm so glad I get to spend eternity with you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Thankful

I'm so grateful I was able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family. My parents drove from Montana (through snow, ice and road closures) to be with their kids. We had an awesome time: Dinner hosted by Bret and Natalia, Black Friday shopping, another shopping trip to St. George, and making memories. Thanks Mom and Dad, for making the trek! We loved having you here. (Kicking myself for not getting one single picture of the girls with their grandparents!!... hope you got some Mom)

Our family Thankful Tree... it was fun to hear what the girls were thankful for. I'm thankful for these 3...

Ava's fun projects she made @ preschool

Benj, Bret and my dad... Turtlehead Peak

Grandma made turkey-shaped sugar cookies and the grandgirls got to frost them. Ava, Lexi and Abby in their cute little aprons

Baby girl turned 6 months the day before Turkey Day. She is showing much more personality and is so fun! Still sticking with the inchworm crawl, although she's getting faster. She loves all the veggie babyfood we've given her, but her favorite food is those star puff snacks (sweet potato flavor). Will drink water from a sippy cup, but refuses to hold it herself. Loves all her musical toys and when the girls sing "R-E-E-S-E, R-E-E-S-E, R-E-E-S-E and Reesey was her name-o!" Stop growing Reesey... it's going too fast.

We are enjoying December and all the Christmas festivities. Christmas cards are coming soon!

Halloween Fun

So it's only 2 weeks after Halloween, and I'm just now getting to posting pics on the blog. We had several days of Halloween festivities including Benj's work trunk-or-treat, school parties, friend pumpkin carving party, and our ward trunk-or-treat. Then there was the actual day of Halloween, where we just chilled at home, had a fun holiday dinner (ghost pizza, scary salad, and pumpkin cheesecake bars), passed out candy and watched the Saints win! Hope you all had a great Halloween!

Oh! And Reesey Piecey turned 5 months. Here she was rolling across the living room and was getting mad when the couch got in the way. She is now getting up on her knees and rocking and doing the inch-worm crawl. So cute... and shocking too considering neither Lexi or Ava even attempted to move til they were 10 months. :)

First Family Pictures Ever

We finally did it... (professional) family pictures! Here are a few and there's more on my sidebar. Thanks to Erin, she did a wonderful job!

It's Almost October!

My favorite time of year is here... almost. September has certainly been a big tease. Here in Vegas, we are still having 100 + degree days, ugh! It really needs to be sweater weather NOW. I can't wait to decorate for Halloween (after Benj pulls the Rubbermaids out of storage, cuz he rearranged again and I can't find them.), cook delicious soups/chili, bake treats with pumpkin, get the kids' winter clothes out, and of course football season has arrived already.





What's going on with us:





*Ava started preschool at the beginning of the month. She loves it! She wishes school was every day... so do I. :)









*Lexi learned how to ride her bike. It only took a $20 bribe from her dad and she mastered it in about an hour.

*I tried the Atkins diet for about 3 weeks. Missed those carbs, but won't miss those 15 pounds I lost on it. Joined LVAC and I try to go every morning. I actually look forward to exercising again; been really frustrated after having this last baby. It's some "me" time and even at 530am, I'll take it!

*Reese is 4 months old. Went to the Dr. yesterday and she is 11lbs. 3 oz. (5th percentile; on the small side, but doc is not worried). It's really weird to have a petite baby while the older girls were so chunky. Reese has discovered her feet and can suck on her toes, is starting to get interested in toys, and has the biggest smiles for her sisters.

*Got a call from the school yesterday about 1:00, to come pick up Lexi. Apparently, she had stepped on a pencil and it went through her shoe into her foot. I got to the school to find her shoe filled with blood and the nurse wheeling Lexi out in a wheelchair! We went to the doctor (yes, BACK to the dr. we had just been to that morning). She got the wound cleaned out and thankfully no lead was stuck in there. Lexi was back to normal before bed last night, running and dancing. But she made sure to milk the experience for all it was worth!

*We can't wait for General Conference this weekend. And FYI: there are some super cute GC packets you can print out for the kiddos here.

Happy Autumn everybody!

Back to School

Today was the first day back to school... 2nd grader in the house!! Lexi was so excited, she got dressed as soon as she got up. But being the mean mom I am, I made her take her dress off to eat breakfast. ;)
I made Pop-up Pancakes and instead of getting syrup on the dress, she just got a little in her hair.




Once at the school, Lex pretty much blew me off when she saw all her friends. Oh well, at least she was happy.

She had a great first day of second grade!!

M-O-N-T-A-N-A, Montana, I Love You!

This summer we got to road trip it up to MT again. I drove on my own with all 3 kiddos to UT and stayed with Destiny. And the next day, we followed each other to Hamilton. The scenery in the Big Hole is gorgeous, even on a cloudy day.

Enjoying the Farmer's Market

Monkey bars at the park

Destiny and I

We got ice cream at a fun, old-fashioned soda fountain shop in Stevi.

There were a lot of rainy days, but I loved it!

Reesey lounging in Grandpa's recliner.

We went to the fair in Missoula, so fun!

Grandma and Reese

The petting zoo

The girls got to ride a miniature pony

Grandpa built a fire and we roasted marshmellows and had s'mores.

Another fun trip back home! My mom drove back to Vegas with us and then flew home. We had quite the adventure!! Thanks Mom!

OTHER STUFF: Benj took a day off! :) We escaped the heat for an afternoon and had a picnic up at Mt. Charleston. I love it up there.

Ava went to an "Enchanted Princess" dance clinic this weekend. She loved it and is starting ballet class tonight.

Our baby girl is 3 months today! Reesey Piecey is:

~rolling over- from back to front. she hates being on her tummy though once she's there.

~ giggling- she's very ticklish

~ smiling and "talking" to anyone who pays her any attention.

I told her to stop growing, but she's not listening!!