More July!

Our days are always full, some with more exciting things than others. Like jazz in the park! 

Look at these cool and brave kids! 

Adam got his first taste of high school with Emma- "Dude, is that your sister?" 

Puppy jail, and she doesn't like it.

But she does like her new bed!

A friendly potato!

A quick trip to the Kansas City temple... we missed the sealing of our friends by 11 minutes. 

But we got Andy's frozen custard!

Noah's creative space, with a pup!

Heavenly Delights tradition upheld and delicous as ever!

Aesthetic carwash- 

Some lazy summer days... 

Some perfect sunroom days- 

Bike rides- 

Free cookies!

And Leah's always nearby- most recently in the arms of Darth Vader. 

Siblings, In Lego Form

"The greatest gift our parents ever gave us was the gift of each other." 

Noah's Lego representation of this fabulous four is my favorite new addition to the bookshelf in the living room! These kids are my life, and I have no greater hope than that they always want to be in each other's lives. They share the past, the present, and hopefully the future! Big changes are coming just around the corner, and it will be up to them more than ever before to choose each other. I hope they always do! 

 

Wrapping Up 2024

There is nothing I love more than catching my kids enjoying each other's company of their own free will and choice. Luckily, we got lots of moments like that over Christmas break. 

We had a super fun and not too chilly first time at Top Golf - thanks to Grandma and Grandpa! 

El Fadre and I snuck away to the temple one morning. The 4 hours in the car make for a lovely time of connection, but we were both dreaming about the day that we will be able to walk into the temple doors 20 minutes after we leave our house. Soon!

We continued to find adorable signs of Auntie Al around the house! 

There was a wonderful bit of lazing around every day. 

And bundling up from the cold!

The girls got permanent bracelets! 

We rewatched all of the Twilight movies, 

and we had a mini Christmas party with the missionaries!

"Merry Christmas!" 

And although it's largely against tradition, we went out for New Year's Eve! The night was mostly fun and a great way to pass the hours until the new year, but when midnight rolled around there was not the same level of ringing in the new year as we put on at home. 

It was still memorable though, and a great reminder that nothing about the new year is most likely going to go the way it always has. Things are about to change in a big way! In that sense it was a great way to welcome in 2025. 

Still, we wrapped up the party then went home to celebrate in really loud style- complete with bubbly, yelling into the night, hugging and kissing all around, 

and the settling into finish a movie before heading to bed around 2 AM. 

We are ready for whatever the new year is going to bring! 

Christmas Day

 The most highly anticipated day of the year! Christmas Day finally came! 

After hearing about a cute tradition from a friend, I suggested that the kids wake the parents up on Christmas morning by singing Christmas carols. I was thinking "Away in a Manger" or "Silent Night". We woke up to "Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer" and "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas".  So close and yet.... not quite what I had in mind. 

Santa ate the cookies and wrote the kids back!

And we went through the entire glorious day feeling loved and spoiled by each other and our families, who we always miss extra during the holidays. 

Adam's big gift was a gift to the whole family- a keyboard with headphones so he can practice day or night without disturbing anyone else (and he does practice day and night!). 

Santa knows best - these little mounds of stocking stuffer moon sand were mesmerizing!

Santa's little helpers were ready for a long winter's nap by Christmas Day!

So many fun games and good foods and hugs and FaceTime visits with family - Christmas Day is the best day of the year, and this one was especially sweet as it's the last one we'll have 'the way it's always been'. It was a really wonderful one! 

Christmas Eve

We kept watching movies, shopping for last minute gifts, and wrapping presents right up until it was time to commence with our Christmas Eve traditions - starting with the Jesus Dinner! 

This is quite possibly everyone's favorite meal of the year. 

We even got a live donkey at our nativity this year! 

And the fluffiest little sheep-pup to accompany these wise men.  

Adam did all of the carol playing this year!

I remember the telling of the nativity going somewhat off the rails when I was a teenager too.  I'm glad our 25 Days of Christ and Jesus Dinner traditions keep us focused on Christ throughout the season. 

Swapping sibling gifts is another favorite tradition on Christmas Eve - these are everyone's most highly anticipated gifts! 

 The traditions of spreading reindeer food, hanging the stockings by the chimney with care and writing letters to Santa continue to be upheld as Jolly Old St. Nick continues to play a smaller and smaller part in our Christmas season festivities. 

But the magic was definitely in the air as we all headed to bed on Christmas Eve!