January

Bryan grew a beard.  It was a rather magnificent beard that the girls all hated.  They thought for sure he was going to look just like the guys from Duck Dynasty.  "No dad No!  Shave it!"  He eventually did.  I will admit though, I didn't hate it.  I was glad when he shaved it but it was a nice change for a little while.

 This cutie pie started Sunbeams.  She is such a little sunbeam because her birthday is in November but to sunbeams she went.  It has been a little bit of an adjustment.  Lily is so sensitive if ever reprimanded and during primary she decided to show her belly button to which her teacher told her to keep her shirt down.  This was terribly upsetting to little Lily.  To add insult to injury her teacher didn't even bring snacks!  Thankfully Lily is doing great in Sunbeams now and loves going.  She really has the sweetest teachers and little friends in her class.

 Audrey started a creative dance class with her BFF Scarlett.  She has always loved dance but this class is suited so well for her.  She is dancing all day long.  Her teacher is so great and I love the freedom that creative dance gives her.  It makes her very happy and we look forward to her dance recital in the spring to see all that she has learned.

 The weather was nice enough for the girls to often be outside.  This yard has been the best thing for our family.  My girls are constantly outside playing.  Few things make me more happy than watching my girls outside using their imaginations with the little calico cat at their heels.  It is good for my mommy heart.

 We had cousins come up for a fun day.  We went and ate delicious hamburgers, played glow in the dark miniature golf and arcade games.  It was such a fun night.

 This motion game was by far the biggest hit.

 Even Papa played!

New Years

A few days before New Years I had the chance to get together with some of my old high school friends.  I was incredibly blessed to have some of the best friends in high school.  They were always there fore me and were such good examples.  We always had such a great time together and it was so fun to see them again.  We have lived away for so long that it had been forever since we have seen each other.  It was fun to see all the little kids running around and seeing how our lives have changed in the past 15 years or so.  How has it been that long!?

 Bryan was on call New Years Eve so to the hospital we went.  We brought chinese takeout that took a full hour of waiting to get and played board games.  It was actually a really fun night despite the fact that Bryan was working.

 We also brought some sparkling apple cider that Julia enjoyed a little too much.

 For some reason posing with the cider was the theme of the night.  Thankfully Bryan's office has a nice area where we can eat and be together.  We actually head there about once a week when he is on call.  It means I don't have to clean up dinner!

 On New Years Day we headed south to spend the day with Bryan's family.  Bryan had a very sleepless night and Audrey had been feeling a little under the weather but we were able to pull it off nonetheless.  I am so glad we were able to make it because Bryan's entire family was there and that hasn't happened for quite some time.  These little cousins had such a great time playing.  It's always a good sign when they are red faced and smiling.

 We even got a picture of the entire crew.  It has been a blessing to be closer to all of these people.

Christmas Day

Santa found his way to our house and left three very spoiled little girls.  

 It is always so fun to see the magic of the morning as they tear into their presents.  It makes all the hard work to make it happen worth it.

 Audrey was really looking forward to getting some Barbies this year.

 Fingernail polish for Julia.  I have since regretted the fingernail polish.  Little three year old sisters find their way into it far too easily.

 Sofia the First!

 Can you feel the excitement!?

 The most magical part of the morning was the beautiful snow that was left on Christmas Eve.  It made the girls so happy and excited.

 The girls played and played until we left for Nana and Papa's house for breakfast.

 Audrey applied some of her new makeup all by herself if you can imagine.

We spent the rest of the day at my parents house eating a yummy breakfast and having a house full of excited cousins running about.  It was a very nice Christmas.  It always makes me so thankful for my sweet little girls and how blessed I am.

Christmas Eve

This is at 30 weeks.  It was so hard to get everything done for Christmas.  Wrapping presents with a giant belly is a tricky task!  

 The day before Christmas Eve I received one of my favorite gifts of all!  A couple of my dear Ohio friends came to visit.  It has been so long and it was so good to reconnect as if we have never been apart.  I feel so fortunate to have made so many wonderful and lifetime friends in the various places we have lived.  Heather and Candice were some of the best and I'm so thankful for them.

 I was extra fun to see all the kiddos together again.  Audrey used to have such a big crush on Isaac when she was a tiny one.  I used to babysit little Taylee and Mathis all the time.  Mathis was just a wee three months old or so the first time I watched him and now he is so big!

 Christmas Eve was such a fun night.  Bryan's family came up to our house and we had a big white elephant party and lots of delicious food.  We haven't spent Christmas with family for many many years so this was such a nice treat, especially since they were all willing to come all the way to our house.

 Jason and Christie and their kids.

 Cute Kacie and Patricia.

 These girls have a very special spot in their hearts for their Grandma.  They absolutely adore her.

 After everyone left we let the girls open up pajamas.  They looked so cute in their animal print footies.  In order to get matching I had to get Lily's in girl's size so it was a little big and she was a little bit disappointed about that.  She at least humored me for a picture before she felt it necessary to change.  The girls were so excited about Santa and what was to come the next morning.

Gingerbread Friends

We whipped out the gingerbread houses.  I stick to graham crackers and glue sticks.  It works well and the girls loved making them.  

 Even better a few days before Christmas our Ohio friends came to see us!  We were so happy to see all of them.  These kids have all grown up so fast and they had such a great time playing together.  While living so far from family these people became family to me.  It is always so nice to be able to pick up right where you left off like no time has passed.

 We had to get a picture of us girls.  I just love them so much.  So glad I can get these visits every once in a while.

Christmas Pictures

My sister took her little guy to get these Santa pictures and they were so affordable and cute I decided to take my girls to get some taken as well.  The funny thing is that in order to have the kids not be afraid of Santa they provide Santa suits for the parents.  So I got to put on a big fat belly, boots that were nearly impossible to walk in and a fancy white beard.  But it was true.  The girls were really easy to get pictures of and I thought they turned out really great for the short time we were there.

 This one was my favorite.

 Audrey was pretty bummed that they didn't actually let them eat the cookies I was holding.

 They also had a Santa that you could take pictures of and he gave them a little candy cane.

After Thanksgiving

They do some fantastic lights downtown.  My girls thought it was so fun.  

 It has continued to be a very mild winter.  Bryan has a half day every Monday and so we take advantage by going on lots of walks.  Lily really loves this bike.

 My mom found a great deal on these adorable sweaters.  I had to get matching skirts to go with them.  I thought the girls looked so great.

 We had just bought a new tree to fit in our Idaho home with it's 12 foot ceilings.  Of course this house doesn't have as high of ceilings so we had to buy another tree.  That was pretty frustrating.

 The beginning of December was particularly exciting because Bryan passed his final board exam with flying colors!  This was his seventh set of board exams and the final.  It was an oral exam and he was beyond stressed for it.  It required him to compile all of this case lists from the previous year which was probably over 70 hours of work.  He also had to attend a training/preparation course in L.A. for almost a week.  I cannot tell you the relief and happiness this news brought us.  We had to celebrate with a steak dinner.  Bryan has worked so hard and I am so proud of him.  He sets such a great example for our children and I am thankful for him every day.

 We went to our ward party where they gave out goodie bags filled with peanuts.  I found peanut shells on my floor for weeks after this.

 There was a wood rat living under our deck.  Bryan set traps for several days and nothing.  We finally got so grossed out we went to a pet adoption event and found us a cat.  Her name is Laroo.  I was actually really nervous when we brought her home about how much work she would be and how it would go but she has been wonderful.  The girls absolutely love her and she is so easy and sweet with them.  She lives in the garage and goes outside to play all the time.  I think her presence has increased their outside play time so much.  She is patient and loves each of the girls, even Lily who always pets her hair the wrong way and lays on top of her.  Our only problem is cleaning out the litter box and the grossness associated with that.  She has caught two mice already though so she is already proving her worth!  We really love this Laroo.

 By luck we have had two of our very close friends from Medical School move to Utah as well.  We had a fun white elephant/ugly sweater party.  It was so great to catch up with them and to laugh at all the funny gifts.  Bryan's picture ended up on more than one of them.  I am so glad he got the funny clock with his body as the hands of the clock.  So funny.

 The whole group.  I love these people so much.  Meg (on the far left) had her baby a few weeks after this.  Why am I so much bigger than her!?

 When we finished Medical School there were only five kids between the three of us.  Now look how many there are!  Meg just had her fourth and I'm on my way so there are even more!  It's crazy.

 We also made a trip to SLC to see the lights at Temple Square.  It has probably been 13 years since I have been there to see the lights.  It was so fun to take the girls and walk around this sacred place.

 A family photo.

 It was so beautiful and such a warm night.

 We met Carli and Chuck for dinner afterwards.  They are so good to my girls.  Seriously, I'm pretty sure Audrey thinks Carli is the most fancy and beautiful girl in the world.