Christmastime

It seems like such a long while ago that I took these pictures!  I love everything about Christmas time and remembering the reason for the season!

I was so excited to finally have room for a full size tree.  No more squeezing a little one into an already squished apartment.  We braved the - 25 degree blizzard to go get this beauty:

Putting the star on top...

...3 different times. :)

Here's the little tree we've had from the dollar store since we were first married.  I still love it and the kids got to have it upstairs this year.  Can you spy the 8 ornaments on 1 branch and the little culprit who did that?!  Emry would many times be excitedly screaming, "Christmas wights!"

All dressed up for Christmas time at church.  Once again, Grandma saves the day!

Just another day before heading to family's house:

Epic battles,

coloring,

writing the gold plates (we go through loads of scratch paper a day),

hiding (standing on the flour bucket in the pantry is one of Emry's favorite spots.  She opens the door and yells "peek-a-boo, I see you"),

classic whippy faces,

and dancing in the kitchen.

Finally after our church Christmas party and a fun cookie exchange we headed to Isaac's parents' house.

Lovin the bath, probably the last picture of a bath together.  Kason claims he is done with baths and has moved on to showers.

The girls painting nails with Katie

Christmas Eve dinner

2 Years Old

Well, Whippy is 2!

Kason wanted to name her Whippy before she was born and the name has stuck, thanks in large part to Jim and Michelle. :)

This girl keeps us on our toes and we love her to pieces.

This is the face she made every time we told her she was going to get birthday presents.

She also quickly learned to say "Emmy biday" and "2" while holding up all five fingers.

A common face lately

I love this picture.  Look at all those boys surrounding her playing with a doll.  I think she has us wrapped around her finger.

She likes to draw and usually commands me to draw a star and fower (flower) for her on the paper.  So, she got a pretty amazing flower cake (poor girl is always going to have the holiday busyness around her birthday.  We've decided December is not a good month for a birthday).

Love her

About Emry:
-Still sucks her thumb and twirls her hair.
-Major stranger anxiety (or really anyone other than Mom, Dad, Kason, and Asher anxiety)
-Loves flowers, stars, and kitty cats
-She can hold her own against her brothers and has been known to bite
-My favorite thing is she loves to give hugs.  She always gets up early before Kason and Asher.  When she sees them come into the room first thing in the morning she yells their name and opens her arms wide and runs in for a hug.  She also has to give hugs before bed
-She loves playing hide and go seek with her big brothers and can pretty much count to 10
-I remember being worried that she wasn't talking as much as early as the boys did.  My worries weren't necessary.  She talks in sentences now....alot.  And is into the "why mama?"
-Alot of times she not only says no, it's a "no way!"
-On the other side of the spectrum she usually says sure instead of yes.  It's so cute to hear her say "shu, mama".  It sounds so amiable.
-Her latest gem of a saying is, "Gimme dat!"
-She calls herself "Emmy" and I find myself calling her that alot as well.
She sure makes us smile!

Highlights

Here we go as I try to capture some highlights of the November chaos.  

First things first, Kason lost his 3rd tooth!  We were at my parent's house and Kason came into my room in the morning and told me he'd pulled his tooth out.  It'd been loose for about a day and a half.  He has quite the snaggletooth look going on now.

Making designs Shoveling the driveway for Dad

E and A are such good friends.  A is super into coloring right now and they can spend quite a while doing it.  I am grateful for washable markers.  I love this picture, it just looks like a good childhood picture to me.

I came upstairs and found them all like this.  Granted, they were glued to the tv, but it still made me happy.

Another time I came up and found the boys reading and Emry just rubbing their heads while they read.  She just knows she is part of the group.

Emry hasn't seen a ton of snow in her life yet, so she was loving getting out and playing in this.  I think we finally have all the kids' snow gear. We should need it this winter! 

Kason and Asher took swimming lessons, it was Asher's first time.  They actually took them in a chilly lap pool, but it was the cheapest place in this ridiculously expensive town.  That didn't stop the boys from loving it though. 

This is Asher with Kathryn, or so he tells me.  I think she might be his first crush.  Kason gets completely embarrassed about all that kind of stuff, but the first day of lessons Asher told me, "There was a girl who wanted to be my friend, she didn't say she wanted to be my friend, but I know she did because she was smiling at me."

Emry was such a good girl and patiently waited each day.  If only she would do this in the grocery store...or any other store for that matter.

She gave each brother their towel as they got out of the pool.

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Thanksgiving! 

Isaac had a conference in Florida so the kids and I drove the 7.5 hours down to Utah and he met us there a few days later through his airport layover. 

The kids did so well traveling! 

Playing piano 

Wii.  They were both red-faced and going crazy.

I sat in this rocking chair as a little girl

Spoiled by Grandma.  I don't know if my kids would be completely clothed if it weren't for her!

Cool balloon guns and dragons...and a flower

Lots of games and good food

and beautiful -not-freezing-cold- weather

With one of their favorite aunts and soon to be uncle

And a parade of lights to officially welcome in the Christmas season

November was good!  We are so blessed!