Sewing 101

 Annabelle's "experience" gift for Christmas was a sewing class.  She was BEAMING when I picked her up.  She was so very proud of her pillow slip and she finished early and even had time to make a little drawstring bag.  I was a little nervous leaving her with a bunch of adults and a couple kids with their mom, but she did great and didn't act nervous at all.  Now she wants to keep make projects.  The only problem is, they need fabric.  She decided to make a scarf for her next project and within an hour we were done.  I love that she wants to try new things and I love seeing that her confidence has grown.

Best Buddies

Like all siblings my children are not best buddies 100% of the time.  But, for the most part, they play together great.  And I know they always have each other's back.  This one night the girls were being so sweet with each other.  Callie was THRILLED that Annabelle was playing with her and helping her and I was so touched by there special bond.  I have three amazing sisters that I hardly ever get to see and while it is hard not having them close, seeing the sister bond between my own girls is an amazing gift.

Momentum

 We got the boys passes to Momentum rock climbing and it has been the best present ever.  Greg decided to get a pass, too, and they have been going 5 times a week! Greg realized there is a gym by his office so some days he goes there and the boys go on their own.  It has been a big confidence builder and I love hearing about how proud they are when they master a V2 or V3 that they have been working on (even though I don't really know what that means).  I also learned that my husband can do a headstand.  I'm not sure I knew he could do that.  I'm not surprised, but very impressed.

Roller Skating Fun!

 Nothing but blur:( This is what happens when 11 year old friends take the picture.  Oh well, everyone smiling is over-rated. On New Years day we had lots of fun relaxing and playing with friends and family.  Greg and I didn't get up until 10am! And that was only because someone knocked on the door and I heard Ryan telling a little girl Callie couldn't play "because my parents aren't awake yet."  Luckily I was in the process of waking up and so I ran down and let the girl in (I had invited her a couple days before and would have felt really silly if she had gone home). 

 On Saturday Greg and I went to the temple and were able to do a session while the kids did bathrooms and got breakfast and lunch all on their own (I have amazing kids!).  Then we headed to Classic Skate for one of our favorite pass times.  We didn't even get a walker for Callie this time.  She took turns with me, Greg and Ryan going around, but even went on her own sometimes.  I love going, but also look forward to the day when I don't have to go slow the whole time and I can skate a little faster with my kids.

New Years Eve

 I wasn't as on top of this as I was last year, but Annabelle insisted we have a New Years Tree again.  Each balloon had an activity or treat and the plan was to open them every half hour but we had some friends over and so the girls and their friends ended up opening everything while the boys played somewhere and the adults hung in the kitchen and played the Newlywed Game.  That was a blast.  Greg and I were ahead at the beginning but ended up losing.  I guess we need to go to Europe for two weeks and get to know each other better:)

 We did a balloon launch at about 10:30 when one family had to leave.

 We did poppers and other loud noise makers at 11:30 when the other family had to leave.

 Then it was just us.  I had everyone get in their pajamas and we spend the last 15 minutes togetheras a family--laughing, playing, dancing, and/or reading.

 This was our last picture, right before the New Year began.  Hooray for new beginnings and new adventures in 2016!

End of the Year

 We have had a great year.  When I go back and think of all the growth, the new experiences, the fun, the tears and the adventures, I can only smile.  With having lots of friends coming and going, sometimes I get to hide and watch a show or read a book.  I finally finished the series Parenthood.  I also finished the book, "Continuous Conversion."  Both were fabulous.  The book has left me with lots of things to ponder.  This excerpt really stuck out to me and I didn't have a highlighter so I took a picture.

We celebrated Grandpa Raymond's birthday on the 30th.  Annabelle and her friend helped me make the cake.  It was okay, way too much butter in the frosting, but it worked.  We talked about our favorite memories of Grandpa which pretty much are fruit snacks, birthday cards and sporting events.  Those three words sum up Grandpa Ray for our kiddos.  We definitely miss Greg's dad but know that he is much happier on the other side.  Greg has been able to be home the last two weeks, only working a tiny bit, just from our bedroom.  He has enjoyed spending time with me and the kids-building, wii playing, movies, momentum, board games and just not the stress of work.  Last year at this time he got shingles, so I know we are just really happy that he is healthy this year.

 Nathan has been working on this Space Rail track for a few days, with no end in sight.  He has been reading tons, hanging out with friends, he is always ready to baby-sit and has loved his Momentum Rock Climbing pass. 

 Ryan loves sleeping in, playing foosball, losing arrows in the snow and hanging out with his friends.  He is a pro at our new Wii-U and enjoys rock climbing with his dad and Nathan.

 Annabelle LOVED her sewing class.  She was beaming when I picked her up. She can't wait to do more projects-if only fabric wasn't so expensive and not on hand all the time.  She has loved reading, playing with friends, going out into the snow and going into her own imaginary world.

 Callie is constantly asking me to take pictures of her now for her 'Birth to 10" book.  She is constantly wanting friends to come play and loves snuggling with her new stuffed kitty, building with her tinkertoys and coloring.  She LOVES to color!

Friends Are The BEST!

 We are surrounded by amazing people here in Utah.  My kids have fun and crazy friends and I love that my house is a happening place a lot of the time.

 The boys were getting a little crazy so I had them do some exercises:)

 One night we had a cousin sleepover.  Boys at my house and Girls at Brandy's.  We had some grumpy kids the next day, but they all had a blast playing games, chatting, eating junk food and laughing late into the night.