We had a beautiful Christmas and I will remember it forever!

Right before Christmas we went to see the Nutcracker with Shawn and Gavin which was so fun! It’s always the best to go see the show with my sisters and it was just so special this year! It was also incredibly well done!

We had so many awesome activities in December, making gingerbread houses, eating cookies, Graham made an ornament in preschool which made my whole day!

Christmas Eve we went to my parents for a delicious lunch and playing games, then off to the Low’s for a delicious dinner! Graham and Wells just love being with family.

Christmas morning was incredible. Graham and Wells woke up and we came down the stairs where Graham saw his DINOSAUR HOTWHEELS CAR. He was over the moon. He loved his PJ Masks toys, Wells LOVED his farm and his remote controller. Graham asked us if we could call Santa to say thank you which melted our hearts. Randy loved getting clothes and a watch band, Maddy loved getting clothes and a BOSCH!

We ate breakfast and danced to Christmas music and it was really a perfect morning.

We went back over to my mom and dad’s to eat a yummy lunch and visit, then back over to the Low’s for presents and fun games.

We came home that night exhausted but so happy. It was a perfect Christmas in so many ways.

We had Cousin Christmas with Melanie a few days later which was just amazing. So much fun to all be together, opening presents and playing games and eating fondue.

This Christmas I have thought a lot about the mother Mary and her life. I’ve thought about Christ and this tiny baby and all he meant. I’m just so grateful this year and every day for Him and what He gives.

We had a straight up BLIZZARD here the other day that blew snow all across our house, stacked up on our windows, and flickered the lights all night. But it was MAGIC to have the boys play in the snow! Graham and Mel had a blast eating snow, making angels, and throwing snowballs with Randy from the sliding glass door. Graham and Wells came out another day to make a snowman and Wells wasn’t sure how he felt about the snow, but Graham adored our durpy little snowman.

We went with the whole family to the aquarium for a little Christmas activity and it was a blast! The kids had so much fun with their cousins looking at all the fish. We played games at Ben and Kim’s until the evening and it was just a great day.

Christmas is COMING and we better get ready for it! It’s been a magical December and I don’t want it to end.

We got back our family photos and I am in love! Amber came and took them in our house and it’s so awesome to see our little fam, doing our thing inside this new house. I hope we always remember how Wells squeaky voice sounds, how Graham races us up the stairs, making cookies and eating the dough. All of it.

This year has been so much fun getting ready for Christmas! Randy was out of town this week and the boys and I had so much fun, even though we missed him so much. We made cookies, did our family service project of getting presents for a child in foster care, and watched Christmas movies. After Dad got back from his business trip, we went to see the blow up lights in Farmington which Graham LOVED. He yelled LOOK every two minutes to show us every single one and describe it to us.

Saturday we made pancakes, went to the mall and the rush of crowds where we listened to Christmas music playing and shopped for gifts. We then played with cousins and went to the light tunnel in Salt Lake which was a blast! We always love hanging out with Courtney and Tommy and it was a great time.

Graham LOVED the light tunnel and we played tag in the maze. Wells was in awe and was such a good baby the whole time while we wandered around in the cold. He is such a good sport.

Christmas has come so quickly but we’ve gotten to do tons of fun things and it’s only going to get even better!

We’ve had a great time in December so far! We have kicked off the Christmas season with making gingerbread cookies, visiting Santa, and going to see the Christmas lights at the ranch.

When we went and saw Santa and Wells was in AWE of him. Graham asked for PJ Masks toys, a blue pencil (Miss Tiffany has one and Graham is obsessed with it!) and a dino car toy. We will see what Santa brings!

Matching Christmas jammies and movies. December has been the best with these boys.

We had the best Thanksgiving this year!

On Wednesday night we had PIE NIGHT which is one of my favorite traditions. We eat pie and make treats for Thanksgiving and play games. We spent time with my family and Graham and Wells were in cousin heaven! The kids all watched a movie and had a blast playing.

Thursday we played frisbee in the morning, got all ready, and had a beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving dinner. We played games and talked about all the things we were thankful for. We made blessing mix, Jello jigglers, and celebrated Ben’s birthday too!

Then we were off to Randy’s family Thanksgiving dinner with even more delicious food, more cousins, funny games, and staying up so late again!

Friday we hopped off to Black Friday shop and the boys did SO good while we shopped and shopped! We decorated my mom’s house for Christmas (we did our decorating a few days ago. Graham COULD NOT wait and it was so cute to listen to Christmas music and get all the decorations out). We ate more delicious food and then EVERYONE came over for Chinese food and pie. It is also one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions to have the day after Thanksgiving with family and more food. And I loved sharing that with my cute kids!

It was a beautiful kick off to the holiday season and even more fun times ahead!

Somehow Wells turned five months old this past week!
-this month we moved to our new house and wells transitioned from the bassinet in our room to his crib in his own room seamlessly. He is the best sleeper and we are so lucky!
-he can sit up (for a little bit) by himself, rolls all over, and wants to scoot and crawl! He also loves grabbing his feet and will entertain himself for quite a while with them.
-he LOVES food more than anything and lunges to try and get what we are eating. He loves carrots, fruits, but not peas.
-he had his first Halloween and Thanksgiving and was so good for both! He loved getting lots of attention from people.
-he babbles and laughs like a maniac and does this high pitched squeak sound that makes everyone chuckle.
-he’s so sweet, his giant legs kill me, he is obsessed with Graham, wants to put everything in his mouth, and quite simply we adore him.

Graham loves taking photos and arranges photo shoots of his toys, or takes pictures of me and Randy when I ask

I got a promotion at work which is really exciting and scary! I’m the web operations manager!

Randy is having an AMAZING time at work and was chosen to go on a trip, lead some projects, and is killing it.

Graham LOVES preschool and has such a great time. He put on his thankful tree that he was thankful for McDonald’s and happy meal toys. And then he drew a picture and told Miss Tiffany it was his house and his mom “really really loves it because it’s so great and so big!” Kids are too cute!

Wells can hold his own bottle and is growing up too fast!

New cousin alert! Michelle Dee Richards was born on November 9th and very shortly after their family moved to UTAH! Graham is in HEAVEN having his cousins so much closer and we went down to see their new house and meet miss Michelle. She is SO tiny and sweet. Wells looks GIANT next to her which makes us laugh. So happy to be so close to family!

Christmas season officially begins when we go see the Clytie Adams Nutcracker! And we got to take Graham and Mel this year which made my heart BURST I was so happy. Graham loved the soldiers and the mouse king, the buffoons, and of course the paper program. He did such a good job of sitting the whole time, he loved being by the percussion section and seeing the pit. It was honestly so wonderful to get to share something that means so much to me with him. I’ll never have the right words to describe how Clytie Adams and Nutcracker and ballet shaped me, but suffice it to say that I am who I am because of the years I spent in the studio and on the stage. It is a painful nostalgia to remember some of the best times of my life there, and I sometimes want them back. But it’s the best kind of nostalgia.