The Holidays

We started the holidays off with Britton falling off our couch and breaking her elbow on Thanksgiving!



Then Tate turned TWO! (How did that happen so fast?)



We ventured out to see the lights at Temple Square with some friends. It was quite the hit.






Then the man in the red suit came to town. Brit asks several times a week how long it will be until the next Christmas. Apparently it worked well for her this year.





Then my sister Natalie came to town. We had our first go at a sleep over with all the cousins...the kids seemed to get enough sleep but I think Nat and I got around four hours each. Regardless, we did have fun. We went to dinner at In'n'Out, Granna, Challae & Brinlee came over for some cookie decorating and playing. Then we pretty well camped out at Granna and Paka's house the rest of the week. Did I mention that Phil survived this event just fine since he was out of town sleeping uninterrupted at a hotel?



We've also had some fun days just playing in the snow!

An update...

Here's an ironic story, after posting about Charlie's birthday last Spring I thought to myself, "this doesn't take that long, I'm going to make sure to post more often." After visiting with some relatives today it was brought to my attention that I haven't been so dutiful. So to catch up, we took a great trip to Playa del Carmen in August with my family (kids included), Charlie started the first grade (gulp!), Brit's in her second year of preschool, and Tate keeps us on our toes at all times. We've never had such an intense, excited and opinionated child and she is hilarious! I'll post some video one day and then you'll understand.

Happy Birthday Charlie!!!

Its hard to believe another year has come and gone. Charlie turned six a few weeks ago! Just a few short days before her birthday she learned to ride her bike without training wheels. We're also anxiously awaiting her first tooth to fall out (every morning she tells me its all the looser and I have to "check" it). She is a great older sister, is typically happy and is trying way to hard to be grown up. One of our favorite things about Charlie is the minute she shuts a bathroom door she sings at the top of her lungs. We've tried to explain to her that we and anyone within a block can hear her but she refuses to believe it. It cracks us up every time. She is a joy.

For her birthday we had a party with Granna & Paca (my parents, don't ask), Alex, Austin and Graeme and then two days later a Fancy Nancy party with ALL of her school friends. Which following the girls' impromptu fashion show, catwalk included, Phil looked at me and said, "I NEED a son." (Its not happening anytime soon.)

An update...

No, we haven't ceased to exist we have just been crazy busy doing nothing but everything all at the same time. So here's the update.

Alex returned from his mission (pretty sure he was gone for five years, not two).

Which meant Alex and Ava and Addy came to play.

Then there was Halloween.

Then Thanksgiving at our house (sorry no pics just a lot of food and people stuffing their faces ALL DAY LONG).
Then Tate turned one (where did that year go?).

Then Christmas with a ginormous tree (it was over 12', our best tree yet).

Our typical New Years' celebration of games and more food.

As for 2010 we've started with a bang!

Knee scoping (both knees) for me in January with loads of help from family and friends and lots of painful recovery. No injury that caused such fun just good ol' fashioned rheumatoid arthritis which Mom swears is from her side so if you're in that blood line and and in random pain you may want to get it checked out. (This has offered Phil many opportunities to make cracks at his "80 year old" wife, however, he went well beyond my expectations for helping with kids so he's allowed a few cracks plus he's always game for carrying me up the stairs when needed.)

New business ventures for Phil as well as continuing the "old" ones (with Phil I'm pretty sure there will ALWAYS be new ventures, every day of the week).

And for the girls-gymnastics, ballet and ski lessons galore! As well as preschool and kindergarten. (And Alex has taken it upon himself to try to get Tate to walk, we wish him the best.)

Now on to the rest of 2010!

The plight of all women

Me: Charlie, don't grow up, just stay little forever.

Charlie: I can't stop growing, Mom.

Me: Why not?

Charlie: Because my bottom won't stop growing.

Join the club, honey. Join the club.

First day of school, first day of school!

I'm a bit late in publishing this post. My little Charlie started kindergarten this year. What happened??? Biggest hit - the bus. She sort of had two first days of school. They have an open house on the first day of school, take the week off and then start the next week. Strange but oh well.



And after MONTHS of talking about all the exciting things that happen at her preschool Brit finally got to start preschool herself. She LOVES it. I have to say its sad to see them go but I put Tate down and then the house is so quiet and I get so much done!

California

The girls and I headed to California the end of August to visit my sister and her kids. Fortunately for us we timed it just right and went while my parents and Austin were there. It was a great vacation. Busy, but fun. The girls, as always, loved the beach, Ava and Alex. Tate found that sand is just her flavor.