Christmas Eve 2019

We started Christmas Eve perfectly! Sleeping in till 7:45, working out, and then chilling most the morning. I prepared food for parties and for our Christmas morning breakfast, but most the day was really enjoyable.

We headed to the Scott party at 1:30 for lunch and our annual bingo game. It was so much fun, most the kids could participate too.

Around 5 we headed to my parents for dinner, the nativity, a talent show by the kids, and the cousin exchange.

It was a perfect Christmas Eve, no rushing, just enjoying each moment. The kids were thrilled with all the events and that night all slept in the same room minus Cooper.

One bummer was BYU losing in the last 30 seconds of their bowl game, come on Cougs!

Christmas Break 2019

Christmas break couldn’t come soon enough. We were so excited to finally see Josh’s parents who love over seas. We partied from the moment they landed till their last night.

Dinner at Whitney’s house

Gingerbread houses with Lee Ann, Alisha, and Whit.

Josh’s whiteout Christmas party

More gingerbread houses with Josh’s cousins and their families

Josh was called into the Bishopric in our ward at church and his dad got to ordain him an Elder.

Santa pictures with grandma and cousins

The aquarium with grandma and cousins

Devotional, ‘Twas the night before Christmas game, cousin exchange, PJ’s from grandma and papa night!

The Sunday before Christmas! Phew, I think that’s everything leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas and those will be separate posts.

Thanksgiving 2019

Thanksgiving this year was so wonderful. I loved having Jackson home for a few days and spending som family time together.

We had just moved into our new home so we spent a lot of free time making this house feel like home.

The highs: we had a lot of snow and the kids loved busking up and spending the day in our new backyard.

My best friend came to town!! It was so fun to get to see her and her family.

The lows: Cooper had a double ear infection, but with medicine and antibiotics he was feeling better in a snap.

I forgot to take any pictures at the actual Thanksgiving, but we had a yummy dinner at my moms, played games and then the next morning was Claire’s birthday! Josh’s family came over for dinner to celebrate and it was a wonderful long weekend.

Claire turns 3

Claire has so much personality in her little pint size body. She is funny, energetic, snuggly, loud, opinionated, and loving. I always catch her hugging Cooper, cradling her baby dolls and whispering sweet words, and telling Lily, ” your my best sister!”

She loves all kinds of food and sweets and will always give something new a try. Her and lily love to play house, family, or dance together. I love their relationship.

She also loves her brothers. J loves to reads to her and Cooper and Claire wrestle, and play puppies.

Claire brings so much joy into our family. She is always smiling her big scrunchy nose squinty eyed smile(which she gets from me).

She learned how to use the potty a week after her birthday and started gymnastics. She’s growing up so beautifully and we all adore her.

Her birthday was the first one we got to celebrate in the new house. She was spoiled with presents from loved ones.

The middle

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about social media and the impact it has on me. When I go to post something what are my intentions and thoughts?

Often times all we see is the end result and never get to see the middle, the struggle. I loved sharing my huge accomplishment of finishing a marathon, but I wish I had posted more of the hard days of training. The mornings I struggled to get up and out of bed, the days I ran while my kids needed me so I had to stop several times mid run.

Or when we moved and had to live in our house as it was showing 3-4 times a day. It was pure chaos! Oh and when we were selling/packing our furniture before the move haha. But all the middle is worth it for the end. In fact, I’m grateful for it. The middle stuff is what’s important.

Chillin in our couch-less family room pre-move.

Sisters annual PC trip

Park city never disappoints when my sisters and I go up for an overnighter. We look forward to this trip all year!

We get dinner, walk around Main Street, get a hotel and stay up way too late dancing, laughing, telling spooky stories and of course eating yummy treats.

This year we had 3 nursing babies with us! I took the picture and was holding Cooper making 3.

We got pedicures, had lunch, and did a little shopping. A weekend with strong women is always rejuvenating. My mom and sisters are amazing mothers, wives, friends, and daughters of God. I always leave uplifted and wanting to be better after being around them.

We found a bassinet and obviously had to put a few babies in it…they were thrilled! Haha

Halloween 2019

This year Claire was counting down the days to halloweeen for an entire month! She couldn’t wait to be a unicorn. Everyone else was very excited too.

We had Zed the Zombie from a Disney movie, a witch(she also was a unicorn at the next party) a unicorn, and Buzz Lightyear who fit right into his best friends family’s Toy Story theme.

We went to our ward trunk or treat(above),

Jackson’s school parade, had Lily’s friend over to make Halloween cookies, and then had dinner at Whits house and lots of trick or treating.(below)

Josh was an awesome dad and dressed as a unicorn rider for the girls haha that lasted all of 30 seconds.

We carved pumpkins, dipped apples, and watched lots of halloweeny movies. Let the holidays begin!

Cooper Turns 1

Cooper, Coopa, King Coopa we love you! Like love love you. You are squishy, snuggly, giggly, inquisitive, bashful, and sensitive. You laugh with your toothy smile, give the best hugs with a little pat, and the sloppiest kisses.

We celebrated you 2x with family, yummy food, and a smash cake. You really like all foods so it was a good week.

You love your siblings, dad, grandparents but moms your favorite.

You love to nurse so much that you still wake up at night occasionally to eat and when you’re nervous you like to nurse too.

You started walking confidently a month after your birthday.

Bath time and being outside are your favorite things.

Cooper Dean you’re the sweetest babe!!

That time we went to the BYU game and I almost died

Okay the title might be a bit dramatic, but I REALLY hate being cold.

Our friends invited us to a late BYU game and we were excited to go. My mom stayed at the house while all the kids except Claire slept.

I bundled up grabbed what I thought was a warm blanket and headed down to Provo. When we got out of the car Josh told me I grabbed the camping pillow instead of the blanket!

We had a lot of fun, but it was so cold and windy and even raining/slushy snow. Josh shared his poncho but I was dead. Good thing there was great company and got chocolate.

We moved(and we swore to each other it’s the last time)

A few years ago I would visit teach my neighbor (in our church we visit each other to help support one another) and she was remodeling her house. I LOVED it! Fast forward to this year, August to be exact and her sister in law( my running buddy) mentioned she was moving. I told Josh and asked if he would humor me and go look at it. They hadn’t put it on the market and when we looked through Josh loved it as much as me!

We couldn’t believe we were going to move just a few streets over haha but we really loved the home, the street, and the whole house was more livable space.

We ended up selling our house in October, closed this week on November 21 and spent the last couple of nights in our “Wild” house as Claire calls it(she can’t pronounce the street we live on) and all love it so much. I hope this is our forever home.

Me and Coop leaving our old house for the last time.

It’s bittersweet. We put a lot of work into that home and we loved it. I brought home 3 babies to that house and I discovered a lot of happiness with my calling as a homemaker and mother. It provided my family a refuge from the world and I’ll always be grateful.

**last night in our old home