Heather (Dave's sister), Chris, Oliva and Weston came for a visit. Since we won't be together at Christmas this year, we took our yearly cousins picture of our three boys who were all born within a couple months of each other. How much difference a year makes! Poor Tate wasn't feeling very well, as is evident from his sad little face!
We celebrated a lot of birthdays this fall. Grant turned 3 in October, Gray turned 1, Dave turned 33 and Syd turned 7 all in November. I will have to find the pics we took at Grant and Gray's birthday (bad Mom!), but I did find the whole two pics we took of Syd blowing out the candles on her Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcake! She was thrilled with a Calico Critters Townhouse and an American Girl doll, plus other fun presents from aunts and uncles.
I have been on a pretty strict diet and excersize plan to shed my baby weight with the help of Lindsey. So far I am 18 lbs down (although I think I put on a couple at my friend Staci's cookie exchange last night!). This means a lot of protein shakes but I have figured out how to make them super yummy. This one that Grant is sporting is made of strawberries and cream protein, stevia, half a banana, spinach and a handful of blueberries blended with no sugar added almond milk. It is REALLY good despite how it sounds.
We started a new Christmas tradition this year with the "Elf on a Shelf". The kids named our little elf Hugo and he sits on the mantle watching the kids to make sure they behave. He flies back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa. And he also makes a little mischief when he gets back. The kids ADORE this. Blake talked of nothing else for two days straight and you should hear the letters they write to him. So far he has been enjoying himself as you can see.
The kids woke up to find him still posed from his Drive-in-movie date with Barbie. He even has a little bucket of popcorn on his lap. They were enjoying "Frosty's Wonderland".
This morning the kids found he had made a little mess on the dining room table with fake snow. Missing play time at the North Pole maybe?
Building little snowmen out of marshmallows from the pantry for the kids.
We have also found him hiding in the fridge, ziplining across the dining room after hanging candy canes on the chandelier and hiding all over the house. Including tacking pink and red streamers all across the doorway with a string leading to a box in the closet where he was hiding with a birthday treat for Syd and the boys.
Here is one from our Gingerbread house decorating. A really fun yearly tradition. Blake and Syd did such a great job this year! And Grant did a really great job eating all of his candy!
Grant has been "playing" Mario brothers on Blakes DS lately. He really has no idea what he is doing but I think he likes pressing the buttons and seeing the screen change. It is pretty hilarious because he concentrates so hard. The other day I couldn't find him - but then heard some familiar music coming from the coat closet. It turns out that Grant has figured out he can see the screen much better in the dark so he climbs in the closet and shuts the door to "play".
Our baby is growing up! He has started walking. Funny how it never gets old to see your child take their first steps, even if it is the fourth time around. He is a fiesty little guy who takes major tantrums. I am really hoping it is just out of frustration due to lack of communicating skills. I think I am going to need to teach him some signing to help. Grayson loves to give open mouth kisses, laugh at his Sister Sydney (she always gets him to laugh the hardest) and play in the toilet. And he is clinging to nursing for all it is worth. He does NOT want to wean so it is going to be a long process. We love our little blue eyed boy!
We are all ready for Christmas. The tree has been up since right before Thanksiving, and the house is decorated. We are enjoying fires in the fireplace and Christmas cookies (well, the kids and Dave more so!). We love our many traditions and look forward to visiting Temple Square up in Salt Lake City to see the lights and visit the amazing nativity, going to see the Nutcracker ballet, and especially looking forward to Christmas in Canada with my family this year. It will be the first time I have been home for Christmas in 10 years and I am so excited (as are the kids) I could cry. We are listening to Christmas music, shopping for our friends and family and thinking about our Savior's birth and life, feeling his spirit all around us. THAT is why Christmas means so much to us!
Blake, soaking in some Christmas magic.
2 comments:
You're such a great mom and that's a VERY mischievous elf!
And congrats on being down 18lbs! I bet you feel SO great!
You are amazing!So talented. that pic of Blake is just breathtaking. He is going to be a major heart breaker.
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