After Thanksgiving....

 After having a fun day of food and family, we put up the tree and the cousins slept in the family room together.

 I got up early and did some shopping with Laura to get decorations for our new tree.  This is her thing and she was so kind to offer to help me.  It was so fun and within just a few hours we had it all decorated!

Nick and Carson were up at my parents house working on their house so my mom and sisters took all the kids to see the movie Moana.  It was so cute!

 On Saturday, I took the girls to the Nutcracker while the boys went to Holden for the day.  It was fun to be with my girls, but honestly, it was a little boring and they were a little restless by the end of the ballet.  It didn't help that it was like a million degrees in the auditorium.  But it was still a fun afternoon and my mom and Natalie and her girls were there too.

 I also ran into my friend Julie (Eberhard) Ackerman.  It was a fun surprise!

 We also enjoyed snow that weekend and the kids couldn't wait to get outside to play in it!

 We had dress rehearsal the following Tuesday after Thanksiving and the girls all looked great!  It was a fun rehearsal.

 And just a few cute pics of Alivia and Preston....

 And our family picture, edited.

Thanksgiving 2016

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving!!  All of my family was there and we enjoyed a yummy turkey and ham dinner.  It was fun using our new kitchen and we were able to heat and cook everything with no problems.  I think having two microwaves are just as good as two ovens.  We also loved having enough room for everyone to sit and be in the same room.  We just need to get some more bathrooms finished and we will have it made!  

We did family pictures and then played the game "Watch Ya Mouth".  Then we did our gift exchange.  We exchanged fun socks and books.  It was a great afternoon!!!  

It was so fun to have baby Mia there!  She is Tiff & Aaron's little girl and she is adorable!  Kaylee just couldn't get enough of her!

We tried to celebrate Dad's bday!

If you haven't already noticed, but it is the day after Christmas and I am finally getting caught up on the blogging I haven't done for well over a month.  Let's just say life has been a little crazy and I have had to choose between blogging or sleep, blogging or dishes, blogging or kids, blogging or showering...and let's just say blogging has lost.  A lot.  So let me catch you up quickly.  November was super busy and went by fast!  So fast, that Nick's birthday came and gone and we barely celebrated.  I guess we did celebrate, if you consider installing a new toilet and cleaning the house celebrating.  We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year for my family and Wednesday was the first chance I had to go shopping or clean.  Nick worked half of the day and then put in a new toilet, since the old one in our main bath just wasn't flushing like it should.  And the last we wanted was a clogged toilet with tons of people at the house.  After Marisa's family came, we did have pizza for dinner and sang him happy birthday....I think.  It was such a blur that I just don't remember.  But he is 39 now and I am going to try my hardest to make his 40th bday one to remember!!!  So what have we been busy with?  Well, early morning choir, daily rehearsals at recess and lunch, piano lessons, performance academy, ball room, activity days, laundry, more piano lessons, science fair projects, book reports, more laundry, singing time, dishes, doctor appointments, preschool, carpool for kindergarten, more laundry, and somewhere in the middle of that trying to get some sleep.  

 Happy Birthday Nicholas!  We are glad you were able to somewhat celebrate it with us!!!

Home again...

It didn't take long to get back to normal life after our trip to SF.  It was good to see all the kids when we got home and we quickly discovered that Preston and Livy had pretty bad colds.  Alivia was up all night when we got home with an ear ache and Preston had goobers in his eyes and a horrible nose.  So I got them into the dr the very next day and after a double ear infection and sinus infection diagnosis we were able to pick up a Rx for both of them.  Alivia stayed home from school that day.  On Thursday that week, we made a trip to the music store to look at Ukuleles for the 6th graders.  We also found a fun drum set that would be fun to own someday.  

 Preston came home dressed as a turkey on Friday, and he was sure cute!

 We had yummy pizza for dinner that night and just enjoyed a night in watching tv.  The kids loved watching American Ninja Warrior.

 On Saturday, Nick and the two boys went to Holden for a quick trip to help grandma chicken.  So the girls and I had a day out shopping and enjoyed dinner at Zupas.  I was also convinced by both girls that Alivia should get her ears pierced.  She was just as brave as Kaylee and didn't hardly flinch.  She looks adorable with earrings!!!  

 By Saturday night, I was feeling horrible and so tired.  I felt a cold coming on, and by Sunday morning I had the worst sore throat and headache and my ears also hurt.  I went to the insta care instead of church and was diagnosed with an ear infection and a sinus infection.  Thanks kids!  I appreciate you sharing your germs!

 I was able to get on some Rx's and that helped at least not feel as horrible, but I ended up having a lingering cough for about 3 weeks and even had to go back in for a follow up appt and a new antibiotic.  It was so hard being sick during the final weeks leading up to the dance recital and choir concerts, but somehow I survived.
It has been so cute to see Preston learning his nursery rhymes.  I found Alivia reading to him one night in her room before bed.  First it was a barbie story and then both of them were reciting nursery rhymes together.  It was adorable!!!

 Preston is such a stud and is so brave.  I had to take him into Dr. Dan's for a small filling and he did amazing.  He didn't even flinch during the numbing shot or the filling itself.  I was so proud of him!

 That night, we went to Roylie's in Farr West for a Modern Woodmen night and enjoyed some yummy dessert on their dime.  It is always a fun time when there is chocolate cake involved.