Thanksgiving 2015

We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to join my family in Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving.  The drive out and back was smooth and uneventful and the chance to visit with everyone there was just so wonderful.

Mom (as usual) prepared an amazing feast and we did not hesitate to take on the task of gobbling it all down.  Eliana was cute and included a lot of "yums" and "aaahs" as she enjoyed Grandma's cooking.

 Grandpa winning Eliana over with her first taste of ice cream

Getting in some snuggles with Grandma

Aunt Janna and Eliana spending some time together

Some other special treats included playing with Grandma and Grandpa's toys 

Riding Grandpa's Quad

And meeting this handsome little man, Bridger.

Our cup definitely overflows with blessings.  We are grateful for our health, our comforts, family, and the gospel.  Our lives are filled with meaning and joy because of these things and we can only hope to know how we can in turn help bless others around us with the things they stand in need of.

First Snow

A little over a week we had our first snow storm.  We got at least 6 inches of wet and sticky white stuff.  Hylie was quite excited to play outside and I was glad that I had an excuse to stop battling the leaf situation!

The snow was pretty wet and heavy, so anytime we tried to stack the snowballs for the snowman, they kept cracking.  So we improvised and made it look like a snowman was swimming with a dorsal fin sticking out of the water...

The snow was also perfect to use with sand toys, so Hylie's magic-clip princesses got an ice palace!

Leaves are Falling, and Blowing, and Falling Some More

This Autumn I felt no matter what we did, we couldn't keep our lawn free of leaves.  We would rake and then a wind storm would come through and cover up all our work, and then some trees were so stubborn and didn't let go of their leaves until days after we raked which meant we had to head out yet again!  We raked our little yard at least four times and still don't have much to show for it!

New Set of Wheels

A little over a month ago, I was driving our 2002 Saturn and when I was in a parking lot, I applied the brake and my foot went all the way to the floor.  Luckily, I was not going fast and was able to throw the car into park.  I was also fortunate to be close to home and was able to take all back streets (which were all free of other vehicles) and park the car in front of our house.  Geoff and I decided it was time to be an official mormon family and get the classic family vehicle: a mini-van.  We looked into all the makes and models, called around dealerships, test drove quite a few, and finally decided to work through Enterprise Car Sales and buy a former rental Town and Country.

We have loved having a van and really enjoyed the comforts it provided on our road trip to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving.  Hylie also loves the new set of wheels and any time I tell her we're going somewhere, she eagerly asks if we can take "the big car".

As for our Saturn, we donated it to Kars for Kids and when they came to tow it away, I had four little kids at my house who were pretty excited to watch the whole towing process take place.  (The truck operator seemed to be enjoying the extra attention, he kept looking towards the window and smiling when he saw hands and noses pressed against the glass, ha ha!)

Eliana - 11 Months

Eliana is moving on up in the world!  She's cut her two bottom teeth (like a champ!) and just today figured out she can scoot.

She only scoots backwards, but it truly is her first accomplishment in the mobility spectrum!  She's also getting more playful and will giggle when she drops her toys and holds her blanket up over her face to play "peek-a-boo".  She's still a mama's girl and sometimes won't go to bed unless I'm the one holding her and giving her a bottle.  I know that will change in just a few months when she realizes Dad is just so much more fun, so I'm cherishing every snuggle!

This little thing averages 32 oz. of formula each day! 

The Reality of Family Pictures

Every year when I start gearing up for family pictures, I scope out a perfect spot for scenic surroundings and excellent lighting, I pick out the perfect outfits for all of us to wear, and I schedule the photo shoot to happen at the perfect time (when the girls are the most amiable: in the morning with full tummies.)  So I think: this is going to be a breeze.  Right?

Wrong.

Wrong again.

Yep, still wrong.

I won't tell you how many different 'sessions' we had, how many hundreds of pictures were taken, or how many times I had to launder these outfits, and maybe I also won't tell you that we never got to the 'perfect spot' I had picked out--but you know what?  I love this family of mine and even if it's hard to snab a "perfect picture"--it doesn't take away from the fact that I am so perfectly happy.

And sometimes a little lucky, too.

 And in case you were wondering, yes, Geoff enjoyed every second of our family photo shoot(s)!