SO MUCH SNOW!

We have been getting dumped on! Which means shoveling for HOURS AND HOURS and sore sore muscles. But it also meant the first time ever 2 hour school delay!! Crazy right to get this much and not be canceled? I love playing in the snow and so do the kids so its been fun but I am done shoveling!

Late night walks

TJ and I have been going on walks late at night once the kids are in bed. It is so beautiful and peaceful in this winter wonderland we have been having.

Sledding in the New Year!

We went sledding on New Years Day and had a blast! Kenny and Tessa and their kids came and so did Tallies friend Reese. No major injuries and lots of smiles!

New Years Eve

Years and Years ago TJ and I decided that if we were going to live and raise kids in Utah where there is some of the best snow then we would teach the kids to ski/snowboard when they were young so that we could go together as a family. Part of the thinking behind this was that for me growing up my dad bought a boat and the reason he did was to have a family activity we could all do that no matter how old we got or how much we hated our parents when we were teenagers there would always be something that would bring us together enjoy and create memories. Well I hope to have that one day too (I think I finally convinced my dad to let us take care of the boat for them here in Utah) but so TJ and I decided that creating memories on the mountain would be the next best thing. Something they will always want to go and do with us. I loved snowboarding growing up and after I got my board when I was 14 I would save and buy a season pass every year. It is such a ridiculously expensive thing but I think it is so worth it! I have been putting hair money away into an envelope for a while and have about 3 days of skiing for the whole family which includes lessons for Lexi, rentals, and lift tickets. We went for the first time (minus Kasen who went and hung out with grandma Mona) on New Years Eve. IT WAS SO AMAZING! Both TJ and I multiple times would look to each other and smile and say "I love this!" . I really love watching my kids learn new things and conquer some fears. Lexi went for her first time and took a couple hour lesson and did so great! She was so in love and happy and was going down the runs with us after. No fear in that one. We ventured off the bunny hill with the older girls and they did great. Just got tired since its so much longer to get down and Chloe may have had a fall that scared her from wanting to go again since falling hurts. But she got back up and may have cried the rest of the way down but was happy at the end of the day. We were all exhausted when we got back. TJ went and picked up our Chineese food and we had a picnic by the fire. And TJ may have had to do a McDonalds run again for the younger ones who refused to eat Chineese, like every year. We played all the games we could, played hide and seek and then lit our lantern and made our family goal of the year to Treat others the way you would want to be treated. We drank Marinelles and told our most embarrasssing stories and almost had Tallie peeing her pants from laughter. We were crazy and let the kids stay up till midnight. 

Not sure I want to do that again. 

2016 was a great year and we look forward to 2017.

Not really to Donald Trump as President tho...

Albuquerque for Christmas

To be honest I wasn't quite sure I wanted to go home this year. The Bradshaws and Batts were not going home and I was pretty bummed. But turns out I am so glad we did! It is always so good to be home and be with family. It was so great to be with Cody! He seems so positive and actually happy and was a joy to be around! I haven't seen him like this for awhile and I love him so much! This year the Navajo babies were a big hit and I also loved playing with them when I was younger because they feel so real to hold. Grandpa also took the kids to the shop to grind stones one day and then out to lunch. Of course we all took another trip there to do some shopping. I seriously can't imagine life without my dad and his shop. Super sad day when he finally decides to retire. The weather was great and in the 30's and running felt so nice there!We played Extreme Sour Warhead Challenge which is just how many warheads can you put in your mouth and can you keep them in until they get sweet..LOVE that almost everyone played, INCLUDING my parents! Got some great pictures. Also really fun playing Speak Out! Lots of laughing and peeing pants (for me anyways). My highlight was watching Kasen all over Cody and just loving on him! Sweetest thing ever and I'm hoping Cody could feel all of Kasens love. Another good thing was having Kenny Sperry come for a day and a half. I'd like to write on that story another time since its kinda long but in short he is our neighbor and good friend and is now dating Tessa. Well prob more soon since his main goal was to come to talk to my dad...about Tessa...and getting married. So I'm sure I'll write about that sooner than later.

The sad part of the trip was all of the sickness going around. Lexi was up all night Christmas Eve crying with an earache. Which meant no sleep at all for TJ and I. Kasen started feeling crappy and then my mom was pretty bad for the last couple days. I felt so bad for her. 

This Christmas season was so great in so many ways. I felt like I made so many great connections. TJ and I decided to read the Book of Mormon and to finish before Christmas. IT was so great because we have never read the Book of Mormon together. SO in order to do that we had to disconnect from the Tv at nights and we instead we read. We read late into the night, we read over the phone when we traveled for work, we read in the car when we went on trips and we read while folding laundry. I feel like we grew together so much and learned so much and I loved the better use of our time. We finished reading the day before Christmas Eve while at my parents house and it was such a good feeling! The LIGHT THE WORLD campaign was so great and filled each day of December with service and made us all aware and opened our eyes to LOOKING for ways to serve each day. My kids asked me what I liked best about Christmas time and I couldn't lie and had to say it was the SPIRIT of Christmas I loved the most. Christ's Spirit. It lights our hearts and the feeling of love and peace and the sheer wanting to serve and help others overwhelms us. I thought they might think I was cheesy but they all said they liked my answer the best out of anyone they asked. I hope they love it for that reason too.