December 31-January 6 {Highlights + Welcome 2013!!}

New Year's Eve 2012 = best NYE ever!

For New Year's Eve, Greg and I plus our kids plus friends

all stayed downtown at The Marriott.

We had dinner at La Bella Piastra inside the hotel

{their NYE buffet is amazing!}

and afterwards we Greg took the kids ice-skating

at the Gallivn Center for First Night.

Me & Greg at dinner

Thomas is so excited to ice-skate!!

{The view from our hotel room}

At midnight we rang in the New Year, 

and toasted with Martinelli's

{the kids somehow all managed to stay awake!}

It was a memorable night!

It was also the second New Year's Eve Greg

and I have spent together.

I am looking forward to the

next 50 with him.

For several days in a row, the ONLY toy Thomas

wanted to play with were these foam blocks

his Grandma and Grandpa

{my parents}

bought him for Christmas 3-4 years ago.

He hasn't looked at them twice until now,

but everyday all day Thomas worked hard on

building foam castles, moats, buildings, houses,

and all types of architectural structures.

Thomas' foam village

Izzie Grace was in need of some new church shoes,

so the kids and I went shopping on Saturday

and found these silver beauties at Target.

I really like the girl's shoes at Target.

Isabelle calls them her

"Cinderella shoes."

They are fitting because she is a princess!

{Isabelle & Grandpa - and  Cecile}

It's great to be turning eight!

Now that Isabelle is turning eight,

she was invited to a baptism fireside at 

The Stake Center.

Grandpa Tom took Isabelle to the fireside.

It was really special for them to do

that together!

I think for Isabelle the highlight was the

refreshments they served at the end -
the cookies were all she talked about!

Already 2013 is a good one!

December 24-30 {Highlights + CHRISTMAS!!}

{Thomas & Isabelle}

Christmas 2012

On Christmas Eve, 

Thomas, Isabelle and I spent the afternoon

at Greg's house with the Walker family

{it was a big family party!}

We had lunch and a cousin's gift exchange.

The evening was spent at my parents house,

and Christmas day was spent at my parents house as well.

Thomas and Isabelle opened their Christmas jammies,

and as tradition would have it,

they looked for Santa's sleigh from the driveway

with Grandpa Tom.

Naturally, they spotted Rudolph's bright

red nose right away.

Isabelle at the cousin's gift exchange

What is it??

Transformers!

Walker Family

Lunch with the Walker cousins!

My dad bought a new dog.

He is now Stephanie's dog.

His name is Willy.

This was not one of his brighter ideas.

On Christmas Eve,

Sweetheart-Isabelle left a thank-you note

out for Santa.

Sarah. Stephanie. Willy. Alan

Christmas pajamas!

A little sibling torture never hurt anyone.

{Christmas 2012}

Isabelle was beyond thrilled with her new

American Girl Doll, Cecile.

Last year she got Marie-Grace for Christmas,

and she has been wanting Marie-Grace's best friend Cecile,

so she couldn't be any happier to now have them both!

Thomas was excited about his trucks and dinosaurs,

and he especially liked the light saber that

actually lights up red when he play fights.

For Christmas Greg gave me a ficus tree,

and real cowboy boots to wear to the George Strait concert.

{Greg's are the black ones, mine are the brown.}

I gave him a drill and new long underwear 

for skiing.

It's George Strait's final tour,

The Cowboy Rides Away.

I am so, so excited to go -

and to wear my new boots!

Greg and I went snow shoeing up to Donut Falls.

It was beautiful.

Strange.

Anyways, after we went snow shoeing we had 

lunch at The Porcupine.

It was good.

The biggest highlight of the week though was

on the day before New Year's Eve when

Greg and I found out that the offer on the house 

that we wanted was accepted!!!

Now once we're married we'll have a house

big enough for all of us

{and Max too, since he takes up a ton of space.}

We couldn't be more excited,

it's perfect for us.

I love it.

LOVE IT.

LOVE.

{Once I saw the claw feet on the master bathtub upstairs I was gone!}

... and that news was a really good way to start the new year!

WELCOME 2013!!

December 17-23 {Highlights}

Decorating the Christmas tree!

Isabelle Grace decorates!

Nat decorates!

Thomas decorates!

Thomas put the ornaments on the tree together 

in a big group down at the bottom,

 because he thought the ornaments were "friends" 

would want to be together. 

{He is the sweetest boy!}

I wore my new Eiffel Tower earrings

from Stacie and Partick.

LOVE.

Thomas got back the ceramic airplane he painted 

at the birthday party he went to at Color Me Mine.

It went strait into the curio cabinet.

Greg and I {and Isabelle} went on our 

first official"Costco trip."

Greg hates Costco. 

I love Costco.

After listening to Greg rant about American Consumerism

for a good hour, I had him put me on his Costco card

so I can go on future shopping expeditions alone.

So now I have a Costco card again;

its been three years since I last had one.

It feels good to be back.

The kids decided they wanted home lunch at school...

and so home lunch they had!

Greg and I went to a Les Miserables

pre-screening with my mom and dad

a whole week early.

I loved it.

I love the story,

I love the music,

and I love Russell Crowe.

{He can act and sing! 

Russell Crowe is one of my favorites!}

Isabelle made me a Christmas present at school,

{quite the wrapping job, isn't it? Glitter galore!!}

and she was so excited to give it to me

she couldn't wait until Christmas day and

insisted that I open it now...

Isabelle made me a beautifully detailed Christmas tree 

ornament with her picture in the middle. 

LOVE!

It went strait on the Christmas tree.

Homemade presents from my children are always the best.

They're priceless.

{Shopping with Peter, Paul and Mary = bad idea}

Greg and I and all the kids met up with my family 

downtown at City Creek to see the lights 

and do some Christmas shopping.

It was pretty hectic, but the lights were beautiful.

And the kids had fun.

Greg and me in front of the giant Christmas tree 

at City Creek.

{Dad. Stephanie. Sarah. Mom}

{Sarah. Isabelle. Stephanie}

{At Temple Square}

{Thomas-Bear in the Tabernacle}

{Nat. Isabelle. Thomas}

In front of the Christmas tree in the

Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

On the last day of school before winter break,

both Thomas and Isabelle had performances

parents were invited to.

The kindergartners in Thomas' class dressed 

like little Swedish children and held candles

as they sang Christmas carols.

It was beyond cute.

I wish I could dress Thomas this way,

all day, everyday, forever.

{Thomas & Mommy}

Thomas made me this calendar for Christmas

where his hand prints make up pictures

for each month of the year.

LOVE!

Isabelle's class did theater readings,

and Isabelle's group presented Cinderella -

and Isabelle was Cinderella

{or course!}

She read her lines perfectly!

It was so fun to listen to her group read their parts

and tell the story of Cinderella.

I am so proud of my girl!

Princess Isabelle playing the part of...

a princess!

:: THE END ::