Honorable Mentions of 2016

As this year comes to a close, I can't help but reminisce on what a great year it has been.

I have taken pictures to remember specific moments when my heart burst in overwhelming love, overwhelming frustration and overwhelming chaos.

You can choose for yourself what I was feeling with each picture.

Truth be told, all can probably be applicable.

So here are the moments from 2106 that I don't want to forget and worth sharing for your viewing pleasure: 

 Miles getting his cast off...

Andies awesome bedhead and hairline...

 "MOM! I'm gecko" ...

Andies love of emptying cupboards...

and pads...

 underwear boy jumping off his bed...

 a too tired Andie to finish dinner...

A clever boy ready for school...

my broken glasses...

 daddy and Andie.... 

"mom, I'm froggys dad, and he is my son"

discovering lipstick...

A new love of this sleeping mask from our world travel!...

 

 "Miles, don't close your eyes, it's going to take your picture!"

 "okay, mom!"

...

Daddy and Miles doing some shopping...

 4:00pm!...

 does it need a caption?...

 A sticker dog....

 a brother reading "pat the bunny" to his sister...

 a cuddly dog...

 Andie girl who has no boundaries with dog water...

 and a forever family!

 

Here are our honorable mentions of 2016.

Its been a good ride!

Happy New Year.

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning had finally come!

We've been counting the days on the advent calendar and this day just couldn't get here fast enough!

Santa brought Miles a new wagon, remote control cars for he and Romney and a new FROGGY!

Santa brought Andie a new Kitchen.

One of the favorite things in Miles stocking was this dinosaur head lamp.

It.is.awesome.

 Andies stocking had these little nesting cups she can stack.

This little boy was really excited to give us a present he made at school.

He told us over and over that we CANNOT open it until Christmas.

He couldnt wait to give it to us.

It was  an ornament he made with his picture inside.

We loved it!!!

I hope he always has the joy and excitement to GIVE a present. 

Andie loved her piggy bank.

However, she woke up pretty stuffy and wasn't feeling so well by mid morning.  

She'd try to play with her new toys but would stop after a minute and cuddle. 

When all was opened Miles put on his jacket, new beanie and gloves and went outside to test out some of his new stuff.

Miles loved his new rocket launcher!

He thought it was awesome to jump on the pump and see the rockets fly!!!

Miles had a friend make a tunnel for his new remote control car.

He's been wanting this bubble wand from Disneyland for a while. I've told him no every time, so he was pretty happy to get his own Mickey bubble wand!

It was a great morning.

We were all spoiled.

We all enjoyed watching each other open presents. 

Though it is chaos, I love what Christmas morning looks like.

(Poor Andie)

That afternoon we watched a movie and called it a day.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Our Christmas Eve

This year was a little different because Romney had to work Christmas this year.

So we planned on doing our Christmas on Christmas eve.

We counted the days down to the 24th rather than the 25th.

And we have been told that Santa goes to all firefighters houses early.

So we were going to be just fine. 

This month has been so busy!

But a fun busy.

However the 2 days before Christmas were low key and calm.

I loved it!

My parents came into town to be with us for Christmas Eve and see the kids open presents and then planned to go to my brothers on the actual day of Christmas to see his kids open presents.

Pretty convenient I'd say. 

On our personal Christmas Eve we read in the Bible Luke chapter 2.

We sat on our couch and watched a little Nativity video so that we could see what we just read about.

I love that my mom took this picture.

Were all squished together and calm as we watched a short youtube video of the birth of the Savior.

 After we read the nativity story we had to read

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

it.is.a.must.

I'm not sure how we missed taking pictures of Miles putting cookies out for Santa.

But we did get a picture of Miles putting out the reindeer food he made at school. 

Once the cookies, milk, and reindeer food was ready the kids were ready for bed!

 Everyone was so excited!

 

When Miles went to bed he told  Romney he was so excited for Christmas because he was going to get a new frog...

 Lets hope Santa took good notes!

PreSchool Christmas Program

Miles has been counting down the days for Pajama day at school.

And it is finally here!

I have been counting down the days to see Miles in the little program.

We had to wait many years to have kids and I was excited to go to my first school program.

I was smiling ear to ear when the kids came down stairs in their reindeer hats and jingle bells.

They looked adorable!

I'm pretty partial but the reindeer in white is the cutest.

Miles sang all the songs!

 I was so proud of him.

Miles and Troy are buddies.

They met the first day of school and have been friends ever since.

They have little play dates and it has been fun!

His teacher Miss Cara has been such a great teacher!

We love her and are so impressed with all that she is doing and teaching.

Miles is learning so much and is thriving.

Merry Christmas little friends!

A Busy Saturday

Every year our little town does a Christmas parade.

It's pretty cheesy but we go every year.

We wave, yell Merry Christmas, and the kids get candy.

It's cheesy but it's kinda a favorite.

But this year we got to be IN the parade.

Miles was super excited.

This is the first year our church put a float together.

 

 Here we are about to get going on the parade route.

We were float #82.

Miles waved and threw glow sticks to to all the kids.

 (the glow sticks were attached to pass along cards with #lighttheworld on them)

We were nervous about having Andie sit in one place for one hour.
We packed a ton of snacks and even a sucker....

BUT she didn't need any of them.

A lady with bright red lipstick took her and Andie was completely happy.

I kept asking the lady if she needed me to take her back and she kept saying "nope!"

She gave Andie jingle bells to play with, and reindeer antlers to try on.

(the back of andies sweater was bright lipstick red)

After the parade we decorated Christmas gift bags.

Our church passed empty bags out and asked that we fill them up and decorate them.

They asked that we fill them with things for the elderly who live at the senior center.

Miles put everything in every bag.

We explained that there were grandpas and grandmas who weren't going to get anything for Christmas.

 

 

After assembling our bags we went to our church Christmas party.

It was a "Country Christmas" theme.

The smoked meat was delicious and the coleslaw was so good.

Miles was a cow for the little program the kids put on.

He really really struggled going up.

But he did it!!!!

Bless his little anxious heart.

A country Santa showed up and Miles was second in line to talk to the big guy.

He needed to be sure to ask for a new froggy.

His beloved green buddy was left behind in Australia and we've all been in mourning since. 

 That is all he has talked about and wanted so when he asked for an orange lizard it threw me for a loop.

This reptile kid!!!

Andie wasn't too sure about this whole sit on Santas lap thing.

But she did it, for 3 seconds.