Happy New Year!

The five of us rang in the new year with lots of  energy and excitement!  We danced, sang karaoke, played games, and ate lots of yummy food! At midnight we toasted with Martinelli's and then banged pots and pans outside as we wished the neighborhood a happy New Year (minus Daphne who couldn't make it that late!)

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas.  My parents were able to drive out from Utah to be with us on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and the day after.  It was a treat to have them here to share in the excitement of our little ones.  We are so happy that they came, we really enjoyed them!  Christmas Eve was very special, especially since both sets of grandparents got to be there with us.  We had a nice dinner together and then enjoyed a program that Aaron put together of reading from the scriptures of Christ's birth and singing beautiful Christmas carols.  The girls even dressed up and acted out the nativity story.  The next morning I got to show the girls a Christmas tradition that I grew up with, which was bringing breakfast in bed to my mom first thing in the morning (her birthday is Christmas day.)  They even got to experience the anticipation I remember of waiting for breakfast to cook and for Grandma to enjoy her meal before they could even go see what Santa brought them (but they still didn't have to wait as long as I remember waiting as a kid, because my dad always made us get dressed and eat breakfast as well!!)  They didn't seem to mind, and it was a fun experience for them.  Afterwards we opened presents and had an fun day together!

Cameron and Brittany's Wedding

Just two days after Aaron and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, his younger brother Cameron and new wife Brittany were married in the Oakland Temple.  That makes five anniversaries among his siblings and parents within four days in December (two on the 18th, two on the 20th, and one on the 21st!)  It was a lot of fun to visit with the family and have almost everyone in town, even if it was only for two days.  It was a beautiful and special day. We are so excited to have Brittany in the family!

Cameron with Mom and Dad

Daphne with her new Aunt Brittany

This picture doubled as our Christmas card!

Friendly...

...Fierce...

...and  Very Fierce!

Weekend in L.A.

 My dear friend Charlotte (who I have known my whole life) has lived in Switzerland for the past few years (which has made it very difficult to visit her.) So when I found out that she was in L.A. visiting her parents, I quickly made plans to drive down and see her (with the full support of my helpful hubby who would spend the weekend with the kids at home.)  I coordinated to be there the same weekend that Chelsea (another life long buddy) would be there visiting from Utah. We all stayed with our friend Nikki (Who lives by the beach) for a full-fledged girls night of fun.  I got to meet Char's adorable baby boy that I had only seen in pictures when I picked her up at her parents' home before we headed to Nikki's for the night.  We spent the evening out to dinner, dessert at a bakery, singing karaoke  and playing board games late into the night.  The next morning we walked to the farmer's market across the street from Nikki's house and had breakfast, and later enjoyed a bike ride to the beach, followed by a sushi lunch/dinner and good-byes.  It was such a quick trip (only about 24 hours), but so worth the hours of driving.  I love these ladies!

Thanksgiving

I am so grateful that we were able to travel to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  We had such an enjoyable time, the weather was clear, and everyone traveled so well...we were really so very fortunate.  The kids had a blast playing with their many young cousins, and Aaron and I had a great chance to visit with my parents and some of my siblings.  I enjoyed being able to help my mom prepare dinner, and we all had a lot of fun playing games late into the night!  One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Temple Square the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas lights were turned on.  What a fabulous way to kick off the Christmas season.

The Thanksgiving Feast

The Kid Tables

Eve and Grace with cousin Ty at Temple Square

Daphne and her cousin Sammy

Me and Tausha at Temple Square

The girls thought this night was so cool!

I am thankful for my Sweetheart!

At the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Grace created this display of gratitude as she waited for the feast.

My Mom and Dad

Ballet Recital

In November the girls had their dance recital.  They all started taking Ballet again this past fall.  It had been about four years since Grace and Eve had taken a class, and Daphne never had.  I'm not really sure why we had taken such a hiatus from dancing, because apparently they love it!  After all these years of trying soccer, baseball, karate, etc. and feeling frustrated that they never really seemed to "get into" any of it, it is Ballet that they really have latched on to.  Their teacher goes on and on about their perfect long and slender Ballet feet (they have been walking on their toes since they were two, how could I not have realized that their bodies were begging for Ballet all these years?!)  The recital was a delight!  Grace's class did a fun winter dance to "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" that mimicked a snowball fight (it was a very graceful snowball fight!)  Eve participated in the "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker Ballet.  And Daphne shook her cute little jingle bells in a mommy-and-me performance of "Jingle Bells!"

Eve's Birthday

For Eve's seventh birthday she wanted an Owl party.  I made her an owl cake, and we played pin-the-tail-on-the-owl (designed and created by the birthday girl herself!)  Eve decided that she didn't want to have a friend party this year, and that she would rather just have family there to celebrate.  In addition to Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Sarah, Uncle Cameron was in town introducing his new fiance Brittany to the family so they got to come too.  Eve felt very special that her future Aunt got to come to the event!  I could tell the party turned out just as Eve had hoped, because she seemed to be smiling all night long!

Happy Birthday Eve!

Sarah, Eve, Cameron, Daphne, Brittany

Ending 2012

Aaron and I at the BYU vs. San Jose State game in November

There is so much fun stuff that has happened between November and now, that I just can't move on to 2013 until I at least recap the goings-on of the last couple of months first!  Now that it is January and the fantastic (but busy) holiday season is over, I am happy to report our happenings in the following several posts...