First Snow of the Year!

Ok, so it's not OFFICIALLY the first time it snowed this year, but it is the first time that we got to go out and PLAY in the snow... and boy, did we LOVE it!

I'll just say it now to get it out of the way... sorry for the picture overload. There are a few reasons for this... 1- I couldn't narrow them down because I think my kids are so freakin' cute. 2- I want to document this fun day when I publish my blog, the more pictures the better in my book. 3- I know all of you out there who weren't with us that day really wish you were so I wanted you to feel as if you were. So, here we go!

This last weekend we packed up the car with a load of stuff and, of course, the kids and headed north to the Lake. This had been on the calendar for some time, but as it drew nearer our weekend at the Lake slowly got chopped to our 24 hours at the Lake. Sorry Steve. But I must say it sure was fun! We drove through Logan, so I was happy enough with just that. But then we woke up on Saturday morning to it completely SNOWING outside! And not just snowing, it was really coming down! It was beautiful! I just wanted to stare out the window.

Steve had some things he needed to do outside so the kids and I played inside while he tried to get it done. But the kids wouldn't wait long. They were just as excited about the snow as I was. Crew kept bringing me his jacket, wanting me to put it on so he could go outside! It was extremely hard trying to hold him off until Steve could come and take them out. I do have snow clothes, but they don't really fit right now. (no smart comments please). I decided I couldn't put it off any longer so I started getting the kids dressed in their gear with the hopes that Steve would soon be coming.

I got lucky and he came in and was able to help me get them all ready to go. Here are the kids before they went outside.

But Crew soon became upset and we finally realized that he wanted goggles like Reagan. So here he is with the goggles we found for him...

They're a little large, wouldn't you say? Well, he thought so too. So the sadness didn't really end. Reagan tried to comfort him...

But it was no use...

Finally Steve just switched their goggles. That seemed to solve the problem. So, outside we went...

Like I said, it was really coming down out there.

Reagan was too excited to stop and pose for pictures. She just wanted to get on the vroom-vroom.

Steve ties the sled up behind the 4-wheeler and pulls the kids around the yard. They LOVE this! Can you really blame them? So fun!

Here are the kids playing in the snow after they were done with the 4-wheeler...

It's amazing how Crew can go from this:

To this:

To this:

Love this kid. And Reagan did her first snow angel...

Gobble Gobble

What a great way to spread the Thankful spirit for Thanksgiving!

On Wednesday Steve got home from work and dropped this on the counter. I asked him what it was for and his reply was that it was on the front porch. (I am guessing someone rang the doorbell and I didn't hear it. That happens a lot around here.)

Was I ever surprised!

And excited!

Someone had left our little family a Thanksgiving treat.

I don't know who that someone is, but whoever they are they have made my month!

As I read the outside of the bag I couldn't help but smile, this is the cutest idea and I think the Halloween Ghost really has a run for its money on this one.

Inside the bag was an array of homemade goodies and I will tell you that each one was yummy. We got cookies, rice krispie treats, and a variety of breads. So yummy.

The best part is knowing that someone was thinking of us. It's always nice to know that someone cares about us enough to give us a surprise.

It made me think of all the people that I care about and need to let them know, especially at this special time of year.

Do any of you do something special for the ones you love during the Thanksgiving holiday?

I'd love to hear all about it! I want to keep this feeling all season long!

Closest thing to sisters that I will ever get...

I have the best cousins ever.

Ever.

Think I am exagerating? You're wrong. I'm not.

They are that great.

I love these girls like they were my own sisters. At least I think that is how much I love them, seeing as though I don't actually have any of my own to compare the love to, I love them A LOT.

Growing up in this family was a dream. Really it was. We spent summers sleeping at each other's houses and begging our parents every time we were together to let us stay just a little bit longer! We played and pretended and as we grew we talked about boys and the dates we went on. Then one of us brought home a "special" boy. The ONE for her. And it was so fun. And so sad. It felt like things were changing as we began to get married. I, especially felt like I was losing them as they made this step in their lives and I cried like a baby at their weddings. I was the last of us all to tie the knot, so you can see how much crying I did.

Although I thought marriage and knew spouces would be the end of our little sisterhood, I couldn't have been farther from the truth. As our lives have changed and our little families have grown, we have been involved in eachothers lives. The love is just as strong as it was and I look forward to seeing and talking with these girls every chance I get.

Like I said, they are the best.

There were 6 of us that grew up all around the same age. A couple of my guy cousins have gotten married and their spouces have easily become a part of us. 4 of us are pregnant right now. Is that cool or what? I love it! 3 of us are having boys! So cool! I am psyched! One of my cousins, Amy, is the glue that reminds us it has been awhile since we have gotten together and the time has come to get together again. It was based on this inspiration that she decided we needed a baby shower. So she threw an impromptu shower and we were ALL able to attend! That is sometimes a rarety, but it actually happened and I had the best time! Here are some pictures of the fun event...

We had a breakfast shower and I think that is the best way to go.

I made these Cheesecake pops. I got the idea from my good friend Robin's blog and they were delisious!

Gram made this great fruit medley.

Here is my mom with Sky's girlfriend, Heather.

My aunt Trish.

My cousins, Rachel & Amy.

My Grandma Brown, oops, I mean Grandma Day (she just got remarried!) Isn't she a beauty?

My cousin, Jackie.

And here are all of us. (sorry girls, this is the best one I got)

Back row: Amy, Jackie, Me, Heather, Mckell

Front Row: Rachel, Tara, Lauren

So now you know some super special people to me. I feel like one lucky girl to be associated with them, let alone related! I love you guys and can't wait to see you soon!

Princesses on Ice!

Last week we took Reagan and Crew to see the Princesses on Ice at the Energy Solutions Arena and it was AWESOME! When we heard the Princesses were coming to Salt Lake we knew we couldn't miss it. My mom heard a commercial for it and called immediately because she wanted in on the action. Steve was able to get us FANTASTIC seats through his work and we were front and center for the whole show!

Reagan was in heaven, as you can imagine. We let her get all dressed up so, of course, she was Cinderella. I did her hair as best I could, and she had her head band and glass slippers. She looked great! I'm glad she dressed up, because she would have been lonesome being the only one her age who didn't have a dress on.

At these kinds of events Reagan tends to become very serious. She is intent on watching every moment of the show as to not miss a thing. When I tried to talk to her throughout the show she would barely look at me and never cracked a smile. The closest we got to a smile you will see below and that was during the intermission. The best part was that when it all ended and we were headed back to the car all Reagan wanted to do was dance with Steve! She was doing all the moves she had seen the princesses do during the show! It was great! She was so serious because she was memorizing their routines! Watch out Princesses, Reagan is getting ready to boot you out of the spotlight!

We were a little worried about Crew as this was kind of a girl thing, but he had a blast and was a stud the whole night! There was so much to see he didn't lose interest for a minute. I think his favorite parts involved Mickey and Goofy, but I think he was happy to be there even when they weren't on the ice.

It was a great time had by all! I'm so glad we went!

Crew wanted in on the posing action...

Although the Fairy Godmother is not officially a princess, Reagan LOVES her! We met her at Disneyland and she was so great with Reagan and she has loved her ever since. For Halloween Reagan was a fairy but when people asked her who she was she said she was the "Fairy Godmother". It's quite a fascination!

Fall Family Photos

It's that time of year when we are looking forward to the holidays and all of the festivities that are included. I love a lot of things about this time of year... You might recall my ramblings about fall here. And it has been oh, so enjoyable. Now we are in the thick of it and to me we are having the greatest weather ever as we start to really think about what we are grateful for. There are many, many things that I am grateful for and I will go into the details of that later. But today I want to talk about another part of the holidays that I really look forward to...

Christmas Cards!

I love sending them, recieving them, and saving them! I know that sounds crazy, but there is something great about recieving a small note from a friend or family member telling me how they are doing and letting me know they are thinking of us. Is there anything better? Well, I'm sure there is for a lot of people, but this is way up there on my list of greats. I love seeing how kids are growing up and hearing about what they are involved in. I love seeing how creative people get with their cards and love displaying them on my wall all through the holidays. I have an especially hard time taking them down at the new year. I really dread that day. But that day is a long time away and I am full of anticipation for the first card to arrive in the mail!

So in honor of this great tradition I dressed up my kids, loaded them in the car, and headed to Wheeler Farm for some family pictures. A great friend of mine took some shots so we would have something for our Christmas card. And since Reagan just had her 3rd birthday and I still hadn't taken pictures to document her aging process I went a little early and also did a "mini-shoot" for her 3 year old pics before Anya got there. The kids were great, despite the frigid cold, and I am very happy with the results! Thanks, Anya for helping us out! You are the best!

I can't wait to share all of this seasons festivities with you! Yeah for the holidays!

HALLOWEEN!!!

I know. So much for a post filled October. The month has come and gone with only a meager attempt from me to post more regularly. All I can say is it was busier than I anticipated. Busier, in fact, than anyone would want in their lives. Too busy to enjoy. Although I did find some moments that were truly enjoyable, blogging got left out of the mix. But I couldn't pass up sharing my little rascals Halloween costumes.

We had a great time this year getting dressed up and going trick-o-treating. Reagan is starting to understand the whole gist of it but Crew didn't know why I wanted to put the candy in the bag after each house... he wanted it to go in his mouth! To be honest, I can understand his feelings, we got some great candy, but that's not the idea, you know? I think next year will be a little easier on him.

This year for Halloween Reagan was a fairy and Crew was a dragon. Luckily they both loved their costumes and didn't want them to come off. I was nervous about Crew, but there was no need to be, he thought it was great! He still wants to wear it every day, but with the weather change I think he may overheat. Otherwise, I have no problem having a little dragon running around the house! Here are the rascals:

This is what most of my pictures look like... Crew running away from me. He was pretty fast for a little guy stuffed in a puffy suit. But I think I love the back of him as much as I love the front.

I know a lot of Reagan is in black and white, but Reagan the fairy looks so sweet in black and white. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!