The End

This blog has served 2 primary purposes over the past 8 years:

1) to keep family and friends who live far away updated on the lives of our kids
2) to serve as a family journal/scrapbook which I turn into a photo book each year

In the past few years we have moved closer to family and see them much more often (praise the Lord). The photo book service I use for our yearly scrapbook stopped uploading from blog sites. Also, our last baby turned one thus her baby book via the blog can be completed. Considering all those factors I am sad/excited to notify you this will be the end of my blogging days.

I love this little space and I cherish the memories I get to relive when I look back, but as our family grows and evolves the time for blogging has diminished and now it's more of a chore than a joy. So, here's to a new year, a new start and more time off the computer!

Thank you for sharing in our lives over the past 8+ years!

And because I can't post a blog without a picture...here's the 1st photo I posted on the blog!

Me and Kyle at a wedding, Sawyer in my belly

And to highlight the progression...here's our current family situation

 Just a few things have changed ;)

Tube Time

On our final day in the mountains we visited the Frisco Adventure Park for a little tubing fun! And even the little ones got in on the action!

 This was actually Evy's first snow experience. She was too cute all bundled up. She was a little confused and was pretty indifferent to the snow ;)

 The kids had a blast! They probably could have stayed out there all day long!

While the parents and kids tubed the great-grandparents sat in the lodge and enjoyed this ;)

Here are a few videos that capture the pure joy of sunshine + snow + tubes + children ;)

iPhone Unload {December 2017}

Pictures (top to bottom, L to R): Evy just can't help herself; love those little toes; looking out the window; Evy's first selfie; my usual view; this girl is a hot mess!; my mini-me; Sawyer reading makes this mama's heart melt

Pictures (top to bottom, L to R): ya know just eating a snack naked; turning a fruit roll-up into a beard; hiding in the puzzle cabinet; Kolter loving Mommy's green smoothie; rocking' the sunglasses inside (also Evy's 1st ponytail); my sweet sleeping babe; my hot mess express dumping dish soap all over herself; the result = a bath in the kitchen sink; being cute at big brothers round-up; girl loves her pasta; a new craft endeavor...bias tape; someone learned how to climb on the folding chair all by herself and she's pretty proud!; Evy's POV

 Pictures (top to bottom, L to R): Mommy's Evy view most of the time, Mommy & Nora selfie, celebrating our 12th anniversary, sister love/mini mama

CO & KS Christmas 2017

This Christmas we went all over and saw all the grandparents! Despite a few sick days we packed in a lot of fun! First up we traveled to CO Springs to visit Papa, Nana, More Papa, Tache and G-pa.

Excited for the Christmas festivities!

The kids had been begging to make a gingerbread house so we took the supplies over to Nana's nursing home and she helped us build it!

There was also lots of Pokemon playing throughout the break.

 And we got lots of playing with our CO cousins/nephews!

 And of course snuggle time!

 All the cousins in their matching Christmas pj's...aren't they precious!

 Evelyn wasn't feeling well, so she enjoyed the extra grandparent snuggles!

 Daddy snuggles always turn into tickle time.

After our time in CO we headed to KS to visit Papa and Grandma for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Unfortunately, I was sick both days so I didn't document much, but the kids had a blast with their gifts!

 Our annual Christmas morning picture in our pj's

And of course we had to get a shot with Papa and Grandma.

What a joyful Christmas we had! There will be a few more posts about our CO adventures. Also, after Christmas Sawyer got to spend some alone time at Papa and Mema's farm! And once we got back home we started a small house project that I'm loving!