Feliz Navidad!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

updates from the crew


Eleanor: Walking, talking, smiling (now with teeth, finally), dancing, all around happy girl who loves a purse and an arm full of bracelets.

Adeline: Dancing, telling stories, singing, make believe, preschool, gymnastics, Spanish with her darling teacher, Josephina. She is part Batman and part Princess. Favorite outfit is her Batman costume and her Rapunzel hair.

Jack: Riding the bus to Kindergarten where he is in a Spanish immersion program, teaching us all how to pronounce things in Spanish, reading, writing, building, demolishing, singing, airplanes, airplanes and more airplanes.

Ryan: Thrilled to be done with the Boards. No more late nights studying. Now it is just late nights preparing lectures. "Enjoyed" his first trip to NYC; except for that part where he had to give a lecture to an international audience. Happy to be home for dinner on most nights.

Amy: Homework supervisor, taxi driver, gym rat, head chef, vacation planner/family memory creator, or as, Ryan says, "The glue that holds this ship together." Loves volunteering in Jack and Addy's classrooms and having Ryan home to help with the bedtime routine.

Favorite Moments from Thanksgiving

Feels like we've been traveling for the past month. We've been home in between trips but it has been a busy November and early December. Our yearly trip to Atlanta for Thanksgiving made for lots of memories.

The GIANT pile of leaves in Mike and Steph's backyard is still being discussed by our children.

Addy preferred to sit and watch or sweep leaves but we did catch one shot of her in the leaves.

How can you not love Eleanor?
This face melts my heart every day.

Jack would play outside all day and night if we lived in a warmer climate.

More to Come

1/1968

but one of my favorites

Give me some time and I will share the rest of our trip with you.

Ryan's Birthday-- or Ella's Second Birthday

With Ryan's birthday the day after Eleanor's birthday his birthday gets a little overshadowed.

In attempt to make it a special day,

I made him his very own Tarantula Cake with eyes and pincers.

It was Jack's idea to make Ryan the spider cake and it was a yummy idea.

We learned that Eleanor prefers chocolate cake. I will remember that next year.

She even fed her Daddy some cake.

I think Ryan is pretty okay with sharing his birthday week with such a cute little girl.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

The Happy Birthday Girl!!!

She started her day with a cute new outfit and a trip to Jack's school to have lunch.

(Jack said he was pretending to be me. I guess I always look REALLY happy)

Ella loved all the attention from the girls in Jack's class, while Addy and Jack ran around the playground for recess.

The butterfly cupcakes were a hit with everyone except

Eleanor was not sure what to do with it at first.

She eventually just mashed it into her tray without really eating it.

How can you not love this little girl?
She is full of smiles, giggles, lovey hugs and joy.

except when being forced to wear a party hat.

And they brought me Tim Tams

Laura, Lachlan, Cheryl, Tamara and Neil Campbell
came for a weekend stay.

So happy to spend time with them and introduce them to my kids.

I played with Laura, Lachlan and Tamara when I lived with their family 11 years ago in Sydney for an internship at LDS Family Services.

I loved spending time with these guys as adults too. They are delightful kids and have turned out so amazingly well.

Spending time with Neil and Cheryl brought back all of the wonderful memories that I have from my time in Australia. I loved coming home from work each day and doing the crossword puzzle with Cheryl and having intellectual discussions/debates with Neil. (Apparently I was quite opinionated. Who knew?)

Can't wait to visit these Aussie cousins in 2 years. We'll bring the pop tarts!

It's been a good year

It really has been a great year.

Since my last birthday, this little girl joined our family. She brings me such joy each day. Her spontaneous smiles, giggles and kisses make my day brighter. Her easy going temperament teaches me to relax, take it easy and remember what is most important.

Since my last birthday, he started kindergarten. He continues to teach me how to be the best mother for him. I am learning to focus on his excitement for life, sensitive spirit and desire to please. I am thrilled when I see him run off the bus with a huge smile and an excited story about the day. He's helped me bring a focus in my life on more spiritual things and to see how that blesses our entire family.

Since my last birthday, she started preschool. With her brother at school all day, we've had time to spend together. I am learning to make crafts with kids again. She entertains me with her stories, dramatic reenactments, and make believe characters. She's teaching me how to pretend again and use my imagination every day. She reminds me that I am not always the boss and that I need to remember to prioritize. Sometimes playing fetch with Addy the puppy is really the best way to use my time.

Since my last birthday, Ryan has done a lot to carry the family at home. People often ask me how I do everything that I do. The simple answer is that I have Ryan who supports me. He never complains when I have to dash off to a meeting just as he gets home or if I take longer visiting with someone. He steps right in where I left off at home. He teaches me to set limits. He reminds me of my strengths and that I can do hard things.

This has been a year where I have grown in so many ways. I would not change the experiences of this past year. I feel stronger in so many more ways now than I did on my last birthday. I am open to the experiences that I am having in my life and allowing them to shape me into a better person. It's been a good year.

Here's to hoping that next year is just as good or even better.