This week has been so eventful and exciting for our family! Brinley and Ashlyn had their Christmas Programs at school. They both did a wonderful job!
Lately I have been trying to think of ways to foster sibling relationships and I thought of how great it would be for Ashlyn to go support Brinley in her program because I feel like Ashlyn is in the spotlight more often than the other girls. When I brought it up to Ashlyn she wasn't thrilled, which made me think more about how this is a great idea! We checked Ashlyn out of school to watch Brinley's progam and it turned out great!
Brinley's Preschool Christmas Program
Ashlyn's Christmas Program
We did a Facebook Live to find out the gender of Baby E. We are beyond excited that it is a BOY!!!!!
Santa knows that we are in Utah for Christmas Day and so he comes to our house early. He definitely found our house.
Ashlyn wrote a sweet note to Santa and she has been learning how to write in cursive at school from a book she is studying. It reminds me when I was in elementary I would only write in cursive and I absolutely loved it! My fourth grade teacher told me that her college age daughter couldn't believe how beautiful I wrote in cursive and I have cherished that compliment forever!
Derek and I had a quick date night on our "Christmas Eve" then we came home to our girls soaking up every moment with Sable. After saying goodbye to Sable, we read a few Christmas stories and watched a Jesus movie about the Nativity- the true meaning of Christmas. To end this special night, we sang a few Christmas songs (which the girls absolutely love).
We have lights in the living room that the girls get so giddy about!
The cherished moment of unwrapping all that hard work of days of wrapping gifts ha ha....jk. But I did tell my mom that the elf that wrapped the gifts when I was little was very meticulous and it sure isn't the same elf that wraps our gifts in the Williams household. Wrapping is probably one of my least favorite things about Christmas.
Princess Cupcake Game
Dress ups
Ashlyn busy drawing in her new sketch book.
Eating chocolate, cereal, and sqeeze-its all day from the stocking!
Desi did a sticker page from the stickers she got! She was so proud of herself!
Watching Barbie 12 Dancing Princesses and coloring!
Claire was working on her Elena coloring book most of the morning!
Sofia puzzle
Hooray!!! Daddy completed the car!
My sweet friend Robin (Sable's mom) built and painted these adorable rocking chairs for the girls!
The girls are in love with them! Derek and I tried to fit in them, but we are too big.
Nana and Grandpa gave Ashlyn a 4 book set of Junie B. Jones. Can you tell how excited she is?!
We got Disney Scene it and we have so much fun as a family playing it. Ashlyn and Daddy are always saying lines from movies and guessing what movie it is from so this is a great gift that challenges their "Disney skills".
Sunday Sundaes are worth lickin' on the ground.
I love watching the girls interact outside of our home!
Visiting Ashlyn's school
Ashlyn was a princess in her Christmas program
Christmas Artwork
I recently set a goal to learn new hairdos for the girls.
I have been doing their hair fun ways a couple of times a week. I should have learned this forever ago, but now is better than never!
(I am paying for it with Ashlyn because she won't let me do her hair)
Lunch at the perfect table- Just their size!
They were so excited when they saw Cinderella at Ashlyn's school.
One of our Christmas traditions is focusing on each character in the Nativity. Tonight we went to the old folks home and were Angels singing Christmas Carols.
I finally finished our 2015 Family Yearbook. I absolutely love it!
Brinley was so excited! She had Polar Express day at preschool and got to wear pjs.
I can't express in words how much I love these 4 girls. They have changed my life forever and I feel so grateful to be their momma!
It was my mom's birthday and the girls were practicing for her birthday performance!
I love when they all matchy match.
I love when they all matchy match.
Ashlyn's amazing artwork.
Christmas picture of Ash and her friend Hailey from Omaha.
Ashlyn loves watching this art youtube channel called Art Hub for Kids where this guy teaches kids how to draw a variety of things.
Ashlyn teaching how to draw a unicorn.
The day we found were doing the gender reveal, it was the longest day so we went to chick-fil-a to make the time go by faster. While we were eating Desi was enjoying her ice cream.
Our car was in the shop for about 2 weeks and our sweet friends let us borrow their car. Well this girl became Miss Independent! She didn't want help in/out of the car and her car seat. She is just so darn cute.
I haven't done our one on one dates with the girls in a while and so I took Claire on a special date to sign her up for gymnastics for the new year and go get a cookie from an adorable local cookie shop.
I am so happy to spend one on one with this girl. She has been throwing a lot of tantrums lately and showing more attitude, which yells to me that she needs more one on one time. There are times when I think they should call it the tantrum threes. But when she is happy and so sweet it makes up for all those tantrum moments.
I love taking pictures of these three. They are my little buddies at home and they play so well together. It has been so fun to see Desi become one of the girls, now that she can walk and talk. She loves keeping up with these two. I love this stage!
I mentioned earlier that I have been thinking of ways to foster a closer sibling relationship and came up with the idea that we will get each girl and dollar and take them to the store to buy a gift for a specific sister. I went in with Desi and Ash and they chose their gift. Ashlyn did a wonderful job of keeping Brinley in her mind while she shopped, but Desi just wanted to play with every toy. When the special gift was decided, we went up to the cashier and they each paid with their own money. I love watching their faces when they do things on their own that they see me (adults) do. Then we switched where Daddy took in Claire and Brinley and I guess they had a totally different experience where there was a tantrum right when they walked into the store and Daddy and Claire weren't very happy. So we had totally different experiences, but I think we are all glad with the results.
Waiting in the car...
This is the first thing they wanted to do after church...forget lunch.
Sunday Nail Party!
I finished reading the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). I started Nov. 1st and my goal was to finish before Christmas. It is a neat experience to read it really fast, but this time I have grown in respect and love for my Savior and the Apostles. I absolutely love my Savior. His life was reaching out to individuals, physcial healing them with all illnesses that symbolize healing spiritually. There are private moments of healing, some in public, immediate, some took longer, but it makes me so grateful for the spiritual healing- through his Atonement throughout my life. Some are very tender moments that I will never forget and too personal to share, but I do know that the Savior's Atonement is real and happens if we allow it. How grateful for this time of year to celebrate His life, ministry, and purpose (Atonement). We are so blessed to have this knowledge!
Look at how beautiful the tees are in our neighbors' yards. The picture doesn't give it justice, but the color is so bright and bold.
Brinley had a Jesus Party at Preschool and she got some awesome gifts.
Ashlyn's school Christmas Party.
Earlier in the week she told me not to come because I always come and then yesterday my babysitters got the flu so I was debating if I should bring the other girls or not go to the party....well she begged me to come (I was loving the begging and feeling wanted...ha ha)
She built an igloo with her friend Blyth.
Reindeer cookies
I was admiring the fun Christmas decorations of all the kids artwork and creations.
Three girlies playing bingo and while I was busy chatting with another mom, my girls are shoving marshmellows in their little mouths and thinking I won't notice! They aren't that clever yet.
