This girl is in her last year of the single digits!
Happy Birthday Ashlyn!
We celebrated Harry Potter style. We made this birthday sign, created a brick wall to walk through, decorated the house in Gryffindor colors, and made flying keys to go on the kitchen lights. Ashlyn was in Harry Potter heaven. This is her life/passion right now and I love it!
Derek and I love taking the birthday girls on a date before their birthday. We love our conversations with this one! We feel so blessed to be her parents!
Ashlyn invited her friend Paige over for dinner and to watch the 2nd movie of Harry Potter. They both have a love for the Harry Potter books! Paige is such a sweet friend. She got Ashlyn a HP coloring book and a matching snitch necklace. It is fun to hear their conversations because it is ALL Harry Potter talk.
The Grand Hall dinner at Hogwarts with some homemade butterbeer...yum.
For the movie we got some special treats and made chocolate frogs.
For Ashlyn's birthday we spent the afternoon together because Desi and Daddy would be at the daddy daughter dance and so Ashlyn really wanted to go to McAlisters. We all wore our Harry Potter shirts (thanks Nana and Grandpa) and enjoyed lunch together.
Desi was so excited for her turn to go to the Daddy/Daughter dance that the Lufkin Rec has each January. She went on a special date with Daddy to McDonald's, the dance, and then to Orange Leaf.
I guess during the dance Desi kept asking Derek what Claire did (she wants to be like her older sister). Derek told her that she got on the table and danced. Desi said ok maybe later. As they were getting ready to head out, Desi said that she is ready to dance on the table... ha ha (which Derek was joking about).
Derek said that they would dance for 30 seconds and then Desi would want to eat a cookie and it would repeat over and over again. She loves her sugar!
Emmett got a big boy hair cut!
I can't believe our baby is in nursery!
Derek and I had a fun spontaneous date night activity. After dinner we were walking downtown Nac and we passed this axe throwing venue. We decided to go inside and check it out. Well ended out trying it out and had a blast! We were given a lesson and coaching by the owner. It was fun to get the hang of it and get bullseyes and the own kept telling Derek he was a natural because he would continually hit the bulls eye and the blue spot (which is the hardest place to hit on the board)- all one handed! We will definitely be back!
We finally got a new addition to our family! We are so excited about our new van. There are so many features that I absolutely love! I will just name a few....
- ventilated cooling seats and heating
- LOTS of safety features- blindspot warnings, wide backup camera, automatic braking, stay in the lane driving, and lots more
- charger of the phone ( you just lay your phone on the console and it charges)
- cabin camera and speakers
- heated steering wheel
- vacuum
- so so much more!
I get so giddy about it!!!!
Goodbye to our BLUTIFUL van (that is what the girls and I would call it).
The cabin watch is so much fun for the girls. They love seeing themselves and then the speaker is fun too. When we were test driving it, Derek pretended that we were flying in an airplane and so the girls want to do it over and over again!
I love how much the girls get along. There are plenty of times that they fight and argue, but there are so many more where they are laughing, playing, and making memories. They remind me to enjoy the moment more often. They got these blankets out to watch the clouds outside together.
Can't keep this guy out of the puddles!
Introducing Emmett to Mickey Mouse to prepare him for Disney World.
Breakfast pictures
This girl is so determined! She got 6 peoples emails (thank you for letting her use your email) to earn this step watch! She was so excited!
The kids made chocolate covered strawberries and oreos with Daddy!
Preschool pictures
Derek and I love our Thursdays together. We have been going to the gym while the girls are all in school (and soon to be Emmett) and we will play raquetball and do some cross fit moves. I have a goal to get a pull-up, dip, climb a rope to the top, and 10 perfect form push ups and I have the best coach--- Derek! I have been working on my upper strength and it is exciting. I have a lot to work on, but I know I can do it with a lot of practice and strength training.
Derek surprised himself when he climbed the rope to the top without using is legs!
He is so strong and has come so far. I am so proud of him and he inspires me!
Derek is doing great with his online training and has been very diligent in his workouts and eating! Derek knows that this is a long process (this is week 17) and he has a plan to continue for the next year. He is in a stage of leaning and then around March or so he will start to bulk to build more muscle. He is doing so amazingly well. I am so proud. He can see the big picture and focus on his long term goal. Way to go Derek.
Desi did this at preschool
Ashlyn got this light for her birthday, but the reason why I am sharing this picture is Derek is scratching their head before bed and it reminded me of Nana- Son is like mother!
We went to the store to buy me workout gloves and workout clothes for Derek and look what Emmett found. WATCH OUT!!!!
This is our morning routine these days! Derek is reading the book of mormon (thanks Nana and Grandpa) while we eat breakfast.
One day Derek made eggs in our waffle iron and it has become a breakfast hit!
Desi
Look at his beautiful curls! I sure miss them!
Brandon and Minnie gave the girls a few games for Christmas and they absolutely love Disney Apples to Apples
When we got back for Utah, the girls still had a week before school started up again. They wanted to go to the trampoline park. Well I had a blast with them enjoying my childhood self, but my bladder isn't the same as it was after having 5 kiddos. ha ha.
When we got home for Utah Ashlyn wanted to do the polar bear plunged and talked everyone into doing it except for Derek and I because we remembered how freakin cold it was. Well if all the girls were going to do it, then I had to do it too. Yes, it was just as cold as I remember! It has become an annual tradition to start the new year. Every girl in the family did it, this year without any tears.
"Mom, look at me- matchy, matchy, matchy"
I was looking on Facebook and Sable (the girls past babysitter) had a picture of her holding her book of mormon like this. I showed the girls and Claire said, "I want to be like Sable. Take a picture Mom!" We sure love and miss Sable!
We went to the park and these kids where in heaven with playing with these puppies.
It is fun to change things up and go to the park on a school night.
Brinley has been so sweet to Emmett lately. She is always playing with him.
I really love my one-on-one lunch dates with the girls. It is fun to have that connection time, chat, and make memories. I love them so much. It is fun to get to know them as individuals. That is really important to me!
I also love doing Mommy school with my littles at home. It is fun to see them grow and progress. Claire is learning Kinder math and continue to read. Desi is learning the letters, sounds, and how to write the alphabet.
Derek read a childhood favorite of his, Holes to the girls in just a few days and then they watched the movie. Everyone love it!
He wanted to be in the picture.
The weather has been a bit colder and we have had to wear coats on our family walks.
Another game that Minnie and Brandon got: Frozen Trouble. You have olafs that are made out of ice and you want to be the last olaf to melt. They have really enjoyed playing it together.
Waiting for sisters to get out of dance class.
This is an activity that I was in charge of for young womens. It was an activity that I did as a youth and I thought our youth would enjoy it. The youth personally invited every senior (60 and older) at their doorstep to a soup dinner. We divided the seniors to tables and the youth asked questions. Then a youth had to get up and share a few things that they learned about their senior. We ate and had a few musical numbers by the youth. There were about 80 people there and it was a huge hit that they want to make it an annual event.
I love being in young womens, but I am learning to love being the president. I have been stretched out of my comfort zone a lot and I have grown a lot and still have a lot of growing to do in this leadership role. I recently found out that we are going to girls camp at the beach where they rented beach houses and so my next big event is a fundraiser this month!
