{little bump}

I am thrilled! Even though I am sick as can be with this one I can't help but smile every morning that I am finally having another little saggy diaper! I am convinced it is a boy. I had a dream last week that I was getting a pedicure and the entire time I was in the massage chair I was delivering baby boys! I delivered 5 babies total and boy was I exhausted when I woke up that morning! Gotta love the pregnancy dreams. Chad has been a trooper with this "All the time sick" fiasco. However, we both keep saying this will probably be our last addition to the little familia. I know I always said I wanted 8 kids but reality is just so much different than day dreams.............maybe if I did not have to be pregnant that many times I would be on board! Give me all of your name suggestions!

How did this happen?

Yesterday at Church Chad and I received a shock of a lifetime our little sprite Liv is now in the Senior Primary! I could not believe it............I was stunned. She still is wearing 5T for goodness sakes. Since I am teaching in the Senior Primary I was able to spy on her during Sharing Time and she just looked so tiny compared to all of the kiddos. Last night before we went to bed she and I cuddled for a while and read her new pinkalicious book GG recently gave her. She read the entire book to me and I realized just how grown up she is. Quite the little lady that one. She is so responsible and loves routine. She loves school so much and can't wait to go to the bus stop each morning. As excited as I am for Tate to go to school next year and for me to get the chance to be home all alone with one sweet baby, I realize now how short that window is where our little ones are ours alone. It is hard to let our children grow up. I hate that I take for granted these days and then realize when it is too late what I have right in front of me.

{family picture shoot}

I am trying my best to hide the baby bump in these pictures and now I am wishing I had just celebrated it! Tate was a toot for these but Chad was a champ. O2 photography took these down in the valley (that is my best friend Rach and her hubby Zach- I will post a link). We had so much fun with them because the husbands could commiserate together about the joys of having sick, pregnant wives- Rach and I are both due in July.

Christmas Morning.....

Chad made me these nifty ski hooks.

Chad pretty much stayed on the couch assembling and untying toys all morning. What a great dad.

Christmas morning was magical as it is every year. I love having kids. It makes everything extra special all over again. They were so thankful for everything which was my main goal this year. I hate it when kids just expect things. Chad got me a Kindle which I am not sure is a good thing because I have already read five books! I have no self control and this instant gratification movement we have going on is terrible for my personality. A great learning opportunity I guess. We had a relaxing day at home and Chad made me my favorite dinner- why? Because he loves me so very much! Chicken fried steak, Chad's signature Magic Mashed Potatoes and green beans (we are talking the kind drowned in butter with no nutrients left what soever) just like I love them. I had a great nap and the kids played on their "ripsticks" all through the house. I will have to video them and their mad skillz and post it.

North Pole Experience

For Christmas this year Chad's parents rented us a cabin up in the White Mountains so we could take advantage of the "North Pole Experience". It was a funfilled adventure- we were able to eat dinner with Mrs. Clause and travel through a portal to the North Pole on a christmas trolly. While at the North Pole we toured a classic toy museum made toys with the elves, attended elf university, ate yummy cookies and hot chocolate, and of course sat with Santa himself! But that was not the end of our adventure- we got to read bedtime stories with Mrs. Clause and the next morning we ate breakfast with Santa. It was jam packed full of christmas excitement and truly was magical. Thank you Andrea and Darwin for an amazing Christmas memory! The cabin was a really spacious place for the kids to run. They especially loved their cowbay room that had two sets of bunkbeds in it. Livia and Abbie had to share a bed of course. We made gingerbread houses at the cabin and visited with Grandma Great. She was such a trooper hanging out with the crazies! Chad and I picked her up on our way to Eagar and the kids were so excited to have her join us. We sure do love that special lady.

{nutcracker}

This year was the real deal! After attending the lollipop ballet each year with Livs she finally got to be one of the dancers! A Chinese dancer to be exact! Pappa and Grandma made it through the two hour performance and I was amazed that Chad and I did as well. I was so worried with how shy Livy is that she would freeze up on stage (it was a real ballet company performance) She lit up the stage and stole my heart! She loved being a part of it all. It was really a fun beginning to the Christmas season.

the tree...........

The tree this year was quite the experience. Chad was determined to go chop down our tree and in true Griswald fashion we picked the hugest one we could find (remember they always look smaller out in the wilderness!) we would finally hike up to a tree we thought was just perfect and then we would glance behind us and find one that was even better! this went on for some time and all I could think of was my perfect fake one at home under the house. I was trying to be a good sport but it just so happened that I was quite sick with this third pregnancy and kept sitting down and chad thought i was not getting excited enough for this amazing family experience. Why can't men be pregnant just for one day?