{1.22.18 - 1.28.18}

I love my little sioux chef  - even if the only reason he's on the counter helping is because he refuses to not be held these days. How cute is that crooked little smile, though!? 

I think it's safe to say the only new snow clothes the girls will need for next year (and possibly a couple years down the road) are boots! Alya didn't even have to be asked to pull up her hood so I could see her face! (I love when they don't fight pictures!) 

He's found my phone and he loves it. He knows how to get himself into the games and he's getting so good at playing them without my help, too. There is one puzzle where he is given a few different sea animals and then he's supposed to drag them into their silhouette and I probably shouldn't be surprised at how quickly he has picked it up! He's so good at it!

January 27, 2017

About a week and a half ago, Mo stopped eating his dog food, so we knew things were moving downhill for him. We still managed to get him to eat some soft meats so we started cooking old meat we had in our freezer for him and giving him the leftovers off our plates, but even that only worked for a few days for him. He was going downhill much faster than Matthew or I imagined he would. It seemed like overnight he was just skin and bone and he was quickly loosing energy. It even got to the point where he wouldn't follow Matthew out of a room anymore until he was either absolutely sure he was done in that room, or until he got too uncomfortable in the spot that he was laying. He started getting really weak and almost couldn't stand without wobbling and he had a really hard time walking on our new flooring without his paws slipping around underneath him. We could tell that he was having a hard time breathing and eventually swallowing and he just could not get comfortable, but we really struggled with when would be the right time for him. On January 27 when I woke up I knew that he knew. At one point during the day he just laid his head in my lap for about 20 minutes and we shared a pretty special moment that I hope I remember for the rest of my life. I knew he was saying goodbye to me. Later, when I was getting the kids ready for bed and changing Axel's diaper, Mo came over and was able to say his goodbyes to Axel. After the kids were in bed Matthew was able to take Mo to one of their favorite hiking spots and that is where he is laid to rest. 

We love you Mo and miss you terribly! Thank you for being such a good dog and for being a part of our family!

{1.15.18 - 1.21.18}

Lyla has been practicing her letters lately and it's been so fun for me! She asked me if I would help her write these names so I would write them on her magna-doodle and erase them, then she would write them herself. She knows how to do her lowercase "a" and an "o" by herself and she forgets when to stop when she's writing the "N" sometimes, but I'm so impressed! It's been so fun to see them take an interest in writing and learning letters!

"Mom"   "Nana"   "Lyla"   "Dada"

I love when Mo cuddles with Axel, and I'm so glad that Axel will let him! 

24 weeks this week! My favorite thing about this picture is that the kids all wanted to be in the picture with me. This took no coaxing on my part! And it turned out so cute!! 

When Axel finishes eating, and sometimes while he's still eating, he likes to prop his feet up on the table and just chill! 

The girls loved watching some of our new countertops get put in! Alya says she was sad to watch the old one get cut out. She might have a harder time with change than I would have thought...she also said when she got home and saw how different our kitchen was that she "just can't eat in it because it's too different."  

 Axel loves to "help" Dad play the guitar! 

{1.8.18 - 1.14.18}

When I looked out the window this morning I saw the most beautiful frost all over my backyard. I tried to get some pictures of it, but I'm not convinced I managed! Haha! 

I love this boy! // I love this picture! Dad and Axel having a moment while enjoying a popsicle.  I don't think Matthew even said anything, but I love how Axel and Mo are both staring at him! 

These girls are the biggest hams! "Take a picture of us like this!" // I finally got a picture of the girls's quilts on their beds. Unfortunately it's a blurry cell phone picture, but I'm so happy with how they look!

{1.1.18 - 1.7.18}

We don't have our kitchen table set up yet, so today the kids had a picnic style lunch on our new floors! I'm so glad to have them back home, but I am so grateful we were able to have a week to get as much done in our kitchen as we could!  

 22 weeks with baby brother // I got my new stove!! I can't wait to bake some cookies!

This boy. He is not afraid of anything. I'm learning to just let him go and try to be where I can keep him from getting hurt if it comes to that. He doesn't need me for much when it comes to getting into things. I'm glad that he at least needs me for cuddles and to kiss his owies better! // He is learning what to do when I pull out the camera! He looks at it and while saying "eeeesh" (cheese) gives me the cutest smiles! He loves when we turn the camera so he can see his own face! 

I am loving the girls's pictures lately. Here are a few of Alya's recent drawings. This one is her dad with a grumpy face...

...this one is her self portrait...

...and this is a picture of "baby Axel."

{12.25.17 - 12.31.17}

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We had such a good Christmas this year! We spent Christmas Eve with my mom and then we were able to go visit Matthew's family for Christmas day. I love waking up in our own home on Christmas morning, but it was a lot of fun to be with family on Christmas morning. I think my girls really enjoyed having so much attention from so many different people!  

Santa brought Axel his own basketball hoop and it was instantly a big hit...not only with Axel, but with Dad and the sisters, too!  

The girls have been galloping up and down the halls on their stick horses, and Axel, of course wanted to join in, but didn't have his own horse...until now! Nana found him the cutest little stick horse and he loves it! 

I think Papa had a lot of fun shopping for the grandkids this year. I know at least one of the new toys he got them was sitting on a shelf in their house for at least a year! Haha! They loved them and I love that they were toys meant to be kept at Grandma and Papa's house! Haha!  

Jessica bought the girls a cowgirl Barbie complete with her own horse! The girls have been wanting me to buy them a horse similar to this one for the longest time, so when Alya opened up her Barbie and horse she literally screamed! she was so excited! It was so cute! They even fell asleep cuddling them in the truck...doesn't look too comfortable to me, but they did not want to let go of them!  

Matthew and I were able to leave our kids in Idaho for a week after Christmas and we came home to start a huge project!! I am SOOO excited!!!

{12.18.17 - 12.24.17}

We were able to meet some friends in Salt Lake to see the lights at Temple Square. The girls were so excited because they got to ride on a the train! We rode the front runner from Provo to Salt Lake and they thought it was pretty cool! As always, the lights were beautiful and the kids did awesome!  

We spent Christmas Eve at Nana's house this year! I love this picture of her reading to my kids!  

I wanted the girls to open their quilts with my mom since she was such a big part of getting them done. I think they liked them. I wish the picture of Lyla wasn't so blurry... 

 Lyla doing the airplane with Joni. 

My sister is getting a new puppy and she has had the chance to puppy sit a few times for the owners. We were lucky enough to be in Salt Lake while she had them, so we went to cuddle puppies for the evening! Lyla got so attached to that little white puppy (Buzz) and she was pretty devastated when we had to say goodbye! // Alya was just happy to hold and cuddle any and all of the puppies!

Axel was so cute with them! He kept leaning over and resting his head on theirs to give them a hug, but as soon as he was done with it, he all but threw it off of himself to get to the next one! I'm sure Judi had many mini heart attacks with my kids and her puppies, but we are grateful she let us come snuggle them anyway! 

{12.11.17 - 12.17.17}

The girls decided to do their hair like their dad's tonight. Of course they had to add the bows...and Lyla had to have her hat to complete her "dad look." So funny!  

Axel has recently discovered the games on my phone. It's surprising to me how quickly he has figured it out. He rarely needs help getting into the games and while sometimes it's really nice, I also kind of hate how long he could sit and entertain himself with my phone. 

Alya took this adorable picture of Lyla and Axel on my lap! I love this picture for a few different reasons! I love how Axel is (voluntarily) cuddling with his sister, the fact that they are both content to share my lap, and the fact that one of my girls took this picture!! 

The girls have loved to play photographer lately. They take pictures of everything...toys and clothes left on the floor, crumbs not yet wiped off the counter, I have blurry carpet pictures and their favorite thing is to bend over and have their sister take pictures of their bums.  

I love when they take decent pictures like this one, though! I feel like they are little treasures! 

We got done watching a movie one day and the kids all piled on top of Matthew to look at his phone with him. Axel made it fairly difficult but I love moments like this when all the kids (and the dad) are happy to be in the same place and enjoying each other's company!

{12.4.17 - 12.10.17}

to

Axel wanted me to read to him this morning while I was busy doing other things (I know, poor excuse) so I asked Alya if she would read to him for me! She was happy to do so and I was happy to watch them together! 

We were able to get up the canyon to get our Christmas tree this week and as always, the kids really enjoyed helping to decorate! 

Axel did much better with our tree than I thought he would. There were only a handful of times that I had to put ornaments back on the tree. I'm glad I didn't have to move all the decorations to the top half of the tree! // He wanted to help so bad!! I love how he's standing on his little tippy toes to reach the water! 

I got the girls' quilts back and thanks to so much help from my mom, I was able to get the binding on them! I only have a good picture of Lyla's quilt, but I am so happy with both of them!! 

Remember this face? (Axel was almost 3 months old in this picture, but I remember thinking this is the face that I was always going to remember him making.) 

Well, he still makes it! Haha!  

He has been so interested in trying to color when his sisters are coloring. He gets a little frustrated because he doesn't really understand that he has to put some pressure on the pen to get the ink to show up so it doesn't last too long, but he sure tries! 

This boy's hair is out of control. I feel like the back of his head looks like this 95% of the time! 

I got this amazing lens for my birthday this year! I'm really looking forward to getting out with Matthew so I can try it out!  

This is possibly my favorite "gift" that I received for my birthday! Nothing beats cuddles, especially when they are from a couple of cute little girls! 

Aly drew the manger scene today! There are two baby Jesus' - one in the manger and one being held by Mary. I love seeing their abilities develop!