{11.23.20 - 11.29.20}

We have the best mail lady! My kids like to write her little notes and leave them in the mailbox, so she left my kids these cute little Christmas advent calendars. They are so excited about them! 

Oh man he's handsome! // It's always fun to find where Axel ends up after we tuck him into bed. 

Our annual Thanksgiving bowling event was a hit this year. I love these pictures of Eli and Grandma!

Axel loved carrying his own ball! He was so fun to watch! // I love his little tongue sticking out trying to get his ball on the ramp! 

I love how happy he is in this picture! // Jeni is always managing to get his hair to do all sorts of crazy things! 

We decorated gingerbread houses (cookies) this year. It was perfect! The kids obviously thoroughly enjoyed decorating with as many pieces of candy possible. Lyla was very excited about her bear on top of her house! 

Axel's turned out pretty awesome! We love hunting for Christmas trees. 

This year we just decided to get a tree for Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho and we will go get our when we get home. 

The kids decided to hang out with Crystal for a bit while the rest of us climbed the hill to find a good tree. They thought it'd be really funny to surprise us with a few snowballs when we came back down the hill. 

Lyla found some Oregon Grape! We have learned that the roots can be used as an antibacterial. // Eli did more hiking than the rest of us for sure...not! Somehow he always manages to end up on someone's shoulders. 

Jess and Axel...Axel loves to smile when prompted! // You can always tell when he's up to something because that seems to be when he's willing to smile for the camera...like when he is getting ready to throw a snowball at you. 

Eli and his stick. My boys are always finding sticks! He got to keep it until he kept accidentally hitting someone with it! 

I told you he hiked the most! Haha! // I love these toothless smiles! (Alya)

Lyla was so excited to help Dad pull the tree off the hill! I love how determined she looks in this picture! 

Jeni is full of shenanigans! 

I found this old picture of Lyla. She had to have only been 2 or 3 in this picture. Everytime she wore this hat she insisted that we call her "Sosty the Snowman." So cute! I just love this picture of her!! I wish I knew what she was thinking! 

Lyla bowling!! 

 

Alya bowling! I love her little "oops!" 

Every chance he gets, he tells us about the fishing pole he thinks Santa is going to bring him. 

{11.16.20 - 11.22.20}

Working on our muscles! 

The kids like to watch their shows in their "sleeping bags" in the living room! Silly kids!

We love our Sunday movie nights! We are working our way through the Avengers movies! 

Alya is so excited that she finally got her ballet costume! She looks so cute! // We got to enjoy another session of General Conference last weekend. I really liked this quote from President Nelson and I was a little surprised how quickly I sold this piece! 

I love this video! I love how he knows what's coming when he puts his arms up, and his laugh is just so darn cute! 

 

{11.9.20 - 11.15.20}

I couldn't pick just one picture of Eli in his sunglasses. It kills me how cute he is! 

The girls read 600 minutes last month and won their reading metals. They were pretty excited about it! 

I love Lyla fiercely, and she pushes all of my buttons. She was sent to her room one day and for her own safety she was not allowed out of her room. I think I had locked myself in my room to fold laundry or something like that, and she kept slipping me these notes. So funny! I guess her being in trouble gives her a good opportunity to practice her writing and spelling! Haha! 

These two pictures are a little clue to a project we are going to be working on! I can't wait! 

Trying to get the hatchet out of the stump proved harder than any of them thought it would be.  

All three of these kids look slightly creepy in this picture! They are very photogenic, clearly.  

Eli wants a fishing pole for Christmas and he brings it up in almost every conversation, he is so excited!

{11.2.20 - 11.8.20}

It's starting to get cold up here where Dad's working! // Peek-a-boo Eli! 

I love those big brown eyes! // This is such a fun little spot to come and hang out for a little bit! We get to go on a little drive, we get to see Dad, we get to do a little "hike" around the lake...it's definitely something I have been looking forward to everyday.  

A friend of mine was doing a giveaway for some of her followers/clients that she works with. (She is a life coach for parents who have lost babies due to miscarriage or still birth, etc.) She asked me to provide one of the prizes for her giveaway. I was so happy to get to make this special piece for one of the moms. Each of the flowers represents the birth month of each of her babies and I hope she loves it! // I love moments like this so much! 

I have no words! Haha! // He must have been a little bit sick this week because I got lots of snuggles from him. But man, I love these snuggles. 

Who knew these kids could get along!! 

I asked the girls to go out and rake some leaves for me. There were lots of leaves left  on the ground when they were "done" but it kept them busy and they really did do a good job! // He stole my butter...and I think it's safe to say that he enjoyed it. Bleh!! 

I left the girls coloring at the kitchen table while I ran to get myself a drink. When I got back they had set up their blankets and Halloween hats to look like they were still sitting at the table. I walked in the door and saw their set-up and laughed because I knew they weren't actually hiding under the hat...but I may or may not have had to just take a closer look to be absolutely certain! It was so funny! And look how proud of themselves they were...you can see it all over their faces! 

{10.26.20 - 11.1.20}

 

Oh, Axel! He is always up to something! 

I love these smiley faces! // The kids all took turns jumping off Dad's shoulders! Crazy kids! 

Axel's turn // Lyla's turn 

Crazy hair day at school! Lyla chose to have a spider on her head. Luckily, last year Crystal made these fun little barrettes for the girls and they came in handy this year! // Alya chose to be a unicorn for a day!

Axel and Eli have been wanting to be "long eared dogs" every night at bedtime!

Happy Halloween from my cute little minion, a not-so wicked witch, Carmen SanDiego and Spiderman! 

{10.19.20 - 10.25.20}

The girls got to come with us today to bring Dad a drink...and it took the girls all of .3 seconds to find a grasshopper and ask me if they could keep it as a pet. 

I love them so darn much! 

Eli got to go on a ride with Dad! Obviously he loved it! // Such a pretty little girl! (Alya)

It's starting to get cold up here! We even found some ice on the water. // My dad and his wife invited us up to carve pumpkins with them this week. I love the way Eli is looking at D! My kids love this kid so much! I wish we could see him more! 

Papa helping Eli climb to fence to go play at the school with the rest of the kids! // He decided he didn't want to be away from me though, so he settled on riding the John Deere!

Axel hated digging out the seeds! I love that look on his face! I was so glad that Nick helped Axel carve his pumpkin! Thanks Nick! 

Eli, of course, was bound and determined to do it all himself...thankfully he let me help him a bit! 

Alya got to work with Tia! 

And Lyla was on. her. own! She insisted!! She did such a good job! 

Eli and Alya's jack-o-lanters. 

Lyla and Axel's jack-o-lanterns.

Lyla wants to be Carmen SanDiego for Halloween (how cute is that?!) and my amazing Mama made her this trench coat for her to wear! She is so excited! // Eli looks pretty stinkin studly in this little fedora! 

He never wants me to put his blanket on him because of coarse that means it's time to go to sleep! This is how he has been avoiding it lately! Haha! // Matthew got his elk skull back! It looks so good!! 

My sisters and I finally made it to our Haunted House excursion this year! 

We asked this employee to take our picture and I love that she took a selfie too! // It was a pretty good haunted house! I love that we do this! 

A super creepy clown! We really had such a fun night! My girls kept telling me how they can't wait to go to a haunted house. We'll see how they are feeling when they are...maybe 13??