Year in Review

Our family has had another wonderful year. It's been filled with baby snuggles, crafting, baking, playing, swimming, milestones, hiking, adventuring, sand between our toes, fresh sea air, bonding, music, birthdays, heartache, love, joy and reflection. We have made so many wonderful memories together and overcome trials and hardships. We have grown and stretched and come out better for it at years end.

We are looking forward to 2018 and the memories we will share! 

Farewell 2017, it's been a slice!

Fin's Tractor

Today we took the kids to the store to spend their Christmas money. Each of them wandered around the toy aisles in search of the perfect thing that was within their budget. I followed Finley as he checked out monster trucks, pushed buttons on fire engines, and investigated the cars. The older three grabbed our attention for a few minutes and as we were deciding what they should get I looked up to see Finley walk out from four aisles over awkwardly carrying a box half his size with a smile from ear to ear. "I'm getting a tractor," he said decidedly. I couldn't help but smile at how darn cute the whole thing was. We all followed him to the shelf where he got it from to double check the price and when it was officially okayed he heaved the heavy box up and over the edge of the cart. He hung onto the cart and patiently waited for the rest of the kids to pick their toys and beamed as we went through the checkout. His tractor was a prized toy all afternoon and he never let it out of his sight. It was parked right under his chair at dinner time, just to be on the safe side. I love seeing his sweet personality showing more and more each day!

Gathering

Ollie had a successful first night in his toddler bed! He woke twice, but went back to sleep and slept until after 8:00am. When I didn't hear him wake, I slowly opened his door to find him grinning in the middle of his room. He was so happy!

It's so nice to be out of school for a little while, even if the weather refuses to cooperate. We've been enjoying the slow paced mornings, break from routine, and catching up on sleep! This morning everyone woke up happy. I was greeted with an arm full of hugs and "I love you's". 

Hyrum read a book at the table while Ollie fed himself a bowl of porridge. A lot of it ended up down the front of his jammies, but he was so happy to feed himself. 

While I tidied the upstairs bedroom a few of the kids gathered around Oliver's new bed and listened to Camilla read stories.  They giggled at her goofy voices and ate up every minute of it. Watching them brought me so much joy. 

At naptime I spent two hours sitting in the hall with a book waiting for Oliver to fall asleep. He got out of bed over a dozen times and refused to give in! After shushing the kids and sending them downstairs over and over again, my dear girl took one look at my face and came back a few minutes later with a stuffy behind her back. "Can I try, mamma?" She walked into that room and had him asleep in 60 seconds flat. She told me the secret to her success was to rub his leg gently until he falls asleep. I told her I'd give that a try next time. Everyone needs a Camilla!

Big Boy Bed

We spontaneously decided to switch Ollie to his toddler bed! This afternoon we lugged the bed upstairs and took apart the crib. It was definitely bittersweet. Oliver was thrilled with his new bed and squealed with delight as I put the sheets and blankets on. I was having a harder time with the whole ordeal as this will be the longest stint that our crib has had without having to be set up and ready for another babe. He lied on every inch of it as his sister read him stories. Bed time went relatively smooth, all things considered. He is now officially a big boy!

New Quilt

We got a package in the mail this month! Ollie was super excited to get his new quilt from Gramma. It was sewn and hand stitched with love. We've enjoyed snuggling under it and reading books on it. 

Thanks Gramma!

Christmas Day

After the Christmas Eve festivities, the littles decided to sleep in. I was awake before Ollie even started fussing in the crib this morning. We tip-toed down the long hallway and into the gathering area where we were greeted by the faint smell of the wood stove.

We opened the door, stirred the coals, and blew on the orange embers just like we did every morning. Joe joined us just as the flames started blazing. We sat in relative silence until the other three joined us, and then they dove into their stockings. Great-gramma and Great-grampa, excited to have littles about at Christmas time, hurried quickly out to witness the joy of present opening. We sent the littles to wake the others and then started opening gifts.

We had a smaller Christmas this year since our experience was part of the gift. It was so nice not opening so many gifts and enjoying each others company more. Mike and I didn't get gifts for each other this year and both agreed it was one of the best Christmas experiences yet. I loved the short time spent snuggled next to each other watching our littles enjoy their few new toys and whispering "I love you's" into each other's ear.

 

Gramma spent a lot of  the day tucked near the stove snuggling with puppies and visiting with the great-grands. It was so special to have them there with us!

 

Camilla was tickled with her new outfit and doll from Uncle Chris. She spent the day brushing her hair into pig tails, high-pony tails, or beautiful curls.

This girl of ours is getting so grown up!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, eating left-overs when hungry, and venturing outside for short stints of sledding and exploring. So many people worked hard to make this weekend possible, and it was so enjoyed. The children are already begging to return to the cabin and I know they will treasure the memories they made there!

Christmas Letter 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

It's that time of year again! As we approach Christmas and think about the birth of our Savior I am always filled with such peace despite the trials and stress that comes with everyday life. We are grateful for this time of year to reflect and contemplate and focus on our blessings.

We had a busy year and time flew by! The kids are growing so fast and we savor the little moments we share with them. Camilla turned eight in July and made the choice to be baptized. It was wonderful to gather with family and close friends to enjoy her special day! In the Fall we took her on a special trip down to Salt Lake for General Conference. It was a nice weekend with just the three of us and we enjoyed the spirit that we felt as we explored Temple Square. She continues to love grade three and is doing well in school. She sings in the junior choir and has a phenomenal teacher. She enjoys the kids in the neighborhood and is such a social girl!

Hyrum turned six in April. He is in a grade one/two split and loves his teacher! He is a quick learner and loves to read and write. He retains so much and loves to tell me what he learns each day. He is a joy to be around and a great example to his friends. He loves roller blading, playing baseball with dad in the backyard and biking around the neighborhood with his friends.

Joseph turned five in November and is loving kindergarten with Mom. He is a fast learner and loves to be engaged. He is thoughtful and busy and really enjoys working with his hands. He likes to bake cookies with Mom and play games with Finley. He rides a two-wheeler like a pro and does great on long hikes.

Finley turned three last week and is absolutely hilarious to be around. He has a great sense of humor and a heart full of love. He will often say "I love you" randomly throughout the day and likes to give hugs and kisses. He learns a lot from His older siblings and loves to learn right alongside Joe.

Oliver turned one in September! It's crazy how fast that year went by. He walks and climbs and never stops. Mom gets tired chasing him around the house, off of furniture, and out of her kitchen drawers. He is such a happy baby and brings us so much joy! He became quite a good traveler this summer and loved sleeping in a tent.

The highlight of our year was spending four weeks with Daddy touring around the countryside. We hit up the Cardston temple, drove through Glacier national park, toured the space needle in Seattle and spent a week tenting by the ocean in Tofino. We challenged a few mountain hikes and discovered how strong our kids are! It was impressive to watch them make it to a lake or mountain top. We camped for three weeks and the kids loved it! It will be an adventure we will always remember.

We have so much gratitude in our hearts and feel so blessed to have seen and done the things that we did this Summer. We are grateful for our church callings working with the young men and primary children. Mike keeps pretty busy with work, church and family responsibilities. Addie feels blessed to be at home with the children and loves to bake, crochet and make our house a home.

We feel blessed to spend Christmas with our family in such a beautiful place! It's been an adventure that our kids will never forget.

We are grateful for the challenges we faced together this year and for the hope that our Savior gives us. May we all remember the reason for the season as we celebrate and share time with friends and family.

Christmas Eve

This morning the big kids all slept in a bit. Ollie was up at his usual time and we quietly made our way to the gathering area and lit the wood stove using the glowing embers still burning slowly from our late night playing games. I tried to keep everyone as quiet as possible so that everyone else could catch a few more winks of sleep. 

We tip-toed around the barn as it was warmed by the wood stove and took in the views from the windows. There is a certain amount of peace that comes from being surrounded by beautiful, snow-capped mountains. 

After breakfast my girl and I went out to explore. The weather was cooler than previous days and the snow was softly falling.

Later in the afternoon we watched our hosts uncover the most beautiful sleigh from the windows in the loft. Ollie stood on the window sill for a very long time, looking out in wonder at the white world below.

The combination of the red sleigh and the silently falling snow was magical. We were all looking forward to riding in the sleigh pulled by Gerards famous Friesien horses. 

A few of us went out to watch as they hitched up the horses and got ready to go.

The littles enjoyed a ride with Gramma and Grampa to kick it off.

We jumped on next and the littles sang "Jingle Bells" as the horses pulled with ease.

My Gramma was so excited to sit tall in the front seat and drive the team. She always jumps at the opportunity for a new adventure.

The littles had been looking forward to this for quite a while and loved every moment!

Camilla enjoyed a ride up front and got a small chance to drive the horses as well. They were beautiful animals and we all had so much fun watching them pull the sleigh in step.

Ollie didn't want to get out when we were finished. He would have stayed in the sleigh all day long!

It was such a neat opportunity and really helped add some magic to Christmas! I've always dreamed of a sleigh ride in the snow.

With the tree all decorated and presents placed beneath, we were ready for our Christmas dinner.

We even managed to have amazing centerpieces thanks to some talented people putting their heads together.

Everything looked so incredible! The scene was set. 

My mom worked hard on a turkey and a ham and the rest of us contributed the side dishes. Our hosts joined us for a delicious dinner and visit.

The early evening brought the traditional opening of Christmas jammies.

I awkwardly tried to snap a good picture of them in the dimly lit barn loft. 

After we had all opened and put on our jammies we sat around the wood stove and sang carols. Our family created our very own version of the "12 days of Christmas" and taught everyone our new words.

We were thrilled when we heard Santa ringing his bell at the bottom of the stairs! The littles gathered around excitedly to sit on his knee and visit.

He took time with each of them and gave them a treat bag at the end of his visit.

Finley couldn't wait to get on his knee and kept turning around the be lifted up. 

It was so fun to watch them!

After Santa's departure we tucked the littles into bed one by one. They could hardly sleep they were so excited for what the next morning would hold! After an evening of cards and games I pushed open their creaky doors in to pull up covers and kiss their heads. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Christmas Tree Hunting

Last night we fell asleep to the glow of the stars outside our barn window. Mr. Stannix pulled me in close to look at the stars casting a glow on the snowy mountain backdrop. The kids slept all night and woke extra early this morning to check out the place. The wood stove was barely going when I woke with Ollie. There was a chill in the air as we wandered around the dimly lit gathering room.

 I couldn't wait for the first morning light so that I could take in the views that I missed arriving in the dark. It was so perfect, like something out of a Christmas card. 

I peered out every window in the barn and became more excited with each glimpse I got of the snow covered mountains and the pine boughs hanging heavy with snow. 

Being surrounded by family in the middle of the mountains is my happy place.

 My sister and her hubby cooked us an amazing breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs. It was delicious! We all joined in conversation around the twenty-two seat dining table. We forgot Ollie's booster, so he mooched off Grampa.

I snuck outside after breakfast to get a closer look at the surroundings.

The overnight frost added an extra sparkle to everything. Pictures really don't do justice.

 We spent the rest of the morning making snow flakes and homemade garland for our Christmas tree. Watching my Gramma and Grampa work together was a treat. Their hands were so loving. Gramma got up and smooched Grampa on her way to the snack table. There was such love and tenderness between them. They are such a wonderful example to us.

Camilla was beyond excited for this weekend, but I think the thing she looked forward to the most was sleeping in bunkbeds. She may have even signed the card for our hosts with something along the lines of how comfy the bunk beds are. This morning I caught her cleaning up hers and the boys rooms. She had lined up the shoes and made the beds and folded their jammies. It was the sweetest thing. 

 I lied Ollie down for a nap in the crib and closed the swinging doors to the hall. We all continued to visit and craft as he slept away.

 When the sun was high in the sky we made our way outside for a tree hunt. We wandered down the long, snow covered path as the sun warmed our faces. 

The littles discovered how fun it was to kick and shake the trees and get covered in snow. They did it over and over again and laughed every time. 

When Ollie's legs got cold Mike and I headed back to the barn with him. Hyrum helped saw the tree down and the boys brought it up to the loft.

Finley napped peacefully in his bottom bunk as the afternoon sun poured through his window.

All three puppies rested near the wood stove on free chairs, laps, or blankets.

It's always great to have a few extra hands to grab the baby from the crib when he wakes. He gave Auntie some pretty great snuggles.

Grampa was always popular with the pups and the littles. I'm sure he hardly got a moments rest all weekend, but he seemed to enjoy it!

All of the boys took a turn on the sleds exploring.

We were all invited out to "the shelter" behind the barn for a BBQ with their family and the other cabin dwellers. We really enjoyed visiting and the food was delicious!

I had to sneak out a little bit early with the little guys who were cold and tired. Thankfully Mr. Stannix brought me up a plate of food! We spent the rest of the night playing cards and enjoying a chinese gift exchange.