Sitting here holding our third baby waiting for you to get home.

Looking at some old pictures.

Haven't looked at in a long time.

Of our life together.
And sharing it with so many people.  

So many memories in only six years.

I like them.

I love you.  

A lot.

I love blogging about us around the house.  This is where we spend most of our time, most of our life, and while it's great to record about the big fun things we go do, I think that when I look back on the previous years of posts the ones I like most are the random posts with pictures of things I would've forgotten had I not blogged about our stay at home days.  Sometimes there are several days in a row where we don't see anyone but each other!

  So here is our around the house life last few weeks:

I love our days at home.  Sometimes we don't even set foot outside and it starts to get tedious.  But some days it doesn't!  Those days are awesome.  

Cookies and snow and other lovely Christmas things.  Because Christmas is the most lovely thing in the world!



In the wee hours of the morning one day (the very wee hours mind you) after I'd been up and down with Eli throughout the night, I heard a little voice asking to get in bed with us.  It was Audrey and I said fine- I was way too tired to pick a battle of any kind right then- and soon felt little legs climbing over me and a little body snuggling up against my back.  After a little while I was finally almost asleep and normally would've been annoyed at any other unnecessary interruption....but this one:

"Mommy, mommy!" 

I hear in the most ecstatic whisper ever heard at 3 am.  

"It's snowing!  

It's SNOWING!"

She was on her knees at the head of our bed which is up against the window, peering through the blinds, her eyes positively shining.  

I think sometimes when your mind is not there even your body itself knows how to be a good parent. Because suddenly I was lifting up to look out the window with my four year old.  And was very surprised to see Andrew doing the same!  He had been dead asleep the whole time!

We both relish in these pure childhood kind of moments and even in our sleep deprived state (Andrew's been working really late recently) we both didn't want to miss this.

So we sat there for a total of probably 30 seconds with our big girl, quietly watching the first snowflakes float down to the ground.  

Audrey is the epitome of wonder in a child.

I wish she could remain a child forever.   

I hope she will in her heart.  

When the sun was up and Daddy already gone for work, the four of us spent a little while longer with that window above the bed.  

A few hours later they were outside making the first (and probably only) footprints in our backyard on the freshly fallen snow.  I swear nobody uses that backyard but us now that the Lincolns are gone. We're so glad the Jenkins have come to finally use it with us!

Later in the week we did Christmas cookies with Thatcher and Katelynn.  I don't know why I don't have more pictures with them!  I guess I forget to take pictures because I'm busy talking the whole time when we're with friends.

So there's this thing here in the Salt Lake area that I've been hearing about for years now- Festival of Trees.  It's put on by Intermountain Healthcare and if I understand correctly all the proceeds to go charity to help patients.  I think it might've even been specific to children, I'm not positive though.  Turns out it's humongous and AMAZING.  There were hundreds and hundreds of decorated Christmas trees, immaculately designed gingerbread houses, a holiday wreath display, beautifully detailed quilts, a kids corner, and two stages on opposite sides of the 'room' (it was more like 3 football fields) where there were singing and dancing performances, kids and adults, going on throughout the whole thing.  

We only got through maybe about 1/3 of the room!

sneak peak for you...keep reading for more pictures!

It is done at the beginning of the month because people can buy the trees for their own homes and contribute more to the cause in that way.  

One of the best things about it is that several of the trees were done by families as tributes to a child or other loved on who had passed away.  Those ones were touching and made me a little teary and very reflective.

It was all so impressive and so full of all things Christmas.  

We loved it!

Somebody come visit us beginning of December next year so we can take you!

Some of our favorites things we saw:

(prepare to be impressed)

Okay these next ones are GINGERBREAD "HOUSES" people.  My British Bake Off expectations are A LOT higher now!!!