Express Route

Our Christmas adventures were in full swing well before the jolly fellow visited our house. A couple of weeks ago we traveled to the North Pole to pay a surprise visit to St. Nick and the kids were so excited to go. We even roped in our Uncle Stephen and Drama for our ride on the Polar Express.

Happy Christmas

-Keeping Christ in Christmas-

Are you willing...
To forget what you have done for other people, and remember what other people have done for you;
To ignore what you think others owe you, and contemplate what you can give;
To close your book of complaints against others, and look around you for a place where you can sow seeds of joy.
To accept that the reason for life is not to see what you can get out of it, but to see what you can give;
To make a grave for your ugly thoughts and gossip about others, and plant a garden for your kind feelings and welcome all.

My (early) New Year's resolution is to surround myself with positive, loving individuals that value my family, friendship, and aspire to be the change they want to see in others and the world.

Emma and Evan you make me want to be the best person I can and I love you. Mommy

Grandma and Grandpa Time

We were pleasantly surprised this weekend when we learned that our grandparents from Idaho were coming for a visit. We had fun spending the day and celebrating Pop-pop's birthday with him a few days early, and hope to see them again soon!

Thanksgiving

Our day of thanks spent with family and friends has come and gone all to quickly but lasts forever in our memories. Thanks for Pop-pop for the pictures, blurred or not they're perfect.

Zoo Time and Everything in Between

We've been filling our days with various activities to keep busy. I find that if we go out and do an activity each day it's seems to be a brighter day for all of us. Even if it's just a walk to see the birds, which Evan loves. You'd think Angels were flying over us when sees the ducks fly by. It brings a smile to my face everytime and reminds me to slow down and enjoy the little moments. On our walks Emma has been bringing a bag of carrots because we so frequently see bunnies. She spots them like a hawk, crouches to her knees, takes out a carrot and calls the bunny. To date none have braved the hop over but we always leave a few behind for them to nibble on. This week would be the first week, in I don't know how long, that we've just hung at the house because we're all still recovering from being sick. Little Evan is still nursing a wicked cough that I wish would go away. Nonetheless he's a ball of energy and would rather scale the walls than rest. Ahh to be young again. I love you Bees (Ben Emma Evan Shannon)!

Fall Fun

Today started with rain and turned into sunshine, which is one of the reasons we love Arizona. So after it cleared up we decided to enjoy the wet weather on a walk to GG and Pop-pop's house. Just in the past week or so have we been venturing out for walks without a stroller. So fun! Yes, that means I carry a little travel bag, camera, and an occasional child but it's so worth it. Today we found a lady bug, practiced our agility, and played dress up. I feel blessed at how ewel the kdis get laong. They're always looking out for each other, being considerate of each other, and quick to lend a helping hand to one and another. Now don't get me wrong we have our power and sharing struggles but their love for each other out weighs anything. It's pretty cute to hear Emma trying to get Evan to say more words. We'll always hear her saying, "EVAN, say Emma...say Nala...say Midnight". And in the last week his vocabulary has grown by 3 words: Pop-pop, Emma, and (Mid)night. Emma continues to amaze us. Last night on our walk we approached a stop sign and she says,
"S-T-O-P...stop Mommy, look it says stop". Beno and I almost fell off the curb.

Summer Lovin'

My girl and boys!

Our Little Dancers

Our Little Dancers

Cousins Three

Summer fun is all around us and we're having fun with our cousin Grace!

Well Hello.......

We've been having so much fun these past few months that blogging has taken the back-burner. Emma has mastered the potty and even sleeps through the night without a pull-up. We're super excited for her but I never thought saying goodbye to poop and pee would be part of my daily routine...but lucky me. She's also says the darndesed things. Some of my current favorites are: "I can't like this", "I love Evan my sister, brother", "oh darn it", "and someday". We also sing happy birthday daily so I'm sure we've sung to you too.

Evan is growing in leaps and bounds trying to keep up with his sister. My favorite passtime is now watching them play together. His teeth are sprouting and he's starting to look like a toddler...not my little baby. Before we know it he's going to be talking in sentences. He might not say much but understands EVERYTHING (but that doesn't mean he always chooses to listen). This little man wants to climb on anything that looks like it might support him, which keeps me on my toes.