Merry Christmas and how our break is going.

 Happy Holidays! We are currently on the last day of December. I made a quick little video to show what we have been up to over the holiday break. We have had a great time doing all the community activities and enjoying our own rituals and time with one another. I am not sure any of us will be ready for break to come to an end this week. 

I hope your time has been going well this holiday season as well! We are so thankful God sent Jesus and the many blessings he has given our household. 

Jayden turns 6!

 December is already busy and we make it even busier with a birthday boy. He had school on his birthday so we did a quick celebration that morning when he woke up before sending him to school with treats. He was festively dressed in the Christmas pajamas he slept in:

                                       

Breakfast banana pancakes were served complete with candles and singing. We also let him open up his gifts. He went on to school and had the best day with his class celebrating him. 

Prior to his day, we got outside to take some pictures when the weather was really nice the week before. I can't believe he is 6 years old already. Time is such a thief. 

Jayden picked his own outfit, poses, and spots to take pictures at. He said the tree at our house is one of his favorite trees to look at and the playhouse on his swing set is one of his favorite places to play. I'm thankful that his big smiles show the same amount of happiness he brings our family. 

Even with the crazy schedules, we opted to do a family experience over an all class birthday party. So we headed to a hotel with a waterpark the next town over. We surprised the kids with the trip on a Saturday and left on Sunday. The extra surprise was that they got to miss a day of school on Monday for the trip. 

And we had the absolutely best time our family could have. 

We got out to see the Christmas lights in the park, watched movies in our hotel room, enjoyed the water park, spent money (and won some) in the arcade in the hotel, and soaked up time with each other. The memories we created will hopefully last us all a lifetime!

Happy Birthday, sweet Jayden! We love you big time. You are in such a good place health wise yet I always take this time of year to think about how lucky we are for you and how your health journey as really shaped me for the better. I am so deeply thankful for all that you bring to our lives and I am so, so glad you are here with us. You march to your own beat. Don't ever change. And, please, take me along for the ride. 

I love you so.

Mom

Happy Holidays

 As I sent out holiday cards over the last week, I wanted to share some of the pictures we used for those and to wish you a Merry Christmas, dear reader. I hope this season is magical for you. 

This is one of the first years we did not get a photographer and I went out and took the pictures myself. This also mean I am not in the pictures. Nor is my husband (to which he wasn't totally happy with but he is also the one who requested no hired photographer, so you get what you what). But, I am totally in love with the pictures I did take:

There were so many keepers to choose from when I only requested one good photo. 1. That's it. Boy, did these kids show up.

 

We chose one of our favorite walking areas of which we have never taken family pictures at since having children that I can recall. Fun fact though, Monte and I took holiday pictures here back when it was just us and our 2 beloved dogs during our first few years of marriage. It was so bittersweet to be back here taking these pictures as a family with 4 beautiful children.

I took the pictures on my own but Monte came to supervise towards the end. By then, Avery was over it and was ready to go home. Overall, I was a bit of a crabbier photographer as I would have liked to be, as my subjects weren't super cooperative. And, yet, we still got some great pictures. But it took much longer than planned and then Avery lost steam so the kids didn't get to walk the route like they hoped. Which was a total bummer.

So, we went back a few days later to try again. Minus taking pictures since I needed no retakes.

And this time there were no complaints and a bonus of a rare caffeine high and a baby napping!

To my children,

I hope you look at those family pictures and they bring up good feelings of happy times. Please know that I am so thankful for you and am so sorry for the times where I didn't behave my best. I am a work in progress and try so hard to be intentional. 

Love, 

Mom

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!