Christmas Highlights

We had a blessed day yesterday! The snow was falling all day (about 18") and we were happy to stay indoors, cozy and warm :) Everyone had something new to hold their attention and for the most part the little ones got along. There's usually something that everyone wants, and Owen is too young to understand that not everything is his! All in good time :)

For Christmas Eve we went to a service at 3 in the afternoon. This service (1 of 5) was geared toward the kids, with young readers reading passages of scripture, and directed readings. There was also a kids choir for those that wanted to participate, Ella and Sophia happily agreed. We were so proud to watch them singing of our Saviors birth.Thankfully I had a couple of pads of paper and pens in my purse to keep Sophia and Owen happy while the service continued, usually there is coloring books/crayons for Sunday mornings available. After service we made our way home and finished up the grocery shopping to be prepared for a day at home. The girls and I made a Birthday Cake together before they went to bed - fun memories. Before I turned in - I prepared breakfast, made coffee, helped Joe get the presents down - and made it to bed by 10! That never happens :)

The highlights :Owen's new truck.
Emmalie and her scooter - she's been riding it around the kitchen!
Sophia and her Groovy Girl - each of the girls got a different one.
Ella and her addition to her Littlest Pet Shop collection.
Owen eating the cookie that Santa left.
We ended the day with a program the girls have been practicing for the past week. They each sang a song individually, and finished with Jingle Bells together. We are so thankful to have had a great day together celebrating Jesus' birth.

At the moment I am itching to sew! It's been a solid week since I touched my machine . . . but since I had a "day off" yesterday (dishes only) the house is a bit disheveled - time to dig out :) The driveway needs digging out too - but I think I will leave that to Joe today!

Have a great weekend ~
Amy

Ella Girl

I just have to brag on Ella a little! She is so smart :) We had our first parent/teacher conference this past week, they started about 6 weeks ago, and like to get a plan together with parents early in the year. Mrs. Hopkins, Ella's teacher, is very nice, and funny - according to Ella.

Ella is in 3rd grade this year - really hard to believe. And when we are in the school together she's telling me all about everyone she sees in the hall. She is Miss Social!

At the end of 2nd grade they did testing she was at a 3rd grade level in Language arts and 4th grade level in Math! Then Mrs. Hopkins, went on to tell me that the reading goal for 3rd grade is to be at level P. (They started at A in kindergarten.) At the beginning of the term she was at level Q and has recently moved up to R! They keep track with testing their ease of reading different leveled readers. As Ella has already surpassed the 3rd grade goals, she will continue to be challenged with more difficult books, and Mrs. Hopkins will be checking her comprehension. She's a great speller too!

Every day school is a new adventure for Ella. We are so thankful that she loves school and always looks forward to going and learning more. :)

Guess Who's 30!?

Happy Birthday Babe! I love you and I pray that you are richly blessed in the coming year! I am so glad to grow "old" with you.

Owen's First Birthday

Owen had a great day full of family and friends - presents and cake. =) He was a bit unsure of all the extra attention, this was most noticed when we sang Happy Birthday! He was quite stunned.
Opening presents.
Birthday Cake! He just ate little bits, he wasn't all that impressed.

Perched at the window earlier in the day - it's his lookout.
Owen and Daddy.

I posted birthday pictures for Ella and Sophia on my other blog - click their names to check them out over there.

Dinosaur

Father's Day weekend - Joe took some time to rest. He had been talking about camping with Ella and Emmalie for a couple of weeks - and they made it over to Dinosaur National Monument! A quick overnight was just what they needed. See the cave ahead?
Ancient drawings.Beautiful views.Aunt Josie's Cabin. The beautiful setting for this primitive cabin.The Visitor CenterWorking on the Junior Ranger Activity Book. - It's serious work!Cool fossil.Do you see the snake?The Ranger is checking their work.It's official! They are Junior Rangers. The girls had a blast and Joe was happy to unplug for 24 hours. We decided it was too much to pack everyone and everything for one night. Hopefully we will all have a chance to get out soon - introduce Owen to camping!

Outside/Inside

We are blessed - for 80% of the time our kids play well together. Now that Ella is out of school we have had even more playtime together. I wanted to share some sweet photos taken recently. They really do love each other and just yesterday each took turns telling the others individually "I love you _____" I know it won't always be this great - our three girls have already started fighting over clothes, but we are enjoying each day as it comes.Playing in the Ikea tent in the living room.
We have celebrated two birthdays this month, Ella turned 8, and Amy 31. Next month the little ones will be 3 and 1 - times goes so fast! Before we know it they will all be in school and we will still be trying to keep up with them.

Happy Baby

I wanted to share this cute pic I got of Owen yesterday! He is so happy, unless he's hungry of course. And he is getting more accustomed to his feet. I have watched him take up to 5 steps at one time in the last couple of days. His balance is excellent - he can stand and carefully set himself down on his bum to crawl away. We figure he will be mostly walking, instead of mostly crawling, really soon!

A Visit

Well Grandpa and Grandma Shaw are in town for a visit. The girls are having a blast as usual and Owen has warmed up to them pretty quickly. Also Owen is now 10 months old - hard to believe his birthday is almost here (June 21). Hope all is well with you. Let us know =)

Bruiser

So our little bruiser gave himself his first black eye. Yesterday, everyone was around in the living room but not looking at him the moment he hit himself with . . something. At first I thought he hit his teeth or gums - his top two teeth are going to emerge any day, but then I noticed that he had broken the skin just under his eye. Having had three girls we are amazed at how much trouble he finds, and it doesn't even matter the cost! While our girls have been strong willed and very curious babies - Owen will seek out trouble. He has been lots of fun to watch, and I know he will continue to be a bruiser.

He's eating cheerios - sorry!

Arizona

We were blessed with a time away last week. Someone gave us a timeshare unit for the entire week and all we had to do was show up! Joe and I took turns driving through the night as the kids slept - a great strategy. We arrived Monday morning ready to relax! And that is all that we did - the girls loved swimming everyday, even when it was raining and there was not another guest at the pool. So the pictures here are pretty indicative of our week. We just hung out at the pool as a family and relaxed. A much needed vacation for all of us. The family picture here is actually at the Hoover Dam - it's the only one of all of us! Our camera wasn't out as much as I anticipated, but we did catch the spirit of the trip.

Owen fell asleep right after swimming this day. He loves to splash in the water and tuckered himself out. Ella and Emmalie would have been at the pool without us had we allowed them - they are little fish. I remember being the same way as a girl - never enough time in the pool.

















So there's a pretty sunset shot here and then the view from our balcony on a foggy morning. The pools are right there in the middle of the complex and then beyond is a ton of homes built in a similar architecture as the timeshare. It was pretty when it was sunny too, but I liked the fog. You can see the steam rising off the pools too. And a cool looking cactus.








Hard to believe but Owen is actually 8 months old today! He has been gaining confidence on his feet. Stretching from one piece of furniture to another. Climbing stairs if I let him. And looking for trouble! He is looking more like a little boy and less like a baby everyday. Until next time! Amy