So Much To Be Thankful For

This year's Thanksgiving was a little different without Blake's dad. It was our first holiday without him and fairly to close to his passing as well, so there were a lot of emotions. We missed him of course, but we carried on in the family traditions he helped build and instilled in each of us. It also reminded us that even though are hearts are hurting, there is still so much to be thankful for: good health, a good job, a home to call our own, our kids and their aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great grandparents. We are especially grateful for our Savior and his gift of the atonement that will allow us to see our loved ones who have passed on again.

Blake had to work on Thanksgiving day and the day after, plus he was sick, so we didn't see much of him those days. I spent the day at Blake's mom's house with his two sisters and their families. The kids loved playing with their cousins and I love visiting with Steph and Danielle.

Saturday was Blake's day off and we went to his company's annual family Christmas party at the movie theater. They were generous enough to rent the theater and provide popcorn and drinks to everyone. The invitation encourages employees to invite their families and any holiday guests, so we took some cousins to the show with us. We watched "Moana" and we all loved it.


Afterwards, we packed a lunch and headed up on the mountain to pick out our Christmas trees. There wasn't any snow in the valley, so the kids were excited to see some snow (not much) up on the mountain.

 Brooke really wanted to build a snowman.

 We built a bonfire and roasted hotdogs and s'mores. It was a really great afternoon.

 Usually we go on a great hunt finding out tree, but this year we walked a little ways into the forest and there it was. It's perfect and Blake and I have both said this is probably our favorite Christmas tree.

 Blake's mom also go a tree. At first, she thought she spotted the perfect tree but then noticed it was growing really close to another taller tree. His mom got a little emotional seeing the two trees growing side by side and said "no, these trees need to stay together." She then found another tree that is perfect for her space. I helped her string the lights and all the kids (and adults too) decorated wooden ornaments to hang on it.

This year taught me that even though our hearts are hurting, we can still find joy and peace around us. Sometimes moving forward can be hard, but I know Blake's dad was with us and I'm so grateful for his example of how important family is. We have many wonderful memories because of him.

November Moments

 Earlier in the month I took the older two kids to a "night at the museum". The Natural History museum opened up after hours so families could camp beneath the dinosaur bones and watch "The Good Dinosaur".

A few weeks later, we had a family movie night at home. When we bought this couch for our TV room, we only had Brooke. It's so fun to have our kids getting bigger and snuggling up with us on it!

 Porter and Brooke made Turkey crafts at their schools

 Then the kids made turkey hats at storytime at the library.

 And we've gotten to the point where all three kids are getting sent to time out at once. This incident happened right after we got home from church last Sunday. We need another corner!

The Grant-a-lope

 Even though the "terrible 2's" are hard, they are also so fun! I love how sweet, fun, and curious Grant is about everything. He loves to tease and to make us laugh. He loves to be helpful. It's so fun to see him experience and interact with life around him. I love watching him when he doesn't know I'm looking to see his facial expressions and how he interacts with his siblings and toys.

I love the little noises he makes when he can't talk. I love the excited grunt he makes when we drive by Christmas lights. I love when he tries to sing a song, when he folds his arms and tries as hard as he can to keep his eyes closed during the prayer (and yes I peek to watch this!), and all the little things that grab his attention. I said to Blake the other day "What are we going to do when we don't have a little one running around the house anymore making all these cute noises?"

 Grant was entertaining us one day by trying to do a handstand.

 I can tell by his face in this pic that he's telling Blake "no".

He loves stuffed animals!

Happy Birthday Blake!

 On November 2 Blake turned 33 years old. He spent the day elk hunting (with no luck) and got home late, but that didn't stop us from having a party!

Blake is such a great husband and father. He works so hard for our family and is always putting our needs above his own. He helps me to put things in perspective when I get uptight and start stressing about things. He makes our whole family laugh and isn't afraid to wrestle and be silly with the kids. We love him so much!

Brooke's Dance Recital

 Brooke finished up her fall semester of dance and had a performance on October 27. As a mom, I love that the semester ends just before the busy holiday season and starts back up in January. Her performance was also a little tender because usually both of Blake's parents comes to these kinds of things and this was the first time his dad wasn't there. I remember at the last recital how John said to me, teasingly that Brooke's favorite part of dance was getting to wear makeup at the performance (which is probably also true).  This performance came after a crazy and emotional week and I was so proud of Brooke for helping to give us a little bit of "normal" back. I always love watching my kids' confidence soar when they perform for an audience.