Happy no blogging anniversary

I have wanted to start blogging again, so I figure my no blogging anniversary is the perfect time to start! Update for the past few months:

Asher: Is in grade one, loves school, and has learned to read fluently. He got to have a small part in the our ward Christmas play, A Christmas Carol. He was so proud, and did such a good job. He loves to build lego, play DS :( , and play with his friends. He is such a good big brother. We miss him when he is at school all day. He just seems so big and I really don't want him to grow anymore. He has learned over the Christmas holiday's how to wiggle his ears. Not up and down, or back to front, but he opens and closes them, kind of like wings. He looks like he is gearing up to fly away. Super cute!

Lexi: Started kindergarden. She is working on NOT telling her teacher what to do, what she has forgotten or missed on a daily basis. I told her teacher that it is just who Lexi is, and wished her luck trying to subdue that trait. Secretly I don't want that part of her to change at all, even though I did explain to Lexi that she needs to be respectful of the teacher! I am fine with her telling her teacher when she has done something wrong :) She loves to sew, cook, sing, dance, and a million other things that she is constantly reminding me are her many talents. I am not sure where her strong personality comes from....I was so quiet as a child, but I love it, and I love her so much!

Hunter: My little Huntee Buntee. This year I am doing home preschool with him. He has recently started being so careful with his coloring. He will spend a lot of time making sure there is not white space on the page, and colors in the lines so well. He also enjoys writing his letters. Most of all he is a Mamma's boy. He has the cutest paper thin bum ever that I enjoy pinching. He is very particular. He usually comes down the stairs already dressed in the morning. He is the most thankful kid. He thanks Erik and I constantly over and over for the smallest things. His sweetness has definitely started to overpower his temper...most of the time :)

Evie: My little baby. She is so big now. It felt like a milestone when she started nursery a couple weeks ago. I am finally free at church. Horray! I try to make myself sad about it sometimes, but I just can't :). She has started talking a lot and has the cutest expressions. She has a voice louder than me if you can imagine. If I am yelling one of my kids names (which of course rarely happens) she will yell it twice as loud. It really is shocking. She can hold her own with her older siblings, but also plays so well with them, and feels lonely when they are not around. She is so snuggly, and will go to anyone, which is not a good thing in the grocery store. She is a little light in our home.
Such precious gifts!

Christmas memories

This Christmas was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time with family and friends. I got spoiled and got a camera and a laptop (all for the sake of blogging :). I don't have pictures, but we also did dinner at Grandpa and Grandma Bates house which was fun. Santa even came to their house. Here are some other highlights. I know it's a lot but I just couldn't pick what to post!

So, I love the tradition of opening pajamas on Christmas Eve together. It is so funny every year though when we tell our kids that they get to open one present. They get so excited so they rip it open to find.... pajamas. It is so funny how disappointed they always are. I act so excited to try to get them excited but they just sit there with a funny look on their faces. It just cracks me up.

Christmas day we went to Grandma Barnhill's house for dinner which was really nice. This is Erik's sister, Colleen. I think Evie looks so much like her.

The day after Christmas my Mom booked all of us rooms at Radium Hot Springs lodge. We used to go there when we were kids with our extended family and it was always so much fun. So this year we were excited to go. The first day we had a nice dinner at the restaurant. Here is a picture of me with my siblings (the oldest is missing, he lives in Texas and wasn't able to

come).

After dinner we did our annual talent show!!

Asher did karate, Hunter sang Jingle Bells, Lexi did a beautiful dance and did her Daddy Dance as Erik sang "Evie is my Little Girl".

And the best of all....... Erik and I did a lip sync to "Baby it's Cold Outside". My sister Candace choreographed it for us. It was so much fun! I'm sure I just made a total fool out of myself but I didn't even care. It was just fun to dance and sing with my hubby. There were dips and lifts, but that's a tad embarrasing to share, so here is a bit of a tamer clip :)

Another highlight was a Christmas story my Mom wrote with my kids' names in it. My mom is a talented, accomplished writer (goes to show that talents are not genetic at all!) so it is a real treasure. We also acted out the Nativity which is always fun. Hunter did not want to be the Angel so my brother in law Brad stepped up to the plate and even wore the costume!