Sledding

 

 

Bows and Arrows

Santa brought the kids each a bow and arrows for Christmas. Chris took them out back to test them out. They had a lot of fun.

 

Chris is trying to figure out how to do it left handed so he can teach Hannah.

These will be a lot of fun when we do our adventures this spring and summer.

Christmas 2012

This year we visited my Mom's on Christmas Eve then Chris's parents on Christmas day. It worked out well with a newborn and me recovering from surgery. Also, we were able to dedicate more time to each family without having to rush from one place to another.

 

 

Here are the kids at my mom's mauling the baby. They love her so much.

 

Then everyone took turns holding baby Ella (though I neglected to take as many pictures as I should have). Marki was so patient waiting her turn.

 

 

Oh I love this young man! Riley came home from Hawaii for the holidays and it was so good to see him.

 

 

 

Christmas morning I had to get a picture of the kids in their new pjs. Aren't they so cute with sleep still in their eyes? I love them so much!!!

Daddy helped Ella open her stocking. These two are practically connected at the hip when Chris is home. They already have a bond.

 



 

Chris and I were not supposed to have our stockings filled but Santa surprised me and hid this awesome picture frame under the couch and put a note in my stocking. I was really surprised but I feel really bad that Santa didn't bring Chris anything.

Richard and Hannah waited patiently at Grandma & Grandpa Taggart's to open presents. We really had a nice Christmas this year. It is good to be back in Utah.

Here is my beautiful baby girl!

 



Ella is such a sweet angel. She has brought a beautiful spirit into our home and having her here for Christmas was a special blessing. I don't know what we would do without her, she fits right in.

 



Christmas fun

Richard and Hannah got to go a special presentation of the Nutcracker while I was in the hospital with Ella. Here they are getting ready with Brielle and Colby. As you can see, Richard is very proud of his new nutcracker, he has started collecting them.

 

The hospital gave us this stocking when I had Ella so Hannah played with it.

 

I wanted a picture of all three of my babies. Richard and Hannah happened to wear these sweaters to school today so I made them pose for me...clearly Ella was not to happy about not having a matching sweater.

Merry Christmas everyone. We hope you all have a wonderful one!

One week already

This is Ella Mae, about 2 minutes old. Born Dec 11 at 1:39 pm. She weighed 7 lbs and was 18 1/2 inches long. Chris and I could not be more proud of our beautiful new addition to our family.

 

Ella is one week old today and is fitting very well into our family. The kids absolutely adore her. It took Richard several days to feel comfortable around her, though he admitted very early on that she is so cute. He held her for the first time last night and has started helping feed her and just like tummy time Ella gets to have some Richard time each day. He is a proud big brother.

 

 

 

Hannah is loving that she is a big sister. She hold Ella every chance she gets and has been a big helper. I am so thankful that the kids are adjusting so well to having a baby in the house. They are really being very good about it.

 

 

 

Daddy adores his new little girl. He has had the last week off from work and has really helped me with all three kids and around the house. I love to watch that big, tough man just melt as he holds this beautiful tiny baby. I fall in love over and over with him as I watch him with her.

A few things about Ella:

 

Though she doesn't like a wet/dirty diaper she hates to be changed.

Baths are not yet a pleasant experience.

She detests having lotion rubbed on her skin.

She has some major lungs on her and often wakes Richard around 6 am.

 

 

She eats a lot...more than I think she should, but when she is happy so is mama. And as long as her belly is full she is a good sleeper.

She smiles. Really. In her own way, she smiles.

She loves to snuggle.

She smells amazing.

She brings joy into our home.

She is a beautiful, amazing little soul.



We love you Ella and are so thankful to have you in our home and in our lives!

Elf sightings

This is Sammy. Sammy is our own adopted elf from the North Pole. He comes to visit us each morning in December after flying back each night to report our behavior to Santa. The kids get to find him hiding somewhere each morning and they have been on their best behavior knowing that he is watching them throughout the day.

 

 

December 1st he was delivered along with his story to our front porch.

 

 

December 2nd the kids found him in the bathroom taking a little break on his own miniature toilet.

 

 

 

December 3rd we found him out on the town with his new friend Barbie.

We look forward to other adventures with Sammy throughout the month.

Hannah at Gift Show

Hannah at the Gift Show

Hannah had her first dance performance today. It was at the SL Christmas Gift Show. She was really excited and did a great job. I am so proud of her. And look how beautiful this girl is!

 

 

With one of her friends, Brooklyn.

 

 

Halloween Party

Grandma Taggart decided to have a Halloween party this year since each of her grandchildren LOVES Halloween. We had a lot of fun.

 

After a yummy dinner the kids made spiders...

...and got to decorate cookies

And everyone got some fun prizes afterward like this bouncy eyeball that lights up. I love watching the kids have a good time. They also chased their cousins around the house with spooky props. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a fun night!