Great to be EIGHT!

Thanksgiving was quickly followed up by another very important day:  KENNA'S 8TH BIRTHDAY!

She had been anticipating this special day for a long time, and it didn't disappoint.

-She and Mom went out on a birthday shopping date complete with lunch at....drumroll please....McDonalds.  Despite my best efforts at reiterating that it was her special day and we could go anywhere she wanted.  Anywhere.  Like, Olive Garden.  Needless to say, we had a cheeseburger.  It was so fun to spend the day with my little lady.  And lady she sure is.  Oh my goodness I have no idea where the time has gone.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect baby:

-We went out on a big Otte Family excursion to see Frozen and love, love, loved the movie!

-Grandma made her a cake:

-It was so fun to spend her birthday with all the cousins around to help celebrate.  Spoiled is an appropriate descriptor.

-Here she is with her gift from the Israelsen fam.  It's the softest, most heavenly blanket known to man.  She absolutely LOVES this blanket.  I may or may not be known to steal it on occasion to snuggle up with:

Happy Birthday Kenna D!  We are so proud of the amazing little lady you are becoming and are so grateful to have you as such a great example to all your siblings.  We LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!  Hope you know how loved you are by so many.

Do you realize she will be in Young Women's in just 4 years?  FOUR!  I can't handle this.    

Back in the Saddle

Yay!  I have my computer back!  Now it's all fancy and such and I am a little lost.  I freely admit I am not a techie.  But let's get to what's important:

-Us-

 

Technology is not a strength.  Obviously humility is.


Now where to begin is the question? I guess we'll just have to back up to Thanksgiving.  Ready, set, GO!


Here is a perfect picture to start off a blog lapse.  It's my Dad.   I LOVE my Dad.  He is such a goon.  This is a pic I took on Thanksgiving Day.  He is wearing my Mom's wig:

Lay off the turkey, Dad.

It's just not Thanksgiving without the classic "kid table":

Thanksgiving of course is not complete without a very traditional Thanksgiving day activity.  I bet you're thinking the Thanksgiving day parade?  Nope.  Football?  Wrong again.

It's a special performance by all the girls, of course!

(Perhaps they have some of their Grandpa's crazy genetics.  Just a thought.)

Oh fine, I guess there was some football:

Ahh, another great Thanksgiving goes down in history.

All silliness aside, however, I truly am so very grateful for amazing family.  TWO families;  Otte and Israelsen.  I am so blessed to associate with some very special people. 

Happy New Year!

I suppose you maybe have guessed that updating my blog wasn't a New Year's resolution....

And don't get too excited because this really isn't much of an update. When I think of all I need to update on my head spins.  My computer is currently at the tech doctor getting a little update and all my gazillion pictures are there with it.    

I need to do a blogeroo about:

Thanksgiving- so fun.
Kenna's 8th birthday and baptism up in Logan- perfect.
A trip in Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo- yeehaw!
A bunch of random cuteness from the quad of crazies known as my children- love.
Christmas- ho ho ho.
A new year- I keep writing 2013 on my checks.  That will continue until about mid-Julyish.

So please don't lose faith in me.  I have reeeeeeaaaaallly good intentions......  

Let it Snow

We have a certain member of the family who feels a little left out of everything because she's the baby.  She HATES when someone goes outside and she gets stuck in the house.  Well, this time she made sure she got in on the action.  Let there be no confusion- Lexi is in no way deterred by any weather condition.  Outside is where she wants to be!

You can't blame her when there are giant snowballs involved:

Everybody smile!  Um, Lexi?  You okay?  Can someone help out Lexi please?

Ballerinas

My little dancers had their first ballet performance this weekend!

Seriously, these are the cutest little ballerinas you ever did see:

I love these two get so share so many things.  Jacob and I beamed with pride watching our little ladies perform.  Way to go girls!

Ready?

You ready for winter?

Because this dude sure is:

 

That's what you get...

On a shopping excursion last week with Ty and Lexi, I wanted to squeeze in just one more stop before it was time to head home.  I knew they both were getting tired and hungry.  But just one- I just needed to make one more stop!

So perhaps it really was my own fault I ended up spending an extra $5.50 on peanut butter bars I had no intention of buying:

One word for you:  Ty.  Ty took matters into his own hands.

So Britt, that's what you get.  That's what you get when you take a hungry toddler in for just one more stop.