2011 wrap up

HAPPY New Year's Day 2012!

Before I can properly ring in the new year, I've got to take a moment to wrap things up and update the end of the old.

A few weeks a go we had a fun evening with Bryan's sisters (next to me left to right: Audra, Rachel, Grandma Meyers (Bryan's mom's mom) and Tay) Bryan's grandma lives here, but his sisters both were visiting from the east coast + we were so excited to see them - it's been a few years too many! Rachel is moving to Italy in just a couple of weeks so it was nice to see her + give her a hug before she leaves...but mark my words, we'll be coming for a visit! Italy is one of those places on my list :)

We took a boat ride to the North Pole (aka:Coeur d'Alene lake shores) to see Santa, of course.
A few days later we left for a visit to see my family in Salt Lake. After 30 hours in the car roundtrip, I turned to Bryan and said 'promise me we will never drive that again!' But it did turn out to be well worth the trip in the end...I can say that now!

We met up with all my cousins and their kiddos for a party Sunday evening. It was so much fun and as always, can't go wrong with the bag game!
We had a great time running around Gateway Mall with my brothers, sisters, niece + nephew and mom. Also on our list was taking the kids (who had never been before!) to temple square! We've been living in New England for all of their lives... it was one of my favorite times together.

It's just soooo beautiful, everywhere you look.

Being here reminds me how lucky we are to have the gospel in our lives.
Bryan's one of 12 kids so there's always a wedding or birth or something...I rushed back to Spokane to take bridal pics of #10 of the 12 to get married! Abbey + Alex. They are so cute. I know Alex will fit in great + I'm so happy for them :)

We took this pic ON TOP of my father in law's frozen lake!

Christmas 2011

I love traditions....they make the holidays so fun. The kids declared this one the best one of all. I'd have to agree! We're definitely going to adapt this one on Christmas Eve day from now on. Bryan came up with it, he's super fun like that, one of the things I love about him...

We loaded the kids up in the car and drove .8 miles to our backyard which is a state park filled with trees + a river + forest animals.

Then we saw it...the perfect tree...
To decorate!
So we pulled over, Bryan pulled out the video camera and the kids went to work.
Easton loved the little red balls + got in on the action too...
Everyone wanted to be the one to put up the star...Brody had a chance, but it didn't quite make it up (a little tricky to put the loop on) so Connor officially hung the star this year...
Then right on que the snow flakes started to fall...
We declared it the best tree ever + ran home to whip up a batch (or two!) of hot cocoa + curl up by the fire.
Merry Christmas!

Fall Update

We have been so busy!

Busier than I ever remember being in my entire life really.

These last few months have just flown by. The kids and I keep saying to each other, "it's already the end of the week?!" CONSTANTLY!

Soccer sure has been a big part of our fall!

3x a week - 2 practices and a game keeps us over on the fields - watching Connor make goals almost every game. So happy Grandpa + Grandma {and Clyde} have been close by to join us for a few!

We love living just down the road from them.

My BRODY turned SIX!

Oh this is one sweet, funny, wonderful kid. Can't imagine life without him! He just bring pure FUN to our family + keeps us all laughing. Love you Brody-boy!
He had a party this year, I let him invite SIX boys. It was a LEGO theme party.

Hours earlier I brought other cupcakes to school. I LOVE his teacher - she is so perfect for Brody. I love that she took him up on her lap in front of the class + asked him what he'd like to learn this year that he is six...his reply??? SCUBA DIVING. HUH? :) Ok!

Loving the fall weather + all the choices of farms up on the bluff to pick pumpkins we headed up one evening to make our picks...





One night for FHE, Bryan taught us all how to repair a meniscus...
Taylor joined the Cross Country team at school, they had a combined 5th and 6th grade team. It was her first year being a runner and she certainly improved over the weeks of running - 3 days every week after school. I love that these two are such great friends!
The race at the end of the season was her personal best! All races are 1 mile. She did a 7:30! I was SO proud of her.
Speaking of running...I snuck in a race myself! I had been running nearly every morning at 5:30 since moving here. One weekend a bunch of girls from my new ward ran a half marathon about 3 hours away in Leavenworth, WA. Cute little Bavarian town west of here. We had a great time, ran my best race {1:48 - felt great!}

Living in the apple state we've gotten loads of apples! Easton is a professional peeler + we make yummy applesauce.

Our traditional Halloween donut eating contest pumpkin carve went off without a hitch. This might be one of the kids' favorite times of the year - mine too!

Trick or treating was great. Taylor + Connor went with friends. Brody went with Bry + Easton and I after hitting a couple of houses (Easton still fighting a cough + cold) was happy as could be handing out the candy.

This past weekend we finally took a little family overnighter out of town. Our first since moving to Spokane. I love Seattle! What a great town...I loved this little pic Taylor took and then cropped on her phone of the needle.
We stayed the night downtown in the cutest little room overlooking downtown + conveniently were the first ones in line ready for the aquarium the next morning...
Octopus suckers...so life like! At least Bryan thought so! Love ya honey :)
They loved the otters, jellyfish + star fish. It was fun little outing, I'm sure we'll be back to see more of Seattle soon!

All moved out + all moved in.

Packing up the moving truck in Aspen seemed like a whirlwind. Bryan still had 8 more days left of work, but the timing was great to have my mom, brother + sister come help the kids + I get up to the new house. I'm not going to lie, I was getting anxious to move + get settled. My dad even came all the way from St. George to help us get things loaded up. My family...don't know what I'd do without them :)

Easton was so cute. Loved every chance he could get to be in the big truck.
And just like that 18 hours later we were there! Ya right. Moving is always eventful isn't it? Running out of gas somewhere mid-Montana was a fun highlight. Good thing my mom in the moving truck was a good hour back with a gas can.

After packing for days + two days on such a long, exhausting trip this was the best sight - our house! Our sweet new ward had organized about 20 guys to come help us move everything in, it took us 2 days to pack it, 20 minutes to unload. So nice.

Our lovely street. Such nice neighbors we have all coming over to greet us with cookies + bread.
The second night we took a walk. My cute sister Kenna and Taylor found huge dandelions + the tiniest frogs you ever saw!
The next morning we headed down to my sister Brooke's house in Oregon. I just love her + being around her family + their house is a fun place to be. The cousins had so much fun playing + staying up late. Even though it takes about 11 hours one way between our new homes, I'm just happy it's an option to be able to drive to see eachother!

We left Brooke's + headed back home just hours after Bryan made it in from Colorado. It was so nice to be all together again under the same roof! We've lived in a condo/townhouse for the past year so we took advantage of having a yard again + whipped out the slip n slide. Ahh summer...
We also made a few trips out to what I think may be our new favorite spot on Coeur d'Alene lake. I just love it here! Bryan had a little time between flying out to Maine every weekend to work a few shifts, we took advantage of exploring our new digs.

Even got to meet our cousins there one afternoon.

Brody even learned how to ride his bike!
Perfect timing too before he broke his collarbone last week. {wrestling match with older brother gone wrong}

Bryan's first patient. The only thing good about this was sneaking thru the back door of his new office, getting an xray and a sling + outta there in 10 minutes flat! He's doing fine + can play legos just as well with one arm as he did with two.
We've made a couple new {best} friends...Taylor's new friend Jennifer lives across the street, she is in most of Taylor's classes at school, they love all the same things and even have lockers one locker a part plus they pointed out how they're both short! Taylor said to me...mom, I think I just made a best friend for life :)

First "day" of school for Taylor. It was bring a parent for a half day orientation, but we'll count it anyway!
School is .8 miles, 2 minutes door to door from our house. It is tucked a half a mile into the state park behind our house.
A river on the other side of that bridge runs alongside it. This was the next morning when the boys joined in on their first day. It was a little foggy + just so beautiful.
Brody's having a little bit of a hard time rolling his backpack with his "broken arm", but I have a feeling by next week he'll be running ahead + all healed up. I walked them into the their classes. Brody + Connor are about 30 yards up the hill from Taylor + the middle school.

I didn't realize until I saw this picture how color coordinated those boys are :) This is the butterfly bear that greets them at the door.
This week has been filled with lots of fun at school.

Oh he is SO cute, but let me tell you... he is by far my hardest 2-year-old times like about 50. He has a high pitched squeal that seriously my hearing may need to be checked at some point + energy that NEVER stops.
I think I made the mistake of taking him today to the kids' dragon 'parade' which I missed much of since that little stinker above spotted the playground + didn't want to miss the chance to play. Then I saw the little signs each grade held. Taylor: class of 2018, Connor: 2020 + Brody: 2024...It's then I realized I have quite a few more 'dragon parades' to attend + so this one time to play on the slides with my stinker turned out okay.
Bryan started yesterday. He already had a surgery to do + 7 new patients to see. Things are really going better than I ever expected + I am so grateful to have grandma + grandpa Mitchell up the road, they are so wonderful. This means lots of the family coming our way for visits all year long! YAY! One month in to our life here in WA and as they say, so far so good!!