Finally Winter Decided to Come!

We have had such a mild winter here in Utah (which I have not complained about one bit!). Christmas morning was about the only snow we have gotten all winter season this time around...But finally the 3rd week of February it decides to hit hard. The girls have been playing in the snow NON-STOP! They have been loving it and I have been loving that they got some snow to entertain them :). 

We decided to go out for a spontaneous family night sledding after dinner and it was SO much fun! We had the whole hill to ourselves and the girls had a blast! Even me...who hates being cold...had a fabulous time. I just feel so blessed. I love these moments that remind me how special my family is and that no other things on earth can bring this much joy. 

Reese Donates her Hair!

We have a friend named Penny Thornley who is 5 years old and has been battling cancer. She is adorable and the girls love her. But as soon as Reese found out that you could donate your hair to be made into wigs for cancer patients...she was all over it!

She was so happy she could finally donate her hair. And her new hair cut looks adorable on her. Cade and I are very proud of her decision to grow it out and give to another. We love Reese.

My Parents 40th Anniversary!

This last weekend, February 17th was my parents 40th wedding anniversary. Us kids put together an adult only dinner at the Little America in Salt Lake. Bryan and Jennie asked my parents to go out to dinner with them on Friday. When they showed up at the restaurant the rest of us were hiding behind chairs and yelled "happy anniversary!" My mom immediately started crying...so we know it was a good surprise :). We had a private room at the restaurant and talked and laughed for literally 3 hours straight. It was such a fun night! I love my parents and my siblings so much. My parents taught us to love each other and respect each other. They also taught to put the Lord first in all we do and make scripture study and prayers and Family Home Evening a priority. I am so grateful for their love they have for each other and love they always have had for each of us!

Reese's Tooth Extraction

Well, thanks to baby sister, Reese got her tooth hit and it started dying and turning brown. To avoid infection the Dentist extracted that tooth since it was a baby tooth it was okay. And since it was taken from her and she was extremely brave, the tooth fairy was very generous. She was happy about that part!

Valentines Date- The Roof and Jazz Game

The night before Valentines we made personal heart shaped pizzas. It was really fun for all of us. This was the first year we did this, but I think we'll make it a tradition. Then the morning of Valentines, the girls got to open their chair-back envelopes to see the cards we made for each other over the last two weeks. Daddy had also bought a beautiful bouquet for me and flower crowns for each of his girls :). They were gorgeous.

At night we had reservations with Bryan and Jennie at The Roof restaurant in Salt Lake. It was my first time there and was very yummy! Then after we went to the Jazz game. It was Cade's favorite Valentines in the history of Valentines :). 

Lucy Ann Close is TWO years old! Bring it on!!!!

Well, I just did an update on Lucy a couple months ago but here I will still mention some things I love about our Lu-Lu.

*She is still highly obsessed with Elsa and Anna (from Frozen).
*She hates hair things in her hair and I don't like changing her out of her warm PJs in the winter so she looks homeless most of the time (proof in pictures below).
*Lucy still is a pretty good eater. If she has a hard time with something we all clap for her and say, "Yay Lucy!" and she will usually put it in her mouth :).
*She still twists her hair around in her fingers when she in tired or nervous. She gets that from me. If I have my hair down I still do that to this day.
*She is finally understanding that church is a place where we sit and be quiet and of course eat lots of snacks! But the last few weeks she has been VERY well behaved at church and makes it easier to enjoy.

Cade and I thoroughly enjoy having this little lady around. She is finally feeling good and makes life so much fun! She is quite hilarious and brings so much enjoyment and giggles to our family.

Mommy & Daddy-Daughter Dates!

We've been on some fun dates with our girls lately. Nora and I went swimming together and got ice cream. Daddy and Emma went to a Daddy-daughter ball. Unfortunately she developed a really bad cough the minute they walked in the door and she couldn't stop coughing the whole time :/. I took Reese ice skating for her first time ever and she did really good. By the end she was skating without a walker pretty well.

Where's Waldo Youth Activity :)

This year Cade asked if I would participate in the Where's Waldo activity at the mall. The youth have to walk around the mall and find disguised ward members and walk up to them and say "where's waldo". Then us participants hand them a piece of paper so we know who they found in the end.

Well...as you can see from the pictures I fooled quite a few of them. It was absolutely hilarious. I heard reactions like, "No, he's not in our ward" (whispered to their friends) and "dude, you make a good man!" It was so much fun. Nora kept saying that she didn't want me to have a beard anymore though. The next day she was happy I decided to shave :).

Emma & Reese Mary Poppins Dance Concert

Emma and Reese have been in the same classes at the same studio this year. They do ballet and modern together and have had a lot of fun doing that. I am glad they get along so well. They also take modern with their friend in the cul-de-sac, Autumn. They did so well at their concert, Mary Poppins. It's fun to see them learn and grow.

Nora Boo Turns 4! Tea Party Fun!

Nora turned 4 years old! We love our sweet, darling girl so much. This year she wanted to have a tea party and paint nails for her birthday. We threw in a piñata just for fun :). She invited Caroline and Sarah and cousins Andie and Sophie and Grandma and Aunt Stephanie. It may have been the quietest birthday party on the face of the planet :).  She had a good time!

Some fun things about Nora:
*Nora is obsessed with elephants and finally got her very own elephant stuffed animal for her birthday.
*She can definitely play pretend like no one else. And if she thinks she's alone she will belt out songs that she makes up and it's so cute.
*Nora's best friend is Reese and since they spend so much time together I imagine when Reese is in full-day school in the fall, it will be hard on her.
*She still snores like crazy and her tonsils have not gotten any smaller. She will probably have surgery when she is 5 unless things have gotten better by then.
*She LOVES to have one-on-one time with mom or dad and loves to play board games (especially Candy Land) or go swimming for dates.
*Lately Nora loves to call me "munca"...not sure why but it's pretty funny.
*She is still very tender-hearted and wouldn't hurt a fly. She puts up a lot with Lucy as her younger sister, but she is very patient and loving with her.