Reesie Roo Turns 10!

Our awesome Reese turned 12! She got lots of Schleich toys (animals), Blue shirts and stuffy, and her favorite gift...a family gift...a new tiny puppy named Bear! We had been going to a home and holding puppies for fun...of course it turned into getting one. More on that post later. 

Reese blowing out her tiny candle. She hates cake and whipped cream and frosting so I made ice cream cupcakes- Oreo crust and mint ice cream and fudge. 

Then for Reese's friend party she had an awesome Bluey Party! We played Keepy Uppy, Pass the Parcel, Charades, and Sticky Gecko. Reese wanted a donut tower for dessert and then watched some Bluey episodes until all the parents came to pick up. It was an easy but very fun party!! Even I enjoyed it! 

Reese continues to entertain and make our family life fun! We love when she bursts out laughing so loud or making quick witty jokes right in the moment. She is a glue in our family that could never be replaced. She is such a hard worker and is so quick to say, "sure mom. I can do that!" and getting things done right away. Reese is very dependable and we love her so so much!

Orchestras and Music and Dance Lessons

 Emma, Reese and Nora all take piano along with a string instrument. Emma does cello, Reese does guitar and Nora violin. Lucy and Jane and Benson all are in a music class called "Let's Play Music". So needless to say...our family's time is taken up a lot by music lessons and events and practicing. Lots of practicing. I'm so proud of them though. So much hard work. 

Nora just started playing with her first orchestra at American Heritage called "Lyceum orchestras". She is in the first level orchestra called Prelude and is one of two section leaders for her section. We hope Emma will want to audition for this next fall. It's only once a week so not too time consuming. Nora has really been liking it though. 

Emma's really been enjoying orchestra. Her teacher makes it fun and she has made some really good friends. Her private teacher is named Logan McKinney. He's been so great. 

Nora and her best friend, Lucy Swan, did a mini musical through Hale Center theater in Orem. They had a great time. 

Jane started taking dance lessons from Miss Andrea at Dance Showcase Company. Emma and Reese and Nora all took dance from her when they were little too! She had a rough time going for a few months- almost the whole semester. I told Andrea we weren't going to continue after the Christmas break because she was fighting me on going every week. But right before the concert she started loving it and getting excited. She LOVED dancing on the big stage SO much and she was so cute. So we are going to continue for his and see if she continues liking it. 

Thanksgiving & Polar Express

 Thanksgiving was at Grandma Bleak's house. Just our family and Nathan and Steph's family and Boose and Jordan came (Faith and Cal were in Idaho with her family but Jordan couldn't get the time off). I didn't get hardly any good pictures but we had a great time! My girls sang a song "Gobble Gobble" for the family. I made some raspberry cream and chocolate cream pies. 

Cade and I went with my parents to the Gentry Christmas concert and it was SO good. We loved it and may want to make it an annual tradition. 

This was the first time we have taken our kids to the "Polar Express" (starting in Heber Valley). It was a lot of fun. There were elves and Santa's daughters all there to sing songs and dance and make it a good time. We had a visit from Santa Claus and each got a bell from one of his reindeer. It was super cute and fun. 

Random Fun

 Reese and Nora are hilarious and always do things to make us laugh!

Emma and Daddy date to the BYU Football game. Unfortunately our Cougs had a not great season and that game was especially bad but they had fun on a date. 

Since the treehouse got done I had a crazy idea for Monday Family Night. We brought homemade hot chocolate and whipped cream and chairs, blankets and watched Blue up in the treehouse. It was an awesome moment. 

Isn't he just the cutest??! I love sleeping toddlers. The unfortunate thing about this pic is he is so tired because he has now refused naps. He usually falls asleep in the car just about every day. Some days are rough--he is just so tired--but he is growing up. We love him. 

Reese and her good friend Kenzie Waite. They were match that day :). 

Lucy with her friend Anna Clark. She went to Eliza's baptism right before Anna's. Fun that they can go to each others baptisms. 

Benson getting his teeth checked out for the first time. At the appointment I was told I really needed to take away the Binky :(. I was SOOOOO sad mostly because that was one more step to my last baby growing up. But I could tell from his huge teeth gap and teeth sticking out front that they were right. 

So I took Benson to the toy store like I did Jane to pick out a stuffed animal to replace his binky. He had no interest in the stuffed animals and came home with the tiniest plastic cat ever hahaha. 

The zoo was only $5 the months of November and December and so I took just Jane and Benson one day then a couple weeks later decided to take all the kiddos and meet Grandpa Bleak there. It had been a while and was super fun to go! Jane loved the tigers and leopard. Benson loved pretty much all of it. 

Jane has been going to the PEAC preschool just a couple min north of our house. It is such a fun school and she has loved it. I don't know if they preschool made a difference or that she is just more grown up but last year she really struggled going to preschool. This year she has absolutely loved it. This was their preschool athletic olympics. 

On days when my girls have an "online Friday" I like to take them to places where it's not going to be busy-- like Airborne Trampoline Park. 

Nora with Abby and Lucy Swan. Lucy is Nora's age and her best friend. They just live across the street from us.