A random December….

The winter is starting to set in here and lots of things are happening.  Most importantly to Carlee, she is still able to ride.  They have moved to an indoor arena at the fairgrounds, but that doesn't bother her at all.  Porter is doing basketball right now, which somehow I haven't taken pics at the game but we do have his team photo.  The games are so fun to watch!  Marin and Tessa are just keeping me entertained at home.  They are just so excited for Christmas to come.  We had a good visit with Grandpa Matthew and Grandma KayLee.  They took a chance on weather and made the drive up here.  They were able to be here for the kids Christmas programs at school which was so fun.  The Warren school Christmas program is the best one I have ever seen!  Grandpa Matthew helped the kids set up and put on a special nativity performance, the girls were too cute.

We had a wonderful Christmas!  We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and my Uncle Jeff who came from Utah and he made my Grandma Pat's spaghetti with sausage and meatballs.  Then Christmas morning my parents came over again to open presents and to be a part of all of the happenings.  The the most amazing thing happened!  We were skyping with Andy's family in Utah and the then the kids started to freak out that they were talking to Caleb.  Little did I know that Caleb was in our basement!  Lauren and Caleb had made the drive on Christmas to surprise us!!!  I couldn't believe I was seeing them!!  Of course the thing I was worried about was the Christmas mess!  We had such a nice visit with them.  Andy and Caleb pulled the kids around on the 4-wheelers we were borrowing from friends.  We played games and of course we laughed a ton.  The visit wasn't long enough, but I was so grateful for the time we had with them and the effort they made, on CHRISTMAS DAY, to come see us.

We ended the year with an 11 year anniversary for Andy and I.  We had a nice dinner and a movie date out.  New Years Eve was pretty uneventful as Andy worked and the kids and I stayed in and had a slumber party in the basement.

Looking back, 2012 was an amazing year.

The hunt for the tree begins….

I love that we have this tradition of going to cut down our own tree.  The kids love it and it is so fun to be outside trying to find the perfect tree.  This year we were able to go with our friends the Christensen't and the Beecher's.  We all drove up together and brought doughnuts and hot cocoa for after!  All of the kids had a blast exploring the mountain, finding walking sticks,  and "accidentally" stepping in the river.  Jack took a liking too Tessa and stuck with her everywhere she went.  Even Molly had a good time.  Eventually the men went off over the top of the mountain to find the tree while us ladies hung back and played with the kids.  Of course Andy found and cut down the biggest tree on the mountain….but it was pretty, I will give him that.  The funniest thing though was when we were trying to load Andy's tree in the truck, it was so long and huge it barely fit.  Poor Molly almost didn't make it home with us.

Eye suggest not to let your little sister hold a knife….

So of course this happens to Carlee……Marin was holding a knife and poked Carlee in the eye.  Oh the joys of making dinner while the four kids are starving and Andy is working…..  There are been so many times where I can't even imagine what we would do if Andy was not a doctor!  Luckily he was at the hospital and ready to take care of Car when we got there.  Andy put this crazy dye in her eye that you could see only when he shined a fancy light on it.  Her eye is fine, just a scratch, but it was a close call.

And we're back…..

So we headed back down to Utah again, this time it was for business.  Luke was being baptized and we had tickets to a U of U football game!  Even though we were just there it was great to see everyone again.  When we first got there we took the kids to the Farmington pond to feed to ducks.  That was funny, they were all over Marin!  I took another morning for some girl time and hit Tai Pan.  The girls loved this because all of the Christmas stuff was out already and it was fun to see the decorated trees.  Of course Tessa wanted the pink one.  Saturday morning was Luke's baptism which went so well!  He is such a cute and good kid.  We were happy for him and happy to be there!  After the baptism Andy and I headed down to SLC for the football game where we met up with JD and Summer.  The game was great and I couldn't believe how we lucked out with the temps, it was so hot!!  After the game we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with our cruise friends.  It was so fun to see everyone again and it really made me want to go on a cruise again!  Like always it was great to see everyone, but great to be home too.

Halloween Fun 2012….

Halloween was so great this year.  We started things out with pumpkin carving with Gramps and Nana.  Before they came over Andy and Marin found some wigs in the Halloween box to surprise Nana when they got to our house.  Funny thing was that Nana and Gramps showed up in wigs and masks too!!  The kids have a love/hate relationship with the pumpkins.  It's so fun to carve, but not so fun to get out all of the gooey seeds.

Halloween night was a blast.  This year Porter was the blow-up cowboy, Carlee was a Utes cheerleader, Tessa was Cinderella, and Marin was the blue Angry bird.  Andy took the kids to the ward trunk-or-treat and then we met up with Gramps and Nana for trick-or-treating.  The weather was so great, it got a little chilly at the end of the evening but not cold enough for us to stop filling the candy bags!

 



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Family pictures 2012….

We had our friend Janna take our family pictures this year and it was interesting to say the least.  The kids had all been sick the week before and Tessa had thrown up the day before, so it was risk.  But, Andy had the day off and so did my parents so we went for it anyway.  It was a battle to get Marin to smile and you could tell Tessa did not feel well, but we got the job done and it was worth it.  I never regret the effort and stress that comes along with family pics.

Because we can….

We decided to take a quick trip to Utah, now that we live so close it is so easy to just get in the car and drive down.  We had a great visit and had tons of fun seeing the family and friends.  On our way down we made a quick stop in Rexburg to see our friend Meghan.  The kids loved having her as our babysitter in Ohio so it was so fun for them to see her!  We were so crazy busy in Utah of course, but it's worth it.  We were able to have a giant family party and get together at the church to celebrate Oaklee's birthday.  The kids loved running around acting like crazies with their cousins.  Andy was the best and let me have a night off to go with a movie with the girls.  We went and saw Pitch Perfect.  Andy and I also got in some great time at the temple.  One morning KayLee and I went together which was very special.  Her and I have been working on family names together for a few years, so it is so great when we get to go together to see the work being done!  KayLee also was awesome and watched the kids while Andy and I met up with the Starkey's for dinner and a temple date.  It was so fun catching up and just hanging out!  We are so blessed with great people in our lives.  I am sure we will have many more trips like this in the future!

Introducing Helena's newest…..

The hospital puts on a New Physician Social every year to introduce the new doctors that have started within the year.  This time it was Andy's turn.  The event was held at the art museum and was very fancy.  It was so fun to walk around and meet other new doc's in the area and to sample the super yummy food.  My parents were also able to come which was so fun.  It was great to have their support that night for Andy.  Towards the end of the evening they ask all of the doctors to get up and speak about their experience in Helena so far.  Andy of course did a great job and even brought tears to my eyes, I am just so proud of him.  We are so excited to be here and to start this new chapter of our lives.

Carlee's 7th Birthday….

How my chunky monkey keeps getting older, I do not know!  The fact that she is 7 is crazy!!  This year was Carlee's family birthday year….but we still had to have a lot of fun with friends.  We surprised Carlee by taking her and some friends to get ice cream and then to see Hotel Transylvania.  It was such a cute movie and the kids all had fun eating junk food.

Then, of course, we had to make "the cake"!  Carlee wasn't requesting a certain kind of cake this year, so I just went with something fun.  We made a giant cupcake and frosted it in candy corn colors, it really was awesome and most importantly, Carlee loved it!

 

Dreams can come true….

Carlee has been dreaming of riding horses for as long as I can remember.  Now that we are in Montana and slowly getting settled, we decided it was time, the perfect time actually, because it is almost Carlee's birthday!  I found the sweetest lady named Candy to teach Carlee.  Her horses are very close to our house, so it worked out perfect.

Carlee was so excited when we got there, she just couldn't wait to get on the horse.  Ms. Candy was very good to put safety first and walk Carlee through all the basics of riding before she even got in the saddle.  Finally she got to ride a sweet horse named Coby!  She was such a natural and not afraid at all. I may have a future cowgirl on my hands!

Fall Family Festival….

Our new friends, the Winward's told us about the Fall Festival that they have every year in Helena, it was such a blast!  For twenty bucks you can get your whole family in!  They have face painting, wagon rides, carnival games, and an awesome lunch!  The weather was perfect, a little chilly in the morning, but warmed right up!  Carlee had sun being there with Natalie and Hallie, their new BFF's.  I think the best part of it all was the giant pumpkin patch.  They allow every one in your family to pick a pumpkin for free!  All of this fall fun is making me excited for Halloween!

Getting' gym-ie with it….

The girls started gymnastics today.  I love that they are always so excited to try new things.  Carlee and Tessa both looked so cute in their leo's and their red cheeks from being so sweaty!

 

Tessa's first day of pre-school…..

I think that I was more nervous for Tessa than she was for her to start pre-school. She was such a star though and looked super cute. Tessa was so excited to go and meet new friends and to spend more time with her new teacher Mrs. Jill.  You know things went good when you pick up your child and they are happy and asking when they get to go back.

   

A Fish came to visit....and he brought his whole family....

It was so awesome that Mike, Erin, Emery, Amelia, and Fisher came up to visit!!! It was so great to have time with Mike and Erin, just talking, playing games, and spending time together! The girls had so much time playing and being BFF's and Porter was grateful to have little Fisher here. The morning after they arrived we got up and got everyone ready to try and catch the trolly tour of Helena. While we waited for the trolly we went inside the Montana Historical Museum which is super cool, they have lots of things for the kids to play with too. We all loaded up when it was time to start the tour, the kids had a hard time deciding where to sit...they all just want to sit with each other all the time. Anyway, we had gone about five minutes on the trolly when it broke down!! It was so funny, but luckily Mike was there and helped to fix it just enough to get us back to the museum where we just got on a different train. We all felt pretty cool knowing the guy who could get the train moving again. The trolly ride was fun, I love being reminded of how much cool history is in Helena and it's just nice to be outside enjoying the weather looking around. The kids were great on the ride waving at all the people we passed and the loved seeing a bride and groom outside of the capital building, oh, but Marin and Fisher just couldn't hang the whole time, they both fell asleep, it was so cute!!  After lunch we of course had to go to the Carousel for some ice cream.

One of the funniest things happened while Mike and Erin were here and a new tradition began... Erin and I went to the grocery store to get some food for dinner and when we came home we found Andy and Mike pulling all the kids behind the John Deer tractor on sleds!! The kids were all screaming with joy and laughing so hard. At first I was a little scared for the kids but after watching for 5 seconds I realized they were having the best time and totally safe. I was also so grateful for Andy and Mike and what great dad's they are.

We had such a wonderful time with the Coil family and I am so grateful for their efforts in coming up to Montana to visit and be with us, it just means so much. Love you Mike Coil Fam!

 

1st day of school 2012....

Porter and Carlee were super excited for their first day of school.  I was so proud of them being that we are in a new place, I think if it were me I would be scared!  But not them, they are ready for the new environment and new friends!  We were ready nice and early with new school clothes, shoes, and backpacks from Costco.  Porter is going into 3rd grade and his teacher is Mrs. Dickey and Carlee is going into 1st grade and her teacher is Mrs. Horne.  They both seemed to have a had a great first day.  And of course to carry on our tradition, we went for ice cream after school at the carousel. It is so crazy to think that summer is coming to an end, but I am so excited for P and C to be moving on at a new school and new grades!

Marin's 2nd Birthday and a cousin weekend....

It is so crazy to think that Marin has turned 2!!! This was a super special year for her because her Grandpa Matthew who she shares her birthday with was able to come and visit and celebrate this special day with her. Marin is all about Elmo so we decided to do Elmo cupcakes for her cake. They turned out a little funny looking, but she knew who it was, and that is all that mattered.

We spent most of the day hanging out and making her cupcakes and getting ready for her cousins and Grandpa to come visit, Marin loved making her cupcakes, she always talks about it. We had a great party when everyone arrived. Aubrey was so great to come up with her kids and Matthew. We sang Happy Birthday to Marin and then we had something fun planned for Grandpa Matthew....we were prepared with 60 candles for his cupcake!! It was a little dangerous and extremely hot, but super cool looking. Marin and Grandpa both opened presents and we had some Elmo cupcakes. Marin was so happy and excited for her birthday, I know she felt special.

There are so many times when I tell Marin how much I love her and I think about how surprised I was to find out we were going to be having her. I am so grateful for the gift of her from Heavenly Father, she has truly made our family complete....our little peanut. Love you the most Marin!!! We also had a super fun weekend with the Tyler cousins. The kids just had so much fun playing outside and of course we went to the lake!!

 

Summer= Lawn mowers and hot dogs....

It is official, Andy is the proud owner of a John Deer lawn tractor. I think this was a life long secret dream of his that has finally come true. It was so cute to see him pick out his model and actually bring it home, it was the same excitement level as being a kids on Christmas morning. I am so happy for Andy that he could get this awesome green machine!! When we finally brought it home the kids all wanted a ride. So we grilled up some hot dogs, had some issues with the ketchup, and gathered around to watch and enjoy Dad hard at work (if that's what to call it.....)

The Coombs....

When we lived in Maine we met some amazing people and were blessed with great friends. One of those families were the Coombs. Jaron and Christy were both just so nice, they loved to do fun things, and they had kids around the same ages as ours....it was a match made in heaven. We lived near their family for 3 years and finally moved our separate ways the last year of medical school. Christy and I were always so good at keeping in touch though. Their family was making the move to Alaska shortly after we had moved to Helena, and they decided to stop here and see us as they made the 3 day drive to Alaska from Utah. Christy's parents also came and it was so fun to have a "grandpa and grandma" here with the kiddos. It was so great to have them in Helena and to see where we live. We picked up right where we left off and the kids all got along so well. They were only here two days but it was just enough time to get to the lake and the carousel of course!!

Cookin' with Gramps....

Tessa has always my biggest helper in the kitchen and this day was just like all the others. I was making a salad for a party and Tessa was right there ready to help me measure things out. Gramps and Nana were over for a quick visit and Tessa was sure to make sure that Gramps was a helper too. Those two together are so funny!

A few of my Favorite Things.....

One of the coolest things I do with Andy's mom and sister's is Favorite Things. We get together once a year and give each other one of our favorite things from the year. It can be anything from a candle, lotion, make-up, a rug, jewelry, etc. This year we went to a restaurant in Layton and had dinner together and exchanged our favorite things. We always have so much fun laughing and talking. This was a super special time though because it is when La La officially announced that she was pregnant!! We were all sitting there crying and she told us the great news. I love these ladies and I am so grateful for them in my life. I always look forward to this day every year and appreciate so much the things that they choose as their favorite.

Super slipper slide....

Sometimes when we go to Utah, it is hard to see everyone that we want to.  We had a little extra time this visit to see friends.  The Starkey's hosted us at their house and the Hooton's and the Lauder's came also and we had a super fun party.  We ate some pizza and then we went to a giant hill by their house and Brian set up a 100 foot long slip n' slide!!  At first we were all a little scared, but after Andy went down and injured his tailbone....we knew it was safe!  The kids had so much fun, the laughing that was going on was great.  The first time I went down with Carlee and I didn't start at the top, we started from about halfway down.  It was so fun and fast!  The worst part was at the end when you would slide across the grass from going so fast.  

It was just such a great day to see some great friends, catch up, and just have fun!!  Andy and I have been so blessed over the years with some amazing friends.