Nathan's 8th Birthday

With turning 8, comes the fun of a friend party. Nathan chose to have his party at Bounce U. They take pictures for you, and got some really fun shots. This is a super long picture post, but I want to save most of them so they are included!

 This is Eliana. The only girl invited who was not a sister or cousin. If you read back in older posts, you can see that this "love" has been around a while. They even hugged goodbye after the party. It is the cutest, most innocent little thing ever.

San Diego Anniversary

Let's just say we do not have the best luck with trips when it is just Ben and I. We decided to brave the odds and use a conference he needed to go to for work as a way to get a trip for our 15 year Anniversary. The plane ride took longer than it would have taken to drive there. The first hotel we were in had a weird wet spot on the carpet, smelled and weird hairs in the comforter. We switched to a new hotel that was gorgeous but had valet parking, and people i was supposed to tip and that just makes me nervous. Ben's conference ended up being an all day thing so we had little time together. I was dealing with crazy house issues from the hotel room with only my phone for internet. I stayed in the room most of the time and didn't venture out much in the nice weather.

BUT

We did get to go to the San Diego temple, which was a first for me and it was amazing. I did get to read four books and sit in a room in a comfy robe with no one needing anything from me. I wasn't at home having to clean things up for people coming to see the house. We spent time together when we could. It was a trip away from the every day. Hey! We've been married 15 years, which is pretty cool. I'm really trying to make this paragraph as long as the one above that is all about complaining. I probably can't because it is easy to complain, but things are never as bad as they could be. How lucky are we to be able to go away an do something fun even if it isn't as expected. We are lucky that we really like to be around each other. We are kind of good friends like that...

On the real anniversary day...

 My other half.

And I went to the temple with Melanie...because Ben was working. So, another happy anniversary to Benji! I love you more than Melanie, don't' worry.

In betweens

 Johanna taught Addison how to ride on two wheels. It was the cutest thing ever. Ben did a much better job describing it in a talk he gave the next day at Church (maybe he will edit this with the excerpt?)

 Real estate tracking is my hobby. I watch MLS all the time. This is probably the funniest description of a house I have ever seen.

 We spent a few Saturdays at my mom's house while our house was being shown. I snapped this picture of everyone helping themselves to the cookie dough bowl.

 Nathan was able to go to his first fireside, It's Great to Be Eight. With a January birthday, he was the first one in his class to get baptized for the year.

 Bailey decided to wear his suit to school for Moot Court. He and Ben had a great time for weeks, writing a legal brief and prepping for this day.

 The kids and I came across an Uncle Curtis doppleganger in Roseville. Even Curtis thought it was himself when I texted him this picture.

Emma joined the ranks of the eye impaired. She loves wearing glasses and picked out a pair pretty quickly.

What the?!

 Sometimes my kids are weird. It's just a fact. They do odd things. I found this egg in Addison's bed. Yup. And that's all I have to say about that.

 While packing, I came across this used box I had gotten in a large amount of other boxes. I found it amusing. Someone really didn't want their bibles put in storage. But it's true, right? I found that when we get busy (like moving, selling/buying a house at once, yikes!, etc...) we can forget about our day to day things that are important. I really need to make sure everything looks perfect for the showing tomorrow so I will stay up until midnight cleaning, but other days at 9 p.m. I'm too tired to read my scriptures. True story, people. Sad story.

So this might be one of the funniest things ever. Who is this guy with all these candy bars in his mouth? Yes, he is an adult. But let me explain... So the Tidwell's moved into our ward (old ward now). Funny side note, his sister bought our house! Well, we knew we immediately liked these two and we didn't' know why at first. Then, we realized that we are all honorary McKee's! We share a mutual friendship with this family, which is of course why we "get" each other. I don't know how it started, but Ivan (pictured above) asked Nathan for one of his Halloween snickers bars. Nathan refused of course, which led to never ending taunting of begging for a Snickers every Sunday. What adult doesn't try and get candy from kids? So, Nathan thought it would be funny one day to buy a Snicker's and take a picture of him eating it and send it to Ivan. Ivan had to retaliate with picture above. I still don't think this war has settled.

Ben-G

At the end of every year, Ben's office crowns a top associate. The one who brings in the most money over the course of that year wins this lovely trophy. It's a name only prize, so no trip to Hawaii or anything, BUT obviously you did well that year to earn it so no complaints:) It was a tight race towards the end, but he pulled ahead of everyone. I am super beyond proud, so he gets his own blog post just about this! All of us here in the land of Home appreciate his hard work. He does it all for us, not really the recognition from work. That's a perk of course....

Christmas 2014

 I think these are pretty good looking kids. I love the Christmas Pj pictures.

 All ready for them to come out and tear it apart.

 Bailey wanted aviator sunglasses for Christmas.

 Kate in her Anna wig. Addison got Elsa. I am glad they had it worked out between the two of them who gets to be who.

 The twins also each got an Etch A Sketch. I used to love mine, and of course had to play on it.

 Later we went to my dad's for dinner. Nathan ended up being tied up? Who knows with this one.

 Uncle Curtis had to torture a few of my kids as well. It wouldn't be Christmas without someone almost peeing their pants, right?

 Emma and I taking selfies.

The present from Pops was a karaoke machine. I may have encouraged this but shhhhhh....

 On Christmas Eve, we went with the Blankenfeld's to the snow. It was rainy and nasty and the snow wasn't super great, BUT my kids did not care. They just liked actually being able to wear their snow clothes and see something white. We ate at In and Out on the way home. This picture is the sky coming back into Lincoln. I have to say, as much as I still find it odd to call Lincoln out actual home town I do love some of the spaces out here.

Finish the Blog Book or Bust

Curse Facebook and Instagram and the easy way it allows for you to share pictures and thoughts!!!!!!
However I really do not want to have our lives remembered by just that. I enjoy writing down more thoughts about what was happening in the picture, and the funny stories. Just last night, for Family Home Evening, we talked about how many times we had started a chart for scripture reading, or prayers...or you name it. We laughed at how many times we had done this. What I pointed out to the kids is at least we are trying! What if we tried once or twice and gave up because we obviously couldn't do it? That would be terrible. So, here I am again, trying to keep this blog up to get printed. The emails from the blog printing company with coupons haunt me monthly. So here goes nothing (again).

Emma as Thomas Jefferson and Kirby as Pocahontas in their class play last December. These two girls are hilarious. Full of drama and all other things girl, but good friends for a really long time. This "Thomas Jefferson" outfit was put together very last minute but I think she pulled it off. 

 The many faces of December! All of these girls (and woman!) have December birthdays. Why the heck would we do that?! We get asked this a lot. Well, some things aren't planned. Three of them came early, one was planned around break between semesters and I have no idea what Laurie's parents were thinking. But, it happened. And it calls for one large celebration right before Christmas.

 My mom made these dolls for Kate and Addison. They were favorites for sure.

Emma drowning in sock monkeys. This love of monkeys all goes back to Bananas. This is the stuffed monkey she got for her 7th birthday from an older neighbor girl named Gabby. Emma cannot live without Bananas, even at 11 years old. This has led to a further obsession with all things monkey. 

 Again, Melanie doesn't disappoint as best Mother ever. We decorated Gingerbread houses in style.

 Levi (Arianna's little boy) and Ginny Miller.

 Emma was invited to a Cookie party at Kirby's over Christmas break. She has quite the talent for making cookies.

 Posing, as only these two can

Of course, the Christmas dress picture. Maybe I can find a holiday where the boys get something new to wear and I make them pose.