The last post of 2018

Just to wrap up the year, here are two cute videos of Emma, even though they won't work for the blog book and that's basically what this blog is for! 

She and Eric were being silly. I started recording right at the end, and she wasn't laughing nearly as hard as she had been!  But it 's still cute.

This was on Christmas afternoon at the Murrays; Kurtis had taught her to say "no hands" when she faceplanted, it was hilarious.  And dangerous, I love how Cortnee was on the lookout in case she started to fall!

Eric took the girls skiing!  I couldn't believe how long they stayed; like 8 hours!

So cute.

Owen and Eric built a snow cave!

And Maris and Emma are so adorable watching the show they've been obsessed with for 2 months, since we randomly checked out a DVD of it from the library: Paw Patrol!!

And last but not least, New Year's Eve!  We had a great time playing a ton of games, and Owen stayed up until midnight for the first time ever!  So cute.

Goodbye to 2018, a great year!  We have a ton to look forward to in 2019 as well!

Christmas Morning

Guest author: Maris!! (with sidenotes by mom in parenthesis)

"We all lined up to get what presents so we know who was first."

Emma was opening a present and inside of the present was a fanny pack. It came with emergency water, bandaids, and some other stuff. (from Grammy, the kids all got one!)

 Owen found a big present and shaked it, from Santa was a big present that was not wrapped!  It was a big ship that came with another small ship, and he was so excited that he built it all that one day.

 All of us were looking at the things we got for Santa on our spots we had put them on the couch.  They had all got one type of big thing.  Emma found some gum!

 I was getting the thing that I've been always wanting: a slush maker!  We put in a drink and squished it on each side and ate it!

 Whitney was happy because she got a drone that she was always wanting.  She loved it so much that she brought it to her room and used it downstairs in the new playroom.

 Emma had always been wanting candy to her self. and a fingerling that she got.  And Owen showed Emma how to use a fingerling.

 Katelyn found a big box of candy that was chocolate!  She got a handful and put it straight into her mouth!

 Emma got her American Girl doll. (cheap walmart brand) She thinks that it's alive and she wants to play with it!

 Owen was opening a present and he saw more presents inside of the box that he opened.  It was super fun.

 A video of Maris opening a present.

I was opening a present. I found a BB8 book and another fun book and a coloring book.

(Whitney's big mystery present from Kate- a soccer vase with snacks.  She was so confused by the box!)

Katelyn was hugging a book she has aaaallllways been wanting.

Whitney was excited because there was a cereal box and it wasn't cereal, it was a Sports Magazine!!  (Sports Illustrated for Kids)

Emma got Rubble from Owen!!

I opened up my present and I got a fatty pack! (fanny pack lol) and a compass/light! (she really said compass slash light!)

Maris Murray was opening a present from her cousins, they were cards and pretty stickers and little fake foods. (from Japan!)

Whitney was reading a book that she had gotten.  (from Grammy)

Katelyn unwrapped a present and found pajamas!  And a favorite book that she had always wanting for her whole life!

Owen opened a book, he was feeling super happy about what he got.

Emma ripped and ripped and pulled as much as she could.  There was a teddy bear book with a flashlight!

Katelyn put all her chocolate in a big box!

(It was a fun morning!  I especially loved watching them open gifts from each other as usual. Emma had so much fun; she had been really obedient about putting presents back if she tried to play with them before Christmas, so I was happy she finally got to see what was inside!  Everybody got surprises, as well as things they asked for, so that was fun.)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year? Is July. But December is great too.

Haha.  Here's all the Christmas-y Activities I took pictures of this December:

We went to see the lights at Temple Square with the MacKays!  Here are the boy cousins:

And a bunch of us looking at the Japanese nativity.  We got a pic of our family, but I apparently didn't get it off of Eric's phone, too bad.

Eric and I went to his LEI Christmas party dressed in a double Christmas sweater!  So funny, and we took 3rd place in the ugly sweater contest!

Gingerbread houses.  Maris had more patience this year and actually covered her house!  And then didn't really eat it haha.

Whitney's front side,

and back of the house

Owen's front

and back

Katelyn front (and a sleigh!)

and back, including a snowman.  Note to self: do this more than 2 days before Christmas or it will just be thrown away.

Christmas Eve we went out to dinner with Brad, Mary, Cleo and Vivi.  Grandpa got to sit at the fun table with the kids! haha

Then we acted out the Nativity on our own, which we hadn't done in a few years.

Emma was Mary and Maris was the Angel Gabriel.

The Angel came to Joseph too.

This was the best haha, "Mary" kept laying down in the middle of the journey to Bethlehem!  She must have been very tired and pregnant! 

Eric was the innkeeper and as usual, spiced things up.  He said there was no room at this inn,

and then quickly moved the ottoman over and used a different voice to be another innkeeper, so funny.

Mary had her baby, and instead of wrapping him and putting him in the manger, she wated to lay down right by him, so sweet.

Angels came to the shepherds (Whitney) and sang beautifully!

This is of Owen and Whitney busting up laughing when the shepherds came to the stable and Eric announced that he was the manger (trying to get Emma to hold still!)

Christmas night in the stable.

Kate the Wise Person journeyed from afar.

And Mary lost no time in grabbing for the awesome gifts!

I took these pics of the tree on Christmas Eve before I went to bed. I love the lights of Christmas!  Even though some of ours had gone out haha.

Also the Sunday before Christmas, I tried curling Emma's hair for the first time!  It was Adorable even if a bit old lady-ish!
She was not in a picture taking mood though

that face!!

But then Eric got a couple of smiles out of her, with his awesome portrait mode on his phone, yay!

The kids in Christmas attire; Emma refused to put down the baby.

And sweetie Maris wanted to take a picture by her big purple present. 

SO so cute.