Family Pics

Last Christmas Parker's sweet Aunt Joanie knitted us the most beautiful matching sweaters!  We knew right when we saw them they were perfect for our next Christmas card!  Then when we moved to our new house with it's beautiful view it all came together.  Aren't these pics gorgeous!  We got a little cold so added some hats and coats on after a few pics:)  

Our LAST winter in Alaska!

It's our last winter in Alaska(if life goes as planned)!  Alaska is giving us a nice cold one and lots of sickness as a good send off.  I love this family of mine and we're enjoying this last winter to it's fullest cold, sick and all!! 

Eddie and I voting!  I love my day time buddy!

My grown up Susitna dreamer!  You should have seen Eddie's face light up when he saw B walk up to the stage!  He yelled "I see him!"

It was a cold snowless boring November weekend and as we were brainstorming what to do B said let's make sugar cookies and Parker jumped on board since he's our sugar cookie man so christmas cookies a little early it was!  We even took them Christmas caroling.  I know a little early and we got some funny looks, but it's a good thing because we've been sick ever since.  

Henry's cute class had a thanksgiving party and sang us some cute songs.  Dad even got off work early to come.  Henry's face lit up when he saw dad made it!

Now aren't they handsome!  We love Bass pros santa village!  Nothing beats free:)

Did I mention it's been a cold one!!!  Once the outdoor rinks were ready the boys were begging to get out with me on them even though it was zero degrees!  B has had a bad cough so has had to stay away for now but Henry and I have been enjoying it! This is the perfect age!  He can finally skate around with me on his own and have fun with me!  Now he can skate well just in time for us to move, ha ha:)  

Watching the Christmas Devotional on a sick lazy sunday.  Can you tell which child gave us all the sickness and is better while the rest of us are still sick sick!  

Another "mom, take a picture of us!" moment.  They're so cute how can I not oblige.  

And then the pics start to go blurry as a chaos ensues...

I've been practicing my horn everyday so I can play in a couple things for Christmas.  At the end of my practice everyday Eddie gets a turn to try.  For the first week he couldn't get a sound out at all.  Here's a video of the first day he squeaked a noise.  It was adorable how excited he was!  I know how he feels!  The first time I squeaked out a noise in 7th grade I knew it was the instrument I wanted to play!

A little of this and that

We try really hard to not overschedule our lives so that we have quiet random times to just play and this is what happens... Can you tell they're having fun?

Then someone had an idea to make a family pyramid too, E tried real hard to make it up but not quite.  

Sunday drive to the temple.

First snow!  I was much more enthusiastic about the first snow in October instead of September this time and the boys were more than ready!!  Luckily it was a day off school for the kids so I had three kids to help me shovel!

Ha, B knows how to put everyone to work including Eddie!

We have a real fireplace finally and we love it!  Parker taught the boys to widdle some shavings for our fire.  It was incredibly precious watching Parker teach them and seeing how proud they were to learn something new!!

First sledding trip of the year!  Eddie liked it much better than last year!!

Look at those smiles!  Raising a family is not always easy and sometimes I wonder if I'm doing a good job but I see these smiles and I remember it's all worth it.  Their genuine joyful smiles remind me that they are happy boys having a wonderful childhood.  

Breitling is 7!!!

My baby is 7!  

He loves anything army/camo at the moment so he requested army cupcakes for his class.  He made them and they were darling, but I forgot to take a pic until they were all eaten:)

This pic melts my heart of B hugging Eddie to thank him for the Army coloring book he gave him.  B's always had a special place in his heart for Eddie.

Grandma and Grandpa Corts gave him this cool water painting buddha board.  B was excited to try it out and the first thing he did was write this note.  Love him!

Dad took B to burgerfi for a birthday lunch...

Then to bear tooth for a root beer freeze at Bear Tooth.