A moment of Christmas present

Today seems perfect.Our family is together, we are well, we are healthy and we love each other. My heart couldn't be any more full. We have been looking forward to Christmas break for what seems like forever. We have our daddy home, and we get to spend all our time with family and friends. What could be better?

It is our first Christmas with our little family in our own little house. Very merry, very bright. Seeing your kids eyes light up on Christmas morning is the most magical moment ever. Jer and I made a lot of their gifts this year and we looked forward to giving them to the girls. It did not disappoint. Claire just kept saying, "This is the best Christmas ever!" They loved their presents, loved exchanging gifts (even if Macy told Claire what she was giving her right after she put it under the tree), and they looked so beautiful in their Christmas dresses from Honey and Bampa.

It was kind of perfect to go to church and listen to music filled with the Christmas spirit and to feel our hearts swell with joy as we sang about our Savior Jesus Christ. Our family is so very blessed!

Christmas Card perfection

I don't think these three little girls can get any cuter...and then they do. Of course their daddy is as handsome as ever.

Merry Christmas!

It is in the air...

These girls are so ready for Christmas!! We had our family Christmas party and they had no reservations about sitting on Santa's lap. I can't tell you how in love they were with their ginormous suckers. L-O-V-E-D them.



I love our big family traditions. I love that we have a couples party where we all get babysitters and go out to eat, do white elephants, have dessert, and exchange couple gifts. Just the grown ups...not that we act like it when we are together.

Then we have the family Christmas party. We eat, go on a hay ride, have a special devotional, and then my mom and dad hand out stockings filled with goodies. Santa even showed up to find out what all the children wanted for Christmas. I love it. We used to do socks at the Evans family Christmas party which is my mom's side and I love that we carry on that tradition. I am a lucky girl to have my family so close, especially at Christmas time.

Tree Hunting

I must admit I am sad that this is the second year in a row that we have not had a real tree tp decorate. We did, however, take the girls up into the mountains to go hunting for our family member's trees. They had a blast riding the sleds pulled behind 4 wheelers and eating snow. On the way back Claire rode up front with Jer and the three 2 year olds rode on the sled with Wesser. Meg and I laughed so hard at their faces coming down the mountain, almost tipping over, and getting snow in their faces. As long as Meg and I laughed and didn't look scared for their lives they thought it was fabulous...they were troopers for sure.

Cutest little snow bunnies for sure

I like your beard

This is what Jer has looked like for the past 2 months. Nice right? He grows it out for the championship football games every fall. Benj decided to grow one as well and then they thought it would be fun to greet their mom and grandma with their furry-ness on Thanksgiving. I was giving thanks when he shaved it for our family pictures!

Although I do think he is rather ruggedly handsome...Very pensive

Just solving the worlds problemsThey think they are pretty funny

Not for long

I found a toy car in my bed while I was trying to make it this morning. It was the girl car, Sally, from the movie Cars to be exact. (in case you got slightly excited that we might have some boy toys in this house of ladies. We don't.) You know those moments when it hits you that your kids won't be little forever? I felt ever so acutely that my little people will only be "little" for so long. There will come a day that tiny toys left in my bed, evidence that my cute ladies have been playing there, will be a day of the past. They will grow up. They will leave our happy little nest and fly off on adventures of their own. These thoughts made me more determined enjoy everyday I am blessed to have my little girls.

What?!

This girl is 5 years old.

Can you even believe it? I cannot that is for sure. Oh man this girl is special. She makes my heart burst with love. She is so many things I could never describe. I hold so many special experiences with her in my heart.


I had a conversation with Claire about growing up. I always tell her that she needs to go to time-out for getting to darn big. She laughs and says, "mo-om...." it makes me smile. She told me yesterday that Jesus wants her to get big and that she needs to get married in the temple. I told her that we needed to make a deal. A deal that we would see each other at least once a week when she grows up and if she gets married and lives far away her husband would have to be rich so he could fly her back to me every week. She just laughed.

Little does she know that I wasn't kidding.

Happy birthday Claire bug. You are just the best in so many ways.

I did the top of the cake and she did the rest plus the candles. Oh man, she loved those candles.

Snooker is 6 months and counting

This little Snooker is 6 months old. How does it happen? I feel like I just had this little sweetheart and now she is eating solids! Holy smokes, the last 6 months have been a whirlwind and she is growing up on me. She smiles, she sleeps, she is pretty much a dream. She laughs so easily and she is such a joy to have in our home. One of my favorites is when the two big girls go to bed and I just get to snuggle and tickle her until she is ready to sleep the night away. I love that she knows my face and when our eyes connect I get a knowing smile....a "that's my momma" kind of smile. It makes me feel happy and important. I like her a lot.

Reading Buddies

Olive adores her sisters. She smiles so easily when their cute faces come into her view. I sometimes wonder why she isn't making scared faces when she sees them because let's be honest, they aren't always super soft with her. Sometimes when they are playing with her I can just imagine she is thinking, "I like you, but why you always gotta be all up in my grill?" Sometimes I think I might have a little too much time on my hands.

Anyway...

I left Olive chilling on her blanket to play while I got the rest of the ladies ready for bed and when I came back this is what I found. They were being so sweet. Macy was telling Olive the stories from the book in her high pitched mommy voice. It was ah-dorable. No wonder she lights up when they come around. They may smother her a bit, but she definitely knows her sisters love her to pieces.

She is one happy baby.

Jesse, Buzz, and Woody...almost

I love this picture. I don't know why Macy's face makes me laugh so hard but it does. Also, I am amused by my sad attempt to get Olives face into the Woody face hole whilst she is still strapped to my body. And then there is Claire, who is just happy to be there. I really love the pumpkin walk. Definitely one of my favorite things about Cache Valley in the fall...along with the amazing colors, beautiful tree lined streets, and mountains. My very favorite thing about fall in Cache Valley is driving through sardine canyon, turning the bend and seeing the valley covered in yellows, reds, and oranges with the Logan temple peaking out of all the emblazoned fall colors. It seems to make my whole body smile.

Trick or Treat

I was so excited when Claire told me she wanted to be a witch this year...but as soon as we went through the store isle she decided that once again she would like to be a princess. Macy was all set to be a cowgirl but as soon as Claire switched to royalty then she decided she needed to be a princess as well. So it went, Claire was Belle and Macy was Cinderella.

Why is she so silly? Seriously?We had our family Halloween party out at my parents house and the kids loved it! We had homemade root beer, a haunted train ride through the corn, sloppy joes (with pickles), a pinata, and super fun games. A total hit. Macy still talks about going for a ride on Uncle Ryan's train. Our little Olive was an ear of corn and I wanted to eat her up all night. She was just too cute.

Is she ready to be picked yet?Jer and I decided that our (his) costume needed to consist of a bit more clothing this year (as opposed to last year, and the year before that). We were square dancers. We do a mean do si do, if you were wondering.

The Young Clan all gussied up.
That's my handsome partner. Aren't I lucky?

On Halloween night we all got dressed up again and went trick or treating with my brother. The weather was awesome and the moon was a bright crescent. Claire was totally into trick or treating this year. She was so excited to go with her cousin and they ran from door to door. She fell at least five times running from house to house but it didn't phase her one bit. She was having way to much fun. It is so fun to see your kids enjoying the things you loved as a little kid. Macy held my hand and chatted with me all night. She told me what was scary, what was funny and she loved getting candy at each door. She especially liked the house with blue Christmas lights that had a lady dressed as Santa Claus. The night was so fun and perfect.

Quintessential Mace

These big blue almond eyes kill me. (They remind me of these blue eyes) When she walks up to me puckered and ready for a kiss I forget that she is in the biting, hitting, and pulling hair stage.

This girl was the redeeming factor for our future posterity. Claire's first year was such a rough one that it took me a while to warm up to the idea of having more children. Jeremy and I would joke that if girl #2 was as hard as girl #1 that we were d-o-n-e. Girl #2 was such a breath of fresh air. Just after she was born she gulped down two ounces and I knew things were going to be just a little bit easier this time around.

It is amazing how a mother heart can expand and love each child so fully. Our little Macer is a crack up with personality to spare. I love that she is constantly asking me for "nuggles" (snuggles) and cereal (she is obsessed with marshmallow mateys) and galloping wherever she goes. I love that she always wears her sunglasses upside down...always. I love that if anyone get's hurt or even looks sad she asks, "You okay?" She is a spit fire lady with the most gentle heart. I am so glad she is traipsing around my house in my 3 inch heels...I couldn't imagine her being anywhere else.

This is the usual face when I ask her to smile for the camera. Not in the mood?

*Sweet*

When I took this picture I knew it would be classic Claire Jane.

She is my heart. I love her so much. She made me a mom and with that made me grow in unspeakable ways. She is so kind. Her heart is so big and and she is just like her daddy. Jeremy is so genuinely good and she has that same goodness. She fed Olive snook today and it almost made my heart burst. Not just the fact that she is getting so very big but also the sweet sing song in her voice as she assured Olive that she was okay and that she loved her. I told her she was going to be such a good mom. She told me feeding Olive was good practice for her.

Our conversation has left me thinking. The world is full of messages that tell her who she should be and what she should do with her life. Will Claire know what a sweet gig motherhood is? Will she want to be a mom because she will see the joy that it brings to me? Will she understand what a divine calling it is? I sure hope so. Raising amazing spirits is serious work, and can, at times, leave me feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and inadequate but with those feelings comes great growth and faith not to mention tiny miracles and tender mercies. I have no doubt that motherhood is a refiners fire and that I couldn't be who I need to be without these little people in my life. I am so very blessed to have my girls.

Growing...

How did this sweet lover girl turn into...This sweetie pie? Before I know it she will be growing up and going to college. *sigh*

She has a few more stitches and bruises these days, but one thing remains the same. The girl can brighten up any room with her smile and fun personality.

Things this girl is currently loving:

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider
sitting at the bar for lunch
watching Strawberry Shortcake
dreaming of going to school
dreaming of going to dance
dreaming of doing every single thing her sister is doing
treats
curly noodles (ramen)
fruits and veggies
her baby doll
strollering her baby doll around wearing high heels
wearing her sparkly flip flops that are 2 sizes too big
her stripes blanket

Milk stache

When Claire drinks her chocolate milk it is an all or nothing deal. Not only does her mouth enjoy the treat but a good portion of her face as well. Silly mc-nilly.

Nothing like a good drinking buddy...so I hear.

Dance Fever, yeah!

Jer doesn't get to see the girls a lot during the week and so Claire made a list of all the things she wanted to do with dad when he got home. The first item on the list was 1. Dance Competition. Very heavy stuff. We made ribbons all afternoon for every contestant. Even Olive snook got a ribbon...but she would have to shake it to earn it. Claire was very clear on that point. We all had to get a costume to wear and pick our song we were going to dance to. So, here is how it all shook out. (shook, because we did some serious shooking.)

Contestant #1: Snooks
Music she shook it to: Ke$ha "Blo"

Contestant #2: Miss Bea
Music she shook it to: Jessie B ft BOB "Pricetag" (she calls it the money money song)

(thumbs up, she is ready!)

Contestant #3: Clairey Janerface

Music she shook it to: Madagascar "move it move it"

Contestant #4: Sugar Mama
Music she shook it to: Flo Rida "Club Can't Handle Me"

(Apparently I am not cool enough to get a picture by myself...but these two crack me up!)

Contestant #5: Daddi-O
Music he shook it to: Selena Gomez "Naturally" (This just happens to be Claire's favorite song)
It was on like Donkey Kong. We grooved and boogied and it was so fun to see the girls giggle at their super cool parents. Here is the proof of our mad dance SKILZ.

Proof that Olive did in fact shake it...with a little help from Dad.

Ribbon time!!Olive seemed very excited about her Best Dancer EVER ribbon. Don't tell her, but all of the ribbons said the same thing....shhhhhh.

Yes, we are seriously cool parents.