Closing out 2016

It is time for the 2littlechiefs to be printed and bound. I can't even put into words how fast time is going, but we try to savor each day and live in all of the moments that we encounter. The kids have grown so much.  Our babies are now little people and we get to approach new parenting debacles that sometimes make me wish for diapers and nap times!

The children each have goals for 2017. Elizabeth is going to start cutting her own food and Grant is going to be 100% self sufficient in the bathroom (that's the politest way I can say he is going to wipe his own butt!). Those were goals that we made for them! On top of being healthy, happy, active, grateful children! We made so many memories in 2016 and we have many more planned for 2017. Basketball season is upon us (for both of them), guitar lessons (for both of them, plus Ima!), a special trip over spring break and before we know it they will be back in the pool and hopefully on a baseball diamond! Not to mention all of the other joy we can possibly squeeze in because being still is not woven in my fabric. Our lives and hearts are so full. Not everyday is perfect, (although I have been quoted for saying "today is the perfect day to have the perfect day") we find some perfect in some part of the day. And if not, we get each new day to try again!

Christmas and New Year's 2016

Our holiday season was full of so much joy and love. We got to see our friends from England, Australia and DC and family from Arizona and Georgia and everywhere in between. We continue to be blessed beyond measure and are so thankful for all of the time we get to share with everyone. Here are some pictures from the 2016 holiday season!

Brandon always reads The Night Before Christmas before we put them to bed on Christmas Eve. As a special bonus this year he got the recordable book with Kenny Pops voice to work on a few of the pages. It was emotional to hear to his voice but such a good memory for our kids.

Our friends from England were able to join us for Christmas Eve church service. 

A pop-up art class for the crew, while Elizabeth endured a 3 hour eye appointment!

Milk, check. Cookies, check, Carrots, Check. 

Miss Megan was at church with us too. She made it through the whole service, even went up for the children's sermon!

Grandpa Ray and Grandma Phyllis with the kids after a game of Left, Right, Center. 

Pops embroided pj's for the grandkids and couldn't resist a pair for himself.  I will spare you the image and video of him demonstrating the back flap of his one piece pj's. Lots of laughs!

The kids were truly more excited to give their gifts then to open up their own. That is a #1 Dad football piggy bank.

They made it until 7:00 this year. Threats were made that we would not have another 3:30 AM Christmas! It is hard to keep your eyes open to a camera flash in a dark room.

Christmas Eve dinner at my parent's

They love their cousin!

Fast forward a few days...the Campbells are in town! We celebrate our family Christmas on NYE.

After a day of relaxation and family time it was time to take these caged animals on a field trip. At 9:00 pm we loaded up my bus for one last drive through FOLEPI's village. By the time we returned 3/4 of the kids were asleep.

Game night on NYE. Grant is explaining the play to uncle Brian.

Guess which 1/4 didn't fall asleep. She made it long enough to see Mariah Carey!

Happy New Year!

These two are buds

Auggie is always up for a cuddle from Aunt Sandy

The pickle finders! 

Thank you honey for always wearing this shirt Christmas morning for all of the pictures. I hope nothing ever happens to it!

A little VR fun for everyone.

When you think your husband is going to be gone hunting for the night and you tell the kids they have a sleepover in your bed...and then he comes home and you sleep in their beds and decide they all need a mattress upgrade!

What can I say? I fear we may have to have the "you can't marry your cousin" talk someday.

Auggie says sleep is good for everyone!

Best Drink Award of the holiday season goes to Amber for her Pomegranate Spritzers

I think they really do love each other.

Ear kisses from Pops

New toys are so much fun

Uncle Brian made Christmas crepes for us!

She has used the ribbons to baby wear her new stuffed giraffe. She is a nurturing soul. 

Not sure how this is going to go, but he got one!

Ok, maybe this is a just a guy thing that I will never understand!

Preparing for Christmas

Elizabeth had her winter music program. She was a reindeer. This picture was taken after the antlers had been returned!

Ugly Sweater Party - yes i'm glowing because mine featured lights.

Candlelight Stroll on the square. They do really love each other and it was super cold! We were waiting for the carriage ride.

Cozy Christmas movie family night

Auggie had a birthday!

We honor my Grandma Heller every year by making cherry chocolates as a family.

Elizabeth's Barbie tree featured an elevation this year with her tutu tree skirt cascading around

Grant's tree had special light bulbs from Mimi and Pops

Making cut out sugar cookies

Finding hats, gloves and scarves, because it finally got cold.

Letters to Santa...yes he asked for a football goal post and big smelly brown bear.

And Elizabeth's wish...a real live bunny! (and to translate, that is a sewing machine...just sound it out!)

A Mexican Thanksgiving

We were so lucky to be able to spend Thanksgiving in Mexico with Amber and family. The eight of us have so much fun together and we made some awesome memories! First, the resort was beautiful. The weather was fantastic. The kids got along so well and everyone stayed healthy. What more could we ask for?

And this picture will haunt Brian for years to come - good form Brian! (karma has had it's revenge, Amber and I haven't been able to win a game of cribbage since!)

That is a pool that over flows into another huge pool that looks right out into the ocean. Guess where we spent a lot of time? By the pool! A few family members detest the sand, but they were good sports and still came to sand between their toes a few times!

These two are thicker than thieves! I can only imagine what  he was whispering to her!

A little pool side game of Wet Head

We let Elizabeth get her hair braided - one piece - this was a really big deal to her. There was some purple hair added in as well. I was finally able to throw that away last week, but don't worry we still have the shell dolphins that were woven in!

And then there are these two! Someone for EB to mother and Briggs accepts it because it isn't his sister bossing him around!

This is the boys doing aqua aerobics because they lost one too many games of cribbage.

In case you didn't know I have done a cartwheel in the sand at every beach I have been to since I was able to do a cartwheel. I hope I am still doing this when I am 50!

The kids did the aqua aerobics too, but they really got into it!

First day...our toes must be in the sand and ocean!

A little tie-dye shirt project in the kids club

Is there anything better than your kids at the beach pictures?

This was us during the aqua aerobics :)

The resort featured a Mayan ruin. I took it upon myself to try to make this an educational vacation and really learn something. The kids lack of interest was hilarious as I read them the wikipedia information on the Scorpian's Temple. On the last day we walked over to it and I gave it my best effort to import my Mayan knowledge to them. They were really interested in the exposed roots that acted like trampolines. We got out alive.

Happy hour happens on the beach too, not just by the pool :)

We didn't just sit by the pool everyday - most days, but not everyday. The men went diving one day. One day we all took a boat to Isle Mejeures - Brandon just calls in Hairy Island. Our intent was to find a place for the kids to snorkel. Elizabeth was the only that had tried it before but she didn't have a great experience so we wanted to let all the kids try it. The water was way to rough by our resort and there wasn't a reef. Thus the trip to hairy island. On this island you could rent golf carts and tool around. Somehow Brandon ended up with the all the kids in one golf cart and I was with Brian and Amber in a less than functioning cart. After we got on the main road and backed traffic up for 200 yards it was time to get a new gold cart. We have no cell service and come to find out the golf cart place was on a one way street...long story short, we got a new ride that could actually accelerate! Our first stop was to a sea turtle sanctuary. It looked like a hole in the wall but it was absolutely amazing. We saw tons of baby sea turtles and big ones too. A worker there took a liking to Grant and kept puling out aquatic life for him to hold - sea urchins, horseshoe crab, lobster. It was really fun.

on the boat to Isla Mujeres

Next we were off to find a snorkel spot. It became apparent that this was not going to be free and we needed to select a "day resort" to enjoy the water access. We searched for quite a while before deciding on a place. Of course a free meal and drinks were included as well as a freezing cold pool and bungee trampoline that just about put Grant over the edge! We ate a horrible lunch, I mean really not good. The kids were such troopers we sung their praises later and told them what an awesome job they did to get through that meal because not one of them complained. They knew they needed to eat and they made the best of it. It was a proud parenting moment. Then we made our way to the water to attempt the snorkeling. The kids all really tried and at some point they all got the hang of it, but it took a lot of coaching. I looked up at one point and Amber had Briggs on her back heading back to shore! Grant thought that looked fun so he climbed on my back! Elizabeth had a better experience and Stella hung in there. The aquatic life was not abundant but what the kids saw they were impressed with. It just didn't keep their interest for terribly long. That's when they discovered the pool, that had freezing water. The moms declared we all deserved ice cream and then we waited for the trampoline attendant to finish his siesta. Grant was given some super high bouncy pulls that scared the $%*& out of him! Apparently him screaming STOP did not translate to the attendant. We all look back at the video now and laugh but he was not laughing at the time! And with that we told hairy island goodbye and enjoyed our serenaded boat ride back to the resort.

This was a priceless moment. I am not sure how or why but we let the kids go to the other side of pool alone where there happened to be vendors. Actually I think they might have been checking to see if the hair braiding lady was in yet and we decided  there is strength is numbers! They all came back with jewelry and told us they needed $40 to keep it all. So we sent them back and told them we give them $10. It was a pretty funny negotiation and at the end of it we did not reach an agreement and all of the jewelry was returned along with 4 long faces. 

Table side churro cart

This was Thanksgiving at the JW Marriot

S'mores on the beach

This was the adult's night out...

There was piñata fun for all, but not when they line them up from shortest to tallest and it busts open before your giants get a chance!

Such a fun trip!!(Stella, if you would have had sunglasses on we would never have seen your closed peepers!)