The Austin Snowpocalypse 2014

We had a few pretty good cold snaps this winter.  Enough to have everything shut down for maybe 4-5 days before it was all over.  Only one of those days, was there any kind of ice- and the girls LOVED it.  They didn't know the difference that it wasn't snow.  They took cookie sheets out in the driveway and had a sledding frenzy.  It was pretty hilarious to watch.  The ice was really slippery, and they kept falling down, but aside from one meltdown from Ellie, they loved it. I, on the other hand, was happy for the return of our 70's :)

Hallie

Abigail

Abigail decided that she wants to run a marathon.  We talked about how she can do it, and she decided that she wants to run one mile, 26 times- and when she is done, she should go to the store and buy a bracelet to celebrate.

So far, she is two miles down.

She started gymnastics this month and is loving that.  She will do handstands and cartwheels for anyone who will watch.  She also loves riding her bike, and rollerskating. 

She is my buddy.  She can get me giggling like only a few other people can. So many things about her remind me of myself that it is scary sometimes. She loves to laugh at Ellie and her shenanigans, and she likes to help with Hallie.  My favorite is when I hear Hallie wake up in the morning, and before I get out of bed, Abigail is in her room keeping her happy, and buying me a few more minutes of time in my warm comfy bed. She is surprising me with how well she is doing with her school work, and how excited she gets about new things.

Ellie and Why I love Pictures

I cannot describe Ellie's personality in words. For those who know her well, you probably just let out a little laugh, or at least nodded your head.  She has so much personality bottled up in her little body. Bits of me, lots of Charles, and lots of things she does even remind me of some of her Aunts and Uncles.

So often, I take a picture of Ellie, and just smiling when I see it, and think, "That is SO Ellie." Charles says the same thing. 

No Pants.  That is so Ellie.

Fancy Dress Up.  So Ellie.

High heeled shoes of any size or style. So Ellie.

Cowgirl boots. So Ellie

Crazy.  Ellie.

Fierce.

Higher, Higher! Faster, Faster!

Girly.

Fearless.

Hilarious.

Stone faced.

Adrenaline Junky.

Full of love.

Ready to take back that love if you cross her.

and as so many sum her up... She is just a hot mess.

These all come to mind, but all seem so contradictory at the same time.  And THAT is why I love pictures.  I love being able to freeze in time these little girls who are growing up way too fast. I love trying to capture their joy, and excitement, and triumphs, and failures. I've set a goal to get my camera out more, and take more REAL pictures.  I am loving it. I can't imagine how soon these years will be gone, and how severely I will miss them. With all of the hardships of being a mother of 3 little girls, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Not Anything. I couldn't be more blessed.

Playing together

One of my favorite unforeseen benefits of homeschooling has been the friendship that has developed between Abigail and Ellie.  They play all day long, every day.  They still have their moments, but for the most part, I think they have come to see each other as friends, more than sisters, especially Abigail, now that she doesn't have a whole lot of interaction with other kids.  I have loved grabbing my camera and getting snapshots of them in the middle of their imaginary worlds.

Christmas.

I tried to put my camera down and just enjoy Christmas. It was nice, but I don't have many pictures to post.  The weekend before Christmas, we went to my parents house and had a family party.  It was a riot.  We had a nice dinner, and exchanged gifts and did crafts with the kids.  Then we sent the kids to Mimi and Pops bed to watch a movie, and we had an adult only white elephant exchange.

I can't even put into words how funny that was.  There were so many gifts that brought me to tears with laughter, but none could match what my brother Brad came up with.  He had us all doubled over, and for days after I couldn't help but bust out laughing when I would think about it.  Next year will be tough to match, but I'm sure he will find a way to out do himself.

Then we packed up and went home to have Christmas Eve and Christmas day as our own little family at home.  Christmas Eve was a bit of a bust.  Ellie and Hallie weren't feeling well, and were both asleep by 5:30.  Abigail and I made treats and Christmas cards and took them to our neighbors, and then watched The Nativity on lds.org with Charles before we all went to bed. The girls wanted roller skates this year, and Santa didn't disappoint.  After we opened presents we went outside and they learned that skating is a little trickier than they thought, but they are getting the hang of it, and skate around the house a lot now. 

Hallie's Bday

Hallie turned One!! I can't even believe how fast this year has gone by.  She is such a sweet girl.  She loves to snuggle, and is a little over attached to Mom and Dad.  She wants to be held... all the time. And as you have seen, she isn't tiny.  Common sense tells me that I should have the best arms you have ever seen, but my body defies nature, and some how, my arms are as wiggly and jiggly as ever. :)  We went to my parents house for a family Christmas party on Hallie's bday, so we threw in some cupcakes and called it a bday bash for one.  Hallie seemed pretty happy about the arrangement.

Family Pictures

I love pretty pictures.  I love pretty pictures of my family even more.  That is why for my birthday this year, I wanted to have family pictures taken.  It's about time we did it, too. I couldn't be more in love with how they all turned out, or with our photographer. I have so many favorites, but here are a few.