it's 2016!

How in the world is it already 2016? 2015 flew by! I've still got a million and one blog posts to catch up (including our Puerto Rico trip way back from March), but I'm starting fresh and will get to those asap. I've got to start somewhere and what better way than to start the new year of this blog with our New Year's Eve.

We hit up Temple Square in the late afternoon before it got too crowded and cold. As always, it's beautiful! Then we headed home for a party with Dad, Michael, Sarah, Cheri and Lance. We had a blast playing One Night Werewolf and Dominion until the wee hours of the morning. We banged pots and pans and toasted at midnight. Lots of yummy appetizers and hanging out with the family is the best thing about New Years. We can't wait to see what 2016 brings!

counting my blessings this thanksgiving

Thanksgiving went a lot different than I planned. I had stayed up late to finish making some pies, but when I woke up on Thanksgiving, I had the stomach flu or food poisoning. (I was never sure which since no one else seemed to get it).  I was in so much pain that I just wanted to stay curled up in bed. But instead of complaining, I'm going to count all my blessings from the day.

• Blake and Evelyn had cousins to play with all morning. 
• Brandon so kindly made the rolls I was supposed to make for my family and our friends the Moores and was able to deliver them while I slept in bed.  It was his first time making them and they looked great. 
• Oliver slept most of the day and there were plenty of people to hold him when he was fussy
• I didn't overeat. :) Or eat at all. 
• Sarah came and got my kids ready for the feast. Evelyn looked adorable! 
• I had enough energy to stand up and snap a few photos at least! 
• While everyone took a post dinner walk, Brandon stayed behind and kept Oliver and I company. He was a rockstar that day. 
• I had more appreciation for good health and was reminded to not take it for granted like I do. 

Oliver turned one month old that day. I wasn't able to get photos like I wanted, but I caught this cute one while he was playing on the floor. Man, I love this little boy so much! 

pre-thanksgiving

We were THRILLED that the Murrays stayed with us this Thanksgiving. We always love hosting visitors and so do our kids. Blake asked every day if Hyrum was coming yet. They arrived Tuesday and we stayed up super late catching up and laughing once they arrived. The day before Thanksgiving, we took them to our neighborhood mountain bike park.

 

We were supposed to have our traditional pie night with the Sundays that night, but it was postponed due to sicknesses, so we were able to join in with the Kings for "street gyros and smoothies"--courtesy of Blaine and Kristin. They were so tasty. Benson and Oliver are 3 months apart. Can't wait for them to be friends!

christmas kick-off party

(November 27}  We threw a Christmas Kick-off /Ugly Sweater Party the day after Thanksgiving with my family and a few of my aunts and cousins. We made a huge mess, but lots of memories! We cheated and hot glued our houses, but that led to some very sound structures and intricate details. I was impressed with all the creativity. And the sweaters. Us 2nd-generationers really pulled it together for this one. Scott and Nicole won. Oh snap! 

^blurry photo, but had to document his outfit (loaned from our friends)

Our Christmas houses: candy cane cottage (me), candy cottage (blake), half-done cottage (Evelyn), minimalist mansion (Brandon--his fun comes in building, not decorating).

newest members of The Kingdom

The King Family is known as the Kingdom. We made a poster last year for my Dad's fridge with a photo of everyone in the order that they came into "The Kingdom." So for example, I'm number 5, Brandon is 11, Blake is 17, and Evelyn is 21. With the addition of Helen and Benson this year, the #25 spot (the last on the poster) was still open. Until Hollie got engaged.

Seth, her husband, barely snagged it up just 3 days before Oliver was born. We gave him a quarter at his wedding luncheon since he got the #25 spot. I guess that means Oliver will be front page news for the next poster! Welcome Seth and Oliver to the Kingdom!

hollie + seth

October 23 was a beautiful Fall day. A slight chill in the air, but sunny and blue skies. A perfect day for Hollie and Seth's wedding. It was a whirlwind and busy day with the sealing in the morning, then a luncheon, and then a reception. We're sad that traffic was so bad and we weren't able to get more photos with Hollie and Seth. We're just glad they made it!

Brandon will tell you he's glad to have the wedding over so that he has wife back. :) I'm grateful for all of his support as we've been trying to put all the details together for this over the last few months. Weddings are a lot of work and stress. But it all came together well and hopefully it will be a day that was perfect to Hollie and Seth because that's what matters.

A few of my favorite parts of the day were: 1. Being in the Salt Lake Temple with my dad and every sibling. We've never all been inside together at one time. And it was a slight miracle that it worked out that way since Justin realized he had left his recommend in a different pair of pants. The temple workers were not able to delay the sealing for him, but the sealer had lots to say to Hollie and Seth and Justin literally made it inside right before they were sealed. It was a glimpse of heaven being there with everyone. It made me realize how sad it would be to not have someone in my family make it to the Celestial Kingdom after this life. I hope I can always do my part to make sure the people I love can be there together after this life.

2. I loved the dance party! I so wish we would have had a dance party at our wedding.

3. My kids were troopers. They both got a little cat nap in the car, but that was it. Blake and I had a stomach bug that kept us from enjoying the food of the day and from feeling super great, but overall I could not have asked them to be more helpful and patient. And now the baby can really come! Hear that little one? :)

^best friend cousins doing a cheer all by themselves. 

^ "If you touch the temple, the temple will touch you." 

^these 2 are single. just saying.