January

Benson got out the chips and dip and sat down for a snack:)

Church gets out at 1:20 now, with Sacrament meeting last. So, Benson napped during sacrament meeting for the first few Sundays. We're glad he is past that now. We need him to take his glorious 3 hour nap when we get home so we can rest from our labors (keeping Benson safe and under control) too!

This was right before we left for Evan's baptism in Pasco. I love putting the girls in matching outfits!

Annika loves to dance. She has been "teaching dance lessons to her girls." :) Uncle Zack got her real ballet shoes for Christmas. They're so cute and I wish she would wear them more!

sick little babe fell asleep on daddy. I love it when she falls asleep on our laps, without any effort on our part.

matching skirts and leggings. 

I can hardly stand the cuteness level of these two together! 

her first messy bun. She hasn't wanted one since. But it was so cute!

Annika loves it when I do her hair in sponge curlers. We haven't left it in long enough to let it completely dry. So we've only had a glimpse of how cute it could be.

Baby girl learned to clap last week!

lip gloss!

Annika is super into art and crafts. I love it, except for the constant clutter on the counter! We recently put a table in the office for her to use for art and preschool workbooks. It's much better.

Christmas present onesie from Uncle Zack! Birth. Nailed it.

On President's Day we went bowling with the Von Brachts. 

Watching the ball come back up never got old.

Next time, we won't pay for the kids to bowl. They lasted for about 4 frames before they preferred to mess around on the arcade games instead of bowl when it was their turn. It was still fun to get out and do something different.

I have started practicing french braiding on Annika's hair. I have now done it a total of 4 times in my life. I really like it and I also really need more practice. After I braided her hair this time she said "Mom, while you were doing my hair, I was thinking about Gram Pam fixing your hair when you were a little girl." This was a tender moment.

I brought Annika to Moses Lake for the mutual ice skating activity. She was very cautious and held on to me for the first 5 minutes. But after 10 minutes or so, she was confident enough to move on her own. I was so proud of her! She didn't want to get off of the ice when it was time to go.

Papi is back to stay!! This picture was taken when we ran outside to greet Papi as he stepped out of the moving van. It has been an adjustment to have Papi living in the basement. But, I'm so glad he is here and far away from the awful principal job at Teague in Fresno. The kids especially love having him here. He and I go for a walk about 5 days a week. It's been wonderful to get outside and get exercise. I'm so happy that the sunshine is around more and more these days. January was a rough month of rain and overcast days. Annika plays lots of card games with Papi every day (SkipBo, Go fish, War, Old maid).

Brooklyn and Annika are such good buds! This was after Evan's baptism. I wish we lived in the same town. But, I'm glad they are only an hour away.

I went to get Benson up in the morning and found him with Daddy's basketball. He slept with it all night :) He still sleeps in his pack n play, so it took up quite a bit of space. It was pretty cute!

A is for Awesome Annika! We love this shirt.

Esther found a ritz cracker that Annika left on the carpet. By the time I noticed, she was half way through the cracker. It was a huge mess, but so cute. She loved it, obviously. ;)

Annika has been really into puzzles this winter. I love puzzles to and I feel quite indulged when she wants to work on them with me. She is really good and contributes a lot of pieces. I love my girl!

"Gram Pam's Peep" :)

8 months old! Our little E-boo is growing up quickly these days, it seems.
New skills: clapping, saying "dada", rolling everywhere and scooting backwards, playing peekaboo with a blanket.
She also knows her name, loves bananas and cheerios, and I am her favorite person. :) She still cries when I leave the room.
She still doesn't have any teeth. She is a terrible sleeper at night. She naps well, unless she is sick. She loves playing with Annika and tenses up when Benson is near. Both Benson and Annika get her to laugh and smile quite easily. I love how excited they are to see Esther every time she wakes up.
We love you, Esther babe!

matching dresses, again :)