A NEW YEAR

 Well what do you know, I just can't get away from the all caps post titles. 

I've been taking a break from social media in January, kind of, but it's been good. Now  I seem to have a plethora of photos that are just dying to see the light of the internet, so bear with me, this will be long and riddled with run on sentences, apparently. 

We started out the new year by getting out in the beautiful snow that had just fallen. 

Don't let this fake smile fool you, this Texas boy despises the cold. 

Maybe I say this every post, but there is something just lovely about snowy woods. 

The frozen pond is our favorite part of winter. and no one has ever fallen in yet. 

We ended the adventure on a low note when Esther sledded (sled?) right into a horizontal fence bar. It could have been very bad but she must have had her guardian angels near because she came away with only a bruised chin. 

Who is this giant baby at church? 

An astronaut visits the library.  

The many faces of Moses

I made sourdough bagels for the first time. They were, in a phrase, to die for. The kids gobbled them up so fast. They aren't dense like store bought bagels, but still somehow chewy and delicious. Next time  I will triple the recipe. 

The kids making a fort at forest school using a sled to transport snow balls. 

Then lots of rain came and washed the snow away. 

Making disc launchers for school. 

Someone who knows confirm if these are rabbit tracks. 

Floating on an iceberg. 

Friends joining on the iceberg. 

The kids got build a bear gift cards for Christmas. They were thrilled to go to the mall and use them. 

We found a real live gnome in our garden. 

Moses is really growing so fast! Look at him just playing at the park like he's not my tiny infant. 

We were studying Adam and Eve at church these past few weeks. This meme popped up and  I couldn't stop laughing. 

The girls have been listening to The Secret Garden at bedtime and Adele has been very into pretending she is Mary. She plays outside for hours alone and ropes the boys into playing with her when she can. I haven't caught a picture of her wheeling Israel around in the back yard in a stroller (he is Collin for obvious reasons). While Julian marches around with his stuffed fox (naturally he is Dickon). What a lucky little girl to have so many siblings that they can act out practically any story. 

There is nothing this boy loves more than his favorite foods, namely cheese and any and all treats. 

Raspberry finger babies. 

Look at these two smiling little angels. I am so glad we still get to watch Baby Boy frequently. 

Mosey learned a new trick, standing!

The stages of a toddler escape...

Israel has been going to Primary now that it is the new year. His first week he did great! I was surprised since he would never go to nursery without me. (Well he did pre-pandemic, but that doesn't count for anything now does it? that was practically before time began in the mind of a toddler.) But his second week he hid under a chair and refused to come out until the teacher came and got me. 

The face he made when I asked him if he liked Primary. 

My new favorite picture. People are always saying how they are done having babies or whatever and I'm just like HOW?! Just look at this face. I do not understand. 

Mama, take a picture of me up so so high!

Clearly Julian is our most photogenic child. Haha jokes aside he hates his picture taken and this is what happens when I force him to. 

I'm convinced Moses is less content than our other babies because he constantly has throngs of adoring siblings entertaining him all the time. 

Moses is 10 months old as of today. It's cliche to say but it does go by so fast. This time last year I was pregnant with him and it still felt like we had ages to go until he was born. And now he's almost a toddler! He can crawl all over the place these days. He has six teeth and is getting two more and is very cranky because of it. He is a Mama's boy through and through. He still despises baths but he does love playing in water so maybe he'll come around. He doesn't care much for solid food and still nurses round the clock. 

Our annual trip to the ice castles. Leland had to stay home to work, but we had fun without him. The kids were  all very into the slides. 

Julian breaks out his best smiles for the ice castles!