6 Months!

Can you believe this girl has been around for 6 months?

I think I take her picture every day. Really.

At six months Zoe's big accomplishments include: Trying really hard to sit up by herself. Excitement and kick, kick, kicking a lot. Standing on any available lap. Huge smiles and lots of happiness. Belly laughs. Sucking of her left thumb. Sleeping throught the night. She also loves loves the boys. They talk to her and she lights up like a Christmas tree. Even more when they hold her and -heaven help me-Dax carries her around like its his job. Her goals for the near future include: holding her bottle by herself, branching out her food varities, and rolling over. This last goal might have already been acomplished if she ever had a chance to lay on the floor and even try.

Knee socks on chubby legs. Need I say more?

We kind of like her a lot. I guess we'll keep her.

A Big Day and a Christmas Party in February

After four attempts at a date, Zoe finally got a blessing and a name on February 5, 2011. Woo hoo!Is she not the sweetest thing you've ever seen? I thought so. Me too.Caitlin Rupp was also very sweet and shared her baptism day with Zoe. It was so neat to have the family together to celebrate these two beautiful girls. I so wish I had a picture of Catie and Zoe. The problem is that I'm not great at pictures on days that are slightly stressful and fully fun. I have almost no pictures of the boys' blessing days, so this is at least a step up.


And after the blessing the real fun and important part began, at least according to the boys . A Christmas party! With presents! In February! Tyler's family didn't have a chance to get together over the holidays, so we thought, why not? Who doesn't love a Christmas present, whenever?Crue. Seriously want to bite his cheeks.



Thank you to everyone who was able to come and help us celebrate Zoe and Caitlin's big day. To have the love and support of the people we love is the best blessing we could ask for. Johnstons, Callan, and Grandpa Dave and Grandma Julie, and Grandma and Grandpa Wiley, we were thinking of you and missing you!

School Stuff

Asher's class has gone on quite a few field trips. The latest was to the Post Office. I just love that face. It makes me happy. (second to the end on the left)

Daxon's class learned about communities by creating one: Welcome to Rock Falls. We heard

a lot about this project as they were working on it. Definitely a favorite of the year.







Everyone got to be a citizen and be in charge of one of the buildings. Dax built the town hospital and helped with the Army base.

Say cheese! Seriously, I know.

Its About Time

Whew. Zoe's an eater of cereal now. Even though Dr Knochel said 6 months, I couldn't take it anymore and started her at more like 5 . Yay for staying full and sleeping through the night.

So sometimes having the tent live in the family room isn't so bad. It makes awesome sleepovers when awesome Max comes to stay.

Christmastime 2010

Christmas is always such a great time of year, and 2010 was no exception. A few highlights from our Holidays:

Of course we had to visit Santa


All of Grandma Jo's kiddos. Use your awesome imagination to picture Zoe bundled to the bundle hilt in the stroller just off to the side. Also, brave, brave Krew. And Jaci.

The last day of school before Christmas break we were cursed, or, ok, maybe blessed- if you're one of those moms who are super prepared and ready for the holidays long before they start. You can always assume that that will never be me-with the first ever snow day that I can remember. Truly. Around these parts it takes a lot for things to shut down due to weather. But this day it actually happened. Being a true scout, Dax built a snow tunnel/cave/fort.

Hayes began construction on a wall from behind which to throw massive snowballs.

Ash did a little sledding, a little building, a lot of hot chocolate drinking.

And Hello! I made my very first ever from total scratch Cinnamon Rolls! They took forever, by the way. I don't know what I was thinking. It must have been all that snow. And the Christmas music. I was in a mood I guess.

The Nativity. Another first for our family, but definitely not a last. L o v e d it. Such a fun way to remember the Reason for the Season.

For some reason I started a tradition of making cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve evening when the big boys were really little. The boys always love it, even if it makes me hate myself a little bit every year :)

Asher asked for an "inside tent" about a week and a half before Christmas. Santa may or may not have been a little stressed out by it, but he sure delivered. The tee pee is as big as our tree and lives occasionally in our family room. Thanks a lot, Santa.