Our trip out west... and back again.

The last week of January Ry had to go through his radioactive iodine treatment, which meant he couldn't be around the kids and me for at least 10 days... so, the kids and I flew out to Nevada to stay with family during Ry's quarantine. :)

Right before our flights... and right after the first blizzard

On the plane.. the kids actually did really well.  I kept getting, "Lady, you are crazy" looks from fellow passengers...especially on the east coast.  No one has kids over here.  Absolutely no one has 2 before they are 30.  Luckily I wasn't showing yet.  :)

In Baltimore during a 5 hour layover.  Yeah.  Five hours.

We all felt about like this...

From Baltimore to Denver!

From Denver to SLC!... we landed at 2am our time.  Everyone asked what I had given my kids to keep them quiet.  I told them we had eaten lunch in Maine....

My parents were sweet and came and picked us up in SLC and drove us back to Ely.  We had lots of fun with family, and were able to be there for Aydan's baptism!  We missed Ry like crazy, though, and spent lots of time skyping :)

Fun with cousins!

Mia with piggy and guard, the stuffed animals I grew up with. :)

On the way back home... what do you do after 2 long flights, and an hour delay on your last flight at 10pm?  Eat chocolate ice cream, of course.

What we came home to.  

Yeah, it's like playing chicken every time we have to pull our of our driveway. 

By the way...

We will soon be a family of 5!!!

January

January...

I cleaned out the couch.  I found lots of stuff.  Logan looked at the pile, asked if I found all of it in the couch, and said with wide eyes, "This life is filled with wonder!"  

We finally got some Maine snow!

Naughty little man wouldn't stop hucking snow balls at me.

This is what it looks like when you are too busy taking pictures of your cute little boy to properly deflect the snowball that hits you in the face.

Mia loves making "baby snowmen"

I should have made her a nest..

A few hours into Blizzard Juno...

Halfway through.. the snow was already up to Logan's waist!

It was fun watching him try to get around. :)

Christmas!

This was my very first Christmas away from family, and my very first Christmas having Ry work.  Luckily, I had two sweet little elves to keep me company.  And, everything worked out!  Ry had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but the schedulers were nice enough to have him work days on the 24th and nights on the 25th.. so we got him when all the fun happens!  I don't think I got any pictures of what Santa brought... but Logan asked for a snowboard and Mia a crib for her baby.

In their Christmas jammies!

These little cuties acted out the nativity... they did such a great job!

Christmas morning... Mia received this coat, and acted like a rich, little, old lady the whole time she had it on.  She did such a good job at it, actually, that we have decided she was one in another life.  :)

Mia's tea set

Which Logan plays with just as much. :)

Playing with stocking stuffers

My sincerest apologies for the nudity. :)

Logan trying out his roller blades... it was 60 degrees and sunny on Christmas Day.  So weird.

December

Ry had to work pretty much every single hour of December, so we tried to fill up the month with lots of activities to keep us occupied. :)  

Logan hopped right up onto Santa's lap this year, had a good, long conversation, and then fretted over if he had said exactly the right things for the rest of the day.  Funny kid. 

Mia took one look at Santa, burst into tears, hid behind a giant ornament and shouted, "Go away, Santa!", all while throwing punches at the poor man.  Oh my Mia.  I told her once when she was being naughty that Santa and his elves were watching.  From that point on, every time she was naughty she would run to the door, punch it, and yell, "Go away, Santa!"

We were making cinnamon ornaments, but Mia just wanted to make snakes.  It really just looks like she is holding a big piece of super sparkly poo.

Mia and her buddy Ellie making their "snakes"

She loved them.

How I find this kid 80% of the time.  My little bookworm. I'm not sure how much I will see of him once he actually learns to read the words!  :)

What happens when Mia "helps" me. :)

They really are the cutest. 

Different day, more flour.

Logan is finally getting to the point where he actually does help.  He cut out lots of sugar cookies for me this year!

And another day... with more flour.