Blast off!

Before taking my Mom to the airport to fly back to England, we checked out the Great Park and went up in the Great Orange Balloon! I forgot until we were there that my Mom has a fear of heights but it seemed like an appropriate way to send her off! And you wouldn't believe how excited Emma was... at one point after asking Chris (for the millionth time) if he was "so excited!"... he answered, "If I wasn't before, I sure am now!".

I was not looking forward to another goodbye but after spending that time with her, I realized how much she loves the mission and the missionaries and how much they love and need her (especially the Mission President!)! A lot more than we do, as hard as that is to admit! It is such a great work they are a part of. And now we have all these fun memories to hold on to until we see them next!

xoxo

Like old times...

Thankfully, my mom was able to get home in time for her Dad's funeral so we had an unexpected visit with her. To make the most of it, we took a quick trip to Arizona to see my sister's families. Sonic drive throughs, lunch at the park, and a few GNOs. It felt like old times but with a twist! We loved every second of it... except the second when Tay got the flu! But it was great to just be able to give her a hug and watch my kids snuggle up to her like no time had passed! It was wonderful!

The PERFECT way to spend our last morning in Arizona...Take a P-Day and keep all the kids home from school and go BOWLING! Grandma showed the kids how it's done by bowling a few STRIKES! What?

Grandpa

(Grandpa at 92, his 3 daughters, and almost all his Grandchildren)

It's been a few months now since the passing of my Grandpa but I could not go on without mentioning what a great, smart and talented man he was. He had me laughing up until our last visit in September. He had the most dry sense of humor of anyone I knew yet he was so generous, he would have done anything for anyone. Two of the best qualities I think someone can have. We miss him, we love him yet we are grateful to have an understanding that Families Are Forever and we will meet again.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Another fun day with the Adcocks at Knotts Berry Farm. We discovered Camp Snoopy which is perfect for little ones.

Emma adores these two... her Aunt Jennifer and cousin Erin. They spoil her with so much attention and make everything just a little more fun!

We miss you all and can't wait till we see you again!!

Tanna

...and Molly. Just two of the many reasons we love to spend time with the Adcock clan.

Big Boy Toys

To honor Roy this Christmas, Grandma Lora had a special gift for each of the grandkids... and the big boys too!

This is one of Chris' favorite childhood memories... putting together cars and airplanes, all that boy stuff that I'm not too familiar with. But what a great time they had and I loved watching him share that with Emma and for Emma to share with all her cousins. There was nothing that would have made Papa Roy happier than to see that!

Emma Takes Off!

If you know Emma, she's a little cautious. So we were happily surprised to see her ride so well for her very first time!! It must be all that princess magic.

P.S. How cute is Taylor in the background? She was happy to just see how many times she could ALMOST get run over by Emma!

And the stockings were filled...

It was a great Christmas morning, the first in our home. My favorite moment came as Emma walked out to see what Santa had brought...covering her eyes with her little hands she took one little peek and ran back to her room smiling and squealing. She did this over and over again. It was such a mixture of excitement and anxiousness...! Just the way Christmas morning should feel! All the gifts were a huge hit, thank you to Santa and Grandmas & Papas!

a foot or two...

I just love everything about this picture. And there are many more to come...

We miss you already!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas wouldn't be the same without these two...

They really made it special for us this year!

Nursery Nativity

I've been looking forward to this... I was so impressed with last year's play! This year Emma was an Angel and had a big speaking part... "Fear not!". I knew her shyness might get to her, so I bribed with a huge ice cream sundae and told stories of her Aunt Jacy playing the Angel in our family Nativity every Christmas Eve when we were younger. We laughed and she agreed... And followed through! And I loved her little Angel pose in the first picture...so sweet! All the children were adorable and in two weeks will officially be Sunbeams...I can't believe it!

A lot of thanks goes to this lady! She has been so incredible with these children...! I know Emma will really miss her!

"Am I on the Naughty List?"

Well, we don't have much in the way of a Santa Post. Chris had to hand deliver Emma's letter to him and Taylor didn't even give me a second to get a shot in. We'll revisit this idea in a few years...

However, Tay did love these little guys that lined the wall. She kept posing by them and saying, "Cheese!!". She fits in a little too well.

Princess and the Frog

Emma has been so excited for this movie to come out... and I was excited to make it a really special day for her. A new dress, movie with her favorite girlfriends, and lunch at one of our favorite spots... made it a great day!