Christmas Eve

 The week leading up to Christmas the girls and I would pick a Christmas book to read before bed.  I love that my older girls still love to listen to picture book stories!

Christmas Eve we had plans to load up the kids for a morning of skiing, but with all the new snow we had (over 70 inches in just a few days) the parking lot was already full by 9:30 that morning.  Bummer.

Plan B: sledding.

We have a pretty good sledding hill at the park next to our house.

 Rory's face...it kills me!  I crack up every time I look at it!

That night we had lovely time at my brother's for a Christmas Eve meal.

We drove home with the snow falling and listening to Christmas music.

When we got home the girls opened their traditional Christmas Eve gifts...this year they received Mexican house dresses...I think they are beautiful!  Each one has a slightly different embroidered design on it.  Simply lovely!

Ryan read "The Night Before Christmas" (as always) before we tucked them all in bed.

One week countdown.

Okay...a week and a day really...but either way...oh my gosh...Christmas is almost here!

The girls have been begging Ryan to put up Christmas lights on the outside of the house, so finally a couple of days ago he put some up.

I know this pretty much knocks your socks off! 

Watch out Clark Griswold...we're coming for ya!!

 Also, this last week the kids made some Gingerbread houses...okay, graham cracker houses.

And unfortunately, two days into having them displayed in the dinning room the dogs (really...it was just Etta) already killed two of them.  Damn dog!

 We have been getting snow...lots of snow, and it's been fabulous!  In fact, it supposed to snow every day leading up to Christmas next week!  

And speaking of snow...I have a hunch that the kids will be doing much skiing this holiday break!  That is, we can all stay healthy!  Rory still has a lingering cough and unfortunately she has passed this cold on to me.  I feel pretty crummy, my nose won't stop dripping and I have a perpetual sneeze on deck at all times which is so irritating...but the show must go on!

The passes this year kill me...Haley and Piper's personalities were captured perfectly in these photos!

So, with that...I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Sick Day

 My little Rory has hit the wall.  Yesterday after dropping Piper off at Kindergarten Rory and I hit couple of stores for some Christmas shopping.  However, she was dragging quite a bit so I decided to drop what I was doing and just take her home.  Fever it was...poor little thing.  So today we are taking a proper sick day...lots of cuddling and napping and watching TV.

I've been full speed ahead with Christmas right around the corner.  There is much to do!

And with ski school starting up again, I'm back on the mountain three days a week teaching...so yeah, busy days around here!

 Last weekend we decorated.   

Growing up I had all brothers and they really never helped decorate the tree ( I assume it's a guy thing??)...I mostly remember my mom and I doing it.  So with having four girls there is NO shortage of help.  As soon as I pulled out the boxes they got right to it.  This month is just full of excitement for them...I love it!

On another note.

I received my Christmas present a little early this year!

New ski boots!

For the record, I have never purchased boots before.  The pair I used for the past several years (Tecnica) Ryan actually won in a raffle after a bike race.  They just happened to be my size, but the fit has never been steller for me.  So, Jeff and I drove to Park City and I got custom fit in a brand new pair of boots.

I am now a Lange girl!

Funny, I posted this picture as a spoof on Lange advertising.

You may want to check out the history of the Lange girl.

And my personal favorite:

I mean really...it makes absolutely no sense.

Indian head dress with ski boots??

They take "sex sells" very seriously, ha!  I kept my picture pretty tame...and most people probably never made the connection.

So yeah...I'm super excited to try them out.

Never had a custom fit anything before!

Thanksgiving 2015

I know I'm late with this post, but hey, better late than never!

So as usual we loaded up the 'Burban and headed south to Sedona...except this time we we made an overnight stop in Kanab.  The girls were thrilled to pieces to stay in a hotel. And then we surprised the girls with a visit to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (which is right outside of Kanab) the next morning.  

 This is a no kill shelter that houses around 1500 animals: dogs, cats, horses, pigs, birds, rabbits and so on.  We took the tour they offer and saw where everything is housed and got to pet and visit the cats and dogs.  The girls were in animal heaven!  We were lucky to get out of there without an animal to take home.  I told everyone we were filled to the brim already!!  Four kids, two dogs, a cat and three goldfish...I'd say we're doing our part!

Then it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Some highlights of the week.

We hiked up West Fork and took a photo of the girls on the exact same log from two years prior...

 ...so of course we had to create a side by side comparison.

My babies aren't babies anymore!!!

 We also did a bit of mountain biking.

The trails are literally right down the street...how can we not take advantage of that?!

There is a loop that I have become obsessed with...it's pretty much the only trail that I do.  I am determined to do that entire loop without putting a foot down!  One day, my friends, I will succeed!!  Too bad I can only practice it one week out of the year.  

 Ryan and I would go out on our own for a lap (yes, of my favorite loop) and then get the girls to join us on another lap (you guessed it, of my favorite loop).

I was super proud of them!

They did great!

 We also played a game or two of Sorry...and let me tell ya, it can get pretty fierce!

 And a trip to Sedona wouldn't be complete until we feed the ducks at Talaqapaque.  

The weather was quite crisp this year!

 With Grandma and Grandpa.

And of course, smooshed in there with everything else we ate ourselves silly with a wonderful Thanksgiving feast!!

We headed home Saturday and ran into this along the way:

Yep, winter has hit.

And I'm loving it!

Happy Birthday Rory!!

 Today my littlest one turned FOUR!

Good grief...how can that be?!

The day went like this:

We woke her up by singing Happy Birthday with a chocolate chip muffin (complete with candle) presented to her.

She was thrilled!

Kids went off to school and Rory and I headed to Costco to pick up a few things.

She took it upon herself to tell every person we passed in the aisles that it was her birthday.  And when I say tell, I mean practically shout at them, "So you know!!  IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!!".  She said this to every person...did I say that already?  Good times.

So then it was back to the house where she played with her neighbor friend while I baked a cake.

The girls came home and before we knew it, it was already dinner.

We enjoyed a quiet little family party..

Wait...did I say "quiet"...ha!  Like it's ever quiet in this house.  But you know what I mean.

Her dinner of choice...pasta of course!

And dessert...purple cake with strawberry ice cream.

And then she opened presents.

I can't help but laugh at these next series of pictures.

Everyone changes their poses except for Rory, who holds strong.

Good job Rory.

And that was that.

My baby is now four.

Oh, how we love her!