Bedtime at our house

So the kids' favorite time of the day is when Joshua gets home from work. Especially lately, since I've had less energy with the pregnancy to run around and play games with them, they really look forward to this time. They usually rope him into playing a few rounds of hide and seek, motorboat, airplane (Joshua balances them on his feet while laying on his back and vrooms them around), and their favorite, horsie--pictured above. It's probably my favorite time of the day too, watching them romp around.

He also does the nightly routine with them (scriptures, prayers, stories, song), which is a fabulous break for me. We sometimes hear them chatting it up and/or singing with each other after he leaves the room, sometimes for quite a while. We caught them at it in this video (at the entrance of their bedroom).

Sunbeams!

Julia started Sunbeams at the start of the new year, and she loves it! She likes to talk about her friends and what they do during primary. So far I've gleaned that they do still get snacks, that in Primary you have to sit in your seat instead of run around like in Nursery, and that she has said the prayer in her class a couple of times. I wish I could just sit in and watch her throughout all of Primary and class (as it is, I do sneak peaks sometimes through the windows). We are so proud of you Julia! You are such a big girl!

Snow!!!

About a week before Christmas we started getting snow. Since that time up until last Monday it seems like it has been snowing every day straight. The snow has really piled up-- at least 2 feet deep at its highest point (this was about a week ago). Luckily the roads have stayed pretty well plowed and we have been able to get around fine, although Joshua has not been able to ride his bike to work on the really bad days. These last couple of days have been a little warmer and a lot of the snow has melted already, but from what we have heard from the locals the snow lasts through March, so we should be expecting some more soon.

On New Year's day we were able to all go outside and make a snowman. Ethan had a hard time staying on his feet and needed help getting up every time he fell (I think the three pairs of pants I put on him contributed to his immobility). Julia kept on telling Joshua that she thought the snowman was big enough. But, I think we all had a fun time.

The finished product! It stayed up for about two weeks and then one day we saw it laying on its side. We saw tracks leading up to it and away from it and so we have our suspicions as to what happened; our only question is who the culprits could be, because only adults live in our complex.

One of the worst days so far. There were probably 18-24 inches accumulation overnight. This was Sunday morning and unfortunately they don't plow the roads on Sunday. We had someone to pick up on the way to church and so our 15 minute route ended up taking over 45 minutes.

Mr. Snowman looked pretty funny with all of the extra snow on him.

CHRISTMAS

We spent Christmas and New Year's celebrations here in New York. We missed seeing family, but enjoyed our time together. On Christmas Eve, we continued the tradition of acting out Christ's birth, along with eating a picnic "Jerusalem Dinner" consisting of fish, pita bread and grape juice around the stable we made from our dining table. Julia was Mary, Ethan was Joseph, with Joshua as the donkey; much of the time was spent in "traveling" to Bethlehem--i.e. wandering around the house until the donkey's back almost broke. I got to narrate and do all the other parts partnering with select stuffed animals.

Mary, Joseph, and the donkey taking a break at the stable

On Christmas day we talked to family on Skype, participated the the Swift family talent show, had some friends over for Christmas dinner, and enjoyed some delightful free time while kids played with their new toys. We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for sending Jesus Christ to the earth to save us. What a joy it is to celebrate His birth and the peace and hope His life and mission and atonement give to us!

December

We've been able to do a lot of fun things in December to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and enjoy the festivities of the season! Julia and Ethan have really enjoyed wearing their Christmas clothes (thanks Grandma Little!) to Church and any other opportunity they can think of.

Julia loves wearing fancy dresses; she especially loves when they "twirl" with her as she practices her ballet moves.

This is Ethan's "I don't approve" look he gives us sometimes

On the way back from the temple the other weekend we stopped at this village that holds an annual Dickens Christmas festival, and it was a riot! You can see some of the people dressed up as characters from "A Christmas Carol" singing carols here. It was and has been really cold, so we couldn't stay too long, but it was fun to see the town decorated for the event and crowds of people enjoying it.

Julia talking on the phone with grandparents. We are staying here for Christmas this year and are sad not to be able to see our families; however, it has been fun starting some of our own traditions .

Some sweets of the season Joshua concocted to give out to friends and neighbors

Julia (trying to make a smiley face) and me before we headed out to see the Nutcracker ballet yesterday afternoon. It was a fun mother-daughter bonding time, and I was impressed at how long Julia was able to sit still for the performance (much longer than Sacrament meeting at Church!).

Thanksgiving!

We've had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Best of all, Joshua was home for four and a half days in a row. We invited someone over for Thanksgiving dinner, but he ended up cancelling; no problem, more food for us! We also went Black Friday shopping, although we didn't end up purchasing too many things--maybe we're just attracted to the sport of the day. Then yesterday, we started a new tradition and went to a Christmas tree farm to pick out our own first fresh tree. It was freezing! We got to drive up to the tree lots in a tractor-pulled wagon, then rushed out and cut our tree (one of the first we saw), and then waited to be picked up again by the wagon. It's a big, fat Blue Spruce, which, as it turns out, are very pokey when you decorate them. But we love the Christmas atmosphere it brings to our home and it smells great.

This is it!

Well, maybe next year...We'll post a picture of ours when it's completed.

Julia's Birthday!

A couple of weekends ago, we got to celebrate Julia's third birthday! I can't believe she's growing up so quickly. She ordered hot dogs for her birthday dinner and cupcakes for her cake, so we really lived it up. We made her wait until evening when Joshua was home for her to open gifts, and I was impressed how patient she was. She loved all her presents, and kept saying "thank you" to the giver (even if he/she wasn't there). We are both so grateful to have had our beautiful Julia in our lives for three years--she brings us joy and laughter daily. We love you Julia!!!

Waiting to open gifts...

An excited Julia showing off her spoils: among them were dresses, ballerina gear and accessories, tickets to The Nutcracker Ballet, a family movie, a princess nightlight, and an apron I clumsily made for her.

Blowing out her candles--no, she didn't eat all those cupcakes; I think she barely got through the frosting on one.