New Year's!

We were excited to ring in 2015 with a few families in the ward again. The kids run around, play video games, etc. The adult chat and catch up. We usually stay up late...you know, 9pm?? Crazy! I was apparently having a good time, because I only got one picture. Alec and one of his buddies, Cutler.

New Year's Day we drove up early to Mt Charleston with the Lorenzen's for some sledding! The tricky part is, there's not much parking, so if you don't go early enough you'll be stuck in a long line of traffic! Not fun! So, we decided to sled first, then eat brunch after.

The boys and Aubrey had a blast going up and down with us. 

Evy was good for about a half hour, then the cold set in.

(sigh) My desert babies...

Christmastime 2014

Paul's company Christmas party had a photo prop center, so we went red carpet!

My official cookie helpers (read: eaters)

A Christmas princess party at Toys R Us with the mini-cast of 'Frozen',

that resulted in a free Little Mermaid piggy bank for sweet Evy

Our ward Christmas party dinner,

with a visit from Santa

Carolling with friends

A Jingle-themed 5K (that was, in fact, 4 miles!)

Lazily watching Christmas specials with friends

And, finally, the big day!

The boys decided to go on kiva.org and donate to the same lady.

Alec's fist piano recital! December 2014

We were super excited for Alec's first piano recital! He had asked for lessons for over a year and when he turned seven we decided to try it out. 

Sister Stephens prefers to wait until children are eight, but agreed to let him try for a month. After his second lesson she assured me he would be fine and she would teach him. Having taught kindergarten for 14 years, she's incredibly kind and patient. Absolutely perfect for Alec! He practices daily and looks forward to the fruit snacks she proffers weekly as a reward for practice. It's wonderful to watch him blossom with confidence at his new skill.

The only embarrassing moment was when James (from our seat in the front row) proclaimed, "this is taking forever! How much longer do we have to sit here??" Granted, it was over an hour, but I felt awful for the poor girl who was about to perform!

Playdates at the Park! December 2014

One of the biggest benefits of living in the desert is that most of the year we can play outdoors! True, a few months in the summer are HOT, but we can still swim then.

In December, the leaves are falling and it looks like autumn. The kids love this!

We babysit swap with another family that also has a part-time working mom. So, on Tuesdays we take Broyden (5) and Channing (2). On Thursdays their mom takes James and Evy for me. We do regular playdates with Tessie and Aubrey, so the kids are always having a good time

Despite the fact that Evy has two perfectly cuddly dogs at home, her loyalty lies with Tessie's lab, Molly.

Always worn out after a long morning of play, Broyden and James trudge to the car.

The Deans passed through town one day, so we got a quick park playdate with them.

Back in Vegas November 2014

We headed back to Vegas in time to see my sisters who were both out visiting from Utah with their families. They were celebrating Kaelyn's third birthday (super late) and she's super into ponies at the moment. So, they got to do pony rides and visit with their cousins.

James's anxiety flared up and he wanted his Nana with him during his ride.

Making funny faces with cousins.

Evelyn adores Ally. Every baby she sees now is 'baby Ally'. Boy or girl.

Back at home, we followed our tradition of decorating for Christmas the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

It's taken us two years, but the Grinch is ready! Minimalist decor at its best.

Paul drew him and painted him. A friend cut him out for us. Now to get Max the dog painted...