Most of December

December was a crazy month of course!

Scarlett being Scarlett!

Scarlett fell asleep at the counter. I got to enjoy some snuggle time with Payton and Mckinley!

We got our tree at Costco again. The kids were so excited to get it up and decorated!

Mckinley bugging Payton like always.

My dad came and stayed with us for a week while he did a little work in Sacramento. We loved having him here. Mckinley had to warm up to him but she did after a while. She always does better in her own environment. 

We went and visited Great Grandma Tani while my dad was here. Ann my dad's cousin (my grandma lives with her) had planned to let the kids decorate ginger bread cookies. 

The kids loved it. Ann is so great and wonderful. We just love her and her family! 

The kids got to open their Christmas gifts from great grandma Tani early. We loved visiting grandma. 

Grandma Tani with Matt, Jeff and my dad. Jeff is married to Ann and Matt is their son. These three men are a big part of my grandma's life. 

I love this picture of my dad with his mom! Some day many years from now this will be Me and Payton.

There is usually one day of the week that both girls crash in the car while getting Payton from school. 

Uncle Josh came to visit and brought a cooler of snow with him for the kids to play with. They loved it!!!

They loved making snow balls and throwing them at each other. Thanks Uncle Josh for the awesome gift!

On my dads last night visiting he and Josh went to the coast and bought some fresh crab off a fishing boat. This is family tradition that we like to try and do every year or so. The kids like to see the live crab crawling around, but they don't care to eat it. 

Mckinley a little unsure about the crab.

After having the iPad screen cracked so bad we were ready for it to be fixed. We didn't want to pay a ton so my very smart brother Josh looked it up online and learned how he couldn't replace the screen for us. He did this with no problem and it only cost $25. I sure have one amazing brother!

The kids loved playing with Josh. We had family home evening on Monday and the kids insisted on acting out the live nativity. So we did this and they loved it. Brother Josh and Joseph and Mckinley was Mary. Payton was a shepherd. (the kids choose who everyone was)

Scarlett was the angel and I was the wiremen. Josh was the narrator. It was a fun activity!

Mckinley loves chocolate chips and always finds them in the cupboard and pulls them out. She is goofy and will eat them off the floor. I had to take a picture of our beautiful christmas tree. I sure do love the smell of christmas trees. 

Scarlett is constantly getting hurt and every time she does its a huge dramatic production that can go on for hours even into days. With this particular injure Payton and Scarlett were playing with the jump rope and Scarlett got hit in the mouth with it. Her lip was swollen for a couple days.

We enjoyed come sugar cookie decorating!

We were even able to find sometime to go with our friends to see the Oakland temple lights. 

Scarlett was grumpy cause she was cold and didn't want to walk. Her moods can really be draining.

We love to see the temple likes at christmas time every year. I am so glad we have made this a tradition with great friends. 

Just sitting on the temple grounds.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were crazy busy and lots of fun. We loved having family in town and we loved doing our traditions. December was a great month and went by too fast!

Photo Shoot

I love to try and get a family picture done at least once a year. I love pictures especially of my amazingly cute family! My good friend Melanie Toutai was very willing to take ours again. She always does such an amazing job!

First mistake was planning it too late into the winter. It was completely freezing that mid morning we went. I tried my best to dress us all warm, but it wasn't enough! We were all freezing! Mckinley wasn't happy and wouldn't smile.

Payton is growing like crazy! We just adore him and the big boy that he is becoming. He is 6 now and is in the 1st grade. He loves school. He loves playing soccer, kickball, and basketball at recess with his friends. His readying and writing is improving all the time. He adores his sisters but would love a little brother one day. We keep telling him we can't promise anything and it will probably still be a while before we have another baby. 

Scarlett, Scarlett, Scarlett what can I say about this girl!!! She is  gorgeous of course. In Josh's words, "she is very sweet and caring, She likes to make other people happy, she's very smart, a fast learner and can be very helpful. All apply only when she is in a good mood though of course." Scarlett is a joy to have in our family. She will be 4 in March but you would think she is 5. She can doing anything she puts her mind to. She wishes she went to school. This will be her first year starting tee ball in a few months which she is very excited about.

Mckinley is the baby in the family. I am not ready for her to become a toddler. It's easy for me to think she's a baby because she is such a peanut. She turns 18 months in December. She is into anything and everything. She is a great eater and adores her older siblings. She is VERY attached to me and isn't very friendly to others. I wish this would change, but I am sure it will soon enough. We adore Mckinley and her cute little voice that she is learning to use daily.

"Freezing"

We could NOT get Mckinley to even sit with Payton and Scarlett. Not even to get one picture of the 3 of them. Mel snapped this one of these two and I just love it! Their smiles crack me up.

I can't believe Josh and I have been married for 10 years now. I can't say it's been the easiest 10 years of my life, but I can say I love having Josh at my side through it all. I just love this man and love the idea that we will be together forever. When we sit and reflect back on our life together so far we just can't believe how fast it has gone by. We look at our 3 kids and can't believe they are all ours. They bring SO much into our lives! 

Looking at this picture tugs at my heart strings. I am thankful everyday for these 4 amazing people in my life. I am extremely blessed! I love my family and the crazy times we have together.

Thanksgiving 2013

This year we spent thanksgiving break half in Hollister and half at home. We were able to be with lots of members of Josh's family.

Thomas and Mckinley are 6 months apart. He always wants to just hug her and she doesn't always love it. 

We played lots of sports as a family. 

The kids loved being able to be out there and play with us adults. 

I think having such a large family is awesome because you always have enough people for two teams.

I personally don't love flag football, so I sat on the side lines with mom and the babies. Mckinley also wanted nothing to do with anyone but me or Josh. I fell bad not letting Josh play so I am willing to pass. 

Thanksgiving dinner coming together!

I am always the one taking pictures so I try and capture me once and a while.

The food is ready and everyone was hungry to eat!

Thomas and Mckinley waiting for their food

Payton, Maddie, Ella, Olivia, Carter and Jaydn enjoying their food!

Camden sitting with the babies. He's such a great cousin. He loves the babies!

Another fun day out on the fields playing more flag football, ultimate frisbee, and soccer. The weather was amazing!

Friday night we headed back up to our house and did our Saturday traditions. We took the kids to the Bass Pro Shop and Saw Santa!

Grandma and Grandpa Robertson/Ella and Scarlett

Cute cousins!

The best picture we could get to document us being there as a family.

Dad, Kevin, Michael, Brady, Sean and Josh, silly brothers and dad!

Enjoying the giant fish tank

Sitting in line wait to see santa. Thomas and Mckinley playing in the books!

By Sunday late afternoon the family was all gone and the kids were worn out! The passed out on the couch. Payton all snuggled up!

Mckinley crashed on my lap.

Scarlett fought the urge of sleep and just snuggled with me. 

We each had a wonderful time. We loved playing games, shopping, eating, talking and just being family! It's a blessing that we all love each other so much and love being together.