finally

All I have wanted to do all Winter is take Nora sledding. I thought we lived in Utah where it snowed but I guess not. We finally got enough snow on Sunday that I had to take advantage before we headed to church. I put Nora in all her gear and we went and did some sledding down the driveway! Thank goodness for a steep grade.

She loved it. That is, until she didn't any more, which was only about 20 minutes in.

Thanks for stopping by at last Winter.

birthday boy.

My guy turns 29 today. He said he's already going through his midlife crisis. Only has one year left in his 20's. We always joke about how you know you're old when all the players on the Jazz are younger than you. I personally, just think he gets better looking with age.

I'm not sure how I got so lucky to get to call this dimple faced boy mine.

By no means is our life perfect, but we have been truly blessed in a lot of ways.

Too many to list here.

I'm just grateful to have married such a hard-working, determined man.

He's truly everything I'm not.

 He's grounded, I'm flighty. He's calm in stressful times, where I'm totally anxiety ridden. Sometimes I wonder how we are even able to get along because of what opposites we are, but somehow it just works.

I've learned throughout our almost 6 years of marriage that I'm not as an affectionate person as I thought I was. Maybe it's time, or maybe it's my personality. It's something I'm continually working on. All I know, is I don't want a day to go by where he doesn't feel my love and appreciation for him.

I joked with him the other night that I didn't know how I'd be able to live with him for another 30 years. The truth is, I'm grateful for every day with him. I know our life is just beginning together. I can't wait to grow our family more, to see how their lives form, to grow old together.

Tonight we're dropping Nora off at my sister's and heading to Park City. Good food, time together and snowboarding. Can't wait to spend a day together with just the two of us.

I love you.

I love you way more than I tell you or show you.

And I don't expect you to know how much because I promise I'm going to make it more apparant every day.

Being someone's first love may be great,

but to be their last is beyond perfect. ♥

Highlights

Some of the things I don't want to forget about Christmas this year.

How excited Nora got every time she saw Santa Claus.

I thought she'd be too young still to understand it but she really embraced him and was never scared around him.

The reaction from Grandma Graham when she opened the Grandchildren's gift to them.

Was so touching that something so small could mean so much to them.

It was very, very humbling.

I look forward to each Christmas when we can get a shot with them. They're such wonderful people and I want to be sure we have photographs to look back on.

 Nora's first train ride on Trax.

She was so excited to ride on the choo choo and sat like a big girl on her seat most the time.

 Seeing the lights in Temple Square. Nora wasn't too fond.

I don't blame her.

Just the sheer excitement over things we would do. Frost a cookie, open a present, find the Elf each morning.

Having a kid really helps bring the magic back to Christmas.

 After a jam packed exhausting Christmas Eve day, just being able to sit down with Darin and talk. Setting up everything just so and being so excited to see her face the next morning.

How she would open a present, take a quick look and then hold up a finger and say "One more!".

She had the unwrapping down pat.

 The moment we opened her new pink shoes she had to have her jammies off so she could try them out.

 Same with the dress my Grandma got her.

The joy of the mess.

Will try better next year to let the mess linger a little longer.

It really is kind of a beautiful sight.

As much as I wanted to get the mess cleaned up and the Christmas put away, I was a little bit depressed boxing it all up. Nora couldn't understand why we were putting the Christmas tree away and where her Elf went. We did so many fun things each day revolving around Christmas, and now we've got nothin'. :)

It could at least snow. It is Winter after all.

One of my favorite parts about the Season is the Christmas Break that Darin gets off of work. From Christmas Eve to the day after New Years. We get to sit around the house together, watch movies, complete projects and just be together as a family. It's refreshing.

Excited for the New Year and all the possibilities it brings.



Christmas Stuff

We had the elf come to our house for the first time this year. We've just been calling him Elf because I felt bad naming him, and Nora doesn't understand that concept yet. She loves finding him each morning and calls him Sneaky Elf.

 He brought her a new Christmas dress to wear for all our special occasions. I literally have to hide it because she wants to wear it every single day.

She adores Santa and was so excited to see him at our ward Christmas party. She waited patiently in her seat and watched him visit all the other kids until he got to us. I wasn't sure if she'd love him as much in real life but she did. Darin said he could tell she was nervous because her little heart was beating so fast.

But she took her candy cane and even sat on his lap for a picture.

I can't believe how fast December has gone. Christmas is only a week and a half away. I can't wait to see her sweet little face on Christmas morning.

What ways do you help your young children understand the true meaning of Christmas? How do you incorporate Christ into your Holidays?

Not much to say.....

Just wanted to share these pictures from the first snow we had back on November 5. It was the first time Nora had seen snow since last year which I'm sure she didn't remember. It's so fun seeing the wonder in your child's eyes as they discover something new. As soon as she saw it she yelled "COAT ON". She just had to go outide and discover it for herself.

Then she touched it.

We weren't outside for long after that.

Mom, I'm cold and a little bored. Can we head inside now?