I like these warmer days

Finding every last snack in my bag while we wait for Mark to come to the rescue...I was checking out with a cart full of groceries and no wallet to be found. I bet I've done that at least 3 times before.

I love it when we have no plans on a Friday night, so we took a long bike/scooter/skate to the park and played a while. I love this family of mine more than I could express.

Went to Grandma Sandy's book club to help her present her "If I Had a Pig In My Pocket" book. The woman's house who was hosting made me feel like I would have been on an episode of Barefoot Contessa. The presentation was as amazing as the food!

I have fond memories of drinking juice out of little fancy cups at my Grandma Fetzers house. I went to the DI and found some small mismatching glasses, the girls love them just as I did :)

This, is a big deal. Do you see it?!

No crib (gasp!). 

The first time its has gone into storage since first assembled in 2008! Ruby is loving her big girl bed!

I really miss these faces. Really miss them.

Sunday morning craziness.

Proof that I actually saw my Dad and Swendy in real life! We went out to dinner last week.

 It was great to see them. 

A few Sundays ago our lesson was about adversity. I made this pic the wallpaper on my phone. I need the reminder every day and am so thankful for it!

The last couple weeks it has been like red flags in my life that our time on earth is short....even if you live to enjoy the later years of life. With my friend Sedra's passing, my sis in law's mom Lynne, Mark's cousins baby, and Grandmother Thackeray all passing, in addition to friends having miscarriages, sudden surgeries, cancer in my young cousin who is a wife a mom to a toddler...how I want to use my time well. At the end of most days I get frustrated at my brains capacities, my forgetfulness and faults. But as I pray and make a decision to start anew with the next choice that comes my way, there is hope.

Visiting Grandpa John who had a knee replacement. Ruby and Jane enjoyed soaking in their big tub!

Our "beans" is 3. I don't love any of my girls more than another, but Ruby's physical body and life is especially precious to us. 

Enjoyed amazing pizza on the grill by Mark for birthday dinner. 

Somewhere

I figure its better to put something on here than nothing. Its just been so long that I haven't been motivated to organize pictures, etc. But now its just been too long, so  mish mash post this will be.

Girls trip to St George last November

Thanksgiving!

Christmas time!

Me and my siblings :)

Jane had a birthday!

Dear Grandmother Thackeray. She passed away earlier this month. She was 98, lived alone, had a been a widow for 20 years, had a hard time hearing but her mind was as sharp as ever. One of the last emails I received from her: "Thank you Ali for your kind words.  I need all of those I can get.  I'm not always sure I deserve them, but I'll take them any time."

 She was a no nonsense, but sensitive and aware type of woman. And I never felt judged by her. Her life experience was priceless and I loved chatting with her and getting to know her better these last few months and years. I'm grateful that she loved writing and left ample history and details of her life. I'm able to draw from her experiences to help my own situation. For example, in her first 10 years of marriage, she and her husband spent 5 of those apart between him serving in WWII and schooling. It helps me count my blessings. Her funeral was made beautiful by those who spoke and shared music.

These girls always love a picnic

Christmas time fun with our California cousins!

Yes, yes I do think my daughter is the best of all

That is me struggling. Sometimes I wish I had some manual labor to do out on a farm, but mostly I'm glad I can go to the grocery store and the gym instead.

fun at Red Balloon :)

This picture=happy. I love seeing my kids outside. 

She's getting so good on her Strider bike!

Siri and Jane have both improved so much at skiing this year! Siri has her 4th loose tooth and her smile is looking as typical of a 7 year old as it gets. She loves to play school and do art stuffs. Jane loves to go play and run around the church gym and have books about princesses read to her.

We got to go to St.George twice in January! Thank you Papa Milt and Grandma Sandy!

One of the trips Liz and I went down with the kids. While she was at the house, I went for a solo road bike ride. I went to reach into my pack, a silly mistake and just got to close to the edge of the path. Skidded along the asphalt. It has taken my finger 2 weeks to recover. It was a small gash, but so painful. Cracked my helmet and a little road rash, a sore hip joint for a few days but was otherwise ok.

 Last the best of all the game...
Miss Ruby. Our little gem is doing well. Bottom right pic is January 2015, bottom left January 2016. I've had to reschedule a routine MRI twice, so we are  looking forward to clear scans at her appt in March. She loves to play doggie, eat candy, and ride her bike. She likes to sing "this is my fight song..." and "let it go" in her crib. (yes, she's still in a crib. a big girl bed is on her birthday list!) She tells us "I don suck my fumb cuz den da dentist be sad". Which I then remind her that she, her teeth, and I will also be sad if she sucks her thumb. I spy on her in the video monitor sometimes as she goes to sleep...she still sucks her thumb.

I got to go skiing with my most best college friend and ski companion, Emily. It was an amazing day at Snowbasin.

And this just because.

Overlap

Sometimes when you're close to family, its like you could have the same blog post. 

Like THIS ONE from Liz :)

Christmas Card 2015

I love sending Christmas cards. Lots of real life obstacles got in the way this year, but on Dec 20 I told Mark we should hurry and order one from Costco. I spent an hour going through our photos and gave a few to Mark to design a card with. He was less than impressed and I told him I couldn't find any of the ones taken with his real camera. This image was one of the first we found and made the cut. Then we spent half and hour trying to think of what we wanted to say. It was late and we were laughing and laughing as Mark typed Merry Christmas with a million exclamation points. And that also made the cut. Although I wish we could have ordered more and mailed them all out, I'm glad we did something. It's been a beautiful December and I'm thankful to be happy and healthy.

Pet rocks rock

Jane's first day of preschool a couple weeks ago. 

She loves having her 'own thing'.  

She got a rock from soccer practice. Then came home and said she needed a 'spinach box'. She picked a bunch of grass, put it and the rock inside, and said it was her pet. I praised her idea telling her I love pets that you don't have to worry about feeding and that don't poop.

"Bike Rodeo" day at school. 

I wish we biked Siri to school more often! 

...I just remembered I need to change her flat tire :(

She is still in monkey bar phase. Every play ground, all the time. Monkey bars.

We enjoyed celebrating her birthday last week. She's in love with legos from the Grandmas. She has been asking all year for a real bow and arrow, which we got her. I just need to get some hay bales or bags of grass next time we mow to make a target.

Great Grandmother Thackeray. Took this pic of her on the girls when we visited her on her 98th birthday this past Monday!  I'm used to staying as long as the girls can stand (which is maybe 30 minutes), but this time I wish I could have stayed longer, just to chat and do little odds and ends for her around the house.

Right now I'm sitting at my computer, 9:45pm. I stink. Mark and I got to play indoor soccer tonight, the girls came to watch. I need to go shower so I can read some of my book, Boys in the Boat, before I get too tired.  I'm thankful I don't have to work to provide income. One day I hope I will because I want to, but now is not the season. I'm thankful to stay home, make granola, help in Siri's class, visit with the neighbor (which also means do dishes, laundry, etc...but I'm thankful for that too). I'm thankful for a husband who makes it a point to recognize when we don't have the Spirit between us as a family. He turned a very grumpy car ride home into a pleasant one by asking them about colors and numbers. He got a notebook and hat and pretended to be a detective to get them to really clean up their room. He made cookie dough with them and helped clean the kitchen. Life is good.