And Just Like That...

The end of January arrived with big changes in store for our family.

I was cooking dinner one night to turn and see this sight.  I just thought it was so cute.  It's a lot of photos, and they are poorly lit, and the color is off, but the moment is still cute and now preserved.

I love the perfectly held pencil, the intent gaze at the paper, and the obviously necessary pink boots.  Too much cuteness to handle!

This though, not so cute.  Add getting into my lipstick as one of the many stereotypical two year old things Nora does.  She really does do all the things you hear toddlers do.  Killing me.

I guess I wanted to take a lot of photos of Nora at the end of this month.  Mostly, she was turning 18 months old, she is willing to sit for me, and it was a way to sort of keep track of her while I tried to keep the house clean for showings.  Oh yes, mid January we officially went "on the market" with our house.  We quickly went under contract.  We found out we had some bad pipes and lost a couple contracts because of it.  We closed on the house April 7th.  A month after being in our new house in Utah.  But, back to Nora...

And then after these cute photos I got the color a little more right.

I can't believe she is getting so big.  But then...I turn my back for one second and what do I find?  Nora in the makeup again.

Before we moved I needed to document that Isaac got his first library card.  He was so pleased.  He loved checking out books.  I hope he also loves to read them.  He is getting so big and so smart.  I'm excited to see what his kid grows into.

Middle of January Happenings

I love kids playing in snow!  I just super hate getting everyone ready to go.  I guess part of the time the boys would get themselves ready so that was an improvement.  Nora would have stayed out forever if I'd let her.  I get too cold to stay out there though.  Sorry Nora!

I love when Jacob brings home flowers.  These were some really pretty roses.

And I just think Nora is cute.  She loved to get her winter stuff on and try and go outside every time the boys went.  Sorry little sister.  I just didn't want to go out with you every time.

She also learned how to cheese for the camera.

Jacob made a sledding hill for the boys.  We all loved that.

This bench is one of Nora's favorite places to sit .  And the light was always just right in our Fort Collins house.  Especially in the afternoon as she would drink her milk and settle in for a post nap snuggle with her stuffed animals.  She LOVES her stuffed animals.

And Ben.  He is such a character.  His face is so expressive.  

This kids love being by each other and in each other's business all the time.

I was trying out my new backdrop stand and Isaac was the only semi willing participant.  I think his hair and eyes are too adorable.  Such handsome boys I have.

A New Year Begins

Now that we have officially been in Utah for two months I'm trying to get all caught up blogging.  It's going to take a while I think.

We rang in the New Year in our usual fashion but this time we were lucky to have my sister Shannon and her family visiting and we also had the Van Shaar family over for games.  It was a really fun night.  We started with a little dinner warm up with Shannon and family and then had our traditional Brunson New Years Eve dance party.  Super fun with our Gross cousins in on the dance festivities.

Later we brought out the traditional appetizers and shared those through the night.  My pictures are all out of order...so too bad.

These are just some fun ones of Nora because she can eat so well with her utensils.  It's cute.

Yeah for cousins.  These girls just love hanging with Nora so much!  And Nora loves them.

The boys also really like having their older cousin Jeremiah to play with.  Or snuggle on the princess couch...whatever.

Hannah and Nora had matching PJs.  Adorable.

And then a few days later it was cleaning time and who can resist the chance to vacuum?  Not Nora.

But mostly I just think she's so cute in this outfit that I had to pause and take pictures.  Especially when she is "reading."  I love toddlers exploring books.

The many faces of Ben.  Or at least the few he'd let me capture on camera.  The boys are less willing subjects for sure.

And one of Isaac with his very "unnatural" smile.  So funny.

Back to New Years day and church with cousins.  Katie with her mouth open smile is so cute to me too.  When did these girls get so big?

Happy New Year....way way late!  I've been trying to work on my New Years resolution of "parenting with perspective."  I'm trying to see my children's potential and to view them the way God does.  So often I get stuck in thinking they are ALWAYS going to have these very normal, child appropriate, but difficult behaviors.  And so I try and correct and correct and correct when really I probably just need to remember they will grow out of half of the things they do and that it doesn't define their potential.  They won't be hoodlums just because I can't get them to listen all the time right now.  They are just little.  And that's okay.

I hope I can keep working hard on that resolution and remind myself of it often.