The Christmas Miracle!

I got a good picture! These are my new favorite pictures of my girls. I love this first one. It is really hard to get a picture were everyone looks cute and I think the stars aligned with these pictures. And the Christmas miracle only gets better! These were taken AFTER church. I didn't have time before church because of course we were running late like always on Sunday......ok most days really. So I instructed the girls NOT to take off their clothes when we got home and let me just snap a few shots of them. About 30 seconds before this I was about to give up and send everyone to their rooms because they were all pushing and fighting and NOT cooperating, and then......WALA!

Thank you for the gorgeous Christmas outfits mom. So many people kept asking me where I got those beautiful skirts. Someone even asked me if I made them.....I was tempted for a second to just go with it and then decided to tell the truth.

So since I am not sending out Chiristmas cards this year (look it just isn't happening). Here is our Christmas photo and here is a little about what we have been up to this year.

We have had a very changing year this year. We finally bought our first home in July which was probably the biggest event this year. We have had so much fun settling in and every other day Dustin and I just look at each other and say how much we love our home.

Maddy turned nine and started the fourth grade. She has been growing and changing it seems right before our eyes. She got on her first phase of orthodontics to fix her over bite and it has been miraculous to watch her mouth take on a different shape over this year. She is eagerly awaiting next year when she gets the implement out! She has been very busy with her new found love of acting, singing, and dancing and it has been fun to watch her in her various performances.

Josey turned seven this year and started second grade. She is definitely my social butterfly and has friends everywhere, especially boys, which terrifies daddy. She contiues to be such a sensitive, tender-hearted sweetheart. We have noticed her uncanny knack at finding animals...especially the creepy crawly kind that she loves. She told me that she wants to be an entomologist, a singer, or a store manager when she grows up. She started piano lessons and dance lessons this year and found out that she is in love with the piano.....not so much with the dance.

Lilly turned three this year and is still hanging out with mom all day. The terrible two's gave way to the terrible three's unfortunately but I am watching her grow a lot and we have had a lot more good days than we did last year so that is something to feel good about! She loves to sing and make up songs. She loves to have her picture taken and we have found that she may be a budding model with her repertoire of poses. We decided to try dance class this year instead of preschool....but it wasn't much of a success. She is a total mamas girl and loves to be connected to me at all times. Whenever I leave we have to find a replacement "mama" for her and she does pretty well.

Dustin turned....jk. He is doing very well at his job and we are so incredibly grateful that we have found a firm that seems to be such a good fit for him. For the most part he is enjoying what he does and the people he works with. He went on his first wilderness adventure with his brother over the summer and tried to survive out in the woods. They had a lot of fun but....came home a day early! Next year I think they will be better equipped. He has been enjoying learning his way around our new house and even reseeded our front lawn succesfully!

I have had such a great year with my family. I was able to stop working about half way through the year which couldn't have come at a better time. I found out I was expecting and was absolutely thrilled. It has been a tough last half of the year trying to move and get settled in and start school and endure through a pregnancy. I am feeling much older this time around unfortunately, being thouroughly exhausted at all times. We are SO excited to meet our new little daughter come next February.

We feel so blessed this year. Sometimes I can't believe how much he has blessed my life and the life of my family, especially this year and am so thankful to Him. We are so thankful to have this time to be reminded of our Saviors birth. We hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas.