Dog Days of Winter

So even though we have lived here in Montana for more than 2 years now, this is officially our first full-on winter here. Our first winter we escaped for 10 days to the warm sun blissed beaches of Hawaii and upon our return we didn't notice winter too much because we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of little Noah the moah. Last year obviously we escaped like a couple of bandits for 3 months of summer in New Zealand. So, here we are trying to survive the Cabin Fever that seems to be afflicting most of our friends and neighbors. It is funny because yesterday (Tues) when I got in the car to take Sophie to preschool I realized we hadn't even been in the car since last Thursday! And we have been having lots of fun! I have made a sort of truce with the house. It is allowed to get as messed up as it wants during the day, but before bedtime we have to do a clean sweep and go to bed with it looking as it should (this gives me peace of mind as you well know!)And I will tell you, for not actually leaving the house - we are sooo busy!! It reminds me of the early baby days when it is hard to find the time to brush your teeth! Sophie thankfully got one million craft projects for Christmas and her Birthday so we are always making something, even before breakfast sometimes...the hardest part is keeping Noah from cutting his hair with the scissors, throwing the project across the room and making sure Diego doesn't eat it or the children. It is exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time.

We are also eternally grateful for our new dog who keeps things interesting all of the time, and the most super cool invention - our ice skating rink that we have out front! The kids love it and I love it because we don't have to go very far so when the going gets too cold...we just come on back in the good ole house! (Is this the most optimistic post about the bleak winter or what?! - Who am I kidding, I can't wait for spring!!!)

Sophie Turns Four

On January 2nd, 2009 Sophie had a very big day - she turned 4!!! She is so proud to be 4. She tells everyone she meets. On her birthday she woke up, burst out of her room and said "I'm four!" and jumped up and down, super happy at this prospect of being that much more of a big girl. All day long she was very grown up, answering phone calls from her family and understanding that they were calling to wish her a happy birthday. It was cool for Matthew and I too because she understood so much more this year.
They always tell you that time goes by fast with kids....and it is of course true. We try to take it all in on a daily basis and savor all these precious moments with our children. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't get butterflies in my stomach thinking about how blessed we are to have our two amazing angels. That said, even with stopping to smell the flowers every day, so much happens each day that it all moves on so fast. I am happy to have started this blog because it definitely gives me the chance to at least put some of it down in writing!
Sophie grows so much every day. One day in this past year I looked at her and realized she is no longer a toddler, but a little girl. And she is a busy little girl. There is always something going on when Sophie is around. The highlight of her last year would have to be her trip to New Zealand. She developed a close relationship with her Nana and Poppa and that right there is priceless. She also learned how to swim underwater, ride a bike with training wheels, started preschool, and found that life without her 'nani' is actually alright.
So on her actual birthday Matthew took the day off to celebrate with us - we went to Currents where we swam and played in the water. Sophie had a blast ducking under the water and jumping in off the side a hundred times. On our way home we made a special stop at McDonalds for lunch- Sophie thought it was the best day ever. The day after her birthday was her party. This year she went to Mismo gymnastics which was a great place for the kids. They ran around and played and then had the usual birthday fare of cake, ice cream and presents. She felt very happy and loved.

Sophie continues to love art - drawing, painting, cutting, and any craft thing she can think of. She is always busy with one project or another. She knows her alphabet and how to read and write most of the letters as well as knows what sound some of them make. She loves to have stories read to her and is interested in reading but not completely willing to take the job on just yet. She also loves music and singing and can learn the words to a song after hearing it only a couple of times. A few of her favorites to sing are: Ring of Fire and other Johnny Cash songs, Three Little Birds, Puff the Magic Dragon, Keith Urban songs, Christmas carols, Silent Night.

Upon turning 4 she has also started really caring a lot about her friends and family. She makes things for them, wants to call them and looks forward to seeing them.
Another 4 year old development is a new fear of the dark. This came on slowly but has developed into needing a flashlight in her room, lights on in the bathroom and a new 'twilight turtle' night light that projects all the stars onto her ceiling. This is apparently completely normal at this age, just strange to see it happen before your eyes.
As with pretty much any age, we are delighted to watch our little baby girl learn and grow, but always sad to see a little more of the baby days pass. Like I said, we are trying to take it all in on a daily basis.....but a lot happens!!!
This little photo show is something I have wanted to do for Sophie since her 1st birthday. I composed it only of photos from this past year to try and keep it short(ish) and sweet.

Christmas

This Christmas was the first Christmas we have spent with family in a couple of years. The past two years we have opted for a beach holiday in January instead of the big traditional family Christmas in Denver. Each year we have done this we thoroughly enjoy the vacation but miss the special closeness that comes with a big family Christmas. So this year we did it. We battled the crowds and the weather and made the flight to D town. It was perfect. The kids made Christmas cookies with Grandma, we did some holiday shopping, lots of holiday eating, visited with friends, played and relaxed. Kids make Christmas the best thing ever. The look on their faces Christmas morning is priceless and the excitement they have while playing with their cousin and being around so much love is simply awesome. We cherished every moment and I don't think we missed a thing! Here are a couple of highlights...

Talent contest

Have a laugh over this one.....really good blackmail material for Noah's 21st birthday!

Introduction

Well this may be the beginning of a family blog so that we can keep you updated on how the little munchkins are growing and all our little adventures. I am not making any promises on how often I will keep this up.....but I thought I would give it a go and give you the chance to see a little more of us!