Life Lately

Considering I have been gone awhile, I thought I would share a little bit about how we have been keeping busy...grab a coffee, this is picture overload!

First off, Jaxon got his braces off! I have had a lot of questions about him having braces this young. He got them on when he was 8. He had some teeth come in funny which caused him to have a cross bite. This could easily cause him to fracture his permanent teeth, which would then result in the tooth dying and needing a tooth implant. He had braces for only 15 months. Will he need them again? We can't say for certain, however, he now has a permanent retainer on the bottom and a removable one he needs to wear on the top. He still has quite a few teeth to lose so it depends on how they come in. 

Jaxon has been busy with basketball. I never seem to get pictures of him playing as chasing around Ella has me busy enough. I am SO thankful that Jace keeps himself entertained during games. Jace LOVES jaguars and so he had to take a picture on this one at one of the local schools :)

Auntie Beth, being the amazing auntie she is, came up for a game. We don't have any family close by and so it means the world to Jaxon that she came up!

 

One of their favorite things to do is snuggle up in our bed and watch shows together. 

 We were in holiday program season! Both the boys had programs this fall/winter and did a great job! Our school does each grade level separate so Jaxon had a Thanksgiving/Veteran's Day program and Jace had a holiday program.

 A BIG moment around here was that Ella and her cousin, Scarlett, got their ears pierced! Scarlett was first...

 Ella was next...

This was as sad as we got and NO TEARS! She is so happy to have 'pretty's' in her ears. I know some worry that it may be too traumatic. Ella did great and I doubt she will ever remember the experience. Scarlett had a tougher time but literally forgot about it after 15 minutes and hasn't looked back! Raising kids to be resilient :)

 Two super happy girls!

 Thankful my kids love to play board games (because I do, too)!

 Jace has also been interested in helping Dan with anything building/fixing related. This really isn't surprising to me but I do love seeing all his interests!

 I brought Jace and a friend to a Bison game. They loved the snacks!!!

We decorated our tree. We always do this as a family. As much as I would love to have a perfectly, beautifully decorated tree, we let the kids decorate. As they have gotten older they really love to look at all the ornaments they have made or been given. So, they decorate the tree and it is just as beautiful to me!

 

I was able to sneak into Jace's classroom right before Thanksgiving to take part of their Thanksgiving feast. I love seeing my kids in their school environment!

 Love these kiddos!

Time with family is always the best!! Jace and Scarlett are best buds. Ella tries to complete the trio but I think they would prefer if she did something else :)

Dan and Sutton suggling on Thanksgiving

These cousins went sledding behind the 4 wheeler!

Little kid table...

Big kid table..

My girl and I on a Saturday morning!

Dan's cousin came up for a concert and so we met her at her hotel to go swimming. All my kids just love the water!

Auntie was in town for a baby shower so we met her at the mall to do a little shopping and grab some supper. Although she was kid-free, it didn't feel like it...HA!

We went to the Candy Cane Carnival in Fargo. It was a really fun time. There were so many activities for the kids. We will definitely be going back! Here are a few of the highlights!

She decided to draw on her face....oh well, it kept her busy!

And she met some princesses. She isn't really into them yet, but she was still shy and nervous :) 

Even though we already made quite a few sugar cookies, the boys really wanted to make some more. We spent one Sunday making their own batch!

And this is a little bit of our Life Lately :)