The Gigantic Recap of 70 Pictures

3 kids.

I can't even handle my life. Of course blogging doesn't happen during the busiest months of the year, so what follows is the fastest recap I can do of 70 pictures. (it's true. it took 20 mins to upload them).

We went up to Ogden one time to visit and swim in some natural hot springs. On the way back we saw some signs for the golden spike. Only 45 mins away. So I convinced mike to go. It took a lot of convincing, and a lot of "Golden Spike" chanting from me and the 2 older kids, but eventually we drove far west on a really straight road, for a really long time.

The kids enjoyed seeing the two huge trains and we watched the 30 min or so film about the history of the transcontinental railroad. Apparently, the actual golden spike is in some museum in the east, and not in the middle of nowhere utah, but I enjoyed seeing the kids reactions to the plaque for THE EXACT SPOT where the 2 railroads met and thus formed the transcontinental railroad. Ali humored me, and Mitchell had the same reaction mike did. And then we smashed some pennies (definitely needed souvenirs)  and then drove home.

2nd grade started for Mitchell. I may have started BAWLING when we met his teacher and she was super nice and the exact opposite of his 1st grade teacher.  No more fighting about going to school, and a lot less faking sick to get out of school. Life has been amazing.

He even made the honor roll. Good job on that persuasive essay about penguins. I'm really persuaded to love them now.

Dance class, year 2 also started. I love seeing her enjoy herself so much. And then she had her annual christmas recital where I also started crying. This is a new thing. Crying over everything. It's ridiculous, and I blame child #3.

And then #2 turned 5, finally, and was really disappointed she didn't get to attend kindergarten the following day. I'm also pretty disappointed she's not in kindergarten yet, but Audrey really loves having "Li-Li" around to humor her every whim and scratch her face. #babies.

It was Ali's year for a friend party. My Little Pony was the obvious choice. I stayed up way too late the night before making masks and tails for everyone. I told her she could invite 8 friends, and 5 came, which worked out perfectly because everyone was a different pony. She insisted on inviting Sister Hirschi as an actual guest, the primary music leader in our ward, and we were really happy Sister Hirschi humored us and participated in everything. Ali declared during the party "I'm so happy most of my best friend team is here!" And that's when we learned she was captain of her own best friend team, that you cannot quit, and you cannot wrestle. She allowed an exception for Mike - he can be part of her best friend team only occasionally, when she allows it, "by invitation only". 

 And Audrey is sitting, crawling, standing, standing alone, crawling up the stairs, and stopped falling down the stairs, eating real food, loving oreos, smiling, laughing, flashing those dimples, loving hanging out with Mitchell and Ali (and especially Baby Kate) and is generally just the best little baby ever.

First time I found her standing. She couldn't figure out how to sit down.

I'm not really sure what's happening in these pictures, but they're funny.

Mitchell's neighbor friend was sick, and when we were walking Mitchell home from school I heard a little "SISTER TAYLOR" so we stopped and chatted through the window. His sick day allowed him time to beat all of Mario Brothers, so he was excited. And then he had a long talk with Mitchell. 

And then, you know, Halloween. We painted the pumpkins we picked out at Macy's giant box of pumpkins. The kids were just as excited about that as an actual pumpkin patch, thankfully.

And costumes. Again, My Little Pony was the default choice. And Iron Man, who lost his helmet 10 mins before trick or treating. I don't know how that happens but it does.

And then I decided to photo shoot my own kids with my very own cell phone, hoping for a decent Christmas card picture. I'm not a photographer, so it definitely looks like cell phone photography but the holiday season was absolutely insane. And then my christmas cards said "Merry Christmas 2016" and I haven't actually mailed them to anyone. The struggle is real. I'm debating crossing out merry christmas and writing happy valentines day. Because the other option is throwing them away. Or maybe happy chinese new year. 

Meanwhile, Ali loves "teaching" people how to take pictures. That's real.

And here we find Ali's dance recital pictures. I am too lazy to drag them up to the top of the post where we talk about her dancing. 

And finally, Christmas. The children got exactly what they wanted. Bat cave, My Little Pony everything, paper, cardboard, etc.

Ali came home from church the last sunday of 2015, telling everyone she was "the little kid teacher". "I'm going to help all those cute little kids sit in the tiny chairs and help them be quiet. And then I'll take them to class and teach them about Jesus" She's not the sunbeam teacher, but she "can't wait to be a grownup" and teach primary like the rest of us.

She stands by herself:

No school on Martin Luther King day. "How are we going to celebrate Martin Luther King day mom?" "We're going to clean our house and play with the baby!" "But it's his birthday! Can we get a cake"

For real.

So we go to the store because like I'm in any state of mind to actually bake a cake.

"How about this one?"

"It has to say 'Happy Birthday'"

"The baker can write whatever we want on it"

"Well google it. Google what Martin Luther King's favorite cake was"

"I'm positive it was chocolate"

Cashier: "Oh, who's birthday is it?"

Mitchell and Ali: "MARTIN LUTHER KING!"

Home:

"Mom, can we also celebrate Rosa Parks?"

"Absolutely. This cake is also for Rosa Parks"

"No, like ON her birthday. Google it. Google when we can celebrate Rosa Parks birthday"

So much cake. The upside is, martin luther king day was on monday, so family home evening happened really painlessly.

Happy everything. see you next year.