O-bla-di O-bla-da....

The only picture, that I have, with all of the cousins and no crying.

Annie started to pull faces any time I wanted to take a picture.  Clearly she was enjoying reading that book and I interrupted her. 

At lunch with Grandpa!! 

Great Grandpa and Grandma Manker, Grandpa, mommy, Archie and Annie

Great Grandpa and Grandma Manker gave us a mini concert. 

Grammy doing the advent calendar with Archie.  It was so much fun to visit her house for Christmas!!

Silly girl trying to sit in a big chair.  She has a little scratch on her forehead from trying to go down the stairs the wrong way and bumping into the banister...

Getting ready for church, such a cutie.

Christmas morning, ready for some presents and wearing a new hat made by Aunt Laura, thank you!

Making snowman cookies with Grammy!  Uncle Zach just stepped in for the shot, he did not actually participate in the making of the cookies... just so we are all clear.

Annie got a new book for Christmas, so she toddled off to get comfortable on the coffee table to read it.  Plus Uncle Bernie has a cool beard.

Maya sportin' her new tutu from Grammy, new pj's from Aunt Christy and new phone also from Grammy.  Annie also got a new phone, they were by far the hit of the Christmas loot.

Mymy and her daddy:)  Getting ready to go for a walk!

My guy.  It is just that there really weren't any other pictures of him on my camera, and I really want him to be represented in each 'family' blog post.  Love you Ben!

Christmas dinner!  Courtney cooked for us and made an amazing dinner!  Cornish hens, duck, brussel sprouts (that goes to Laura) and twice baked potatoes (okay, I did that one).  But really Courtney pulled it all together.  It was perfect. 

Went for a walk with Grandpa and G-ma and found a neighbor with a swing set, a zip line and this amazing swing!  Archie and Grandpa had fun trying everything out! 

The girlies and Grandpa:)

Archie 'reading' to Owen.  They sat on the stairs for a while and Archie insisted that he would read a book to Owen; I don't think Owen was very interested, but he stayed and was very polite:)

Giggle giggle giggle. 

Issac!!  Such a champ, eating a ball at the Children's museum:)

Just workin'.

Owen just driving the fire truck, very calm and not on his way to an EMERGENCY. 

Bubbles! Children's museum with Grandpa, uncle Alex, Aunt Christy, Owen, Issac, Archie, Annie mom and daddy. Super fun morning, too many things to do, we couldn't possibly spend enough time doing them all!

Owen and Annie in the blue box... it looks very menacing but he is just trying to give her a hug.

Fire Fighter Archie!!!!  (Also, not on his way to an EMERGENCY)

Picture number two of Owen and Annie, now he is tickling her, I swear they were having fun, and I attempted to capture the moments of glee and joy, they just look like pain and horror. 

Back home in Arizona... Annie missed the cold in Michigan, so she opened the refrigerator and sat down in it.

Outside of Grandpa and G-ma's house, in the cold.  Annie has entered a new phase of life: I-am-going-to-scream-even-if-what-you-are-doing-only-bothers-me-a-little.  She wanted to stand by herself in this picture, I insisted that Ben pick her up so they could be cute and close and cuddly, it wasn't working for miss Annie. 

At the park the day after we arrived home from Michigan.  Miss Annie has her binoculars and is ready to climb the stairs to her favorite slide.  Home again home again....

My Guy.  How handsome!  He just loves riding his scooter around the park. 

We like our life.  Things are going well-- everyone is slowly getting over the throw-ups-coughs-and-stomach-aches. We are excited about daily grind things because we've decided to be more cheerful as a family (at least Archie and I decided that maybe that would be a good goal for him...)  Life is good and we are very blessed.  I am starting to enjoy living in this new place and enjoying the new friends around me.  Archie loves living here, he loves the freedom of living on a dead end street, going outside to play without having to wait for me to be 'ready' to go with him.  He likes the warmth, "Grandpa's house was too cold".  Annie just loves to do what Archie is doing, and she does it with a grin and a determination not to get hurt if she miscalculates.  They are buddies, and I love it.  Ben and I are trying to go on 'at home' dates, salad night is one of my favorites.  We get the kids to bed then we make huge salads together, cutting, chopping, arranging, then we get cozy on the couch and watch a favorite movie or show.  Some nights are game nights, some are inviting another couple with kids over, some are talking and some are reading.  We have learned to be together and have fun without going out-- although every once in a while we do need to just get away from the house.  As I wrote, we are very blessed, and feel so, and recognize our joy and our contentedness comes from love and faith in God.  This life couldn't be better, I love tucking my kids in to bed, I love seeing them in the morning.  I love it when Ben comes home from school and I can hear his motorcycle in the garage, I wait for him to walk through the door with anticipation of seeing him and getting a kiss.  I love reading the scriptures together with the kids and explaining what is happening and talking about what we can learn.  I love playing 'busytown' with Archie, and 'reading' with Annie (she doesn't let me read to her unless she is sitting by herself with her own book).  I love taking care of my family, and feeling taken care of by them.  Archie gives me hugs whenever I ask, Ben does the dishes and rubs my back (sometimes even if I don't ask!) and Annie snuggles with me and lets me rock with her as much as I want.  (I have learned, with the males in my family, that they will usually do anything I ask, but the key is to ASK!  It isn't as intuitive with men as it seems to be with women, and I am okay with that, because I know that when I ask for a hug from my son or a walk with my husband, they will look at me and do just about anything with me or for me, because *hopefully, they know and feel I will do the same for them.  There is love and service and thoughtfulness in my guys, and I love them).  I couldn't dream up a better family.  Arch, Ann, Mom and Daddy- Love it.