Payton (2 1/2)

On Thursday Payton, Avery, and I headed to my friend Summer's. She was helping me learn more about my camera so that I can take better pictures. (Summer recently started her own photography business and took Avery's newborn ones!) While she was helping me learn the modes to try on my camera, she was also snapping away and captured some great pictures of Payton. At least one cute one of Avery as well. Thanks Summer for more great pictures to hang on our wall and share!!

Here are a couple cute ones I captured!! Still trying to learn how to make mine look "less amateur":) (And Riley is not in any only because she was at school. Going to try and get some toothless ones soon!)

A special visit

Tonight Riley will be getting a special visit..from the tooth fairy! After days of wiggling, her first upper tooth (and 4th overall) fell out! I think secretly she was hoping it would fall out at school so she could get a special little box from the nurse, but it had to come out at breakfast. That thing was all twisted and dangling..hanging on by just a little thread. It was hard for her to even try and eat on the side with the way it was positioned. She is already working on the one next to it....

2 months

Avery turned 2 months on Saturday...wow!! The time is flying and in just 2 weeks, mommy has to return to work:( She continues to be a snuggly baby who loves to be held! She is getting pretty good at smiling and you can start to see a little personality develop. Today we headed to the doc for her 2 month check up. Doc says she looks great! She also got her first round of shots. Avery was pretty brave although she is super cranky tonight...let's hope she lets mommy and daddy get some sleep:) Avery's 2 month stats: 12 pounds (79th percentile) 23 1/4 inches (81st percentile)...I was a little shocked as she still loses her feet in her pj's:)

Playing with the Ensign's

Today Chrissy, Lucas, and Layla came over to play and celebrate Christmas. Each year we try and get a picture of the kids all together and with each year, it gets a little more challenging. Here is what the kids look like this year:)

And here are a few pics of Avery that I took today while Chrissy and I were playing with my camera and the different lenses. Sorry if they are fuzzy, I am still trying to learn how to get out of "auto mode".

Christmas Fun

Since I am a tad behind....as usual...I am just going to post our Christmas festivities in one post. We began with dinner at my parents on Saturday. Then on Christmas Eve we began our day with a visit from Papa Larry, and then our "Chinese New Year" celebration at Granny and Papa Dan's. Christmas day was begun with a flurry of opening presents (notice there are none of the girls RIPPING into their presents)and then in the afternoon we had my family over again for more fun and dinner. It was so awesome to have so much family time over the holiday! The holidays always are so much better when surrounded by the ones we love! And for all of those that we could not spend the day with, you were in our thoughts and hearts!!!!

Happy New Year!!

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve!! It was a low key holiday for us:) We were supposed to have a couple friends over, but they ended up sick, so it was just us. It was nice to have a quiet night with the girls though. Riley and I picked up a little "new year's" party set on Sunday and they had fun wearing their hats, blowing their horns, and setting off the "poppers" with daddy. Payton stayed up until about 10 and Riley about 11. (Mike told her she could stay up until midnight, but she was tired by 11!) Now it is just a tad past midnight and I think we are ready for bed after I finish this post:) We hope that is it a great and blessed 2013 for everyone!! 2012 brought us great things and we cannot wait to see what this next year holds for us!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends!! I know that I am a few days early, but as I sit here updating big events from last month, I do not want to be late with this one:) We hope that you all are able to spend the holidays surrounded with the love of your family and friends and that you get to enjoy these times. We will be enjoying the time spent with our loved ones....especially as Avery experiences her first Christmas!!! Today the fun began with dinner at Mom and Dad's. Erika cooked a delicious dinner of chicken parmesian and we had a fabulous time just sitting and talking. I also gave dad a job of taking a family photo of all 5 of us;) And over the next few days I will try and get some pictures of the girls and that "family photo" that Aunt Nancy is waiting for!!! Merry Christmas to all!!!!