I'm Not Amenable to that Movie -- Dec. 7

I don't usually remember Hazel-isms long enough to write them down, but I didn't want to forget this one.  We were watching the Avengers this evening, and stopped it right after the Hulk came out and destroyed stuff in his Hulkish way.  Hazel looked up and said "I'm not amenable to that movie.  I'm amenable to Caillou. And Puffins."  Except she didn't quite say "amenable" right so it took us a minute to figure it out.  Turns out she's not particularly amenable to bedtime, either.

Smiles! -- Dec. 1

I've been trying and trying to get pictures of Jane smiling since she started, and I finally managed it!  She really is a super smiley little girl, she just doesn't smile at the camera.  This is actually four different smiles if you look closely.  

Even late at night, if she's fussing in her cradle, she'll smile when I go to pick her up.  She also smiles at her big sisters.  Jane smiles at us all the time, it's so nice to have a chance to share it!   

Reading by the Tree -- Dec. 1

Christmas Tree Hunt -- Nov. 28

It was a beautiful morning in the mountains, it had just snowed a few inches overnight and the all the trees were dusted with snow.

Scott came with, and he even helped to carry children.  Andrew had Vivian, Scott carried Hazel, and I had baby Jane in a carrier under my coat.

Hazel and Scott (above and below).

Emma came too! When they loaded the trees into the truck, she didn't have much room left.  

We found two very nice trees this year, the best even.

Our 2015 Christmas tree!

Getting Read for the Great Christmas Tree Hunt -- Nov. 28

We dug out all of the winter clothes to get ready to go to the mountains and find Christmas trees-- one for us and one for Grammy.  Hazel and Vivian wore their hats through breakfast.

The vent in the dining area is a popular place to hang out in the morning now that it's colder, and they're fairly good at sharing it. 

We tried out the long johns that Nana and Grandad gave them last Christmas, and they worked pretty well!

Pizza Night with the Puccios -- Nov. 27

Scott and Nellie came over in the afternoon, and then everyone joined us for pizza.  

Grammy got some snuggle time!

Thanksgiving -- Nov. 26

I toted the camera around all day, and these are the only pictures I got!  Grandad had a sleepy baby after the wonderful Thanksgiving meal he and Nana put together.  We spent the morning watching the Macy's Parade (except we couldn't get it live streaming, so we watched the one from 2013 on YouTube).  We went over to Nana and Grandad's house after a very brisk morning walk, had lunch, and stayed until nap time. Vivian thought about napping there, but got a little wound up in the process.  After a nice long nap, we headed over to my mom's house for supper and dessert.  Andrew spent some time chatting with a former professor of his who joined us, and the little girls ran around with Nellie.  It was so nice to see Grammy, Great Grammy, Great-Grandpa Guy, and Uncle Scott.  A very happy Thanksgiving indeed.

Warm Morning in the Backyard -- Nov. 25

We had a nice warm morning, and the girls wanted to go outside to play for a while.  The baby was napping, so I tagged along and took care of the cranky chickens (not pictured).  

They "climbed the tallest mountain" with great enthusiasm, and took turns poking the mountain with a stick.

The snow was pretty decent for making snowmen, but they had to be little ones.  Hazel built a few, and Emma knocked them over.

We even got around to swinging a bit, before heading back inside for stories and naptime.  This is one of the great things about living in Laramie; even in the winter months there are always a few nice warm days (relatively speaking) for getting outside and playing.  We're still so thankful to be home!

A Quiet Morning at Home -- Nov. 23

I was working on finishing up a baby quilt for Jane, and I left my measuring tapes out.  Hazel and Vivian wanted to measure Jane, just like the pediatrician.

Here, the big girls are sleeping in boats.  Hazel's boat is a laundry basket, and Vivian's is a small chair.  She traded up, and they both ended up in baskets by the end of the game.

Jane got to take a nap with her brand new blanket, and the rest of us had lunch!

Visiting with Nellie -- Nov. 21

Hazel and Vivian were so glad to see Nellie over Thanksgiving break--she's a busy girl during the school year, and they hadn't seen her for quite a few weeks.