Winter Family Fun

We went to McCall a few weekends ago for some winter family fun!

the snow sculptures were fun to see.

one of the highlights of this weekend, was a carousel ride at the carnival

more snow fun

another highlight was the face painting.....which took forever to find, but we got there.

pretty little girl!!!

Sisters

The best thing about having a sister is that they will always have a friend.

A sister is a gift from God, sent from above to make life worthwhile.

Today.

Many of you that read this blog know that I watch extra kids during the week. I have for the past 3 years. It's hard, and I ask myself why I do it. I've cut back on hours, I've changed kids and still I find myself asking, "Why?"

Today is Friday. I didn't have any extra kids, I didn't have any plans. Nothing was keeping us from doing whatever we wanted to do!

We played ALL day! We slept in. We watched cartoons. We went swimming for 2 1/2 hours. We played games. We went for a walk. We played more games. Molly did my makeup. Elley did my nails.

As I was making dinner I stopped for a second and watched my girls play on the floor. I almost started crying because of how happy I felt. I had the BEST day with 2 of the funnest, sweetest, cutest girls in the world.

I'm not saying that if I didn't babysit extra kids that everyday would be like this. I'm just saying that I'm grateful for days like today.

3 more months and then I will pass the torch. It will be just me and my girls.....all 3 of them!!!

Four Years Ago.

‎4 years ago my life changed. 5lbs 12oz of sweetness was placed in my arms. The world became a better place, and I became a better person. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the cutest, sweetest, most lovable 4 year old I know......Elley Joyce!

(That was my facebook status on her birthday!)

And that status about sums it up. I can't imagine life without this little girl.

I know this post is about a month late, but here are some pictures from her birthday.

Opening presents with all her friends. Her friends really know her well. She got makeup, jewelry, nail polish, polly pockets, and barbies. She was in heaven! Notice the dress up outfit she has on. She wore this last year for her birthday too. She LOVES dress up!


The cake!



Crazy face!

Elley had 2 friends and a cousin stay over after her party was over. Ella, Ellie, and Macey. They played makeup for 2 hours straight. It was a mess but so cute. Elley even let her sister Molly play. They had a blast.

Molly loves lip gloss. Look at those juicy lips!

After about 2 hours of make up, another hour was dedicated to Polly Pockets.
It was a fun day!

Daughters

Baby Girl #3 is on her way!!!

Here I am 20 weeks pregnant.

A few weeks ago, we found out that baby #3 was a precious baby girl. What can I say, we know how to make girls, and we know how to make them well. If I could have a million Molly and Elley's, I would.....on a good day.


Elley was the most excited of us all, to find out that she would have another sister. She was convinced that baby #3 was a girl from the beginning. When the ultrasound tech told us that girls were our destiny, Elley jumped up and down and said, "A girl, I'm so excited!!!" She even made up a song about the baby being a girl and her having another sister. It was cute and it made me excited to see how excited she was. She will be a big helper and a wonderful big sister again.

Molly could care less. I don't think she is old enough to really realize what gender matters. Although, she loves babies and I'm excited to see her love this one. I'm sure she will be a wonderful big sister when the day comes.

Adam has come to terms now with the fact that he will be a dad to 3 girls. He did say that at least he was already bald. He loves his girls and I can't wait for the day when he holds his 3rd baby girl and he melts. From day one, these girls grab a hold of their daddy's heart and don't let go.

I was so excited to find out that we were having another girl. I LOVE GIRLS!!! I'm sure I would love boys too, but right now, in this very moment, I couldn't imagine it any other way. I think it's pretty neat that Heavenly Father has in trusted me with these spirits.

In a quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley, he says,

"It is tremendously important that the women of the Church stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord. We call upon the women of the Church to stand together for righteousness. They must begin in their own homes.... They must be the teachers and the guardians of their daughters...When you save a girl, you save generations. I see this as the one bright shining hope in a world that is marching toward self-destruction."

After reading this quote and having daughters of my own, I feel proud and honored to be a mother to girls. At the same time I feel a tremendous responsibility to be the BEST mother I can be. I hope and pray my girls will know how much I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and how much I love them!!! They make me want to be a better person.

So here's to 4 1/2 more months until we get to meet our sweet baby girl #3.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Molly and Elley have been getting snacks without asking lately. This is a big no no in our house. The rule is, always ask mommy for a snack. I am getting so tired of them getting into the pantry.

Yesterday, they got into the chocolate chips. I took them away and said to Elley,

"mommy is not going to let you have snacks anymore if you don't start following the rules and ask me."

Elley thought about this for a minute and then said,

"But, will you still let me have breakfast, lunch, and dinner?"

Isn't it almost February?

And I'm just now posting about CHRISTMAS?

Oh well, better late than never.

warning....very long post...with lots of pictures.

With Adam working the 23rd-26th of December, the girls and I headed out of town to spend a few extra days with family we don't get to see very often. Lucky for us, the girls are still young enough to realize the actual date of Christmas. We have very accommodating family members who put off Christmas until the 28th so Daddy could be with us for the special day. That's right, December 25th was just another day. The 28th was not only Daddy's birthday, but also Christmas.

downtown with Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Andrew

Molly and Uncle Andrew became fast friends. Maybe it's because Molly has a potty mouth? Nothing cuter than a 2 year old saying stupid and shut up. Oh yeah, she also says the other "s" word, but in my defence, she's really only trying to say Shrek.










We were so lucky to have Aunt Maggie and Uncle Fernando come for a visit. We had a lot of fun playing in the snow. If you click on the picture you'll be able to see "Maggie's snow baby" a little better. She was suffering from sleep deprivation. Who knew having a snow belly would be so funny. And a little side note, later on that night she gave birth to a Cabbage Patch doll.....Elley's request.

"Elley's snow baby."

Our snowman......or snow-woman. We're still really not sure what it was, although Elley said it was a girl all along.

Christmas dresses. This was taken Sunday the 26th. Santa had still not made a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We did get to pick Daddy up this night though....which to me, was even better than Christmas!

Fernando brought his Xbox, which was a big hit for everyone. He also brought a dance game. Adam and I had a dance off. I'm a better dancer than Adam.....the game said so!

Christmas eve was spent making yummy cookies with Grandma, Aunts and Cousins!

Christmas morning was so much fun. The holidays become so much more when you have kids of your own. Uncle Nate was not a happy camper to be up this morning.

Didn't I say the Xbox was a hit! Look at all those nerds! Can't take my eyes off the game.

Cute, cute girls! Grandma with Jordan, Mara, Sophie, and Hannah. And look, Hannah is smiling!

Our Christmas dinner was amazing, thanks to Nate. Cooking for that many people was no easy task. Nate pulled it off without a sweat!

Right outside Grandma and Grandpa's house is the perfect sledding hill, literally 2 steps from their porch. It's nice to sled, go inside and warm up, and then come right back outside. Elley was a champ when it came to sledding. She hopped right on and never looked back.

Okay, so the guys took a short break from the Xbox to show off some snowboarding skills.

The whole Arnold family was together for a few days. Grandpa and Grandma took us on a sleigh ride in the mountains. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever done, and to be there with our whole family made it even more perfect.

More pictures from the sleigh ride

Here we are, all together!

What an amazing vacation we had. We love our family and wish we had more opportunities to be together like this.