Around New Year's

Jack stole my phone and took some pictures right after Xmas. Below is her AG Doll bed.

A selfie, naturally.  And it cracks me up bc it looks nothing like her- the expression and the angle. 

The AG Doll wheelchair.

Hilly drew a family portrait, and I LOVE how she spelled Louie.

Poolside.

Payton got a uke for her birthday!  So cool.

Jack wrote this in school:

Hillary was invited to see Disney on Ice with the McConnell family!

I was so nervous and we missed her so much, but we knew she would have the time of her life.

These girls are a completely unforeseen blessing in my life.  And apparently I am a giant.

Jax and Abby.

Ben and Dada

The Xmas card outtakes.

Em and Ben at HAC

Ben and  Hill's cabbage patch doll,"Ruth Carmen"

Hilly was dead serious w that mask.  She picked out these mask valentines.  She was going through withdrawal without her princess dresses.  I packed them away.  Now I'm contemplating never giving them back since she seems to be adjusting fine. Is that mean?

Jack in ballet

Post-ballet dinner with friends

Em and Hill in HAC childcare

The dogs

Chilling at Betsy's

Jack looking SO CUTE

These 2 reading together

Jack helping me antique a table

Hilly stayed out in the snow the longest. She used a shovel and was digging out plants.  At one point all 3 kids were out there with Hannie and they were putting snow on Hannie and I've never seen a happier dog in my life.

Emily sanding down a table.  She gave me the courage to bust out that tool

At one point we had superheroes and now I think even those have been packed away.  So while the girls pushed around dolls and bunny rabbits, Benny pushed around his superheroes.  You're a true bro, bud.

Reading Curious George: Tool Time

Look who found more dress up accessories.

Ben and JR at the Kramer party

Hilly during soccer

Hilly and Emily had a fight during soccer.  Hill told Betsy she's never playing soccer again.

On route to ballet.  If you can't tell, Betsy helped me out tremendously during this moving process.  She babysat, carpooled, etc.. I owe her big.

Jack opening birthday cards with dada.

Jack and Ben bonding during Hill's swim lesson

Very Late Merry Christmas

The complete lack of posting is because literally all my excess energy has gone into getting our house ready to put on the market- which included basically refinishing our basement ourselves, painting, uncluttering, and all that other stuff.  With 3 kids and 2 dogs, this takes forever and is exhausting.  But I've been ploughing forward and the light is hopefully at the end of the tunnel. 

But I have to back track.
So this is Emily's little birthday lunch.  Very tiny (we brought Phoenix while his mom helped me out by working on my basement). But the kids had a great time.

I couldn't get enough of these 2 angels.

They were decorating Xmas trees.

Betsy hooking up the kids w some icing.

Birthday cake time.

Xmas at Gma D's

Xmas Eve!

Jill is SO EXCITED about Xmas

Xmas AM!

Xmas Day at Aunt Katie's

Finley testing out her new polaroid

Twister w Aunt Kate

Math with Pops

We came home to an enormous post-xmas mess. This was before we fully packed most of our stuff.  I get stressed just looking at all those boxes.  Ok, more pics and updates to come.