ChRiStMaS tImE iS hErE aGaIn...

I really do think that we did capture the spirit of Christmas this year. I have no regrets about the Christmas season and I think it was magical for our family. I do love Christmas Eve with all the fun anticipation...and the presents, nativity, and all the good food at Grandma & Grandpa's helped make it wonderful too!



And who doesn't love the tradition of Christmas Jammies on Christmas Eve?



Annelise did ask Santa for a special gift this year...a Christmas Mermaid Barbie with holly berries on her tail. Santa had to enlist a special elf to help out (thanks lindsey!) and also asked Santa for the rest of us too in her letter! Her letter asked for earrings for mom (they are super cute), a bike for dad (he got a mini toy bike) and Wall-E for Aaron. It was a very cute letter...too bad we had to send it off-

However, Aaron's favorite present ended up being a scooter Grammy gave him! He got it on Thursday, and hasn't stopped riding it since. He eats meals on it...(using the handles as a cup holder) and runs to it first thing he gets up and is pulled off of it at night! We all have snuck rides in...and sometimes we all ride together!



We must have been on the naughty list though...since all we found in our family stocking was COAL...I mean COLE. ha ha...

And what better to do after Christmas is play in the snow...in our front yard on a built up snow slide and out in the street behind a sled?

Will we recoop from all this Christmas bustle and hustle? I sure think so! It was worth it! And we will miss it for another year! Can't wait! (Seriously! I know I must sound crazy but we love Christmas over here!)

SaNtA...aRe YoU rEaL?

I certainly had my doubts this year...(check out the pictures!) but we are still believers. And Aaron wouldn't go near Santa so we got a lovely pic of him with the stuffed Reindeer! I did want Santa to meet Cole for the first time...how sweet.

SuNdAy BeSt

I had this vision in my mind that we would all dress up on the Sunday before Christmas for church all matching in holiday wear...well, that didn't really turn out. Annelise insisted on wearing a blue summer dress, and Cole has virtually NO sunday clothes and had to wear his only sunday shirt...luckily I got Aaron to wear something that kinda coordinated with the other two ninos. Crazy family.

CoLe'S fIrSt sMiLe

This is probably one of my favorite "first" for baby milestones...especially on this baby with dimples!

DaNcE dAnCe

There is just something about little girls in dance costume that just gets the holiday season going for me! Annelise had so much fun at her performance and I remembered to get her flowers this time! Phew! (thanks to Josh for picking them up!) She did such a cute job...and really did know the steps..infact, sometimes she was ahead because she was just too excited and would move on to the next move too early!

I aM bAcK bLoRlD...(bLoG + wOrLd)

It has been too long since I posted...and since I got to catch up on everyone else's blogs as well...but now that things will slow down a little soon...I am back! Yah...and I have a ba-gillion things to blog about too! And I know all of you did too out there! I just had to let some things go during this hectic time...and the blog was first to go!

Ta Da!

 

This is the newly remodeled Harline home...and it is more beautiful than you can tell from these tiny pictures! You just gotta see it in person! This is just ONE of the reasons we went to AZ...read on to see why else we went there...

CoLe'S bLeSsInG

COLE'S BLESSING...it was so very sweet and the spirit could definitely be felt. He wore the same outfit Aaron did and used the same white blanket that Grandma Lois made for Annelise. Josh relayed some very important things and the blessing confirms to me how special all the children are that are coming to earth right now. We are all so blessed to have them in our lives. And we are so blessed to have our sweet lil Colers...





too bad babies have to grow up and can't stay little forever! He is such a good baby and I love when he smiles at me and talks to us. Here is some pics of him now that he is two months old!

AnNeLiSe'S BiRtHdAy

Happy birthday to my sweet little five year old! We were so lucky to celebrate her bday in AZ where my family could be there! And Grammy, well, lets just say that she is ultra-superior at spoiling her grandkids. She had the most wonderful party planned with a magician! Annelise loved it and now tells everyone that she is magic and tries to show them magic tricks of her own. (my personal favorite as told by her school teacher is the one where her fingers are stuck together...and then she magically gets them unstuck.) She is a sensitive, sweet, caring girl with a big heart and conscience who loves to play, laugh and be a girly princess. She is my little princess Annelise.

ChRisTmAs In ArIzOnA

Our family just recently returned from a trip to Arizona to see my side of the family...(and Tanner and Emily) and to have sweet lil Cole blessed. It overall was a good trip...I can't help but say that the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" reminds me so much of these trips we take yearly. The trip is full of lots of fun and funny moments, places to go, important things to see, with some good 'ol family conflict and arguments and a great ending. It is a necessary trip and it sure wouldn't be Christmas without it. Here are the highlights...

Seeing my mom's newly remodeled, beautiful house; Cole's blessing; Annelise's bday; and...seeing my family...(Uncle Brandon, Aunt Mayra, (& Yoshi), Uncle Corbin, Aunt Amy (who we found out is 8 weeks pregnant!!!!!)








& last but not least Grammy; (who is beyond adored by my kids) and all the wonderful Gardner family cousins and grandparents. (I tell ya...they are the most loving supportive family!) It is truly home there in Arizona for me...
And what would Christmas be without pictures with lights and new pj's? (thanks mom for the new jammies!)


We visited my dad's grave and put a fresh wreath on it. Annelise collected a bunch of fake flowers that had blown into the bushes next to his grave and put it on top in a pattern. Surprisingly, she know alot more about death, heaven and Grandpa Dennis than I thought. And Aaron just played with the flag we had on his grave from Veteran's Day...and Cole got to be there for the first time. But, who knows, maybe Cole met my dad before he came to our family here on earth and knows more than we think! Christmas does make the memories more poignant; and I miss him most at Christmas and on the day he died. I bet he is happy for us though.



We went out to dinner to Benihanna's restaurant
and to Neilson's Frozen Yogurt (family tradition)

from the funnest pedicure I have had (I love the argyle paint I picked) to playing dress up and loving Yoshi a little too much...



to a super fun night at Golfland (a personal favorite)




I know I posted a ba-gillion pictures (I used my new fav. word of the month) so I am sorry if there were just too many...but it just was such a memorable trip! What can I say? I sure miss and love my family so stinkin' much! And I miss Arizona too. The weather...wow is it nice.