Friday, December 29, 2017

Christmas Cards!

I just LOVE sending out Christmas cards - it feels almost old fashion now but the email form just isn't the same to me. Plus, I send out over 200 to people all over the world which is super fun. 
I will be happy to start getting more again now that we won't be switching our address! 

These are the photo ones we got this year, not pictured are all the cards with lovely Christmas letters - one day I hope to do a letter too or at least remember to add our blog link!


Escott Family - Oldest daughter was married in the LDS temple this year!
They were our church family in Florida (Amelia Island did not have many young families so we clung to eachother) when their girls were just little!
Crazy how time really does go by so fast. They moved from Florida to Alaska several years ago and we hope one day to meet up again. 

My brother, Dustin, and his family who we have gotten to see this year which is very nice. 

Nelson Family
Our Lake Havasu Church Family
I will always remember meeting Shelley for the first time in the church foyer. I was pregnant with Cabella and she was pregnant as well ...here is the conversation.
D- "We had our ultrasound and I am so thankful it was only one - could you imagine going from three to five??!!"
Shelley - "We had our ultrasound too - ..... We are having TWINS" I know it is SCARY!!
D - Insert Foot Completely Into Mouth.

She is so super sweet and we grew close even though she said she wouldn't be my friend because she didn't want to have her heart broken because we were a transplant family. 

OUR LOVES IN AZ!! We miss them SO much!
Bell Family! With little Tyson. 

Rodgers Family - Lake Havasu Family
Their little Rachel was a favorite of ours - Nephi especially loved to pick her up and dance with her.
Natalie the mother was always so very sweet and always providing service.
We met once a week at the park on the lake and saw each-other on Sundays while in AZ.

Bowles Family! The mama who made me start reading again! This little family touched our hearts if only for a brief few months. We will be meeting up with them this upcoming summer.
They are now in Washington state finishing out residency school!

Ruiz Family! Amanda and I have been friends since childhood and her life has EXPLODED the past three years.
Williams and Christopher joined her and Langston and now they have added two more boys.
Life with a bestie with as many crazies as you makes life better. 

Barker Family
Beautiful. Lake Havasu transplant family too. We moved in about the same time and they are waiting to see when they will be moving back to Idaho. We really hit it off with their family and hopefully one day we can meet up again.
Ryan is an avid hunter and a pharmacist. Laura rocks all these beautiful kids and provides so much love to everyone and service. She showed me how to always offer to hold/love babies regardless of how many you already have to tend. 

Mooneyham Family - They are in California now and our kids were almost the same age while in LHC so we played often and they homeschool - she is in politics and he owns a crazy mechanics shop in Lake Havasu (fanciest dessert crawlers you have ever seen) Now they have opened their own medical marijuana farm in California. 

Levi's side of the family - Rice Family. They welcomed a new little girl into their family this year. They also live in Indiana although it is a couple hours away.
I am planning on taking the kids to meet up with her next Spring for a playdate once her newbie gets a little bigger and the weather is nicer. 

Melton family - they are here in Lafayette and we just met them recently - she was the first one to drop off Christmas goodies which was a super sweet surprise. Her husband and Levi have callings together at church.
(Callings in the LDS church means you are asked to volunteer your time/effort to a position in the church. Levi is the 1st counselor in Sunday School - meaning he is part of a three person quorum to oversee all Sunday school classrooms) 

Washingtonian Friends - Thayers - She ALWAYS sends a card. Amazing cards that she handcrafts.
We met them so long ago and they are such a super sweet couple. 

Bobbie and Marley
These beauties are 'Aunt Woody's girls.' Bobbie would be Levi's Aunt and her precious little girl Marley.
We have had playdates with them here in Indiana but they live in Maine.
One day, we plan to take our crew to invade them! So very Sweet.
They also blessed us with surprise boxes of clothes on our doorstep recently which was very exciting for Coraline.
Coraline always says these are my friend's favorite boots or my friend's favorite shirt aka Marley. 

Monday, December 25, 2017

Merry Christmas from the Evans' Crew!

We took family photos on the Evans' land - our Forever Home. 
We LOVE being Final and Forever Here. 
Many Years and Many Memories to Come.
Merry Christmas!!

Beastie is SMILING! She is looking so much more like a little girl and not a toddler. She is my little German.
She has the attitude and blonde hair/blue eyes to prove it. 

Our forever tiny one. Full of Love. Always.
Snuggle Buddy. Artist. 

He is so beautiful. Brown eyes and Blond hair. He is going to make an awesome missionary and husband one day.

I sure love this man. And all these little people he made. 




I had to post this one....its my life. I am falling/sinking down in the sand from all the little people hanging on me, C is overly excited about anything, Cora is grouchy, Bella is laughing, and Nephi is tickling Bella's feet. Real. Life.


Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Santa Pictures!

We had our church Christmas Party - Thankfully, it came the day before we all ended up sick with the stomach flu (besides Bella)

Clairana is the best big sister - she is not overly maternal but her love to play and imagine and believe makes me so happy. 
She loves all things Christmas and makes the holiday so much more perfect. 
This year we have talked lots about how grateful we are to be back in Indiana with family and how we need to remember that Christmas is not all about presents. 
The kids each had thought hard for the past month about three things they would love to have. 

Clairana's picks - paint/art things, bedside lamp for reading at night, cozy blanket 




Nephi Joe - We have truly been blessed with a mellow and super sweet spirited boy. He is so very kind to his sisters and always is coming up behind me and rubbing my back which just melts my heart. And he has Super Cool Hair. 

His three picks - Rocket Copters (he has remember these little toys for almost a year now), dinosaurs, and a battery for his scooter





The Little Girls - Poor Bella Lou ended up puking all over Levi right after this picture. 

PS Could I have maybe taken her purple sweater off in time to show I did actually dress her in Christmas colors!? Oh well.
Ms. Coraline aka Beastie - although I feel like lately she may be dropping her nickname. 
We Shall See. 
She is starting to love to be alone and use her imagination to play. 
She can keep herself entertained with her hands alone. 
It will be fun to see her this year on Christmas morning. 
Her picks - Daniel the Tiger, Chocolate Milk, Sparkle Shoes 


Friday, December 15, 2017

Grandma Moni!

Last week, Grandma Moni brought over Bruno's AMAZING pizza and then at the end of her visit with us asked if she could pick up N and C for a movie date the following week. 
MOVE DATE??!! They were PUMPED.

They got their OWN popcorn and LEMONADE. 



So Sweet!


Levi and I also went out on a date with the little girls which was NICE and actually easier!

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Randomness

Uncle Damon with Cabella!


Cabella loves to wear hats now but she still will not put any bow in her hair. 


Monday, December 11, 2017

Nephi is SIX!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR ONLY BOY!
NEPHI JOE EVANS!


Sunday - Nephi's Official Birthday!


We don't have many pictures of Nephi's birth mostly because he had a pretty hard entrance into this world - even the midwives told us to cover his face because he was so black and looked rough.

He was 9 lbs 4 oz and 22 inches long. Here is his full birth story. Our Boy Has Arrived!


This was 41 weeks and to think I still had more days to go! 

Nephi at 10 weeks when his bruising had fully gone away.





Nephi's Birthday Party!


 We had a DONUT party! Lots of donuts from Mary Lou Donuts and of course MILK.
We had lots of fun and lots of little people!


Cousin Madi and Abbi -
So Sweet to Always Come.
Madi took the fancy photos and sent them to me. THANK YOU!


Nephi invited one church family and this was who he chose. The Johansen family they have 3 girls 1 boy and are here while their dad gets his PhD from Purdue. 

Party Time!

Clairana with Uncle Greg and Aunt Woody!
In background, my girlfriend Brandy and her husband Jesse who have two boys.

Grandpa Rick showing how to use the new Nerf guns!

CHEESE!!!!














Aunt Woody got him a HUGE dinosaur. He is in LOVE.


Co-op Magic.

 Nephi and Elise  Science Class!   Review with Mrs. Reece  Earth Science.   Latin! Brighten jumped in and sub for Mrs. Weaver and did an ama...