It's Christmas Time Again

We LOVE Christmas time!
The day after Thanksgiving we set up our tree. Though it doesn't feel like Christmastime, we do our best to make it look like Christmas-inside at least.

Last year we set up and decorated the tree during Bryn's nap. She was so excited to be able to help put on the decorations!

The four cutest decorations!

Keeping with Tradition

We had Thanksgiving Dinner on Wednesday again with our good friends, the Kimballs. And once again, didn't take any pictures! :( At least this year we took our camera. Maybe next year we will get some pictures. Baby steps.

This years' hike was to Manoa Falls. It was beautiful! We've had quite a bit of rain so it was pretty muddy, but we still had fun. One section of the hike is through a bamboo forest that was pretty cool. We didn't stop for any pictures because we were trying to catch up to the rest of the group. I don't know that I would drive the hour to get there just for the hike, but if we were already on that side it would be worth doing again. Kait slept the whole time. I was a little nervous about Brynlee, being newly potty trained. We still have some accidents especially when she is distracted. She went before we left home, but refused at the beginning of the hike. If anyone knows how to "force" a child to go-please impart of your wisdom. I guess I was glad I had the baby and so Mike got to carry her. But luckily, we made it up and back dry-mostly lucky for Mike! :)

I suppose you could call this a "gaggle" of girls (and Kait is even missing). We went with our friends that have 5 girls! Adam and Mike feel a little outnumbered when we get together!

Temple Dedication

We had the opportunity to attend the dedication of our Laie Hawaii Temple. We were blessed with the privilege of being in the Celestial Room for the dedication session. Since Whitney is nine, she got to come with us. It was neat to be able to be in the presence of our prophet. There were only a handful of children in the room and President Monson said, "I see in this room some future missionaries, (then looking straight at Whitney) and temple marriages." One thing he said was that every child should have a picture of a temple in their room. We have a temple picture in our home, but not in their room. So we will fix that.

Kenna was bummed that she missed it by three and a half months. I took her to the Cultural Celebration the night before, instead. It was wonderful! My favorite part was at the end when 1,000+ youth filled the gym floor and a fabric replica of the temple rose out of the floor. They all turned toward the temple and sang, "I Love to See the Temple." Then they turned back to face the audience and sang "Army of Helman." That is a powerful sight!

Four Beautiful Girls in front of our beautiful temple!

Whitney-9YRS

Makenna-7 1/2YRS

Brynlee-2YRS

This was the best we could do-she wouldn't hold still for a good picture.

Kenna snapped this picture as we were walking away from the temple.

Kait Highlights

Sorry Kenna and Whitney-you don't get your own highlights posts. :)

Nov 3-Kenna liked it that Kait was holding her finger so she wanted a picture. Only after I put them on the computer did I notice how tan Kenna looks next to her.

Brynlee loves holding Kait and will sit there for 15+ minutes sometimes. And so far Kait doesn't seem to mind much. Kait-2mo

Kait first started grinning at 5 weeks-she is almost 2 mo (Nov 20) and it is easier to catch them on camera now.

Aunt Stef wanted to secure her "favorite Aunt status" from the beginning with this "My Aunt is my BFF" outfit.

Kait is so lucky to have three amazing big sisters! Whitney and Kenna have been so helpful! I am one lucky mom!

They like me to take pics when they are pretending to be asleep. They LOVE snuggling our newest little princess!

Sweet Sleeping Angel

Kait's personal Jacuzzi-though she is quickly running out of room! Check out her rolls! Chubby is BEST!

Brynlee Highlights

These pictures are from October and November

Check out those cheeks! On both of them! Brynlee LOVES her baby sister! I hope they are best friends just like Whitney and Kenna!

(Oct 26 Kait 1 mo, Bryn 2 yrs)

Future Picasso

I introduced Brynlee to watercolors-it was a hit. :)

This is serious business!

Making "whikers" in the tub

Bryn loves to be my helper with Kait.

Sometime I am going to do a "random sleep" post. My girls sleep in the strangest positions! She likes being big in her big girl bed.

Kenna and Whitney went to work making Bryn "beautiful." That is lip gloss on her eyes-silly girls. She came out saying-"I look like Medusa!"

"I help my Mom make cookies!"

It isn't good enough to be next to me-she always wants to be on the "counter."

It's a BEAUTIFUL morning!

What an amazing world we live in! How can the day go wrong with a start like this?! This is the view Kenna, Whitney, Bryn and I enjoyed from our driveway.

BRRRR!

We love those cooler (though my girls would say COLD) days when I can get away with making soup. Tonight's choice: yummy Creamy Chicken Noodle! (Can't pass up using our snowman dishes.)