let it snow

Don't get me wrong, I really do think the snow is beautiful and I always wish for a white Christmas...

..but to think we were soaking in the sun on Maui's beaches just 2 weeks ago, and now we're literally up to our knees in snow makes me want to cry just a little inside.

You'd think I haven't spent my whole life in Utah. I should expect it by now.

Here's to a snowy holiday season!

uno

My sweet baby Claire turned one last Friday.

ONE?!!

Seriously, how did that go so fast?! So cliche but really, this year has flown at an insane rate.



We celebrated with a festive Thanksgiving party with her cute little friends in our neighborhood.

Believe it or not, this picture was totally not staged- these three little bros must have been feeling the holiday love and thanksgiving and cuddled up to each other. love it!

um, yeah, really hard to get a good picture of 10 kids under 5!





Because Claire loved her feather Halloween costume so much, we had to incorporate them somehow into her birthday... pin the feather on the turkey!!



I expected Claire to dive into her cake with both hands but was very surprised when she just bent down and started sucking the edge. It was hilarious!!

love. my. girl.




Sunday my family came over for dinner and more celebrating- we're big on birthdays!
and the party hats got double use!



The real birthday surprise came when our pumpkin bowls once full of soup became the helmet of "Captain Birthday Pumpkin Head"

The Captain requested a special dance with the birthday girl. She obliged.

Polly wants a cracker

Another successful Halloween!

Oh how we love this holiday!! It was a fun filled weekend of party after party. I'm pretty sure we got our fill until next year.

and yes, I'm already thinking of next years costumes...

The mateys:

I'm not a wench, I'm your wife.

Claire was such a champ in her parrot costume! I couldn't help but laugh every time I looked at my little ball of feathers! I think by party #4 she was loving her down-jacket ;)












what's a Halloween party without some minute-to-win-it games...Halloween edition of course!
wow, good laughs all around.
Does this make anyone else think of planet of the apes?