Bowling tradition

As per tradition, we went bowling with the Hudson clan this year while in Pocatello. It was so fun. I told Emery what we were going to do and she said, "Bowling?! I so excited!!!" Haha, she totally didn't even know what bowling was, but she was excited to do it. What a happy girl.

These are all just phone pictures so they are a bit blurry but I like them so I wanted to share.

Emery cheering for me because I just got my fourth strike in a row. Just kidding. I don't even think I got one strike this year.

Emery really did have fun. She loved to push the ball down. My cousin and her son in the other lane. 

My grandparents, the hosts of the yearly bowling party.

Natalie and Olivia bowling.

I love family traditions. Now that I have a family of my own I'm starting to realize what a challenge it can be to keep up yearly traditions and it makes me even more grateful for my mom and grandparents and others in my life who struggled, planned, and sacrificed to keep those traditions going.

Baby Tyler

Matt, Kim, Kylee, and new baby Tyler came over to my parent's house shortly after Emery and I arrived in Idaho. I was so grateful they came when we did because later on Emery and I got sick and we wouldn't have been able to see Tyler. He is so tiny and oh so cute! He makes these little grunting sounds that melt my heart. He's growing well and is as sweet as can be. I was sad not to see him more than once but the thought of him getting the stomach bug Emery and I had was enough to keep me away.

Isn't he tiny? I look exhausted in this picture because I was. We were up at 4:30 am to fly to Idaho and Emery doesn't sleep on planes. Plus flying just makes me really tired. 

And here's his little face! Isn't it sweet? I was glad he was awake for us!

Happy New Year!

My mom's side of the family always has a big New Year's Eve party in Idaho. It was one of the best times of my Christmas vacation growing up and I still look forward to going every year. Gavin couldn't come along, but Emery and I had a wonderful time celebrating with my family. We had a hilarious white elephant gift exchange (where I scored a huge bag of chocolate gold coins which is PERFECT because I want to use them in my treasure box for primary!), lots of delicious food and fun games, and a New Year's countdown around 9:00 pm. :) It was a wonderful time to catch up with my cousins and aunts and to see all the little kids run around playing.

This girl would NOT let me get a picture of her with any party stuff on! I had to sneak up on her to get this one.

Here's Tobin, ringing in the New Year!

Olivia found the best seat in the house and just honked her horn at passer-bys. 

At one point I went to check on Emery and she was just running around through all the rooms upstairs, laughing and playing with all her cousin-friends. It brought me so much happiness to see her because it was like looking straight into my past and re-living New Year's Eves gone by. I have so many happy memories of our New Year's parties, and now here is my daughter, getting a chance to make her own memories. I was so grateful to be there with her. There's so much about her childhood that will be different than mine because the world that we live in has changed so much. Sometimes that makes me really sad. I feel like her childhood will be more complex than mine--the simple joys of running around my grandpa's orchard, or turning his old pigpen in to a fort (that smelled terrible but we didn't care), will be replaced by tablets, cell phones, organized uber competitive teams, and having to deal with society with crumbling morals. I know there is still so much goodness and happiness in the world and that Emery will have a wonderful childhood, but that doesn't mean I don't still yearn for simpler days of the past. I feel like I'm not properly communicating how my heart felt at that moment when I saw Emery, I just can't seem to transfer the feeling into words. Maybe you've had similar experiences with the children in your life and you can understand what I'm trying to say. I guess it felt like a bridge--connecting my past to my future. And it felt wonderful. 

Princess lessons

My mom has an entire chest full of princess dresses, capes, purses, shoes, hats, and other sparkly things. Emery has two older girl cousins who love to play princesses so while we were in Idaho Emery got an education in the art of playing dress up. This one was her favorite, and mine too because I think it makes her look like a little cupcake.

Here she is, the courageous princess on her noble steed, that had to be right by grandma at all times. 

It's so poofy!

Being a princess is a very serious job. It's not all sparkles and tea parties. 

Furry hat and shiny purse, this girl is looking good!

My one niece, Olivia, takes dress up very seriously. When she puts on that little Cinderella dress you are no longer allowed to call her Olivia. She won't answer to it. She will say in a very princess-y voice, "My name is not Olivia. I am a princess." This doesn't just happen for the first few minutes she has on the dress. It will continue for HOURS. Even when she changes back in to her "Olivia clothes" she will sometimes say, "I put on her clothes, but I'm not Olivia, I'm still a princess." It is HILARIOUS; I got such a kick out of her! Her princess voice is so cute, it makes me laugh just remembering it. 

Emery had so much fun playing with her cousins. It was fun to see her live similar things as my childhood. Playing dress-up with my cousins used to be one of my favorite things too!