Where does the time go?

For those of you keeping count, we have three nieces and one nephew. Our adorable nephew Ezra is three today! I can't believe how big he is getting, and so smart! I love talking to this cute boy, I can't imaging having greater conversations. My sister Allie and I were telling him how cute he is one time and he said in return, 'you tell me I'm so cute, but really I'm just a boy.' Kills me every time! I love modern technology that allows us to see him all the time through iChat and Facetime. This has been such a crazy year, I don't really know where the time has gone. It's so wonderful to get a chance to watch our nephew grow up and measure time based on his life, it helps me to simplify my life - if that makes sense. I hope that Ezra knows how much we love him, how much we miss him when we're not together and how much our lives have been enhanced because of him. We are so blessed as we watch our family grow and change. I look at Ezra and I can't wait to have kids and hope they are just like him!

Someday we will tell him stories of what a silly boy he was, we will always treasure the moments we get to be his Aunt Erin & Uncle Matt.

So, a happy third birthday to Ezra. We love you so much and can't wait to see you!

Why we adventure

Matt and I love to go on  adventures. When we say adventure that means that finding a particularly complicated address can be an adventure. None the less, whether the adventure is big or small, we love them! This weekend we went to Boise for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where our Aggies played Ohio for the bowl title. We lost 24-23, but the trip was still so worth it. 

This little weekend getaway was just what we needed. We went to the game, saw 'Sherlock Holmes' and enjoyed the nice drive to and from Boise.

We took our little digital camera, but forgot to put the battery in the camera - yep, we're awesome. So, we just took a few photos with my camera phone. It's a beauty ;)

Simpler Times

 I was helping mom decorate the Christmas tree this weekend. It's always wonderful to go through all those ornaments that mean so much to us as a family. You could pick any ornament off the tree and one of us could spout off a funny, and sentimental, story about how it ended up on our tree. Mom has kept ornaments we decorated in preschool, shellacked with glitter, sewn together with yarn, painted by numbers, with our smiling school photos stuck in the center. Mom places these trinkets on the tree with love and we giggle about the intricate work our little hands created. 

Christmas is a sentimental time for us. I was driving the other day and 'I Believe in Santa Clause' by Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton came on the radio, all of a sudden I was back in my grandma Margo's kitchen watching her cook. I teared up and felt the love we all do around this time of year. 

With all that has gone on the in the last few months, I know I'm thinking about when life was less complicated. Allie was the one to put it so poignantly while looking at one of her hand-made ornaments, 'that was a simpler time, I would go back there and stay.' Despite hard times, we have grown closer as a family. Yes those were simpler times, but I think these times are much better. We have discovered who we are and what is most important to us. These tough times are certainly what define us in this life.

I love Christmas time with family!

P.S. Ivy is doing great!! She is so strong and cute!

A little of this...

The past two weeks have been full of ups and downs with our new little niece, but I am happy to report that she is doing so well! I haven't seen her for a week, and I can't wait to see her this weekend! We got our family pictures back from the amazing Sharon Johnson! They are so awesome - but you will have to wait to see them. Blogging has been put on the back burner for the last little while, but hopefully it will make a bit of a comeback in the new year! Happy December tomorrow - let the holiday festivities begin!
Ok, maybe one little sneak peek...

Big Miracles Come in Small Packages

Our new little niece Ivy was born today. She was 1lb. 4 ounces and [about] 10 inches long. My baby sister was only 25 weeks and 4 days along when they did the C-Section this morning at 8:49 a.m. Al had been in the hospital since Thursday with Preeclampsia, and her blood pressure wasn't going where we needed it to today, so the doctors decided the conditions would be better for Ivy outside the womb.

She is such a fighter - both her and her momma! This just goes to show that our Heavenly Father is watching out for us all the time - we are so blessed to have her in our lives! I got to see her for a few minutes today, she moved when I talked to her - it was amazing. 

My sister went through this day like a champ. When the doctors were in talking to her I opened the door and stuck my head in, she immediately looked at me and said, 'EB, stay out.' I know she did this more for my benefit than hers, at that moment little sister became the older than me. I could see in her face that she was surpassing me in knowledge and experience. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family! I love my sister with all my heart and now we have a new member of the family to spoil!

Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and prayers, they certainly have not gone unanswered! Our family has grown, not only in size, but in strength!