pictures!

 anna is giving julia a "talking lesson."  She reads, julia listens, maybe someday julia will talk.  Right now her words are: coco, snow, mommie, daddie, anna, cheese, beeee (bread?), NO, and animal sounds.  that's about it.  but she can climb onto the counters, the desk, the beds...pretty much everywhere.  I dont' think anna could move her leg high enough to get on a chair until she was 2 1/2.

 I wanted to have my nieces and nephews over for a christmas sleepover.  We read christmas books, made cookies, played games, played in the snow, watched christmas movies and yes, slept (some more than others).  I love living by my family.  I think living away for a little while has given me the love for my family that I might not otherwise have.  they are truly a thing to be cherished.

 evan with the curious george stack avoiding the camera.

 i made them play in the snow.  i think they liked it (for a little anyways).

 julia hates the snow.  she wont come out in it.  she just stands by the door and looks in longingly like a sad cold dog.  but i cant let her in there alone.  she's too mischievous.  last time she was in there alone she ate all the advent calendar chocolates.  time before that she put nail polish down the potty.

 we made lots of sledding hills.

 amber and gavin played bumper sleds.

 gavin pulled julia around the yard once.  she cried the whole time.  she hates the snow.

 after a couple of hours of snow time I let them come in and watch a movie.  we drank coco with peppermint marshmellows and opened the presents anna made for them.  anna is quiet the santa this year.

 julia sat by gavin and pestered him.

 jane put stickers all over her body.

 look at their mouths!  they have the same mouths!

 looks like kids never learn to keep their fingers out of their mouths!  gavin is 8.

 6 kids in boots.

 after they left i took anna to the nutcracker at the library.

 she did the russian dance.

 she caught magic snowflakes.

i didn't get pictures of it all, but she loved it.  that girls loves music.  loves library.  loves stories.  loves the nutcracker.  it was worth getting stranded at the library when the car battery died.  luckily i ran into someone in our ward who helped us.