utah trip. {easters.}

we got to spend easter in utah.  

we got to go to the walter family party on saturday.  emery got her first easter basket.  and we loved seeing everybody! 

on sunday we enjoyed going to church, having maria and ellice, and some of the johnsons over for dinner.  

my little valentine.

this little love has us wrapped around her {dimpley} fingers. 

a look back on 2016.

i literally got half way through the year and already had 9 [hundred] pictures that meant so much to me.  it has been a HUGE year for us.  a big, giant thank you to everyone who made it so meaningful.  it's been the best year yet. 

a few highlights:

finding out about baby girl. // bff reunions. // baby showers with so many favorite people. // family temple trip. // finishing up three amazing years at orem junior. // packing up everything we own and moving to texas. // buying our first house. // weighing in at the highest i've ever been. // swimming all summer.  // welcoming emery to the world. // becoming the "mom squad". // blessing day. // family visits. // being this girl's mom!  

feeling very grateful and very blessed.  

...and here is our kid crew for our new year's eve celebration.  

pajamas and bedtime by 9.  

a walter christmas.

my family was able to come down to spend christmas with us.  

it was a fabulous [warm] texas christmas. 

 we spent a night in downtown grapevine looking at the lights.  

matching pjs for us all.

somebody was a little spoiled...

but the absolute best part was making our family music video.  

i told them it was the tradition i wanted to start.  

they delivered. 

[watch it here.]

other things of note...

 tennis on christmas eve.  in t-shirts. // mommas holding babies holding babies.

little ems is so loved.  // grandma, grandpa, & uncle add. 

we love having visitors.

all the christmasy things.

#lighttheworld. // arboretum 12 days of christmas. 

the tree and fireplace.

SANTA! // all the babies. #momsquad 

friends, ugly sweaters, and gingerbread houses.

 carollton nativity.  // favorite view.

mary & joseph - "a night in bethlehem"

our church christmas party this year was a special experience.  derek and i were asked to be mary and joseph [and baby jesus] in our live nativity.  emery was the perfect baby and fell asleep as we entered the stage.  the half hour before she was blabbering away.  what a powerful and humbing experience to feel, maybe just a little, what it would have been like on that first christmas night.  

thankful.

feeling especially grateful this year for this little family of mine.
for a beautiful place to live.
for having a baby.  and that she's healthy.
kind people who have welcomed us to texas.
family, friends, & facetime.
we are so blessed.

a disney [pixar] halloween.

toy story. // pocahontas.  

we love dressing up around here.  

fourth of july. [2016.]

we love when our friends come to town! 

[mini 12th ward reunions.]

it always involves lots of food, laughing, games, swimming, and just catching up. 

so glad for our fourth of july gathering tradition.