Christmas was a blur . . .

Whew! Five Christmases in three days for the Yori's this past Holiday Season. I've always celebrated Christmas numerous times with different family so running around is nothing new to me - it's just Christmas. :) I love getting together, bringing different friends and family to a house to be with each other. It just doesn't happen that often during the year. I am so BLESSED to have such amazing family and friends. I think of those who don't have as much love and support, and I am GRATEFUL for what I do have.  I have to keep myself focused during the busy times, focused on the reason for the season . . . LOVE, CHARITY, MAGIC. Here's hoping you found some of that too! 

Ella Jane with Uncle Dustin at the Wilson's Christmas Party

 The munchies playing football at the Wilson Home

 Sophie, the blind, amazing dog

 Mark and Mama K at Big Mark's house

 Christmas came early for the kiddos! 

Christmas Eve at our house

 Tay Wei and Ella Jane

 Mark III and lovely Christa

 Mama K and I having too much fun!

Christmas Morning . . . holy smokes! So many presents!

 Little ones with beanies on . . .

 The whole family got new bikes! Ella is suited up and ready to ride!

At the Gleason Family Christmas . . . . one of my favorite places to be ever in the whole wide world! This my long lost baby, Addie May. She lives in Tucson, but holds a special place in my heart.

My gorgeous cousin, Shauna (and Addie May's pretend mom) and her Dad, my Uncle Chip

 This is why I loved Christmas this year - I LOVE this sight. My babes on bikes (including my hubs), plus my little furry baby in my bike basket! It's a new era for the Yori family . . . watch out, we are peddling fools!

Ella & Ava's Ballet

Ella and Ava have been participating in a ballet class for the last couple of months.  The girls loved being in class together and they had a fantastic time. Today was their last class and they had a small performance at the end. Here a few pictures of the girls doing their thing!

Love these little girls!

Happy Birthday Adelaide May!

Can you believe my niece (or my long lost baby) is ONE?! She is the super cutest and is really fun. We drove down to the Nordling homestead for her birthday party. I don't know how Shauna did it, she and Brandon flew in from Texas that morning, drove home and set up an awesome candy filled birthday party. Candy everywhere! My kids ate so much candy that Karsten thought he was going to puke as we were loading up to go home. Shauna thought that was funny as she handed me some plastic bags for the trip home. Thanks, Shauna. :)

Love this little Nordling face! 

Chasing Summer

My MIL had a great idea one Sunday and invited the whole fam dam over to her pool (resort) for swimming and BBQ. As much as I am anticipating fall, I have to say, spending a day in late September lounging, swimming and enjoying the outside is not too shabby. The kids of course had a BLAST. The food was amazing, as always and Sunday Funday with the Family is always my favorite! Thanks, Mama for some end of summer memories - you are the BEST!

And they are d

Mo's Bachlorette Party

I am not going to elaborate on this event much. 

There isn't much that would be appropriate to share in this forum. :)

 We had a bachlorette party for my best buddy, Renee', and let's just say, it was fun. 

Here are myself and the other ladies who are honored to be in Renee's wedding. 

We look like nice, respectable women, right? 

 And here are just a sample of some photos from the bachlorette party. Ummm . . . .

Yep, it's a good night when you end up kissing a panda!

Love you, Mo

Ella lost her first tooth!

Finally! That is now my usual response when one of my children loses a tooth. Ella FINALLY lost her first one. My kids are dentally delayed; this is my fault. I've passed that genetic gene onto them. 

Oh well, whatcha gonna do? :) 

I am the worst with wiggly teeth. You would think since I make my living in the dental industry, I would be all over those suckers, but I'm not. They give me the willies.  Mark is much better in the wiggling/pulling baby teeth out department. Ugh, yuck! 

Ella has been hanging on to this tooth for-ever! We were reading a book at night, and she was working on it and working on it with a washcloth. I could see the washcloth getting some blood on it (blach!) so I sent her downstairs to have Daddy look at it. Two seconds later the tooth was out and my little baby lost her first tooth. 

Then the most amazing thing happened . . . I caught the tooth fairy in Ella's room! I went in to check on the girls and saw the tooth fairy sprinkling fairy dust onto Ella's pillow. She must have just finished leaving the money for Ella because she flew off right after I was able to snap a picture. I couldn't believe it! I printed the picture out and showed Ella in the morning. Well, to say the least, she was VERY surprised. She told me she was even a little "freaked out". She made sure to show her brother who had told her before that he doesn't belive in fairies. I asked him what he thought and he said that he believes in the Tooth Fairy, just not other fairies. Thanks for the clarification, Karsten. :)

Well, say goodbye to this smile and say hello to Ella's new one!

Why so sad?

My husband thinks I'm crazy; and maybe my sister and cousin too. I have been so melancholy today. The kids had their last day of school today and I'm really sad. They are moving up to First and Third grades next year. So no real big changes or anything, but I had a perpetual lump in my throat all day.

I feel like the years keep going by faster and faster. All these little milestones are behind us and the bigger ones are hurtling towards us with enormous speed! I understand it's life and this is how it goes, but I'm definitely a little blue because of it. 

I ADORE my kids, and I love to to take care of them. The older they get, if I do my job correctly, they will continue to get more and more independent and need me less and less.  Mark is estactic by this notion; me, not so much.  My little babies are kids now and soon they will be big kids and then teens and then adults. :( So I'm going to wallow in my sadness for a little while longer and look at the pictures of my babies starting their academic careers. I love those little faces!

Karsten Preschool

Ella Preschool

Karsten Kindergarten Prep                                                                       Ella Kindergarten Prep

Karsten Kindergarten

Karsten First Grade

Ella Kindergarten & Karsten Second Grade

<3

Wow! Where has the time gone?

I can't believe it's been almost two years since I've posted on this blog! It's hard to wrap my head around that - time goes so fast! Well, this is hopefully my first of many new posts. Until I can figure out how to catch up, here's a couple of favorite pics of mine recently taken by the wonderful Melissa Young.