December Part 2

Date night! I can't even remember what we did, but don't we look so happy to be going out!

Oh wait, it was a residency dinner at someone's house. Must have been important because I curled my hair. Love this cute boy!

The girls are so happy to have a girl puppy to dress up.

 We kept to tradition and built gingerbread houses. We used graham crackers this year. Not my favorite, but they worked. Connor had the most fun. He sat and ate as many pieces of candy that touched his house. He was in heaven. Sugar heaven that is. Needless to say his house was gone by the time we took pictures of the finished products. Gone. Eaten. Demolished. Idios. 

Derek worked Christmas again this year so we pushed it back about a week to make it work for our family. December 31st to be precise. We had a HUGE party. Christmas Eve, then Christmas day with late New Years Eve celebrations to go on that night. It was a LOT of fun. 

I'm hoping to break up the fun a little next year, but it worked really well this year.

Before all the Christmas celebrations we went and drove around Christmas Lights. Which is a fun tradition. Our lights get a little better each year.

CHRISTMAS!

For our Christmas Eve the kids all got to open a present which was new jammies. And then we brought down all the presents from Mom and Dad.

 Tree decorations went a little higher this year to stay out of Connor's reach. It didn't stop him from breaking about 4 bulbs this year. More bulbs were broken this year than all 10 year before this combined. Connor takes the prize for most bulbs broken. 

Ready for BED!

I love that they were running to this.

 The girl asked Santa for a Ukulele and he delivered.

We are so blessed. 2016 was challenging, but when we think about it, every year brings us new challenges. It is how we face the challenges in front of us. I'm calling 2016 a win.

Here is our Christmas letter we sent to friends and family.

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a fun filled year. The kids continue to grow and fill our home with joy and laughter. We were able to stay busy while Derek worked so very hard this last year. The end of March the kids and I took a trip to Carlsbad, New Mexico and met with Grandma and Grandpa Heaton, Uncle Josh, Aunt Shannon and Uncle Dwayne and cousins. It was such a fun trip where we discovered Connor gets car sick. We came back and found out our home owners wanted to sell and were not renewing our rental contract and had until the end of April to move. That same time Eden developed appendicitis and had her appendix removed that weekend. She is a tough cookie and was so brave through it all. We were able to find a beautiful home just down the road to rent and had so many wonderful friends help us to clean the old house and get moved before Derek started a busy summer. It seemed like a hard time, but we learned so much through that time and were so blessed with so many good people to help us!  Kael, Eden, and Elara started swim lessons and became excellent swimmers. In July Derek began a very intense work schedule to start his 3^rd year of residency. So, the kids and I were able to have Grandpa fly out and help us drive to Utah for a long summer trip! We were able to see Grammy in Salt Lake City, and the Fowler’s, we went camping and visited the Grand Canyon, and headed to Phoenix to see all the cousins and Aunt’s and Uncle’s and Grandma and Grandad Sapp! We wish Derek could have come, but it was so good to see so many friends and family! Kael is now in 3^rd grade, Eden is in 1^st, and Elara has started joy school once a week. I enjoy getting to teach about once a month. Kael turned 8 this year and chose to be baptized. We really loved all of the family that was able to come and support him on his big day and all the love sent from afar. Connor is walking and has become a full-fledged toddler climbing on everything. He is starting to say a few words and is the sweetest little boy. In November we got a new pug puppy Freya to keep Odin company and the kids love her so much! We are so happy to have had such a wonderful year filled with lots of joy! We are grateful you are all in our lives.  As 2017 approaches we look forward to all the experiences we will get to have as a family.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love, The Bradley’s

Derek, Sharice, Kael, Eden, Elara, Connor

December Part 1

December started off with a welcome from none other than our Christmas house Elf

"Elfie the Elf"!

Connor figured out how to take off a diaper, and is quite pleased with himself.

For the ward Christmas Party Kael got to be Joseph and Elara and Eden were angels.

Elara "may" have stolen the show. She kept leaving the angels to go look at the baby Jesus and sit by Kael. It was pretty funny and was giving the audience a laugh so I ran backstage and tried to get her to come back to the angels. Her response was so adorable. She said, "But Mommy, I just really need to be with the baby Jesus!"

So, I gave up at that point and just said, "I'm sure there were plenty of angels watching over the baby Jesus" go for it kid. 

 A few of the shinanegans Elfie the Elf did this year.

Connor once again and again and again figuring out this thing called toddlerhood.

Kael and Eden advanced a belt in karate. Kael went from a green belt to a blue belt and Eden went to white belt yellow stripe.

I'm going to call this the Hooligan shenanigans of the month.

 Elara's joy school friends went to a Magik Theatre performance and so we got to watch a play.

 The first of many doctors appointments and sick days began.

And costco really wears kids out.

 These two love their sushi.