This picture captures your year Julia. You were all smiles, lots of belly laughs, more improved dance, moves, along with some singing and playing make believe. But the life in your smile was shared with so many others.
The look you give Jacob, as in the look that shows your admiration, your love and compassion is special. It happens at the best times, and I cherish every time I get to hear your sweet words uttered with it.
We had a great season of basketball and sadly ended it with a goodbye to Matt Bohannon as well. Who knows how long we will continue our adventures to the games, but hopefully it will be a pleasant memory for you both.
In 2016, you lost three teeth and your "whittle" kid voice is slowly leaving us as your face grows thinner too. You continue to be tough and determined. You laugh mostly with your sister and are getting use to the idea that you need to protect her. Due to the winter weather, you aren't playing with your friends as much and often get lost with Julia in her "dog or sibling" play. You still get crazy at night and would prefer to run a couple of laps with your sister before you wind down and complete your bed time routine.
Thank the lord for this new house and the room upgrades! I don't have to worry about carrying anyone out of our bed because you guys fall asleep in your own! Hallelujah. Don't get us wrong...we still love our morning snuggles from you miss Julia!
This face is how you feel about dresses now! (not so much in February-May) However, for three months strong, this dress was it! You didn't even care if it smelled like fish because you wore it fishing...you knew I'd wash it, and would sleep in late enough so it could dry!
Then summer came. Along with a new neighborhood. You two became acclimated to this place before we could even unpack. Therefore, frog hunts were moved to our backyard with a couple upgrades. Upgrades that involved bricks, boards, containers and an imagination. I wish I had more pictures of each frog habitat that was built.
So it's safe to say it was the summer of FROGS. With the ideal weather, and more than ideal neighbors you were able to rescue frogs from the window well and collect a couple in our paddle boat. Hopefully, we aren't interfering with the food chain.
I can't tell you how much I loved watching new adventures unfold in our
back yard! From tangled fishing lines, to catching our own worms, I
still say it is worth every extra penny!


School started and you transitioned so well. We didn't get too many adventures outside of CF in after the move. Our time was consumed with deck building, unpacking and watching you take roots in our new home.

why would you need to leave this place for an adventure?

Finally, an adventure to New Glarus and the traditions that come with it.You would prefer not to have your picture taken, but this time you were holding a pretzel so you couldn't move. This is why you don't appear blurry!You both savor the time with our dear friend Herman. He's more like family and this trip you classified him as an uncle!
Oh the magic wand that we lost down the sewer! Was it worth another 7$ to lose it in our house?
Before this fall, you could care less about football. Now that we are heading into 2017, you can't get enough. Your dad has a football buddy...
This picture just cracks me up for so many reasons. Thankfully the weather only gave us a taste of one cold fall morning.
Now snow...we had fun early on in the year at our old place. We will have to look forward to this white stuff in 2017, and can only do that because we have the countdown until spring break to get us through it!
Even though life is crazy at times and I feel so unqualified for this job, there is not one day that I don't treasure. My coffee may not even surface until 2 o'clock because I set it down to help find someones shoes. My beer, well I actually prefer to drink it warm now. I have experienced life with you guys and that's all that matters.
Now I just need to keep recording the things we love about you at this point in time.
The things I don't want to ever forget about you two at this moment...
Jacob, when you ask us to snuggle with you and tickle your hands or rub your back.
Julia, who can resist you asking us to lay with you and read you two books every night? I can't and I so appreciate the mornings when you come into our bed to say good morning and we have a couple more hours to go...all you do is grab my ear for 5 seconds and you are out. It's usually after you say something sweet to dad and you say you love me.
Julia, your belly laugh and desire to laugh
Jacob, I love your independence you are gaining.
Julia, your sense of pride when you mastered riding a bike at the age of 4.
Julia, when you share your appreciation for food by saying"this is really, really good" or "this is so, so good"
Listening to you play Julia, and focus in on the true meaning of Christmas and asking how old Jesus is ("he's 5 because of the song 5 golden rings") or explaining while playing teacher or just listening to yourself talk
Jacob, your enjoyment of hockey. Your smile says it all while you play, no matter what rink.