Year in Review

It seems like the years keep passing in the blink of an eye. We are blessed beyond belief and thank God daily for the beautiful lives we lead. Highlights from 2015:

• Trip to Naples as a family of three before the twins' birth
• Ryan and Sara welcoming their newest daughter, Edie Ryan
• Our twins, Jase Michael and Remy Grant being born
• Watching the Cats make another run to the Final Four
• Bachman family vacation to the Outer Banks
• Watching Eli gain confidence in the water at swim lessons
• Playing on a fun and competitive tennis team
• Norton family vacation to Edisto Beach
• Studying Revelation at BSF
• Witnessing Eli write his full name without tracing it
• Enjoying the crazy nuances of life with three active boys
• Traveling to NYC {and seeing Hamilton} with Andrew
• Welcoming new friends: Ben, Evelyn, Deacon, Rawley, Saylor, Peter, Reed

Cheers to 2016

New York State of Mind

Andrew surprised me with the sweetest Christmas present this year... a getaway to New York City! We took advantage of our three days in the city and packed lots of things into our weekend adventure. After spending the morning with amazing views of Manhattan from Hamilton Park, we took time to visit Ground Zero. The Freedom Tower and memorial ponds are a beautiful tribute to the 9/11 victims. By far my favorite thing we did was see Hamilton on Broadway. I cannot do it justice by speaking its praises, but trust me, it's phenomenal. We were lucky to see the original cast because, I promise, this show is going to be a huge success. Like Wicked. And Phantom. And Les Mis. It's honestly that good. Do yourself a favor and download the soundtrack. You will not be disappointed and your high school US history teacher would be proud. My other favorite thing we did was ice skate in Central Park. It was so much fun! The rink played Christmas music while we held hands and glided together. It was as fun as I imagined from the movies. One of the reasons Andrew booked this trip was to watch UK play Ohio State in Brooklyn. {We played awful though so I'm erasing the loss from my mind since the rest of the trip was perfect}. Walking around Fifth Ave was a treat, too. I loved all the department store windows and the Rockefeller Christmas tree didn't disappoint. Visiting NYC during December was always a dream of mine and I'm thankful for a husband that planned such a thoughtful gift. It was truly magical!

We Need a Little Christmas

Since Drew and I were out of town the weekend before Christmas, we were excited to get home so we could enjoy holiday festivities with our family. Between Sara, Kari and me, we have ten kids seven and under. We sure get a lot of funny looks when we go out in public together, but we wouldn't want it any other way. The Galt House is always a hit with young and old alike. The dancing elves and train ride were the fan favorites this year. 

Twins: 8 Months

The boys are eight months old, and holy moly, sure are busy. Remy is crawling everywhere while Jase is trying to cruise himself into toddlerhood. He can get from one side of the house to the other almost as fast as me. My days of lounging on the couch are officially over. They are into everything and have required extra baby proofing. Somehow things that never interested Eli seem to elicit interest from the twins. Jase now has two bottom teeth while Remy doesn't have any. My favorite milestone this month is the interaction between the two of them. They say twins have a language of their own and recently I've experienced this special bond. In the mornings when I enter their room, Jase and Remy are standing in their cribs, babbling and laughing at one another. It melts my heart. They play well together and their best buddy is definitely Eli. The twins really are loads of fun these days and I'm so thankful I get to be their momma!

Christmas is All Around

Between family traditions and holiday activities/parties, we are currently soaking up every minute of the Christmas season. We've been busy, but in the best way possible~ enjoying the festivities with friends and family. Thankful for this time of year that is spent in reflection of our Savior's birth.

Annual family pic in front of our church's Christmas tree

Merry and bright as we celebrate the dealership's Christmas party 

The wonder of Christmas is fun to witness through the eyes of babies

Eli loved decorating our tree this year

Jase and Remy are two of the sweetest little elves

Good friends and family at our annual potluck

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Kentucky basketball rivals my love for most things in life {excluding my loved one, of course}. Making the trek east on I~64 is a road trip everyone in my family can get behind. As often as I can, I venture to one of my favorite spots~ Rupp Arena. Cheering on the Cats is lots of fun, especially when they're playing well and winning games. Love my time watching UK with friends and family!

Drew and I are happy to talk UK b~ball with Eli. His favorite players are Poythress and Ulis

Love this one

E and Hadley waiting for the players to walk by the window

Best moment for my little guy 

Two future cheerleaders {M, CB} and a future player, I think

Despite the babes' expressions, Allison and I enjoyed another Cats victory with our kiddos

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

E was eager to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas {cars, Avenger toys, Monsters U}

My sweet boys

Jase and Remy were intrigued by Santa

Santa, I know him!

Holly Jolly Christmas

One of the things I was most looking forward to this holiday season is a wreath~making class with the ladies in my family. Tannis, Sara and I decided this would be the perfect event to attend with our moms and MILs and counted it as a fun and easy way to get into the holiday spirit. Now, if you know me, you know I am probably the least artistic person in the world. However, the greenery was supplied and we were encouraged to play with different textures to create a unique wreath. Everyone chose various material and then experimented with their own grapevine wreath. I used cedar, magnolia leaves, holly and pine cones. The end result was really pretty and smelled divine. Such a great night and most likely a new tradition :)