The Gran Fam: New Beginings

Welcome 2012! A new year that is full of promise and adventure for the GranFam.

We rang in the new year with a weekend with Friends at the resort in Yellowstone. Swimming, MarioKart, food 24/7 and 5 kids in one suite. We were lucky to stay awake long enough to watch the ball drop and toast the new year.

The girls have not yet transitioned from the joy of the Christmas season and continue their holiday cheer by playing Santa.

Lei might be ready to move on.

Our second adventure of the new year is the start of Daddy's new job! A switch from the bank to a credit union brings excitement and learning. It also comes with two weeks of training in Utah, which means two weeks of single parenting for Mommy.

Lei started out two weeks off by increasing her ability to climb anything. She is climbing things and getting into things the older girls never tried.

She is developing her own little personality which includes this sweet face. Always with one eye closed, big smile, wrinkled nose. She is such a little ham, but she is so sweet.

Not a great pic but it definitely shows Lei's funny side. She loves to bring me her jacket, she just wants to wear it around the house all day, the hat- well it just completes the outfit.

Another random place I found Lei this week. I was so surprised that I let her climb up a second time. This girl has freakish upper body strength and can just pull herself up onto the counter. Two weeks with a climbing baby makes one stressed mommy.

Here's Lexi!

But not for long, she likes to hide! Lexi loves to find spaces she can hide in, which includes behind couches, in cupboards, in closets, under her crib... In fact yesterday she hid on Daddy, he searched the whole house several times and started to panic a little when she emerged from her hiding place in the closet very happy and proud of her successful hiding ability.

Our independent Lexi is growing up. This week she counted to 10 which helped her be "it" when playing hide and seek, she also learned how to say "here I come!". Lexi also learned how to say "in a minute", "I'm coming" and "I do it". She says these wonderful phrases in a deep low growling voice which makes us all laugh. Lexi also wants to dress herself, upside down and only half way up but it's all good and Lexi is ready to go.

Addi our big girl, and the big helper too. Survival without Daddy meant that Addi would be helping Mommy lots and lots.

Her favorite chore is Laundry because she kicks it all down the stairs then she helps sort it and put it in the washing machine.

She is also the instigator of games. Addi has taught Lexi many new games that they play together just the two of them. They include hide and seek, tag, sleeping beauty (pretty self explanatory) and time-out (where They take turns putting the other on time out, fake crying, and make-up hugs).