Ready for a photo dump?
I know no better way to catch up on what we've been doing since our trip in September. This all feels like forever ago, the holidays really went by so quickly this year, and now it's almost March?!
Where has time gone?

We had "Friendsgiving" with all of our close friends:

Getting everyone to sit was interesting:
(yes Bennett was dancing for the picture…that kid doesn't know what 'sit still' means)

The first Chrismassy thing we did was our annual trip to Zoo Lights with our friends The Hartmanns:

The zoo train wasn't running this year, so they created a new 'light tunnel' to make up for it.
It was pretty awesome:

Buck just wanted to touch all the lights:

Getting our Christmas tree:

Found the perfect one:

Decorating it:

The boys in a box admiring the tree:

Outside lights:

I love the coziness of having Christmas decorations up and the tree lights on instead of lamps, but isn't it funny how quickly we grow tired of it?

While at my mom's group before Christmas, the kids came and sang us Silent Night,
hand motions and all.
See Bennett in the front/left?

Our first snow of the year.
Buck was pretty excited:

Chris had two weeks off so we took a few trips to the library:

And Chris fashioned an obstacle course one day during nap time:

We went on the Polar Express in Hood River with my whole family, how cute are the boys' elf pjs:
(I hope they never grow out of them)

Santa with the cousins:

Their first ever visit to see Santa:
(and his reindeer too!)

This Santa looked so much like Will Ferrel, it was kind of crazy:

Our Christmas Card:
(Paperless Post is really the best)

Christmas Eve service at The Schnitz:

Buck and the sea of presents at my sister's house:

Photobooth fun:

Craziness always ensues at Chris' family Christmas with all the kids being so close in age.
This year Buck had to stand on all of the presents:

Wrapping gifts with Ember's help:

Gifts all set out for Christmas morning:

The best picture I got of these guys on Christmas morning:
(I don't think these two have ever sat still at the same time)

Checking out his new puzzle:

Testing out our new things before breakfast:

My mom found a Fisher Price parking garage in great condition,
I'm not sure which one of us likes it more:

We had a New Years party with our friends and I put together a photobooth to document the occasion:

The kids weren't too interested in the Photo photobooth:

And we proved that we are photobooth-challenged:

Case in point:
(at least he's got the cuteness factor going for him)

Happy New Year:


…a very, very belated one!

Yesterday Bennett turned four.

I still can't believe I have a four year old...so crazy!

We have been super busy and aren't slowing down til October, but I wanted to pop in and share Bennett's birthday parties before too much time went by.

Like last year I decided to have separate parties for friends and family,
which has worked out really well.

The friend party was a park close to our house, and the family party was the next day at our house. 

(it was awesome not having to clean up our house after one party to get ready for the next)

I have always loved these quirky dinosaur invites from Paperless Post, so I decided that I'd use them this year and make it a funky dinosaur party.

The friend party at the park was so fun. We had a few kid activities and everyone got to take home an awesome painted dinosaur:

Bennett helped us make a volcano to "erupt" at the party, and I made dirt dessert which went along nicely with the theme:

We hid "dinosaur eggs" around the playground and the kids ran around to find them:
(Bennett's best friend Avery and her dino egg...isn't she cute?)

After finding them, they smashed them on the pavement to get the dinosaurs out:
(I apparently baked them too long because the parents were needed to get these things apart)

Bennett and his loot:
(and dinosaur tail)

I love this picture of Bennett and his friends Hadley and Ezra:
(the difference between girls and boys!)

Opening presents:

The next day we did it all over again, but with family...and not so many kid activities:

For the kids' favors we painted dinosaurs with craft paint.
These were my favorite part about the party.
I was originally thinking of doing these but just painting them multiple coats was more than enough work! 

Dinosaur Bennett excited to open presents:

Four:

Blowing out the candle:

Happy Birthday little dude, we can't wait to see what four has in store for you!

More Bennett parties:
Bennett's 3rd birthday
Bennett's 2nd birthday
Bennett's 1st birthday