Living at "Nana Lisa"'s house

Zach began his Simulator Training in Salt Lake on December 16. We decided to pack up and go together and have us just stay at my parents house while he stayed at his hotel. This way we were easily able to see him every day still! He had his partner and times/dates switched again so instead of training into the middle of the night, he now is training from 8am-2pm. So every evening, we we've been able to have dinner together, and spend some family time together. It's been so much better than what it originally would have been with him doing it in Cincinnati.

My parents are moving at the beginning of January to California, so it's been really special to be able to spend lots of time with them also and for them to be with their grandkids so much before they go.

Here is some of the fun we tried to have during that week! First the twinsies.

Coloring.

 Making gingerbread houses (aka graham cracker houses with frosting that was mostly a fail)

 Dress ups every day.

 Snuggles with daddy.

 Jack was sitting like this in sacrament meeting and it just melted my heart and I had to take out my phone for a picture. 

 Then they wanted to hold hands during the prayer and my heart burst yet again. 

 Got to visit where Zach has been doing all his training. We had to wear official badges and Jack and Eli thought that was so cool. Got to see the big planes and meet some of the people Zach has been working with. 

 Took the boys to Cabella's to see all the animals. They loved it. 

Then got dessert at The Baked Bear. We got a brownie for the bottom, chocolate chip cookie for the top, birthday cake ice cream for the middle, and hot fudge on top...uhhhh YUM. Thank goodness the 4 of us shared just one. It was so nice to leave Joelle at my parents and get to take the boys out for these little outings.

 Painting little train banks given to them from their friend, Ronnie.

 Watching movies in a fort in the bonus room, made by Josh and Emily. 

 Pretending to be ninjas with shoe laces. 

 "Helping" Nana make Christmas sugar cookies. 

Watched Home Alone 1 and 2 and basically just watched Jack and Eli freak out at every moment of the bad guys getting hurt by Kevin. It was hilarious. 

Joelle was spoiled with cuddles and love. We've learned she doesn't like to have her arms down and swaddled. She loves them up by her face. This is so different than how the boys slept as babies-they were always swaddled! It's so cute seeing her different poses as she sleeps. Zach always slept at his hotel so we had girl slumber parties all night every night :)

It's so fun to catch her little smiles. Although they aren't "real" smiles at this point, it's so cute to see what her actual smiles might look like in the future. 

Got to have Joelle and Ben meet (Elise was in the hospital at the same time as us!) who were born just one day apart. 

We got to head home for one day during the week and got all our last minute Christmas lists done, laundry washed, and the boys went to their cousin Christmas party. Eli got to hold Joelle on his chest and it was the cutest thing. 

 Everyone got new Christmas socks and made sock puppets. 

Back at my mom's Braden got into town and got to meet Baby Jo for the first time. 

Other cute moments from the week.