great-grandparents and swimming lessons.

Last weekend we had our last Christmas gathering with my mom's extended family. Always a party, let me tell you! And a house full of people. I hardly took any photos, but was able to capture some sweet moments between Emmett and my grandparents. Normally, Emmett is very overwhelmed at these family gatherings (crowded environments, in general) and doesn't want to talk much. He usually finds a corner to play in by himself and escape from the others. But he was brave enough to socialize this time with great-grandma and great-grandpa during mealtime. :)

hanging out.

^^such a sweet moment between Emmett and my grandpa. they were playing peek-a-boo together and Emmett was laughing really hard.

I have been working on my family history quite a bit lately and it is addicting! I get pretty excited every time I log into ancestry.com and find new notifications. ;) My family tree is getting pretty big and it is so interesting to learn about my ancestors. I have found military documents, immigration charts, photos of  ships, and more. I would love to organize it all in a way where I could make a family tree book.
I am so grateful that I was able to get to know some of my great-grandparents and am even more grateful that our children are able to get to know theirs. I believe family is the most important thing and that we are all connected eternally. I have felt connections to family members I have discovered through working on my family history and it is very rewarding.    

Ethnie started level 3 swimming on Monday! She was so excited to get to work. I feel like swimming is an activity that strengthens her self esteem. She is always proud of herself when she masters a new skill in swimming. And she is so dang cute to watch. *Disclaimer: The lighting at the pool is a horrendous yellow and no amount of editing or filters could make these photos look better. The lighting there reminds me of food-warming lamps in kitchens of restaurants. Yuck!

boogie boarding with a new friend

practicing her front stroke and rhythmic breathing. this was a hard concept for her to grasp. 

good job Ethnie!

^^back float looking good!

Have a great weekend!