Christmas

Christmas this year was awesome. We stayed at home, just the four of us, and had a very relaxing holiday. Of course, the kids loved opening presents.

Our collective favorite was the gift for Carter and Hayley from my parents. They got them a "Tickle Trunk" full of costumes. There are too many costumes to even count, every kind. So perfect for my children, they are having a blast with them.

We missed being with family this year. This is the first time in our married lives we've ever stayed home for Christmas. Different, but still great :)

The Doll House

*This is for you Mom*

This year for Christmas, I made Hayley a barbie doll house, which is something I've wanted to do for her since the second the ultrasound tech said "It's a Girl!".

I used an old book shelf, a few dollar store items, tons of paint, Styrofoam, and material scraps and voila: My very own, I mean, her very own doll house :)

She opened it this morning and her reaction was completely worth my 20-some-odd hours of elf-like labor. She loves it.







Total cost of the dollhouse: $11
A daughter who plays Barbies even if I have to force her to : Priceless

Christmas Eve

Sledding:

Delivering cookies to the neighbors:


Watching out the window; waiting for Santa to ride around Elkford on the big fire truck:

Christmas pajamas:

I'm just really lucky. Don't hate.

6 years (yesterday). You know that Meow? The one that belongs to the cat? He's it.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

Ornament Exchange

I recently participated in an ornament exchange that my friend Shauna organized. Each person had to make or buy two ornaments to send to two different (randomly drawn) people. In return, each person would receive two different ornaments in the mail.

This is the ornament I made (x2):

And I received this one from Shauna's sister Leslie (in Alberta):

And this one from Shauna's aunt Geri (in Georgia):

Fun idea, hey? Thanks for organizing it Shauna!

Dry

We are in serious need of some humidity.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I was looking through some old pictures on a CD I found, with no writing on it. It had pictures of the kids (mostly Carter as a baby) and I forgot how small they were. How is it that I can forget that so easily? Where did the time go? They are growing up way too fast - I know that's so cliche, but I feel like reminiscing today. And because of that, you all have to suffer through these old pictures of my babies. Hey, it's my blog - if you don't like it... you can come back tomorrow :)

Hayley:






Carter:

It's all Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye

Good news! My irrational fear of being "hoofed to death" hasn't been passed onto my son. He has his own irrational fear: being "horned".

Pop Culture

The other day Carter started singing that Puddle of Mudd song, but instead of singing the right words, he's singing "Baby on the wall, baby on the wall, who is the schizophrenic psycho". Maybe I should be teaching him lyrics to songs that are a little more age-appropriate...*Ya know, lyrics like "Dolla Dolla Bill Y'all" and "In the Ayer, A-Ayer"*

Then yesterday after the ward Christmas party, Hayley was singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Except instead of singing the right words, she was just substituting with her own random list of things you shouldn't do: "You better not touch! You better not spill!".

My children are delightful.

Finally!

We have snow! And lots of it.

A Week in Pictures

We had a fun time in Edmonton. We did so much stuff that I can't even believe we fit it all into 4 days. I finished my Christmas shopping (ok, I lied. I have one more person to buy for), saw the movie "Bolt", went to Chuck E. Cheese,



watched my sister in her high school play, "Back to the 80's" (isn't she cute?),


had a play date with Kirsti and little Skye,


and Megan, Ethan and Mia,


went to Chris and Sarah's wedding (Part 2. The first was in Australia),


and saw so many old friends. It was seriously like a high school reunion at that wedding (props to Sarah for always keeping in touch with her friends).

Whew. I'm tired.

We got home Saturday afternoon, and Sunday was our ward's Primary Presentation. Every year watching this always brings a little tear to my eye, so you can imagine how it was this year when my sweet little guy was actually in his first Primary Presentation. Saying his little part, singing "I am a Child of God". So touching.

It was a good week.