We had a Holly, Jolly Christmas!

Christmas Eve started out early in the day making home made sugar cookies for Santa. The girls love to bake, but usually by the time the ingredients are all measured and cookies cut out they are at the end of their rope. They didn't last long enough to frost them with the two kinds of yummy home made icing I made. They did decorate enough to leave on a plate for the big guy. We put them away for later and went to the early movie - Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakual. It was a fun movie that kept Katera's interest the whole time.

After the movie we came to our house for a yummy mexican dinner of tacos, enchiladas, mexican rice, and seven layer dip. After we were all stuffed I got out the cookies and let everyone decorate them. Mark got quite artistic with his snowman. Katera just had attitude like always. It's hard to catch on camera but that is her little diva head shake. After cookies we opened gifts with Grandma Sindy and Grandpa Mike. The girls were so excited and wanted to have a sleepover with all of us in our king size bed. How could I say no to that on Christmas Eve? We let them sleep in our bed and I ended up in the spare bed halfway through the night. I just don't sleep well with kids. They were awake at about 6:30 Christmas morning. Sekoya was so patient waiting on us to let her out in the living room. I had said all along that Christmas was going to be smaller for us this year, but it didn't happen. The girls both got spoiled! So much that it is now the middle of January and they have only played with their new toys a couple of times. They each got a giant coloring book, two outfits, socks, undies, play food, perfume, bracelet, watch, and a pink 22 that Jason won at the NRA banquet. Sekoya's biggest reaction came from the BFC Inc. doll that she had asked for. Sekoya also got a make up kit and EZ bake oven. Katera got Chixo's and magnetic dress up dolls. As soon as our gifts were opened Grandma Maridon and Grandpa Kirk came by with more. Then we got dressed and went to G & G Rappleye's for a big breakfast spread.

Sledding

The day before Christmas Eve mother nature decided to dump snow on us! I wasn't complaining because all the snow from our previous storms had all but melted. I really didn't want Christmas to be all brown and muddy! Well, we got our wish! Total I think we got about 7-10 inches depending on which side of the house you were standing on. Jason spent most of the day blowing driveways with our wonderful snow blower. Later in the day we loaded up the kids with our neighbors and went sledding. The snow was so deep and fresh it was hard to get a good run on the hill, but the kids had fun playing in it anyway. I don't think our neighbor was too pleased with getting stuck though! I didn't even get a picture of it! Katera would NOT go down on a sled. She just wanted to ride the four wheeler with Dad. She kept hollering- Look out below! as they came down the hill. But it comes out sounding more like- 'Yook out beyow!' I will be so sad when she learns how to say her L's correctly.

More fun with Joyschool!

I got to have Joyschool at our house the week of Christmas. It was really easy to find material for this lesson! One thing that the kids loved was drawing letters in shaving cream. I gave them each a cookie sheet and filled it up with cheap shaving cream. I tried to get them to practice our letter of the day-Q, but I think they just liked squishing the cream in their hands. We have played with the shaving cream several more times since joyschool and my girls LOVE it!

Handmade with Love

The girls with our finished products.

This year with the Rappleye cousins we decided to draw names, but the gifts had to be hand made. We had a lot of fun searching the internet and deciding the perfect gift to make for our two littlest girls in the family- Aubrei and Preslie. We ended up making cute felt purses and dolls made from cotton work gloves. I admit I had to do a lot of the work, but the girls helped and could not wait to give the gifts once we were done. We decided last minute to have a family party at our house with a yummy ham dinner, presents, and delivering sub-for-Santa. Katera got a big bowl of GAK from Preslie and Sekoya got some cute necklaces with charms from Aubrei. It was a great experience and one I think we might continue. As we were wrapping the sub-for-Santa we explained what we were doing and why. The kids were so excited as we placed the gifts on the doorstep and ran! In fact, Sekoya cried on the way home because she wanted to do more. I think she really liked the fun of delivering, but I am hoping she also got the spirit of giving.

What's my passion?

I watched the movie Julie and Julia on my birthday. It was quite a slow mover, but still good. The girl- Julie decides she wants to take on a challenge and make all of Julia Child's recipes in her cook book in one year. She viewed herself as a nobody who hadn't achieved her dreams and goals. She felt like this was something she could accomplish to fulfill herself. She was a good cook to begin with, but she really became passionate about it. She definitely had some difficulties along the way, but she did it!

So as I thought about this movie I wondered... What's my passion? I mean besides my girls and my husband. I don't mean to downplay their importance in my life because they are the reason I do almost everything I do! But there has to be something that I do for just ME. I have a few hobbies that I like to do occasionally- reading, photography (of my family), blogging (of my family's life), exercise, .... and that's about it. Most of my hobbies still revolve around my family. I got thinking that I really need to find something that I can throw myself into and be passionate about. Set a goal and achieve it. I have lots of ideas, but nothing I can really jump into.

30? Who's 30?

I just had my birthday for the year 2009..... so if you count years from 1979 I guess that makes me 30. Holy crap! I don't feel old, but I remember growing up how OLD 30 sounded! And you know it really stinks that when you're "old" and the mom you don't get anything big and spectacular for your birthday! It's just another day that I have to get up, get kids ready and to school, fix dinner, and get them bathed and ready for bed. Sekoya was so concerned with making my day special. She told Jason she wanted to make me a poster like I always do for their birthdays. I can't believe she even thought of that! So Grandma Maridon borrowed them the night before my birthday and they made these awesome posters! I have the best girls ever!! Sekoya also woke up really early and gave me a birthday book she had made. I went to lunch with my mom, Cortney, Kelsey, and Maridon. Other than that it was just a normal day.

Sisters and Friends

This was when we got home from St. George. We had a week of negative temperatures right after a couple good snow storms so we had a good amount of snow. The girls were anxious to get their snow clothes on to play, but I was too busy getting unpacked and getting things put away from the weekend. So... Sekoya got Katera and herself bundled up all on her own! It was so cute. Then they played outside for a good half hour or more before they called us outside to see their snow castle they had built- complete with sea shells from our beach trip to California. I love it when my girls love each other!

Cheer Compeition in St. George

The first weekend in December we headed to St. George for Sekoya's first cheer competition. We went down Friday night and went to the Dicken's Festival where we got to see the REAL Santa. He is so cute and had some cute things to say to the girls. Saturday morning we got up early to get ready and be to the Desert Hills high school by 9 AM. Sekoya's team was the second to perform. They did really good if you don't count one of the girls getting kicked in the head and sitting out almost the whole routine so Sekoya's stunt group didn't have a stunter! Oh well, they still got first out of the two teams in her division. They were so excited to get a trophy that the entire team ran up when their name was called. We have one more compeition in February in Salt Lake then they are going to nationals in Anaheim, CA.

Holiday Festivities

After I got my house put back together from Thanksgiving we got out the tree and decorated it. This year was so fun because once Jason got the lights on the girls did all the placement of the ornaments. It is just great that they are big enough to do that! I had a big smile on my face as I watched them.

Last week was a busy week! Sekoya sang 'When Christmas Comes to Town' for Cortney's enrichment night, she performed at Christmas Tree Lane, and we went to watch Makayla perform the next night. In fact, Cortney's enrichment and Sekoya's performance at Christmas Tree Lane were the same night! I also went with Katera's preschool group on their field trip to Christmas Tree Lane. All I do is run from one place to another! They got to sit on Santa's lap at Christmas Tree Lane where Sekoya told him she wanted a hot pink ipod. This was news to me! That has not been on her list! Katera just grinned and nodded at everything he said to her. At least I didn't have any criers this year!

Family Pictures

While my sisters were here for Thanksgiving we took advantage and snapped a few family pictures to send out on Christmas cards. I was very happy with the ones we got- even the ones of Katera being a goof! She can never just sit and smile for me. She always has to pull a goofy pose, but that is who she is and I want to capture that in pictures too! I can not believe that we didn't take any of me with the girls or me with my cute hubby!! I guess we will have to do it again.