Christmas Eve fun

Our yearly picture with our new jammies in front of the tree. (It only took 4 tries to get a good picture)

Christmas Eve day started out with baking cookies for Santa. They were from a mix- just oatmeal chocolate chip, but it made Sekoya happy. She had been trying to set out a plate of goodies for Santa for a week now. I kept telling her that the milk would be sour by the time Santa got here.

After the cookies were done and Sekoya had a plate ready for Santa we loaded up all our snow clothes and went sledding. We went just outside of town past the shooting range. We didn't need a really big hill for our kids and we didn't want to fight any crowds. It turned out that we really didn't need a bigger hill..... since we had an injury within the first twenty minutes. Our good friends- the Blacks- came with and they ended up in the ER with a badly broken leg. We felt so bad. We stayed and sledded for about two hours. Our kids had a blast. We had a good little campfire going and lots of goodies and hot chocolate. Sekoya was the energizer bunny on the sleds. She just kept going and going and loving every minute of it. At first we just pulled Katera and Aubrei around on a sled- which they both loved. Then Katera wanted to go down the hill. Jason sent her down all on her own and she couldn't get enough. She kept asking for more, more, more. It was a great way to tire out the kids for the afternoon.

After sledding we came back to Grandma Sindy's to a wonderful spread of mexican food. We did the cousin's gift exchange game, then read the nativity and had the kids dress the parts. They were all so excited for whatever part they got. I'm not quite sure what Katera was. I just put a crown on her and handed her a stuffed animal. Then it was home to bed to wait for Santa to come. It was a very busy, fun-filled day with lots of family.

Is this neglect?

We have been trying to get Katera used to the idea of potty training. I make her go in one diaper most of the day unless she goes number 2. This was one of the worst soggy diapers I have ever seen. She ran up to me and wiggled her bum and said "Look my diaper wiggles!" I just don't know what I am going to do with this stubborn girl. She doesn't like her diapers, but she just won't go on the potty. It is such a defiance thing.

Friends Get together

Cami (Christensen) Brienholt, Kassie (Olcott) Howe, Me, Heather (Turner) Hernandez

On Saturday the 20th Kassie was in town for the first time in a long time. That gave us a good excuse to get some of the old friends together. And most of us live in town! Heidi wasn't able to make it, but we had a great time visiting and catching up at my house while the kids ran wild. What some great memories I have of these girls. We sure had some fun times growing up!

Help!!!

Ok, so I have been bragging for the last year about the wonderful book I was able to print of my blog last year. I used some software from a site called Blurb.com. Now I have been informed that Blurb no longer supports the Blogger blogs and you can not print your book through them.

HELP!!!!

I gave both our parents a promise to print them a blog book for Christmas and now I can't. Does anybody know any other place that I can synch my blog to print???

Cutest two year old alive!

Isn't this the cutest little girl ever? She is at such a fun age- learning to talk and develop her own personality. Every day I crack up over something she says to me. As you can see by the following pictures there is never a dull moment with her.

This is her mad face as requested by Sekoya.


This is her happy face......



And this is what happens when I get busy folding laundry. Sekoya got out the sprinkles that we use to decorate Valentine's cookies. I told Katera that we needed to wash her up and she said, "No, I lick it!" Her face and hands were stained pink the rest of the day.





Katera stole my black hat off my head one afternoon while Sekoya was at school. She looked so stinkin' cute so I grabbed my camera and told her to pose for me. I think she did a great job. In fact I am probably going to blow a couple of these up to put on the wall.

Even with her defiant attitude and her telling me - "Leave me alone, I don't want you, Don't touch me" how can I not love this face and the little girl that goes with it?

Nutcracker

This week Sekoya performed her ballet dance in the Nutcracker. It is an annual show done by her dance teacher. It was a very long wait to see my little sweetie dance. I just don't appreciate ballet. I don't see how running around the stage and flapping your arms in the air is entertaining. I guess it shows that I am an unrefined, small town girl. I must say that I think the little ones were quite entertaining. Sekoya did a great job, but for some reason she was really nervous about this one. I could see it in her face as she walked onto the stage. Theirs was the third to last class to perform in an hour and half show. And it was for two nights in a row! Thankfully I was able to find babysitters for Katera both nights. She would have been a bear sitting through that. I was also a little miffed at how late it got done- 9:30 PM. That is late for little ones. Jason keeps cussing me, but I am crossing my fingers that Sekoya doesn't want to make dance a long term thing.

Snow much fun!

Another couple of storms hit this week. Of course, they happened when Jason wasn't home to shovel for me. It really stinks to have your hubby gone when there's outdoor things that need to be done. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem doing them, but it is hard when you have two kids that want to be at your side every minute. I bundled the girls up and they played in the snow while I shoveled. This is Katera's first year to really enjoy the snow- and she did! She never even got cold or wanted to go inside. Sekoya couldn't wait to make a snow angel, but she didn't last long. She was ready to go inside after about 2o minutes. I only shoveled the front steps and enough of the driveway to get my car out and it took me about an hour. I think when Jason gets home we will be buying a snow blower!!

Merry Christmas!

There's eight days 'til Christmas...
excitement is in the air.
As THE DAY gets closer,
I want to pull out my hair!


The house is decorated...
one, two, and three times.
It's so much more work with
two and five year olds combined.


The stockings are hung....
by the fireplace with care.
I hope when they're down
it won't leave a mark there.


We've gone through flour and sugar..
too many pounds to count.
All the cookies and cakes
make the calories mount!


Shopping and wrapping...
don't forget the returns.
I always buy too much,
you'd think I would learn.



With all of this frenzy...
I try not to forget-
The real Christmas magic
Is not from gifts we get.


It is sipping hot cocoa
by a nice warm fire.
Watching my girls' eyes
light up with desire.


Listening to music
filled with holiday cheer.
Snuggling and cuddling
with those that are dear.


Most important of all....
our dear Savior's birth.
The greatest of gifts
to all on the earth.


The holiday season
is almost done.
And I haven't sent a card
not even one.


So consider this...
us wishing the best.
To our friends, family,
and all of the rest.

Merry Christmas!!!

Light Parade and SNOW!!

The light parade was way short this year due to the big snow storm that hit. It is the first one of the year. We watched the parade from Grant's office where we were having an office party. Sekoya and Katera didn't mind the frigid temperatures and watched outside with Jason. Katera really enjoyed herself - if that isn't obvious in the pictures. Grant also had his whole family with all their kids. There were kids of every age and they had a blast playing together. Katera befriended Brooklyn and decided that they needed to dance.

Baking, Baking, Baking

In the last two weeks I have gone through 15-20 pounds of flour and 12-16 pounds of sugar!!

Sekoya trying to lick frosting off her elbow.

Katera would frost, then lick, frost, lick. Don't worry we didn't serve those cookies to anybody.

This is the time of year many of our family anxiously await......... coconut bread time. It is such a yummy recipe- that I will not share so don't ask. But we only make it at Christmas time. It kinda makes it all that more magical. I make enough for neighbors, friends, visiting teaching ladies, and family. There is NEVER enough to fill everybody's sweet tooth. But I have to draw the line at 8 batches! I think my mixer's motor might blow up if I tried to make any more. We also made sugar cookies for my office party. Those are always fun for the kids to help cut out and then frost. I really have a hard time baking with my kids, but I try to not be mean. I just can't stand to have a mess even when we're in the middle of baking. I clean as I go. That is hard to do when every time I turn my back on them they are throwing handfuls of flour in the air. Little stinkers! Only one more batch of cookies to make- for Santa!

This is where the Birthdays stop......29 Forever

Today I turn 29! And that is where I am forever stopping my birthdays. I CAN'T ever be 30.... that is old and I don't feel old. It's really not old, but when I was in high school it seemed like anyone 30 and older was an old fart. I am just sitting at home today with nothing special going on. It's amazing how birthdays change when you get older and become the adult of the house. I remember when I was younger and how big of a deal my birthday was. I absolutely had to do something amazing and wonderful or it was a crappy day. Well, today my amazing and wonderful event will be making a treat or Christmas decorations with my kids. Which really is amazing and wonderful if you think about it. I can't think of two better (little) people to spend my day with. There are only two things that would make my day more wonderful - if my girls could get along all day, and have Jason home to give me a hug!

Just a quick note- don't ever have a December child. Or if you do make sure you separate Christmas and Birthday! I remember a lot of birthday gifts getting combined with Christmas gifts and it was not cool when I was younger. (not to mention sharing birthday parties with my sis who's birthday is one day before mine) Love ya sis, but I'm sure you feel the same way.

I keep getting asked what I want or am getting for my birthday. I have so many things and have been so blessed with financial stability in this scary economy of ours that I don't really need anything. This chocolate cake with chocolate covered strawberries looks devine though!!

Late nap = late bed time

It was 10:00 PM last night and this is what Katera was doing instead of sleeping.....

I guess it's my fault for letting her nap for three hours until 5 PM. She was being so cute and just humming while she was sticking stickers all over her belly. She makes me smile! She has the cutest personality when she is happy. Love her to pieces!!