surprised

My birthday isn't for a few more days, so I was surprised to come home today and find an early birthday present.

Chris, with help from his friend Reed, installed some shelves in the garage.
I love them!

Chris put everything away, and look at all this free space!

We could almost throw a dance party.

Thank you Chris for an awesome birthday present!

Bet you didn't know.....

......our tiny town actually has a mall.
It is very shocking.
It is not a large mall, but with 2 departmentish stores and about 10-15 others store, it is a mall.

It is cold outside, and there is snow on the ground.
We went to the mall so the girls could push their new strollers around.

Ashlee got tired of that game about 3 minutes in.
And so Caitlin attempted to push both strollers.

While there we let the girls ride the little Christmas train, as I'm sure it will be going away very soon. They loved that.



At home we made han-ger-bers.

We all just pretended to eat them, except Ashlee, who made a real attempt- twice.

She was NOT happy when we scrapped the play dough out of her mouth.

Sorry Ash, but that is gross.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning was great.

This is the first year Caitlin was really pumped about everything, and wondering if Santa came.

(I think she thought he would be sitting downstairs waiting for us)

The girls had fun unwrapping, and playing.

Chris and I had fun watching them.

I love Ashlee's slippers. She looks so cute wearing them.

The girls got new strollers this year.

We were thankful for the time to be together.

While we missed our families, we had fun starting some of our own traditions.

Merry Christmas!

final day until christmas

December 24th- many things

Chris and the girls made cookies.

Any and all unwrapped presents were wrapped.

Many delicious foods were cooked.

We went to a friends house for Christmas Eve festivities and while there:

sweater fest (Chris' is legit, the others are a spoof)

great food

great company

a live nativity acted and sung

a note left from Santa

a hoe-down

more dancing

Then home to open a present and find warm pajamas and a book.

And to bed to dream about jingle bells and flying reindeer.

Days of Christmas- 22 & 23

December 22nd- look at lights.

December 23rd- gingerbread houses
We did these at my parents house last year, and my mom gave us a few extras to do this year with Caitlin (it was an adult activity last year).
It was fun for Caitlin, but kind of a lot of work for her little hands.
And Ashlee tried to be to much help, and we ended up having to keep her in her high chair, which she hated.
So Chris made 1 and I helped Caitlin make one, and we still have one for next year.

Days of Christmas- 20 & 21

December 20th- eat peppermint ice cream

December 21st- watch a Christmas movie

Chris brought a projector home from work, so we rearranged the furniture and made ourselves a little movie theater.

A few other kids came to watch, and they enjoyed the movie while eating popcorn and candy.

Ashlee wasn't very interested, but Caitlin thought is was great.

I can now see the appeal of a theater room; it really is nice to watch a movie that is projected so large.

In Loving Memory

Our beloved Nani...

you have left behind quite a legacy. We love you and will miss you.

Days of Christmas- 19

December 19th- Christmas party
Adults only- sorry Caitlin and Ashlee.
Chris and I enjoyed an ugly sweater party with a bunch of our friends.

We found our matching sweaters at a thrift store.
Chris really played his up and won "hottest".
Thanks, Jen and Brook, for a great party!

We also watched the first bowl game of the season. The Cowboys beat Fresno State in a great game. Go Pokes!

Days of Christmas- 16, 17, & 18

December 16th-sing Christmas songs

Chris was out of town on a recruiting trip Mon-Thurs, so our Christmas songs mostly consisted of me singing and the girls listening and clapping.

Caitlin joined in on a few that she does know.

And she thinks it is wonderful that her friend, Noelle, has a song about her.

December 17th-drink hot chocolate

This was just Chris and the girls as I was off to my Relief Society Christmas dinner and I really don't care for hot chocolate at all.

They love drinking it through the candy cane straws for the about 5 seconds before it melts closed again, and then they enjoy just eating the candy canes.

December 18th- eat snowman pancakes

Chris made them for us for breakfast.

They were perfect.

The day also consisted of Chris and the girls playing in the backyard in the snow.

Chris called it "Man verses snow out back" and walked around talking like Bear Grylls.

front page

Remember how we went to the library on Tuesday?

Well, we had a surprise in the paper on Wednesday.

Caitlin was on the front page, waiting to see Santa.

See how she is looking off to the left?

That is where Miss Wyoming was standing.

That is probably when she was asking her where her princess dress was.

Days of Christmas- 15

December 15th- visit the library
The public library near our house had a little Christmas evening planned. We went and enjoyed some little kids singing and santa and cookies. And Miss Wyoming came and Caitlin thought she was a real princess, what with her tirarra and sash. She actually asked her where her princess dress was, and kept saying "she is a princess just like i am a princess."

the fantastic photo from my phone.

Days of Christmas 12, 13, & 14

December 12th- make Christmas cookies

We opted for Christmas brownies, and Ashlee and Caitlin helped me make them.

December 13th- deliver brownies

We delivered them to the families that Chris and I home and visit teach.

December 14th- service

Ashlee and I picked up a name on the giving tree this morning.

This evening we all went shopping for a 1 year old girl and were able to get her some clothes and toys. Then the girls helped wrap the gifts.

I tried to explain to Caitlin what we were doing, and why we were doing it, and I'm not sure she really understood; but she showed such excitement while we were picking out gifts at the store and wrapping them, that I think she felt the spirit of it.

This was a very meaningful and touching day for me.

Sweet little girl, we hope you have a merry Christmas!

Days of Christmas- 11

December 11th- make Christmas cards
We used potato stamps to put a picture on each card. While cutting the picture into the potato, I wasn't sure it would really work very well.
It worked great and was a huge hit with Caitlin and Ashlee.
They didn't want to stop.
I told Caitlin we could do some more for valentines day.
I hope I don't forget.

Days of Christmas 9 & 10

December 9th- read a story of Jesus' birth and talk about why we celebrate Christmas

December 10th- color Christmas pictures

I think she is envisioning it in her head.
Caitlin is sure growing up all of a sudden. She is actually making an attempt to stay in the lines while coloring.

Yesterday at pre-school I picked her up and she said, "My name is C then A then I then T then L then I then N." We have been practising for some time, but this was the first time she could do it.

While coloring tonight she asked for red, and I handed her a red (well, I knew it was actually violet-red, but it looks red and would she really know the difference?) She started coloring and said, "Mom, this is more pink, but that's ok". Ohhhhhh- busted, I then traded her for "real" red.

And speaking of crayons, I was enjoying the names of some of the colors in our box:

• macaroni and cheese
• wisteria
• purple mountain's majesty
• mauvelous (that was my favorite)

And the over abundance of brown crayons.

• tumbleweed
• burnt sienna
• sepia
• raw sienna
• chestnut
• mahogany
• tan
• brown

8 in a box of 48 seems like overkill to me.

Days of Christmas 7 & 8

December 7th- Christmas party
The social science department at WWCC had a Christmas party at a local restaurant, so we had a date and the girls had a babysitter. The girls think there is nothing funner then a babysitter, so a nice evening was had by all.

December 8th- read a Christmas story
The story tonight was one we checked out from the library today. I joined in after the picture, and am pleased to announce that Ashlee actually sat with us for the whole story.

"Baby its cold outside"

Can you say FREEZING temperatures. The high today is predicted to be 5, the low (with wind chill) -41.

And it will be this way through at least Friday.

All I can say is Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

This arctic weather all started last week on Thursday, the day my Mom and sister came to visit from sunny Arizona. They were good sports, but they were freezing.

We had a fun time with them and we are so glad they came to visit! Even in the freezing cold.

"You pretend a Grandma and we will pretend babies"

Annie and Mom pulling a cracker.

The girls loved to play with their Bamma Berta.

Days of Christmas- 6

December 6th- pull crackers
Pulling crackers is a UK Christmas tradition that we learned while living in Scotland. I made some for our Scotish table at the ward party, so we pulled them before dinner tonight.
How does it work? 2 people hold each side and pull, it makes a popping (cracking) noise and whoever ends up with the long popping stick in their hand gets the prize inside.
We had slight alterations, but it was more or less the same.
We pulled them before dinner, than ate on our new Christmas plates, and enjoyed watching the Christmas Devotional after dinner.

Days of Christmas- 4 & 5

December 4th- ward Christmas party

The theme was Christmas around the world, and we had a table displaying Christmas in Scotland. We also enjoyed dinner and a talent show, which Chris mc'd. And all the kids enjoyed a special visit at the end.

Caitlin wrote a letter to Santa earlier in the day and later told him the exact things she had drawn in her letter. She wants a baby doll and me, her mama for Christmas.

December 5th- make craft with Grandma and Annie

We made gingerbread men that my mom brought. Anything that we do that involves glue is a hit with Caitlin. Ashlee just enjoyed helping Grandma.

They turned out cute and are all unique.

Days of Christmas- 3

December 3rd: make treat

The girls each got to open a gift from us, which was an apron for each of them. Then they got to help make a christmas treat- carmel shortbread. We will eat it tomorrow because it wasn't ready until after they went to bed.

Ashlee really likes the apron, she just didn't want to stand up.

See, happy sitting on Grandma's lap.

That is the other exciting thing that happened today. Bamma Berta and Annie came for a visit!

Days of Christmas- 2

December 2nd: make snowflakes

Caitlin's masterpieces

side note- when we lived in Scotland we had very few decorations. So we made lots of snowflakes and hung them from the ceiling. It looked great and very festive.