What a great day!

What a great day! Tad just got home Thursday from California and we were supposed to go down to SL for moms Christmas party...but we got snowed in :(. We were bummed yesterday that we didn't get to go to the party, but today was such a nice day just being able to all be at home at the same time and not have to run anywhere! My house is clean, clean, clean...such a great feeling! My kids played together all day...we practically had to rip them apart tonight to put them to bed! We made a gingerbread train! I was going to make the gingerbread houses this year from scratch...but I waited too long into the season, now I am just trying to fit in wrapping gifts, taking around neighbor gifts and all of the other little things there are to do this time of year! I had to settle on just making gingerbread men! The kids don't care weather it came out of a box or mom made it, they just want to decorate it with candy and lick the frosting! The train really turned out cute though! We spent the rest of the evening dancing around the kitchen to Christmas music and playing Hi Ho Cherry O! Tad is off for the next two weeks!!!Ypee! No school or work!









I had the kids pictures taken a couple of weeks ago. Trey was hilarious. After each shot he would say, "Ok, we're done here". Poor kid... you could read it all over his face. It was like puling teeth to get him to smile!

Oh...the POWER of the BLOG!

So when I took the picture below of the ladies party at the rest home...two things went through my head...
1. this is going to be me when I am older
2. I hope that no one reading my blog know this person, no of course they wouldn't.
Well, they did. Turns out Tad's dad (Hi Gaylen!), was reading my blog and called Tad...Jean Pugmire just happens to be his older sisters (our favorite Aunt Karla!) best friend. They have been friends for years! How random is that...! What a small world moment!

Wheelchairs or bust!

Ok, so Tad is always teasing me that I would throw a party any day of the week for no reason at all. Tonight the girls performed at a Retirement Home(they were adorable!!!) and I found this on each one of the tables in the dinning room. I had a vision of the future of Tad and I in our little retirement room and inviting all of our "buddies" over for a roarin good time! Scrabble or bingo anyone?

Ok...this blogging thing is addicting...and a major time waster...one blog leads to another and then another...ahhhhh! Ok, down to wrap some gifts and watch a little Mama Mia!

Tis the Season...

Goodness...it has been only a few days but there have been so many things going on!

* We went down last Friday so that the girls could have a "painting sleepover" with their Grandma Reta! Mom and Dad decided to go down too so 3P could have a sleepover with Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Mitch (then mom and dad could have a date!!!). Trey had a blast being just one on one with Grandma & Grandpa and even Grandma Kelly!!! He had them in stitches most of the night! The girls had a blast staying up late and painting all morning on Saturday! They painted a ton of cute tree ornaments to put on the little cute tree grandma got for each of them to put into their room!
Saturday we were planning on taking Trey to the zoo. He was so excited, until we walked out the door and it was snowing like crazy. Instead we ended up snowed in at Grandma Reta's playing the WII, making gingerbread houses and eating pizza!

* One of my most favorite people in our ward, Sister Blotter, requested that our November Enrichment be put in place of our 2nd week lesson! It went really well and a lot of people that weren't able to make it to Enrichment were there! I took the idea from here http://www.lilieslane.com/Resources/ReliefSociety/Lessons/lessonholy_silent.html and then changed some of the music and made it into a DVD. It was really nice to have a quiet moment to reflect on what is important, especially this time of year.

*Cutes had her first Christmas piano recital on Sunday! She was very first and did a wonderful job! She was so excited to play. All of the kids love listening to all of the other students play! It was a wonderful night of beautiful Christmas music!



*Monday was our second annual Christmas Cookie Exchange (thanks Nicole for the idea way back when!) for the kids! Wow...what a blast! We had 17 kids, ages 2 to 8! Each family brought 6 dozen cookies...I have never seen so many beautiful cookies! I made homemade oreos! They were great...just like the real thing...but softer. If you need an easy recipe for the holidays, this is it! The kids eyes popped out of their heads when they walked into the kitchen! I just used decorated shirt boxes and let the kids go around and around taking cookies until they were almost all gone! Cookies along with hot wassail...well needless to say, my house was pretty loud! Luckily they all were having a blast down in the basement and could run around as much as they wanted to! Cutes also got to bring home Kristy Bear from school so that she could be a part of her party! We took pictures of the bear eating brownies and drinking milk then of course helping us clean up! Cutes was excited to write about her adventures this morning with Kristy Bear!

Make a Smilebox recipe

*I really, really do not like getting cold. I think that I do, the thought of building the perfect snowman and sledding down the hill or even having a fun filled snowball fight, sounds, well perfect. But then...REALITY happens...let me explain...
I told the kids that we would go outside and play in the snow right after school...plan, at 3:30 go outside for an hour, come in at 4:30, do homework, get ready for dance by 5:30.
Reality,
round up all of the snow clothes, meanwhile 3P falls asleep on the couch.Get cutes dressed, then try to explain to Lips why she can't wear a skirt under her snow suit, and finally get her dressed. Wrestle the gloves out of the dogs mouth. Have Cutes take the dog outside. Try to get each finger properly placed into Lips gloves, finally give up and go for the gloves that have no fingers. Wake 3P up and realize that I am not dressed to go outside. While 3P is struggling to stay awake, I hurry and put my snow clothes on. I finally convince 3P that he really does want to go outside just so that he can wear his new light up spider man boots. Yeah...we are finally outside...it is snowing. Time...4:30. Was it all worth it...definitely!
We had a blast...even when I was freezing cold, I was the one wanting to stay outside! We went sledding in our front yard, built a cute little snowman (with our new snowman kit). We were having so much fun that we accidentally missed dance...oops!
We went inside and had hot chocolate and dinner! Then we decided to make the kids friends gifts!They are these cute bookmarks made with ribbon and buttons! They were so easy that all the kids helped even 3P. We had a blast today!

A Late Night Request!

Cutes lost her tooth on Monday at school! This is her 6th lost tooth and her second one that she has lost at school! She loves losing them at school, because she gets all the attention and gets a special envelope to put it in! Anyway, I made a mistake when she lost her first tooth. She was really creaped out by the thought of the tooth fairy coming into her room at night while she was asleep. She didn't want the tooth fairy to take her tooth away either. So I told her that I would write a letter to the tooth fairy and put it with the tooth, requesting that Cutes could keep her tooth. She was thrilled! Well, every tooth since then she wants to write a note so that she can keep her tooth. I told her this time that the tooth fairy had let her keep 5 teeth and that it was time for her to start taking them back with her. (honestly what am I going to do with all of these teeth). She went to bed and when Tad played tooth fairy, he found this


It had to have been pretty late...cause I am not sure where "toth bere" came from! Maybe I should translate...
"Dear tooth fairy,
I really want my tooth bad. Please give it to me and leave ten dollars and please let me go where you put teeth."
Tad and I laughed forever about the leave 10 dollars part....I guess she thought what the heck, might as well ask.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I love everything about this time of the year! The traditions, the baking, the decorating, the crafts, the hot cider, the shopping, the giving, the party's!!! I can't believe the month is already half over! So a little catching up (for journaling purposes).
I gave the lesson in RS on Sunday (sooo glad that is over!)
On Monday we hosted the annual neighborhood party! Everyone brought a goody to share and then brought food to donate to the local food pantry! We had a great turn out and it was wonderful to see every square in of our house bursting at the seams with happy, chatty people! The kids loved playing in our basement, good thing they don't mind the gigantic deer pictures on the wall (pictures of that will be posted soon because it is going to be my January project!)!
Last night Jess and I had our girls night out! Olive Garden and a funny movie...just what the doctor ordered! We went and saw Ghost Town and laughed so hard we were crying! The kids and Tad had a blast going to El Sol (the kids fav)!
Tonight is our ward Christmas party! I am #5 in the 12 days of Christmas. The activity director claimed that I wasn't a shy one in our ward...I beg to differ...I am royally freaked out over just saying one line over and over again!

I am completely done with shopping for Christmas. I kept it really simple this year...One thing from Santa with stockings, and then three simple gifts... a want, a need and a treasure. The treasure was easy because Tad has given the girls every year since they were born a Precious Moment for Christmas. A need, I made the girls the patch skirts that are posted over on the side here. I of course could only make the skirt, so I bought the rest of the outfit. My kids love to cook! They are always making stuff and wanting to help me in the kitchen, so I made them the most adorable aprons and then at Bed, Bath and Beyond I found a kit that has mini cookie pans and measuring cups and wisks! Anyway, I kept it really simple this year and hopefully we will be able to remember the spirit of Christmas, more than the craziness of it.
The kids and I have been making cookies, getting Christmas pictures taken, seeing Santa and wrapping a ton! It has been so much fun!


The kids are excited about our second annual Cookie Exchange! The kids just passed out their invitations yesterday! They turned out really cute!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Ok, one last thing...(I seriously need to start posting daily, sorry this is so long). I made this wassail for the party Monday...it is always a favorite and so easy!

Make a Smilebox recipe

Meeting talks, licking pine cones & 74 year old cheerleaders!

I know, I know...you are questioning what I could possibly be talking about with a crazy heading like that...well I will end the suspense, it is my thankful list. As I have been reflecting on the things that I am thankful for in my life, almost everything is centered on the blessing of my three sweet children. I am so thankful that I get to spend my days (& sometimes nights!) experiencing everything wonderful and odd and funny and lovely that they bring into our lives! So on we go into the stories that keep me laughing and on my toes and wanting to crawl into bed at 8 o'clock every night!

Meeting Talks...

Cutes is absolutely a joy...she is sunshine...she wakes in the morning with a smile and ends her day still so full of life and wanting more. She creates like nobodies business. The wheels in her head are always moving. Tonight for instance she was in our basement for two minutes before she had her brother and sister putting together the most amazing fort with bridges that they could walk over and everything! She loves writing us notes! She hangs them on our mirrors, leaves them in our cars or anywhere else she can think of! I think that my hubby has a stack in his suitcase that he takes with him any time he is out of town!

Tonight as we were getting ready for bed, she went in to use the restroom and invited her sister in with her. As I was wrestling to get 3Ps pajamas on I overheard her say, "Sister, it's time for a meeting talk!" (Because I didn't have a sister, whenever my girls are showing 'sisterly bonding', I am all for it. Whether that means moving their beds closer together, giggling till at ten at night...I say bond, bond, bond!!!) I took 3P upstairs and the girls soon followed. Lips said, "Mom, we haven't had family prayer yet." I said that I knew, I was just waiting for them, but that I was proud of them that they reminded me. Cutes spoke up and said, "Yeah Mom, that's what we talk about in our meeting talks...all the sacred stuff that we need to know about!" I hope that the meeting talks always continue, although I am sure one day they will be more about clothes and boys and hopefully a little still about the "sacred stuff that they need to know about!"

Licking Pine cones...

Sounds yummy huh! Well you had to know that this one was about 3P! One of my favorite things to buy come December are those yummy cinnamon smelling pine cones! I brought them home the other day and placed them in a basket over the heater so that the cinnamon will feel up the front room. 3P came in and said..."ooh, that smells yummy. What are you making?" I showed him that it was the pine cones. I went into the other room and when I returned he was standing there licking the pine cone like it was a sucker. I couldn't believe it. I never in my wildest would imagine anyone licking a pine cone, no matter what it had on it. I think that I need to make cinnamon suckers this week!

74 year old cheerleaders...

Lips is a very thoughtful, deep thinker, who at times seems to (in her mind) have all things figured out. So I will go on with the conversation that she had with my friend Jessica.

Jessica: Lips, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Lips: I want to be a princess.

Jessica: Oh, I think that you already are a princess.

Lips: No, right now I am Lips. But one day when I am 8 I will be a princess.

Jessica: Oh(thinking of what to ask her next)

Lips: and then I am going to be a doctor.

Jessica: a doctor, that seems like a good thing to be

Lips: Yes, and then I think that when I am 74 I will be a cheerleader

Jessica: You are going to go from being a princess to a doctor to a cheerleader!

Lips: Yep...Utah State HEY AGGIES ALL THE WAY!

Jessica: (just trying not to burst out laughing)

Lips: and when I am 78 I am going to be one of those girls at Lee's that puts my mommies groceries into the bags!

I can't help but picture a 78 year old Lips with a tiara on bagging groceries doing back flips over to help a lady who just dropped a case of cream of chicken soup onto her foot!

How lucky am I that I get to hear the words that come out of my children's mouths! This is my thankful list this year...the innocent minds of children and the love that they have for life!