:)

Christmas

Santa came! We had a wonderful (but early) Christmas Day. I wish everyday could be Christmas.

Christmas Eve

We are having Christmas a little early at our house this year. Since we are going to North Carolina for Christmas and we didn't want to have to take all the gifts with us and bring them back, we had to have Christmas Eve yesterday on the 19th, and Christmas on the 20th. We always open one present on Christmas Eve, and no it is not jammies, the kids get to pick anything under the tree:) Kailer got a birthday thomas set, and Katie Beth opened a cheer leader set. The had a good time playing before it was time to get ready for Santa and go to bed!

Sunbeams Christmas Party

We had a Christmas party for our sunbeams at our house yesterday afternoon. We played lots of fun games, made bracelets, decorated cookies, and had a really fun time. All the kids we able to come except for one, but we missed you Griffin!

Yes, He's Still Alive

Despite the below zero temperatures and the mounds of snow..Dougrr is still alive. No popsicle yet!

Kailer's addiction

Kailer is now addicted to you tube. He has learned to work the lap top all by his self. His rule is he is only allowed to watch it once the sky is dark, he wants to watch it literally all day. He can sit there for hours and watch thomas videos. There are a lot of homemade thomas videos and a lot of really unique videos on you tube that you can't get anywhere else so he loves it. I guess there are worse things right?

Elk's Lodge Dance Performance

Katie Beth had her third dance performance on Thursday at the Elk's Lodge. She did so awesome and I was so proud of her! She is finally doing her dance! I didn't video tape her this time so I could get some pictures of her dancing since I don't have any. Now I'm sad I don't have her finally dancing on video. Hopefully another one of the mom's video taped it!

Mr. Conductor

Kailer is now Mr. Conductor. He wears a thomas shirt, thomas sweatshirt, his special "K" train hat, and jeans every single day of his life. He refuses to wear anything else and calls himself Mr. Conductor. I am in a constant state of panic trying to find a clean thomas shirt for him to wear to school. He has three, one on his body, one in the wash, and one in the dryer. Oh well.

Seeing Kai off to school

Katie Beth is no longer crying when Kailer gets on the bus for preschool! Most days she will give him a kiss as he is leaving and a kiss as soon as he walks in the door.

My early Christmas present

My lovely husband bought me a new camera for Christmas. It's a Nikon D60 and I love it. He wanted me to have it early so I could learn how to use it in time for Christmas. I'm still really not sure how to use it, but I got a digital slr book for dummies so we hope that helps. Here are a few pics that I snapped with it..again not knowing what I am doing.

Car thief:(

We were awakened this morning by a barking dog and a super loud car alarm. At about 6:10 this morning someone tried to break into our car in the driveway. They were able to get the hood open to disable the battery so the alarm wouldn't work, but they were also trying to get the car door open. So our alarm went off, and the hood and door sensors were going off too. It took Brian almost a minute to get outside and by then they had run off. Luckily there was no damage to our car and the idiots didn't get anything. Guess we will have to start parking in the garage and locking our doors. The po-po came to file a report and said that they had been having countless car break-ins, so everybody be careful!

Santa

We took the kids to see Santa, we had them wear their Christmas outfits. They both were super excited and sat with him for a couple of pictures and told him what they wanted. Kailer ran up and gave him a big hug and told him he wanted a polar express train, and Katie Beth quietly let him know that she would take anything princess.

New Christmas Outfits

The kids are wearing their festive church clothes now and I have to say that they looked kinda cute. Katie Beth has a "santa" dress, and Kailer has a "Christmas train" outfit. She was posing for me on Sunday but Kailer wanted nothing to do with it.

Hillcrest Benefit Concert

Katie Beth had her 2nd dance performance at the Hillcrest Benefit Concert. She did a little better this time. She swayed her little skirt to the music but didn't move her hands at all. She is the one all the way on the left in the video.

Christmas Decor

We put up all of our Christmas decor the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We had a good time getting ready for Santa and you can definitely feel the Christmas spirit in our house now. The kids think that Christmas will be here when it snows and our house becomes a "candy house" (that's what they call outdoor Christmas lights). They walk by the stockings everyday and point and say who's stocking it is. The tree is a little scary. This year I decorated the top half and let the kids take a stab at the bottom half. They kept redecorating it over and over so I finally gave them 2 ornaments a piece that they were allowed to touch and to move. We have a new addition to our front yard this year also. Thomas the Train has taken up residence on the lawn. The kids looove him. We are so excited that the season is here and we are anxious to see the joy that it will bring to our family.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Elder Wirthlin passed away last night being the oldest apostle at 91.
:(

Christmas Tag

Christmas Movies
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
2. Miracle on 34th Street (the new one)
3. Home Alone
4. The Santa Claus
5. All the old school shows that come on year after year.

Christmas Songs
1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas-Kenny G
2. The Chipmunk Song- The Chipmunks
3. Merry Christmas Darling- The Carpenters
4. The Christmas Song- Nat King Kole
5. Grown Up Christmas Wish- Amy Grant

Christmas Memories
1. Eating Christmas dinner in mema's laundry room with Kensi and Logan.
2. Papa coming over Christmas morning to video tape us and what Santa brought.
3. The Christmas disaster in California..the whole family got sick with the stomach flu.
4. Wrapping Christmas presents for mema, and never realizing I was wrapping my own gift.
5. Christmas shopping with my mom.

Christmas Ornaments
1. The Christmas Story Lamp and Box that talks.
2. A cupcake I got at Target last year..so cute.
3. The kids ornaments, home made or store bought.
4. Set of Succors that are perfect for my tree.
5. All of the ones from my sister ornament exchange.

Christmas Gifts
1. Pink Ice ring from Aunt Sandra that I lost the next day.
2. Cabbage Patch Doll and Pillow Case Bunny from Grandma Rook that I still have.
3. Duke Sweatshirt from Aunt Sandra that I still wear, and Duke cups from her that are still our favorite.
4. Everything Santa ever brought me. I never got anything that wasn't Hot.
5. Mema's doll's that she picked out for us right before she passed away.

Christmas Wish List
1. Move to Forks.
2. Meet Edward.
3. Become a vampire.
4. Realize this will never happen and stay here with my Brian and just watch the movie again.
5. World Peace.

I tag Melanie, Becky, Camille, and Audrey