MERRY CHRISTMAS, SOME MORE

My girls in their Christmas Eve pajamas.
Sierra modeling her pajamas. This picture cracks me up. Don't you love her model stance.
The stocking. Sierra helped me design it and picked out the colors. It was a fun project to do together.
They got a doll house for Christmas. They love it. Sierra has been making up different voices and story lines all day long. It has warmed my heart to listen to her imaginative play.
My sister Emily got Sierra this Tinker Bell doll and it is the perfect size for her little house. She loves it.
Madison's favorite part of the doll house was the potty and kept helping all barbies get ready for potty time. Look at the barbie, cracks me up.
Curse, curse, yes we did... like almost every parent across America. I hated that she wanted this Pillow Pet so bad, but she did. One day we went to Walmart and she touched a Pillow Pet and said with a longing look in her eye, "It's as soft as they say it is on television. Mom feel it. It is so, so soft. Ahhh." I told her she was absolutely not getting one. Then late one night as I passed through the isles of Target, I threw it in the cart. Never shop late at night.
Lastly, you get a picture of me. I know it is rare. Sierra took it. I got a few new shirts for Christmas and am loving them. I hope your Christmas was as merry as are's was. If it wasn't, come by I have a lot of coconut cream pie left in the fridge. It will cheer you up.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This was Madison's favorite present by far. A book about Dora the Explorer. She carried it everywhere all day long. She told us the story over and over again. My favorite thing she would say was, "Swiper, no swiping." Followed by,"Oh, man." Cracked me up. She has watched a lot of Dora. It is her favorite show. Dora tip toes a lot. I love how on this little video clip MJ says, "Tip toe," and tries to tip toe. I love this little girl so sticking much. Two is my all time favorite age. I could eat her up. My other favorite thing about MJ this morning was when she unwrapped a baby blanket I had made her for her baby doll. She exclaimed really excitedly, "Here's your quilt Mom." and handed it back to me and said, "There go."


More to come.

FINAL TOUCHES

We went to the store yesterday to pick up a few things so that we could make Christmas dinner. It is going to be yummy. We picked up a gingerbread house kit. Sierra insisted on making the house all by herself. It looks like it, but she had fun. I made the girl's stockings. They are super cute. I know... on Christmas Eve? I got them done at 5:00pm. The girls are all tucked in now. They are dreaming of Santa Clause and Santa better finish wrapping presents and get them under the tree. I better go help him.

EXPLORING WITH THE GIRLS

I took the girls on a little nature hike up Dinasaur Hill. I took my camera to take pictures of nature and the event. Sierra wanted a camera too. I let her use my old one as long as she was very careful. She was. As we got closer to the top the hill turned into an icky-sticky mess. Sierra had at least three inches of mud stucked to her boots. Madison couldn't walk anymore. I knew if we made it over the ridge it was a shorter distances to the car, but Sierra kept sliding and falling into the mud and her little legs were practically cemented in place. I picked up MJ and took Sierra's hand and we got off the muddy trail and just hussled down the side of the hill. When we got to the bottom, we still had a long way to go. Sierra said, "I can't do this." I said, "Yes, you can. You are so brave." She said, "I am not brave. I am scared." I said, "Being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared it just means you will do it anyway." She was a trooper and made it all the way to the car. When she saw the car she got excited and even jogged the last few feet. When we arrived we were all sporting three inches of mud on her shoes. There was a couple at the base and they were headed out. Sierra yelled, "You don't want to go up there. There is a lot of icky sticky mud." They laughed. I am sure the locals are aware you don't hike that hill in the winter. Sigh.

IT's THE BEES KNEES

I and my sister-in-law took our two oldest kids out to the tracks and took some pictures. I have to say, it was the bees knees.

THEIR COUSINS CAME, AND WE ARE SO HAPPY

My Father-in-law came down to see the good dentist to get his permanent bridge put in place. They drove from California to Utah for Christmas, then they were going to skip down here and then back up there. The roads were snowy so my sister-in-law volunteered to bring them in her SUV. She brought her three little ones and we had a party. Bonnie is a photoshop genius and can teach it in a way that is so easy to understand. I learned more in an hour of sitting with her last night than I have in all the books I have checked out from the library and all searches I have done on line. I have a months worth of information to digest. When I get it digested I may be making a trip back to Utah for another lesson. We had a blast.

CHRISTMAS VIDEO

My sister-in-law posted this to her blog a few days ago. It made me cry. I realize that no matter how much I give, I give too little. There are people in the world that work so much harder than me and give so much more and I am truly humbled by their simple ways. P.S. It is my sister-in-laws father that runs the vinyard. I just think that is cool and she is cool.

CAN WE PLAY IN THE SPRINKLERS NOW?

We went to the Dinosaur Museum this morning. Then when we got home I was picking up and CC came out with her swimming suit on. She asked is she could go out and play in the sprinkler. It is nice out. You can get away with just a jacket, but it isn't really the kind of weather you should be running through the sprinklers in. I suggested she go play in the bath tub instead. She insisted she needed goggles. Here she is in tub with a swimming suit and goggles.

GOOD MAN

I am finally surfacing from a four day illness. I am grateful for my husband, who doesn't like to be mentioned here, but he really took care of me. He took both girls to buy a fish on Friday while I slept. He took both the girls to an indoor gymnasim on Saturday for three hours while I rested. Finally, he took both of the girls to church by himself. I am certain it is only because of him that I am finally feeling better.

SHE THINKS THIS IS HER

Hey, I am just going to throw this post up too. It has been a long time comming. MJ carries this picture around all the time and says, "Mom and Maison." I certainly think it looks a whole lot like her, but it is Sierra. I have told her at least a dozen times that it is not her, but she doesn't believe me.

OUR ANGEL

Last night they had the Fruita Christmas parade. All of the little primary children dressed up as angels or shepherds and piled into the back of a flat bed truck with hay. On board the truck was also a Mary and Joseph and a baby Jesus, which wasn't real, at least that is what Sierra said. She said, "Mom we were suppose to wave to all the people but I couldn't see the people because they wouldn't let me stand up, so I only got to wave to the other kids in the truck." I was a little sloppy with her costume I just threw a white skirt over her coat and warm clothes and put a yellow headband in her head. She told me she didn't look like a real angel because she didn't have wings. Then I gave her a long lecture on the fact that angels don't have wings. Then she seemed satisfied. When she arrived at the church and some others mimicked her earlier comments she retorted with my lecture. I was proud. Although, she asked if she might be able to wear wings next year anyway, I think that could be arranged.

WARD PARTY

Sierra really wanted to go to the Christmas party. Santa was going to be there. She missed Santa at school because of the rash. I really felt like it was the last chance she would have to see Santa before Christmas. We went. Breakfast was delicious. Her little friend, Darcy's daughter, finally convinced her to go up and sit on Santa's lap. They held hands all the way to him. I thought it was super cute.

Laugh: In the picture of Sierra sitting on Santa's lap, can you see the gum in her hair? It is hard to see because it blends in a little with Santa's hair. She just thought it would be fun to stick gum in her hair.

Laugh: Sierra has wanted to lose a tooth for sometime, a lot of kids at school have lost a tooth and have been visited by the toothfairy. However, she just turned five and most of the children in her class have turned six. Today she stuck a pencil in her tooth to pry one of her teeth out. MJ assisted. Let's just say she has a loose tooth now. Neither of her parents are happy about it, especially one who will remain nameless.

CLICK CLACK

MJ loves these little shoes. She has been wearing them all day. You can hear her coming down the hall. We have wood flooring so her little click clacks echo through the house. I have had a slight headache today, but I still think it is the cutest thing ever. Speaking of such, you always take good health for granted when you aren't sick. Two days ago I was headed out to do some visiting teaching and we got to the door and I turned to my partner and said, "It is so cold." She said, "Not really." That was the beginning. My body has been achey and I have been freezing. I have the worse sore throat known to man and a few other symptoms I don't care to mention. I will be grateful when this passes.

NO SCHOOL

We had no school today. Sierra's rash got worse. Last night her pink dots turned to pussy weepy sores. It was like my baby hit puberty early and had a zitty, pizza, puss filled, face. She went to school yesterday and she said the kids kept telling her, "You have pink dots on your face." She said, "I know." She said, "Mom, why did kids keep saying that, don't they know that I know I have pink dots on my face." (I laughed to myself.)They actually started to look better by the afternoon and you can hardly tell they are there in this picture with all the "hazel nut spread" on her face.

It is a lot of work having both of my girls home all day. There is endless teasing and playing. I always know when they are getting into trouble, because unlike other children, my children think it is absolutely hilarious to do naughty things. The more each other laughs the more mischievous they get. True example: MJ spit water out on the floor. Sierra starts laughing. MJ does it again. Sierra copies. MJ starts laughing. Sierra does it again. Insane laughter erupts from the kitchen, I peak in and see them. Sigh.

SNOOKS BOTTOM

We took Dad to Snooks Bottom while he was here. It was a beautiful day. The sky was so blue. The sun was shining. It was a little bit chilly. Don't let Nate and Sierra's attire deceive you, they don't feel cold. Madison couldn't get enough of her Grandpa and I could of included at least a dozen more pictures of them together. They are so fun together, but I think this post has enough pictures. Sierra wore her fairy wings. Her and her grandfather had a talk about flying before we left. He said he has a distinct memory of flying as a child. (Although, he isn't sure why.) She was determined to fly on this excursion. She was a little disappointed when she didn't. I can't figure out why she didn't get a least a little bit of lift, look at her awesome wings.