Christmas Decorating!

I love putting up Christmas decorations as early as possible so we can really get our fill of them! It's so much work to put them up AND take them down, so I like to stretch it as long as I reasonably can. Each year as the kids get older, it becomes so much more of an ordeal. I used to decorate after the kids were in bed. But now, it is quite the family affair! It literally took all day. We started at 9:00 am and were finished (including clean up) by 4:00! I was exhausted!

We started out with cinnamon rolls. Wish I could say I made them from scratch, but I went the the easy "Grands" way this year.

Going through all our Christmas storage bins is about as exciting as Christmas morning!

We have three wooden nativity sets, one from Gam and two from Grandma in years past. They are a total hit! Glad we have three...it eliminates some fighting. (if you want a kid-friendly set, there is a great deal with free shipping here mockstarbaby.com)

Even Peyton wanted to be a big helper in EVERYthing this year! (don't worry, the box is empty!).

We also made sugar cookies as part of our "opening ceremonies".

My mom asked why the "Halloween cookies"? ha ha. While they DO look Halloween-ish, I was actually trying for a pumpkin theme to not completely over-look the Thanksgiving holiday! (This was the day before Thanksgiving).

OK, so this year I did something that went against my prior beliefs. I bought a fake tree (pre-lit with multi colored lights). Gasp! But I cannot tell you how tired I am of dying Christmas trees year after year....and 1,000,000 needles all over my floor! I have had the worst luck the past few years picking out trees with longevity. So, I found a great deal on a fake one and figured we'd give it a try. The verdict? Well, it was a pain in the butt to separate and fluff each branch, but once we finished that, it looks perfect! And I love knowing it will look like that for an entire month. I DO miss the pine smell. I've been burning Christmas-y candles, but I might have to get a wreath with real pine or something to make me feel authentic.

This gingerbread house (made of ceramic) is one of the favs. We got it at Costco about 5 years ago, and each year the kids love it more and more. They daydream about eating it (and try to taste it every year just to make sure!).


This is also the first year we have two trees. Last year, as part of my post-Christmas-sale shopping, I found a smaller fake tree for like $5 that I thought would be fun for the girls to decorate. And they love it!

I love the magical feel the lights and decorations give our house. And it's not even December 1st yet!


If you look closely, you can see what Peyton chose to do to entertain herself while we were focused on decorating (in addition to breaking lots of ornaments....). Ahhh, the fun of a two year old.

I'm Thankful

Today was a good day. I felt happy and thankful today. Which is a good way to feel on Thanksgiving!

It started out with Tucker playing in our ward's traditional annual Turkey Bowl. He never fails to have fun....and never fails to get hurt! His calf is twice as big as normal and it's hard to walk on it.....but he calls that fun!


We went over to my mom and dad's house this year. My mom's goal was to make the day very special for the grandkids and even bought them matching dresses this year.

My dad always likes to experiment with different ways to cook meat. So this year, he brined the turkey and then cooked it rotisserie style! It was very flavorful and the skin was so yummy! He also cooked a prime rib....since we aren't turkey-lovers in our family. Yum! Thanks Dad!


Mom and Dad work well together. Mom took care of all the rest of the yummy food. Made her yams, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. She also set the tone for the meal by setting up the karaoke machine (which the kids loved) and having each of us say what we are thankful for.


After dinner, the kids played and played and played. They love Grandma's toys.

One of the many things I'm thankful for......



One of the things my mom did for the kids is make a bunch of cupcakes and they got to decorate them all by themselves! They thought it was so fun and ate at least half of them!

The finished product on display!
Next, we had a little talent show. The kids put on special outfits and danced around the room. They also showed off their piano-skills! Check out Paxton's awesome outfit!

Hmmmm, what should I do?


Lexi was so funny. She actually thought my mom was teaching her a very specific dance and paid attention to every little move she made and tried to copy it. It was so cute.


I have to laugh at this pic. My dad is a good sport to sit amidst the noise and chaos and play the role of happy, fun Grandpa (which he is, he's just not quite as adventurous at heart as my mom!).


Thank you to my parents for a great day. We missed Carly& Alyson, and Kristy this year. I'm thankful for the memories and traditions, both old and new. My heart always travels back to my Grandma's house this time of year where all of my childhood Thanksgivings were spent. I have fond memories of spending time with my cousins, aunts, uncles and the warmth that family can fill your heart with. I love creating those same feelings for my children. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lexi's 5th Birthday

As I write this post, my heart is overflowing with love for this second daughter of mine, Lexi. I can't believe tomorrow is her 5th birthday. I really want it to slow down just a little. But what a sweet and special girl she is!

These pictures are so priceless to me. I do remember her this little, but not as well as I'd like to. I remember that it was a hard adjustment for me to go from 1 to 2 kids. Plus they were 19 months apart, so we definitely had our rough days. She was such a beautiful baby and was born with black hair! Around 5 months old we started to see the transformation into what became blonde.



And now she is a big 5 year old Kindergartener! Oh my, how did it happen? I love the little ray of sunshine that Lexi is in our family. She is a very self-motivated child. Lexi loves to fix her own hair (and does it well!). She always clears her dishes from the table without being asked. She is a huge animal lover and cries when our dog Belle even walks across the street because she's afraid she'll get hurt. Lexi absolutely loves every second of Kindergarten, and talks about her teacher with stars in her eyes. She is completely thrilled with herself that she can read now. Lexi also stands up for what she believes in. Last week she told me that some of her friends like to say "oh my God" and Lexi shared with them that it makes Heavenly Father feel sad when we say his name like that. When Lexi gives me a hug goodnight, she likes to make me give her lots of hugs so she can keep smelling my perfume. Whenever Lexi watches any of the High School Musical movies, she covers her eyes on the parts where Troy and Gabriella *almost* kiss because she's so embarrassed. She often asks me why she's the only one in our family with blonde hair, and why can't she have red? And Lexi still loves anything pink. I sure love this girl.

We had a little early birthday party for her this year. After the big day was over, and I felt pretty satisfied with it. But when I asked Lex if she had fun, she said "Yes!! But on my REAL birthday (meaning the 24th) I want a Jasmine cake, and Kylie to come over, and , and, and, and....". Ugh. Maybe it's just best to always celebrate birthdays on the actual day from now on!

I did my first photo cake this year. I ordered her picture on edible photo paper, and just simply put it on a round cake! She liked it and thought it was pretty cool!

Cousin Lyric, Lexi and Jordyn

I took the girls to get manicures and pedicures for a little princess treatment.

The finished product! They loved it and thought it was so special and fun. This picture has Lyric, Madelyn (friend from dance), Lexi and Jordyn.

Afterward, I took them to dance class together. Lyric came with us as a special birthday treat (her class is usually on a different day)

Then, per Lexi's request, we had McDonald's kids meals for dinner.

Lexi and Daddy

Then we got to the cake and presents - the best part!

Lexi got a little wild and crazy. It's fun to be the center of attention sometimes!

And Peyton followed suit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!!!! We love you so very much Lexi-lou!

Memories

We're in a fairly consistent habit of having the girls pick out their outfits the night before. When we remember to do it, our mornings are for sure smoother, especially for Jordyn.

One of my favorite things is to walk by and see Lexi's clothes laid out. She always lays them perfectly on the floor of the playroom. It's so cute, and SO her. Jordyn sets hers up in her room, and often changes her mind in the morning. Anyway, just one of those things that makes me smile.

Lexi's Field Trip to SaveMart

I love that I am often available to go on field trips with the girls. Lexi had a simple field trip last week where her class walked maybe 1/2 a mile to our grocery store, SaveMart. They got a cool tour of the "behind the scenes" of the grocery store. And they even got to pet a lobster (Lexi was not interested), taste some healthy food and see the box-smasher in action. It was fun!