Warm weather?????

Oh how I wish it was summer already! Boo to the ice crusted snow, the inversion, and the biting cold! I wish I was here...with my babies and my hubby!

Maddy and her new Winnie the Pooh train...

As you can see, this is a huge hit! This is the train's 2nd day home, plus a few days at the cabin...but look at her go! She's so proud of herself!!

Christmas 2009!

This Christmas, we spent a long weekend at the cabin. It was a perfect weekend! We got up there on the 23rd. First time that early before Christmas, but so nice to be able to relax. Christmas Eve, Jer and his family got up there and we were soon able to begin the long awaited festivities. For those who don't know (uh, where have you been???) my mom does xmas eve jammies every year. This year she made them, the bottoms anyway. Moose for the boys and kids, and leopard for the girls. They were cute and, as usual, very comfy! The kids had a great time. Special xmas eve stockings for everyone via mom/mimi. Maddy wasn't sure what all of the craziness was about. She soon found that she had new toys and books though, and was very excited!
6 am xmas morning...

the girls on xmas eve

me and my first baby

opening her first santa present...she continues to kiss and squeeze this thing everytime she sees it.

6 am, right before meannie momma woke her up. Couldn't resist the yummy sleeping position!

Jer and his family

Sissa and her family

My cute mom and dad. I snagged the wrong picture from my photo album...they weren't quite ready to say cheeze...but cute none the less.

Us on xmas eve

Me and Maddy on the snowmobile...she didn't get a ride this time, but did the last day. A short stint around the parking lot.

All in all, this was by far the most perfect Christmas. I am so thankful for a family that I not only love, but whom I truly love to hang out with. We always have so much fun. Whether it's a competitive game of nickels (and noone cheated this year...), to extreme sledding (at least extreme for us...a long slick hill with a nice jump, only one injury...), movies, arcade games, reading (mom and sissa), snowmobile rides, and a lot of laughs! Every single year I feel more and more blessed to have the family that I have, the parents that I have. None are more loving, or generous, or compassionate, or FUN as mine!!

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and best wishes for a safe new year!

Thanksgiving and other catch up...

So, it's been a busy month and a half. With Thanksgiving, the boutique, and the various Christmas activities...it's gone by way too fast. Hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! That means I need to finish shopping. Thanksgiving was fantastic. My grandpa and Aunt Julie came up for it. It was so nice to spend the day with them. Then the frantic planning of our shopping night. It used to be morning, now it's started at 9 pm! Where there used to be at least a few hours of sleep, there is none. I wouldn't trade it though. McDonald's, Pretzels, and LOTS of diet coke keep us going! I swear no one has a funner mom to tag along with. She's got more energy than all of us put together. I swear it!! It's so much fun though! I'm not sure I can find the right words to describe what happened here, since I don't even know. Did my dad put it there? Did the kids? He just seems a little too happy to be donning an orange flower. Love my dad!

Sissa, Grandpa, me, and Jer. Love this pic!

Me and my cute little sista! Yes Sissa, we are hot!

Muggy's ridin' mimi's rooster!

First Thanksgiving!!

Hally Happoween...

So this year's Halloween was especially fantastic. I didn't have to beg my teenager NOT to go trick or treating with her friends, and she got to go anyway, with her sister and cousins. I hope, for Addy and Emmy's sake, that their neighborhood is built up more next year, and more people will be home. We scored 4 candies there...then moved on to our neighborhood. To Matt and Melissa's delight, we took the kiddies to the Griswold's halloween house. Luckily after being scared half out of their cute little tights, they scored huge with king size candies. Maddy wasn't even phased...YET! Here are the girls planning out their candy strategies...or just being plain yummy!
Here are the girls...

Maddy in full costume...

The weekend before, we had a booth in the What Women Want expo in St. George. It was our most successfull weekend to date. Yeah us!! We put in a lot of hard work and long hours to get ready for this. Kudos to my cute mom, and the mastermind behind this whole thing. She is where we get our creative streaks from, thanks mom. The woman is a machine. Only taking a day off after we got back, she was right back into gear to get ready for our opening at Quilted Bear in Midvale. (We've been in Provo since October 1st.) I must say that the long hours might have been excruciating had it not been for Micheal Jackson and my extremely talented baby sister's dance moves. It definately helped get through the long days. Go Sissa....

On the way home, we stopped to visit my cute Grandpa in Nephi. He has apple trees so we helped clear him of some apples. The girls loved the 'run-on-the-apples-game' they screamed and laughed. As soon as we got home, Dan made homemade applesauce...it was truly the BEST!

One of our favorite things to do in the fall is tour the Alpine Loop and stop at Sundance for lunch. Sundance was gorgeous (of course) and we picked up new ski gloves for CHEAP. Muggy tried on some ski glasses! We're looking forward to getting her up on one of the dozen pair's of pink skis that we've already spotted around town. I guess she has to learn to walk first, that will help immensely!

Daddy and Mad's at Sundance.

The 3 loves of my life at Sundance. Am was tired??? or maybe tired of pics...she couldn't keep her eyes open.

Before that, the babies turned 2! 2?? Holy moly! Here they are...yummy as usual.

Maddy also enjoyed the b-day party...and their toys!

Yeah for Fall...

This is my absolute FAVORITE time of year. It's not scorching, the air seems clean (yeah right, but just let me have it for a moment) and the colors are fantastic. We always take a drive to see the leaves. This is the year of firsts for Maddy. So this is our first trip to a pumpkin patch with all the cousins. Eatin' hay...of course!

Fun walk with the family...

First 'social' bath. Cousins Addy and Emmy came over so they all took a bath. They loved it, especially after the twins got to the other side away from Maddy splashin'. Notice Addy covering herself...Uncle Dan walked in and she immediately put her arms up. Sooo cute!

First back pack ride with dad. She's waiting patiently for dad to get off of the phone. Seems we always are...but she just squealed and smiled the whole way!

Long, busy summer...

Sooo, it's been a long, busy summer. As you can see, it's been over 3 months since I last posted. Between everything that's going on we found a weekend to take a quick camping trip. Other than hurricane-force winds that hit our last night and a little rain, you couldn't have asked for better weather! Maddy is now days away from 7 months. Cutting her 2nd tooth, and learning all sorts of new tricks... She's a busy little bee and misses NOTHING. She's not exactly cuddly, but that yummy little smile will melt even the grumpiest of dad's long-day work moods!
My cute sista, and Mad's camping...

One of her little yummy's, Emerie... What a big girl smile! They are getting so big and have the funnest personalities! We love them!!

Last night of camping...the girls!

The entertainment saucer. Sort of a savior of sorts. It helps me get things done during the days. We love this contraption! Thanks Auntie Sissa for letting us borrow this and everything else.

Watching fishing with dad...

Watching football with dad...

Helping dad open presents... we love paper!

Am's 18th birthday! I can't believe my other 'baby' is officially an adult. My how time flies! She is truly a HUGE help with Mad's and Maddy LOVES her sister!! It's like having 2 moms. Which, for now, is good. Needs are met, the entertainment level is kept on a happy medium... Later on she may have her doubts. Love you Am!!

Pool party with the cousins. Emerie had a good time, regardless of her facial expression in this pic.

Addy playing with Mad, and Mad wondering ' Why you touchin' my toys?' They love each other a lot!