Christmas

Christmas was wonderful. The girls slept in so that means Justin and I did too. We enjoy spreading out things on Christmas so first we went downstairs and opened up stockings and Santa presents.

Alexis was thrilled with the fruit snacks and Justin was very happy that he go the hair brush he asked Santa for. I am not joking that he asked for that, it was needed though because our old one was pretty trashed. Still its kind of funny that he asked for a new brush

Alexis' Wish: A Barbie Diamond Castle Doll

So of course he got her one (and Ariana to try and prevent barbie wars)

Ariana's Wish: Ariana has lately been very into monsters. During November when we'd asked her what she was thankful for she told us that she was thankful for a big scary monster with sticks. At first he lived in her closet and then she decided that he lived outside. Later the monster wasn't scary anymore he was nice. So it wasn't too surprising when she 'wrote' her letter to Santa that all she asked for was a Big Monster. She came up with this monster thing all on her own. It wasn't until we realised that she liked monsters that we thought to show her the movie monsters inc. Of course she loves it and good thing to because Sulley is the perfect Big Monster with sticks (his horns) and how else would Santa find her a Big Monster with sticks? Christmas morning Ariana enjoyed opening her stocking but soon began asking where her big monster was. (next time Santa don't wrap it!)

Soon she found the package

She can't get him out fast enough...

Now isn't that the happiest little girl ever!?!

She LOVES her Big Monster

He even got to wear Ariana's special sun glasses

After Santa Presents we had what Alexis calls a "big breakfast". It was, but typically a big breakfast is when Mommy makes more than one thing (you know eggs AND bacon) We had eggs, bacon, hash browns, cinnamon rolls and orange juice.

We thought we were going to do Christmas upstairs where the floors are carpted but when I picked out my massive tree that couldn't fit upstairs we got creative and layed out a giant blanket for us to sit on instead of the tile.

The girls helping Daddy open his present from them.

I don't know why but Alexis insisted that for Christmas she had to get Daddy a speed racer car.

Alexis opening her present from Ariana

One of the things I love is that neither one of my girls just want to race through opening all the presents. (at least not yet) They take their time and actually play with each one before moving on.

The rest of the day was fairly quite. We went on a quick bike ride. We rode because Santa brought Mommy and Daddy new bikes and it was quick because it was really windy and cold. Tonight we had a yummy dinner and went out to look at Christmas lights one more time. Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve

This is our second year staying home for Christmas. I was really scared last year but it turned out to be so nice that I was excited for it again this year. One of things that makes it nice is that we still celebrate with friends who also don't have family in town. Tonight we started by going over to the Scoreby's home for a delicious dinner. After dinner we came back down to our house and had a children's small gift exchange, hot co-co and desserts with the Smith's, Jackson's and Scoreby's. It was a nice night, the kids mainly played upstairs while the adults chatted down stairs. I guess I should have checked on them more often because when we put the girls to bed I found a hole in the girl's bedroom wall that looks to be the perfect size of a child's knee. Obviously the child who did it wasn't hurt bad enough to tell ; ) I just have to laugh every time I see the hole and imagine how terrified one of the kids must be that I might find out who did it. (I don't know who it was and don't really care it just makes me laugh)

The guys all watching football

Rylee, Alexis and Savannah (they have been friend's since they were all 2)

Justin family has a Christmas tradition called the family elf. Each day of December up through Christmas eve an elf comes to visit and leaves a little note for our family. Often the note instucts us to do things like make hot co-co or go look at Christmas lights. Tonight the elf told the girls to open up their Christmas jammies. Alexis loves the elf and would check our elf chart several times a day to see if he came. Ariana was super excited to open a present.

Early Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Frederick

My parents got to visit for a couple days before Christmas and right before they left we let the girls open their presents from them. I did really well this year buying all my presents ahead of time so I wouldn't have to rush in the end but I still have been dragging my feet about wrapping them. The night before my parents left we had a wrapping party. Ok it wasn't really a party but we all stayed up together and wrapped presents. Up until this morning the only presents under the tree were for Justin and me (from the girls) and they were beginning to wonder if there would be any presents for them under the tree : ) So this morning when they woke up and saw the tree it was like Christmas morning for them.

When I told the girls they were going to open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa they were so excited that Alexis ran downstairs and ripped the raping paper off the first present she found. Fortuneatly it was one from my parents to both her and Ariana but when I got after Alexis for opening a present without anyone she was so embarrsed that she started to cry and begged me to help her "hide it back in the paper." Poor thing. My Mom is great at finding toys that make lots of loud sounds. The box Ariana is holding is making chicken sounds (yes that is correct) Why...?

Because its a chicken car! : )

Alexis got a new set of building blocks

Alexis is getting a lot better at taking pictures. To bad Ariana wouldn't turn around for this one.

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad. We love you!!

Alexis Wins!

The Whitney Ranch Community Center held a "guess how many candies are in the jar" contest. Alexis guessed there were 24 in the jar for the 1-5 year old's and today I got a call announcing that she had won. She was really close, there were 27 candies in the jar. The community center workers told me Alexis was the only one who was even close. The rest of the guesses in her age group were like 100+. (When Alexis was coming up with her guess I remember her being very annoyed that she couldn't turn the jar or look inside) Alexis was so excited and proud that I just had to take her picture. Good guessing sweetie!

Snow, Snow, Snow...and more snow

I am so grateful that my car's transmission was done being repaired yesterday because driving home today would have been well... an adventure. Yes it is snowing here in the Henderson/Las Vegas area. It started around noon and has not let up since (its 7:30pm right now) I've been taking pictures all day so I'd thought I'd post them for all to see. : ) Craziness!! I called my mother-in-law and this is how the conversation went:
Gayle: "Nancy!"
Me: "Hello!"
Gayle: "How's it going?"
Me: "Well, you know how you want us to move back to Utah?..."
Gayle: "yes.." (sounding very hopeful)
Me: "Umm... I think I am because I'm looking outside and it looks like I am already there!"
Yes this was teasing but very true, just take a look.

What our house and streets looked like around 2pm

The first thing they tried to do in the snow was catch it on their tongues

Next they enjoyed catching the flakes on their gloves. Ariana was just about to start jumping up and down when I took this picture. She loved the snow.

Next they ran around with huge smiles!

When we went out to the back yard the snow was starting to stick and Alexis and Ariana began eating snow like it was ice cream (its what they want as bedtime snack too!)

Ariana's snow man she helped make as the snow was just starting to stick right before nap time. You can tell she is very cold. Don't you like the mismatched gloves?

Alexis helped me build this giant snow man while Ariana was taking a nap. He fell over about 30 minutes ago because he started leaning the way the wind was blowing.

And it continues to snow...

Dance Recital

Both Ariana and Alexis got to take dance lessons this year. I know I've said it before but I love, Love, LOVE their dance teach Miss Lori. We got lucky this year because their recitals were both at the same time (Lori splits up her different groups at Christmas to try and keep it short so if you have more than one child in dance you might have to attend two different recitals) Both Alexis and Ariana did great and danced for both of their songs! (yeah!! Last year Alexis was hungry and tired during the Christmas recital and wouldn't dance) Of course I left our video camera in Reno after George's wedding so I didn't have it to tape the performance. Thank you Michelle for helping me out by taping Ariana's class! After the recital we took the girls out for dinner. Good job little ones. You both looked soo cute tonight and did a great job.

Alexis, Savannah Jackson, Emily Larsen, Ariana