No Kisses

Emme has invented a new game.  No kisses.  She gives me a kiss then tells me No Kisses.  I tell that I will have to give all my kisses to someone else then. So whoever is closest Daddy or Livi gets showered in kisses.  Emme thinks this is hilarious and then tries to give me kisses but I tell her no.  I try to to avoid them but she gives me kisses.   This is played at least twice a day.  Livi has started her own game too.  She moves her head back and forth No.  Then moves it up and down Yes.  When she is doing yes she gives me a kiss each time and then giggles.  I love having silly little girls.  They do the silliest things and then just happy to sit in Mommy's lap and cuddle. 

     

Temple Square Lights

 Every year one of our traditions is to go to Temple Square downtown and see the lights.  It is beautiful.  Every year they decorate with tons lights, navity scene and other beautiful decorations celebrating the the Savior's birth.  Emme has discovered Christmas lights this year as we drive around she points out all the houses with lights.  Sadly it was raining when we got to temple square.  Of course this didn't stop us.  We put Livi is the stroller and Matt carried Emme through the intersections.  Emme loved the lights.  Livi was happy to be able to walk around and see the lights.  She just wanted to hold Mommy's hand and be right there.  It was really cool in the South Visitor center was a model of the temple showing people the rooms in side.  After about an hour of wandering the girls were tired.  It is funny how different they are.  Livi wanted back in the stroller and Emme had a huge nuclear tantrum.  So as we are walking back to the car as Emme screamed being carried by dad.  We saw a young couple with a newborn.  Matt turned to them and said look what you have to look forward to.  The funny thing was the minute we got back to the car Emme stopped apologized and said she had fun. 

See the evil smile

With my Girls

Daddy with his girls

The Temple model

Livi was trying to tickle Emme

In Front of the Salt Lake Temple

Together Forever

Daddy with Livi.  Emme refused since it was the beginning of her tantrum

Snow Day

Saturday it snowed and it was the kind that didn't melt before noon.  The girls were excited to go out and get in the snow.  Well Emme more then Livi but Livi will follow her where ever.  Emme loves the snow.  She was right in it.  Making snow angels, trying to help Daddy shovel and making snow balls.  That I think is her favorite thing.  She made them and threw them at our neighbor who was out too.  I apologize for the pictures some of the angles are bad.  However I have been ill with a infection in my throat for the past week so all pictures were taken from the front door.

Emme following our neighbor Jadean around

She wasn't sure what to do

Trying to help Daddy shovel

Never mind I will make snowballs

I am going to get you

Livi had more fun inside with Mommy

The Ghost of Christmas Past

 There is this large discussion in our family over who Livi looks like.,  I think she looks like Sarah especially when she cries.  Judge for yourself.  Here is a picture of Livi and Emme taken on Saturday with Santa.  And here is a picture of me and Sarah.  Santa has aged well don't you think?

Livi was not happy meeting Santa this year

Sarah and Me I think Sarah was the same age Livi is now in the picture.  Eighteen Months.

New and Old

This year we have decided to start making more of an effort to create our own traditions. We still plan to keep some of the traditions of our families, but as we grow as a family we have a desire to have our own little traditions.  This year for Thanksgiving we decided to have dinner just the four of us.  I had never cooked Thanksgiving.  I have helped here and there with my mom and Matt's over the years.  However I had always wanted to make dinner myself.  So this year we had dinner as our little family and then had dessert at Matt's parents home.  It was a nice quiet little dinner.   
For Christmas season we always go to the Festive of the Trees.  If you are not from Utah it is where people donate Fully Decorate Trees and other stuff.  Usually each tree has a story of some one who has passed.  Then people can buy the trees.  It is so nice to see how creative people can be.  There are Gingerbread houses, singers, dancers, and other things for sale.  All the money goes to Primary Children's Hospital.  This year we decided to invite Matt's parents to join us.  Matt's Dad just had knee surgery so didn't join us, but his mom did.  We had a lot of fun looking at all the trees.  Emme loved the dancers and insisted that I pick her up so she could see them dancing.  She loved pointing out Santa and Jesus.  She loved the several Sesame Street Trees.  We had to keep reminding her just to look not to touch.  Poor Livi has yet to learn to stay with Mommny and Daddy.  She takes being told to come here as a challenge to run.  So she stayed in the stroller.  But she got a chocolate Milk so she was happy with that and looking from her stroller.  
   This weekend we have Matt's work party where the girls will meet Santa.  I wonder how they will react last year Emme tried to jump off.  Then that night is our ward party.  Next Saturday we will hit the Temple Square lights.  Which is another one of our traditions. The girls really love the lights.  
   Our new tradition is the Elf on the Shelf.  The girls love finding Amber the Elf in the morning.  We don't do much with her yet but sit her in a place the girls can find.  Next year I will be more creative.  We will of course so our Christmas Eve junk food party with movies, then Christmas Day brunch with Matt's family, opening presents and this year we will have our own little dinner.  We have a couple ideas for next year when the girls are older like the Dickens Village.  It is fun finding new things to do as a family.  

Emme looking at The Gingerbread Tangled Tower 

I loved this cabin

Matt with Livi 

Emme loved all the trees.  This one had lots of candy

Emme with Livi

Livi and Emme with one of the Sesame Street Trees

The tree was made out of soda bottles.  I thought it looked like something my brother Chris would make.

   

Livi is Eighteen Months

Isn't her lip pretty

Olivia is Eighteen months old.  Where did the time go.  I was planning on doing pictures with her to celebrate.  However as luck would have it my girls always seem to do something to their faces before picture time.  Last week Livi was playing in our living room where we have a stone fireplace.  She tripped and put her teeth through her lower lip.  She has a fat lip and a big cut under her lip.  Thank goodness it is healing quickly and didn't need stitches.
    Livi has become quite the little helper.  She loves taking things to the trash and hamper.  She puts her sippy and plate in the sink.  If you tell to go find something she will come back with it 9 times out of ten.  She is learning her body parts.  She know where her nose, cheeks, finger, belly button, lip and fingers are.  She doesn't care for animals very much.  She is scared of our dog Kenai..  She is loving the Christmas Decorations and has done pretty well with leaving the tree alone.  She loves playing chase with her sister.  They spend a lot of time running up and down the hall.  She has discovering coloring and is stopping trying to eat the crayons.  She loves to do as her big sister does.  Livi is an expert at dirty looks.  She gives the evil to most everyone.  She thinks it is funny to stare people down.  She loves to growl and make animal noises.  She is still in her crib.  We have tried several times to move her into the bunk bed with Emme.  However she resists and when she is ready we will move them into together.  Livi is extremely shy.  She needs a stuffie and her two fingers in her mouth.  She prefers just to stay with mommy and daddy.  Though she has started nursery and seems to be enjoying it.  She doesn't talk English yet but that is normal at this age.  She makes sure we know what she wants she points and talks in her own language.  She has hit every milestone and is even a head a bit.  She is such a little doll.  We call her My Precious because she is so addicting.  So happy to have her in our lives.