Christmas Pictures

I love taking pictures.  I love documenting everything, maybe it is the genealogist in me.  I love being able to have pictures all over house of our adventures etc.  Every year we take pictures of the kids in their Christmas out fits.  I love seeing how cute they look when they are dressed in their best.  This year we did two different set of pictures.  One set we did for Matt's parents.  They wanted a photo of all their grand kids together.  But the time we got done with that the kids were done so we decided to do another session later on.  Here are some the best pictures of both sessions.
    
    

Olivia, Emmeline holding Alexander and their cousin Riley (Matt's brother Travis's son)

Emme just loves anything Christmas

She had to talk to the reindeer a minute and give it a kiss and a hug she has such an amazing imagination

She loves to get her picture taken

Alex full of drool.

Love this picture.  

 All above pictures were taken at Matt's parents home. His mom always has a beautiful tree each year.  So me and Matt decided it would make a great back drop

Isn't he cute

Livi decided all the ornaments needed to be in her lap which made for tons of cute pictures

I love this face she makes. 

Just want to kiss her cheeks

Our three little cuties all looking the same direction for a moment

Snow Day

The Girls are so thrilled.  It finally snowed and snowed.  They loved getting in their snow gear and going out to play.  Matt made a joke about them looking like the kid in the Christmas story but hey I am from the land of the frozen north they last longer and have more fun if you dress them right.  Matt took them sledding down at the park down the street. I stayed home with Alex. When they came home Livi helped Matt shovel the drive way while Emme played with snow balls throwing.  There were attempts at snow angels and digging for buried treasure, catching snowflakes on red little tongues. They enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed them going to bed without a fight.  They love the snow and are thrilled to see it still there in the morning. 

Alex just loves his Daddy. 

She loved this. 

Helping her Daddy

He was wrestling his monkey while they were gone

Off to sledding

She thought the snow tasted yummy

Digging for treasure

She was throwing snow up in the air

Silly picture before going out to play

The house that Ikea bulit

Livi in their new house

For Christmas this year we got a new chair for our living room.  It came in this huge box.  Kids seem to gravitate towards empty boxes.  So we put it the dayroom for them to play in.  When I was a kid my Mom would make houses and tunnels out of boxes.  So I turned the box into a house for the girls to play in.  They love it.  Something to keep them happy in the winter. 

She has already filled it with toys and stuffies.  Got to love the hoarding stage

It even has windows

One of the kids favorite traditions is decorating sugar cookies.  I bake the cookies and put the frosting on for them.  They get to put sprinkles and M&M's on them.  They would giggle and try to hide their face.  Which meant they were eating the M&M's instead of putting them on the cookies.  They are so cute when they are being silly.  We have been thinking of adding gingerbread houses to our tradition but am thinking of waiting till they are a little older.  Since more candy would be in their bellies then on the their houses. 

 

Livi decorating cookies.  I think she ate more M&Ms then ended up on cookies

Decorating cookies together

Munching on a cookie

He is loving floor time.  He started under the toy but quickly scooted over the floor.  No teeth means no cookies so he played instead

Case of the Crazies

This past month seems to have flown by.  It has been full of activities and excitement over the impending Christmas season.  We currently have three stages going on in our family.  Emme is four and in full blown naughty stage.  She always seems into some kind of mischief.  She is a sweet little girl who loves to laugh but she always seems to be into something.  I have to put the toothpaste up because she has painted her room and stuffies in it.  I made chocolate bread a couple days ago to give out.  She took a fork to it while I was busy with the baby.  She ate the center.  She opened the front door to have a conversation with our Elf (who was back at the north pole because she wouldn't stop touching her) I could go on and on.  
   Livi is in her version of the terrible twos.  She whines and cries at the drop of a hat.  She bumps something and she runs crying.  She can really squeeze out the tears.  We are in the middle of potty training.  It is a slow process.  Some days she is excited and motivated and other days she could care less.  I keep promising her cute underwear if we get there.  She will be there when she wants to be.  Like Emme the stubbornness runs deep and they won't do it until they want to.  
   Alex is in teething mode.  I know it is early but his sisters started at four months and had teeth at five months.  He is constantly drooling, cranky and chewing on his hands like they are chocolate.  His sleeping is all over the place.  I was hoping he would have been sleeping through the night before we start but nope.  

This past month we celebrated Thanksgiving with Matt's family.  We came early so we could help.  I helped make stuffing, potatoes, brussel sprouts, and the gravy.  The girls had fun running around.  Emme was sad her favorite cousin to wrestle with had just had surgery and was unable to play.  After dinner Matt attempt to hit a sale to get the girls a cute toy.  Some little old lady head butted him as he leaned over to pick it up.  Makes me miss Alaska where even at Wal Mart people have manners.  They may be in the pjs but they are polite.  
    We took the girls to see the movie Frozen.  They loved it.  The music was amazing.  Emme goes around freezing everything.  It is one for the dvd collection.   
  Aspen's birthday party was the first week of December.  The girls love playing with Aspen and her cousins.  Though Livi is shy at first she soon warms up especially if cupcakes are involved.  The best part of the night was where Aspen's Aunt shoved a cupcake in her face.  She had to wash her three times to get it all off.  
   It finally snowed the girls were thrilled.  They got in their snow gear and went out to play.  Emme kept trying to dig for buried treasure.  Livi had fun throwing snow up in the air and catching snowflakes.  They had a couple days of play before it turned too cold for them to play.  (Yes I know I am from Alaska where we play out side at 20 below but we have to avoid them getting sick because of Alex)  
  We took the girls the Thanksgiving point lights.  They got to see reindeer.  The guy tending them gave me a weird look when I said they looked yummy.  (Yes I have eaten reindeer before so have my kids and hubby.  It is so good another thing I miss about Alaska)  We drove through the coolest light display the girls loved it.  They loved the ones that went over the car.  They love all the decorations and lights.  They love finding their elf Amber every morning.  Emme even talks to her.  We did holiday pictures with the kids. They love getting their pictures taken.  Got some cute ones for our Christmas cards.  We decided to send out pictures this year instead of a letter since we had so much going on. 
   Thursday we went to South Towne to see Santa.  There was no line.  Emme went right up to him and said she wanted an octopus.  Livi tried to hide but finally said she want a hippo and princess.  Alex just drooled.  He was a really nice Santa with a real beard.  After we decided to grab a bite at the food court.  The girls saw the carousal of course they had to ride.  Matt took them on while I stayed with Alex.  Every time the girls waved and Livi said cheese so I would take their pictures.   
  Friday Matt went to the Hobbit with his parents.  So I took the girls to the Olive Garden for Lunch.  The first time I had ever taken all three to a restaurant by myself.  It went well they at all the food and behaved.  Then we ran to ikea before we went to dinner with Matt's parents at the Chinese buffet.  
 Last Sunday I was called as a Family History Consultant.  I have been teaching researching during the Sunday School hour.  
   We still have so much to do before Christmas.  We still have sugar cookies to do.  Wrap all the presents, we are planning on temple lights Thursday if it is warm enough.  Plus we are having our shower finally fixed next week.  We have our traditional junk food party.  Marnie's brunch and Christmas day fun.  Sadly Matt has to work Christmas Eve and Day.  But there is a small chance he will have Christmas Day off so we are hoping it comes through. 

Eating in the front room while the guys watch football

Our silly Emme always trying to be fashionable

Doesn't she look so sad.  Daddy said she had to wait for the movie to start before she could have treats. 

At Frozen

She wanted her picture with this

With Olaf from Frozen

Thanksgiving day on our way to grandma

Aspen holding Alex

The girls love spaghetti

This was so funny

My cupcake monster

She said X marked the spot

Playing in the snow

When we do floor times she wants to be right there. 

I love her face.  We were at Sweet Tomatoes before heading to the lights

With the ice sculptures

Don't they look yummy

So happy to see the lights

Some of the lights at Thanksgiving point

Going to see Santa

On the Carousel

Livi and Daddy

Meeting Santa