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.   

Lack of Sleep

This past month I doubt I have had a restful night sleep.  Every night I get woken up and kept up for at least an hour each.  Nap time is a war zone.  I swear it is preparing me for the teen years because she has become sneaky.  I am speaking of course of Emme.  Livi sleeps the whole night away and naps too.  It helps that she prefers her crib to her bed.  I am speaking of Emme, who may not make it to her fourth birthday.  Last night Emme was in and out of her room at bed time.  She already knows how to procrastnate.  She will bring me a full sippy and ask for more, another story or she needs to go potty.  At 330am she woke me up to go potty.  She really needed to be changed.  She is such a heavy sleeper she doesn't wake up in time to get there.  So i put her back to bed after she was cleaned up.  She then comes out for more water, then story.  Right as I start to doze off I hear giggling.  She had snuck into her sister's room into the crib and woke Livi.  I was up for over an hour. So I just decided during nap time I would take a nap.  That was a dumb idea.  She snuck out and some how found a tube of lipstick that I don't even know where it came from.  I only own like three tubes.  I am more of a lip gloss girl.  She decided to paint the couch, our brand new curtain, the wall, her pjs and her face.  I put her in the shower while I went to clean it up.  When she got put back to her room for nap she kept repeating mommy I'm Sad.  She knows she is deep trouble. On hand it is fun her little attempt to wear makeup but on the other It is all over our diaper bag which is ruined now.  So i am still a bit pissed where ischocolate when you need it.

Emme is Three

Emmeline Mae born November 4,

I am One wearing my Kuspuk

I am Two and a cheese

Three and Loving it

Falling Leaves

I love the fall.  I love the crisp in the air. In Alaska fall last about a month then it snows.  I like how I can watch the changes in the seasons here.  I love the colors on the trees and the leaves on my lawn.  But most of all I love watching my girls discover all the fun there is to be had.  Today is PJ day.  Once in a while I declare it is PJ day.  We wear our PJ and watch some cartoons.  When the girls saw Daddy go out to get the mail they followed out in their PJ to play in the leaves. So after a little bit I brought them in to change into clothes so they could be warm and play.  They loved it. 

Balloons and a Three year old

 I can't believe Emme is three already.  She is a handful. So for her birthday we had a little party for family at our house.  Emme was excited as decorations went up and even more so when she got a Happy Meal for lunch because I was busy preparing.  We invited Matt's family since mine doesn't live near here.  Emme and Livi loved the balloons Grandma got.  We had lots of yummy food and tons left over.  Emme had fun playing with Matt's cousin Marnie's grandson. He would crawl after her down the hall.  Of course her and Troy had their traditional balloon fight.  Emme got lots of clothes, coloring book, shoes and a Merida doll.  Both girls had lots of fun.  We ate, sat around and chatted.  It was a nice time.  We had Raspberry and Lemon cupcakes.  Emme ate the frosting and candies on top.  I think next year I will just give her candy.  Livi ate the whole thing.  She is my little sugar monster.  Her birthday was on Sunday.  We went to church.  Emme wanted to head to nursery right away, but she did ok in sacrament.  So I took Emme to drop her off at nursery Livi refused to come with me.  She decided she wanted to stay.  It was a cute scene.  She had Emme's monkey (a gift from my grandmother )in one arm and her doll in the other.  With her two fingers in her mouth.  I was concerned since Livi freaks out easily.  But she stayed in nursery and did well.  After church we watch a movie of Emme's choice, dinner and of course a cake.  Emme was so happy she got to help me make the cake.  She sat on the counter, while I measured.  Emme had more fun putting them in the bowl.  She is already wanting to learn how to cook. 

Troy trying to see how high he could get Zayne's hair

Emme playing with Zayne and Aspen

Livi loved the Balloons.  

Emme got another Musicial card.  She loves them and I hate them

My silly Livi

Emme with her new baby

Cupcakes

That's mine

Aspen, Marnie (Matt's cousin), Troy feed Zayne 

Livi having fun making her hair stand up

Balloon Fight!

I am ready for Church

I am helping

Happy Birthday!

Daddy didn't get the plates fast enough

I love chocolate!

Happy Halloween!

Last week was Halloween.  Emme was so excited.  She loves to play dress up.  So much that she tries to force poor Livi to dress up too.  Livi isn't interested yet in dress up or some of the things Emme does.  This year the girls were Care Bears.  I made the costume out of felt and hoodies along with my poor sewing skills.  Emme loved it she would growl at me and tell me she was a bear.  Livi loved the hood because she could pull it up herself.  In the morning we took the girls to see their Grandpa Wayne (Matt's Dad) in the hospital.  He had knee surgery and was happy to see them in their costumes.  Though they weren't too sure about the hospital.  Then we went to Lunch with Matt's mom.  We then went home for a nap before setting out for Trick or Treating.   Since we were going to be gone most of the night we decided to leave the candy on the front step with the help of our pumpkin. Our first stop of the night is always our neighbor Jadean who always makes the girls a special treat.  Once Livi realized there was candy at each door our candy monster was off and running.  After a good hour Livi was tired and Matt took her home.  I took Emme around a bit more.  Emme just kept wanting to go.  She even told me to stay in a certain spot and she would go to the door herself.  I thought the funniest part was we went to a door and this woman came out and proclaimed.  "What a cute devil"  to Emme.  I corrected her she was a Carebear.  The woman then began telling some weird story.  I think she had been celebrating a bit much.  Emme loved Halloween so much she wanted to do it again.  Livi wanted Dum Dum the next day since we had lots left over.    

There is a reason I don't let Emme have knives, I just can't remember why.

Livi's attempt at making a silly face at Daddy

Let's go MOM!!!

She is a big cheese ball.  She demands to get her picture taken now

Our first stop our neighbors The Spencers.  The girls just adore them

Off to the next door with Livi in the lead. 

Our pumpkin that handed out our candy for us.  Matt said it looked like Pin  Head

Next day we hit Target for the Halloween clearance.  I got them some new stuff for their dress up box

She looks so happy doesn't she.