Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without a visit to the mall. We met Chris and Nat there for lunch and got DQ for dessert.

We came home and practiced for our program at Grandma’s house. The kids sang “Could I Hold the Baby” and sounded so sweet.

Madison as the new centerpiece.

Before we went to Grandma Lofgren's we exchanged gifts from siblings.

Love my sisters.The kids acting out the Nativity.

And Jonathan and Collette announced they were engaged!! It was a great way to the end the night and we are so happy Collette is going to part of our family.

December 2011

December was crazy, as it always seems to be. Every year I think next year is going to be better, but between Jason’s finals, Christmas parties, get together with friends, and getting ready for our trip to Montana it slipped by way too fast. Here are some highlights of the days leading up to Christmas:

The girls could play with their tea set all day. Especially Madison. She loves pouring the water from the pitcher to the cup and serving Mckenna. She says “mah tea”, “mah tea” over and over until Mckenna asks for more.

The first weekend in December was busy. We had our Christmas Nativity concert at the church Friday and Sunday nights, and then Saturday we went to the Parade of Lights with Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Jenny, the Mitchell’s and the Torgesen’s. The girls loved it.

Madison liked switching between everyone’s shoulders.

We loved spending time with Aunt Jenny.

Jason was gone a lot studying, so when we got to spend time with him it was a treat. Mckenna was so cute one night when he came home she was talking up a storm telling him all about her day so intently. We love our Daddy.

Bringing gifts to Baby Jesus at our ward party.

We were able to see Santa quite a few times in the mall and everytime we went to see him Mckenna told him she wanted an Ariel dress. This time she told him a doll house and we asked her why she changed her mind? Because she already told the other Santa she wanted the dress. She knows how to work it.

Having Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Jenny. Madison got an Elmo guitar and Mckenna got a scooter. They LOVED them.

Madison has been so funny. When we say it’s time to say a prayer she lays flat on the ground just like this. Not exactly sure where she got it, but Mckenna decided to follow her example that night.

Making yummy sugar cookies for neighbors. Mckenna was my best helper.

Mckenna’s Christmas party for preschool with her friends Mia, Addison and Lizzie.

November 2011

I can’t believe November is gone and it’s December! Where does the time go?! Here are a few moments I was able to capture this past month.

The girls love the bath and play so cute in there. Sometimes they get kind of goofy but I love that. I could listen to them laugh all day.

Madison loves to climb into boxes, or anything that looks like a box and when she’s in there she just chills.

Having fun with a paper towel tube.

Helping me bake an apple pie on Thanksgiving! Testing out the apples before we put them in the pie.

Playing Turkey Memory on Thanksgiving! Mckenna is GOOD – she won both times without any help.

We went out to Bob and Jill’s house for Thanksgiving dinner and Jason’s Grandma flew in from St. George to visit. Jason made his first turkey this year and it turned out excellent.

The kids table! We made Jill’s lime slush and mmmmm the girls loved it.

With great-grandma! Jason told Mckenna that she was like the fairy god mother on Cinderella and so the night before she got into town Mckenna said “thank you that my fairy god mother can come visit me tomorrow” when she prayed. They both just loved her!

We started pulling out Christmas decorations and the girls thought the candle holders were perfect tea cups. I found them here having a tea party with their dolls.

Mckenna and Madison have been playing soo good together lately. I love mornings where the TV is off and they just play and I can listen to their cute little voices pretending to be on the phone, or writing e-mails to their friends, or playing house.

We put our Christmas tree up! Christmas is officially here … now onto December, goodbye November.

Halloween!

Madison was hilarious to watch on the stage. She was so proud of herself walking across with a big smile on her face. After she was done she went right back to the other side to do it again.With Grandma and Zaylie.We had a whirlwind of a weekend before Halloween with preschool parties, the ward trunk-or-treat, a hayride out at Bob and Jill's and then trick-or-treating on Halloween at Bob's office and then later with the Mitchell's around our neighborhood. So much fun, we loved watching the girls - they played their parts perfectly, but to be honest I wasn't sad to see the holiday end. :) Happy Halloween!

Family Pictures

We had the perfect fall weekend and decided to take some pictures before the leaves started to turn brown. Sunday night we went out to Bob and Jill's and took some around their neighborhood. It wasn't the best condition for the kids, kind of cold, before dinner and they didn't want to smile, at all. But we got a few good ones that I think will work!

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The day after Halloween was the most GORGEOUS day here. We didn't get a chance to take pictures of just the girls on Sunday so I took them on Tuesday to the cutest little white church with a graveyard that I saw last year while driving. I have had it in my mind ever since to take pictures there and it worked perfectly.

The girls ... well, they didn't cooperate like I wanted them to. Madison would NOT sit still, Mckenna just wanted to run around and be goofy and I was getting so frustrated! I thought at the end, that was a waste because I didn't think I got any good pictures but when I took them home and looked at them, they were perfect, because it's who they are, and that's how I want to remember them.

The Girls

Mckenna

Madison