Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!

Today has been relaxing thus far. We have just been playing around at home, doing some last-minute shopping, and we also took the girls out to lunch. Now they are napping...preparing for a fun night of wassail-making, and other festivities. Caitlin once again is sick, and her eyes are infected too. Just a little FYI for why her eyes look so bad in the pictures. Merry Christmas Eve to all our family and friends! We love and miss you all!!!

Oh What do you do in the Wintertime?

What DO you do in the wintertime around here? I can't figure out what we did last winter to make the time pass, but we've been trying to do some fun creative things this winter while we are cooped up and such. The girls LOVED making their own 'gingerbread' houses. (Ok...so more like graham cracker houses....but SO good to eat!)

Caitlin was a shepherd in the Nativity at our ward's Christmas party. It was SO cute...all of them were Sunbeams. Before Caitlin would try on her 'get-up', she was throwing a fit about it, so I had Abby try it on 1st to try and convince her to wear it. I think they both make cute shepherds. The Elders Quorum pres. commented at the party that she looked like a cross between a shepherd and Indiana Jones. True I guess, but a CUTE cross between them!

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

Abby and Catlin have had the opportunity to chat with Santa 3 times already this season. (To Abby's utter dismay.) This is the ONLY time that Abby didn't cry hysterically when I put her on his lap. And she only didn't cry because she knew our neighbor Melissa was standing right next to Santa with a present for her if she sat on his lap. Ahhh....the bribes.

"No really Santa...I'm ALWAYS this angelic......" I don't know about that.

This is a common occurrence at our house. I have unfortunately passed on my passion of country music on to my girls. Caitlin is a fan, and Abby is a straight-up music loving GENIUS. She'll run in to find me WHENEVER a song comes on that she knows. (Which, by the way, is just about every country song on the radio.) She can name most of the songs before the people even start singing them...before I even know what song it is! She's so smart it's crazy. Oh...and to my utter dismay...their current favorite country singer is Taylor Swift. I must say, it's better than Kellie Pickler, whom they loved listening to Red High Heels this summer. And with all due respect to Taylor Swift...can't they pick someone a little more...well...mature? Oh well...

Yes, this was them rockin' out to Taylor Swift's 'Our Song'. And yes, I gave in and downloaded it onto my computer, so they can listen to it on demand.

So I guess that's what we do in the wintertime. We sing, dance, make things, visit Santa, and dress up. And draw, write and color....the girls favorite past time. Abby's new favorite thing to do is cut with kid scissors. She'll make little cuts around the edges of a paper until there are a million of them!

Despite the nasty weather, we are all healthy, and doing well. Nate has a test tomorrow morning at 8am...and then he is FREE FOR 2 WEEKS!!!!! We are so excited, I can't even tell you. Happy Holidays...and happy last-minute shopping!

Ice Storm!!!

Brrrrrr!

Although I've been extremely pessimistic about this winter weather, and the ice storms, there is a lot of beauty in it all. We went for quite a few days in a row after the ice storm without seeing the sun. People kept asking on the phone if the ice was pretty, and of course I would respond, "Not really...it's actually pretty ugly and dreary." The day the sun broke through the clouds, I realized why everyone says the ice is so beautiful. It was amazing to see our little world out here encased in ice, with the sun shining on it...making everything glisten and sparkle. It was SO BEAUTIFUL!!! So today, I am grateful that we could enjoy the sun yesterday and for a while this morning. I got up early to exercise this morning, and the sunrise was a beautiful pallatte of pinks, purples and blues. It made the most exquisite background for the ice-encrusted trees in our front yard. I couldn't even stop looking out the window, it was so beautiful. I am grateful for eyes to see the beauty of this world, and I am also grateful that through this wintry weather we have been safe, and haven't lost our power.

The pictures in my slide show of the ice storm don't really do it justice...but I thought I'd at least give you a little taste of what it's like. The ice on the van was one solid sheet...and notice the picture of the tire! The tire is encased in ice as well. It gets pretty crazy out there!

Can't Wait...

So a quick post for tonight. I just wanted to say how excited I am for Arizona winters. For instance, right now it says it is 18 degrees outside, but it says that it 'feels like 4 degrees'. That's with the wind chill and the humidity added into the mix. (And it's only 5:30pm!!!) I came home today from an appt...and for some reason I couldn't warm up! I drank hot wassail, had hot soup, and decided I CAN'T STAND COLD WINTERS! I've also decided that Caitlin must NOT be my child. When we walked out from the appt. today, she stuck her hands in the snow (bare...by the way) and proceeded to try to play in the snow like that. I can't even MOVE when it's that cold outside, and touching anything freezing is the LAST thing on my mind! Another thing...huge jackets and carseats. They just don't work! The girls can't stand being buckled in their carseats all shoved in there with their winter coats on. And it's a pain to buckle them too! Ok, that's enough of my pessimism for right now...I'm just on an anti-winter fling! Can't say I'll miss the Missouri cold when we're gone!!! (The picture above is our bush after an ice storm. The water just freezes a coat over everything!) Yeeeee-hawwwwwww!!!

1st Snowstorm FUN!!!

A Tree of Their Own

The previous post is a slideshow of the girls and Nate enjoying the 1st snowfall. I don't think you can enjoy winter in its fullness without kids to play in the snow with. (And a husband to take them out there while I 'keep the house warm'. ;o) It was pulling teeth to get Abs in her snowclothes, but once she was out there, she was a maniac! Caitlin's always been daring at everything...she's going to be the boy that Nate never had. (Hope you're not reading this Buns!)

Abby and I went with Caitlin's preschool class to Fouch's Tree Farm on Tuesday for a field trip. It was fun, and we ended up cutting down a little mini real Christmas tree for $5!!! I was so excited, because I thought it would be perfect in their playhouse. It is such a darling little tree...but it has it's downfalls. Like...who would have thought about the needles getting in the girls feet? Ooops! Oh well, it was fun, and they love 'their own tree'. And we made a star out of a Cheerios box and glitter to top it all off. Kids are so much fun!

Holiday Cheer

Ok, so it's only Dec. 1st and I've already got Christmas pictures up! Just ask my roommates from college (or my hubby)...we LOVE Christmastime around here, and there isn't a time too early to start playing Christmas music! Just thought I'd share some of our Holiday Festivities already...

Caitlin and her best friend Chloe on Santa's lap. (NO dogging the yellow-ish beard...we live in a small town, alright? ;o)

Abby REFUSED to get an inch closer to Santa. She's scared to death of the 'jolly' old man.

Me and the girls after the Winter Formal at Nate's school. Nate conveniently took his suit off before we took pictures when we got home. And of course I'm not going to post one of just me! (Notice...the same dress I wore to the same event last year...only this year I've packed on the pounds being pregnant!)

The gals. I love these kids!

Caitlin and Abs trimming the tree.

Nate being goofy as usual. I love my hard working husband so much!

Christmas fun. This time of year is so amazing! (Except the ice storms...we already had one this morning!) Can't wait for AZ Christmases! :o)

Nothing extravagant...just a little peek into our lives while decorating the tree. Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I just wanted to wish my wonderful mom a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Even if she IS nearing 50 (did I just type that out loud?)...she still looks like she's barely pushing 25! My mom is a wonderful mother, and a great, and loving grandmother to our girls. She has taught me a special love of children, and I owe so much to her. I can't thank her enough for making the decision to join the church, and raise us in righteousness. (Cue the waterworks...it must be a pregnancy thing!) She has always been a wonderful example of faith and dilligence, and I am grateful for every minute that I've been able to share with her. As a teenager, I felt at times that all she wanted to do is be strict, and ruin the fun. Now, as a mother myself, I realize that she was following the promptings of the Spirit, and raising me with love, concern, and safety. Thank you Mom, for sharing 26 years with me...and for everything you've ever done for me, from changing my diapers, to wiping my tears! I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Thanks for the Great Trip!

We just got back on Wednesday from our trip to Utah. We went out to see my sister Sarah who got home from her mission in Pennsylvania on Nov. 6th. It was so nice to have her back, and Caitlin and Abby just ate up the attention from her! We had fun visiting family and friends, and enjoying the beautiful-and unusually warm-fall weather! This will probably be the last time we will be in Utah for a while, because our baby girl is due April 3! We will be moving to Arizona in July, so I don't know when we'll be back to see the beautiful mountains and be with family! That's one thing that we really took for granted about Utah, was having such beautiful mountains all around. Thanks to everyone who let us visit and made our trip wonderful!

Abs with Uncle 'Joe'. (I put Joe in quotations because that's not what they call him! ;o)

Joseph is in this Par Kour(sp?) club at his school. It's basically doing cool tricks on any obstacle around. He had just as much fun at the park practicing as the girls had playing around!

Abs, Caitlin and their cousing Brookie. They ADORE 'Brooks'. It was so much fun to see family for a few days!

Caitlin and her cousin Delaney. Delaney insisted that she was Fern from Charlotte's Web. She had to wear the yellow dress that Fern wears to the fair at the end of the movie. She's such a doll!

SARAH COMING HOME!!!! This was when we saw Sare for the 1st time in a year and a half!!! It was so exciting...and you mix that with my pregnant hormones...I was balling like a baby!

Sare and Justin...sweet reunions!

Sarah ACTING like she was happy to be back. She loved her mission, and had a hard time coming home.



Caitlin with Aunt Gloria. It was so fun to see my mom's side of the family for a couple of days. They are such sweet people!

Last but NOT least, the beloved Great Grandpa Murphy. This is probably the ONLY time you'll see him wearing anything but a t-shirt of his great-granddaughters! He is such a hoot!



Abby and Delaney. They went downstairs by themselves, and set up a 'naptime bed' on the LoveSac. It was pretty cute!





Caitlin playing in the leaves in Grampa's backyard. Fall is so much fun for kids...those were the good ole' days!

This is what happens when we wake up for the 1st day in Utah at Grampa's house...and Grampa is at work. The girls take over the stereo!!!

Just for Grins

I really had no reason to do another post, I just thought these pictures were too cute not to share. I love my sweet girls so much! I learn so much from them every day..who would've ever thought I'd learn all my life lessons from a 2 and 4-year-old? I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has trusted me with their care, and I am grateful for every minute of being a mother. They (along with Nate) truly are my everything. They are the reason that I wake up every morning, the reason that I try so hard to be the best that I can be. I hope that someday I can be the mother that I truly am striving to be. For now, I will keep trying to be the mother they look up to, and can find comfort and nurture in. I love you girls!

Is that not THE CUTEST sad lion that you've ever seen? Let's be honest here...

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun and busy Halloween this year! We had 2 trunk-or-treats to go to, several costume parties for the girls, a Halloween dinner with friends, and of course Trick-or-Treating! These darling pictures were taken at a friend's little Halloween Party at her studio. Last year Halloween out here was FREEZING, so I thought we'd be totally safe with these warm costumes. It turns out that most of the festivities we went to were inside, and the girls would get so sweaty! They looked darling regardless, and we have WAY to much candy to even think about. The candy fairy is going to come one of these nights and 'properly discard' of the candy. We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! Now on to Christmas music...

(Nate isn't the BIGGEST fan of my love for Christmas music, so if I listen to it this early, I make sure it's just during the day!)