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!