Thanksgiving 2011

This month has been awesome! The girls and I loved coming up with 5 new things we were thankful for each day - it wasn't a challenge AT ALL. So many things to be grateful for! We definitely know the Lord pours blessings in our lives. One of my biggest blessings in life is my sweet family! I just love my girlies and my prince! Life is good.

On Thanksgiving, my mom and dad came to visit! We were so happy!

Carolyn and Ang worked hard on the name-tags and napkin holders.


The girls and I were just completely obsessed with making these fruit turkeys - we made quite a few of them throughout November :)

Dig in Time!
Chris' cute family came for the dinner! It was so fun having them and my parents for the celebration!


Looking at Black Friday ads :)
Andrew says I only love Thanksgiving because it means Christmas season is here. Maybe there is some truth to that, but I do love the shopping on Black Friday. Two things about the shopping this year...

1 - First, I really don't like how it is now "Black THURSDAY." I love the shopping and all - but, please, don't make it on Thanksgiving. The stupid 9pm opening made it so Andrew and I were rushing through our pie-eating so we could get on to planning for our shopping trip. So lame.

2- Andrew joined me for Black Friday! My parents were soo soo sweet to stay at home with the girls while we went out. Andrew did decide that he wasn't a fan (come-on, Andrew - what's so bad about standing in line for 4.5 hours at Best Buy and not even getting what we were in line for?) Haha. I loved that he came with me this year :)

Angela on her "big bike" - she's obsessed with this thing and she is such a cutie. This girl is cute, too.

Carolyn has been asking for MONTHS (literally) when we get to pick out the tree! I don't put up decorations for Christmas (besides my Christmas hanging on the wall that is up all year long as my tribute to my love of Christmas) until after Thanksgiving. We didn't waste any time. The day after Thanksgiving - we went to pick out a tree! And, oh - is it sooooo pretty and smells soooo lovely in our home. It was fun having my parents come along for the adventure (they stayed with us until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving :)


Emily's first experience picking out trees! Love this girl
The Winner!


Let the decorating begin!















All three girls with a sad-lookin' face. Oh boy. This picture makes me sad and giggly at the same time. Time for bed after a fun day.
The next day, much happier. My beautiful and sweet Emily.....



My dad treated our family to McDonalds. One of the girls' favorite places to go.



And look at our pretty lights! You can't see the lit deer lights in the front. I love Andrew for putting up lights on our house every year :) And the girls love him for it, too. Just about EVERY night, the girls and I drive around looking at peoples' Christmas light. We all agree that we love our house lights the very best.
The last day my parents were here, we went to see Santa at the most awesomest place ever to see Santa! Bass Pro Shop! Amazing! Free Festive carasoul ride, free fun games (cool sling shots, remote trains/cars, etc. etc.), and a free picture with an amazing Santa. Plus, it's just a fun store to be at - so fun. The girls and I will be back this season. Atleast one more time with Andrew, but probably a few more times than that.




The girls loved trying on Grandma's glasses :) Teehehe :)
We also started an AWESOME tradition this year!! I made a big Christmas tree (don't be intimidated by my artistic ability). Every day we read a scripture or story about Jesus. The girls listen for a characteritic or name for Jesus. Then, the girls write down the characteristic or name on a paper ornament they made and then put it on the tree! On Christmas we will have a tree full of beautiful characteristics of Christ. A wonderful way to focus on why we have this wonderful holiday, to celebrate and remember our Savoir. I am so thankful for Him and that because of Him I can be with this family of mine that I am so inlove with! Merry Christmas season!

Moments with Dad

The girls and I all agree that we are the luckiest to have Andrew as the man around the house. Not only does he work incredibly hard at work, he is the best when at home. Here the cuties are sitting on the couch, wearing jammies, eating cereal, and watching "Strawberry Shortcake." Does life get much better than this?

Elk

So there I was cutting off meat on an elk leg off of the bone when I called my sister to tell her I have the perfect Vegan-Therapy out there. Come over and help me with this elk leg :)

So, anyways, there I was cutting the elk when sweet Carolyn comes out with a butter knife to help me with the cutting ;) What a girl! She then went on to tell me all about the story of David in the scriptures and how he refused to eat a lot a meat. Man, I love my kids. They crack me up.

Preschool Website

My sister in-law, Michelle, introduced me to a fantastic resource for preschool! They have lesson plans with printouts! So awesome! http://education.byu.edu/seel/database

I love my preschool time with Ang! One of my favorite parts of each day :) Look at her pretty "B"s.

My Sweet 9 Month Babe!

Today our little sweety turned 9 months! We sure love her! She is soooo sooo happy and easy-going. She loves her sisters and they make her laugh better than any one else. She loves people singing to her (esp. "If You're Happy and You know it"). She is crawling like a genius and can now stand up by herself while holding onto something. She loves her solid foods (her favorite is oatmeal) and she is growing great. She is at about the 50 percentile for height/weight and in the 90 percentile for the head (as Carolyn's doctor once told me (b/c all my girls have had about that same measurement) - "perfect size and big brains.") She LOVES LOVES people - she gets so much attention every where she goes (she loves smiling, talking, and laughing at everyone). She gets lots of comments on her beautiful blue eyes and her tinted-red hair. She is such a peacemaker at the home - when Carolyn gets hurt, she literally cries for Emily (Emily has taken over a lot of my work as a mom). We call Em "Doctor Emily" b/c when the girls get hurt, Emily acts as a doctor and makes them all better (I do the voice and move her hands around like a doctor - it makes us all laugh - even Em). She is like her other sisters and is a total Daddy's girl. When she sees Andrew for the first time at night she just flirts with him for like the first 30 min (or all night)...calls to him ....talks/screams (a happy scream) at him...laughs at him...anything to talk to him and get his attention.

Emily with her cute sister:









Carolyn took these pictures of Emily and me playing...a little bit up close and personal but I decided to post them anyways.

Luckily, it's been a while since I have gotten a rude comment on how I must be a teenage mom. I think I finally might look my age. However, now I always get comments about how Emily is almost as big as me (some guy at Costco told Carolyn and Angela today that their mom forgot to eat her Wheaties as a kid and they better be sure to eat theirs). Anyways, when I look at pictures, I can sorta see what people are saying...this baby girl is going to be as tall as me before I know it (not that that is a hard accomplishment :)

We love you, our little Ms!

Halloween 2011

Halloween was so fun this year. We celebrated with several Halloween parties (church, community, school, etc.) and a great night of trick-or-treating (almost perfect weather). Here Carolyn is with her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Burkeen. Carolyn loves school and loves her teacher - so fun that they shared the same costume this year for Halloween :) My little witches :)
My sweet cheerleader...look at those beautiful blues :)

I just love my girls! I love Ang's smile here.





The girls even talked mom into being a witch with them - so fun to act like witches for the day.

And, for some random October pictures....
I had a very fun time making these sugar cookie fairy wands (http://familyfun.go.com/parties/parties-by-theme/fantasy-fairy-tale-parties/very-fairy-birthday-party-844544/3/). Fun for a "Fairy Day" at the Kims.
We also made a Thanksgiving poster where every day we draw a turkey with our hands and write 5 new things (no repeats) that we are grateful for. A fun (and easy) way to focus on all our many, many blessings this month!
This is Ang's first turkey she made (with NO assistance - I just wrote the words on the hands - she did all the rest).