Nutcracker

Allie and I headed off on a mommy daughter date to the Nutcracker.  We usually attend this as a family, but Blake opted to stay home with Sophie, so me and Allie got to enjoy a mommy daughter night.



I can't believe how big my baby girl looks in this picture.  She is growing up too fast!!!

A quick snap of us before heading out. Allie was excited to be wearing her fancy dress:)

Before the play started we got to check out the orchestra pit.  We splurged and got some good seats up front so we could actually make it worth the night and see the people.  Allie really enjoyed the play until the last 5 minutes when she crashed on me.  Thanks for the fun night sis!!!

Gingerbread Houses

It seems like every December we get to go and decorate gingerbread houses at the Histands.  We got smart this year and found pre-fab houses; they were already put together

Our pre-fab house ready to be decorated

All we head to do was frost and decorate....Allie was really into the decorating this year.  It was such a quicker process not having to wait for our walls to dry:)

The Johnson's 

They brought a train that had to be built and weren't too happy with trying to get it to stick together:)

The finished house

Can't go wrong eating the extra frosting that is left over....right?

Finally smiling with their finished train

We had a second round of decorating this year with good old graham crackers.....I've got to remember that one for next year.  When I was a kid I always made my houses with graham crackers and frosting.  These houses brought back some good memories.  Thanks to all our friends for having us over to decorate:)

Xmas Tree Hunting

December has hit and the time has come to trek out and cut down a tree.  We had missed out on the fun last year due to Sophie being so little.  We were excited to head out into the cold to find that perfect tree!

We headed out with the Givens 

The kids were troopers and headed right up the mountain with us to hunt for trees

Allie hiking along

The kids had a blast running down the road and sliding in their snow pants

Posing for a cousin pic

Cam and Allie hanging on the side of the road eating snow, life doesn't get much better

My good hubby hiking out with my tree...here is the story behind it.

Well....it was taking us some time to find a good tree.  The trees were either to bare in spots, to tall, etc. etc.  Really, you feel like you need that perfect tree.  Well, Blake and I ran up a mountain to look.  He told me he was going to the top to see what he could find.  In the meantime, I found a tree that I was satisfied with.  Blake couldn't hear me holler to him because he'd gone over the mountain.  About 30 minutes later Rod started to follow Blake's footsteps and go on a search to find him because we were a little worried he hadn't returned.  A while later I heard both boys hollering down to us that Blake was alive and he had hiked in a few miles to find me the perfect tree.  

Blake and that perfect tree he found for us

Nothing like coming home, putting up that perfect tree, decorating it, snuggling up in Christmas PJ's and sipping hot cocoa.  Tis the Season!!!

Thanksgiving

My mom invited us to eat out with her on Thanksgiving this year and that did not sound appetizing.  I haven't put in 30 years of making turkeys and pies to justify going out to eat for Thanksgiving.  I felt like I needed to put on a feast; it's only once a year that you have to make this big dinner anyways so I told her just to show up with the drinks and I'd take care of the rest (with the exception of Blake making my mashed potatoes).  Honestly, I did a lot of prepping and making on Wednesday so it ended up being a yummy, not so stressful meal. 

My friend gave me a yummy recipe for a turkey in a brown bag.  It was delicious and could have been even more delicious if I hadn't over cooked it.  It wasn't dry by any means, but I think it cooked for about 30 minutes to long.  We enjoyed this bird along with stuffing, veggies, potatoes, rolls, jello salad, pies.  The best part was we had lots of leftovers.  I love the leftovers!

Blake's brother came into town for the weekend and so the rest of the Holiday weekend we spent with his family.  We went bowling; must be a tradition because it seems like we always end up bowling during the holidays with his family.  I can't believe that is really Sophie in the picture:(  She looks so big sitting with the big girls.

Allie loves bowling these days

Allie and Brynn

We love having Jane around.  I wish she lived closer to help me out with my little ones. She is such a HUGE help and Allie just adores her

One tradition that we have kept alive for years is hitting up the Holiday tree lighting on the Grove.  One more year of tree lightings

After the tree lighting we went for hot cocoa and then everyone headed to the cars.  When we got to our car, we realized we had a few too many kids with us.  We packed in like sardines until we caught up with the other cars and could unload a few.  Three is nothing like the Holidays when you just get to play and have fun with the family!!!

Turkey Trot for the kids

My ward if filled with a bunch of fun ladies and I have made some great friendships.  One of my good friends through out the idea of having a kids turkey trot.  The rest of us loved the idea and we all divided out jobs and helped each other put the race together.  The kids loved it!



Allie at the start line.  My friends was going to make the start line sign.  All the rest of us envisioned a paper sign, but no, she shows up with a canvas sign on PVC pipes....WHAT???  Really, who does this?  She said she wanted to reuse it for all the races we were going to do.  Really......who said we were doing more of these.

Me and my friend put together the gumball necklaces while another friend whipped together all the "turkey medals" to also go on them

All the kiddos getting ready to race.  There were two options that the kids could run, either a half mile or a mile race at our neighborhood elementary school

Good thing for Josh, our motorcycle cop.   He escorted the kids at the start of the race

Allie running in the freezing cold

Pushing through the finish line.

Showing off her turkey medal

Cute turkey, cheese and tomato kabobs

Nothing like some good oranges at the end of the race too.  Overall the race was a great success!
There were a few little mishaps that we will improve upon next time. Until we meet again at the bunny hop!!!

Milk Allergy

Sophie has been having breakdowns on her bottom for the last couple of months.  If anyone ever wants to try a diaper cream, I own every one of them:)  We have been trying to figure out what is wrong and have been into the Dr.'s office a few times regarding the issue. Not only does Sophie have a rash, she was constantly stooling.  The Dr. had thought that this was a yeast rash; which I thought the same thing.  When her bottom would clear up for a day after using the prescription cream, the rashes would return the next day.  I knew there was something else wrong.  It killed me to change her diaper. When we would go to change her diaper she would scream because her butt was so broken down. Sophie would tell us immediately she was poopy by screaming and crying.   I felt so bad and we finally got back into the Dr. to discuss the matters further.

The Dr. proposed that Sophie had a dairy allergy.  He proposed that we could do allergy testing or just eliminate dairy and see how she would do.  I felt like she mainly had a milk allergy.  Sophie started on cheese and yogurt around 8 months and never had a problem.  Around 10 months she started on whole milk after weaning herself from nursing and that is when we started to see the breakdown.

A poor shot of her bumb....it was like the stool was burning her poor bum.  She had lots of bleeding sores on her bumb

Other than the sad diaper changes, which take up most of our day, we have had some fun times.  Sophie is such a cheese ball; always doing stuff to make us laugh

Another thing you are into is putting things in your mouth and having them stick out

The other day I ran to put some clothes away in the closet and when I came back you had made yourself at home inside the dryer

Cheesing it in the dryer

Locks of Love

Allie has wanted her hair cut for a few months.  She wanted it trimmed up to her shoulders, so I tried to convince her that she would have enough to donate to Locks of Love and she could do a good deed just like I had.  I think the idea and concept was a little hard to grasp for her and hence it's why it has taken her a few months to get to the point of being ready to cut her hair. One day she decided she was ready to cut her hair, so we made an appointment at 2 B A Kid, a fun kids hair salon in town.

Allie started out by getting her hair washed up

It was time to put her hair in a pony tail and measure out a minimum of 10".  Then, snip, snip, snip of the pony

Allie and her pony tail.  We had the video camera with us and her face was priceless the moment she saw her ponytail

Of course Sophie was a wild one on the car next to Allie

Allie didn't want to let go of her old hair; she hadn't seen her new do yet.  We didn't want her to turn around until her new short hair was all done up

Her hair turned out darling!!!  She looks so much older to me with her short do.  We ended up sending out 11.5" of hair to Locks of Love

One last picture of that beautiful hair before it was sent off to Locks Of Love.  I must say I was a little sad to see the hair gone; Allie had beautiful hair!  I know that it will grow back, and someone will enjoy her beautiful hair. I am so proud of Allie and the great choice she has made.  You make your mama proud!!!