Christmas

This is how we celebrated our snow filled Christmas....... It's hard to tell in this picture but Haylee is now taking a lot of steps

This is how we shovel snow in Portland, with rain boots and a broom. He is the hottest shoveler on the block though.

Getting ready to play in the snow with dad. Anybody have advice on how to find snow boots for a 14 month old. We looked and looked and it finally came down to snow mittens on the hands and feet. It works great if anbody else can't find boots either.

Haylee and her cousin matthew sledding. Despite Haylee's emotionless expression she did love playing out in the snow.

Being thrown in the air

We all fit in one sled and off we were down the hill. This kind of looks like it could be our next family picture Christmas card.

Every year our family has a christmas eve program. Everybody has to participate and looks like Mrs. Clause showed up this year.

Samuel the lamanite showed up too

Santa came with a slide for Haylee

And she went down and down

And then this guy showed up Christmas morning. Anybody claim him?

We had a great Christmas and we are so grateful that we could celebrate the birth of our Savior again. We are very blessed and hope everybody else had a great holiday season!

It's beginning to look a lot like too much snow! Please melt!

This rarely happens here. The city of Portland has basically been at a standstill for a week. We haven't had church in two weeks. All I want for Christmas is for my sister's family to be able to come. Please open I-84!

A real mom

There are so many times when I don't feel like a real mom. I mean I only have one baby girl and sometimes I just feel like I'm playing house more than anything. I don't have numerous kids climbing all over me, I don't do drop-offs or pick ups, I don't have a van, she doesn't call me mom (more often than not she calls me baby, her favorite word), I still go shopping and buy myself clothes, I don't leave the house with food stains all over me, and I don't say, "because I said so, that's why." However, last Saturday night when we went out to eat instead of ordering appetizers we dug into the diaper bag and started eating gold fish and graham crackers, we ate our meal as fast as we could and asked for the check before we were done eating. There is only so much time that Haylee allows us in a restaurant. And then I realized that I am a real mom. We would never have an experience like that just playing house.

Christmas Festivites

Just a few Christmas activities we have been doing lately........ braving the cold weather to go Christmas shopping....

playing with bows and wrapping paper....

touching the Christmas tree any chance we get....

constructing gingerbread houses....

coloring the gingerbread man that we got from the library storyhour....

patiently waiting for the Christmas cookies to come out of the oven.....

hugging our favorite snowman, frosty....

and not so patiently waiting for those same Christmas cookies to come out of the oven

Thanksgiving and the Wedding

Thanksgiving was so much fun this year! My entire family was in Oregon at my parents house so it was a full house but so fun to see everyone. Haylee had so much fun with her cousins. She follows them where ever they go. Also my mom and my sisters and I went to see twilight. I'm in love with the cullen men! They are beautiful and I have to see it again! Then my sister Sally got married on Nov, 29th. She looked beautiful and her and Colt were really happy. Haylee wanted to eat at the kid table so bad. She couldn't get enough of the table that is just her height.

All my sisters, our spouses and Steven, my brother at the head of the table. Chris didn't want to take time to smile for the camera. It was all about eating

Sally just coming out of the temple! She looked gorgeous!

Colt and Sally, the newly married couple. They are already heading back to Rexburg to take finals. Good luck!

Me and the lovely bride. I can't believe my little sister is married!

Haylee, Lindy and Sally

All of Sally's nieces. Haylee and Sadie are six months apart. Sadie looked so cute in her bow and little outfit.

Haylee and Lindy

This picture of Haylee and Tate is so funny to me. Haylee for sure won this wrestling match. Even in a dress. Weston would be so proud. I on the other hand am trying to teach her to be more princess like.