I started a new tradition in my house, making snowflakes! I didn’t know it could be so fun. I saw snow flakes in the store and loved them. I decided instead of buying them, I will make them! (Yes I am that cheap! 🙂 I had never made them before,but decide with all the talent that comes to my house Sunday night for dinner I would be okay. And I was right!

They turned out beautiful. So click on the picture to see more.

This window is in Adam’s office and faces our front yard. Everyone coming to our house can see them and Adam gets to look at them all day long!

Kalixta is not in any of the pictures because she was asleep. She fell and hit her mouth really hard on a table downstairs. She went to sleep in Marci arms. When Britain and Zoe were in bed they were talking about the snowflakes them made. Britain calls them snow cones. Kalixta heard them talking and came upstairs crying because she didn’t get a snow cone! When I showed her the snowflakes she let me take her back to bed because she realized she hadn’t missed anything!

Zoe loved Kalixta’s hair , but didn’t want to cut hers because she didn’t know what it would look like. She decided that if Britain cut her hair and it looked good she would cut hers. (She realizes she looks more like Britain than Kalixta!) So ever since Britain’s hair cut Zoe has been bugging me to cut hers.

Yesterday we did!

Before

After

She loves it. She says she feels more bouncy. I don’t mind all the short hair. Two years ago I would have not liked to have had all of my lovely long-haired girls cut their hair, but now it’s great! One less thing to deal with. Britain and Kalixta brush their own hair and sometimes each other! Britain even cut Kalixta some new bangs!! Now I look forward to Zoe doing her own hair. 

I am feeling very thankful this week. The month of December reminds me to look back over the year since it is almost over. It has been a very good year to say the least.
I also feel the need to remind the kids how grateful they should be, so they don’t keep adding toys to their lists to Santa. Every Thanksgiving the kids make a turkey from their hand. On each feather they write something they are grateful for this year. My brothers and sisters all make one too, and I put them on the fridge to show us all we have.
These are still on my fridge I can’t seem to be able to take them down. They help me to see again and again how wonderful my life is! (Yes, even over the screaming and fighting!)

So here are the highlights!

Ariana: sippy cup with milk, Daddy’s candy, underwear, kisses

Britain: my family, my teacher, church, my friends

Kalixta: toys & colors, food, family, church

Ammon: Daddy & family, Book of Mormon, friends, temple

Zoe: house, friends, family, Jesus & Heavenly Father

Nikolas: video games, family,sports, pets

Adam: IBM, family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Butt Rub (you gotta ask him!)

I would put my brothers and sisters’ but don’t want to without their permission.

See why I am so thankful?

Ari had another first this week. She got to play in the snow. She has been in the snow and walked in the snow, but Monday she really played in the snow. We were hoping to go sledding, but the great Spanish Fork winds blew lots of snow away and the sun melted the rest. (So you didn’t miss any sledding Marie!) We were pretty bummed, but settled for a close second to go outside and play. I didn’t go, Jeff got that job, and he loved it!

She can hardly walk all bundled up! Aaahhhhh, but doesn’t she look cute!

Her favorite thing to do was play on the slide. She stayed outside a long time. She even went out the next day too. Hooray! Hopefully she will like sledding just as much!

Here’s the snow man the kids made to use as a tackling dummy. That is an idea they could only have gotten from Jeff! Thank goodness for uncles!

Laundry days for me are Mondays and Fridays, sometimes moving into Tuesdays and Saturdays depending on how much laundry, and if I use my time wisely to get it taken care of. I wash and wash clothes and as they come out of the dryer I fold them and separate them into baskets for each kid. Then each child has the responsibility to put their lovely, clean, folded clothes away.

A little trouble maker has been stealing something from the baskets. She (there’s a hint!) usually takes only one thing and usually from the same basket!

Who? and What?

Ariana!

Underwear!!!

Ariana LOVES to take Britain and Kalixta’s panties. She takes them, and carries them, and plays with them, hugs them, and does this with them…

What can I say?! At least they are clean!!

I love Christmas trees. The smell, the lights, the decorations, I love it all!  It was snowing when we got our tree Saturday, but that made it even better!

Click on the pictures to see more fun getting our tree.

We decorated the tree Sunday with my brother and sisters. It was loud, chaotic, and tons of fun!

Here’s all of us with our finished tree. Click on it to see more!

My Mom always has a cute craft or two to do when she comes to visit. This time she had the kids make turkeys using different candies. Since anything with candy is GREAT the kids had fun!

Ever since Kalixta cut her hair Britain has wanted to cut hers too. So yesterday I finally took her to the salon. She acted shy when she got there and couldn’t tell Nicole how she wanted her hair.  It turned out sooooooooo good.

Britain’s hair is gorgeous. It is thick and healthy and a lovely color. Did you notice I emphasized thick?  Nicole said she has never seen a girl her age with hair that thick and healthy. Britain’s hair was two inches short of being long enough to donate to Locks of Love, but since is was so healthy Nicole said they would probably use it and sent it in.

Oops, sorry about the double take. Anyways, it is longer in the front than in the back and she took a razor to the front to thin the hair out so it lays closer to her face. I love it!! More importantly she loves it! This morning she said she could do her hair all by herself and she did!

I couldn’t let too much time pass before I blogged about Thanksgiving week. The week was eventful and loads of fun.

It started with Maisey having her puppies, three adorable puppies. There are two girls and one boy. They are so much fatter already. I will post updated pictures soon. Aren’t the cute?!

Tuesday Ammon had a Thanksgiving feast at school. That morning he told me his Indian name was Running Horse. "Why did your teacher name you that?" I asked. "She said cause I’m always running and I run fast!" he answered! Boy does she know my son!

Wednesday Ariana ate a marker! Yep, this picture does not even do it justice. Her teeth, tongue, and hands were completely purple. I brushed her teeth but it didn’t help much.

Wednesday Adam and I also went shopping to get some pretty things for dinner. We got beautiful red table cloths with matching white napkins and some gorgeous crystal goblets! Oh, I love them!!!
We ate down stairs, so no one would spill on my new carpet. I am not good at center pieces, but Michelle gave me three cute candle holders, so with some Autumn leaves, little pumpkins, and my boy and girl pilgrims, I think it turned out cute!

Thanksgiving morning my Mom, Dad and brother Joey drove in from California. It is always great to have them here! We had a great feast turkey, ham, potatoes and gravy, awesome green bean casserole Jaime made (it had cheese in it!), yams Jaime made too, frog egg salad my Mom brought, all the way from CA! It was great eatn’!

Here is everyone enjoying the feast. Ari didn’t eat much, but she sure enjoyed playing with the olives!

We, of course, had yummy pie for dessert but Kalixta and Britain like the pumpkin candy corns from the table the best!

Kalixta expression cracks me up!!   We had a wonderful week. Having my Mom here made my whole month! They left after an AWESOME win for BYU against Utah, so they were not here long enough, but I will take what I can get! Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful too!

Daddy is finally home!

We waited all day for Daddy to come home. Nikolas saw him pull up in the drive way and yelled for everyone to hide and jump out and surprise him. No one wanted to hide and everyone wanted to be the first to see him so the waited on the sofa for him to come in.

When he got through the door they attacked!

Of course Daddy brought presents so the kids were even more excited.
Britain and Kalixta got Miss America crowns!

Zoe, Nikolas, and Ammon got snow globes from D.C

Ari was glad so glad to see her Daddy too. She has been climbing in and out of his lap all night. She didn’t get anything, but she wanted to take a picture just like everyone else!

I have the hardest time getting her to stand still for a photo, so this is amazing and the fact that she is smiling makes it so much better!