My sweet girls turn 8 today!! I know I always say this but, I can’t believe it!!! I was completely shocked when the Dr. told me I was going to have twins! I didn’t know what I was going to do!  I was struggling to keep up with three! Nik was 6, Zoe had just turned 4 and Ammon would have been 2! We were living with Adam’s parents. But a loving Heavenly Father had a plan like He always does! He has blessed and strengthened me is ways I can’t even comprehend! I can’t imagine my life with out these two silly vibrate girls!! They are so different and at the same time compliment each other so well!

Sunday when everyone was here for dinner we celebrated. Their dinner choice was easy this year and featured their favorite, frog egg salad just like last year AND the year before! Adam tried hard to change their minds but he didn’t succeed! They also wanted mashed potatoes and chicken. Here is a picture just for Auntie Marie!! We miss you!!

There was lots of love during the opening of presents!

Ammon was the cute present organizer! He would take each gift and place it in a pile. He made a pile for Britt and a pile for Kalixta. Each pile was built exactly the same!

They cracked me up opening presents! Kalixta would opened her present really fast to be the first one! Britain would watch her and react, knowing she got the same thing but hadn’t opened it yet!! Jeff and Kylie bought them two books each! I think they are almost done reading them! I know Zoe is!!

We are so excited to see Great-Grandma Mike at least once a week! The kids all love her!

She got the girls bracalet making kits. They can’t wait to do them with her!

They are modeling their new clothes they picked out when they went shopping with Grandma and Grandpa! They were so excited to open binders filled with paper and sheet protectors from Marci, Kenny and KP! They were seriously thrilled Marci! They also opened a paper telling them Marci, Kenny and KP are coming to their baptism next month!! They can’t wait to see you guys!!

The cake choices were as different as the girls are! Britain wanted a strawberry cake that we dressed up with chocolate dipped strawberries!

Kalixta wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate chip cookie dough baked on top! Delicious!! And yes for the 8th year running Britain blew out her candles first!!

Monday we went to Adam’s sister’s house to celebrate the girls’ birthday along with their Uncle Lou whose birthday was on the 14th and cousin Rhea whose birthday was on the 12th!

Great Grandma Gloria got the girls some cute shoes!

They had a great time playing with cousins, opening more presents and getting some more love! Uncle Rhea, Auntie Diane and cousin Marqus with the birthday girls!

Grandma Sylvia and Britain and Kalixta.

Uncle Lou Lou is so fun, he got them hula hoops!

They were excited to wear their new clothes to school before their birthday!! My cute models!!

Happy happy birthday Kalixta and Britain!! I love you two so much!!!!

Homemade gifts from my kids are the bestest! I love the books and ornaments and cards I get from them! I am so thankful for patient teachers who help and encourage their students to give to others!

This year I got three ornaments! Ariana was so excited she opened my gift the last week of school. I loved it!

Kalixta made a cinnamon smelling Christmas tree that I adore! Still loving that toothless smile!

Britain made a beautiful star with her picture on it and a cute snowman card telling me how much she loves me and her Daddy!

My sweet Mom made a new ornament for each of the grandkids! She used a cookie cutter and a picture of them! They are priceless!

I love how the smile and those cute chocolate browns are the same! The perfect memory!

On a slight side note, Zoe wrote a story for her english class. She got a great grade on it the only critisim the teacher had was to not use so many exclamation points!! Hehehe! I wonder where she learned that from!!!!

My Mom is so great at finding and making beautiful gifts for us! This year she made a silver leafed picture of San Diego Temple, the temple we got married in. It is beautiful!

She made one for each of the married couples. They all turned out great!

Thanks Mom! They are beautiful!!

We went to Adam’s Mom and Dad’s house to have Christmas with his brothers and sister and their families! It was so much fun to spend time with them.

The kids got lots of great stuff from their aunts, uncles and grandparents! They love everything they got and I have tons and tons of pictures of them opening and enjoying everything they got! Ammon loves his new bat and can’t wait to use it this season!

Lou Lou is supporting his team!!

Ariana as usual loved each gift and is so much fun to watch open presents!

Adam’s sister Diane loved the photo calendar she got!

Britain loves anything to do with crafts so she had so much fun making these.

Michael had a big busy day! His Uncle Nicky did a great job of putting him to sleep!

Nik was really excited about his mp3 player! He is rarely without it!

Mariyah was excited to open her gift!! I hope she will share with me! I am a little curious!!

Zoe got an adorable peace box that is currently stuffed full!

Donna got a cute jacket! It was so fun spending time with her (and Nick) they do not live close enough!!

Tori wanted a Cinderella Doll and she got it!!

Gabi is a fabulous artist! She will put this stuff to good use!

Kalixta enjoys her furry new friend!

Adam’s Mom got spoiled on Christmas, as she should! This sweatshirt is super cute and perfect for the chilly nights here!

Didn’t I tell you I had photos from Christmas break forever!! I love Christmas and the joy of giving the kids gifts they want so I go overboard on the pictures!! I want to blog about this fun day, even though it was last year, so I won’t forget! It is amazing how much better I remember an event if I have pictures that I have looked at and blog about!

The kids got up Christmas morning and opened their gifts from Santa and their stocking!

We all got dressed and went to church.

After Church we opened the rest of the presents with everybody! It was great to all be together and watch everyone enjoy their gifts!!

I love love love this picture of Nik!!

Michael didn’t think much of his first present opening experience! But he did love all the fun/cute gifts he got!!

Watching Britain and Kalixta compare and play with the gifts together was priceless!

Ammon, as well as all the kids got some super cute clothes!!

Zoe got new basketball shoes for her upcoming season!

Ariana loved each and everything she opened! She is one of the best gifts I have!

All the family on Christmas Day 2011!!

Auntie Michelle bought Michael and KP the cutest little Santa Diapers!

So cute, right?! I love those chunky thighs!!

He also borrowed this super cool hat from KP!

Marci and Kenny always do Gingerbread houses with the kids and this year was no exception!! I had instructions from Marci early in the month that I was not allowed to do any gingerbread house without her!!!

They went all out with candy this year! My mouth was watering as the table was getting ready!! Tori’s was too because she sat so still in her chair and watched all the candy being set up!

Tori had a blast decorating hers! She took her time and made it just the way she wanted! She got help from awesome Aunts! For every piece of candy that went on the house at least one went in her mouth!

Nik was the last one started and the first one done! He was lacking in the candy department this year, but he does have a pool!! I think he may have been a little distracted by Uncles who wanted to play football!

Ariana worked so hard and long on hers! She loved it and hated eating any of the candy off of it!

Daddy sat by Kalixta and helped her the whole time! She loved getting this special attention from him! Her house turned out wonderful! I love her windows and chocolate roof!!

Britain worked hard and had difficulties with her house staying up! She worked it out though and made a fun house! I love the colorful candies that are light all around the house!

Zoe gets more and more creative every year! She made a sleigh with reindeer on the left and a snowman on the right!

Ammon took forever to build his BUT it looked amazing! My favorite was the green tree with lights on it with all the presents around it!!

After all the kids cleared out the adult took over!! Talk about beautiful houses!! They were all awesome!!

Jeff and Kylie’s house was so very cute!! I love the chocolate roof and the shed in the back!!

Mom had lots of fun doing her first gingerbread house! Dad added his stamp by putting his John Deere tractor in!

Jordan and Michelle’s houses are always amazing! Their house this year rocked!

Joe and Sujin joined us for the first time ever this year too! They each made their own! Joe’s is the igloo!! The engineers’ houses turned out very cool and solid!!

Marci, Kenny and KP’s house was adorable!! I love their pond and path and trees! So much to look at!

Marie’s house is worth the last spot! She did an amazing job with her house and pool, basketball court and snowmen! There is even a nativity there on the left, though you can only see the back of it!

Our super awesome amazing Gingerbread House Village!

We were able to go to the beach with much of the family during Christmas break. It is great to just sit back and watch all the kids enjoy the sand, the water. The beach!

Grandma wrote the kids’ names in the sand and then took a picture of them!

My sweet nephew is here from Utah. It was so fun to watch him play in the sand!!!

Since Michael is sitting up by himself I let him play in the sand for the first time!

He loved it! He did try to eat it all the time though!

He left his foot print in the sand!!

Today is a special day!! It is Zoe’ s 12th birthday! She is a joy to our family!! She brings many tears and laughs! She brings so many giggles and is always reminding me to “feel the love!” her way of telling me to relax! Zoe is so very helpful and even though she gets frustrated with her siblings she is a great sister!!

We celebrated Monday with Adam’s family. She asked her Daddy to make tri tip and twice baked potatoes! We even had a green salad with dressing on the side!! I mention this because a short year ago I couldn’t pay Zoe  to eat salad!! Now she eats it often as long as she has as much ranch as she wants!

Michael thinks Zoe is amazing!! She loves the glasses he got her!

Nik and Zoe are best friends and best enemies!!

Zoe got lots of love from her sisters!!

Zoe’s cake was chocolate with Skor pieces in it and whipped cream for frosting! It is always fun for me to see what they pick and how it changes from year to year!!

Happy happy birthday sweet Zoe!!! I love you tons!!!

We spent Christmas Eve with Adam’s family at his Uncle’s house. Santa always stops by with lots of gifts for the kids!Ariana and cousin Rhea sat on Santa’s lap.Michael got cute little Sponge Bob socks!We had a white elephant gift exchange. Adam got a huge box of Almond Joy!Nik got something to help his room smell good!Spending time with family is the BEST!!We had a wonderful night!