Fun Times in the New Year

We started this new year off with a bang...we have had quite the interesting time so far.  We all got sick with the flu (despite getting flu shots) and then the girls got hand, foot and mouth disease!  Just our luck...so we have been sick and homebound now for 3 straight weeks. We are certainly ready to get out of the house. :)

We spent some quality time with cousins in Wyoming right after Christmas...Kiera and Marly playing at the little kid's table.

Kiera had fun packing herself up to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house...

 Jade and Daddy enjoyed spending some quality time together playing her new Disney Princess game on the Wii.  What a fun bonding time!

 I broke my pinky toe, which foiled my workout plans for the new year.  I had been going every day before Christmas break and was feeling so good.  Then one night, Kiera was crying and I ran a little too fast to her room to see what was going on and CRACK, ran my toe smack into the foot of our bed!  I heard a pop and had to physically move my little toe with my hands back into place.  Immediately it began throbbing and has been turning all kinds of fun colors. 

Jade has been enjoying some new green smoothies we have been making...

Christmas 2012

This was a great Christmas season and we were able to spend lots of time together as a family.  I really enjoyed teaching the girls the true meaning of Christmas.  Jade is now old enough to understand things.  She enjoyed singing Christmas songs before bed--her favorites were Silent Night and Frosty the Snowman. I love the innocence of children, they are so honest and so close to Heaven.  The things that come out of Jade's mouth sometimes make me sit back and consider what is most important in my life.  Definitely, my family and my Savior.

After our stockings were hung...

And cookies were put under the tree for Santa...(Jade did all of the sprinkles!)

We all went to bed and awoke to this empty plate...

And quite a bit of snow...

The girls loved running out and finding all of their presents.  This giant giraffe was an instant hit. They took turns sitting on it.

 

A look at Christmas morning at our house...

The girls loved this huge blanket of themselves...

Cheese!

Jade got a new Frosty ornament in her stocking.

And promptly hung it right on the tree!

We took plenty of breaks in opening toys to play with them...this felt sandwich making set was a big hit.

Jade loved her new pot and pan set and tried to carry them all to her room so Kiera could not play with them.  Ahh, we are still working on sharing!

Papa had a great Christmas too...modeling his favorite kind of socks!

Kiera would not get out of Jade's new Cinderella blanket.  Apparently Santa needs to bring Kiera one next year!

 

Another hit was this piano...endless hours of musical enjoyment!

I think someone was trying to get our kids to become more musical!!  Kiera loved her new drums.

We got lots of fun things in our stockings too!  The girls loved the nuts and candy, kazoos...

and my personal favorite...the funny face glasses!

 

 

The best part was watching them look at themselves in the mirror...

Jade got press on Cinderella nails in her stocking...so pretty!

The girls with all of their gifts...what a great Christmas we had.

Candy, Candy, Candy

After riding to the North Pole, we all came back to our house and had some family fun.  Some went shopping, others napped or played video games...but the little ones enjoyed some gingerbread building fun!

This face says it all!

All Aboard the Polar Express!

We had a fun opportunity this year with my family to ride the Polar Express to the North Pole a few days before Christmas to see Santa!

My bro with his cute daughter Marly Sue

A rare whole group (minus me) shot

Super Sweet Maddi Jo

This was the entrance to our train car...                                                         Marly & Maddi

Kiera Bear and Grandpa

Jade & Uncle Troy

Cute Cousins

My little Bear...

It was a little cold on the train...here we are about to take off for the North Pole! Jade kept saying, "I don't like the North Pole...I don't want to see Santa."

They gave the kids nametags and mine decided to wear them on their heads!

Cole, Manda, Marly & Mitch

Jade immediately spotted this little elf hiding in the garland near the top of the window.  She thought it was her elf Christopher...then she settled for calling it little Christopher, but she did not take her eyes off of it the whole trip!

Thanks for a fun ride Grandma & Grandpa! What a great memory was created today!

The elves on the train passed out cookies...

                                                               

and of course...hot chocolate...yummy!

Having lots of fun with her cousins she rarely sees...

 

A look out the window to see Santa when we got to the North Pole...

 

Next they passed out "Rudolph" noses to all of the kids and we sung Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  The kids loved their noses!

Marly & Kiera kept touching each other's noses... it was cute to see these two interact.

Jade had me try on her Rudolph nose...

Finally, Santa arrived in our train car...first Aunt Kae gets a hug!

Then Jade lept up to give Santa a big hug...so much for not wanting to go to the North Pole!!

Kiera was a bit more wary...

Even Daddy and Grandma got hugs...

 

Kiera was enthralled with her new bell that she got from Santa.

Caught him...finally got a pic of Grandpa dozing off!

Next we got a visit from Mrs. Claus and Jade was just as mezmorized by her!

Daddy & Kiera with Mrs. Claus

Fun times on the train...don't worry Kiera stuck that bell in her mouth every single chance she got!