Christmas recap...

We started Christmas week off with a Family Home Evening trip to the DC Temple lights. Beautiful!On Christmas Eve I took the girls to the mall to see Santa. We hadn't made it to see him this year. While Kenney was busy setting up the trampoline we got them for Christmas... I had to keep them occupied. I thought this would be a good way to do just that! They had a really fun Polar Express setup there. Olivia obviously hasn't been around snow enough to know the difference between real and fake snow... she tried eating the snow at the display. Trying on Christmas presents! What a big pink mess those two are!They sprinkled "Reindeer Food" out so the Reindeer could find their way. This is something the girls have had fun doing every year! This year aunt Emily sent the oats and sparkles for them! "Hey girls... let me take a picture of you in your cute Christmas jammies" Once again... another big pink mess!This was Christmas morning. Those faces are priceless! The girls were so excited! This video pretty much sums it up...

We had such a great Christmas. We stayed in our jammies all day, took long naps, played, relaxed and enjoyed each other. We stayed here in Virginia this year. We missed all of our families back home... but they were all in our hearts!!

All is Merry & Bright

Here we are all decked out in our Christmas best ready for church. Granny Dorothy sent the dresses for the girls and the fur! Hailey loved her little shawl. She walked on clouds the second she put it on. I would go as far as to say she didn't walk... she glided across the floor. Olivia... well, she wore it today for the picture and that was about it!
And what's a picture with Olivia without a crazy face?! Never a dull moment I tell ya...

Great Weekend!

Hailey had her party. We did a little chef theme. Each little kiddo made their own pizza and decorated a plate of cookies to take home. They were all so cute in their little chef hats and aprons! If the picture looks fuzzy... it's because it is! I blurred out all their faces but Hailey's, the little darlings aren't mine to post!We had a fun visitor! And Hailey lost one of her front teeth. The other one is ready to come out too... I can't wait. She looks so cute! Life is good!

Birthday Girl!

We had the best day today! Hailey turned 6 and we were on the go all day long! We started the day off by opening presents and getting ready for school. We took a few birthday girl pictures on the way out the door... "Now get one with me sitting mom.""Oh and let's do one with my sweater off too... so you can see my whole dress."Olivia and I went to Hailey's school during snack time to take doughnuts. Then we came home and decorated Hailey's room. Liv was such a champ all day. She was so excited for Hailey and her Birthday... I'm not sure who had a better day! She even said in the prayer at lunch... "Bless Hailey to have the best birthday ever and be a great happy birthday girl." She loves her sister!

After school when Olivia went down for her nap, Hailey got out the paint set she got for her birthday and went to town! Look at the concentration on that face. I'm pretty sure I've seen my dad do the exact same thing when he paints. Pull the head back a little to check it out to make sure it looks just right! Maybe she will grow up to be as good of an artist as he is!

We went to dinner and then the girls went to a Primary Activity Day tonight. Olivia isn't technically in Primary for 3 more weeks... but they asked if she wanted to stay. She was so excited. The kids decorated Christmas cookies and went caroling. They both had a blast.

Hailey, you are such a sweetheart. You bring so much joy into our little family. You are a great friend and sister. We are so proud of you! You touch the lives of everyone around you. You are a helpful little angel and I love you to pieces! Happy Birthday my darling!

First snow!

For most this is no big deal... for me... pure heaven! We got our first snow today. I was taken back to my childhood playing in the snow all winter! We would listen to the radio in the mornings to see if it had snowed enough to cancel school... before they were even finished announcing we had all our snow gear on and were headed out the front door over to the park. I loved the snow growing up. Apparently I still do. Snow cones, snow men, snowball fights, snow caves and forts, sledding and skiing. We would be so cold our cheeks and nose were bright red and we didn't even care. We knew there's be a cup of hot cocoa waiting for us at the house! I didn't realize how much I missed it until it snowed today. I know, don't make fun of me... it barely snowed. But the girls faces instantly lit up and we had a blast playing in it!

"Hey Olivia smile!" Or just stick your tongue out at me! She was actually trying to catch snow flakes on her tongue.

So happy!

Hailey loved eating it!
And the got so cold their cheeks and noses turned red! But look at those smiles!

In good hands!

Yesterday I had surgery. It went better than I could have imagined. Going into the surgery I didn't know if I would be waking up in a hospital bed... or getting to go home. Luckily I was able to go home. For the past several years I have gotten huge cysts on my ovaries. Last year they took out my left ovary. Over this past year I have gotten several cysts on my right ovary and this last one was pretty big. My doctor decided the best solution was to take the ovary out. I was so nervous going into this surgery. More nervous than ever. I think mostly because we are in a new place and my momma wasn't here to take care of me! But let me tell you... This area, my ward family and my neighborhood family... are all amazing people. We had a friend from the ward here at 5:30 am. She got the girls up and Hailey off to school. We then had a girl from our Sunday School class come over to play with Olivia. She is such a doll and was so sweet with Olivia in fact... she put every babysitter we have ever had to shame! They did all kinds of art projects and played their little hearts out. The girls were suppose to go to another families house later that day, but since we got home we didn't need them to go over there. The girls were so upset they didn't get to go play, so we called them and the girls went to play for a little while anyways! And they even came home with cookies for us. We had dinner brought in by my one of my fabulous visiting teachers last night and the other one is bringing it in tonight. And our sweet Relief Society President is bringing dinner on Sunday.

Kenney has been nothing short of completely amazing. He has brought me meals in bed, kept the house in perfect order, he did all the ironing and even bought me flowers! I am so thankful for him and for the good man he is!

The girls have been wonderful. Every time I woke up yesterday there was some sort of surprise waiting by me bed. One time it was slippers for my feet, another time I had a bag of cookies by my face. Every time I was throwing up, they were right there rubbing my back and getting me washcloths. Olivia checks in about every 10 minutes. Sometimes it's to ask me if I feel okay and others it's just to give me a kiss. I have two little angels and I am so thankful for them.

My wonderful neighbor made the best bread and brought a loaf of it over. Whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread. It is delicious. And my dear friend brought over cinnamon rolls that could put Cinnabon out of business!

We have had so many phone calls checking in on us. Friends and family just checking in to make sure everything went okay.

I am so thankful for modern medicine. For good doctors and surgeons. I am thankful for technology and everything that comes along with it!

And while my mom wasn't able to be here... I have felt her love! She calls to check in and I know she has been praying for me. Her, my dad and sister sent the most beautiful flowers. I have felt the prayers in my behalf from everyone. Thank you.

So, here's to angels who are placed in our path to watch over us and to protect us. Here's to a great support system that I can always count on! Here's to being in good hands. And here's to going through menopause at age 30! Hey.. at least the hot flashes will be here during the winter months!!

Happy Fall!!

The girls have been so bummed that we don't have any trees in our front yard that have leaves. All our trees are pine. They kept seeing all the neighborhood yards fill with leaves and were wishing our yard was covered in leaves. Well a few good gusts of wind and thanks to the neighbors trees we raked up a good 13 bags of leaves and had a blast doing it!

Yes, Olivia's wearing a swimsuit. She's the crazy one in the family... and we love her for that.
And yes, she changed swimsuits.

This is how most people rake leaves....
This is how Kenney rakes leaves...
Happy raking everyone!!

Happy Halloween!

We had a fantastic week of jam packed with goodness! It started with our ward trunk or treat on Wednesday...

I took Olivia to a Halloween story time on Thursday. they got to parade around the library in costume... I got to help out at the Halloween party at Hailey's school on Friday...
We ate pizza for lunch by candlelight on Friday...
Then on Halloween night the girls got all dressed up and we all went to a neighborhood party. It was so much fun. We live in such a great neighborhood! All the kids went trick or treating together after we ate...

And last but not least... Kenney and I went to a friend's Halloween Party on Saturday night. This was the first year we have ever dressed up... and let me just say, It won't be the last! We had so much fun!!

We hope everyone had as great of a week as we did!

Wacky Wednesday

This week at Hailey's school is spirit week. Yesterday was crazy sock day... she didn't participate because she wanted to wear her boots with jeans. She didn't want to wear socks with her boots. Then today is wacky Wednesday. They were suppose to wear something wacky. Hailey told me earlier in the week she didn't want to dress wacky either. She said, "But mom... I like to match and I want to look cute for school, not crazy." After lots of coaxing... she gave in and had a blast getting ready. She was giggling the whole morning. Even better when she got to school and saw lots of kids dressed all crazy too. I think she was afraid she would be the only one who looked silly. Here's what we came up with... (I said.. show me a wacky face)

(And she said... now let me do a cute pose)
Here are a few random pictures...
The girls sleeping the other night. The first thing that came to my mind was that cheer that says... Give me a V dot the I curl the C T.O.R.Y. Victory. (clap clap) Victory!
And the naughty squirrels... they keep running off with our pumpkins. We finally brought them all in (what was left of them) We put our big ones on the front porch. We thought surely they won't bother them... wrong. They are starting to carve them!