Christmas

Christmas came and went in a flash this year, so I will catch you up with pictures.

On Christmas Eve Amber and Elle made some cookies for Santa.

Elle thought that she had better taste the frosting — you know, just to make sure it tasted good for Santa.

Then Amber thought she ought to give it a try as well.

Just another little taste.

Amber was keeping her focus.

Elle on the other hand had given up on her cookie and was just shoveling in the frosting.

Amber was beginning to taste a little more often.

Cookie? What cookie? Who needs it when there is frosting!? As you can see they enjoyed themselves and the frosting.

Elle on Christmas morning, pretending to lick the sucker ornament as we waited for Papa and Amber to wake up.

Amber with her new baby — one of her favorite presents.

Elle with her favorite present — it hasn't left her side yet.

Amber with all her loot after everything was opened.

Elle with all her loot.

As you can see they were spoiled, and we still are trying to find places for all of it to go. It was fun to watch them get excited about Christmas and to start some family traditions, but I am now done with Christmas and ready for the new year. I hope you all had a good Christmas; thanks to everyone for the yummy goodies and gifts.

Random Stuff

So here is a picture post of just random things that we have been doing of late.

Amber wearing a Santa hat as we decorated the Christmas tree.

Elle also wearing a Santa hat while decorating. (If you want to see how they looked last year with Santa hats click here. I just love Elle's face.)

Amber 'dressin up like moma when she goes to church.' Don't you love how one of my maternity shirts looks like a dress on her.

Just a cute picture of Elle that I thought I would throw in.

Amber decorating our third gingerbread house (see first and second) at J's work Christmas party.
Finished gingerbread house. Amber had a great time decorating it this year. I think more went on the house than in her mouth this year. Elle on the other hand only wanted the candy that was already on the house so she spent her time with Papa.

Elle with a snowball - that is right it actually snowed in St. George. It only lasted for about 2-3 hours but we took advantage of it while it was on the ground.

Our teeny tiny snowman.

Amber out in the snow.

One month left

It is official: I have one month left until my due date. I am not sure if I'm quite ready for Studly to be here, but I am working on it. It seems like the days just keep ticking away so fast—I keep meaning to get all sorts of things done and then the day is over and I didn't get to any of it. Really, I have done a few things, but need to make a list so maybe I will be better about getting to everything.

It has not been a hard/bad pregnancy but it has definitely been different carrying a boy rather than a girl. I always thought that when people said girls were carried high and boys were low that they just old wives tales, but now I totally believe it. Studly is so low compared to the girls; both girls had a hoot kicking me in the ribs all the time, but so far I have not been kicked in the ribs by Studly (keep your fingers crossed for me).

He is so low (and I swear he's sideways) that he kicks my bladder and at my arms more than anything. It was really eyeopening when Lauren, my best friend from high school, came and we had pictures taken together. She is having a girl and is six weeks behind me. In the picture (below) you can see how much higher she is carrying Sophie than me carrying Studly. Just to make sure it wasn't all in my head I found pictures of me when I was pregnant with Amber and Elle to compare to. You tell me if you can see the difference.

Lauren and me on Dec. 5

Me the morning I was going in to be induced with Elle.

Me about a week before Amber was born.

Sweet sisters

It has been fun watching Amber and Elle grow up together. It really does remind me of my sister and I. There were times that we loved each other and would do everything together and then there were the days that all we did was fight fight fight. I remember how mean we could be with each other and how during those times it seemed like our only mission was to make the others life miserable. Then, it was amazing how fast we could flip gears and then love each other again. As we got older things changed and we didn't really do a lot with each other because we had friends and school things that kept us busy. Now that school is past us both and life has settled down (kind of) we now are friends again. We talk to each other a couple of times a week and just seem to understand each other. It kind of reminds me of our happy easy time when we were kids.

My sister Bonnie and I after a race in March. Not the best picture but sadly I don't have many of us together since I am normally the picture taker and we live a couple hundred miles away from each other.

I am really having a great time watching Amber and Elle go through this. I must admit that when they aren't getting along and they just want to fight over everything it makes me crazy. I guess I can't expect them to get along all the time, especially considering they are so young (Amber about 4 and Elle about 2). I hope that they are able to have the same easy relationship I had/have with my sister and that they will remember how important they are to each other in this life. Brothers are great too (Amber and Elle will get to experience that to very soon) but I am really glad that I have a sister. Here are a couple of pictures of sweet sister moments from the last couple of weeks.

Squished in a chair playing.

Giving hugs.
Playing in/on the bookshelf.

December already

How is it December already, it seems like it was just Halloween!? Thanksgiving seemed like a blur being with family and all. We went up to Heber for Thanksgiving this year, a first for J and I. We normally just do our own but seeing as we can't be traveling around Christmas, due to baby boy Maxfield's pending arrival, Thanksgiving with family is what we did. It was fun to see everyone and catch up. Now on to preparing for Christmas and more family visits. Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.

What love this girl has to give.

She looks so sweet doesn't she?

Playing dress-up at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Snuggling with Grandpa Ben.

Grandma Virginia and Amber.

This one is blurry but funny none the less.

Strawberry Short Cake Elle.

Elle and Amber playing with dress-up hats.

What Elle thought of Thanksgiving lunch.

Just cute.

Elle with her babies. The monkey baby on the left, a Heber resident, only left her side when she was sleeping at night - she loved loved that thing.

Amber's latest picture of papa.

I think Elle is surprised it is December already too.

A sweet sister moment.

More spectacle!

Not to be outdone, Amber wanted a chance to sport her papa's glasses, too.



I think black is her color (which worries me quite a bit).

Halloween - Part 2

As promised, here are a couple of fun pictures from Halloween and the video of Amber carving her pumpkin. I just loved all her funny faces as she was gutting her pumpkin. Check it out and see what I mean.

Amber and Elle painting pumpkins at a Halloween party.

Elle and Amber getting ready to go trick or treating and somehow they managed to already have candy in their mouths.

Ladybug Elle.

Princess Aurora Amber.

Halloween - Part 1

It was so fun watching both the girls enjoy Halloween this year. Elle mostly enjoyed it, but she wasn't too excited about gutting her pumpkin. Want to see what I mean? Watch and learn.



Clip of Amber's carving coming soon.

Beards all around

J's sister, Auntie Nettie, sent us (Amber, Elle, me) some fun beards to surprise J with. We thought that today would be a good day because it is the day before Halloween. We got a warm welcome of laughs and chuckles on our way into J's office. Here you go Nettie—the bearded family.

Amber, Elle, and me after we put our beards on in the bathroom (I had to get a picture just in case the girls wouldn't keep them on).

All of us together.

I think we pull it off rather well, don't you think!?