MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Funny story about Christmas cards. We had some friends over the other night for family night and they saw all the cute Christmas cards hanging on our fridge (thank you to all who sent them!) and they were commenting on how cute the cards were. They mentioned the difference between all the cards we received and the ones they received was that the cards we received actually had pictures of the families and not just the kids. Then they made the comment that it was cuz all their friends were too old and fat to be put on a card, so they just stuck their kids on! Hmmmmm... I don't think we sent them a Christmas card this year :)

Flu Shots and Bouncy-balls

Jaedyn had to get a flu shot this year. Something she was a little less than excited about. So, practicing my excellent parenting skills (haha) I totally bribed her! We had to get some grocery shopping done and so I told her if she was good for the doctor then she could pick out a treat afterward. She loved the idea! She asked if it was okay to cry? I told her that of course it was and she could still be brave even if she cried a little. So we traipsed in for Lilia's 6 month visit and Jaedyn's flu shot. 

Jaedyn told me a couple times at the office that she didn't want to get an owie. But then I reminded her of her pending treat and how she could be brave and help Lilia when Lilia had to get her shots. Jaedyn agreed... but she wanted Lilia to go first! HA! So, what a trooper, Lilia went first and got 3! And cried. Poor kid. Then it was Jaedyn's turn. She had picked out exactly what leg and what spot earlier that morning so she showed the nurse, I gave her a "hug", and Jaedyn got her flu shot... and didn't even flinch! What a brave girl! She admitted afterward that it hurt a little but she was glad she got the medicine that would help keep her from getting sick. Good job Big Girl!

True to my word, we went grocery shopping afterward... but everything I needed was at Sam's Club. Some treat! She first picked out the massive cannister of Jelly Bellies and held them through the entire store. At the end we were getting some tortillas and she looked down the isle and got really excited.

"Bouncy-ball Chips!!!!" 

(She even decided it was worth sacrificing the jellybellies for!)
This kid cracks me up!

Santa Clause!

Jaedyn has been learning a lot about Santa Clause this year!

Last night at the ward Christmas Party we told Jaedyn that Santa Clause was coming. She scrunched up her face with a big smile and said very animatedly, "He's gonna be so es-site-ed to see me!" hehe. Yes, yes he will.

Let me tell you about my Dad...

I have the best dad ever.

 

Truly, I do. He takes me for camping trips in the basement... even when it means he doesn't get to sleep

 

Just cuz I'm cute.

 He does my hair any way I ask. I didn't get a picture but earlier this week he braided one side (He even tried a french braid) and ponytailed the other... just cuz I said that's how I wanted it. Mom never lets me do that! AND he lets me wear whatever I want, even if it doesn't match! He's building the creative genius in me.

 He's a trooper, really he is.

 He makes me treats and lets me help. He even says it's fun!

 He plays with me and my baby sister Lilia and makes us laugh and laugh. Daddy has a great imagination and tells the best bedtime stories.

 He's up for (almost) anything. And lets my mom get away with a lot! 

 He can fit in small spaces?

 He loves my mommy and makes her laugh

 He shares his water with me... and when I lose my gum, he gives it to me!

 He makes parties for me and lets me sleep with all my friends.

 He lets me eat just about anything I want. Sometimes mommy gets after him, but he still finds ways to be sneaky.

 

He loves me, and takes care of me. He carries me when I get tired. He laughs at my jokes and teaches me jokes. He thinks I'm wonderful (he's right). He works hard at school and somehow still has the energy to come home and play with me. He cooks meals, does my hair, helps me bathe, reads to me, cuddles with me and loves me. He's my favorite DAD!

 I love my Daddy!

Once Upon a Time...

6 Months!!!

My sweet baby is 6 months old! I know it's often repeated but, "I can't believe the time has flown so quickly!" Lilia is such a sweet, happy, smiley baby. She really is my peace and serenity. I can't get enough of her! I often sneak into her room while she's sleeping, just so I can watch her sleep. I have to really argue with myself as the urge to hold her is at times really strong. What's the adage? "Never wake a sleeping baby"? But here's the thing, she always gives me such a big toothless grin when she sees me peek over her crib... even when I've just awakened her. It melts my heart.

I still can't get her to eat solids, her tongue thrust instinct is just too strong. Hopefully my milk is sufficient... we find out tomorrow (and the poor girl gets shots, sniff sniff). But she seems to be growing just fine. She has the most adorable chubby, kissable cheeks ever, not to mention those oh-so-cute thigh rolls!

Lilia loves to play peek-a-boo. She'll grin at anything but no one can get her grin as big as her sister. She loves Jaedyn. And unfortunately, she loves Jaedyn's hair. We're constantly having to talk with Jaedyn about how Lilia isn't trying to be mean! It's not just Jaedyn's hair. That girl is grabbing for everything now! And I really can't believe she won't eat food cuz since she was 4 months old she's been so intrigued by the eating process and watches our forks move from plate to lips with a fascination that rivals most. She even licks her chomps!

Today in primary we were having a lesson on reverence. The entire sharing time, every time I looked down at Lilia she would start laughing right out loud (I wasn't making faces, I swear)! How do you shush something like that? But how do you let it continue? Oh the sign of what is to come.

She is a joy and a comfort. I love this girl so much!

for more pictures check out kristialysephotography.blogspot.com

Halloweeeeeen!

We checked out the pumpkin walk again this year. Uncanny how similar it was to the experience last year. Once again, Jaedyn's favorite part was the fire inside the carved pumpkins lining the trail and dancing to the music of a few of the displays. The displays hardly captured her attention... that is until close to the end when there was a "Rapunzel" display. Have a mentioned the child is absolutely obsessed with the movie "Tangled"? I love that she's finally into the princess thing, and that there is FINALLY a movie I can sit her down in front of for "babysitting" :-)

It's cute, sometimes she plays pretend with her Daddy and she is Rapunzel and Daddy is Eugene. I occasionally get to make an appearance but it's usually as the mean stranger that stole Rapunzel. What is it with mother figures = evil in all the cartoons???

 Remember Calvin and Hobbes! Ah, the childhood memories some of these displays brought back! Hehe, I had a few good laughs!

 Halloween this year was an experience for sure! Several weeks before the holiday we asked Jaedyn what she wanted to dress up as. Without hesitation she responded, "chocolate candy". What is it with my child and her obsession with food? haha (remember the cookie party theme for her birthday?) We laughed and I secretly thought, I'll ask her again next week. Next week. Same answer. I had to begin thinking. 

So I thought....

um.....

hershey kiss with a cute foil hat and trailing ribbon?

This could work.

So I decided to get on the computer with Jaedyn and look up costume ideas for chocolate candy. 

Yikes!

What excuses does Halloween provide for skankiness!

Re-enter my search specifying "children's costumes"

ahhhhh... much better.

Jaedyn didn't like the Hershey kiss! Instead she wanted to be an M&M. Sweet! Even easier! "What color?" "pink". simple enough. Is there such a thing as a pink M&M? This Halloween there was! And never was there a cuter one!

 Don't they look absolutely scrumptious? Grandpa thought so, and to Jaedyn's delight, chased her all over the house trying to get a bite!

 Does she look happy? She wasn't! So sad! My little girl hated trick-or-treating this year! Where she was excited to run from door to door, refusing to wear a jacket, IN THE RAIN last year, This year she didn't want to talk to anyone and kind of sulked! (she's kind of going through a "shy" phase right now) She didn't like the crowds that our old 50's-style neighborhood provided (upwards in the 3 & 4 hundreds!) or the crowds at the carnival (crowds have always spooked her a bit, I think she may get that from me) And didn't crack a smile, even when she won a cake on the cake walk! 

Once we got home however, her turf, she began to smile again and very excitedly handed candy out until much past her bedtime. It was the best time she had all day! Next year.... I think I'm gonna form a new plan. Here's how it will go...

We'll still dress up for the holiday but rather than go from house to house asking for candy, I think I might take her with her pumpkin full of candy to homes of our friends to drop off candy. Waddya think? I think that would have flown much better than the traditional trick or treating this year.

Side note: Trick or treating? Nope. Jaedyn went "sticker treating" this year :)

PS You'll be appalled at the price of an M&M costume pattern... twenty-five dollars! WHAT?!?!? for a circle? I was not gonna be a sucker. So we bought what we thought we would need to put a decent costume together and then with the help of my mom... figured it out on our own! Twenty-five dollars?!? Who are they kidding???

Rolling over Finally!

Yesterday morning Lilia finally started rolling! Yup, she's 5 1/2 months old. Yup, she follows in her sisters' footsteps. In many ways she reminds me of Jaedyn. When Jaedyn was an infant and meeting milestones, she too was late. But she waited until she was capable of completely mastering it before she'd even try it! Silly girls. What joy and delight they bring to my life!

I said SMILE!

This is what we get these days, when we ask Jaedyn to smile...

Moab Madness

I've always been a tent camper. I used to think people who went in trailers weren't really camping. I may be changing my mind. Ha! We went with some good friends to Moab 2 weeks ago. That's right, beginning of October in Utah, with a 5 month old, and we were camping! Are you starting to see why I'm changing my mind? We had a fabulous time! We went hiking in Arches, 4 wheeling through Moab, ate great food, slept little, watched movies, showered, played and thoroughly enjoyed our trip!

Hiking in Arches

Here's the whole gang: Justin, Luke, Heather, Caden on the Left. Angela, Chad, Lilia, Jaedyn on the right.

Delicate Arch. One of our favorite hikes in the Park

The toys... and the dirty gang.

Lilia's get up for the rough terrain. Like my goggle marks?

A natural tunnel

I hope their friendship lasts the roughness of the 3s and 4s :)

Nice pose Justin! :) (I won't say anything about mine)

I'm learning not to hover as a parent :O Jaedyn and Caden went ahead and climbed up this all by themselves while we waited at the bottom. You can't really tell how high it is til you look at some of the other pictures. They were natural little climbers!

Jaedyn in the back of the side by side getting ready to hit the trail. She was such a trooper and enjoyed... most of it :) This is my favorite pic from this trip.

Eating dirt is healthy for the immune system... right? ugh. Yup, this is what you think it is, eating spilled chips off the ground.

Spitting on the window?!? Don't ask.

And this is what my garden gave me when I came back.

Thumbs up

These pictures were taken back at the end of August. We thought we might have a thumb sucker for a while. I didn't like the idea... the hard part was, she was so stinkin cute doing it, that it was hard for me to try to stop it. Now, I know it's no big deal, my pediatrician said, "most kids end up with braces anyway". But I sucked my thumb til I was 5 and I didn't want that to even be a chance with her. Binkies, well, you can take those away! So we started replacing her thumb with binkies every time we caught her sucking. Problem was that she was usually doing it in her crib when we weren't around. I finally gave up and conceded, it's no big deal. She still sucks it occasionally but I think she's starting to come around. Go Binkie!