Happy New Year!

I'm back! Wow! We're pooped! We have been running around like crazy for so many days. It was nice to be out at Mom and Dad's for the holiday in some ways. I was so glad that I could spend the night at Grandpa and Grandma's. It was so relaxing to just talk and slow down there. It was almost like being a kid again! I also got to stay overnight at my Aunt Barb's. I loved hearing stories about my Great Grandparents and giggling about the waterbed. I even slept in for the first time in forever! It was really fun to watch the girls opening their gifts too. I love that Kylie and my brother have become friends. Kylie loves to play anything rough with him (and to think that their friendship all started with him giving her a wedgie!) Ari said, "I'm not big enough to wrestle, but I can hug." So, he would stop playing rough every so often to give Ari a big hug. :) Just our family and Dad and Mom went to Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas one night. The girls danced to the Lawrence Welk Christmas Show, and Grandpa and Grandma thought that was so fun to watch. I heard them talking about Kylie dancing after they went to bed that night. Grandpa said that it would take a really great dancer to keep up with Kylie. I also got to hear Grandma and Grandpa tell each other that they loved each other before bed. Mom said that they do that every night. I think after 60 years, that is so sweet that they still always say, "I love you." We went to see Dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve.
After eating and chatting, we decided to go with my cousin and his wife to their Christmas Eve program. I have to say that, that was a huge highlight for me. I loved just singing the carols and praying and focusing on what really matters. They had candles for everyone to hold at the end. Ari was dozing off on my lap. So much of our family came, and it was just a wonderful way to spend the night. Ari believes in Santa. So, we waited to put out all the gifts until they were in bed. It was fun watching her check out all the presents for hers in the morning. She couldn't find one for me; so, she just said I could share hers. It was so nice to say the Christmas story verses with my brother AND my girls. Josh and I said all the parts that they didn't know, and they said the middle. Another thing that I had really been looking forward to! Of course, they had their heads buried in the carpet by Daddy's feet, but it was still very nice to share the tradition with them. :) Later, after pancakes, Mom, Dad, Josh, Laura, Aunt Sis, the girls and I all went to Grandma and pa's. We visited. Then, Aunt Sis and Mom went to Aunt Barb's house to open presents together while we took a nap. After our nap, we found out that Uncle John had passed away. Everything this Christmas has been overshadowed by the sadness of knowing that he was so sick. It seems like an aweful day for that to happen, but I felt better when Aunt Barb told someone that no day is a good day for that to happen. I was glad that I could be there to go to the funeral home and spend the night with Aunt Barbie. I still am sad, but it sure is comforting to know that he became a believer and is now with Jesus- breathing well again. My Aunt Barb is doing so well- better than a lot of us. She said that all the prayers are getting her through it. I was still so sad when we opened presents at our house on Friday. We didn't get very much for each other and the girls just a few presents that they would really love. We didn't worry about wrapping just had them turn around and get one at a time. It was a huge success. But, I was really sad that we were having presents while the funeral was going on back home. Then, Saturday, we went to Jason's parents' house. We had a delicious big breakfast with biscuits and gravy, sausage, and bacon. Jason's grandma came too. Then, we took turns opening presents. I got a cool hat that I love and my Wacom writing tablet for scrapbooking!!! Kylie especially loved her ball that she can sit and bounce on. Ari got some books that she liked as well as Pet Shop stuff- lots of it. So, we have been busy! Kylie came down with a fever and aches last night, and Jas and I didn't feel well this morning. So, we will see how New Year's will go... :) Lots of Love!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

I am so excited to be home for Christmas! HA! Now that song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day! When I was a kid, my brother and I used to try to say all the Christmas verses from memory on Christmas day. Usually, he would remember the parts that I got stuck on, and we would make it through the whole thing. We actually still do this as adults, and it is one of my favorite memories. This year, I have been teaching Kylie and Ari the verses so that they can say them too and carry on the tradition. They didn't learn all of them, but they have a pretty good start. I hope that they will always remember that Jesus is the reason that we have Christmas, and that His birth (even though it wasn't really on Christmas Day) is so important because He brought a way to be free from our sin and ready for heaven. Kylie asked Jesus in her heart just before she turned 4, and Ari has asked about it a couple times. I so want Jesus to be the most important One in their lives. He is the only One that will give them true peace and joy. Merry Christmas, everyone! Here is a video of the girls saying part of Luke 2. Ok, it's taking to long to upload. I will have to add it another time. Lots of Love!

I Can't Dance....LOL!

Here is Kylie at her little school Christmas concert. Kylie loves to dance at home, and everyone is always impressed with her rhythm! She is a born cheerleader. At her little concert, Jas and I were discussing why she wasn't dancing with the rest of the kids. I thought that she was nervous or concentrating. Well, when we asked, she said that her teacher had told the class not to dance around during the performance. (I'm guessing that this was meant for the kids that are always bouncing around and not for Kylie! :) Anyway, Kylie, who wouldn't dream of breaking a rule, picked out the motions that she thought wouldn't be dancing moves and did those!!!! LOL!

This is Christina- Kylie's best friend. They are both so tiny; so, I guess they got to stand beside each other! :)

Awesome Story About the Power of Prayer!!!

I was just looking at Rachel Young's blog to see what was in her Big Christmas Deal which BTW is so cute! Look at these little nativity figures that are in it! (I am not on her team. I just like them! :)
Anyway, I started reading her blog entry. WOW! Little kids have such amazing faith, and we grown ups are always trying to teach them about how to live the way God wants us to. I bet we'd do better to learn from our kids a lot of times. If you have time, you should read her story. It's a good one!!!! :) Here's the link: http://rachelyoung.typepad.com/my_weblog/ Just scroll down a little to the long entry.

My Scrapbook Buddy...

I am on several CT teams with annscraps. Here is a link to her gallery: http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=10217&cat=500 We have similar styles and like the same kind of scrapbooking supplies. I love her sense of humor. She cracks me up! Well, we kinda just started talking and emailing and became good friends. It's really fun to tell each other where all the deals and free stuff is! She suggested that we have a Christmas chat and do a lift of each other's pages for a present. We talked for 1 1/2 hours last night and could have kept talking except that we both needed to get back to our hubbies! :) Here are our lifts. This first one is my lift of her LO called "Madisen". I used mostly stuff from catscrap. Here's the link to catscrap: http://catscrap.com/shop/index.php?main_page=products_new&zenid=1917d8a8b0b21e1ca81a5bfe855d6dd3

Here's the page of hers that I lifted. She used stuff from Gina Huff at Weeds and Wildflowers.

Here's the page that she made for me using stuff from the collab kit at the Digi Chick. I love the shaped text and the sequins!

Here is the page that she lifted of mine. I used stuff from Jomi's collab on this page.

Sad...

I have so much to be thankful for, and I don't want to complain. I have got to say though that I have seen better months. My grandpa has been in the hospital and is home now. But, he is still not walking well and really confused. My uncle is still having trouble because of his cancer. The whole family is helping out as much as possible, but I am pretty much useless to do anything. I am too far away. This LO is about a really happy night this month. It was a really peaceful, bright spot in the middle of all the sadness. It uses a lot of stuff but the main part is from Spreading Cheer a collab from Gina Marie, Rachel Young, and Traci Murphy at Funky Playground Designs.

The girls decorated the tree yesterday. It was so much fun to take our time and watch them. Ari put tons of ornaments all in the same spot in the front and the poor little tree just tipped right over once when it was bumped. They did all the ornaments themselves this year, and it was so cute! Ari hung two stuffed animals on the tree even. I think it's fun to just let them do what they think of. I don't care what it looks like! So, a reindeer is hanging by it's tag on the tree. HA! Last night, Jas got out the train, and we just sat together and laughed while we watched them play. They kept saying "Hi!" at the same time when the train would come around. I put lights in their rooms. They (especially Kylie) were excited to see them when they went in their rooms to go to bed. Here's a video of them playing with the train last night. :)

GOO....

My brother loves to get this and other forms of goo for my kids for birthdays and holidays! Here is just a sampling of the creative things that my children have decided to do with it. "Goo" as it is called around our house has been spotted in towels and on floors & clothes. (And, by the way, the one kind that was found in all these things, doesn't come out! That's why Ari doesn't have a shirt on.) Many Little Pet Shop animals have also been smothered in it. So....buy stock in all forms of goo because I will be buying it in huge quantities when my brother has kids! LOL! I don't know how to flip the one; so, sorry about watching it sideways!

Here is a new LO of our snow day fun! I used Cinzia Loosemore's paper (from her Holiday Magic collection) and frames. http://digitalfreebies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1952&zenid=c4ff4ea7b6ae4c32d7a1f1322e2ec78a

Fun at the Park...

Last night, our city had a little thing at the park. Santa was supposed to arrive (although there was a huge line to see him, and I figured we could just find another Santa who was less busy sometime! ;) They also had lights, caroling, cookies, and a horse-drawn carriage! It was freezing, but I thought it would be a fun, last minute activity since Jas was working late. So, we bundled up and froze while waiting for our ride! The girls liked the cookies, and Ari loved the horse ride. Kylie had, had it and really wanted to go home during the ride because of her cold toe. :) Ari and I pet the horse after our ride, and Kylie cried. (Once she decides that something isn't fun anymore, there is no convincing her otherwise! :) Later, Ari said that the horse did something while she pet it. :) I think the horse thought she was going to give him something yummy to eat! :) Anyway, it was a pretty fun experience!

Here is my newest LO. It uses mostly stuff from Jomi's awesome new Grateful Kit at The Digi Chick! Here is a link to her kit. It's 20% off right now! http://www.thedigichick.com/shop/product.php?productid=17421&cat=0&page=3

Jas loved these pictures of Ari. He was talking to her in the bathroom and thought she was sitting like such a grown up little girl!

Snow!!!

The girls were so excited to see snow on the ground today! Kylie had a snow day, and we had so much fun! We went out to play in it, had hot cocoa with extra marshmellows, and made snow icecream with tons of sugar, sprinkles, and M&Ms. Ari tried making a snow angel, but was not really loving it after lying down on the ground. She wanted to go in after about 10 min. Kylie was covered from head to toe and LOVED it. She went out again with Jas later to build a snowman and throw more snow. Happy day! Here's some new pages! Oh, and my mom's side of the family has a sweet new baby boy!!! Can't wait to get home for Christmas so I can get my hands on the little cutie!!! :) Give him a kiss for me!

Here's my newest one using Gina Huff's Cherishing Every Moment Add-On kit:

Here is one I made for Monica Larsen using her new kit from Scrapbook-Elements. I am now a member of her creative team!!! She also sells at scrapscandistyle.com .

Here is one using Kelly Thompson's Animal Crackers Kit from scrapbookbytes.com and Madame Mim's Circus Kit at scrapscandistyle.com .

Watch this...

Ok, I would never have done this when I was a kid! It's the Daddy in her! :)

Here is a funny picture of the girls "sitting on their nest"!

Well, three out of four in our family are sick again. Anyone suprised?! Me either. We are keeping Walmart alive with our Tylenol, Motrin, and antibiotic purchases. If anyone was planning on Christmas gifts this year- well, sorry! We could give you what's left of the many bottles of medicine! LOL! Lots of love!