Christmas Day

Advent Calendar

Several years ago, I bought an advent quilt that we have hung on our wall every Christmas season. This year, Olivia was determined that we should actually use it! I found some really great ideas for activities for each day here. The biggest hits were sleeping under the Christmas tree
and a candlelight dinner. We also had two big surprises for the children for Christmas this year, so on some of the days, we gave them clues for the big surprises. Here are the clues, see if you can guess:
Surprise #1: miracle, 6, July 23, big tummy
Surprise #2: magical, January 7, sick tummy
We revealed surprise #1 on Christmas Eve. The girls went all over the house finding clues on a scavenger hunt, then found me (!), wrapped in a bow, with a picture from an early sonogram taped to my belly. Yes! Baby #4 is coming in July! It was really fun to see how excited the girls were, and realize just how much help they are going to be.

Surprise #2 came after all the presents were opened Christmas morning. The girls went around the house finding clues again, but this time the clues were pieces to a puzzle:
We told them we were headed to California in a few weeks to visit Grandpa and Grandma Jones, see Mary Poppins, and go to Disneyland. They were so surprised, and sooo excited.

I think we'll be keeping this advent calendar tradition!

Sunday Best

Just before church we snapped a few quick shots of the Christmas dresses. I had some fabric that I got on clearance a long time ago, and decided to make the girls these dresses out of them. I found a great tutorial for an easy bodice and sleeves on http://www.dana-made-it.com/ and then just added layers for the bottom. They turned out cute, and they're really comfortable, so the girls don't even mind wearing them! :-) And Trenton, even with the hand-me-downs from cousin Ty, still looks pretty dapper too!

First Snow

We got our first real snow of the season on a school morning, of course! The girls came into our bedroom fully dressed and ready to get outside around 7am that morning. We bundled them up and sent them on their way, only to see that Trenton wanted to get out there too. I "invited" Daddy to join them, and they all thoroughly enjoyed their first snow!

School Pictures

Lola Grace, Kindergarten

Olivia Marie, Third Grade

Thanksgiving Visitors

My parents came to visit us for Thanksgiving this year. It was wonderful! It was great to not travel, to have the children sleeping in their own beds, and to just enjoy having my parents visit us in our home. We decided to go out to dinner the night before Thanksgiving to "properly" stretch our stomachs! :-) Livi and Lola wanted to come along, so we got a sitter for Trenton who was already asleep, and headed out. The girls loved their date with the grandparents, and we ate some yummy food. Lola was too cold by the end, and figured out that she could take full advantage of our visitors by being "spoon-fed." This girl knows how to work the system! :-) I think she's also wearing her Grandma's coat...
Thanksgiving Day was great! We tried some new recipes for the mashed potatoes and the turkey itself. I was nervous about trying them out on such an important food day, but Pioneer Woman did not disappoint. :-) After dinner, we went bowling and then came home to four pies...I think Rich ate two and a half all by himself!
Our California Grandpa was not used to the cold here in Idaho, so Lola took care of him all weekend, tucking him in blankets when needed, to be sure his stay here was as comfortable as she could make it. She'd like for them to return as quickly as possible. We all feel the same way!

Kindergarten Thanksgiving

Lola's kindergarten class did a cute program for the parents a few days before Thanksgiving. They sang songs, recited poems, told the parents what they were grateful for, and then served us pumpkin pie...a pie I helped the children make the day before and wouldn't have eaten if somebody paid me! :-) It was fun to see Lola with her friends, and realize she is growing up to be such a beautiful girl. We love her!