Merry Christmas!!!

What a great Christmas we had this year.  Christmas morning was just magical.  It is so much to have kids.  I think Christmas Eve and Christmas morning is the best time of the year to be a parent.  I uploaded my pictures backwards so it is going be all a little messed up. 
                                                               Chloe with her new twins

Tessa with her new baby

    Tessa and Chloe with there Barbie house that Grandma and Grandpa gave them

 Me and Christopher

 Christmas afternoon

 Kyla and Chloe with their new Rapunzel dolls

 Tessa being silly

It was our year to go to the Walker's for Christmas Eve.  We always play Bingo at the party.  The day before Christopher went to the DI to get stuff to make this ugly Christmas sweater.  Jacalyn was the proud winner of it.

                                                               Tessa got to be Mary

                                                            Chloe wanted to be the star

                                                       Chloe and Tessa on Christmas Eve

                       Leaving Cookies and Milk for Santa (They were soooooooooooo excited!!!!!)

On Christmas Eve we decided to take the kids to breakfast.  I remember as a kid that Christmas Eve was like the loooongest day of the year.  I thought this would break it up for them.  They were still driving me crazy way before it was time to go to the party.

What a great Christmas we had.  I am so grateful for my family and loved ones.  I am grateful that we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  I am so grateful for Him and all that He does for me and my family.  I am grateful to be a mother and a wife.  We have had a challenging 2010 so here's to a better 2011!!!!



Christmas Card Pics

 So I did take Christmas card pictures and I was really excited about them and then my hard drive crashed.  I did not have a computer so I decided not to do cards.  I thought I would post the cute pictures I took of the girls.  I don't know why they are so small but at least I was able to save them.

I was so cold and slippery the day we took these pictures.  The girls did not love it but at least I was able to snap a few good ones.  

Temple Square

 This year we decided that we should take the kids to Temple Square to see the lights.  They had never been and since we had such warm weather this December we went.  We started out at the Gateway to see their Christmas Tree.  We then walked to Temple Square. 

We had a lot of fun seeing the lights and walking around the temple.  Not everything went as planned.  I think that as a mom my kids would just love sitting in the stroller and looking at all of the lights.  I took my jogging stroller so they could just relax and be comfy with blankets on them, well I was wrong.  They whined about being to squished and they just wanted to walk.  Well, there were way too many people to let them walk and I was not about to push this big stroller when there are no kids in it.  We compromised by letting one kid walk while the other one rode in the stroller and then we switched.  What a pain! But they really did enjoy seeing the lights and I did have fun walking around the temple with my little family.

Letters to Santa

It is always fun when the time come that we can write our letters to Santa.  Both of the girls were soooooooo much fun this Christmas season.  Chloe had about a million questions about Santa, reindeer, elves, snow, presents, etc.  Chloe asked for an American Girl doll, Zhu-Zhu pet, and a bathrobe.  Tessa asked for a baby and a snowman.  I have no idea where she came up with the idea that she wanted a snowman.   When they finished writing their letter they left them by Pete so he could take then to Santa. 

Meet PeTe

This is our friendly elf, Pete.  He came to live with us 3 Christmas' ago.  My dad saw the book, Elf on the Shelf and bought it for us.  It is one of our favorite Christmas tradition.  He comes to live with us every year around Tessa's birthday.  He stays at our house until Christmas Eve and then he flies back to the North Pole with Santa.  Everyday Pete watches Chloe and Tessa to see how they are.  When they go to bed he then flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa.  Then he flies back to our house and is back by the time they wake up.  He always hides in a different place each morning so the girls have to find him.  They know that if you touch him his magic might leave.  It is serious so much fun.  Every morning they come running out of their bed rooms to find Pete.  Pete is the best form of bribery.  All month long if they start whinning, fighting, not wanting to clean up their toys, etc all I have to say is that Pete is watching.  I love it.  It is always sad on Christmas Eve when the kids have to tell Pete by for a year.  Last year we did not remembe to warn Chloe about Pete leaving and Christmas morning she started to cry because she missed Pete.  This year they both told Pete bye on Christmas Eve and there were no tears on Christmas morning.

Happy 2nd Birthday, TESSA!!!

Happy Birthday Tessa!!! I can't believe that you are already TWO!!! Where does time go?? This post is getting posted a little late because my hard drive crashed!!! I am soooooooooooo MAD. I had backup most of my pictures but I lost all of the pictures of Tessa's birthday and Thanksgiving weekend. I am so sad that I don't have any pictures to document Tessa's birthday. Luckily I started Tessa's birthday post before my computer crashed so I was able to put a few pictures of Tessa's last year.

Tessa is such a sweet little girl. She always has a smile and can always make me laugh.

Tessa hates is when I have a ponytail. She cries and cries until I take it out.

Tessa LOVES milk. When ever I give her a cup of it she giggles.

She loves animals. Whenever she has to take medicine we have to take her outside so she can have one of our animals watch her.

Tessa is the BEST eater. She will try anything and usually loves it!!

Tessa adores Chloe. She follows her around all day long and repeats everything Chloe says.

Tessa's favorite food is biscuits and gravy. Christopher likes to make them in the morning and they eat together.

She loves to sit on the potty. This is quite annoying for me. I have to keep the door shut so she will stay out of the toilet.

Tessa's favorite toys are babies!!! I hardly ever see her without one. She carries a doll around everyday all day long. She like to push them in her stroller, wrap them up in a blanket, feed them, and change them.

Tessa loves to swing

and play just about everything

T

Tessa riding Tuff

Tessa is a big helper. She always puts the silverware away.

Sitting on the potty. She is pretty proud of herself!

Tessa I love you so much and are so glad you are part of our family. You are such a special little girl and you make me so happy. I love being you mom and can't wait to watch you grow and learn.

Happy Birthday Christopher!!!

HAPPY 31ST BIRTHDAY, Christopher!!!

I want you to know how much I love you and love being your wife.

Christopher- 1 year old 8 years old
11 years old- This is what you looked like the first time I meet you. I had a crush on you ever since that day!!

Christopher loved High School rodeo. He even won the cow cutting his senior year.

On mission in St. Louis

Our wedding day- June 15, 2004

Our anniversary- 2010

Thanks for being such a great day. Your girls truly do love you and love to spend time with you.

Chloe and Christopher- July 4th, 2010

Christopher and Tessa camping- August 2010

Mommy-daughter date

About a month ago I started a new job. I have been working for my dad as his lab assistant for about 18 months. My dad has been teaching me about microbiology and when I found out one of his micro friend needed a lab tech for a few hours in the morning I decided to try it out. I have enjoyed in but Chloe is having a hard time. Christopher is home with the girls (no, he has not found a job yet), so they don't have to go anywhere. I guess Dad is just not the same. I don't know why Chloe does not like it because he lets them either watch a movie or ride the horse everyday. Tessa does not care when I leave. She is her daddy's little sidekick. I made a deal with Chloe, if she did not cry for 5 days then she can come with me to work. She was so excited to come with me.

I work at UST labs in Layton.

Chloe having some fun with pipets and water. Maybe she will take after her Grandpa.
After work we went to lunch. She chose Red Robin (good choice Chloe)

After lunch we went to the mall and did a little birthday shopping for Dad. I had such a fun day with Chloe. We do not have much alone time together. It was fun to just enjoy her and spend some quality time.