Elf Antics

We don't have pictures of every day and I forgot what Elf did a few days :-)  But here's the rest of Elf's Antics...

/Day 11/
Rollin' round in a roll a TP!  Between Elf and Makenzie we go thru LOTS of TP.

/Day 12/
Elf found some lipstick!  'Ho Ho Ho!  Merry Christmas!  Love, Elf '

/Day 13/
Our little Elf snuck into bed with Matt & I!  Makenzie found him curled up on Daddy's pillow!

/Day 14/
What a sweet little Elf we have, he wrote such nice letters to the girls!

/Day 15/
Elf was playing with the cat!  He was found seated on the top of the Christmas tree dangling Boogity's mouse from some yarn.

/Day 16/
Someone was playing hide and seek!!  And must have needed a little cooling off.  Elf was found sitting in our fridge.

/Day 17/
Elf visited our little North Pole Village!  He certainly didn't look like an elf in our mini village.

/Day 19/
All in for limbo under the snowman ladder!!  Elf and Cuddles (her birthday build a bear dog) joined in on the fun.

/Day 21/
Oh boy!!  Curiosity killed the cat, Elf!

/Day 23/
Swinging on the Potty Chain!  (Poop chain just doesn't sound nice, but really, that's what it is.  When we were potty training a year and a half- two years ago she wouldn't poo on the potty.  She got a loop to add to the chain each time she went and it's been in her room ever since!  She's proud!)

/Day 24/
Elf's last day here!!  Have to admit, it was a good idea for him to take a bubble bath and get nice and clean for his trip back to the North Pole.  I'm a little jealous of a bubble bath, good book and some cocoa.

Makenzie said her goodbye and set him down in a chair by the fireplace.  See you next year!!

Merry Christmas 2014

Another Christmas season has come and gone.  It goes so fast.  Every year I think of how I could have made it last longer with a little more relaxing and simplifying... so far I haven't figured that out yet.  Wisdom with age right ;-)

We had a fabulous Christmas!!  I am thrilled!!  After spending the last two Christmas' sick I was beyond excited to go thru the season healthy!!! I know that sounds kind of petty, but you have NO IDEA how happy I was!!  The past two years were honestly pretty un-enjoyable and it just sucks the fun out of the season.  Last year ALL of us were sick over Christmas... this year just Madison with a cold turned into an ear infection & bottom molars bursting thru.  SHE was not thrilled about anything.  Third Christmas is a charm for her right!!  Next year little Madison, next year is your year!

Our first party was a few weeks ago with Matt's Mom's side of the family.

Miss Makenzie hanging with cousin Joshua & Caleb!  She LOVES those boys!

As we listened to the Christmas Story, this little girl stole the attention
prancing around while everyone else was seated.
Little girls in Christmas Dresses.... L-O-V-E!

Cousin Jonathan checking on Miss Madison after a fall!

Our second party was at my parents house with my Mom's side of the family.  Yummy turkey dinner followed by gifts and finalied with Grandma's Famous Cake Roll, which Makenzie and I made.  (I just finished eating another slice!  Yum, yum! Very thankful we had leftovers.)

This is our second Christmas that we took up a collection for a local ministry that provides lunch/ breakfast/ dinner in backpacks for children over the weekends.  Love this ministry and was so happy to do it again this year.  Last year there were 17 children from a local elementary school that didn't have enough to eat over the weekend that this ministry fed.  This year it has grown to 3 local schools and 52 children!!

Fuzzy, but such a good pic!

Love Uncle Jim's face!

Auntie Kelli testing Madison's gifts!

Auntie Katie and Makenzie helping Madi open pj's!

We collected all of this food and $80 to donate (the $80 can cover 13 children's backpacks.)  So proud!

That's all for tonight!  More Christmas to come later.

It's 2 More Days Till Christmas!

It's two mornings before Christmas,  and all thru the house most creatures aren't stirring, not even our cat.  Miss Madison and I am.  Madison whimpering trying to get back to sleep as I dose out medicine so we don't here a peep.  Madison laying in bed dealing with a nasty ear ache and I on the computer trying to update my take.

The stockings have been hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nick will soon be here!  Matthew and Makenzie are nesteled all snug in their beds, visions of Christmas cookies dance in their heads.  Our tree is all trimmed presents laid out below. Now if we could just have it snow.  The Christmas cards have been sent!  I have pictures in there so I hope they don't get bent!

It's now 9 pm at night... Madison interrupted my early morning rhyming.  Poor baby had another rough day.  Last Thursday she got a cold, led to a fever, nasty snotty, stuffy, coughy cold that has led to an ear infection (possible double).  No nap on Sunday led to a not so fun Monday.  She took okay naps but had to be held all day.  Today she was up just after 6 and we spent almost an hour on the couch snuggling with the Christmas lights on!  LOVED it!!  Definitely gotten lots of snuggles as she has had to be held non stop!  (Ouch my arms!!) Didn't get good naps today... one one hour nap.  Keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow!


I love this time of year.... I just love it.  LOVE IT!  There are so many memories and traditions that I can't get enough of!  The past two Christmas's I've been sick and cranky, so I'm totally loving really being able to enjoy the season.  Here are some of my favorite things about Christmas...

Our tree!  Our REAL Blue Spruce Christmas tree, that is so delicious smelling, sits in the corner of our room displaying years of family memories.  As a child my Grandparents (both sides) and my parents gave me an ornament each year.  Some are just cute!  Some show what I was interested in at the time.  Some are homemade, like many little treasures of my late Grandma.  My first Christmas ornament sits on there as well as "Our First Christmas Together" star, as we celebrated our first Christmas married.  Madison and Makenzie's 1st Christmas ornaments hang along with 2 sets of snowman families, one from 2011 as a family of three and one from last year as a family of 4.  On top of our tree is a homemade Angel, that's pattern has been passed down generations, watching over.

I can sit and stare at our tree all lit up for hours!!
 
I love writing Christmas cards.  I know the latest trend is to send out photo cards.  I'm just traditional and love to use an old fashioned Christmas Card where I spend all that time writing To's and From's and a special message in each one :-)  We also love getting cards and decorate with them.


Quick Visit with Santa downtown!  Never goes well but puts a smile on my face :-D

Very intent stares while waiting in line!!

This is it folks!

Christmas Dresses on little girls!!  Makenzie got a new one that she will be styling in tomorrow!!

Baking Christmas Cookies!!  We make dozens of cookies each year and share with friends and family!!

Madison's FIRST time baking cookies at the counter with us!!  Typically she
sits next to us in the high chair.  She giggled and smiled THE WHOLE TIME!!

One Happy Girl!

The faces I get after saying 'No More DOUGH girls!'
Makenzie's unhappy face and Madison doesn't care and
goes for more.

Love that sweet little hand.

(FYI... the cookie dough was made before sickness hit!  Ha! No need to worry!)

We are looking forward to the next couple days of festivities.  We hope you all enjoy the time spent with family and have a joyous Christmas in celebrating the birth of Our Savior!  

Merry Christmas!!

Take 1.

Take 2.

Our Elf is Here!!

Deer, was our Elf's name last year.  This year we've just made it real simple.  Elf!  Love the names kids give things!!  

/Day 1/

His first appearance at our house was actually in the car in Makenzie's seat!!  He was all buckled in like a good little Elf to head to the Christmas Lights Parade.  

 /Day 2/
The next morning Elf got into our monster loot of candy from the parade.  He had a WHOLE line of candy he was ready to gobble up and was happily eating a sucker while wearing a "Be Nice" pin and some sort of luggage ID as a necklace.  It was funny for a min and then Makenzie decided that the elf was really bad and needed to sit in the corner.  He got into candy without asking and made a mess!!  She did NOT want him around here if he was going to be getting into trouble!  (The Santa Clause is Coming to Town Song is getting to her... she was in tears one day...guilty conscience!  We now have a sticker chart to show her all the good things she does!)

/Day 3/
Thank you Elf for pointing out to us that we forgot a Fall Decor!  Miss Madison is SO good at finding things and was the one who found Elf way up there.

 /Day 4/
Makenzie wouldn't let me take a picture of Day 4.  Elf had found our goldfish and was on top of the tank peaking in.  (No our goldfish doesn't have a name.  It should.  I'm stinking proud of that thing. All of the fish I have ever bough... and I have bought A LOT... die... very quickly.  (Remember Makenzie's Birthday Fish that died before her party was over?)  On a whim, us girls were at the store one evening while Matt was hunting and came back with 5 goldfish.  I told the girls they would be around for the weekend and then have to go.  They all lasted a week.  A couple died after a week.  A couple more the next week.  And it's now been 2 months and the FISH IS STILL ALIVE!)

/Day 5/
This elf has a sweet tooth!  Very smart to get up out of Makenzie's reach so she wouldn't steal the sucker.

/Day 6/

Quietly reading some Christmas books.

/Day 7/

No pic... sorry. Elf snoozed happily under the tree!  AND under the cat!  :-/  It took awhile for the Elf to be found since the cat WAS happily sleeping under the tree.  

/Day 8/

Woot Woot!!  Early Christmas present straight from the North Pole!!  A boxed DVD collection of the Christmas Classics!  Good thing because does anyone notice that all the specials are on AFTER the kids go to bed!?!?  Drives me crazy.  Now we can watch it whenever :-)  

/Day 9/

Miss Makenzie woke up with Elf snuggled up with her in HER bed!!  Whoa, was THAT a surprise!  Guess he learned sleeping under the tree wasn't a good idea.

/Day 10/

Amen to this one.  It's December 10.  It's sunny.  I see grass.  A month ago I checked the extended forecast and it was winter... low low temps, no sun, snow almost every day, perfect.  It's been the opposite since Thanksgiving (which we HAD snow!).  It's been cold.  But sunny and no snow.  We have 15 days till Christmas... LET IT SNOW!!!

A Month Later! 60 Years!

So this didn't go as planned!!  My last post was a month ago.  Hmm....  I'm so bummed!  I have so much to share, but just plain and simple don't have the time for it.

At least that must mean I'm living in the moment right!?!?

It's early in the morning, everyone else in the house is sleeping.  I couldn't sleep so figured I'd see if I can get a couple post knocked out.

How was everyone's Thanksgiving!?!?

We had a good one.  Matt and I each did a turkey that we brought over to my grandparents.  He smoked his (yum!) and I stuffed mine and roasted it.  They tasted good, by time we carved it and were ready to eat they were not very juicy.  :-(  I can usually knock out some very juicy turkeys.

The boys with their turkey!

The Girls' Turkey... Makenzie wanted to help stuff... but just wasn't so sure :-)

Kudos Girl!!

Smokin'!!

Madison wasn't interested at all in eating.  Grandma has pilgrim and indian candles back from who knows when on the table.  Apparently if there are little people on the table they are more fun to play with than eating!  So Madi played.  And when she was done both girls started laps inside the house.  They just go!!!!

Yesterday, we also celebrated my grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary!  60 years those two have been together!  That is SO cool!  Those two are so dear to my heart, I was so thankful that we could be there for Thanksgiving AND in celebration of their marriage.  Seemed perfectly fitting that their 60th Anniversary be ON Thanksgiving and surrounded by family.

Wrapping up this post I will list some of my "Thankful's":

~My Church/ My God, whom we get all these blessings from.
~My husband & Girls

~Sleeping morning snuggles with Makenzie and Madison after they wake up.  Madison takes a bit to wake up and comes at you with her blankie tailing behind her and snuggles for a long time!  Makenzie also hauls out the blankie and will cuddle... for a bit.
~Our Family & Friends, each one of them has made an impact on our lives!  Some a lot more than others and I thank you for that love and support!
~Slowly falling snow before dawn that falls into a blanket of sparkly snow already fallen.  BEAUTIFUL!
~Cooking/ Baking in the Kitchen with Makenzie... Our Thanksgiving Turkeys turned out pretty good!!

~Our Health
~Our Home

Everyone have a GREAT Thanksgiving weekend!  We are off to go Christmas Tree hunting :-D