Girl Scout Cookie Sale

It is Girl Scout Cookie Time!

I am a Daisy Scout this year! I am selling cookies this year and they are so yummy! If you want to buy cookies from me - email my mom or post a comment on our blog! Thanks, Hattie

Each box of cookies is $3.00. The cookies will be delivered mid February.

Our New Year's Resolutions!

Happy New Year!
We decided to establish some new year's resolutions for our family. As you can see they went kinda silly at one point! Everyone started making each others resolutions - those are the better ones anyways - the ones other people think we should be doing!

Mom -
I will make healthier choices (less chocolate chip cookies) and go to the YMCA more often - this is where the losing 10 lbs fits in.
I will align my personal choices to Heavenly Father's choices.
I will fulfill my church calling to the best of my ability.
I will get happy with whatever is happening to me!
I will be more available for something something with my husband!

Dad -
I will read my scriptures more.
I will sleep in more.
I will go with my family to the YMCA more.
I will eat healthier (is Mt. Dew organic & vegetarian)
I will not wear clothes with holes or stains on them (Hattie's resolution for Dad)

Manhattan -
I will go swimming more often in the winter.
I will learn how to tell time.
I will try new things.
I want to be more patient for waiting (like waiting for dinner)
I will do more missionary work.
I will help around the house more often.
I want to learn how to read & write in cursive.
I will learn my times tables, division, and the quadratic formula (Dad's suggestion)

Marin -
I will be potty trained.
I will give up my binkie.
I will grow some hair.
I will learn how to say a dozen words including bedtime, naptime, quiet time, and rest time.

For Grandma Laura & Grandpa Neal!

So after making the last collage - Hattie and I thought we should show all the attempts to get ONE good picture of the girls in their Christmas pjs from Grandpa and Grandma Smith. This is the best one and then enjoy the collage of all the crazy ones!

For Grandma Annie & Grandpa Larry!

Here are the dresses you got the girls for Christmas!

They are very cute and everyone at church loved that they were matching!
I made many attempts to get cute pictures of the girls this morning before church- here are some of the others! As you can see Manhattan is the easy one to photograph! Marin has decided picture time is not for her - my favorite is the picture of her jumping over the side of the couch as I take the picture! Hattie and I could not stop laughing!

Stay in Holiday Spirit! A Post-Christmas Favorite Survey!

Just a little post-holiday survey fun!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and curly ribbon
2. Real tree or artificial? We have an artificial but I miss the days of "the great Christmas Tree Hunt".
3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving after Black Friday shopping!
4. When do you take the tree down? Around New Years - this year I am ready to do it now - our house is just too little for all the extra stuff!
5. Do you like eggnog? I like eggnog with 7-up - no one else in my house drinks it - I get it all to myself!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I think the wooden cradle my dad made me - now my girls play with it!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? What a silly question - I have about a dozen. I help with our stake nativity festival every year. This year I got the expanded Little People set - love playing with my girls!
8. Hardest person to buy for? I have forgotten now - the day before Christmas next year I will let you know!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My girls - they love everything!
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of anything!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I mail cards/newsletters and I do it early and then I enjoy getting everyone else's throughout the season!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas - for the last two years I have watched it with Manhattan. I started watching it alone this year, I turned it off because I got a little weepy. I miss watching it with my mom!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Since our families live far away I do most of my shopping in fall and then I do catch up with our little family after Thanksgiving! This year I have to admit I had to run out on Christmas Eve to finish up the girls!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything - I feel that I have a free pass for snacking and I do it!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored lights on the tree - white lights on the house!
17. Favorite Christmas song? I Am Dreaming of A White Christmas, Santa Baby, Away In A Manger, all primary Christmas songs! Oh well - too many to list
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home - sometimes I regret this but we are happy to avoid the mess at the airports!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? No - can't remember unless I am singing it!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Red Punched Tin Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? This year we opened the Little People Nativity on Christmas Eve. We were supposed to open the matching pjs but I forgot and then when I remembered I couldn't find them.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? How early everything gets put out (come on, October - really) and how quickly the stores take it all down - give me a day or two after Christmas to enjoy the festivities!
23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme? Crazy and Eclectic - this year Marin helped a lot so the bottom is pretty messed up!
24. What did you do on the day after Christmas? It was icy and nasty. Morgan had to work. The girls and I ran out for a few errands - we were slipping and sliding everywhere!
25. What is the best part of Christmas? I enjoy all the happy music and festive attitudes!

Merry Christmas!

What Did Santa Bring You?

Lights Before Christmas 12/23/08

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Merry Christmas!

The girls are off to bed soon and it is time to get to work! We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with cookie making for Santa, our family home evening - tossing out the magic reindeer food (oatmeal and colored sugar), singing Christmas carols, reading Luke 2, watching the Luke 2 video, and even recreating the Christmas story with our Little People nativity set. (I am a Little People junkie and I love watching my girls play with them!). Manhattan said it was the best Christmas Eve ever!

Manhattan made a gift for Jesus at church that we opened tonight. Inside was a paper that she had written, "I will be nice to my family". I guess in primary they had talked about gifts that we can give Jesus at Christmas Time. This is what she picked - it was very serious and very sweet!

Manhattan asked if we could say a prayer before and after we open the gifts to say thank you for what we have been given - how wonderful it is when the spirit touches our children to say such amazing things.

Christmas always makes me so homesick for both of our families! It has been a long time since we have been home for the holidays and every year we miss our families! We now have our own traditions - which are a combination of our families' traditions. Thank you to all our wonderful family - we love you!

So tonight we prepare for the big morning event. The morning will go quickly but the kids will love it. We always enjoy the magic of Santa's visit and all the wrapping paper strewn around the house! It is a mess but somehow all the work is worth it!

Merry Christmas to everyone - be grateful for what you have and show love to everyone you meet! Our love to you all - we appreciate the love and support you give to us!

Here is a little video of what you can do to prepare for Christmas that Hattie put together.
(I think I uploaded on a weird setting , hence the squished look, sorry)

2 Cute for Christmas!

Santa Claus Visit 2008!

Our Santa visit went pretty well this year! No screaming or crying but no real smiles from Marin either. We pretty much stuck Marin on Santa's lap - took a picture and then let her down!

Hattie always reminds us that the Santas we see are not the real Santas - "there is no way Santa has time for that, they are just helpers!" So funny - I know she tolerates these Santa visits because she is still not fond of the whole thing!

We do have a favorite Santa at the Matthes Christmas Tree Farm in Ida, MI - unfortunately he is gone the weekend before Christmas "because he has to get back to the North Pole" - what?? Come on! Anyways - we had to find somewhere else to go this year and it worked out pretty well!

Manhattan's Christmas Program

On Wednesday night (after we got Dad from the airport) we went to Manhattan's 1st Grade Christmas Program at her school.

Since she spends mornings in 1st grade for reading etc she also goes to music with the 1st grade class so was able to be in the Christmas program too! It was so cute!

This picture is of Manhattan and her 1st grade teacher - Miss Beineik - she really likes her! Miss Beineik grew up in our neighboorhood and went to Larchmont herself!
The kids sang 7 songs! Hattie did a great job!
This song was Silent Night - they sang the first time and then signed the second time! It was amazing that Hattie remembered all the signs - she loved doing it at home for us!

We can't believe it has been 11 years!!

Morgan and I were married 11 years ago today in the Portland Oregon LDS Temple! We can hardly believe that much time has past. 2 kids, 3 states, 3 apartments, and a house - numerous road trips and movie nights past!

I am so grateful for everything we have gained (except some weight) learned (except how I function on less sleep) and done - especially our kids! I am grateful for the great in-laws on both sides that support each of us as we muddle through life!

Thank you Morgan for 11 great years - It has been a fun ride - here's to 50 more years!! I love you!

The Hat!

Morgan came home this evening from Yuba City with a special present for Marin from Grandpa Larry - this adorable little hat! She loves it and as you can see wore it as much as possible - in her clothes and in her pjs! She loves this hat!
Thank you Grandpa Larry!!

Big Girl Bling

For Manhattan's birthday, Hattie received a gift card from her "cool" Aunt Jen & Uncle Derrick (as well as Rachael, Megan, and Ethan) to Claire's Boutique - she was excited to pick out some grown-up jewelry! We braved the Christmas shoppers and went on Saturday night and this is what she chose - a charm bracelet and many charms - too many I think - she has a hard time wearing it! In the end we divided it up between a necklace and a bracelet!
She loves it! Thank you Smiths!

Pink Slippers & Oh No!! Part 2

Just an "poopy" slipper update!

Well, I saved the "poopy" pink slippers (if you don't know what I am talking about - scroll down to November 12th) and Marin has started wearing them whenever they are not on my feet! It is pretty funny and really cute! I had to post a cute picture of you and let you know what happened with the pink slippers!!

A Sick Day!

Last night Hattie was coughing so hard she "lost" everything she had eaten that day. After I bathed her and moved her up in my room in a sleeping bag she was out in less than five minutes. This morning the girls were up at 5:00 am and Hattie was dragging. I could not get her back to bed. So I decided to keep her home just in case. As the day went on she was feeling better - she even felt up to reading her new book, Swan Lake and doing a book report on it (a surprise to me). Marin took both of her naps today for the first time in over a week. She was quite the funny today - here are some pictures of her doing many things she shouldn't be doing!!

FunTime #1
Marin was playing downstairs and I though I would catch her lining up the food from our food storage shelves - one of her favorite things to do - she is constantly rearranging the lower food shelves. When I got downstairs - she was joyfully rubbing her hands on the carpet - I knew something was not right here! While she was moving the food around she must have dropped a can of 7-Up and she must have tasted it - she was very excited to rub her hands in and then lick it! It was so funny! The 7-Up had a leak and she enjoyed it every much!!
FunTime #2
Manhattan was busy writing a book when Marin woke from her nap and she wanted to join in so I got her a chair some paper and crayons. yes, I sat next to her and made sure she drew on the paper. After awhile I could not find a crayon I was looking for - low and behold almost all of them were slowly ending up on floor. Everytime I said "don't put that in your mouth" that crayon, pencil, or glue stick ended up on the floor. I was so busy working with Hattie and making sure Marin didn't eat the items that I didn't notice what happened later! Just a note: She liked the taste of the crayons and the texture of the erasers!! Augh!
FunTime #3
I know you would think I would have been on to this one! I thought I would give the girls a little snack - Daddy's favorite - Ritz crackers. Hattie loves them - Marin evidently doesn't eat them but she does crumble them all over the floor! Oh well! She is a crack up!

Things I did not film - trying to put her hands in the toilet, climbing onto the table, pulling the paper cutter off the table and playing with it, trying to pull a bowl of cereal off the table (I caught this one), locking herself in her room - she keeps shutting the door and getting stuck in their, PULLING the Christmas lights out of the tree and pulling them out of the plug, and taking off and rehanging lots of Christmas ornaments, washing the frig with a wipe - this is so cute when she takes the wipes and washes things).

Fun times - Bedtime can never come soon enough! How do you mothers with more than 2 do it! I have started putting unnecessary chairs in the basement and hiding everything else!

Only 1 week left!

Manhattan woke up this morning excited not for Christmas (14 days - check the countdown) but for our dad coming home in a week! It was very cute!

Morgan is doing great and I know he has been needed in California with his mom but we do miss him. Morgan's mom is doing well recovering from her surgery. I was so happy to take to her last night. I truly do love my mother-in-law. She is wonderful - I have been very blessed with great inlaws for sure! I wish I was there but I am afraid that two more kids would not help with the recovery! Morgan has been able to be with her everyday at the hospital and keep an eye on everything!
It is funny how much a team you become with your spouse when you have been married for 11 years - I can only imagine how our parents and those married longer are a great team!

I think we have done really well just us girls - we have gone to dinner at Red Robin, swimming at the YMCA, ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, and hung out & watched lots of girly movies with popcorn!

Staying Home and Warm

Just some pictures of the girls while we were staying home Saturday during the snow. This morning we made it to sacrament and then came home to sleep. They both have colds and coughs and they needed to rest up for the week. We all rested for a little while. Monday will be a big day as I have to help take down the nativities so Marin and Hattie will be busy at kind friend's houses - no one can be sick!! I love winter colds and coughs - augh!

This video is of Marin doing "Wheels on the Bus" if you mention the name of the song she kicks into these hand motions - seems like she has just figured this out just since Morgan left! It is her favorite song and she will stop crying if you start singing it. It comes in handy for distracting her when she is fussy!

Interfaith Nativity Festival

The first weekend of December our stake organizes a Interfaith Nativity Festival. I have gotten involved with it and truly love the work. It does takes a lot of work - we start organizing and getting ready in mid-July. I work with a friend to help login and check out all 500 plus nativities.

It is an amazing exhibit. This year we had over 500 nativities - our big problem was that in the end we did not have enough room to display them all! We had our family friends come with us. We have gone two years in a row - this year neither dad could be there but we had fun anyways! The kids had a great time doing a scavenger hunt in the main room. They also loved doing the paper crafts and dress up in the children's room. Marin was a little more destructive - she is so lucky she is so incredibly cute!!