New Years Eve!

We wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year! We had hoped to do something with friends, but had a hard time finding people at home. So, this year, we're going low key and spending it with the girls at home. You would think they would be tired, but so far we haven't been that lucky. Whatever your plans, we hope you have a safe and fun night!

School Break Fun

The girls have had so much fun this school break. Riley has used the time to play with all her friends in the neighborhood. She has had two sleepovers already. Last night, we hosted the sleepover. The two kids who live behind us came over for pizza, played all evening, and then they all crashed in sleeping bags on the floor. This morning Doug got up really early to play golf. It wouldn't have been that bad except the kids were up until about 11:30 last night. There was no sleeping in though. All four kids were awake by 7:30 and had a big breakfast of pancakes. Then they played all morning here and all afternoon at the other house and outside. I'm really glad that Riley has lots of friends in the neighborhood. Kamryn isn't as lucky, but it doesn't slow her down. She just follows along with everybody and works hard to keep up. It makes her mad when they take off on their bikes or run too fast, but they usually do a good job including her. Due to the girls playing with all the neighbor kids, they have already requested an item for Christmas next year - a wii. Several of the area kids got them for Christmas and Riley has really had a blast paying. We've already laid down the rules of what she has to do in order to even think about getting one next year. We'll see how it goes. It would be a big move for us as neither Doug nor I grew up with any kind of video game system and really don't see what all the fuss is about. Having said that, we have played the wii with friends and do enjoy it. We have a year to figure it out.

Fingers

Kamryn got some Hello Kitty nails to wear and had to put them on. Doug actually helped with this as I was getting dinner ready. She was so proud to have her nails on, until she realized she couldn't do anything. They didn't stay on for long. In the picture you'll notice she's missing two nails. It wasn't an accident nor were they lost. If you look closely you'll see her fingers are a little bruised (or at least one is). They day before (Christmas Eve morning) we were heading out to the gym and Riley accidentally slammed Kamryn's fingers in the door. It was very traumatic for Kamryn and it took FOREVER to get her to calm down. We were concerned because we could tell that they really hurt and she wouldn't move her ring finger at all. So, we called a friend who is a nurse and she said that unless the finger was misshapen in some way, there was nothing that could really be done. So, that info saved us a trip to the doctor or hospital. She recommended ice (already done), a splint, and taping the fingers together. It took awhile to find something to use for a splint, but we did. Kamryn milked it for all it was worth. She cradled her hand and got people to do pretty much everything for her. When we had gotten to Ocala that evening, she showed of her fingers with pride and told everyone the story. We took the splint off Christmas afternoon and she favored those fingers for a little bit (they were still a little tender), but by that night she seemed fine. Her finger is still blue/purple (especially the nail) but is healing nicely. We're glad we had friends who know so much!

Christmas Day

Our Christmas morning turned out to be quite wonderful! It usually is, but this year was better because Doug had insisted I have everything wrapped by Tuesday so I wouldn't be stuck wrapping until all hours of the night. Too bad my mom didn't follow that same advice! Instead of going to Ocala with us, she went to St. Pete and picked up my grandfather. We knew they would get back before us and told her to use that time to get as much done as possible. Well, she wasn't quite finished when we got back. I helped her finish and then is was off to bed so we'd ready for the morning. Our girls are early risers and this day was no different. They were up and ready to go by 7:15 or so. Doug had actually woken up early and gone to the hotel to pick up my grandfather and was back a little after 7:30. The girls could hardly wait to tear into their presents. We try and have a system and stockings go first. So, we all took turns going through our stockings and seeing what was there.

The girls checking out their stockings!

Somehow, Santa was able to bring the girls everything on their list. He must have some really good elves because Kamryn even got her pink firetruck and a pink ambulance - both a hit. The girls also got what they had asked us for and a few little surprises. All in all, they did very well and got way too much stuff. Poppop (my grandfather) really enjoyed watching them open their gifts and we were glad he could be there with us. It's not often you have four generations in a family together at one time.

After our presents were done, Doug made a great breakfast of cinnamon rolls and eggs. We were done with everything (breakfast included) by 10:30 and figured Vic, Josie and the kids (our family in Ocala) were probably just getting up. We keep hoping one day our kids might sleep in, but it is still just a dream now. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing with presents. It also was spent trying to figure out why our floor was getting wet. It ended up we had a leak under our sink. Fortunately, we were able to still make dinner and do the dishes. We arranged for someone to come and look at it the next day and found out our disposal was shot. Oh well, first the air conditioner and then the disposal. At least we were able to get both fixed and pretty quickly.

We hope all of you had a wonderful day with your families as well!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was spent with Doug's family in Ocala. We always try to spend some time with them either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It usually depends on what day the holiday falls and Doug's schedule at work. Christmas Eve is our favorite time to go though. We headed up there in the afternoon and the girls had fun playing with their cousins, aunt and uncle, and grandpa. The girls played basketball, fuse ball, ping pong and rode scooters/skateboards and even took Madison (their dog) for a walk. They had a blast!! After a wonderful dinner and some more fun, it was present ans dessert time. Then, it was time to head home. We're so glad that we have some family that lives close enough to visit during the holidays. We really treasure those times with them and we enjoy seeing them throughout the year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We want to wish you all a Merry Christmas! We feel so blessed to have such a great family and awesome friends in our lives. Thank you for being the great people you are!!

White Christmas

The girls had a white Christmas after all. Just take a look!!

At least, white as flour can get you! I thought it would be fun to make cookies with the girls. I had done this when Riley was young, but that was awhile ago. I'm just glad my mom was here to help. With the two of them, I needed the extra hands to help with the dough and placing the cookies on the pans. Kamryn's favorite part was putting the flour down on the table and on the dough. She became an excellent cookie cutter outer. Riley was also great and laughed as she started getting "dirty". Well, as you can see, by the end they had flour everywhere! It was awesome!! The girls decided we should use sprinkles on some cookies and then ice the others. They all turned out quite yummy! Riley picked out some friends in the neighborhood to take them too and she has been having fun delivering them.

Getting the dough ready

The rolling and cookie cutting process

The finished product!! YUM!!

Crazy!!

Crazy! that is what I must have been to decide to go to Disney on Saturday. When we were there with the family on Tuesday it was busy, but not too bad. We had a really enjoyable day. While we were there I noticed that they would be doing all of their Christmas shows and the parade on Saturday. The park usually only does these during the special party at night - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Since my mom was going to be here, I thought she and the kids would enjoy it. These shows might be done everyday now that Christmas is almost here, but this was the only day I had a schedule for and knew for sure that they would be done. So, off we went. I warned the girls ahead of time that the park would be crowded and that we weren't there to ride rides, just see the shows. Boy, am I glad I did that. The Magic Kingdom was so crowded!! There were a lot of regular guests, but also a ton of cast members coming to use their holiday ticket. For instance, Buzz Lightyear had a 100 minute wait for standby guests and the people using fast pass were actually queuing in a line! It made me extra glad that we went on a weekday. We went and saw Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas.

The show was fun and the girls enjoyed it. Then, we went to Belle's Christmas story time while my mom went and found a spot for the parade. Both girls got picked to be in the story and they loved it! then, we went and found Mimi and got in our spots for the Christmas parade. The last time I had seen this was when I was pregnant with Kamryn. It was fun to watch, especially since it has changed a little since the last time I saw it. Luckily, we only came to do those things so we were good. It's only going to get crazier as the holiday approaches. My mom mentioned that based on the people there and the money they were spending, you would never know the country is in a recession. I know Doug is glad that he works at the "happiest place on earth" and that people really like his restaurant!

Kamryn and her party

Kamryn is so funny. One day earlier thia month while we were at dance, we were watching the older girls. The group is actually in middle school and several of them have babysat for us before. Kamryn thinks they are the coolest people ever! Fortunately, they are all very nice and always say hi to her, pick her up, etc. So, while we were watching them work on their tap number for Christmas, Kamryn came up with an idea. She wanted to have a party and invite some of them (the ones she knows the best) to her house for pizza, popcorn, hot cocoa and a Christmas movie. She talked about it for several days so I said OK. We picked a date when they weren't dancing and made invitations. Then, she handed them out. I have no idea what the girls were thinking, but Kamryn was excited. When the night actually arrived, only 2 of the 6 could actually make it. Kamryn could not wait for them to get to the house. We had pizza, played games, watched a movie, and had hot chocolate. They even made up a little show to put on for me. I'm not sure that Riley had that much fun, but Kamryn had a blast! I'm just thankful that these girls (the ones who made it and the ones who didn't) are always nice to both Kamryn and Riley. It really is nice to see them say hi and talk to them and it's really good when Riley and Kamryn get to watch them dance. I took a video of their show, but unfortunately I accidentally deleted it before I could get it downloaded. Oh well.

Holiday Fun All Week

This past week has been full of holiday fun for the girls. For Riley, most of the school week was spent in review of skills learned in the morning and crafts and things in the afternoon. There was no homework and no tests. She had such a fun, easy week. Then, on Friday, she got to wear pajamas to school, had pizza for lunch, and then popcorn and hot chocolate while they watched The Polar Express. I'm sure I had fun the last week of school when I was her age too, but I don't remember doing fun things like that! Kamryn too had her share of fun. They got a break from learning a Bible verse and also made some fun holiday crafts. On Friday her class had a party too. The kids had pizza and other goodies (brownies, cookies, etc) and they had a gift exchange. Kamryn really had fun.

Earlier in the week both kids had dance and the classes had been working on dances to a Christmas song. It used to be a big thing the big dance room with chairs and stuff. The studio has gotten too big for that (there was always a jam trying to find a seat and there usually weren't enough) so they tried something different. This year, the kids would warm up and maybe go through their dance once for a practice run. Then the teachers would have us come in and sit or stand in the room to watch, take pictures and video. It was much more relaxed but still fun. I got to see each dance several times. The kids were encouraged to wear Christmas attire and have fun.

Kamryn in her Christmas gear and doing her wee-hop to The Grinch

Riley in her Christmas shirt in her jazz dance

(we were playing with my camera because the mirrors were not covered up and I couldn't use the flash without a big bright spot in the picture)

Family Fun

The group before we headed to the park - and yes, we all wore our hats into the park and took a picture on Main Street (the girls and I kept ours on all day)

Tuesday we went to Disney with part of Doug's family for our annual Christmas event. We started this event when Heather (our niece) was very little. She is now a sophomore in high school. Since Doug works for the mouse, one of the perks is that they do the "Family Holiday Celebration." I remember when this would be an evening event similar to what they do for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. That stopped years ago and they came up with another plan - the family celebration thing. We have gone every year with Doug's family and have had a blast. Some years have different people than others, but it is always fun. This year we were missing Heather (finals) and Josie (work). It was a bummer not having everyone there, but we still managed to have fun. We got on most of the rides we wanted and even made it to two parks (we really wanted to see the lights at the Studios this year). There were really only two blips on our day: a) Kamryn got over heated and got sick waiting for It's a Small World (she recovered VERY quickly) and b) Splash Mountain was closed so Kamryn couldn't take Uncle Vic on the ride. Uncle Vic was Kamryn's buddy all day and she was VERY sad he didn't spend the night at our house but was happy that he bought her and Riley balloons. We tried hard to convince Riley and Kamryn to ride Tower of Terror, but got no takers. We also tried to get Riley on Rockin Roller Coaster, but again, she declined. Oh well, maybe next time. since Heather wasn't with us, both Riley and Kmaryn agreed to go on Tower with Heather the next time she is with us. We'll have to see about that! I just can't believe they actually make the height requirements - scary!!

Our family at Disney ready for the holidays (I am there behind the candy cane!)

Vic, Grandpa and Austin

The girls got to see Santa while we were there. It was actually the longest line we waited in all day. It was worth it though. The girls really enjoyed seeing Santa and they have clarified their gifts (still the same gifts, just a little more specific). Hopefully, Santa was already prepared since this was only 9 days before the big day!

Kamryn Goes to Primary

Sunday was fun and exciting for Kamryn. She got to go to Primary for a little bit today. For those of you who don't know, our church has a nursery for children 18 months -3 years and then the children go to Primary from 3 years - 12 years. This is their Sunday School type class. Anyway, the kids are grouped together by ages and they change classes in January. To get the kids ready who will be changing from Nursery to Primary, they have the kids come for a little bit on the Sundays leading up to the change. So, this past Sunday was the first day. Kamryn was SO excited! She and one of her friends actually volunteered to do something in Primary next week. Kamryn will be giving a talk and her friend will be saying a scripture and giving the prayer. Although she is quieter than Riley, I'm sure she cannot wait to talk into the microphone! I just can't believe my baby is getting so BIG!

Weekend of Fun

We had several activities this weekend and all were fun. I'll start with the most recent and go backwards. Last night we went to a friend's house for a Christmas party. I have been friends with Nancy for several years (before either of us had kids) and met while working at Disney. Our careers and lives have changed but not our friendship. It was fun getting together with friends (there were a few of us that worked together who were there last night), meeting new people, letting the kids play, and enjoying each other's company. Nancy did a great job planning everything and I hope she'll do this again! Riley was a little concerned because unless a certain friend showed up, she knew she would be the oldest kid there. She did a great job helping the little kids and finding things to keep her busy. She even convinced one of the adults (a husband of a friend) to play hide and seek. Kamryn and Joe (the son of another friend) sang Christmas carols. It was just a great evening.

Before that party, we were at a Christmas party for the Main Attraction Team from the dance studio. They got to go bowling and exchange gifts with their secret santa. We pretty much took up the whole bowling alley, but the girls had so much fun! Somehow, I managed to get there without my camera so I don't have any pictures to show. I'm hoping one of the other camera wielding moms can help me out with some pics that they took. While Riley was bowling, Kamryn played in the game room with the sister of one of the other dancers. I was glad that she was happy because she really wanted to bowl. Luckily, since there were so many girls, they didn't finish their game before present time. So, while the group was opening presents in the other room, Kamryn finished off all the games where Riley and her friends were bowling. Basically, it was a win-win for both my kids. The group Riley was bowling with are the girls she dances with the most, plus a few others. It was great to see them all having fun and getting along. I know that it can be difficult for all of them to get along as the girls get older (I've seen it with a friend of mine). I just hope they all realize how special and cool they all are!

Saturday morning we got ready and went to see Santa. I usually go to this one mall because we like the pictures they take and like the Santa there. The line is always long, but the girls did great and we got some good pictures. Fortunately, they have stuck to asking for the same things they had started with. We mailed their letter to Santa in November and they have been known to change or add things. This year, they both stuck with the same gifts so Santa should be all prepared!

Riley, Kamryn and Santa

Friday night was our Ward Christmas party. This year, our activities committee kept it very simple and low key. They put out some decorations and had gorgeous centerpieces for the tables and yummy treats to eat. After everyone had gotten a plate full of dessert goodies, we all sat down and watched the Christmas Devotional from the First Presidency. It was wonderful to hear the choir sing and to hear the wonderful messages about Christ and the holiday season. We always have wonderful activities, but I really liked this one. This time of year is usually very hectic and this activity reminded us why we celebrate Christmas!

Kamryn's Christmas Program

Waiting for her program to start.

It always amazes me how much kids can learn and retain. We went through this with Riley and now it is Kamryn's turn. She is in a pre-k3 class at a christian school. Every week they have a Bible verse to learn. During the holidays, the school puts on a Christmas program. Kamryn's class and the K4 class were together. The program was last night and was beautiful! They sang several songs (Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, & The First Noel were my favorites) and recited some poems. They also recited several verses including the story of Christ's birth from Luke 2 (verses 7-14). It was a very special night and we're glad we had family who could come and watch her take part. Although all the kids recited and sang everything together, Kamryn knew her parts. She did such a great job and Doug and I are so proud of her. As Christmas gets closer and our schedules more hectic, it's nice to take a moment to remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. This program was one of many opportunities our family will have to do just that.

Kamryn as a Christmas Bell ringing of the Saviour's birth

Photo Miracle!

For some reason, when I turned on my computer today, our usb worked and I could download pictures! YEAH!! Of course, I now need to go and print some and back them all up. We just had a friends who lost all of their pictures because their computer crashed. It's sad because they lost almost all the pictures they have taken of their baby and his older brother (about 8 months worth of pictures). I've even had this happen to me so you think I'd be more proactive, but I'm not. I'm just glad I was able to download some pictures so I could get Christmas cards done. Now, I'll just have to write our little letter and then address all those envelopes!

Christmas Decorations

I think we finally have most of our decorations out and up. The girls couldn't wait to get everything out and put it up. We actually got all the stuff out of the attic while my mom was still here and started the process of putting it out. We did their tree first. Yes, they have their own tree - pink of course. It is out on the porch along with a princess blow up castle that says 'Merry Christmas'. We've been getting them ornaments for their tree for the past two years, so they had a lot of fun decorating it! Then, we set to work on the village scene. We've added some new pieces so we had to figure out how to set it all up. Then it was on to the Santas. I inherited a collection and love displaying it around a picture of the girls with Santa. Next, we did the mangers. Actually I did them after the girls went to bed. We have several different ones so it's neat to have them up. This year, they're all together kind of but next year I hope to have them spread out in the different rooms. Then we did the tree in the living room. We did it one night as a family and had a lot of fun. We didn't put all the ornaments on because we wanted them to be a little spaced out, but with the girls decorating it really doesn't work that way. Finally, Saturday afternoon, we got all of our outside decorations up and on one timer switch. Now, our house looks like it's ready! The girls are so excited. Next up, a visit to Santa!

Help!

Our computer is acting weird. Well, one part is anyway. I have been trying to download some pictures from my camera to the computer but it wasn't working. I figured the card reader for my compact flash card was the problem so we bought a new one at the store. Still, no luck. I guess the problem is with the hardware and my usb ports. I tried to figure it out but every thing I try says everything is working perfect. So, I'll have to call my dad or our computer knowledgeable friend to help me fix it. It wouldn't be so bad except I need the pictures from the card so I can make our Christmas cards. I guess they won't be out early again this year either!

On a good note, however, Kamryn has her Christmas program tonight. We're all excited to see how she does. I don't think she'll be as loud as Riley (you could aways hear her) but I know she knows her stuff. No matter what, she'll be cute!