Christmas Cousin Pics...

My sister Sarah started a tradition of getting a pic with all the cousins in Christmas jammies to give to Grandma & Grandpa for Christmas. We did our pics the first week of December this year. I got my copy of the pics back on Christmas Eve.

Now, before you get to see the pics, of course there is a story. Conni usually does pretty well for professional pictures. We go every three to six months depending on what's going on to get new pics of our little girl. We always go to the JC Penneys at South Towne mall. So, part of me was hoping that this picture taking event would go over well, but part of me knew my daughter would decide she didn't like it.

True enough, Conni would start crying every time I put her down. Or she would stand back up as soon as I put her down. I just couldn't move fast enough for the photographer to not have me in the picture and have Conni where she was supposed to be.

Sarah finally suggested that she take Conni and I disappear. I thought that would work so I headed out by the catalog counter and salon where Conni wouldn't be able to see me. JC Penney employees kept asking me if I needed help. I told them my daughter was getting her pictures taken and she was doing better without me. Imagine the looks I got! I finally realized I should mention that my sister was still with her. :)

I could still hear Conni crying, but overall it went a little better without me there. But we got the pictures anyway and at least I can laugh about it. Hopefully next year goes better!

Conni, Brad, Bridger, Justine, Bronson, Joseph

(Teeni didn't start crying till Conni did)

"I want my mommi!"

"At least I have my burp cloth to cuddle"

Merry Christmas!

It is officially the week of Christmas! This Christmas season has been one of my absolute favorites in a while! Dave and I were talking, and I realized that this year has the magic back. Not to say that the Christmases past haven't been wonderful, but there is something to be said for watching Conni experience it all for the first time. This is her second Christmas, but last year there was so much going on she just focused on eating things and sleeping. This year, she is caught up in the magic! No, she doesn't fully understand what is going on yet, but she knows there's something. She loves to look at our tree (and gratefully hasn't tried to play with it!). She asks so sweetly to have us turn on the train or the musical bears. She almost gets the concept of delivering gifts too :)

I am excited to teach her the nativity tonight and hope to help her understand why we are celebrating. Dave and I can hardly wait for Christmas morning to see what Santa brings us, and most of all to watch Conni's eyes light up again!

I also wanted to say Merry Christmas to each of you in our lives. We are blessed to have so many wonderful people close to us - family, friends, neighbors. I am grateful that so many people help us raise our daughter and teach her good things. I hope that each of you are able to get what you ask Santa for and we pray you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Somersaults

Bronson has been trying to teach Conni how to do somersaults. The boys will do them all across the length of my parents' family room. Bronson will pull his blanket out, fold it in half, and spread it flat on the floor to use it as a mat. Then he shows Conni the steps to do a somersault.

It took me a bit to figure out when Conni puts her head and hands on the floor (makes her body into an upside down "V") that she was trying to do a somersault. I told Dave and he started helping her flip over. She thinks its the funniest thing! So we have been doing this almost nightly.

The Festival of Trees

Since I was little, we start celebrating the Christmas Season by going to the Festival of Trees. In addition to seeing all the trees, we always see Santa and get to buy a treat from the Small Fry shop.

My Favorite Tree this year - the stools are adorable!

Steph, Justine, Michelle, Joseph, Patti, Conni

Santa, Bronson, Bridger, Brad, and Sarah

(Mom's taking the picture)

Patti, Conni, and Santa

Conni was pretty tired by this time, so I decided not to have her sit on Santa's lap. I was afraid of the fit that may follow. So we settled for this. Santa was very good with her!

I love the excitement I feel there, and how it gets me into the Christmas spirit. It was so much fun to watch my nephews' excitement too as we went around. One of my favorite traditions!

Color Me Beautiful

We had our Young Women in Excellence night last Sunday. The theme was Color Me Beautiful. I was in charge of some of the decorations. With a suggestion from Mom, and lots and lots of help from my sweet Dave (who was sick the whole time we were working on them), we made eight, six foot tall crayons.

The finished product, very late Saturday night.

Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, and Knowledge

Set up at the church - Hi Katee :)

Choice & Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and Virtue

Sorry that they aren't better pics at the church, but its the best I could get at the time. I was so excited with how well they turned out I was dancing. Now the only thing is that I need to come up with something to do with eight six foot tall crayons.

The other fun thing that was my part that night was we took the Hartman Color Personality test. I am a blue-white personality - mostly mellow, easy going, caring, etc. I thought it was pretty fun to see which girls were which personality. With one or two exceptions, I had guessed correctly.

The entire night was a success, and thanks to the rest of the ladies I work with in YW for making it such a fun night!

Sledding on Thanksgiving

It has been a tradition of my mother's family for over forty years to go sledding at my Grandpa's cabin on Thanksgiving day. So true to form, we went to the cabin this Thanksgiving. Conni had been fighting a really bad cold and we weren't even sure we would make it. I figured that she would love flying down the hill, since she loves flying around the house with her Daddy. So we got there, and as soon as we started bundling her up to go outside she started whining. I thought that once we got on the hill that would make her feel better. Not so much. But here's some cute pics and a short cute video of us trying sledding this year.

Bundling up to go out in the cold

All of us ready to go outside

Sledding was such a success! :D

Playing in the leaves

A couple of weeks ago, Dave got the leaves in the backyard all raked together.  Last year Conni enjoyed playing in the leaves and so we thought she would have fun going thru them this year.  Here's some cute pics of her enjoying it :)

Even when Daddy got down with her she felt the same way.

Well, we hope to have her in the leaves every year, so we'll see if her attitude changes!