The Return of Clark Griswold

We were really excited to put lights up for the first time on our house. It wasn't as big of a project as last year thankfully! And I think they turned out well... at least it lights up our little corner. The dang street lamp went out months ago and we know don't have neighbors in front and on both sides of us... kind of creepy! I wish everyone had lights up all year long. Its so much fun.

Tim reprising his role as Clark Griswold

I couldn't help it... I took this picture and noticed something funny... I blew it up for everyone else to enjoy (Tim said it was okay!)

While Tim was using our only ladder, I helped by trimming this palm. With multiple pokes on my hands, fingers, legs and a bleeder on my scalp; I will never volunteer to do that again. No wonder why Tim hadn't done it and let it grow out to where it was almost overhanging on the sidewalk!

Here's the pile of palms taken off. I pat myself on the back for this!

And since I had gotten good at dealing with that palm... I was the one who put lights on it, with considerably less pokes this time around!

Abbey enjoyed relaxing on the driveway... what goes through her head?

Our beautiful outcome after a few days of tinkering and hanging lights.

I'm proud of my palm!

Merry Early Christmas

Tim and I got an early family Christmas gift for ourselves. A new camera! We decided that we would get it early so we could take good pictures of all our holiday festivities! I love it!! I still need to read up on it so I can take really good pictures... but it has been fun figuring it out as I go. Here are some pictures with the new camera (just for the sake of taking a picture with the new camera)
These were taken at Christine's. Tim was giving Wyatt and Abigail pony rides. It looked like a lot of fun!

A random picture of me... because I never seem to make it onto the blog!

Abigail is the hardest subject to photograph! I have a ton more that weren't good enough to post!

I love taking pictures of Michael, I hope they don't bore you!

Cousin Misty

Earlier this December I was lucky enough to have my cousin Misty stay with me Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. Abigail loves Misty! So we were real excited to spend some time with her. Misty and I go way back. I babysat Misty when she was little, and we played a lot during family get togethers. I can't believe how much she has grown in to a beautiful young women. She is almost 14 and a really cool girl. It's really fun to see her play with my kids now, it's like it went full circle! We went out to eat, shopping, ate candy and watched a rented movie. We had a good time.

I think she looks so beautiful in this picture

She was surrounded by my kids most of the time... that can get kind of overwhelming, but she was great about it

Gingerbread Houses

My side of the family always tries to get together every year to do gingerbread houses... some years we are able to get together... and some years Christine gets too impatient and makes one on her own! I remember the year that Tim and I were first married and Carrie and Eric made their gingerbread house. Lets just say there was a lot of arguments between those two about how to make the fake snow, coconut or frosting? (the relationship was doomed from the get go!) There are always good memories though!

So it was a lot of fun meeting up at Christine and Jared's with everyone to make our gingerbread houses. We all sold out and bought kits. I guess Christine and Carrie made some from scratch one year?!?

Here we all are... minus Tim who was taking the picture... Starting middle going left: Cameron holding Stella, Carrie, Johnny, Connie, Christine, Jared and Jenny

Christine getting ready to frost

Sorry Jared this was the only picture I got of you decorating... there are his hands putting on the "tiled" roof with Christine. They didn't wait the recommended thirty minutes for the roof to dry so due to the heaviness of the necco tiles Christine ended up holding it together for awhile.

Tim was so excited to get started that he went ahead while I was putting Michael down for bed!...

Cameron and Jenny... they had a little trouble with the chimney... it made for a good laugh

Carrie and Johnny... they were very focused and creative


Here are the finished products

I didn't get a picture of Jenny with hers before they left but here is their house...

Christine and Jared's house...

Carrie and Johnny's house...

Tim and my house... (I'm not too creative, I tried to get it to look exactly like the picture on the box)

Thanksgiving

Jill and John were so nice to host Thanksgiving at their house this year. It was full of food, family and fun! That is until I threw up that evening in Quinn and Parker's bathroom! Sorry everyone! I hope no one else gets sick!!

Some highlights from the day...
little fingers sneaking tastes of the pies
fried turkey
beautiful table and place settings
individual thankful lists for each of us
cousins, cousins, cousins
Mike taking his first steps
and...
enjoying it all with family!

Way Behind

Wow I'm way behind. I haven't posted hardly anything from November and it is already December! So here is a quick glance at our November so I can get on with December!

-Paisley's Blessing-

What a sweet day it was to attend Paisley's baby blessing. She is a special and strong little spirit! All the Merrill's were able to come so we tried our best to get the most updated pictures of the whole family after the blessing.


-Batgirl-
Abbey found Quinn's batman costume while we were at the Papa's house and decided she wanted to try it on. It reminded me of the Halloween picture of Christine when she was probably around the same age. She begged my mom to let her wear this astronaut costume with a funny looking mask. I wish I had it on my computer, it would have been funny to compare the two!

-Black Eye Beauty-

Abbey fell out of the grocery cart head first while standing in the cart at Wal-Mart. Not fun!! But she was okay and ended up getting her first black eye a day in a half afterward. She loved to tell people her eye was hurt... who cared if she was pointing to the wrong eye half of the time!

-One to Six-

Mike got his first tooth on the bottom in October, all of the sudden I looked in his mouth and noticed he was getting five more all at the same time! The front four on top and the second front on the bottom.

He went from a little baby to looking like a little man with teeth in a matter of a few days! I think that explains Mike... he goes full blast when he begins a new phase or milestone!

-Princess and the Pea-

Abbey's little crib turned into a toddler bed was getting a little too small.

We finally broke down and got her a new princess bed. (All those puffs on the blanket have been pulled off now!) She was so excited to go look for one and very disappointed that we couldn't take it home right then and there when we found it!

Ab's loves her bed and its so funny to go in and check in on her... she rarely is sleeping in the normal position... mostly backwards and sideways!

-Sibling Bonding, I Think-
How sweet, what a good big sister...

Wait a second... what are you doing?... Mike looks worried!

I knew it was too good to be true!


-The Natural-

Tim was able to go play church softball two times! They usually play on a weekday evening when Tim works... but the finals were held around noon on two Saturday's... so Tim got to go play. He hadn't played ball since we lived in Payson. The second time we went I got smart and brought to very essential items... the double stroller and the camera!
It's no surprise Tim played well and enjoyed himself. Our ward won the tournament too. I enjoyed the Pete's Fish and Chips afterwards! And Abbey enjoyed the carousel ride at Pete's!

-Twice is Nice!-
Okay, cheesy I know, but I had to put something about Twilight in my November post!
I went with Carrie for a early showing on the following Monday after opening night. The tickets were all sold out before then! We enjoyed going with one another and giggling due to giddiness and embarrassment! But all in all, I really liked the movie. At first I thought I wouldn't subject Tim to it, but Christine took Jared and he said he liked it. So I decided to talk Tim into going with me. I told him that I was probably going to buy it when it came out on video, so he would eventually see it... Why not watch it on big screen with surround sound like it is intended to be seen? Date night! The second time was even better. Tim thought it was worth the ticket and was entertaining. Which in guy language means he liked it!