Christmas Tree

The day after Thanksgiving, we did our family tradition of going to a tree farm and picking out a Christmas tree.  Before we even got to the trees, Sophia had to stop and take the tractor for a "drive". 

Part 1 - the Hunt

Part 2 - the Find

Part 3 - Bringing it in

After Ken cut down our tree, the girls "helped" him pull it back to the pay station.

While we waited for Ken to get the tree measured, paid for, shaken and wrapped, the girls and I patted goats . . .

. . . and sat in Santa's sleigh - somebody forgot to tell them to smile ;)

Sophia wanted to go talk to Santa, but wasn't brave enough to sit on his lap.  She did wish him a Merry Christmas, however.  Amelia, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with Santa and stood crying behind me while Sophia talked to him.

Yesterday Ken did the hard part of setting up the tree and putting on the lights.  And today, the girls and I decorated the tree.  When I came in to start, I found that the girls had already put some ornaments on the tree.  Sophia's is the motorcycle ;)

After it was all finished, we took pictures next to the tree.

Yesterday I helped the girls put on lights and decorations on a little fake tree in our playroom.   They were so excited and loved helping put on the ornaments.  However, that evening when I went to put away toys with the girls, I found that Sophia had pulled all the ornaments off the tree and made 2 piles  - one of the ornaments and one with the hooks and tops of the ornaments.  Oye!  So, I was a little nervous to put the breakable ornaments on our tree, but so far so good. 

And after the tree decorating was finished, the girls sang their rendition of "Frosty the Snowman", in a rather rowdy, just their style, way.

Thanksgiving and More

Thanksgiving is a quiet affair at our house today . . . and I'm totally enjoying it.  Nothing on the agenda, no frantic cooking or house cleaning, a simple dinner planned and much to be thankful for.

• I am thankful for a loving husband who loves playing with our beautiful girls.  I am thankful for dry sunny weather, perfect for outdoor play (when bundled up, of course).

• I am thankful for a warm, safe home to live in.
• I am thankful for Ken's job that provides for all of our needs.
• I am thankful for the beauty of the world we live in, and for the wildlife in our yard, who add excitement and entertainment.  Today while playing outside, I saw this.  I'm pretty sure "jumpy squirrel" buried it for later, but the question is, "just where did he get it from?"

• I am thankful that 90% of my Christmas shopping was done before Thanksgiving, so that I can enjoy the Christmas season without the hectic pace of shopping. 
• But most importantly, I am thankful for good health, friends and family, and my Savior, Jesus Christ, from whom, all my blessing come.

Not Much Happening

We haven't been doing too much at our house lately, but every so often, I hear the beating of drums and realize Sophia is upstairs banging on Daddy's drums.  The other day I finally got a picture and video of it.

And then, of course, Amelia wanted me to take a movie of her dancing . . . to the beat of a different drummer ;)

Just a Few Things

• My girls love Halloween candy as much as I do.  Sophia would eat it continually if I'd let her.  My rule is that you have to eat something healthy before eating the candy; consequently, Sophia didn't eat dinner last night because all she wanted was candy.  The Stubborn Two's are very evident at our house.
• I did something for the first time this last weekend.  I spent 2 1/2 days without my girls - the first time I've ever been separated from them for more than a few hours.  Turns out, it was much easier for me than it was for Ken ;)
• The day of my mom's funeral was beautiful.  This is a picture of the sunrise on the mountains in Cache Valley that day.  I couldn't help but think "oh how lovely is the morning" and marvel at the wonderful creations that have been made for us.

• Below is a picture of my Dad with my siblings, plus the indian foster student that lived at our house for 7 years.  The weather was warmer and dryer than it's been in WA for months, so I enjoyed soaking in the sun without needing a coat or jacket.

• When I came home from UT, I was so excited to see that the buds on my Christmas cactus had almost all opened up.  My mom loved to watch plants/flowers grow and bloom, and I inherited her enthusiasm.  This is a picture that Amelia took of Ken and Sophia.

Happy Halloween

For those of you who know me, you know I'm not a big Halloween fan . . . mostly because of the stress of coming up with costumes.  If I can come up with costumes, then I can enjoy the holiday . . . especially if there is a lot of candy involved.

So, I've been planning the girl's costumes since last year.  And they turned out just how I imagined they would . . . and even better, the girls were excited to wear them - Yeah!

Trunk or Treating was a success too . . . and even though this isn't a great picture, you can see my very elaborate costume ;)  Thanks again, Lisa, for the hat :)

Rest in Peace

Joy Irene Irish Thornley

Dec. 25, 1930 - Oct. 25, 2013

We love you and will miss you.

God be with you 'til we meet again.

Pumpkin Patch & Other Misc. News

• Ken had Monday off, so we headed to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out some pumpkins for Halloween.  Both girls had so much fun picking out "their" pumpkins, but ironically, we took pictures of everything, except of the girls with their pumpkins.  Here's a few of the good ones.

 Sophia is wondering why the reindeer aren't with Santa.

Just being silly . . .

• The other day I saw a recipe for pumpkin rice krispie treats.  They sounded so good, I couldn't wait to try them.  I hate it when something highly anticipated doesn't live up to my expectations.  The flavor was good, despite the dash of nutmeg I put in instead of a pinch, but the pumpkin puree made them kind of soggy and stale-like.  I think I'll just stick with traditional pumpkin treats, like muffins, cookies, and pie.
• The girls liked the pumpkin rice krispie treats, but since Sophia hates getting her hands sticky, she ate hers with a fork ;)
• About a week ago, I accidentally dropped one of my favorite sauce pans onto the floor.  I quickly inspected the wood floor to make sure it wasn't dented or anything, but didn't even bother to check the pan . . . until a few days later when I went to put the lid on the pan and noticed that the pan was dented.  Ken saved the day by fixing the dent so that I can still use my pan - yeah!
• In another week, Sophia will be 2.  Unbelievable!
• I started a counted-cross stitch Christmas stocking for Sophia back in February or so, thinking I'd have plenty of time to finish it.   But as we are only about 2 months away from Christmas, I'm hoping to have it done in time.
• Amelia is so excited for Halloween.  And I'm excited that my Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes turned out so well . . . but more importantly, that the girls are excited to wear the costumes.
• The other morning when we were running errands in the fog, Amelia asked me if it was raining and I said no, "it's just foggy".  Amelia then turns to Sophia and says "that's when you have cereal and put too much milk on it.".  And then we had a mini-lesson on rhyming words ;)