{Life is Sweet}

Santa came to our house and we had a super fun Christmas morning!!! it was our first christmas staying home with our kids and it was fun to create traditions of our own.. and to keep some going :) we read the nativity story before we went to bed and the girls loved it... and then of course we had to open stockings on mom and dad's bed :) here's proof that we were good!!



The loot just waiting to be dug into!!!


what is wrong with this picture?.... the parents up and the kids are asleep!?!? i know you're thinking i should be sleeping in with them but it's 9:00 am and my kids have taught my body to wake up around 8:30 now... especially on christmas morning.. i get too excited :)


i even tried to jiggle this one awake... with NO luck!!! come on, don;t you know we have serious business to attend to?!


so we looked at each other and thought what are we waitng for?... we got to feel like little kids and open our stockings in no rush :) i love my new scissors :)


and the moment we've been waiting for.... we had too much fun and i think the girls did too!!!

it has been raining all week here in st. george... and today Maddie was playing quietly in her room and i walked in to check up on her because as we all know quiet does not always mean good things :) .. but i was amazed to find a sunbathing beauty!! haha... she had on her bikini, sunglasses, and was laying on her "towel" (aka blanket).... this is one of those moments when i am so proud :) and glad to know that someone appreciates the summer sun like me :) That's my daughter!!

Walking to church..... the girls both wanted to push their strollers and before mom said "no".. dad said "yes ":) and it was raining... and they both wanted an umbrella but discovered that it was quite difficult to both push a stroller and hold a large umbrella ... so i guess that pretty much sums up the picture... cute little fam huh?!! ... oh also notice the very large "mom's purses" that were filled to the brim ... shawn has maddie's and mia's is dragging :) ha ha ! oh the memories we have walking to church....



the girls feel the need to "organize" my books off the book shelf... but somehow I am the one who always ends up finishing the job!!





we went to park city for thanksgiving and were able to spend some time with friends and family...


we stayed at the marriot with shawn's brother and his family.. the kids LOVED just hanging out together :)

and we forgot our bathing suits but were able to scrounge up a pair of shorts for shawn.. maddie's cousin brought two bikinis :), and we just threw mia in a swimmie... i was able to be the photographer and stay warm :)



after park city we headed to salt lake to the Peery Hotel. it was a really old hotel but had been re-done and it was sooo perfect for us!! our room was small and cozy with two rooms and was on the corner with two Huge windows.. one night we enjoyed lounging and watching a christmas movie while it snowed outside and we could see all the city christmas lights :) it was awesome!! side note: maddie would NOT get in the picture and Mia wasn't very happy either as you can see... oh well!


Little mia being a ham!!



i was able to meet up with my good friend Anna while we were up there... we had so much fun and the girls LOVED playing together!!! here we are at the childrens museum at the Gateway mall..

funny girls..



and the end of the trip :) they were EXHAUSTED from all the fun we had!!

my mom bought these lights for me when they were on super clearance (love a deal) ... anyway i have had them in my attic for about 5 years now because my husband keeps refusing to put them up.. well this year maddie asks daddy and what do you know.. he comes home early from work that day and puts them up !! no hassling needed :) yay!! my very own sparkly house!! .... oh and as you can see... safety first at the warners!!!!








on to my favorite yearly tradition....the Christmas tree hunt..and we almost missed it this year! i was sick all weekend feeling HORRIBLE!! then sunday morning i heard that my family was going to go without me?! no way i would miss it... so luckily i felt good enough to go and we got a biggie :) i have no sense of scale when we go each year...

ummmm.... yah , we had to trim it a bit :)









and the end result!!! ( notice maddie holding her nose?.... it's because mia had a stinky diaper .. haha!)




and a tired little girl who fell asleep sitting up :)