I remember receiving new pajamas every Christmas Eve.

I also remember my mom making my sister Dede and I nightgowns to match our dolls for Christmas.

My girls wanted dolls for Christmas this year.

I thought it would be SO FUN to make them nightgown with little matching nightgowns for their dolls.

Well, it just the thought of the project started to feel overwhelming for me.

My friend Mi'Chelle stepped in...

and SAVED THE DAY!

They are so beautiful

My pictures don't do them justice!

The girls love them...

and so do Julie, Kit and Lizzie!

THANK YOU Mi'Chelle!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve~

We enjoyed...

gift giving to friends (nothing like the last minute)

a birthday lunch with Ethan and Asher...cute babies born last year on Christmas day!

shopping with Nana and Annie for Nana's house

delivering baskets to Viola and Miss Rice

our annual tradition of lights on Temple Square

dinner at home (sourdough grilled cheese with homemade tomato soup)

singing Christmas songs with Annie and the girl's accompaniment

opening up the first Christmas gifts (new pjs)

Annie leading the girls in deep breathing/yoga...they were bouncing off the walls!
reading the Christmas story together on the couch

the girls having a sleepover in Ellie's bed

the days before Christmas

filled with tradition

brimming with anticipation

family together

home with twinkling lights and a warm fire

the days before Christmas are among my very favorite of the year.

tonight as we gathered together as family---

poised for a game night,

my brother (who lives in AZ) walked in the front door with his family.

they were so quiet (or we were so noisy)

that i didn't notice until my cute nephew said,

"hi guys!"

i looked down in surprise.

they had told us they weren't coming.

to have us all together---

is more than i anticipated~

i am still grinning from ear to ear.

her majesty

There is a rule that we have in our house...

that Danny and I are able enforce as well as any other rule (not very well).

we only eat in the kitchen...or dining room

I walked down the hall to help Sophie get ready for the day,

I had just heard her stirring.

There she was.

In bed.

With a bowl of oatmeal and a spoon in her hand.

Kate came up quickly.

"Mom, she was really hungry and didn't want to leave her bed for breakfast."

she said in an empathetic and compassionate voice.

What a sweet sister...spoiling lil' Sophie.

They are all so lucky to have each other. 

to give

i saw this here and it sure put this beautiful season of giving in perspective. there is so much more that is possible...the joy of giving~

in a snow storm

I think this might be one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken...

I broke two of my STRICT rules...

1.  never shoot portraits in a snow storm

2.  never shoot when it is 10 degrees outside

I normally would have cancelled the shoot...

but they were flying out the next day...

and I knew it would be fun.

I was worried about the snow disrupting the images....

but I actually like it.

a lot.

It is nice to have one less rule to worry about :)

p.s.  Aren't they a beautiful couple!?  They are really great people too :)

two people~ in love.

i have a project to finish today...

it is full of a few favorite things

sparklers

big red balloons

twinkling lights

falling snow...

and two people~

in love.

sent to the classroom without recess- or NOT

 
A few months ago, my friend John shared a post on Google Buzz.  The picture was interesting...and then I read the contents.  I thought I might be sick.  (If you like chicken nuggets and want to keep eating them...DO NOT PROCEED!)  See info here if you are brave.  My girls and I enjoy nutrition conversations frequently...so I decided to show them.  I read a few details...and now they know what chicken nuggets are made of.  What has come from this added knowledge?  TROUBLE!

A few weeks later....Sophie was at preschool.  Her teacher asked what she was thankful for.  She wrote each item on a construction paper feather to complete an adorable turkey.  One of Sophie's items was "chicken" (which she will never eat by the way) and then she added "BUT NOT CHICKEN NUGGETS!"  Her teacher (we love you Brittany) wrote the whole thing down...and I thought it was really funny.

Kate came home from school yesterday, happy about the day!  She was relating her day to me and then remembered---lunchtime.  She told me she was sitting in the cafeteria with friends.  One of the boys was eating a chicken patty sandwich from the cafeteria.  Kate informed him matter-of-factly, "There are chicken eyeballs in your sandwich."  Kate described the rest of the conversation this way---
"False!"
"True."
"False!"
"True."
"False!"
(now a few of Kate's friends chime in with her...)
"True!"
The boy proceeded to threaten telling the lunch duty.
He did.
Kate got sent to the classroom.
No recess.

She was trying to save the poor boy!  :)  Wouldn't you want to know if you were eating chicken eyeballs!?

Danny's advice- ignorance is bliss.

UPDATE:  This story was fabricated.   At the dinner table tonight she "fessed up."  Kate DID have this discussion with a classmate.  He DID tell on her.  HOWEVER she DID NOT get sent back to her classroom.  I guess the story was much better in her mind...with a few extra dramatics.  Oh NO!  What are we in for!?

picture Kate with homemade play dough, originally taken Dec. 2009

playing hooky...

waiting for the next storm
(I am kind of excited...what has gotten into me!??)

waiting for friends from out of state...

WY, CA & AZ!!!!!

excited for family coming to visit too from VA!!!!

I am so excited for our upcoming days off...

why not take an extra one??  :)

The girls were easy to convince!

Happy day!

a lil' date night

Ellie and I went on a date night Saturday...

we invited a Nana, and 2 of Ellie's aunts, and a good friend to join us...

Have you heard of The Lower Lights??

Do you love them as much as we do?

It was a wonderful show...

It inspired me to tune my guitar this morning...

and to keep my girls practicing their instruments...

 they are so glad...hehehe :)

Happy Monday!!!!!!!!!!

"say it in music"

"If a composer could say what he had to say in words, He would not bother trying to say it in music."
Gustav Mahler

Ellie switched instruments this fall.

She has been playing guitar since kindergarten.

She decided that she wanted to try piano...

while still picking up her guitar occasionally.

She has loved it.

She loves her instructor and she is learning so much.

Although she has been playing less than two months, she prepared for the upcoming recital.

I was inspired by all of the students.

They played beautifully and showed such grace under pressure.

What inspired me most---

was my eight year old daughter...

preparing with enthusiasm and excitement.

She played as if there was no one in the room~

in fact, I think she might be happiest at the piano with an audience.

Bluebird on My Shoulder by Faber

Old Cotton Picker-Folk Song

the best friends in the world...

I have the best friends in the world.

I am not sure what I have ever done to deserve it.

This month I had friends....

• who stopped everything they were doing to help me
• who picked up the capes that I was making for a party to put letters on them
• friends who need to visit (from out of state) so we can go to Chipotle and Zinn Bistro :)
• who called, knowing I had a busy day, to see if Sophie could play
• who made GORGEOUS accessories for our outfits for pictures
• who made me laugh as we sat at dinner to celebrate a new baby for a friend
• who takes my pictures every fall for my holiday ornaments/cards
• who, at a moments notice, made time to take my pictures because of the storm wrecking my plans
• who know me and just listen
• who are coming from out of state for Thanksgiving!!!!!!!
• who call me when they need something, or are having a bad day...
• or just need to talk and cry.

I am SO grateful for these friends...

I count them among my greatest treasures.

Oh...how I treasure us.

Thank you Shauna for the pictures...I LOVE THEM!
 Thank you for thinking of this chair.
It was perfect!

You were a lifesaver today!!!!!

a better world~

Two beautiful daughters...a beautiful family.

They are wonderful friends...

who inspire me with their courage, optimism and love.

They fight everyday to make this a better world.

You can read more about them here...and here.

as the weather changes

This fall has been absolutely wonderful!!!!!!!

We are in the second week of November and we are now feeling a chill.

It has been so warm before this week.

To make the snow and cold weather more enjoyable we have done a few things that make it more fun:

• sweater shopping!!!!!!!!!!
• beef stroganoff at Zinn Bistro (oh my word...I can't even describe it!!!!!!!!)
• homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese on sourdough
• throw a few snow balls (that would be Sophie throwing them at me)
• reading new books on the couch
• practice Christmas music on the piano
• pot of beans with corn bread

We will miss the summer (we may or may not have driven out of our way to pass the pool today)----

but will do what we can to appreciate the colder weather.

not long enough

My little sister was here for a few days.

We had so much fun...it wasn't long enough.

My girls asked about her when they returned home from school.

Sophie talked about "Annie, trips and airplanes" all afternoon.

We even played the "hand slap" game she taught Sophie.

I learn so much from her whenever we are together---

and miss her when we are apart.

Love you Annie!

uggggggg....

TCU 47, UTAH 7

I think it was my least favorite game that I have attended.

The (pathetic) score doesn't even do it justice.

The fans (of which I am one of) were obnoxious.

Our team looked lost.
The poor friends we invited that had to sit through the whole thing!

The highlight was the military on the field who were honored that day.

fancy and four

"What should I write about Sophie's birthday?"  I asked your dad.  

"That she couldn't be any cuter if she tried!" he replied (adoringly).

We had such a fun day with you!

It began with your birthday breakfast.  

You chose:  cinnamon rolls (I added scrambled eggs and fresh fruit)

We opened presents:  a Fancy Nancy doll with her dog Frenchy from your dad and I & a FurReal kitty from your sisters

We went to your violin lesson...and it was so much fun!

Your teacher said you were ready to buy your real violin!!!!  

(You have been using a little box!)

We drove straight to the music store.

It is SO cute and tiny!

We grabbed a quick lunch (you wanted Nielsen's).

Then doughnuts for a treat to share at preschool.

Miss Brittany (your sweet teacher) gave you a 4 beautiful balloons with a bag of gumballs.

It made your day!

You wanted homemade macaroni and cheese for your dinner.

You put on an apron and took all of our orders. :)

(blowing kisses - your idea)

You are precious in every way.

You make us SO HAPPY!

I am honestly a little bit crushed when I think of my baby being four years old...

and then I see your face and the delight you feel as you learn and grown....

and I feel joy.

Thank you Mike and Annie for the beautiful necklace~  she felt extra fancy!

a Sunday walk

 left to right:  Madeline (doll), Kate, Ellie, me (camera), Sophie (in a stroller), Charlie (doggy) and Danny

It was GORGEOUS weather...

after a long, busy weekend...

a perfect day for a walk!

What beautiful views...

and so close to home.
We need to do this more often!

Happy Halloween!

Our big Halloween festivities were on Saturday!

We had a trick-o-treat fest on Main Street!

We headed back home with a lot of our Davis family (thanks guys!) to our house for dinner.

Just as the sun went down...

the rain came pouring down.  :(

We decided last minute to have a big trick-o-treat party in the house.

Every adult (there were quite a few of us!) took a room and stood behind a door with candy in hand.

All of the cousins trick-o-treated at each door.

We had a blast!

Then we watched football (we won by the skin of our teeth...phew!) while the kids played (aka-tore up the house!).

The game was over....

we did 10 minute pick up and it was as good as new!

I love my litte black cats!

How long will I be able to pick their costumes?

I am afraid Danny and I will have to join the family theme next year---

or we might have a revolt on our hands!

A few (or a lot of) pictures of the girls---

Happy Halloween!