Well Disneyland usually puts me in the holiday spirit. Not this year. We first told our kids that they had to earn it with things like good days at school, making your bed without being old, playing nice together ect. Well to say they didn't earn it is an understatement. Tanner had yellow lights at school 5 our of 7 days prior to leaving, he was teasing Madisen every chance he got and Madisen didn't even come close to keeping her room or the toy room cleaned. BUT Justin is a big huge softy. We took them to school on Wednesday morning and they thought that was it we really weren't going. We picked them up at 12 and headed out to California the long way through Searchlight because they were doing some demolition at state line and it was closed. Mistake number one was going and number two was going through Searchlight which added an extra 90 minutes to our trek there. We got up the next morning and although the weather in Cali was awesome the weather back home was super cold. Justin was on the phone all day long. When we leave our business travels with us in the form of a cell phone which is forwarded from the office to Justin and a laptop which gives us access to the computer in the office. Mistake three leaving when we were headed into the coldest days of the season this year. Justin was on the phone for the whole 7 hours we stayed at the park. We left to get lunch when Madisen, who refused a churro and popcorn earlier in the day tells me her tummy hurts and she feels like she is going to barf. To say the least we headed back to the hotel as fast as possible just in case this really was going to happen. While back in the room Madisen is trying to act like everything is fine so we don't go home says she just is tired and wants a stroller. $5 minutes later we finally decided not to head home but to finish out the day by getting a stroller from Target and feeding ti kids so real food. Not ten seconds passed when we stepped off the elevator into the hotel lobby did my sweet angel stop dead in her tracks and barf all over the tile splattering yuckyness in a ten foot radius. Mistake four actually thinking we could finish out the day and head home in the morning. Tanner and I stayed while Madisen and Dad headed home. She barfed twice in the car. Tanner and I had a great time the next day just the two of us and all his cousins at California adventure and came home later that night.  So never again will we go to Disneyland when it is going to get super cold back home which pretty much rules out December.

Oh the weather is outside is... AWESOME!!!

YES!!! Complain and you shall recieve. Well at least this time. S'Mee posted a blog about the snow that was falling at he desert home and I complained that that was all we wanted. One hour later it was snowing. And it didn't stopped for about 12 hours. When we woke up this morning there was 4-5 inches of snow in our backyard and our work phones were ringing off the hook all day.

We had so much snow that we had a snowball fight and built a snowman and had plenty more left over. Two years ago we woke up and had two inches of snow in our backyard. We built a snowman and that little thing used all our snow. 

Here is the snowman that Tanner, Chris and Justin built for all of us to enjoy. I took cover in the garage claiming that my camera couldn't be in the snow which is true but really I was so cold it was nice to take cover for a minute.

Tonight our sunset was beautiful. The blues were so blue and the clouds white and fluffy. These are true to life pictures. The colors were amazing.  

I knew I had cute kids but I think these pictures of my babies are BEAUTIFUL!! The Cullens don't hold a candle to these too snow babies. (That is the our street as there backround)

Tanner started to make a snow angel and Madisen joined him. Yes they are wearing jackests not coats. The coats are in the dryer from earlier. To say were are illequipt for the snow is a huge understatement. My kids had on fleece gloves and fleece pullovers and that was all we had. I had to dig there coats out of the back of the closet just to go outside.

And we thought this was the only snowman we would have this year! When we got home from Target at 2pm this is what had fallen at stuck to the ground. Little did we know that we would have four inches later that night.


This was taken at 8pm after Justin finally made it home. The kids were so excited and had waited all day long for him to help them build a snowman. I told them I would help but they informed me it was a dad thing and when I shared this with Justin he forbid me from building one anyway are he agreed with them. I was so sad he was at work for most of the day.

Well living in the desert and not having snow plows in town can cause wuite a problem on the roadways. So the school district declared for the first time in 29 years a snow day. Well I got a  phone call from Justin that he needed me to help deliver gift baskets to all of our wonderful customers. With the snow our phones were ringing like crazy and leaving the office was not an option. So I called my super awesome babysitter to see if on her snow day off she wanted to babysit my kids. She agreed and like I said she is super awesome. She took the kids out back and played in the snow and helped them build this really cute snowman. And yes it is still super cold and my son is in a sleeveless shirt. Like father like son!! 

Our little Gingerbread house

These are the lights that are hot glued down to my concrete

Well Pea asked for it. Here is the finished product. Now you have to relized also that the lights on the bushes dance to the music that is playing and we cut down the ginormous tree that was blocking the whole front of the house.  

Hands off Mom! You may only touch the camera.

Tanner and Madisen's own Christmas Tree.

Tanner sat and looked at the lights for about an hour after they were finished.

Decorating and instructing me to keep my hands off the tree and on the camera only.

Sweet little Madisen. She loved the round lights.

Finally I got the kids there own tree. I know that some of you are probably thinking "why wouldn't she want her kids to decorate just on tree together as a family?" Because I am nutty!!! And a control freak!!! Last year I let the kids decorate our big tree and then when they went to bed I fixed it. I moved the ornaments around so they were spaced evenly around the tree instead of in a big lump at there level. It was so pretty when I was done but.... the  next morning the kids came down to look atthe tree and turn on the lights and the flood of tears that followed was rediculous. They cried so hard and sad because I moved their ornaments around on the tree. So this year to avoid the tears and the mental freaking out on my end of an uneven tree they got their own. They got to pick out the lights they wanted at  Target(my favorite store), they hung the lights, and then decorated to their little hearts content. It turned out cute. I do have to admit though I am having a hard time not fixing it. 

Traditions

Me, Madisen and Tanner

Justin and the kids next to the power sports display.

The kids all watching the train. Even the little one got 

dumped in the picture in the left hand corner

The Whole Gang

Our Family at Opportunity Village

Every year since Tanner was just 9 months old we have gone to Opportunity Village with our friends David and Heather and Steve and Brenda. That first year it was just the 7 of us but as time passes families grow and this year there were 16 of us. This long standing tradition which will probably continue until our kids are old enough to really put up a fight is just a way for us to get together have dinner and visit. This year we went to Chili's for dinner where of course my kids ate ribs. It rained all the way over to the restaurant but stopped while we were eating making it possible for us to go and see the trees and ride the train. Above are a few pictures. Merry Christmas!!!

Snow Princess Gingerbread GIRL

It's official Madisen is a student! She had her first homework assignment due this week. She was given a brown construction paper gingerbread GIRL to decorate and bring back on Friday. The instructions said to be creative and the best most creative would win a special prize and "all the others would get a prize too but not the special prize." So last night we went to Wal-Mart to get our supplies. I tried so hard to get her to do a surfing gingerbread girl with a surfboard and swimsuit even a towel but she wasn't having any of that idea. She wanted a princess so we finally settled on a snow princess. She is so proud of her snow princess. I know it looks like I did everything but it was all her ideas I just helped her to bring it to life. She picked the colors we used, the trim on the bottom and sleeves even the wings. She chose to do four buttons  and the it took three different attempts on the shoes for me to do what she pictured in her mind. Hopefully she wins the special prize or she might be devastated.  

Thanksgiving Weekend

Our Family Thanksgiving Day

                                                                            Tanner 

Madisen looking so pretty!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! It really is the most wonderful time of the year. There is great food, friends, family, decorating the tree and yard, oh yeah and my favorite day of the year BLACK FRIDAY! Thanksgiving dinner was awesome. We had so much fun. The kids were great so great in fact that I didn't see them until it was time to round them up and go home. I went home finished fluffing the tree and going through the ads for the next day and then it was off to bed at 7:30 to get a full nights sleep. The alarm went off at 2:30am and I got up, got ready then Brennan showed up at 3:45 to watch my kids when they woke up later that morning and Justin and I were at Walmart at 4am to wait in line until the doors opened at 5. We had a successful day and were home at 11:30 am exhausted. 

The next day Justin got up at 7 to go out and get started on the outside lights while I stayed in bed until 8. I a got up worked out and then cleaned the house. Tanner and Justin were outside with a hot glue gun decorating my house. Yes I said hot glue gun. What do you need a hot glue gun for when outside hanging Christmas lights you ask. I will show you. 

Yes those lights are hot glued to the sidewalk and I also have them glued to the edges of the windows. My house looks like a gingerbread house. It is very cute and as soon as Justin rips the big tree out of the front yard so you can actually see the house then I will post a picture. 

Anyways we had a great weekend and are finished with decorations and are now going to focus on the real reason for the season. Merry Christmas!!!