Christmas

We opted to stay in town this Christmas and start our family traditions.  We went to my brother's house for Christmas Eve and played The Night Before Christmas game.

Then the kids got to open their Christmas Eve gift.  If you know Ryleigh, you know how much she loves jammies!  Hence the look on her face.

Bailey didn't care what they were, as long as they could go in her mouth.

Oldest to youngest sporting their new pjs.

After we left, Devin and I both got sick and were up all night.  He blamed it on the "dog barf" cookies but he didn't eat any of them.  However, it didn't stop Christmas from coming. The girls were both up by 6:15.  Ryleigh was so excited and was ready to head down the stairs to see what Santa brought.  I asked her to wait so I could get the camera ready.  No such luck.  She was headed down the stairs before me because she saw her kitchen! 

Bailey was awake long enough to see what Santa brought her (and apparently I didn't get a picture of it) and then went back to bed.  So we opened gifts in shifts this year.  Devin and I laid on the couch and watched Ryleigh take her time opening the gifts.  After she opened each one she wanted to sit a play with it before moving onto the next one.

When we would pass this kitchen in the store, she would stop and pretend to wash her hands in the sink.  When she came downstairs to see it she asked where the soap was so we showed her the pretend soap on the wall.  I guess that wasn't good enough because with each gift she opened she would say, "Maybe there's soap in here!"  Then she would see that no there wasn't and would say, "Nope, no soap!"  It was pretty funny.

When Bailey started opening her gifts, Ryleigh was ready for round two.  She wanted to open them for Bailey.  

The girls got big sister and little sister babies.  Ryleigh was so excited to show Bailey how to play dolls.

Ryleigh entertained herself very well the rest of the morning making us wonderful meals with her kitchen, playing with her new doll and golf set.  Later, Devin felt well enough to get out the moon dough popcorn, ice cream and pretzel maker with her.

 My brother and sister-in-law were thoughtful and postponed our Christmas tamale dinner to Monday night so we could enjoy it.  Thanks guys!  But we sure did miss being able to go to church on Christmas and hear the wonderful program about the birth of our Savior. 

Merry Christmas!

Cookies!

I decided at 7:30 this morning to go ahead and make my great grandmother's ginger cookies that we made every year growing up even though my husband doesn't like them.  Ryleigh helped out with every part of them.

Her favorite part was adding the sprinkles to her cookies.  I had to teach her to sprinkle from above, that she didn't need to put the bottle of sprinkles on the cookie.

All ten of her masterpieces.! There wasn't even any sprinkle mishaps.  Her favorite ones were the trees.

 

After all that hard work she thought she deserved to eat one.  She loved every bite of it!  That's my girl!

Go Aggies!

Last weekend Devin's parents, brother and one of his friends came to visit to go cheer on Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the blue turf.  Grandma was kind enough to stay home with the girls so I could go too.  We had a fun time even though the Aggies lost in the final seconds of the game and it got a little cold in the last quarter.

Ryleigh had a good time playing a game over and over with Grandma that she brought.

Ta Da!

Bailey can sit up now!  Right before she turns 8 months.

Ryleigh got a little jealous of me praising Bailey and taking pictures.  She sat next to her and said "Look, I can sit up too!"  Then she tried to be sneaky and push her down.

And look, she finally is getting some hair!

I Love These Girls

I have tried for a long time to get one of these moments on video.  They happen often but as soon as I find the camera Bailey is done.  Ryleigh loves to make her sister laugh.  She thinks it is pretty funny.  Bailey likes to pull Ryleigh's hair all the time and Ryleigh thinks it is funny as well.

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Tree Decorating

After the light parade we went to a tree lot to buy our Christmas tree.  Ryleigh had fallen asleep in the car so we just took her up to bed when we got home.  When she woke up in the morning and saw the tree in the living room she was so excited and told me right away that the tree needed bows like Grandma has on her tree.  When she got closer to the tree and noticed that the tree leaves a mess, she wasn't too sure about that.  After church we came home and decorated it.  Ryleigh loved every minute of it.

 Bailey was content sitting in her chair watching.

Light Parade

Ryleigh and I braved the cold and went to the light parade with my sister-in-law and her kids.  It was very long but they did a great job.  Ryleigh waved to every float that passed by.

 She was complaining while we were waiting for the parade to start that she was cold.  I wrapped her up in the blanket but it didn't last long.

Ryleigh and her buddy Zach waiting for the parade to start.

Santa Try #2

Again, no luck!  Bailey loved him though.

We were in UT for Thanksgiving and Santa came to the courthouse in Brigham City so we thought we would let Ryleigh try again.  She told us the whole time we were in line that she wasn't going to sit on his lap but that she would stand by him so I could take a picture.  Nope, that didn't happen either.  As soon as we got up there, "Mommy, I need you, I need you!"

Tree Lighting

On Friday night we went to the Tree Lighting in Caldwell.  It was very cold and there were tons of people but we had a great time.  Bailey stayed nice and warm all bundled up in the stroller.

While we were standing in line for Santa we saw a reindeer.  Ryleigh wouldn't get close enough to it to get her picture taken so here is the butt of the reindeer.

Ryleigh was so excited to see Santa and was telling us all of the things she was going to ask Santa for for Christmas.  When we got up to Santa and the Mrs., she wanted nothing to do with them.  Santa even tried bribing her with a candy cane while her cousins Madison and Zachary were sitting on their laps.  She had no problem taking the candy but refused to get any closer to them.  That little stinker.  Thank goodness we still have a month to convince her to sit on Santa's lap.

After we left Santa I told Ryleigh she didn't tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas so he wasn't going to bring her any presents.  She didn't seem too concerned and said we will find another Santa.  She cracks me up.

 She did however, ride the little train with Zachary.  He is so cute with her.  Before the train started to go he told her to put her arms inside.

I didn't end up getting any pictures of the lights because of all the people.  But we will for sure be back multiple times to see the 400,000 lights.  Ryleigh kept pointing out all of the purple lights.

Cheeseball

I took the girls to get pictures taken Saturday morning.  Ryleigh kept talking about getting her pictures taken all day and posing around the house.  She wanted more pictures taken so I took her outside for another photo shoot.

Trick or Treat

Tonight was our ward Trunk or Treat party.  

Bailey went as a cow

Ryleigh went as her favorite character of all time, Mickey Mouse even though several people thought she was a lady bug...

and she won cutest costume!

Ryleigh crashed on the way home while eating her candy.

Pumpkin Carving

Ryleigh wanted to paint her little pumpkin and loved every minute of it.

Then Devin asked if she wanted to help him clean out his pumpkin with her hands.  No way, she was going to use a spoon to help us clean out ours.  She was very proud of herself for touching a seed though.

The finished products.

Ryleigh with her pumpkin...

and then she wanted her picture with Mom's Mickey Mouse and Daddy's scary face.