Christmas

Uncle Travis and Auntie Ann came over for Christmas Eve and we played The Night Before Christmas game and the kids opened their pajamas.

 

Madison, Zachary, Ryleigh, Brynley and Bailey

Bailey came down with a head cold and fever the day before Christmas Eve and didn't do much but watch Curious George on the couch and sleep so I am surprised we got her to smile in this picture.

 

 Christmas morning the girls found Santa had brought them bikes!

 

Ryleigh got a plasma car or as she calls it, a wiggle bike

and Bailey got a "big bike."

After she got off her bike, she wanted nothing to do with her other presents because she still didn't feel well.  So she headed to the family room to watch Curious George while the rest of us opened our presents.

 Ryleigh on the other hand, was very excited to open gifts.

 

I apparently didn't get hardly any pictures opening gifts since I was dealing with a little sick one in the other room.

 

Later that morning, Ryleigh brought Bailey her gifts one by one and helped her open them.  I don't think she actually played with any of them until Sunday afternoon when she started feeling better.  We ended up taking her to the doctor Friday afternoon and she had a double ear infection. 

 
Christmas afternoon we headed over to Uncle Travis and Auntie Ann's for a yummy ham dinner and some fun with the Wii that Zach got from Santa.

 Ryleigh with her pile of gifts.  I think there are a few behind her bulletin board that you can't see.

 

I wanted to take the tree down on Friday but still hadn't taken Bailey's picture.  You can tell she was so excited about me making her sit there, not feeling well, while I took her picture. 

Sledding at the Park

After Ryleigh had so much fun playing in the snow with her tube, we decided to buy a few sleds and hope for some more snow.  The weekend before Christmas we got another snowfall.  After our ward Christmas breakfast we headed to the park with some great sledding hills.

 

We started on a long, not so steep hill and decided it wasn't fast enough.

 

So we headed to a shorter, steeper hill.  The girls got a ride over there.

 

I only had my phone with me to take pictures and the sun was so bright I couldn't really see the screen to see what I was taking a picture of.  So these didn't turn out the best.  I wish I would have zoomed in a lot more.

 

Dad and Bailey 

 

Ry had no problem dragging the sled back up the hill after coming down. 

 

I don't know how many times Ryleigh went down but it was way more than the rest of us. 

After Bailey had had enough of the sledding, her and Dad played in the snow. 

 

We can't wait for more snow!  We might have to head to the mountains one weekend.

Tree Decorating and the First Snow

Thanksgiving was later than normal this year so we didn't get to put up our tree until a week into December.  We bought it from one of the local tree lots that we go to every year.  It was late enough when we brought it home that all we did was put it in the stand and string the lights that night.

Everyone, including Lizzie, was right there helping Daddy out.

 

The next morning Ryleigh was very eager to get it decorated until she looked outside and saw that it had snowed.  The tree decorating would have to wait.

 

All bundled up ready to go at 8:00 in the morning when it was 18 degrees out.

 

 

Snow angel on the driveway

 

Trying to make a snowball...not the right kind of snow. 

 

 

Sand buckets work for building snow castles too.

 

 

And water tubes work in the snow. 

 

Bailey lasted out there a lot longer then she ever did last year, but not near as long as Ryleigh.  After Bailey went in the house, Ryleigh and I went over to the commons area at the front of the neighborhood to try out the hill there.  She had a blast!

After we came in and warmed up with some hot chocolate, we started decorating the tree.

Bailey took the job of giving everyone a hook for their ornaments.  Even if we didn't need one, she insisted we use one.

 

Ryleigh loves to be the one to put the star on top.

 

 

Tis the Season

Downtown had their tree lighting Friday night so we ventured down their to join in on the festivities.

The girls were so excited to see Santa.  They have never been brave enough to sit on his lap before.  Ryleigh kept telling us all day that she was going to do it this year.  Devin didn't believe her so he bet her a dollar that she wouldn't.  As soon as she got off she said, "Ha, ha, you owe me a dollar Dad!"  

Bailey was even brave enough this year!  Mrs. Clause painted stars on their faces while they waited for Santa's lap to be available.

They were also excited to ride the train that they have lit up every year too. 

We didn't get any pictures of the actual tree lit up and all the lights they have due to there being a ton of people.  We will head down another night and get a better look at all of the lights.

Little Photographer

I occasionally go through the photos on my phone or iPad and find random pictures of walls, floors, couches or ones that are too blurry to tell what they are.  Tonight I was looking through them and found some funny ones that Ryleigh had taken.

Halloween

My sister was getting after me for not having a recent post on here.  I downloaded pictures and realized I never put actual Halloween night pictures up.

Bailey went as Boots the Monkey from Dora and Ryleigh went as Pablo the Penguin from Backyardigans.

Trick or Treating they go!

Halloween Festivities

Ryleigh's Pre-K class went to the pumpkin patch last week.  Devin took the morning off so he and Bailey could go.  They each brought home a pumpkin and insisted that we carve them.  You can see how small they are.  Devin said the patch only had little pumpkins.  What kind of pumpkin patch only grows mini pumpkins?

Bailey was not going to dig hers out as you can see by the look on her face.

Ryleigh wanted a Hello Kitty carved into hers but of course, all the patterns are made for normal sized pumpkins.  There was no convincing her otherwise.  So I had to free hand it.  Not my best work but she was happy with it.  Bailey was easier to convince that she just needed a simple face on hers. 

I totally forgot about making Halloween cookies until my sister posted pictures on her blog.  So today after picking up the girls, we ran to Walgreens for some frosting and came home to make some tasty sugar cookies. 

Bailey decorated one cookie and then decided it was too messy.  So she sat there while Ryleigh and I finished, licking her hands over and over trying to get the little bit of frosting off.  She was the only one that was going to eat that cookie.

The girls have already been to two Trunk or Treats but I didn't get any decent pictures of them in their costumes.  Hopefully they cooperate better tomorrow evening.