Christmas 2008

All my siblings and I pitched in to give my mom this kitchen set, she's been wanting one for her play room for awhile now, and that is the cutest kitchen set, if I do say so myself.




This is Raegan playing Rock Band, she was awesome, anytime the game stopped (because of her not doing to great) she would say "Okay, who missed?" Never thinking it could possibly be her.

Christmas has come and gone and I can hardly believe it. This year we spent Christmas Eve with the Swensen side of the family and Debbie and Rich's house. We ate, and ate and let the kids play. Later that night we packed up the kids, and all the presents and spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa Smiths with Judd, Haley, and Carter. The girls slept well and we even had to wake up Macy in the morning. When they came down the stairs to Christmas it was if the paparazzi was there, with all of us snapping pictures of them, that's the price they pay for being the only grandkids on that side of the family. It took them a minute to let it all settle in before they would approach their presents. Once they got going opening though, there was no stopping them. They had a great Christmas regardless of our finical situation this year. Santa treated them well as well.
We did take the girls to see Santa this year, and with that, you never know what you're going to get. Last year Raegan was terrified, this year she jumped up on Santa's lap and let him know she wanted My Little Ponies. Macy on the other hand, wouldn't go near Santa, but was still determined to let him know that she wanted presents, so she told him that from afar.
Kurt and I decided not to do Christmas for each other this year, although, Kurt broke the rules and gave me the camera I've been wanting, it's actually my birthday present as well, but it was fun to get it early. I felt crappy for him, since I stuck to the rules and only filled a stocking for him. I'll have to try to make up for that next year.

Gingerbread Mania

The girls had a great time decorating their gingerbread house this year, I was loving watching Macy and how concerned she was with matching the colors just right and figuring out patterns. They were so proud of their creation when it was finished.

Raegan's Christmas preschool program was held at the Legacy Center this year, Raegan was lucky enough to have two parts in the program. She said the line "Look at the toys lined up and ready." and also was the train engineer, during the Electric Train song. She was all smiles during her parts and did a great job. I was a little worried that when it came down to her saying her line she would get shy and scared to say it, but she loved being in the spot light.

Dancing up a Storm

My little dancer was finally able to show off what she has been learning the past few months. Ultimate Dance had a dance showcase at the studio where we were able to get a taste of all the fun things they do during class, I have actually been staying at the studio during Raegans lessons, because part way through they have to change from ballet shoes to tap shoes and for a long time Raegan wasn't able to put those tap shoes on by herself. Anyway, the showcase was adorable. I loved every minute of watching those little ones show off. They first showed us their ballet skills, including leaps, sotae's, spins, and positions. After was the big tap dance. I have to brag that Raegan was pretty much the only one in her class that knew and did the dance. In fact her teacher had her stand smack in the middle in the front and also had her go first for their leaps and everything else they did, to show the rest of the girls how to do it. Yes, she was the oldest and biggest of the group, but, we like to believe it's pure talent.

Brilliant People Work at the Mall

Me: " I'd like to order a 6 inch VEGGIE delight on Italian Herb bread please."

Subway sandwich maker guy: "Okay, what kind of cheese?"

Me: "Provolone"

Subway sandwich maker guy: "Would you like any veggies on that?"

Next Day:

Me: "I'd like the veggie delight please."

Different Subway sandwich maker guy: "What kind of cheese?"

Me: "Provolone"

Different Subway sandwich maker guy: "Do you want any veggies on this?"

Working With Mall Gangs

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Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving! Every other year we switch off who's side of the family we have Thanksgiving with. I really like this plan, it cuts out having to jump from house to house and we spend the day relaxing with family rather then traveling. This year we spent Thanksgiving with my side of the family at my parents house. I must say that my mom is an incredible cook so Thanksgiving at her house is always delicious. My food assignment is always the same, sweet potatoes. I now rock at making them.
In my family we have a joke that your food assignment is always based on how well you cook and you only move up to something harder to make once my mom trusts you with it. I started, like everyone else at one point, with the drink, then up to jello, up again to relish tray, and I have now been stuck on the sweet potato level for years. I'm trying not to take it personally and to be proud of myself for graduating to the sweet potato level, which hasn't been easy.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with the McCubbins and Hoovers (my moms sisters families). After dinner we played Charades, which was suppose to be a joke on my mom, by my dad since he was in charge of the family game. All the slips we were to act out all said "This is a joke on Terri, act out whatever you want and hand the slip back to me." We played several rounds before she found out, she was a good sport about it all.

I'm so thankful for my darling family, all of them. I love them to pieces and couldn't imagine life without them! Especially my parents, I truly lucked out getting them (they lucked out getting me as well) just kidding, but I do love them more then I would ever be able to let them know. My dad carving the turkey.

Aunt Georgie really happy to be mashing potatoes.

The kid table

Carter making us all jam to Brittney Spears, "Oops I Did It Again", and "I Would Walk Five Hundred Miles"....

My mom after she found out the game was a joke on her....Let's get a closer look...

Macy and Papa playing Catch Phrase.

ADDICTIONS

We all have addictions, some worse then others, but they're there. I have a shopping and returning addiction, Macy has a Dora addiction, Raegan has a birthday party addiction. We have multiple "birthday parties" set up around the house daily. Kurt has a sport addiction. More specifically, a football addiction. I loose him every winter to NFL.
I'm not going to lie and pretend that it doesn't bug me, because it does, but I've come to the conclusion throughout the years that it will never change, and our family will continue to be ignored (not purposely) during football season. Kurt has football on continually, and not only does he watch every game, he watches Sports Center, PTI, and all those other awesome sport shows all night long.

I have tried to embrace it, learn the game, and watch it, but I find it horribly boring and I just can't do it, it's like asking Kurt to scrapbook, or watch Dancing With the Stars. He doesn't want to do those things, just like I don't want to watch a bunch of men line up and crash into each other, only to have to stop, set up, and do it all over again. I hate it.

To all you other wives who's husbands suffer with sports addiction, I feel your pain! I understand what you're going through! It's rough and we've got to stick together in these fantasy football, BYU, NFL crazy times. WE CAN DO IT!! WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS!!

In my self pitying in the past, I've decided to be grateful that he has a sports addiction. There are so many other more horrible, terrible, no good, addictions out there and I should be glad that Kurt is addicted to sports and sports talk rather then any of those other things. So, although I don't always love hearing crowds cheering, and announcers talking throughout my house all day on Sunday, I'm glad he's here and not at the bar.

You'll Never Convince Me That These Aren't the Cutest Bugs Ever.

I have so many Halloween pictures, it's ridiculous. So I had to choose a choice few. I was feeling it this year and was excited to make my girls these Halloween costumes. Raegan wasn't convinced at first that this was the way to go. In fact, she changed her mind several different times of what she wanted to be this year, but once she saw Macy's ladybug tutu she wanted one, so we made her a butterfly and she couldn't have been happier. She also got to wear it to school and to dance. It was fun to be able to pick out colors and ribbons for these costumes.

Of course my girls loved trick-or-treating, they stayed out until I called Kurt and told him it was probably time for our little ones to get out of the rain, and hit the sack. The girls were also lucky enough to have their cousin Cooper join them trick-or-treating. Macy and Cooper get along so great, and Raegan would just love to be the mom of them both. They scored enough candy to last them until next Halloween, I'm just glad that their still young enough to be oblivious to what candy bars I've stolen out of their treat buckets.

Here's our cute kids ready to beg for treats!

Macy giving her pumpkin a smooch.Raegan was overly excited to clean her pumpkin out until she touched the guts...and the guts got on her hands...

no more pumpkin carving for Raegan. I had to take over her pumpkin while she managed.Here's her finished Cinderella pumpkin. Raegan was cracking me up because she was making her pumpkin talk. This was the conversation she had with Cinderella...

Raegan, "Oh hi Cinderella, my name is Raegan and this is my little sister Macy and this is my mom."

Cinderella voice by Raegan, "Oh hi, it's so nice to meet you. I don't have any arms! Why didn't you carve me any arms?"

This was my Halloween costume for Bunco, I know, I know, really creative. I should have made myself a tutu and been some sort of bug.

Macy Goes to the Dentist

I decided to take Macy to the dentist because she was complaining awhile back about something hurting in her mouth and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a cavity. She's been with us to take Raegan to the dentist so she was as excited as can be to be able to go herself. In the car on the way there I was telling her that the dentist would be looking in her mouth and she would have to open up really big. Well, the second she laid down in that chair, before they were even ready, she had that mouth opened big and was afraid to shut it. I had to tell her 3 different times it was okay to keep it closed until they were ready to clean her teeth. When they were trying to clean her bottom teeth she could not for the life of her keep her tongue in her mouth, it was pretty funny to watch them try to work around it. She did great and no cavities!She did awesome holding still for her x-rays.

Here's Macy just waiting to get her teeth cleaned, they were still minutes away to being ready to start.

Gardner Villiage Tradition

Who can pass up the Gardner Village witches? Every year I look forward to taking my girls to see the witches there, and of course it's also great to be able to browse in the cute shops. This is where I actually got my girls Halloween costume ideas, of which I will post later.

As you can see Raegan is terrified of the Witches. I believe she called this one Grandma, no offense to her real Grandmas who are much prettier and not at all witches.