Christmas day.

Last night we walked to streets of an old neighborhood where Andy had grown up. Andy is our friend that is spending Christmas with us this year. It was very cold out and the wind was blowing. Olivia was not very happy.

The streets were lined with luminarias and lights. It was beautiful!

This morning the kids woke us up around 5:30 am. We mad them wait it out in my room for a while. The kids and the dogs all crowded up on my bed and had a wrestling match.

We were waiting on Andy.

Who is that strange man in my bed? Oh, it's just Andy trying to go back to sleep because he thinks it's way to early to be getting up.

The kids all line up to go out to the tree.

Olivia opening up some of her gifts.

Daddy and Olivia playing around.

Troy got me a turquoise ring. I have been wanting one for a really long time. I just love turquoise. I have always liked it but it wasn't until I moved to New Mexico that I fell in love with the art of it. I would love some really big chunky pieces next Honey. Hint, hint. My nails look horrible, I tried to paint them red for Christmas my self. Note to self, let the professionals handle it next time.

Cold.

It's very cold here in New Mexico.

Very, very windy.

Last night we woke up to lightning, thunder, rain and lots of wind. It's December for goodness sakes. It was a little creepy.

We ended up with some beautiful icicles on the wisteria vines though.

Oh' little town of Olivia.

This week I set up our little Christmas village. We have picked up pieces here and there over the years. Olivia pulls up a chair to the counter and will stand there for the longest time singing or just playing make believe with it. I will listen to her while I am cooking of cleaning up and the things she comes up with is just adorable.

I hope that this is something that she remembers about Christmas when she grows up. I remember when I was about her age and a little older that I would play with the Jesus from the nativity set the my family had. It was so tiny that it would fit in the palm of my hand. I would take a tissue and wrap it up like a real baby. This poor Baby Jesus. It had chipped feet and hands by the time I grew up. What I think is wonderful about it is that my Mom would let me hold him. That is one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Camp of the Tall Pines.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sweater Flowers

The last time my Mom came to visit she taught me how to make these. Aren't they fun? I have become addicted to making them. They are so fun and easy to make and they really liven up my wardrobe. I can put them on my scarves, sweaters, shirts jackets, hats, you name it I can put these flowers on.

All you do is take old sweaters, draw different size circles and cut them out. Then you zig-zag stitch around the circles stretching the material while you sew. That is what makes the ruffles. See, so easy. Layer the circles to make your flower and sew a pin on the back. There is so many ways you can do these. I put beads on a pumpkin colored on and it looks fantastic. I loved the look of the buttons.

This flower idea I got off someones blog. Sorry I don't remember the name of it. Any way, I used linen fabric for these. You just fold the circles in to a pie shape and sew them together.

I have been wearing the sweater flowers on everything lately. My family has begun to tease me. I made purple ones, pink, pumpkin and are planning on making some black ones soon. The sky is the limit with these.

Happy Birthday Baby.

For her Birthday Troy and I took Olivia to Build-a-Bear. It was just the three of us and was so much fun. This was her first time going and it was a really big deal. The picture below is of Olivia the day we brought her home from the hospital. When we brought her home she was just over 5 pounds.

She is our baby and always will be. I still can't believe it has been four years ago that I gave birth to our last child. I miss the feeling of a child growing inside of me, the kicks and the flutters. Now I have a four year old that kicks me and wiggles all over our bed at night. We told her that when she turned 4 she couldn't get into our bed any more and that she had to go to sleep in her own bed. The morning after her birthday she wakes up in our bed right where she always is, in between Troy and I. I asked her when she was going to start staying in her own bed and she told us "when I turn 14". I don't think so. So now this week it is my goal to get Olivia sleeping through the night in her own bed.

My beautiful girls.

Little Miss Muffet sitting on her tuffet. Boy is she getting to be a spoiled little thing.

Anna, our " Young Woman". She loves wearing her make up and getting all dolled up.

Ella, who wanted to put on makeup. Just three more years honey.

They were so excited about the concert the all got ready early. Then for the next hour and a half they all drove me crazy asking me what time it was.

I don't get to be in many pictures because I am the one usually taking them. Because this was a special day with my girls, I made it a point to get pictures with all of them. Me and my little Olivia.

Aren't her blue eyes amazing?

Out of all the kids I think that Anna looks most like me.

The concert was fantastic. It was more than I expected it to be. Olivia couldn't believe that they were all real people. The funny thing was, Olivia was the most excited when the two drummer guys came out. I know this will be one of my favorite memories with my girls. I hope and pray that we have many more like this.

Where are the Wild Things?

Ella reading her poem that she wrote.

The first grade sang "There's a Monster in my closet". The kids were snorting when I snapped this shot.

I love this picture. The three girls surrounding Soren are all in his class and he loves each one of them. Kendall, the little darling is wearing the Darth Vader mask. Abby, Soren and then Emily. They were all so much fun to watch.

Ella is standing in front of the poem she wrote.

We couldn't decide what Soren was. Any who, here he is posing with his picture that he drew. It is the one right above him.

The theme of this years Literacy night was " Where the Wild Things Are". Troy and I thought that was highly appropriate considering ALL kids are little monsters. Well, ours is anyway. This is Soren.

Ella.

Olivia.

Soren and his friend Emily. How cute are they?

Higher.

That is what I have been listening to this morning. Higher, higher, higher. I can hardly stand how cute this little thing is. Always making some kind of goofy face and her rosy red cheeks.

Proud Mamma.

Ella and Soren got to attend a 50's dance at their school. In order to go they had to read 50 books. That wasn't hard for our kids. They read all the time!

Ella looked so adorable.

Soren, our handsome little man. He came home from school a couple of days before the dance and informed Troy and I that we had to buy him a leather jacket for the dance. NOT!

Ella had her 3rd grade program on Thursday. It was amazing. All the kids did such a great job. Ella is the tall blond on the right.

Can you guess which one Ella is. Your right, the tall blond on the back row. She has such a beautiful singing voice. She is in choir this year and having so much fun with it. I love it when she comes home from practice and sings all the songs for me.

Funny Face

Grandma and Grandpa Fowler came to visit us from Utah. Just in time to carve the pumpkins and dress up for Halloween.

Troy doing his best to scare me. Now if he was holding a snake looking like that, it would scare me.

Notice the tears. Both the older girls were throwing fits about who knows what.

Is that a teenage girl look or what?

Soren being goofy.

I loved this picture of Olivia. She just can't quite decide if she likes this feeling or not.

Troy loves to be yucky for Halloween. He glued nails into the fake bullet holes to make it look like he got shot by a nail gun. I made up his face. I think I did a pretty good job.

My parents dressed up as old hippies. How hilarious is that? Soren was a Ninja, Olivia was a Pink Power Ranger( Earlier she was a purple fairy but she got her dinner all over it.) Anna was a Vampire, Ella was a fun Clown. Logan decided this year that he was to cool to dress up. The funny thing is he wants all the candy still.

Groovy man. Peace.