Most...boring...month...ever

OH. MY. HECK. January is so BLAH! October-December FLEW by & now January will - - - -not - - - - end - - - -

I did get to go to dinner with a couple of my peeps from good ol' Effin J (Flying J). I don't see these girls as much as I would like to. Sara is having a baby boy any day now (her 2nd son) so we had to get together to celebrate! Once we all started to have children - our social life totally went down the crapper. We went to the Pizza Factory in O-town. I got a bread stick with some Alfredo dipping sauce & when the waitress brought my sauce to me I thought it was cream cheese frosting. It was that thick. AND.....it was fabulous. I could hear myself getting fatter with each dunk. Casey watched all 3 kids while I went out. It was nice (& a little weird) to get away from it all for a bit.

Lindsay Rice - Sara Westbroek - Me

This is how I spend my evenings. My sweet girls turn into cute, needy wee ones. They HAVE to have mom. If they can see or hear me - it's bad! I don't look that exhausted - do I????

Oh my craftiness! Angela & I whipped these cute butterflies out the other night at her house. I love them! Taylor & Rylee were good sports!

I'll end on the cutest picture ever. I'm glad that I get to stay home with these cute kids every day. Some days are hard - some aren't so bad - but I can't imagine having them with anyone but me. (Taylor - pink socks. Rylee - white socks)

Recent Randoms

January - March are usually the most boring months of the year. It is a HUGE challenge to keep Caleb & the kids I babysit entertained all freaking day. So far so good though - I haven't killed anyone yet.

Casey was watching TV a while ago & Caleb came up to him & said, "Hey, can I get in your pouch?"

Let this be a lesson to all mothers as to WHY you don't leave blankets in the crib with your wee-ones. Rylee managed to make herself into a tootsie roll one night just rolling around in the front room.
My little girls watching some Baby Einstein while I did the dishes one night.

Out of all of the places she can go in the house - this is Taylor's favorite.

Caleb roasting his hot dog.....in January!

Taylor & Rylee get a kick out of Simba. The make a trip to the window each morning to see what that crazy cat is up to.

Caleb loves to make a 'lake' out of his play-doh and have a duck swim around. Totally his own idea - I love it.

Happy New Year

Resolutions are stupid - so I made some. No one else is going to set me up to fail. It's all up to me!

-Find joy in every day

-Lose 30 pounds (I make this one EVERY year) THIS IS THE YEAR BABY!

-Go to church at least 2 times each month

-Grow a plethora of green beans & bottle them

-Bottle Peaches & Carrots (Taylor & Rylee LOVE both)

-Exercise MORE!

2011 was so freaking exhausting. I hope that in 2012 I can get some more sleep!

On New Years Eve we invited Shelby, his girlfriend Christel, & Shayden over for a night of fun. We put Caleb & Shayden down on the pull-out bed for a fun sleepover - but that failed. Caleb ended going to his own bed around 11:30. They wouldn't fall asleep! The adults (& Rylee) stayed up past 2:00 playing Texas Hold Em, Last Word & Battle of the sexes. I had a really fun evening. I love playing games.

Taylor has decided that Rylee is her new obstacle course. These 2 are constantly kicking each other, stealing toys from each other & just being typical sisters.

I love Rylee's face in this one. It says, "Are you freaking kidding me??"

Taylor seems to be a step ahead of Rylee in learning new things. I guess that is what happens when you are 5 minutes older!

Starting to pull herself up to her knees.

And she's all the way up! (Don't worry Grammy....dad lowered the cribs this afternoon)

She loves her sippy cup!

Merry Christmas

Santa definitely found us this year! Caleb was so excited to see his new red 4-wheeler. He didn't want to open any presents. He just wanted to sit on his "4-leeler" and drink his chocolate milk.
He eventually started to open some presents. He got some binoculars and he LOVES them.

Taylor & Rylee just loved whatever was handed to them. They got some cute new toys & clothes & a toy box.

Caleb thought his slinky was fascinating. He also got some books and games.

My 3 cuties in their new Christmas clothes! (Rylee left, Taylor right)

Taking his new ride out for a test drive. He was kind of crazy - but he's getting the hang of it. I guess it's good that it wasn't a white Christmas this year so that he could play with his new toy!

Last Christmas Casey's parents threw out the idea of doing homemade Christmas gifts this year. We all agreed. It was stressful for everyone I think for different reasons -but in the end I really think EVERYONE came up with some great ideas and they were all executed well. I will say this though - Brad & Mona cheated!!! Unless they secretly own Bath & Body works & Winchester & some major toy companies. They made AND bought gifts. :) I personally had more anticipation & excitement for the gift opening. What did everyone think of to make? Will they like what we made? We started off by having a delicious ham & funeral potato dinner & then the present opening began!

Casey's parents made Tamara & I our very own quilting frames! Now I won't have to borrow Mona's! I'm excited to find a quilt that I just can't live without & get started. I still can't believe how nice of a gift it is!

Brad & Mona gave Caleb a mirror with some vinyl on it that says 'I AM A CHILD OF GOD'. I think it is adorable. Caleb also got a homemade snuggie & matching slippers from Grandpa Grandpa, homemade playdhoh from Nathanael & Logan, a knitted hat from Kaetlyn, and goodies from Shelby & Shayden. Brad & Mona also gave Caleb a book & a car transporter. Taylor & Rylee slept through all of the gift opening (such perfect angels). They also got snuggies & matching slippers & some toys.

Casey with his gun cleaning station. His dad is still in the process of making a gun cleaning box for him. It's going to be very nice. He also got some socks.I love this picture. There was A LOT of commotion & wrapping paper flying & talking & laughing & my sweet little Caleb was sitting on the floor in the middle of it all enjoying his new book. He was as content as could be.

Casey made Kaetlyn, Logan & Nathanael the golf game (aka cow balls). I hope that they love it. Nathanael put the golf balls on his head for some 'curly hair'.

Colby made us a fabulous marble board & I've already kicked Casey's butt a few times (he has won a couple of games). Shelby made us a beautiful bench. I love both gifts very much! Now - I need a bigger house to put everything. Tamara made us a whole bunch of soap which so far has been awesome. Here are the party animals with their sign that we made for them.

We made Shayden a coloring book that was all about him...Shelby a fire starting kit for his mountain man collection...& Colby & Tamara some 8x10 picture frames so that they can display all of their cute kids. I hope that I got all of the gifts accounted for. It was a crazy & fun afternoon with presents being opened and taking care of babies and I'm not quite sure if I missed things.

After the Freeze festivities we came home and my parents & brothers & Angela's family came to see our haul. Christmas was - as always - a success.

Christmas Eve

Caleb & I made some fabulous sugar cookies for Santa a couple of days before Christmas Eve. Santa is LUCKY that we saved 2 cookies for him! It was a struggle. Caleb is a little cookie lover! Actually - he's more of a frosting lover.

On Christmas Eve we headed to Casey's Grandma's house in Mantua. We had soup, breadsticks & desserts. TONS of desserts.

Here is Grandpa Brad helping Taylor open her present. She & Rylee got stuffed animal dolphins. Rylee was CRACKING up at hers.

Grandma Sorensen gave Caleb a cute lion. He loves it.
Caseys' Grandma made EACH girl in the family a knitted poncho. They are wonderful. I think that they are so cute & so warm! I also love the color of mine. What a woman!

Before bedtime the kids all got to open their Christmas pajamas. I love these kids. I can't believe that Taylor & Rylee look almost as tall as Caleb in this picture! We sat out Santa's cookies and milk and then went to bed.

Ho Ho Ho

One of my childhood Christmas memories is of my mom & sisters meeting my Aunt Sandra & her kids at Ogden's Christmas Village to walk around & see Santa. I think that I am going to start doing this with my little family. The city sure has spiffied the place up! This year it was way to chilly to take the girls out to wait in line, so Casey stayed home with them while I took Caleb. We met my friends MaLynda & Jess & their darling daughter Aliyah.

Checking out the baking display. Caleb wanted to eat a cupcake SO BAD!

I love these next pictures. I remember loving looking at all of the different displays & being so excited to see what was going to be in the next one. Here they are watching Santa's elves hard at work.The baking window.

These kids were so good. I was an idiot mom & forgot mittens for Caleb & his hands were freezing. Aliyah's coat was a little to big, so she let Caleb wear her mittens & she stuffed her hands up her sleeves. HOW NICE! What is mind blowing to me is Aliyah is a whole year YOUNGER than Caleb. She's at least a whole head taller & 20 pounds heavier. My kid flat out won't grow!

Caleb LOVED this train.
As soon as we got to Santa's door (after waiting in line for an hour & ten minutes) Caleb looked at me - his eyes full of tears & said "I want to go home." He was DONE waiting. Once we got in & he saw Santa he was okay. He didn't want to sit on his lap - but did tell Santa that he wanted a 4 wheeler & trucks for Christmas. Hopefully he's been a good boy & Santa can get him what he asked for.