December Randoms

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  This is December weather 2014.  Just out raking leaves!

 These two littles finally have enough coverage on top of their heads that it requires some help some days.

 We found that Eddie had been ambushed one morning.  When I saw it I didn't know if Caleb would find it amusing or if he would be worried about Eddie.  He saw it and cracked up.  I guess Eddie knows best!

 Caleb & I made a poster for him to take to school for his birthday.  He helped me cut out the pictures & put all of the stickers on.  He was very proud of himself.  He does great work!

 Luke & Lexi loved the leftover balloons from Caleb's birthday party.  Lexi cracks me up.  She has the funniest, squintiest smile.  She plays it up when I get out the camera too.  She's a fast learner!

 My babies have plates & real sippy cups at meal time now.  Potty training is a lot closer than I want to think about.

 The night that the family made their gingerbread creations, I think that Eddie was a little jealous.  He made his own little winter wonderland.

 I turned 34.  Truth be told - it was a terrible day.  No one did anything wrong.  Everyone was very kind & tried to make it wonderful.  I think I experienced my very first anxiety attack.  I'm just not where I want to be for myself at this place and time.  I just need to suck it up & make things happen or keep on crying I guess.

Making NOT Christmas cookies.  AKA Neiman Marcus Cookies

 The afternoon after I had done my motherly duty of making sure my boy had Christmas cookies - I had the kitchen all cleaned up, dishes done....I went pee and came back out to this.  I swear - it really NEVER ends here!

 I really am going to miss this part of my day.  BUT - if Lexi finishes first, she crawls over to Luke & pokes his eyes out.  If Luke finishes first, he crawls over to Lexi and slaps the bottle out of her mouth.  Do I assume it's just a love/hate relationship already?

 Casey got to join Caleb on a field trip to see the Nutcracker in Ogden.  It was a warm day & they got to eat a picnic lunch at Christmas Village and see Mrs. Claus!  Caleb loved seeing the Nutcracker.  He even said he wants to be a "balleter" when he grows up.

 My Grandma & Grandpa Hunsaker had a Christmas dinner at Maddox.  Going out is stressful sometimes & this was one of those times.  The babies just weren't having it.  After Casey ate he just took them home.  I am grateful that the gathering was in Brigham and that we had that option.  My mom bought the girls all matching Christmas outfits.  They looked so cute!  Dustin & Chantel are expecting their first baby in April (or May...or June....).  I am very excited for them!  I am also excited that Sandra & Rick get to become grandparents!

Luke & Lexi can't seem to leave the satellite dish receiver alone.  They don't look guilty, do they?  Remember that awesome poster Caleb & I made for his birthday?  Well - the morning that we made it I stopped at Wal-Mart (alone) to pick up the pictures before Casey left for work....well right before Casey left for work I started gathering things up to make the poster & the pictures inside the envelope weren't mine.  They had screwed my order up!  So - the cart full of children is us going to get the right pictures.  Lexi LOVES to get in the toy box.  The day before Thanksgiving I took my kids & Blake to the zoo.  It was free day.....we will NEVER do that again.  That place was a zoo!

 There was our annual Christmas shopping trip with my siblings & dad.  We got my mom some good stuff!  The girls found some bling at Dillards.  Dylan took a little snooze.  Someone said something like, "It'll make your butt pucker"...it got heard incorrectly...and Angela enjoyed the Christmas deer at lunch.  I do believe it is an elk.  I love my kids ornaments that I found for them this year & my neighbors, the Glenn's, brought us over a cute personalized one for Christmas!

Christmas Day

After dinner on Christmas Eve the kids got to open their new Christmas pajamas!  They looked so freaking adorable!  After everyone was ready for bed they put cookies on Santa's plate (and carrots for the reindeer of course) and we headed out into the city to check out all of the Christmas lights.  After about 5 minutes - the 3 older kids were bored and just wanted to go home.  Fun haters!

The fat man with a bag found us all!!!  What a fabulous guy!  I wonder if he had his elves clean up the front room.  it hasn't looked this nice since at least September 2013.

Christmas morning with little kids is awesome.  Rylee & Caleb were so excited.  Taylor didn't feel good.  It was sad!  The first thing the kids went for was Luke & Alexa's pile of presents.  Caleb said, "Can I open the first present and then we can all take turns?"  What a thoughtful kid!!!

The babies were pretty cute when they finally decided to wake up.  Luke found a random piece of chocolate someplace & managed to get it all over his face and in his hair.  Dylan came to visit, which means Lexi gets a cell phone for a while.  They are besties.  It's pretty adorable.

We woke up to a white Christmas.  I don't think you could ask for more.  It was cold enough that it was sticking on the grass, but warm enough that the roads weren't awful.  After Taylor watched Rylee open both of their presents she took a 3 hour nap.  Poor girl.  Caleb had a lot of fun on Lexi's toy from Santa.  Around 6 pm Casey & Rylee zonked out.  Obviously Christmas was pretty rough for them!

 These ladies are in love with their tea set!  Even Jordon & Papa Don got in on the tea party action.     Their winter dress up clothes are fabulous.  I think that I want to leave their princess castle on the kitchen table for the next 6 months at least.  They play with it if it's there & the princesses dresses are covered in glitter - so it gives me pleasure!

 For their 'Christmas Favorites' picture these girls picked their fabulous glitter glider castle, their Elsa dolls from Grammy & Papa Don and their tea set from Grandma & Grandpa.  They are at such a fun age!!  Is it weird that I love that their hair color is exactly the same??

Caleb picked his Lego car from Santa, his fish from Grandma & Grandpa and his Nutcracker doll from me & Casey.  He said, "I'd have my castle in the picture, but I'm not going to carry it up the stairs."

 I have no idea what these cuties would pick for their favorite. Probably a pile of gift wrap & tissue paper was really their favorite thing.  They haven't spent a whole lot of time sitting on their ride on cars from Santa - they have been using them like walkers instead.  It makes my heart sad & happy at the same time when I look at this picture.  They are getting so big!!

Anderson Christmas!

'Twas the Saturday before Christmas which means - party at the Anderson's! 

My parents sure raised some good cooks.  Yes...I just patted my sisters and myself on the back.  We make a mean spread!  Ashley brought bacon wrapped pineapple.  Yes, you read that correctly.  They were so good!  My mom made bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers.  I didn't like them as much as the pineapple, but definitely delicious as well!  I made some lemon bars for dessert, they were really good as well.  It's no wonder I'm a smidge on the chunky side.  Angela was in charge of the jello pretzel salad, and it was a winner too!  Go girls!

 

After we ate, we headed downstairs to open presents.  Caleb was the most excited.  Grammy & papa Don gave him a sweet castle.  The Jensen's were fabulous and gave him some knights, horses and an ogre that went with his castle.  There hasn't been a day since this party that he hasn't played with it.

 Oh My Goodness.  Elsa needs to Let it Go already!  I wonder if her batteries will ever die?  My parents gave Eva, Taylor & Rylee a beautiful light up Elsa that SINGS.  She also says a bunch of other sayings.  Rylee's favorite to imitate is, "I'm Queen Else of Arendelle."  One day she was playing with Buzz and she said, "I'm Buzz Light Year of Arendelle."  It cracked me up.  Eva & Rylee were quite smitten with their dolls.  Eva gave the girls each a stick horse for their gift.  Rylee's is purple and she said, "Ohhhhhh!  My favorite!"

  Luke & Alexa got a sled from Grammy & papa Don.  They love it when someone pulls them in it.  They look adorable - of course.  The Jensen's gave them a cute ride on giraffe.  They weren't able to really play with it until the next day at home, but they both love it!  The big kids also love it.  I should buy them baby toys.

Blakie got a jacket with ear buds & a sweet lime green Hurley hat.  Griffy Poo got a mask for snowboarding and some shoes.  His feet are gigantic!  I think he is a size 13!!  I gave my mom a calendar...I guess it will be my gift form here on out.  I hope that she and my dad both enjoy it.  I love pictures.  I went in on a foosball hoodie for my dad.  I will just say, fail.  No one knew what the figure was.  My mom asked if we designed it.  Ummmm....nope.  It came that way.  I hope he still wears it.  I guess ya can't win them all!

 Eva is a crack up.  She loved pulling Lexi in her sled.  My kids were whiners.  They said Luke was too heavy! 

 After we opened gifts we played Christmas Pictionary and some Mad Gab.  I love both games.  I hate that when I draw, the marker isn't even doing anything close to what my brain is telling it to.  I love that in mad gab, you say the phrase - example 'Easel Aid Ease Man' - and the person flipping the card thinks you just said it, when in reality you have no freaking clue what you just said.  It's a fun game! Merry merry!!

Come on Christmas Spirit!!

These little people have LOVED messing up the Christmas tree from day 1.  I knew that they would.  Their curiosity is adorable.  Messy...but adorable.

We have read several Christmas books!  My favorite one to read is 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Casey's favorite is The Twelve Days of Christmas and the kids favorite is Elf on the Shelf.

 I love this picture.  They were just watching a little TV (as not to be rowdy & mess up their cute hair) and they laid by one another on the floor.  So freaking cute!

The girls & I constructed a gingerbread house & Casey & Caleb constructed the train.  Caleb wanted a gingerbread boy to be in the box car of the train. I love to see the creativity of all of my kids.  Caleb's tree has a yellow candy at the top all the way around for a star & little candies only for the ornaments.  Rylee's tree is a fantastic, festive one with a little bit of everything.  Taylor's has just one kind of candy in perfect little rows.

The kids got to see Santa!  Luke & Alexa didn't say much, but the didn't cry!  Caleb asked for SkyLander stuff (something to do with the Xbox) and the girls, very quietly, asked for princess toys.  I sure hope they were good enough!  I think that they have been. 

 Caleb has been obsessed with "Christmas Cookies".  We went to my mom's Christmas party & he kept asking her for a Christmas Cookie.  She was beyond confused as to why this cute little boy was asking her for such a thing.  So one night we all made some Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies.  It is one of Casey's memories from childhood.  His mom would always make them.  After they were all done Caleb said, "This isn't a Christmas cookie."  I was floored.  "Why not," I asked.  "Because is isn't in the shape of a tree with frosting on it."  Of course - being the wonderful mother that I am, I made his wish come true.  Y U M.

 We braved the weather (60's...it was perfect.  A little weird for Christmas time, but perfect!) and went to City Creek & Temple Square one early evening to see the lights.  I love the lights in this picture and the temple in the background.  I didn't even plan that...I just happen to be THAT good people!!

 They kids were really good!!  The loved the fountains at the Temple grounds and the lights and fountains at City Creek.  They little ones were very good.  They even kept their hats on!  They probably didn't need to though.  Casey & I didn't even put on our jackets!  We got asked TWICE if we had triplets AND twins.  Caleb is in need of a growth spurt I guess.  It drives Casey crazy when people ask about our kids.  I guess he doesn't realize that we are freaks of nature.  2 sets of twins AND we go out in public.   We are NUTS. 

Happy Birthday Caleb

 

Look at how handsome this boy is!!  He sure is a sweet little kid.  He is a very good speller.  He is even a better helper!  He is so serious and so funny at the same time.  He won't smile showing his teeth anymore.  Is that a phase that all children go through?  I remember that I did.

 The night before his birthday I made him dinner of his choosing.  Macaroni and Cheese, garlic bread and apple slices.  With a glass of milk of course.  On the day of his birthday my parents took him to McDonald's to dinner.  After that we had his birthday celebration at the Crystal Inn.  It was the perfect space and I didn't have to clean my house!  He is really into Lego anything so he requested a Ninjago cake.  Wish granted!  He was so animated opening all of his gifts.  He loved getting clothes & pajamas the very best I think.  We gave him some Lego people, pajamas, a football, a BB gun with some targets and the Lego Movie.  Everyone that came spoiled him as well.  Money, puzzles, swords, Cheetos, M&M's, and a toy tractor flashlight.  Even Eddie was excited for Caleb's birthday!

 After the presents and cake, the kids (and Casey & Ashley) went swimming.  Caleb was so busy jumping in and getting out and jumping in and getting out that I didn't get his picture!  He had a blast though.

I felt like I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off all night.  Trying to make sure everyone was happy, had a treat, that the place didn't get trashed....I had great helpers though and that was wonderful.  Caleb was looking at all of his toys when we got home and looked up at me and said, "Mom, I'm pretty sure that this was the best day of my life." 

NoVeMbEr!

One day I asked Casey, "Have you ever been to Antelope Island?"  He answered, "Nope."  I said, "Well, let's go then!"  We loaded up the team and away we went!  We had lunch at Red Robin.  It was delicious as always.  We went there ALL OF THE TIME when we were dating & first married.  It was one of our spots.  Sigh - and vomit.

 

Antelope Island was pretty neat.  It was a short enough drive that the kids didn't get to restless and they got to see a few animals.  I was the eagle eye on this trip.  The buffalo were right next to road, so you couldn't miss them.  I spotted the coyote out jumping on mice & then I spotted the deer.  Maybe Casey needs me to go hunting with him.

 There were so many ducks on the Great Salt Lake!  They were mini ducks, so of course that made them extra adorable.  I named them mini mallards.  I love the salt that gets collected between the water & the shore.  It was so pretty!  We taught the kids that when you see a buffalo, you make horns & say "Tatonka".  Taylor was hilarious.  She would make her voice so deep and raspy and say, "Tatonka [cough cough].  It makes me choke, see?  Tatonka [cough cough]."  We were cracking up.

 Coolest thing ever?!?!  This little man lost his very first tooth!!  He was eating a cinnamon roll on the way home from school with Casey & took a bite...stopped for a second and exclaimed, "Did my tooth just fall out?!?!"  Casey found it stuck in his cinnamon roll.  He shed a few tears about it, but he recovered.  I don't think he even knew it was loose, but his adult tooth was already a good portion of the way through so it pushed the baby one right out of the way.