Claire is on the Potty Train!!

She is doing so awesome! We ran out of diapers and I/she was sort of forced into it, but it worked! She is even having dry nights!!! WHOO WHOO! Yeah Claire Bear!!
The BEST Christmas present EVER!!

What??

I think I get picked on at my house....this is what happens when my husband is around, I have to go out in the snow to turn up the water to HIS cows and then he takes funny pictures of me. That's the last time I'm ever gonna help!

SEW inspired

I have been bitten with the creating bug, I cant get enough of the sewing machine lately. It is what happens to me when I stay home too many days in a row, but I like it. I thought I was done with my kids Christmas until I remembered I wanted to make some of these cute little crayon holders. Maybe we will be able to keep them more organized at church instead of spilling through the cracks in the bench, we will see. Then I/we have really been wanting a super hero cape, Justin and Claire are always trying to tie their blankies around their necks I was thinking this might be a little more safe and fun! I am pretty sure it cost, well under 3 dollars, gotta love that! I am sure it will be a hit Christmas morning! I still want to make one for Claire and then I also finished some little blankies for her Dora Superbabies she is getting from Santa, this is so much fun! I love this time of year!!

Justin's Party

Justin got a Thomas cake and a fun party on Sunday afternoon. He is just loving being 4! He tells EVERYONE that he is a size 4 now! What a big kid!!Claire LOVED that blue frosting!

The whole FAMILY! Yeah Justin 4 years old!

Justin's Big 4

Justin turned four on Saturday, (why cant all birthdays fall on Saturdays?) He thoroughly enjoyed unwrapping all of his presents even though he already knew what they were. He has been into most of the presents and opened them too, little stink! He would say, Oh this must be my big semi, before he opened it.

I cant help not being too mad because I would (did) do the same thing when I was a kid, I am not a lover of surprises, I guess Justin isn't either!

What a fun day though! He got some birthday waffles, some PJ's, a semi and cattle trailer, a new shirt, and a race car from his friend Kasey. I am pretty sure he grew overnight too. He is really changing, and not looking so much like a baby anymore! Where has the time gone? We are so glad to have such a good boy in our family! He is a little out numbered, but you would think he lived in a house full of boys when you see how tough he is! Happy birthday Buddy!

NFR

3 years ago this week we were at the NFR! We have been enjoying watching it every night this past week, but I kind of have a homesick feeling, wishing we were there! Jared and Jenna blogged pictures of their trip, looks like they had tons of fun, Maybe next year for us... Here we are 3 years ago, we didnt even have all of our kids 3 years ago, that seems like forever ago!
Hanging out with Cody Ohl, Ok so not really hanging out, we just took our picture with him. He is doing pretty good this year too!Of course we stopped in at M & M World! We brought home like 30 dollars worth of M & M's It was like 1 ounce of M & Ms for each kid, I should have just gone to Walmart and bought 10 bags instead, oh well! Just something ya have to do!And the Hoover Dam, Ryan had never been before, he/ we were amazed at the size, glad we went! Hopefully I will be posting pictures next year of another trip to Sunny Las Vegas!

School Christmas Program

Its that time of year again, the girls had their Christmas Program. They did well, my only complaint was that it was more of a lip sync than the kids actually singing. We SO need a music program in our school. The teachers do good with what they have to work with, its just sad that they don't get more TO work with. The show was all very cute, I could tell they spent a lot of time practicing. The girls were thrilled with it all!

Emma, All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

Ashley (middle) performing to Go, Go Christmas

And of course they got to sit on Santa's lap, we didn't have one kid cry this year, we must be getting older or something......

I think I need to ask Santa for a new camera, or at least directions on how to use the one I have, my pictures are TERRIBLE lately!

Claire's (new to her) Crib

Thankfully we have good friends who's babies have out grown their cribs so we could borrow from them! Claire is finally sleeping again at night, she cant crawl out of this one!

Every night she says "I go to sleep in Jace Ward's bed" She thinks its pretty cool! So do I! The worst part about the past few weeks though is she has decided she no longer needs a nap. BOO HOO! I think she weened herself when I couldn't get her to stay laying down, (I had no where to trap her in) I am not happy about that at all! I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. No more naps at our house!

The Charlie Brown Tree

As we sat on the couch after we put the kids to bed to enjoy some quiet we just kept starring at it. Every once in a while we would say something like, "well it really isn't that bad" or "I kinda like our tree" or the best one, " I think it leaning like that gives it character." I think we are trying to convince ourselves that it was all worth it, it is a poor pitiful tree no matter what angle you look at it! Maybe it will grow on us!

A trip to "Grandma's Cabin"

We stayed up at the Cabin Friday night and Saturday we had a great time, I thought I should post a few pictures of Grandmas (double wide trailer) cabin! We are so red neck, but I am lovin it! Ryan is ready to go next weekend too! It is nice to be able to get away easily and for free. We are enjoying having it finished!
The big living room, complete with faux wood paneling walls, just to help give it that "rustic" feel! HA HA! No, but really it is a big room, we have four couches and a ping pong table set up in there with room to spare! Fun for crazy kids and cousins!
And of course watching lots of Dora, this takes Dora to a whole new level, in flat screen,HD, surround sound pleasure, Justin and Claire couldn't be more happy....

A couple of the bedrooms we call this one the boys room or the brown room,

And the pink room, it was to bright to get a good shot, I don't know which is more shocking Emma making the bed or well Emma making the bed! Glad I captured it!

So the whole reason for going to the cabin: We went up to the cabin for the weekend to cut a Christmas tree. Ryan just thinks it is the most fun activity for a family to do, I think maybe he is right, just not fun for OUR family!! If you call driving in the car (for hours) with four kids in the blowing freezing snow on windy mountain roads and then finally picking the tree (charlie Brown tree I might add) closest to the road because no one (including Ryan or I) want to get out in the blinding wind to chop it down fun, then I guess we had fun. Ashley made herself sick because she knew we were going to get stuck and have to sleep in the car, until she finally fell asleep, thankfully Justin and Claire slept the entire time, and we finally halted Emma's whining by letting her watch a movie during our "quality time as a family." Are we pathetic or what! Oh well, we got a tree that is the important part, and we wont ever forget the memories we made.....or the nightmares we created.....There was one good lesson learned from it all though I am buying a fake tree next year!