Dec. 20: BYU Football Game!

Day 20 was a great day - thanks to our activity being one that actually had a great ending (despite how the game looked at first and how the season has been!)  However, the 4th quarter was great and super fun to watch!  The boys ALL had their BYU gear on, and although the game was actually in our state we didn't make it down to it - instead we enjoyed eating our yummy Christmas treats - which I ate WAY too much white chocolate popcorn (my favorite) - and enjoyed snuggling up on the couch by the fire to watch!  What a great way to end the season!  And a fun way for us to end this great December day!

Merry Christmas!

Dec 19: A Day of Cooking & Wrapping!!!

Day 19 was a day of treats!  We made caramel corn for our friends, to go with the Salty Toffee Bark.....Griffin was my little helper, apron and all! (Kevin he LOVES this)!!!

Sampling before the popcorn while the caramel was cooking!

When you are leaving the state and taking Christmas with you it can be kind of tricky - and since I hadn't wrapped a single gift there was lots to do! (lucky for me a bunch I just ordered online and had shipped to Utah or wherever already!) Cash helped me with a bunch and then was happy to go watch a show while I wrapped some for him.....he was so excited to see the gifts for him all wrapped up!

This little girl was just happy to watch us wrap!

Also wanted to show her Grammy this bib as she is looking forward to staying with her soon!!!  Despite the look she LOVES baby food and gobbles it up quickly - and she isn't picky - she likes EVERYTHING!!!

Happy December Day!!!

Dec. 18: Sam is Home!!!

Day 18 was a special day for our family!  What better activity then for us to welcome home my littlest brother who has been out teaching about our Savior for the past 2 years!  Seriously the best Christmas present EVER!!!  Cash remembers him, and altho Griffin didn't he was also SUPER excited to talk to him and get to see him on the web-cam!  So this was simply the perfect thing for us today!  I can't believe it has been 2 years since we sent him off, and yet so much has happened and changed.  We can't wait to get to hug him in a few days when we go there!  Thanks for being such a great example to my boys Sam!  We are so glad you served so diligently and are now back home!  

We love Sambo!!!

Best Day of December so far!!!

Dec. 16 & 17: Nativity Story, Songs, & Snowflakes!!!

Dec. 16 was a busy day for us - mom taught RS for her first time in this ward for her new calling, then tithing settlement, and then Cash sang in sacrament meeting with the primary!  It was a great church day!!!  When we came home we all took a nap by the fireplaces - yes we have 2 of them in our house here in Cali!  (I thought we would never use them but actually they are quite cozy right now in our cold (relatively) weather we are having)!  I slept in my room on the floor in front of mine and Chip and I have turned it on the last few nights and it has been awesome!!!  Then we had family time with the Nativity story and singing Christmas songs....Cash was in charge of placing the pieces up on the stable as you see below - he took his job very seriously!

 I had no idea when making these felt pieces how much they would get used and played with! I am SOOO glad I made them because Cash is great at telling the story of Jesus birth and it has taught him why we celebrate Christmas!  Love it!  He sang his primary songs after followed by his favorite - "Holy night, silent night" as he says!  And yes - he dressed himself after church if you were wondering about his awesome outfit!

 Dec. 17 was a day of projects at our house - mom was finishing up some headbands and bows and the boys were helping me with other Christmas projects and so our activity was pretty simple - Making snowflakes!  However, the boys loved it and they were fun even for mom!  And candy canes to eat with it were a hit too!

Happy December Days!!!  Tomorrow is a special one so TUNE IN!!!

Dec. 14 & 15: Disney on Ice and Candy Cane Lane!!!

Day 14 was a day of making Salty Toffee Bark for our friends (and us of course!) and then going to Disney on Ice!  Cash was my helper and we got the recipe from my friends blog - blissfully-baking.blogspot.com   She is an amazing cook/baker and all her stuff is delicious so we knew it wouldn't disappoint!  This was super easy and SOOOO delicious - our first time, but definitely won't be our last!  And if you are around come eat some so that I don't eat it all myself!  Chip doesn't love salty/chocolate together and either does mr. Griffin so Cash and I are working on it......gotta deliver it all to our friends tonight to save my waistline! lol

Disney on Ice was SO MUCH FUN!!! Our friends got the box from his company at the Staples center and it came with food and such fun company!  Our kids enjoyed it - Cash LOVED it all and sat and watched it more than anyone else in the family.  I really enjoyed the Tangled portion the most and am still trying to figure out how the two people in the horse outfit could see in order to skate around!  It was a great night and I love all these ladies!  Thanks Jen for the invite!

 Ivy was already in her seat ready to go at this point but we needed a family photo - tired and full of treats but happy!

Day 15 we headed off to Candy Cane Lane - a famous neighborhood where every house is lit up and they do their trees all the same and you can either walk or drive through.  Many driveways have hot chocolate or cookies or popcorn for sale, music playing, and it is just a magical, Christmasy spirit that is so fun!  We walked through with a bunch of families from the ward and had a great time!  Ivy slept the entire time, but since I was pushing the stroller I didn't get any pictures of us there - or the lights!  On a side note it would really stink to live there and try to get in or out of the neighborhood the whole month long because of how much traffic is going through there.  We walked a lot faster than any of the cars went through.  Also, although it was fun it has nothing on some of the neighborhoods in Utah we always visit! However, you can't walk around looking at lights in Utah since it's so cold so that is something that was awesome for us!

After wards we went over to Handel's Ice Cream - for some yummy treats - yes, another perk of Cali - you can go walk around and look at lights outside and then get ice cream in December!  How fun is that?!  Since icecream is my favorite treat of choice you know I loved that! (although I was actually full from dinner and didn't have any!)

Here Ivy finally woke up and I snapped a picture of her in her cute little polar bear hat!  She is so stinking cute and funny these days!  I love her chubby chubby cheeks!

 Daddy and Griffin enjoyed banana cream pie and mint choc chip icecream cones!  And yes Griffin insisted on wearing a scarf like mommy and Cash - doesn't it look so cute on him!  Love Burberry! My husband's looking pretty good here to eh?!!!

It was a great weekend full of Christmas magic and Spirit!!! (especially after my 10 hour shopping day in which I didn't get a single thing I wanted - boo!!!)

Merry Merry Christmas!!!

Dec. 13: A Trip to See Santa

Yesterday we got up, got dressed up in their Christmas outfits, took a few pics by the tree, and then set off at 9:30 so we would be the first ones to see Santa.  I had checked last Saturday with the Santa workers and they said he would be starting at 10 am every day.  So at 9:41 am we were there, the first ones, ready with our hair combed, happy and fed and hoping to get a great shot.  Once we walked up to the sign, however, I quickly became quite annoyed.  Santa wasn't coming until 11 am today, and 10 am starting on Dec. 14!!!  NOOOOOO!!!!  I wasn't about to stay for 1.5 hours walking around the mall with 3 little kiddos, so we needed a fix.  A quick check online told us at Del Amo mall, right up the street, the Santa there was actually getting their at 10.  So back up we packed, stroller loaded, kiddos loaded, and set off to the next destination, where we unloaded and walked through the big Joanns to get to where the Santa shouuld be.  We arrived at 10:06 am, and were the first and only ones around and so it worked out great.  I was expecting Griffin or Ivy to be upset in the pictures, but as always seems to be the case with our Santa pictures all the kids were cooperative, smiley, and looked right at the camera.....for the most part.  That is until Ivy actually looked up and saw who was holding her - and it wasn't mom but some scary white-bearded guy!  Then she screamed until mom came to the rescue!  Photos were done then so that was ok!!!  We have a tradition of getting the picture with Santa and a frame at a different place every year and then putting them up as part of our Christmas decor - it is one of my favorite ones because you get to see how the kids have changed, and how the family has changed!  Each year I also pick different colors for their Christmas outfits and this year was purple and black - and I LOVE them!!!  People that were walking by stopped and kept commenting how pretty of a baby Ivy was, and how cute the kids all were!  Made me feel proud!!!  Enjoy!!!

This is the one they printed for us!!!

After Santa and before we left the kids saw this ride and just had to have a turn on it - they were so funny!  Fun times and lots of comments from people as they walked by about how cute they were - Cash was telling everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and waving - it was quite cute!!!

 Trying to get a pic of Griffin is very hard - he is always moving and won't look for more than a second - making it either blurry or him not looking!  Love my little reindeer tho!

 The pics we took by the tree before we left!!! G being hard in both of these to get to look!!!

 Getting better!

 My favorite!

 Cash being the best older brother - Ivy reaching for the christmas ornament!

 Funny faces!

 For our Christmas craft today we made paper strip Christmas trees.  Cash cut his out all on his own, and glued his on!  Griffin glued his and mom helped cut his and put them on!  Then we cut out shapes and they glued them on as ornaments with each others papers!  It was a fun activity! The boys loved it!

 Always checking out his big brother!  And sporting his reindeer horns from seeing Santa!

 Close up of their cute trees!

 Last night mom got to sneak out and enjoy a girls night at Cheescake Factory and gift exchange.  It was so much fun!!!  And this is only pic until I get emailed the others!

Happy December Day!!!

Dec. 12: Nutcracker and Peppermint bark!!!

Advent bag day 12 said to make a treat with mom, and go choose out our nutcracker!  Cash has wanted a nutckracker since the season began, and has had his eye on a special brown one with an ax at Joanns. Every time we go there he asks if we can get it, so upon opening the bag and reading the activity he was elated!  He was jumping up and down and just so excited!  Griffin was also excited and just wanted to hold one too the entire store trip.  I explained we would get just and ONLY 1 and it would be to share.  They seemed to understand, but upon leaving Griffin had a bit of a break down that it was only 1.  However, upon getting home Cash was so sweet and let Griffin hold it a LOT of the time.  We also chose out to do peppermint bark snowflakes and got the package at Joanns and brought it home!

What a yummy and fun day!!!

 Getting it just right!

 When we were finished Cash asked if he could take a picture of me with one of them - since we rarely have photos of me these days I obliged - and these were taken via Cash!  The first was a little dark since it was so light behind me so I traded places with him -- and yes, it tastes incredibly delicious!!!  We delivered one to Cash's friend who was turning 5 on 12-12-12!!! (awesome bday right?!)

 Our nutcracker named "Guardian"! (per Cash)

 Griffin cried and threw a fit when Cash held it and I told Cash he didn't have to give it to Griffin but he said he didn't want him to cry and he wanted to make him happy so he happily and willinginly gave it to his brother!  What a sweetheart!

Griffin with the beloved nutcracker....which they broke only a few minutes later (lucky the hot glue fixed it already!)

 My two happy boys!  What a great pair!!!

 Happy December Day!!!

Dec. 11: Popcorn & Home Alone!!!

Today's Advent bag for day 11 was to watch a Christmas movie and have popcorn! 

The boys were SO excited!  My sister-in-law told me Home Alone was on TV so instantly we knew what our choice was and set the DVR!!!  Last year when we watched this I realized it was really too old for the kids - but this year it was great and Cash was full on giggling at it which was so funny!

It was the perfect ending to a crazy day!!!

A few other random pictures as of this last week included:

Cash on the train at the mall.....sort of a little scandal if you ask me but he was on before I could even say no so we just decided to bit the bullet and do it....and I went and paid the ticket!  haha - he sure is cute and it was a great 4 minute ride....he kept wanting to get on again!

This little cutie all bathed and clean!  Happy girl!

Giggling uncontrollably!

 Hanging out with mom while the boys were in the bath - cuddle time is the best!

Grabbing mommy - I love Ivy Jane!

 This little guy all dressed up ready for Ski School - he is finally big enough that this fits and can't wait for his first ski lesson when daddy takes him skiing in Utah in 2 weeks!

 I just might have 3 left handed children - what?!!!  Feeding herself!