New Years Eve

We started off our new years eve day buy taking down all our Christmas decorations.  Gretchen took a few pictures.

 Kinslee was a big help with unpacking all the ornaments. 

 She also helped with the lights. 

 Growing up my family always did fondue for new years.  My siblings even gave us a fondue pot for a wedding gift.  We had never used it until this year. 

 Cheese!

 Easton 

 Gretchen

This isn't the best picture but this is one of my favorite things, super salad.  So yummy.

We also had homemade Peach Pleasure Jamba Juice that tasty pretty close to the real thing. 

Traditions

I grew up in house where we had traditions for almost all holidays and I loved it.  Today as I was taking down my Christmas decorations I was thinking about traditions and how fun and important I think they are.  Each year we buy our kids a new ornament, so when they are grown up and move away they will have a few to start on there own tree.  This year I didn't help at all, Easton and Gretchen picked without any input from me. Here are this years ornaments.

 Kinslee's

 Gretchen's( I think it is totally cool)

 Easton's

 Another tradition we started 3 years ago was Elf on the shelf.  Our elf is named Chester.  My kids love looking for Chester every morning.   I love the magic and excitement for kids at Christmas time.

This is our manger for baby Jesus.  It starts out without any hay.  We read a story called the last straw and then every time we do something nice for someone else in our family we get to put a piece of hay in.  Easton really enjoyed this one this year. 

All night and no more bottles!

I decided to stop being a lazy mom and made Kinslee start sleeping through the night.  I hated hearing her cry because then I couldn't sleep so I would make her bottle.  Last week I had to deal with her crying for 4 days.  She now sleeps through the night.  There is an occasional cry but she seems to go back to sleep a lot sooner.    This week we also packed up the bottles and she now drinks out of a sippy cup.  I was a little worried at first but she picked it up way quicker then I thought.   

Christmas Morning 2011

In the past I have been so excited that I almost had to go wake up my kids so that we could open presents.  This year Easton fully gets what is going on.  When the kids went to sleep Gretchen said you mean Santa comes tonight?  She had no idea.  Anyway we told them when they wake up to come wake us up.  At 4:45 Easton was shaking Chad awake.  We made them wait five more minutes so that we could wake up Kinslee. 

 

 I am all about the picture before they see what Santa brought.  As you can see they are not. 

 They were so excited. 

Kinslee is scared of her present.  It is this dang cute Ariel doll.

   Gretchen got a cute Rapunzel doll just like it.  

Easton got this awesome racetrack.  Our whole family has enjoyed this present.

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Eve was pretty much like every other Christmas eve.  We decorated cookies.

 Then we delivered a few treats and gifts to people.  

Then we ate our traditional clam chowder dinner.   Then we did our traditional driver to look at Christmas lights.  Then we came home and opened up PJs.  

 Aren't they cute?!! 

 Kinslee still doesn't really get the whole unwrapping thing.    

 Kinslee wouldn't stay put to model her pjs.

Easton and Gretchen wanted a picture with Chester our elf before he left.

Temple Square

I Love going to temple square to see the lights. 

 Gretchen asked me to take her picture in front of this nativity.

 Our whole family in front of the temple.  I was so excited!

Kinslee took off her mittens and was ready to go at this point. 

Christmas Dance Recital

Gretchen had her Christmas Dance Recital last night.  Gretchen looked so cute in her dance costume. She did great.  She sang the whole song and danced every once in a while.   On the drive home Gretchen told me she danced a lot and I must have been looking at her arms because you dance with your feet, so I must have missed it.

 Here is a picture of Gretchen with her Noelle, Charly, and Kendall who take dance at the same studio.  It is fun to be able to watch them all dance at the same recital. 

Lots of people came to support Gretchen.  Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Fran and Robyn, Uncle Chuck, Aunt Andrea, Marshal and Mom, Dad, and Easton.  Kinslee was not invited because she makes it no fun for mom or dad so she got to go to a babysitter.