My Favorite Look

I just love the look of a child with only their
front tooth gone :)

Yesterday Emmie left for school without a single loose tooth!

She came home missing her front tooth.

I asked her what happened and she said that she
had bumped her mouth and it made her
tooth a little loose.

Then she said, "So I decided to just yank it out!"

Emmie is my "tom boy"

When Maddie and Talbie had a loose tooth, it was a week long ordeal
of crying and wiggling to make it come out.

I'm thankful for Emmie :)

Big bucks from the Tooth Fairy!

Jessica's Birthday

Our sweet cousin/niece, Jessica passed away 18 months ago.
Her birthday is on December 28th and for the past 2
years we've held a candlelight birthday rememberance
for her.

It's become a neat tradition that the family can share in.

Christmas Eve

We always spend Christmas Eve at my parent's house.
Before we head over, we open our new PJ's
so we can wear them all night and
Christmas morning!

The cousins (minus Boston and Ally)

The "loot"

Me and my baby! (OK he's Brittany's but I can have
him whenever I want!)

Maddie and Daddy

Grandma and Boston

"#1 Grandpa" (the hat Logan gave Grandpa)

Talbie made this sleigh for grandma

Cody helping Ally open one of her gifts

Bronson's first present - a case of V8 juice!

Talbie's "Twilight Journals"

Bronson's next gift - Grandpa's penny collection

Boston's present :)

Maddie was spoiled by grandpa this year (big shock!)
Her Christmas gift was supposed to be a ticket
to the Elton John/Billy Joel concert in
February. Then grandpa decided to buy her this too!

All the other kids got ipod touches

Dave got some itunes gift cards but the kids stole
them and spent them on Christmas day!

Dallin's money :)

crisp and new $2 dollar bills

Thank you mom and dad! We were truly spoiled
again this year and we always have so much fun at your house!!

PS - for those of you that don't know, my mom's basement
is decorated with her Santa collection
all year round!!

Christmas Dolls

When Maddie was a baby I bought some doll kits from a
lady in my mom's ward. They made them for a "Homemaking"
Activity. I made this "Anne of Green Gables"
doll for Maddie her first Christmas and then a
"Pollyanna" doll her 2nd Christmas. I had 4 doll kits
left over for a future Christmas but I never made them.

This Christmas I decided to break out the dolls and make them...

"Anne"

First I had to make the bodies... (They look a little creepy, I know)

Then I made bodysuits for them so I could attach
their arms and legs.

Then they got skirts...

...and aprons

Then their crowning glory - the hair!

I gave one to Brittany and the other 3 to my girls.
I love them and I hope they cherish them forever!

(If they don't I'm taking them back!!)

Merry Christmas Video

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Christmas Eve

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve :)
The excitement is brewing at our house and the
kids are bouncing off the walls!

Dave and I are going to start the day with
a trip to the temple in the morning.
It's only open until 10:00 am tomorrow
so we are going bright and early.

I can't wait

Santa Baby!

Remember the Santa costume Dave bought last year?
(Click HERE to remember the visit to Brittany's
house and the FALL :)

Yesterday he got dressed up again to go pay a visit
to Dallin and Boston

As we were walking over to Brittany's house
the kids were making fun of his
"back fat!"

The Heal kids after their visit and
their presents

Emmie - not even scared a little bit!!

Ward Christmas Party

Last night was our ward's Christmas Party.

It's always fun to get together with our
friends and neighbors.

Before the party started there was a special visitor that came.
Emmie put on a brave face and went to see Santa.
I could tell she was scared to death!

The ward choir put on a beautiful program after
the dinner. It was to the songs from
Michael McLean's Forgotten Carols

Emmie and Bronson had the parts of play
children during the song
"Mary Let Me Hold Her Baby"

Maddie played Mary.

Maddie (Mary) with her friend Kurt (Joseph)

Piano Lessons

I was teaching a piano lesson a month or so ago when
Emmie said, "Mom, I REALLY want to
take piano lessons."

Is is my 4th child that has begged for piano lessons
and so far 3 have quit playing the piano!

I usually have to hire a piano teacher for my
kids because we just don't "jive" if I'm the one
trying to teach them. We end up wanting to kill each other!

I think Emmie will be different for some reason
so I agreed to start teaching her.

So far - so good :)

Logan (Brittany's son) has also wanted to learn how to
play the piano. On Monday they didn't have any homework to do
(they are in the same school class and usually like to do
their homework together) so they were playing and after about
a half hour of sitting in the living room, I realized that Emmie was teaching
piano lessons and was quizzing him on flash cards and the
notes she had just taught him.

We'll see if it lasts as long as Emmie's piano lessons do :)

Annual "Girl's Night" Christmas Party

We had our annual "Girl's Night Christmas Party" this week and
we had such a great time. I just love the friends
in this group. We've been friends for years!

Brittany, Sasha, Sommer, Shea

Michelle, Brittany, Audry

Shea, Me, Sommer

Kristi, Jenn, Michelle

We had a gift exchange AND a white elephant gift exchange.
Poor Audry ended up with one of Dave's sculptures :)

This is the white elephant gift I ended up with.
It's homemade and one of a kind so I'm sorry
to say that you can't run out to the store and get
one of your own :(