Christmas Day

So, I forgot to mention that on Christmas Eve we were going to have a little lunch at our house with some friends and had it all planned out and everything, then Berkeley got Hand, Foot & Mouth disease, which is really contagious, so we had to cancel it. We still really wanted to go to church on Christmas Sunday, and we figured, the Dr. said you had to come into contact with her secretions to get it, so if we just held her the whole time, no one would get it.

We were going to wake up at 6:15, which I ended up doing, but it is really really hard for me to wake sleeping children, especially on Christmas. I spend all day looking forward to nap and bed time, why would I wake them up early when they are so pleasantly sleeping? Anyway, I decided to wait until 7, then I woke everyone up.

We filmed them coming in to see the tree and presents. Cheyenne was so amazed that Santa drank the milk and ate most of the cookies, except one half eaten one. She was sooo excited to open presents, and I love that she always wanted to play with each present instead of just moving on to the next thing. We got so many amazing presents! This was the best Christmas ever! Jeff says I say that every year, but every year I believe it! I had been wanting skinny jeans and boots so bad, Santa gave me some skinny jeans and Jeff and Mom each got me a pair of boots! It was so great. Jeff also got us a new camera! It is a good one, so I told him if I leave the house on my own I will take the old one, since I am a pro at losing cameras. Santa gave Jeff a new wallet which he needed badly. We also got tennis rackets from my brother! This was awesome, because we have wanted them since we were first married, but it was never a priority. It is our favorite date when it is hot out and it works out perfectly since we have the date night babysitting at the gym. Jeff's parents got him a ladder which we definitely needed! Now we wont break our necks trying to change light bulbs by stacking a swivel chair on our bar stools! The girls totally got the hook up as well with some great Dora toys, a puzzle, books, a train, a really fun ladybug game, a light up ladybug, and of course the basketball hoop and ball for Jeff, I mean, Cheyenne. We got so much candy that I am sure I probably gained about 20 lbs, especially since we haven't been able to go to the gym due to Berkeley's HFMD! Cheyenne got this Washington Jersey that we can't wait for her to wear from her great grandparents. It was just so much fun:)

After we opened presents, we got ready for church. I had put rollers in Cheyenne's hair and so I took them out, she was confused, because she thought she was wearing the actual rollers to church. She said, "Why did you take out my princess hair?" I had to explain to her that the curls were the princess hair! haha... Cheyenne and Berks got matching Christmas dresses that are SO adorable, so they wore those. and I decided to wear my new boots. Also, my little niece picked me out a necklace/earring set at the dollar store. She said, "Aunt Stacey would LOVE this!" I don't think my sister-in-law expected me to actually wear it, haha, but Genevieve was right, I did love it! I love anything sparkly, shiny and Glamorous! I don't care if it is totally fake! Oh- and I got a smokey eye make-up kit, so I totally wore almost black eyeshadow to church! Jeff wore his red Christmas tie and looked adorable, as usual.

We tried to get a family picture, but not very successfully. We should have brought our camera to church. Then after church we finally got our temple recommends renewed, so we are going to go to the temple tomorrow! It has been at least 6 months since we were last there. It is a trip much needed. It would be nice if we could go together, but we will be trading off. This is a time we definitely wished we lived by family!

Anyway, after church we came home and Berkeley took a nap while Cheyenne played with her toys and we ate leftovers. Then we all took a nap. For dinner we were going to have fondue, but we still had so many leftovers, we just ate them. We played with our gifts and called family. Our friends Robyn and Steve stopped by for a visit, which was very sweet. It was a great Christmas and the girls loved it too. It made me so grateful for my little family that is perfect in my eyes! We all have our faults and weaknesses, but that just makes it us real. I love our life together and am so grateful for each one of them! Thank you so much to our sweet family who sent us gifts and called us to wish us Merry Christmas, we love you all! Even those who didn't:) You were in our thoughts! We love you! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

One day I will remember to upload the pictures in order!! Until then, here they are backwards again:

After Santa came

Our cookies didn't exactly turn out the shapes they were supposed to be... The dough was too sticky, next year we will make our own dough.

Soo tired during Charlie Brown Christmas:

Berksey with her Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease:

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care:

Her favorite toy:

Cheyenne's hair is getting soooo long!

Making the cookies:

A rare smile for the camera (she usually runs and hides when we get it out):

Two turtle doves! haha:)

Me and my friend the Christmas tree:

We were sooo excited for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I had the entire day planned out. I left early in the morning to get some groceries, then when I got back, Jeff left to get some last minute Christmas gifts. The girls and I read Christmas books, played games, went for a walk, and played with toys until nap time. The day went by sooo slow!

After their nap, we had Ham, Potatoes, Gravy, Homemade bread, salad and stuffing. It was so delicious. Then we put on a Christmas movie while Jeff and I cleaned up. Then we finished making Ginger snaps, and made and frosted sugar cookies. Cheyenne kept eating all the dough, so we had to banish her from helping until they had cooked. She also kept licking the cookie cutters, so we were down to only about 2 or 3 useable ones.

We mixed glitter and cereal and sprinkled food out for the reindeer. We let the girls each open 1 present on Christmas Eve. Cheyenne and Berkeley each chose one from their Great Grandma Slesk. Jeff and I loved it most, it was the cutest ever Washington jersey, some adorable jeans and tennis shoes, then the girls got some matching shirts. We also told the nativity story and sang a few Christmas carols.

We put Berkeley to bed first, then I put Cheyenne's hair in curlers before bed, so I wouldn't have to do much to her hair the next day for church. Then we put the milk and cookies out for Santa and finally put Cheyenne to bed. She was so excited, she kept getting out of bed to go to the bathroom. I kept telling her Santa was going to skip our house if she wasn't asleep, but she just couldn't go to sleep. She FINALLY fell asleep around 10 or 11.

Then Santa came and brought the toys. Since he brought a little hoop and ball, Jeff was so excited! I was in here on the computer and I heard him shooting for like 15-30 minutes. Then I came out there and he beat me like 5 times in horse. I asked him if I could practice for a minute. I shot like 7 times, then he was like, "Okay is it my turn now?" He was LOVING it! I couldn't stop laughing:) It was a great Christmas Eve!!

Sponge Rollers

My friends Rachel and Molly at church are always putting sponge rollers in their girls' hair and I thought it was the cutest thing ever. I asked them how to do it and bought some. The first time I did it right after Cheyenne took a bath and that didn't work because her hair was too wet and never got fully dry. The next time I just used a spray bottle to dampen her hair and it worked. I don't really like it right when I pull it out, I think it looks weird all tight, but at the end of the day, it is sooo pretty when the curls have gotten looser. Also, the best part is that since you don't use hairspray or anything it looks really natural. Here is a before and after picture with the rollers. We call it "Princess Hair."

This was after her nap, she doesn't usually like when I take her pictures by the way:

It is the cutest thing when the girls would watch Christmas movies together. This was after their bath:

Picnic in December?

The weather this year in Georgia has been BEAUTIFUL!! Well, some are annoyed, because it doesn't feel like Christmas, but not us! That is one of the reasons why we love living here, because it is so warm! A few weeks ago, we were coming home from the gym and we were driving with the windows down. I couldn't believe it was so warm! I drove by the sign and it said 75 degrees! So the girls and I decided to have a picnic lunch in the front yard.

While we were sitting out there, the mailman delivered a package to Cheyenne for her birthday- it was PERFECT timing! It was from her Grandma Connie and Grandpa Frank. She opened it and LOVED it, she immediately had to put it on. It was a Rapunzel nightgown and wand. She even discovered (on her own) that the wand lit up in several different ways (she was really proud of herself and had to teach everyone else how to do it). I think she looks like the Rapunzel girl and she has really really long blond hair like her so it was the perfect present!! She had to wear it to volleyball that night too and it was the cutest thing ever:) Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!!

She's Three!!

Cheyenne's Dora Party!!

She got this soccer Dora for her birthday which was my favorite, since I am really hoping my daughter will share my love of sports:

Berkeley playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Berkeley Lynn:

Cheyenne loves those olives!

Lunch:

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

Cheyenne waiting for her friends to arrive... she was SO excited!

Berkeley in her party outfit:

A little birthday sign, the gift bags and Cheyenne's first 2 years of life shutterfly books (I usually have the new one for her birthday, but I haven't even started it this year!! I am so behind!)

I loved this, the frosting was so pretty, but it was kind of hard and tasted a little gross... hey, at least it looks good, right?

I was so busy thinking about Thanksgiving, when that was over, I realized Cheyenne's birthday was the next week! I thought about not doing a bday party especially since I hadn't planned anything and had a ton of other stuff on my mind, but Cheyenne is so obsessed with birthdays right now, I knew she would love it. I decided to do it during the day, because I wanted an adult to be with the kids, but it gets to be expensive and too much planning when you have moms and dads there, and Jeff didn't mind missing it.

Then deciding who to invite was so stressful. There are so many kids her age at church and she just loves everyone. I decided to have her tell me who to invite and that's how I decided! I wanted to limit it to 8 kids total, because that's all our table seats. With Berkeley and Cheyenne that left 6 kids to invite. She picked the kids she does pre-school with, the little boy I used to watch on Mondays, and of course her best friend Layla. I also wanted to invite a friend who was in town visiting, that we used to do playdates all the time with. It is so hard, because you don't want it to be so many kids, but at the same time you don't want to be exclusive. That's why I just had Cheyenne pick who she could think of, because then I didn't have to feel responsible:) Anyway, so I sent out a computer evite (thank goodness, I would never had time to send anything via snail mail!).

Then I took Cheyenne to Wal-Mart and let her pick out the plates (she chose Dora, of course). I decided to get little gift bags. We had all the stuff in the cart and she goes, "Mom you got way too much stuff for my birthday!" I thought it was so funny. I asked if she thought I should put it back and she said no.

When the kids got to the party, it was most everyone's first birthday party and they are still pretty young, so everyone was really shy. We played "Duck, Duck, Goose," then put on some music and started dancing around. Then we fed the kids lunch which was just a bunch of random stuff kids like: tiny hot dogs, ham, cheese, crackers, blueberries, bananas, pretzels, oranges, apples, chex mix, olives, pickles, yogurt, etc. After lunch, we played pin the tail on the donkey, which was okay, except some kids weren't ready to be blindfolded, so only a few of them played. Then I handed out the little gift bags while Cheyenne opened presents which was perfect, because at this age kids have a hard time sharing, so everyone was looking at their own presents when Cheyenne opened hers, so no one felt sad! Then the kids just played and we went outside and played sidewalk chalk as people left.

It was so much fun and I am so glad I decided to throw it together. I can't believe my little girl is already 3!!! Since she has turned 3, she has been more of a challenge, but I still love her so so so much!

Volleyball

Volleyball has started again! I got this new whiteboard for 40% off at Hobby Lobby and I am LOVING it! I have the 15-1s again, so the group just younger than my last year's team. We will be playing power instead of club, so that will be a challenge. This group is very talented though, so I think we can handle it. This is the best job ever and I love every second of it:)

Thanksgiving

We did little sweet potato souffles in the cupcake tower:)

Oh my goodness I am so far behind on my posting! For Thanksgiving this year, Aaron and his family were so sweet to come and spend it with us! Andrea had to drive all three kids on her own, so I know it was especially hard for her. Aaron and Andrea bought a new car while they were here, so they spent much of the time researching to find the best deal. As usual it was so much fun having them here and they are always just so fun to be around.

We had a delicious and easy peasy Thanksgiving dinner. None of us are that into cooking or being fancy, so we bought an already cooked Turkey and an already cooked (honey baked) ham. We made the sweet potatoes mostly the night before if I remember correctly. Then the potatoes were easy and we had pre-made rolls as well. We ate off of paper products so the clean-up was a breeze as well. It was my kind of Thanksgiving! Oh Andrea did make a blackberry pie, and I bought a pumpkin one.

I would like to say that we spent the morning playing in a turkey bowl, but Jeff's high school football team was still in the state playoffs (Elite 8) so they had practice Thanksgiving Day. When he got home, he and I headed over to see if people in our ward were still playing, but since it was about 11:00, they had already finished. Jeff and I threw the ball around a little and kicked some extra points (seriously I don't understand why so many kickers can't make those... I guess I didn't have people running at me to tackle me though). It was so fun because we got to be with family- thanks Aaron and Andrea for making the trip up here:) I plan on keeping it this way in the future, I would much rather be out enjoying sports with others than stuck in the kitchen cooking- bleh!! From now on, I am going to buy pre-made stuff or make stuff the night before!