December Recap

December is already a blur. With Thanksgiving so late in November, the Christmas Season seems like it came and went so fast! I felt a little jipped.

Matt's parents came to visit for a few days in December. Kaitlyn and Skylie relished the attention. We visited Garfield Park Conservatory, the Lilly House, and the surrounding grounds outside the Indiana Museum of Art. We also saw Santa and Mrs. Claus at the nearby library. I'm kicking myself for not getting any pictures of the kids with Nana and Papa.

Hiking outside the the art museum

Hiking outside the art museum

Visiting Santa at the library. Skylie bravely told the jolly red elf she wanted a trampoline for Christmas.

The kids and I visited the Children's Museum a time or two.

As a family we checked out the holiday lights and ate frozen yogurt downtown. This is one of my favorite holiday traditions.

Matt and I opted for a low-key Christmas Eve and Day. Two families joined us for Christmas Eve Dinner. I'd said I'd come up with some holiday activities for the kids to do. It ended up that they watched the Nativity movie put out by our church. (I am just that cool and creative these days.)

Early Christmas morning Skylie burst into our room exclaiming that Santa had come and had brought two great big presents. We made her wait for over an hour for Kaitlyn to wake up before we began opening gifts. The suspense about killed her!

Each year I claim that the kids are only getting "one or two things and that's it!" But somehow by Christmas morning the amount of presents under the tree explodes--thanks to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins who spoil these girls.

It took our family three-and-a-half hours to open presents! Even though everyone got a somewhat modest amount of gifts (about eight each) the girls loved taking their time opening presents and playing with the loot. It was so, so fun, and I definitely recommend taking that approach if your kids will allow.

Camelot Jr. game. I highly recommend this game. It's puzzles increase in difficulty so that even older kids are challenged. One night after the kids were in bed Matt and I tried to do some of the "expert level" puzzles. We weren't successful!

Kaitlyn loves her shopping cart. For some reason, I adore the look Kaitlyn's giving Matt in this picture.

My brother, who has no children of his own, is surprisingly good at giving gifts to my kids. Both Skylie and Kaitlyn love this flower building kit.

Santa granted Skylie's wish.

Matt and I gave the kids art supplies--washable paints, a few wooden and ceramic toys to paint, markers, and construction paper. They may have loved the $1 birdhouses as much as they loved the trampoline. Both painted birdhouses are hanging in our tree now, and Skylie says "maybe it can be a bug house because it's too little for birdies".

Later in the afternoon Matt took us to see the movie, Frozen. So cute!

When Matt and I got our Christmas tree this year I told him that the day we set up the Christmas Tree may be my favorite day all year long. To me, decorating the tree kicks off the holiday season and fills me with anticipation of all the fun that's coming.  But I've changed my mind. Christmas day is definitely the best!

Hope you had a great day, too!

32 Week Pregnancy Picture

Taken December 29, 2013 at 32 weeks pregnant

 This picture was taken almost four weeks ago. Saturday I'll be 36 weeks--precisely how far along I was when Kaitlyn arrived. I'm trying to prepare myself for the possibility of being pregnant for another entire month, but I have my doubts that will be the case. My OB told me today that I'm dilated to a four, 80% effaced, and that the baby is positioned quite low, at -1. 

I've been feeling good lately and for the most part have been sleeping alright. I know it's best for the baby to cook a little more inside, but I'm also excited to get this baby out of me and to have my body back.

I caught Matt laughing unmercifully at me on Sunday when I tried, unsuccessfully, to reach over and pick up a toy that'd fallen off the pew at church! Kaitlyn's deemed me the Mommy Hippo, and on Monday Skylie drew a picture of our family with "Mommy and a BIG belly". I love all the sympathy I'm getting around here! :)

Surviving the Cold

The arctic freeze hit home here in Indy. A foot of snow dropped Sunday followed  by temperatures dropping at times to -20 degrees Farenheit. A foot of snow isn't significant for this Utah girl, but for Indiana it's monumental. That, and the plummeting temperatures, was enough to send this city into lock down mode.

Thousands lost power (and heat) in their homes. Fortunately, we weren't among them.

The kids and I survived for three days locked in at home by eating lots of yummy food and watching way more movies than should be allowed. I even gussied up enough motivation/boredom to complete a refinishing project I began way back in October.

I poked my nose out the door a time or two, and it was enough to send me reeling for a blanket and space heater. I should have stepped up to the plate and shoveled the driveway some, but I let Matt--who likely has strep throat--handle that feat.

Matt ventured out both Sunday and Monday. He worked Sunday morning, but arrived home before the worst of the storm hit. Even though his clinics closed down Monday and Tuesday, he still had to interview residency applicants Monday morning. Roads, he said, were treacherous--and not even the interstate was plowed.

Though school was canceled again today, the kids and I just had to get out! Skylie didn't even protest too much when I insisted she get in real clothes instead of her beloved jammies. That folks, is sayin' somethin'!

We're excited at the prospect of warmer temperatures! Earlier today Skylie asked if we could "pretty please move to Georgia where it's really warm". Maybe then we'd have weather reports like this:



I hope you too are staying warm. :)