Holiday FUN

Nothing says, "thanks for the eyeshadow in my stocking Santa" like these eyes.  Oh boy…Doug keeps telling me that we need to get rid of it fast.

Lyla loves to share my Shakeology in the morning.  I can't say that I mind.  She has me wrapped around her finger, and her daddy too.

I found a new addiction!  Doug's brother gave Ethan and Sydney a Lego set for Christmas and I found myself pushing them back while I did it.  Oops.

Doug's nephew, Josh, stopped by and we took some photos on Christmas day on this couch.  Syd has been begging me ever since to take several different photos of her with her 'babies'.

We went out delivering neighbor/friend Christmas presents.  I made some cinnamon date almonds that took forever, but were so worth it!  My Fit Club friends loved them.  We gave peanut brittle as well.

We spent time with cousins…a lot of it!

We had some time to workout together

Lyla was pushed around in a baby stroller that was collapsing on her.

Lyla got excited about the potty chair.  It stopped there.  Just excitement.  We'll take it.

Took Lyla for her well check and she's finally GROWING!!!

Showed Sydney that the dentist was right--she can't smile.  She has a bad cross bite from sucking her thumb for so many years.  I thought it worked and she was motivated to stop sucking her thumb.  Nope.  But it was a start!

Taking the tree down + family fun

We did not imagine that Ethan would be SO upset about the idea of taking the tree down.  There were tears and lots of threats…followed by bribes…to keep the tree up.  We told him that it was about dead.  Nothing helped.  We eventually had to let him cry it out.  This kid loves celebrations of ANY kind.

We went downtown with cousins to see the lights.  Lyla didn't mind sharing her stroller.

We had my cousin's kids over to play for a few hours this week and they were so cute playing together building a track on the train table.

Lyla loved Derek a little too much.

We stopped by grandma's house this week.  Lyla has finally started to be less clingy to me and show her happy self to the world.  I think my family has wondered if she spent most of the day whining and crying.  She is a really happy kid…just not around 'strangers'.  She loved seeing grandma.

EVE!

I can't believe we are already at the end of 2014!  Doug took the day off work and we bought tickets to Eve--a celebration downtown.  Doug and I spent the morning working out together and Ethan joined us (in his new robe)!

We took the kids to Discovery Gateway and they never wanted to leave.

We hung around until the bounce houses opened (too late!) and the kids played fast and furious for about an hour.

Doug went to get the car to pick us up and couldn't call us to tell us he had arrived.  We sat building Legos while he was trying to reach me to tell me to come outside.  Oops.

Christmas Day

There is something so wonderful about Christmas morning.

We found some steals on KSL and also had some things they were needing.  Got to love Black Friday!

Ethan and Sydney had picked out gifts for each other.  It was SO awesome to watch their excitement in seeing the other open their present.  Ethan gave Syd a Disney princess castle.

Syd gave Ethan a new Magnadoodle because his broke.

In true "mom" style, I got a griddle…and I was so excited!  I have arrived.

Razor scooters…they rode them around the kitchen until we pulled the cars out of the garage and let them ride around in circles for as long as they want.

Ethan and Sydney picked out presents for Lyla using Huggies points from when they, themselves, were in diapers.

I was so tired of hearing them complain about being cold in the morning, so they got some bathrobes.

I also got a pull-up bar to mount to the wall!

Ethan shocked us when he copied the bear on the packaging of the Magnadoodle and did a really good job!  This kid LOVES to draw.

We made teddy bear pancakes and had a yummy breakfast together.

We had a great gift of a white Christmas.

We HAD to then take their sleds and hit a sledding hill.  I was surprised how patient they were climbing up the hill.  It's tough work for those little legs!

We had a little dance party before bed in their new Elsa and Anna pajamas.  Can't get enough of their dance parties (well, most of the time).