Twas The Night Before Christmas...

This year for Christmas, we ended up staying here in New York.  It was nice to start some new family traditions with our own little ones.  Christmas Eve started out with some last minute shopping, and me making a cake for a get together that evening with some friends...

I have really gotten into cake making and decorating and I thoroughly enjoy it.  I am very proud of my cakes and I get excited when I get to see the way they turn out.  Here is this year's Christmas Even creation:  

The inside of it was Red & Green--it was pretty sweet!

After returning home from a Christmas Eve party at a friends house, the girls, along with Mike and Rhett got to spread reindeer food all over the front yard...this was so the reindeer would surely NOT miss our house---basically it is a redneck way to bait the reindeer in, just like using "feeders" to lure deer in...

After getting their Christmas jammies on...the classic "in front of the tree" photo-op.  Dont mind Addie's "sweatin with the oldies by richard simmons" headband...it came with her princess jammies she had on.

Addison was tracking Santa about every minute that night on Google Earth...she pretty much tracked him up until the moment we made her go to bed---which was right before Santa was about to hit New York.

Before heading up to bed, Addie put a special "Santa Key" on the front door.  We, unfortunately, do NOT have a fireplace, so we left a "Santa Key" on the front door for Santa to use to get into our house to leave the presents so he wouldnt get charged for breaking and entering.  Addie was quite concerned with how Santa would get into the house without a fireplace, and without someone calling the cops on him---thank goodness that special "Santa Key" worked!!

Special "Santa Key"

Reading their new Christmas Book, every year on Christmas Eve, they get to open up a new Christmas book to read.

Laying out cookies for Santa and carrots for the Reindeer

We were more than excited when it started snowing Christmas Eve Night!  

                                    

We FINALLY got our White Christmas!!!  The snow was gorgeous, and our house was a "belong on a postcard" picture perfect!  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!

Zoey's version of "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer"---silly girl

Snow Fun

After surviving the "end of the world, the very next day (12.22.2012), we had our first "real snow" for December.  Just in time for the Christmas Holiday.    Addison was more than excited and right away got outside and started playing in it.  This child probably was out there for like 2 hours, and would've stayed out longer, had I let her.  She LOVES the snow.  The girls had a blast, as did Mike.  He has been so excited for the snow to arrive.  He got to try out his new snow blower on the driveway and was very excited to do so...I also got to try it out, and not gonna lie, it was kind of fun  :)   On 12.23.2012, we made our first snowman!  We thought he turned out nicely.  With Rhett's Darth Vader hat on his head, a carrot nose, and black charcoal from Mikes grill for his mouth and eyes, along with extra Christmas garland as his scarf---he made out to be one nice lookin'snowman, despite all the random stuff we used to dress him up.  So far we have been able to enjoy the snow, its fun for now, we will be over it by January, that I am sure :)  I am sure this will be the first of many "snow" posts for this year, so I am apologizing now, although, just like beach pictures, I think snow pictures are the most fun and cutest!  Enjoy!

One of Addie's many snow angels she made

Our ZoZo, this is the first time she stayed out in the snow for longer than 5 minutes

 2 crazy sisters

Mike and the girls, proud of the snowman

Me and my girls

Our Snowman

This girl loves the snow way too much

I told Zoey to pose for me and this is what she did---fell backwards and played dead for me...this is one silly girl

Addison and Daddy

And of course a Zoey and Daddy shot

They are calling for more snow this week....bring it!!

12 - 1 = TOO GROWN UP

On 12.11.12, Rhett turned the dreaded 11 months!  1 more month and my baby isnt so much a baby anymore!  Ugh, I am so excited to plan his 1st birthday, and yet I dread it.  Oh well, they gotta grow up sometime.  At 11 months, Rhett is walking along furniture, has no desire to learn how to walk on his own, though, still smiles all the time, continues to be the most laid back baby, EVER!  Still sleeps through the night.  100% is attached to his 'passy'. Although is cute as can be, and laid back, he is turning into quite the stink when it comes to getting into EVERYTHING.  I am talking cupboards, drawers, the dog food, pushing buttons on the xbox, wii, DVD player, the DVDs, he has broken off just about all of our door stoppers that are unfortunately on the ground.  When I say he is into everything, I mean EVERYTHING!  Good thing he is cute.

The other day, Rhett also got to buy his very first manly hair gel!  He no longer has to smell like his sisters (we have been using girly gel for his hair b/c thats all we had).  We finally broke down and bought him his own.  This kid has had 6 haircuts already and is almost in need of his seventh!  Now 6 haircuts may sound like a bit much, but seriously, this is not me being anal about haircuts, this is b/c if 2 months have passed, this kid starts to have the mullet look, seriously, it grows that fast!!  We love this kid and LOVE that he is ours.

our sweet, happy 11 month old

his first manly hair gel, he now smells so...manly!!

excuse my hand, he was trying to eat my sign

and of course, a passy picture...the kid is attached to the darn thing

All I Want For Christmas Is My 2 Front Teeth...Oh Wait!!!

Addison LOST her front 2 bottom teeth!  HOLY COW, where has my little girl gone!?!  About a week ago, I noticed that Addie had 2 new teeth growing in behind her 2 bottom teeth that already existed, it was then that I motioned her over to me where I felt her 2 existing teeth and noticed that they were lose.  I told Addison to keep working on wiggling those teeth to get them more loose so that we could pull them out and then the tooth fairy could come visit her.  Lately, before we discovered the loose teeth, she has been on this big "tooth fairy coming" kick, not sure where it came from, so when she discovered that her teeth were a little lose, she got so excited and she has been working on losening up those 2 teeth on the bottom everyday.  Finally, on Friday night, I was feeling her teeth and notice they were barely hanging on there, so I told her that it was time for me to pull them out.  I was on my way to get the dental floss when Addison freaked out and did not like the idea of us pulling her teeth out, as stubborn as this child is, she yells at me and says "NO mom, I can do it by myself!"  And sure enough, that little fart reached into her mouth, and pulled her first tooth RIGHT out of her mouth using her bare hands, not even 5 minutes later, she reached into her mouth and pulled the second tooth out.  She surely showed us who was boss  :)

SO she has officially lost her two front teeth, the bottom ones that is.  Much to her advantage, the 2 new ones are already growing in there, so she doesnt look too silly with 2 teeth missing.  That night, much to Addison's excitement, the tooth fairy came for a visit leaving Addison 2 chocolate coins, a $1.00 bill, and a note from the tooth fairy, herself, complete with fairy dust (sparkles) on it.  She was very thrilled and mommy and daddy were very relieved that the Tooth Fairy did NOT forget to come that night.  And that about sums up our excitement over the weekend :)  This was just another sign that our little girl is growing up (insert another mommy tear here).

Pulling her tooth out, herself

Gingerbread Fun

This past Tuesday (12.11.12), we had some friends over for a Gingerbread House Decorating Party.  It turned out to be a great success and we hope to do it again next year.  I had made up all the houses the night before so that my cookie icing that I glued the gingerbread graham crackers together with could surely be dry in time for the kids to come over.   It was a great day full of fun, sugar, and memories.  Thanks to everybody who made it out to make this party a success.

I love this picture, b.c notice that 3 out of 4 kids there are licking the knifes to the frosting.  Yummy Yummy!!

I didnt take a super amount of pictures, but at least I got some, eh!  

Ward Christmas Party

This past Saturday (12.08.2012), we attended the Pittsford Ward Christmas Party.  It was your typical ward/church Christmas Party.  Full of casseroles, desserts, and of course a Christmas Program.  This year, they ended the program with the primary doing the nativity scene.  Addison was an angel in the pageant, and a cute little angel she was.  She was great doing her part and it was fun to see her participate in it.  She got to be with all of her friends, which made the play interesting since they were all running around the stage area together.  Anyways, thanks Pittsford Ward for a very nice party.

Rhett enjoying the church party

She is in between the Green and Yellow Shepherds

A Belated Thanksgiving Post

Soooo, if you havent noticed I have been a little MIA.  With the Christmas season in full bloom, things have gotten a little crazy around here.  So here is my pathetic Thanksgiving post.  Not that Thanksgiving was pathetic, but this post is going to be because I hardly took ANY pictures...yeah, I basically suck in the picture taking department.  Anyhow, Thanksgiving this year was low key and fun.  We stayed put here in New York and decided to have our friends the Chandler's and the Rassmussen's over to celebrate the holiday this year.  Mike "smoked" a turkey on the Big Green Egg (a big, fancy, expensive grill) and it turned out fabulous!  We had a great Thanksgiving full of great food, laughter, and delicious desserts.

This year we did a "thankful tree".  I got the idea off of pinterest #iheartpinterest  I found some sticks off of the side of the road and put them in a vase, and then I bought some sparkly, colorful leaves from Michaels on clearance and WA-LAA!  Our very own Thankful tree.  Each day the girls would think of something they were thankful for and would put it on the tree.  It was a good way for us to reflect on the things we were most thankful for.  We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and here's to hoping for a wonderful Christmas!

My fabulous centerpiece for Turkey Day Dinner...I was quite proud, it was even prettier with all the candles lit up

The Green Egg "smokin" the turkey inside of it.....mmmmm