Family Christmas Card

Ah - Our first Christmas card as a little growing family. So presh!

Enjoy the Holidays everyone!

A Trip to the North Pole...

This is Claire's first Christmas - and we are enjoying even more than she is! She isn't interested in the Christmas tree yet, her favorite present will be the wrapping paper and she's still too little to play in the snow. But still, Christmas seems more magical this year because Santa will be visiting our house and leaving present for Claire.

We actually introduced Claire to Santa at the Ogden lights. We used to go there when I was a kid to see Santa and I always thought that it was the North Pole. Claire loved the lights and looking at the different Christmas booths. I was interested to see how she would do with "the big guy."

She was adorable! She didn't cry and she wasn't afraid at all. Instead, she looked at him, touched his beard, looked at us and blew a HUGH raspberry. "So this is Santa huh? So what?" Santa and his elf laughed and said that they had never seen a child do that before. Ah - my little princess who loves to blow raspberries at stranger.... I wonder who she gets that from?

Christmas dress from Grandma Schmidt

Claire took a little nap while we waited in line to see Santa

Santa warm and magical house!

The raspberry!

Claire was so fond of the candy cane that Santa gave her that she didn't let go of it the whole night!

Ah... A breather!

We've entered a new chapter in our life.... one of relaxation for the next couple of weeks. I know, sounds really lazy right? Yesterday Kelland and I realized that we've have been running from one thing to the next since last August. Last year I was working as a preschool and dance teacher, taking online classes, and I was pregnant. Even after we had Claire and she was still in the hospital, I had to run up to campus to take an exam for one of my classes! After resting and adjusting to mommyhood for a week - Kelland and I jumped into directing at Sunset Junior High and we were there everyday with our little princess. This was followed by performing in two other shows, finishing up my school contract at work, intense callings, and both of us taking a full load of classes summer and fall semester, not to mention another directing gig - ah, if we didn't love those teenagers! Someone has to right?

I attribute this "need" of always having to be busy to my dear sweet mother. Growing up she involved us in every activity. And I mean every activity. Gymnastics, soccer, piano, softball, ballet, swimming, singing, theater, basketball.... We were always running from one thing to the next. She used to say, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". I became so used to the busy schedule - it's become a habit.

The semester finally ended as did most of the other things keeping us so busy. It was a hard semester! We took Claire to campus with us and traded who went to class and who played with her in the Non-traditional student center. She made more friends on campus than both us combined! If she wasn't such a people person and so good- natured there would be no way we could do what we did. We both did great in our classes (So far, I have four A's), but like everything else, it had to come to an end. Now, on weeknights we look at each other and say, "Did we have anything planned tonight?" Then, we turn into the birds from The Jungle Book - "So whaddya wanna do?" We haven't had this much free time in just over a year...and we're not quite sure what to do with ourselves. For starters, we have been deep cleaning every area and cupboard in our house to get things all organized and spick n' span. We have a personal "No Eating out for 90 days," and we are on day 15! (Holding strong - eating out is one of my biggest temptations!) We love having Netflix, and it's greatly reduced our entertainment budget:) Kelland put up Christmas lights on our house for the first time since we've been married and we are enjoying our growing little girl who is just over eight months old! Also - I've been able to bring out my crafty self again. I'm not great at making things - but I LOVE to do it! I love having little projects going to work on in spare time.

My amazing crafty sister-in-law Brook taught me how to make tutu's - and Claire got a little photo shoot:




My sister Annette came and spent the night at our house with her little boy Hyrum. Him and Claire played and took baths, and Hyrum got to wear one of Claire's pajamas to bed. Doesn't he look cute?

Playtime!

Happy Turkey Day!

I love Thanksgiving! Good food, family, followed by a nice long nap :)

My parents spent Thanksgiving in Texas with my sister who just had twins - so the siblings all got together and cooked up a Thanksgiving feast.

Kelland with the boys

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Snowed in!

Or so we thought.

We heard all these rumors that a huge blizzard was coming to the Wasatch Front and that we should take every precaution. On the radio they said that we would lose power and that if you didn't have a generator to stuff all your windows and doors with towels. Kinda scary news when you live in an old house with a little one! So - to be safe we spent the night with Kelland's parents. Claire got to play with cousins and did great sleeping somewhere else. Even though the storm turned out to be pretty wimpy we had a great evening!I can never keep both of Claire's socks on at the same time - small feet, just like both of her parents.

Bananagrams with Broden and Shaylee

Declan and Claire

"All I want for Christmas..."

Bathtime!

Claire - You love taking baths! You love to splash and play games and you are great at letting me play with your long hair. Aw - the memories!

Playtime!

Kisses...returned!

Today I can vouch for dad - you actually can return kisses on the cheek! Two times this afternoon you grabbed my face and planted a big one. Ah - you're gonna be a great kisser - all tongue:)

So Many Kisses!

Claire, you have developed this new trick with dad that is the cutest thing ever! Nope, no talking yet. As much as we reinforce you to babble and say "Mama" and "Dada" you are only interested in blowing raspberries - which you have become a master at. Nope, not crawling yet. Today while we had some floor time you loved when I put you on your hands and knees - all smiles. You're still working on holding that position by yourself.

Your trick is giving kisses back to dad. I know right - you're still pretty little, how is this possible? Dad exclaims to you, "So many kisses!" and then proceeds to kiss you over and over on your cheek. You must have been fed up with the act or dying to return his affection, because yesterday you started doing it back. After getting several kisses from dad on your cheek, you grab his face and plant a huge slobbery, open-mouthed kiss right on his cheek! When dad told me about it and even had fellow students at school to back up his story I didn't fully believe it until I saw it for myself today! So cute! Claire, you have us wrapped around your little finger.

7 Months and Growing!

I can't believe that I have been a mom now for just over 7 months! Claire, you are growing so fast and you get more fun everyday! You love to eat her fruits and vegetables, give kisses to dad, and you are the best raspberry-blower around!

You love to sit with mom and dad at the piano and bang out your own tune :)

Daddy showing you how a drum works...

Yep, as you can tell, you got it all figured out!
You think drums are best thing since diaper cream!

Happy Halloween!

This is my fourth year celebrating Halloween with Kelland. Here's our costume lineup-
1st year: We were just dating and I dressed up in crazy orange and black attire.
2nd year: We were Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty. This costume was especially great because it was a Presidential election year. People really liked our costumes!
3rd year: We were the couple from Grease and dressed in 50's attire.

This year, we've added one more person to our group - making matching costumes a little more complicated.

I finally finished our family's Halloween costumes this year! Don't look too close - they are pretty simple, but I'm so relieved to have matching family costumes that I don't even care! Next year, I am not going to procrastinate!

Announcing: The Flintstones!

Check out our cute little Pebbles!

Ah - could my life get any better? Great daughter, great husband, great place to live and lots of room for me to grow! Happy Halloween!

Claire - I took you Trick-or- Treating for the first time... and you only last about 15 minutes. It started raining and it was windy and cold. As I held you walking around you kept whimpering until I gave up and took you home - little diva :)