Early December

My lack of blogging is starting to take its toll on pictures. I have hardly taken any this summer so I am making an effort here, but if blogger doesn't start working WITH me on some level that I am DONE.

December is always a busy month. Here is a little glimpse of our life in pictures.

These pictures are mostly for Grandma. She made these headbands for the girls. It warmed up too much for them to use them last year, but this year they got lots of use. I love the second picture. I told the girls to hug each other so instead of turning around Audrey just put her arms around Ella's back.

Our favorite time of year is when the neighborhood has the Little Blue Choo Choo and Santa comes! The girls saw Santa so many times this year that Tom taught them to respond when he asked what they wanted "The same thing I told you last time.)

Their was a dusting of snow so we got the girls all ready and it had stopped by the time we got them outside. I love the one of Audrey goofing off. It shows her true personality when normally she just scowls at people she doesn't know well.

Audrey reading directions to make sure we put the tree up properly.

I let the girls really help me this year get the tree set up. They loved it. I like to call it "Cluster Decorating". Every night after they went to bed I would have to go even out all the decorations again. PS. On the picture of just the tree I would like to point out the cream ball in the top left side. That is Tom's Jazz ornament. He says I always hide it high and in the back. Proof that is not true.

This is our very first gingerbread house. We had been promising the girls that we would make it for several days but didn't read the directions until we sat down to make it. You are suppose to make the house a day or two before decorating it. Since the girls were too anxious at this point, we just used the hot glue to put the house together. (Don't worry, no candy was consumed off the house once it was put together, just from the pile of treats we were using to decorate from.)

The girls had a Christmas Program at school. Yep we can call it a Christmas Program because it is a Baptist school. Audrey would only look at me and scowl at the rest of the audience. Ella did great until she got pushed a little and then meltdown and crying ensued. The last picture is of Ella with some of her friends and teacher, Ella, Cecelia, Ms Melissa, Alexandria, and Cicedio.

This year our group of friends didn't have an Ugly Sweater Party, we did a PJ party instead. This was the only picture that I felt would be appropriate to share so that tells you that it was a pretty GREAT party.

Happy Birthday Audrey

So I am soooooo behind on my blogging, but we really did celebrate Audrey's birthday. With Thanksgiving so close to her birthday and our busy season for work we decided to keep it low key and went to Chuck E Cheese with the Hinmans and Burtons. When we were telling Audrey we were going to Chuck E Cheese, she would get mad saying it was HER birthday not Cheese's birthday. Her whole attitude changed once we got there. She LOVED it. The kids had so much fun on the rides and the pizza didn't taste as much like cardboard as I remember. Now is it more like edible paper..... anywhoo, the kids had a awesome time. I think the giant horse you could ride was probably the biggest hit for my girls. Audrey asked to go to Chuck E Cheese again every day for weeks and weeks. Sorry about the quality of pictures. My camera just couldn't make up for the terrible lighting.

Audrey, Happy 3rd Birthday sweetheart! You are such a big girl now and I am missing my baby. Here are just a few things I love about you:

• You love dressy dresses. Sunday is your favorite day just because you get to glam it up.
• You still love to snuggle mom.
• You get mad when people call you nicknames. You are Audrey. You don't even like being Audrey Hindmarsh and get very upset when we tell you that is your name.
• You love to dance like there is no tomorrow.
• You sing at top volume.
• You love to play with others but you are just as content being by yourself.
• You still love mommy best, but daddy is starting to make some good headway.
• You love to torment Daisy.
• You are potty trained. Hurray!
• You are eagar to share. I love how willing you are to share with others.
• You love to feel like you are "big". And I am getting a little sad that you aren't much of a baby anymore.
  

We love you Audrey!

Knoops! And Thanksgiving

You know you are pretty special to us to have a whole Blog post named after you. Our BFF couple, the Knoops came out to visit us for Thanksgiving this year. They moved to New Mexico last year and last Thanksgiving was the first in years that we have not spent together. We are assuming they missed our cooking so much they came to have Thanksgiving with us again this year. We had so much fun catching up and hanging out. I don't have many pictures (besides the Poinsettia pictures). We were too busy just having fun.


Travis and Devony



We caught Audrey in the toy box, literally, before Thanksgiving dinner. The Knoops and Manwills came to dinner. I love hanging out with these guys. My girls ADORE Madi and Alex. Before dinner we went to Metrolina Greenhouse and took our annual pictures in the flowers (We missed last year with the Knoops being gone.) Travis has some major hookups to be able to get us into Metrolina!



Riding in the carts.

We DO NOT take good family pictures. There is always someone off. Lately it has been Audrey. She pulls out the tears everytime the camera comes out. Our last family pictures was a 2 1/2 years ago. Sad I know but hey, that kids for you! Thanks for the visit Knoops, we sure miss you.

Random Thoughts

A couple things have happened the last few days that have made me love and appreciate how my mother raised me. As many of you know I am the Primary President in our ward and Tom is the Executive Secretary. That means that we are at the church a lot, especially Tom. He has meetings every Sunday from 10am-1pm then we have church from 1-4pm. Twice a month we have Ward Council and it is from 11:45-12:50 then church from 1-4pm. That means that we both have to be there for those meetings. My kids are getting a little church overload. They love love love church and Primary but they by the end of these long Sundays they are DONE! (And they do not love the pre-meeting time. Not that they don't love to play, it is just too long of a day for them.) I am starting to send my counselors to some of the meetings, but unfortunately I have to go to at least once a month. There is another family in our ward that both couples need to attend Ward Council so we are not the only ones in this position. It means that we need to have a nursery for ward council so our kids are taken care of. The YM/YW organization has taken on the responsibility of "Ward Council Nursery". I have a lot of gratitude for these youth that so often give so much service. I also think what wonderful lessons they are learning about unselfishness and serving in the church at such a young age. Thank you so much! I know that when I was young and had opportunities to serve my parents encouraged me to participate but never forced me. I watched as my parents served in their callings even when they had reasons they could have said no. I remember my mom serving in the Young Womens organization, even when she was going through harsh chemo treatments. How easy would it have been to say no??? I never even gave a second thought to it at the time. Now that I am an adult and know how much work goes into callings, especially those involving the youth, I am amazed. I am also humbled and grateful that she DID accept and magnify her calling. Without saying a word, she taught me how to look beyong myself and think of others by serving in the church. Our church cannot function without those that belong to it serving. No one gets paid in our church. It requires sacrifice, but also makes me appreciate it so much more. Thank you so much mom for teaching me to serve at a young age! Only now can I truely appreciate how small of a window we have to teach our children and especially how short of a time she had to teach me. And I am grateful for a church organization that gives us the opportunity to serve in our youth. I know it taught me so much at the time, but even more is that it prepared me for serving now.

I laid in bed last night thinking of how amazing my parents were about always alway serving in the church, serving in the community, and helping others. I can remember my mom helping those in need. Whenever we saw people outside the grocery store in need, my mom always gave. Many times she would stop to talk to these needy people to find out there circumstances and how she could really help. On one occasion I remember my mom bringing a couple home who had been homeless outside Smith's. They ended up living in our travel trailer. My parents helped them look for work and they eventually bought the trailer from my parents and moved into a trailer park. Quite honestly I don't know that I would feel comfortable bringing strangers into my house, but that was just how my mom was.

On a lighter side, I saw a friends facebook post where she was ranting about someone she saw smoking while pregnant. For some reason it reminded me of a story my mom used to tell me about when she was pregnant with me and I wanted to make sure to write it down so I wouldn't forget it. Back when my mom was pregnant was with me there were no "clean indoor air acts". You could pretty much smoke wherever you wanted to, including GROCERY STORES! I can't even imagine that now and how that would have to taint the taste of all the food in the store. But I guess growing up in Vegas has its disadvantages. Anyway, my mom was very pregnant with me and in line at the grocery store. There was a long line and the person standing in line behind her smoking away. My mom politely asked her to not smoke because it was making her sick. The lady made some rude comment to my mom, something along the line of "no way" but not nearly as nice, and then blew smoke in her face, and continued to smoke. Within a couple of minutes, my mom turned to her and threw up on her. That was so typical of my mom!!! I know that the woman helping the homeless couple and the woman who would throw up on a stranger doesn't sound like they would/could be the same person. Both are typical of my mom. She would help someone as much as she could, espcially if she felt they were doing their best, but if she thought that someone was being unjust or rude, she would also put them in their place. I need to have the guts to step out of my comfort zone to help those around me........and to stand up for what I think is right. I hope I can be just a small portion of the person she was.

Giving Up

I try to think that I am not a Quitter. I am more of a Never Starter , especially if I think I won't follow through on something. But I am losing the passion for blogging. Mostly because I am so behind. Notice no Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines, fun playdates? The winter months are my busiest for work and I don't have time to do much. Now that I have time it is hard for me to want to blog when it is 80 degrees outside. (Yes, it is February and 80!) So I am really going to make an effort to sit and write out my blogs for the last few months. Be patient with me and hopefully someday I will be caught up.

Tattoos

I know I haven't blogged in a while and need to do a major catchup but I thought I would quickly blog this before I forgot.

Today Ella and Audrey had a Valentine's Party at school and later swapped Valentine's with a friend. The friend (who I will not name to protect the innocent) gave the girls Valentine's with tattoos. I am not the biggest fan of the temporary tattoos, but the girls really wanted to put them on. Ella decided to do it while I was fixing dinner and didn't know the directions, so she soaked her hand, then stuck on the tattoo. Well, you are suppose to have a dry hand and wet the paper. I tried to help her fix it but half of the Barbie dress was completely messed up. In true Ella fashion, she had a meltdown because it didn't turn out like she was hoping or planning. She literally cried for a half an hour......straight.

So Dear Ella, let this be a lesson to you when you are older and are thinking that maybe a real tattoo is the way to go. If it messes up, which is very likely, you can't wash it off. And you might be crying for longer then a half hour. Love you, Mom

Birthday

This year's birthday was kind of a whirlwind. Tom was out of town because his grandfather died and it was an insane week for me at work, but when Tom got home he put together a party for me with some of our friends. It was fun to be surrounded by people you love. He also got me lots of stuff to pamper myself.


The girls told me that they had a special present for me in the living room, when I went down there were all my shoes. They have been infatuated playing Shoe Store and Ella told me for my birthday I could pick any pair. I love when I have to re-buy my shoes but at least this time it was with pretend money.