Christmas Cookies

I've never done Christmas Cookies before.  Audrey's been asking to do cupcakes and sprinkles.  I keep telling her that we will some other time.  We've had too much sugar around this house.  I finally caved and decided we'd do gingerbread cookies instead.  Although a pumpkin cupcake with a cream cheese frosting is sounding really good right now.  

Her favorite part was choosing sprinkles at the store. She kept pulling more and more off the shelf.  Luckily we only left with three. :)  We waited so patiently for Paul to get home.  I have to say that after this experiment I would much rather decorate cookies than Gingerbread houses.  This might be our new tradition.  They were yum.  I might have let Audrey have two right before bed, and I might have regretted it later.  Christmas traditions are the best!    

Later in the week we went to see lights.  There's a community here that has a contest every year.  Each street decorates and then prizes are given each year.  Audrey enjoyed sitting in the front seat and hanging her head out the window.  I don't think she remembers last year because she was just as excited to see the same lights.  She asked me later in the week why we didn't have lights on our house.  I didn't have an answer for her. I guess we're boring people.  Someday our house will look like Christmas on the outside too!

Snow

For weeks before we got to Utah every time I would mention that we were going to Grandma's house she would ask me if there was going to be snow and if we could build Olaf.  I prayed for snow.  Sunday morning we woke up to snow.  She was so excited.  It was priceless to watch her. Prayer answered.  I was glad we got to experience winter for a little while.    

Family Pictures

We went out to take our family photos for this years Christmas card.  It was kind of a disaster.  I was trying to fit it in before we left to Utah so we tried the only day that Paul was going to be around.  The sun never came out and the lighting was terrible.  Despite the fact that you can't see anyone's eyes I did like a few of the moments we captured.  I can't help but love my little family.  I have the best husband and daughter a girl could ask for. We'll have to try the pictures again.  Hopefully I can get something before it gets too late.  

"Talk for this one Mama"

Audrey loves pretend play right now.  She loves acting out the entire Cinderella story with her Polly pocket princesses. It was fun to build her a house today out of blocks. She often brings me something and says, "Talk for this one Mama".  I don't last very long with my prince impersonations.  There's only so much that the prince can say before he wants to go take a nap.  I do a lot better with Cinderella and Minnie Mouse.  This morning she wanted me to talk for her elephant. She doesn't want her stuffed animals talk with one another she wants me to talk for them so that she can have a conversation with them . 

Sometimes I feel like the invisible Mom who lives through her stuffed animals.  As long as I can be myself sometimes I don't mind. 

Gratitude for My Little Girl

I have such a sweet little girl.  I don't know what about this week that has made me extra extra grateful that I have her.  I can't help but reflect on the difficult things that have brought me here.  It took time, patience, tears, pain, lots of doctors, blessings, prayers, and so much more to get her here.  She is more than I could have asked for.  And even though she's three, I still reserve the right to call her my baby.  I know a lot of people say that you shouldn't be your child's friend, but I don't live by those words.  I love hearing her tell me that I'm her best friend ever.  She's mine too.  I know that you might be thinking that I live in a dream world.  I know there will be times when she yells that she hates me, but through it all I hope that we can always be good friends.

Lately she's been telling me before she goes to bed, "I love you so much!".  Nothing brings me more joy at the end of the day than to hear her say that she loves me.  I'm loving three right now!  Yesterday we were laying next to each other on the love sac watching a show. When we're laying down I usually put my arm around her and she snuggles in.  This time she put her arm around me and pushed her cheek right up next to mine.  I laughed because I thought it was so cute.  

Lest you think she is perfect, she does give me a run for my money every now and then.  It's during those moments that I have to remind myself that it's truly a miracle that I have her.  

She and Paul are the best things in my life and the best things for my life. I am so grateful that I have both of them.  I am so blessed.

Halloween

Every year I think that I will be on top of things.  Every year I plan to coordinate costumes and be awesome.  Someday the amazing plans in my head with actually happen.  At least Audrey was cute. 

It was so fun for me to get her all dressed up.  I cannot describe the excitement (pictured below) on her face as we made her dream of being a princess come true.  We have relived Halloween over an over again, because she loves wearing that dress.  

I think every mother dreams of dressing up their little girl.  It's fun to be girly with someone.  Today I thoroughly enjoyed being girly with Audrey.  

 A day after Halloween I asked her if I could take some pictures of her in her ball gown.  Of course she was happy to.  She danced and danced and danced on our front porch.  If you can't tell, she's been observing a ballet class the last couple months so that she can join in January.  I'm so proud of her ballet poses, even though the pictures turned out dark.  

Ward Trunk or Treat.  Paul was a train engineer, and I was a sorry excuse for a fairy.  Happy Halloween!!!!

Temple Love

We were invited to a Baptism today and a Sealing.  My cousin's son was being baptized.  I didn't really know Cherie before I moved here.  We found out through family that we don't live too far from each other so we started getting together.  It turns out that we have a lot in common. Quilting sessions and Photo shoots are sure to come in the future.

 I love taking Audrey to Baptisms because I feel like it's a really good experience for her to witness something so special. Instead of Baptized, she says, "Bathtized".  I think it's cute.  Cherie's sons each gave a talk.  I was awed and amazed when Cherie said that she didn't help them write them.  She has some really good kids.  Here's hoping that I can teach Audrey as well as she has taught her children. 

After lunch we headed to the temple.  We were invited to the sealing of a family in our ward.  They have been members of the church for a year and today they went through the temple and were sealed to each other and their daughter.  I felt like it was really important for Paul to go because he and Sidney are really good friends.  I've always wanted to show Audrey the temple, so Paul went to the sealing and I walked around the temple with Audrey.  I tried to teach her as simply as I could about the temple.  She was a little upset that Daddy got to go inside and she couldn't.  She kept telling me that it was her castle.  She danced and sang almost the entire time we were there.  I felt like she knew that it was a special place.  And now she knows what our temple looks like.