Gingerbread Houses & Christmas Trees

I have been so thankful to be able to have the opportunity to spend time with my kids in their classes. I look forward to volunteering in each of their classrooms. I was able to go in and help Karmindy in her preschool class this month. Her class frosted and decorated Christmas Trees with candy. Karmindy loved frosting and decorating her Christmas tree and took such great care in decorating it. She wanted it to look just right!!!

I also had the opportunity to go in and help in Kaleb's class too! I am grateful he hasn't reached the age yet were he is embarrassed by me coming in to help. I like that he still gets excited to see me. Kaleb also did a great job decorating his house. He is so artistic and it is fun to watch him be creative.

I love both my kids and I am so grateful that I got a chance to help out in both of their classrooms this month and spend some quality time with each of them. I am so grateful to be their mom and I feel so blessed to have such sweet kids.

Christmas Projects At Preschool

Karmindy has been busy in preschool this month making cute Christmas Crafts. She made a Christmas Stocking with her name on it. They hung them in their classroom throughout the month and then got to bring them home filled with candy at the end of the month. They also made a fun Santa Claus. Karmindy loves craft time at Preschool. I enjoy all the cute things she brings home. It has made our home so cozy to see all her cute artwork hung around the house. I am proud of my little girl!

Christmas

 We had a wonderful Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve, Mark and I have the tradition of giving the kids new pajamas. This year we also splurged on robes for the kids. Kaleb has been asking for his own robe for I don't know how long. So he was super excited when he opened up his pajamas and he had a robe to wear with them. Mark and I also got new pajamas. I love our tradition of new pj.s on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, we also let the kids open a present from another. This year, Karmindy and I found Kaleb a Yoda Gum Ball Machine. He is loving anything Star Wars and so he was thrilled when he opened Karmindy's gift to him. He even gave her an extra squeeze that night before bed. I think he was excited. Kaleb gave Karmindy a  Slinky Dog for her gift from him. Karmindy has been wanting a slinky dog since the Toy Story Movies came out. She was over the moon when she opened her gift and kept running up to Kaleb and thanking him and squeezing him tight. I think she was pretty thrilled with her slinky dog.

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, I think it is because everyone seems a little kinder, a little more thoughtful and very giving. I wish we could all embrace this mindset throughout the whole year. Each Christmas, it is fun to look back at what we have accomplished, ponder on our trials and blessings and give thanks for the many things are Heavenly Father and our Savior have done for us. I am so grateful for our Savior, his birth, his life, his example and his sacrifice for each of us. He is truly the reason for the season. Merry Christmas!!

Another Snowy Day!!

  We have gotten a TON OF SNOW THIS WINTER!! I have hated it. For some reason, this winter has hit me hard. I have been a little bit in a funk and I hate having the weather affect me in such a way. I have been kind of a grump and a little depressed. After almost five years of living in Northern Utah, the snow has finally gotten to me! Ugh. I really don't mind the snow around Christmas Time because it makes it seem so Magical but even before Christmas this year, I was hating the Snow. I take this as not a good sign for possibly living in Northern Utah for the rest of my life. However, even though I don't care much for it, my kids love it. We have gotten a lot of really good snow storms and the kids have been able to build forts, snowmen and have snow fights. Another plus, is that we do live in a neighborhood with a lot of great kids/ built in playmates. After one particular snow storm the kids all showed up at our house and built snow forts. Mark and I ended up going out and helping the kids. I also hurried inside and quickly made the kids flags for their forts out of some leftover felt and wooden dowels I had on hand. The kids all loved them and felt like they had an official fort! It was pretty cute. At least the kids are getting some enjoyment out of the snow!!

Neighborhood Friend Brandon Rowe and Kaleb Throwing Snowballs and Building a Snow Fort! Kaleb adores Brandon and even though Brandon is four years older, Brandon always takes time to talk to Kaleb and make him feel included. I know Kaleb looks up to Brandon so I am so grateful for such a great neighborhood and great neighborhood friends.

These are some cute little snow bunnies! Mckenna Rowe, Karmindy and Taryn Smart. I helped the girls with their fort and I thought it turned out awesome!!  Karmindy was in heaven playing with the big girls. They were so nice to include her!

Preschool Christmas Program

 Small Wonders Preschool puts on a Christmas Program for the parents of the students that attend the preschool. They did the same program when Kaleb attended. It is a darling program, and my favorite part is seeing the kids in their Reindeer antlers. Karmindy was darling in her antlers. For the program, the kids sing Christmas songs that they have learned, do a bell medley and recite poems that they have learned. It was such a cute program and put me into the Christmas spirit. Karmindy had a fun time performing especially the Bell Medley. She did a great job and was right on when it was her turn to ring her bell.

Karmindy loves her Preschool Teacher, Mrs. Gaylene and looks forward to seeing her every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have been lucky to have her as Karmindy's teacher this year. She is such a sweet lady who really has Karmindy's best interest at heart. I am so thankful for such good educators.

  I love my sweet girl. Mark and I were so proud of her. After her performance we took her out to lunch at Arctic Circle (her choice) and let her play on the playground. She had a blast.

 The performance was on one of the last days of school before Christmas break. Karmindy's teacher, Mrs. Gaylene sent a present home (new book) with each of the kids and a goodie bag filled with candy and little treasures. Talk about her students being spoiled!! Karmindy was pretty excited about her presents!

Karmindy has loved having a familiar face in her preschool class, her neighborhood best friend Emilia Pidcock. These two girls are as spunky as they come. I am sure Mrs. Gaylene has her hands full with these two! Merry Christmas!

Our Thankful Tree

 About two years ago, we started the Tradition of having a "Thankful Tree" during the month of November. A friend of mine started this tradition a few years ago too and after reading about her experiences on her family blog, I decided to do it for our family, I have loved it. 

Having this as a family tradition has been awesome! I have felt like it has helped our kids really think about what they are grateful for. I also think that it has made them more aware of the many blessings we truly do have in our life. So each Monday night during our Family Night in the Month of November, we take a moment and record what we are thankful for on our leaves and place the leaves on the "Thankful Tree."

This year, I decided to do a bit more work and make a nice tree and laminate it. Last year, I spent some time cutting out leaves and the tree and it was so very, very time consuming. After the month was over, our poor little tree looked a little bit "loved." I also felt sick having spent so much time on it and then knew that it wouldn't  last until the next year  in storage, so I ended up throwing it away!

This year, I made a new tree and I laminated it. I also made new leaves and laminated those and I just used an erasable marker to write on the leaves. So by the end of November, it allowed me to wipe them clean and put them in storage for next year. I hope it will be well worth it. I wish I had been smarter a year ago. Oh well, you live and learn, right?

It truly was fun at the end of November to see all the things we were thankful for. In fact, we ended up running out of leaves so next year, I will be making more!!

I am thankful for our Thankful Tree and for the opportunity it has provided my little family to appreciate the many blessings the Lord has blessed our lives and family with.

Jingles Comes for a Visit...

For the Past Two years, our family has participated in the tradition of having an Elf visit our family through the month of December. "Jingles" normally shows up the day after Thanksgiving and stays til Christmas Eve. Jingles job is to watch the kids during the day to see if they are being good or naughty and then report back to Santa nightly to let him know how the kids did during the day. On Christmas Eve, Santa takes Jingles back to the North Pole with him. 

This year, Jingles showed up on November 30th on our doorstep via snail mail. He was wrapped up in a brown paper package. Kaleb and Karmindy LOVED getting their package and a personalized letter from Santa! The kids have also enjoyed waking up very early see where Jingles is hiding in the morning. Jingles is always doing something a little mischievous during the evening hours.  On the first night they awoke at 5:30 a.m. to see where he was. Oy Vey. Mom and Dad were sure tired that first morning! It has been a very exciting tradition for the kids and they truly look forward to this fun memory maker!

Fall Piano Recital

Back in July, Kaleb started taking Piano Lessons from a lady in our ward (Tawna Broadhead). Kaleb is loving piano lessons and has improved so much the past 4 months. It has been so fun as his parents to see the improvement in his playing. On November 27th, he had his very first piano recital. The recital was held at our church building in the Relief Society Room. He participated with 25 other kids and each one of them played a Holiday Song. Kaleb was assigned to play, "Over the River and Through the Woods." Kaleb nailed his piano piece. He did a wonderful job and we were so grateful to be able to go as a family and support him. What a special boy he is! It is such a treat to be able to watch him grow and progress at this new talent.

After the recital, we headed to Mc Donalds for dinner (kids choice). The kids enjoyed their happy meals and enjoyed playing on the playground for the rest of the evening. It was such a fun night out with our little family. We are so proud of you Kaleb and the hard work you have been putting in to developing this talent!

Thankful Time at Preschool!

Karmindy has enjoyed going to preschool this month. It has been a fun month of crafts and learning about Thanksgiving time. Karmindy has enjoyed learning about the Pilgrams, Indians, Indian Corn, and the First Thanksgiving. Karmindy makes the cutest little Indian. I love my little Sleeping Bear!

Ward Halloween Party

Each year our Ward puts on a fun Halloween party for the families in the ward. In years past, we have done a trunk or treat and chili and pie cookoff; however, the past couple of years they have changed it up and done a carnival throughout the church. Our kids have loved this and look forward to going. All the ward members are encouraged to dress up and we love dressing up as a family. This year, Mark went as a Vampire and I went as Rose the Riveter from WW2 era. We both got lots of compliments on our costumes and so did the kids. 

Little Monsters...

 Today was the annual Trick Or Treat Fest at Mark's Office at the Church Office Building here in Riverton. The office totally shuts down at 2 pm and the families of the employees come in and trick or treat to all the cubicles and offices there at the building. The kids loved the Trick or Treat Fest last year and have been looking forward to going this year for as long as I can remember. After Kaleb got out of school and off the bus at 2 pm, I got the kids dressed in their darling costumes and we headed out. The kids had a blast visiting all the cubicles and filling up their buckets. They really got quite a load, in fact, while we were waiting for one of the elevators to go home, we got talking to a family who said that their daughter got 7 lbs of candy last year! Wow! We didn't get that much because we were only there for under and hour but the kids had plenty of candy. I am pretty sure they would have stayed longer if we had let them. Karmindy really got into it this year and loved going from cubicle to cubicle. 

 The kids and Mark on the lookout for Cubicles with Candy!

 Mom with her cute little Spooks!

Dad with his lil' Munsters!

It was so fun to go and visit Dad at his work and have another Halloween activity to do as a family and make  fun memories.

On another note, the kids have been so excited for Halloween this year!! Kaleb has enjoyed changing our family Count Down to Candy Countdown and will proudly tell me each day how many more days till Halloween. Karmindy will tell me everyday that Halloween is coming and that it will be "Very Sppppooookkkyyy! She says it in her very spooky voice and It makes me giggle.

The kids have also been super excited to dress up. Kaleb chose to dress up as a Jedi Knight  this year and he is so handsome in his costume. Karmindy has been so excited to dress up in the Bee Costume that I found last year. Karmindy has loved dressing up in it and pretending to fly around the house buzzing and pretending to sting Kaleb. She has such an active imagination and it makes me laugh. I have to wonder where she comes up with the stuff she says! :)

The kids are so eager for Halloween to come and truth be told, I can't wait either! I love the whole excitement of Halloween- the weather, pumpkins, candy, yummy baked goods, decorations, and dressing up! Such Fun. It truly is one of my favorite holidays!

The Buzzy Little Bee is Off to Get More Candy!

Reflections: The Magic of a Moment

Kaleb's 2nd Grade Teacher this year, Mrs. Goodman, required all of her students to participate in the Reflections Program. Kaleb was excited to participate; especially when he found out that it mean that he would get a ribbon and a coupon for a Shake at In N Out for just entering. This year's theme was called, "The Magic of a Moment." Kaleb drew a picture of our family playing  in the snow. He did a great job on his picture! Even though he didn't place at the competition, we are so proud of him for completing a task that was expected of him. You are a winner to us Kaleb and we love you!

Halloween Fun- Time off Track!

 It's tradition to cram pack in some fun activities during October while Kaleb is off track. Besides going to Corn Belly's and Gardner Village we like to do some fun things here at home. The kids LOVE to make our Traditional Pumpkin Shaped Sugar cookies. They help me with the long process of mixing the dough, cutting out the shapes, frosting and decorating. Even though Kaleb refuses to eat them he loves to decorate them! He is such a silly boy when it comes to eating homemade goodies. He would prefer store bought!  Go figure! Maybe one day he will appreciate what is good for him! :) However, Kaleb is getting quite the good little cookie decorator! The picture below is a cookie that he decorated all by himself!

Karmindy loves to eat the cookies! At least one of my offspring is mine. I am in awe that Kaleb hates homemade cookies, cakes and pastries. It makes me quite sad. Karmindy however, can't get enough!!

Another thing we tried this year was making chocolate covered banana ghosts. The kids loved them! It was a simple activity/boredom buster that we did one afternoon together. It was really simple and the kids loved the result! I love simple cooking crafts!

One of the last fun outings that we before Kaleb headed back to school, was meeting up with some friends one afternoon (The Pidcocks) and going to "AIRBORNE."  It is a trampoline fun place located in Draper, Utah. Airborne features huge trampolines, play centers, foam pits, balance beams and a small zip line. Kaleb and Karmindy LOVED it and begged to go back once we left for the afternoon.

It has been a fun month of some very fun activities and memory makers while Kaleb has been off track! So glad when I can spend time with my little "Chillins" and make fun memories with them!

Corn Belly's At Thanksgiving Point

I love having Kaleb home for several weeks during October (he is off track), it has become a tradition for our family to jam pack as many Halloweenie Activities in before he heads back to school. I love the holidays and I love making it fun for Kaleb and Karmindy. I hope they will always remember the fun times we have had as a family and the fun memories that we have tried to make for them. This year since the kids are getting older, we decided to forgo the Barnyard Boo which is held at Farm Country at Thanksgiving point (Carnival type games directed towards smaller kids) and head across the street and check out Corn Belly's the kids were just the right age and we had a blast! For the past couple of years, it has been a tradition as well to buy the kids a Halloween shirt to wear to all of our Halloween Activities. The kids always look forward to having a new shirt to wear!

 The kids loved sitting in and Driving the Old Fire Truck!

Kaleb and Karmindy enjoyed jumping on the big pillow (inflated trampoline), discovering the different play area displays, eating deep fried snickers bars, going on a hay ride and just having fun. It was a fun outing for our whole family. The kids are looking forward to going again next year and so are Mark and I.