Happy Birthday Addi!

It's hard for me to believe my baby is 4. I hate that she is growing up so fast! She's my little princess and I'm going to be so lonely when she starts school in a year and a half. She had a great birthday though.

Here she's opening the blanket Grandma Lyman made her. She loves it! She opened it first and then thought that everything was from Grandma. For the next couple of days she kept saying, "the princess dress (or fairy dress, tea set whatever) that Grandma gave me." I kept telling her that we gave them to her. I think she finally believes me but if not you're seriously her hero Grandma.

Showing off all her loot. She got a new fairy costume and a princess costume along with a tea set, a new princess backpack, and food for her kitchen.

Because we were having a birthday party for her on Friday (her birthday was on Wednesday) we just got mini cupcakes for her to eat on her birthday. I know I might be a little biased but dang she's cute!


Of course she couldn't wait to get dressed up. For the three days after her birthday she never even got dressed in real clothes because she wore her new dress ups all day.

For her birthday party we had a princess party. We asked all the guests to come dressed in their princess best. Addi got all decked out in her new stuff before the party. Isn't she beautiful?! The girls each made a bead necklace with their name on it and Jensen painted all their fingernails and toenails with glittery polish.

Then we got to the good stuff, the presents!

Aren't they all so beautiful?!

Addi picked out a cute princess cake.

She had a hard time blowing all the candles out.

Love that blue frosting!

After the birthday party her cousin (and BFF), Livvy got to spend the night. They had so much fun playing with all of Addi's new stuff.

Happy 16th Birthday Kristen

Okay, I know most of you are thinking, "who the heck is Kristen?" She's one of Kolton's best friends and he wanted to throw a surprise party for her 16th birthday and me being the best mom ever helped him do it. We ordered her a batman cake and it was really cool. They had a lot of fun playing games with their other friends.

Yes, that's a tiara on her head. Kolton made her wear it the whole evening. Every girl needs a tiara, right?!

My Fat Butt

So yesterday Addi says to me, "I don't like your fat butt."

In shock I said, "Addi, that's not a nice thing to say, I don't have a fat butt."

To which she replied, "It's a fat butt, I can see it."

Nope, sorry not posting a picture, but I'm sticking to my story, I don't have a fat butt!

New Year's Resolutions

Tonight for Family Home Evening we talked about the importance of goals and each set some New Year's Resolutions. I am posting them on our blog to help keep us honest and so we can check back at the end of the year and see how we did. Check up on us from time to time and see how we're doing.

FAMILY GOALS
1. Read scriptures and say family prayers every day.
2. Have FHE every week.
3. Find ways to save money

MATT
Actually Matt is in Wyoming today so he wasn't here to set some goals but I'll see if I can get him to set some and I'll post them later.

ME
1. Attend the temple at least once a month and try to go twice.
2. Get muscles by toning 3 times a week (I want to be able to do at least 20 real push-ups by the end of the year).
3. Lose the jiggle (anyone who's done Turbo Jam knows what I mean :) by doing the above and cardio at least twice a week.

KOLTON
1. Get my eagle.
2. Get a 4.0.

ALEXI
1. Read my scriptures and say my prayers daily.
2. Work on my Personal Progress.

JENSEN
1. Try to finish The Book of Mormon.
2. Say my prayers every night.
3. Work on my scrapbook.
4. Save more of my money.
5. Work on my Faith in God.

OAKLEY
1. Clean my room.
2. Be nice to everyone.
3. Help more.

ADDISON
1. Sleep in my own bed every night all night (okay, she didn't actually set this goal, I did but maybe it'll happen :) She tries to climb into bed with us in the middle of the night most nights and when we don't let her she goes and climbs into Lexi's bed.

Christmas break

Okay, so I got way behind on my blog again so I'm just going to do one long post of what we did over Christmas break. On Tuesday, Dec. 23 our neighbors invited us to go on a hay ride with several other ward members and go caroling. It was really cold but a lot of fun.

Oakley, Addi, and I cuddling to keep warm.

The trailer was even decked out with Christmas lights!

After we were done caroling we went to one of the ward members houses for chili and hot chocolate. We ate in the workshop out behind their house.

They had a wood burning stove that everyone crowded around to keep warm.

Addi enjoying her hot chocolate.

The next night was Christmas Eve. We took the kids to the movie Bolt and then went to Winger's for dinner. When we got home the kids each got to open a present from Grandpa and Grandma Lyman.

They all got some new jammies!

Then we had a surprise visitor. Santa stopped in for a quick visit and gave the kids a candy cane to tide them over until morning. We were all relieved to see him because we didn't know if he knew we were home this year. We went to Blanding for Christmas for the last three years and were afraid he would leave our presents there again.

On Christmas morning we all met in mom's and dad's room to read the Christmas story in the scriptures and say family prayers. Then we made our way downstairs to see if Santa had made it back after we went to bed.

He did and it seems he enjoyed the chocolate milk and cookies we left him.

After we were done opening presents we spent a lazy day at home enjoying our new stuff.

Alexi and Jensen got a new game for the Wii called Outdoor Challenge. It was hilarious to watch them play it.

Later in the evening we went for a drive and went to see Christmas lights. When we got back home we made hot chocolate and popcorn and watched a movie. It was a great relaxing day but we all agreed it wasn't nearly as much fun as when we go down to Blanding. We all voted to go back down next year.

We had a lot of snow during Christmas break and the kids had a great time playing outside. We had some huge icicles hanging off our roof and Matt knocked some down for the kids to play with. Matt also got the four wheelers out a couple of times and hooked sleds to the back and pulled them around in the snow. They all loved it!

This icicle was almost as big as Oakley.

Addi found one that was a little smaller.

Before Christmas when we asked Addi what she wanted for Christmas all she ever said was, "A princess umbrella." After Christmas she kept asking me when it would rain so she could use it. She took it outside to play with it even though it wasn't even snowing at the time.

On Tues. Dec. 30 we had our Christmas party with my family. Everyone was there except for Jeremy Redd (can you believe he used the excuse that he had to work?! Party pooper). Aunt Maureen was with my mom and dad so I guess she was a proxy for Jeremy.

After we had a lot of good food to eat we got to open more presents!

Grandpa helping baby Scout open her present.

By New Year's Eve the kids were pretty worn out because they stayed up late every night. It finally caught up with Oakley and he fell asleep at about 6:00. He had a good nap and then woke up and stayed up with us until midnight to ring in the New Year. We had our neighbor's, the Souths over. We made pizza and breadsticks and Alfredo dipping sauce, YUM! Then we played games. It was a lot of fun. They even brought their dog, Puga to play with Oreo and he loved it. I forgot to get my camera out so the only picture I have of New Year's Eve is Oakley sleeping.

On New Year's day Matt's Uncle Gary and Aunt Sandee and their boys came down from Montana. Their son Shawn is going to BYU this semester. They stayed with us for a couple of days. We had so much fun visiting with them. Of course I forgot to get my camera out again. I did take this one picture of Oakley and Addi on a stuffed deer at Cabela's on Friday while we were there with Gary and Sandee:)

All in all we had a great Christmas break but I'm sad it's over. I know most parents are ready for their kids to go back to school but I love being able to sleep in and now I'm going to have to start getting up again in the morning:(