Christmas

We spent Christmas at home this year...Christmas Eve was spent at my parent's house with all of my siblings and their kiddos.  We had the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, even though my mom tries every year to "do something different" for dinner.  She has tried to have mexican food (nope), soups (no thanks), and even a chili feed (really?).  All three of my siblings and I say if it ain't the way we have done it for the last 30+ years, then we ain't coming!  Ma got the message and we had the traditional cheese ball, little smokies for the kiddos, Grandma Barbara's baked beans, different dips, etc. We even had Great-Grandma Gommy's orange cake for dessert.  After dinner we watched the nativity story on TV and everyone filled out an index card guessing where Mimi and Papa would be called on their mission when they turn in their papers in a few months.  I guessed Alberta, Canada.  Bailey guessed Alaska.  Ry guessed Australia, and Cory guessed London, England (I think).  Guess we'll have to wait and see who was closest!

Christmas morning we woke up to a dumping of snow.  Mimi and Papa were going to go up to Bountiful to my sister's on Christmas morning, but because of the weather they got to come over here, instead.  The kids were waiting for Mimi and Papa to get here at 6:45, and after seeing that Santa came, we started in on the gifts.  

Papa being Santa on Christmas Eve.

Cory reading "The Night Before Christmas" to the kids before bed on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning waiting for Mimi and Papa to get here.

Cute girls!

Poor Bayzie was sick on Christmas...a terrible cough and stuffy nose made for terrible night's sleep on Christmas Eve.

Zane got to open the first present...we didn't think he would be too interested in the actual presents but boy were we wrong.  He LOVED opening presents and as soon as he saw what was inside was saying "help, help, help" over and over until one of us would help him get the toy out of the box.  

 This was Z's present from Grandma and Grandpa Bluth.  He loves it!  It was the year of the truck and tractor for Z...every present he got had wheels on it.  He was in heaven.

 Ry and her new American girl doll.  Ry also got a gear bike that she had been wanting from Santa.

 Cory wanted to get Z a metal Tonka dump truck like the one he had growing up in Mexico.  Again, Z was in heaven.

 Mims and Papa on Christmas morning.

 Bayz opening up her presents.  She got a "human Ariel" doll from Santa, and she and Riley got a Barbie doll house from us.  

Bailey's Dance Recital

Bailey started taking ballet classes with her best friend in early fall.  They have been practicing for their winter dance recital for months, and they had their "Snow White" recital last weekend.  Bailey was in HEAVEN with her pink tutu costume!  I know she likes lessons, and being on stage was fun, too, but NOTHING compared to being dressed in that costume! Oh, and their teacher asked them to wear make-up to the recital...that was pretty awesome, too!

Bailey and her little ballet buddy after class one day.

The pink tutu:

 All ready for her recital.

The Remodel

When we bought our house 3 1/2 years ago I told Cory I wanted to redo the counters in the kitchen and make the counter all one level...well, it's FINALLY done!!!!  Here are the before and after pictures...even Cory admits we should have done this project a long time ago!  I love how it turned out.

Before:

 During: NOT fun to be without running water in the kitchen, a kitchen sink, or a dishwasher for TWO WEEKS!  

After:  I LOVE it!!!!!!!!

Family Pictures

We had our yearly family pictures taken about three weeks ago...in two separate sessions.  The first time we went out it was freezing cold, windy, and Zane was NOT going to cooperate, no matter what! We managed to get a family picture, but that was about it.  Our photographer was nice enough to go out with us again the following weekend.  Much happier kids = better pictures!  I'm just glad they are finished and over with!  Thanks, Mallory! (Mallory Urquhart Photography...Like her on Facebook!)

First Snow

This past weekend we were dumped on (with snow!).  We measured Saturday morning and had 8 1/2 inches on the trampoline in the backyard.  We bundled up the kiddos (which is a chore I HATE doing, by the way), and headed outside to play.  Cory and the girls tried to make a snowman but the snow wasn't really cooperating...it wouldn't pack well enough to get a snowball started.  So that plan was ditched and the girls just ran around for a bit.  Zane went out for his first time ever playing in the snow, and he wasn't a huge fan.  He looked (and walked) like the kid who's mom bundles him up in a million layers in the movie "The Christmas Story".  Z lasted about ten minutes and he was ready to go back in! 

Bailey making a snow angel.

 Z wanting to go in the house...really bad!

 This was taken after Cory shoveled the driveway...it looked much prettier before he scraped the snow off!

 Ry found an icicle...glad her lips didn't freeze to it!

 Cory pulled the little kids around on the sled.

Halloween

Happy Halloween...a few days late!  I can't say I'm sad to see Halloween over with...because I'm not!  We had Riley's school Halloween parade, Ry's Halloween party, the church Trunk-or-Treat, Bailey's preschool Halloween party, my preschool class Halloween party, and Cory's work trick-or-treat...and all of this happened before Halloween night when the "real" trick-or-treating happened.  Whew!  Everything went great, though, until Halloween night...we left to go trick-or-treating around our neighborhood and we had barely knocked on the first door when poor Riley had a seizure.  Kind of threw a damper on her fun night.  It was a small, quick seizure, but she still had no idea what was going on during or after it happened, so our night was cut short.  She was disappointed...but there is always next year...right?

Beautiful BYU Cheerleader!

 Little Pirate Man!

Cute Bumblebee!

18 Months!

Look who's 18 months old!  What a handsome little dude!

Zane had his 18-month check-up this last Monday...here are his stats:

Weight: 28.4 lbs - 92nd percentile

Height: 34.5 inches - 97th percentile

Head circum: - 19.6 inches - 96th percentile

He's still a pretty big dude.

Here are some of Zane's favorites at 18 months:

- The kid is OBSESSED with tractors...especially green John Deere tractors.  Cory introduced him to the  "Big Green Tractor" music video on YouTube (it has a slide show of different John Deere tractors on it).  Zane LOVES it and asks to watch it all of the time.  Again, he is obsessed.

- Z also loves trucks, especially Lightening McQueen and as of late, Mater

- He loves to be outside.

- Zane has discovered strawberry milk (thanks to Ry, who dumped a huge scoop of the strawberry powder in his sippy one morning when I hadn't made it into the kitchen to make breakfast yet).  He loves it and doesn't really want the plain milk anymore.  

- Z loves books and thinks Curious George is pretty cool, too.

- He still takes two naps per day (I hope writing this doesn't jinx me on this).  

- FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY is sleeping through the night pretty consistently.  Took the kid long enough....

- This boy rules the roost around here.  His sisters love him to death and think everything he does is soooo cute. 

- We LOVE this boy!!