Christmas in Houston- part 1

This year we got to spend Christmas in Houston with Bill's family- a first for all of us! We decided to take advantage of some of the neat things that downtown Houston has to offer, so we started at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. We watched a short movie about space & the magnitude of the stars & our galaxy. The adults were far more impressed than the kiddos.

Then we headed into the butterfly exhibit- WOW! It was impressive!! The exhibit started with a play area for the children. There were fun activities like huge puzzles, books, blocks, etc.

{Madisen & Matthew were retrieving the blocks that they had put in the center of the flowers.}

{Caitlyn playing at the puzzle table.}

{We're standing in front of cocoon's in various stages of development. Some of the butterflies were hatching before our eyes.}

{Madisen is making a face at the butterflies that you can see on the far left that were munching on fruit.}

{Studying the paper so they could name some of the butterflies.}

{Caitlyn's a little unsure of the butterflies.}

Mmmm, Chocolate

Today I spent most of the day doing some holiday baking to share with our friends & neighbors. I've made 4 batches of toffee (2 had to be tossed, ah the learning curve), and dipping Ritz crackers in chocolate & sprinkling them with pieces of candy cane (kraft recipe). When Caitlyn woke up from her nap, she could smell the chocolate & I could barely get some lunch down her before she insisted on having a dipped cracker.

A visit to Santa

Yesterday a few friends & I took our girls (yep there were7 little girls in tow) to the new Town Square mall to see Santa. He was the most authentic & beautiful Santa that I've ever seen! Even his snow white beard was real. Madisen sat on his lap & asked for a dolly! (phew) Then we spent a couple of hours playing at the playground that's in the center of the outdoor mall. Notice that there are no pictures with Santa. They won't let you use your own camera unless you buy one of their minimum photo packages at $15. It wasn't worth it to me!

{Before we left, Madisen wanted her photo taken by the ornaments that she made in nursery with her INCREDIBLE nursery teachers! (Thanks Janet.) She is so proud of them & shows them to everyone that comes over. }

{This is Caitlyn's first ponytail! I was so excited when I realized that her hair was long enough!}

Friday's Festivities

On Friday we had our friends from our Green Valley ward come for a craft/lunch date. It was SO wonderful to see them. Although we live at 3 opposite corners of the valley and some (Amy & Jenilyn) have moved out of state, we still feel a special bond. I think it has to do with the fact that we all moved to Vegas around the same time, so we were some of each others' first Vegas friends. I enjoy being around these girls who LOVE their jobs being moms- they are great examples to me & I feel that we strengthen one another.

After lunch, we put some of the kiddo's down and Lisa cut 3 of my friends hair. When she was done, I followed her out the door & dropped my kids off at a friends house so I could go to the primary party. It was a busy but festive day!

{Isaac, Madisen, (Easton), Amy & Ethan}

{She really is concentrating hard! Her favorite thing to do was use the glitter glue & make piles on top of the existing ornaments.}

{The finished product. We mounted them on toilet paper rolls so they could be 3D & stand on their own.}

The Rest of the Party

I found the rest of the pictures from Caitlyn's birthday party!

{Bill's Aunt Becky was able to join us!}

{Trying to get Caitlyn to blow out the candles- do you think I was in a pink mood that day?}

Madisen's Comments

Tonight while I was saying the prayer at dinner, Madisen whispered "Don't forget me". As in, I was supposed to remember to be thankful for her. Both Bill and I were giggling so hard that I had to end the prayer quickly.

A few weeks ago Madisen and I were eating breakfast together. She was wearing short PJ's and had her legs up, (despite all of our reminders that our feet stay down at the table), when she noticed that there was hair on her legs. She said "Mom, there's hair on my legs." And I replied, "Yes, there sure is.". Then she said, "Can I use your purple thing to get it off?". I had to bite my cheeks to keep from laughing, but explained that she can't use a razor until she's older.

I couldn't resist

taking this picture of Caitlyn tonight. She looked so happy & adorable pushing Madisen's shopping cart around! Her mouth is open b/c she's babbling away! She enjoys pushing it around the family room because it doesn't go too fast for her. The only problem is that she gets stuck quite quickly since our family room isn't very big.

Festive Feet

It's true, I'm a 29 year old mother of 2 who still likes to paint my toenails to match the season. The great thing is that now I have a daughter to share my crazy idea with, & she likes it!

Fun with Friends

On Wednesday we had a few friends over for a play date. We played in the back yard, made a craft (as shown below), ate lunch & played dress- ups. Since there is NO snow here in Vegas, Sara & I helped the kids make these fun snowmen out of paper plates, cotton balls & some paper.

{Mara, Madisen, Rebecca, & Makayla}

Daddy-Daughter Date

Yesterday Bill took Madisen to his company family Christmas party. Caitlyn was extra tired (& took a 3 1/2 hour nap) so I stayed home to get some overdue cleaning & organizing done, plus the adult Christmas party is this week. They had a great time riding some mini roller coasters & other kiddie rides.

Such a Big Girl

*At Caitlyn's 1 year appointment she weighed in at 16 pounds 12 ounces and was 28 inches tall.

*She babbles ALL of the time & thinks we know what she's saying. She does throw in words like 'mameee' & 'daddy' & 'hi'. She's also started to mimic my voice influctions & show that she understands some things we're saying. Like this morning when I said "Let's go take a bath", she got a big grin & started waving her arms and said "ba". Tonight I was pointing to my friend's baby & said "Baby", she smiled and said "babe". It may have been a coincidence, but I think it's exciting! Oh, & I love her sweet little voice!

{She likes to hold a utensil in her hands while she's eating, & usually tries to use it. This night I captured her using it & man was she ever proud of herself! Check out that smile.}

{She & Madisen like to crawl around together and play 'chase'. It makes my heart melt to hear them laughing & playing together. Caitlyn also likes to get the dish towel & put it on her head to play peek-a-boo, or crawl around with it.}

{Grandma bought this for Caitlyn's birthday. She LOVES to climb up & ride, especially if I'm encouraging her!}

'Tis the Season

When I was growing up, the first Monday in December was the night that we got to decorate a gingerbread house for Family Night and of course I want to continue this tradition. This year we bought a kit & decided to try decorating a Christmas tree. The kit was great- the gingerbread, frosting & candy were included. We had a great time stacking the cookies & decorating the tree. This was a perfect activity for Madisen b/c she understands the concept of decorating a tree. She carefully place the M&M's & other candies on each branch.

{Mixing the frosting.}

Happy Birthday Caitlyn

The day after the lights adventure, daddy went to the BYU/Utah football game (go cougars!) while mom & the girls got to do some shopping with grandma & Kellie. It's so fun for me to have people to shop with- I love the company, opinions, & help with the girls! Thanks mom & Kel!

That evening we had a birthday party for Caitlyn. It was just our family & we also invited Bill's Aunt Becky to join us. We started at 7 & our poor Caitlyn was a bit too tired to really enjoy her party. She was a pretty good sport about opening up her presents, but wasn't interested in playing with ANY of them. I got a picture of the cake, but then my battery died. So, we'll have to get some cake eating pictures some other time.

{I like to call this creation, monochromatic- but all a different shade of pink. Sadly, all of the pinks were just a bit off!}

{I was trying to show her the balloon & keep her hand off the bow in her hair.}

{Madisen wrapped this present all by herself!}


{Every girl needs a new pair of shoes for her birthday!}

{Note that Caitlyn is happier on Kellie's lap than on mommies! She learned to say "Kay-ee" while we were there. Of course Kellie was in heaven!}

Finally- a Thanksgiving recap

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah with my family, it was absolutely perfect! It was chilly, but there was no snow. Thanksgiving dinner was held at a church, since there were 80 people there. It's always such a fun day for us to see & visit with relatives that we don't see very often. The kids love the free rein on the cultural hall and the adults enjoy the volleyball, basketball, and board games.

{Here's our little family, minus Caitlyn who was napping.
Caden's tucked over in the corner by my dad.}

{Grandma coaxing Madisen to eat so she could have the M&M's that were waiting by her cup.}

{Madisen playing with Wyatt & Bodee}

On Friday night we headed down town to see the lights on Temple Square turn on. Seeing the lights with my family is one of my favorite holiday traditions! Then we head home for a warm bowl of soup & hot chocolate. We decided to be there right at 5:30 as they turned on to avoid the crowds. We started our evening at the Church history museum where we got to see multiple displays of nativities from all over the world. I love looking at creche's & it was fun to show them to Madisen.

{Yep, Madisen was as happy as she looks in this picture. It was just one of those nights but we really enjoyed ourselves anyway!}

My Incredible Husband

This weekend I went to California with a few girlfriends. We went for a shopping trip to the fashion district in downtown LA. The fashion district wasn't as 'fashionable' as we were hoping. We mostly found deals on shoes, purses, dolls, accessories & coats. After a relaxing Mexican dinner we shopped some more at TJMaxx & then saw the movie "Enchanted"- I highly recommend it!

The best part about this was that my INCREDIBLE husband took care of my girls. It was a great weekend for some 'daddy daughter bonding'! He went above & beyond just taking care of them, he was super dad. His weekend included: a 5k Santa Fun Run pushing the double jogger (yes, he was wearing a Santa suit), dinner at Burger King, playing games like "Pretty, Pretty Princess", taking 5 children to church by himself (he signed up to take an extra 3 before he remembered that I wouldn't be here), teaching Elders Quorum, cooking a turkey for Sunday dinner complete with mashed potatoes & homemade bread, & all of this on top of the fact that Caitlyn was in need of a little extra love- she's had a rough case of diarrhea & diaper rash for 5 days now.

I'm behind on my posting of pictures of Thanksgiving & Caitlyn's birthday, but that will have to come later. I've got to get to bed so I'm ready for Monday!

Almost Walking

Our sweet Caitlyn is just 2.5 days away from her 1st birthday, which she shares with Thanksgiving this year. She's getting close to walking, but we're not there yet. She LOVES to walk around holding both of my fingers. If I let go with one, she stops walking & searches through the air for that other hand. If someone gets in front of her so she can try to walk to them, she loudly protests & then stops walking. It's like she KNOWS that we're trying to get her to do it on her own and she's just NOT having it. She will stand on her own for a few seconds, if she lets go of the table or something, so we're making progress. She definitely has a mind of her own, but we love her! Her new thing is to jibber-jabber all day long. She tries to tell us things as she points to objects or if we're having a conversation around her. It makes Bill laugh out loud because she thinks she's really talking. (Again, I need to try the video thing.)

(Of course if we're taking a picture of Caitlyn, then we need to take a picture of Madisen.
Can you tell that she practically lives in her dress up clothes- she's 100% girl!)

Madisen the Photographer

Lately Madisen has been asking to take pictures. After Bill or I take a picture, she asks to use the camera. Here are Madisen's photography 'skills'.

{This one is actually pretty good!}
(Side Note: the sheet on the couch. Madisen has a nasty cough & has just lounged around watching movies for 2 days. We're praying that she gets over it quickly so we can enjoy the holidays!)

{Tonight I was playing the piano for FHE. Caitlyn is looking a little bit like a ragamuffin.}

{Is it obvious that she's a little short?}

Thanksgiving List

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I've been thinking a lot about what I'm thankful for. Of course my family is the first thing that comes to my mind! Being a mother definitely has its challenges, & lately I've been feeling the need to step up my parenting skills. Today I read the following list on the blog of my friend Julie. I thought it was wonderful & so eloquently put into words many things that I feel. It also helped me remember to put things into better perspective.

(by Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard)

Thanksgiving usually inspires parents to start a diet. But if you’ll indulge with me for a while, I’d rather list a few things I’m grateful for as a mother.

• I’m grateful my children demand I talk to them when I don’t feel like talking, feed them when I’m not hungry, and change their diapers even when I’m all dressed up and ready to go somewhere special. I don’t think I’d discover the world outside my own needs without them.
• I’m grateful my children haven’t learned how to hold back their tears when they’re sad, laughter when they’re happy, or screams when they’re frightened. They constantly remind me that emotions are for sharing.
• I’m grateful my children have broken nearly everything in my home and used a crayon or ink marker on the rest. They’ve taught me that things aren’t important, but people are.
• I’m grateful my children start out small and helpless so they don’t become aware of my incompetence until they’re teenagers. By then, we’ve both grown so accustomed to each other, we somehow manage to make it through the rest of life together.
• I’m grateful my children get their pants dirty, pick their noses, burp without saying “excuse me,” and quarrel in public so I’ll never be able to get too arrogant, proper, or judgmental of other people’s children.
• I’m grateful my children sometimes call me names like “weird” because sometimes I am “weird,” and it helps keep a person humble to be told they’re “weird” when they’re acting weird.
• I’m grateful my children occasionally miss the bus at the precise moment I’ve stepped out of the shower, contemplating the well-planned, organized day ahead of me. Experiences like jumping into the car after throwing on whatever’s handy and racing to school have a tendency to loosen rigid plans into something better known as spontaneity.
• I’m grateful my children always need new shoes, piano books, prescriptions, haircuts, fieldtrip money, tuition, food, toothpaste, and underwear. That way, I don’t have to waste my time thinking about a new sofa. It’s difficult to get wealthy and think about luxuries when you have to buy toilet paper and milk by the truckload each week.
• I’m grateful my children know how to play. My five-year-old asked me to come downstairs so he could “teach me how to play” with his plastic animals. While Jacob demonstrated the subtle techniques for sinking a rhinoceros into couch cushions while pretending it was quicksand, I realized my young son was right. I really do need someone to “teach me how to play.”
• I’m grateful my children question my every command and giggle when I get angry. It’s difficult to feel too powerful or self-righteous with kids around to remind you of how funny you look when you’re pointing your finger.
• I’m grateful my children insist I hug, kiss, rock, or put my arms around them often. Otherwise, I think I’d forget how the sense of touch is so healing.
• I’m grateful each of my children is unique when the same strange, inexperienced mother raised them. Somehow they don’t seem to let me ruin them much.
• And lastly, I’m grateful for the gift of children in my life. God willing, I’d like to fill the rest of my days with those interesting people who call me Mom (yes, and sometimes “weird”) but eventually “weird grandma.”

Girls Night

While I was in Utah I got to go to dinner with 4 of my old college roommates. It was so fun to enjoy a meal together, chat about the old days, and share the joys & challenges of parenthood!

Brooke, Katherine, me, Julie, and Rachel

The Beauty of Las Vegas

We love living in Las Vegas, it's just that it's not very pretty here. I visited Utah last week & it's BEAUTIFUL in the fall! From the crisp air to the colorful leaves (which I have pictures of, but I need to get them from my mom) to the snow capped mountains. We visited California in September & everything was so green & lush. But here in Las Vegas it is the same boring brown color all year. But last night I went in the backyard with the girls & I was struck by the beauty of our roses! I can't believe that they're still in bloom.

Here are the girls enjoying the unseasonably
warm weather we're having.
Notice the short sleeves & bare feet (to mom's chagrin).

The Blessing

Here are my parents with their 3 grandchildren, and my cousin MacKenzie. It's a great picture of my parents, but the kiddos weren't cooperating so well. :)

Here's the whole family, including my grandpa Loveridge- minus Bill.

Caitlyn was a big time Mamma's girl this day. She only wanted mom or Aunt Kellie. She FINALLY let my cute uncle Eric play with her. Sadly, she's only giving him a courtesy smile here.

Cousin Caden

The girls & I went to Utah last weekend because my sister Tiffany was blessing her baby. He's such a darling boy with a mellow & peaceful temperament. Madisen enjoyed holding him all by herself! Caitlyn seemed interested in him until we tried to let her hold him- she's a bit young for that. I think she was most interested in his binkie.

This one cracks me up b/c Caitlyn is doing her famous back arch to
show that she doesn't like what she's doing.