The things they say

Baby G: Mama, Dada, kitty, baby, Oh!

Me: Bell, how did you get that scratch on your face?
Bell: Bats
Me: Bats? Where did you find bats?
Bell: In the dark... they scratched me.
Me: Where in the dark?
Bell: In the dark bathroom... they got me.
Me: We don't have bats in the bathroom.
Bell: (cheesy, beaming smile)

Lady: (on the phone) Cinderella? How are you doin? Did your two sisters rip your pretty pink dress? How horrible! Jasmin? Let me talk to Jafar. Jafar? Did you turn into a dragon with yellow fire and sharp teeth? And you bite us?

Bell: Let me talk on the phone, I want to call Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty, did Lifcent turn into a dragon with green and yellow fire and your castle fell down on you and you got hurt? Do you have an owie? I get you a bandaid right soon.

And I said I would never let them watch television...

Tonight's bedtime prayers:
Bell: Heavenly Father, thank you for Bell and Lady and thank you for the picture of us hugging on the wall and for my letters for my name and my letter "I" and for Lady's letters on the wall. And we thank you for this day. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Mommy! I said a prayer for the things on my wall, for my letters on the wall and my picture.

I love how they are grateful for the small things-- such examples to me.

Christmas Day

The girls wanted a Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella present and Santa didn't disappoint. He brought them a princess castle, complete with real sparkling lights. When the girls saw it they immediately ran to their room to change into their princess dresses (afterall, you can't go to the castle without your gown). We've had several tea parties and balls inside the castle in just the few days that we've owned it. Each girl has a tower where she keeps her Prince Phillip or Prince Charming ken dolls, princess barbies and other princess accessories. And of course, they keep their Sleeping Beauty pillow and Cinderella pillow from Cousin Kennedy in the tent... uh, I mean castle.

Here the girls are cooking in their new kitchen. Also pictured is the walker that Santa brought Greta. She loves pushing it around the house but screams when she runs into something and stops. We're going to be in for it when she starts walking on her own.

Me trying to take a cute picture of them on Christmas day... why I attempted this at the end of a long, overwhelming day, I'm not sure.

Christmas Eve

This year we spent Christmas Eve at Uncle Dave's house. We had a wonderful ham dinner, had a live Nativity and even had a visit from a jolly fat fellow dressed in red. Baby G played the part of baby Jesus and she was incredibly peaceful. She just lied on the ottomon (manger) while the other little kids played their part. Here she is with Mary (Emerald).
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Bell: I would like a Sleeping Beauty Present
Lady: I would like a Cinderella Present

Bell & Lady

Dear Santa: I would like to be able to run to keep up with my sisters. I am trying my best by grabbing on to every piece of furniture around me. I can even stand for a minute at a time by myself, but as soon as I put my foot forward to move, I fall down.

Love, Baby G.

PS I would also like some of those delicious carrot wagon wheels in my stocking. They are so yummy and they help with my sore gums.

Merry Christmas to all!

Frosty the Snowman

It snowed, and snowed and snowed today. Daddy, Aunt B, and Cuzin Kennedy brought Frosty the Snowman to life--- about 8 feet tall of life. Why so tall you ask? So the girls could see him from the windows. He has two faces: one facing the street and one facing the house. Two eyes made out of charcoal, a carrot nose, a hat, scarf, tree branches for arms and he's even holding flowers. The second snowball was so heavy, that Daddy had to enlist the help of the neighbor to hoist it on top of the base. Now, that's a super-sized Frosty!
Two VERY happy girls.

Conversations with Lady

Me: (coming home from church) I'm so hungry I could eat a bear
Lady: Ewww. That would be yucky, Mommy.

Today
Lady: What are you doing, Mommy?
Me: I'm wrapping a present for Maile for Christmas.
Lady: Well, it's Jesus' birthday and He wants a present for his birthday.
Me: He sure does... and do you know what that is?
Lady: (thinking)
Me: He wants us to be obedient

Thankful

10 Things I'm Thankful for....

1) Family: my own, my family of origin, my extended family and the family I married into
2) Loving Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ
3) The gospel
4) Good friends
5) Good Health
6) A job in a troubling economy
7) A beautiful place to live
8) Four seasons
9) The Constitution and the people who fought for it to come about and those who continue to fight for its enforcement
10) Modern technology... I wouldn't have made it as a pioneer!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Naughty Words

Lady: Mom! Bell said "poo." She said "poo," Mom. She needs to go to the naughty room (the laundry room).
Me: Bell? Did you say a naughty word?
Bell: No, Mom. I said "shamPOO." ShamPOO! ShamPOO! ShamPOO...
Me: Okay, that's enough.

Future attorney?

Mama's Little Helpers

My girls love to help me around the house and yard. Here, Lady rakes the leaves into a pile.

Bell puts the leaves in the bag.

Then she takes a moment to survey her work.
Ah, yes... this girl has "management" written all over her face.

Sweets for the Sweet

Lollipop, lollipop,
oh lolli, lolli, lolli,

lollipop!

First Utah Snow

A few days after we arrived, it started to snow. The girls watched in amazement as the huge flakes fell from the sky.
Bell, dressed in rubber boots and her raincoat, is wondering where the flakes went.

Lady catches a few flakes on her tongue.

Jammy Time

"Hey girls, why don't you all lie on the floor in a row, so I can take a picture of you in your heart pajamas?"
But alas, one of these kids was doing her own thing

"Hey Mom, take a picture of me. Look at what I can do! Clap for me, Mom."

"Watch me, Mom. I can do it, too."

"Are you taking our picture?"

The last days of Autumn

Bell on the left (with bangs) and Lady on the right
Baby G, sporting yet another tooth (her upper front left)

Always a Lady to me...

Bell

My girls

Trick or Treat

The whole gang: Uncle Ryan, Trojan Warrior, Tinkerbell, Dorothy, Glinda, Belle, Rapunzel, Ballerina (formerly Sleeping Beauty) and Cinderella

Bell was originally Sleeping Beauty for Halloween. But last minute she decided she wanted to be a ballerina.Cinderella meets her fairy godmother

"You mean all I have to do it look cute and present this orange ball and people will fill it with goodies?" My first Snickers wrapper... delicious!

The first door. This was the first year the girls went door to door trick or treating. The last two years were too cold and rainy. 70 degree weather is a nice way to break into this tradition.

Baby's first door. She drove in style, with cousin "Dorothy" at the helm.

H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N

70 degree weather... perfect for Halloween
It would have been a crime to not let them play outside

Love this girl!

Trunk or Treat

Our church holds a "Trunk or Treat" where the kids go from trunk to trunk in the parking lot. Much more efficient than running around the neighborhood and safer, too. Lady Cinderella is waiting for her Coach to arrive.
Sleeping Beauty makes her grand entrance. I feel like I'm looking 15 years into the future and seeing her prom picture.

Sleeping Beauty, Glinda the Good Witch, Cinderella, and Belle

Tinker Bell

Anxious to go

Baby G-- just shy of 9 months

Now that Baby has a black belt in crawling, she prefers to stand. Basically she uses her mobility to get her to anything that will help her stand and slowly move from place to place. Iron bars...

Fireplaces...

...Ottomans and more. What is really scary is that she thinks she has enough balance to let go. She doesn't and no matter how many times she gets hurt, she's right back up ready to let go and do it again. If I had this kind of persistence I could do anything!

She also sprouted her first tooth (look closely at her front bottom tooth on the left. It broke surface on Sunday the 19th. It is RAZOR sharp (think shark teeth). She likes to gnaw on my chin or knee and after the tooth came through, her gnawing almost sent me through the roof. Can someone please tell me why she'd rather gnaw on human bone than on the various teething toys she owns that are specifically designed for this type of torture?

The other side of princesses...