Sweet little reader...

A Very Merry Christmas

Christmas was so much fun this year. Bella was so excited and wanted to do some kind of Christmas craft almost daily. I'll have to post some pictures of some things we did. However, I think the excitement was getting to her because 2 days before Christmas, Santa's elf helpers came and took all the presents from under our tree because Santa could see my sweet little girls were not being so sweet. I was running out of punishments. And I had to come good on some threats! Luckily they straightened up and Santa brought back all the presents and more in time for Christmas!

We had a family party filled weekend. Friday night we had dinner at the Greats house with Eric's family. Saturday was the Lewis family Christmas party with all the Aunts and Uncles and Cousins. And Sunday was Christmas! I love Christmas. We stay home in our comfy clothes all day and play with all the new toys and eat delicious food. Later in the afternoon the Grandparents and Austin and Blake of course, come over for a while to give gifts and see what the girls got from Santa.

This Christmas was awesome. The weather was amazing. There was no snow and it was like 50 degrees outside. My kind of Christmas! The girls were totally spoiled this year. It looks like they got so much stuff. I didn't feel like I had that much for them. Then you add in presents from all the Grandparents and it's just crazy. However, this year they both got a lot of books and puzzles and learning games/activities. Which I love. I love useful gifts. I also love the fun toys that they can get so excited over. Bella actually got the most excited over her books. Go figure. Bella was awesome this year. She was so excited over everything. Jaw dropping excited. It was the best! And sweet crazy Lyla was just happy walking around with her yogurt melts snacks and occasionally stopping to open some of her gifts. Eric and I were pretty spoiled too. I think we got each other the best surprise gifts this year.  We love Christmas and the fun and excitement it brings. But it's a lot of work being the parents (especially the mom). I know I create all the hard work but I love things to look pretty and to eat yummy food and I love creating awesome memories for my family so it's worth it. But tomorrow I will start working on taking all the Christmas stuff down and start decorating my new house!

Me and my precious babies on Christmas Eve

Lyla hamming it up

Opening presents at the Christmas Eve party. Shirley and everyone else always makes it so nice.

This is Shirley, the hostess sporting her white elephant gift. Awesome!

Reading Christmas stories and drinking hot chocolate with the girls before bed on Christmas Eve

Santa came! 

So excited about everything

Lyla finally got her own little chair

The classic sit by all your presents photo

Daddy's turn

and Bella

and baby love

I don't know why these pictures aren't turned right side up. So annoying.

This was our Christmas breakfast, french toast made with chunky cinnamon bread from Kneaders, bacon, eggs and OJ...so good 

And Bella riding her new bike. She is such a cautious little thing but she got  the hang of it and was doing really well.

She is pouting about something I just thought it was so cute and it shows our house.

And this was dinner, prime rib, twice baked potatoes, corn and rolls...also delicious! 

The girls opening more presents from Grandma and Grandpa Lewis

Showing everyone her doctor dress ups.


Merry Christmas!!! 

Birthday Celebration

Bella woke up nice and early on her birthday. 6 a.m! She wanted french toast for breakfast, so that's what she got. We then went to the store to let her pick out her balloons and then she helped me make her birthday cake. I love my girl. She definitely knows what she wants! 

Eric came home from work early so we could take her bowling. She has been asking to go bowling for months now.  She was so happy and had the time of her little life! After bowling she wanted to go to Carl's Jr for dinner.  Good choice! 

Opening a present (cake pop maker) from Mimi and Papa

Blowing out her candles

 To finish off her birthday we had another Family party with the Lewis side. Bella wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. The best! She had such a fun day and got so many great gifts. Her birthday really dragged on this year. Spoiled little girl! 

We love you, our precious girl!! 

Happy Birthday! 

She's 4!!!

Our little princess is 4 today! 

I don't know where the time has gone. 

She is so much fun and so full of life. 

She goes non stop all day long. 

Things she loves to do right now:

color and draw

write her name

find random things in the house and wrap them for us and put them under the tree

play with her babies/barbies and stuffed animals-everything turns into her baby

pretend play

play hide and seek

play outside

taking showers/baths

She hates to have her hair done

Her hair is half way down her back and so shinny

She would prefer to wear her comfy clothes all day everyday

Everything is Awesome-accentuate the AW

She speaks so well and is just the smartest thing ever.

She has about 5 books memorized and they are pretty long books with lots of words.

She is sassy as ever!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!! 

We love you so much!!!

Oh, my Lyla baby

This is just so precious I had to document it. 

Last weekend my Grandma came to stay with us for a night before she flew out to Arkansas. That same night we had Eric's work Christmas party. Perfect, she could babysit the girls. I was a little nervous leaving Lyla because she isn't really used to my Grandma and she just doesn't like me to leave her. Well we got Gram all set up and the girls were having dinner when we left so we just kinda sneaked out. I called to check on them before heading into the party and my Grandma told me that Lyla wouldn't really eat once she realized I was gone and she kept crying, so she put her down and just let her do her thing. She went all over the house looking for us and she kept going into the living room. She would cry then come into the kitchen and look at Gram then walk back into the living room. So Gram went into the living room to see what she was doing and my sweet baby was just sitting on the floor in front of a big family picture (that I haven't hung yet) sobbing. She would point at the picture and just sob. Is that not the saddest most precious thing you've ever heard?!? It broke my heart. Oh I love that baby. But she was able to get her settled down and she was just fine after that. She played and followed Gram all over. And she even went to bed good for her. I don't like leaving my girls much so we really don't too often but I am glad they were able to have some special one on one time with their Great Gram! Bella kept Gram busy and hopping from one thing to another all night. She loved it. She was one tired Grammy when we got home. Not too bad for almost 80! 

Well we are all moved in. It wasn't a horrible move because we only moved 45 minutes away. And thanks to Eric's family and all of their help we were able to do it all in one day. Still moving is never fun. We are starting to feel a little more settle and this is starting to feel more and more like home. Poor Bella is missing her friends and asks me to take her to meet a neighbor everyday. Yeah, I'm not going to go knocking on neighbors doors! Ha ha. She is just to social and is used to playing with a friend or at least seeing a neighbor everyday. I feel bad for her. I'm hoping after the new year I can get her in a preschool group. She really misses school. On a side note she wrote her name for the first time last night all by herself. I need to take a picture of it. It is so precious. Some letters are backwards and upside down but they are perfect. She is so smart and loves to learn.

We moved the weekend of the 18th and 5 days later we left our mess and headed to Idaho for Thanksgiving. It was a needed break. I love going home around the holidays. My parents house was decorated beautifully as usual. We had a little intimate Thanksgiving this year with just me and Rachel. Jordan and Megan came back from Boise on Friday to be with us for the rest of the weekend. While we were there we celebrated Bella and Eric's birthday's and had our Christmas party. We had an ugly sweater party this year. It was pretty awesome. Even the little girls got in on it. There was lots of yummy food and lots of relaxing and just hanging out together. We missed Jarom and Josh and their families this year. Can't wait until this summer when we can all be together again!

When we got home we put up all of our Christmas decorations and finished getting the house put together and celebrated Eric's 29th Birthday! Now we are settled and ready for Christmas! My parents and Sister came to visit and see our house the weekend after Thanksgiving so we had another fun weekend with them. And next weekend my Grammy will be coming to stay with us for a night before she flies out to Arkansas. We have had lots going on amongst the moving so things aren't coming together as fast as I would have liked but that's okay we have been having lots of fun. December is just a crazy month for us anyway. But now we are looking forward to all the Christmas parties and festivities!

Here's a few pictures:

Thanksgiving table

Even the girls had a pretty table

This is how I found them napping after dinner. So cute!

Lyla playing with Grammy

An intense game of hungry hungry hippos

The girls in their ugly sweaters. They were so excited to wear their "boy" shirts.

Daddy and Lyla in their ugly sweaters.

Mimi and baby love sporting their ugly sweaters...I think Mimi won the ugliest sweater contest!

Bella opening her B-day presents

She's just crazy

Eric opening his B-day presents

The group!

Megan, Jordan and Koda...ha ha

Grammy, Mimi and Papa

Our cute little family!

Rachel and Aaliyah

Bella showing off her new Christmas nightgown...she is quiet the little performer!

 And some pics of our new house:

The girls play room...best room ever!

Lyla baby's room

And this one just cause she's such a sweet little mess!

And this cutie decorating the tree!

View from the front door

Family room

Kitchen

Papa reading to the girls

My new Christmas centerpiece

Our Christmas Tree

Entry way table

 I will post more pictures of all the rooms in the house after Christmas when I have it all decorated and maybe by then we will have some furniture for our living room.  

Hopefully now that I am feeling more settled and actually have Internet I can keep this blog updated a little better.