Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
We had a WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!
We spent Christmas Day at my Aunt's in Port Orchard and got about 1-1/2 to 2 inches of SNOW!!! Seriously, I think we were the only people around that got any snow....it was so beautiful and it just kept snowing big, fluffy flakes most of the day while we were opening gifts. Ahhh.....that was my Christmas wish answered!!!!
We spent Christmas Day at my Aunt's in Port Orchard and got about 1-1/2 to 2 inches of SNOW!!! Seriously, I think we were the only people around that got any snow....it was so beautiful and it just kept snowing big, fluffy flakes most of the day while we were opening gifts. Ahhh.....that was my Christmas wish answered!!!!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
And more traditions...
We made our annual trip with Grandma and Papa to the Warm Beach Lights of Christmas and spent the night there. This was our 6th year in a row and our 3rd staying the night. And the same guy is there that directs you in the parking area and tells bad jokes. Here's one: How do you know the The Three Wise Men were firemen? Because they came from a-far. Get it? You have to say it loud to get it. :)Always fun, always cold, always tired the next day. :) But we all had a great time and of course here are some pictures. OH!!! And Ainsley actually spoke to Santa!! She has been insisting that she wanted to look at him but didn't want him to look at her. But she actually went up and talked to him and told him she wanted a Nutcracker (she obviously LOVED the ballet) and told him Merry Christmas and said thank you for the candy cane. I was so surprised! Sweet girl.
We made our annual trip with Grandma and Papa to the Warm Beach Lights of Christmas and spent the night there. This was our 6th year in a row and our 3rd staying the night. And the same guy is there that directs you in the parking area and tells bad jokes. Here's one: How do you know the The Three Wise Men were firemen? Because they came from a-far. Get it? You have to say it loud to get it. :)Always fun, always cold, always tired the next day. :) But we all had a great time and of course here are some pictures. OH!!! And Ainsley actually spoke to Santa!! She has been insisting that she wanted to look at him but didn't want him to look at her. But she actually went up and talked to him and told him she wanted a Nutcracker (she obviously LOVED the ballet) and told him Merry Christmas and said thank you for the candy cane. I was so surprised! Sweet girl.
Red and Green Night
We had "Red & Green Night" this week, which means everything we ate for dinner had to be red and green. Interesting. :) We had green spaghetti with red sauce, green salad with tomatoes, green garlic biscuits, green ginger ale (Dan had green milk) and red & green sugar cookies for dessert. On red plates of course. Here are a couple pictures....it took a few minutes to convince Ainsley to try the green pasta and then she was hooked.
We had "Red & Green Night" this week, which means everything we ate for dinner had to be red and green. Interesting. :) We had green spaghetti with red sauce, green salad with tomatoes, green garlic biscuits, green ginger ale (Dan had green milk) and red & green sugar cookies for dessert. On red plates of course. Here are a couple pictures....it took a few minutes to convince Ainsley to try the green pasta and then she was hooked.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Gingerbread Houses!!!Last night, we got to go to one of our clients' Christmas Party and make gingerbread houses. The girls love to do this, and we realized it was less fighting with me putting on the "glue" where they pointed and they stuck on the candy. And each girl got one side of the roof to do. :) Here's a photo:
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Kids' Choice Day
This past Saturday was "Kids' Choice Day"!!! Sounds like an invitation for a free-for-all, doesn't it? Almost.....they started off the day with breakfast and chose the drive-thru at Krispy Kreme. Yum. Ainsley is clearly our little sweet toothed child, and occasionally prefers the sugar and frosting to what is underneath. I, of course, HAD to take a picture.
After some playtime, we headed for the Old Cannery furniture store...after some free hot cider, we went to find Santa. The line was insanely long which was FINE with Ainsley. She is still in the not liking Santa mode and this year said that she wants to look at Santa but she doesn't want him to look at her. :) We then went outside for the free horse & carriage ride which the girls loved. Here are a couple shots trying to get the last one.... (click on it to make it bigger)
Then off to lunch at the food court in the mall (kids' choice, remember??) for a little stir-fry. Shopping at Claire's, then off to the theater to see Enchanted. Which, by the way, is a totally cute and funny movie - very enjoyable. At least for us girls, not sure how much Dan loved it. :)
We were supposed to make sugar cookies but only got the dough made -oh well, another day. Played, played some more....their dinner choice? Taco Bell!!!! Which we ate upstairs while we watch a Christmas movie (can't recall which one).
Quite a day! And very enlightening to see what they chose for "their" day. And that they would have been happy to just play and hang out at home all day long - ahhh, the simple life!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Just a post...
I've noticed that I tend not post on this blog unless I have a photo or a video to share, or something funny a kid said....I have none of that. (Well, except how Ainsley says "britches" but since this is a FAMILY blog, I won't go into details...needless to say I got in lots of trouble).
I just noticed yesterday how enjoyable this Christmas season has been for me so far. I mean, I ALWAYS love Christmastime but life is always so crazy and busy that I've been missing out on the down time. But we have had so much time to just read books by the fire, or make fun crafts or do things spur of the moment, I am just amazed. And it's not to say we haven't been busy, we really have....though thankfully soccer and ballet are over! But as for the big blocks of down time, I am attributing it to two things.
1) Getting my shopping done before Thanksgiving - we started this about 3 years ago. Anyone who lives in this area knows the ridiculous traffic on Meridian and around the mall at Christmas. Maybe I'm getting too old but I just can't stand the traffic and crowds anymore. I like peaceful shopping! So getting it all done before the crowds arrive has saved my sanity in ways I can't describe. :)
2)My dear friend Michele gave me a wonderful idea to do the "Guay's 25 Days of Christmas" (and by the way, you have to sing it everytime you say it and it cracks me up everytime I hear Hayley or Ainsley sing it!). Anyway, I made a paper chain and each piece has a different "to-do" on it - sometimes a place to go, sometimes a craft to make, sometimes just something simple. For example, last night was dinner and Christmas books by candlelight. We did have to improvise a bit and read books by the tree instead. But we literally sat for an hour around the tree, reading books and even got out our Christmas carol book and sang a few songs. (my kids don't know all these songs!! Horrors!! I must teach them!!) Anyway, doing this has afforded us so many of these relaxing and fun moments, which really lead into great conversation time with the kids. And of course conversations are always a great adventure with a silly 3-1/2 year old and an imaginative 7-1/2 year old. They are so fun and I'm learning to enjoy them in ways that I didn't see before. What else is on the list? Well, tonight is hot cocoa and puzzle night. Tomorrow (eek!!) is "Kids Choice Day" - the girls are going to go crrrrraaaaazzzzyyyyyy! Sunday we get a picnic breakfast in front of the fireplace. It's just been so fun - thank you Michele for this idea!!!! :)))) (and everything is a surprise to them each day so if you read this, please don't tell my kids what to expect next!) I'm seriously wondering how I can manage to do the "31 Days of January" and the "28 Days of February" etc....hmmm, maybe that's a stretch.
I hope all of you are making time to just relax and enjoy the quiet times of the season. It really gives us so much time to reflect on what we're celebrating....the birth of our Savior!! What a gift!
Happy Friday everyone!!!
I've noticed that I tend not post on this blog unless I have a photo or a video to share, or something funny a kid said....I have none of that. (Well, except how Ainsley says "britches" but since this is a FAMILY blog, I won't go into details...needless to say I got in lots of trouble).
I just noticed yesterday how enjoyable this Christmas season has been for me so far. I mean, I ALWAYS love Christmastime but life is always so crazy and busy that I've been missing out on the down time. But we have had so much time to just read books by the fire, or make fun crafts or do things spur of the moment, I am just amazed. And it's not to say we haven't been busy, we really have....though thankfully soccer and ballet are over! But as for the big blocks of down time, I am attributing it to two things.
1) Getting my shopping done before Thanksgiving - we started this about 3 years ago. Anyone who lives in this area knows the ridiculous traffic on Meridian and around the mall at Christmas. Maybe I'm getting too old but I just can't stand the traffic and crowds anymore. I like peaceful shopping! So getting it all done before the crowds arrive has saved my sanity in ways I can't describe. :)
2)My dear friend Michele gave me a wonderful idea to do the "Guay's 25 Days of Christmas" (and by the way, you have to sing it everytime you say it and it cracks me up everytime I hear Hayley or Ainsley sing it!). Anyway, I made a paper chain and each piece has a different "to-do" on it - sometimes a place to go, sometimes a craft to make, sometimes just something simple. For example, last night was dinner and Christmas books by candlelight. We did have to improvise a bit and read books by the tree instead. But we literally sat for an hour around the tree, reading books and even got out our Christmas carol book and sang a few songs. (my kids don't know all these songs!! Horrors!! I must teach them!!) Anyway, doing this has afforded us so many of these relaxing and fun moments, which really lead into great conversation time with the kids. And of course conversations are always a great adventure with a silly 3-1/2 year old and an imaginative 7-1/2 year old. They are so fun and I'm learning to enjoy them in ways that I didn't see before. What else is on the list? Well, tonight is hot cocoa and puzzle night. Tomorrow (eek!!) is "Kids Choice Day" - the girls are going to go crrrrraaaaazzzzyyyyyy! Sunday we get a picnic breakfast in front of the fireplace. It's just been so fun - thank you Michele for this idea!!!! :)))) (and everything is a surprise to them each day so if you read this, please don't tell my kids what to expect next!) I'm seriously wondering how I can manage to do the "31 Days of January" and the "28 Days of February" etc....hmmm, maybe that's a stretch.
I hope all of you are making time to just relax and enjoy the quiet times of the season. It really gives us so much time to reflect on what we're celebrating....the birth of our Savior!! What a gift!
Happy Friday everyone!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)