It just doesn't take much to light up her world
Bradley and Alayna wanted to help Laura open all her presents
And the perfection competitions began early to see who could beat the record time...I believe I won. It was one of my favorite games as a kid.
We had a wonderful Christmas season. We enjoyed all of the festivities, traditions, and most importantly celebrating the birth of our Savior. After our Christmas morning present opening and breakfast we played the rest of the day anticipating the arrival of gramma and grandpa and Dave, Sue, Alexander, Hamilton and Madie who joined us for Christmas dinner. After dinner we played a few games of the new Boppit which was fun and then the rest of the night was just total craziness and laughter which I think we've determined you can put our two families in the worst of circumstances and we'll still find something to laugh about. We ended the night singing happy birthday to Laura since we sort of had the set up of a birthday anyway and her best little girlfriend Madie was already there. She would officially be 2 the next day. It eased my mommy guilt for not having a party. She is still at the age where she probably wonders what all the fuss is about anyway. It all works out regardless. We are thankful to have some family close by to celebrate the holidays and occasions and just as thankful to have friends that we consider like family to make it all complete. As everyone was leaving the snow storm we were expecting was getting well underway so we all went to bed wondering what we would wake up to the next day. I guess I didn't get many pictures of the rest of Christmas day.
Who will prince charming choose?....... Cinderella #1 or Cinderella #2? Hmmm......that sweet prince chooses both you see. These 3 were just darling playing dressup. I don't know how many transformations that made in this one day, but they were just way to cute.
And who's behind mask #2.....mmmmm hmmmmm......Alayna is of course.....who else can go from princess to Darth Vader in the blink of an eye? It was her dream a few months ago to be Darth Vader when she grew up. That's what she'd say when you asked her what she wanted to be. Love that girl!! It's the perfect match for the sweet and cuddly Koala Bear right?!?
I think lightning has officially become Alayna's best little furry friend. She plays with him all day long. Once again I'm thankful that cats have 9 lives. I think God gave these two a few extra just in case of emergencies. They are squashed, squished, sat on, and loved way too much if there ever could be such a thing. I really honestly think they think that they are human as well because I just don't know of an animal that could withstand some of the humaness that is forced on them. Alayna constantly buckles the cat in the stroller....yes buckles them in the real way and yes they just sit there and go along for the ride. She puts baby clothes and baby bibs on them. Why I still haven't gotten a picture of kitty dress up I don't have a clue. I feel like I'm whipping out the camera so much lately just trying to get every moment with a toddler let alone cats too. Alayna is the one that is the most creative with them. Bradley is very calm with them and they are just as calming for him. It's more of a picture of peace where with Alayna it's just pure adventure and what can I do with them next. She also puts them in the high chair and puts them in clothes baskets and puts blankets over the top so they don't escape, but at times they do actually dare to get away. They usually disappear when she's turned her back and she can't get over how they escaped through the blanket so one day she comes downstairs and says "Hey momma LOOK! The kitty can still see through the box!" She had put it in one of those clear plastic shoe boxes that you buy and had the lid snapped shut. The poor thing fit perfectly why wouldn't she try to do something like that. So I did all I could not to flipout on her and scare her to death that the cat would die in a matter of no time being locked in an airtight box. I resolved to gently telling her the facts and she mustn't ever ever do that again. Point taken......relieved mommy. Can you imagine if she did that and forgot about it.? Laura on the other hand is another story.....we are still working on the litter box thing. Usually when it's quiet I know exactly where she is. There is some sort of litterbox fascination with her. She likes to watch the cats poop, she likes to play in it UGH!!!! The other day she was running around in just her diaper (her new thing) and it was quiet. I found her in the litter box literally sitting with the cat in it. It's gross and unsanitary I know......Enough said, I believe we've had our breakthrough so no more Laura in the litterbox....stubborn little thing. We now have had to keep the kids doors shut at night because that's when the cats really come alive. We've had an episode with each child waking in the night to cats licking their faces. Bradley would tell me that the kitty was sniffing his ears and licking his face and said "mommy, I tried to hide under the covers, but then I couldn't breathe. So funny!...... Door #1 was closed. Alayna woke up another night saying kitty was trying to get under the covers with her and licking her face. She liked the fact that kitty wanted to sleep with her, but didn't want to be woke up....door #2 officially closed. One night at 3 in the morning I hear Laura screaming like something major was happening so I ran in and turned on the light and she's yelling and crying and pointing to TIYEE!!!!!! One was in the crib with her......door #3 is now closed. So who do the cats both pounce on in the middle of the night....YUP mommy and daddy and you can't move a muscle because they like to pounce on your feet when you move. We tried hiding under the covers ourselves and then decided.....door #4 must close too. We felt so bad so now we're back to letting them sleep with us and yes we still have to hide under the covers so they don't lick our faces until they give up and go away. So our cat stories continue........We love them to pieces....and yes I mean that literally!
The whole neighborhood gang came over one day to decorate cookies. They were all so cute and had a great time together making their creations.
Our first snow of the season came a little early this year. We're lucky if we see much or any at all. It was enough to create a little ruckus and some excitement for the kids.
Another favorite tradition of ours is going to Christmas in the Country at the Triple R Ranch. It's a big family owned ranch that opens their property for 2 weekends before Christmas. They usually have the place all decked out with Christmas lights with lots of activities for the kids and families to enjoy. Pony rides, hayrides, crafts, music, rock climbing, a live Nativity, a chili feast, and bon fires along the way. The kids are at the age now where they are starting to remember the things from previous years that they look forward to doing each year.
It was neat watching this man take old horse shoes and heat the metal up to form new things. He was making a horse shoe pick and when it was done he handed it to Bradley. It made him a happy little boy. He wasn't expecting it.
Me and my girl
Enjoying the cozy hayride
Bradley and Alayna loved the horse rides, but Laura was scared to death and paniced when we tried to set her on the horse just for a picture so that wasn't happening.
Here are our two new Christmas blessings dash and lightning. Poor things have had so many names until Bradley and Alayna are now settled what their kitties will be called. We had plans this year to surprise the kids with two kittens. After Ashley died last year we didn't have any plans on getting another pet....a least for a while. We had our other 2 cats for 15 years so they really didn't grow up with the kids since we had them way before kids and they weren't really attached to each other however, when Ashley started getting sicker Alayna had such a sensitivity towards her and was more and more drawn to her and would sit with her and talk to her and read her stories and pet her. Even though it was a sad time it was a sweet time. After she was gone Alayna just couldn't figure out why she was gone and would always say "it's just taking Ashley too long to get back from heaven and when will she be back" along with all sorts of random off and on comments. A few months ago she really started talking about wanting a puppy and a kitty and how fun it would be to have them to play with and follow her around everywhere. It just really touched my heart to hear her say these things. It seemed our hearts were all ready to enter the kitty world again. It started the talks of how we were going to pull it off for Christmas day. Craig called me in the middle of one day wanting me to meet him at the Hope Center on his lunch break and see what they had. I told him I just couldn't come "look" and not take them home:) but I so wanted to pull it off for Christmas day as well. It ended up being that I couldn't meet him at that time so we met there the next day. I walked into the kitty room and sat down and about 4 of the 10 started climbing on me and taking turns. It was just so stinkin cute!! I had 2 on my shoulders and 4 on my lap and thought "oh how could I choose?" I stayed in there and played forever. Only one was allowed in there at a time so while I played Craig and the kids played with the other bigger kitties and cats. The hope center couldn't hold any cats or kittens until Christmas and since that was going to be a big part of their christmas present we didn't want to take the chance of waiting so......long story short as we were discussing what to do and one of the ladies told us to pick out any 2 cats we wanted that day and she would just give them to us......in the mean time we believe God was leading Alayna's little heart to 2 other older kittens that we bypassed right when we walked in because I wanted 2 baby girls and these were 2 bigger boys. There were triplets, but Alayna kept going back to 2 of them saying these are the 2 that we should get and that she loved them ones. It took everything in us to not get the 3rd one and talked about it for the next few days after, but decided we were settled on the 2. So needless to say that is exactly what we did and definitely know those were the two kittens God wanted us to have and we are so thankful for them. He has been so faithful and good to our family. They have been just the little loves of our family and perfect additions. They are so affectionate and can definitely handle alot of love and craziness. The kids take them to bed with them at night which is such a sweet time. Bradley and Alayna make forts with pillows and blankets for them. Sarah and Alayna dress them in baby doll outfits and play house with them. Alayna keeps saying everyday how much she loves her kitty and keeps saying "thank you so much for getting these kittens for us" The love you see in her eyes for them is just so priceless. Bradley loves his kitty so much too and just the way he totes it around and talks to it is pricess as well. I found him in his room one day with his kitty on his bed and he was showing dash his new football cards. I just sat and watched him and he didn't know I was there. When I walked in he told me he had read his book to him too. As for Laura....in the beginning once she learned the word kitty that's all she would squeal was (TITTY!!!) and it was with a purpose and on a mission she would chase them around and try to pick them up by the neck, but has now learned to say ni titty for nice kitty and has learned gentleness with them. One day she sprayed one of their heads down with 409, (which isn't too funny, but it happened and had somehow found a stray bottle) she has picked her nose and used the cats as tissue because she's the chronic nose picker of the family and I've found boogers on them. Now that she's learned how to treat the titties and learned that they really do only have 9 lives we're good to go. We still make sure they get the breaks they need. They sure put up with alot of lovin, but they keep coming back for more. Once again we are thankful for these little guys.
