Happy New Year!

It is the last day of 2007 and what an incredible year it has been! The most enjoyable part of this past year is that it was a relatively quiet year...no major life events. It was wonderful to just enjoy the girls and family and friends. With that being said, 2008 already look like it is going to start out with a bang :-)!

Now let me tell you about our Christmas...

I've mentioned many times how great it is to be surrounded by family, but we also have family who don't live so close and we missed you all dearly this Christmas! Hopefully we will get to see you soon.

When Rylee was born, Matt and I started the tradition of having a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve. We thought it was important that our children realize that Christmas was not just about them, and kids are all about birthday parties so this is an easy way for them to understand why we celebrate. This year Rylee made the cake (I directed the process, but she really did most of it herself). She really did a great job!

Christmas morning Matt and I wait an hour for the girls to get up. Rylee and Reagan are both early birds, but I guess we were more excited than they were :-). Rylee was all about the gifts and thought every one of them was wonderful (aren't 3 yr olds great). Reagan, however, got some pink shoes (shown above) and really only cared about those and whatever Rylee was playing with. She has since realized how fun all of her toys are, but that morning all she cared about were those shoes!

Daddy opening his gifts from the girls.

After we went through all the presents at our house, we went to Grandma and Pop's and spent the rest of the day there. Reagan found a pair of black sparkly shoes that Keely got for Christmas and did enjoy those as much as her pink shoes.

Last but not least, this was our attempt to get a picture of all the kids together. Imagine on the other side 3 cameras taking the pictures and all the other adults trying to keep the kids in the pictures. There were only a few who ended up in tears, but no damage done!!!

Do You Ever Have Those Days???

You know, Rylee and Reagan are precious but there are weeks I feel like God picked the wrong person to do this job. My Rylee is in a bit of a sassy stage and she likes to test the limits. About 99% of the time she is an incredible kid, but I am not great at discipline so that other 1% is really hard for me. And Baby Reagan...she has a runny nose, teeth coming in and had to get shots today! Mommy, mommy, mommy - there isn't enough of me to go around.

Then, as I am getting Reagan ready for bed, they bring it all into perspective! It's moments like this that make it worth all the work and effort and worry...

+Our little entertainers!

Jeremiah 29:11 states "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Even when I have no clue what I am doing (which is often), I trust that God has an incredible plan for these girls and He will protect and provide for them.

Wow...We've Been Busy!

My goal is to at least update this blog weekly. I won't be too hard on myself...it really has been a busy month :-).

In the past week I've had 3 parties, wrapped presents at the mall, celebrated Christmas with my dad and celebrated Carson's 5th birthday (and I am sure I've left out a few things)! Know what I did last night??? I went to bed at 6:30 and didn't get up until 6:30 this morning. It was glorious!

In between the parties we've had to do lots of baking, and I've discovered that Rylee has the potential to be a chef. First, the girl can crack an egg (no shells and no mess)...I'm pretty amazed. She loves to help me mix, measure and make anything. If she is in trouble, I've threatened that she won't be able to help with dinner and she straightens right up! I told her that I am teaching her now so that she can spend the rest of her life cooking for me :-).

Rylee getting ready to open presents from Grandpa and Amy (and her cousin Maggie in the back ground).

My little sister Rachael holding Reagan. I think Reagan stayed in her arms all afternoon!

Pam and Bethany at cookie exchange. We had some good food!!

Reagan's Chit Chat

My little Reagan is 15 months today!!! It is amazing how quickly time goes by. While the child said her first word "mama" as clear as day at like 8 months, most of her chit chat since then sounds like her own language...until this week. I was on the phone one afternoon and Reagan was walking around talking up a storm, but I really wasn't paying much attention. Then I realized she was calling for her paci. Rylee and I have always played this game when we are looking for something (mostly commonly with dolly...we'll walk around calling "dolly, dolly, dolly"...until we find her). Well here was Reagan with her blanket saying "aci, aci, aci" and sure enough she was looking for paci. It was really cute!!!

Christmas Time of Year

Christmas is by far my favorite time of the year. This year I am enjoying it even more because last year our lives were so crazy. We were finishing the house, had a 4 month old and a 2 1/2 yr old and moved the week before Christmas. So...this year we are baking cookies and having parties and finding lots of ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Rylee wearing the shepard hat she made at church on Saturday night. She thought it was a pretty cool hat!

We decorated our tree this weekend and it looks beautiful! As of right now we are at 3 broken ornaments. Most of the glass ornaments are now out of Reagan's reach but I am sure that there will be more casualties. I have given her a basket of plastic ornaments that she can play with, but my kids always want to play with the stuff that's off limits :-).

Pie In The Sky

It's the day before Thanksgiving, which in our family means that it is pie day. Many years ago we took over my mom's apple pie recipe, and it's become the tradition that we make a couple for Thanksgiving day and one for each family to take home to enjoy with leftovers. You'd think by now we would have perfected the process but I am in a new house this year and that means a new oven. There were a few under cooked and a few over cooked, but in the end they will all taste pretty darn good!

Enjoy the recipe...
Mom's Apple Pie

• 2 deep dish pie crust
• 12 apples - peeled, cored and thinly slice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon (or more if you like)

Crumb Topping:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 stick of butter

Mix apples, sugar and Cinnamon. Pour into pie crust.
Mix sugar with flour and cut in butter until crumbly. Spoon mixture over apples.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until apples are soft and top is golden brown.

Reagan snacking on the apples :-)

Aunt Bethany and Rylee busy at work!

Just the beginning...

Okay, I've been checking out other peoples blogs and it has me interested. These things are addictive...I feel like a fly on the wall. My life may not be as exciting as some, but I have 2 funny little girls who give me plenty to write about. Matt and I love to exchange our "funny moments" at the end of the day and I am sure friends and family will enjoy those moments too! I also want to be able to post pictures. Since Reagan has come along I have not been as diligent about sending pictures...I know you are shocked!

Thanks for checking out my blog!!! I'll add some fun stuff soon!