Christmas 2012

Christmas this year was really different. For the first time in over eight years, I didn't have to rush back to Rexburg to work, so we were able to spend an entire week with my parents, Katie and David, Joey, Jojo and Lynnli, and Courtney (occasionally). It was so wonderful to get away from life for awhile and just hang out. Even the sickness that raged through every family member was worth it! We had so much fun with visiting, having a "spa party" and an "awesome boy party" I didn't take many pictures at all!!

Christmas Eve we spent in Blackfoot and then came back to have our Christmas Eve cocoa and stories before bed. Amelia and Cooper crashed pretty early and slept until around 6am. We had a fun Christmas morning at home, then packed up to head to Blackfoot. Here are some pictures:

Amelia has had this nightgown since she was 5.....through 4 Christmases! This may be the last year for it, though. It's up to her knees.

Amelia with Lynnli. We were lucky enough to babysit her for a couple days after Christmas while Jojo and Joey went back to work. She is such a cutie, we sure love her! Amelia just wanted to hold her and Lynnli just wanted to be free.

Before Christmas the kids made gingerbread houses with Katie and David while I was out with the fabulous Professor Jackman for yet another study session. Have I mentioned how difficult this third test is?

Cooper's house kinda fell apart when he took the cellophane off. I'm sure it had NOTHING to do with it being dropped six times before we opened it. Nothing.

He did the best he could with a gingerbread tent. He was very of his "fence's" pattern of red and green.

This is Amelia's house. She took over an hour to decorate it. David was a very patient frosting-squirter, and dutifully wielded the frosting bag to fulfill Amelia's demands.

The side of Amelia's house. I was impressed. I don't think I could have done as well!

It was a fabulous Christmas, made even better with Katie and David visiting! Can't wait for our visit to them and the coast in June. Hooray!

Lots of news, but...

...here's something I can post quickly. COOPER LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!!  And not just one, but two! His two bottom teeth literally popped out on the last day of the year! He lost them a full year before Amelia lost hers. He's very proud of that.

He put them under his pillow that night and started the New Year $2 richer!

We spent a fabulous week with my parents and Katie Call and David Bundy so I am a bit behind in my posting. I will do my best to catch up this week!  To tide you over, here is a picture of my kids the Sunday before church in their new outfits:

Holiday Fun!

We have been super busy this month with a lot of fun holiday activities. We've been to parties, sat on many Santa's laps (story to follow) and went to a Christmas celebration a few stores were putting on. They had a hayride, a Santa, hot cocoa and cookies, a photo booth and the Grinch!

On the hayride. It was COLD. I don't mind the cold, but I'd like to have some snow!

Amelia and Cooper with the Grinch. Amelia told him, "Given the choice, I'd choose the seasick crocodile!" And Cooper went with, "You're a bad banana with a greasy black peal!" The Grinch replied with, "Thank you! Have a terrible Christmas!"

From there we went inside and Cooper walked right up to Santa. By the time I got over there I heard Santa say, "What would you like for Christmas?" Cooper replied, "I already TOLD you last week. Are you the real Santa?" For the next five minutes this sweet Santa philosophized with Cooper about how you can tell a Santa is real. Lesson learned here? Only take the kids to talk to Santa once!

Amelia didn't have quite the questions Cooper did....at least not outloud. Sometimes I think there's a lot going on in her head.

This weekend we had a FABULOUS surprise----Katie and David flew in to spend Christmas AND New Year's with us! We are sooooooooooooooooo happy to have them here! David had drawn my name for Christmas and here's my gift:

Super cute, right?

We also finished up out Christmas shopping in Idaho Falls this weekend. I had to stop in Bath and Body Works and get a gift. They were having a buy three, get three free and we qualified. I didn't know what to get, but between the really kind sales lady, Amelia and Cooper, we walked out with lotion and body spray for Amelia, and "awesome boy" 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash for Cooper. The whole way to Blackfoot they talked about their new bath stuff. Cooper was floored that one bottle could do TWO things. I told him it was a Christmas miracle.

Cooper's Gymnastic Showcase

Last Saturday we had Cooper's first gymnastic showcase. He did really well, and earned his first medal. He's very proud of it. He immediately came home and compared it to Amelia's medals and was happy it was different than all of them. Here are a few pictures and videos:

Cooper giving me a thumbs-up.

This is Cooper's ring routine. Doesn't his coach look like that David Archuletta kid?

Before Cooper can begin his floor routine, he throws in a few ninja moves. I asked him afterwards why he did that, and he said, " I wanted to put some cool moves in." Ooooooookay.

The next video is the coaches performance. It's always really good, and you'll notice Coach Chelsea landed right in front of us. If you listen closely you can hear Amelia scream a little bit.

Future Olympian

So proud!

In other news, I have this week left then the semester is over. I didn't get the third math test taken; I can't pass the practice test yet, so I'm hoping to get some more tutoring in over the Christmas break and get that test out of the way early next semester. In happier news, after this semester I will have completed three semesters this year! I was also accepted as a full-time student for the Fall 2013 semester. Yay!

O Christmas Tree!

Last night we got our tree, thanks to Ben and Matthew hauling it home for us. We let it rest and then this morning we decorated it. I tested out the lights and they all worked. I wrapped the tree, plugged in the lights....and only half worked. Sigh. So, we have a half-lit tree. Hope that doesn't violate BYUI's Honor Code.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our beautiful, expensive, probably-last-real-one-for-a-few-years-tree.

Amelia artfully placing ornaments.

Cooper critiquing ornament placing. Or he has to go to the bathroom.

Cooper and his 2012 ornament. He's on a Grinch kick this year.

Cooper was quite distraught we didn't have a star at the top. So, Amelia made one.

Me and Coop.

Silly picture.

Me and Amelia.

Silly picture.

Nutcracker

Saturday and Monday night Amelia performed in the Nutcracker. She was a Russian dancing to "Trepak", which I think is the best song out of the Nutcracker. She did a fantastic job, and is already angling for the role of Clara or the Sugar Plum Fairy. Here are some pictures:

I thought she looked very Russian, so I started calling her Nadia or Irina, in a very bad Russian accent. She wasn't amused.

After the first performance.

Cooper did well through the performance, especially when the nutcracker was fighting the Mouse King. He got a little bored through the second half, which only had "a bunch of girls dancing around".

I also took a video, but its from pretty far away. I missed taking one on Saturday, so I tried on Monday. Unfortunately, I was unaware that the entire LDS population of Rexburg attends the Monday night performance for FHE. There was NO where to sit. Lesson learned.

Amelia is on the left, first one when they line up. She is the in the second group of cartwheels, and the end of the sashays as they change position. Then she ends up on the back row, furthest on the left. Just look for the best dancer in the plum costume! :-)

Thanksgiving Weekend

We were lucky enough to get outta town for four days over Thanksgiving weekend. We only had Mom, Dad, Courtney and my family for the dinner (and Katie via Google Hangout) but it was still nice. Plus, there were leftovers galore! We had a fun time eating (THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!), shopping (THANK YOU JOJO!), playing outside, playing the Kinect (THANK YOU, COURTNEY!), watching movies, getting a tutoring session (THANK YOU, PROFESSOR JACKMAN!) and attending a baby shower (THANK YOU MANDY, JUDY AND AUBREY!) All in all, it was a great weekend and I was not in a hurry to get back to real life.

Amelia and Cooper all ready for some turkey. Only Cooper had a PB&J, Go-gurt and fruit snacks.

At the Blackfoot Lake bed. We needed a little exercise after all the food.

The kids loved rolling down the big hill at the lake.

Cooper did not want to take part in our family portrait.

But he was okay with the family wrestling.

Cooper having a deep conversation with Nana. Using gestures and everything.

Amelia relaxing at Nana's. 

P.S. Mandy, can you send me the recipe for the hot chocolate, please, please, please?

Weekend fun and Thankgiving Program

Last weekend we went to Blackfoot so Amelia and I could attend the Boise Temple re-dedication. It was a little long for her, but I think she's happy she went. We had a good time playing with cousins and family. Here are a few pictures:

Amelia and Lynnli had their first fight, over a doll named Lynnli (it was Amelia's).

Lynnli won.

Amelia was not a good sport, even when I explained it would only be for a little while.

Cooper kept Lynnli and Matthew entertained. (Notice Lynnli's tight grip on the doll?)

I also had Cooper's Thankgiving Program today. I'll post the video, so if you can't open it, please let me know and I'll email it to you. You really need to see it!  First a picture of Cooper the Pilgrim:

 

Now the videos:

More Fun in the Snow

Yesterday we had a morning snow storm that left us with about two to three inches. After school, Amelia and Cooper begged to go out and play in it. This is the first year they've really wanted to, and its been nice. They spent over an hour making snowmen. Here are some pictures:

In other news, I'm taking my second math test tomorrow morning. I'll update the results after its graded!

I PASSED!! Barely, but I did. On to test number 3..........

A week later.....

Has it only been a week? Seriously?! I don't believe I have ever had a week be quite so long. Amazing what that extra hour of daylight savings can do, isn't it? It can make time drag like its never dragged before. Anyway, a lot has happened this week. For those of you on pins and needles about my "MATH DRAMA", I decided my GPA scholarship was more important and dropped the course. I took the first of three tests and passed. Hooray!! I'm studying for the second one, and doing alright. I'm hoping to take (and pass) it by late next week, so I can spend the remainder of the three weeks cramming for the third and final test. Wish me luck, pray for a miracle and keep your fingers crossed at all times.

Amelia and Cooper are coming down off of the Halloween candy high and the daylight savings mess. They've settled into school (especially Cooper) and we're plugging along. Here are a few pictures. They are all of Cooper, because Amelia has uploaded hers onto her own blog, and didn't want to "bore" anyone with posting them twice.

Cooper regularly cracks me up. When I tell him good job, or he's done something right, he has started to give me a thumbs up, wink one eye, and click his tongue.

 

We went shopping for new pants for Cooper. He made sure they looked awesome from every angle.

 

Cooper with his friends from church, Captain America and another Thor.

Cooper's "boom goggles". They allow him to shoot fire out of his eyes.

Since I don't have any pictures posted of Amelia, I will post an "Amelia-ism". I was dropping her off at school this morning, and she jumped out of the car. There were about five kids playing around and two boys immediately ran up to her and started talking to her. As I watched, she flipped her ponytail behind her shoulder in a flirtatious manner and smiled at them. As I was gawking, she and the boy (one had left ) turned back to look at me. She waved, and as the boy turned away, she gave me a "go!" motion with her hand, turned back to the boy with a smile and walked with him into the school.

I am in T.R.O.U.B.L.E.