Love My Kids

Preston (5), Kate (7), Chelsea (6 mo's) and Lindsey (2)

My Mom made their adorable dresses. I found the hounds tooth corduroy material and loved it. My Mom is amazing at sewing, which I'm so grateful for! (Don't mind Chelsea's red raw nose. I can't wait for her cough/cold to go away.) I love my kids and think they are pretty cute too. :)

The Lights of Christmas

This year we decided to try something new. I have heard from a few friends of this event and how they liked it a lot. Tickets are pricey so when I heard about an online deal I bought tickets and put it down for one of our countdown to Christmas activities. I was excited for us to go. Well...

Friday, we made the trek to Warm Beach for The Lights of Christmas. It's an event with lots of lights, train rides, pony rides, carolers, Bruce the Spruce (talking Christmas tree) and yummy food you can buy. Sounds fun, right? Well, not for us! It was 27 miles away and took us over an hour- gotta love traffic. It was pretty cold, but not raining so that was good. We lucked out. When we got Chelsea out of the car she started crying. She is normally very good and is quiet so it was weird she was fussy. We waited in a long line to get in and once we did we lost Preston, but I quickly found him crying as he was trying to find us. Then we made it to the nativity (my favorite part of the whole thing b/c it was pretty and had beautiful music playing). We went to the Polar Express Train first and the line was a 50 minute way. What?! We walked to see Bruce the Spruce, but another long line. We looked at the map that didn't make sense to find an ATM b/c we wanted hot cocoa and they only took cash. Preston was crying saying his feet were freezing, Lindsey's hands were cold, Chelsea was still crying, Kate was saying it was the worst day ever and I was cold too. We weren't prepared. It was a disaster from the beginning. Kyle wanted to go home right then and there, but I didn't want to. We had driven all that way so we might as well make the most of it. We finally went back to the train line that was only a 30 minute wait and endured the long line. After the super quick train ride (not worth it) we found hot cocoa in a warm building, got mini donuts and headed home. The lights were pretty, but waiting in long line after long line in freezing temps was not ideal. We would rather get hot cocoa and drive around to look at lights. Now we know. The pictures below show our adventure.

"You Can't Catch Me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

We made gingerbread man cookies after school the other day. The kids loved it and Kate even made some for her neighbor friends. I had just swept and mopped the floor before Kate and Preston came home from school that day. I don't know why I do it when it's just going to get messy so quick. Sure enough, Lindsey took a gingerbread cookie and crumbled it to a million pieces all over the floor, not to mention all the sprinkles that fell on the floor too. haha! Oh the memories! 

Snowflake Lane

Snowflake Lane in Bellevue is a family favorite activity for Christmas time. My parents and Marci met up with us on Monday night. We ate at yummy Cheesecake Factory before then headed outside for the fun festivities on the sidewalk. It wasn't raining and that was a miracle because the forecast for all week was rain except for Monday. 

Snow Princess

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 

I had left her heavier blanket in the car so we got lots of looks from people when her bare arms would show. It was chilly, but she was a good sport and was so good.

My little brown eyed Lindsey Loo Who!

These girls and the drummer boys would march down the sidewalk while we watched and danced to the Christmas music. It's very festive. The toy soldiers on stilts would hand out candy cane suckers. I think my kids got 2 each, "hey do you want a sucker? I already have one. Do you want another one? Yeah" That was the conversation I overheard one have with Kate. haha!

Listening to the drummer boy play with the music. I just love the ambience there!

Such a good picture of my Mom with Preston

Me with my Mom and Marci

Our crowd :)

Kate was dancing with this girl and then she let Kate hold and play her tambourine. Kate was lovin' it!

After Snowflake Lane, Kyle took the kids home to put in bed and I stayed with Marci and my parents to go shopping for my Dad's Christmas present from us kids. Kyle had met us there from work so I was driving his car back home. Well, when I went to start it it wouldn't start. The battery was dead. I was in a parking garage and could see where my parents were parked and they were just backing up to leave so I hurried and called my Dad. They came over to help me, but neither of us had jumper cables. My Mom ended up driving around to find security who eventually came and jumped my car so I could  be on my way. Kyle had left on 2 overhead lights when he was looking for his phone he dropped. I was glad my parents were there to help!

6 Months Already?

Chelsea turned 6 months on Sunday December 9th. She is growing up so fast. I've really enjoyed her as a baby because she's so good and easy going. Her latest trick is getting up on all fours and lunging forward. My days are numbered until she's crawling! Ahhhh! It's been nice to not have her mobile and still content sitting in her car seat. 

Here eyes aren't blue or brown...not sure what color they will end up, green maybe? 

Her hair is dark still, but I think it's lightening up in some areas. 

I think she's losing weight...sad day...I love her double chin

She got her first tooth on Sunday, bottom left

Still not eating baby food- not a fan.

She wears 9 month clothes

She is smiley :)

One of my lil' sidekicks during the day while Kate and Preston are at school.

"Watch out! Here I come!"

And there's a nice picture of my 1/2 toe (the one caught in the lawnmower when I was 4 yrs old). haha!

        

She's learning to hold her bottle.

She has a cold and a cough right now. Poor baby! Her nose is raw and she woke up one morning with her nose to her upper lip covered completely with dried green snot/boogers! Gross! 

We are so glad Chelsea's in our family. She makes us laugh and the kids have fun with her. (Maybe they will change their mind when she starts getting into their toys and wrecking stuff- haha!) I'm so glad she's healthy and strong and adorable. 

Festive House

On December 1st, we decorated our tree and cut out snowflakes to put on our windows so our house feels all festive. My red walls go great with Christmas and Valentine's Day. :)

We decorated gingerbread houses with friends for Family Night last week. This kit from Costco is the BEST kit ever. The house is pre-built and all the candy comes with it. Best $10 you'll ever spend. 

We went to our Ward Christmas Dinner last weekend. Santa didn't show up (!) so Mark Watson stepped in and made a pretty darn good Santa and the best part is kids weren't scared of him at all. 

A Spanish Branch meets at our building now and their youth and primary kids are combined with ours. So right before Thanksgiving, we got bumped back to late Church. We were going to change at the beginning of the new year anyways, but I liked 9 am Church because the kids got naps and we did too. ;) Now we have Church at 12:30 pm and there aren't any naps and kids are cranky. One bonus is we get to chill in our pajamas for a while in the morning before getting ready for Church.