Home for the Holidays

Last night I told Curly that I was sad that school was starting and wanted her to stay home with me.  She seemed suprised and asked, "Then why does the song say, 'Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.'?"

Why does it say that?  I loved having my girls home and they had so much fun playing together every day.  We didn't go anywhere (very far), which was a first for us.  Instead family came to visit us and we had a wonderful time.  Here is our lengthy Christmas wrap-up -

The last day of school Curly's school has a "Jingle Bell Jog."  Not really a race just an excuse to get kids moving before they cram themselves full of Christmas goodies.  Parents are invited to participate, so we did. 

Curly and Lou at the Jingle Bell Jog

Fisher grew up receiving an ornament each Christmas and we have continued the fun tradition.  This year we wanted to find some cactus ornaments to commemorate our first Christmas staying home in the Arizona sun.  We failed to find any, so on Christmas Eve we made salt dough ornaments.  We had a good time and they actually turned out very cute.  The finishing touch would have been to decorate them with twinkle lights (as people do here), but the craft store was out.

Salt Dough wreath and "blob"

For Christmas Eve dinner we had a traditional German meal - Rouladin, rotkohl, spaetzle, potato dumplings, gravy, and german cheesecake.  We had a couple in our ward over for dinner.  They were very entertained by our darling overly ecstatic children (at least someone was :).  After a quiet drive to look at Christmas lights it was off to bed.  Fisher and I were excited to go to bed at a decent time, but it was not to be.  Poor Berry was up most of the night with a bad case of croup.  Christmas morning came all too soon with exhausted parents and girls  bouncing with excitement.

Feeling better - a happy girl even when she is sick

In spite of our exhaustion, it was very enjoyable to see the girls exclaim over every present they received.  They were just as excited about a new toothbrush as they were about receiving what they had asked for. 

Toothbrushes!!!

A baby doll!

Books!

Lou's loot - The Pillow pet was on her wish list and is very loved

Curly asked for slippers and a locket and Santa came through!

Christmas being on a Sunday, we enjoyed a quiet afternoon.  We were able to have a conference call with the whole Lovell family plus some as we talked to Paisley on her mission.  The girls and Fisher decorated a gingerbread house and we all went for a walk after dinner.

A few days after Christmas the Lovells arrived!  Lainey's parents, two sisters, and brother + girlfriend, gathered from all quadrants of the US..  We attended a Lovell cousin wedding in Mesa the first day, visited museums, took walks, played games, and just enjoyed being together.

The family at the Mesa Temple

Girls waiting with Aunt K-Rae during the wedding

We had three pics of our whole family together last year - My goal this year is to take one each time we have the opportunity.

Sisters with cousin Sydney at the reception

My sister K-Rae gave dad an inflatable floating remote control shark for Christmas (the gift for the man who has everything :)  Everyone was entertained by the bobbing shark, which did look pretty life like as it swam along.

Eating mom

Watch out!

Taking a stroll to see the neighbors.

Waiting for dinner at Abuelo's - Yum!

K-Rae and Berry

Gifts from Aunt JG

Gifts from Grandma C

Lou doing some morning Yoga with Dania

On New Years Eve, we took an outing to the Musical Instrument Museum.  It was impressive and interesting (especially for the adults) and there was a lot more to see than anticipated.  We ended up spending most of the day there.  In the evening we enjoyed, sparklers, games, and food.

The experience room at the Musical Instrument Museum

Having fun with sparklers and a camera on New Years Eve

Playing "Body Jam" on New Years

Aunt JG gave the girls a science in the kitchen kit.  Here they are making fizzy drinks. 

Playing "The blindfold game"

The dryer is a fun place to hide

K-Rae and mom and dad left a couple days before Nate, Dania, and Jeniel.  We hiked at Thunderbird park and visited the Science Center.

Berry is ready to hike, but not thrilled about it.

A few minutes later

Nathan and Dania

Happy to have family visit!

It's the most crazy time of the year!

I was feeling pretty good about my Christmas preparations - Most of the gifts were ready.  Some of the baking was done.  All I really needed to do was our Christmas card and neighbor gifts... and a few other things.  Then it happened! (cue dramatic music)  The "free time" part of my life was taken over by a new calling at church.  It has settled down now and I am feeling more in control and very blessed for this new service opportunity - but all those things I needed to do have still not happened.   (I still have five days right)  Blogging isn't even on the list, but sometimes it is nice to just sit down and record a piece of our life.

Curly finally lost a tooth - two in one week in fact!  This was exciting news because the dentist was worried we may have to pull them.  She loves being (partially) toothless!  Speaking of toothless, we were beginning to think that we were going to have to invest in baby dentures, but lo and behold, 13 months old and Berry is finally sprouting her first tooth.

 

 

Reading stories to Berry

Berry is also walking!  She looks so cute with arms straight up in the air as she takes a straight course for her destination, but she usually makes it there!  She wants to get places on her own and throws one of her fits when her sisters pick her up.  She is also trying to climb onto everything and has another one of her fits when her mother removes her to prevent a head injury.

Berry's favorite toys - anything in the cupboard

I wanna go outside too :(  but it is raining and muddy

 Lou has been wrapping up anything that she can find that might pass as a Christmas gift.  The other day, I found a pair of kiddie scissors under the tree, mummified in masking tape.  I asked Lou why she covered the scissors in tape and she became very upset that I was trying to "open" one of the presents that she had wrapped.  Who knows what we will find under the tree on Christmas morning.

The "stable" made for the "horse" aka bike.

Yesterday we had a Finnish Christmas dinner with our friends the Simpsons.  Fisher and Mike both served their missions in Finland and had a great time reminiscing.  This year our family made the Karlajan piirakoita or "ballet slippers" as I called them as a child.  They are a savory rye and rice pastry that you top with a mixture of chopped hard boiled eggs and butter.  Even my pickiest eater thought they were delicious. 

Making "ballet slippers"

And We are Back!

I think this is the longest hiatus I have ever had from blogging - not because I haven't wanted to, but because apparently we have been more busy than usual. So brace yourself - this is going to be long!  Without further adieu - here is our November wrap-up and a bit of December too:

Berry has a few favorites around the house - the doll crib, the dishwasher, and any open door.  She makes a beeline for any door that leads outside and her heart is broken if she doesn't make it there before the door closes.  She also loves to get into the dishwasher when mom's back is turned.

Throwing a fit!

Berry is also very loved by her sisters and they play all sorts of games.  Lou is working on teaching Berry her anatomy.  Their personal favorite is belly button :). 

Walking practice

Berry makes a great doggie.  The leash is not around her neck (just to clarify)

Fun in the backyard!

Lou is a great playmate for Berry and a very busy body.  She is also adept at making really BIG messes.

Robot made with dad.

Can't even stop her business to piddle.

Played herself to exhaustion

Curly is the leader of the pack and loves to come up with creative uses of paper.  Here they are in their superhero masks.  Even Berry had one for a few seconds.

She had a great soccer season.  She is prolific in her writing and pictures (and use of paper).  She loves school and when she is in the mood, she is a great helper at home.

Making crescent rolls for Thanksgiving

Last week, the study was such a mess that Fisher put up the following sign and told the girls that if it wasn't cleaned up in two days, the door would be locked and they would not be able to play in there.

The sign says "closing in 2 days"

As Fisher and I were going to bed that evening, we noticed that the sign on the door was different.

The sign was mysteriously replaced with "Never Mind.  10,100 days until closing"

With all the business, you can imagine that we have been pretty tired!  I have been working on curtains for the kitchen for longer than I want to admit (and I finally finished yesterday).  Fisher caught me one Saturday afternoon in the middle of a huge pile of clean laundry, threading the curtains on the rod, and "watching" America's Test Kitchen.  I guess it is justice for all the pictures I have of him sleeping anywhere and everywhere.

Curly with her doll sleeping beside her.

Notice Lou's shirt.  Those paper figures are glued on!

And there you have it!  Phew!