Life as We Know it : Family

Cookie Snowballs

SNOWBALLS!!

We wanted to have a cookie party before finals week and so we gathered all the Provo peeps, made the dough got all ready and realized that we had no cookie cutters. Instead of shapes we made "Snowballs" and they were kinda delicious! It was fun to have everyone together. After cookies we played Taboo and then everyone had to leave to study :) It was still a great party and a fun way to celebrate the season. Plus like all of Kelsey's favorite people (minus Papa) were all in one room, so she was pretty happy too! She also loved Taboo and would walk up to the person talking and press the beeper the whole time. It was pretty annoying if it was happening to you, but hilarious if it was someone else. Side note; Hannah rocks at Taboo! If you ever play, invite Hannah!

"Candids:"

It was super fun and I probably will only do snowballs from now on. They were so much easier and just as delicious!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

and we LOVE IT!!! We thought our apartment was too small for decorations, but with determination and some sacrifices, we were able to get enough up to feel like Christmas.

The view from the front door. Our front room is tiny, but we got it in AND its not too crowded either.
We set up our tree at night when Kelsey was in bed, and so in the morning, when she woke up, the tree was a complete surprise. I wish we would have taped it because it was better than Christmas morning I think. Ethan plugged in the tree, I brought her out, and it was nothing but gasps, ohs and ahs for like 20 min! She loved it so much. She would run up to it, stare and run back and go OHHHHH while pointing trying to show us how awesome it was. Man, having a little kid around, really reminds you just how awesome life is on daily basis. She has already made Christmas way more exciting.

View from out front window. I just love that is is going to be a white season!

And don't forget the stockings hung by the dishwasher with care!

So I knew that this Christmas would bring more disaster than previous Christmases because we now have a toddler and not just a baby. I knew that things would happen, and I tried to brace myself that stuff is just stuff and that I have nothing so precious that it can't be replaced. Well I set up the nativity because I thought Kelsey would enjoy seeing the baby Jesus and the animals. I got it brand new at DI for only $2 so I also knew that if it broke, it didn't cost an arm and a leg. Well of course she broke it, but I did not except this within three days:
Day 1:

Day 2:

And finally Day 3:

Christmas is exactly what I expected from a toddler. Actually to be honest, she is doing amazing. There are three ornaments that she likes to take off the tree and show me like every hour, but she always hangs them back up and really doesn't touch the others. Sometimes she likes to put the little ones in her mouth and run around, hooks, and all, and that gets annoying, but other than that she is doing awesome. She always hasn't noticed or even cared about the gifts, so we are golden in that department. I just hope it stays that way. I'm really working on trying to be patient because I love Christmas and I love to touch the pretty ornaments too so why wouldn't she. Its just so exciting and tempting. That's why we get plastic everything right?! PS a plastic nativity is on the wish list for next year! That is a must I have learned. I don't think I will fix the wise men because it is kinda hilarious. The shepherd is the only one that is ended up totally in the trash. His head was so smashed that is was salvageable. I really don't know how she did it!

So at our ward Christmas party was a very typical ward Christmas party. Santa came to visit and we attempted three different times to get a good picture.
Attempt 1: We were waiting in line and she kept trying to run up to him. We thought that she would love it. She got there and wiggled down so fast that he didn't even have a chance to say hi. She wouldn't even take the candy
Attempt 2: While I held her, she started to hold on to me tighter and tighter. I put her in his lap and she started to cry and I took her out real quick.
Attempt 3: I thought that with a friend maybe she would like it. As I got closer to Santa, Kelsey had a death grip on my arm and I knew that it was going to be a no go. I put Sadie and Kelsey in Santa's lap at the same time and instantly Kelsey freaked out! She freaked out so much, that Sadie stopped freaking out and looked at her all calm. I feel kinda bad, but everyone has to have a scared Santa picture right?!

She calmed down pretty quick! She just needed to get out of the fat mans arms! We have played with Sadie a lot, but I didn't realize how much she liked me! She always comes up and gives me all sorts of love.

Christmas has been nothing but great music, wonderful lights, happy moments, delicious treats, and precious memories thus far! I cant wait for the actual day to come.

Wing Family Photo Shoot

For Diana's birthday in 2013, we decided to organize a family photo shoot. The last family picture was before Harps, Kels, and Annie, so it was time to get the new people in there. We went to Daybreak and Emily's awesome friend took our pictures. I am so grateful for Emily's friend because I had something lined up through MBASA and she literally just stopped talking to me in general. It was so flaky and frustrating. With little notice, Emily's professional friend offered to take our pictures for an AMAZING deal!! I love her so much and don't even know her name. She did perfect. It was fast, painless, and turned out amazing! These pictures will be hard to beat in years to come!

Mannings: Maybe the most photogenic family I know! They always look incredible