Christmas Day!

Christmas was way fun! TaKara opened most of her presents. She started getting bored though so we left about half a dozen until she was interested again. On Monday she finally opened the last one. This will probably be the only year that this happens because next year I doubt she will get bored.

How we found TaKara when we went to wake her up to open presents.

Dale & TaKara walking out of the bedroom to discover Santa Claus came while we were sleeping. Do you like the surprised look on her face? LOL

In TaKara's stocking there was hair things and an orange. You will notice the orange in most of the pictures. She thought it was a ball and kept throwing it wanting to play catch/fetch. When we opened it and started to eat what was left she thought that was way cool and thought you could eat any ball from there on.

TaKara got a lot of clothes for Christmas from us. She loved putting them under her chin and doing a fashion show for us.

TaKara finally ripped off a big piece. She would tear as far as her arm would reach then sit there wondering now what...it didn't come off.

Taking a break after a hard job of opening presents. Did you notice the one she is sitting on?

Standing on mom's box now while she is observing a present. Why do kids love boxes so much?

The toy she got from Santa. It is a lawnmower and the mouth moves and it says tons of different stuff. She loves to sit on it also. HAHAHA!

Standing in mom's strainer. Crazy Kid.

Sitting on dad's new toy roping steer.

So TaKara got clothes, a book, hair stuff, and a lawnmower. Dale got a toy roping steer, lots of pants, orange sticks, and ear muffs so he won't lose his hat while riding 4-wheelers. I, Marcie, got hiking boots, a strainer, gift certificate to Maurices. Both of us together got a cookbook from Takara that has the entire year planned for dinner. I am way excited to try it out!!!

The Taylor's came over around 8 a.m. to watch us open their presents. TaKara got a few toys of course; Dale got coveralls, and a gun cleaning kit; Marcie got a puzzle mat, mouse pad, and a gift card to Radio Shack.

Merry Christmas!

Whew!! I just finished putting our Christmas lights up.

If you need any help with yours, just call me.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve!

For Christmas Eve we went over to Marcy and Phillip's house. We read a left, right story of the Nativity Story and passed around white elephant gifts. Dale got a blinking binkie and a whoopie cushion. They were the perfect gifts for him even if they were suppose to be gag gifts because he has always wanted a binkie and who doesn't enjoy a whoopie cushion?

Dale and I displaying Dale's prize.

When we read the Christmas/Nativity Story out of the scriptures TaKara was a shepherd and stole the donkey then Baby Jesus. It was really cute having the kids act it out while we read.

The kids in their new Christmas pjs. Left to right: BreAnna, TaKara, Grandma Taylor, Brigette, and Adam.

A better angle of TaKara's pjs.

When we got home TaKara had to play with the new noise maker. She loved bum dropping on it. She is almost too light to push the air out so we had to help her. Her hairdo is what happens when she pulls her pig tails out.

Ornament

Well I couldn't describe what my ornament looks like so I am putting a picture of it on here for all to see. It represents me starting my own home based business. My mom and dad brought it when they delivered our Christmas presents.

P.S. The raddle hanging in the background is the one TaKara broke then I fixed.

Early Christmas

Yesterday my mom and dad came and brought our Christmas presents. Dale & I got tons of food storage and a thing with all 50 state quarters in it. They have started a new tradition that the grandkids are allowed to open only the presents from grandma and grandpa while they are there so the kids will know who they are from. So we got the honor of watching TaKara last night. It was hilarious! She would rip off a tiny piece of paper about the size of a tootsie roll and either give it to grandma/grandpa to hold, put it in the box of papers to start fires, or throw it in the garbage. So you can only imagine how long it took her to open 2 presents LOL She got the book "The Monster at the End of the Book" and pajamas. If you have never read this book you have to find it and enjoy :) Thanks Mom & Dad!!! We had a great time while you were here.
Grandma's helping TaKara open her book.
TaKara playing clean up.
Reading time with Grandma and Grandpa Coates.
TaKara modeling off her pajamas that grandpa thought would be enormous on her. They are pink with snowflakes and monkeys on them. Way Cute!!!

Sugar Cookies

Last night we made sugar cookies. TaKara had a blast. And we had a good time enjoying her fun. I know this is going to turn into a tradition even if it is a lot of work and makes a big mess :)

This is her using a cookie cutter. The cute thing is she would grunt and get her whole body into it.

This is TaKara rolling out the already cut cookies. I love the face.

Christmas Tag

This tag should be fun to do for the holidays!

"On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me..."
1 embarrassing moment: I don’t get embarrassed easily so I can’t think of one.

2 best friends: Dale and Margo

3 things you buy regularly: Orange juice, string cheese, and Pringles

4 places you want to go (and might actually REALLY go): to bed, St. George, Cedar on the 22^nd to get Tom from his mission, and the mountains

5 goals for the upcoming year (that you might actually do): eat healthy, gain a few pounds, stick to a budget, exercise, and enjoy life to its fullest

6 things most people don't know about you: I live in the second oldest house in Wayne County, I sell weight loss lollipops, I am very unorganized (since TaKara was born), I hate deciding what to have for dinner, I still have my rock & sticker collections from when I was a little kid, and I have a boy Christmas tree LOL

7 things you Would never say: I hate you, cats are my favorite animal, I ate a skunk, Spiders are my best friends, I sleep with mice, I hate Christmas, and I hate food

8 things you love about the Christmas season: egg nog, all the happy music/lights, the smell of Christmas trees, the true meaning of Christmas, ornaments, all other traditions, family time, and surprises

9 things you say to your kids: Yeah!, don’t get on the table, where’s your jacket, don’t stand on your chair, where’s your sippy, have a good nap, Daddy’s home, can you see the cow (or whatever animal is around), and there it is

10 things you do a lot: work/play on the computer, chores, play with TaKara, laugh, eat, sleep, relax with Dale, change diapers, go for rides in the mountains, and dance

11 things you would rather not live without: Dale, TaKara, the rest of my family, disposable diapers, hot water, electricity, good food, technology (phone/internet), heat, clothes, and soap

12 people to tag: Kaci, Katie, Kellee, Courtney, Lyndsey, Brittany, Brittani, Janell, Beth, Telsha, Marci, and anyone else that reads this whether you know me or not

Christmas Tree

Well we got our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving at U.M. We put it in the house that night but then we had a family reunion the next day so we didn't decorate it until Monday. Below are before and after pictures. TaKara loved sitting under the tree before any lights were even on it. This is the front.
And this is the back. Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest :)

We have a tradition that we get an ornament that represents something that we did that year. TaKara got a a little pig because she can't/won't take her morning nap until we have gone and done chores. Dale got a truck because we paid his truck off. I haven't got mine yet but I know it will be cute when I do :) So TaKara has not been allowed to touch the tree so none of them will get broken. She has actually been doing really well. She has only broke one...it is a raddle I got last year to remember TaKara's birth. Don't worry though I glued it back together :)

Dale wanted me to ask everyone...is your tree a girl or a boy?

B-Day/Halloween

Most of you know my b-day is the day before Halloween. Yes I am 24 now. TaKara didn't want to help open my presents just bum drop on them HAHAHA Dale decided that since I was going to go trick-or-treating with TaKara the following day I needed an outfit. So here it is:You might not be able to tell but the wig goes to my butt and my bell bottoms match my headband.

For my Party LOL we carved pumpkins. It took some convincing to get TaKara to put her hand in the pumpkin. I sure thought it was fun. TaKara decided it was clean up time and Brigette thought it was tasty ;) And finally a picture of the finished product!
Then on Halloween we went trick-or-treating for a couple of hours. We had a blast! Here is a picture of everyone that dressed up. Margo is a fortune teller, I am a hippie, Brigette and TaKara are clowns, grandma is herself but when she is holding kids is the only way we can get a picture of her LOL, BreAnna is a princess, and Adam is a penguin (he even had the waddle down).

Halloween Hazard Warning

As Halloween approaches I would like to remind everyone to take the necessary precautions regarding your decorations. Specifically your carved pumpkins. Many people are not aware that you should NEVER leave alcohol near pumpkins! I received this timely warning in an email and I would be remiss if I did not pass it along to you:

Clearly alcohol and pumpkins don't mix.