My Kenzie is growing up!

McKenzie will be starting kindergarten next year in the fall. I just started working with her on reading to get her prepared. She has learned a few simple words like "dog" and "bed" plus she is learning how to sound out the words. She also has started writing letters. The other day, we were coloring on our whiteboard and she said, "I can draw an H." And she did. I've tried working on her writing, but I admit I haven't worked with her too much on it. Another thing that I've noticed is that she isn't scribbling as much when she colors. Her pictures now actually look like what she is intending them to look like. In primary, she colored a flower for the Bishop and she also colored a picture of herself. It just seems like she is learning new things over night! It's really exciting

She also is a little mommy for Zoey and Owen. She helps Owen get drinks, makes him toast and gets him some ketchup for his hash browns. When Zoey has a hard burp that I can't get out of her, McKenzie almost always can get it out! She sometimes feeds her and LOVES to pick out an outfit for her to wear. She is very sweet and is a very good big sister.

What was Santa Thinking?

I was making dinner when Owen comes running out of My room yelling, "Presents! Presents! Presents!" He was so excited. I hurried to close and lock my door, before he showed McKenzie what he found. How could I be so careless?! Luckily, McKenzie didn't see anything. I told them that the presents were for grandma. That seemed to work great, because Owen or McKenzie haven't said anything since.

Let it Snow!

It has been snowing here all weekend, so today when McKenzie asked if she could play outside, I agreed. We haven't gotten any mittens or some other outside clothing, yet, so I had to improvise on a few things.


This is what Zoey did for most of the fun time.

Here is McKenzie and Owen in the backyard

We used 3 pairs of socks for gloves and Owen is wearing my hoodie, because he doesn't have a winter coat or a sweater that fits.

Can you tell whose who?

I found a picture of McKenzie when she was a baby and Zoey really does look exactly like her. Can you tell which is McKenzie and which one is Zoey? The dates on the pictues of McKenzie is miss leading. We didn't have a digital camera when she was born, so I took pictures of her pictures.







The answer. Zoey is the first picture and McKenzie is the 2nd and so on.

Christmas Party

We had our ward Christmas party on December 5th this year. The food was good and I enjoyed visiting, but Owen would not behave. He was whining and he just wanted to run around while the primary kids were doing the program. Then when Santa came, he kept saying, "I don't want to see Santa!" I kept telling him that he didn't have to. I was getting so frustrated! Then Matt had to help clean up and McKenzie wanted to see Santa, so I took all three kids and stood in line to see Santa. Owen wanted to be held, so I held Owen, had McKenzie stand in line and Zoey was in her car seat next to me. By the time we got to Santa, my feet were killing me and I was so exhausted! Luckily, we got a really cute picture of McKenzie. That made it all worth it in the end.

Sick again!

This weekend we were planning on going to Rexburg for my niece's blessing, but McKenzie got sick and threw up in the car. Not only did she throw up, but Owen and McKenzie also have colds with bad coughs and they passed it on to Zoey. This is the 3rd weekend in a row that I've had to take care of sick kids and one of those times, I was also sick. That was not fun. Hopefully this will be the last time that we get sick for awhile.

Christmas Get to Know you

I got tagged by Kalei!

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire post and paste into a new post that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......'Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper whenever possible.

2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial. Matt is allergic to something in the fresh cut trees.

3. When do you put up the tree? If it was up to Matt, the tree would have been up the beginning of November. We put ours up on Monday December 1st this year.

4. When do you take the tree down? A few days after Christmas.

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope. Although, Matt LOVES it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I always loved getting presents. I remember getting polly pockets and me and my sisters played with those a lot.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No but I hope to get one someday.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Matt and the In laws.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The kids. They love anything and everything that people give them. Example, my brother in law gave them salt and pepper shakers and they love to play with them. We're really luckily.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? We haven't done Christmas cards yet. Mostly because we are lazy and we don't have addresses.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Um...I can't think of anything.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf. Matt likes A Christmas Story.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever. Last year we waited until December 23rd and did all of our shopping at once. I have started much earlier before and spent WAY too much. Because we waited, we saved a lot of money last year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Turkey. Oh, and candy and cookies and homemade bread and anything else I can get my hands on. I love food.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree ? I like the clear lights, but this year McKenzie wanted the colored lights, so that's what we did.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I love Christmas music. I don't have a favorite.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home. Both sides of the family live here. Plus I don't think that I could handle traveling in the snow.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On Christmas Eve we get together with Matt's family for Christmas and open gifts from and for them. On Christmas we open gifts from Santa and my side of the family gifts.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? traffic and how greedy people can be.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We have a mixture of all colors and themes. We have Star Wars, SpongeBob, Precious Moment, & M&M character ones and then we have some nice glass colored ones. Probably one day it will all be character themed, because the kids will more than likely break the nice ones.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey with the works. Yum, I'm getting hungry!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A Honda Pilot. Or even just a second car would be nice.

I tag Michelle, April and Nancy