December 2014 - Part 2

My girls are getting obsessed with Tsum Tsums*, especially Jaina. 

Mara was nice enough to let Melody play with hers.

*stackable plush toys from the Disney Store. They come in 3 different sizes, but we like the little ones the best. It's also an app/game that we all love.

Melody is really liking all the Christmas decorations. I hang the 

stocking from Grandma Joan's house on the banister going up stairs.

We were first to host family for our annual Tolman family progressive 

dinner. It's always nice to get together and fun to have everyone at our house.

These boys are so funny and like to pose for pictures like it's going to be the cover of an album!

We headed to Lana's next. I had to get a pic with her tree. It's so big and beautiful.

They had a train going around the bottom of their tree. 

Jaina was so amazed by it and was loved making it go.

Next up was Morri's house. Melody was so entranced with all the trees and ornaments.

Family picture minus Jacob and the Boise Tolmans.

On the last week of school before the Christmas break Mara got to make a gingerbread house.

Jaina had her Christmas program. She was all fine and happy until I 

showed up. Then she became nervous and didn't want to perform because 

the stage was slanted. It took a lot of convincing and moving her 

to the end to make her okay to do the program.

She just loves preschool!

We made Melody a reindeer too, and amazingly enough, she didn't mind it.

Xander was in Choir this year at school and had his Christmas concert. He did a great job!

Here's Jaina's gingerbread house and tree that she made at school.

Melody is 13 months old and still isn't walking on her own, but she loves to hold hands and walk around.

December 2014 - Part 1

This little one has learned to crawl onto the couch and is so proud of herself.

With the Christmas decorations out I have a set of 4 houses that link together and play music and light up. I have them in the window seal this year and the kids love them, especially Melody and Jaina.

This was the first time I made her Mac & Cheese and she loved it!

Melody was sick with a cough, runny nose and fever. It was so sad to see her feeling icky.

Xander had his DARE graduation at school. 

I love taking pictures of the kids with the Christmas tree. I wanted to put these 

on our Christmas card this year, but ended up just using our family pictures.

There was a day when I knew Jaina was tired, so we set her up on our bed, put a movie on, and she was out.

Just a fun picture of me with Xander and Jaina.

At our ward Christmas party the kids were able to decorate their own 

sugar cookies. Needless to say, Jaina loved hers.

We also got to meet Santa!

Melody was not too happy about it. 

Pat was so cute and pulled out some of his He-Man and She-Ra figures and played around with the girls.

Here we are a week or so later and she's sick again. This was day 3 with a 

new fever. She's been sick on and off since her birthday and it's just no fun.

Jaina wrote her name again. I love her progress.

November 2014 - Thanksgiving & Setting Up the Tree

I just can't believe that this little girl is one year old already. 

She just loves sitting on the couch and looking out the window.

For Thanksgiving I needed to make rolls, so Mara was my helper and cut, dipped, and folded rolls!

The day before Thanksgiving we got our tree up. It was a huge ordeal with moving furniture around at least twice, taking a book case to the TV room, and then Mara broke the glass on grandma Joan's curio cabinet that we had in the front room. So we moved it into my craft room for safe keeping. But we decided on a new place for the tree since we now have an extra couch that sits in front of the window where the tree used to sit.

We had Thanksgiving at Mana's house this year. It was nice to have a 

change of pace and we were able to put Melody down for a nap while we ate!!

These uncles just adore her!

Family picture on Thanksgiving.

That night Pat took the kids and let me go to Target with family for their Black Friday sale. The store opened up at 6:00 PM on Thanksgiving.  We were able to get everything that we wanted and had a fun time doing it.

While we waited in line they gave us poppers that had coupons and 

paper hats in them, and Mana was great and put her crown on.

While visiting Gwen's house the next day to enjoy leftovers Jaina 

decided that her pants were the perfect place to hold a sword.

We spent a day and got the rest of the decorations up!  

I just love this time of year when the house is all lit up.

We decided to decorate differently and bought a garland for the 

front window and put the Star Wars ornaments on it.

On our mantle I put all of my Noelville Gingerbread house ornaments. I love it!

The tree all finished!