January 2016

Since we didn't get together with family on New Years Eve, we did it on 

New Years Day. We went to Morri's for dinner & games. Lana and her 

kids were able to come also. It's always nice to be with family. 

Melody was so interested in Tiger Lily, like always, 

and she was trying to 'feed' her with the play food.

Also, Inside Out was on the TV and she really likes this movie right 

now, so she just layed with her blanket and watched for a bit.

There were some sugar cookies and she only wanted to eat the frosting.

Then Morri introduced her to spray cheese. He would put in on her 

finger and she would lick it off. Needless to say, she was in heaven.

On Saturday (the 2nd) we went to dinner at The Pizza Factory. It was one of the best evenings 

of eating out we've ever had. Melody was happy, Jaina ate a pizza and we all had a great time.

At dinner one night, Melody HAD to have Mike and Sulley sit with her.

Mara spent over 3 hrs making this Rainbow Dash perler bead 

creation. It's the biggest thing anyone in our family has made.

Melody is obsessed with our family calendar. At least once a week she 

wants it down and looks at all the pictures and tells me who they are.

While doing my hair one morning, I let Melody play with my legos, then I head 

a crash, then another one, and another. This is what I came out to find.

Here's all the pieces piled together.

When she went down for a nap, I spent an hour putting these castles back together. 

Now I'm more careful about what I let her 'play' with.

Melody wants to be big and loves to get in Jaina's bed and pretend to sleep. Sorry 

baby girl, it's still going to be a long while before you get a big bed of your own.

One night when Mana and Karri were here for dinner, all 

Melody wanted to eat was salad. She had 4 helpings of it!

We have this really cute year in a glance calendar that Lana gave us for Christmas 

of 2014. We still have it up because it has pictures of her family and our family 

together. Like I said earlier, Melody loves looking at pictures of family.

Pat and I both got new LEGO sets and built them together. Mine took about an hour longer than his.

Star Wars the Force Awakens

Doctor Who

Melody doesn't mind wearing a hat, which is so different than how Jaina was at 2 years old.

Melody has so many toys in her bed that I'm surprised that she has room to sleep.

Mara drew this picture of Karri and Dash. I just love her pictures.

End of December

When Christmas was all said and done, Jaina had to set up 

all of her stuffed toys. Including her 33 mini tsum tsums!!

A Sunday night at Mana's. Melody is always hit and miss when it comes to dinner time, especially 

when we're out of the house. But this night she tried an orange and loved it. She called it a 'gort'!!

While at Mana's, we swapped kids. Mara went to Brent & Lisa's and Max came home with 

us for sleep overs. On Monday, we decided to go to Nickel Mania and had a great time.

Jaina and I usually walk away with over 400 tickets each time we go, but she never 

uses all of them. I have a paper in my wallet that the excess get added to each time 

we're there. We started out with 490, but right now it's up to 940!!! And she even used 

tickets while we were there! At least she's happy and get some fun prizes each time we go.

We met up with Lisa for a kid swap at the Wendy's by Target. Then we went to see Karri after lunch.

The boys had stayed up late, per usual, and Xander 

totally conked out in the car on the way home from Orem.

A new car means new window stickers!!!

On that Wednesday we went to the Provo Rec Center with Liza, Addi 

and Karri. It's been awhile since we swam during the winter. I was excited 

to go because I was able to use my new camera for what I bought it for!

Thursday was New Years Eve! We spent the day relaxing, then headed up to Mana's for dinner 

and games. We picked up food from Taco Amigo to eat at Mana's. Most of Mana's sisters were there 

and we played Yahtzee for a bit before the littles needed to get to bed. So we headed home about 

8:00, put the girls to bed, then watched Super 8 and half of Jurassic Park with Xander and Mara. 

Since we don't have cable and didn't think to turn on the TV to find a New Years event, we 

just watched my phone turn to midnight. We wished each other a happy new year, then went 

to bed. I know, so exciting, but it's what/where we wanted to do/be.

It was a great way to end the year, with these people that I love.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning! 

There was a snow storm and a ton of snow (about 6-8 inches) so it was a white Christmas for sure.

Jaina was so excited that she got her Chelsea's Lemonade Stand!

Mara got an art kit.

Xander got a New Nintendo 3DS XL

We gave Mara a Kindle Fire and she was amazed.

We gave Melody a talking Woody doll that matches her Jessie doll.

We gave Jaina a medium sized Minnie Mouse Tsum Tsum.

Because of all the fighting between Jaina and Melody over Jaina's beanie 

baby tiger 'kitty', Grandma & Grandpa got Melody a tiger kitty of her own.

Jaina was super excited for her Frozen Fever polly set from G&G Tolman

One of Pat's former students made him this AT-ST. It is amazing and we're not 

quite sure how it was made, possibly a 3D printer, but it was absolutely amazing.

Here is Mara's haul.

Melody's presents.

I got a new Star Wars shirt by my favorite artist Karen Hallion!

Jaina's pile of presents.

Xander's awesome shirts and presents.

I decided to use my new camera and played around with it's wi-fi features. I can 

set it up that my phone is the shutter button, zoom, etc. So if I have it set up on a 

tripod, I can make sure the shot looks good!! I did a little Inception shot in the car.

Melody enjoying her new Minnie Mouse phone.

These girls were so excited to see each other and talk about their gifts. They all got Kindle Fire's!!!

The only way to make Melody happy: kitty videos on YouTube.

It was the 3rd Annual Mana's Cafe! The kids look forward to this all year long.

We had to show off our new shirts. We had ordered them in hopes that they would come 

before the movie came out, but they were a day late. So we wore them to our 3rd viewing.

Melody sure loves her Aunt Karri.

Karri gave all the kids new REAL Salt Lake shirts. They were excited about it.

We usually go around in a circle and let each kids open up one present, but 

Melody is exempt from that plan, so she just started digging into her gifts.

JD & Chris gave her a stuffed Mike Wazowski. She was so happy and just laughed and hugged him.

One of Jaina's favortie gifts: Inside Out Tsum Tsums from Karri.

Xander got these awesome ties that look amazing!

Mara got a ton of art supplies from everyone and was overjoyed with it all.

Melody got some new play food too.

A new Minecraft book. I think this is #7, but I'm not sure. Either way, he has a lot of these.

Barbie Rock'n Royals Erica doll, she even sings!!!!

Pokemon Pokemon Pokemon

JD & Chris gave Jaina (the family) the new Cinderella and Minions movies and she squealed. 

Wahoo!!! New Amiibo figures for Smash Bros!!

Melody and her new stroller with Mike.

Mana made Jaina her pillowcase and she loves it.

Yay! A new tea set from Karri!!

After all the kids were done, we sent them downstairs so the adults could open gifts in peace. 

But Jaina came back up and decided that she wanted to be buried in the wrapping paper early.

We got Mana some new gloves and scarf.

I got Brent this canvas print of the picture I took in Yellowstone in 2000, of 

him, Dad and Uncle Darren. I was really excited to do this for him and he loved it!!

The end of the presents, and a whole lot of mess.

But where are all the kids?????

Melody really liked the hiding part and wanted to do it again.

Stocking time.

Melody wanted to open up her box of crayons, but ripped the box in the process.

Mara wanted to get Karri a gift and decided to get Best Friend necklaces for all 3 of them. Karri 

was so excited about it. And they were even wearing the color that matched the necklaces.

On the way home, loving on Mike. 

We stopped by to see Grandma & Grandpa Tolman before heading home. 

We spent the rest of the day at home and relaxed. It was a great Christmas.