Alyssa's Birthday Parties--fun, fun, fun!

Soon after we wrapped up Christmas, Alyssa started talking about her upcoming 3rd birthday. In her darling little voice, she would say, "I gonna have a birdday and a party and I want Cwara (Clara), Tessa, Kitty (Katie), Alexa and Keely to come to my party." It was so adorable that she had a vision of what she wanted her special day to look like. So the planning began!

We had a little friends' party from 3:00-4:30 pm with Landon, Katie and Clara. I gave each of my children an activity to be in charge of: Jaxson let the kids in coloring, Taylor taught them a dance, Jaxson had them do a dress-up relay and I was in charge of the cute little game called "Don't Eat Pete!" Presents were opened and cupcakes were all over by 4:30.

At 6:00, Grandma Barbie and Poppie came over to eat a spaghetti dinner with our family. From 7:00-8:00, we invited the neighbors and family over for coconut lime cake and cupcakes with ice cream. Alyssa was the center of attention, either acting bashful or basking in the lime light! She was adorable.

Time to dance!

The girls loved to dance with Taylor. Too cute!

Landon wasn't so thrilled with the girly stuff, but played Star Wars with Austin. :)

Yay! Presents from my friends!

One little note here: This is the point where my own children took me over the edge: Please note the next few pictures of the Jaxson and Austin and one will get the drift....

Birthday cake for the Birthday Girl!

Dave was so funny and cheesy about Alyssa's birthday. He is still so whipped over this little baby girl. His giddy side blazes through at such events....

Singing Happy Birthday!

Alyssa knew exactly what to do!

Presents from the family!

Cousin Brittney and Little Miss Lou

Here is where Alyssa sees her gift for the first time...

Alyssa couldn't wipe the smile off her face! She loved her new wheels!

Alyssa and her daddy have always had the most special bond. She and mommy are best friends but she's definitely a daddy's girl too.

Tradition: a family picture taken on each person's birthday.

January Blues......WHATEVER! :)

During fall and early winter, there are so many things to look forward to: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the pinnacle holiday: Christmas! And if all the parties aren't enough, one has New Year's one week after Christmas for one last hurray.

And then.......?????

Although the non-stop parties, shopping and sugar has stopped, we have certainly enjoyed our January to this point. Here are some pictures of the day-to-day things which made me smile:

Annual Fondue Night

This event is NEVER missed! I love the tradition of eating cheese fondue each winter with several of my fellow RMs and their families. This year, we ate at our home.

Everybody Losing Teeth
Jaxson's Teeth

Any predictions on how much money we'll be spending on his chompers in the upcoming years?

BOWLING

Dave and I went bowling with Cindy and Aaron. I killed it the first game and bombed it the second. Lucky for me, the high score from my first game crowned me victor of the night!

Kangaroo Zoo

With the cold weather, we headed to the indoors for some bouncing and sliding fun! Carson was with us too which made it all the more fun for the kids. Grandma Barbie and Poppie came to watch the kids too. Great times!

A Visit with MARGO!

I love Margo! She and I were college roommates at Ricks (the former BYU-I). Chance brought us together but we instantly bonded. She and her family made a rare trip from Florida to visit family and friends in Utah so it was incredible to visit with her and see her.

BFFs: Alyssa and Clara

Ohhhhh, this is fun! Alyssa and Clara are really finding little friends in each other. When they come to our home, Taylor is always so cute to dress them up and then they dance around. The only problem is that Alyssa gets jealous of the attention Clara gets from Taylor and will sometimes fall apart or tattle the entire time. But it's all part of creating new friends. :)

Enjoying Christmas Gifts

Barbara gave me the most beautiful jewelry and clip this year, made by our cousin Charayye. I took this picture from my classroom to send to Charayye to let her know how much I LOVE the pieces she created and how much I am enjoying wearing them.

Finally.....the PERFECT Chicken Pot Pie

I've made these for years for dinner for my family, but the other night, when I pulled the pie out of the oven, it looked gorgeous! Soooo gorgeous! And the taste....perfection!

Off comes the inches: back to shoulder-length heaven

I have thick hair envy. I do! I want long, thick, non-break off hair. But I don't have it. And when I do try to grow it out, it starts to look stringy and thin. So last week, after having grown it out for the past year, I had about 5-6 inches cut off the back. And I love it. And it is faster to put together in the morning for work/church. And it looks thicker and feels healthier too.

Dave's Roadtrip to Texas and Arkansas
Dave was gone for 6 days on a business trip while I was left holding down the fort and warriors. We missed him terribly. While in Texas, he made plans to spend time with the Johnstons who now reside in Little Rock. They had the greatest time.

Taylor's Winter Voice Recital

Oh, I LOVE to hear this little girl sing! Taylor has loved singing since she was a little girl and her love of voice continues to increase each and every day! We met at Best of Music for her Winter Recital. It was a smaller crowd but we got to hear her in 2 group numbers and 1 solo. She looked beautiful and sang beautifully! :) Thanks to Poppie and Grandma Barbie for coming to support her.

"When Will My Life Begin?"
Tangled