St. George

Well,
we're still in St. George.
It's not as warm as I thought it would be.
(or hoped i guess)
But there is not even one tiny pile of snow
and for that I am grateful.

Yesterday Alyssa turned one.
She has started taking 3-4 steps between Anthony and me
and Grandma Mackley taught her to do stairs.
I really can't believe a whole year has gone by.
(i will post pictures of her birthday when we get back up to logan)

Today we went past our old neighborhood, Stone Ridge,
and talked to the property manager there.
We filled out a application for their waiting list!
She sounded really optimistic about getting us back in there
and even told us to start calling her in April to really get things moving.
I am so excited!
That's just a few months from now!

Being down here reminds me why I love this place.
I love being around family and friends and the red mountains.
There is just something about it that I can't live without.
I guess you could call me a true southern belle.

Plus I'm sick of visiting.
I hate living out of a suit case,
and we do it way to often.
I know that if we lived somewhere else permanently,
we would come home to visit just as often as we do now
and even though I love my mother and mother in law dearly,
it's hard staying with them.

I love having my own space.

I like being able to wake up in the morning,
use my own bathroom,
and walk around the house in my undies if I want.

Ahhh.
The comforts of home......

This little old man...

shares his cookies with a special little girl.
this little old man
is in her prayers.
this little old man
makes her laugh when she sees him smile with no teeth.
this little old man
plays patty cake with her to watch her giggle.
this little old man
can't hear her,
but lets her sing him songs because he knows it makes her happy.
this little old man
is her Gran Dad.
this little old man
is 94.

Gran Dad,

our little girls love you so much. We wish we were there to sing you happy birthday, but we'll see you tomorrow.

Love~ Anthony, Chelsey, Ashlynn, Hailey and Alyssa

All in one day.

Today has been pretty busy.
First we woke up and started in on all of the laundry we need to do before we leave tomorrow.

After the first load was done,
I pulled it out of the dryer.
Every piece of clothing had orange spots on it!
After pulling it all apart I found the culprit.
An orange crayon.


DANG IT!

So we threw it back in the wash...
3 TIMES... with vinegar.
(Hope it comes out!)

Then I finished Alyssa's stocking,
but decided that it needs something else.
Any suggestions?
I was thinking snow falling down around the bunny....

Then while Ashlynn was at school I ran some errands
and came home to help Hailey make a snow man.
We have NEVER made a snow man the entire time we've lived up here.

After picking Ashlynn up,
I noticed that her tooth kept pushing forward.
So I, being my fathers daughter,
went in search for some pliers.
When I couldn't find any,
I decided to try tweezers.

Sure enough!
It was loose enough to come right out!

At first she cried, but then she told me that she was just scared.
I had to explain to her that
'Another one will grow back.
That's why they fall out.
Another one is pushing it out.'

She seems to be okay with this explanation.
Now she's super excited because she can push her tongue through the hole!

Doesn't she look so scared?!!

Holiday Cookies.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopies

for the cookies:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 package spice cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

for the marshmallow spice filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

half of a 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (grease foil, if using).

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat pumpkin and butter on medium until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs, and milk; beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for one minute.

3. By the heaping tablespoon, drop mounds of batter on cookie sheet; keep remaining batter chilled. Bake 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Carefully remove from parchment or foil; cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, using new parchment paper for each batch.If desired, place cookies in a covered storage container with waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking. Store cookies at room temperature for 24 hours. Prepare marshmallow spice filling up to 2 hours before serving.

4. To make marshmallow spice filling, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, marshmallow cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until well combined.

5. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons filling on flat side of one cookie; top with a second cookie. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours.

Makes 15 whoopies.

Student of the month.

After the first few weeks when Ashlynn first started going to kindergarten we had parent teacher conferences.
Her teacher informed me that Ashlynn was the class social butterfly.
She also let me know that Ashlynn had missed out on about a weeks worth of recess because she couldn't stop talking long enough to get her work done.
And her teacher had to keep asking her to be quiet.
After that Anthony and I sat her down and talked to her about what was expected of her while in school, that she needs to do what her teacher asks her to do, and when is an appropriate time to chit chat.
Everyday after that I have reminded her before she got out of the car,
'No talking, get your work done',
and she's always come home with her work finished.

Today she was super excited when she got into the car. She handed me her back pack and told me to open it.

What did I find?

An award.
She is the Wild Cat student of the month,...
for following directions!

Ashlynn,
I am so proud of you.
I know that it is hard to be quiet sometimes.
I love you.
Love,
Mom

Pineapple Poppy Seed Salad.

For our ward's Christmas Party my friend brought the one and only salad.
It was soooo good.
I have been craving it every since.
Today while I was at the store I called her and got the ingredients needed.
You should all try it.

Romain lettuce.
Fresh pineapple cut into tidbits.
Chopped pistachio's.
Crumbled feta cheese.
Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing.
(mix all together)

It is delish.

I seriously love this guy...

I am so lucky to have such an awesome husband.
Everything he does is for his family.

I am so proud of all that he has accomplished.
In just another semester he will have finished his bachelors degree,
and will continue from there to get his masters.

He knows that being a teacher doesn't pay big.
But,...
He knows that it will allow him the time needed to be involved in his children's lives.
He knows that he will be able to spend all of the holidays and weekends with his loved ones.
He knows it means job security for his families future.

He is probably the most hard working person that I know.
If you need someone to get something done,
he's your man.

He's my man!

And for that, I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Our 2nd Annual Christmas Party.

Saturday we braved the weather and drove down to Belinda's house for our Annual Christmas Party.

It is always so fun to get together with her family.

The cousins love to play and it gives us girls sometime to gossip.

Mom and Dad Vick were able to come again this year.

The girls were very excited when we told them that they would be there too.

We love having them up.

The table.

Alyssa getting ready to eat.

Ashlynn.

My little poser.

The kids singing with Grandma.

Alyssa and me.

Anthony.

I think he is the most handsome man in the whole world.
I am a lucky girl.

Grandpa Vick.

Belinda about to dish up the trifle.

Ashlynn.

Hailey.

When we got home, our wonderful neighbor had plowed our driveway.

We had 6 inches!

And when we left our house earlier that morning,

our other neighbor and his daughter decided to shovel our drive for us.

(we have such wonderful neighbors)

So they took away about 3 inches.

For a total of 9 inches from morning to night!

And when we woke up this morning...

it was snowing!

And it's snowed ALL day long.

I HATE IT!

It's still snowing.

remind you of anyone?

When Hailey was this exact age
(11 months)
she started climbing into the dryer.
We knew then she'd be a trouble maker.

What does this mean for Alyssa...

But what a happy girl!
She is all smiles these days.
Which means more smiles on Mom too.

Another Christmas Card.

Christmas Card.

Stuck.

Alyssa loves to climb on the treadmill.
The other day she was on it and started squealing.
When I looked back
this is what I found...

Her little bum was wedged between the treadmill and the wall.

Did I mention that she makes me smile?

Sick-O's

For the last week we have all been coughing our little heads off.
I thought for sure that after a few days we would be feeling better and on with our life.

(like always)

But be just got worse.

So today we all took a trip to the Doc.
After listening to Anthony and my lungs the Doctor decided that she wanted chest x-rays.
I guess we sounded bad enough she thought that we could have pneumonia.

Luckily we didn't.

But we both have a really bad case of bronchitis.

After prescribing z-packs all around,
and the 'good' cough syrup for Anthony, we were sent home.

Hopefully in the morning we will all be feeling much better.

Wowzers...

I think I'm having blog A.D.D.
I can't seem to find a background that I really like.
Maybe I shouldn't have one.
Hmmm.
You'll have to be patient for a while.
Maybe it's because I'm not really in the Christmas spirit.
I know.
It's so SCROOGE of me.

It snowed all day today,
and...
I think it's still snowing.

Did I ever mention that I hate snow?

On the other hand, I love my baby's giggle.
It makes me smile.

27th Birthday

On Sunday the 29th,
we drove home from St. George.

We stopped at Anthony's sisters house on the way and she had a nice big roast in the crock pot.
We ate there with her and her family and Grandpa and Grandma Vick and Uncle David.
Belinda also baked me a birthday cake.
She is so sweet, and it was all very yummy.

Anthony's mom tried to get a picture of us but Anthony wouldn't put his head up.

What a Butt!

On Monday,
my actual birthday,
all of my sisters and Mom and my close friends called and gave me their best wishes.
My friend Shannon even brought me banana bread!

Then later, for dinner, I bought Jimmy Johns.

Yum.

Later, for my birthday present,
I had a bubble bath and Anthony gave me a back massage.

(it was heavenly)

Now that it's over,
I'd have to say that I had a pretty good day.