Blur December

Wow! This December was iNsAnE!!!!! I am sure pretty much everyone felt that way! I was so confused for like 2 weeks why I felt like I was so super behind and so busy all the time. Then I realized....it was because Thanksgiving was so late! There was no Thanksgiving/Christmas season buffer this year like there usually is! Man, that really threw me off! I felt like I was struggling to keep my head above water straight up until we pulled out of the driveway to leave town 3 days before Christmas. My calling in Young Women, my piano teaching job, Christmas gifts for friends and family, visiting teaching, Christmas parties and performances, Collin's birthday, and so much more..... I'm sure you agree it was insane! But packed with lots of fun things. If I have to be stressed and busy I'm glad it's for a good cause like Christmas! :)

 Looking back at pictures it's still just a huge blur! So you get to see what I took pictures of. 

We went to Gravity in 3D..... loved that movie. One of us is still wearing 3D glasses.... can you guess who??

"cheese!"

Decorated the Christmas Tree together for the first time! So fun that she's old enough to do things like this now. I think we only broke 3 ornaments all month! Not too bad!

Who I spend my days with.

Grandpa came to visit! Reading stories to the "kids," ha ha!

I only baked 2 batches of cookies this year! That is literally all the Christmas baking I did! Wow! Anyway, these were cute I thought.

Ah, the train. A gift from Grandma and Grandpa that I had the good sense to let her open 2 weeks before Christmas. Saved my life and kept her SOO busy during a busy time that Daddy isn't around much. She absolutely loves this gift and the train went to bed with her every night for a good week. It is still her favorite. 

My little baking helper. If you could have seen the kitchen after this. Only took me like 45 minutes to clean. Only.

Did the Christmas Run with some of my awesome friends! Of course we had a fun get together making our tutus beforehand. We just did the 2 mile run and had a great time! I hope it becomes a tradition!

Selfies at the ward Christmas party. The Young Women (I'm in YW) were in charge, and our pres, Cheryl, did an amazing job. And well her sister who's my buddy Chandra helped a little too! ;)

"All the Single Ladies!" She has NOT seen that video yet loves this outfit. 

I put together my first ever arrangement of Christmas songs to play in sacrament meeting, which happened to also be Collin's birthday that day!

I drove out to Nampa after it had snowed 6 inches over night... of course. But I arrived alive and had a great day judging for their fall festival.

Someone loved playing in the snow!

I think you all have seen this pic by now but Ashlyn's reaction to Santa was pretty classic. 

The dog got his hair fixed  alot. Some products even came out. So cute. She would say, "hold still, we're almost done." a LOT. 

I love getting Christmas cards! For those of you who didn't send me one.... you're on my list! :)

This was a horrible nightmare that happened at a bad time. I thought Ashlyn was just playing with her train set during nap time, but was horrified to find that she had emptied an entire tub of Cetaphil all over her sheets, pillow, comforter, books, and herself! Silver linings were--1. it was the cheap stuff she turned out to be sensitive to, not the good expensive stuff, 2. she didn't put ANY in her hair (insert angels singing here), 3. It washes out easily and doesn't leave grease stains!

A selfie with some remaining Cetaphil smeared on!

Collin was gone a LOT this month...... we had lots of babysitters while I worked and we did a lot of stuff together, just the 2 of us. This is doing puzzles at the library!

Checking out the snow! Beautiful girl.

I skipped mutual one night so we could go watch the wrestlers! They are doing really good this season! 

"No, Mom!"

But don't you love her shirt?

We made a graham cracker house one morning. Note to self: don't do this the day after you clean the kitchen. Ugh. But we had a good time and ate lots of candy. One of us did more eating candy and one did more decorating.....bet you can't tell which was which.

This was the morning she had pancakes with sprinkles and syrup on them.... throw in a candy cane and she's got 3 of the 4 Elf food groups!

Still a happy girl, even after days and days stuck with Mom!

Just love how the two of them are sitting there, ha ha

Another cute sleeping pic. The blankets must be touching her face, it's some sort of rule she has.

We actually got snow clothes this year! She has used them a couple of times! Super cute!

I think this was in November because I know I didn't have time to do it in Decmeber..... but I cleaned my oven! Never done it before. *averts eyes* It. was. gross. Deserves to be documented.

Another awesome one of Lucy enjoying the finer things in life

A good one... stuffing ornaments down her shirt. Oh Ash.