Alexis' Cottage Fair

Kindergarten is half over!  Where has the time gone?  My big girl is growing up so fast!  At the end of each quarter her school, Eduprize, has a "cottage fair" where you get to see what they have learned and made that quarter (besides the 2 million papers they have brough home!).  She was so excited to show us her class and the things she had made.  We are so proud of her and all she has learned this year so far.  She is such a smarty, and we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her school and her teacher Mrs. Orr!

(and I now realize that I should have bought my children more than one holiday shirt, because I swear they are wearing it in every post from this month!)

Disclaimer...

What follows is an extremely ridiculous amount of pictures and narrative about our December.  Sorry, but it is what it is.  I love traditions, holidays, pictures, and my kids.  So this is where I am able to share and document all of that.  If you don't want to see it, don't!  But if you do...please do!  Hope your holidays were as great as ours!  Now I am looking forward to life returning to normal!

Bake-a-thon

As you can see, we have a ton of holiday traditions.  I love traditions, things we do every year, count on it.  Things we do to make memories and enjoy lfe, because really that is what it is all about right?  So every year we have a bake a thon at Marmmett's house.  We do it rain or shine, good health or bad.  In fact, the last 3 years one of us have had surgery around this time, but we still do it!  The girls love it, and it happens just like it looks.  Lots of laughs, and huge mess!  Looking forward to next year!

Getting flour all over (this is why we do it at Marmmett's house and not mine because I would be having a heart attack about now!

But as you can see, she just laughs!

I love Avery's face in this one!  Watch out Toni!

And yes, her favorite thing is to eat the flour.  Yes, I said flour not sugar.  Freak!

Some of the finished goods!  I guess this is where my holiday 5 lbs came from!  Thanks Marmmett!

The Nutcracker

Every year a few of us girls go to the Nutcracker.  Well, this year, some of the boys decided to try it out.  Well, there ended up being 14 people there!  And I do feel that is is safe to say they will not be returning next year!  This year was Avery's first year, and she loved it, but fell asleep at the very end.  Alexis has now gone 3 times and really knows the story so it is super fun for her.  Next year, us girls will go back...without the boys!

Trista, Alexis and Avery

My beautiful girls

My fabulous family!

The final Christmas! Christmas #4

At last!  Our last christmas!  It seems a bit ridiculous, but we really do have this many Christmasses every single year.  We are so blessed to have amazing friends, and tons of family,  Between Cody and I, we have all our parents, 6 grandparents, tons of aunts and uncles, cousins, 2 brothers, 1 sister, and 2 nieces.  We are so lucky to have this many people that mean so much to us.  We also really try to focus on the reason for the season, Jesus Christ.  We may not attend church every Sunday (or at all anymore), but we definately know the real reason for the season..  Ask my kids their favorite decoration, and they will both tell you the nativity set.  I bought a kids set last year that they can play with all they want without hurting it.  They played with it all month!  Pretending to be Mary and Joseph and the wise men.  They were very upset when i put it away yesterday!  This last Christmas was on Christmas day at our house.  In the mornuing it was just our family iopening gifts from each other and Santa Clause.  Every year we say we are going to go smaller, but so far that hasn't happened!  Oh well.  We also helped a local family with their Christmas by donating money and gifts the girls picked out.  They love giving gifts to kids who have none.  Then my parents and grandparents came over for dinner and games.  Fun day, but glad it is over!  I am exhausted!!!

Santa came!

The girls checking out their loot when we got up!

Alexis and her silly putty snot!

The gift Alexis made us at school.  I love it!

Ariel's present.  Alexis was so surprised and excited that Ariel was on the nice list!

Hugging each other after they exchanged gifts with each other

Cody and one of his gifts!  I ordered it in November and it didn't come, so I made him a picture of it!  :)

Me and my hiking backpack for the Grand Canyon!

Classic Christmas picture!  She really wanted this opened!

My babies

Avery's favorite present

Alexis' favorite present

Their bean bag chairs they love!

Alexis and her fake nails!

Baby santa

Daddy Broncos santa!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas #3

Christmas #3 was a two part day.  We left our house at 6am and drove to Prescott Valley to Cody's parents house on Christmas Eve.  We opened presents there with the girl's cousin Trista.  Then we got the girls ready and went to Cody's aunt and uncles house to celebrate Christmas with all of his aunts, uncles and cousins and all their kids.  That is a lot of freaking people!  The kids has so much fun playing with all the other kids and opening all the presents.  It was a really fun day.  We had an ugly sweater contest and lots of food.  Then, we drove all the way home late that night to be home in the am for Santa to come.  Long day, but enjoyed all the family time!

Don't mind the hair!  We left at the crack of dawn!

Me and my girls

Cody and his ugly sweater!

Much better! The girls in clothes and hair done!

Most of the little Halliburton kids!  There are 4 girls Alexis' age and 3 kids Avery's age, so they always have a ton of fun!

Christmas #2

Christmas #2 was at our house with Marmmett and Toni, our honorary family and very dear friends!  They came over, had dinner, hung out, and of course exchanged gifts!  Alexis got the Moxie girls she wanted and Avery got the Barbie with the puppies that she was dying for!  They had a great time and we are very grateful for Marmie and Tonti!

Christmas #1

Christmas #1 was at my Great Grandpa and grandma Scharrer's house on December 6th in Prescott Valley.  The girls had a blast with their cousin Kodie who is the same age as Avery and their aunts and uncles and grandparents.  Love the antlers!

Zoo lights 2009

My friend Michelle invited us to go to Zoolights this year and we had a ton of fun!  The lights seemed to be better this year, and the kids loved the hot chocolate and the carosel!

Michelle tried to kiss the frog prince, but nothing happened!  Guess she isn't a princess!  Better luck next time!