Christmas!

Our first Christmas was with Sam and Cari, who spoiled the girls with some great books back from the San Diego Zoo and gave Cassidy her own gooming bag....pink of course and a great spiralgraph!

Uncle Sam showing Cass how to use the spriralgraph

 Christmas Eve up north was wonderful,

 G'ma and Papa with all the grandkids 15 years old to 15 mos

 The cousins...pretty cute and the best part is they are all best friends.  It is so great watching them all together and how well the older ones play with the younger ones, our girls are pretty lucky, and loved!

 Rylee muggin' and getting ready to open presents...but not hers

 Ry's new hat, giraffe

 Sawyer's new hat...monkey

 The girls

Lisa trying to play referee while we were trying to find the package with another toy

Lori getting a "call" from Sawyer 

 G'ma hanging out with Rylee

 Of course, boxes are always the most fun...Cassidy and Sawyer

 After presents and dinner it was time to get jammies on, and there was a lot of action with the 3 girls, this is the only "decent" picture

Papa Jerry and Sawyer

 The girls (Sawyer has red jammies, Rylee has pink)

 Lindsey showed Cassidy how to track Santa and she was definitely into it, checking as soon as we got back home and showing G'ma and Papa Doug where he was

We got the cookies ready

 and then spread the "reindeer food" into the grass so they will wait patiently

 Christmas morning found us with lots more presents and good times

By far, my favorite presents were made this year.  Dad made the girls their own coat rack for the mud room, complete with the Anchor Down brand and a shelf for all the odds and ends.  It's perfect and looks great!

Then Chad gave me my biggest surprise.  A swing he built for me...it's been on my list since we had a covered porch to put it on. It's beautiful.  He has spent so much time in the shop, which I've been locked out of, and he did a wonderful job.  Now I can listen to the rain, drink my cup of coffee and have another place to snuggle.  I am a lucky girl to have such talented men in my life!   

 G'ma and Cass did a great job on Baby Jesus's B-day cake

 Finally the dinner was served

It was a great Christmas filled with so many blessings and love.

Pre Christmas Fun

Christmas started the first week of December with the hunt for the perfect Christmas Tree, we even lucked out and got the perfect day!

FOUND IT!!

Timber!!

We also found a great Santa who was up for all of us!  Cassidy still is not quite sure about this guy but she did tell him she wanted pretty dresses for Christmas this year.

We got to see the lighted boat parade, cold but with friends

Decorating begins!  After helping me get the tree decorated (that was a lot of fun, she wants the story for each ornament and loved seeing our family pictures grow) Cassidy was very precise about hangin' the stockings and getting them just right

Of course there  were cookies involved...the first round was decorating with G'ma Kit

Then it was off to our new tradition, our lighted Winter Wonderland at a local campground.  Each campsite was decorated by a local business or service club and there was lots to see and do.  Despite the pouring rain, we had a great time with our friends and seeing all the lights

ARGHHHH Matey!

MORE COOKIES!!!

Then came G'ma Margie and Papa Doug who dove right in!  Thanks to their help we got lots of projects done and had some great time together

Oh, and MORE sugar!

I think we are ready....the house is decorated, the cookies are made and the presents are wrapped...here we go!



Special Day

The 9th was a special day following tradition.  The twins got baptized in the same church as Chad and Cassidy and it was wonderful having all the family there to share.

My angels; Sawyer with the blue bow, Rylee with the pink flower

Enough holding still and lookin' cute...they're off!

Rylee

Sawyer (a little more wiggly)

With Pastor 

With Sponsors Lori and Lisa

The whole support crew...including Great Aunt Gloria (Ann)

Thank you to the whole family for being there to share this day with us, despite crazy busy schedules.  We LOVE YOU!!

A BIG thank you to Doreen, a fellow Mom of twin boys who are now 21, for the sweet dresses, a special 1 year birthday present, and for reminding me we'll make it!  Another BIG thank you to Christie, who knit the beautiful sweaters for the girls before they were even born...good thing they stayed little!  Thank you both for being a part of our lives and for making my girls even more beautiful on this special day.

Newest Family Member

For most of you who know me you know I'm a softie for a tough life story so....meet Blackberry

 She is a very sweet "probably mostly black lab" pup that's between 6 and 8 months.  She was picked up off the reservation and dropped off at our neighbors home (who has 4 dogs already, including a new puppy).  We've been trying to find a good home for her, but havn't had much luck and honestly, I'm not looking too hard any more.  She has been badly beaten and neglected but has such a sweet heart, not an aggressive hair on her body and has already bonded with the girls, the only people she doesn't flinch with, even when the twins stumble around her and crawl over her.  We got her vet checked last week and the vet felt she would be able to recover and agreed she was very special.  She only had one medical issue, a hernia in her left eye that has healed, leaving a small white spot.  Eye hernias are caused by servere trauma...absolutely breaks my heart.  She is already making some progress, feeling comfortable in the house and playing more with the girls and Mossy.





Seems like Cassidy might be taking after her Mama.  She has a very warm spot for Blackberry, who she named because she's black and sweet

Mossy and BB have become good friends and she is helping take the edge of Mossy's play drive, both pups sleep well at night, helping me to sleep better too!  Hopefully in just a few months we'll have a happy pup who is fully a part of our family.

More Bath time fun

This time no blood!  So Cass stands up and is reaching for a toy that had been thrown over the side of the tub and I tell her she should move over because her bottom is right in Rylee's face and that's not very nice.  Rylee decids to take care of it herself and puts both hands on Cass's hips and bit that cute little bottom...Cassidy and I laughed so hard I was crying and of course Ry thought she was pretty funny too!  Good thing they still only have two teeth!