Christmas

We got to do Christmas just the 3 of us for the first time this year! It was fun and I think Aniston was excited about Santa. We had fun letting her play with the stuff she got, and then I made some breakfast. I didn't burn anything and I actually cooked eggs...YUCK!! We went to my parents that afternoon and Santa had stopped there too. We felt so blessed to have such a wonderful Christmas and to be able to spend time with family. It was kind of a bummer not having Stefen there, but it was FUN to talk to him that evening. We sat around and threw questions at him right and left and laughed a little too. We hope all of you enjoyed Christmas, and we look forward to the fun that 2009 will bring!!


My mom made Aniston this cute Christmas dress and then the Saturday before Christmas she took Aniston to get pictures without us knowing. Aniston gave Chris and I this picture for Christmas, and it was my favorite present EVER!!


Merry Christmas! Aniston loved all the tags and wrapping paper, maybe more than the presents?!


I'm trying to MAKE Aniston like dolls as much as I did as a kid, so thanks Santa for bringing a doll to help me with that. Chris is constantly reminding me that Aniston's favorite toys are balls and cars. Oh well, I am going to keep trying.


Aniston LOVES Mickey and Minnie Mouse, can ya tell?!

O' Christmas Tree

We put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving and boy was it a project. We have had to rearrange our small living space each year to put up a tree, and this year was no exception. Chris and I moved everything around with Aniston's help of course, and we were at it for half the day. Aniston loves the tree and she is good to remind us to plug in the lights when it gets dark outside.
We had nothing under the tree, so last night I decided that I was going to have Aniston help me wrap a few things, and figured they would probably get unwrapped before Christmas. So, I pulled out the stuff and we went to town! Aniston liked to rip the wrapping paper, and she tried to wrap herself up a few times. She was a good little helper with the tape, and she even carried the presents and put them under the tree! Everythings is still wrapped so far!! My little bug is so much fun and I LOVE her to pieces! I am so excited that the Holidays are here and that I get to enjoy them with my family.

How cute are they?! Chirs dressed Aniston in "whatever". He did exactly as I told him... he put her in "whatever".





Aniston loves to sit by the tree and check it out. She's up for whatever as long as it involves the "petty tee" with the "lights"..."WOW"

Santa came to town!!

Santa came to Aunt Shelbi's house tonight and Aniston wasn't so sure about the jolly old fellow, but we got her to sit on his lap for a few seconds. She was a little bit tired from our long weekend in St. George with the Jones family, but I can't blame her. She woke up at 4am both mornings and wouldn't go back to sleep. We still had fun with Santa and I can't wait to see what she does when she sees him and she has had some good sleep. Our complex gets to have Santa come next week, so well see how that goes.

We hope all of you are enjoying this Holiday Season, and we wish you all a very Happy Holiday!!



This is random and kind of gross, but I still think it's funny. Aniston likes to pick the lint between her toes. Hey, it entertained her on the way down so I didn't stop her!

Aniston and her "cousin" Nadia waiting for Santa to come to Aunt Shelbi's house. All of Shelbi and Scott's nieces and nephews got these funny elf hats... they all looked so cute!

Aniston got a present from Santa and that was about the only thing she liked about the whole experience. She did blow him a kiss, she said "hi" a few times, and felt his soft fur coat. It was so fun even if she cried and wanted her mom!

Thanksgiving 2008

This Thanksgiving was a little different considering: Chris wasn't there cuz he was working, my brother Stefen wasn't there cuz he is serving a mission, my sister Shelbi and her husband weren't there cuz they were with Scott's family, my Dad was sick and couldn't taste much of anything, and we had 2 turkeys and a ham plus a bunch of other yummy food but the 2 turkeys weren't ready when it was time to eat. We just had ham for Thanksgiving and then ate the turkey as we cleaned up the dinner. I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to eat a Thanksgiving dinner, so it was fine that not everything was just right. I love this time of year and all the fun family memories that I have from the past. This was just another to add to the memory book!!



Aniston ate some of EVERYTHING and she LOVED it!!




This is the infamous bubble gum machine and all the kids LOVE "gummies"

As we drove home after our yummy dinner, I was showing Aniston all the pretty Christmas lights. She kept saying "wow" and "petty" the whole way home. She helped me with the Christmas tree Friday, and loves the lights and sparkling ornaments. Christmas is so much more special with little ones around. I worry that the real reason of Christmas will be lost in all the other things that go on around Chritmas time, and I hope that some way I can keep Christ as the center of our celebration through the years.

Grosgrain: Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'm a fan of Vampires... actually just Vampire movies

I saw Twlight, I was excited about seeing it. I loved the books, I didn't want to follow the trend of reading them though... but I did and don't have regrets. I think I will see the movie again and possibly read the books again too. I recommend them to all who haven't fallen into the trend. They are great books and I do NOT like science fiction and I am not really a reader, but I think you should read them. At least go see the movie. I took Aniston and she liked it, so what does that say? She watched it at least, and when I asked her if she liked it she nodded her head yes.

7 Quirks

Thought this may be kind of fun and a little embarrassing too...
1. I wash my hands way to much and use hand sanitizer to much too. You should see my hands now, they are horrible. I am afraid of germs so I wash them and they're gonna fall off one of these days.
2. I have to chew the same amount of food on one side of my mouth as I do the other. If 2 yellow M&Ms go on one side, 2 yellow M&Ms have to go on the other.
3. I HATE to touch raw meat, and I will NOT if I don't have to. If I do touch it, I get the chills and wash my hands immediately!!
4. I can smell a fart before it comes out, ask Chris if you don't believe me.
5. I weave in and out of traffic even if I'm not in a hurry. I tried to stop, but I can't!! I just can't stand to go slow.
6. I'm afraid of the dark, more like I'm afraid of WHO might be in the dark.
7. I hate to get into a bed that has not been made. If I don't make my bed all day I will make it before I get in it just because I think it's so uncomfortable to get in a bed that's got blankets every which way.

I tag all of you that haven't done this yet. I wanna know if you're as quirky as me!

a few yummies

My sister made the BEST sweet mashed potatoes and I just have to share the recipe with you and you gotta try them... they are divine!! You just boil peeled sweet potatoes in apple juice, drain the apple juice and then mash them up and add brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon to them and serve. SOO YUMMY!!

I also got this yummy recipe from Paula Dean on Food Network that is to die for and surprisingly not as rich as it sounds. You mix a brownie mix as directed and then poor half of the batter into a 9x13 baking dish and then put 3 whole king size Symphony bars (you gotta use the ones with almonds and toffee)down on top of the layer of brownie mix. Then just poor the rest of the brownie mix on top of the candy bars and bake as directed on the brownie mix box. Let them cool if you use the Symphony that has the toffee and almonds in it, that way the toffee isn't sticky and has it's crunch back. You'll want to eat the whole pan!! I'm sure you could use whatever kind of candy bar you want and they would be yummy good.

Chris' family came and visited for a few hours last week, and we had fun catching up! Aniston loved all the attention and I am so glad we were able to see them again since it's been more than 2 months since the last visit.

1st REAL haircut

I decided that I am NOT a "hair cutter" and that my skills are not acceptable, so I took Aniston to my hairdresser and had her do her thing. I love Aniston's new hair do, and she seemed to like it to. When she was finished cutting her hair, Aniston shook her head back and forth like a shampoo model, it was hysterical!!

priceless

3 bottles of acrylic paint at Wally World... $0.97
3 year old sponge paint brushes from who knows where... $1.00
1 boring student apartment bathroom with a little paint to brighten it's day(and mine)....


PRICELESS


And with the rest of the paint, lets have a blast smashing it in our fingers & making a pretty picture, getting it all over ourselves, and smearing it in the bath tub!! There was a huge mess and some stains, but we had fun making a mess.






OUR FIRST SNOW...

BIG GIRL!!

ANISTON IS WALKING!!

We had a lot of fun this Halloween and we got to do some fun things with Aniston. Halloween night was a blast, but it was hard not having Chris there(he had to work). My sister and I took Aniston trick-or-treating in my parents neighborhood and she was a crack up!! I made a broom for her and she wanted to tickle everyone with it. They would open the door and she would shove her broom in their face and say "deddle deddle". She said "trit treat" and "tantie" to the people we went to. We hope all of you had a very Happy Halloween and we hope the coming seasons are full or fun memories!





Look at how much she has grown and changed in 1 year!!



Trick-or-Treating at Aunt Shelbi's work


After Uncle Christian's concert- he's Steve Erkel


carving pumpkins


Halloween party for my parent's ward... my mom made this clown costume for me when I was 2!!

Boo at the Zoo

I took Aniston to the zoo this past weekend for Boo at the Zoo. I will try so hard to be positive in this post, but let me just say... AHHHH it was CRAZY. We live about a mile down the street from the zoo, so I should have walked. I've been sick so I didn't have it in me to tromp up the hill and walk all over the zoo and then walk home. I parked half way between our house and the zoo due to the popular event that it was. We stood in line for about 30 minutes to buy tickets and then could hardly move once we got into the zoo. Aniston screaming the whole way there and getting stung by a bee while we stood in line should have been my clue that it wasn't worth it. So we made it into the zoo and found our way through the mass of people. I was a little bummed that Aniston didn't really get too excited about the animals. The only time she was really excited was when a little monkey came right up to the glass and was checking everyone out. There was a little boy that got in front of her while the monkey was up close, and boy did he make a mistake! Aniston started yelling at him and tried to grab him and pull him out of the way. Poor kid!! What can I say, she's a bit fiesty like her mom. Over all it was not too bad, but I won't do it again probably, unless I have more hands to help with Aniston. She didn't want to sit in her stroller, she wanted to be up with mom checking things out. I think she got a little too overwhelmed by all the people too, I tell ya it was SOO packed and hard to get around with all the people that were there.



The little witch minus her boots. They lasted about 5 seconds and then she was screaming and pulling them off.


Checking out the little monkey.

she's CRAZY!!

Aniston actually fell asleep like this. I had her sleep with me one night when Chris was gone and I didn't sleep because she was ALL over the bed and took up the WHOLE bed. Wild I tell ya, WILD!!


She gets SOO excited when I let her watch Baby Einstein movies!! She's a crazy little thing, and yes my daughter actually looks like this-socks half way on and crazy hair. I don't do her hair until after her 1st nap, it's useless. She HATES sock and the only thing she likes about shoes is saying the word and wearing them on her hands.


Chris helped little Miss Aniston shove 2 BINKIES into her mouth. She loves binkies and I am not sure when I'll take them away because they save me, and I'm a sane woman when I can plug the screaming child's mouth.


So I will confess, Aniston sits in her high chair on the floor and watches Little Einsteins while I shower, but it looks like today will be the last time that happens. She was half way to the bathroom with the chair still attached when I got out of the shower.

What do I do?

what a day...

I worked last night and actually got to scrub in for a C-Section and help a little bit. It was awesome, but I NEVER want to have a C-Section!! I picked up Aniston from my parent's and wanted to get my sewing machine too so that I would have something to keep me busy and awake today. So, I went out in my Dad's shop and moved a few things, including a rolling car jack to get to the sewing machine. When I moved the jack, I just put the handle upright figuring it would stay and then bent down only to have the HEAVY handle come crashing down onto my cheek bone... OUCH!! I have to admit, there were some curse words and tears as I tried to keep myself upright, it knocked me silly for a second and really made me mad too. I got the machine and went in the house and just stared to cry again as I told my mom why I had a big bump on my cheek. I had it coming, I haven't gotten hurt in awhile so it was time. Aniston and I took a nap this afternoon and I woke up to her hitting my cheek, once again there were some tears but no curse words. I have no sign that I got smacked in the face except maybe a little swelling, so let's hope I'm just a cry baby and it's not that bad. I don't want to have to explain that my husband does NOT hit me.
I made a fun little dress for Aniston today to stay awake, and it actually turned out pretty cute. I won't mention the mistakes I made, cuz I'm sure you can see some of them. It looks cute on her, and I'm going to make a jacket to go with it and then have some Christmas pictures taken in a month or so with her in it. I saw it on a blog and there have been a few girls who have posted the link on their blog. The lady does some really cute retro style clothing for her daughter, and I think it's really cute. I'll put the link on our favorites.


This dress was free thanks to my mom's fabric stash!!


Aniston had fun today with her new rain boots, we just need to get her to wear them on her feet instead of her hands.


Aniston put this fur piece of my coat around her neck, she's pretty hot stuff!!

A plug for KSL

Chris is a VERY talented carpenter and he has made us some AMAZING things since we have been married: kitchen table, entertainment center, and Aniston's dresser. I absolutely love each of them, and have been a little down in the dumps lately because only the table is at our apartment and it is BROKEN!! We have had a few problems with our apartment, and the culprit has been lots and lots of moisture. The seams on 3 of the 4 corners have split on the table because of all the moisture, so the table is looking a little sad. The entertainment center and the dresser won't fit down the stairs into our apartment, so Aniston is without a dresser and there has been no tv at our home. I actually could care less about the tv not being around, but I could cry about the dresser; it's my favorite of the 3 things Chris has made. So I have been on the hunt for something to put our tv on that's SMALL and BLACK to match the decor. Thanks to KSL and persistence I came across one that had actually been sold, but the lady never came and got it so the people called and I snagged it for only $40!! Now we just need to get our tv back from my parents, and we're in business.


our sad table

the new tv stand... Now not only do I get to pick up toys and books, but now the movies get pulled out and scattered everywhere!!

As I have said before, Aniston loves getting in the fridge. She needs a little one of her own because she's getting more and more crazy each time that door opens. She's learning to climb on things and so the other day she thought climbing on the drawer would be fun. So she climbed up on the drawer and down into the drawer she went and got stuck!! I was laughing so hard and Chris was too. We HAD to get a shot of it, so we left her in there while I got the camera. She wasn't to happy and I am sure it probably hurt to be smashed in there, but some things just have to be caught on film. We have decided to ask Santa for a play fridge for Aniston, so hopefully he gets her list this year and brings her one of her own so she doesn't have to get stuck in the big fridge anymore.

TRADITION!!

Who knows why, but my parents took us all to Crystal Hot Springs about 4 years ago for October Conference and it's been tradition since. We didn't go last year for either conference because of weather and Aniston being so small, but that's the only time we've missed it. Many of you may not even know that it exists, and I don't recommend it unless you like "hillbillin' it" and the smell of sulfur. We have fun though, and we always come home with a funny story to tell. This year Chris stayed home (he really doesn't like the place) to attempt to finish a cabinet job, so we missed having him around. It rained ALL day Saturday, so Aniston and I stayed back while the rest of the family went and hung out at the hot springs. I finally finished Aniston's tutu I started making a month or 2 ago, and Aniston hung out with me and we played ponies and colored. That night after the Priesthood session, we all went down to swim in the rain. It was so weird to have water coming at you in both directions. You should try swimming in the rain sometime; it's a trip!! We had a blast and had Aniston splashing and giggling so loud that the whole pool was watching her and laughing with her. She has this deep and very loud laugh when you get her going, and it's contagious. After swimming we attempted to shower off in the locker room with cold water, and for a second I thought the water was finally getting warm but realized it was just Aniston peeing on me. I thought only boys peed on their mothers!!
I really love Conference, and was looking forward to it this year. I got a lot out of the talks I was able to listen to, and feel comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father is watching out for us. It was good to hear the brothren tell us not to be afraid of all that is going on. I am also very thankful for my family, and for the opportunity I have to be with them FOREVER!!

Crystal Hot Springs

wOw

Look guys I can stand up all by myself!!

Molars ahhh!!!

We have a molar...yikes!! I have heard from other friends about the dreaded molars, but had yet to experience them until last week when I was trying to figure out what Miss Aniston's problem was. She is always such a pleasant little thing, so when she gets moody Chris and I know there is something wrong. I went fishing around in her mouth and felt the honker poking through. She's doing really well considering the honker is poking through at a snail's pace. Aniston has learned to say teeth and can point to everyone's teeth as well as her own. This molar thing isn't as bad as I thought, and let's hope the rest are just as easy.

yum yum

Aniston got in the fridge while I was making breakfast and she found a "ahpah" and decided she was going to nibble on it. I kept hearing her say "ahpah yum" over and over and when I looked to see if she was ok she was taking little bites of a nectarine. I just laughed and then asked her if I could have it and cut it up so we could share it. She handed it right over and then grabbed the "coke" and tried to take a swig to wash her "ahpah" down.

The Fair

Aniston and I went to the Fair with my sister Shelbi and her husband Scott. We had a blast!! My sister and I took Aniston on the big slide, and wow that was hysterical. We all 3 sat on the same potato sack and Aniston was freaked and my sister and I were laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes!! I didn't realize how steep the hills were on the slide, otherwise we would have skipped that ride. We went on the merry go round after and Aniston only sat on the horse for a minute and then she wanted off. I really felt bad because she was clinging to me and wouldn't let go even after the ride stopped. She had fun on the real ponies, and did a lot of dancing to the fun music. She got to pet a bunny and see a whole bunch of animals, and she even tried a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was fun, and I really hope I didn't scar her for life on the big slide.

A little trip down town...

Aniston and I went down to the Family History Library to print off some temple cards, and ended up walking around the Conference Center while we were there. Aniston loves water and there is plenty of it there. She kept saying "ahwah" over and over and wouldn't hardly look away from the fountain to take a picture. She was really excited about the little stream that runs in front, and loved the water fall down the side of the building. Who knew water could be so entertaining!!

A bunch of cute pictures of Miss Aniston

Aniston has a new favorite spot... the fridge. Every time it gets open you can be sure to find her there checking out the food and rearranging it.

We have a fun playground right outside our door, and Aniston could swing for hours!!

This is Aniston in her new favorite toy. Tell me why Chris and I buy "toys" if she just plays with stuff around the house?!


Aniston wants to eat what everyone else is eating, even if its already headed to their mouth. She really will sometimes refuse to eat her food, but is just fine when we feed her something off our plates.