Lots of Pictures...update

I periodically decide to download (upload?) a bunch of pics from my phone. You have probably noticed my occasional annoying posts doing just that. Well here is another one!


This is a picture of me and Tessa! I am sure you can guess who is who, based on the wardrobe and awesome 70's decor in the room on the left. The other day Tessa and Maggie asked me if they could see my dolls. I have a cedar chest full of fun little treasures, and this doll is one of them. I got her 25 years ago! (I feel so old right now.) She was a doll that my mom got, and kept in her cedar chest as well....and on occasion, just as my kids do now, I asked my mom if we could see her dolls. My mom gave me this doll when I was 4 years old, for quitting sucking my thumb. She has been with me ever since! I kind of think she is one of those freaky "Chucky" looking dolls, but I love her all the same. I didn't realize it until I had taken the picture of her with my own 4 year old, that I had pictures of both of us, at the same age, with the same doll. So naturally I had to place them side by side to compare. The doll is the same...maybe a little bit more tattered. But the girl has changed! I can't get over how much she looks like me. I look at her baby pictures and mine, and I can barely tell who is who, besides the red hair. (I was a toe head.) She has my eyes, my nose, and my oval face. Maggie on the other hand looks exactly like her dad. (Besides having my big eyes.) Actually when I look at Maggie I see Josh's sister Emily. But this little girl is my mini-me. (Although she is a lot more sassy than I ever was!)


PANCAKES AT GRANDPA'S

For Valentine's day my dad decided to have the grand kids over for heart shaped pancakes. There were a few other interestingly dyed foods there too.

Our cousins (My brother Garrett and his wife) just moved back to town, so we are getting to see them quite a bit now too! :)
Are they not the cutest!!

We had a big bed graduation party at our house! The girls moved from their toddler beds to these twin beds! These were the beds that my sister and I shared as kids. They make into bunk beds. I can't tell you how many times we took these beds apart to rearrange our room! I am planning on painting them white to match the room, but not until it is warmer outside.

I planned to wait until their birthday's until we got them cutesy bedding, but there is a daddy in this house hold that LOVES to spoil his girls.

We have been trying REALLY hard to always have prayer and scripture study as a family before bed time. Together with the children, we have SLOWLY read through 1st and most of 2nd Nephi. It has taken MONTHS! (Almost 6 months actually.) But we will keep trudging through and finish reading the Book of Mormon! The girls help read (by repeating it back as we read it for them.) And they won't let us forget! They even made us proud at a sleepover with their Grandparents by reminding them that they couldn't go to bed until they had had scriptures and prayer. :)
Here they are saying their personal prayers. I couldn't resist a picture. Their prayers are so funny. They consist of a lot of stuff about Santa Claus, wanting to please see Jesus, and asking for help holding still while they pray. Sometimes they even look around the room for things to be thankful for. Josh and I giggle a lot during prayers. ;)

Last week the girls went to a "tea party" at the library. They were supposed to dress up in their fancy clothes and come to drink "tea."

When we got there it was all decorated like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. It was all so cute! All of the library staff dressed up as Alice in Wonderland Characters.

Here is Maggie being fancy!

Here is our table. They also served us a light dinner.

They had crafts and games!

And they decorated cookies.

And at the end they had a fashion show!

I have made bread ONCE in my whole life.
Read about that HERE.
It was an adventure, and it took me all day! After that I said, "Well, I am not doing that again, but at least now I know I can if I have to."
Then yesterday my mom (Doreen) gave me her old, but yet brand new, bread maker!! Even Josh was excited! We got home from sledding at Dad's house, and decided we should give this thing a go!
I know of several people that make bread machine bread on a regular basis, but even with that I was still a bit skeptical. I told Josh I would be amazed if it turned out.
We put in all of the ingredient, pressed all of the right buttons, and away it went!

Here are the cavemen seeing the wheel for the first time. We really were pretty amazed.
(Josh thought we were funny.)
And lo and behold, 2.5 hours later, Josh and I came up from watching a movie at 11:00pm, and we smelled bread! Josh and I both had a slice of warm bread with butter and jam! YUM!
So now I can enjoy homemade bread BEFORE the end of the world comes!
(Which is when I will need to know how to make it without a bread machine.) :)