Christmas in the South

We enjoyed our second Christmas in Katy, TX. We spent time as a family and with the extended family who live in Katy. We participated in some of the traditional Christmas events including a visit with Santa, choosing and decorating the tree, make and deliver Christmas treats, and parties.

The girls visited Santa at the ward Christmas party. Hailey was tenative but climbed up without coaxing. 

McKayla decided sitting on Santa's lap was not an important part of the visit, particularly since she still got the candy cane. :) Emily didn't want anything to do with him, bu would sit on my lap,,,, so long as she had her fingers to keep her comfortable.

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One day while the older girls were at preschool, Emily and I went to Home Depot. Emily found a shiny tree that was just her size. She loved it!

Christmas day brought many gifts The girls enjoyed using many of them, including the do-a-dot markers and glitter pens from Grandmas and Grandpa Waite.

Emily's favorite part of the day, beside ripping paper off presents, was ice cream in homemade waffle cones. 

A friend in our ward introduced us to homemade waffle cones when he invited us for waffle cones at his house. We loved them and asked for a waffle cone iron. Scott and Lisa gave us one, so we enjoyed warm cones and cold ice cream. Perfect for our 75 degree Texan Christmas.

The whole family enjoyed ice cream!

We went to the green speace near our house to try out some of the new toys. Bruce flew his quad copter and the girls drove their remote control cars.

Because there is especially plesant weather around Christmas, when my littler entrupanuers asked if they could have a lemonade stand, I agreed. With further discussion, they decieded to do a hot chocolate stand (keep the Christmas mood).  They sold several cups to neighbors and passerbys.

Tired Girls

For some reason, Bruce loves it when we fall asleep in odd places or positions. Here are some featured places and positions of 2014:

 There were "Two in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over.."- March 2014

McKayla in Claire's bed, missing the shirt she had when she was tucked in. -April 2014

 McKayla- May 2014

 Hailey- May 2014

 Emily at church- June 2014

 McKayla in Mom & Dad's bed- July 2014

 

Emily in Mom & Dad's bed, rubbing her belly button (one of her favorite pastimes)- August 2014

Rachel "writing a lesson." -Nov 2014

Artists

These girls love doing art!

Hailey December 21, 2014

McKayla December 21, 2014

Emily's not invited for painting, but it doesn't stop her from eating bottles of food coloring!

Emily covered in green food coloring. August 5, 2014

Food coloring doesn't wash off...

Family Photos Nov 2014

Family Photos
We took family pictures for the Christmas card. Here's the preview:

McKayla Birthday

McKayla turned 3 on December 5!
She also got an American Girl doll and a trampoline.
She LOVES the trampoline! She goes out to jump several times a day. It's good she's found an outlet for some of her energy.

McKayla had a Spiderman birthday party on her birthday. They made spider webs, built a building for Spiderman to climb, and played pin the tail on the donkey.

Hailey's Birthday

Hailey turned 5!

On her birthday she chose a special birthday breakfast of crepes. McKayla gave her a light-up squishy ball. We gave her a soccer net and an American Girl Doll. We had lasagna for dinner.

She had a Frozen themed birthday party the next weekend. At the party they decorated snowflakes and made Frozen silly putty, played pin the nose of Olaf, and ate cupcakes.

Little Moments

Sometimes the little moments, the things that comprise our everyday lives, seem to go unnoticed. Our weeks include preschool co-op's, gymnastics, library story time, ward playgroup at the park, afternoon naps, and lots of cleaning and food preparation. Here's some photos to remind me of this fun stage of life when my girls and I get to play everyday.

 McKayla riding her bike to the park.

 McKayla parking her bike at the park.

 Emily in the stroller.

 Emily swinging.

Hailey and McKayla.

One of Hailey's favorite activities is building. She used to build with Duplos, but during a visit with Grandma Waite she used Legos. Now she loves to build with Legos. She even made me a Lego plane as a present for my birthday! Here's a lego creation she made.

Sometimes we go to library story time. Hailey and McKayla enjoy listening to the stories, but Emily's still learning to sit still. After story time the library has "Preschool Explorers," science and sensory play.

 Haiely and McKayla using the parachute during toddler time at the library.

McKayla playing with snakes in jello during Preschool Explorers, at the library.

Another favorite activity is playing in the fort in the backyard. A friend moved out of the ward and offered her playset to anyone willing to disassemble it. With several cold days of work, I was able to disassemble it and reassemble it at our house. I did transport the roof without disassembling, so it looked like I was caring a small house on the roof of my van... because I was. :)

Hailey and McKayla had just watched "Caillou" go rock climbing, so we made some makeshift rock climbing gear from the Baby Bjorn and a bike helmet, and they climbed the club house rock wall.

Perhaps the girls most favorite activity: swimming. We swim at our outdoor, neghborhood pool all summer, but once school starts they shut it down and we're forced inside.

One day they discovered life jackets. They don't usually use them, but they were a fun toy! McKayla

Hailey swimming in a life jacket.

 Each night, we read a story from the illustrated scripture story book. Bruce often reads and the girls crowd around to see the pictures.

Halloween & Zoo Boo

Shopping & Creating

Hailey and McKayla started thinking about Halloween costumes in early October, but I only wanted to buy costumes once so I made them wait and think about what they wanted to be for Halloween. Hailey saw the "perfect" witch costume the first time, and when we went back later it was gone but she found and fell in love with this costume.  Hailey and McKayla were so excited about buying costumes that they changed in the car right after we bought them and wore them grocery shopping.  McKayla said she wanted to be Thomas the train, but she had already declared she wants a Spider man birthday party, so when I found this spider girl costume in her size, I thought I got off easy. A few days later she told someone that she was going to be Thomas for Halloween, so I figured that I she needed a Thomas costume. The girls and I painted a box for each of them so they could be trains.

Hailey the witch.

McKayla as Spider girl.

McKayla, or Thomas the Train

McKayla, Hailey, and Emily as trains.

 Zoo Boo

Hailey and Mackenzie, Emily and McKayla in the fish tunnel at the zoo.

  Our friend and neighbor, Brittany Foster invited us to the zoo for Zoo Boo. The girls enjoyed seeing the animals, Trick-or-Treating, and playing with friends!

Hailey and McKayla

Mackenzie and Hailey watching the monkeys.

Hailey with a prize from Zoo Boo. So tired....

The girls in the zoo hut.

Hailey petting a goat.

 

Emily climbing

Halloween Night

The girls had fun at all of our Halloween activities including Zoo Boo, Trunk-or-Treat, and Trick-or-Treating. Grandma Lisa was in town for Halloween day, so all the cousins went out together.

Halloween night

All the earnings...

Grandma reading with Hailey & McKayla