I just had to take some pictures of Ariel yesterday in her new outfit. Dan says that it looks like scrubs but I thought it was precious. She actually kept a bow in her hair for about 30 minutes. Then of course she took the bow out and then played with it! You can see that she is starting to get some hair SLOWLY! She does have way more than Caleb had at this age. There is also a picture of Ariel in her new coat. 
These are some pictures of the kids hanging out in our bed after bathtime on Thursday night. Caleb decided he needed a pillow for his legs and also for his head. Needless to say, Ariel wanted a pillow for her legs too!
Dan helping Ariel open her gift.
The family...and the destruction of presents behind us!
Last night we had a couple (Jessica and Russ) come over for dinner. They are expecting a baby any time now and they weren't able to travel to see family this year so Dan and I decided to have them over. I cooked Apple Marsala stuffed pork tenderloin, twice baked potato casserole and green beans with almonds. It was very tasty. Jessica brought a pumpkin roll! It was wonderful to have company for dinner!
On another note...Caleb has had dry pants through the whole night for two nights in a row. We forgot to put a pull-up on him on christmas eve before he went to bed and he woke up at 5:30 to tell me he went potty...that is when I discovered he had no pull-up on. We decided to leave the pull-up off last night and he woke up dry again! I hope that this is a sign that he is ready to be potty trained at night! I would love to not have to buy pull-ups again.
This was a picture of the service with all the candles lit. I tried to take a picture of Caleb helping Dan hold the candle but Ariel kept grabbing the camera since she was on my lap so they all turned out fuzzy. It was a beautiful service!
After the service we came home and then tried to take a few pictures of the kids in their chirstmas outfits under the tree. They didn't cooperate much. Since Ariel is walking now all she wanted to do was just walk around in her pretty red dress! This was the best picture of the both of them and then one of Ariel walking around in her dress is below. 
Sweet Ariel giving her Daddy Christmas kisses.
I'm starting a tradition where the kids get to open one gift on Christmas Eve and it will be their pj's for Christmas morning. Here are the kids opening their pj gift.
Here is Ariel in her pj's and you can see Caleb's below when he is making cookies for Santa.
For Santa's cookies this year I took the easy way out. I bought store bought cookies on a sheet and then had Caleb place them on a cookie sheet and then let him put sprinkles on it. I was originally going to make sugar cookies and then have him help me cut them into shapes and decorate them but I ran out of time. It was nearly 8:00 when we were making these and I still had to make a breakfast casserole of Christmas morning and also wrap a dozen gifts and get things ready for Santa to come!
Here is Caleb waiting on the cookies to bake!
This is a movie that I put together of a few pictures in each month that I captured with the kids. It is nearly 7 and a half minutes long so you may want to view it when you have time to enjoy it. I will be sending a copy to the family soon! Press pause on the music if needed below.
On Saturday we went to Harrison to have Christmas Dinner with Dan's parents and family. We had to make it a day trip since Dan is still doing the paper route but we still managed to squeeze in as much family time as possible.
This is Caleb and his guitar...it was a hit!
Here is Ariel and I opening up one of her gifts.
This bag is all Ariel wanted to play with. She would pick up things and put them in the bag and then walk around carrying it all over the place. She is walking like crazy now...that is pretty much all she does now instead of crawling.
Granny (Dan's mom...she is the one laughing in the video below) and the grandkids
Here is a very dark video of Ariel walking with her sack. We were all laughing because we were saying that she is going to be a great shopping buddy one of these days and just as we said that she took off walking right towards Dan like she was asking for money...already!! (remember you can pause the music below if you want)
I didn't get many pictures of Caleb. He has not been feeling well. He has a terrible cough and he says that his throat hurts. I have been giving him Delsym at night and I have been putting some peppermint essential oil on the bottom of his feet and chest. It seems to reduce the coughing and allows him to sleep. He did get me up a few times last night so that I could spray some cloroceptic (sp?) in his mouth to numb his throat. So needless to say he was not photgenic on Saturday.
Tonight we are going to the Christmas Eve service at church (that is if Caleb ever takes a nap...I put him down nearly 45 minutes ago and he is still not asleep!). Then we will come home and make some cookies for Santa. I can't wait until tomorrow. It gets more fun as the kids get older!
Merry Christmas!
Today Leah Mitchell called and invited Caleb, Ariel and I the park with her and Will. The park was literally down the street from us (which I had no idea about). It was great to be able to get the kids out to play. It was a tad bit windy but the kids still had a great time...especially since there were no other kids there to get in the way! We stayed at the park for about an hour and then I invited Leah and Will over to have lunch with us. We let the boys play and we ordered take out from Tater Patch and had chicken tenders and sandwiches. Here are a few pictures of the boys playing...they had SO much fun...I am sure that they will both take good naps today!
Super Heroes in their capes (I don't think Will was quite ready to be a super hero yet!) They were wearing aprons by the way!
"What's under the couch?"
"Come on Will!"
We went to the Bentonville Square tonight to look at the Christmas lights and the kids LOVED it! All they wanted to do was run around the fountain...Ariel included! She is really starting to get around now by walking. The look on her face when she gets from point A to point B without falling is just amazing! She gets excited all over...especially when you praise her! The temperature was very mild, around 49 degrees, which was great for being outside on a December evening. Remember...you can pause the music at the bottom of the blog screen!
Caleb did the cutest thing earlier this evening. Ariel had woken up from her late afternoon nap and I was busy in the kitchen. Caleb came in the kitchen and said "Mommy, Ariel is awake." One of his things I let him do is go and see Ariel as soon as she wakes up by himself, but I told him that he had to have my permission in order to go and see her. I told him to go and see her and before he walked up the stairs he said "I have your permission in my back pocket!" I laughed and then he stuck his hand in his back pocket and then pulled it out and said "See, it's right here," his hand was empty but I thought it was so cute! Then I went upstairs to see both of them in Ariel's room and as I was changing Ariel, Caleb stuck his hand out and said, "Do you want your permission back?" Oh the things that sweet boy says!
Here it is - the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Christmas Time. I will now volunteer more ridiculous information about myself - and hope that you will return the favor :)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I usually wrap all my Christmas presents. I leave the bags for birthdays and showers. I just love to sit in front of the tv on the living room floor after the kids go to bed and watch a movie while I wrap...think I may do that tonight actually!
2. Real trees or artificial? I have an artificial tree that I used when I was a child that my mom gave to me during one her moves. Reason? I am not sure...seems kinda like a waste of money to me and WAY too much mess!
3. When do you put up your Christmas tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take your tree down? New Years Day or the weekend after.
5. Do you like eggnog? I do but it is so rich that I can only stomach a couple sips.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my Nintendo game system when I was 10. My dad got it for me and I still have it!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, as one of my wedding gifts I received the Willow Tree Nativity scene...love it! I am still waiting on the Three Wise Men...hint hint!!
8. Hardest person to buy for? Probably my cousins...seems like I always draw their names every year...I have no idea what to buy for them!
9. Easiest person to buy for? Dan...honestly he is so easy...buy him ANY tool and he will be happy!
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got? I can't think of any that were bad that I was given for christmas...my sweet husband gave me car floor mats for my anniversary one year!
11. Christmas cards or e-mail Christmas Cards? Christmas Cards...I love receiving them in the mail as well!
12. Favorite Christmas movie? probably Polar Express
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? A few days after Thanksgiving
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes!
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Christmas Fudge!
16. Clear light or colored light? Clear...I never liked the colored lights but they are starting to grow on me!
17. Angel on top or Star? I usually put a bow at the top but last year I bought a sparkly snow flake to put on top and that is what I use now.
So..here is way more than you needed to know about me and my crazy Christmas ways. But I want to know about you! TAG YOUR IT!
1. Mandy
2. Erin
3. Becca
4. Allison
5. Amber
We had our 3rd annual Christmas Dinner Theater this past Monday-Wednesday. It has kept me super busy up until Wednesday night all through last week. We had a great time and I think everything went really well. After the last show on Wednesday night, as I was walking to my van, someone passed me and said to look in the sky, I did and the most amazing thing happend. There was a reflection of the crosses at our church in the ckouds. I tried to take a picture but since I don't have the greatest camera, it didn't turn out and give what it truly looked like. Below are pics of some of the girls from dinner theater and also one of the crosses in the clouds.
