Christmas tree hunting

December 10, 2016

We have headed out into the woods to go Christmas tree hunting.

We got all bundled up in our snow gear to keep us dry and warm.  We got some snow in the snow storm last Wednesday, but today the sun is shining.

All right!  Help me down from the bed of the truck so I can go and run in that snow.

I went straight to playing in the snow as soon as I was all bundled up.

I got daddy to give me a piggy back ride through the snow! Then Mommy and then Daddy.  The life of the youngest is always rough.

I am going on a tree hunt and I am not afraid!

I didn't get so lucky and I had to trudge through the snow while looking for a Christmas tree.

Time to make some snow angles.

I had fun rolling down the snowy hill.

Hanging out and relaxing for a minute while mom and dad looked around to see if any of the trees will work in this area.

It is sure fun to be out in the snow looking for a tree.

Mom and Dad think they have found a tree.  It is a little big, but they can cut some of it off to make it work.

We got to stand by the tree to mark it while Dad went and got the truck, axe, and saw.

Here is our 2016 Christmas tree still in the ground

Dad is ready to take off some branches so he can saw it down.  

I headed over to get some pictures with Dad and the tree before we had to head out of the timber zone.

We got Makayla to join us for the Christmas tree picture.

I am off to find a good place to sit and watch Daddy fall the tree.

I found a snowy log to sit on and watch.

I decided to lay down and be silly as I made it over to the timber free zone.

Here are my silly cute faces!

I made it over to the safe zone and sat down on the log bench with McKenzie to watch.

Mom was hoping to get a family picture of us out tree hunting for our Christmas cards this year, but we couldn't find a good place to set up the camera to take one.  Instead she decided to focus on us and getting a good one of us for the Christmas card.  One of these ended up making it onto the Christmas card.  I don't remember which one.  

Maybe it was this one, but I don't think so.

I had such a great laugh it caused me to lay down.

While Makayla was laying down and laughing mom got a sweet picture of me.

I got a nice fat lip and cut on my lip a couple of hours before we headed out.  McKenzie and I were downstairs in the living room playing while mom and Dad were getting ready and finding all our snow gear.  I let out a very loud screech and started crying.  Mom came running down the stairs to find me standing on the wood floor with blood dripping from my mouth.  We got the blood stopped and put an ice pack on my lip then mom took a look.  I tripped and fell into the elephant end table.  I hit it just hard enough and at the right angle that I ended up putting my top front tooth straight through my bottom lip.  I even chipped the top tooth in the process.  The lip has healed well and the tooth seems fine minus a chip.  So this will be the year that I have a fat lip in the Christmas cards.

We wanted to head over to the truck to warm up while we waited for Dad to finish chopping down the tree.

Mom put us on the back of the truck to start getting some of our snow gear off, so, we could sit in the truck.

I brought a journal to write in about getting a Christmas tree, so, I wanted to work on that while we waited.

I found all the cups and stuff for the hot chocolate.  So helpful!

We got Daddy a Ghellie Kettle for his birthday since he has been asking for it for quite a few years.  Today was a perfect day for him to try out his new toy as we liked to call it.

We got back out of the truck, so, we could have some hot chocolate.

Daddy has the fire going and heating the water to a boil, so, we can make some hot chocolate.  The Ghellie Kettle seems to be working well and Dad is having fun trying it out!

The Ghellie Kettle was successful!  It quickly boiled the water and we had hot chocolate.

This is the part of Christmas tree hunting we were waiting for!

I love a good cup of hot chocolate.  It warms you up from your head to your toes!

It was a fun day out in the wood hunting for our Christmas tree!  We sure do love going out and getting a tree.  What a fun time we get to spend together as a family!

Waking up to a winter wonderland

December 6, 2016

When mom came in to get me up this morning she told me to go and look out the window.

I was pretty excited to see snow all over.  

I was sleeping in the spare bedroom, because mom touched up my room yesterday and it smelled like paint.  So when she got me up I headed straight to the spare bedroom window to see all the snow.

I quickly got dressed because I wanted to go outside and see the snow.  I got my hat, scarf, and gloves on.  Mom handed me my warmed milk with peppermint and I headed outside to enjoy the snow for a few minutes before school.

Nothing like enjoying a warm cup of milk out in the snow!

Scout and I had to walk all over and tramp all through it.  I think that Scout was as excited about the snow as I was.

I am headed back toward the house.

Check out our snowy trampoline.  I don't think we will be jumping on the trampoline anytime soon.

It took me a little bit longer to get dressed and get outside than McKenzie, but I made it out so I didn't miss out on the winter wonderland.

I got a warm cup of milk with vanilla to enjoy outside in the snow.

We sure had fun out in the snow.

Hi! Mom!  Look at us in the snow!

Isn't the snow the greatest.  We had to head in and get ready for school.

First snow and Christmas cookies

December 4, 2016

Today I thought I would put on my own rodeo.  I got my cowgirl boot slippers, my horse, and my new cowgirl hat that I got for my birthday from Grandma and Grandpa and got to go and pick out at the store while we were visiting them.  

My horse needed a rest after performing, so, I though I would sit down and let her rest. 

I sure had fun doing my rodeo in my new cowgirl hat.

When we left church today it had started to snow.  It was the first snow of the season, so, when we got home we wanted to go out and feel it.

We tried to catch some snowflakes on our tongues.  It was harder than we thought.

I tried to catch some in my hand.

Then with my tongue.  I wasn't so sure about catching snowflakes.  The snow didn't last too long or accumulate at all, but it was fun to get out and enjoy our first snow fall.

This evening we got our new aprons on that Great Grandma made us to make some Christmas cookies to share with our neighbors.

I love to make get to bake with Mom.

I can't wait to get started.  I pushed my cooking tower over and climbed right in.

I was excited to get to help too.  Here is my apron that Great Grandma made me.  I think they are going to work perfectly for cooking!

I am guarding my tower and don't want to let anyone in. 

Alright I guess I will let McKenzie in to help make cookies.  We had fun making cookies and taking them over to our neighbors.  

Tree of Lights

December 3, 2016

To get in the festive Christmas spirit and to see what Christmas activities they have in Redmond we thought we would go and check out the festival of trees.  It is a charity event that is put on to help support the local hospice.  Different local companies and people decorate fancy trees with a theme.  During the day they open it up for all to come and see the trees and then in the evening they auction them off.  They even bring in a Santa and have games to play during the day.  There were lots of amazing trees, but we each got to pick our favorite and vote for it to see if it would win people's favorite.  This Minnie and Mickie one was my favorite!

I really liked this frosted cupcake tree with a Candyland inspired theme.  It had tons of board games under the tree.  There were so many fun and creative trees there.  Dad's favorite was done by a local guide shop and it was a fishing tree.  Mom didn't get a picture of it because Dad didn't want to stand by it for a picture.  We had a fun time as a family looking at all the trees and playing the games.

Projects take two

November 29, 2016

We finished painting McKenzie's room and now it is time to paint my room.  Mom forgot to get a before picture with my room while the plan, train, car boarder was still on the wall.  She still thought she would get some before pictures anyway.

I am excited to get going and get my room painted.

Mom has the room all taped, we picked out my paint color the other day after my new comforter came in, and now we just need to get our paint clothes on and paint.

I am excited as mom not to have to paint my ceiling and only the walls.  It should go a lot faster than McKenzie's room!

I chose purple paint for my room.

I really, really, really wanted to use the roll brush to paint and not just the paint brush.  Mom wasn't so sure about giving a 4 year old a roll brush loaded with paint, but she decided to to let me try and luckily we only ended up with paint all over the wall.

It was a lot of fun to get to help paint my room.  I love my new purple room!  It sure is purple.

While mom had the tarps down for painting and we had a little bit of paint left from our rooms we thought it would be the perfect time to finally paint the doll beds that our great Grandpa made for Grammy and Aunt Helen and they gave to us for Reese and Katelyn.  

Mom thought that she would get some before pictures again.  Here is Katelyn's bed.  I am going to paint it purple.  I think she will love it.  

Here is the before picture of Reese's bed.  I am painting her bed blue.

Here are the beds all done. They turned out great and we had a lot of fun painting them.