Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

It is snowing again today and Alayna loves to play in the snow. She was lucky today to have her cousins Brynnli and Wyatt to play with in the snow!

We just got back from Cedar City yesterday. We were able to spend 5 days with Coby's family and had a great time. Alayna especially loved taking a bath with her cousin Brayden.

Enjoying a yummy sugar cookie - Alayna liked the frosting the very best.

Wrestling with Sponge Bob! Alayna couldn't get enough of him.

Coby, Angie, and Alayna are having a tea party with a tea set that Alayna's Great-Great Grandma Richards made for Angie.

Grandpa Brad relaxing with Brayden, Karter and Alayna.

When we got to Cedar City there was no snow, but that changed quickly and we got two huge storms before we left. The kids loved playing in it! Alayna thinks she is just as big as Brayden and Karter - but she can barely stay upright.

Alayna was trying to eat her weight in snow - I think. I don't know what it is about white, fluffy snow - that makes you want to eat it.

Trying to jump in the snow!

Coby and Alayna enjoying Grandma Carol's delicious spread of holiday goodies. Coby looks forward to Christmas goodies all year round - such as pumpkin roll and homeade cheeseballs.

All the cousins and grandkids - Brayden, Alayna, Karter, CJ, and Matthew. This is as close to a pose as we could get.

Holiday Fun!

Today was our Ward Christmas Party - and the Santa Clause is a man from our ward - who does a really great job and the kids love him. I didn't know how Alayna would react to Santa Clause because this was her first time seeing him - but she was sooooo cute! As we were standing in line she wanted to run up in front of the other kids to sit on his lap. When it was finally her turn, she ran up to him and snuggled up to him and kept saying -"Santa - Ho, Ho, Ho." It was cute, she could have snuggled up by him all day!

Enjoying her candy cane with Dad.

After Alayna's turn was over she wanted to go back and sit on Santa's lap so bad - when the tantrum hit, we finally left.

Last night we enjoyed the lights on Temple Square with Coby's family. Here is Alayna with Grandma Kelli.

Here Angie and Kadin are posing for their engagement picture - wait not yet!!

I look so short standing with Coby's family - oh well - I am!

I love Temple Square at Christmas - it is so beautiful and has such a special Spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Late Thanksgiving everyone! We went to Boise, Idaho to spend Thanksgiving with my mom's family. Almost everyone was there and there were so many of us that we had Thanksgiving in the cultural hall at the Church. We had a great time staying at my cousin Jennifer's - Alayna loved to play with all of the cousins and they were so good to her. All of the food was delicious, but even more fun was the good time we were able to spend catching up and visiting with the family.
On Friday morning, Coby and I got up bright and early along with half of the family - to do some marathon shopping. I have to brag a little bit because we started at Wal-Mart and got everthing we needed and checked out in 13 minutes. We then went to Fred Meyer and got some 50% off socks and were to Target and standing in line by 5:45 and got everything we wanted there and we were done Christmas shopping in about an hour and a half - 6:30am. The good news is that we lived to tell the tale!
So Happy Thanksgiving everyone and Merry Christmas! I love this time of year.

My Little Bookworm!

Alayna loves to read books. It seems like we read all day long. We start reading her books and we have to read all of them, but the cutest is when she reads to herself. It is very entertaining.

26 Reasons Why I Love You on Your 26th Birthday!

Happy Birthday Coby!!
1. You are a wonderful husband!
2. You are an amazing Dad!
3. You radiate heat especially on cold winter nights!
4. You are so willing to do the dishes!
5. You always compliment me - even when I don't deserve it!
6. You love me for me!
7. You are always up for a little healthy competition with me!
8. You encourage me to step out of my comfort zone.
9. You willingly come shopping with me!
10. You don't complain when you come home and the house is a mess and dinner isn't ready.
11. You eat everything I cook even if it is a disaster, which doesn't happen very often.
12. You help me clean and are an incredible duster!
13. You take me to the temple often and you bless our family with the Priesthood!
14. You tell me that you will watch whatever movie I want with me every once in awhile.
15. You don't really laugh at me when I cry and blubber in my favorite chick flicks.
16. You are hard-working and honest!
17. Because I love to hear you laugh and joke!
18. You are tall, dark (in the summer), and handsome - what more can I say!
19. You just take it when I have the urge to give you a tickle!
20. You take me out for ice cream, when I really need it!
21. You are smart and dedicated to doing well in school!
22. You love Alayna and I and make sure we feel like we are #1 in your life!
23. You lift me up whenever I'm down.
24. You are my best friend forever!
25. Because you want to grow old with me!
26. Because you came into this world 26 years ago - just for me!
Love you lots and Happy Birthday!

Bad Mother - Good Mother?

Alayna was so excited about the snow that we got this week - that she kept yelling at me "outside" - so I finally bundled her up the best I could - in a couple of pair of socks, pants, my hat and scarf - and we ventured out.

Needless to say, she loved the snow and wanted to just sit in it, eat it, and kick it around.

Just havin' a chilly treat - face first!

Eating the excess off her gloves - and by now she was freezing and would not let me pick her up.

I decided to let her swing and she is crying because she wanted to see the picture I took - she calls herself "Lilla" and thats what she was screaming as I took this picture.

Well I felt like such a bad mother that I took Alayna outside to play and she was freezing in her inadequate winter clothes - so we went to Wal-Mart and they were basically sold out of snow pants- apparently I wasn't the only bad mother trying to outfit her child in appropriate snow attire, but lucky for me the last size left was close enough to Alayna that I snatched the last pair - so we can head back out again soon - more appropriately clothed. The snow pants are a little big and have a beyond marshmallow effect.

Happy Halloween!!

Diving into the treat bowl before the trick-or-treating even begins.

Our pumpkins - Coby did the two on the right and I did the two on the left!

Alayna with our pumpkins - she loved them!

Trick or treating - unfortunately Coby and I didn't dress up as anything but ourselves, scary enough - and we only have room for one monkey in the family. Alayna really got trick-or-treating down fast - she liked picking her own treat and putting it in the bucket all by herself instead of someone else doing it for her.

Kali even dressed up to go trick-or-treating with Alayna and Alayna only wanted to hold her hand and be packed by her - she loves her "Bear in the Big Blue House". Alayna even got a bite of her nose!

Ready, set, trick-or-treat!

The cutest monkey ever!

Alayna was a great monkey - she made the best monkey sounds ever!