Little Ears Are ALWAYS Listening!

I haven't realized it but I guess I have been talking about getting into shape a LOT lately. I like to first talk about it for what Josh says is FOREVER before I actually do it. My dad did always say that first you think it then you say it then you do it! I have just had a little bit of trouble in the past on getting to that third step...anyway my sister Cory and I started going to Yoga at the Pleasant Grove Rec. Center, (Well lets be honest we went once, but then the holiday's came and we haven't been back, but we have nothing but good intentions on starting up again...man this post is not making me look too good..oh well) So there has been a lot of Yoga talk, because of course following my dad's rule I first thought about it for a long time then I started talking about it for a few months. Well Elizabeth has noticed that I haven't been going to yoga with Cory so she decided to set up her own yoga class! It was so cute. She had us ALL (including my mom) sign up on her sign up sheet to commit to a time for yoga this last Saturday. My mom got her yoga done in the morning while Josh and I took our class in the afternoon. The class started out with us all sitting in small chairs in a classroom forum in front of this white board.

She first wanted to teach us to art of yoga! After we did some stretching exercises followed by jumping on the little tramps for 4 minutes doing everything she told Josh and I to do. I really wish I had seen the morning class with my mom because she made her do all of this too. So apparently we are ALL signed up for Elizabeth's WEEKLY yoga classes. She has told us that she still has new moves to teach us and she is going to get us ALL in shape!
Side Note:  We have been planning a family vacation for in January and as a family we were talking about when we would be gone and going over dates. Elizabeth noticed that we would be gone 2 Saturdays and said with all seriousness, "Oh man I am going to have to get a sub for yoga....well maybe Nana can do it on her own....No I will find someone!" So if there is anyone out there that would like to be Elizabeth's Sub you know where to call!!! 

Snow Day

It has been snowing here so much that the girls couldn't wait to get outside to play in it! They were outside for hours building snow houses and piles of who knows what. They would come in for a little bit to recharge and get some hot chocolate and then they would run back out to the cold!

They are already talking about going out again tomorrow and building a snowman. 

Christmas 2012

On Christmas Eve we made our Christmas Train that my wonderful in-laws sent to the girls. The girls were SO excited. Josh and I made the train and the girls decorated it! Thank you Mark and Trudy for always sending us such fun activities to do! After, the girls got into their new Christmas PJ's and went to bed early. Elizabeth planned it ALL out that they would go to bed at 7:30pm so that they got rested and so that Santa would come!

Christmas Morning came a bit fast for me and a bit early...I tell you having early risers in this family is getting real OLD! But Josh and I got up and went upstairs to find Celeste and Bryce already here ready to watch the girls open gifts. Elizabeth said that this was the best Christmas EVER...of course she does say that every year, but it was a good Christmas. My Uncle and Grandma came up to visit and were with us, it has been nice to spend the day with family. That night we had a very yummy Christmas dinner with everyone.

I love newlyweds! When you are first married you can get your new husband to do almost anything. That dies after a while for most of us! Celeste got Bryce a special gift and he opened it up with us and then we made him try it on. It is the bunny outfit from the movie The Christmas Story! Love it! Thanks Bryce for making our Christmas that much better, and for letting me take pictures of you in it!!!

I hope that every one had a Merry Christmas!

A Cole Christmas

This year Cory and her family are going to be gone for Christmas so we decided to have our family Christmas Party tonight. And even though Bryce couldn't be there and Celeste didn't get there until later we had a wonderful dinner together and then went upstairs to where the Christmas tree is in the toy room. In our family at Christmas time we have a tradition that before we celebrate Christmas with presents we celebrate by sharing our testimonies with each other. As a kid this was not always my favorite part, but as an adult with children of my own I have to say this is my favorite part. I love hearing the kids each take their turn and share with us what they believe in. Then I love sharing with my children what I truly believe in!
After we gave the Ludvigson's their Christmas gifts and they gave to us. 

A Christmas miracle happened.....Josh actually gave a GOOD hug to someone other then me!

Before the Ludvigson's opened ALL of their gifts from Nana we had a special visitor show up....SANTA! Santa took the time out of his busy schedule to come visit our kids!! They each got to sit on his lap and say what they wanted. He knew each of their names and a little something about them....sort of! It went pretty well, except Elizabeth didn't want to sit on his lap and sort of started to cry (however she was already having a tough time before he even came so it might not of been him so much as that she was tired and just wanted to be left alone!)

After Santa came and went the Ludvigson's opened the rest of their gifts and then we all had dessert! It was a fun filled night and the girls just can't wait until Christmas when they will open up their gifts! Abby tells me that Santa along with the elf that wrote her a letter says that she is on the nice list (So of course she feels that she is getting everything that she asked for!!!)

A Day At The Movies

My mom and I took ALL the kids to the movies today to see The Rise of the Guardians. The kids were So excited and I have to admit I was too... I love to go to a good movie! If anyone has ever been to a movie with my girls knows its a lot of going in and out for the bathroom! Well it was a Christmas miracle.... no one had to go out throughout the WHOLE movie!! It really was a cute movie so if you are looking for something to do during this holiday season go see The Rise of the Guardians with some kids!

Little Girl Book Club!

The book has been read and the girls were ready for their book club! The "Little" Andersen's hosted the little girl book club this time. They picked the book Charlotte's Web so they hosted. Amy all I have to say is you AMAZE me! We started off with a giant web filled with little papers on it. Each girl took turns to pick a piece of paper that had a discussion topic on it. Then we discussed the question, or topic. It actually went really well. Each of the girls had something to say about the book. It ranged from their favorite part of the book to what they thought made Charlotte a good friend! Next we made sparkly webs out of glue and glitter! Then, we frosted these cupcakes into pig faces! They turned out SO cute!!! Then of course we ate them. My girls LOVED their book club so much that Elizabeth asked if we could get started on the next book as soon as we got home and asked if we could finish tonight so that we could have another book club tomorrow! Abby chimed in before I could even give an answer to Elizabeth by saying, "Sister, we have to wait for the little Andersen's to finish the book too!" I love that I have gotten even my kids to call the Andersen's the "Little Andersen's"! As for the little girl book club I think that it was a Major Success! So well done Amy I think you should put together all of our book clubs!!!

The Girls Christmas Parties

Today was everyone's Christmas Parties down at the school! Thankfully the girls parties were at different times so that I didn't have to choose which one to go to I could go to both! First up was Abby's Party! 1st graders are so cute and just so happy about anything we do for them. The mom in charge put together a really cute party. They decorated cookies, made reindeer feed, made ornaments for a gift for parents, played Christmas BINGO, and made a snowman bookmark! Yes it was filled with just about EVERY activity you could think of for kids! When we got there they had just had a letter delivered to them from an ELF! I guess they wrote letters to Santa earlier that week and today they got a delivery back with letters to each of the kids answering all of their questions they asked and written by one of Santa's Elves, to each kid personally! It was the CUTEST thing I think that I ever saw. The kids all started just jumping up and down SO excited that Santa got back to them. I heard things like, "I told you Santa is REAL!",and "Yes! I'm on the Nice List", to name a few! Every child in that class felt so special...I just love that!

Right after Abby's Party was Elizabeth's! I made each of the kids an ornament with their picture in it that I of course found on Pinterest! The picture of the ornament is one that I made for one of my friends kids, but they all looked like this. At Elizabeth's party they played a lot of games, they made ornaments for their teacher as a Christmas gift and they decorated ice cream cones with frosting and put candy on it to make Christmas trees. At the end they had a gift exchange game that they played and then they all got a gift. As I was sitting there watching Elizabeth play the last game I noticed that she had food ALL OVER her face and hands! I just don't know how to get it through that kids head to think to wash her face!! Oh well I hope that some day she will figure that out!Oh and by the way the cotton on Elizabeth's nose in EVERY picture is just that cotton colored a little bit red because she wanted to be Rudolf! I don't know where this kid comes from!

Both parties were lots of fun, but I do have to say I am sort of happy we are done with them...At least now I have a few months until the next party!