Build-A-Bear With the Birthday Girl

My mom wanted to do Build-A-Bear with Lily for her birthday and Lily was so excited! We had walked through the store just to look so many times I think she was shocked that she actually got to do it for real finally! She picked out a Dalmation Puppy that had a red heart over one eye, which she named "Star". She and Ella were totally glued to what the employee was doing in the stuffing of Star.

They couldn't even tear their eyes away for a photo with Grandma

She was so happy to clean her pup all up

Lily and Star

Grandma even bought her a red collar and leash to tote her around.

Then we got some lunch for the girls and let them run around the play area for a bit.

Fun, fun day with Grandma Harmon

Happy Fourth Birthday Lily

I can't believe you are already 4! Seriously, could you be any cuter right now? I love that even when you are throwing up and feverish, you say "Mom I'm just a little bit sick, I am going to be ok, don't worry" and how last night when I sang you primary songs you made us both crack up with the interpretive sign language you made up to all of them. I love how smart you are and how much you love your family and your friends. Even though we postponed your party until you feel better, I hope we can make this day a special one! (These pics are from a shoot my good friend Angi did of my kids back in Sept., so stay tuned for more to come, they are AWESOME!)

Funny Faces at the Dinner Table

Books read in 2009

I have so many books on my shelves right now, I can't wait to dive into- if only there were more minutes in the day to read! Maybe this year I can force myself to finish Villete, wowsers is it hard to get through, but there has to be some literary merit in a Charlotte Bronte book right? What a great group of books for the year:) What were your favorite reads of 2009, or all time for that matter I am always looking for new books?
-The Red Tent by Anita Diamont
-The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
-The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
-Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
-New Moon (Again)
-Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (sequel to The Hunger Games)
-The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
-The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
-True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
-Life of Pi
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
-The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
-Echos by Maeve Binchy
-Julie and Romeo Get Lucky
-One Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
-Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
-I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson
-The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
-The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
-The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
-The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
-The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
-1984 by George Orwell
-The Last Jihad by Rosenberg
-The Hometown Weekly: Good News for a Change by Bruce Lindsay
-The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
-Son Of A Witch by Gregory Maguire
-Parenting With Love and Logig by Cline & Fay
-John Adams by David McCullough

Lily 4th Birthday Dinner and Dolls

January 26th, This sweet girl was so sick on her birthday this year, it was really sad actually. So on her actual birthday we just had a low key family dinner and she went to bed early. We had to postpone her friend party a week, and I was so worried because my mom was coming in from out of town to celebrate her 40th birthday that weekend too!

She requested pasta, mashed potatoes, oranges, and sparkling cider!

She wanted to wear a crown so she felt like "the real birthday girl" and when Ella got upset she was so cute and got her a crown too

CHEESE

Make a wish

She got a bunch of Ballerina Disney Princess Barbies, and like a good sister found her least favorites and gave them to Ella to play with.

Hope next year she can enjoy the day a bit better!

My Broadway Baby

So one of her christmas presents this year was a Hannah Montana microphone that you can tune into the radio and hear yourself on the speakers. Needless to say, if you know her at all, SHE LOVES IT! This was a performance I taped after hearing her in the other room saying, "I would like to thank you all for coming tonight, I am going to sing a song for you" and after singing and pushing the applause button (yes there is an applause and drumroll button that might be her favorite part of the whole thing) and saying "Thank you, thank you, you are wonderful". Enjoy!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning the girls were so much FUN! Lily was in shock and said over and over, "He Came, He Came!" while Ella had to warm up for a minute because we woke her up to open presents.
One of the first things they opened was this little fisher price dollhouse with a prince and princess who can waltz, and a pony with a little stall. It was for both of them with the hope that they will share it and play together and so far they have. Then Lily opened her Rosetta fairy doll, Ella got Tinker Bell. (The theme this year was similar but different presents for them)

Ella loved her jewelry that she got in her stocking.

I was so happy I found these Tim Tams at Harmon's because Chad has always talked about how on his mission they would suck hot chocolate through a Tim Tam cookie and call it a "Tim Tam Slam" and I've always wanted to find them for him.
For breakfast we had the traditional scones and oranges from the stockings.


Lily loved her Belle dress that I found at a garage sale back in Sept. and she was with me, but I put it away and she totally forgot about it.
Ella got a new baby that drinks a bottle, burps, goes to sleep, snores, wakes up and giggles!

Fondue (Christmas Eve Dinner)

It is tradition in my family every year to eat fondue for Christmas Eve dinner. Vital ingrediants are very good cuts of meat (top sirloin, or filet mingion, or strip if you're on a budget), french bread, bleu cheese dressing (made from mix + sour cream), salad, and Martinelli's sparkling apple cider.