...FINALLY WE HAVE SNOW!!!...

We waited and waited and waited for it snow, and when it finally did snow we had one happy little girl! When we told her we could build a snowman in it she was so excited!!! Chasey and I had high expectations of building a huge snowman, but 20 minutes into we settled for a smaller version!   

She kept eating the snow and saying that it tasted like sugar. 

We started to build two snowmen, but quickly went back to one!

So focused

All finished! 

With sucker eyes, a carrot nose, a tootsie roll mouth, sucker buttons, three twig fingers on each hand, and some fashionable Walmart accessories he looked great!

She loved him so much!! 

Every time we went somewhere she would have to go see if he was okay. 

She was totally devastated when the rain this past week melted him. 

"mom this is cold and tastes like sugar too."

...Merry Christmas 2011...

Christmas Morning at our house was so much fun! We wrapped the doorway so Rylee couldnt go into see the presents without us, but she woke up early and was so confused about the paper. We actually woke up to her hitting the paper yelling for us! When I was little my parents always went down before us to see if Santa had come, so this year thats we did. We didnt make Rylee wait as long as my dad made us wait, but she had to wait for Chasey to set up the web cam! We did a little Christmas morning with his family down in Florida via Skype! 

Waiting for dad to see if Santa came! 

Of course she is dancing at 6 am! 

" Mom Im just so excited!"

...HE CAME...

Her big present this year was a kitchen... thank you Santa!
I thought she would go crazy when she saw it, but she very politley clasped her hands put them to her cheek and said so soft, " Oh its so amazing! I love it. My own kitchen."
Not the reaction was I hoping for, but it was hilarious! 

The fam on Skype
The girls and all the Grandparents spoiled Rylee and us so much!! Thank you all so much!

Santa was good to us... a little too good! 

Some of her favorite presents were 

The Leapster

Dress up clothes

Remote Control My Little Pony Airplane

Playdoh

Fisher Price Camera

( that was from me... surprise... I bought my child a camera that take real pics. Got to start her young!)

Minnie Mouse shirt

and of course the kitchen! 

Our Little Princess playing her Leapster

We went to my dads that afternoon to open gifts and have lunch

All the grandkids that came... we missed Shani and Dustins kids!

Sad that I only took 3 pictures at my dads and only one of them was of my own child!
Sammy with his Lego set

Later that night we Skyped with Dustin and Mary and their kids!

That night me and Chasey and Ry were sitting on the couch watching a movie and all of a sudden Rylee tipped over. I bent to see if she was okay and she had fallen asleep playing her Leapster. She was all tired out form too much Christmas!
We had a great holiday, and are so thankful for all we have!

...Christmas Eve...

Christmas Eve we go sledding with my Dad and Karen and the rest of the family. This year there was barely any snow, but we still had a great time!! I had to work that morning so I was exhausted. I sat by the fire most of the time while Chasey went up and down the hill with Rylee the whole time. At first Ry didnt want to go, so my dad pulled us on the sled behind the 4 wheeler, but when she saw Kenna and Sayla going down then she wanted to go too!

Me and Rylee on her  new sled

Chasey getting warmed up by the fire

Heading up!

The hill is so fun... you get going so fast!

Ry's first time down and she was hooked.

They went all the way past the fence

After sledding we came home and got ready to go to the cemetery. It was a little different then what we usually do. We usually go over and spend Christmas Eve with Grandma. This was the first Christmas without her, it made me kind of sad. Instead we went to the cemetery to put a tree and candles on Grandma and Grandpas grave. Just a side note...we totally sucked! People go all out on decorating graves. Ours was in the category of white trash.... sorry Grandma, next year it will be beautiful!
Then we came home and had our annual appetizer dinner, my brother and his family stopped by for a minute, we opened Christmas jamas, made cookies for Santa & donuts for Jolly Smickel-Fig, watched a Christmas movie in which Chasey and I fell asleep during it and woke up to, Rylee playing by her self... parents the year right here. left food out for the reindeer,  and went to bed!

Our family on Christmas Eve

The best I could get of Rylee.
She would not hold still! 

Our table looks sad!
I usually decorate more and have centerpieces, but working 40 hours the week of Christmas put a damper on a lot of things... never again will I work like that during the holidays!

Opening our jamas

She couldnt stand it any longer. she had to open a gift!
We let her open one from Grandpa and Grandma Oz.

I hope Santa's not afraid of germs

Carrots and cocoa puffs... mmmm... a reindeer's favorite snack!

Donuts for the elf

Jolly loved them!

Fast asleep with Jolly

All ready for Santa to come!