Vacations

I know this is a lame blog but I am so excited that I have to share. I can't wait!!!! Paul and I generally plan out the vacations we want to take for the year during January so we can save money and work out time off work. We have decided during the first part of May we are taking the girls to the beach for about a week. Paul and I camped in a yurt and drove up and down the coast of Oregon seeing just about everything for our honeymoon. I know it sounds like a boring honeymoon but we had a lot of fun and we thought that it is time to do that with the girls. We have told them that we are going to the beach when all the snow melts. Kate informed me that she will stay on the beach and not go in the water....oh Kate. We have only done day trips with the girls or maybe stay over just one night so a week will be great. Next Paul and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year. Which now days is a pretty big number. I was asking Paul what he wanted to do and the next day he tells me that he is planning our trip and he is not going to tell me where we are going or anything about the trip. All he told me was that we both need to get in shape for the trip. I automatically freaked out and asked why so I can wear a bikini after my 5 min rant he said what are you talking about. He said that WE need to be in shape to do some of the activities he is planning. I am glad that he understands that after kids on matter how much weight I might lose I will never wear a bikini again. HaHa So Paul and I now have a goal to get into shape this year. I am so glad that he is also doing this with me because it is a lot easier to diet and exercise when I don't have to watch him eat whatever he wants. I have been asking questions about the trip and he has given me a few hints already. He says now matter what he tells me I won't be able to guess what he has planned. I do know that we are not flying (which means I can save my frequent flyer miles to go down and see Emily's new baby...yah). We will be camping some and staying in hotels some. We will not be packing food though........hmmmm. Could be interesting!!!! So that is what we have planned this year....I am so excited for these trips.

My angel

Natalie was dieing to go outside and do a snow angel. It was so fun and she loves playing in the snow. Notice Kate is not in this video. I asked her if she wanted to go outside and play with us but she said no it is to cold and I want to stay inside with my blanket.

Christmas

We had decided to have a very low key Christmas at home this year and I am so glad we did. I love getting together with family but it is so nice to have a holiday at home with just our family sometimes.

The girls opened their pj's on Christmas eve but instead of opening them right before bed they opened them around noon. It was the only way I could get them to clean their bedroom and toy room. I told them if they cleaned their rooms they could open one present. The girls liked their pj's so much (and who wouldn't with the princess's and Tinkerbell on them) that they put them on when they opened and stayed in them the rest of the day.

That night we read the Jolly old Santa Claus book which went so-so. The girls had a really hard time sitting still at first and then they were fighting over who could see the book more but towards the end they settled down and listened to the story. They love to find "lazy Brownie" and "lady whiskers". (Just a side note that is the new color of my hair)

Christmas morning was a blast I thought for sure that Natalie was going to pee her pants or pass out. Katelyn was the first to notice that Santa ate all the cookies and drank the milk. They came running into our room screaming "Santa came, Santa came". While Paul and I were getting out of bed we got to listen to the girls freaking out in the living room. Natalie being Natalie looked at me when I walked out and said "I just can't believe it". This year the girls got big gifts to help build up the playroom. Natalie got a Barbie house which every time I go upstairs to the playroom the furniture for the house is on the floor and not in the house. I asked Natalie why she kept taking it out and she told me the barbies like it on the floor. I hoping in the future she will actually use the house. Katelyn got a kitchen which she loves and now I get to try her food all the time. She always brings something downstairs and says "try it I made you something". Over all we had a great Christmas. Paul thinks that we went over the top but I say who cares it's Christmas. Along with that Paul might think we go over the top but he always buy the girls extra gift right before Christmas and doesn't tell me he going to. We try not to buy a lot of toys and stuff for the girls during the year so Christmas and birthday's can be a little bigger. I think that's more fun. I loved having the wood stove this year so when we were done with everything we got to burn all the boxes and wrapping and I really like having a fire. I could sit and watch it for hours.

Later that afternoon my aunt Laura, uncle David and cousin Garrett came for dinner. My sister had come up a few days before that so we had a small group. The meal was great but the best part was just sitting around the table talking and relaxing. I also got to put out my china and glassware which I really do love and I am so looking forward to the day that I have a china cabinet to put it into. For now I still have to wrap it up and put it in boxes. The girls loved having Mimi and papa come up and not just for the presents (but I do think that helped). Garrett learned that when playing with Katelyn you have to use earplugs. Every time Garrett would do anything to Katelyn she would scream and then Garrett would go "shh". They repeated this several times. When Mimi was getting ready to leave she was giving Kate a bunch of kisses and I didn't hear Mimi say anything but I could be wrong but while Mimi was kissing Kate goodbye Kate just very sweetly said "I love you too".