Playing in the Snow

Emily had wanted to make a snowman for a long time, but the first snows of the winter weren't good packing snow. Finally over Christmas break we got some snow that could be packed, so Kenny took the girls out and sledded them around our yard and made a snowman family. Emily loved it!! Ashley didn't like the hills, but liked the flat sledding. Our snowmen finally all melted a couple days ago, but luckily it snowed quite a bit last night (absolutely gorgeous snow too!) so Em will get to go out and make new snow angels and snow family!

Our snow family

Kenny makes a hill by our driveway that the girls love going down

Going over one of the "hills" that Ashley didn't like :-)

Momma's Girl

To say that Ashley is a Momma's girl would be an understatement. She is so attached to me. I have to do EVERYTHING for her. Changer her diapers, get her ready, put on shoes, help her eat, put her in her carseat, get her down from a chair, walk with her upstairs, etc, etc. She won't let Kenny do ANY of this!! Her classic line is, "No, Mommy do it!! Mommy do it!!" I know many of you might be saying, I do all that with my kids, but with Kenny and me, we share all the child duties, so it can be difficult for both of us. Emily never did this, so it's a new experience.

Kenny is the bath giver and lately he can't even put her into the tub. I have to come in, put her into the tub and then she'll allow him to give her a bath. One of the only things she allows him to do. Most of the time I love her being so close to me, but sometimes it's a big pain. I'm sure that in a few years, I'll look back and wish I could have this time back with her, so I'll try to enjoy it while it's here! :) The videos I'm posting show the classic example of how she reacts when I'm not around and she has to be with Daddy.

I had been with Ashley the whole time while we were tubing, then Emily wanted me to go with her once, so I went. Apparently this is what Ashley did the whole time I was gone. Poor girl!

This is when I had come down the hill tubing and was making my way over to her. She definitely has a great pair of lungs!! The people around us in church know this too, unfortunately! :)

Tubing

While my dad was here, my sister arranged for us to go tubing up at Soldier Hollow. I had never been before. It was a lot of fun. I love that the tow rope just carries you up the hill, that's always the worst part in sledding! Ashley's not old enough to go down yet (you have to be 3), but they created a little hill that you could pull her up and down so she had fun too. We were there from 10-12 and Ashley lasted until 11, then we went inside and enjoyed the warmth and hot chocolate I had brought. Emily and Kenny stayed strong until the end. (Emily until almost the end, hence the video on this post :-)) It was a very enjoyable morning.

Ashley lovin' that Grandpa's pulling her around

Emily and me tubing down the hill (Emily didn't like the snow in her face so she kept it down most of the way)

Ashley when she was still happy outside; she got cold halfway through so we headed inside

Emily all relaxed and pleased as punch while Daddy does all the work

Ashley and her cousin, Hunter, warming up by the fire

Mommy ad Emily enjoying our hot chocolate

My sister, Vickie, my dad, and me

One of the funniest events of the day, fortunately, got recorded on film. Thanks Love! It's priceless!

A Visit from Grandpa

As some of you know, my dad lives in the San Diego area, so we don't get to see him as much as we would like. That is part of the reason that we go to Disneyland so much, so we can spend a few days with him while on the trip. Also, the last four years we've gone down to the Vegas Bowl and my dad would come up too and we'd get to see him then, but this year I was still in school on the day of the Vegas Bowl so we didn't get to go. :-( So my dad decided to come up for a post-Christmas visit, which we loved!! My girls love their Grandpa R and couldn't get enough of him while he was here. Ashley even wanted Grandpa to do things and not me for once (which in a soon to be post, you'll understand even more). We had a lot of fun just playing cards, playing games, talking, going tubing (more on this later too), going out to eat and for ice cream and just relaxing together. Too soon it was time for him to go back. Emily asked, "Can Grandpa become part of our family and live here all the time?" She didn't want to see him go! We love you Grandpa R!

Playing a Robertson tradition: Pinochle!!

Em coloring with Grandpa--what a good sport he was!

Ashley loving to sit by Grandpa at dinner

Christmas

Christmas finally came for my girls after waiting all year!! They loved it, but the funny story of the day was Emily woke up and came into our room. She nudged me and said, "Mom, when's Christmas?" I said, "It's today!" I was expecting her to get all excited like she does, but instead, she said, "But, I think Santa forgot to come because I didn't see any new presents under the tree and we forgot to leave out milk and cookies for him and a carrot for the reindeer." (Which we did forget!) I reassured her that I was sure Santa had come and told her to go downstairs and see if the stockings were filled and if there were Santa presents, so relunctantly she did. About a minute later she ran upstairs holding a toothbrush and toothpaste and declared, "He didn't forget us, look!" and showed us the stuff from her stocking. She was a bundle of happiness after that. The funny part to me was that the Santa presents at our house are always left on the couch, not under the tree, so when Emily looked out across from upstairs she didn't see them, leading her to believe that we had been forgotten. :-)

Posing in her beautiful new Cinderella dress she got from Santa

Posing with our loot from Grandma and Grandpa Day's house

This was Emily's favorite Christmas present...a ballerina music box. Good thing Santa found one!! :-)

Ashley opening up a Belle doll and Emily dancing around with her Sleeping Beauty doll