Our Christmas Card...Blog Style!

This year I didn't send out Christmas cards...Sorry about that. I figured that most of the people I would send them to, read my blog and pretty much know life's ongoings. For those of you who need a summary, here it is...

Aidan is turning 2 years old in about 3 weeks. Everyday is...well, let's just put it kindly and say it is interesting. I don't know if I really love the behavior he has. He is a wild man that really keeps us on our toes. Literally, we walk around trying not to disturb the delicate balance of life with him. He likes to scream really loud to get his way and he throws tantrums like nothing I have ever seen before. I was told once that boys are mild mannered and so much fun. Really? They should keep Aidan for an hour or two. That's all it would take to change that opinion. HOWEVER, the good definitely outweighs the bad and WE REALLY LOVE HIM! He is saying some hilarious things and this age does have some real fun with it too. (I'll keep you posted when the real fun happens....)

Brinlee is now 6 and in the 1st grade. Her teacher is so great this year and is so pleased with the reading progress that Brin has made. She really does read well and we are proud of her. She loves to color and draw and write. She has written a few books for her best friend Tess and they are so darling. She HATES shopping, so this has been a hard time of year for her. We try hard not to take her with us, but sometimes it cannot be helped. She is always coming up with something hilarious to say and we love our little blonde girl!

Cambree turned 8 in September and was baptized in October by her dad. I have NEVER met a person more excited for birthdays than Cam. She loves EVERY birthday that comes along. Mine, yours, and especially hers. She loves school and has an amazing teacher this year too! She sits by a boy in her class that is pretty competitive and that keeps Cam going. She always has to read a little more, take one more test and study a little harder to beat Pasen. It is fun to watch her interact with others. She is in dance and LOVES it and also is in a singing group that performed a couple of weeks ago and it was so fun. She loves life in general and makes things fun for her family!

Mike, as you may remember lost his job in August. While this was devasting to our family at first, it has turned out to be one of the best things that has happened to us. He was able to get right back into school and is working to earn his teaching certificate in Secondary Education. He hopes to teach Biology, but is getting a double endorsement with Economics too. It isn't the greatest thing to be "career" students, but the end is in sight (again) and next fall Mike will student teach and hopefully land a job in January...That can happen right?

I am still staying at home with my family for the most part. I do a little babysitting in the afternoons and I am cleaning 2 houses about every week or two. I was released from the Primary presidency in November and was just put in the Sunday School to teach 14 year olds. It is a really fun calling so far.

We feel SO blessed this year with everything that has happened and we have felt so much love and service poured out on us. Our testimonies have been strengthened and our family has been too. We are so thankful for the blessings we have: beautiful, healthy children, a warm home, cars that run, amazing family and friends and a very kind, loving Heavenly Father. May you all be so blessed as we, ourselves, have been. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season and we look foward to sharing the next year with you! Love, Mike, Bridgett, Cambree, Brinlee and Aidan

If you just BELIEVE...

This year for the Christmas program, the girls got to perform songs from the Polar Express. Our school goes ALL out for these productions and they are amazing. It truly does put a person in the Christmas spirit and I have enjoyed them every year.

**Side note: Last year they decided to divide the school up on two different nights since it was getting to big. So, we actually have to attend on two nights since our girls are only 1 year apart in school...It is still good both nights! :)

These are some pictures using the props that they put up for the program. They really do such a great job and I am grateful for such wonderful teachers who take the time with our students to do this every year. It is a lot of time and effort that they put in and we all know how well teachers get paid... ;)

I loved the Believe sign and wanted to take it home to put in my yard! They showed a movie on the white screen behind it with scenes from the Polar Express while the kids sang the Believe song. Later in the program they sang it again while they did sign language. It was so beautiful!

Last night was our ward party and Santa came for a little Christmas visit to see what the kids wanted!


Aidan didn't want to sit on Santa's Lap. Instead, he kept sneaking up behind Santa and raiding the boxes of treats .

The start of Holiday Fun!

We had a great Thanksgiving. The kids and I were actually able to leave the weekend before with my cousin Jordan and it worked out perfectly! We got to my parents house late Friday night and the girls missed two days of school, but it was worth it! While I was there, I got some Christmas projects out of the way. With a LOT of help from my mom, I made 5 pairs of pajama pants and two pairs of doll pj's. (There will be plenty of pics of these items on my Christmas post I am sure....)

My mom found this gingerbread village and my girls were so excited to decorate their own little house. It was quite the project, but it did turn out awfully cute and was kind of fun...Grandma and Grandpa are keeping it forever I'm pretty sure. (Hee hee...)

Cambree went to school with my dad on Monday and Tuesday last week with the 4th graders. She ate lunch there and on Tuesday they had a Mountain Man Rendevous party that she was part of. She did some fun things and loved every minute of it. She wrote a note for the kids on the board before she left that said: "You kids better be nice to my grandpa and do what he says. Love, Cambree" It was hilarious. She is getting so big and even though she is in 2nd grade she held her own in the 4th!
My mom and dad got a new little kitten and Cambree loved it SO much. Brin was very jumpy around it and Aidan...well, let's just say that I am sure the kitty was extremely happy when Aidan went home.
My dad makes these hats EVERY year for the kids in his class. (He teaches 4th grade.) He made these up for my kids while we were there and they have worn them to school everyday since. Notice Aidan with his rifle. He is really into the Nerf guns lately.
Random pic of Aidan trying to take the cat from Cambree. This is actually the nicest way he held him all week.
Aidan has this new thing of putting his hands behind his head while he gets a diaper change and when he goes to sleep. It is times like these that I just can't get enough of the little fella...Then he wakes up and I need this picture to remember how precious he really can be!
Another favorite thing for him is to put his hands in pockets. The pockets in his pants, the pockets on his coat. Pretty much every pocket. I can't wait until he figures out he can store a bunch of stuff in those pockets.

Pretty much every year since we have been married, Mike and I have helped put up the Christmas tree for his grandma. The kids are much better helpers and they had fun doing it this year. I think we might not be the best help, but she doesn't seem to mind and it is a great chance to get together with Grandma Ila. She is such an amazing lady who is spunky and fun and who LOVES Christmas. It is an inspiration to be with her at Christmastime and feel her happy holiday spirit and it is a fun tradition to do with our kids.

Our baby is now a BIG boy...

I have always hated when our babies cross that line between babyhood into childhood. It usually puts me into a sad mourning period... Well, it has now happened with A-Dawg. He has been climbing in and out of his crib for quite some time now and finally I decided to breakdown (not mentally) and get the toddler bed out. My mom got this toddler bed at a yard sale and it has been through all of my kids. It is the cutest little bed and it has always made moving from the crib to a bed so much easier. Anyway, he slept in his bed last night after climbing, jumping on and off and laying all over the ENTIRE thing (before bedtime!) He was pretty excited and so was I after he slept the whole night through without getting up once. So, it is official. Our baby is a little boy....

I asked Mike and the girls to please do a little yard clean up last Monday after Halloween. A minute later, I heard the kids and Mike laughing and he was taking these pictures. I just can't understand how he convinces these kids to participate in such unusual activities. :)

Happy Halloween!!

We like all of you celebrated Halloween in style this year. We did the traditional carving of pumpkins, attended the school carnival and went trick or treating. My kids loved it and what else is better than a happy child high on sugar? :)

This is the box of crayons I made for Cambree this year. She is such a good sport and loves to wear boxes for Halloween. It was a huge success with the kids in her class. They were pretty impressed!

Brinlee was a red crayon that I made out of felt and we sprayed color in both the girls hair. Cambree's came right out, but Brin still has little pink stripes in hers. Oops.

I did not make Aidan's costume...He loves Elmo right now so we borrowed it from Michelle and he loved it! He actually really does love the costume. He is wearing it right now in fact. But, he does not love having his picture taken and really, really doesn't like to be in the same picture as his sisters...Too bad we couldn't borrow an Oscar the Grouch costume. :)

Yes, everyone got involved in pumpkin carving this year. The girls each made their own faces on the pumpkins and Aidan played with guts and sawed on this piece of pumpkin the whole time. It was actually a good time....

We did Aidan's pumpkin with lite brites...we got the idea from Bonnie's blog. :) It was pretty fun to do and looked pretty cool!

I made these eyeball cookies for Mike to take to pack meeting. They were a big success!

Two oversights...

First of all, I understand that an apology is in order. (When posting the baptism day, I may have over looked a few people on my blog...)

The following are some more pics of Cambree's baptism day...


With her sister Brinlee...


And with my AMAZING sister, Emily, who is such a great friend and the best aunt in the whole world!!! She bought Cambree a coat and snowpants this year that are darling and we really appreciate it!



And FINALLY, this is my brother Andy and his new wifey Kristin or as he calls her "Kiki". They made such a HUGE sacrifice to come up for the big day and we really, really appreciate it. We wouldn't have been able to cope if they hadn't made a showing. WE LOVE YOU GUYS! (There, I did a blogging shout out for you Andy..:))

Mike worked in the Spuds this year driving truck for my BFF Michelle's husband Joel. (Did you get all that?) Anyway, he really seemed to enjoy it and they finished last Thursday. If you can believe it, I never remembered my camera to take pictures. The girls and I were able to ride with him one evening and Aidan actually got to ride down a road with him for a minute and we all enjoyed the experience. It is quite the process and fun to be a part of! Luckily, my friend Colette took a picture for me and was kind enough to email it. So, I do have this to remember the "good times"!

The Big Baptism Day!

Cambree has been counting down the days until her baptism day for about 8 years! The big day finally came and she was the happiest little person on the planet. We had such a good day and so much support from family and friends. Here is the rundown of the day:

Here is a picture of most of those in attendance. There were some late comers...You know who you are... :)

Sadie is Cambree's very best friend and she was so glad that Sadie came. Here are the 5 girlies that are the best of friends!

Grandma Judy and Grandpa Gene!
Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Lori!

My mom made Cambree's dress and it turned out beautiful. She was so thrilled with it and asked my mom to take her up to the temple for pictures. It was such a frigid day, but Cambree didn't mind. She wanted pretty pictures at the temple...

This dress was such a special labor of love. One the front of the sash, are three butterflies that came from Cambree's great grandma "Eriskin" (Erickson) (my Grandma). She had them in some of her sewing things and my mom came across them and asked if she could put them on the dress. They were perfect and now it is just that much more special!!I just thought I would put this picture in. It is every parents desire to see their children love each other and I love that they are walking toward the temple.
My mom bought new pj's for my kids so I am putting this pic in too. They are made of the softest microfleece material and are such cute prints. Just a shout out to Grandma L. Thanks for ALL the new stuff!!!

It is GREAT to be EIGHT!!!

Well, it has finally come and gone and Cambree has been one very happy little girl! For the past 9 months we have been on the birthday countdown. I am not sure that there is another being out there who loves birthdays to the point of distraction. She loves for people to have birthdays and counts down for them, but she REALLY loves her birthday...I mean really!!
Here is the rundown of the festivities:

I made these "Oreo Pops" for Cambree's school class and dance class. They turned out pretty cute and they actually tasted really good too!


Cambree wanted the new flavor of Cookie Crisp cereal, so we teased her by wrapping it up as a present for her birthday.

She really wanted a bike this year, but the one we really wanted wasn't to be found around here. So, we ordered it online and it is supposed to be here next week sometime. She had to open a picture of a bike and at first I don't think she was so sure about what was going on. She was a good sport though!

Every year, a new Barbie movie comes out right before her birthday and she really wants it. This year it was "Barbie and the Three Musketeers". Cheesy, but it is what dreams are made of for a little girl I guess...

Brinlee was pretty happy until Cambree wouldn't let her see the movie up close and personal. This face says it all....
Aidan just showed up for the cupcakes. Mainly the frosting I guess. :)

Grandma Judy got Cambree a set of blue scriptures and she was SO excited because it had the Doctorine and Covenants in it. This is what they are studying this year in Primary.

Now begins the b-day party portion. We had it 2 days after her birthday because of school...
I actually made a pinata for the party. My friend helped me make my very first one! It was pretty fun and the girls were all about hitting something filled with candy. They didn't care what it looked like, but I actually think it turned out fairly cute! (It's supposed to be a daisy for those of you in question...)

We had a pizza party with little pizzas that they made themselves. The girls loved this and were so cute making them. They finally got to eat what they made...Some were a little anxious for them to be done. :)

This is the cake that I made for the party. I made a filling for the middle out of a little bit of the cream cheese frosting and some raspberry jam I had made. It was really tasty and yet some of the girls didn't seem to be so impressed with it. What's with that?

Just a cheesy game I threw together at the last minute. Inside the balloons were little jelly rings that they got when they popped their balloons...kind of dorky, but whatever.

Everybody loved watching the gift opening! Their reactions were so cute and fun. It was a really fun party....thanks girlies for coming!