A Day in the Life...

We win the award this year for The Worst Christmas. Dakota got sick the Saturday before Christmas and I got sick a few days later.  On Monday, Micah woke up sick and refused to eat or drink anything.  Christmas Eve, the babes were miserable and Copper refused to get off the couch or eat much. That night, Christmas Eve, we traditionally went to Tim's parents.  Micah wouldn't even look at most of her presents and wouldn't get off my lap.  Dakota opened hers but it was pretty obvious she didn't feel well.  Copper laid around all night.  We called it an early night and settled at home. Santa forgot (intentionally) (out of extreme fatigue) to wrap the presents he left for the girls.  And we really did forget to put out his cookies.  The kids were asleep (on the way home) and in bed by 8:30.  I went to bed around nine. Sleep cured Copper.  She woke up at six o'clock ready for Christmas morning.  The babes cried and were miserable. ...

Micah's nickname from Tim, Micah Moo, has stuck.  Her recent phase is to crawl around and act like different animals.  Usually she is a tiger, crawling up to us, batting us with her handpaws, and growling.  Sometimes she's a cat or a duck or a cow.  Sometimes she makes animal noises more than she talks. She's still quiet and only uses her voice when she needs to.  Otherwise she's pretty content grunting and pointing.  Her affirmative nod to any question is by shaking her whole body forward.  It looks like she goes into convulsions.  :)  She's a snuggly bear and loves to be close to her mom!

Sometimes we call Dakota "fang girl" because she has two Very sharp pointed teeth in the front.  She is a funny girl who loves to talk, sleep with her bum in the air, laugh, color, and play.  She talks up a storm.  Once I said to her, "Kota, you've got to be quiet for a minute," and she said, "No, ma, I not be quiet."  Her and Tim banter back and forth, calling each other "Stinkypants."  She will point at him and say, "No, dad!  You're pinkypants!"  She loves her pink blankets and a fresh cup of milk.  She loves to color and draw with Copper.  She stopped calling Copper "Boo" and now calls her by name, but her accent of it is pretty darn cute.  We're so blessed to have her in our family!

The girls love their grandpa!

A week or so after Thanksgiving we visited the lights at Temple Square.  It was perfect weather and I'm glad we went before it got too cold.  I love the temple surrounded by lights.    So cool.                                                                                                                

Copper, singing: I am a child of God, and so my leaves are gray...

Last week I visited my cousin Steph, her husband Kee, and their very cute Holland.  Near leaving, I was holding Dakota and Steph asked if I could work from home.  This is exactly how it went... it couldn't have been planned any better! Me: Well I could definitely work from home but not with these guys (twins) there.  You're needy, aren't you Kota? Kota: No, ma, I not needy.  Micah needy (pointing at her). It was pretty classic!

We've already decorated our gingerbread house this year.  Copper and Dakota took the job pretty seriously.  Micah had no interest. I gave her a pile of candy to put on the roof and she kept eating them.  I'm not sure she put one piece on the house.  That's our Micah! No final picture because we ran out of candy (Micah) and frosting (everyone).  I guess there's still time to make more and finish up!

After decorating Oma and Opa's tree we picked our own.  Each kiddo needed a turn putting the star on.  I set up TWO different fake trees for the kids to have- a small purple one and a 6 ft. one.  I figured they could decorate those however they'd like and leave the real one to my imagination.  Nope.  It's hardly decorated beyond our traditional green lights because the twins won't leave it alone.  Yet they completely deserted their own two trees.  Oh well.  This year's tree is ending up 'lights only'.  Plus, I don't have the motivation to think of how to decorate it this year.  I love to make my own ornaments each year.  I feel pretty disorganized and scattered, and behind, so it's lights only and I'm okay with it!

The day after Thanksgiving we did our annual tradition of going out to lunch with Tim's parents, picking out their tree, and helping decorate.  After a yummy lunch at Red Robin we checked out a local tree lot.  The girls picked out two foot trees and really wide trees.  We settled on tall and skinny.  Micah and Copper had a ball looking at old ornaments and placing them on the tree.  Copper fit about twelve on one branch alone, not an easy task.  Dakota slept nearly the whole time.  Soon after Micah crashed too.