Tis the Season, part 2

 Sorry, this is taking me so long to post....   Ok, So, this is the rest of what happened over Christmas.

Santa Came, of course.

 Kenadi and Emma have been wanting umbrellas forever.  I don't know why this obsession with umbrellas, but we finally gave them theirs.  I don't think they've had a chance to use them yet, but they love them.

 Grandma and Grandpa Jensen always give the girls beautiful Christmas dresses.

 They love being fancy. Well, I don't think Mya cares for it, but the older two do.

 Mya found the rest of the cookies that Santa forgot to eat, and she finished them off for us.

 Kenadi got the full Rapunzel get-up, and carried around this pan for the day too.  I thought it was funny that she even picked out my cast iron pan.  She knew the difference.  I made her trade out for a lighter pan just in case it got dropped on someones head or toes.

Mya loved her little builder balls that she opened from Grandma and Grandpa Simonson first.  She didn't want to look at anything else after that.

 There were lots of play times with the train set.  I think all of the girls like playing trains or cars to some degree, but Emma is so infatuated with trains and cars, that mostly this was to placate her.

Kenadi got to be the bed model for all of the girls' new quilts made for them by Nana (supported by Papa =) ).  These are their first quilts that fit their twin beds completely.  Sad, but true.  Don't worry though, up until now they've been using Randy's and my old blankets from college, so they haven't been cold.

 We had a nice trip to the Science museum.

 Lots of nice sunny days.  It has not really felt like winter this season.

 We did have a few cold days though.

 We did our yearly tradition of going to the Kingfisher lights, and riding on their cute train.

Tis the Season! (Part 1)

Here are a few things we've done this season:

a trip to the cabin and a nice hike in the woods

 Decorated our trees

 Most of the decorations ended up on one branch

 Took a few family pictures

 Decorated gingerbread cookies

 Saw Baby Jesus at Journey to Bethlehem

 Raked leaves

 Made a gingerbread house from scratch (never again!  we will now buy the kits)

Spent many days and nights at our church's creche

To be continued...

All these things I made

I had this great idea to make everyone's gifts this year and shop less.  Well, I did shop a little less, but I stressed myself out making everything in the last 2 weeks before Christmas.  So, next year I will be either buying everything, or making it all year.  Here are some pictures of my hard work.  Evidence of late, late nights with little sleep.

 Emma's monkey

 Monogramed blankets.  These were really easy, I should have done more of this.

 Mya's blanket.  Well, this one was started before she was born, and I finally decided to finish it for Christmas.  

 I made a pair of these for all of our moms, and my sister who's name I had.

 Kenadi's bed canopy.  (Where did all of her blankets go?)

 Bike Seat cover for Randy, and a leg strap for his pants when he's riding.

Whew!  I think that's it.

Overheard:

  Emma loves to sing while she's playing, walking, sleeping, eating, well...  you get the picture.  So, while she was playing in the living room one day I heard her sing, "Pa rum pum pum pum! Rum pum pum pum! Poker face!"  I hate to admit it, but Poker Face by Lady Ga Ga is her favorite song, and she even knows it's by Lady Ga Ga.  I can only link her even knowing the song from that dance video game we played at our friend's house last Christmas, since we don't even listen to it ourselves.
  Anyway, I have lots more to post and I will do it soon, but I thought I'd give you a little snack before I pull out the big post.  It's been a while!   Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Recognize this Guy?

I've never had a man with facial hair in my life- I like it.  Isn't he handsome?

Our fun cousin Travis came to visit for a night, and they didn't even know that the other one was growing a beard.  Now they're best buds.  Just kidding, but it was fun seeing them both like this.  Thanks, Ash, for loaning us your leprechaun hubby.  We had fun with him!

There is one condition to the beard:  I don't want it to be a permanent thing- maybe 6 months at the most.  Our kids must know the face behind the hair.

Lists

Here are some lists I've been making in my head.  I could actually do a list like this for each holiday, or person, but a shortened version is here.  What are You excited for?  What do You love?  Feel free to add to my list!  I know I could add a ton more, but then I'd never post it.  Here you are:

I am Excited for:
Halloween, (obviously I wrote this before Halloween, but I can't take it down because I WAS excited for it)
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Snow??!! - getting snowed in
the new show on TV called Once Upon a Time
The next stage in life ( don't get any ideas, I am just excited for when we are normal people with a job)
The Cantata ( a Christmas choir I'm in)

I LOVE:
Pumpkins: for decorating, eating, and pumpkin spice candles
Letting the girls brush my hair
Kissing Mya's little dimple
Crafting
Reading
FALL
Evenings with Randy
Fresh baked bread, cookies- the smell of them is almost better than eating them
Cake batter
Early bed time (for the kids)
A good nap
The feeling after a hard exercise
a clean house
dancing
happy, non-fighting children
Christmas music
Music
Singing
Family vacations- car rides with long, good chats are wonderful
Listening to my kids laugh
HOT CHOCOLATE- I drink this every day

I like:
To be on time ( this is rare)

Winning games- raquetball, board or card games, soccer games- ok, I just like to win

To Do:
Stop eating so many cookies
Start Exercising- Again
Figure out how to get Mya to sleep better
Paint my kitchen table
Paint Kenadi's room
Fix it up
Paint her bed
Get carpet put in
Make Christmas Presents

Dreams:
Own a pumpkin farm
Own a small farm with goats, chickens, cows, horses, alpacas
Own a Christmas tree farm
Travel
Take a dance class with Randy and go dancing at least 2 times a month
Be a professional yodeler
Own a hot chocolate shop

Tara's Birthday (month)

Well, you all are quite familiar i'm sure of Tara's infatuation with her birthday and how it basically lasts almost two months. Well, she has insisted that I write a little post to commemorate her birthday. So me being the loving husband that I am will oblige. But first, a few pics from her birthday party.

Poor little Mya, she has no idea what she's getting into by being born into this family. This is just a little taste as to what it's like to live with Tara.

You may all remember that she posted a little questionnaire for me on my birthday last year, so I thought it would be a good idea to copy her idea and post one for her. I think it's time you all got to know her a little better.

1. How old are you now? 24, according to the candles (no, they are not saying 42!)
2. What is your favorite food?  Um, I'd still have to say spaghetti.  I also love a good bowl of stew or soup with artesian bread to accompany it.
3. What's the craziest (PG rated) thing you've ever done? Maybe I'd have to say... wow, how to choose?  Um, probably jumping off a 65 foot bridge that I'm sure cracked my tailbone when I hit the water.
4. What would your dream vacation be? A food/history tour of Italy.  Or maybe a food/hiking trip of New England.
5. If you could choose anywhere to live for a year, where would it be? Italy, Norway, Denmark, or Austrailia.  Probably I would choose about 2 or 3 years for those places though.
6. What do you want to be when you grow up (or at least when kids don't require your constant presence)? I want to have a pumpkin farm, with a patch that kids can come pick their own pumpkins, a corn maze and a farmers market. That's for the fall season.  Then I'd want a Christmas tree farm where people come chop their own too.  And maybe I'd want to be a Dr. on top of that.  Maybe own some horses and a place for people to bored their horses, with an arena...
7. Who is your favorite person in the whole world?  This is definitely loaded.  Good thing I don't need to think about this one, but it's my dearest husband.
8. Who is your hero(s)?  Steve Jobs.  Just kidding.  My mom- she isn't afraid to do totally new things and be good at them.  My dad because he always talks positively about my mom.  Entrepreneur bloggers amaze me too.  Randy amazes me with his patience, except in the middle of the night when he's asleep, he's pretty grumpy then.
9. What did you use to do for summer jobs?  Well, first I worked at shopko, then at a fish cannery in Alaska, then at a ranch/resort in southern Utah bordering Zion National Park, then I was a CNA at a nursing home and also worked at the Olive Garden.
10. What is one goal you have for this next year?  Become fit and run another 1/2 marathon.
11. What excites you?  The holidays.  Doing family activities.
12. If you were an animal what would you be?  I don't really go around thinking about what kind of animal I'd like to be.  Maybe a gazelle.  Since they're graceful, free, and run fast.
13. What is your favorite movie? White Christmas.
14. What is your favorite quote?  Right now it is: "Why not?"
15. What is your favorite hobby?  Crafting in general makes me happy.  And reading, and playing sports and winning.  Oh, and making good food.  Sorry, I'm not the kind of person who can choose just one thing.
16. What has been your greatest adventure? Marriage.  Not even kidding.  This includes everything that came with our marriage- children, Oklahoma, school, just the relationship part...  Now, You CAN'T post this until you put at LEAST one normal picture of me on here, Randy.

Ok, here's a pic of the Tara that you all know and love.

Well that's a few things about Tara that you may not have known. One thing I have learned from being married to Tara is that I just always need to expect the unexpected with her. She always amazes me with her many talents and I know I take them for granted way to often. I am very lucky to be able to call her my wife. I love you Tara! Happy birthday (month)!