We had a very fun Christmas this year. It was seriously so nice to be home and to be doing all the regular traditions and well... to not be stuck in Michigan with legal issues and stress looming over our heads. I'm glad Santa only brought Kylie two presents because my sisters sure spoil her! Jared surprised me with a wheat grinder which I'm excited to use. Today I even made some breadsticks with some of the wheat we ground up with it. Now I have a good reason to start adding wheat to our food storage. I've never had any wheat stored up, but have started using whole wheat when making bread so now I can start!

Kylie also learned over the holiday how to go down the stairs. She's been really good at going UP the stairs for months now, but wouldn't go down and would just stand at the top and whine or cry when we'd go downstairs. I'm so happy she's learned how to go down! It's so much fun watching her learn new things. She likes to feel her legs on something solid so she just slides down the stairs straight as a board feeling the stairs underneath her.

The day after Christmas we drove home to find 15 inches of snow on our driveway. Not to mention there were some heavy drifts that made the snow 24 inches plus in some areas. Near the street where the snowplows came by was the worst. There was literally a wall of snow. We couldn't get into the garage in any way, shape or form so we parked on the street and spent the next THREE hours digging out our driveway (we only had one snow shovel or it would have gone faster). We've been living in our home now for five years and I can't remember our driveway being buried in so much snow before. For a little bit we put Kylie's coat and mittens on and she joined us outside. She doesn't like wearing the hood on her coat. It will be frigid outside, plus a wind chill and she'll be pawing at the hood on her coat trying to get it off! Silly girl :)

Hope you had a great week!

At this time of year I love looking at artwork of Mary and the Christ child. They are so beautiful and I love the sweetness and innocence they portray. One of these days I'd love to get a framed print for my home. I did a google search the other day and there are so many beautiful potrails. Some are by contemporary artists and some are historically catholic potrails. I loved all of these and thought I'd share. The reason for the season...

The holidays are winding down. I got my last package in the mail on Saturday, had our family Christmas party that night (btw, our home is WAY too small for 50 people) and we are done with the shopping. In the past there always seems to be a Christmas eve run and I'm so glad that we won't be doing that this year! I've already decided to work on some handmade gifts for next year (or at least that is the plan). There's never anything to do in January so maybe I can get a head start for next year. I've got a few ideas that are already cooking.

Oh and the good news is that I'm feeling better, but we played some games with some friends last night and I think Kylie picked up Kaden's pukes. She's been throwing up all day. Her favorite blankie is in the wash and there's the lovely smell of pukes perfuming our home.

Our poor little darling is mortified, scared to death and freaked out by the jolly man himself. Two weeks ago we had our ward's Christmas party and Santa arrived with his holiday greetings and cheer. So of course she needed to have the obligatory chat with Santa on his lap. Oh the screams. Not just displeasure, but I'M GOING TO DIE kind of screams. Then this past weekend while we were down in Fayette visiting the Jared's family we happened to go to their ward's Christmas party. Santa also made his appearance and while her screams weren't bad as the first time she was hollering and you can see how she's leaning towards Jared. She wanted nothing to do with him!

Okay I've been majorly slacking in the blog posting department. Of course it doesn't help that we just can't seem to get over these runny noses and colds! I need to take Analee's advise and start downing orange juice (doesn't help that I'm not a fan of OJ in the first place). Last weekend we went down to Fayette to attend the annual temple devotional. We woke Kylie up, got her dressed so she could go with Angie to church and she just would not stop crying. More of a hysterical cry for a long period of time. It just wasn't her. We were planning on sending her with Angie and Greg's family while we were gone. After debating back and forth we decided that I'd stay home with her and that poor stuffy, runny-nosed girl slept for another four hours that morning. We've seriously had runny noses around this joint for three weeks now. THREE WEEKS!!!

I'm sort of morning the fact that Kylie now refuses to wear bows in her hair. She's always worn headbands and never given me an ounce of trouble. Then all of a sudden she's all over that sham. The second I put one on her head she rips it out!!! UGH! I've tried even sneaking a clip in while she's not looking but it's like the doll can sense that it's there! I'm looking forward to when her hair is long enough to wear piggie tails, or even "a" piggie on the top of her head. It's starting to fill in more now, but still isn't long enough even in back to pull out.

I've been kind of a major funk over the past week over all the failed adoptions in the news and blogs that I follow. My heart just literally hurts. I need to hear some positive adoption stories where everything works out because this week I've heard nothing but one heart breaking situation after another. One where the expectant mom changed her mind shortly after birth. A six month old going back to his native american tribe to be put into fostercare. Another anguishing story where a couple had been parents for 34 days before the placement failed because the birthmother's family put so much pressure on her daughter to not place the baby. (Utah is one of the few states where birthparents rights are unrevokable after they sign. Many states have 3, 10 even 30 days to change their mind or other legal loopholes) Today I found out another family will be going through a contested adoption by the young birthfather.

All these stories just cut too close to home and the problem is that I CAN imagine what it would be like. Sometimes you can do everything right, and only accept certain placements and this could still happen to you. I can't imagine a greater pain than loosing a child and I just ache for these families. I wish I could come through all of that unscathed. I love adoption but I also hate it. And this week I hate it royally.

And on that happy note, Merry Christmas!

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. It seems like everyone in our family has been sick over the past two weeks. Last week it was Kylie and Jared (while I was thanking my lucky stars I hadn't caught it). Poor little Kylie has had the runniest nose, is teething and unfortunately has to deal with mom chasing after her to wipe her nose every twenty minutes. And so of course now I've jumped the bandwagon and haven't felt too good lately. My throat hurts something awful. I'm feeling better now, but it seems to get worse at nights.

A few years ago I received a link to this youtube video and I thought it was the funniest thing ever. My favorite part is the ending. I forwarded it around to my work and my boss somehow thought this was my house! Ugh...... nope!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgf60CI_ks

Well not much has been going on around here. I've been trying to knock out most of the Christmas shopping this week so I can just relax the rest of the month. Good news is that I'm finished shopping for Jared, Myself and Kylie (yeah!) and I'm halfway done with the other gifts we need for family. I really don't have much left. I tend to buy things at the after Christmas sales so it makes it nice for when the following year rolls around.

I've had to venture out to the stores more than I usually have to this year. So it's been more spread out because of the munchkin. She only lasts so long before needing a nap and just doesn't nap anymore unless she's in her crib or the car seat (bummer). And yes poor me has to buy my own Christmas presents. It's a sad reality but it's how it works for the most part around the S house. But the perk is I always get something useful and it's what I want. That's even how it was growing up once I hit age 13-14. My mom doesn't want to buy anything unless she know for certain that we wanted it so we usually ended up being there when it was purchased. It's a sad reality but I'm so used to it it really doesn't bother me anymore (you can send your condolences).

I'm also trying out a new roll recipe and they are rising at the moment. They are sour cream crescent rolls and they sound delish. You can find the recipe here: http://adailyscoop.blogspot.com/2008/11/rolls.htm I'm liking this bread-making thing. Whoever invented the Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough attachment has unfolded a whole world out there for me as to making bread.