Caitlin's Gift To Us

Yeah - It is Christmas!!

Christmas morning came quick and fast and then halted!  Delilah woke up at 6:30 saying that she needed to go out and get a drink of water (never asks for that).  I told her no and that she could lay in bed with us till around 8.  We were trying to let Neitra and Terris sleep a little longer.  Mikayla finally came into bed around 7:15 and we just watched cartoons.  Finally, we let them all out when Caitlin woke up and I saw that Neitra was awake.  The girls ran out and went straight to the dollhouse and the pet shop toy.  Mikayla was awe struck by Santa's footprints and Caitlin started playing with the dollhouse and her little people farm.  After 30 minutes of them just playing with those two things, we finally bribed them into opening gifts.  We said "At least open Neitra's gifts since she is right here." So Mikayla did and opened up a Barbie - realizing that 'hey... there is more toys to open' and that she did till all the packages were opened.  They were truly blessed by all our wonderful family and friends!  Honestly, I don't think there was one toy under the Christmas tree that they absolutely didn't love - HOWEVER - a blog entry will be following shortly regarding one that Mikayla wasn't too happy about.  Be sure to keep your eye open for it - and I so wished I had the video camera to capture her reaction!!!

Mikayla and Delilah playing with their 3 story dollhouse.

Even Popcorn got a present - and she LOVES it!  She hates the hardwood floor during the winter and we didn't have a bed for her so she would constantly go back to the girls room to sleep during the day (as that is where she sleeps at night).  Now, she is very content relaxing in the front of the house again.

After a wonderful dinner made by Daddy, we sung Happy Birthday to Jesus and dug into the cake!

Christmas Eve

The girls had a full fun-filled Christmas eve but we missed daddy for a good portion of it.  He was singing at all three services.  The girls made Santa's cookies before we headed for church.  And I must say, Caitlin LOVES sugar cookies (of course without icing!)  Can't wait to see her dig into her birthday cake!  After making cookies and watching some Christmas shows, we headed to church for Christmas Eve service.  Because they didn't take a nap, the girls put the cookies out for Santa and went to bed about 8 pm.  But that was good to give mommy time to build toys and daddy time to go pick up our adopted sister, Neitra, and her fiance, Terris. 

Delilah and Mikayla making cookies for Santa (Caitlin in the back eating one!)

Guess the cookie wasn't filling!  It was quiet and I wondered where Caitlin was - I asked if the girls closed the bathroom door and the answer was no.  So I sneaked in there and this is what I caught!  Come to find out, she doesn't really like the taste of toilet paper - she tried spitting it all out.

The girls all dressed in their Christmas best before heading to church.

Delilah, Caitlin, and Mikayla in their new Christmas jammies

The living room with Santa's cookies and, if you look close enough to the middle right, Santa left footprints from the snow he collected on his boots from his stops in the mountains!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

We FINALLY made it up to the snow.  The girls were so excited, even with the 2 inches of snow they had to play with.  Our friends live in the foothills and invited us to come up there and sled down their hill in their back yard.  It has been so cold up here that it is very common for snow to fall even at 1000 ft level.   

As soon as we pulled up, the girls ran out and started making snow angels.  They wanted to make a snowman but we told them next time because the snow was more ice and not as powdery making it much more difficult to make a snowman.

After playing in a field of flat snow, our friends' kids told us to go to the backyard.  We walked back there, Delilah watched two older kids do the hill... she walked over, picked up a sled and walked on up the hill.  Before I could even get the camera set to video, she was down the hill with no fear and just a smile on her face!!

Mikayla went and tried it and had a blast too.  Then, Delilah wanted to try the "turbo" sled that the older son kept saying that it was too fast.  Delilah didn't care.  She did and ran straight into a fence.  Oh yeah - she hit the fence but she got off and wanted to do it again.  No tears, no crying.  Mikayla did it with me the first time and loved it but then wanted to do it with Delilah.  Well, for some reason, when they hit the fence, they flew off!  Mikayla popped her lip and it just bled a quick sec but it was enough for her not to want to go on the "turbo" sled anymore.

We finally put Caitlin in the snow. She LOVED it!  She just sat there and even took her mittens off so she could feel the ice.  Of course, I didn't get her smiling as she was too intrigued in the feel of the ice but she probably would have stayed on the snow for a very long time.  However, with sleds coming down the hill, we picked her right back up and she just laughed as her sisters screamed sliding down the hill.

It started getting dark since we got up there a little late in the afternoon, so we called it quits after the girls tried hitting us with snow balls up on the deck! But it was perfect amount of time for their first experience.

It is raining today and is supposed to continue raining till the day after Christmas so there will be lots of new snow.  We will definitely be going back up!!!  But, as a parent, I NOW understand why ski resorts are so special if they have the moving sidewalk up the sledding hill.  After three or four times going up even a smaller hill, Mikayla was wanting help carrying the sled up each time thereafter.  

You Better Watch Out...

After taking pictures with Santa, we headed down the mall to window shop and stopped to take a pic with all the girls (Jasmyn and Jordyn).

After the girls said good bye to their friends, off we went to mail the Santa letters. (plus for every letter mailed in the big red mailbox at Macy's, they donate to Make-A-Wish foundation)

Caitlin enjoying the lights last night.  My hat fits her pretty well.

The girls gingerbread house this year.  I must say they did a good job and took their time.  They did have help with the icing but the candy work is all their own.

What do we do ALL day???

So some wonder "what do you do all day with the girls?" Well, let me tell you....

I let them play in the bathroom

Then after the party is over in the bathroom, it is off to art and english class

After that, we go to cooking class

Then it looks like it is music time (shh. Don't tell Caitlin that the phone isn't a musical instrument - I think she is learning to play Beethoven on it)

Oh - and are we getting sleepy now for bed time.

But before bedtime, let's do some laundry choo-choo trains up and down the hallway.  Okay - mommy is tired after doing that now ten times.  I am going to rest in the playroom with Caitlin.  What?  Mikayla - you want to push Delilah.  Sure - why not?  What can happen.  (2 minutes later - loud crash! Delilah crying!!)  What happened?  Mikayla states the laundry basket tipped over and Delilah fell straight forward on her chin.  After a few talks with doctor and our nurse friend, it was a hematoma and we just kept ice on it.  However, sounded a lot worse!!  No more choo-choo trains unless mommy does it now.

Christmas Performance at Church

I apologize for the blurriness of this video. When I am not close and I use the video part of my digital camera, the shot is just not clear... but you can tell our girls were singing hard. :-) Also, sorry for the shot of the derriere (sp?) the whole time.

Merry Christmas!!

Daddy and Caitlin watching the girls.
The girls are so serious and did so awesome up there!  We couldn't have been happier!

Old Saint Nicholas

I LOVE the Santa at the mall near our house. Besides for looking real, he is so kind and not trying to rush people off. I wasn't planning in being in a picture but Caitlin would not let me pass her off to Santa. Looking back, thank goodness the girls weren't like that. Both sat on his lap on their first Christmas. Wow how time has flown by!!!

Mikayla and Delilah - Christmas 2004!

Hustle and Bustle of December

I love having a small camera to just keep with me, for the most part, to take pictures at every perfect opportunity.  Guess that is why I have 10 photo albums for almost 5 years of the girls life.

Mikayla and Caitlin - our indoor cats

Caitlin waiting for Santa

Michael and Delilah - it was a picture not even set up and yet it is so heart-warming!!

Caitlin helping mommy wrap gifts.  Gotta love when they are babies because they don't tell anyone what they saw getting wrapped (unlike her older sister, Delilah, who walked by the gift that she got Mikayla for Christmas and said "Hey, that is like the one I got you for Christmas!" AAARRGH!

Asleep On The Hay?? Or on the ground.

Today, the girls went to sing at a senior living home. I am so proud that they both stayed up there to sing (as Mikayla doesn't like standing in front of people too much) but I guess I shouldn't say they stood the whole time!! :-)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Disneyland Visit

Thanksgiving week used to not be as busy at Disneyland. Of course, Wednesday was always but not Monday and Tuesday. Guess we hadn't been for a while!! It was so crowded but the girls got to ride a lot!! After riding their most favorite ride first - Matterhorn...there were a lot of new rides they got to go on: Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirates of Carribean, Small World, Star Wars... in California Adventure they went on the new Toy Story ride, Soaring Over California, the Muppets 3-D Show, and the Roaring Rapids ride. Of course, we went on a bunch of other ones but those were their "newest rides". They loved all of them but Mikayla said she could do without Space Mountain anytime soon.

The holiday parade was beautiful and we didn't get wet from any rain (just the roaring rapids ride and Splash Mountain!!)

Falling Leaves

Yesterday, the girls were helping rake up leaves and fish out the leaves from our pond just so they could put it in a huge pile and dive into it! What fun it was to watch!






!

Bits of November Fun

Just a few things from November....

The girls playing with their Lite Brite

On my birthday, I was blessed with the presence of a crane in our front yard.  That was so awesome to see!!

Me and the girls getting ready to open my presents.

Caitlin enjoying her favorite AND messiest food - biter biscuits

Where did Delilah and Mikayla go and how did we get a frog and raccoon in the house!!