My Cozy Little Christmas Elves

A Christmas photo shoot with my kiddos yielded tons of silly fun and laughable posing. I couldn't help but share the entire experience. I think I ended up with maybe 2 usable shots in the end. I love these kids!

Art Day!!

We had an art day! I bought some little wooden plaques for the kids to paint their own version of Blue Dog. Ellie had an itch to be artsy and Michael and Elle quickly followed suit.




It wasn't long before these amazing art pieces came to life! Large green canvas by Huntie. Praying Mantis and Blue Dog on blue background my Michael. Blue Dog on orange background by Huntie. Two abstract pieces by Ellie.

Michael Bichael Bikin' It UP!

Michael, at the ripe old age of 6, has learned to ride a 2-wheeler!! In just one short lesson, his dad got him zipping around, popping up and down curbs, you name it, with ease and confidence. He is a natural biker and spends every possible moment he can spare practicing his new talent. Just two days after learning to ride, he was going off ramps with the neighborhood boys down the street. AMAZING!

Michael's Veteran's Day Program

Parents to Lunch Day

Yeah!! The day I look forward to ALL YEAR long - Parents to Lunch Day!!! Not surprisingly, the ONE day all year the school allows parents to come to lunch with their kids, they are also having a book fair to raise money.

This day, Michael's tooth was loose. He was really hoping it would spontaneously fall out of his mouth with no pulling required. I have to admit, he was getting pretty close to that happening. I've never seen such a loose tooth!

Kevin made Michael a deal that if Michael let him pull his tooth out at lunch, that he would buy him 3 books at the book fair. That deal was not even sweet enough for Michael to allow any matter matter of pulling.



But, Kevin was persuasive enough for Michael to allow me to initiate the pulling. In just one pull, the tooth was out. YIPPY!! Books all around!


This was also Michael's wonderful teacher Mrs. Ledet's birthday. I made her a special cake and cutie cupcakes to share with her class.

A New Rule

The other day, before bed, Michael asked if we could make a new family rule. I said, "Sure, what do you have in mind."

He said, "I don't know, just a rule."

I said, "OK, how about make your bed when you wake up - before you get out of bed."

He said, "nah, not that rule."

So we laughed and he went to bed. The next morning he had done it! What an amazing little person. He is my Captain Moroni, a valiant and obedient spirit.

Rise and Shout the Cougars are out!

We got invited to a special brunch in the French Quarter with BYU alumni group. So fun! Kevin was serenaded by the jazz band when Huntie told them it was her daddy's birthday.


The weather relfected the sad sad showing New Orleans' Tulane Green Tide football team showed against the Cougars - 54 to 3!! We cheerfully wore rain ponchos to and from the Superdome.


Elle wasn't do keen on rising OR shouting.


BUT, Kevin and Huntie (just like her mommy) are diehard fans. I thought it was pretty poetic to paint my family's faces for the BYU game in New Orleans - a skill I learned as a face painter in the summertime to pay my way through BYU.



Huntie and Cosmo. Oooooo, it's just so magical!


Ok, this is so sad. Look at the Tulane side of the field. So sparce, it was such a weak showing.


Now look at the BYU side. We clearly whooped their hind ends in the fan support department. Looks like we brought our home field advantage with us!


Kevin showed Mike the highest seats in the Superdome - truely the nosebleeds. Look waaaaaay up there . . .


Then he, Huntie and Michael hiked the entire distance to the center top seats of section 610. Whoa!


Look at that view!



Ellie Bellie was so tired and grumpy that she fell asleep during the game.



Huntie and I decided #51 on BYU's team was our favorite player. Can you see why?


Michael kept torpedoing into Uncle Greg, so Uncle Greg gave him a little what for with an upper hand diversion and a lower hand smack to the tummy.


Over and over again, Mike would torpedo into Greg. And over and over again, Greg would distract Mike with his right hand in the air and then slap him in the tummy with his left hand. It seriously took Michael a good 10 tries to firgure this trick out. I think he was enjoying the "game" so much, it took him a while to start dodging the slap. Lol.


It was so funny. Michael loved it.




WOOhOO! The Cougars came to New Orleans and played the Tulane Wave in the Superdome and WE got to see it! Kevin's sweet connections got us 15th row seats on the 40 yard line.

BYU has been looking great this season and just whooped up on Oklahoma, seated #3, last weekend 14 - 13! That win jumped BYU up 11 spots to rank Top 10 at #9. Very nice.