Zoo Lights

Tuesday night we went and checked out all the fun Christmas lights at the Zoo! The one year we went it was okay but it was a just a small loop of lights but this year was pretty awesome!

They had a lot more lights and it went all the way down to the new elephant exhibit...

The girls loved all of the lights. They filled the old elephant exhibit with moving Christmas Lights which was fun. They also had a really cool steel drum band playing music. The girls thoroughly enjoyed dancing. And they had a "snow" machine (they were really foam bubbles).

After the zoo we headed home and enjoyed some yummy hot chocolate!

Baby Boys

Since my sister has gone back to work the girls and I get to watch her adorable little baby boy. The girls are completely in love with him. They call him Baby Jackson no matter what. Chad and I have told them several times his name is just Jackson but they say "No! Its Baby Jackson!" Then I asked Sophie what his name will be when he is not a baby anymore. "Big Jackson" she replied...of course why didn't I think of that?

they are such big helpers and are always making sure he is okay. They get excited to bring me diapers, wipes, his blanket, and binky. I am thinking maybe having a third kid may be pretty awesome. Sophie was showing Jackson how to draw yesterday....

They are really excited to have a baby brother of their own!! While we tried to make it a surprise there was no denying.....

Its a Boy!

When we were leaving the ultrasound I asked Sophie what we should name him..her choice? Boomer. Which I just thought was hilarious because that was my brothers nickname growing up which I don't think she has ever heard. Then I asked her again and she insisted on Jackson. We know his middle name for sure so for now he is Baby Roc Clayton.

Date Night

Last Saturday was the Vantage West Employee Appreciation Christmas party. We got to get all dressed up and go to a nice resort in NE Tucson. After some searching I was able to find an inexpensive dress to fit the semi-formal occasion and lets face it...fit me. And thanks to my amazing sister who helped me with my makeup and watching our girls for us!! I have decided when it comes time for my girls to enter the whole makeup world I am sending them to her house. They didn't even know makeup existed before her.

We enjoyed a fancy dinner with servers constantly taking care of us and they did a program to honor several charities in our community. They had some fun raffle prizes like a TV and resort getaways but we didn't end up winning any. It was a fun night though getting to know some of the people he works with. One part of the evening Chad noticed a small piece of food in my hair and joked that he couldn't take me anywhere. Then he proceeded to stab a carrot with his fork and it flew off of his plate and under the next table. We just died laughing at ourselves.

The party theme was a masquerade and they had some fun masks on the table to take home. So we brought them home for the girls to enjoy...

I think Lydia looks like a super hero in hers ha ha.

Polar Express!!!

The day after Thanksgiving we headed up to Flagstaff to go to the Polar Express! Grandma and Grandpa Clayton were able to come with us!! We walked around and looked at the trains and lights while we waited to board...

We even found the bum that lives on top of the train in the movie!! Dad told Sophie to go stand next to the bum for a picture. She looked at him and said "whats a bum?" Haha but she complied a little nervously...

Lydia fell asleep on the drive over and was really cranky when we got there. But when they passed out hot chocolate and cookies she was cured!

They read the story the Polar Express and the conductor came around and punched our tickets...

We went through a time warp tunnel and saw the North Pole! Santa was standing in his sliegh waving. Lydia was so excited she kept saying "There's Santa Mom!!"

But when we backed up to head back and see the North Pole again santa was gone....they announced he had boarded the train! I wish I had gotten a picture of Sophies face she was beyond shocked. He came by to everyone and gave them a special bell. He leaned down to Lydia and asked her if she wanted a bell. She screamed "No!" and curled up in the fetal position. santa was nice enough though to give her one anyway.

We sang Christmas songs on the way back. It was so much fun and sophie was the perfect age for it. she really got into it. It was definatley worth the trip. after we got off the train we went to see Santa. Sophie was so concerned he wouldnt know what she wanted for Christmas so she was relieved when he got to tell him herself. Luckily Lydia let me hold her next to Santa but their was no way she was sitting on his lap...

We spent the night in Flagstaff. The girls enjoyed the hotels warm swimming pool. Then on saturday we headed to Phoenix and went to the Temple. We stayed to see the Christmas lights...

The girls loved the empty stage and performed several times for us...

 

Then we went home and the girls helped us set up the Christmas tree.  

 



Thanksgiving

We had a fun Thanksgiving. We headed to my parents house in the morning to go shooting. The girls were so excited to take Eleanor (The Station Wagon). But alas it died before we got to the next exit. I left with the girls and Chad stayed behind to fix her with the help of his Dad. They did eventually make it though and Chad was still able to catch up with the men and shoot some guns.

When they came back everyone enjoyed taking Eleanor for rides...

We enjoyed a delicious dinner and they girls had a blast with their cousins...

Chad and I ran to drop Eleanor off at his parents house so we didn't have to drive her home in the dark. When we came back I couldn't get my boot off. I was seriously stuck and after many attempts by several people my Dad and brother Craig were determined to release me...

I don't know what my Father had planned with that giant knife, but I am happy to say they didn't have to use it. And I did finally get out of it. The zipper had gotten off of the track. They had to unpick the stitches but we were able to save my boot!

It was a fun and exciting Holiday and we enjoyed spending it with our family!

Riding in The Wood Car

The girls are in love with what Sophie calls "The Wood Car." They are always asking if we are going to drive it. We have seat belts in the back bench seat for them and they have claimed their spots. Saturday we had to head into town so Sophie could go to the practice for the primary program. They were so excited when they found out we were taking the wood car. Grandpa Clayton came in the morning and helped Daddy fix a few things and we were off!

Lydia is our little puppy in the car. She likes to sit sideways and hang her head out the window.

Occasionally she sticks her tongue out.....okay not really.

By the time we were headed home Lydia was pretty tired...

Poor little girl had a hard time sleeping. Every time we would turn she would bonk her cheek on the side of the car. I kept telling her to lay down on the bench but she refused so she ended up with a red mark on her cheek by the time we got home.

But she still loves the wood car anyway :)

Sophie's First Primary Program and a Trip to the E.R.

Yesterday was the Primary Program and it was the first time Sophie was able to play a part in it. We got the girls dressed up in their adorable Christmas Dresses from Grandma Clayton...

Sophie did so well in the program. When we received the paper to help her practice her part at home I was a bit confused. Her part was: "because he does." I thought wow what does this go along with?
Come to find out her teacher asks "How do you know your Heavenly Father Loves you?" And she got up to the microphone and paused and then clearly said "Because He does!" It made me tear up she has such a sweet testimony and no doubt that her Heavenly Father loves her.

I asked her whether she came up with her own part and she said yes that it was her answer to the question. Its no wonder why we are to be like a little child.

Fast forward to that night...we had gone to Craig and Jeanette's to celebrate Porter's birthday. On the way home Lydia asked for a wipe to clean her hands. I hand them wipes all of the time in the car so they can blow their nose, clean their hands, clean their shoes, whatever. When all of the sudden she starts complaining about her nose and blowing it. I could see that the one nostril was red and thought oh no she got one of Porter's Lego's up her nose! But when I looked it just looked like a booger in there from my angle in the car.

When we got home we discovered it was full of baby wipe pieces! After a lot of sucking with a bulb syringe and tweezers we got quite a bit out, but she still had a chunk at the very top that we couldn't get out. Chad even tried sucking it out with a straw.... no go. So we put Sophie to bed and our little goofball was excited to skip bedtime and go to the E.R.

She thought it was the funnest trip ever she even got to watch Madagascar in the waiting room. Luckily we only had to wait about 20 minutes. The nurse looked up her nose and sure enough it was clogged. Once she got us checked in we headed to a room and sat on the bed. Right when she closed the curtain to get the doctor Lydia did a big sneeze and the chunk flew out of her nose. I looked at Lydia and said "really!?" and she smiled. The nurse came back in to ask us a question and I told her she sneezed it out. The nurse laughed and said "You know she probably wouldn't have sneezed it out if you stayed home!" the doctor came in looked in her nose and it was clear he told Lydia she could go home now and Lydia said "no!" He thought that was pretty funny and showed her some pictures of his kids and talked to her for a minute.

Luckily we were in and out in under an hour. Which I was shocked this was the first time I had ever had to take my kid to the E.R. and I always hear stories of waiting forever. Either we got really lucky or UMC is the place to go.