It's been way, way too long!

Well....Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!!!!! I know it's been FOREVER, but I have been extremely busy. Now that the holidays are pretty much over, I finally have time to sit down and blog. So...here it goes. I have tons of pics a tons to talk about. First off this first pic. is my homemade apple cinnamon pie, from scratch that I made for our first Thanksgiving feast (we went to to dinners by the way).

This is Nathan for some yummy turkey....not sure what he's doing here....

Granny's oh so delicious homemade rolls these always go first.
....mmmmmmm....turkey..........
.........and all the fixins :)
So that was November, and now comes December and all its glory. Ev

en though Nathan and I are going on three years of marriage, this is actually the first time we really got to celebrate together with our kids. So I am trying to start some of our own family traditions. First we made some sugar cookies (trains of course...that is Matthew's favorite).

Matthew had lots of fun and definately enjoyed these cookies. We made a huge mess and had great laughs.

Kylie sittin up and watching. She has grown so much. She laughs and is super ticklish (gets that from her mama).

Well after making sugar cookies, I had to put the traditions aside and focus on our ward Christmas activity. My calling in the ward is assistant ward activities director. I felt we needed to bring the spirit of Christmas to our ward (especially since our wards were combined)....so I decided to bring Bethlehem to Midwest City. And our Activities director decided to give the whole activity plan and conducting to me. Well, with an 18 month old and a 2 month old, that is a rather hard task to perform...but I succeeded (with LOTS of help from my visiting teachers and friends from our playgroup, Nathan and his Dad). Still, I was way stressed out, I wanted to pull my hair out (all 14 inches or so). Yes, it had been almost TWO whole years since cutting sheers had touched my long long hair. So, having the most awesome husband ever, he told me to go cut it off. And so, FOUR hours and EIGHT inches later.... this is what happened.

Don't you just LOVE LOVE LOVE it? Cause I do!!!!!!!!!!! And just a quick cute story about my hair cute adventure......I decided to donate my thick mop to "Locks of Love." Well it took my hairdresser three rubber bands to bind my long thick, rope of hair. After she did so, she set it on the counter to donate later...well another hairdresser walked by and just screamed and then started laughing histerically and asked her what happened. She pointed at my ponytale on the counter and said through laughs and giggles, "I thought it was a dead squirrel on your counter." I was a little embarrassed but at the situation but at the same time thrilled that, that dead squirrel was off my head. Moving on.... so the activity I planned for our ward was "A Night in Bethlehem." Basically we made the gym into a market place and had everyone buy there food with fake money and sit on the floor to eat (because there was no room in the inn). After everyone ate, we had a live nativity (so that it felt like you were present at Christ's birth). 15 years or so ago my ward in New Mexico did this activity and it was so spiritual and awesome, I had to do it again the first chance I got. I didn't get enough pictures (I was too busy), but Nathan snapped these of us setting up the gym and stage for everything. Oh, and to make it more realistic, everyone dressed up in biblical attire, and we ate some "Jewish" and biblical type food.... Here are a couple booths for the market and a palm tree....

setting up the stage and manger...........

I was very glad when the activities were over so I could consentrate on my family.

Here is our first Christmas tree with our many gifts to give eachother.

And, the best gift ever...... A WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! I think it was my first white Christmas but I could be wrong. This is the only one I remember though.

Midwest City got a good 14 inches or so....

It got much higher than this

This is a Christmas tradition my mother did every Christmas morning....Cinnamon Toast and homemade hot chocolate...YUMMMMMM OOOO!!!!! (We were too excited as kids to eat more than this, smart thinkin mom :)

Here is Matthew opening his presents...he got trains, planes, and......a motorcyle.

Kylie chillin out and watching us make a mess of the living room.

Some of my gifts, a movie, Ross gift card, mixing bowls, a cutting board....and the most important...a SEWING MACHINE (of course I did not get a picture of it...sorry).

And the rest are of Matthew being cute and happy! Hope you enjoy.