Final Post of 2011

Goodbye Peppermint Bark see and enjoy you next year!

Wow made it to Day 213 of 350 Days of photos.

It was a lofty goal especially when I started late and made it 350 days instead of 365. But I really loved the challenge.

What a great year!

These are the last pictures of 2011.



Here are some pictures from our trip to Utah to meet new friends and visit family.

Went to the aquarium New Year's Eve

Brae wanted so badly to touch a sting ray and she did. Dad did help to push her to make sure she got the chance before it swam by.

Then we were off to the Salt Lake Temple Lights

and it was so cold. We kind of rushed through.

Back to Arizona we go.

What a great trip.

Day 212 Thankful Brae

At the end of Christmas Night Brae came up to me and gave me a tight hug and said, "Mom, thanks for all my gifts. This was the best Christmas ever."

Day 211 Merry Christmas!

This is my Mom's Nativity.

It is the most beautiful Nativity I have ever seen.

I didn't have my own Nativity and I have been on the look out for years for one that I loved as much as I love this one.

This year I received this and my search for the perfect Nativity has ended.

Thanks Mom!

The pictures don't quite capture the full beauty.

I hope it has been a Merry Christmas for you all.

We had a very Merry Christmas.

~7am Brae wakes us up and

we convinced her to

sleep 15 more minutes.

~ 7:15 Santa has come

We open our gifts.

~ 8 Eat breakfast and get ready for church

~ 8:40 Leave for church

I'm in the choir and also playing

the First Noel with a String Quartet

~ 9 Sacrament Meeting

Enjoyed the Christmas Program

of just Beautiful Music

~ 10:30 Arrive home play with gifts

~ 12 Make Salsa

~2 Take a needed Nap

~ 4 Deliver Salsa to Jeremy's Home Teaching Families and visit his Dad

~6 Come Home and Cook Chicken Cordon Bleu with Mashed Red Potatoes and Ceasar Salad

~ 8 Play dolls with Brae

~ 9 Bed Time....zzzzzzzzz

Day 210 Snowy Day

We recieved more snow yesterday

and I had to go out and take a picture. 

So BEAUTIFUL!

Day 209 Reindeer Express

So much time on our hands since we don't have school, Brae decided to open a store that I frequent atleast 6, 7 times a day.

Day 208 White Elephant YW Pajama Brunch

Brae loves to go with me to Young Women activites. Maybe because she loves the attention from her older Young Women friends.

They all know her and give her hugs.

She eats it up!

She even participated in the White Elephant Gift Exchange and got this fun little stuffed toy!

Breakfast was delicious and after the Gift Exchange we watched a Slide Show of pictures from this year that I created. 

Day 207 Grandma Claus

Brae and Grandma Kathy

Grandma came to visit and brought gifts with her, the first ones under the tree!

day 206 Twinkling Lights and HOPE

It took a tripod and a longer shutter speed to take this picture so it could capture the twinkling of the lights.

Only 7 days til Christmas and I'm feeling like this week things have slowed down enough that I will be able to enjoy the remainder of this season.

We have had a wonderful time with Jeremy's family this Christmas season. The family parties are all celebrated and now it's time for our little family to celebrate together. 

day 205 DOG PILE

day 204 Gingerbread House

Before

After

The Gingerbread House Tradition

Continues

Day 203 Ward Christmas Entertainment

In our ward the Primary children provide the entertainment.

Braelyn played the chimes with 8 other children but I couldn't take a picture because I was leading them and Jeremy was working in Douglas and could not be there.

But imagine 8 little kids with playing Christmas Bells are ringing and they all were wearing Santa Hats. They did great!

Brae chose not too sit on Santa's lap. She was feeling anxiety over it. So I didn't make her and I told her that she was plenty good this year and Santa knew it.

She felt better about that and went up to the Santa's elf and recieved a candy cane.

Day 203 My little Candy Lips

Day 202 Second Grade Christmas Program

Braelyn's Second Grade

Christmas Program

Brae sang her little heart out and also played the chimes for Silent Night.

She did so good and I loved watching her.

day 201 Santa's helper named Braelyn

day 200 Snow Day Yeah!

 The weather report said 1 inch and we got well over that. It is beautiful.

 Brae went to the Bowman's to help finish their snowman and help build another.

 Then we came home and Brae wanted to continue to play and really wanted to make a snow angel but the snow is too deep.

She made herself into a snowgirl and packed the snow around her.

Got way too cold and in she went and turned into her warm pajamas.

day 199 Congratulations Brae!

day 198 HUGO

Braelyn and I picked this up from Barnes & Noble the night we came back from Mesa from Thanksgiving. I read it to her every night.  She can hardly wait til the next night to read and we have been going to bed way later than we should. 9pm eeek! But we have loved reading it and look forward to watching the movie as soon as we finish.

I LOVE the artwork that the author did in this book. I'm always amazed at an artist's work.