Merry & Bright

Christmas 2015 started off a little rocky for the Michael family! We picked Auntie Kate up from the airport and made our way down to Cincinnati. We had our traditional Fajen family Christmas Eve dinner with the Lynn family. Avery spent the evening stealing handfuls of candy and cookies. She would quietly not be around and then I would find her hidden shoving frosting in her mouth. It made or a wild night! The girl cousins got to make gingerbread house together and I think more candy got eaten than decorated. My cousin Olivia was able to spend a few days with us which was a nice treat. We've never spent Christmas together and it was fun to have her around. After dinner we read the story of the birth of our Savior and the girls all enjoyed playing musical instruments to sing along. This year all the girls including the big girls got matching pajamas. It was cute to be twinners with everyone...way to go Mom! During Christmas bingo before opening our pajamas Avery kept taking everyones M&Ms. Papa read, "T'wis the Night Before Christmas" and then we sprinkled some reindeer food on the lawn. We didn't even have to wear coats this year! Dave and I packed up early to set out our own milk and cookies for Santa. We let the girls have a sister sleepover in Avery's room and lets just say it was a VERY late night. Santa got to work on building bunkbeds that made for an even later night!

A memory that someday I want Addison to remember...

We had locked Addison's bedroom with hopes that we would surprise the girls at the end. Addison woke up and ran into her room to get dressed like she always does. Somehow the door didn't close so it didn't lock. Addison looked at the new beds and ran into our room crying. It took a good 20 minutes before we could convince her to come down and see what Santa left. It was a ROUGH start to what Dave and I had hoped would have been a happy experience. Later in the day we got Addison to say that she saw her bedsheets on the bottom bunk and was upset that she had to sleep on the bottom. I had gotten matching sheets for both girls and she got worried. We explained to her that she still gets to sleep on the top and the rest of the day was full of smiles. AHH the mind of a four year old! I can laugh now, but it was a really sad morning trying to pep the girls up from staying up way to late and not liking the bunk beds! The girls were very lucky this year to get a lot of nice things. Addison's favorite was a stuffed cat. Avery is still on cloud nine with her Sofia the First dress up and matching shoes. Grandma Michael sent a Frozen Karaoke machine and I think that Dave enjoys playing with it more:) Dave got a corn hole game and he finally got a Dyson vacuum. I hide it from him since black Friday and he was actually surprised! We headed down to my parents for crepes for breakfast. My parents gave the girls a puppet theater with lots of puppets to match. I grew up with a puppet theater that my mom made me and I have a lot of fond memories from playing with it. I am really excited for the girls to do the same. Merry Christmas!  

Pretty in Red

I love seeing my girls in their Christmas Sunday dresses. I love that they still let me dress them a like and put cute bows in their hair. I played Mary in a Christmas program that all the women we apart of during relief society. It was the Sunday before Christmas and a few of us were asked to play a part of women that knew Jesus. There was a musical number in between each speaker. It was a really nice way to set the stage for the Savior's birth and a reminder of how precious motherhood is. I felt very Mary like being pregnant. I can't imagine how she felt riding on a donkey through a long journey and then delivering under the circumstances that she did. I am grateful for her example and the love that she had for her son, Jesus that evening as she brought him into the world.

A Warm December

We had an unusually warm month of December. We hardly had to wear coats the whole month.  Addison and Avery enjoyed the extra time to run around outside and play chalk. Avery is still learning to not color on herself and the side of the house! We've had some struggles with Avery not wanting to nap and then passing out on the couch at 5pm. She's the lightest sleeper at night, but she is out for the count when she falls asleep outside of her room! We went down to Grammie and Papa's to help prep for Christmas and Avery got really quiet one morning. She had helped herself to the pots and pans cupboard and emptied a whole jug of pure maple syrup...the good stuff! Santa had to fight to not put her on the naughty list! That same visit Avery bypassed mom and went to Papa to sneak her some oreos for breakfast. She's a smart one!

Happy Happy Birthday to Grammie!

My mom's birthday was at the beginning of December and it was a wonderful celebration. I arranged to take her over to the Indianapolis temple to do an endowment session together. It was a special experience and I will treasure it. The drive was a little over two hours so we got in some good chatting to and from. Jenny had given my mom a gift certificate to a wood fired pizza place nearby the temple. It was delicious and we both ate way too much! They had fancy pizza and salads that we both enjoyed. Afterwards we grabbed some peppermint hot chocolate and made the journey back. The Indianapolis temple is so beautiful inside that I love going there. It will hold a dear place in my heart since our family got to go in together for the open house this past summer. The next day was my mom's actual birthday and so the girls and I headed down for dinner and celebrations. I made my mom's sticky cherry frosting cake that her mother made for her growing up. It is a labor of love since I don't enjoy baking too often. The girls picked out a pretty poinsettia and some cherry chocolates to give her. A friend of mine was selling scarves and I had her make a purple one to give my mom. We ended the evening going to Red Lobster and the girls had a great time singing happy birthday in the restaurant. I am blessed to call this lady my mother. She is the constant positive voice in my head and by my side. This past year and a half of living so close will probably be the fondest memories I will have with her. Happy Birthday Grammie!