Count Down to Santa Claus

The month of December has been so crazy!  The Bake Off was just the start. 

Natalie has volunteered to be part of her schools Panda Paws program.  Her first gig was handing out candy in the city's Christmas Parade.


Just to note, she was a real trooper. 
It was POURING down rain that evening and she didn't even complain!

Kylie has changed so much.  All of a sudden she started talking in sentences and can talk so clearly.  Since Karl started his new job, Kylie has to go to daycare twice a week while I go to class.  Thankfully, I only had two more weeks left by the time Karl's first day rolled around. By the last day she had to go, she finally started talking and opening up.

Finishing up my classes has been stressful.  On top of that, I excepted an invitation to perform a piano solo a church activity.  Any who knows me knows how painfully shy I am when it comes to playing the piano in front of others.  But I knew that the time was right to step out and gain some courage.  I practiced for hours everyday for a week on a piece I had always wanted to learn.  Timing was crazy though because the performance was smack in the middle of finals week.  Thankfully, my family is wonderful and really supported all I was doing.  Everything turned out well.  I actually got a B on my math final which I think was more of a miracle then my surviving the performance.

You would think that was enough but then I realized that with Christmas a little more than a week away, if I was going to get gifts sent in the mail I had to do it that next day!  With finals just hours completed, I ran to the store to collect all the ingredients I needed to do my big holiday baking.  Just when you thought over a hundred cookies enough...

I wanted to make new treats for Christmas this year.  I had the family vote on some new and favorite treats to send out family and friends as gifts.  We narrowed it down to 8 treats and about 25 people. Needless to say, it was nuts.  Again, the family was very supportive.  Kylie even helped out!



Kylie played in the flour for over an hour!  She kept asking for more.



I made four large tins for my siblings and got them mailed out on time!

I made 19 medium boxes for local friends - I ran out of cookies!



I ended up making over 400 treats in 24 hours. 

Just when I thought I could sit down, I realized I had to deliver all the goodies before they got stale.  I had so much fun dropping the boxes off with friends and family.  Again, I wanted to give them out to more people but I didn't have time to make enough!  Next year I will plan even better.

In the middle of all that, I take the girls up to Roseville for my nephew Gabe's birthday party.  We also dropped in and surprised my friend, Chrissy, for her birthday.  It was so much fun!  She had no idea we were coming and after numberous failed attempts to get together throughout the year, we were finally able to get together and see our kids play with one another.  Natalie and Kylie had a great day playing with their cousins.  They were great during the drive back and forth too. 



Clay and Kylie - they are about 4-5 months apart

 

Marshall and Kylie - Marshall is Chrissy's oldest and is about 5 years old



Chrissy and I - we met in Roseville and are close friends

 

Happy 9th Birthday Gabe!



Lexi, the girls friend, and Jenna - the girls are getting so big!



Natalie and Gabe with all his friends!



Denise and one of her best girl pals




Gabe made out great on his gifts


Just one more week until Christmas!

With the house decked out, Christmas presents waiting to be wrapped, and baked goods all delivered, I was ready to relax with the kids for vacation. We started the week out with a trip to Leah's house to decorate some graham cracker houses.  Everyone had so much fun!

We had a big group of our family and Leah's there to decorate and create.



Erika's house had an amazing yard of sprinkles at least 2 inches thick.



Anthony making his house.



Emily and Natalie working hard.  Natalie even had a yard made of frosting - she ate every bit!




Kylie choose to just eat chocolate and marshmellows.


Then Kylie started acting weird.  She stopped eating, playing, and taking naps.  Wednesday she started throwing up and any plans I had of relaxing and doing fun activities vanished.  She regressed to an infant!  She needed me constantly and as she failed to get better we grew more concerned.  Finally, the morning before the first of many holiday visit, she seemed to be able to keep down liquids. 

Our first holiday visit was with my mom.  We went over to the Root's house for dinner and presents. Even though our visit was short, it was nice.  The food was so good and it was fun to watch everyone open their presents. Kylie got a singing and dancing dog from my parents. She loved it! Everyone was dancing to the music, it was hilarious.


My step-sister, Erin, and her boyfriend opening her gift.

 

My step-dad, Dan, opening his with great anticipation.

  

My mom getting ready to open her gift.

 The night before Christmas and all through the house,
wrapping paper, boxes, and presents all about. 
Dad and Mom try to wrap with care
but watch the clock and say, "Beware!" 
Time is ticking and there is so much to do.
11, 12, 1 and then 2! 
Finally, stockings are stuffed and presents all wrapped. 
Will they like it do you think? Is it enough? 
Who cares, let's go, to bed and good morning. 
Merry Christmas to you and the children too.
We will see what was given to who from who
and say thank you to you for all that you do.

Christmas Bake Off

This year I was invited to a Christmas Cookie Bake Off.  We were instructed to back 7 1/2 dozen of whatever kind of cookie we wanted to share.  I decided to use a new recipe and ended up needing to get a cookie press.  I had never even heard of a cookie press and was thrilled to find out how easy and wonderful it was to use. 

There were prizes for best tasting, most creative use of ingredients, and best packaged.  I didn't win any though the hostess commented that next year there will be a new category, best looking, because my cookies were so pretty!  Of course that's why I make anything, to look beautiful and be delicious.


The cream cookies with cranberries won Most Inventive Use of Ingredients
and the brownies looking treats on the plates below them won Best Tasting.

 

Jennefer Haight in the red was our gracious host



The candy striped boxes shown won Best Packaging



We got to take home 1/2 dozen of all the goodies. 
The family was happy to get something back after watching all the cookies I made go!

 

Already posted these but here are the cookies I made, just for reference... = )



Getting Christmas Ready

Okay, we are getting caught up!  Karl finally got the official word that he is starting a new job next week!  He will be working in Livermore at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  We are stoked and for so many reasons.  To celebrate we bought two kittens!  Between them and Kylie, I can't do anything during the day!  The kids LOVE the cats to pieces.  Kylie couldn't leave them alone for two minutes and thinks she can tell them what to do and pick them up.  She is learning what 'time out' is.  = )

School is wrapping up for me and now I get to plan for next semester.  I finally got to talk to a counselor so I have a clear picture of what I need to do in order to be ready to transfer to a 4 year college when I'm done at Delta.  I'm enjoying being busy and taking things day by day versus having so much time that I plan things way in advance and then nothing goes right.  Now I just have to keep things in check on my calendar so I don't fall behind.  I'm really looking forward to Christmas break with the kids.

Natalie is finally learning new stuff at school.  I broke down and got us a library card for the first time.  We go check out books on Mondays and Natalie reads around 4 books a week.  She is a reading machine!  Of course we all know where she gets that from.  She and I like to cuddle on my bed or on the couch and read our books together.

Kylie has switched gymnastic classes because she has advanced so fast in these four months.  She is not liking the change and cries for her first teacher most of the time.  Hopefully in a few weeks she will warm up more to this class.  She is so funny!

Stephen has been working so much since the summer and has finally found something to spend some of his money on.  He put in a large amount of money to get a new computer.  Karl put it together for him and helped pick out the components.  Apparently it's really fast.  In fact, Karl is a little sad because it's faster than his!

This week we have started getting ready for Christmas.  We tried REALLY hard to wait until Thanksgiving was over to broke out the carols and wreath.  Now I'm baking, playing holiday music, and decorate the house a little more everyday. 

Tonight we set up the Christmas tree!  Even though you don't see Stephen in the pictures below, he was able to be there and help out.  We hope this isn't our last Christmas with him but at this age, you never know...


Our tree before decorations and lights - yes, our new kitten, Lola



Our tree with just lights...



Our tree all dressed up!



Kylie climbing all over the couch and over the half wall...

 

The 120 cookies I spent all afternoon making for a bake off this Saturday



Natalie's car invention made in our newly made playroom



Karl installing a flat screen in his new office - think its big enough?!

 Next we get to tackle the outside....

Thanksgiving at The Agbayani's

Leah and TJ were so great to host a family gathering for Thanksgiving. We were there along with Dad and Kathy on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  We had a wonderful ham that Leah made and listened to lots of debates and discussions about the economy and politics.  Don't get me wrong, everyone had a great time.  The cousins had so much fun.  Kylie couldn't get enough of all the kids and really opened up and played with them for the first time.  Poor Nessa fell asleep!

Anthony, Natalie, and Emily



My dad and Kathy

 

Karl and Kylie sharing apple pie and ice cream

 

Vanessa sleeping, so cute!

 

Erika and Grandpa Wilson

 We didn't see my mom for Thanksgiving since she went to Colorado to see both of her parents there.  I missed them all so much!  My sister Sarah went with her family too and I wished that I could be there to see all my family that where there.

Thanksgiving with The Bajadas

Karl's brother, Dan, has been dating a wonderful lady, Chris, for quite sometime now.  She was so nice to host Thanksgiving for our family in the lounge at her really nice apartment.  Dan and Chris did so much work to prepare everything.  It was so delicious!  The whole family had a really nice time visiting for the afternoon.  Thankfully Karl and I were only 15 minutes late this time...  We are working on it.

I really appreciated everyone there donating their coins to Relay For Life in memory of Mary Jo.  Karl and I are starting our own team this year and were able to raise the money for the team's entry from the families donation.  I couldn't believe it!

Kylie did great and really opened up.  She even fell asleep on Uncle Dan during dessert.  So cute!



Kylie playing in the middle of the coffee table!




Dan and Chris, ahww



Fred and Kelly



Karl and I

Kerry and Kelly

While you were away...

So Karl had to leave for Colorado for a whole week for work during November.  I decided that while he was away, I would make miracles happen.  I gave myself so many things to do that I didn't have time to hardly  miss him!

I had a research paper to write and complete that week that I had barely started.  Natalie was out of school Thursday and Friday so I asked her what she wanted to do and made it a goal to do each of them that week.  To really surprise Karl, I decided to replace all the contact paper throughout that whole house.  Plus I knew I should make dinner every night even though it would mainly be just me and the two girls.

So I did it and it was nuts.  I took Kylie to play dates in the morning, worked on the contact paper during the day while Nat was at school, did a fun activity with the girls in the afternoon, made dinner, and then did homework until 11pm every night.  I was so tired by the middle of the week that I didn't even move when I slept.  The time change had just happened so Kylie was waking up at 5 and 5:30am.  I usually don't get up before 7am, Karl gets the baby, and I'm in bed no later than 10pm, 9pm if Karl will let me get away with it.  So you can see how it seemed a miracle that I survived the week. 

Let me tell you.  Friday night when Karl came home was amazing.  All the contact paper was done, Nat and I had finished cleaning the house for the week that afternoon, I had all my homework done and Karl was totally surprised.  We had such a nice weekend after that time away from one another.  I love getting the chance to do things like that for Karl.  Since he has been working from home for the last 2 years or so, surprising him has been hard to do.

Here are some photos of the fun times I had with the girls.  I couldn't get any swimming at the gym but I think that was Kylie's favorite!


Kylie shopping for contact paper with me. 
She fell in love with this singing Rudolph rocker...



Kylie saying "Cheese!" for Daddy's daily photo



Natalie at the park digging for "treasure"



Kylie helping Nat!



Halloween Treats and Fun

This Halloween I got it into my head to make lots of Halloween themed food.  Some of them turned out great and some I will never do again.  I tried to take photos of them all.  We had fun eating them and I can't thank Karl enough for putting up with my experiments in the kitchen.  There was one day though that felt like the perfect afternoon.  I was baking and decorating in the kitchen, Kylie was dancing to silly Halloween music from the TV, the house was filled with delicious scents and the cool breeze from outside.  Karl said he was taken straight back to his childhood, a time of love and happiness.  We miss his mother dearly...

We had a great time getting our costumes ready.  Karl and I decided to dress up too though now big party the day of we celebrated almost all month long and had a great night passing out goodies to the kids in the neighborhood though there were only a sad few.  The best part was when Kylie saw all the kids dressed up getting candy and decided that putting her costume on was worth getting candy.  Karl got to take her down the street and collect more candy then any 1 year old should have.  Natalie made out pretty well herself.


Mummy Sausages for Halloween party



Slime Filled Cupcakes for Halloween party



Haunted Stew for dinner with missionaries

 

Sloppy Joe Pie for Halloween night

 

Our Spider Queen ready for her school parade

 

The Spider Queen at our ward Truck or Treat



The Vampire couple with their human child at the Trunk or Treat



Wormy Cupcakes for the Halloween birthdays



Kylie loved hiding in Karl's cape!



Finally the Princess was dressed and ready to go trick or treating!



Gravely Rice Crispy Treats for my hard working Algebra class