Traditions??

As Aria grows up I begin to feel an urgency to create some traditions for our little family. I have always loved Christmas and I want my children to have so many memories beyond the presents and Santa. I want them to love Christmas for the traditions surrounding the birth of Christ, giving, and family. For some reason the only way I know how to do that is through food. Is there any other way? What are some of your family traditions? Please I need a little help.


Yesterday I thought it might be fun to make Gingerbread men and I was right! Aria thought this was the best day ever! She helped me make the dough,

She cut out all the men,

and she was the creative director of what the men should look like.
not to mention the taste tester.
So now I have one tradition.
HOORAY!

I LOVE the holidays!

I have been out and about for the past few weeks and I have had so much fun! I love the holidays and I love going home and I love seeing friends and I love eating food and I love being with family. I love so many things!

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful, unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.

But I did take a picture of the quilt I made for my sister Sarah's baby. I am so happy that it turned out so cute! I just had to share.

He comes in a couple of months and I am so excited!

THANK YOU!

I realize that it is kind of tacky to wish yourself a Happy Birthday and tell everyone about it...buy hey you gotta do what you gotta do.

I just wanted to say "thank you" to everyone for the Happy Birthday wishes. I love birthday's and I appreciate all the love. It was a lovely day and I forgot to even take a picture.

THANK YOU!

Birthday

Today I am 27!

Happy Birthday to me.

Pink sponge curlers

Do you remember the pink sponge curlers?

I remember my mom putting these in my hair after my Saturday night tub so my hair would be curly on Sunday. I had stick straight hair, and it was the 80's so I totally didn't fit in.I couldn't find a picture with the sponge curlers, but these are pink perm rollers... same idea.

These little beauties are still around. I found some yesterday and I had to buy them. They took me back to so long ago.

Aria was so excited to put the curlers in, and even more excited that she got to sleep with them!

This might be the last time she gets to sleep with them because she got up about every 2 hours, definitely not worth curly hair.

She woke up with 3 left in her hair, but it worked. Her hair looks very lovely!

YUMMMM

This morning I made bran muffins. Either my kids were starving or they are really good because they are all gone and I only had 2. Good news is I have enough batter to make fresh muffins every morning for the whole week!

Laila on her 6th!

Aria had only 4.

Bran Muffins:

4 cups All Bran cereal (looks like little sticks)

1 cup shortening (I use butter)

2 cups boiling water

2 cups sugar (I use honey)

1 quart buttermilk

5 cups flour (I use whole wheat)

4 beaten eggs

5 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. salt

350 degrees for about 15-17 min.

The batter is good in the fridge for 7-10 days!

Ode to the DAEWOO

You were the first car I purchased with my own money,

I walked into the dealership and they thought they were funny.

They saw "sucker" written all over my face,

so they told me that they would cut right to the chase.

A car they would find to help fit in my budget,

the car company didn't exist, but they would just fudge it.

"A beautiful Daewoo is the best car for the price"

Later to find out it was worth less then rice.

I drove that old Daewoo and never had trouble

Though ridiculed and mocked for buying such rubble.

Some called her "Daepoo", but they didn't know

that she was my friend and would always go.

Today is the day that I sold the old girl.

I hope the new owner will realize the pearl

of a car, that has gotten a bad wrap

but runs like a gem and doesn't smell like crap.

Goodbye, goodbye my trusty old car

I know you will continue to go very far.

Too smart for her own good.

Aria is smart. Most of the time she is too smart for her own good. Take for instance;

Exhibit A:

Hot water

Our water cooler has hot water that is 190 degrees. Oh and yes, it does have a "child proof" switch so children cannot burn themselves. Aria has been getting herself hot water from the "child proof" hot water button since she was 2 1/2.

Exhibit B:

"Child proof" lids on vitamins or medications.

It could be that Aria was raised in an herbal supplement store, but she has been able to open the "child proof" lids on vitamins since she was 18 months. She wanted some vitamins so she was going to get them.

Exhibit C:

"Child proof" cabinet lock, door locks, socket covers etc. etc.

These silly contraptions have NEVER been a problem for Aria, we installed a bunch in our first house in Provo and I was always catching her in the cupboards with the latches on them.

Maybe she's not smart, maybe she is just super stubborn and wants what she wants when she wants it.

Exhibit D:

Writes her name and all the letters in the alphabet.

Aria doesn't draw, she writes. Since she learned her alphabet, she recognized letters everywhere. When she scribbles she can make letters out of her scribbles. So I was surprised when she asked me how to spell her name and she wrote it on a piece of paper. I taught her some of the harder letters but she pretty much taught herself how to write letters, and now she is writing words.

I am proud of her accomplishment. She is a little smarty pants and most of the time she makes me frustrated but she is getting so big, so fast so I am trying not to take her for granted.

Laila's first goose egg.

Laila is still a little unsteady on her feet and the result is a huge goose egg.

SAD!

Happy Birthday to Kelsey!

She turns the big 18 today. It is a big day she can now vote and by dry ice, so lucky. Kelsey is one of the sweetest, kindest, loveliest ladies that I know. She is so easy to talk to and so much fun to have around. My kids ADORE her...I ADORE her!

If you were turning 18 today what would you do differently...or the same? What advice would you give Kelsey? She is the youngest of 7, has 7 months left of high school, Varsity cheerleader and on Student Council.

What are some of your best memories of being 18? I know that she would love to know!

I love you Kels. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Halloween!

This year the girls were hand-me-downs for Halloween. Aria was a fairy and Laila a ladybug. I took them to to get their pictures done by Sarah Goodsell. She is FABULOUS, check her out.
I love how they turned out.

like, totally!

So, do I like, totally use the words, like and totally, like totally all the time?

Aria says to me the other day, "mom, I like, totally totally, drew a letter u, like totally."

I am the only one that is with her 24/7, do I seriously talk like that?

I don't think I use those words that much but could I be like, totally in denial?

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3!

Confession:

I am a 26 year old mother of 2 and I am so glad that they are girls, only because I have the excuse to take them to High School Musical 3. I seriously LOVE all the HSM movies. I have since the first time I saw Troy and Gabriella sing and they didn't even know each other. A few years later and they are graduating and moving on with their lives. Can I do the same?

This is definitely my favorite of the 3. It didn't hurt that Troy was smokin' HOT, and has some wicked dance moves. I love it all.

If you want to see a cheesy movie, let me know I will probably love it!

DTR?

2003...
I will never forget the day that Geoff asked me to be his girlfriend. I didn't think that I should assume that he wanted to date only me so I waited for the "DTR" (define the relationship). We were sitting on the couch and he asked me how I was doing, then proceeded to say how much he liked me and only wanted to date me. I was so excited and I couldn't wait to tell my mom and sisters.

5 years later... (names have been changed to protect the innocent)
I was talking to my friend "May" and she was telling me about the guy she is dating. I asked if she had "DTR"ed and they hadn't but she wasn't concerned. A few days later I was checking her facebook and noticed that in the relationship part it said "Tyler's" name. I got really excited and called her to find out that there was no DTR. "How can that be", you ask? Well one day "May" checked her facebook and the system told her that "Tyler" was requesting her to be in a relationship. So she said yes.

That my friends is how you DTR, 2008 style.

Digital Scrapbooking

Do any of you digital Scrapbook?

I HATE to scrapbook, I think it is a huge mess. But I think I could get into digital scrapbooking it seems easy and fun. Is this true?

Now I need some recommendations. What is the best software? Can you get free paper downloads? Does it manage your pictures? Is there anything else that I need to know? I have no idea what I am doing!

Please help me know what direction I should proceed. THANKS!!

I'm Behind

I have to apologize, I have recently realized that I am NOT a multi-tasker. When I am focused on something I have no room for thinking or doing other things. Hence when I am out of town doing lots of things I don't ever look at the computer, so when I get home I feel overwhelmed at all the things I want to remember and post. So in an effort not to get behind and not to feel overwhelmed here is our last few weeks in a recap.

The whole reason we were in Utah was because Geoff's Grandma Evelyn passed away. She is the most wonderful woman. I feel so lucky to have known her and we feel her with us all the time.

If you want to read the sweetest post on how Grandma Evie passed away read

We love you!

Family Photo

Thanks to the funeral the entire Hill family was together. It has been about 3 years since we have had a group picture. This family is getting large fast so it was IMPOSSIBLE that everyone was looking and smiling at the same time.

I love this picture of Tracy, Joeen and their kids
Our attempt at a family picture, thanks Laila.
Geoff and I haven't had a picture together in a long time. It felt like we were having our engagement pictures all over again.

Pumpkin Patch

There is the cutest pumpkin patch right up the street from our store, when I saw it I couldn't resist. What says fall better then a pumpkin patch?

The girls
Laila boo
Ari jo
Grandma Ruthie and the girls

Birthday Parties

Aria is so lucky that she happened to be by all her Grandparents and Aunties and Uncles on her birthday, that means lots of parties. She is also so lucky because she shares her birthday with her cousins Brady and Easton.

Aria was able to celebrate with her dad the day before her birthday because he had to leave the next day.


On Aria's birthday we were with Grandma and Papa Steed to have ANOTHER party!
We celebrated with a fresh peach cobbler, delicious!

Happy Birthday to ARIA!

Today my sweetheart is 3 years-old. It seems like only yesterday she was born. I remember it so well and it was definitely one of the BEST days of my life. This little lady is one of the funniest, cutest, most frustrating, sweetest, smartest kids in the world. I am so happy that she is mine. I love you Aria.
I will post all about her birth later because that is something I want to remember.