Family Time

{Temple Square}

We almost got frostbite, and it was really crowded,

but, as usual, the lights did not disappoint! We 

were able to make it up to the Christus statue too which

was lovely as well. 

This picture doesn't do it justice but

this red tree is so beautiful!

Mabel insisted on bringing her stoller with

us which was the funniest thing ever to navigate
through the crowds of people!  It's funny now.

I wanted to poke my eyes out then.

{FROZEN}

We took Mabel to her first movie,

"Frozen" and she loved it! I wasn't sure if 

she would sit through the whole thing but she did.

She liked eating popcorn and drinking 

from daddy's slurpee.

(Nate took some time off work and we were

in heaven with him home AND Nana

and Grandpa and Jacob around - it was the best!)

Kraig and Jacob drove home the Saturday

before New Year's (Mabel was so sad!) 

but my mom stayed for another week, 

woo hoo!!!

{Tea Time}

My mom has had this tea set for awhile now 

(my Nana gave it too her for when Mabel was ready)

and Mabel was in tea time heaven.

Grandma Naylor tasting the Lemon Curd I 

got her for Christmas - it was REALLY good!

She loves lemon.

My mom and I both both found 

French Presses on sale and were excited to

try some of our new Crio Bru drink.

It was GROSS!

It's a super healthy hot chocolate drink

but it tastes like watered down baking chocolate.

Once we added some cream and sugar 

it helped a little bit, but then it wasn't 

very healthy anymore!

It was fun to try it and I love that my mom

is always up to some fun food/drink adventures!

Twelve Twenty-Five Thirteen

{christmas day}

2013

Watching The Nativity before heading out

to see presents.

I was so excited to see her open this:

She had a serious jam session (all the classics) right

after she opened it. I would love it if 

she inherited some of her daddy's musical talents.

She calls the guitar pick her toothpick. :)

Her trademark cheese smile.

Of course we had to have a little duet!

Even baby #2 got a little present

in it's stocking.

The gang drove down from Kamas...

Mabel has been talking about wanting 

"beeknockers" for a month now.

Nana and Grandpa Kraig made

all her dreams come true.

Check out that face!

Nana couldn't resist getting her second 

grandchild a few things. :)

Kraig was really excited to try out his 

Turn & Churn on the drive home!

Nate decided he wanted to be in charge of 

Christmas dinner! Sounds good to me.

He made bacon wrapped rosemary chicken.

Here he is making the brine several hours before:

Mrs. Claus brought Nate a few new cymbals for 

his drumset for Christmas. He got some good drumtime
in on Christmas day...and we all thought we had a
bandmember living in our basement.

He cooked the chicken in the oven for a little while

and then put it on the grill. It was so moist and tasty - 

and that is coming from someone who 

is very picky about her chicken!

I wish I had some right now.
Good job babe!

Dr. Mabel had to perform a few emergency procedures

 on Nana before dinner.

Earlier in the day we got to Skype with my dad & 

family in Michigan.  Thank goodness for Skype,

we love being to "see" family that we don't get to

visit often enough!

We got to talk to our missionaries in Austria too!  They were

wearing their matching his and hers sweaters.  

We sure miss these two!

...christmas eve...

My mom, my step-dad Kriag, and younger brother 

Jacob drove out to Utah to spend Christmas with us - 

YAY!!!

We spent Christmas eve in Kamas with my grandparents,

my Aunt Kristy, and a few cousins.

The love that Mabel has for her Uncle Jacob

is the sweetest thing. She has always had a special bond with

him and I love watching them interact. 

He would go downstairs to get a drink, or go to the bathroom

and Mabel would come running to me asking where

he went. I'm hoping Jacob wants to move to Utah 

and become our nanny. Please Jacob, I'm begging you,

at least for the winter!

When I was a kid my grandma would always makes

pounds of sugar cookie dough for me and my cousins

so we could cut out cookies and decorate them.  

We are carrying on that tradition...

but instead of quadrupling the recipe we just made

one batch for Mabel and Jack.

(Santa doesn't need the extra sugar cookie calories!)

Just a FEW sprinkles:

Mabel got some new doctor stuff

that she was very excited about.  She 

has been pretty obsessed with playing doctor

for a few months now since she had

her last vaccines.  She pretends she

is "Marci" our pediatrician's nurse.

(The one who gave her the shots.)

She helped everyone open their gifts:

  Grandma & Grandpa tried to stump

us again this year with a tricky plastic maze

with money inside that had to be solved 

in order to get the money out.

Nate got it first and I was second!

(Usually I am always last at figuring

out Grandma's clever puzzles.)

On the drive home we 

experienced a Christmas 

miracle....something

that hasn't happened for over 

two looooooong years...

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Mabel fell asleep

in her carseat!!!!!

Poor thing was exhausted from waking up at 

the crack of dawn, refusing to take a nap, and being

part of all the Christmas festivities. Instead of 

tap dancing in the backseat while yelling at the

top of her lungs - like she normally does when 

she is tired in the car - she just shut her eyes

and fell asleep.  Nate and I were in shock 

and I kept turning around to see if it was 

really true or if maybe she was just faking it

and her eyes would pop open and she would yell,

"Gotcha Ya Suckers!" 

But she didn't. She slept all the way home and

Nate and I got a glimpse into what life is 

like for most parents whose children

sleep in the car.

Heaven.