Provo tabernacle fire

How cool is this. The Provo tabernacle burned down(sad) but look at this picture that was saved. Look at that burn pattern.

Christmas activites

Every year we make delicious sugar cookies. Alyssa was very delighted to be involved this year. She spent most the time time trying to steal pieces of the dough to eat. I don't blame her though it is delicious. It was really funny, she would start to roll the dough and then sneakily stick her hand down and grab a chunk of dough. 

We also went to Temple Square to see the lights. It was cold. Alyssa spend most of the time cuddle up in her stroller. She didn't want to get out. The only time we made her was to get a picture and as you can see she wasn't to happy about that.

Family Pictures

 

We had family pictures taken by a local photographer, I researched many different people on the internet. I found a girl that I really liked. We were lucky to get in with her before Christmas so we could use the pictures for our cards. We went up A.F canyon. It was cold but we were able to get some great pictures. We were really happy how they turned out.  Here are some of the pictures.

For my friend Jess

I was reading my friend Jessica's blog last week. She posted a story about her 1 year old daughter. She said that the best cure for a diaper rash was nakedness. So she let her little girl run around with out a diaper on. Of course the girl pooped and Jess cleaned it up and kept her nakey. Then the girl pooped again! So by that time I guess she learned her lesson and put a diaper back on the girl.
Well Alyssa today has a bad diaper rash. It is really sad. Every time she poops or pee's she cries "Ouie". I have been putting cream on it but she walks around like she was riding a horse. So I decided to let her run free. I thought she has NEVER pooped outside of her diaper before, in the bath or anywhere else. I thought, she wont. Well of course she does. She starts crying and saying "Uh Oh"  Thank goodness it wasn't that much. I ran her to the bathtub cleaned her up. Then cleaned up the tile (thank goodness not the carpet)! Alyssa was very upset by the incident. She walks over the the spot and says ":Uh Oh, poopoos". Well unlike my friend Jess, I learned from her story I put a diaper back on her. Poor girl is still suffering, but in her diaper.

Stocking

I am so excited! I have been working on a needlepoint stocking for Alyssa since I was pregnant with her. It took me about 1 year and 9 months to finish it. But it is finally finished and hanging on the mantel. I think it is beautiful. My mom handmade needlepoint stockings for us kids and I wanted to keep the tradition going with my own kids.  Russ says the stocking should be gold plated for how much it costs to do. But I told him that this is the only homemaker craft thing I do, plus it is worth it. I even bought my canvas at the same store my mom bought mine at 27 years ago. The canvas's are hand painted. Now they are bigger than they use to be, you can see how Alyssa's is the biggest. Here is what it looks like

Happy Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year we were lucky to have out of state relatives join us in our celebration. My cousins from Colorado came and my Grandparents, along with my immediate family. We also had an early Thanksgiving on Sunday with Russ's family. We had a wonderful time eating good food, playing games and talking. I love it when we have a large group of family together for the holidays. Alyssa is a social butterfly and anytime we are getting ready for something or people come over she gets so excited. She gladly ran to the door anytime the doorbell rang. We also made turkeys out of candy for each person. During the preparation she was going a little crazy trying to be too involved. Once she sat at her place she couldn't help her self and started tearing it apart. During the prayer I peaked at her and she was folding her arms but with on of her hands was poking the frosting and licking it. 

The day after Thanksgiving we did a little shopping (not much but got some good deals) and we went and saw the Rockettes. It was a fun Christmas event. Alyssa loved the dancing, music and lights but DID NOT like Santa and would start screaming Bye Bye anytime he came on stage. Silly girl.

This is Alyssa eating her candy turkey before her meal.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Alyssa was really excited on Sunday morning to see the snow on the ground. I bundled her up and we headed outside to play in it. Last year she was too little to really play in the snow so I was excited to show it to her. We have a perfect little hill in our yard. I put her on the sled and pushed her down. She was so excited. She jumped up and said more and started walking up the hill again. She enjoyed eating the snow, helping me build a snow man and jumping on the tramp with the snow on it.

The snowsuit is from last year. It still fits(the joys of having a tiny girl!)

Throwing snow on to the sled. We need to find waterproof gloves, do they make those
in tiny sizes? The cotton ones get snow stuck to them and obvious water can leak through.

Ready to sled, a small but perfect hill for Alyssa