OUTSIDE FUN

Saturday after we returned from a bridal shower we were all in my moms house when I noticed Paislee was not sitting with us. I looked in the back of the house thinking she was with Grandpa and she wasn't. I started to get a little nervous, but as I came back out to the living room Rylan was gone too. This meant trouble! I walked out in the back yard to find this:

CRAZY UNCLE CODY!!!

ALMOST THERE

Jordan and I went out at midnight Thanksgiving night and started our Christmas shopping. We started at the Outlets and then headed to the other end of Las Vegas Blvd to the other Outlets. After we were done there we headed to Kohl's and then Walmart. By the time we got home it was 6:30AM. Almost all of the Christmas shopping is done. So needless to say we were exhausted Friday! Katilyn stayed with my kids throughout the night and most of the morning so we could sleep, but when we got up we didn't feel like doing much. We all stayed in our PJ's all day and started decorating the house. The kids had a blast!

My birthday is December 30th, everyone always says how much that must stink having it so close to Christmas. My mom was and is so great about making sure that they are two separate events. Well, this year I wanted a fake Christmas really bad. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to get one. I was talking to my mom about it and decided to ask her to buy me one for my birthday. She laughed at me. She said she didn't think that would be a very good birthday present, but I couldn't think of a better one. She gave in and got me this beautiful 9 foot tree. I love it and had a blast decorating it. Thanks, MOM

It was Rylan's turn to put the star on. He didn't do so well but he had fun trying!

Please excuse the star on the top. Rylan couldn't get it on and because it was his turn Jordan thinks it should stay that way. I'm not tall enough even with my stepping stool to fix it!

THANKSGIVING

We have had the same Thanksgiving tradition as long as I can remember. The day starts with my dad roping up the street, we then have dinner at 1pm and then we either go to a movie or go bowling. As the years have come and gone things really haven't changed, just the way I have looked at the days activities has changed. As I grew up I used to run the roping, just ate the dinner, and complained about not being able to go out with my friends after it was over. Well now I take my children to ride grandpa's horse, I spend the day before and Thanksgiving day in the kitchen, and I love going bowling with my family. I love it, I wouldn't have it any other way. This year we had Jordan's parents join my family. They came to watch my dad on his horse and then shared dinner with us. It was really nice not to have to worry about missing out on one family's Thanksgiving or trying to hurry to another house. I am so lucky that our family's have been able to mold together and that my in-laws feel so welcome at my parents home.

Jordan and Rylan got to break the wish bone on Saturday. Rylan won!

YES WE ARE THOSE PEOPLE

I have never been one to put up Christmas before Thanksgiving but Rylan has been insisting we put up our Christmas lights already. There are probably 15 houses in our neighborhood that have their lights up and 2 houses are in our little circle. So yes because the weather was so beautiful on Friday we started setting up our Christmas lights. I have not turned them on yet, although Rylan asked every night if we can, I just haven't been able to bring myself to do so. Jordan hasn't put them on the house yet so that helps with not wanting to turn them on. Although I will say if I had a fake Christmas tree I would have probably set that up this weekend also!

A NOVEMBER DAY AT THE PARK

I have lived in Las Vegas my whole life. Yes I lived in St. George, UT for one year of my college years and Cedar City, UT for another college year of my life so I will safely say of my 28 years of living 26 of them have been in Las Vegas, NV. I would like to take this opportunity to say I love Las Vegas! I will take 115 degrees in August over freezing temperatures and snow any day. Saturday, NOVEMBER 21st we spent the afternoon at the park feeding the ducks and playing on the playground. There surely was no snow, in fact I believe the temperature was in the 70's. Jordan and I joke that one day we would love to move, but it would defiantly take a lot to get me out of this wonderful city.

RYLAN AND PAISLEE MADE SURE THAT WE ALL WENT DOWN THE SLIDES!

THANKSGIVING DINNER

This little story began about two weeks ago when I asked my mother-in-law what she wanted to do for her birthday, did she want to go out to dinner or come over and I would cook or just have her and Bob go out to dinner. Well, she decided to just come over to our house for dinner. So I asked her what her favorites were so I knew what to cook. Of course being a wife to a very picky eater she didn't know what her favorites were. So I left her house last Sunday night not knowing what I was going to do for this women for dinner. Monday as I was vacuuming (I get most of my good thoughts while I am vacuuming) I decided we needed to do a Thanksgiving dinner. Last Thanksgiving my in-laws ate at Bob's sisters house and it was not a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Vaunette has yet to get over the fact the her Thanksgiving was ruined because she did not get turkey or mashed potatoes. I figured if she is still upset about a dinner a year later this must be one of her favorites. I called up Jennifer and arranged for her and Jeff to come down for dinner, which was a plus because they will be having Thanksgiving this year with Jeff's family. I was a little nervous because I have never done Thanksgiving dinner before. A few years back Jordan and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner, but my mom still did almost all of the cooking! With a lot of phone calls to my mother and 9 hours in the kitchen yesterday,

My turkey started like this:

And ended like this:

I would say my first Thanksgiving dinner was a success!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA COACHE

Tonight we celebrated Vaunette's birthday. Rylan is now at the age were he knows what birthday party's are and he was so excited the grandma's birthday party was at his house! Vaunette watches the kids for me on Tuesday's and I am so lucky that she is willing to do that for me and my children. She is a wonderful grandma that loves spending time with the kids. Thank you Grandma Coache for all you do for our little family!

OUR NEW BABYSITTING TECHNIQUE

A few Sundays back the kids were hiding in my closet. Jordan thought it would be funny to hide Paislee up in the top of my closet. Well today as we were getting ready Paislee again wanted to hide up there. When Rylan saw what Paislee got to do and he thought he should be able to go up there too! They wanted to stay up there until Grandma came to find them. I told them they had to come down because she wasn't coming until dinner and that was lots of hours away! Jordan finally had to pull them down, they were having way to much fun up there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE CODY

I am feeling extremely old in this post. My little brother that should really be about 4 years old is now 16 years old with a divers license! Cody and I are almost 12 years apart so when I left for college he was jut starting kindergarten. My husband Jordan has been apart of Cody's life sense he was 5. He should not be 16 years old. My friends and I in high school spent a lot of time at my parents house and of course there was Cody. It didn't matter if it was 1am he was still up running around the pool table chasing one of my friends. Cody is turning into a wonderful young man. He is definitely a teenage boy but we love him. He can be a wonderful Uncle when he wants to be and my children just adore him.

ANIMAL HOUSE

Wednesday night I was so excited to watch the Country Music Awards. Jordan was working on the computer and the kids asked if they could play with their animals. Rylan has the plastic little play animals that he has loved to set up on his mats for years. He probably has 75 of these silly little animals. I noticed that I hadn't seen or heard from the kids in a little while so as I went to go up the stairs I saw this:

They had everyone of the little animals along the banister. It had to have taken them a good half hour to get them all up there. I was just impressed they did it without fighting! After they had had enough of that they brought them all down stairs and set them up down stairs.

The house was a disaster by the end up the night, but I got to watch the CMA's, Jordan got his homework done and the kids played all night without fighting!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT

Today is Julie's Birthday. Julie has been known as "Aunt" from the day Rylan was born. She has been the second mother to both of my children. She has been there every step of my children's lives and they couldn't ask for a better Aunt! She is a great Aunt and Sister and I know she is going to be a wonderful mother here is just a few weeks. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT!