Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve relaxing and watching movies. Since Christmas was on a Sunday this year, we did things a little bit different. Chelsea & Connor came over at 9 for breakfast and then we went downstairs to see what Santa brought us.

Santa brought me a nail care kit, mouse, and bath stuff. Kenna got Cars Monopoly, Dominoes, and a puzzle. She was SOOOO excited! Chelsea & Connor got a picture of Christ, and Chase got a telescope.
We all went to church, Kenna & I went to my ward and everyone else went to Mom and Dad's ward. After church we all sat down and opened presents.
Merry Christmas Mom!
Dad got mom a KitchenAid mixer this year! I am excited to use it.

I got a bean bag chair, a cute shirt and jacket, boots, and a Cricut cutter and Gypsy from my parents. McKenna got me the Sisters by Heart Willow Tree Set.

The kids got mom the Shepherd and stable animals set for her Willow Tree Nativity and we made dad a book and calendar on Shutterfly. They loved their gifts!
I had Chelsea this year and I painted a toy box for Carson, made her carseat cover and scrapbooked her shower, and gave her some scrapbook stuff. Mom and Dad got them the stroller carseat combo that they wanted.

Holiday Fun

This December has been a busy and fun one! It has been great to spend time with family and friends. It has been a struggle to fight off the sugar coma which comes with all the goodies!

One night, Kenna and I cut out paper dolls using a cricut cartridge that we borrowed from a neighbor. After the 5 or so hours of fun, we decided that this is something we will need to purchase!
My paper dolls:
Kenna's:
McKenna and I also decided to get matching sister necklaces and rings! It is kind of fun and we feel special. Our necklaces say "My Sister, My Friend" and our rings have a little heart on them!
Tonight is our Griffiths family Christmas party. I was asked to bring a dessert this year and I made cupcakes! They didn't turn out quite like I would like, but they aren't horrible!

Company Christmas Party

This was one for the books!!

I had a date this year!!! Nobody saw that coming! My best friend, Kiel, went with me. It was great! We went to the Bluebird for dinner and the dinner was VERY good. I had something with chicken and sauce, potatoes, salad, and a roll. Then for dessert Turtle Cake! We then went to the Ellen Eccles Theatre for Bar J Wranglers. It was my first time seeing them. I don't like country and not a fan of anything Western, but it was very good and hilarious! Thanks Ipaco and Kiel for a great night!

Family Party: Whites

This year the Whites came to our house for our Christmas party. I was also watching my friend's little boy. We had a blast! We had Olive Garden for dinner and pie for dessert. It is so fun to have little kids around. Brooklyn and Dakota LOVE Chase and followed him everywhere. We all took turns holding the babies, Zoe & Nolan.
Mom made tutus for the girls and gave Nolan a little John Deere Tractor.

Brad & Brooklyn enjoyed playing with the pipe cleaners and they even made a crown that ended up on Rick's head!

Christmas Time is Busy but Great!

I just want to recap my December so far! On the first of December we got our family pictures done and Kaela at Fresh Fotos did a great job! That night a friend and I went to a fireside at which Elder M. Russell Ballard came and spoke. On Saturday we were pleasantly surprised by a visit from Grandma Williams! She came down to see us all and bring us our Christmas ornament. They are really cute snowmen this year! We took her to see Chelsea's house and to Lee's to visit McKenna. On Monday we went Sub for Santa shopping. Then this week I have taught piano, worked, wrapped gifts for mom and dad and the sub for Santa gifts. I have been working on Chelsea's Christmas gift and trying to keep my room clean (not easy when your room is as small as mine!). The rest of December probably won't slow down any! Family parties tomorrow and the 23rd! Company party on the 17th. Somewhere in there I want to fit in making fudge and I would love to find time to go to Temple Square to see the lights!

The Christmas Spirit

Nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit more than our family tradition of going shopping as an extended family for a family in need. Tonight we all met at the mall split into groups and began shopping. Chase and I shopped for a 3 year old boy. It didn't take us long at all!
We got him 3 shirts, a hoodie, a pair of jeans, play-doh, a book, a tonka truck, and an electronic "laptop".
We loved it and can only imagine how excited this little boy we have never met will be on Christmas morning.
I have always loved giving gifts more than receiving. That is probably why this is my favorite family tradition.

Grateful 26, 27, & 28

I have been slacking in my blogging the last few days! :( I am grateful for the opportunity to be busy. I know right!?!? Some people may not like this thought, but it actually is a good thing! Friday night Chelsea and McKenna came over and we made pipe cleaner poinsettias and listened to their hilarious and terrible black friday shopping stories.On Saturday I worked on a custom cradle bumper set for one of my co-workers. I took a break to help Chase make a gingerbread Christmas tree. I was going to take pictures, but Chase ate all the ornaments off before I had a chance! On Sunday, Heather came to church with me and then stayed for dinner and to visit afterward. We haven't seen her in a while, so it was nice to catch up! I worked some more on the bumpers and then went to tithing settlement. There I got to visit with Brenna for a few (it is always fun to chat with her! She is awesome!). I ran out of supplies so I couldn't finish the bumpers until Monday. Little did I know how busy my Monday would become. I worked from 8 until 2:30 and then went to Hobby Lobby to get more supplies. Then I ran to the post office and went home to eat my late lunch. I checked my email and found 2 custom tree skirt sales! Mom and I ran back to Hobby Lobby and then I got started on the skirts! I found some time to finish the custom bumpers and finished a tree skirt! I put all my stuff away for the night (it was 8:30), and then went to check my email. ANOTHER CUSTOM TREE SKIRT! I managed to straighten up my room, finish some last minute things for piano lessons, and then crashed! I woke up early and got to work an hour early to vacuum all the dust bunnies hiding in my office. Once I am done at work, I will be going back to Hobby Lobby for more supplies, teaching piano lessons, and then working on another custom tree skirt today. Then I will be packaging them all up and going to the post office tomorrow. My week has started out really busy, but GREAT! I prefer to be busy then be looking for something to do.

Grateful #25

BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!

I don't usually get into the craziness of this morning! I don't care for crowds and some of the people out there are NUTS! Last night mom and I went to Michaels and found some great deals! I got a 21 opening collage frame for $10. We stayed up until midnight to make sure that Connor was able to get something we needed at Walmart which was a success! At that point I decided to wake up and go to Shoe Carnival. I slept for 3 hours, got up and drove to Shoe Carnival. There was a pair of boots I wanted originally $59.99 but on sale for $28.98. Then the 1st 100 people there got a reward card good for at least $10 off. PLUS a coupon to get $5 off any purchase of $28.98 or higher! I was one of the 1st 100 people and quickly got the boots, tried them on to make sure they fit right, paid $15 (with tax) for the boots, and was back home in bed within an hour of waking up! Thankfully most people got their craziness out of their system before they went to Shoe Carnival! Since work was slow today (we don't do Black Friday sales), mom and Chase came in and we took our time cleaning the store.
I'm also excited that online stores also offer great deals. We have been making something online for our dad for Christmas and not only do we get free shipping, but we get an additional great item for free! Can't be too specific since I want this to be a surprise for dad. I will post more about it after Christmas! Now we get to start decorating for the Christmas and finishing up the homemade gifts!
I am having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale in my CutesieBee etsy shop! 40% off tree skirts, 20% off blankets and burp cloths, 10% off carseat covers, and 30% off apron chef sets.

Grateful #24

I am grateful that we have a holiday based on being grateful for everything we have been blessed with and a day in which we can spend with our families and loved ones. We had a wonderful meal here as a family and a lot of conversation and laughter. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!

I am so glad that the Lord sent me to this family. They are amazing!
We missed Chelsea and Connor this year but did get to talk to them.

Grateful #23

I am grateful for

COLORS
Not only am I grateful that the Lord created so many beautiful colors, but also that I have the ability to see them. It is amazing how colors can affect your mood and your outlook on life. Currently my favorite colors are:

Light Pink:
Yellow: (this particular shade)
Light Green:
I have also recently decided that lillies in mango or pink and roses that are pink & yellow combined are my new favorite flowers. I wonder if all these colors and flowers are jumping out at me because I am already craving spring.

Grateful #22

Today I am grateful for a new favorite candy bar! I was waiting in line at Hobby Lobby to check out and saw these! I decided to try one, as I was hungry! They are amazing! It is definitely my new favorite candy!

Grateful #21

I am grateful for great co-workers! I get to share an office with my good friend, Nyla. We have a great time and it is so enjoyable to get to work with her! Another of my co-workers is a big supporter of my CutesieBee shop as he and his wife are expecting their first girl in December! I really work with some great people and get to also work with my dad, uncles, grandpa, and cousins.

I am also grateful for Chase. Today I came home from work to get some pacifier clips ready to ship out and he helped me count out beads and was my extra set of hands. He didn't even whine about it! Then I took him to Shopko so he could get some new shoes, he is a lot like me: LOVES SHOES. He picked out some great ones! I really have an awesome brother!

Grateful #20

I am grateful for waffles and linger longers!?!?!

I am on the linger longer committee in my ward and today we made about 400 waffles for both wards for a combined linger longer. We had 11 waffle irons going and me and my friend, Kiel, worked out a great system for whipping those waffles out! There was a lot of laughter and fun in the kitchen and the waffles were a big hit! People loved it!!!!!!!!!!! And we had enough waffles for everyone! Our linger longer was a success and we are now off the hook until January!

Grateful #19

Today I am grateful for BABIES! This was the reason for a party today. Today I threw a baby shower for my sister, Chelsea, who is expecting in February. She was so spoiled! We had so many family and friends come over! My aunt Kaily and her beautiful baby, Zoe, came for the whole afternoon!!!!! It was so AWESOME! I spent most of the afternoon getting hugs and kisses from that sweet little girl and also getting to enjoy her while she slept in my arms.

My dad took these adorable pictures of Zoe:

We are so blessed to know so many great people and have them in our lives! Chelsea got so many things! Some of the things she got were:
Baby Clothes
Bath Stuff
Diapers & Essentials
A Pack n' Play
Toys
Quilts (She got 3 of them today!)
She also got 2 diaper cakes!

YAY for the excitement of getting ready for my 1st nephew and I can't wait to meet him. He is already soooo loved!

Grateful 16 &17

I am grateful for Disney. I know this may seem strange, but they are all great movies and stories and even the pictures lift my spirits. There are also great one liners and funnies in these movies. It is important to take time for ourselves and sometimes that is taking a couple of hours to relax and watch a movie. Some of my favorite characters are:
Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder


Mushu

Genie

Prince Naveen

Another thing that I am grateful for is great friends. My friend Nyla, is helping me and my mom throw Chelsea a baby shower tomorrow. She is making the cream puffs for us! How awesome is that!?!?!?

Grateful #16

Today I am grateful for the temple! Last night I got to go and do a session with my dad. It was great to take a break from the things that I needed to do and feel the spirit. It is such a privilege and honor to be able to enter the temple and do work for the dead. It helped today go better and help to fill my spiritual cup!

Grateful #15

My MOM!

Even though I was said to leave the kids I stayed the weekend with, I'm glad to not be the "mom". Cooking is not one of my strong points and that was the biggest stretch for me. Thankfully these kids are angels and there really wasn't any problems. Mostly my job consisted of fixing meals, helping with homework or piano practice, playing games or doing crafts with the kids, or just being there for support. I know moms do A LOT more than that on a daily basis. I'm excited that tonight I don't have to think about what to feed 4 kids or who needs to be picked up from swim practice and at what time. I appreciate my mother and everything she does. As I have gotten older, there is also a kind of friendship that has developed between us. I am so blessed to have her!

Grateful #14

I am grateful for marbles and crafts!I had a lot of fun teaching the girls how to make yo-yo gathered flowers and helping them put hair clips together. I also had fun playing trios and marbles with Peter. He has a really cool set that you can make marble tracks so here are some pics!



The girls made a lot of hair clips! Here are all of the new additions to their hair accessories!

Grateful #13

Today I am grateful for Brynn! She is one of the girls that I am nannying this weekend and she has been such a big help! I don't cook often and then when I get thrown into a new family, I have to try to figure out what they like and will eat! Brynn has been helping me and she picked out dinner for last night, nothing to extravagant, just hamburgers and homemade fries. I was even complimented by the kids! Today she is helping me make Lasagne and bread sticks. We'll see how it goes! Feeding the kids was the only stressor I have had since 2 are picky and the other will really only eat quesidillas, PB&J sandwiches, and pancackes (which were breakfast this morning). I am staying with them until Tuesday and I'm sure everything will go well for the rest of the stay. Tomorrow for dinner they are thinking either spaghetti or Wendys.....

Daddy Daughter Date

Tonight I am grateful for Subway, Lees, Banana Splits, and DAD!!!

Mom and Chase were at a swim meet tonight, so when we got off work, we went to Subway for dinner. And thanks to our rewards card, both sandwiches were free! Then we went to Lees to get ice cream for sundaes and decided to get our flu shots while we were there. Dad got to meet my friend Kiel and we got our ice cream: Vanilla and Rocky Road! Then we came home, pulled out the left over sundae toppings from Young Women in Excellence and discovered that we had bananas! Our sundaes turned into banana splits.....YUM!

What a fun evening! Thanks Dad! Love You!


(I am also counting this as Grateful day 12 since I go to nanny for the weekend tomorrow morning and I don't know how getting to a computer is going to go.....)

Grateful Day 11

I am grateful for the JJ Cole Warehouse sale! That's right, we went. Chelsea, Mom, and I went to the warehouse sale for JJ Cole this morning at the old Borders. Everything is like 70% off and they have really neat stuff.
What I got:
A diaper bag with the clips to hook to a stroller handle
Diaper Changing pad
Nursing Cover
Pacifier Pod
Diapers & Wipes pod
Diapers & Wipes Caddy
Warm Bundle me Carseat Covers
Bib
Furry Bundleme hat
Receiving hat
I got this all for $80!!!! You should check out JJ Cole to see what they usually are! I was pretty excited. They will probably go into storage for when I get to be a mom or maybe a few of them will make neat gifts!

Grateful #10

I am grateful for Autumn! This is my favorite season of all time! I love the colors, the crisp air and the overall change. Autumn is a time when I crave change in my life and the season is also changing. It usually goes by too quickly and I want to enjoy every moment of it!