Merry Christmas

The girls had a great Christmas this year! One of the best things was that my parents got all the grandkids Cowboy boots and then my Dad made them belts that turned out so cute! We decided to take them yesterday and get their pictures taken in their new Western outfits. As pictures usually go, it was interesting... but we made it through.

They have been enjoying all their new toys, and of course fighting over them! But it's been a wonderful Christmas season and we are sad to have it ending. We have a lot to look forward to in the next several weeks with Baby Coulter on the way and 2009 promises to bring us more great times!

Santa...

How Lucky are my kids to not only have the Best Grandpa ever, but also have him as Santa... wherein they seem to get whatever their hearts desire! Mr. and Mrs. Claus have 8 tiny reindeer this year, but next year it will be nine...

**Finally Feels like Christmas**

I love this time of year!

Ashley was dressed all snugly and it was so cute that we were calling her a purple marsh-mellow. She didn't like that at all and started to cry. I said if you don't want to to be a purple marsh-mellow what do you want to be? She said a Cat. It was funny.

Thanksgiving Pictures...

Brinkley loved running through the leaves...

Ashley wanted to Pet the ducks...

It was a fun setting.

My 30 weeks, pregnant belly...

Training the next Generation...

Thanks Giving 2008!

Life Update...

Just some tid bit updates about our life...

A few weeks ago our ward split in half and we ended up on the side with the new ward and new bishopric. Tom and I both had high hopes for new callings, as we were a little burned out on the old ones. Tom got a definite upgrade when he was called as the advisor to the Teacher's Quorum. He is excited to be working with the YM and teaching on Sundays. I however... am still the ward welcoming committee, but the new bishop has now put that program under the ward mission leader. So, I am actually a ward missionary. I wish I could be more excited about it... but I'm just hoping to survive it really.

Things are a little back to normal for Tom and he has been helping me a ton around here. We've put together the nursery and cleaned all the baby things, so that we can be as ready as possible come February. I know it's still awhile away, but with the holiday's I feel like time is going to just fly by us. The girls helped also and they are very excited about all the mobiles, blankets and bathtub. They both look forward to being big helpers and I find them in the nursery sometimes just looking around at everything. I'm feeling really good, just a little tired sometimes. It's been an amazing experience so far.

We are still working on Ashley's adoption, and wishing that things could go a little more smoothly and a little more quickly... but we do what we can and pray for the Lord's help in getting it all to work out. We all need finalization, and she needs to be sealed. With the baby coming it's been fun to talk to them about their births and adoptions... They know that Brinkley was in Charlottes Tummy and Ashley was in Angie's Tummy and Baby Brother is in my Tummy. We call them their Tummy Mom's. Brinkley tells me that when she was born she was looking for me, and I tell her that I was looking for her to and heavenly father helped us to find each other. Since Ashley hasn't been in all of our pictures, we tell her that we didn't have her yet. She say's I lived with the Gines and then I got to come and live here with you and daddy and Brinkley and were a family. We have had some really precious conversations about it all.

The girls have also been busy making their Christmas Lists and trying hard to be "nice" so that Santa will bring them what they are asking for. Brinkley wants a cupcake maker and a scooter. Ashley wants a dress up dress. Luckily Santa should be able to find all that they want. We are looking forward to a fun holiday season with them. They are so excited about everything. It's just the best time of the year, and I look forward to it so much.

Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick update for now.

Halloween 2008

The girls were so excited for Halloween. Ashley was a little Lady Bug and Brinkley was a skeleton, but to scared of it to wear the mask part. They had a great time, and as always they got way to much candy!

Family Pictures...

We had family pictures taken, and your never sure how that adventure is going to go. Fortunately for Tom's sake... they went very smoothly and quickly! The girls did a great job and the photographer did a great job hiding my 6 month pregnant belly:).

Ashley was so excited to finally have family pictures. It's been hard for her to see pictures around and she isn't in them, because we didn't have her yet. After the family picture she ran over and looked a the screen saying, mommy, daddy, brinkley and Ashley to! She was so excited.

Brinkley...

Brinkley always loves to get her picture taken. Of course 2 days before pictures Ashley hit her in the face with a book and took a good chunk out. You can kind of see it, but we did ok with the makeup getting it to hide!

Pumpkins!

Thanks to Grandma for Taking us to the Pumpkin Patch! We had such a good time painting and carving pumpkins with everyone!

First Snow of the Year!

There really is something magical about the first snow of the year. Usually it's only a skiff that only lasts a couple hours. This year it was a pretty good dumping so there was plenty of time to get out there and build a snow man. There is also something so precious about a daddy willing to roll giant snow balls so that his little girls can proudly announce that they built a snowman. I on the other hand am just here to document the experience... and remember how much I loved the first snow of the year and building a snowman when I was a little girl.

I Can Not Believe it!!!

I never win anything, but check out this kids play house that I won. Only 1 entry and by some miracle they picked my name! We are so excited and can't wait to add it to our backyard! It was built by all their normal subs, so it is just like a real house. I still can't believe it!

Big Girl Rooms!

The girls get their new Rooms! With Baby Brother coming in February it was time to move the girls into their new rooms.

Brinkley moved into the log bedroom where she picked out a very pink and sparkly bed spread. I managed to tone it down a little by putting it with brown. She feels like a princess in her log bed with pink frillies all around!

Ashley got less choice in her bedding, but she loves it and I think it fits her personality perfectly. She has made the transition to her big girl bed really well and calls it her "Paint Room" because we painted it green.

Both Girls are having a great time in their new rooms and can't wait to help make the nursery up for our little brother!

Concrete Day!

We have been preparing for this concrete pad for months now and Saturday was finally the day to pour it. Thanks to Shay and everyone for helping us get it all done. It was a pretty amazing process and went much faster and smoother than I ever imagined that it would. And the weather worked out perfectly. There was only one small mishap where Brinkley was so excited to be able to ride her bike on the new pad that she came tearing out of the garage and right into the newly poured concrete. At which point I yelled at her to get out, which she did and then went in the house to hide in the closet. Now that it really is dry she has been riding her bike on it and making black skid marks. (of course she has :))

Anyway, Thank you so much to Everyone who helped us this summer, not only pour concrete... but lay sprinkler, move Sod, paint bedrooms and everything in between. We have an awesome family!

Happening Already...

I can't believe it's happening already! I was instructed by my 4 year old today that I was not allowed to walk her into her preschool class today. I was to stay in the car and let her go all by herself. Other kids are crying or kissing their moms goodbye... Brinkley is running off to class by herself, only looking back at me once as she went. I thought that was for the teenage years not preschool. At least she was happy to see me when I came to pick her up. I did go in the building to get her as there were no specifications for that.

Lake Powell (Aug. 29th - Sept. 4th)

We had another fun and eventful trip to Lake Powell last week. It's always the most fun trip of the year and we look forward to it starting the day we have to leave. This year we had so much fun swimming, playing in the sand and collecting sea shells. The girls were all so good to wear their life jackets all the time and follow the rules. They are good swimmers and great safety kids. Grandpa let them drive the boat, and took them for ice cream at Dangling Rope. Brinkley sat with me in the boat so that I could keep her safe. Ashley sat on the back bench and yelled "Papa go faster... really faster!" the whole time we were driving. Ashley even braved the house boat slide one time and did a great job! We also had Coyotes howling at us in the night and we were finally able to see one of them the day we left. We had a wonderful time playing games and visiting with each other. We even got to see Brett and his "Friend" Wendy, which was a treat because we don't see him as often as we would like to. Anyway... Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us to Powell!!!

Cabin...

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We went on a fun trip this weekend to a Cabin in the Uintah's. We went 4-wheeling, bike riding and fishing. We had such a great time with everyone. The kids especially loved playing outside with the dirt and sticks. They built some people out of all the things they found around the woods. They collected leaves (with some drama) and flowers in the forest and they took turns riding the fun 4 wheelers and the Ranger. We all had a great time!

Potty Time!

Very exciting day at our House... Ashley Pooped on the potty for the first time! Let me tell you, that is exciting to a two year old who gets star-burst's for doing it...and even more exciting to her Mom who buys and changes diapers! I really think if she will do it a couple more times, she will be potty trained in no time.

St. Anthony

We spent last weekend at St. Anthony. We camped and great campground right on the dunes. It had a wonderful playground to keep the kids entertained and Doug gave them all rides on his 4-wheeler. The other guys played with their RC Cars on the sand, until dad hit his into a water pipe and broke it. They spent the next hour or so fixing it. We also visited Mesa Falls which are always amazing to me. And on the way home we stopped at Lava Hot springs to go swimming. It was a fun weekend.