christmas dresses

The girls looked so cute in their dresses today!  Jeff and I had to speak and Heidi decided she would give a talk too.  She did a great job!  She decided she liked it so much she stood next to me the entire time I was speaking...that was a little difficult but it was okay and we are relieved it's over and done with! I didn't get this picture until after church so their hair all looks a little scraggly and Caimbree's bow got lost somewhere, but they are still adorable!  Love their beautiful dresses!

playing in the snow

 The girls went out with Jeff and Michael today to enjoy the aftermath of our snowstorm.  Savanna lasted about five minutes before she decided she was way too cold but Heidi was a little trooper.  They packed buckets full of snow and made a snow fort.

 Heidi has been dying to make a snowman because our neighbors brought a snowman kit and she has been dying to put it on her snow girl...notice she made it with a skirt because she insisted that it was a girl.

 Savanna was thrilled when she saw Heidi's creation so Jeff grabbed her and took her out to see it.  Of course she had to give it a kiss.

The girls love the snow!  It has been fun to have a little white on the ground and I'm glad they finally got some snow to build a snow girl! What luck that we happened to get enough snow to play in when their dad was home to enjoy it with them!

rice cereal

We gave Caimbree her first taste of rice cereal last night.  It went about the same as it did with Heidi and Savanna...she had no idea what to do with her tongue, her hands kept getting in the way, and the cereal ended up just about everywhere but in her stomach!  It's always a little tricky getting them to learn how to eat!  Heidi and Savanna had a blast watching her and were giggling at my attempts to get the food in her mouth.  We will keep working at it!  Hopefully she will pick up on it soon!

a very merry christmas

 We had a wonderful Christmas today!  The girls are still too young to wake up too early which is great.  Well, I guess according to most people it was early, but we have a 6 AM wake up every day.

 We opened stockings first, had our traditional german pancakes and breakfast casserole for breakfast, and then opened the gifts under the tree.  I don't know why I can't get Caimbree to have anything but a super serious face in pictures, because she really isn't super serious most of the time!  I think she had a fun Christmas and enjoyed watching the chaos.  Her stocking was filled with baby food and binkys.

 Savanna was sure her stocking was full of baby food too because she thought whatever she saw anyone else get, she was also getting.  She was so fun this year.

 Savanna did awesome opening presents and she was so cute because she would rip one tiny piece off at a time.  Heidi just wanted her to tear into it, but we let her take her time.

 Caimbree was a trooper all day. Love, love, love this little baby.

 Heidi enjoyed opening Caimbree's gifts.

 The girls got darling matching dresses from grandma Hunziker.  They can't wait to wear them on Sunday.

 Caimbree pretty much got books and a few clothes.  She seemed more than satisfied.

 The girls were so cute and were so happy with each and every gift.  I felt like we did really well with gifts this year. They each got one big thing and then two or three small things plus what they got from their cousin and grandma.  It didn't seem like too much so I was glad.

Heidi's main gift was the Doc McStuffins clinic. She wanted it in the worst way.  It was the last thing she opened and she thought maybe she wasn't good enough to get it.  She had a sad little look of disappointment on her face when she realized there was only one thing left.  She was so thrilled when she realized we had saved the best for last.  She has been busy checking her animals all day long and I am sure she will get many hours of fun playing with her clinic.  Overall, it was a fabulous Christmas!  We even got some snow at the end of the day and the earth looks clean and white.  We had a fun day together and we always, always love having Jeff  around more than usual!

'twas the night before christmas

After a month of anticipation, Christmas is tomorrow.  I have just a bit of sadness as another year comes to a close and the excitement that has been building all month is coming to an end.  Next year the girls will just be a little older and I can't help but think about how at the ages they are, we are experiencing some of the best years of our lives.  It's hard to put into words, but I have said it many times before, watching my girls grow up is almost painful for me to watch.  I love their starry eyed wonder and complete innocence.  They are so pure and completely un-jaded from the world.  Anyway, we had a wonderful day today.  My little brother, Michael, came into town.  We got some of the baking ready for tomorrow's breakfast.  The girls helped me get the house clean to my standards and got along like little angels all day long.  After dinner they got to open their Christmas Eve gift, which of course was their pajamas.  Oh my goodness were they thrilled about them matching this year!  My days are so limited with them thinking this is so fun.  They could not wait to jump in the tub and get their
Christmas jammies on.  They cold not have looked more adorable and they were all equally excited to see each other wearing the same set (well, Caimbree may not have really noticed, but Heidi and Savanna sure couldn't get enough).  Savanna kept saying, "Jammies!  Jammies!"  She would point at Caimbree and say, "Maimee!  Jammies!"  Heidi kept saying, "Oh Savanna!  You just look adorable!!"  Heidi was especially excited to have footie pajamas.  She has been begging for some for weeks so these did not disappoint and I'm glad I didn't get the ones I was originally going to get.  The girls went outside and threw their reindeer dust that Heidi's friend brought over.  We then went to go look at Christmas lights, which of course is a highlight the entire month. After that they got hot chocolate while they watched their favorite Christmas movie, The Grinch.  After that we put out treats for Santa along with an absolutely darling picture Heidi had drawn Santa that had Frosty, a Christmas tree, and kids sitting on Santa's lap.  Then the girls cut the stockings off the banister and set them up.  After that, we snuggled up on the couch and read of Christ's birth from the New Testament.  Definitely the best part of the whole night.  As I sat there listening to Jeff read with both of my girls snuggled in my lap and listening to Heidi's excitement as she realized the story her daddy was reading was the story we have
been discussing all month long. We sang Silent Night after which Heidi said, "Let's sing another song about Jesus.  How about Away in a Manger?"  I had tears in my eyes listening to her sweet little voice singing about the Savior.  We knelt in family prayer and tucked our sweet little angels in bed.  I have tears in my eyes as I type this thinking of how blessed I am.  I have the most beautiful little girls who love me unconditionally, in the same way I know my Savior loves me...flaws and all.  I am so grateful for Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful he came to this earth and lived and died for me.  I am so grateful I was blessed to find such a remarkable man to be my husband and enjoy this journey with.  I am so grateful for my girls.  Life is crazy and chaotic and I am sleep deprived, but I could not imagine my life without my hubby and sweet girls .  I can't wait to spend a wonderful day together tomorrow.  Merry, Merry Christmas!

"how was it, mom?"

Yesterday was the Christmas program at church.  Heidi sang two songs with the primary and did great...she definitely belts it out and we could hear her loudly above all the other kids.

Heidi also had the opportunity to sing another solo.  I am so proud of my brave girl!  She was actually super excited, but I definitely get a little nervous because at her age, you just never really know what they will do.  I got to play the piano for her, which I loved doing the song with her.  She sang, "Oh Hush Thee My Baby."  She did so awesome!  At the end while she was still on the chair and right in front of the microphone she said, "HOW WAS IT, MOM?"  The entire chapel erupted in laughter.  It was a good end to a great solo!  We are so proud of our little Heidi girl!

six months

 Happy half birthday to our little Caimbree girl!  I can't believe we have already had her half of a year!  She is growing and changing every day.  I set her appointment up for January, but I think she has grown quite a bit and carries the majority of her weight in her cheeks!  We love those cheeks!

*By far my baldest and lightest haired baby.
*I am pretty sure her eyes will stay light colored.  I would be shocked if they went dark but I am not sure if they will end up blue or green.
*Rolls from her back to her tummy the second you lay her down.  Then she gets mad that she's on her tummy after a minute or two.  She has rolled from her tummy to back, but it doesn't happen very often.
*Sucks her thumb or fingers from time to time, but still enjoys her binky.  Of course the only binky she will take is the hospital soothie one.  I have tried just about every other type but she refuses to take them.
*Usually takes a very shot cat nap in the morning and a longer afternoon nap and sometimes another cat nap in the evening.
*She is driving me nuts at night!  Sometimes she will sleep almost the whole night through (only waking around 4 or 5) and other nights (like last night) she is up all night long!  It's nights like last night where I feel like I am going to lose my mind!  I wish I knew what to do but I do think a lot of it is that she is learning to move her body around and gets uncomfortable or just wakes herself up with the movement.  Of course when she has horrible nights, she is a monster all day and refuses to take anything more than a cat nap.  I am praying for a better night tonight.
*By far my loudest baby.  And I mean loud.  That is a big reason I have not yet moved her upstairs.  She is seriously so loud.  I know she will wake the other two up before I can get to her and then I will have 3 up in the night, and I am just not mentally in a state to deal with that right now!  People will come over and when I answer the door they say, "Oh my gosh! Your baby is loud!  I could hear her out on your porch."  Yeah, I know.  Squeals, coos, screams....they all have one volume--LOUD.
*Starting to sit on her own for short periods of time.  I cannot wait for her to master this skill!
*Still prefers to be held most of the day.
*I have a feeling she is going to be a mama's girl since she will be just fine with Jeff or on her own until she sees me or hears my voice and then she falls apart.  For now she doesn't really have any separation anxiety.
*Has made it six months with nothing but breast milk!  I am thrilled about this but we will start some solids after Christmas and I am dying to get her to take a bottle.  She will put a bottle in her mouth and take a sip or two and then refuse to take it.  I need to work with her on it more.  *Absolutely loves to be out and about.
*Does okay in the car for the most part.
*Still absolutely hates having bows on her head.
*Really loves Heidi but is a little nervous when Savanna comes around.  Savanna loves her so much and it is so cute, she just hasn't yet mastered a gentle hug.
*I still think she looks quite a bit like I did as a baby.  She favors Heidi's looks more than Savanna's, but she definitely has her own look.
*Smiles and laughs all the time until you try to take a picture.
*Has her tongue out of her mouth most of the day.
*Starting to grab everything around her.  The girls are learning to pick up their legos and other small things.

 *Likes to play with her feet.
*Likes rattles but always ends up smacking herself in the head and then screaming.
*Loves to get ready for baths because she loves to be nakie.
*Enjoys her bath most of the time unless she is overtired.
*Wears mostly 3-6 month and 6 month clothes.








Overall, Caimbree is a fun little baby!  If she slept better, she would be the perfect baby!  After Christmas we will be starting solid foods and hopefully moving her into her own space, which I am crossing my fingers will help us get her into a schedule!  It has been so hard to figure out a schedule for her but so much of it is because she is the third and she often gets woken up from naps and has to be hauled around places when she would normally be sleeping.  I simply just don't have enough hands or time to focus on just her and her schedule.   Her older sisters just don't seem to enjoy keeping quiet during sleep time and since I refuse to let them watch TV all day, Caimbree will just have to learn to sleep in spite of the noise!  She is growing way too fast, but we are excited for some of the upcoming milestones.

Happy Half Birthday, little sweetie!  We love you more and more every day!

gingerbread village

 Tonight for our family night activity we made our gingerbread village.  The girls had so much fun.  Savanna was bouncing all around while Jeff was constructing it, but she seemed to know exactly how to decorate them when the time came.  I was very impressed that they were both so independent in decorating them this year!  They were a good little team and I think they turned out pretty cute.  Caimbree even enjoyed watching the excitement.  As a side note, both of the girls did in fact have very cute hair styles today.  Naps and wild play seem to destroy all of my efforts daily.

polar express

 This year we decided to take the girls on the Heber Creeper to do the Polar Express ride.  They had so much fun!  Heidi and Savanna don't get along all of the time, but they really are inseparable.  They had so much fun together on our little adventure.

 We bought the tickets quite awhile ago and they have been anticipating this day since we told them about it.  We got up early and headed to Heber.

 I think we lucked out on the train car.  Ours was probably the least crowded and I think we got the cutest elves.

 It was a good year for our family to go because Savanna and Caimbree were young enough that we didn't have to buy tickets for them.  It was a little chilly waiting to board the train, but it certainly could have been worse.

 Sometimes I wonder just how outnumbered Jeff must feel sometimes.

 Caimbree loves to be out and about and was the perfect little passenger.  Can you even stand those cheeks?  I can't get enough.  She is such a little doll.

 Caimbree managed to get a little sleep in spite of the noise of the singing and noises on the train.

 Heidi was so much fun!  She was absolutely enamored with the cute little elves we had on our train and they were so cute with her!  Every time they passed our row Heidi would say, "There's the elf!  There's the elf!  I can't believe there are real alive elves on our train!"  They heard her a few times and paid extra attention to her which pretty much made her whole life complete.

 When they weren't watching the elves, the girls were enjoying the ride and watching out the window.  It was a pretty ride, but we did wish there was a little snow.  The train took us to the North Pole.  When we got to the North Pole Santa was waving.  We were on the opposite side of the train and Starry the Elf came over and picked Heidi up to take her to the other side so she could have a front row seat.  Did I mention that they just made her entire trip?  They were seriously so cute.

 The elves took Heidi in the aisle to dance with them and she was in heaven.  Savanna was dancing in the aisle too but she was a little shy to dance with the elves.

 Savanna started with a clean shirt.  They served cookies and hot chocolate. Someone wanted to do it by herself.  That shirt may become a camping shirt, but she did enjoy her treat.

 I think the dancing and singing may have been Heidi and Savanna's favorite part of the journey.

 Santa came onto the train and let's just say my girls adore Santa...from across the room. He was so cute with my girls and didn't give up trying to win them over. Seriously, my girls were treated so well by everyone on that train.  We even sat next to a darling family that we enjoyed visiting with.

 Heidi was desperately trying to get away from Santa.  It was pretty funny. Santa gave all three of the girls their own little bell.  When we got off the train Heidi made sure to find the elves and gave them a giant hug.

As soon as the swagger wagon started moving, Savanna and Caimbree were out cold.  Heidi was far too excited to shut her eyes. She kept asking for the elves and wishing they could live with her and couldn't understand why we could not just get back on that train and go again. When we mention the train, Savanna starts saying, "FUN!  FUN!  SANTA!!  HO HO HO!!  BELL!  FUN!!  FUN!!"  We may have to do this again next year because my girls seriously had the most wonderful adventure.  I'm so glad we decided to go!

"look! hold me!"

 If you are around Savanna lately, you will most likely here her say, "LOOK!" a lot.  Most of the time it is when she is doing something she thinks is funny.  For example, when we were coming home from dropping Heidi off at preschool she kept saying, "LOOK!  LOOK!".  I turned around to see her balancing a cracker box on her foot.  Today she kept saying, "LOOK!" and came walking into the living room with sunglasses on her belly.  Other times she is doing something funny with her little body like hanging upside down from the couch.  She never ceases to make me laugh.

Her other new thing is to say, "Hold me".  She doesn't actually want to be held, she wants to hold something and that something is usually Caimbree.  She puts her little arms out and says, "Hold me!  Hold me!"  It's one of the few two word phrases she says and I absolutely love it.  Caimbree doesn't usually like to be held by her squirmy two year old sister, but will tolerate it for short periods of time. Usually Savanna only lasts a few seconds before exclaiming, "DONE!"  She is the master of one word stories. I am amazed at how she gets her point across in so few words.  I am excited for her to start telling longer stories, but I enjoy hearing the little words and phrases she is saying right now.  Not a day goes by where I don't stop and look at these three little faces and realize how incredibly blessed I am.  I love my girls!