MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Well, Christmas has come and gone once again and I would have to say that I am happy that it is over. Lately, the holidays have stressed me out and I have become sort of a grinch this year. Chad, Kiara, and I left to travel to my parents home on Dec. 22 (which also happens to be our anniversary). We left at noon and didn't make it to my parents home until 5 pm the next day. We hit some pretty bad weather when we got into Idaho and thank goodness Chad is a good driver because I would have been a wreck! We traveled through white out conditions and at time we couldn't even see the road. At about two in the morning we decided that we should just find a motel because we couldn't go any further due to the weather conditions. I think we were all so happy to finally be at my parents home.

I was very happy to see Ami. I swear she has grown two feet since I last saw her in October. Also her hair has grown very long too. Kiara was really happy to see her older sis too. She got right down and started wandering the house with her.

We had a Great Christmas and I really enjoyed spending time with my family as well as with my wonderful husband Chad. (He didn't complain or moan at all the whole time he was there at my parents.)

Needless to say Chad has already left and gone home. He was very nice and suggested that I stay a little longer with my family since I don't get to see them and then fly home. I think that would be easier on the children then driving anyway. So I am still here and will be here for another week and a half. The only thing that I am sad about is that I won't be able to be with Chad for the New Year (and I won't get a new year kiss).

Only my family and my sister Cori were able to make it to my parents home for Christmas.

These are our crazy faces!!!

This was on Christmas Eve. This has been our first family photo since Kiara was born.

Ami got a barbie castle! She was a little tired and not quite awake yet.

She also got a Mermaid. It was so funny because when she unwrapped it she said, "This is what I wanted the whole day!"

Kiara got some baby dolls and a Dora the Explorer tent that had a tunnel that attached to it. They both loved to play in it.

Chad helped her open her Dora cell phone.

Don't they all look tired?

Aren't we so cute?

And here we are being silly.

Me and my mother

I guess we were on a crazy face kick on Christmas night!

Chad and Kiara playing the piano.

MISSING AMI

I have really been missing Ami. She has been with here Grandma and Papa in Panguitch for two months now. I know she is having a good time and that they are spoiling her good because one time I talked to her and she told me that she wanted to stay until Valentines. That just about broke my heart. Right now they are in DisneyWorld and I know she is having a Great time there. She told me that when I come for Christmas that I have to come there because that is where they live now. I thought that was cute. But I really do miss her and I miss having her to talk to and carry on somewhat of a conversation, Kiara just grunts and whines at me (doesn't really make for good conversation). I am so excited to go see my parents and Ami for Christmas. I really am going to enjoy just being HOME for Christmas. There really is no place like home for the holidays. I can't wait to lay on the carpet in front of the stove and just relax and feel the warmth of the fire that my dad made. Currently the date that we are leaving is undecided. Still working on that one! LOL Anyway hopefully we will leave at the beginning of next week.

Slacking on My Posts

Ok, so I haven't posted anything for awhile and to tell you the truth I really didn't feel like getting on here to do it. I guess you can just say that I have been a slacker. Anyway, I have alot of stuff that I wanted to post and I guess I will just explain each picture underneathe it rather than trying to explain it all right here. So once again, I hope you enjoy!

She is doing some kind of duck lip thing here. She has started doing it alot lately. I think it is so cute!

Isn't this just a GREAT face!?

This was at Thanksgiving. She was playing with Reese. I don't know exactly what this facial expression meant.

This was also at Thanksgiving which was held at my Mother and Father-in-law's home. This is all of the sister-in-laws (except for Michelle).

This was a the Sunday following Thanksgiving. This is the whole Lay Family, except for Michael and his family, they weren't there that day.

Chad and I. I really like this pic.

The only thing that could have made this pic better would have been if Ami was in it. She is having way too much fun in DisneyWorld.

I made this blanket. Kiara just couldn't resist running and jumping on it for a photo opt.

Kiara HATED sitting on Santa's Lap.

She is just adorable.

She is very attached to me, she won't even sit with Grandpa.

These are the two newest members of the Lay family.

Jake and Jess came to visit for a couple of weeks. I love being able to hang out with them!

She just makes the best facial expressions!

This is my little Santa's helper

Such a cutie!

Here is her duck lip thing again. She loves to wear the towels on her head. She will get them out and bring them to me to put on her head. What is funny is that I used to do that when I was little but I would pretend that the towel was my long, beautiful hair.

Her new snowpants are a little big.

All ready to go outside and play in the first snowfall of the season!

She wouldn't move when she got out there. She just stood in the same spot and looked around.

Daddy finally helped her explore the layer of snow.

It has always amazed me that little girls just are born with that motherly instict. I just love it and her!

A Day at the Zoo

So before I left to go on my cruise I decided to take the girls to the zoo because Ami won a free pass for reading during the summer from the library. They had a great time and unfortunately I didn't get many pictures of the animals. I only got some pics of the fish. But we had fun and enjoyed ourselves. The only thing that would have made it better is if Chad could have came with us instead of working but it didn't happen that way.

More Kiara and Mommy Time

Here are some more pics of Kiara and I having quality time together. She also is loving on her baby doll which I just think is so cute that she is so nurturing to it. And of course I had to sneak in a self photo of myself! LOL