New Year - New Fun

This year I made a resolution, and it's........ To have more fun with the kids!!  I don't want to admit it, but I'm kind of a home body, and a little (okay a lot shut up!) lazy!  But, I don't want the kids to be like that.  So, we're having adventures during the day.  Also for those who read - I need ideas for when it's butt cold outside, so please bring them forth!

Anyway here are some of our adventures so far - there will be more because the kids are having a blast.  I also noticed that Gage is taking a longer naps (hooray!) in the afternoons, and Lyla is starting to slim down a little.

Stout Park

Now I have a small complaint - the parks in Hurricane SUCK, especially in comparison to St George parks.  So, when the weather warms up, believe me I will justify the gas to go to better parks, and of course the water park.  This park was okay, and we went and played at the community center one - overall I'm just not impressed.

Adventure Walk

We have right by our house a mountain, why have we never explored this?  We also have a large field with weeds, dirt, and sticks - why have we never explored this?  Well I took the kids for an adventure walk one morning and that's what we did.

Mountain 

Field

My cuties!

Cuties!

I thought this cool - someone had fun!

So, when it has been too cold to go outside we play on the WII.  This really was the best thing to get for the family.  I am loving dancing with the two games I have (Just Dance 3 and The Black Eyed Peas Experience).  Lyla will dance with me, and I'm enjoying us playing together.  She however believes that my score is her score since it's a little bit better then hers.  Gage in the beginning of dancing would just cry at my feet for some reason, but now he grabs a remote and pretends to dance with us.  In fact if there is music playing he will grab a WII remote and just start dancing.  Lyla will also do her WII Fit game for a least an hour a day.  I love it, she is running and jumping like a champ. I will have to get some video for sure.

Christmas Morning

This Christmas morning was easily the most memorable and the most fun.  Gage and Lyla were both into their gifts and so happy.  My mom and dad even came over for Christmas morning to watch the kids open their presents - I loved it!  We even made sugar cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve and left them out with a note for Santa - and Santa wrote back!

Santa gave Lyla a Barbie Camper, Gage got a Disney Cars play hut with tunnel, and as a family we got a WII with games (Just Dance 3, Mario Cart, Nikelodeon Kids Fit, and Sports) and accessories.

The tree with the presents.

Items of note:

Bill:  Bass Pro Shop hunting game, Buffalo Bills hat, coffee mug.

Jenn:  Nook Tablet with cover and gift card.

Lyla:  Barbie stuff, LaLa Loopsie doll with mini LaLa Loopsie accessories and dolls, Baby Alive, Art Stuff, and clothes/shoes.  Santa even left her new slippers under her very own Christmas tree in her room.

I love her half awake, excited for Christmas look.

Barbie Guitar - it sings that annoying Barbie Girl song.

She loves the Hello Kitty hoody!

Gage:  Disney Cars ball pit, Little Wheelies Rampway, Zig the Big Rig, Rock n'Roll Elmo, Disney cars chair, and clothes/shoes.

After he opened this present he sat on it to open the rest of his gifts.

This kid LOVES Elmo!

Mmmm frozen pancake, chill'n in the chair.

Having fun in the hut!

MJ:  Candy cane Dingo dog bone.

Later that morning after a great Christmas breakfast we went Grandma & Grandpa Mecham's to exchange gifts, and then in the afternoon to my parents home for presents.  Items of note from my parents house: flat screen TV, gift card to Lins, and more WII games.  Lyla got tons more presents but her favorite is a 16" doll with tons of clothes and shoes.  Gage got a ride on CAT loader, and tons of mini CAT play trucks & bull dozers.

Funny stories from Christmas:

First:  Lyla is like me and HATES secrets and surprises - we have to know what is going on and what's going to happen.  So, Lyla bugged me everyday asking what she was getting for Christmas, Santa gives one gift the unopened, and the rest are from mom and dad.  I finally just kept telling her she was getting hamburger (she again like me HATES hamburger!).  So, she started telling me she was going to buy me soup for Christmas.  Well she got no hamburgers, but I got soup.  Hee Hee oh well now I can make rice casserole.

Second:  We have an on running battle of the Men N Black 2 DVD with my parents.  One year they gave us this movie for Christmas, and then next Christmas they forgot it had already been given, and gave it again.  So, the following year we wrapped it up and gave it back.  The next year my mom got crafty and gave it to us again, but hidden in a blanket that she had made for Bill.  The next year we threw it off and gave it for Mothers Day.  Well this year it got back to us, hidden inside a gift box of Old Spice stuff that was given to Bill.  We're going to have to think of something crafty for next year.  Should be fun.