~ Homework and Elf On The Shelf Day Four ~

                                                                                                                                     

Monday morning is my designated time to do my schoolwork. I am a student in the BYU-Idaho Pathway Program and loving it. (for more information click here)

Today was especially nice because Hannah watched a movie on her ipad and Lilly took a nap, while I did all of my reading (and there was a lot of it), wrote four pages of notes, and completed the weekly quiz.

Only three more weeks left in this semester!!

Today Hannah found Noel trying to use her cars to drive a sleigh.

On a side note, does anyone else have a husband who loves when their kids wear clothes about being a Daddy's girl, or I love Daddy? I do! This morning I thought I would brighten his Monday with Lilly Belle wearing a Daddy's girl outfit. He loved it!

~ Mickey Mouse Pancakes and Elf On The Shelf Day Three ~

There is only one thing Hannah loves more than a pancake. . . . A Mickey Mouse pancake. My Dad started making Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes for the Grandchildren a couple years ago, and they love them. They have quickly become the only shaped pancake Hannah wants to eat. Secretly, I don't mind because now I don't have to make them. 

click here for the pancake recipe

On Sundays, we go to Church. I love getting the girls all dressed up. They always look cute. but for some reason they look especially cute in their Sunday best.

Trying to take a picture of their cuteness. . .  not so fun. 

FINALLY! A good picture of the two of them!

At church today something very cute yet equally bizarre happened. Both the girls fell asleep!

 I couldn't resist documenting this phenomenon with a few sneaky pictures. 

I truly love going to church. I always leave feeling inspired to be better.

Today Hannah woke up to see Noel attempting to do some Christmas wrapping.

~ Pancake Recipe ~

For my pancakes, I use Easy Basic Pancake Recipe from Martha Stewart. 

2 cups of flour

4 tablespoons of sugar

4 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of milk

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (melted)

2 large eggs

In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt - set aside.

In another bowl mix together milk, butter and egg. 

Add the dry ingredients and mix together. 

(I mix until there are a few lumps left in the mixture)

Heat up griddle on medium heat.

(I spray my griddle with pan before each time I add the pancake mixture)

Spoon the batter onto the griddle.

(I use a 1/4 measuring cup and if I was adding blueberries or chocolate chips I would do that now)

Cook till you see bubbles forming on top.

Flip over and cook for a few minutes.

(both sides should have a light brown color)

Serve on a plate with syrup, and or fruit, bacon, sausage, eggs. . .

here is the original recipe

~ A Nice Relaxing Day and Elf On The Shelf Day Two ~

I love this weather we are having here. There is a nice refreshing crisp in the air, but it's not too cold that you have to dress like eskimos. I love putting the girls in their warm and fuzzy coats, and I must say they are super adorable. 

Today we set up our Christmas tree. We still have to decorate it, but I love how christmassy (is that a word?) the house is beginning to feel. 

Today Hannah woke up to find her elf, Noel on top of the tree. Noel decided she wanted to help with all the decorating. 

in case you were wondering. . . I have our tree set up in the family room and my Mum has her tree set up in the living room. Noel the elf is on top of my Mum's tree,

~ Thanksgiving and Elf On The Shelf Day One ~

  This was Lilly Belle's first Thanksgiving. I dressed them up in matching sweater dresses which I bought at Target. 

(I love the holidays because it is a great excuse to dress the girls in matching clothes.) 

This Thanksgiving we headed over to Aaron's parents house. Hannah loves going there because they have a driveway that circles the house, so she can ride her bike for hours. Their house also has stairs, and she loves going up and down or just sitting on the bottom step. She was constantly asking her Granny if she would like to sit on the stairs with her. 

Aaron's parents also have four turkeys in their back yard. They were some FAT turkeys, and no we didn't eat one for Thanksgiving, but we did have turkey for dinner.

We had such a lovely Thanksgiving. I am so grateful to have such a beautiful family. I couldn't imagine life without my two girls. They are so different, yet they both fit so perfectly into our little family. I am also grateful to have such a hardworking husband. He truly is my best friend. 

On Thanksgiving night, the girls elf arrived. Hannah woke up to find her elf, Noel sitting on the table with a note and a candy cane. 

~ Lilly Belle : Six Months Old ~

My Lilly Belle is six months old! 

She weighs nineteen pounds five ounces and is twenty eight inches long.

Lilly is now rolling over and trying so hard to scoot around on her belly. She likes to sit up and is getting really good at balancing when she tilts her head.

 She has started eating banana oatmeal in the mornings and a fruit or veggie in the late afternoon. She has loved EVERYTHING she has tried including apples, prunes, carrots, and green beans. All her food is pureed, although I did debate about doing the LED weaning method. Her main source of nutrition is Enfamil Soy Formula which she eats about five - six times a day.

Lilly is starting to transition from her co sleeper to her crib. It has been a hard transition because I can't swaddle her anymore and she loves being swaddled. 

Her cheeks are still red. We have an appointment next week, so hopefully we will have some answers. 

Lilly has no teeth yet, but I swear she has been teething since month two! She also has started to wear twelve month pajamas. . . yes she is my chunky baby. I love how cute and cuddly she is in them. 

I can't wait to see what milestones the next couple of months bring : )

~ Five Topsy Tail Hairstyles ~

Two things about me that you might not know. One, I love making Hannah's hair look pretty in the morning and two, I am obsessed with Topsy-Tails. Here are some of my favorite Topsy-Tail hairstyles.

1. Topsy-tails into a side ponytail

- for this look, I started by parting her hair on the side and pulling the hair on the top of her head into a ponytail. After I pulled the ponytail through the Topsy-Tail, I added it to the next section. This was achieved by pulling up half her hair into a ponytail in the middle of her head and pulled it through the topsy tail.. Lastly, I gathered the rest of her hair into a low side ponytail, wrap a piece of hair around it and voila!

2. Double half up Topsy-Tails into messy bun

With this look I started with the hair parted in the center. I then made a part from the top of her head and went straight down behind her ear. Next, I pulled the hair into a ponytail, and then pulled it through a Topsy-Tail. Then I repeated it on the other side. Finally, I pulled the rest of her hair into a messy bun and added some pins for security. I Finished the look with a cute accessory.

3. Topsy-Tail front braid

I started this look with sectioning the front of her hair. I started from one side and made a small ponytail, then pull it through the Topsy-Tail. I then made another small ponytail next to the first, and then added the first Topsy-Tail and pulled it through. I continued this till I reached the other side, and then finished with a cute accessory.

4. Topsy-Tail Crown

This look is a continuation of the Topsy-Tail front braid. I continued the same process around the whole head. I finished the crown by pulling the last Topsy-Tail and the rest of her hair into a messy bun.

5. Double Topsy-Tail into Double Messy Buns

I divided the hair in two. I then sectioned the front. I then made a small ponytail and pulled it through the Topsy-Tail (heading the ponytail towards the ear.) I made another ponytail right next to the first and pull it, and the first ponytail, through the Topsy-Tail. To finish I gathered the rest of the hair, on that side, and the Topsy-Tailed hair into a messy bun. I then repeated this look on the other side, and finished with some cute accessories. 

Hannah turned FOUR!

 I know I say this every year, and will continue to as the years go by, but I can't believe my baby girl is a year older! I swear time goes by faster and faster. I love this little girl so much! She is smart, funny, and such a cutie. She keeps me busy and is teaching me a lot about patience. 

She loves to run, jump, dance, and hop. She loves singing songs in primary and playing with her friends. Her favorite dinner is hot dogs. . . without the bun. She also loves taking long baths and going to target to buy surprise eggs. Her favorite book is, "The Pigeon Needs a Bath!" Her favorite movie is, "Home" although she does like "Inside Out," "Toy Story," and "Wreck it Ralph." She is obsessed with cutting paper. Seriously she loves to cut paper! Hannah will spend the entire day playing with play doh,but that stuff gets everywhere, so I try to limit play doh time. She is a great big sister and has offered to watch Lilly Belle while I go to the store (I take them both with me.) 

For her birthday, we had her cousins over for pizza and games. Hannah loves The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, so that became our theme.    

I think the kids all had fun. 

here are some pics we took . . .