give love on christmas day....

yeah I know, we are already into january, so this post just seems so outdated...but I needed to journal this Christmas.
This past year has not been a good one, in many ways, but financially it has been my hardest. I had decided that since Q was still pretty young, and I could get away with it, that I was going to forgo Christmas this year. I decorated the house, but I wasn't going to do much else. Christmas day was going to be spent with just me and Q, hanging out, watching movies...so pretty much just like any other day.  Now I do realize that Christmas isn't supposed to be about presents and all that, but there is nothing worse than the feeling that you can't provide for your family the things that other people can...so I wanted to forget that feeling. Forget the day. Family and friends had invited me to do several different things, but I had my mind set on laying low...

But my family and friends had other plans.

Christmas Eve, Jared and Lindsay arrive, and told me that they had told their kids we were coming, and we couldn't disappoint them...very cheap tactic...but it worked.

Before heading next door to grandma's for the festivities, I let Emily know that I would be gone all weekend...and a look of disappointment fell over her face.  I had no idea that Emily had come together with a couple other friends (Michelle and Vikki), and bought some presents for Q and I to open on christmas day.  Since she was staying at her parents house that night, she had planned to sneak into the house late at night, and leave the presents, a la Santa, under the tree to surprise us in the morning. When she was telling me this I was so stunned at the generosity and the love, and was so thankful that people cared...and then I saw the amount of presents...and I was overwhelmed.

After a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at grandma earl's, filled with delicious food, great conversations with family, grandma pie, and a cute little nativity program, Q and I headed down to Tri Cities to spend the Christmas weekend with Jared's group.  And I am sooooooooo glad we did.  It was such a great weekend.

Christmas morning we got up and I got to see Q's face as we entered into the room filled with christmas lights, and presents...and a surprise...although I had gotten Q a little baby stroller, Santa had also brought Q a gift! And adorable little dollhouse.
And there was even more presents waiting for us under the tree.
What a great, miraculous, love filled christmas morning!

There was even a gift for me from Q under the tree. I found it under the tree at my house, and brought it along. I still have no idea who it was really from...so if it was you...Thank you! The card, written to me as if Q was writing, made me cry...I loved it!

The rest of the weekend was spent, sleeping, eating, playing with new toys, and watching movies.  Q had such a great time hanging out with her cousins, and I loved being with family.

Thank you to all my friends and family who made this Christmas great. Who did for me and Q, what I couldn't do.

santa clause is coming to town...

I don't trust mall Santa's...never have...never will, so I usually hit up the singles ward Christmas party where my old friend James Baker comes dressed as Santa for pictures. Well this year, there was no party, and no Santa. I was sad, but okay about it....Emily was not. She got a hold of a Santa costume, and after a few different male friends couldn't do it, Emily decided to put on the magical suit and be Santa for some holiday pictures with Q.

Later that night, while watching different holiday programs, Q called out Emily's name every time she saw a santa...so I guess we'll have to see if there are any permanent emotional scars from this. hahaha. 

But for now-

Q thinks Santa is a pretty cool chick...I mean guy...I mean...oh, who knows what she thinks.

(this hat is Emily's...I have no idea what it says on it..but Q loved wearing it)

we like to party...we like, we like to party...

As in years past Emily's birthday became a time to dress up and have some fun! This year we went with the theme "Heroes vs. Villains: good vs evil".  Oh it was so good to see what some people came up with. Of course there were a bunch of people that maybe thought they were "too cool to dress up", but that didn't ruin the fun.
We had a house full of people, dancing, talking, laughing, shouting, eating, and having a fabulous time.
Gotta love parties.

Emily really commits to her costumes. This all came together last minute, but it was soooo fabulous!  Rachel is not one to usually dress up, but was willing to dress up if we put together her costume. Emily needed a counterpart so we made her Ariel...and I am quite proud that her costume didn't cost a penny. Emily had the wig, I painted a shell bra we had from a summer party, and I safety pinned an old dance skirt of Emily's to make a mermaid style skirt....impressed?

My costume also didn't cost a thing. It was a mixture of costumes from the past that i put together. I love when I can reuse my costume bin.

I thought for sure Nick would be one to miss the dress up aspect..but he was so into it, and came up with everything himself.

Tom as Quailboy! (from the Doug cartoon)...I was trying to do angelic poses all night. Gotta keep in character.

And yes, we even had Santa! He passed out candy canes and glowsticks all night...it was a Mormon rave (apparently)

An Angie sandwich!

These pictures are of my friends, and the only people I really knew at the party..Emily had a lot of singles ward people there that i didn't know...but amongst them were mrs. incredible, the powderpuff girls, little red riding hood, a power ranger, a couple teenage mutant ninja turtles, and another santa. Very excellent!

you are the sunshine of my life...

I just have to post a bunch of random pictures of my Q. She is developing such a funny personality, and I don't want to forget her facial expressions, her little idiosyncrasies, and even the things that annoy me. It's everything that makes Q...Q.

1.she can be soooo mischievous and just thinks she is soooo funny.

 2.She gets annoyed...and is perfecting her "you can't be serious?" look.

 3.this is the look I get when she is trying to be "sweet"...but... it does work.

4. She is becoming quite good at fits.
stage 1: the huff. apparently if she can't see you, then you or the problem doesn't exist.

stage 2: the cry

stage 3: she puts herself in the corner..to maybe cool down...who knows. but's funny. 

 5. Our morning ritual (on non working days of course). She comes into my bed and watches cartoons while I sleep a little longer...

 but after awhile she just tries to attack me...

 6. She is obsessed with make-up, and has to "get ready" when mommy is getting ready. She loves making herself look "pretty"...And she often kisses the mirror when she is done

do you think she loves herself enough?

who could resist that face?

7. Q is a lounger.

She loves to lay down in the windows and look outside, I just think she looks so precious.

 But of course the couch is always her number one lounging spot.

 Or my least favorite spot, on my legs. Shame on me for wanting to put my legs up and relax...nope that is just an invitation for Q to get nestled in and entertain herself.

8. Q loves her things, and when snuggling she needs them all around her...or me...

9. and like always, Q just can't seem to get close enough to me. 

 We even went to a movie and she had to hold my hand or rest her head on me while she watched, ate, or played. I know it sounds cute...and it is...although sometimes I just need space...but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

10. Yo Gabba Gabba has taught Q funny faces...she loves funny faces.

My little Q