friday saturday sunday

 friday 2 weeks ago i went to the store.  look at that full fridge!

 julia is crazy.  she's got the basketball hoop on her head here.

 bryan came in friday night from denver with E and O.  Breea flew in on saturday.

 we walked to the library saturday morning for muffins and storytime.  Elizabeth is 6 months younger than anna.

 story time.  elizabeth, anna, julia and oliver

 then we came home and read more books!  surprise surprise!

 later that night all my siblings came over for a big party!  here is the girl cousins in anna's room (no chloe yet).

 andy, remi and trac.  virginia was taking the night off!

 i cleaned out the storage room and now it is the winter biking room.  it only gets used when cousins are over.  anna prefers to read all day.

 the cousins had a great time playing store.

 and pretending to take group pictures.

 remi is a cute photographer.  i also played christmas songs and they all danced in the dance room.

 after everyone left Elizabeth and family slept over.  look how cute these girls are!

 it snowed sunday morning.  enough to make a snowman!  E and Anna played outside for probably 2 hours.  it was some sort of record for preschooler outside playtime in the snow.

 bryan took everyone for a sled ride.  our street isn't plowed very quickly.

 this is oliver and his little sister Amelia.  in the toy stroller (little bit dangerous)

 anna and E pretended to ice skate on the tramp.  they were singing let it go and twirling around.

 then we went to my mom's church to see jill sing, since it was her 18th birthday.  these two girls are adorable at church.  they are both goody-two shoes.

 sunday night we had a bday party for jill with cafe rio salads and poppyseed cake.  amy brought her pipe chimes and we had a little chiming activity for the kids.

 she even let each kid conduct.  they loved it.

 we played chirades after.  i am a locust here.  no one could guess it.

bryan and amy.

aunt amys house and a little doctor

 julia was being the doctor.  all the animals were sick and she told me that one even died.

 we spend thursday (2 weeks ago!) at aunt amy's house.  the girls had a great time dressing up all day.

evan can play the piano!  its so fun to see my nieces and nephews!

no coat nancy

 i went through the girls tights today.  what a pain.  its so hard to know what will fit and what wont and whats too big and whats too small.  we are blessed to have so many clothes i guess!  (i will be able to say that with confidence on a day when julia doesn't change her clothes EIGHT TIMES)

 one of her outfits was this dance ensemble.

 anna had to get in hers so they could match.  then she had to pose and have pictures taken.  IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE......I MEAN IF YOU GIVE A GIRL A TUTU....

 then we needed to go visit a friend so anna could have some social interaction with someone besides julia (we had spencer today so we were somewhat trapped at home).  julia would NOT wear a coat.  it was really cold.  oh welll, that's julia.

here's anna with her coat on.  anna stayed and played with a friend while i took spencer and julia home and put them down for naps.  i actually got 45 minutes of work in, it's amazing.  rachel stayed for dinner when she picked up spencer.  we decided i won't watch him anymore.  after dec 31 I will be done watching spencer.  It's a good feeling.  I haven't had a responsibility to care for someone since I moved here.  First it was my grandparents, then I started watching spencer 2 times/week.  Now I'll be free!  Until someone else needs help..........or my job lands the grant they applied for.  I'm bracing myself for that.

the dealership day

 rich had a coupon for oil change and stuff at a dealership, so i went.  it took 3 hours.  at least they had free popcorn and this pirate ship for the girls to play on.  they found a friend and julia was commissioned to be the "shark."  she ran around chasing anna and the other friend "smelling them."  literally, she was sniffing them and the little girl and anna ran away screaming "dont smell me!"  Julia loves playing the bad guy, which is convenient because anna and her friends like to run away from julia.

 they had a movie playing once their little friend went away.  it was some weird animated turkey movie.  it was a little intense for the girls.  anna asked if we could go do something else because it was too scarry.  look a julia's face!

 it was 2:00 when we got done.  before i even pulled out of the dealership julia looked like this (above).  oh julia you are so exhausted.  please stop getting out of bed and please sleep in past 5:30 am tomorrow.

 i turned off the heat as an expiriment.  it was cold when i got home.

 and the girls had a "sleepover" in the kitchen.  it was a pain to get them to clean up.

i haven't been to the store for a while.  it's amazing the meals i have been able to make from this empty fridge!  (it helps to have squash in the basement and hamburger in the freezer).

monday monday

I spent (almost) the whole day cleaning up a dirty house.  I haven't deep cleaned since we moved upstairs and there were some serious dust bunnies under my bed.  we had to take a break and take anna to dance today.  she had a great time.  julia had a great time playing with calico critters at the toy store.  But I don't think i want to buy her any for christmas, she didn't want to play with them for very long.  and she wanted to take all their clothes off and then have me put them back on.  anything that requires dressing is not something julia can have for christmas.  I don't need one more thing to dress - julia wore at least 4 outfits today and managed to get them ALL dirty (byu jersey, byu dress, jeans and a T, gingerbread man jammies (she put them on at 3 but i made her wear them to bed too).  I'm feeling exhausted with Julia, she's dropping her nap and is sleep deprived (which odly enough) makes her wake up way too early.

anna was delightful today.  all she wanted to do was have family home evening.  she thinks its the best thing ever.  rich came home late.  i asked anna what she wanted to do for FHE she said "read new testament stories, play games, sing primary songs and dance"  So that's what we did.  This girl is so insanely good.  i don't know how she came from me and richard!

time fly's when you are having fun - and when you are just tired

I can't believe it's already been another week!  and a half!  Okay, so where I left off was Taylor's mission call.  That night grandma and grandpa buhler came to visit.  I had to work that thursday, so Grandpa watched the girls for me all day.  Then we cozied up and ate popcorn and watched the Sound of Music (anna liked it - not loved it, just liked it).  Grandpa, rich and girls went to sweet tomatoes for dinner.  Joyce and I went to a dietitian thing for dinner.

 the next day we hung out with paul.  We went for a bike ride to the park, it was a beautiful day!  We ended up having a little picnic.  A little girl walked up to julia and I was worried that she was going to push the little girl down, so I told Julia to be nice.  Anna started singing "jesus said love everyone, treat them kindly too"  She is going to heaven - with out without us.

 On saturday before grandma and grandpa left, they took the girls to choose christmas dresses at macys.  Of course they went crazy trying to decide.  Finally we found one with sleeves  - that wasn't white - that julia would consent to wearing.  It was a challenge.  Pictures are below.

 On the way home we stopped at target.  Anna loves looking at christmas decorations.

 the girls are READY for christmas.

 he is anna in her christmas dress.  it came with a matching doll dress - which conveniently fits her elizabeth dolly.

 this is the best i could do for julia.  they wore these dresses all day saturday and beg to wear them during the week often.

ON sunday we all had to talk in church (rich, me and anna!).  We also taught anna's class.  It was a busy day!   When I got home from my run on monday morning, i noticed that two little cutie bugs were visible from the window.  I know we have a million of these, but here is anna reading to julia.  breaks my heart everytime.

 Later in the day Julia kindly unmade my bed by putting dolls in the covers with her.  so cute.

 we took anna to dance and went to a toy store.  I was checking to see what alternatives there are to barbies.  We found some calico critters.  they are cute little bunny people that have houses.  Julia played for the entire 40 minutes anna was at dance while i looked around the store.  I'm not sure they need any toys for christmas though.  they just like to play with boxes and build "pritti caca's" with chairs (see pics below).  - oh and dance to music.

 lets see i had to go somewhere on monday - oh yes - I had to work again.  they hired a new person and i had to do some training.  So the neighbor chloe came over.  isn't she cute!  Julia adores her - and - even though julia is almost as big as she is......chloe is a good babysitter and the girls beg for her to come over all the time.

 the library was closed on tuesday for vetrans day - so we couldn't go to storytime (i consider it something we have to go to as it is essentially anna's preschool).  So we went to the planet museum (anna has been asking to go there since we moved to the new house).  She loved it just as much as ever (maybe even more since her reading abilities continue to grow).  in the pic above they are on the moon.  In the pic below anna is learning about...i dont know what ....electricity?  there was no sign.

 On wednesday we were supposed to watch spencer - but he had a stomach bug.  So we didn't watch him.  instead JJ and family came over.  Julia was so excited to see BABY BO!  They stayed for turkey pancakes (pancakes in the shape of turkeys) and played and played and played some more.  they even went outside even though it was freezing.  how i wish we lived closer!  thanks for coming up trina!

 on thursday we went and picked up our cousins Remi and Trac so aunt virginia could get some (much needed) rest (they just had baby #4).  We headed to our old library in millcreek.  The kids had a great time at the storytime.  Trac is a little young, but its easy to chase just one wee one.

 after we went to the gas station and bought donuts.  then we went to play at the park for a while.

 we went to great harvest and got some delicious bread and chased the pigeons around the parking lot.  The kids had a great time, one even landed on trac's head!  We ate pizza for lunch and virginias house then headed home.  Julia fell asleep before we even made it 2 miles.  she is starting to drop her afternoon nap.  so sad.  my baby is growing up!

 on friday i had to work in SLC at the one utah center.  I do some corporate wellness stuff every once in a while and THIS was the view from my officE!  pretty amazing.  Rich got me all set up to take the train into work so i didn't have to drive (i hate driving).  He is so good to always take care of me.  The kids went to the neighbor's house (crystal carrier).  They had a great time.  the babysitter reports being impressed with how much they ate.  She has no idea.....

 We got a package in the mail that was full of paper towels (rich likes to buy stuff online).  The girls had a great time making forts out of the paper towels.  Seriously - why do we buy them toys?  below is friday night's fort (of course you have to read books in forts right?):

 this is saturday morning's fort (note anna reading another book).

 It snowed friday night so we got out our snow stuff.

 we've grown out of most of it.  anyone have boots for us?

 and headed to the park to do some sledding.  it ended up that i just pulled the girls around in a sled - but it was still fun tbecause it made them happy!

 anna in front of the house with our first snow (in the new house).

 we have no food because i'm anti shopping and cooking lately.  So we went to chuck a rama for lunch (rich and i have been craving it for months).  The girls favorite things:  soda and slurpees.  They are so deprived.

 anna still loves her legos.  maybe that's what she needs for christmas.

 and then today - sunday - julia was into wearing a million pairs of panties.  Seriously.  I counted 10 pairs on her floor.  She finally chose these ones - but she put them on wrong.  her waist was through the leg hole.

 it made for the worlds worst wedgie.  But she liked it that way i guess.  oh julia.  Here we go onto another week!  Words and pictures can't describe how much I love these girls and my main man richard (okay my only man richard - but main man sounds cooler).  It's amazing how much that love grows with each passing hour, day and week.