The cookies were gone, the carrots eaten and...

...all other evidence that Santa made it to our house is shown below:



Everything all laid out for the kids to find!

There's just not much better than Christmas morning with children!  Although I thought it was funny this Christmas that as I was getting ready early Christmas morning, in came Vanna asking if she could take a shower.  I thought to myself, "well, maybe Cash will be up by the time she gets out," so I threw her in the shower but I couldn't resist asking her, while she was washing her hair, if she remembered what today was.  Suddenly realization hit her, her face brightened and a huge smile spread acrossed it as she said with an audible gasp, "it's Christmas!" with squeals to follow.  As soon as she got out, she got dressed in a flash and was on a mission to wake everyone else in the house up!  And then there was magic!

 

We put Cash to work right away - reading the names on each present so they could be divided into our own individual piles - then we took turns opening presents.

The kids loved heping Rosie open her presents!  She eventually got the hang of it and especially loved pulling tissue paper out of bags all by herself!

Vanna's favorite present was her new baby doll. She kept telling everyone that, "I gotted a baby that really goes potty!" Yes, when you feed the baby, it actually goes potty and then she gets to change it's diapers. This motherly little girl couldn't be happier - Santa sure seems to know our kids and their likes (on an almost personal level :)!  



 

 

MMM - so soft!

Vanna wanted a dolphin for Christmas but because we told her it wouldn't be happy in our home without the space and water it needed, she was excited enough with her movie Dolphin Tale :). Vanna also got a Llama Llama book (love those), cowgirl boots, a new outfit and some new jeans for our growing girl, a jewelry box and of course her stocking stuffers of smelly lotions, treats, etc. She also got Frontier Logs that she can now get to be creative with (from Grandma and Grandpa Bazil) and a new, soft blanket made by Grandma Mendenhall to hopefully replace her longtime favorite baby blanket that she has always toted around (after nearly five years the thing almost looks more like a rag!). Thank you so much for your gifts Grandmas and Grandpas! 

 

Do you see what's attached to Cash's wrist and what practically didn't come off for several days following Christmas!?  We figured we'd let him ejoy his new found passion for the Wii and after a couple days, start setting some limits!

 

 

Cash got the movie The Avengers along with some snowpants, a clock (that shines stars on the ceiling, plays music, has an alarm, etc.) to help him learn how to tell time, and a couple new outfits including cowboy boots.  See, Ty got some cowboy boots for his birthday back in October and the kids thought they were pretty slick and even had their own pairs picked out while we were there at the store.  I wasn't about to pay as much as those things cost though just for kicks so I told them that maybe they could get some for Christmas - so they each got some boots.  Cash got some wranglers and a  snap button cowboy shirt to finish off the look too.  He's so funny with his, "Yes, Mam, " "Howdy Partner" and the like.  He even puts on quite a line dancing routine for you too - he's got playing the part of a cowboy down!  Cash also got some Frontier Logs so he can build a 'bigger, cooler house' than his sister and a big fisherman's truck that pulls a boat behind it (reminds us of Grandpa!) from his Grandmas and Grandpas - thank you so much!
 

And together, Santa got the kids a Wii.  Cash has asked for a Nintendo for two years now and I feared he'd be disappointed that he didn't get one (I'm just not ready for him to have one of those yet!) but when he saw the Wii he said, "This is even better than a Nintendo!"  Relief washed over me and I was so glad I didn't have to give him the speech I had all prepared in my head about being grateful for what you got, etc. etc. :)

This, of course, was Rosie's first Christmas and she had such a ball!  It was fun to see the kids helping her open her gifts and to watch her pull the tissue paper out of bags.  She had a perma-smile on her face and was so happy with everything (all the mess Christmas morning brings, tearing paper, playing with toys, all the excitement). 

Just look at that wild hair! 

Her daddy got her a stuffed Panda that she just couldn't get enough of.  She also got a push-along toy that helps her walk all over the place and better keep her balance, as well as a couple outfits, including one adorable pink leopard print dress from Grandma and Grandpa Mendenhall, some classic Dr. Suess books and some toys including the classic See 'n Say farm animal wheel and a baby doll and a pull shapes toy from Grandma and Grandpa Bazil (she totes that baby everywhere!:).

 

 

Showing off her new outfit!

Little girl wouldn't look at me to get a picture of her with all she made off with for Christmas. :)

I got spoiled this year (which seems to be the case year after year...how do I get so lucky?)!  Ty got me a CD and a carpet shampooer.  After years of renting them from the store, I decided it would be a good investment just to own one ourselves.  And I thought it would be so nice for little messes that inevitably come up with kids around (literally 'come up' - get it? - yuck, I know).  Ty's parents also bought us a pressure cooker which I'm so excited about!  Each year I get excited to learn more and try more and do more canning and now I can do my beloved green beans, among other things - so thank you so much!  The rest of the family will surely thank you too when they're tasting all the yummy things I can do now with my pressure cooker!  My dad and Jannie got the whole family some games which we are anxious to get out and try and my mom and Tab gave us some new bedding and more pieces to my Willow Tree nativity set that I love!  I also had thoughtful friends who got me warm fuzzy socks, a fleece blanket, and a new 'chick flick' book - oh yeah, and I got myself some Thirty-One bags!

 

 

Ty stands on his feet ALL day at work and often when he gets home his feet will ache and so I got him a foot massager/vibrater - hopefully that will help.  As you can see, he also got lots of treats and what he really wanted this year was a new suit.  So we went shopping and instead of one, he ended up with two.  He hadn't had a new suit since his mission - so it was long overdue that he update his wardrobe.  One suit was a charcoal color and another was a brown sharkskin color.  Since he didnt' have shoes that went well with his new brown suit, the spoiled man got new shoes and a couple ties to go with them as well.  Doesn't he look sharp!?  My husband looks pretty good all cleaned up (and any other time of course:)!

We had Christmas visitors this year as well and loved it!!!  Grandma and Grandpa Mendenhall came up Christmas evening (missing bad roads just barely) to be with us for a few days.  So we got to exchange gifts with them and visit and play and just cherish the time we had together.  Ty and Tab even got a day of fishing in (isn't that crazy - in December!?:)  They got to share in our celebrations for Rosie's first birthday while they were here as well (upcoming post on that!)! We just always love their visits and were so glad they could share in our Christmas magic!

I LOVE this picture of the kids reading with their Grandparents!  They were telling the kids the story of the Christmas oranges - a touching story. 

 

Showing off his big cowboy muscles for Grandma and Grandpa!

 

 

And as if presents and Grandparents wasn't magical enough - we also got our first real snow on Christmas day!  The kids played in the new snow for a good long time the day after Christmas and their puppies loved running around with them.  I so enjoy a white Christmas, of course, for me, I prefer it quickly go away after the holidays and warm up but it doesn't look like that's about to happen.

 

Obviously, it was a wonderful Christmas and we can't help but feel incredibly blessed. We truly are grateful for those blessings this tim eof year reminds us of and the beautiful thoughts and well wishes from friends and family whom we're also so grateful for as well!  I've decided December is my favorite month to get the mail - I love seeing all your updates and pictures, etc.  We hope your holiday was a wonderful one as well!

        -----------------------------------------------------     

Just wanted to also include these pictures from our ward Christmas party a week or so before Christmas.  The Primary kids performed a short but very sweet program.  Cash was a wise-man and Vanna was one of the shepherd's sheep.

 Of course Santa made an appearance at the party and each of the kids got to sit on his lap and ask for their favorite things.  When Cash first got on Santa's lap he gave him a big hug.  He's done this two years now and is the ONLY kid to do it.  I think it's just darling - he LOVES Santa! 

Rosie didn't know what to think about Santa.  She was pretty fascinated by his costume and kindof picked at white furrty part of it with her little fingers.  Although she didn't cry, after a minute or two  she started looking for Mama with a little nervous face - happy just long enough for a picture. :)

So...until next year (get it, it won't be until after the new year that I post again - haha, I'm so clever :)!

Hey There Little Red Riding Hood

Vanna started taking dance classes in the fall and had her first dance recital on December 12th.  She actually has a couple young boys in her dance class and so their routine was a Little Red Riding Hood dance with the girls as Little Red Riding Hood and the boys as The Big Bad Wolves. 

I asked her if she thought she'd get nervous dancing in front of so many people and she just shrugged her little shoulders and said, "nope."  And the night of the dance rehearsal she did just great - no jitters at all and she was just beaming afterwards. She thought it was sooo fun to dance on stage and have people clap and cheer her on and she was just mesmorized by the big girls and their dance numbers. 

Well the next day came and Vanna was dancing around with excitement before it was time to perform.  Her number was first on the program and it was seriously sooo cute watching her.  I'm just so glad she's found something she enjoys doing and that she can shine and boost her self confidence a bit.

 

Our favorite babysitter, Elizabeth, came to watch Vanna and Ty was able to make it to the dance recital just in time to see Vanna's dance.  After the entire thing was over, Vanna came up to us and said, "Dad, you missed it!"  He said, "No I didn't, I was here the whole time!"  Vanna: "Oh, you were?"  I guess I should have had Ty go say hi to her and wish her good luck before her number but there wasn't much time and honestly, I didn't think about it.  I'll know better next time. :) 

 

Anyway, when we came home and talked about it, Vanna said to me, "Mom, I want to dance like those girls when I grow up!"  She just had so much fun and now, she can't wait for dance classes to start back up after the Christmas break so that she can learn a new dance and someday dance like the 'big girls'! :)

Merry Christmas - 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS - 2012

With Love - The Bazil Family

 

Another year gone by – it’s hard to believe!  Time just continues to literally fly by and already it’s time to send out Christmas cards – again, it’s hard to believe.

Christmas last year, brought with it a special gift beyond compare – a new baby!  Two days after Christmas, our little Rosalie Kae was born.  After all the worry behind our pregnancy with her, it was a wonderful blessing to have a beautiful and healthy little girl.  From the very beginning, Cash and Vanna were so thrilled about their new little sister and have always been proud siblings.  Not once, have they gotten upset or complained about my having to devote so much time to Rosie.  We’re grateful for their love and attitude toward her - they help me a great deal with their baby sister.  Rosie is much like her brother in that she is easily distracted, fights her sleep (not wanting to miss a thing), and likes to show off for anyone giving her any attention.  She and her sister share similar interests in baby dolls and the telephone as well.  We have all just adored Rosie’s precious personality and the sweet spirit she has about her!  It is so fun watching her grow and learn!  It’s hard to believe that she’s already nearly a year old, standing up in the middle of the floor (not walking yet, but almost there), waving her dainty little hand while saying “ba ba” (bye-bye), saying “uh-oh” when she drops something and pointing the remote at the TV while pushing buttons (does that mean we watch too much? J).  

It is also hard to believe that little miss Vanna is now 4 years old!  She started pre-school this fall and feels like she’s catching up with Cash by being “in school” like him.  The following conversation perfectly describes the way she feels about school: Vanna - "Do I have school tomorrow?" Mom -"Yes." Vanna - "Awww man (in her best drawn out whiny voice)." Mom - "Don't you like school?" Vanna - "Well, I DO like the snacks." That's our sugar baby! J  Vanna is also taking dance lessons this year and has loved it!  She is finally watching her teacher rather than all the little girls around her. She will perform at her first little dance recital later this month. Vanna is our little sugar and spice and has turned into quite the mother hen – not only to her baby sister but to everyone in the house.  Like most mothers, she is very caring and loving but also has a little bossy side that makes me examine my own motherly example. J

Cash is 6 years old now and started Kindergarten in the fall – which is hard to believe.  We are grateful he enjoys learning and is excelling.  He seems to be learning so quickly not only in school but in all that is around him.  He seems to better understand what is expected of him and his roles at home, he actually gets jokes when you tell him one (he loves jokes!) and he is proud of himself for recently learning how to tie his own shoes.   He also loves learning about animals and says he want to first be a missionary when he grows up and then a zookeeper.  Love it!  Cash convinced us to get puppies (yes plural – one for him and one for Vanna J) a couple months ago and taking care of them has kept him busy.  He can’t wait until they learn how to fetch.    He is still a very active little boy – loves playing baseball, jumping on the trampoline, etc.  He already can’t wait (and is more than ready) for coach-pitch baseball to start!

I knew things would change this year with the addition of another little one, the kids entering school, etc. but I didn’t imagine my life would feel so much busier.  I always feel so busy between volunteering in Cash’s class, serving/attending things in the community, serving in my new calling in Young Women’s and keeping things caught up at home but it’s a good busy and somehow, we make it all work.  I am so incredibly grateful I can be home and can be busy with those things in that way.  I like to tell people, “I love my job and it has the best benefits you can find anywhere!”

I don’t know how Ty manages to keep up with all that is asked of him.  He makes it a priority to spend plenty of time with us (wrestling around with the kids, movie nights, etc.) despite how busy or tired he may be.  He still works at BI-MART as a pharmacist which requires long, hard days and each year seems to get busier and more demanding somehow but in this economy, we’re just grateful he has a good job to rely on.  I guess all the busy-ness is job security right? J.  He is also now the Elder’s Quorem President in our ward so like I said, simply put, he is a busy man.  We appreciate him and all he does for us so very much!

As I reflect upon the year and type up this update, it can be hard to believe just how blessed we are.  We’re so grateful for our own little family and for all those around us – friends and family – that are so loved and so dear to us.  We are also grateful for this time of year when we take a bit more time in remembering our Savior, His birth, His life and all He’s done for us.  How fortunate we are to have the knowledge of the true reason we celebrate this holiday season.  And on that note…we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving 2012

We had a great Thanksgiving with Ty's family.  We had a fantastic meal, of course, and we able to share it with not only Ty's immediate family (all of us were able to be there but Ty's older brother and their family - they live in Nevada and were unable to come darn it) but also with Ty's Aunt Cindy and her family.  It's so fun to catch up with relatives and enjoy one another's company, especialy with full tummies! 

 

We had also planned a few activities for our Thanksgiving holiday a couple weeks earlier, when we were together for Chase's wedding, which included:

 

*Girls Night Out - the men were all angels and watched the kids while us ladies had a night out on the town.  We went to the new and last Twilight movie which was very entertaining.  It was just fun to go to a theater - not be interrupted with kids needing potty breaks or have to stand and rock a baby while watching a movie, etc.

 

*Wagon Ride - Ty has a sister-in-law, Haley, whose family's tradition is to raise and show shire horses.  They are amazing animals and we got to see them up close and personal!  Haley offered to take us all on a wagon ride and it was so fun - I think we should make it a tradition. :)  They even have a sleigh too - can you just imagine being carried behind these horses in a sleigh near Christmas time - would just be magical right!?

 

 

Both Cash and Vanna got a turn at holding the reigns and directing the horses with Aunt Haley.

 

Rosie didn't know quite what to think of the beastly horses.  She didn't care to be right up next to them for too long.  It turned out that Vanna had similar feelings.  Below you can see that Cash and Vanna got to sit up on another one of the Barney's shires and at first she was all smiles.  Then the horse moved a little bit and I think she realized just how high up she was and just how big the horse was and she got a bit nervous.  She ended up not joing Cash on a short bare-back ride around the driveway.

 

We played games together as a family, the cousins played and played and played, the kids went down to the barn, we went with Uncle Nick to collect chicken eggs for his neighbor - all these things combined with simply spending quality time together was wonderful and reminded me of just what it is I'm most thankful for.  I love this time of year when we all seem better at counting our many blessings  and as we do so, we find our hearts are easily filled with gratitude.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!