More December fun...

More December pics...Betsey keeled over in Chris' truck on the way home from a holiday party.

We got some serious stuff done on the kitchen in December, in fact...it was completely done before New Year's Day. Here is the open shelving area with the marble backsplash.

Here is my blue island with the last cabinet which had to be custom made and retrofit...twice. Just lacking some hardware.

My little buddy with is crossed ankles. I love how he always has his ankles crossed.

Gingerbread houses and cookies.

Betsey with her cute church class at church.

Tub time for Betsey and Leo.

I love the Ridgcrest Ward. I took this pic because I thought it was super funny that we had a black tablecloth next to a red and white holiday one. There are wards where they would have spent a week setting up for the Christmas meal and it would be super fancy and coordinated and look professional. Not how we roll in our ward. When I told them I was going to text this pic to my friends in the other ward, they were like, "We were so proud of ourselves for using tablecloths!" Well played, my ladies. I can hang with baked potato bar and mismatched table clothes every day of the week.

We find it difficult to find service opportunites in the community (plenty with the church) for the kids to help with. So we were able to sign up to take a meal to the homeless that eat at the local Armory in town I think they serve them like once a week there. So we made salad and collected food from other people who contributed and got to go down and serve the food. It was a good time. I took like five cute junior high boys from my neighborhood who live across the street and they were so sincere and interactive, sitting down with the people and talking about life. I seriously love that age. They are such punks and so endearing somehow. I'd venture to say that Chris hates that age. Anyway, I love it. They must have knocked on my door like five times wanting to help me assemble food and take things out to the car and carry things for me and they called me Mrs. Pierce and it was all just so much cute in contrast with their double pierced ears, mowhaks, Seahawks jerseys, skinny jeans and swagger.

Another super fun thing we found out about was going down to the Elk's Club and helping sort all the food that was collected around town at food bank donation sites. All the kids could do this and we just took shopping carts full of random food and dropped it all off in the right areas so that they can then shop for a complete meal. We went for short stints of like two hours twice and the kids loved it. They felt like they were grocery shopping and they were able to do it alone and we took friends so they would have two kids to a cart and get at it. It is a real need because otherwise it is all for these really old people to do and they claim they pull all nighters to get it all sorted in time for the holiday baskets to go out. It was neat because our local church donated 300 turkeys to accompany the canned goods. Definitely doing this again next year.

Life in October...

Halloween! Alice made up her costume I think like to be a rockstar using a fun hat/wig thing that Grandma gave her when she visited. So cute. Betsey was always something different mostly focused on using the hair color spray. Sometimes you throw in some teeth to the princess get up. Idk what she was. We are loose with our costumes. Ruby is a pirate. Leo...he should have been in bed. Seriously, I had a cute costume for him but he wouldn't wear it.

Betsey learning to do her own ponytails.

Betsey is always asking me to take pics of her. So fun.

Leo set his little books up on the floor and pretended to read.

That's always a day when you are glad you are a mom. Yes. Why? Because the worst case scenario here is this stack of toys in the toilet covered with a few layers of poop, pee and toilet paper. You think that wouldn't' happen? You don't have kids. Trust. This was something to rejoice about.

I always wanted Betsey not to be alone in the tub. Being five years younger than Alice, I hated that she didn't have a bath friend. Now she does. 

Chris always decorates for Halloween with the kids. So fun for them. They add a few new dollar store decorations each year.

Lemonade stand? People in PJs selling? 

LDS General Conference is twice a year and we watch it via satellite in our PJs. It's amazing. Not just because of the PJs. Four two-hour sessions in two days. We cuddle and eat good food and take in great religious messages.

Babies are to be seen, not heard from.

Sometimes during converence we have to tape people's mouths closed so we can hear. : )

Leo LOVES watching animals on youtube.

Having fun with his favorite, Alice.

Her name is Kennedy and we call her McKennedy because that is what Bets calls her. She is so dear to us and was also really good at cleaning our house whenever we needed help and had money to pay her. Please note the fridge in the family room. How long has the kitchen project been going? Five months.

These sunny webs were spectacular to me.

Kiley, Ruby's bestie broke her arm and so we ran down to the hospital to wish her well and take her some treats.

We are both all dolled up. Anyone who pretends in a pic like this that they are taking a pic of their baby, not themselves is lying. Look how good I look. That is what they are trying to get across. So there. I liked how I looked this day. Off to church for sure.

Wow, more liking of pics of me. This is actually when I discovered DEVA CURL. I loved it while I could still get my hair curly enough. It only works when my hair is shorter. But I did like it.

Happy kid.

This isn't typical. Well it is typical now, because I am writing this eleven months later, but back when this was taken this may be the first time we got Leo to relax enough in our arms to fall asleep. Chris summoned me. It was exciting.

So this is my kitchen in my living room. All rummaged through. What a mess.

Happy kid!

These three...

Penny with a tight cut. Not as cute without the fluffy hair.

Betsey with her dollar store jewelry that makes her feel like a million bucks.

Cute hats from Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma and Grandpa visited for a quick weekend. It was wonderful to have them. Leo warmed up and charmed them.

I found this slide for Leo at a garage sale and he LOVES it. 

We played a game Chris calls "Feats of Strength" and the kids have to do certain challenges for some reward. I really don't remember the motivation, but here they are in a wall sit.

Holding a heavy pole out from her body.

Pushups

Weird poses. See how hard Grandpa is working?

Headstands. It is a really entertaining game for spectators.

We went to the pumpkin farm...

running around in the grass after church...

Betsey's drawing of Chris. A little generous on the hair and he doesn't wear glasses, but otherwise she nailed it.

Ruby had her Pierce brows waxed for the first time.

My little skelaton

See how the Devacurl brings on the selfies? Look!

When we say family prayer, someone usually gets on my back while I kneel and another on Chris. However, his back is always the one to want. So here we just piled them on there. 

I went with some friends to Beauty and the Beast downtown. It was fun! Four adults, Five girls. We ate at cheesecake factory first and had a great time at the show.

We drove with the Benners. 

Me, Ruby and Alice at the Paramount.

All the girls...Alice, Kiley, Ruby, Brooklyn and Shaylyn.

Back to Halloween! Here is my scary girl! Look at those eyes! I want that color!

This is the kitty princess ballerina costume. Obviously.

Now Alice is the pirate. Ruby decided to pass on trick or treating this year.

Knock, knock!