Nyah's First School Christmas Performance

I seriously laid in bed the night before so excited for my babies first performance...I have dreamed of this day...where I would sit in the audience and smile with pride as my angel dazzled me with her performance and it caught it all on camera with tears in my eyes!  She had been practicing for weeks...loudly belting out Christmas tunes in the shopping cart in Wal Mart and the bathtub.  We  arrive... I am a little nervous with a point and shoot in one hand and my video camera in the other waiting for the performance to begin.  Lights camera action...all the kids are lined up but mine?  All the other parents are waiting patiently I nicely ask Nyah to take her place and she tells me "NO!  I have a booger!" and rams her finger up her nose!  All the other parents say..."that's what you need a picture of!" and laugh there heads off!  I was so embarrassed :)

She stared at the floor instead of singing...

  and hid behind her Santa hat instead of wear it...

She did sing a little and I was so proud...here is a sample

Here she is with her sweet teach Jolene

Overall it was a hilariously classic case of having your child rock your expectations...and Rudolph sounds just as good from the bathtub!  :)

Lights at Temple Square Adventure

And I do mean adventure!  We met Derek's family down in Salt Lake at their hotel and thought it would be a good idea to just walk to Temple Square...yikes.  It was quite the hike in frigid temps with my two kiddos.

Nyah did not mind a bit though she was just basking in the warm love she has for her cousins! :)

The lights really are amazing!

warming up inside...

It was Santa night at some bar downtown so the streets were literally filled with Santa's Mrs. Clause and plenty of elves to boot....some of them with there beards pulled down smoking?  We stopped for some pizza and had a few Jolly Old St. Nicks stop in and give the kids treats they loved it.

After dinner we took a joy ride on tracks thinking it would take us to the hotel...we went in the opposite direction and took another joyride back :)

It was a magical night for Nyah... running up the streets of downtown with her cousins at night, scoping out millions of Christmas lights, eating pizza while half a dozen Santa's stop by with candy, two train rides and a partridge in a pear tree...Nyah's own personal heaven!

Ali had a good time as well after recouping from the final stages of hypothermia...and I will have a good time doing just about anything with family!

Lunch with the Ladies

Ali has been dying to break loose from her carseat and graduate to a high chair at our lunches...she is so excited be be a big girl sitting next her her friend Lilly.

Nyah and her friend Jayci sometimes disappear under the table and come up wearing each others shoes.

We LOVE our lunches!

UGLY Sweater Party Christmas Party

We had a really fun ugly sweater Christmas party at our house this year.  Here is Derek singing some sweet karaoke tunes and Ali is loving it!

Here is Derek getting a little to into it and Ali is frightened!  :)

Derek tied for ugliest sweater and I won for best dessert...the food was delicious, the guests hilarious, and the games were a blast what a wonderfully ugly way to kick off the holiday season!

Walkin in a Winter Wonderland

Nyah loves to be outside even if its is sub-degree temperatures!

The First Snow

It was the official first snow of the year and Derek and Nyah did not waste any time!

Even though it was pitch dark outside frosty came to life on the front lawn.  :)

I think all three of them are frozen in place :)  Pretty good looking though.

Thanksgiving at Poulsen Ranch

We had Thanksgiving at Poulsen Ranch this year as you can see my sister and law Callie and I put in a lot of hard work on the decorations...in the end they were voted off the table because no one could see past them.  Who needs to see family with decorations like that.  HA!  How hilarious!

Just My Imagination

The other day I found Nyah in her room like this starring at the closet?  She told me that her and her bunny were watching the fireworks.  She got all dressed up for the occasion. Kids have the best imaginations!

All About the Clause This Year

I took the girls to see Santa at the mall before Christmas and I wasn't sure what Nyah would do?  Last year she was a little shy...not totally terrified...but shy.  Before I knew it Nyah was in a full sprint...I hadn't even seen him yet...she ran the length of the store literally dove into his lap and gave him a huge hug!!  Told him that a cinderella doll was on the top of her list this year and that she was a VERY good girl.

My sweet Ali didn't mind a little Santa cuddle either...however she did try a little tug tug on the ole' Clauses beard.  UH-OH!  :)

Mega Watt Shine

We were running out the door the other day and I just had to stop and catch this picture. For those of you who know my little Ali, you know that this is a pretty typical face for her...she is beyond sweet and never stops smiling.  I find myself concerned that she will somehow run out, or that her face will start hurting?  I totally feel undeserving of such an angel but am grateful for her happy sweetness everyday!!  

Trick or Treat

We started out on main street with Nyah's friend Jayci

Quite the parade!

Nyah was wise to the trick or treat business this year and she was ready to load up on the microscopic tootsie rolls that they were passing out on main street :)

Ali's first time EVER she had no idea what was in store...

Ali's very first sucker!!!  Love at first taste!  She is officially part of the sweet tooth club with Nyah and I. Oh I mean the organic healthy club I'm sure that dumb dumb came from good earth. ;)

It poured rain pretty much the entire time :'( we still had fun but I am not going to lie to you I would much rather it be warm.

We sought refuge in great harvest for a little lunch and a lot of diet coke for Mom's treat!

So Nyah randomly started singing this song the other day around the house.  She learned it at school and it is sooooo cute.  Her teacher says she has a gift for memorizing songs.  She must be advanced? :)  

Any-hoo I videoed it...well I thought I did...it took a few takes to get it just right one and then when I uploaded it I realized that I was turning the camera off instead of hitting record and totally missed it!!!  Hilarious! The bottom one is from my phone hopefully between the two you'll get an idea of just how gifted and talented my sweet little Alice in Wonderland is! :)

We went out later that evening for some serious neighborhood trick or treating that was very classic!

Grandma Poulsen's Halloween Sleepover

Nyah went to her very first away from home cousin sleepover!  Grandma Poulsen has a wonderful Halloween party for all the grandkids every year.  This year was especially over the top!

They went on a wagon ride to start things off right.

Wagon ride check.

Cozied up with favorite cousins check.

Halloween party check.

Sippie cup check.

Nyah's heaven on earth check check check!

Costume pics

It is hard to take a picture of Ali not smiling!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY NYAH!

  

Nyah started her birthday off with breakfast and presents in bed with a candle in her pancakes... Derek and I stayed up half the night decorating the house for her party so she could be surprised in the morning!  She loved it! Her party was in the afternoon we took the pic a above to put in the halloween frames the kids decorated.  They turned out really cute!

Here is the pic with her cousin Addie before she ran away...she is the cute little octopus in front :)

Nyah got a little too excited opening her presents and a greedy monster emerged after there were no more to open and demanded more presents!  It was only momentary...come on, we all get a little greedy sometimes... then she came back to herself and had a ball the rest of the party.

I planned to wear my ice skater costume then settled for a pink wig at the last minute.  I am going to say right now that I was soooooo NIAVE and in WAY over my head with these kids :0!  Luckily my sweet Mom and sister Kellie decided to come.  Also my sister in law came with her older kids and my friend Sarah...even with 5 adults and 3 older helping kids we had our work cut out containing the crowd!! I totally thought I could handle it myself...how hilarious...if I had this might be an even more interesting post. HA!

Kinley headed up some surprise party games...

that the kids absolutely loved!!

I made the kids all wear Derek's old shirts so they wouldn't ruin their costumes. :)

After the party we went to the pumpkin walk with my Mom, Kellie and Addie

We took a lot of pictures and drove the people behind us insane!

 Later that night dinner, and a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Poulsen rounded out a most FABULOUS 3rd birthday!

Afterward Nyah collapsed from exhaustion on the couch...Happy Birthday my dear can't wait until next year!  Ha! :)