alicia king

Santa...

every year i always take my kids to see santa at the mall, last year i didn't get a picture, but we still went to see him! this year we didn't see him at the mall, instead we visited with him at thanksgiving point. he was the FotoFly Santa! last year we got our family pictures taken at Fotofly in Draper, i don't even think i ever posted them here. anyway...the girls have been so excited to see santa, we almost missed our appointment, i knew i should have booked the very last appt. possible, because of timing. we went to see the lights at temple square and then rushed back to make it late to see santa. so thankful they still took us, yes i did call to tell them we were late! anthony did NOT want to see santa, he threw a tantrum, i thought for sure he wouldn't be in the photos or if he was he'd be crying! but the photographer was trained well...and was sooo good with kids, these are the best ever! they give you the option of having your husband or whoever dress up in the santa outfit or you can use the "real santa" too. levi thought he was too cool, so we used the real santa. it's a great idea though! so it's almost a suprise to your kids if they figure it out, and i like how they don't include his face, because later when your kids compare their santa photos, wondering why santa looks different or has a different beard every year :) {you can have his face in the photos if you want...} i love fotofly...we always the best experience there!

Merry Christmas...

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I love when Christmas falls on a Sunday!

lights at Temple Square...

after walking through the Up house, we went to see the lights at Temple Square...we then realized we haven't been there since levi proposed to me eleven years ago...that was my first time! i love all the lights!

poor Anthony! all wrapped up tight in a blanket! he could barely see out, but it was cold! i ordered him a coat online, but a couple days too late for when we actually needed it...it's supposed to be here tomorrow.

as we were leaving, isabella spotted "her santa." she said "mom! their's my santa, i have TWO santas!"

 

caroling llamas...

our neighbors have 2 llamas, they gathered friends and went caroling! i think our house was first on the list...i forgot what day they were coming, so i was suprised when i opened up my door to llamas and christmas carols! my girls in their pajamas step outside...after they were done caroling, they asked if they wanted to go inside and get their jackets on and get a picture with the llamas. so they rush back in get some pants on with their hats and coat, gulianna insisted on just a sweater.

gulianna excited, but super shy, she always has a blank face in these type of situations!

she's scared, doesn't know what to think, yet she wants to sit on the llama!

and isa as excited as she can be!

gulianna still showing no excitement!

pictures after church...

captured some photos of my little rascals after church...i could just post the best ones, but all of them are definitely funny to look at!

this skirt finally fits gulianna perfectly! i bought it in 2008, size 12-18 months, she's worn it for three years now. and isa's skirt {that used to be gulianna's} fits her too, i bought it at the di last year? maybe the year before.  

isabella grabbing bro...

anthony playing with my lens cap...

gulianna running in front of the camera...

gulianna freaking out because isa is walking in front of her...

anthony eating my lens cap...

girls checking out their skirts...ha ha!

gulianna starting her posing session...

my favorite one...

starting to decorate...

for Christmas! a little late for me...but been busy with other projects and stuff. that and i had to go get our stuff out of storage.

gulianna helped with the tree for outside by the front door...and then she decorated the tiny tree too :)

next up, our big one...except that it won't all fit inside, it's nine feet and the ceiling is only seven....grrrreat.

Happy Holidays...

 

Done...

 
This was the last of my Christmas decorations for the very top of the tree...

and they are up now!

Being the short person I am, and not wanting to get the ladder out, I simply waited for Levi to finish the top of the tree. He did it this morning.

The lights on the very top of the tree aren't working! I guess that's what happens to pre lit trees.

Anyway, just strung some more lights and we're good to go.

Except for the star. It's not wanting to stay up there...

I wanted to add some big white stars, but Tai Pan didn't have anymore...they had some last month. But of course I waited a year too long. I actually bought some last year, the day after Christmas, but then I returned them...and bought some thing else. Because they were just going to go in storage, until NOW...

Merry Christmas...

Here is my Christmas card that I made very quickly last Saturday...and do you even think that I have sent them off yet, no of course not. That is why it says Happy Holidays, instead of Merry Christmas...hopefully they will at least be in the mail today. 

I hope everyone has a good Christmas tomorrow! We have plans to bake some cookies this afternoon and deliver them to our neighbors, and then head up to my mom's house tomorrow for Christmas! I am super excited for Gulianna to open her presents tomorrow, there is one that I have been wanting to open up and look at myself...but I have been good, and waited...okay I did open the box up before I wrapped it, but the "contents" were wrapped in plastic, and then Levi would have known that I did peek at it!

I am wondering myself when baby Isabella is coming, could be any day or could be in a couple weeks, I just wish I knew for sure. I have to much to do before she comes and not enough time, as always. At least I have my hospital bag some what packed...who even knew you had to bring stuff there...I was lucky enough last time with Gulianna to have my makeup and a change of clothes, Levi had to buy all his stuff and other things we needed, when we were already in Rexburg...so I hope this time I am kinda prepared? Who knows...anyway stay tuned for a little guessing game!

You better not Pout...

I let Gulianna open her first Christmas present for this year, because she is still wearing her Halloween pajamas, and they are getting a little snug...so we handed her the present, and then she does this...

When she was done laying there for a minute, I showed her how to open her present...

She opened it very carefully, ripping one piece at a time! I was afraid that if we let her open one, she would want to open all the others, but she hasn't even touched them!      

Yeah! New Christmas jamaramas! Now lets try and put them on over my shoes!

I haven't even posted Halloween yet...

but before I get any more behind on blogging, Monday night Levi took out all the Christmas decorations...so my living room looks like this...

Gulianna was super excited to see everything that she could get into, Levi started out with putting on Santa hats, so festive! {Not the best picture, I didn't have a steady hand, I was just trying to hurry and catch the moment}

and this is what it started to look like later in the evening...

The first one decorated for the night was my little Raggedy Ann tree, oh how I love Raggedy Ann! Any guesses on how many trees I have??! It is going to be a festival of trees this year...so STAY TUNED!

A visit from Santa!

A couple weeks before Christmas Santa came to our home to see Gulianna!It didn't take Gulianna long to figure out that his beard was fun to play with!and good to eat!wait a minute, your beard isn't attached to you!