{Sponge Rollers}

 On Saturday nights I love to put sponge rollers in Ella's hair so that I don't have to deal with it on Sunday morning for church. Ella is such a girlie girl and asks for "curlies" almost every day.

   

We trade babysitting for date night with our awesome friends the Goffs. It's the best thing in the world! Their daughter is Ella's age, and last weekend she wanted curlers just like Ella did. They did some cute poses for me! It's so fun when they play well together!

And here is Sunday morning right before church.  My kids are such characters, I love them!

Lincoln Logs

The kids got Lincoln logs for Christmas, and Ella kept asking me to help her build a barn for her horses. Those logs are not steady! Half an hour later we finally had a free standing stable for her horses to play in.... and of course she had to help me build it in her usual attire: dancer princess!

Christmas #3: Boise

We actually had Christmas with the Thompson's on New Year's Eve. Kiley made us another amazing dinner and we opened presents and had a great time!

Can you tell they're cousins??

New Year's Day: Bowling

For New Year's 2011 we all went bowling! It was so much fun.

Jump House

One of the days in Boise we took the kids to a Bounce place so the kids could get all their energy out.

And they did...

Thanks Grandma!

Beautiful baby Aubree & Kassie

Gingerbread Houses

Grandma Thompson had a great idea to do gingerbread houses one night, and the kids LOVED it. I don't know if more candy was eaten or actually used on houses, but we all had a great time.

Ella adding the purple sprinkles

Cole wasn't into it as much as Ella, but still pretty proud of his house that collapsed and dried that way.

Love the aprons!

We love Papa (and his horses)

Cole wearing Papa's hat

Papa was so nice to take Ella out on a horse ride.
It was snowing/raining, he went up and down the street with her a few times.

Of course, Cole had to get his chance to sit on a horse.

Fun in the snow

Practically everyday we were in La Grande, Scott was outside with the kids playing in the snow. That's all they wanted to do!  They made this HUGE snowman, taller than Scott!

Papa was so good with the kids. He went out early one morning and came back with a sled and tied it on the back of the four wheeler. The kids enjoyed every minute of sledding with Papa!

I'm a wimpy California girl, so I didn't get out in the cold snow much, but I did take the four wheeler out on a ride

Any chance the kids had to get outside and play, they took it! Even if it meant feeding the horses or picking up the mail!

Elk Feeding

My mom and Fred took us out one day in Oregon to this
place where they feed the wild elk. It was amazing!

Ella spotted them coming up the hill towards us

Ella was in heaven with seeing those horses!

They were wearing real jingle bells

Scott took Ella and Cole to sit in the driver's
seat with the guide. They LOVED that!

Sad, my camera died so I didn't get a pic of
mom and Fred on the sleigh with us.  But it was
such a fun day. After this we went up to
Anthony Lakes ski resort and ate at the
 lodge there. Oregon mountains are beautiful!
Thanks mom and Fred for the great day.