Darin took the girls on their first "Daddy Daughter" dance at church.

There was a time when we wondered if the day would ever come to have kids and

get to do the traditional things like this. It was a western theme but we don't have

cowboy get-up, so we dressed them up in patriotic outfits instead. I thought they

looked just darling, with the cute braids as a finishing touch!

They were very excited to go to the dance with daddy and had a dandy of a time!

Christmas Hats

For Christmas, the girls were given homemade hats from their

friend/ babysitter, Sydney. They LOVE their hats and insisted

on wearing them home. Aren't they adorable!

Snow Day

One perk of moving to Reno is that the girls get SNOW DAYS!!

They were so excited to play in the snow. They had a snowball fight,

made snow angels, and just ran from place to place. They even

helped me scrape the driveway. If this keeps up, we'll have to

buy appropriate snow gear!

They were so happy!

Red Rock

In between moves we were able to stay with Darin's parents instead of in a boring hotel. The girls had lots of fun playing with nearby cousins and aunts and uncle. And they LOVED spending time with Mimi and Grandpa Ernie... and the dogs! The in-laws live in St. George, Utah, which is a beautiful place with lots of red rock and lava rock. I took the girls up to "Dixie Hill", I think they call it, and we explored and took lots of pics.

Halloween Garb

This year for Halloween, since I still get to decide what they are going to be, I chose an Angel and a Devil. And it was pretty fitting for their personalities at the time I purchased them, but I did wish I had switched them a couple of times:) They both loved their costumes and Avery really got in to the part quickly, as you can see in the photos. When we went trick-or-treating, they girls heard a motorcycle as soon as we opened the door (they are terrified of motorcycles) and after spending so much time on their make-up, I pretty much had to force them to go door to door. Thus the photo of Ava crying. Avery is too, her head is just turned:)

Lil' Pumpkins

Took the girls to the pumkin patch a little late this year. But we got some good pics! We were in a rush and didn't get to do all the activities they have. We didn't even get any pumpkins. It was more of a photo op!

Happy Birthday to Me

By the time my birthday came around, Darin had already accepted a new job in Reno, NV and was living there. He was able to fly home for my birthday and he and the girls took me to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden, for my birthday lunch. The next day we had to take him back ot the airport and so I persuaded him to stop at the Vasquez Rocks, unique rock formations just outside of our town. I had always been interested in seeing them, and since we would be moving, I thought this was my chance. They were very interesting and the girls loved playing in the dirt!

Celebrations in Phoenix

We took a very long road trip with two potty training toddlers from Palmdale, CA to Phoenix, AZ. It was a good 6 hours, with several stops on the side of the road. We went to be a part of our neice, the girls' cousin, Amanda's baptism. All of Darin's family were there and we had a good time. Amanda is such a sweet, loving girl and is eager to learn! We also took the time, while we were all together, celebrate my mother-in-law's upcoming 60th birthday. We planned an Italian themed surprise party for her (it's easy to plan a surprise party when you are a month early!) It was a lot of fun to plan and everyone had a great time. The girls love spending time with their cousins and had a ball. They especially liked that Aunt Jen brought her new pug puppy, Max.

First Day of Preschool

I knew the first day of school would be hard for Avery because she clings to me everywhere. So I tried to get them used to the idea of going to school by driving over there and letting them walk around and see the playground. They were also excited about getting a backpack, like the song on Dora the Explorer. It seemed to work because Ava wasn't scared at all. Avery let me kiss her goodbye, but later told me that she cried. They survived their first day and I had a much needed day off. Can't wait for many more!

Avery is all smiles...

Ava is ready to go...

They are going to Noah's Ark Preschool, at a Christian Church called Quartzhill Foursquare. I believe it is Penecostal. We are not Pentacostal, but a lot of ladies in my mom's group had good things to say about this preschool, so I trusted them and here we are.

The girls with their teacher, Miss Faith.

Seeing the Sights

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Griffith Park

We started the day by picking up Grandpa Bob (Caroline's grandpa) and taking him for a belated 93rd birthday lunch. It just so happened to be one of the hottest days of the year!

The next stop was Griffith Park to let the girls ride on the miniature train. The girls both sat stoic for most of the ride. When the last whistle blew, Avery lost it.

Next we headed to the merry-go-round. The girls enjoyed it at Disneyland, so I thought it would be fun. However, when it started, it went WAY too fast and the horses went up and down too fast, which led to screaming and mayhem. We spent the remainder of the ride in the sleigh!

Oh well, maybe next year!

The Crown Fire ~ Too Close to Home

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Trouble

I don't think this needs much explanation, but I'll go ahead anyway. My husband refused to put the baby locks on the bathroom drawers and I attempted and couldn't do it, so my make-up was always at the mercy of the girls. On more than one occasion I have cleaned my foundation off the floor. These pics are actually of two different times. The make-up on the floor pic shows some pink lipstick (which does not come out!) The pics of the girls occurred just hours after the carpet cleaner left. They got into the mascara and painted their faces with it. Ava gave me a few good poses, but Avery was clearly upset by my reaction. Luckily for me, the carpet guy was coming back the next day to cut out and repair a spot on the carpet from the nail polish they had spilled. He was nice enough to clean the make up spot again for me at no charge.