Stardate: 2013, Captain's Log

A new year!  It's the time to reflect on the past year and make resolutions of change for the coming one.  The only resolve I have so far is to get this house sold.  Perhaps 2013 is the right time!

We've been fairly busy around here, as I'm sure everyone has.  I probably bit off more than I could chew around the holidays with several homemade gifts in the works as well as a few cakes thrown in.  But I made it...or I should say we made it.  Poor Drew was stuffing and sewing little mice with me on Christmas Eve.  (Have I mentioned that he is the best husband ever?)  

November marked Brooke's first haircut. She did pretty well but did require a little bribery to sit still.

 Abbie designed herself some nice facial hair with the use of a Sharpie and Scotch tape.  I wish I could have captured Brooke's reaction to it, because she was freaked out!

Thanksgiving was spent with my family this year and was really nice.  Once again, I brought the camera along and only took two or three pictures.  Here's one of Carly enjoying dinner...although she doesn't seem to be too thrilled, does she?

And then it was December somehow.  Our advent calendar kept us on the go with trips to Temple Square, going out for ice cream, painting ornaments, watching Christmas movies, and even special shopping dates with Daddy.  The girls each got to go on an outing of their choice with Drew and then went shopping for a gift for the sister whose name they drew.  They loved this and it will probably become a new tradition. 

We also made a gingerbread house with a kit I found at Trader Joe's.  I'm not sure you can see it, but there were three little sugar people included in the kit.  So cute!

Savannah's preschool party was complete with a visit from Santa.  She didn't seem nervous at all and told Santa that she wanted a walking baby this year for Christmas.

 Here are our sweet girls all dressed up in their Christmas outfits. 

And before we knew it, the big day had arrived!  Christmas morning was so fun.  The girls were all excited with that they got and there was no pouting or fit throwing, although Savannah did keep very close track of what she had on her list and what she actually received and was only slight disappointed that Santa didn't bring the pony she wanted. 

Here's a shot of Carly opening her iPod Touch

 Brooke with her puppy

Abbie giving her Merida doll a hug through the packaging

 Savannah with one of her many, many Lalaloopsy dolls

The rest of the day was spent visiting family!

Let's not forget the cakes!  I did two cakes the weekend before Christmas, which if you don't think that's enough to make a girl like me go crazy, you're wrong.  I won't be doing that again....especially not a wedding cake!

This wedding cake was for another of my Tremonton young women, Nicole.  She wanted white on white paisleys.

 

The next cake was for our nephew Sean, who requested Sulley and got a the whole Monster's Inc. theme instead.

Next up was a dinosaur cake for someone I don't know personally but got my name through the grapevine.  Can I just say that her response to the cake made it totally worthwhile?  She was so excited and complimentary.

The fourth and final cake was for our niece Katie.  She requested Fillmore from Cars.   This cake seemed doomed from the start.  I didn't stack it right to begin with so had to take it apart once to fix that.  Then once I hand the layers filled and the whole thing iced, it kept leaning so bad that I had to tip it over on it's side and cut a wedge out.  Then I didn't make quite enough fondant and so the bottoms were horrible looking, very rippled and bunched up.  Drew and I tried to save it with the finishing touches, but it just wasn't quite what I had in mind.  Katie was happy, though, so it all worked out.

 We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!