The Weather Outside is Frightful...

That is the understatement of the century!  It has gotten super cold here and with that we have gotten all the fun things that accompany that (sarcasm intended).  A while ago Carder and I came down with something, Carder ended up having croup and then just as he started getting over it Brenn came down with it.  The nasty boute of sickness lasted a couple of weeks in all but both kids got better just in time for Thanksgiving dinner with the family.  

Not too long after, our town got hit with these crazy winds (I guess the strongest one that was clocked was at 102 mph).  That night was the scariest sounding night ever, we brought Carder's mattress in our room because I thought our house might detach from the foundation and we would blow away like Dorothy did in Wizard of Oz.  We were really fortunate that not too much damage was done except for some small debris in our yard and our power going out (which meant our cars were trapped in our detached garage and also meant we had no heat).  We went and stayed with Jake's parents for a day until it all got fixed.  Church was cancelled all except for Sacrament meeting that day so that the men could go help with clean up in the time that they would have been attending their other meetings.  Some parts of town got hit really bad, trees being totally uprooted, lots of structural damage and some being without power for 3 days.

But after all that not so fun cold weather stuff came the really fun cold weather stuff...Holiday festivities.  Carder and I put up our tree and a couple Sundays ago the kids got to have a visit with Santa at Grandma & Grandpa Apostol's house. (Its a tradition that Jake's Grandparents have done every year since Jake was a little boy).

Carder looked so handsome wearing his blazer for Church on Sunday so I talked him into standing in front of the tree for some pictures...but of course these are the faces I got...

After Church we were off to Grandpa and Grandma's house where Cole was ordained a teacher and we had family dinner.  While we were waiting I decided to try and get a decent picture of the two little people together...once again I did not succeed since I could get only one of them to look at me at a time and for some reason my camera was being wacko by only focusing in on one of them or even better none of them at all...BAH!

Lame auto focus!!! This would have been a good picture if my camera wouldn't have sabotaged my efforts!

After Grandpa & Grandma's house it was off to Grandpa & Grandma Apostol's for some Christmas goodies and a special visitor...

When Santa asked Carder what he wanted for Christmas, Carder told him the Batmobile.  Santa then asked him if only Batman could drive the Batmobile, Carder said Yes but he would just sit on the passengers side and open his presents

He may have to wait for his Batmobile but he did score some oreos and fruit snacks from the big guy that night.

Carder attacking the shrimp platter

Brenn was so sweet with Santa she just gazed up at him all doe eyed.

And of course when I got to the other side to try and capture her gazing at Ol' Saint Nick she looked away.

She scored some puffs (her favorite and I have found out they are Carders favorite too)

Even Jake had a turn with Santa

Carder quite enjoyed his fruit snacks...

While Jake enjoyed the frappe...

Here he is channeling his inner Steve Carrell with his frappestache

"Have I been naughty or nice this year?"  I guess we will just have to wait and see on Christmas morning what Santa thinks about that.

Downtown

This last Friday Jake got home from work and told me to get myself and the kids ready because we were going downtown.  We had a fun evening of getting to hear his younger sister Emily perform at the Assembly Hall, getting to see all the pretty lights at temple square and then to capped it all off with some delicious Hot Chocolate from Hatches Family Chocolates (YUM!)  Carders highlight of the evening was getting to ride the train (aka the trax).  Even though it was freezing the kids were super good for all the festivities and it was a fun little family evening.

My little downtown commuter

Carder loved looking at all the different Nativities that they had set up.

Taking in the lights at Temple Square...you can tell that it was absolutely freezing by Carders patchy red face.

Freezing our bootys off while waiting for the Trax...it was like Europe all over again except for this time I had my entourage.

Waiting for our hot chocolate to warm us up

My sweet little princess all bundled up

The boys doing what they do best making weird faces for the Camera

Carder in heaven with his chocolate snowman sucker

Fall Flashback

I have been super horrible about updating this thing...I know.  Life has been crazy.  Time has been flying by!  The fall time came and went in what seemed like a blink of an eye.  Here is a little recap as to what we were up to the past couple months...

My Aunt Krissi and her family moved from Washington to Orem, Utah this last summer.  It has been fun to be able to see them a little more then we used to.  My Nana and Papa came up from Texas for a visit, so one day I took the kiddos out there to visit the Bakers along with my Nana & Papa.

Brenn and Miss Annabell

Carder with his friends Annabell & Julia (I can never get a strait face out of that kid I tell you!)

There is a park right across the street from their house. We took all the kids over there to play for the afternoon (well for as long as they could stand the cold).  Carder just loves to swing and swing and swing.

...and make weird faces at his mom's camera.

Brenn looking like a deer in the headlights as I tried to get a picture of her all bundled up in her stroller.

At the park I saw this awesome wall of these bright red leaves...so of course I made the kids go over there so I could take some pictures of them with the beautiful backdrop (only to realize that the vertical impairment of my little ones didn't quite help with my vision).  Nevertheless, I once again had the opportunity to get a decent pic of my little duo (one day I will get them both looking at me making normal faces!)...

Carder is such a good big brother...he just can't stand not giving kisses to his little sister.

He's letting you know how old he is

My Nana came over and took a pic of me with the kids.

Me with my baby

My cousin Ashley came in town and they had a little birthday party for her daughter Kaycee and hubby Nathan...

Kaycee was so sweet, she had Carder help her open up her presents.  He was loving coming to the rescue of his damsel in distress...

Ashley and me with our babies

Brenn and Brody...can you believe these two are only 2 weeks apart! I think when this picture was taken Brenn was somewhere around 12 lbs and Brody was something like 20 lbs!

Jake's youngest brother Coleman has been playing little league football.  Carder is obsessed with all things football (if you ask him he will tell you that he is going to play for the Cougars.  He will be number 11.  When you ask him what position he'll play he says that he will tackle the guys.)  Cole had a game up our way one Saturday morning, so we went and watched him play.  Note to self, If I am going to be spending my Saturday mornings watching Carder participate in sporting events we best be living somewhere warm, cuz I almost froze my booty off at Cole's game!

The first thing Carder found to entertain himself with was a stick he found on the sideline

Jake and Brenn all bundled in her fleece onepiece

The second thing Carder found to entertain himself...the sideline rope

Coleman in action

The third thing Carder found to do was get Grandma to take him to the snack counter and get a treat

Carders final bout of amusement for the afternoon was making funny vampire faces with the swedish fish his grandma had just got him and having mom take his picture so he could look at them...

Brenn stayed nice and warm during the game (enough to take a nice little nap)

The Bakers had a little halloween party so Carder dawned his Superman or as he calls him "Clark Ca-Ant" costume.  They had a fun little birthday party for little miss Julia and a super cool spook alley for the kids. It was also fun to spend a little more time with Nana & Papa before the headed back to Texas.

My favorite little super hero

Enjoying some yummy treats with my cousins Sami & Sydney 

Me with my Nana and the Baker girls

Superman with Fairy Julia and princess Annabell

Jake, Brenn & Papa

Halloween is one of my very favorite holidays.  Normally I am all on top of the family themed costumes etc.  But not so much this year with the move.  My Aunt Kimi (who is the MASTER of halloween costumes) let Carder pick out a couple to borrow before we left Vegas. Since he is obsessed with all things superhero he picked Superman and Batman.  He was so excited to get to wear the Batman costume because it was my cousin Brandon's (who he just loves) special costume.  Before we left Brandon and Kimi showed him pictures of Brandon wearing it when he was a little boy and Carder just thought that was the coolest thing ever. So with Carder's costume taken care of all I had to come up with was one for Miss B. Good thing I didn't take on doing ones for Jake and I because literally Halloween afternoon was when I got around to finishing one for Brenn.  Carder was quite pleased to have her be his little helper (Robin).  Especially since most of my days are spent talking like Posion Ivy as he pretends to be Batman and refers to Brenn as his sidekick.

Carder has decided to not take naps anymore even though he desperately needs them. (not really enjoying that one but what do you do?) I tried to make him take one on Halloween explaining to him that he was going to need all that extra energy to do all of his trick or treating, but I was unsuccessful.  Once Jake got home we got the kids ready and took them out.  Our ward here is only like 3 blocks by 3 blocks, so our goal was to have him just do the ward.  After the first street (only one side mind you) Carder started telling us  he was tired and ready to go home.  We told him that this was the only night he got candy so he'd better do enough houses so he had enough. To compromise we told him we had to walk back up the street to go home anyways so he might as well do all the doors on our way home. Well to make a long story short Jake ended up death marching him through most of the ward by the end of the evening. I was so proud. And good thing too because Carder came home that night telling us he had such a fun time, he would have been bummed if we had let him go home when he first asked to.  Brenn did pretty well for her first trick or treat.  She lasted for the first few houses and then she fell asleep for a bit and it wasn't till she woke up from her nap that I had to take her home to feed her.

BATMAN

(He started with the mask on, but it was bugging him so we ditched it. Plus it was oddly warm that evening for Utah, so he didn't really need it. Not to mention the fact we realized way more people in our neighborhood know Carder then us.  We'd go to a door and they'd say "Its Carder! <pause> and Carder's Dad.")

ROBIN

(I cannot tell you how many people referred to her as the little brother.  Come on people I get that Robin is a boy, but I did put a bow in her hair!)

The Dynamic Duo

Jake with the kids...and No he is not dressed up as a frat boy.  I know, I was confused too.

Carder with his spoils