Taking Ally Roller Skating

I know I have kinda neglectful of my blog lately but I have recently been introduce to Facebook and have become addicted. Sad I know, but that is the truth. I am going to try to write on here more but even without the Facebook addiction...we have been so busy with other stuff that I really haven't had time to do anything else lately. Things should start to slow down soon and I am looking forward to that.

So, Wednesday I was able to take Ally to Skate city for a toddlers skate. We went with Amy and her kids, Sarah and Isaac, and Renae and Luke. I think everyone had a GREAT time. It was Anna's 4th birthday so that made it a little more fun, I just hope she thought so too!! Ally really took to skating, I was kinda surprised. I thought she might never let go of my hand. She actually starting skating by herself pretty fast into it. She is sooo independent!! She fell a couple of times, the first time she was surprised I think and the last couple times she cried for a bit, but it didn't stop her from skating. She kept on and that makes me very proud of her. I guess I will have to make more time for skating in our busy life. Ally is a natural!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hey everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas! We had a pretty good Christmas. Ally had so much fun opening presents. She is still asking me if Santa is going to come again and leave her gifts under the tree. Try explaining to a 2yrs. old that he only comes once a year...she just doesn't understand. Well, she got everything she wanted, princess cards, sleeping beauty baby (w/bottle) , and a tea set. She also got lots of movies and clothes.

We on the other hand got the Wii. That was pretty exciting I must say. We were able to get the Guitar Hero and Wii Fit too which are both really fun! That's what we will be doing on New Years Eve anyway. I can't believe that the year is over already! It goes by faster and faster. Well, hope you all have a fun and safe New Years and we'll talk again next year.

I also wanted to say thanks for all the Christmas cards we got and gifts and wonderful homemade goodies. Everything was so wonderful, we are truly blessed with such awesome friends and family.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, yesterday was my birthday...it seemed like any other day. I guess that's what happens when you get older. You still have to go to work, your daughter still needs to be taken care of and the laundry still needs to be done. I'm not complaining mind you espically not about the daughter part but I remember being so excited for my birthday to come. I loved that my birthday was on the 17th I thought what a perfect day. I know I did not always want it this close to Christmas but still I enjoyed it. When you get older it somehow loses it's charm, it's magic if you will.
So I was thinking about all the stuff I have done instead of all of the stuff I haven't done yet and I'm 32! There's always a list for the things and places you haven't been but I'm trying to be more postive so I thought about how many things I have done, in my 32 years....

1. Traveled....I've been to St. Louis, (thanks to Mimi), California, (thanks to Mana, Dan), Mexico,(thanks to Dan, Ken and Jan Truax), Las Vegas (Mom and Dad, Dan), Orlando, (Mom and Dad), New Mexico/Texas (Jan and Ken), Minnasota and various places in Iowa and Missouri,
2. I've gotten married and had a WONDERFUL little girl. I don't know what I would do without these two! Love you guys!!!
3. I have a career as a hairdresser. I really enjoy doing hair and the people make it totally worthwhile. I enjoy talking to people and trying to make their day better.
4. I've been on a train, plane, ship, helicopter, and submarie. Not all in one day of course!
5. I've been to two major league baseball stadiums and one major leauge football stadium

So anyway, you get the idea. I guess I should start planning some more things to do before I turn 40...ugh, I don't want to even think about that right now. Well, I also wanted to thank Dan for making most of that happen, I am very lucky to have such a wonderful husband and one that likes to do things and travel. (And that wants me to go with, lol) Thanks also for the beautiful roses and lunch yesterday and dinner on Friday!

Baking Christmas Cookies

So, Aunt Gina came over today and helped us make cookies. She loves to make cut out cookies and frost them and the whole nine yards. Ally of course LOVES to help her. She really loves to do anything that Aunt Gina does! Which says alot about Aunt Gina, she is really a GREAT Aunt. Anyway, so she came over to make cookies with us and we had such a good time. Ally wanted to help with everything!!! She wanted to roll out the dough and put them on the cookie sheet. When it was time to frost them she wanted to do that and add tons of sprinkles. She actually would put on the frosting then the sprinkles and then frosting and then sprinkles. I guess she just likes to layer it. :) We really had to keep an eye on her. I'm sure next year she will be doing most of them on her own, she'll be a pro.(Thanks to Aunt Gina) Well, just wanted to tell you all about our wonderful day making cookies and also to Thank Aunt Gina for coming over to make the cookies with us!

Putting Up the Christmas Tree

Did everyone have a nice Thanksgiving? We did! Ally of course fell asleep right before we ate. She did the same thing last year. We are just going to have to eat at a different time I guess.

So, Sunday after church we went to see Santa and Ally talked about it all morning but when we got there...well, you know what happened. She did NOT want to be very close to him and yet she didn't want to leave. She kept telling me no, can't leave, I want Princess cards. So, I helped her tell Santa want she wanted (from a far distance) and we told her maybe we should try again before Christmas. Afterward we went home and put up the tree. She had a blast doing that. She was jumping up and down she was so excited! She helped me put on the ornaments and decorate around the house a little too. Every time she walks by the tree she tells me how beautiful it is. I think so too!

I also put a few new pics on the slide show of a princess tea party that Ally went to with some friends. She had a blast! Thanks Sarah, Sophie, and Charlie for having us all over for a fantastic tea party!

Making the Lefse

So, here are a few pics making the lefse. Ally really had a good time this year with the lefse, she wanted to help so much. She wanted to help roll the dough and flip it and she really liked helping us eat it! At first she was a little confused because her and Aunt Gina made sugar cookies a couple of weeks ago and they used cookie cutters. Ally thought that was what we were doing, so we helped her make some stars and a heart. I don't think lefse has ever had cookie cutter taken to it but Ally liked it and that's all that matters.

For those of you that don't really know what lefse is it's a kind of bread I guess. Dan's family is Norwegian and it comes from them. It's a mixture of potatoes, evaporated milk, sugar, salt, and of course butter. It's a two day process and Dan is the one that really knows how to do it, I am just in charge of the griddle, I am the flipper. Glamorous I know. You eat it with butter or some people eat it with sugar, either way I think it's pretty good. It's tradition!! So what traditions do you all have?

It's Almost Time For......

Ok, so I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet but I think I am totally ready for some Christmas spirit. I'm so excited about Christmas this year with Ally. I really think she is going to enjoy it so much more, you know, really get into opening presents. Anyway, if you think about it Thanksgiving IS on Thursday and tomorrow we ARE making lefse so it feels like Christmas to me!

Hope you all have a GREAT Thanksgiving and enjoy spending time with your families. And of course, have FUN SHOPPING on black Friday!