Ski Trip to Angel Fire, NM!

For Christmas this year my mom and David took us all to Angel Fire, New Mexico! It has been almost ten years since I've been skiing, and I was super excited to get back out on the slopes! Also, Randy has only been skiing once and never with me, so that was exciting too. We were pumped about getting to take the girls to the snow. I collected snow stuff for all of us and Kendall kept getting more and more excited. We left early in the morning on the 26th and made it all the way to Angel Fire in one day! I figured we would have to stop halfway and spend the night in a hotel beause I didn't think the girls would be able to be in the car that long, but they did so great! Even after making the drive up from Lake Jackson just two days before, they were great car-riders and we were thankful to be able to have an extra day of skiing that we hadn't planned on.

Tuesday morning before we went to get our gear and get on the mountain, we dressed the girls up and played out in the snow for awhile. Kendall was great at making snow angels!

So cute in her snow gear! She's wearing Michael Pickering's Aggie hat here. Love it!

There was a great sledding hill right at our front door. Alden sled with Kendall a few times!

Cooper didn't really enjoy putting on the snow gear too much! We dressed her up completely, bibs, coat and all, and she just cried. We took her outside for a little bit, but she must preferred to just play in the house..and on the stairs a bunch!

Mom stayed at the house with the girls on Tuesday and Wednesday while we all went skiing. I picked it right back up ten years and two babies later and it was so much fun! I was sad at first because Kendall was too young for ski school. They start at 4 and she is still 3 for another month. I did keep seeing parents skiing with their kids though, even younger than Kendall, and wondered if maybe she would ski with me. Our house was right on one of the runs (totally ski-in, ski-out - so nice!) and she had watched us ski off one morning and said she wanted to do that. By the end of the second day I thought it might be worth trying getting her some skis for the last day. We asked her if she wanted to ski and she said yes! So that night we went down to the ski shop and had her fitted!
David's daughter and son-in-law Angie and Matt went with us with their two sons, Dylan and Logan. The boys had been in ski school for two days and were getting ready to go skiing with their mom and dad for the third day. Kendall loved playing with them so much on the trip and was excited to be getting to ski like them!

Such a big girl!

Thursday morning we started about halfway down the run with Kendall. The plan was to let her ski down the run to the bottom of the mountain, and then if she didn't like it, David was going to pick her up and take her back to the house. I got a little worried when we got started - she was all ready to go but then when we got ready, she started getting scared and saying she didn't want to. We got her skiis on her, though, and got started...and she loved it!! I skiied with her right between my legs and she just giggled and lauged - so much fun! Randy skiied next to us and she just thought it was the most fun thing. We got to the bottom of the mountain and she said she wanted to ski some more!

I was so nervous about taking her on the lift. The workers there do this all the time, though, and they were ready for her! We got her up to where the seat was, they picked her up and sat her on the chair! She was a little scared at first as we started going higher and higher, but she ended up being able to enjoy it! Randy and I, however, just kept thinking and praying about the end of the lift...getting off..the hardest part! I wasn't sure how it would go, but I called out to the workers again to give them a heads up, they got her off the seat, told us to get off ourselves, and then just pushed her to us! She did so great!! After that, she said she wanted to do the "ride" again.

We skiied on down the run until we got to where our house was. She did so great skiing with me and we never got tangled up or fell down. I was worn out! A few times, Randy would get ahead of us and I would let Kendall ski to him by herself. She loved that and kept asking to "ski to Daddy!" By the time we got to our house, it was lunchtime and we were ready for a break. She stayed in after that and took a great nap! I'm just so thankful she was able to try it and that she has good memories of it so she will want to try again in the future!

Randy was able to take a lot of videos while we were skiing - I'll put those here at the bottom. She is such a good skiier!!

We were able to spend Friday at the house just us - everyone else left Friday morning. We rested and played games and watched movies. We got ready slowly on Saturday morning and then left around lunch, during halftime of the Aggie bowl game. That afternoon we drove to Amarillo and spent the night in a hotel there. Sunday morning we finished the drive on into Ft. Worth. The girls really did so well in the car and we had such a great vacation!

Thanks, Mom and David for a wonderful trip! It was great to be able to ski again and share that with our family. Seeing Kendall ski was one of the best things either of us have ever seen - love it! We loved our time together as a family and then as just our family on the weekend. Such a wondeful getaway!

Christmas with Gigi and Peeps

Sunday afternoon we went to Gigi and Peeps' house for Christmas with them and Val and Jeff! Kendall was very excited about seeing Gracie and Evy...and about getting to open more presents! She was even so thoughtful as to help Cooper open her presents.

One of Kendall's most favorite presents was her unicorn! This girl loves unicorns, so her Aunt Val got her one of her very own. She loves it!

Peeps read some books to Kendall while she played with one of Cooper's new toys.

The present we got for Gigi and Peeps was a canvas picture of all four girls. Val and Jeff had brought the girls over to my Dad's and Lisa's while we were here for Thanksgiving and he took some pictures of all four girls so we could surprise Mike and Anita. They loved it! It's not very often that we get all four girls looking in the same direction! :)

Mamaw and Papaw came to have dinner with us and watch everyone open presents.

One of Kendall's and Gracie's favorite presents were nightgowns from the Disney store. They had to put them on for dinner and they looked so beautiful.

Sweet cousins! They love each other so much! I didn't end up with many pictures at all of Cooper and Evy, but they had fun playing together and stealing passing toys back and forth. So many little girls running around!

Gigi and Peeps, we loved celebrating Christmas with you! Thanks for all our presents and for a wonderful Christmas dinner. We love yall!

Christmas with Kiki and Pops

Late Saturday night we left Granny and Papas' and went to spend the night at Kiki's and Pops' house. The girls were very excited to see them, but they were also excited about the surprise Kiki had for them...she had turned the closet under their stairs into a Secret Playroom for Kendall and Cooper! Kendall couldn't wait to see it!

There is a little table and chairs in there for them to work on, a pallet to have pretend sleep-overs, doll furniture, and a chalkboard on the wall to draw on. So much fun!

Sunday morning was very laid back and restful. We all slept late, then the girls got up and we slowly got ready for the day. My Granny came over for presents and lunch and even brought Oscar with her! Alden and Scott came after church. Maegan and Donna were there, too! We had so much fun opening way too many presents!

Kendall and Cooper got a puppet theater from Kiki and Pops with puppets to go with it! Kendall was so excited and we have already been enjoying lots of awesome puppet shows!

Maegan passed out all the presents and Cooper had fun opening them!

The girls even got Tiny Toms from Kiki and Pops! They are so precious and I love them!

I love this picture of Granny and Kendall!

Family picture before lunch! Dad even figured out the timer so he could be in it, too! :)

Lunch was great and the table was beautiful! We loved being with everyone and are so thankful for all our wonderful presents. We are so spoiled! Love you, Kiki and Pops!!

Christmas with Granny and Papas

Saturday we loaded up the van and drove to Ft. Worth. Our first stop was Granny's and Papas' house! After they went to the Christmas Eve service at their church, our whole family on that side met at their house for dessert and presents! We were leaving on Monday to go skiing with them for Christmas, and that was our big present. We had so much fun! The girls still had a few presents to open though and we all had stockings! Here is Kendall opening her first present from them...

...a snow hat with mittens! It's so cute and she loves it so much - so much that she slept in it that night! I need to get that picture from Randy off his phone. She was cracking us up!

Kendall and Auggie!

My Grandma and Grandpa, Kendall and Cooper's Great Grandma and Grandpa, went on a trip to Alaska this year. They brought the girls back Alaskan dolls and a book for Cooper and this hand puppet for Kendall! So thoughtful!

Here is Cooper opening her snow hat from Granny and Papas...super cute, but she wouldn't let us put it on for a picture!

Kendall helped Granny open her present from us!

And Cooper loved her stocking! This girl loves snacks and treats!

We had so much fun celebrating Christmas with Granny and Papas, but it wasn't over! We spent the following week skiing in New Mexico and enjoyed spending so much time together. We love you guys! Thank you so much!!

Christmas Morning!

Christmas morning was so much fun at our house this year! Santa came and the girls were so excited to see what he brought. Kendall only wanted a princess Barbie, so she got Rapunzel, and Cooper got a LeapFrog dog that is programmed with her name and favorite things! And all of us had full stockings.

Kendall started by helping Cooper open the present she got her. It was a mini pillow pet! Kendall was so excited about getting that for her, because she loves hers so much!

Cooper also got Kendall's old Pottery Barn chair recovered with a new cover and her name! It's so cute and she loves sitting in it.

Cooper is obsessed with toothbrushes these days. She found one in her stocking and held onto it the whole time we opened presents!

She also got a horse to ride on! Hmm...Kendall had one just like this when she was little! :)

Kendall got an Aggie cheerleader outfit!

Cooper also got a baby cradle just like Kendall's. Their great great grandfather made these and Doris, my great Aunt painted them. Kendall has my old one and Doris had another that she gave us for Cooper. I love that they have these!

Randy's favorite present we got Kendall: a US map floor puzzle!

Cooper got puffs in her stocking and she held onto those the whole time, too! Kendall is opening one of Cooper's presents here for her - a board book. I don't think Cooper minds!

All of Kendall's presents!

And all of Cooper's.

Before we got ready to hit the road, Kendall wanted to work her new puzzle...and of course, Randy said yes! She was proud of herself!

We love our time as a family celebrating Christmas! And it is just getting more and more fun as the girls get older. Check back for pictures of Christmas with the grandparents!