The Christmas Window Horror

Our first snow of the season came yesterday morning. Abby was thrilled to ride around in her sled while I pulled her. It was a raw deal for one of us. Strangely, it was pretty warm outside. 

Oliver will put his fingers anywhere. And I mean a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. He's also a big fan of putting his fingers in my mouth, so when I get the plague you won't have to guess were I got it.

Jeremy loved these drawers as a baby and Ollie is just like his dad. He spends a good part of the day sitting in them or emptying them out. 

When not in the drawers, Ollie is terrorizing the Christmas tree and jumping on the presents below it.

Oliver is probably not going to be a prophet, as he quite frequently stakes claim in the manager and throws the Savior overboard. 

He always seems rather surprised to find the baby on the floor. How did it get there?

In the meanwhile, Abby and Grandma have been cooking up a storm! 

Yams and apples:

Cheese balls:

Christmas sugar cookies:

Aunt Holly and Uncle Spencer gave Abby a gift certificate to Build a Bear. If you've never been there, it's a place where you get to hand make your own stuffed animal. First you pick the shell. Then you select a sound you want it to make. Next you get your stuffing on. Pick an outfit, give it a name, make a certificate, pay the big cash..... and you're done. Abby stinking LOVED it. 

Everyone wanted in on the action, so there were six adults for one bear. There were a million super sweet and adorable outfits. Some I would have worn, if I were bear sized and needed a hole in the back of my clothes for my tail. With all those great choices, Abby selected a knit sweater, jean shorts, see-through high heels, sunglasses, and a hot pink cellphone. Just like in real life, I congratulated her on making a fun choice and then gave other parents looks that said, "Whose child is this and what were they thinking when they put that outfit on her?" She named the bear Abby, of course.

This photo is here so that I can show off my Beijing squat. Offensive, I know. But if you ever lived there, and I have, you would know that real Beijiners can squat for hours with the most meticulous balance. It's awesome and I've always coveted their mad skills. Now that I don't have thunder thighs, I can also squat like a trooper. Try it for five minutes and then tell me it doesn't take talent. Be jealous!

I love this photo and I'm going to frame it for my living room.

Who has hot hair? 

Olivia Newton John called. She wants her hairband put on correctly. 

Denna got to speak at her Stake Conference while we were visiting. Elder Ballard was there. There is no pressure like speaking in front of an apostle. 

I love this Nativity scene that Spencer's parents sent back from Ghana. They were mission presidents there.

So grandma had the awesome (?) idea that Abby should put up the Christmas window stickers unsupervised. 

Be Still My Soul. 

Things were upside down, overlapped, unevenly spaced, and unequally divided by cartoon theme. I might have literally shed a tear. All I want for Christmas is some OCD medicine to overcome this window of horror. I have a feeling I'm going to be fixing it while "sleep walking" this evening. And by "sleep walking" I mean setting an alarm and counting down the minutes until it's done.

I caught Grandma taking apart the CD player this morning. She's hardcore about getting things done bright and early!