ENT

We went to the Pediatric Ear Nose & Throat Specialist today and Maleen is scheduled to get tubes on Wednesday. Her ears are still very infected. I wish she didn't need them but am sure greatful the technology is available.

Sick

Honesty she still looks adorable but trust me she is miserable.
Unfortunately I was unable to capture the blood curdling nose.

This is what happens everytime I put Maleen down.
Needless to say I am getting NOTHING done.
It woudn't be so bad if holding her made her stop crying;
but it doesn't really.

Maleen has had a double ear infection since the week after Thanksgiving. Not to mention double pink eye, a sinus infection and more than likely strep throat (no need to test as she was getting a major antibiotic) Well 5 antibiotics later (7 since April, More than Marcus has had his entire life) we are going back to the ENT on Friday. Who knows what Dr. Garrett will say but something has got to give.

I feel really bad for her and for me!

Teacher Work Day

I LOVE NO SCHOOL DAYS!!!

We....

• Made whole grain bread
• Experimented with food coloring
• Made sugar cookies (with one of our experiments)
• Played
• Played
• Played

I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids and days like to day make me realize that
I AM LIVING THE DREAM!

P90X

WOW!

I hope I can walk tomorrow.

It is soooo sad when...

The Aunties go back to Utah. I wish they could just come home forever. I am wondering what I used to do before they were home. I love you guys and miss you already!

I Love Our Playroom

One of the things I love best about our house is the playroom. It is so great to have a place to put all the toys and that the kids can play in and make a mess in.

Don't Break My Big Icicle...

or do!

Marcus has been wanting to break this big icicle down for days. I haven't let him because I loved looking at it out my kitchen window. Well he talked his Dad into letting him and then couldn't wait to show me the pictures.

Fort Good Times...

It may not look like much now but just wait.

Welcome to Fort GOOD TIMES!

These to imaginative little boys kept themselves entertained with some boxes, two roles of painters tape, yarn, and cotton balls all day.

Not one but two entrances.

When you have a Fort this awesome it is imperative that it well protected. Don't even think about touching the blue because it will mean instant death by electrocution.

The girls loved the Forte too.

Every Forte needs a "Eating Room"

Me and Mel basically moved into my Parent's house after Christmas and by the day after New Years everyone had had enough of us. Sooooo out of desperation to keep our wild kids entertained we decided to build a Forte at Mel's house. We called around and found some big boxes and with the help and Grandma and Grandpa we collected them. Then we set to work building this amazing Forte. The boys had SO MUCH FUN and I must say Mel and I had fun too.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS...

a lot. I get so excited that I can't sleep all night. Nathan thinks I am worse then a kid which is probably true. Needless to say there are a ton of posts about Christmas. I had a really hard time narrowing down the moments. It may not seem like I narrowed them down at all but trust me I did. If you want to see all the posts you will have to click on older posts.

Nana and Papa's

Cute little girls.

Marcus couldn't even get all the way inside before he opened his gift from Nana and Papa.

Raygen is at the great age when she loves everything everyone opens.

Our little thinker loved the Science set Conner got him.

Jace has the best imagination.

Christmas Breakfast at Nana and Papa's is one of those things you start thinking about weeks before Christmas. Needless to say I didn't take many pictures because I was way to busy eating.

This years instead of a traditional gift exchange between the adults the decision was made to do a $40.00 limit Yankee Swap. It turned out fun. The cousins draw names and do an exchange which is fun also.

SANTA

Getting our picture at the top of the stairs is a Christmas tradition. We probably have 20 years worth of pictures like this one.

Seeing the boys faces as they came into the living room was so fun.

Santa wraps! My Mom insists that Santa gifts be wrapped and I am in complete agreement. Then you can savor everyones face as they unwrap the perfect gift. It makes all the weeks of planning, shopping, and stress worth it.

With a big crowd Santa has to get creative sometimes.

See what I mean about savoring the JOY!

Nice UGGS. Santa has great taste. These should keep Lyn's feet nice and warm for her February Wedding!!!!

For comfort you can not beat a pair of Dansko shoes. Especially when you are on your feet all day like Nicole is. That Santa really knows what he is doing.

Again the Joy.

I wished it and wished it and it came true. A Kindle!

By this point Maleen had no trouble opening gifts.

My Mom loves Christmas as much as the rest of us. She puts a TON of work into making Christmas MAGIC.

Nice UGGS. I could post several more pictures of Rachel with this exact face. She also has a special love of Christmas. I love that she keep the fun of Christmas alive until there were little kids in our family again. We have never had a year when we slept in past 6:30 AM.

You may be wondering why the nervous smile from a kid who finally got the gift he has been asking for since he was four years old. Well let me just tell you. Marcus has been asking for a DS for several years. I have always told him NO he had to be at least 8 years old. Well this year when he was waiting to sit on the Big Man's lap he nervously told me that he was going to as Santa for a DS and asked if I would be mad. Of course I gave him a hard time by telling him he could ask for whatever he wanted but that I didn't appreciate him going over my head and asking Santa. So when Marcus opened his DSi I think he was a little nervous that I would be mad that he had gone over my head by asking the Big Man Himself and that Santa had delivered.

Sometimes opening all those presents works up an appetite.

Nathan almost wet his pants when he opened The BOSE speakers he has been wanting.

Love my new APPLE. Now if I can just figure out how it all works.

Rachel reliving the "Christmas Miracle." aka when Santa brought her Doddie.

Maleen kept on my Dad's glasses for like 20 minutes.

Have I mentioned that we love Christmas. We love staying over at my Parent's house. Marcus put it best a few weeks before Christmas. I asked him if he was excited for Santa to come to our house. He looked at me with this very serious face and said, "Santa's not coming to our house." I asked him if Santa wasn't coming because he had been bad. He looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind and very patiently explained that Santa doesn't come to our house he comes to Grandma's. I told him that if we spent the night at our house Santa would indeed come to our house. Again with this look like I was completely pathetic he said, "Yah, but that's only four people (with his four fingers in front of me just incase I couldn't under stand what he was saying with my feeble mind) and that's boring." And I must say I have to agree with him. Christmas would be BORING without a crowd.

That's What Christmas Is All About....

I am amazed everyday by this amazing family I have been blessed with. A hardworking fun loving husband and two of the most adorable precious in their own way kids ever. I mean I really feel bad for my sisters because it will be so hard for them to have kids that just aren't quite as great as mine. Sorry girls. We will love them to pieces anyway.

The Sister Exchange

Rachel loved that hard backed copy of the first Harry Potter Lynlee got her. Apparently the hard back is not easy to find and doesn't come cheep. Rachee is a huge Harry Potter fan and I quote, "I wish Harry Potter was real soooo bad. I think about it everyday."

Nicole got Lynlee this awesome clock. We all coveted it!

Jenny hit the mark with this Origins gift box and the gift card to Sephora.

I think Jenny liked the GAP boyfriend jeans I got her and the plastic storage bins (she asked for them and who am I to judge).

Melissa loves to give a themed gift and she did a great job with my last name DAHL. I love the Pottery Barn wire letters, personalized stamp (I have been wishing for one of these for years) and Christmas door mat.

Mel was thrilled to see the new makeup brushes Rachel picked out for her (hers have seen better days unless you liked putting on makeup with what feels like toothpicks). She also got this adorable t-shirt from Sundance.

We have been exchanging sister gifts for years. We LOVE it so much that we have made a solum vow to never stop doing it. I mean even if times are so bad that we have to find a pretty rock and give it. It is so fun to shop for that perfect. It is even more fun to watch them open it. This year the gifts were great as usual.

I love my sisters. Anyone who knows me well has probably heard me say, "I don't have time for friends, I have 5 sisters" and I mean it. I feel so blessed to have them. The older I get the more I realize how rear and lucky I am that we love each other so much. That doesn't mean we don't get on each others nerves at times but it is the kind of situation where I can say, so and so is driving me crazy but no one, not even Nathan, had better agree with me because I will defend them to the death. Anyone who is close to their sisters knows what I mean!