Baby showers

I just wanted to thank all my family and friends for great baby showers. it was so nice to relax, visit with family-the girls ...and get better prepared for having a BOY! There are so mnay fun things out there for babies and Andrey and I are so blessed and grateful for those that threw the baby showers for us. Thank you everyone for your love and support and we are so excited to have baby Ethan as part of our family. 5 more weeks!!!

Merry Christmas

(Ellie had a little too much fun) and this is how we found her in the backseat) lol

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this 2010 year. Our girls were so excited to go to all the ward Christmas parties where they got to meet Santa Clause, go to Festival of Trees and get their picture taken with Santa Clause and see the programs, buy treats, and look at all the pretty trees. We had fun going to family parties, having White elephant exchanges, yummy food, gifts for the girls, and waking up Christmas morning to find that Santa had eaten his cookies and drank his tall glass of milk. The girls loved getting so many fun things. Most of all, Ellie was excited to get her puppy Pillow Pet and Emma to get her "video game" Leapster with the "Tangled" game. We had fun visiting all our grandparents, getting new pjs, camping items for the "cousin's sleep over," tall stockings full of goodies, toys, Emma's lady bug "Pillow Pet" and Ellie's Barbie that she just loves to decorate and make her hair "long long and so pretty".
It was so nice to have Andrey home and not out plowing snow, so that was my favorite Christmas gift this year.
We had such a nice and relaxing Christmas and a happy new year spending time with cousins and aunts and uncles, eating good food and watching movies and playing games.
But most importantly, we are so grateful for our Savior, for his birth, his atonement and Resurrection after death, and the life He lived for each of us. We are so blessed to feel of his constant Spirit and are grateful to have it here in our home and to share it with those around us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November was a great month. I don't know if everyone has a facebook account, but I loved having it this month because it was great to see every day my friends would post something they were grateful for. I took on the challenge and found that it was not very hard. I was able to find something I have been blessed with the whole month. My attitude and gratitude changed and I felt so much love for my family, friends, the gospel, my Savior, and I am so grateful for all that I have.
We were so blessed to be able to spend so much time with all our family members eating great food and enjoying each others' company. It is fun to have a curious Emma who wants to know the meaning behind every holiday. We had a great time thinking of things we were grateful for: her primary teacher, her toys, best friends, the snow, her warm bed, her dad and mom and sister and soon to be baby brother.
I am so grateful for all of you and thank you for your examples and love. We pray that you all have wonderful holidays and feel of our Savior's love.

Multi-stake youth halloween party

Andrey, me and the girls had a good time last night at our multi-stake youth Halloween activity. One of the advantages of being a youth leader is getting invited to all these fun activities. It was FREEZING cold, but we still got all dressed up in our costumes and ready to have some fun. I was a witch, Andrey was a wizard (Everyone called him "Gandolf"-sorry if I mispelled it), Emma was a witch, and Ellie was "Tinkerbell." We had layers and coats on cause of the freezing weather so it was silly to even dress up, but we had fun with the activities planned for the night: bobbing for apples (Emma won), a halloween scavenger hunt, eating scones and hot apple cider, the candy guessing game, costume contest (Andrey won without even trying to. lol) pumpkin decorating contest (sigh...we didn't win....ok so I cheated), "guess what name is on your back by asking yes and no questions", and they also had fire pits all over the grass area for everyone to stand around when they got too cold. It was fun with the music blasting and being able to visit and look at all the fun costumes. Some of our favorites were the girls with laundry baskets round them full of laundry, the santa claus with a "naughty" had on his head, the pink and green "Care Bears", Jack Sparrow, and my counselor, Michele, had a cape on, her hair all spiked, and a big "B.S." on her shirt. lol It was a fun night and I am glad the girls and all our youth (that went) had a great time. Hallween is such a fun holiday-and the fun has only begun. BOO!!!

Happy birthday Travis!!!

Today is my brother in law's birthday. We love you Travis and hope you have a wonderful birthday. We can't wait to celebrate your birthday on Sat. morning! Partay time!!! Travis is so funny, loves all his nieces and nephews, has the best sense of humor, loves his wife (Robyn) and daughter Lucy so much. He has an amazing singing voice, and would do anything for anyone. He is very talented and we are so lucky to have him as part of our family. Happy birthday!!!

Happy 17th Birthday, Bailee!

My sister, Bailee, turned 17 on Oct. 22. She got her drivers license, gets to date lots, so I think she is one happy 17 year old. =0) We had fun joining the family for dinner and watching her open all her fun presents with a little "Heavy, heavy, hang over, thy poor head. What do you wish this person with a bonk! on the head?" Bailee is amazing. She is always so outgoing, playing tennis (going to be the team captain next year), in madrigals (has an amazing voice), plays the piano, violin, very friendly to all, is amazing at setting a goal and working hard at achieving it. She is an amazing example to me and we love her so much. Happy Birthday Bailee!!!

Gardner Village fun

We had so much fun in Gardner Village today. The witches were a lot of fun to see. Our favorites were the hoola hooping witch and the one on the boat with the dynamite. We love that place.