Hello blogging world!

I've been a slacker blogger but decided to sneak a post in and not miss January. I'm better at checking blogs than updating my own. Anyway...

Christmas was wonderful. I had a little Christmas miracle in being able to trade my overnight shift on Christmas Eve for the 22nd (which I was cancelled for anyway). I was really grateful to have that time to be with family. So we spent Christmas and the couple days after with my family in Salt Lake.

The girls were so fun. Mini's Christmas was all Barbie.

Emmy was excited about it all--she played with everything for about thirty seconds whether it was the princess kitchen or wrapping paper. This is after she walked in dog poop in her new jammies and tracked it through the house. She got a ring pop in her stocking (bad idea on Mrs. Claus's part) and went to town on it!

So speaking of dog poop, my youngest sister Jennie got an adorable chocolate lab on Christmas Eve. Despite pooping in the living room on Christmas morning and whining all through the night, she's actually really cute and was a huge hit with everyone!

January has been busy. I'm actually not that busy, but Adam is so busy with studying for the bar that I feel vicariously busy through him. We'll be SOOO excited to have the bar done! (Three weeks left.) Our biggest January event was Mini's 4th birthday! I really like having her birthday in January because it brightens up January and gives us something to look forward to after Christmas.

A little bit before her birthday, Mini informed us that her favorite places were Chuck-uh-cheese (not Chuck-E-Cheese), Old McDonald's and BYU (aka the football games). So we hit 2 of the 3 on her birthday. We had cake with some friends the day before.

On her birthday morning, Adam escorted her into the kitchen to show her the table and stools we got her. Adam and I were really excited--I was positioned with the camera to film. It ended up being a complete anti-climax! She saw the table, didn't say anything, and picked up her birthday cards she'd received in the mail and asked if she could open those. Adam turned to me and said, "I guess it's one of those gifts that is realized over time." At least we were excited about it!

And yes, it is being realized over time. We're getting good use out of it.

Just a little about Mini: She loves to read (we've been working on it and she's doing great!) and write (she doodles on any paper she can get her hands on). She spends much of her time fighting off her "bad guys" and being a musketeer by doing cartwheels and other gymnastics moves (if you've seen Barbie and the Three Musketeers you know what I'm talking about). Although she is very energetic, she is such a sweetheart. After her second Sunday in Primary, her teacher found me after church to thank me because Mini is so good in class, answers all the questions, and is a great example to the other kids. I love you Mins!