Mardi's new portrait

Here's our 12 year old girl! This is the shot I chose for the wall. I usually go to Kiddie Kandids but the older girls are outgrowing their shooting area. A friend uses Portrait Innovations so I tried them. Too expensive for me!! Here's the thing. Kiddie Kandids lets you choose as many different poses as you want, in the sizes you want. And I can be in and out in 1/2 an hour. They have a few more sizes available too. Portrait Innovations has a great deal, but only one (of the 64 shots they HAVE to take) pose can be chosen.  I like variety. So, it's probably back to Kiddie Kandids for us.

Better

See, the color is better now.

Friday night fun

Last year we decided to let the girls have the 2nd friday of each month for a game/movie night with friends. We don't have a lot of space so we decided two friends each could be invited. Their first night was in Dec. and included mixed company. They played a variety of games.
This month they invited all girls s0 I allowed 3 friends each to be invited. We decided it would be a photoshoot night. They did each others hair and make-up and I set up a backdrop in the kitchen for standing photos and one in the living room for seated ones. 

When we finally finished with invited guests, we had floats. Then I did Tersa and Mardi's shoot. The night lasts from 8-10 but that night we had to call parents and tell them we were running late and to come at 10:30.
I still need to adjust the color in some of these (the light in the living room was very yellow), so the pictures don't look great yet.

New Years Eve

The Wilsons are usually out of town for New Years but they came home early this year and we spent the evening with them.

The children treated us to a Star Wars play, we watched t.v., Mandy and I compared notes on our new cameras and we had way too much food!
While some took turns on wii playing "Rock band", Mandy, Mardi and I played dominoes.

And when the midnight hour was upon us, we watched the New York ball fall. We toasted the New Year with sparkling cider and tried to explain why we were doing all of that to the children who had never stayed up for New Years before. It was such a fun night. We love that we can spend long hours with Wilsons and they don't seem to tire of us!

Mardi Beth

After my first delivery experience, getting this 10 lb. 2 oz. beauty to come was no fun. (O.k., none of them were fun.)

Mardi is very strong willed, and since she usually chooses well, we are grateful. She is very touchy feely and probably doesn't get enough hugs since she really can't climb into our laps anymore. She is quite intelligent and a good leader. She will branch out this year in babysitting other peoples children. Her father's eyes teared as she stood next to the Bishop on the stand and he welcomed her to Young Women's. She's a good girl and a good friend and we love her. 

Christmas Morning

Stockings are always saved for last at our house. I didn't take out nearly as many decorations as I usually do. It's the lights I love. And I am most sad to remove them when it's time.
Santa didn't have to assemble anything this year. That's always nice. But small gifts make for a less dramatic scene!
Santa leaves a note each year thanking the girls for the cookies they left. Except this year, they forgot to do it. So, I did.
Cousin gifts!! Thanks to Emerson, from Keddi; Taylor, from Mardi; Tess from Shinara and Keddi from Tersa. (We just rotate a list and we usually always get one of the sisters!) Thanks to Caleb and Marci for our ornament, to Lindsay and Randall for the gift of music, to Lolly and Lee for the cards and spending money and to Pops and CC for the games and videos!

We had a good day and hope all y'all did too!!