A visit from Minnesota Family!

We were blessed with a quick but special visit from Lexi's birthfamily.  They did a whirlwind weekend and spent some time with us and some time down south.  Thank you to "Minni Val" (Minnesota Val - birthgrandmother) and Bonnie (half sister) for taking the time to make the trip.  We had a great time!

A Purple Birthday with lots of Baloons... Lexi is 3!

Her very own camera!

Opening gifts the next day - she really loved the noise makers!


Collin on the teeter totter! Go Collin, GO!!

Love these boys! Thanks cousin Carter and Collin for coming - Lexi really likes the dump truck!

Sisters against sisters!

Madi and Lexi on the teeter totter!

And she loved it!

Her first time licking the frosting off the beaters!

Make a wish!

Christmas Eve and Morning!

Only one little problem, someone actually had a fever and really didn't feel all that great - did fine with some motrin and naps.

FUN FUN FUN -

A train set! How COOL!!!

And a fantastic kitchen from Grandma!

What a great looking tree! Thanks Grandpa and GJan for the Easel



When we said it was time to put out cookies and milk for Santa, Lexi said, "Santa wants a beer" - guess she was right he ate the cookies and drank the whole beer!

Getting ready for Christmas - making lots of cookies!

Cutting out the cookies


Rolling and rolling the dough...

Mixing the dough...

Abby hated her reindeer ears! So much that she at them Christmas morning...

Lexi liked her Xmas Hat

A Bakersfield Christmas - 2011

her very first Grandma Banana Cookie! YUMMY!

Should have known something was up --- when we went to open gifts, Ronan told us Lexi had changed all the stickers! It was so funny - some gifts had several To/From tags and other gifts had none. It was great to open a gift and figure out who it was meant to go to! Thanks Lex, for a Xmas we will never forget!

That is one way to unwrap a gift - get on top of it!

Silly girls!

Ummm ... I think Hot Walkers are for horses, not toddlers!

Checking out cows at Grandma's

Ally and Lexi "catching snow" at the CALM Festival of Lights.

Christmas Tree Hunt 2011

On the Santa Train Ride, after all the hard work was done! Lexi learning about how she better be nice - cuz Santa knows....

Such a helper!

Girls headed back to the car for waters and to shed some layers! It was kinda hot!

Last year we hunted our Christmas tree down in a light snow with lots of mud. This year, we came prepared and had to strip down to our tank tops and pull our hair back!

Fall - ing Leaves - November 2011

So - I really did think that playing in the leaves during fall, was for the movies and TV Shows, until... Lexi and the twins (along with their parents) thought that this would be great fun!