Sledding at Charleston

We woke up today and said "let's go sledding!" and that is exactly what we did.  Well first we got dressed in layers, then we unpacked our winter bag and found hats, scarves, gloves, and we loaded up the car and stopped at McDonalds and ate on the way to Mt. Charleston.  We got there around 8:45 and  one snow area didn't even open until 10:00 am, can you imagine waiting that long?!? Luckily the other sledding area was open and was perfect!  Well mostly perfect, it was sunny, which made it actually bearable outside, but for pictures you really prefer an overcast - ah what can you do ;o) anyway there wasn't a lot of people yet and it was actually warm with all the layers of clothes on, if it wasn't for Pepper getting tired and us being exhausted from climbing the short hill so Summer could sled, we might have stayed all day!  Ok I doubt it, but I really was warm, which is saying something because I normally freeze, and I didn't have gloves on so I could take pictures.

When we left some guys were selling hot chocolate so that helped warm us up on the way home too!  Overall perfect timing, perfect weather, perfectly packed sledding snow and the girls loved it.

the very short climb up the hill

cute!

Can you walk with all those clothes on?

Go Summer!

Here comes both girls!

Look at those smiles :o)

weeeeeee!

Snow Angels, sorta, and Pepper fell forward and couldn't get back up haha.

What's wrong, can't move?

How does that fresh snow taste?  Good until her hand started stinging lol.

I am Greenish Yellow

Yellow is my favorite color followed closely by green, so when I saw this outfit on sale I knew it was for me.  Not really, I wouldn't just wear that out, I mean I am cool and all but its a bit bright.  At least not all together, maybe a piece here and there.  I bought it because I am doing a photo shoot in a few weeks with the theme being "color" and I wanted to test out my new photo backdrop stand.  It worked fine :o)  Last night my husband said I looked like a ripe banana, I am thinking more like an old lemon.

Critical time, what do I really see?  Naked white toes and feet with lots of veins on them.  It could be worse, overall I like my pictures.  I didn't even have foundation on my face, just mascara and eyeliner and lipliner.  And my hair was freshly pulled out of a scrunchy.  I love my perm :o)  I have obviously gained some weight, especially around the middle and thigh area but so what, I am enjoying all this holiday food and I can start eating better in the spring.  Sexy pictures - no, fun pictures - yes!

Christmas Morning

Santa 2012

This morning we headed to the Silverton Casino to visit Santa inside the Bass Pro Shop.  We got there at 9:50 and saw Santa sometime around 11:15, long line!  At first I didn't even see the line so I was so excited :o/ lol but at least there was more to do besides wait in line, there were boats and 4 wheelers to climb and things to look at.  The store also had Santa cleaning the aquarium and Pepper LOVED the aquarium, every time a fish would swim by she would try to follow it and grab it.  Poor thing did end up smacking her nose on the glass, I guess she didn't really see it.  We also ate at the (very expensive and not quite worth it) buffet but it was ok.  5 hours later we are home and ready to rest up, at least until I head to walmart later to get groceries and a few more last minute gifts.  I might wait until the middle of the night, good idea huh?

Date Night

Last night we had a date night.  A night without the kids - eating - together - alone, well just the two of us and all the other people in the restaurant ....

We tried this new place called Texas de Brazil.  All I knew was that it had a lot of meat.  I really don't like meat much, in fact when I thought about it I realized my first choice from the food group would be vegetables, followed by breads/grains, then fruits, dairy, and meat would be last, but Kris was really excited and I like trying new places so he made our reservation for 6:15.

We arrived at 6:05.  We saw people come in who did not have reservations get turned away!  We waited until 6:17 to be seated (maybe 6:18).  Our waiter was not American/English and when he started  speaking I started to smile because I was having a heck of a time understanding what he was saying.  I thought I was going to start laughing, which would have probably been rude, but luckily I pulled myself together.  As he was explaining how things worked he mentioned drinks.  I thought he said they were free but once we got our bill they were not haha but that is ok, again, hard to understand!  Of course Kris said he understood him just fine but wasn't sure what he said about drinks either.

We headed over to the salad bar and I filled up my plate and did not get any salad.  It was an amazing salad bar full of mostly veggies and cheeses and yummy things!  I was told to avoid the salad bar so you could get more meat but I actually made two trips to this delicious yummy salad bar.

Salad Bar: Brazilian Shrimp, Prosciutto, Mushrooms, Risotto, Artichoke and Palm Hearts, Cauliflower Salad, Olives, Asparagus, and more hiding underneath!  There was also a grilled Pepper, that was extremely hot~!

We had so much fun eating!  You turned over this card and guys with meat swarmed you asking if you wanted this and that.  At first we took a little of everything expecting to try it all but after awhile we realized that we were getting pretty stuffed!  My favorite meat was probably the bacon wrapped chicken and the garlic something beef, like a filet mignon.  

Me and one of the meat carver guys

At one point during our meal some guy dropped off some mashed potatoes and fried bananas.  I said wait we didn't order these and he said they were to cleanse our palettes.  Kris also really liked the lobster bisque, I did not, I thought it was pretty gross (fishy).

I also decided to try an alcoholic drink that had mango and something and it was BLEH, but I am not much of a drinker and it tasted a lot like alcohol.  What I did enjoy drinking was the sangria, it was so yummy and delicious!  I am not even sure how many I had because we got a pitcher and the waiter kept refilling my glass and I kept drinking it.  I felt it too - I was quite a bit tipsy when we left but I didn't want to waste it - even as stuffed as I was I wanted to keep drinking it!

Kris had to pay the bill when we were done too - imagine that!

Our bill was higher than normal because of our drinks (that I thought were free) but that was ok, the one was delicious and worth it.  We also got a 15% military discount :o)

We will definitely go back but not too soon, we way overate!  We decided to make this a new tradition too - right before Christmas.  This is also going to be our "take someone to impress them" place, we can't wait for someone to come visit so we can go again.

I never blog about us huh, well there ya go!

Splash Splash

Sometimes I look at her and I think, what happened to my baby girl, and then other times I think she is still just a baby.  She is such a good girl, such a smart girl, such a cutie pie.  

She has such a great attitude until she gets her little attitude.  She has such a fun and crazy personality but sometimes she can be so annoying.  She is generally a quiet child but sometimes makes my ears ring.  She is so outgoing and friendly, but often talks to strangers - forever.  She loves her sister so much yet hates when she pulls her hair, or wants her toys, or wants HER papa.  I still look at her and wonder how in the world she got here, how could she possible be my child.  If I hadn't seen her being born I would honestly wonder if she got switched at birth because it still blows my mind to think I made this little perfect thing.  She is so caring and sweet and good hearted.   

I have honestly enjoyed homeschooling her this year and having her here at home with me.  I sometimes wish I could send her to school but only so she could have fun playing with other kids and to show off how smart she is, or maybe help other kids who are not as smart.  She has learned so much, so easily, I wonder if she even needs me and yet she will always need me.  I love my little Summer, mistakenly named because she hates being hot, the heat, the sun.  I am looking forward to watching her grow into herself, become a girl, teenager, lady, maybe a mom.  

I just love her to pieces!

Colorful Yogurt

I am a mom who is not afraid of a little mess, or a big mess.  I actually like messes, they make for interesting (and colorful) photos, would you not agree?  I saw something on pinterest about things for toddlers under 2 - one of them was finger yogurt painting using food coloring and I knew this was something Pepper should do.  Not only because I like a mess but because she likes yogurt and likes coloring, but she also likes to eat the crayon.  This was perfect, she could swirl around the colors and suck on her fingers!  If only she hadn't smacked the tray a few times ... oh well, who knows where those drops of colored yogurt might have went.  And yes, several of my fingers are colored but everything on Pepper amazingly wiped right off.  Bummer, no colorful mouth and face today.

Baths & Sleepovers

Pepper really enjoys taking a bath.  She could easily spend a half hour playing and splashing and having a good old time.  Unfortunately her skin is getting very dry this winter, as we all are, so I have been trying to limit her baths to every other day, and we have been putting on a lot of lotion.  

Tonight I gave Pepper a bubble bath and like always she had a blast.  Don't let the first picture trick you into thinking she is all sweet and innocent either.  It is all I can do to keep her sitting and from splashing.

Put your hands up!  Nah, I really didn't say that lol.

Here she is below looking upset because I told her to sit on her butt, something I generally say about 100 times during her bath.  

Below she has the look that says, oooh I see something I want.  She probably wanted to stand up because she did right after this picture and the bath was over.

In other non Pepper news Summer stayed the night over her friends house on Saturday night.  It was technically her first sleep over at someone else's house but only technically because technically she stayed over her cousins house when we went to visit in October, and technically she stayed in the next state, but since it was just her cousin I could technically not count that but whose trying to be all technical about it right?  

Anyway she stayed across the street at her friend Amy's house - she went over around 6:00 pm, came home the next morning around 9:30 and she had no issues.

I remember sleepovers ... waking up in a strange house, sleeping in a strange bed with strange pillows and blankets, eating strange food, watching strange shows, watching how someone else's mom takes care of their kid(s) ... so I wonder what Summer will remember most about her sleepover.  She did mention she didn't finish watching the movie she brought because she fell asleep, and she mentioned something else but I can't remember what it was, oh well.