Motab Christmas Concert

We had three nights of a great concert.  On Saturday afternoon, the bells were scheduled to be at the recording session, but late Friday we got word we didn't have to be there for that and we just had to be there by 4:30 for dinner before the concert.  They fed us, the choir, dancers, and the stage crew at the Church Office Building cafeteria.  It was yummy!  I ate first with the bells, but then later met up with my mom and finished eating with her.

 So all week long people kept telling us our costumes looked like they were from star trek.  So Paige, one of the bell ringers and a very comical lady, made cool tags for us to wear that were the star trek logo with BoTS printed on them.  It was awesome!

 We rang during the opening number, then had about 40 minutes before playing in the production number and the finale.  So we either hung out back stage or in the little theater at the conference center.  I did quite a bit of reading during that time.  It was actually kind of nice to get to just sit and read and not have any distractions like children or a dirty house to clean.  Even though it was a lot of work and very tiring, it was also very relaxing in a way.

 This is the 2nd year doing the concert with the Bells and it was a great experience.  The best part was that I was able to stand right next to my mom when I rang.  I could hear her singing and she could watch me ring.  It worked out great!  What a great memory!

Kaylee's Christmas Recital

I was really sad when I found out Kaylee's dance recital would at the same time as the Friday Night Motab Concert.  That would mean I wouldn't be able to attend her recital.  But luckily we had Gma & Gpa Bennett and Uncle Ryan that were able to be there with our family and help take pictures and video of her performances.  

 Alivia was thoroughly entertained by not only the singing and dancing, but by the people who sat in front of her.

 Kaylee did a great job yet again singing her solo and doing her dance.  I was so proud of her!

 Watching the video just made me laugh.  After each performance she would do this little clogging jig and then run off the stage without waiting for the rest of the group.  It was really quite adorable!  I wish I could have been there to see it in person.  What a fun night for her and our family!

Chimes Program

Last week was a crazy and busy week....and that is why it has taken me forever to post anything about it. Tuesday I had BoTS Rehearsal which was the first night of a very busy week, with me being gone every night for rehearsals or the Motab Concert.  But in the middle of all of that we had dentist appoitments, Dance Recitals, preschool, piano lessons, and normal every day life stuff.  Here is a picture of Kaylee with her snowman she made at preschool Tuesday.  

 On Thursday, Carson's class had a chime program.  It was super cute and he did a great job!  They san a few Christmas songs, then played some more songs using chimes.  I was impressed!  Nick was able to come home from work a bit early so we were all able to attend.

 Thursday Night was the first real concert/dress rehearsal for the Motab Concert.  We thought it was kind of neat that they thought enough about the bells to let us wear costumes, but I wasn't the biggest fan of these Star Trek lookalike costumes.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

On Saturday afternoon, Santa came and visited our town of Woods Cross. We were able to go to the elementary school after Nick got home from work and visit him. The kids brought their Christmas lists with them so they knew exactly what to ask for.

Alivia was asleep for most of it. She threw up during the night on Friday and earlier that day so I am sad she didn't get to see Santa. But it was still fun and the kids got a big bag of yummy treats, including a fun Santa Pez.
On another note, I have to mention Kaylee for a bit She keeps me pretty entertained during the day while Carson is at school. The other day I was taking a shower when I heard her come in my room singing. She had found my ipod and was listening to music and singing along. At first I couldn't tell what she was singing, so when I got out of the shower I listened to the ear bud and realized she was singing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". She kept playing it over and over. If you know that song, it has a lot of "Ah ahahhhh" type singing, not a lot of words. It was hilarious to hear her singing it. It made me laugh so hard! I have it on video as well. It was awesome!
She is still loving preschool. She came home with the stories of Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears. She was so excited to retell me the story they learned with her stick puppets. She is so smart and it is amazing how much she can remember things and stories. She is also pretty good about remembering words to songs too.
I can't believe is just over a month she will be 4. She has been telling people she is "almost 4" since about March! I think she is even more excited for her Birthday than anyone else I know!

Twins

I have a friend and roommate from college, Andrea, who has 4 kids, and her youngest are twins. I follow her blog often and it is amazing to see what she gets done with having twins! And last week I got the chance to see how if feels to have a set of twins...make that TWO sets of twins! Last Tuesday night, Marisa brought Cooper and Mayci down for us to watch while she was out of town. I knew Kaylee and Mayci would have a blast. They are only 6 weeks apart in age and they are old enough to just play and have fun. But since Cooper and Alivia are only 6 days apart, I knew they would be a bit more work, but I was still excited for my kids to spend time with our cousins. But still....two sets of twins? How was this going to work? But it did and it was fun! It helps that Cooper is a pretty good baby and since he wasn't feeling 100%, he slept. A lot. And that helped, especially in the mornings while I was trying to get Carson off to school. I also don't have to do carpool since I have that worked out with another mom and Nick to get the kids to and from school. So we didn't leave the house with the babies, not once. Either Nick or myself were always home with them. We did a lot of coloring, watching movies, playing games, dressup, and baking to keep us all entertained. I think the girls had a blast together! Everyday I would ask them how they wanted their hair done, and they didn't care as long as they were the same as one another. Here are some fun pictures of our week.

I am not sure how my friend Andrea even leaves the house on a daily basis, but I guess if you know you have no other option, you make it work! I have a new found admiration for her, especially because she goes above and beyond what most mothers do without a set of twins!

It was a lot of work, I won't kid about that, but it was really enjoyable not only for me but for our kids to spend time with family. I could have done with out the multiple diaper blowouts, from both babies, but again, it was fun! We can't wait to do it again, but maybe when the babies are a bit older! :)

Oh Snap!

Last Friday, as I was helping get Carson ready for school, we were in the bathroom doing his hair and he was showing me how he snaps. His version at the time was a clicking sound with his mouth and a flick with his fingers. So after just a minute of showing him how to really snap he totally got it and hasn't stopped! You would have thought he won a prize the way he was laughing and acting so excited because he really knows how to snap now! He was so excited to get to school and show Mrs. Thompson he could snap.

He was seriously making me laugh because of how he was acting once he figured it out. I can't get over it! Every day he shows me his snapping. He can do it pretty loud too. I will catch him snapping his fingers throughout the day watching tv or even in the tub! I am sure he could have figured it out earlier if we just would have shown him how to do it correctly. I am thinking that is the case with tying his shoes too. I am sure he can do it if we would just take the time to show him, but for now, velcro is still our friend when it comes to shoes! But maybe we will work on that next week when life slows down a bit!

1st Grade Bell Presentation

Last week I was asked to come and talk to Carson's class about bells. Carson's class is practicing playing Christmas songs on hand chimes. So when Mrs. Thompson heard that I play with the Bells on Temple Square, she asked me to come and share with the class a bit about bells. I was more than happy to talk to just Carson's class about bells, but when I showed up Tuesday, three other 1st grade classes ended up coming as well to listen, so I was a bit surprised, but it was really fun! I borrowed a couple of bells from my director to show the kids the different sounds bells can make and how to ring them. Then I showed them a video of the Bells on Temple Square playing "Up on the Housetop". It was really fun and I was glad I was asked to come and do this presentation. Mrs. Thompson was nice enough to email me some pictures she had taken.

This is Carson's class after the presentation. They are all so cute! I was so impressed on how quiet and nice all of the kids were. My favorite part was when Mrs. Thompson asked Carson to introduce me. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was so cute and it made me smile!

Brrrrrr.....

Brrr, it has been cold today! But that didn't stop me and the two older kids from having fun! They hold a little Christmas party thing at "The Square". It is a little strip mall area in Bountiful. It is home of our Dentist, Parsons Bakery, my Chiropractor, and our most favorite thing, Orange Leaf. So we went up to see what was going on there. We enjoyed some popcorn, cookies, and even Eggnog was offered, but we passed on that. But we did get to take a carriage ride around the parking lot. It was fun, but SO COLD!!!!

Our hands and noses were so frozen when we got done, that we ended up going home and enjoying some hot soup for dinner, even though we would have loved to stay and enjoy more of the fun that was planned. It was just TOO COLD! Maybe next year it will be a bit warmer!!! (The reason Nick and Alivia weren't there was because I didn't want Livy in this cold weather....which was a good call considering how long we lasted!)

Christmas List

Wow...it is still hard to believe it's December, but we are all so excited for this month! Just a few things I wanted to post. First, a picture of Livy doing her most favorite thing. Standing. She will stand up against anything I let her and play. She still isnt' crawling, and who knows, she may just skip crawling and go right to walking!

Last Friday was our ward Christmas party and it was super fun. We enjoyed yummy soup, salads, and desserts and of course the primary kids sang. I was supposed to sing a duet with a girl in our ward, but she called me Friday morning and told me she was sick with the stomach flu. So instead of cancelling a musical number completely, I figured I could come up with something. So Kaylee and I ended up doing a duet together. We sang her "That Night in the Stable" song that she has been learning for her performing group. It worked out well, and again she sang with no fear, in front of the whole ward. She did a great job. I was very proud of her. The funniest part though was at the end...after we got done singing she said right into the microphone "Mommy you SO good!!". It was hilarious!!! I was talking to my dad today on the phone and he said something that made feel really happy. He said I will now always have someone to sing duets with and to make music with. That makes me happy to think I have a beautiful talented daughter who I will get to share my passion of music with. How great is that?

Tonight for FHE we wrote letters and colored pictures for Uncle Chris who is serving a mission in Brazil. We also made our Christmas lists. I thought Carson did a great job with his.
He had to make sure he added in there "I bin good" so he can convince Santa to bring him toys. Then Kaylee made her list as well. You might not be able to tell but it says she wants an umbrella, my little pony, and a DS. I'm sure Santa will know that's what it says!

Festival of Trees

On Wednesday, Nov 30th, Kaylee performed at the Festival of Trees in Sandy, with Performance Academy. They did a great job!!! We got there a little early and looked at a few of the trees and displays before we went and found us a seat at the North stage where she was performing. I was excited to see her perform! We had been practicing her solo for a few weeks and she was READY!

Grandma Joy made it with 2 minutes to spare! She had locked her phone and keys in her car while getting gas in Ogden before coming down. It slowed her down a bit, and for awhile I was afraid she wouldn't make it in time, but she did, and we are so glad she was able to come! (The Motab Concert is the night of Kaylee's dance recital and so both my mom and I will miss it, so this was the only chance we would get to see her perform with her group at Christmastime).
She got on the stage and was SO excited...can you tell?
When it was her turn she stepped up and sang her little heart out. She did a cute little nervous shake with her left hand before she started and it was adorable. You could tell she was a little nervous but she did a great job!
After they sang, the sang and danced to the song "Let it Snow!". Again, she did great!!!

After she was done, I had to leave immediately to attend Bells practice, but everyone else stayed a bit longer to take some pictures, eat a cinnamon roll, and look at more of the displays. We are so proud of Kaylee! She is our little shining star! I can't wait to see her perform again!