Goodbye 2010!!!

Well, I guess this is it, 2010... The last post of the year... What an amazing year it was too. We were blessed with our little Emily Grace this year and got to watch Kylie turn into the most kind and nurturing big sister. Our year was filled with joy, and a few sorrows, but above all, blessings. I am so grateful for everything that came to pass in 2010. I am grateful for my amazing family and my absolutely gorgeous little girls. I am so grateful that they love each other so much and are such great sisters and friends. I am grateful for the laughter that fills my home everyday. I am grateful for the countless tickle fights and I love yous that are shared. I am grateful for smiles, and hugs, and sleepy cuddles. I am grateful for Emily's baby smell and her gummy grin. I am grateful for how amazingly smart and funny Kylie is. I am grateful for a husband who loves me and my babies more than anything else in the world. I am grateful for the priesthood in my home. I am grateful for my home that keeps my family safe and warm and I'm even grateful for my mini-van. I am so grateful. We are so blessed.

I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us...


But before we completely say goodbye, here are some pictures of Kylie and Emily to hold you over until next year...

Each of the girls took turns serenading us. Kylie was singing like a princess and Emily was just singing :)

Emily got her two bottom teeth for Christmas this year! The bottom right came in on Christmas day and it's counterpart popped up a few days later.

Happy New Year!

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The First Real Haircut

Titi is a hairstylist, and a pretty darn good one! She gave Kylie her first real haircut on the morning we were headed back to Arkansas. I didn't want any length taken off (because it took a good 18 months to get it to come in the first place) but she gave her a little shape and a few layers and she looks like such a big girl now. And call me sentimental or call me weird, but I definitely kept a little lock of hair and put it in her memory box.

Oh, yeah!!! Looking goooooooooood

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The Nutcracker

Mimi has a collection of Nutcrackers that she puts out at Christmas time. Whenever I see one I think of her, so when I saw an unpainted nutcracker at our local craft store, I knew it would be the perfect craft for Kylie and Mimi to do together. It turned even better and more fun than I could have imagined. Kylie LOVED painting it and especially doing it with her Mimi, and Emily got a kick out of watching them too. It was a great way to finish off our Christmas festivities.

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Two Princesses and a Queen

In my family, you are never too old to dress up and be a princess. Kylie got a trunk full of dress-up clothes for Christmas and had a ball trying everything on and dancing around the house. It was too cute! And I think Titi was having a ton of fun getting her all dressed up too.

It wasn't too long before Titi got in on the fun and came downstairs dressed up as a princess too.

And before I knew it, Mimi was picking out her Queen dress.

My family is crazy! And I couldn't love it more!

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Christmas Eve {part two}

When I think of Christmas Eve I think of warm and comfy new jammies, drinking hot cocoa and cuddling by the fire, setting out cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer, singing Christmas carols, and now I will also remember reading one very special book...

The Rolly Polly Snowman. My mom made this book when my sister and I were Kylie and Emily's age. She first read it to us while we sat on her lap 23 years ago. What a tender moment it was to see all of those sweet memories coming flooding back to my mom. (and yes, she cried :) love you mom).

Hugs for Sissy

And then we climbed back up on Mom's lap for a quick trip down memory lane. I think we fit a little better back then...

Mimi and all her girls.

Mommy and Daddy enjoying some Christmas Eve cuddles.

And like I mentioned, no Christmas Eve is complete without some caroling. I don't know who brought it up but somehow we ended the night with Mimi, Titi and Mommy performing the "12 days of Christmas" with it's accompanying dance (from our community theater days). The girls got a real kick out of that one!


We woke up the next morning to a Christmas tree overwhelmed with presents. Kylie and Emily were both spoiled with lots of clothes and toys from Mimi and Bapo and Titi. (And Mommy and Daddy were spoiled pretty good too :)

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas Eve in NH {part one}

We spent Christmas in New Hampshire this year. It is always so wonderful to be out there with my family and this trip was no different. I always love visiting with my mom and sister because they freak out about how cute my kids are just as much as I do :)

On Christmas Eve we went on a festive sleigh ride. It was freeeeeeezing cold, but we all got bundled up and had a good time. The girls loved all of the lit-up Christmas decorations along the trail. It was so fun seeing Emily's face light up (no pun intended) and hearing all of  Kylie's "ooooooohs."

I love my sister. I asked Titi to take a picture for us... so she posed... I meant take a picture for us of us.

The cute little, bundled -up Kirbys. Emily was trying to figure out what the heck was going on and why on earth we would bring her out into this freezing cold weather.

Kylie and her Titi. Oh, how she loves her Titi!

Daddy and Emmie Grace and Daddy's Hot Cocoa.

Ky was Titi's little buddy the whole night.

Mimi, Titi, and Kylie on the sleigh/wagon ride.

The end of the ride took us to a little house where Santa was waiting to greet us along with a couple of his reindeer. Here are Ky and Titi checking out the reindeer.

Posing with some friendly Christmas characters.

Mimi and Mommy. (That's weird that I'm the Mommy and she's the Mimi...)

And finally, before we headed home, we drove around to see some Christmas lights. There were some pretty crazy ones out there! Mike took all of these pictures because I was too woosy to get out of the car in the cold.

The bottom right was really cool but super creepy. Those are real deer in front of a taxidermy shop... He had reindeer, caribou and elk out there too... yikes

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