Christmas Morning 2009

Lexi awoke, as she did last year, with the camera flash. I definitely have to make this a tradition.

We always wake them up early so my Mom and Dad can see them open their presents and then head to my sisters in time to see her kids open theirs.

After Lexi woke up she quickly ran in and woke Hali before I had a chance to get the camera. So here they are at the top of the stairs waiting to go see if Santa came.

Did he come?

Yes, Santa definitly came. We must have been good after all!

Hali was very excited to get her Stawberry doll. She looks a little sleepy

in this picture though...

I guess it was only 6 am and she got woke up by her sister!

Did Rudolph eat his carrot?

Yes he did! Santa also ate some cookies and drank his milk!

Lexi checking out her new table with sweet streets on it.

Mike went and picked Gage and Tori up about 11:00 and brought them over so they could open their Christmas presents from us. It is definitly harder to pick out stuff for teenager than the little ones. Grandma Kathy also came over at the same time to bring her and Grandpa Gary's gifts. Grandpa stayed home because he got to be sick for his Christmas present.

Tori seemed to be very happy about her gifts though.

Lexi helping Gage open his presents.

We had a wonderful Christmas day and finished out the night with my family coming over for dinner. We then had another round of opening presents and another round of cleaning up... what a day! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2009

Twas' the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse...... Ok not until about 11 pm!

We went to dinner at Rodizio Grill at Trolley Square for dinner. It was yummy and I thoroughly enjoyed not having to cook or clean up dishes. The kids had a great time and we were able to get a fairly decent picture of them all together for the first time in a long time!

From left to right:

Braeden Barlow (6), Gage Salerno (18), Hali Salerno (6), Tori Salerno (13) , Alexis Salerno (2), Madison Barlow (2) and Kylee Barlow (10).

Me and my little comedian Alexis. She is having a ball with the olives!

Our two blondies Tori and Kylee.

The girls with Pa Pa Steve, my dad.

All the little ones opening their Christmas Eve present from Grandma Net.

Hali being her cute little self!

Hali and Lexi opening their Christmas Eve jammies from Mom and Dad.

Hali and Lexi love having books read to them. They both got a new Christmas book with their jammies. We read them both before they headed upstairs to go to bed to wait for Santa.

Goodnight everyone, have sweet dreams!

Lexi went to bed and fell asleep immediately as always. Hali climbed into bed and asked me to turn on her Christmas music so she could, "Have visions of sugar plums dancing in her head!" A few minutes later Hali came out of her room to go to the bathroom and she had on her strawberry hat that is usually a decoration in her room. We asked why she was wearing it and she said, "Cause..... I in my kerchief and ma in her cap."

Defiantly a great Christmas Eve!

Snow Angels!

Hali and Lexi wer super excited for the first snow fall. I of course wanted to cry!! The next day we went and joined Kylee, my niece, for a little fun in the snow!

This is Lexi in her new snowsuit. Does this picture bring back memories of

The Christmas Story or what?!!

I somehow forgot to bring Hali's new coat... So thank goodness for extra's at my sister's!

Bonus was that it was actually pink to!!

The girls thought it was so cool to hide in the penguin igloo!

and..... the best part of the snow is to make snow angels!!!

My first snow angel Hali.

My second snow angel Alexis!

Tree Decorating 2009

We went into Old Navy a few days before Thanksgiving and Hali just had to have her picture taken by this Old Navy "tree". From this moment on she couldn't stop bugging me about when we would be putting our tree up! I convinced her to wait until after Thanksgiving!

Friday morning after Thanksgiving I was sleeping comfortably when Hali came in and said, "It's after Thanksgiving we can put the tree up now!" I of course, half asleep, replied, "Let's wait until Daddy gets home." So, being the good mom that I am, I fell back asleep! I was then awoken again with Hali telling me she had got the ornaments out and wanted to know if I would bring the tree upstairs. OK so I got up and went to decorating the Christmas tree.

As you can see, the girls are in their pajamas decorating the tree.

Lexi only broke one of the ornaments while we were decorating.... Although Mike has

glued at least 4 back together since!

I couldn't get the girls to stand still long enough to get a picture of the two of them together. Sorry this is the best you get!

Hali was very proud of the tree she decorated. I do have to say she did an excellent job! I put the ribbon on along with the Angel on top and the girls did most of the rest. Maybe next year I can sit back drinking egg nog while they do it all!!

Christmas Cookies with Cousins!

For the last few years Steph and I have gotten together to let our kids make a mess of our kitchen! This year it was Steph's turn to let the little ones play cookie makers. This is such a fun tradition for my girls. I hope they will always have great memories of their Christmas' as little girls and that they will pass the traditions on to their own families!

Alexis was happy to play with her own little ball of dough for most of the time. She would roll it out, cut a few shapes and then start all over again. I think she snuck a few little bites of cookie dough in here and there also!

My sister with Kylee, Madison and Hali. Yes we are a family of almost all girls! Poor Braeden, although he may get a brother soon!

This is what the reindeer look like!!

Me and my little one!

Kylee striking a beautiful pose for the camera!

Braeden and Hali. Braeden had just had his tonsils out 3 days ago. He is a tough kid!

POTTY BREAK!!

We are also in the middle of potty training Alexis. She could not leave the puppy alone and had to take her to the potty with her..... poor doggy. Now if we could only train the dog to

use the potty also!

p.s. I promise I made her wash her hands before she went back to cookie making!!

And... of course Hali had to be in the picture also!

Kylee was trying to hid in the corner to frost her cookies and the girls all pulled their chairs up behind her! Hali decided it was a cookie train and started singing "chug a chug a choo choo" The little girls of course thought this was great and joined in!

Hali frosted a cookie just for Lexi!

Yummy! We make great cookies. Do you think Santa will like them?

See our clean hands!

Hali looses her 3rd tooth!

NOVEMBER 2nd 2009

Hali's top tooth had been loose for a few weeks. Mike and Grandpa kept bugging her to let them pull it out. She of course said no way! It was barely hanging there when Mike asked her if he could see how loose it was. She of course started screaming, "No Dad don't pull it!" Mike then looked at her and said, "I already did!"

Hogle Zoo...Sept 26, 2009

Another late addition to the blog.

Mike and I decided to take the girls to the zoo during one of my study breaks. I forgot my "real" camera so the quality of the pictures are not superb. I will say thank goodness for the i phone though!

The zoo had a new baby elephant that was adorable to watch. I think Lexi would have stayed and watched it forever if we would have let her. Hali talked me in to going into the reptile area,(I usually avoid this part of the zoo, because I really don't care for the "creepy crawly" things.) and even though the girls think the snakes are cool, I wonder why God created them!

It's crazy that I now buy a yearly pass to the zoo, when it was a big adventure to come here even once when I was little!