Merry Christmas from the Schumanns!

What a great Christmas we had here in Colorado. It was cold and WHITE!! It was fabulous!!! We hope everyone had a great Christmas! Santa treated us right this year.

The girls wanted a Barbie Vet Table this year for Christmas. CJ even said the blessing on our Christmas Eve finger food dinner and prayed that they would be able to have fun with the Vet Table on Christmas, it was really sweet. Well, Santa couldn't resist:

They really loved it. They didn't react quite as big as I thought they would, but they were really happy. Jersey was really happy too because she got a bunch of new chew toys for Christmas.

We started off by having our traditional hot chocolate, cardamom bread, and fruit salad breakfast. Then we divvied up the presents and started to open them:


The girls were really cute about opening their presents. They helped each other open each others presents:
And then by the end they were opening ALL our presents. I didn't open my last two or three, the girls did it for me. It was really fun. They got some new clothes, Barbie movies, some toys, books, the Barbie Vet Table, and new leg warmers (a lady in our ward that I visit teach makes these for a business and makes hats and hair things to go with):

The girls were so excited about their new leg warmers. They put them on and started dancing around like the little ballerinas they are. Spencer had fun opening his gifts too. He got a laser remote control car that drives on the walls and drives me nuts (from the girls), a remote controlled helicopter, a transformer, ginger ale, and socks. Lots and lots and LOTS of socks (he's been using mine and now I don't have any):


So he wouldn't know that the gift he was opening was socks, I put a little something in the bottom of the box that made it a little heavier:

Our George Forman Grill. He thought it was pretty funny. Among other things, I got a new stereo for our bedroom and a baguette pan so I can make baguettes and not burn towels. Also among other things, my mom got curtains for her room with a curtain rod and a light for her closet. Santa gave the family a Wii and a Wii Fitness Plus. I can't believe we have missed out on all this fun! We wish Anthony and Rachel were still here because we think they would really love it, especially the Tennis (of which I am terribly sore!). We really had a lot of fun for Christmas:

After their bath the girls wanted to go outside and play in the snow. Spencer and I had got them some long johns, snow boots, and hats for Christmas and GeeWah had got them some nice warm gloves so they got all ready:
And headed outside. Jersey had fun playing with them too:


Spencer went outside with the girls while I tried out the Wii, tee hee!! He later told me that Avary would try to do Snow Angels in the snow, but then Jersey would come and start licking her face. She didn't get a Snow Angel done, but maybe today since it is snowing again, WOO HOO!!

We fed the Missionaries last night for Christmas dinner. We had prime rib, mashed sweet potatoes, pomegranate salad (courtesy of my mother-in-law), asparagus, fresh rolls, and Spencer made a Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. It was so yummy! I think prime rib is going to be our traditional Christmas dinner.

Merry Christmas and lots of love!!

Anniversary, Cute Hair, Decorations, and Cake

Today is our 8 year Anniversary. It has been a great first 8 years and I hope it will be a great 88 more.

The weekend before Spencer's cousin moved away, Avary had a sleepover with their daughter, Sabrina. When I went to pick Avary up, Rachel had done her hair up really cute and matched it with Sabrina's. She told me how to do it and when I got home I did CJ's the same way. It was really fun and ever since then, I have been doing their hair that way.

Today for church, I did CJ's hair this way, but I weaved gold ribbon in with it. It was really pretty and everybody at church asked me how I did it, it was pretty funny. I meant to take a picture of it, but I will do it later.

This year we had the girls decorate the Christmas tree. Last year I vowed I would let them make all the decorations and decorate it the way they wanted to.

They have really had a lot of fun doing this. We FINALLY got it finished this last week and we put the star on Saturday night. I think it is quite possibly the cutest Christmas tree I have ever seen, they really did a good job:

The pictures really don't do it justice. You have to see it in its full glory. Anyway, they are quite pleased with themselves and I am very proud of them. I think I will have them do it again next year, we will see.

Avary had her first Birthday party invite for a friend of hers in primary. She had the party Saturday the 19th. It was a princess party and how I wished I had taken my camera. I offered to do the cake for her and her mom was very happy to hear it. She is becoming a good friend of mine, we have WAY too much in common. Anyway, since it was a princess party, the first thing I saw for a cake was this:

I was really happy with the way it turned out. I expected a silver crown, but it worked out really nice. When I took it to the party the mom and little girls were just beside themselves. I love making people happy through food!

All Is Well

About a year ago, my doctor had found a lump in my right breast. He didn't feel like it was anything to be worried about, but he wanted me to get a mammogram to be safe. I couldn't get the mammogram last year because of funds. When I went to my physical this year, he still felt the lump and still wanted me to get the mammogram. Well, after talking to Spencer, we decided I should get it done. I had my very first mammogram today. I am sure all you women who have had a mammogram can agree with me when I say it was a different and STRANGE position to be in.

Anyway, after the scan, the doctor said that the pictures look normal and not to worry, but they wanted to do an ultra sound as well to make double sure everything was OK. It is. There was nothing there. She called it, "globular tissue". Good to know I have globs in my breasts. Anyway, I thought I would let everyone know I was fine, just in case it got out that I had a mammogram. Now, you have heard it from the horses mouth. I knew I was fine, I have been promised a healthy body, and Spencer gave me a blessing last night. I never felt nervous, I knew everything was going to be fine. I am so blessed to have the blessings and faith to know if something is wrong.

Catch Up

It has been such a busy time with recovering from all the trips this last month and getting back into our routines, but it finally has happened.

My Grandma's funeral was beautiful. I love Idaho! They gave us a police escort from the freeway exit all the way to the cemetery. We were second in line from the limo and when I looked in the rear view mirror, it was such an awesome sight seeing the line of cars on their way to the cemetery. My Grandma has a big and wonderful family. Before we left, we ordered flowers to put by her casket from the girls and from Spencer and I. When we got to Idaho, I went to the florist to see the flowers. When they brought them out, tears overcame me because they were so much more beautiful than I had imagined.

This one was from Spencer and I. I wanted Calla Lilies so bad, and when we went into the viewing they were placed right by her head, it was perfect.
This one was from the girls. The ribbon on it said, "Gee Wah Great". That is what they called her. It was really special and we are so glad that we got these flowers.

They were such an awesome florist, I wanted to put them in my pocket and bring them back to Colorado with me because all the florists here suck.

Thanksgiving was good for us here. It was just us 5 here at home to cook for and even though there was only 5 of us and not as much food, it still took all day to cook! Amazing how that happens. Avary came home from preschool with a pilgrim hat. When she showed us she said that she was a "pildrum". It was really funny trying to correct her because she was absolutely sure it was "pildrum" and not "pilgrim". Anyway, here is a picture of her in her cute little hat:

She sure likes to pose, too.

Last year I made the promise to the girls that they get to decorate the tree this year. So, we are making all the ornaments for the tree. It has been a great walk through memory lane. The girls are having a lot of fun.

So is Spencer:

We are making things that I used to make as a child for our Christmas tree. We have a long way yet to go, but I think we will make it before Christmas.