Christmas crafts

I wanted to Maci to do a craft every day for the 12 days of Christmas.  I don't think we made the everyday part, but each time she simply LOVED it. Besides, I love to watch her creativity develop. So this is a log of what she made for our home.

 

 This picture makes me laugh!!!  Sprinkles stuck to her nose! (How did it get there you ask?  Who knows, but I bet she was test tasting the buttons.)

 This was the countdown until Christmas.  Everyday she would ask if she could cut her chain.

 She helped me put up these window clings.  I love that snowman.  Not quite together but perfect for the toddler.

 David loves trains and we try to have one around the Christmas tree every year.  This is one of her favorite things to do.  This train poofs smoke when it goes around.

 This is her gumdrop snowflake.

 Have to throw this in here... She just loves cheese, that is all I can say...

 Grandma Held sent this to Maci. It is a book about the nativity story but also the scenery to put together yourself.  She loved this so much! (and now that Christmas is over, she constantly asks to get it out so she can play with it)

 This is my favorite.  I let her paint and voila!

 You can't have a Christmas without decorating cookies.  I guess she loved the chocolate sprinkles.

 And these were New Year's balls that the girls decorated to drop for New Year's Eve.

 Aleck got to wear Hailey's for a couple seconds.  That is how long he would let it be on his head.  Crafts are sure fun for little peeps.  I know Maci enjoys it.

Kansas trip (Halloween, Birthday and 1st hair cut)

And now to show you our wonderful trip to Kansas...

  Here we are at the pumpkin patch with cousins Acacia and Carly. Maci's favorite thing was riding on the train, Carly's favorite thing was shooting pumpkins from the canon and Acacia's favorite thing was the zip line.  Aleck's favorite was the slide.  He even went down a few times with his daddy.

 

 Maci with cousins Carly and Kirra at the zoo. 

This is our goofy girl.  The main reason for coming to Grandma and Grandpa's house was so that we could help them do some landscaping in their front yard.  Maci was quite the little helper.

  She picked out her pumpkin at the patch and was SO excited to paint it.  I simply LOVE this picture of her!

Here is our cowgirl, Jesse (from Toy Story 2.) She loved having red hair.  It was fun, however, it was supposed to wash out the next day.  I think the temples of her head were red for a month.  She didn't mind. 

Off to go trick-or-treating.  They were good little troopers, well mannered and made it thru 2 blocks.

  And then there was this little guy who almost slept through his first Halloween.  I believe he woke up around 8:00 pm.  Just enough time to get him in his outfit and snap away.  My folks had a pretty sweet set up this year.  They set out the awning of their camper and we set some chairs around the fire pit and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows while mom handed out the candy. 

 Here we have the momentous occasion of the First Hair Cut.  I had prepped Maci by telling her that Grandma would cut her hair while we were in Kansas.  She also thought that cutting her hair would get rid of all her tangles. (Boy I wish!) She did wonderful!  She was excited and proud. 

 And for the biggest hype of the entire trip was her birthday.  She's been talking up her birthday for months now.  When we shop at Kmart, she always has to go past the balls and hula-hoops, always asking if she could have one.  So, I told her at the end of summer that maybe she could get one for her birthday.  She sure didn't let David or I forget that was what she wanted.

 So the day before her birthday, I didn't have any major plans for her cake, we go to the store.  I ask Maci what kind of cake she wants me to make and she said she wanted a minion cake.  So I googled one and voila!  It turned out SO CUTE!  And of course she ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

Poor girl was tormented because she had to wait to open presents. 

 Aleck and Grandma watching the birthday girl open presents.

  This was what she was really after. Her wish came true.

What topped off the day was talking to Chelsea!  What a special birthday treat that was!

Happy 3rd Birthday to our Sweet Princess Maci! What a joy and blessing it is to have you in our lives. 

Leaves are falling

I absolutely love taking fall pictures.  It's even better when Maci loves to help rake and play in the leaves. 

Little Brother

My due date was May 21st.  But that day had come and gone and left us wondering when the little guy would show up.  Saturday morning, we decided to make plans for Memorial Day weekend.  Eden's baptism was Sunday and we planned on a BBQ out at the farm for Monday.  Then Saturday afternoon around 3, my water broke, in the bathroom (SO grateful for a non-embarrassing experience). Excitedly, we got everything together (I think I was the most calm of everyone) and headed to Miles City.  Mom and Dad Held had walkie talkies (sp?) so that we could communicate how my contractions were doing.  We got into a room just after 5 pm and the nurse checked me to see how dilated I was.  She said I was at a 7 and wondered how I wasn't feeling any of the big contractions.  So she excused herself and called desperately for more help and wheeled us into a delivery room.  She decided to check again and said she was mistaken, I was at a 4.  So we all breathed a sigh of relief, sort of, and got settled in.  I was ready for my epidural not too long after and got it around 9.  Then I encouraged everyone to get a bite to eat and convinced Terry to take Maci to the hotel.  Mom and I tried to get some sleep, we sent Dad and David to another room to have beds to sleep on.  Around 3 am the nurse said I could start pushing and a little after 4 we got David and Dad up.  The Dr. came sometime after 4:30 and saw that I needed help and suggested the vacuum but could only use it 3 times and then if he wasn't moving, we would move to a C-section.  We decided on it, tried 3 times but all he would do is move back inside.  So, they quickly got the surgery team together and moved us all to the operating room.  With David by my side and my mother further back, at 5:07 am I heard the most angelic of sounds, that first cry of a newborn.  They cleaned him up , weighing 10 lbs 1.6oz and was 21 3/4" long, and put a cap and blanket on him and brought him around for me to look at him.  What a sweet site he was! He and David and my mom left the room so I could be sewn up and taken to recovery.  I woke up at 7 and finally and most eagerly got to join the party. 

 Here he is: Aleck David Steffen.

David napping on the floor and Maci on the Ipad.



 The official hospital picture

Maci and grandpa watching a movie



All ready to go home.

This is as close as Maci would ever get to Aleck.  She loved the idea of having a brother but definitely would not touch him or get close enough to get a picture.



Before there were 4

It seemed that we always needed a Wal-Mart stop after every OB appointment so Maci got to enjoy a few rides.  Plus, she loved to put stickers on her face.  Except one time, they stayed on for a while and she didn't like it when they came off due to the pain of taking them off the cheek :(

Two of the things that she loves; her hat and braids.

The family came over for Mother's Day and the kids enjoyed the waterfall.

Maci didn't want to get out.

We were lucky enough to see Chelsea before Aleck came.  She had a break between semesters and was able to come up and stay in Miles City.  She and Maci had such a fun time playing at the park.

Cookie making

Boy have I been slacking!!!!  I figured I should put at least one blog entry on before life gets too hectic with two kids.

Back in March, there was a Relief Society Birthday celebration at the church and I was to help with the food.  The theme was Helping Hands all Over the World and some of the sisters and I made hand-shaped sugar cookies and world-shaped cookies.  Of course Maci had to help me in the kitchen and that is what I want to share.  She LOVES making sugar cookies.  From mixing ingredients, to rolling them out to watching them bake.  Here are the pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 And this is how mine turned out.  Kinda cute if I may say so myself.