Thanksgiving in Colorado and Getting Ready for Christmas

Here's what we've been up to the past couple weeks.  

Rachel looking cute in her new dress and scarf :)

It started to get really cold here lately so the girls found a warm spot in the house.  Yes they are snuggling on the heating vent.

Homemade pureed pumpkin.

Rachel helping "hang up" the stockings.  I love that she got what they were supposed to be.

I got my Christmas present early.  A new bed! So the girls had fun with the old mattress until we sold it.  It made for a fun trampoline in the front room.  I love the air Anne got in this shot.

It also made for good snuggle and movie time :)

Our indoor Christmas decorations.  The girls helped decorate the tree this year.  It was so much fun.  Though we did have to take off all the candy canes.  They were a bit too tempting.

I got to be Santa's seemstress this year for our ward party.  So this is my creation.  All from scratch, no pattern.  I was so excited that it turned out.  (Might I add, that's one pretty handsome Santa :)

Pretty girl.  My friend Brittney gave the girls haircuts and bangs! It's so nice not having their hair in their face all the time and they look so darn cute.

Our trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving.  We had such a wonderful time with Gabe and Jennifer and their beautiful kids.  Thank you guys for sharing your home and family with us during the holidays!  We loved our vacation.

Naptime with Dad.

Merry-go-round at Bass Pro Shops.  They also got to get their pictures taken with Santa.  Anne loved it and was so excited...Rachel not so much.

Anne meeting Santa again at our ward Christmas party.  She told him she wanted a present for Christmas.  That girl is easy to please.

Back to our Colorado trip.  While we were there Zac's Aunt Rhonda and David let the girls ride their horse which was a highlight of the trip for the girls.  It amazed me how comfortable the girls were with the horses.  They weren't scared of them in the slightest as you'll see from the pictures below.  Anne was a natural and loved riding by herself.  I'm pretty sure she would've ridden all day long if we would have let her.  Rachel loved riding as well but also loved playing with their dog Cali.

"Doc" was a good sport and was very gentle with the girls.  Thank you doc :)

I love the look of pure joy on this girl's face in all these pictures.

Apparently two seconds before this Zac said Anne walked right up to their other horse "Choice" all by herself and hugged his nose and asked him if she could ride him.  Apparently the horse said yes.  That girl has no fear when it comes to horses.

Our mini cowgirl :)

We took a break and Rhonda and Dylan made us a yummy lunch.  The reward for eating all their lunch was going back outside for another ride.  Boy did those girls snarf down their food.

This time Anne had fun leading "Doc" around the yard.  Rachel had fun riding all by herself.

Thank you again Rhonda for letting us visit and play with your sweet animals.  It was a beautiful place to be :)

Back to Gabe and Jennifer's house.  The girls loved playing with their cousins.

And going to the Denver zoo.

On the way home from the zoo all three girls fell asleep in the car :)

A Thatcher vacation would not be complete without shooting trip! We had to test out Jennifer's new AR which was pretty sweet.  Gabe and Zac thought it was pretty cute seeing a prego lady shooting such a big gun.

Thanksgiving Day...So much to be thankful for.

Me and my adorable snuggly nephew Brock.  We're buds.

Sarah and I are now 28 weeks! Man how the time is flying.

I think Rachel's favorite part of the trip was Copper (Gabe and Jennifer's dog).  Rachel followed him everywhere he went and tried to play with him.  Poor dog probably got annoyed but was a good sport about it.  This was the two of them the night before we left.

Back home working on Santa's clothes.  I love my little helpers.

Rachel and I got a nasty bought of the flu.  No fun.  Thank goodness for Zac's strong immune system and that he could take care of us all.

Our ward Christmas party.  Suuuuch a good time.

The girls got to dress up in their PJ's and pretend to be on the Polar Express traveling to see Santa and them Bethlehem.  Very well done.

Anne was an angel in the Primary Christmas nativity play.  She did very well and loved being on stage waving to Daddy and spinning in her pretty dress.

Rachel is such a good big helper.  She loves to help with chores and really anything we ask her to...and things we don't ask her to.  Her favorite thing lately is helping us cook and bake.