Good Bye Christmas Tree

For many of you who know Nikki well this will come as no surprise to you but I had to write this story down for myself. I get such a kick out of her. We were taking down the tree the other day. That night when we were tucking the kids into bed I told them to say good bye to the Christmas tree because when they woke up it would be gone. So Nikki asks me to lay with her to fall asleep. As we are laying there she says "Mom I'm really sad." So I ask her why. "At night I would love to look at the tree just one last time before I went upstairs to bed and it was so beautiful and I'm just so sad that we have to take it down." Saying this all while she's doing this fake sniffley sound. Oh Nikki you cute little drama Queen. So from all of the Nydegger clan here Good Bye Christmas tree, good bye!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

WE hope you all had a Beautiful Christmas Holiday! Merry Christmas from the Nydeggers

Tis the Season

We have been really enjoying ourselves this month. I love the Christmas season and love the excitement my kids have about this time of year. We wanted to be able to take advantage of the month and not let it pass us by and wonder what we'd done as a family together. So here are some of the things we've been filling our time with. Our friends family bought this beautiful carriage from the Amish folk and we got a chance to go for a fun winter ride on the snowy streets and feel the chill in the air. The kids loved it they didn't want to get out. What life would've been like when this is how you had to get around. What a wonderfully simple time.
One of the other things we did was go ice skating. The Christian loved it and can't stop talking about when we can go again. It was a lot of fun Faith even got in on the action. She really did not want this stranger to take our picture though as you can see from the pic. I have fond memories of ice skating too so it's always fun for me to go and remember the good old days when I was limber and carefree with the stunts I'd try. :)
This is all the grankids on my Arnell side. We hosted the Christmas party at our home this year and I loved it. I loved getting out my Christmas china and having everyone in our home. The kids love being together and they enjoyed the unfinished basement to run around crazy in. They were so cute doing the story of Christ's birth and we had a perfect little baby Riley to fill the role of baby Jesus. My mom put in an order for a new baby for next years show. I'm not sure I'm ready to be the one to perform on that request but it is about our turn if we're going to add another little one to the clan. The kids have not stopped playing with there gifts Grandma and Granpa did really good this year!
This was Christian at his school performance. Now this picture doesn't really capture how he looked during the performance. It was so cute and funny to watch. He knew every word of every part of the progream and sat with his shoulders slumped over and head down singing the whole time. Other than the occasional half wave to mom and dad. He is dreadfully shy and it was a joy to watch him endure this moment. :) He also had the last part in the show and gave out a big "We wish you a Merry Christmas" he was so brave and felt so good about it when it was all over, but boy you could sure see him sweating during that last song before his part. He's so sute. Nikki's program was darling too. We weren't on the front row which is our normal place in any of the past school programs but we just don't have the routine down for the new school. Apparently we need to get there sooner than I thought. She's our little performer so she thrives on this kind of thing. I have to laugh often about her singing and dancing around the house just like her mommy did as a little girl. Ok well you all know I still get in on the act as often as Nikki will allow!!! I most of all just love this time of year that we get to spend time together with the people we love the most. I am so blessed in my life and I feel that so much when I'm surrounded by the greatest blessings in my life...my family! Merry Christmas and I better say Happy New Year too since I'm so great at posting.

All I want for Christmas...

Nikki had a big day last week. We were at Sunday dinner at my parents and sitting at the table Nikki lost two of her teeth. Uncle Tyler told her she needed to lose her other front tooth so she could sing the great Christmas song. Well she didn't waste any time. Later that night we got her tooth pillow and packed the teeth nicely away for the Tooth Fairy to enjoy and tucked Nikki into bed. Not two minutes later I here Nikki yelling Mom I've got to show you something. She comes down the stairs to reveal another tooth in her hand. 3 teeth in one day that must be some kind of record. Well, the Tooth Fairy thought so, Nikki got a fairy bonus $20. Apparently the Tooth Fairy's bank is closed on Sunday. :) I will miss her adorable little gap in her front teeth and look forward to that awkward stage of big and little teeth. She proudly proclaimed before she went to bed that night "Mom, I can still whistle, listen." Christian was sure that her third tooth had gotten wiggly because "she hit her hand on the bed and it shook her arm and went down into her mouth and made her tooth fall out." Ok bud whatever you say.

Daddy's little Girl

Faith-"Daddy you read dis me?" As she climbs on his face. Good luck Dad. Daddy and Faith are best buddies right now. Faith has figured out she would really rather be with him than me...go figure. Another reason could be that she gets pretty much anything she wants from him. For example, this week. Faith- "Mommy I hab poppy?(popsicle) Mom- "not right now sweety"(because I always talk so kindly) Faith-"I want Daddy (sob, sob, sob)...Daddy I hab poppy? Dad-" sure cutie" One of many examples of why Daddy wins out in the favorite department with her. We love this little smartie pants...she really has us figured out.

Back to School-

Christian started Learning Dynamics Preschool on Aug. 21st. He has finally graduated from Miss Angie's preschool and headed to the big league. He loves it. I knew he would but that 1st day you wouldn't have believed me if you saw him when I dropped him off. He bawled. Kurt and I finally left him there crying standing at his teachers door. SAD! I got home and had been there for 5 minutes when I got a call from his school. Oh no- he's hysterical, he punched his teacher, WHAT??? No they just calle dto tell me he was perfectly fine, already participating with the class. PHEW... He's so sweet. His Teacher raves about how kind he is to the other kids, you can't help but love being told that as a mother. He's growing up and that's the good and bad part of it all.

Nikki started the 2nd grade this year at Legacy Elementary in AF. She had a really "BAD DAY" the 2nd day and didn't have anyone to play with at recess. Talk about break my heart...well mom to the rescue headed to school lunch the next day and rounded up some friends for her to play with. :) She is adjusting well and comes home often to announce that she has met another new friend. She's so cute. She really cracks me up. Her teacher is in my parents ward so that's pretty fun. My Dad is even her Home Teacher so grandpa took her over and she got to have a tour of her teachers house and learned her "First Name"...she felt so cool. I think we finally got a shedule down for homework, we were really struggling there at the beginning, but I think we figured it out. Lots of fun!!!

To be or not to be....

That has been the question on this house for the last month and a half. But after much drama back and forth having the house unofficially, being out bid, to having the house again we are indeed closing on the house tomorrow!!! YEA!!! We are so excited to be in a home. It's going to be hard leaving our ward. We have been there for 2 1/2 years and have made great friends. But we have been bursting at the seams in our townhome. We can't wait to have a yard-lots of work ahead as you can see- that's big enough to actually run around in. Nikki started school there since the first day because like I said we were told that they accepted our offer. It's been a difficult transition-she wants to be a fox again not a lion- but she has made some cute friends and we look forward to getting settled this week and starting another phase on our lives. I'll post more pics when we get unpacked. Wish me luck this week. Packing is a nightmare.
Now, I know everyone has been dying to know what we've been up to the last four months. Well, I'll at least pretend you have! We've been without the internet so no blogging time. I only ever had time to read everyone elses when I was at my moms. We will have the computer up and running sometime next week so I look forward to getting back in the scene!!!