Christmas is for giving

This year my dance studio teamed up with our two sister studios (Studio 56 and JDS) for our Studio Christmas Project. Together we made a huge difference! We participated in the nationwide Pajama Program organization. We collected new pjs to be donated to local children in need. Today we turned in 636 pairs of pajamas to the Road Home in SLC. We also gave 60 more pairs to Christmas Box house. What a great experience for all the kids that participated in our project. I am so excited to be able to teach Ashton the true meaning of Christmas when he gets a little older. These are some of the pics at the Pajama Party we had at the Kangaroo Zoo!

Merry Christmas!

So, I tried something a little out there...Our family picture is different from the normal, but I like it! Thanks Ashlee for taking our pics!

Salsa Chicken

It is on my list of To Do's to print a cookbook. I have over 50 crock pot recipes that I have compiled from others and created myself. I can't wait to have an awesome book to share! So, until then, I have started taking pictures of my favorite dishes to someday put in my book. Here is a #1 in our family:

1 jar of salsa- I use homemade :)

2 T chopped cilantro

1 cup corn

1 can drained chicken chunks

OPTIONAL: 1/2 can beans (pinto or black)

Heat in microwave or bake until warm on a cookie sheet. Serve with lime rice and Tortilla chips!

Salsa Chicken was one of our favorite things to eat for lunch at the Dixon's house. I still love it!!! Thanks Kat!

CATCHING UP

Today I made myself go through my pictures and post all the ones that I had missed. Since this has become our family's version of journals and scrapbooks I can't miss the memorable moments! I get so busy editing everyone else's pictures that I don't make enough time for my own. Here are some events that were worth posting:


October dance trip to NYC! I got to spend a week in NYC with all girls! I had a blast! The highlights of the week were: shopping, Wicked, Hairspray, taking a master class from the dance captain from Wicked, and taking classes from Broadway Dance Center. It was amazing and a great getaway. It was such a fun experience to take classes. They kicked my butt since it has been so long since I have challenged my own brain. I couldn't pick on choreography as fast I used too. The styles were all amazing and I wish I could take classes like that every day! It made me miss dancing so much. Teaching just isn't the same. I am kind of going through a quarter life crisis right now because I just feel like I want to dance and be young again. I am taking a dance class at the U and every time I go I just wish I was still in it like I used to be.... I just can't keep up with all those skinny 20 year olds anymore. It sucks to get old!

Future Model. Enough said?

I think this is the perfect picture to remember Ashton's favorite things right now. His mitt, his baseball, and his baseball hat. It is classic!

THE CIRCUS! We got to go to the Circus! It was Aron's first time. We both decided that it was a little bit cheesy and creepy. Ashton and I liked the elephants the best. Aron liked the motorcyclists and the tigers.

We had to bring the Academic Preschool tables home from the studio to change the legs on them and ended up having a picnic outside. It was pretty cute to see how big Ashton thought he was sitting on his size chair eating yougurt all by himself. I couldn't resist snapping a few!

Ashy loves "Sam-pon" (Sampson), Grandpa Higgins' dog. They play great together. Whenever I get my laptop out Ash always asks for Bampa, Bama, and Sampon. We SKYPE them a lot. I highly recommend it for keeping in touch with family! Sometimes he even tries to climb in the screen because he wants to play with Sampson so bad!

Happy Birthday! Ashton went to the Kangaroo Zoo with some friends and had a blast! He could jump around there for hours. He is completely obsessed with baseball right now so I made him a basball cake and cupcakes. I think he might have eaten 2 bites and then her was done. He is not much of a cake guy. I can't believe it's already been 2 years!

And on that farm he had a...

On Saturday we went to Black Island Farms. It's just further west past our house. Ashton had a blast! We went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch and picked a pumpkin, went down some huge slides, played in the corn box, rode the cow train, went through the corn maze, pet the farm animals! I highly recommend it next year! It was their last day of the season, so all their produce was free! We came home with 4 big pumpkins, gourds, carrots, onions, and cabbage! What a day!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy Halloween

Ashton has been walking around singing this for the past few days. It is hilarious. Especially since he can't say the "s" or "f" sounds very well. It sounds like "pell ma peet." What a funny guy! For Halloween he is going to be a dinosaur. He has the roaring down thanks to his Uncle Mick and his Daddy. :)

More Hawaii

So I finally got am getting caught up on pictures! Here are the highlights of our Hawaii Retreat!The Hawaii Temple!
Outlook from the top of the "Punch Bowl."

It was pretty neat to see a pineapple plant!

Ashton watching the sunset! Our last Hawaiian Sunset!


Happy 4th Anniversary! Aron had never been to a luau, his favorite part was all the food! We love Kalua Pork in our family. FOUR YEARS has flown by! Who would have thought in just that short of time we could make so many memories, go through so many challenges together, and become so strong and close. I am so thankful for my sweetie and all that he does for our family. I don't know a more dedicated, supportive, do-it-all family man than Aron. I couldn't be even half as far as I am today without him. I love you Aron!

Laurie, future A&F model.

It wouldn't be Hawaii without one of these pictures! (above)

Ashton has a great time playing in the bubbles! He was really quick to figure out how to do it. Fly swatters make great bubble blowers!
Best family pic we could get.

Ashton feeding the fish in front of the hotel. I love this picture beause of the reflection.
My two favorite boys!

Gorgeous overlook!

Ash's favorite thing to do was jump off the rocks into the pool

My attempt at a good eyelash picture. You should try it on a 2 year old boy. It is impossible.

Early morning surfers..
Chasing chickens!