My new Baby!!!

Its a 2011 Chevy Traverse. We all love it. It fits seven passengers, no we aren't going to try to fill it up. We got some fancy upgrades we weren't originally looking for because those cars were a little too expensive. So when this car came around and it had everything I had really wanted including the fancy stuff that I cared about:) we jumped on it because we knew it wouldn't last long and I had been looking for months so I knew it was a pretty good deal.
It was the captain chairs, back up camera, auto start, the hatchback opens and closes with a push of a button, a usb so we can plug phone/ipod in for music, each seat can control their individual temp and the back seats can listen to a different radio station with headphones. It has some other fun stuff that I have been trying to figure it out:)

Christmas!!

We had a great Christmas. My pictures loaded backwards but oh well. So I guess I will tell Christmas Backwards too:)



I have been wanting these dishes from Dillards call Twas the night before Christmas for 3 years now. They come out every year and sometimes add a new piece or two. So since I couldn't think of what to ask for for Chrismas I decided on these and I love them. Mom and Scott got me some and also bought me a couple serving dishes for my birthday but I got them on Christmas. Donny also bought me some so I got a pretty good start!




These are my favorite the bottom of the three is the first one then goes up from there. This is Italia seeing what Santa brought her for the first time.


This is all my dishes I got 9 total sets of Dinner dish, salad plate, and soup bowl, I also got three tea cups and saucers, a covered serving dish and a large serving plater. I also got a gravy boat and salt and pepper shakers
Christmas Eve Jammies. We all got into pjs and drove around looking at lights. We got to have Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell sleep over and be with us all day Christmas eve and Christmas
The candle light Bethlehem Dinner we had on Christmas Eve
Our Bethlehem food :) Food that Jesus might have ate. It wasn't 100% authentic but it gaves us a good idea. This is definatly a new tradition even if we can't have it on Christmas Eve we will have it sometime around Christmas.
We all dressed up and Grandma told us about all the characters in the Nativity and we talked about the true meaning. We had Mary (me) Joseph (Donny), Shepard (Grandpa) complete with a lamb. A wisegirl as Italia called her (grandma) and our Angel(Italia) we also had a horse playing the Donkey:)
The loot

Halloween

A couple months ago Italia decided she wanted to be the blue bird from Rio (Jewel) but she wanted it in the Carnival style at the end of the show. So I started looking. And I think I did a pretty good job at creating the look. :) Luckily Donny was home and so we did a bunch of stuff.
The tuesday before Italia got to wear her costume or at least a modified version to dance. Then on Friday we went to Trick or Treat Street. It was fun. Everyone new who Italia was (the bird from Rio) so that was good. And we got lots of compliments. On Saturday we went to Boo at the Zoo and Italia won First prize in the 4-6 yr old costume contest. There was probably 30 or so kids.
It was really cute because we had to explain what a contest was. Then she said she wanted to win but I told her she had to clap and be happy for who ever won. She stood on stage and held her wings out then she even twirled. They called the 3rd place winner and she was like "oh man I wanted to win" so i told her that there was still more to win but she needed to be happy and clap for who ever won. I personally thought we had a good chance but I was a little biased:) Then she did the same for 2nd place and then they called her for 1st place and she was so excited and kept saying things like " I won the contest!" "I am the best"
Then on Halloween she got to wear her costume to school and then went Trick or Treating with Dad and Grandpa. She didn't go to many houses though cause she would jump through all the leaves and talk to everyone and want to pet all the dogs:) But the important thing is for her to have fun I can go buy a bag of candy thats not the point:)

Preschool

Italia is a preschooler! This will be her only year of preschool. She was so excited the first day she just ran right in. No hug or anything. We are having a few struggles with it but I think in a few weeks we should be good. Hopefully!
The preschool she goes to is practically down the road. It only takes a couple mins to get there. That is the main reason I picked. It i at a ladies home with only 10 kids and Italia needs more one on one time. One of the little neighbor girls is going too so she has a friend.

Fair Time

Went to the fair last tuesday and it was great. Scott was able to come to. We went in the morning so it wouldn't be crowded and I would say it was just right. Italia loves farm animals so we looked at those. She milked a "cow" and they gave free milk. Gossner milk our fav:) She also rode the mechanical bull which she wanted to last year but we didn't let her. She also got to pick one ride. So Grandpa, Dad, and Italia rode the Farris wheel. We ate yummy food. I had a prime rib sandwich so good !

August Spokane Trip

Since my sister recently moved somewhere that is a little more reasonable to drive to:) we decided to take a little road trip. The trip takes 7-9 hours depending on how many stops you make. I was a little worried about this length of trip because the longest we have done with Italia is about 3 hours and we don't do it very often...and we all get car sick...Italia the worst:)
So we loaded up on Dramamine and were on our way. I drove the first half stopped for a few minutes then Donny drove the last half since it is curvy. I am a scaredy cat when it comes to driving but I think i can make it by myself if I wanted too.
We went to a cat zoo and this is the only area I took my camera:( It was neat because the cats where right there but kind of lame at the same time since it was small. We then went downtown and meet Spencer and had P.F. Changs Yum. We also did the wagon slide and carousel.
Saturday we went to a little swimming park and had fun. Then we left on Sunday. It was a short trip but fun. I am sure we will be going back again...if they will let us.

Dancing and Fishing....

So Italia and I finally made it up to Challis to check out Donny's other home:). We all headed up there on Monday and we first went to the hot springs there. It was a little rustic in the dressing rooms and such but I survived:) Then we slept in the camper. The trailer park that he is in is really nice but it is really remote luckily part of it is a gas station that also has a grill that has some decent food. Donny brings up most of his food but its nice that there is that option. Sleeping we had a few issues but once Italia was asleep it was fine:) I didn't sleep great but that was mostly due to the very loud thunderstorm. Then the next day we woke up and headed fishing Italia caught three fish. This is the first "real" experience. Last summer we went a couple times but only caught a tiny one that was sent back to his mommy:) We had to fish between storms but it was fun.
We then headed back to the camper and cooked the fish then Italia headed out leaving Donny there to work.







Italia did a little summer dance class. She ended up in the bigger class because the other little girl never ended up showing. So she got to do tap too and she liked it. When she wasn't being a stinker:) She was kind of sad that she didn't get to go on stage so I let her wear make up and did her hair fancy on the last day





We have also been doing some more swimming lessons and she is turning into a little fish:)