It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Yesterday we went to my friend Niki's house to make yummy Candy Cane Cookies that neither one of us ever made. It was a lot of fun and in the end were very tasty.  

While we were all sitting around the table I looked out side and couldn't believe my eyes SNOW!!!!!! I made all my kids run outside to take a picture, because I didn't want to miss this once a year event for my kids. This was the first snow that I have ever witnessed in Vegas.



The CRAZY THING it kept coming

and COMING. Here I am calling everyone and telling them about the snow! I am actually singing to my family, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" IT's the song my mother would always sing to us when it started to snow. So this was FINALLY MY TURN TO SING IT TO MY FAMILY :)

That's not all IT KEPT COMING and STICKING to my CAR

Here's my kids having a GREAT TIME as you can clearly see:)

The girls were so excited to check to see if the snowman survived and it had melted a bit so they built a BIGGER AND BETTER ONE THIS MORNING :)

THIS SNOW HAS DEFINITELY MADE THIS CHRISTMAS ONE TO REMEMBER! 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY AT MY PLACE

Hello, Once Upon a Home Shoppers,

I am having a Open House in hopes to sale off a lot of my stock that I have left over from a local Craft Store my stuff was in. It recently closed it's doors, so I have too much products on my hands. I don't have the storage space for it, so I need to sale it. There will be frames, tiles, boards, glass blocks and much much more. Some of these are damaged goods too. All of my overstocked product will be on sale anywhere from 25%-60% off. The majority will be sold for 50% off. Like I said I need to get rid of it. I will be selling my magnets for only $1.00 reg. $3.50 a piece. I am really trying to make this worth your time to come and stop by. There will also be a FREE GIFT with any purchase.

I will also have a lot of NEW CHRISTMAS STOCK for you last minute shoppers and a few make and take items. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE on those. So you wont want to miss it! Bring your kiddos because mine will be there too and they will love the company. Also bring your friends as well. EVERYONE IS WELCOME! I have had a lot of people ask for a sneak preview, but I have told them they have to wait till the Open House. 

Hope to see you all there!

Love, Andie

22 Days till Christmas

I love reading story books to my children around the holidays especially at Christmas time. Growing up my mother had a book that always sat on the coffee table near the Christmas tree. Every night we would sing a christmas song, read a scripture and then read a Christmas story all out of this homemade book. I love this tradition so I had to carrying on this tradition with my family.

These are a few books that I love that help spark some great traditions in your family. I love traditions. It's something that brings families together and closer. It did with my family so that's why I believe in them :)

23 days Till Christmas

Building Gingerbread Presents & Houses AGAIN :)

Today I watched my niece a nephew and they saw our gingerbread houses, so I thought for the 23 days Till Christmas Activities with my kids we would make them again this time calling them Gingerbread presents and house. So here they are. I think they turned out GREAT!

24 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS

Okay I was a day late starting my Advent Calendars this year. But it doesn't mean we can still do them. Here they are and they we are all having fun with them.

I love this one that we made out of vinyl. Any takes of me making you one I am only selling it for $22.00. I love that Alix can do. Addison can do it with some supervision. Any ways I think it turned out darling.






I love this Santa Claus Advent. I remember doing one of these when I was younger. Both of my girls absolutely love this one and can't wait to wake up and do them.
Santa Claus Advent Calendar Template

25 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS COUNT DOWN!

On Monday for FHE we decided to make Gingerbread houses. I started by searching the Internet for the perfect gingerbread recipe and frosting and headed to the store. AFter buying all the candy the Easy Make Gingerbread houses  seemed a lot less bustle. So here are the girls houses

Decorating the Christmas Tree 2008

We had a lot of fun decorating the tree this year. I remember when I was younger how much fun we had pretend playing around the Christmas Tree. I remember playing with the ornaments and now that I am a mother I can't believe my mom would let us play around and with the ornaments, but as I think about it I think that's another reason why mother was such a great mom.  It drives me nuts that ornaments are on the floor and all of them are in the middle of tree (I can be a bit OSD at times), but I need to remember as a child those were some of my most memorable moments. I don't want to take that away from my children knowing how excited they get about the Christmas season. So I just need to smile and remember they are making memorable moments like I once did when I was little. 

Alix & Addi having a party on the stool


Putting on the Christmas Star


Kristie, writing this post made me think about you the time when Trenton was about 2 years old and I was in H.S. and he wanted me to draw him a Giraffe. I would erase it a hundred times cause it wasn't perfect and after awhile you yelled at me telling me that Trenton loved the first one I drew. That was actually a defining moment for me, so I need to relax and remember that not everything needs to be perfect and most importantly a two year old is not judging my art skills. THANK YOU FOR THAT LESSON!

Ethel M Chocolate Factory

Every since we have lived in Las Vegas we have always gone to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory during Christmas time. After touring the Chocolate Factory and delighting in a free sample we go outside and see Santa Claus and then walk the beautiful Cacti Garden filled with lights. This year I had read about it but didn't give it much thought said they had a lot more lights this year. Well they were right. I totally noticed just driving up the place. It was beautiful. You do have to watch the kids and make sure they don't touch the cacti. We watched Addison the entire time and then we must of looked away cause I never saw it but at the end Addison looked like she fell into a cactus. Both hands touched one and needles were all over. Poor little girl. We went inside and got tweezers out of their first aid kit and started plucking away. I lady (with a really large chest) was so kind to stop and help with her set of tweezers. She was a HUGE  help and am really grateful for her. Another lady told us to go home and put Elmer's glue on it and once it dries to peel it off and I have to say that is what did the trick. I will say Addison was quite the trooper. She wasn't freaking out. She was really patient through the whole ordeal even the car ride holding her palms facing up. Other then that we had a lot of fun seeing Santa. Alix loved Santa was a bit shy. Addison loved him from a distance. IF she got too close she would freak out. But she loved that she got candy from him and she still talks about it.

Counting my many Blessings -and naming them one by one

I love Thanksgiving because it makes me set back and reflect on all the things that I am thankful for.  The scriptures teach us that we need always be thankful for everything. Very often in my prayers I ask help from our Heavenly Father to help me recognize all my blessing. The Lord has blessed my family with so many many blessing and he continues to bless us. I can't help but think that the Lord would continue blessing my family if I cannot say Thank-you for all the things that he has blessed me with or at least repent of not recognizing them all. I think a lot of our blessings come from trials and experience that we couldn't possible think that no good could ever come from them. I think those blessing perhaps may be some of our greatest blessings. 

I have a million things that I am grateful for but let me just name a few.

I am thankful for the companionship I have with my Heavenly Father. At times I feel like I take for granted the power of prayer. To talk with Heavenly Father any given time of the day or hour reassures me that I am loved beyond measure.

I am thankful for Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to know that someone knows exactly what I am going through and understands all my problems. I am eternally grateful for His unselfish sacrifice that makes it possible for me to be reunited with loved ones from the other side and the ones here on earth. I am grateful for him that I can repent of all my selfish sins and be forgiven of them. 

I am thankful for my family immediate and extended. This is huge and probably for a lot of you. I can't help but thank about Elder Hollands recent conference talk entitled "The Ministry of Angels" and think about how I am encircled with so many angels that are living and past.  The influence, comfort, and help I get from them I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you!

I am thankful for the gospel- I wouldn't know who I would be without the gospel nor do I want to know. The gospel has blessed my life including my families life. I am grateful for my husband and His priesthood. The comfort and protection I get from that is remarkable. The temple is also something that I couldn't not live without. The peace I get from the temple is something that's indescribable. 

I am thankful for all my needful things; such as, my house that I live in, my clothes that I wear, the food that I eat, and my health; as well as, my families. I pray that I will always have these things. I feel like the Lord as always blessed me with these things and it's when I see other lack, lose or has never had these things that make me humble and fall to my knees.