Ringing In The New Year...

Out with the old and in with the new!!!
I can believe it is already 2011 (where does the time go)....
For New Years Eve we stayed home with the kids and played Epic Mickey, ate a lot of junk food, did fireworks and had a lot of fun!!!

Best Gifts Ever...

I love the gifts that the kids give us each year, because you know that they are done with love and are always one of a kind!!! The kids get so super excited to give them to us and always want us to open them early... The drawing is from Brennick it is what he wrapped our gift in... They are the BEST presents ever!!!! Thanks boys.

Christmas Day...

What a great Christmas we had... Breakfast with my parents, then off to see the family, back home so the kids could play with their gift. It was a wonderful day!!

The kids with Grandma and Grandpa J.

Christmas Morning...

The kids waiting patiently to go downstairs and see if Santa came... We had to finally wake our kids up at 8:30, I cant believe they slept in that long...

Brennick and his Christmas!! Looks like Brennick was good after all he got the one thing that he wanted a DSI XL, now the two boys can stop fighting over who gets to play....

Hudson and his Christmas!! He was so excited to get his DSI XL from Santa and didn't put it down the whole day...

Emmerson and all her Christmas!!! I love all the pink, its so much fun to have a little girl but I could do without the Drama... She was so cute and loved everything she opened.

24th Day of Christmas...

I cant believe that Christmas eve is already here!!!
Now it's time to get prepared for Santa's visit, the kids are ready for bed with their Christmas Jammie's on!!!

The magical reindeer food is spread all over the lawn in hopes that he will come and bring the goodies they want!!!

And a plate of cookies and some carrots for the reindeer also a monster drink (as Brennick says it will help keep him awake (and I know our Santa will need it), and a sweet little letter thanking him for stopping bye.... I think this is the last year Brennick is going to believe, which makes me so sad... A friend at school told him that Santa isn't real (the nerve of some peoples kids), and he came home and asked and I told him if he didn't believe he didn't receive. I ask him a little later if he still believed and he said yes but I kind of think he is just being a good sport!!!

23rd Day of Christmas...

Tonight we focused on the birth of Christ and remembered the real reason we celebrate Christmas. The kids colored the nativity scene and then we read the nativity story, after the story the kids wanted to act it out, Hudson was Joseph, Emmie was Mary and Brennick was the donkey. So super cute it takes my breath away!!! I then told them that they to could also give a gift to Christ just as the wise man did, and that our gift to Jesus is to be like him. We also talked about what all the Christmas symbols mean; the green of the Christmas tree represents Life, the red ornaments represents the blood of the crucified Lord, the candy can represents the crooked staff of the shepherds, the star represents the Bethlehem star marking the Savior's birthplace, the candle represents the "light of the world", and the wreath represents the eternal round of everlasting life that the Savior gave us... I hope that my kids will always remember why we really celebrate Christmas and keep that in their hearts forever...

22nd Day of Christmas...

We had a special dinner tonight, it was nice to all sit down together for a change! The kids sure thought it was fun to have sparkling apple juice in wine glasses and having a candle lite defiantly was a hit. I think this will be a new tradition for our family, thanks Sadie for the cute idea... After dinner the kids got to open the presents that they exchanged with each other... They were pretty excited to open a present before Christmas. Only 3 days till Christmas, man it sure is coming fast....

21st Day of Christmas...

Tonight the kids got slippers and a Christmas Cd. They put on their slippers and the Christmas music and Hudson and Emmie started to dance, but Brennick took a little more convincing to get him going!!! Oh when they got started it was so funny to watch...

2oth Day of Christmas....

Today we took the kids to lunch and then to Primary Children's Hospital to donate some gifts. I think it is important to have the kids see how fortunate they are to have what they have and that not all kids have that.. When I told the kids what we were doing for the day, they came in my room after a few minutes and had a sack full of toys that they wanted to donate I guess they thought I meant their toys but how sweet that they would give their own to make another kid happy!!

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

We celebrated my Dads Birthday tonight (all of us but Kim were there she was sick)! We had yummy Mexican food and great company. I love this Man he is so important to me and I am so glad that he is my DAD...

19th Day of Christmas...

Today we had a fun and relaxing Sunday afternoon together!! We put a Christmas puzzle together, and watched soda geyser go off, and had some good dippin dots... We had a fun day just doing what the kids wanted!!

18th Day of Christmas....

Tonight was a perfect night!!! The weather was nice, and the lights were amazingly beautiful as always, and the best part Matt had the night off to share it with us... Hudson was so cute he couldn't believe that this is were his mom & dad were married! He then wanted to know if we could go in, when I told him not till his is older he then asked if he could touch it so we went up and let the kids touch the Temple and go up the stairs. I wish and hope one day that all my children will make the choice to be married in the Temple!!! I love my little family and am so grateful for them each and everyday...

Merry Christmas to You...

Our cute little Christmas card... I just decide to put the kids on the Christmas card this year, since we really never see Matt much so it would be kind of hard to get the whole family together for a pic... Maybe next year!!!
Merry Christmas to all...

Art Work..

Art work from Brennick. He painted it in school, it is supposed to look like stained glass... I love it he did such a good job!!

17th Day of Christmas...

Tonight we went to see Scrooge with Chenelle and her boys. It was so fun and entertaining and the boys loved it, after wards the boys wanted to meet the characters so we did. Scrooge works with my dad and he was so funny and played the part of Scrooge very well... It was a way fun night with just the boys, while Emmie had a fun night with my parents... Only 8 more days till Christmas!!!

Our Little Reindeer...

Hudson has been really sick for the past week and so he hasn't been to school, but today was the last day before the long break so I decide to let him go. I am glad because this is what I got when I picked him up.... The cutest little reindeer that I have ever seen!!!

16th Day of Christmas...

Tonight the kids got Christmas books, and Brennick read them to us. After we had yummy root beer floats.

15th Day of Christmas...

Tonight we made some Christmas suckers with the Mill's family... Really Sadie and I made suckers with the help of Brecken and Emmie, all the rest were down playing the Wii. But they sure did enjoy eating them!!!

14th Day of Christmas...

We had a fun time driving through the Willard Lights tonight, they were pretty Awesome...

And they even got to go see Santa, which was a plus for at least 2 of our kids (Brennick thinks he is to old and gets all embarrassed)...

Dinner at Wendy's. The kids being silly....

13th Day of Christmas...

Baking yummy cookies is what we did tonight, then we took them out to some neighbors and called it a night!!!

12th Day of Christmas...

Christmas Spider Legend

On Christmas eve, a long time ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year... Christmas day, the day on which the little Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner on the ceiling. They had fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated. The poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the little Christ child's visit. Then the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could wait until everyone went to bed and then get a closer look.

When the house was dark and silent, the spiders crept out of their hiding place. When they neared the Christmas tree, they were delighted with the beauty of it. The spiders crept all over the tree, up and down, over the branches and twigs and saw every one of the pretty things.

The spiders loved the Christmas tree. All night long they danced in the branches, leaving them covered with spider webs. In the morning, when the little Christ child came to bless the house, he was dismayed! He loved the little spiders for they were God's creatures, but he knew the mother, who had worked so hard to make everything perfect, would not be pleased when she saw what the spiders had done.

With love in his heart and a smile on his lips, the little Christ child reached out and gently touched the spider webs. The spider webs started to sparkle and shine! They had all turned into sparkling, shimmering silver and gold.

According to legend, ever since this happened, people have hung tinsel on their Christmas trees. It has also become a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the Christmas tree.

Today we read The Legend of the Christmas Spider, and then the kids made some really cute spiders for their trees...

Christmas Party...

Our Annual dollar gift exchange...Tonight's Christmas party was a lot of fun with the family opening gift, lots of yummy treats and good laughs!!!

11th Day of Christmas...

A fun night with great friends (Mill's and Surgeoner's) and a awesome movie... After we had Yummy Dragon Hill!!! Just LOVE the holidays!!! Only 14 more days to go...

10th Day of Christmas...

Tonight we nibbled and built and nibbled some more!!! The kids were on a sugar high from all the candy and frosting they consumed while building their gingerbread houses.... The boys did such a great job on their little village they made, and Emmie just wanted to eat the frosting every time I put it on so I helped build hers. It was a good time and now we get to enjoy them!!! Only 15 more days till Christmas!!! Can't wait....

9th Day of Christmas....

Tonight was a fun night at the Layton Lights with the Mill's family. It was a beautiful night and the kids loved walking through and see all the different lights...Emmerson is a big fan of lights and keep saying "Oh so beautiful" so dang cute to hear her say it. Afterwards we went to get yummy donuts and hot chocolate!!!

8th Day of Christmas...

Tonight the kids decorated there very own hot chocolate mugs with snowman stickers. After they were done we made hot chocolate for them and let them stir it with a peppermint suckers to give it a candy cane taste... YUMMY!!! My kids LOVE hot chocolate...

7th Day of Christmas....

Tonight was movie night, we watched A Christmas Carol. It was a good movie, but a little scary for the little ones in some parts... We had a fun time in our pj's eating popcorn and goodies watching a good Christmas movie!

6th Day of Christmas...

At Christmas time we are reminded that our families are one of the greatest gifts we're given. We give to those who are with us, and we think often of those in Heaven. Heavenly Father sent us a great gift, he sent Christ to earth, and his perfect life began. With out our loving brother and all he did for us we could not be with our loved ones again. Today lets think of our sweet Meghan and send her all our love, for she is Celebrating Christs birth to. Because of his great gift, she will again be with you.

Lets go decorate her headstone for the holidays.

Tonight was a fun and special night! I took the kids and let them pick out flowers and stuffed animals of their choice to go put on their sisters grave. So cute to watch what they wanted to pick out, and Hudson always asks the cutest questions about when we will see her again. After the grave was all decorated we sang a few Christmas carols, it brought tears to my eyes listening to their sweet little voices sing...Then we meet up with the Mill's family for dinner at Arctic Circle it was a perfect ending to a great night...

5th Day of Christmas....

Only 20 more day till it's Christmas, it seems to be going by so fast.... The kids decorated their own trees today, and each got a new ordainment to add to their super cute trees. Now the key is trying to keep Emmerson from undecorating them...

4th Day of Christmas....

We exchanged names with our little family today, then went shopping to find some special gifts. Had a yummy lunch at Brick Oven and then to the mall to see Santa Clause!! Both of the boys asked Santa for a Dsi xl and Emmie asked for clothes (don't know where that came from).. It was a fun and crazy day!!! Only 21 more days till Christmas...

Economics Fair...

The 3rd grade economics fair was today. Brennick did a great job and sold out of his bean bag balls way fast.

Getting ready for the crowd...

3rd Day of Christmas....

Today was a pretty busy night so we did a little Christmas craft. The kids love to paint so they had a good time, and now they look so cute hanging on the fridge!! Only 22 days till Christmas..

2nd Day of Christmas...

Tonight's activity was writing letters to Santa... The kids all sat down and wrote their letter of what they wanted and something that they needed (of course with a little help). Then after they were all sealed and stamped we headed up to Macy's to mail them in Santa's mailbox. For every stamped letter put in the mailbox they will donate 1.00 to make a wish foundation, I thought that was pretty neat and awesome to be a part of!!!! Only 23 more days till Christmas...