Christmas Day!

Christmas Day! 2011

I can not believe that I only took about 6 pictures on Christmas day! What kind of mom am I?  I guess my camera needed a break from Christmas eve.

I love Christmas!  I love that my kids are getting older and are more fun to watch them get excited and having a hard time sleeping.  Kenidee was so excited to put out milk and cookies for Santa and Reindeer food outside on the porch and sidewalk.

As a Christmas tradition we have to wait till everyone is awake and we all go into the living room together.  That is such a hard thing to do, really and it never gets any easier. After we get done opening gifts from each other we go to Grandma Shauna's and Papa's for what ends up being Brunch.  Then we exchange presents with our family. I love watching how excited my kids are to give to their cousins, and grandparents.

Then we head down to Grandma Lu's and Papa Bears for dinner and more gift giving and getting! it is so much fun, and so much noise! I love it.

I hope throughout the years I can teach my children how to give, and how important it is to remember our savior Jesus Christ not just on this day but everyday. I want my them to know that Christ is our brother, and the things He did on this earth were for us.  I want them to strive to be like Him, and to be kind and loving to others. I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of the Savior, and so thankful for parents who taught me to try to be like Him.

Chirstmas eve

Yep so it is Christmas in July.  I Love our families Christmas traditions. Starting with Christmas eve, we all go to Grandma LuLu's and Papa Bears. We have dinner, read the story of Christ birth, wide elephant gifts (this is a newer tradition.), and Santa comes to give us new Christmas p.j.'s.  I love spending time with the cousins that can  be there. We have made so many memories over the years. It is kind of fun to remember what is was like as a child and to see my children experiencing the same things.

Bennett was my little l helper frosting cookies to share at grandma Lu's.

We always have a little talent show. Usually the little kids sing, or play a little something on the piano.

The little kids exchange gifts and go and play with them while the adults get ready for Wide Elephant.

 I don't remember a year where we haven't laughed till we cried. I love this part of the night. there are a few gifts that seem to keep coming back every year.

 We all make our way down stairs to get ready for Santa. usually a child dresses up like Santa but not many small children come to Christmas eve anymore so we have to ask a brave adult to dress up like Santa ... this year it was.......ROBIN. If I do say so myself he was the BEST looking Santa I have EVER seen.

 Most of the kids loved him...

Santa and Eli

 Bennett was a little unsure but as long as he had his Knight hat on he was good to go.

 Rod LOVED him

 Eli loved eating the paper.

 Kenidee was not so sure. I had to force her to stand by him. Even after Robin pulled down his snowy white beard, she didn't want anything to do with him.

 I just couldn't contain myself anymore I had to plant a big ole' kiss on Santa! I really hope the Mrs. didn't mind.

All of the kids in matching jammas. kind of sad, when we were kids we filled up that whole front of the fire place. I love this tradition.

All of us "kids" in our matching Jammas. We will NEVER be to old for matching p.j.'s!
When grandma Lu would hold Eli he would suck on her pearls. I love that picture!

Uncle Rod Gives Kenidee what he calls a million kisses! She just laughs and laughs. She loves her uncle Rodney

meeting Santa!

We had a ward Christmas party and the REAL Santa came! I love him. He is dressed to the nines.

Bennett told him he wanted a real car, ya know not a toy a big car like moms.

 Best pic I could get of the kids in a hurry, the line was huge.

Kolby's Baptism

December 10, 2011 we all got to go to Logan Utah to see my nephew Kolby be baptised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a wonderful day the spirit was definitely felt. Kolby was a little nervous but this was something he wanted. My dad baptised and confirmed Kolby. It was a great day to teach  my children the importance of being baptised and being confirmed and receiving the Holy Ghost.

 Grandpa smootching Kolby! We were all so proud of Kolby. I think all of us would have done that to him if we could have gotten our hands on him.

Bennett turns 3

So Three years ago on December 1st it was the scariest day of my life. My baby boy was born by emergency C-section.Now Bennett is the funnest boy ever. He can make you so mad but with in seconds of flashing that smile and his huge dimple you forget why you were ever so mad at him.  He is an early riser and I love the mornings with him. He is the happiest and most cuddly boy ever. Bennett loves anything to do with cars wheels motors.oh and buttons. If he could be outside every second of the day he would be. I love this boy and I can not believe his is three!

On his birthday we just did a little family thing. We made our own pizza's! The kids love being able to make everything themselves.  

 Because we were going to do a big family party in a few days I took bennett to the store and let him pick out  a special treat. so he picked out loft house sugar cookies. He loved it.

 Then he got to open a few gifts from his grandma Juju and Papa skip.

 A few days later we had a big family party. He wanted a cars cake, I am not the best cake maker but he liked it and that is all that mattered.

christmas card 2011

This year I got a few cards out and more are still sitting at my house wishing they had a home. Oh well. Really it is Feb  and I am just posting this so... really not much of  a Surprise.

Trimming the Tree

Robin and I decided that as a family  we would decorate the Christmas tree the Monday after Thanksgiving. So That is what we did. I love having a fake pre-lite tree. It goes up so fast. This year the kids had so much fun. I let them put on all the decorations. I have a little O.C.D. when it comes to how the tree is decorated but, I had to bite my tongue sometimes and just let them do it.  We had a lot of fun. It just seems as our kids get older we have more and more fun with them.

 I think Robin got tired of just letting the kids decorate and decided to decorate himself. The kids thought he was so funny!

 Kenidee does not like to be left out of the silliness, she is quick to join in.

 Trying to take a pic with all my kids in front of the tree was so hard. yet I think they turned out cute maybe not perfect but I love them.

Just a close up of how most of my tree looked like and i did spread them out a little but besides garland and a few other things this is how the tree stayed.