New Family Picture!

The beginning of December we went and had a new family pic taken. Not the best, not the worst! We went to Picture People and I'm just not satisfied with them! Oh well I guess.

Christmas

We had a GREAT Christmas this year! Santa done did treat us well! We started off witht he kids coming down at around 8:30. The kids loved how many presents were under the tree! Thanks to those secret santas!! We ate our orange rolls around 10:30 and then everyone got ready to go to Christmas brunch at mom and dads. It was a very nice relaxing day!! Everyone loved their gifts! They each got what they wanted from Santa. Sariah wanted Lara Croft, Tomb Raider for xbox 360, Caylie wanted the game of LIFE, Joseph wanted Lego Star Wars II for xbox 360, Jaren wanted Halo III for xbox 360 and Spencer, well he didn't have any requests but got some cute toys! Mom and dad got us date boxes! A bottle of Sparkling cider and some gift cards to go enjoy ourselves without the children. We got cards to Old Navy (can't forget the shopping), Olive Garden, Coldstone, and Stewart Andersons. Thanks Mom and Dad. The kids got starting with Sariah, a digital camera, that she doesn't like, it's not what she thought it was going to be, so It's going back to the store, and a fun hair kit thing where she can put colored streaks in her hair. Caylie got a much wanted Art Easel. If any of you know Caylie you would know that her passion is Art!! She opened it right up. It's like a professional easel and came with lots of paints, brushes, a pallet, and even some canvases. When she gets home this weekend I will have her pose with it! Joseph and Jaren got cool Darth Vader laptops. They are enjoying them. Spencer got his little ride on, push along car. He hasn't had the time to enjoy it yet, but I know that he will. All of us kids went together this year and made mom and dad a quilt with all the grandkids pictures on it. Theya really enjoyed it. Me being the dork that I am didn't get a pic. As soon as I get over there I'll take a pic and post it. It's awesome. We aren't professional seamstresses, but it turned out well!! All in all it was a very merry Christmas! Hope you all had the same!

Happy birthday Nathan!

This last weekend the kids were able to go to their cousin's birthday party. They all stayed the night at grammy and papa's and then the next morning we all went to JJ Jumps! It's a place with all the inflatable jump houses. The kids had a blast! Thanks Greg and Melinda!

Girlfriend's Dinner

The last 2 years, some good friends in the ward have hosted a girlfriend's dinner. A group of 8 of us get together to eat and have fun. The two hosts cook dinner for the group. This year it consisted of roast, potatoes, green beans, yummy orange rolls, "Christmas Salad" Which is awesome, a fruit cup, and to top it all off a very yummy chocolate fudge suffle! We do a dessert exchange, white elephant style, and here's what I came home with this year!! I only got it because I had stolen it for the last time and no one could take it from me!!! King sized cupcakes that were decorated totally cute. They were soooo yummy. I like them sooo much that I had Shule get me 2 pans for Christmas. So, now I can make them!! YIPEE!! After dinner we have craft time, and we all made the cute little ornaments that you see in the pics. Super easy, super cute project!! Can't wait for next year!! I don't have many pics because of course my camera wasn't working before. I got pics of the projects after I was home!! I know there were lots of pics taken though, If I happen to get some, I'll add. Thanks Emily and Alisha!

What happens when children are home alone and find a camera!

Halloween fun

Yipee!! I was finally able to download pics off the camera!! So, the next few posts are going to be catch up posts!! Enjoy!!

Family traditions!

With me going back to work, it's kind of been a whirlwind of a Christmas season! Some of our traditions have been put on the wayside, but we aren't giving them all up and we are even going to add a few new ones! Anyway..I just thought I would share with you what we like to do:

* Christmas eve we have homemade clam chowder with breadsticks. Shule's family growing up has always done this and is something that we have carried on. Two years ago we started the tradition of eating by candlelight. All the lights in the house go off, including the tree, because it's too bright and we enjoy our clam chowder, and martinelli's by candlelight. The kids love it and it makes it more intimate and special for them.

* Christmas eve we open up jammies for everyone. They don't match, but it's always fun getting into new jammies for Christmas morning. I usually leave it up to Shule to buy me pajamas and he never does, so this year I bought my own and gave them to him to wrap for me! :)

* The last couple of years we have had the kids draw names with each other, and they get to open that gift. We go shopping as a family and split up so that no one will see the gift that the other person bought. It's fun and exciting and the kids love going to find something for their siblings!

* As a youth my family started a tradition of eating donuts and drinking hot chocolate right before we went to bed. That's a tradition that we have kept going and the kids love it. We've added to it Shule's family tradition of reading Twas the Night Before Christmas! It doesn't get read except for that night!

* We normally go out a few times during the holidays and look at Christmas lights, well with me working most nights, we haven't gotten around to it yet. So, tomorrow we decided that we would go drive around for an hour or so and look at them just after dinner!

* The kids get to have a special sleepover with each other on Christmas Eve. They look forward to that every holiday when someone special comes!

* We read the nativity or we watch a video about it. The kids seem to do better with videos at their age. We have also started watching Mr. Kruegers Christmas! If you haven't seen it, you should.

* Christmas morning we get up and open presents and then eat orange rolls, orange juice and eggnog. We then get ready and head over to my mom and dad's for festivities over there!

Well, I can't think of any more right now! I'm sure there are other things that we have done every year but my brain is tired of thinking! :)

We sure hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

Santa visited us early today as a large package of gifts was left at our door by a secret santa! Thanks to whomever you are! We love you!! We have been truely blessed by our Savior! We feel his love daily! Godbless you all and Merry Christmas!

Still no pictures!

Well, I got my new usb cord, but now the freakin camera is having problems. It never seems to end. The computers dont want to see the camera so now I am trying to figure that one out. We haven't had our camera for too long, and we are having problems with it, so I'm hoping that we can send it back and get a new one, or get it fixed. We'll see...keep your fingers crossed that we'll be able to figure something out!!!

IT"S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

I'm so grateful to be in such an awesome part of the world! Grateful to be close to my family and my friends. Tonight we were greeted at our door by a BIG group of people from our ward singing Christmas carols to us!!! How nice!! I love the Christmas season. We woke up to snow flake flurries this morning! The kids think it's awesome when the snow falls, only to be disappointed when it doesn't stick to the ground and doesn't come down too hard. I have to admit I love the look of snow, but I sure as heck don't miss it when it's gone!! Then this evening as the kiddos were getting in bed, we received a knock at the door and an older couple in the ward delivered a handmade gingerbread house for the kiddos. They love it. This is the 2nd year we have received one. Thanks J and N!!! You are awesome. We love you!! Well I just thought I would share. I ordered a usb cord this week so I will have pictures available once again!! YIPEE!! This time I'm gonna lock it up!! :)