Temple Square

We finally made it up to Temple Square tonight. We usually get up there before Christmas but with all the parties and snow we had going on this year we just didn't make it until now. It was fun to meet up with my Aunt Sandra and my cousin Mark. We were able to get a bite to eat at the Training Table and visit for a bit and then it was off to see the lights. I love some of these pictures of the temple, they are beautiful!!!!!!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning was as magical as ever. I love seeing the kids faces when they run out to the tree to see if Santa came. (Now if we could ever get them to wake up before us it would be a miracle. When I was a kid I woke up at 2:30 am and sat and stared at my presents until my parents woke up at 8 :)

Here's Matthew on his cool new wheels!



Luckily Santa came through and got Zach the DS he was sure he would bring him. (This is a story in itself and shall be saved for another day :)



The girls are still happy with the cheap gifts, thank goodness!!!! Ellie got a build-a-bear she was wanting and Gracie her gabriella purse and princess shoes.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was fun this year. We drove the kids around to see Christmas lights on people's houses. One of the houses we went to with an incredible light show had Santa out front in his sleigh giving out candy canes. We obviously weren't expecting this since it was about 7pm and Santa should've been somewhere in Europe about this time. :) The kids thought it was pretty cool. On our drive back home we saw about 5 rein"deer" as well so the kids got to see both Santa and his reindeer on our little excursion. When we got home we made cookies for Santa, read a Christmas story together and watched a movie. It was great to be together as a family!









As with most everyone we have a tradition of letting the kids open one gift on Christmas Eve and of course it is new pajamas. The boys got BYU fleece pants and the girls got High School Musical pj's.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!

Family Christmas Party

This year for our family Christmas party we had a "Christmas Around the World" theme put on by my Aunt Linda. It was such a cute idea. A few of us "non party poopers" dressed up in different nationality costumes. Devin, Vanessa and Ellie were dressed in Asian attire, I was in a Mexican dress and my mom was a cute little Holland lady. Zach and Peyton were Indians. (Zach got undressed before I took this picture.)







Here's Grandpa Ike telling all of us how much he loves us. I think he was very grateful to have all his family together.



All the kids got to dress up in nativity costumes. My two boys were shepherds and Gracie was an angel and Ellie got to be Mary. She was so excited that she got to hold baby Jesus!







The kids got to break a pinata as well. There was a girl and boy pinata which was really great for the girls because there was only 3 of them. Thanks Linda for a SUPER cute party!!!!!

Christmas Activities

Our neighbors invited us over to make Christmas cookies. The kids had a blast making a mess of the kitchen and playing with their little boy Brigham. Thanks Jared and Allyson-you guys are the best!!!!!!!



Gracie was a mess thanks to her Daddy. He told her to do this.









Gracie had more fun eating the frosting than putting it on her cookies!!!



It's always fun to go see the kids sing in their "Christmas Sing-a-Long." Matthew's grade played their recorders and I was amazed that they were able keep hundreds of fourth graders synchronized all together!!!

All I Want for Christmas is "TO LOSE" my Two Front Teeth

Yay! Zach finally lost his first tooth. All his friends and classmates at school have been losing their teeth and Zach has been a late bloomer in the teeth losing department so he's been a bit frusterated by the whole thing. (It hasn't helped that his mom keeps bringing it up as well :) Well of course we're never satisfied because Zach woke up this morning and said he really wants to lose his two front teeth now like his friend Kennadee.



The tooth fairy brought Zach $3. He was pretty darn excited!!!!

Santa Clause and Cosmo Santa

We took the kids to see Santa Clause this weekend at my mom's work. We waited for about an hour to see him and I was a bit worried about how Gracie was going to act when we got to him but she did really well. She got up on his lap and asked him for a Gabweella purse and sincess shoes. (Yes I know how to spell, I was just trying to type it the way she said it because it sounded so cute:)) Ellie asked for a jewelery box and a build-a-bear and the boys of course asked for the most expensive stuff like Wii games. The picture didn't turn out the cutest from the angle we were standing but they were all so excited to see him!!!!



Cosmo the BYU mascot was also there. I think the kids were more excited to see him than they were Santa.

Happy Birthday Zach on Thanksgiving Day!!

Zach is the entertainer of the family. He keeps us all on our toes at all times and tries to get a laugh out of everyone he comes in contact with. One thing about Zach that I think is really cool and unusual for a kid his age is that he likes to be around old people and is always concerned about them. He is constantly reminding me that we need to go see Grandpa Ike at the rest home so he doesn't get lonely. At the football games we sit by this old guy that never stops talking and is kind of annoying. Well it's become kind of a joke for all of us adults to be the first one's sitting down at the game so we don't have to sit by him (I know--we're rude :) but Zach sat by him at one of the games and became his little buddy. He talked to him the whole game and when we were driving home he told me what a nice man this guy was. I was impressed to say the least!





Zach really wanted to go swimming for his birthday this year. I decided to let him bring a couple of friends with us and he chose to bring a couple of his best girl friend buddies. We call him the little chick magnet because most of his friends are girls! :)











Mom and Dad got Zach a ripstick for his birthday. Here he is trying it out. In the second picture he is concentrating so hard he's got his tongue sticking out--so cute. We love you Zachy! Happy #7!!!!!