Christmas 2013

On December 23rd I got together with some of my favorite family members to wrap presents. Gary, my brother in law/nephew (don't ask) watched the kids for FIVE hours while we wrapped. That is his 3 kids and my 4. Yes he is my super hero!

We decided to wait until December 28th when Ryan got home from Mongolia to open our presents. The kids were surprisingly patient about this decision. On December 24th we opened our Christmas jammies and played "pass the present." I read THIS book and the kids passed the present around the circle every time I said the word "the."

Jackie and Gary invited us over to eat Christmas dinner at their house. We stayed for 4 hours and had a great time. That really helped considering it wasn't really our "Christmas" that day and I was feeling lonely and just wanting Ryan to have a normal job. I get that way sometimes.

On the 28th Santa came while we were all at the airport picking up daddy. Santa may or may not have been Jackie. On Sunday, the 29th, we had Jackie and Gary over for our Christmas dinner. Can you tell we are excited to live 2 miles away from them?!

 

I feel so blessed this Christmas season. I'm so grateful for all the Christmas cards and wishes we received and for the blessing of my home and family. I am thrilled to be adding Tegan to the mix so that he can share the holiday season with us next year. Heavenly Father is so mindful of each of us.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is what Ava really really wanted for Christmas. An art set!

Breck is thrilled with his new ukulele.

Daddy doing what he does best....opening things and putting them together.

Not sure if Ryan is ready to sneeze or what.

Happy 6th Birthday Breck

Breck celebrated his bday on 12-12-13. Not as cool as 12-12-12 like last year. He was overjoyed to get roller skates and a helmet. He knew we were headed to a homeschool party at Classic Skate the next day so he thought he was pretty cool! Birthday morning we headed to McDonalds with his friend Eli to play on the toys for forever! Luckily I brought my Daily Herald to keep me company. He also got to go up to the Lego store in Murray and  pick out all sorts of Legos and put them in a bucket to take home. The only thing we were missing was his twin......Daddy.

Trying his hand at the skates.

The girls "helping out."

Love that little face. I'm so partial to little boys.

Wish the floor would have stayed this empty forever. 

Breck  on the scooter.

In typical Ava fashion. Crazy face.

1.5 hrs later "Mom my butt hurts!"

BIFF!

Ava's Birthday-Canyon

We had the blessing of going up Hobble Creek Canyon with some of our favorite family, Jackie and Gary, and Annie and Trev. We decided to bring Ava's birthday cake up and celebrate because it was the day before her 8th birthday.

 

I want to share a few things about Ava that you may or may not know.

1. She loves babies! She has always been such a little mama.

2. She is very stubborn and when cornered will fight to the death. Definitely my most aggressive child in her own way.

3. She is so sweet and every time we go to my sister Annie's she spends a lot of her time with Trevan, her cousin who is handicapped. She truly enjoys being with him.

4. She was such a smiley baby. Much more smiley than my others.

5. She is laid back and a dream in the car. She never gets anxious or asks a lot of questions about when we will be there. Totally opposite of Gracie.

6. She says SO many comical things. I can't even begin to list them all. Some of the things that she comes up with really take me back. Nothing gets by her.

7. She loves soup! She is definitely my best eater! She loves Grapenuts in the  morning with raisins.  couldn't pay my other kids to eat that.

8. She is our official mail carrier and brings the mail in from the box every day!

9. She is a tomboy and prides herself on it.

10. She is always my most reverent and calm at church and generally stays out of the bench squabbles of her siblings.

11. She is SO good at making friends. It doesn't matter where or when she will make a friend.

12. If you give her a bite of your food she will take a mile. I do not like sharing with her.

13. She is sensitive about poor people and has a little compassionate heart.

We so enjoy having her in our home. She is precious!

Lex being her cute self!

Learick and Grandma Annie

My birthday girl

Gary is such a great addition to our family. I love having Gary in the family!

Trev the angel

Ava's a little excited about her Heeleys.

Halloween 2013

So ya'll know I can't stand my kids going around begging for treats.....Yes I am a Halloween Scrooge.

Anyhow, we survived another year of the candy scrounging.

We had a homeschool trunk or treat, a ward trunk or treat and Halloween itself. We trick or treated three blocks to my grandma's rest home and trick or treated there, as well as chatted with my grandma for about 10 minutes. Then we trick or treated on home. I loved having my kids wait patiently for the shaky hands of the elderly to drop a treat in their bag. It was a good experience all around. But you know me.....glad it's over!!

Thank you Gavin and Oakley for sharing your Batman costume!

I think Gracie fits into this old 4-6x Cinderella costume rather nicely! ;-)

Gracie in the middle of telling me "Stop!" She was very embarrassed by my picture taking in broad daylight.



My sweet grandma. I met a lady at church today that has her husband in the bishopric over the rest home.
She says everyone just loves Grandma.

Mom says "YAY we're home!"