It Was A VERY Merry Christmas!

Christmas Pajamas - McKay, Noah, Eli, Gavin, Lauren and Carter

Best Friends, Cousins, and partners in crime - McKay and Gavin

As it always does Christmas came and went by so quickly... Christmas eve James and Jason took the boys skiing so that Kristin and I could get everything ready for that night. I truly have to say that I appreciated Kristin so much this year - She really went out of her way to make everything so fun and special for everyone and easy on me... Thanks Kristin I love and appreciate you!!! We had a wonderful dinner, decorated cookies, enjoyed Jason telling the Christmas story and had fondue for dessert.

I thought that I had everything ready for Christmas night to make it easy and painless on James and I - I was looking forward to getting to bed early... and did! BUT, then the phone rang at 1:00 a.m. and it was Jason... They were missing some of Noah's Christmas... Kristin and I had gone shopping the week before to finish all of her shopping and had taken James' car. I took everything home with me so that she wouldn't have to hide it late at night... But, the next morning James and McKay went skiing and took it all out of his car and put it in the garage... So, I went and put it in my car and took it to her later that next day... Well, somewhere in all of the transferring we lost a big Target bag... So, at 1:00 in the morning James is out going through all of the cars and the garage looking for this bag and couldn't find it... So, we called them back and told them we didn't have it and they kept looking for it and called back and said we had to have it because they didn't... So, I got up and went out and couldn't find it either... finally James in the middle of a snow storm went out and took all of the ski stuff out of his car and found it!!! So, he took off and Jason took off and they met in the middle to transfer the goods!!! By the time it was all said and done we got to bed at about 2:30 a.m.!!!

Christmas was wonderful - The boys made it really fun with their excitement! McKay got the Batcave that he had been dreaming about for months and Carter loves his tool bench that he got that as you can see in the picture also works very well as a kitchen! He is always pulling all of my pots out in the kitchen and making a big mess - So, he got his own set of pots and pans and that was a big hit too! McKay really "got it" this year and I have to say that I was really proud of his appreciation and gratitude with everything that he got.

We had Christmas dinner at James' Grandma's house and enjoyed getting to see the extended family and spending time with them too.

On Friday James took McKay skiing again - I have to admit that I have really enjoyed the one on one time that this has allowed me with Carter. I try to just do what he wants to do - play with blocks, color, cuddle, watch a movie with him... give him a little bit of my undivided attention. He loves it - But, he is always excited when the boys come home too!

I hope that you all had as wonderful of a Christmas as we did. I have to apologize that I didn't get Christmas cards out this year... It was something I kept meaning to do and just didn't get done... I am grateful for all of the love and support that my little family receives so abundantly from our family and friends. We have had an exciting year this year with finding out that we were expecting and moving to another state and all of the changes that brings along with it. I am grateful to have friends that have been my best friends my whole life - We miss you Carson and Lacey!!! Thank you Jennifer for still being who you are and being my friend despite all of my crazy quirks! I'm grateful for a family who loves me and supports me through everything, for Brothers that I know I could go to for anything and sister-in-laws that keep them informed as to what is going on in my life! For a Father who has taught me how to be strong and a Mother who has taught me how to love... Thank you both for the love that you have for James and my Boys. I am grateful to have in-laws that I truly love and appreciate - Even you Jason... and Kristin you totally rock!

I have enjoyed the time that I have been able to spend with my cousins and their families this year - Redfish was a blast Megan and Greg and we look forward to spending more time with you here in Utah! Jon and Stacey we have really enjoyed our last couple dinners and look forward to more good times!

So, as this year comes to an end I truly look forward to the wonderful times to come in the next. I look forward to meeting this new little man that is about to make his debut into our family. I am truly blessed with being a wife and a mother - I have a husband who is my best friend and makes me laugh everyday and two boys that fill my life with love and fulfillment in a way that I never knew was possible until I became a Mother. I hope that you all have enjoyed the Spirit of this Holiday as much as we have and wish you all the very best in the new year!

Carter's New Passion

All I have to give Carter to entertain him right now is a simple piece of white paper and a pen... He will draw for an hour on one piece of paper until it is completely covered. He finds anything - wrapping, receipts, scraps... and brings them to me and asks for a pen. It's always nice to find something that will captivate their attention for a little while!

Feeling The Spirit!

Well, I can officially announce that I have finally started to feel the Holiday spirit! The boys LOVED making all of the ornaments for the tree this year. I do have to admit that we did let them pick a few out at Walmart that they wanted too - James was laughing at me because he knew it was almost more than I could handle when McKay picked out red and white tinsel... My tree is usually pretty fancy - there is nothing fancy about this tree, but I have to admit that I love it. They love it too- McKay is always telling me how much he loves it and is always so proud to show it off to everyone - I think that that is what it is more about! We made glittered snowflakes out of Popsicle sticks, snowmen out of Styrofoam balls and candy canes out of pipe cleaners. This was our first year buying a tree... we have always gone and cut our own - it was a cold night and I was grateful that they had a fire to keep the kids warm.

My Mom came and stayed with us for 6 days!!! It was sooo nice to have her here - She really helped me get some loose ends tied up around here. Furniture is officialy where it goes, mirrors and pictures are hung and babies room is all put together and ready to go! We went one night while she was here to temple Square to look at the lights and then one night we went and rode the Heber City Creeper - They had it all decked out as the Polar Express - The kids LOVED it! They serve you hot chocolate and cookies and read you the story of the Polar Express - you go to the North Pole and pick up Santa Clause and he comes on the train to see the kids. Where are the pictures you ask... Well, I grabbed James new camera that we got him for Alaska so I wouldn't have to haul my big one around... It worked great! But, when i got home it was dead and I can't find the charger anywhere (probably still in Alaska!).................................. So, I need him to go an buy another one. But, the greatest part about having my Mom here was just having her here - we took it really easy - she spent a lot of time coloring and cuddling with the kids.

We have had a couple storms this week and I love the picture of my Mom and the boys watching James outside - just the three of them together! Thanks Mom we love you!

I hope you are enjoying the season!

In Search Of Christmas Spirit...

So, I am lacking some serious Christmas Spirit this year... usually I have the house all decked out by now and if I truly had to admit it... I still have a couple Halloween decorations lurking around! My Niece was here Friday night and told me my house was lacking major Christmas Spirit and even offered to come and help me set everything up!!! But, the thought of setting everything up to just take it all down days before I have a baby is a little draining... I usually DECK the house out!!! - I LOVE Christmas decorations... But, this year I have decided to keep it simple. We are going to go and get our tree tomorrow night and stop at the craft store - I have decided that I am going to let the kids make all of the ornaments for the tree this year... You have to understand that this is a big step for me... I'm usually the perfectionist that has to have everything look PERFECT! But, this year we are trying something new!!! So, over the next week we are going to make the ornaments and decorate the tree a little each day!


Every year James and I have always been on the hunt to out do each other on Christmas Day with our gift to each other... I listen to his hints all year long and usually have it taken care of by December and he stresses out all December trying to come up with something!!! But, this year we have decided to totally change it... We had a lady in our ward tell us this is what they do with their family - instead of buying them a gift they give them a gift from themselves... last year her son gave her a dozen car details that she can cash in whenever she wants. So, you give them a gift of service or time - a true gift from you. So, this year we decided to try it out - my mind has been racing to come up with something really special to give him. We decided that it has to be outside of what we are already responsible for - so, he can't give me car washes and I can't give him clean laundry! You have to give something that would totally benefit the other with your time, service and compassion! I think I am more excited this year than I have been any other year to see what he comes up with! It takes a lot more thought then just going to the store and picking something out!


Yesterday morning James and McKay were getting ready to head out skiing when he came to me and said: "Mom, how do I tell Dad that I don't like skiing..." So, I sat down with him and asked him why he didn't like skiing? His answer was simple - "I don't like ski school, I want my Dad to teach me how to ski". It melted my heart! So, I went out in the kitchen and told James what McKay had said. The last time James had picked him up from ski school McKay had been in tears... So, James decided that he would spend yesterday just the two of them and see how it went. They hit the bunny hill a couple times and James was tired of waiting in line there and decided that if they were going to go for it they were going to go for it and took McKay to the top of Majestic (the adult hill)... At first James was going slow with McKay to make sure he was o.k. and then McKay asked James if he had to keep going slow or if he could go fast... James told him he could go fast as long as he didn't hit anyone! James said that he just took off and flew down the hill. James said that he was so happy and so excited that you could see him smiling under his face gator! James was so excited for him and was saying "McKay you are... you are... you are..."
and McKay finished it for him and said "say the bomb Dad"! As soon as they got to the bottom McKay was right in line to go back up and cried when it was time to come home for the day! When McKay got home he told me it was the best day ever! James admitted that it was truly one of the best days they had ever spent together!


We head back to Idaho again this week for a doctors appt. But, my Mom is coming back with us to spend 5 days!!! I don't know who's more excited me or the kids!!! I have a couple projects I need her help on and maybe she can help me get those Christmas decorations out!!! I hope you have a good week!

Halloween Album

So, I had sooo many pictures of Halloween this year that I made this little mini album. I have pictures in it from everything we did this fall from going to Gardeners Village, to carving pumpkins, to our Halloween decorations, to trick or treating... just anything that had to do with the season. I put a lot of journaling in also to tell of everything we did. I decorated about a half a dozen little mini pages to put in betwixed and in between to add a little fun for the boys. I have found that my boys love looking at the mini albums and have found myself doing more of them.

I started another one yesterday that will be a page a day for the whole month of December - documenting each day and what we do. James' parents stayed with us last night and I got some fun pictures of the boys wrestling with Grandpa - So, they will be my pictures for December 1. I thought it would be a fun way to document our life right now in the moment before the baby comes and we don't remember what it was like before he came!