Christmas Morning

This has been the BEST Christmas EVER!  We kept it very simple and it was just wonderful.  Even the kids thought it was the best!  Our kids were awesome and didn't wake up until 7:30, so that was nice.  They were so excited when they saw the tree!   I also LOVED that it was snowing!  Its the perfect setting for opening presents on Christmas Morning!

The sad part was that I left my camera at my parents house so we didn't have anything but our cell phones, so all these pictures are done with a 1 megapixel camera.  Great, I know.

Its funny how excited you can get over new underwear!

Here's a picture of Boston's loot.  R2D2 was the big treat this year and its a pretty cool little robot.  He also got Optimus Prime with the trailer and Legos Mars Mission. 

Max got the same R2D2 and Indiana Jones Legos and the Batman WII game.  

Jeff and I also got spoiled by Santa-it was just a great day!  

Christmas Eve PARTY!

It all started with a rousing game of Christmas Bingo, and when there are prizes involved you have to make sure the rules are VERY clear....right Matt?

Speaking of games and rules, the adults went back in time and played an old family favorite of "Escravos de Job".  (My Grandpa went on his mission to Brazil and this was a game he taught us.)  The idea is to pass blocks to the song without messing it up for everyone and I'm sorry to say this, but the in-laws just weren't that good at it.  Maybe next year guys!  So it came down to Matt, Joel, Andrew and me.  I haven't been in something that competitive since college!  Matt was the first gone after a valiant try, then Andrew was out (he thought he should get a second chance since everybody else had a spouse playing- we overruled him).   Then it was just me and Joel.  Just guess who won....Thats right, JOEL.   I totally lost my concentration when his MASSIVE, MONSTER hands kept bumping mine.    It was like playing against someone with a superhuman ability!  I had no chance, but I gracefully accepted defeat and he won the $25 dollar gift card to Target.  Bummer. 

Next Joel and Andrew had prepared a musical number, Karaoke to "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, the very next day you gave it away...."  by Wham.  This is a picture series of how it went.  They chickened out when more family came by so we only saw it once.

Nobody finds it funny though.  

I'm just kidding, It was very entertaining.

Next it was the kids turn to sing their favorite christmas songs.

Then here's Andrew being a "Stage Mom".  Watch out future Andrew kids!

its just snow fun

Probably not the safest thing, but ITS SO FUN!  Our good friend and Boston's Best Friend's Dad came over and took the boys around on tubes.  They did it for hours and then the next morning Boston was up early, dressed and waiting to go again.  Thanks Ryan!

Max's Preschool Party

I was in charge of the Christmas Program at Max's preschool and we had a great time!  Here are just a few pictures of how it went.

Santa Came and he brought some presents for the kids!  As Santa came in the kids were singing "Santa Clause is Coming to Town"  and when he got there, one of the little girls said "we were singing that you were coming to town!......But I don't know where town is?"  

Then the kids did their secret buddy presents where they picked names in their class.  Max picked out an Indiana Jones Legos set for his friend and when the boy opened it he came and gave Max a big hug and said he had asked Santa for that.  He was so cute!

Max was lucky and got a transformer.  Life is good!

Bluffridge christmas program

The Elementary had their school christmas program a few days ago and boy, what an undertaking!  I feel really bad for these wonderful ladies who had to coordinate all the k-6 graders and get them to cooperate.  But it was a fun evening and Santa even came!

I asked Boston what the first grade was singing and he told me 'I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause", and then he sang the first few lines and said thats all he knows.  Oh well, he did a fantastic job!  

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a great day!  We got to spend it with my parents and a surprise guest...Andrew tried to trick us, but I am too quick for that!   My mom did a great job on the meal and everything was beautiful.  Boston even had his first experience with a REAL drumstick!  yummy.

This is the lovely table before the feast.

Since we had dinner later in the day, around 4:00PM, we went looking for deer up above Fruit heights.  Its really weird that we didn't see any deer, because the boys had their duck calls out and going the whole time!-go figure.  It was a nice little hike and it was pretty fun.

This is Max duck calling for the deer.

Decking the Halls

FALALALALALALALALA!  Tis the season and the boys were so so excited to set up the tree.  This dang tree takes so much time to fluff and put together, but the boys didn't want to wait for all the prep stuff, so they got too it.  The decorations stayed at kid level for a few days until I had enough energy to to tackle the tree again!  Thanks boys for your help! 

Jazz Game Thanksgiving Eve

We had tickets to the Jazz game the night before Thanks giving, but we only had two and how do you get a babysitter for that time of year?  So I had the idea of going as a family, and I would sit up in the cheap seats with one of the boys for the first half and then Jeff would have one in the lower bowl for the first half and then we would switch.  Well, we got what we asked for.  We got cheap seats on the VERY LAST ROW, (in Kyle's Kourt-yea!) and on folding chairs for that matter.  Not even stadium seats!  Wow, it was high!  Max came with me first and it was pretty fun up there.  He followed the score for a bit and was having a good time.  

About two minutes before half time, Jeff texted me to say that there were two seats on one side of him that no one was in and four on the other side and that I should come down.  So we did and sat down and not even two minutes later two of the people show up for the seats we were in!  No problem, we just moved down.  

The boys had a good time, but their main objective was to get on the Big Screen.  They worked so hard dancing and jumping around throughout the whole game.  After a timeout in the fourth quarter Jeff and I noticed the camera guy looking up our section, so we had the boys give it their all-and it paid off!  They are now famous for being on the big screen.  It was kind of funny to have a neighbor text us and say they saw us on there, and then a few weeks later, a cousin say they saw us too!  Funny.

DI Magic!

A Few weeks ago Jeff was searching for a dog crate at the DI when something caught his eye.  He saw his name on a basketball out of the corner of his eye.  It turns out he found a ball he signed along with the whole 1988 CHS basketball team when they took 2nd in state!  So weird to find it in a DI almost 20 years later....Another reason we love the DI!

Max's new hobby

Ya know, its always fun when your kids pick up something new, or they find something they really enjoy doing.  Max has really been into hero's like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, but he now has a new interest and one that really benefits me...cleaning.

The other day he grabbed a wet rag and told me he wanted to clean the house.  He seriously went from room to room wiping everything down.  I was torn about him doing it because although it was nice having him do this, I would have to remove the excess dirt and water stains from everything and all over the house.  But I just took a deep breath and let him at it.  He spent ONE HOUR cleaning everything!  Why the heck do I spend money on toys?  Cleaning supplies is where its at!

Max even made it over to the neighbor's to clean their 4 wheeler.

Cleaning his car.

Cleaning the patio furniture.

Cleaning the couch.

I love you Max!

Fashion Forward Family

With Boston off track and Max home from preschool, we have a lot of time on our hands.  I have tried to get B to stay up on his reading everyday, but its hard on Max because he's on his own.  Well a few days ago, I had a great idea!  Why not let Max brush my hair and paint my face.   I thought it was a win win for me because it would keep Max occupied and also feel really good.  I haven't had anyone play with my hair in who knows how long, and we all know how good that feels!  I let him use a makeup kit i bought on a cruise a year or so ago and he went to town.  Thats mostly lipgloss you see on my face!

These are the results.  If you look carefully, you can see Indiana Jones and his whip painted on 

my cheek. 

Oh, and I also had my nails done....perfectly!

Cornbelly's

There are a bunch of pictures here, so we are starting from the end of the day and working backwards.

Last Saturday, the family went to Cornbelly's for Payton's birthday.  It was way more than I expected...it was awesome!

This was taken in the corn maze which was actually David Archuleta.  

Fun picture of Maleah!

This is Briggs.  I took this picture because he got the "Grandma Stamp" on his cheek.  Every grandkid, everytime!

Max and Maleah are good buds.  

Heee heee this picture is so funny!  It was taken at our most favorite place at the park...the corn pit!  I caught Ellyse stuffing her onesie with corn and look what happened in the end...

I think she had a little help.

These next pictures are of buried kids in corn.  Seriously loved the corn.  It felt so good on your toes and it was fun just to play in.

Blake just makes me smile!

All the kids.

Roller slide.  Looks like it hurts to me.

This was pretty fun too.  It was a big jumping pillow.  

Digging for precious stones.

Here is Max and Payton in front of "The Creature".  Its a blown up haunted Monster that you walk through his body and then are 'pooped' out.  As you go in its completely dark and the throat starts getting narrower and narrower then everyone is in a single file line.  It really was kind of scary and very dark.  My boys were very scared and we made an early exit out the side. And after watching, lots of people made an early exit.  Scary...