Things We Love to Do Each Year for Christmas

I actually had it in mind to do this before I got the Christmas Traditions Tag, but we had

to wait on the gingerbread house :)
(Christmas overload, I know, I love the season though!)

How do you explain to your curious child how SANTA comes in the house when they say..."but we don't have a chimney."?

We have this "special" key that only works for SANTA to unlock our door.

CHOCOLATE calendars!!!! My kids LOVE these. Grandma usually makes sure we get them.

The Gingerbread House. Ah, that's always a story. This was actually the second attempt. Luke destroyed the first one and I couldn't go without one.

"I'll run and run as fast as I can, you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man." We love to make gingerbread cookies. The magic really begins when the children go to bed. They can't believe how the cookies come alive after they've gone to bed and hide somewhere in the house with foot-prints and a clue left behind.

The Polar Express. This is something we do multiple times through-out the week. And of course it wouldn't be The Polar Express without a cup of hot cocoa!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS TAG


1. Egg nog or Hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate.....YUMMY!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wraps the presents unless it's too BIG to wrap.

3. Colored lights on a tree/house or white? White lights, but I know the kids really like COLORED.

4. Do I hang mistletoe? OOOHHH.... I haven't. Good idea, thanks!

5. When do I put up my decorations? When my dear hubby can pencil me in. Usually first week of December.

6. What is my favorite holiday dish? HAM.....love the ham. Actually pretty much all of it. Especially when I'm prego.....can't eat enough!!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Visiting with all the family. Wondering if Santa fulfilled my request and of course sleeping in the same room as my sisters.

8. When and how did I learn the truth about Santa? I honestly don't remember. Come to a surprise to some of you ;) !

9. Do we open a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve? PJ's on Christmas eve and gifts on Christmas morning.

10. How do I decorate our tree? I let the children and Scott take control. If anything needs to be adjusted I will do it later!

11. Can I ice skate? Yes, but I don't get to do it that often.

12. Can I remember my favorite gift? Probably my bike. I rode it to school for the first time, after my family and I moved from Provo to Kearns, and I came out to find that someone had stolen my handlebars. I was in second grade. I've had MANY wonderful gifts since then.

13. What is the most important thing about the holidays for me? FAMILY. Understanding the TRUE meaning and not getting caught up in all the hub-bub.

14. What is my favorite holiday dessert? If anyone serves up Strawberry Pie I'll eat it all up. Otherwise I really like sticky chex-mix and anything chocolate.

15. What is my favorite holiday tradition? Being with family and being able to pull off a surprise.

16. What tops my tree? An Angel holding a star.

17. What do I prefer - Giving or receiving? Definetely giving. I LOVE to see their faces when they get something they love and unexpected.
18. What is my favorite Christmas song? Silent Night. (used to be Silver Bells when I was a kid)

19. Candy Canes? Yummmm

I tag: Mom, Sarah Epps, Danielle and Joy

O Christmas Tree

Many people have the tradition of decorating their Christmas tree the weekend or day after Thanksgiving. We do not. We get it up and decorated when we can. Don't get me wrong, my motto is the sooner the better, but it can be a bit impossible at times. Since we've moved to Arizona we've been back to Utah to celebrate Thanksgiving every year but one. So, that usually means we are traveling the weekend after Thanksgiving. Then Scott is crazy-busy when we get home to catch up on anything he may have missed from the week before. He happened to store the christmas tree up in the attic and so yours truly had to climb up there and drag it out. It was not a pretty sight and I was not a happy camper. ALL the kids were happy to try to climb the ladder and hoist themselves up into the attic. I got it all set up and then we waited a few days when Scott had a night free so we could decorate the tree as a family. It is a precious memory....one that I truly love.

Last year Scott found a killer deal on a multiple color, pre-lit tree. I prefer all white lights, but who could resist a brand-new, $25, 7foot tree? Besides I decided if I don't like the colored lights I don't have to plug them in. I could wrap the white ones around.

.....and for the final touch......

I HATE...

...cell phones

Okay, to be honest, this phone (the LG env) wasn't a bad phone. The first time I thought I would have to bid farewell to it, I found it in the toilet. It had to have been in there for at least 20 minutes or so, courtesy of Luke. I took the battery out and let it air dry. It actually survived, but I had to learn a few ways around the keys that were FRIED. The second time I thought I would be parting with it, it was accompanying Luke in a nice warm bubble bath. I was beginning to think this phone had nine lives like a cat. It didn't die....AGAIN. The day before yesterday it gave up the ghost. I found it on the coffee table along with a bottle of cleaner. I actually didn't think twice about it until I picked it up and it was dripping wet. I have my old back-up razor that still semi-works. I've had my eye on this baby:

Unfortunately, at this point, my cellular plan won't give me any discounts on any new phones. Yep, that means I have to pay full retail price! $400.00!!!! Are you kidding me, on a cell phone??? So ridiculous.

I really wouldn't mind owning one of these babies, but don't want to see the sticker price:

...any ideas beyond ebay????

...Call Me Crazy...

Well, it's time to announce.....




that we are adding a fourth baby brownie to the bunch. Yup, you read it right....a fourth. I'm about 12 weeks along and due on the 1st of June. I'm quite content with the decision and know this little baby will make our little happy family complete. We will be sooo happy with whatever gender the baby is, but for Savana's sake I'm hoping it's a girl. In every prayer she asks for the baby to be a girl and in talking to her about it she is relentless that it is a girl. I have told her we don't get to pick and choose, that Heavenly Father gives us what we get. I would just hate to have to explain to her why it wasn't a girl when she was so persistant that it was. Anyway, we'll be happy with whichever and she'll be fine too!



I may be grody for posting this pic...but it's living proof!!!

Scottie's 7th Birthday!!

Scottie's birthday was packed with lots of things to do. We started off the day with a baseball game. I think all of the kids were still recovering from Halloween being the night before. Scottie is just like his father and very passionate about sports, it's a good thing he's coordinated and good at them too!

After the baseball game and a little bit of rest we celebrated Scottie's birthday at the bowling alley. The kids LOVED it. And I LOVED the bowling cake I got from Walmart. It turned out soooo cute!

Halloween Night

This post is a bit late.....but.....better late than never. Each year we have an annual pot-luck dinner on the KCT (our street name, Kit Carson Trail). One of our neighbors takes a turn to host and hold the dinner in their garages. It's so much fun because the weather is wonderful and our neighbors are the greatest. We put a table with about eight or so bowls of candy out so we don't miss out on handing candy to the 'trick-or-treaters.' All of our kids take off with a parent or two to make the rounds and come back with bulging bags of candy.
When we got our kids costumes on Luke wanted NOTHING to do with it. I got a matching get-up for him and Scottie...Darth Vader and Yoda, but when he saw it he ran away and wouldn't come near us. We cornered him and decided to try to throw it on him and see how long it would last. Ummmm ya, it didn't last. He was so angry I just told Scott to take it off because we don't want him to be sad. Savana was Sleeping Beauty (and a beauty she was) and Scottie was Darth Vader (he can fulfill that role pretty well). We ended up putting a Superman shirt on Luke and that in turn became his costume. Although, as they went up to the different door-steps and were asked what are you for Halloween, after Savana would say 'I'm Sleeping Beauty' Luke would follow her response with 'I Sleepin Beauty.' Love these memories!!! We dressed Koda up as a little devil because well, he is a little devil!