Welcoming 2013!

Happy New Year! This year we told our kids they could stay up till midnight, watch movies and eat all the junk food there tummy's could handle. Never in a billion years did I think the boys could make it to midnight, but they were troopers. We spread out blankets on the floor and moved the table into the living room. Then we stuffed every possible space on the table with yummy food. Pizza, cheesy bread, (a rarity over here) soda, nuts, chips, dips, salsa, cookies, good grief. Starting on movie three, we set out watching as many Harry Potters as we could. After movie one we took a break from all that junk food and made ice cream sundaes. The kids had a blast putting on spray whip cream, fudge, caramel, crunched up toffee, and of course a cherry on top. Rebekah made it an hour later then her normal bedtime. At nine she wished us all a happy new year and then asked to go to bed. At 10:15 it was Joe that was sleeping on the floor, but the boys were still up and ready to start Harry Potter 5. At 11:45 Joe and I were amazed to see the boys still awake, Jace barely holding on, Hyrum still alert. At midnight we toasted in the New Year with some egg nog, ( not me, gross) and then Hyrum ran outside to blow a whistle and shout Happy New Year. Pretty impressive boys!

everybody really ready for the food

ice cream sundaes, which they got to eat on the couch!

What a year it has been. The Lord has blessed us in every way. Here's to hoping the New Year is as wonderful as the past one.

opening gifts from Grandma and Grandpa

Presents

Christmas

Grace was delighted to find that inside the bright paper she had been playing with was a new toy!

another twenty minutes of quiet fun.

Hylo and Dad trying out Connect 4

Jace opening his gift from Hyrum.

Hyrum did a good job, Jace loved it!

Christmas Day in the Morning!

Merry Christmas! Our Christmas was wonderful and seemed to fly by. My own Christmas was a little off simply because I kept wondering how it could be over so soon, where did the season go? I'll have to try harder next year to sit and enjoy it a little more, lesson learned. :) Our kids woke up nice and early on Christmas morning and loved all that Santa had brought them. By request, through our own elf house guest, the kids asked a few days before Christmas if Santa could wrap there gifts this year. The big guy usually leaves his gifts right out in the open, so we were a little surprised, but the elf must have relayed the message, all the gifts showed up wrapped. P.S. I apologize for the absolutely horrible quality of the pics. We always just have the Christmas tree lights on, maybe not the best lighting for taking pictures.

Grace was in heaven with the wrapping paper. For almost an hour she wouldn't even let us help her open a gift. She just sat and played with paper and chewed on ribbons.

She was so busy she didn't even notice the new bow from her stocking that I tried on her bald little head.

I was trying to get a smile, but I think she was ready for mom to back off :)

Christmas Fun

A few days before Christmas we took the kids to the store to pick out gifts for each other. This is one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. The kids love looking and choosing presents for each other. It always amazes me how well they know each other and the thoughtful gifts they choose. Of course Secrecy if of the utmost importance when picking the gifts, getting them home, and of course wrapping them. We went and bought the gifts on Saturday evening and then on Sunday morning the kids wrapped them. They each picked a separate part of the house to wrap the gifts. Jace was in the kitchen, Hyrum in the toy closet and Rebekah in the front living room.

Ok...adorable right?