Christmas 2008

Christmas Sunday

I can't resist buying matching Christmas outfits for my kids each year. Now that Brayden' s turning 12 pretty soon, I'm thinking this could be the last year I can have him match the other kids. It's just too easy to go to The Children's Place and buy 5 matching church outfits. This is what they wore this year:

All the kids. As usual, this picture was about the best we could do when church was starting in about 5 minutes!

The twins! Tanner and Riely just love each other. I wonder if Riley realizes how much taller she is than Tanner!

The girls!

The boys! They couldn't live without their hair gel!!!

Mia and I! I tried to look a little "Christmasy".

Christmas Eve

My mom came to town a couple days before Christmas to spend the holidays with us. We decided to wait to do the gingerbread houses until she was there. When we lived in Louisville, Matt's mom always made her gingerbread houses from scratch and we would go to her house to make them. Now that we live in Arizona and I'm on my own as far as gingerbread houses, so I buy the pre-made kits!

Tanner was most interested in eating the candy. The boys did their own gingerbread house. It ended up being a BYU house. What a surprise!

Go Cougars!

Mia and I with the lovely gingerbread house that we made. It wasn't as neat as the boys' house!

The finished houses! Once again, Tanner is going for the candy!

After the gingerbread houses, we got our new PJs on, had our traditional Christmas lesson and program, looked online to find out where Santa was, put cookies and milk out for Santa and tried to get the kids to bed. Tanner was soooo scared to go to bed. He thought Santa was going to come into his room and get him. Tanner kept sneaking out of his bed and hiding in the closet. With Tanner doing this, Riley would not go to sleep either. Finally they went to sleep watching a movie in our bed. Seriously, I don't think everyone was alseep until about 11:00. Matt and I were dying! Then we got to work wrapping and setting everything up. It was so late when we finally got to bed ourselves! Christmas for parents isn't ever relaxing!!!!

Christmas morning

Brayden and Chase claim that they were up at 5 am, but I'm not so sure about that since the kids didn't wake us up until about 7:30. We felt like we slept in, even after a late night the night before.

The traditional morning pic! Santa brought Brayden a guitar, Chase an I-pod Nano, Mia a Barbie Dreamhouse (which is huge!), Tanner a basketball hoop and Riley a kitchen set.

The family room before the destruction of opening presents!!

Riley with her Princess saucer chair. Tanner got a Cars one. They love them.

These are the only pics we got of Christmas morning this year. Matt was more into the video camera this year. As usual, it seemed like the kids got way too many presents, but some of the other favorites were a snowboard for Brayden, skis for Chase, Mia got a bed for her American Girl doll and Matt bought me a bike. Once again, we had a wonderful Christmas.

School Christmas Parties 2008

This was the first year I have ever gone to all my kids' school Christmas parties. I've always had a little one (or two) at home and was unable to go. This was a treat to be able to help out and stop by each of my kids' classes.

Mia's Class

In Kindergarten, Mia's class made the traditional graham cracker on the milk carton gingerbread houses. I think all my kids have made a few of these over the years, but it was fun to do it with Mia this time. Here' Mia with her friends, Belle and Camilla.

Here's Mia with long way to go on that gingerbread house!

Chase's Class

Chase is in a 3rd grade class with more parent volunteers than they could use. So, they didn't need anymore help with the party, but I stopped in and said hi.

Chase with his good friend, Gavin. Since the kids have to wear uniforms, they love to have the occasional dress down day. Chase and Bray both chose their BYU shirts. What a surprise! Gavin is a big ASU fan, hence, the thumbs down at BYU!

Chase with Sam. He and Chase were on the same page as to what to wear to school!

Brayden's Class

Here's Brayden with his friend, Zane.

Brayden's 6th grade class played a game where they stuck a sucker in their mouth each time they couldn't guess which Christmas song was being played. I think Brayden had to put about 10 suckers in his mouth. It was pretty gross!

Twin's Preschool Party

Tanner and Riley made some graham cracker gingerbread houses too. I think Tanner ate all of the candy off of his before we even got home!

Riley was more interested in eating the frosting than decorating her house!

The gift exchange.



The class sang some of their songs to us and did the pledge of allegience for us. I'm can't believe how much my 3 years olds have learned this year. They love Shining Stars Preschool.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2008
Sick Kids and Sloppy Joes

This year for Thanksgiving we decided to stay home. We thought about going to California to spend the holiday with my mom and sister, but Matt really wanted to have a Thanksgiving just our family. We made plans to go to some friends house for pie, but the main course was just us. It turned out to be a good thing since the night before, Brayden and Mia both started throwing up. With a bad night's sleep I got up and ran the Mesa Turkey Trot 10k and Matt snuck out to play a little football in the ward Turkey bowl. By dinner time, the kids were feeling a little better, and were able to eat some dinner. I cut out a bunch of turkey feathers from construction paper and the kids wrote different things they were thankful for. Then at dinner, we talked about what they wrote. Some of them were pretty funny. This one takes the cake: Yes, Chase is thankful for SLOPPY JOES!!!! Gross, I don't even like sloppy joes, but they're Chase's favorite and he's thankful for them!

Look what else Chase is thankful for...his hermit crab!

I know it's surprising that the kids are thankful for BYU. They're pretty much obsessed with BYU. I hope they can get in when it's time for college.

This one is by Mia. I love how Kindergarteners spell!

Chase and Bray are just too cool!

Mom and Mia

Chase was the one child who wasn't at all sick. He really enjoyed that leg of the turkey!

Yep, my 3 year old, Tanner, is guzzling Diet Pepsi. You can thank Matt for that!

It was a great Thanksgiving even with sick kids and kids that are thankful for sloppy joes!

Chase's Birthday

Chase turns 9!!

On November 17, 2008, Chase had his 9th birthday. How is Chase already 9? Being the 2nd child, he seems to have gone from age 3 to 9 without us noticing sometimes. He often feels like a neglected middle child. I wanted to make it a great birthday for him. On his actual birthdy, I brought him lunch from In-n-Out and took it to school. I also bought Krispy Kreme Doughnuts or his 3rd grade class. After school, I took the kids to see Madagascar and dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, Panda Express (yuck!). He loved it. A couple days before, we had a party for him with some of his friends at our house. We had pizza, played night games (capture the flag at the park) and went in the hot tub. A few kids even jumped in the pool which is too cold for me! It was a fun night.

Sam, Gavin, Chase and McKay with Chase's favorite - a cookie cake!

Some crazy 9 year olds eating pizza!

More crazy 9 year olds! They really can't smile normal for a picture. Sam, Nathanael, Jake, McKay, Chase, Tanner and Gavin.

In the hot tub. Poor Mia is the only girl!

Mia spent a lot of time to make this card for Chase.

The boys were all dressed up in silly costumes for a game we played.

Gavin and Chase

McKay and Tanner

Nathanael, Sam and Jake

Chase and Matt on Chase's real birthday

Brayden, Mia and Chase.

Florida 2008

Florida Trip

November 2008

I was able to visit my friend, Judy, in Sarasota, Florida along with my good friends, Vicki, Laurette and Heather. All of us had lived in Louisville, KY at the same time. With job changes and transfers only one of the group still lives in Louisville and the rest of us live all over the place. I came from Phoenix, Vicki came from Louisville, Laurette came from Dallas, Judy lives in Florida and Heather came from Budapest, Hungary. Heather came all the way from Europe for the weekend. We hadn't all been together for a few years. We had such a blast. I seriously haven't laughed that hard in years! The weather was beautiful too. It was just what I needed - to get away and have a great time with some girlfriends. It's amazing how many magazines you can read flying across country without kids! Matt was a wonderful, supportive husband to take care the kids and get them where they needed to be. He even took all 5 of them to the Fall Festival at school!

Here we all are a few minutes after I got to Judy's house. I was the last to arrive. Judy had left her husband's car at the airport in Tampa and somehow GPS got me all the way to her house in Sarasota without getting lost.

Heather, me and Laurette

Of course I had to go running while in Florida. Judy lives on a golf course with ponds all over the place. Judy said alligators live in those ponds. She's seen them from time to time. So, I was a little nervous to find one while out running. I ran in the middle of the street to be as far away as possible-just in case one decided to venture out to the street!

Laurette and I taking over the kitchen.

Vicki and I on the way to the beach

Heather, Vicki and I at Siesta Key Beach

Laurette, Heather, Vicki and I

Ryan, Heather's 5 month old son, was our little mascot for the weekend. He is the BEST baby. She said he was great on the long flight from Europe and he hardly made a peep the whole time we were there. He makes me ALMOST want to have another baby!

Being in Florida, the average age at the beach was about 75 years old!! Lots of leather-looking ,wrinkly skinned people in bikinis and speedos were around us. This guy was sitting right by us flaunting his great physique!

Too much excitement for Ryan!

Vicki and I ready for a night out on the town.

Judy's husband, Jerry, was in CA so we had to take most of our group pictures with the camera's timer! This is before our night on the town!

While in Florida, you have to go out for Cuban food! Especially when your husband is part Cuban, like mine. We went to a well know Cuban restaurant in a super cool area called St. Armand's Circle.

The weather was perfect to eat outside.

On Saturday, we went shopping and had to have lunch at Jersey Mike's -Heather's favorite from when we lived in Louisville. Then we went to the beach once again.

Vicki, Heather, Judy and I in the hot tub.

The girls!

All of us right before we left for the airport. We all got the same Nike pullovers at the Nike outlet the day before. They were such a great deal and totally cute and comfy. We look like total dorks !

We were crammed in the back of the Escalade on the way to the airport. We were all leaving at about the same time. Even Judy, was flying out to CA. So with 5 women, one baby and all the luggage-we barely fit!

I'm so glad Vicki pinned us all down and made us commit to this girls weekend. It was so much fun. We stayed up late talking and laughing each night. I was so tired after the weekend and we pretty much ATE EVERYTHING, but it was worth it! We already have made plans to do it again in 15 months. I'm already looking forward to it!