Christmas Surprise

Welcome Oreo!

One day I announced to Cameron that I thought I was ready for a dog - he about fell off his chair. Holy cow! Coming from a mom that did not like dogs - let alone a dog in the house - and always telling the kids that there was no way in tarnation that we would ever get a dog - Cam thought I was nuts. Perhaps it is because I have no more babies crawling around the floor or diapers to change and potty training to do. It certainly was not a lack of things to do in my life. I justified my reasonings 'for the good of the kids'. Kids need to grow up with a cute furry thing running around. They need responsibility in cleaning up poop, daily walks and feedings. It was time for a dog. Not just any dog - I wanted a small dog that did NOT shed, did not poop (in my dreams), was house trained, was trainable and oh so cute.
The kids have asked Santa for a dog since Makayla was 5 years old. Since then Santa has brought dog games, stuffed dog animals and dog stories. One year Santa even left a note explaining his reasons for not giving live puppies as Christmas gifts. This year the kids' (mostly Jarin) prayers were answered on Christmas day when Oreo (19 mo. old) bounded into the living room and made this Christmas a memory forever. She has already wormed her way into my heart and we hope for lots of lasting memories with her.
Merry Christmas!

Our Favorite Things

A few of our favorite things....

Fluting fourth graders and gingerbread houses
Santa and sledding and slumbering mouses (my kids)
Piping hot chocolate and secretive outings
These are a few of our favorite things

Girls in cute outfits and holiday movies
Dear baby Jesus and shepherds at meal time
Nightly warm stories and counting down stockings
These are a few of our favorite things.

Children whose voices ring out in school choirs
Door backs that hold all our Christmas card flyers
Sleeping out under the Christmas tree lightings.
These are a few of our favorite things

When the kids bite
When the kids sting
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember our favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Joys of Nativities

Just too cute not to share.....

We pulled out our Nativities on Friday (Nov29th) and let the kids set them up. Rebekah and Kerri were in charge of the Fisher Price Nativity and the Veggie Tale Nativity. They spent a total of five hours side by side arranging and rearranging their nativities just on Friday (I love twins). Since then, their Nativity scene has grown to accommodate many more friends and things. The pictures tell the story, however, please humor me as I narrate Rebekah and Kerri’s story….

Picture 1:
-The Wise Men were hungry, so the Pet Shop Pets set up a table for them to munch at as they wait their turn to see Jesus.
-The sheep were baaing and wanted to eat – they too have a table of goodies – thanks to the Pet Shop Pets.
-Some to the Pet Shop Pets climbed the palm trees to get a better look at Jesus
(it’s good to see that Fisher Price Joseph and Mary are in their rightful places).

Picture 2:
-The angel is passed out on a Barbie couch after proclaiming the wonderful news.
-A couple of Pet Shop Pets are in the diner waiting to see Jesus.
-All the little gifts surrounding the scene are gifts for Jesus.

Picture 3:

-Veggie Tale Joseph and Mary are in their rightful place – I was told that they will not leave Jesus.
-Wise Man 1 and 2 are distraught over losing Wise Man 3 (don’t know where he is) – so Mary made hot chocolate to comfort them.
-The sheep are eating food provided by the Pet Shop Pets.

As if there were not enough people, toys, and animals visiting Jesus; Rebekah and Kerri drew our family, friends, fairies, and another Nativity set of people to visit Jesus. They are there to stay until Christmas – so I was told.

Happy Birthday Trevor!

Happy 7th Birthday Trev! It has become our birthday tradition to celebrate our birthdays with breakfast in bed. Trevor requested bacon and eggs with pancakes. He ate on the floor since he couldn't sit up straight in the bottom bunk. His birthday was on Thanksgiving Day, hence the pumpkin pie for his 1st birthday cake. Later he had a friend birthday party with cake and bowling at the local Jack and Jill joint.

A Zion Adventure

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I know these pictures are past due. I just wanted to see what Smilebox had to offer to a first time blogger. It's really cute.

Bewitching Hour

Twilight

Much to Makayla's dismay, I do want to add this picture and say that she struggled for days whether to be Bella (Twilight) or not for Halloween. She has two great friends in the ward that wanted to be Edward and Jacob. Makayla thought it was too weird and told her two friends that she was backing out until they promised her chocolate. Well that made up her mind (as if she won't get enough chocolate on Halloween). She was able to compromise by suggesting to dress a few decades earlier for Bella, Edward and Jacob. Okay does Makayla's Edward not resemble a dashing vampire and Makayla's Jacob look like a cute wolf?

Blue or Red?

One of the first questions that was asked when we moved back home was..."Are you blue or red?" BYU or Utah? Hmm? Jarin was the first to proclaim our allegiance to the U by wearing a red ball cap and a Utah sweat shirt. Makayla later made a CTR (Choose the Red) t-shirt to wear to school on 'Blue and Red Day'. Yes, the elementary schools have a 'Blue and Red Day' each year before the big rival football game. And no, it was never this competitive when I was growing up.

Naturally we are Ute fans since Cameron graduated from the University of Utah back in the days and is now attending the Executive MBA program (oooh - sounds so official).

In the last two years we have become permanent season ticket holders, owners of 2 hats, several sweatshirts, even more t-shirts, a warm beanie hat (my favorite), water bottles, 2 hand towels, countless lost footballs, red hairspray, and a few homemade t-shirts declaring our colors. We are saving our pennies for one of those funny flags that gets raised a million miles into the air whenever there is a touchdown - oh and some red cushion seats.

We really are not as fanatical as it seems - I do however have to give my boys the pep talk on how to be classy Ute fans and not bad mouth BYU. Jarin is dead set against BYU. He shuns anything remotely connected to BYU . It is time to take my kids to the Bean Museum and the Wilki Center for some family fun. BYU is not just football.

Jarin did cross the line when he taught the girls to chant 'BYU smells like Poo!' I about died when the girls used that chant in a talent show at a family reunion (mostly BYU fans).

Oh well - Go UTES!