Easter 2013

This year Easter was fun and low key. We stayed in town and just enjoyed our family and our traditions.

The traditional dying of the Easter eggs. Even the big kids loved it. Courtney was out on the town with friends.

Gwen was fascinated by the process.  Seeing the world through her eyes is so much fun for all of us!

I just love these kids! Family traditions are the best.

The Easter bunny got a little crazy this year and hid this kids baskets outside. Daddy helped Gwennie find hers.

The bunny had to make it hard for the older kids to find their baskets.

VICTORY!!

Of course there were a few Nike items in the baskets.

The Easter Sunday boys. Aren't they handsome?

My beautiful girls!

My five beautiful children and my greatest joys!

I love spring in St. George and I love Easter. I am so grateful for my Savior and his sacrifice so that this little family of mine can be together forever.

A Crazy February

February is always a crazy month for our family. We love Valentines Day, it is generally the Pine Wood Derby and it is also Gwen and Jackson's birthday month.

For Valentines day we make Cooper's class these awesome doughnuts to hand out.

Cooper wanted to make a minion for his Valentines box. It was relatively easy and turned out adorable!

I'm so grateful for Carter all the time, but most especially when the Pinewood Derby comes around each year!! He and Coop came up with this car and Coop loved it!

Another fun February event was Bowen's 5th grade dance. They were paired up with certain girls and then taught different dances. The parents were invited to come and watch.

If you know our Bowen, he is quiet and shy, so I thought this would be a real struggle for him, but he was amazing! He danced well and made the girls he danced with feel special and important. I was so proud of him!!

Bowen and all his buddies at the dance.

Gwen turned 3 on the 16th. I can't believe how fast she is growing up! All she really wanted was the Mary Poppins movie and a Cinderella cake. So naturally that is what she got!

She wan enamored by the cake. I love how easy small children are to please!

She currently loves to watch Cinderella and tells us every day that uncle Kasey is her prince. Watch out Kasey, your princess is a bit high maintenance.

She was more than excited to open presents this year. She was so fun to watch as she gasped and commented on every gift.

 

This little one keeps us in stitches and on out toes. We love her spunk ad her enthusiasm for life. What a wonderful 3 years it has been with our Gwennie!!

On the 24th we celebrated Jackson's 15th birthday. Can you believe it?? He is literally growing right before out eyes every day.

I thought it would be funny to make him a mustache cake, since I am always after him to shave his newly grown peach fuzz. It was a hit. Carter and I had to go to Kansas City for Carter's work, but my mom and dad made sure he was well take care of. He chose to go to the Ananszi Steak House and loved every minute of it. Jackson always wants us to give him money so he can buy his own cool swag.

Jackson is and amazing teenager. He is kind, and brave and faithful. He makes me laugh so hard I can barely breath. He likes to go with me on my errands and we get to spend a lot of quality time together enjoying each others company. I adore him and cant wait to see what amazing things are in store for my boy!!

January

January was a slow month and we spent most of it recovering from our Christmas fun!

This little one keeps me company during the day when all the kiddos are in school. I love it and would be lost with out her. What a blessing she has bee in out family!!

Gwennie is loved by everyone and I frequently find her sleeping in each of our kids rooms. She and Cooper play more often together and I love how they interact.

I caught her one morning in the pantry watching the ipad. She isn't allowed to watch without permission. What a sneak!!

 Bowen waw chosen as a Horizon Hero Super Star. He is like his dad and doesn't like the spotlight, but he is an amazing student and deserved the recognition.

This is Bowen's last year in elementary school, next year he is off to the middle school. He is the tallest in his class and is looking so grown up! We love our Bowen!!!

Christmas 2012



I wasn't very good a taking pictures this December, but it was one of the best on record. We decided to keep things simple and focused on the Savior this year, and it proved to be a great idea. We were so lucky to get the twelve days of Christmas from both grandparents! This is one of my kids favorite traditions. It is so fun to wake up to a new surprise every morning. Our grandparents are the most thoughtful! Here is a run down of our December fun.

Instead of gingerbread houses this year grandma Bowen sent us the supplies for nativities.

I LOVE how the each turned out so unique and different.

We took a fun trip to the St. George temple to see the lights and the nativity.

We love our temple!!

Dad and Gwennie

Jack is always posing these days. Isn't my boy handsome?!

We love decorating the house together.

The tree

Gwennie loved decorating her own tree this year.

Cooper was the star of our wards Christmas party poster.

We mad lots and lots of treats. This is, of course, one of our families favorite Christmas traditions. These are mint chocolate cream filled cupcakes.

This was one of our very favorite new treats this year. Chocolate covered gingerbread men!! AAAmazing!

We love to give away the treats we make to neighbors, friends, and coworkers! 

 Since Gwennie is the only one home during the day, she and I spent lots of time shopping. Maybe a little too much time! She always keeps us entertained!!

All tuckered out!

We got to see Santa more than once.

This is a horrible picture, but this is our FAVORITE tradition! PIE AND PAJAMAS! This year our amazing friends the Morby's came, which made it even funner. We probably do this three times during the holidays. So fun to stay up late and eat pie in our pajamas!

Coop eating his French Silk Pie

This is Amy. She is one of my best friends. She make me laugh every day! She wore her ugliest pajamas, and that is why I love her so very much!!

Here we are in all our jammie glory. Sedric, Jackson's friend is on the end.

Lots of late night hot chocolate with friends too!

We set up a hot chocolate bar every December and the kids LOVE it! They always make themselves a hot chocolate as they walk out the door to school. 

We got to have cousins over for Christmas pancakes, which is awesome because we NEVER heve cousins here in St. George in  December!

Love these little mugs!

Gwennie was in heaven sharing grandpa with Reese and Jane, can't you tell?

 

Another one of our very favorite traditions is Grandma and Grandpa's annual Christmas party. We always make a special trip up north for this party because REAL Santa comes for a visit!!

One of the funnest parts of the party is when my parents give the adults their Christmas gift. It is always money (yay), but they always give it to us in some amazingly creative way. This year is was in a safe, but to get the combo numbers, we had to answer all these crazy questions that had number answers and figure out the code. It was a blast!

The Sunday before Christmas. This is as matchy as we get these days.

We had a nice quiet evening on Christmas eve this year. Just us. I was worried about it, but it turned out so nice.

We set the table special and had soup and bread sticks and yummy dessert.

They look thrilled, don't they? Don't let them fool you, we had a wonderful time together!

We let the kids open their gifts they bought for each other.. Those little toes...I die!

Courtney bought for Gwennie......

Gwennie Bought for Cooper......

Jack bought for Bowen............

Cooper bought for Jackson..............

and Bowen bought for Courtney.

Modeling the jammies that Grandma Bowen bought.

Christmas morning was so fun this year, especially because Gwen really "got it" this year.

Lots of fancy Nike socks were under the tree this year.

My Cooper. He is adorable!

Lots of basketball shoes too. Bowen got lots of surprises this year.

This is Courtney wondering why in the heck her brothers got way better stuff than her for Christmas, just before she found her new iPhone in her stocking. That's how we do it!

Carter made Gwennie this darling little tent. She love it and plays make believe in it all the time. What  a great daddy she has!

One thing is for sure, Christmas is so much fun with a little one! Family is what it this life is all about. I love these peole with all that I am! We are so grateful for our Savior who made it possible for all of us to be together for eternity!