Just for fun

Seriously, they beat us by one point. So they are officially the third set of missionaries to beat us at this wonderful game. We really need to work on getting to know one another all over again apparently. Maybe it is because we have more time to sift through for answers.

Carter was having a sleepover during the holiday break and Taylor felt left out. So I was playing with her hair when Brennan got all upset about me not putting anything in his hair. So for just a night Taylor thought she had a sister :)

Yes, one day I'm sure he will look back and want me to burn these pictures. :)

Promoted to Tech Sergeant

December 30th Mike had his promotion ceremony for the promotion to Tech Sergeant. At the last minute we decided that taking all the kids was going to be super disruptive. Carter came along because Mike had asked him to help with the tacking on of his new stripe. Carter had been practicing his punches all week and was very excited, and a little nervous, to be up in front and punching Mike.

Carter took the opportunity to congratulate the promotees after the ceremony. He went through the line and shook all their hands saying congratulations and well done. It was very sweet to see him be so grown up on that day.

So proud of Mike for his hard work and dedication to the Air Force. He works diligently at his job and certainly deserved this promotion. It was a neat experience to have Carter be so excited about his dad's new badge. He was thrilled to be there and support his great dad.

Late Christmas

With the late package arriving the kids were able to hook back on to Skype and let Grandma watch them open their presents. It was really exciting for the kids, late Christmas' are awesome!

Holiday season

It seems as if the holiday season gives us plenty of excuses to have some parties, and with our new home and the space it provides we did just that. We had many gatherings with plenty of food and celebration. Elder Hales and Brennan waiting for the game of dominoes Mexican Train to start.

Mischievous Mason

Elder Pulotu's birthday was on the 27th. In his effort to keep it a secret we thought it was the 29th. The party was still fun, and we are grateful for all he has done for our family.

Will we ever take a serious picture with these guys?

Happy Birthday to Hollie!

This was a year of being spoiled by my dear sweet husband. He knows how much I wanted to get to a gym and how impossible it was becoming. So in our lovely 'home office bungalow' in the back garden we now have our own little gym.

Carter went on a little trip with Mike to get me a few gifts from the children. He chose this cute little pot holder for a table, it folds into a tiny little thing, it is awesome.

Also this adorable little pan that is perfect for frying my eggs. It makes it the perfect size to go on my toast, I love it. It was a perfect little birthday with my family. Mike surprised me with a cake during on Boxing Day party with friends. I didn't get a picture of the lovely cake or friends who sang me wonderful birthday song! Thanks to all those people who made it a special day for me.

More Spoilin'

We had a great time on Christmas night Skyping with our families, the kids thought it was great to see their grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins. We were spoiled with many packages and treasures from over the pond. We were so grateful for all the wonderful gifts and also grateful for the wonderful modern technology so we could share in the moment with our families.

Lightsaber Crazy!!!

Let the Star Wars obsession begin, we had such a great time with the many lightsabers that the family recieved for Christmas. We also had a bit of fun with the camera to get some pretty wicked shots of the good time we were having.

Merry Christmas

We started off the lovely Christmas morning with our traditional picture on the stairs. For some reason we didn't get Mike in there, the kids were to excited to come down and see if Father Christmas had come. We actually got to sleep in Christmas morning until 9 o'clock, which is a rarity. Carter did come to our bed with excitement at about 7, but after such a long night on Christmas Eve we persuaded him to cuddle with us and try to rest a bit more. I would recommend sleeping in for such a busy day.

The kids were instantly thrilled to see they were good little children and Santa thought so as well, the tree had presents abundant and the kids weren't sure where to start!

The stocking dive began with each child finding chocolate and treasures galore within. Mason, of course, started to devour the sweets straight away with the intent to finish them all before even starting with the unwrapping of gifts.

Let the unwrapping begin!

On Christmas Eve we went to see the newest Narnia movie and went out for dinner afterwards. We were exploring the toy store and Carter found a magic eight ball. Mike told him how it worked, and Carter was whispering things in it for awhile. One of the things he asked was if he would receive his Spy Kit he asked for, it magically said, "yes!" He was so excited to see if it was true, his face says it all!

What a fabulous Christmas, and how spoiled my children were. It was such a joy to see their wonderful faces and excitement over things they had hoped for and received. They were all so happy about each other getting things, it was cute to see them watch each other with such joy. After we opened our lovely gifts we set off with battery filling, un-boxing, and playing with great enthusiasm. It was a wonderful day spent with our little family.