Christmas 2014

Such a fabulous Christmas we have had! This last week with the kids out of school has been great! We snuck a few extra holiday things in. Like walking around the light displays at the Laytin City Park. The kids had complained that we always drive through but never get out and walk around. So this time we did get out, and it was fun! But cold!

Then we had Christmas eve at Grandma's house. The kids we sitting so cosy on the loveseat I had to take their picture. Not that they cooperated. And had scary eyes.  Then we came home to our beautiful neighborhood. Two families prepped luminaries for everyone and it was so pretty!

Christmas morning! So fun! That blur is Matt running for his victory lap in the basement, he was pretty excited about the tablet Santa bright him. His siblings were pretty happy too.

That top left picture is the kids opening a family gift together. Like a Tazmanian devil got it! Brittany always makes a present fort around herself. Then we had a great, lazy day playing video games, putting Legos together and eating.

Such a lovely, beautiful day. It even snowed giving us a white Christmas! I'm so grateful for my fantastic family and my knowledge of my Savior's birth and sacrifice, especially on days like today.

Christmas Breakfast at The Grand

This morning was the day for one of our very favorite Christmas traditions, breakfast at The Grand hotel.  It is always so delicious and beautiful. 

We go with the Butler family and it is so fun to be together! 

This year we got to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus, all of the gorgeous windows, and the biggest gingerbread house ever.

 It was a beautiful, wonderful morning and we are so grateful to these two beautiful people for making it happen!

Halloween 2014

Another great Halloween has come and gone. We love Halloween! Not so much the scary or the gory but we are big on imagination and pretending to be someone else.

 

I got to help in Josh's class this year where his two buddies had also draws up as Avengers.
 

The next day, on Halloween,  we had no school! I wish this could be how Halloween worked out every year! Because there was no school some of the neighborhood girls planned a fun party. Again, the Avengers struck together.
 

That afternoon we all got ready for the annual Halloween party at the Dopps' house.

We love this party every year! It is laid back and fun, just like the Dopps! Lots of candy and seeing people we love, plus it is a fun place for us all to go dressed up! This year we again judged and presented the awards Brittany made.
 

This is where we get a shot of the whole family. Brittany was the Winter Solider, Matt was Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy, Josh was Captain America and William and I were the Marvel parents supporting them. This year we again judged and presented the awards Brittany made. It was so hard! Then we went home and Josh trick or treated with the Avengers. Matt went with s friend and Brittany went to a party

I can't believe how big my kids are getting but I an really grateful they still like to hang out with us!
 

I took a few pictures of some of our Halloween decorations before I put them away, just for posterity!

Annual pumpkin carving 2014

 

The Monday before Halloween we always carve pumpkins so that is what we were up to tonight. The kids have developed some great skills!

 

Josh had Dad's help creating a puppy 

 

Matt created a cool Spiderman. Brittany created a new form of Jack-o-lantern that involved wire and paint.  Then she tackled a second pumpkin covered in Mavel comic,it was so cool I wish it had been a fake pumpkin so we could keep it. We are ready for another Halloween!

Me at 43

Today I am 43. Wow, can't believe that! Since this blog has really become more of a family record I thought I would record a  bit about were I am in my life at this stage in the game.  My kids are at great ages,  15, 12 and 8. They are great kids! Of course we have our challenges while they are figuring out how to grow up to be great people and their dad and I are trying to figure out how to help. But they are fun, smart, good people who I really enjoy being with.  This is a good place to be at with kids.  William and I have been married for 21 years. Wow again! I can't believe those two nieve kids have made it this far! I wouldn't have believed it back then but I love and enjoy him even more than I did all those years ago.  Basically, I have everything I ever wanted. That is a humbling thing to realize.  The husband, family, home and life I dreamed of as a little girl are all mine.  How am I so fortunate? It is mostly because of the great husband I married.  He has worked so hard to provide and become everything I need. My extended family is close and healthy too. We enjoy each other and support each other. Life is beautiful and the Lord has blessed me in innumerable ways!

 

This weekend I am in Park City,  Utah with dear friends who also bless my life in so many ways. Three of us have birthdays this weekend so we are spending it together, having such a great time! We are leaving soon to go to a painting class, something none of us has ever done before.  Life is still full of great adventures and I am so grateful!

The First Day of Fall Break

 We are so lucky this year because the Sorenson gang has Fall Break the same time we do! And they came to stay at Grandma's for most of it! So to start things off we all went to Station Park and had lunch. Love that these two have such a great time together.

 These adorable three have a lot of fun too!

 There was a lot of shopping and trying on of crazy and cute things.

On the way out Matt found a Tesla, had to take a picture of course! I love breaks in school, do we really have to go back?

Another fun day

Today for our second big day of Fall Break we hung out with the Sorenson's again!

 

 

We started with making a gingerbread Halloween village, ate some lunch,

 

went miniature golfing at Scary Hill,

 

where the kids were constantly under attack.

And then went to a pumpkin patch.

 There was even a mini-carnival with balloon animal/guns and cotton candy!
Whew! It was a day packed full of fun! It is so much fun when the Sorensons have a break at the same time we do! But tomorrow we are doing absolutely nothing!

Flag Football Fall 2014

My boys have had a great time this year playing flag football again. I haven't taken a lot of pictures but have to post the ones I do have. I did get Josh posing,  I have to work on getting to do that same . There is something about watching football in the fall that is just so fun!

Matt's First Trip to the Temple

 

Yesterday I got to take three fine young men to the Bountiful temple to do baptisms for the dead. Matt has been twelve for three weeks now and has been anxious to have this experience ever since he got his recommend. So he invited his two best friends, Jack and Tannon and we found some time after school. It seemed like a particularly good idea with the temple dedication tomorrow. These three are such good friends and such good boys, I am proud of all three of them!

Temple Day!

It seems like so many of our friends and neighbors have already been to tour the newly remodeled Ogden temple. Well today it was finally our turn! To make it even more special we got to go with the whole Butler clan plus Aunt Gloria who was visiting from Minnesota.

 

The kids wanted to take a picture of their feet all together. I thought I was super clever coming up with the hash tag "standing in holy places". Love these feet and the amazing kids they are attached to! 

Josh was my only child who would let me take his picture in front of the temple. I'm sure this means he will receive extra blessings! 

After a wonderful tour of the beautiful new building Grandpa took us all to Chuck-a-rama, or kid heaven as it could also be called. I don't think the kids have had this much fun at a meal together since the cruise. There was a bit of a wait so Abby and Brittany used Matt as a pillow for a little nap. 

Love these crazy people! 

It all ended with all kinds of crazy desserts, the craziest created by Matt. Yes those are French fries he poured ice cream over. He swears it was delicious. It was a fantastic day. One of those perfect ones you wish you could stretch and make last forever.  

Park City 2014

This was one of our favorite weekends off the year, it was the weekend we spend in Park City.

 

This year we started in Salt Lake with a visit to Smash Burger and a favorite toy store. I'm so glad they aren't too big to have fun there.

 

 Then we hit the outlets for some school shopping and of course the pool. We ate a lot of yummy food too.

 

We love the Arts Festival, it really is one of our happy places. This year it was even better because Annie and Roberto joined us with darling Gigi.

 

That cute face makes everything more fun! 

 

Just a few of the fun things we loved seeing.

 

The last morning we decided to try something new and we all rode the alpine slide. This was the view when you got off the lift.

 

It was great fun, I was so proud of Matt for overcoming his fear of heights to ride the ski lift up to ride it

Josh right before he went down.

 

Brittany coming down. It was great fun!

 

Then we finished with a movie the kids have been really excited for Guardians of the Galaxy. Our family has had a great time seeing Marvel movies lately. It is fun to find a movie we all like at this stage. Such a great weekend!