And Then There Were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ---

There is nothing better than going to the movies with your brothers and sisters, acting like idiots, and actually getting away with it! We went and saw "The National Treasure 2" which was fun entertainment...unrealistic and just like the first one but a lot of fun to go see with the fam!
I forget just how old we are becoming and fortunately, or unfortunately, never act my age but I am glad that we all put up with each other! So here we are...Jake, John-Charles, Mike, Katie, Jenny, and Lyssa...

27 on the 27th to Thomas!

It was Katie Thomas's 27th Birthday on the 27th so it's one of the lucky ones! Just a chill night with the girls at "The Bijou" but a lot more laughs with Thomas!

It just made us remember how much fun that we have with each other so another Las Vegas trip is in the works, especially now with how cold it has become!
We love you Thomas and hope that your Birthday was awesome!

Just Horsing Around

My parents have some friends who have horses and so they thought it would be fun for the kids to go down and feed them. "Bandit" and "Black Jack" were a hit except now Kindra wants to go down every other day to feed them! It was freezing but well worth it...

Chris showing them what it was exactly that they were feeding them...

...and Kindra just had to have some for herself! Who does that sound like?!?

When I was a kid, I had one of these bouncy balls so when I saw them, I just had to get them some! They have a laugh every time they try to race each other on them so it gets me laughing too!
Kindra obviously won the race this time...

Merry Christmas!

The kids were dying to run down the hall into the living room but they were not allowed to do so until I was able to go down so that I could go and get a picture of them as they came in. Again, they were dying with excitement! PS The milk and cookies were money! :)
The only thing that Carter wanted was the soccer net and ball that Santa was special ordering. He was so excited to see that he had gotten it!
I thought that this picture was so cute and so Kindra! As she folded her arms behind her back, she peered hesitantly at the presents that Santa had left her. The only thing that she had asked for was a "real" pony. I warned her that I had written a letter to Santa telling him not to give her one because we had no where to keep it. So in this picture she is looking for it but does not see it.....because we had it hiding. The other funny thing is her "Jack the Pumpkin King" doll that she got. You can see it here in the picture and it is a shortened version of the original tall doll. The next morning I found Jack hidden in a corner, facing the wall. I asked her why Jack was there and she sheepishly informed me that she did not like the way he was looking at her and so that was where he would be sleeping! Huh!?! She said it again and then asked if I would like Jack to sleep in my room! Too funny! As my sister and I were talking about this, we both agreed that it really does not look like Jack and that it really does have a creepy looking face. But seriously...how funny is that!?!
We had her pony hiding behind the couch and she was ecstatic to see that Santa really had brought her a pony. She later told me that she was glad that it was not a real pony because it could go anywhere in the house with her!

Kindra peering up the chimney to see how Santa had gotten down and then up...


This is at Grandma's house showing off the ballet tutu that Aunt Lyssa made for her. Do you see the infamous "pop wall" that my brothers made. The boys were so worried that one of the younger cousins were going to ruin the creation they had made in their domain!

Jenny and I
Kindra enjoying a back scratch from Aunt Jenny Carter and Colin

This is one of the hills at my parent's house that is frozen over and it gets haulin! This picture is from the top looking down...

Uncle Jake pulling the kids on the back of the four wheeler. Carter was in hog heaven!

This is "Blackie's" new bed and nightly position and notice...no Jack in sight!

Carter and Kindra had a great Christmas and that is all that really matter's! They got the presents that they wanted, got to hang out with cousins, and were able to maintain a sane...ok partial sane mom throughout it all!

Twas The Day Before Christmas...

Carter with Kate once again---OK, look out of the window in this picture and see the blizzard that we are getting ready to take on! Jenny is pretending to be "Shenook" the Eskimo!?! :)

I do not even want to know what Mike is saying to Carter!

Mike is actually smiling in one of my pictures...because of guilt no doubt!
Joe, Emma, and her tag-along friend---
John-Charles and I before our "adventure"?!?
The kids bring innocence back into our parents house again with the Christmas/Santa excitement. It is interesting to watch them and see how they interact. They are kids so it changes from one minute to the next and there are those who get along better than others but overall it is fun! Let's just say that I am glad that I have my own house that I can run away to!

This is our bro-in-law, Joe, holding Kate. Carter was so intrigued with her even though her parents were not so intrigued with Carter....wink wink... :)
Kindra had to be a horse of course with her white blankie!
How do you like this picture of "Shepherd Carter" during our nativity scene?!?
Carter and Kindra were very excited to put out the cookies for Santa but he had to have a glass of milk and water to go with them :)We use to go up to Temple Square every year on Christmas Eve but it is not so exciting when you actually have children of your own that you have to worry about losing in the crowd or if they are freezing to death! I know...bah humbug...but I can't win when I have those who are unwilling to budge in their booby-ness!

This year however, JC was adamant that we were going since he has not been for 2 years so that was the plan. That was until we had a full on, full on blizzard! The problem is that you never know how the weather will be over the point! It could be a blizzard at my parents and sunny downtown! Seriously! JC, Jake, and I were pushing for it and so we got into the cars and that was when my Dad put his patriarch powers in play and said that we were not going! JC was with me in my car and we decided that we were still going to go anyway. :) Oh boy! We got on the highway, looked at each other and laughed! Time to swallow the pride. It was so bad! We turned around on the road that goes into Draper and got lost! You could not see the road and up there where there are no homes, you have no way to track where you are at! I was laughing so hard but what do you do! Carter said "Mom, you look like you are driving a bus the way you are sitting!" Pretty cute...The best thing about this event was the fact that I was with JC. Every time I get into a situation like this, I am with him so it was classic!

We got home, I got pissed at the sidewalk because it was completely covered with snow, had to laugh again, and we started our "buffet" a little early. The kids were upset but their moods quickly changed because of their nutella croissants and the nativity reenactment that we put together. All too funny.... :)

Memories cont....

This is a record...to be in bed on Christmas Eve before 10:30! It was so easy this year which always makes it easier :) We were deciding between wrapping the presents or "sheeting" them and thinking back, the moments that stand out the most are the gifts that were "sheeted" and the excitement around their unveiling! I think, that as parents, we sometimes do things more for ourselves than for the kids. Not always the case though because we even pulled out the tennis ball on the roof trick tonight! I made Carter look out the car window on our way home for Santa's sleigh and told him about the time I saw it and about the time I heard reindeer on the roof! He was getting so tired but became so awake when he "heard" them stomping around up there! hehehe I love it!

The "top dog" Christmas would be that of 1992. I was 15 that year and would not turn 16 until May so even though the thought of getting my drivers license was there, it was not something that made sense that Christmas morning. We thought that we were all done and my parents had even tricked me with a surprise to a BYU basketball camp but then my Dad found one more small present underneath the tree addressed to me. I opened it up and it was a set of car keys! I was once again so confused because I was still 6 months out! I looked at my Mom, back at my Dad, ran to the front door and opened it up to find a 1969 whale light blue Ford LTD! It was so ugly and huge yet so awesome! It had actually been my Aunt Liz's car and was a gift that she had initiated. By far the best car for me as a teenager. I had some great moments and could cram all of my friends in for a good night cruising downtown AF!
Don't think that I did not sneak my car out a few times before I turned 16...all too tempting!

Memories cont....

My freshman year I played on the Women's Varsity Soccer team and was able to get a Varsity letter which to me was a big deal. Sports were my life and so I was very proud to have all ready earned my letter!
Christmas of 1991 was the same type of day as usual but as the presents began to be fewer, I was getting a little worried on where my surprise was?!? But sure enough my Dad reached around the couch and pulled out the hidden gift. It was a receipt/order form for my Letterman's jacket! I was completely shocked and excited! It would not be something that I would ever wear but it was awesome to just have it to have for a keepsake! My parents knew how important this was to me but I never thought that it would be something that I would get so soon! Once again another great Christmas surprise!

The Annual Sainsbury Christmas Party of 2007

Every year on or about the 23rd of December we head down to the farm in Payson for our annual Sainsbury Christmas party. Before our families all became huge, we did it on Christmas Eve and at my Grandparents home but it just became too much to fit in! We always exchange family gifts and we always perform a family talent. This year Kindra became our talent slave but she was all too happy to perform!
Getting ready to go to the Christmas party...The kids were excited to get on the road but I made them pose for a picture. These are the times that I wish that I had another pair of hands so that I could be in these pictures too but what do you do!

Jenny, our cousin Amanda, and Lyssa
My hot bro JC, flashing his gorgeous and flirtatious smile even when he does not mean to!Colin performing "The Three Little Monkeys" and giving us two boughs at the end. (is that how you spell it?)
Kindra performing/singing "This is Halloween" with Jenny's help. I told you that there is a definite obsession with "The Nightmare Before Christmas"! We tried to sing a Christmas song but this is the song that won!
Kindra was exhausted and fell asleep in my arms before we even opened presents :(
On our way down to the party, Carter out of the blue said "Colin is my very best friend"! It was so cute and from this picture you can see what "very best friends" do. Wrestle, wrestle, and more rough-housing! Natalie, holding Abbi, who was being all la de da as usual! Both Natalie and Abbi that is!

A fun get together and I received the best present by far. When it was my Grandma's 80th Birthday party, we all did a memory scrapbook page and put it into one big book. It was awesome to have all of those family memories for our family history! My Aunt Jennifer copied the book for each of the original kids and a copy for me on the DL because I was the only grandchild who had called, offered to help with the copying, and had requested a copy. I was so happy because I would consider myself a scrapbook "hoar"! :) hehehe Those are the best gifts because they can be kept and cherished and so I was ecstatic! I will be sad when we give up the Christmas Eve-ish tradition because one year we soon will :(