CHRISTMAS

Since we didn't have any family parties this year on Christmas Eve we decided take the boys to their favorite restaurant The Last Samurai or at our house referred to as the Volcano Place. We went early to beat the crowds and they loved this. When we got home the boys and I made Cookies for Santa and then we watched Mickey's Christmas Carol. The boys opened their Christmas PJ's and headed off to have a bath! I think it was only seven thirty or so but they were ready to head off to bed. So we got on the computer to track Santa and then we fixed him a plate of cookies complete with carrots for the reindeer!

This is how Garrett thought we should leave carrots for the Reindeer! Right in the middle of every cookie! Justin was having nothing to do with it. He barley left it there so we could get a picture of it!

Christmas Day was pretty low key for us! Both boys were fighting a nasty cough so neither one of them got up until about 7:30 which was so nice. When they did finally wake up they were super excited to see what Santa had brought them! This year we tried to open gifts a little differently instead of just tearing into them. Garrett went first and opened his Nintendo DS, Justin could hardly believe that Garrett got a DS but then Justin opened his DS and was very happy! Garrett also got a Lightning McQueen race track, some DS games and a shake and Go Drag Race! Justin go a Super Mario Galaxy and Toy Story Mania for the Wii and couple of DS games along with some craft things!

After the boys got through opening their gifts Mike and I both did a great job surprising each other this year! I think this is the first year in the 13 years we have been married that we both have pulled this off! I gave Mike bunk bed cots for camping. He has been wanting them almost for a whole year and I would always tell him that they were dumb and there was no way we were going so spend that much money on them! He loved them and so did the boys! Mike surprised me with the Gypsy for my Cricut! I to was super surprised and could not believe that he was able to pull that off!

My mom and dad stopped by for a little while and we had lunch with them. The rest of Christmas day we spent together enjoying each other and the gifts we received! We are so grateful for the Christmas season and all it represents!

Christams Parties

This year we had some pretty great Christmas Parties with both of our families and the ward party!! Although I have a really hard time remembering to take pictures. Mike and I are in charge of the ward parties, this year we had a evening with Santa Claus. This is the only picture I got of the whole night! (lucky we got this one)! The kids loved the party they got to spend the whole evening with Grandma although neither one of them wanted to sit on Santa's Lap! Justin told me that he knew that Santa was not the real Santa because he had heard his voice somewhere before, I asked him who he thought it was and he just said I don't know I just know I have heard him taking some where before. The next day at church the guy who was Santa walked up to Mike and started to talk to him suddenly Justin turned to me and said "that was Santa" I guess I underestimated him. Garrett still does not love the idea of Santa Claus. I pulled out his Christmas sock that my mom had sewn for him and it his has Santa on it. He informed me that was not his he didn't want one with Santa on it. I am not sure why he dislikes Santa so much hopefully next year he will like him a little more!

On December 12th Mike's brother was in town so we had his family Christmas party then. The boys were so excited they had a blast playing with cousins and opening gifts! Mike's dad and step mom gave Garrett the Mator the Greater toy from the Disney Pixars shorts he loves it. He will make it go down the hill and through the ring of fire and say he did it! Then the next time he will say Wow! He did it again! It is pretty cute to listen to! They gave Justin the Raving Rabids game of the Wii he of course loved it and pretty much cleared it in 2 or so days!!

My mom had our family Christmas Party on December 23 this year. Justin could hardly wait. He knew that his Grandma had picked out a new sled for him last year right after Christmas. I think since the first snow of this year he has wanted Grandma to give him that sled. He knew he had to wait until Christmas. Grandma started handing out gifts when she was all finished Justin looked at me and said "don't I get my sled?" Grandma had forgotten about the sleds. Lucky for her Justin had not. Justin also got the electronic battleships game and Garrett got the bumble bee transformer that he loved.

Before the kids got to open there gifts my mom sat them down and told them a story about the symbols of Christmas! It was so cute watching the kids listen to Grandmas telling the story!

We had a great time at all of our parties. The boys are the perfect age they get so excited about all of the little things! I love them so much!

THE POLAR EXPRESS

Our great friends and neighbors gave us their tickets this year to ride the Polar Express! To say the kids were super excited is an understatement! We decided to take the late train which left at 7:30. With the gentle rocking of the train Garrett was having a hard time staying awake!

The elf's brought around cookies and hot chocolate and they read the Polar Express Story!Finally Santa made his debut...Garrett was so sleepy he didn't know what to think he basically just glared at him! He did finally take the bell that he was giving the kids!

When the train first started out the elf's came around and asked each kid what their name was and what they wanted Santa to bring them for Christmas. Justin told the elf that he wanted a Nintendo DS. So when he seen that Santa didn't have his DS he could not figure out why
I had to explain that Santa was just trying to find out what each little boy wanted for Christmas and that he would probably bring his DS on Christmas if he was good!! He was so excited about the bell! He was sure it had come from Rudolph's harness!

Right after we seen Santa, Garrett was finished! He was asleep before we even had seen Ms. Clause.

HALLOWEEN

This year for Halloween we had the ward party the week before Halloween! It worked out pretty well my kids loved being able to get dressed up in there costumes and they had a blast. We had a trunk or treat and then we did a small carnival for the kids!! Garrett loved the fishing pond! He would have gone back again and again!

Justin was pretty excited about the cake walk. We had made about 200 cupcakes the morning of the party and I would not let him have one so he could hardly wait to win one!!

Garrett loved his Mickey Mouse costume, he could not get over the fact that it made him fat! Justin wanted to be Batman!

This year Mike searched and searched for a cool design to use for carving the pumpkins but he could not find anything that he wanted so we just let the kids design there own!

Garrett wasn't really into carving his pumpkin he really just wanted Mike to do it for him!

On Halloween night we went to trick or treating to all of our families. The kids had a great time and got lots of candy that neither one of them really ate.

It's Shark!!!

If you know Mike you know that he rarely goes anywhere with out his Leatherman on his belt! Garrett is fascinated with it. You could often find Garrett trying to open the case to get it out and play with it especially when it was not on Mike's hip because he knew he would have a better chance of getting away with playing with it! One night Mike and I were shopping and found a mini Leatherman we knew Garrett would love. We modified it a little by making both the blades that were knives dull. Garrett loved his new Leatherman especially when he got to go to work with Mike because that is where you should use it. Mike's boss must have said something to him about the it being sharp because one day he came home and told me "Mom you have to be careful it is shark you might cut your finger!!" I love this little boy so much he makes me laugh. There is definitely never a dull moment with him around!!

Garrett's First Trip to the Dentist

Garrett had his first visit with the dentist yesterday. He did pretty good. He thought he would do a lot worse so I went prepared with a little bribery. Thank goodness I did. I had to use it. Justin went first and we let Garrett watch him and then it was Garrett's turn. He climbed up into the chair everything was fine until she laid the chair back and asked him to slide his head up onto the chairs pillow. He started to cry. So I pulled out the little gun I had bought him and opened it. Everything was not alright in the world for him but he tolerated it. I didn't even think he would let them touch him, so I was pretty proud of him. (I took some picture of Justin but I was so busy trying to keep Garrett happy that I forgot to take pictures of him.

Neither Justin or Garrett had any Cavities!! Hurray!!

RELAXING

We spent this past weekend in the mountains near Strawberry Reservoir. We had a great time! Because of my recent surgery it was the most relaxing camping trip I think that I have ever been on. My dear sweet neighbors and my sweet husband did all of the work and when I say all of the work I mean all of the work. The only thing they let me do was dry the dishes one morning. I felt really bad that they went to so much work so that I could rest but we did have a great time!

There was a little stream right in our camping area that the kids decided to play in on Saturday afternoon, I did step my feet in and that was all I could tolerate of the ice cold water. However the kids didn't seem to care they played in it for a few hours. There was part of a dam already there so Mike helped the kids to make it bigger and better. Sometimes I wonder who is the bigger kid? Some of us went for a 4-wheeler ride, and on Saturday night we all went to Strawberry for some fishing and to catch some crawdads.

The dirt was so fine this is what the kids looked like after playing in it for just a little while!

The water was so cold that Garrett wanted to play in it but he couldn't take the cold he would put his feet in it and cry.

All the kids playing in the water!


Garrett doing one of his favorite things! Playing in the dirt. I think his motto is "The dirtier the better!"

Little Buckaroo Rodeo

Garrett had such a good time at the Little Buckaroo Rodeo this year at the Summit County Fair. He got to do all of his favorite things while we were at the fair this year. He loved riding the 4-wheeler with Mike while they raked around the barrels and poles.

He got to ride a sheep! I don't know if he loved it but he didn't cry for very long after he fell off!
He got to ride his stick horse around the barrels. His horse must have been out of control because instead of riding around the barrels his stick horse took off past the barrels clear to the other end of the arena!



By the time Mike caught up to him to get him to come back it must have embarrassed him because he started to cry.

Just a cute picture of Garrett and Jonathon after they had run the stick horse barrels!