2009 Family Pictures
Well, to finish out the year, I'm finally posting our family pics! I didn't want to post them earlier because it would have spoiled our Christmas card.....

We learned years ago....no photographer needed! Luckily Hans has an awesome eye for lighting, composition and color. We take my little Canon G9, put it on a tripod and let the self timer go crazy! And when I mean crazy, it will take ten at a time in about 10 seconds. That is how Josie got away with this little sassy pose and we didn't even know!

Each year someone has a hard time smiling, last year Gray was doing some funky thing with his braces and this year Rock "couldn't remember how!" I think it's great because it helps us remember that we are real, this is who we are and where we are at in life!

This is the same pose as the Christmas card, without Josie's sass....not near as cute huh?

This is near the end of the pics and you can tell Josie is trying so hard to smile, but it sure looks pained! I believe after this she lost it....

This is one of my favorites, but Chloe is just too far away...can't see her beautiful face!

This one is awesome except Josie is so interested in everyone else! I love Rock staring down the camera, he is such a funny dude!

Gray was our photographer here....just like his Dad, multi-talented! I love the angle, very cool. Plus isn't Hans just the best looking guy ever...love him!

Gray Man

Chloe Girl

Tru Blu

Rock Star

Josie Girl

You may have noticed that Josie is now in a different outfit....I mentioned earlier that she lost it...she had had it and no bribing of gum or candy could pull her out of it. So Josie and I came back the next day (in a little different light unfortunately) and she smiled like a doll...look at those dimples, I hope they last forever!

We have never done family pictures like these before. We have always been in a grass field, sitting on a boulder with trees behind us or up in the mountains with Timp as our backdrop. I've always loved being out in nature, but this sure was fun too. So many colors! So we'll see what next year brings, but I think it will be hard to top this one, everything next to it might seem a little....blah!

Happy 2009! 2010, here we come!

Christmas Eve

Since my parents went on their mission, Christmas Eve has become a small family evening, and I LOVE it! We do the big party the Sunday before, which leaves this night open for a more intimate gathering! Mom and Dad are the temple presidents in Manti and weren't sure if they were going to be around because the temple doesn't close for 2 weeks like the Provo temple does. But a week before, they found out that they could come up after the morning sessions ended and I invited them to dinner. I seem to not be able to get enough of them these days and I want my kids to know them and love them like I do. So we were grateful to have them...plus Granpa P is crazy and makes us all laugh! So who wouldn't want him around. Before the party started we tried to take some self timer pictures and this first one was without Hans, but it's the only one you can see Rock's face....

Goofy Tru, not sure what he's trying to say....

Here's the happy group with our festive table...Hans brought me home these gerber daisy's that day and I thought they added the perfect pop of yellow (my fave color)! It now is January 7th and I still have a bouquet of 5 in a vase on my counter! I've never had flowers stay alive that long!

The true personalities come out!

Next we pulled our traditional British Crackers (Rock was so afraid they were going to be loud, he ran into the other room, but came back as soon as he realized they were as loud as a snap!) and put on our party hats, told the awful but funny jokes and poured our drinks!

It was a fun relaxing dinner that we all enjoyed! I always loved having a baby in the house, but it truly is becoming so fun to sit at a table and have fun conversations with the whole family. I'm loving this stage of my family!

Then I wanted a picture with my Mom and Dad and the rolling pin. It is right over my right shoulder! But more than the rolling pin, I love that I have a picture with 2 of my most favorite people! Man isn't my Mom gorgeous... Dad you always look hot!

The evening wound down and Mom and Dad went home to their Orem house and we settled the kids in the basement with movies, blankets and pillows. Little sleep was to be had!
Merry Christmas little family!

Christmas Sunday

The Sunday before Christmas the girls looked so cute together we had to have a little photo shoot! Josie is such a funny little thing, I love her progression of faces! Her sparkle outfit is definitely over the top for church, but it is funny how I don't seem to care about stuff like that much when it's my last. Plus, I've never seen her eyes light up in a store like they did when she saw that dress, it was hilarious!

The boys looked good too, so we snapped a couple pics, they don't love the camera like we do...Ha!

This day ended with the HUGE Pinegar Christmas party...it was awesome, crazy, insane, fun and sweaty all at the same time. 61 people in attendance, and quite a few missing (6 I think) A full Christmas Eve tradition with Chicken dumplings, broccoli salad, cinnamon twist rolls followed by music and singing, the snowball game and presents from Grandma and Grandpa! My Dad in the last few years has been developing his talent as a wood worker. He uses a lathe and everything! He made me this amazing bird's eye maple bowl and this incredible rolling pin.

My favorite part is on one handle it says "Traci" an on the other it says....

What an awesome Dad, I love that he put such time and love into these gifts, they will be treasures forever! Mom as always gave each child and family a bag of homemade honey candy! And at my house it is worth more than gold! Thanks for the awesome traditions Mom and Dad! I wish I had the opportunity to take pictures at the party, but things were truly crazy and it was at MY house. I barely had time to eat, which you all know is my favorite thing! I had to go outside by myself 2 times to take deep breaths and to stop sweating...yuck, but it's the truth! I wouldn't trade it for anything!

So I have had children for 14 years now, and up to a week ago, I had only been to the ER once and that was because Truman cut his lip and and it required a plastic surgeon....I wasn't worried about him, it was more because we could get the Dr. on call. Last week Rock worried me a lot, but this week I lost it.....
Josie started throwing up at 1:30, just as we got out of the car coming home from errands, luckily it landed right in the garbage can, and there was no mess! Then she proceeded to throw up 11 more times before 5:00. There wasn't anything to throw up, obviously, so it was so sad to see her little body retching and choking. She was miserable and just kept yelling out, unable to find any comfort. Then at 5:00, things changed, her little bit of throw up had streaks of blood in it. Then she threw up 3 more times in that hour with blood in it. After an exhausting day I started to get teary and worried. I paged my pediatrician and he called me back (The BEST guy ever!) right away and of course I started to cry. He said that he would take her to the ER, just to make sure everything is ok, because the on call Dr. would just send me there anyway. So I call Hans and he hurries home from Gray's b-ball practice he's running and we head to the ER. Chad Swanson wasn't working so we didn't get the special friend treatment and ended up being there 4 hours! Once we got there, she fell asleep and didn't throw up again...typical, but her poor little body was listless. They think the blood was because of the traumatic retching and that it isn't uncommon for that type of throwing up to cause sheering between the esophagus and some part of the pyloric sphincter. Which was the streaks of blood we saw. But she was extrememly dehydrated so they put in an IV, she didn't even cry or move and if you know our sassy Josie, you know she was exhausted. Then to rule out a kidney issue, they put in a catheter and took a urine sample. Sat still for that too....crazy! Once she was hydrated, she peaked right up and felt a lot better, and started screaming and such, just like her normal self. She needed to go to the bathroom, but the catheter must have made her little bottom hurt so she was screaming at me in the bathroom and I knew my Josie was back!

Here she is just after the IV was put in, not really caring what was going on.....

Now she's done and she got a popsicle and a teddy bear....happy girl. We are so grateful that it wasn't anything more serious! Love you Josie girl!

Gingerbread Houses!
Each year I get together with some girlfriends to make gingerbread houses....it is such a fun, non stressful Christmas Tradition kind of day....I LOVE IT! It used to stress me out because I would try to be done and cleaned up before the kids got home from school, but this year I was so smart, I just planned to take it slow and enjoy it, leaving the kitchen a mess and have the kids do theirs that night for family home evening! So here it is in stages....

The baking is one of the best parts....the house smells incredible!

Here it is already to be assembled!

Hot glued and ready to go....we used to do frosting, but it takes way too long for it to hold, this way we can spend way more time on the fun decorating!

The candy insanity!

The finished product! Each year I do something different, last year my roof was rainbow skittles, this year I stuck to all red and green in any shade! I also added cute little lamp posts that really light up! The kids love these little touches!

My front door was my favorite, the M on the doormat and my cute little topiaries in their red pots! The little holly and berries were a fave this year, even though we were driven a little crazy with the detail work....next year....tweezers!

Then it was time for the kids....lucky Rock got Dad...poor Josie got me.......

We just get out the graham crackers and they do amazing things.....

Everyone hard at work!

Chloe's awesome flag poll person, pure genius!

Rock's hummer and garage....only Hans....even a Y on the garage roof...that was Rock's request!

Josie's was completely decorated by her....can you see the pile for flowers by her front door...yep, the whole bottle!

Rock's quote of the night...."Mom, dad is just the gluer and I am the artist!"

Crazy Tru did a great job!
This year when baking the big gingerbread house, I had some extra and I baked these little houses that I had a cookie cutter for and the kids just stuck them on the front of their graham crackers! I think they are a cute touch!

Awesome Chloe!

Gray is already practicing smoking a stogy....nice! But I do really love the wreath and the light posts, definitely follows after his mother...I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that! Ha! We love our Christmas traditions!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!