Christmas Day at the Kroutil's House

After our short Christmas morning we headed over to my parents house where the kids were totally spoiled. We had a great lunch or Chicken Cressants, then opened a ton of gifts. The best gift we all agreed was from our Grandpa Kroutil. He made prints from around 50 old slides of my Dad growing up and other things. He then wrote a desciption of each and the dates on the back of all of them. He did this for all of us kids (5 copies). I know that this must have taken a ton of time but I want him to know how much we all loved and cherished that gift. Another great gift was from my Auntie Jean. She compiled a book on my Great Grandmother that had a bunch of pictures and a overview of her life. Thanks mom for making copies for all of us. The older I get these sorts of gifts mean so much. I love learning about where I came from and what it was like for my parents and what their life was life. I hope to be able to learn from my Auntie Jean or Aunt Glenda some day about all the cool geneology stuff they do. My Mom also gave us all thoughtful gifts as always and the kids loved everything from their grandparents and aunts and uncles. By the end of the nice day I was so ready to just go home and rest. Too much parting for me. I love Christmas every year and can not wait for it to come but by the end of it, I am ready for it to go. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas this year.

Christmas Morning at Home

Well Christmas morning didn't last for too long because they only had one present under the tree and that was from their aunt Becky! I can not believe that I stuck to my word and did not buy them anything under the tree. They each had a thing of bubble tape, headbands, leggings and a leotard, except Tyler, we gave him boy stuff. I only spent like $15 on each stocking. The crazy thing is the kids loved the little things and were just as happy as any other Christmas morning. Just looking at this picture reminds me of how much I love my little monsters. Merry Christmas guys!

Christmas Eve with the Evans' Family

We had a really fun Christmas Eve this year. Ryan's parents came over along with Larry, Erika, Maddie and Kylie. We had a yummy dinner, with Erica's incredible rolls and then just enjoyed each other and visited for a couple hours. The grandkids sang a few songs and did a little performance which was super cute. The girls love it when their cousins come over and even though they do not play a ton there is a really cute little bond there. Papa played Santa and the kids all sat on his lap and gave him the loves that he likes to receive. Couldn't ask for a nicer Christmas Eve except we missed Mike, April, Trenton and Joshua, Matt, Mandy and Laynie, Julie and Aaron and Nate, Jeanane and Braden. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and we were thinking about you!

Fun for Christmas at Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite

This year I asked the kids if they wanted gifts for Christmas or if they wanted to go on a trip. They unanimously choose a trip so I began to plan for one. Ryan and I had visited Tenaya Lodge a year ago and loved being up their. I looked into it again because I wanted to go somewhere that was snowy (because my Cali kids have never played in the snow) and would be kid friendly. This turned out to be perfect, and even better, my parents, Ben and Holly and Katie and Steve came too. We left friday after the kids got out of school, ate at a fanatastic bar-b-que joint and then headed to the lodge. We quickly got into our swimsuits and the kids and all of us had fun swimming and hot tubbing. Saturday we went into town for a great breakfast, went ice skating, then sledding, participated in a gingerbread house building contest, ate dinner, swam again, hung out and ate junk food, then settled our exhasted heads down on a pillow. On Sunday we woke up and went for an old fashioned sleigh ride. If was so much fun. We rode on the sliegh to a little camp where they gave us some apple cider and we engaged in a fun snowball fight. After that we had another fantastic breakfast and then headed home after a fun weekend. The only bummer was Ryan got pulled over on the way home, but the kids thought that was so exciting that a police man was behind us. Oh well, nothing could ruin the fun times we had just had and lasting memories that were created. The kids asked if we could do another trip next year instead of presents again and I said definantly yes. I think that this is our new tradition.

Christmas Caroling - The kids loved it!

Growing up I remember my parents making us go Christmas Caroling and I would stand in the very back and pretend to mouth the words because I really didn't like doing it. I love singing Christmas songs during Sacrament meeting but standing at someones door singing is just not my cup of tea. However it still is a memory and something that just feels Christmasy. So when Sarah invited us and a few other families from the ward to go caroling as a group I jumped on the opportunity because I wanted my kids to experience it and I'm not planning on taking them. Problem is they LOVED it. They could not wait to get to the next door. Camie kinda led the group a bit and they all had a great time. I guess I need an additude adjustment and maybe I will actually sing with them next year. Even though I feel cheesy, the kids love it and it makes someone else feel good, so I guess it is time to get over myself after all these years. :)

Jumped on the Sierra Railroal Christmas Train

Out in Oakdale the Sierra Railroad puts on a Christmas train for the kids through the month of December. There are 4 railcars that they fill up and then the train moves at about 5 mph for 1.5 hours while the kids have fun. They have unlimited hot chocolate and cookies which the kids loved. They also had an elf that read stories, Santa came and visited, and a man with a guitar came and sang Christmas songs with us. By the end of the ride I was ready to get off but the kids all had a really good time. Matt was able to score $10 ticket (regular price is $31) The kids wore comfy clothes and had fun experiencing a real train. Unfortuantly Tyler was naughty for the babysitter earlier in the day so he got his train privilige taken away. I don't understand why I am the one who gets sad when I have to follow through with a punishment. Ryan and I did crack up when we told him that he would not be able to go on the train anymore because he was not obidient, he simply said, I didn't want to go on that train anyways. The exact same responce Ryan would have given his mom 25 years ago. Those two are two peas in a pod. They talk alike, dress alike, look alike, walk alike and even fart alike. I love my boys so much.

Fun Winter Fair Fund Raiser at Crossroads

Crossroads PTA held a really fun even last Saturday. They had a ton of different crafts, facepainting, pictures with Santa and of course as Camie reminded me everyday of the week preceeding, "a raffle for a brand new bike that is super shiny with no scratches at all on it." Well she didn't win it and was a little disappointed but had fun while we were there. The whole week before Ryan had been up in Chico doing a blitz so the kids were excited to hang out with him. After that we went to Bosten Market for lunch and then a shopping trip at Costco. The kids were so good and it was so nice just spending a lazy Saturday together. That afternoon the YW were doing a fund raiser where they babysat from 1-5 for $30 so Ryan and I took advantage of that and got his new office more put together. They switched locations at the beginning of the month and were able to lease a really nice building. The business is growing quickly and Ryan is gone a bit but things are going really well.

All Camie wants for Christmas is a new front tooth!

Camie lost another tooth! This brings the total up to 3. Her baby teeth were so tiny she has a ton of room for the new one to come in. She woke up one morning after her tooth had been a bit wiggly for a while and it was totally crooked. She was kinda embarrassed but I told her to make jokes about it with her friends and when she cam home from school she thought she was pretty funny that day. Jess twisted it out for her that afternoon. The next day she woke up a $1.50 richer. She plays along with the whole tooth fairy thing even though she knows it's me. It is almost more of a fun joke. My kid doesn't believe in the tooth fairy, Santa or the Easter bunny. Oh well. I guess it has to happen some time.

Daryn's Dog Roxy

It was cute the other day when Daryn came downstairs with Roxy and she had put a shirt, socks and headband on her. The crazy this is she did not mind wearing it. So far it has not been too bad having Roxy. She just turned 6 months old and has been a pretty good dog. The only problem is that I still can not trust her in the house with out a leash on. She knows that she is not allowed to pee in the house but if are not watching she will go find a spot. Yuck! Any tips out there on how to break it? Some good things about her is that I think I have only heard her bark maybe 4 times since we have had her. She is a silent dog. She loves the kids. Also likes to jump on them and make them scream. I will be taking her to obedience school in January so I bet I will like her even more then.

Sarah's Fun Music Makers

Every wednesday my friend Sarah Griffen hosts a really fun little "Music Maker's" class for the little kids in the ward. For every month she comes up with a different theme and then creates and finds songs, fingerplays, marches and more to go along with it. She is so incredibly talented and trys to even teach the kids about range and tempo and more. They always enjoy the instrument and marching parts best. Thanks Sarah for doing this!

Announcing Tyler and Hailey's Engagement

Tyler and Hailey have always been close buddies and they are just so darned cute together.

More crazy fun with the Staceys

My girls love it when the Stacey girls come over because I usually pull out a craft. It seems like trying to keep 8 kids happy would be hard but surprisingly enough when they all come over it is easy. They all get along so well and just have a really good time. Friends like this don't come along too often. The kids were cute acting crazy after I took their family picture. We had a fun dinner at Chevy's after. We also learned that on Monday nights for every adult entree that you buy, you get 2 kids meals for free! Can't beet that deal or the fun company.

Our 3rd Annual Progressive Potluck Christmas Party!

We had another fun Christmas bash. This is the 3rd year that we have had this party. We start at Ben's house for dinner, walk to Becca's for games and then over to my house for homemade cinnamon rolls. It is always fun just to let your guard down, get a little crazy and kick in the season with some fun.

Our little Dancing Queen!

Camie had another Christmas dance recital with Miss Holly. She is lucky enough to have her incredibly talented Aunt Holly live just two doors down and have a dance studio in her garage. She performed a dance to Footloose and Up on the Housetops with her friends Emily Garcia-Cropper and Hailey Weltmer. They had been practicing for a couple of months and it paid off. It was so fun to watch. Camie has always loved dancing and has been doing it for as long as I can remember. She started taking ballet when she was barely 2 at the Las Vegas rec center. I put a picture of her dancing from back in the day in just for fun. She is just as cute now as she was back then. I love you Cams and am so proud of you!

We elfed ourselves!

The kids got the greatest kick out of this. Pretty cute!
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1294155823

I was tagged again so I guess I will finally be it!

I usually don't so these things but since it was Shauna that tagged me, and my husband stole her husband Tim away from her all last week, I'll do it. :)

5 things I was doing 10 years ago.
1. Getting my ears double, triple and quadruple pierced as a way of enjoying my freedom after my Mom dropped me off for college in Utah.
2. Experiencing the joys of a bus pass.
3. Panicking because I needed $30 more dollars to make my rent of $200 a month.
4. Loving, staying up all night talking to roommates.
5. Loving college and starting my Graphic Design major.

5 things on my to do list today.
1. Dishes
2. Make Dinner
3. Pick up kids from Nana's house.
4. Family Home Evening
5. Create a new logo for my Dad's new software product.

5 Snacks I enjoy.
1. Mint M&M's. I have gained at least 2 lbs this Christmas season because of them.
2. Becky's chocolate chip cookies. Dough and cookies. Nothing compares to them.
3. Jessica's Thai chicken wraps.
4. A really good salad.
5. Tahoe Joe's twin fillet meal with no mashed potatoes and double green beans. Yum. I am hungry all of a sudden.

5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire.
1. Pay off my parents, and in-law's houses.
2. Build our dream house. We have the lot all picked out. We would buy a few more lots in the same division for some close friends and family.
3. Donate as much money as temples need to pay for all laundering cost forever so they never need to charge someone to rent clothes. That is a pet peeve.
4. Buy a lake house on Tulloch lake, a cabin in Park City, a beach house in Hawaii and a private jet to get us to all those places.
5. I would love to go to places and bless peoples lives. The joy in peoples faces when you can provide them with what they need is priceless.

5 Bad Habits.
1. Too controlling. I love to plan things but sometimes I just take over.
2. Working when I should be playing with my kiddos.
3. I am a great bargain shopper, but i buy way to many things that are a good deal.
4. Feeding my kids cereal or a quesadilla for dinner when Ryan is gone. Cami asked me the other day, "even though Daddy is gone, can we get a real dinner."
5. Swearing. I have a few choice words that I use way to much. The other day Tyler was playing with his toy truck and when the trailer fell off he said "damn it". He learned that Mommy, oops.

5 Places I have lived.
1. Sacramento, CA
2. Provo, UT
3 Las Vegas, NV
4. Turlock, CA
5. Riverbank, CA

5 Jobs that I have had.
1. Life Guard/Swim instructor
2. Telemarketing
3. Pretzle Time
4. Graphic and Web Design
5. Office Manager

5 things you may not know about me.
1. I ate a diving board my junior year. I went to do a back dive, during practice in the rain and both my toes slipped off. I split my shin to the bone, shredded my upper lip and broke my nose real bad.
2. I ran the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon this year. It was the most physically challenging thing that I have ever done but the high that I got from the exhaustion when I was done tempts me to attempt it again.
3. I thought I was crazy having all 4 my kids in 4 years 3 months but Shauna smashed my record with 3 years, 3 weeks. Yes, I planned all of mine too, except my first. She was a major surprise, but once I had her, I figured I was already screwed, I mean blessed so we just kept on going.
4. I love digital scrapbooking. I keep it pretty simple but I am trying to go back and make photo journal books all the way to 1998 when I met Ryan. I have gotten back to 2003 but I am dreading scanning in 5 years of pictures.
5. I used to try to be a gangster. Go ahead and laugh. When I was in 8th grade and my parents moved to Modesto, I was one of the only white girls in my school filled with wannabe's. I actually hung with the group that was "down for blue." I was so retarded.

Well now you know some embarrassing things about me. I won't pass on the joy of tagging because everyone I know that has a blog has already done it!

Slumber Party Madness! Life is great!

Somehow after hanging out and having dinner, the kids managed to turn hanging out into a slumber party! They watched Santa Clause 2 and all slept in the living room. Went to bed at 11:30 and were all laughing and giggling by 7:00 a.m. Tyler and Haily are back to being best friends again and he was trying to mack on her in this picture. We had a fun evening. Ryan's good friend Tim was in town, and we played a few rounds of speed scrabble with the Stacey's after Ben, Holly, Matt and Jaydin joined us for Taco's. It was one of those evenings when you are just having fun and the kids are all laughing and you think to yourself that life really is, really good. I am so blessed and I know it and am grateful for it.

Daryn and Addie, two peas in a pod.It could be worse!

For those of you who are around Addie very much knows that she is the sweetest, cutest little baby girl in the world... as long as she just ate, was just changed, is being held exactly how she wants to be, or if there is anything else that she wants, she is getting. Needless to say she is very worth the hard work that is put into making her happy but it often makes for a very tired, worn out Mommy by the end of the day. I was blessed with 4 healthy kids, 3 of which were pretty perfect babies. Katie had a ton of aunt practice with all of them but Daryn because we had just moved to Vegas when she was born, so Katie kinda expected her kid to be like all of mine that she was around. Well, what you expect and what you get arn't always the same. With all this said I will get to my point. Addie loves Daryn and Daryn is in love with Addie. Daryn can always make her stop crying. Daryn can keep her happy. Daryn never gets sick of her. They are two peas in a pod. Addie is just like Daryn as a baby as far as temperment, but in the end, Daryn is turning out to be one pretty cool little girl and Addie is too. Well worth the hard work. Besides the sweetest smiles in the world that Addie gives, her other redeaming quality, she sleeps a 9 hour block at night. I can't say Daryn ever did that at her age. I love you Addie and Daryn.

Turns out being busted isn't always so bad!

The Pace's got a new kitten and all the kids wanted to go see it, especially Daryn my animal lover. When i got off the phone I told them that we will go over there in 1 hour after we eat dinner. Well Daryn started pouting because she wanted to go right then. That is my biggest pet peave, when i do something nice for them and they act ungrateful... so I talked to Daryna and told her that because of the way she acted she couldn't go. Well... I get back after taking the kids over there and Ryan is just finishing up a full manicure, complete with filing and buffing! So much for a punishment! My sweetheart got me a nail set for Christmas and was testing it out on Daryn. He gave me my manicure after we put the kids down and he did a pretty dang good job. I must admit that I was impressed. I love you Ryan!

Downtown Riverbank Christmas Parade!

We went to the world most exciting Parade in the world.. the downtown, turned out to be pretty dreadful Riverbank parade. The highlight was the old school 25 cent horse-go-round in front of an old grocery store. Oh well, the kids were somewhat entertained... actually more with the dirt and tractors working on the renovation, than the slow moving cars and random candy throwing. The kids did all get enthralled when the pretty lady on the horse went by. The kids all wanted to be her when they grew us. It was still fun spending the morning with Matt, Megan and Jaydin. The best part was when the Shriners clowns came by and freaked Tyler out. He was just saying hi but it took Tyler off guard and I captured him in the moment. I enjoy doing things like this because I remember how much I used to enjoy it when I was little... even if it is not quite so entertaining now. :)

Thanksgiving and Baby Addie's Blessing!

Thanksgiving was extra special this year because baby Addie got blessed. We celebrated it the Saturday after Thanksgiving so all the family could be there. Even Becky was up from San Diego so it is always a special time when we get to be blessed with the chaos of everybody. Baby Addie was so sweet and it was neat because she was blessed in the same dress that me and my sisters along with my daughters were all blessed in.

Abby + Jaydin = Best Friends and Cousins forever!

Uncle Matt called and wanted to take Abby with him and Jaydin on a playdate since he had to play Mr>Mom for the day while Megan worked and he was off. They got lunch and went to Funworks. The girls are only 5 months apart and always run up to each other when they see each other and give big hugs and kisses. They have always had a very special friendship and I am so glad that we live close and get to see each other so much. Little Jaydin is so much fun and we can not wait to meet her little sister Kiya that is due January 28!

Fun at McDonals!!! Everyone loves McDonald!

Now that the McDonald's in Riverbank has a little playplace in it we have been visiting it a little more often. The playground is a bit weak for the older kids but great for the little ones. It was fun meeting Jodie there last week. The boys had so much fun playing. After we got there we realized that Tyler and Kyle were dressed as twins except for Ty's Napolean Dynamite snowboats that he loves to wear. Then a few days later I had the Stacey kids for the day while Jess was at a convention. When Brian dropped them off in the morning and I had 8 little kids at my feet in the entry way I questioned my judgement for a moment in taking them all but it turned out to be a really fun and pretty easy day. Katie and Addy came up and we just had a big party.