The Crazy Holiday Season!

I have been really bad about blogging. My life has been spinning around me. I haven't been able to get control of things during this Holiday season. I think I am finally ready and under control. Life gets harder and harder as the kids get older. Their lives are soooo busy and don't slow down for the Holidays. So it is a major juggling act to keep it all going smoothly.

Brightyn, Berklee, Grammy and I all went to the Ballet West Nutcracker held at Capitol Theater in Salt Lake City. It was amazing. It was Brightyn's first time and she did very well sitting for two hours. She asked a lot of questions. She was in awe of the ornate decorations of the theater and stage. It has become a fun Holiday tradition for the "girls". This is Berklee's fourth or fifth year in a row of going. The guys, Jason, Brevin, and Grandpa Smith went bowling.

A couple of weeks a go we took the kids out to see the lights at temple square. They loved it and were in awe of the beauty of the Christ statue. We also took them to a live nativity at Gardner Village. With real animals and everything. It was a lot of fun. I wanted to remind them about the true meaning of Christmas. The Holiday has gotten too commercialized these days. Kids think it is all about wanting and getting everything they want!

Everyone has been trying real hard to be good since Santa will be coming soon. Brightyn and Berklee both want an American Girl doll. Brevin wants a ripstick (two wheeled skate board). So hopefully they will end up with what they want.

Grandpa Smith came to visit us again this Christmas. There are soooo many toys under the tree it comes out about 4 feet from the base of the tree. It is crazy. Grandma and Grandpa Hovencamp and Aunt Jackie did some serious damage this year. Should be a crazy Christmas morning.

Everyone is doing really well. We are really excited that it will be a white Christmas this year. We already have snow on the ground and are expecting some more Christmas Eve. I am really excited about the snow. It adds to the magic of the season.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Marathon Birthday Celebration!!

Well, the birthday celebration was so much fun and went on for several days. On her official birthday the family was so busy that we couldn't find time all together to celebrate and unwrap gifts! So Brightyn and Mom went to Arcitic Circle for lunch. Which was a blast for Brightyn. They even had stuffed arcitc bears for the toy in the kids meal. Which was the icing on the cake for Brightyn. The night of Brightyn's birthday was Dad's first basketball game of the season. The life of a coahes kid! So we opened her presents the next morning. She was excited to get Baby Alive(the doll that actually pees) and a baby bassinet. On Saturday we went ice skating and to Carls Jr for lunch. Brightyn did very well ice skating. Everyone whined and complained except Mom and Dad. But all in all we had a fun time. It also snowed about 8 inches that day so we had soooo much fun playing in the snow before we headed for the skating rink. On Sunday Brightyn had her family party. Where she opened more presents from Grammy and Uncle K.C. For dinner we had pizza. Yes, that is what Brightyn wanted for her birthday dinner. Brightyn kept thanking me for her doll. She was so excited about it. I love how the little things bring sooo much joy!!

The snow storm was amazing. We awoke Saturday morning to a white blanket of snow. And it didn't stop all day. It just kept snowing and snowing. The kids had a blast playing in it. I had a sore back from shoveling all of it. What a beautiful day. I love the first snow fall of the season. I am glad to have snow. I think my kids have been robbed from that expereince. When I was litttle every year we had a lot of snow throughout the winter season. My kids don't even know what it is like to go sledding and have only made two snowmen in their lifetime. Very sad!!!