Cutting Down Our Tree

There is something about having a real tree that makes it really feel like Christmas. Both our families always had one when we were growing up but because our car was so small and couldn't handle off road we haven't been able to get one for years. Plus, I am way to cheap to go and pay fifty bucks for one at a tree stand. This year we had a van and some good friends that knew where to go to find a good tree. We had a lot of fun getting out into the forest and spending time as a family and with our friends, plus we found a great tree. We also only paid five dollars for the permit to cut it down.

The batteries died in our camera so our friends took some pictures for us that I don't have posted here, like when I fell down with Isaac in the front pack on me. Luckily I fell back instead of forward so he didn't get hurt but I felt pretty silly. As soon as I get them from our friends I'll post them. Here are the photos that I have.

The kids all bundled up in the car on the way to find a tree. Isaac looks so excited doesn't he.

Josh and our friend Marie trying to decide if it was a good tree or not.This had to be some time before the fall.
Jackson had a lot of fun traipsing around the hill even if he did fall a couple of times.
Brian and Marie cutting a smaller tree for some friends of theirs. Don't you love his hat!! Its a Russian hat and he said that it was the warmest had he'd ever had.The kids found a big pile of dirt to climb and get dirty on, of course!! They had a lot of fun and I'm really glad that one of them didn't fall down it and get hurt. These are Brian and Marie's two boys. I think this photo turned out really cool!!

DECORATING THE TREE!!!I forgot how long it takes to put the light on the tree!! It takes FOREVER!! And of course Isaac was obsessed with the lights.
Isaac was so excited about the bulbs. And he was so not soft with them. I was afraid that he was going to end up breaking one in his hands but when I'd try to take it away from him he would freak out!! Josh ended up sitting on the couch reading to him to distract him while the rest of us finished decorating. Notice that the lower third of the tree has no decorations on it. That would be because of my kids!! They can't keep their hands off it. In fact, the other day I came out to find that, some how, the boys had pulled the tree down!! More bulbs have been broken this year than in all of the years we have been married put together!! This year has already been eventful, I wonder what else is going to happen!!

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was a new adventure for us. It was the first time we weren't spending it away from home, which meant that it was a lot more work. We got to cook our own turkey, which turned out delicious and all of the food that we made and that Kami and Mike brought was fabulous!! We even got to spend it with the elders. Next year I'm going to have to plan a little betther though. I thought I was doing great until 1:30 rolled around (we were supposed to eat at two) and I realized that it wasn't close to being ready. Sorry it was late guys!! I even forgot to make the stuffing!!! I love stuffing. Oh well. I'm glad that we were able to spend the holiday in the company of good friends. I realize more and more how blessed I am, and I give thanks that the Lord is a part of my life. How sad life would be without that knowledge. I also give thanks for all of you. Thank you for being a support and an example to me. I love you all!! The kids had a little table all to themselves. That had fun even if they did only eat a quarter of the food on their plates.

I couldn't help putting this one in. She just looks so darn cute!!

Our good friends Kami and Mike celebrated with us. They are moving in two weeks so we were really glad that we got to spend some time with them. We are really going to miss them when they're gone!!

Isaac was being so cute at the table. He'd smile and then put his foot up and then duck under the table. That kid makes me laugh!!

A couple of months ago I was at Target in Courdelane when I found a pin the hat on the turkey game that I thought would be fun to play on Thanksgiving. The kids all had fun but the adults were all too lazy to try. We had a hard time keeping the boys from cheating but when it was done they all got pretty close.

ISAAC

I just realized that I didn't post anything for Isaac's birthday!! AHHHH!! I'm such a bad mom in so many ways!!! So Isaac turned a year old on the 23rd of October. I don't remember exactly why we didn't start celebrating his birthday until later in the evening (I think Josh was at school)but we did it right before bed. We were trying to decide if we wanted to celebrate it that day or wait until another day but we chose to do it that night on the spur of the moment because we had a Halloween party to go to the next night and we wanted to get it done. I wish that we had waited until another night though. Here's why I'm such a bad mom, I didn't even have time to make a cake for him. I always make their cakes for their birthdays but we bought his this year. I didn't even have all of his gifts ready, I had to go out that night to get them. I know that it probably won't matter to him even when he's grown up, but it does to me. So I have promised myself that I'm going to make his next birthday better. At least it isn't really ugly.

At least he liked the gifts he got this year. I think the reason I feel so bad is because Isaac is such a special part of our family and I want him to feel important. Yeah, he won't even remember it but he'll see pictures when he's older. I'm so grateful that the Lord sent him to us. He is such a happy, fun baby and I'm honored to be his mom.

The First Snowfall!!

We have had a few snow falls this year but this is the only one that we could actually go out and play in. The kids had so much fun and I think their dad did too. I wasn't sure if Isaac would like the snow or not but he loved it!!! He went off and played by himself while the rest of us made snowmen. He was so fun to watch.
Josh is showing the kids how to start a little ball and to make it bigger for the snowmen. He and Emma made one and Jaxson and I made one. Later that day some punk kids were walking by and they push my snowman down and messed up Josh and Emma. It made me so mad!! Why do people do stuff like that?

Jaxson hated playing in the snow last year!! Of course that could have been because there was so much snow that he could barely walk around. He had fun this time, even if his gloves kept coming off.Of course Emma and Josh would be the ones having the snowball fight. Josh threw a snow ball and accidentally pegged Jaxson in the face. He felt so bad!! Luckily kids are very resilient.
My snow babies!!

Better Late than Never

So yeah, it's a month late, but I really wanted to put these up anyway for my records. We had a really fun Halloween this year. Lots of parties make for lots of fun and we had lots of parties to go to this year. Halloween night we went over to our friends house for some food and fun. We watched Disneys, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, do you guys remeber it? I love it!!, and then went out for some trick or treating. Josh stayed home with Isaac while I took the other kids out. It was Jaxson's first time trick or treating door to door and he had a blast!!! He was dragging me from house to house!! We had a lot of fun and I look forward to next year when Isaac will be able to enjoy it as well.

Emma was a spider bride this year. Her make up looks horrible but she loved her costume.
Jaxson would not stand up for a picture so we did the best we could. He fell a week or so before and got a rug burn under his nose in the worst spot, especially because he had a runny nose.

Isaac was so hungry when we got home so this is the only way I could get a picture of him without making him cry. He was sure cute though.
He's my hunk of burning love!!The kids got a haul this year!! Too bad I was the one who ate half of it!!!

Emma's Birthday Party!!

After waiting for two weeks, the morning of Emma's birthday party finally arrived. I am the queen of procrastination and that morning I hit an all time high. My house wasn't clean (I had to grab piles of junk off my table and counters and shove them in my room so no one would see them!! As a result my room was trashed for the next two weeks!! Sorry Josh!!) I hadn't made all of the food. I hadn't even decorated her cake!!! Luckily it was an easy one to decorate so I while everyone came in I finished it up. In spite of my being so unprepared I think it turned out well and everyone had fun. Here are some photos of the events of the day.

We had the table set up with masks for everyone to decorate as they got there but I didn't have time to take pictures of them decorating them because of everything else I had to get done.

When they were finished with their masks they went into the living to play freeze dance. It was so fun to watch their moves to Michael Jackson's, Thriller.

This is Emma's friend Eliza. She had the best moves out of all the kids there.
Josh drew a picture of a witch and I printed off a bunch of witch hats to play pin the hat on the witch. Emma was the first and she wasn't very happy with where her hat ended up.

These next few pictures are of every one eating lunch. Isn't Buzz Lightyear cute!! We had little pizzas that looked like mummies and bone bread sticks and hot dogs wrapped up like mummies. It was actually really good.

Eliza and Joey

Hyrum, Emma, Kennedy and Eliza

Grace, Jacqueline, and Joshua : Her friends Miriam and Sam were also there but aren't in these pictures. Emma and her cake. It didn't turn out the best but it was still yummy!!

Emma got a lot of fun gifts from her friends. I always forget that this house has horrible lighting so most of the pictures didn't turn out very good. I like this picture though. It captures her excitement pretty well.

We are so lucky to live in a place where we have such wonderful friends. I'm also so glad that Josh and also Jacqueline's mom Jenny Lynn were there to help. It was SO MUCH easier because of them!!! Thanks guys!!