New Year's Eve

We hosted the annual family New Year's Eve party.  The evening was once again filled with lots of laughs and yummy food.  Just thinking about all the delicious food makes me hungry.

 We wrapped up the new year with a final visit to the doctor for Dallin.  With our big hospital visits during the first two months of the year, we had met our out-of-pocket maximum early in the year and everything past that had been free.  Now we get to start over again :(  

Dallin rang in the new year with a nasty bout of croup.  Poor baby.

Reflecting back on 2014, it has been a year filled with the highest highs (welcoming Dallin) and some low lows (breaking my leg while pregnant and needing surgery).  Life goes on with its ups and downs, but I am so thankful to be going through it with my wonderful husband, Stan, and my cute and strong-willed kids.  Here's looking forward to new adventures in 2015!

Christmas Day

And the stockings were hung...

Oh wait, they're on the couch.  Miriam came into our room crying that the stockings were gone from the fireplace.  She hasn't learned yet that Santa leaves them on the couch so they don't fall and spill their contents.

Eliza displayed the classic 3-year old sentiments of pure  excitement over any gifts.  She's more excited about Dallin's stocking than he was.

Sporting his new superhero hat.  He was mostly interested in eating the wrapping paper.

We hosted Christmas dinner this year.  It was nice to be in a more baby-proofed environment since Dallin is into (and eats) everything now.  Grandma Janet made marshmallow guns for all the grandkids.  Our yard is still covered in them, thanks Grandma.  At least the kids had fun :-)

We played some games and finished off the day by watching Napoleon Dynamite.  The movie that is only funny when viewed with a large group.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve at Dad's house with many of the local family.  My baby sister Sara came home from BYU for the holidays.  Everyone loved spending time with her.

Hannah led the Nativity this year.  

Eliza making her silly faces.  Not very angelic :-) 

 Mason did very well playing the part of Baby Jesus.

Afterwards we sang a round of Christmas songs.  I do love the Christmas music!

'Tis The Season

'Tis the season for:

Cute holiday clothes,

 (just wanted to note the miracle that all three children are actually looking at the same time).

Seeing Santa (a few different times)

I think the girls enjoyed the ride in the ice cream truck at the mall more than seeing Santa.

He's the cutest Santa I've seen this season.

This kid has a hard time not smiling, even while he's crying.

'Tis the Season for local Christmas parades.

Who knew it would be like Halloween all over again?

'Tis the season for thoughtful and love-filled gifts.  We have a tradition that everyone in the family gets a new ornament each year. We try to make the ornament represent something from the individual's life the previous year.  I made a special request to Stan for a pregnant lady with a broken leg and walker ornament.  I wasn't sure how he would accomplish this, since I was pretty sure they didn't exist.  Stan exercised some creativity in his trip to Hobby Lobby and put together his own ornament.  The walker he made from wire, the gifts are the "special delivery" (i.e. Dallin).  Score for Stan!  

Yummy

I love this time of year for lots of reasons, but especially for of all of the yummy food!

Jody and I got together and spent the day making our Christmas candies.  This was a tradition started by my mom when we were kids.  

We expanded our menu of goodies, so we enlisted the help of the dads to wrap and cut the caramels.

A hard day's work, but enjoyable when you're doing it with a friend!

The girls got to make their contribution by making and decorating sugar cookies that we deliver to the neighbors.

 I think they liked eating them too!