Signs of Christmas

We had fun with stashes from Santa

Richard getting excited about his new Kindle.

Here I am. This time behind the camcorder.

Jake-wearing the same thing he wore the night before because he was already asleep when we got home on Christmas Eve and I didn't want to wake him.

The mess afterwards.

Spreading Christmas Cheer

Christmas Eve-a time to spend with the family sharing talents and having fun.

Brendan played a Christmas song he had been working on.
Dylan sang Jingle Bells, for the second year in a row. He wasn't very happy about singing it again but he didn't know all the words to anything else so Jingle Bells it was.
Jordan didn't want to play his guitar for the program but ended up messing around with it later on.
Richard read the Night Before Christmas to the kids.
The kids unwrapped the presents they received from their secret santa.
We played a new game this year. If you roll doubles you get to try to unwrap the present the only trick is you have to wear oven mitts and a santa hat. The guys got pretty competitive and some wrestling took place. In the end Rich opening the present-a battle of the sexes card game.

Happy Holidays

Year Highlights

Jordan

Played volleyball and soccer with his Middle School

He plays guitar

Finally passed up his Mom and Dad in height

Involved in Scouts

Likes to take apart things


Brendan

Still in Taekwondo - working on his red belt

Plays baseball

Likes reading and just finished the Harry Potter series

Enjoys being part of the Cub Scouts

Growing fast

Dylan

Not afraid of talking to anyone

Very independent

Played baseball for the first time this year

Just starting losing his teeth. Three gone and counting.

Loves the work he is doing in Afternoon Club (Kindergarten), especially reading and math

Jacob

Has accomplished so much in almost a year. (I can't belive he turns 1 next month)

Recently started walking

Like any little one, he loves to get into everything he is not supposed to

He has such a fun personality and is all around a happy boy!

When he is done with something he chucks it

Does cute new things all the time. His new thing is to tilt his head sideways to look at you.

Rich

Still enjoys Scuba Diving and Golf

He got a conure this summer named Ginger. Everyone loves when he brings her around. The only downside is she squawks a lot.

Rachael

I took two photography classes this year and have loved the new knowledge and skills I've learned.

I keep busy with my calling in church, but I love getting to know the amazing women we have in our ward.

Started quilting again and started learning how to machine quilt.

Christmas activities 2009

I was so excited to have our Relief Society party have such a good turn out. It was a really nice night but I didn't get any pictures until the end when we played the unwrap the present game. Tina was so good at unwrapping it, using her teeth and all. She got an apron I made.

Jake's first experience sitting on Santa's lap. Santa gave him a book which ended up, where else, in his mouth.

Other activities:

Watching a fire dancer at our church Christmas party

Making crafts and Gingerbread Men at a school party

Decorating Christmas tree

Being sneaky

Here's my sneaky boy going down the stairs. He just learned how to do it and all I can say is Yay! No more mad dashes to the stairs because someone forgot to put the gate up. Look at that face, he knows he is doing something exciting he usually never gets to do, trying to be sneaky and loving every minute of it.

How to cook a turkey

In school Dylan has been making pumpkin pie from scratch by following a recipe. To go along with that same theme, everyone told their teacher their recipe for "how to cook a turkey". This is Dylan's.

Dylan's turkey recipe

Take 2 cups of sugar and put 3 cups of water in it. Then add 1 cup of syrup and 8 more cups of sugar and 5 cups of special juice and hot chocolate so it's a hot turkey. Stir it all up then add deer juice and stir again. Add flower seeds and cook for 80 minutes.

Anyone want to come to our house for turkey dinner?

p.s I guess Richard's deer he shot about a month ago is still on Dylan's mind. He also keeps asking his teacher to come over for dinner so she can have deer meat.


Happy Thanksgiving!

A tooth for the tooth fairy

Last week Dylan hit another big milestone...he lost his first tooth. It had been loose for awhile but right before school one day I asked him if he wanted Dad to pull it out and he said "sure". Richard first tried pulling it out with dental floss but that didn't work so he had to go for the tweezers. It was funny, a couple of minutes after his tooth was pulled out he said "That hurt." That night he put his tooth underneath his pillow and in return got 2 dollars in quarters in a cool little bag that somehow had two guitar picks in it (I think the tooth fairy saw a cool bag and didn't realize that there was anything else in it). Dylan kept asking for a guitar so he could use his new guitar picks. Then Dylan asked Jordan if he could play his guitar because he had some guitar picks. Jordan started to get mad because he thought Dylan got in his stuff but after I explained the tooth fairy had given them to Dylan, he understood and was very cool about it. I think my kids need to return their current tooth fairy and get a new one. At least Dylan didn't have to wait a week to get his money. Our tooth fairy can be very forgetful.