Christmas Card 2011

This was our Christmas card this year.  It's not the best quality because I took a picture of a picture.  Maybe next year I'll try scanning it. 

Santa/Polar Express

 I love Pinterest and all the great ideas that are on there.  I saw an idea for the polar express with free printable tickets.  I decided that we would do that for one of our Christmas bags.  I put the polar express tickets into the bag along with some hot chocolate cups.  I then had them put their PJ's on.  While they were doing that I had D get the van running with the polar express music playing.  He had a hole punch to punch their tickets before they got into the van.  We then went to visit Santa at Tuacahn.  It was freezing cold that night.  Once we finally got to Santa, Hay sat on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas.  I then wanted a quick picture with the kids.  Ty being the teenager that he is didn't see the fun in that.  Santa picked up on that and had a good time teasing him while he was sitting next to him.  We had a good laugh.  We then went to the van and had hot chocolate and went on a drive to see all the beautiful Christmas lights.  It was a fun and memorable night.

Temple Square

 We went up north a few weeks before Christmas for my nieces missionary farewell and decided while we were up there we would go see the lights at temple square.  This was a tradition for us when we lived up there  We would stay the weekend in a hotel and enjoy the lights and shopping in SLC.  We realized that Hay was a baby the last time we went to see the lights so we decided we would do it this year.  I absolutely love Christmas lights especially at Temple square.  So beautiful!! We decided to have a couple of cousins come with us which made it that much more fun.  We started off by going to our favorite burger place...JCW's.  We then went to see the lights.  It was very crowded that night but that didn't hinder us from enjoying the beauty around us.  We also went to see the Joseph Smith movie while we were there.  Such a great movie with the spirit so strong.  It was a fun and memorable night.

Family Pictures 2011

This year I was debating on if I was going to do a Christmas card or not.  Last minute I decided I would and therefore our family picture had to be a last minute thing.  I got the tripod out and put it up in our backyard.  Not the most ideal situation but I think it worked out ok.  We had one of Wyatt's butterflies from his tree with us but for cropping purposes it didn't make it in the picture.  At that point I decided to put his picture in the corner.  That became our picture for our Christmas card.  Here are a few other pics I took.

 Hay was helping me get the tripod in the correct position. 

Pure JOY!

Wyatt's Tree 2011

I received this beautiful butterfly in the mail for Wyatt's tree yesterday.  I love it!  It's perfect!  Thank you Michelle.  So grateful to everyone that has contributed to his tree.  It truly is a tree of love.  It's always an emotional event each year as we place each ornament lovingly on the tree and think of the amazing people in our lives.  We just feel so beyond blessed for all the kindnesses people have shown to us the past 3 1/2 years.  Thank you to everyone!  We love each and every ornament!

 The doll my uncle gave us and the sweet quilt we received from Kamber's grandmother.

 The hat Wyatt wore his first and only Christmas with us.  It always will be a top his tree.

Happy Birthday Ty

 Can't believe our boy is 15 years old.  Happy Birthday Ty.  We are so grateful for him and so grateful he is part of our family.  What an incredible kid he is.  So proud of him!  For his birthday all he wanted to do was go get his learners permit.  After school I took him to get it but they wouldn't take the small birth certificate.  He was so disappointed but was able to go back and get it the next day.  He has been driving ever since as much as we let him.  Still can't believe he is old enough to do that. 

His day started out with opening some presents.  We had breakfast cake before he had to leave for a service project he was involved in at school.  "Drive by Raking".  They had a pizza party for lunch so he didn't want to go out to lunch like we usually do.  Instead we took him to Outback Steak House for dinner.  His favorite!  We came home and had cake and played games.  It was a fun day.  We love our Ty.  Happy Birthday Bud!!

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving.  We spent it with my sister and her family at their cabin in Pine Valley.  It was a fun day spent together.  A new traditions that I did this year was getting some butcher paper and putting it on our table a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving.  Each night or anytime during the day when we were grateful for something specific we would write it on the paper.  Loved this activity...think it will be something we do again.  Gratitude is something I've learned to be extremely important.  Someday I will do a post on it and how it's helped me the past 3 years.  It was fun as a family to write things down and then talk about them at the dinner table each night.  So very grateful for all of my many blessings.

Our table after a week of writing on it.

Front porch. I made these Pilgrims so long ago but still love them.

 Thanksgiving dinner. 

And a great surprise to all was Santa making a visit that night with gifts for the little kids.  Hay was so excited!!!  Definitely something we will all remember.

A big hug and thank you to Santa.