Its Our Birthday Shout Hooray!

Happy 1st Birthday Chalice!

Happy 31st Brithday Brandon!

Chalice's birthday is on the 3rd of January and Brandon's is on the 4th.  So what do you do right after the Christmas Holiday?  You celebrate these two's birthday.  We are so grateful for each of them in our family.

Chalice is starting to talk and she has the cutest expressions.  She wrinkles up her nose and pulls the funniest faces.  She loves her mom and dad and doesn't want anything to do with anyone else if they are around.  She loves to follow her sisters around and play with them.  She has her own personality and she is just plain darling.

Brandon is the kindest, gentlest person you will ever meet.  He has just become part of our family so easily.  We love having him around and we love the sweet family that He, Kirstin and Kira have become.  Such a fun day to celebrate two wonderful people who we love so much!

 Ready to blow out the candles…Happy Birthday to you!

Yes that is Costco Chocolate Cake….our favorite!

Happy New Year!

We had a New Year's Eve party at our house.  The Jackson's came to celebrate with us.  Whitney put together some minute-to-win-it games that were so fun.  Griff put together a ping pong tournament.  There was good food and good company…just what you need for a fun party!

Hannah and Maddie

Maddie was the star of the show.

Brandon and Luke in the ping pong tournament.

Minut-to-win-it cookie eating game.

It isn't as easy as it looks.

Melanie actually did it.

Minute-to-win-it stacking cups game….Rhonda, Caitlin and I.

This was the funniest game to watch.  It was shake the ping pong balls out of the box by shaking your booty.  Dave and Bill got into it.

Kirstin and Brandon playing ping pong.

Merry Christmas Everyone

I love Christmas.  Even at my age it is hard for me to sleep Christmas Eve. The excitement has gone from being excited for what I was going to get when I was a little girl to what I am going to give and the joy of seeing the delight on the faces of those I love.

Brandon, Kirstin and Kira stayed at their home on Christmas Eve but came over early to wake us up on Christmas Day. We got a surprise snow storm that started on Christmas Eve and lasted through Christmas Day.  It was beautiful….we love having "White Christmas'".

Kira arriving in her 'frozen" nightgown...

Kirstin and Brandon arriving early Christmas morning…Austin shoveled the walk for them.

Jordan got a Star Wars pinball game...

Grandpa and Maddie sharing a moment together.

Kalli got a Elsa dress from grandpa and grandma.

Kira got Kirstin's American Girl doll that she had when she was a little girl.

Kalli, Hannah and Maddie in their "frozen" princess dresses.  They are princesses.

Chalice got a puppy that talks to her.

Griff and Maddie….Maddie loved opening presents.

Ryan, Hannah, Kalli and Caitlin….Chalice was still asleep.

Austin got his "beat" headphones that he wanted.

Jordan also got Mario Cart 8 Wii game.

Erin got her class ring in her birthstone.

Josh got a snowboard bag.

Brandon got a new suit to wear to church.

Erin also got her class sweatshirt.

Maddie with her Olof snowman toy.

Austin was surprised with this sweatshirt…I got it when we were in Portland and he didn't even know.

Another picture of Jordan with his Star Wars pinball game.

Caitlin got the boots she wanted from Ryan.

Manae gave me this mug so I had to have hot chocolate out in the snow in honor of our wonderful storm.

The best part of Christmas was having mom come spend a few hours with us.

She sent Josh out in the snow to her car to get his present.  He found a card on the front seat.

He brought it in and read it in front of Grandma.  It said, "Merry Christmas and drive carefully. Love you,  Grandma."  Grandma had given Josh her car.  She was so happy to see him so surprised and happy!

Oh how I love my mom!  I was so happy to have her with us.  It truly was the best Christmas gift ever!

Christmas Eve

We love Christmas Eve.  We go to Grandpa and Mindy's with all the cousins and eat wonderful food, visit and open presents.  There are getting to be quite a few of us but it doesn't matter how crowded it is we just love being together.

We come home from that party and always have our own little Christmas program.  This year we talked about the gifts that the Savior brought to us and then we talked about what gifts we could give him.  We each wrote down a gift that we were going to give to the Savior this year and put it in a Christmas bag.  Next year we will open the bag on Christmas Eve and see how we have done.

We also always act out the Nativity and read the Christmas Story from the scriptures.  This year Melanie Parada, our friend from Colombia, was with us.  Also Ryan, Cait and the girls were with us.  Kalli didn't want to be Mary…she wanted to be an Angel.  So Erin was Mary and we talked Jordan into being Joseph again this year.  Caitlin decided she was going to be a lamb.   

Joseph (Jordan), Angel (Kalli) and Mary (Erin).

Caitlin sneaking in to be the lamb.

Ryan, Cait, Kalli, Jordan and Erin….it was so fun to be all together.

We opened Christmas jammies and all the little girls got "frozen" nightgowns.  Kalli and Hannah loved them.

Erin and Melanie had matching jammies.

Las Vegas Bowl…Utah vs Colorado State

Bill, Austin, Griff, Whit and I went to the Las Vegas Bowl to watch Utah and Colorado St. play.  Utah dominated so it was a very good game.  The offense and defense played well.  We shopped at the outlet malls and I found a LULU Lemon store so that was fun!  We were able to get a flight home right after the game so we were home for Sunday.  It was a fun way to start the Christmas Holiday.

Utah vs Colorado

Bill, Austin and I went on a road trip the day after Thanksgiving to the Colorado vs Utah football game.  It was in Boulder, Colorado which is know to be very cold the end of November.  It turned out to be a beautiful day….almost 70 degrees at kick off.  I had to take off my jacket and just wear my short sleeves for the first half of the game.  It was a fun game with Utah winning 38-34.

Austin brought his shoes along for good luck.  He said that we wouldn't get a speeding ticket if we had them with us.  He made me a believer when he was pulled over for speeding on the way home and the officer just gave him a warning because he was honest about the speed he was going.  I better take them wherever I go…or not speed.

Austin before the game started….can you believe this weather in Colorado on Nov. 29?

These are the ole BYU brothers in Utah gear…John Adams, Cary Whittingham, Kyle Whittingham and Bill McNabb.

So fun to travel and go to games with these two Ute fans!

We Are Grateful!

I love Thanksgiving.  I love the colors, the food and especially the feeling of gratitude for all we have been blessed with.  I am so grateful for my family…..all of them.  My wonderful husband, my beautiful children and their spouses and the sweetest most precious granddaughters….the Gospel that helps us prepare  and covenants that promise us to be a forever family.  I am grateful for my extended family….my dad and mom who taught me and loved me and my brothers and their families.  I am grateful for Bill's extended family…his mom, dad and Mindy and his brothers and their families.  I am so very grateful for my testimony of Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ and the love that they have for us.  I could go on and on….there is so much to be grateful for!

We had all of our family, 3 sets of missionaries and one of their investigators for dinner.  Our table was full and so were our hearts! We are so very, very grateful!