scrappin machine...

I have been trying to use this holiday time to catch up on a little digi scrappin. I am finished with October and can now move on to November and December...oh boy has it been a busy few months to scrap. I can't wait to get caught up so that I can print out our album in January!!!

christmas...

Christmas Eve was spent eating a yummy dinner at my parent's house. I look forward to Christmas eve dinner and Christmas day dinner. Eve we always have Turkey, veggies, potato rolls, etc...and on Christmas day we have ham, potatoes au gratin, rolls, holiday punch, etc... sooooo good! Following dinner on Christmas eve we headed to our house to do jingle bells. A tradition that I grew up with. We don't ever put any presents under the tree until Christmas eve. Each person takes turns with the jingle bells while everyone else sings carols...they go up stairs to the pile of presents and bring an arm load down and place them under the tree. When the jingle bells stop ringing everyone opens their eyes and ooos and ahhhs!

I believe it will be years before I get a picture of the kids that is cute on Christmas eve. They are such busy bodies that they won't hold still long enough. I also need to figure out how to take pictures with my camera...with out the hated flash...that won't make anything moving blurry....oh well!

We have it on good authority that Santa loves Little Debbie snacks!

Santa arrived at our house...he brought a table and chairs for Bailey, cars for Max, and "secret boxes" for the boys.

Waiting at the top of the stairs for dad to put on the Little Drummer Boy song sung by Johnny Mathis...

Opening stockings...

Santa also brought the boys watches...

After stockings we wait to open more until after Christmas breakfast. Travis did a great job with the bacon and sausage.

Noah was waiting ever so patiently...

It was cute to see Max enjoy the wrapping paper.

Max's beloved present is a new fire engine to sit on and push buttons...

Next it was on to my parent's house to open extended family gifts...followed by my mom's glorious homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate!

Can I just say that Christmas makes me so happy. I LOVE having Travis home from work for almost 2 weeks....I LOVE the spirit that fills our home...I LOVE being together as a family... I LOVE making memories...

bailey's first ballet recital...

Bailey started a pre-ballet class at the beginning of November. She LOVES it!! On Friday she had her very first recital! All the little girls looked so stinkin cute! They first danced to "I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause" and then to "Where are you Christmas?" It was short and sweet and Bailey did a great job! Having a girl is so much fun!!!

do you see what I see?...

On Wednesday we headed down town to see the lights on temple square with some friends. The weather was pretty good which allowed us to take our time. I LOVE going to see the lights. It is a tradition for our little family to meet Travis right after work (since he works on temple square) go out to eat, and then walk around and look at the lights. My favorite is the big red tree that they usually always have on the east side in between the visitors center and the temple. It is just breathtaking.

The kids LOVED watching the water coming out of the fountain.
I swear it flows slower in the winter...

This is usually the smile I get from Noah when I ask him to smile....the little stinker...he is such a cheeser!

This lantern picture is probably my most favorite that I took that night. It captures how I feel about this time of year...joy, warmth, home, beauty, happiness...

As always it was a fun night!

hop on over...

Hop on over and check out some things that I love...

a smiggin of this and that...

Sorry I have totally been a blog slacker lately! There have been so many projects to complete, holiday stuff, and regular ol' crazy busy stuff that I always seem to put off posting pictures. So here is a smiggin of what we have been up to the last month...

Bailey started a little ballet class once a week.
It is just PRECIOUS!!

Me and my cute niece Rylee. I miss them already!

Noah receiving his bobcat award in Cub Scouts! They stamp the boys foreheads with a bobcat paw print.

I held my first Christmas piano recital. Noah and his friend Tyler were relieved it was over.

We picked out our Christmas tree. Normally this involves a few hours and a few tree lots, but this year we walked right in and found our tree.

Max enjoyed his first experience with lights!

The kids enjoyed helping decorate the tree and then for about an hour after they had fun looking at all of the dates on the ornaments and admiring each one!

We still have much more coming up that I will surely (hopefully) post about later. Lights on Temple Square...Bailey's dance recital....Christmas...oh boy!!

it's that time again...

better late than never...

I have mostly stayed on top of my scrapbooking this year...mostly...I am kinda stuck in October...the only events before that that I have yet to scrap is my trip to Hawaii and Trek! A month or so ago we finally got our pictures from our Trek photographers. So yesterday I sat down determined to get them scrapped! Oh boy does it feel good to have it done! Now on to Hawaii...I seriously have like 300 pictures...wish me luck!

it's that time again...

Time for another fun idea on Poppies...

a way to help...

Looking for a great way to give this holiday season...?
Click HERE to donate to a tragic Utah cause.
She is holding an auction and all proceeds will be donated to his wife and daughter...
It is a heart breaking story....click HERE to read about it...

what a game...

We have been season ticket holders for 3 years now. It has been such a fun new tradition to add to our family! We usually get 2 tickets so Travis rotates who he takes with him. Each of the kids get a turn, he takes a friend or 2 and I usually stake my claim on the "holy war!" The duel of all duels. The BYU vs. U of U game! Being AT this game is an amazing experience! People are so pumped up, excited, and emotionally charged! I LOVE going! This year was no exception! The game went into OT and we won on the last play of the game! Wahooo! It was a great night!

There was a sprinkling of red up in the stands!!

This is how Travis felt right after our amazing win!!

As usual the fans rushed the stands. The last time the fans were able to get to the goal posts and they knocked them down....this year they had like 20 security guards at each end guarding them!

It was pretty chilly, but the adrenalin was enough to keep us warm!