Christmas!!!!

We had a fantastic Christmas! We were able to have our "company dinner" a few days before Christmas and it was a huge hit with all of our subs and employees. One of the highlights of Travis' Christmas season every year is doing this dinner.

We were fortunate to have enough to get our kids gifts that they wanted without going overboard. Our ward also knew of our financial struggle and helped us again this year when we weren't expecting it. It was a pleasant surprise. We used some of the $ that they gave us on a gift card and then gave the remainder to one of Travis' lawn employees that is out of work and we knew they needed it.

Having church on Christmas day was delightful (except when I took Dallin home to take a nap)....I loved having that as a focus during our day.

Mom and dad were able to come over and share our gifts with us before church. Travis was so sweeet and surprised me beyond all things surprising by getting me a purse and then putting in it 3 of the essential oils that I have been wanting for quite some time. It was such a sweet thing to do!

My kids were thrilled with their gifts and we enjoyed good food and good company during the day! They all slept in the same room on Christmas eve and the little boys who got tents for christmas slept in their tents on Christmas night. A good time was had by all!

Gift Highlights:
Hunter=BB/Pellet Gun
Gwendalin= American Girl doll
Tyler= Dagedar balls/track
Dallin=hex bugs/track

"My Father"

Dallin has been on a kick for a few months about "his father." Everything he says is a direct result of "his father" (referring to Heavenly Father) . He sees a church and says "There's my Father's house." He talks and says "My Father says.....**" (and then tells us something) *he likes me to kill bears, or *he won't let me cough, because he doesn't want me to get sick...

It's pretty cute until he tells his friends or more specifically his cousin Annabelle that she can't go to his father's house - he uses the term freely to threaten anyone who upsets him. He told my dad that "his father didn't want him to go on a mission anymore..."

It is pretty darn adorbale....I needed to write it down before I forgot and years later didn't remember his connection with "his father."

My Own Christmas Miracle

Meet "Snitch." He was our Elf - sent by Santa himself to watch all the kids at our house this year. He arrived only about 7 days before Christmas while other people who had elves who arrived right after Thanksgiving.

He came to be because my little T-Tyler-Texas said that his friend had an elf and so did his preschool teacher and why didn't we have one - did Santa not like us? Oh, that broke my heart, so while my sister, The Queen, was here we went on a quest to find an elf that could be at our house (my children obviously don't know this- because Snitch just showed up one morning). Anyway, no store had this novelty "Elf on the Shelf" complete with an Elf and a story to accompany him. So we started asking store associates if they had Elf figures that were just in their Christmas sections....we had one man telling all of his associates Tyler's story and making sure we had exhausted all possibilities of finding an elf (including gnomes in the garden section). It really is a heart tugging story - this particular associate as we left the store was saying to his co-workers "...and now this little boy thinks that Santa doesn't like him because he hasn't sent an elf..."

On our way out of the second or third store that mom, queen, and I were at late one night - we came upon those "claw" vending machines where you can win stuffed animals. It had an ELF!!!! It was $0.50/try. So we tried 3 times (Queen was the nominated athlete for the task)....after the third time we hadn't one - so we decided to try one last time spending a total of $2....and SHE GOT IT! We were like giddy high school teenagers in the lobby of Shopko jumping up and down because we were so happy we had gotten an elf out of the vending machine!!!!

On the way home- we composed a "greeting poem" from Snitch to my kids - he came from the north pole sent by Santa to make sure they behaved well before Christmas - every night he would fly back to the North Pole to tell Santa if they were good and the next day he would be in a different place (if you choose to do this - keep in mind that if you forget to move the elf, your kids will notice - I mean I NEVER did *wink* *wink* but I was pretty good. So every day for the rest of the time before Christmas Snitch would be in a different spot every day - and the only rule was that the kids couldn't touch him or his magic would go away.

Dallin had a hayday with his teasing poor sweet Annabelle that Snitch would tell "ho ho" that she couldn't have presents...he had her in tears a few times.....

All in all it was our own little Chirstmas miracle that we found an elf at all! It was meant to be!!! It was so fun to listen as the kids got up every morning and first thing tried to find where Snitch was.....(btw - you get to name your own elf).

SO SO MUCH!!!

So mom and dad came home on December 5. We threw an Open house for them on the 9th. The turn out was spectacular! They are an amazing couple and a great example to so many here. Scott was able to drive back with them and hang out here for a few days - that was also such a plus to be able to see him for a little bit. I can't even express how happy I am to have them home!

Lynn flew in with her kids on the 10th. And left today :(. We did lots of late night chatting, shopping runs, sonic stops,crafts, rearranging furniture, and mediated fights between Annabelle and Dallin - those two were like oil and water.....they needed to be separated all the time. We worked out at all my favorite workout spots and just enjoyed eachother's company. I hated watching her leave today, but I am so glad she was able to come for a bit and so glad that in January I will get to see both my sisters, one sister in law and bff along with my mom for a whole weekend!

Here are some pictures of the past couple weeks.

Getting Ready for Christmas!

Dallin loves to hide in corners and cracks of my house. I found him the other day in my tupperware cupboard - only his little hands were sticking out the top....

I am so into these essential oils that I am diffusing them all the time. The boys were sniffing up a storm the other day - they couldn't get enough...and really who can blame them. I am usually diffusing something divine! and it's good for them too!

I took the boys with me shopping while Lynn was here and Dallin was so upset that I wouldn't buy the mickey mouse doll that I told him we could take a picture and send it to Santa so he could see which one it was that he wanted. (if you look close you can see how hard he had been crying.)

Shopping tuckered them out too....they were asleep before we even got near the store I was going to. I adore my kids so much!

Some Awards and Concert Pics

Gwendalin got an award for being a GREAT CARING FANTASTIC student in front of the whole school (as did several other students) and Hunter was at the top of his music class in "recorder" knowledge so he got to give a concert during the same assembly. I love going to things like this for my kids!

Pony Up!!! & All Aboard!!!

We spent our last day in California at a park riding horses (Hunter did not appreciate it when the horse ran- and you can tell in the picture) and riding a small train. We ended with a nice little lunch picnic....what beautiful day!