New Additions

Meet Lilly, Lulu, and Anakin.  Perfect replicas of their proud new owners personalities.
The kids got Build-a-Bear gift certificates for christmas and had a great time making them this weekend.  Tough decisions for the girls, but not Carter, he knew exactly what he wanted.  This boy is a Star Wars fanatic!

2011

We kicked off 2011 with Christmas #2 at home with all our kids together.

 Then on New Year's Eve our bubbly, party hats, and poppers.  This year I couldn't get away with setting the clocks back.  I think it was more fun when we could, everyone was way too tired by midnight and it was pretty anti-climatic.  Put even though the fun was short lived, we managed a few little pictures and some smiles before the meltdowns started about 12:15a.m.  Next year I think I will find a different way...

Always fun to start the fresh new year with the best kids!

Christmas 2010

I Love Christmas with my family.  Nothing beats spending time together for the holidays.  From the Christmas Eve candle light Journey dinner with finger foods and the Bible story.

 To fun and games,

 and of course Fondue for dessert.

 To Christmas morning gathering on the stairs for pictures every year since I can remember,

 to the wonderful smiles of great kids finding their surprises from Santa,

 and opening presents from so many wonderful friends and family.

 

I could not ask for more.  

Can't wait for next year when we will have all the kids together, but it was a great first Christmas for Steve and I, and the kids didn't mind having two Christmases!

 We had the opportunity to go visit Temple Square with The Sim's this week.  I hadn't been in years and it was really fun to go. I remember going as a kid, and enjoyed taking ours.

Never ceases to amaze me how beautiful this temple is, and hearing the history behind it again and again, makes it even more so.

Gotta have some eyebrows, 

and some boogers, 

 or the trip wouldn't be complete. Lets just hope it's in that order...

Could be a good family pictures. Missing two things.
1- Bailey 2- Carter's face

The model of the temple is really neat. It has the interior and the exterior in complete detail.

Cooped up?

Should I plead guilty for lack of giving my children the entertainment they need during finals week?

Or I could just be proud I have children with such creative minds and self confidences.

I will definitely take the credit for those amazing legs!

Unfortunately, I should probably take blame for the style choice as well...

The kicker was that Carter wanted to go out delivering christmas gifts that way. Elli did NOT like that idea. Private humiliation is fine, but public embarassment is too much for her to handle.

The smiles they have lasted only temporarily, because of the above situation.

But I will take any smiles, any way, any how, deserved or not.

I vow to give my kids all the time and attention they need and deserve this Christmas break from school. If for nothing else, to prevent their "creativity" from coming out in such a manner again. For all our sakes!

; )

One way

I guess that is one way to play on the ipod...

Wouldn't be my pick,
but if you're Carter,

it works quite well,
apparently.

Winter Wonders