Christmas Morning!

We found Santa's Footprints in our fireplace!
We had to be at the Church at 10:00 since I was in charge of the Sacrament program and Sam had to play the bells.

We didn't want to rush opening presents, so we woke up, opened stockings, ate a nice breakfast, got ready and went to church before opening presents!

It was so nice.
Everyone just before church.

On the way home, Ryan drove slow, teasing the kids, it took them along time to notice, they were so busy talking and excited. After a few miles of going 25mph, Caleb finally said "Hey, How fast are you actually going?" We giggled and Ryan went slower while everyone moaned and yelled at him to speed it up. Max finally pushed on his leg to make the gas pedal go down. Then Ryan pretended he was going to take the long way home. It was so fun to drag out the suspense.

We finally made it home and opened the presents, one at a time.


Emma got an Innotab, and she has used it so much that we have had to change the batteries 3 times.

Caleb and Mara got rollerblades

The favorite gift of Noah and Caleb was bomber hats and 5-finger shoes!

All Caleb wanted for Christmas was a Kindle Fire. It was hard to make him understand that we don't always get what we want.

Thing is Ryan wanted one really bad also.

His parents completely surprised us and Ryan opened a Kindle Fire up amid screams from Caleb and gasps of surprise!

What a fun surprise.

Max's favorite gift was his Vikings football set.

I can't wait for August to use my gift....Tickets to WICKED in Salt Lake City!!!

Christmas Eve~Traditions

*Nice Christmas Eve Dinner including....Crab legs.

*Nut in the pudding! Gift this year...Gift certificate to Chili's and two chocolate oranges...

Winner was: Shirlee Jacobson!

*Christmas pajamas from Yiaya and Papou*A little goofing around


*Annalee's first Christmas , first Christmas pajama's, first all nighter (and first time screaming for an hour-teething, cut her first upper tooth on Christmas Eve)

*Posing in Pajamas

*We invited Our Bishop and his wife over to eat with us. It was so fun to have them! We read the Christmas story and talked about Anna and Simeon who searched their whole life for Christ, and because of that long waiting and searching, they knew Christ when Mary and Joseph brought him to the temple.

It was such a fun night!

Sam's {L}ogic

At breakfast today Sam says:

"Annalee's name doesn't fit. Her name has three syllables. Everyone else just has one or two."

"Sam, No-ah, Ca-leb, Max, Mar-a, Emm-a, Ann-a-lee." See three (I especially liked how he had to spell it all out for me...like my brain couldn't figure it out without him.)

Then he says...

"That's why I will call her stinky...Stink-y."

Duck {E}ggs

I came upstairs after Noah had been out to collect eggs and I found this....

Apparently the ducks we got last spring are girls...at least one of them is...Now it begs the question...What do we do with them?

Question answered. I boiled them and Caleb ate them this morning. He said they taste exactly like chicken eggs, but are just a bit bigger.

Yep-{a}-doop!

Emma has started this Yep-a-doop thing. Whenever I ask her to do something she says yep-a-doop! She is a independant thinker, and not amount of coaxing from me can make her move faster than she wants to. I think she is my lesson in patience. She certainly knows what she wants, and how she is going to get it. She is forever in Annalee's face, and thinks that she is just as big as all the others, and should be able to do all they can...like hold Annalee while standing up, staying up, reading, riding a bike, holding the chickens, ect.

Her spirit fills the room, and she is not afraid of much. She is especially not afraid to talk to anyone, or ask questions about someone...really loud! Love her much!

Side Tra{ck}

That is my new name for him! He gets up at 5:55am every school morning so that he can sit in front of the heater and read by the Christmas tree! He sets his alarm and is sometimes up before me. You would think that getting up two hours before the bus comes would certainly give him plenty of time to get ready in a slow, leisurly pace...not usually the case. He is still the last one ready, and running out the door after the bus has arrived...Why? He is sidetrack! I tell him to do one thing and on the way he finds seven other things to do. I tell him to do the same thing multiple times, and I try my hardest NOT to lose my patience with him.
On the other hand, he is such a great big brother. It is usually with Annalee that he gets sidetracked, or Emma, or because he is helping Mara find something, or do something. He is ever aware of me and is by far my most observant kid. He gives the best most sincere compliments, and has such a funny personality! I am so grateful I have him to spice up my life and keep us all laughing!
So here's to the waking up early phase...may it always be so!

Intercom

I asked Caleb to holler down the laundry shoot to tell Noah to come upstairs (don't be jealous of our intercom system) This is what I heard:
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
"Moooooooooooooooooom Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays
Toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooome Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaairs riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight Nooooooooooooooooooow"

Noah responded with:"Oooooooooooooooooooh Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay"

Caleb immediately pipes in "Thhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaannnnnnnkkkkkkkk. Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou"

Goooooooooooooooooooooood, Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye."

Just a little smile in my day!

Family Pictures

Bouck's in Victor Idaho

We stopped by the Bouck's on our way home from Utah. The kids wasted no time getting on their snow clothes and heading out to sled. It is so amazing to me that even though it has been over six months since we saw them, they acted as if it had just been yesterday. They had such a good time!

Caught Noah biffing it!

Even Mara and Lucy went out to sled. Emma and Kate played dress ups inside. Then after dinner Joy cut Emma's hair. I have been wanting to do it for a while because the ends were so stringy, and she had cut the side of her hair.

The first cut!

Such a cute bob! I love it one her, and she is so sassy in it!

In the morning, we gave Annalee a bath in the kitchen sink!

She loved it! We woke up to snow, and our drive home took us 8 hours, instead of 6. It was so worth it though. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Officially 14! {Sam}

We celebrated Sam's birthday in Utah this year. He said it was the best one ever! We started off at the D.I. then he got a Uof U sweatshirt at Kohl's from grandma and grandpa, then ate lunch at the new drive thru Chick-fil-A! It ended with the Utah Arkoudas' celebrating with us at Yiaya and Papou's!

He'll need that hat this winter.

After opening all the presents, Noah had a phone in his pocket that started to ring. He answered it and said "Sam, it's for you." Sam took it and said "whose phone is this?" It was his.

I had been telling him all year that he couldn't have a phone until he was driving. But with the school so far away and multiple times that I needed to contact him, his father convinced me that he needed it now. I caved!

Annalee is wondering who? who has me? Lij!

Showing off our fashion earrings! clip on of course.

Cake time!

Lighting his own candles...in the shape of a 14 since we didn't quite have 14...that's a lot!

We are redneck!

Hope all your birthday wishes come true Sam! You are a really great kid, and I hope you always stay that way...even if you are 14!